All He Needs
“One of the partners, Theresa Granville, designs gowns,” Renee said.
“I’ve heard of her,” Blair said. “She’s making quite a name for herself.”
Renee nodded. “She’s had a couple of designs that stopped me in my tracks.”
“So, you’re interested in getting married.” Carter stated it as if it was fact.
“A lot of people are.” She skirted the question. “If they weren’t, we’d all be out of a job.”
He nodded, using that up-and-down movement of his head that was so slight that she wouldn’t have seen it if she wasn’t already familiar with it. It was Carter’s way of conceding the point.
The waiter returned with a pot of coffee. She refused a refill. It was time to put some distance between herself and Carter Hampshire.
“I’m afraid I’d going to have to eat and run,” she began. “I have a wedding in the morning so I have to be up early checking the final details,” Renee lied. Her wedding was actually in the evening, but she wanted some time to go over every detail. It was her last consulting job and she wanted it to turn out perfect.
Renee stood. Carter stood, too.
“Blair, thank you for dinner. We’ll have to do this again sometime.” She gave Blair a look that said, alone.
“Thank Carter. He’s paying.”
Renee looked at Carter, but said nothing.
“I’ll see you to your hotel,” Carter said.
“That won’t be necessary. It’s not far and Blair needs the escort much more than I do.”
Blair stood up. “I have an escort,” she said. At that moment, Campbell Massey came through the door as if on cue. Blair went into his arms and they kissed. Then he turned to Renee.
“Renee, it’s great to see you.” He swept her into his arms for a bear hug. He kissed her on the cheek and set her back with a happy smile. Renee liked Camp. She’d liked him from the moment they’d met almost ten years ago. “You are just as beautiful as ever.”
“And you are just as much a flatterer as you’ve ever been.”
“No flattery,” he said. “Isn’t she beautiful, Carter?”
Both Blair and Camp looked to Carter for an answer. Renee turned from Camp, her body suddenly going cold.
“She’s quite ravishing,” he stated, his voice low.
To her ears it sounded hungry, sexually hungry. Her knees threatened to turn to water.
“Well, we’d better be off,” Blair said, taking Camp’s arm. “Carter, you will see Renee back to her hotel?”
He nodded. The couple headed for the door, Carter and Renee trailed them. Out on the street, Renee turned to him. “I know you have a long way to go. You don’t have to go with me. I’m not that far from here.”
Carter looked over her head. “The Westley?” he said. It was an independent hotel. Renee liked patronizing small businesses. However, she hadn’t realized she was so transparent to Carter.
Especially after three years.
But the truth was, he was wrong. She wasn’t at the Westley, but there was no need to correct him.
Carter put his hand on her lower back to guide her toward the hotel. She stepped aside, forcing him to drop it. She walked quickly toward the hotel. It was merely three blocks from the restaurant. They covered the distance in silence. Outside the entrance Renee turned to Carter.
“Thank you. It was nice seeing you again.” The words were false, but Renee wanted to get away from him as quickly as she could. She turned. Carter caught her arm and pulled her around.
“I want to talk to you.”
“I have an early call. I really need to go,” she said.
“I remember when we spent long nights together and still made deadline.”
Her head whipped up and she stared at him. “We were different people then,” Renee said. She was in love then. He was not.
Carter pushed open the door to the hotel. He was right behind Renee. She had to move or feel his body form-fitted to hers. Avoiding the bar, she went to a collection of chairs near the back wall.
“What is it you want to talk about?” Renee asked.
He sat, leaned forward and rubbed his hands together as if it was cold. Then he looked her straight in the eye. “Are you sure you want to continue with weddings? You could just as easily return to Hampshire.”
It wouldn’t be easy and she knew it, even if he didn’t. Renee took a moment, probing Carter’s face for something to give her a clue to his motives. She found nothing. But she felt there was a meaning under his words. She couldn’t pull it into focus, but Carter wanted something from her. She just didn’t know what it was—yet.
“Renee?” he prompted.
“I’ve already given you my answer.”
“But have you thought about what I’m offering?”
