by Elks, Carrie
“Really? So how come I saw Harper checking you in on Facebook? In the L.A. Suites with Caitie Russell and Brecken Miller. I think I know them both, bro.”
“Daniel...”
“So, who was it? Harper or Caitie?”
“I mean it, Daniel. I’m not talking about this.”
“That means it’s Caitie.” Daniel tried to hide a laugh, and failed miserably.
“What makes you say that?” Breck’s voice was sharp.
“I thought you didn’t want to talk about it.”
“I don’t.”
“But since you asked, if it had been Harper you wouldn’t have been so cagey about it. But Caitie is awkward. You’re her brother’s friend. You’ve known her for years. You can’t mess with her and disappear. There are consequences to being with Caitie. And right now you don’t even want to think about them, which is why you don’t want to talk about it.”
“Thank you for your insight, Dr. Phil.” The traffic had gotten heavy and brake lights shone from the cars ahead of him. Breck slowed down. “Was there any other reason you called, apart from dissecting my love life?”
“So you’re admitting you have a love life? Very interesting. At Thanksgiving I thought you were messing around with that girl with the blonde hair.”
“Rachel.” Breck groaned.
“But if you slept with Caitie that means you’re serious about her. So Rachel must have been a red herring.”
“Even if I slept with her – which, by the way, I’m not saying I have – what makes you think it’s serious?”
“Because if you were just messing with Caitie, Lucas would kill you. Harper would kill you. Hey, even I’d want to kill you and you’re my brother. I don’t think you’d do anything with her unless there was a connection.”
“You’re ruining my drive home,” Breck said, shaking his head. “I’ve got some of the best views in all of America, and your constant blabbering is driving me crazy. Can we talk about something else? Or even better, could you hang up?”
Daniel laughed. “Okay, I’ll let you concentrate on the road. I’ll talk to you later.” He cleared his throat. “Oh and Breck?”
“Yeah?”
“Don’t you dare break that girl’s heart.”
21
“Try to not freak out,” Lucas’s said, his voice strained. “But there’s no way we can make it to the Chateau this weekend. It’s all Mom’s fault. She insisted we try her fish… or whatever it was. And whatever it was, it’s coming up right now.”
Caitie walked out onto the balcony to improve the reception “Eww, too much information.” She wrinkled her nose.
“Hang on…” He started to retch. The sound was enough to curdle her own stomach.
“Are you throwing up? I think I’d rather listen to you having sex than vomiting in the bathroom.” She shuddered. “Wait, I take that back. I really wouldn’t.”
“Can I call you back?” There was a loud thump, as though he’d dropped the phone.
Caitie frowned. “Lucas?” she called. When there was no response she tried a little louder. “Lucas? What about the tastings? We’re due to agree on the final menu tomorrow—”
All she got back was silence. Sighing, she slid her phone in her pocket and walked back into the office, her pulse dancing around like an acrobat. This was the last thing they needed. The wedding was in exactly ten days, and the kitchen needed to order in all the food in the next two days to make sure everything was ready. Without Lucas and Ember here to taste the chef’s suggestions, and agree on what food to serve, there was no way they could meet the deadline.
Martine, the hotel’s wedding coordinator, looked up as she walked in. “Is everything okay?” she asked as Caitie slumped back into her chair.
“My brother and his fiancée are sick. They can’t make it tomorrow.”
Martine winced. “Ouch. Is there any way they can get better before then?”
“Not without some kind of miracle. He could hardly talk on the phone without being sick in my ear.” Caitie cringed. “There’s no way they can drive here and face eating the food.” Caitie swallowed, trying not to panic.
“So we’ll have to do the tastings without them.” Martine smiled at her. “You have good taste, you can make the decisions.”
“On my own?” Caitie’s eyes widened.
Martine shrugged, her face soft with sympathy. “It’s that or the guests go hungry. Which would you prefer?”
This was the last thing she needed. Caitie had spent the last week running herself ragged, decorating houses and hotels for their Christmas events. When she’d had a moment to herself, she’d had to spend it making plans for her move to California, ready to start her new role at the Hollywood Hills Theme Park in January.
