“Be quiet, Fiona. At least I was a party girl. You were so boring.” Dana snored. “You were snooze alert. Isn’t that right about her, Leo?”
Leo opened his mouth to speak, but Fiona quickly craned her neck until she was close to his ear. “If you answer correctly, I’ll make it worth your while.” She confidently tossed a toothy grin at the others.
“She had party-girl potential,” Leo began, without reacting to her whispers. “But then...”
Obviously, he needed more convincing. She continued in his ear, behind the shield of her hand, “I always wanted to trace the flight route from New York to Brazil. On your naked body. With my tongue.”
His Adam’s apple bobbed. “I preferred a different type of woman.”
“And then I’ll linger down south. Climb a tree. Admire the view. Play with the ripe fruits. And suck the juices dry.” She gently kissed his ear, causing him to jump.
He sputtered. “A woman who has playful and serious sides.”
Fiona reached for her glass. With exaggerated innocence, she held the straw between her fingers. Then slowly she placed her lips around the tip of the straw and sucked up the soda. After she swallowed, she licked her lips and sighed.
“Um...get a room, please.” Dana threw a pillow at Fiona.
“What? I got thirsty.”
Leo shook his head. “You are so...”
“Sexy?” She giggled.
“Perfect.”
Chapter 7
Fiona couldn’t be happier. That was how she felt with the upward trajectory of her life—her love life. The reason for her forced vacation was no longer important. She was here reconnecting with Leo in this storybook fantasy that she now desperately wanted to have a happy ending. The problem was, she couldn’t tell if Leo was on the same page.
Playing at being disinterested was tough. It had been tough the first time. And the second that she saw Leo again, she’d known that it would be excruciatingly difficult. When she’d suggested to Kent that he ask Leo to be a groomsman, it had been in the secret hope that he would be in her life beyond these two weeks. She wanted him through December and beyond.
With their daily routine in place, they’d gotten sloppy with their efforts to keep their relationship hidden from the “adults.” The knowing smiles and awkward run-ins as she sneaked from the guesthouse back to the main house said that she was a failure on that count. However, not one ounce of remorse poked her conscience. Maybe that was why she was still in Leo’s bed during the late hours of the morning. Meanwhile, he’d dutifully gone to his regular meeting with Grace.
Eventually, Fiona clambered out of the bed, dressed in one of Leo’s shirts and followed the hypnotic smell of brewed coffee. A slice of toasted bread, topped with orange marmalade, and a cup of java served as breakfast. In no hurry to go anywhere, she curled up on the couch with her food and settled in to watch TV.
An hour later, bored with the news, she wandered around the house. This man was a housekeeper’s dream. His books were stacked neatly at his bedside. All his toiletries were put away in the medicine cabinet or on the shelf in the bathroom. His clothes were neatly placed in the drawers or hanging in the closet. The dining area was neat, not a stray crumb in sight. The kitchen had a bleach scent lingering in the air. After their many sessions on the counter, she could appreciate that attention to detail.
Those decadent thoughts triggered her body’s arousal. She felt like a Pavlovian dog salivating at the very thought of steamy sex with Leo. She had to do something to push back the urges. It wasn’t lunchtime for another hour. Leo couldn’t pop over and quench her impromptu thirst.
She decided to go out on the deck and at least pretend to use her e-reader. After getting comfortable in a chair, she noticed a set of files on the chair next to hers.
Don’t do it.
Fiona groaned. “Maybe just one peek.”
She placed her finger on the first file and dragged it toward her. Then she took the second, third and all of them until they were fanned out on the table. No labels hinted at the contents. She’d have to flip open the files to discover the information.
Yet she hesitated. Fiona studied the arranged lot, wanting to dive in and see what on earth Leo was working on so diligently. He’d been adamant that he wouldn’t share anything with her. Their conversations, no matter how she tried to control the topics, never revealed any secrets or left clues.
Sometimes, when he thought she wasn’t paying attention, she’d catch him studying her. His expression would turn soft and reflective. He’d give heavy sighs, as if something weighed on his spirit. What did he want to know that he didn’t or couldn’t ask? A few times, she jumped on the moment and attempted to steer the conversation. Those waters were too deep. His resistance to her wading into his feelings was subtle but stood strong against her efforts.
It would be easy to believe that their connection was a wistful speck in her imagination. But in this case, she’d rely on her gut instinct, like she did for work. There was something building and growing between them. Unfortunately, she couldn’t nurture what she couldn’t hold on to. It would take time to gain Leo’s trust. She wasn’t sure that there were enough days left at the Hamptons for it to happen.
Her hand rested over the blue folder. Not many papers were stuck in each file. Still, they contained information that she was sure would assuage her curiosity. All she had to do was flick the folder open with her thumb.
If she did, she couldn’t look Leo in the eye. Climbing her way out of the hole to gain his trust was a long, tedious effort. Would she destroy all chances to regain it and his respect? The answer was a no-brainer.
But opening this file would solve a major problem. So damn tempting.
She groaned over her decision.
