by Katie Dowe
He had been in two serious relationships and they had not worked out. He had not been in a relationship in a while because he had been focused on building his businesses. He took the cups and put them into the sink before walking out of the kitchen and making his way around to his suite. Kadine Washington with her soft skin and flawless complexion! He went into his bedroom and sat on the side of his bed, realizing that he had gone into the kitchen to get a bottle of wine to take to his room and had forgotten about it entirely on seeing her. He had invited her to go with him and that was not his usual style. He did not tolerate distraction while he was on the job. He had a lot of things to accomplish tomorrow and he had told Rosemarie that he had no intention of babysitting any guest but he had asked her to come with him. With a sigh, he tunneled his fingers through his hair and went towards his window to look outside. He smiled as he remembered what she had said about the place and looked around at the stark whiteness of it. He had gotten the snowmobile to clear away most of it but more still remained. With a sigh, he went back into bed remembering that he had an early morning ahead of him with Kadine Washington!
*****
Patsy opened the door quietly and looked around furtively as John came into the room. She had been sleeping with the tall black farmhand for six months now and had no intention of it getting out. She had been attracted to him for quite some time but had not wanted to get involved with a member of staff.
“Did anyone see you?” she whispered as she took off her silk robe and put it at the foot of the bed.
“You mean your cousin?” the man asked her gruffly as he pulled her into his arms. She giggled as he tickled her neck with his mouth. “The place is as quiet as a mouse although I did see your guest going back to her room.”
She pulled out of his arms and stared at him in dismay, her blue eyes probing. “Where was she coming from?’
“I think it was from the direction of the kitchen,” he reached for her again but she resisted.
“What do you think she needed?” she fretted wrapping her arms around her thin body.
“Stop fussing,” John told her a little impatiently. He had been in love with her since she came to live with her cousin, his boss. He had seen a scared woman trying to be tough and his heart had gone out to her. “She was probably trying to find something to drink.”
“I am sure we put things into the little kitchenette in her suite,” she had stopped resisting him as he folded her into his arms, loving the feel of his strong arms around her body. He lived in one of the little houses that Scott had erected for the farm hands on the far side of the property and she would sneak over there to tidy up and bring him food all the while muttering that foolish man that he was did not know how to take care of himself. “I will check to make sure she has everything to her comfort.”
“How about actually paying this lonely man of yours some mind?” he said as he lifted her and carried her over to the bed.
“Get away with your spoilt self,’ she said pushing at his strong chest loving that he called himself her man. “I am so glad you are here.”
“So am I.”
Chapter 3
Kadine stumbled out of bed at five thirty cursing the fact that she had foolhardily agreed to come out of the warmth and comfort of a very cozy bed to go out into the icy cold with a complete stranger, notwithstanding the fact that he was the handsome and wealthy Scott Taylor. What on earth had she been thinking? She fumed as she stepped out of the shower and rubbed herself dry with the soft towel that had been provided. She rubbed the scented cream into her skin before putting on underwear and then dragging on a pair of faded denims over her leggings. She picked up a thick baby blue cashmere sweater and looked at it for a moment and then pulled it over her head liking the closeness of it and the warmth. She went over to the vanity mirror and pulled the brush through her thick dark hair watching as it settled in thick lustrous waves around her shoulders. She stared at herself for a moment before twisting it into a chignon at the nape of her neck. She added small gold knobs and sprayed on some perfume before reaching for her black knee length boots. She glanced at the clock and realized that it was a quarter to six and picking up her jacket she headed out. She found him waiting for her in the large living room she had admired when she came yesterday. Her heart skipped a beat as she saw him leaning against the fireplace with the shadow of the flames moving over his features and highlighting his wheat blonde hair. His booted foot rested on the edge of the mantel. He had on a thick green sweater and denims and looked like a cowboy who was lost in this century. His dark blue eyes met hers as she came into the room.
“I was wondering if I had to come and bang on the door,” he asked her in amusement as his eyes wandered over her body.
“You almost had to,” she told him with a smile.
“Are you an early eater?”
“No,” she indicated the coffee cup in his hands. “Any more where that came from?”
“I was not sure if you wanted hot chocolate or coffee so I went with the hot chocolate and a scone,” Patsy said breezing into the room with a smile on her plain face.
“Thank you so much,” she looked at the woman. “Are you naturally an early riser?”
“We do things early around here.” She nodded. “Have fun.” She said before hurrying away.”
“My cousin is always on the ball,” Scott said in amusement. “Shall we?”
*****
The cold was bracing and exhilarating! It was still very dark but there were floodlights placed around the grounds that lit the way. He helped her up into the four-wheel vehicle before going around to his side to get in. “Buckle up,” he told her briefly before putting it into drive. Kadine watched fascinated as they made their way across the wide expanse of land. The snow had been shoveled and she could see men all around doing one chore or the other. She sipped her hot chocolate, her eyes widening as she tasted the delicious hot beverage. “It makes my instant chocolate pale in comparison, doesn’t it?” he asked her wickedly.
“It does.” She sipped some more and closed her eyes at it.
