“Smart. I didn’t think of that.” Piper hugged her and said, “I’m glad you’re safe, and I’m glad you have Mason.”
“Will you fill in Willow and everyone for me? I really just want to get out of town and not think about this.”
“Absolutely.”
Piper hugged Mason and said something Remi couldn’t hear.
As Piper and Harley drove off, Mason said, “Looks like it’s just you and me, Princess. For real this time.”
“I’m pretty sure it was always supposed to be just you and me.” That light inside her that brightened around Mason became even brighter as relief gave way to happiness. “Guess what? We can kiss and hold hands and be a couple!”
His arm circled her waist, and he crushed his mouth to hers. “Best.” Kiss. “News.” Kiss. “Ever!” Kiss.
She couldn’t stop grinning. “In case I haven’t said it enough, thank you for never letting your guard down even when I thought it was silly to be worried, and thank you for putting your life on the line to save mine.”
“I’d take a bullet for you, Remi.” He kissed her tenderly and said, “Do you want to repack your things in a suitcase?”
“No way. Load that box in the overkill vehicle and let’s get out of here. It feels like I’ve been waiting forever to have time as a normal couple, away from the stress. Did you tell Porter and Merrick they don’t have to follow us? They must be relieved.”
“Yes, but it’s their job. They wouldn’t have minded. They’re just happy you’re safe, and Porter said he’s glad we can openly be a couple now. He said I was like a cocked gun ready to go off these past few weeks.”
“I like your cocked gun,” she said seductively. “Let’s get out of here so we can get to the cabin and unload your magazine as often as we’d like. I’ll call Aiden on the way.” As he loaded the box into the SUV, she said, “What did Piper say when she was hugging you? I hope she didn’t threaten you again.”
“She said she thinks you’re still in shock and to watch you carefully. She said I should be ready for tears, and if I can’t handle it, to call her and she’ll drive to the cabin to be there for you.”
“She said all that?”
“Well, in her own way. What she really said was, ‘The girl’s gonna crash at some point. You’ve got my number. Use it if she needs me.’”
Remi climbed into the SUV and said, “Now, that sounds like Piper.”
They were both in lighter moods as they drove out of Harmony Pointe toward the cabin. Remi called Aiden and filled him in. For a moment Aiden went silent, and in those quiet seconds, Remi felt his relief as if he were right next to her. She pictured his serious eyes closing, the finely engraved tension lines around his eyes and mouth easing.
“Thank God,” he finally said. “And you’re okay?”
“I’m fine. Great actually. We’re on our way to the cabin.”
“Good. I’ll be there Sunday afternoon.”
“Okay. And, Aiden, I know I was a pain at first about having bodyguards, and I’m sorry for that, and for ditching them. Thank you for insisting and for hiring Mason. He’s an amazing man, and I think if you were here, you’d be really happy with how careful he’s been with me.”
“He’s kept you safe, Remi. That’s all I’ve ever wanted,” Aiden said. “Can I talk to Mason for a moment?”
“Yeah, hold on.” She handed Mason her earpiece. “Aiden wants to speak to you.”
“Hi, Aiden. How are you?” Mason listened. “Mm-hm. Yes. Don’t worry. I’m not leaving her side. Yes, there will be an arraignment . . .”
As they talked, Remi closed her eyes, thankful for each of the two most important men in her life. In a few days everything would be out in the open and they would truly be free.
It was after seven o’clock when Mason turned off the highway, following winding narrow roads to Remi’s private one-hundred-forty-two-acre rural mountain estate. He wasn’t like other men who could shut down their worrying brains and disappear into a good book, thinking about nothing other than the next chapter, or play eighteen holes of golf wondering if he’d make par. Even though the threat to Remi had been cleared, Mason was still in warrior mode, noting the distance to the main roads, the lack of nearby properties, and the relaxed, gorgeous smile on his girlfriend’s face.
There was something to be said about shutting down one’s mind, and that smile sure made him want to learn how.
