Exclusive / a Touch of Heaven

by Samantha Chase

  Plus, someone in his position might have a lot of insight into Wade’s private life. Things like his dating habits, his love life, and if this mysterious woman in his books was based on someone he had once loved and lost. Perhaps, if she presented it correctly, when Wade met her, he would be so impressed by her interactions with his assistant that he’d be ready and willing to open up about his private life.

  She’d have to remember to play it cool. Be charming. Not look too anxious. She chanted that quietly to herself for a few minutes before glancing out at the clouds and finally allowing herself to relax and enjoy the voice on the recording.

  * * *

  The flight was uneventful and Taylor’s pleasure was prolonged by the fact that the car rental agency did, indeed, have a car waiting for her and she was checked in efficiently. Taking the keys from the rental agent with a smile, she was thrilled to see the sporty white SUV waiting for her.

  “Thank you, Newslink,” she said to herself as she climbed into the brand-new vehicle. “Mmm…new car smell and everything!” She was positively giddy. There was no other way to describe it. Starting the car—and it started on the first try!—she took a quick look around to get her bearings. She punched the farm’s address into the GPS system and once it was ready, plugged in her iPod so she could finish listening to the conclusion of Enveloping Darkness, then pulled away from the parking lot.

  The drive was beautiful and the sound of the masculine voice coming from the stereo kept her in a state of pure relaxation. If the man Jonathan Wade picked to read his books looked as good as he sounded, Taylor knew she would have found her perfect man.

  Some authors did do their own readings, so for a minute, she allowed herself to imagine it was Jonathan Wade’s voice coming through the speakers. If it was, talking with him for a week would certainly be no hardship! She’d resort to asking his favorite color and what he liked for breakfast if it meant keeping the conversation going.

  The voice was deep and mesmerizing, almost like a caress, like he was speaking only to her. The voice didn’t sound old, but then again, there was no guarantee Jonathan Wade actually was old. She slammed her hand on the steering wheel out of frustration and cursed—again—the fact that she had no bio to go on for this interview. If only she had a little more information in her pocket, she’d feel more prepared and at ease! How could a person be so popular in modern culture and yet have so little known about him? It was even more frustrating and intimidating to know that she was going to be responsible for presenting this mystery of a person to the world.

  What if he didn’t live up to what everyone was expecting? Or, more to the point, what if he didn’t live up to what Taylor herself was expecting? Taylor scolded herself to relax already, and listened intently to the end of the book.

  The sun was rising over the clear blue water. Marcus knew his time on the island was over. Had last night been a dream? Had he truly awakened in the night to the feel of skin so soft against his that it felt like silk? Were those her lips that had kissed him with the kind of tenderness he’d only ever felt with one person?

  Remembering her touch, how her breath felt on his heated skin, had him aching to feel her again. Why was life so cruel as to keep taking this woman from the arms that wanted nothing more than to hold and protect her forever? She had been full of heat and life in those arms last night.

  There was no evidence of her now. One day, however, there would be no questions. His answer would be standing in his embrace.

  Sighing, Taylor thought this particular voice was definitely one she would love to stir her awake in the night. If the man in question lived up to that sexy voice, there would be no way she’d sneak off in the night. Hell, he’d have to pry her off with a crowbar!

  Feeling suddenly hot, she flipped on the AC, laughing at herself because it was October, in Maine, and the temperature outside the vehicle did not demand air-conditioning. It was her own wildly vivid imagination—and sexual dry spell—that was heating her up. Lord help her, she needed to gain her composure and be professional at all costs during this entire process in order for this piece to be a success. What on earth would she do if the man was attractive? If just his voice could make her this hot and bothered, she’d be a babbling idiot by the time the two weeks were up.

  Shaking her head to break that train of thought and looking at the GPS to see how much farther she had to go, she was surprised to see she was just minutes from her destination. Feeling nervous and self-conscious, she did some deep-breathing exercises and practiced using her “professional” voice.

  As if on cue, her cell phone rang and made her jump. Putting it on speaker, she said, “Hello?”

  “Everything going okay?” It was Victoria.

  Taylor couldn’t help but smile. If she wasn’t mistaken, her boss’s voice sounded almost as nervous as her own. “Yes, boss, all is well. I’m driving a wonderful little SUV, the sun is shining, I’m only minutes away from the farm, and I feel ready to conquer the world!” Liar, liar, liar!

  “You are going to conquer the world, my dear. You mark my words. Once this piece hits the stands, you are going to be the toast of the town and you can say I was the one who gave you your first big break.”

  “I’ll remember that.” Taylor chuckled.

  “Good luck, Taylor. I’ll expect to hear from you in a few days.” And then she was gone and Taylor felt a little bit lighter than she had just moments ago. She could do this. There were people who had confidence in her and she owed it to them to have confidence in herself.

  Feeling revived, she pressed down on the accelerator. What she had been dreading, she was now ready for: to reach Jonathan Wade’s farm and to face her journalistic destiny.

  She rolled her eyes. “Geez, dramatic much?”

