Romance in Dallas - Tycoon! (13 page)

Natalie swore as she clicked her phone shut.
Where could Jace be? It had been hours, and she needed to speak
with her urgently.

Pulling out the file she'd started on Ramsey
Knowles, she quickly scanned and found an emergency contact
number.

"Hello," she said as a man answered, "I'm
trying to contact Jace Lombard."

"Who?" His voice sounded sleepy and she
realized it was after eleven at night. But then, she was a night
person.

"Sorry. My name is Natalie and she's an
employee of mine. I'm trying to phone her or Ramsey and neither one
is answering."

He chuckled in her ear. "Why doesn't that
surprise me?"

"It's not the slightest bit funny," she said,
as her eyes scanned the newspaper article in front of her. The
picture showed Ram and some red-head, with her hands on his, both
sitting at a table. She really needed to tell Jace about this. The
article mentioned someone named Victoria, and it linked them
romantically.

"I need to reach her," she said again.

"Hang on," and she heard rustling of sheets
and then papers. "Well, I just have Ram's number. His private cell.
Do you have that one?"

Natalie read it aloud to him and he confirmed
it was Ram's cell.

She said irritably, "Yes, damn it, that's the
one I have. Where do you suppose they went?"

He laughed now. "With Ram you just never
know. He's been telling me how much he cares for Jace. They
probably are on the high seas somewhere. His yacht is down there by
Nassau."

She groaned. "I may have to go to Nassau and
find her then. I wouldn't want her to get hurt. She's been through
enough." Natalie remembered the months of Jace's depressed state
after she found her then husband Ralph and the other woman
together. Then there was the ugly divorce, with months more of
Jace's suffering.

Warren said, "I don't understand. What's so
blasted important that you'd have to interrupt them? Maybe they're
having fun somewhere."

"That's just what I'm afraid of. She's
starting to care for him, and now I'm looking at this picture of
Ram with another woman in an intimate pose."

"I just don't see it happening. Not with the
text messages I've been getting from him. What paper is it?"

Natalie mentioned the name.

"It's a rag," Warren said calmly. "I would
never believe anything they published. Whatever they said happened,
my girl? It never happened, period. End of story. Now, what else
can I do for you? Natalie?"

"You can promise me Jace won't get hurt by
Ramsey. That would make me breathe easier. Whatever your name is."
And, she hung up in his ear.

Chapter 11

Warren called her back immediately. "You
always hang up in a person's ear? Someone who's trying to help you?
And, my name is Warren by the way."

"Well, you didn't help me. Big deal." She
reached out and threw the file folder on another stack on her desk,
sighed, and put her feet up.

Natalie heard him stifle a laugh, before he
said, "What did you say your name was again?"

"Why?"

"Ram will want to know."

"What are you, his toady or something?"

"I'm his attorney and his best friend. We
share just about everything. Not girlfriends though. Next
question."

"All right, who is he really? I mean
underneath the façade of mister rich guy."

He paused for a minute. "Well, I suppose like
all successful people, he's a bit of a control freak. But I think
he sees it in himself and only uses it when he really needs it. The
control, I mean. Generally, he's a laid back guy who is really
hurting mentally and physically."

"Because of the car crash you mean?"

"Yeah, it was really bad. And I was the one
that had to break the news of his wife's death." Sighing, he
continued, "He still feels like the accident was his fault. And
still takes taxis everywhere he goes. Doesn't trust his own driving
anymore."

Natalie couldn't think of anything to say to
that.

"And Jace?" he asked, "What do you think
drives her?"

"She's the best, and I mean the best at what
she does. But her divorce was nasty, and I guess my protective
instincts come to play when I see her start to get involved with
anyone."

Warren was silent for a minute. "Why don't we
get together tomorrow? Maybe by that time Ram will call me and I'll
have good news. How about it? Are you married or what?"

"Or what," she replied dryly. "All right.
Meet you at noon at Books 'n Things Bookstore, we'll have coffee.
I'll be the one dressed in sweats."

