Page 32 of The Heiress

“Ah, yes. But I work this way all the time. The office and personal meetings are courtesy and bonuses, not day to day business.”

I still felt bad that he was bending over backwards to help me. “And Todd?”

His eyes flashed and for the briefest moment emotion changed his features, but then he wiped it all away. Calm and serene again. “I’ve earned some leeway.”

“Does he know who you’re with?”

“Hell no.” His jaw flexed. “I’d rather your name never touch his ears ever again. As it is, I’m worried what he’ll think if word gets out about your new family connections.”

I...hadn’t thought of that. At all. “You think he’d extort me or something?”

Jace shrugged. “It’s Todd. One way or another he’d find a way to milk the golden goose for something.” He looked past me, his eyes unfocusing.

He wasn’t worried about me. Jace worried Todd would try to get Jace to ask for favors. Something Jace wouldn’t do, creating a kink in the delicate balance he worked so hard to create.

“I’m screwing everything up for you.”

“No.” He came to sit beside me on the couch. “When I say I’ve got things handled I mean it. I need you to trust me on this, Sam. I’m not the kid who came over looking for attention anymore. I control my life. No one else does.”

“I used to control my life.” I wondered if I’d ever feel that way again.

He took my hand and a wonderfully warm sensation traveled over my skin. “If you can get through this without the press getting hold of the story, there’s a very good chance your life can go right back to normal. If that’s what you want.”

The sensation moved into my chest and seemed to bloom, the warmth spreading through the rest of my body. Would it grow if we moved closer? If our lips touched? I couldn’t believe I was even thinking these things, let alone hoping they might happen. “The things I want I can’t have. So instead I’ll ride this ride until I figure out what to do next.”

* * *

The dining roomwas quite large. And dark. Aside from the dark wood of the table, chairs, and walls, the candles and light fixtures only put out a dim glow, making the food hard to see. But the food was good. Really good, actually.

“How are your rooms?” Georgia asked between bites of kale and scallops.

“Beautiful. Thank you.”

She waved me off. “Don’t be ridiculous. That room has always been yours.”

Mine.It was hard to conceive of anything in this house as mine, but as I thought it through I realized she had a point. Even though this life was foreign to me, it was now part of my life story. This house had been in my family for generations. The books and trinkets collected by people genetically related to me.

I knew nothing.

“Would it be possible to get some information on the history of the house? Is there a book maybe?”

Georgia paused, her wine glass halfway to her lips. “Yes, actually. We can get it from the library after dinner, but I’m probably the best resource available. This is a Stroman property, built in 1846 by my great-great grand uncle, Sebastian Stroman. He started our pharmaceutical company and sold a variety of medicines and elixirs to the residents of the Keys.”

“So this isn’t just a house you own,” Jace said. “You’re part of the history.”

Georgia smiled with pride. “Some of our earliest experiments with herbs and botanicals took place here. It became the foundation of Stroman Pharmaceuticals. Sebastian established the botanical gardens and helped fund the hospital.”

“Impressive.” I didn’t know these names but I was curious to learn more. “What’s the plan for tomorrow?” I appreciated being given time and space to get settled, but I also didn’t want to waste any time. I was here to get to know Georgia.

“After breakfast we’ll meet with your liaison, Jasmine Painter. She’s the one who will walk you through the inner workings of the companies.”

“So I’m going to spend all my time with her?”

Georgia carefully set her fork aside and folded her hands into her lap. I got the distinct feeling I was about to be lectured. “I run the second largest company in the United States. Did you think I’d take the week off to have a girls adventure?”

My mouth fell open. The venom in her voice shocked me, but so did the idea I came all this way to what? Be a burden? If that was the case…

“I’m sorry. That came out all wrong.” Her eyes closed and she took a slow breath before meeting my gaze. “I’m not handling the emotions of meeting you as well as I’d like. I’m sorry for that. But what I meant to say is that I have work to do. I’ve pushed as much as I can and I’ll spend every spare second getting to know you, but I feel it is vitally important you get to know the company while you’re here. My work is my life. You’ll learn a lot about me by learning about the Roark Corporation. The other thing you’ll learn is whether you want to have anything to do with this life.” She leaned forward and dropped her voice a degree. “Like it or not, this is an all-in or all-out situation. If you’re happy being Samantha Rossi, then you can turn around and go back while you still can. Live your happy, normal life with as little interruption from me as possible. But if you want to have a relationship...I come with an awful lot of baggage.”

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