Читать книгу One Night With His Rival - Robyn Grady - Страница 12

The woman who stopped beside Veda at the tent’s buffet table came right out and said it.

“He’s something else, isn’t he?”

When the woman sent Ajax an approving look—he was talking with guests by the birthday cake—Veda’s cheeks went warm. While looking over the desserts, every so often she had flickered a glance his way, obviously not as discreetly as she had thought.

And who was asking, anyway?

The woman was somewhere in her fifties and dressed in an elegant peach-colored sequined sheath. Her shoulder-length auburn hair was tucked behind an ear, revealing a dazzling teardrop diamond stud. Based on the woman’s maternal smile as she continued to watch Ajax, Veda took a guess.

“You’re Susan, aren’t you? Hux Rawson’s…housekeeper.”

After many years, it was known among relevant circles that the pair was less employee and boss these days and more a couple without the legal formalities.

Susan’s dimpled smile grew. “I met Ajax when he was a teen. Now he’s like my own. The other kids, too.”

After Veda introduced herself—leaving out her last name, which might complicate things at this time of night—Susan looked Ajax’s way again. As she leaned back against a column, her expression deepened. “Did you know that boy is the reason I’m here?”

“Really? How’s that?”

The lights dimmed at the same time Veda settled in for what promised to be an interesting conversation.

“After their mom passed away,” Susan explained, “the family was devastated, as you can imagine. With his father so lost in his grief, Ajax decided to step up to the plate. He placed an advertisement in the local paper. We need a housekeeper, the ad read. Someone who would like a family to look after. On my word, we will look after you right back.”

Veda’s heart squeezed. “That is so sweet.”

“I’d been going through some difficulties myself. Not a death, thank heaven. But enough to spin my world around ’til I didn’t know which way was up. Life can be like that sometimes. Downright dizzying.” Straightening, she resurrected her gentle smile. “I got the job and haven’t looked back since. I’ve never felt more fulfilled. I’d always wanted children of my own, so those kids were the icing on my cake. Griff, Ajax, Lanie and, of course, Jacob.”

Lanie had mentioned Griff, the Wall Street kingpin, as well as her adopted brother, whom she idolized as much as the other two. “Jacob’s a lawyer, right?”

“With an outstanding reputation. He came to us through a juvie program.” She toyed with the diamond stud as she clarified, “For years, Huxley ran a scheme here for boys in trouble who might benefit from fresh scenery and a little guidance. While they helped with chores, they learned about responsibility as well as what they were capable of and, more importantly, what they deserved out of life. Jacob had a terrible childhood, but Huxley saw something very special in that boy. He decided to fill the void and give him a real home.”

Veda’s chest tightened and expanded all at once. It was easy to tell that Susan had a generous heart, like Veda’s mom, who had always been willing to see the best in people. Sometimes that kind of faith was uplifting. At other times, it was naive. Even foolish.

As the music segued into a slower, older tune, Susan glanced up at speakers hidden among the fairy lights. “Oh, I love this song.”

The lyrics spoke of stars falling from the sky and longing to be close to someone.

Veda smiled. “I know it.”

“I was so young when it came out. Back then I couldn’t imagine having a gray hair or wrinkle. Time’s so precious. The most precious thing we have.” She held Veda’s gaze when she emphasized, “Once it’s gone, there’s no getting it back.”

Just then, Veda felt Ajax glance her way. While his gaze, curious and hot, locked with hers through the crowd, Susan straightened.

“Well, I’m going to find someone to share this dance with.” As she headed off, Susan gave Veda a wink. “Maybe you should, too.”

Perhaps it was the commanding picture Ajax painted in that crisp tuxedo, the knowing smile hovering at the corners of his mouth, or simply the song that amplified the moment. For whatever reason, when Ajax looked between her and the dance floor and then raised his brows in suggestion, Veda felt slightly light-headed. A little too eager to agree.

Since sharing that drink earlier, the anticipation had only built…delicious, taut and unrelenting. Now, as Ajax extended his arms in the air in front of him like he was already slow-dancing with her, Veda felt an unraveling. Like a corset being unlaced. Like she could finally breathe out and relax.

Time was precious, and this night and its challenges were almost over. Wasn’t this an appropriate and mature way to say goodbye?

