Ruthless Page 20

  “We’ve missed you too, honey.” She pulled back, holding her friend at arm’s length so she could give her a thorough once over. “I’d like to say you look happy and rested, but I’m not gonna lie. You look like...”

  “I just lost my best friend?” Marisa forced a smile as she linked her arm through Sierra’s. “Fortunately, I didn’t. Where’s that gorgeous niece of mine?”

  “She’s having a little girl time with Auntie Lexi.” Sierra rolled her eyes. “They went to the spa for mani/pedis.”

  Marisa laughed. “Never too early to get ‘em started. Where’s my brother? Why didn’t he come with you?”

  “Trey had to go over to Luc’s to find out if everything’s all set for tonight.”

  Marisa tried not to react at his name. She knew they would see each other tonight, but she wasn’t sure she would be able to stand her ground in the face of his resentment. “I’m sure Luc’s got everything under control. If that man knows how to do one thing, it’s throw a party.” She could think of several areas where Luc’s skills were unparalleled, but thinking about that now would only serve to remind her of how foolish she’d been to give him up, and she couldn’t allow herself to go there again.

  “Luc’s been a little distracted since he got back,” Sierra said quietly. “I know you didn’t want to tell me what happened on the phone, but talking about it might help.”

  “I don’t want to get into it right now. I just want to enjoy being home and focus on Trey’s big night, okay?”

  “Sure, whatever you say. Just know that I’m here to listen whenever you decide you’re ready.”

  Marisa was grateful her friends supported her no matter what life threw at her.

  “Trey must be excited about the tour. He hasn’t been on the road in a while.”

  “He is, but how do you feel about it?”

  Marisa was torn. She loved her job as Trey’s stylist, and she needed the distraction work provided, but the thought of dealing with Luc on a regular basis was daunting. “I’m excited; being on the road is always fun. Are you still planning on meeting up with us for some of the dates?”

  Sierra nodded. “Yeah, at least a few. I know Trey wants us with him full-time, but I’ve got the baby on a schedule now and I don’t really wanna mess with that, ya know?”

  Marisa would love to say that she understood, could relate, but she had no idea. She might never experience the joys and tribulations of being a mother. “I’m sure my brother understands, honey.”

  “Yeah, he’s been great about it. Besides, it won’t be long before Lexi’s having a little one of her own and she’ll need her big sister around for moral support. She’s...”

  Marisa cursed the tears sliding down her cheeks. She was happy for her friends, but she would give anything to have what they had.

  “Honey, what’s wrong? Why are you crying?”

  Marisa sniffled and wiped at her eyes self-consciously. “I’m sorry; I guess I’m just tired.” She hugged her friend. “Don’t worry about me. I’m fine.”

  “This is about Luc, isn’t it?”

  Marisa shook her head. “No, this is about me and what I want, Sierra. I’m tired of making it all about Luc.” She shrugged. “So, it didn’t work out with him. It happens. I just need to pull myself together and get on with my life. Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. The tour will help; it’ll be a good distraction.”

  “You know Luc signed Ty McCall, right?” Sierra asked.

  Marisa frowned, sensing her friend was about to impart bad news. “No, I didn’t know that.”

  “He’s gonna be opening for Trey on this tour, Marisa.”

  She was beginning to see the problem. “Okay, what does that mean?”

  “Luc’s gonna be travelling with them a lot, just to support Ty until he gets comfortable with it.”

  Marisa closed her eyes. How was she going to handle being with him, day after day, for the next several months?

  “He won’t be there all the time,” Sierra said quickly. “He’s still got a label to run and a full roster of clients who need his attention, but you know how he is with new artists; he likes being hands on.”

  Marisa couldn’t help but remember the last time he had his hands on her. “Whatever. I’ll be fine. Luc and I are both professionals; we’ll deal with it.”

  Sierra gave her a sidelong glance. “I sure hope so.”

