Читать книгу Non-Refundable Groom - Patty Salier - Страница 9

Two

Garrett tried to concentrate on the traffic as he drove to the singles-only apartment building he managed in Palms. He could still smell the vanilla scent of Elena and the feel of her soft lips against his.

Everything about Elena captivated him. He admired how warm and gentle she was with her nephews. The nurturing way she took care of him made him feel so close to her, almost like he was part of her family.

In the laundry room he had been so turned on.... If the door hadn’t burst open—

His foot suddenly hit the brake pedal when he realized he was about to rear-end the car in front of him.

What the heck am I thinking? he silently demanded. He couldn’t allow himself to desire her. She was caring and giving and loving. She was definitely a marrying kind of woman. But he wasn’t a marrying kind of man. He used to be. He used to dream of having a wife and children more than anything. After what happened in his past marriage, he had no intention of signing a marriage license again.

He never should’ve kissed Elena. He never should’ve touched her soft skin. But being near her made him want to cuddle and hold her body close to his.

As he drove and anxiously reached for his tie, he realized that he’d left it in the laundry room. He knew he should wait until tomorrow morning to call her about it. But the need to connect with her again was stronger than he wanted to admit.

As his car neared the two-story building in Palms, he picked up his car phone, dialed the Santa Monica branch and learned from Grace that Elena was out of the office. He quickly told Grace that he had business to discuss with Elena and got her cellular number.

He parked his car in front of the complex and dialed Elena’s number. When he heard her velvet voice answer the phone, he was hooked all over again.

“Elena, I forgot my tie at your sister’s,” he began.

“I’ve got it with me,” she said. “When I get back to the office, I’ll send a messenger over to the Sherman Oaks branch.”

“How about if I drop by and pick it up?” he suggested, wanting to see her again, even though he knew he shouldn’t.

“Stanley might be here,” she replied a bit nervously.

“Yeah, that could be a problem,” he said, knowing he couldn’t jeopardize their chances to the promotion. He felt the urge to ask if he could drop by her apartment to get it, but he didn’t dare cross that boundary line.

“I could stop by after the office closes at seven tonight.”

“I might be gone by then.”

“I’ll take the chance.”

A few minutes later Garrett entered the lobby of the Palms apartment building.

“Garrett, just the man I want to see,” said Sam McGrath, the middle-aged owner of the building.

“Hi, Sam, are there any problems with the pipe replacement job?” he asked, referring to the plumber who was replacing some of the old, leaky pipes.

“No further leaks yet,” the owner replied. “Have you worked with this plumber before?”

“He’s not my regular vendor,” Garrett replied. “The plumber I usually deal with is ill. But I’ll make sure the work goes smoothly.”

“Garrett, your new apartment may become available very soon,” Sam said.

“My new apartment?” he asked, confused.

“How could you forget?” Sam asked, surprised. “You signed the lease months ago and paid me the security deposit, plus the first and last months’ rent to hold the place.”

“Yes, of course,” he said, realizing that he was so consumed with thoughts of Elena that he’d forgotten everything but her. “When will the apartment be ready?”

“The tenant in twenty-eight may be leaving for Florida earlier than he planned.” Sam McGrath headed toward the front door of the lobby. “I’ll let you know when the space is vacant.”

“Thanks a lot, Sam.”

As Garrett looked for the plumber, he waited for a rush of excitement to hit him, knowing he’d be moving sooner than scheduled into the apartment he’d been waiting for. Renting a place in the singles-only complex in Palms had been his goal ever since his divorce.

Garrett had been willing to do everything he could to keep the idea of getting married again permanently out of his brain.

He remembered when he’d met his ex-wife, Claire, a few short years ago. He’d just moved to Los Angeles from Seattle. He had no friends in L.A., just his elderly Aunt Rosie and a good job opportunity at Grant Property Management.

He’d met Claire at a jazz club where she was waitressing. She’d instantly connected with him and became his friend, cohort and lover. After a few months of constantly seeing each other, he’d fallen in love. When she excitedly mentioned marriage, he didn’t hesitate.

To Garrett, marriage was forever, a commitment to stay together for always. He believed that Claire felt the same way, too.

However, after six months as husband and wife, when he mentioned starting a family, she seemed preoccupied. She said her mother in Colorado was very ill and didn’t have ample medical insurance to cover the bills. Responding to her need, he agreed that she should withdraw a huge chunk of savings from their account.

Before he realized it, she’d cleaned out their bank cash, maxed out their credit cards and borrowed a bundle of money from the bank.

