“You know we could never replace you,” Bree soothed. “You make the most amazing cream puffs on the planet. But remember, you’re the one that got pregnant. We wouldn’t be going through this if you weren’t going to be out for weeks at a time. And before that, you’re going to need help when you’re in your third trimester and can’t stay on your feet for sixteen hours straight.”
“That’s not going to be for months,” Amelia argued.
“We’ve got to start the process now, even though you’re still perfectly capable of doing the job.” Natalie put a hand on her shoulder. “Think about this with your businesswoman cap on, okay? If one of us was going to be away for weeks, we’d need to get a backup set up as soon as we could. Right?”
Amelia sighed. “Yes, I know. You’re right. It’s just hard.”
“Frankly,” Natalie continued, “we need to have a backup on standby for all our roles. With your pregnancy we have advance warning, but the blizzard snapped up Bree with no notice at all. Fortunately, we had Willie to fill in, but there’s nothing like that for the rest of us.”
“Maybe this will help with the vacation issue,” Bree said. “We’re all pretty burned out, but we’re booked solid until the end of next year. We need to be able to take time off. I’m going to want to go on a honeymoon after Ian and I get married. Gretchen has been dying to go to Italy for years. I’m sure there’s something you’d rather do than sit behind that desk and work every day, Natalie. Even if one of us just wants to lie on the couch for a week and binge on television, we can’t as things stand now.”
“How about this?” Amelia offered. “Instead of bringing in a catering company, why don’t we hire someone else to help in the kitchen? I didn’t realize how much help I could use until Tyler pitched in last weekend. We bring someone in, and then I can spend the next few months getting them trained and comfortable. Maybe we keep Bites of Nashville or one of the others on standby for big events, but there’s always someone from our team here.”
Natalie thought over her suggestion and nodded. “That’s not a bad idea. That way we always have one of our people with eyes on the product. Any ideas on a candidate?”
“I was thinking about Stella.”
“From the serving team?” Natalie asked.
Amelia nodded. On wedding days, a restaurant agency provided them with a team of servers to work the front and back of the house with her. Stella was one of the employees who was consistently sent over. She preferred working in the kitchen and had told Amelia she was about to graduate from culinary school in the spring. “She’s finishing school in May. That will give us all summer to get her up to speed. By the time my due date comes, she’ll do fine with smaller projects and managing the outside caterer if we need one.”
“Okay, I’ll get her information from the agency and we’ll bring her in for a chat.” Natalie started tapping on her tablet, capturing the important information. “Now, in the meantime, we still need to pick a backup caterer. I want to have someone on standby.”
“Yeah,” Gretchen said with a sly grin on her face. “One of us might up and go to London on short notice or something.”
Amelia’s head snapped up in Gretchen’s direction. London? Why would she say London? She and Tyler had discussed that very possibility two weeks ago, but she hadn’t said anything to them. Not even in casual discussion. “Is someone going to London?”
Bree snorted into her hand. “You are, dummy.”
Amelia’s eyes widened in surprise. “I am? Since when?”
“Since Tyler came by last Friday,” Natalie informed her. “Before he went into the kitchen to help you, he stopped by my office and asked about the possibility of taking you on a business trip with him. I thought it was nice of him to check before he broached the subject.”
Amelia felt the heat of irritation rise to her cheeks. Tyler had the ability to coax an emotional response from her faster than anyone else, for good and bad reasons. She should’ve known he was up to something. Things had been going too well. It had been over a week since the doctor’s appointment, and it had been smooth sailing. They’d enjoyed their evenings together, read baby books together, argued about names and laughed together. “Well, it would’ve been nice if he’d said something to me about it! Anyone care to tell me when I’m going to London?”
“Sunday,” Natalie replied.
It was Thursday afternoon. “This Sunday? You’re kidding, right?”
“No, he told me the date.” Natalie looked down at her tablet. “Yep, March 8. That’s Sunday.”
