Chessie smiled as cool ocean air brushed her skin and lifted her hair from her face. A trickle of perspiration rolled from the hair at her nape and down her spine.
Laughter and conversation made a never-ending loop around them. Beachgoers camped out on the sand, played in the water, built sandcastles, played beach volleyball, and jogged along the water.
She enjoyed the sound of the ocean as it pulled back before rushing forward and crashing against the shore.
Nick dipped a piece of crab in melted butter. “Have you been to Santa Monica before?”
“A couple of years ago, I went with my best friends.” She used a paper napkin to wipe butter from her fingers. “Andi met a surfer dude—kind of reminds me of Greg—and the lot of us headed down here.”
“Sounds like a good time,” Nick said.
“It was.” She nodded. “It was early evening when we got here, so we didn’t do much. Just hung out on the beach until Andi and Surfer Dude had it out and it was time to head home.”
Nick chuckled. “Andi has a lot of spirit.”
“No kidding.” Chessie picked up a packet with a moistened hand-wipe and tore it open to better clean her hands. “She has enough for all of us.”
Nick gestured to the discard bucket, now overflowing with empty shells. “Did you get your fill?”
“Did I ever.” She tossed balled-up paper napkins and the wipe onto the remnants of her meal. “That was wonderful. Thank you.”
He studied her with a smile touching his lips. “You appreciate the small things. I love that about you.”
Love?
“Wouldn’t anyone?” she said.
“You would be surprised.” He gathered up the trash and tossed it in a nearby bin before returning. “How about shopping on the promenade?”
“Even if it’s window shopping, what girl doesn’t love to?” she said with a grin.
He held out his hand to help her from her seat. “Indeed.”
They peered into windows and chatted about anything that came to mind. Chessie felt so at ease with Nick and spending time with him as his—his date. She wasn’t sure how it had gone from crush to comfort as fast as it had.
She’d been on a lot of dates over the years, including dabbling in some online dating. With Nick she didn’t feel off-balance, tongue tied, or afraid to say the wrong things. It just felt right, like it was meant to be.
Don’t even think that way, Chessie. This is a fling for him and that’s what it should be for you, too.
She expected him to make some kind of comment about their play last night, or BDSM play in general. But he didn’t bring it up and didn’t seem inclined to.
As for her, she’d enjoyed the gentle soreness of her backside from Nick’s flogging, and the ache in her breasts from the clamps. She’d left the diamond chain off today because her nipples were a little too sore, and the chain might have shown through her dress’s thin white fabric.
“Why don’t we go in here?” Nick brought her attention back to him and she saw they were standing in front of a Louis Vuitton store.
“Breathing the air in this store would cost more than my monthly salary.” The words popped out of her mouth before she had a chance to stop them.
Nick laughed. “I will swing the cost of breathing if you will do me the favor of accompanying me inside.”
Chessie’s face had warmed, but she found it easy to laugh in return.
They walked in and no one stood at the door demanding payment for air-breathing.
They browsed the store and she tried not to look at the price tags.
Nick stopped in front of luggage. He gestured to the suitcases and other pieces. “Do you have a set?”
Chessie almost choked when she saw the over four-thousand-dollar price tag on the roughly fifteen-by-twenty suitcase.
“I think I need to take out a mortgage and buy some air in here,” she mumbled. “Because I just choked on what was in my lungs.”
Nick burst into laughter and Chessie shook her head. “My luggage is about fifteen years old and the entire set didn’t cost what this—” She felt herself go green at the sight of the four-hundred-dollar sticker on a toiletry bag. “My entire hodgepodge of luggage didn’t cost as much as this little piece.”
Nick was still chuckling over her air-purchase comment. “I can afford it and I’m in need of a new set. Which color do you think is best?”
Chessie was still trying to wrap her mind around the idea of an entire set of this stuff. What would it cost? Twelve thousand? Twenty?
She shrugged. “Personally I like the fuchsia, but I have a feeling you’re not into pink.” She gave him a quick grin. “But forget black. How about that indigo shade?”
He nodded. “A good choice.”
She beamed. “See? I can still be useful.”
Nick put his arm around her shoulders and gave her a light squeeze. “No truer words.”
His causal affection did send her mentally off-balance. What had he meant by hugging her like that?
Whoa. Slow down there, Chessie. A hug. It was a freaking hug.
But a hug that made her feel warm from the points of her ears to the tips of her toes. Okay, so she didn’t have pointy ears, but it had sounded good when the thought popped into her head.
While Nick ordered his luggage, Chessie tried not to notice price tags as she looked over a lovely cream-colored handbag, but still managed to glimpse the damn thing, anyway. Three thousand.
That’s it. I’m leaving this store before I stop breathing all together.
“Ready?” Nick rescued her from certain death.
She nodded. “Let’s go, as fast as humanly possible, please.” She looked up at him. “A set of that luggage probably costs as much as I paid for my car. New.”
He put his arm around her shoulders again and brought her up against him. He kissed the top of her head and she heard him inhale.
