Angelica made a face. “You know, every time I attend one of these things, I feel like I’m being sucked back in.” She held her fingers near her mouth and wiggled them like tentacles while she made her best attempt at sucking noises.
“Will you please stop before somebody with money sees you?” Jai’s tone was fond but exasperated. “And may I remind you that the life you find so awful pays both my bills and yours?”
“I wish you wouldn’t. I like to exist in blissful ignorance.”
“Well, put on your blissfullest face and go make nice with some of these advertisers,” Jai said. “Who’ll it be?”
Angelica sighed. “Car companies first, I guess.”
“Give it a little shimmy,” Jai called after her as she strode toward her first target. “Pretend you’re in a leather seat.”
Three CEOs later, Angelica was starting to feel worn out and lacking in the charm department. She hated the hustle. She’d always enjoyed the acting part of her career and getting to know the technical teams behind the filming process, but the business end had never been her thing. She’d learned to do it, and relatively well, but that didn’t mean she enjoyed it.
At least fake-flirting with businessmen at a charity gala was less dangerous than auditioning for producers in their hotel rooms. She’d heard far too many horror stories from other actresses about truly awful men doing really terrible things in the name of “helping” with their careers. The worst she had ever experienced was a few unwanted gropings and a number of suggestive comments, but then, she’d never aimed for superstardom. Apparently, when you built a career on secondary roles, you flew mostly under the radar. Which was fine by her.
These advertisers seemed perfectly okay with her level of fame, though. She’d smiled her way through descriptions of the show and effusive praise of the network, then complimented the wives and made a point of emphasizing River Hill’s many charm. She’d extracted several promises to contact the network for advertising space. In the few hours she’d been at it, she’d definitely earned her keep. She deserved a break, and there was a tiny sandwich somewhere with her name on it.
She hadn’t seen Jai since they’d parted ways, but she suspected he was somewhere in the producers’ orbit, reminding them of the many talented faces he had under his purview. He might pretend he was there as her date, but he was working, too.
Angelica found a pitcher of cucumber-infused water and poured herself a glass, sipping gratefully as she enjoyed not talking for a few minutes. She was perusing the nearby food stations and wishing Frankie’s catered events like this when she heard her name called in a surprised tone.
“Angelica?” The voice was familiar, but when she turned around, all she saw was a beautiful brunette she didn’t recognize on the arm of a tall, dark, and handsome man in an impeccably tailored suit. Even his shoes were expensive. Jai would be drooling over the stitching detail on the shiny ebony leather. Her eyes traveled up, her brain fighting with realization. The height was right, and the voice was right, and the hair was … well, it was far tamer than she’d ever seen it. How could it be? And here, of all places?
“Noah?” she asked, her voice coming out as a perplexed squeak.
He was barely recognizable. The suit—and the brunette—made him fit right in, a seamless part of the crowd of rich businessmen and society people. She gulped. “I … I didn’t recognize you?” Why had she said it like a question?
“What are you doing here?” His tone was faintly accusing, and she went straight from unnerved to annoyed—as usual.
“I’m working. What are you doing here?” She met the gaze of the woman on his arm, who was more amused than Angelica preferred.
Noah frowned. “I’m here because my mother asked me to be.” He nodded in the direction of an elegantly dressed woman near the bar, and Angelica followed his gaze.
Wait, wasn’t that the chairwoman of the gala? Jai had pointed her out when they’d arrived. Her name was Ber-something. Angelica searched the catalog of names she’d stashed away throughout the night. Bernice, yes that was it. Bernice … Bradstone, she realized with dread.
“Wait, your mother is—”
“—Are you telling me you honestly had no idea who I am?” he interrupted.
She frowned at him, her eyebrows furrowing into a deep vee. If Jai saw her, he’d freak and warn her about the dangers of Botox. “Are you somebody important?”
The woman beside him started to laugh. “Only in his own mind,” she said, and Noah scowled at her.
“How is that helpful?” he snapped.
