“You already got the place zoned for commercial,” Tim pointed out. “I could give them the runaround as far as building permits, but they’ve got money and lawyers, and if nothing else, they’d have the land. They’re looking to gut the Stanfield Arms.”
Emily felt sick. This wasn’t what she’d had in mind at all.
“You’re not going through with it, are you?”
Emily swallowed. “I’ll be back as soon as I can,” she promised, then hung up.
Colin looked at her. “What happened? What did he want?”
“The buyers just want to buy the inn to level it,” she replied.
Colin nodded thoughtfully. “That doesn’t surprise me.”
His answer surprised her. “You knew that would happen?”
“I’m an architect,” he said. “I know buildings and land. Big businesses have been trying to get into Tall Pines for years. If I were buying the inn I’d probably turn it into condos or a corporate-housing hotel. Something bigger and more modern.”
“That’s my home,” she said, anguished. “And the town would never be the same!”
Colin sighed. “I’m sorry, sweetie. I thought you knew.”
“I have to go. I have to fix this.”
The only problem was, she had no idea how.
11
“IT’LL BE ALL RIGHT,” Colin said to Emily as he drove her to the airport.
She stared out the window disconsolately, not responding.He felt terrible about how everything had worked out. He knew that he’d set off the chain of events that had led her here to this painful dilemma. He wasn’t sorry that he’d asked her to live with him, but he was sorry that she was going through all of this in order to do so.
“I wish I could go with you,” he added.
“Me, too,” Emily said softly, not turning from the window.
“But I’ve put off starting this building project long enough,” he continued, feeling like a heel regardless.
She finally turned to him, her blue eyes full of understanding. “I know, Colin,” she reassured him with a smile. “I don’t want to take you away from your work any more than I already have. You’ve got enough on your plate.”
“Like you don’t?” He let out a frustrated huff as he negotiated the Paris traffic. “I want to make things easier for you, but I don’t know how.”
“It’s all right, really,” she said, and he knew she was trying to comfort him. That made him feel even worse. “I’ve managed on my own this long.”
“That’s the thing,” he said. “You shouldn’t have to figure all this out by yourself. You had to turn your home into an inn so you wouldn’t lose it and disappoint your father. Then you decided to sell the inn so you could be with me. Then everybody you trusted turned on you and said you were being some kind of traitor because you didn’t put their needs first!”
“Then the people I decided to sell to turned out to be greedy corporate land pirates,” she added. “I knew the whole recap, but, hey, when you put it that way, I have had a hell of a holiday season, huh?”
Colin let out a short laugh. “You’re amazing.”
“I’m practical,” she corrected. “I still want to be with you. But I’m not going to ruin the town to do it.”
He nodded. “I wouldn’t expect anything less.” He might not care if the town got a big new shopping mall, but he knew that Emily loved Tall Pines too much and was far too loyal to allow anything like that to happen. And he loved that about her—that fierce loyalty.
“I figure they’re not the only buyers in the world,” she said. “I’m sure I can find someone interested in buying and keeping the Stanfield Arms the way it is.”
Colin was less confident, but he didn’t say anything.
“It might take a bit longer,” she admitted, “but I’ll do what it takes.”
He felt his heart drop. It might take years, he thought with an edge of disappointment.
She glanced at him. “Would you wait for me?”
He thought about it. They’d only been together for a few weeks. But in that time frame he’d asked her to change her whole life. He’d agreed to change his life by moving in with her. Would he wait for her?
“Yes,” he answered, his voice clear and strong. “Absolutely. But I am going to be selfish enough to hope the whole thing happens quickly. I’ll miss you too much.”
“You can always come and visit,” she said, stroking his leg.
He smiled as heat curled through his system. “Every chance I get,” he agreed huskily, then shook his head. “Unfortunately, I don’t know how many chances I’m going to get in the next year. The owner is under a tight deadline.”
