as ever.”
“And you are just as much a flatterer as you’ve ever been.”
“No flattery,” he said. “Isn’t she beautiful, Carter?”
Both Blair and Camp looked to Carter for an answer. Renee turned from Camp, her body suddenly going cold.
“She’s quite ravishing,” he stated, his voice low.
To her ears it sounded hungry, sexually hungry. Her knees threatened to turn to water.
“Well, we’d better be off,” Blair said, taking Camp’s arm. “Carter, you will see Renee back to her hotel?”
He nodded. The couple headed for the door, Carter and Renee trailed them. Out on the street, Renee turned to him. “I know you have a long way to go. You don’t have to go with me. I’m not that far from here.”
Carter looked over her head. “The Westley?” he said. It was an independent hotel. Renee liked patronizing small businesses. However, she hadn’t realized she was so transparent to Carter.
Especially after three years.
But the truth was, he was wrong. She wasn’t at the Westley, but there was no need to correct him.
Carter put his hand on her lower back to guide her toward the hotel. She stepped aside, forcing him to drop it. She walked quickly toward the hotel. It was merely three blocks from the restaurant. They covered the distance in silence. Outside the entrance Renee turned to Carter.
“Thank you. It was nice seeing you again.” The words were false, but Renee wanted to get away from him as quickly as she could. She turned. Carter caught her arm and pulled her around.
“I want to talk to you.”
“I have an early call. I really need to go,” she said.
“I remember when we spent long nights together and still made deadline.”
Her head whipped up and she stared at him. “We were different people then,” Renee said. She was in love then. He was not.
Carter pushed open the door to the hotel. He was right behind Renee. She had to move or feel his body form-fitted to hers. Avoiding the bar, she went to a collection of chairs near the back wall.
“What is it you want to talk about?” Renee asked.
He sat, leaned forward and rubbed his hands together as if it was cold. Then he looked her straight in the eye. “Are you sure you want to continue with weddings? You could just as easily return to Hampshire.”
It wouldn’t be easy and she knew it, even if he didn’t. Renee took a moment, probing Carter’s face for something to give her a clue to his motives. She found nothing. But she felt there was a meaning under his words. She couldn’t pull it into focus, but Carter wanted something from her. She just didn’t know what it was—yet.
“Renee?” he prompted.
“I’ve already given you my answer.”
“But have you thought about what I’m offering?”
“No, Carter. Why don’t you tell me? Just what is it you’re offering that you think will entice me back to Hampshire Publications?”
Carter adjusted his position, clasping his hands between his knees. Renee’s instinct was to move back, allowing herself more personal space. At the last moment, she decided to go on the offensive. She moved in closer as if they were conspirators about to exchange the plans for a secret weapon.
“First, you’re in charge of everything.” He spread his hands. “The entire bridal division is yours.”
“And I would report directly to you? That is, I assume you’re the head of editorial.”
He nodded. Renee thought she saw the faintest look of smugness on his face.
“We’ve worked together before and that proved beneficial.”
“That’s not a positive,” she told him and was rewarded by seeing his face fall. It was only for a moment, and only someone who knew his features intimately would have noticed it.
“Whatever you’re being paid by that little business, I’ll double.”
Renee stood up. Carter got to his feet, too. She didn’t like the way he’d insulted her business, as if only a huge company like his was worthwhile. Pointing out that his father had begun the huge empire would have been a waste of breath.
“Money,” she said. “You think you can find my price, and I’ll just return to Hampshire Publications.” She shook her head, a satisfied smile edging the corners of her lips up. “I’m not for sale, Carter. And especially not to a Hampshire.”
Her last wedding. Renee watched as the new Mr. and Mrs. took their places on the dais as the reception began. Everything about the wedding had been technically correct.
Renee had had no complaints, hadn’t had to talk anyone down from a frantic rethinking of what marriage meant. She’d had no supplies arrive late, no mishaps with the bride’s gown, no groom needing to be reminded of when and where to stand and no issues with any of the bridesmaids. The mothers of both the bride and groom complimented Renee’s efficiency. Everything was going like clockwork. For a wedding consultant, it was nirvana—the type of execution they lived for. Perfect. The bride beamed and the groom’s smile was from ear to ear. It was exactly the swan song she wished for.
But all that efficiency did was leave her time to think about Carter. She’d tried for the last three years to put him out of her mind. She’d thought she’d done it. That was, until she’d seen him sitting at the dinner table last night. Her heart had thudded against her ribs so hard she’d thought he would be able to hear it.
It was frightening that he knew where she would choose to stay. The only reason she wasn’t at the Westley was because Weddings by Diana had an unoccupied guesthouse available. They used it for brides who were from out of town and needed a place to dress before the ceremony. Occasionally, brides came into New York to check out accommodations. The guesthouse was part of some of the high-end packages.
Renee had allowed Carter to believe she was at the Westley. She’d even gotten on the elevator, but only ridden it to the mezzanine. After ten minutes she’d slipped out the back entrance and taken a taxi to the guesthouse.
A burst of laughter brought Renee back to the festivities. The bride and groom were laughing, yet the love in their eyes as they looked at each other was visible. Renee felt her own eyes mist over. For a moment, she saw herself as the bride and Carter as her groom. She blinked, shaking the image free. It was time to go.
Her last act was to let the bridal party know she was leaving and to make sure there was nothing left undone. Renee’s smile was wide as she congratulated the couple, said her goodbyes and started the walk back to the car that would return her to the Brides by Diana guesthouse.
She hadn’t thought she’d be as emotional as she’d been throughout the day. Maybe it
