by Jessica Gray
***
Lee turned to face Rocco and took a deep breath before she said, “I think it’s best, don’t you? Today was wonderful, but we both know it has nowhere to go.”
She saw the hurt on his face, and it almost broke her heart. Therefore she turned her back to him and retrieved her suitcase. She might as well start packing right now.
Still, she could feel Rocco’s eyes bore into her back. It wouldn’t be easy to leave. This morning with him, their sex had been galactic. She hadn’t planned it, but when he’d first touched her, the floodgates had opened and there was no resisting the release of their pent-up emotions. This is what scared her. She didn’t sleep around. Never had. She didn’t mind flirting with a guy, or engage in some kissing. But sex? That was an entirely different thing. Sex belonged together with love. And love was out of the question with Rocco.
“So that’s it, you’re leaving today?” he interrupted her thoughts.
Lee glanced at him and replied, “No, I think I’ll wait until tomorrow. My boss is sending over some of my case files so I can get caught back up to speed.” She couldn’t stand seeing the expression on his face and added, “It’s for the best. I have to return to Chicago and you live here. And neither of us believes in relationships anyways.”
Rocco took a deep breath, and she noticed how he was striving for self-control. “I was hoping we’d spend the rest of the day together.”
She swallowed. I thought so as well. But she wouldn’t tell him that. It was best to end things now. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea. We should end things here. That way nobody gets hurt.”
It was a lie and she almost choked speaking those words. Leaving him already hurt. A lot. Rocco had taken up residence in her heart and it would be a long time before she was able to forget him. Apart from the first encounter, she’d thoroughly enjoyed spending time with him. He’d made her laugh and feel complete again. The sex was hotter than anything she’d experienced before. But Lee was either all in or all out. A vacation fling was a totally foreign concept to her and it would only hurt more, the more she allowed him to capture her heart. That was why she’d called her boss and let him know she’d return to work at the end of the week. She wasn’t sure where she’d stay, but she’d call Karen tonight and see what her options were.
Rocco shoved his hands into his pockets and said, “Well, I guess I’ll get out of here and let you pack. See ya around.” Then he turned on his heel and left Lee alone with her heartache.
Lee held her hand over her mouth so she wouldn’t call him back. It was for the best. If they spent any more time together, it would just make leaving that much harder.
***
Rocco left the cabin with hanging shoulders. Lee’s comments about him not wanting a relationship had grabbed his attention. One week ago she would have been spot on. Before meeting her, he hadn’t even considered working at a relationship beyond one night. Now, the idea of never seeing her again tore his heart apart. He could actually see himself building a relationship with her, settling down, and maybe raising a family. He thought they’d shared a connection this morning. Something meaningful. Something deeper than just awesome sex.
But she’d decided otherwise. Her career came first and she was letting him know that by leaving. And how could he blame her? He couldn’t expect her to throw everything away, after just one hot morning with him. Or could he?
He wondered where he would be if he had made the same decision right out of college. Where might his career have taken him if Kathryn hadn’t dumped him and destroyed his world? No, he didn’t want to be responsible for stealing Lee’s dreams from her. He’d get over her.
Since he didn’t want to accidentally bump into her, working at the cabin was out of the question to try to get her out of his head. Maybe getting drunk would accomplish that task? But then he remembered he’d tried that before and it hadn’t worked. Then it would have to be exercise. Hot and sweaty – not so much. He opted to work out and cool down at the same time. What better than taking a swim in the chilly lake?
***
Lee packed her stuff and then scanned the case files her secretary had sent over. As she went through the files and caught up on the divorce proceedings she’d be facing upon her return, she sensed herself slipping back into the same mindset that had caused her meltdown.
After spending about an hour reading one complaint after another and one party accusing another party of infidelity, she closed her laptop in disgust. She couldn’t stand the thought of spending the next several days meeting with clients who were intent on making their spouses look as bad as possible in hopes of winning a larger settlement.
It was high time to face the facts. Lee hated her job.
What had happened to the concept of “till death do us part, in sickness, in health, for richer, for poorer…”? These people hated each other with a passion that could be better used elsewhere. And the disgusting truth was, seeing her clients fighting each other nearly to the point of bloodshed had made her cynical and stolen her belief in the concept of happily ever after. And now she would fetch it back. The revelation sent excitement through her veins. Yes, she would go after her dreams; nobody was allowed to steal them from her.
Meeting Rocco had helped her see what was missing from her life. Love. Joy. Companionship. Wasn’t it ironic that when she finally found the one who could restore her belief in lasting love, he was the one person who didn’t believe in love and marriage either?
Or did he? His pained face earlier when she’d said good-bye had been haunting her all afternoon. Was it possible Rocco felt more than physical attraction for her and was having the same change of heart she was?
There was only one way to find out.
Lee pulled into the driveway of Rocco’s house, but his truck was nowhere to be seen. She thought for a minute and feared he might be at TJ’s drinking the day away, or worse, picking up another woman. Just the thought sent a searing pain through her heart. She backed out of the driveway and rushed into town on the lookout for his truck. Nothing.
