The Real Thing

“So that’s why you suggested we have dinner here tonight?” she asked.

“Yes, that’s the reason. The plan is for him to see us together, right?”

“Yes. I just wasn’t prepared to run into him tonight. Hopefully all it will take is for him to see us together and—”

“Back off? Don’t bank on that. The man wants you and, for some reason, he feels he has every right to have you. Getting him to leave you alone won’t be easy. I still think I should just break his damn hands and be through with it.”

“No.”

He shrugged. “Your call. Now we should really do something to get his attention.”

“What?”

“This.” Adrian leaned in and kissed her.

Trinity was certain it was supposed to be a mere brush across the lips, but like magnets their mouths locked, fusing in passion so quickly that it consumed her senses.

To Trinity’s way of thinking, the kiss had a potency that had her insides begging for more. Every part of her urged her to make sure this kiss didn’t end anytime soon. But the clinking of dishes and silverware made her remember where they were and what they were doing. She slowly eased her mouth away from Adrian’s.

She let out a slow breath. “I have a feeling that did more than get his attention. It might have pissed him off.”

Adrian smiled. “Who cares? You’re with me now and he won’t do anything stupid. I dare him.”

He motioned for the waiter to bring their check. “I think we’ve done enough playacting tonight,” he said smoothly. “Ready to leave?”

“Yes.”

Moments after taking care of their dinner bill, Adrian took Trinity’s hand in his and led her out of the restaurant.

Two

“So how did things go with Trinity last night?”

Adrian glanced up to see his cousin Dillon. The business meeting Dillon had called that morning at Blue Ridge Land Management had ended and everyone had filed out, leaving him and Dillon alone.

He’d never thought of Dillon as a business tycoon until Adrian had returned home to work for the company his family owned. That’s when he got to see his Denver cousin in action, wheeling and dealing to maintain Blue Ridge’s ranking as a Fortune 500 company. Adrian had always just thought of him as Dillon, the man who’d kept the family together after a horrific tragedy.

Adrian’s parents, as well as his uncle and aunt, had died in a plane crash more than twenty years ago, leaving Dillon, who was the oldest cousin, and Adrian’s oldest brother, Ramsey, in charge of keeping the family of fifteen Westmorelands together. It hadn’t been easy, and Adrian would be the first to confess that he, Aidan, Bane and Bailey, the youngest four, had deliberately made things hard. Coming home from school one day to be told they’d lost the four people who had meant the most to them had been worse than difficult. They hadn’t handled their grief well. They had rebelled in ways Adrian was now ashamed of. But Dillon, Ramsey and the other family members hadn’t given up on them, even when they truly should have. For that reason and many others, Adrian deeply loved his family. Especially Dillon, who had taken on the State of Colorado when it had tried to force the youngest four into foster homes.

“Things went well, I think,” Adrian said, not wondering how Dillon knew about the dinner date with Trinity even when Adrian hadn’t mentioned anything about it. Dillon spoke to their Atlanta cousins on a regular basis, especially Thorn Westmoreland. Adrian figured Tara had mentioned the plan to Thorn and he had passed the information on to Dillon.

“Glad to hear it,” Dillon said, gathering up his papers. “Hopefully it will work. Even so, I personally have a problem with the hospital administrator not doing anything about Dr. Belvedere. I don’t give a damn how much money his family has or that they have a wing bearing their name under construction at the hospital. Sexual harassment is sexual harassment, and it’s something no one should have to tolerate. What’s happening to Trinity shouldn’t happen to anyone.”

Adrian agreed. If he had anything to do with it, Trinity wouldn’t have to tolerate it. “We’ll give Tara’s idea a shot and if it doesn’t work, then—”

“Then the Westmorelands will handle it, Adrian, the right way...with the law on our side. I don’t want you doing anything that will get you in trouble. Those days are over.”

Adrian didn’t say anything as he remembered those days. “I won’t do anything to get into trouble.” He figured it was best not to say those days were completely over, especially after the suggestion he’d made to Trinity about breaking Belvedere’s hands...something he’d been dead serious about. “Do you know anyone in the Belvedere family?” he asked Dillon.

“Dr. Belvedere’s older brother Roger and I are on the boards of directors of a couple of major businesses in town, but we aren’t exactly friends. He’s arrogant, a little on the snobbish side. I heard it runs in the family.”

