"Hey," Justin said, running his fingers down the side of her face. "No more frowns. Let's get back to fun. Whatever you have to say can wait. I have other ideas for the next few minutes."
"Only minutes?" she asked lightly.
He smiled. "How about hours?"
"We should sleep at some point."
"At some point," he agreed, as his hand slipped between her legs.
A wave of desire drove every thought out of her mind but one—she wanted him. And he wanted her. Sometimes, she just needed to keep it simple. There was always tomorrow.
Chapter Sixteen
Justin woke up a little before seven to a buzzing text alert coming from his phone, which was still in the pocket of his jeans. It was probably Anthony. The London meeting would just be ending.
Lizzie was still fast asleep and so very pretty with her cheeks pink, her lips soft, and her hair flowing in silky waves down her bare shoulders. He did not want to get out of bed. He did not want to leave her. For the first time in he couldn't remember when, he actually wanted to say to hell with business and focus on making her say his name with a sexy little gasp of pleasure at the end of it.
But as his phone buzzed once more, he rolled out of bed, grabbed his jeans off the floor, and moved into the bathroom.
He was right. Anthony needed to talk. He sent him back a quick text, then dressed and returned to the bedroom. He gave Lizzie one last wishful look and then left.
Upon entering his room, he immediately fired up the computer on the desk, starting a video call with Anthony. He wished he'd had time for coffee, but Anthony sounded rather desperate. A moment later Anthony's face filled the screen. He looked tired and his brown eyes were worried. This was not the face of the young, cocky guy he was used to seeing around the office.
"What's wrong? What happened?" he asked.
"Everything was going well, but then Maxwell started asking me questions about the latest version of the R720 and suggested that Vinton Industries had a better prototype."
"They don't. I gave you all the competitive specs."
"I know. I told him that. I just didn't quite have the facts right in front of me. I had trouble refuting some of the points of his argument. I was juggling a lot of balls."
He drew in a tight breath, knowing that it wasn't completely Anthony's fault, because he'd been thrown into the meeting last minute, but still… He'd expected him to know the most important information as well as he could. "All right. What else?"
"They liked the rest of the presentation, but they're hesitant on the R720."
"Which is a big part of this deal."
"Maxwell is open to taking a call from you tonight. He'll be available after a dinner meeting, so after nine, our time. I figured you'd say yes, so I told him you'd call him."
"Good." He checked his watch. He had about ninety minutes to prepare to make his case.
"Just so you know," Anthony continued. "Maxwell's dinner meeting is with Vinton's VP, Carl Kramer."
"Damn. Carl is in London?"
"Yes."
"I should have known he'd make a bigger play. All right. I better get to work."
"Sorry I wasn't able to close the deal."
"I appreciate your effort. I'll touch base with you after I talk to Maxwell."
"I'll be here."
Justin ended the call and then got to work. He had to save this deal, and he was at a huge disadvantage, with Vinton in London and him in Whisper Lake. But he needed to find a way to show Maxwell that they had the best product at the best price, with the best service and support systems in place. And he would have to do that after Maxwell had been wined and dined by his biggest competitor. Well, he'd always liked a challenge, and he definitely had one now.
A knock came at his door, and his head jerked up. He should ignore the knock. He couldn't see Lizzie now. He couldn't get distracted by her pretty face. He had to concentrate. He had to focus. He had a lot on the line.
But it wasn't Lizzie's voice that rang out; it was his grandmother's.
He got up and opened the door.
"Good morning," she said with a bright smile. "Are you ready for breakfast?"
"No, sorry." He'd completely forgotten he'd promised to have breakfast with his grandmother. "I can't do breakfast. I have a small crisis with a deal in progress. I'm going to be tied up for a few hours."
Disappointment filled her eyes. "This was supposed to be a no-work week, Justin."
"I'm trying to balance everything. But you have to trust me when I say this can't be avoided."
"All right. We'll meet up later. You will make the beach picnic, right? We'll be heading down to the lake around four. Lizzie is making up picnic boxes and it's a whole big thing before the eclipse. I don't want you to miss it."
He nodded. "I'll be there. I just have to take care of this now."
"All right. I'll let you go. I just want you to know how appreciative I am that you came, being as busy as you are. This week, tomorrow especially, is really important to me. The older I get, the more I realize that family is everything."
He couldn't quite agree with that statement, but he didn't want to upset her. "You and Grandpa saved me when I was a teenager. I'll never forget that."
Her eyes grew a little misty at his words. "I wish we'd done more sooner."
"You did what you could. I wasn't your responsibility."
"I know you still have a lot of anger—"
He put up a hand. "I really can't talk about anything now. I'm sorry."
"Of course. Do your work. We'll get together later."
He nodded, then shut the door before she could say anything else. He didn't want to be rude, but he had a deadline, and the clock was ticking.
Lizzie wandered through the dining room around nine o'clock, checking on her guests, making sure that everyone had everything they needed for breakfast, but her mind wasn't really on her job. It kept drifting back to Justin and the incredible night they'd spent together. She'd been disappointed to find him gone when she woke up. She would have liked waking up in his arms, next to the heat of his body, instead of putting her hand on a cold sheet that had only reminded her whatever they had was over. Although, they could have two more nights together before he left on Sunday. It didn't have to be over yet.
