“No one seems to be dancing much tonight,” Nick observed.
“A lot of people will later,” Rand said. “It’s only the beginning of the evening.”
Eventually, Rand held out a hand to Ciara. “How about a walk?”
“I’d like that,” Ciara answered, standing and resting her hand within his.
As Ciara and Rand walked away, Nick turned to Emma. “How about it? Would you like to see the beach?”
Emma was definitely taken aback.
There appeared to be lots of families scattered amidst the crowd, so many of the guests were beginning to depart once the sun had gone down. Music was echoing through the air as Nick and Emma made their way down the staircase, heading toward the beach, but turning in the opposite direction from Rand and Ciara.
“I’m sorry for whatever I said to get you upset,” Nick murmured as they walked through the sand.
Emma shrugged. “It’s no big deal.”
But Nick could tell that it was. He still hadn’t exactly figured out what she was mad about.
He gave her a side glance. She was probably only about five-foot tall, and Nick towered over her at six-two. She had beautiful legs, so he could see why she was wearing a sundress and high heels.
Bending down, she tugged off her high heels, carrying them both with the straps as they continued walking.
Emma had a beautiful figure, that’s for sure, with full breasts and a narrow waist. And she had the most beautiful white blonde hair he’d ever seen.
But it was the beauty of her face which he’d been drawn to first. Her oval shaped face, her beautiful white skin and lavender eyes, the color so deep, they were almost purple,
She must have sensed his thoughts, because when she turned, there was a question in her eyes. “Is something wrong?”
“Not at all,” Nick answered as they kept strolling along the beach.
Suddenly, the music went silent, and Nick had to ask, “How would you feel if I kissed you?”
She looked undecided, but much to his surprise, she finally answered, “Alright.”
He closed the distance between them, and drew her into his arms, and with luxurious slowness, he nibbled her lower lip.
Her mouth opened, and her rough exhalation caressed his cheek.
When their lips melded and his tongue slid into the welcoming depths of her mouth, her tongue greeted his, touching delicately, darting and tasting the inside of his mouth.
Nick groaned, exhaling roughly and deepening the kiss.
Her eyes stayed closed, as if she didn’t want to think about what she was doing as her mouth hotly, hungrily responded to his.
His heart began hammering hard in his chest, and unexpectedly finding his hand covering her naked breast, he nearly dropped to the sand, wanting to finish what he’d started.
Emma’s kiss was drowning him beyond reason.
But suddenly, he realized what was happening, and drew back from Emma in horror.
“Oh, God,” he murmured, running his hand through his hair. “What in the hell are we doing? I was ready to have sex with you right here on the beach.”
The dreaminess in her eyes disappeared, and looking down at her bare breast, she sucked in an unsteady breath, pulling the strap of her sundress back over her shoulder and straightening her clothes.
The feel of her in his arms, the scent and softness of her skin was making him crazy, and Nick wanted Emma like he’d never wanted a woman before. Somehow, he knew it wasn’t going to only be sex, because once they made love, he would never be able to let her go.
.
Chapter Ten
Rand made coffee and breakfast for everyone the following morning. Jack and Nick had already packed their bags and loaded them into the SUV since Rand would be taking them to the airport.
When they reached the airport a few hours later, Rand escorted Jack and Nick through their check-in and sat with them to wait until their flight began to board.
“So, currently, I have a part time manager who handles the property acquisitions and showings. He’d still like to continue in a part-time capacity, but no way is he interested in working full time, because he’s got a full-time position with Jake Loughlin, the owner of the Dragonfly Pointe Inn. Jake uses Mike Merrill to search and scope out potential sites for new hotels across the country, so Mike travels a lot.”
“Alright,” Nick murmured. “I was going to ask you about living accommodations.”
Rand continued, “As a matter of fact, the office space in downtown Crystal Rock is currently being remodeled. It’s an older building and we’re trying to keep the historical value intact, and it just so happens there are two apartments that are going to be available upstairs. I figured I would offer the both of you living accommodations for free as one of the perks, as well as health insurance and retirement options.”
Nick was looking at Rand strangely.
“What?” Rand asked. “You’re looking at me like I have two heads.”
“He’s beginning to wonder if you do,” Jack answered, grinning. “One that plays at being a bad boy, womanizing jock, and the other with a head for business.”
“Exactly,” Nick murmured, feeling dazed.
“I told my Dad I was interested in working with him when I was fifteen years old,” Rand growled. “And he wouldn’t have a thing to do with me. Jake Loughlin came along and showed me the ropes. I think half my determination to succeed in the same business my father was in had to do with me wanting to be able to throw it in is face one day.”
“I don’t blame you being bitter,” Jack answered.
“It’s like an obsession with me,” Rand answered. “I’ve come to hate my dad, even though I had a great life being raised by my grandparents.”
Rand shook his head numbly. He didn’t need to go to that dark place that occasionally overtook his thoughts.
“But enough of that,” he muttered.
“So. you’re sure about hiring both of us?” Jack asked. “I’ll put my notice in as soon as I return to work.”