Finally, she replaced all the files on the seat and pushed in the chair to block them from her view. To be doubly sure that she didn’t get tempted again, Fiona dressed quickly and left the guesthouse.
She hadn’t snooped. Leo could trust her, although he’d never know how close she’d come to the discovery.
* * *
Leo had a hard time believing that he’d been given access to Grace’s office. Today he was on his own. On his way there, Mrs. Finch had informed him that Grace had been called away on other business and left her office at his disposal. He couldn’t admit to Mrs. Finch that he doubted the message, wondering if she’d misheard the true instructions. Grace was particular about her space. Other than short intervals when she left, she was always in the office as he worked.
He took her permission as a show of confidence, a sign that he’d earned her trust. While she had given him access to the room, she also wanted work to be done. Finding the information that she sought about her grandchild was taking longer than expected. Some parts involved a computer search. Others required he use email to retrieve information. Nothing could be hurried, even if Grace had her own timetable.
Equally important, he was on loan in the Hamptons to amend Grace’s will. His career couldn’t be put on hold indefinitely. And he knew that in a few days, Fiona would be returning to her home and her job. Staying on here without her held zero appeal for him.
Leo got busy with tasks at his desk. He’d taken over the small conference table in the corner of the office. In his seat, he had a row of windows behind him and along the other wall. The vantage point provided a good view of the backyard and his secret view of Fiona when she took a swim or sat in the lounge chair reading a book. Watching her wasn’t distracting but rather comforting; he liked knowing that she was there. Today she wasn’t outside. He wondered what time she’d sneaked back to the estate. He felt like a kid on a stealth mission, trying to beat curfew. Another reason that whatever was brewing between him and Fiona needed a different, more private playground.
His phone rang. He spent the hour finishin
g up with the necessary calls to establish two more trusts under Grace’s foundation. Now he waited for the critical email that would turn up the pace to finding Grace’s grandson.
“Where’s Grace?” Verona had entered the office without knocking.
Leo jumped. “She’s on another appointment.”
“She left you to rifle through her stuff?”
Leo’s hands paused over his keyboard. From her stance, he guessed that she was ready for a fight. He shifted and settled back in the chair. Even though he’d have loved to take the bait, he had to keep his temper in check. He had to remind himself what really was at the root of Verona’s anger was Grace’s action to find her grandson and reunite him with her and the rest of the family. Feeling like he were at the face-off of a grudge match, Leo took this as a challenge of his patience.
“Verona, please have a seat.” Leo motioned to one of the chairs at the conference table.
“I’m not holding any discussion with you.”
“Why not? I’m right here for you to ask any questions you may have. Any doubts? Bring it.” He gestured for her to continue. “It’s you and me in this big room. What’s on your mind?”
“I know why you’re doing this—it’s all about the money. Connections. My daughter. You are like all the rest who come around this family and burrow in like a tick.”
“Lady, you are a piece of work. Because you are the mother of the woman I love, I’ll respond to you with the respect that you can’t seem to show me. I will address each of your concerns. Please do not interrupt.”
“You don’t tell—”
Leo ignored her and pressed on. “You don’t know why I’m doing this. You couldn’t possibly know, because you haven’t bothered to get to know me and know what my intentions are.”
Her mouth turned down, and her scowl grew darker.
“I have career goals. Most people consider that normal. I have done nothing illegal to get where I am. And I haven’t ever done anything unethical to stay where I am or to move ahead. Grayson, Buckley and Tynesdale law firm is my employer. Grace is a client. I’m assigned to work for her. As an employee of my firm, I have the duty to represent it to the best of my ability. And I’m damn good at what I do, or I wouldn’t be here. And I certainly wouldn’t be in this office unchaperoned, as you would probably phrase it.”
Leo took a deep breath because he needed it. He had to set the right tone with Verona, but once he’d done so, they would be at a fork in the road. She’d either have him fired or step out of his way so he could do his job.
He continued, “As for connections?” He looked down at his hands pressed against the surface of the desk. “Yes, they matter in my business. They matter a lot. But I also am not the person to sell my soul to the highest bidder.” He leaned forward, almost out of the chair, earnest with his defense. “I don’t accept your insults, because they are unfair. I have done nothing to you or your family to warrant your hostility.”
Silence dropped and stayed like an uninvited guest. Shock registered on her face, while Leo felt nauseous awaiting whatever next action would be taken against him.
“Maybe I was wrong in saying that. Sorry.” Verona picked at her fingers.
He began softly but with a dose of determination, “As for your daughter, I have not taken advantage of Fiona.”
She squinted and said, “You said that you loved her.”
Leo hadn’t realized that he had said the words. He hadn’t dared share them with Fiona. But to bare his heart to her mother, who disliked him, was a massive risk.
“Mothers usually say, ‘Don’t hurt my girl.’ I don’t think I have that right, do you? When I will surely hurt her once the news is out.” Verona wiped away the tears from her eyes.
Leo reached for a box of tissues and slid it toward Fiona’s mother. “I’ll have the information that Grace wants any day now.” He offered the truth.
