His Champagne

by Dori Lavelle

  He was right, I needed to get away. Before Neal LaClaire showed up, I’d had a rough day at work. It was exhausting trying to hide from the press, escaping to the bathroom when one of the reporters made it into the bar, pretending to be an ordinary customer.

  The stares of some of my colleagues were unbearable as well. Some judged me even when they said they weren’t. The only two people I knew were truly on my side were Brynne and Lucy.

  Maybe by staying away, Neal is keeping his promise of not being in my way. During the long flight, we barely talked to each other as he and his assistant were busy preparing for his meetings.

  A knock on the door of my spacious suite makes me turn away from the floor-to-ceiling windows. Confused about who would visit my room at 10:00 p.m., I tighten the belt of my bathrobe on the way to the door.

  “Who’s there?” I ask, the palm of my hand flat on the wood.

  “Hi, Eva, it’s me, Linda.”

  “Oh, okay.” I pull the door open. “Hi.”

  “I’m sorry to come by so late. I hope you weren’t asleep.”

  I smile. “No. I was just enjoying the view.”

  “Breathtaking, isn’t it?” She returns my smile. “This is the hotel Neal always stays at whenever he comes to Vienna.”

  Linda approaches the windows to look out at the city.

  She’s a stunning woman in her thirties. The first time I saw her, yesterday, I was a little intimidated by her beauty. She looks like a model. I found myself wondering if her beauty ever distracted Neal. He should be attracted to someone like her. Next to her, I feel like an ugly duckling.

  “How long have you been working for him?”

  “Five years.” She turns to me, her movements fluid and graceful. “He’s the best employer I’ve ever had.”

  I lower myself onto the nearest leather couch. “You must find it odd that he invited me here.”

  “Actually, yes, I do.” She takes a seat as well.

  Her presence makes my skin prickle. What if she has feelings for Neal and came to tell me to back off?

  “I can imagine.” I clasp my hands in my lap. “We’re . . . strangers, Neal and I.”

  “You better stop saying that.” She crosses her endless legs. “You’re supposed to be a couple on this trip, remember? Sometimes walls talk.”

  “He’s told you everything, didn’t he?”

  “Kind of. He’s a very private man. But I know one thing.”

  “What’s that?”

  “He likes you. A lot.”

  I drop my gaze to my hands. “I think you are mistaken.”

  “Trust me, I’ve known him long enough. I’ve never seen him this alive. I heard that his wife’s death had made him a corpse.”

  My heart wilts at her words. “He’s . . . he was married? His wife died?”

  “Yes, years ago. She was pregnant at the time. He didn’t tell you?”

  “No. I had no idea. Oh my God. That’s terrible.”

  “He doesn’t like to talk about it. I wouldn’t bring it up if I were you.”

  “It all makes sense. The first time I saw him, I thought he looked sad.”

  “He used to, but something changed after . . . what happened between you. He smiles more now.”

  “I’m pretty sure it has nothing to do with me. He asked me to Vienna because he wanted to get me away from the press.”

  Linda tosses her long, black hair over her shoulder. “He wouldn’t have done that if he didn’t feel something for you.”

  I ignore the warmth spreading through my chest. “Why are you telling me all this?”

  “I don’t know. I guess I wanted to thank you. He’s a good man and he deserves to be happy.”

  “We’re only pretending.” I swallow hard. “You know we’re not—you know, a couple.”

  “I know. But you still made an impact on his life and I wanted to thank you for that.”

  “You care about him, don’t you?” I ask cautiously.

  “I do. But not in the way you think. He’s like a brother to me.”

  “Well, thank you for, I guess, for the things you said.”

  “Another thing I wanted to tell you is that tomorrow I’m all yours. Neal asked me to take you shopping and we can see the city together. Unfortunately, he can’t join us. He has too many meetings.”

  “That would be wonderful. The sightseeing, I mean. I can’t go shopping. I didn’t bring much money.”

  “You don’t have to worry about that. He asked me to give you this.” She reaches into her pocket and pulls out a credit card, which she presses into my palm.

