Love/Forty

by Bette McNicholas

  “Hmm. At Max’s?”

  “Nope.”

  “With Max?”

  “Definitely.”

  “At Max’s favorite restaurant.”

  “Maybe.”

  “The Yellow-Tail Tuna?”

  “No.”

  “That’s his favorite restaurant.”

  “We didn’t go to a restaurant.”

  “Okay. You went to dinner with Max. Is that correct.”

  “Yes.”

  She was silent for a moment and then gasped. “You had dinner at my parents’ house?” She exclaimed a few octaves higher than she had intended.

  He laughed heartily. “Yes.”

  “You’re kidding.”

  “No, I’m not.”

  “How did that happen? What did you think? What did she cook?”

  “Whoa! After I arrived home and got settled, I called Max and met him at his office. Stopped on the way to get flowers and candy for the women, chatted with them and then Max and I sat down and discussed business. Next thing I knew, it was five o’clock, and he told me he was going to your folks for dinner and did I want to come along.

  “To make a long story short, he called your mother, she said your dad was cooking steaks on the grill, come on over, they’d love to meet me. End of story, only I couldn’t call you.”

  “I’m surprised they haven’t called me, yet.”

  “Max definitely knows I’m interested in dating you, but he doesn’t have a whisper of suspicion that we had a date. I was tempted to tell him we spent the night together, but thought he’d misinterpret the word together and I’d end up with a black eye.”

  “That’s not funny.” She chuckled. “He may have attempted to land a punch, but I think he knows he’d lose that battle. Now, I’m positive my mother will call—the moment she’s sure my dad’s not around, and will tell me what a catch you’d be, and that I should move back to Florida.”

  “I’d hate to prove her wrong,” he quickly added. “One more thing before you tell me about your day. I didn’t give your family the gifts you purchased. Thought we’d better wait until we tell them we’re an item. You can give them their gifts in person when you come to visit.”

  “We’re an item? Sounds like the tabloids. How many items have you had during your career?”

  “Now, that’s not fair. The reporters and paparazzi make up those headlines and people accept them as gospel instead of gossip. Simply because I may have slept with someone once or twice does not mean we’re an item.”

  “Being with you, Dante, is complicated. You’re accustomed to being recognized, photographed, and hunted for autographs. And, while I enjoy being with you, more than I ever imagined being with anyone, I feel like I’m out of my league. Whatever professional recognition I may accomplish will now have your nametag on it, your imprint on my forehead that meant we slept together, if the world discovers we’re dating.”

  “Enjoy being with me?” he asked, changing the subject. “You have to apologize and admit you more than enjoy being with me.”

  After she hesitated a few moments, he added, “I’m waiting…”

  “All right. I love being with you.”

  “That’s better. Don’t worry about the media tagging you. By the time we decide to let the world know you’ve fallen madly in love with me, you’ll be ready for anything they may throw at us.”

  She spent a few seconds taking in what he said then began to laugh. “Very funny, Dante.” If he only knew how close he had come to guessing how she felt.

  He convinced her to forget about anyone finding out they were dating and that he wouldn’t tell her family until she was ready to break the news to them. He promised he’d do everything possible to keep the world from knowing about their relationship, and said, “Unless you no longer feel the same about me as I do about you. I have no plans to stop seeing you, even if I have to purchase the condo next door to yours in order to get a glimpse of you coming and going.”

  Mercedes sniffed and he asked her if she was crying. “That’s the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me. You gave me goosies!”

  “If I gave you goosies, we’re further along in our romance than I thought. Then our situation is settled?”

  She smiled through her tears and said, “Yes.” She gave him boring details of her day filled with chores, mentioned that she and Faith had lunch and that Faith loved her dish and tote bag. However, she deliberately didn’t tell him she had privately been giving thought to being seen at a tournament, mainly because she wasn’t a hundred percent positive she was brave enough for what she considered public consumption—she only knew that she had fallen in love and had fallen hard and maybe he shouldn’t have that information, about how hard, yet.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Three days later, Mercedes received an overnight delivery from UPS, and ripped open the envelope as though she received a Christmas package. Inside she found a round trip ticket to Las Vegas, with a note: Wish you were here!