“Patsy is quite the chef.”
It was still dark out and his headlights picked up the piles of snow that had been shoveled to the sides. As far as the eyes could see, there were acres and acres of snow covered land that she suspected belonged to him. He pointed out the barns that housed the animals and she could see several men bundled up and walking around outdoors. He showed her the enormous greenhouse that housed his precious organic plants and promised her that one day he would give her the tour.
“Do you like it? Farming I mean?” she asked him curiously as he brought the vehicle to a stop up an incline that gave them a spectacular view of the area. He turned off the engine and turned to her slightly.
“It’s in my blood,” he told her with a slight smile. His dark blue eyes took in the way the cashmere sweater clung to her body. He had been thinking about her last night for quite a bit and it was very disturbing. “My father was a farmer of sorts,” he inclined his head briefly. “He lost my mother and two children and did not have the heart for it anymore.”
“That’s sad,” she murmured relaxing in his presence. He was not like your typical rich guy who was into boasting on what they had but he was very easy to talk to. “I guess you don’t recover from something like that. I lost my parents two years ago. A boating accident and my sisters and brother and I still feel the loss.”
“You have siblings,” he made the comment.
“Two sisters and a brother,” she said rolling her large dark brown eyes and causing him to laugh. “They get on my nerves but I love them a lot.”
He nodded. “Put your jacket on and get ready to feel the sharpness of the cold,” he told her with a grin.
They hiked up the hill towards a wooded area. The trees were covered in snow and there was a gentle stream bubbling over the white colored stones. He took her to rows and rows of persimmon and grapefruit trees laden with the fruits ready to be
picked. “We do a lot of exporting,” he took her hand as they made their along the rocky ground. He had made sure she had on her hat and gloves along with her coat. “I do a lot of experimenting that somehow turned out very well.”
“It must be fascinating working with nature like this.” Kadine said with genuine interest.
“It is,” he looked down at her and their eyes met for a moment and held. “It is also time consuming and I rarely find time to do anything else.”
“Hence the fact that you are still single,” she made the surprising observation that took made him stopped short.
“Is that why you are single? Too much work and no play?” he asked her softly.
Beneath the spreading trees and the cold air around them the atmosphere had suddenly changed.
Kadine looked at him for a moment and she pulled her hand away from his. “Maybe.” She looked around and spotted a leant at the side of the hill. “What’s that?”
He allowed her to change the subject and ignore what they had felt just then. “It’s a place for the men to take a break when they were up this way. It is stored with enough wood chips to start a fire and packed with tin goods to keep the hunger away in case of a storm.” His eyes scanned the area. “We should be heading back; it looks like more snow is on the way.”
Kadine felt a wave of disappointment at that and wondered about it for a moment. They stopped by the stream and watched the gurgling over the rocks. “I take picnics here when I am working especially during the spring. You should see the trees blossoming that time. We get wild deer and rabbits scurrying around. I am planning on building a kind of picnic area right here. What do you think?”
She looked at him taken aback that a man like him was asking for her opinion. “I think it is a very good idea.” She murmured as she looked around the quiet serene area. “Are you planning on opening it up to the public?”
“I might,” he said with a shrug. “Patsy keeps telling me to cut off a parcel of the land and let others enjoy it but I am afraid of it being overrun with strangers who are not going to take care of the environment the way we do.”
“There could be boundaries and someone put in place to make sure they do.”
“That’s a thought,” he told her quiet as they got to the vehicle. “I hope you will be able to come out with me again another day.”
“As long as I am invited.”
*****
She was invited to have dinner in the main dining room and had to squelch her disappointment when she discovered that it was only her and Patsy. “Scott went into town for a meeting,” she explained as she passed the bowl of lamb chops for Kadine to take out hers. “He told me that you went up to the hills to take a look around. Scott is always working no matter how much I beg him to slow down.”
“He has quite a spread here,” Kadine bit into the tender delicious meat and felt the appreciation for the superb cooking. She had come back with Scott and went to get some lunch and had fallen asleep only waking up at a quarter to four. She had hoped that she would see him at dinner so they could talk some more.
“He does,” Patsy beamed as she indicated to the hovering maid to bring in the hot chocolate and warm pecan pie slices for dessert. “He works pretty hard and has made something out of basically nothing. He took me in when I had nowhere else to go and I have made this place my home.”
“That’s nice, but I think you both got something out of the arrangement.”
“He told me that too.” She said with a smile. “I am in charge of the entire household but that does not say I am not willing to take a step back whenever he gets himself a wife.”
Kadine felt a little uncomfortable at such a personal remark and wondered at the quickening of her heart at the thought of him having a wife eventually. “I am sure that will not be an issue.”
The woman beamed at her as if she had said the right thing and they continued eating in silence.
It was very late that night when she was ensconced in one of the very comfortable sofas and flicking through channels in the living room that he came in. She had bathed and dragged on a pair of leggings and a bulky sweater and had pinned her thick hair on top of her head and that was how he saw her. He had wanted to be here for supper and to talk some more with her but the meetings had run over. He stood there in the doorway and looked at her for a moment before walking in. “Oh!” she exclaimed startled as he came into her line of vision. “I hope I am not intruding. Your television is bigger than mine, and Patsy said I could stay in here.”
