| |
Robert decided it was time to host a dinner party for the two families in his private suite at the hotel. From what his mother said, it sounded like it had been a long time since they dined together. He wondered if that was because it was too painful for Becca to be surrounded by the family that was almost hers. If Brandon hadn’t been such a fool, she could have been a Donovan by now.
“There you are, little brother.”
Christopher entered the parlor of the suite alone. Robert had hoped he would arrive with their parents, to avoid the need for a private conversation.
“They are on their way, but I decided to come straight from the office,” said Christopher, reading Roberts thoughts. “I was surprised I even received an invitation at all.”
“Would have been rude of me to exclude my older brother.”
“When have you ever been worried about being rude, Bobby?”
No matter how many times Robert asked him to stop using that childish nickname, Christopher refused to listen. Gritting his teeth, Robert bit back the urge to correct him again.
“How’s business been at the hotel? The lobby seemed a bit empty.”
Christopher didn’t bother to ask permission, but found his way to the sideboard where Robert kept his whiskey and poured a glass. He didn’t ask Robert if he wanted one.
“My guests have better things to do then spend time in the lobby. That doesn’t mean there is no one in the rooms.”
“Seemed very quiet when we got off the elevator.”
“This is my private suite. There is not one else on this floor but me.”
Robert had kept the top floor for himself, turning it into a very nice set of living quarters. It was better than any apartment he might find and not as big as the kind of house his parents owned. Perfect for a bachelor like himself. He had his own private parlor, bedroom, bathroom, and dining room. There was even a dumbwaiter installed in every room so that he could have his dinner served when he wanted. One of the hotel staff was always on hand to answer his bell pull.
“Do you plan to live here for long?” Christopher asked, walking over to one of the large windows overlooking the city.
Robert had made sure he gave himself the best view in the building.
“As long as I need to. It is very convenient for going to the office.”
“You can’t expect to start a family here.”
“There is more than enough room. There are three bedrooms in this apartment. That is larger than most families in the city.”
Christopher smirked but if he was going to say something more, he didn’t get the chance to because more guests arrived. Robert was happy to see his parents arrive. Shortly after that, the O’Hares came. Then they all went in to eat dinner. Christopher was watching him during the meal, but his eyes were focused on Becca. After dinner, while everyone was gathered in the parlor, he saw her sneak away and decided to follow. He managed to catch her in the hallway alone.
“Robert!” she exclaimed as he approached her in the narrow space. “I didn’t realize you followed me.”
“Handling cattle, you learn how to walk softly.”
He lifted her hand up to her chest and he could see it rising rapidly. He had scared her by sneaking up on her. He wondered if her heart was racing at the same speed his was.
“You could be a thief with that kind of skill,” she said jokingly. “You could sneak into people’s bedrooms.”
He only wanted to sneak into hers. “I guess if the hotel fails, I will have another career.”
The both stood there for a moment, smiling at each other but not speaking. Robert realized they hadn’t had a chance to speak all night. Their parents had led most of the discussion. Now that he was faced with the opportunity, he couldn’t think of a single topic to start with.
“I should get back before they miss me.”
Robert turned sideways, to give her the room to pass him in the hallway. The space was narrow but big enough for them both to fit easily. As she brushed past him, he caught the scent of her and acted impulsively. He grabbed her the arm, tuning her to face him and capturing her lips before she could make any sound.
Robert didn’t know who was more surprised by the kiss. They both gasped, parting their lips for each other. He inhaled her breath as he sealed their mouths together. Then he gripped her by the back of the neck as she melted into him.
This was the moment Robert had dreamed of since he was a young man and now that he was experiencing it, he realized his imagination paled in comparison to the real thing.
Becca felt warm and complaint in his hands as he placed them on her hips and steered her back against the wall. He could hear the rustling of her skirts as his legs pressed into them. He felt her legs part to make room and he was able to fit snugly against her body. Her lips were parted and he was devouring the sweet taste of her. She clung to his shoulders to keep from falling as he assaulted her sense. He knew she was feeling the arousal as strongly as he did, because he could hear it in her heavy breathing.