“Oh, I’m not here to be helpful,” the woman said.
Angelica was starting to like her, much as she didn’t want to. “I’m Angelica Travis,” she said pointedly, since Noah didn’t seem inclined to make introductions.
At least he had the grace to look embarrassed. “This is—”
“—Naomi Klein,” the woman said, extending her hand. “It’s nice to meet you, finally.”
“Finally?” Angelica looked to Noah, who just shrugged.
“I’ve known Noah for years,” Naomi explained. “I live in River Hill too, actually.”
Angelica stared at Noah. Nothing about this conversation made him come off in a positive light. “Really.”
Naomi grinned. “Feel free to eviscerate him if you want, but it’s not like that. We’ve known each other since we were kids. My family and his are close.”
There was that mention of his family again. Angelica held up her hands to signal a timeout. “Can I just get a quick update, here?” She was clearly missing some important information that Noah assumed she’d already had.
Angelica looked at Naomi, assuming the other woman would tell her the truth. “What’s the deal with his family?”
“They’re rich,” Naomi said cheerfully. “Disgustingly so. His father is Carter Bradstone.” She raised an eyebrow at Angelica, who shook her head. The name meant nothing to her. “Big name in wine. Like, huge.”
Angelica looked back at Noah. “So, you’re following in your father’s footsteps?”
“I’m trying to step out of them, actually,” Noah said. “My parents love this scene.” He waved a hand to indicate the sparkling festivities around them. “I just want to make really good wine and push the industry forward with innovative techniques. My dad’s not into it.”
“And my family is, shall we say, moderately unsupportive of my career, too,” Naomi added. At Angelica’s blank look, she explained. “I’m an artist. A sculptor, actually, though I do some graphic design to pay bills.”
“She does my labels,” Noah said.
“My dad hated the one with the half-naked woman,” Naomi said with relish.
“I thought it was very tasteful,” he protested.
“You and the disapproving Dr. Klein disagree about a lot of things.”
Their banter was quick, and Angelica didn’t have a place in it. And she wasn’t entirely sure she wanted one. Naomi seemed nice, but she was here with Noah. Which only served to underscore that he wasn’t there with her.
Jai’s words echoed in her head. If you want arm-candy…
It honestly hadn’t occurred to her to ask Noah if he wanted to come with her. She’d assumed he’d feel out of place at an event like this. He was so committed to rural life in River Hill that he’d blown up at her for just wanting to film the Harvest Festival. Not exactly the sort of man she expected to be lurking about a society gala in an impeccable tux, fitting right in with all the sleek trophy wives, CEOs, and politicians.
So which was the real Noah? Angelica had thought they were getting to know one another, but after their last argument, and now this? Well, she suddenly realized she didn’t really know him at all.
Completely flustered, she did the only thing she could think of—flee. “I, uh, think I see a … an advertiser,” she improvised. “Better go talk to them about the show.” She hot-footed away from Noah and Naomi as quickly as she could without tripping over her gown.
She n
eeded time to think. And something to drink.
Chapter Fifteen
“So that’s Angelica?” Naomi’s eyes followed the other woman’s hasty retreat, brows furrowed with concern. “She’s lovely. And very much surprised to see you here.”
“Yeah.” Noah scrubbed a hand over his chin, his eyes glued to his lover’s curves as she walked away from him. He couldn’t help but admire how well she filled out her gown. The fact that he knew exactly what she looked like underneath it had him imagining all the ways he’d love to strip her out of it. Except, he told himself, they weren’t going to do that anymore. Pushing his lustful thoughts aside, he turned back to his friend. “All that’s over with. She’s not who I thought she was.”
“Who you thought she was, or who you wanted her to be?” Naomi pointed an accusing finger in his direction.
“She told me she was done with Hollywood, and everything that went along with it.”
“And?” Naomi crossed her arms and tapped the ball of her four-inch heeled foot, somehow managing to still look elegant despite the spikes that would have toppled a lesser woman.
