Her Secret, His Duty

Chapter 2

Debra had suffered a crush on Trey Winston from the very first time she’d met him years ago. She’d always known he was out of her league, but her crush had never really diminished over the years.

She couldn’t help the fact that her heart always leapt a bit at the sight of him, that she often grew tongue-tied and clumsy in his presence. Even sharing the single night that they’d had together hadn’t changed her attraction to him; instead it had only deepened her feelings for Trey.

But, it didn’t matter what she felt about him because she knew that she was the last woman on earth he would ever want to have a public relationship with. He had his future neatly planned out with Cecily McKenna by his side.

As she drove to the Regent Hotel to meet both him and the hotel manager to discuss the event, she couldn’t halt the tingling nerves that fluttered through her veins at the thought of working with him so closely.

She knew he’d probably marry Cecily, a gorgeous heiress who had the social savvy and political chops to be an asset to him.

Debra also knew that she would be a definite liability to Trey. She’d been born out of wedlock. Her father, who had been a married CEO of a Fortune 500 company at the time, had never acknowledged her existence personally. In fact, Debra had been raised by her mother to never mention her father’s name, to never expect anything but a monthly support check in the mail from him.

When her mother died right after Debra’s graduation from college, she had met with her father for the first and the last time. She had requested one thing from him—she wanted him to use his influence to get her a job in the political arena, specifically with Kathleen Adair Winston. As one of Kate’s top contributors to her political campaign when she’d run for vice president, he had been instrumental in her attaining her position with Kate.

That’s the only thing Debra had ever asked from the man who had never been anything but a name on a check, but he hadn’t even managed to follow through on that. In recent years, there had been whispers of scandals within his company and talk of her father having some shady dealings.

Debra could crush on Trey all she wanted, but she knew she would only be an embarrassing one-night stand and right now a valuable tool to use to achieve his dreams. She would work her butt off to help him in his bid for a seat in the Senate. She wanted him to have his dream and she’d also do the best she could because Kate had asked her to.

She parked in front of the prestigious thirty-story hotel and looked at her watch. She was twenty minutes early for their ten-o’clock appointment so she remained in the car with the engine running and warm air blowing from the heater vents.

She’d been surprised when she’d called the hotel and discovered that the ballroom was available on a Friday night two weeks from now. Two weeks. Jeez, Kate must think she was some kind of magician.

But there had to be some magic at work for the ballroom not to already be booked, Debra thought.

Her hand fell to her stomach, caressing the place where she knew eventually there would be a baby bump, a bump that could potentially destroy Trey’s future plans.

Politics thrived on scandals and any of Trey’s adversaries would turn a simple night between two consenting adults into something ugly to use against him. Everyone knew he’d been seeing Cecily so that one-night stand would be a testimony to a lack of morals on both their parts. He would be painted with the same brush that had darkened his father’s Senate term.

Debra knew that neither of them lacked a moral compass. The night had simply gotten away from them, both of them making mistakes in judgment.

He would never know about the baby, although it broke her heart that she felt like she was somehow repeating a history she’d never wanted for any child of her own.

She loved the baby, despite the circumstances of the conception. She would be the best mother she could and maybe eventually she’d meet a man who wanted her and her child enough to form a family unit.

She checked her watch once again and then cut the car engine. She grabbed her purse with her electronic notepad inside and then got out of the car. She’d power dressed today in a stylish dark brown skirt and suit jacket with a beige blouse. Brown pumps adorned her feet and tiny gold hoop earrings were her only jewelry.

Drawing in several deep breaths as she walked to the hotel entrance, she shoved all thoughts from her mind except what needed to be here to do her job well.

She still couldn’t believe how lucky they had been that the Regent’s ballroom was available on a Friday night two weeks from now. Two weeks was the mere blink of an eye in planning the kind of event they intended to have.

Whenever possible, Debra used the hotel’s event planner, but the Regent had a new woman working in that position, somebody Debra had never worked with before. It wouldn’t take long for Debra to discern if the woman was adequately prepared to do the job they needed and if she wasn’t then Debra would bring in an event planner of her own.

Debra knew she had a reputation as being sweet and accommodating, but she could be a vicious shark when it was necessary to get what was best for the Winston family.

She went to the reservation desk and asked for Donald Rasworth, the hotel manager. She smelled Trey before she saw him, the expensive scent of a slightly spicy cologne that had clung intimately to her skin the morning after their wild, impetuous encounter.

She turned and nearly bumped into him. “Oh. You’re here,” she said.

He smiled. “Aren’t I supposed to be here?”

“Yes, but I just didn’t know that you were here... That you’d actually arrived...”

Thankfully she was rescued from her inane ramble by a tall slender man who approached them with a hand extended and a wide smile of welcome on his face.

“Mr. Winston,” he said as he grabbed Trey’s hand in a shake. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir. We’re hoping here at the Raleigh Regent that we can meet all your needs for whatever event you want to plan.”

Trey turned to Debra and introduced her. “This is the person you need to please,” Trey said. “She’s our special weapon when it comes to planning these things.”

“I understand you have a new event planner. Will she be joining us?” Debra asked.

