Secret Vows (Hideaway (Kimani))

by Alers, Rochelle

  Reversing their positions, he cradled her smooth legs between his. “Are you all right?”

  “I’m wonderful,” Greer crooned.

  “That’s because you are wonderful. I don’t think we got it right this time. We’re going to have to practice some more before we’ll be able to take this show on the road.”

  She looked into the large, deep-set golden eyes peering back at her. They were dancing in amusement. Looping her arms around his neck, Greer pulled his earlobe between her teeth. “How many more practice sessions do you think we’ll need?”

  “Let’s see. If we make love on average of at least five times a week—”

  “No, you didn’t say five times,” she said, cutting him off.

  “Okay,” Jason conceded, grinning, “I’ll settle for three. Three times a week times fifty-two weeks a year comes out to one hundred fifty-six. Then if we multiply that by just say fifty years and...” He paused doing the calculation in his head. “That adds up to seventy-eight hundred.”

  Greer rolled her eyes at him. “You wish. Fifty years from now you’ll be lucky if you can get it up to even think of poking me with it.”

  “My father is in his seventies and he’s still knocking boots with my mother.”

  “How do you know?”

  “Because one day I heard her call him a randy old goat.”

  Throwing back her head, Greer laughed, the sound bubbling up from her throat. “You need to move out of your mama’s house.”

  “I am.”

  “When, Jason?”

  He blinked, all traces of levity missing in his expression. “I’ve decided to make Serenity West my permanent home.”

  Greer felt her heart stop before it started up again. “Why?”

  “Are you saying you don’t want to live in Oregon?” He’d answered her question with one of his own.

  “No...no. I’m not saying that.”

  “When you mentioned Bobby cutting back on his hours, I assume you’d eventually take over running Stella’s.”

  She nodded. “Once he retires, I’ll own Stella’s.”

  Jason kissed her forehead. “Do you plan on running it?”

  “Of course.”

  “That settles it. We’ll live here.”

  A slight frown creased Greer’s forehead. “What’s going to happen to your company in Florida?”

  Jason kissed her again, this time over her left eye. “Don’t worry about that. I have enough relatives versed in the ins and outs of running a business to step in for me.” He didn’t mention he would have to talk to Ana about replacing him. “I’ll stay on as musical director and producer, and if I have to travel to Florida on business, then I’ll schedule my visits where they don’t interfere with whatever we have planned. And if I have to rehearse with an artist here on the West Coast, then I’ll book time at a Portland recording studio because I don’t want them coming to our home.”

  Her eyes grew wider. “You’ve planned all of it out, haven’t you?”

  “Yes, I have. I never do or say anything until I’ve thought it out.” He combed his fingers through her tangled hair. “If you don’t want to live here, then let me know now.”

  Her eyebrows lifted. “Where would we live if we move from here?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe you’d prefer someplace else. We could also live closer to Portland.”

  “You’re giving me a choice as to where we live?”

  Attractive lines fanned out around Jason’s eyes when he smiled. “Baby, you claim you love me, but you haven’t taken the time to get to know who I am. I will always give you a choice about anything that affects our lives.”

  With Larry, she hadn’t had choices or even a single vote. She had wanted to be the good wife; there was talk they were to become the next generation of power couples groomed for the political arena. Once Larry’s father was elected to the Senate, Larry had planned to run as a representative from their election district. Greer had been so blinded by the political rhetoric and the promise that she and her husband could affect change that she hadn’t realized she’d been manipulated until it was too late.

  It was nothing more than ego that had permitted her to be swept into the frenetic pace of campaigning. In the beginning, the lights, cameras, interviews and fundraisers were heady, like a child going to an amusement-theme park for the first time. After six months Greer felt as if she was on a merry-go-round that wouldn’t slow down for her to get off. And when she did get off, it was to board the highest, fastest monster roller coaster in existence. When she couldn’t get off the roller coaster, she was forced to jump, injuring herself in the process. Jason had said he didn’t want to hear her mention Larry’s name again, and she made a conscious vow not to let Larry cross her mind again.

  Closing her eyes, she rested her chin on Jason’s breastbone as he massaged her scalp. “I have to talk to my uncle about his house.”

  “What about it?”

  “He intends to will it to me.”

  “Do you plan to sell it?”

  “I can’t sell the house. It holds too many wonderful memories. It’s where Cooper and I spent our summers. I learned to swim in that lake. It’s also where I learned fly-fishing and boating.”

  “What if I buy the house from Bobby instead of you inheriting it?”

  “Why?”

  “Because we can use it as a guesthouse whenever we entertain our families.”

  She opened her eyes. Greer kissed his throat. “You’ll have to talk to him about that.”

  Things were moving so quickly Greer didn’t want to believe that, a month ago, she hadn’t met Jason or could’ve ever imagined becoming involved with him. Now she was living with him, unofficially engaged and had just experienced the most amazing lovemaking in her life. She kissed him again. “Please let me up. I have to wash up, then finish brunch.”

  Jason reversed their positions once again, looming over her. “You wash and I’ll finish in the kitchen.” He kissed the end of her nose. “Race you to the bathroom.”

