Mr. Temptation
Ellora’s Cave Publishing
www.ellorascave.com
ISBN 9781419936470 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Mr. Temptation Copyright © 2012 Annabelle Weston
Chapter One
Cadence would like to smack the creep but she wasn’t about to cause a scene at the perfectly respectable affair. Her butt cheek smarted where Cyrus—her stepbrother— had pinched her, and now the idiot made kissing sounds as he brushed past her.
She gave him a neutral smile and swung her gaze to the portrait of her father. “How could you have let such an S.O.B. call himself your son?”
Her father peered down at her with eyes the color of her own. He’d expected her to always show a brave face to the world, to be constantly smiling, to give the impression that all was well.
She rolled her eyes. “Okay, I can put up with him for appearance’s sake. After this party, I’m so out of here.”
Cadence touched the heavily carved antique frame. The painting had been done in his first year as mayor, a man in his prime. Her hand lingered on the gilded wood. The sweet smell of lemon polish, too strong, too recent, turned her stomach.
Unhappily, they hadn’t been close after Mother died. In the aftermath of 9/11, their grief had been a nation’s grief. Why her mother had been in the South Tower that morning, no one ever explained. Then the mayor remarried.
Now on Cadence’s university graduation day, with her studies behind her, she wished for the thousandth time her parents could have been there to celebrate with her. She was acutely conscious of how much she missed them and how alone she was.
Anger reared its ugly head and she took another deep, cleansing breath and let it go slowly. She didn’t want anyone to see her break in composure.
Except, a little self-pity wasn’t such a big deal, was it?
“Come along, dear, you mustn’t neglect your guests.”
Cadence bristled, hating the sound of the sweet syrup in her stepmother Victoria’s voice. She wasn’t fooled. The woman was waiting for just that one moment she could strike out at a stepdaughter she couldn’t control.
Cadence turned and saw them—Victoria, the epitome of evil stepmother, and the twins Sybil and Cyrus—huddled together. She knew she had time. They would see to their guests until the last one said his or her goodbyes before they pounced with their complaints and their demands.
Cadence couldn’t show her contempt. She wouldn’t show them anything. Her father had taught her the importance of keeping her emotions under careful control.
“Don’t ever let them see you sweat,” the mayor had cautioned her. “Especially your enemies.”
She’d always heeded his warning, tried to be on her best behavior. She’d wanted so badly for him to be proud of her.
“Sorry,” Cadence told Victoria. “I wanted to share a moment with my father.”
The woman nodded, no doubt believing she understood exactly how Cadence felt.
The well-wishers, mostly friends of her father and stepmother, spoke in mercifully hushed tones, talking of trivialities, anxious, Cadence was certain, to see who had come and to be seen. They’d soon make their excuses and leave for the next party.
The party had been perfection, the caterer one of the best in the city. She wasn’t under any illusion that the party was actually for her but Cadence was grateful.
Victoria hustled the society set like a pro, spending lavishly, her ambition unstoppable. Those three had sucked on her father’s bank account like a trio of leeches.
Since the mayor’s death, Victoria had shoved Cadence to the side, showcasing her two children as they attended charity functions, fundraisers and other high-society soirées. She’d worked to keep the spotlight on her son Cyrus.
Cadence knew too well what was going on. Victoria and her children meant to exploit her father’s reputation, take credit for his successes and bask in his popularity. Unlike Cadence, they loved politics and politicians. They used the Burke name to elevate themselves in society. A name, in Cadence’s opinion, they’d no right to.
She didn’t doubt there was an election in Cyrus’ future. His mother would be the power behind the throne. Cadence scoffed at how ridiculous Cyrus would be as an elected official. He didn’t care about anyone other than himself. Would probably use his office to line his own pockets. The Burke name would become mired in scandal.
Cadence wanted no part of it.
Victoria’s neglect had left no mark. Cadence welcomed her ambivalence. She’d no time for parties and fundraisers. She’d pursued a graduate degree in art history, made new friends. None of them had been invited to this affair but Cadence didn’t mention her disappointment at the omission.
Today was her day to celebrate and she would keep a civil tongue.
