It was only another hour or so until the plane landed on a private airstrip right in New York City. Faith’s jaw dropped at the sight! She couldn’t believe what New York looked like. A forest of skyscrapers as far as the eye could see, all glowing in the autumn sunlight. The traffic was unbelievable. She’d never seen so many cars. The noise took her by surprise, and at first, she had to cover her ears. But as soon as the limo pulled out of the landing airstrip and started driving down Manhattan’s streets, she gradually got used to it.
She pressed her nose against the limo glass window and gawked at all the people rushing up and down the sidewalks wearing every kind of fashion imaginable. Gigantic ads displayed fifty-foot tall moving images. Everywhere was something new to look at, some new store she’d never seen or a restaurant serving food from a country she’d never heard of. It overwhelmed her and excited her all at the same time.
Tristan sat beside her, just watching her reaction, glad she was soaking it all in. He pointed out several places to her, like his tailor who made his custom suits, his favorite shoe store, the location of New York City magazine, and Rockefeller Plaza. They lazily drove through Times Square, which really boggled Faith’s mind. She’d seen it on TV on New Year’s Eve, but to actually be here? That was astounding.
A few blocks beyond Times Square, Tristan asked the limo driver to stop. The door opened, he was helping her get out, and suddenly, she was standing on a Manhattan sidewalk in the midst of all the craziness around her. The city was just—just so much. More than she’d ever imagined.
“Where are we going?” she asked Tristan.
He’d taken a brief phone call, but now tucked his phone away. “Plans for tonight,” he explained. “But before then, I’d like to show you my favorite place in the city.”
“I don’t know how you could pick a favorite. There’s so much here.”
“There is.”
They casually walked down the city block. Faith couldn’t help looking straight up at the enormous buildings on either side of the street. It felt like they were strolling along the bottom of a canyon. As they passed by outdoor cafes and restaurants, she could smell all the different cuisines. At the end of the block, right on the corner, was a huge Art Deco style building with intricate carvings. A giant sign proclaimed exactly what it was:
THE BOOKER FIRM
“Offices of Tristan Booker and Richard Ellesmere.” She winked at Tristan. “No wonder it’s your favorite place.”
“This is where the magic happens. I also call this building my primary residence. There’s a three-story penthouse loft apartment I had the pleasure of upgrading five years ago.”
“You live right here.”
Before this, nothing Tristan had said or done had ever impressed her.
But this did.
All of his criticisms about Van Doren and her and Chelsea all made sense. Compared to living the billionaire lifestyle in downtown Manhattan? Not Tristan’s cup of tea at all. As she looked at him standing on the sidewalk, designer suit, shades, and all, he fit perfectly into this city environment. He belonged here, just as she belonged in Chelsea. Just noticing this divide in situation and environment made her feel a little sad. She didn’t know why. Maybe it was some nostalgia for a life with him she’d never had. He was a catch. A real catch. If only things had worked out…
“We’re not going up inside,” Tristan said. “But I’m sure it would impress even someone with high standards like yourself.”
“It would. Your place looks bigger than Chelsea!”
He laughed. “Certainly more expensive than the house I’m currently renting. Take any property in Chelsea and add five zeroes to it. You’ve got to have wealth to even have some skin in the game here.”
Which explained why he’d become so ultra-competitive. But what if she could get him out of the city? Would that soften his arrogant ambition into a healthier leadership style? If so, it’d certainly make him not just a better person, but definitely the kind of man she’d want to be with.
“Seems you’ve gotten to the top of New York’s game by playing to win,” she said.
“I do hate to lose.”
“In Chelsea, there’s really no pressure to win, because there’s not any game-playing. The people appreciate good leaders who value their input. You’ve got the leadership skills, Tristan.”
He cocked his head. “But?”
“But remember that businesses are made up of people, not just numbers.”
“Nice doesn’t produce numbers.” Even though that was one of Tristan’s favorite sayings, it didn’t quite have the same weight to it as it normally did. Not when Faith was right here, looking at him like he was a cold-hearted robot.
“I see,” she said. “Well, because I don’t travel or hardly do anything, I’ve built up a nice financial cushion. So in my case, being both nice and working hard have produced great numbers. You can have both, you know.”
She could tell he didn’t agree, but that was okay. They were coming at this from totally different perspectives and totally different lives.
Tristan checked his phone. “Perfect. Let’s head over.”
She walked beside him as they crossed a couple more city blocks. The noise of the city excited her. She quit dwelling on the differences between her and Tristan and just relaxed, taking in this brand-new experience. New York was unbelievable. She had the time of her life just walking around and seeing so many new things. Catching sight of the Empire State Building was amazing! It was so beautiful.
Tristan slowed down and reached for her hand. Feeling nervous and shy like a teen girl, Faith slipped her hand in his. His touch was warm and solid and strong. He led her over to a nice building and opened the front door for her. Inside, they took an elevator all the way up to the top. Where were they going, she wondered? Faith had no idea, and she was both excited and scared at the same time.
The elevator doors opened up — and it was a rooftop restaurant. The gorgeous fall sun set over the tops of the buildings. The tables had snowy white linens, and little lights were strung up to make it look magical. A soft jazz band in the corner played live melodious music.