"Sweet. All right. See you there."

Jace was so totally embarrassed after they'd
made love, she couldn't even look Ram in the eyes. She sat at the
dining table now, while he padded in his bare feet around the
kitchen.

But, he noticed it eventually, and she felt
his eyes on her. "Hey," he said, his two fingers pointing to her
eyes, then back at his own, "What's going on?"

Finally, she was able to meet his gaze. "I
was so noisy. You must think I'm a harlot or something."

He laughed as he leaned on the counter.
"Haven't heard that word for a while. You're what they call a
screamer. It's nothing to be ashamed of. I love it. It turns me on
totally. And," his eyes were warm as they scanned her face, "I love
you Jace. But do you love me?"

"It's hard for me to love. It's a long
story."

"I've got time," he replied gently, "that's
why we're here. So you can tell me what's going on with you."

And, she noticed he didn't press her. She was
grateful for that. He rustled around and within half hour had made
them a simple meal of salmon with twice baked potatoes and green
beans.

They ate in silence, with him looking up at
her now and then. He poured her some wine, a type she'd never heard
of.

It was delicious and she almost gulped hers
all down. Her nerves were on edge and she wasn't sure if she could
talk with him or not about her inner feelings and fears. That
scared her.

"Let's go on the deck," he said, "it's a
beautiful evening."

They sat side by side on lounge chairs,
watching the stars.

"So, tell me about our friend Ralph," he
said.

She groaned. "Only if I have to. He's a real
piece of work."

"How so?"

Jace sipped her wine. "We'd only been married
a few years. He worked in the hospital, that's where we met. He was
a nurse."

She continued, "Apparently he'd been having
this torrid affair with another nurse, a woman I mean, and everyone
was afraid to tell me. So, essentially, they looked me every day in
the face and none of my friends at work had the guts to tell me
about it. The only reason I found out was when I was sick at work,
came home early, and there they were, naked in the bedroom. In our
house. In our bed." Her voice wavered and she couldn't
continue.

"And yet, he still calls you?" Ram asked
softly.

Jace continued sipping her wine, as he
refilled her glass. "Yes, he's like a bad penny, just keeps rolling
back. I've told him that I hate him, I despise him, and he still
calls. I'm going to block his number when I get home. Nat and I
spoke about it before I left, but I just didn't have time."

"I understand. Now I see why you're so
reluctant to get involved. I can't even imagine it, that ultimate
betrayal moment. And no one deserves that treatment," his voice
lowered, "most especially a lovely little woman like you,
darlin.'"

Feeling a bit looser now, she said, "I'm
sorry I can't be what you want me to be, Ram."

"No, I want you to just be yourself with me.
Even if you get airsick and can't swim." She heard the smile in his
voice.

"Will you teach me to swim?" she asked him,
"Tomorrow?"

"You bet, sweet pea." He got up from his
chair and took her hand, bringing her up to his chest. "But we have
some things to work out before that."

She laughed. "Like what?"

He guided her towards the spiral staircase,
"I need you to scream a bit more."

At noon the next day, Natalie entered the
bookstore and realized that, not only did she look like a slob in
her sweats, but she also didn't have a clue who she was looking
for.

Sitting in a comfortable chair, she picked up
a novel which was lying there on a table and began to read it.

A few minutes into her read, she heard him
clear his throat.

"Natalie I presume?"

Looking up, she was surprised to see he was
black, like her, around thirty, not too much taller than she, with
a very muscular build dressed casually with a white shirt and black
pants. He wore no tie and she wondered if he'd really told her the
truth about being Ram's attorney.

Not getting up, she offered her hand. "Nice
to meet you, Warren."

He sat in the chair next to her. "Right back
at you," he grinned, showing even white teeth. "Come here
often?"

"As often as my schedule allows. I'm pretty
busy."

Smiling, he said, "How about lunch? I know of
a nice place not far from here."

"First, did you get Ramsey on the phone
yet?"

"Not yet, but he usually checks in with me
every day. I'm expecting the call anytime. Just one more reason for
lunch. Maybe he'll call."

