by Skylar Hill
That turned out to be a very big mistake on their part.Rhett didn’t let anyone fuck with his friends and Carter was a geek, but he was a geek who trained in several martial arts with the same devotion he applied to science.
And now Carter had Maddy, who was sweet and smart—and whose high heels could probably easily stab a man if she needed to. The perfect match, really. They’d probably be popping out gorgeous, Amazon-like babies any day now.
“I was just thinking about how happy I am for you,” he said, leaning over and brushing a light kiss on her cheek.
“Really? Because it looks to me like you were staring at Nat and Aiden McGowan,” Maddy said archly.
“I am an accomplished multi-tasker,” he admitted, not bothering to deny it, and it made her laugh as she came to stand next to him. The vintage emerald eternity band on her finger sparkled as she plucked his glass of champagne out of his hand and took a sip.
“You don’t have to worry about those two,” she said, nodding toward Nat, who was currently laughing at something Aiden said.
“I’m not,” he said, probably too quickly, because Maddy looked smug.
“She likes Aiden, but just professionally. Anyway, McGowan is completely in love with Lydia Munroe,” Maddy said.
“The party planner?” Rhett asked. Maddy always had the gossip about their larger social group, which he guessed made sense since she ran Purely Pleasure’s social media branch.
“Mm-hmm,” Maddy said. “Neither of them seems to realize it, which is hilarious. Whenever those two are in the room together, it’s like all the air’s sucked out, and it’s just them. It’s intense.”
“Oh, so like you and Carter,” he said, making her light up.
“Have I thanked you yet for giving us River Run for the wedding?” she asked.
“At least a dozen times today alone,” he said. “I was delighted to do it, Maddy.”
“I’m so grateful,” she said. “I fell in love with him here. Right in that forest.”
“I remember. I had to fix the door on the groundskeeper’s cabin you two waited that storm out in… and the shower rail you broke. I don’t even want to know how that happened. I have a feeling it’d scar me for life.”
She turned bright red, her pretty face alight with mischief and happiness. “You know, if you asked her to dance…” she nodded toward Nat, who was still smiling up at Aiden McGowan in a way that made him want to stalk over there and tear her away. “… she’d say yes.”
“We’ve danced before,” he said, and he didn’t know why he said it. It wasn’t an excuse, but it almost sounded like one.
They had danced before. Years ago, before River Run had expanded, when he was still wooing investors. In a lot of ways, Nat was the reason River Run had become the destination property—and the animal sanctuary—it was. She had been the person who had inadvertently brought Eleanor Townes, River Run’s angel investor, into his life.
Ever since she’d stepped into his life, Nat’s presence had had a ripple effect on it. He’d thought of her every day, even when she was all the way in New York. She’d been home in Oregon for more than a year now, and while distance and the city still separated them, there wasn’t a week where he didn’t get a call or text from her, or he sent one in turn, and if that stopped…if they stopped…
He valued their friendship. And he knew better than to cross that line. If he did, there would be nothing but heartache. Nat was the CEO of Purely Pleasure now. A rare female CEO of a company that was on the rise, partly because of her. He understood how important that was—not to just her own career goals, but for young women just getting their start in the business world. Nat was an example. A role model. A great shining hope. Someone who had climbed her way to the top on her own wits, smarts, and talent; who had survived the cut-throat, male-dominated business world. Someone who would open the door for more women in positions of power, a mentor for young women, because she was the kind to always pay it forward.
He wasn’t going to get in the way of that. It didn’t matter that he enjoyed the times she came out to the property more than pretty much anything else. He couldn’t think about all those long talks and rides they’d taken, her easy touch with the horses, the way she swung up in a saddle like it was where she belonged… like next to him was where she belonged.
“She looks beautiful, doesn’t she?” Maddy asked, and God, it was Rhett’s curse that not one woman in his life wasn’t really smart, savvy… and nosy. If he wasn’t so damn fond of her, he’d be annoyed.
And anyway, she was just telling the simple truth: Nat looked amazing in the green chiffon gown.
“She does,” he said. Because she always did, no matter what she wore. Nat was beauty personified, with her wild hair and her sun-kissed skin and those big, dark eyes that were like pools of unfathomable and mysterious secrets.
The song Nat and McGowan were dancing to ended. He said something to her before they parted, and Nat nodded.
“Now’s your chance,” Maddy said with a wink, and drifted away toward the dance floor, where Carter was waiting for her.
Rhett followed, because he was weak. Nat was just heading off the dance floor when he caught her, holding out his hand. “I seem to remember we were good at this,” he said, because he knew if he made it a challenge, she’d strive to meet it.
That was who she was.
And she did. She took his hand, and her skin sliding against his shouldn’t rev him up the way it did, he wasn’t any teenager, but God, it did. She did. Everything about her. Her touch, her skin, her smell. Honeysuckle and linen, a sweet, clean scent that reminded him of cotton dresses drying on the line and flowers blooming in the summer heat.
“If I remember correctly, you stepped on my toes once or twice,” she said as he slid his hand down her back, drawing her closer to him.
“Lies,” he scoffed.