She walked toward him. He met her halfway. After taking her hand in his much larger, far warmer one, he turned to escort her to the dance floor. Once they were surrounded by other couples, Ajax positioned their joined hands higher near his lapel while his free palm slid around to rest against the sensitive small of her back. As he smiled into her eyes, she quivered with the same kind of longing the song spoke about. Which was only to be expected, and nothing she couldn’t handle. And when they began to move, his expert steps guiding hers, she was okay with his strength and his touch. She had no trouble owning her body’s response to his scent and his heat.

“You met Susan,” he said.

“She’s a big fan of yours.”

“Ah, she likes everyone. Heart of gold.”

“She said you’re the reason she’s here.”

His smile kicked up one corner of his mouth again. “The first time we met, I knew she’d fit in. Turns out, even better than I hoped. She and Dad have more than a professional relationship now. They’re more than friends.”

“But they never married.”

While he thought that through, his hot palm shifted on her back—moving slightly lower, pressing harder. “I’ve never asked why. Not my business. They’re happy. That’s what it’s all about.”

As his gaze brushed her cheek, then her lips, the sexual pull tugged even more strongly. Everything about him was soothing, beguiling, on top of being sexy to a giddy fault. If he ever took a page from his father’s book and settled down, all Veda could say was that his wife would be a very lucky girl.

Lanie was dancing nearby, but she didn’t seem to notice them, or anyone else for that matter. Rather she looked besotted with her partner, a classic tall, dark and incredibly handsome type. Interesting. Lanie was supposed to be into her career way more than the opposite sex. It was one of the things the two women had bonded over.

Veda asked Ajax, “Who’s Lanie dancing with?”

Ajax didn’t turn around to check. Instead the two couples drifted farther apart.

“Lanie has a lot of friends.”

Veda nodded at the crowd. “At least a couple hundred.”

“You wouldn’t know it now, but once upon a time she was shy. Guess we all outgrow that childhood stuff.”

Veda recalled Susan’s story about the kid who had taken over the reins in an effort to help his grieving family. She couldn’t imagine Ajax ever being awkward, lacking confidence, doubting himself or not having just the right words. Having just the right everything.

The song finished up. As the DJ cued his upcoming selection, the moment stretched out. Veda and Ajax looked into each other’s eyes and invisible strings worked to tug them even closer together. When the DJ played a faster, louder song, Ajax led her through the crowd to a quieter semi-hidden corner where blinking lights didn’t quite penetrate and only the most curious eyes might see. As they faced each other again, with his hand still holding hers, the physical awareness zapping between them became fully charged. She imagined what might come next…

Would Ajax lift her chin and claim his first kiss of the evening?

If she let that happen, she’d be lost.

Sucking down a breath, Veda shored herself up and announced, “I’m going to call it a night.”

His head went back. “You mean now?”

“It’s getting late.” They had less than an hour until midnight. “No one’s left that I know.”

“You know me.”

Intimately. But better to avoid that fact.

“Lanie’s obviously occupied for a while.” Veda remembered how entranced her friend had looked with her dance partner. She wouldn’t interrupt that chemistry to say good-night. “I’ll call and check in with her tomorrow.”

“You’re not staying over? I thought Lanie might have offered you a—”

“I’m staying at Dad’s tonight.”

A couple of days ago, she had called to give her father a heads-up. When she’d dropped in there earlier today to stash her overnight bag and change, he had been reading a book in his favorite chair. He had complimented her gown, adding, “It must be a swanky event.” When Veda admitted that she was going to help celebrate Lanie’s birthday at the Rawson property, her father’s fingers had tightened around the book. He had restrained himself from trying to talk her out of entering enemy territory, although he had made it clear that he would be waiting up.

Now, from their tucked-away vantage point, Ajax studied the scene again. The party had changed gears, entering the phase when formalities were over. Plenty of guests were still here, happy to let loose. Plenty of women with whom Ajax could become well acquainted.

But he only tugged at his bow tie and released a couple of shirt buttons as he said, “I should call it a night, too. Big day tomorrow. I’ll walk you to your car.”

It had rained earlier. Crossing from the shelter of the tent onto a wet path, Veda scooped up as much of her mermaid dress train as she could. After a few steps, however, some of it slipped, dropping right into a puddle. She was about to dive and rescue what she could, but Ajax had already gone into action.

As if she weighed no more than a bagful of petals, he scooped her up into his arms. When Veda flipped the fabric up and over her lap, Ajax’s gaze caught hers.

“All good?” he asked.

She almost sighed. “All good.”

As they left the party noise behind, rather than focus on her body’s reaction to being pressed up against so much Rawson muscle and heat, she did her best to concentrate on something else.

