by Lea Hart
Twisting her head in his direction, she admired the handsome man who was taking her away for a few days. “I used to dress like this more often than not. I was horse crazy until the age of seventeen. We have a horse farm in Folsom and I spent every free moment there until the summer of my senior year.”
“What happened your senior year?”
“Mama made me become a deb, so I had to start attending functions and events the summer I turned seventeen. It was a perfect storm of events, and somehow, she made me into a lady. My braces came off, I got contact lenses, and my unfortunate unibrow was taken care of. Also, my girl parts came in. The dresses that she was making me wear didn’t look all that bad, and I started to enjoy dressing up. So I left my dusty boots in the closet and traded them in for high heeled sandals.”
“I would’ve liked to have met that seventeen year old girl.” Chase grinned.
“Before or after the boots?”
“Both.”
Letting out a loud laugh, she patted his arm. “I was definitely more fun before Mama got her hands on me and made me behave. But I have to say that all of the lessons she taught me have helped me become a success.”
Taking her hand, he squeezed it affectionately. “Did you ever put those boots on again?”
“Every summer that I came home from school. The farm is still one of my favorite places in the world, and I hope to someday have one of my own. I would love my children to have what I grew up with. Some of my best memories come from some old dirt road on the farm. My brothers took us girls out into the woods, and we learned how to fish, catch pollywogs, and set traps for squirrels. We’d go out after breakfast and not come home until late afternoon. When Mama caught sight of us, our feet were dirty, our hair was a mess, and we had a million stories.”
“Your mama doesn’t seem like the type of woman who would’ve liked that very much. Everything you’ve told me about her suggests that she would’ve preferred for you all to stay clean and sit in the house with a book.”
“Mama was a rebel, in more ways than I can count. She told us girls that ‘pretty is as pretty does,’ which means don’t rely on your good looks, because you won’t have them forever. She wanted us to use our brains and go out into the world and do something. She didn’t much care what the something was, just as long as we tried.” Staring out the window, she studied the passing scenery. “We just better behave like ladies when we were doing it and be dressed appropriately.”
“I would love to have the opportunity to meet her someday. What is your father like?”
“Daddy is the best man in the world. He’s an attorney and one the reasons I decided to go to law school. He’s got a firm in New Orleans and is well-respected. But the driving force in his life is making Mama happy. They have an amazing marriage and love each other to this day. They still act like they’re twenty-five and just found one another. My mama loves him like it was the thing she was born to do.”
“So you would like to have what they have.”
“Of course, but now I realize how rare it is. I thought that’s how all relationships worked, but apparently not.” Shrugging, she studied her hands. “I’m not going to settle, so that’s why I’ve decided that maybe I’ll go it alone. I just need a baby daddy; the rest I can do by myself. I’m sure as sugar not going to have less than what my parents have.”
Staring out at the road, Chase realized what Ronnie needed, and he knew if he took her on then he could never offer less than the whole world. Since he retired a couple of years ago, he’d been searching for the meaning of life. He’d achieved every goal he ever set for himself, and being thirty-five and having nothing else to work for sure sucked the juice out of his sails. Listening to Ronnie made him realize that the next part of his life was where he was going to have the chance to accomplish something real. Not that all those victories on the gridiron didn’t mean anything. But having a happy wife and children was a legacy worth accomplishing. It would take work and determination…so it was a good thing that he had that in spades. “I think you should have everything you want and more. Why settle when you don’t have to?” He pulled off the highway and made his way to the restaurant. Might as well start with getting her what she wanted for breakfast. One small step in the right direction.
********
Ronnie sat and admired the food before her. There were few things in life that made her as happy as breakfast food. She had a plate with French toast piled high and another dish with scrambled eggs, sausage, and hash browns. As far as she was concerned, this was heaven. Smiling, she poured syrup on her French toast and watched the powdered sugar melt away. As soon as it did, she dove in like a woman who hadn’t eaten since last week. She almost swooned in happiness at the first bite, but held back, because her mama had taught her better manners. Chase was turning out to be better than she expected. Any man who could provide this sort of meal before ten in the morning was all right with her.
Chase observed Ronnie attack her breakfast in much the same way a lineman faced a meal. He admired her and knew she would make a good partner, because any woman who could enjoy breakfast food the way she did was going to enjoy other things in life as well. Food and sex were very similar appetites, and if she didn’t enjoy one, she sure would not enjoy the other. He started on his mammoth omelet and hoped that she might leave him one small bite of French toast, though by the looks of it, his chances were slim. “Do you need anything else, honey?” She waved her fork in his direction with a smile as she moved on to her eggs. He respected someone who chose their meal above conversation.
Leaning against the back of the booth, Ronnie groaned. "I think I ate too much. I may be going into a food coma any moment.” Rolling her head over, she watched Chase finish her French toast. “How long is it going to take us to get to the resort?”
