by Susan Meier
His feelings of mistrust rose up in him again and he sucked in a breath. He couldn’t go through life suspicious of everyone. If this wasn’t proof that he needed to get himself out into the world again, build up his trust muscles, he didn’t know what was.
That thought took him up the brown brick lane to the mansion. He entered through a side door and ambled up three halls and a corridor before he made it to the grand foyer. Replete with a huge chandelier, marble floors and paintings worth millions, it instantly told guests his mom had more money than a third-world country.
She spotted him immediately. Wearing a sleek gray dress with a shimmery jacket that sparkled when she walked, she glided over to him. “Darling, you look wonderful.”
He pulled on the collar of his tux. “What? This old thing?”
She laughed. “Half the guests are here.” She turned him toward the living room door. “This party’s to reintroduce you to Pine Ward. So mingle.”
He entered the huge room. Decorated in super modern black-and-white furniture, with white rugs over hardwood floors and a black accent wall, the space was such a departure from the old-style foyer that guests frequently paused at the door.
Chance didn’t, he dove right into the fray. If he was getting back into the world of people, he was doing it with gusto. He chatted with his brother and sister-in-law, greeted a few old friends he hadn’t seen since he left town and met two very interesting women. Tina, a pretty brunette with huge blue eyes. And Marcie, a blond real estate agent who was so obviously interested in getting his business he didn’t doubt for one second that she’d go to any lengths to get it.
But every time he found himself alone, he glanced out into the foyer, looking for Tory.
“She and her mom were shopping today. I’m guessing they ran late. She’ll be here.”
He turned and faced his sister-in-law. “I’m not looking for Tory.”
Sleek and sophisticated in her short black cocktail dress, Kate winked at him. “Sure you are. She’s gorgeous and you’re a normal guy.”
He shoved his hands in his trouser pockets. “The normal guy in me just met two really attractive women.”
Kate laughed. “I saw. And neither was as pretty as Tory. Or as sweet.”
“Oh, so you think I should get into a romantic relationship with an employee?”
“I think you should be following your heart.”
Before he could argue, Tory and her parents entered the living room.
Unlike Kate’s short cocktail dress, Tory’s sparkly tan sleeveless top with flowing pants showed no leg. Disappointment surged through him. But she still looked exquisite. Breathtaking. No wonder the other women didn’t measure up.
“If you go over right now, you’re going to look overeager.”
“I’m not going over. But if I do it will be as a friend. She’s my nanny. I’m not interested.”
“Right. You’re standing there like you’re in a trance or something. Staring at her like a ninny. Because you’re not attracted to her.” She turned him away. “Go back to greeting guests. Make your move when she gravitates over to you but until then try to look like a guy who’s enjoying his mom’s party.”
“I’m not pursuing her.”
“Okay. Whatever.”
“Kate, she’s an employee. An employee who lives with me. And I’m a guy who got dumped by an evil ex and can’t seem to trust anybody anymore. She deserves better.”
“Chance, you hit a speed bump in life. You came home. You’re starting over again. Give yourself a break. Go after the woman who really interests you.”
Shaking his head, Chance walked away. He maneuvered to a group of three business associates and their wives. From that moment on, he was immersed in conversations about real estate and architecture, water rights and rights-of-way, deeds and agreements, options and speculation. They carried him through the cocktail hour, through dinner and even through half of the dancing in the ballroom that opened out into the gardens. But again, none of the women he met interested him and his gaze kept seeking out Tory. Until he couldn’t find her in the crowd anymore.
He was just about certain she and her parents had gotten bored and left when the people sort of parted and there she was.
She could have been the wife or daughter of one of the wealthy guests who were also his mom’s friends. She stood tall, regal in her shimmering pantsuit, not one iota out of place though all the other women seemed to be wearing shorter skirts.
If Kate was right, if he was starting over, if he did deserve a second chance, then shouldn’t he go after the woman he seemed to want?
Not allowing himself time to think beyond Kate’s encouragement, he ambled over. Coming up behind Tory, he said, “Are you trying to make yourself look interesting and alluring by being different?”
She spun to face him. “Different?”
“Your pants. Everybody else is wearing a dress—”
Her face reddened and he could have kicked himself. Maybe she hadn’t known what to wear? Oh, Lord. He was so out of practice that he’d made a fool of himself and embarrassed Tory.
She cleared her throat. Looking incredibly nervous she said, “I was in a motorcycle accident a few years ago. My leg was shattered. It’s repaired and certainly usable. But it’s—” She caught his gaze and swallowed before she said, “Ugly.”
Well, if this wasn’t the absolute worst flirting failure he’d ever experienced, he didn’t know what was.
“I’m sorry. I…”
She put her hand on his forearm to stop him from going on. “It’s okay. I’m done with surgeries and therapies. I’m fine.”
Just having her hand on his arm sent wonderful sensations careening through him. She was pretty and smart. And she liked him and he liked her, but he was a blathering idiot around her. This was why he shouldn’t have listened to Kate.
He shoved his hands in his trouser pockets, struggling to think of something consoling to say. But he couldn’t think of anything to say that didn’t sound trite.
