Simon looked over at Dillion. “She doesn’t seem very excited; haven’t you told her yet?”
Dillion shook his head. “I want it to be a surprise.”
Natalie looked at both men suspiciously, and Simon laughed. “Don’t worry it’s going to be a good surprise; now let’s get you two into the right clothes,” he said, crossing back to his desk and picking up an old phone.
A few seconds later, a woman came through a door in the back of the room; she was dressed in what to Natalie looked like a flapper outfit. She crossed the room and circled around Natalie twice before grabbing her and pulling her toward the door she’d just come through.
“This is going to be fun; you’re perfect for this decade,” the woman said, then stopped pulling Natalie behind her. “Oh, dear, I’m sorry, I forgot to introduce myself; I’m Gretchen.”
“Um, it’s nice to meet you,” Natalie said, shooting a glance over her shoulder at Dillion, who was grinning stupidly at her.
She let Gretchen lead her through the door into a small dressing room, but instead of stopping, she went to another door and opened it. “Are you ready for this?”
Natalie walked over to the door and looked inside; she sucked in a deep breath when she saw rack after rack of what looked like vintage clothing. Awestruck, she walked into the room and down the center of the racks, her fingers itching to touch the shimmering fabrics.
“What is all this?” she finally asked, turning back to Gretchen who was grinning at her.
“This is your wardrobe for the next few days; go ahead, it’s all for you,” she said, laughing at the look on Natalie’s face.
When she walked back into the little office an hour later, she was dressed in silk from head to toe. Gretchen had insisted on pinning up her hair and chose the perfect jewelry, and when she’d looked at herself in the mirror, she knew that she looked like a 1920s jazz baby.
Dillion’s eyes got big when he saw her, and she couldn’t miss the desire in his eyes. It took her by surprise, and her body responded almost instantly, but she took a deep breath and pushed it away, reminding herself what a jerk he could be.
“You look fantastic,” he said, offering her his arm. “Are you ready to go?”
Natalie looked back at Gretchen, who was grinning at them. “I’ll send the rest of your things up to your room.”
When they stepped outside again, Natalie stopped in her tracks when she saw the vintage convertible parked where the cab had been. It was a beautiful car, shining brightly in the lights from the building; the leather seats looked plush and comfortable.
Best of all, there was a driver in the front seat, who got out and opened the door for them, folding the seat down so they could ride in the back. A set of gates she hadn’t noticed before swung open, and they drove through, then down a tree-edged lane.
Natalie took it all in as they drove, the moon just coming up over the trees, the stars shining in the sky, and felt the tension leave her body. Wherever they were going, if it was half as great as the car ride, she was going to like it.
When they came around a corner, and a huge mansion came into view, she gasped, and Dillion laughed. “Wait till you see inside,” he said, then helped her from the car when it came to a stop.
She stood on the steps staring, the sound of ragtime music floating through the air. Dillion took her elbow and led her up the stairs, where a uniformed doorman opened it for them and bowed as they walked through.
“Dillion, what is this place?” she asked when they stepped inside the most luxurious room she’d ever seen.
“This is time travel,” he said, gesturing around the room. “Look around; what do you see?”
Natalie took a second to look around and realized with a jolt that everything in the room was old. “It’s all old,” she said, in a small voice.
“Exactly, and that’s just the beginning. You’re going to get the full experience, and I hope then maybe you’ll be able to understand what we’re trying to do with Millie’s house,” Dillion said. “Now, I believe we have dinner reservations in the grand ballroom.”
She took his arm, trying not to gawk like a tourist, but couldn’t help herself; it was all so overwhelming. When they were seated at one of the tables for two by the dance floor, she looked around the room and began to feel like she was really in the 1920s.
“This is what they called a dinner dance back then: seven courses served with big breaks in between for dancing,” Dillion said, a sparkle in his eyes.
Natalie looked across the table at him, and a wave of desire washed over her; she knew it was going to be a long night, that it was going to be difficult to control her attraction to the man sitting across from her. He wasn’t anything like the rude jerk she’d been dealing with the last few days, and that meant trouble.
Chapter Eight
***Dillion***
Dillion sat on the terrace watching Natalie play croquet, he’d played one game with her then retreated. She’d caught on quickly to the game, and seemed to have a talent for it, far more talent than he had. Next, he was going to teach her to play badminton, if he could get her away from the croquet field.
They’d been there for two days, had a full tour of the building and grounds, gone boating on the little lake and eaten more food than was strictly necessary. But he knew that she was having a good time, that she might finally be beginning to understand how important the old things in life were.
It had been sheer torture sleeping with only a door between them, but his old friend Michael had booked them into a suite, and he’d been forced to take it. He’d long ago realized that the clothes from the 1920s were perfect for Natalie, her long legs and shapely body only accentuated by the simple dresses.
Sighing, he wondered how much longer he’d be able to resist her, how much longer he’d be able to torture himself. She’d been keeping a firm distance between them, and he’d been glad for that, but now he wondered if it was only making things worse.
