by Watson, Lisa
Suddenly, everyone turned to her.
“Who?” their new client asked with interest.
With horror, Milán realized she had spoken aloud. Her gaze flew to Adrian. She thought he’d be angry to catch her not paying attention. To her astonishment, he was looking at her with amusement in his eyes. Now that was unexpected, she mused. Milán slapped a relaxed expression on her face and went with the first thing that popped into her head.
“My apologies, I was thinking about the special order I placed earlier this afternoon. One of my clients was insistent on getting a one-of-a-kind travertine chaise for her pool deck. Imagine it as an outdoor work of art that you could actually lounge on. She was convinced it would be a conversation piece with her friends.”
The woman’s eyes perked up. “Really? I’d think you’d be able to find them all over town,” she said dismissively.
“Oh, not at all,” Milán countered smoothly. “My designer lives on the West Coast. He flies out to fashion these furniture pieces around the owner’s natural environment. He doesn’t believe in working by pictures. He wants to see the outdoor space. It’s all organic. To feel its essence—to be inspired by it.”
There was an eager buzz among the people gathered around. The diva’s eyes glazed over. Milán could almost see her mind racing ahead to the finished product. She exchanged glances with her husband. “Tell me, do you think he would design a piece for us?”
Milán refrained from answering right away. She tapped her index finger on her lower lip as if she were actually pondering the woman’s request. “Well, there’s no harm in asking, is there? I’d be happy to contact him…to check his availability.”
“Fabulous.” Acting as if it was a done deal, the woman slid her arm thru Adrian’s and announced that they were leaving, but would expect a call from Milán when she’d commissioned their new artist.
Adrian glanced at Milán. They shared a private smile before he escorted his guests to the door. By the time he extricated himself, the rest of the party had moved out to the courtyard.
When he reached Justin and Sabrina, Adrian sat down next to them on a cushioned bench. He was all smiles as he relayed their good fortune to his friends.
“That’s great,” Sabrina enthused. “Congratulations.”
“I owe it all to Milán,” Adrian boasted when she came up to them. “She knocked it out of the park.”
Milán’s face reddened at his praise. Just then Tiffany came up behind her followed by Stephan.
“There you are.”
“I’m just about ready to go.” She smiled. “Sorry this took longer than expected. It went great with one of our clients, though.”
“Will you excuse us?” Stephan said, guiding Milán to the other side of the room.
When they were alone, his smile faded. “You know this isn’t exactly the date I signed up for.”
His curt tone caused her to look up at him. “I’m sure it’s not.”
“So what’s the deal between you and your boss?”
“Excuse me?”
“Do you always play hostess at his parties? That seems kind of strange, don’t you think?”
Anger caused her eyes to brighten. “To whom?”
“Oh, come on. What man wants his lady to cater to another man?”
Milán gaped at him as though he’d lost his mind.
“First of all, Adrian is a friend and my colleague.” she stressed. “Secondly, when did we decide that I’m your lady?”
“I guess we didn’t. Kind of hard now, don’t you think?”
“Quite frankly, Stephan, I don’t care for your insinuations.”
“I don’t trust your boss,” he sneered. “I guarantee that man has a hidden agenda where you’re concerned. Call it a hunch.”
“Well, I guess since you’re a man, you would know,” she said mockingly.
Stephan set his drink down hard on the counter. “I’m leaving now. Are you coming?”
Milán regarded him from head to toe. “No, I’m not. Enjoy your evening, Stephan.”
He glared a moment before stalking off.
Milán watched him leave. She struggled to get her composure under control before she rejoined the others.
She ran into Sabrina first. She tried to look as cheerful as she could manage.
“Hi.”
Sabrina frowned. “What’s the matter?”
So much for composure. She groaned. “Nothing, just a difference of opinion.”
“With Stephan?”
When Milán nodded, Sabrina guided her off to a more secluded section of the yard. “You want to talk about it? You look upset.”
