by Ashlee Price
“You drive like my grandpa.”
Ouch, he wasn’t that old. “I am just trying to get here in one piece. The traffic here is nuts.”
“You get used to it.”
“I’m not sure why anyone would want to.”
She snuck a look at him and realized that it had been worse for him than she had realized. Davina had lived in the city most of her life and didn’t know any other way. Driving was fast and aggressive and she just learned to adapt to it. Those traffic jams was where she learned to drive, so it hadn’t seemed that bad.
“There are good points to being in the city. I guess you will just have to find the things that you like about being here. The views are great, especially Elna’s. Just wait. It might even change your mind.”
He looked doubtful, but she was convinced enough for the both of them. While everyone usually went to the tourist attraction, the real beauty of the city was passed the hustle and bustle and the few places where you could find peace. Davina had always found her peace on Elna’s balcony overlooking the city. It was high enough that once the lights started to go on and the sun went down, it was a twinkling light show for all to see.
It was the first place she took him in the apartment and when she looked over, she could tell that Marcel was just as in love with the view as she was. “This is one of the good things about the city.”
“Yeah, I can see that.”
“Bit of a different view huh?”
He looked over at her, the sun going down in front of them, reflecting off of her blue eyes, making them a purplish color with the pink. “Different, but breathtaking.”
She looked over and their eyes met for a moment before she glanced down. Davina felt her cheeks warming up and she liked the way he made her feel. After a moment, she started back inside to show him around.
“So this is Cleo and you have to feed him every day. You have had cats right?” Davina was petting the orange tabby, trying to get over the feelings that came with being alone on the balcony with him.
“Yes, I can take care of animals.”
She giggled. “Of course you can. Well, there are two bedrooms; one is set up as a guest room. There are two bathrooms.” Davina sighed, not doing a very good job. “Just don’t let the plants die and Maria comes over at noon twice a week, so she will help keep things running smooth. If you need anything, just leave a list on the counter and she will take care of any shopping, errands or anything like that you may need done.”
She was talking faster, trying to get it all out before she ran out of nerve. Marcel was just watching her with an amused look on his face and she was unable to look away. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Nothing, you just seem in a rush all of a sudden is all.”
Davina was in a rush, not trusting herself to be alone with him without embarrassing herself in some way. She was not used to her body reacting in such a way, but there didn’t seem to be much that she could do about it. “I uh, just don’t want to keep you Marcel. I know you have had a long day. Is there anything else that you need from me before I go?”
“I thought you were going to have dinner with me?” Marcel didn’t want to sound too eager, but he was looking forward to getting to know his new assistant in a more personal manner.
“I can, but you don’t have to, really.”
“Please stay. I am new here and don’t know anyone. I am used to a big meal at the ranch with twenty people or so. It will be strange to eat by myself.”
His words did the trick, making her visualize him all alone at the table by himself. “Okay, no problem. My plans were probably Chinese with a book, so anything is better than that.”
“Doesn’t sound bad. Chinese sounds good right now.”
“Well I can order some. Another good thing about the city is they will bring it to you.”
Marcel told her what he wanted and he started to look through the place more carefully while she was on the phone. It was strange to be there in the city, but it was even stranger to be there alone. There was always someone around at the ranch, whether family, friend or workers to talk to, and even though the city was full of people, it seemed detached up there in the clouds overlooking it all. He would never understand how his mom could live there after living at the ranch for so long. As he looked over at Davina, he started to see the perks of the city though.
He learned more about her over dinner and when she was ready to leave later that evening, Marcel didn’t want her to go. If he could have thought of a reason for her to stay, he would have given one, but instead he walked her to car and stopped himself from kissing her before she got in.
“I will see you tomorrow Davina.”
She waved and Marcel felt his heart lurch in his chest with the smile she gave him.
***
The rest of the week went much like the first day had gone. It still amazed Marcel how many different meetings were necessary. It appeared that his mother had a full schedule all week with many projects up and coming or in progress. It was a mad house and he almost wished that he had never agreed to go. The only thing that made him not want to go running home for the weekend was Davina.
Marcel had spent most of Friday evening trying to figure out a way to get her to go back with him. He had found reasons to have lunch and dinner with her most of the evenings that week and a weekend didn’t seem like such a stretch. She could of course go see Elna and he finally got up the nerve to ask her if she wanted to get away for the weekend.
He walked into her office and she had her legs stretched out, rubbing the back of her calves. “Ready to get out of here, huh?”
Davina smiled and nodded. “I am counting down the minutes.”
“So what are you big plans for the weekend?”
He was hoping that she didn’t have any, that he could take her home and make her somehow fall in love with the country, as he was falling in love with her.
“Well I was thinking of going to a concert they have this weekend. It’s an old rock band that my parent’s used to listen to when I was a kid. So I guess a nostalgia run downtown.”
“Old rock band huh?”
