1001 Dark Nights Short Story Anthology 2020

by Fiona Archer

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  So Much More

  by

  Reina Torres

  Chapter One

  So Much More

  Honor Shimizu walked the final guest of the Children’s Arts Initiative Gala to the door with a broad smile. It wasn’t just because Lorena Middleton had written out a donation check with six lovely digits on it, it was also because she could finally relax.

  In public, she was always cognizant of her posture, the tone and volume of her voice, and the expression on her face. Everything that had been drilled into her from her childhood with tutors and yes, even charm school. Her father had always demanded that she focus on the way that others saw her and do everything she could to leave them with a favorable impression.

  Yet it never failed to shock her that sometimes the people who considered themselves the upper crust of society could take such pleasure in insulting others and putting them down. She’d heard the comments throughout the reception. The house looks like a mausoleum. Too spare. Blank walls. The furniture had all been brought in for the gala and many, too many of the guests, felt it was their right to judge.

  Honor had kept her mouth shut. It was all she could do in her position. Starting a major charitable foundation wasn’t for the faint of heart, but she’d been through worse. What mattered was the foundation, and if all of the guests wrote the checks they’d just promised to write, she could focus on her true passion in life: children and the arts.

  Besides, none of those people needed to know that if she had just said the word, Landry King would let her decorate the whole house… the entire mansion… to her heart’s content. He had never wavered in his desire to have her wear his ring, even though she’d turned him down every single time.

  As she moved through the ballroom, she paused to lean against a table and breathe in the scent of the floral arrangement in the center of the table. The arrangements were massive explosions of color and beauty, but she sought out one flower in particular. The sprays of tiny carnations weren’t the kind of flower that most people would pick out for a gift or an impressive arrangement. No, these flowers always seemed to be relegated to the status of fillers, the ubiquitous blossoms that added pops of color against greenery to bridge the gaps.

  But Honor loved them and never passed up an opportunity to tease her senses with their delicate clove-like scent and if sufficiently alone, she would always turn her cheek to feel the lace-like brush of their petals against her skin.

  “I thought I’d find you in here.”

  Startled, she turned around and smiled. It was always easy to smile with Landry around. “I was planning on being the last to leave.” She gestured at the nearly empty room. “The contract says that we’ll make sure the room and any public areas will be clean. Wouldn’t want to lose our security deposit.”

  God, she loved the way he laughed. Full voiced, head tipped back far enough that she could see the curve of his Adam’s apple, there was nothing in the world she liked more than to hear his laugh.

  Okay, maybe a few more things, but it wasn’t a good idea to dwell on the things she couldn’t have.

  The caterer stopped by to shake Landry’s hand and give Honor a tight squeeze of a hug.

  “Honor, you should go sit down somewhere and relax. My guys are almost done with the clean-up and I can stay while the rental company packs up the tables and chairs. You deserve a break.”

  Landry agreed. “You’ve been here all day setting up, and I barely saw you sit down during the event.”

  The caterer sighed. “I don’t blame you for standing, you look amazing in those heels.”

  Honor blushed just a bit and avoided Landry’s eyes. “It’s my favorite pair. At home I’m always barefoot, but at work and events high heels kill me.” She gathered part of her skirt in her hand and extended her foot out beyond the rising hem. “I have a dozen different pairs of these in slightly different styles, but I don’t go anywhere without a pair of kitten heels in my car.”

  A strange sound turned her head, but Honor couldn’t tell exactly what it was or where it had come from.

  Loosening the knot of his tie, Landry gave her a gentle smile. “Did you get a chance earlier to take a look at the gardens?”

  “Too busy earlier, but if you have some time now and don’t need to head home, I’d love to see them.”

  “Home?” The caterer looked between them with a slight pinch between her eyebrows. “Isn’t this your home, Mister King?”

  Landry handled the question well, like he did all things. People in the King family were always in front of a camera or in the public eye. With a half-smile, he nodded. “Eventually. I still need to come up with a style for the inside of the house and get some furnishings. This home needs the right hand and eye to decorate it. I’d make a mess of things if left on my own.”

  She poked him in the shoulder and tried her best to give him a stern look. “Hey, now… be nice to my friend. Or we’re going to have a talk.” Honor wanted to rescue him even though he looked completely at ease on the outside. He wasn’t the kind of man who liked talking about his personal life with most people, but she could count herself among the lucky few he could confide in, and she was going to do her best to protect him.

  Support him like he’d always done for her.

  “But right now,” she reminded him, “you were going to show me the gardens.”

  He could light up her world with a smile. Landry set his hand on her lower back as they began to walk, but a few steps away he leaned closer. “One second.”

  She didn’t ask him what he meant, she simply couldn’t. Her tongue was tied, and her back tingled where he’d touched her. As he moved back to the caterer, all she could do was stand there and will herself to keep breathing.

