“Yes.” For now. But who knew how long this heady feeling would last?
He tapped his pen on his desk for twenty-two agonizing beats. Aubrey knew because she counted—anything to keep her mind off her churning stomach.
“I want you to be happy, Aubrey, and if Elliott makes you happy…” He shrugged. “But if any confidential information leaks from Holt Enterprises and I even suspect it came from you, then you will be fired. Is that clear?”
“Yes, sir.” What was clear was that her father would put business before his daughter. No surprise there.
“What have you found out about the EPH situation?”
Liam had referred to “Patrick’s stupid competition” on more than one occasion, but she’d share neither the sales department report nor anything else that could hurt Liam with her father. “Nothing.”
“Then start digging.” He dismissed her by turning back to his paperwork. Discussion over.
Telling him she wouldn’t be his spy would be a waste of breath. Besides, she’d probably never see Liam again. She’d ended the relationship by leaving his keys behind, and they’d promised no further contact if either one of them walked away.
Walking out of his apartment this morning had been one of the hardest things she’d ever done. She assured herself the ache in her chest was temporary. Her mother had always recovered from her broken hearts and Aubrey would too, eventually. But it certainly didn’t feel like it at the moment. At the moment it felt as if someone had extinguished the sun.
She returned to her office. A courier stood in front of Linda’s desk. “There she is,” her administrative assistant said. “Aubrey, he has a package for you that only you can sign for.”
Aubrey signed the electronic box and accepted the flat envelope. Curious, she checked the return address.
Ernie’s Pub. Liam’s favorite lunch spot.
Her stomach dropped and her heart slammed against her ribs. “Thank you.”
She hustled into her office, shut the door and ripped open the envelope. Inside she found an airline ticket with a small piece of notepaper clipped on top.
“Napa Valley’s calling. Join me? L.” She brushed her trembling fingers over Liam’s bold handwriting. He hadn’t followed their relationship rules, either.
Adrenaline raced through her veins, flushing her skin and shortening her breath. She collapsed into her chair and pressed her hand to her chest while she examined the ticket more closely. First class to San Francisco, departing at nine tomorrow morning.
Tomorrow.
A wise woman would courier the ticket right back to Liam Elliott with a “Thanks, but no thanks” note and let this temporary fascination with him fade. She should walk away before sustaining further—and possibly permanent—damage to her heart. They didn’t—couldn’t—have a future together. The sooner she quit feeding the habit of seeing him, the sooner her craving for him would fade.
Obviously, graduating magna cum laude wasn’t a true reflection of intelligence because Aubrey reached for the intercom button.
“Linda, clear my calendar for the next two weeks. I’m taking some personal time, and I’m not sure how long I’ll be gone.”
Eight
He was about to give up when he spotted her. Exhilaration flooded Liam as he watched Aubrey cut a path through the tourists and business travelers in the busy terminal. Long, lean, chic and, he’d discovered to his delight, every bit as flexible as she’d promised at their first meeting, Aubrey Holt called all of his senses to attention.
Her hair swirled around her shoulders as she turned her head, scanning the area around the gate, and then her violet gaze collided with his, winding him like a blow to the solar plexus. Her steps faltered and then she continued toward him.
Alarm bells clanged in his subconscious as he rose. He shouldn’t be this happy to see her.
Was he falling for her? Falling for his forbidden lover?
Impossible. He knew the relationship was temporary.
But why else would you be stupid enough to risk alienating Patrick, the one man you’ve spent your entire life trying to please?
Liam stifled his intrusive conscience and met Aubrey at the end of the line in front of the check-in counter. He tightened his grip on his laptop case when what he really wanted to do was grab Aubrey, pull her close and hold her. The scent of summer roses drifted to him. “I’m glad you came.”
A tentative smile trembled on her lips. “What made you send the ticket?”
“I wasn’t ready to say goodbye. And despite the way you sneaked out, I don’t think you are, either.”
The tip of her tongue peeked out to dampen her bottom lip. “No. No, I’m not ready. But you broke a rule.”
He gave in then to the overwhelming need to touch her, stroking his knuckles across her satiny cheek. He loved the way her pupils expanded and her breath hitched. “I’m trying to be flexible. Like someone else I know.”
Laughter sparkled in her eyes, but the airline employee asking for Aubrey’s ticket and ID prevented any reply.
“We’ll be boarding first class in about twenty minutes,” the hostess promised. “Have a good flight.”
“Thank you,” they said in unison.
He led Aubrey to a seat away from the crowd.
“This trip seems a bit spur of the moment,” she offered, filling the silence when he couldn’t find words.
How much should he tell her? Should he confess that this trip was a final attempt to get her out of his system? “Patrick kicked me out of EPH until I get my priorities straight.”
Sympathy filled her eyes. “I’m sorry.”
He covered her hand on the armrest between them, threading his fingers between hers. “Don’t be. This isn’t your fault. We both knew the risks when we continued seeing each other.”
“My father wasn’t overjoyed to hear the news, either.”
He squeezed her hand. “I decided to take the time to see Napa Valley. I always wanted to go, but work has always seemed more important.”
