Leo knew this was a bad idea. He didn’t want to be sucked into the family business. It had ruined his parents’ marriage, consumed all of his brother’s time, and his sister…well, if his parents had been home more instead of gallivanting around the world in their quest for success, she wouldn’t have been left alone with an eighteen-year-old who detested being stuck babysitting…and in the end had failed her; failed them all. He’d vowed never to take responsibility for anyone else again.
But…an unfamiliar excitement buzzed in his belly, different from his usual forms of pleasure—drag racing, poker games, and women. Those things brought him intense desperation, that wild urge for speed, chance, and self-satisfaction. But this…he’d never felt this way before.
Leo’s gaze drank in the gold wallpaper, dark wood, and bright overhead lights in the foyer. His photographer’s eye saw the potential in this out-of-date B&B. And heaven help him, he wanted it. Giddiness he hadn’t experienced since Christmas morning in his childhood swept through him, and he had the sudden urge to dance a jig.
“What do you mean it could be a winery?”
Karen’s voice was barely a whisper, but he heard it through the buzzing in his ears.
“Can’t you see it?” he asked, and he swept his arms in a wide arc to indicate the room. “Customers will enter through grand double doors into a foyer with a vaulted ceiling and rows upon rows of estate wine. One door will lead out to the vineyard for tours, and another will lead to a huge living space, a common area, where customers staying overnight can hang out and enjoy the evenings. A spiral staircase will lead up to the bedrooms, each with an en suite and a balcony facing the vineyard.”
It clicked together so clearly, like putting the final piece in a puzzle that had taken forever to finish.
“I want this, Karen.”
“And, therefore, you shall have it.”
A bit of the excitement was knocked out of him by her sarcastic comment. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means exactly that. You always get what you want.”
Leo closed the space between them. He hovered a few inches away but didn’t touch her. The green flecks in her eyes darkened in a matter of moments. “Not everything.”
Karen stepped back, and the spell was broken. “Perhaps not, but this is a passing fancy, a new toy that Mr. St. Clare has to have.”
“No!”
“Tell me, do you want this for you or for the family business?”
“The family business. What on earth would I do with a winery?” Prickles of doubt crept across his skin when he considered her questions. Just like in college, she got under his skin and made him doubt himself. No one had been able to do that but her. No one had been able to come so close to the truth but her.
“Is there even a decent vineyard here?” Karen asked, bringing him back to the present.
“We have vines,” Walter said as he entered the room.
“I’d like to see them.” Leo zipped up his coat and headed toward the door.
“Not possible.”
“Why not?” he snapped.
“The storm brewing all day is here.”
Leo went to the window and pulled the curtain back. It was snowing so hard he couldn’t even see the car. Karen joined him at the window and wrapped her arms tight around herself. He noticed her slight shiver and made to put an arm around her shoulders, but she stepped away.
“I need to call Natasha.” Karen dug into her purse for her cell phone.
“There is no cell service or Internet here,” Walter said.
“What about the landline?” Karen asked.
“Dead for the last hour.”
Karen groaned. “Great…I didn’t even realize places were off the grid anymore.”
“I think that is a great feature,” Leo piped up. “Makes the B&B experience more intimate.”
“It also makes it difficult to make reservations,” Karen shot back.
“A minor detail,” Leo said with a smile.
Karen glared daggers at him. “She’s going to fire me if I don’t report in.”
“For the love of Pete…”
She turned to face him, her arms stiff at her side. “Is this some kind of joke to you? All you have to do is flex your muscles and Natasha will melt into your arms and all will be forgiven. Can’t you see how important this job is to me and how she’ll blame me for all your lies?”
“I’ll explain everything.”
“Yeah, like all the other times. You’re only about saving yourself.”
That observation cut right to his heart, and Leo had to take a deep breath to steady his racing pulse.
“I did not order this storm.” As usual, his defense mechanism cut in.
“Did you check the weather before we left?” Karen shot back.
Dammit! He really hadn’t thought this through.
Leo turned to face Walter. “Do you have any idea when this storm will let up?”