“Too bad,” Adrian said, rising from his chair.

“The Belvedere family made their money in the food industry, namely dairy products. I understand Roger has political aspirations and will announce his run for governor next month.”

“I wish him the best. It’s his brother Casey that I have a problem with,” Adrian said, heading toward the door. “I’ll see you later.”

An hour later Adrian had finished an important report his cousin Canyon needed. Both Canyon and another cousin, Stern, were company attorneys. So far, Adrian was the only one from his parents’ side of the Westmoreland tree who worked for Blue Ridge, the company founded by his and Dillon’s father more than forty years ago.

At present there were fifteen Denver Westmorelands of his generation. His parents, Thomas and Susan Westmoreland, had had eight kids: five boys—Ramsey, Zane, Derringer and the twins, Adrian and Aidan—and three girls—Megan, Gemma and Bailey.

His uncle Adam and aunt Clarisse had had seven sons: Dillon, Micah, Jason, Riley, Canyon, Stern and Bane. The family was a close-knit one and usually got together on Friday nights at Dillon’s place for a chow-down, where they ate good food and caught up on family matters. Dates had kept Adrian from attending the last two, but now, since he was supposedly involved with Trinity, his dating days were over for a while.

He tossed an ink pen on his desk before leaning back in his chair. For the umpteenth time that day he was reminded of the kiss he’d shared with Trinity last night. A kiss he had taken before she’d been aware he was about to do so. Adrian didn’t have to wonder what had driven him. He could try to convince himself he’d only done it to rile Belvedere, but Adrian knew it was about more than that.

It all started when he had arrived at Trinity’s place to pick her up. She must have been watching for him out the window of the house she was leasing because after he’d pulled into her driveway, before he could get out of his car, she had opened the door and strolled down the walk toward him.

He’d had to fight to keep his predatory smile from showing a full set of teeth. Damn, she had looked good. He could say it was the pretty, paisley print maxi dress that swirled around her ankles as she’d walked, or the blue stilettos and matching purse. He could say it was the way she’d worn her hair down to her shoulders, emphasizing gorgeous facial bones. Whatever it was, she had looked even more appealing than when he’d seen her at Riley and Alpha’s wedding.

Adrian sucked in a sharp breath as more memories swept through his mind. Never had a woman’s mouth tasted so delectable, so irresistibly sweet. She had been pretty quiet on the drive back to her place last night. Just as well, since his body had been on fire for her. Big mistake. How was he supposed to stop Belvedere from getting his hands on her when all he could think about was getting his own hands on her?

He stood and stretched his tall frame. After shoving his hands into the pockets of his pants, he walked over to the window and looked out at downtown Denver. When Tara had called him with the idea of pretending to be Trinity’s lover, he had shrugged, thinking no problem, no big deal. A piece of cake. What he hadn’t counted on was his own attraction to Trinity. It was taking over his thoughts. And that wasn’t good.

Frustrated, he rubbed his hand down his face. He had to have more control. She wasn’t the first woman he’d been attracted to and she wouldn’t be the last. Taking another deep breath, he glanced at his watch. He was having dinner at McKays with Bailey and figured he would surprise her this time by being on time.

He had one more file to read, which wouldn’t take long. Then, before leaving for the day, he would call Trinity to see how things had gone at work. He wanted to make sure Belvedere hadn’t caused her any grief about seeing them together last night at Laredo’s.

* * *

“So how did things go last night with Adrian?”

Trinity plopped down on the sofa in her living room after a long day at work. She’d figured she would hear from Tara sooner or later, who would want details.

“Great! We got to know each other while eating a delicious steak dinner. And Dr. Belvedere was off today, which was a good thing, given that he saw me and Adrian together last night at dinner.”

“He did?”

“Yes.”

“Coincidence or planned?”

“Planned. It seemed Adrian didn’t waste time. Once he had agreed with your suggestion he found out where Belvedere liked to hang out and suggested we go there. Only thing, Adrian didn’t tell me about his plan beforehand and when Dr. Belvedere walked in, I was unprepared.”

“I can imagine. But you do want to bring this situation to a conclusion as quickly as possible, right?”

“Yes. But...”

“But what?”