  She immediately called him on his cell phone—he answered on the first ring. “The tickets arrived!” He shouted.

  “Are you crazy?”

  “Crazy in love.”

  “How are you going to pull this off?”

  “Don’t you trust me?”

  “So far, so good.”

  “All right, then. Your brother left for a tennis tournament in South Carolina to watch his new protégé, Lynda, and he has no idea I’m not in Florida. If he calls you, tell him you’re going to Vegas to interview someone, only you’re not going to Vegas, exactly.”

  She closed her eyes and was glad he couldn’t see how pink her cheeks were. “Where exactly will I be?”

  “In Colorado, in a mansion on Copper Mountain, complete with a wonderful staff, indoor pool, mountain view, and privacy.”

  “How will I get there?”

  “Your personal driver…”

  “My personal driver?”

  “Yes, I’ve made arrangements for him to be at your beck and call, well actually mine because I want to be able to send for you whenever my schedule permits and I feel the need to kiss you, which may be often. He will call and give you his arrival time to take you to the airport. Fly across country and simply get off the plane when it stops in Colorado before heading to Vegas, and follow the signs. Pack casual clothes for two days and bring a swimsuit, or not, but we will go swimming. I’ll see you tomorrow. Oh, and I forgot one more thing—I love you.”

  “That was all,” she told Faith. “He hung up and I’ve been busy getting ready. I called because I wanted someone to know I’d be out of town, in case of an emergency. You know my family would call you if they couldn’t reach me, but I’ll have my cell phone on, once I land.”

  “This is great. I love being part of a conspiracy. Did you pack your bathing suit? Or not?”

  “I did.”

  “Did you even consider not bringing one?”

  “That’s personal.”

  “Okay! I’ll plan dinner at my place when you get back. This way we can avoid our friends, maybe go to a movie on Saturday, and have a late dinner after—this way they won’t have a chance to ask you any questions. You have the Olympics project for an excuse, and most of them aren’t interested unless you’re interviewing a big name like Dante’s. Have a great time.”

  ****

  When Mercedes’ plane landed in Colorado, she hurried out of first class and saw a man holding a sign with her name on it. “Follow me, Miss,” he directed after taking her carry-on from her, and she followed him out to the parking lot. He walked up to a Lincoln SUV with tinted windows and opened the passenger door.

  “Dante!”

  With a smug look and a one-dimple smile, he reached for her hand, and said, “Hurry, and close the door, before someone sees us.”

  He thanked the escort and dismissed him after he placed her luggage in the back. Dante leaned over and kissed Mercedes. “Welcome to the Rockies.”

  “How did you pull this off? And, w
ho was that man?”

  “Someone from Enterprise. He picked me up.”

  They chatted and enjoyed the beautiful springtime scenery. When they arrived at Copper Mountain, he drove up to an electronic gate, and onto the estate.

  The mansion and picturesque view were awesome. “This is where we’re staying?”

  “Just the two of us; hmm that sounds like a song. There’s a complete staff of servants here also, but they live in a separate wing attached to the back of the mansion.”

  “Who owns this place?”

  “A billionaire friend of my parents’—no one from the tennis world. This way, we have complete privacy.”

  “Where are the owners?”

  “At their place in Tuscany.”

  Mercedes wondered what they would do all night in this monstrous home and became a little nervous, like a lamb being led to slaughter, she thought, with a little shiver of anticipation.

  Dante took her luggage out of the back of the car and asked, “Why are you smiling?”

  She opened her mouth then tightened her lips closed for a few seconds. “I think it’s rather ridiculous that the two of us are going to stay here. Don’t they have a Marriott nearby?”

