Banking On Love

by Anna James

Susan sighed. “They want a summary of the first analysis.”

  “What? I just got the data a couple of days ago. I haven’t finished going through it yet. It’ll take me all day to finish my review, let alone put a summary report together. If I rush I might miss something.”

  “I don’t know what to say.”

  Rachel thought for a moment. If she canceled everything planned for this morning, she could complete her analysis and prepare a short high level presentation, short being the key word. She’d have to reschedule the meetings with her team, and she’d be a little late meeting Ethan. “Which members have two o’clock meetings?”

  “Um…”

  Rachel heard the shuffling of papers and assumed Susan was searching her notes.

  “Smith, Johnson and Carmichael.”

  Rachel grinned. Carmichael would insist they wrap up the meeting before he left. He wouldn’t want to miss anything, and Johnson and Smith would want time before their next appointments. She could do this. “Reschedule my morning meetings for three thirty. I’ll stay late if need be.”

  The meeting with the review panel ended at twenty minutes of two. Rachel raced to her desk and grabbed her blackberry. Her fingers glided over the keyboard informing Ethan she was on her way. His text response gave her the street address which she gave to the cab driver as they made their way through afternoon traffic.

  ***

  Ethan paused on the front steps and watched as Rachel crossed the street to join him.

  “I’m sorry I’m late.” She gave him a quick kiss.

  He smiled. “Don’t worry about it. I’m glad you were able to make it.”

  Eileen cleared her throat. “We’ve already walked around the outside and seen the garden in the back. Now that you’re here, Rachel, we can go inside and have a look. You’re both going to love this house.”

  They climbed the stone steps leading to the massive, ornate wood carved front door. Eileen keyed a sequence of numbers into the lockbox, extracted the key and slid it into the lock.

  Ethan surveyed the entryway. The long, wide hallway ran the length of the house. A row of closets with intricately carved wooden doors flanked one side and a decorative table with a large mirror sat on the other. The light wall color reflected the early afternoon sun shining through the glass windows. “This is nice.”

  Rachel nodded. “Yes. The home feels warm and welcoming the moment you step inside.”

  So far so good. “Eileen, what rooms are on this level?

  “The living room, dining room and gourmet kitchen.”

  Rachel peered down. “The hardwood floors are beautiful.”

  “They’ve just been redone, and the owners have asked us to remove our shoes while we tour the home.”

  Ethan slipped off his stylish leather shoes. “Are the hardwood floors on all four levels?”

  Eileen nodded. “Yes, including the kitchen but not in the baths.”

  He watched Rachel stroll to the grand staircase and glide her hand over the carved wood banister. “When was the house built?” she asked.

  “In eighteen eighty-eight, but the electrical wiring and plumbing have been brought up to date and now meet current codes.” Eileen moved to where Rachel stood. “A small half bath is tucked into the corner under the stairwell. The current owners added it during the last renovation. It’s a terrific use of otherwise wasted space if you ask me, and adding it to this level means you don’t have to run up to the third floor or down to the garden level every time you have to go.”

  Rachel laughed and nudged Ethan with her elbow. “I like that.”

  Ethan grinned. If she liked the house, maybe she’d change her mind and move in with him. “Eileen, what’s down this hall?”

  “The kitchen. You can also gain access from the dining room. Wait until you see the upgrades.”

  Ethan watched as Rachel’s eyes wandered around the room. She’d love the professional stainless steel appliances.

  She moved to the multi-burner stove and next to the huge refrigerator. “Wow! It has everything a cook could dream of.”

  Eileen grinned. “Are you a wanna-be chef, Rachel?”

  Ethan moved to Rachel’s side and put an arm around her waist. “Rachel is one of the best cooks I’ve ever met. Her leg of lamb dish with roasted vegetables and orzo is to die for.”

  Rachel blushed.

  Eileen frowned. “Sounds like a lot of cleanup if you ask me. You’ll love the extra dishwasher in the back corner.”