Even the slightest touch of her hand seemed to spark the desire that was always simmering, and more than once he’d had to stop himself before he kissed her. More than anything, he wished that he wasn’t who he was, that he was just a construction worker like he pretended to be, not the heir to a small fortune that had been amassed through less than legal means.
He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn’t see Natalie come up onto the terrace until she plopped down in the chair beside him. “Wow, that was fun,” she said, a big grin on her face.
“You were pretty brutal out there,” he said with a pretend shudder.
Natalie blushed. “I can get a little competitive.”
Dillion grinned at her. “A little?”
Natalie laughed, then got serious. “Dillion, thank you for bringing me here; it’s been so much fun. I had no idea anything like this existed,” she said, leaning over and kissing him on the cheek.
Dillion practically jumped up out of his chair at the feel of her lips on his cheek. “Oh, umm, you’re welcome,” he said, stumbling over his words.
Natalie stared at him, cocked her head to one side, then the other, then said, “I don’t want you to think that I’m ungrateful or crude, but I bet this cost a lot; maybe I should help pay for it.”
Dillion had been so worried about what was going through her mind, worried that she was going to kiss him again, so her question was a relief. “Oh, don’t worry about it. I know the owner; we’ve been friends for a long time.”
“But the plane tickets, I mean… shouldn’t I at least help with them? I know contractors make good money, but… can’t I help?” she asked, clearly uncomfortable.
Dillion wasn’t sure what to say; he didn’t want to lie to her, but money wasn’t a problem for him. He had a nice wad of cash stored in a safety deposit box in Nashville, a trust fund his grandmother had left him.
“No, this was my treat,” he said, then added, “I’ve got a little money stashed away for special occasions, and this was one of those.”
>
Natalie didn’t look convinced, so he pulled her to her feet. “Enough talk about money; let’s go for a walk.”
She reluctantly got to her feet, and when he held out his hand, she took it as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Walking with her hand nestled in his, he wished that what he’d told her was the truth. He hadn’t outright lied, but he’d barely skimmed the surface of the truth, and he hoped that it wouldn’t come back to haunt him someday.
***Natalie***
Natalie let Dillion lead her down the path that led to the lake; they’d walked this way many times, so she knew where they were headed. But before they got to the lake, he turned onto another path, one that led away from the lake, and she looked over at him in surprise.
“Where are we going?” she asked, looking over her shoulder at the lake.
“You’ll see; this is my favorite spot on the grounds,” Dillion said, ducking as the path got tighter.
When they emerged from the trees, Natalie saw that they were on the other side of the lake. “Oh, it’s just as beautiful from this side,” she said, looking around at the draping weeping willow trees. “I feel like I’m in a fairy tale.”
Dillion pulled her under one of the huge trees, and down onto a bench hidden there. “I love to come here; only a few people know about this bench and sitting back here, no one can see you,” he said, his eyes on the water.
“Dillion,” she said, her voice a whisper, her heart pounding in her chest, the need to kiss him so powerful, she wasn’t sure she could stop herself.
She hadn’t planned to kiss him on the cheek earlier, it had just happened, but once it had, kissing him again had been on her mind. One little kiss couldn’t do that much damage, wouldn’t mean anything.
As if he’d read her mind, he turned and pulled her into his arms, making her breath come out in a whoosh. Before she could take a breath, his mouth was on hers in a hungry kiss that made her head spin and the world melt away.
His tongue invaded her mouth, demanding a response, which her body willingly gave him in the form of a sigh and a shudder. She wrapped her arms around his neck and opened her mouth further for him, as desire raced through her.
He pressed her up against him, his hard chest crushing her breasts and sending waves of pleasure rippling through her. She was tingling deep inside, desperate for his touch, when he slid one hand between them and cupped her breast through the thin fabric of her dress.
Her nipples hardened, and pleasure washed over her, but then a picture of the future swam into her mind. A picture of them together, a baby on her hip, him going off to a construction job; panic gripped her, and she pulled away.
Jumping to her feet, she said, “I’m sorry, Dillion, I shouldn’t have let you do that; this isn’t a good idea. I don’t… I can’t… I want…”
Shocked that she’d let things go so far, she ran for the trail, Dillion calling after her. She didn’t stop until she was back on the lawn, then she slowed to a fast walk, looking over her shoulder as if someone was pursuing her.
When she got to their suite, she rushed to her room, slammed the door shut and locked it, then collapsed onto the bed in tears. She wasn’t sure why she was crying, the kiss had been wonderful, and she wanted another one.
But then she understood why she was upset; she’d seen the future, and it wasn’t what she’d always dreamed of, wasn’t full of the allure and excitement she wanted. For the first time in a long time, she began to question her dreams and aspirations, but no matter how hard she tried, she just wasn’t ready to give up on them.
What she and Dillion shared was exciting and powerful, but with time, it would fade, and the last thing she wanted to do was find herself stuck in a relationship that held her back. She’d worked too hard to get to where she was to give it all up for a man.
Crawling into bed for a much-needed nap, she realized that she’d have to keep her distance, stay strong in her resolve, and hope that he didn’t try to kiss her again. It made her sad to think about what she might be missing, but there would be someone for her to love someday when the timing was right.
