Chapter 2
Leah sat in the reception area of the well-appointed law firm, waiting for the receptionist to let her know when Alan would be available to see her. When she’d called him earlier, she was told he was on an overseas call, but she was to come to the office because he would block out several hours to meet with her.
She had taken particular care with her appearance, wearing one of the many dresses her mother had made for her during her spare time. Madeline’s graduation gift was a closet filled with skirts, jackets, dresses, blouses, and slacks for when she embarked on her teaching career. Leah realized it had taken her mother innumerable hours to meticulously sew each garment, which were indistinguishable from those in department stores. Leah wondered if, under another set of circumstances, her mother would have been able to make a name for herself in fashion. Leah had washed and set her hair on large rollers and when dry had used a large-tooth comb to achieve a mass of waves falling around her face to her shoulders. Her makeup was perfect for daytime, with a hint of blush on her cheeks, muted shadow on her lids, and a tangerine-orange color for her lips.
“Miss Berkley, Mr. Kent will see you now.”
Leah’s head popped up, and she pushed off the armchair to follow a young woman down a hallway where the heels of her shoes sank into the plush carpeting.
Alan stood outside his office, watching Leah as she followed his secretary, successfully concealing a smug grin. He had not made a mistake coming to see her in Nashville. It had taken him weeks to decide whether to attend her graduation, and it was only then he’d contacted a friend with connections to Vanderbilt to get a ticket for the ceremony. He’d waited for Leah’s name to be called and witnessed her walk before he got up and left. She had graduated magna cum laude. Beauty and brains. Those were the two qualities he admired most in a woman.
His gaze lingered on the length of her bare legs under a burnt-orange sleeveless sheath dress ending at her knees. She wore espadrilles with black ties that circled her slender ankles. He met her blue eyes, smiling, and extended his hand. “Please come in, Miss Berkley.” He wasn’t disappointed when she returned his smile with a polite one.
“Thank you for taking the time to see me, Mr. Kent.”
Alan closed the door, cupped her elbow, and led her to a leather love seat. He stared at Leah. She’d styled her hair in a profusion of strawberry-blond waves framing her face. “I’ll always take time for you, Leah.”
She gripped the small leather clutch in both hands. “I’d like to thank you for your very generous gift. You really did not have to give me anything.”
It was all he could do not to touch her. “I did because I wanted you to have something special with which to remember me.”
Shifting, Leah turned to give him a direct look. “There’s no way I’ll be able to forget you whenever I wear the necklace. It is truly beautiful.”
Alan smiled. It was his intent for her not to forget him. “I’ve made reservations for us to have lunch at a place where I usually take my clients. It’s about thirty miles from here, so we’ll have to leave now to make it there on time.”
Leah rose, he also coming to his feet. He reached for his jacket, slipped his arms into the sleeves, and escorted her out of the office through a rear door leading to the parking lot. His secretary knew to take his calls. Opening the passenger-side door to the Mercedes sedan, Alan waited for Leah to sit before he rounded the car and slipped behind the wheel.
He maneuvered out of the lot, silently applauding himself for his patience in waiting for Leah to graduate. He didn’t know what it was about the redhead that had him fantasizing about her when he least expected it. At thirty-five he’d dated a lot of women, and slept with some of them, but there was something about the woman sitting next to him that had him preoccupied with her. It was obvious she wasn’t as sophisticated as the ones with whom he was familiar; however, that hadn’t deterred him, because whatever she didn’t know he planned to teach her.
“Now that you’ve graduated,” he said, breaking the comfortable silence, “what do you plan to do?”
Leah met his eyes for a nanosecond. “I’m going to look for a teaching position before I go back to school for my master’s degree.”
“Have you selected a graduate school?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t need to think about books and term papers for a while. And working will allow me time to save some money for tuition.”
“Do you have any student loans?” Alan had asked yet another question.
“No. I went to Vanderbilt on a full academic scholarship.”
“Good for you. That means you have a head start when so many kids are burdened with student debt even before they begin working.”
“I also need to work because I’d like my mother to quit her job at a dress factory.”
