Desire pulled into the driveway at the side of her parents’ home, turned off her engine, exited her car, and walked across the lawn toward the back of the house.
It was early on Saturday morning, but her parents, Gerald and Ruth Summers, had always been early risers, as was she this morning. She was still astonished that she’d been able to sleep last night after the day she’d had juggling her time and emotions between the two Hunter brothers. Nevertheless, she’d slept more peacefully than she had for a long time.
She knew without a doubt that her serenity was due to the fact that Chase was back in her life and still as much in love with her as she was with him. The only anxiety Desire felt now was that of seeing Chase tonight, being with him in the most intimate way a man and woman could be together. Finally, they would be able to express their love for each other—openly and freely.
The anticipation sent waves of excitement through her as she opened the door. The kitchen was empty, but the smell of eggs, pancakes, and maple syrup, and the used plates on the table told her that her parents had already eaten breakfast and were probably in the living room watching CNN over coffee. It was a ritual they’d developed after her mother had retired from her job as principal of Evergreen Elementary School.
During good or at least tolerable weather, they would end their morning ritual by walking the trails behind their development. In inclement weather, they would drive to the mall and take their walk inside.
As Desire strolled through the kitchen and dining room, she prayed that she and Chase would still love each other and want to spend time together when they were her parents’ age. Theirs was a love that grew stronger and stronger with time, just as hers and Chase’s would, she thought, happiness springing from deep within her as she entered the living room.
“Now that’s the smile of a woman in love,” her father said from the recliner—his favorite spot on the sectional. He flashed his pearly whites at her, his brown eyes twinkling with merriment, as he immediately opened his arms wide.
Desire placed her keys on the mantel over the fireplace and, walking across the room, she sat beside her father and wrapped her arms about him. Once a medium-built man of average height, her father had lost a few pounds over the past few months. He would diminish even more once his chemo began. She swallowed the lump in her throat as the faint scent of musk from his cologne tickled her nose. “Hi, Daddy.” She splayed her hands over his short, curly salt-and-pepper hair, knowing that in a few months, maybe weeks, it would all be gone. Again.
“Hi, baby.” He squeezed her a little bit longer and harder than usual, making her heart pound with love and guilt. “What are you doing here so early?” he asked, releasing her.
“I was just about to ask the same question,” her mother said. She muted the TV before giving Desire a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek. “If you’d called, we would have held breakfast for you. It’s been a while since we had breakfast together. Do you want me to make you something?”
“No.” Desire placed a restraining hand on her mother’s arms as she attempted to get up. “I’m fine.” She smiled at her mother, a slender woman with brown eyes, high cheekbones and a mouth that always seemed to be on the verge of smiling. Desire had always been told that she had her mother’s mouth and her father’s eyes.
“So what brings you by so early? Not that we don’t love having you drop by anytime,” her mother said.
“I need to talk to both of you.” She looked from one to the other.
Her father’s grin widened over his coffee mug. “About the wedding?”
“Actually, yes. But—” A faint thread of hysteria fluttered in Desire’s belly. Anxious to get her life going in the right direction for once, she’d stopped by on her way to the spa to inform her parents that her engagement to Chad was off. But looking at her father now, she realized that it was going to be even more difficult than she’d thought. No matter how gentle she tried to be, she would break his heart.
“Did you and Chad set a date? You’re not planning on a long engagement, I hope. You know I may not have a lot of time.”
“No, Daddy, we haven’t set a date.”
“Well, let us know as soon as you do, Desire,” her mother piped in. “And like your father said, don’t wait too long. I’ll have to plan a dinner party for the Hunters and us, but I would like to do it before your father begins his treatments. You know how sick he was the first time.”
Desire nodded, too choked to speak. She stared blindly at the CNN news reporter on the TV. The reporter’s mouth was going a mile a second, but her message was falling on deaf, impassive ears. She didn’t need any reminders of her father’s impending doom, and although her parents were only being pragmatic, the truth of that reality pricked her to the core.
