by J. M. Madden
“I don’t date women like her.” He shrugged. “The women I go for are a little more…short term.”
Mrs. Markham smiled slightly. “You’re a one-night stand kind of guy.”
Diego shook his head. “I don’t even give them a night.”
She crossed the living room and sank into a chair, the coat across her lap. “Ah, you’re one of those. You’re just like my oldest son. All I could do was shake my head as I watched him go through women like crazy. It drove me bananas. I tried to tell him what he needed to look for and he brushed me off. Then this girl came along and totally knocked him on his behind. It was lovely to watch. Until she left, that is. He continued to treat her like the women he’d been used to and she wouldn’t tolerate it.”
Diego nodded. “I know I’m screwing up, but I’ve never been in any kind of serious relationship. I had a girlfriend for a few months, once, but she lied to me and things ended badly.”
The older woman shook her perfectly coiffed blond head. “Lilly is not like that. You need to woo her and pay attention to her. If you stop by for booty calls every other night she will shut you down. Lilly is better than that.”
Sighing, he scrubbed his hand over his face. “I know that. I’m just not sure that we should even have a relationship. We are so different.”
She smiled. “Those differences are what keep things interesting though. My Palo was from a tiny little island in the Pacific, a prince to his people. He barely spoke English when we met. He was attending school here and had gone out with some of his buddies. When we met, it was all we could do to keep our hands off each other.” She snickered. “Maybe we got along so well because we couldn’t talk. And you know, forty years ago things were very different. When he approached my father about marrying me, my father refused. So, we eloped.” She shrugged, looking off into the distance. “My father disowned me, but Palo promised me I would never want for anything. And I never did. We had five beautiful children, a wonderful life and a love I never could have imagined.”
Children. Diego had never even imagined having kids. What would he have to offer them?
But the thought of having one person he could truly connect to, who knew every part of himself, was tantalizing. Lilly seemed to have a good heart. He didn’t want to tarnish her with all of his sins.
“I’ll think about it, but no promises.”
Rosella gave him an arch look. “What is there to think about? Would you really throw away a chance at happiness just because you’ve never tried it before?”
Her words rattled around in his head all day. Rosella, as she insisted he call her today, had a meeting down in Vail Village so he escorted her down, then stood against the wall as she talked to several men in suits. When he focused enough to listen to what she was saying, he realized Rosella Markham was a force to be reckoned with. The men nodded their heads and pulled out a sheaf of papers, handing her a set. Rosella immediately took a pen and began marking on the contract, scratching things out and making notes in the margin. If it wasn’t a no-no, Diego would have laughed aloud at the crestfallen look on the faces of the two men. They stared open-mouthed as she completely trashed their contract and as he listened to her, he realized Rosella could argue circles around these two.
They left the meeting a few minutes later and as Diego handed her into the Range Rover, she grinned at him. “Did you see their faces? They thought they would lowball me.”
He laughed. “You, Rosella Markham, are a wolf in sheep’s clothing. And a ball-buster.”
She laughed in delight and he closed the door.
Diego escorted her to a few more stops, then back to her house.
“I have people coming in for dinner tonight. I know it kind of breaks up your day but would you be here about seven, please?”
Diego nodded, glancing at his watch. “I will.” It wasn’t like he had anything else to do.
“Maybe you can bring Lilly with you?”
Wincing, he gave her a narrow-eyed look. “I don’t know about that. If I’m working I shouldn’t bring her with me.”
She shrugged. “If she’ll come with you then I trust you can do both.”
Diego left but felt at loose ends. Did he want to see Lilly? God, yes. But did he want to wade into the emotions she was stirring in him? No. Not yet.
In the end, he decided not to invite Lilly. When he reported for duty back at Rosella’s house she gave him such a disappointed look, but he firmed his jaw and went to work.
* * *
Lilly tried to stay so busy that she didn’t think about Diego, but that didn’t work very well. As she was packing boxes and directing movers, random thoughts of him would hit her. She wondered what he was doing right then. Rosella Markham had had him for a few days but he’d gone silent. She’d talked to Rosella about the dress she was making her for her birthday party, but she didn’t say anything about Diego. When Lilly went to dinner with Kendall over the weekend she’d found out that Diego had returned to Denver for a couple days but they didn’t have any idea when he would return.
Lilly played with Jameson and Zoe and tried not to be hurt that he hadn’t sent her a message.
Even as excitement hummed through her and she began to move into her new house, it was tempered by melancholy. She’d thought that Diego would be more involved in her life by now.
She’d never been called a fool, but she felt like one when it came to Diego Ortiz.
She called her dad to let him know what had been going on the past few days. She’d already told him about Ray and he hadn’t sounded happy, if the silence on the other end of the line was anything to go by. But Diego had convinced her to stand up for herself, which was why when the county prosecutor called her asking if she wanted to press charges, she told him yes. It wasn’t her fault she’d been almost drugged. And it wasn’t her fault she’d been raped years ago. But it would be her fault if he did it to another woman when she could have prevented it.
