She should have listened to Piper. Her best friend hadn’t liked Bill from the get-go because she’d pegged him as selfish and aloof. Bill might have been a bit aloof, but he had also been exciting, a world traveler who was cultured and interesting. There was a reason Georgiana was thirty-three and wasn’t married. Her artist’s soul couldn’t tolerate being smothered and controlled. Bill had given her the freedom she needed and that had lured her into thinking he was the one.
Over the past month, Bill had hinted many times at a surprise during the holidays, not telling her when it would happen to build the suspense. He seemed to sense she was pulling away, and the truth was she had been trying to convince herself to stay only because he had good qualities that made up for his inattentiveness. She had hoped that he would propose today and had mistakenly thought it would ignite their fading romance.
A flash of anger made her grit her teeth. He had proposed all right, but he had also whipped out a pre-nuptial agreement so unfair and so one-sided that she’d ripped it into shreds and flung it back at him.
Her eyes welled up at the memory, but not because she still loved Bill and wanted him back. She realized she had never really loved him when she walked out of his house with her head held high and so much bottled-up anger she wanted to spit nails at him.
When she’d gotten in her car, a flood of tears had burst forth and she cried like an abandoned orphan. It wasn’t that he’d presented her with the pre-nup, which went with his mega-wealthy persona; it was what the pre-nup specified that galled her.
The elderly people who made up her clients in her concierge service often said that time was a priceless commodity. And before her Grandma Emmy died, she made Georgiana promise she wouldn’t waste time on the wrong man.
Unfortunately, she had wasted precious time trying to make things work with Bill, time she would never regain. He had duped her big time. A fresh batch of hot tears stung her eyes and she forced them back. No more tears. She’d cried enough ugly tears.
Every special thing she’d planned for them today had been ruined. The champagne dinner, the beautiful dress that she’d bought in an exclusive consignment shop, the designer leather jacket she’d spent months saving for to surprise him with on Christmas morning. All of it for nothing. It was too depressing—and jarring—to realize that after the break-up and angry tears, she actually felt more relieved than pained.
A knock on the door followed by Alex’s deep voice startled her, and she quickly blinked back the moisture pooled in her eyes.
“Georgiana, would you like to borrow a sweater? I usually don’t run the heater, but if you’re cold...” His voice trailed off.
“No, thanks. I have a change of clothes in my bag. I’ll be out in a minute,” she called out. “Oh, and don’t run the heater on my account. I’ll be fine.”
“Okay.”
For the first time, she noticed her surroundings. The bathroom was large, almost as big as her bedroom in her small apartment, but it was meticulous and organized. No clutter on the marble countertops and no clutter in the cabinets either. Alex had mentioned it was his beach house, but the man was neat to a fault.
She towel-dried her hair with one of his plush, dove gray towels and ran her fingers through the loose curls. She knew better than to take a brush or comb through her hair or it would end up looking like a fuzz ball.
She made quick work of cleaning her face with a make-up wipe from her tote bag until all the smeared mascara was off. After applying a bit of moisturizer to her face, she glided cherry flavored lip balm on her lips and puckered them. This is for you, Dr. Cortes. She suddenly grinned, surprised she could be so silly when Bill had just kicked her to the curb.
Straightening her shoulders, she remembered what her mother always told her. It’s the hiccups in life that make you stronger, Georgie. Yep, this was a major hiccup all right, but she much preferred the hiccups that came from champagne.
She made a face in the mirror. Stop feeling sorry for yourself and get out there. Dreamy Dr. Cortes is at your disposal. She shook her head at her foolishness. If only that were true. He had been polite and chivalrous, but a man as handsome and accomplished as he, surely had a woman in his life—and big plans for the evening.
With a sigh of resignation, she stepped out of her stilettos, which she’d worn for Bill, and changed into a violet cashmere sweater and her favorite jeans. Luckily, she’d grabbed her overnight tote before running out of the car, but all her other shoes were in the suitcase in the trunk. She would just have to go barefoot. No way was she putting the uncomfortable stilettos back on.
