by Cara Putman
“There you go again.”
“What do you mean?”
“Sounding like you’ve got a script right out of Hollywood. I don’t need anything fancy. You’d better let me go, or I’ll be wearing yoga pants when you arrive.”
“Yoga pants are fine.”
“Not this time.” He could hear the smile in her voice. “See you at seven thirty.”
Reid started powering down his computer, ensuring it would require a password to restart. No way would he make it easy for Vince to steal his work. But tonight he would forget work for a while and get better acquainted with an interesting lady.
CHAPTER 26
Clothes still on hangers were strewn across Emilie’s bed, and she worried her thumbnail as she pondered which outfit was perfect for a spontaneous date/non-date. She didn’t mind the interruption to her useless worrying. She hadn’t come any closer to determining who it was that lurked in her shadows.
As she touched the soft cotton blend of a white, one-shouldered sundress that was covered with large cornflower-blue flowers, she decided that was the one. She wanted Reid to look at her tonight and see a woman, not an attorney.
What would it be like to have him look at her the way Andrew gazed at Hayden? Sure, Hayden made it easy, since she practically glowed with love.
That wasn’t in Emilie’s immediate future, but for a few hours she could hope to attract a handsome man’s attention and forget all the noise happening in her life.
One night of escape.
That wasn’t too much to ask, was it?
They’d share a good meal with some perfect Southern sweet tea. A bit of conversation on a restaurant’s patio while the humidity blanketing the air reminded her they were in Virginia. A few minutes of learning about someone else and discovering why he did the things he did.
That’s all she wanted.
She hurried through a shower, then slipped on the dress and some sparkly silver sandals poised on the kind of heels that made her feel like a queen. It was hard not to feel gorgeous when wearing strappy stilettos. Hayden said they made her wobble and feel anything but regal, but Emilie was fine as long as she didn’t walk across cobblestones.
She twisted her damp blonde waves into a French twist and teased a few tendrils to ring her face. Then she swiped on the perfect amount of makeup to show she’d tried without caking it into a mask. It would melt off the moment she stepped outside anyway. A swipe of pale-pink lip gloss, and she was close to Audrey Hepburn’s relaxed elegance, without the I-spent-hours-preparing look.
She slipped her phone and a twenty as well as a credit card and the lip gloss into a pretty blue clutch and headed to the basement stairs. A glance at her pearl-banded watch confirmed she’d gotten ready with fifteen minutes to spare.
Perfect.
Now he’d wonder at her speed and femininity. It would add to her appeal . . . she hoped.
Hayden looked up from the wing chair where she was flipping through a magazine. “Wow. Where are you headed?”
“On a spontaneous dinner date. Where’s Andrew?”
“Grabbing his car to take me out for ice cream. Said he had to park a couple blocks away and doesn’t want me to melt.”
“Awww.”
“Don’t think you can distract me that easily.” Hayden swung her legs around and leaned forward. “Who’s the lucky man?”
“Reid Billings.”
Hayden frowned as she set the magazine aside. “But isn’t he a client, Em?”
“Not tonight he isn’t, and we haven’t formalized any sort of attorney-client relationship.” It wasn’t like she had a signed engagement letter. “We’re two people who met because of our mutual love for Kaylene.”
“Be careful.”
“I always am.”
“Yes, you are. But that is not the appearance of a woman who is out to enjoy a casual meal with a friend.” Hayden gestured toward her with a sweeping up-and-down motion.
“Maybe I wanted to dress up.”
“Maybe. But, Em, you haven’t done anything like this in months.”
Those words pointed straight back to when the trouble had begun. Emilie had seen each prospective man as the one silhouetted in shadows. It hadn’t been worth the risk. “I’m safe with Reid.”
“Of course you are.” Hayden frowned, concern putting a V between her eyebrows. “Why wouldn’t you be?”
“No reason.” She twirled a bit, showing off her shoes. “Want to borrow these beauties the next time you and Andrew go out?”
“That would be a no. I’d fall off them.”
A knock at the door sent Emilie’s heart racing in the best possible way. She felt a wave of giddiness rise inside as if this really were a date that she could let her heart sink into. For tonight she would forget any potential issues and simply enjoy. She took a step forward and teetered, then glanced at Hayden with a faux frown. “You were saying?”
“Oh, stay there.” Hayden stood with a laugh. “You can pose for him while I get the door.”
The door opened, but it was Emilie’s roommate who welcomed him.
“Hi, Reid. Come on in.” She stepped to the side, but Reid couldn’t have moved if his life depended on it.
Emilie stood against the white half wall topped with a black countertop. Her dress was an interesting off-the-shoulder thing that hit right above her knees, showing off shapely calves and sparkly death traps on her feet. How did women manage those? She looked all feminine and soft, without the hard edges or the sweetly Southern sarcastic tone she sometimes used as a shield.
“You might want to raise your chin.” So much for the slight snark being softened.
“I wouldn’t want to deny you the reaction you worked for.”
Hayden snorted and stepped against the wall. “Let me make space for your verbal sparring.”
Emilie didn’t seem to hear her. “Worked for? This is au naturel, honey.”
