He shook her head. “Wasting the staff’s time isn’t so great, though.”
“I suppose you’re right. Apologies.” She smiled at him, not looking the least bit sorry for her actions. He knew where his cheeky side came from, and it was not his father.
Chloe was watching the exchange between them, but her eyes still looked sad. “You want to go get fitted for some skis, Chloe, then you’ll be all set to go tomorrow.”
“Okay, is that fine with you, Felicia?”
“You don’t need to ask her permission to leave,” he said.
The woman granted it anyway. “Yes, darling, off you two young things go.”
“That woman . . .” he muttered as he turned Chloe toward the back of the hotel. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah.” She leaned into his side. “She was being all motherly, and I guess it made me miss my mother.”
“Oh, honey, are you sure we couldn’t go see her? I’d fly you down there in a heartbeat.”
She looked up at him. “You’d do that for me?”
“Of course. I mean, we could try it. They might have mellowed and maybe you could see your mother.”
She stood on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his mouth down to hers. “That’s the nicest thing ever.” Then she planted a sweet, slow kiss on his lips that had him wanting to go to Texas right now.
“You want to go?”
She shook her head. “There’s no point. But thanks for offering, it means the world to me.”
“Anything, Chloe, you need anything, just ask, I mean it.”
“I need skis.”
Well now, that he could do.
The advantage of hanging out with the boss, Chloe discovered, was you didn’t wait in line for skis. In fact, you didn’t wait in line for anything.
“This is a pretty sweet deal,” she said, as she sat on a stool at the bar and a schnapps appeared before her as if by magic. “I feel like a princess.”
“Princess Chloe of Maine, welcome to the castle.” He gave a gallant bow. “Your wish is my command.”
He was so cute. His hair was sticking up every which way from their walk in the snow, his cheeks were flushed pink, and his wicked smile was firmly in place.
As he stood up, a large hand wacked on his back. “Mate, you’re back.”
“Gavin, good to see you. This is Chloe.” Unlike his mother, she noticed he didn’t say “my fiancée.”
“Chloe.” He leaned in and took her hand, kissing the back. “You’re way too good for him.”
“Gav . . .” His voice held a threat and she kind of liked that protective side.
“Sorry, I didn’t know she was off limits.”
“Gav is a ski instructor, he’s from Australia, if the accent didn’t give it away. In fact, I was thinking I’d get Gav to take you out tomorrow. Maybe not.”
“I’ll behave,” Gav said, downing a large beer in one swoop. “Nothing to worry about with me in charge, love. Ever ski before?”
Within minutes, there seemed to be a party formed around them of guests, ski instructors, and other people. It was all rather overwhelming, and there in the center was Tom. Or rather there in the center was Moose. It was the first time she’d seen him here in his natural space and she could see very clearly that Moose was the big, gregarious guy who laughed loudly and bought the drinks. He smiled at the ladies and made the men feel like he was their best friend. The Tom she knew wasn’t exactly like that.
Every so often he’d catch her eye, sometimes to check on her and sometimes, she suspected, to check on the men who were lavishing their attention on her. It was kind of an odd feeling having all that attention but knowing Tom would keep her safe.
“So I can tell by the accent you’re from Texas, honey,” a tall tanned man said with a smile, his own drawl a giveaway.
“Oh yes, but I’ve lived up in New Hampshire for years,” she said. “That’s my home now.”
“I’m from Dallas, myself. You miss it?”
She wasn’t a very good liar. “I miss the barbeque, that’s for sure.”
“Hot damn, I get straight off the plane whenever I travel and go get me some barbeque or some of my mama’s fried chicken.”
Tom had magically appeared beside her. “Chloe’s fried chicken is to die for.”
“Man, she must like you if she made you her mama’s chicken. It’s a sure sign.”
She looked up at him and Tom looked incredibly pleased with the news. Did he really question how she felt about him? That was crazy. She was half naked on his lap not that long ago.
“So, are you ready to go?”
“Go, where are we going?”
“Shhhh, it’s a secret.”
Ten minutes later, they were alone in a gondola, riding to the top of the peak. They were surrounded by darkness and starlight. Tom leaned in and pulled her close.
“I need to kiss you. Now.”
She wasn’t going to argue with that and instead fisted her hands in his hair, pressing her lips to his. They were met with a hungry kiss that finished on a groan. “Ever since my mother turned up I’ve been wanting to do that.”
“Me, too.” She was shameless. The truth was she was in love with Tom, and it was way too late to try and protect her heart. Her mind said be sensible, you’re going to have to walk away but it wasn’t her mind that was in charge. It was her heart and her hormones making all the decisions here.
“Really? I was worried she might have scared you away.”
“You know I really like you, right? It’s going to take more than your mother loving you to turn me off you.”
His mouth crashed over hers, their tongues mingling in a slow sexy dance. “Thank goodness. I’ve been a wreck all day.”
“You’ve been a wreck?” Was he serious? “Dude, you could have half the women in the northeast.”
“But I don’t want them, sweet Chloe, I only want you.”
And she melted against him. Oh yes, she was in big trouble.
