Sweet As Sin

by Ana Jolene

  Never mind. He had to get that thought out of his head. “Why can’t I just find another hotel?” He really didn’t want to share a room with his father.

  “Don’t be ridiculous,” his father said. “We’re already here. Come on.” He turned for the elevators.

  Hutch gritted his teeth in frustration. There he was again, making decisions for him and trying to control him. He really hated when he did that.

  Maison turned to him. “I’m really sorry, Hutch. Are you sure it’s okay?”

  He forced his anger back. “It’s fine,” he gritted. “Let’s go up to the rooms.”

  It turned out that the room Maison had booked for them was pretty big. He probably wouldn’t need to worry about his father as long as he left him alone. However, he was still seething when Maison left to go to her room next door.

  He spun on his father. “I don’t know why you do that!”

  Matthew paused in unbuttoning his shirt. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “You! Controlling me! Do you get off on it?” As the CEO of Gleam Enterprises, his word was law. Was that why he thought he could also do the same with his children?

  “I’m not controlling.”

  “Yes, you are. You’re a control freak! You’re always deciding things for others without even asking what they want.”

  Matthew turned to him. “What do you want then?”

  Hutch shook his head. “It’s too late for that now.”

  “No, tell me. Did you really want to waste your time finding another hotel room when you could’ve stayed here? There’s more than enough space here to fit both of us.”

  “Yeah, but you didn’t even ask me!”

  “I was trying to solve the problem as quickly as possible. Besides, it’s only for a couple of nights. We’ll be out of here before you know it.”

  “That’s not the point and you know it.”

  “Maybe not. But I’ve made it easier on all of us.”

  “How does this make things easier?” They’ve been alone for five minutes and they were already fighting!

  “Do you know what the schedule is tomorrow?” Before he could answer, his father continued, “Do you even know where things are going to be held? Let me answer that for you. No, you don’t. And do you know how I know that? It’s because I don’t either. Only Maison does. But for whatever reason, she’s more tired than she usually is and is having a tough time. So instead of you finding another hotel room and making her have to go pick you up, I’ve made it so that she can get a little more rest before tomorrow. So you tell me, was it wrong of me to do that?”

  Hutch snapped his mouth shut. Shit. He hadn’t been thinking about Maison when his father had decided that.

  “You’re always looking for something to be mad at me about when all I’ve done is looked out for you.”

  Hutch gritted his teeth. “I don’t need you to look after me.”

  “Too bad. You’re my son. That won’t ever change just because you’re older now. Deal with it.”

  With a sneer, Hutch headed for the door. He wasn’t going to stick around and listen to him talk. He needed to blow off some steam. Thankfully, his father didn’t follow him.

  Did he really look for the bad in his father? He didn’t think so, but then again, he also didn’t consider Maison when his father had told him to room with him. He’d been too alarmed with the fact that he’d be alone with Matthew that Maison had been pushed from his mind.

  Maison.

  Why was she so tired lately? It wasn’t like her to forget things. Especially with that planner she had. Was that why she’d been acting differently lately?

  Hutch found the bar and quickly got comfortable. Now that he and his father had argued, he’d likely be spending more of the evening here until it was late enough to go back to the room. He really didn’t want to face his father again.

  After ordering himself some hard liquor, he thought about the last time he’d drank.

  God, that’d been terrible too. He’d been all over Maison. He wouldn’t be surprised if she’d told him that he’d drooled on her too. But whatever feelings he’d had stored inside of him had simply boiled over when he saw her. And those feelings only seemed to have amplified since he’d started working with her.

  He loved seeing her focus and determination every day. Although many saw her as shy, Maison was a force to be reckoned with. He grinned, thinking about that time she’d gotten upset with him.

  Yeah, he thought. She had fire.

  “Hutch? Are you all right?” He turned to find the woman of his thoughts before him.

  “Maison? What are you doing here?”

  “Your dad told me you stormed off so I came to look for you.”