  “It’ll come in handy when we’re having company.”

  Eileen’s eyes widened. “You do dishes, Ethan?”

  He nodded. “I do.”

  “He’s a keeper, Rachel.”

  Rachel’s blush deepened.

  Eileen pointed to a door at the far end of the room. “A staircase leads to the next floor, where two of the bedrooms are. Let’s go and take a look.” When they reached the first landing, she added, “To your right is a bedroom currently being used as a library, and this,” she turned to the left and pointed at the open double doors, “is the master.”

  Ethan wiggled his brows. “It’s big. Good. We can get a king-size bed.”

  Eileen walked to the back wall and opened a sliding door leading to a large, private balcony. “It’s a perfect spot to enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning.” After closing the door she turned and headed down a long hall. “Check out the size of this closet.”

  Rachel peeked inside and gasped. “It’s bigger than my spare bedroom.”

  Eileen nodded. “One whole wall is dedicated to holding shoes. It’s a dream come true.”

  Ethan snorted.

  Rachel laughed. “A whole wall dedicated to holding shoes is wasted on Ethan.” She looked over at him. “How many pairs do you have?”

  “Four. Five, if you count my sneakers.”

  Rachel turned to Eileen. “See?”

  After viewing the rest of the bedrooms on the top floor, they went to the garden level. Eileen opened the door to the main room with a flourish. “You’re going to love this, Ethan.”

  He let out a low whistle. “The man cave.”

  “Everything in here stays. The top-of-the-line LCD projector drops from the ceiling and displays in one thousand eighty pixels. The audio equipment is housed in this closet.” Eileen pointed to the door on her left. “A remote control lowers the projector and screen. Notice the bar in the back corner. Unfortunately, the alcohol doesn’t stay. You’ll have to stock it yourself.”

  Ethan moved around the room taking everything in. He sat in one of the large leather reclining chairs lined up in front of the screen and leaned back. “This is awesome.”

  Rachel sat in the seat beside him. “I’ll say. You’ll have to get the football package so we can watch the games in high-def.”

  Eileen chuckled. “I thought this was the man cave.”

  Ethan gave Eileen a wicked grin. “I’ll make an exception for Rachel.” He got up, grasped Rachel’s hand and pulled her to a standing position. “Are there any other rooms on this floor?” he asked Eileen.

  “A fully equipped gym and another full bath.”

  “The gym equipment stays?”

  “Yes,” Eileen confirmed.

  When they finished the tour, Eileen asked, “What do you think?”

  “Rachel?” he asked.

  “Does it have everything you’re looking for?”

  “Where’s the off-street parking?” Ethan asked.

  “Right across the street. Should I get the paperwork so we can make an offer?” Eileen asked in a hopeful voice.

  “We’re not ready to make an offer yet. Give us some time to talk things over, and I’ll get back to you. But if we decide we’re interested, how would we proceed? The house isn’t officially listed yet, right?”

  “I’ll contact the soon-to-be listing agent. Maybe, she’s discussed a price with the owners. I’ll get back to you one way or another.”

  Ethan nodded. “Give me a call when you have an answer. In the
meantime we have to get going. I’ve got a meeting I need to get back for, and I’m sure Rachel has commitments as well.”

  “Go ahead. I’ll go back through and make sure everything is locked up. I’ll give you a call tonight.” Eileen headed toward the stairs.

  “Hold on a moment,” Ethan called.

  Eileen turned and faced him.

  “Thanks again for getting us in to view this property ahead of other buyers. It has everything I want in a home, and it’s the best we’ve seen so far.”

  Rachel turned to him when they stepped outside. “You love the place. Why didn’t you make an offer?”

  “I want to hear your opinion before I do anything.” He opened the passenger door, and she slipped inside. He slid into the driver’s seat. “What do you think of the place?”

  “I loved everything about it.”

  “Everything?”

  “The house is amazing, Ethan, and it’s in a great neighborhood.”