Chapter 14
What Tom wanted to do was take Chloe back to his room and do lovely sexy things to her that would make her see himself and herself in an entirely new light. That was exactly why he’d gone to the trouble of making dinner reservations at The Peak. The restaurant, as its name suggested, sat on top of the mountain and had panoramic views all around. Reached only by a gondola, it was open only on certain nights. Tonight was a degustation wine dinner where the best food Maine had to offer was matched to wines by a local vigneron.
It was a little bit touristy and a whole lot romantic, which was why he’d chosen it. Chloe hadn’t done much dating and she hadn’t been spoiled by anyone much. She didn’t expect flowers and chocolates but that didn’t mean she didn’t deserve them. In fact, he had some very romantic ideas in mind for Chloe tonight.
They were still dressed fairly casually, which he hoped would be a good thing and not make her nervous. He was fairly certain she was in sensory overload and he didn’t want to tip her off the side of the mountain. The gondola stopped and he reached out and took her hand, stepping out first. He really loved the way her small hand felt in his.
The restaurant was almost entirely glass. Candles lit every table and each held a small bowl of tuberoses. The low light gave it a very soft vibe. Outside there was darkness and mountains and home. A home, he realized, that was very different from the Texas she’d grown up in. Unlike her, he was well traveled and he’d road-tripped across her home state. He remembered flat, dry land and dust. The only dust here was snow dust, which sparkled in the moonlight.
“It’s so pretty.” Her voice was breathy beside him.
“Yeah, it sure is.”
The maître d’ led them to a corner table. Only the best for his girl.
He watched her looking around wide-eyed just taking in the room. He loved watching her. The way she really took notice of things because they were new. So many things were new to her and that was part of the fun he realized, seeing everything t
hrough fresh eyes again.
The truth was he’d spent his life having new experiences. Apart from Antarctica, he’d been to every continent, he’d swum in every ocean. His life was a series of fortunate events. Fine dining was as natural to him as breathing. Sure, he was a hard worker but he knew he’d led a charmed life. Seeing things with Chloe for whom so much was a new adventure meant he got a do-over, a first time for everything again, and he loved it.
“Tom, this is the most beautiful restaurant I’ve ever been to. We should have dressed up.” She tucked her hair behind her ear as if trying to make herself presentable.
He reached over the table and brushed the back of her hand with his. “You look beautiful.”
She gave her head a shake that said he was a fool. He loved that, too, that she had a pretty good bullshit meter. “I should have a dress on not jeans.”
“You want to leave?” He knew there was no way she’d agree to that.
“We’re here now,” she said, busying herself with the menu.
Yep, they weren’t leaving. “So this is degustation, so they just bring you each course with a glass of wine.”
She looked at the menu, yep, six courses. “Are you trying to get me drunk, Tom?”
“Nah. I want you well and truly sober for what I have in mind for you later.”
“Oh my!” He watched the pink rise from her neck to her hairline. Cutest woman ever.
“Seriously, Chloe, we don’t have to do anything you don’t want. Just like the wine. Have soda with every course if you like. Although, my buddy Gunther, who is heading our way, might have a total conniption, but hey, I can take him.”
Gunther the wine maker was a long-time friend of Tom’s. He approached the table with some champagne.
“May I?” he asked Chloe. She gave a nod. “It’s nice to see you here, Tom. This must be one special lady. You usually avoid my wine dinners.”
“Gunther, this is my fiancée, Chloe.”
“Fiancée, huh?” Gunther’s eyebrows headed north in surprise. “Well, then you definitely need champagne. Congratulations, you two.”
“Thanks, buddy.”
“I’ll leave you to it then.”
Tom took his glass and raised it to Chloe. “To us, baby.”
She let out a sigh. “To us.”
Chloe looked across at Tom, to us.
Were they really an “us”? This all felt very real and very much like she’d been abducted and taken to a movie set as well. How could this handsome man be toasting her with what was clearly very expensive French champagne? If the people back home could see her now.
“So I thought this might be a romantic place to make it official.” And then, dear heaven, Tom was on one knee in front of her, holding open a box with the most beautiful antique ring in it. “Chloe, I know we’re already engaged, but will you take this ring as a symbol of my love?”
She really had not seen this coming. Was this part of the ruse? It had to be but it felt like more than that. The way he was looking up at her face, searching for an answer, felt very real.
“Of course I will.” She was aware that her voice was little more than a whisper. And then he was sliding that beautiful ring on her shaking fingers. “Oh wow.”
“I love you, beautiful.” Then his mouth claimed hers in a kiss that was more than chaste but appropriate for a restaurant where the other diners seemed to be cheering for them. He said he’d loved her. Her mind was swimming. She couldn’t blame the champagne, she’d barely had a sip.
He sat down opposite her again, but his hand didn’t leave hers. “Tom . . .”
“You make me so happy and I’m going to spend the rest of my life making you happy.” The rest of his life. Now he was taking it too far. His eyes bored into her as if she was meant to say something, but she was honest to goodness at a loss for words.
“It’s a beautiful ring,” was all she managed.
“It was my grandmother’s, but if you want something else . . .”