“Ah, Mr. Booker,” their host greeted them. “Right this way, please.”
He led them over to a private, exclusive table right on the edge of the rooftop. Just a few iron bars separated them from the city below. Fresh flowers, candlelight, and the gentle music made Faith feel like a princess. This place was pretty stunning. Too stunning.
“There’s no prices on the menu,” she whispered to Tristan.
He shrugged. “Just order what you want.”
“I — I can’t pronounce half this stuff.” She fidgeted with her jacket. “Couldn’t we go somewhere a little more casual? I’m not really dressed — “
He looked right at her. “You’re beautiful. Just relax and enjoy yourself.”
Right, she thought. You’re here to have fun, remember?
Not easy to do, when she felt like she was supposed to be working at Van Doren right now. But with the delicious meal bursting with new flavors she hadn’t tried and this amazing wine, it was getting much easier! When their plates were finally cleared, she held her wine glass in one hand and touched Tristan’s fingers in the other.
The jazz music softly played around them. A small area had been cleared in the middle of the restaurant, and other people were already slow dancing to the music. Tristan gripped Faith’s hand a little tighter and slowly helped her up from the table. She went willingly as she followed him out to the dance floor. She’d forgotten her nervousness, her trepidation, and even about working, for once in her life.
He slid his arm around her waist, holding it there gently with his warm hand. With his other hand, he curled her fingers. She gently leaned against him, her cheek resting against the soft lapel of his suit jacket. She could feel him breathing against her, and she pressed her breasts against him, too. He leaned down slightly, his chin against her face, and like that, pressed closely and w
rapped in their own little world, they slowly danced. Faith felt a little tension in her back, but it quickly went away.
Every breath brought her closer and closer to relaxing completely with him. His warmth surrounded her. His strong chest was comforting, and he seemed to be holding her up against gravity itself. She remembered dancing with him, just like this, at their senior high school prom. There was a familiarity about this, but also the promise of something more. He was different, but that difference was exciting to her. She wanted more.
She slowly lifted her face from his chest and turned towards him, looking up at him. He looked down, deeply into her eyes, the little lights framing him from behind. She didn’t say it out loud, but he understood what she wanted.
And he gave it to her.
His kiss was hot, passionate and sexy. His lips felt so good on hers, and he pressed his whole self against her, leaning her back slightly. She returned the kiss with a growing intensity that made him moan softly in the back of his throat. He slowed his pace and finished the kiss so gently and sweetly that it left her with even more longing. He surprised her, making her breathless. She knew she shouldn’t want to keep kissing him, but she did. He’d sparked her desire awake, turning cold embers into a blaze that made her cheeks feel hot. She searched his eyes, trying to find some indication of what he was feeling, but all she saw was the same Tristan. Confused and flustered, she still couldn’t deny their chemistry.
They danced until the end of the jazzy song. Faith’s whole body tingled from the pleasure of being close to Tristan. She thought their night might be over, but he had one more beautiful experience for them to share.
“Tell me what we’re doing,” she said as they casually strolled down the street.
“I like seeing how much fun you’re having,” he said. “And I just want you to have a little more.”
She sighed. “Okay.”
“You’ll like it.”
“I’m sure.”
She said it a little sarcastically. But all of her natural cynicism vanished when they turned a corner, and there was a gorgeous white open-air carriage with a beautiful pair of horses standing right there for them. Faith grinned. She felt totally comfortable around horses, having spent time on farms for so many years. She got some carrots from the kind driver and went right up to the horses, feeding them and stroking their soft muzzles.
“Hop in,” Tristan said. “We’re going for a ride.”
“Okay, now I’m impressed,” Faith said. “You did it. Everything here in New York is amazing. Congrats to Tristan.”
He sighed and smiled. “Good. I’m glad.”
She sat snuggled next to him in the carriage. A fuzzy lap robe covered their legs, and the driver told them some funny stories as he slowly drove them towards Central Park. The trees were pretty at night, and the street lamps glowed. Tristan leaned his head against Faith and both of them were quiet, just taking it all in.
All too soon, their lovely drive came to an end. It was Tristan who said they should return to the plane and fly back to Chelsea. Faith wished the carriage driver a good-night, then followed Tristan down the street and into his limo as if in a dream.
New York had completely stunned her with its sounds, its smells, its iconic sights, and with all the things she could’ve done here. She didn’t want to go back to Van Doren. Her appetite for the new was whetted, and she wanted more of it.
“Everything all right?” Tristan asked.
Faith looked dreamily out the window as the plane took off. She turned her eyes towards him.
“Hmm?”
He smiled. “You haven’t said anything in awhile.”
She had no idea what to say. “I — I don’t know. I had a great time.”
New York looked even more beautiful at night. The lights dazzled her, and she watched them until the plane was high up and had left the city far behind.
That’s when she unbuckled her seat belt and came over to Tristan’s seat. Surprised, now it was his turn to be silent. He welcomed her into his seat, which was large enough for them to snuggle side by side. It was like being back in the carriage. She laid her head on his shoulder and relaxed beside him. The wine warmed her belly, and her lips still tingled from their kiss.
