* * *
Blaze was still drawn to Livi.
He enjoyed listening to her as she discussed her plans for the future during dinner. He admired her determination and optimism.
In the back of his mind, Blaze briefly considered that Livi’s renewed interest in him could be financial, but he forced that thought out of his mind. He had never thought of Livi as a gold digger, but then Blaze never thought she was the type of woman to run away from any situation.
While he still found her irresistible, he vowed not to be led by his heart. Things had changed for him since that time in Vegas.
Livi had gotten under his skin in a huge way, but she’d left when Blaze had needed her most.
Blaze shook his head as if to ward off the thought. He did not even want to admit it to himself. Pain of any kind was a sign of weakness as far as he was concerned.
“Blaze...” Livi prompted. “What are you thinking about?”
“Why didn’t you come see me when you came to the hospital? Why did you just leave like that?”
She met his gaze. “I didn’t want to intrude. When you fell off that stage, I tried to get to you, but security wouldn’t let me. By the time I made it to the front, the paramedics were rushing you to the hospital.”
“You didn’t ride with me?” he asked.
Livi shook her head no. “I could hardly get any information on your condition from your friends. They were very protective of you.”
“I didn’t know, Livi. All they told me was that you had stopped by the hospital and then left.”
“I felt as if I wasn’t wanted there.”
“I was in and out of consciousness that night.”
“I realize that, but back then, I didn’t know,” Livi said. “I made a wrong assumption. I see that now.”
“I guess I can understand why you would be so hesitant to contact me then.” Blaze checked his watch. “It’s getting late and I have a long day tomorrow.”
Livi stood up. “Thanks for dinner.”
“It was my pleasure.”
Blaze escorted Livi to her car outside the restaurant.
He surprised them both by giving her a chaste kiss on the lips.
A quiver surged through Livi’s veins. She waited for her quickened pulse to return to normal.
She was both surprised and pleased by Blaze’s kiss.
“I...I don’t really know why I just did that. It just seemed natural.”
She smiled. “I didn’t mind. I’m just surprised because you seemed angry with me earlier.”
“There is a part of me that’s angry,” Blaze admitted. “I didn’t like the way you just up and left me, but I’ll be okay.”
“Thank you for dinner,” she murmured. “I enjoyed sitting down with you and talking.”
“It’s going to take some time,” Blaze responded.
“If I had a chance to do it all over again, I would handle everything differently.”
He gave her a brief hug. “At least now, we have a chance to renew our friendship.”
Chapter 6
“William is not doing well,” Meredith DePaul announced. “You really should go by and visit your brother.”
“You and William have always been close. I’m sure he’ll get better if I’m not around. The last thing I want to do is cause him to have a setback,” Harold DePaul said.
“He loves you and so do I, Harold.”
“Yet, you two chose to join the Alexanders in their quest to take everything away from the DePaul family.”
“Harold, when are you going to put an end to this feud between you and Malcolm’s family?”
He glanced at his sister from his desk. “Meredith, I’m not interested in rehashing this argument.”
She paced back and forth across the carpeted floor in his office. “I’m not trying to argue with you. I just want you to stop this nonsense. Malcolm and his family are good people. They are a part of our family, Harold. Uncle Robert would not want us to have this gulf between us. He would want the family to come together.”
Harold’s telephone rang.
“I need to take this call,” Harold told his sister. “We’re still on for lunch tomorrow, right?”
Meredith sighed in resignation. “Sure. I’ll see you then.”
She sent him a sharp look before walking out of his office.
He answered his cell phone. “Yes...?”
“Harold DePaul, I am about to make your day.”
He frowned. “Who is this?”
“George Pepper. I did some work for you last year.”
“George, what is it you have for me?”
He chuckled. “Oh, no, it’s not going to be so simple. You see, what I have for you is going to cost you plenty.”
“I don’t think so,” Harold responded coolly.
“I will tell you this much—the Alexanders have secrets and I’ve uncovered one of them. Trust me, this one is huge.”
Harold was silent on the other end.
“You still there?” George inquired.
“Come to my office this afternoon,” Harold said. “Around three. And, George, this had better be worth my time.”
Harold thumbed his fingers on his desk.
George had definitely sparked his curiosity. Harold did not hold out much hope because the detectives he had hired to look into the Alexander family had not turned up so much as a speeding ticket.
He would hear the man out, but Harold considered his conversation with his sister. Perhaps Meredith was right. It was time to move on.
* * *
Livi slowly turned the doorknob and opened her door. She stepped into her spacious bedroom. At the far end of the room, a floor-to-ceiling window gave Livi a view of much of Los Angeles.
She crossed the varnished hardwood floor in bare feet, walking toward the platinum bed that framed a purple-and-teal-colored comforter and several pillows. Livi sat down on her bed and reclined against the stack of pillows leaning against the king-size headboard.
From the moment she realized that Blaze was within arm’s reach, Livi bounced back and forth between yearning for him and keeping her distance. She was experiencing a gamut of emotions. One of them was guilt.
I’m a coward.
She should have sought him out from the very beginning, instead of letting so much time go by. Livi had been afraid and kept putting it off. Now, she was afraid that it was too late.
Too late for what? What did she want from Blaze?
Livi wanted to know if what she had felt back then with him was real. It was something that had plagued her thoughts and her heart from the time she left him. From the moment they met, the very air around Livi had seemed electrified. She had found in him a kinship through their shared interests. She and Blaze both had a heart for service to the community. They both loved sports and were avid readers.
She recalled a memory of Blaze pausing to pick