Whatever the Price (2 page)

“I’m not asking you to replace her,” Anthony replied, stepping forward and taking Charlotte’s hands in his. “I’m asking you to love her and care for her. I’m asking you to just keep an open mind as far as we are concerned. I never wanted to lose you, Charlotte. Never.”

Charlotte’s lids fluttered, sending one lone tear sliding down her porcelain skin. She looked back up into his eyes, determination overriding the sadness. “I’m only moving in under certain conditions.”

Conditions he could live with. Conditions he could break through—and get her back where he wanted her. In his bed,
their
bed, and in his life forever.

“Name them.”

She stepped back, breaking their brief contact. “I won’t sleep in your bed. Ever.”

That one was too easy. He knew just how to manipulate her when it came to seduction. Knew where to touch, what to say. Best not to mention that and just let her think things were in her control—as any good husband would. Too bad he’d learned that lesson so late.

“Okay. What else?”

“This is only temporary until we can work on a custody arrangement. Once the ninety days is up and the court approves the guardianship, our lawyers will draw up a mutually agreeable plan.”

So she had talked to her attorney. No matter. Three months was plenty of time for him to win her back. “Fine.”

“This baby and our living arrangement changes nothing between you and me. Lily has to be top priority now. Are we clear?”

His eyes roamed over her body, a mental image of her curled beside him in their bed making him smile as he leveled her gaze.

“Crystal.”

Two

“W
elcome back, Mrs. Price.”

Charlotte cringed, but smiled at Monique, the maid who’d been with them for nearly five years. “I’m not actually back, but thanks.”

Monique nodded with a grin and continued her cleaning regimen in the formal living room. The very room where Charlotte had hosted numerous parties for the hardworking employees of the Children’s Hospital. Those parties always took place when Anthony was out of town. Supporting the hospital filled a huge void in her life, her heart.

At the start of Anthony’s career, she’d been so proud of his work, his talent, and she’d attended every premiere and awards ceremony, no matter how small. But when his dreams became his sole focus and she became nearly invisible in their marriage, Charlotte resigned herself to the fact that her dreams were never going to come true. So she’d started staying behind the scenes and throwing herself into her volunteer work at the Children’s Hospital.

Charlotte pulled a sleeping Lily tighter against her chest, refusing to be drawn back into a world she needed to say goodbye to. Every room held so many memories—both good and bad. The past several years played over in her head like a silent movie.

Hating all the emotions swirling around over being home, Charlotte focused on the sweet-smelling baby in her arms and moved forward into her home.

No, she couldn’t think of this place as home, not if she wanted to hold on to the small hope that she would be fine in her new life without Anthony once all this was over. But how could she move forward if she still considered this her home? She’d never make it through the next few months if she didn’t keep the mind-set that this was temporary, only until the court approved the guardianship and they could work out a custody arrangement. She knew he wanted to try to salvage their relationship, but she highly doubted he’d be able to put forth the effort a strong marriage required. He certainly hadn’t done so before, so why should this be any different?

Charlotte sighed, taking in the beautiful, open foyer with curved staircase and marble pillars separating the living area. Just this morning she’d been house-sitting in her best friend’s condo, evaluating how she could move on fast and far without the pain following. But now she was back and the pain sliced even more deeply.

“I’ll have your stuff put into the room with the balcony overlooking the pool, as you requested,” Anthony told her as he led her upstairs.

Charlotte moved up the grand staircase that she’d loved since they’d moved in. A large, crystal chandelier descended from swirling artwork on the high ceiling, sending a kaleidoscope of colors all over the marble floor in the center of the staircase.

“I’m surprised you agreed so easily to my being in a separate room,” she told him as they reached the landing.

He took her elbow, turning her to face him. Those mesmerizing eyes bore into hers, making her heart skip a beat. “While I respect your wishes, I should warn you. I won’t stop trying to win you back. I’ll never give up.”

Fear washed over her. Not fear of him. Fear of herself and what would come in their time together. How could she resist him on a physical level? She’d never been able to, and it had been a month since she’d touched him—a rare occurrence for them.

But she had to have some willpower, some self-control in order to make Lily’s life strong and stable.

Stable was something she deserved, too. But the welfare of the baby came first. And hopefully, if she could focus solely on the innocent baby, maybe she wouldn’t have to deal with how just one look, one brief touch from Anthony still had her tingling inside.

