A Sweet Life-kindle

by Andre, Bella

  She called Alex and her stepmom and let them know she’d be out of town for a couple of days. Alex, she knew, had returned to his Tampa place for the week, and she figured they could use the break. She hoped, upon his return to Miami, they could pick up a more rational conversation about his relationship with Ian. And hers.

  She’d already decided a complete break from Ian wasn’t what she wanted, but maybe this short time-out would be healthy for her too. Her head and her heart were torn over the best thing to do when it came to getting further involved with him. Her emotions pulled her inexorably toward him, but she worried about the intensity between them and the way he so easily provoked memories she preferred to leave buried.

  Yet she related to him on so many levels, from his painful childhood to the way he kept himself isolated from everyone except those he really trusted. If she needed a tie-breaker, however, her body was all in. Especially after the way he’d treated her the other night, so gentle and giving, so at odds with the man she knew him to be.

  For the next few days, she wanted to focus solely on business and proving herself to Dylan. Putting Ian out of her mind, she headed downstairs to wait for the car service to take her to the airport. She met Dylan at the gate. He was a good-looking man, tall, dark, and handsome with a goatee, something she’d never thought she’d appreciate, but on him, it worked.

  On the long flight, they alternated between companionable silence and talk, some business, some more personal. She appreciated his sense of humor as well as his dedication to the team. He asked about her relationship with Olivia, and she got the distinct sense he had more than a passing interest in her.

  Riley turned on her cell phone as they exited the plane, and Dylan did the same. At the baggage carousel, they waited for their luggage and, like most passengers, studied their phones and missed messages. Riley texted Melissa, letting her know she’d landed. She did the same for Alex.

  There was no message from Ian, and she told herself not to be disappointed. But she was.

  They were greeted at the hotel by the night manager, who assured them the owner would be there to meet with them the next morning. He led them to separate suites on the same floor, and Riley said good night before letting herself into the room.

  She stepped into a room filled with flowers. Bright, colorful bouquets of various blooms. She released the breath she hadn’t been aware of holding, but clearly she had—ever since she’d run out of Olivia’s office and hadn’t heard from Ian at all.

  She picked up the envelope on the table and read the small card enclosed. MISS ME.

  “Oh, I will,” she murmured.

  Though it was earlier in Arizona, it was still too late to call. She didn’t want to wake him. But a text for him to receive when he woke in the morning would be okay.

  Will miss you, but thanks for the flowers, I’ll think of you often.

  Then she pulled out her toiletry bag and headed to the bathroom and washed up. She put away a few items she didn’t want to wrinkle and climbed into bed, exhausted.

  As she plugged her phone in to charge overnight, the beep of a text sounded.

  That’s the point. Sleep well, sweetness.

  She let out a sigh that sounded too much like contentment for her liking and fell asleep thinking about Ian.

  She met Dylan early the next morning at the breakfast restaurant in the hotel. “Good morning,” she said.

  “Not so sure,” the other man said.

  Riley narrowed her gaze. He wasn’t the cheerful, upbeat man she’d flown here with. “Not a morning person?” she asked.

  “That’s not it.”

  “Then what’s wrong?”

  He studied her, as if unsure whether to speak.

  She wondered what had happened overnight. “Whatever it is, just say it.”

  “I hired you for this position because you jumped right in with enthusiasm, and I thought you’d be an asset.”

  “And suddenly I’m not?” She stiffened at the implication that things had changed.

  “Not if it means having the president of the organization breathing down my neck.”

  Oh, no. No, no, no. Riley curled her hands around the handle of her oversized bag. “What did he say?”

  Dylan’s gaze assessed her. “I didn’t realize you two had a personal relationship.”

  Heat rose to her cheeks. “That has nothing to do with my job.”

  “You’re right. It shouldn’t. And there’s no company policy against it either. But Ian called me this morning. He made it perfectly clear I’m to keep things strictly business between us. In fact, I believe his words were, ‘hands off.’”

  She clenched her jaw until she saw stars. “I’m going to kill him.”

  “I worked hard for the opportunity to step into this position, and I don’t want it jeopardized because the boss’s girlfriend is my assistant.”

  She fought back the tears that threatened. “I can assure you that Ian won’t be an issue.” If she had to break up with him to ensure her job had nothing to do with her personal life, she would.

  In fact, right now, she had no intention of speaking to the controlling son of a bitch ever again.

  Dylan studied her for a long moment. “I like how you think and what you bring to the table. I just don’t want trouble.”

  “You won’t have any.”

  He nodded, seemingly assured. He dropped the subject, and they ate breakfast prior to their first meeting with the hotel owner.

  Riley didn’t taste her food, but she knew she had a long day ahead of her, and she forced herself to eat.

  When she received a text from Ian, she ignored it. Phone calls? She hit decline. She deleted messages without listening to them, her anger only growing as the day went on.

  The next two days passed in a blur of tours, meetings, and eating at each restaurant in the large hotel. They checked out the conference rooms to make sure they could accommodate pre-game summits; they needed an even larger area for a makeshift chapel, because many of the players and their spouses liked to attend services. They sat down with floor plans, examined the layouts, the suites, the regular rooms, and by the time the trip was over, Riley’s head spun with information.

