Dare To Love Series: The Marriage Dare (Kindle Worlds Novella) Read online

  “Thank you…for everything.”

  She watched Christian reach the door, and this time she didn’t try to stop him. She could only cry and let the tears blur her vision, knowing that the moment she could see clearly again---

  He would be gone.

  Chapter Twelve

  For a few days, Jane stayed curled up in bed, licking her wounds and drowning herself in self-pity.

  He had left her.

  He had hurt her.

  He had never loved her.

  She said this over and over in her mind, but somehow her heart couldn't seem to start hating him and stop loving him. Somehow, her heart insisted on a lot of foolishly hopeful things.

  Things like---

  If I try one more time, maybe he’ll listen to me.

  If I find a way to help him fix things, maybe he’ll realize he’s wrong.

  If I prove to him someone like me can be right for him, maybe he’ll love me back.

  And in the end, that was all it took.

  It gave Jane the energy to leave her bed, freshen up, and shove food down her throat before making her way to Christian’s office. When she reached reception, she was nervous as hell, thinking that Christian might have already informed his staff about their breakup.

  But the receptionist only looked at her with a strained smile. “Good afternoon, Ms. Cooper. The boss has locked himself in the work lab with the I.T. folks, but perhaps you’d like to wait for him in his office?”

  Relief struck Jane as she realized that the receptionist appeared unaware of her falling out with Christian. Clearing her throat, she stammered, “If it’s okay, I’d just like to pay a visit to his P.R. department. I might be able to lend a hand in some way.”

  “Of course, Ms. Cooper. P.R. is on the third floor, second door to the right, and---” The receptionist grimaced. “They’re having a crisis right now, so I’m pretty sure you won’t miss it.”

  “Thanks.” Jane mulled over the woman’s puzzling words as she took the elevator to the third floor. A crisis? Hadn’t the FBI made sure none of Christian’s trouble would be made public? And what about her not missing the P.R. office?

  When the doors slid open, however, she knew immediately what the receptionist meant with the latter. Sounds of loud sobbing, punctuated with a little bit of screaming and arguing, filled the hallway, and all of it came from one room.

  Jane knocked on the glass door, but it was predictably ignored, the sound swallowed by the chaos inside the office. Taking a deep breath, she pushed the door open and when she stepped in, that was when everyone stopped speaking and turned to stare at her in open-mouthed shock.

  They were all so young, Jane realized in surprise. They were completely the opposite of the tough-talking veterans that made up Christian’s business team or the urbane-looking geniuses working in his I.T. department. The ten or so individuals frozen in front of Jane looked like they had been recruited straight out of college, and a thought occurred to her, causing Jane to hastily fight back a smile.

  Oh Christian, your bias is showing.

  She knew how much he hated P.R. – he had never made a secret of that. But what she never thought was how he could actually be somewhat childish about it, to the point of only hiring college graduates to make up his public relations team – and with no one clear leader among them.

  Jane cleared her throat. “Hello, I’m Jane.”

  “Hello.” They answered her simultaneously, like students meeting the school principal for the first time, their apprehension evident in their tones.

  It was quite…cute, and despite the seriousness of their situation, Jane couldn’t help smiling a little.

  Seeing it, Christian’s P.R. staff allowed themselves to smile back, just a little as well.

  “So…I was told there was a crisis?”

  The P.R. team nodded.

  “Is it about the security breach?”

  Everyone looked relieved, and she said gently, “I know everything about it. Agent Thornton of the FBI has explained all the pertinent facts to me.” Of course, she conveniently neglected to inform the P.R. team that it was so because she had initially been considered a suspect.

  What they didn’t know wouldn’t hurt them, she told herself, and besides, it wasn’t like she was out to hurt Christian.

  “About the crisis then? I might be able to help since I used to work the P.R. team at AMC.”

  There was a second of silence, and then everyone started babbling. A picture slowly started to form, and Jane was both shocked and dismayed. Apparently, someone had leaked the security breach to the press, and whoever this was, the person seemed determined to whip the media into a frenzy about the issue.

  “And what’s the position Christian wants you guys to take?”

  Silence.

  She frowned. “Have you at least been given a debriefing of what’s going on?”

  Silence.

  “When’s the last time Christian spoke to you guys?”

  There was a bit of mumbling and looks being exchanged, and then a girl volunteered hesitantly, “Maybe a few months ago? It was our company’s anniversary, and Mr. Ravenhearst told us to keep doing a good job.”

  A few months ago? She smiled encouragingly at the staff. “That’s great.”

  Nobody smiled back at her.

  “Or not so great?”

  “We don’t really have much to do,” another girl mumbled, “except answer emails from players messaging customer service.”

  Oh.

  Jane squared her shoulders. “Well, that’s all going to change. Christian needs you guys more than ever now, so we’ll make sure you have your president’s back. Okay?”

  She knew those were pretty big words, but she also knew she had done the right thing when she saw Christian’s P.R. team start losing their frazzled expressions. She could feel their energy levels rising and knew it had come from finally having a sense of purpose and knowing that their efforts were being recognized.