“Who’s upset?” Justin asked coming up behind them.
“Shh,” Sabrina told her husband. “I’m trying to find out what Stephan did.”
“What did he do?” Tiffany said loudly as she joined the crowd.
By the time Adrian joined the group moments later, the mood was tense.
He turned to Milán. His eyes were penetrating. “Are you okay?”
She nodded. “I’m fine. I…handled it.” She gave him a summary of her conversation with Stephan.
“What a rude bastard.” Adrian’s tone was glacial. “Lucky he left before I found out.”
“If I’d known it would be such an issue, I wouldn’t have asked him to come.” Milán tried to keep the hurt out of her voice, but failed miserably.
“Don’t you dare apologize for him,” Adrian practically roared with anger. “His behavior was inexcusable.”
“I’m not,” Milán argued, her temper rising, as well. “I didn’t appreciate him implying that something was going on between us just because I was here helping you.”
“The guy’s a jerk and good riddance,” Tiffany huffed before turning to Milán. “Too bad he turned out to be such a jackass.”
Trying to smile, Milán shrugged. “I’ll live.”
“Better to find out now before it got too serious,” Sabrina reasoned.
Milán nodded. “That’s true.”
The Langleys said their goodbyes a short time later and showed themselves out. As if on cue, the remaining crowd filed out behind them followed by Tiffany.
“Are you sure you’ll be okay?” she asked Milán.
“Of course. I’m going to help Adrian tidy up and then head home. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
The two exchanged hugs before Tiffany left.
When they were alone, Adrian’s arm went around Milán. He turned her to face him. “Hey, why don’t you call it a night? The caterers did a great job of leaving everything tidy. I can tackle the rest by myself.”
“Where’s Aria?” she asked looking toward the house.
His expression changed. “Home getting her beauty sleep, I guess.”
“Oh. Does she want a date do-over, too?”
“Doubt it. My body isn’t enough of a temple for her so I doubt I’ll be seeing her again.” He shrugged. “Another one bites the dust,” he joked.
They left the courtyard, headed up the brick stairs and into the house.
Milán watched him return furniture to the original locations. She moved to assist him.
“You don’t have to help, I’m good.”
“I know,” she said kicking off her heels. “But I’m doing it anyway.”
He shook his head. “Stubborn, aren’t you?”
“Like you’re just finding that out?” she laughed and grabbed the other side of his couch.
When the house was set right again they took a break. Grabbing some wine and snacks from the kitchen, Adrian poured them both a glass and then reclined on the sofa with his legs stretched out in front of him. “Well, that went well.”
Milán sat sideways facing him. She swirled the dark red liquid in circles before she sipped it. “The cocktail party or our respective dates hightailing it outta here?”
“Take your pick.”
“I think the business went well.”
“It went more than well,” Adrian co
rrected. “You were amazing, Milán. Just want we needed and the chaise longue thing? Brilliant.” He raised his glass and toasted her.
“I think that’s your fifth toast tonight,” she laughed.
“Yeah? Who’s counting?”
She brightened at his praise. “So what about the personal?”
His lips curled in distaste. “Hmm. Not so much.”
Milán made a face. “You’re right. That part of the evening was a bona fide disaster.” With a sigh, she leaned her head back against the cushion. “What’s wrong with us?”
Adrian grunted. “Can we help it if we don’t like tofu?”
She burst out laughing. “Come on, clearly something is missing. How else would you explain it?” she reasoned. Standing, Milán started to pace. Her expression turned serious. “Maybe there’s just something about the two of us that’s…lacking.”
“There is nothing lacking about me,” Adrian snorted. “Or you. You’ve got some great qualities, Milán. You’re funny, smart, gorgeous and real.”
She stopped pacing. Her mouth dropped open. “You think I’m gorgeous?”
“Oh, please.” He took a sip of his wine. “You know I do.”
She pondered his words. “How would I know?”
