“What do you mean?” Livvie asked.
“Fate, my dear.” Drake’s mom grabbed Livvie by her face and kissed her on both cheeks.
“Enough, Mom, you’re scaring away my little raffle winner, and apparently, she scares easily.”
Livvie glared at Drake. How dare he bring up their issues at a time like this? And she wasn’t easy to scare. Far from it. But he had told her yesterday to guard her heart, and she was sticking to it, regardless of how wet her panties were when she was around him.
“Sexual tension. I love it. This is going to be a fabulous day, after all. I’m glad I arrived early to watch the fireworks.” Veronica clapped her hands.
Livvie, on the other hand, felt awful. Forget about the next three days; how would she survive today?
“Sweetie, what’s that in your hand?” Veronica asked.
Livvie had completely forgotten that she was holding her journal. “Oh, I thought I’d come out here this morning and write.” She hoped Veronica wouldn’t ask more about her writing. She didn’t feel comfortable telling her that she’d been fired from Raven’s Edge.
“I gave her that journal,” Drake added, sounding cocky.
“How lovely, dear.”
“She’s writing a novel, Mother. She’s quite a talented writer.”
Livvie immediately looked up at him. “Thank you, Drake, but how did you know?”
“I know everything that goes on at my winery.”
“What he meant to say, sweetie, was that he knows everything that goes on with you. Now if you two lovebirds don’t mind, I’m going to take a brief nap before the rest of your guests arrive. Don’t worry, Drake, I’ll be leaving after lunch, so you can spend the evening with your little raffle winner.”
Veronica winked at Livvie, which caused Livvie’s cheeks to flush. She hoped they didn’t look too red.
“Stop embarrassing her, Mother.”
“Don’t worry, darling. She’s a strong one.” Veronica kissed Drake on the cheek and then gave Livvie a hug before stepping back inside the castle without another word.
Alone with Drake, Livvie wasn’t sure how to act.
“Thank you for the journal again and for coming to my rescue.” She smiled at him, unsure of how else to behave. A man had never come to her rescue before, and she had no idea how to handle it.
“You already thanked me for the journal, although not as I would have liked,” Drake said with a twinkle in his eyes. “Olivia, you have nothing to feel ashamed about for being laid off.”
“I was fired.” Livvie’s heart sped up, but not because she’d been fired.
“You were laid off. The producers weren’t attacking your talent as a writer. They were just frustrated over the lower ratings, and they blamed it on you. They were wrong, and they’re the ones who should be embarrassed. Not you.”
Livvie swallowed hard. “Thank you. I needed that.” Tears welled up in her eyes.
Drake must have noticed—he seemed to notice everything about her—and he instantly grabbed her in his big, strong arms and held her tightly. Tears began to flow. She didn’t want them to. When it came to this man, she was constantly breaking her own rules. She had never cried openly in front of a man. It made her too vulnerable. Yet she was crying in front of Drake, and he didn’t seem to care. If anything, he was trying to be there for her. Any other man would give her an excuse and leave. Those types of experiences had caused her to become harder, less trustful, and more introverted.
She grabbed Drake even tighter. This was what she had wanted when she had held on to his mom and the banister earlier. This was the strength she craved, and she found it in Drake Morganthal’s arms.
When he started to caress her hair it was almost her undoing. Almost. But she couldn’t stay vulnerable like this forever. He wasn’t her boyfriend.
Livvie inhaled deeply and luckily stopped her tears from continuing to flow. She knew what she had to do. She just didn’t want to do it. Instead of grabbing him even tighter, she stepped away and rubbed the remaining tears from her eyes. She could do this. There was no choice. No way would she be one of his many women, but that is exactly what she would be if she stayed a moment longer in his arms.
“Thank you,” Livvie said softly.
Drake ran his hands through his gorgeous, thick hair, something she had done a few days ago when they had kissed and had been dying to do again ever since.
