Trace stood frozen. Just seeing Indie brought back painful memories of when they’d dated. He’d been a senior in high school when she’d taken him home to meet her parents and her father had told him that he wasn’t good enough for his daughter. Mr. Sanderson had barely greeted Trace before ushering him into his massive home office. He wasted no time in telling Trace that not only wasn’t he allowing Indie to go to prom with him, but he also didn’t want him anywhere near her.
Trace could almost hear the conversation all over again.
You’ll never amount to anything.
You’ll always be a nobody.
You’re not even good enough to breathe the same air as her.
Connie put her hands on her hips and glared at him. “I take it you know Ms. Sanderson.”
“Yeah, I know her,” he finally said. “Indie and I attended high school together.”
Her father’s words had crushed Trace. Now it was as if he was being taken back to that moment. The embarrassment, anger and failure he’d felt then returned with a vengeance, and his chest tightened. He balled his fists at his sides and glared at the woman he’d had no intention of ever seeing again.
But how was it possible that years-old devastation could still affect him now? He had given up. Stopped caring about anything and everything after that one-on-one with her father. Had it not been for his own father and Trace’s siblings, there was no telling where Trace would’ve ended up. He’d been headed down a bad path that probably would’ve resulted in jail time or worse.
Now, seeing Indie again, Trace could almost envision the sneer on her father’s face. The judgment. The hate. Edward Sanderson didn’t bother hiding his dislike of him.
“I’m sorry, Indie. Trace is not available for your assignment,” Connie said, her voice snapping him out of his trance. She had reclaimed her seat and was typing something into her computer. “I do have someone else who would be perfect. Here we go.”
Connie turned the computer screen around, but Indie ignored it. Trace wasn’t bothered by the way her gaze traveled the length of him. Her smoldering eyes consumed every inch, regarding him as if he was a double chocolate cupcake that she wanted to devour. As a matter of fact, it gave him pleasure to see interest in her eyes. He wanted her to see what she had missed out on.
“I don’t want anyone else. I only want Trace,” she said with authority. Her sultry voice, which probably made other men fall at her feet, had the opposite effect on him. Trace couldn’t seem to shake the loathing running through his body.
“Why?” he asked Indie before Connie could respond. “Why would you want my protection when your father insisted that I’d never be good enough for you? That I shouldn’t even be allowed to breathe the same air as you?” Anger bubbled inside him and he tried to tamp it down. He had to remember that it didn’t matter how he felt about her—she was a potential client for LEPA.
“Seriously, Trace? That was a hundred years ago. Besides, that’s what my father thought. Not me.”
Trace loved his own father, the man who’d worked his ass off to keep a roof over their heads, but he had admired Mr. Sanderson. Like him, Trace had wanted to one day own some type of business and put his stamp on the world. So when the older man had raked him over the coals, it had done more than hurt his confidence—it had devastated him to the core.
He didn’t say anything even though he could argue that fact. He didn’t care if it had been a hundred years ago—his feelings for her and her family remained the same. He wanted nothing to do with any of them.
Without another word, he walked out of the office. He might’ve been acting like a complete jerk, and even though he knew Connie would ream him out later, Trace couldn’t help himself.
Forty-five minutes later, Connie found him in the staff lounge. Most of the administrative staff had left for the day. Trace had stuck around, knowing that he and Connie would need to talk.
“You put on quite a show in there,” she said as she walked farther into the room.
He gauged her demeanor. She didn’t seem as annoyed as she had appeared in her office, and for that he was grateful. His gaze raked over her body, taking in the sexy outfit that sheathed her hourglass figure. Damn, she was fine. He loved when she wore dresses and skirts, giving him a chance to see her shapely legs.
“I’m sorry about what happened in there. I hope I didn’t blow the deal.”
Trace stood when Connie approached the table, and he pulled out a chair for her. She sat next to him but didn’t say anything right away. Instead, she crossed her legs, causing her skirt to ride up and give him just enough of a peek of her toned thigh to make his dick twitch.
“Care to tell me what that was all about?”
Debating how much to tell her, Trace sipped the steaming coffee that he had made a few minutes ago.
“Did I ruin the deal?” he asked.
“No. She’s still very interested in our services, even if she can’t have you.”
Trace studied Connie, not missing how possessive it sounded when she said “even if she can’t have you.” Maybe he was reading too much into her statement, but damn if it didn’t feel good to have her in his corner. Especially when she didn’t yet know the whole story.
“Indie actually said you had a right to be angry, even if you were acting childish.” Connie lifted her eyebrows and a smile played on her ruby-red lips.
“Why do I have a feeling you added the ‘childish’ part?”
She shrugged. “Okay, maybe I did, but your attitude was way out of character in there. I take it that Indie was the prom date that you mentioned the other day.”
“Yeah, but she and I didn’t attend prom together. I’m sorry about my jacked-up behavior back in the office. I was way out of line. She might’ve caught me off guard, but I’ll make it right with her.”
Trace told Connie what had happened between him and Indie. Outside of his family and Maxwell, he had never shared the story with anyone. It hadn’t been one of his favorite moments.