Amelia gritted her teeth together. This was so like Tyler—doing whatever it took to get his way without considering what she wanted or how she felt about it. “I’m gonna kill him. We’ll need a backup caterer because I’m going to be in jail for fifteen to life.”
“Are you mad?” Gretchen asked. “Seriously? Your husband wants to take you on a spur-of-the-moment trip to London and you’re upset about it? I can’t get a guy to take me on a spur-of-the-moment trip to Burger King.”
“I’m not mad because he wants to take me to London. I’m mad because he went behind my back and set it all up without asking me first.”
“That’s because you would’ve said no,” Bree pointed out.
Amelia sat back in her chair and crossed her arms over her chest. “So what? It’s irresponsible of me to leave on short notice. I just took off time for my reunion, and as we’ve discussed, I’ll be out again in the fall. I shouldn’t take off more time just for the hell of it.”
“Tyler said he’d have you back Thursday night,” Natalie reasoned. “Technically, you wouldn’t miss anything. We’re not doing the cake next week. They’re ordering a cupcake display from a local vendor. But I think you should take the rest of the weekend off anyway.”
“Why?”
“You’ll be jet-lagged, for one thing,” Natalie said. “You’re not going to feel like working when you get back.”
“You also need to spend some quality time with Tyler,” Bree added. “The clock is ticking down on this relationship trial run of yours. You guys have been so busy worrying about renting a house and dealing with baby stuff. Going someplace romantic might be nice. Go and try to enjoy yourself. Roam the streets of London and let yourself fall in love.”
In love? Things had been going well, but somehow the thought of that still seemed ridiculous. Amelia did love Tyler, but she was pretty certain being in love was not going to be an option. There were only two weeks left. They were comfortable together, yes. And the sex had been...noteworthy. But love? Amelia had never been in love, but she figured it would take a lot more than a stroll along the Thames to get them there.
Nine
“I think I might be sick.”
Tyler snapped to attention, moving to Amelia’s side as they stood on the curb in front of Sotheby’s auction house. Her color looked okay, her cheeks pink from the chill of the early-March London air. “What? Are you nauseated again? There’s a trash can over there.”
Amelia smiled and took his hand. “Sorry, I didn’t mean I was really sick. The idea of all those diamonds and millions of dollars changing hands was just enough to make me ill.”
“Oh,” he said with a chuckle as relief washed over him. Amelia had seemed to be doing better with her morning sickness, especially since they’d arrived in London, so he’d been surprised by her sudden declaration. An auction of this caliber could be intimidating to a first timer. Some of the world’s greatest jewels and antiques passed through the doors of this auction house, along with the ridiculous amounts of money that went with them.
“I thought maybe the chocolate tea at the Landmark Hotel had turned on you. We ate so much I was miserable through half the auction.”
“Oh, no,” Amelia argued. “That food was amazing. The one at Fortnum and Mason yesterday was good, too. French macarons are my new favo
rite thing and I plan to master them the moment we get back home. I think they’d make a lovely item for a dessert display, especially in the wedding colors.”
They’d arrived in London early the previous day. The jet lag had been rough on them both, so he’d taken her on a quick drive around the city and they’d had a classic tea before checking into their hotel. Today they’d tried the tea at their hotel before coming to the auction. They were eating their way through London.
“I just love the idea of having afternoon tea,” she continued. “That’s usually when I get peckish, so it’s perfect. A scone and tea is preferable to the soda and candy bar I typically end up eating. I don’t know why Americans don’t have teatime. It makes us seem so uncivilized, somehow.”
“I just spent two hundred and twenty thousand dollars on a diamond-and-pearl tiara from the nineteenth century. That seems pretty civilized to me.”
Amelia shook her head and tugged him down the street. “Maybe if you wore the tiara while having tea.”