“No, Carter. Why don’t you tell me? Just what is it you’re offering that you think will entice me back to Hampshire Publications?”
Carter adjusted his position, clasping his hands between his knees. Renee’s instinct was to move back, allowing herself more personal space. At the last moment, she decided to go on the offensive. She moved in closer as if they were conspirators about to exchange the plans for a secret weapon.
“First, you’re in charge of everything.” He spread his hands. “The entire bridal division is yours.”
“And I would report directly to you? That is, I assume you’re the head of editorial.”
He nodded. Renee thought she saw the faintest look of smugness on his face.
“We’ve worked together before and that proved beneficial.”
“That’s not a positive,” she told him and was rewarded by seeing his face fall. It was only for a moment, and only someone who knew his features intimately would have noticed it.
“Whatever you’re being paid by that little business, I’ll double.”
Renee stood up. Carter got to his feet, too. She didn’t like the way he’d insulted her business, as if only a huge company like his was worthwhile. Pointing out that his father had begun the huge empire would have been a waste of breath.
“Money,” she said. “You think you can find my price, and I’ll just return to Hampshire Publications.” She shook her head, a satisfied smile edging the corners of her lips up. “I’m not for sale, Carter. And especially not to a Hampshire.”
Chapter 2
Her last wedding. Renee watched as the new Mr. and Mrs. took their places on the dais as the reception began. Everything about the wedding had been technically correct.
Renee had had no complaints, hadn’t had to talk anyone down from a frantic rethinking of what marriage meant. She’d had no supplies arrive late, no mishaps with the bride’s gown, no groom needing to be reminded of when and where to stand and no issues with any of the bridesmaids. The mothers of both the bride and groom complimented Renee’s efficiency. Everything was going like clockwork. For a wedding consultant, it was nirvana—the type of execution they lived for. Perfect. The bride beamed and the groom’s smile was from ear to ear. It was exactly the swan song she wished for.
But all that efficiency did was leave her time to think about Carter. She’d tried for the last three years to put him out of her mind. She’d thought she’d done it. That was, until she’d seen him sitting at the dinner table last night. Her heart had thudded against her ribs so hard she’d thought he would be able to hear it.
It was frightening that he knew where she would choose to stay. The only reason she wasn’t at the Westley was because Weddings by Diana had an unoccupied guesthouse available. They used it for brides who were from out of town and needed a place to dress before the ceremony. Occasionally, brides came into New York to check out accommodations. The guesthouse was part of some of the high-end packages.
Renee had allowed Carter to believe she was at the Westley. She’d even gotten on the elevator, but only ridden it to the mezzanine. After ten minutes she’d slipped out the back entrance and taken a taxi to the guesthouse.
A burst of laughter brought Renee back to the festivities. The bride and groom were laughing, yet the love in their eyes as they looked at each other was visible. Renee felt her own eyes mist over. For a moment, she saw herself as the bride and Carter as her groom. She blinked, shaking the image free. It was time to go.
Her last act was to let the bridal party know she was leaving and to make sure there was nothing left undone. Renee’s smile was wide as she congratulated the couple, said her goodbyes and started the walk back to the car that would return her to the Brides by Diana guesthouse.
She hadn’t thought she’d be as emotional as she’d been throughout the day. Maybe it was because she knew it was her last wedding. She’d even repeated the vows to herself as the minister spoke them. Or maybe it was her mixed feelings about the changes ahead. Although she was excited about the magazine, there was also a certain amount of fear in her mind.
She also thought of Carter and Blair, and their question about her feelings on weddings drifted into her mind. As she’d listened to the couple’s vows, they seemed to have more weight than in the past. Did it have anything to do with Carter suddenly reappearing in her life?
There was a time when she’d entertained the thought of marriage. She’d fantasized about it, but that’s as far as it had gotten. Even after moving to Princeton, seeing all the brides in their gowns made her imagine walking down the aisle with Carter.
It was safe, she told herself—she was leaving New York in a couple of days, regardless of what she’d said to Carter. She’d be back occasionally, and it was inevitable that they would meet at the same events. But Renee would be able to see him across a room and not have her heart jump.
