Whatever the Price (9 page)

A shiver of arousal crept up her back, sending that tingling sensation all over her body. She didn’t know how to respond to that. Didn’t know what to say when he stood before her, gazing into her eyes with that desire she always found. But she wanted more than sex every time they were together. She was getting drawn back into his charms quicker than she meant to, but she couldn’t deny her love.

“I need to get inside and check on Lily,” she told him as she started to pull her legs from the water.

His hands landed on her bare thighs where her sundress had ridden up, holding her firmly in place. “Don’t. We have the monitor.”

Water trickled down her legs as his big, strong hands held her in place. Her heart beat a bit faster because she didn’t know if he was going to pull her into the water with him or if he’d just lean in to kiss her.

And she had no doubt that Anthony’s intentions were taking a direct path toward seduction and she was about to get run over along the way.

“This is a mistake,” she whispered. “I know last night we couldn’t help it, but I can’t keep doing this.”

His signature wicked smile spread across his face. “I’m not doing anything but standing here talking to my wife.”

“You know exactly what you’re doing.” She smiled. “Don’t torture yourself further by trying to grab on to a few moments of pleasure when the end result with us could be the same.”

His smile disappeared as his hands slid up higher. “I intend to have more than a few moments of pleasure, Charlie. I intend to have years of it. With you. We were made for each other and you know it. I see how you look at me. I felt you come apart in my arms last night and I’m guessing it wouldn’t take much for you to do it again right now.”

He moved one hand up over her bare shoulder. “I know how you like your shoulders tickled just…like…this.” His fingertip trailed down her collarbone to the swell of her breast just above the line of her strapless sundress. “If I dipped my finger in here, what would I find? Hmm?”

With both hands, he slid the top of her dress down, grazing the tips of her sensitive breasts, first with the material, then with the pads of his thumbs.

Instinctively, her body betrayed her as her back arched toward his feather-light touch.

Then suddenly, he was gone.

Charlotte opened her eyes to see Anthony moving up the steps and out of the pool. “What are you doing?”

Blocking the sun with his wide shoulders, he looked down to her. “As much as I want to make love to you, Charlie, I want you to come to me. I want to know that the next time we make love it will be because you want to be with me. Not for the moment, but for the lifetime I’m willing to give.”

Nine

S
exually frustrated? Hell, yes, he was. But Anthony pulled on dry clothes, determined to stand his ground no matter what the cost. At this point what did he have to lose?

Trembling with an ache that only Charlotte could fill, he knew he’d made the right decision. She wanted him—that had never been the problem between them. Quite honestly, he was just coming to see what their problem truly was—lack of communication and keeping his marriage above everything else.

They needed to embrace the love they first shared, before Hollywood entered, before his career and before Lily brought them back together. He missed that love, wanted so desperately to get it back, only better this time.

Yes, sex was easy. It was the other stuff that came with love that made a marriage work—that push-pull of emotions. Which was why it was so hard to walk away from her when she’d been pushing those beautiful breasts against his hands. The glow from the afternoon sun had beat down on her, making her seem like the goddess he’d always known she was.

But he’d had to walk away. He couldn’t make love to her again until she decided whether or not she could forgive him and give him another chance with this marriage.

God knew the last thing he deserved was forgiveness. She’d been pregnant and suffered a miscarriage. The void he’d had in his life was nothing compared to the anguish and loneliness she must’ve felt. He needed to be here for her, not just physically, but emotionally.

A miscarriage.
How could she forgive him for not being there when she needed him most? How could he forgive himself?

They’d made a baby out of their love, and he’d never known. He’d been so self-absorbed and wrapped up in work that he hadn’t noticed the pain his wife was going through.

He leaned forward at his desk in the study and braced his elbows on the shiny mahogany top. Perhaps the miscarriage was a sign that they weren’t ready for children. He certainly hadn’t been at the time. And even though Lily had only been in his life a short time, he treasured every single moment.

When he’d first discovered that he and Charlotte were the guardians, he’d been shocked and on the verge of weaseling out of this guardianship, but then reality set in and he knew his sister trusted him with this baby for a reason. She had faith in him, so he had to have faith in himself.

And, yes, he was new to this parenting gig, so he was bound to have slipups, but now that he’d had some hands-on experience, so to speak, he wasn’t so terrified of messing up as he had been. He could and would excel at being a father. Being a director wasn’t the only talent he held.

And perhaps Charlotte’s miscarriage had also happened because God knew there was no way they could raise two kids. He needed to get used to being with Lily, and he was thankful they didn’t have another child thrown into the mix.

One child was enough, especially since he was bending over backward to make his wife see him as the husband she’d been needing.