The night he planned to talk to her about what was going on, he got home from work and found all of her belongings gone from their apartment. Distraught, he called a waitress friend of hers at the club. He was devastated to discover that she’d bought herself a brand-new red Camaro, packed all of her things and run off with a guy she’d met at the jazz club.

With a stack of creditors’ letters in hand, Garrett went through the emotional trauma of the divorce. He realized that their marriage had meant nothing to her. He had meant nothing to her. She’d let him down, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t sustain a happy, satisfying marriage.

He remained at the apartment he’d shared with her, but every time he bumped into married neighbors, he was constantly reminded of how his marriage had failed.

He’d lucked out when he was given the singles-only building to manage by Stanley and learned that the tenants signed a two-year lease agreeing to live a singles life while at the complex.

The moment he had heard that an apartment might become available in a few months, he had quickly signed the two-year lease and paid Sam McGrath a fistful of money ahead of time to guarantee his spot.

He needed to be alone. He couldn’t imagine sharing his life again.

Garrett saw the plumber coming out of an apartment. He started down the hall toward him. As Garrett talked with the plumber, he realized how conflicted he now felt about moving into the singles-only building. Meeting beautiful, sexy, bold Elena Martin had totally jolted his world.

And, as he listened to the plumber, he kept glancing at his watch, wanting seven o’clock to roll around so he could be with Elena again.

At the office Elena nervously looked at the office wall clock. It was six forty-five. In fifteen minutes, Garrett would arrive to pick up his tie. She anxiously glanced at the extension phones on her desk and noted that Stanley’s line was still lit. Everyone in the office had left, except him.

She held Garrett’s tie in her hand, thinking of an excuse to leave before he arrived. She couldn’t risk Stanley’s seeing them together. Maybe she could set his tie on her desktop where he could find it. Why wasn’t she doing it? She knew why. Because she couldn’t wait to see him.

“Are you working late tonight, Elena?” Stanley called out, walking toward her partition.

She frantically jammed Garrett’s tie into her top drawer. “I have some paperwork to finish,” she replied, quickly shifting folders on her desk to look busy.

“One of these days I’ve got to cut down my late hours,” her boss said. “I go home almost every night with a headache and sometimes chest pain. I feel so tense sometimes.”

As he continued talking, her stomach churned. Garrett would be there in a few minutes. Stanley would immediately be suspicious. She wished she’d insisted that Garrett not come. But her attraction to him had taken over, and now she might pay for it.

“Don’t work too late, Elena,” Stanley went on. “You’ll wind up with ulcers like me.”

“I plan to leave in a few minutes,” she pushed out. Her eyes darted to the wall clock. Six fifty-five!

“Maybe I’ll wait and ride down in the elevator with you,” her employer said.

“Don’t do that,” she blurted. “I mean, you better go without me.” She grabbed a stack of files. “I forgot that I’ve got tons of filing to do, too.”

“Well, have a great evening,” he added.

The moment Stanley was gone, she grabbed Garrett’s tie out of the drawer and put it on top of her desk where he could easily find it. She was not going to take a chance like that with her boss again.

She waited a few minutes for Stanley to get into the elevator. Then she grabbed her bag, opened the front door and slammed straight into Garrett’s arms.

Her heart pounded wildly in her chest at the feel of his warm hands on her shoulders. “Did Stanley see you come up in the elevator?” she anxiously asked.

“No,” he replied. “And if he had, I planned to tell him that I came to see him. I wouldn’t do anything to mess up your opportunity for the promotion, Elena.”

His eyes held hers with a warmth and trust that made her melt inside. “I’ll get your tie,” she stammered.

At her desk, she was ultraconscious of his body so near hers. Her hand trembled a little as she handed him the tie.

“Are you sorry I came, Elena?” he asked as he took the tie.

“It was tense waiting for you,” she told him. She couldn’t tell him that she felt exhilarated being with him. Wouldn’t that bind her closer to him before she knew what he was looking for in a relationship?

He gently slipped the tie around her neck and drew her close to him. “I had to see you,” he admitted.

“I’m glad you’re here,” she heard herself say.

His gaze drifted to her lips, and she wanted him to kiss her more than anything. Then his mouth covered hers. When she felt his tongue touch hers, every vein in her body felt electrified. She lightly bit his bottom lip, and he moaned. Responding to his passion, she circled her arms around his neck and pressed her body tightly against his.

The ringing of the telephone suddenly brought her back to the office. She slipped free of his arms, handed him the tie and picked up the receiver. Her sister’s voice filled her ear.

“El, why are you still at the office?” Jan asked. “You always let me know when you’re working late.”

