“Would you like a tour of the house?” Zander asked, cutting into Vanessa’s thoughts.
“Sure.”
He reached for her hand when he stood and she stared for a moment. However, the next thought that came to mind was how silly it was to hesitate to give him her hand when she’d already given him so much more than that. As she trailed behind him, Zander interlocked his fingers with hers. The sound of her high-heeled boots clicking on the floor made her shift her gaze down to Zander’s bare feet.
“I’m sorry. That was rude of me not to remove my shoes,” she said, stopping to unzip the sides. Zander watched her intently as she held the wall and eased her feet out. He wet his lips at the sight of fresh, purple nail polish. He, literally, wanted to lick this woman from head to toe.
‘All in due time…’ he thought to himself.
“This way,” he said casually, leading Vanessa back up the three steps and to the left down a broad hallway. They came to a stop in the doorway of a traditionally decorated office—right down to the floor-to-ceiling bookcases, to the gold-studded, burgundy leather desk-chair. The room smelled like cedar and Vanessa inhaled.
“That smell’s very familiar to me,” she said, breathing deep again. She smiled. “My grandmother used to keep a chest at the foot of her bed. It smelled just like this room.”
Zander watched while she looked around, smiling a little at how she was already starting to relax. She was much less uptight now that he’d gotten her away from her office, away from home.
“That closet over there is cedar-lined. I use it for extra blankets and the like,” Zander explained. “Keeps them fresh when I’m away for long periods of time.”
Vanessa breathed in again and nodded with a smile.
She was so different here. Zander could hardly believe how lighthearted she seemed. Even during sex, she carried an air of responsibility about her, as if the weight of the world was always on her shoulders. He liked this side of her.
“Come on,” he said casually, leading the way back down the hall. Side by side, there were two guest rooms with almost identical décor except one had a queen-sized bed while the other had two twins, divided by a nightstand.
“Do you have a lot of company up here?” Vanessa asked.
Zander shrugged. “Liam, my brother, gets more use out of it than I do, but I’ve never been much of a social butterfly myself.” He moved on toward the kitchen. “The solitude, the quiet, that was my sole purpose for purchasing this place.”
Vanessa wondered how many women he’d had here besides her, wowed them with the lavish layout and breathtaking views. The thought of it cleared some of the fog from her head, reminding her she wasn’t special.
“And now on to my favorite room in the entire home,” Zander said jokingly, leading Vanessa toward the island in the middle of the kitchen.
“I know you’re a bit of a restaurant connoisseur, but do you cook?” she asked.
He shrugged. “I dabble, but you won’t get to sample anything of mine this weekend. The chef should be here shortly.”
“Chef?”
“Yes, Ramone will be along within the hour as well as the butler.” He locked eyes with Vanessa and smiled. “I didn’t want either of us to have any distractions. The less we have to do, the better.”
She lost her breath for a moment and forced herself to sober up. The maneuver wasn’t lost on Zander, but he had plans to completely break down her emotionless façade soon enough.
“Would you like to see the bedroom?” he asked.
Vanessa nodded and followed him back down the hallway and then up the stairs. She stopped to peer over the balcony that overlooked the living room. The fireplace was so large she could feel the heat from the blaze even now.
“This way,” Zander’s voice called out from behind, bringing her attention to him.
She approached the wide, wooden door and peered around Zander’s shoulder. There was a second fireplace lit in his bedroom. He’d set her things inside his closet, hung her coat, and laid out a heavy, white bathrobe on what she assumed would be her side of the bed.
“The view’s the best from here,” Zander said quietly, opening the French doors leading out onto the balcony. He was mesmerized despite having seen that very stretch of landscape a hundred times before. Vanessa stepped out, too, taking in the sound of the rushing stream beneath them.
“When the fireplace is on, it keeps it warm enough to leave this door open a crack. It’s always nice to listen to the water at night. It’s spellbinding,” he added.