“I looked up to her father without even knowing the man. At the time, he’d been a part owner of a casino and very active at our school. Always showing up for various events, donating computers and tons of other stuff the school needed. I idolized the guy from a distance. He had a powerful presence about him. Always dressed to perfection, drove the sharpest cars, and I liked the way he carried himself—like a boss.
“I did all right academically in school,” he admitted, “and had always been athletic, but I was a little shy.”
“You were shy?” Connie asked, her mouth hanging open.
Trace chuckled. “I know it’s hard to believe, but yeah. I was on the shy side. I was slowly starting to open up toward the end of my junior year. Mainly because the girls were sweating me and boosting my confidence.”
Connie laughed. “I find it hard to believe that you weren’t always confident and maybe a little arrogant.”
Trace shook his head and grinned, but then turned serious. “Indie would always flirt with me, especially once we became seniors. She had hinted around about us attending prom together, but I knew my father didn’t have money for me to go. I hadn’t planned to go, but Indie was the most popular girl in school and her father was the man.
“With her by my side, I felt like the big man on campus, that I could be like him one day. Walking around with my chest stuck out because Indie, every boy’s dream girl, was into me. She even wanted me to meet her parents.”
Embarrassment stirred inside Trace as he mentally traveled down memory lane. He told Connie about how Indie had invited him over for dinner at her parents’ estate. Wanting to make a good impression, Trace had borrowed his oldest brother’s suit for the occasion. He couldn’t wait to meet Mr. Sanderson. He even had a list of questions to ask about running his own business.
“Indie’s father crushed me with his words. My hero, even though I didn’t really know him, had destroyed my confidence with one conversation. After that, I didn’t give a damn about anything. I did so much stupid shit, even to the point of almost getting expelled toward the end of my senior year. I was basically living up to all the crap Sanderson said about me.”
Connie reached over and covered Trace’s hand with hers. “I can’t even imagine how you must’ve felt. Even worse, it sickens me that an adult would talk to a child that way. He could’ve just told you that you couldn’t date his daughter. He didn’t have to break your pride the way he did. How’d you get your life back on track?”
“My dad. One night he picked me up from the police station after I had gotten into some trouble. On the way home, he told me that was a onetime gift. That if I ever got into trouble with the law again, I was on my own. Then I learned that Langston had told him about Mr. Sanderson.”
“What did your dad say?”
Trace’s heart swelled as he thought about his father, the man who’d basically saved his life. “He told me he loved me. That he would never stop loving me, but it was up to me to determine the type of life I wanted to live. He said as far as Sanderson was concerned, a real man would never tear down a young man. He also told me that I needed to do a better job at choosing my role models.”
“That was wonderful advice. He sounds like a great dad.”
“He’s the best.” The type of father Trace hoped to one day be. “He lives in the Bahamas now, but I look forward to introducing you to him one day.”
Connie gave him a shy smile, and hope blossomed inside Trace.
“I look forward to it.”
Now he was cheesing so hard, his cheeks hurt.
Connie crossed her legs. “I take it you got your act together after that.”
“Well, it still took me a minute.” Trace chuckled, thinking about a few more stupid incidents that he’d gotten himself into. “I joined the navy shortly after graduation, and it was the best decision for me. Between the training and life experiences while serving, I regained my confidence, earned my degree in business, and look at me now. I’m sitting here with the woman of my dreams.”
“Oh, brother. There you go, tryin’ to charm me again.”
Trace brought her hand to his lips. “Is it working?”
Connie laughed and pulled back her hand. “Maybe a little.”
Trace smiled, glad that he was wearing her down. “Does that mean that once your life settles down a little, you’ll let me take you on a proper date?”
Her beautiful smile and the way her eyes glittered with adoration sent heat pulsing through his body. The last few days with her had confirmed it for him—he wanted her in his life.
Connie hadn’t even agreed to date him, but deep in his heart, Trace knew she was the woman for him. She stirred something inside him, something he couldn’t quite put a name to, but he loved the way it made him feel. He was a protector by nature, and even though she was ridiculously independent, she made him...feel. Needed. Adored. She made him feel as if he mattered in her life.
“Yes,” Connie said quietly. “I’d love to go on a date with you.”
For a minute, all Trace could do was stare at her. He was so used to her saying no that he hadn’t actually thought about how it would be when she finally said yes.
“Would you mind putting that in writing and getting it notarized? Just in case you conveniently forget when the time comes.”
Connie burst out laughing, then stood and straightened her clothes. “I just can’t with you.”
“Baby, you can do anything you want with me. Just say the word. I’m all yours.”
Trace’s cell phone vibrated in his front pocket. As he stood, he pulled it out and read the text from Trinity.
Connie isn’t answering her phone. Are you still at the office?
He typed back a quick response. Yes, and she’s here.
Good. Come over for dinner and bring her with you. We need to talk.
Trace sent a thumbs-up emoji. It wasn’t unusual for Trinity to invite him over, but this was the first time that she’d told him to bring Connie.
He glanced up at her. “The boss has summoned us to her house for dinner. Are you game?”
“Kinda late notice. Did she say why?”
“Only that we need to talk.”