  Landry didn’t waste time or words, speaking to the caterer for just a brief moment before he turned back with a smile and a wave.

  “Was something wrong?”

  He laid his hand on her lower back again, and the sensation alone spurred her forward, the two of them easily falling into step with each other as they walked into the main hall of the historic home. Leaning closer, Landry spoke with an easy rhythm. “No, everything is great, now that I get you all to myself.”

  Her laugh echoed off the pristine white walls and the tiled mosaic floor. “Just the two of us, a catering crew, and a half-dozen movers. We’re practically alone.”

  Landry slowed to a stop before the double French doors and twisted the handle closest to her. “Actually, I sent them all home. I don’t want you to worry. I’ll take care of the rest of the clean-up tomorrow.”

  She wanted to argue, going so far as to nibble a bit on the inside of her cheek to fight off the very emotion he was trying to spare her from.

  “I know it’s hard to relax, Honor, but try. For me?”

  How could she say no?

  “Okay.” He held the door open and ushered her through and onto the back patio. There were only a few safety lights on at first, but it was very nearly dark, and it suited her. “You know”—she looked up at him as he stood beside her—“I remember coming with you to look at this house and the property. I know there’s a large amount of land surrounding the house, but it feels like we’re anywhere but the city. It feels like we’re the only people for miles.”

  “That’s what I like about it.” His tone was soft, almost a whisper. “I can come out here at night and think. I don’t have to worry about anyone intruding.”

  His hand shifted from its gentle touch against her lower back, sliding around to the far side of her body and settling on her hip.

  Close
r than he had been moments before, his breath warmed the shell of her ear. “You know you’re welcome anytime.”

  All she could do was breathe in and out again.

  Had she known that? Yes. He’d made that clear years before when they were in college and then again when she moved on to grad school while he went into his family’s businesses. At every moment of change in their lives, Landry reminded her that yes, he wanted her in his life.

  As more than a friend.

  And every time, she’d been loath to turn him down. Her education and then her degree program had been first in her life. Then work achievements and advancements, always striving for the next milestone.

  Heaven help her, she’d worried for years that he’d change his mind. The man had the patience of a saint, which was good, because she had always been more than a little uptight about relationships.

  Lord knows her father had taken away the joy of love. For as long as Honor could remember, he had made it very clear that her purpose on earth was to remind him that he had failed to produce a son. It was only a moment of clarity that had led her father to name her Honor, instead of Duty.

  Her goal, as she had always been informed, was to make up for the misfortune of her birth by capitulating to his plans.

  Honor had tried to make him happy, but she hadn’t blindly followed his dictates. No, she’d found a profession that she excelled in and one that had brought her recognition and financial independence, but in his eyes it wasn’t good enough. Instead of becoming a doctor, she had taken her affinity with computers and software to create a startup company that she sold for millions before her thirtieth birthday.

  Her father’s only comment when she’d told him the price? “That’s all?”

  The touch of Landry’s lips against her temple brought her back around. “Should I worry?”

  “Hmm?”

  “I finally have a moment alone with the most sought-after woman at the gala, and her mind is a million miles away. If I had an ego, I would be upset.”

  Honor leaned closer and felt his lips return to the same delicate spot of skin for another kiss. “You do have an ego, Landry.” She sighed and realized just how lucky she was that she had someone like him in her life even if it was only the tiniest sliver that she’d offered him. “But you’re not the kind of man who should be worried. You know I’ve always been too wrapped up in my career to do much more than disappoint you.”

  “Oh, no.” Turning her in his half-embrace, he started toward the short staircase off to their right. “You’ve never disappointed me.”

  Her incredulous look made him wince.

  “Okay, maybe the first two or three times I asked you to marry me. I had high hopes for those proposals.”

  Her laughter helped her relax as she took the last few steps down to the ground level. “Well, how was I supposed to think you were really serious? We’d been friends all of one semester and suddenly you were offering me your love and a future as Mrs. King. We hadn’t even had a date.”

  “But I understood why you said no.” He countered her words and gestured down a narrow lighted path. “You wanted to make a name for yourself first.”

  “It wasn’t just about a name, Landry.” She easily walked beside him and the dark stretches between the security lights lit up ahead of them. “I wanted an identity of my own that goes beyond a name or a job title. And”—another light blinked on and changed the course of her thoughts—“you’ve heard some of this before. We’ve had this talk a few times.”

  And he had the decency not to tell her that it was more than a few.

  Landry King was a prince among men, and she knew she didn’t thank him enough.

  “And you know that I’ve always believed in you.” His hand trailed up her back and ghosted over the lace that shimmered against her skin, just shy of the button closures. “When you doubted your abilities or your drive to accomplish your goals, I was there at your side. You and I, Honor, we’ve never been like any other couple that I’ve known. We’re a little-”

  “Strange?” She offered the suggestion when he paused to think. “Weird? Just plain odd?”

