Walk on the Wild Side

by Donna Kauffman

  He’d already known it. Had heard it in her voice, but didn’t want to believe it. He wondered if she knew it, if she’d admitted to herself that this was where she belonged. Not in some sweaty kitchen swearing in cultured Italian, or tucked away in a small apartment in the city with a restaurant owner. No. She belonged right here.

  He, on the other hand, did not.

  Nick made certain the cleanup crew had arrived and been briefed, made last-minute checks on the wine and champagne count, then went out the service entry of Haddon Hall. He wouldn’t be back.

  SUNNY finally maneuvered her way from the ballroom on the pretense of checking some problem or other, then ducked into the service entrance to the kitchen. She’d only glimpsed Nick tonight. She’d hoped to have at least a few words with him. Tonight had gone far better than she expected. She’d managed to finagle some last-minute concessions from the Madison CEO, and she’d made damn sure he agreed to a Saturday morning meeting so she could get it in writing. She hurried down the hall into the kitchen, a wide grin she’d been keeping to herself finally plastering itself all over her face. She’d done it!

  Edwin would be so proud. Her smile twisted. Okay, so he’d at least be relieved she hadn’t screwed things up. She was eager to share her first major corporate victory with the person who mattered most to her.

  The swinging door swished shut behind her. “Can you tell me where Nick D’Angelo is, please?” she asked the first person she saw. It must have been a new hire for the night, because she didn’t recognize him.

  “I’m sorry miss, but he’s left for the night. Let me get Louis for you.”

  She froze, her smile gone in a flash.

  “Miss?”

  She snapped out of her momentary shock and looked at the waiter. “No, it’s not important.”

  She turned and went out the door. Not important? Like hell it wasn’t.

  She walked slowly toward the ballroom. The evening was winding down, and she needed to get in there to say good-night to her guests as they departed. Frances was there, but Sunny’s absence would be noticed, and she couldn’t afford to do anything to jeopardize the victories she’d secured tonight. She’d only wanted to see if Nick would meet her later.

  Why had he left without even trying to see her? Had something come up at the restaurant? This late at night, she doubted it. Maybe he’d thought her too busy to see him. There was a twinge of guilt there. She’d had hardly any time these past weeks, but with the merger now nearly complete, that was all about to change.

  She’d made several major decisions of her own.

  She entered the ballroom, terrified that she’d let her relationship with Nick slip through her hands when she’d been up to her ears in work.

  And yet, three days and three times as many unreturned phone calls later, she was very much afraid that she had.

  16

  NICK FOLLOWED Vincent into the sitting room at Haddon Hall. Quite a different path than the one he’d exited three days ago. Looking at the antiques and works of art placed just so along the main hallway, he thought his nieces and nephews could cost the Chandlers a fortune in just one visit. Not that this would ever come to pass.

  He hadn’t intended on coming here again. He was only here because Bennie had left an urgent message saying Frances Chandler or her assistant—he hadn’t been completely clear on which—had wanted to see him about some other catering arrangements for some of their gala guests. Nick couldn’t believe that Sunny’s crowd had suddenly flipped for Italian cuisine, but stranger things had happened. And even if he and Sunny hadn’t been able to make a go of it, he was enough of a businessman not to walk away from the possibility of obtaining some new clients.

  He only hoped Frances didn’t bring up Sunny during their meeting. Nick was well aware Sunny had called a number of times, but he still hadn’t figured out what to say to her. Certainly she’d recognized by now that their lives wouldn’t mesh. Still, Nick needed to see her and talk to her about…everything. And he would.

  Just as soon as he could do it without crawling to her on his hands and knees and begging her to come back to him.

  At least she’d be at work at this hour, so he wouldn’t end up running into her.

  Vincent showed him into a room that was grand even by presidential standards. Hell, royal standards. He declined the seat he was offered.

  “Can I get you a drink, sir?”

  “No, thanks.”

  “Ms. Chandler won’t be long.”

