Angela’s was a waterfall of sunshiny silk, straight and stunning. Sterling’s daughter was as smart as she was attractive. Her position as Executive VP at Perry Holdings put her in charge of new business development.
Ryder was inordinately drawn to Angela’s beauty, wit and charm. He waited until she finished her conversation, then spoke to her. “Hello, Angela. Nice to see you again.”
She turned, and her eyes widened the slightest bit. Her cheeks flushed. “Hello, Ryder. You must be elated at how all this has turned out.”
He rolled his lips into a rueful smile. “I’m surprised your father allows you to think anyone other than he is responsible for today.”
Angela grinned. “I’m my own person. I can see both sides, believe me.”
Ryder folded his arms across his chest. “Your mother would be very proud of you if she was alive.”
His quiet words affected her visibly. “I miss her a lot. Ten years is a long time, but it seems like yesterday.”
“Perhaps you and I could have dinner sometime. Talk about her. She was very kind to me when I was a kid with nothing to my name.” Ryder hadn’t meant to invite Angela to dinner. What was he thinking? Sterling Perry would have a coronary. Not that this would be a date. Not at all. But still.
Just as he was prepared to retract the invitation, Angela touched his arm briefly, a fleeting brush of feminine fingertips that he felt even through his jacket sleeve.
“I’d like that,” she said, her genuine smile warm and uncomplicated. “Let’s circle back to the idea once the craziness settles down.”
He squashed his unease. Like most postponed plans, the meal would likely never come about. Probably for the best, he decided, though the depth of his disappointment surprised him.
* * *
Minutes before the ceremony was to begin, Aria spotted both Sterling Perry and Ryder Currin in the crowd. She was about to go and greet the two men separately when a deep voice sounded at her shoulder.
“Hello, sweetheart. I’ve been looking everywhere for you.” Ethan pulled her into his arms and gave her an enthusiastic kiss that left her breathless and shaken.
Before she could do more than blink at him in shock, he tucked her against his side and held her firmly. “I want you to say hello to my mother and stepfather, Sarabeth and John Tarwater. Mom, John—this is my fiancée, Aria Jensen.”
His mother rolled her eyes. “Don’t be absurd, son. I’ve known this delightful girl for years.” She took Aria’s cheeks in her hands, misty-eyed. “But I can’t tell you how wonderful it was to hear that I’m finally going to have a daughter-in-law. Ethan was very closemouthed about all of this. He only told us last night over the phone. I barely slept a wink.”
The distinguished older man beside Ethan’s mother winked at Aria. “She’s telling the truth. You’d have thought it was Christmas Eve. Welcome to the family, my dear.”
Sarabeth stepped back, beaming at both men and Aria. “I’m so happy I could burst.”
Ethan kissed his mother’s cheek. “You deserve to be happy, Mama.”
“And when can I expect grandchildren?” She glanced at Aria’s waistline, not even trying to conceal her interest.
Aria’s face flamed. “Ethan and I are both really busy right now with getting the new club up and running. Our personal life will have to take a back seat for a few months. But that gives us time to plan. It’s all good.”
The other woman’s face fell. “Oh. I was hoping for a June wedding.”
Ethan actually blanched. “Mom, it’s March. Good grief.”
She shrugged, a motion that was eerily similar to her son’s way of expressing himself. “You can’t fault a mother for hoping.”
John Tarwater stepped into the fray. “Let’s let these two young folks do their jobs, love. I see Nathan and Amanda Battle over there. Why don’t we go say hello? Besides, it looks like they’ve staked out a good spot to see the ground-breaking.”
As Ethan’s parents walked away, Aria tried to put a few inches between herself and Ethan, but he kept an arm around her. She could feel the heat of his body and smell the scent of his shaving cream. He wore a dress Stetson, as did three quarters of the men present. It shaded his face enough that he hadn’t worn sunglasses.
When he looked down at her, his dark brown eyes crinkled at the corners. “Alone at last,” he teased.
