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“You asked back there if I liked New Hope,” Lance said, turning to face her. His blue eyes sparkled against the slight flush of his exposed skin. “But I didn’t fully answer your question. New Hope isn’t bad at all. It can’t be bad, not as long as you’re in it.”
She found herself shivering, even though nearly every part of her was covered by warm clothing. What exactly did he mean by that?
“I don’t think you need to ask what I think about you now,” he continued, stepping closer until there was barely an inch between them. “But just in case you still want to know…”
He leaned in toward her and placed a gloved hand on her cheek. Her breath caught in her lungs as he gazed into her face, his eyes exploring her every inch.
“I think you’re the most beautiful, hard-working woman I’ve ever met,” he whispered. “You’re unbelievably frustrating and stubborn and lovely. I admire your friendship with the other women in your office and the way you speak of your mother. But most of all, I like the way you have of twisting me into knots and making me lose my concentration. You’re impossible to work around, by the way. Just the worst.”
Gemma grinned, a red hot flutter blossoming deep in her gut that chased away the shivers. Lance shifted his hand to the back of her neck and leaned in closer. Their lips met in a warm embrace, intensifying the need Gemma felt building within the both of them. They pressed their bodies together and became entwined in a mess o
f roaming hands and scarves and jackets. They didn’t even notice the snowflakes that had begun to fall around them, quickly blanketing the city in a layer of fresh white snow.
Chapter Nine
Lance stretched his arms high above his head and leaned over to peer out the office door for the hundredth time that morning. A stupid grin had been plastered to his face since that kiss last night and all he wanted to do was see her face again. It’d been an amazing kiss, something he’d only heard about in movies. The kind that replayed in his dreams, over and over, until he couldn’t sleep anymore, for wanting to find her and repeat the scene.
He’d never believed in meant-to-be or soul mates before, but he was warming up to the idea. For some mysterious reason, his uncle had decided this was the task for him. And at the same time, she was here in this minuscule excuse for a town, just getting out of a relationship. Their timing was perfect. She was perfect. Everything from her kiss to the way she hummed Christmas tunes as she worked. He liked it all.
His thoughts of Gemma were interrupted by the buzzing of his cell phone. One glance at the glass screen made him cringe. Uncle Matthias was calling. If there was one way to put a damper on last night’s events, it was a conversation with his uncle. Still, he couldn’t ignore it.
“Hello uncle.” He held the phone tight in his hand. “Good morning.”
“I just finished reviewing the financial statements you sent to me last night,” his uncle began. “I’m seeing a lot of funds dispersed to operations that aren’t even trying to become self-sustaining. That town has become too dependent on Barkley & Barkley funds. It’s a leaky drain pipe that needs to be sealed off. I’m pulling the plug.”
Lance sprang to his feet. “But wait, didn’t you read my report on the Children’s Home and the animal shelter?”
“I did.” His uncle’s voice rumbled through the speaker. “Seem like noble causes to me, but not huge results considering how much money we’ve dropped into them.”
“But you didn’t see the kids,” he argued. “Those kids need this home. It’s the only place left for many of them. They’ll have nowhere else to go.”
There was a torturous moment of silence on the phone and for a moment Lance thought maybe the call had dropped. But his uncle cleared his throat and coughed.
“I’m not some cold-hearted tycoon sitting in his plush office and laughing at the world’s misery’s,” he said in a low growl. “I feel sorry for those kids. But the truth of the matter is that they’re wards of the state and the state is responsible for them. The past five years have been difficult on the ad sales industry. We’re cutting costs across the board to deal with this terrible economy. And to put it frankly, this foundation has to end.”
Lance scrambled to come up with a solution in his head, some way the foundation could stay alive. “I’ll give up my expensive apartment. I’ll spend less on clients. I’ll even take the bus to work. Would that help?”
Uncle Matthias’ booming laughter echoed through the phone. “Boy, those are a drop in the bucket.”
“We can’t close them down.” Lance could feel his self-control slipping away. He thought of Gemma and Chloe and Laurie and how devastated they’d be without the foundation. He thought of Ricardo without his dogs and little Brandon without a home. The thought made a rage flair up inside him that leaked out into his voice. “You can’t do this. It’s not right.”
“I can and I will.” A similar rage had appeared in Uncle Matthias’ voice. “And I will remind you again of your promise to your father that you’d become a man and take over his partnership someday. Dealing with disappointment is a part of the process. If you can’t handle it, then you’re not a man. And if you’re not a man, you’re not ready to work in this company. Don’t make me regret sending you there.”
Lance sunk into his chair. The weight of his promise to his father weighed heavily on his shoulders. If closing the foundation meant he finally got to make his father proud, he’d do it. But he knew what that meant. Gemma would never forgive him. He’d lose her.
“The community Christmas party is tonight,” he muttered into the phone. “It’s the last big event the foundation puts on every year. I’ll break the news as soon as it’s over.”
“You’d better, my boy.” Uncle Matthias cleared his throat. “Make it a clean break. They’ll survive without us. And then get back to the office so we can start talking about your future.”
Lance hung up and slammed his fist on his desk. There was no way around it. He’d have to end the foundation tonight.
“Are you okay?” Gemma walked into the office, unwrapping a scarf from her lovely neck. He stared at her as she gracefully deposited her purse and coat and leaned on his desk with one hip. “I thought I heard a noise.”
“It’s nothing.” He looked up at her face, the same yearning that had plagued him all night flaring up big time. In about twelve hours, that face wouldn’t hold so much fondness for him. He tried to soak in the sweet curve of her smile as much as he could now, before that smile was gone.
She looked around the office. “Where’s Frankie?”
“He had to run back to the cities,” he answered, really not interested in discussing his assistant. “Something at the office just couldn’t wait. You’ve got me all to yourself.”
