Weekend Agreement Read online

  An image of the old white farmhouse with its faded green shutters and overgrown roses flashed before her eyes. She’d never been there as a young child, only as a teenager and later an adult. Her father never approved of her visits. He, like her brother, preferred to erase the memories of her mother. But not her. She’d sit for hours at the scarred kitchen table sipping weak lemonade and listening to her great-aunt ramble about the past. She got to know her mother when she was young and happy. The mother she always dreamed of. The mother who wanted her.

  That farm made her mother real. Without it, she had nothing more than a handful of fading memories. And now, thanks to her brother and Daniel Moretti, her farm was slipping through her fingers.

  The desperate feeling grew stronger. Charlotte hung her head. She didn’t have much choice, did she? Not if she wanted to hang on to the last maternal tie she had.

  “So who’s this party for?”

  He turned, obviously surprised she was still there. “My parents.”

  “You need an escort to go to your parents’ anniversary party? What? Trying to impress Mommy and Daddy?”

  “I don’t need to impress anyone,” he said. “As I said before, it looks better to have an appropriate companion. I assure you, however, I can muddle through alone.”

  “You act like you’re doing me a favor,” Charlotte said.

  “Aren’t I though?”

  It sure didn’t feel like it. She joined him at the window, wondering what it was he found so fascinating. All she saw was the harbor, which, though beautiful, hardly seemed enough to captivate a man like him. Maybe he was calculating the price per square foot.

  A short distance away she could make out the tip of the Constitution’s mast. The connection calmed her. If Old Ironsides could weather any storm, so could she. She’d play Daniel Moretti’s game. But she’d lay down the ground rules.

  “I want it in writing,” she said. “If I attend this party Saturday, I want a legally binding contract that says you agree to sell me back the land for the purchase price.”

  “Naturally,” he said. “I’ll have my legal department draw up the papers.”

  “I want the agreement to stipulate that my accompanying you is strictly business. Nothing further. A weekend agreement, that’s all.”

  “You mean a propriety clause?”

  “Propriety, decency, hands-off—call it whatever you want. But any move on your part to turn this trip into something other than business results in the land automatically revoking to me. At no charge.” She added the last part for emphasis.

  “You make quite an assumption, Professor. What makes you think I would have to make the first move?”

  Despite the arrogance of his statement, tingles ran down Charlotte’s spine. Forcing them away, she folded her arms across her chest, issuing a silent No Trespassing sign that couldn’t be missed. “Trust me, I won’t be issuing any invitations.”

  His gaze fell to her lips. “Are you sure?” he asked, his voice suddenly low and sweet. “Or should I put that in writing, too?”

  “No need. Romance will be the last thing on my mind this weekend.” She meant the retort to sound saucy, but noticed to her dismay that her voice caught a little.

  “That, Professor, makes two of us.” The sweetness disappeared from his demeanor so quickly that Charlotte blinked at the abruptness. “Very well. You can have your propriety clause, Professor. No private parties will be expected.”

  “Thank you.”

  “So does this mean we have an agreement?”

  Every ounce of her better judgment screamed for her to throw Daniel Moretti’s offer in his face. Common sense told her she would be making a deal with the devil.

  She extended her hand. “Very well, Mr. Moretti. You’ve got yourself a date.”

  Chapter Two

  “I can’t believe you actually agreed to an arrangement like that.”

  “It’s no big deal.”

  Charlotte was shelving books in her office. Almost twenty-four hours had passed since she’d signed away her soul for the weekend. She hadn’t heard from Daniel Moretti since, making her wonder if he’d simply been playing games with her.

  They said very little after striking their agreement. Then again, what could they say? Small talk seemed a little superfluous. He wore a strange smile when shaking her hand, as if he knew she’d agree all along. Charlotte didn’t analyze it too long at the time, distracted as she was by the way her hand nestled in his grip. His handshake was strong, steady, in control. Not unlike the man offering it. She doubted he was ever not in control. Much as that annoyed her, she couldn’t help feeling a tiny bit impressed.

