Celebration's Family (Celebrations, Inc Series Book 5)

by Nancy Robards Thompson

  Chapter Eleven

  Liam went to great lengths to keep the infamous ten-thousand-dollar date a secret from everyone...including Kate.

  He wanted the two of them to have privacy without the media, members of which had been phoning just about every three days to see if he was ready to release the details of his evening with Kate. He also wanted Kate to be surprised.

  He’d made a mental note of what she’d mentioned would be her dream date: something low-key and casual, rather than the stereotypical night of limousines and stuffy, expensive dinners.

  He’d also done some research to get to know Kate a little better. What had impressed him was that they had a lot of things in common that he hadn’t even realized. An interview with Kate in the Dallas Journal of Business and Development, published a couple years ago, told her story. Even though she was a high-powered business executive now, she and her oil-tycoon brother had grown up in abject poverty.

  Liam had, too. Scholarships, student loans and a little help here and there from Joy’s parents had financed his medical school, and had helped them along until he’d been able to graduate and get settled. But even though Liam was educated and financially comfortable now, he’d known his share of hardship growing up.

  Much in the same way that Kate had.

  The combination of Kate’s version of a dream date and the research into their common backgrounds had played into the plans he made.

  On Saturday afternoon he picked her up in the Mustang and put the car’s top down to begin their R & R adventure.

  “R & R?” Kate had asked when he had revealed the first part of his plan, which was a drive to a stable to saddle up for a horseback ride.

  “Rest and relaxation,” he said. “I distinctly remember you telling me your dream date would be shared R & R rather than a hectic fancy affair.”

  “You’re good,” she said. “I think we both had our fill of fancy affairs at the auction. I’m glad we’re switching gears today.”

  He slanted her a sidelong glance as the car zipped down the highway. “But never fear. I have plenty of surprises in store for you.”

  He sensed her sigh more so than heard it above the wind. “For the record, you really didn’t have to go to all this trouble.”

  He shot her another look, a look meant to imply that he would rather she not keep saying that. “For the record, I’m happy to be with you today.”

  She bit her bottom lip. “I am happy to be with you, too.”

  Their gazes locked, and impulse had him reaching out and taking her hand in his. Something in the air shifted as they rode along, hand in hand, with the sun on their faces and the wind in their hair.

  * * *

  Liam hadn’t realized that Kate was such an accomplished rider. His daughter Amanda had suggested Liam take Kate horseback riding as part of the date. If it had been up to Amanda, the entire date would’ve been centered around horses. The girl was crazy about animals. At least in theory. The girls’ mad extracurricular schedule, which had them at the dance studio every night of the week and most weekends, left little time for much else.

  Sometimes Liam thought that training this hard at such a young age was a little over-the-top, but the preprofessional dance program the twins were in left no choice. Young dancers were not allowed to choose classes on an à la carte basis. It was a prepackaged program. Enrollees took what they told them to, when they told them to or they took nothing at all. Basically, it came down to the fact that the girls were happy.

  And Joy had said it was the best program in the Dallas-metro area. This dance program felt like Liam’s last living tie to his late wife.

  Glancing over at Kate, who was riding beside him, Liam fought a pang of guilt for allowing Joy to come along on the date.

  Kate smiled at him.

  He loved his late wife. Always had, always would.

  But maybe it was time to allow himself to start living again.

  As he adjusted his grip on the reins, the late afternoon sun glinted off his wedding ring, as if Joy were seconding his thoughts and reminding him that the first step toward his future would be to remove his wedding ring.

  If this were truly a real date, that’s what he’d do.

  He let Kate get half a length ahead of him, wrapped the reins around his right hand and worked the ring off. He held it between the thumb and index finger of his right hand and looked at it for moment, saying a silent prayer of thanks to Joy for all the good years and for loving him so much that she would want him to move on. She did want that. He was sure he could feel it.

  The sun glinted off of it again, as if giving him the affirmative. With that he slid the ring into the small pocket of his jeans, making a mental note to relocate it to a safe place once they got to the end of their ride. He’d arranged for someone to deliver the car to the picnic cabana and take the horses back to the stables. So he’d be able to put the ring in the car’s console.

  “Everything okay?” Kate asked over her shoulder.

  “Everything is great.”

  And it will just keep getting better.

  * * *

  The next surprise Liam had planned looked like a mirage off in the distance, Kate thought, as they prodded the horses toward two white tents set up on the grassy stretch of private property that belonged to a friend of Liam’s. That’s all he would tell her—that they would be riding to a surprise that was waiting for them, and it was on some property owned by a friend.

  “What is this?” Kate asked Liam, stopping her horse in front of two people—a man and a woman—who had come out to greet them and take the horses.

  He pointed to the smaller of the two tents. “That’s the tent where we will get our massages.”

  After they handed off the horses, they entered the smaller of the two tents. They were each shown to separate dressing screens, where they slipped out of their clothes and into lightweight robes. As Kate stood behind the screen, naked except for the dressing gown, it crossed her mind that this could be awkward, but it wasn’t. She was a spa veteran, but this was her first couples’ massage.

