But she couldn’t worry about his motives now. She had a full schedule ahead of her. After their initial reunion, Lissa had sat through a typical morning in Trevor’s life, which consisted of nonstop phone calls, paperwork, a few confidential meetings for which she’d had to step out of the room, and more phone calls. As a result, she’d had plenty of time to observe him and view the man he’d become.
Of course Lissa had researched her subject and she’d read about Trevor’s basic background, much of which she already knew: scholarships to Columbia undergrad and business school, where he’d worked his way through, earning the rest of his way while maintaining stellar grades; internships at the top financial firms in Manhattan; and a job waiting for him when he graduated.
The man was brilliant—something she’d always known—but what he’d accomplished on his own was simply amazing. She was proud of him. So proud, she couldn’t stop the warmth fluttering through her even now. But she’d known all about his golden accomplishments and understood his inner drive to make things happen. As a kid, the arrogance he projected had been an act, a cover for insecurities about where he’d come from.
Trevor Dane no longer needed to pretend. An earned confidence had replaced the old cockiness. Sexiness had taken the place of what she’d thought of as hunky hotness.
As for his looks, well, she’d seen recent photos on the company website, but nothing had prepared her for his impact in person. He was gorgeous, the force of his personality magnetic. At a glance, the changes in him were obvious. With his jet-black hair in an expensive cut, a power suit, and a red tie, he radiated confidence. His blue eyes were still as piercing, his knowing gaze as raw. His face was leaner, more chiseled, and if possible, he was even more handsome.
She had no doubt women lined up to date the eligible, wealthy bachelor, something she figured she’d discover first-hand the more time she spent with him. Pain shot through her heart at the thought, but she had no one to blame but herself. No matter how much she was still drawn to him, they were history.
Even after he’d overcome his shock at seeing her, wariness remained between them. Still, he insisted she accompany him, not just for his daily business but on all his after-hours appointments as well.
Beginning with dinner tonight, a formal event on Friday evening, and a dinner party on Saturday. That meant she needed a formal gown and another dress for Saturday night, none of which she could easily afford. She’d tried to cover her surprise and dismay and knew she’d failed miserably ... but at least she’d salvaged her pride and hadn’t let her lack of money slip.
No doubt Trevor assumed she’d received a nice settlement to end her marriage. She wasn’t about to inform him how hard she’d had to scrape for life’s little luxuries. Her marriage and its aftermath were none of his business. She didn’t want or need his sympathy—if he’d even afford her that, given their history.
She’d left his office at three in order to pull herself together, check into her hotel, and then go shopping. Since she didn’t
know any places like Consign and Design in the city, she’d have to pay full price at a department store. At least her parents were watching Olivia through the end of this school week and then her baby was going to stay with her father and his bimbo.
Make that Brad’s soon-to-be wife, who was all of twenty-two years old and who possessed more money than even Brad’s family. Lissa cringed. But no matter how much Lissa resented Brad and his behavior, she knew Olivia was safe and cared for with her father, giving her the freedom to be in the city and take care of business.
She grabbed her purse, made sure she had her credit card in her wallet, and started to leave, when a knock interrupted her. A look through the peephole showed her someone in a hotel uniform, so she opened the door.
“Can I help you?” Lissa asked the younger man.
“Are you Miss Elisabetta Gardelli?” he asked.
She nodded. Every time she heard her full name, she was glad she’d reclaimed her maiden name after the divorce. Olivia was still a Banks, but Elisabetta had no desire to be one anymore.
“Special delivery for you.” He gestured to the rolling cart Lissa hadn’t noticed before.
She shook her head. “I’m sorry, but I didn’t order anything.”
The man looked at the paper in his hand. “From Saks Fifth Avenue, for you. May I?” He inclined his head, indicating he wanted to come into the room.
“Umm, sure.” Confused, Lissa let him enter and lay out garment bags on the bed, along with shoeboxes and shopping bags.
He’d started to push the cart back out of the room when her brain kicked back into gear. “Wait, please.” She went to her wallet and pulled out some bills to tip him with. “Here. Thank you.”
“No, ma’am. It’s all taken care of, but thank you.”
“I don’t understand,” she said, her legs beginning to shake as she realized there was only one person who knew she needed clothing.
“A Mr. Trevor Dane is downstairs. He asked me to get your permission to share your room number with him?”
Mutely, Lissa nodded. “Send him up,” she murmured, lowering herself onto a corner of the bed, knowing her legs wouldn’t hold up much longer.
Nothing about this interview and reunion with Trevor was going as she’d envisioned. She’d known being with him again would be challenging, but she’d hoped it would be cathartic. She’d never quite gotten him out of her system and after seeing him today, she was coming to the conclusion she never would. She thought she’d be resigning herself to that throughout this long, torturous weekend.
But now she was facing this ... thoughtful, caring gesture from a man who ought to hate her. He should be doing everything he could to make her time with him as painless for himself as possible—by spending as little time with her as he needed to in order to get the article written. Yet he was sending her expensive clothing from Saks and showing up at her hotel room in the middle of his workday to ... what?
She had no idea, and that scared her.
*
As Trevor rode the elevator to the thirty-sixth floor, he figured he’d lost his mind. He had no other explanation for doing something so out of character as leaving work in the middle of the day. No doubt about it, though, his phone call with his mother had shaken him badly.