by Nina Crespo
Delanie preceded Aiden into her suite at the LaGrande Hotel. She shrugged out of her coat. After huddling in front of a fireplace for warmth, the central heat in the room felt overly warm.
Aiden shut the door and they both paused.
They’d been in constant motion for the past six hours, from the flat being fixed on the car to straightening the reservations center at Echo Pines to packing up the boxes and making the trek back to Atlanta.
As soon as they had decent cell service, e-mails and messages had chimed in one after the other on Delanie’s phone. Present clients needed her attention. Potential clients wanted to hire her. The work, it seemed, would never end.
Aiden wrapped his arms around her from behind. “I can practically hear your mind working.” He kissed the side of her neck. “And I know just how to help you relax. Why don’t we take a shower, order some food, sleep in an actual bed?”
Delanie leaned back against him. “We could.” From the erection pressed to her back, sleep wasn’t exactly high on his agenda. Lounging around with Aiden sounded heavenly, but she needed to get home.
His long exhale tickled her neck as he sagged against her. “I hear a but coming.”
She turned in his arms and faced him. “The airport is open. My plane doesn’t take off until tonight. It’s just a little after two. More bad weather is in the forecast tomorrow . . .”
He held her by the waist. “And you think you should head home.”
“Yeah, I do. I can mail the boxes through the FedEx place downstairs and still make my flight.”
Aiden took her hand and led her to the couch. As he sat down, he pulled her onto his lap. “Are you running from me or are you leaving because you really have to go?”
“I’m not running. I’d stay if I could but I have a business to run. You have a company of your own. You know how that works.”
“Yeah, I do.” He pulled her to his chest and tucked her head under his chin. “But I don’t want us to lose momentum. I feel like we’ve just gotten on track . . . unless you don’t want this to continue.”
She leaned away from him to see his face. Worry shadowed his eyes. “Yes. I want this to continue, but I think we should wait until after the buyer for Echo Pines is selected.” She laid her fingers to his lips, halting his objection. “Think about it. Would you, as a potential buyer, take the time to bid on a property where the person overseeing the sale was the girlfriend of your competition? And with Beth being a referral client from my former mother-in-law, I have to make sure it all goes by the book. My reputation is at stake in more ways than one.”
Aiden’s self-assured, mischievous grin bloomed underneath her fingertips.
“What are you smiling about?”
He turned and rolled Delanie onto the couch.
“Aiden, wait.” She planted her hands on his chest, halfheartedly holding back as he stretched out on top of her. “No. We’re not doing that. Weren’t you listening?”
“Yeah, I was listening. You called yourself my girlfriend.”
“No, I didn’t.”
“Yes, you did.” He lowered himself, breaking past her resolve, and kissed her.
She wound her arms around his neck. Had she really said that? But before she could think about it, what she had or hadn’t said was lost as his tongue drifted over hers.
Aiden eased back way too soon. “So you and I will start dating each other once the property closes?”
Dating . . . That was what they’d be doing . . . and it was a serious step.
“Yes, but . . .”
“Not another but.”
“I think we should take this time to really evaluate what we want . . . independently.”
Aiden frowned as he sat straight on the couch. “What do you mean by independently?”
She sat beside him. “I don’t think we should call or text each other.”
“What? Why?”
If he didn’t like that idea, he was going to hate the explanation. “I want to make sure bias isn’t playing a part in my decision about Echo Pines. I need to put business first for now, and us second. I also think we need to make sure we’re not just acting on impulse. That what’s happening with us now isn’t just because of physical chemistry and proximity. If we really are serious about seeing each other, and this isn’t just a fling, two weeks of total separation won’t matter. Right?”
He dropped back, rested his head on the cushion, and closed his eyes. A long moment later, he released a harsh breath and looked at her. “If you need that reassurance, I’ll agree.” He intertwined his fingers with hers and kissed the back of her hand. “And for the record, it’s not two weeks. It’s sixteen long-ass days.”