  Luc scrolled through messages on his phone as he waited to catch a glimpse of his daughter. Her plane landed fifteen minutes ago, and the clock seemed to be moving in slow motion ever since. He could scarcely believe it had only been a couple of weeks since he’d seen her. Even with their daily phone calls, it still felt like months since he’d laid eyes on her.

  “Luc?”

  He looked up to see Sierra walking toward him with a hesitant Marisa in tow. He knew she was getting back today, was expecting her to be at her brother’s party tonight. Still, it felt like he’d been drop-kicked in the stomach when he saw her. He thought he’d prepared himself for the reunion, but apparently he’d been deluding himself. Nothing could prepare him for the way she made him feel.

  He stood to greet them and said, “Hey, Sierra.” He nodded at Marisa, but she looked away. “Where’s the little one?”

  “She’s with Auntie Lexi.” Sierra looked around. “Is Trey here with you?”

  Luc shook his head. “No, he said he had to take care of some things. I’m just here to meet Nikki.”

  “That’s right. Trey mentioned she was flying in for the party.” Sierra smiled. “I’m really glad you two are getting closer, Luc.”

  “Yeah, me too. She’s an awesome kid.” He forced himself to turn his attention to Marisa. They couldn’t co-exist if they were going to create so much tension for the people around them. “Did you enjoy the rest of your trip, Marisa?”

  She nodded and forced a smile. “Yeah, sure, it was great.”

  “Glad to hear it.” He was so preoccupied trying to make nice with Marisa he didn’t notice his daughter approaching until she was slipping her arm around his waist.

  “Hey, Dad.” She smiled at Marisa and Sierra. “Hi.”

  Marisa smiled back, seeming pleased to see Luc’s daughter. “Hi, Nikki. How’ve you been?”

  Nikki smiled. “Great.” She looked up at her dad. “Busy. This one’s a real slave driver.”

  Luc laughed and kissed the top of her head. “You don’t achieve success if you’re not willing to work for it, sweetness.”

  She rolled her eyes at Sierra and Marisa and smiled. “I know, I know.”

  “Right, well, I guess we should get going,” he said. “I have a lot to do before the party tonight.”

  “Anything we can do to help?” Sierra asked.

  The thought of spending any more time than necessary with Marisa only compounded his frustration. “No, I think I’ve got it covered. Thanks for the offer, though. I guess we’ll see you tonight, ladies.” He grabbed Nikki’s carry-on. Without waiting for them to respond, he turned his back and directed Nikki toward the nearest exit. “Please tell me you don’t have any more luggage.”

  “No, you told me to pack light.” When he failed to respond, she said, “Okay, that was uncomfortable.”

  He’d said very little to his daughter about Marisa during their conversations. He didn’t want her to worry about him. Besides, she couldn’t do anything to make this easier for him. He had to find a way to work through it on his own.

  “You didn’t tell me what happened when you flew out to meet her. I didn’t want to pry, but...”

  “Nothing happened. We talked, worked things out. It’s over; there’s not much more to tell, Nik.”

  Nikki grabbed his hand, tugging him back when he tried to walk through the glass doors to the parking lot. “Dad, you said you wanted to marry her. What the hell happened?”

  Luc didn’t want to get into this with his daughter, but if he expected full disclosure from her, he had to be willing to offer the same. “I wanted to marry
her. Unfortunately, she didn’t feel the same way.”

  “You mean you proposed and she said no?”

  He shook his head. He couldn’t stand the thought of re-living that day, especially not in a crowded airport with his teenage daughter hanging on his every word. “I’d really rather not get into this right now, honey.”

  She glared at him before grabbing her suitcase. “Fine, suit yourself. I was only trying to help.” She quickly walked through the sliding glass doors, crossing the walkway to the parking lot.

  He sprinted to catch up with her. “Nikki, wait, I’m sorry, okay?” He grabbed her arm and turned her to face him. He ran his hand over his head. “Look, I’m new at this parenting thing, and I’m obviously not very good at it. Think you could cut your old man some slack?”