Then there was Breck; the light at the end of her overworked tunnel. They’d talked every night, each laying in their own bed, their bodies aching from a combination of hard work and need. The sound of his soft voice in her ear was like a balm to her soul, warming her from the inside out.
God, she missed him. And this weekend wasn’t making it any better. Knowing he was so close, and yet they couldn’t see each other. Not without having to explain to Lucas why Breck was spending time with Caitie here in the mountains. So instead she had to suffer with the knowledge the man she wanted to spend time with was only a short drive away.
She’d arrived at Chateau des Tournesols earlier that day. The plan was to stay two nights. Enough time to finish up the arrangements, coordinate the décor, and finalize the menu for the wedding dinner. With the big event almost here, she was feeling the pressure.
And thanks to that phone call, it had risen to the boiling point.
“We also have to agree on timings,” Martine reminded her. “Unless we walk through the event, I won’t be able to estimate the number of staff we’ll need. With the wedding right before Christmas, I’m already having trouble pinning wait staff down. Either they’re travelling to be with family, or they’ve already agreed to work at other events.”
Blowing out a long breath, Caitie stared at the plan they’d written out. The rehearsal dinner the night before, the ceremony, and post-wedding drinks. All of which was followed by an elaborate sit-down meal and dancing. Each step required intense organization and a whole barrel of staff. “Okay,” she finally agreed. “We’ll have to go ahead and do it without them.”
“I can get a couple of my team to stand in for the bride and groom,” Martine said, giving her a reassuring smile. “And if you know what your brother and his bride want, hopefully we won’t go wrong.”
“Luckily, they’re fairly easy going. I’ve spent enough time with Ember to know her tastes.” And if Caitie messed everything up, which was highly likely, then somehow they’d have to forgive her.
“Okay. I’ll tell the chef to go ahead for the tastings tomorrow. We’ll do the run through of the ceremony in the afternoon. That way we can check the lighting, the warmth, and make sure everything’s right for the actual wedding.”
“That sounds good.”
The door behind her creaked open. Martine sat up straight, a careful smile plastered on her face.
“Everything okay in here?”
Caitie turned to see Juan Dias walking through the doorway. She had met him before. As the owner of Chateau de Tournesols – and a friend of Breck’s – he’d taken her on a personal tour of the hotel the last time she’d been here.
“Caitie, it’s great to see you again. Is Martine taking good care of you? Is there anything you need?” He shook her hand. It was only when she smiled that she realized he wasn’t alone. Behind him were two more men. And one of them was giving her the dirtiest grin she’d ever seen.
God, he was a sight for sore eyes. The most beautiful man she knew. And though she had no idea what he was doing here, she’d never been so happy to see Brecken Miller.
“Martine’s been a great help,” Caitie said, trying to catch her breath. “We’ve had a few snafus, but we’re ironin
g them out.”
“Snafus?” Juan looked alarmed.
“My brother’s too sick to join us this weekend. His fiancée, as well. So Martine and I are going to have to plan this without them.”
His eyes flickered to Martine’s. “Do you need any help? I can give you extra staff.”
While Martine and Juan continued their conversation, Caitie found her eyes drawn to Breck’s. She wanted to ask him why he was here, and find out who the guy with him was. Who was she kidding? What she really wanted to do was drag him to her hotel room and show him how much she’d missed him.
Breck and the man with him walked toward her. “Cait, do you remember Aiden Black? He’s in charge of the Silver Sands Resort.”
She smiled at the man next to Breck. He didn’t look much older than them. Way too young to own such a huge resort. “Hi, I think we met at Lucas and Ember’s engagement party. It’s good to see you again.” She stood to shake his hand.
“You, too,” he replied, a smile catching his lips. He was slightly shorter than Breck, but shared the same build. Muscled and lean. But where Breck’s hair was sandy blond, Aiden’s was dark. With his warm skin and full lips, he had the sort of face that was more at home on a movie poster than in a hotel.
