by Layla Hagen
That was all we heard, because she went inside the house with the phone. My eyes were trained on Anne, who was shrinking into herself with every passing second. Damn, I wanted to throttle that moron for messing with my sister.
“Anne, Rob tells me you’re the CEO of Dumont Gourmet,” Skye said. “I’ve been reading about the company. You’re doing a fabulous job. And thanks for the generous donations you make for the galas each year.”
“My pleasure.”
“You should join us sometime. Not to sing my own praises, but they’re fabulous.”
“I might just come this year. My... ex wasn’t a fan of charity events.” Her eyes clouded again. She shook her head. “Anyway, I read that you own a lingerie business.”
“That’s right. Any tips, from one CEO to another?”
Anne immediately straightened up, her expression sharp and focused.
“Oh, where to begin. Any area in particular you’re looking at?”
“Work-life balance?”
Anne waved her hand. “Yeah, big tip. Don’t read any articles on this. They fill your head with nonsense and make you feel guilty for giving your business the best you’ve got. Of course some times are more demanding than others. I think the trick is... create a life you want, so you don’t look forward to escaping from it, you know? Take a time-out when you need it, don’t just schedule breaks.”
For the next few minutes, Anne explained how she took impromptu breaks even with her crazy schedule. Skye amazed me. Somehow, she’d known exactly how to take Anne’s mind off things, at least until Lindsay returned with her phone.
“Daddy wants to talk to you,” she said quietly.
Anne grabbed the phone and went into the house. Lindsay climbed onto the chair she’d just vacated.
“What’s up?” I asked.
“Daddy said he doesn’t have time to visit next weekend. Or the one after that.”
A vein thumped in my temple. If I opened my mouth, I was liable to go on a name-calling spree. I gripped the armrests of my chair tightly. Skye put one hand on my leg, squeezing a bit, then just held her hand there. It was comforting. To my surprise, the anger faded, at least enough for me to be civil in front of Lindsay.
“Work sometimes gets in the way, Lindsay,” I said.
“But I was going to show Dad my new dolls and everything.”
“You have new dolls? Can you show them to me?” Skye jumped in, trying to help lighten the mood.
“I only have one here. I’ll get it.” She slid down her chair, retrieving her doll from the play corner she’d declared as hers. Upon returning, she handed the doll to Skye.
“This is really beautiful,” Skye exclaimed.
“The others are just as pretty.”
“I live next door, so just tell your uncle to call me when you’re here. I’d love to meet all of your dolls.”
Lindsay smiled from ear to ear. “Okay.”
Skye winked at me while she continued to chat with Lindsay.
I just watched her, fascinated. She truly was saving the day, erasing the pain Lindsay’s asshole of a father caused.
“Oh, by the way, your uncle bought something for you yesterday,” Skye said.
I’d completely forgotten about the necklace. I went into the house, not too close to Anne so she wouldn’t think I was eavesdropping. I didn’t need to, anyway. Her body language gave it all away. She was hunched at the island, whispering. I knew she was hurting; Walter had done a number on her.
Gritting my teeth, I checked the pocket of my suit jacket, which was still in the living room, then returned outside with the box.
Lindsay opened it up carefully, pulling at the bow, then taking off the lid.
“Wow,” she whispered, eyes wide, mouth open. “Is it magic?”
“I think it is,” Skye said. “Want me to put it around your neck?”
Lindsay nodded eagerly.
Anne returned then, glancing at her daughter’s new pendant. “Someone’s got a present.”
“Yes, I have a magic talisman now. And Skye says I can bring all my dolls and show them to her.”
Anne laughed, glancing at Skye. “Oh, Skye. You have no idea what you’ve just gotten yourself into. But we have to go now. We’re meeting Dawn and her mom, remember?”
Lindsay nodded, looking a bit regretfully at Skye.
I was studying my sister closely, and as I walked her and Lindsay to the car, I pulled her to one side.
“Do I have to beat someone up?” I wasn’t even joking.
She patted my shoulder. “No, just the usual. Making excuses for having no time for Lindsay. Not that much of a difference, really. She barely saw him when we were married anyway.”
“Anne....”
“Don’t.”
“You don’t even know what I was going to say.”
“Offer to talk with the dickhead, which is code for breaking his jaw, giving him a black eye?”
“Possibly.”
“See? I know you. There’s nothing you can do. Except spoil us, like today. And ask Skye over too. She’s fab.”
I agreed 100 percent.
“Have fun in France.”
“We will,” she said. They were leaving tomorrow. Still frustrated at my sister’s situation, I wanted to talk with her more, but Anne got in her car and drove away before I could say anything else.
I walked out to Skye, who was sitting, enjoying the sun. I kissed the side of her neck.
“You were amazing with Lindsay and especially Anne. How did you know just what to say?”
She shrugged. “Instinct, I guess? It’s important to be reminded what you’re great at in those moments when you doubt yourself and every decision you’ve ever made.”
She cast her gaze down. Was she talking from experience? Who’d made her doubt herself? I wanted to make sure it never happened again.
“Did that happen to you?” I asked calmly. She straightened, opening her eyes.
