Love by Design (Crystal Falls Book 1)

by Lee, Lynette

  “Thanks. I’ll take care of these tomorrow. I’m not here for long but I was hoping you could do something for me. I need the address for Daly Design, the interior decorator working on the Upton account?”

  Luckily Beth was new enough that she didn’t know his history with Lily. Not that it really mattered to him, but he didn’t feel like dealing with anyone else’s opinions about his love life. He could only imagine what Rick would have to say about what he was about to do.

  She nodded and he smiled. “No problem, Mr. Caldwell.”

  “I’ve got a few things to do, so no rush, but I’d like to have it before I leave.”

  He took the stack of plans and moved quickly down the hall to his spacious office. Pushing the door in he gave a sigh. It was the perfect room for him and he’d always felt his most creative here. One wall was made entirely of glass and looked out over downtown. At night with the lights off the city glimmered beautifully, especially in the snow. He’d spent more than his share of nights alone with Lily just like that, stretched out on the leather couch that spanned another wall.

  In the center of the room was a desk and chair which he rarely used except during client meetings. Along the far wall was his real favorite - a work area for drafting that rivaled anything he’d seen during his time working as an architect in San Francisco. He had all the latest tools and software loaded into a super fast computer at one side and a traditional architecture setup on the other. Pictures of his finished projects, professionally photographed and framed, lined the walls. It was a place for him to create and a place for him to remember all the hard work that had gotten him where he was.

  After the breakup he’d almost hired a decorator to come in and change the space. It had been difficult for him to sit in a room day after day that Lily had so lovingly decorated for him only a few months before when they’d been together. But after a while he adjusted and grew to like it once more, the deep leather seats and sleek desk reminding him of the times they’d worked together after hours, sometimes going over designs but more often than not going over one another’s bodies.

  At one end of the office was a small bathroom where he kept extra shirts and ties along with a few blazers in case he needed a quick change. He checked himself out in the mirror quickly, touching each cheek to see if he needed a shave. He definitely sported some afternoon stubble, and he pulled his shaving kit out as he unbuttoned his shirt. He wanted to be fresh when he saw Lily again.

  A quick shave and some cologne made him feel much better. He slipped on a dark blue shirt and after debating the jacket, decided to leave it. He didn’t want to look too formal.

  He gave one final look around the office, trying to remember if he needed to take anything home. But his mind was simply filled with Lily. Damn the woman, she made him feel like a teenager, forgetful and klutzy and totally smitten. It was time to go and get her back, if for no other reason than to allow him to concentrate on his work again.

  “You look nice, Mr. Caldwell,” Beth blushed as he walked back into the reception area. He was vaguely aware that the girl had a crush on him, but as with the women who hired him hoping he would give them more than just a remodel, it was becoming easier and easier to ignore the attention.

  “Thanks,” he replied and he raised his eyebrows.

  “Oh, right.” She grabbed a piece of paper and handed it to him. “The address for Daly Designs.”

  “Thank you Beth. That’s all I need for today. You can go home now.”

  She gave him another fawning smile but he barely even noticed. He was too busy typing Lily’s address into the GPS app on his phone.

  A night out with the girls was exactly what Lily needed to put the horrible day behind her. She’d called Angie and Rachel on her way back to Crystal Falls and made plans to go out for drinks. They were both surprised when she suggested Plush. Neither of them had been to the bar in months, in solidarity against seeing Noah. Angie eagerly agreed without any questions but Rachel had wanted to know why the sudden change.

  “I see him almost every day at work anyway. Seems like hiding is kind of pointless now.”

  Rachel had agreed but seemed suspicious still. No doubt they would both try to pry all the juicy details of working with Noah out of her. But something made her want to keep it to herself still, especially that tiny detail about kissing him. At least until she could figure out how she felt. She loved Angie and Rachel, but sometimes they could be a little too opinionated.

  Now as she twisted her hair up in curlers she puzzled over her own feelings. Professionally there wasn’t much she could do. Mrs. Upton was her client, for better or worse, and Lily knew that the fate of her business may just lie in pleasing the woman. She knew it would be no picnic - even by her own admission she was a stubborn woman. But now that she had her own business to run she had to start thinking about the long game. Sucking up to please her client wasn’t easy, but it might just land her more high-paying jobs.

  She thought about the headboard again. She would have to call Francis and make some sort of a deal. The bed had been a custom job and she knew she might have to pay for it anyway. Although she could just leave it on Upton’s bill, the professional side of her cringed. Even with the woman’s terrible attitude, Lily didn’t like the idea of screwing her client over. Surely she could find a way to work things out.

  Of course she needed a replacement. She sighed and leaned closer to the mirror, trying for the third time to get a smoky eye just right.

  Finding the artist wouldn’t be easy. She had no idea what his name was or even where he was from, although she remembered well the huge rock hangings. The internet might have some answers for her. But that was something that could definitely wait until the morning.

  What was really on her mind was Noah.