Unless Justin was backing off. Maybe he regretted telling her his personal story. He wasn't one to naturally share, which made her wonder why he'd confided in her.
She wanted to believe it was because he trusted her, because he liked her, because they'd shared more than a physical connection. And maybe all that was true. But what did it mean? Or did it mean anything?
This was the problem with hookups, and why she didn't engage in them very often. She thought too much. She dissected every word, instead of just taking it all at face value.
They'd had great chemistry together and incredible sex and they'd laughed and talked, too. It had been a perfect night, and if that's all it ever was, then she was going to be happy about it.
"Lizzie?"
She looked at Shay, suddenly realizing she'd ended up at the front desk. "Did you ask me something?"
"You look like you're in a daze."
"Just tired."
Shay gave her a thoughtful look. "I heard about what went on last night. I can't believe Alice made her fated reappearance."
At Shay's words, she realized she'd forgotten all about Alice and Noah and Patty. And she hadn't seen any of them in the dining room. "Yes, she showed up late last night. How did you hear? Have you seen them?"
"Yes. Alice and Noah had breakfast in the dining room about an hour ago. I couldn't believe it was her when Noah introduced me. Alice is a very attractive woman. And they seemed to be having a good conversation. It was hard to believe they hadn't seen each other in ten years."
"I know. It's the craziest thing. Have you seen Patty this morning?"
"No. I was just going to ask about her."
"I wonder if she already left."
; "She didn't check out or leave her key. But she must be upset. She and Noah were getting really close."
"She was shaken last night. She was with Noah when Alice knocked on the door. Noah opened it and passed out."
"Wow," Shay said, amazement in her eyes. "What a story. It's so romantic. They finally found each other again, and right here at the inn where it all started. We should call the travel magazines. We should pitch the story, Lizzie. It could bring in some great press."
"Maybe. I'd have to ask Noah and Alice first, get their permission."
"I'm sure they'll agree. Noah has been haunting the inn for ten years, waiting for his lost love to return." Shay's eyes sparkled with enthusiasm. "We could get a lot of mileage out of this, Lizzie. People will come just to see the room where they reunited. It could even be a movie."
Shay had always had creative marketing ideas, and while Lizzie liked her energy, she felt a little unsure about this one. "I'll talk to them, but I want to give them some space right now. I don't want to do anything to ruin whatever is happening between them."
"I suppose that's best. I guess we should make sure they do end up together for good before we pitch the story. But I'm telling you, Lizzie, it could be a great marketing ploy."
"I'll think about it. I'm going to do some work in my office this morning. If you see Patty, will you have her stop in to see me before she leaves?"
"Sure." Shay paused, grabbing her notepad. "One more thing. You had a call from a Paula Wickmayer. She said she'd like to speak to you and hoped you would get back to her today." She ripped off the piece of paper and handed it to Lizzie. "I asked what she wanted, but she just said you'd know."
"I do. Thanks." She took the paper and walked into her office, closing the door behind her. Sitting down at her desk, she set the phone message aside and picked up the stack of bills in her inbox. She still had the remainder of the furnace bill to pay. Utilities were going up with the increase in guests, but since she'd had to comp some of this week's guests, she would still be in the hole despite having a full inn. Landscaping and gardening services were the same, but she hadn't yet paid for the current month. And then there were the food bills. They offered a first-rate breakfast, but that meal probably cost more than they could afford.
With a sigh, she opened her computer to check out her bank account. The balance was even more depressing. Was she fighting a losing battle? She'd been trying to make the inn profitable for almost two years now, and she wasn't gaining any ground. In fact, she was losing more ground each month.
Her phone buzzed, and she reached for it like a lifeline. Anything to take her mind off her bills. It was her mother, and she smiled as she answered her phone. "Hi, Mom."
"How are you doing, Lizzie? I was thinking about you and the lunar eclipse this evening. Is the inn packed?"
"Every room."
"That's great. Your dad and I are so proud of you, honey."
"Thanks," she said, feeling a little guilty. Was she doing enough to be deserving of that pride? Or was she going to lose all their money and end up with nothing to give back to them or any of her investors?
"We'd like to come up next month for a visit."
"I thought you were going to Florida next month."
"We decided to put that off. The plane tickets are so expensive right now."
She hated the idea that her parents were scrimping on vacations and plane tickets when they'd invested a chunk of money in her business.
"We'd rather just drive up and see you," her mom continued. "Maybe around Mother's Day. Do you think you'll have any rooms open?"
She pulled up the calendar on her computer. She wished she could say she didn't, but the inn was only half-full that weekend. The real rush to the lake would come June through August, when the summer heat was a big draw. "I have rooms available."
"Great. I'm trying to talk Grayson into coming as well."
"What about Nathan?"
"Who knows where he'll be. Adam told me about his accident. It doesn't sound too serious. Have you talked to him?"
