The Costarella Conquest Part 13

'Nice cup,' the judge remarked acidly.

'Not exactly sweet when the creditors never get their ent.i.tlements,' Jake said just as acidly.

The flow of evidence went on and on, backed up by facts and figures that could not be denied. They painted a picture of shocking corruption. Laura felt ashamed of her connection to the man who hadn't cared how many people he hurt in ama.s.sing more and more money for himself. She'd known he had a cruel nature. She hadn't known his contempt for others extended so far.

It was sickening.

She understood now how much this mission had meant to Jake, especially given what had happened with his parents. Apart from the personal element, it was right to take her father down, saving others from suffering similar situations. He was doing good, more good than she had ever done in her life, showing up the faults of a system that was a feeding ground for liquidators without any conscience.

It took a big person to stand up and blow the whistle on it, regardless of any cost to himself. She admired Jake's drive to get it done. But her father was right about one thing. She was his daughter and her life had been cushioned in the luxury of his greedy profiteering. It wasn't her fault but she was definitely tainted by it in Jake's mind.

I don't want to want you.

And there was no sign of him wanting her now.

He wouldn't even look at her, though she had been willing him to all day. He probably hated the sight of her-a memory of weakness on his part, not to be revisited.

Stay strong.

His whole demeanour, his voice, his laying out of undeniable facts, had been relentlessly strong today. He was not going to reconnect with her. Laura slipped out of the inquiry room as soon as the afternoon session ended, carrying the misery of lost hope with her. There was no point in coming back tomorrow. Jake had obviously shut the door on her and she must now do it on him.

She forced her legs to walk straight to the elevator, forced her finger to jab the down b.u.t.ton. Other people cl.u.s.tered around her, waiting for the elevator to arrive. Minutes crawled by. There was a buzz of voices commenting on the hearing. Laura heard her father called one h.e.l.l of a shark. No sympathy for him. Nor should there be.

Her own heart suddenly rebelled against leaving Jake believing that she had been here to support her father. The elevator doors opened. The surge forward carried her into the compartment but she wriggled out again, telling herself there was one last stand she had to make-a matter of self-respect if nothing else.

Jake emerged from the inquiry room with his barrister, the two men conferring with each other as they walked out. Laura didn't care if she would be interrupting something important. What she had to say would only take a couple of moments and it was important to her. Her hands clenched in determination. Her chin instinctively lifted. Every nerve in her body was wire-tight as she closed the short distance between them.

As though sensing her approach, Jake's head jerked towards her. His gaze locked on hers, hard and uninviting, twin dark bolts boring into her head. The barrister murmured something to him. Jake's hand sliced a sharp dismissive gesture, his attention not wavering from Laura. She stopped a metre short of him, close enough to be heard, her mind totally focussed on delivering a few last words.

'I found out that my father lied about the photographs. I'm sorry that I let him influence my belief in you, Jake. I wish you well.'

That was it.

She turned and walked back to the elevator where another group of people had gathered, waiting for its return. She could go now, having righted the wrong she had done Jake. And she did wish him well. He was a good man.

She didn't hate him!

The steel guard Jake had put around his feelings for Laura Costarella cracked wide open at this stunning realisation. He was in instant tumult over her apology, wanting to know more, but she had already turned away and was heading for the elevator, not waiting for any response from him. What did that mean? She didn't want one? Didn't expect one?

How long had she known about her father's lie? If it was before this hearing, she wouldn't have attended it to support him. Was it simply curiosity that had drawn her here, a need to know everything that had limited their relationship and made it so impossible to sustain? But surely she wouldn't have bothered unless...she still had feelings for him.

I wish you well...?.

It was a goodbye line.

He didn't want it to be. He wanted...

The elevator doors opened. Laura was following the group of people into it. She was going and everything within him violently rebelled against letting her go.

Without any conscious thought at all he lifted two fingers to his lips and whistled the most piercing whistle he'd ever produced in his life.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN.

THE whistle startled everyone who heard it. Conversations were momentarily cut off. Feet stopped moving. Heads turned. Laura's heart felt as though it had been kicked. Her mind instantly recalled the kiss-off line she'd written to Jake.

As for any future meeting between us, you can whistle for me.

Had he done it?

Please...let it be him wanting a meeting with her.

A meeting with a future in mind.