  She very nearly missed the entrance to the farm while she was laughing at herself. It was poorly marked by an undistinguished simple white mailbox. Then again, what was she expecting, a neon sign flashing Home of Jonathan Wade? Slamming the brakes hard, she put the vehicle in reverse and then pulled into the long dirt driveway that wound through a quarter mile of dense forest. When at last she was through the trees, she stopped the car.

  The house was large, yet so simple and beautiful that it took her breath away. If Taylor could pick one house to live in, she knew this would be it. It was like something out of a magazine and yet like nothing she had ever seen before. All white with black trim, it was two stories, but she wouldn’t have been surprised to find out there was a finished lower level for extra living space. If she had to define the style, she’d say it was a Victorian country farmhouse. If such a thing even existed.

  There was a large wraparound porch with hanging plants and flower baskets lining it, and she could imagine sitting outside on a warm summer night just watching the sunset—it was that perfect. Although she couldn’t see from where she was parked, she just knew there would be seating areas and a porch swing up there waiting for someone to use them.

  Off to the right of the house was a barn. Traditional in style but painted to complement the main house, it came off as an extension of the house rather than a utility building. Maybe it was in the landscaping, but to Taylor’s mind, it all seemed too pretty, too perfect, to be what she normally considered a barn. Even though the house boasted a three-car garage on the side, to the left of it there was a detached two-story, two-car garage—also matching the house—and just beyond that was a large expanse of open land.

  Taylor could only stare. All her life she’d lived in a big city or crowded suburbs. That was where all the action was, all the jobs, everything a person could need. The older she got, however, the more she found herself longing for peace and a little solitude. Wouldn’t it be lovely to come out and sit on the porch swing after dinner and hear nothing except the sounds of nature?

  “Get a grip!” she yelled at herself. A quick smack on the head brought her back to reality. “Yo
u’re barely on the man’s property for two minutes and you’re fancying yourself living here and enjoying peaceful nights on the porch!”

  Pulling up in front of the detached garage, she parked and emerged from the vehicle. Closing the door, Taylor stopped, stretched, and took in a breath of what had to be the most magnificent air she had ever inhaled. So this is what nature’s like? she thought to herself. Upon closer inspection of the property, Taylor found the green of the trees looked brighter than she had ever seen; the changing colors of the leaves almost looked too perfect to be real. If she stood still long enough, she could hear the distinct sounds of different species of birds. At home, all she ever heard was the constant hum of traffic. But here, on this particular piece of land, Taylor felt as though she would be able to hear a leaf fall.

  She could commune with nature later. She tried to decide if she should introduce herself before she unloaded her car or after. Stepping around to the rear of the SUV, she came up short when she noticed a man walking toward her. Taking a steadying breath, she pasted a wide smile on her face.

  This is it.

  He was a young man, maybe a few years older than she was. His brown hair looked sun-kissed and although it was a bit unkempt, it seemed to suit him. He was dressed for work on a farm—blue jeans, thermal Henley, down vest, and boots. He was taking off his work gloves as he approached, and Taylor couldn’t help but notice how large those hands were, and when she looked up, she was greeted with eyes so dark blue they were almost black. When he stopped in front of her, he gave her the most endearing smile ever bestowed upon her.

  She smiled back as she held out a hand to him. “Hi, I’m Taylor. Taylor Scott.” He didn’t say a word, but once he wrapped one of his large hands around hers and held it, her heart just about beat right out of her chest. It was big and warm and just rough enough against her softer skin that all kinds of erotic images began to play in her head. There was something oddly familiar about him, and Taylor figured she’d better find out exactly who he was before she did anything to embarrass herself. “Are you…Mr. Wade?” she asked casually.

  He laughed, but rather than taking offense to his response, Taylor almost immediately relaxed. “Not hardly,” he said. His eyes met hers and he knew the instant recognition hit Taylor.

  “Oh my God!” she gasped. “Mike? You’re—” She stopped as realization hit her. Michael James Greene Jr. She had been right! “I can’t believe it’s you!”

  “Hey, Taylor,” he said, his own posture relaxing a bit. “How are you?”

  “I’m good. It’s been a long time.”

  “Ten years,” he said easily.

  She nodded her head. “Wow, I didn’t realize it had been that long. How have you been? What are you doing here? Wait! Are you…did you…” She cleared her throat and tried to calm her nerves. “Are you the reason I got this interview?”

  Placing his other hand over the one he was already holding, he leaned in a little closer. “That’s a lot of questions,” he teased. “And we’ll get to all of them—after we get you inside and settled into your room. Lunch is ready, and I figured we could talk and get caught up then if that’s all right with you.”

  Taylor sent a silent prayer heavenward for her good fortune. At least with a familiar face around for the next two weeks she’d feel a little less overwhelmed and outnumbered. True, it had been ten years since they’d last seen one another, but for a short period of time, he had been a very important part of her life. It was going to be great not only to get this interview, but to get caught up on what Mike was doing with his life.

  Other than working on Jonathan Wade’s farm.