“Where are we staying?”
He shook his head, his mouth twisting wryly. She couldn’t possibly know how out of character this trip was for him. He never took off without a firm agenda. “Good question. I made the airline reservations, but I didn’t book a hotel. For once in my life I wanted to go with the flow, follow wherever curiosity led me and stop any place that looks interesting. We’ll rent a car and drive around. I’d like to tour several wineries, but other than that…” He shrugged. “I’m open to suggestion.”
“We could always stay at my grandparents’ place. Since our relationship is out in the open we don’t have to worry about the household staff reporting back to my father, and the property is centrally located and convenient to almost everything in the valley.”
“If the hotels are full I may take you up on that.” Wouldn’t Patrick love to hear that not only was Liam sleeping with the enemy, he was housed under his roof?
“Does your family know where you’re going?”
He hadn’t told anyone. Not even Cade. “No. They can reach me by cell phone or e-mail if they need me, but I needed this time for me—for us—before I return to EPH and do what’s expected of me.”
If he hadn’t been looking directly at her, he would have missed her flinch. He hated hurting her, but Aubrey needed to understand that this week would be their last. When it ended he’d go back to his life, his job, his family. His duty.
She smiled, but it did nothing to alleviate the sadness in her eyes. “Then I guess we’d better make the most of our final days together.”
“Ready to admit defeat?” Aubrey asked after the fourth hotel turned them away. Liam had also tried three bed-and-breakfast inns. “It’s the tail end of the grape harvest season, Liam, and everything is booked.”
“Defeat’s not in my vocabulary,” he replied as he pulled the car back onto the highway. “How about dinner?”
“Okay. I know a good place.” Wind from the open top teased Aubrey�
�s hair, blowing away some of her tiredness. She twisted in the passenger seat of the convertible Liam had rented and studied him. Stubble covered his chin with dark golden spikes, and tiredness dragged his clean-cut features. She’d bet he hadn’t slept well after Patrick Elliott kicked him out of the office. Add in an early wake-up and a seven-hour cross-country flight and Liam must be exhausted. She certainly was. An early dinner and bed appealed.
“My grandparents’ house is only a few miles down the road. If you’re not comfortable staying there for our entire vacation, we can move as soon as we find a hotel room.”
Liam shook his head, but kept his eyes on the Route 29 traffic. “I’m supposed to be giving you a romantic vacation, not mooching off your family.”
“Oh, I plan to make you pay,” she teased him in as sultry a voice as she could manage after a night with too little sleep and a day of too much coffee.
His head briefly swung her way, lingering only long enough for her to glimpse the sexual spark lighting his eyes. “Oh, yeah? How?”
Bittersweet warmth invaded her. This was it. The end. Soon Liam would return to the Elliott fold and she’d be nothing more than a memory. He couldn’t possibly know how much hearing his plan had hurt and she’d make sure he never did. She intended to make this a vacation he would never forget, and she hoped that one day soon she’d get past the pain of losing him.
“You’ll have to wait and see, but trust me, it involves a lot of sexy lingerie. Turn left here.”
The way Liam looked at her when she wore the sinful pieces of satin and lace made her feel womanly and desirable, not flat chested and too tall, so she’d packed accordingly. After this trip she’d probably never wear any of the expensive underwear again. She wouldn’t be able to handle the memories attached. She curbed her maudlin thoughts. “I guess you know Napa Valley is the richest agricultural land in the country?”
“Yes, but being here…” He surveyed the surrounding acreage, the neat rows of vines and inhaled deeply. “Seeing the vineyards stretching on either side of the road beats the hell out of reading about it, and you can’t smell this in a book.”
She laid a hand on his thigh. “You should have come sooner.”
“Probably, but I’m glad to be here with you.” His fingers laced through hers. How could anything temporary feel this good? She banked the feeling of contentment so that she could pull it out later—after Liam was gone.
“Does anyone in your family know about your interest in winemaking?” They’d left the main highway and heavy traffic behind. She loved the winding back roads, the slower pace.
“Everybody knows I’m interested in wine, but only Patrick has paid any attention to my library and knows my interest goes beyond buying a good-tasting vintage.”
“Turn right here. There’s a small Italian restaurant ahead. We can eat in or get takeout. Why Patrick? Why not your parents or your brothers or sister?” He’d told her about his family, describing each member so well that Aubrey felt as if she’d already met them. But she wouldn’t ever meet them.
“Until Mom’s illness Dad was a workaholic. I spent more time with my grandfather than my father. Patrick showed me the ropes of the business. He was the one I went to when I had questions about work, about life.”
“So you’re close?”
“I thought we were. Now I’m not so sure. You were right about the rumor that he’s getting ready to retire. His method for choosing his replacement is—” He flattened his lips and his face filled with frustration. “I don’t understand what he’s doing and he refuses to explain, but his plan is causing problems at EPH.”
“I’m sorry.” She didn’t want details, because if she didn’t know anything then she couldn’t feel guilty about not sharing with her father. She hated being torn between the two men she cared most about. “Here’s the restaurant.”
