by Jeannie Moon
For a second, he thought he was being played. But everything he saw, from her voice, to her eyes, to her body language, told him she was sincere. She really would worry about him. And this was something completely new—no woman had ever cared only about him. They had cared about his money, his status, the trappings of his life, but never just about him.
Leah’s emotions were real, and that simple fact caught him square in the chest.
“Alright. I’ll stay. Until you’re free to come back with me.”
“I guess that’s fair.” The woman breathed an actual sigh of relief. “I live and work close enough to your apartment that I can easily check up on you.”
God, what had he gotten himself into? Leah nursing him back to health? That could completely do him in.
“Nate said he would run by your apartment and pick up clothes, toiletries, whatever you want. In the meantime, if you need anyone to run to the store, Jenna will be around. She said she’d check on you in a couple of hours, and your assistant said to call her if there was anything from the office you would like brought over.”
“Thank you. I’m going to owe everyone an eternal debt.”
“No debt. We take care of each other, and you’re like one of the family. I grabbed your computer bag from the car and there’s a charging station on the desk.” She pointed to an alcove tucked in near the dining area. “There are towels and anything you might need for a shower in the bathroom, but be careful, okay?”
He nodded.
“I have to go to work. Take it easy. Let people help you.” Leah’s request reflected her deep concern.
“Again, thank you, love. I’ll speak to you later?”
“I expect I’ll be home around six o’clock. I’ll check in with you then. If you’d like I’ll bring dinner for both of us.”
“That sounds perfect.” And it did sound perfect. In his mind, there wasn’t much that could beat out spending time with a beautiful redhead. Especially one that challenged everything he thought he knew about himself so completely. Without any warning, Leah stood on her toes, and planted a soft kiss on his cheek. Once she left, Tristan knew he would be thinking about her all day.
* * *
Leah always loved the pace of her work in the city. At times, it was frenetic, out of control, but she thrived in the environment and loved the pressure. However, being able to work on the Island the last few days had definitely lowered the energy level and lessened the stress. It had actually been kind of nice.
Working as a private securities lawyer, Leah came across every kind of asshole. In lower Manhattan, where she worked, you couldn’t turn around without bumping into one. After the debacle at her last job, with a man whom she’d trusted implicitly, Leah was fairly certain there weren’t any nice guys left. Maybe, before he got married, her brother was the exception. But he was her brother, and it was gross to think about, so that didn’t count.
Then she met Tristan, and all her promises to stay out of a relationship crumbled each time she set eyes on him. They were good friends, and Leah was totally unprepared for the barrage of emotions he caused. Talk about conflicted. Her focus had to be her career. She loved her work, and the last time a relationship got into the mix, she almost lost everything she’d been working for. No matter how attractive, how interesting, how wonderful Tristan was, she had to keep her head on straight. The connection to her brother and all the other people in her orbit made him too dangerous. It didn’t make him less desirable, however, which was the problem.
“Hey, you’re a million miles away.”
“Huh?” Leah looked up, and in the doorway of her temporary office was one of her sorority sisters, a woman she never particularly trusted, Ginger Kyle. “Did you say something?”
“Yeah. I asked if you wanted to go get lunch, but you were off in another dimension. Is everything okay?”
“Um . . . sure . . . a family friend took a fall off one of our horses yesterday. He’s hurt and staying at the house right now. I was just thinking about him.”
“Ah. A friend? How good a friend?”
“I beg your pardon?”
“I mean is he a friend, like for real, or are you being cryptic because you don’t want to jinx something?”
“This isn’t something I’m going to talk about. Where would you like to go for lunch?”
Leah hadn’t meant to be so short with her colleague, but immediately, Ginger backpedaled. “I’m sorry. I was just curious.”
“No, I’m the one who should apologize. I try to keep work and my personal life separate. It’s just how I operate.” Especially since she’d been burned the last time she mixed work and pleasure.
And dating her boss was definitely the worst mix of all. Ginger didn’t know the specifics, and she wasn’t going to, but Leah would never make the same mistake again.
“I understand. Sorry. I really was just curious.”
“No worries. I’m sensitive about it.”
Ginger mentioned a small restaurant about a block away from the office, and it was like several other places in town, all catering to the working lunch. It was more of the same old thing. Lunch wasn’t really a break or a way to connect with colleagues. Just like the city, it was all about the work. When her father worked down at the barn, he came up to the main house for lunch. He and her mother would sit for an hour, sometimes with their children, sometimes not, and talk. Leah was always amazed that her parents never ran out of things to say to each other. They were closer now, as they neared retirement, than she’d ever seen. Her mother’s battle with breast cancer hit the whole family hard, but none more so than her father.
Mom was the love of his life and the diagnosis became her father’s battle as much as it became her mom’s. He went to every doctor’s appointment, every chemo treatment, every scan. He held her hand, held her head while she vomited, and learned to tie a head scarf. Not a day went by that her father didn’t make her mother feel beautiful, desired, and loved. More than anything, Mom felt loved.