Besides, he didn’t want to talk about something that depressed her. He liked her. And since he’d already stuck his foot in his mouth, how much worse could he do? They got along fantastically, easily, when the babies were around. They just needed a minute to get comfortable without the twins.
He held out his hand. “Want to dance?”
She glanced around as if she was looking for a way of escape and disappointment squeezed his chest. Surely, he hadn’t misread the way she always looked at him?
He hadn’t. In his gut he knew he hadn’t. He just had to get them comfortable again.
“Please. I shouldn’t have made the comment about the dress. But if it’s any consolation, I think I embarrassed myself more than I did you. Dance with me so I know I’m forgiven.”
She caught his gaze and her lips twitched. “You’re really embarrassed?”
If it would get him a dance and get them out of this conversation… “Yes.”
She took his hand. “Okay.”
* * *
He pulled her into his arms and onto the dance floor and her heart stuttered. Good Lord. It had been so long since she’d been held, felt another person’s body against hers. Her nerves popped. Chills crawled up her spine. She shivered.
“Cold?”
“No!” Oh, Lord. Please do not let him think she was cold! If he pulled her closer for body heat she might melt into a puddle of neediness. She was a normal person, and it had been far too long since she’d had this kind of contact.
But it was only a dance. She wasn’t doing anything wrong and neither was he. He was her boss. He was being friendly. She was reciprocating.
And that’s how she wanted to keep it.
She sucked in a breath. “I like your mom’s house.”
He laughed. “She does too. But I wouldn’t want to have her upkeep bill.”
She smiled. “She does like things just so.”
He spun her around once. “When we were kids—Max and I�
�there was no room that was off-limits. But more than once I saw a cleaning crew come in one door as we walked out the other.”
A laugh bubbled up. “That’s silly.”
“That’s true. Which is why I’m never going to have a house like this. I don’t want Cindy and Sam to feel pressured to be perfect and I certainly don’t want to employ an army.” He chuckled. “Can you imagine the mess those two are going to make when they get to be about five?”
She could. She could see crayon markings on the walls, spilled juice boxes, mud pies on the patio. “Maybe you’ll get lucky and they’ll be good.”
He snorted a laugh. “Max was the most perfect child in the universe and he snuck a rat into his bedroom.”
She jerked back. “A rat!”
“It wasn’t like he found it by the river. He bought it at a pet store.”
“But they’re germy and they have pointy teeth.”
Laughing, he waltzed her around again. “And Max loved him.”
She shuddered. He pulled her closer. “Are you sure you’re not cold?”
“Um. No. Not cold.” She pulled her hand off his shoulder and fanned herself. “Is it me or is it hot in here?”
“Dancing probably made you hot.”
“Maybe.”
He maneuvered them over to the open French doors. It was an unusually warm October night and several couples had wandered to the patio and formal gardens. “Why don’t we go outside?”
She dropped back, away from him. She cleared her throat and softened her voice. “Really, I’m fine. I should find my parents.”
“But you haven’t had a drink. Or really very much dinner.” His face reddened. “Not that I’ve been watching you. But I couldn’t help noticing that you don’t seem to be enjoying the party very much.”
“It’s a great party.”
Kate glided over. “Hey, Tory.” She glanced at Chance. “Chance. Wow, it’s warm in here. Why don’t we go out to the patio?”
She slid her arm beneath Tory’s and led her outside. Chance followed, not sure if he should curse his sister-in-law or thank her. She walked Tory the whole way to the back by the rose bushes.
“Whew! That’s better.”
“It is,” Tory said, obviously glad to be outside.
He strolled over. “The moon is nice.”
Kate said, “Yes. It is.” She smiled wistfully. “In fact, it’s so nice, I think I’ll go find Max.”
And with that she was gone.
Seeing the look of alarm that came to Tory’s face, Chance almost cursed. “I swear I did not ask her to do that.”
Tory laughed shakily. “It’s okay. I just need to get going. I’m sure my parents are ready to leave.”
And he would be stuck here for another two hours. Mingling with guests while the one person he really wanted to be with disappeared. It didn’t seem right. Everything seemed off.
But he could fix it.
He caught her hand. “You can stay as long as you like. I’ll walk you back to the cottage.”
Her gaze dipped. “That’s okay.”
She turned to go again and panic filled him. He tugged on her hand a little harder than he’d intended, and she more or less fell against his chest. Then he did the thing that came as naturally as breathing.
He dipped his head and kissed her. His lips met her soft mouth and needs the likes of which he’d never felt before roared through him. There was something about this woman that called to him. Stronger than fate, more complex than desire, it rippled through his bloodstream and urged him to want more, to take more.
And she responded. Though it had seemed he’d startled her at first, when he opened his mouth over hers, she kissed him back. And he knew, he absolutely knew, she was feeling everything he was.
But just as quickly as she’d kissed him, she jerked away. With two steps back, she pressed her hand to her chest and gaped at him. Her breath panted in and out of her lungs as if she were about to hyperventilate, then she turned and raced into his mother’s ballroom.