***Dillion***
Dillion paced over to the window once more and looked out at the grounds, which were lit up by lanterns hung from the trees. He turned and looked at Natalie’s door for what felt like the hundredth time, then paced across the room and back once more.
If she didn’t come out soon, he was going to have to knock on her door, and that wasn’t something he wanted to do just then. He’d gone too far with the kiss by the lake, but once she’d been in his arms, it had been impossible to stop. But he couldn’t just go off and leave her alone.
He was taking his first step towards Natalie’s door when it opened, and she stepped out. His breath froze in his lungs as a wave of desire rushed over him when he saw her standing in the half-light in the room. The dress she wore looked like it had been made for her; it clung to her body, accentuating every curve and valley, and the shimmery blue fabric almost looked alive.
“Oh, my God, you look beautiful,” he said before he could stop himself.
Natalie blushed and smiled at him. “You don’t look half bad yourself,” she said, stepping farther into the room.
Dillion knew he should say something about the kiss, apologize or something, but he couldn’t bring himself to speak. Finally, he held out his arm and asked, “Ready?”
Natalie nodded and took his arm; he could feel her trembling as they left the room and promised that he’d behave himself that night if it killed him. It wasn’t fair to her to keep pursuing something she didn’t want, even if it could be the best thing that had ever happened to him.
He wasn’t going to be that guy who didn’t listen, who took her dreams to fulfill his own. It was for the best, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to make the most of the night they had together, enjoy having her in his arms as they twirled around the dance floor.
When they walked into the ballroom, Dillion couldn’t help but laugh when Natalie gasped with appreciation. “Looks like a totally different place, doesn’t it?” he asked, smiling down at her.
“It’s wonderful,” she said, her eyes sparkling with pleasure.
He didn’t wait for them to be seated at their table. Instead, he swept her into his arms and onto the dance floor, determined to make the most of the night, even if it didn’t end the way he wanted it to. Once they were both breathless from dancing, he led them to their table and ordered a bottle of champagne.
Natalie looked at him wide-eyed. “I’ve never had champagne,” she said, then giggled.
“Back then, everyone drank it all the time; it wasn’t just for special occasions,” he said, then added, “but this is a special occasion.”
“It is?” Natalie asked, her eyes shining in the candlelight.
“It’s not every day that my date is the most beautiful woman in the room,” he said, then lifted her hand off the table and kissed the back of it.
Natalie sucked in a deep breath, and he could see the desire in her eyes; it awakened something inside him, something he’d been fighting since he met her. At that moment, he knew that no matter the risk, he had to have this woman, had to make her his.
He was done fighting, done denying what was between them; he wanted Natalie, and no matter how long it took, she’d be his someday. But he wasn’t going to rush her; it had to be her decision. He ignored the little voice screaming at him that she didn’t have all the information and promised himself that he’d tell her about his father soon.
Chapter Nine
***Natalie***
Natalie stood in the middle of her room wondering what she was doing there; any normal woman would have been with Dillion. It had been the night of her dreams, a night of romance and surprises, of dancing and laughing, and instead of ending it in his arms, she was alone in her room.
They’d spent most of their time on the dance floor, but when the clock struck midnight, the band had taken a break. She’d expected everyo
ne to return to their tables for another course of the fabulous food they’d been sampling all night, but to her surprise, two by two, couples began leaving the ballroom.
“Where are they going?” she asked when they got back to their table.
“It’s an old tradition that died out in the 1930s,” Dillion explained. Then with an innocent smile on his face, he asked, “Want to go check it out?”
Natalie shrugged her shoulders and said, “Why not?”
Dillion got up and pulled out her chair, then offered his arm to her, in a gallant gesture that made her heart go pitter patter inside her chest. She took his arm and together they walked out of the mansion and into the night.
But when they got outside, she saw that lanterns had been hung from the trees all over the grounds. It was a stunning sight and very romantic. “It’s beautiful,” she whispered.
They walked along one of the paths with the other couples, but then Natalie noticed them disappearing one by one into the trees. “Where are they all going?” she asked, still not understanding what was happening.
Dillion guided down a darker path. “What you have to remember is back in the 1920s it would have been inappropriate for an unmarried woman to be seen alone with a man,” he said, guiding her down another path.
“So, the mothers came up with this little ritual to give courting couples a few minutes alone,” he said, pulling her off the path and under a spreading willow tree. “It only lasts fifteen minutes, not enough time for anyone to get in trouble, but long enough for a few stolen kisses.”
She’d been so sure that he was going to kiss her then, his mouth was just inches from hers, but then they heard the band starting up, and he said, “That’s it; time to get back.”
Disappointment had radiated through her and lasted all the way back to the house. Even now, standing in her room, she felt the loss of that kiss and realized that she might be missing out on something that might not come around again. Just thinking about Dillion made her body tingle, and she’d begun to discover that he really wasn’t a bad guy.
Restoration (Wolves 0f Gypsum Creek Book 4) Page 5