As she approached the living room, her bare feet padded across the gleaming hardwood floor to where Alex sat on the sofa with his elbows resting on his widespread knees. His broad shoulders were hunched forward as he gazed at the fire in the stone fireplace. When she got closer, she noticed a few threads of silver glinting in his thick, black hair.
Georgiana tapped his shoulder and smiled hesitantly when he turned to peer at her with glimmering, coal black eyes. A tingle spread through her, and she was suddenly embarrassed about her earlier behavior. Okay, she was more than embarrassed; she was totally mortified over the way she’d screamed and flung herself at him when the lightning struck, and then her outburst over the leather jacket. Gosh, he had to be thinking she was a real nutcase.
“Any chance I can use your phone, Dr. Cortes?” she inquired politely. “I need to make a few calls while I recharge my phone.” Her hands fiddled with the charger cable dangling from her cell phone.
“You can’t do anything unless you call me Alex,” he teased.
She noted the sparkle in his eyes. “Okay, Alex.”
“That’s better.” His rich, deep voice laced with the slightest trace of a Latin accent made her shiver involuntarily.
She smiled to cover up her silly reaction. “I’m really sorry to barge in on your holiday. I’m sure you have plans for tonight, so I’ll leave as soon as I make those calls.” She didn’t want to be a nuisance and he was surely being a gentleman, something fewer and fewer men were these days.
“No worries. I’m not going anywhere tonight,” he said, surprising her. “I have a landline or you can use my cell.”
No plans? Why not? Looking around his cozy living room, she noticed no Christmas decorations—not even a Christmas card. From what she could see, she’d interrupted a quiet evening between him and a bottle of Scotch.
She pointed to the leather jacket folded neatly beside him. “Didn’t burn it, huh?”
Alex’s exotic eyes crinkled at the corners, drawing her attention to long, thick eyelashes. “I figured I’d give you the satisfaction.”
She tossed her head. “I changed my mind. I’ll give it to charity instead. I’m sure someone can use it in this chilly weather.”
“Good idea, but it’s supposed to warm up to eighty degrees tomorrow.”
“Eighty degrees?” She raised her widespread hands. “Small wonder I chose to live here when my grandma relocated from up north. As much as I love them, my parents couldn’t convince me to go back to New York. My grandmother was a beach lover, like me. She used to always say that Naples was paradise.”
“Yeah, it’s hard to beat this kind of weather in the winter.” He reached for the bottle of Scotch and poured two fingers in his cut crystal glass. “Want a drink?”
“Sure.” She never drank the hard stuff, but today was one day she needed it.
“If you don’t want Scotch, I’ve got wine, beer or orange juice. No soft drinks.”
“Scotch is fine.”
Alex poured her drink and handed her the glass. “Salud,” he said, raising his glass.
“Cheers,” she returned automatically, though a cheery toast was a bit of a stretch. The whisky burned her throat all the way down to her esophagus. “I hate to drink on an empty stomach. Have you eaten?”
“No. Are you hungry? I can order some food in.”
That brightened her mood. It didn’t sound like h
e was bothered by her impromptu arrival. “Surprisingly, I am hungry.” When she’d left Bill’s house the last thing on her mind had been food, but why let the wonderful spread she’d packed for them go to waste? “Do you like stone crabs?”
“Love them.”
“Good, me too. If you’ll help me bring in the cooler from my car, we can enjoy the feast I put together for someone who won’t be named.”
He smiled. “Give me your key. I’ll get it.”
She rummaged in her tote and located her keys. “I’ll go with you.”
He nixed her offer with a shake of his head. “There’s no sense in both of us getting wet.”
“Everything’s in the trunk. The cooler and a green tote bag that has the rest of the goodies…like dessert. I’ll hold an umbrella over you as you carry it in.”
“No. Stay here. I’ll go out alone.”
Stubborn and a bit bossy, but who was she to argue? “Suit yourself, Doc, if you don’t mind getting wet.” Her sassy tone drew a chuckle from him. She reached for the folded leather jacket and handed it to him along with her keys. “Here. Will you at least put the jacket on?”
