by Tia Louise
“You might recall my original plan was to share this with you. Bring a few things in case you decide to stay.”
“How many times do I have to tell you—”
“Sorry, bad connection.”
“It’s a landline.”
“Hurry up, I’m hungry.” Thirsty, is more like it.
I grin, hanging up and thinking about the next forty-eight hours. I put her name on the guest list for this room and gave her a key so she wouldn’t have any trouble accessing my suite. Five minutes later, she’s walking through my door.
“This is amazing.” She flops on the leather divan beside the sofa facing the balcony where I stand. “It’s like a whole house up here.”
“It’s half the top floor. The other half is a separate suite.” Inspecting her hands, I frown. “You didn’t bring a bag.”
“I’m not staying in your room, Remi.”
We’ll see about that. “Are you hungry? I’ve been craving a cheeseburger all week.”
She laughs loudly. “A cheeseburger? What would Eleanor say?”
“I don’t give a fuck.”
Out on the street, we fall into the speed race of Manhattan foot traffic.
I grab her hand and keep her close. “We’re in a pretty touristy part of the city, right in Midtown.”
“Near Rockefeller Center!”
“Right.” We meander through the crowd, dodging sightseers who stop in the middle of the sidewalk. “We can head down toward the Village and see Soho after we eat. That’ll take two things off your list.”
She does a little excited skip. “Can we go to Magnolia Bakery and get cupcakes?”
“We can do as much as we have time to do.”
Traffic is a nightmare, but we manage to get all the way to Whitman’s in the East Village. A short wait, and we’re digging into two Juicy Lucys. Pimento cheese spills out, and Ruby squeals, wiping her chin.
“I can’t eat all of this.” She leans forward, and I wipe a spot of mustard off her cheek.
“Get a go box. We can eat it tonight after we meet Stephen.”
“You’re not cheating too bad. It says, ‘fresh local ingredients.’” She takes another bite of cheeseburger.
“I’m pretty sure there’s nothing healthy about this lunch.”
It’s perfect, and as soon as we’re done, we’re out on the street again, leftovers in hand. We come out of Alphabet City and walk over to the East River, facing Brooklyn. The sun is high overhead, and a light breeze ripples across the water. We continue walking south until we reach a set of park benches facing the water. A large bridge is in the background.
“Is that the Brooklyn Bridge?” She takes my hand and leads me to sit.
“Williamsburg.” I sit beside her, putting my arm around her shoulders. “Brooklyn is further south.”
“Is this the one from the movie?”
“That’s Queensboro. It’s further north.”
She laughs and shakes her head. “I’m all mixed up.”
“It’s okay. I know the way.” Reaching for her hand, I lace our fingers again, loving this day, the time we’re spending together. “I’m really glad you came with me.”
“I’m having an amazing time.”
I like that again, she doesn’t pull away. She leans her head against her hand and studies me. “How do you know so much about New York? I thought you grew up in Seattle.”
“My mother loved it here. She always wanted to live in the city.” A pinch of sadness is in my stomach. “My father hated the city. It’s too noisy, too crowded. You have to have a reservation at every restaurant. If you do get a table, the service is terrible… ”
“He sounds like a lot of fun.” The sarcasm in her voice makes me laugh.
“He was the proverbial dark cloud. I never want to be like him.” Exhaling deeply, I look out at a barge slowly passing.
Ruby gives my hand a squeeze. “I told you. You’re nothing like him. I don’t know your mom, but it sounds like you’re much more like her. You like to have fun, and so far, you’ve shown me all the cool parts of the city.”
Standing, I pull her to her feet. Melancholy is not a mood I want to have on this trip. “We’re only getting started.”
By the time we stumble back into the hotel lobby, it’s after five, and we’ve strolled through SoHo, wandered up to Washington Square Park to see the arch, continued northeast to Gramercy Park, past the Flatiron building until we hit Korea Town just before the Empire State building.
“I feel like I’m walking on my ankles.” Ruby is hanging off my arm, and I give her a bump.