Tyler laughed, following her. Looking the way she did today, he’d follow her anywhere. She was wearing a stunning cobalt-blue wool jacket that came down past her knees to keep her warm. The bright color popped against her fair skin and fiery red hair. Combined with the pregnancy, she was damn near glowing. Beneath her coat, she was wearing a more muted dress with a gray-and-blue geometric design. She’d paired the outfit with sapphire earrings he’d sent her for Christmas the year before. Seeing how radiant the color was on her, Tyler regretted passing up a brilliant sapphire choker that had been auctioned off earlier that afternoon.
“Where are we headed?” he asked when they’d traveled several blocks away from Sotheby’s and in the opposite direction of their hotel.
“You’re going to take me for a ride on the London Eye.”
“I am?” The giant Ferris wheel overlooking the Thames hadn’t been in Tyler’s plans at all, but he didn’t mind going. He’d never ridden it. His past trips to London had been focused on jewels and finding a good chip shop. “I thought we were going to dinner after the auction.”
“We will, but I’m not hungry yet after that big tea. We’ll eat after you take me on the Eye.”
“Okay,” Tyler relented, raising his hand to hail a cab. It was probably a good night to ride the Eye anyway. London had remarkably clear skies for this time of year, so they’d have a nice view. By the time they got there, it would just be sunset, when the sky would glow orange and the lights of the city would start to illuminate. It would actually be a great romantic opportunity if not for the herd of other tourists in the capsule with them.
Of course, he could fix that. She wanted the big romantic gestures, right?
After climbing into a cab, Tyler pulled out his phone and found the number of the agency that handled special events on the Eye. By the time they reached the busy plaza and long, winding queue, he’d arranged for a private go-around.
The London Eye was massive, dominating the landscape along the river. It seemed ridiculous to call the large white structure with its space-age pods a Ferris wheel, but he supposed that was what it was.
As they approached the VIP entrance he’d been directed to, a small woman with short brown hair and an immaculate black suit greeted them. “Mr. Dixon? I’m Mary, your personal London Eye hostess. We have your private capsule waiting for you.”
Amelia looked at him with surprise lighting her eyes. She’d obviously gotten too used to tuning out his phone conversations, assuming they were all about work. She hadn’t paid a bit of attention to the intentionally vague yet still decipherable discussion he’d had with the Eye offices. He hadn’t been trying to make it a surprise, but he was pleased to see she hadn’t anticipated it.
“A private capsule?” she asked with a wide grin. “Really?”
Tyler smiled and gestured for her to go ahead of him and follow behind Mary. They bypassed the hundreds of people lined up and were escorted onto the next available capsule.
“Your three-hundred-and-sixty-degree maps are on the bench. Enjoy the ride,” Mary said before the capsule was closed and locked.
“Off we go,” Tyler said as the glass bubble moved up and away from the platform. He followed Amelia to the far side of the car overlooking the Thames. The sun was just setting, and the blazing orange-and-red sky illuminated the boats traveling up and down the river and the cars crossing the bridges beside them. The Parliament building, Big Ben and Westminster Abbey beyond it glowed brightly in the evening light. Turning to look the opposite direction, he recognized other famous buildings, like the Gherkin and the Shard, against the skyline.
It was an amazing view at any time of day, but Tyler was certain he’d hit the jackpot tonight. Not only was it the perfect time, but he had a beautiful woman there with him. She had been resistant to coming on this trip at first, especially since he’d planned it as a surprise and gone around her, as she’d put it, but she’d really warmed up to the idea. He’d been to London enough that he didn’t get the surge of excitement when he saw one of the famous landmarks. With Amelia here, he was experiencing the city anew. It made him want to take her with him everywhere he went, and if he couldn’t do that, he’d rather stay at home and send one of his employees instead.
Amelia’s back was to him as she gazed out at the panorama before them. Her red hair was pulled up today, revealing the long line of her neck. He wanted to lean in to her and place a kiss against her sensitive skin. He wanted to hear her gasp with surprise and moan softly as the sensations he coaxed from her rushed through her body.