  Before she knew it, he had her luggage out of the SUV and was closing the trunk. “We can get the rest later if you’d like,” he said. Doing a quick tally in her head, she knew all that was left in the vehicle were some smaller bags with her equipment, but she wasn’t going to need any of them right now. “Sounds good to me,” she said and started to follow him toward the house.

  He was just as attractive from behind as he was from the front. Mike hadn’t been quite this built back when she knew him, and for just a moment she allowed herself simply to appreciate the sight of him. Yeah, he could definitely be an asset to her for the next two weeks. Everything that was female about her melted just a little bit merely remembering the touch of his hand on hers.

  A low hum of appreciation escaped before she could stop it and Mike chose that exact moment to turn around and smile at her. Oh my. Between the hands, the smile, and…just him, Taylor had a feeling she was going to be a babbling idiot anyway.

  It was going to be a long two weeks.

  Chapter 3

  The door of the guest room closed behind her—after she promised Mike she’d meet him downstairs in ten minutes. Taylor wanted to ask for longer but her stomach’s growling had given her away. Sheer embarrassment had her practically closing the door in his face just so she could have a moment to recover.

  The house—what she’d seen of it so far—was even more magnificent on the inside than the outside. She had only managed to see the two-story foyer and to catch a glimpse of the dining room to the left and the parlor to the right as she followed Mike up the stairs, but as she turned around and looked at the room that was going to be hers for the next two weeks, she felt like she had won the lottery.

  The walls were painted the palest of pinks, and the entire back wall seemed to be dominated by the bed. The headboard was upholstered in a slightly deeper shade of pink and surrounded by an antique fireplace mantel that had been painted white. There was a mountain of pillows on the bed in varying shades of pink and white. As she stepped closer and ran a hand over them, she noticed all of the fabrics varied as well, with cottons and linen and satins and silks…it almost made her want to crawl in the bed right then and there.

  On either side of the bed, over the petite nightstands, hung delicate crystal chandeliers. Her mind was spinning at the thought of sleeping in this room. Just standing in it made her feel like some sort of princess. She had never been a girlie-girl, but being here now, it kind of made her wish she was a little softer, a little more feminine.

  “So not gonna happen.” She sighed and moved her luggage over to the closet and went into the en suite to freshen up so she wouldn’t be late for meeting Mike.

  Mike.

  Wow. She never would have seen that coming in a million years. For so long, Taylor had wondered what had become of him. Seeing him today was a shock to her system. They had met the summer after she had graduated high school. He was a friend of the boy she was dating. Mike had been older than they were, but her boyfriend always thought he was more mature than people their own age and, therefore, Mike was cool to be around.

  And he was.

  The three of them went everywhere together. It wasn’t until summer was nearing its end that she realized Mike was there to act as a buffer between her and Eddie who, it turned out, had been cheating on her the entire time they were together. It hurt when she found out, not so much about Ed’s cheating but how Mike had known and hadn’t said anything. She had thought they were friends, but she was wrong. And then one day he just stopped coming around.

  Tossing thoughts of that summer out of her mind for now, Taylor focused on making sure she looked all right before heading back down the stairs and joining Mike for lunch.

  She took her time, going down the curved staircase slowly, pausing to notice the crown molding and the beautiful paintings on the wall. For such an impressive house, what stood out the most was that it looked as if it were meant to be lived in and not just for show. That little bit of information was something she was going to tuck away for her article, and it made her like and respect Jonathan Wade just a bit more.

  Mike was waiting for her at the base of the stairs. “I was going to come up and get you,” he said with an easy grin. “I didn’t point you in any direction when I left you up
stairs.”

  Taylor chuckled. “Believe me, after the way my stomach growled earlier, I would have found you.”

  “C’mon,” he said, holding out a hand to her, “lunch is on the table.”

  Taylor looked at his hand and then at those intense blue eyes and wanted to melt right there on the stairs. Probably not the best way to get reacquainted. Daring to be bold, she put her hand in his and—fireworks. That was the only way to describe it. Her body fairly vibrated at the feel of his large hand wrapped around hers. Where earlier it was a casual handshake, this definitely felt more like an intimate caress, and if Taylor didn’t get ahold of herself soon, she was going to do something completely inappropriate.

  Like jump him.

  Wordlessly—and praying he hadn’t noticed her odd reaction to his touch—Taylor followed Mike into the kitchen and came to a stop. Mike turned around and looked at her curiously. “Taylor? Are you all right?”

  “We’re still in the house, right?” she asked as she stared at the room around her. It was Mike’s turn to chuckle. “I mean, I didn’t miss anything like us leaving and driving someplace else, right?” He still didn’t comment, only stood there and watched her with an amused look on his face. “This is just beyond anything I’ve ever seen.” She pulled her hand free, and while she missed the connection immediately, she was too busy touching all the surfaces and mentally making notes.

  “It’s just a kitchen, Taylor,” Mike said, but his tone implied he knew it was more than that—like he wanted her to voice what it was that she was seeing.

  “Oh, it’s so much more than that,” she said with awe. “This is…a dream. This is one of those kitchens even the laziest of cooks don’t mind making a meal in.”

  “There are lazy cooks?”