Her heart was beating far too fast as she relived that last kiss. But this was all for show. “I don’t have time to put up with your nonsense right now, Ethan Barringer. We’ve got two alpha dogs about to tear this place apart.” She tilted her head at Ryder Currin and Sterling Perry, who were eyeing each other nearby.
He brushed a thumb over her hot cheek. “Not to worry. The board came up with a perfect plan. They’ve asked me to welcome the group and say a word about the renovation. Then I’ll hand fancy shovels to Perry and Currin and they’ll both do the ground-breaking at the exact same moment.”
Aria whooshed out a sigh of relief. “That’s brilliant.” Though professionally she was interested in what was about to happen with the ceremony, she was far more emotionally invested in whether or not Ethan was going to kiss her again. The knowledge that she so very badly wanted him to rattled her composure.
Despite the fact that he was due at the podium in mere moments, Ethan took her chin, tilted it and covered her mouth with his. For a man on the cusp of a major career announcement in an extremely public venue, Ethan seemed to have no qualms about staking a claim.
Maybe it was because his parents were watching. Or maybe he had spotted Harmon Porter in the crowd.
Whatever the reason, the kiss was sizzling and intense. Aria went up on her tiptoes, leaning in to deepen the contact. “Ethan,” she whispered.
She felt him shudder, heard his low curse as he gathered her closer with both arms wrapped tightly around her.
It was as if the entire world melted away.
Until someone nearby cleared his throat. Pointedly.
Ethan jerked backward and nearly lost his balance. Several people laughed and cheered. There were a few irreverent comments.
If Ethan’s intent had been to prove to his parents that he was happily engaged, he had made his point.
But he might have taken the ruse a bit too far.
Aria wiped a smudge of lipstick from the corner of his mouth. “Go,” she said urgently. “It’s time.”
With a hot, male look that promised their moment wasn’t over, he turned and strode through the crush of attendees. His broad shoulders and lanky frame parted the crowd easily.
Both Sterling Perry and Ryder Currin had made their way to the small, temporary podium, their body language guarded and fierce. Ethan stepped in between them and positioned himself in front of the microphone, surveying the assemblage with an engaging smile. “Good evening, friends. And welcome to the site of the Texas Cattleman’s Club, Houston.”
A roar went up from the crowd.
Ethan smiled and held up his hand. “My name is Ethan Barringer. It is my honor to be in charge of renovating this historic building and restoring her to new and exciting heights. As I look out over this crowd, I see many familiar faces from Royal as well as new friends in Houston. But I’m here to tell you that none of us would be standing on this spot today without these two titans of industry, these two exceptional men, Ryder Currin and Sterling Perry. Let’s give them a hand for everything they both have done to make this dream a reality. Thank you, gentlemen, from all of us.”
The applause was thunderous. Both Currin and Perry visibly relaxed, and it seemed as if they both began to actually enjoy the ceremony instead of being so caught up in their dislike of each other.
Eventually, Ethan spoke again. “In a moment, the board would like to invite you all to come inside and enjoy refreshments in the newly renovated ballroom. For your safety, we ask that you stay with
in the confines of the yellow construction tape as you move from here to there.”
He paused and reached behind him for two large shovels. The handles were painted gold and gleamed in the sunlight. Each handle had been tied with a huge golden metallic bow.
Perry and Currin hefted the shovels over their heads, inciting more cheers.
Then Ethan quieted the crowd. “Okay, folks. It’s time. On behalf of the Texas Cattleman’s Club in Royal, and in anticipation of the Texas Cattleman’s Club in Houston, let’s get this project officially underway!”
Sterling and Ryder leaned forward with looks of intense concentration. Two shovels struck deep into the soil. Two sizable clumps of Texas dirt came up on the metal blades and were overturned onto the nearby grass.
As more cheers rose from the crowd, Aria managed to catch Ethan’s eye. She waved her arm and gave him a thumbs-up. Pride filled her chest. He was so good at what he did. So smart. So professional. So very well-respected by his peers. How could she not lose her heart to him?