  “I can’t. I cannot spend his money.”

  “After what you did for him, I think you deserve it. I have a feeling it will make him happy to spoil you.”

  I curl my fingers around the card, feeling strange, but also flattered. In this city of castles, I feel like a princess, one without a prince, but so what? A princess is a princess, right?

  “I have a lot of work to do before I sleep. I work best at night. But let’s have breakfast together before we head out.” Linda pushes herself to her feet. “Goodnight, Eva.”

  Before I fall asleep, my hotel phone rings. I’m surprised when Neal’s voice comes down the line.

  “I wanted to wish you a good night. And ask you out to dinner tomorrow night. As friends.”

  “Um . . . Okay.” It’s the least I can do after what he did for me. He did more than just whisk me away to a foreign country. Most of the articles online are now calling us a couple. I’m no longer his whore. “I’d like that.”

  “Wonderful. I’ll make a reservation.” He pauses. “Actually, what the hell, let’s see Vienna together.”

  My heart almost explodes inside my chest at his words. “I’d love to, but Linda has already offered to show me around.”

  “I know. I’ll give her a call. I’m sure she won’t mind.”

  I fall asleep almost immediately after the call. I dream of walking down the aisle again back home in City Lake. The man waiting for me at the altar is not Adrian. It’s Neal LaClaire.

  16

  Eva

  I wake up with excitement blooming inside my chest.

  I tell myself it has nothing to do with getting to spend the day with Neal and more to do with getting to see Vienna. I try to convince myself that it means nothing. Neal is a kind and generous man and he has been kind to me. That’s all there is to it.

  After a long shower, I get dressed in a plum linen dress I bought myself the day I started my job at the LBD.

  I step out onto the balcony to enjoy my Viennese breakfast of Schwarzbrot, a black bread made of rye and wheat flour, which I sweeten with jam and honey. I wash it down with a delicious Wiener Melange, a coffee drink similar to a cappuccino back home.

  A smile settles on my lips as I watch the city of Vienna coming alive below. There’s no better way to start the day. I haven’t felt this light since I made the decision to walk away from my old life.

  At 10:00 a.m., I meet Neal in the lobby, where he’s waiting with a private tour guide. The older woman’s perfect English is wrapped in a cloak of the Viennese accent.

  As we drive around town, I try not to look at Neal. Every time I do, I remember the night we spent together at The Millennium, the night that changed everything, the night that led me to Vienna.

  Our first stop is the Upper Belvedere Gallery, where we get to admire Gustav Klimt’s famous painting, The Kiss, of a couple kissing in a bed of flowers. Next, we visit the Butterfly House known as the Imperial Schmetterlinghaus, part of the Hofburg Royal Palace, and marvel at the hundreds of butterflies fluttering in a tropical rainforest setting.

  “Are you okay?” Neal asks me as we settle back in the car. “You’ve been rather quiet. I hope you’re enjoying the tour.”

  “I’m fine.” I stifle a smile. “You were right. Vienna is a beautiful city. I’m happy I came.” I can’t possibly tell him that the reason I’m not talking much is because he’s having a huge effec
t on me, and I’m struggling to hide it.

  This is a one-time thing. After this adventure is over, we’ll probably never see each other again.

  “So am I.” Neal gazes out the window. “So am I.”

  I’m still doing my best to tuck away my feelings when we arrive at the riverside promenade, Donauinsel, and bask in the warm sun beside the river.

  “We should take a boat ride on the river before we leave Vienna.” Neal takes a swig of beer. “I’d love to see where it takes us.”

  “Yes.” I sip my cold Mojito. “That would be nice.” Deep inside, I wonder if it’s a good idea. I’m starting to think that spending any more time together could make things complicated between us.

  Without telling him yet, I decide that I’m not staying the full two weeks he had offered me. After a week, I’ll return home to patch up my life and get back to reality. This Viennese fairytale won’t last. But it also won’t stop me from enjoying the rest of the day by his side.