“According to the news broadcast in the kitchen, not until morning.”
Behind him, Karen groaned, and his guilt dug a deeper hole in the pit of his stomach.
“Do you have any rooms available for the night?”
Walter flipped through a worn ledger behind the desk. “We are booked up. Only three rooms—”
“Of course,” Leo cut him off. There was no way his Porsche would make it through all that snow. “Is there a nearby motel?”
“Not for many miles. Driving would be dangerous.” Walter frowned.
“The living room, then.”
Karen squeaked. “What?”
“I will pay you for the living room, but I want complete privacy from the other guests.”
“Not possible—” Walter started.
“Then your bedroom. I will pay you ten thousand dollars for the night.”
“I…um…”
Leo could see the moment the dollar amounts registered.
“Let me tidy up for you. Come, have some tea.” Walter dashed out of the room. “Ma, make some tea. Hurry!”
“That was quite impressive,” Karen admitted. She hovered near the small fireplace in the corner. The fire looked about to go out.
Leo grabbed two pieces of wood from the basket and placed them on the fire. It sprang to life, and Karen sighed with relief.
“Thanks.”
“No problem.”
Silence stretched between them but for the clanging of dishes in the next room.
“Are we really going to do this?” Her gaze never left the flames as they danced in the grate.
“Well, we either share a room in this cozy B&B or we sleep in the car.”
“But you’re kicking an elderly couple out of their bedroom. Where will they sleep?”
“I’m sure they have an emergency pull-out couch somewhere.”
“If that’s the case, we should take it.”
“The deal is already made. Besides, I like my privacy.”
Karen’s cheeks flushed a deep red. She stole a glance at him and grinned.
“You’re seriously considering the car, aren’t you?”
“For you.” She stifled a laugh at his look of shock. The sound gave him a spark of hope that her anger had ebbed a bit. “Come on. Our tea is going to get cold and I want to hear about the vision you have for this place.” The look of worry in her eyes didn’t match the forced happiness of her voice.
He realized then that he’d rather have her screeching mad than see that sad and disappointed look. He wasn’t looking forward to tomorrow, but tonight he could make sure they forgot all about it.
»»•««
A fire burned pleasantly in the grate as they sipped their tea. Leo had pulled two armchairs close to the fire with an end table between them. So cozy and surreal. It made such a domesticated scene, sitting there with the man her heart couldn’t let go of with a storm in full force outside.
Her stomach growled, but Karen didn’t know if it was from hunger or nerves. She knew without a doubt that she’d be out of a job when they returned to the city, and the thought made her nauseous. What on earth would she do? What would she tell Anna?
Yet, even with all the mounting stress, her thoughts kept drifting to later, when they would be sharing a bedroom…and maybe a bed. No, she would make sure that didn’t happen. The heartache she could do without.
But she admired him nonetheless over the rim of her teacup. His long blond hair was disheveled from the number of times he’d run his hands through it. He’d taken off his jacket and sweater and wore a light gray short-sleeve T-shirt that clung to him like a second skin. She itched to trace her fingers along his six-pack and the biceps that were like mini mountains.
“You look a bit flushed. If you want, I can move the chairs farther away from the fire.”
Karen’s gaze darted from his well-toned arms to his eyes that, if they could, appeared to be silently laughing at her.
“I’m fine,” she muttered, and she took another sip of tea.
“Yes, you are.”
“Leo!”
He smiled and reclined in his chair like a man with no worries in the world. “Well, I’m not blind. That sweater dress you have on is leaving little to the imagination.”
“This outfit is work conservative,” she defended as she put down her cup and tried to stretch the dress to her knees.
“Oh, don’t do that.” His voice took on a sultry tone, and Karen was sure her knees turned as red as her cheeks.
She had to change the subject before she turned into a big pile of goo and slid to the floor. “Quit it,” she whispered then more firmly, “Quit stalling.”
“What do you mean?” Leo took another sip of his tea, his gaze still focused on her legs.
“I want to know what’s going on with you, with this place.”
