by Nina Crespo
A flush crept into her cheeks. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to hog your food.”
“That’s okay. It’s good that you’re getting your appetite back. Do you want me to order you one?”
Delanie swallowed the bite of burger and snagged one more fry. “No.” She slid the plate back in his direction. “Let’s see how this settles first. And I also want to save room for my cookies.”
Aiden picked up the plate and winked. “Good plan.”
As they watched the episode, Aiden filled her in on who the good guys and bad guys were, and their motivations. In one scene, where the hero was fighting one of the worst of the bad guys, they’d both cheered him on. The entire show held her attention enough to want to move on to the next episode.
As it cued up, Aiden cleared their empty plates.
“Do you want me to pause it while you’re gone?”
“No. Keep going.” He headed out the door.
“You’re coming back with the cookies, right?”
“On it.”
A slight chill came over Delanie and her feet grew cold. She got under the covers and settled back on the pillows she’d propped against the headboard. Day hadn’t been a big television person. He’d relax by trying out new recipes in their kitchen while listening to music. She’d forgotten how enjoyable watching television could be, especially with another person.
Aiden came back in with the cookies, handed them to her, and sat down. By the third episode, he fidgeted and kept shifting positions in the chair.
Delanie nibbled on a cookie. Just looking at him made her uncomfortable. She scooted toward the middle of the bed. “Why don’t you put your feet up?” Delanie patted the space beside her.
“Thanks.” He put his feet up on the bed and reclined in the chair.
She held out the bag of cookies. “It’s the least I can do for you bringing me these.”
He took a cookie from the package. “You’re welcome.”
A few cookies later, she set the package on the nightstand. Delanie plumped up the pillows behind her head and sank a little farther under the covers.
A few hours later, she awakened, snuggled in the pillows.
Aiden’s head was resting on the back of the chair. He snored softly.
Late evening shadows cast over the television. The series they’d been binge-watching had continued playing through the next episodes. There was no sound. Aiden must have turned down the volume.
Before she’d fallen asleep, the hero had been heading into battle. He and the woman he loved had shared a tearful, heartfelt goodbye as she’d given him a braided lock of hair for luck.
From what she could tell, the hero of the story had returned to his village and his lady love. As the scene progressed, they walked into the woods. Flirting led to a lover’s chase through the trees. With her long skirts slowing her down, the hero easily caught his woman and pinned her up against a tree. Their laughter faded to him kissing down the woman’s throat, unlacing the bodice of her dress. He caressed and licked her breasts.
Delanie’s nipples tingled.
On-screen, the hero unlaced his breeches and pulled up the woman’s dress. She wrapped her legs around him as he seemingly drove into her. The scene switched to a different camera angle. The muscles in the hero’s butt and legs bunched and released. Each hard thrust made the woman’s breasts bounce in response.
She’d heard interviews where actors had explained the technicalities and discomforts of love scenes, but what she viewed on the television now appeared far from a hardship. It looked raw, excitingly primal, and it looked real enough to make her sex throb.
Aiden groaned and stretched as he awakened.
On a reflex, Delanie closed her eyes and feigned sleep.
Was Aiden watching? Was he turned on too? Why am I doing this? She should just open her eyes. But if she did, she wouldn’t be able to hide how the scene had affected her. He’d see it in her face, and what about her nipples that were undoubtedly making their presence known?
“Delanie,” Aiden whispered. The chair creaked as he got up.
She deepened her breathing, relaxed, and let herself sink as if she were in a boneless slumber.
The light brush of his lips on her temple radiated warmth that traveled from that very spot into the middle of her chest. Delanie faked a sigh and turned away.
Aiden turned off the television, then left.
His voice filtered in from the living room as he talked on his phone. “Hey, King. Yeah, I got your message. No, I’m not sure if I’m going back to Miami. At this point, my vacation is over. When I’m done, I’m coming back to Richmond.” Silence followed. “Yeah, she’s feeling better. No. Like I told you, I’ll handle negotiations when the time is right. I got this.”
Delanie opened her eyes to the fading sun. Her contentment in spending the day with Aiden diminished with the light. She couldn’t lose sight of the truth. The only reason Aiden was taking care of her was because he wanted Echo Pines. Nothing else.
fourteen
EARLY IN THE morning, Aiden pointed the blond bellman down the hall of Delanie’s suite. “Just put them there.”
The bellman wheeled the luggage cart, with the three heavy boxes that he and Aiden had removed from the trunk of Delanie’s rental, down the hall. He unloaded them in the small conference room that was across from the spare bathroom.
Aiden tipped the bellman. “Thank you.”
“No problem, Mr. Kingman.” The man smiled broadly as he walked out of the suite. “Call if you need anything else.”
Aiden tucked the key card to the suite into the back pocket of his jeans and walked to the conference room. The boxes, two taped shut and one with its flaps folded down, sat on the round wood table, which was surrounded by ten padded chairs in the center of the space.
Delanie could get to work as soon as she woke up. She had everything she needed for a full workday. When housekeeping had stopped by earlier, he’d asked them to stock water and extra ginger ale in the mini fridge that was part of the built-in beverage station in the corner. Across from it was a small work center with a Bluetooth printer, copier, scanner, and a cabinet stocked with office supplies.