Honey. No one called him that except his grandmother, but it sounded very different coming from Emilie. Not sure he’d choose that term of endearment, but . . . “You can call me honey anytime you like.”
Yep, he was right. A soft color slid up her neck into her cheeks. She’d expected him to be annoyed at the term. He’d have to remember to stay in the unexpected zone.
Emilie tilted her chin, still not coming anywhere near to matching his height, even on those stilts.
“Are you ready?”
The roommate snorted. “You’ve met your match, Em.”
Em. He liked the sound of that. It suited her. He turned to the roommate. “I’ll have her home before she turns into a pumpkin.”
Hayden grinned. “Have a fun dinner.”
“I’m counting on it.” Reid swept his arm toward the door in what he hoped was a gallant gesture. “Ready, milady?”
Emilie rolled her green eyes, the emeralds burning bright. “Whatever.” She turned to Hayden. “If you don’t hear from me in three hours . . . ”
“I won’t send the cavalry. Have a good time, kids.” Then she shoved Emilie toward him, and the breathtaking woman tottered a moment on her heels before regaining the grace she wore like a garment.
Emilie slipped around him, her full skirt barely brushing his side. “Where are we off to?”
“While I’m tempted to keep it a surprise”—she spun toward him—“I won’t. Do you mind walking the few blocks to Old Town?”
“As long as we avoid cobblestones.”
He glanced down at her shoes, trying not to be arrested by the shapely image of her legs. “We’ll drive.”
A man passed them as they went down the sidewalk, blond and looking a bit like Emilie. His gaze assessed Reid in a way that felt very protective. Big brotherish. Guess he hadn’t asked Em about her family. Yep, he definitely liked the sound of that name.
“Emilie?”
At the question in the man’s tone, Emilie slowed down a fraction. “Hi, Andrew. I’d stop to introduce you, but I believe Hayden is eager for her treat.
An ice cream date? Really?” Her face contained an amused smirk. “I thought I’d trained you better than that.”
“Guess not.” The man took her kidding in stride and stuck out a hand. “I’m Andrew Wesley, Emilie’s cousin. And you are?”
“Reid Billings. Nice to meet you.”
“Take good care of her.” The or else was left unsaid but noted just the same . . .
He guided Em down the sidewalk and toward his Lexus. He held the door as she slid in.
She touched the seat, and her face softened. “Do you take this good of care of your house?”
“It’s a fairly bare-bones condo, but yeah.” He closed her door, then walked around the car and slid inside. “This was a bit of a splurge. Living here, I never know when traffic will get bad and I’ll want something nice and comfortable to be stuck in.” He pulled onto St. Asaph, and a few minutes later pulled into a parking garage. “The restaurant is just across the street.”
He slid a hand to her back and guided her across the crosswalk and then down the brick sidewalk to the Taverna Cretekou. Above the yellow awning three flags flapped in a light breeze. A small line of people waited at the hostess stand. Good thing he’d called ahead for a reservation. Most tourists would opt for the air-conditioned inside, not knowing that a few feet away a beautiful patio space waited. Last time he’d been here he’d had to shift his chair to avoid being tickled by a flowering something or other all night.
He gave the host his name, and a minute later they wound their way through the dining room with its exposed brick and whitewashed stucco and around tables and chairs to the patio door. “I hope you don’t mind that I asked for the patio.”
Emilie shook her head, then sank onto a seat at the table the host had guided them to. “You won’t believe that I’ve never eaten here.”
“It’s just a few blocks from your town house.”
“I guess I do what most do and have a few favorites I return to.” She picked up the menu and scanned it. “This looks good.”
“I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve tried.” They settled on a combination platter and salads. There was something intimate about knowing they would share the meal, even if he knew from experience it was too much for two people to eat.
Overhead fans on the ceiling of the pergola kept the air circulating, and they sipped iced tea while they waited for their food. It was a comfortable conversation that ebbed and flowed. Emilie wasn’t bothered by silence. In fact, she seemed to appreciate pauses and a slow pace. When the platter arrived, she leaned forward and let him explain each dish.
“I’ll claim the spinach and feta filo.” She tapped her fork against the item.
“Sold. I’ll stick to the meat dishes.” He stabbed his fork in some ziti.
She took hold of the conversation. “Tell me more about your path to a career in finance. Was it something your grandparents pushed you toward?”
“My grandpa wanted me to be a doctor. My grandmother thought I should be a priest.”
She quirked an eyebrow at him. “Horrors.”
“To hear Grandma tell it, I was the worst sort of disappointment. Too bad she didn’t ask what I wanted before telling all her friends I was destined for a life in a collar.” He tugged lightly at his button-down. “Too bad this collar doesn’t work for her. She’s coming around.”
“My dad wanted me to be a lawyer with the Department of Justice, to defend freedom from tyranny. He’s not sure what I do qualifies.”
“You’re doing exactly that, on an individual basis.”
“True, but it’s not quite as brag worthy.” She shrugged lightly. “So you’ve found what you want to be when you grow up?”
“So we’re on to deep questions. All right.” He took a sip from his tea as he considered. “I don’t really think about that. I guess I’m more focused on today.”
