Chapter Eight
The days to Valentine’s Day sped by. Riley had almost forgotten about Beto and his wedding until she padded into her kitchen the Saturday before and came face to face with the invitation stuck to her freezer door beneath an apple pie fridge magnet.
She stared at the white and gold embossed card as she popped one of Sam’s Sweetheart candies into her mouth and crunched. The tangy tart tingled her taste buds as she read the invitation for the umpteenth time.
Alberto and Juliet request the pleasure of your company at their wedding to take place on Oualie Beach on Sunday 14th February @ 4pm, followed by an evening reception at The Mill Hotel, Nevis.
The ghastly ache she got in her chest each time she read the invitation was no longer there. She felt nothing. None of the hurt, the humiliation or sense of failure she’d grown to associate with Beto’s defection. She had Sam to thank for that. Since he showed up at her door to return her phone a week ago, her life hadn’t been the same. She also learned the perks of working with her lover, had grown to like that serious scowl he wore when he stuck his head out of his office door and summoned her as if she was in deep trouble.
The first time Sam summoned her to his office that way she’d been petrified she’d messed up big time. It was two days after their night together, and she hadn’t been able to keep her mind on her job. Had spent hours trying to figure what she felt for Sam and whether he wanted to do their night together over again. She certainly had. In fact, she couldn’t stop thinking about him, and maintaining an air of total innocence in front of Denzel, his partner, was more taxing than she’d imagined. So when Sam yanked open his office door, pinned her with his blue-gray gaze, and said: “Riley, can I see you in here, please.” She’d quaked.
It wasn’t until she entered his office on wobbly legs and he immediately tugged her into his arms for a heart-stopping kiss that she understood the ruse. Since then, Riley had many examples of how inventive a lover Sam Rutherford could be.
Strong arms snaked around her waist from behind, drew her into a cuddle against a warm bare torso.
Sam rested his chin on her shoulder. “I thought you were only going to be a second. Where is the pie?”
“Right.” Riley drew open the fridge door. She’d been about to grab the fresh chocolate peanut butter pie May-May had dropped off on her way home tonight. Since Sam had been waiting for her in her bedroom, Riley had thanked May for the pie and guiltily showed her to the door. May had offered up a wide friendly smile that lit her mocha face, winked and said. “I understand, Riley. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Then she was gone and Riley knew tomorrow she’d be fielding all sorts of questions. For months, May had been pushing Riley to find a man. Now she found one, her friend would want all of the juicy details.
Sam released her so she could retrieve the dessert. “You do realize this is about a million calories. It’s made with Reese’s.” She glanced over her shoulder as she took down two dessert plates from the cupboard.
Sam’s attention was fixed on the freezer door.
“I almost forgot about your ex’s wedding.” He lifted the apple pie magnet and plucked the invitation from beneath. “Do you still want to go?”
“Yes and no.” She sliced the pie. “Yes, because I want to show Beto a thing or two. And no, because I don’t really care that much anymore.”
“We should go.”
“We should?”
“Sure. There’s going to be cake.”
Riley laughed. “And who can resist that?”
****
Sam wasn’t keen to analyze his sudden need to go to Beto’s wedding, but something dark and green had surfaced the moment his gaze landed on the invitation. He wanted to meet this Beto and see the sort of man Riley had planned to spend the rest of her life with. If he was in any way ready to analyze his reaction he’d admit he was jealous. Why? He had no clear idea, he only knew that it irked him to think of Riley with anyone else, and he wanted her ex to be clear on one fact. Riley had moved on.
She was with Sam now and unlike Beto he wasn’t stupid enough to give her up.
Wait.
What?
Theirs wasn’t that sort of relationship. It was new and he still wasn’t sure where it was going only that they were having fun and things were good. As the days passed and he got to know Riley, he realized she was the perfect woman for him. She was nothing like the women he went for. She was funny and cute, smart and zany, and he liked her—a lot.