  Nick nodded, then scanned the room after Vincent departed. He’d hardly had time to give more than a cursory glance at the furnishings when the door opened again.

  “Grandmother, I don’t see why we couldn’t have—Oh. It’s you.”

  Nick’s heart shot into a triple-time beat, and he spun around. His ears hadn’t played a trick on him. “Sunny.”

  She had paused inside the doorway. Wearing a deep blue business suit and with her hair elegantly swept up, she appeared the consummate young professional, cool and entirely capable of handling a boardroom full of stuffed suits twice her age. She looked like Edwin Chandler’s granddaughter.

  Not Nick D’Angelo’s lover. Much less his wife.

  He rubbed his damp fingers against his trousers. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”

  She looked just as shell-shocked as he felt. “My grandmother called and asked for a meeting. She said it was urgent.”

  “I was told that she wanted to see me about something to do with the gala last week.”

  They both fell silent. Nick mentally cursed the awkwardness that sprang up between them. “Sunny—”

  “Nick—”

  Nick continued when she didn’t. “I need to apologize to you.”

  She lifted her eyebrow, and he didn’t know whether to smile or cry. Damn, but he missed her.

  “For?”

  “Not returning your calls.” He couldn’t remain still a second longer. He paced to the window, then back. “Do you have a few minutes now?”

  She shut the door behind her. “Assuming my grandmother will arrive shortly, I guess we have a minute or so.”

  She was all Chandler, polite and formal without being rude. He hated it. “I think I’d feel better if you yelled or screamed or…something.”

  “Believe me, I’ve thought about it.” Her mouth quirked into the tiniest of smiles.

  It only made his heart ache worse. He took a step toward her, then thought better of it when something very close to pain darted across her face. He’d screwed things up even worse than he thought.

  “I wasn’t intending to hurt you. I just…I just didn’t know what to say.”

  “Why don’t you start with why you couldn’t talk to me? Why did you leave without seeing me the other night?”

  “Because you belong here. A blind man could see that you’re in your element, that you thrive on this. And it’s not family obligation. It’s in your blood, truly and completely. You said you didn’t know what you would feel passionately about in life. Well, I think it’s obvious you’ve found it.”

  “You’re right. I have.”

  He knew it. And yet the dagger of pain that pierced him in the heart on hearing her say it felt raw and unexpected. “Yeah. Well. What else is there to say, then?”

  All pretense of polite decorum fled. “Gee, I don’t know. I thought there was a lot left to say. Because I’ve found a job I enjoy that’s not in the neighborhood, that means we have nothing left to say to one another? I guess I thought better of you. I thought you understood.”

  “I do understand. I understand that our passions are taking us in opposite directions.”

  “How?” She lifted a hand. “I know I haven’t had much time, but neither have you. It doesn’t mean I don’t want to be with you. I’d spend every spare second with you if I could.”

  “That’s just it, there weren’t very many seconds. That’s no way to have a relationship.”

  “I know. I figured that out, too. And if you hadn�
��t left here the other night, I would have told you about the decisions I’d made to help us find a way to make it work.”

  Nick’s pulse raced. “What decisions?”

  “Now that the merger is a done deal, I’ve told my grandfather I’m not ready to take over for him, nor should I at this point. He has very capable people working for him who are in a far better position to run the company than I am.”

  “But—”

  “Let me finish. Do I want to work for him? Absolutely. You’re right, I do love it. But I don’t love this.” She gestured toward the room. “I don’t have to choose this just because I choose to work for Chandler Enterprises.”

  Nick’s heart was pounding so loudly in his ears he couldn’t absorb all of what she was saying. Hope was building, but he was afraid to allow himself to believe in it again.

  “If you’d taken even one of my phone calls, I could have explained all that to you. But no, you take one look at me in a designer gown and decide I’m too good for you. Well, maybe I am, Nick D’Angelo, but it has nothing to do with my address, my bank account or my gene pool.”