He drove down the long driveway and focused on the lush woods bordering it. Vibrant and colorful fall leaves brought a sense of freedom and privacy.
Remi rolled down the window, and the scents of autumn wafted in. “Every time I come here, my stress just falls away, and life feels less complicated.”
“How often do you get up here?”
“Usually twice a year, at least for a few days. Same with the Cape if I can fit it in.”
“Alone?” He hated the idea of her up there in the mountains without anyone to protect her.
“Well, before I met the Daltons, I could have counted my real friends on one hand, one of them being Naomi, my assistant. So sometimes Naomi would come with me, and if I dared come alone, Aiden usually showed up. You know how he hates it when I’m alone.”
“I’m glad you have the Daltons.” Mason cocked a grin as he parked out front and said, “You know, the more I hear about Aiden, the more I like him.”
“Let’s see how much you like him when he hears you’re sleeping with his baby sister, because in his eyes, I’m afraid that’s who I’ll always be.” She opened her door and jumped out. Then she popped her head back in and said, “But I’ve been taking a crash course in forming effective boundaries, and I think it’s time I set some up with my big brother. Come on. I’m excited to show you the cabin!”
“It is gorgeous here,” Mason said as he climbed out and grabbed their box. “How come you’ve never put roots down closer to your friends in Harmony Pointe or Sweetwater?”
They climbed the steps on the side of the house up to the wide wraparound porch. The entrance was on the side of the cabin, and three French doors faced a clearing in front of the driveway.
“I don’t know. I guess because my schedule has always been crazy, and between Willow, her sisters, and Aurelia, I’ve always had a place to stay. I was thinking about that when we were at Willow’s house for the barbecue. I love Sweetwater and Harmony Pointe, and I don’t like LA. Maybe I should sell my LA house. It’s not like I ever considered it home. It was just a place for me to stay when I was in the area.” She dug her keys from her bag and unlocked the door. “I could always buy the fortress. It has some stressful memories because of the letters and what happened today.” She turned smiling eyes to Mason as she said, “But it is where you and I came together, which is one of my happiest memories.”
He pressed his lips to hers. “Mine too. I’m not trying to get you to buy a house or sell your LA house. I was just curious.”
“I know. But if I owned the fortress, we could host the birthday bashes there. It’s plenty big enough, and there’s a pool and a great patio and room for the kids to run around. It might be worth considering.”
He followed her inside, and as Remi disarmed the alarm, he took in the two-story ceilings, the floor-to-ceiling stone wall surrounding the fireplace to the right, and the cozy peach-colored couches and chairs by the French doors. To their left, there was a small round table in the dining area, bookshelves, and pictures of Remi’s family hanging on the wall. A bar separated the kitchen from the rest of the living space. He knew the hall to the right of the kitchen led to three bedrooms and two full baths.
“The master’s at the end of the hall,” Remi said. “Why don’t you put our stuff in there, and then we can go into town and get dinner. I’m so excited, I can barely stand it! I actually get to hold your hand and kiss you in public!”
“I’m excited, too, Princess.” He headed down the hall, passing a bedroom on either side and a full bath on the right.
The master suite
spanned the width of the cabin, and it felt like Remi, light, breezy, and understatedly elegant. The king-sized bed had an ornate brushed wrought-iron headboard with florid designs and fancy posts with decorative finials. The comforter was buttercup yellow, which complemented the pale blue glass bedside lamp and the pale blue-and-yellow armchair by the French doors that led to a large screened-in porch, complete with a fireplace.
Mason set the box down beside the bed and dug out his sweatshirt. Then he checked the locks on the windows and doors, wishing she had a freaking ten-foot wall around her property after the nightmare she’d just been through.
“Okay, Mr. Swift, it’s time we had a little chat.”
Mason turned and found Remi standing in the doorway with a smirk on her gorgeous face, arms crossed, tapping the toe of her boots. She crooked her finger, beckoning him to her, and his heart turned over in his chest. This beautiful, smart, playful woman was all his.
