Matt just stared at Barbara and her news team. Did he hear her right or was this just a joke to get him off balance to bolster her interview?
He glanced over at C.J. and she just arched her brows.
"Well I can see that question shut you up quickly didn't it Mr. Houston?"
Matt pulled at his tie, his mind trying to make sense of what she just told him. How could it be true, how did Elizabeth manage to buy out his company? She'd gotten shares but not enough to take control of it. Someone must have helped her overnight but who? C.J. cleared her throat.
"Excuse me, but Mr. Houston has to review the latest spreadsheets to decide on how to respond to that question."
Barbara's lips turned down into a pout.
"Oh come on, my viewing audience of six million has been waiting all morning to hear your response to losing everything."
Matt interrupted.
"I haven't lost everything," he said, "It's just a company, and this development is very temporary. My lawyers are working on it right now."
Thank God he could think so quickly on his feet. Damn, what had been going on when he'd been otherwise occupied? Where the hell was his CEO, Murray Chase right now? Strange, he hadn't heard from him in nearly 24 hours which had to be a record.
"So Mr. Houston…Matt…what will you do to get your company and your fortune back?"
Matt wasn't worried too much about his finances. He had money separate from his business that would more than feed, clothe and pay for his assortment of hobbies. But he'd built his multi-million empire from scratch with the woman next to him. Now, it was no longer his in some form of hostile takeover initiated by his ex-fiancée who had demanded that he marry her or else.
"I'll get back to you on that," he said, "Now C.J. we have that meeting to attend."
She nodded, giving Barbara the evil eye. But she wanted out of this situation too, so that she and Matt could take a deep breath, regroup and find out more of what had just happened. Beginning with calling Murray and ask him for the scoop on his end.
Matt's phone vibrated and he answered.
"Murray…what a surprise…"
He had to hold it apart from his ear as he tried to sort out every third word because the connection wasn't very good. Murray must be driving on the highway again or caught in a traffic jam.
"So cut to the chase Murray," he said, "Give me the bottom line….Oh I see….well thanks for the heads up…No I didn't mean that sarcastically…Talk to you later…bye."
He snapped his phone and looked at C.J.
"Come on, let's get going…"
Barbara shook her head still blocking their path.
"But Mr. Houston…inquiring minds want to know."
He held up a hand.
"Listen…we'll issue a press statement later but in the meantime, my associate and I have an important meeting."
"On the takeover?"
Matt looked at C.J. and his smile was just for her.
"More like the successful outcome of a merger."
C.J. bit back her smile at that and slipped her arm in Matt's. The news had hit her hard but she knew that she and Matt could handle anything. They'd figure out a plan of action to take to get their conglomerate back.
"Houston…let's get going. I don't want to be late."
He looked over at Barbara.
"Move out of our way," he said, "We'll issue that statement out of our corporate office later I promise."
Barbara bit her lip, not looking placated.
"All right, you have a few hours but we'll be back."
She moved aside as Matt and C.J. headed to the elevator where Matt pressed the button. Then they both heard the shrill voice behind them.
"Houston…mi amour…what about our conversation?"
He sighed.
"Serena, your offer has been reviewed and rejected," he said, "Our conversation is over."
She reached for something crystal in her rage and threw it at him. He ducked quickly pulling C.J. down too as the vase flew over their heads and shattered against the wall. Barbara just stood there, her mouth ajar.
"Wow…we are here standing live as Serena, that Italian heiress who's daddy was brutally murdered at a yacht christening two years ago has just attacked millionaire playboy Matt Houston with a piece of his own crystal…your reaction Mr. Houston?"
The elevator door opened.
"Later…"
He and C.J. slipped into the elevator and relief filled them as the doors closed shut. He slid his arms around her waist and he kissed her softly on the mouth. When he pulled away, he traced her mouth with a couple fingers.
"Damn, what a day," he said, "I can't believe Elizabeth got my company."
She brushed some hair off his forehead with her fingers looking at him.
"We'll get it back. We just have to figure out who's pulling her strings in the wings."
He nodded because he knew Elizabeth didn't really have the brains or the moxie to pull off a corporate takeover of a company the size of Houston Enterprises.
"Let's forget about all this okay," he said, "and focus on the baby."
She smiled as he slid a hand over her abdomen.