After driving around for another ten minutes, her hurt sunk and she decided to return to the cabin. Maybe it hadn’t been such a good idea to search for him?
She parked the car at the cabin and wondered what to do next. All the excitement upon her revelation had left. Without Rocco life suddenly didn’t seem as bright anymore. Almost automatically she wandered down to the grassy spot at the lake where she and Rocco had spent several lunch breaks, getting to know each other. Laughing, talking, arguing. She would miss this place once she went back to the city. She would miss him.
Deep in thought, she almost stumbled over something occupying their spot. She looked down and her heart hammered in her chest as she recognized the object as Rocco’s backpack. He is here! She glanced out onto the lake and spotted him swimming toward the buoy. As she stood there, trying to decide whether she should follow him or wait for his return, he reached the buoy and glanced back towards the shore. Lee gave him a small wave and a big smile.
Rocco in return did – nothing.
Lee tried not to be disappointed at his lack of a reaction and waited for a few minutes for him swim ashore. But he apparently had decided to wait her out and stayed by the buoy watching her. She would have to take her future into her own hands, and she didn’t have many options.
After a quick look around to see if there were others on this stretch of the lake who might see her, she quickly stripped out of all of her clothing including the underwear and entered the water. His eyes widened as he noticed what she was doing, and Lee had to smile. Well, if the mountain would not come to Muhammad, Muhammad had to go to the mountain.
As Lee reached the buoy, she grabbed hold and faced Rocco, wiping the water from her eyes. “I found you.”
Rocco raised one eyebrow and said, “I didn’t know I was lost. What can be so urgent you had to swim out here like this?”
Lee was still out of breath from the fast swim. “I was…sitting in
the cabin, going over…some case files…and I realized…I hate my job.”
He scrutinized her face as she spoke. “That is a revelation. Go on.”
Lee was hoping he would help her out, but when he didn’t she forged on anyway. She hadn’t stripped bare and swum out here to back up now. “I don’t want to practice family law anymore.”
“You don’t? And why do I need to know this?” He still didn’t move, but at least the corner of his mouth quirked up – just a tiny bit.
She shook her head. The motion caused her to lose her grip on the buoy and Rocco reached out and grabbed her before she could sink beneath the surface of the water. He pulled her to him, and she reached out and wrapped her arms around his shoulders.
“I don’t want to leave you either. I know you don’t believe in all that love and marriage stuff…”
Rocco stopped her with a passionate kiss. When they had to come up for breath, he said, “I didn’t used to believe in all the love and marriage stuff.”
She grinned, now very certain about his feelings for her. “Are you a believer now?”
He nodded his head and took her lips in another kiss. Lee savored every moment while he explored her mouth and could feel the water heating up around them, the evidence of his desire pressing against her stomach. She was tempted to let him take her right here in the water, but decided that wasn’t a good idea and broke the kiss, before either one of them lost control. “Hmm, I really like what we’re doing, but we might want to take it elsewhere.”
He locked eyes with her and she could see right behind the hurt and the pain, down into his soul when he said, “Lee, you make me want to believe in love, happiness, and my dreams again. Let’s swim back to shore so I can show you how much I love you.”
As they swam back, Lee couldn’t believe how much her life had changed in the course of a week. Rocco helped her up the bank and pulled her in for a hug. She forgot all about being naked for everyone to see when he pressed her shivering body against his. He rubbed his hands up and down her arms to ease her shivers, before he started teasing her taut nipples with his tongue, and soon the heat returned to her body and she shivered for totally different reasons.
“Darling, we better leave,” he groaned. “Someone could come any moment and see us.”
The thought of being discovered while making out with him sent a thrill through her body, but her mind thankfully was still clear enough to agree with him and get dressed.
Then they walked to the cabin and spent several hours discussing the future and reaffirming their feelings for one another.
Chapter 14
The next morning Lee left for Chicago as planned. But rather than leaving for good, she’d stay only for a few days in the city. The night before, she had spoken with her uncle, and he had agreed to let her stay at the cabin until she decided what direction she wanted to take with her career. Funnily enough, her uncle hadn’t seemed at all surprised at her decision to quit her job and had even encouraged her to go through with it.
On Thursday morning, she arrived at the office prior to anyone else and packed up her desk and other belongings. As she waited for her bosses Trevor Armstrong and Blaine Parker to arrive, she looked out the window of her office and thought about the decision she was about to make.
One last time she analyzed the pros and cons of quitting her job. But the expectation of living her dreams of love and happiness with Rocco outweighed all the possible cons – like not earning money for the time being. But she hated her job so much and was no longer willing to subject herself to that kind of stress each day. If her plans didn’t work out, she could always apply as a salesperson in one of the stores in Beaver Creek. She giggled at the thought of Rocco’s face if she were to tell him she’d work as Dennis’ assistant in the hardware store.
Her phone buzzed, and Erin, Trevor’s secretary, informed her he was in and would be delighted to meet with her right away. Lee stood up and squared her shoulders, before she walked over to his office.
