by Jess Dee
“Crisis? What crisis? We’re talking about something that happened months ago.”
“It might have happened months ago, but I’m only realizing something right now.”
“And that is?”
“I love him.”
“Who? The multimillionaire?”
“No, the wonderful man I met in the gazebo after Declan broke my heart.”
“And you’re only realizing this now? After finding out he’s rich?” Janine frowned at her.
“God, no! I couldn’t care less about his money. I’m realizing it now because it’s the first time I’ve seen his face since I left the Hunter Valley, and looking at it makes me…makes me… It makes me…” Tori stumbled to the couch, winded and shaky.
Seeing his face made her lightheaded. And giddy. It made every memory of him and their time together spring to the surface. Andrew laughing, Andrew checking out her ass, Andrew pouring her wine, Andrew setting her down in the bath, telling her about his parents, dragging her bags along the path, kissing her, brushing away her tears, holding her, feeding her, feeding off her…
“Oh, God.” She clasped her hand to her breast, breathless. “I love him, Neen. I’ve loved him from the beginning, I just couldn’t see it because of Declan.”
Janine studied her for a long time. “You really do love this man.”
“I do. So much. I never realized it until now. Never let myself acknowledge the truth.” She’d been so determined to be on her own, find herself again, she hadn’t let herself consider the possibility of being in love with Andrew.
And yet it was so obvious now. All it had taken was one look at that face in the newspaper, and every one of her feelings that had tumbled around her subconscious and been banished to the back of her heart had crystallized into an emotion so strong, so powerful, Tori couldn’t hope to ignore it any longer.
She was completely, totally and utterly in love with Andrew and had been since the moment he’d rescued her from her heartbreak that first night in the gazebo.
“Okay. This is good.” Janine’s eyes danced with approval. “Very good. Bloody brilliant, actually. I can stop worrying about you. And I no longer need to gut that worthless excuse of an ex-fiancé of yours. I can’t wait to tell Tom.” She looked longingly at her phone on the table but wisely chose not to ask for it this time. “So tell me, little sister, now that you’ve made this remarkable discovery, what do you plan to do about it?”
Tori gaped at her sister.
She had no idea.
Telling Andrew seemed to be the obvious answer, but it wasn’t that simple. Three months had passed since their affair. He’d probably hooked up with someone else. Fallen in love with a woman who was emotionally available—unlike she’d been.
Tori had an impulsive urge to kick herself. Hard. She’d begged him not to fall in love with her. Stopped him in his tracks. Told him she was damaged.
And she had been, at the time.
But she wasn’t anymore. She’d healed. And now that she was ready to love again, ready to fight for a new future—one that included Andrew—he’d probably moved on. The idea both clogged her throat, making breathing difficult, and made her want to throw up.
No. She couldn’t think like that. The negativity would destroy her.
What if Andrew hadn’t hooked up with another woman?
Maybe, by some wonderful twist of fate, he was still single and she stood a chance with him? “I’d tell him,” she said to her sister. “I’d let him know exactly how I feel, and I’d hope like hell he felt the same way.”
He’d said that given a chance he could fall in love with her. So what would happen if she did give him that chance? Would he be able to fall for real? Could they have a future together?
“Well?” Janine jumped forward, then jumped right back as Aaron voiced his disapproval. “What are you waiting for? Go. Do it. Tell him.”
And for the second time in less than a minute, Tori found herself gaping at her sister. She would. Given the opportunity, she’d do it in a heartbeat. Race to the gazebo at midnight, throw her arms around Andrew and tell him exactly how she felt.
But there was no gazebo in Sydney. No hotel or vineyard either. “I…I can’t.”
“Why not? All you need to do is pick up the phone.”
Despair hit her so fast she had to blink back tears of frustration. “I don’t have his number.” She’d never thought to ask for it. Or to give him hers.
Janine frowned, then her face lit up. “Okay, so drive to his house. Even better that way. You can say it in person.”