Charlotte moved down the wide hallway, breaking free of Anthony’s strong grasp. She walked into the room where the designer had quickly transformed a guest room into a nursery. The pale pink walls made the new white furniture and crisp eyelet curtains pop with a fresh, calming ambience. A lump of sorrow consumed her. This was the room she’d always hoped would be a nursery for their child. The size was perfect and the crib by the window would let in the morning sun, welcoming any child to a new day.

It was one year ago she’d miscarried, and holding on to Lily brought all of those painful memories to the surface.

Charlotte stared down at the baby as tears gathered in her eyes. The thought that Rachel would never see Lily take her first steps, never see her off to school or marry one day really hit home. Charlotte had wanted all those things and more with the baby she’d lost. But fate had brought her and Lily together for a reason.

“You okay?”

Anthony moved in behind her, placing a warm hand on the small of her back. It would be so easy to lean on him right now, but where would that get her? For now she was alone with her emotions.

“It’s just a lot to take in,” she whispered. “Being back here, Lily, Rachel’s death.”

“I know.”

His voice, thick with his own emotion, pulled at her. She’d never once, in all their nine years of marriage, seen him show this kind of emotion. Other than expressing his love for her, he’d never opened up, shown her anything deeper that would make him appear vulnerable. Anthony Price was too proud, too strong to let anyone, including his wife, think he was less than perfect at all times.

Like the time his world was flipped upside down nearly a year ago when he’d discovered the truth about his adoption. He’d been thrown into a family just as famous as he, and he hadn’t sought her out for guidance, comfort or even to talk. He’d shut her down once again and slid just one more thing between the two of them, sending her back one more slot on his priority list.

And then his sister had died. Now was not the time to go into all the reasons working on this marriage was a bad idea.

“I’m sorry about Rachel.” She turned, looked at him through teary eyes. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there for the funeral, but I just…I couldn’t be.”

Anthony nodded. “I understand. It’s more important that you’re here now. For Lily.”

For Lily? Charlotte doubted that was the main reason he wanted her here, but helping with the baby was all he was getting from her. Her heart couldn’t afford any more emotional beatings.

“She sleeps a lot.” Anthony smiled down at his niece. “Is that normal?”

“For her age it is. They generally nap about twice a day, so she’s fine. Her world has been disrupted and I’m sure she’s noticed that things aren’t the same. We just have to try to keep her life on some type of regular schedule. That’s best for babies.”

“You’re good for her,” Anthony said, looking back up into her eyes. “And me.”

No comment was necessary. What could she say? A baby didn’t change a thing. He’d warned her that he would try to get her back during these next few months, which meant she had to totally steel herself against his charms. And since she’d been married to him for the past nine years, she pretty much knew every angle he would work.

Charlotte took in the room’s soft, delicate toile decor and laid Lily in her sleigh crib. The chandelier mobile overhead would be a beautiful sight for her to wake up to. Charlotte only hoped the child got used to the strange surroundings and adjusted quickly.

She also hadn’t missed the fact that one of her paintings of little girls playing in a field hung just over the rocking chair. She wondered if Anthony had asked the designers to hang the piece that had been in another spare bedroom.

Turning toward Anthony, she put a finger to her lips for him to be quiet and slipped from the room. Once in the hallway, she smiled. “The room is gorgeous. Did you use Hannah again?”

“Who else? I hope you don’t mind I moved the painting. I told her you would want it in there.”

Charlotte couldn’t help the “aww” moment that just moved through her. That warmth of such a simple gesture had her wishing their welcoming a baby into the house was under different circumstances.

Anthony moved down the hall toward the master suite. “Come in here so we can talk.”

Charlotte balked at his commanding tone. For once couldn’t the man ask something? Everything was always on his terms, his way.

Nonetheless, she entered the room they’d shared for years, the room they’d made love in countless times. Her body responded, but she tamped down any desire she had. She could not give in to Anthony, no matter how much she missed his touch.

Her eyes darted to the canopy bed with gold sheers that draped and puddled on the white carpet around the four-poster. He hadn’t changed a thing in the three months since she’d been gone. Even their wedding picture still sat on the bedside table…on his side of the bed. She couldn’t help but wonder what he thought when he looked at it.

Charlotte stared at the young couple—a dashing groom and a glowing bride. Recognition was scarce, though. That couple didn’t exist anymore and Charlotte almost wanted to go back and have a do-over—knowing what she did now. Maybe if she’d been more forthright about her feelings, made Anthony open up about everything he kept bottled inside, they wouldn’t be in the midst of an inevitable divorce.