  Dammit, why the hell had he done that? He’d already said that Maison needed some rest. “I’m fine. You should go back to your room.”

  Maison shook her head. “Not unless you come back too.”

  Hutch gritted his teeth. No, he didn’t want to face his father just yet.

  The bartender appeared then. “Are you staying? Did you want a drink?”

  Maison took one glance at him and sat back. “No alcohol for me,” she told the man. “I’ve got an early morning tomorrow.”

  Guilt consumed him. He probably shouldn’t be drinking either.

  “So what did you two fight about?” Maison asked.

  He was surprised by her question. He’d thought that his father would’ve told her already. But he really didn’t feel like rehashing it with her.

  “I’m really sorry about the rooms,” she said instead. “I can’t believe I forgot.”

  “Hey, don’t be so hard on yourself. You’ve had a lot on your plate. And it’s fine. I don’t mind staying with Dad.”

  The look she shot him had him laughing out loud. “Okay, maybe I do. But it’s only for a couple of nights. I’ll survive.”

  He was surprised when she smiled at him. And then she surprised him when she said, “I’m glad you’re here, you know.”

  “Really?”

  Maison nodded. “I was a little bit nervous about it all but having you around has made things easier for me.”

  Wow. He never expected to hear those words from her.

  That was when he realized that she wasn’t stuttering anymore. Did that mean she was comfortable with him now?

  Hutch raised his glass in the air. I’ll drink to that.

  TWELVE

  The weather in London was a complete one-eighty to what Maison was used to in Moonrise Beach. While she’d come prepared and brought warmer clothes, she hadn’t expected it to be this cold. The wind made everything worse, and now she wished she’d brought a hat or even some mittens.

  Figuring she could warm up with a hot cup of coffee, Maison sipped her fresh brew while going over Matthew’s schedule for the day. His first appearance was in an hour, and after spending hours poring over this in preparation, she knew everything was going to be perfect.

  Twenty minutes before the event, she already had Matthew situated by the stage, already micced up and ready to go. “Are you okay?” she asked him. She knew he’d practiced his speech numerous times already but she just wanted to make sure.

  “I’m fine, Maison.”

  “Okay.” She took a breath and smiled for him. “Good luck.”

  To her surprise, Matthew reached out and cupped her face with his large hand. “Thank you for being here.”

  “O-of course.” She wouldn’t have it any other way.

  “But since I’m already here and everything looks to be all set, why don’t you and Hutch go grab a coffee or something?”

  Maison looked at Hutch, who was standing behind her. “But I wanted to watch you speak.”

  Matthew shook his head. “Not necessary. You know exactly what I’m going to say anyway. And if something goes wrong, one of the people here can help me. You’ve done enough. Why don’t you go and enjoy yourself?”

  “Are you sure?” She was more than ha
ppy to stay.

  “Yes, I’m sure. I noticed you didn’t have anything to eat this morning. Go and grab something before you keel over.”

  “Okay.” She turned to Hutch and he looked just as surprised as she was. “What’s up with him?” she asked on a whisper.

  Hutch shrugged. “No idea. But he’s unusually nice today.”

  “Do you think it was because of the fight you had yesterday?”

  “I don’t think so. He still hasn’t talked to me.”

  Maybe it was her then. Had she done something wrong? Was that why he didn’t want her around to see him speak in front of everyone?

  As panic rose, Hutch grabbed her arm. “Come on. I haven’t eaten either and I’m starved.” He dragged her to the nearest coffee shop. Walking in the cold weather made it feel a mile away. Maison’s eyes were already tearing up and her ears hurt so much that she had to put her hands over them to protect them from the chilling cold.

  She was going to start rubbing her hands together when something fell over her face and wrapped around her neck. Suddenly the biting pain lessened and she looked up into the dark orbs of Hutch’s eyes.

  He’d given her his scarf and it was now warming her up better than a hot cup of coffee. “Wha—” she began but Hutch simply shrugged.