Tori swallowed down a massive lump in her throat. “Can’t do that either. I have no idea where he lives.”
Janine stared at her, openmouthed, obviously as lost for a solution as she was.
Tori slumped into the couch, hopelessness suffusing her. “Oh, God, Neen,” she wailed. “What good is realizing you’re head over heels in love with a man, and realizing how you want your future to work out, if you’re never going to see the man you want for all your tomorrows again?”
Andrew rounded the corner, walked into his office and was hit with a crazy sense of déjà vu.
Blake sat at his desk, in his chair, tapping on his computer.
“Seriously, bro?”
“Shhh,” Blake murmured. “Busy here.” He tapped a few more keys, grinned at the screen as it dinged, then reached for Andrew’s iPad.
“Again?” Andrew shook his head, silently promising himself that in future when he left his office, he was taking his iPad with him. And his desktop.
Blake pressed down on the power switch, turning the tablet off. As soon as that was done, he closed the cover and held out his hand.
“Phone, please.”
“No. Hell, no.” Andrew tapped his back pocket, secure in the knowledge his phone was tucked safely away. “Nope. No way. No how. Just…no.”
“Now, now, Ando, no need to get belligerent. This is for your own good. Hand it over.”
“Blake, get out of my chair and let me work.”
“Work is over for you for the day. For the weekend too.”
Shit, he wasn’t doing this. Not now, with the launch a mere five days away. “No, it’s not.”
Blake leaned back in his chair and set his feet on Andrew’s desk, crossing them at the ankles. “How’s your blood pressure, mate?”
Andrew pursed his lips. “All things considered? Just fine, thank you.”
“Just fine as in ‘near stroke’ or ‘almost dead’?”
“Okay, so it’s a little high.”
“And your Zantac? Finished this month’s prescription already?”
“Go away, Blake.”
“I’m not going away. You are.”
“Nope, not this time I’m not.”
“How are your parents doing?”
“Fine.”
“Yep, that’s what your dad told me when I went to see them yesterday. Said they’re settling in well and getting used to the home. I think he likes having lots of people around. He’s always been a sociable guy, your dad.”
It was true. Andrew’s father was adapting extremely well to his new home. It was his mum who struggled.
More confused than ever, she’d wept enormous, childlike tears the day he’d shown her to her new room. She’d called him Daddy and begged him to take her home to her real room and all her dolls. Her condition had gotten progressively worse since.
Leaving his parents that first time had ripped his chest clean apart. That week—the week from hell as he now called it—had been one of the worst he remembered. He’d not only uprooted his parents from everything that was familiar to them, he’d also allowed Tori to drive out of his life.
“Your dad also told me he’s been enjoying visiting with Caroline,” Blake said. “I believe she’s spending every day of her trip at the home, which means there is absolutely no need for you to be in Sydney this weekend. Your dad said, and I quote, ‘Have a good weekend, and don’t visit before you leave.’
He worried if you did, you’d get caught in Friday-afternoon traffic.”
“I can’t go now, mate. Not while Caroline’s here. I need to spend time with her.” Having his sister in Sydney was a huge relief. For the last week he’d been able to share his concerns about his parents with someone who really understood.
“Actually, yeah, you are going. Here, catch.” Something silver flashed as it flew threw the air, jingling, and Andrew caught it neatly in his hand. A bunch of keys. “Caroline also said to have a good weekend. She promised to make sure everything was fine with the folks.”
Shit, he should have let the keys fall.
“I need to make sure we’re prepared for the launch,” he argued. “Besides, my neighbors are away, and there’s no one to watch Bruiser.”
As if voicing the name out loud had magically conjured his dog, Bruiser sprinted into Andrew’s office. Well, sprinted as fast as his four-inch-high legs would carry him. He came to a skidding halt at Andrew’s feet and sat on his butt, looking up at him with big, hopeful eyes.
“What the fuck…?” He scooped the dog off the floor.