“Nothing is going on with me.” He stood, grabbed a piece of wood, and placed it on the fire. Instead of sitting back down, he paced in the small space between them. He reminded Karen of a caged lion.
“Why this sudden change of heart about your parents’ business?”
Leo ran a hand through his hair and down the side of his neck, where he massaged a knot. “I’m helping them out of a bind. Mom and Dad are in France and my brother is in California, but they were interested in a property in New York. As I am in said location, it made sense to call me in.”
The words coming out of his mouth sounded true, yet Karen noticed an internal struggle she’d never associated with Leo before. Had he really agreed to help his parents out? Or was he settling a personal score? Perhaps he meant to steal this from under his parents’ well-meaning noses?
Karen concentrated on the bitterness of her tea so she didn’t have to ponder that question.
Walter’s large frame filled the doorway. “We’ve arranged a private dinner for you in the formal dining room,” he announced. “Please follow me.”
“Thank you, Walter.”
“I don’t remember seeing a formal dining room,” Leo observed as they followed Walter down the hallway.
“He wasn’t overly excited to show you the place,” Karen reminded Leo. “He could’ve easily skipped it during the tour.”
“Right.”
Walter led them down a long, winding hallway. At the end of the hall, double doors stood open to reveal a six-person table in front of a roaring fire. Textured wallpaper covered the walls, and heavy burgundy velvet drapes hung from ceiling-high windows. Beneath their feet, the cream-colored carpet was worn and dirty from years of use.
Karen stood next to the table and admired the old blue and white chinaware. The wine goblets were already full of a full-bodied red, and a basket of buns and creamy butter sat in the middle of the table.
“What’s for dinner, Walter?” Leo asked.
Walter cleared his throat. “Ma’s famous garden salad and ravioli.”
“Sounds wonderful,” Karen said. “We can’t wait.”
Walter nodded and left.
“A toast then?” Leo picked up a wine glass, sniffed, swirled, and held it up to the light.
Karen followed suit and then raised her glass to him. “To a gentle storm and safe travels.”
They clinked their glasses, but before they sipped, Leo added, “To a warm fire, a warm bed, and a long night.”
Karen’s cheeks burned under his sultry stare, and she sipped long and hard. The wine burned down her throat, settling comfortably in her belly. The lingering taste on her tongue was quite delightful.
“This is very good wine.”
Leo nodded. “It is, isn’t it?”
He pulled out a chair for Karen and she sat. The other place setting was at the opposite end, but Leo gathered up each piece and set the space beside Karen, making it very intimate.
“If the wine they are turning out is this good in all the barrels, it might be worth it to go in at top dollar.”
“Definitely.”
“My parents will be thrilled.”
“Probably.”
“The wine could even be altered a bit to really be a hit and get this place on the map.”
“Won’t your parents want to have their own wine at the B&B?”
“Yes, they’d have bottles shipped here, but these vines will be different from the others—stronger, more durable and resilient in this type of weather. A different wine. A rebel…”
Karen visualized the gears turning in Leo’s head. He genuinely seemed excited about this project for his parents. It appeared that after Fashion Week was over he’d have a new pet project to keep him busy and perhaps keep him in New York longer. That thought sent a quick ripple of excitement through her, but then it died off. As of tomorrow, she might not have a job, and, knowing Natasha, she’d make sure Karen couldn’t get a job anywhere else in town. She’d be better off to book her flight back home as soon as she could. She could always play it safe and take an internship in Vancouver, closer to home and Anna.
“You could, but you won’t get the recognition you need.”
Karen looked up from the pattern on the plate she’d been admiring. “Talking out loud again?”
“Yes.” Leo took her hands, and sensation zipped along her spine, making her shiver.
“Sorry.”
“Don’t be. I get it. Being safe is, well, safe. Something I’m an expert at. I’ve been doing it for far too long. It’s time for a change.”
Karen let her gaze drift across his face. “Is that why you took the Fashion Week job?”
“One of the reasons. I was antsy, and photography to me is like designing for you. It just is.”
Karen understood that.
“Coming to New York wasn’t for the models and the parties?”
