Mark entered the breakfast hall the morning following the wedding, already smiling. The sun was up, and he’d fallen asleep with the memory of Clarissa’s taste on his lips. What could be better?
He waved to Eli, who was sprawled like a king on a love seat, his new wife tucked into his side. “Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Lockwood.”
“Hello.” Aria beamed. “You’re very chipper this morning.”
“I’m always chipper.” He glanced around the room, taking in the other guests, all of whom had been at the wedding because Eli had booked out the hotel’s breakfast hall for the wedding breakfast. A flicker of white in the corner of his eye had him turning his head.
Clarissa.
She was fixing herself a plate of bacon and eggs, adding a Danish pastry on the side, looking fresh and lovely in a blue dress with a white cardigan, her hair loose around her face, not wearing any makeup. He could have sworn he heard angels sing at the sight of her. He was going loopy, and he wouldn’t have it any other way.
He snagged a plate from the side table and wandered over to her, pausing just behind her to clear his throat, not wanting to give her a fright. He’d noticed she could be a little jumpy.
“Hey, there.” As far as lines went, it wasn’t original, but he simply didn’t have the brain capacity to come up with something better when it was all he could do not to plant a kiss on her, right here in front of everyone.
“Hi, Mark.”
Okay, so neither of them were winning awards for originality, but the way her mouth softened and her eyes warmed as they landed on him more than made up for it. Her expression said, “I’m happy you’re here.” He hoped his expression appropriately reciprocated the sentiment.
“Save me a seat?” he asked, and she nodded. He piled food onto his plate and followed her. She sank into a chair beside Evie, who had bed hair and a pale complexion, and opposite Avery, who was engaged in conversation with Cooper. Mark claimed the empty seat to Clarissa’s right and smiled at her.
“Beautiful morning, isn’t it?” he said, digging into a mountain of scrambled egg.
“Anyone would think you’re a romantic, with how damned cheerful you are,” Evie muttered, drawing circles in her cereal with a spoon and looking worse for wear. “Think you could talk a little quieter?”
“Oh, sorry.” He lowered his voice. “Rough night, huh?”
She shrugged one shoulder and buried her face in her hands.
“She drank too much,” Avery said, breaking away from her conversation with Cooper but looking unsympathetic. Evie didn’t lift her head, just raised the middle finger of one hand. Avery rolled her eyes and turned back to Cooper.
Mark leaned toward Clarissa. “I had a great time last night,” he murmured.
She kept her focus on breakfast, but her face went pink. “So did I,” she said. “Although I could definitely have danced you under the table.”
He laughed, pleased she was comfortable enough to tease him. “We’ll have to have a rematch this time next month. Give me some time to practice my moves.”
Evie dropped one hand and glanced over at them. “You two really need to work on your dirty talk. My neighbor’s goldfish could do better than that.” Clarissa’s jaw dropped, and Evie yawned and covered her mouth. “Sorry, I’ll butt out now. You guys just go about your business.”
Mark and Clarissa exchanged glances. Clearly a private conversation wouldn’t be possible here.
“Do you want to get a coffee and go for a walk after this?” he asked, holding his breath as he awaited a response. She’d said he could call her last night. Had she really meant it? Would she let him into her life this time around?
After what seemed an eternity, she said, “Yes, that would be perfect.”
Clarissa was so far out of her depth, it was laughable. She’d dated exactly one man in her life, and that had been for a few brief weeks in high school. Back then, she hadn’t done anything to earn Heath’s attention. She’d been a pretty girl with a well-developed chest, and all the boys asked her out. She never said yes, because her parents would have freaked out if she’d brought a boy home.
But none of those boys had been on Heath’s level. He was the captain of the first fifteen rugby team, broad-shouldered, popular, and handsome. Other girls at school would have sacrificed a limb to be in her position, and she’d been flattered to be singled out, so she’d said yes. Big mistake.
She rubbed the touchstone ring and stopped herself from venturing further down memory lane. The point was, now that she was faced with a man she was interested in, she didn’t know how to act or what to say. Rejecting men wasn’t something she enjoyed, but she knew how to do it. Encouraging them was another matter entirely.
How did one express to a man that she found him attractive or that there was a chance they were compatible without outright saying it? Because saying it was out of the question. Unless he said it first. She could probably manage to respond in kind.
So it was with a great deal of trepidation that she made a coffee in her travel mug and left the relative safety of the breakfast hall with Mark. She clasped the coffee in both hands and steered them away from the public outdoor areas, along the lawn toward the end of the building. One of the rooms that opened onto this lawn was hers, but she wasn’t sure which.