“Sorry, I forgot to call,” she told her, aware of Garrett’s fingers lightly touching her hair. “I had some things to finish up.”

“I received a card from the Marriage Connection,” her sister went on. “It’s got the name of the restaurant for your Saturday night date.”

She saw Garrett walk over to the window. She felt guilty talking to her sister about a date with another man when she wanted to be with him. How could she go out on a date with someone else when her heart ached to be with Garrett?

“Jan, I’ll talk to you later.” Then she hung up and picked up her bag. “I’ve got to go,” she said, avoiding his eyes because of the content of her sister’s call.

In the hallway she was relieved when the elevator immediately came, and there were a few people inside as she got in with him. She blindly stared at the floor numbers lighting up on the metal wall.

The elevator doors opened at the parking level. As she was about to say a quick good-night to him and hurry to her car, he touched her arm.

“Will you be okay getting home?” he asked.

His caring made her feel even more upset about that date. “I’ll be fine,” she told him and then got into her car.

As she drove out of the parking garage behind his car, she watched him head up the street. She fantasized about blowing her horn to stop him and inviting him to her apartment. She wanted to know all about him. She wanted to cook dinner for him. She wanted to cuddle on the sofa with him.

Instead, she turned on a jazz station on the radio. She had to take her mind off Garrett. She couldn’t be with him if he wasn’t looking for a lifetime relationship like she was. Maybe the Marriage Connection date wasn’t such a bad thing. Maybe meeting another man would steer her thoughts away from Garrett.

As she stopped for a red light, she heard him blow his horn and saw him wave as his car moved way ahead of hers up the street. She waved back and realized that no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t fight the growing inner connection she felt toward him.

As Garrett parked in front of Aunt Rosie’s house, he waved to the young woman leaving, who took care of his aunt’s needs from Monday through Friday. On Saturdays, a warm-hearted older woman came by.

Garrett unlocked the back kitchen door with his key. “Aunt Rosie, it’s me!” he announced, entering the Early-American-style kitchen. He could hear the voice of her favorite radio talk show host from the living room.

“I’m catching the end of my show, Garrett,” Aunt Rosie said. “Can you bring me a glass of grape juice?”

“You’re allergic to grapes,” he reminded her, pouring her a glass of orange juice instead. Though his aunt had lapses in memory and her eyesight was failing, she was as spunky as ever. As a widow with no children, she’d raised him since he was seven years old, when his parents gave her permanent custody due to their severe alcoholic drinking problem. Now that she was in her late seventies, he’d been caring for her by dropping by each day for a visit.

For the first time since his divorce, Garrett felt a pang of loneliness being at Aunt Rosie’s house. He wished Elena was with him. Knowing how family oriented she was, he was sure she’d enjoy his aunt. He quickly shed the thought. He knew he could never introduce Elena to his aunt. He couldn’t take the chance of getting that close to her. And he couldn’t tell his aunt about her. Talking about Elena would mean that he envisioned her as the permanent woman in his life. Everything inside of him resisted making solid plans like that for himself again, knowing how easily his future with the woman he loved could be shattered.

When Garrett walked into the living room to give his aunt the orange juice, she immediately waved him to sit down and be quiet. He knew she didn’t want him interrupting the remainder of the radio show.

He waited as she listened closely to every word of the host.

Aunt Rosie flipped off the radio. “Garrett, I got you a date for this Saturday night.”

“With who?” He grinned, not taking her seriously. “Michelle Pfeiffer?”

“Ha, ha, very funny,” she said. “Since you’re not looking for a girlfriend yourself, I’ve decided to do it for you.” She pointed to the coffee table. “Hand me that sheet of paper over there.”

He felt the urge to tell her about Elena, but he didn’t want her thinking he was serious with anyone. “What’s your plan for me, Aunt Rosie?”

“I heard about a dating service on the radio,” she replied. “It’s called the something connection. I can’t read the print too well, but the service chooses an ideal woman to match the man’s personality. I paid the fee and sent a personality profile on you.”

“You’re joking,” he said.

“You need to sign this form,” she said, handing it to him.

Garrett reluctantly looked at the paper. “This is the second sheet to the agreement. Where’s the first page?”

“It’s around here someplace,” she replied, sifting unsuccessfully through a stack of old newspapers on the floor. “I think page one gave the name of the dating service and a couple of rules I can’t remember.”

The idea of being with a woman other than Elena was making him more nervous by the second. “Aunt Rosie, you’re wonderful for thinking about me, but—”

She stuck a pen in his hand. “You need to date a woman who’s compatible with you,” she went on. “You made a big mistake with that con lady you married.”