But only in movies did people have that second scene to get things right.

Everything in her heart, her soul, wished they’d gotten it right the first time around. She couldn’t turn off her love, but maybe in time she could learn to live with that ever-pressing weight on her shattered heart.

“Tell me you don’t feel anything being here with me,” Anthony whispered, moving close to her. “I know you feel the same thing I do when we step into this room. We’ve never been able to keep our hands off each other and now is no exception.”

Charlotte held up a hand, because God help her if he touched her, all her resolve would go out the window and she needed to be strong. For once she was going to put herself first.

“What I feel, or what you feel, for that matter, is irrelevant. The problem is your affair with your career, never opening up to me and always assuming money will buy happiness…mainly mine.”

“You seemed happy for a long time, Charlotte. I honestly don’t know what changed and why you distanced yourself.” His eyes roamed over her face, to her lips then back to her eyes. “Besides, that money is what has helped you with your children’s charity.”

So he had no clue why she’d started distancing herself. That proved all the more how self-absorbed he’d been.

“My charity was built up with donations, fundraisers and a lot of hard work,” she retorted.

“Yes, but it was the Price name that got you where you are.”

Fury bubbled within her. “Are you insinuating that I couldn’t have done this on my own?”

Anthony tucked his hands in his pockets. “Not at all. I’m merely telling you that your name and status in this town drew a different crowd.”

No way was she letting him take credit for the good work she had done over the years. “I don’t care who donated. I’m just thankful to get enough money for the new children’s wing they’re adding to the hospital.”

The thought that another unit was needed to aid sick kids made everything else in her life pale in comparison. There were so many ill children and here she was feeling sorry for herself for moving back into her Hollywood Hills mansion. Something was definitely wrong with this picture.

“You’re going to have to slow down, you know.”

Charlotte focused back on Anthony. She braced her hands on her hips, tilting her head. “Slow down with what?”

“Your volunteer work. With having Lily, your time is going to be limited. I’ll have to cut back, as well.”

Charlotte laughed. “I’m not handicapped, Anthony. Millions of women work and care for their family. I’m certainly not cutting back when I’ve worked so hard to see this wing built. The dedication is in a few months and I plan on seeing this through.”

“And once it’s done, then what?” he asked, crossing his arms over his broad chest. “I know this is important to you, but—”

“But nothing.” A helpless laugh escaped her. “I will take care of Lily just fine. I want her to grow up learning to help others and that not everything needs to be done in order to get a paycheck.”

“That paycheck has given you a home, a life that you never would’ve had otherwise.”

Charlotte turned her back, unable to look him in the eye. “I never asked for any of this, Anthony. Never. All I wanted was a happy marriage, a family.”

“I’m giving you a family now,” he said, placing a hand on her shoulder and squeezing gently. His familiar crisp scent surrounded her. “I know how much children mean to you. I know I wasn’t putting you first. But I’m ready now.”

How many times had she longed to hear him say that? To know that her needs and wants matched his. If only they’d discussed these big milestones before saying “I do,” but they’d been young and in love and at the time, that’s all that mattered. He was offering security and a home of love…two things she’d never had.

She turned back to face him. Years of heartache and lack of communication settled between them. “I don’t want a family out of guilt or obligation. I wanted a family out of love. I will take care of Lily like she’s my own, but know that we won’t be raising her together.”

“Don’t shut me out,” he whispered. “Don’t. You supported me once, even enjoyed my work. I know we’ve changed over the years, but I never stopped loving you. Surely the lies from the tabloids…”

Charlotte shook her head. “No, I know you’d never cheat on me. You never could find time for me, let alone someone else. That was the problem, Anthony. You’re so self-absorbed, you can’t see I would’ve done anything for you. And for years…I did.”

His eyes bored into her, the muscle in his jaw clenched. “I won’t lose you. I won’t.”

His mouth came down on hers, and the force of his hold trapped her hands between their bodies. Charlotte clutched his shirt, whether to shove him back or hold on for stability she had no clue. No one could make her nerves and hormones spike like Anthony. No one could match his passion and intensity.

And no one else could elicit both love and hate in her at the exact same time.

But she couldn’t afford to let sex cloud her view of reality, and the reality was that Anthony would never put anything or anyone above his star-studded career.