“What are you thanking me for now?” Drake sighed. “Stop thanking me altogether. You’re obviously not used to a man being nice to you. And with my track record I don’t want to be the one man who changes your opinion of my entire gender.” Drake ran his hands through his hair once more and then walked right past her and into his house, slamming the door.
Livvie ran her hands up and down the journal and then held it close to her heart. She closed her eyes and inhaled the Napa air. She hoped to get strength from her journal in the same way she’d drawn strength from Drake’s embrace. With the journal close to her heart she did find some strength.
“And another thing!”
Drake came back out and slammed the door again, scaring Livvie half to death. She opened her eyes and jumped back.
“If you continue to wear that sundress for the entire day, I’m not guaranteeing that I can hold my end of the bargain.”
Drake looked her up and down then grabbed her from the back of her head and smashed his lips onto hers. He didn’t devour her mouth the way he had the first time he’d kissed her. Instead, he held his lips tightly against hers. Hard. She thought he would release his strong hold, but when she tried to pull away, he only tightened his grip on her. She was forced to breathe through her nose. This wasn’t a passionate kiss, and it didn’t invoke those feelings from her either. This was more of a power play. Drake was used to being in control, and she, Olivia Collins, the little raffle winner, had thrown off Drake Morganthal, the powerful winery owner and one of the wealthiest bachelors in the entire world.
Finally, Drake stepped away. Livvie barely had time to catch her breath before he walked back into his house and once again slammed the door. Livvie’s last thought before she followed him was that she hoped she was making the right decision by staying. Judging by the way Drake had just kissed her, all deals were off. Her heart wanted this, but her mind was still fighting. Right now, Livvie had no idea which one would win.
Chapter Eleven
Livvie stormed back into the house and slammed the door behind her. It was time she gave him a piece of her mind. But when she walked into the entrance hall, she couldn’t find him. In fact, she could no longer even hear his footsteps. Where had he gone?
Livvie sighed and looked around the entrance hall and the living room.
“Looking for my son?”
Livvie jumped and glanced around for Drake’s mom.
“I’m up here, darling,” Veronica said as she walked down the grand staircase.
In the last ten minutes, both Drake and his mom had scared the life out of her.
“Hi, Veronica.” Livvie smiled at her. It wasn’t his mom’s fault that her son was so frustrating.
Veronica walked up to Livvie, placed both hands on her arms, and gently squeezed them, making Livvie calm down.
“I know my son can be the most frustrating man, but please be patient with him.” Veronica paused. “I think he’s rather fond of you.”
“I think he’s rather fond of himself,” Livvie blurted out. She wasn’t surprised that his mom believed Drake was fond of her. She was more surprised that his mom used the word fond. Why was it that both he and his mother spoke so properly? Almost as if they were from England.
“What’s troubling you, sweetie?”
Wow. She was good. Intuitive as hell. Livvie wasn’t sure if she should be honest about her thoughts at the moment. She didn’t want to offend the woman. She liked Veronica, and Livvie wanted the older woman to like her, too. After all, she was Drake’s mom, so making a good impression was important. But Livvie had a f
eeling that honesty was the best way to go with Veronica.
“Please don’t be offended when I ask you this.” Livvie started talking, but Veronica cut her off.
“Why is it that when someone asks me not to be offended, I instantly get offended. Out with it, my dear.”
Great, she was already upsetting his mom, and they had only been speaking for what, two seconds?
“Okay, I’m sorry. You’re right. Why is it that both you and Drake speak as if you’re from England, but you’re not really from England?”
Veronica laughed. “Darling, we are from England.”
“You are?”
“Well, sort of. I grew up in Connecticut, but I met Drake’s father and fell madly in love. He’s from England. When I married him, I had to move there because that’s where he had a job. So I moved there, had Drake, and when Drake was ten, I missed Connecticut so much that I told his father I was taking Drake back there. Drake’s father was furious, as he couldn’t leave England because of his job. And that was the problem. Drake’s father worked all the time. I realized my marriage was somewhat of an illusion. I rarely saw him. My heart felt like it was shattered into a million pieces. With my family far away, the only reason I got out of bed in the morning was for Drake. Some days even that was difficult. So I left and took Drake with me. His father filed for divorce and then missed Drake so much that a year later he sold his company, made millions, and moved to Connecticut, too.”