  The late morning air hung stagnant, the humidity close to one hundred percent. Beads of perspiration trickled down her back. “Man, it’s hot.” Every time she moved, her tank top pulled against her skin. “I wish they’d run the air-conditioning.”

  “I heard someone say it died in this part of the building.”

  Her friend Judy Cleghorn fanned herself with some rolled-up papers from Charlotte’s desk. Charlotte had known Judy since Judy was a graduate student and Charlotte was a senior frantically trying to fulfill her English requirement. Since then, Judy had been mentor, friend, and big sister. She was the first to encourage Charlotte to send her manuscript on John Adams to publishers. The result catapulted Charlotte from unknown history professor to highly regarded historian.

  Judy had called the book quirky and irresistible. Charlotte thought the same words described her friend perfectly. At the moment, her friend sat in a most unladylike fashion, her tight red skirt bunched high on her mocha-colored legs.

  She turned the fan so it blew directly on her. “Did you ever notice they put the history department in the oldest section of the building?”

  “Ambiance,” Charlotte said.

  “The taco place across the street has ambiance and air-conditioning. Come on, I’ll buy you a burrito.”

  “Is lunch going to come with a lecture?”

  “Absolutely. What kind of idiot goes away with a man she just met?”

  Charlotte recalled his whiskey-coated voice and dark penetrating eyes that took in every inch of her. The room grew another degree warmer. She shoved another book into place, shelving her train of thought. “It’s not like I’m getting into his car on some dark, deserted road. I’m attending a cocktail party.”

  “Yeah, for his parents. You’re going to have to explain that one to me again because I don’t get it. A good-looking, rich, famous guy who doesn’t have a date for a party that’s only a couple days away? Don’t you think that’s a little weird?”

  “He said his date canceled.”

  “And what, he hadn’t put the next starlet on speed dial yet? Seriously, there’s got be a reason he picked you.”

  “Thanks a lot. First I was an idiot, now I’m what…chopped liver?” Charlotte plunked herself into her desk chair. “For a best friend, you’re really tossing the compliments around.”

  “That’s not what I meant. You’re a terrific catch. Think about it, though. If this guy can get any woman he wants, why is he strong-arming you, a total stranger? In my book, when a guy has to resort to such drastic measures to snag a date, something’s not quite right.”

  “It’s not about a date. I’m not sure it’s even about me.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  Charlotte shrugged. “I can’t quite put my finger on it, but I can’t shake the feeling I walked into the middle of something. One thing’s for sure, the man’s got a major chip on his shoulder. He actually accused me of using my looks as a negotiating ploy. He told me I was beautiful, but not that beautiful. Did you know he actually suggested I would be the one trying to seduce him?”

  “Hmm.”

  “What?”

  It was Judy’s turn to shrug. “Would you consider it?”

  “What? No! This whole escort request is a game to him. I doubt Daniel Moretti thinks in terms of men and women. More like him an
d those beneath him. He gets his kicks out of watching us commoners jump through hoops.”

  “Little superiority complex, huh?”

  “Major. His mother must have told him he was the crown prince.”

  “If the business press is to be believed, he is. Or at least the second coming.”

  Judy was right. Every time she passed a newsstand, there was some kind of article trumpeting how he built a billion-dollar business from the ground up. His success, along with his looks and his penchant for dating famous women, ensured that Daniel Moretti was never out of the limelight. Remembering his arrogant presumptions, she rolled her eyes heavenward. “Spending time with him will be insufferable.”

  “Then cancel. Teach the guy a lesson.”

  “And kiss my property good-bye.”

  “Would that be the end of the world?”

  “Yes, it would.”

  Judy reached out and covered Charlotte’s hand with one of her own. “I know this land means a lot because it belonged to your mother, but it is just a piece of land. It’s not going to bring her back or anything.”

  “No, but being there keeps her close to me. I don’t have much else.”

  “She didn’t leave much else.”

  “You sound like my brother.”

