“About a week.” Her attraction began the moment she first looked into his eyes and had grown with every moment they spent together.
“You hardly know the man.” Her mother rose, smoothing her pale linen skirt with a brisk flick of her palms. “Be careful, Jaye. You have too much to lose if you end up with the wrong man.”
“Relationships shouldn’t be based on what’s good for our business. This time around, I’m letting my heart choose—and I’m happy.” Jaye thought of what she saw every time Mitch’s slate blue gaze met hers. “He looks at me like I’m the only thing he cares about.”
Her mother grew as pale as the white damask curtains. “Who is he?”
If Jaye offered Mitch’s name, she knew her parents would put him through a series of security checks to dig into his past. Private investigators would write lengthy reports about his broken engagement, the rocky partnership with his father, and his estranged mother. As soon as her parents discovered Mitch made his living with his hands instead of his head, they’d assume he didn’t possess the acumen to step into the inner circle of Davis Software. Mitch would be labeled inappropriate long before her parents met him in person. “Trust me, Mom. I can identify a good man when I meet one.”
“What does he do for a living?” Cecelia tipped her head toward the Wall Street Journal folded on the damask chaise lounge. “Does he understand the pressures associated with running an international business?”
“Wouldn’t you rather know what kind of man he is?” Frustration tightened her body and Jaye fisted her hands. “He doesn’t lie. He means what he says. And if he promises you something, he keeps his word. Other men pale in comparison.”
“Few men can understand the obligations you face. Even fewer possess the charisma to speak at fundraisers, smooth ruffled egos, or handle the spotlight.” Cecelia strode toward Jaye and stopped just out of arm’s reach. “What happened to David? He’s perfect for you.”
If Jaye had to listen to a list of David’s shining attributes, she’d scream. “He cheated on me.”
“What?” Cecelia’s arched brows drew into an angry frown.
“He’s not as perfect as he seems.” Jaye packed her skirt in the leather satchel by her feet. “I broke up with him two months ago.”
Cecilia’s gaze shifted to the door. “Does your father know?”
“No, but if Dad has been paying attention, he knows David drinks too much, can’t admit when he’s wrong, and says one thing when he means another.” In contrast, Mitch never got drunk, admitted his faults, and said what he meant. “Forget David. I’ve found a better man.”
Cecilia’s graceful hand tightened over the upholstered back of the chaise. “Don’t allow yourself to be swept away by a sudden infatuation.”
“Yes, I know.” A gush of anger prompted Jaye to zip her bag closed with one brutal yank. “Every day, you and Dad set a perfect example of how work is more important than love.” With a quick turn, she gazed at her mother. “Don’t you wish Dad would put away his stupid computer and look at you? Aren’t you more important than a prototype?”
Her mother’s porcelain skin flushed a dull red. “Our company supports thousands of families. Nothing is more important.”
“What’s more important than love?” Jaye strode toward the chaise in a foggy haze of hurt and anger. Memories billowed of the times she used to run into her mother’s graceful arms as a child until the monolithic shadow of Davis Software drove a wedge between them. Jaye wanted—no, needed—to step out of the gloom. She hugged her mother’s slender shoulders, swallowing a sharp pang of emotion when a familiar lemony scent filled her nose. “I’m tired of treating our business like it’s more important than us. I love you, Mom.”
Cecilia pulled out of the embrace, covered her mouth with a shaking hand, and strode out of the room.
Chapter Twenty-One
Mitch waited until after church to show up at Brad’s house. The pastor’s admonition to love thy neighbor rang in his ears, easing the urge to throttle Brad’s neck. Barely.
Loosening his tie, he pounded on the door and stared at the lion’s head knocker. The brass face was frozen in mid-roar, but the open mouth looked more like a yawn. The artist inside him recognized the poor sculpting job. Narrowing the jaws and adding a menacing curl to the animal’s upper lip would turn the fixture into something truly intimating.
The door opened, swinging away the sleepy lion. Brad stepped into view and dropped his gaze to Mitch’s dark suit. “Did somebody die?”
“No, but my patience did. Do you have a minute?”
“Sure. Come in.” Brad led him into a living room and muted the football pregame show on the television. “What’s up?”
“Tara showed up at my house last night, made a scene, and pushed Jaye to the ground.”
Brad’s mouth dropped open. “She what?”
“You heard me.” Mitch crossed his arms over his chest. “Tara said you told her about me and Jaye. What, exactly, did you say to piss her off?”
“Nothing. When I saw her a couple of days ago, I heard her say that she wanted you to ask her out.” Brad hitched his hands on his hips and shrugged. “After I saw you with Jaye, I knew you wouldn’t be interested in dating anyone else. I told Tara you were already seeing someone. Thought I’d stop her from getting her hopes up.”
Mitch worked hard to tamp down the anger bubbling in his bloodstream. “A part of me wonders if you were trying to drive a wedge between me and Jaye so you’d have a crack at her.”
Brad pushed his dark hair from his forehead and blew out a sigh. “Much as I’d like to date Jaye, I can’t. She’s off limits. I thought she looked familiar when I saw her at Phil’s house, but I couldn’t place her until I caught up on my reading this morning and saw a picture of her in the Syracuse news.