“And,” he said with a sigh, “I don’t want to get involved with someone who’s more concerned about their fans and social media followers than their friends and the community.”
Naomi scoffed. “I seriously doubt that woman gives two shits about all that. She left Hollywood for a normal life, or have you forgotten?”
“And the second they came knocking at her broken-down, dilapidated door, she opened up and welcomed them back in with open arms,” Noah countered, his voice rising in agitation.
“So what if she did? That doesn’t mean anything except she’s a single woman with a huge mortgage, mounting bills to restore that property, and the means to do so using her connections. Would you seriously deny her that?’
Was it just him, or had someone turned up the temperature in the room? Noah fingered the collar of his shirt. “That’s not fair,” he said. “Of course I want her to succeed.”
She shot him a glance there was no mistaking. Naomi wasn’t buying it for a second. “As long as you get to be the big, bad man and she’s the little woman?”
“No! Of course not. What are you even talking about?”
“I’m talking about the fact that while you’re a lovely, wonderful man, you’re also a bit of a chauvinist, Noah Bradstone.”
Sweat prickling his brow now, he replied, “I am not a chauvinist. What’s your problem? I thought you were on my side.”
“Oh Noah,” Naomi sighed. “I’m always on your side. And that means when you’re behaving like an ass, I’m going to call you on it. And right now, I think there’s a little bit of Neanderthal in you.”
Wordlessly, Noah tugged on his expertly knotted tie. He felt like he was choking.
Naomi swatted at his hand and took over adjusting the navy blue silk. As she did, she added, “Angelica is wonderful, but you’re scared of what you feel for her, so you’re pulling out every damn excuse you can think of why you should stay away. First it was the situation with the vines. Then it was the fact that she’s your neighbor. Now it’s the TV show.”
Naomi fussed with his tie so that he still looked presentable, but he could breathe again. As she did, Noah considered the implication of her words. She must be wrong, he thought. But then he remembered that Max and Sean had said something similar the weekend before, and he was forced to acknowledge he might be self-sabotaging. He just couldn’t figure out why.
“There, all better,” she said, leaning in for a quick hug, and Noah’s arms automatically circled her waist. With her cheek resting against his chest, she said, “Max told me your theory about the tourists and frankly, I think you’re being selfish.” She leaned away and her serious eyes locked on his. “That show filming in River Hill is a good thing, Noah. It benefits so many people. But more importantly, it benefits Angelica. We want her to be happy there. We want her to stay.”
“Why?” he asked. “You don’t even know her.”
She smiled warmly. “Because you want it, silly. You just don’t know it yet.” She eyed him speculatively for a few moments. “Although maybe you’re beginning to figure it out.”
Maybe he was.
Because if Noah took a step back and examined why he was so against her filming the festival, none of his objections actually made any sense. Sure, he didn’t want to be part of the show, but then she hadn’t asked him to. He’d just automatically assumed she was going to; that she’d use him the way so many others had tried before.
Logically, he knew that the show’s short-term success would mean Angelica’s bed and breakfast’s long-term success, but that whole thing about building her brand still niggled at him. He wanted Angelica to be above all that, he admitted to himself. But even if she wasn’t, did that mean they couldn’t be together? Was it something he could look beyond? Did he care more about that exasperating, beautiful, magical woman than he cared about his hatred for social media?
Naomi had certainly given him something to think about.
He pulled her back to him and squeezed tight. “Thank you,” he said to the top of her head. “You’re right, I’m an asshole. I need to go make things right with her.”
He let go of his friend and was about to leave to find Angelica when his mother approached. Her eyes zeroed in on his and Naomi’s close proximity and they flashed with a satisfied gleam. Noah took a large step back, but it was too late. Bernice Bradstone had seen the easy intimacy between him and Naomi, and she was going to run with it.
“Well, isn’t this cozy?” She leaned in to place an air kiss on Naomi’s cheek. “Lovely to see you again, dear. Don’t you look stunning? You’re the most beautiful young lady in the room tonight, I’d wager.”