She joined the family as they said goodbye to the guests.
“I had a wonderful time,” said an elderly matron who’d been one of the mayor’s biggest campaign contributors.
“It was so good of you to come,” Cadence said sincerely and kissed the woman on the cheek. The woman accepted the kiss and then handed Cadence an envelope tinted gray .
“A little something for you to splurge with,” she said with a short laugh. As Cadence thanked her, the lady turned to address Victoria. “Victoria, you did yourself proud. You must send me the card of the caterer you used. I loved, loved, loved the amuse-bouche.”
“I will be delighted to share his name with you but it’ll have to be our little secret,” Victoria said, lowering her voice to a conspiratorial whisper.
The lady’s eyes sparkled. She was someone, Cadence knew, who was used to getting what she wanted. Victoria was smart enough to give it to her.
“Thank you, Victoria, for the party,” Cadence said. “I appreciate all the trouble you took.”
“Of course Edward would’ve expected a celebration. He would’ve been so proud to see you so accomplished.” She said the words as if recited, without the slightest trace of sincerity .
The others in the room murmured their agreement. Victoria smiled in triumph. She was, after all, the doting stepmother.
Cadence was the dutiful, ever-smiling stepdaughter. Ugh.
She said farewell to her other guests, thanked them for their gifts and congratulations. Victoria, engaging to the point of gushing, remained by her side. She shook hands and kissed cheeks, laughed and took each compliment for the elaborate party with a false humility that made Cadence’s stomach twist into knots.
The thought occurred to Cadence that Victoria was shopping for rich spouses for her evil spawn. Her father had been dead almost three months now. Had Victoria and her children already run through the money he’d left them?
Cadence didn’t care. No doubt they would find another rich family to drain dry.
As more guests left, she could hear the twins whispering behind her. Probably complaining how boring the affair had been. She didn’t blame them. Their sham behavior at her graduation party couldn’t have been easy for them.
The last guest to leave was her father’s former law partner. She remembered him coming to her parents’ house when she was a child, bringing little gifts, a doll from American Girl, a charm bracelet from Tiffany’s. After Mother died and Father remarried, he didn’t come by as often. When Father went into politics, their friendship soured and the partnership did also.
“Look at you,” he said. “All grown up.”
“I’m so glad you came. It’s good to see you again.”
“Ed always said you had the smarts in the family.” He pressed a card into the palm of her hand and pushed her fingers around it. His gaze never left hers as he held her hand closed.
He leaned in as if kissing her on the cheek and whispered in her ear, “If you need help, and I suspect you will, call the number on the card.”
He pecked her on the cheek and she smelled his cologne and tobacco.
She didn’t dare look at the card but glanced at Victoria. Had she noticed? She didn’t seem to have seen the exchange. What was this all about? Why was her father’s former partner so secretive?
Cadence guessed the man’s guarded manner had a great deal to do with her inheritance. According to her father’s will, she was to come into her share of the money on her twenty-sixth birthday. She’d turn twenty-six in a couple of weeks.
She hadn’t forgotten. No doubt Victoria hadn’t either.
Unattractive thoughts raged in her mind, reminding her that the woman could be a snake. She’d stayed away from her for almost three years, safe from the cesspool of mistrust Victoria was so famous for creating. She couldn’t wait to say her goodbyes. With luck, she wouldn’t have to see them again.
“Can I go to my room now?” Sybil sneered as Father’s partner left and Victoria closed the door behind him.
“Not just yet,” Victoria replied. “We have something important to discuss with your sister. Let’s go into the parlor where we can be comfortable.”
The sulky twins mumbled their objections in unison. Victoria led the procession into the elaborately decorated room and took a seat on the leather sofa. The twins sat beside her.
Cadence took her place opposite them in a bad copy of a Louis XV chair.
“You are expecting some money from your father’s estate,” Victoria stated without any preamble. Leave it to her stepmother to get right to the point.
Cadence decided not to let Victoria upset her but she couldn’t leave now. She had to listen to the woman as she announced the terms of her father’s will, no doubt with regret.
Make no mistake. Cadence would be out of here and out of their lives within the hour.
