by James, E L
“Princeton?” Kate squeaks, surprised.
“Yep. He’s a bright boy.” I shrug.
“Not that bright. He got caught,” Elliot observes wryly.
“But surely he can’t have pulled this stunt alone?” Kate asks.
Christ, she’s irritating. This is none of her damned business. “We don’t know yet,” I growl, trying to keep a rein on my temper. Ana looks up at me in alarm. I squeeze her hand to reassure her as we sail into the air. She leans in to me.
“How old is he?” she whispers, so neither Kate or Elliot hear us.
“Thirty-two. Why?”
“Curious, that’s all.”
“Don’t be curious about Hyde. I’m just glad the fucker’s locked up.”
“Do you think he’s working with someone?” She sounds anxious.
“I don’t know.”
“Maybe someone who has a grudge against you? Like Elena?”
For fuck’s sake, Ana. I check that Kate and Elliot aren’t listening, but they’re deep in their own conversation. “You do like to demonize her, don’t you?” I mutter. “She may hold a grudge, but she wouldn’t do this kind of thing. Let’s not discuss her. I know she’s not your favorite topic of conversation.”
“Have you confronted her?”
“Ana, I haven’t spoken to her since my birthday party.” Well, I haven’t spoken to her in person. “Please, drop it. I don’t want to talk about her.” I kiss her knuckles.
“Get a room,” Elliot interrupts my thoughts. “Oh, right—you already have, but you didn’t need it for long.”
“Fuck off, Elliot.”
“Dude, just telling you how it is.” Elliot looks so pleased with himself.
“Like you’d know,” I retort.
“You married your first girlfriend.” Elliot gestures to Ana.
“Can you blame me?” I kiss Ana’s hand again, and give her a smile.
“No.” Elliot laughs and shakes his head.
Kate slaps Elliot’s thigh. “Stop being an ass.”
“Listen to your girlfriend.” Maybe Kavanagh can keep him in line. She scowls at Elliot while Stephan announces our altitude and flight time, and tells us we’re free to move around the cabin.
Natalia appears from the galley. “May I offer anyone coffee?”
When the Gulfstream pulls to a stop at Aspen Pitkin airport, Taylor is off the plane first.
“Good landing.” I shake Stephan’s hand as the rest of our guests prepare to disembark.
“It’s all about the density altitude, sir. Beighley here is good at math.”
“You nailed it, Beighley. Smooth landing.”
“Thank you, sir.” Her grin is rightly smug.
“Enjoy your weekend, Mr. Grey, Mrs. Grey. We’ll see you tomorrow.” Stephan steps aside to let us deplane, and we descend the aircraft steps to where Taylor is waiting with our ride.
“Minivan?” I raise a brow. With an apologetic smile, he slides open the door. “Last minute, I know,” I offer. I turn to Ana. “Want to make out in the back of the van?”
She giggles.
“Come on, you two. Get in,” Mia nags from behind us. We climb on board, scrambling to the backseat, where we sit down. I put my arm around Ana as she cuddles into me.
“Comfortable?”
“Yes.” Ana smiles and I kiss her forehead, delighted that we’re here together. I’ve been on trips like this before, with my parents, to their place in Montana, and with Mia and Elliot when they’ve included their friends. But I’ve always gone solo.
This is another first.
As a teenager I didn’t have friends, and as an adult I’ve been too busy and too solitary to enjoy this kind of outing.
And I still don’t have many friends.
Once Elliot and Taylor have loaded the luggage, we set off toward town. As I enjoy the scenery, my thoughts drift to our house on Red Mountain. I wonder if Ana will like it.
I hope so. I love it here.
Aspen in late summer is as green as Seattle, more so at this time of year. It’s what I love about the place. The grass in the pastures is lush and tall and the mountains are smothered in forests in full leaf. Today, the sun is high in the sky, though there are dark clouds on the horizon toward the west. I hope that’s not an omen.