“Did you get back together?”
“No, I don’t think he ever forgave me for leaving and taking Drake, and I wanted to be with an American at that point. He ended up moving back to England.”
“Did you remarry?” This conversation was a little awkward, but since Drake’s mom was opening up, Livvie didn’t want to ruin the moment. Drake had opened up to her last night, but it was important to get his mother’s point of view.
“I never wanted to remarry. I have many lovers and one in particular that I fell in love with, but I like my freedom. I think that’s what attracted me to Drake’s father. The fact that he lived in England made me feel as if I was free, but then that feeling wore off, and I missed home. We argued about it a lot.” Veronica paused. “Drake used to hear us arguing, and he hated it. He couldn’t understand it. He used to tell me that even though his father and I are married, we were also friends, and friends shouldn’t argue. To be honest, those were the only arguments we ever had. There was no bitter divorce. My heart suffered the most. After all, he was my first love. To this day, we are still friends. But from what some of his ex-girlfriends have told me, the moment they have an argument with Drake, he ends it.”
“Really? Veronica, arguing is a part of life. There’s nothing wrong with it.”
Veronica sighed. “I know that, and you know that, but Drake doesn’t argue with anyone. He hears what they have to say, and then he makes a decision accordingly, and he never looks back. That’s one of the reasons he thrives so well in business.”
Livvie had a sudden thought. “But he argues with me.”
“Oh, yes?”
“Yes, and he hasn’t kicked me out of his house. Then again, I’m leaving in a few days. We’ve always had an expiration date.”
Veronica smiled and gently touched Livvie’s cheek. “No.” Veronica shook her head. “I knew he liked you. You’re different from all the women I’ve seen him with.”
“Tell me about it.” Livvie rolled her eyes.
“You’re beautiful, Livvie. What I meant was that you aren’t fake like the rest of them. I don’t find women with fake boobs and plastic surgery beautiful. You have long, dark, beautiful hair, exquisite blue eyes, and the perfect petite body. Plus, you wear little makeup.”
Livvie blushed from head to toe. How embarrassing to be getting a critique by Drake’s mother.
“Thank you,” Livvie said softly.
“You glow, Livvie. You’re genuine and honest, through and through. And you wear your emotions on your sleeve, which is very refreshing, my dear. Plus, it gives Drake a chance to be Drake. He will know how to help you when you need it, and he’ll know how to make you happy.”
Veronica paused, and although Livvie wanted to run away from hearing all this, she forced herself to stay. Finally, she was getting some answers on what was going on between Drake and her. And she did see the caring and protective side of Drake that Veronica was talking about.
“That’s what my son does, Livvie. It makes him feel good to help others. And if he sees he’s making a beautiful woman happy, he’s elated. That’s my fault. I’m well aware that I’m the cause of Drake’s relationship issues.”
“You are?” Livvie blurted out. She knew Drake had told her the truth last night, but it was good to get confirmation.
“Yes. While he was growing up, he watched me become more and more miserable. There were days I was extremely depressed. He’d do anything to change that. I remember one day he wrote me a song. And then he started cancelling plans with his friends to be with me.” Veronica sighed. “He always thought of different ways to make me happy, but nothing worked. And as his mother, I knew how I was harming him, how I was failing him, but I missed my family so much that there was nothing he could do. I loved my husband, too. Even though I had to leave him, my heart was still broken.” Veronica seemed as if she was back in those days in London until she shifted her focus to Livvie. “Most importantly, though, is how the two of you look at each other. I’ve never seen my son look at anyone the way he looks at you.”
“Really?” Livvie asked.