  She found the anticipation quite sensual. It turned out to be very relaxing, soothing her tense muscles and calming any lingering jitters she had about this...date.

  Tranquil music drifted from hidden speakers as expert hands worked all the stress and kinks out of her body. For a heavenly while, Kate was transported to another plane.

  Sometime during the session, Liam must have gotten up and left because when Kate finally lifted her head, he wasn’t in the tent.

  “Dr. Thayer wanted you to have some time to relax before dinner,” said the female therapist.

  Kate glanced around the tent and saw that someone had pulled back a curtain and revealed a portable bathtub.

  “If I relax any more you’ll have to carry me,” she said.

  The therapist smiled. “Do you need me to help you to the tub?”

  Drawing the sheet around her, Kate carefully placed both of her feet on the tent floor. “No, I’m fine. Thank you. In fact, a bath sounds perfect.”

  “After you finish, please ring the bell.” She pointed to a bell on a silver tray next to the tub. “And someone will be here to assist you with your hair and makeup.”

  This was definitely shaping up to be a ten-thousand-dollar date.

  The bath was indeed perfect, its warm water and floral-citrus bath salts washing away any residue of stress. After her hair and makeup were done, she went back behind the dressing screen, hating the thought of putting on the clothes she’d worn earlier. To her surprise, there was a strappy black maxidress, sandals and appropriate new undergarments waiting for her in place of the clothes she had been wearing.

  Next to the folded dress was a small box tied with a red ribbon. As she plucked it off the table, her heart kicked into high gear. Had he given her jewelry?

  She opened the box and discovered a pair of delicate gold dangly earrings. She gasped. If she had picked out something for herself, it would hav
e been these earrings.

  Gently she took them out of the box one by one and put them on. They were the type of earrings that hooked into the ear piercing and didn’t have a back, so she gently pinched the wires to ensure they wouldn’t fall out of her ears. She studied her image in the small mirror on the dressing table, loving the way the gold glistened against her skin.

  For a date that wasn’t supposed to be a date, this was shaping up to be a rather sexy evening.

  And she loved every moment of it.

  After she dressed herself, the woman who had done Kate’s makeup led her to the larger tent that was set up next door.

  “Dr. Thayer will meet you here for dinner,” said the woman. “In the meantime, please relax.”

  The “dining room” was a medium-sized white tent like Kate had used on more than one occasion to hold special outdoor events. Only this tent was decorated on the inside like none that she had ever seen before. Yards of jewel-toned fabric were swagged from the center of the ceiling outward and draped down the walls; a carpet that looked like a Persian rug covered the floor; a plush sectional sofa lined the walls; and dozens of pillows spilled from the couches onto the floor. In the very center stood a low mosaic table set for a formal dinner. As if that weren’t impressive enough, all around her were hundreds of lit votive candles and sprays of flowers.

  The scene was an exotic oasis of relaxing coziness made even better with the most delightful aromas wafting in from...somewhere. It didn’t matter because Kate had already decided she could happily live here for the rest of her life.

  A server had just delivered a glass of champagne on a silver tray when the fabric covering the entrance parted and Liam entered.

  He was dressed upscale casual, in a pair of black slacks and a blue button-down. When his gaze met hers, her heart turned over.

  “You look gorgeous,” he said, crossing the room and giving her a kiss on the cheek.

  “You clean up pretty well yourself,” she said.

  The server offered him a champagne flute and then disappeared.

  “Your sister-in-law’s catering company made us the picnic supper we’re going to enjoy tonight.”

  “Picnic supper, huh? Somehow, I don’t think we’re going to be eating cold fried chicken and potato salad. Although, if we did, I’m sure it would be the best cold fried chicken we’d ever tasted.”

  “Yes, I imagine it would be.” He leaned in and touched his glass to hers.

  * * *

  They dined by candlelight—a sumptuous feast of surf and turf, parslied potatoes and green beans almondine. Simple fare prepared to perfection. When finished, the scant waitstaff, provided by Celebrations, Inc., whisked away their dinner dishes and left them with a basket of sweets and chilled bottles of champagne for dessert.

  At last they were alone.

  “This has been such a lovely evening, Liam. Thank you.”

  “It’s not over yet,” he said. “Unless you’re ready to call it a night? We haven’t had dessert yet.”

  Strains of a slow bluesy ballad drifted from hidden speakers, and Liam warred with the sudden urge to take her in his arms. It wouldn’t be a late evening. Rosie was picking up the girls from a dance rehearsal at nine-thirty and had offered to stay with them until Liam returned. He didn’t want to take advantage of her good nature, but he wasn’t quite ready for the evening to end just yet.

  “I would love to have dessert,” Kate said. “Why don’t we see what’s in the basket?”

  The servers had left the basket on the table in front of them. “Why don’t you take a look, and I’ll pour us more champagne.”

  “That sounds like a perfect plan,” she said.

  As he stood and made his way to the silver standing wine cooler, Kate said, “Liam, what is this?”

  He turned to see her holding a small wrapped package.