“I told you, remember? The day we met.”
“Oh, that,” she dismissed. “That doesn’t count. You were livid at Jeanie. You would have said the bearded lady at the circus was gorgeous just to prove a point.”
He shook his head. “That’s not true. My standards are extremely high. Hence me still being single, and my mother threatening to rent grandchildren.”
Milán gasped. “She didn’t.”
“Oh, yeah,” he told her. “And I distinctly recall telling you how beautiful you were. I didn’t say that just because I was angry at my mother, Milán. I said it because it’s true.”
Her smile could have illuminated the room on its own. “You’re wonderful, do you know that?”
He laughed. “Now that’s definitely the wine talking.”
“It isn’t.” She flopped down beside him. “Honestly, Adrian, I don’t know how you date the women you do. You say your standards are high, but I beg to differ. None of them have substance, they’re only concerned with the here and now, and they have no aspirations.”
“Has it ever occurred to you that may be all I want?”
She shook her head. “It’s not. You tell yourself that, but it’s not true. I can see it in your eyes. It’s merely camouflage. I’ve always thought you could do better, Adrian.”
The smile disappeared. His eyes turned somber. “Of that I have no doubt, but then so could you.”
“Me?”
“Yes, you. Since I’ve known you, you’ve had a steady stream of suitors, as well. Yet none of them has lasted past the third date. The question is why.”
Chapter 16
Milán pondered his question. “No lo se.”
“I think you do.” Adrian reached out and placed a finger under her chin. He tilted her face toward his. “What are you searching for?”
Milán couldn’t look away. “Yo…” She stopped.
He leaned closer. “Dimé le, Lani.”
She reared back so fast her wine almost sloshed over the side of her glass. “¿Por qué me llamastes asi?”
Adrian blinked. “¿Qué?”
“Me llamastes Lani.”
“So?”
“Sólo mi familia me llama así,” she persisted. “Nunca antes esta me has llamado por mi apodo.”
He shrugged. “Well perhaps I should have. I like it, it suits you.” He studied her. “You don’t mind, do you?”
“Um, no. No, it’s fine. It just caught me off guard, that’s all.”
“Good. Now answer the question. What are you looking for?”
After a few moments of uncomfortable silence, Milán blew out a long breath. “I guess I’m looking for the dream like everyone else. A man that connects with me—on all levels, you know? Mental, physical and spiritual. I know that’s cliché, but I’ve had less, and I don’t want to settle for that anymore.”
When he remained silent she turned away. “You probably think that’s naive, don’t you?”
Milán wasn’t prepared for the hand she felt on her arm, nor the expression on Adrian’s face when their eyes finally connected. “I don’t think you’re naive.” His hand moved up and down in a soothing gesture. “De hecho, creo que eres bastante espectacular.”
Without warning, tears brimmed in her eyes. Why in the world was she crying? she asked herself. Probably because he just called you spectacular, her inner voice replied.
Adrian used his thumb to wipe the tears away from her cheeks.
“I’m sorry. I don’t know why I’m crying. It’s probably the wine. Too much and I get all emotional.” She tried to laugh, but it got caught in her throat. She leaned over and sat her glass on the coffee table. Before she could react, she was being pulled into his arms.
He hugged her tightly to him. Milán clung to him. She inhaled his scent, a mix of the woodsy cologne he wore, the wine they were drinking and Adrian himself. It was a heady combination.
“Why are you hugging me?” she sniffed.
“Because you need one, now stop fighting and let me do what I want.”
She smiled at his high-handedness. Somehow, it felt comforting to be held by him.
“I remember making you a promise,” he whispered in her ear before releasing her, “that I’m having a damned hard time keeping.”
Confusion crossed her face. “I don’t understand.”
The same thumb that wiped her tears moments before now wreaked havoc with her bottom lip. “Don’t you remember? I promised you that I would not kiss you—without your permission.”