  “Let’s get to work then.”

  Using AMC’s emergency response plan as a pattern, Jane divided the P.R. team into small groups and gave each one a set of tasks. Soon, it became evident to them that a P.R. disaster was just around the corner, and it would happen if they didn’t act soon.

  “Let’s schedule a press conference then,” Jane decided. She knew she might be meddling too much, but she also knew that this was her forte, and Christian, for all his great attributes, was not a people person. His time was better spent in the work lab, where he had been locked in with his I.T. team for days.

  “Is there any place in this building we could hold it?”

  “There’s the conference room on the second floor,” Matt in the checkered shirt told her eagerly. “No one uses it.”

  “Great.” She nodded at Matt. “I’ll leave it to you and your group to make sure the conference room is presentable. Make sure the sound system and the projector works, and prepare some refreshments. Reporters are always nicer when they’re well-fed and you’ve got free-flowing wine.” She turned to Rosie with the pigtails, saying, “You and your group will be responsible for issuing official invitations to the press. And finally---” Jane gestured to bubblegum-snapping Minnie. “You guys are in charge of creating the media kit, drafting the official statement, and gathering all pertinent facts and figures that we can use during the press con.”

  Jane took a deep breath. “Can we finish this by tonight?”

  Everyone grinned. “Yes, ma’am.”

  A flurry of activity followed as everyone got to work. Their enthusiasm was palpable, their reawakened vigor for work a pleasure to watch. Hours passed, and Jane made sure to order pizza, urging everyone to load up as they went into overtime.

  A stray thought drifted into her mind.

  What could Christian be doing now?

  Would he be happy about what she was doing?

  Would he no longer think they were wrong for each other?

  Her heart squeezed. She missed
him. She really missed him. And before she knew what she was doing, she already had her phone out and she was placing a call to Christian.

  Jane heard one ring and then nothing. She frowned and tried to make another call, but the same thing happened. “Umm, guys?”

  Christian’s P.R. staff glanced at her questioningly.

  “When you say Christian is in lockdown, what exactly does that mean?”

  “The lab’s off-limits,” Steven in the overalls said right away. “It’s got high-tech security, and with three sets of doors, no amount of knocking or shouting will make the people inside hear you.”

  “What about cellphone signals? Do they jam it or something, so they don’t get interrupted?”

  Minnie shook her head. “Calls get through. I used to date someone in I.T. and he still got my texts even when they were in lockdown that time.”

  “I tried calling Christian,” Jane revealed reluctantly, “and I’m having a hard time contacting him.”

  “Let me try.” Matt whipped his phone out and dialed his boss’ number then put the call on loudspeaker. Christian’s phone rang for several times before automatically diverting to voicemail.

  “Oh.” Jane tried calling Christian again, but the same thing happened, with her call being dropped after a single ring. She lowered her phone with a frown. “Maybe something’s wrong with my phone?”

  Matt volunteered to try calling her, and Jane’s iPhone started ringing right away.

  “Maybe it’s because you guys have different networks,” Rosie suggested. “I’ve got the same network as Ms. Cooper’s. Let me try calling the boss.”

  She clicked on loudspeaker after hitting the call button.

  A moment later, and Christian’s phone started to ring.

  Jane whitened.

  Rosie quickly ended the call, stammering, “It must be a fluke.”

  Everyone hastened to agree with her.

  “It’s nothing to worry about, Ms. Cooper.” But Steven couldn’t look straight into her eyes as he spoke.

  She couldn’t really blame him.

  They might all work in P.R., but it didn’t mean they were completely tech-illiterate. They all knew when someone’s number had been blocked, and that was exactly what Christian Ravenhearst had done to her.

  ****

  Lockdown had officially ended, and Christian tiredly saw everyone out of the work lab. How many days had they been in here? Four? Five? He had completely lost track of time---

  Jane.

  The thought of her registered out of the blue, and he jerked to a stop.

  Jane.

  It was the longest that he hadn’t seen her, and Christian closed his eyes.

  Jane.

  During the days he had been in lockdown, he had been able to shove away all thoughts outside work, knowing what was at stake. But now that it was all over, and his company was no longer under threat of being shut down---

  Jane.

  He remembered the last time he had seen her, and his chest constricted. God. She had been crying, and it had been his fault. He had been the one to make her cry, and as he recalled all the things that he had said---

  Jane.

  It was like a demon had taken over him that day, and self-loathing filled him as he allowed more memories in. God. He had been so fucking callous with her. Yes, the stakes had been high – his company going south, twenty million Americans’ information compromised, and national security placed in peril. That he had been under stress was a vast understatement, but even so – it hadn’t been reason enough to push her away like that.

  Jane.

  He took his phone out and tried to call her, but she didn’t pick up. He hesitated for a moment and then thought, Fuck it.

  Christian: I’m sorry, Jane. I was an ass. Could we talk?