Leo released one of her hands to take a sip of wine. “I’d be lying if I said no. At the time of the call, I’d been bored, restless, and desperate to seek out some fun. The gig took second place.”
“And when did the gig take precedence?”
“The moment I saw you again.”
Karen swallowed the lump in her throat. “Really?”
“I was a shadow of myself, going through the motions ever since college. You brought me back to life.”
Karen’s breath hitched. This was not the Leo St. Clare she remembered. He never would have admitted to such intimate emotions. But acknowledging them would only get her hopes up, and that was something she had no interest in.
Yet her stubborn head had to have an answer to the one question that had haunted her since college, even though her heart screamed it didn’t matter anymore.
She took a deep breath to steady her racing heart and looked down at her hands that lay entwined on her lap. She could do this. Looking up at Leo, she blurted, “So what happened in college that had you so shaken up? That had you turn our budding relationship into a one-night stand so that we wouldn’t speak again until five years later?”
Leo’s eyes narrowed to slits and his mouth creased into a deep frown. He rose so quickly his chair caught on the carpet and toppled over.
In her attempt to catch the chair, she knocked her wine glass over, the red liquid instantly staining the white tablecloth. “Dammit!”
“The salad is ready,” Walter said as he walked in with two small plates and placed them between the cutlery.
Karen saw his look of surprise at the stain and immediately started apologizing. “Walter, I am so sorry. I can take it and start soaking it for you.”
“No, no. Ma will know what to do. I will leave for now.”
Once Karen and Leo were alone again, the awkwardness between them was heightened.
“Let’s eat,” Leo suggested.
“Fine.”
Karen sat and pulled her chair closer to the table as Leo picked up his chair. He poured more wine into her glass and topped his off.
The strained silence between them was almost unbearable save for the crackling fire. She’d put her fear aside to get answers that had haunted her for so long, and what had she gotten for it? The silent treatment. She’d rather be yelling and screaming at him. Or kissing him.
Where had that thought come from? She chanced a quick glance at Leo to see if she’d said it aloud, but he was busy tossing his salad in between bites. Karen exhaled a sigh of relief and started pushing her salad around the plate, her appetite gone.
“Don’t like it?” Leo asked.
“Oh, I’m sure it’s fine.” Karen forced herself to take a bite, and raised her eyebrows in surprise. “This is really good.”
“So far it’s two for two.” Leo took a big sip of his wine then got up and stood by the fire.
“Perhaps you could get her recipes.”
“Already ahead of you.” Leo turned and grinned at her before raising his glass in salute.
Karen hated to wreck the easy mood that appeared to be returning, but they needed to talk. She needed to know before her circumstances sent her away from him.
“We need to talk about this.”
“We don’t.”
“Leo, come on. You ending our friendship and disappearing after what I’d thought was a wonderful night of lovemaking has been the cause of a good chunk of my issues right now.”
“Don’t blame me for your insecurities.”
“Oh, not all of them. But what is a girl to think about her sexuality, about herself as a woman and her attraction, when something like that happens?”
Leo stared into the fire, a frown so fierce on his face that Karen thought he might start to scream.
“Growing up wasn’t easy for me,” she continued. “My lanky athletic body and boy-short hair put me in the path of every bully in school. I wasn’t pretty or popular no matter that I excelled in sports.”
“Karen…”
“When I finally got a bit of confidence, due to a sexy guy at college who actually liked me for me, it made all the heartache worth it.” She turned away from him and the warmness of the fire. “But you turned out to be the worst one of all, didn’t you?” She could feel tears forming in the corners of her eyes and swiped them away briskly. “I don’t know what I did to make you run…and I don’t care anymore. It’s time for me to move on, get my confidence back, and quit living in the past.” Waiting for you.
His hands were suddenly on her shoulders, turning her to face him. “You were waiting for me?”
Karen closed her eyes. She had to stop verbalizing her thoughts. “No.”
“But you just said—”
“Well, I say a lot of things I don’t mean.”
Leo tilted her chin upward. “Liar.”