“We’ve got to meet Stephen at seven. Take a quick shower and change.”
She does a little whine. “Where are we meeting him and do I have to walk?”
“It’s seven blocks to the Top of the Rock. Since you’re new in town, I thought you’d like to see the view.” Her adorable pouty face makes me grin. “Do this and I’ll order cupcakes from Magnolia Bakery and give you a foot massage after.”
“Deal!”
23
Ruby
My head is spinning from all the sights. I’m not sure I’ve ever been this tired, but my heart is beating out of my chest, and I’m exhilarated.
Taking the white beaded cocktail dress out of the closet, I slip it over my freshly washed body and turn side to side, inspecting myself in the mirror. These shoes aren’t made for walking, but I can make it seven blocks… I hope. I have a black wrap over my shoulders with a huge scarlet bow, and my hair is styled in a low bun with tendrils hanging around my face.
When we meet in the lobby, Remi is dressed in dark pants and a charcoal jacket with a green tie that brings out the green in his eyes. They blaze to life when he sees me, and my stomach flips.
The more time we spend together, talking and getting to know each other, the harder this pull between us is to fight. Once again, he takes my hand, threading our fingers. All day, walking up and down the city streets, he kept my hand firmly in his, my body pulled close against his side. I love it.
The streets are just as busy at night as they are during the day, and I totally get why they call it the city that never sleeps. All day I’ve been trying to be very Carrie Bradshaw, but I’m afraid I’m more Kimmie Schmidt. The city is so huge and alive and full of sights, I’ve been running around with my mouth open, gazing skyward like a stereotypical tourist.
At the Top of the Rock, the view is stunning. I only have a moment to see it before Remi leads me to the bar, where a tall guy with light brown hair and intense blue eyes stands to meet us.
“Remington.” The man I assume is Stephen clasps his hand, and they do a bro hug.
“Stephen, meet Ruby, my assistant.”
I’m his assistant now? “How do you do?” I smile, and Stephen leans back, eyeing me up and down.
“Not bad.” His voice is strong, snobbish, and completely arrogant. Remi punches him on the arm, and he shakes it off. “I meant to say I’m not doing bad. You seem to be doing quite well yourself.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I’ve found after growing up with my dad, I’m not easily intimidated by overgrown jerks.
“Remi has never had an assistant. I wouldn’t expect him to have one like you.”
“Like me?” I smile. “Is that a compliment?”
Remi leans forward, speaking in a low voice that’s loud enough for us all to hear. “Stephen likes to think he can figure everyone out in the first five minutes.”
“I’m not wrong.” He waves to the bartender. “Whiskey up, vodka, and…” He gives me another glance. “Tequila?”
“Sunrise.” I lift my chin, unintimidated. “You’re pretty good at guessing drinks. What am I like? Or do you need a few more minutes?”
Stephen turns his back to the bar and squints. “Stubborn… smart.” His eyes graze from my head to my toes quickly. “You’re very beautiful, and most dangerous of all. Ambitious.”
Our drinks are set in front of us, and Remi puts his
arm around my shoulders. “Okay, that’s enough flattery.”
“You’re not really his assistant.” Stephen grins, taking a sip of vodka. I don’t have time to answer before he turns to Remi. “I see Oakville’s working out after all. I couldn’t figure out why you stayed all those years. Why not move back to Seattle?”
Remi shrugs, sipping his whiskey. “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve considered it. Last summer I had one foot out the door… But I found a reason to stay.”
My heart sinks at the thought of Remi leaving Oakville. I quietly sip my cocktail, and Stephen winks at me. “I suppose we have you to thank for that.”
“Actually, we just met a few weeks ago.”
Stephen’s eyebrow quirks. “Remi has always been the lucky one.” He turns back to my boss. “Let’s talk about tomorrow night. Stellan will be there. I suggest you make a point to get to him first. His secure communications app is the talk of the industry. It’s going to be big.”