Carter had changed. Gone was that boyish quality that used to vie for dominance on his face. His expression was more serious than before. His hair was shorter and the mustache that used to tickle her nose had been replaced with a clean-shaven look. He’d been on the basketball team in high school and college, and his body today still had the lean hardness of a twenty-year-old.
Renee wondered where he’d been for the last few years. He’d blown her off as if she were nothing to him. So why was it she still felt as if there was some unfinished business that needed closure? Carter had told her there was nothing between them. And there wasn’t. They’d never gotten to the point where things change for better or worse. The place where you decide if you want to step over a line, or you realize the relationship has no place to go.
He hadn’t waited for that moment. Carter knew earlier than the launch. And he’d spared her from any further involvement. At least, that’s what she’d told herself. So what now? Why was her mind stuck on him and when she’d see him again? She thought their discussion last night would have discouraged him from trying to convince her to return to work at Hampshire.
Yet he’d called her cell phone during the ceremony and insisted on meeting with her at her hotel. No doubt he’d gotten the number from Blair. If she’d had time to banter with him, Renee would have refused the meeting. But in the back of her mind she knew she wanted to see him.
Back at the guesthouse, Renee changed from the suit she’d worn to the wedding. She wanted Carter to see her in control, happy with herself and commanding her own future. She put on a straight red dress and added a pearl necklace and matching teardrop earrings. She swung her hair up and to the side, anchoring it with a wavy pearl comb. Checking her image in the mirror, she left the town house in time to meet him in the hotel lobby.
Carter arrived through the revolving door just as she stepped off the elevator and waited. It was all she could do to keep her breath from leaving her body. The contrast of his dark suit and white shirt emphasized his skin. She took in the broadness of the shoulders she used to lay her head on. If he’d gained an ounce in three years, she’d need a microscope to find it. He started toward her. Renee remembered his easy gait, the confidence that wrapped around him like a second skin.
What hadn’t changed was his smile. White teeth gleamed at her, and try as she might, she had to return it. He stopped two feet away. Despite her five-foot-five-inch frame and the heels that raised her up four additional inches, she still had to look up at him to see his face.
“You look beautiful,” he murmured. It was a whisper, so low she barely heard it.
Renee felt the rush of heat flush her cheeks.
“Thanks. You’re quite the figure, too.”
He moved a step closer to her. Renee instinctively knew he planned to embrace her. The thought made her both excited and scared.
Taking a step back, she said, “Don’t.”
Carter stopped. “I was only going to kiss your cheek. Isn’t that what friends do? And we’ve known each other for years.”
“No, we haven’t.” She shook her head. “We’re strangers.”
“Strangers?” Carter’s brows rose.
“You’ve been gone for three years. For all I know, you could be married with three children. The same could be true of me. So we are strangers. You’ve changed. I’ve changed. We’re not the same people we were three years ago. You wouldn’t hug someone you’d just met. So consider me that someone.”
Carter took a step back. For a long moment he stared at her as if assessing who this new woman was. Renee withstood his scrutiny.
“I thought we’d go to Mile’s End.”
“My last wedding was today, and I’m leaving early. Would you mind eating here?” She gestured toward the restaurants that were at the back of the building on the ground floor. “I’ve already made us a reservation.”
Carter shrugged and smiled. Renee understood that she’d thwarted his plans. She had plans of her own, and traveling to a place they’d spent time together wasn’t on her agenda.
“I must admit, I was a little surprised to find you on the other end of the phone asking me to meet you for dinner,” Renee said when they were seated.
He smiled. It didn’t reach his eyes.
“I’m glad you came.”
“Why is that? What do you want to talk about? I was sure we’d settled everything last night.”
He took a moment to gather his thoughts. Renee wondered if this meeting had something to do with them as a couple. There was no them. There had never really been a them. She’d thought there was, that there could be, but obviously Carter had other plans.
“Your name has come up several times in the last few days,” Carter said.
She didn’t react. She waited for him to go on. “Come up where?”
“Along the avenues of publisher’s row. There’s a rumor going around that you’re going into competition with me.”