Later that night, Delanie walked with Aiden to the security checkpoint at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
After multiple delayed flights because of the weather, previously stranded passengers anxious to get home filled the lines leading to the screening area.
Thankfully she’d gone the comfortable route with jeans, a lightweight pullover sweater, and blue Rothy’s flats. Long lines and crowded spaces were definitely in her future for about the next seven hours.
Aiden, who’d been wheeling Delanie’s carry-on, handed it over to her. She grasped the handle, adjusted her coat over her arm, and slid the strap of her tote higher on her shoulder. “Thanks for riding here with me. You didn’t have to.”
“Of course I did. I wasn’t just going to watch you drive off from the hotel.” As he took her free hand and tugged her closer, he stuffed his car keys in the front pocket of his jeans. His cologne and the lemon-scented soap she’d lathered over him after they’d made love in the shower back at the hotel emanated from him.
She resisted the urge to snuggle into the thick navy sweater that stretched across his chest.
He absently stroked her knuckles. “I know you said no communication for two weeks but let me know when you get there.”
Delanie looked up at him, working hard to keep it together and not get emotional. After all, she was the one who asked for this. “I can’t call. But I’ll text you.” If she heard his voice on the phone, she’d cave on the no-communication rule, she just knew it.
“Whether Kingman Partners gets the property or not doesn’t affect our fresh start. Don’t forget that.”
“Okay.” One word was all she could manage to get past the lump in her throat.
As he leaned in to kiss her goodbye, Aiden looked as glum as she felt. He pressed his lips to hers for a long moment.
The stay-go tug-of-war grew worse inside of Delanie with the simple contact of his mouth against hers. Just when she was about to end it, Aiden broke from the kiss. He brushed her cheek. “See you in a couple of weeks.” He spun on his heel and walked away.
Delanie couldn’t pull away from watching him as he walked into a sea of people. She kept her eyes on him, catching one final glimpse of his broad shoulders and the back of his head, before he finally disappeared into the crowd.
twenty-one
“HOLD ON.” DELANIE adjusted the computer screen on her desk so the webcam captured her whole face during her video chat with Beth Granger. “That’s better. Did you get a chance to look at the report and the four offers we received?”
The past two weeks had been impossibly busy, but with Edison’s help she’d completed the valuation for Echo Pines and had reached out to prospective buyers. She’d also informed Beth that she had a personal relationship with Aiden. She’d even offered to step aside and bring someone else in to handle the offers and negotiations, but Beth had declined the change.
“I scanned them.” Beth sneezed. As she jerked forward, her dark blond bangs covered her eyes. She blew her nose.
“Are your allergies still acting up?” When they’d first met weeks ago in Atlanta, Beth, a single mom, had been running around and sneezing like crazy from her allergies while trying to get herself to work and her daughter to school.
“Yeah, I ran out of antihistamine.
I meant to buy some yesterday in between picking Olivia up from school and taking her to dance class, but I forgot the instructor said it was a full dress rehearsal for next week’s performance so we had to drive home and pick up Olivia’s outfit, then rush back.” Beth blew her nose in a tissue. “Today is just as busy. I had to take the car in for an oil change this morning after I dropped her off at school, which took way longer than usual so I had to rush back home for our call. I’ve got work right after this so, well, you get the picture.” She smiled. “My life’s never dull.”
“Definitely not.” Delanie tugged the hem of her blue pantsuit jacket down as she settled back in the desk chair. Beth’s life sounded way too chaotic for a typical Wednesday and Thursday, but from what she’d learned of her during their conversations, that was her normal. Delanie opened the valuation report for Echo Pines on her computer tablet. “So, what are your questions?”
“Honestly, I didn’t get a chance to really process it all. I noticed one offer was well below the two point five million we’re asking.” Beth shook her head in disbelief. “I still can’t get used to saying that word. Million.” She grinned. “Anyway, I’m assuming I should set that bid aside, but the other three—Starrman Group, Kingman Partners, and Payton Brothers—they all seem competitive.”