She squeezed his hand back. “It’s beautiful.”
She had nothing. No family apart from her uncle, no history, and no heirlooms. She had nothing to give him. She blinked back the tears.
“Please tell me those are happy tears.” She blinked them back and reached for her glass. She needed a drink, right now.
“Happy tears,” she heard herself say. The trouble was every moment with Tom made her truly happy. She would have said she was fine before, content even, but the truth was until he charged into her life she hadn’t even begun to know what happiness was. She realized that now. He made her happy. He made her want things and crave things, and how was she going to stop wanting them and craving them when they were through?
She took another sip and looked over at him. Maybe for now she could just enjoy the ride. It was a very bad plan, she knew it, but it was the only plan she had. So she blinked back the tears and smiled at her handsome fiancé and breathed out, “You sure surprised me, darlin’.”
“I love it when you talk Texan to me, Chloe.”
Yeah, and I love every last thing about you, she thought. And that’s going to be my undoing.
Tom thought Chloe was happy. She was definitely surprised, shocked even. Maybe it was shock.
He ran his thumb over the back of her hand in soft circles. He could tell she was weighing a few things up now. How real was this? How much was fake and how much was real? It was all real to him. He thought he’d made that clear, but maybe with the way she bit her bottom lip she didn’t get that.
“I have an idea.” He kept his voice low and even. “What about we tell the world it’s an engagement ring but we tell each other it’s a promise ring?”
She blinked at him. “A promise ring?”
He let out a low laugh. “I know they’re pretty unfashionable these days, but they used to mean a promise between two people to be faithful to commit to each other and to get to know each other better. I can promise you all that and more.”
“You can?”
“Yep.” He was finding his mojo now. “I can promise to love you and protect you and make you laugh. I promise you can look at me with my shirt off anytime you want, and I promise I’ll listen to you, so if you tell me to slow down and take a beat, I’ll do it. Whatever you need, I’m your guy.”
“You’re my guy?”
“I know we’re on the side of a mountain, but I never noticed that echo until tonight.”
She shook her head at him. “I’m just making sure I’m hearing you right.”
“Look, I would personally be engaged to you right now forever and for real, but that is, even I realize, a little full-on.”
“I think crazy is another term.”
“Not crazy, I know how I feel but I know you need time to get to know me and see how well we fit together, so how about we promise each other to get to know each other and be there for each other?”
“I can do that,” she said. “Tom, you have to understand that I’m not used to being looked at the way you look at me.”
“And how’s that?” He had both her hands in his across the table now. She looked down as if she didn’t want to say. “Chloe?”
“Like I’m something special.” She shrugged.
“Oh, sweetheart, of course you’re something special. You’re the most special person in the world to me.”
She blinked back some more happy tears. “Well, I promise to remember that and to treat you that way, too, because you are certainly very, very special to me.”
He felt his heart slow down again and his shoulders relax a little. “Thanks.”
“You don’t need to thank me. You’ve done so much for me I should be thanking you.”
“Okay, I’m starving, you can thank me by enjoying a delicious meal with me. That’d make me really happy about now.”
A large smile lit her face. “Sounds like a plan.”
Plans, he had so many plans. The first one involved eating and the second involved getting Chloe back to the r
oom to show her his appreciation.
Chloe felt like she’d never eaten so much in her life. Across from her, Tom leaned back with a very satisfied smile on his face. Did he look like that after sex? Where had that thought come from? She was losing her ever-loving mind.
He patted his stomach in contentment and sighed. “That was quite a meal. This has been a wonderful evening.”
It had, after the proposal and their promise ring conversation, Chloe relaxed and enjoyed the many delights served to her. From a pear and goat’s cheese salad to local Maine lobster right down to that decadent mocha soufflé, every mouthful had been divine.
The restaurant, the food, the company. She knew she’d replay the moments of this evening in her mind for years. She tried to capture every detail to memory so when she needed to call the evening back she’d get it all.
“This has been like a dream, Tom.”
“No need to wake up yet, honey, the night’s not over.”
She wasn’t sure what that meant, but she was buzzing with anticipation. “I’m at your disposal.”
He stood in one movement and held out his hand. “Right, let’s go then.”
Minutes later, they were in the gondola heading down the mountain. It was dark all around them but for the moonlight and a few twinkling stars. She sat but he pulled her to her feet and his mouth came crashing down on hers. It was sexy and demanding and she felt utterly boneless. Had his strong arms not been holding her in place, she didn’t think she could have kept standing. He pulled back, his breathing ragged. Then he sat and pulled her down on his lap, kissing her again. And then halfway down the mountain she became aware they weren’t moving.
“Is it broken?”
“Nah, I asked them to pause it midway.”
“Why?”
He kissed her again. Oh, so that was why. His hand brushed the side of her cheek and then his mouth followed, kissing down the side of her face and the side of her neck.
“So very sweet,” he murmured below her ear. It wasn’t exactly warm up here but pressed against Tom’s body Chloe hardly noticed. Then she opened her eyes and saw they were steaming up the windows.
Any Way You Want It : An Upper Crust Series Novel (The Upper Crust Series Book 5) Page 14