"I'm excited about the ultrasound Houston," she said, "I know I'm supposed to be worried about the company but I'd rather be thinking about him or her."
He kissed her on the mouth again, loving the way she tasted and how perfect she felt molded against his body. He didn't think he'd ever get over how much.
"Me too…I've got so many ideas for the new house."
She put up her hand on his chest.
"Houston….we do have to figure out what we're going to do, where we'll live," she said, "I meant what I said about not wanting to raise our baby in the city."
He nodded again.
"I want him or her to enjoy a childhood like we did," he said, "I know I sold the ranch in the valley but there's more spreads up for sale."
She smiled.
"Maybe we could go look at them."
He brushed his fingers against her face again.
"No matter what happens to Houston Enterprises," he said, "I will be able to pay for our child."
"We'll both share in that Houston," she said, "Everything will be okay."
He knew with the baby that was the most important thing. That it grow happy and healthy including right now. He'd been a bit worried about the morning sickness that robbed her of a hearty breakfast but she'd told him it would pass in a month or two. Her appetite the rest of the day more than made up for it.
The elevator opened up at the garage and they went to his convertible to head off to the doctor's office.
Matt and C.J. stared at the screen as the doctor outlined the feature of the baby that grew inside C.J.'s body.
"You see that heart," the woman said, "It's normal and it's very vigorous."
Matt smiled at that.
"An athlete maybe…?"
The doctor continued to talk about the test result and Matt stored every bit of it away in his memory forever. The bad news that he'd received that morning slipped away while he focused on what she told him while resting his hand on C.J.'s shoulder. She'd had to get dressed in one of those dreadful paper gowns and had an examination that he skipped until called in for the ultrasound.
"You've still got quite a few months left and I'm going to leave a list of instructions for C.J. to follow but everything looks excellent so far."
C.J. beamed and Matt drew her for a kiss. The doctor soon left them and C.J. got dressed again.
"I'm so glad the baby's doing just fine," Matt said, "It makes the rest of the day seem unimportant."
She sighed as they left the office to head back to the car.
"Houston, I don't want you to lose everything you built."
"We built."
"Okay what we built," she said, "It's not right for Elizabeth to get it all."
Matt unlocked the door and opened hers for her while she climbed in the car. He got in on the driver's side.
"We've got to find out who the silent partner is," he said, "It might be someone she tracked down who had a grudge against us…someone from one of our cases."
"Isn't Uncle Roger looking into that right now?"
Matt started the car and they pulled back into the street.
"Yeah and Will's helping him," he said, "They both want to help us get it back."
C.J. looked over at him.
"Are you going to hit Courtney Garner's book signing?"
He considered that, and knew what she was getting at. Garner could easily be the silent partner as she didn't like Matt at all stemming from the case where a rival murder writer had been murdered. Garner's secret lover had been the main suspect though he had wound up being cleared by Matt who had to bust his old publisher friend instead. Still, she had slapped Matt a couple times and hadn't seemed all that grateful to Matt for all his hard work.
"Yeah…it's tonight."
She smiled.
"You think you'll need some backup in case she gets upset again?"
He shot her a look.
"I've got the same black belts you do."
"C.J. there's not going to be any violence," he said, "I think she's probably forgiven us and moved on. Her new book's quite a success."
She snorted.
"It should be…it's about you, the successful handsome if somewhat flawed master detective and his associate who has mousy brown hair and sensible shoes."
He smiled at her.
"Don't see the resemblance," he said, "Does she kill the detective in this book?"
C.J. shook her head to his relief.
"Good because Serena almost took me out this morning with Uncle Roy's crystal collection."
C.J. made a face.
"What made her came back Houston," she said, "I mean she had all those billions tied up in probate to focus on for the next decade or so."
"I guess she had some spare time."
"She wanted your baby?"
Matt nodded somewhat sheepishly and C.J. chuckled.
"Houston, you're going to be busy with one child, where would you find energy for another?"
Matt turned into the parking garage.
"She's not getting a child," he said, "I turned her down."
"Serena can be very stubborn and very destructive if she doesn't get her way."
She could throw all the tantrums she wanted and he'd bill her for everything she broke but only one woman would be having his children.
Just the thought of that filled him with excitement as he got out of the car and then he looked up and saw her standing there.
Elizabeth, standing with a team of security guards around her.