Ethan turns in his seat to face us. “Have you been to Aspen before, Ana?”
“No, first time. You?”
“Kate and I used to come here a lot when we were teens. Dad’s a keen skier. Mom less so.”
“I’m hoping my husband will teach me how to ski.” She peers at me.
“Don’t bet on it,” I mutter.
“I won’t be that bad!”
“You might break your neck.” A shiver runs down my spine.
“How long have you had this place?” she asks.
“Nearly two years. It’s yours now, too, Mrs. Grey.”
“I know,” she whispers, and kisses my jaw before settling in to my side once more.
Ethan asks me which are my favorite slopes, and I run through them. I’m not as fearless as Elliot, though. He could ski downhill, backward, with his eyes closed, anywhere.
“I can ski, too,” Mia pipes up, glaring at Ethan. He smiles indulgently at her and I wonder how her campaign to capture his heart—or his dick—is going. He says she’s not his type, but the way she’s making eyes at him, he’s definitely hers.
“Why did you choose Aspen?” Ana asks me as we cruise down Main Street.
“What?”
“To buy a place.”
“Mom and Dad used to bring us here when we were kids. I learned to ski here, and I like the place. I hope you do, too—otherwise, we’ll sell the house and choose somewhere else.” I tuck a loose strand of her hair behind her ear. “You look lovely today.” She blushes prettily and I cannot resist kissing her.
The traffic is fairly light, and Taylor reaches the center of town in good time. He turns north on Mill Street and we cross the Roaring Fork River and head up on Red Mountain. Taylor steers around the bend at the ridge and I inhale sharply.
“What’s wrong?” Ana asks.
“I hope you like it,” I answer. “We’re here.” Taylor parks in the driveway and Ana turns to look at the house, while our guests pile out of the van. When she turns back to me, her eyes are luminous with excitement. “Home,” I mouth.
“Looks good.”
“Come. See.” I grab her hand, anxious to show her around.
Mia has dashed ahead, into the arms of Carmella Bentley.
“Who’s that?” Ana asks of the slight figure in the doorway who’s welcoming our guests.
“Mrs. Bentley. She lives here with her husband. They look after the place.”
Mia introduces Ethan and Kate to Mrs. Bentley, while Elliot gives her a hug.
“Welcome back, Mr. Grey.” Carmella smiles.
“Carmella, this is my wife, Anastasia.”
“Mrs. Grey.”
Ana beams at her as they shake hands.
“I hope you’ve had a pleasant flight. The weather is supposed to be fine all weekend, though I’m not sure.” She eyes the darkening gray clouds behind us. “Lunch is ready whenever you want,” she says with a warm welcome.
I think she approves of my wife.
“Here.” I grab Ana and swing her into my arms.
“What are you doing?” she squeals.
“Carrying you over yet another threshold.”
Everyone stands aside as I carry my wife into the wide hallway where I give her a swift kiss and set her onto the hardwood floor.
Behind us, Mia grabs Ethan’s hand and drags him toward the stairs.
Where the hell is she going?
Kate whistles loudly. “Nice place.”
“Tour?” I as
k Ana.
“Sure.” She offers me a brief smile.
I take her hand, excited to show her around and guide her through a whistle-stop tour of her vacation home: kitchen, sitting room, dining area, nook, downstairs den complete with bar and billiard table. Ana blushes at the sight of it. “Fancy a game?” I ask with a husky timbre to my voice.
I thoroughly enjoyed the last game we played.
She shakes her head.
“Through there is a home office, and Mr. and Mrs. Bentley’s rooms.”
She nods, distracted.
Maybe she doesn’t like the place.
I find the thought depressing.
Feeling a little deflated, I take her up to the second floor, where there are four guest bedrooms and the master suite. The view from the picture window in the master bedroom is stunning and the reason I bought the house. Ana wanders in and stares out at the scenery. “That’s Ajax Mountain, or Aspen Mountain, if you like,” I inform her from the doorway.