The stucco building reflected the Spanish-style architecture prevalent in the area. Stucco walls the color of French-vanilla ice cream supported a red clay tile roof. Rounded archways led through an interior courtyard to the restaurant entrance. She didn’t come to Napa Valley often, but whenever she did she always stopped here. “It’s early and the parking lot isn’t crowded. We should be able to get a table if you want to eat here and sample some local wine.”
“Sounds good.” He climbed from the car, circled it and helped her alight. She clung to his hand and savored the shimmer of awareness skipping up from their parallel palms to settle low in her torso.
“Tomorrow we’ll check into visiting the wineries you mentioned.” He released her hand to open the door and instantly, she missed the closeness, but then his palm spread over the small of her back. His warmth penetrated her clothing and her skin tingled. Would the day come when his touch didn’t affect her as strongly? If she followed her mother’s example, Liam would lose impact over time.
He nodded. “Louret and Ashton wineries combined at the beginning of this year to form Kindred Estate Vineyards. I’d like to tour both estates. Louret was a boutique winery that specialized in quality instead of quantity. Ashton produced good wine but in larger quantities. I’m curious to see how the two halves merged into a new whole and if I can still get a case of my favorite Louret Pinot Noir.”
“I checked into Louret after you mentioned it the other night because the name sounded familiar. One of our cooking magazines did a story a couple of months ago on Mason Sheppard, their youngest winemaker. I’ll call first thing in the morning and see if I can pull some strings to get you a private tour.” She turned in his arms and flattened her hands over his chest. “I know you said you wanted to go with the flow, but I’d like to show you some of my favorite parts of the valley. Liam, will you trust me to show you a good time while you’re here?”
His eyes glittered with humor but also sensual heat, and suddenly her appetite for food faded and her hunger for Liam increased. “Why do you think I brought you?”
“I meant out of bed as well as in.”
“Without a doubt, I trust you, Aubrey.”
She touched his cheek, stroking her fingertips over his raspy evening beard and then the softness of his lips. “There are so many things here in the valley that I’d like to share with you.”
“I’m all yours, sweetheart.”
Oh, how she wished that were true.
The irony of ending the most passionate interlude of her life in the place Aubrey had secretly fantasized about turning into a romantic couples retreat didn’t escape her.
“Here we are. Hill Crest House.”
Even before she climbed from the car the warmth and the love she’d found here as a child radiated from the two-story colonial’s redbrick walls to warm and welcome her. The setting sun cast long shadows over the formal landscaping in front of the house. Her grandfather had insisted on the formality, but Aubrey’s favorite place was the rambling garden in the backyard, where her grandmother’s love of flowers provided one surprise after the other. As a child Aubrey had spent many hours digging in the dirt alongside Gram, planting flowers, herbs and even a few vegetables.
“Not exactly a grandma’s cottage,” Liam said beside her.
“No. There are eight bedrooms, each with a private bath, but the house still feels cozy to me, if that makes any sense. I haven’t visited in…eighteen months. Time slipped away.”
An evening breeze danced over her skin, blowing her hair into her eyes. Liam brushed the strands back with his finger. “You love it here. I can see the tension draining from you.”
“Ah, an observant man. No, wait. Isn’t that an oxymoron?”
He punished her teasing sarcasm with a quick, hard kiss that tripped her heart. “I’m so observant I noticed lights on in the house.”
“The staff would have turned them on before they left at five. Even though the place is only occupied for a few weeks of the year, Daddy keeps a staff year round just in case he decides to fly some associates out.”
“Did you notify the staff of our arrival?”
“I’ll get our bags.” Liam extracted their suitcases from the trunk. Aubrey let him carry the heavier luggage, but grabbed his laptop case and led the way up the brick stairs between the fat, round white columns and onto the covered front porch.
She unlocked the door and stepped inside. Home. No, not home. Just her favorite vacation spot. She opened a hinged door concealed by a small painting to access and disarm the alarm system. Liam stopped so close behind her she could feel his heat, inhale his scent even in the vast two-story foyer. She glanced at him over her shoulder and caught a glimpse of the exhaustion on his face before he quickly masked it.
“How about the nickel tour and then we’ll take a quick soak in the hot tub before crashing? I know it’s early here, but New York time is catching up with me.”
“Sounds good.”
She indicated the inverted Y-shaped staircase. “Upstairs first. Gram dedicated each suite to one of her favorite plants.”
The two branches of stairs joined midair and led to a bridge that connected the east and west bedroom wings of the house. If she faced the front side of the house she overlooked the foyer. The back side of the bridge overlooked the two-story great room below with its massive brick fireplace.
“You can leave the bags here.” She indicated the left side of the walkway. “To the right we have the daffodil suite, the wisteria suite and the fern suite.”
She indicated each door as they passed. Liam, typical of a man, barely glanced inside. Home decor obviously wasn’t his thing. “We also have an elevator and the back stairs on this side of the house.”
“An elevator?” The sexy timber of his voice sent a tingle of awareness down her spine.
“Yes.”
Dynasties:The Elliots, Books 7-12 Page 56