Читать книгу The Billionaire's New Year Gift - Emma Darcy - Страница 19

Alex decided to go for broke. After doing a bit of research, he called and made a reservation at the River Lodge, which stood on a rise overlooking the Jansen River a few miles north of town. Supposedly, the Lodge was one of the nicest restaurants around and famous for its great seafood and tender steaks. And on Friday and Saturday nights, a combo played live music. It sounded perfect and romantic, just what he wanted. After all, he didn’t have a lot of time to woo P.J. Harry’s deadline was only nine months away.

Alex also made the round trip into downtown Seattle and unearthed one of his favorite outfits: custom-made dress pants in a shade of soft gray, a dark gray silk T-shirt, and a black cashmere jacket. The clothes were expensive, but if she happened to comment, he could sheepishly admit that he occasionally splurged on good clothes.

On the way back to Jansen, he stopped at a florist’s shop. The florist—a pretty woman about fifty with bright green eyes—asked if she could help him.

“I’d like a bouquet of flowers. Roses, probably.”

“For a woman?”

“A special woman,” Alex said.

“What color is her hair?”

Alex blinked. “Her hair? It’s red. Actually, kind of a red-gold.”

“Then I suggest peach roses.” So saying, she walked to a large cooler and removed a container.

The moment Alex saw the color, he knew they were perfect.

“Have a wonderful evening,” the florist said after Alex had paid for the flowers and was leaving.

“I intend to,” he said, smiling.

He left his apartment at six-forty-five and arrived at her condo ten minutes later. The florist had talked him into letting her put the flowers in a vase instead of taking them to P.J. in a box. “You’ll be glad you did,” she’d said. “Otherwise, your special lady will have to find somewhere to put them and she might not have a tall enough vase.”

Holding the vase in one hand, Alex rang P.J.’s doorbell with the other. She opened the door on the second ring.

Holy cow. He was stunned by how she looked. She wore a short black sleeveless dress with a high neck, paired with strappy black heels. Her curly hair was swept back and held in place by a black velvet hair band, and diamond studs sparkled in her ears.

Gorgeous.

There was no other word for it. She looked gorgeous.

“Wow,” he said.

She smiled. “I clean up good, huh?”

“That’s an understatement.”

She stood back to let him in. “So do you.” She gave him an appreciative once-over. “Nice threads.”

“Thanks.” He handed her the flowers. “I hope you like roses.”

“I love roses, and these are just beautiful. Thank you.”

He could see her pleasure was genuine, and it made him feel good. He tried to remember the last time he’d spontaneously bought flowers for a woman and couldn’t. In fact, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d looked forward to being with a woman. Most of his social life consisted of obligatory attendance at some black-tie affair.

When she turned to place the vase on the small credenza in her entryway, Alex’s breath stopped for a moment. Her dress plunged in a deep V in the back—almost to her waist—exposing smooth porcelain skin. Skin he knew would warm to his touch.

He could feel himself becoming aroused and had to force his thoughts away from that skin and how it had felt last night. “You’ll need a wrap,” he said. “It’s already cooling off.”

“I know.” She reached for a black knit shawl lying on a needlepoint-covered chair next to the credenza and wrapped it around her shoulders. Picking up a small silk bag that had been under it, she gave him a bright smile. “I’m ready.”

As they walked out into the already darkening evening, Alex could smell her perfume—something light and clean—just the kind of fragrance he would have imagined she’d wear. When they reached his truck, he helped her in. Her legs looked fantastic in those heels. He wondered if she knew how fantastic. “I’m sorry I don’t have a nice car for the occasion.”

“I like trucks,” she said with a smile.

“Hey, what happened with your car?” he asked after he had walked around and gotten into the driver’s seat.

“My neighbor gave me a jump this morning, and I took it to Sears for a new battery.”

“Good.”

She shifted in the seat, which caused her skirt to ride up another inch or so. Yes, those were definitely gorgeous legs. In fact, he was having a hard time keeping his eyes on the road.

“Where are we going?” she asked.

He smiled. “It’s a surprise.” Turning to her, he added, “Want to listen to music?”

“What’re my choices?”

He thought about his CDs. “Sheryl Crow, Martina McBride, Michelle Branch, Beyoncé, James Taylor, the Beatles, Coldplay…I’ve even got some classical stuff, if you prefer that.”

She started to laugh. “That’s the strangest mix of music I’ve ever heard.”

He grinned sheepishly. “I’ve got eclectic tastes.”

“I guess.”

“So what’ll it be?”

“Martina McBride.”

He inserted the CD. The first song was “My Baby Loves Me,” and within moments, P.J. was tapping her fingers on the console between the front seats and humming along with the music. When the song ended and the next one began, she said, “We’re going to the River Lodge, aren’t we?”

“Yes.”

He could feel her eyes on him. Turning to meet her gaze, he saw the speculative look. “What?” he said.