“I imagine it will be,” she said, accepting the idea of sharing Zander’s bed.
The corner of his mouth turned up.
“It’s still rather early. Have you eaten yet?” he asked.
“No, I got Ryan off with his friend and then came right up,” she admitted.
It pleased him, imagining her frantically packing as she prepared to come to him.
“I can’t hold a candle to my chef, but since he hasn’t arrived yet, may I offer you breakfast?”
There was a look about him that Vanessa couldn’t quite place. She thought it might be excitement, but she wasn’t sure. Whatever it was made her feel oddly comfortable with him today.
“Don’t go through the trouble, but I’d welcome a cup of coffee,” she smiled.
Zander nodded coyly. “As you wish.”
Vanessa stayed behind and continued to watch the stream break between the trees while Zander disappeared on the other side of the door. The crisp air filled her lungs and her eyes lifted toward the sky as the clouds gathered. A single snowflake landed on the tip of her nose. She hugged herself and decided to retreat toward the fire.
A brown, leather chaise lounge rested directly in the middle of an intricately designed Persian rug before the fire. She found a comfortable spot, nestled in the corner with her toes pointed toward the flames.
Not even ten minutes later, the smell of fresh coffee had wafted up the stairs and into the bedroom. She was just remembering that she’d forgotten to tell Zander how she takes it when he reentered carrying a sterling silver, serving tray. He placed it on the table near the chaise and sat beside her, carefully handing over her mug.
“I brought the cream and sugar just in case,” he said, gesturing toward the matching set.
Vanessa thanked him and proceeded to add two generous scoops of sugar and just a touch of cream. When she finished, she offered both to Zander, which prompted him to smile. He added a teaspoon of sugar and passed on the cream.
“So… what do you have planned for today?” she asked.
He sipped his coffee and leaned back to get comfortable. “Well, once the staff arrives, we’re free to do as we please. Take a hike deeper into the woods maybe? I just need to stay close to the house for now to let them in.”
Vanessa frowned and Zander accidentally saw it.
“What’s that look for?” he asked, laughing a little.
She glanced outside, at the falling snow, and remembered the frigid winds that drove her back indoors. “If it isn’t a problem, I’d rather stay out of the cold.”
Zander wasn’t going to argue with the idea of spending the day inside cozied up beside her. He agreed to her terms and sipped from his mug again.
The doorbell rang and Zander excused himself. He made it down the stairs quickly and she listened when he greeted the visitor in a language other than English. It was Italian maybe? Zander’s voice faded as he walked the man toward the back of the house and, five minutes later, she could hear him returning.
The second he crossed the threshold of his bedroom, Vanessa offered a faint smile. “You’re just full of secrets, aren’t you?” When Zander didn’t catch on, she said one word: “Italian?”
He blushed and it nearly knocked Vanessa out of her seat—partly because she didn’t realize he was capable of such a thing, and partly because there was something so sexy about the way he did it.
“Among other languages,” he eventually replied.
“Yes, I’m fluent.”
She was intrigued. “What else? French?”
“French, German, Spanish, and I’m not completely fluent in it, but I speak certain Arabic dialects as well. Enough to survive abroad if I had to,” he added.
‘Well, damn…’ she thought to herself.
“What about you?” he asked. “A woman as beautiful as you has surely traveled the world on the arm of some lucky bastard. What languages have you picked up?”
Vanessa laughed. “The only place I’ve been outside the U.S. is Canada, so unless you count my terrible rendition of a French/Canadian accent…”
Zander smiled when she did and found it hard to turn away.
“I took Spanish in high school, but all I remember is ‘Permitanme ir al bano,” she said perfectly.
“Please allow me to go to the bathroom?” Zander laughed loudly as he translated. “At least it sounds sexy in Spanish, right?”
Vanessa laughed and finished the last of her coffee. She stretched her feet toward the fire again and wiggled her toes with a sigh. Zander, again, became transfixed on these particular extremities, but this time she noticed.