“It should take us a little under two hours. I think Gerald booked a spa appointment for you after lunch, so we should have plenty of time.” He finished the last bite and wiped his mouth. Leaning over, he kissed Ronnie’s head and then waved to the waitress for the check. It seemed like Ronnie might start her breakfast nap right here in the restaurant, so he figured he better get them out of there before she started snoring. She was staring at him with a glassy unfocused stare as she moved her fingers over his hand. “Do you want anything else?”
“A pillow and a warm car should do it. There are few things in life as satisfying as a nap in a car after you’ve eaten a big meal.”
“Well, that I can do. You can lean your head on me the same way you did when we flew home from San Francisco.”
“I think you took advantage of me during that flight.” She flicked her hand over her T-shirt as she tried to clear the crumbs from her meal. “I’ve never ended up in a person’s lap before.”
“Honey, you leaned over and rested your head on my chest. I didn’t want you to get a crick in your neck, so I moved you around a little. You slept for a solid three hours, so I think it worked out.” He moved his arm around her shoulders and scooted her a little closer. “See…we fit together like cheese and crackers.”
Letting out a snort, she patted his chest. “I’m beginning to see a glimpse of the man that I read about. I know all about your wild and woolly days in the NFL, and you have a crazy reputation, sir.”
“Totally overblown.” The waitress handed him the bill, and he gave her his credit card. “Well, a lot of it has been exaggerated. Anyway, I’ve matured, and I know what I need, and she’s sitting right next to me.”
“Good thing I didn’t meet you until now. It seems that your advanced age is going to turn out to be a positive thing.”
“Ronnie, I’m only seven years older than you. Which in man years makes me about five years younger than you in maturity. So I’m still the younger man in this relationship.”
Sitting up, she twisted and stared. His logic was as screwy as a roller coaster, and in some way, it made perfect sense. “There is no relationship.”
The waitress came b
ack and handed him his receipt. Smiling, he responded to Ronnie. “There could be by the end of the weekend.”
“I didn’t know that you believed in miracles. It’s good to know.” She slid from under his arm out of the booth and walked toward the door. It was going to take something extraordinary for anything real and true to happen between them. Best case, she got to relax for a few days and he would prove to be entertaining company.
Chase followed her out and enjoyed the view of her sass and sway. He didn’t need a miracle; he just needed an opportunity to spend time with her and show her what he was beginning to feel.
********
The resort was beautiful and certainly lived up to the awards that it had received as a top-ten romantic destination. It was small and intimate with only a small number of guest rooms. Ronnie looked around and admired their slice of private beach as they stood on the steps of their bungalow. “Chase, this place is perfect. You and Gerald did a great job in choosing it.”
“Thanks, honey.” He stepped into their home for the next two days and discovered there were only two rooms. And it wasn’t two bedrooms. It was a living room and a master suite. Ronnie was going to have his head. “Honey, it seems that there is only one bedroom.” He felt her walk up behind him, and they both stood in the doorway staring at one of the most romantic scenes that he’d ever seen. There were rose petals strewn across the bed with a path leading to a bathtub that overlooked the ocean. “It’s a hell of a room, though.”
Standing next to him, she glanced around and then out a big laugh. “Did you ask for this or is it something they do for all of their guests?”
“I may have mentioned that it was a special weekend when I made the reservation. I had no idea this is what they were going to do.” He watched her slip off her sandals and walk toward the bed. Jumping straight up, she threw herself on the bed, and as she did, rose petals flew in the air and mixed with the sound of her laughter. Maybe she wasn’t going to kill him after all. He followed her lead and did the same thing. The only difference being that his weight hitting the mattress made all of the petals fly on top of Ronnie. Once he landed, he glanced over and saw that the woman of his dreams was covered in pink and red roses, and she was smiling.
Wiping her face, she turned and stared into his deep brown eyes and let her hand find his. “Just because I haven’t thrown a fit doesn’t mean that I’m going to have relations with you. I might, but I’m not sure yet.”
Rolling on his side, he placed his hand gently against her face and waited to see if she was going to say more. Watching her eyes turn dark green made him wonder if he was seeing desire or anger. She covered his hand with hers and closed her eyes against his stare and let out a sigh. “I thought when the woman said two rooms she meant two bedrooms. This is not a cheap ploy to get you to sleep with me. I meant what I said when I told you that I want a real chance with you. I’m not a sleazy guy going for a cheap thrill.”
Opening her eyes, she rolled onto to her back and stared up at the ceiling. “Let’s not take the idea of a cheap thrill off the table quite yet. I may want to try that out. Hell, I found that kissing with no plan was fun. Who knows? I may find out that having sex with no plan is more fun. I’m open to the idea.”
Moving his body next to hers, he captured her hand as he leaned up on his elbow to stare at her. The damn woman never did what she was supposed to. He didn’t desire a weekend fling with her. He needed something real and lasting. “I want to be with you, and I know it’s going to mean something. And when we become intimate, it will be more than our physical bodies connecting. Our hearts are going to be involved as well. At least mine is. So you can call it what you want, but we’ll both know that there is nothing cheap about us being together.” Leaning over, he kissed her head quickly and then lifted himself off the bed. “I’m going for a swim, because I need to cool off.”