Renee leaned forward. “With you?”
“With my company.”
“What kind of competition? There are several different kinds of businesses you’re responsible for.”
“Magazines,” he said. “Specifically bridal magazines.”
Renee smiled. She picked up her glass of wine and took a sip. Then she replaced it and sat back. “Not a rumor,” she said.
“It’s not a rumor?”
“Can’t be a rumor if it’s true.” She waited a moment, then asked, “Weren’t you listening last night when Blair mentioned my new job?”
His brows rose in surprise. “I didn’t think she was serious.”
Renee stared at him. “And the notice in the trades?”
She knew Carter read all the trade publications that detailed news about the various magazines Hampshire sold. He had a huge capacity for remembering and recalling what he read, and Renee knew he wouldn’t miss the small paragraph bearing her name.
“You are serious?” he asked rhetorically.
“Don’t look so surprised. I’m fully capable of running a magazine. You should know that. I ran Hampshire’s division for three years.”
“You’re very capable.”
“So, why are we here?” She spread her hands.
Again Carter waited a long moment before speaking. Renee wondered when he’d picked up that habit. He was usually decisive, in control, always knew what to say, how to act.
“I want you to come back to Hampshire Publications.”
“You have got to be kidding,” Renee said, her voice breathy and low. “We’ve already talked about this. I’m perfectly happy where I am. Why would I come back to Hampshire?”
“It’s a profitable company, and it’s a place where you fit in. You know some of the employees and they all respect you.”
Renee looked at him. She knew Blair Massey. But with three years gone, she might not know most of the people anymore. Magazine publishing was a place that lent itself to turnover.
“Is Hampshire in trouble?” He’d said it was profitable, but that didn’t mean the bridal division was afloat.
Carter shook his head. Renee looked for any sign of slowness, any inkling that he was hiding something. She found nothing to make her believe he wasn’t telling her the whole truth.
“You’re great at seeing what works and what doesn’t in the magazine. Your ideas are always good and sales took an upward climb when you put your mark on the magazine. You could have the whole package with us. I can’t imagine you would want to compete with us.”
Hackles went up on the back of her neck. “I’m just a little business,” Renee began. “In fact, at this point, I’m still scouting out the business. You’re a conglomerate with magazines, textbooks, novels, comics and a score of peripherals. You can’t be afraid of me.”
“It’s not fear. Hampshire wants you to be comfortable, and we don’t want your reputation to suffer with a start-up.”
“Well, that takes the cake. You believe that nothing outside of your control is worthy of doing?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“Didn’t you?” She stopped and narrowed her eyes. “You said Hampshire wasn’t in trouble. What about the bridal division? Has there been a dip in sales?”
Again Carter sat forward and looked at her. “I’ll be frank with you. The division could do better. When you were directing it, it was at the top of the market. We’ve lost some market share—not enough to be concerned about. But we don’t want to lose any more. Bringing you onboard would ensure that.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence, but—”
“Don’t answer yet.” He stopped her with one hand up. “Think about it overnight. Give yourself time to get used to the idea. We can meet tomorrow.”
“I won’t be here tomorrow,” she lied.
“Renee, can’t you give me a few minutes, lunch or dinner? Princeton can’t have that great a need for you that you can’t spare an old friend a few hours.”
Renee felt guilty, although she had no reason to. She wasn’t actually leaving until Sunday, and other than additional planning, she had a morning appointment tomorrow. After that, there was no one she could call, no arrangements she could make until Monday. But she didn’t want Carter to think his presence influenced her in any way.
“All right, Carter,” she said. “I’ll meet you tomorrow. After lunch,” she emphasized. He wasn’t going to convince her to return to Hampshire Publications over a New York steak or a salad at lunch.
He smiled. She saw a little of the old Carter in that smile. A momentary flash of the man who wrestled the sheets with her burst into her mind. The same man who’d told her he was leaving and not interested in pursuing a relationship.
That was Carter Hampshire.