  “You looked cold.” Then he reached for the coffee shop’s door and held it open for her. “Ladies first.”

  Maison felt herself blush. She hadn’t expected that from him.

  As they entered the coffee shop and stood in line, Maison couldn’t help but notice the way Hutch’s scarf smelled like him. Spearmint and eucalyptus wafted all around her and she wanted nothing more than to drown in the freshness.

  Wow, this place was nice. Maison was used to the big franchise coffee houses like Starbucks back home, but there was something really nice about coming to a local family-owned coffee house too. The atmosphere was different, definitely a lot cozier, and she loved all the smiling faces of the staff and its customers.

  When she walked up to the cashier and was about to order, Hutch gently pushed her behind him. “I’ve got this one.”

  She began to protest but then her mouth snapped shut as Hutch began to speak.

  “She’ll have a caramel Frappuccino.”

  Maison felt her mouth drop open. How the hell did he know what she was going to order? She was still balking as he paid and they moved to the side to wait for their drinks. When he caught her staring at him, he grinned. “What’s wrong? Why are you staring at me like that?”

  Maison immediately averted her eyes and blushed. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to be rude.”

  “No, it’s fine,” he said. A smile curled his lips. “I kind of like you staring at me.”

  Maison glanced back at him to find that his smile had turned into a full-blown grin and she blushed even further. “Relax, Maison. Everything is fine. Dad can handle things on his own.”

  But that wasn’t what she was thinking about. She wasn’t worried about Matthew at all. Now her thoughts were consumed with Hutch and of their great time they’d had last night.

  Despite drinking, Hutch seemed steady today. A lot steadier than he’d been when she’d found him in his father’s house that one night.

  She was glad to notice that he wasn’t like that anymore. Maybe Matthew had been right and working at Gleam was good for him. Whatever it was that was making him happy, she was glad for its presence.

  In working with him, she’d also started to notice more about the guy. While she’d known him for years, they’d kept a respectable distance, and never went beyond friendship. Now, Maison felt bad for not paying more attention to him like he did with her.

  While he could likely list out her favorite foods without hesitation, Maison realized that she wanted to know more about him. About his interests and his goals. And about what he liked to read and what he liked to do on the weekends. The problem was, she was too shy to ask, and so, she’d just have to go on wondering.

  Hutch grabbed both of their drinks and they found a table to sit down at.

  She took her first sip of coffee and moaned. It was so good. Possibly even better than what she usually had at home and back at the hotel. “Good, huh?” Hutch smiled.

  She nodded. “It’s amazing.”

  “Don’t you want to have some of your croissant?”

  “Oh yes.” She broke off a piece and brought it to her mouth. On her tongue, the sweet taste made her moan again. “Do you want some?”

  “No, thanks.” He held up his bagel. “I’m good.” Now that they were seated, Maison became increasingly aware of the fact that they were away from everyone else in a private corner. She suddenly felt nervous again. “You okay?” Hutch asked after taking a sip of his coffee.

  Maison nodded. “Wasn’t it nice of Matthew to let us get breakfast?”

  “Yeah, I guess.”

  “Are you still angry with him?”

  When Hutch didn’t answer, Maison went back to fidgeting with her food. Hutch reached out and grabbed a hold of her hand. “I’m sorry. Am I making you nervous again?”

  Maison felt her face go hot. “I should be the one apologizing. I shouldn’t have brought him up.”

  “I don’t mind. You’re not nervous when it comes to my father.”

  She wasn’t sure how to answer. “You’re right. But Matthew is different. He’s . . .”

  “Older?”

  “Yes, but—” Her cheeks flushed hot and she suddenly wished that she wasn’t wearing his scarf any more. She shook her head. “Never mind.” She didn’t want to say that all the Happa-Hewitts were special to her. “Anyways, is this your first time in London?”

  “No, I’ve been here once. But it was a long time ago.”