“Stacy Boone and yes, she should be joining us at any moment.” He looked around the lobby, as if expecting the woman to be hiding behind a potted plant or an elegant column. “While we wait for her why don’t I go ahead and take you to our main ballroom and let you have a look around.”

One demerit for the late Stacy Boone, Debra thought as she followed behind the two men. Trey was clad in a navy suit with a matching shirt, and she couldn’t help but notice that he looked as good from the back as he did from the front.

Broad shoulders, slim waist and long legs, the man was definitely eye candy even without his confident stride and the aura of power that radiated from him.

A vision of his naked body flashed in her brain, causing her to stumble over a bump in the carpet that didn’t exist. Trey turned in time to put a hand on her shoulder to steady her. “Okay?” he asked with concern.

“I’m fine,” she assured him quickly. It was a relief when he dropped his hand from her. He was a warm and friendly man, a toucher by nature, but she didn’t want him touching her in any way. It evoked too many memories she definitely needed to forget.

They had just reached the ballroom’s double doors when a young blonde in a pink dress and high heels to heaven came rushing in. She carried a messy pile of paperwork and a smile of apology. “Sorry I’m late.” Her gaze landed on Trey and admiration filled her eyes. “I’m so sorry I’m late.”

Donald introduced the woman as Stacy, not only his new event planner but his favorite niece, as well. Uh-oh, Debra thought. She didn’t have any real problem with the nepotism, but Stacy looked very young and definitely had the aura of an airhead about her.

Even Trey looked slightly troubled as he said hello and then exchanged a quick glance with Debra. Debra returned a reassuring smile to him. She’d know within an hour if Stacy was up to the job or not and if she wasn’t then she’d be out and Debra would be working with somebody she knew could help her get this job done right.

Stacy led them into the ballroom and set her papers on a nearby table. “You’re lucky you called when you did. Most people don’t know yet that we just recently finished the renovation of the ballroom. New lighting, carpeting and wall covering. We also have the ability to remove the carpeting, which is actually big squares, in order to lay down a fantastic dance floor.”

“I like that,” Trey said with enthusiasm. “Dinner and dancing.”

“That means we’ll have to hire a small orchestra,” Debra said as she stifled an inward groan. She’d been so flustered yesterday when she’d initially met with Trey they hadn’t talked about the budget for this affair.

“Then we’ll hire an orchestra,” he replied breezily. “I want people leaving that night feeling good about their evening and me. Dancing after dinner definitely has to happen,” he replied.

“Then we’ll make it happen.” Debra pulled her tablet out of her purse and made notes to add to the computer file she’d started for Trey’s dinner party.

Stacy pulled a paper form from her stack and gestured for the three of them to sit at the single table just inside the room. Debra took off her coat and flung it across the back of her chair while Trey took off his overcoat and did the same.

As they began talking about the basic logistics, the date and time and how many would be attending, Stacy took notes and Trey leaned back in his chair and looked around the room, making Debra wonder what thoughts were tumbling around in his head.

Was he thinking about the dinner and maybe writing, in his head, the speech he’d give that night? Or perhaps he was mulling over how difficult the Senate race would be. The incumbent Senator William DeCrow was seeking another term and he was known to be a down and dirty fighter.

Thankfully, Trey had no dirt from his past or present that could be thrown on him, as long as nobody ever knew about their night together, as long as nobody ever knew about the baby she carried he should be fine.

Stacy might have flown in like an airhead, but when it got right down to business, she appeared to be savvy and eager to please, a perfect combination for getting things done properly.

“I can email you a variety of menus first thing tomorrow,” she said to Debra after they’d both signed a contract to rent the ballroom for the date. “And are we doing a cash or an open bar?”

“We’ll serve wine with dinner, but set up a cash bar,” Debra replied. Trey leaned forward and opened his mouth as if to protest, but Debra didn’t allow him.

“Cash bar,” she said firmly. “This night is supposed to be about you beginning to build a support base, not about a bunch of drunks who won’t remember what you said in your speech the next morning.”

“And people never drink as much when they have to pay for it out of their own pockets,” Stacy added.

“Okay, then I guess I’m outvoted on this topic,” he replied and once again leaned back in the chair.

“Let’s talk about room setup,” Stacy said.

Debra and Stacy began to discuss placement of tables and the dance floor that Trey wanted. As the two women spoke, Debra was acutely aware of the scent of Trey’s cologne, the warmth of his body far too close to hers.

Somehow, someway, she needed to get over the silly, schoolgirl crush or whatever it was she had where he was concerned.

Even though the night they’d shared was burned indelibly into her brain, she doubted that it had crossed his mind after he’d put her in the cab to take her home the next morning.

Trey Winston was off-limits, always had been and always would be. He had no interest in her other than using her as an effective weapon to achieve his ambitious desire of becoming the next senator of North Carolina.

She’d told herself she would do whatever she could to help him because of her devotion to Kate, but the truth of the matter was she’d do it because she cared about him enough to want to see him get everything he wanted in life.