  He hit Send and his iPhone sent out the message. He waited, staring at his screen, but the text only remained delivered but not read. He forced himself to put his phone away. He would try to give it a couple more minutes, but if nothing happened---

  The doors to the lab suddenly burst open, cutting into his thoughts, and Christian frowned when he saw Jared come in, a harsh look on his friend’s face.

  “Have you seen the news?” Jared asked abruptly.

  “No.”

  Without another word, Jared grabbed the remote control from its wall-mounted holder and as soon as the digital screen came to life, he switched to the news channel.

  Christian was stunned to see Agent Thornton on live TV, escorting a handcuffed Norman Caruthers. “So he’s really the one behind this,” he realized grimly.

  “And yours isn’t the only company he’s targeted apparently.” Jared paused. “Does the name Ray Reiner ring a bell?”

  Christian gave his friend a curt nod. “He’s on my I.T. team. He was the one who informed me about the breach.” It was easy enough to add one and one together, and he said tautly, “He hasn’t been to work since I came back. Did Caruthers bribe him?”

  “It’s worse than that. Apparently, those two are Islam extremists, and all this was part of an elaborately planned terrorist attack.”

  Fuck. Christian had to close his eyes for a moment, remembering how he had forcefully insisted that Jane was to blame.

  Even when she was right and he had known from the start it couldn’t be her.

  “When was the last time you spoke to Jane or heard from her?”

  Christian breathed heavily. “Since the day I had my head up in my ass.”

  Jared swore.

  His head jerked up. “Did something happen to her?”

  Instead of answering him, Jared demanded, “And you haven’t left this place since that day either?”

  He shook his head impatiently. “You know how I work under lockdown. Now what is it about Jane? Is something wrong---”

  “It’s the opposite.” Jared switched the Smart TV to browser mode and typed in a YouTube link. “She saved your ass, Christian.”

  Christian turned to the screen, and he recognized the location immediately. It was the conference room below, and…Jane was holding a press conference.

  He watched her take the stage like a pro, introducing herself as both his fiancée and P.R. head. He watched her field questions effortlessly, the perfect combination of assurance and humility. He watched her singlehandedly prevent a public relations catastrophe as she acknowledged the company’s responsibility, accepted their share of blame, but at the same time assuaged everyone’s concerns and convinced everyone that Christian Ravenhearst would not fail them.

  It was her exact words.

  “Christian’s work means everything to him. He’s the most dedicated person I’ve ever known, and his integrity is impregnable. He’ll find a way to make things right, I promise you. Christian Ravenhearst will not fail you.”

  Ah God.

  And she had been right.

  He had not failed them.

  He had failed her.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Christian was knocking on her door.

  Don’t answer. Pretend you’re out. Or tell him to go away, and you don't want to see him again.

  But of course she ended up doing none of those things.

  She loved him after all, and just because he had repeatedly said and done things to convince her that they were wrong for each other – love wasn’t something one could kill overnight.

  Jane opened the door, and even though she had done her best to prepare herself---

  It just wasn’t enough. Maybe nothing could ever be enough.

  Christian Ravenhearst still took her breath away.

  “May I come in?”

  She nodded jerkily and turned away without a word, leaving him to follow her inside her apartment. His words reminded her of the time she had practically ambushed him in his apartment.

  May I come in?

  She had used the exact same words. He had let her in, and after, they had made love for the first time---

  Oh God.

  Tha
t seemed like an eternity ago.

  Christian closed the door behind him, using the time to compose himself.

  Jane.

  A part of him had thought she would just leave him knocking forever on her door, and if she had done that, he wouldn’t have blamed her. He deserved it – and more.

  Earlier, on his way out of the office, the receptionist had hurried after Christian, saying Ms. Cooper had left something for him.

  And because he was a fucking arrogant fool, Christian had thought the words gave him a reason to hope. Instead, they had severed the last connection between them, and the result was Jane’s engagement ring inside his pocket, a burning and taunting reminder of how much he had hurt her---

  And how it might already be too late for both of them.

  After inhaling one last time, he followed her into the living room and saw Jane already seated on the couch, her back ramrod straight and her hands clasped together on her lap.

  She looked like she was preparing herself to be hurt all over again.

  Christian didn’t let himself think.

  He walked to her, went down on one knee, and said hoarsely, “I’m sorry.”

  But Jane only nodded, her stiff, cold silence almost an exact replica of how he had been with her days ago, and she was the one begging him with her eyes to talk.

  To just let her know that things could still be okay.

  “You were right. I knew it wasn’t you before the security breach. And I didn’t have to hear about the FBI arresting---”

  “Christian.” Her low, controlled voice cut him off. “I know.”

  Ah. He looked at her, and there was nothing in her eyes.

  “I read your message, and you sent it well before the news started reporting about the FBI’s undercover op.”

  “But it’s not enough,” he said dully.

  Jane shook her head slowly. “No.” The word was a painful whisper. “It’s not.”

  He reached for her hands, and she shook her head even more profusely.

  “Jane---”

  “No.” She struggled to keep her voice from shaking as she tried to explain, “I’m not trying to be dramatic or anything. I just know you’re right. And that we’re wrong for each other---”