by Reese Ryan
“Thank you, Representative Johannsson.” Sophie seemed more perturbed than comforted by the man’s words. She raked her fingers through her dark hair. “What brings you to Royal?”
“Call me Cash. All my friends do.” He smiled warmly as he smoothed the lapels of his impeccable navy suit. He nodded toward Audra. “I’m sorry to interfere with your plans for the evening, but I need to speak with Audra for a few minutes. You’ll hardly notice she’s gone.”
“We’re just going to have coffee and a quick chat over at the bar,” Audra assured her. “Don’t wait for me to order, but I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
Audra forced a smile so her new friend wouldn’t worry. Cash was harmless, if overly persistent. It was the politician in him. Win or lose, the campaign was never really over.
Sophie nodded, then turned to leave.
Audra turned to Cash, her arms folded. “Did you really need to tell her we dated?”
“It’s true.” He shrugged; his eyes suddenly filled with sadness. “And it’s certainly not something I’m trying to hide.”
He’d loved her, and she’d broken his heart. The least she could do was have a cup of coffee with him and make her intentions clear.
Sixteen
Audra and Cash sat at the bar. She ordered coffee and he ordered braised beef sliders, parmesan vegetable fritters and a Sazerac—his preferred drink.
“You’re sure I can’t get you a Sex on the Beach?” Cash turned on his stool to face her.
“No, thank you. I’d much rather talk about why you followed me here.”
“Isn’t it obvious?” He laid a gentle hand on her forearm. “I miss you, Audra.”
She didn’t respond right away. What could she say that she hadn’t said before?
“I know things weren’t perfect between us, Audra. Being a public servant is a demanding job. Surely, you understand that. Your father has been an elected official most of your life.”
“I do understand. But your career isn’t the issue, Cash. I’m fond of you, but I just don’t feel the same way about you that you do about me.” Audra thanked the bartender when he set her coffee in front of her. She added sugar and cream.
“Maybe not right now, but if you’d only give it a little more time...” He stroked her forearm with his thumb, a soothing technique he’d employed whenever she was upset. “You’d realize how good we are together.”
Audra withdrew her arm from his grasp. “We’re just not compatible romantically. You’re a good man, Cash, but we want very different things from life. Isn’t it better that we figured that out now? I want a relationship that makes me happy, and I want the same for you.”
She picked up her cup and sipped her coffee.
“Is that what you’ve found with that Thr3d guy you’ve been seen all over town with?”
Audra nearly spilled her coffee. She slammed the mug down. It clanked against the saucer.
“You’ve been following me?”
“I spent the past few hours in town. When I mentioned that we were longtime friends, the locals couldn’t wait to tell me about the guy you’ve been spending so much time with. The guy you’re living next door to.” He emphasized the last sentence, indicating that he suspected there was something going on between her and Darius.
She had no wish to deny it. Nor would she apologize for being a grown-ass, unattached woman living her best life. But she’d been the one who’d insisted on keeping their relationship secret.
If anyone asks, we’re just friends.
But there were no restrictions on sharing their past. “We dated in grad school. But renting homes next door to each other in Royal is purely coincidence, as crazy as it might seem.”
It was the truth, and yet it sounded impossible, even to her.
“Either way, it’s none of your business. Nor is it anyone else’s,” she added, in case he planned to run back to her mother with news of her suspected fling.
“Our relationship ended less than three months ago, Audra. I’m worried this guy is taking advantage of you at a vulnerable point in your life.”
“I broke it off with you, remember?”
“I know, but...” He gripped his glass. “I assumed this was a phase you needed to go through. That you’d eventually realize how well matched we are.”
“I don’t want to be well matched, Cash. I want to be totally, completely, unapologetically in love.”
“We were happy together, Audra. And our parents were happy for us. They’ve been hoping we’d get together our entire lives.”
“But I wasn’t happy. Or does that not matter to any of you?”
Cash took a healthy sip of his Sazerac; a sure sign his patience was wearing thin. A tendency he shared with her father.
“How much do you know about this guy, Audra?”
She frowned, her forehead tensing. He’d hit a nerve. And from the calculating expression on his face, Cash knew it, too.
“I know enough. So stop prying. What I do and whom I do it with is none of your affair. Nor is it my parents’.”
“We’re concerned. That’s all.”
“I thank you for your concern. But go home. I’m fine, and I’ll deal with my parents tomorrow.”
“Don’t be so hard on them.” He tapped a finger on the bar. “They’re just trying to protect you.”
She’d had about enough of his condescension.
“I love my parents, but I’m tired of everything I do being weighed by its political merits first. The schools I attended, whether or not I pledged a sorority and which one. What career I chose. I’ve had enough of it. And I’ve had enough of this.”
She sat taller, steeling her spine as she fixed her gaze on his. “It’s over, Cash. I’d like to believe we can still be friends, but I have nothing more to offer you.”
“Audra, you don’t mean that.”
“Yes, I do.” She placed a hand over his on the bar. As angry as she was with Cash, she didn’t relish hurting him.