Already she felt guilty about deceiving his mother. She hadn’t seen that one coming. In the beginning she’d wondered if Ethan might actually be considering marriage. After all, he wasn’t getting any younger. It was plausible to believe he might have been serious about the marriage proposal.
But then he had given her that unnecessarily cold speech about his determination to go through life alone and why women shouldn’t get stupid ideas.
Even at the time, something about the words hadn’t rung true.
Oh, sure. She believed him. She had believed him enough to be hurt by how callously he had disregarded her attempt to point out that he was a decent man who actually had feelings. Why did he try so hard to push her away anytime they seemed to draw closer together?
It was almost impossible to imagine a man like Ethan being scared of anything, and yet he sure as heck seemed scared of having a woman fall for him. Though he was plenty happy to get physically close when the moment permitted, his heart was walled off in some rigid box he’d built when his father had turned out to be a womanizing jerk.
As if her thoughts had drawn him to her, suddenly Ethan was at her side.
“How did you do that?” she asked, blinking in surprise.
“Do what?” He grinned, clearly riding high on adrenaline.
Her query was derailed when they were accosted by a trio of lovely blue-eyed blondes. Angela, Melinda and Esme Perry—Sterling’s daughters. Roarke, the only son, lived in Dallas and hadn’t made the trip. He and his father weren’t on the best of terms.
Melinda shook Ethan’s hand. “You handled that beautifully. Thank you so much. I was afraid Daddy and Ryder Currin were going to have a duel before it was all over.”
As everyone laughed, Ethan waved off their thanks. “It wasn’t my idea, but I was happy to help.”
Esme smiled at Aria. “And don’t think we didn’t notice your contributions. Everyone’s been talking about what a great job the office in Royal did in coordinating the details for today’s event. It’s a smashing success.”
“I appreciate that,” Aria said. “But it’s not over yet. You won’t want to miss the hors d’oeuvres. And, of course, see the ballroom.”
“We’re headed in there now,” Angela said. “Seems like the two of you should kick back and enjoy yourselves.”
Nine
Ethan liked the sound of that. When the Perry women walked away, he cupped the back of Aria’s neck in one hand. Her nape was warm. “Are you hungry?” he asked.
She cocked her head, as if sensing his ulterior motives. “Not particularly. Why do you ask?”
“I thought you might like to see something upstairs.”
“I have it on good authority that we’re supposed to stay inside the yellow construction tape.”
He rubbed his thumb over her lower lip. “Did anyone ever tell you you have a smart mouth?”
Big blue eyes looked up at him, filled with a million questions he didn’t want to answer and a million secrets he couldn’t decipher. “Often,” she said. “And it’s true.”
He took her by the wrist. “We’ll slip through the shrubbery to the side entrance. I have a key. No one will see us leave, I swear.”
Fortunately, he was able to keep his word. The crowd had mostly dissipated by now, intent on availing themselves of the free food and drinks inside the building. Ethan’s and Aria’s responsibilities were largely over at this point. One of Houston’s premier printers had produced a glossy brochure for each guest that included not only the history of the hotel, but also a proposed timeline for the renovation and an architect’s rendering of what the finished Cattleman’s Club would look like.
Actually, disappearing from the festivities was even easier than Ethan had anticipated. No one noticed the two of them walking in the opposite direction from the rest of the group.
When they were out of sight, he reached in his pocket for the key, opened the door and held it for Aria to step inside. It took a few moments for their eyes to adjust to the dimly lit interior.
Aria balked at the next part. “I don’t want to get into some creepy old elevator,” she said.
He punched the button for the top floor. “We’ve already had them inspected, serviced and completely refurbished. I would never put you in danger. Surely you know that.”