“Dad left when we were little, so... yes.”
“Shit.”
“Mom went through a rough time, especially because she was a homemaker. But she regained her confidence bit by bit after starting her job as a teacher and realizing she was really good at it.”
“Did she remarry?”
“Yeah, a few years ago. Mick is a great guy.”
“Do you have any contact with your dad?”
“He did pay some child support, but since the company he’d worked for had gone bankrupt and he was unemployed, that didn’t amount to much. We never saw him again though. But that was a long time ago. We moved here from Boston. He remained there.”
“Your mom moved here on her own with four kids? That was brave.”
Skye chuckled. “Yeah, Mom’s tough like that. She also was looking after our cousin Hunter too, so technically five kids. We were all crammed in this tiny apartment. Tess and I shared a bedroom, the boys another one, and Mom slept on a pullout couch in the living room. We used to pretend the fire escape was our domain, gave the neighbors hell traipsing all around it.”
“How did your mom cope with the divorce?”
“I don’t think she did, honestly. The first few weeks after Dad left, she cried for hours every day. Things got a bit better after we moved to New York. I think the change in scenery helped. But there were still these moments when I could tell Mom was just gone, disappearing into her grief again. She’d stare into space, and her eyes were glassy. Tess and I learned to read those signs, and we’d quietly go with the boys to another room, to give her some space. Or... we plied her with ice cream. We adapted depending on the supplies in the freezer. But I think that time wasn’t all bad, you know? We grew very close together, and it made us appreciate every little thing we had.” With a grin, she added, “Cole and Ryker invented their own games that made no sense to me and Tess, but we pretended to go along with it. Anyway, I do have lots of good memories from those years.”
I liked that she saw the positive side in everything. She was
a dreamer but a fighter too.
Smiling, she sank lower in the chair, closing her eyes again. “This is such a gorgeous day.”
“Do you have plans right now?” I asked.
She opened an eye. “I should get on with my Pilates. Have anything else in mind?”
“A few things.”
She opened the other eye too, smiling. “I’m all ears. Oh, before I forget, there’s a show on Broadway I want to see. I’m going with Tess and probably our almost-sister-in-law. I’m going to buy tickets on Monday. Interested?”
Pulling out her phone, she showed me the synopsis. It was an obscure one I hadn’t heard about, which explained why there were still tickets available.
I kissed her forehead, then sat in the chair next to her. “Restaurant Days is coming up, so I’ll barely see you for the next two weeks.”
It was a fourteen-day-long festival where restaurants in New York showcased special menus to attract new clientele.
“Oh? You need to be there personally?”
“With my deadbeat of an ex-in-law quitting, it’ll be good for me to be seen, give interviews, just generally be in the restaurants and greet critics.”
“Makes sense.”
“I’ll probably sleep in Manhattan at a hotel.”
“Boooo. So I won’t see you run anymore?”
“It’s gonna be tough to make it work.”
She pouted, rising from her seat and grabbing her empty cup of coffee. “I need more of this.”
“Me too. Let’s go inside.”
“So, what exactly did you have in mind for today?” she asked in between yawns while the coffee machine filled our cups.
I wiggled my eyebrows. “We could both go on a run. The adrenaline will wake us up.”
“Pffft... that’s a firm no.”
“I have another proposition.”
“Unfortunately, you missed your chance to impress me.”
I stepped right in front of her, so close that her breasts pressed against me. I had her trapped.
“Doesn’t seem like that to me.”
“You just caught me by surprise.”
“And that blush is because you’re surprised, or because you can’t wait?”
“Depends on the proposition.”
“I skipped my routine last night; you skip yours now.”
Skye laughed. Again. “It’s all or nothing with you, huh?”
“Damn right it is.”
“If you think you can make it worth my while...,” she teased.
“We have a deal.”
I hadn’t known Skye for long, but one thing was clear: with her, I wasn’t in control of myself. I wanted her in my bed. Last night we’d just slept there, but now, I wanted to sink inside her.
Laughing, she clasped her arms around my middle. First on the agenda, I was going to worship her body. We went up the stairs, straight to the master bedroom. I immediately reached for the hem of her dress, but she pushed me away. My biggest priority right now was to have her naked. She looked up at me, eyes wide and playful, clearly with other thoughts on her mind. She walked over and sat at the edge of the bed, her hand on my belt.
“I like where this is going,” I said. I liked watching her take charge.
She took her time undoing my belt, tugging down my pants. I took off my shirt, watching her face as she smiled, tracing a finger down my chest, slowing as she continued farther down. I was already hard, my erection just in front of her. She moved her finger up the length of it, right to the tip.
Lowering her mouth to my cock, she took it all in, wrapping her hand at the base. I rocked back and forth, gritting my jaw so hard that my teeth were grinding. The urge to claim her escalated instantly.
I drew my fingers up her neck to the back of her head, moving my hips. I was going to explode, and I wanted to be buried deep inside her when that happened.
“Lie on the bed,” I said.
She didn’t, ignoring my request as she just licked around the tip, her eyes playful.
“Skye. Bed. Now.” I was losing control and needed her obedience.