“Don’t you want to be with someone who truly adores you? Because, as your friend, that’s what I want for you. It’s what you deserve. But I can’t give that to you.”
He looked as if she’d cleaved his heart with an arrow. “You said I wasn’t romantic enough. So I thought I’d come down here and surprise you. Show you that I can be the man you want.”
“You shouldn’t have to change who you are, and I’d never expect you to.” Audra checked the time on her phone. She leaned in and kissed his cheek. “Goodbye, Cash. Give my regards to your parents and have a safe trip back to Dallas.”
Audra walked toward the private room where Sophie and her friends were waiting. She didn’t know what would become of the relationship she was forging with Darius. But she knew one thing for sure. She wouldn’t settle for a relationship with Cash.
She didn’t love him. Not in the way he deserved to be loved. And he certainly wasn’t capable of providing her with the passion and companionship she enjoyed with Darius.
Her cheeks tightened in an involuntary smile as she wondered what Darius was doing now.
Before she’d arrived tonight, she hadn’t decided whether to accept Darius’s invitation to his show. But now she was sure. She was counting the days until they’d be together again.
Seventeen
Darius had been running all day. He was sure he hadn’t slept more than three hours a night since he’d returned home. A direct contrast to the sound sleep he’d been getting with Audra in his arms back in Royal.
He was tired, cranky, and now that he thought of it, he was hungry.
“Did I eat today?” he asked his assistant, Anastasia Winters.
“Not unless you’re counting that gum you’ve been chewing for the past hour.” She pushed up the cuff of her sweater revealing one of two elaborate tattoo sleeves. This one dominated by vibrant gre
ens, blues and aqua.
“Have you eaten?” he asked.
She gave him an even dirtier look.
“God, I’m sorry.” He stood, rubbing a hand over his head. “I vowed to myself that I’d never be that boss. We should get something. Why don’t you order in? Your choice.”
Anastasia grinned. “Then we’re ordering from my favorite steak house. Want your usual?”
“That’s fine.” He settled back in his chair.
“Sounds like I arrived just in time.” Audra was standing in the doorway, patting her stomach. “I’m starving and I could go for a good steak.”
“Audra.” Darius stood, making his way across the room.
She hadn’t responded either way to his invitation to join him in Los Angeles for the show and he’d assumed she hadn’t planned to come.
He hugged her tightly, lifting her off her feet. He whispered in her ear, “This is an amazing surprise.”
She looked incredible in a simple red dress that grazed her thighs, a fitted, waist-length leather jacket and a sexy pair of cutout peep-toe heels.
He could already envision the entire outfit piled on the floor beside his bed. On second thought, the heels would stay on.
Darius put her down, his hand pressed to her cheek. He wanted so badly to kiss her, but they’d agreed to take this slowly and play it cool in public.
Anastasia cleared her throat.
“Oh, I’m sorry. Audra, this is my assistant, Anastasia Winters. Stasia, this is my friend from grad school—”
“You went to grad school with Audra Lee Covington? You never mentioned that. Wow, boss, talk about burying the lede.” She stepped forward, wiping her hands on her blue jeans and sifting her fingers through her blond hair streaked with shades of purple, pink and aqua.
Stasia looked starstruck as she extended her hand to Audra. “Hello, Ms. Covington, it’s such a pleasure to meet you. Your jewelry designs are absolutely amazing.”
“Thank you, Anastasia. Please, call me Audra. And it’s a pleasure to meet you, too. I’ve heard a lot about you. Darius thinks quite highly of you.”
“I feel the same. I give him a hard time, but he’s an amazing boss and Thr3d is a fantastic company. I’m lucky to work here.”
“You’re not just saying that because I’m treating you to lunch, are you?” Darius teased.
“You’re treating me to lunch because I’m an amazing assistant and you’d be lost without me.” Stasia grinned, then studied the two of them for a moment. “You know, I could use some fresh air. I think I’ll walk over there and eat. How about I bring something back for the two of you in—” she checked her watch “—about an hour. The menu is in the file in your desk. Just let me know what you want.”
“I can wait an hour. How about you, Audra?” Darius asked.
“Sounds good to me.” She put her purse down and started to take off her jacket.
Darius slipped it from Audra’s shoulders and hung it on a nearby hook. “Perfect. I’ll call you in thirty minutes. Be sure to grab the corporate—”
“Credit card?” Stasia waved it in front of him, then slipped it into her back pocket. “I’m on it. I’ll be gone for an hour, and I’ll make sure everyone else knows not to bother you. I already set your phone to Do Not Disturb.” She gave him a knowing look and pulled the door closed. “Goodbye, you two.”
“Sorry about that.” Darius sat behind his desk. “I never said anything to Stasia about us, I swear.”
She stood in front of him. “I’m pretty sure that reception you gave me was what clued her in.”
“Maybe I could’ve dialed back a little,” he conceded. “But I showed admirable restraint, given how incredible you look in that dress.”
“Do I?” She smoothed the garment down over her hips.