  “Honey, I know keeping the family flame alive is important to you, and I admire your respect of the past. It’s what makes you such a good historian. But you have to admit, some things in the past are better off left in the past. And this attachment to a piece of land, just because your mother lived there, is a tiny bit obsessive.”

  Yes, the practical part of her brain agreed, but the heart wasn’t always practical.

  “The farm’s all I have left,” Charlotte said, chasing away the longing that always arose when talking of her family. We all need context. Isn’t that what she told Daniel? Some sense of belonging, no matter how small? “My father threw out most of the photos. My brother won’t talk about her. When I’m at the farm…I don’t know, it’s like she’s still there. Like she never left.”

  “But she did. And preserving her childhood home won’t change history. You, of all people, should know that.”

  “On the contrary, history gets rewritten all the time.” When Judy refused to share her grin, she added, “Look, that farm’s my last connection to the woman, and I refuse to see that connection broken. So if I have to jump through Daniel Moretti’s hoops to repurchase the land, then that’s what I’ll do.”

  “What if the hoops get more personal?”

  “They can’t. It’ll be in writing that my portion of the deal involves only the party.”

  “Who says he won’t try to renegotiate? From what you’ve said so far, the guy’s a tiger ready to pounce. And tigers don’t change their spots simply because of some flimsy agreement.”

  “Stripes,” Charlotte corrected, more to change the subject than anything else. “Leopards have spots.”

  “Spots, stripes, tie-dyed polka dots, whatever. Some lame propriety clause isn’t going to stop the guy if he’s interested in you.”

  “Yes, it will. He steps over the line and the land goes to me free and clear,” she said. “He won’t risk losing money like that.”

  Strange, but as she said the words, Charlotte actually felt a kernel of disappointment. Ego, she determined. Arrogant jerk or not, Daniel was still rejecting her, and her female self-esteem was smarting.

  “The only thing Daniel Moretti is interested in is his bottom line,” she told Judy. “There’s absolutely no need for you to worry.”

  “Worry about what?”

  Daniel stood, or rather leaned, in the doorframe, the picture of amusement. Despite the unbearable heat, he looked as cool and crisp as ever in his dark suit and tie. He must truly have ice water running in his veins to look that collected, thought Charlotte. She felt incredibly unkempt with her dampened tank top and frumpy peasant skirt.

  “I wasn’t expecting to see you until this weekend,” she said, trying to at least sound cool and collected. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Judy shove her skirt over her legs.

  “I had an appointment on this side of town,” he said. He held up his attaché case. “We have some paperwork to go over, remember?”

  “You could have sent that by courier.”

  “I like to be hands-on.”

  I bet, thought Charlotte, wondering if catching her off guard was another one of his games. And boy, did he catch her off guard. Her heart beat a mile a minute.

  “I’m not interrupting an important discussion, am I?” he asked, a glimmer of a smile on his face.

  Charlotte was still struggling for something appropriately witty to say when Judy said, “We were discussing the pros and cons of hoop-jumping. Care to weigh in?”

  “Afraid I can’t; I don’t jump.” Clearly amused by Judy’s boldness, the humor in his face turned into a full-blown grin. It was the first time Charlotte had seen him smile, and the result was dazzling. His eyes crinkled at the sides, softening them and vanquishing the darkness from his face. He was, she realized, breathtakingly handsome when he wanted to be. Her stomach flip-flopped.

  Moving inside, Daniel extended his hand and introduced himself to Judy. “Professor Doherty and I have entered a business venture together.”

  “Charlotte told me all about it,” Judy said, arching an eyebrow. “Although I’m not sure business venture is the right term for it.”

  Daniel nodded. “Arrangement then. Unorthodox as it may sound, however, it’s still business, and there are some details to firm up.” He set his briefcase down, the request for Judy to leave implicit.

  “Judy and I were about to get something to eat,” Charlotte said. She disliked how Daniel sauntered in unannounced, assuming everyone would drop what they were doing to accommodate him.