  Good thing she’d taken copious notes to compare to the previous five years’ accommodations, since she hadn’t been around to see them herself. Dylan seemed pleased and said they’d have a meeting with the rest of the team back in Miami before making a final decision.

  Exhausted by the time the car service took her home, she wanted nothing more than to climb into bed and sleep. The time difference would be messing with her system, and Dylan told her not to come in tomorrow.

  She was only too happy to oblige.

  ***

  Ian showed up at his mother’s house in Weston, which had also been his childhood home. Personally, he didn’t know why she still lived here when she could afford to move wherever she wanted. Anywhere wouldn’t have the memories this place did.

  He parked in the circular drive and let himself into the house.

  His mother greeted him in the hallway, her eyes sparkling with pleasure. Emma Dare, with her dark hair, not a strand of gray, looked younger than her fifty years, and she was as beautiful inside as out.

  “Ian! I’m so glad you came by.”

  He hugged her and kissed her cheek. “It’s been awhile, I know.”

  She waved away his concern. “Draft time. I remember how crazy your uncle used to get before, during, and after. No worries.”

  Before and after Robert Dare had abandoned his real family, his brother, Paul, had been a permanent fixture.

  Ian grinned at the mention of his uncle. “Have you heard from him?”

  His mother smiled. “He’s on an African Safari with Lou. I don’t think he’ll be in touch for a while.”

  Ian chuckled.

  His uncle and his long-time partner had waited until Ian was ready to take over the reins before Paul retired and they took off to travel the world. Being
gay wasn’t the reason he treated Ian and his siblings like his own children, but the fact that Lou didn’t want babies was. Paul loved Lou, and he had his nieces and nephews to spoil when they’d been younger, so he never felt as if he’d missed out. Ian was happy his uncle was enjoying his life.

  Grasping his hand, his mother led him into her state-of-the-art kitchen. Recently remodeled to indulge her love of all things culinary, his mother now gave cooking classes. It was her way of establishing her independence and having something for herself, and Ian admired her for it.

  He settled onto a barstool while his mother poured iced tea for them both.

  “So what brings you by?” she asked.

  “Nothing in particular.”

  She placed his glass in front of him. “This is your mother you’re talking to. You don’t show up in the middle of the week for no reason.”

  He stared at the multicolored granite counter, the wash of colors forming an indistinct blur. He hated it, preferring things in bold colors with stark contrast. Kind of like his life, with distinct rules, everything having its place. Knowing what to expect let him breathe easier. Which explained his need for control, in all things.

  “So your sisters tell me you met someone special,” she said softly.

  Ian let out a laugh. “They have big mouths.”

  “They’re girls! The first thing they each did Sunday night was call me,” she said, laughing. “Olivia thinks it’s a good thing there’s someone who won’t take your crap. Her words,” his mother said, amusement in her voice that he didn’t appreciate.

  But he could never be angry with her. The little brats he called his sisters were another story.

  “Who is she?” his mother asked.

  “Her name is Riley Taylor.” He went on to bring his mother up-to-date on how he’d met Riley and her entanglement with Alex.

  “Well, that hits right where you hurt,” she said bluntly, as only a mother could.

  “Yeah.” And he still didn’t understand Alex and Riley’s connection.

  Yes, they’d grown up as neighbors, but Riley and Alex had an unbreakable bond. Maybe if Ian understood what lay behind it, it would be easier for him to accept.

  “Yet she’s worth dealing with them? I mean, you’ve avoided doing so for all these years.” Her eyes lit with questions.

  Ian nodded. If there was one person he could confide in, it was his mother. “Yes. She is. And right now she’s ignoring my calls.” And texts.

  Emma laughed at his obvious distress.

  “Umm… What did you do?”

  He raised his eyebrows. Normally with that look, his employees would go running.

  His mother merely laughed again.

  “What makes you think I did something?” he asked.

  She shrugged. “Oh, I don’t know. Why would she suddenly ignore you unless you upset her?”

  He rolled his shoulders, the tension there painful. “I sent flowers to her hotel room.” And told her to miss him because he sure as fuck missed her.

  “And?”

  He didn’t want to admit to the next part and let out a frustrated groan. “I might have called and warned her boss to keep his hands to himself on their business trip.”

  She’d left him a message while he was in a meeting telling him in no uncertain terms that she was pissed and he’d gone too far. And she wasn’t answering his return calls.

  “Ian Carlton Dare, how could you!” his mother asked, wagging her finger in his face as if he were a child.

  “You should hear the things he’s said to Olivia! I was just making sure he understood that Riley was mine.”

  She shook her head, her blue eyes dancing with undisguised laughter. “Oh my God. You are impossible. First, Olivia and Dylan have history, not that it’s any of your business.”

  Ian nearly fell off his stool. “How the hell would I know that?”

  “You wouldn’t! Your sisters don’t want you to know anything about their love lives because you scare men away.”

  He narrowed his gaze but didn’t touch that remark, mostly because it was true.

  “You can’t go around staking your claim like some caveman!” His mother’s shoulders shook from trying to suppress laughter.