Even though the conference room was sizable, Delanie would need more space to work. Aiden moved the two unopened boxes to the floor against the right wall. The coldness from the cardboard, which was chilled from the outside temperature, seeped through his long-sleeved black pullover.
The box on the table was packed full of papers and a thick green ledger. Aiden nudged one of the boxes on the floor against the wall with his foot. From the weight of the other boxes, they were just as full. Sorting through it wouldn’t be a small task. He could help speed up the process if she’d let him, but from the way she’d kept him at a distance last night, the chances of that happening were nil.
Strange. Yesterday afternoon, when they’d eaten lunch and watched TV together, she’d seemed happy to have him around. They’d both fallen asleep. He’d awakened first and left her to call King and his admin assistant, Carol, to take care of some office matters. But once he’d returned to find out what she wanted for dinner, Delanie’s guard was back up. She’d asked for soup and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, handed him the USB stick, and dismissed him with a “get out of my room” look.
Aiden sat in a chair at the table. He hadn’t seen her since he’d dropped off the tray, and Delanie had informed him she’d order her own breakfast in the morning. When he’d asked her if something was wrong, she’d claimed she was just tired and told him he should go back to his suite.
He’d remained in the living room, partially because her sudden switch in attitude had pissed him off. He’d wanted her to come out of her room and confront him for still sleeping there so they could fight it out. She hadn’t. His assumption that they’d made progress, at least to the point where they could have a decent conversation, was wrong. Apparently, they were right back where they’d started—on opposite sides of the Echo Pines purchase.<
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What had changed after she woke up yesterday afternoon? He sure as hell didn’t know. She could push all she wanted, but that didn’t mean he’d wave off on insisting that Kingman Partners got the chance to submit a new proposal and receive consideration before anyone else. Benjamin Granger chose them. They deserved that shot, and he also deserved the opportunity of another meeting with Delanie before she left tomorrow. He may care deeply about her—if the past couple days had taught him anything, it was that—but he cared about his business too.
The bedroom door opened.
He tracked Delanie’s soft footfalls down the hallway.
She paused.
Was she looking for him?
“Aiden?” Delanie called out.
“I’m in the conference room.”
Seconds later, she peeked through the doorway. Delanie had ditched the casual yoga pants she’d worn over the past few days for jeans, a white T-shirt, and a blue button-down cardigan.
Her brows raised slightly. “You got the boxes out of my car?”
“You said you needed them.” He stood and tossed the key card to her room on the table. “I’ll leave you to it. I have work to do of my own. I’ll be upstairs in my suite, but I need an hour of your time today to talk about Echo Pines.”
“Sure.” She looked from the box on the table to the two on the floor and back again. “Is someone bringing the other box up?”
“This is what was in the trunk.”
“No, there were four boxes. Maybe whoever you sent to get them missed it.”
“I helped unload them. There were only these three in the trunk, and I didn’t see anything in the back seat.”
“No, it wouldn’t have been in the back seat. They were all in the trunk.”
“It’s not there. Maybe you left it behind.”
She opened her mouth as if to object, but then her shoulders dropped with a sigh. “Roy’s son—he must have forgotten the other box. They were all right there in the storage room. I pointed them out specifically to him.” She shook her head. “It’s my fault. I should have gone with him to make sure he got everything instead of leaving him to do it on his own. I’ll have to drive back to Echo and pick it up.”
“Not today.”
“I have to. That box has the rest of the financial records. I have to ship everything to Seattle in the morning before I catch my plane.”
“Have you checked the weather lately?”
“No. Why?”
“They’re forecasting freezing rain, or possibly worse later this evening.”
“Then I should leave now. It’s only eight thirty. I can avoid the worst of it.” She turned to leave.
He snagged her arm. “Can’t you just have someone ship it to you?”
“The only one who knows which box I need is Roy, and he’s out of town for the next couple of weeks. I have to complete my valuation before then. Besides that, it’s better if I get it myself. That way, I’ll know I have everything I need.” The look on her face was a familiar one to him. Delanie wasn’t going to budge on her decision.
“Give me a second to go upstairs and grab my coat.”
“You don’t have to come with me.”
“You’re not driving up there alone.”
Delanie bristled at his commanding tone and started to walk away.
He snagged her wrist. “You just said no one’s at the retreat.”
“I have a key.”
“Be smart. It’s not safe for you or anyone else to be up there alone, especially with bad weather coming in.”
Delanie refused to look at him through a long pause. “Fine.” She didn’t sound pleased that he had a good point. “I’ll meet you downstairs in ten minutes.”
At the specified time, Delanie was waiting for him near the lobby entrance, wearing her long black coat, a black wool scarf, and sneakers. “The valet is bringing the car around.”
“Don’t you have boots?”
“Only ones with high heels. We’re not hiking anywhere. I’m good. Let’s go.”
Outside, Aiden paid the valet and accepted the keys.
He went to the driver’s side of the white compact.
As the valet opened the front passenger-side door for Delanie, she looked at Aiden over the roof of her car. “I’m supposed to drive. You’re riding shotgun.”