Watching him bring their suitcases into the room, she wondered why he was being so touchy. “There is nothing wrong with having a physical relationship with someone with no clear plan. I haven’t had one yet, so I want to, and I may choose you to do it with. I’m attracted to you, so you could be the person to get me started on my new path.” Sitting up, she crossed her legs and studied him as he rummaged in his bag for a pair of swim trunks. “Lord knows that I really don’t want a husband, so why have I been looking for a boyfriend?” He slipped his T-shirt over his head, and she admired his chest that was covered in muscles. He was tan, and his skin was dusted in dark hair across his chest. He was the sexiest thing that she’d ever seen. “I don’t have to believe that you are the love of my life to sleep with you.” Warming up to the idea, she studied him and decided that he would be the perfect person to get her started on a life of meaningless sex. Why not? The whole relationship thing never really worked out, so this could actually work.
Standing with his hand on his hips, he wondered why she was trying to torture him. There was no way that this thing between them was not ending up with them together for a very long time. Like the rest of their lives. “I’m not a toy that you can play with, Ronnie. So don’t try.”
“All right. Fine, no toy. Maybe we’ll just be friends. I’m sure that I can find someone else to teach me the ways of meaningless sex.” Before she knew what was happening, he bounced on the bed again and crawled over her. She lay back as he loomed above her, his big arms caging her in as he propped himself up to stare at her. “You don’t scare me.”
“I hope not.” Dropping his head slowly, he observed her eyes get big as his mouth came closer to hers. “Everything that happens between us has meaning. But you tell yourself whatever you need to. In the end, it won’t matter because you will be mine.” Pressing his mouth into hers, he took her lips in his possession and kissed her with a ferocity that told them both what he meant.
Lying with Chase pressed on top of her, she lost her resolve. His mouth against hers felt like he was taking ownership of her mind and heart. Never in her life had a man affected her the way he did. Well, he could have her body, but she was going to keep the rest in lockdown. There was no way that she was going to be vulnerable again. Once he released her mouth, she watched a satisfied smile grow on his face. “Are you going to invite me to go swimming with you?”
“Sure, let’s go see how the water feels.” Pressing one more kiss to her lips, he let himself savor her taste. “Put a suit on, and I’ll meet you down by the water.” Letting her go, he got up and grabbed his trunks and moved into the other room. He needed to cool off before he was going to be able to change, so he walked out front and stared at the ocean. Well, he’d gotten her here. He just didn’t know if what he had planned would work.
It was a gamble, but certainly worth it. He heard her walk up behind him and turned to see her in a black suit. Instantly, his whole world stood still. She was the sexiest woman he had ever seen, and he couldn’t explain why. She called to something deep within him, and he wanted nothing more than to make sure he answered. “You are lovely, Ronnie. Thanks for coming and spending the weekend with me.”
“You’re welcome. Now go get changed and let’s go swimming.” She kissed his cheek and then walked toward the water. Follow me, Chase.
CHAPTER NINE
Saturday
Ronnie sat on the steps of their private bungalow and watched Chase swim in the ocean. The phone was glued to her ear, as she listened to Ana tell her about New York. “So you saw his billboard in Union Square?”
“We did, and it was a glorious sight to behold.” Ana laughed. “He was so embarrassed, and I thought it was cute. He wouldn’t let me take a picture of him in front of it, and it’s the first thing that he’s ever refused me.”
Ronnie studied Chase’s massive arms when they lifted out of the water as he did his laps in front of her. “I told Jack when he met you that you would never be interested in a man who had a billboard in Union Square with his junk hanging out. Apparently, I was wrong.” Holding the phone away from her ear, she listened to her b
est friend shriek with laughter. “Also, I said that you would never wear a big ring, and you have a small golf ball on your hand, so I was wrong about that as well.”
“Four months ago, I would have said the same thing, but apparently, I’m capable of change. Or that big sexy man in the shower has transformed me. Either way, I’m engaged to an underwear model who happens to play professional sports on the side, and seeing this ring on my finger makes him happy. And I need him to be happy, so I’m learning to love this small skating rink that sits on my finger. Who knew?”
Ronnie observed the waiter walk up with their breakfast. Smiling, she motioned to the table on the veranda and mouthed a thank you to the man. “I’m not going to make any more predictions, because I seem to have lost my knack for them.” She watched Chase emerge from the water and found her pulse speed up at the sight of his magnificent body dripping in water. He waved and then slowly moved in her direction. “Here comes the devil; he just finished his swim.”
“Where did the devil take you?” Ana asked.
“We are at the Little Palm Resort in the Keys. The place is beyond beautiful. We are staying in a secluded bungalow with a private beach. You should have Jack bring you down here, because you would love it.”
“That’s where Rory and Max got married. She tells anyone who will listen that it was the most romantic week of her life. Will you get me a couple of brochures? Maybe Jack and I should get married there?”