“What does your father do?” Alan was asking a litany of questions to which he knew the answers, because he’d had the firm’s investigator conduct a background check on the elder Berkleys. He did not want to get involved with a woman with parents who had run afoul of the law. Her family’s working class aside, there was something about Leah that enthralled him as no other woman had. Perhaps it had to do with her not being impressed with his family’s name and prominence not only in the state’s capital but also through its history, to when Virginia and the rest of the thirteen colonies were still under British rule.
“He’s the head mechanic at a used-car dealership. He’s a genius when it comes to repairing cars.”
“The only thing I know about a car is how to turn it on and off.”
“What about pumping your own gas?” Leah asked.
“No.”
“Are you afraid of getting your hands dirty?”
Alan clenched his teeth at the same time his fingers tightened on the steering wheel, and he struggled not to lose his temper. Did she really believe he was incapable of putting gas in his car? “It has nothing to do with getting my hands dirty. I don’t pump gas because I can’t abide the smell.”
A flush suffused Leah’s face as she averted her eyes. “I’m sorry I—”
“There’s nothing to apologize for,” he said, cutting her off. Alan did not want to start off on the wrong foot with Leah, because he didn’t want this encounter to be their last one. This was their third meeting, and each time he noticed she had what he thought of as a sharp tongue. She wasn’t reticent; she said whatever came to her mind. Women he became involved with were usually docile and accommodating, while Leah Berkley was just the opposite. It would take her a while to come to the realization that he wasn’t one to be submissive when it came to a woman. “I think it’s time you stop referring to me as Mr. Kent.”
“What do you want me to call you?”
“Alan.”
Leah smiled. “Then Alan it is.”
He also smiled. Other than her face and body, it was her voice that held his rapt attention. It was low, sultry, and very sexy for a woman. Decelerating, Alan left the main road and turned onto one with towering trees lining both sides like silent sentinels. It had been several weeks since he’d last visited the Bramble House. The inn catered to a select clientele with the social class and background and the ability to pay the exorbitant fees for various suites in which to conduct their liaisons. It was where well-to-do men entertained their mistresses, while the inn’s staff was the epitome of discretion.
And in the ten years since he’d become a member of a select group of men held in high esteem by the residents of Richmond, Alan had been very discriminating when inviting a woman to accompany him to the Bramble House, because the women with whom he’d slept had as much or more to lose than he if word got out that they were engaged in an extramarital affair. His preference for sleeping with a married woman was because she could not afford to get pregnant and attempt to pass it off on her husband as his. And there was never a time when he did not use a condom, because he did not plan to father a child before marriage.
He was openly dating a young woman his mother had hinted he should marry, but Alan found her boring and undesirable. The last time they’d slept together he’d fantasized about making love with Leah, and he’d ejaculated so quickly that Justine had asked if something was wrong. He’d said no, but that was a lie.
Rumors were circulating that their engagement was imminent, and rather than embarrass Justine Hamilton or her family, he hadn’t refuted it. She came from a good family, would become the perfect hostess, and once she pushed out a couple of Kents she would be content to become the dutiful wife.
He pulled into the parking area and shut off the engine. “We’re here.”
Leah stared out the windshield at a rustic two-story structure. A sign indicated it was founded in 1898. “How did you find this place?” she asked, undoing her seat belt.
Alan released his own seat belt. “A friend turned me on to it. I hope you’re hungry, because the food is exceptional.”
“I did have an early breakfast.”
“Don’t move,” Alan said when she attempted to open her door. “I’ll come around and help you out.”
He opened her door and extended his hand as she placed her palm on his and he gently pulled her to stand. She looked up at the Tudor-design structure with stained glass windows. “How often do you come here?” she asked Alan, as he led her to double oaken doors with large brass doorknockers.
“It all depends,” he said noncommittally.
“On what, Alan?”
“On the client. There are some I can interview in the office conference room, and then there are others that call for more privacy. I’ve discovered some people are willing to open up and become completely relaxed after a few drinks and a meal.”