Enough to let her know he wanted more. Maybe move their relationship status from lovers to boyfriend and girlfriend.
No, that sounded juvenile.
Dating.
Yes, that sounded more grown-up, had more of a commitment feel without moving into his discomfort zone.
“I think we should date.”
“What?” Riley’s head shot up from her focus on dishing up the pie.
“I want to date you.”
She opened her mouth, closed it then opened it again. “You do?”
“Of course I do. I don’t want you to think I’m only after the sex. We should go out.”
“I thought you wanted pie?”
“We don’t have to go out tonight. But I definitely want to do it before next weekend.”
Riley’s smile lit her entire face. She strutted over to him in nothing but his shirt that she’d thrown on to fetch the pie. His breath stopped in his chest. She was beautiful and she was his. She slid her hands up his bare chest and locked them around his neck.
“How about we go back to my room and I can show you how very excited that suggestion makes me?” She tipped her chin, lips parted in invitation as she waited for his kiss.
Sam was not the type of man to keep a woman waiting.
Chapter Nine
Within days, things fell apart fast. Riley could only surmise that Sam regretted suggesting they take their relationship to the next level. She hated herself for hiding in her villa. For letting Sam make her cry. Just a few days ago she’d believed he could be the one. Okay, so he wasn’t into marriage, but then she didn’t need marriage so long as she was in a committed relationship. She used to think marriage was the ultimate commitment promise until Beto showed her that such promises could easily and thoughtlessly be broken.
Sam had fit into her life. She’d tried to fit into his and made such an embarrassing mess of everything. Since Sam told her he wanted to date her, they hadn’t actually made it out of the house to be seen in public together. He’d taken on a new case and had been working late most nights. When he did finally make it to her place, he’d been so tired he’d lay his head on her lap and fall asleep in front of the TV.
She hadn’t minded, theirs had morphed into a comfortable relationship, and she was happy with that. So when Sam had asked her to come to dinner with him and his new potential client, she’d leapt at the chance. Unfortunately she’d been at her clumsy best, and Sam’s client had thought it quite acceptable to travel his hand up her thigh under the table.
Just as their waiter brought their meals she leapt up, with the excuse that she needed to visit the ladies room, and knocked the contents from his hands into Sam’s client’s lap. It wouldn’t have been so bad if the meal hadn’t been steaming hot.
In a chaotic mess, the client had to be rushed to the hospital for burns. His injuries had turned out to be mild, but Sam had lost it and shouted at her. Riley burrowed further under the sheets. She’d never seen him that angry.
“Do you know what your problem is, Riley? You don’t seem to possess an internal radar to warn you there’s trouble ahead. For the love of peace, and everything that is sane, stop and think for a second every once in a while.”
Shocked and humiliated, Riley had run and hadn’t left her villa in two days. Sam had phoned, texted and come over, but she refused to see him. Part of her always knew he could never fall for her. Why would he be different from the other men she’d dated over the years? Hadn’t they all wanted to change her? Then when she
finally found a man who seemed to like her—warts and all—it turned out to be a fantasy.
More tears seeped into her pillow. The stupid part was she didn’t want to end her relationship with Sam, and from his apologetic texts and voice mail messages, he didn’t want that either. The only thing Riley could do was change for him. Be the type of woman he wanted. As much as she’d enjoyed being carefree Riley, she was willing to dig down deep inside herself and retrieve Riley the sophisticated woman.
She didn’t know if she could be that Riley again, but she had to try because heaven help her, she’d fallen in love with Sam.
****
Sam hated himself for the way he treated Riley. Yes, she’d lost him a client, but she’d done him a favor. Temperamental and difficult, John Brooks wore Sam’s patience to the limit. The night he’d taken Riley to dinner with his client had been a mistake. John had been making passes at Riley all night, until Sam was right on the verge of grabbing Riley and walking away. He didn’t need Brooks’ business so desperately that he would sit back and let another man put the moves on his woman right in front of him. He could see Riley was uncomfortable in the other man’s company. Sam had been about to call it a night, before Brooks did something provoking like touch Riley and he’d have to punch him, when Riley excused herself to visit the ladies room.