“Yes, really,” Veronica said.
“But I’ve only been here for a few days, and I’m leaving soon.”
Veronica kissed Livvie on the cheek. “We’ll see about that, darling.”
And then Veronica walked away without saying another word, and that was okay as there was nothing left to say. She had helped Livvie understand Drake and why they were drawn to each other. She respected his mother for that.
Drake felt good being a knight in shining armor because of what happened with his mom, and even though Livvie was independent, she needed and craved a knight in shining armor. She only hoped her knight in shining armor wasn’t a stubborn alpha-male.
She stood in the middle of the entrance hall by herself, processing everything his mom had said. Then she sat down on the stairs. It reminded her of when she was a little girl and she’d sit on her parents’ stairs. It felt comforting. Kind of like mashed potatoes comforting. And she needed to feel that more than anything right now, because Drake made her feel the opposite, except when she was in his arms.
Feeling a sudden craving to write, Livvie opened her journal and took out her pen. Where had she left off…?
Haley noticed a movement inside the cabin. Who dared to be hiding in there, she wondered. Haley crept toward the cabin, rehearsing in her mind what she would say to this person, whoever or whatever it was. Her only fear was if it was an animal. She grabbed a stick along the way in case she needed to clobber him or her on the head with it. Not that the stick would do anything, but it made her feel safer. Although in her heart, she knew she was safe from whomever she was about to lay her eyes on. Haley took a deep breath and then pushed open the door, hoping to scare whomever it was. But when she locked gazes with the person, her heart felt as if it stopped for a moment. She dropped the stick, unsure what else she should do. The man was gorgeous. He must have been way over six feet tall and had the most beautiful green eyes she’d ever seen.
“You better breathe, beautiful. I don’t want to be picking you up off the floor.”
And when he spoke, chills ran up and down her body. His voice was deep but soothing at the same time, and he had a slight Southern accent. She could listen to him talk forever.
“So I’ve heard at length about how you’ve charmed my mother.”
That wasn’t something her character would say, so that meant another man with a deep, soothing voice must be standing right in front of her. Livvie looked up into his ey
es and had to strain her neck.
“I really like your mom.”
“And my mom really likes you.”
“I’m glad that’s settled then.” Livvie pretended to return to her writing.
“I’m warning you, Olivia. Don’t try to get information about me out of my mother. If there’s something you’d like to know about me, ask me.”
“Or what?” First of all, she hadn’t asked Drake’s mom anything. Veronica had volunteered everything she had told her. Second, why was he acting like such an asshole? She should be the asshole. He’d kissed her and then walked away.
“Or there will be consequences.” Drake raised one eyebrow, infuriating her even more.
She wished she wasn’t sitting. The way he was standing, right up against the stairs, made her feel as if she were trapped. And he knew it. Instead, she slammed her journal on the step, making a loud noise.
“If you want me to leave, then tell me, and I’ll leave,” Livvie said in a loud voice, making sure he knew how serious she was. She really missed the Drake she’d been with on the rooftop.
“Never raise your voice. Ever. And that wasn’t the consequence I was thinking of.”
Without another glance, Drake walked away, leaving her alone once again.
Chapter Twelve
Needing time to think without being interrupted again, Livvie ran to her room. Why was she so infatuated with a man she had only known for four days? Never in her entire twenty-nine years had she behaved like this. She had liked Zach from the start, but that had been different because she had met him through a friend. They had been friends for a few weeks before he asked her out on a date. His problem was staying monogamous. He was one of those guys who believed that men weren’t supposed to be monogamous. When he casually told her that he had been with another woman, he couldn’t understand why she was so angry with him. But she was. Obviously, they weren’t right for each other. She believed in being monogamous, but he had looked her straight in the eye on their third date and told her he had never been a one-woman man and had no intention of changing. For some reason, she’d thought they had such a strong connection that he wouldn’t want to be with anyone else. She completely lost herself in that relationship.
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