She waited for him to open the door and then stepped into an area with leather facing benches and gaslight-inspired wall sconces from a bygone era. A tall, slender man with shimmering white, expertly barbered hair came over to greet Alan. He was dressed entirely in black, which made him appear even thinner.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Kent.” He nodded to Leah. “Miss.”
Good afternoon, Lucien,” Alan said in greeting. “Is it possible for us to be seated in the Yorktown Suite?”
Lucien smiled. “Of course, Mr. Kent.” He motioned to a white-jacketed waiter who practically ran over to him. “Please take Mr. Kent and his guest to the Yorktown Suite.”
The young man, who did not look old enough to shave, bowed as if Lucien were royalty. “Yes, sir.”
Leah stiffened slightly, and then relaxed when Alan rested his hand at the small of her back. She knew it would take her a while to become accustomed to him touching her. She wasn’t going to delude herself into believing he wasn’t interested in her the way a man was with a woman. His showing up unexpectedly at her graduation and gifting her with the pearls spoke volumes. However, at no time could she forget that he was a mature man with enough money to give a woman he’d met once and for less than an hour a gift with a price tag comparable to what her parents paid to rent their house for a month.
She followed the waiter up the staircase leading to the second story. All the suites were named for Revolutionary War battles. Leah smothered a gasp when the door opened and she walked into a space with furnishings that appeared to be antiques; if not, then exquisite reproductions. Her gaze lingered on a four-poster bed draped in a gossamer fabric before moving to a sitting area with plump armchairs and a dining area with table and chairs with place settings for two. Pinpoints of sunlight coming through the windows turned the glass into a kaleidoscope that resembled precious jewels. Alan led her over to the table, pulled out a chair, and seated her at the same time the waiter reached for two binders on the credenza.
He handed one binder to Alan, and then one to her. “Today’s special is Dover sole meunière and broiled lobster with a buttery Pernod sauce.”
Leah met Alan’s eyes across the table. “Please give me a few minutes to look over the menu.”
“Is there anything I can get you from the bar?” Alan asked her.
“I’ll have a club soda with a twist of lemon.”
His eyebrows lifted slightly. “Are you sure you don’t want something a little stronger?”
She smiled. “Very sure.”
“You, sir?”
“I’ll have Jameson’s and ginger with lime.”
Leah waited for the waiter to leave the room before giving Alan her complete attention. “This place is really charming.”
Alan angled his head, smiling. “I’m glad you like it. Whenever I come alone for lunch I will eat in the dining room, but sometimes it gets a little noisy because the televisions are tuned to sports channels.”
“You prefer coming here rather than some of the more popular downtown restaurants.”
“Yes. At least here I won’t be interrupted while I’m trying to enjoy my meal.”
“Please don’t tell me I’m dining with a celebrity.”
He lowered his eyes. “I’m hardly a celebrity.”
“Your father was a judge, and you’re a managing partner in one of Richmond’s most prestigious law firms.”
Alan went completely still. It was obvious she’d researched his family. “Is there something you want to know about me that you haven’t uncovered on your own?” A rush of color suffused Leah’s face with his query, and he did not know whether he’d embarrassed or angered her.
“No, Alan,” she said softly. “I know all I need to know.”
He wanted to tell Leah that there was so much about him she would never know. There was his public persona, and then there was the private one. What he did behind closed doors was a jealously guarded secret known only by a few close friends.
Alan felt as if Leah had withdrawn from him although they sat several feet across from each other at the small, round table, and that was something he couldn’t permit to happen. Not when he’d planned to seduce her. “I noticed you didn’t order anything alcoholic.”
She blinked slowly. “That’s because I can’t drink.”
“Does it make you sick?”
A hint of a smile parted her lips. “No. I’m not old enough to drink.”
Alan recoiled as if someone had hit him in the nose. “How old are you?”
“Eighteen.”
Slumping in his chair, Alan stared at Leah as if she’d grown an extra eye. He’d believed she was twenty-one or even twenty-two, but not eighteen. “At what age did you graduate high school?”