“When was the family house built?” she asked, studying the majestic shingle-style Victorian.

“The original place was built a hundred and forty years ago,” he said, his big shoulders rolling as she gently rocked to the swing of his step. “It’s still standing just a little north of here.”

Veda wondered if it was anything like the original Darnel house, a gorgeous but pint-size stone structure that she used whenever she stayed over now.

“This house,” Ajax went on, “was built around ten years later. It’s been extended and modernized, but its heart is the same. Earthy. Solid.”

Through some living room windows, she saw a wall filled with family portraits—some recent, others obviously going back years. There wasn’t a single photo displayed in her father’s house anywhere—not of family or graduation. Certainly not of a wedding.

As those portraits slid out of view, Veda sighed. “Lots of happy memories.”

“Oh, man, I had the best childhood. This was a great place to grow up, and with fantastic parents.” As they passed beneath an overhead light, Veda watched a pulse begin to beat in his jaw as his grin faded. “Things changed after Mom died, of course. But we got through it. In some ways, we’re even stronger.”

Veda was happy for them. Was even envious, as a matter of fact. What she wouldn’t give to have been part of a big, happy family. How different her life would have been.

“I didn’t get to meet Griff or Jacob tonight,” she said, “but they looked proud standing behind Lanie with you all before the cake was cut.” After a brief speech, she had thanked everyone for coming; some guests were from as far away as Argentina, Australia and the Netherlands. Lanie’s dressage events took her all over the world.

“Yeah. Great night. And tomorrow morning, over a huge breakfast, all the highlights will be rehashed and new stories shared…until we’re all asking about lunch.”

When he chuckled, Veda noticed that her hand had come to rest upon his chest. Along with the gravelly vibration, she could actually feel his heartbeat against her palm. Then he looked down into her eyes and everything else receded into the background at the same time his gorgeous grin seemed to gravitate a smidgeon closer.

If I wound my fingers into his lapel… she thought, …if I edged up a little and he edged down…

Then—thank God—they arrived at her SUV. Ajax lowered her onto her feet and, as Veda admired his profile—the high brow, hawkish nose and shadowed granite jaw—he gave a thumbs-up to the ad panel for her business painted on the door.

“Best Life Now,” he said. “I like it. Real catchy.” He nodded like he was invested. Like he sincerely wanted to know more. “So how does a person do that—have their best life now? Do you give talks? Teach classes?”

“I do both.” She delivered her automatic line for anyone who showed interest. “You ought to come along to a self-improvement seminar sometime.”

Not that she could possibly tutor him on anything in that regard. Ajax had his life all sorted out. He was exactly where, and how, he wanted to be.

He crossed his arms and assumed a stance that said she had his full attention. “Give me the elevator pitch.”

“You can achieve your best life now by behaving your way to happiness and success,” she replied. “Start with healthy habits and surround yourself with the best. The best friends, the best information, the best advice, and be smart enough to take it. You should also go after the things that matter to you the most. Everyone needs to get behind themselves and push.”

“Sure.” He shrugged. “Get up in the morning and get things done.”

Spoken like someone who’d always had his shit together.

“Did you know that some people struggle to even roll out of bed in the morning? And you need to look beyond the rationale of just being lazy.”

“Look beyond it to what?”

“Maybe past trauma, dysfunctional family, learned helplessness.”

His eyebrows drew together. “You can learn to be helpless?”

“Sure. It can happen if a person feels like they can’t stop the bad stuff from happening, so they just give up.”

The same way Veda had wanted to give up after her mom had died. She wasn’t able to save the person she had loved most in the world. Worse, she had felt responsible for the accident. Constant feelings of worthlessness coupled with guilt had added up to a why the hell bother? mind-set.

Ajax’s expression changed as his eyes searched hers. “There’s a whole lot more to you, isn’t there, Darnel?”

“A few layers. Like most people.”

The perfect Ajax comeback line might be, And I want to peel back every one, starting here, tonight. But there were parts of Veda no one would ever know. Not her father or Lanie. Not Veda’s Best Life Now clients or blog followers. And certainly not Ajax Rawson…family rival, player extraordinaire and proponent of an industry that she wished would disappear.

As if he’d read her mind, Ajax’s jaw tightened and his chin kicked up. Then, rather than delivering a line, he did something that pulled the rug right out from under her feet. He took a measured step back, slipped both hands under his jacket and into his pants pockets. The body language was clear.

Nothing more to say. Won’t hold you up.

