“Because I wanted you to be able to slip into a warm bed when you were ready to turn in.”
“No, I mean why am I here, Rudolph? Why do you want me to give this a chance so badly? You’re famous and handsome and any of those actresses and models would give anything to be here with you. Heck, I’m pretty sure they would climb into your bed and keep you warm even in your other cabin. So why me? Why are you trying to convince me that we are the perfect match?”
She watched as Rudy sat his mug on the table and rounded it. He took her mug from her hands and sat it on the table and took her in his arms. He pulled her close and looked down into her eyes, his own rich chocolate ones the same color as the drink he’d just given her, holding her gaze locked in his. “You may not remember our wedding night Clarice, but I can’t forget it. I noticed you the moment you walked into the restaurant. I wanted to come rescue you from the moment you sat down across from Chester. When I saw you stand and him grab you I wanted to pound him for daring to put his hands on you. When he jerked you onto his lap I couldn’t stay away, and once you agreed to escort me I was in heaven.” He tilted her chin up and leaned in closer. “When you told me about your company and your fear that no one would want a matchmaker who didn’t have her own True Love Connection I knew I was yours. I was surprised when I joked that we should get married so you didn’t have to worry about that because you said yes. But after we said our vows and I kissed you I knew.”
Clarice swallowed and moved closer to where his lips were almost touching hers but not quite. “Knew what?”
“I knew you were the one created just for me and me just for you. Then our night together just made me more sure. You may not remember any of it but I’ve never been able to forget it. Those other women never made me feel anything and certainly not anything close to what you did and still do make me feel.”
“How?” she breathed out. “How does it make you feel?”
His answer returned on his scent that filled her nose and overwhelmed her senses. “Like this!”
Then his lips claimed hers and she melted against him. This feeling she’d never experienced before overtook her and yet her body remembered it, had even dreamed about it for the last eleven months. This feeling that could destroy her. Just like it had destroyed her mother! With that thought she jerked away from her husband and his delicious chocolate flavored kiss. “That can’t happen again.”
“Why?”
“Because it just confuses the issue, Rudolph.” She picked up her mug and fled to the room she’d placed her things in earlier. Shutting the door behind her, she leaned up against it. Her heart still racing and her blood screaming for more of his touch, more of his kiss, more of him. Stupid heart, what did it know anyway. She couldn’t give in. She wouldn’t give in no matter how sweet he was or how much her body cried out for the touches she couldn’t quite remember and clearly couldn’t forget. To do so was to give up her protection; to give in to the possibility of being left just like her mom was. Even more so with a man like Rudy who thrived on surviving dangerous environments. Just like her daddy.
Rudy watched as Clarice raced up the hallway away from him. He waited until he heard her door click shut then slapped his hand on the table top. He’d moved too fast. He’d known it was a mistake when he’d taken her in his arms and yet he couldn’t stop himself once he’d started. The connection between them was so strong he didn’t understand how Clarice couldn’t feel it. It was like a living breathing thing between them. When their lips had met he felt her melt. He knew she felt it too just as strong as he did. Then he’d also felt the minute she realized she’d given in to it and slammed her protective walls back in place. Just as sure as she’d run the day after their wedding, she was running again. He’d just have to pray she didn’t physically run away.
That thought brought him back to the conversation he’d had over dinner with his dad. The conversation where he’d explained the whole relationship to him. Gordon had laughed out loud. “Leave it to you Rudy, to marry the only woman in the whole world who doesn’t want to be your wife.”
He’d shook his head. “That’s not true, Dad; she’s just scared, I think. I don’t fit into her carefully constructed life plan. But I’m working on it. She agreed to come stay for three months and to give us a real chance to see if we connect.”