They spend the next several minutes discussing Remi’s business at the gala. I’m intrigued because I’ve been at the house half a month, and I’ve learned very little about what he does, other than investing in new tech.
Their conversation is partly confusing to me, partly fascinating. Remi’s watching a new surveillance app he wants to procure and pour money into with the goal of selling it to the government for military use. Stephen, I learn, is like a spy, keeping tabs on other investors looking at the same developers as Remi.
“What’s new with you?” Remi finishes his second whiskey, and I lean forward slightly, curious about the answer to this question.
Stephen is cocky and arrogant, but I can tell he cares about his friend. I can also tell he’s incredibly smart.
“I’m working on something a little closer to home.” He places his empty tumbler on the bar and signals for the check. “Two things, actually. The first has more immediate use. An app that tracks prescriptions by patient driver’s license or tax identification, similar to the way the government tracks gun sales—”
“Hopefully not as sloppily,” Remi quips.
“Nothing I do is ever sloppy.” Stephen’s eyebrow arches. “The second is more dependent on current events, politics. It’s something companies can use to facilitate healthcare enrollments across state lines. Similar to how car insurers work.”
“Both healthcare related.” The bill is paid, and Remi takes my hand as we walk toward the exit. “It always goes back to healthcare.”
He says it like it’s some facet of Stephen’s personality only the two of them know.
“It’s simply the biggest problem we have in this country. It needs a solution, and I’m prepared to develop some.”
“So you’re developing them yourself?”
“Oh, I’ll farm out the coding. Unless I get bored.”
No one speaks as we ride the elevator to the first floor. I’m thinking about Stephen being so interested in healthcare and wondering why that’s the case when he breaks the silence, turning to me. “My apologies for monopolizing the evening, Miss Banks.”
“No way, I found it fascinating. I’ve been wanting to know more about how Remi makes all his money.” I give him a wink.
Stephen lifts his chin as if he won a bet. “So I was right. Not an assistant.”
Remi chuckles, but I’m tired of feeling like the butt of his friend’s jokes. “You know, I thought I was pretty good at figuring people out, too, but I realize I’m not always right.”
Stephen pats my arm. “It’s a skill mastered by meeting lots and lots of people.”
I frown, pretending to be troubled. “Actually, I think I just made an honest mistake. I had you pegged as a conceited asshole the moment I saw you. Now I realize you’re simply an engineer.”
He laughs out loud. “You’re absolutely right, I am. Although I also pretty much hate everyone… Except Remington. And possibly you.”
We’re out on the sidewalk facing Radio City Music Hall saying our goodbyes, when Stephen grips his friend’s shoulder and points at me. “Hang onto her. She’s smart.”
Remi’s arm slides around my waist, and my heart beats a little faster. “I intend to.”
We have a spectacular view of the Empire State Building from the balcony of the penthouse suite. I’m holding a glass of Beaujolais, watching the lights flicker all around this amazing place when Remi walks up behind me, placing his hand on my lower back. It sends a humming sensation through my body. I love being here with him, learning about his world.
“I’ve gotta say, you’re the first girl I’ve met to stand up to Stephen like that.” The pride in his voice fills me with warm satisfaction. “I know many who’ve wanted to say the things you did, but never do.”
“If you’d met my dad, you’d understand.” Turning, I lean against the rail, admiring the way the light shines in his eyes, the way that dimple teases me when he smiles.
Remi’s holding a glass of the red wine, and he’s so perfectly elegant. “I remember you said your dad made you question your choices. You didn’t say he made you strong.”
Tilting my head to the side, I think about this. “I guess I didn’t really realize it until just now.”
“Silver lining?” His voice is gentle. “You’re not afraid of anything.”
“That’s not true.” I’m terrified of my feelings for him.
I’ve dated so many guys, and I’ve never felt this way about any of them. It’s like Remington Key holds my breath in his hands, and it scares me to death.
“What scares you?” He grins, caging me between his arms. We’re facing each other with my back to the balcony, his strong arms around me, his warm scent capturing my senses.