  “Now you sound like Olivia,” he muttered.

  “Because she’s right. I’m sure your Riley would be flattered by your attention if you didn’t insert yourself into her work and diminish her in the eyes of her boss!”

  “I didn’t—”

  “You did.” A few seconds of silence passed before his mother continued. “Ian, honey, you can’t ensure the people you love won’t leave you. You just have to learn to trust.”

  And wasn’t that the crux of all his problems in life, Ian thought wryly.

  “Thanks for talking, Mom.”

  “Honey, there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you.”

  He rose and pulled her into a hug. The scent of her perfume brought him back to childhood, evoking warm, pleasant memories. “I hope you and Riley can fix things. I’d like to meet her one day.” Her eyes opened wide. “Are you bringing her to the fundraiser Saturday evening?”

  “We’ll see.” He had to get her to talk to him again first.

  TEN

  Riley’s first day back at work, she was on edge and not only because she’d have to deal with Ian. When she’d played her answering machine at home, she’d had numerous heavy breathing messages. The caller didn’t say anything, but there was no doubt the messages were deliberate, not mistaken calls and hang-ups. They’d continued after her return, waking her in the middle of the night and early in the morning. As she had an unlisted number, yeah, she was rattled, to say the least.

  She passed Angie, Dylan’s secretary, and smiled. “Morning.”

  “Good morning. Riley, wait. I have a message for you,” she said.

  Riley paused at the other woman’s desk. “I thought my calls went directly to voice mail,” she said.

  “Not since your promotion. I’m now your official go-to person.” She grinned and handed her a pink message slip.

  “Cool.”

  “You’re telling me! I’m fairly new, and Dylan’s my first important boss. Now I have you both.” The young woman smiled.

  “Well, thanks. I’ll try not to work you too hard,” she said wryly.

  Riley continued on to her office and settled in. She placed her Starbucks cup on the desk and glanced at the message.

  You owe me. Dad.

  Full-blown shivers took over. Riley hadn’t heard from her father in so many years she’d almost convinced herself he no longer existed. Like a bad dream or memory that surfaced occasionally, she’d banished him to the dark corners of her mind as often as she could. Suddenly, the hang-ups at home made sense.

  Her first instinct was to call Alex, but that would only cause an explosion that might not be warranted. She had to think rationally and decide how to handle the man. Not that she wanted to handle him at all. The very thought had her hands shaking uncontrollably.

  As for Ian, he’d probably be furious if he knew her own parent was harassing her. He worked himself up enough when he thought about another man even looking at her the wrong way. She still hadn’t told him about her childhood, the fact that her father had abused her mother, or that he’d ever touched her. She rationalized her silence easily. She hated the man and the memories, and given the fact that he hadn’t been in her life for so many years, she’d had no reason to bring him up before. As for these phone calls, she assumed they were probably meant to scare her. A power play of some sort, nothing more.

  But her hands still shook, and she hated herself for the weakness. “Breathe,” she reminded herself, pulling air in, forcing air out.

  She hadn’t spoken to her father since the day she and Melissa had moved out. The day Alex had nearly choked him to death and threatened him within an inch of his life. He’d been petrified of Alex and his bulk, bulging muscles, and raging fury, and he’d taken Alex’s threat to harm
him if he came near Riley again very seriously.

  So why was he surfacing now?

  Her desk phone rang, and she jumped in her seat. “Oh my God.” She had to calm down. “Hello? Riley Taylor, speaking.”

  “Riley, it’s Jeannie from HR. I need you to come sign some forms and confirm a few things about your new position.”

  “Of course. I’ll see you in a few minutes.” She left the paper on her desk, face down, so she didn’t have to look at the reminder and went on about her day.

  A little while later, Riley had a raise she was assured was commensurate with her position, but she’d never made this much money in her life. And she couldn’t help but wonder if Ian was pulling strings again. Another thing to add to their conversation about his meddling, controlling ways, because Riley refused to be under any man’s thumb again, a thought that only served to remind her that Douglas Taylor had resurfaced.

  Determined to keep her mind on work while she was here, she pushed her father to the back of her thoughts, and she dug in to the proposal the hotel owners had faxed over this morning, as promised. She met with Dylan, sharing lunch in the conference room as they went through the pros and cons of each hotel in preparation for his meeting with Ian, Olivia, and the general manager. He offered to let her sit in and learn from the exchange of ideas. Once again, Riley realized how much she loved this job and how fortunate she’d been when Ian had taken an interest and handed her the opportunity.

  Ian.

  As the day drew to a close, she finally let her mind drift to and stay on him. He’d kept his distance, not stopping in to say hello, not instant messaging her. Clearly he’d gotten the point that she was extremely upset with him.

  She bit the inside of her cheek, not amused by the irony—she missed him pestering her throughout the day. At this point, she was more than ready to see him.

  She approached his office. His secretary had left for the day, so she knocked.

  “Come in.”

  She pushed the door open and stepped inside, her breath catching at the sight of him after what felt like so long. Shirt unbuttoned, his tan chest peeking through, sleeves rolled up, his muscular forearms all a treat to her deprived senses.