“Don’t like the color?” she asked, smiling. “I know it’s kinda bold.”
He didn’t look away from her feet when he shook his head. He wanted to touch them as well as the rest of her.
How long had he told himself he had to wait before tearing her clothes off?
Oh right, not until tonight.
“You’re different here,” Vanessa observed, calling Zander’s attention back to her face.
“You think? How so?”
She shrugged. “Calmer. More…”
“Normal,” he interjected with a smile.
She felt ashamed that he read her and that the word he chose had been accurate, but nodded nonetheless. “I was gonna say more relaxed, but I suppose that fits, too.”
He understood what she meant. There was something about being up here, away from it all, that soothed him to his core. The stressors that typically plagued him didn’t seem to exist here.
“That’s part of the reason I come here. And part of the reason I thought you should come, too.”
Vanessa nodded in agreement. She could see how this place could help her loosen up. She sat back and rested her head against the lounger, staring at the glowing flames. The light from the fire kissed her cheeks, allowing Zander to see the true perfection in her flawless complexion. She was so beautiful; to the point of it being almost painful to look at her, yet he could never seem to turn away.
He leaned back and relaxed, letting his hand fall to the side where it grazed Vanessa’s thigh through her jeans. Her eyes shifted down toward it. Only the sound of her phone vibrating drew her attention elsewhere, toward her purse. Zander watched as she leaned to retrieve it.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Ma! We just got here, so I’m calling like you said to. Miss Rose says we can go fishing after we eat lunch.”
A smile crossed Vanessa’s face at the sound of Ryan’s voice. “Sounds good, baby. Have fun. And be good,” she added loudly, making sure he was listening.
“I will. I gotta go. Call you later!” he said excitedly just before hanging up in Vanessa’s ear. She couldn’t do anything but laugh.
“I take it he’s having a good time?” Zander asked. The genuine interest in her son caught Vanessa off guard.
She eyed him a moment before answering. “Yeah, sounds like it.”
Zander nodded and then checked his watch. He didn’t want to crowd her. Besides, he had a few things to do downstairs while she got settled.
“I tell you what, why don’t I leave you for a while, give you some time to get situated, and I’ll come back and check on you in a bit.”
Vanessa stared at those peculiar eyes for a moment, and then agreed. Zander pulled her hand to his lips and kissed it once before leaving, of course with her gaze trailing behind him.
Once alone, a deep, cleansing breath left her mouth. With it, she also released some of the nervous energy she brought with her today. She stood and grabbed her bag from the closet floor, carrying it over to the dresser where she found two empty drawers to put her things in. It didn’t make sense to live out of a suitcase all weekend. When she finished, she glanced around in search of something else to do.
…Snooping seemed like an excellent idea.
Before easing down onto the floor, she checked to make sure the bedroom door was locked. There was a storage container underneath the bed and she pulled it out into the light. Expecting to find either an extensive porn collection or whips and chains, Vanessa laughed at herself when she opened the lid to reveal what was inside: extra sheets and pillowcases.
“Zander, you’re starting to seem eerily normal,” she whispered to herself, replacing the container before heading to the adjoining bathroom.
The cabinet door creaked when she bent down and opened it. “Tissue, cleaning products, and a sponge.”
Okay… where were all of the Zander-esque items she was expecting to find? She moved on to the medicine cabinet. No lube? No… ‘special pills’. Nothing out of the ordinary.
Vanessa put her hands on her hips and looked around. “Hmm.”
The knock at the door prompted her to put everything back the way she found it. She even managed to wipe the smirk off her face before having to look Zander in the eye. He smiled from across the threshold and Vanessa had a feeling he read the guilty look she wore despite how she tried to hide it. His next question confirmed it.
“Find anything interesting?” he asked.
Her cheeks warmed, but she still denied his accusation. “What do you mean?”