Karen sighed in frustration, but then her lips quivered when he placed his only inches away…reminding her of another kiss. Another man.
“I was waiting for you, but no longer. I’ve found another.”
Leo kissed her lips ever so lightly then smiled. “Oh really?”
Karen tried to steady her shaky legs. “Um…yes.”
“And who is this someone? Have you known him long?”
Leo wrapped his arms around her, and she found it very disconcerting. What is he playing at now?
“We haven’t known each other long, but that doesn’t matter,” she rushed at the look of surprise on his handsome features.
“Oh kaaay.”
“He was the guy I went out with on Valentine’s Day.”
“Yesterday? You’re moving on with a guy you went out with yesterday?”
Karen broke free from his embrace and took a big sip of wine, being careful not to knock it over again. “You make it sound so cheap.”
“I guess I expected better of you.”
Karen spun around, hands clenched at her sides. “How dare you!”
“The main course is ready.” Walter’s voice drifted in from the hallway.
“Great,” Karen mumbled under her breath. “Walter probably heard everything.”
“I’ll be sure to leave a huge tip.”
“Because money cures wagging tongues.”
“Not always, but Walter is a good guy.”
Karen smiled when Walter walked in with two trays. “Smells divine, Walter.”
“Ma went all out.”
“Our warmest regards to the chef, “Leo said as they sat at the table.
They tucked into the lobster ravioli, and Karen moaned with delight. “This is the best meal I’ve ever had.”
Walter’s cheeks turned a bright red. “Ma will be very pleased to hear that.” He refilled their wine glasses and took his leave, but not before advising them that dessert would be chocolate cherry cheesecake with a dessert wine.
“If Bea is retiring, you must keep in touch, or I’ll figure out a way to bring her home with me. Her food is to die for.” Karen sighed before scooping another bite of ravioli into her mouth.
Leo laughed. “I will do my best.”
They talked more about Leo’s vision for the B&B, and Karen couldn’t help the excitement that built in her chest. He sounded genuinely happy and had some amazing ideas. But as they sat around the fire eating the last few bites of cheesecake, she knew she had to establish boundaries for them and move forward as friends.
“I’m going to go out with Paul again.”
Leo pulled his gaze away from the fire. “Paul?” He dragged out the syllable.
“Yes. My Valentine’s Day date.”
“Right.”
“I would like you and me to remain friends.”
“Of course.”
Karen nodded. “Good.” That was easy.
Then why did she have a dull ache in her gut and a huge inclination to cry?
She downed the rest of her wine. At the table, the absence of the fire’s warmth had her shivering.
“I was in a bad place back then.” Leo’s voice barely rose above a whisper.
“What?”
“I had a concrete shell around me that kept me safe…kept me sane.”
Karen moved closer to the fire, where Leo had pulled his chair then sat on the bearskin rug at his feet.
“And it worked great…until you came along. You grew on me and I let my guard down. My walls started to crumble and soon I was vulnerable again. But as is your way, you asked one too many questions…or possibly the one question I couldn’t answer.”
Karen remembered that day like it had happened only moments ago. It had been an unusually hot spring day, and they’d been on the beach sun tanning. Leo had been rubbing suntan lotion on her back. She’d been so relaxed, so happy, and so sure of her love for this man and the place she’d made in this college world of hers that words had flowed from her like a waterfall. She’d wanted to know everything about Leo, from his favorite color to his most embarrassing moment.
It’d been when she’d started asking questions about his family that she noticed a change in his mood and tone. She left it alone, and when they’d returned to his dorm room, they made passionate love. In her sated afterglow she’d resumed her questions, forgetting how upset Leo had been on the beach. When she’d woken late the next morning, it’d been to a cold bed and then a walk of shame past his buddies.
“What question did I ask?”
“It was so long ago, Karen. Why do you still want to know?”
“Why won’t you tell me?” she snapped back.
“I honestly can’t remember.”
“Now who’s the liar?”
Leo grabbed her arm and pulled her off the floor and into his lap. “You are.”
“I am not!”
“And your delusional future with Paul?”
