Be Mine Read online

  “What kind of shopping?”

  “Strawberries. Candles. And you’re going to buy some of that wicked pink lace stuff I bought.”

  “I have a bad feeling about this,” Emily said.

  “Trust me,” Jane said. “This will work. I guarantee you, this time, he’ll listen.”

  CHAPTER FIVE

  AT FIVE O’CLOCK EMILY sat in her office, staring at the shopping bag on the floor next to her. It held the basics of Jane’s game plan.

  I can’t do this, she thought. I’ll feel like a fool, and Richard will laugh at me. In the nicest possible way, of course. With a great deal of affection. And then he’ll never take me seriously again.

  Jane knocked on the door. “I’m leaving.”

  “Thanks for everything, Jane,” Emily said, “but—”

  “But you’re not going to do it,” Jane finished for her.

  “It’s too far out for me.”

  “This from the woman who talked to her boss on the phone while her lover was under her desk?”

  “That was not my idea.”

  “Yeah. But this would be.” Emily shook her head again, and Jane sighed and shrugged.

  “Keep all that stuff, anyway. Eat the strawberries, but put the rest of it away. Someday you may change your mind.”

  “I doubt it.” Emily’s eyes widened as she looked beyond Jane. “Shut up. Here he comes.”

  Richard paused in the doorway.

  “Hi, Jane.” He leaned around her to talk to Emily. “Something’s come up. Can I pick you up later, say, eight?”

  “What’s going on?”

  “Meeting with George and Henry. It’s money talk. I told them you wouldn’t be interested. You can relax, and then we’ll have a late dinner after the meeting.”

  “Did it occur to you,” Emily asked carefully, “that I might want to go to this meeting?”

  “No.” Richard frowned at her. “Why would you want to come to a money meeting?”

  Emily clenched her hands in front of her. “It’s my project.”

  “I’ll fill you in later. Why should you waste your time?”

  “If you’d asked me first, I probably would have agreed with you.” Emily drew a deep breath. “You didn’t ask.”

  “I’m sorry,” Richard said impatiently, “but since you wouldn’t have gone, anyway, I don’t see why we’re having this conversation.” He looked down at Jane. “Don’t you have something to do?” he asked pointedly.

  “Yes.” She crossed to Emily’s desk, picked up the shopping bag and dropped it in front of Emily. “Don’t forget this.”

  Emily looked at her and nodded. “You’re right. I won’t.”

  “What’s in the bag?” Richard asked.

  “Surprises.” Emily smiled at him tightly. “Don’t pick me up. I’ll come to your place. Chill some champagne.”

  Richard glanced at Jane, who smiled back at him serenely.

  “All right. Eight o’clock.” He looked uncertainly from Jane to Emily, shook his head and left.

  “I can do this,” Emily said.

  “Absolutely,” Jane said.

  Emily put her head down on the desk and moaned, and Jane patted her on the back.

  * * *

  AT EIGHT, EMILY RANG THE doorbell at Richard’s apartment, trying to balance the shopping bag and a silver bowl of strawberries without losing her purse. Richard opened the door wearing a thick velour robe, a smile and obviously not much else. His smile faded at the sight of her. She was still in her business suit, her hair pinned up and her reading glasses on.

  “Strawberries?” she said.

  “Thank you.” He took them and stood back to let her in. There was champagne in a bucket and two silver-rimmed glasses, chilled and waiting.

  Emily took a deep breath. “Why don’t we take this into the bedroom?”

  “Fine,” Richard said, slightly puzzled by her tension.

  He followed her into his bedroom and watched her put the champagne and glasses on the bedside table.

  “Have you got the strawberries?” she asked, and took the bowl from him, putting it on the table with the champagne. “Got any matches?” she asked, and began to unpack the fat white candles from her shopping bag.

  “Yes.” Richard took her arm. “What are you doing?”

  “I thought we’d try something a little different tonight. Matches?”

  He watched while she placed the candles around the room. Dozens of them.

  “Good thing I have fire insurance,” he said as Emily lit them all, and then turned out the lights.

  The room glowed from the flames, almost as light as daylight but much softer. He moved toward her.

  “We have to talk,” Emily said.

  “Let’s talk later.” Richard reached for her.

  “No.” Emily folded her arms across her chest. “Now.”

  He looked at her stern stubborn face and sighed. “All right.” He sat on the edge of the bed. “What?”

  She moistened her lips. “I love you, and I intend to marry you, but not until you recognize me as a partner.”

  He looked shocked. “I do.”

  “No. You decide what’s important and what isn’t. You don’t listen.” He started to protest and she held up her hand. “Did you look at the budget and try to find money for the rubies and the product placement?”

  “Emily, it isn’t there.”

  “Did you try to find it?”

  The look on his face told her he hadn’t.

  “You didn’t try because you decided before I even talked to you that it wasn’t possible.” Emily hesitated and then went determinedly on. “You don’t listen to me. And as much as I love you, I can’t live with a man who doesn’t treat me seriously.”

  “I treat you seriously,” Richard said, appalled. “You’re the most important person in my world.”

  She knew it was true. She also knew he wasn’t listening to her—again.

  She tried one more time. “I don’t think you

  realize how much you assume the right to make decisions for me. I can’t let you do that. But if I have to fight you on this, all we’ll do is waste time and money for the company.”

  “Emily, we’ve talked about this before.”

  “It’s not just the company.” She took a deep breath. “I want more control here, with you, too.”

  “You can have it.” He held out his hand. “Now come here.”

  “That’s exactly what I mean.” She took a step backward. “You say, ‘Come here,’ and I’m supposed to jump.”

  “Okay.” He stood up. “I’ll come there.”

  “No, that’s not what I want.”

  “Well, what do you want?” He was getting exasperated.

  Emily swallowed. “I want one night where you promise to do anything I tell you to.”

  Richard looked uneasy. “Define ‘anything.’”

  “No.” Emily looked at him. “If you want me tonight, you’ll have to trust me. And promise me you’ll do exactly what I say.”

  “All right,” he said finally.

  “Promise.”

  “I promise.”

  “Word of honor.”

  “What the hell are you going to do?”

  “Word of honor.”

  “Word of honor.” He shook his head. “I don’t like this.”

  “That’s the point,” Emily said. “I don’t like it, either, but you treat me this way every day.”

  “So this is to teach me a lesson?”

  “No. It’s to demonstrate my point. Since you won’t listen, maybe you’ll see instead.”

  “All right.” He didn’t look happy but he nodded. “What do you want me to do?”

  She took a deep breath. “Take off your robe and lie down on the bed.”

  He dropped the robe and lay down naked on the bed, watching her warily. He looked great naked. I’d be so embarrassed to do that, she thought. Why is it that guys never are? Must be all those locker rooms.

  “O