“You are so sweet, Chessie.” He gave her another quick squeeze. “One of the many things I love about you.”
Love. There’s that damned word again.
He pulled her to him as they walked, and leaning her head against his arm seemed the most natural thing in the world.
Next they went to a dress shop that would rival one on Rodeo Drive when it came to prices.
Nick made her try on clothes. He had fantastic taste, something she already knew from experience. But he also had extremely expensive taste. Still, she amused him by being his little dress-up doll. When she said as much to him, he burst out laughing and thanked her for indulging him.
He spoke with the salesperson, probably selecting one of those sexier-than-hell outfits like the two he’d picked out for their first two nights together.
She, on the other hand, wandered the dress shop and tried hard not to breathe too much.
They left the store empty-handed and walked down the promenade. Nick came to a stop in front of a dance studio shop. “I want you to pick out whatever you want.” He gestured toward a set of mannequins in the window wearing the latest in modern dance wear.
She couldn’t help herself. The sight of the beautiful pieces she’d secretly been coveting drew her into the store.
When she’d selected several items, Nick smiled down at her. “I’ll have this sent to your home.”
“Thank you,” she said with an answering smile.
When he had finished paying, they once again headed for the pier.
“Why don’t we take a stroll on the beach.” He squeezed her hand. “It promises to be a beautiful night.”
She tilted her head back and looked up at the darkening blue sky. “I can’t believe how fast the day has gone.” She smiled at him. “I’d love to.”
They strolled down the pier and she took in the solar-powered Ferris Wheel and the historic early nineteen hundreds carousel. Roller-bladers and skateboarders, as well as a dog riding a skateboard, zipped past as they walked along the pedestrian path.
Chessie did a double take when she saw
the Jack Russell on a small skateboard. She slipped out of her sandals and held them in one hand while Nick rolled up his slacks.
She whistled. “You’re sexy even with your pants rolled up, Mr. Tarantino.”
He grasped her free hand while holding his shoes in his other. “Why, thank you, Miss Lane.”
They walked along the water’s edge and she giggled as the water rolled higher onto the beach, wetting the hem of her sun dress and dampening Nick’s rolled-up pant legs at his calves.
The sun sank lower in the sky, the brilliant orange and yellow sunset made for them and only them.
Their stroll along the beach had to be one of the most romantic things she’d ever done.
When they left the beach, Nick guided his sports car along the freeway, maybe just a little too fast. But she wasn’t complaining. Her confidence in him was absolute.
He glanced at her as he drove. “I have someplace I want to take you.”
It absolutely did not matter, because she would go anywhere with him, but she asked just the same, “Where?”
“Beverly Hills.” He put his hand over hers and squeezed, and she let out a sigh. “Not too far from Club Surrender.”
The drive passed by so quickly and easily. She and Nick varied from talking to just sitting in a comfortable silence with him holding her hand.
They pulled up to a building between a high-end dress boutique and an upscale sushi restaurant. Considering how late it was at night, and how dark the building was, she wondered what he planned to show her.
Nick helped her out of the passenger seat and closed and locked the door. He brushed his lips over hers before taking her hand and leading her. “This way.”
He led her up to the glass door—it was made from a single pane of heavy glass, with a gold door handle. He unlocked it and it opened smoothly on its invisible hinges. When they were inside, he switched on a set of lights. There was a beautiful waiting room on the left, which had black leather seating with modern décor and artwork with swathes of purple, greens, and yellows. The combination was stunning.
To her right was a black marble counter, which she assumed was meant for check-in. More elegant artwork was behind the counter.
The high windows to either side of the entrance would let in the sunlight during the day, and the nightlife after dark.
“I have something to show you upstairs.” He led her up a flight of black marble stairs. When they reached the next level, she caught her breath. Miles of wood flooring from front to back, and arched windows on all sides. Barre were fastened to each wall around the room.
“A dance studio.” She looked up at Nick. “It’s beautiful.”
He caught her face in his hands and skimmed his thumb over her lower lip. “It’s yours.”
She wasn’t sure she’d heard right, or that she even understood what he’d just said. “What?”
He dug in his pocket and keys jangled. He brought out a set and handed it to her. Things weren’t quite clicking, even as she gripped the keys.
“I bought it for you.” He closed her hand over the keys. “Whatever you want to do with the studio, it is yours.”
“Really?” She stared up at him. “This entire floor?”
“The entire building.” He smiled. “You saw the waiting room and check-in. There’s another dance floor above us, as well, and there are changing rooms with lockers, in addition to your own private office. It is a former ballroom dance studio, but you can use it for whatever type of dance you like. Several different kinds of dance if you want.”
He gestured to several bags she hadn’t noticed near the locker room he’d pointed out. “Your new dancewear is in those bags. In your office, you’ll find everything I could think of that you might need. If it’s not there, I will get it for you.”
“I—” She looked at the wondrous room around her before she met his gaze again. “I don’t even know what to say. Thank you doesn’t seem close to enough. It’s not enough.”
He brought her into his arms. “Dance with me. That will be of more value than any thank you that could be said.”