Karen opened her mouth, but nothing came out.
“No delusions,” she finally managed to say. “He kissed me and I knew.”
“He kissed you, did he?”
Karen nodded, her gaze never leaving his.
“Did he kiss you like this?” Leo’s mouth swooped down on hers and she was lost.
»»•««
His kiss was rough and he knew it. She squirmed in his arms a bit, but he refused to let her go. Did she really believe it had been Paul who’d kissed her the night before in the restaurant? A strong possessiveness took hold, along with the irrational thought that she should’ve known.
And who moved on with a man because of his kiss? His grip on her upper arms increased, and she moaned against his lips. No, he didn’t want to punish her; he wanted her to realize who her mystery man really was and then decide who she wanted to be with.
Softening the pressure of his lips, Leo ran his tongue along Karen’s full bottom lip and then dipped inside to start a slow tangle with her tongue. She tasted delicious, with hints of chocolate and cherry. Concentrating on that intoxicating combination, he deepened the kiss and pressed his body closer to hers.
Leaving her luscious mouth, he kissed a trail down her neck. Her pulse raced, and out of the corner of his eye he could see her chest rising and falling with her labored breaths. He ran his hands up her arms and her neck and then into her hair. He looked into her green eyes and saw the moment she realized the truth. Then he saw the confusion…and something else he couldn’t quite name.
Abandoning all common sense, he began his seduction by lowering her to the rug in front of the fire. The fire spat and crackled, but it dimmed in comparison to the roaring in his ears. He had to have her—now.
“Leo,” she breathed.
“Shhh…” Facing the fire, he lay beside her to shield her body from prying eyes. He ran his hand down the length of her body, spending extra time on her breasts and hips. With each pass of his hand, her dress rose higher and higher up her thighs. In no time at all he saw her pink lace panties, and he caressed the edges ever so gently. Karen’s body wiggled beside him in response.
“We shouldn’t…” she began, and she closed her eyes as his hand made its way up her stomach to linger below her bra line.
“Oh, we definitely should,” he whispered in her ear before kissing the delicate flesh.
She shivered under his touch, and his heart soared with excitement as his eyes glazed over in lust. Karen had no reason to lack confidence—not where her body was concerned. She was a piece of art. Slim and toned, with a tiny waist and beautiful breasts cupped perfectly in a matching pink lace bra.
Karen watched him with a gaze quite bold and daring, and he wanted to know if her hands and lips would be as bold. He took hold of one of her hands and placed it on his hip. As he’d hoped, she squeezed and inched her way to his groin. He gritted his teeth and took a deep breath. He didn’t know how much longer he could continue this seduction.
Karen sat up and pushed him down when he tried to join her. “My turn.”
Leo gulped as her hands roamed over his clothes. She undid his belt, followed by his pant zipper and button. In one swift movement, she straddled his hips and her hands were under his T-shirt, tracing his abs. She leaned forward, bringing his shirt with her, and he made quick work of removing it and tossing it on the floor.
Karen wiggled her hips down, and she kissed his neck and chest down to his treasure trail. If she wasn’t careful, he was worried he would explode right there.
“Oh, no, my sweet,” he hissed to control his raging lust. “You need to behave. Wait, no…I can’t believe I said that.”
“Me neither,” she said, and she continued kissing him.
From a faraway place he thought he heard his name, followed by a few loud bangs.
“Mr. St. Clare?”
Leo grabbed Karen’s arms to still her.
“Mr. St. Clare, your room is ready.”
“Thank you, Walter. Can you give us a few minutes and we’ll meet you in the foyer?”
“Of course.”
Karen stood and tugged her dress down her hips. “Do you think he saw us?”
Leo sat up. “No. But I do believe he knew to stay out of sight.”
“Do you think there are cameras in here?”
“No.” At least he hoped not.
After donning his shirt, Leo went to the table and picked up their wine glasses. Karen grabbed the wine bottle and smiled.
“We can have fun with this.”
Leo almost choked on his moan. “Upstairs…now,” he growled.
Karen giggled and dashed out of the dining room, Leo close behind.