  The kiss had knocked her off-balance. The problem was, she’d liked it. Way more than she should have. She tried to reconnect with the feelings she’d been just a few days before, when she’d hated his guts. But somehow she couldn’t quite do it. And it wasn’t just about the physical pull. The truth was, Noah Caldwell was a good guy.

  A good guy who’d broken her heart.

  Finished with her makeup, she moved to the closet. It felt like a night for a good dress. She sifted through her things but none of them quite worked. What she could really use was a new dress. But she’d have to wait for her final payment for the cabin job before she did any shopping.

  A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts. She checked the clock - it was too early for Angie and she wasn’t expecting anyone else. As carefully as she could, she pulled a scoop neck tank top over her face and hair and threw on a pair of shorts to go answer the door.

  And who else could it be but Noah.

  She sighed.

  “Hey you,” he said with a smile.

  She frowned. “Hey yourself.” Her heart beat furiously but she tried to stay calm. The last thing she wanted was for him to know just how much he disturbed her.

  “So this is Daly Design?” he asked, leaning against the door frame.

  “What are you doing here, Noah?” She hoped her voice didn’t sound as unsteady as she felt.

  “I wanted to talk about the cabin.”

  She raised one brow and continued to block his entrance.

  “And I wanted to talk about what happened earlier today. Do you mind if I come in?”

  Lily hesitated. It would be oh-so-easy to let him in the door, to forget all the pain he’d put her through. Still, she couldn’t let go that easily.

  “Kind of. I was just getting ready to go out.”

  “Five minutes. That’s all I want.”

  She shrugged and moved to let him in.

  “I don’t have much time,” she warned.

  He shut the door behind him and her heart began to beat wildly. Should she sit or stand? If she sat he might want to sit with her and who knew where that might lead. She leaned against the wall - just then she felt that she could use all the support she could ge
t.

  “So what did you want to talk about?”

  “I wanted to apologize again for how Christina treated you. I remember how it is when you’re first starting out. Every word cuts.”

  “It wasn’t your fault.”

  “I know but I wish I would have done something to stop her.”

  Noah stood uncomfortably in the entryway, his eyes shifting over her small apartment and the decor she’d tried so hard to hide the grime and age of the place with.

  “That’s not really why I’m here though,” he began. “Mind if I sit down?” He motioned to the couch.

  Lily crossed her arms and stayed where she was but finally relented with a nod.

  He brushed by her and the touch of his arm against hers sent shivers up her spine. Did he feel it too?

  “I wanted to come by and clear the air between us. I never got a chance to explain myself the night we broke up. It all happened so fast, and we were both drunk-”

  “What’s in the past is in the past. I don’t think we need to rehash it. The first time was bad enough.” She pushed off the wall and sat down on the opposite side of the couch, arms still crossed.

  “I don’t want to rehash it either, believe me.” He ran a hand through his hair and looked away. “But I do want to tell you what really happened with Maggie at the lake. You at least owe me that.”

  The name of Rick’s friend made Lily’s blood boil. She could barely sit still, looking at Noah and remembering every detail of the pain she’d endured. It was as if no time had passed at all.

  “I don’t owe you shit.”

  “No, I guess you don’t. But please. Just listen to me. I’m begging you.” He took a deep breath, obviously uncomfortable, and reached for her hand.

  She made a fist but didn’t shake him off. After a moment when neither of them said anything she finally let out a breath. “Well, go ahead.”

  “It was Rick who slept with Maggie, not me.”

  “Ha! You think it’s going to be that easy?” Now she did shake his hand away.

  “I know you don’t want to believe me. But it’s true. Rick had a thing with Maggie for a few weeks right around the time we went to the lake. They were the ones in the bathroom together. It wasn’t me.”

  She turned away from him. “But the girls I heard talking in the bathroom-”

  “Were probably talking about Rick. Not me.”

  “So why’d they get so quiet when they realized I was in there? It sure seemed like they were talking about you.”

  “Come on. Everybody knows you were close with Rick. They probably didn’t want it getting back to him that they’d been gossiping about him.”

  It made a kind of sense, she supposed. But it just seemed too easy.

  “Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

  “Are you kidding? After you started attacking me at the lake I couldn’t get a word in edgewise.”

  “Believe me, you got plenty of words in.”

  He sat back, sighing loudly. “That’s probably true. Look, we were both drunk, and we both said a lot of things that day that we shouldn’t have said. I should have told you then that I hadn’t slept with her, but you were just so infuriating! I didn’t even want to bother.”

  She wasn’t sure what to believe any longer. For so long she’d thought him guilty. She’d thought it so much that her imagination had supplied the images and now those images, fake as they may or may not be, seemed more real than anything he had to say.

  “I don’t know Noah. You really hurt me.”

  “I know,” he said, concern entering his face. He scooted closer to her on the couch and took her hand again. “Lily, you have to know, I never had even a thought about another woman when we were together. Or sense then. It’s always been you.”

  Before she could respond he leaned in and brushed his knuckles over her cheek. A sharp intake of breath was the only response she got to make before his lips were on hers for the second time that day.