Sam had decided to take the opportunity while she was gone to have a word with his client, but almost as if by magic the waiter materialized just as Riley stood. The next thing he knew John was screaming in agony.
It had been an accident, Riley didn’t deserve his anger, yet it was she who bore the brunt of his fury. He shouted at Riley when really he wanted to pound the other man into the ground for daring to put the moves on her. He didn’t know what he wanted. Perhaps for Riley to tell Brooks that she was dating Sam.
Okay, maybe he had only himself to blame for Brooks thinking Riley was only his PA. After all, isn’t that how he introduced her?
Good going, Einstein. Now she’s never going to talk to you.
The next day she’d phoned in sick and wouldn’t answer her phone or her door. And don’t think he hadn’t tried every window. She kept them locked, relying on her air conditioning to keep her cool.
He was such an idiot. He’d had the most beautiful, amazing woman he’d ever known in the palm of his hands and he’d let her slip through his fingers. Sam reached for his phone, praying she wouldn’t say no to his text.
—Riley, I must’ve said I’m sorry a thousand times. I want you to know I deeply regret the way I treated u. I’ll collect u @ 3pm 2 go 2 the wedding 2moro x—
He left the flowers and Valentine’s gift he’d bought her on the terrace in front of her door. As he headed back to his villa, his phone pinged to let him know he had a text message.
It was from Riley. Heart picking up speed, Sam opened the message.
—NAGI—
(Not A Good Idea) was her only reply. No x and definitely not her usual hugs and kisses signature.
Riley may not think it was a good idea, but Sam thought it was the best he had to date.
****
“Girl, it’s a good thing you called me.” May-May hurried over the threshold carrying her tub of tricks. Before May found baking, she was the local beautician. Riley didn’t know a more talented woman. At thirty-one, May had lived and loved and lost more than most people had in a lifetime. While it had been May’s amazing pies from her small delicatessen that had drawn Riley to her, she certainly appreciated the magic her friend could wave with a few make-up brushes and flat iron.
“Thanks, May.” Riley swung the door shut with a flick of her wrist. “You got here fast.”
“When my girl calls and asks me to help her, you know there’s nothing I wouldn’t do to come running,” May said in her lilting St Kitts accent.
“What about the shop?”
“Chris is holding down the fort until I get back. Now sit yourself down and let me get to work.” May pulled out a chair from the kitchen table. “What happened to you, girl?”
Chris was May-May’s husband and usually stayed out of May’s kitchen or risked her wrath while she created her delicious pies.
“Oh, May, you don’t even want to know.” But the second Riley’s butt hit the chair cushion, she spilled it all, including the Valentine’s Day flowers and sexy underwear gift Sam had left at the door.
“I knew you had a man here the other day.” May tipped Riley’s chin and got to work on her face. “So all this time you and him—” She gestured a little head toss in the direction of Sam’s villa.
Riley nodded. “It’s all such a mess, though.”
“So what are you going to do?”
Riley shrugged. “I don’t know. Go to Beto’s wedding with my head held high.”
“You can’t avoid Sam forever, you know.”
“I know, but I’m still so humiliated about the other night. I’m not ready to face him yet.”
“What about your job? You plan to call in sick every day until he fires you?”
“I haven’t decided yet.”
May moved to tackle Riley’s hair, which up until an hour ago had been a frightening bird’s nest.
“You said he apologized and bought you sexy underwear. I don’t know what else you want from him. If my Chris ever apologized for anything and made the effort to buy me expensive underwear, I’d be all over him like a bite from a cream puff pastry.” That was May, everything came down to food. “You’ve got one tasty piece of pie living right next door, Riley. Stop sulking and listen to what the boy has to say.” May handed her a mirror.