* * *

Trey tried to keep his gaze off Debra and Stacy as they went over the initial planning stages. The two women were polar opposites. Stacy looked like a fashion doll with her bleached blond hair and black-fringed blue eyes. Her pink dress hugged her body in all the right places and she would instantly draw the gaze of any man who was breathing.

Debra, on the other hand, flew just under the radar in her brown suit and with her hair pulled back into a messy knot at the back of her head.

And yet it was Debra who kept drawing his gaze. She had the loveliest eyes he’d ever seen, so big and so green. Her slightly heart-shaped face expressed each and every emotion she felt.

As the two women talked, Debra displayed both earnestness and an underlying will of steel. She listened to Stacy’s ideas, tossing some while accepting others.

He knew Debra was his mother’s go-to woman, practically Kate’s right hand, moving behind the scenes to keep his mother’s life in order and running as smoothly as possible six days a week.

He also knew that the night they had met up in the bar, Debra had been upset about a breakup with some guy named Gary or Larry, or something like that.

Initially, he’d just wanted to console her, but he was in such good spirits about his own business deal, it wasn’t long before he had Debra laughing and the surprising sparks had flown between them.

Debra was a constant at the Winston Estate, but he suddenly realized he knew virtually nothing about her personal life or who she was when she wasn’t Kate Winston’s assistant.

Did she like to dance? What was her favorite kind of music? Did she have any hobbies? How did she spend her evenings and Sundays?

He frowned and stared up at an elaborate crystal chandelier. He shouldn’t be wondering about Debra’s personal life. It... She was none of his business. Just because they’d hooked up for one night didn’t mean anything at all.

He knew without doubt that it was a secret neither of them would speak of to anyone else. He trusted Debra. Her loyalty and love had always been with the family.

Still, she had stunned him with her passion, delighted him with her abandon that night. Granted, they’d both been buzzed on champagne, but neither of them could claim inebriation to the point of a lack of consent.

He knew he shouldn’t even be thinking about that night. It had been a foolish misstep on both their parts. Instead he should be thinking about Cecily and her excitement when he’d called her the night before and told her about the dinner party and his decision to enter the race.

“Then I guess we’re done here for now.” Stacy’s perky voice brought him back to the present. “I’ll email you the various menus and a couple of tentative table and floor plans first thing in the morning.”

Debra nodded and stood. “And I’ll get back to you on exactly what we want for a speaker’s podium and maybe a head table.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Stacy replied and also got to her feet. Trey followed suit, rising and taking Debra’s coat from the back of her chair to help her into it.

Even her coat smelled of that fresh scent that had dizzied his senses when he’d held her in his arms. She quickly slid her arms in and stepped away from him with a murmured thanks.

Trey pulled his coat on and at the ballroom doorway they both said goodbye to Stacy, who scurried off in one direction while Trey and Debra headed back to the lobby and the front door.

They stepped outside into the bracing air. “It’s after eleven. Do you want to go someplace for a quick lunch before you head back to the office?” he asked.

He could tell that he’d surprised her by the look on her face. “Oh, no, thanks. I really need to get back to work. All I need from you is a guest list as quickly as possible so that we can get the invitations out.”

“I’ll work on it this afternoon and how about I drop it by your place this evening? That way you’ll have it first thing in the morning to start working on. I’ve got business meetings tomorrow that will keep me at Adair Enterprises for most of the day. You’ll be home this evening?”

“Yes, I’ll be home by six-thirty or so.”

He shoved his hands into his coat pockets, noting how the brisk breeze whipped a pretty pink into her cheeks. “How are things with Larry?” It was the first time either of them had made any mention of what had transpired six weeks ago.

“It’s Barry, and things are fine. He’s gone and I’m happy. He was nothing but a creep.”

“You seemed pretty upset about the breakup,” Trey replied.

The pink in her cheeks was definitely brighter now and he had a feeling it had nothing to do with the weather. “I was mostly upset because I intended to break up with him that night and he beat me to the punch and broke up with me first.” She looked toward her car and shifted from one foot to the other, as if wishing for an immediate escape route.

“Okay then, I guess I’ll see you later this evening. Shall we say around seven?” he asked.

She nodded. “That would be fine.” With a murmured goodbye she made her escape, hurrying away from him as if unable to get out of his presence fast enough.

He frowned as he headed for his own car. He found it impossible to discern what Debra thought of him. In all the years he’d known her, he’d never been able to figure out if she actually liked him or not. The night of sharing a bed and hot sex hadn’t changed the fact that he didn’t know what to think about her or what she might think about him.

And it irritated him that he cared. He got into his car and tried to push thoughts of Debra Prentice away. He had so many other things to focus on, like how he intended to continue to run the successful Adair Enterprises at the same time he launched a campaign.

Grandfather Walt would be proud of him. The old man was probably dancing with the angels at Trey’s decision to enter the world of politics. Running the family business and politics had been what the old man had wanted for him.

Trey knew he had a good chance of winning. He didn’t lean too far left or too far to the right. His politics were middle-of-the-road. He’d already proven his business acumen in the success of Adair Enterprises and he knew he’d made a reputation for himself as a hard worker and decent man who was willing to compromise when it was necessary.