That was one of the most significant things she’d taken from her relationship with Diego. Yes, she’d slept with a couple of guys since that night years ago, but he was the first one who’d been able to make her completely lose herself to pleasure. The anger that she’d seen in his eyes the night of the gala had been directed to her attacker. She realized that now.
Nobody else had ever wanted to fight for her. The fact that he did made her feel…cherished.
But that was kind of why she was confused too. If he wanted to protect her like that, kill the guy that had taken advantage of her, why had he drawn back so suddenly?
She didn’t have any answers.
Franco, bless his precious, sarcastic heart, came through for her in a big way. He sent her an email as well as a list of the furniture stores in the area that carried what he suggested. Some of the things had to be shipped in and would arrive in a few weeks. But most of the items she could find locally.
She hired painters and gave them color swatches. Within just a few days she was supervising delivery men carrying in some of her furniture to her freshly updated house.
It was thrilling. Liberating. It was very different from sharing an apartment with Kendall.
Yes, she’d made her own money early, but she’d never really felt like she owned anything. The apartment in New York was a lease. She’d always moved around too much to even consider buying anything long-term.
She gasped to herself. She could get a dog. Or a cat. Or both!
One thing at a time, cookie.
As she wandered through the house one night looking at all the changes that were occurring, she also realized how alone she was.
Chapter Eight
Diego tried to peer in the window beside the door of Lilly’s guesthouse, but he couldn’t see beyond the darkness.
Though he was tired as fuck, he’d come here straight from Denver. No, he hadn’t texted Lilly, but he hadn’t thought he’d need to. Where would she be at midnight?
A date? No, she wouldn’t do that. Would she? Well, i
t wasn’t like he’d promised her anything.
He pulled out his phone, debating whether or not to send her a text now. No, he could wait till tomorrow. Hopping in the Jeep he headed to his apartment, fighting disappointment.
* * *
Lilly stared at the letter open-mouthed.
“What?” Kendall asked.
She shook her head and held up a finger.
Ms. Carmichael,
After a final review of your lease application, we have determined that your boutique would not be a good fit for the location. We thank you for understanding. Your good-faith deposit is enclosed.
Sincerely,
Mountaintop Land and Development Company
What the hell?
Wondering what kind of time warp she’d stepped into, she handed the letter to Kendall. “My boutique isn’t a good fit for the location. They took my deposit.”
“But they sent it back.” Kendall waved the substantial check under Lilly’s nose.
“Can they do that?”
Kendall shrugged. “You hadn’t closed on the space yet, just signed an intent, so yes, technically they can. I’m sorry, honey.”
Lilly fought the urge to cry. She’d loved that space. It had been airy and in a great high-traffic area close to several large restaurants. One of the most popular shopping spots in Vail Village.
“You can find another spot. At least they told you now. You’ve still got several months before you would be ready anyway. Right?”
Lilly nodded, somewhat appeased. “Yeah.”
“Call your realtor and see what else she can find.”
“I did have a back-up,” she admitted.
Kendall waved a long-fingered hand. “There you go.”
She would need to start searching for space again, though, because if one company turned her down more could. Not what she wanted to deal with right now. She needed to be hiring salespeople and a manager, arranging with the utilities. Her clothing would be coming in soon from New York. She had an army of seamstresses waiting on her current designs.
Lilly huffed in frustration.
Kendall pushed Lilly’s plate of chicken salad toward her. “Come on. Eat up.”
Shoving the paper aside, she did exactly that.
“Diego’s back.”
Lilly gave Kendall a sharp look as she took a bite of her salad.
“He had to fill in for one of the guys that was wounded in that mess in Texas. But he got back two nights ago.”
Lilly looked down at the plate, picking through the fruit and chicken with her fork. “Good for him.”
He certainly hadn’t contacted her.
“I thought you were into him?”
She shrugged and avoided Kendall’s sharp eyes. “I was for a while but he left pretty sudden last week for some reason. Not sure what his deal was but he hasn’t contacted me since then.”
“Hm. Diego is usually a pretty stand up guy. I don’t think he’s had a lot to come home to for a while.”
Lilly tried not to absorb the tiny little detail, but it slipped right into her heart.
When she didn’t say anything more, Kendall let the subject drop. As they finished lunch and wandered through the house, though, she was still turning Diego over in her mind.
* * *
Are you in New York?
Lilly looked at the text message and bit at her lower lip.
No, she answered eventually. At my new house.
Diego sent her a frowny-faced emoticon and a line of question marks.
Did she want him to have her new address? She didn’t think about it at the time but if she wanted her privacy, this was a way she could do it. No, she wouldn’t do that to him. She couldn’t.
844 Meadowlark Dr.
Can I come over?
That one made her pause. Was she ready to see him again? Did she want to get into that fight? The possibility that it wouldn’t be a fight sent her fingers flying.
Yes.