Natalie sniffed. "All right. I'm dressed
pretty casually today, so keep that in mind when picking a
place."

He grinned. "Sure, no problem."

But, in the end, the restaurant he picked was
an upscale place she'd never even been to.

The manager seemed to know Warren as he
ushered them to a table in the back, somewhat intimate, Nat
thought.

Natalie clutched at her pant leg as she
perused the selections and the hefty prices for a simple lunch. "I
think I'll just get the Cobb salad," she told him.

Then, as he continued to smile at her, she
said, "Is that grin permanently attached to your face?"

"I just wasn't expecting such a beautiful
woman is all. I pictured you as plain but with a dynamite persona.
So now you're lovely along with having a fun personality. I love
it."

She wasn't sure what to say about that.
"Thanks, I guess," she finally managed.

His phone rang, and Natalie stared at him as
he answered.

"Ram, where you been my man? I have a woman
sitting across from me here who's just dying to know."

He handed the phone to Nat. "Hello, is this
Ramsey?"

"No, Nat, it's me Jace. I'm sorry you were
worried about us."

"Where were you? I was upset when I couldn't
get you."

"It's a long story. We're heading back to
shore now. Hey Nat, I learned how to swim today."

Natalie sat back and smiled. "Good, sweetie.
How's the PT going?"

"Well, I have a theory on that. I need to
research it more, though, and call Doctor Seth."

"Okay, I won't hold you up then."

"Nat, are you with Warren?"

"Yes."

"Dinner?"

"Lunch."

"Hey, you need to start somewhere. Is he
cute?"

A doll, Nat thought, as she stared at him.
"Yes, actually, I might have a muffin, I'd say blueberry."

Jace laughed. "Stud-muffin. I love it, and
I'll have to talk to you later about that. Well, have a good time,
and you should be able to call me in a few hours when I'm back to
my cell phone and e-mail."

They rang off. "Does Ramsey have a boat
then?"

Warren laughed. "You could say that. A very
long, long boat."

She thought idly this man had very warm brown
eyes.

Warren knew she was checking him out, and he
was amused by her steady stare. And, what he said earlier to her
was the truth. His gaze took in all of her, the shoulder length
shiny brown hair, heart shaped face, nice figure, but what he
really loved was her eyes. They had a certain slant and a very
sensual quality as she looked him over.

"How about dinner?" he pressed, thinking his
luck couldn't be that good.

"Sure," she said, "I clean up good."

Jace and Ram arrived back at the penthouse an
hour after she'd spoken to Natalie. A pile of newspapers, she
noticed, was on the dining room table.

"A little light reading," Ram joked, as he
spread them out.

Jace unpacked, getting a load of clothes
ready for the laundry. Although, they hadn't worn clothes too much
of the time on the yacht. Her mind wandered back to their hard,
persistent lovemaking, thinking she'd never experienced anything
like it before. She came time after time, as he'd thrust into her,
and she grew warm just thinking about it.

Although, she knew she needed to work on him
as she saw him limping on the way up on the elevator. Wandering out
to the dining table, she glanced at the paper from the day they'd
left, wondering what was new in the world.

But, as she flipped through the sections, she
let out a gasp as she saw the picture of Ram with another woman,
who had her hands placed on his in an intimate pose.

She looked up at him as he came out of the
other bedroom. "I don't know about you but I have a stack of
laundry for some reason…" his voice trailed off as he saw her.
"What?" he asked.

She thrust the newspaper on the table again.
"This was the night before we left for parts unknown. Is this your
little late night rendezvous?"

Ram smiled. "Victoria. No threat, don't
worry. I needed to talk to her and tell her to back off."

Jace looked at him accusingly.

"You're not worried about her, are you?" he
asked.

"No," she said coolly, "she doesn't bother me
a bit."

"You're such a bad liar, sweet pea. Will you
let me explain?"

"Nothing to explain," she said shortly. "Did
you want me to work on your back? If not, I'd like to rest for a
while."