She would have moved on with her life anyway. There’d be some new man in the frame—Stacy wouldn’t have stayed single for long.
“Are you still in New York? I’d like to see some time, but I’m due to fly to Ireland tomorrow.”
“I know.” He shoved a hand into the front pocket of his jeans. “That’s the reason I wanted you to call. By some weird quirk of fate our paths are about to coincide again. I sold my business and have moved back to Ireland with a new venture. My friend Sean and I are partners in Boxfield Animation—you’re working with me.”
He heard her gasp.
“You’re making the film?”
“We were all set to record the voice over with Mitta Jewel until the Teen Choice Awards. After her performance that all fell apart, until Plaxtair managed to get you on board.”
“You suggested me.” She sounded definite. “I guess I should thank you.”
He was quick to put her right. “No. Sean and Barney Meisner pushed for you, not me. I was watching that night, but they made the decision.” Curiosity put words into his mouth he hadn’t intended saying. “You were wearing your ring.”
“It was our anniversary. I was feeling nostalgic.” Her husky tones added an element of intimacy that made his body respond.
“How does the new man in your life feel about that?”
“There is no other man.”
His heartbeat increased.
“There hasn’t been anyone since you.”
He wished they were in the same room so he could see her, read the secrets in her eyes. Judge if she was feeling the connection between them twist and tighten as he was.
“I’ll give the ring back when I meet you in Ireland. I should have returned it a long time ago.”
“Keep it.” He stalked to the window. Rain cascaded from the guttering. The trap beneath was clogged and overflowing. He’d forgotten how much it rained in Ireland. “As a memento of what we once had.” Before he could make a fool out of himself asking why she hadn’t moved on with someone new after all this time, he said: “It’s late. I’ll see you at the airport.” And terminated the call.
*****
The captain’s disembodied voice advised the passengers that they would be landing shortly, and the fasten seat belts light went on.
“You awake, Stacy?”
Stacy cracked open her eyes, and turned to Apollo. Even though the first class seats were wide, he still looked shoehorned into the space available. “Yes.” Truth be told, she’d been awake for hours, snatching only a little sleep on the flight to Shannon. She barely slept ever since talking to Adam, obsessing over seeing him again until her head hurt. “I still can’t believe we’re actually here.”
“Adam said he’d pick us up. He said you’re staying in his house.”
“Yes.” Apollo was repeating himself.
Stacy’s stomach flipped. She’d examined the contract in detail and had noted that the songs for the movie had been written by one of Nashville’s leading songwriters and the entire voice-over process would take a month—no longer. A month where she’d be in very close contact with a man she once thought she knew completely, but now couldn’t make out at all.
“You’re doing the right thing.” Apollo stretched his legs and then apologized the woman in front who turned to glare as he jolted her chair. “I know you don’t want to do this job, but it’s the right thing.”
“I don’t know if it’s the right thing or not, but I ran out of options. It was either get on the plane to Ireland or start work on another album just like my last one.” She squeezed her lips together. “I’m so sick of being manipulated. At least now Clint is listening to my new material and I’ll be able to make the album I want.”
“And some cash.”
“Yes. That too.” She shoved a magazine into her carry on bag. “I wish you were staying.”
The studio execs had been adamant that Apollo would accompany her to Ireland for security purposes. On arrival, Adam would take on responsibility for her safety, and Apollo would return to the States. Being without her constant companion made butterflies flutter in her stomach.
“I’m taking a few days holiday before I go back,” Apollo said. “Maybe you, me and Adam can have a drink or dinner before I leave.”
The old gang getting back together. Once, the three of them had been easy in each other’s company, but now everything was different. Apart from that one moment when their conversation had veered into more personal territory, Adam had been coolly professional.
When they’d first met, she’d been entranced by him, attracted before they’d even spoken and swept up in a passionate romance full of laughter. There was no laughter left in their interactions any longer.
The plane descended through slate-gray clouds and a sprinkling of lights from the houses below lit the dark landscape with glittery pinpricks. “I always imagined my first visit to Ireland would be different. We’d planned to travel and meet his family before…”
“Before you broke up, yeah I know.” Apollo shoved his Kindle into his carry on bag. “Better late than never, huh?”
They’d talked about many things during the flight. Lester’s betrayal and the current search to trace his whereabouts, which so far had proved unfruitful, the precarious state of her finances, and the loss of her home.
It was proving impossibly difficult to reclaim her home—and to be honest, she was so disenchanted by recent events the thought of making a fresh start outweighed the urge to turn back time and fight the current owners for ownership.
“New beginnings.” She breathed in deep. She had a month of solid work ahead recording the voice over for Bibi’s Big Adventure, and was determined to spend every free hour writing extra songs for the album. Now was a time to look forward, to plan for the new future she alone would control. There was no point in dwelling on past failures, and past disappointments.
She would spend a lot of time working with Adam over the next month, but when the time in the studio was through, she’d be left to her own devices. He had a new life. She didn’t even know if it included a woman, even though she’d spewed her guts and admitted there was no-one significant in her life.