  She shrugged, appearing indifferent. “Sure whatever, it’s no big deal.” Looking around the crowded underground parking lot, she asked, “Where’s your car?”

  He pointed to his Escalade, parked a few rows back. “Over there.”

  Walking quickly toward the vehicle, she pulled her suitcase along behind her. She paused at the rear of the vehicle, sliding the suitcase handle into its compartment with more force than necessary.

  Luc sighed as he pushed the button so she could access the trunk. She claimed his reluctance to share with her was no big deal, but it was obviously a very big deal, and it was up to him to make her understand. He took her suitcase and slid it into the trunk before pushing the button to close the door.

  She walked around to the passenger’s door and pulled on the handle before he could make his way around the vehicle to open the door for her.

  After walking around to the driver’s door, he eased into the vehicle before turning toward her. “I’m sorry I shut you out, okay? I want you to feel as though you can tell me anything, and I have to be willing to do the same if I want this to work.” He reached for her hand. “I do want this to work, Nik. More than anything.”

  She sighed and looked at their joined hands. “So do I, Dad. It’s not your fault. I was over-stepping my bounds. I shouldn’t have been prying into your business. If you wanted to tell me about what happened with Marisa, you would have...”

  “She doesn’t love me anymore, Nik.”

  Nikki’s head shot up. “Seriously? She came right out and told you that?”

  Luc nodded, looking out the window. “Yeah.”

  She squeezed his hand. “That sucks, Dad. I’m really sorry. I know how much you love her, how much you wanted to marry her.”

  He leaned his head against the headrest. “I guess I waited too long to come to my senses. She got tired of waiting for me.”

  “What does that mean? She’s found some other guy already?”

  Luc closed his eyes, unable to face his daughter. “No, at least I don’t think so; who the hell knows? The point is, she doesn’t want me anymore.”

  “So, what are you gonna do now?” she asked quietly.

  He shrugged. “I don’t know. Find a way to move on, forget about her, I guess.”

  “You really think you can do that, Dad?”

  He opened one eye to look at her. “Yeah, it should be about as easy to forget her as it was to forget you.”

  She reached across the seat to give him a hug. “It’s gonna be okay, Daddy.”

  When she told him, he almost believed her, almost.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Luc was in the midst of a heated conversation with Avery when he spotted Marisa. She wore spiked heels and a tight black dress that caused him to lose his focus mid-sentence.

  Avery turned her head to find the source of his distraction. She rolled her eyes. “Why am I not surprised?”

  He mentally chastised himself for his lapse in self-control and turned his attention back to Avery. “I’m sorry. Where were we?”

  “I was just telling you that I refuse to work with Ty McCall.”

  Luc clenched his jaw and counted to ten. “And I was reminding you that when you signed a contract with my new label, you agreed to be the exclusive publicist. That means you agreed to represent all of my artists, including Ty McCall.”

  She gripped her wine glass and glared at him. “You could have mentioned the fact that he was part of the deal when I signed the contract, Spencer.”

  He was getting more frustrated by the minute having to deal with Avery’s asinine objections while watching Marisa work the crowd as though she didn’t have a care in the world. “Listen, you’re a professional. I don’t care what your issues are with McCall; you will find a way to work with him or you’ll find yourself in court defending yourself against a breach of contract allegation.”

  Avery released a huff of breath. “You wouldn’t dare.”

  “The hell I wouldn’t.” He snagged a glass of champagne from a passing waiter’s tray. “This is business, Avery.”

  She glared at him. “You would really sue me?”

  He shrugged, anxious to put an end to this conversation. In his mind, the decision was made; Avery would just have to find a way to deal with it. “I wouldn’t take pleasure in it, but I’ll do whatever I have to do to protect my clients, not to mention my professional reputation.”

  “Have you told him about me?” she asked.

  “Not yet. I know you two have a sordid past, so I thought I’d let you do the honors.” Luc consulted his watch. “He should be here any minute, so you may want to decide how you’re gonna handle it.”