  She felt his fingers reach the neckline of her dress where it crossed her spine and instead of cringing at the touch, she leaned into it, trying to prolong the moment.

  “We just are, Honor. You’re always there to remind me that I’m more than my father’s son. You praise me when I need it, and when I struggle, you’re there to hold me up. Equals. You and I are equals, Honor, and I don’t want you to forget it.”

  They stood there at the crossroads of two paths, with his fingers against her skin and the warmth of his body making the night feel almost like the day. She had to find a topic to distract herself from what she wanted to say, she just wasn’t sure it was the right time.

  “Are you sure?” she continued quickly, trying to drive the conversation away from the building need inside of her. “Maybe we should go back and have the staff finish with the clean-up tonight.”

  Landry stepped forward and faced her in the soft lantern light. “Are you trying to run away from me, Honor? You don’t need to.”

  She might just need to do that to keep her sanity.

  “I’m not running…” She let the word trail off and held on to the fact that she wasn’t quite lying to him. “I just don’t want to cause any problems for you. When I signed the contract to use the house for the gala, your attorney made it very clear that the site was to be returned to its original state before the staff left the property.”

  “Honor, you know that’s just in the contract because my lawyer put it in there. If you left this place a mess, it wouldn’t matter to me in the least. I’d pay someone to come in and clean it up.”

  “Oh, no. I wouldn’t take advantage of you like that.” She shook her head. “After all, who else would let me rent out a space for my event for a dollar? Let alone a mansion like this.”

  “It’s not a big deal. After all, there’s hardly any furniture in there.” She started to speak, but Landry waved her off. “You think I didn’t hear the grumblings? Too many people in this world make it all about the creature comforts and comparing themselves to others. I’m actually happy some people had their fun tonight, maybe it made them more generous with their donations.”

  “I can’t exactly credit why they gave”—she felt a warm flood of pride rising up inside of her—“but they were generous. Very generous. More than I hoped, actually, with more donations promised in the future. If that happens, I’ll have more than enough to fund the programs I had planned and enough to do some joint projects that were on my wish list. I can’t wait to get started.”

  “And I hope you’ll find some time to enjoy the arts programs yourself.” His voice was decadent and soft in her ears. “Art has always been your passion, and I think if you’re going to share that love with the children, you’re going to have to show them what it means to you. Show them how rewarding it can be to express your soul with others. Like this garden.” He turned his head toward the yard at the back of the house. The moonlight and lanterns gave her a hint of the beauty that was waiting out of sight. “Part of the reason I sent everyone home was so I could bring you out here to enjoy the garden you designed.”

  “I didn’t.” She shook her head and tried to find her footing again in the face of his intoxicating presence. “I just made a few sketches while you were talking to the real estate agent.”

  He smiled, she could tell that much from the soft light of a nearby lantern, and found herself thankful that she couldn’t read the depths of his eyes. “A few sketches that I kept and looked at for days on end until I realized that what you saw in all of this empty space was exactly what it should be. Old World beauty mixed in with a fresh and open outlook. I called one of the people from your list and they took on the project as soon as they heard your name. They promised to keep it a secret until tomorrow, but I expect you’re going to hear from them in the morning, and they might stop by with a gift to thank
you for the referral.”

  Her heart stuttered in her chest. Thrilled for her friends, Honor would never expect anything in return “They don’t need to,” she insisted. “Talented people should work and receive the recognition they deserve.”

  It took a moment for her to notice the silence that fell between them, and when she did, she reached down and took his hand in hers. A scent in the air turned her head, and she drew Landry along with her as she went in search of the flowers she knew were hiding in the shadows.

  As they walked, he smoothed his thumb over the back of her hand. The gentle touch sent tendrils of heat along her skin, and the sound of his soft exhaled breath made her realize just how alone they were in that moment and how close they were to each other.

  “You don’t realize that you’re talking about yourself, do you?”

  Startled, she met his gaze with a curious look. “What do you mean?”

  “People getting the recognition they deserve? That’s what I’m saying, Honor. You have no qualms about giving the stage to others. You make it possible for others to find success, but when they try to give you the same recognition, you shy away from it.”

  She opened her mouth to demure.

  Or to argue.

  And then couldn’t figure out what to say beyond her usual deflection.

  “It’s not about me, Landry.”

  “It is about you.” He shook his head, and all she could do was stare. Landry King was a handsome man, but there were times when she could only describe him as beautiful. The way his eyes seemed to take her in, in one glance, but move over her features slowly, a languid perusal of her face. The way his smile made her feel attractive. He made her feel protected and treasured, and yet his belief in her made her feel a little wild inside, anxious, and yes, hungry.

  “You fuss about how I don’t give myself enough credit for what I do, and you don’t either, but that’s why I wanted you to come here tonight.” He reached into his pocket and pulled something out.