  A flutter in her core became a deep pulsing in her sex. She didn’t just want Noah. She ached for him. But his words trampled through her head making it impossible to give in to the kiss. With all the strength she could muster, she pushed him away.

  “Noah, stop. I can’t do this right now.” She breathed deeply, trying to calm herself.

  He sat back against the other side of the couch, giving her plenty of space.

  She knew at any moment Angie was going to show up at her door. But she barely thought about this as she tried to process Noah’s explanation. Could she have really broken up with him over a misunderstanding? It didn’t seem possible. And if it were true, it seemed downright idiotic.

  “You’re telling me that we broke up because Rick was sleeping with Maggie?”

  Noah shrugged. “Yep.”

  Surprising herself and him, she let out a laugh.

  “What the hell.”

  Noah laughed then too, although she heard hesitation in his voice. Tentatively he leaned back toward her.

  “Lily, I’ve loved you from the first time I saw you. Even if nothing ever happens with us again, I want you to know that.”

  He leaned in closer and put his hand on her thigh. His hand was hot on her skin and she felt the touch radiate through her. He locked eyes with her and watched as she began to melt.

  This time it was Lily who started the kiss. She leaned toward him and wrapped a hand around his neck, pulling him toward her so their lips met. His tongue darted into her mouth and began exploring, making every inch of her body vibrate. It didn’t take long for her to push him back against the couch and sink down on top of his hard body.

  All thoughts of going out with Angie and Rachel were lost.

  Noah grabbed Lily’s shirt and pulled her closer into him, his arms wrapping around her waist and settling at the crest of her backside. She felt his hardness beneath her and pressed down on him, shifting her hips so his stiff manhood came in contact with that most delicate place. She moaned as he slid a hand beneath her shirt, slowly gliding the tips of his fingers over her skin and finally gently thumbing her nipple. She felt all coiled up and suddenly needed release badly.

  A knock at the door made her jump. She pulled away from him quickly. “Oh my God! It’s Angie.”

  Noah straightened his shirt. His pants strained with his rigid length and he let out a frustrated sigh. “Can’t you just tell her you’re sick or something?”

  She gave him an angry look as she combed her hair back into place. She hoped her makeup wasn’t out of place from the kissing.

  “Just a minute!” she called and then turned back to him. “I don’t want her to know you’re here,” she whispered.

  He stood, his brow furrowed and his clothes rumpled.

  “Lily, come on.”

  She pushed him away. “Stay right there. Don’t make a sound.”

  With another threatening glare she went to open the door.

  “Oh hey Ange,” she said through the crack.

  “Hey, you ready?”

  “Actually I need a few more minutes. You want me to just meet you there?”

  “Nah, I’ll wait.” Angie began to come inside but Lily blocked the door.

  “Uh, I’m actually… Would you mind just waiting outside for a couple of minutes? I’m taking care of something kind of personal.” The words felt heavy coming out of her mouth. What could be so personal that she wouldn’t share it with her best friend?

  Angie gave her a strange look but nodded. “Sure, no problem. I’ll just wait in the car.”

  “Thanks,” Lily replied, closing the door and turning to Noah.

  She felt trapped, on one hand wanting to go back to Noah on the couch and on the other wanting to get away from him as quickly as possible. It had felt so good, so right, to feel his flesh against hers again. She didn’t want it to end.

  “Listen, I’ve got to go. And just because we made out it doesn’t mean we’re back together or that I forgive you. It was a moment of weakness, that’s all.
”

  Noah stood from the couch and had her pressed against the wall before she could move. His lips sank down onto hers with a fierceness that made her shudder.

  “That was not weakness. What we have is something more and you know it.” He brushed his lips once more over hers before straightening. “I’ll see you later,” he said in a tone that made her wince and then walked out the door.

  It took Lily a few minutes standing against the wall where he’d left her to gather her thoughts and calm her breathing. No doubt about it, she and Noah did have something more. But just what that was she didn’t know.

  The next morning Lily woke up with a raging headache and black makeup smearing her thousand thread count pillowcases. The cocktails had been great again at Plush but now she regretted every sip.

  Angie and Rachel had tried their hardest the night before to pry something out of her, but even though they kept the drinks and questions coming, she’d held out. She wasn’t ready to tell them about Noah, persuasive as they were, they didn’t get a peep out of her. When Angie had pried about not being let in Lily had acted like she’d just been on an important phone call. The lie was a bad one, but it seemed to have worked. She knew they both had questions still, and she would tell them, of course. Eventually. But for now she felt better keeping it all to herself. At least until she was able to sort out her own feelings.

  She grimaced as she pulled herself out of bed. One too many craft cocktails rattled around in her brain and made her want to crawl back under the covers. She needed coffee, bad. And she needed to get out of her apartment. Just being there reminded her of the make-out session the night before with Noah. She wasn’t sure if she was imagining it, but the place even seemed to smell like him. She struggled into a pair of skinny jeans and a t-shirt. A quick brush through her hair and a slap of powder and she called herself good enough for the day. She wasn’t planning to do anything important and fashion wasn’t paramount enough even to her to make her want to suffer through her regular routine with a hangover.