“You’re just full of surprises, aren’t you? How’d you know about the Lodge?”

“The Internet. I just searched on restaurants and that one seemed to fill the bill.” Now he wondered if he’d made a mistake. He couldn’t afford to make her suspicious again, now that she seemed to finally trust him. First he needed to get a ring on her finger. “I wanted to take you somewhere nice.”

“The Lodge is very nice,” she said softly. “I haven’t been there in a long time.”

It suddenly hit him how much he wanted to please this woman…and keep pleasing her. Maybe his father’s plan was unorthodox, but it sure seemed to be working. This was the first time in years—maybe the first time ever—that Alex had felt this way about a woman. Usually, he was counting the minutes until he could escape.

“The drive is coming up right around this bend,” she said. “It’ll be on your left.” She smiled when he glanced her way. “It’s kind of hard to see if you’ve never been there.”

An understatement, Alex realized. On his own, he would have passed it up. Only a small sign marked the turn, and in the dark, it was almost impossible to see.

The drive climbed uphill for about one hundred yards, then turned to the left through a stand of tall pines. Finally they came to a rustic building surrounded by trees and bordering the Jansen River to the right. The trees were strung with tiny white lights and reminded Alex of Tavern on the Green in New York.

He surrendered the truck to the valet parking attendant and, hand on her elbow, escorted P.J. through the front entrance and into the restaurant. A pretty hostess with long black hair and a brilliant smile greeted them. Alex gave his name—almost saying Hunt before he caught himself—and they were promptly ushered to a table by the window. The river beyond was a dark ribbon with patches of moonlight shining upon it.

Alex looked around. He’d been in some high-end restaurants over the years, and the River Lodge compared favorably in ambiance. Now if the food lived up to its touted excellence, he’d be a happy man.

About thirty tables ringed a small dance floor. In the corner was a tiny elevated stage with a grand piano next to it. Either the combo providing music for the evening hadn’t started yet or they were taking a break.

“The musicians start playing at eight,” P.J. said.

A lighted candle flickered in a cut-glass holder in the middle of their table. Her face, reflected in the candle’s glow, seemed younger and softer than it normally did. Maybe that’s because she was more relaxed. She smiled at him. “This is nice.”

“It is.” He wished he could tell her about some of the places he’d been, some of the places he’d like to take her…but that would be too dangerous.

Just then their waiter approached, and the next few minutes were taken up with ordering drinks. After he left to place their orders at the bar, Alex said, “I’ve been looking forward to this all day.”

She didn’t answer for a long moment. When she did, she prefaced it with a sigh. “I don’t know, Alex. I keep thinking this is a mistake.”

“A mistake?” He couldn’t have read her wrong. She’d been just as turned on last night as he’d been. She certainly hadn’t resisted.

She met his gaze squarely. “You work for me. Remember?”

Reaching across the table, he took her hand. Her fingers were slim, the nails unpainted but nicely shaped. “I’ll make you a promise, P.J. If my working for you turns out to be a problem, I’ll find another job.”

Before she could answer, their waiter arrived with their wine. Alex reluctantly let go of her hand. They didn’t talk as the waiter served them a plate of some kind of pâté and a basket of warm French bread.

Once he was gone, she said, “I couldn’t let you do that, Alex. It wouldn’t be right.” Worry clouded her blue eyes.

“Why don’t you let me be the judge of that?” He reached for his wineglass. “Let’s not have any more talk about anything serious. Let’s just dedicate tonight, our first real date, to enjoying each other’s company and having a wonderful time.”

She hesitated, then picked up her glass and clinked it against his. But the worry didn’t leave her eyes.

Alex vowed then and there that from tonight on, he would make sure that worry was gone…and stayed gone.

There was something about dancing that was so sexy and erotic. If a girl felt even a smidgen of attraction for her partner, she was probably a lost cause once he took her into his arms and led her around a dance floor. And if the music was soft and romantic and the partner a great dancer—well, it was no contest.

P.J. knew that she and Alex would end up in bed together at the end of this perfect evening. She could tell herself whatever lie she wanted, but the bottom line was, her body would rule. In fact, sex with Alex was all she could think about as they danced and ate their superb dinners and drank the mellow wine.

By the time they were ready to leave, she was so turned on, she wasn’t sure she could wait.

For the ride home, Alex unearthed a CD, and as the understated elegance of the singer’s vocals filled the cab, the tension and delicious anticipation of what was to come pulsed like a living thing between them, and P.J. knew Alex was feeling exactly the same way she was.

When they reached P.J.’s condo, he parked in front and they walked together to her front door. The very air seemed to shimmer in expectation.

When Alex reached for her keys, she gave them up without a word. They stood so close, she wondered if he could hear her heart beating. After he unlocked the door and pushed it open, P.J. stepped inside knowing he would follow.