Emily went silent and her expression was thoughtful. He distrusted the undercurrent of sadness he was sensing. They arrived at the airport, and Colin slowly made his way through the concrete multilevel parking garage, heading for the top level to avoid any hassles fighting for a spot.
“What are you thinking?” he finally asked.
“This is real life intruding,” she replied, her voice rueful, almost resigned. “It was different when it was a holiday fling. Now we’ve got lives to deal with and businesses to run.” She took a deep breath. “Do you think we can make it, Colin?”
He pulled into a spot on the isolated floor, then leaned over and kissed her, hard and passionately.
“I know we can make it,” he whispered against her lips. “If we want to make it work, then we’ll find a way.”
“Oh, Colin,” she breathed, hugging him tightly and kissing him back wholeheartedly.
He held her close, his mouth moving over hers, his tongue tickling hers slightly. His body was aflame for her, but it was more than that—it was always so much more than that.
After long moments, he pulled away, breathing heavily. “Unless you want me to take you here, in a very tiny car in a public parking lot,” he warned, “we’d better stop.”
He expected her to kiss him, then get out of the car. He was in for the shock of his life when her eyes gleamed.
“There’s no one around,” she said in a low voice, her hand rubbing over the fly of his slacks.
His jaw dropped. “Emily!”
“Don’t tell me you’ve never made love in a car,” she teased, her rubbing increasing in pressure, slowly caressing his semi-erect cock to full hardness.
“Not at the airport,” he said in a strangled voice. “And certainly not in a car this size.”
“It’ll be a challenge.” Her voice was rough with desire.
He glanced at her, suspicion running through him. “I wondered why you were wearing a skirt for a flight. Seemed impractical.”
“Like I said, I’m very practical,” she replied, laughter hidden in her voice. “You just need to know what I’m going after. Can that seat scoot back a bit?”
He glanced around, making sure that there really wasn’t anyone there. It felt illicit…exciting. Even as Colin knew it was foolish, he wanted her too much to protest overtly. The fact that it was her idea only made it that much more appealing.
He pushed the seat all the way back, reclining it. She slid her panties down her legs, then unzipped his fly, nudging his pants down enough for his cock to spring free. She pulled a condom out of her purse, smiling as she opened it, then placed it on the tip of his cock.
Then she leaned over, rolling it over his engorged flesh with her mouth.
He groaned, his head lolling back against the seat’s headrest. The feeling of her moist, tight mouth circling him was incredible.
She sat up, smiling, then clambered over clumsily, covering him with her skirt. He felt his penis nudge the opening of her, wet and slick already with arousal. “You’re soaked,” he marveled. Then all talking ceased as she slid down over him, her body covering him like a snug, warm glove. She let out a long, satisfied sigh, her thighs tightening on either side of his hips. “You feel unbelievable.”
“We have to hurry,” she said, but her body worked at odds with her word
s, slowly gyrating against him, stroking his penis with leisurely, graceful movements. She bit her lip, her eyes closed.
He reached up, cupping her breasts through her thin shirt. He was sorry that she wasn’t naked, but as he looked at their surroundings, the fact that they were both clothed added even more of a thrill to it. He held her hips, jerking her down to him, and she gasped at the roughness before smiling with wicked abandon.
“That’s it,” she murmured, moving faster.
The pressure building was incredible. He buried his face in her breasts, his arms wrapped around her as she increased both speed and pressure, bucking against him with a steady rocking motion. She started to pant, her fingers clawing down his back as he thrust up against her. His knee hit the steering wheel, but he ignored the pain in the face of the mind-blowing pleasure that was pumping through his system. He leaned up, kissing her, and her tongue plunged into his mouth, mating with his in a rough frenzy.
He angled his hips, aiming his cock so his shaft rubbed against her clit and the head targeted the elusive spot of pleasure, high and forward in her pussy. She threw her head back in a shriek of ecstasy, and he knew he’d found what he was looking for. He drove up inside her as much as the small confines of the car would allow, and she gripped the back of the seat and his shoulder, riding him like a bronco, her thighs gripping him like a vise.
