As an independent contractor who’d only had a minimal amount of one-on-one time with Gerald Robinson, Joaquin had mixed emotions when the big boss stopped by his office on Tuesday to invite him to the Thursday-night dinner party.
He knew Gerald wouldn’t have done it if not for Zoe’s prompting. But on the other hand, despite how much Gerald loved his daughter, Joaquin was certain the man wouldn’t have been goaded into inviting anyone to something like this simply for his daughter’s amusement.
There was a time for pride and then there was a time when someone didn’t refuse a bona fide invitation that could change his career. Robinson Tech was the premier technology company. It was the wave of the future. It was the only place for anyone interested in designing cutting-edge software.
When Thursday night rolled around and Joaquin arrived at the Robinson estate with its stone walls and iron gates, he felt like a fish out of water the minute he started up the long, winding driveway. When the house, a Mediterranean number that looked like a castle, came into view in, it knocked him back into his seat. He’d led a perfectly comfortable life in Miami. He’d never wanted for anything, but he had never been exposed to quite this level of wealth.
Not even with Selena.
Not that it mattered. The last thing he was looking for was to get tangled up with another spoiled little rich girl. But giving credit where credit was due, the more he got to know Zoe, the more he realized she wasn’t spoiled. Even though she usually got what she wanted, she was pretty damn down to earth. It sounded like a contradiction, but it wasn’t. It was the truth. She was fresh and fun and bubbly, and everyone would be better off if they borrowed a page from her outlook on life. Even when she was down, as she had been the other night, she didn’t wallow and she kept other people’s best interests at heart.
As Joaquin got closer, he saw a couple of guys standing out in front of the house. Of course there would be valets. He had a feeling everything would be first-class tonight.
After he got out of the car and handed over the keys, he started to tip the guy, but the kid held up his hand.
“Thanks, but Mr. Robinson has taken care of us. Have a nice evening, sir.”
Sir? The guy wasn’t that much younger than he was. Then again, he was probably closer to Zoe’s age than Joaquin, and it was probably just a show of respect for anyone fortunate enough to be invited to the Robinson estate.
The guy jumped into the car and carefully drove away, leaving Joaquin to contemplate the huge wooden front doors. He wondered if Zoe was somewhere inside. Then he realized he didn’t even know if she lived here or if she had a place of her own. From the looks of this house, she could have an entire wing and it would be more space than most middle-class houses.
Joaquin ignored the knot in his gut. He squared his shoulders and rang the bell. A middle-aged man in a black suit answered, greeting him formally.
“Good evening, sir.” Ha! Sir. There it was again. “Mr. Robinson would like everyone to gather in the living room for cocktails before dinner.”
Joaquin followed the directions the butler gave him—down the polished wooden hallway, first door on the left—and joined a handful of men and women, none of whom he recognized. Robinson Tech was a huge business and Joaquin mostly kept to himself, keeping his head down, focusing on his work. They were all mixing and mingling and seemed to know each other. It wasn’t any wonder that he was the stranger here, since he hadn’t made much of an effort to get to know his coworkers socially.
His gaze took in the room from its hardwood floors covered with Persian rugs to its high, arched ceilings. The fine antique furniture and artwork, which looked like an art lover’s dream, gave the place an air of old-world elegance that he’d only encountered in the finest hotels and the couple of mansion museums he’d toured over the years.
But one important element was missing: Zoe hadn’t arrived yet. Earlier today she’d stopped by his office and said she’d see him tonight. He hoped something else hadn’t come up. Until now, he hadn’t realized how much he missed her. But as quickly as the thought registered, he shook it off. Tonight was about business, not about exploring odd feelings he didn’t know how to process.
He needed a beer. That’s what was wrong. He found his way to the open bar and ordered his drink, which the bartender poured from a tap into a frosted pilsner glass. When Joaquin turned around, Zoe was just walking into the room. She looked like something from his dreams in a short black dress and strappy sandals. She wore bright red lipstick and had swept her hair back from her face into a fancy ponytail. Somehow she always managed to look as though she’d just stepped out of the salon. The rush of emotion that hit him nearly knocked him to the floor.
Her face lit up when she saw him. He couldn’t take his eyes off her as she crossed the room. It hit him that this beautiful woman, who could have any man she chose, wanted to spend time with him. With him. He’d be lying if he didn’t admit that he wanted spend time with her, too. He’d spent so much time denying it, all for the sake of not dating the boss’s daughter—but why?
It wasn’t because of her family or because Gerald was her father. It wasn’t this castle of a house or the fact that she had the power to connect him to the man who could define his future. All of those things were great, but what smacked him so hard that it forced his eyes wide-open was the way she looked at him, the way she lit up just for him. It shifted something inside him, tantamount to rolling aside a boulder that had sealed off a cold, dark cave that had trapped his soul.
