the message, he would have known whom it was from. Brief and to the point, apologetic yet demanding at the same time. All the characteristics of the woman he had known better than anyone else on earth. He almost laughed at the thought. He had known her intimately once. And it had cost him.
Outside his hotel window, the crowded street in London’s East End bustled with activity. Delivery trucks skirted around the road. Morning commuters rushed to work, and cafés were filling with caffeine-hungry customers.
A silver tea tray with steaming scones sat untouched on the antique table next to him. He was oblivious to all of it. His appointment with the investors in a few minutes, the importance of this trip, the weeks of preparation. He couldn’t bring himself to think of any of that now. After all this time, and all the pretenses, she was asking for his help.
A fleeting impulse to ignore the request entered his mind. After all, she hadn’t indicated it was urgent. Every self-preserving instinct told him to pretend he’d never received it.
But that thought was gone in a second. He would go to her. Of course he would. Even with the little information the message provided, he couldn’t ignore a plea from her. Besides, the past was behind them now. There was no reason he couldn’t assist her professionally. He was the best. Arrogance or immodesty had nothing to do with it. He knew his strengths and he knew his shortcomings. He knew his reputation within the field had compelled celebrity and politician alike to seek out his expertise, even this early in his business. He’d worked his butt off since leaving college.
Now his skills were being sought by the one woman who could have had that and a lot more at her disposal. The bitter tang of memory formed an unpleasant taste in his mouth before he swallowed it.
Rubbing his eyes, he stood and read the email once more.
R.J.
It’s been a while. I find myself in the unexpected position of requiring your assistance. Only you have the background. Let’s discuss at your earliest convenience.
She’d included a small icon of a dancing couple at the end: What do you say, Princess? Shall we dance?
He leaned forward to reply to her and stopped himself. There was no reason they couldn’t interact like the true professionals they were, but there was also no reason to be hasty either. He wasn’t going to jump the instant she snapped her fingers. No doubt that’s what she expected. Surprise for her, he’d changed.
He powered off the laptop and packed it into his briefcase, making sure hard copies of the financial spreadsheets were there. He had a lot to do in the few short hours before his flight back to the States. He didn’t need a distraction like her just now.
His estranged wife would get his answer soon enough.
* * *
“He’s here, you know.”
Angeline Scott jumped at the announcement, then tried to calm herself before turning away from the window. She leveled a gaze at her assistant, who was also her dearest friend.
“He’s here,” Shanna repeated. “R.J. just signed in downstairs. He’s on his way up.”
Angeline managed a nod in acknowledgement. She couldn’t go through with this.
“Shan, I think we should just forget this whole thing. I’m not even going to tell him why I asked him here. I’ve changed my mind.”
“Are you going to ask your father, then? For the money?”
Angeline gave her friend the side eye for that question. “You know that’s out of the question. I refuse.”
Shanna rewarded her with a look of pride. “That would only be a temporary fix anyway.”
“But to ask R.J. to do this...” Angeline let herself trail off.
“We really have no choice, do we?”
“I guess not. But I know him. He’s going to look at me like I have two heads, pop a hand on his hip—” she fisted her hand and set it on her hip in demonstration. “And then he’s going to laugh. Then he’ll become angry because he’ll think it’s a joke. At his expense. That’s exactly what will happen.” She blew a stray strand of hair off her forehead, then added, “Not necessarily in that order.”
“Then why did you ask him in the first place?”
“Because he’s the only one who really qualifies, isn’t he?”
“True. Technically he’s still your husband.”
Angel sighed. Yes, R.J. was still her husband. In name only. The only reason being that they had never gotten around to finalizing their divorce. And now, after close to three years apart, she had to demean herself by asking him to pretend they’d never split up at all.
Shanna smiled at her. “Go straighten yourself out, Angel. Your cheeks are flushed. It’s just not becoming on someone with your olive skin tone. And those curls.” She held a hand up in frustration to the mass of unruly hair Angeline knew was spilling out of her loose bun. “We can do this. Just pull yourself together. It’s the only way.”
Angeline plunked herself into the wide leather chair behind her. Shanna was right, of course. They had gone through every other feasible option.
“Fine,” she said, then looked up in defiance. “But I refuse to straighten myself out.”
Shanna stole a quick glance into the outer room. “Looks like you don’t have time for it anyway. Our fella just walked in.”
Angeline gripped the armrests on the chair and tried to assume a perfect poker face. Her heart was in her throat, and adrenaline coursed through her veins like a river during a storm. But she was certain none of it showed. R. J. Davet might turn her insides to lava, but she knew how to mask emotion well.
Shanna gave her a reassuring wink and went to show him in.
Angeline took advantage of the time to try to calm her nerves. She was a mature businesswoman now. Not a foolish young college student. She’d graduated top of her class, even with the distraction that was R. J. Davet.
He wouldn’t affect her the way he used to. She was much wiser with a good head on her shoulders. She was over her once all-consuming attraction to him. She was over him.
Angeline stood up to greet him, feeling much more certain of herself. It was ridiculous to think he could still hurt her.
But then he walked in. And it hurt just to look at him.
She managed to curve her lips into a smile. “Hello, R.J. Long time, no see.” She cringed as soon as she said it. Nothing like dazzling him with witty conversation.
He didn’t say anything for a long moment, merely looked at her. Just for an instant, the hurt fell away and she was staring into hypnotic, deep chocolate eyes that were so familiar. There was nothing between them, there was nothing around them. As if sensing her thoughts, his expression suddenly became aloof and guarded.
“Hello, Angel.” He smiled when he said it, but his eyes remained distant.
He made his way toward her with the same confident gait