“Fifteen. I accelerated a grade twice, and I took a number of college courses in high school, so when I enrolled at Vanderbilt it was as a sophomore.”
“You’re a genius.”
“No, Alan. I’m what folks would call an overachiever. By the way, how old are you?”
“Thirty-five.” His age was one thing he never lied about.
Her mouth formed a perfect O. “You’re almost twice my age.”
“Does that bother you, Leah?” Alan questioned.
“No, because no one can control their age.”
“What I mean is, does it bother you that a man almost twice your age would like to date you?”
Leah gave him a direct stare. “Yes. Only because you’re practically engaged.”
He leaned forward. “You heard about that?”
“Yes, Alan, I heard about that.”
“It’s not official,” he countered.
“It doesn’t matter. Everyone knows you’re dating Justine Hamilton, and to me that translates into you’re off the market.”
“What if I break up with her?”
“Don’t. Not on my account. Besides, I’m not interested in a relationship at this time.”
“What about us being friends?” Alan realized he was close to begging, but he would grovel if it meant seeing Leah again. Not only was Leah the youngest, but she was also the most difficult woman he’d attempted to get close to. When she smiled he discovered he couldn’t bring his gaze away from her mouth. And it wasn’t the first time that he had had to ask himself what was there about Leah Berkley that had him acting like a horny teenage boy with no control.
“I don’t have a problem with us becoming friends.”
He smiled. “Okay, then friendship it is.” Alan felt a small measure of relief. At least she hadn’t rejected him outright. Leah had referred to herself as an overachiever, and Alan knew she possessed exceptional intelligence. “Speaking of careers, you said you wanted to teach. Have you applied to any schools?”
“Not yet. I wanted to take a month off before I begin sending out my résumé.”
“Public or private?”
“Public or private what, Alan?”
“Schools. If you want to teach at a private school, then I can help you out. I’m familiar with the headmistress and several members on the board of the Calhoun Preparatory Academy for Girls.”
Leah did not realize she had been holding her breath until she felt slightly lightheaded. The Calhoun was one of the most prestigious schools for girls in the state, and she could not have imagined securing a position with the venerable academy.
“Do you think if I interview with them they will hire me?”
“I will make certain they hire you,” Alan said.
“What do you want from me in return if they do decide to bring me on as faculty?” The question had rolled off her tongue before Leah could censor herself.
Resting his elbow on the table, Alan gave her an intense, penetrating stare. “Have lunch or dinner with me at least twice a month.”
Her jaw dropped. Leah didn’t know why, but she hadn’t expected him to say that. “That’s it?”
“Did you think I would ask you to sleep with me?”
She pulled her lower lip between her teeth. “It was a thought.”
“A thought, or is that what you want, Leah?”
Her face flamed with heat she was helpless to control. She didn’t know what it was, but a part of her did wonder how it would be to sleep with Alan. Philip had been her only lover, and the first time they’d shared a bed she’d cried herself to sleep because she had expected so much more. It was weeks before she would allow him to make love to her again, and after several months she was able to experience her first orgasm.
“It’s not what I want,” she lied smoothly, “because it would ruin our friendship, and I don’t want to be responsible for you cheating on your fiancée.”
“Unofficial fiancée, Leah.”
“It doesn’t matter whether she is or isn’t, Alan. I don’t intend to become a third party in someone’s relationship.”
“What if she’s no longer in the equation?”
Leah’s eyelids fluttered wildly as she stared across the small space at the man who continued to assault her emotions. It was as if he could reach inside her and read her mind, know what she was thinking. If she were truly honest with herself, Leah knew she wasn’t completely immune to him. He was older, wealthy, prominent, attractive, and had enough influence and clout to help her secure a position with a private school at which every year one hundred percent of the graduates were accepted into prestigious colleges throughout the country. She knew it would be so easy to have a clandestine relationship with him and in turn reap benefits that would’ve been denied her if they’d never met, but not at the expense of her coming between him and another woman who’d planned to become Mrs. Alan Stephens Kent. She shook her head. “Don’t, Alan. Please don’t break up with her. Especially not because of me.”