In the distance he could hear the faint sound of footsteps. He quietly prayed for them to halt, but as they kept coming, he knew they couldn't be caught. He wanted to ruin her, but not like this. He wanted her to fall in love with him before that happened.
“Becca,” he said as she continued kissing along his jawline when she tried to pull away. “We must stop.”
“What?”
She looked up at him with such a bewildered look that couldn’t help but place a soft kiss on her cheek.
“We don’t want to be caught like this,” he whispered into her ear. “We must pull ourselves together and rejoin the party.”
At first, he thought she might not understand. She was smiling with her eyes closed and her head leaned back. then she sighed.
“I supposed if we must, we must.”
If she wasn’t beginning to feel something for him, she would have been offended by such advances, but she appeared to enjoy them. Perhaps he was making more progress than he realized.
“Do I look as though I had been ravished?” Becca asked, tugging the wrinkled out of her skirt as he moved to give her more space.
Robert didn’t want to tell her that there was a lot more to being ravished than kissing, but he couldn’t when he saw the softness of her expression toward him.
“You look beautiful,” he mumbled, the words coming out unplanned. They were his actual, raw emotions he was feeling.
“More of your flattery. You will turn a girl’s head.” Becca demonstrated by turning away shyly, but when she turned back, she was grinning.
“When did you become such a flirt?” he asked with a chuckle.
“A flirt?” Christopher asked as he turned the corner to the hallway they were in.
“I was giving Robert a lesson on how to notice when a woman is flirting with him,” Becca said, her expression never changing, “He was worried he might not be able to tell with a New York lady.”
“They do tend to be much more subtle here.” Robert decided to add to her story.
Christopher looked back and forth between the two of them, a skeptical expression on his face.
“Your mother was asking about you,” he said to Becca. “I offered to come find you.”
Robert sensed that was a subtle reminder that they could have been caught by someone worse than him.
“I should get back to her, before she sends the entire party to look.” Becca avoided making eye contact with Christopher as she passed him.
Robert attempted to do the same, but Christopher stepped in front of him.
The two brothers locked eyes for a moment.
“What are you doing?” Christopher asked, his tone hard.
“What do you mean?”
“Don’t try to feign innocence, we both know you are not.”
“What is that intended to mean?”
“That I don’t want you to do anything to hurt that sweet girl. She has been through enough pain because of this family.”
“Are you blaming Brandon for his own death?”
“He chose to leave when he didn’t have to. If he had just stayed here and took the position with the company that I offered him, he could have been happily married and still alive.”
“There was no way he could have known... “
“He knew what he was leaving behind.”
Robert couldn’t disagree with that, because if he had been engaged to Becca, he would have never left the city.
“I don’t want you making this season more difficult for her. Her parents are hoping she will move on from Brandon and still find a good husband.”
“I’m not good enough.”
“We both know you have no intentions to marry her.”
It was difficult to look his brother in the eyes and lie directly. Christopher had always been able to read Robert than most.
“Are you telling me to stay away from her?” Which was going to be impossible.
“I’m telling you not to hurt her.”
“Or what? You and Father will send me away again?”
Christopher took a step forward and Robert backed up without thinking. He shouldn’t have, since they were now the same height and he was much broader than his older brother. The time when Christopher could easily subdue him were long gone, but he still felt the same intimidation.
“Don’t forget who I am. I will ruin you if she gets hurt. I know the things that really matter to you.”
“You would do that to your own brother? You would destroy me?’
“To save her? Without hesitation.”
Robert stood there, watching his brother’s expression for any signs he was lying. Playing poker had made Robert skilled at that. His brother gave nothing away. Christopher must have learned how to hide his emotions from his hours in the boardroom. Being a company leader had its difficulties.
“Fine. I will try to avoid getting entangled with Miss O’Hare, to protect her reputation.”
At first Robert didn’t know if his brother believed him, but it didn’t matter. He might be careful to protect her reputation but that wouldn’t stop him from continuing his plan to break her heart. He could do that while still leaving her untouched in the eyes of society.
“Go back to the party,” Christopher ordered. “I don’t want our own mother worried about you.”
Robert gave his brother a nod of understand and sighed with relief that he hadn’t created a formidable enemy.