by Chloe Blake
Another protest, she thought, although his body didn’t seem to be having a problem knowing what it wanted.
“I can help you. You just won’t let me.” Her eyes were closed, and for a moment they were the only two people in the world.
“You can help me when I secure the land for myself.” His lips found her neck and trailed a path from her ear to the hollow of her throat.
Her eyes opened slowly then, the realization that they’d been bickering, moments ago beginning to cut through the passionate haze. His lips claimed her again, his kiss deep and long, threatening to take her thoughts. She pulled her mouth from his.
“What happens if I don’t go along with this plan?”
He blinked swiftly, as if doused with ice water. “I call your supervisor and say this isn’t working out.”
“Put me down,” she commanded, pushing at his shoulders. He didn’t budge, holding her in the steel of his arms.
“It doesn’t have to come to that,” he said gently, as if placating a child. “Do your job. I have this covered. It will work out in the end. For both of us.”
“Put. Me. Down.” She straightened her top and began to wiggle from his grasp.
With a heavy sigh, he pulled back his hips and lowered her carefully, untangling himself from her limbs, his dark gaze intense and still touched with arousal.
He took a few steps back and stood at a distance, struggling to regain control. She stared at him, confused, her lips parted, trying to catch her breath. “How do you know this will work?”
“I have investors lined up already. I just need more time.” There was no inflection in his voice. He was going to execute this plan with or without her.
“I think I need to wrap my head around this.”
She’d started walking down the other side of the alley when she felt a hand on her arm. “Let me take you back to the hotel.”
Ignoring the heat of his palm, she broke his grasp and kept walking. “No. I know the way.”
“I’ll need your appointment schedule,” he called after her.
She didn’t look back.
Chapter 14
Monday morning Nicole woke restless and frustrated over Destin’s threat to her job and her ardent attraction to him. She wasn’t sure what was in store for her buyers, but giving Destin access to her appointments felt like handing him a grenade. And if she didn’t go through with whatever his plan was, Destin would call her boss and get her replaced. Could he do that without his father’s knowledge? She didn’t want to find out.
The morning sun burst happily through the lace curtains, and the weather app on her phone indicated no signs of rain or storms. Three showings sat on her calendar for the day, but she burrowed farther under her covers, avoiding the question that loomed like a black cloud. Did she tell Destin about them? Or did she show the land behind Destin’s back?
The look in his eyes when he’d told her he had plans to rebuild had been so earnest, almost pleading. And how humiliating her response to his kiss in the alley had been. It was as if every time she saw him, her body hijacked her mind and overwhelmed her senses. She hated him and wanted him, and hated herself for giving in so easily. But kissing him had been delicious...and disastrous.
She fluffed a pillow and rolled onto her side, trying to get away from the confusion in her mind.
The phone in her room rang. She glanced at the clock and grimaced. The only person who ever dared call her this early was Gustavo. She picked up the receiver with a murmured hello.
“Good morning,” said a deep voice.
Not Gustavo. She rolled onto her back. “A little early, isn’t it?”
“I’ve been up for hours. I told you, the life of a vintner isn’t glamorous. Did I wake you?”
“No, I’m awake.” And picturing him at his château in a towel. Maybe it was the phone, but his voice and accent were more pronounced. Penetrating. There was that feeling again, like all she wanted to do was offer herself for his pleasure. She cleared her throat. “What can I do for you?”
“I need your schedule.”
His hotness was forgotten just like that. “Schedule?”
“Your clients, Nicole. Or have you forgotten our discussion?”
“I think that’s called blackmail.”
A heavy sigh came through the phone. “Think of it as a partnership that will work in your favor.”
“Partners,” she repeated.
“You see? It’s better.”
“Right.” She hesitated. Made a split-second decision. “Okay, partner. They’re all tomorrow in three-hour increments, starting at noon.”
“More casinos?”
“A spa company, a mannequin and toy manufacturer, and a data storage company. Are those more palatable for you?”
“It won’t matter.”
“Then I guess you won’t want to hear about the others that want to come in next week.” Since her cell service had been restored, she’d gotten messages from more interested buyers. Something she would have been ecstatic over, had she not been aware of Destin’s plan.
“Christ,” he cursed. “Later. Right now we’ll focus on tomorrow.”
“Are you going to send clowns this time? Maybe a pack of wolves to chase us off the place?”
He chuckled. “Don’t wear your heels. Just in case. Enjoy your day.”
Oh, I will, she thought after he abruptly hung up. Jumping from the bed, she showered, ordered breakfast to her room and sifted through her files. Today was a big day, and Destin wasn’t going to be a distraction.
Thirty minutes before her first appointment, Nicole set up shop at the bar in the hotel restaurant. She was filling in Gustavo when Anton walked behind the bar and poured her more water. Her light blazer lay on the stool beside her.
“Yes, all three are today. The storm had everyone rescheduling on top of each other.” Thank you, she mouthed to Anton.
“Have you heard from Clay?”
“He sent an offer, but you know Clay, he loves to negotiate. Came in way too low, which I rejected. I didn’t even send it to Elliot. I’m waiting on round two.”