“Sorry I’m late.” Lily, Blake’s girlfriend, stuck her head around the door. “Bruiser insisted on greeting every person from the car here. It took a while to get upstairs.”
Blake left the chair to take Bruiser out of Andrew’s arms. “Oops. Forgot to tell you. Lil, Angus and I are looking after Bruiser for the weekend. He’s our guest of honor.”
Bruiser yapped his approval and dragged his tongue over Blake’s chin.
Traitor.
“The launch is finalized. There’s nothing left to work on. It’s been a crappy three months, and you need a break. You’re getting of here. And you’re going now.”
“No, I’m n—”
“Yeah, you are. Only this time you don’t get to take my Kindle. You can read on your phone. Call it punishment for a bad joke.”
“Oh, I kinda liked your joke,” Lil piped up. “Liked the books too. Thanks, Ando.”
Blake rolled his eyes. “The room’s yours for the weekend. Go. Use it and enjoy it. And chill the fuck out. You’re like a rubber band ready to snap.”
“I don’t want to go to the Hunter.” Truth was, it wasn’t the Onyx deal keeping him here. Or his parents. Or his sister.
It was the idea of going back to the vineyard. He couldn’t deal with being there, in the same place where he and Tori had met, had made love. The same place Tori had left him to go home and rediscover herself.
“Yeah, mate. You do. Trust me on this.”
And with that, Blake shoved Andrew’s briefcase in his hand, lifted Bruiser to his face to give him a lick goodbye, then placed his arm around Andrew’s shoulders and walked him to the door.
Okay then. Apparently Andrew was going. Just like he’d gone last time Blake had walked him to the door.
“One more thing before you go, Stafford.”
Jesus, what was Blake going to do now? Confiscate the Range Rover?
“Make sure you don’t use all the condoms this time round.”
Chapter Twelve
Being back in the Hunter Valley sucked worse than Andrew ever imagined. The vines that had once hung heavy with sweet, ripe grapes stood bare. The weather, so warm and balmy in April, was now just plain cold.
But it wasn’t the barren vines or winter temperatures that Andrew found hard to stomach. It was the absence of the woman who’d made the hotel glow. Not even the heat from the fire in Blake’s room or the hearty meal he’d consumed for dinner helped ward off the emptiness.
A weekend away might have been a good idea, but Andrew should never have come here. Back to the place he’d met a beautiful bride who would never be his.
Letting her drive away had gone against his every instinct. He’d clenched his fists and locked his feet in place so he wouldn’t chase after her. He hadn’t even asked for her phone number. Or address. Hadn’t gotten anything that might tempt him to contact her in the future.
Tori had been emphatic that what they’d shared be restricted to those five stolen days. At no point did she suggest they see each other afterwards, and he didn’t push.
He’d wanted to push. So badly. But like she’d said, she’d needed to heal. He wondered how successful she’d been. Had three months been long enough to mend her broken heart? Fuck knew he’d had no success getting over her.
Andrew had shoved thoughts of her aside whenever possible, and worked himself to the bone when it wasn’t. He’d also forced himself not to dwell on the fact that she could have been the one. Should have been the one.
Was the one.
There was nothing he could do to change Tori’s mind. She hadn’t wanted it like he did. He wanted forever. For her five days was enough.
Andrew drew the sides of his jacket closer, warding off the icy wind. He was an idiot for walking through the gardens at midnight. It was too bloody cold for any normal person to be out. But he hadn’t been able to sleep. He’d spent the last half hour prowling the confined space of Blake’s suite. He needed air. Needed to breathe.
And of course his need to breathe had brought him here. To the rose garden. He’d fought the urge to revisit it, resisted for hours. But his resistance was officially shot to hell.
Being back brought every memory blazing back to life. He couldn’t hide from them any longer.
Three months ago, the seductive aroma of the roses had scented the garden. Now there was no scent. Though leaves still covered the bushes, the flowers had gone dormant.