  She scrambled off the bed, bumping into Jason as she tried knocking him off balance. They made it to the entrance of the bathroom at the same time. Extending her hand, Greer bowed from the waist. “Ladies first.”

  In a move almost too quick for the eye to follow, he picked her up as if she were a football and set her down inside. “Ladies first,” Jason repeated.

  Backpedaling, Greer cupped her breasts. “Just for that, these are off-limits.”

  He stalked her like a large cat. “Your tetas are only a temporary detour. It’s all about the kitty, sweetheart.” One of her hands covered her mound, and Jason laughed so hard his sides hurt.

  Turning on her heels, Greer made her way to the shower. She switched on the faucets, adjusting the temperature, then programming it with the push of a button. “You know what they say about karma, sweetheart?” she asked over the sound of running water.

  “I’m not afraid of you,” he said in singsong.

  “You should be.”

  This is the Greer he liked. Teasing and sexy.

  * * *

  Greer lay with her head in Jason’s lap in the darkened anteroom, dozing lightly. The only illumination came from the candles lining the fireplace mantel. It was after eight when they’d finished dinner and nine-thirty when they had finally cleaned up the kitchen and retreated to the anteroom.

  “Are you certain you don’t want me to light a fire?” Jason asked Greer.

  She pulled the cashmere throw up to her neck. “Very certain.”

  “Are you falling asleep on me, babe?”

  “No. I’m just resting my eyes. I knew I shouldn’t have had that second glass of wine.”

  Lowering his head, Jason kissed her forehead. “Why don’t you go to bed?”


  “It’s too early.”

  “It’s never too early, Greer. I...” Jason’s cell chimed a familiar ring tone. “Excuse me, babe, but I have to answer that call.”

  * * *

  Jason’s horse breeder cousin was calling.

  Rising slightly, he held her head in one hand while he picked up the phone with the other. “What’s up, Nicholas?”

  “I’m getting married next Sunday afternoon.”

  “Whoa, primo! I thought that wasn’t happening until the end of the month.”

  “That’s what we’d planned until Peyton told me this afternoon that I’m going to become a father.”

  Jason couldn’t stop smiling. “Congratulations!”

  “Thanks. I’m calling because right now the Blackstones outnumber the Coles two-to-one, and I need some backup. Can I count on you to come?”

  Jason turned to look at Greer. Her eyes were open. “Sure. ¿Quién más de la familia viene? he asked, switching to Spanish.

  “Of course my mom and dad are coming. Celia will call tomorrow to let me know if she and Gavin can make it.”

  “What about Diego and Vivienne?” Jason asked, inquiring about Nicholas’s older brother and sister-in-law.

  “Vivienne and S.J. both have colds, so they’ll be MIA. Diego, Ana and Jacob are coming in Friday night in order to free up the jet to come out to Oregon to pick you up Saturday.”

  “Tell Diego not to bother sending the jet. I’ll charter my own flight.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Of course, primo.”

  “Are you coming with a guest? I need to know for sleeping arrangements.”

  Jason paused. “Wait a minute.” He placed his thumb over the mouthpiece at the same time Greer pushed into a sitting position. “I’d like you to come with me to Virginia next weekend for my cousin’s wedding,” he whispered.

  * * *

  Greer knew attending the wedding with Jason meant meeting his family, and she wasn’t certain whether she was ready for that. “How important is it to you for me to come?”

  “Very important.”

  Her heart turned over when she saw his expression of expectation. “Where are we going and what’s the venue?”

  Jason brushed his mouth over Greer’s. “Virginia’s horse country.” She nodded.

  * * *

  Removing his hand covering the phone’s mouthpiece, he said, “There’ll be two of us.”

  “Good. I’m going to put you guys up at my house.”

  “What about Michael? He and Jolene are practically in your backyard.”

  “McLean isn’t that far, but Michael says this pregnancy will probably be Jolene’s last. She’s spent most of her time in bed.”

  “When is she due?”

  “Sometime in the spring.”

  “How many Kirklands will that make now?” Jason asked.

  “It’s either four or five. I can’t keep count,” Nicholas said, laughing. “I’ve got to go, primo, and I can’t thank you enough for coming. And, by the way, count on me and Peyton coming for Thanksgiving.”

  “Are you certain she’ll be able to fly?”

  “I checked with Tyler, and he said air travel in the first trimester is usually safe.”

  “Good. I’ll either call or text you after I confirm my flight.”

  “Don’t worry about ground transportation, Jason. I’ll have someone here at the farm pick you up.”

  Jason ended the call, setting the phone on the table as Greer crawled into his lap, his arms going around her waist. “Thank you.”

  She rested her head on Jason’s shoulder. “Is the wedding formal?”

  “I don’t think so. It’s being held Sunday afternoon.”

  Greer did a mental check of the clothes in her closet and none of them were wedding appropriate. “I have to go shopping.”

  “When?” Jason asked.

  “Probably tomorrow. I doubt if I’ll have time during the week. When are we leaving?”