He peered over her shoulder into the bedroom and smiled, knowing she hadn’t found anything, no matter how hard she searched. He decided not to make her feel awkward about snooping, though. In a way, he was flattered she was so eager to learn more about him.
“Feel free to use the facilities if you’d like. Great water pressure and the whirlpool has ten jets and a built-in back massager if you’d like to relax for a while.”
A slow smile crossed Vanessa’s face as she stared at him. ‘Who is this guy?’ she thought to herself.
“I don’t want to keep you out of your room, though.”
Zander put his hand up to quiet her. “Nonsense. I’ve got things I can do downstairs. I want you to enjoy yourself here.”
She found his kindness hard to believe. When she nodded, agreeing to make herself at home, Zander smiled and retreated back down the steps. A bath sounded nice. The quick shower she took before hitting the road was nothing compared to jets and a massager.
There was a little pep in her step when she went to start the water. Zander had a plethora of bath oils and salts. All of which Vanessa tested and sniffed before deciding on which combination she wanted to add. There was a Fall Spice blend that fit the season and her mood, so she went with that one.
While she waited, she sat on the edge of the bed and stared out at the falling snow, listening to the fire crackle across the room. She hadn’t felt this at peace in so long she couldn’t even remember when. It was hard to admit, but she may have even needed this break from motherhood. A chance to rest completely without that constant twinge or worry in the back of her mind. She accepted a long time ago that the feeling came with the territory of being a mom.
She barely even heard her phone buzzing over the other sounds that had filled her senses. With a sigh, she dug it out of her purse again and acknowledged the knots that tightened in her shoulders at the sight of Simon’s name. While ignoring him would’ve been nice, she knew the call was about Ryan.
“Yes?” She answered.
“Just checking in to see how Ryan’s doing? Have you heard from him yet?” There was still a hint of anger in Simon’s tone because Vanessa had let their son go on the trip in the first place, but she ignored it.
“He’s fine. He checked in a little while ago and should be fishing right about now.”
Simon let out a breath on the other end. “Did he pack warmly? I heard the temperature is supposed to drop pretty drastically.”
Vanessa closed her eyes and somehow managed not to snap at him. “Yes, Simon. He’s got hoodies and sweaters packed to go over his shirts, plus his heavy coat just in case he needs it, but most of the snow is supposed to be in the mountains,” she said, staring out Zander’s bedroom window as the wind moved tiny, white flakes across the deck. “He’ll be fine,” she added.
Still, Simon didn’t let up. “And he knows to call every day?” he asked next.
She rolled her eyes, hating that tone. The one that made her feel like Simon didn’t trust her parenting. “He does, but next time I hear from him, I’ll tell him to give you a call himself.”
‘So you don’t have to call me,” she added in her thoughts, but not aloud.
There were a good ten seconds of awkward silence.
“Yeah… you do that,” Simon shot back curtly, and then the line went dead in Vanessa’s ear.
All it took was one call from her ex to make the tension in her neck and shoulders return. Now she was looking forward to her bath even more than before. Retrieving the beautiful robe from the bed, she hung it in the bathroom before slipping out of her clothes.
She let the awkward exchange with Simon slip from her mind and took full advantage of the back massager, letting it work out the few kinks that had returned. Every ten minutes or so, she turned the hot water back on to keep the temperature where she liked it. When she looked up at the clock, she’d been soaking for nearly an hour already. She laughed a little at herself and decided to wash and step out; Zander probably thought she’d fallen asleep.
Her bones felt like Jell-O; she could hardly stand. That bathtub had caressed her body better than any man she’d ever been with.
‘Well… almost,’ she thought to herself, thinking Zander’s name.
First covering herself with the robe, Vanessa stepped into the bedroom and collapsed on the chaise in front of the fire. Her lids were heavy like it was nighttime, while, in truth, it was only a little after one in the afternoon. The light knock at the door wasn’t even enough to make her reopen her eyes.
Overdose: A British Bad Boy Romance Page 23