“This is the thing, isn’t it?” His dad had asked. Rudy had leaned back in his chair. “What thing?” His dad gave him the look and motioned for them to walk out on deck. He’d pulled his hand rolled cigar out of a pocket and bit the end off, lighting up. He offered one to Rudy who as always waved the offer away. Then around the stogie his dad had continued. “Even you have to realize that you changed a year ago, Rudy. It seemed to us that you walked into that desert one way: happy, carefree and ready to conquer the world, and walked out another. Broken, barely holding on by a thread and looking for something to cut the thread with. I always thought it was the solitude of the desert but Dancer kept telling me there was more to it. He wouldn’t tell me what, but it was her, wasn’t it? She’s what happened to you, isn’t she?”
“Dad, she didn’t happen to me. Clarice is my Lorelei. If she demands the divorce, there won’t be anyone else no matter what you take away. It’s Clarice or no-one. Without her I don’t want to even try again.”
His father put his hand on his shoulder. “Then what can I do to help?”
“I don’t know honestly. She’s scared of something. There’s a reason she doesn’t want to follow her heart. I don’t know what it is and I’m not sure who would.”
“Evelyn would. I’ll see what I can find out, but what else? I can see there’s something you want to ask me to do.”
“Clarice is engaged back in New York. From what I saw she isn’t in love with the guy and he seemed sketchy to me. Tried to come across as a Trust Fund guy but something was off.”
“What’s his name?”
“Winthrop Alastair Rothschild the fourth.”
Gordon laughed. “No really, what’s his name.”
“That’s how he introduced himself, Dad. Like I should know who he was.”
Gordon shook his head. “Not possible. I knew Winthrop Alastair Rothschild the third and his wife. They didn’t have any kids. Let me get my investigators looking into this guy.”
“Just don’t say anything to Ms. Reese or Clarice about him. If we don’t find anything wrong, I don’t want to damage any ground I make with Clarice.”
“My guys are discreet, Rudy. They’ll find out. Probably will show me your marriage license tomorrow. I got Clarice’s name from the flight manifest before you arrived. They were already looking in to her before you arrived.”
“Dad, I’m serious. Clarice is my one. If she won’t stay married to me I won’t be getting married. Trust fund or no trust fund.”
Gordon nodded. “I understand, Rudy. Wouldn’t have bothered you much if I took it away anyway, would it? But I do want you to promise me no matter what she says you’ll put more time into running your resort. Limit your trips away for slow times.”
“I’ll make sure the resort is taken care of and I’ll try to work out a better schedule with the Adventure Channel people if I decided to renew my show.”
“That’s all I ask that and that you try really hard to get my daughter-in-law to stay married to you. I want grandchildren Rudy, while I’m young enough to enjoy them.”
His father put out his cigar and motioned for Rudy to follow. “Come with me there’s one more thing I can do to help.”
“What’s that?”
“Come on and I’ll show you.” His father led him down to his office and then went over to the safe and punched in the code. He started sifting through the papers in the bottom of the safe. “Where is it? I know I put it in here somewhere. Ah there it is.” He turned around with a yellow aged index card and placed it on the copier and pressed the copy button then handed Rudy the printout. “This is Lorelei’s special hot chocolat
e recipe; she swore up and down it’s what made me fall in love with her. She said no one can resist it.”
“Dad, I have the recipe. All of us do.”
Gordon shook his head. “No, you have the normal Holliday family recipe. This was Lorelei’s special love emergency recipe. It’s extra special. You make that for your girl while she’s here and she’ll never leave ya.”
Rudy had taken it; what did he have to lose? That had been the cup he’d given her when she came home. It had almost worked. She’d at least let him kiss her and she’d responded at first. He’d keep making it for her every night and keep trying to get her to let him into her heart. After all, as the saying goes all’s fair in love and war. Right now Rudy wasn’t sure which one he was in but he needed every trick in the arsenal either way. Because he couldn’t afford to lose. The price was his heart. He picked up his phone and called his dad. “Hey Dad, I need all the helicopters and jets to be out of service for a couple days. I think she’s going to try to run again.”
“Well I’m sorry to say that all our transports off the Island are down for routine maintenance checks.”
“Thanks, I appreciate it.”