  “Sunny, I—

  But she was on a roll and stormed right over him.

  “I deserved better, Nick. I deserved to be trusted. I deserved to be involved in decisions that will affect the rest of my life and I resent that you went and decided all on your own what was best for me. For us.”

  “It wasn’t about your gene pool, Sunny,” he said softly once she’d finished. There was a fire in her eyes, a passion. Once upon a time that passion had been for him. How had he messed things up so badly? “I honestly thought you did deserve better than me.”

  “Why?” The fire had left her voice, but not her eyes.

  “You belong here. I don’t think I do. I just didn’t see how we could mix it together and make it work.”

  “And you wouldn’t even let me try?”

  “It’s been almost four weeks and I can’t even see you to try.” He lifted his hands. “I know about the merger and why you’ve been so busy. I didn’t even get to tell you how damn proud I am of you.”

  Her eyes were a little glassy. “You were?”

  “I don’t resent you loving your life, your work. I want you to be happy. I want you to find the thing that gives you as much satisfaction as running the restaurant gives to me.”

  “Then why did you leave?”

  “Because I wouldn’t make you choose. And I believed you’d feel you had to. After a lifetime of being told who you are, you finally found yourself. I didn’t think it was right or fair to push. I thought that loving you meant that letting you go was the right thing to do.”

  “Wait a minute. What did you just say?” She stepped closer.

  “I love you, Sunny.” He tentatively reached out and brushed a finger down the side of her face. “Your skin is just the finest damn thing I’ve ever felt,” he said, his voice shuddering with emotion. “I want you to be happy. You have spent so much of your life pleasing everyone else. You deserve to have what makes you happy now.”

  She reached out and pushed his hair off his forehead. “And if what makes me happy is you?”

  He was shaking. His entire body. With need, restraint, fear, hope. “Then please, dear God, take it. Take me.”

  “I love you, too, Nick.”

  Nothing had ever felt so important, so huge. “I really wanted to talk all this out, and I still do, but I think if I can’t take you in my arms right now and kiss you, I’m going to fall apart.”

  Grinning, Sunny grabbed his arms. It was only when he felt her hands on him that he realized she was trembling as much as he was. “Take me, Nick.”

  And he did. He thought his need would make the kiss blindingly ferocious and deep. So it was somewhat startling when he found himself taking her mouth almost reverently, like something to be cherished. And he did cherish her. All of her. She was so special, so real. So his.

  And she kissed him the same way. He’d never been made to feel special, cherished. The kiss deepened, tapping into that fierce well of need they both had.

  She was so completely tangled in his arms, and he in hers, that they didn’t hear the door open. Nor did they hear Vincent clear his throat. The first thing either of them heard was Mama Bennie’s loud, “Thank the Lord.”

  They broke their kiss but not their embrace. In fact, Nick didn’t think he’d be letting go of her now or anytime in the near future. His heart swelled with excitement, and his grin was just as huge.

  “Mama Bennie, what are you doing here?”

  “Visiting my new friend.” She turned and motioned behind her. “Franny? Come on in, they’re decent.”

  Frances Chandler entered the room.

  Sunny and Nick stood there, wrapped in each other’s arms, struck silent in shock.

  “Franny?” Nick said.

  “Grandmother?” Sunny said.

  17

  FRANCES SMILED faintly at Bennie, then motioned to the cluster of furniture in the center of the room. “Why don’t we all take a seat?”

  Nick took Sunny’s hand and she clung to it as they all sat, Bennie and Frances in high-backed chairs, Sunny and Nick on the damask-covered couch.

  No one spoke. Nick hadn’t a clue what to say, and a covert glance at Sunny told him neither did she.

  “You might wonder why I called both of you here today,” Frances began.

  “It was my idea,” Bennie added, beaming lovingly at them. She leaned forward and covered their clasped hands. “And I’m so glad I did.” Her eyes twinkled as she looked at Frances. She covered her hand, as well. “I knew if I just spoke to your grandmother, we’d find a way to make this all work out.”