She glanced at her father, his smile cutting into her like shards of glass. She loved him, and although she knew he was trying to protect her, she was nevertheless angry with him for destroying Chase’s letter.
“So if it’s not about the date, what did you want to talk to us about?” Her mother pulled her feet up under her like a little girl, and turned sideways to look at Desire. “You want me to help you pick out a wedding dress, a cake, shop for your honeymoon wardrobe?” she asked excitedly.
“I would love for you to help me with all that Mom, but the truth of the matter is, I’m not—”
“Aunt Ruth? Uncle Gerry?”
Desire closed her eyes at the sound of Lisa’s voice coming from the kitchen. What was she doing here? All of a sudden, her parents’ house had become Grand Central Station.
“In here, Lisa,” Ruth responded to her niece.
Lisa walked in, but as soon as she spotted Desire, surprise siphoned the cheery smile from her face. “Hey, cuz. I didn’t know you were here.”
“I guess my car didn’t give me away, huh?” Desire forced herself to breathe normally. She hadn’t talked to Lisa since yesterday morning when Lisa had told her about her night with Chase. There was no need for Desire to be upset with Lisa. When Lisa had slept with Chase, she didn’t have all the facts about Chase and Desire’s relationship, just as Desire didn’t have all the facts about Chase when she’d agreed to marry Chad. She was certain that if her cousin knew that she still loved Chase, she would not have slept with him. They’d always been close and would never intentionally hurt each other. “What are you doing here?” she asked Lisa.
“You haven’t told her yet, Aunt Ruth?” Lisa asked as she sat on a chair on the other side of the recliner.
“Tell me what?” Desire frowned at the awkward look that her parents and Lisa exchanged.
Her father cleared his throat. “Your mother asked Lisa to move in with us.”
“Why?”
“To help me with your dad. You remember how difficult it was the first time. Well, I’m not as young anymore and I will need someone here, especially at night.”
“I can do that. I can help.” She looked at her parents. “I helped out the last time.”
“Yes, Desire,” Lisa said, “but you’re getting married. You have a wedding to plan. You and Chad. Who would have guessed? I like him. I think you make a cute couple. Maybe me and—”
“Lisa.” From the look on her face and the tone of her voice, Desire could just imagine what was going on in Lisa’s mind. Two cousins marrying two brothers.
Lisa pursed her lips, indicating she’d gotten the message. “The thing is, you should be concentrating on your wedding. Aunt Ruth and Uncle Gerry were there for me when my mom died and my dad remarried and moved out west. It’s my turn to give back. I don’t mind. We’re family, and family look out for each other, especially in the time of need.”
“I don’t want anything to distract you from your wedding plans,” her father said. “I want to walk you down the aisle while I still have strength in my body, and look halfway decent doing it. Can you give me that, baby?” he asked, taking her hand and squeezing it in his.
Tears stung Desire’s eyes. “Yes, Daddy, I can, and I will give you that. I’ll set a date soon, but the thing is—” Desire glanced over at Lisa. She wanted so much to tell her father that he would be walking her down the aisle sooner than he thought, and hopefully hold his first grandchild in his arms before he died, but throwing her rekindled happiness in her cousin’s face in front of her parents would be cruel. She had no wish to hurt Lisa, even though Lisa had been quick and all too anxious to share the details of her one night of sex with Chase, and had also almost just broadcast it to her parents. The last thing she wanted was for her father to find out that Chase had slept with Lisa. It would just give him one more reason to hate Chase.
Desire took a deep, calming breath and blanketed the images that rose to her mind. It was in the past, even though recent. She and Chase were starting over. That meant forgiving and forgetting all the hurt and pain they’d caused each other before yesterday. All she wanted now was for her family and the Hunters to band together as one.
“What were you going to say, Desire?” her mother asked.
“I’m hosting a dinner party tomorrow night.”
“For whom?” her father asked.
“For our family, you included, Lisa, and the Hunters, Chad and Azura.”
“What about—”
“I will be making the announcement of my wedding date,” she said, cutting Lisa off for the second time. Didn’t her cousin get it?