It was a short ride. Yet somehow in that moment, time seemed to slow. He looked at Aria in the mirrored wall of the elevator. Her gaze was downcast, as if she was afraid to let him see what she was thinking. She was radiant tonight. Her dress was the perfect blend of casual and celebratory. Sleeveless and knee-length, it showed off her toned arms and beautiful legs. The fabric was ice-blue, spangled with tiny clear beads that formed flower shapes across the fabric.
Though the neckline was entirely modest, the fit molded to her breasts and flattered her feminine figure.
Suddenly, without any overt provocation on her part, he was hard and aching. His plan to show her what an ass he was, what a bad risk as boyfriend and husband material, was on rocky ground.
Aria was his friend. He didn’t want to subject her to the worst of his behavior. He wanted to treat her like a princess. But if he did, she might get the wrong idea.
Hell, he didn’t even know what he expected himself. Did he only need a smoke screen to keep his mother happy, or was he going to coax more from Aria? Did he want a fake fiancée? A temporary lover? A convenient wife?
The elevator dinged, signaling their arrival.
As they stepped out, he took her elbow. “Be careful here,” he cautioned. “Nothing much has been done on this floor at all.” Wallpaper peeled in forlorn curls. The carpet was ripped in places. A general air of disrepair hung over the abandoned hotel on this level.
She shot him a look. “So why are you bringing me here?”
“I thought you might like to see the Elysium Suite.” He fished yet another key from his pocket and this time opened a set of wooden double doors. At one time the brass handles would have been brightly polished.
Aria sneezed almost immediately, but her gaze was rapt. “Oh, wow. This is incredible.”
“I know. The first time I saw it, I starting calling everyone I could think of until I found a relative of the man who constructed the building way back in the thirties. He built this suite specifically for the famous and infamous to have a place to hide out from the world.”
Ethan followed her protectively as she roamed the room. Nothing was overtly dangerous, but the space had been unoccupied for a long time. The decor was French, probably mideighteenth century. Lots of brocade and silk and unabashed luxury. Gilt trim. Delicate wood. And mirrors. Lots of mirrors.
Aria sat down on the edge of the high platform bed and shot a look at him over her shoulder. “This looks like a courtesan’s boudoir,” she joked.
He kept his distance, only now realiz
ing that even an old musty bed was too much temptation with Aria in touching distance. “You might not be far wrong,” he said. “The guy told me that one of the regulars here was some Italian lady descended from royalty. She had a lover who owned a vineyard in California. They would meet in Houston several times a year and spend a week in this very hotel. Rumor has it they never left the room.”
“Oh.”
He stared at her, frowning. “Aren’t you going to say something about how romantic that sounds?”
Her nose wrinkled. “And have you toss it back in my face? No thanks.”
His stomach clenched. He wanted to be her hero. But he couldn’t.
He also wanted to apologize for his callous speech the last time they were together in Royal, but perhaps it was better to let it stand.
Instead, he paced. He had known this room would appeal to Aria’s sense of whimsy, to her love for larger-than-life tales of grand adventure. What he hadn’t anticipated was how being in this suite with her would affect him.
She stood up and went up the window, staring out at the panoramic view of Houston. “So what will happen to this suite?” She turned and faced him. “Will it be chopped up into smaller boring hotel rooms?”
He shrugged. “Even worse. This entire floor is being ripped out to the studs. There will be suites, yes. But they’ll be ultramodern and chic quarters for the president and the chairman of the board.”
Her expression was crestfallen. “Well, that sucks.”
“Yeah. The next time you come back, Elysium will be nothing but a memory.”
Aria turned her back on the view and leaned her back against the glass. She wrapped her arms around herself and stared at him. “Have you ever wanted a woman badly enough to keep her locked in a room for seven days?”
Suddenly, his collar felt tight. And his erection flexed and swelled even more. If he answered truthfully, he would unravel a sequence of events he couldn’t control. Instead, he paced the confines of the suite, picking up a gold ashtray here, a crystal vase there. “I like to keep my liaisons short and amicable. Low drama. It’s easier that way.”
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