“Actually, that’s not quite true,” she breathed. “I told you if you ever put any part of your anatomy on me again without my permission, I would cut it off.”
His eyes glinted with a mixture of humor and something much more dangerous. “Uh-oh. It appears I’ve already stepped over my boundaries.” He moved even closer. “The question is…do you want me to stop?”
A few months ago, Milán would have strung him up for touching her this way again. Now, a jumble of emotions rushed over her, and none of them felt safe. Did she want him to stop? Stop what? She wasn’t exactly sure yet what it was they were doing, not to mention where it was going.
“Milán?” His eyes implored her with unspoken words.
“Yes,” she choked out.
Adrian ran his hand from her arm along her waist and to her back. “Yes, what?”
Her heart raced and her mouth suddenly turned to desert. Yes, I give you permission to touch me. Anywhere and everywhere, her body screamed out.
Before she could utter another word, his cell phone rang.
Adrian swore under his breath before reaching into his pocket. He looked at the number. “Damn, I’m sorry,” he apologized. “Give me just a sec.”
“Can’t you let it go to voice mail?” Milán inquired.
“I have to take this.” He kissed the bridge of her nose. “It won’t take long.”
When Adrian moved away, Milán had to concentrate to keep from collapsing to the floor.
“Hello? Hey, how are you?”
Milán sat on the couch and waited for him to finish his call. Though she didn’t mean to eavesdrop, it was hard not to.
“Sure. No, it’s not a problem. I’m not busy so now is a good time.”
He laughed. Milán frowned.
“Hey, you know I always have time for you.”
Anger surged through her. Just who was “you” anyway? she asked herself. Milán bolted off the couch and sailed past him. So she meant so little that he could pretend that she wasn’t even there? She stormed into the kitchen. Her skin grew hot and her breathing quickened. She would’ve left, but Adrian was standing between her and the door. There was no way she’d be able to walk past him without explaining what he did wrong and
thus why she was leaving. Not that she owed him anything. Not after he’d just insulted her and they’d just…
“Dios mio,” she whispered, her hand coming up shakily to her lips. Mere minutes ago she had been more than ready to have him kiss her—and who knows what else.
It was clear now what a mistake that would’ve been. Here she was all hot and bothered, and he was trying to set up a booty call right in front of her. Was it with Aria? Had she decided tofu didn’t matter?
Milán whirled around the kitchen needing something to do. It was spotless. A food enthusiast’s dream stood before her: the Fisher & Paykel dishwasher hummed as it washed the party dishes; the commercial grade six-burner range was spotless, as were the granite countertops. Frustrated, she wrenched opened the French doors to his refrigerator and peered inside. She spotted a bottled water. Yanking it out, she opened it and downed the contents. She threw the container across the room and into the kitchen sink. The loud clank felt good to her frazzled nerves, but after about two seconds, she had to stride over and put it in the proper receptacle for recycling.
Sighing, Milán stood in the middle of Adrian’s kitchen and stared. Turning three hundred and sixty degrees, she took in every nuance of the space. Striding over to the dark cherry cabinet below the sink, Milán bent down and grabbed several cleaning supplies, a sponge and paper towels. Taking a deep breath, she got to work.
*
Adrian ended the call with his mortgage specialist and turned his cell phone off before placing it back on the table. When his employee asked to go over some figures, he’d had no choice but to take the call. Taking care of business was the last thing on his mind right now, but it was important. He glanced around. Where was Milán? He’d seen her fly past him earlier, but had assumed she would return. They were about to tread into new territory, and Adrian was eager to pick up where they’d left off.
Just thinking about how good Milán felt in his arms caused his groin to constrict. He wanted her. Badly. Now he knew without any uncertainty that she wanted him, too. There was no way he could’ve mistaken her desire. It was as evident in her eyes as it felt in him. The moment she’d expelled a moan, Adrian knew her fiery passion would indeed match his own.