  The tour guide shows us a few more places around Vienna, and then Neal asks her to take a leave as we set off on another adventure around the city center in a horse-drawn open carriage.

  We end the day with a three-course candlelight dinner in one of the luxury cabins of the giant Ferris wheel over the illuminated city of Vienna.

  "Eva, I want to apologize again for what happened,” he says while the waiter pours him a glass of wine. I opt for sparkling water instead.

  "You have to stop apologizing. You're not the only one responsible,” I say after the waiter leaves us to get our food. “It takes two to do what we did, remember?"

  A smile curls one corner of his mouth. "It sure does, but the one who started it is to blame."

  "Do you regret it?" As soon as the words escape my lips I want to swallow them back down. When it takes him a moment to answer, I feel my cheeks heat up. What the hell was I thinking? What will I do if he says yes?

  In an attempt to do damage control, I force myself to look back at him, and I wave a dismissive hand. "It's fine, we don't have to talk about it."

  He lifts his glass of wine to his lips, eyeing me over the rim, and takes a sip.

  Great, now I've made things awkward between us.

  He narrows his eyes at me. "Are you asking if I regret having sex with you?"

  A wave of heat spreads from my cheeks to my neck. I drop my gaze. Discussing sex openly doesn't come easy to me. Why the hell did I not keep my mouth shut? "I guess...I guess so."

  "Look at me," he says, his voice lowered. He waits until I look at him again. "The truth is, you're stunning and the sex was—"

  "Stop." I swallow hard. "We really don't have to talk about it."

  "I want to." He chuckles. "I want you to know that I had fun. It's hard to regret what happened in the elevator. What I do regret is what happened after. For that I'm truly sorry."

  "You know what?" I take a sip of my champagne and look out at the lit-up city of Vienna. "You more than made up for it. It's the first time I've left the US."

  "Is that so?"

  "Yes." Our eyes meet again but the intensity with which he's looking at me makes me turn away again. "My first trip out of the country was going to be for my honeymoon to Italy." I shrug. "But as you know, that didn't work out. Adrian—my ex—didn’t show up at the wedding. He sent a letter instead."

  “What a jerk. I’m sorry.” He places a hand on mine and I count to three before pulling away. “I hope what happened to you won’t make you punish all men. There are still some great men out there.”

  “I’ll try not to.” I sigh. “It's for the best. It would probably have hurt more if he dumped me after the wedding." I laugh to lighten the mood. "I try to believe that everything happens for a reason."

  "What do you think is the reason for what happened to you?"

  I take my time to think out my response before answering. “Finding myself. I've always felt like I was in a prison in City Lake."

  "That's where you're from."

  I nod. "I grew up with a controlling father. He was not pleased when I packed my bags and went to Vegas. He called me a sinner."

  "A religious dad, huh?"

  "More than that. A pastor, actually." I don’t know why, but I easily open up to Neal about the kind of man my father is and how he has suffocated me all my life.

  “That must have been tough on you,” he says after I’ve poured out my heart.

  "It was. After he found out about the—"

  "Damn. I’m responsible for driving you apart?" Neal pinches the bridge of his nose.

  I raise a hand to halt him from talking. "Don't apologize again. Our relationship was fragile long before you came along.” I sigh. “Enough about my father. Let’s talk about something else."

  "Since you've been so open with me, there's something you should know about me. Maybe it will make you understand why I can’t…we can’t be more."

  My heart folds a little at the words we can’t be more.

  "I'm a widower. My wife was shot." He takes a breath. "Two years after we got married. We married right out of high school."

  "I'm so sorry, Neal." I try not to let it show on my face that I already know.

  “It’s been years.” He drains his glass. “Let’s not talk about that, not in this beautiful setting. Tell me how you’re liking Vienna so far.”

  As our dinner is served and we enjoy the meals, we no longer talk about things that hurt or anything personal.

  Whatever Neal calls it, this feels like a date, and it’s the best I’ve ever had.

  When we return to the hotel, and he escorts me to my door, my head is spinning and not only from spending quite some time above Vienna.

