Saving His Blackmailed Lover. Maureen Child

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СКАЧАТЬ he doubted he’d forget about Cecelia.

      He’d only thought it was hard being around Cecelia while she did her presentation. Being alone with her had been agonizing. What was he going to do now that she would be working at his hotel nonstop until it opened? He wouldn’t be able to get away from her even if he wanted to. And he didn’t.

      He felt like an idiot as he strolled down the hallway to the office Shane had provided for him while he was in town. He felt like he’d run away from Cecelia. He should’ve been more confident, indifferent, as though she’d had no impact on him at all.

      Just as he sat down at his desk, Shane appeared in his doorway. “A successful day, I’d say! We not only have a hotel, but the guests won’t be sleeping on the floor. What do you say we go down to the Texas Cattleman’s Club and celebrate with a drink?”

      Deacon arched a brow at his friend. He’d never set foot in that building before. He hadn’t even been good enough to clean their pool back in high school. “I’m not a member,” he pointed out. “And I’m sure there are plenty of people in the club who would see to it that I never get to be one of them.”

      Shane dismissed him. “You are certainly welcome as my guest. And if you really wanted to be in the club I could sponsor you. I’m sure few people would have the nerve to speak up against me. Lately, the uproar has been more about the Maverick scandals, and I’m pretty sure that doesn’t involve you. Aside from that, there are still a few folks sore that women can become members of the club. You should’ve heard some of the bitching when the billiards room was converted to a day care. I’m sure they’d be happy to admit you and counteract the appearance that it’s turning into a henhouse instead of a clubhouse.”

      Deacon had never entertained the idea of joining the club. And all things considered, he really didn’t want anything to do with an organization that had just decided in the past few years that women were worthy of participating. But he wouldn’t be rude about it because he knew Shane was a member and enjoyed it. “No thanks. I think I’m going to finish up a few things here and call it a night. There is a T-bone steak in the fridge that’s begging to be grilled tonight, and I can’t disappoint it.”

      Shane smiled. “Okay, if you insist. But I’m going to drag you down there one day, though.”

      “Why? What’s so great about a bunch of people sitting around in cowboy hats—which I don’t own—talking about cattle and horses—which I’m not interested in?”

      “Well, for one thing, the restaurant makes the finest steaks you’ll ever eat. The bartenders pour a perfectly balanced dry martini. It’s a nice place to hang out, have a drink and chat with friends.”

      Deacon supposed that to anyone else, it would sound very inviting. “Well, you’re my only friend in town, so again, I’ll pass. You go on and eat a finely prepared steak on my behalf.”

      Shane finally gave up, nodding and throwing up a hand in goodbye.

      Deacon watched him go, relieved that he managed to get out of dinner. He had many reasons for avoiding the clubhouse, but the biggest one was Cecelia and Chip. He knew that both of them were members, and he had no interest in running into either of them tonight. Not after she’d spent the afternoon twisting his insides into knots.

      No, he needed a little time before he saw Cecelia again. He needed to remind himself how badly she’d hurt him and how much he wanted her to regret what she’d done. To keep his head on straight, he had to stay away from her.

      A steak, a stiff drink and a Netflix binge would do it.

      He hoped.

       Three

      When Cecelia got back to her office later that afternoon, she found a giddy Simone waiting for her in the lobby. Cecelia loved Simone, she was one of her best friends in the whole world, but after the day she’d had—hell, after the week she’d had—she wasn’t really in the mood. She had to jump on this Bellamy job right away if they were going to make the grand opening deadline.

      Simone obviously didn’t care, ignoring the stressed-out vibes Cecelia knew she was sending out. She followed Cecelia down the halls of To the Moon to her private office. “Have you heard the latest news?” Simone asked after she slipped into the room behind her.

      Cecelia dropped her things down on her desk and plopped, exhausted, into her chair. “Nope. There’s news?”

      Simone rubbed her hands together in excitement and rushed over to sit on the edge of her desk. “So,” she began, “word is that Maverick is at it again. A message went out on social media to everybody in the Texas Cattleman’s Club today.”

      Cecelia held her breath as she waited to hear the latest news. She’d been too busy with The Bellamy project to check her phone. Had Maverick taken her money and spread her secret anyway? “So, what did the message say?”

      Simone pulled her cell out of her purse and flipped through it to find the message. Locating it, she handed the phone over to Cecelia. The message was short and blessedly vague. It read: Someone in the Texas Cattleman’s Club is not who they say they are.

      Cecelia shrugged it off and handed the mobile back to Simone, feigning disinterest. “That’s hardly big news. I’d say half the people there aren’t who they pretend to be.”

      Simone returned her phone to her bag. “And to think that folks still believe we’re the ones behind the attacks!”

      “I have to say I’m thankful this last message went out when I couldn’t possibly have sent it. I’ve got a room full of witnesses.”

      Simone just shrugged. “That doesn’t mean they don’t still think Naomi and I are the culprits, that we’re all in on it together. If I had the time, I just might be the kind to do it. You’ve got to give the guy credit. Royal has been pretty dull lately. Maverick has brought more excitement to town in the last few months than we’ve had since the tornados hit.”

      Excitement? Cecelia certainly wouldn’t consider extortion or extreme weather exciting. They were both terrifying in their own right. “You know, you might not want to act so excited when that stuff comes out. It makes us look guilty.”

      “Hey, I thought you would enjoy this more. What’s wrong with you today? You don’t seem like your usual self.”

      Cecelia wanted to shout, “Because the real Maverick is blackmailing me! That message was about me!” But she wouldn’t. Instead she said, “I’m just stressed out and tired. I had that big presentation today at The Bellamy.”

      Simone perked up again. “So, how did it go? Did you dazzle Shane with your designs? Is he going to dump Brandee and run away with you? Please tell me that at the very least he wasn’t rude.”

      “He was fine. And Brandee didn’t even come up. You could say that I dazzled him, since they offered me the contract. It seems I also dazzled his silent partner, Deacon Chase.”

      Simone’s nose wrinkled in thought as she tried to place the name. “Deacon Chase. Why do I know that name?”

      “Because,” Cecelia explained, “that was my first boyfriend in high school.”

      Simone’s СКАЧАТЬ