After exchanging pleasantries, she cut right to the chase. “Trevor, first I want to thank you for everything you have taught me during the past years. Not only about law, but also about myself as a person. And I’m awfully sorry for my behavior in court…”
Trevor raised his hand and cut her off. “Lee, I don’t want to hear any more of that. Let’s face it – you had had enough. And your client deserved everything you threw at her.” He chuckled as he continued, “ If I might suggest you deliver your more scathing remarks to our clients in a more private setting next time?”
Lee grinned back and nodded. “About the next time…I don’t think there’s going to be one. I love the law.” She diverted her eyes and scrutinized her fidgeting hands. “But I hate what I do here. I love working for your firm, but I don’t think I can help people destroy each other for the rest of my life. It’s destroying me.”
Trevor didn’t say a word and when she finally had the heart to look at him, he was smiling indulgently at her. “You don’t seem to be very upset,” Lee said.
“Look, I’ve known you for several years now and I’ve watched you grow from a floundering college student into a young woman with grit and determination. Your tenacity in the courtroom still amazes me. But, you’re right, you’re not cut out to help people destroy each other. Over the last years, I’ve watched you become bitter and cynical and close yourself off from other people. The young woman sitting in front of me today appears to have found herself again. I would hate to pressure you into staying at a job that would make her disappear again.”
If he weren’t her boss, Lee would have jumped up to hug him. She actually wasn’t surprised about his insights. Trevor Armstrong was known for both his innate capability to analyze a situation and his intuition. “Thank you, it means a lot to hear you say those things – that I’m making the correct choice.”
“So, what are your plans for the future?” he asked.
“Well, I met this young man while I was away, and we want to give our relationship a chance. The little town near Mammoth Lakes where I was staying is growing and doesn’t have a lawyer in residence yet. Right now, the people have to drive almost sixty miles round trip to get any legal work done. I thought maybe I’d hang out my shingle and see what happens.”
Trevor nodded and said, “Lee, whatever you choose to do, if you do it with the same work ethic you demonstrated here, you’ll be successful. I wish you lots of luck. Excuse me for a moment, please.”
Lee was a little perplexed that Trevor would decide to make a phone call in the middle of their meeting, but he was the boss.
“Preston? Hey, it’s Trevor.”
Her boss listened for a moment and then continued, “I’m good. Say, about that deal you’re putting together – remember I told you about the young attorney I had working for me?…Yes, she studied environmental law in Santa Clara before joining us. Well, she has just decided to strike out on her own…Yes, she is an excellent attorney. She’s moving up to your neck of the woods, and I think you’d be very wise to meet with her and let her negotiate this project for you.”
Lee listened to Trevor’s part of the conversation and had to keep her mouth from hanging open. She sure hadn’t expected such generosity. She could only guess who Preston was, but if it was Trevor’s cousin Preston Armstrong, then he was one heck of a business partner. He owned several resorts all over the states.
Trevor seemed to enjoy the stunned look on Lee’s face and ended his phone call. “Great, I’ll send you her contact information and let her know you’ll get in touch next week…Great…You be sure to let me know how things turn out.”
Then he turned back to Lee with a satisfied smile on his face. “That’ll help you get started. My cousin Preston Armstrong is about to expand his ski resorts to include that mountain your uncle’s cabin sits on. He’s already negotiated parts of the sale with the local authorities, but needs help navigating the environmental protection amendments and assuring the local communities the
environment will be kept safe. You’d be the perfect candidate to help him in his endeavor. He’ll be contacting you first thing Monday morning. If you find yourself stumped along the way, you just give me a call and I’ll help you any way I can.”
She was at a loss of words and could only mumble “Thank you.”
Trevor grinned at her and led her to the door saying, “Don’t disappoint me, Lee.”
She finally pulled it together enough to speak a coherent sentence. “I promise, I won’t. And thanks again for everything you’ve done for me.”
As she headed back to her office for the last time, she couldn’t wait to tell Rocco about her day.
***
Rocco was removing the vanity from the bathroom when he heard someone calling his name. He wiped his hands on his jeans as he exited to see Charlie Taylor entering the cabin with another man by his side.
“Charlie, good to see you. I was just finishing the demo in the bathroom. Did you need to see me about something?” Rocco looked inquiringly at the newcomer and then again at Charlie.
“Not me. Rocco, I’d like to introduce you to Preston Armstrong. Mr. Armstrong owns several ski resorts and is in the process of negotiating the sale of the small slope on the mountain. He has big dreams to turn it into another Aspen. We were talking last night, and I told him about the work you are doing for me up here. He asked if I would mind introducing the two of you.”
Rocco reached out and shook the hand of the man whom he guessed to be in his early thirties. “It’s nice to meet you, sir.”
“Just call me Preston, everyone else does. Mr. Armstrong makes me feel old,” Preston said with a grimace. “Charlie here tells me you’re quite the architect and that your talent is going to waste remodeling decks and kitchens. I was wondering if we could sit down in the next day or two and go over what I have in mind for the resort I want to build. I’d love to work with someone local, but I really want the place to shine.”