The small hurricane lamp on the credenza in the entryway gave off a soft glow, illuminating the roses in their frosted vase. Their fragrance filled the air. P.J. turned and their eyes met. As the grandfather clock began to chime the hour, he reached for her and pulled her close. When he lowered his head, she raised hers and gave herself up to his kiss.

A long time later, after making love, sleeping for a while, then waking and making love again, they lay together spoon fashion in P.J.’s bed.

“We fit together nicely,” Alex said, lazily cupping a breast and nuzzling the back of her neck.

“Ummm,” P.J. murmured noncommittally, although she’d been thinking the same thing.

“You’re not going to let our work situation make a difference between us, are you?”

“Depends how things go.” But she already knew she wouldn’t. Because if she made their jobs an issue, she’d have to give him up, and she didn’t want to. Of course, if it became a situation where she could no longer do her job or he could no longer do his, she’d have to rethink her decision.

But for now, at least, she intended to enjoy being with Alex…and not worry about tomorrow.

The next few weeks went by swiftly. Alex kept his promise to keep tabs on Julie, but was relieved when Terrence returned home from his business trip and Alex no longer felt quite as responsible for her.

He and P.J. spent a lot of time together. He took her to movies, they went out to dinner, they fell into the habit of running together after work, and one Saturday afternoon and evening they attended a festival at the local Catholic church.

“I love Ferris wheels,” P.J. said as they stood in line waiting their turn to ride.

Alex smiled down at her. She looked like a kid in her jeans and flip-flops with her hair pulled back in a ponytail.

“I almost came to this festival last year,” she continued.

“Why didn’t you?”

She shrugged, the smile fading. “No one to go with.”

The way she said it made Alex feel tender toward her. She acted so tough most of the time, but he suspected the toughness was a facade to mask deeper feelings.

Maybe she’s lonely, too.

Most people, he’d discovered, presented a face to the world that was not necessarily their real face. He certainly did. No one who knew him socially or in the world of philanthropy would ever guess at the emotions he kept hidden. Even his half-brothers probably had no idea what he was really like, just as he had little idea what made them tick.

“Well, you’ve got me now,” he said, putting his arm around her.

Their eyes met, and Alex could tell she wanted to say something—was actually on the verge of saying something—but just then the line began to move and the moment was lost.

Later that night, Alex awakened to the sound of rain hitting the roof. P.J. was still sleeping soundly. He smiled as he watched her. She looked delectable. There was no other word for it. Her hair tumbled over the pillow, her sleep shirt—which she’d put back on after they’d made love—had ridden up, and her really gorgeous backside was visible. It was all he could do to keep from caressing it, but he knew if he did, he’d wake her. He resisted the temptation. They had all day tomorrow to enjoy each other. He was just drifting back to sleep when his cell phone rang. Groaning, he picked it up off the bedside table and looked at the caller ID.

Julie.

The digital clock on P.J.’s side of the bed read 4:43 a.m.

“Damn,” he muttered, pressing talk and getting out of bed as quietly as he could. “This had better be important,” he whispered, moving toward the hallway.

“Alex,” Julie cried. “I’ve…I’ve been arrested!”

“What? Why?”

“I didn’t do anything, but they won’t listen to me. They hauled me down here to the police station just like a common criminal!”

“Calm down. Why were you arrested?”

“It was a drug raid. I—I was at Sandpipers and some of the kids were doing coke and stuff.”

“Jesus, Julie.” Alex pushed his hair back from his forehead in frustration.

“Well, I wasn’t part of it. I was just there. They had no right to arrest me! Oh, God, I don’t want Mom and Dad to know. Can you come?”

He sighed. “Yes, I’ll come. Where, exactly, are you?”

After she told him, he said, “It’ll be an hour, hour and a half before I get there.”

“Okay,” she said in a small voice. “Thank you, Alex.”

By the time Alex had dressed and gathered his stuff, P.J. was stirring.

“You leaving already?” she said sleepily, sitting up in bed.

“I have to.” He walked around to her side of the bed, leaned down, and kissed her. “I probably won’t get back before noon.”

Her brow furrowed. “Is something wrong?”

“I just got a call from my sister. I’ve got to drive to Seattle and bail her out of jail.”

P.J.’s eyes widened. “What happened?”

“It was a drug bust at a club. Look, I’ve got to get going. I’ll call you later, okay?”

She nodded. “Be careful driving.”

He made it to the precinct where Julie was being held in record time, but even so, it was almost six-thirty before he walked in. It took another thirty minutes before he was allowed to see her.

She sat on a bench in a holding cell, along with a dozen other young people. Alex gritted his teeth when he recognized the infamous Penn, who sat with his head in his hands. He looked up when Alex and the duty cop approached. Alex nodded in the boy’s direction, even as he wished he could pound some sense into him and the others. He did notice that the beautiful Phoebe wasn’t part of the group. So, obviously, she was smarter than Julie.