“Colin!” Her voice rippled with the sound of her orgasm, and his name was an explosive shout of release.
He felt the strong contractions rocking through her, milking him, and he gave in to the sensations battering him. His answering orgasm shuddered through him, and he clung to her, jerking against her as she ran her fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck and rocked her hips to meet his every thrust.
When it was over, he caressed her, whispering unintelligible murmurs of love and longing against her thundering heartbeat. She stroked his shoulders, not speaking, simply pressing kisses wherever her mouth could reach.
“We’d better get going,” he said with regret. “Somebody might come.”
They laughed as they clumsily maneuvered their way out of the car, making sure they were fully and respectably dressed before exiting.
“How do I look?” she asked, smoothing down her skirt and then twirling for him.
He did a quick visual survey. Her eyes were bright, her hair slightly mussed, her lips full and bruised-looking.
“You look like you just had sex,” he said hungrily, which earned him a playful swat. “Damn, I’m going to miss you.”
He grabbed her bag out of the trunk, rolling it for her. “Get things handled as soon as you can,” he ordered, putting an arm around her waist. “Then come back to me.”
She leaned into him, resting her head against his shoulder. “Find a break in your work schedule,” she ordered back, “and visit when you can.”
With those commands, they kissed one last time. Then he handed her the bag and watched her walk through the glass doors of Charles de Gaulle Airport and out of his life.
Not for long, he comforted himself. But some sinking premonition told him it would be longer than either of them wanted.
EMILY TOOK THE sheaf of escrow papers from the top of her desk, handing them to Joy, who was seated across from her. “I’m sorry for wasting your time, Joy. I’m not going to sell.”
Joy nodded, folding up the papers and putting them back in her briefcase. “Doesn’t surprise me,” she said. “When you asked me if I knew of a buyer, I thought of my family, but I wasn’t sure if that’s the route you wanted to go.”“Why didn’t you warn me?” Emily asked, feeling shaken.
“I tried to, but you were in such a hurry,” Joy answered, shrugging. “I figured once you had a little time to clear your head, you’d change your mind—and if that didn’t do it, then you’d definitely back out once you did some due diligence and found out what the plans were for the inn.”
“I feel like such a fool,” Emily groaned, leaning back in her chair and rubbing at her eyes with the heels of her palms. “I’ve created this tempest in a teapot, and all for nothing.”
Joy made a sympathetic sound. “It’s not that bad,” she said. “No harm, no foul.”
“Actually, I fired one of my managers, and the other one’s quitting,” Emily said ruefully.
“Ooh.” Joy wrinkled her nose. “I’m sure you can find people to replace them.”
“Not here in Tall Pines. Remember when I first started taking your course? I had just hired the two of them. I can’t afford someone from out of town. And, frankly, nobody in town has the experience I need.”
“But I thought the inn was doing well,” Joy interjected.
“It is,” Emily said. “But it’s going to need some overhauls, and I put all my money into keeping this place afloat. Now I won’t have the money to make any changes or improvements. I’ll barely have money for the necessary stuff, especially if I have to shell out for an increased salary or two to replace Sue and Phillip.” She sent Joy an apologetic expression. “I’m sorry again, Joy. This isn’t your problem. I don’t know why I’m dumping on you this way…especially after you stayed, hoping for a finder’s fee.”
“I stayed because I’m sort of at a crossroads right now,” Joy said, her voice earnest. “I’ve been teaching hotel management, true, but they’re online courses. I can teach them anywhere. I haven’t run a hotel in about a year and a half. My family’s been pressuring me to rejoin their business, but, frankly, it hasn’t been appealing.”
“Why not?” Emily asked, thinking that their high-priced, fast-paced lifestyle was probably right up Joy’s alley.
“I don’t approve of how they do business,” Joy said primly. Then she sighed. “And, to be honest, I’m burned out.”