She grimaced at the memory.
“Hold on, it’s going to be bumpy.”
Apollo had never spoken truer words.
*****
The flight from New York was the last flight into Shannon, and the airport was half deserted. Adam’s gaze scanned the tired passengers—a sense of eager anticipation making him wired and edgy, as if he’d spent the day mainlining espresso.
He rubbed the back of his neck, and closed his eyes for a moment.
A gasp from the woman standing next to him forced his head up, and his eyes open. A familiar figure strode through the arrivals gate, a man head and shoulders above the other passengers. At six foot six, Apollo easily dwarfed them.
“That’s a fine looking man,” the woman muttered under her breath. She was alone, but her comment wasn’t directed to Adam, it was more a comment to the world in general. An acknowledgment of hotness to the universe.
He searched the crowd before Apollo, and there she was. High heels, tight jeans, a buttery black leather jacket covering what looked like a slim black camisole with an edging of black lace around the low dipping neckline. Nashville all the way.
The urge to smile was overwhelming. Shit, it’s good to see her. Holding on to anger, to hurt, was becoming ever more impossible, especially when all he wanted to do was to stalk over, throw his arms around her and kiss her until she couldn’t see straight.
She looked up, spotted him, and smiled. A genuine smile, and then her expression changed to one he’d seen on her face many times before. One of awareness. The air seemed charged and a familiar spark zinged between them. Desire that neither could deny, neither could hide.
What’s the point of even trying?
Adam walked around the barrier, his gaze never leaving hers. She abandoned any effort to move, just wait
ed for him to reach her. She chewed on her bottom lip, and her throat moved in an involuntary swallow.
Waiting for their plane to land, he’d planned to play it cool. To keep a level of distance between them, that would be necessary because she wouldn’t be checking into a hotel, but living with him for the duration. Plans are for breaking.
He stopped inches from her. Leaned down to stare into her eyes.
“Welcome to Ireland.” Before she had a chance to respond, he brought his mouth to hers.
Her lips parted in a gasp, and then she was kissing him back; her lips soft and yielding against his. He breathed in her familiar scent, couldn’t stop his hands from reaching for her waist and tugging her close.
Her hands flattened against his suede jacket, and her chest pressed against his.
The noise of a throat clearing jolted him back from heaven to earth. Slowly, he pulled away, and looked down to see her eyes opening, staring at him with confusion in their depths.
He turned to Apollo. “Good flight?”
The bodyguard grinned widely. “Great flight.”
“My car’s outside.”
Chapter Five
Well, that was confusing. Stacy trailed along behind Adam and Apollo in a daze. It had always been like that between them when they met—instant attraction, but she hadn’t been ready for the shock of desire that had hit her between the eyes the moment she’d caught sight of him in the arrivals hall.
He looked different without his glasses, but that wasn’t the only difference. He must have been working out because his shoulders looked broader, his hair was longer, and… Dear god, she was mesmerized. So she’d stood there and stared as he crossed the space between them. Had been unable to look away when he’d walked right up to her with that gleam in his eyes that warned he was going to kiss her, lost in the desire to feel his lips on hers.
And then, to make things worse, instead of keeping the kiss friendly, she’d opened her lips and…practically devoured him.
It didn’t bode well for the next few weeks. If she couldn’t resist him now, what chance would she have when they were alone together in his house?
Apollo loaded their bags into a black Range Rover, while she slid into the backseat. They drove through the dark night for a while, then arrived at a hotel.
“This place looks out of my league.” Apollo stared through the windshield, but made no attempt to leave the car.
“I cleared it with the finance guys. You came all this way, consider it a perk of the job.” He reached across Apollo, opened the glove compartment, and retrieved a key with a paper tag attached. “The Radisson Blu has a spa, so you can get a massage in the morning, work out in the gym, or just chill in the pool. I hired you a car for your stay so you can see some sights—leave it at the airport when you’re flying out.”
“God, I could do with a massage,” Stacy said.
Adam turned and grinned at her. “Sorry, Stace, facilities are much more basic at my house.” To her relief, he didn’t add that he’d be happy to give her a massage.
Apollo exited the car. She opened her door and stepped out too, enveloping her bodyguard in a hug. “I wish you were coming with us,” she whispered.
“You don’t need me. Just relax, Adam will take good care of you.”
That was the very last thing she needed.
Apollo strode toward the hotel.
She climbed into the front seat. And then they were alone.
“How long is the drive to your house?”
“About two and a half hours.” He glanced over. “How are things since we talked?”
“Much the same. Lester has disappeared, and my lawyer is trying to get my house back, but it could be a long time until there’s any action on that front.” She rubbed her fingers together. “I should have listened to you.”
“You made a mistake—but an understandable one. You have to trust someone. If one of my family members had done the same, I never would have believed them capable of it. Are you any closer to understanding why?”
She nodded. “It appears he lost control of a gambling habit. The FBI has discovered he owed a crime syndicate big—they think he stole money and liquidated the proceeds of my house to clear his debt. His new accountant, Mrs Kensington, has also disappeared. They were in it together.”
