Chuck leaned against Lauder’s desk and eyed him. “Tell me what you want to do, L? I’ll support whatever decision you make.”
Lauder stood with urgency. “I want to get a drink.” A second later, he ambled to the door.
“You don’t drink,” Chuck said.
“I’m about to start. That’s what politicians do, right?”
Several minutes later, Lauder stood in line inside the Drip Drop Coffee Shop, eyeing the board as if today would be the day he strayed from his usual order—iced cinnamon caramel macchiato. A creature of habit.
He slid his gaze from the board and skimmed his surroundings, snatching his eyes back to a table situated in a dimly lit section of the restaurant. Couldn’t be. His eyes narrowed on the brown-skinned woman beaming at something on her tablet screen.
A flash of light from the device highlighted her features and that scar. The one above her right eye. The one he’d given her so many years ago when he’d been attempting to hit a tree, but had dinged her instead. Every cell in his body fired all at once, sending a longing through him he hadn’t felt in years. Close to twenty to be exact, because that was how long it had been since he’d seen her. Willow Dawson. The only woman who’d ever claimed a piece of his heart.
* * *
Willow could feel the presence of evil before her eyes rose to face it. Without the man in front of her uttering a single word, she instantly recognized him. Lauder Tolson. Candidate for a North Carolina senate seat and her childhood nemesis.
Something fluttered in her stomach when she inhaled a whiff of his cologne. Ignoring the violation, she gave him a quick perusal, one that revealed a lot of change. This was not the gangly, pimple-faced boy she remembered. This was a full-grown man. Easily six-four and as solid as a brick wall—an extremely sturdy, wide-shouldered brick wall—with dark, daunting eyes that bore into her.
An unexplainable heat circled her neck, rose to her ears and settled in her cheeks.
“Weeping Willow.”
His smooth, deep timbre caused her skin to prickle. She prayed he hadn’t noticed. When his full lips curled into a lopsided smile, she almost forgot he’d broken her heart when they were younger.
Fighting the urge to show her teeth and growl, she said, “I hated that name then, and I hate it even more now.” Not only because it was mocking, especially coming from Lauder, but because it reminded her of a past she wanted to forget.
Lauder rested his hand on the back of the chair directly across from her. “May I?”
“I’d prefer you—” she stopped when Lauder eased down, blatantly ignoring her impending objection “—didn’t.” She sighed, pushed her tablet aside and leveled an emotionless, hard stare at him.
Her first mistake.
Despite whatever lingering distaste she held for the man, she couldn’t deny how good-looking he was. Even more attractive in person than on television, attempting to convince everyone that he was the right candidate to represent them. He’d definitely grown into a fine...very fine man. She wasn’t sure which was smoother, the molten chocolate latte she sipped on or Lauder’s deep chocolate skin. Neither was good for her, she reminded herself.
No, this was not the man—boy—she remembered.
“It’s been a long time,” he said, taking a sip from his cup.
Willow ignored how his full lips wrapped around the plastic lid. Unscrambling her lust-laden brain, she said, “Some would say not long enough.”
Lauder chuckled and smoothed a hand over his stubble. She noticed the absence of a wedding ring. But she already knew he was a bachelor, never married and no kids from the interviews she read online. The Lauder she’d once known had been an asshole. Lauder the politician held her attention. Especially when he talked about the big plans he had for the foster care system in North Carolina.
“Come on, Willow. It’s been close to twenty years. Are you still holding a grudge?”
Was he serious? After what he’d done to her? Did he think that even after all of this time she could forgive him? Tamping down the fury rising inside her, she flashed a broad smile. “A grudge? Of course not. How could I possibly resent the man who made my life a living hell?”
Which wasn’t all true. At one time, he’d made her happier than she’d ever been in her life. He’d made her feel wanted, which had meant so much to her since she’d grown up in foster care feeling unwanted all of her life. Then he’d shattered her heart.
Lauder’s expression turned sad. “People change. I’ve changed.”
“Really? Well, I wouldn’t know because you—” She stopped abruptly before revealing too much. What did it matter after all this time anyway? The past was the past, and she preferred to leave it right where it was.
“You should get to know me, Willow. I promise you’ll like this new and improved, much more mature version.”
Get to know... Ha! Was he serious? He couldn’t actually be suggesting they spend time together, could he? Beyond the five minutes she’d already endured? She studied the no-nonsense expression on his face. Yep, he was dead serious. “I’ll take your word for it.” She collected her things and made a motion to stand.
“You haven’t always hated me, Willow. And truth be told, you don’t have a reason to hate me now.”
In a bold move, he reached over and slid the pad of his thumb across the scar above her right eye. Her forever reminder of him. She snatched away, his touch infuriating her even more than his words had. She did have a reason to hate him. “I allowed my guard down once and trusted you with...” She stopped and cleared her throat when her voice cracked. Refusing to relive the angst of their past, she stood. “I have to go. I would say it was nice running into you, but it wasn’t.”
With that, she walked away from the man who’d long ago walked away from her and had never looked back. Neither would she.
For the past week, Lauder hadn’t been able to think about anything but Willow. Even now, in the back of the sedan on his way to an interview, he studied the picture of Willow on the About Us page of her company website.
He liked her brown hair cut in that sassy, short style. It gave an unobstructed view of her neck. Man, his lips yearned to explore that neck. She was far more beautiful in person than on a screen. Though he knew it was real, recalling seeing her in the Drip Drop felt like a dream. A dream come true.
“I guess there’s no changing your mind about her, huh?” Chuck asked, seated in the back of the chauffeured vehicle with Lauder.
Without looking away from the screen, Lauder said, “Nope. She’s definitely the one.”
Lauder had agreed to Chuck’s charade, but with one condition: Willow played the part of his would-be lover. Chuck had rattled off his objections, but in the end, Lauder had made it clear that it was either his way or no way.
Now, all he had to do was convince Willow. And judging by the icy reception he’d received from her, that wouldn’t be easy. But he liked a good challenge.
“The one?”
Lauder could hear the surprise in Chuck’s tone. This brought Lauder’s gaze to him. “You know what I mean. She’s the perfect one to play this part. We have history. That’ll make this thing appear much more authentic.”
“Uh-huh.” Chuck rummaged through his briefcase, removed a stack of binder-clipped