  “That’s what I needed to know. Now, tell me, how did you rearrange your schedule? I thought you had a one o’clock meeting?”

  Rachel grinned. “It went faster than I expected.”

  “How?” She must have done something to speed the meeting along.

  “I postponed the work and meetings I’d planned for this morning to do the analysis I needed to complete for the panel review at one.”

  “Will you have to put in some time tonight to catch up?”

  “Yes. Can we do a late dinner, or if later doesn’t work, tomorrow instead?”

  “Later works for me. I’ve got some things I need to take care of at the bank anyway. How about I pick you up at eight?” He pulled the car over to the side of the road when they arrived at her office building.

  She nodded. “Perfect.”

  Ethan rested his hand on her thigh, and she turned to face him. “It means a lot you made a special effort to come with me today.”

  “You said it was important to you, and if it’s important to you then it’s important to me too. I told you Ethan, I want to be with you, and being together means making sure we’re there for each other.”

  He brushed his lips over hers, tasted, teased. Her lips parted, and he explored the recesses of her mouth.

  She groaned and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Ethan,” she sobbed, as he nibbled on her earlobe then sought the hollow at the base of her throat.

  Her breath came in short gasps when he released her, and she stared up at him with wide shimmering eyes. “What was that for?”

  He gave her a wicked grin. “It’s a prelude to the special thank you I have planned for later tonight.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Later in the week, Rachel hurried toward the booth at the back of the gourmet burger restaurant where Ethan sat. Work had been insanely busy and she hadn’t seen him in several days. Lord, she’d missed him. She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, slid into the bench seat opposite him and waited for him to finish.

  “Okay. Thanks for the update, Mike.” Ethan ended the call.

  “Was that the investigator you hired?”

  He nodded.

  “Any news?”

  “He says its slow going. I only had two numbers of the license plate, and I don’t know if it was from New York or New Jersey. The colors are similar, and it was hard to tell with the headlights shining in my eyes. Also, I’m not sure of the make or model of the car, only that it was a dark, four-door sedan.”

  “Have there been any more threats?”

  He squeezed her hands and smiled. “No.”

  She released the breath she hadn’t been aware of holding. “Sorry I’m late. My meeting ended later than expected.”

  “No problem. I gave the waitress our order. I got you a hamburger salad with blue cheese, tomato and bacon. We can change it to something different if you want.”

  She shook her head. “It sounds delicious. Have you heard back from Eileen on the house? When we spoke this morning, you told me we were waiting to see if the owners would counter the last offer.”

  He nodded. “The ball’s in my court. They want three million four. I have to decide whether I want to pay that or not.”

  Rachel let out a low whistle. “That’s a big increase from the last price you gave them. Did Eileen offer any advice?”

  “She recommends going up a hundred thousand dollars and making this our final offer. Personally, I’ve had enough. They’ve barely budged from their asking price.”

  “I guess we’re looking for houses again this weekend.”

  Ethan frowned. “I can’t. I have to go to Paris. More issues have cropped up from the shareholders dispute.”

  “Oh no, what happened?”

  “One of our clients is concerned with the bank’s long term stability and has asked to meet with me personally. I won’t be gone long, and I’m wondering if you’ll consider coming with me.”

  She’d never been to Paris, or anywhere else outside the United States for that matter.

  Ethan reached across the table and squeezed her hand. “Let me show you Paris.”

  Could she take the risk and go with him?

  “You could Skype with Emma if you wanted, and there are several direct flights from New York to Paris a day. If anything happened, and it’s not likely to, we’d be home in a matter of hours.”

  “I’d need to give Emma’s school an emergency contact.”

  Ethan smiled. “What about your neighbor? You obviously trust her if she’s been watching Emma for you all these years.”

  Rachel frowned. “I’d have to arrange for a few days off from work.”

  “You don’t have to tell your bosses where you’re going or who you’ll be with, only that you’ll be away.”

  She nodded. “When would we leave?”

  “My meeting’s at nine Monday morning. We can fly out on Friday night and spend the weekend sightseeing.”