  Reaching for his phone again, Jason scrolled through the directory for the name of a company leasing private jets. “I’ll let you know in a few minutes.” He activated the speaker feature.

  Greer listened intently to Jason’s conversation as he made arrangements for them to fly into the Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport late Saturday night and return to Portland Monday afternoon.

  “Please charge my account and send me an email confirmation,” he said before hanging up. Jason smiled at Greer. “As soon as I get the confirmation, I’ll forward it to Nicholas so he can arrange for someone to pick us up.”

  She nodded numbly. It’d been that easy for Jason. All he had to do was punch a button and reserve a private jet to take them across the country and back, then glibly told the person to charge his account. Is this, she thought, how it was going to be for her and the children she and Jason planned to have? Just pick up the telephone and get whatever you want? The enormity of who she’d pledged her future to shook Greer to the core. If she married Jason, then she would become one of those Coles.

  “Have you ever flown a commercial carrier?” she asked.

  Jason shook his head. “Never. It’s a family mandate that no Cole fly commercial because one of my cousins was kidnapped as a child and held for ransom. We usually take the corporate jet if available, and if not, then it has to be a private jet. Once we’re married, you won’t ever take a commercial carrier again.”

  * * *

  Greer tried suppressing the feeling of apprehension sweeping over her like a cold wave. Was her life destined to become a rerun of what she’d had with the Hills? They, too, had their mandates, asinine mandates that proved more restrictive than practical. The only difference was she hadn’t known what she was getting into until after she’d become a Hill because she hadn’t known her in-laws as well as she’d believed. After all, she had dated their son in high school, yet they’d managed to hide their eccentricities well.

  Attending Jason’s cousin’s wedding would give Greer an up-close-and-personal look at what was ahead for her. And if she didn’t like what she saw, then she was offered an out. At the end of year, she would decide whether she would marry Jason or remain single.

  Chapter 15

  Monday dawned with bright sunshine and warming temperatures. Greer and Jason spent the morning in the full service salon being primped and pampered. He then drove them both to Portland where she spent more than an hour in an upscale boutique trying on dresses, shoes and selecting a purse for Nicholas’s wedding. She favored a bronze sheath dress, but changed her mind when the color was too close to her own complexion. The saleswoman found the same dress in her size in a rich chocolate brown. It took a while to select shoes, and in the end, Greer decided on a brown-and-white giraffe-printed calf hair pump with a four-inch heel. It had been some time since she’d worn stilettos and the shoes made her feel incredibly sexy.

  “Aren’t you going to model your outfit for your boyfriend?” the obviously nipped and tucked woman asked.

  Greer shook her head, the tiny curls moving around her shoulders as if they’d taken on a life of their own. “No. I want him to be surprised.”

  The saleswoman tried and failed to raise her eyebrows. Her face was frozen in place. “And he will. You look amazing.”

  “Thank you.” She slipped out of the heels and unzipped the dress, stepping out of it.

  “I’ll wrap up everything for you. Are you taking the evening bag?”

  “Yes.”

  Greer hadn’t bothered to glance at the price tags because it’d been a long time since she’d gone shopping for clothes that weren’t for casual wear. Slipping back into her jeans and blouse, she pushed her feet into a pair of sandals, peering closely at her nails to see if trying on the pumps had damaged her pedicur
e. If she and Jason were expected to arrive in Virginia late Saturday, then she hoped there would be a salon where she could get her hair styled before the Sunday afternoon wedding began.

  She emerged from the dressing room at the same time Jason was scrawling his name on a receipt. He’d usurped her and paid for her purchases. Greer wanted to tell him that she could afford to buy her own clothes but didn’t want to cause a scene.

  He turned around, smiling. “I had Mrs. Marlowe add a shawl in case it gets a little chilly.”

  “Thank you, darling.” Greer’s voice was saccharine-sweet.

  Putting his arm around her waist, Jason pulled Greer to his length. “I want to make one more stop before we have lunch.”

  She took a quick glance at her watch. It was almost two. “Okay. Where are we going?”

  Jason flashed his trademark dimples and winked at her. “You’ll see.” He shifted his attention to the saleswoman. “Can you please hold our bags until we get back?”

  * * *

  Genevieve Marlowe batted her eyes at the tall, good-looking man whose single purchase exceeded her monthly commission. “Of course. I’ll put it in the back with your name.”

  She sighed inaudibly when recalling the way her ex-husband used to look at her the same way Mr. Cole looked at his girlfriend.

  * * *

  It didn’t take Greer long to discover what Jason was up to when he held open the door to Margulis Jewelers on SW Broadway in downtown Portland.

  “I haven’t seen your dress so I thought you’d want to pick out a few accessories.”

  “What type of accessories are you talking about?” she asked, sotto voce.

  “Earrings or necklace. What do you like?”

  “Pearls.” It was the first thing that sprang into her head.

  A well-dressed middle-aged salesman in a navy-blue pinstriped suit, stark-white shirt, burgundy tie and matching pocket square came over to greet them. He was as elegant as the antique and original furniture in the beautifully appointed jewelry store.

  “Good afternoon. I’m Hugh, and I’d be glad to help you with something.”