Her sadness unraveled his irritation over her attitude. Desperation in her eyes reached out and grabbed hold of him. While he understood the pain, he also knew what could cure the fear. “It’s time, Verona. Time to tell Fiona what you’re so afraid will come out. I think that even before you told Grace, you worried about one day getting a phone call or a visit from your son.” Leo reached across the table and gently laid his hand over hers before drawing back.
Loss had a way of slicing through the soul. He often hoped that he would get a call that it had been a big, horrific mistake and his family was still there in Brazil. That was the difference between him and his adoptive father, Franz, though.
Franz held out for hope that brought him comfort. While, he held on to dread that was a different beast—one that sucked the essence out of every connection to and from a person.
“Thank you, Leo.” Now she openly cried into her hands. “Thank you.”
He hurried around the conference table and sat next to her, guiding her head to his shoulder. “We’ve both got your daughter’s best interest at heart. She knows you’re hurting.”
She nodded. Her sobs had turned into loud sniffles.
Leo looked at his watch. It was noon, around the time for him to head back to the guesthouse for his special lunch break with Fiona. “I know you don’t want her to see you like this. Let me leave the room first. I’ll find her and keep her busy so you can leave without the attention.”
He shut down his computer. He didn’t bother to check for incoming emails. Today he’d pause in his duties. They all needed to take a breather.
He exited the office without looking back. A weight had lifted. While he hadn’t started out feeling appreciation for Verona, his mind-set had shifted. He’d judged her actions and decision as a young adult through the prism of his own pain and anger. This brutally honest chat helped them both. She’d kicked in his defenses like an angry mama bear and demanded some truths from him, especially about her daughter.
Now to find Fiona and take her off the premises so Verona could pull herself together.
Their customary lunch romp, as he and Fiona called it, started with him heading to the guesthouse the same way he entered the estate, through the house by way of the garage. Fiona would already be at the guesthouse or would arrive soon after him.
Being slightly early, he wasn’t sure if she was still in the house. As he emerged in the hallway, he checked his watch again and then peered down the hallway for signs of anyone. Voices rose and lowered as the residents and staff went about their business. He looked over his shoulder at the office door to make sure that Verona hadn’t grown impatient and come out. The door remained closed. Taking a deep breath, Leo picked up his pace and headed down the hallway toward the kitchen.
“Leo?” Fiona leaned over the second-floor rail. “Wait up.” It didn’t take long for her to meet him at the bottom of the stairs and plant a kiss on his mouth. “Figured I could intercept and have us haul ass upstairs.” She giggled and started pulling him toward the stairs.
He shook his head. “Come with me.” Leo tried to keep his tone calm.
“No. Let’s sneak upstairs.” She ran halfway up the steps ahead of him.
“Not today.”
“Oh?” She walked back down toward him. “What’s wrong?”
Why did she have to look so fresh and inviting? The pink hibiscus flower in her hair was a nice touch.
“Nothing. It’s been a long day. I feel like heading out. Get some air, clear my head.”
“Something’s bothering you. I can tell. I can read it in your face. Is everything okay?” She kept speaking, growing more insistent. “I know Grace went out with Henry. Mrs. Finch said that he wasn’t feeling good.”
That was news. Verona probably hadn’t known that her father was ill when she came to the office. Leo worked to remove any sense of alarm. “I hope your grandfather isn’t sick. But everything is fine with me.”
“I don’t believe you. But I won’t argue anymore. Let me go get my purse and the keys.” She started up the stairs again. Over her shoulder, she said, “Maybe one day, you’ll feel that you can trust me. I’ve turned into a good listener.”
Leo didn’t answer, not that Fiona had waited for a response. He took a seat on the last step and waited for her. Frankly, he was a bit surprised that she’d brought up the topic of trust. That subject was more than a minefield; it was rather like quicksand. What they had now was good and consistent. Soon it would be a complete mess.
“Ready?” Fiona jingled the car keys.
They walked out together toward Fiona’s car. The heat wave that had gripped the area had dissipated. Now the weather didn’t hold the burden of humidity. Leo was thankful for the slight breeze as his gaze took in the overcast sky. The promise of rain was welcomed.
Fiona turned off the radio, turned up the AC and hit the gas.
Leo barely had time to click in his seat belt. He glanced over to read her mood. The speedometer hit thirty...forty...fifty with a screech of tires as they rounded a curve.
“I only wanted fresh air, maybe lunch. I could do without an emergency trip to the hospital.”
“Sorry.” Her foot eased off the gas.
His abs unclenched and he relaxed his grip on the door handle. “What was that all about?”
“Dunno.” She swept back her hair and propped her head on her hand. She alternated between looking at him and the road. “A little bit of frustration getting in the way.”
“About...?” He stared straight ahead, hoping she would approach the next bend with more caution.
“You’re having a bad day, so you want to be with me. I’m more than a lunch booty call and a shoulder to cry on.”
Tires squealed again on a curve.
“I agree. So you don’t think that you’re taking advantage of me?”
Whiplash. Had she just stopped in the middle of the road? Yes, this was a private drive, but still, what the heck?
One to Win Page 11