“And what about drinks? Are you thinking of having an open bar or simply offering Bill’s collection?”
“Bill’s collection is the star of the show. We’ll let it be known—discreetly—that other beverages are available, but this event is meant to showcase the wine. What we don’t want to do is exclude anyone who isn’t a wine drinker.”
“Like yourself?” he asked lightly.
“Even if I did drink, I wouldn’t on the night of an event. I’ll be walking around overseeing everything, so it’s a nonissue.”
They sat silently for a moment, and then Hugh was ready to start picking her brain on the resort—not just from the campaign standpoint, but as an overall impression. They talked at great length about the strengths and weaknesses, the challenges of having a small, exclusive destination when it was surrounded by much larger, less exclusive ones.
“This is a fairly big vacation area. I know a lot of people think I’m foolish for keeping things small, but not everyone is looking for a big, loud family vacation,” he said after a while.
“For a man who grew up in a big family, you seem pretty intent on not catering to them. If anything, I would have thought you’d be a little more sensitive to that demographic.”
“One has nothing to do with the other. I am sympathetic to families who search for places they can travel to without breaking the bank, but it’s not who I felt called to cater to. I like the privacy, the quiet. I grew up in a form of controlled chaos. There were six of us kids, so there was always noise and commotion. When we did go on vacation, it was to the same place because it was what we could afford and it was filled with other families just like us. I didn’t realize it at the time, but as an adult looking back, it really wasn’t a vacation for my parents.” He paused and smiled sadly. “They deserved to have a little time for themselves. A little peace and quiet.” He sighed. “They never got it.”
Somehow Aubrey knew without asking that his mother was gone. “When did your mother pass away?”
“When I was seventeen,” he said quietly. “My mother lived for the six of us and she never had the chance to do anything for herself.”
“I think she did,” Aubrey said, her tone soft. “She loved all of you and that’s what made her happy. I bet her best moments were watching all of you grow and the achievements you made.”
Hugh studied her for a moment. “I don’t know. Is your mother like that?” His tone was still low but held a hint of curiosity, as if what she was saying was completely foreign to him.
Aubrey shook her head. “Just the opposite. But I spent a lot of time surrounded by other mothers and saw how it could be. How it should be.”
“I’m sorry,” he said and then gave a sad chuckle. “I think you’re right, though. Mom was everyone’s cheerleader. It didn’t matter if you did well on a spelling test or if you made the touchdown that won the game, she made a big deal out of it. We had a wall of pictures because she made sure she captured every accomplishment and hung it up for everyone to see.”
“She sounds amazing.”
Hugh nodded. “She was.” He looked down at his hands folded on the table and then nodded again. “She was that and more.”
Unable to help herself, Aubrey placed a hand on top of his and gently squeezed. There was nothing she could say. She had no idea what it was like to physically lose a parent, but from watching Hugh, she knew it must be devastating.
While Aubrey’s parents were both still alive, they hadn’t been part of her life—particularly her mother—in a long time. At least, not in the way she’d always thought a parent should. Maybe it was her own issue. Maybe she wasn’t realistic in her beliefs on how a parent should act or feel or behave. But sitting here looking at Hugh, she wasn’t so sure.
“I didn’t mean to make you sad,” she said softly, still touching him.
Hugh straightened in his seat, his eyes meeting hers. “It’s just… I miss her. I don’t often let myself say that or feel it, but sometimes…”
“You can’t help it. She’s a part of you. She’s always going to be a part of you.”
He nodded but didn’t speak. His eyes scanned her face as if studying it, committing it to memory. Shifting, he put his other hand on top of hers and Aubrey reveled in the heat of it, the difference in size and texture.
Something was happening here—something she knew she wouldn’t be able to stop. It may have only been days since they’d first met, but it felt as if she’d known him forever. She sensed Hugh felt it too.
Why was she fighting it so hard? There was clearly a connection here. She felt it from the moment she first saw him. True, there had been other things on her mind, but good Lord, the man was every temptation brought to life! The fact that his pulse seemed to be beating as erratically as hers told her she wasn’t imagining things.
Did he just move closer?
Oh boy. It had been so long since Aubrey had felt passionate about anything, or anyone. And in the last week, Hugh Shaughnessy had proved to be the person she needed to bring passion back into her life. He challenged her, made her laugh, made her angry, made her…feel. Oh God. It was so good to feel again!
She inched closer.
He whispered her name as his head slowly tilted toward her. She heard the pain and plea in his tone. She knew he was battling his own demons, and while this could complicate everything, Aubrey didn’t have it in her to care.
A million questions raced through her mind, and yet the only thing to escape her lips was a hushed, “Yes.”
Closing the distance between them, Hugh hesitated, his lips hovering above hers, and Aubrey sighed, hoping to encourage him. Her eyes closed, her heart raced, and then he was there, his lips against hers. Softly. Gently. Tentatively. Aubrey was ready to throw caution to the wind and simply crawl into his lap when a sound by the door pulled them apart.
“Hey, big brother! I guess you forgot I was coming.”
Aubrey looked at the man in the doorway and then back to Hugh. “Is this… Is he…?”