“So what are you guys doing here?” Caitie asked.
“I wanted to show Aiden some of the finishes we used on this place,” Breck said, his voice deep. “When I heard you were here I wanted to come say hi.”
Juan turned his attention to Aiden and started talking rapidly, showing him the tiling in the outer office. The two of them bent their heads together, Aiden nodding as the hotel owner continued to point things out. Neither of them were paying Breck – or Caitie – the slightest attention.
She tried to suppress a smile. Breck knew she was going to be here. She loved that he’d come up here just to see her in the flesh.
“I guess you heard about Lucas,” she said, biting her lip. “Terrible food poisoning. He and Ember can’t make it up here as planned.”
“They can’t?” He raised an eyebrow. For some reason he didn’t look at all surprised. “That’s a shame.”
“It really is,” she agreed.
“So I guess you’ll need some help now that they’re not here. I’m free all weekend, and more than happy to be of service.”
She narrowed her eyes, wondering if he had anything to do with her brother’s sickness. She shook her head at the thought. She knew far too much about her mom’s experimental cooking. Food poisoning wasn’t an isolated incident at the Russell house.
“It’s a shame you didn’t know before you left. That way you could have packed a bag,” she said lightly.
“Strangely enough, I do have one packed. I was planning on going away for the weekend.”
“I’d hate to interrupt your plans,” she said, smiling. The frisson of excitement in her belly started to grow. “If you have some place to be.”
Though his expression was serious, she could see the amusement in his eyes. “It’ll be a worthwhile sacrifice to make sure one of my closest buddies gets the wedding he deserves.”
“You’re my knight in shining armor,” she whispered. “Thank you.”
“The pleasure’s all mine.” He lifted his hand. “We’ll let you get on with the arrangements while I show Aiden around the place. Catch you later?”
She grinned. “Not if I see you first.”
* * *
Later that afternoon, Caitie was searching through her suitcase for her toiletry bag when there was a knock on her hotel room door. Juan had suggested she try out the Bridal Suite, but the thought of being in that room before her brother was way too disconcerting. Instead, he put her in a junior suite at the front of the hotel.
“Hey,” Breck said, as soon as she opened the door. “You okay?”
“Yeah, I’m good. You finished working?”
“Yep. Aiden just left, and Juan’s headed to his office to finish up for the day. I wasn’t sure I’d ever get to shake them off.”
Caitie stepped back and he walked inside, whistling as he took in the view from the windows. “Christ, that looks inviting.” He grinned. “You wanna swap rooms with me?”
“I kind of thought we’d be sharing a room,” Caitie said, biting her lip. “Unless you don’t want to.”
His expression softened. “Of course I want to. Why do you think I’m here? Did you really think I’d come all this way to show Aiden some flooring tiles? It took everything I had not to pick you up at the airport and whisk you away to the nearest motel.” His eyes dropped, taking in her professional skirt suit and pale silk blouse. It was opened at the neck, revealing her delicate throat and chest. “I like it when you’re dressed for business. You look damn hot.”
“It’s just a suit.”
“It makes me want to bend you over a desk and show you who’s boss.”
She tilted her head. “I think we both know who’s boss.”
He doffed an imaginary cap. “Yes, ma’am.”
“This room you’ve got. Where is it?” she asked.
“Across the hall.”
“So you’ll be sneaking over here in the middle of the night like a teenage kid in his parents’ house?” she asked.
“Nope. I’ll be bringing my suitcase in here and unpacking it, before spending the weekend with the girl I’ve been thinking about ever since I saw her last.” He ran his finger down her neck, letting it linger in the hollow of her throat. “And then I’m going to act out every single thing we talked about on Skype, and show you where teasing gets you.”
She looked at him through her eyelashes. “You didn’t complain at the time. You kept asking for more.”
“But now that I’m touching the real thing, I realize the screen has been a poor substitute.” He unbuttoned her shirt, pushing it from her body, before slipping his hands inside. They were warm as they caressed her stomach, her hips, and her waist, before moving up to her bra.