  “When he gets here, ask him to meet me in your office.” She stalked off before Luc had a chance to respond.

  Luc allowed himself to indulge in a moment of weakness as he watched Marisa steal the spotlight, surrounded by a group of her male colleagues.

  Nikki slipped her arm around his waist and leaned her head against his chest. “I’ve been watching you. You’ve barely taken your eyes off her since she walked in.”

  He squeezed her shoulders, resting his chin on the top of her head. “I’ll be fine, Nik. Don’t worry about me.”

  “I am worried about you. Why don’t you go over there and talk to her?”

  “We’ve already said everything we have to say to each other, honey. Re-hashing it won’t change anything.”

  Marisa draped the cashmere wrap around her shoulders to ward off the evening chill. She admired the thousands of twinkling lights Luc’s party planners had strategically placed all over his property to enhance the elegant atmosphere. His property was located in one of the most exclusive neighborhoods in the city. Flawless house, stunning grounds, a collection of expensive cars, and the man was still emotionally bankrupt.

  “Nice party, huh?”

  Marisa turned around in time to see Nikki approaching her. Smiling, she said, “Your father definitely knows how to throw a party.”

  Nikki came up beside her, settling her hands on the intricate wrought iron banister that outlined the seating area and served as a backdrop for the carefully tended flowers and shrubbery. “Too bad he’s not able to enjoy it.”

  Marisa chose not to question the comment. She didn’t want to draw Luc’s daughter into a conversation about his state of mind. “You and your dad seem to be getting along well.”

  Nikki turned toward her, crossing her arms as she settled her hip against the railing. “You sound surprised. My dad’s a great guy, in spite of what you might think.”

  Marisa didn’t know what she said to raise the girl’s ire, so she chose to dismiss it as typical teenage angst. “I’m sure Luc would like nothing more than to build a relationship with you, Nikki.”

  She grunted. “You mean despite the fact that he bailed on me and my mom? Isn’t that what you were thinking?”

  “Listen, I don’t want to argue with you.”

  “Being perfect must be nice, Marisa.”

  She turned toward the girl, ready to call her out on her insolent behavior. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “You’ve never made a mistake, never did something you wish you could take back?�
�

  “Of course I have, everyone has. What’s your point?”

  She crossed her arms. “My point is that you’re holding my dad up to some impossible standard, punishing him for something he did years ago. He made a mistake. Why can’t you just let it go? I have.”

  Marisa sighed, feeling overwhelmed and overtired. She hadn’t had a decent night’s sleep in weeks. “I don’t expect you to understand. It’s complicated.”

  “What I understand is that you’re pissed at my dad for lying to you; meanwhile, you’re doing the same thing.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “You told him you don’t love him anymore. You and I both know that’s bullshit. I saw the way you looked at him tonight. Anyone with eyes can see that you’re still in love with him, so why are you lying about it?”

  Marisa didn’t expect a fifteen year-old girl to be so insightful, nor did she expect her to call her to task without blinking an eye. She was definitely her father’s daughter. “Luc wants a casual relationship and I don’t. It’s as simple as that.”

  “Is that why he put everything on hold so he could hop a plane to be with you?”

  How could Marisa tell his daughter that he’d flown there to seduce her and stake his claim, not to profess his love for her?

  “And if you’re thinking he was only interested in getting you into bed on that trip, you’re stupider than I thought.”

  Marisa’s mouth dropped open, partially because of the insult, but mainly because her assessment was so accurate. “You don’t know me, little girl. In fact, you don’t even know your own father.” Marisa clamped a hand over her mouth when she realized the callousness of her words. “I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have said that, Nikki.”

  The girl shrugged, feigning nonchalance, but Marisa could tell the truth cut deep. “You’re right. I don’t know him. But I’m trying to get to know him, and I think you should, too.”

  Marisa laughed without mirth. “Honey, I’ve known your dad for years. Hell, I probably know him better than he knows himself.”

  “If that were true, you’d know how much he loves you, how much he wants to be with you.”