“We will have to remedy that,” he told her lightly. He had taken off his coat to reveal a thick sweater, the color of his eyes and dark blue dress pants. His hair was slightly mussed indicating the breeze outdoors and his strong handsome face looked relaxed as he came towards her. “You could not sleep?”
“Not after I slept the whole afternoon away,” she told him. “How was your meeting?”
“Productive,” he told her briefly. “How about something strong?” he asked her suddenly as he got to his feet.
“Like what?’ she asked him suspiciously.
“How about a glass of cognac?” he turned to look at her with mischief in his eyes.
“Definitely not!” she retorted. “You are not getting me drunk. I have a very light head mister.”
“Interesting,” he murmured as he looked at the array of bottles displayed on the swivel rack. “White wine?”
“Why not? I have nowhere going in the morning.”
He poured them both a glass and brought hers to her. The fire had gone down somewhat giving the room a warm glow and a coziness that was very relaxing.
“So how are you enjoying your stay so far?” he asked her after a few minutes of silence.
“I am having fun and most of all I am getting much needed rest.” She sipped the delicious wine and leaned back against the cushions, the movie she had been watching before he came in. “I never slept during the days when I am back home and now I find that I am nodding off when it reaches a certain time of the day.”
“That’s very good.” He found himself wanting to go over and pull her into his arms. He had gone to the meetings in town with her on his mind. He loved talking to her and he found himself hurrying back hoping to catch her before she went to bed. He had no idea what was happening but for the first time since he knew himself he found a measure of excitement outside of the businesses he did. “You are one of those too?”
“One of what?”
A workaholic.”
“I am afraid so,” she said with a sigh. She held out her empty glass to him. “About a refill?” she asked her eyes twinkling.
“Are you sure you can manage?” his thick blonde brows lifted as he got up to do her bidding. “We will see, won’t we?”
He filled her glass and topped up his own, absurdly happy that she was not quite ready to turn in yet. He had glanced at his watch and saw that it was almost twelve. He had to get up quite early in the morning but he was used to late nights and early mornings.
He brought the glass to her and sat back down. “Tell me about your work.” He urged.
She told him about the challenges and the fun of trying to put the people at the suitable places where they could have the most of their vacation. “I think that a person or persons should be able to enjoy the best of their vacation. It is not about taking a much needed break and getting away but it is also about having fun. I do my research and find out their likes and dislikes first before suggesting where they should go. I look around at this place and I see so many possibilities.”
“I had a feeling you were doing that when I saw you looking around,” he told her teasingly as he emptied his glass. He liked her enthusiasm and was just one more thing he was starting to like about her.
“You caught me,” she told him with a laugh. His breath caught as her face lit up and her teeth gleamed white against her lips. “How about you?”
“What?” he had to shake his head to get rid of the image of him
burying his lips on hers.
“What do you like about your work?”
“Everything,” he told her with a rueful laugh. “As I told you earlier, I like to experiment and it has served me well. I never dreamt that it would take off so much and I am pleasantly surprised.”
“How does it feel to be recognizable and appreciated?”
“It feels like they are actually talking about another person.” He leaned forward and looked into her eyes. “I am at heart just a simple farmer with a vision that took off. I told myself that this is enough for me but I want more; a family before it is too late.”
There it was again! Kadine thought frantically, her heart thundering in her breasts. The awareness, the pull of attraction she had not felt for a long time but she knew how to deal with things like these. Scott and she were eons apart and there was no way he was interested in her.
“Don’t we all?” she drained her glass and got to her feet. He also got up and took the glass from her. “I am turning in.”
He nodded and went to put the glasses down before turning back to her. “How would you like to take a tour of the greenhouse tomorrow?”
“As long as I don’t have to get up in the dead of night.”
“I will make sure that does not happen,” he told her lightly. He wanted to touch her and he had a feeling that he had scared her a little bit with his talk of a family but he had not been able to help himself. “How does nine sound?”
“Sounds great. Well, see you in the morning.” With a wave, she was gone from his presence.
He stood there in the middle of his vast living room with the fire burning down to embers and her raspberry scent lingering in the room. He could not believe he was thinking about a woman he had just met so much and one who was a guest in his own home. He had told her the truth. He had been so busy building his career that he had not thought much of family, but ever since he had met her and the time he had spoken to her that was the only thing he could think about now. He had looked up her small travel agent online and realized that she was quite successful and the customers’ ratings were very enthusiastic. He had not used a travel agent in years because now ever since he had become successful he had bought a private jet knowing it was more suited to his busy schedule and able to take him wherever he wanted to go. He put away the glasses and made his way up to his suite. He hesitated at the juncture that led to her suite and wondered what she was doing! If she was already fast asleep or she was up reading a book or maybe just maybe thinking about him the way he was thinking about her! With a wry smile, he shook his head and went on his way.