“And all I think about is the future.”
He could hear an unspoken and the past. “That’s quite a burden to carry.”
FOUR MONTHS EARLIER
Maybe if she saw him protecting her, she would become aware of how perfect they were for each other. He glanced around his man cave and drummed his fingers on the leather couch. He needed to show her quickly, while he had freedom from work, how he could be all she needed. Already new ideas for technology innovations were crowding his mind, but he wanted to finish things with Emilie first.
Maybe if he went to the office for a couple hours first, then he could focus on her and show her how he protected her.
He grabbed the keys to his sports car and then froze.
Wait. He didn’t have an office anymore.
He needed someone to help him enjoy the riches he had earned.
He needed Emilie.
Just as she needed him. Today she would start to understand.
How best to show her?
A note on her car? That sounded so junior high, but he also liked the mystery of it. Would she?
Yes, the idea grew on him. She needed him. He could help her see that. It would be easy to do with his resources. And once she’d benefited from all he had to offer, there would be no going back.
Quickly he pulled together what he needed and grabbed the addresses his investigator had provided. Amazing how money could obtain the impossible so readily. He drove through the back roads across the bridge into Arlington and then wove through Rosslyn, Courthouse, into Clarendon, and across to King Street. Then past the high school and the George Washington Masonic Temple into Old Town. He circled the block around her office, looking for her car. It wasn’t as flashy as the one he would give her, but her George Mason Law School bumper sticker confirmed he’d found the right one. He drove down a block and parked. She would have no reason to know what he drove, but he didn’t want to take chances.
He grabbed the gift bag and got out of the car. After locking his BMW, he walked the block back to the Haven. What a ridiculous name. Like a location could give anyone security and peace. Still, he supposed they did good work, and if it mattered to her then he’d make it matter to him.
His check to the Haven showed how much he wanted to support what she valued.
Had she noticed?
It didn’t matter. She wouldn’t be able to miss this. Women liked cute things.
He double-checked the parking lot. No one was around, so he walked in, careful to keep his back to the light that looked like it hid a security camera. He wanted her to discover that the gift came from him without cheating by looking at a video. This was a slow wooing. A drawing her attention to him in a way that would bind her to him.
The driver’s door of her car was locked. He sighed in frustration, even as he knew it was the smart action for a beautiful young woman who worked at a place like this. He’d have to talk to her about allowing herself to be in danger by working with women who had crazy husbands and boyfriends. There were other ways she could use her talents to help people.
He placed his gift on her hood against the windshield, then slipped into the shadow of the bushes to wait for her to appear.
CHAPTER 27
As they’d walked back to his car and his arm had brushed hers, Emilie fought how he affected her. She’d been comfortable talking with Reid over dinner, as though they’d known one another for years. He’d heard everything, even the words she hadn’t spoken.
She didn’t let men close, but as he’d taken her hand to ease her into his car she wanted to ignore her rule.
He sank onto the driver’s seat and turned to her. “Want to take a drive along the parkway?”
She bit her lower lip as she considered. Noting his gaze straying to her lips, she quickly released it. “Okay.”
It was okay. He was no threat to her; in fact, she felt safe with him.
She didn’t know what to do with that.
Should she sink into it? Or should she turn and run, mindful that it could all be a mistake and she had somehow allowed herself to be deluded into thinking he wasn’t dangerous? The miles slid by as they tr
aveled along the George Washington Memorial Parkway headed south. When they reached Mount Vernon, Reid turned around and drove back north. He parked when they reached Jones Point Park, and Emilie didn’t mind that he hadn’t consulted her.
They walked along the piers that poked into the Potomac River, her strappy sandals dangling from her fingers, her hands clasped behind her back so their fingers couldn’t brush unintentionally. She felt the pull to him more than she wanted to admit. She had to rein in it. She had to.
The sound of water lapping at the shoreline was overlaid with the sound of cicadas. Reid led her to the end of one of the piers, and she sank to the planks carefully, adjusting her sundress skirt beneath her. He eased down beside her. The moon was silhouetted against the river with the soundtrack of nature. The silence felt good and comfortable, right.
Then Reid asked a question and soon they were talking about nothing and everything, careful not to let their voices carry.
A vibration in her handbag made her reach for her phone.
It’s almost midnight. I’m headed to bed. You okay?
“Everything all right?”
Emilie checked the time and then shook her head. “Just my roommate checking on me. I can’t believe it’s already midnight.”
“Are you the cinder girl?”
There was teasing in his tone, but she needed to end this magical evening. “I really should get home before I lose a slipper.” Magical as it had been, nothing could come of it. Not while he was technically a client . . . and would remain one until they learned if they could get custody of Kinley changed. “Besides, I’ll see you in a few hours when we head to Kaylene’s neighborhood.”
“All right.” He climbed to his feet, then reached down to help her up. “Thanks for agreeing to dinner.”
She nodded, fighting the grin that wanted to consume her as he led her to the car, a grin she couldn’t allow. When they reached the house, he kept a bit of space between them, enough to keep her wondering . . . would he lean down? Now that her shoes were back on, it wasn’t that far.
“Good night, Em. Thanks for a spontaneous evening.”