Harlequin Desire June 2021--Box Set 1 of 2

by Katherine Garbera

  “I’m not ready to leave yet,” he told her.

  “Why not?”

  “Well, I have to finish helping you pick out your wardrobe, and I want to meet the rest of the advisory committee,” he said. “Find out a little more of your world.”

  She twirled a long strand of her hair around her finger as she tipped her head to the side to stare at him. “My world? It’s not as exciting as anything we’ve done tonight. It’s just sitting on the back porch listening to the fountain my dad helped me install in the backyard and reading one of my favorite books. Or going to a night class at the community center and learning how to make origami birds.”

  There was a note in her voice that didn’t sound dismissive. Lila liked those things. She liked that quiet pace, he could tell. He wondered if, in his selfishness to make it okay for him to go after her, he’d lured her into a bargain she might regret. But would that make it his fault? As she’d said, she was a grown-ass woman.

  “I’ll be the judge of that,” he said. “Do you need to go home now? Or do you have time for a nightcap?”

  She seemed to debate her answer, sitting next to him in the golf cart in front of his house. There were two cars in the drive. His Ferrari and an Audi sedan that the driver he’d hired would use. He was a brand ambassador for Audi, so the car had been sent over from the local dealer.

  “I don’t think I should drink another thing tonight. Like I said, I have work in the morning and then I have the meeting with the advisory committee on Friday,” she said. “I’ll let them know you want to attend.”

  “Good. Then I will have my driver take you home.”

  “You have a driver?”

  “Yes. I have an entire team,” he answered.

  She rolled her eyes at that.

  “I hope you will forgive me, but I did order a few things for you to wear to the office tomorrow.” He flashed a grin. “And FYI...you’re all mine after your 10 a.m. meeting.”

  Her gaze shot to his. “I—I am?” she stammered.

  “Yes, you are. I am taking you to Dallas for a shopping spree in the afternoon.”

  “I can’t...”

  “Why, do you have something scheduled?” he asked.

  “No. But—”

  “We made a deal. Five hundred likes in an hour and you put yourself in my hands.”

  “I put my wardrobe in your hands,” she reminded him pertly.

  He winked at her. He wanted all of her in his hands. “Of course. That’s what I meant.”

  “Oh, good,” she said. “Can’t we go shopping here in Royal?”

  “We could, but then your friends and family would be around. I thought you’d be more comfortable in Dallas.”

  She nibbled her lower lip, which just made him remember how soft her mouth had been under his and how much he wanted another kiss. One hadn’t been enough.

  Five hundred likes on one picture was what he’d used to buy that kiss, and he wondered how many likes it would take for her transformation to be complete. For her to suddenly be like him.

  “Okay. Yes. We can do that. Can we take your helicopter again?”

  “Yes. Meet me here after your meeting,” he said.

  * * *

  Lila had a restless night’s sleep dreaming of Zach and that hot kiss they’d shared. She’d wanted more but at the same time, this situation was reminiscent of that time she’d changed her looks for a man and been burned by him. She shook off those thoughts. Zach wasn’t using her. If anything, she was using him—for work.

  Stay focused, she reminded herself.

  There were several packages waiting on her front porch step, all from Neiman Marcus. Her mom, who lived two streets over from Lila, had come by for coffee and to find out all about Zach. The last thing she wanted to do was have a chat about a guy she still wasn’t sure about.

  But as her mom helped her bring in all the boxes, she knew she was going to have to tell her something.

  “I made a silly bet with him and that’s what this is,” she said as her mom watched her opening all the boxes.

  “What kind of bet? You’re normally not a gambler.”

  Her mother sounded concerned. Lila hoped she wasn’t remembering Peter and that disastrous time she had tried to make herself into a different woman for him. The only thing that would make this embarrassing was to have to discuss that and what was happening with Zach. Or maybe it would help. Make her have to focus on how this situation was different.

  For one thing, she wasn’t changing anything to please him. It was for herself. Truly she liked the way that she’d felt in the new outfit Zach had selected yesterday.

  So as long as it felt right, she thought her mother would be okay with this.

  “I know, Mom. He said that I wouldn’t need him to promote our event if I started using my social media accounts in a different way. He said he could get me over five hundred likes in an hour if I just changed my clothes and took a selfie with him.”

  “And he did it, didn’t he?”

  “Yes. But now he thinks if I just keep doing this, taking photos of myself...” She cringed. “Oh, Mom, what have I gotten myself into?”

  Her mom had gotten up and was helping her open all of the packages with an amused smile on her face. She pulled out a cute, trendy outfit and held it up. “I don’t know, but I like it. This is the first time I’ve seen you...well, excited about a boy.”

  Boy.

  Ha.

  Zach wasn’t a boy. He was a total superhot man as evidenced by the steamy dreams that he’d starred in last night. She almost blushed and turned away because she knew her mom would notice. “It’s not him per se as much as it is...just the thought of doing something new.”

  “Good. Do you want this change?”

  Her mother always had a way of asking the shrewd questions that Lila tended to avoid answering to herself.