Emily stared at her. “I never would have guessed,” she said. “You look so…together.”
Joy’s smile was bright, but now that she was looking, Emily could see the tightness in her expression. “I’ve been hiding it for a while. It’s not hard to keep up a front if you practice.”
Emily thought about her years in Tall Pines, being the perfect Stanfield. “I hear you,” she said with feeling.
“So what’s next?” Joy asked, and Emily got the feeling she was changing the subject.
“I’m going to look for another buyer. I can’t keep doing this by myself. I’m burning out, too.”
Joy looked shrewd. “And there’s the little matter of a gorgeous guy waiting for you in Paris, huh?”
Emily laughed uncomfortably. “Been listening to the gossip, huh?”
“I got my hair done at the salon.” Joy chuckled. “It was better than watching a rerun of Desperate Housewives.”
“I would like to get back to Colin,” Emily said. “But I have to handle all this first.”
“Have you ever thought—”
Sue knocked on the door, one quick rap, before opening it up. “Emily?” she said, looking excited. “Tim’s here. Sorry to interrupt, but he said it was important.”
Emily looked at Joy, who stood up. “No problem. I’m staying through the end of the week anyway, if that’s okay.”
“We love having you,” Emily said, and she meant it. She might have spent less than a month with the woman face-to-face, but she’d known her for years online. Besides, it was nice to have someone she could talk shop with, someone who understood the ins and outs of the hotel business. “If you’re not busy, maybe we could grab dinner at Halloran’s.”
“Sounds great.” Joy bumped into Tim as he burst into Emily’s office. “Excuse me.”
“Sorry,” Tim muttered, giving Joy a quick, nervous once-over…then a double take. Joy was dressed to kill, her usual getup, and apparently Tim appreciated it. Then he must’ve remembered who she was—and who she represented. “Hope I’m not interrupting any important business,” he said with a slightly disapproving tone.
Joy grinned brightly at him. “Just girl talk,” she replied with a flirtatious wink that obviously threw the mayor o
ff. “See you at dinner, Emily.”
Emily shook her head. The woman might say she was burned out, but she certainly put on a good act.
Tim waited until Sue shut the door behind Joy, then he sat down in the chair she had just vacated. “You can’t sell the inn,” he said bluntly.
Emily gritted her teeth. Admittedly, she’d come to the same conclusion, but the hackles on the back of her neck still rose at the town’s dictatorial stance. “Tim, you can’t just tell me what to do.”
“After what I told you about them bulldozing the Stanfield Arms to the ground and bringing in a huge chain supermarket or building cookie-cutter condos or whatever, you’re still up for entertaining the offer?” He sounded shocked and appalled.
“I didn’t say that,” she replied. “I’m just saying…Tim, you’re a good guy, and Tall Pines is a good town. But the whole reason I pursued selling the inn in the first place was because you all got too pushy.”
Tim’s handsome face went pink. “We were a little heavy-handed,” he admitted in a low voice. “The whole town meeting got absurdly out of control, and I apologize for that.”
Emily leaned back in her chair, feeling mollified. “To answer your question, I am not going to sell to the Webster Collective,” she said—and she saw Tim slump in his chair with relief. However, there was something in his expression that made her uneasy.
“Thank God,” he said, making a gesture of wiping off his forehead. “That’s a bullet dodged, huh?”
Emily closed her eyes briefly, thinking of her issues with the hotel…and the fact that Colin was three thousand miles away. “I’m still going to look into selling,” she told him earnestly. “I know it’s a disappointment to you and to the town, but it’s what I want.”
Now Tim looked really uncomfortable. “But won’t you miss it all?” he asked, a note of pleading in his voice. “You love this town. You love this house. Can you really just sell it and move away for good?”
Emily felt a pang. “I will miss it. I still love Tall Pines. And, yeah, I love the hotel. But it’s getting to be too much for me to handle, Tim. I can’t keep slogging away by myself.”
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