The music was an old song, something that sounded like it belonged in a movie musical from the thirties. As the singer crooned about dancing cheek to cheek, Nat smiled and he drew her even closer, his beard brushing her cheek.
They swayed together, the heat of her body pressed against him a kind of torture he didn’t even know how to process in the moment. He wanted to pick her up and throw her over his shoulder and disappear into the woods with her like a fucking caveman. He wanted to stay right here, as close as they’d been in years, the simple press of their cheeks together, their fingers intertwined, the precious spot on her lower back that his thumb brushed against, where her dress dipped dangerously low. He wanted to say something, or maybe nothing at all, because what could he say?
She was the one person he couldn’t have. That he wouldn’t let himself have. Because she was the kind of woman you gave everything to. Who deserved everything a man had. And if he let himself love her, if he crossed that damn line in the dirt, he would fall to his knees and worship her. He’d give her all that he was, all that he had.
But it wouldn’t be enough. Because he could give her himself, but he couldn’t give her the life she needed to be the person she was.
And he’d be damned if he’d be the cause of her fall from the mountain she’d climbed all herself, that she deserved to summit.
“I think you’ve gotten better at this,” she murmured, her words vibrating against his cheek.
“Better shoes this time,” he explained, and he could tell she was smiling. He wanted to pull back to see it, but he was afraid that if he looked in her eyes right now, he might break and she might see it, how he truly felt, in his eyes.
Earlier today on that fence rail, he’d been so close to breaking as she fixed his tie and they did their normal Nat-and-Rhett routine, shooting barbs and jokes back and forth like they always did. There had been a moment where he swore…
But no. He was making shit up in his head. They were friends. Nothing more. That’s what she wanted. That’s what he needed, because he wasn’t going to fuck up her life with his drama.
“You were very das
hing before, too,” she said as he brought their clasped hands closer, pressing them against his heart. He heard a little click, like she was swallowing hard. Could she feel how his heart was thundering underneath his suit?
“I was desperate to save River Run,” he said. “And you did it in one night.”
“I didn’t do anything,” she started, but he squeezed her hand.
“Hush,” he ordered, and to his surprise, she obeyed. “You were the one who talked to Eleanor about me. You were the reason she became interested in the project and the sanctuary. I owe it all to you… and you know it.”
She pulled back, the brush of her cheek against his as she did almost gutting him. Dancing with her had been a bad idea—one he hadn’t been able to resist—but a bad idea all the same. This was going to haunt him, how she felt in his arms, how her fingers twined with his against his heart, how she had him in the palm of her hand.
“You did this,” she said, her dark eyes wide and solemn and so sincere that it made his stomach clench. “You created all of this. All I did was brag about you to a very nice older woman who mistook you for my husband.”
He frowned, startled by this revelation. “You never told me that.”
She let out a laugh but it was a nervous one, too high-pitched to be normal. “Really? I must have.”
“I would’ve remembered it if someone thought I was your husband.”
“Careful, or I’ll take offense,” she said lightly, and dark flush stained the sweep of her tanned cheeks. “I don’t think it’d be too bad, being married to me.”
His stomach twisted at the thought, and he had to stop his fingers from curling into the small of her back and drawing her closer. When was the damn song going to end?
She looked up at him, her full lips twisting into a rueful smile. “Rhett, this is the time where you say to the single woman attending her best friend’s wedding, Any guy would be so lucky to be married to you, Nat. He’d travel the ends of the earth to find you.”
He looked down at her, his throat dry with absolute fucking terror because it was the polite thing to say, but it was the farthest thing from what he wanted to say. Because no guy in the world was worthy of her, and if any of them even got near her…
He leaned forward, his lips brushing against her ear. “If you were mine,” he said. “I’d tear the entire world apart for you.”
Three
Nat
She had barely slept a wink, and was still staring at the ceiling when her alarm went off at five-thirty. Instead of trying any more, she wrenched herself out of bed with a huff.
If you were mine, I’d tear the world apart for you.
“Who says that?” she muttered to herself, throwing her blankets aside. “I’m Rhett,” she muttered. “I’m a giant lumberjack mountain man,” she began pulling the pillows off the bed. “My eyes are the color of forty-year-old whiskey.” She grabbed the top sheet and began to tuck it into the mattress. “I literally run with wolves.” She flopped back on the half-made bed, her hair fanning out. She grabbed a pillow and pressed it into her face, letting out a little frustrated scream.
Why did he have to be so… him? Sometimes it was infuriating. He was probably up already, off to feed the horses and the cows and the cougars or whatever creature he was rehabilitating this month. She could just picture well-worn denim clinging to his perfect butt, and… Oh my God, Nat, you need to stop thinking like this! You’re going to ruin everything!
Her second alarm went off, this time alerting her that she had a phone call scheduled in fifteen minutes. Blinking the sleep out of her eyes, she got up and padded across her plush room—Rhett always gave her the executive suite when she stayed at the lodge—and opened the door. A tray with a French press carafe and her parmesan-and-chive omelet with sourdough French toast was already waiting outside the door. She picked it up and closed the door behind her, carrying the tray over to the bed as she poured herself a cup of coffee and unlocked her phone.
100 new emails.