Maybe, once they returned home, he would invite his mother for a weekend. Even though she lived less than an hour away, he’d like to have her close by for a few days. Maybe Victoria could come, too. Hopefully, that would help mold his two families together and help Charlotte adjust, make her feel that he was pulling her into his life even more, where she definitely belonged.

Eventually, he’d have Bronson, Mia and their new baby over. Their brotherly bond was a bit slower in coming. They were both still getting used to the fact that they were related. After years of loathing someone, it was hard to just accept that the same blood ran through his veins and he would probably be spending holidays around the same fancy family dining table.

But the buffer Olivia provided helped with Bronson, and maybe it would ease some of this tension with Charlotte and help her feel more like she belonged to a family. Each day he was on pins and needles, wondering if Charlotte was going to decide to cut the trip short and say she was finished. On the other hand, he prayed he’d wake one day and she’d be curled beside him, the way she used to be.

They’d taken a giant step today in their marriage. Charlotte had opened up about her miscarriage and, for once, Anthony comforted her, listened to her when she truly needed him.

Anthony ran a hand through his hair, wiped his face with his palms and forwarded several emails to his assistant to deal with. Nothing too pressing for him. Certainly nothing that couldn’t wait until he returned home. And, he realized, confident on the direction he and Charlie were headed, nearly everything work-related could wait. Not all emails and phone calls were emergencies, as he’d once thought. No, the emergency was keeping his wife. Period.

He sat back in his leather chair and smiled. He’d never let work take a backseat to his personal life before. In all honesty, it felt damn good to know he was taking care of and worrying about what was most important at this point. But his assistant was paid handsomely for a reason. The only thing that could bring him back to work right now was if Bronson or Olivia came to him with their latest project.

He wanted to discuss the film depicting Olivia’s life and he was champing at the bit for Bronson to ask him to be the director, but he also had to tread carefully. He wanted Charlotte to be part of his decision making, and he only hoped when the time came she would support his directing the film of his mother’s life.

Olivia had all but told him the project was his; he just wanted confirmation from Bronson. The fact that they were brothers now really put a new spin on the way they viewed each other.

And the press had had a field day with that bit of juicy family gossip. No word of the rivalry between the men was mentioned in the press release the family had put out, but all the media outlets were speculating and waiting to see just what would happen with the next film either man chose. Would they bury the hatchet and work together or would they continue to avoid each other, as they had the past several years?

Anthony was all for putting the past behind them and moving on. After all, his previous assistant had married the man, so he had to have some redeeming qualities. And Anthony couldn’t deny that Bronson was the best producer in the industry.

He’d worked with some of the best writers in the industry and even dabbled at writing himself, so why the hell couldn’t he write a script for his life? Why couldn’t he figure out some way to make this work out for the best? Granted, not all his movies ended happily ever after, with the hero saving the heroine, riding off into the sunset. But dammit, that didn’t mean his life couldn’t go that way.

So maybe he was getting soft, but he wanted to be able to ride to the rescue of Charlotte. He wanted to be that one person she turned to when she needed to feel secure and loved.

Unfortunately, he hadn’t been that person for her.

From here on out, he’d show her that he could put her ahead of his work and any other aspect of his life. Which was all the more reason to include her in the decision making about this upcoming film he hoped to direct.

No doubt she’d felt pushed behind when he’d discovered he was the son of the Grand Dane of Hollywood. Especially when Charlotte wasn’t in love with the whole Hollywood scene anyway.

But he wanted Charlotte to feel as if she were part of his new family, and he wanted to start moving forward with both of them. He knew she hadn’t had the most loving childhood or doting family, and here he’d had two in his lifetime. He wanted to show her the love of a family, to show her how that bond could connect you forever. He wanted that bond as a bedrock of their marriage, and what better way than to envelop her in the love of his birth family?

No time like the present.

He picked up his phone and dialed Olivia’s personal line.

“Anthony, darling,” she answered on the first ring. “How are you?”

He smiled. How could he not with a warm greeting like that?

“I’m good. I was wondering if you and Victoria would like to come to visit me and Charlotte when we get home. You can play with Lily,” he taunted, knowing there wasn’t a woman alive who wouldn’t want to spend time with a baby she could spoil then return to the parents. “I’d like you to actually spend the weekend with us to get to know Charlotte and Lily. I think we could all use some family time.”

“I’d love to,” she told him. “Victoria is in the midst of creating wedding dress designs for her friend Prince Alexander’s fiancée, but I’m sure she’d love some baby time. I can ask her, but don’t hold your breath. That girl works herself to death designing and sewing all those lavish gowns.”

“And you’re very proud.”

Olivia’s sweet laughter filtered through the phone. “That I am, Anthony. But even if Victoria cannot come, I’ll certainly be there. There’s nothing I’d love more than to spend time with my son, his wife and a beautiful baby. How are you doing, though, really?”