  Now here he was, sitting on the edge of her desk, all his attention focused on her, looking very much like he wasn’t moving.

  “I won’t take up too much of your time,” he said. He continued to smile, looking more handsome and charming than he did in the doorway.

  Charlotte busied herself with the papers Judy dropped on her desk. Judy had been right about the air-conditioning. This section of the building did need some. The room was growing hotter by the minute. Looking up, she saw her friend shooting her a set of arched eyebrows. She glared in return.

  Finally Judy rose. “It’s okay, Charlotte. I should stop by the bookstore anyway. You know how notorious they are for getting titles in late, and we can’t have the freshman class missing out on Julius Caesar, can we? Nothing like a little backstabbing and betrayal to start off the college experience.”

  “Preparing them for life?” Daniel asked.

  “I’m sure you’d know that more than me, Mr. Moretti.”

  “I imagine I do,” he said evenly. If it had been anyone else, Charlotte would swear she heard a carefully veiled tone of hurt.

  Judy simply nodded in response. “Maybe we can have you lecture sometime. I’ll catch you later, Charlotte. We’re not finished with our discussion.”

  “Why doesn’t that surprise me?” Charlotte remarked. “I’ll come find you later.”

  “She doesn’t seem to trust me,” Daniel noted as the door shut. “Should I be hurt?”

  “Judy’s a good friend and very protective of me. She doesn’t appreciate your unorthodox way of doing business.”

  “Would it help if I showed her my tie-dyed polka dots?”

  Charlotte paused, feeling herself grow flush with embarrassment. Across the desk, Daniel wore a mask of such perfect mock innocence she blushed even deeper. Then he smiled. A rich good-humored smile this time. Before she knew it, Charlotte was smiling back.

  …

  “So exactly how much did you overhear?”

  They were settling themselves on the front steps of the building, Daniel having asked to move the conversation outside into the fresh air.

  “Not that much. Just enough to know your friend thinks I’m on
the prowl, and you think I’m the most arrogant man walking the earth. I’m not, you know.”

  “Not what? The most arrogant?”

  “No, I’m very arrogant. I meant on the prowl.”

  “I know that. A man who looks like you…” She bit her tongue, horrified at what she almost blurted out.

  Daniel’s dark eyes sparkled in the sunlight. “What about a man who looks like me?”

  “Nothing. I simply meant…” She blushed and concentrated on smoothing her skirt around her legs. He knew perfectly well what she meant. If he didn’t, the blush covering her skin told him.

  Daniel handed her one of the cans of soda he’d purchased at the vending machine inside the building. “Don’t worry,” he said with a chuckle. “I won’t hold you to any explanations.”

  He shed his jacket and busied himself with a package of potato chips. “It’s enough to know that you find me attractive. Did I mention I’m egotistical too? Chip?”

  Now it was Charlotte’s turn to smile. She slipped a potato chip out of the bag. “Very egotistical.”

  Not to mention disarmingly charming when he put his mind to it. I bet he could sell snow to the Eskimos. The question was why was he being so charming with her? She’d already agreed to his terms.

  Judy’s warning sounded in her head.

  “Much as I enjoy speaking of your many attributes,” she said, stopping the playful conversation before she got too distracted, “I have a lot to do this afternoon. So let’s get down to business. What time do you want me to arrive on Saturday evening?”

  “We arrive together, Professor. It would hardly look right for my date to arrive separately.”

  “This isn’t a date,” Charlotte reminded him.

  “A point I’m well aware of.” He drawled the words pointedly. “Regardless, I prefer to begin the party with my escort on my arm.”

  “Fine. Then what time am I due on your arm?”

  He ignored the question. “By the way, the party is formal. If you need a dress, I’ll be glad to have my office—”

  “Afraid I won’t be dressed appropriately?” It was Charlotte’s turn to draw out her words. She wasn’t sure what rankled her more: his offer of wardrobe services or the veiled implication that she wasn’t up to his standards. So what if this was only business? He could at least find her a little appealing.