30 new voicemails.
45 text messages.
“Just another day in paradise,” Nat said, mixing in the entire ramekin of homemade caramel that accompanied each pot of coffee for that secret touch of sugar. She ate her omelet one-handed as she went through and answered the most urgent emails. The sourdough toast was deliciously tangy and the eggs fluffy and perfect… if only she could eat like this every day.
Maybe I should hire someone to, like, cook for me, she mused as she tapped out a response to Renee Kemp, Purely Pleasure’s resident sexologist. Renee had been on a six-month sabbatical as she taught over in London, and would be heading back with Liberty, the head of their Portland flagship store, who was over there scouting locations for their newest store.
Her phone buzzed, Liberty Evans appearing on the screen.
“Hey, Liberty,” she said.
“How was the wedding?” Liberty asked immediately. “It kills me I wasn’t there!”
“You were very missed,” Nat said. “I’m sorry again you had to miss it.”
“Don’t apologize,” Liberty assured her. “When a property like the Kingston property goes up for sale, you’ve got to jump on it. And I wasn’t about to let you go! Maddy needed her maid of honor.”
“It was beautiful, and Maddy and Carter both send their love.”
“They’re off on their honeymoon?”
“They should be landing in Australia as we speak,” Nat said. “Hopefully, Carter can stop working on that battery project of his long enough to get some sun.”
Liberty giggled. “I’m sure Maddy will make sure he’s plenty distracted. Anyway, let’s talk about the property.”
“Yes,” Nat said, her focus snapping to the two-story, classic London storefront that had gone on the market just last week. “Have you made progress with the leasing agency?”
“Let me tell you, it’s been almost impossible getting anyone to talk to me. I swear, some of these guys hear an American accent and when I say my name is Liberty, they think I’m making a joke.”
Nat couldn’t help it, she snorted a little as she laughed. “Sorry,” she said. “I just… I didn’t think of that.”
“It’s hilarious, I know,” Liberty said dryly. “Anyway, I finally tracked down the guy at the agency who’s in charge of the Kingston property. In fact, the guy is a Kingston. The place was his family’s, and he’s all attached to it and insists on handling the sale himself. Problem is, he doesn’t want to sell. He just wants to rent it.”
“Wait, what? That won’t work—we want to buy,” Nat said. “Why was it listed for sale if he’s not interested in selling it?”
“Apparently it was a mistake,” Liberty sighed. “Someone mixed up the forms and it was supposed to be advertised to rent.”
“He’s not open to selling at all?” Nat asked.
“This guy, he’s… stubborn.”
“Figure out his price,” Nat said. She loved that property and it was in a perfect location.
“But—” Liberty said.
“Everyone has a price,” Nat said. “You’ve got this, Liberty.”
“I don’t know if I do,” Liberty said, sounding a little panicky. “He’s all… Britishy! And I’m so not. I’m just a store manager, Nat. I’m not a CEO or a negotiator or any of the things you are. I don’t have a business degree. I don’t even have a college degree or a high school diploma… I have a GED.”
“You are incredible,” Nat said, hating that Liberty had this insecurity about the fact that she wasn’t as educated as some of her friends. Education came in a lot of forms, and degrees didn’t guarantee you’d learned anything. “You are so smart, Liberty. You’re savvy and you’re a meticulous planner and you know how to sell anything. You’re a born saleswoman and the way you run the Portland store is the main reason why I’m even interested in opening more storefronts when so much of our business is online. Because you’ve created an oasis in the Portland store, somewhere women can come to feel empowered a
nd understood, somewhere they can explore fantasies and themselves and their partners. We can do that in London, too. Just convince Mr. Stuffy Pants to sell us the building. If we have to go a little over budget, that’s fine. The pre-orders for the pearl sensation glove are through the roof after those reviews in the blogosphere and the double page feature in Cosmo. We can afford to spend some more if we have to.”
“I’ll try,” Liberty said.
“You’ll kill it,” Nat said, assurance in her voice. “Call me if you need anything. Doesn’t matter about the time difference.” She glanced down at her laptop, at Renee’s email. “You’re meeting Renee tomorrow before two fly back, right?”
“Yes, I’m so excited to see her again!” Liberty said. “I’ve missed her.”
“Give her my love. Text me as soon as Mr. Kingston caves. I’ll send you photos of the wedding as soon as I get them.”
“Thanks for the pep talk, Nat. You’re the best boss a woman could ask for.”
Nat smiled, feeling proud. “You’re a great employee. I’ll talk to you later.”
Dawn was beginning to streak across the sky as she finished the crusts of her toast and downed another cup of coffee. Then she took a long, hot shower, washing off the party from the night before and the leftover makeup she hadn’t removed.
She pulled on a pair of worn Levis and a short gray t-shirt, and threw on a flannel shirt she’d picked up somewhere over that, because Oregon mornings were chilly in the early fall. Her hair was still a little damp down her back as she shoved her room key in her pocket and wandered out into the pink dawn light. She breathed in the scent of fog and pine trees as she walked down the lodge’s porch steps, heading toward the east meadow, which was about a mile’s walk down one of the dirt roads that ran through River Run’s recreation areas.