  “Would we be back by next Thursday?”

  Hope gleamed in his eyes. “We’ll be back whenever you need to be.”

  “I have a meeting with the partners to discuss taking on some new clients on Thursday, but I’m done with my current assignment the day after tomorrow. So…” Her heart beat faster. Shivers of anticipation raced through her blood. “If Lena Taylor will agree to be my emergency contact and I can get the time off from work…” She grinned. “Yes, Ethan, I’ll go to Paris with you.”

  His eyes turned a deep vibrant blue, and a slow smile spread across his face. He leaned in and kissed her. “I’ll make the arrangements and let you know when they’re final.”

  Rachel gazed, awestruck by the sight of the Arc De Triomphe. Pictures didn’t do it justice. The beauty of the architecture impressed her. “It’s bigger than I thought. More than a hundred feet tall, I’d wager.”

  Ethan chuckled. “Fifty meters to be exact. To put it into perspective, it’s about the same height as the building housing my father’s bank in New York City.”

  “Speaking of the bank, where’s the Paris branch?”

  “Not far from my apartment. I’ll give you a tour after my meeting on Monday if you want.”

  She smiled. “I’d like that. I’m curious, though, how did you end up in Paris? Ryan told me Hayden planned to run the branch here after the acquisition was finalized.”

  Ethan sighed. “That was the original plan. He and my mother were going to move here temporarily while the restructuring was being done.”

  “What happened to change that?”

  “Sandra wanted to live in Paris, so I convinced my father to let me take over here.”

  Rachel exhaled a sharp breath. He’d left New York to please Sandra. “Why Paris?”

  “She fell in love with the city when we visited right after we became engaged.”

  Ethan and Sandra had visited together? Why hadn’t she known that? “Do you regret your decision given how things turned out?”

  “I did at first. I never wanted to leave New York.”

  “And no
w?”

  He shook his head. “It’s done wonders for my career.”

  Ethan and Sandra planned to live here together. Did they search for a home like she and Ethan did in New York? Did Sandra help select the apartment Ethan now owned? She swallowed hard. Oh God, did they sleep in his bed together? The same bed she and Ethan had made love in just a few short hours ago? Stop it. Otherwise you’ll drive yourself crazy. It didn’t matter what he did with Sandra. He wanted to be with her now. She was in Paris, for goodness sakes. With Ethan. So, make the most of it. “Will you eventually have to come back here permanently?”

  “No. I’ve been working with the vice president here to take over the day-to-day business for me. I’ve also been doing the same thing with the London office. I may have to come back a few times a year, but I can live in New York, which is where I want to be.”

  “What about the New York City Branch? Will you be involved there, too?”

  “Yes, although I’m not sure to what extent yet. My involvement will depend largely on when my father decides to retire. Since he hasn’t made a decision yet, my plans are somewhat up in the air. Enough about Montgomery International, let’s enjoy the sights.”

  Rachel grasped his hand in hers. “Come on, I’d like to get a better view of the relief sculptures on each pillar of the arch.”

  “Do you know the significance of the sculptures?” Ethan asked when they crossed the street and stood in front of the monument.

  “I do. On this side, the one on the left is Cortot’s, ‘The Triumph of Napoleon.’ It’s a tribute to his many military victories. This one on the right is Rude’s, ‘The Departure of The Volunteers’ in seventeen ninety-two and portrays the French people rallying against a foreign enemy. Facing Avenue de la Grand-Armeé is ‘La Résistancede Eighteen Fourteen’ on the southwest pillar, and La Paix, or The Peace, de Eighteen Fifteen on the northwest pillar.” At the look of surprise on his face, she added, “I searched online after you asked me to come with you.”

  “I’m impressed. Would you like to go up to the observation platform? You’ll love it. The sky is sunny and clear, and the view should be spectacular.”

  She nodded.

  Ethan paid the entrance fee, and they climbed the two hundred and eighty-four steps to the top.