Lisa sat back, clamped her mouth shut, and twisted a strand of her bleached blond hair around her finger.
“That’s a wonderful idea, Desire,” her mother said, smiling happily. “We should all be told at the same time, so we can all be on the same page from beginning to end.”
“So you’re really getting married?” her father asked with tears in his eyes.
Desire hugged him. “Yes, Daddy.” Tomorrow night, she would kill all her birds with one stone. She hoped that after the surprise had worn off, the two families would be able to settle down, forgive, heal, and band together as one family, wanting the same thing—for their children to be happy.
Although, she thought, it wouldn’t be a surprise for her father since he already knew—had known for years—how Chase felt about her. But Desire chose not to dwell on her father’s shortcomings. It was in the past.
“By the way, am I your maid of honor?” Lisa asked.
“Of course. You’re my best friend.”
“Sweet. Girl, we will have so much fun planning this wedding. I can’t wait.”
I hope you’ll still feel the same way when you hear that I’m marrying Chase.
* * *
The sun was high in the sky when Chase walked out of Joanne’s Boutique. Yet he decided not to don his sunglasses. There was no reason for him to hide anymore. He was back, for real, and he wanted the whole world to know.
As he crossed the street, he pulled his phone from his pocket. He needed to hear Desire’s voice, to tell her that he loved her, and that he was looking forward to seeing her tonight. But before he could dial, his phone rang.
He stopped short as he recognized the number. His first reaction was to ignore it, but past experiences had taught him that it was better to deal with a molehill before it grew into a mountain.
He raised the phone to his ear. “Hi, Lisa.”
“Hey, Chase,” she said in a distinctly provocative voice. “How have you been? I hope you’re settling in nicely.”
“I am. Thank you.”
“No! Thank you. That was some homecoming, huh?” She giggled.
Chase swallowed. He’d opened the door when he’d slept with her. He had to close it before she advanced any farther. “Lisa, I—”
“If you’re up to it, there’s more where all of that came from. I’m working today, but if you’re free tonight, we can—”
“I’m not free, Lisa,” Chase said, as he reached his bike. He cradled his phone on his shoulder and unlocked the chain to his helmet.
“Okay, then maybe tomorrow? I’m off. We can spend the whole day having at each other.”
“I’m sorry, Lisa, but what happened between us shouldn’t have happened. I apologize for—” He stopped, not wishing to make her feel used, which she was. “I shouldn’t have called you.”
“Chase, come on, I’m a big girl. If you’re worried that I’m going to stake some kind of claim on you, I won’t. We’re just having fun. Right?” She paused. “I mean, if you want more out of the relationship, I’m open.” She giggled again at the double entendre. “You know what I mean.”
A stab of guilt ripped through his chest. “It was fun.” He could give her that much satisfaction. “I like you, Lisa, and I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Oh my God, you saw Desire. She told you that I told her about us. Are you mad?”
There’s no us. “I’m not mad at you. I’m mad at myself for allowing it to happen. And no, Desire didn’t tell me anything. When I saw the two of you on her porch yesterday morning, I figured out what you were talking about from the looks on your faces.” You told her, even though I asked you not to.
“I’m sorry, Chase. I knew she was crushing on you when she was a kid, but when you told me she was engaged to Chad, I figured she’d gotten over her childhood infatuation.”
“Quite understandable. The thing is…” He paused, remembering that Lisa had difficulty keeping her mouth shut. She’d probably only kept his return a secret because she wanted to stay on his good side to get a few more slices of him. He should definitely not tell her that he and Desire were in love. The public should hear it from him and Desire when they were ready to announce it, not from her cousin.
“The thing is what, Chase?”
He cleared his throat. “The thing is, what happened between us will never happen again. I’m not that Chase from the past. Casual sex isn’t gratifying for me anymore. The next time I make love to a woman, it has to mean something. It would be because I’m in love with her. I know that’s not what you want to hear, Lisa, but—”
“No problem, Chase. I understand. But if you ask me, you haven’t changed. You’re still a hound. I consider myself used,” she said, and immediately hung up.