“Have you seen his Instagram feed?”
“No. This is the first time I’ve had consistent cell service since the storm.”
“He’s been posing around the city with a machete.”
She shook her head. “He’s still in town, so that’s a good sign.”
“You’re right. I have every bit of faith you’ll bring this home, Nicole.” She closed her eyes and squeezed the bridge of her nose. I’m glad one of us does. “Thanks, boss.”
She hung up and had started sifting through her emails when another offer from Clay popped through. It was a second bid, not quite at asking price, but close, with a contingency for more upon seeing the inside of the wine cellar. Nicole forwarded the email to Elliot with a note for him to call her and smiled to herself. It was all coming together.
“Lunch for you?” Anton asked.
“No, thank you, I had a huge breakfast. I can’t eat when I’m working.” Nicole turned back to her laptop but stopped when she realized Anton was still standing there.
“Big day today?” he asked.
“I’m showing some buyers the Dechamps property,” she said, glancing outside to make sure that the van she’d hired was still idle and waiting.
The second Destin’s last name left her lips, the feel of his muscles and the grip of his hands came back to her. She quickly grabbed her water and washed those thoughts down her throat. She didn’t want to think about him. Not now, while she was going behind his back.
A car pulled up and out stepped three young people in colorful robes with crystals hanging from their necks. Then she saw the smaller, fragile stature of Seguay; his stringy gray hair was pulled back into a ponytail and the others waited for him to walk by, then fell
into a triangle formation behind him. His hands were steepled, and the group bowed to Nicole after crossing the threshold into the restaurant.
Twenty-five years ago, Ira Goldberg from the Bronx went to India looking for enlightenment and returned to America a year later renamed “Seguay to the light,” Seguay for short. He relocated to Costa Rica and started a yoga retreat, which blew up into an empire based on healing, wellness and spiritual education.
He’d been on Oprah, done a TED talk about collective consciousness and written a bestselling book on the same subject. Celebrities had publicly thanked him for saving their souls. He’d opened branches in Mexico and California, and was looking for the next place to spread his message. Should be a sure thing, except Seguay wouldn’t consult a real estate developer, just his gurus. If the wind blew the wrong way or one of his gurus caught bad vibes, the deal was off.
Seguay rose first. “Miss Parks, so nice to see you. Namaste.” Quickly, Nicole slid off her stool and executed a small bow back, feeling a little like she was in the presence of Jesus. The group rose and bowed again. Nicole turned to find Anton standing behind the bar staring. She almost laughed at the look on his face.
“Namaste, Seguay. Wonderful to see you. I hope your trip has been pleasant so far.”
Seguay came forward and hugged Nicole—for a little too long. When he stepped back, his hands were up and his eyes were closed. “Your aura is clear, except...” His gaze went to her ankle. “You’ve hurt yourself. But it’s healing, and you’ll be fine.”
How did he know that? Nicole’s eyes widened briefly, then she fixed a smile on her face and nodded. “Thank you. Is there anything you and your...” she looked to the people in robes “...team want to discuss before we head up to the land? I have a van waiting for us.”
“We’ve been walking around reading the energy of the city all morning. Such robust spirit. We are in the perfect mindset to see the land. We can talk business after.” Seguay took Nicole’s hand as they walked to the van. “Tell me, how is your love life?”
Nicole spent the next forty minutes dodging that question. They had to take the long route up the mountain, past Destin’s château, because the other route still wasn’t clear of the large tree that had fallen during the storm.
They pulled up to the front gate, and without a word, Seguay popped out of the van first.
“Seguay, you have to go through the—” Nicole cut herself off as Seguay shot through the trees. His team scrambled behind him.
When Nicole emerged from the trail, Seguay was meditating on the ground while his three companions were holding their crystals and walking the property with their eyes closed. She tiptoed, scanning the area for Destin, waiting for something crazy to happen.
Not that it got crazier than this.
One of the gurus stopped and turned to the forest where Destin’s vines were hidden. “There is life here!” she shouted and began to step toward it.
Nicole rushed forward. “I wouldn’t go in there. There is life in there, for sure. Animals that don’t want us messing with their habitat. At least, not until someone moves in.”
Seguay stood. “I can feel the tragedy here. We will have to clear this place.”
Nicole thought that meant they were leaving. Instead, Seguay and his team converged on the rubble of the main house, surrounded it, and began to hum. One lit a sage bundle and walked in a circle.
She wondered if Destin was hiding and watching, laughing.
The “clearing” went on for some time. Nicole checked her watch, then tiptoed behind Seguay. “I’m so sorry, but we’ll need to leave soon,” she whispered.
Seguay turned slowly. “I want to speak to the one that makes the wines.”
“Mmm, okay,” she said in a smooth voice that disguised her apprehension. Did he know about the wines the way he knew about her ankle? “There are no more wines, if that’s what you’re looking for.”
Seguay’s eyes narrowed. “There needs to be, or this place won’t heal. I’ve had a vision of a retreat with sustainable food and wine. Macrobiotic. Biodynamic. Everything of the earth.” He stopped and turned. “Reach out to the vintner for me. Give him my direct line. Not Elliot. The other one. Destin, I think.”