“It is because of you that I would be willing to stop seeing her.”
“Why me?” Leah asked, her voice rising slightly. “This is the third time we’ve seen each other, and today is the first time we’ve spent more than a half hour together, and I can’t believe you’re actually considering tossing aside a woman whom you been dating long enough where people expect you to announce your official engagement, for an eighteen-year-old. It just doesn’t add up, Alan.”
His impassive expression did not change. “Why not you, Leah? Do you not believe yourself worthy to become involved with me?”
Leah counted slowly to ten to keep from spewing curses and completely ruining her chance of interviewing for a teaching position at the Calhoun Academy. If Alan was willing to use her, then she would use him to get what she wanted. She’d planned to send her résumé to several school districts, and she was confident that she would secure a position; however, she never would have considered the academy, because many of the instructors were former students, children of privileged parents, and that meant she never would have been considered for a job, despite her grades.
“I’m more than worthy, Alan, otherwise I wouldn’t be sitting here with you. I may not have the pedigree of the women with whom you consort, but they are no better than me. I studied hard and worked my ass off to prove I was smarter than most of the uppity bitches at college that looked down on me because I spent the first nine years of my life living in a trailer park. I earned my grades, while they slept with their professors to pass a course. So, I resent you thinking I’m not worthy. In fact, I believe I’m better than you, because if I had a boyfriend or even a fiancé I would never consider ditching him for you.” Alan was stunned and excited with Leah’s outburst. Her face was flushed, her eyes were shooting blue shards, and he couldn’t pull his gaze away from her heaving breasts under the polished cotton dress. And he knew he was wrong for implying she wasn’t worthy, because she was. At eighteen she was everything Justine wasn’t at twenty-six.
“I’m the one that isn’t worthy of you.” He knew he’d shocked her with the comeback when her jaw dropped. “You must think I’m cruel and unfeeling to stop seeing a woman I’ve been dating because I’m interested in one I’d like to get to know better.”
“I didn’t say you were cruel, Alan.”
He placed a hand over his heart. “Thank you for absolving me of that notion.”
Leah smiled. “Acting contrite doesn’t become you.”
“But I am contrite. I . . .” His words trailed off when the waiter returned with their beverages and set them down on the table.
“Sir, miss, are you ready to order?”
Alan opened the binder and pretended interest in the menu selections. He knew what he wanted because he tended to order the same dish for lunch. “I’ll have the lamb chops, medium well, with mixed glazed vegetables, and a Caesar salad.” He glanced at Leah as she bit her lip while studying the menu.
Her head popped up. “I’ll have a Cobb salad with balsamic vinegar on the side.”
Alan wanted to ask Leah if she was on a diet because she’d ordered a salad, but then decided not to say anything. He’d found it frustrating when he dined out with Justine that she took an interminable amount of time perusing menu selections, and then ordered a salad. The year before she’d announced that she was a vegetarian and planned to lose as much weight as she could before their wedding. Although he’d cautioned her not to talk to her family and friends about a possible date to announce their engagement, she’d ignored his warnings. It was as if she wanted to talk it into existence.
He reached for his highball glass and held it up. “Here’s to friendship.”
Leah picked up her glass, touched hers to his. “To friendship.”
He took a sip, the whiskey and soda going down smoothly as warmth spread throughout his body; he stared at Leah over the rim and wondered if in her naïveté she was aware of the effect she had on him. Although she exhibited confidence and independence that belied her age, Alan still felt the need to take care of her. Enrolling in college at fifteen had forced her to grow up and mature faster than her peers who were still engaged in high school activities.
“Do you have a résumé?” he asked her.
“Yes. I have a number of copies and several official transcripts. I got the additional transcripts to save time having to send away for them.”
Once again Alan was impressed with Leah’s sense of preparedness. “I need you to give me your résumé and transcript, and I’ll pass them along to the headmistress. She’ll probably contact you for an interview, and then you’ll have to wait for her to submit your documents to the board for approval. If there is a vacant position, you’ll be appointed for the coming fall term.”