“You do.” Darius pulled Audra closer. She pressed her warm lips to his clean-shaven head, then sat on his lap.
There was something comforting about the woman who believed in his dream from the beginning being there on the eve of the biggest moment of his career. Everything seemed to slow down, and for the first time in days, he could catch his breath.
Audra seemed just as happy to see him.
He kissed her, the kiss slowly building in intensity. His fingers dug into the smooth, toasted-brown skin of her thighs and itched to glide beneath the red fabric and bury his fingers in the wet heat between her strong thighs.
Admirable restraint indeed.
Audra pulled away, one hand to his cheek. She smiled. “Good thing I wore the nontransferable lipstick today.”
“I guess it is.” He kissed her again. “You should’ve told me you were coming in today. I would’ve picked you up from the airport. Where’s your luggage?”
“Downstairs. I came straight here. I haven’t even checked into my hotel yet.”
“Don’t. Stay at my place. I’ll take you out there now.”
“All the way out to Pasadena? With traffic it’ll take you forever to go all the way out there and come back. I’ll take a car service instead.”
“Are you sure? I don’t mind.” For Audra, he’d make the time. The show was just two days away, but his team was more than capable of handling everything. He was a perfectionist, and his obsession with getting every detail right was in overdrive.
She kissed him again, her hand pressed to his chest. “I’m positive.” She leaned in and whispered in his ear. “Besides, the sooner you’re done here, the sooner I’ll see you back at your place.”
“I can’t disagree with your logic,” he said, his voice faint.
He picked up his cell phone and tapped out a message. “There. I just sent my address and the code to get inside the house. Will you at least stay for lunch?”
“Sure, if you have the time.”
“Good. I’ll call Stas with our lunch orders and then give you a tour of the place.”
“Thought you’d never ask.” She smiled. “I’d love to see it.”
“There’s one more thing I want to ask.” He hesitated. “I’d love it if you’d model one of the swimsuits in the show.”
“On the runway? You can’t be serious.” She paced the floor beside his desk. “Whatever tall, thin, leggy glamazon you hired to walk the runway in the suit will look far better in it than me.”
“I disagree.” He stood, too, and wrapped his arms around her waist, stilling her. “You forget that I’ve already seen you in it. I designed those swimsuits for you, and you looked absolutely stunning in them.”
“When do you need an answer?”
“By tomorrow at five.”
She stroked his cheek. “Let me think about it. I’ll let you know by then.”
They called their lunch orders in to Stasia, and he showed her the fall lineup. After lunch, he gave her a tour of Thr3d’s headquarters. Then he ordered a car service to take her to his house in Pasadena.
As he watched her leave, he knew two things.
First, as soon as the show was over, he’d tell his parents that he knew Buckley Blackwood was his biological father.
Second, as soon as his parents knew the truth, he’d tell Audra everything. And he’d introduce Audra to his mother and Will.
Eighteen
Audra tipped the driver and closed the door behind her. She slipped off her heels and padded through the large, beautiful, modern two-story home.
Darius Taylor-Pratt had certainly done well for himself. The home itself was gorgeous, and Audra could tell that it had been professionally decorated.
Every painting, every vase, every little knickknack was simply perfect.
It was the kind of inviting space one would hardly want to leave. And yet Darius had.
He’d been in Royal for several weeks. And she got the feeling that even when he was in LA, he spent most of his time at the office.
Audra took in the open space and light, bright modern decor. Initially, she’d been reluctant to accept Darius’s invitation to stay with him. That’s why she’d booked a hotel. But now she was glad she was here. It felt good to get to know this part of him.
Earlier, she’d been given a tour of his business and got to meet several of his employees. And now she was getting to see the space he called home.
She felt closer to him. As if she had gotten a few more of the missing puzzle pieces that comprised the complicated man she was falling for all over again.
She walked through the house and accessed the back patio. The outdoor space was lovely, and the pool was much bigger than the one at his rental in Royal.
She couldn’t wait to hop in later. But for now, she needed a quick nap before heading out to her first client meeting.
Many of her clients lived in LA. Actors, pop stars, athletes, corporate heiresses, socialites, fashion designers and more. She spent a lot of time in LA icing the biggest names on the red carpet—even if their jewelry pieces were loaned, rather than purchased.
Establishing boutiques in Los Angeles and New York, where the bulk of her clients resided, was the next step in her ten-year business plan. A flagship boutique in Los Angeles or New York would expedite the growth of the Audra Lee Covington brand.
She hoped to squeeze in a few real estate appointments to test out the feasibility of buying space here. Maybe after the runway show, Darius would be willing to accompany her.
Audra made her way to the master bedroom, slipped out of the dress Darius had loved so much and crawled under the covers that still smelled like him.
* * *
Darius dragged himself into the house well after nine that evening. The downstairs space was dark except for the glow of the candles on the kitchen counter and on the dining room table.
The scent of the candles wafted through the space along with the savory scent of food. There were bags from one of his favorite restaurants in the trash.