  He laughed and explained that they’d have a lot to do, which only made her blush. He took her arm and led her up to the front step and immediately the door opened and a butler reached for her luggage.

  Dante introduced her to the butler, who bowed his head slightly, smiled and asked her to follow him and he’d show her to her quarters.

  “I’ll be in the conservatory when you’re done; Charles will show you the way,” Dante said.

  The butler took her past the winding stairway down a hallway and onto an elevator. Upstairs, a maid, completely attired in a black uniform with white apron and cap, waited for her. The middle-aged woman was pleasant and accommodating, unpacking her suitcase and showing her around the suite.

  Mercedes walked into the private bath, took a photo, and sent a text to Faith:—I almost laughed when I saw this place. As soon as the maid leaves, I’ll send you a photo of my quarters!

  ****

  Mercedes and Dante began their stay together in the conservatory, enjoying a gourmet lunch prepared by the chef. The plants that surrounded them along with the large wicker furniture in the room, created an ideal setting. They ate at a table for two surrounded by a scenic view of the deciduous trees on the surrounding mountains.

  After lunch they walked around the estate and then Dante took her for a ride through the Rockies to Aspen, but they agreed not to stop and sightsee or shop. He didn’t want to risk being recognized and exposing her to the tabloids again.

  When they returned to the mansion, they planned to change and meet for a swim in the heated indoor pool. Mercedes stepped into a backless black bathing suit with a white, ruched front and tied the elastic straps around her neck, then wrapped a long gauze crocheted skirt around her waist.

  Dante waited at the bottom of the stairs for her and felt a rush of emotion run through his body at the sight of her. He offered her his hand.

  “You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen,” he said when she reached the last stair. He put his arms around her and kissed her until he could no longer breathe.

  “If I can interest you in a midnight swim, and you wear this bathing suit, I can promise you we will end up swimming in the nude.”

  “Only if you promise,” she whispered, slipping out of her skirt and diving into the pool.

  They kissed under water as his hands roamed over her body. He lifted her out of the pool and onto a chaise lounge and kissed her until he forced himself to stop. “I love you, M. McFadden.”

  “What if I come down at midnight already nude?”

  “The gauze skirt will do,” he said.

  “It has an off the shoulder crop top, I can wear.”

  “I can’t wait until midnight. You’re fortunate the staff is around,” he said, moving over to the lounge chair next to hers.

  They talked about every subject, without a lull in the conversation. They laughed and joked and Dante interrupted their conversation now and then to kiss her. Each time he did, the kiss became more intense until her passions were permanently aroused. She wanted more, but was too shy and embarrassed to tell him she wanted him to make love to her and how much she looked forward to midnight, even though she considered herself inexperienced and hoped he’d show her how to love him.

  He dismissed the servants for the evening, encouraged them to go into the village, and gave them a generous tip in order to be alone with Mercedes.

  When the time came to change for dinner, he walked her to her suite and told her he’d be back to escort her downstairs. “Wear slacks, and a sweater, we’re dining alfresco.”

  Mercedes wore a pair of black silk slacks and a white silk camisole that she didn’t tuck in at the waist, with spaghetti straps and a pink tunic sweater that came to her knees, along with a pair of black open-toe mules. Dante’s timing was perfect. As if on cue, he arrived the exact moment she had finished dressing and putting on her makeup that caused her to wonder if the place had a hidden camera and he had been watching her. She shook away the shivers.

  Dante wore a white turtleneck that highlighted his perfect tan and those violet eyes. He kissed her, then took her hand and said, “I missed you.”

  “How is that possible? We’ve only been apart for about forty minutes.”

  “Didn’t you miss me?”

  “Yes, I missed being with you and looked forward to your coming to take me to dinner. I enjoy our conversations, and can’t believe we don’t run out of things to say.”

  “But, I missed you.”

  “What does that mean, Dante?”

  “I miss being with you.”

  “I confess that I missed not being together for that brief time, also, and I’m glad you showed up as soon as I was ready. I didn’t have to wait anxiously and pace the floor.”