  “I think I do. I really liked the way I felt yesterday, it was fun, and when I saw myself in the mirror—it was like I was the girl I see in my head, you know what I mean?”

  “I do,” she said. “And there is nothing wrong with dressing up and liking what you see. You’ve always seemed to shy away from all of this. Just make sure you haven’t made this decision for someone else.”

  She shook her head. “Of course not. I think this will help with my job, which you know I love. And the Soiree, which I want to be a success.”

  “Then great. I love it. Wish I could stay and watch you try on all these clothes, but your father booked us an earlier tee time than normal. I swear, that man is trying to make me crazy now that he’s retired,” her mom said with a smile as she kissed her on the top of the head and ran out the door after saying goodbye.

  Lila watched the door close behind her and then looked back at all the clothes. She was still young but there was a part of her that wanted the loving partnership her parents had found. While she knew there had been a lot of ups and downs between them and she was very happy in her single life, there was something to be said for sharing a life with another person.

  Of course, she probably needed to figure herself out before she tried a relationship, she thought.

  Which led her right back to the fashionable new wardrobe awaiting her. Her mom had been supportive—honestly, she and her dad always were—and Lila knew she was blessed to have that kind of family. But she’d also been right when she’d said this kind of change couldn’t be for likes or for followers. It had to be for herself.

  Lila sighed. She wasn’t like Zach, who moved blithely through the world, changing looks and lovers with the seasons and trends.

  No matter how exciting that helicopter ride and her mini photo shoot had been, that wasn’t real. Royal was real. She pulled the bright-colored designer outfit that had caught her eye out of the tissue and took it with her to get ready for her day. This was the kind o
f thing she’d have purchased for herself if she had the money. So she felt no guilt in wearing it.

  She left the house, her hair once again in a high ponytail because she hadn’t had time to do anything else with it, and drove to the office.

  “Morning, Lila.”

  She smiled at Josh Peterson, one of her coworkers at the chamber of commerce, and waved at him as she walked over to the coffee shop to grab her morning java. Several men and women all smiled and waved at her, even strangers. Hmm...perhaps there was something to dressing differently, she thought.

  “What have you been up to lately?” one of the guys who’d gone to high school with her asked.

  “I’m helping organize the Soiree on the Bay,” she said. “Have you heard about it?”

  “Rumblings. Isn’t that something that Rusty Edmond and his family are putting together?”

  “Yes. It’s going to be fabulous! Check out our website for more details. Hope to see you there.”

  “You will. Hope to see you again before then,” he said, winking at her as he walked away.

  Had he been flirting? She wasn’t sure. In high school he had pretty much only talked to her when he wanted to cheat off her in English.

  Lila got her coffee order and then went to her desk, realizing that no matter what else had happened yesterday, Zach had given her a boost in confidence that she was definitely able to use in her job and in her life.

  She wasn’t going to tell him because his ego was big enough already, but these changes might have been long overdue.

  * * *

  Zach’s crew all started arriving around ten, but he didn’t get out of bed until noon normally. He’d always been a bit of an insomniac, so staying up all night and thinking about Lila and then her media presence had been a nice distraction.

  He had to force himself to stop remembering how she’d felt in his arms, so instead he’d developed a plan and even sent several emails to his team to get them thinking. He wondered what she’d think about the clothes he’d had sent from Neiman Marcus and had half expected her to text him and tell him that she couldn’t keep them, but she hadn’t.

  He had checked his phone a few times waiting for something from her and then realized what he was doing. Likes mattered, not people. But he’d thought she was different... Maybe she had been until he started making her over. Yeah, he knew that sounded cold but whenever he’d relied on a person...well, he’d been let down. He’d therefore learned to keep things bright and breezy. But some part of him was always sort of hoping for more.

  “Hello, Mrs. Smith,” he said, coming into the kitchen. His housekeeper always flew to wherever he was staying. She was fifty-six but looked younger and had been married to her high school sweetheart for three years before she’d been widowed. Mrs. Smith had no kids and said she’d learned that being married wasn’t for her. She was motherly without smothering him and she knew how he liked his meals fixed. His housekeeper also had her own media account and a huge following, mainly folks who wanted to style their houses and food. She was a genius when it came to that.

  “Morning, ZB. I staged your lunch at the table by the pool if you want to snap a pic before we talk about dinner. You mentioned a guest in your email. Fancy or simple Texas fare? I found a recipe from your great-granny Benning’s notes that I could use.”

  “I like your thinking,” he said. “Let me post my lunch and then we can discuss. Are the rest of the team here?”

  “Vito and Dawn are. Shantal made a coffee run.”

  “We have coffee here,” he reminded her.

  “Oh, she knows, honey, but she wanted to check out Lila in person. Everyone is intrigued.”

  He just shook his head. He felt protective of Lila, he realized. “She’s not a toy.”

  “Isn’t she?” Mrs. Smith asked. “You kind of made it seem like she was something new and shiny for everyone to play with in all those emails.”

  “I’m helping her build her presence and you all can help with that. But that’s it,” he said. “Sorry if I sound cranky.”

  “It’s all right, honey. Take your coffee and go do your thing.”