“Damn right. The two of you can report to work during the week of December 12th. How does that sound? That’ll give you a few weeks to get moved from Virginia and into your apartments. We’ll pay your moving expenses as well. Since I won’t be there to show you the ropes, Mike will. You’ll both need your realtor’s license, which I doubt will give you much trouble. The office can officially open in January.”
“What’s the name of our place of business again?” Nick asked with a grin.
“Northwest Realty and Property Management,” Rand answered.
Just then, Nick and Jack’s flight number echoed through the air.
The three of them stood up from their seats, and Nick and Jack each held out a hand.
Rand snorted, giving Nick a quick hug with a slap on the back first, before doing the same for Jack.
“Thanks for everything, Rand,” Jack murmured as he and Nick headed toward the boarding line.
Nick halted, turning back to Rand. “I hope it works out for you and Ciara, Rand.”
Rand smiled wryly. “Me too, Nick.”
Nick boarded the plane, looking back at Rand one last time. And what he saw surprised him, because there was intensity in his expression that scared even Nick.
.
Chapter Eleven
Nick was exhausted after spending twenty-one hours on a plane back to Richmond, so when the cab pulled up to his apartment building on Sunday afternoon, his plan was to crash for as long as he could before returning to work on Monday and giving his notice.
But when he started pulling his luggage from the backseat along with the help of the cabbie, he realized he had an unexpected visitor waiting for him on the bench near the lobby entrance.
After paying the cabbie, Nick approached the woman who was waiting, surprised to see tears in her eyes. “Shauna?”
“I know you’re probably tired from your trip, Nick. But I needed someone to talk to.”
“That
’s alright. Come on upstairs with me and tell me what’s wrong. Dad has his hands full these days, so it’s better if you come to me, anyway.”
Shauna grabbed one of his bags and walked into the apartment building beside him. After Nick used his keycard to enter the lobby, they both approached the elevator, traveling to the sixth floor.
“I can’t believe I’ve never been here before,” Shauna murmured, glancing around the space. “Nice, but sparse, I see.”
“Well, Marissa is still living in the townhouse, so I’m crashing here again for a while. Most of my furniture is over there.”
“I’m glad you two broke up. Excuse me for saying so, but she was a bitch.”
Nick blinked, but then started laughing.
“I hope you’re not letting her keep the condo?” Shauna asked, sitting in the only chair near the window.
“Nope, I’m planning on selling. I don’t think she knows that I never added her to the title when I purchased the place.”
This time, Shauna laughed. “I wish I could be there when you tell her.”
“Jack said the same thing,” Nick admitted wryly. “How about some coffee?”
“Sounds good,” she answered.
Ten minutes later, Nick was sitting on the couch after handing over a cup of coffee to Shauna.
“Okay, so what’s the problem?”
“Someone has been pulling big lump sums from my trust fund,” Shauna said quickly. “When I said something to Dad, he told me I needed to talk with you. Why doesn’t anyone know that you’re the one running the company, Nick?”
Nick grimaced. “Dad told you?”
“No. I figured it out because of the way Dad phrased the fact that I needed to talk with you. Plus I got thinking about how much more relaxed he’s been during the last five years, and how he’s been managing to cut back on his traveling. All the key players in the organization are much younger than Dad, and I couldn’t help noticing how little he associates with them.”
“Geez, Sis. You’re good,” Nick answered.
“Not good enough to keep someone from hacking into my trust fund account, apparently,” she murmured, glancing through the window.
Shauna continued, “One minute I was discussing how I was going to pay myself a small allowance every month and invest the rest of the money into several interest bearing accounts with Mom, and the next thing I knew, a lot of the money was missing when I went to the bank to talk with one of the investment officers.”
Nick sat up straighter on the couch. “You discussed this with Mom? Did you mention your suspicions about me being in charge of the company now?”
Shauna looked like she was at a loss for words. Her mouth opened and then it closed. “Doesn’t she already know?”
Nick groaned, running a hand through his hair.
When Shauna had turned twenty-five one year earlier, her trust fund was hers to do as she pleased. Naomi, now twenty-seven, had acquired access to hers two years earlier. But Nick had also assigned an account executive and lawyer friend of his, Kyle Kendall, to keep an eye on things for both of his sisters.
Puzzled, Nick asked, “How did this get past Kyle?”
“Naomi said there was something shady going on with him, and recommended we fire him. You didn’t know?”
Nick heaved a sigh. “No. Didn’t you mention it to Dad?”
“Mom knew,” Shauna admitted. “But she said it was no one’s business but ours. We’re adult women and we should be able to do what we pleased with our own money.”
Shauna’s look was quizzical.
“You two weren’t supposed to know this, and I’d still rather you keep it quiet from Naomi, Shauna. I know Naomi and Mom are much closer than you and Mom are. Dad hated to have you think the worst of Mom. There’s no doubt in my mind that she loves all three of us, the problem is, she loves our Grandfather Ramsey more.”