When she told him who it was, he felt that there was something to fate. How would he have expected her to listen to that type of music? He didn’t care for the parents comment, but he was able to get passed that just to know that there were some more things that they had in common. She was more than someone he wanted to date. Davina was starting to feel like a kindred spirit.
“You should come. I mean, if you aren’t going home this weekend. It’s tomorrow afternoon at the plaza if you can stand to stay in the city just one more night.”
Marcel was not expecting the invitation. He had plans to woo her under the empty skies and peace of his world. Elna was already getting better and he would be back on the ranch before he knew it. Marcel had to know that Davina could live that kind of lifestyle. It was clear to him that he was in love, but if she couldn’t leave the city, where would that leave him.
“I wouldn’t mind going. I was looking forward to going home this weekend. How about I go with you to the concert and then you come riding with me on Sunday?”
“Compromise. I like that. You got a deal.”
“No, this is a date.”
Chapter 5
Davina shouldn’t have felt as nervous as she did Saturday morning. She was supposed to be going out with Marcel later that day, but she was a bed of nerves. All she could think about was the lingering look he had given her the last time they were together. There had been something in his eyes when she had agreed to go out to the country with him. It was clear to her that he wanted her to see where he came from and she liked that he wanted to share that with her. Now she just had to figure out what she was going to do with him. He was her boss, but she wanted something more and even without any pushing, it seemed to be naturally going somewhere else.
She changed her outfit more times than she cared to admit and ended up with a light
sun dress in a bright white that seemed to make her hair and eyes pop. It wasn’t something that she would usually wear in the office and that was the point. Davina wanted her boss to see her in a new light as she was starting to see him in a different light.
It was the longest day of her life and it was only half over before it started getting good. He finally called her a few minutes before he was supposed to arrive and her heart started slamming in her chest. She had to stop herself from getting worked up, not wanting to be breathless and void of brain when he finally came.
The buzzer finally went off and she was putting on some red lipstick in the mirror. Going to the panel by the door, she buzzed him up and opened the door a crack before going back into the bathroom to smooth her hair down and give herself just the last few seconds that she needed to get herself together.
She heard him call her name out as he pushed the door open. “I am in here, I will be out in a minute, just make yourself at home.”
Davina smiled at herself through the reflection. He was finally there. Walking out, he was sitting on the edge of the couch and he didn’t look very comfortable at all in the low-slung futon. He immediately stood up and his dark brown eyes darkened further. His dark hair was slicked back and he was looking damn good. Davina increased the wattage of her smile, unable to help herself. He was looking really good. The suit was more casual, but tailored to fit him perfectly.
“You look amazing Davina.”
“You too.”
They both just looked at each other for a few more beats and then she walked into the kitchen, asking him if he wanted a drink. “Since I have a driver tonight, yes, please.”
“Are you having a bad day?”
He shook his head. “No, just seems like I was waiting all day to see you.”
She stopped pouring the whiskey and met his eyes. It was the exact way that she had felt, that time was conspiring against her in some way to make her wait even longer. It wasn’t fair, and all she could do was agree. “Yes, the day did seem extra long.”
“I am glad it wasn’t just me.”
Davina finally finished pouring the drink and slid it over to him. “Sorry it’s not that good. I like my liquor cheap and effective.”
“I am no judge. Last summer I got ahold of a batch of moonshine and that was about all we drank on the drives.”
“Drives?”
“The cattle drive.”
She gave him a look that told him that she had no idea what he was talking about. He tried to explain it, but it became clear that it was not something that a city slicker was going to get. “You will get it more when we get to the ranch. Have you ever ridden a horse before?”
“Years ago my grandmother had one. I haven’t in a long time though, so I am looking forward to that more than I am this concert.”
Marcel looked at her a little surprised. He had her pegged moments before for a girl that was hopeless. “How can you ride and not know what a cattle drive is?”
Davina shrugged, “I don’t know. I rode the horse and there were no cows around to move I guess. I only got to ride when I went to visit her, so like I said, it has been a long time. I miss it, the quiet nights out there, but I don’t know if I could live out there. It is so quiet.”
His heart had rose and fell in the same minute. He was hoping to change her mind about the country, knowing that it was where she needed to be. It was where he needed to be. “There are good things about both places. I just don’t think I could think if I lived here long. I am already trying to block out the noise with ear plugs.”
“You just have to embrace it. It’s alive.”
“I am just going to take your word for it and use the ear plugs.”
“Is it really that bad?”
“No, just different.”
“Different can be good sometimes.”
“It definitely seems that way.”
Davina found herself blushing and she took a quick drink of the fiery liquid.
“So are you ready?”
He nodded and finished off his glass before helping her downstairs with a hand on her elbow. Davina liked the way he treated her. Marcel didn’t treat her like most men did. Most men could only be bothered to get in her pants and he had never been that way with her, even if sometimes she wished it were so.