Her words stung because he knew she was right. “Okay, I admit, I should’ve listened to you about my ex-wife.” His aunt didn’t approve of her from day one. He couldn’t help thinking that she’d like Elena.

“Sign this paper, Garrett,” his aunt pushed. “You might be matched with someone really nice.”

He couldn’t envision meeting a woman more perfect than Elena. His impulse was to say no, but he stopped himself.

“I need to read the rules first,” he said, knowing how persistent his aunt could be when she felt strongly about something. He’d do anything for her, and she knew it.

He read that he’d only be obligated to go on three prearranged, already-paid-for dates, one every two weeks, beginning with the upcoming Saturday. He could feel his aunt looking over his shoulder, waiting for his signature on the form.

“Okay, three dates, that’s it,” he said, forcing himself to sign.

“Garrett, you need to promise me one thing,” Aunt Rosie began. “Never tell your date I talked you into joining the service. That’s no way to start a romance.”

“I promise,” he told her, making a mental note to write a check to cover the cost of the service and deposit the money into his aunt’s bank account in the morning.

When he returned to his apartment in Santa Monica, Garrett felt uneasy about the prearranged date for Saturday night. Before he met Elena, he would’ve thought of the dates as three fun evenings, and that was it. But now he had no desire to go out with anyone, except her.

He shed his clothes and jumped into the shower, trying not to think about his powerful feelings for her. But when he flashed on holding her soft body in his arms at the office, he fantasized about what it would be like to hold her naked against him.

He turned on the cold water full-force. Temporarily dating a woman chosen by a service was a lot safer than being tempted by his intense attraction to Elena Martin.

As he felt the cold water on his face, he anxiously realized that Elena could make a man such as him momentarily forget his goal to become vice president and his vow to remain single.

“Aunt Elena, you’ve got red polka dots on your skin!” Bennie said with wide eyes.

“Polka dots?” she said as she nervously took out a black evening jacket from her bedroom closet for her first Marriage Connection date. She was so anxious that she’d probably smeared lipstick on her face.

“They’re spreading all over!” he went on.

She glanced in the bureau mirror and did a double take. “Oh, no!” she frantically said, seeing red spots on her neck and parts of her face. “Jan, come in here!”

Her sister, who’d stopped by her apartment with the kids to give her moral support for her first date, ran into the bedroom with Tod at her side.

Tod’s eyes almost popped out. “Aunt Elena, you’ve got the chicken pox!”

Jan examined the blotches. “You’ve got nervous hives,” she said, laughing.

“It’s not funny!” She grabbed her concealer makeup and applied the flesh-colored cream on her skin.

“Just relax and the spots will disappear,” her sister advised as Bennie and Tod ran into the living room to play on her computer.

How could she relax when Garrett had been on her mind all day? “Jan, I can’t go on this date.”

“You can’t back out now,” her sister insisted. “Keep reminding yourself that he’s perfectly matched for you. And he wants to get married, just like you do.”

“I’ll try. I really will.” She didn’t want to disappoint her sister, but she knew she’d be thinking about Garrett all evening. He was the one she wanted to date.

“El, you better get going,” Jan said. “Here’s the Marriage Connection card to give to the restaurant maître d’.” She handed the engraved card to her. “Call me the second you get home. I don’t care if it’s three in the morning!”

A few minutes later Elena anxiously parked her car in front of the Tiara Club in Santa Monica Canyon where a valet opened the door for her.

I’m going to meet the man meant for me, she silently told herself. Why couldn’t she believe that? Because of Garrett, that was why. A black-tuxedoed gentleman swung open the double doors of the restaurant for her to enter. Then, she handed the card to the maître d’. He immediately gave her black jacket to the coat-check lady.

“Follow me, mademoiselle,” the maître d’ said.

Elena took in the luxurious crystal chandelier and thick blue carpeting. The candle-lit tables had beige linen tablecloths and napkins butterflied in sterling silver holders with dazzling silverware at each china place setting.

She hoped she was dressed fancy enough in her jade velvet spaghetti-strapped dress. She had a string of pearls around her neck, matching pearl-drop earrings and was wearing jade pumps.

Her body trembled a little as the maître d’ led her to the door of a private room. She wanted to turn around and go back home. She didn’t want to meet a new man.

“Your date will be here any moment, mademoiselle,” he said.

As the gentleman opened the door, she glimpsed a formally set table with tall white candles and red roses in a crystal vase. She could hear soft piano music playing in the background and noticed a small hardwood dance floor.

“Mademoiselle,” he began, “I would like to introduce your date for the evening.”