A queasy feeling settled in Chase’s belly as he mounted his bike. This mountain was never a molehill. It had appeared, fully-grown, the moment he’d picked up the phone and called Lisa two nights ago.
Damn! Damn! Damn!
* * *
Desire beamed with excitement, anticipation, and curiosity as the white limo transported her to the still undisclosed location of her rendezvous with Chase.
“I might as well be blindfolded,” she muttered, staring at the black shutters locked into place across the heavily tinted windows. The privacy partition was up, sealing her off from her driver and the rest of the world. She was alone, cocooned in a chamber of leather, glass, chrome and polished wood trim, with water, and Miguel singing “Coffee in the Morning.”
Yep, it will be coffee in the morning, she thought, smiling wantonly at the edited version of the song. She glanced down at her attire, still awed at the splendor and intricate details of her Monique Lhullier Off-the-Shoulder Ruched Mikado Gown, Dark Red—as the tag had stated. In layman’s terms, the nylon, spandex, and silk gown had an off-the-shoulder sweetheart neckline, a V-back, cap sleeves, a pleated full skirt with tulle details at the sides, and a rounded hem that swept the floor when she walked. Silver stilettos, decorated with rhinestones and a silver satin clutch completed her wardrobe.
Desire had never felt so beautiful, so attractive, so feminine, so sophisticated before. It was even more special because the man she loved had obviously gone to great lengths to plan this night. He’d picked out the perfect dress and shoes, the perfect size, just to prove how much he loved, cherished, and adored her. This was the kind of date Bryce and his friends, and other wealthy, and not-so-wealthy husbands who worshipped their wives planned for them. She’d seen them around town, and although she’d been bitten with the little jealous bug, Desire had always been happy to see that true love did exist. Now, it was her turn to experience that kind of devotion. Chase was giving her the royal experience.
Desire’s heart fluttered wildly. Tonight, she was Cinderella, Belle, Aurora, and all the other princesses in the fairy tales her mother used to read to her when she was a little girl. Then when she was too old for fairy tales, Chase had read her a different kind of story.
Her eyes grew misty at the memory of sitting next to him on their porch swing sipping hot cocoa in the fall and spring, and lemonade in the summer while he read to her about great African and Egyptians queens, like Nefertiti of Egypt, Candace of Ethiopia, and Makeda of Sheba with whom King Solomon had fallen in love. She’d loved the Queen of Sheba most, because even at a young age, she was already fantasizing about Chase falling in love with, and marrying her. Chase was King Solomon and she was Makeda. And here she was, on her way to the ball, where her king, the man of her dreams, awaited her.
Desire bit her lips as she tried to guess their dinner venue. She could count on one hand the number of restaurants in Granite Falls that would warrant such elegance and sophistication: Hotel Andreas, Ristorante Andreas, The Odyssey, The Iliad, and Whisperwind—Hotel Andreas being the most sophisticated and Whisperwind the least. She could rule out The Odyssey. Chase would never take her there tonight of all nights when he knew it was where Chad had proposed to her.
Curiosity gnawed at Desire as her fingers toyed with the heart-shaped diamond pendant at the base of her neck and the matching studs in her ears. Her dress, her shoes, her accessories, and her jewelry had all arrived by special delivery this afternoon. The card inside had simply read, Forever Yours.
She didn’t have to guess who had sent them. The question that had been hammering at her since the delivery was where had Chase gotten this kind of money to lavish on her? She’d seen this gown in Joanne’s Boutique, and knew that it cost more than a field hand on an Iowa farm made in six months. She knew enough about jewelry to know that the set she wore cost more than most people made in five years—herself included.
So what was up with Chase? Who was he, really?
Desire took a sip of water and leaned back into the leather sofa, her forehead furrowing as she reflected on their time in their hideaway yesterday. Chase’s hands were manicured, the tips rounded, his palms smooth and strong as he’d caressed her. They weren’t the hands of a farm worker. His skin was tanned, a little darker than it was before he left, but he wasn’t sunburnt. He was olive toned like Massimo Andretti and Adam Andreas—billionaires who spent time in the sun because they desired to, not because they had to.