Delanie pulled up the document she’d received from Kingman Partners’ financial advisors. “You’re right. They’re all willing to pay the asking price.”
“Beyond that, who do you think is the best choice?”
Delanie chose her words carefully. “All three firms received a copy of your uncle’s plans for the property.” Edison had discovered drawings of ideas Benjamin had come up with to redesign the layout and structures at Echo Pines. “Starrman and Kingman Partners are willing to use those ideas for any renovations. Payton Brothers, on the other hand, are essentially asking for an out clause on that point. If they believe another plan will produce a more lucrative result, they want permission to set aside your uncle’s redesign plans. Looking at Payton Brothers’ properties—they all follow a specific design that doesn’t look like your uncle’s.”
“You think they’ll use the out clause and follow their own plans in the end?”
“It’s a strong possibility.”
Beth frowned. “I hate that. They should just say no, they’re not willing to follow my uncle’s plans instead of trying to fool me into choosing them. I don’t like it. Seems a bit shady to me.”
Delanie closed Paytons’ offer. She didn’t like it either. It was the perfect setup for a bait and switch . . . just like Gerard Kingman had done with her father. “That narrows it down to two. Starrman and Kingman Partners.”
“Two good ones. Which do you think is the best choice?”
Delanie pulled up the documents for Starrman Group then flipped through Kingman Partners’. She had to point out the obvious. “Starrman is offering fifty thousand more, but Kingman Partners is giving you four weeks free a year at the property for life. Beyond four weeks, you’ll only pay fifty percent of the room or cabin rate. They’re also willing to transfer two of your free weeks to any of their other properties on a space-available basis. There are a few other restrictions, but that’s a pretty generous benefit. Starrman doesn’t offer that as an option. If you ever return to Echo Pines as a visitor, you’ll be paying full price just like everyone else.”
“I do love vacations.” Beth laughed. “And I’ve wanted to take Olivia to Echo Pines more often. The benefits Kingman Partners are offering are the perfect opportunity for that.” Beth stared at her through the screen. “I know you’re concerned about a conflict of interest with Kingman Partners, but I trust you. And even though she has hesitations about the deal, my mom said you’re respected and good at what you do. Contrary to popular belief, I do take her opinions into consideration most of the time, and this is one of those times. If you were in my shoes, which would you choose?”
Both companies had good proposals for Echo Pines, all the way down to a conservation plan for the land, and they had equally good reputations.
Delanie put her computer pad on the desk. She couldn’t make this choice for Beth. She wanted a clear conscience when it came to Echo Pines . . . and Aiden. “Either is a good choice. Under the present circumstances, which do you think your uncle would want?”
Beth laughed. “Uncle Ben definitely wasn’t a conventional thinker about a lot of things. He usually went with his gut.” Her laugh dimmed to a soft smile. “Maybe I should too.”
twenty-two
AIDEN LEANED BACK in the desk chair. He tossed mini basketballs into a hoop mounted on the wall beside his desk. If he made the majority of his shots, he’d go for burgers and beer at the sports bar up the street. If not, he’d go home. Honestly, neither option was appealing. At the bar, he’d hang out with other single guys who worked in the area. They’d talk business and bullshit while they watched the game. He’d still go home alone—just later.
Was Delanie still at work? With the three-hour time difference, it was only three in the afternoon in Seattle. Knowing her, she had no plans to knock off early on a Thursday.
King walked in and snagged the next ball Aiden sent up into the air. “Beth Granger’s accepting our bid.”
“I heard. Carol gave me the message from our attorney before she left.” Aiden caught the ball King tossed back at him.
King scooped more balls from a small trash can below the hoop. “But the contract’s not getting signed right away. The attorney needs a week, and Beth’s on her way to the Caymans for an early celebration.” He tossed some balls to Aiden, kept some for himself, and dropped into a chair in front of the desk.