Seeing her was like stepping out into the sunshine again.
After his broken engagement, after the hell Selena had put him through, tonight he realized he could still feel. It came like a lightning bolt because it had been a couple of years since he’d been able to feel anything remotely like this. That could only mean one thing: the past was behind him now. He’d left it inside that cave that had held him prisoner and rolled that rock back into place, so those difficult times could wither and die inside and never plague him again. He wasn’t sure where this was going or if it would even go anywhere, but for the first time in a long time, he was ready to move forward.
“Hi, Joaquin.” She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek and he kissed her back. She smelled good, like roses and honey and sunshine. He breathed in deeply, wanting to commit her scent to memory.
“You look handsome,” she said after she pulled away, making no bones about giving him the slow, sexy once-over.
“You’re not so bad yourself,” he said. “May I get you a drink?”
“A glass of white wine would be lovely, thank you.”
He made short order of fetching it, but by the time he returned to her side, Gerald had entered the room.
“Hello, everyone. Welcome and thank you for taking time out of your busy lives to join me for dinner tonight. I hope you all brought your appetites because the chef has prepared a delicious feast for us to enjoy. Without further delay, why don’t we make our way into the dining room, because dinner is ready and I am starving.”
The small crowd, about fifteen in all, made the appropriate adoring and convivial noises as they filed past Gerald. He took the time to greet everyone by name and express how happy he was to see him or her. The man seemed like a different person than the rough, gruff boss at work. Apparently he had different faces that ranged from dictatorial tyrant to beloved king of the castle. It was good to meet the more human side of him. Joaquin realized not everyone was privileged to glimpse the less gruff side of Gerald Robinson, whom one news magazine had named the Bully Genius and another had called the Attila the Hun of Technology.
Joaquin was beginning to understand why Zoe had come into his office that day and asked for help spinning her father’s reputation in a more positive direction. It made sense after glimpsing the more benevolent side of Gerald Robinson. Zoe knew and loved this side of her dad and wanted everyone to see how great he could be. Still, Joaquin would wager that Gerald Robinson didn’t give a rat’s ass what people thought of him.
“Joaquin, good to see you.” Gerald extended his hand and Joaquin gave it a firm shake. “It was short notice. I’m glad you could make it.”
“Thanks for inviting me,” he said, taking care to express his appreciation without gushing.
“Are we still on for that sit-down tomorrow? I’m looking forward to talking about what you want to do after you after you finish your current project.” Gerald turned his attention to his daughter and Joaquin was dismissed. “Hello, princess. It’s always a good night when we get to have dinner together.”
“Hi, Dad.” Zoe threw both of her arms around Gerald’s neck. It was the first time Joaquin had ever seen Gerald’s face go completely soft. But it only lasted a moment before he reclaimed his tough armor.
“Get in there to dinner,” he said to Joaquin. “It’s rude to keep everyone waiting.”
Zoe looked at Joaquin and rolled her eyes good-naturedly, but her father didn’t see it. Joaquin wasn’t sure if Gerald missed it by accident or design.
There were no place cards. The guests were free to sit where they wanted. By the time he and Zoe made it into the dining room, the places near Gerald were taken. Joaquin wished he’d gotten in there earlier. It would have been fun watching the others jockey for the prime real estate. The two seats available were at the opposite end of the sprawling table.
At each place setting there was a menu detailing the five-course feast: Oysters Rockefeller, cream of roasted walnut soup, surf and turf, salad of baby greens with vinaigrette, and flourless chocolate cake with raspberry coulis. Each course had its own wine pairing.
During dinner, everyone made small talk, but Gerald was quiet, hunching over his meal, paying more attention to the food than to his guests. While everyone except for Joaquin and Zoe tried to be the centers of attention, entertaining with their best anecdotes and worldly stories, they seemed to know better than to interrupt Gerald’s rapturous dinner.
By the time dessert was served, Joaquin thought they’d have to roll him out of the dining room. But the after-dinner Calvados was the perfect ending to the delicious meal.
When he was done, Gerald commanded the stage and regaled his guests with a bit of his own history.
“As most of you know, I’m a self-made man,” he said. “I built Robinson Tech from the ground up with my own two hands, starting with only the shirt on my back and the cash in my pockets. No one ever gave me anything, and I never asked them to.”
There was an edge to Gerald’s tone that bordered on bitter and Joaquin wondered if it had anything to do with the rumored Fortune connection. Joaquin glanced around the table, watching the others smiling and nodding and shaking their heads in solidarity. He wondered if they could hear the undercurrent in Gerald’s words. It sounded a lot like hurt.
If the man really was a Fortune, as Zoe’s siblings kept insisting, what must it have been like to walk away from that dynasty and start over? Or had he walked away? Maybe he’d been pushed. Or, as Zoe maintained, maybe it was all a moot point.