Considering her track record, Leah didn’t think that kind of love would ever happen to her. Even though she believed, without any doubt, that Tristan was a good and honorable man, she would never trust her heart with anyone.
That simple decision protected her personally and professionally. Never again would she mix business with pleasure.
The firm she was consulting for was in an old house that had been converted to offices in Northport. It was a gorgeous October day, and she’d been thinking about grabbing a deli sandwich and going to the waterfront park to have her lunch. But Ginger was an old friend, and reconnecting with people, even though the talk would be focused on the office, wasn’t a bad idea. She’d meet her colleague at the casual bistro, pick at a salad when she really wanted a messy burger, and talk shop. Harmless.
Everything about her life had been focused on her career. When she first graduated from law school, she worked seventy-hour weeks just like every other associate, and she loved it. The law made sense, and when it was coupled with money, regulations, and high stakes, Leah was in heaven.
If she were still with her old firm, she would have been close to making partner by now. Of course, having an affair with her boss—her big secret—a man she trusted with her career and her heart and who turned out to be engaged, was not her best move. Of course, Doug should have mentioned he was going to be married to the senior partner’s daughter before he seduced her in his office.
The guy was a lying cheat, and to cover his own ass, he’d painted Leah as a predator. Claiming she had made the first move—she hadn’t. Saying she knew he was engaged—she didn’t.
The final nail in her coffin came when he accused her of trying to blackmail him. Which was a total lie, but no one believed the spoiled rich girl who always got what she wanted.
They believed the man. Doug was one of those all-American good guys. Solidly middle-c
lass, he’d worked his way through college and law school. Everyone loved him; he was a hometown hero. A star athlete. The boy whom parents wanted their daughters to marry. Unfortunately, under all the backslapping bluster, he was a misogynistic asshole of the highest order. But, like everyone else, Leah fell for him, and almost wrecked her career in the process. Now she was back on track and ready to move up.
She’d been lucky to find a position with Harris and Blanchard, a firm that had a wonderful reputation in dealing with client arbitration, asset recovery, and investment protection. All the principals were happy with her work, and while some of the assignments weren’t ideal, they were highly visible. The promise of a non-equity partnership had been dangled more than a few times over the past six months, and with her annual review just a month away, Leah had high hopes that her past mistake would finally be nothing but a bad memory.
Just as she grabbed her purse and her phone, a text came in. Tristan.
Hi.
She smiled. Poor guy was probably bored to death. Hey, what have you been up to?
Absolutely nothing. On one hand it’s driving me crazy. On the other, I had no idea how addictive your morning television could be.
I wouldn’t know. I don’t think I’ve watched TV in five years.
Me either, which is why this is so fascinating. Did you know lemon water eliminates bloat?
Leah laughed out loud. For real. I did know that, yes.
Well I didn’t. I also didn’t know I could use coconut oil for stretch marks.
You don’t have stretch marks. She’d seen him naked, there was nothing except muscles, smooth skin, and patches of hair where a man was supposed to have hair.
Glad you noticed.
She’d noticed.
I’m on my way to lunch. Do you need me to pick anything up for you?
No. I’m fine. Your mum and sister-in-law were by a little while ago. Things are better with you two, correct? She seems incredibly nice.
Yup. Jenna was that. Nice. She is. I’ve managed to wrangle forgiveness from her.
I’m glad that’s working out. She could hear him say it. In her head. Whispering in her ear. God, the man was inside her.
I’m going to go. I’ll call you before I leave work. Okay?
Talk to you later.
The entire exchange was only a few sentences, but hearing from him made her feel lighter, happier. Truth be told, those texts pretty much made her day.
And that was a problem.
Chapter Six
His light was still on. Leah didn’t know if she should pop over and maybe bring him some dessert. After their one-night stand, they’d adjusted to the change in their relationship, having long talks, sometimes over drinks, sometimes sharing a meal. It was easy and comfortable, and their deepening friendship made him that much more important to her. She kind of felt like she was entitled to see him, because she knew him better than the rest of the family, but at the same time, she wasn’t sure what she should do. What did all of this mean? On one hand she’d been very firm that they could only be friends. On the other hand she had no idea where she stood.
She’d always wanted so much for herself, professionally and personally, it made her cringe a little that her love life was reduced to memories and regrets. If she didn’t get a handle on her feelings for Tris, she’d make a mess of that, too.
By the time she’d gotten home from work, he’d already eaten dinner. Mum invited him to the house to eat with her and Da, and by that point he was hungry and craving company so he’d happily accepted. Leah walked in while they were having coffee in the living room.
Hearing all the accents and brogues as she made her way to the living room brought back a lot of memories. Sally always joined her parents for coffee and tea after dinner, so when Leah entered the room, her father and Sally were both talking at once, but this time they weren’t arguing. The two of them were set up against Tris, who, as a representative of the Empire, was expected to defend the position of every British monarch back to Henry II. The first thing she heard upon walking in was Sally railing about the Irish Rebellion of 1798 and Da waxing poetic about the clans who were massacred at Culloden Field.