He came to his feet, shoved a hand in the pocket of his khaki shorts and glanced out the window behind his desk. From here he could see Charlotte walking around the pool picking up all the toys and putting them in the pool house.

“I’m okay,” he answered after a moment, hoping to keep his emotions from seeping out.

That whole miscarriage revelation had left a raw, aching hole in his heart and he was determined now, more than ever, to give Charlotte all the love—and family—she needed. To make her realize she needed him and Lily.

“You don’t have to be strong for me,” Olivia told him. “You’ve just lost the only sister you’ve ever known, you’re now raising her child and your marriage is a mess.”

Anthony laughed. “You don’t sugarcoat things, do you?”

“Why? That doesn’t help solve the problem. Might as well face it head-on and deal with it.” Olivia quieted for a moment, then spoke again. “Are you sure you want company when you get home?”

Just watching his wife stroll around the side of the pool in her little summer dress with the sun casting a glow on her tanned skin and glossy hair was making him insane with desire. “Trust me, we could use the buffer of another adult, and I think Charlotte has felt pushed aside with all the upheaval in my life lately. I want her to see that all of you are loving, and I want you to welcome her into the family so she can see she’s not being shunted aside but becoming part of something even greater.”

“She’s lucky to have you,” Olivia said. “It’s not often a man will fight to keep his wife, especially in L.A. And I’d love to get to know her better. I’ll call Victoria right now. One or both of us will be there next Friday evening.”

“Perfect.”

He hung up, feeling more confident that he’d made the right decision. Charlotte had mentioned more than once that she’d like to meet Olivia, but Anthony could tell by her hesitation that she feared Olivia would be a diva or snub her nose at Charlotte because she wasn’t a typical Hollywood wife. And with the tension between them as it had been the few months before their separation, he just hadn’t thought the timing was the best. But now he knew timing was everything and it was the perfect opportunity for Charlotte to feel those open, inviting arms of Olivia Dane.

Anthony only hoped that Charlotte accepted the love and worked with him on this marriage. He knew she’d tried to keep their marriage strong before. He just hoped he wasn’t too late to win back her love and trust.

* * *

“Olivia is coming for a visit when we get back home. And maybe Victoria. You don’t mind, do you?”

Charlotte zipped up the pink-and-white sleeper on Lily. “Not at all. I’d love to see them. I just hope…”

Anthony crossed his arms and leaned against the wall beside the changing table. “Hope what?”

“Nothing.” She picked up the baby, kissed her on the nose and turned away. “Can you grab that bottle for me?”

“I’ll put her to sleep tonight. You did it last night. This parenting is a joint effort, and I like doing it.”

Charlotte settled into the rocker. “I don’t mind doing it again. I love snuggling with a fresh-smelling baby.”

Anthony handed over the bottle and laughed. “You don’t like when she smells ripe? Is that why you called me up for nap time?”

“Hey, I can’t help it if she decided to fill her diaper just before you walked into the room.”

He laughed, showcasing those gray eyes she’d fallen in love with. “I think you two are plotting against me. I’m outnumbered.”

Charlotte shrugged. “Yes, you are.”

He squatted down in front of the chair and ran a hand over Lily’s swirl of dark hair. “I don’t mind. All that matters is that we’re a family.”

Charlotte closed her eyes and sighed. “Anthony, I can’t promise…”

“I know,” he told her, resting his hand on the arm she had curled around the baby. “But I’m learning just how important family is. Every day I think of calling Rachel, but I can’t. She’s gone. I want to secure my family and spend the rest of my life proving to all of you how much you mean to me and how much I love you.”

Once they returned to Hollywood, to the scene of the crime, so to speak, would he get swept back into the world of glitz and glamour and push her aside once again? But things were moving in the right direction, and she would focus on the positive.

In his defense, though, she’d never opened up to him, never expressed her feelings and fears of always coming in last on his priority list. So how could he have known he needed to reevaluate his life? She had to take half the blame. She shouldn’t have always assumed he knew how she was feeling.

“What are you thinking?”

Charlotte glanced up from where Lily’s puckered little lips formed an O around the bottle. Anthony stared up at her, causing her heart to clench.

“This is all I’ve ever wanted. All I’d ever dreamed about and here it is. But at what cost? Rachel is gone, our marriage is falling apart, but I have a sweet baby in my arms and you professing how much you’ll be there for me and love me until I die.”

“Then why can’t you just take this for what it is?” he asked. “Take what fate has handed us.”

Tears pricked her eyes. “If moving forward were that easy I would. But there are years of hurt inside me, Anthony. I can’t ignore that.”