As she thought about it now, Desire realized that she’d had her first clue the morning Chase had shown up at her business, smelling delightfully irresistible. Straight to Heaven wasn’t the kind of cologne a farm worker could afford. And then the silk shirt and dress pants and expensive Italian leather shoes he’d been wearing yesterday…
Desire shuddered on a breath as she came to terms with the only explanation. Chase was rich. Filthy rich. When he’d told her that he’d changed, that he wasn’t the same man who’d left Evergreen, he’d been hinting at much more than his character. Why was he hiding behind his jeans and Carver Farm T-shirt? Why was he riding around on his old bike instead of in a car? How could she not have put two and two together before now?
Because you were preoccupied with Chad’s cheating and your father’s illness.
Right on cue, she thought as her intercom buzzed. She pressed the button on the side of the door. “Yes.”
“We have arrived at our destination, Ms. Summer. I trust your ride was pleasant,” her chauffeur said.
Desire cleared her throat as her heart began to pound. She couldn’t believe how giddy she felt, like this was her first date, ever. “Yes, it was pleasant, although it probably would have been even more so if I were allowed to enjoy the scenery.”
“I’m sorry. I’m just following orders.”
“It’s okay. I understand.”
“Have a wonderful evening, ma’am.”
“Thank you.” She pulled out the compact mirror from a compartment in the door and glanced at her reflection. Her makeup was still fresh—her lip gloss and her updo hairstyle still in place. She touched the few tendrils of black curls brushing her cheeks and shoulders before picking up her clutch.
A few seconds later, the limo door opened, and her heart went into lockdown at the sight of Chase standing in the courtyard of—yep, as she’d guessed—Hotel Andreas.
He looked dashing, elegant, in a black tux, white shirt, and a black bow tie. His luscious dark hair fell like a silk curtain from his crown to frame the outline of his chiseled, shaven face and brush against his wide shoulders. Behind him, the wall of water fountains with light bulbs floating through the streams added a hint of mystique to his lure. Chase Hunter was irresistible in jeans and T-shirt, but dressed like this, he possessed the unequivocal power to send a woman into cardiac arrest.
Desire’s heart lurched madly in her chest.
He seemed to understand exactly what was going on inside her and smiled wickedly as his gaze traveled slowly and appreciatively down her body, then back up to her face. As their gazes tangled, a powerful flood of lust settled between Desire’s thighs.
He hadn’t touched her physically, yet, but the heat from his gaze generated wanton images of their naked bodies fused together in intimate combat. Never in her entire life had Desire ever wanted anything more than she wanted to make love with Chase. Now. Forget about coffee in the morning. She wanted coffee now. How was she going to get through dinner?
“Queen Desire. Welcome,” he said, holding his hand out to her.
“King Chase.” Tingles spread to all parts of her body as she placed her hand in his and stepped out of the limo on unsteady legs.
“You look absolutely ravishing.” He brought her hand to his lips, his warm gray eyes twinkling in the numerous lights from the waterfall.
“As do you.” Her heart raced at the warm touch of his lips against her skin. She was sure that like her, he wanted nothing more than to bypass dinner and go straight to bed, but last night he’d stated that he wanted to tell his side of the story that had ripped them apart before they made love. She had to agree with his decision. It was best that she learned everything about the man to whom she was about to give her heart, mind, soul, and body forever this time.
She’d always been in love with the old Chase Hunter—the first-born son of Azura Hunter, the boy next door, the juvenile troublemaker, the devil-may-care college dropout. The Chase Hunter standing before her was someone she didn’t know, someone to whom she hadn’t been introduced. Rushing into bed with a stranger was never a wise thing to do.
She had to give herself the chance to meet him, get to known him, see if she liked him, and when all was said and done, hopefully fall deeply in love with him, even more deeply than she loved the old Chase.
She swooned a little as the evening breeze sent a whiff of his Straight to Heaven up her nostrils.