Elena took a deep breath and turned around to meet the perfect man matched for her. Her eyes widened when she saw Garrett standing there!

“Elena Martin meet Garrett Sims,” the maître d’ said. “I will have your waiter bring in the champagne.” Then he left and closed the private room door behind him.

“Wow, Elena!” Garrett said, his eyes taking her all in. “You’re my date? I must’ve hit the jackpot!”

“Garrett, I can’t believe—” She was so thrilled that she could barely speak. “This is so incredible!”

He looked incredible. He was starkly handsome in a black tuxedo, crisp white shirt and black satin bow tie. The tux jacket stretched across his broad shoulders and solid chest. She felt the urge to throw her arms around his neck and tell him how ecstatic she felt that he was her date!

“You look gorgeous, Elena,” he said in a husky voice, his gaze sensually traveling down her body.

Her skin tingled at his visual caress. “So do you!” she blurted and then blushed, adding, “I mean, you look great, Garrett.”

She wanted to ask him a zillion questions about his signing up with the dating service, but she was so flustered being with him that she couldn’t remember the name of the service.

After a discreet knock on the door, the waiter entered with two crystal flute glasses of sparkling pink champagne.

Garrett slipped his hand in hers and led her to the dinner table. As he sat across from her, her heartbeat raced when she felt his knees gently touch hers.

“To us,” he said, tapping his sparkling glass with hers.

She nodded, unable to believe that her dream had come true. With a trembling hand, she took a sip of the pink bubbly, her eyes never leaving his.

The waiter served an exquisite salad of garden greens with French dressing and then an entreé of baked hen with baby carrots and garlic mashed potatoes.

“Hungry?” Garrett asked, offering her a cut of hen on his fork. “What a stroke of fate that I should be with you tonight,” he whispered. “I’ve got to admit something to you, Elena.”

“What?” she asked, feeling like her heart was about to burst with joy at being with him.

“The moment I met you in Stanley’s office,” he began, “I was majorly attracted to you. I’ve wanted to be with you ever since.”

“You’ve been on my mind since that meeting, too,” she responded, unable to hold back her feelings for him.

He leaned across the small table and gently stroked her cheek, sending chills down her skin. “No wonder the dating service connected us together,” he said.

Her heart skipped a beat as his finger slid down her neck, tracing the strand of pearls just above the rise of her breasts.

The waiter came into the room, asking, “Is the dinner pleasing to you?”

“Very pleasing,” Garrett replied, his eyes on her, as though he were talking only about being with her.

Elena was so consumed with Garrett that she didn’t remember finishing the rest of her meal. Before she knew it, the busboy was clearing the table. Then the waiter carried in a silver tray filled with chocolate éclairs, whipped cream fruit tarts, and creamy cheesecake.

She slipped a slice of sumptuous éclair into Garrett’s mouth and then let him lick the whipped cream off the tips of each of her fingers. The desire in his eyes matched her own, and she barely noticed when the maître d’ came into the private room.

The soft background piano music switched to a love ballad. The lights dimmed, and kaleidoscope rainbow lights glittered across the shiny dance floor.

Elena felt overwhelmed with nervousness thinking about dancing in Garrett’s arms.

“Please dance,” the maître d’ encouraged. “You will not be disturbed for the last hour of your evening.”

Garrett barely noticed the maître d’ leave. He couldn’t take his eyes off Elena. Her cheeks were slightly flushed. Her ivory breasts swelled over the top of her velvet dress, which hugged the hourglass curves of her body.

He took her hand and led her to the multicolored dance floor. He slipped his arm around her small waist and gently drew her against his body, slowly swaying to the love beat.

“It feels so good to hold you, Elena,” he whispered, pressing his palms against the small of her back, guiding her closer to him.

He could smell the vanilla in her hair. He could feel her firm breasts against his chest. He still couldn’t believe that he was with her.

Being with Elena, he lost all sense of time, all awareness of where he was. And before he realized it, his mouth was closing over hers, tasting the sweet nectar of her lips. He slid his lips down to her throat.

Wanting to touch every part of her, he slipped his fingers under the spaghetti straps of her dress. He felt her breathing quicken as he lowered the straps and touched her satiny shoulders with his lips. Her skin was so soft, so warm. He reached the hills of her breasts above her dress. He nibbled and kissed her flesh, needing to taste even more of her.

A low moan escaped from her lips as he cupped her velvet-covered breasts in his hands. He could feel her nipples rise against his palms. Her pleasure ignited his body like a lit match.

Garrett forgot that he needed to hold back his feelings and not get deeply involved with Elena. All he was aware of was his powerful need to get closer to her.