That meant that sixteen long-ass days of not seeing Delanie had been extended. She was being strict about her no-communication-until-the-deal-is-done policy. “Can you handle it not being signed before your birthday on Saturday?” Aiden took a shot—all net, no rim.
“Yeah. It’s close enough.” King’s mini basketball also went straight through. “Sophie’s going all out with the birthday party she’s planning for me. Wouldn’t want to ruin it for her by not seeming excited.”
“Have you worked out how you’re going to propose to her?”
“Yep.” King grinned. “And don’t ask me how, because I’m not telling you or Mom my plan.”
Big bro’s actually doing it. “You know, I’m proud of you. All the work you’ve put in to make it work with Sophie—it’s pretty admirable.”
“Don’t. You’re starting to sound like Mom.” King threw a ball at Aiden’s head and missed. A ghost of a smile snuck through his annoyed expression. He was proud of himself, too, Aiden knew, even though he’d never admit it.
Aiden leaned over, scooped up the ball from the floor, and made another shot. “That’s because you becoming less of an asshole is a big deal.”
“Last time we had this conversation, you said that I was lovable and only part asshole.”
A chuckle flew out of Aiden. “Don’t confuse me with Sophie. I’d never put you and lovable in the same sentence. I meant that the part asshole part of you is just a little less of one.”
“Damn. And I worked hard for that asshole card.” King shook his head. “Guess I really am whipped.”
“Not a bad way to go.”
Aiden and King continued alternating shots into the hoop.
King glanced over at him. “What’s up with you and Delanie? Are you two going to hook up in person again, or should I buy you a porn subscription and lotion to help get you through your pitiful, lonely nights?”
“Why buy lotion? Just give me some from the private stash you use to get you through your pitiful, lonely nights when Sophie’s not around.”
“Scented or unscented, dickhead? Seriously, what are you doing about her?”
Aiden retrieved the basketballs, gave King some, and sat back in his chair. “So you honestly wouldn’t have an issue with me seeing her again?” After returning from Echo, he’d confessed about sleeping with De
lanie. King hadn’t said anything, but concern had flashed through his expression when he’d shared the news.
“If she’s in revenge mode and fucking with your head, that’s an entirely different story. But if you really care about her, and what you two have is real, then I don’t think you should hesitate. In fact, why are you not in Seattle right now?”
“We agreed to wait until after the deal with Echo was settled.”
“Okay. Have you called her yet?”
“No.”
“So you’re just wimping out.”
“I’m not wimping out.” Aiden took a shot and missed. King chuckled. Aiden gave him a look. “The agreement just happened. You said yourself the papers won’t be signed for another week.”
“It’s done. The actual signing is just a technicality. Look, I’ll make it easy for you. Invite her up for my birthday party. Mom and Sophie would love to meet her.” An alarm went off on King’s phone. He shot his three remaining balls in quick succession and got up. “I’ve got to go. Sophie wants to pick out a new couch. By the way, if burgers and beers was one of the options you were trying to decide on, do it. You need to get out of your head.”
King knew him too damn well.
“Whipped.”
“Wimp,” King said as he walked out the office. “Call Delanie first and don’t take no for an answer.”
Aiden spun his phone on his desk. He should wait until after the papers were signed. But the agreement was that they couldn’t see or talk to each other until after the buyer for Echo Pines was selected—nothing had been said about signing a contract. Fuck it. He dialed her number.
Delanie picked up on the second ring. “Hello.”
Damn, he’d missed her voice. Aiden couldn’t stop a smile as he leaned back in the chair. “Hey. It’s me . . .”
As Delanie sat in the back of the chauffeured town car that zipped through the nighttime traffic on the freeway from the airport, she brushed aside a tendril of hair that had escaped from her artfully curled waves. She pressed a hand to her middle, then smoothed the skirt of her red cocktail dress. The flutters of nervousness in her belly hadn’t let up since she’d landed in the private jet Aiden had chartered to take her from Seattle to Richmond.