  Dante stopped and turned toward her and said, “I want to kiss you.”

  Mercedes wanted to ask him if that was all, but she didn’t have the nerve and hoped her return kiss would give him a hint. She’d even be willing to skip dinner.

  He hugged her completely. He enveloped her and she wrapped her arms around his neck and couldn’t control the moan that escaped her throat when he pulled her tight against his body. “Dante,” she whispered.

  “Shh!” he whispered in her ear then touched her lobe with his tongue. She writhed in his arms, and then he captured her mouth and kissed her until she thought she’d faint again.

  “Your ear is sweet.”

  “Weren’t you ever told to make sure to wash behind your ears when you took a bath or a shower?”

  “Yes.”

  “Well, now I know why mothers say that. No one has ever kissed my ear…”

  “Haven’t you ever heard the saying, blow in my ear and I’ll follow you anywhere?”

  “Yes,” then words slipped off her tongue, “I want you to make love to me, Dante.”

  He kissed her ear again and whispered, “Follow me to my bed, Mercedes. I’m madly in love with you, and those words would last me a lifetime if we were ever separated. I want you more than anything I’ve ever wanted in my life.”

  She giggled. “I doubt you know the meaning of ever going without…”

  “Mmm,” he interrupted, “how about the love of my life.”

  “But…”

  “Not in some stranger’s home or in a hotel. I want to find a special place for us to make love to you and complete our commitment to one another.”

  “Do you think we’ll be able to wait until that time, especially if we continue kissing like this?”

  “No, but I will set a plan in motion. Let’s have dinner and dance out on the patio, and maybe a midnight swim in the nude—but just a quickie.”

  “I want more than that, Dante, I’m ready to surrender myself to you in an intimate relationship.”

  Her words s
ent a thrill of pleasure through his body. The sun had barely begun to set over the patio and the romantic music had set the mood for champagne and dancing.

  What started out as a sweet kiss while dancing soon became passionate with each tempo of Ravel’s Bolero playing in the background.

  Unable to wait any longer, he took her hand and said, “Follow me.” He pushed the switch to open the glass-enclosed pool and turned on the underwater light and water feature. “Is this romantic enough?”

  “Perfect,” she answered.

  With a whisper of a movement her sweater had somehow slid off her shoulders before Dante began to run his fingers through her hair removing the clips, allowing the curls to fall loose. He moved his hands down her arms and delicately touched her skin with the tip of his fingers. “Your skin is like silk.”

  His fingers played with the straps of her blouse, and the intake of his breath when his hands brushed down her sides made her shiver until she thought she’d dissolve into a puddle on the tile floor.

  Dante leaned in toward her lips and murmured, “I don’t want to wait another day to make love to you.”

  “I don’t want you to wait another minute, I acquiesce…”

  He captured her lips and slowly moved his hands down her body, memorizing every curve, but their promises of love came to an abrupt halt with the appearance of a helicopter arriving over the property and hovering above the estate, its bright headlights focused on them while the pilot attempted to land on the lawn.

  In a matter of seconds, Dante hid Mercedes under a pool towel, pushed the button to close the glass wall, and ushered her into the mansion. Once indoors, he pulled the drapes and crushed her in his arms.

  Her body shook with fright.

  “You’re all right, Mercedes. I promise you they have no idea who you are and my back was toward the helicopter. I’m not sure they even got a definite photo of me.”

  “How did this happen?”

  “One of the servants or someone from the car rental—someone who is about to lose his or her job—a coward who either works on the estate or at the car agency—someone who wouldn’t dare release your name because that would narrow down the guilty person. Whoever gave us away probably released the information that I was here to a news service, collected a nice reward, and is off drinking somewhere. Our privacy is of great importance to my parents’ friends and also the manager at Enterprise. They earn their money and business to their clients who expect them to be discreet. My bet is on one of the house employees, perhaps a part time worker.”