Leah’s eyes shimmered with excitement. “Please let her know I’m willing to accept a position as a permanent substitute. And because I don’t believe in putting all of my eggs in one basket, I’m still going to send my résumé to other school districts.”
Alan forced himself not to panic. He didn’t want Leah to teach in another county where he wouldn’t have close access to her, or where she would be given the opportunity to meet someone with whom she could have a relationship.
“I’d like you to wait at least two weeks before you send out your résumé. I’ll call Mrs. Kelly when I get back to the office and ask her to set up a time for an interview. When we get back I’d like you to drop off your résumé and transcript at the office in an envelope marked personal and confidential. My secretary knows not to open anything marked personal. I’m also going to give you the numbers to my home and the private one at the office. If I don’t pick up, then leave a message on the answering machine.”
“You don’t know how much I appreciate you doing this for me.”
He successfully hid a smug grin when he took another sip of his cocktail. “It’s all about friends helping friends.”
Leah stared at him from under lowered lids. “Maybe one of these days I’ll be able to return the favor.”
And you will, he thought. Alan still did not give up on the possibility of his sleeping with Leah. And his wanting to make love to her bordered on a craving that was akin to something he’d never experienced before. He’d always had a strong libido, but it had gone into overdrive, and he was forced to get out of bed and masturbate whenever her image invaded his erotic dreams. Although satiated, he’d experienced shame because he hadn’t had to pleasure himself since coming into puberty at thirteen.
Their food arrived, and they spent the next hour discussing and debating local and national politics. Alan discovered Leah was a Democrat and was excited that she would be voting for the first time in the coming November elections. He admitted being a registered Republican, which put them at odds when it came to support of their respective candidates. However, they were respectful of each other’s opinion, and unknowingly she had gone up several more points on his approval scale; Alan knew Leah would make the perfect wife. Of course, he would wait until she was twenty, because he didn’t want her to be labeled a teenage bride.
Once lunch was over, Alan drove back to Richmond and waited with Leah while she got into her car. She promised to go home and return with the documents he wanted. She shocked him when she moved closer and kissed his cheek, thanking him for lunch and their time together.
Alan stood in the parking lot, watching the taillights of Leah’s car as she drove away, then turned and entered the office through a rear door. He walked into his office, closed the door, and picked up three telephone message slips. One was from his mother, asking him to call her back, and the other two were from clients. He planned to call the clients, then his mother. The only time Adele Kent called him at the office was when she and her husband had had an argument. Now that his father was deceased Alan was relieved that he no longer had to get involved with his parents’ squabbles, because one day they would be at each other’s throats and the next acting like newlyweds.
He slipped out of his suit jacket, hung it in the closet, and sat down behind his desk. He thumbed through a leather-bound address book to K. First things first. He needed to call Constance Kelly. The phone rang twice before he heard her voice.
“Hello.”
“Hello, Constance.”
“Alan. How are you?”
“I’m well, thank you. I’m calling because I’d like to ask a favor of you.”
“Anything for you. What do you want?”
“I’d like you to interview and hire a young woman as an English teacher. She just graduated from Vanderbilt with honors.”
“She sounds like someone we need, because one of my English teachers is leaving. Her husband’s company just assigned him an overseas position and she’s decided to go with him.”
Alan pumped his fist. Talk about perfect timing. “She’s going to drop off her résumé and official transcript to me this afternoon, and I will try to get it to you either tonight or tomorrow morning.”
“You can come tonight. I’ll be here until eight because I’m meeting with the scholarship committee to choose the recipients for the next school year.”
“Thank you, Constance.”
“I should be the one thanking you, Alan. The scholarship committee was overwhelmed with your more than generous donation.”
“Anything for a good cause. I’ll see you later.”
Smiling, he ended the call. He’d had to wait five months for Leah Berkley to graduate college, and he knew once he dropped her résumé and transcript off with Constance, and she interviewed Leah, Leah would become an immediate hire. Getting the board to approve her wouldn’t be as easy because some of the members would question Leah’s family’s background, but in the end her name would be added to the incoming faculty of the Calhoun Preparatory Academy for Girls.