Hugh nearly growled as he raked a shaky hand through his hair and stood. “Aubrey Burke, I’d like you to meet my younger brother Riley.”
Chapter 5
Hugh had never been more frustrated in his entire life. While he was always happy to see one of his siblings, Riley’s timing was the worst.
He’d finally caved. Finally said screw it and took a chance to taste Aubrey’s sweet lips, and his brother chose now to show up? Why the hell hadn’t he called first?
Hugh introduced them as Riley stepped forward—all six-foot, lean, rock-star inch of him—and took one of Aubrey’s hands in his and kissed it.
Hugh wanted to kill him.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Aubrey,” Riley said smoothly, a knowing smile on his face.
“It’s nice to meet you too,” she said shyly before taking her hand back. She looked from Riley to Hugh and back again. “Are you in the resort business too?”
Riley let out a full throaty laugh as he looked at her with disbelief. “Are you serious?”
Aubrey nodded. “Hugh didn’t mention what the rest of his siblings did for a living. I was just curious.”
Now Hugh looked at her like she was crazy. “Aubrey, don’t you know who he is?”
“Of course. He’s your brother Riley. Why?”
In an instant, all of the anger left Hugh’s body as he started laughing too. He looked over at Riley, who suddenly didn’t look quite so cocky. His trademark smirk was gone and in its place was a bit of a pout.
“I…I don’t understand,” Aubrey said, trying to be heard over Hugh’s laughter. “What’s so funny?”
“Sweetheart,” Hugh began, taking a deep breath to get his laughter under control, “don’t you listen to the radio?”
Looking at him as if he were speaking another language, she frowned. “Why? What does that have t
o do with anything?”
Now it was Riley’s turn to step forward. “What kind of music do you listen to, darlin’?”
“Classical. Jazz.” She stopped and considered for a moment. “That’s it.”
And Hugh started laughing all over again.
“I don’t see what’s so damn funny,” Riley snapped.
“Little brother, I do believe we just found the one person in the world who doesn’t know who you are!”
“I still don’t understand. What do you do, Riley? Are you on the radio? Like a disc jockey or something?”
With a growl of frustration, Riley walked over to the kitchen to grab something to drink, muttering the whole way about how he had a song in the top ten in the country.
Aubrey blushed and looked at Hugh apologetically. “I’m sorry,” she said, scrambling to get her files together. “I really should be going. Thanks for going over all of this with me, Hugh.”
Snapping out of his amusement, Hugh helped her collect her things. When he was right next to her, he murmured in her ear, “Don’t worry about Riley. It’s good for him to be humbled every once in a while.” Then, because he couldn’t help himself, he nuzzled closer.
“Hugh,” she whispered right before she moved away. “I should go. It… It’s late and…”
They both straightened and faced each other, and Hugh skimmed a hand down her cheek, marveling at its softness. “I’m sorry the night ended like this.”
She shook her head. “Maybe it’s for the best.”
“What do you mean?”
Sighing, she met his gaze. “This… Things could get complicated. I’m working with you on this campaign and…well…”
“Aubrey,” he said softly, “the campaign is the last thing on my mind. What just happened here has nothing to do with work and everything to do with what’s been destined to happen since I first saw you.”
“You mean when you first saw my bottom climbing through your window?”
Hugh knew she was trying to make light of the situation, but damn if the image of her in that thong didn’t make all the blood in his body rush south. Luckily, he was able to keep his focus on her face and silently prayed she wouldn’t notice his body’s reaction to her. “I’m not going to lie to you. It was an amazing sight, but it’s this face that keeps drawing me in,” he said, still caressing her cheek.
“Oh,” she sighed.
“We’ll talk more about this tomorrow,” he forced himself to say. Out of the corner of his eye, Hugh could see Riley glaring at them from the kitchen. “Why don’t I walk you back to your room?”
“I’d like that.”
They gathered the rest of her things and headed for the door. Riley stood and watched them from the kitchen. “It was nice to meet you, Riley,” Aubrey said, still embarrassed by her earlier faux pas.
“You too, Aubrey,” he said politely. “Maybe I’ll see you around.”
“I’d like that. Hugh and I will be here for a few days,” she said, and then seemed to realize how it sounded. “I mean… We’ll be here working and I’m working on a new campaign for him and—”
“Aubrey?” Hugh interrupted. When she looked at him, he teased, “Stop talking.” Then he looked at Riley. “I’ll see you in a bit.”
Riley merely nodded and watched them walk out the door.
The elevator ride was silent and Hugh contemplated leaning in and really kissing her. One look at Aubrey, however, and he knew immediately she was struggling with everything that had just happened—the kiss, the interruption, his brother.
Once they stepped outside and started walking on the dimly lit path toward her building, she spoke. “I really didn’t mean to insult your brother. I feel so bad about it. I hope I don’t run into him again. I think I’d die of embarrassment.”
“It’s not a big deal. Like I said, it’s good for Riley to realize he isn’t the center of everyone’s universe.”
“Maybe. But I’m sure he expects people—even if they’re not fans—to know who he is. I guess I’m a little more out of touch than I thought.”