“Alex,” Julie said, getting up and coming toward him. Her mascara was smudged, her blouse wrinkled and dirty, her face pale and exhausted-looking. A lone tear rolled down her face as her blue eyes met Alex’s.

Alex reached through the bars and took her hand. The duty cop unlocked the cell and let Julie out.

“Fifteen minutes,” he barked after taking them to a small, windowless room with a table and several chairs. “Then she’s gotta go back till bail is set.”

“When will that be?” Alex asked.

The cop made a show of looking up at the large, ugly wall clock. “Lemme see, it’s seven-ten. Judge Winkle won’t be in chambers till nine. So that means at least two hours, prob’ly more.”

“Two more hours!” Julie said.

“Yeah, cutie. It’s no fun here, is it?” With that the cop left them.

“Alex,” she cried, the tears starting in earnest now.

He let her cry for a while. Just held her in his arms and rubbed her back and made comforting sounds. When she finally stopped, he handed her a clean handkerchief. “Sit down, Julie. Tell me what happened.”

“I told you. We were just at Sandpipers and—”

“Who’s we?”

“Me, Bits, Crystal, Logan, Phoebe—”

“Phoebe? I didn’t see her back there,” Alex said, interrupting her again.

Julie rolled her eyes. “She ran. The cops didn’t see her, I guess.”

“Who else was there?”

“Russ, Terri, and Penn. You met some of them at my birthday party.”

“Penn’s the one who was busted before for drugs. The one your dad was worried about. The one I told you to stay away from.”

She hung her head. “Yes.”

Alex sighed. “Hell, Julie, when are you ever going to learn?”

“But I wasn’t doing anything. I was just there. It’s so not fair. Couldn’t they give me some kind of test or something? Did they have to arrest me?”

“Haven’t you ever heard that old saying that you’re known by the company you keep?”

The tears began again. “Daddy’s going to kill me.”

“He should, but I doubt he will.”

“I don’t want him to know. Please don’t tell him. You won’t, will you?”

“On one condition.”

Her eyes, so big, so blue, so frightened, perpetuated the myth that she really was as naive and sweet as she appeared to be. But Alex knew better. Sure he loved her. And yes, he wanted to protect her, especially from her own bad judgment, but she was already too wise in the ways of the world and far too sophisticated and indulged for her own good. Right then he was torn between feeling sorry for her and wanting to turn her over his knee and give her the spanking she should have had many years ago.

“What’s the condition?” she asked.

“You have to promise me nothing like this will ever happen again.”

“It won’t! I promise.”

“Because if it does…” He paused to let his next words sink in. “I’m not going to come to the rescue.”

She nodded solemnly. “I understand.”

“I hope so.”

A few minutes later, the same duty cop came back. He opened the door without knocking, said, “Time to go, Missy.” His pale eyes met Alex’s gaze. “You can wait out front.”

It was almost ten o’clock before bail was set. By then Alex had drunk half a dozen cups of bad coffee and had a whale of a headache. The only good thing was that because this was a first offense for Julie, it only cost Alex a thousand dollars to get her released.

“Where’s your car?” he said as they claimed her belongings—a leather shoulder bag and a black leather jacket.

“I didn’t drive last night.”

“Okay. I’ll take you home.”

As they walked out the front door into the morning sunshine, a photographer, who had been sitting on the concrete wall bordering the building, jumped up and snapped a couple of photos before Alex could react.

“Oh, God,” Julie said. “Now Dad will find out for sure.”

“Maybe you should just tell him yourself.”

Julie, too miserable to be aware of anything except her own situation, slumped into the passenger seat of Alex’s truck and never even asked why he was driving it instead of his Navigator.

“You want to stop and have some breakfast on the way?” Alex asked.

Julie shook her head. “I’m not hungry. Just pull into the drive through at the first Starbucks you see and get me a giant latte, okay?”

It was eleven-thirty before he finally dropped Julie at the house. She insisted he let her out at the foot of the drive so no one would see him. “They expected me to spend the night at Phoebe’s,” she said.

“Like I said, if I were you, I’d tell them the truth.”

She nodded, leaned over and kissed his cheek. “Thanks, bro,” she whispered.

“I’ll call you later.”

“Okay.”

He watched until she disappeared around the bend of the driveway, then took off.

It was only as he was driving back to Jansen that he remembered he hadn’t called P.J. as he’d said he would. He flipped open his cell phone, ready to make the call, then wondered what he was going to say. Could he afford to tell her the whole truth?

Damn, he hated this subterfuge. Above all, he wished they could be completely honest with one another.

Soon, he thought. If things between them continued to go well in the next few weeks, he should be able to tell her the truth about himself by Thanksgiving.

And with luck, they might even be married by Christmas.