* * *
Diego nosed his Jeep in toward the closed garage door, wondering if he was in the right place. The house was gorgeous but not your typical Vail log palace. No, it wasn’t as big as a lot of the ones around here, or nearly as big as her parent’s house, but just the fact that it was a house in Vail, not a condo, put it into the multi-million dollar range. It had a less severe look to it than the glass and timber constructions around it. It looked like something you would see in the English countryside.
Those damn insecurities crashed on him again. What the hell was he doing with a woman with this kind of money?
Before he could answer that question, Lilly stepped out the front door, fuzzy gray sweater wrapped around her. She looked like she’d just stepped out of a magazine, make-up perfect, clothes casual yet elegant. The sight of her sent his heart racing. He slipped out of the Jeep and climbed the few steps to the porch to greet her. He shoved his hands into his pockets to keep from dragging her into his arms. “Hey.”
“Hey,” she repeated. “Would you like to come in?”
She stepped back through the doorway and he followed. The house was cozy and surprisingly humble. A fire crackled in the grate in front of comfortable looking coffee-colored furniture.
“Beautiful house. You said you needed a house but I didn’t realize how quickly you were going to move.”
She laughed, tucking her long hair behind her ear. The purple streak matched the color of the stone in her necklace and he had to wonder if she’d done that on purpose.
“I didn’t either,” she admitted. She told him about the circumstances surrounding the property. “I knew as soon as I saw it that I wanted it.”
He frowned. Why did her words bother him?
“Can I get you something to drink?”
He shook his head and glanced at the wall to his left. Pictures lined the expanse, some generic posed shots of her family, but a few more relaxed. “What did your parents say when you told them you were moving out?”
She winced, the smooth skin on the bridge of her nose wrinkling. “They didn’t really say anything. I think they feel like they’re done raising me so I can do what I want. I don’t know. It’s a little strange because Dad still criticizes certain things.” She shrugged. “I’m almost twenty-nine, definitely old enough to make my own decisions. I think they feel a little guilty not being there early in life. Kendall was more of a parent to me than my Mom and Dad.
“Would you like to sit down?”
She made a motion with her arm and Diego could have growled with frustration. He hated this distance between them.
“No.” He grabbed her motioning hand. “I want to apologize to you. I don’t like the way I left things last week and I want to go back and replay that moment.”
Her gray eyes had cooled, but she allowed him to see some hurt in them too. “I didn’t appreciate that. What the hell happened?”
He shook his head, playing his thumb over her fingers. “I have no business being with you. You are the stereotypical rich girl slumming it with the spic laborer.”
Lilly’s mouth dropped open and she jerked her hand from his. Tears filled her eyes. “There are too many insults in that sentence to even address. Is that what you think? Seriously?”
Diego blinked and looked down at his feet. No, it wasn’t. She’d never even hinted at being turned off at his nationality or upbringing. He dragged his gaze up to meet hers. “No, I don’t. I’m sorry I said that.”
She shook her head, staring at him. “If you’re looking for reasons not to be with me just leave. Yes, we’ve come from different places and I haven’t had the same experiences as you, but I thought we were a good fit. I’ve certainly never been with anyone else that excites me the way you do.”
Lilly snapped her mouth shut as if she regretted saying that last bit. She tried to pull her hand back but he tightened his fingers and took a step closer to her, folding that hand up against his own racing heart. “Like this?”
She blinked and looked at his chest
, then up at him. Those luminous gray eyes filled with fresh tears and he had to pull her close. Pressing a kiss to her temple, he allowed himself to heave a sigh. This had been a narrowly missed disaster. “I missed you, damn it. I’m not used to needing to be with people. I’m the epitome of an introvert since I was blown up,” he murmured. “But you’ve worked your way under my skin. I wonder what you’re doing all the time. I miss the feel of your skin against mine.”
She snorted, burrowing into his neck. Her fingers danced up through his hair, sending chills down his spine. “I’m the same way,” she whispered. “I’m going to admit something to you, but I don’t want you to freak.”
She paused for a moment and he stilled, readying to be attacked or hurt.
“I hoped you would like my house.”
Diego pulled back to look down at her. “Really?” He glanced around the beautifully appointed space. “I do like your house. Very much. Though I haven’t seen much of it.”
Some intangible tension eased from her shoulders and she smiled, fully, for the first time. “Let me show you around.”
Tugging on his hand she led him through the kitchen, dining room, living room, den, other living room, then toward the stairs. Diego fought to not feel overwhelmed, but the scale of her home shocked him. As she led him up the stairs and through the bedrooms, he decided he’d never been in a house like this other than for the people he worked for. He certainly never expected to live in one. One of the spare bedrooms was the size of the apartment he’d had in Detroit when he’d first moved out of his mother’s.
Several of the rooms were empty but when she led him into the last room on the left and saw her boxes of clothes and clutter everywhere, some of his tension eased. This was definitely Lilly’s room. “I had to take this one because of the closet.” She turned a little smile to him. “I’m a clothes horse.”
The closet she showed him was half-again the size of the bedroom, but it wasn’t full. There was a conspicuous empty space running along the left wall.
“Wow,” he murmured. “Have you worn all these?”