He wrapped his arms around her waist and said, “Chat, my love.”
“Tonight, can you just be my boyfriend and not my bodyguard? I can see the gears in your head churning, but I need you to be with me tonight as Remi, not as the girl with the stalker.”
“The stalker is behind bars, but your safety will always be in the forefront of my mind.”
“I know, and I appreciate that. But just for one night, take a deep breath and just be with me.”
He shook his head. “Do you even know who you’re with? I warned you, remember? I can’t turn it off that easily.” He lowered his voice and said, “But for you, I’m going to try really hard to dial it down.”
“Oh, you’ll be hard all right—later, after we celebrate our freedom and coupledom.” She gave him a chaste kiss and tugged him out the bedroom door.
As they drove into Auburn Grove, Mason said, “You know you’re still Remi Divine, right? Or are you so excited about the stalker being caught that you’ve lost sight of the fact that you might have fans all over you tonight?”
She lifted her chin and said, “I’m that excited, yes, but I also had a fantastic teacher these last few weeks. If anyone recognizes me, which they might not in this getup, I’m going to wow you with my boundary-setting prowess.” She’d touched base with Naomi and Shea on the drive up to let them know she wanted a week without interruptions unless it was urgent. She’d passed those boundaries lessons with flying colors.
“I look forward to it.”
Auburn Grove was smaller than Harmony Pointe, and equally charming. There were rocking chairs on front porches and children playing in yards, despite evening rolling in. They parked by the clock tower in the center of town and held hands as they crossed the street to the brick-paved courtyard that spanned the area between two rows of shops. Mason loved the feel of Remi’s delicate hand in his, but it wasn’t enough. He tucked her beneath his arm, wanting her closer.
Moonlight reflected in her eyes as she said, “This is pretty awesome, isn’t it?”
“The town?” he teased. “Yeah, it’s cute.”
She swatted his stomach, and he lost his mind for a minute, his guard slipping completely away as he lifted her into his arms and twirled her around, pressing his lips to hers. He’d never felt what he’d call giddy, but at that moment he was damn close.
He set her feet on the ground, keeping her close, and said, “Being with you like this, out in the open, is better than pretty awesome, Princess. It’s everything.”
They walked along the courtyard, scoping out the shops for tomorrow, when they’d come back and check them all out, and found a cute eclectic café called Hot Eats. Ivy crawled up the sides of the redbrick walls, giving it a rustic feel. Like the Italian restaurant and the deli they’d passed at the other end of the courtyard, the café had seating out front. Unlike those other venues, none of the seating matched. Customers sat on wooden benches with thick red cushions beside big drums used as tables and in iron chairs surrounding a large farm-style table. Others sat in wicker, wooden, and upholstered chairs with mismatched tables for one or two. At the far end of the eating area, two couples sat cross-legged atop colorful striped blankets on an open futon, with a pizza between them. Lanterns with candles lit up the bricks around the futon.
Just outside the eating area was a fountain. A long-haired guy sat on a knee-high stone wall around the fountain playing his guitar.
Remi swayed to the music. She leaned closer to Mason and said, “Best first date ever.”
They were greeted by a bubbly blonde, who asked if they wanted to sit in the lovers’ chair. Remi practically squealed with delight when she saw the chair for two beneath a canopy surrounded on three sides by pretty white sheers flowing in the breeze. The glass table was adorned with a red tablecloth, a vase of wildflowers, and candles. They ordered drinks, salads, and tomato-basil chicken, and then Remi rested her head against Mason’s shoulder as they listened to the music and snuggled together on the chair. Mason couldn’t remember a time when he’d been happier or more at ease. He was thankful Remi hadn’t been recognized, and though he was still watching the people around them, being able to hold her while watching over her made everything that much sweeter.
The waitress brought their food, and they talked while they ate. Even though they’d eaten together every day for weeks, this felt different. Better. Remi snagged bites of tomatoes from his plate and peppers from his salad, reminding him of the very first time they’d cooked together. It felt like a lifetime ago, and at the same time, it was such a bright memory, it felt like yesterday.
