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Go to him, her heart whispered.
Charles, her head argued.
—
Leaning a hip against the wall near the dressing rooms, Elliott sipped his champagne. His throat was dry from all the congratulations he’d offered to the cast and the production crew for the success of their latest Broadway show.
Nothing made him happier than to help the theater recover with his financial assistance. A renovation and hot new lineup of shows had taken it from near bankruptcy to success. His late mother had loved attending musicals, and this was his way of keeping her spirit alive.
He finished off his champagne and placed the glass on a nearby table, then he glanced at Mary. Her daughter was an expressive girl, and he had liked her when he’d met her, not even knowing of their connection. Now that he knew of it, he could see so much of Mary in Cassie, but it made him wonder about Cassie’s father, too.
A man who clearly had been honorable, considering that even after the many years since his death Mary remained hesitant to move on. Elliott had given her a deadline, and that had ended tonight. Though, to his total surprise, they had found their way back to each other without even trying.
Fate? he wondered.
Though he knew where he stood with Mary, he also believed sometimes things happened for a reason. He wondered if he’d seen Mary at the theater before; maybe they had even passed by each other or shared a friendly smile. He nearly laughed at his reality—all he wanted was to forget about Mary and move on, and life simply wouldn’t let him.
With the intent not to let this moment pass him by, he approached her when Cassie headed off to the changing rooms. When he reached Mary, he noticed her stiffen seconds before he settled in next to her.
That one reaction he understood.
Christ, he experienced the same physical draw to her. His cock twitched in awareness of her closeness. The reaction had played on his mind the entire week. He’d never experienced this with his ex-wife, and maybe that was because she never was his.
“Are you enjoying the party?” he asked, craving to trail a finger over her bare shoulder. Her strapless black dress looked mouthwateringly perfect on her.
She spun around to him, her eyes wide and nearly dripping with lust. “Yes—”
“Mom,” Cassie called, rushing over. “All done. We can leave now.”
In nearly the same second, another one of the performers all but bounced her way over to Cassie. “We’re going out to a club tonight, Cass,” the thin brunette said, tugging on Cassie’s arm. “Please come with us.”
Cassie turned to Mary, nose scrunched. “Ah…”
“Go on, sweetie,” Mary said. “We can have brunch tomorrow. Go celebrate with your friends.”
A wrinkle marred Cassie’s forehead, guilt resting hard in her features. “Are you sure you don’t mind? You came—”
Mary patted her arm. “I’m sure. It’s fine. We’ll catch up tomorrow.”
“Okay, thanks, Mom,” Cassie said before giving Mary a quick hug. “I’ll call you in the morning.” Then, with a squeal of laughter, she went off with her friend.
Mary glanced at Elliott with a sweet smile. “Kids.”
He chuckled. “They’re young and in New York. I got into a lot of trouble at their age.”
“Somehow I don’t doubt that,” she replied with soft features.
He stared at her, wondering about the real reason why she was so intent to shut him out. Things seemed intense between them, almost so right. Even now, being next to her seemed perfect. One thing was absolutely certain: Fate had removed his choice to get past her, bringing her right into his sights tonight.
By the hitch of her breath, indicating arousal, he wouldn’t let this chance pass him by. He took the signs in front of him and followed where fate had led him. He stepped closer to her, feeling the heat exuding from her body. “With Cassie busy tonight, what are your plans for the remainder of the evening?”
She studied him, then averted her gaze. “I’ll be going back to my hotel room.”
Christ, stop that!
He was damn confident that she was going to say nothing, but she had stopped herself. Elliott didn’t doubt that in the least, but he wasn’t nearly as hesitant. He knew what he wanted, and that was her. Besides, she all but trembled in her high heels, indicating to him that she wanted him, too. He pulled his key card from the inside of his coat pocket. “Take this.”
“Why?” she asked, staring at the card.