“Don’t know what you’re talking about.”
With those words his dad hung up and Rudy went to bed to watch the stars and figure out what his next move should be. Maybe a chat with his mother-in-law.
Chapter Seven
Clarice was inside the office that Rudy had his people set up for her. It really was a great office and if she was staying she would have loved that he gave her an office with a view of the ocean and she could watch the sea lions as they came up on the rocky shore to sun themselves when she wasn’t buried in her computer. Today she just wanted to get off this blasted God forsaken place and get home to New York City where she belonged with Winthrop who didn’t make her heart pound and her palms sweaty but no can do. Why not? Because her rich as Midas husband had left orders that all the Holliday Island Resort Aircraft were to be grounded today. She’d fly commercial but it was extremely expensive and she would still have to find a way from the resort to the airport.
There was a knock on her door and then it opened to show perky perfect Roxy there. “I’m sorry, I can’t find anyone heading to Anchorage among the staff of any of the islands.”
Clarice nodded. “I figured you’d say that. That man is gonna get a piece of my mind when I find him?”
Roxy frowned. “What man?”
“Your boss, that’s who. I need to go home and he’s holding me hostage here.”
“Rudy? He has nothing to do with the helicopters and jets being down. I was told that Mister Holliday ordered the inspections because of warnings from the FAA of problems that could lead to loss of machines and lives.”
Clarice shook her head. “How convenient that it should happen on the day I want to go home.”
Roxy shrugged. “Is there a problem with your company? What is it you do anyway?”
Clarice smiled. “My mom and I own True Love Connections. It’s a matchmaking company. I’m in charge of our online division.”
Roxy frowned. “Oh like Matchme.com? I tried them and kept getting matched to lowlifes that just wanted a quick hookup.”
“That’s how we’re different, we aren’t a dating site. We’re matchmakers and the people who sign up are looking for their forever love. We have very stringent protocols in place to weed out those people trying to use us for hookups. Plus we aren’t cheap like Matchme. Guys who are looking for a quick hook up aren’t going to pay what we charge for a match.”
Roxy nodded and sighed. “I probably can’t afford your service either then.”
Clarice really didn’t want to like the bubbly walking talking male fantasy but she was just so real. Well except for her annoying hero worship of one red nosed ‘Reindeer Brother’.
“Well I’m testing a new algorithm. If you were willing to be a beta tester, I would waive our normal signup fee.”
The girl smiled again. “Really, and I’d find a real possible love match?”
“We don’t even give you a contact unless it’s at least 90% compatible or above.”
“Wow that’s amazing. And it really works?”
Clarice laughed. “Mom and I get emails and letters every day thanking us for helping couples find each other and invitations for weddings of couples that we helped match.”
“And you could help me find a match? Because I got to tell you I’m tired of losers. The last serious guy I had left me standing at the altar. That was almost a year ago.” Roxy bit her lip. “That’s why I took this job when it was offered to me. I didn’t know Rudy was married and I’d hoped…”
Clarice nodded. “I understand, he is very handsome and watching his show you feel like he is talking only to you.”
Roxy nodded. “You’re so lucky. I saw the way he looked at you yesterday. He’s so in love with you.”
Clarice’s heart raced and her palms got sweaty. But she didn’t want Rudy’s sexy little personal assistant to know how shaky her relationship with Rudy really was. So she smiled and laughed. “What’s not to love?”
Roxy laughed. “Anyway, I’ll keep trying to find you a way to the airport.” Then she stopped talking and sucked in a breath. “Are you okay Clarice? You suddenly went very white.”
“I’m fine, just got a little headache.”
“Oh I have a cure for that. Rudy showed me yesterday. I had a terrible headache and was going to take a couple migraine pills but he had me put my feet in a bowl of ice water with a hot pad on my neck and the headache went away. Would you like me to set you up?”
Clarice bit her lip. Rudy gave the girl his headache trick? That was her special trick. Why did he tell Roxy about it? “No, I think since I can’t get off the resort I’ll just go home and take a nap.”