Circling a finger around the button on his shirt, I think about my words. “Earlier, when Stephen asked you if you’d ever move back to Seattle… Would you?”
His brow furrows, and I can see he’s considering his answer. I love that even in this moment, with us so close, he hits pause to give me a serious response. No off the cuff answer. He’s listening to me, thinking, as if everything he says to me is important.
I want to reach up and trace my finger along his forehead, move that curl off his brow. He looks down at me, and my heart beats faster. “Would you ever consider leaving Oakville?”
Exhaling a laugh through my nose, I relent. “When I was young, all I wanted was to leave Oakville. I thought it was a hick town with small-minded people.”
Remi takes the wine glass out of my hand and sets it with his on the glass table beside us. Then he turns back, enclosing me in his arms. I love being surrounded by him.
“I think I hear a but coming.”
“Everyone I know has a big butt,” I tease.
He grins. “Well?”
I take a deep inhale of his cedar and leather scent, of soap and Remi. “Now I realize how much I love my friends and being near my mom, even though she drives me crazy.” His expression doesn’t change, and I add, “It made me sad to hear you’d thought of leaving.”
Leaning forward, he traces his nose along the line of my hair, just at my ear, rising higher to my temple. “I haven’t thought of leaving once in the last eighteen days.”
His words are warm and sensual. My eyes close as electricity skates down my arms, as my panties flood with heat. “Has it been eighteen days?”
“Tomorrow will be nineteen.” It’s a low rumble I feel all the way to my core.
“Is that a good thing?”
Warm lips touch my forehead, my nose. His eyes capture mine. “I think it’s a very good thing. Do you?”
Lifting my chin, I kiss his scruffy jaw. “I think it’s amazing.”
Our mouths meet in a sensual kiss. Warm lips cover mine, our tongues curl in a primitive dance. Leaning down, he lifts me into his arms, and I don’t even try to fight. I wrap my arms around his neck, kissing his cheek, moving up to his temple as he carries me through the suite to his bedroom in the back.
Lowering me to my feet, he puts
his hands on my shoulders, tracing his thumbs along the lines of my sleeveless dress. “I want to make love to you now. Is that okay?”
My stomach is hot and clenching, I nod before the words are out. “Yes, please.”
Hot eyes darken. He frames my face with one hand, his thumb on my chin, lifting it. Our mouths collide, and he parts my lips, plunging his tongue inside to find mine.
A little whimper aches from my throat. I’m chasing him, holding his face as his mouth moves down to my jaw, to my neck. My entire body is on fire as his beard scuffs my skin.
“I’ve dreamed of this every night since you came.” It’s a rough confession. It curls my toes.
Large hands are on my thighs, rising higher, lifting the hem of my dress until he reaches the center.
“Oh yes,” my chin dips, and I kiss his neck, his cheek, struggling to touch every part of him with my mouth.
Long fingers curl between my thighs, ripping my panties aside and diving between my folds. “You’re so wet,” he groans against my neck.
His hand is gone, and I’m acutely aware of its absence. He’s behind me now, grasping the zipper on my dress and pulling it down. My white dress falls in a puddle at my feet, and I reach behind me for his neck. He holds my waist, sliding his hands over my ribs, higher to cup my breasts.
“I love your body.” Kissing my neck, he pulls the skin between his teeth, and my knees go liquid. “You’re so beautiful. Look at you.”
My eyes blink open, and I see us in the mirror across the room. I’m standing, my dark hair wild and falling all around my shoulders. I’m still in my heels, but otherwise, I’m only wearing my black lace bra and panties. Behind me, Remi’s face is in my hair.
His darkened eyes sear into mine, full of hunger, lust, and longing. I watch as his hand spreads out over my stomach, sliding lower until it dips into the top of my panties. He watches the progress of his fingers, dipping between my thighs, searching for that little spot that makes me scream his name.
My eyes are fixed on his hand, spreading me, touching, probing, until he finds it, and my body starts to quiver. “Remi…” It’s a hoarse whisper.