  “Why did you think you needed to do anything?” she said to her grandmother. “I never even mentioned Nick to you.”

  “I’m aware of that.” Frances said it with no hint of anything other than a polite commentary, but there was no doubt of her hurt.

  Abashed, Sunny, said, “I knew you had enough to deal with and I just didn’t think—”

  “You didn’t think I’d approve.”

  Sunny’s cheeks went pink. “I…well…”

  Frances’s expression softened slightly, and her shoulders rounded. “Susan, I’m aware that I’ve never encouraged confidences of yours. But I had hoped you’d have enough of a conviction in the man you loved to tell us when the time came.”

  Sunny sat up straighter, bristling. “I’m not ashamed of Nick. Why would I have hired him to handle the gala if I didn’t think the world of him?”

  “I’m not talking about his business acumen. I’m quite well aware of his abilities in that regard. We have a waiting list of people eager to reserve him for their upcoming functions.”

  “Wait a minute.” Nick broke in. “I am in the room, here.” But no one was listening.

  “You do?” Sunny said to Frances.

  Nick turned to her. “Is that so unbelievable?”

  “Of course not.” She threw her arms around him and hugged him. “That’s wonderful!”

  “Now, see?” Bennie said. She turned to Frances. “I told you this would all work out.” She patted Frances’s knee. “Now go ahead, tell them the rest of it.”

  Sunny still held Nick’s hand, but her attention was riveted on her grandmother. “The rest of what?” Her heart was so full of love and hope, and yet suddenly she was filled with apprehension. “Is it about Grandfather?”

  “In a way,” Frances said. When she saw the fear in her granddaughter’s expression, she quickly added, “He’s resting comfortably upstairs. He’s not in any danger.”

  Sunny pressed her hand to her chest. “Oh, thank goodness.” Nick squeezed her hand, and she smiled at him. It reminded her of other things she still had to do. And no time would be better than now. “Grandmother, I have to talk to you. I want my own life in addition to working for Chandler Enterprises. I’ve already spoken to Grandfather and he’s giving me a hard time. So I spoke to Cambridge and set the wheels i
nto motion anyway. I’m firm about this decision—”

  “My dear, please. I know. Cambridge still reports to your grandfather. We’re well aware of your decision to scale back your duties at Chandler Enterprises.”

  “You are? And Grandfather, what did he say?”

  Bennie broke in again. “We can discuss business later. You’re not putting it off again, Franny.”

  That was the second time she’d called her that. And her grandmother didn’t even flinch! “How did you two say you met again?”

  “I ran into Franny that day I was here talking with you about the catering. She was coming in as I was getting ready to leave after speaking to Mary Anne.” She smiled fondly at Frances, who looked only marginally uncomfortable with the sudden focus. That she allowed even that much to show was remarkable. “We had a nice chat about the both of you.”

  “You did?” This from Nick and Sunny.

  “Yes,” Frances said. “We did. Bennie and I have found we share some common ground. And after talking, we both agreed that you two should be together.”

  “You did?” Again, they spoke at the same time.

  Frances frowned at their outburst, but Sunny’s grin would not be restrained.

  “Franny understands all about choosing family honor over love.”

  Sunny’s smile faltered. She looked at her grandmother, and for the first time thought about what she might have been like as a young woman, filled with the same hopes and dreams Sunny had. “I always thought you’d chosen Grandfather and life as a Chandler because you wanted it.”

  “My family did a great deal for me, but they also expected a great deal of me. Marrying Edwin was in everyone’s best interests.”

  “You mean…you didn’t love him?” Why this shocked her she had no idea. They’d certainly never been anyone’s idea of a love match, not in the overt sense, anyway. “But you’ve done everything for him.”

  “I did it for both of us. I believe it’s fair to say the rewards we’ve reaped have far exceeded our expectations. Don’t misunderstand me, Susan. I have a great deal of respect for your grandfather, as he does for me.”