"No," she said, realizing she'd meant to send Nathan a text, but she hadn't. "I'll see if I can get a hold of him."
"I hope you can. I've texted him. But other than sending me back a thumbs-up emoji, he had nothing else to say. I hope he's having fun, but I worry about him. It doesn't seem smart for him to take so much time in between jobs. But I can't really complain, because he's self-supporting and seems to enjoy his life."
"He does seem to have a good time," she agreed.
"I just hope you stay in touch with him, Lizzie. Even though he's not the best at calling or texting back, I think he needs to hear from us. He needs the connection to his family."
"Why would you say that?" she asked curiously. "He's always been so independent."
"True, but he's also the middle child. Adam and Grayson were tight. You and Chelsea were close, and Nathan got lost sometimes. I think that's why he likes to pretend he doesn't need anyone."
"I never thought about it like that," she said slowly. "Nathan was always the funny guy in the family. He never seemed to have a care in the world."
"That's what he wanted everyone to think, but I suspect his constant wanderlust is because he's looking for a place to belong. That makes me a little sad, like I didn't do enough."
"You did great. All your kids know you love them," she assured her mom, reminded once again how lucky she was to have not just one parent but two who cared deeply about her and her siblings and their family unit. Justin's parents might be brilliant medical professionals who had saved countless lives, but they hadn't been aware of what was going on in their own family, especially when their kids were young. Her mom was still worrying about her brother, and Nathan was in his thirties.
"You always make me feel better, Lizzie," her mom said. "How is everything with you? Are you seeing anyone? Or is that a silly question? I'm beginning to think that inn will be the closest thing I get to a son-in-law."
"You're getting Brodie. Focus on that."
"I love Brodie. But I want all my kids to find their special someone, including you. I know you're busy with the inn, and it makes you happy, but work isn't everything. Oh, why am I wasting my breath? I know where your priorities are right now, and that's on building your incredible business. Dad and I can't wait to see what else you've done with the place."
"I can't wait to show you," she said, hoping by the time they came in May some of her problems would be behind her. Because the last thing she wanted to show her parents and her investors were the stack of bills in front of her. "But, Mom, I have to ask…"
"What's that, honey?"
"You were looking forward to Florida, to seeing your friend Linda. Is it a money thing? Do you need some of your investment back?"
"Oh, no. We're fine. We'll go to Florida another time. Don't worry about us. We'd rather come to the inn and see you."
"If you're sure."
"We are. Now, have fun tonight."
"I will. Bye." As she ended the call, her gaze moved from the bills to the packet from Falcon Properties. She really didn't want to think about selling the inn. But if she failed at keeping the inn running, there were a lot of people she loved who were going to suffer a loss right along with her. Her mom had told her not to worry, but she couldn't help but be concerned. It wasn't just that her parents weren't going to Florida, but that she found herself wondering what else they were putting off because their money was tied up.
She stared at the folder for another long minute. She wasn't ready to look at their offer yet. Was she?
Justin didn't get done talking to Maxwell until after eleven. After two hours of intense discussion, he'd finally won him over, and the deal was done. With that verbal agreement, he'd checked in with Anthony to fill him in on next steps. By the time he ended all that, it was after one, and he was starving. The beach picnic for the eclipse wasn't starting until four, and he needed some food. He also needed to see Lizzie. He wasn't sure which hunger w
as bigger.
He grabbed his key and headed downstairs. Shay was at the front desk. She gave him a friendly smile.
"I heard you've been working all morning," she said. "Your grandparents were disappointed you couldn't join them for breakfast."
"It was unavoidable. Is Lizzie around?"
"She's in her office."
"Thanks."
He moved past her to knock on the office door.
"Come in," Lizzie said.
When he entered, she gave him a conflicted look. "Hi," she said, her gaze filled with memories of the intimacy they'd shared. But there was also wariness in her eyes as she got to her feet. "How has your morning been?"
He frowned at the cool note in her voice. "Seriously? You're going to talk to me like I'm a guest after the night we had?"
"What do you want from me, Justin?"
"I want you to act like you, not like a stranger."
"I'm sorry. No. I'm not sorry," she amended. "You left without saying good-bye. It was a weird way to end things."
"I got an emergency text from my colleague in London. I had to take his call, and I didn't want to wake you up. There was a big problem with our deal, and I had to jump into the middle of it. I just finished, and I came to find you before I did anything else."
She looked slightly mollified by his explanation, although she still had her arms folded across her chest. "Okay, I understand. I just missed you. And that terrible feeling reminded me of why I'm not good at hookups. I have a hard time separating the emotional from the physical."
"It wasn't just a hookup, Lizzie. You know that. We talked a lot."
"We did." She sighed. "I'm afraid I just like you a little too much, Justin. It's what I do. I get involved. I care too much."
Her candid admission touched his heart. "I like you, too, Lizzie. And I care about you as well."
"That's nice."
"We're back to nice?" he teased.
She gave him a smile that melted the ice between them. "I guess we are back to where we started."
Can't Fight The Moonlight (Whisper Lake Book 3) Page 18