* * *
Carter paced the floor of his spacious apartment on Fifth Avenue overlooking Central Park. The view was spectacular, but Carter wasn’t interested in it today. He punched the button on his cell phone disconnecting the call. Walking to the windows, he looked out on the traffic below. Was she down there? Renee Hart wasn’t registered at the Westley Hotel. She hadn’t been registered there and checked out. She’d never been there. Yet he’d taken her inside, seen her get on the elevator to go to her room. They’d had dinner in the restaurant last night, but she didn’t have a room in that hotel. Why had she let him think she did?
Where was she?
They were supposed to meet today. Carter glanced at his watch. He wouldn’t be able to meet her—he’d gotten word that his father was in the hospital and he needed to go to the Hamptons. His train left in an hour, but he hadn’t been able to reach Renee. She hadn’t answered her cell, and when he’d tried the hotel’s number he’d been told there was no one named Renee Hart registered.
She had a wedding, he remembered. Maybe the wedding party hotel was where Renee was staying. Quickly, he went to his desk and dialed the number of the Waldorf Astoria. Renee was not registered there, either. He calmly thanked the person on the phone and disconnected.
“She lied to me,” Carter said out loud. Getting up, he returned to the window. He needed to explain to her why he’d left three years ago. He’d wanted to do it last night, but the moment he’d seen her he’d known she wasn’t ready to listen. So he’d tried to convince her to come back to Hampshire Publications. He wanted her there, and her job was open. When she’d been in charge, the magazine had led the industry. He knew she’d regain the share they’d lost, but she wasn’t interested. Carter wanted to try and change her mind, see her again, but she’d evaded him. And now he had to go out to the Island.
He thought about how she’d looked. She was still the tall, thin woman he remembered, but there was more confidence in her appearance. And she was even more beautiful than she’d been three years ago. Her hair was black and glossy. When a curl had escaped, he’d almost reached across the table and threaded his fingers through it. Yet she’d told him he was a stranger. She couldn’t know that she’d never be a stranger to him.
He was used to seeing models. Renee wasn’t a model, yet her body mirrored that of the best he’d ever seen. Her waist was thin and nipped in at just the right angle. Her hips curved to exactly match the contours of his hands. Carter’s fingers trembled at the thought of touching her again.
A horn sounded below. He checked the time. He had to go now or he’d never make the train. Leaving Renee another text message, he left the apartment and headed for Penn Station wondering why she wouldn’t take his calls and why she’d lied to him.
* * *
Renee sighed, one hand going to her breast as she studied the text message from Carter. He’d canceled their meeting. She wouldn’t have to see him. Her shoulders dropped and she frowned. He hadn’t said why.
Her morning meeting was over. It had been long and productive. To keep from being interrupted, she’d put her phone on silent. It had buzzed several times, but she’d ignored it. People who knew her knew she wasn’t the type who instantly answered every call. With her brides, it was better to give them a little time before they reached her. By then, their crisis had been reduced to a minor problem or it had been resolved.
With nothing else to do, Renee returned to the Weddings by Diana guesthouse. The place was warm and inviting; however, it was not a place where anyone cooked. Renee had planned to have lunch before meeting Carter, and now she was hungry.
Opening the refrigerator she found only water and soft drinks. A few nonperishables were in the cabinets.
Carter had only said that something had come up. It must have been important, she thought, as she closed the refrigerator, or maybe he’d come to his senses and realized she couldn’t be persuaded to return to Hampshire Publications.
She felt deflated. She’d worked herself up for another meeting with Carter, and he’d canceled it without a reason. This was just like three years ago when he’d left with no real reason. At least today he’d sent her a text. Squaring her shoulders, Renee made a decision.
She picked her phone up from the kitchen counter. Most of the people she knew in New York also knew Carter. She wouldn’t call any of them. And Blair was out of the question. Then she had an idea. She sent a text message to her cousin Dana and invited her to dinner.
Often the two cousins shared a meal while they Skyped, but Renee wished she could see Dana face-to-face.
When? Dana’s reply came almost immediately. Unlike Renee, Dana was always on her phone. If she hadn’t answered immediately Renee would’ve wondered if something was wrong.