“This is designed to drive me insane,” he said, tracing his fingers around the fabric. “As if you’re naked, but you’re actually covered. It’s messing with my mind.”
“It’s a nude bra. It doesn’t show through white silk.”
“It’s a tease.” He grinned, pushing the straps from her shoulders, before he pressed a kiss to her skin. “But you know how much I like to be teased.”
He moved his lips down, brushing against her chest before reaching the swell of her breasts. Nudging her bra away, he captured her nipple between his teeth, wetting it as he pulled her into his mouth. Her eyes rolled back with pleasure.
He carried her to the bed, throwing her on it so she bounced softly on the mattress. In that moment it felt like everything in her world was finally coming together.
The contract, the wedding, the man. Was it possible to have it all?
* * *
“Have you ever thought about exposure therapy?” Breck asked, as he poured them both a cup of coffee. “I was reading about it the other day. You could start with something easy, like dangling your legs in the pool or something. Work your way up to the open water.”
Caitie looked up from her laptop. She’d been catching up on yesterday’s emails. “Not really.” She frowned, wondering why he was bringing this up.
“You know, the hotel’s got an indoor pool.”
“What?” This time, he had her full attention.
“An indoor pool. It’s got to be the easiest place to start. Dipping your toes in, physically and metaphorically.”
“That sounds very deep.”
“Nah, we’d start at the shallow end.”
“Very funny.” She shook her head. “And I’m perfectly happy avoiding pools, for now.”
“But are you happy?” He handed her a steaming mug. “Or are you afraid?” He sat in the chair opposite her, crossing his legs.
She pushed the screen of her laptop down. “Of course I’m afraid. That’s the whole point, isn’t it? I can’t go near water without having a panic
attack. You’ve seen that for yourself. It seems stupid to expose myself to things which make me afraid.”
“But what if you weren’t afraid anymore? What if you could get over it?”
“Breck, I’ve had a phobia of deep water for more than half my life. If I could get over it, don’t you think I would’ve by now?”
“Tell me about that day.” His voice was low, his eyes kind. “It must have been terrible. Lucas had told me about your time in the hospital, and the aftermath once you were home. I can’t imagine what it must have been like for you.”
She didn’t want to talk about it. She really didn’t. Yet there was an invitation in Breck’s expression that she couldn’t bring herself to turn down. A need to understand, to help, to be the white knight on a steed. He couldn’t shake that look off if he tried. Her mouth was dry, her lips cracked. Everything in her body was telling her not to speak.
But this was Breck. Her Breck. The same boy who’d always come to her rescue; the man she couldn’t stop thinking about. And he was staring at her as if he needed to know. If she couldn’t give him honesty, what could she give him? He was possibly the only person in the world she could be this open with.
“I grew up wanting to be like Lucas,” she said softly, her hands wrapped around her coffee mug. “Even as a toddler, Mom said I used to follow him everywhere. Of course he thought I was annoying. As we got older, he was always the outgoing one, never without a group of friends around him. When you guys started surfing, I wanted to do it, too. Lucas would tell me to leave him alone, that I couldn’t do it because I was a girl.”
Breck said nothing. He stared intently at her, absorbing every syllable she uttered.
“I wanted to prove him wrong. To show him I could surf as good as him. There was this one day when you all had to go to school on a Saturday morning. I can’t even remember what it was for.”
“Detention,” Breck said flatly. “We were caught smoking beneath the bleachers.”
“So, I took his board down to the beach. I’d watched him enough times. Thought it would be simple. You guys made it look so easy, you know, with your strong legs and perfectly balanced bodies. When I got down to the beach, it was almost empty. I was so focused, so ready to go, I didn’t notice the flags. Plus the sea was calm, hardly any waves. It seemed like the perfect time to go and make a fool out of myself.” She took a mouthful of coffee to counter the dryness in her throat. Her voice was getting thicker by the minute. “Of course now I know a riptide often makes the water calmer, before it drags you out.”