  “Oh.” Somehow he’d managed to pin the weather down better than she had and she’d been here many times before. Guess he was better at packing than she was.

  “Have you traveled a lot?”

  She’d been born and raised in Moonrise Beach and had never traveled often as a child. Only with her work was she able to go to the places she’d always dreamed about visiting.

  “Not much, to be honest,” Hutch said, taking another sip of his coffee. “At least not as much as the rest of my family apart from the tours I’ve been on.”

  Oh right. While others traveled to exotic locations for fun, he’d done it for his country. Not only that, but he also hadn’t been able to come back whole.

  Maison suddenly regretted asking the question. In her effort to try and get to know him better, she had reminded him of what he’d lost.

  She bit into her croissant, trying to muster up the right words to apologize when Hutch asked, “What about you? Did you travel a lot as a kid?”

  Maison stiffened. “Ah, no. I didn’t.” She didn’t expand or elaborate but she could see that Hutch was expecting her to, but unfortunately, that wasn’t a topic she wanted to discuss with him.

  “You don’t have any siblings, right?”

  “No, it’s just me.” And thank goodness for that. She couldn’t imagine her parents having another child. Her parents did a little bit of traveling, but it was rarely overseas like this. They were only willing to travel to neighboring states for work functions and the like.

  “Where are your parents now anyway? You haven’t mentioned them much.”

  Maison hesitated. “Ah, well.” She wasn’t comfortable talking about her parents. But she also didn’t want to come across as rude. It wasn’t his fault that he didn’t know that she wasn’t on good terms with her parents. She rarely talked about them.

  Just then, her cell phone rang and when she glanced down at the name on the screen, she felt herself frown. “What is it?” Hutch asked.

  “It’s your dad.” She immediately hit Answer. “Hello? Matthew? Is everything okay?”

  To her surprise, Matthew sounded apologetic. “Maison, sorry to bother you, but do you think you can come back?”

  Maison was already on her feet. “Of course. Wh
at’s wrong?”

  “It’s my fault. I’ve spilled some coffee on my shirt and I’m on in five minutes. I’m really sorry. My nerves just—”

  “No need to apologize, sir. I’ll be right there.” She snatched up her drink and called for Hutch.

  He immediately appeared beside her. “What happened?”

  “Matthew’s on in five minutes and he accidentally spilled coffee on himself.”

  Hutch laughed. “Wow, I would’ve liked to see that.”

  “Come on, we have to hurry.” It’d taken them maybe ten minutes to walk here. They’d have to try and be back in two to be able to reach Matthew in time. Grinning, Maison said, “Last one there will have to wash out the stain!” Before Hutch could even respond, she had bolted down the street, smiling as she heard Hutch cursing behind her.

  They’d made it. With one minute to spare, Maison had somehow produced a fresh shirt for Matthew to change into. He smiled down at Maison. “Thank you. I can always count on you.”

  Maison beamed at the praise. “No problem, sir.”

  “Where’d you even get a shirt in the first place?” he asked.

  “From my purse. I always carry one around just in case.”

  “Really? Always?” That seemed a bit extreme, but he wouldn’t deny that it’d come in handy.

  “Thanks for coming back so quickly,” Matthew said. “I really hated to bother you.”

  “I told you, it’s absolutely fine so stop feeling bad. You’ve got a speech coming up!” She gave him a mega-watt smile and a thumbs-up.

  Matthew grinned at her. Then he reached for his coffee again. As he brought the cup up to his lips, Maison snatched it out of his hand. “Let’s not chance it, okay?” Before his father could even protest, she dumped the cup into the nearest trash bin.

  Hutch stifled a laugh at his father’s expression.

  To his surprise, Matthew was fighting his own grin. They hadn’t talked at all since their argument the night before, but he was glad that his father was smiling at him again.

  When his name was called, Matthew moved towards the stage. A roaring applause shook the venue as he walked onto the stage. Hutch felt his eyes widen as the cheers continued. Wow, all these people were cheering for his father?