The night lacked the romance and splendor it had so generously offered in April.
He approached the gazebo with a tight chest and climbed the steps with weighted legs. The building was deserted. Empty—like his heart.
He stood there for a long time, staring at the spot on the bench where he’d found the devastated Tori. The same spot where she’d kissed him for the first time. And where they’d made love. And shared their first bottle of wine and hours of conversation.
Andrew stared at the spot where he’d appropriated the first pair of knickers, and then at the spot where he’d taken the second pair.
A smile touched his lips as he remembered her heckling him about the stolen underwear. And him teasing her in return. And the resultant session of mutual masturbation back in the room.
Jesus.
He got hard just thinking about it.
But there was no point being out here with nothing but nostalgia for company. There was no one here to help with his errant erection, and no one who needed comfort or attention. It was just him. And standing outside in the freezing cold was pretty damn pathetic.
With a frustrated growl, Andrew turned to leave and was nearly bowled over by a woman hurtling up the stairs.
“You came!”
It was all he heard before she threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and holding on for dear life.
Andrew stumbled against the impact and had to brace his feet to stop from falling. He responded instinctively, putting his arms around her waist to steady her.
Seconds ago, the night air had proved cold and lifeless. Now it lit up like a summer day. Warmth suffused him, seeping through his jacket and into his torso, heating him from the outside in.
The scent of cinnamon wafted to his nose. Cinnamon and spice, and God, yes, all things nice.
“I was terrified you wouldn’t come. Scared Blake wouldn’t convince you.”
What the…? “Tori?”
Christ, was it really her? Or just some figment of his desperate imagination? No way Tori was standing before him, her arms wrapped around his neck. It must be Maria, from reception, investigating who was stupid enough to be out here at midnight.
But if it was Maria, why was Andrew pulling her closer and holding her so damn tight? And why did his chest respond like he’d been given a shot of adrenaline straight to the heart?
“God, Ando, I missed you so much. Never realized until I saw your picture in the paper yesterday.
And then it hit me. All of it. You, me, us. Our weekend together. How…how very much you came to mean to me in five days.”
The woman in his arms was neither a figment of his imagination nor a stranger. Though his head still battled with the idea that Tori was here, his body reacted to her proximity, tightening all over.
“Waiting until midnight almost killed me. But I knew if you were here, you’d come to the gazebo now. You wouldn’t come earlier.”
Instinctively, he held her closer, but drew his head back so he could look down at her, convince himself he really had her back in his arms. “What are you doing here?”
“I came to see you. Came to tell you I love you.” The words spilled from her mouth in a chaotic rush. “I should have told you then, three months ago, but honestly, until yesterday I never realized, didn’t understand what we had together.”
Holy. Fuck. “W—” He broke off, his voice too hoarse to speak. “What did you just say?”
“That I should have told you months ago. When we were first together. But I was so confused back then. So blinded by what Declan had done to me.”
“Tori, slow down.” She spoke too fast. He felt like he’d been hit by a cyclone. A whirlwind of stunning woman who looked like heaven and smelled like happiness. “Say it again. Tell me what you should have told me three months ago.”
Tori took a deep breath and brought her hand to Andrew’s cheek. She smiled up at him, so beautifully she almost brought his racing heart to a standstill. “That I love you, Ando. I fell hopelessly and stupidly in love with you the night you found me in this gazebo, and being alone these last twelve weeks only reinforced how much I missed you while we were apart.”
Andrew tried to respond. Honestly, he tried. But her words had him so bewildered he could not think a rational thought. So he stopped trying and kissed her instead. Just molded his mouth to hers and kissed the woman he’d ached for.
And she kissed him right back. With no hesitation or reluctance. She opened her mouth to his and welcomed his tongue.
They kissed for a very long time, until her hands left his back and his cheek, and worked urgently at his clothing, shoving his jacket aside, searching for his zipper.