MaeBe had paled, and Kyle moved in front of her like Vanessa was going to attack.
What the hell had happened? Why was Vanessa here? “We should go to my office to talk.”
“I’m not going anywhere with you.” Her voice sounded flat, all the emotion gone. “I needed to see it, to make sure it was real. I didn’t know May was in on it, but it seems like you all are. I suppose Tessa and David were watching me, too.”
Fuck. Michael’s gut rolled. “Vanessa, if you come to my office, I can explain everything.”
“I think I have it.” She backed away from him. “Julian was worried I was sketchy because everyone told him I was. He didn’t want to risk his precious wife getting infected by me so he brought you in to make sure I didn’t hurt her. He decided the best way to watch me was to fuck me over, and that’s where you came in.”
“I can understand how it sounds that way.” He had to tamp down his panic. Something had gone wrong, and she’d found out.
She looked at MaeBe. “Him I can understand. He’s a rich prick who thinks a woman like me is something to use and toss out the minute he’s done. But I thought you were different. I guess the goth crap is there to hide the fact that you’re just like the rest of them. Feminism to you is all about being able to be one of the guys. You get to join in on fucking a chick over, huh?”
“That’s not what I meant to do.” Tears rolled down MaeBe’s cheeks.
“Hey, she was trying to protect you.” Kyle took a step toward Vanessa.
That was not happening. “Leave her be.”
“Yeah, she protected me all right. She helped shove me into bed with him.” Her chin came up in a stubborn expression. “I want to know everything you did to me. It seems awfully coincidental that I wouldn’t be able to go home at the precise moment you needed me close to watch me.” She turned to Deke. “Did you have something to do with that? Did I actually hand over my keys to the man who called the press down on me?”
“Well, fuck,” a deep voice said. “That was Julian calling to tell me we might have an avenging angel on the way over. Guess Michael should have answered his phone. Ms. Jones, I’m Ian Taggart, part owner of the company I hope you don’t decide to sue. Why don’t you come into my office and we can talk?”
Ian stood in the doorway that led back to the offices, a fierce frown on his face.
“She’s coming with me, and we’re going to talk this out.” He wasn’t about to let Ian get in the middle of this. Vanessa was his. Ian wasn’t going to take over, and Michael sure as hell wasn’t going to allow his boss to throw him under a bus to protect the company.
“I’m not going with either of you.” Vanessa stood her ground. “I want to know if you’re the one who called the press that day. When we had coffee, you kept me there for longer than we’d agreed. Is that because you were waiting for the press to show up?”
“It’s because I didn’t want the date to end,” he replied.
Her eyes rolled. “Sure.”
“Vanessa, I told you that no matter what happened, you should know that I care about you. I meant that.” He could get control of this situation. She’d had a hard truth hit her, one he could have softened if he’d been the one to tell her, but he could turn this around.
“Did you or did you not call the press?” Her eyes were steady on him.
“I did.” He wasn’t going to lie to her again. “At the time all I knew was money was missing. A lot of it. And I knew someone was attempting to hack the systems at Lodge Corp. I wanted you close for a lot of reasons. Baby, I might have started this relationship out the wrong way, but I want it. I want you.”
She turned to Ian. “Mr. Taggart, I assume your investigation of me is over, correct?”
“Yes.” Ian’s expression softened marginally. “I believe you will find that Mr. Lodge regrets any discomfort he’s cost you.”
Vanessa crossed her arms over her chest, a protective gesture. “Sure. I could almost forgive him knowing there was money missing, but then I remember that he set me up with a man he had to know was going to lie to me to get me in bed. After all, he designed the contract and then stood outside the room watching to make sure Michael was able to get into my panties the first time I met him.”
“It wasn’t like that,” Michael protested. Except he knew it was.