Marcel held the door open for her and waited patiently for her to get in before he got in beside her. He was not used to being driven around, but it was better than driving in the madness. He knew that he had to love her if he had agreed to stay even an extra day that he didn’t have to. But all he had thought about since meeting her was Davina and the spell that she had put over him. It wasn’t natural and even though he wanted to know what more was there, he still wasn’t sure if his advances were wanted.
The concert was loud and they didn’t get to talk much, but when Marcel did have something to say to her, he was leaning in to say it in her ear. He had to be close enough that she could feel his breath on her earlobe and she shivered as he pulled away just from asking if she wanted something to drink. She had declined, but wished that he would ask her something else.
When it was over, she invited him over to her place for a night cap, but he had other plans. “Why don’t we just drive down there tonight and you can stay in the guest room? That way I can take you to the bluffs to see the sunrise in the morning. It really is the best part of living out there.”
“I don’t have anything packed.”
“It’s fine. We will drive back to your place, pick up what you need and then we can be on our way. It takes a few hours to get there, but there will still be all day tomorrow. Can start fresh with a beautiful sky.”
She giggled. “You really want to go tonight don’t you?”
“Yes. I know you will love it as much as I do. There is an extra room, better than a hotel.”
“That’s fine. It will be nice to get away.”
“Good,” Marcel was grinning and he looked boyishly handsome to her in that moment. Davina had a feeling that she was going to see a part of him that she hadn’t seen before and she was ready for something new.
Chapter 6
The drive was longer than she had expected and she fell asleep on his shoulder. Marcel tried to go slower as to not wake her. He liked the way she felt against him and when he looked down at her, he knew that there was nothing he wanted more than the woman beside him. Marcel hoped that everything would go well while she was there. The fact that she was already in love with horses was a start and he felt like it was a good sign. Now if he could just get his brothers to behave themselves, it would be even better.
“Davina.”
He said her name softly, waiting for her eyes to pop open. When he saw her blue depths he smiled at her in the dark. “We’re here. Let’s get upstairs and get you settled in a bed so you don’t have a kink in your neck tomorrow.”
“Thanks. I can’t believe I went to sleep. Sorry about that.”
“Don’t worry. I was hoping that the trip wouldn’t be too much for you.”
“I can see why you stay in the city for the week. That would be an impossible commute every day.”
Marcel nodded and opened his door. Holding his hand out, he helped her out and up to the house. He left the bags to retrieve once he had her settled, but true to the form of his usual life, it didn’t work out the way it was supposed to. Leanna’s family was staying in town and they were using up the guest room. That left his room for Davina and Marcel had to find his own place to sleep. The couch was short and not very comfortable, but he was home and was asleep fairly soon after laying down.
When the morning came, his body had him awake before the sun came up. It was the way it had always been and now instead of coffee on the balcony as the city woke up, he was able to make a cup and go to the front porch. He wanted Davina to watch the sunrise with him. It was his favorite part of the day and Marcel wanted to share that with her.
As he made his way to his room, he knocked softly
and waited for an answer. After a few moments of silence, he pushed it in slowly, calling her name out. He liked to see her first when she woke up, her face and expression still open. Those eyes are what made him want to stare. They were dark and mysterious, even before she had woken up fully. Marcel hadn’t wanted to see a woman so mussed before, wishing that he could wake up to Davina every morning. Instead of waking her from her bed alone, Marcel thought of a time when he would be beside her.
He tried to push the thoughts away, blaming Elna for putting them in his head to begin with. What he wanted now was he wanted it all. Marcel had never really wanted marriage and a family, until he had met Davina. When she opened her eyes and finally answered in a soft voice, that was all Marcel could think about was what it would be like to have it all with her.
“It’s time for the best part of the day.”
Davina’s eyes traveled down his body, the jeans she hadn’t seen before and the button-up shirt still undone, showing her his hard chest. “Um, what is that?” Her mind was on anything but the weather outside at that moment.
“Sunrise, remember?”
“Oh yeah. Just give me a second to get dressed.”
He seemed to notice then what she was wearing or the lack of cover on her bare shoulders. His face got a little hot as he excused himself, moving out of the room in a flash. Davina swallowed hard and got out of bed. It was still dark with the beginnings of light streaming through the slats in the blinds. She hadn’t seen much of the place the night before, being half asleep and the darkness.
Getting up, Davina got dressed and tried not to think of the hard body she had just seen. She had not seen that coming. Who would have known that he would be so hard underneath, his muscles not from working out, but real work that men used to do. Davina smiled to herself and checked her hair in the mirror. She looked tired, but hoped that he could look passed the lack of makeup. She really just couldn’t be bothered. That had to be one of the fine points in country living.
Marcel seemed to like the ensemble when she came out and he handed her a cup of coffee. “I think I almost like that look better than last night.”