The other people resumed their movement into the elevator. Laura didn't. She had to turn around, had to see. If it was Jake who had whistled, he'd be looking at her, perhaps holding out a hand in an appeal for her to stay where she was, wait a minute.

A chance to nothing, she told herself, her heart hammering as she acted on her need to know, throwing a quick glance over her shoulder. Jake had left his barrister's side and was striding towards her, determined purpose burning in the eyes that locked onto hers, holding her still until he could reach her.

The elevator doors closed. Laura was the only person left behind. But Jake was coming to her. They hadn't talked to each other for almost a year. She had no idea what was on his mind, yet the leap of hope in hers was so strong, it was impossible to put a guard of caution around it. He could probably see it in her eyes, the wanting, the needing. Pride couldn't hide it. She had none where he was concerned.

He stopped about a metre away from her, tension emanating from him, making her nerves even tighter.

'It's been a long time,' he said.

'Yes,' she agreed, the word coming out huskily. Her throat was choked up with a mountain of tumultuous emotions.

'There's a good coffee shop on the corner of the next block. Can I buy you a cappuccino?'

She swallowed hard to get rid of the lump. He was offering time together, wanting time together. A meeting. 'I'd like that very much,' she answered, her voice still furred with feelings that were totally uncontrollable.

'Good!' he said and stepped around her to press the elevator b.u.t.ton, summoning it to this floor again.

Third time lucky, Laura thought giddily.

Jake flashed her a smile. 'I wish you well, too, Laura. I always have.'

She nodded, yearning for far more than well-wishing from him.

'Are you still living with your father?' he asked.

'No. I have a full-time job now. Landscape designer for a firm of architects. I can afford my own apartment.'

'What about your mother?'

'She moved out the same time I did. She's okay. Much happier.'

'Sharing your apartment?'

'No. Nick Jeffries, our former handyman/gardener, carried her off to his home. He's a widower and they're very much in love.'

'Wow!' Jake grinned, surprised and seemingly delighted by this turn of events. 'I guess you don't have to worry about her anymore.'

'No, I don't. Having nothing to fear from Nick, she's already blooming into a far more positive person.'

'That's good. Great!'

He really did look pleased-pleased because he didn't want anyone to be her father's victim, or pleased because she was completely free and clear of any continuing connection with her father? Was he checking to see if he could reasonably resume a relationship with her with no negative fallout from it? Did he want to? She was still her father's daughter. Nothing could change that.

The elevator arrived and Jake waved an invitation to precede him into it. They were the only people occupying the small compartment on this ride. Jake stood silently beside her on the way down. Laura was too conscious of his close presence to think of anything to say. She had been intensely intimate with this man and the memories of it were flooding through her mind-the pa.s.sionate kisses, the exquisite sensitivity of his touch. She had to press her thighs tightly together to contain the hot, searing need to have him again.

As they walked out to the street she was fiercely wishing he would take hold of her hand but he didn't attempt even that simple physical link with her. The evening rush hour hadn't quite started. The sidewalk wasn't crowded. There was no reason for Jake to take her arm to keep them together and he didn't. They reached the coffee shop without touching at all and Jake led her to a booth, waiting for her to slide in on one bench seat before seating himself across the table from her.

'Like old times,' she remarked, managing an ironic smile to cover the sick feeling that this might be the last time she shared a table with Jake.

He returned the smile. 'A lot of water has pa.s.sed under the bridge since then. Are you happy with the career you've chosen?'

She nodded. 'It's very challenging but I'm loving it. What about you, Jake? Have you moved on to renovating another house?'

'Yes. I sold the last one.'

'I know.'

He looked quizzically at her and she flushed, realising she had given away the fact that she had tried to visit him. Too late to take back those revealing words. She heaved a sigh to relieve the tightness in her chest and plunged into telling the truth. What point was there in holding back?

'On the day we left Mosman-it was just before last Christmas-Mum found a bunch of other photographs of you in Dad's safe. They made me realise he'd set you up, then spun a false story to make me believe...' She hesitated, inwardly recoiling from repeating the horribly demeaning picture her father had drawn.

'That I was a liar and a cheat,' Jake finished for her with a wry grimace. 'I didn't blame you for believing him, Laura. It was my fault. I should never have touched you. It put you in a rotten position when I made my move against him.'

His use of the past tense hurt. If he regretted their relationship, what hope was there for a future one? But she was halfway through her explanation and she wanted to finish it.