She nods.
“You’re very quiet.” My voice is tentative.
“It’s lovely, Christian.” Her gaze is wide-eyed and wary. Striding over to her, I tug her chin, freeing her lip from her teeth.
“What is it?” I ask, searching her eyes for a clue.
“You’re very rich.”
Is that all?
I temper my relief. “Yes.” I’m reminded of how quiet she was when I first took her to Escala; that’s where I’ve seen her like this before.
“Sometimes it just takes me by surprise how wealthy you are.”
“We are,” I remind her, yet again.
“We are,” she breathes, her eyes widening further.
“Don’t stress about this, Ana, please. It’s just a house.”
“And what did Gia do here, exactly?”
“Gia?”
“Yes. She remodeled this place?” Ana asks.
“She did. She designed the den downstairs. Elliot did the build.” I rake my hand through my hair, wondering where she is going with this. “Why are we talking about Gia?”
“Did you know she had a fling with Elliot?”
I pause for a second, wondering what I should tell her. She knows nothing of Elliot’s dissolute habits. I sigh. “Elliot’s fucked most of Seattle, Ana.”
She gasps.
“Mainly women, I understand.” I shrug and hide my amusement at her shocked expression.
“No!”
“It’s none of my business.” I hold up my palms; I don’t really want to discuss this.
“I don’t think Kate knows,” Ana squeaks, appalled.
“I’m not sure he broadcasts that information. Kate seems to be holding her own.” He’s discreet, so that’s a plus. Her eyes are on mine, and I’m trying to work out what she’s thinking. “This can’t just be about Gia’s or Elliot’s promiscuity,” I whisper.
“I know. I’m sorry. After all that’s happened this week, it’s just…” She lifts her shoulder as tears well in her eyes.
No. Ana. Don’t cry. I fold her into my embrace. “I know,” I murmur into her hair. “I’m sorry, too. Let’s relax and enjoy ourselves, okay? You can stay here and read, watch godawful TV, shop, go hiking—fishing, even. Whatever you want to do. And forget what I said about Elliot. That was indiscreet of me.”
“Goes some way to explain why he’s always teasing you,” she says, her cheek against my chest.
“He really has no idea about my past. I told you, my family assumed I was gay. Celibate, but gay.”
She giggles. “I thought you were celibate. How wrong I was.” She draws me closer, and I sense her smile.
“Mrs. Grey, are you smirking at me?”
“Maybe a little. You know what I don’t understand is why you have this place.”
“What do you mean?” I kiss her hair.
“You have the boat, which I get, you have the place in New York for business—but why here? It’s not like you shared it with anyone.”
“I was waiting for you.”
“That’s…that’s such a lovely thing to say,” she whispers; bright blue eyes meet mine.
“It’s true. I didn’t know it at the time.”
“I’m glad you waited.”
“You are worth waiting for, Mrs. Grey.” I run my finger beneath her jaw, tip her lips toward mine, and kiss her.
“So are you.” She smiles. “Though I feel like I cheated. I didn’t have to wait long for you at all.”
I grin in disbelief. “Am I that much of a prize?”
“Christian, you are the state lottery, the cure for cancer, and the three wishes from Aladdin’s lamp all rolled into one.”
What? Even after yesterday?
I still, trying to wrap my head around her compliment.
“When will you realize this?” She semi-scowls at me. “You were a very eligible bachelor. And I don’t mean all this.” She waves an arm at the view. “I mean in here.” She rests her hand on my heart while I flounder for something to say. “Believe me, Christian, please.” Holding my face, she brings my lips to hers, and we’re soon lost in a healing, searing kiss, her tongue sparring with mine.
I want to christen the bed.
But we can’t. Not yet.
I pull away, my eyes burning into hers, knowing how strong she is and how much she could wound me if she chose to…by leaving.
Don’t go there, Grey.
“When are you going to get it through your exceptionally thick skull that I love you?”