  Holding my gaze, he scratches the short beard on his chin. “Do you want to come to my room for coffee?”

  I shake my head before lowering it. “Neal, I don’t know if that’s a good idea. I—”

  Before I can finish my sentence, his lips are on mine, a hand cupping my chin as he deepens a kiss that’s hard to resist.

  The next thing I know, he has removed the key card from my hand and opened my door. My head tells me to put an end to this, but my body refuses to listen. It allows him to gather me up in his arms, to continue kissing me as he strides across the spacious suite on his way to the bedroom.

  I’m finding it hard not to think of the consequences as he lays me on the bed and starts to undress me.

  I want to stop him, but I can’t help wondering how it would feel to have him inside me one last time. The need for him is so strong, it’s painful.

  “I wanted to do this all day,” he whispers into my ear. He pushes my panties down my thighs, then trails his tongue down my body until he reaches the destination between my legs.

  I’m trembling with ecstasy when he thrusts into me with his tongue and doesn’t stop until I call out his name. Being with him makes me feel as though I’ve had sex so many times before, as though I’m an expert at it. It just feels so natural. I know what to do without learning. He doesn’t need to teach me a thing.

  Tomorrow, I might regret this, but tonight I will listen to my body.

  Like last time, he already has a condom in his pocket. I wonder whether he carries one all the time, or if this was always his plan with me. It doesn’t matter either way. We’re here. Right now, nothing else matters.

  He flips me around on the bed so I’m lying with my belly pressed into the mattress, then lays on top of me. A hot gasp escapes me when he enters me from behind while his hands hold mine above my head and his lips are pressed into the nape of my neck.

  Once it’s over, neither of us talks as we gaze up at the ceiling, our bodies slick with sweat.

  “I’m sorry,” he says as he climbs out of bed and starts to get dressed.

  Done, he pushes both hands into his hair and watches me for a long time. His eyes look tortured. “I think I should go.”

  As I watch him walk out the door, it strangely feels like goodbye.

  17

&
nbsp; Neal

  Unable to find sleep, I throw back the covers and fling my legs out of bed. I find myself at the minibar, but instead of reaching for one of the small bottles of whiskey, I choose a bottle of water.

  I’m still beating myself up about what happened tonight. I shouldn’t have spent the day with her. Sitting next to her all day had turned me on so hard that, at the end of the day, I couldn’t hold back. I had to have her once more.

  I take a swig of the cold water as I walk onto the balcony, watching the city lights.

  I’m such an idiot for being so weak. No woman except for Sonia had ever had this kind of effect on me. I hate myself for what I did to Eva again. Especially when I know full well there can never be anything more between us. After our pretend relationship, it would all be over. But when I fuck her, what kind of message am I sending her?

  From now on, I’ll keep myself busy with meetings until the trip is done. I’ll make sure she has everything she needs to enjoy the rest of her time in Vienna. If she needs company, Linda will provide it. It’s best for me to remove myself out of the equation. I’m not the kind of guy who toys with other people’s hearts. It’s time for me to be responsible.

  Not even checking to see what time it is, I walk back into the room and grab my phone. I call Caleb and find myself confessing to what I have done.

  “Why don’t you just admit you like her?”

  “You know I can’t do that. I’m not ready for a relationship. I don’t think she is either. She was left at the altar, for God’s sake. It’ll take a while for her to trust men again.” I pause. “Besides, relationships have to be headed for somewhere.”

  “You mean marriage?”

  “Yeah. And I can’t give her or any woman that. So, what’s the point?”

  “Some people date without any hopes of marriage, as long as both parties agree to the arrangement.”

  “Nope. I can’t do that either.”

  “You feel guilty, don’t you?” Caleb sighs. His voice is lower when he speaks again. “I’m so sorry, man, for the shit you went through. But Sonia is gone. Maybe it’s time to move on, however that looks like for you. And you like this girl or you wouldn’t have flown her to Vienna. You wouldn’t have tried to protect her.”