When they were done eating, Remi lifted her glass and said, “Here’s to the end of a nightmare. I’m so happy being with you, out in the open. I don’t think I’ve ever been this happy in my whole life.”
He tapped his glass to hers, then set it down. He slid his hand beneath her hair, drawing her lips to his, loving the peaceful look in her eyes. “I have a feeling I’ll be kissing you a lot more now that I can do it whenever I want to, so if it’s too much, you need to tell me.”
“I’m a glutton. I hope you never stop.”
He pulled her in for a long, slow kiss, and then he brushed his nose along her cheek, breathing her in. “You’ve changed my world, Princess. With you I feel things I never thought possible. I see every day through new eyes. I just need to know one thing: Where do you want to go from here? After we tell Aiden, do you want to go to the city and stay at my loft? Spend time there enjoying the lights, see a show or two? Or do you want to stay in Harmony Pointe?”
“I want to be wherever you are. Where do you want to be?”
“With you, Remi. That’s all that matters to me. But you’ve been told what to do and where to go for so long, I want this decision to be yours.”
“You can’t imagine how much that means to me.”
“Oh, I think I can. A certain strong-willed woman ditched some of my best men, and even tried to ditch me.”
“No, I didn’t. It was either get out of the house or throw myself at you, because you were strutting around all hot and sexy and looking at me like you are right now.”
The guitarist started playing “She Is Love.” Mason threw a wad of way too much money on the table to cover the bill and a nice tip and rose to his feet, bringing Remi up with him. “Come on, beautiful. He’s playing our song.”
He led her over by the fountain, and there beneath the stars, with dozens of people all around them, he held his love in his arms for all to see, and then he kissed her, just because he could.
They continued dancing to several more songs, some fast, some slow, every single one as joyful as the last. The longer they danced, the more couples joined them. An hour later, the middle of the courtyard was so crowded it looked more like a dance floor, making the evening feel like even more of a celebration.
When the guitarist took a break, applause broke out—for him, not for Remi and Mason, though the way Remi was looking at Mason, it was as if the applause were meant for him. They walked hand in hand toward the clock tower, the old-fashioned
light posts casting a romantic glow around them.
They passed a tattoo parlor, and Mason said, “Were you serious about getting a tattoo?”
“Only if you’ll hold my hand.”
“Aw, Princess. You’re the cutest. I’ll hold your hand, but how about if you sleep on it, since tattoos are forever?”
“Okay, but I won’t change my mind.” Remi leaned into his side and said, “This night couldn’t get any more perfect. The town, the food, the dancing, my man . . .”
“Hold that thought.” Mason took her hand, tugging her into an alley between two buildings. “Come on,” he whispered, and helped her up onto the fire escape he’d spotted.
“What if we get caught?” she whispered, but the light of mischief in her eyes told him she was loving every second of their impromptu escapade.
“I’ll take the heat and say I forced you to do it.”
He followed her up to the rooftop, and she wrapped her arms around herself, like she had when he’d taken her onto the roof of the building where he’d once lived in the city. She turned in a circle, taking in the lights of the small town, so different from the big city and yet so beautiful.
“I know where I want to go after we tell Aiden,” she said.
“Where’s that?”
“I want to go to the city. I want to see where you live and spend some time in your world. But I really want to go see Chuck and get to know him, if that’s okay.”
He didn’t think his heart could feel any fuller than it did right then. “That’s more than okay. I was serious when I said I was going to make changes in my life, Remi. When I spoke to my team earlier, I told them I’m going to be delegating a lot more of the jobs I normally take on. I want to dedicate time for our foster-care project. That’s ours, sweetheart, and I want to be involved every step of the way, helping to get people to donate and putting together boxes, holding fundraisers. I want to see those smiling faces at the birthday bashes and know that we made it happen together.”
This is Love Page 27