“Are there other musicians affected?”
“I was his only client. He always said he only needed one—and I guess someone else might have done more due diligence. Looking back, there were hints, but I refused to see them.” She snuggled deeper into the warm leather seat. “Even when you pointed them out to me.”
“Like I said, it’s difficult to believe ill of someone you trust.” It started to rain, a misting drizzle smearing the windshield. Adam’s throat moved in a swallow. “I guess I shouldn’t have kissed you.”
Her heartbeat stepped up. “Well, I guess I shouldn’t have kissed you back.”
He glanced over. “Why did you?”
Truth, or lie? She’d never been able to lie to him. “I couldn’t help myself.” Stacy dragged in a deep breath. “I regret the way I ended our marriage. It feels like there is unfinished business between us.”
His mouth twisted, and silence hung heavy in the car’s interior for a moment. “Our relationship is dead, there’s no going back.”
She suppressed a wince at the harshness of his words.
“It took me a long time to stop loving you. It’s taking me longer to stop wanting you.” His mouth formed a wry smile. “I wanted an explanation for a long time. I wanted…” He shrugged. “God, I don’t know. I guess I wanted closure.” He stared ahead.
If she were brave, she’d explain. Give him that closure. But a yellow streak stretched from the nape of her neck to her coccyx. “But you kissed me.”
He frowned. “There were two of us in that kiss. It’s been nine months. Long enough to get over you.”
“Are you trying to hurt me?”
His fingers tightened on the steering wheel. “Once upon a time I would have been. But not any longer. I told you, there isn’t anything between us any more.”
She had no idea why she was fighting him on this, but stubbornness, mixed with tiredness let the words fall from her mouth anyway. “That’s bullshit. When I needed you, you were there for me. You got me this job—you kissed me—”
“Your crisis came at a good time for the film, we needed you.” His harsh words shattered the romantic bubble that had been growing. “As for the kiss—we want each other. It’s just basic chemistry, babe, that’s all.”
“So what are we going to do about it?” She crossed her arms, willing away hurt feelings.
“I suggest we forget it. You have a job to do, and so do I. It was one kiss. One lousy kiss. Don’t worry, I won’t be following it with a proposal.”
*****
Adam sat on his grandmother’s rocking chair on the back deck of the cottage that faced the sea, nursing a cup of coffee. He’d been rougher with Stacy than he intended last night. He’d hurt her with that crack about not following his kiss with a proposal. She’d turned her head away and stared into the darkness, and after a while her body relaxed, her head rested against the door jamb, and her breathing altered as sleep claimed her.
Kissing her had been stupid. Unavoidable, inevitable, but stupid. Now the specter of that kiss danced between them, teasing them both with what once was, what could have been.
What should have been.
He’d woken her when they arrived at the cottage, accompanied her to the bedroom next door to his, and left her. Knowing Stacy, she’d been asleep the moment her head hit the pillow. He’d always envied her the ability to fall asleep anywhere, anytime. She’d once said it was because she’d spent so much time on the road—that she had to snatch sleep when she could.
He envied her that. Last night he’d prowled around the cottage for hours, unable to settle. The cottage had always been small, but now it felt tiny, as though the mere fact that she was with
in its walls changed it somehow. He imagined her curled in the old four poster, lying on her left side with her hands folded under her cheek. She’d always slept the same way, apart from the times when she’d curled around him, her hand on his stomach, or on his…
“Hey.”
He turned.
She stood in the doorway, looking at the sky and untroubled sea. “This is so beautiful. Can I join you?”
He gestured at the empty chair next to his. “Sure.”
She wore an oversized T-shirt that brushed against her knees. Her legs were bare, and she wore no makeup. Her hair was mussed in the morning way he remembered.
“What is this place?” She curled her legs up under her, completely at ease in his presence. “I presumed it was somewhere you were renting, but there’s so much personal stuff—it feels like a home rather than a rental.”
“It belonged to my grandmother. She died six months ago, and left it to me in her will. She always wanted me to come back to Ireland. I think this was her way of making sure that happened. I initially planned to sell it, but then the opportunity to work with Sean on the film in Clifden came up, and so I decided to relocate.”
“You said you sold your company?”
“Yes. The new owners wanted me to stay on, but I was ready to move on.”
She took a sip from the cup of coffee cradled between her palms. “If I owned this cottage I don’t think I’d ever be able to bear selling it.” She gazed left and right. “There doesn’t seem to be another house for miles.”
“Not quite miles, but far enough.” He grinned. “It’s basic. There’s no spa, no room service, no chef.”
“But you’re going to cook for me, right?” Her eyebrow rose. “You do remember my attempts at cooking?”
“How could I forget.”
She smiled. “I did try.”
“You did. And that steak wasn’t too bad—I like meat well-done. There are a few restaurants in the area, and if we don’t want to go out we can make something easy. You were pretty good at tuna sandwiches, from what I remember.”
“I like being here. I’ve lived most of the past year in hotels.”
Stealing Gold (The Logan Series Book 4) Page 4