A laugh shot out of Aiden, and fog from the cold rose from his mouth. He took off his coat, left on his navy scarf, and tossed it into the back seat. “Yeah, not gonna happen. You drive like a maniac.”
“No, I don’t.”
“Yes. You do.”
“As opposed to what? Driving like a sweet little ole lady who barely hits the speed limit?”
“Those of us who settle for ten to fifteen over the speed limit just don’t have a death wish.”
“You just hate sitting in the passenger seat.”
The valet looked between them with a baffled expression, unsure if he should walk away or keep holding the door open for her.
Aiden waved him off then looked to Delanie. “Get in. We’re wasting time. You can hold my dentures on the way there.” He caught a glimpse of her eye roll as he slipped behind the wheel.
Delanie took off her coat and settled in the passenger seat with it on her lap. She clicked her seat belt. “Admit it. You needing to drive is a control thing.”
Aiden strapped in. “Holding the gas pedal down to the floor, regardless of the speed limit, qualifies as driving like a maniac.”
“That’s not what I do.”
“Oh yes it is.” He pulled away from the hotel entrance. “You used to drive from the University of Kentucky to Clearmount in less time than it took me to get there from the airport.” He took a right at the stoplight.
“So?”
“The airport was farther away.”
“Once I got on the interstate, Clearmount was a straight shot.”
“I bet you drove at a hundred miles an hour.”
“Oh please, I didn’t drive a hundred miles an hour.” She adjusted the coat on her lap. “Seventy-five max.” As he gave her a skeptical look, a smile twitched on her lips. It bloomed into a full laugh. “Okay, I was probably going close to eighty-five most of the time, but I was in a hurry to get there.”
Aiden maneuvered the car slowly with the morning traffic. Most of the snow was now cleared off the street. Salt crunched under the tires. Truthfully, he’d also done his share of speeding to Clearmount back then, especially once he’d spotted Bear Claw Ridge in the distance. Still, no matter how fast he drove, those last twenty miles to get to Delanie seemed to take forever.
Delanie stared out the windshield with a wistful, faraway expression. Was she thinking of Clearmount? Remorse twisted inside of Aiden. He never should have followed up on his friend’s suggestion back then, about checking out Clearmount Retreat or trying to impress his father by closing the deal himself. If he hadn’t gone to Clearmount, he would have never met Delanie, and she wouldn’t have lost her home.
In his peripheral vision, Delanie shivered. She turned up the heat and used her coat like a blanket to cover herself.
A moment later, Aiden turned on the radio.
A pop song blasted through the speakers of Delanie’s rental.
A small smile tugged on his lips as he turned it down. She used to blast her favorite dance music while they cooked breakfast at night in the cabin at Clearmount.
Switching breakfast to dinner had been Delanie’s idea. She’d hated having to sneak back to the main house before they could share her favorite meal.
After he’d signed the deal with her father, he’d looked forward to having breakfast in the morning that weekend instead of at night. He’d planned it out—eggs and bacon for him, waffles and berries for her. Was that still her favorite meal? Did her ex-husband ever make it for her in the mornings? A hit of jealousy smacked into Aiden. What was her ex like? Did he make her happy? What caused the divorce?
Aiden glanced to Delanie, who remained asleep.
The past few days she’d hardly been able to keep her eyes open, even without the medication she’d been taking. His questions would have to wait—if he ever got a chance to ask them, that is. He had no right to the intimate details of her past, but he needed some confirmation that she’d found happiness despite his ruining her life. That would take away some of the guilt of knowing she would have been better off if she hadn’t met him at all.
Miles down the interstate, the sky grew grayer. Rain started to fall.
So much for the forecast of it hitting later in the day. Aiden took the exit that would lead to the country road that would take them to Echo Pines. They had another forty-five miles to go. If they were lucky, they’d make it there, grab the box, and leave before the roads got too bad.
Forty minutes later, a light smattering of icy rain pelted the windshield. Vibrations from the front right tire shook the car.
Shit. Aiden gripped the steering wheel.
Stronger vibrations rattled the entire car.
Delanie shot up. “What’s going on?”
He brought the car to a halt on the side of the road. “I’m pretty sure we have a flat.”
“Now?” She peeked up at the sky through the windshield. “Great.”
His sentiments exactly, but the faster he changed the tire, the faster they could get back on the road. Aiden grabbed his jacket from the back and slipped it on. “Just so you know, you owe me coffee on the way back for this.”
“Not if I help. I do know how to change a flat, you know.” She went to slip on her coat.
Aiden laid his hand on her arm. “I know you do, but you’re just starting to feel better. You don’t want to get sick again. I’ll do it.” He got out. Wind and ice crystals stung his face. Freezing rain. Just what they didn’t need. Black ice was more dangerous than snow.
True to his prediction, the right front tire was flat. He motioned to Delanie. “Pop the trunk.”
She reached over to the driver’s side and seconds later the back of the car opened.
Aiden opened the trunk to take out the spare, but the space where it should have been was empty except for the jack. His heart sank. Although it was highly unlikely for a spare tire to be there, he dropped down and searched under the car. No luck.