Pouting, she leaned back on her elbows, watching me hungrily. Then she sat back up, taking off her dress. I couldn’t decide what was sexier, Skye in that white lace, semitransparent bra and panties or Skye naked.
Instinct took over. I barely remembered that we needed protection.
“I have condoms in my bathroom. I’ll get them. Stay here.”
“Not going anywhere.”
I was excited at the prospect of spending the whole weekend with her, happy she and Tess were delegating both days to their sales associates. I was usually happy with keeping everything casual and not defining the parameters of a relationship. But now, I wanted more with Skye, and I wanted to shed my old ways. They felt like a suit I’d outgrown.
Chapter Sixteen
Rob
On Monday, I kick-started Restaurant Days with a board meeting. Frowning, I glanced around the table. I’d lost my train of thought. Again. Everyone in the boardroom was giving me strange looks, because this was very unlike me. I didn’t lose focus, didn’t forget what I was talking about while talking. I was known for my sharpness and shrewdness. I had to stop rehashing the weekend in my mind, incredible as it had been. Skye was occupying my every thought. Usually, I had no problems leaving my personal life at the door before stepping into the office. But things were changing—I had to pull myself together before I made an ass out of myself in front of everyone. I didn’t want to lose credibility in front of the team. Once again, I’d gathered management as well as chefs and sous-chefs to discuss the week and our goals for the event.
“I’ll be making the rounds at the different restaurants in New York these two weeks,” I said. “My schedule will be sent to all of you so you can keep track of me. Keep an eye on the ones where I’m not, make sure everything runs smoothly—that means that the critics are pleased, but more importantly, that customers are happy. Got it?”
Quite frankly, I didn’t care much about critics. They’d always find something to criticize, but customers were our bread and butter. When they thought about their favorite restaurant where they were guaranteed delicious food and a great time, I wanted them to visualize one of ours. Restaurant Days always took place at the end of July. It was a staple in the city’s life, and I wanted everyone to remember that we were the best.
“Do you want the chefs to stay behind the scenes or also mingle with the customers?” Tatiana asked. She was the chef of our largest restaurant and had been with the company for as long as I had. She’d even been in LA for a year but then came back here, declaring she was too much of a New Yorker to be able to withstand the LA scene. She’d also been the one to blow the whistle on Walter when she’d caught him banging another chef.
“Play it by ear. Tell the staff to feel out the mood.”
“Got it.”
“Okay, that’s a wrap, everyone,” I declared.
There was a screeching sound as everyone pushed their chairs back. I arranged a dislodged cuff link as everyone filtered out.
Well, I’d saved that well. Sure enough, my brain had already switched to replaying the weekend. I chuckled at myself. I was addicted to Skye.
“What’s got you so chirpy today?” Tatiana asked. I hadn’t realized she’d lingered.
“Mind your own business.” I was only semi-serious.
“I will, as soon as you tell me what’s got you so upbeat.”
I glared at her.
“Who is she?”
“Who said it’s a woman?” I asked, utterly perplexed.
“Call it sixth sense, intuition, whatever.” She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, her smile fading. “How is Anne?”
That was the real reason she’d stayed back.
“Moving on.”
“Sometimes I wonder if I did the right thing.”
“You did,” I assured her.
“But she’s avoiding me... I think. She’s my friend, and I ju
st don’t know how to reach out to her after all that’s happened.”
“Tatiana, give her a bit of time. She doesn’t blame you.”
“She avoids me.”
“She’s in France now. I’m sure she’ll have moved on even more once she and Lindsay get back.”
They’d gone to high school together, and their friendship went way back. I was sure my sister was grateful to Tatiana, but I could also understand why she wouldn’t want her close right now. I believed the don’t kill the messenger saying, but I didn’t think it was that black and white. Tatiana was a reminder of everything that went down, and that was something Anne didn’t need right now.
“Okay, well... whenever she’s ready, or if she needs anything, I’m here for her.”
“I’ll let her know.”
“Thanks. Oh, and don’t think I forgot about your mystery woman. I’ll get it out of you eventually.”
“Tatiana! Work. Now.” I couldn’t help but smile though, and it was all Skye’s fault.
“I’m going. I’m going.”
I surveyed my agenda for the next two weeks, thankful to my assistant for making reservations at a hotel for me in Manhattan. My days started at six o’ clock, and from previous experience I knew they’d last until past midnight.
I didn’t like that I wasn’t going to see much of Skye for the next two weeks. I wanted her to know that I was constantly thinking about her. Would she relax on her own, without me there?
We’d had a fantastic time together, and I didn’t want her to forget it. I just had to make sure I was front and center in her mind for the following weeks.
***
Skye
On Monday, I was at the store one hour before our opening time, preparing for the week.
I was in the back, working on a backlog of tasks until Tess called me up front.
“We just got this.” She held up an envelope as I approached the counter.
“Open it up.” I drummed my fingers against my thighs, giddy with excitement.
Tess did just that. “We got tickets to the Broadway play tonight! Did you order them?”
“No, I’d meant to, but.... Oh my God. I think Rob sent them.”
Tess looked up, and we both had widespread grins. “Holy shit, I’m his fan already.”