  He took the steaming mug with him and walked out onto the stone patio, which was covered with reclaimed railroad timber, spaced apart with some kind of purple flowering vine growing on them. Zach stopped and took a deep breath. It was fresh and not too sweet-smelling. He saw the area that Mrs. Smith had staged for him. As he walked to the table, the waterfall into the landscaped pool came on. The table was laid with his monogrammed tablecloth from a luxury British maker and the plates were from an exclusive designer.

  He lifted the cloche off his lunch and had to smile. Mrs. Smith knew how to capture summer with her lobster rolls, coleslaw and peach iced tea. His tripod was set up from last night when he’d prepped for the day. Taking his camera out of the bag that had been left for him on the chair, he fiddled with the settings until he had the look he wanted. Then he took his seat, donned his sunglasses and stared off in the distance.

  Normally he thought about his latest girlfriend or next big project, something to make him smile. Unbidden, an image of Lila just as he’d leaned in to kiss her the night before danced through his mind. He remembered the sound of her laughter and the way she’d smelled of lavender, the way her mouth had felt under his and her body pressed against his. He couldn’t wait to see her again.

  He hit the remote trigger for the shutter release on the camera, but he was distracted by her. Why hadn’t she texted him this morning?

  Had she regretted yesterday? Was she going to tell him to hit the road?

  And why the hell did that matter? There were a million other ladies waiting in the wings...well, not a million, but a few. If she wasn’t interested in him, he’d find another woman and go back to Los Angeles, face the paparazzi and the moral police, and deal with his own conscience.

  But he didn’t want to just disappear. He wanted Lila. He wanted her to need his help. He was kind of addicted to her excitement and her smile. He wanted to see it again. Wanted to kiss her again. And so much more....

  Hell.

  What was he thinking?

  They could have fun. For a while. But this other stuff, this gnawing need deep inside him, needed to be quelled and quieted. He wouldn’t let himself become obsessed with her.

  She was his project...that was all. Not someone he was using; someone he was helping. That was it.

  But was it ever enough? He’d helped other people and companies before but there was always something in it for him. And this Soiree thing she was planning, there wasn’t anything in it for him. He was a bigger draw than anyone she’d mentioned to him so far. What did he need to feel compensated?

  Her.

  He wanted her. He intended to seduce her. But he knew that wasn’t going to happen. She was way too smart to fall for him. He knew that. So could he just do this for her? He wasn’t sure that he wasn’t also doing this for himself. He’d said he liked her but just now it hit him that he wanted her to like him. The real him, not the million followers kind of like but the man he was away from social media.

  Would that be enough?

  He had no idea, but he also knew that unless she told him she didn’t want his help anymore, he was going to be right here in her life for the foreseeable future.

  SIX

  Arriving at Zach’s rental house after lunch, Lila was determined to do this on her own terms. She’d talked to the rest of the festival advisory board and set up a meet and greet for them with Zach on Friday night at Sheen. Charlotte had promised them a quiet, private table at the back of the popular restaurant where they could talk. And being in the public would both suit Zach and generate publicity for the event.

  Along with Charlotte, the advisory board consisted of Jack Bowden, whose company had done all of the construction at the festival site, and Valencia Donovan, a sort of bohemia
n cowgirl who was drop-dead gorgeous and ran the Donovan Horse Rescue. Brett Harston had also been on the committee but he was booted after a run-in with Rusty Edmond over the fact that he’d started dating Sarabeth, who was Rusty’s ex-wife. There was never a stop to the drama that surrounded the Edmond family. Billy Holmes was sort of advising the advisory committee. He was a family friend of the Edmonds...well, sort of. Seemed he and Ross had been college roommates. Billy really was the only one who got the cantankerous Rusty Edmond under control, and had been overseeing the event.

  The Soiree was in July, which meant she really needed to get some word-of-mouth promo that wasn’t just everyone in Royal. And she’d do whatever it took to make that happen. Even if it entailed changing her image and hanging out with Zach. Her mom’s words were a warning in the back of her mind about making sure the change was for herself, but for the first time since she’d been meeting with the rest of the advisory committee, she didn’t feel like she was just there to take notes. Not that anyone had ever treated her that way, but today she’d felt more confident and had spoken up, telling everyone that she was in talks with documentary filmmaker Abby Carmichael, which was only half true.

  The front door opened, and she realized she was still sitting in her car in front of his large house. The circular brick driveway led up to the imposing modern abode, which had large glass windows and beautiful stonework.

  She saw Zach standing there—he had his sunglasses on and behind him were three people. They were crowded around him and leaned out as if to catch a glimpse of her. There was a tall guy with spiky brown hair with blond tips. A curvy woman with curly hair who waved at her. And finally, a woman who was taller than Zach with hair down to her butt. She crossed her arms over her waist and said something to the others.

  This must be his team. His “glam team.” Oh, goodness, what had she gotten herself into?

  Confidence. That was what she’d gotten.

  Get out of the car, Lila, she told herself.

  She turned off the engine, grabbed the large cross-body bag that Zach hadn’t loved and got out.