Mum was watching and laughing quietly, and Tris was feigning disinterest as they went on, finally muttering something about them being sore losers. That of course set up another assault.
It was interesting to watch Sally and Da on the same team. The two of them bickered like siblings most of the time, but now they’d found a common foe. Based on the gleam in Tristan’s eyes, he was thoroughly enjoying his new role.
As soon as Sally saw she was home, she hustled Leah to the gleaming country kitchen to be fed, and before she knew it Da was escorting Tris back to the cottage so he could get some rest. He nodded to her as he passed by with her father, and from her perch on the stool at the marble island, she watched the slow progress up the path.
Poor Tris. Watching him move was one of the most attractive things about him. He was naturally athletic. His long, muscled arms and legs, his broad shoulders and well-defined torso, worked together to produce a grace and power in everything he did. She’d seen him play polo with a fluidity that rivaled her brother, who was an internationally ranked horseman.
Now, the poor guy was shuffling like he was a hundred years old. The way he looked walking next to her father was painful.
“I like that one, missy,” Sally said, while she puttered around the kitchen. “You could do worse.”
“He’s a doll, but we’re just friends.” Good friends, but still just friends. Maybe if she said it enough she’d believe it.
“Damn fools the two of you are. You can’t see, plain as day, that you’ve found your match.”
“Sally, you don’t know that. There are so many variables to finding that perfect person, and I do believe you can have a good life and not be married. I mean, you’re not married and you have a job you love managing our crazy asses, you travel, have wonderful friends . . .”
Sally stopped wiping the counter, a habit she developed when she chatted with people in her kitchen, and stopping usually meant she was going to tell you exactly what she thought. Leah braced herself, but Sally softened.
“Leah, darlin’, you’re right about all those things. I do love my work here, and more, I love being part of this family. But don’t think for one second I don’t regret not having a family of my own, children of my own. I put off being with a man who could have made me very happy because I thought there would always be time. I went off on adventures, worked, took jobs cooking in hotels and on cruise ships thinking when I was ready to settle down, I could go back to my village and Michael would be there. Well, he wasn’t.”
“Oh, Sally. I didn’t know that. What happened?”
The old woman shrugged. “I was off on one of my jaunts and he married someone else. Once I thought about it, I couldn’t blame him. I never let him know what I actually wanted down the road. I took for granted that he’d wait for me. I was wrong.”
“That’s so sad.”
“Water under the bridge,” Sally said solemnly. “Don’t make the same mistake I did.”
“But I don’t know if I want those things. I don’t trust myself enough not to screw it up, you know? On top of all that, why would anyone want to put up with me for the long haul—I’m not exactly easy.”
Sally reached across the counter and took Leah’s face in both her hands. “There isn’t a man alive who wouldn’t lay down and die for the likes of you, Leah Siobhan. But you have to be brave enough to take the chance, take a risk on something, before the good comes to your life. It’s about faith.” Sally stepped back and placed the counter rag on a hook in one of the cabinets. “Don’t ask yourself what you want. I know what you want and so do you. You have to ask yourself if you have the nerve to try.”
An hour later, after changing into her pajamas, Leah
was back in the kitchen, nursing a cup of tea and staring at the lights in the cottage, replaying the conversation with Sally over and over. Still not knowing what she wanted, Leah acknowledged that Tristan was important to her, and each bit of time they spent together affirmed what she knew: that he was a good man. He made her laugh. She liked talking with him more than pretty much anyone, and she liked who she was when she was around him.
Confusion didn’t even begin to explain what she was feeling. Of course, she was worried about him—his injuries were nothing to trifle with. It would be best if she just stayed here and let him rest, but she wanted to be with him. It felt like he needed her.
Never in her life had she felt so torn. There was no clear-cut answer. “Aw, what the hell,” she growled. “He could probably use the company. Let’s see what happens.”
Putting her tea on the countertop, she pulled open the door and started the walk up the path to the guest cottage, about fifty yards from the house.
The night was cool, but not cold, so the hoodie Leah was wearing was perfect for the weather. The motion-sensitive lights flicked on as she moved between the two houses, illuminating the red, white, and yellow mums that lined the garden path.
As she passed the large front window, he caught sight of her from where he was sitting in the living room. Leah threw him a little wave, and Tristan struggled to his feet and smiled—a huge, gorgeous smile that would stop traffic.
It certainly stopped her heart.
Inside, Leah felt everything spark and come to life. Sally was right. This was scary as hell. It was also exhilarating, exciting, and it made her feel more alive than she had in years. But it was better. Tris made it so much better.
* * *
He didn’t even give her a chance to knock. Once he saw Leah coming up to the cottage, Tris’s mind could only think of one thing: hauling her into his arms and kissing her senseless. He didn’t care if it would hurt, he didn’t care if he was stiff, he didn’t care if they were just friends. He wanted her close. No woman had ever caused such a reaction, had ever made him feel the depth of emotion he was starting to feel for her. It was a relentless ache in his belly, a warmth, a need, that could hit him at any time. The mention of her name made him think about possibilities. Leah and the future went hand in hand.