Stepping up behind Amelia, he leaned in and grasped the railings on each side of her. He rested his chin on her shoulder, breathing in the scent of her.
“It’s beautiful,” she whispered.
“You’re beautiful,” Tyler countered, and wrapped his arms around her waist. She leaned back against him, sighing with contentment as their tiny bubble rose higher and higher around the wheel. The view was spectacular, but the longer they spent pressed against each other, the less interested Tyler was in the landscape.
He swept a stray strand of red hair out of the way and pressed his lips to her skin. Amelia gasped and tilted her head to the side to give him better access. He moved across her throat, teasing her with his lips, teeth and tongue. She held still, only her rapid draws of breath giving away her building arousal. His desire for her was harder to disguise. The minute he touched her, the blood rushed to his extremities and he was overwhelmed by the throbbing need to possess his wife.
His wife. Funny how he’d come to think of her that way in only a few short weeks. He’d gotten used to spending the evenings with her, watching her cook and testing her new recipes. He liked falling asleep with her in his arms and waking up to her grumpy morning face. Tyler needed Amelia to fall in love with him. He couldn’t bear to lose all this in a week’s time.
Just as they crested the top of the Eye, he slipped a hand beneath her coat and cupped one large breast. He could feel the nipple form into a hard peak beneath his touch, straining through the fabric to reach him. Amelia arched her back as he stroked her flesh, pressing her round backside into the firm heat of his desire.
Tyler groaned aloud, the sound echoing in the capsule. He was overcome by the driving need to touch her, bury himself in her and lose all rational thought in loving her. But damned if they weren’t four hundred feet in the air, enclosed in a clear bubble with tourists on both sides of them and a closed-circuit camera recording their every movement. It was the most seemingly private yet agonizingly public scenario he could’ve possibly put them in.
Amelia turned in his arms to face him as they started descending back toward the ground. She slipped her arms around his neck, lacing her fingers together at the nape. She did look beautiful today. And this was an amazingly romantic moment. And yet he couldn’t stop from voicing the concerns that had been plaguing him for ove
r a week. They had to get past this.
“Amelia?” he said, his voice near shaking with adrenaline and need.
“Yes?”
“Will you love me?” he asked.
A seductive smile curled her lips. “Absolutely.”
Tyler softly shook his head. She’d answered too quickly, so he was certain she misunderstood. “That’s not what I meant,” he corrected. Amelia had given him her body, but it wasn’t enough. He wanted more. He wanted to break through her walls and topple all her misconceptions about love. He knew her well enough to know he couldn’t force his way into her heart. She had to let him in. “Will you give me your heart?”
Her eyes widened, her mouth falling open without words.
“I want this to work between us, Amelia. I want you to fall in love with me, so we can have a family and all the wonderful things you’ve always dreamed of. But you have to stop fighting it. Are you ever going to let yourself fall in love with me?”
There was a long silence, a painful one, but when she finally did speak, it made him yearn for the quiet again.
“You’re asking me to give you something with nothing in return.”
It was Tyler’s turn to look at her with wide-eyed surprise. “What do you mean?”
“Through this whole thing, you’ve been on a mission to make me fall in love with you—and you’re succeeding, even if you don’t feel that way. But you’re right, I am holding back, and it’s because I get the feeling that you’re not letting yourself fall in love with me. You had it rough with Christine. I know that. Breaking off the engagement a week before the wedding was just cruel, especially if she knew she’d had doubts about the two of you. She hurt you. You wouldn’t ever talk about it, but I can tell by the way you changed after that. All work, all the time.”
He didn’t like talking about what happened with Christine, even with Amelia. Talking about it meant that he would have to face his first big failure in life. To talk about how he couldn’t measure up, no matter what. He’d rather just pretend it hadn’t happened. “I have a business to run,” he argued.
Thirty Days to Win His Wife Page 12