like crap. "It's really none of my business," Darling replied.
"Sure, it is." She turned to walk away. "Can't have Mr. Slater splitting his time and interests. "
She swore she heard the tramp laugh as she walked away.
Jaxon sat across the table from his well-intentioned mother and Melanie surrounded by the historic beauty of The Peabody, but his mind was miles away. The moment Melanie walked into his office…Darling had tried to make herself disappear. He needed to see her and let her know that everything would be okay. Shit. What was he thinking? He didn't have anything to apologize for. She'd told him to go, and no matter how much he pushed, she refused to act on what she felt. He didn't even know what he wanted to do himself.
As he sat across from the beautiful woman, he had to admit her attractiveness would intimidate most women and men. With the platforms she wore, she stood shoulder to shoulder with him and her hair held the perfect shades of honey and wheat. And, even in a suit, her body was hard for a man to resist. But, Darling, all five feet of her turned him on more than any woman he'd ever met, including this one.
"Jaxon, how much longer do you think you'll be in town?" Melanie asked.
As long as it takes, to determine what was happening with Darling, him, and his company. "Maybe a month."
She smiled and with a toss of her head flipped her golden hair over her shoulder. "That's great. We'll have plenty of time to explore." She smiled. "Memphis, that is."
"I don't know how much free time I'll have." He pushed away from the prime rib sandwich in front of him and leaned back in his seat. "One of my senior directors is taking a little time off." That was true enough.
"Oh, why?" asked his mother. She removed the tomato from her sandwich and placed it on the side of her plate.
He'd seen her do that same thing a million times before. "Mom, why don't you send it back?"
She smiled. "There's no reason to cause anyone any extra trouble when I can simply pull it off myself."
Jaxon couldn't help but smile. His mother never complained about anything. He got back to his mother's earlier question. "My senior director has a lot of personal business to take care of. A little time off will do him good."
"Well, hopefully, the young lady, Darling, will be able to help you keep everything going," his mother said.
"I think so." He thought for a second. "A lot of work needs to be done."
"How long has she been working with you?" Melanie asked between bites of grilled eggplant.
"Not very long. My senior director hired her. She has a lot of experience, and we both think she'll be able to help us revamp our meetings program."
Melanie stopped eating. "You seem to have a lot of confidence in her."
He had more than confidence in her. He was falling in love with her. "Yes."
Dinner had been painless enough, but his mother never gave up that easily. If she thought she had a "good" woman for him, she kept insisting. For every memorable night he'd had, there'd been almost as many disasters. "Mom, I don't think Melanie and I are right for each other."
They'd walked Melanie to the exit and waited with her while the valet returned with her car. He'd convinced his mother to have a cocktail in the lobby before heading to their rooms. Sitting beneath the iconic chandeliers of The Peabody, Jaxon remembered past visits he and his mother had made. The times they'd stood at the historic fountain watching the famous ducks walk down the red carpet and climb into the water. The brunches they'd shared. He couldn't figure out how the years had passed so quickly.
As his mother sat sipping from her wine glass, he noticed her hair was a little more silver, and there were a few more fine lines gracing her forehead.
What would he do with the rest of his life? Who would he spend those years with? Would he ever give her the grandchildren she wanted?
"Son, you haven't even given her a chance," she said with an edge of concern to her
"Sure, it is." She turned to walk away. "Can't have Mr. Slater splitting his time and interests. "
She swore she heard the tramp laugh as she walked away.
Jaxon sat across the table from his well-intentioned mother and Melanie surrounded by the historic beauty of The Peabody, but his mind was miles away. The moment Melanie walked into his office…Darling had tried to make herself disappear. He needed to see her and let her know that everything would be okay. Shit. What was he thinking? He didn't have anything to apologize for. She'd told him to go, and no matter how much he pushed, she refused to act on what she felt. He didn't even know what he wanted to do himself.
As he sat across from the beautiful woman, he had to admit her attractiveness would intimidate most women and men. With the platforms she wore, she stood shoulder to shoulder with him and her hair held the perfect shades of honey and wheat. And, even in a suit, her body was hard for a man to resist. But, Darling, all five feet of her turned him on more than any woman he'd ever met, including this one.
"Jaxon, how much longer do you think you'll be in town?" Melanie asked.
As long as it takes, to determine what was happening with Darling, him, and his company. "Maybe a month."
She smiled and with a toss of her head flipped her golden hair over her shoulder. "That's great. We'll have plenty of time to explore." She smiled. "Memphis, that is."
"I don't know how much free time I'll have." He pushed away from the prime rib sandwich in front of him and leaned back in his seat. "One of my senior directors is taking a little time off." That was true enough.
"Oh, why?" asked his mother. She removed the tomato from her sandwich and placed it on the side of her plate.
He'd seen her do that same thing a million times before. "Mom, why don't you send it back?"
She smiled. "There's no reason to cause anyone any extra trouble when I can simply pull it off myself."
Jaxon couldn't help but smile. His mother never complained about anything. He got back to his mother's earlier question. "My senior director has a lot of personal business to take care of. A little time off will do him good."
"Well, hopefully, the young lady, Darling, will be able to help you keep everything going," his mother said.
"I think so." He thought for a second. "A lot of work needs to be done."
"How long has she been working with you?" Melanie asked between bites of grilled eggplant.
"Not very long. My senior director hired her. She has a lot of experience, and we both think she'll be able to help us revamp our meetings program."
Melanie stopped eating. "You seem to have a lot of confidence in her."
He had more than confidence in her. He was falling in love with her. "Yes."
Dinner had been painless enough, but his mother never gave up that easily. If she thought she had a "good" woman for him, she kept insisting. For every memorable night he'd had, there'd been almost as many disasters. "Mom, I don't think Melanie and I are right for each other."
They'd walked Melanie to the exit and waited with her while the valet returned with her car. He'd convinced his mother to have a cocktail in the lobby before heading to their rooms. Sitting beneath the iconic chandeliers of The Peabody, Jaxon remembered past visits he and his mother had made. The times they'd stood at the historic fountain watching the famous ducks walk down the red carpet and climb into the water. The brunches they'd shared. He couldn't figure out how the years had passed so quickly.
As his mother sat sipping from her wine glass, he noticed her hair was a little more silver, and there were a few more fine lines gracing her forehead.
What would he do with the rest of his life? Who would he spend those years with? Would he ever give her the grandchildren she wanted?
"Son, you haven't even given her a chance," she said with an edge of concern to her
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