  “As much as I would love to take credit for it, I can’t,” he said. “I don’t know what it is. Open it and see.”

  “Well, I’m glad it’s not from you,” she said. “You’ve done too much already. There’s a card here with my name on it—let’s see what it says.”

  She chuckled as she read the note to herself.

  “What’s so funny?” he asked.

  “It’s from my sister-in-law, Pepper. She says this is a traditional gift that she and her friends Sydney, Caroline and A.J. have given each other for...” She had torn open the paper at one end of the small package. “Oh, no,” she said.

  He seated himself beside her again, and she turned the package so he couldn’t see it.

  “What is it?” he asked as he refilled her glass.

  Even in the dim light, he could see that her cheeks were flushed pink. She picked up her glass and sipped it.

  “I’m definitely going to need more of this,” she held up her champagne, “before I show you this.” She gestured to the still-wrapped box.

  She took another healthy sip of champagne, looked him square in the eyes and raised her chin a notch. “Condoms. My sister-in-law sent along a box of condoms.”

  Liam couldn’t deny the spark of longing that surged through him. Reflexively his left thumb touched his ring finger, but the band wasn’t there.

  “I must say, your friends do think of everything.”

  They both laughed and the sound of their blended merriment melted away the awkward tension.

  They unpacked the basket, and he fed her dark-chocolate-covered strawberries, and they shared a piece of what another card described as a flourless chocolate torte. They were so full that they could each only eat a couple of bites.

  Maybe it was the champagne that provided the liquid courage or maybe it was that Kate was the first woman in a very long time who was not only able to thaw his frozen heart but warm it to the idea of something more than friendship.

  His eyes fell to the creamy expanse of her neck, which looked elegant and smooth in contrast with the black of her dress. He forced his gaze back up to her meet hers.

  “Dance with me,” he said, standing and pulling her to her feet. She melted into his arms and they swayed to an updated version of “Since I Fell For You.”

  The feel of her in his arms—the way she fit so perfectly—reminded him of the day they’d first kissed in her office. They had never spoken of that kiss. Still this wasn’t how friends danced. And that was fine with him. Judging from the way she was holding on to him and swaying with him, she didn’t want to put them in the friend zone, either.

  It had been a very long time since he’d reveled in the pleasure of soft feminine warmth. Her body, so close and supple, made him yearn to explore the swells and valleys of her shape.

  He bent his head, and as if she sensed the subtle movement, she tilted her head up and met his lips. He kissed her gently at first, then more insistently as he drew her closer.

  “You are so beautiful,” he said, trailing a finger down her jawline. Then his lips followed the path his finger had traced.

  Finding her lips again, he pulled her closer. His hands swept over her back, over the place where bare skin met the silky fabric of her dress. They deepened the kiss; her tongue swirling around his in such an inviting and erotic way that he didn’t even realize the rasping moan he heard had escaped from his own throat.

  His mouth tore away from hers and he pulled back and looked at her, trying to read her, wanting to make sure she wanted what they were dancing dangerously close to. If they were going to stop, they needed to stop now. They needed to say good-night and walk away.

  “Are you okay?” he asked.

  “I’m more than okay,” she said. “And I have a feeling I’m going to be even better before the end of the night.”

  That was enough to ignite the flame that had been sparking inside him, burning away the last shreds of doubt. All he knew was that he wanted to show her how hot his flame burned for her.

  Once again he took possession of her mouth, craving the searing heat of her fingers on his face, in his hair, on his shoulde
rs, trailing down his back, holding him so close he could barely inhale. But her kisses breathed life into him. The feel of her in his arms infused him with hope, happiness and pleasure, emotions he hadn’t felt in a very long time.

  He couldn’t get enough of her, but he had no words to tell her how he felt. All he could do was show her. As he reclaimed her mouth with his more urgently this time, she whispered his name against his lips. With those words, it was as if she’d filled him with hope. For the first time in ages, the heaviness he had been carrying for far too many years was lifted off his shoulders and out of his heart. With her in his arms, he could conquer the world. He held her close and fast, afraid that if he turned loose, she might slip away. He took possession of her mouth, craving the shared heat, reveling in the feel of her fingers on his cheeks, in his hair, on his shoulders, trailing down his arms.

  They made their way over to the ocean of pillows and sank down into them.

  Need guided his hands as he explored the swell of her breasts, and skimmed her belly until he found the tail of her dress and slid his hand underneath. When his hands found her breasts, she dragged in a ragged breath. As he moved his thumb over her sensitive nipple, a low moan escaped her lips.

  Her skin was hot, her body smooth and firm with a sexy feminine power that had him summoning every ounce of self control to keep from taking her right then and there.

  * * *

  They were going to make love.

  When the delicious realization racked Kate’s body with shudders, she couldn’t wait to see what else his body would do to hers.

  For Kate, nothing spoke of her trust in a man more than making love with him. Lying with him bare and vulnerable, allowing him to penetrate her personal barriers, inviting him within her body.

  Without a word he got up and closed the drapes at the open end of the tent. She watched him pick up the box of condoms her friends had been so smart to include and lowered himself down on the blanket next to her.