* * * *
Nick took her home and they ended up on her doorstep. Inside, Greg’s favorite grunge band music played from his speakers and thumped as if pounding against the door.
“Thank you for the most incredible day.” Chessie tilted her head back and looked up at Nick. “I can’t believe you bought me a dance studio. It’s crazy. It’s unbelievable.”
He brought his hand up and caressed her cheek with his thumb. “This day was breathtaking, Chessie. You are breathtaking.”
In that moment, she felt it. Felt every bit of the beautiful woman he kept telling her she was.
The tiny nagging voice of her mother’s had finally pissed her off enough that she stomped it into oblivion.
Nick kissed her and she allowed herself, for the first time, to fall completely into the kiss with the thought that in the end, Cinderella got the prince.
Chapter Fifteen
Nick checked his watch and frowned as the plane pulled away from the terminal gate to taxi to the runway. He had perhaps ten minutes before his flight from LAX to London would be wheels up.
His mum had called at two a.m. to tell him his father was ill. Very ill. Nick had booked the first available direct flight, which would be in the air by seven fifty-five.
He shifted in his first-class seat and glanced at the person next to him. A striking brunette met his gaze and she gave him what must have been her most seductive smile.
An actress. Didn’t I see her in a trailer for that movie about bridesmaids or something? He hadn’t given the trailer much notice, but he did have a gift for remembering faces.
Nick gave her a slight nod before looking at his traitorous phone again. Damn, he should have memorized Chessie’s phone number. It had been in his electronic contact list for years. Now that his list had somehow been wiped out, he was left with a blank screen and no idea what her phone number was.
He pushed his fingers through his hair. He’d tried getting her number, but since it was a mobile phone, it proved to be impossible. He’d tried the office, but no one was in yet.
The flight would leave shortly, so he had to find a way to reach Chessie.
Once again, he called his company’s—his former company’s—main line. Thank God Becky finally answered. He asked for Chessie.
“She’s not in yet,” Becky said. “It’s still fifteen or twenty minutes before everyone comes rolling through the doors. But Ms. Baron is in her office. Would you like to speak with her?”
Nick blew out his breath. “Yes.” At this point he didn’t have a choice.
Becky connected him to Constance’s office. “Ms. Baron here.”
“Constance.” Nick didn’t waste time on trite conversation. “I need you to get a message to Chessie. Please tell her that I am on my way to London and I will call her when I return.”
Silence.
Nick’s frown deepened. “Constance?”
“Of course.” Her words sounded as if frost covered each syllable. “As soon as she gets in.”
“Thank you.” He disconnected the call and pocketed his phone.
He glanced out of the window. His father’s turn in health had surprised everyone in his family. Mum was beside herself. She had relied so much on Father, and he in turn had cherished her.
Father’s poor health had been kept a secret from the world. If information had leaked, the company’s stock would probably have tanked. The cancer had been eating away at him for longer than the doctors had thought possible. However, over the last couple of months, he’d seemed like his old self again.
Nick spoke with him at least twice a week, usually three or four times. He prayed he wasn’t too late to see the man he loved and respected above all.
He settled back in his seat and ignored the actress on his left. Chessie should be the woman beside me. Next time, she will.
* * * *
Chessie sat at her desk,
completely unable to concentrate on her work despite having essentially a new job and a new boss to impress.
She hadn’t heard from Nick since Sunday, five days ago.
At the moment, it was hard to care about her job situation. Earlier in the week, all she could do was text Andi, Bryn, and Sydney about how much she missed Nick.
As the days passed, she wondered how he had just up and left after such a wonderful weekend.
Things hadn’t been going well with The Dick, either—which was what she, Sydney and Andi had come to call Bryn’s boyfriend. Bryn had said nothing when they’d coaxed her to ditch Charles. They hadn’t pushed it. Bryn had just seemed to pull back into herself.
Chessie’s friends had criticized Nick brutally. But she only felt…sick. As though she’d lost a piece of herself, even if it had only been a fling for him.
Her heart sank down to her toes. She wanted to kick it across the office.
In between text-vent sessions with her besties, she stared out of the window, reliving Friday and Saturday night, then that incredible Sunday when they’d simply enjoyed each other’s company and that amazing dance. She couldn’t help but think about every last detail of her time with Nick.
And the studio.
She had the keys.
It was hers, wasn’t it?
She could go there.
Her heart seized in her chest.
No. No way. If she did that, all she’d think about was Nick, Nick, Nick—as if she wasn’t doing that anyway.
So what happened? Why did he up and just go with no word?
Cinderella doesn’t always bag the guy.
She brushed hair from her eyes, hoping against hope they didn’t look red or puffy from the tears she’d cried last night.
Damn. How could I be so weak?
On Monday, thrills had continually rippled through her belly and her breasts at the thought of their weekend. She loved the way he’d dominated her and the number of times he’d taken her in the back of the limo. Even now, she was sure she could still smell his scent on her skin, feel his hands on her body.
Shameless Surrender Page 12