After a recalibrating moment, Veda got her rubbery mouth to work. “Well, Ajax…it was good to see you again.”

“You, too, Veda. Take care. Stay well.”

When he didn’t offer a platonic kiss on her cheek—when he only pushed his hands deeper into his pockets—she gave a definitive nod before climbing into her car. But she hadn’t started the engine before his face appeared inches away from her window.

The nerves in Veda’s stomach knotted even tighter. Damn, she had to give it to this man. He’d waited until the very last minute, wanting to catch her completely off guard to ask if he could see her again.

Channeling aloof, Veda pressed a button. As the window whirred down, she got ready for an extra-smooth delivery. But Ajax only pointed down the driveway.

“Take it slow down the hill,” he said. “There’s a sharp bend near the office.”

She blinked. “A bend?”

“It’ll be wet after the rain.”

When he stepped back again, Veda took a moment before winding the window back up, starting the car and driving away.

So…

Score, right?

Rather than trying to charm or argue with her, Ajax had given her what she wanted. A cut-and-dried goodbye. And the bonus: she wasn’t the one receding in Ajax’s rearview mirror. He was receding in hers. In fact, watching his reflection now, she saw how he was literally walking away.

Sighing, Veda settled in for the drive home—or tried to. After being so close to Ajax and his drugging scent, the car smelled stale, and following hours of music and conversation, the cabin was too quiet. Veda flicked on the radio, but she only heard that song playing in her head…the one she and Ajax had danced to all of ten minutes ago.

She shook herself. Thought ahead.

In thirty minutes, she would be turning into the Darnel driveway. She would find her father reclined in his tufted high-backed chair by an unlit fire. After inquiring about her evening, he would calmly regurgitate how he felt about his daughter consorting with the enemy. The Rawsons were cheats who would have their comeuppance. Drake never tired of admitting that he couldn’t wait for the day.

Veda sat forward and looked up. Raindrops were falling again, big and hard on the windshield. She switched on the wipers, imagining her father’s reaction should he ever discover the truth. Not only was his daughter friends with a Rawson, she had also—shock, horror!—slept with one. In his chilling way, Drake would let her know his verdict. She was no better than the woman he had loved or the woman he had married. To his mind, both had betrayed him with a cowboy. Then her father would disown his daughter, the same way he had disowned his wife. And there wouldn’t be a thing she could do about it.

You are dead to me.

Dead. Dead. Dead.

Suddenly that tricky bend was right there in front of her. About to overshoot, Veda wrenched the wheel, slammed on the brake. As her tires slid out, she pulled the wheel the other way and the SUV overcorrected. A surreal moment later, it came to a jolting stop on the grass shoulder, at right angles to a heavy railed fence and the sweeping river of asphalt.

With those wipers beating endlessly back and forth, Veda white-knuckled the wheel, cursing her inattention. Her stupidity. But thankfully, she hadn’t crashed. There was nothing that couldn’t be undone. So pull up your big-girl panties and get back on the road! And she would…as soon as she’d dealt with the tsunami of déjà vu rolling in.

Mom sitting in the front seat of a growling pickup truck. Her cowboy boyfriend looking over his shoulder at Veda in back. A terrifying screech. A crashing, blinding jolt—

When her ears started to ring, Veda pushed open her door and scrambled out.

There were plenty of motels around. Or maybe she should simply drive on through to Jersey. She was under no obligation to see her father tonight. Damn it, her only obligation was to herself.

Not my fault, not my fault, not my fault.

At that moment, just as the skies opened up in earnest, a pair of big hands clamped down on her shoulders and spun her around. With hair whipping over her eyes, it took a moment to recognize the masculine figure, and then the concerned face streaming with rain.

Ajax raised his voice over the downpour. “What the hell are you doing?”

Veda thought about it and shrugged. “I don’t know.”

His brows snapped together before he threw open the back car door and waved an arm.

Get in.

The next second, he was behind the wheel, getting the vehicle back onto the driveway before turning, not toward the house or the main road, but into an offshoot lane. A moment later, they’d pulled up outside a building. After helping Veda out, he handed over her evening clutch from the front passenger seat and led the way to the building’s main entrance.

Soaked through, her soles sliding in their heels, she asked over the noise of the rain, “Where are we?”

“Somewhere safe.”

And yet, as Ajax punched numbers into a control pad by the door, the sign mounted next to it seemed to both mock and warn her.

Rawson Studs.

Satisfaction guaranteed.