“Sure.” Jiggling the keys in his hand, Alec shrugged into the jacket and headed for the door. When he returned toting everything, Georgiana was waiting at the entrance with a large towel.
Alex left his shoes on the welcome mat and set the cooler down before coming inside. He rubbed his hair briskly and then handed her the jacket. “Good thing you didn’t burn it.”
“It looks great on you. Do you want it?”
He gave her a baleful look that squelched the very idea. “What do you think?” he asked with a sardonic lift of his thick, dark brows.
She gave a half-shrug. “I guess not. Can’t say that I blame you. Most likely it would bring bad luck.”
“I don’t know about the bad luck, but I’m not interested in keeping another guy’s jacket,” he said bluntly.
She looked down. “Oh,” she said in a small voice.
“I didn’t mean it harshly,” he said, softening his tone. “But a little while ago you wanted me to burn it.”
“True,” she conceded. Lifting her gaze, she tried to gauge where he was coming from, but his expression was unreadable.
“I’m going to change into dry clothes and then set everything up on the coffee table.”
“We’re eating in the living room?”
“That’s the plan,” he said, white teeth gleaming against tanned skin. “Is that okay with you?”
It was more than okay, but she didn’t want to appear overeager. Georgiana gazed at the fireplace instead of his attentive eyes. “Sure. I love eating in unconventional places.”
Georgiana couldn’t believe the irony. She had envisioned a candlelight dinner at Bill’s house followed by him proposing to her. But instead, she’d left his house like a scalded cat, never wanting to see him again. And once she’d let the anguish pour out of her heart, she had experienced a startling jolt of freedom…and a stirring of hope.
Maybe someday she would get what she wanted most in life. But it wouldn’t be with Bill.
“I saw the suitcase in your trunk. Were you planning on traveling tonight?” Alex asked in a casual tone.
“No, I’m flying out tomorrow.”
“Where to?”
“New York. I’m going to spend Christmas with my parents and my two older brothers.”
“What time is your flight?”
“First thing in the morning,” she said, surprised when his face fell. “I need to check in for my flight as soon as I get someone out here to tow my car back to my apartment.”
“Okay.” He carried the cooler and the green tote bag into the kitchen and headed toward his bedroom. “When I finish changing, you can make your calls in my bedroom.”
“Thanks. That’s very considerate of you.”
He winked and her heart skipped a beat. “It’s the least I can do when you’ve brought me stone crabs. Before you came, I wasn’t in a very good mood. Now I’m looking forward to the evening.”
“Really?” At his nod, Georgiana stifled the urge to pinch herself. Alex was not only kind and considerate, but he was looking forward to spending the evening with her, Georgiana Kincaid, who had stormed out of Bill’s house an hour ago with no special plans on Christmas Eve.
Was Grandma Emmy looking out for her from above? she wondered, blowing her a secret kiss.
Chapter 3
Pacing in Alex’s bedroom, Georgiana hung up her smart phone and massaged her temples. She needed to check her horoscope because today was turning out to be a real rollercoaster. Up down, up down. From high to low to high to low. She couldn’t get anyone to come out and tow her car until tomorrow morning. Because of the holiday and the bad weather causing multiple accidents, the towing companies were maxed out. What was she going to do about her travel plans tomorrow?
She dialed Piper’s number. Maybe her best friend could come up with a solution. “Hey, Pippi Longstocking,” Georgiana said, using her friend’s nickname.
“Georgie Porgie,” Piper said cheerfully. “Do you have news for me?”
“I do.” Georgiana pulled in a deep breath and expelled it before talking so her voice wouldn’t betray her. “But it’s not what you’re expecting.”
“What do you mean? What happened?”
By the time Georgiana finished telling Piper about her break-up with Bill, Piper was fuming. “Well, good riddance. You deserve much better than Bill. The cold fish.” She could just imagine Piper’s turquoise eyes flashing with outrage.