'Anyhow, it made me feel really bad about how I'd completely written you off, so I went to your house at Woollahra, wanting to apologise, except you were gone and other people had moved in. I had no means of contact with you unless I came to the hearing, and I'm glad I did. Listening to everything being laid out made me understand why you had to take my father down. You were right to do it. And I do wish you well, Jake.'

There!

Definitely water under the bridge now!

And she'd managed it with reasonable dignity.

A waiter arrived to take their order and Jake asked for two cappuccinos, quickly inquiring if she wanted something to eat as well-a toasted sandwich? Laura shook her head. Her stomach was in knots. After the waiter had left them, Jake regarded her seriously for several moments, making the knots even tighter.

'It's not over, Laura,' he said quietly. 'There will be ugly things said about me in the days to come.'

The dirt her father had up his sleeve.

'Will they be true?' she asked.

'Not on any professional level. He can't deny the evidence against him. It's too iron-tight. So I'm confident that nothing will change the eventual outcome. He's gone from the industry, regardless of what he uses in an attempt to discredit me.'

'Do you know what he'll try to use?'

He made a wry grimace. 'You were my only weakness, Laura. I'm antic.i.p.ating an attack on my character revolving around my involvement with you.'

She frowned. 'But that had nothing to do with how he ran his business.'

'I think he'll try to link it up.'

A fierce rebellion swept through Laura. Her father had been too successful in hurting others, deliberately doing it and taking malicious pleasure in it. She wanted him to fail for once, and be shown up as the liar he was-some justice for the months of misery he'd given her.

She leaned forward, earnestly pressing for Jake to agree with her. 'I've taken this week off work. I could testify on your behalf. I know you didn't do me any wrong, Jake.'

His face tightened in instant rejection. 'This isn't your war, Laura. It was wrong of me to put you in the line of fire and I won't do it again. I'll ride it through.'

'It is my war,' she cried vehemently. 'I've taken the bullets and I want to return them. I'm not ashamed of my involvement with you. It makes a much stronger stand if we ride this through together. Publicly together. Surely you can see that any capital my father might think he could make out of our connection becomes utter nonsense if we're still connected.'

He didn't offer any quick reb.u.t.tal this time. The riveting dark eyes scoured hers with blazing intensity. Laura had the sinking feeling he was unsure of her staying power. She hadn't remained strong against her father's manipulation in the past.

'There's no other man in your life, Laura?' he asked quietly.

The question startled her-not what she had been expecting. It offered hope that Jake was considering her suggestion. 'No. I'm free and clear,' she stated firmly.

It suddenly occurred to her that he might not be. He hadn't touched her. Just because the memory of him had made her disinterested in other men didn't mean he'd felt a similar detachment. She'd certainly opened the door for him to move on when she'd shut it on her life.

'I'm sorry. I didn't think,' she blurted out, flushing self-consciously over her single-mindedness, her hands fluttering an apologetic dismissal of her impulsive ideas. 'If you're in another relationship, of course this won't work.'

'I'm not,' he said swiftly, reaching across the table to take one of her hands in his, long strong fingers stroking, soothing her agitation. 'There's nothing I'd like more than to be connected to you again, Laura. I just want to be sure it's right for you.'

A wild joy burst through her heart. She stared at him, scarcely able to believe she did have another chance with him. Warmth from his touch ran up her arm and spread through her entire body, a blissful warmth, promising her the loving she craved. She wanted this man so much, yet it hadn't really been right for her before, not with him limiting their relationship to great dinners and great s.e.x. The temptation to take whatever she could of him played through her mind, but she knew that would never be enough.

'Will you show me the house you're now working on?'

It was a critical question, challenging how much he wanted to be connected to her.

His face relaxed into a smile, his eyes twinkling s.e.xy delight. 'Would after we drink our coffee be too soon?'

She laughed in sheer ecstatic relief. 'No, not too soon. Where is it?'

'Petersham. It's about ten minutes in the train from Town Hall, then a short walk from the station. An easy commute to the city centre.'

'Is it another terrace house?'

'No. A two-bedroom cottage with a yard, both of which have been neglected for years.' He grinned. 'Maybe you can give me some ideas on what to do with the yard.'

It was so wonderful that he was willing to share this project with her, she grinned straight back. 'I'd love to design a cottage garden. Something delightfully old-fashioned. All I've done so far at work is very modern landscape.'