Nicole’s eyes widened and she held her breath. He was Jesus.
Seguay chuckled at her reaction. “I speak to the universe. But I have Google, too.”
The ride down the mountain was quiet, as Seguay needed to meditate, which meant the rest of the team meditated, as well. They dropped Nicole off at the hotel, and Seguay promised to send an offer. “But I want to speak to the vintner first.”
Nicole felt the loss of the sale, knowing that even if she told Destin about Seguay’s “vision,” he’d never call. She bid them all goodbye and was about to shut the door when Seguay spoke again, his gray gaze sharp.
“You’ll heal him, you know. It’s already happening.”
She didn’t ask who he referred to. Simply nodded and shut the door to the van.
What the hell had just happened? Normally she’d have time to process, but her next appointment was already waiting for her in the lobby of the hotel. Mr. William Randall and his agent, Marcus, both from California, were friendly but all business. Neither seemed interested in Rio Grande or the people in it.
“We need space to build a factory,” William stated as they rode up the mountain.
“Yes, of course. What do you manufacture, again?” Nicole feigned forgetfulness out of courtesy. Mr. Randall had never actually told her what he manufactured, and there wasn’t much information about him online. His company was obscure, but the bank documents showed he’d made a fortune selling mannequins, with most of his revenue coming from the German, Australian and UK markets.
“Lots of things.”
“Toys.”
The men spoke at the same time.
Nicole’s gaze darted between the two, who both looked a bit waxen under her scrutiny. Her smile waned a bit. “Oh, toys. What kind?”
“Things for adults,” Marcus said quickly, before turning his focus out the window. Why were they acting so strange?
“Like board games?” she asked, refusing to give up.”
“Well, yes, we have some board games but mostly dolls.”
Nicole cocked her head.
“Sex dolls,” Mr. Randall snapped. Marcus’s lips tightened.
The van stopped short, and the driver began yelling at someone outside his window.
“Excuse me.” Sex dolls! She could hear Destin’s lecture now.
Nicole unbuckled herself from her seat and poked her head into the front. Cows. They were everywhere. Their black-and-white bodies bellowed as they surrounded the van and blocked the road.
The driver laid on the horn, but the cows didn’t budge.
“Oh, my God. What do we do?”
The driver shrugged, then pointed to several more cows sauntering down the road to join the herd. And there wasn’t a farmer in sight. According to the driver, they had another twenty minutes to go up the mountain. Walking was not an option. If they couldn’t get those cows to move, they’d have to turn around.
She couldn’t believe what was happening. With the calm demeanor of a flight attendant, Nicole turned to her clients and relayed the problem.
“I grew up in Montana,” Marcus said, taking off his suit jacket. “Let me handle this.” He rolled up his sleeves, slid open the door, then jumped to the ground, slapping the cows to get them moving. After a minute of no progress, he began walking through the herd, clapping his hands and making weird barking noises.
Nicole climbed into the front and watched from the passenger seat as a few cows moved, only to be replaced by more.
“Should he be sliding behind them like that?” Nicole asked with a grimace.
“No,” said the driver. And, sure enough, as the three of the
m watched, Marcus got a full kick to the chest from one of the cows. They all shouted as his body shook, then crumpled to the ground. The driver was the first to jump out, and with William’s help, they laid Marcus down in the back of the van. He was conscious and, judging by the way he was holding his chest and rolling back and forth, in acute pain.
They sideswiped a cow as they backed up the vehicle and raced to the hospital. X-rays showed two broken ribs and a nasty black bruise spreading over Marcus’s torso. She felt horrible, and when Marcus was finally bandaged and sleeping, she apologized to Mr. Randall for the mishap and said she hoped he would reschedule a viewing soon.
The look he gave her said she would never hear from him again.
Understood.
On the drive back to the hotel, Nicole realized that with both of the roads now blocked, she had no time to wait for them to clear and no choice but to cancel her third appointment. Destin would be ecstatic.
Hold the phone, Nicole thought as her driver pulled up to the hotel. Could Destin have had something to do with cowmania back there? He did say he had a friend with a farm. Impossible, she thought as she headed for the restaurant. Unless he had seen her earlier at the property, he couldn’t know. Surely it was just bad luck. Kind of like this whole trip so far.
She checked the time. She had an hour until her next appointment. Without access to those roads, she was screwed. And she couldn’t reschedule them for Tuesday; that was Destin’s sabotage day. She should just fly home now...
“That’s it!” A brilliant idea came to her, but she didn’t know how to execute it. She looked around for help but came up empty. She went out to the lobby. “Anton?”
Anton was just getting off the phone and looked a little frazzled.
“How can I help you, Miss Parks?”
She placed both hands on the counter and leaned forward, aware her request was a little insane. “I need a helicopter. Now.”
* * *
Her luck was turning. Nicole and her last buyers of the day soared over the forest treetops and reveled in the bird’s-eye view of the inlet waterfalls, the bottomless canyons and the ocean’s never-ending reach across the earth. Jagged-edged rocks crawled far down the face of the oceanside cliff and faded into perfect white sand.