Georgiana sighed. “I don’t know why I kept trying to convince myself about him when things were going downhill. He promised me we’d have a special, intimate weekend, but when I got there, he told me the guests were arriving in two hours.”
“What guests? He planned a party without telling you?”
“Not only that, but he planned on me playing hostess.”
“Like you’ve done for all the parties he’s thrown the past year. You’ve been acting like his wife all along. Remember all the times he came back from long trips and invited people over for spur-of-the-moment get-togethers that you ended up cooking for?” Piper’s voice was edged with scorn. “He totally took you for granted, Georgie. Damn him.”
“I didn’t mind doing it, Piper. I just wish we could have had some alone time—once in a while.”
“Yeah, tell me about it.”
“I should have listened to you. After Bill told me about the party, he saw I was upset. Thinking he would make it up to me¸ he led me into the bedroom and showed me a Tiffany gift bag on his bed.”
“And?”
Georgiana groaned. “I softened toward him because I thought he’d planned the party to announce our engagement. I opened the bag and found a stunning engagement ring perched on top of the bow with a paper rolled up inside. I thought the paper was a love poem he’d written because there was a pen tucked inside of it. Instead it was a pre-nup. But not just any pre-nup.”
“What does that mean? What did it say?
“I can’t get it into it now, but my blood boiled when I read the terms.”
“Ugh, I can only imagine,” Piper said. “It’s time to move on, Georgie. Crumple the memory like a piece of trash and throw it away.”
Georgiana admired how Piper always picked herself up and brushed herself off after a setback. For Georgiana, it wasn’t easy. She supposed it was because Piper had had to toughen up real quick as a little girl. Her single, hardworking mom had raised her to be strong and scrappy, whereas Georgiana had been lucky to have nurturing parents, and loving, though overprotective older brothers.
“Georgie, are you going to be okay tonight?” Piper said sounding worried.
“Don’t fret, my pet,” Georgie joked to put her at ease. “I’ll be fine.”
“Why don’t you come to my sister’s house and bake Christmas cookies with us?”
“No, I’m, uh…I’m actually not alone. The reason I�
��m calling, other than my bad news, is that Bertha stalled out.”
“Oh no, in this weather? Where are you?”
Georgiana stifled a chuckle, imagining Piper’s face when she told her. “You’re not going to believe me when I tell you.”
“So tell me already!”
“Ole Bertha stalled out in front of a gorgeous doctor’s house that’s right on the beach. It’s so beautiful and cozy. He even has a fireplace and we’re about to have dinner in front of it.”
“Whaat? How on earth did you snag a dinner invitation on Christmas Eve with a gorgeous doctor in a beautiful beach house? Honestly, Georgie, I know you’re cute and fun, but this is beyond. Bee-yond,” she emphasized.
“I know. I can hardly believe it. I’m pinching myself.”
“I’m going to pinch you. What if he’s a weirdo or a psychopath or…or a serial killer? Some of the worst criminals have been handsome con artists.”
“Calm down. He’s handsome and a total hunk, but he’s no con artist or criminal.”
“How do you know that?” Piper challenged.
“He delivered Laura Galley’s baby. His name is Dr. Alex Cortes.”
“Wow,” Piper breathed. “I remember you mentioning how hot he was. Maybe this was your destiny. Remember when Mrs. Kendall read your tarot cards and said she saw a doctor in your future?”
“Mrs. Kendall tells everyone she sees a doctor in their future.” They both laughed. Mrs. Kendall, the eighty-four-year-old client that Piper drove to the grocery store every Thursday morning, claimed she could foretell the future, but at the moment, Georgiana was more worried about the present. “I have to go, Piper. I need to check in for my flight tomorrow and figure out what I’m going to do about Bertha.”
“Haven’t you heard that flights are cancelled up north? There’s a nor’easter dumping snow on New York. Better check your messages. I’m sure there’s one from your airline.”
“I can’t right now. My phone is dead. I’m calling from a landline.”
“Yeah, I didn’t recognize the local number, but thought I’d answer anyway.”
Kissed by You Page 2