Zoe was facing questions about her family, questions about truth and lies and whom to believe, what was important and what didn’t matter. Yet she still managed to see the good in life and give those she loved the benefit of the doubt.
She had questions very similar to the ones he was facing. For a moment Joaquin wondered if exposing the truth really mattered. Would it change anything for the better?
He cast a glance at Zoe, who was listening intently. In Gerald’s case, exposing his past might not make things better. Of course, it would hurt Zoe and that in itself colored Joaquin’s opinion on Fortune-gate. Because when he thought of his own situation, the devastating questions he needed to ask his father, it still seemed necessary.
“I respect hard work and dedication,” Gerald continued. “It’s what’s gotten me where I am today. I want Robinson Tech to reflect that ethos of perseverance and independence. That’s why I’ve asked each of you here tonight. Because I recognize a similar drive and determination in your work. I want this company to forge new paths. You don’t get ahead in this business by regurgitating what your competitors have already created. So that’s where you come in. You bring the fresh and the original to Robinson Tech. Over the next few weeks I’m going to meet with each of you one-on-one and we are going to map out your future with the company.”
Gerald stood suddenly, tossing the linen napkin onto his dessert plate with the flick of his wrist. “But right now, it’s time for you all to leave. Good night, everyone.”
* * *
Zoe had never been so happy for a dinner to end. And even happier, since it was still early.
Stanley, who had been the Robinson’s butler for as far back as Zoe could remember, herded the guests to the door, and it gave her a chance to grab Joaquin’s hand and pull him toward the opposite door that led to the butler’s pantry.
“Where are we going?” he asked.
“Away from here,” she said, happy that he hadn’t let go of her hand. Their fingers were laced and his palm felt big and warm against hers.
She led him through the butler’s pantry and took a sharp left down a hall that led to the family room.
“Let’s go outside,” she said. “It’s such a nice night.”
Joaquin smiled. “That sounds like a great idea.”
They walked hand in hand across the travertine porch, down the steps that led to the pool area and to a wooden bench that overlooked Lake Austin.
“This view is my favorite thing about this house,” Zoe said. “Sometimes when I just need to think, I come out here and sit.”
“It’s a great view,” Joaquin said. “What do you think about when you’re out here?”
His thigh had drifted over into her space and was resting against her leg. She liked the feel of him next to her.
“Whatever’s on my mind. Right now, I’m hoping to get a promotion. That’s one of the reasons I was at the dinner tonight. Just because I’m the boss’s daughter doesn’t mean he automatically promotes me. I have to earn advancement like everyone else. And that’s the way it should be. Why should I get special privileges? Shouldn’t I have to earn my way just like everyone else does?”
Joaquin raised his brows and nodded.
“What?” she said. “Did you think I was here tonight just to see you?”
“I was hoping,” he said.
She couldn’t believe he’d said that. It made her stomach jump and her heart race, but she tried to play it cool, even though what she wanted to do was to wrap her arms around him and show him exactly how happy she was to be there with him.
“But you live here,” he said. “Of course I’d expect you to be here.”
“I don’t anymore. I grew up here, but I have a place of my own now. This is a great house, though, isn’t it? It was fun growing up here. So, did you have fun tonight?”
Joaquin nodded. “It was interesting. I saw a side of your father I’d never seen before. I have acquired a brand-new appreciation for him.”
“That makes me so happy, you don’t even know. I wish everyone could see him the way you do.”
“Thanks for having him invite me.”
Zoe held up her hand. “Actually, all I did was ask him if you were coming tonight, and he’s the one who decided to invite you. I didn’t ask him to. He really likes you, Joaquin. And so do I.”
She saw Joaquin’s throat work. He was silent for a moment, just looking at her in way that she couldn’t read. For a second she was afraid he was going to friend-zone her again.
“I like you, too, Zoe. You know what I like best about you?”
She shook her head.
“You always see the best in everyone, even in me. I know I haven’t been the easiest person to get to know.”
Zoe laughed. Even if he was hard to get to know, Joaquin obviously had no idea what a great guy he was.
“I wish I could claim that as a heroic quality,” she said. “But it’s not hard to see the good in you. I mean, good grief, half the women in the office are in love with you.”
He made a face that said he didn’t believe her.
“Or at least Steffi-Anne is,” she said. “If you don’t know that, then you’re clueless. And if you are clueless, that’s okay, because then I can tell you that it’s true, but—”
She stopped, biting back her words before she said the wrong thing. But, really, what was the point of censoring herself now?
“Joaquin, I don’t want to share you. Not with Steffi-Anne. With no one.”
He answered her by lowering his head and covering her mouth with his. It was a kiss that she felt all the way down to her curled toes.
When they finally came up for air, he said, “In case you’re wondering, I just made a move on you.”