“Nonsense. You like what you like. There’s nothing wrong with it. I’m sure he doesn’t know any of the jazz musicians you listen to.”
Aubrey chuckled. “I doubt I’d recognize most of them either.”
“You get the point,” Hugh said and boldly reached for her hand. He smiled when she didn’t resist or pull away. “Don’t worry about Riley. He’ll survive. His ego could use a couple of knocks.”
“I just wish I wasn’t the one to do it.”
He squeezed her hand. “Trust me. He’ll survive. And you will too.” They reached her building and stopped at the entrance. “What are your plans for tomorrow?”
“Elaine’s going to take me around the city to get a feel for it. We’re going to look at our competition a bit and shop a little for VIP gifts. I think everyone we invite to the party should have a gift bag waiting for them in their rooms. It will be filled with some items exclusive to the resort, but I’d also like to find items from local businesses, you know, something with the local flavor.” She paused and looked at him. “What do you think?”
“I think it sounds like you’re going to be very busy. When will I see you?” Slowly, giving her time to accept or reject what he was doing, Hugh pulled her in close until they were toe to toe with one another.
With a sigh, Aubrey relaxed into him. “Mmm… I don’t know. I’m meeting her in the lobby at ten and I figured we’d be out until mid-afternoon. What are you doing for dinner tomorrow night?”
Hugh shook his head. “That’s too long to wait. Promise me you’ll stop by my office when you get back.” He leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. Aubrey immediately melted into the kiss, and he had to fight for control. Now wasn’t the time to take this any further, and he didn’t want it to feel like he was rushing her. No matter how much he wanted to. Lifting his head, he rested his forehead against hers. “Feel free to use the door this time,” he teased lightly and laughed when she smacked his arm playfully.
“Jerk.” It was all she got out before Hugh swooped back in for one last kiss. Sighing, Aubrey looked up into his eyes. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Yes, you will,” he said and it was a near growl. He watched Aubrey enter her building, waving to her before she turned away and the door closed behind her.
He took the path back to his own building at a slow pace. His mind was reeling and he was beyond annoyed with his brother. While he knew—realistically—Riley had no idea he was going to be interrupting something, it didn’t make Hugh feel any less irritated. If Riley hadn’t walked in when he did, there wasn’t a doubt in Hugh’s mind he and Aubrey would be getting to know each other a lot better at this very moment.
Dammit.
Now he was going to have to walk back into his apartment and tippy-toe around his brother’s fragile ego while dodging questions about Aubrey. No doubt Riley would give him a hard time about the whole situation and they’d suddenly turn into twelve-year-olds.
This was so not the way the night should have ended.
Hugh looked up at the star-filled sky and sighed. He didn’t want to be alone, but he didn’t feel like hanging out with Riley.
He wanted Aubrey.
Luckily, Hugh was a realist. It wasn’t going to happen tonight. Maybe not even tomorrow night. They would have their time. Soon. But right now there was no point in standing here staring at the sky and dreaming like a teenage girl. He’d wasted enough time. This was the real world, and it was time to go back to his apartment, spend time with his brother, and try to focus on whatever had brought Riley here.
And not let his mind wander to Aubrey and what she was doing.
* * *
“I didn’t think I’d be seeing you again tonight,” Riley said when Hugh walked through the door.
“
I told you I’d be back.”
“Yeah, but I figured you were saying that so I wouldn’t ask any questions or make any comments about you getting lucky,” he said with a grin. He was sprawled out on the sofa, a bowl of popcorn in his lap and an open beer on the coffee table. A replay of a hockey game was on the TV.
Hugh kicked off his shoes and sat down beside him. Wordlessly he reached for a handful of popcorn and together they watched a couple minutes of the game.
“You didn’t need to come back, you know,” Riley finally said.
With a shrug, Hugh looked at him. “Yeah, I did.”
Riley chuckled. “Why? Is the blond playing hard to get?”
Hugh silently counted to ten before answering. “No. I am.”
Riley laughed out loud. “Yeah, right. What are you doing? Holding out for a ring?”
“Very funny. It’s all just…new. Aubrey works for me now—I didn’t orchestrate or want that—but she does, so it has the potential to get complicated. And we’ve only known each other for a week, so like I said, it’s new.”
“Huh. So are you really into her?”
Was he? Stupid question. “Yeah. I am.”
“Damn, not you too. I can barely stand all of the domestic bliss Aidan goes on about. For crying out loud, we all know Zoe’s great. Why can’t he shut up about it once in a while?”
Hugh chuckled. “You’re sounding a little bit jaded there, bro. What’s the matter? A decline in fan club membership?”
“Screw you,” Riley muttered. “All I’m saying is maybe there are other things to talk about. It doesn’t all have to be the wonders of Zoe.”
“So what do you want to talk about? The number of panties that landed on stage at your last show? How many naked girls always seem to find a way into your secured hotel room?”
Riley glared at him. “Is that what you think my life is like?” he snapped. “That I’m so freaking shallow I have nothing else to talk about?”
And for the first time, Hugh realized something wasn’t right in his brother’s world. Maybe that was why he’d showed up here tonight. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I’m being very judgmental.”
Love Walks In Page 11