“Wow. What a transformation.” Riley glanced up at her friend. May’s pretty smile stretched her full lips in satisfaction. “How do I look?”
May’s eyes travelled down and up Riley’s body. When she’d chosen the yellow sweetheart babydoll dress with the cutaway sides, she’d been thinking of Sam, imagining him taking it off her at the end of the night. Now, the dress seemed like overkill, and she started to feel a little self-conscious.
Riley tugged at the flirty flared circle skirt which ended just below her mid-thigh. “Is it too short?”
May slowly shook her head from side to side, one hand on her curvy hip. “Girl, you are looking fine. When Beto catches a glimpse of you he’s going to rue the day he chose her over you.”
To her surprise, Riley no longer cared what Beto thought, and she couldn’t wait to let him see that.
Chapter Ten
With her head held high, Riley strutted barefoot onto the beach and took her seat on the groom’s side. She’d expected heartache to overcome her, but she felt as much as she would have for an acquaintance about to take his nuptials.
Riley smiled. If she had an emotion beyond mild curiosity it was utter relief and thanks for her lucky escape.
Beto caught her eye and raised a hand.
Riley smiled and waved.
His brows drew together for a second before something his best man said drew his attention away from her. What had he expected? That she’d turn up a tearful mess and beg him not to marry anyone but her?
Not likely.
Riley let her gaze take him in. He seemed shorter, plumper…plainer than she remembered. The Beto in her mind had been dynamic. This Beto was…well…just a regular guy. Slight hair recession, a little on the out-of-shape side and…short. Okay, so he wasn’t short-short, but he wasn’t as tall as she remembered. Certainly no way as tall as Sam.
In her mind, she had created an image of Beto that hadn’t been real. As she watched him smooth back the sides of his hair, she wondered for the life of her what she ever saw in Alberto Vega.
****
Sam spotted Riley straight away. A woman that beautiful and lively would always stand out in a crowd. He took a moment to simply watch her—like a rare and prized bird he didn’t want to scare away. Until the day he died, Sam would regret the way he’d spoken to her after his client ended up with dinner in his lap. He didn’t harbor any ex
pectations that Riley would’ve calmed down by now and was willing to accept his apology, but he had to try all the same. He’d given her three days. She hadn’t answered his texts apart from the one when she told him coming to the wedding with her wasn’t a good idea. She hadn’t replied to his Happy Valentine’s Day message. And she hadn’t mentioned the flowers and gift he left.
When he arrived to collect her for the wedding, he’d noticed they were missing from outside her front door. He knew it didn’t mean anything. Riley had probably thrown them straight in the garbage unopened.
His gut tightened. He drew in a deep salty sea air breath then blew it slowly out of his mouth. He very well might be about to start a scene at her ex’s wedding, but he didn’t see what other choice she left him. Sam strolled over to Riley. He wasn’t giving up without at least trying one last time. Not when he woke in the middle of the night—missing her and cursing his stupidity—to the revelation that he’d fallen in love with Riley. If he’d killed his chance to be with her, he wanted Riley to tell him to his face. And if by some slim chance she was willing to forgive him, he would spend the rest of his life making up for his mistake.
As he drew up behind Riley, her scent mixed with the sea breeze caressed his senses, left him longing to simply scoop her up and carry her away. Somehow he didn’t think it would go down as romantic as the movies made it seem. Riley hadn’t achieved a body like that from sitting around eating pie all day. She worked out hard on her punching bag, running on Lover’s Beach, and Pilates. She was quite capable of flooring a man his size.
So in compassion for his ego, Sam decided to play it safe and not touch Riley. He sat down in the seat behind her, leaned forward until his mouth was next to her ear.
“Riley, we need to talk.”
She sucked in a breath as her body started. Then she took another breath like she was trying to calm herself. “What are you doing here?”
Kiss Me Again Page 6