I swallow. “One day.”
Her smile is heartwarming—lighting me up on the inside. “Come.” I’m uncomfortable with our conversation. “Let’s have some lunch—the others will be wondering where we are. We can discuss what we all want to do.”
During the impressive meal that Mrs. Bentley has laid out for us, we decide on an afternoon walk. But as we finish up, the room darkens. “Oh no!” Kate says suddenly. “Look.” Outside, the threatened rain has arrived.
“There goes our hike,” Elliot says, but he sounds relieved.
“We could go into town,” Mia says.
“Perfect weather for fishing,” I suggest.
“I’ll go fish,” Ethan says.
“Let’s split up.” Mia claps her hands. “Girls, shopping—boys, outdoor boring stuff.”
“Ana, what do you want to do?” I ask.
“I don’t mind,” she says. “But I’m more than happy to go shopping.” She smiles at Kate and Mia.
She hates shopping.
“I can stay here with you, if you’d like,” I offer, thinking again about how we could christen the bed.
“No, you go fish,” she says, but she gives me a scorching look, her eyes smoky, making me think she’d prefer to stay home.
With me. I feel ten feet tall.
“Sounds like a plan.” Kate rises from the table.
“Taylor will accompany you,” I announce. He’ll keep Ana safe.
“We don’t need babysitting,” Kate huffs, her irritation obvious.
Ana puts her hand on her arm. “Kate, Taylor should come.”
Listen to my wife. This is not up for discussion. That woman makes my hackles rise; I don’t know what my brother sees in her.
Elliot frowns. “I need to pick up a battery for my watch in town.”
Today? Can’t he do that at home?
“Take the Audi, Elliot. When you come back we can go fishing.”
“Yeah.” His voice wavers. “Good plan.”
What’s up with him?
Taylor maneuvers the minivan carrying Ana and Co. out of the driveway and sets off toward town. I hand Mrs. Bentley’s Audi keys to Elliot. He’s told me and Ethan to go ahead without him. “We’ll be on the Roaring Fork. Usual place, I think,” I say.
&nb
sp; As he takes the keys, his expression is odd, like he’s about to face a firing squad. “Thanks, bro,” he mutters.
I frown. “You okay?”
He swallows. “I’m going to do it.”
“What?”
“A ring.”
“Ring?”
“I’m going to buy a ring. I think it’s time.”
Shit. “You’re going to ask Kate to marry you?”
He nods.
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah. She’s the one.”
I think my mouth drops open. Kavanagh?
“Hey, hotshot, marital bliss seems to be working for you.” He grins, recovering his usual devil-may-care demeanor in an instant. “You’re gonna catch flies with that mouth open, dude. Go catch some fish instead.” He laughs as I shut my mouth, and dumbfounded, I watch him climb into the A4 wagon.
Hot damn. He’s going to marry Kavanagh. That woman will be a thorn in my side forever. Maybe she’ll say no. But as I watch him reverse out of the driveway, something tells me she won’t. With a brisk wave, he’s gone. I shake my head. Elliot Grey, I hope to God you know what you’re doing.
Ethan is in the mudroom, checking out the line of fishing rods. “Float or fly?” I ask him.
“Let’s wade. We’ll be wet anyway, with this rain,” Ethan replies with a grin.
“The gear’s there.” I point to one of the cupboards. “I’m going to get changed. You can wear what you like from whatever’s in there.”
“Cool.” Ethan opens the cupboard and pulls out a pair of waders.
We load our backpacks and our fishing gear into my pickup and I reverse out of the garage and head down the mountain; even in the rain, the scenery is inspiring. Our first stop is the local angling store, where I purchase our fishing licenses. From there we drive to one of my favorite spots on the Roaring Fork River.
“You fished around here before?” I ask Ethan as we make our way to the bank.
“Here, no. But around the Yakima. My dad’s a big fan.”
“He is?” Now, there’s another reason to like Eamon Kavanagh.