“What is it Nick? You can tell me. I won’t say anything to anyone else if that’s the way you want it.:
“Part of the reason Dad and Mom are so distant with each other is because for the first eight years of their marriage, Mom was secretly filtering company money into Grandfather Ramsey’s account.”
Shauna looked shocked. “What?”
Nick held her gaze. “It’s important that what I tell you next is kept secret from everyone. Alright?”
Wide eyed, Shauna murmured, “I will. I promise.”
“After Dad told me about the funds, I started digging deeper into Grandfather Ramsey. I think he was the one responsible for my kidnapping at eight years old. Whatever his deep dark motives, whatever or whoever he’s involved with seems to require a lot of cash flow, and the kidnapping happened right after Dad discovered the missing money, and prevented Mom from siphoning more from the family business.”
“You’re not kidding?”
“Nope,” Nick answered, standing and reaching for his laptop laying on his desk.
“Let’s take a look at your account,” he murmured, sitting back on the couch and opening his laptop on the coffee table.
“I think I’ve already figured how it happened,” Shauna said, looking glum. “I’ve been dating someone, and strangely, I haven’t heard from him since the money went missing.”
Nick frowned. “He had access to your computer and passwords?”
Shauna looked sheepish. “He did. We got physical pretty quickly and he was at my apartment nearly every night for a week. I even let him have my spare key.”
Nick softened his gaze. “What makes you think it was him?”
“Mom introduced us,” she confessed, refusing to meet his gaze.
“Hey. It’s happened to all of us,” Nick answered. “Tell you what? Would you like to live here?”
“Why? Are you going to live in the townhouse?”
“No. I’m starting over and moving to Wisconsin. I can take care of the company from anywhere and fly in when I need to.”
Shauna blinked, and then began to laugh. “Wisconsin? Now that’s completely unexpected.”
Nick grinned. “It is, isn’t it? Rand has a land management company there, and he’d like for me to take over the office. Jack wants to work there too, so I’m really looking forward to getting away.”
“I wish I had something that I felt that way about.”
Nick paused, looking up from the laptop. “I might have an idea. Hang on for a second.”
He continued, accessing company records, and frowned at the realization that Shauna’s account was no longer active.
“Shauna? Did you move your account?”
She slapped her forehead. “I created a new checking account at the Heartfield Bank.”
Nick groaned. “That’s the same bank that handles Mom’s personal allowance. What did you sign when you moved it over?”
“I can’t believe I was such an idiot,” she answered. “Mom handled it for me.”
“That’s not your fault. Dad and I should have told you what was going on before the trust fund was released.”
“What am I going to live on?”
“I think Mom, if she was the one behind this, was planning on you moving back home. Luckily, you still have a couple uncashed notes which we can reinvest. I found a couple higher interest cds that we were unable to touch until they matured.”
“I need to find a job,” she muttered.
“You have your bachelors’ in business communications. Right? What about an entry position at Hanover’s?”
“You’d let me do that?”
“Of course. It’s a family business. And you can live here if you’d like to start over?”
Shauna asked, “What do I need to do?”
“Let me handle everything, for now. I’ll get back with you as soon as I can. Meanwhile, I’m going to rehire Kyle to take care of your trust and try to rebuild your funds.” He sighed. “What about Naomi’s?”
“She seems perfectly happy the way things are going. She and Mom are awfully chummy these days, ever since Naomi moved
back home.”
Nick wiped his face with a hand again. “I’ll see what I can do for her anyway. Let’s not let her know, that way if she hits rock bottom with Mom, she’ll have something to fall back on.”
Shauna looked confused. “Where will the money come from?”
“The company’s doing pretty well, Sis. I also get paid a generous salary. No one else besides Dad knows this, but we’re no longer in the red.”
“You did that?”
“We were sitting on a lot of properties that would have never brought in a profit.” Nick shrugged. “I’m a great stockbroker too, even though I hate it.”
“Where will you live in Wisconsin?”
“In the town of Crystal Rock. It’s in northwest Wisconsin. If I like it there, I’m thinking about building a new house. One that’s exactly the way I want it.”
“Really?”
“Yes. And once it’s built, you can come and visit as much as you like,” Nick said.
“I’m going to hold you to that,” Shauna murmured.
“Good,” Nick answered firmly. .
Chapter Twelve
Rand made coffee and breakfast for everyone the following morning. Jack and Nick had already packed their bags and loaded them into the SUV since Rand would be taking them to the airport.
After Jack and Nick’s flight took off, Rand would be following up with a few more names on his list, so he had a schedule planned for the day.
When they reached the airport a few hours later, Rand escorted Jack and Nick through their check-in and sat with them to wait until their flight began to board.
“So, currently, I have a part time manager who handles the property acquisitions and showings. He’d still like to continue in a part-time capacity, but no way is he interested in working full time, because he’s got a full-time position with Jake Loughlin, the owner of the Dragonfly Pointe Inn. Jake uses Mike Merrill to search and scope out potential sites for new hotels across the country, so Mike travels a lot.”
St. Nick's Christmas Wish (Holiday Hunks Book 7) Page 6