His hold on her hand tightened. “You okay, baby?” the old Chase asked.
She nodded on a smile. “I’m fine, I’m still trying to take in all this,” she said, waving her hand about and glancing around at the throng of people filing in and out of vehicles, some in casual and some in elegant attire, and entering and exiting the hotel. She’d almost forgotten how crazy Granite Falls could be in the summer. It was the place to be in the Northeast.
“Someone has exceptional taste in women’s clothes, and shoes, and jewelry,” Desire said, as the limo drove away. “And he got the sizes right, too,” she added, smiling indulgently up at Chase, and brushing her knuckles along his smooth cheeks.
“Someone has been paying attention,” he drawled in a deep sexy voice, capturing her hand and kissing the palm.
She swallowed the moan that rose in her throat. There would be plenty of time to yield to his seduction later. She cleared her throat and narrowed her eyes at him. “And who is this someone? Chase, this is the most expensive venue in all of New England, not to mention that you need to make reservations with a nonrefundable down payment months in advance. The only way to get a table at short notice is to have an inside connection.” She placed her hand against his chest and trembled at the powerful beat of his heart under her palm. “Who are you, this new Chase in a tux?” The Chase I knew, the one I loved hated, “monkey suits,” as he used to call them. He was right at home in jeans and T-shirts.”
His grin was disarming, but still unrevealing. “Let’s go find out. I only hope that you’ll love “monkey suit” Chase as much as you love T-shirt and jeans Chase.” He emitted a low groan as he placed his hand on the small of her back and led her toward the hotel’s entrance. “You smell delicious too, by the way. I can’t wait to enjoy you, eat you, lick you until there is nothing left of you, but me.”
If he weren’t holding her against his side, Desire would have fallen flat on her face as they entered the very glamorous lobby decorated with water fountains, glitzy chandeliers, polished marble floors, white orchids hugging marble Corinthian columns, and enormous potted plants strewn throughout.
“Every time I enter this hotel, I feel like I’m walking into heaven,” Desire said as she looked around at the clusters of guest reclining on elegant sofas and chairs, and sipping wine as they enjoyed the sweet melodies coming from the live piano player.
“It is something, isn’t it? You get your money’s worth for sure.”
A young concierge approached them. “Good evening, sir. Madam,” he said with a slight bow. “Your room will be ready shortly.”
“Room?” Desire asked, gazing quizzically up at Chase.
“Private dining room.”
“We’ve reserved a waiting area for you.” The concierge led the way toward a cozy arrangement of four chairs near an enclosed water fountain. “A waiter will be over with complimentary drinks and antipasto.” He bowed again and left.
From the corner of her eye, Desire saw a little boy running toward them, shouting, “Mr. B. Mr. B.”
Desire immediately recognized the kid as Eli Fontaine, Bryce’s four-year-old son. Surely, he was mistaken, she thought as he stopped in front of Chase, grinning up at him. All too quickly, she realized that Eli wasn’t mistaken, when Chase released her and crouched down to the boy’s level.
“Hi, Eli. How are you, little buddy?”
Little buddy? Desire frowned as Chase hugged the child as if they were old acquaintances.
“Are you here to do business with my daddy again? Are you still his colleague?”
“Not tonight, Eli,” he said, rising to his full stature. “Tonight, I’m here to have fun.” He winked at Desire as if they were part of some secret association.
Uh-uh, they weren’t, not in this capacity. Desire wasn’t surprised at Eli’s use of the word “colleague.” He was an exceptionally intelligent child—a prodigy—only four years old, but already fluent in three languages, and could carry on a conversation as well as any teenager she knew. Everyone perceived Eli as a young Bryce in training, who would probably be ready to run Fontaine Enterprises with his father in a few years. The fact that he had the features and giant-like physique of his father made the speculations even more convincing.
It was the again that had taken her aback. She stared down at Chase. Who the heck was he? And since when was he a colleague of the business mogul, Bryce Fontaine?
She waved away the waiter coming their way. This little forum right here required her undivided attention.