He ran after her, but an oil tycoon friend of his mother’s stopped him and tried to ask him about investment possibilities for the company. Watching Tory slip over to her parents and gesture to the door, he made his excuses. “I’m sorry, but there’s somebody I’ve gotta catch before she leaves.”
Chance ran to the foyer but he was too late. A small crowd milled around, saying goodbye to his mom, but Tory and her parents weren’t among them.
“Say goodnight to the Stevensons, Chance.”
He faced his mother with a smile and did his family duty. He could hear car doors slamming, engines starting and he wondered if he’d have a nanny when he went home.
CHAPTER SEVEN
THE SOUNDS OF TORY with the kids woke Chance the next morning and he breathed a sigh of relief. But instead of jumping out of bed to help her, he pulled the cover over his head.
Had he actually kissed her the night before?
Yes. Because he was an idiot. He didn’t know what had happened at that party. But he couldn’t blame Kate. She’d only read what she’d seen on his face. He did like Tory better than any other woman he’d met. But he shouldn’t have kissed her. Not only was he a poor judge of character with resultant trust issues. But also, damn it! He needed Tory. Yes, he liked her. But she was his nanny. He needed to respect their employer/employee relationship and most definitely shouldn’t have kissed her!
She’d run out like Cinderella and was probably intending to quit today all because he had no common sense.
He tore off the covers.
Of course he had common sense. The kiss had been a mistake. He would apologize and they would move on.
He rolled out of bed and nearly walked into the nursery shirtless. Until he remembered how his blood heated every time she looked at him, and his muscles tightened. She had a way of making him feel he was the first man she’d ever looked at. If he was trying to stay away from her, was it really wise to see her without wearing a shirt?
With a groan, he grabbed a T-shirt, jerked it on, and headed for the nursery. He opened the door and stepped inside just as she looked up from the changing table.
Their gazes caught.
She swallowed and turned away.
Embarrassment flooded him. He didn’t know why he was tongue-tied around her. He didn’t know why feelings kept rolling through him, making him want more from her than their boss/nanny relationship. But whatever was happening, it was wrong. It had to be. Otherwise, he’d be smoother, suave, his normal, flirtatious, sweep-women-off-their-feet self. Since he wasn’t, no matter what his instincts kept insisting, these feelings had to be wrong. And he would not give in to them again.
He strolled inside as if everything was fine. That he hadn’t kissed her. That he hadn’t potentially ruined their working relationship.
“Hey.”
Her voice was soft, breathless and an avalanche of desire tumbled through him, tightening his muscles, heating his blood, but he ignored it.
“Before we say anything I want to apologize for kissing you. I’m sorry.” He moved their conversation past his awkward apology by pointing at Sam who bounced in the walker. “Looks like you’re almost done with them.”
“Yes. They’ve been bathed and fed.” Lifting Cindy from the changing table, she sucked in a breath. “Chance, we still need to talk.”
She wasn’t going to let him off the hook with his breezy apology. She was going to quit. And he’d deserve it.
“Please don’t quit. I’m an idiot and I swear I won’t kiss you again.”
She silently passed Cindy to him, and her hand immediately went to the collar of her simple T-shirt. Her fingers closed around a thin gold chain. When she pulled it from beneath her shirt, a diamond ring came with it.
He frowned.
She caught his gaze. “I’m engaged.”
It took a few seconds for that to sink in, but when it did, his heart stopped. “You’re engaged?”
“Yes.”
She cleared her throat. “It’s okay. I don’t actually wear the ring, so you had no way of knowing.”
The dual devils of his mistrust of people in general and women in particular sat on his shoulders and nudged him to forget his embarrassment and go directly to righteous indignation. She was engaged? But she’d danced with him, flirted with him. Instead of him owing her an apology, his demons insisted that she owed one to him. And by God, after the torment of hellish guilt he’d suffered since that kiss, he was getting one.
“It’s mighty convenient that you don’t wear the ring.”
“My fiancé was the driver of the motorcycle I was riding when I was injured.”
That stopped his angry mental tirade. Nothing he said or did with this woman ever turned out the way he thought it should. Everything surprised him. It was no wonder he always said and did the wrong things.
So this time he said nothing.
“He was supposed to give me the ring the night of the accident, but…well, we had the accident. He didn’t fare as well as I did.” She paced away and straightened the covers in Sam’s crib, as if she needed something to do while she spoke. “He…um…well, he was really badly hurt. He lapsed into a coma and never came out. His parents found the ring and the proposal he’d written. It was on a piece of paper that was so worn—” Her voice caught. “That we knew he’d practiced it a million times. He might not have ever gotten to say it, but we knew he meant every word. So I keep the ring—” she dropped the chain back down her T-shirt “—here.”
He couldn’t think of anything to say. Every time he thought he had a handle on her life, she revealed something worse. Not only did she have a fiancé, but while she was trying to have a night out, probably desperately in need of a little fun, her boss had made a move on her.
“That’s where you want to go on Saturdays and Sundays? To visit him?”
“Yes.”