She wanted to do it again.
It was all she kept thinking about as they flew through the night back to Chelsea. Being in his arms and having his lips on her once more was so right. It’s all she wanted again. It felt both natural and hot at the same time, an exciting combination that kept teasing her with more. Always more. Her usual life of routine and normalcy was suddenly jolted, and now she was eager to see what happened next.
They landed at Winters Field. Tristan had arranged for Faith’s old truck to be there at the airport, so she was glad to see it parked there when they arrived. She walked down the airplane steps in front of him, her heart beating faster and faster. The night was beautiful and full of stars.
Tristan walked her over to her truck. She turned around to face him, her back against the truck driver’s side door. She reached up with both hands and gently tugged on his jacket to pull him closer to her. He traced a finger down her jaw, igniting her desire that much more.
Suddenly, she pressed her hand in his hair and brought his lips down to hers. This time for a kiss so explosive she heard his surprised gasp. He pressed his weight against her, his lips crashing against hers again and again. They couldn’t get enough of each other, and he had to balance himself against her truck so he wouldn’t bring them both crashing to the ground. When his tongue played with hers, her stomach slid down to her knees. He tasted so good. . . made her feel so good.
He abruptly lifted his face from hers and leaned back. Cold air soothed her flushed cheeks. They were both breathing hard from the impact of such a kiss. Her chest rose and fell, pushing her breasts up with each breath. Tristan smiled softly at her and kissed her forehead.
“Have a good night, Faith,” he whispered.
“Um. You, too,” she whispered back.
She could have stayed there forever, the autumn night crisp and cool, feeling all warm and content, looking deeply into Tristan’s eyes, and being so close to him. He gave her the night of her life.
And God, she wanted even more.
In his dream, they were dancing. The jazz music played around them. She felt soft in his arms and she smelled so good. Then the waiter came to their table to deliver their meals.
“Tristan!” the waiter shouted. “Tristan, it’s already ten. You’ve got to get up!”
Wait . . . what?
Tristan rolled onto his back, his wonderful dream rudely interrupted. Not by a shouting waiter, but by his own best friend. Ricky had returned from New York City and barged into the bedroom.
“Go away,” Tristan mumbled. Damn it, he’d really been enjoying that dream.
“Come on, man. I went to Van Doren first, but you weren’t there yet. It’s already ten in the morning.”
“Ugh.”
Reluctantly, Tristan got out of bed and pulled on some clean boxers on his way to the bathroom, treated by Ricky to a running update on the past two day’s events in Manhattan.
“Good news, Tris. That Rebecca Eastman got paid off. She just didn’t have the money to play with the big dogs, so she had to back down. Dodged an expensive lawsuit on that one. But, I do have some bad news.”
Tris pulled on his shirt and buttoned it. “What’s that?”
“She blabbed to the media about how we treated her. She’s really dragged our name through the mud. I’ve spent hours fielding phone calls about our reputation. You’ve got to come back to New York with me and fix this public relations mess.”
And leave Faith? That was the first thought that popped in Tristan’s mind.
Ricky was tapping away on his iPad screen. “Look, I ran the numbers. I was right, man. Van Doren just isn’t worth the time or our expenses anymore. All these other businesses ship their upholstery work overseas, so the company will go under
in a few years anyway. We won’t find a buyer. I say we take the financial loss and move on.”
Tristan sipped his morning coffee, weighing his options in his mind. Ricky was probably right about Van Doren being a loss. Tristan still wanted to keep that bet, since he loved winning, but things with Faith were moving in an unexpected—and really good—direction. He wanted to see where that went. He finished getting dressed, and took a moment to get his hair just right.
“I get it, Ricky. But that plan we came up with? I’m already up to step three. See, I’ve got Faith’s trust. She even came with me to New York last night.”
“You were there?” Ricky sounded shocked. “You were in New York?”
“Well, yeah. I wanted to take her out.”
“But you didn’t stop into the offices? You didn’t try to take care of this Eastman mess?”
“Didn’t have time.” Tristan shrugged.
“Buddy, I think your priorities are getting skewed on this one. Come on, let’s go!” Ricky urged on their way out the door. “Tris, we shouldn’t waste any more time in this hick town. We’re needed in New York now. My accountant said this reputation hit cost us thousands. You need to be giving interviews in the media and restoring our good name, not staying here to hang out with the locals.”
Just before Tristan got in his vehicle, he turned to Ricky. “But it’s only one more week. I told Cubby we’d be done on the fifth of October, and I meant it. I’m so close on this. I’ll put up my own money if I have to. It’s just until next Friday.”
Ricky rolled his eyes. Tristan did want Van Doren, but it was more than just a matter of pride. Things were heating up with Faith, and he wanted to spend more time with her.
He wanted things to get hotter still.
Chapter 12
Tristan wasn’t thrilled about arriving late to Van Doren, but at least Ricky was back by his side to help him. He put his best friend and partner to work handling the influx of new shipments. All that equipment he ordered with Faith was arriving in truck after truck.
Rekindled: A Billionaire Second Chance Romance (Lost Love Book 3) Page 10