“Alright, let me know when I can test your new service.”
“I’ll send you the link to your work email.”
“Sounds good. Go rest and feel better.”
Roxy left and Clarice sighed; her head was starting to really pound. She’d go back to the cabin and rest. Maybe it was just jet lag. Only she thought that happened when you flew east not northwest. Still a nap wouldn’t hurt anything and it would keep her from running in to Rudy. Yet part of her wanted to just give in and see what could become of the chemistry between them. If only she could do that without losing her heart in the process.
Rudy was frustrated. Three days had passed since he’d kissed his wife and she’d ran to her room. Three days where he’d only seen her for a moment or two as she had come out of her room to grab food or a drink. His father had called him last night and told him that he couldn’t keep the resort aircraft grounded any longer as they had guests who needed to fly in and out.
Every night he’d knocked on her door just before he turned in and sat a cup of Lorelei’s special hot chocolate and a few of Judy’s famous five chip cookies on a plate. She’d open the door and take them but he hadn’t gotten to talk to her or even try to kiss her again. Now if she wanted she could hop a flight and be back in New York City by midnight.
He’d kept himself busy with ensuring the Island was in tiptop shape. He’d checked all the glamping cabins and went with his maintenance manager to each one making sure that everything in each one was in perfect working order. He’d talked to the few couples and families there on holidays to make sure they were getting the experience they wanted. He’d moved his things from his cabin to the one he was occupying with his wife, including food from his freezer, and he made sure to have breakfast and dinner for her each night delivered from one of the restaurants on the island.
Rudy had even made time to meet with the architect and they’d gone over what he wanted the man to plan for him. Next week he was going to take those plans and meet with the construction foreman and get him ready to start as soon as weather permitted. Right now with the shorter days and frigid temperatures it was too cold and the daylight too short to even start the bas
ics of digging out the foundation. Plus, they would need to raze his current cabin before they could start.
He’d even spent some time with Evelyn who’d explained to him about Clarice’s father and how she had locked her heart away when her mother had. It explained the walls and his mother-in-law had told him that all he could do was keep showing her love and wait for her defenses to crumble. But now he couldn’t wait any more. She could easily leave. He sighed and pushed the button that let Roxy know he needed to talk to her.
His door opened and the woman who had quickly proven to be as good as Judy said she was stood in front of him. “You needed something, Rudy?”
He tried to smile. “Yes Roxy. I know you’ve been trying to find Clarice a way to get back to New York. Let her know the helicopters and jets have been cleared and she can leave when she’s ready. Just ask her to wait until tomorrow. I have plans for our first anniversary tonight.”
Roxy frowned. “OOOOKAY??”
Something about her tone caught Rudy’s attention. “What? What don’t I know?”
“Clarice isn’t here today. She didn’t come in this morning.”
“What? I thought she was in her office like normal.”
His PA shook her head. “No, she hasn’t answered her phone either. I was just coming to ask if she was okay when you buzzed. Ms. Ling in New York has been trying to get in touch with her all morning. She hasn’t been able to get an answer either.”
“That doesn’t sound good. I’m going home, don’t call me unless it’s absolutely something you and Judy can’t handle.”
“Make sure she’s okay, Rudy. Let me know if I can help in any way.”
Rudy nodded and grabbed his coat on the way out of his office, and by the time he hit the front door of the business center he was full out running. Something was wrong with Clarice, he could feel it deep in his soul. He sprinted all the way to the cabin and crashed into the front room. There was no indication she’d come out of her bedroom at all today. He knocked but got no answer so he opened the door to hear the sound of retching coming from her bathroom. He raced to the door and saw his wife on her knees, head over the toilet still retching and shaking. He was at her side in a second and reached down, pulling her hair out of her face. She was soaked with sweat and burning up. “Oh honey, you should have texted me or something.”
Rudolph's Runaway Bride (Holliday Islands Resort Book 9) Page 7