Naomi’s eyes flicked to Noah’s before she addressed the woman she’d known her whole life. “Thank you, Mrs. Bradstone. While I appreciate the sentiment, I’m not sure I agree.” Her eyes searched the room and landed on Angelica, who was embroiled in what looked like a heated discussion with a dark, handsome man who was at least six inches shorter than she was. “I think that honor goes to Angelica Travis over there.” Naomi tipped her chin toward the other side of the room, and Bernice’s eyes followed.
“Oh my,” she murmured. “She’s beautiful, isn’t she?” Noah’s chest swelled with pride, but then his mother turned back to them and ruined the moment entirely. “It’s a shame about her weight though. Imagine if she were thirty pounds lighter? She’d be stunning.”
Noah’s heart kicked with rage in his chest, but he pushed his reaction deep down where it wouldn’t see the light of day. Pulling in a breath to calm himself, he held it for several beats and then exhaled slowly. He didn’t want to say something he might regret later. Not that he’d regret setting his mother straight; he’d only regret having to deal with her antics for the next month if he did so too bluntly. Her narrow-minded way of thinking about a person’s worth was one reason he’d stayed far away from the women of her social circle. With the lone exception of Naomi, they were uniformly the most vapid, soulless creatures he’d ever met. Noah often thought a lot of that had to do with being in a constant state of hunger.
With that, his mind flashed to the meal he and Angelica had shared on his back deck. Specifically, how she’d gleefully devoured her rare steak, and the seductive way her lush, full lips had circled the fork when he’d fed her a bite of Max’s sinfully caloric potatoes. And the way she’d fed him back.
Stifling a groan, Noah adjusted his stance to disguise his thickening cock and cleared his throat. Despite the impending fall out from correcting his mother, he fully intended to say something. Naomi stayed him with a hand to his arm and a quick shake of her head.
“Actually, I think she’s amazing,” Naomi said before he could speak. Then she looked ruefully down the length of her own trim body, honed to slim perfection through hours of yoga and pilates. “I would kill for an ounce of her curves.”
Bernice’s eyes flashed
with momentary surprise, but then she masked her reaction. “Oh, no dear, you’re perfect as you are. Isn’t she Noah?” His mother’s tone was clear: don’t you dare contradict me.
Noah smiled affectionately at Naomi affectionately. “Of course she’s perfect, but I have to agree with her earlier assessment of Miss Travis.”
“Hey!” Naomi said with a playful slap on his arm. “None of that now.”
Noah winked, then turned to find his mother eyeing them curiously, as if she knew something was about to happen but she had no clue what. I can’t wait to see the look on her face, Noah thought, before saying with relish, “What I mean is, I would kill for an ounce of Angelica’s curves myself.”
His mother’s mouth fell open and then closed in shock, while Naomi laughed uproariously. Pushing him away, she said, “Then you better go get a move on.”
Noah’s eyes scanned the ornately decorated space, seeking out the object of his desire. A few times he spotted a flash of liquid gold moving through the crowd, but each time it had been someone else. Resigning himself to not finding Angelica in the swelling crowd, Noah gave up and told Naomi he was heading home—not to his pied-à-terre in SoMA, but to his real home. Back to River Hill. She’d kissed him on both cheeks and wished him well before returning to the side of an older man who’d just commissioned a sculpture for his home in Palo Alto.
Buttoning his coat, Noah stepped into the foyer to find the elevator clanking shut. “Hold the door!” he called, rushing forward. He shoved his hands between the old-fashioned sliding brass bars, slipped into the ten-by-ten box, and came to a sudden stop. “Angelica,” he breathed. “Finally.”
Her eyes raked over him, and not with appreciation the way they usually did. “Hello, Noah.”
The antique elevator lurched and started moving. Setting his hand on the shiny bar skirting the box’s perimeter, Noah took a step closer. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”
Angelica raised a skeptical eyebrow. “Really? It looked to me like you were just fine where you were.”
The Vintner's Vixen Page 13