“My plane leaves in a couple of hours,” he said, with obvious reluctance. “I wish I could stay longer, but I’ve got to get back to work.”
“Me too,” she said, glad for the easy opening. She swallowed the lump in her throat. “You’ll keep in touch?”
His eyes met hers, and they stopped walking. “If that’s what you want.”
“It is,” she croaked. “But only if it’s what you want too.” She bit her lip. Listen to her. It was bad enough that she felt like a scattered schoolgirl, but now she sounded like one too.
“Clarissa.” His lips tugged up, and his expression was amused. “Are you trying to ask if I want to see more of you?”
“Yes,” she admitted, grateful he’d been able to interpret her silly stammering.
His smile grew, and he set his coffee cup on the lawn, balancing it carefully, then took hers and did the same. When their hands were free, he held both of hers in his. “I would very much like to call you. That hasn’t changed from the night we met in Dunedin. And I wasn’t kidding about that rematch. I want to see you again. In person. Soon. What do you think of that?”
Her lips twitched as she fought a grin. “I think I can live with that.”
“Great.” He released her and fetched their coffees. “It’s settled.”
Her heart hammered, and a breath eased out between her lips. Was it actually that easy? Or had it only been easy because this was Mark and he seemed to be able to read her mind?
They resumed strolling, and she smiled into the distance, gazing out over the turquoise lake and the green hills on the horizon.
Yes, she decided, it was all Mark. He was special, and while she may not know how any relationship between them would work when the Cook Straight and several hundreds of kilometers separated them, she did know that when he called, she’d pick up. For the first time, she felt hopeful for the future—not just in her professional life, but her personal life too.
“What’s that massive smile for?” he asked.
She shook her head. “Nothing, I’m just happy.”
“Me too.” He transferred his cup to one hand and held the other out to take hers. The slide of his warm palm against hers was glorious. His fingers were long and lean but strong. “Can I kiss you again, Rissa?”
She didn’t reply but stretched onto her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his. That was all the answer he needed.
Leo swept through the boutique door, bringing the delicious smell of coffee with him. "A hazelnut trim latte and a spinach frittata for the best boss in the world." He laid his gifts on the counter, hurried over to Clarissa, who'd just emerged from her office, and squeezed her.
"Guh," she gasped. "Can't breathe, Leo."
He rocked her back and forth. "I'm so ecstatic to see you. Please never leave me again. I need you here. The world ceases to make sense without you."
Despite the overwhelming weekend, she laughed. "That might be the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me." When he didn't release her, she added, "You can let go now."
"Thirty more seconds."
She counted them down in her head, while he clung to her like a limpet.
When he finally backed off, he asked, "So how'd the nuptials go? Was the dress divine? Were there any handsome single men?" He must have seen something in her expression because he clapped and exclaimed, “There were. Tell me. I want to know everything.”
She hesitated, preferring to keep her emotions private, but with the look in his eye, she knew he’d pester her until she told him whatever he wanted to know. “You remember Mark Talbot?”
“You mean Lawyer McHottie?” he asked, his eyes going wide. “Don’t tell me he was there.”
“As a matter of fact, he was.”
He gasped. “How, what, when, where, why? Also, drink.” He grabbed the coffee and thrust it into her hand.
“It turns out that he works for the groom. He was best man at the wedding.”
“That must be the world’s biggest coincidence or one hell of a message from fate.”
“Or not a coincidence at all,” she said. “The bride was the one who recommended his podcast to me, but she failed to mention she knew him.”
“Ah, I see.” The puzzlement faded from his face, replaced by disappointment. “I was so hoping for fate.”
“Don’t be so glum. It was actually really nice to see him again.”
“After you shot the poor guy down last time.”
She rolled her eyes. “Who I date, or don’t date, is my business.”
“I know.” He sighed. “But I don’t want you to end up alone in a granny flat with twenty-seven cats.”
“I’m allergic to cats.”
He threw up his hands. “There’s no hope for you.”
She felt bad for teasing him, but it wasn’t often she had juicy gossip he wasn’t privy to. “Here’s the thing. We danced, and then we kissed, and then….” She trailed off suggestively and chuckled at the way his face went slack.
“Then?” he demanded, impatient.
She shrugged. “The weekend ended.”
He groaned and dragged a hand through his carefully styled hair. “You’re torturing me. Please say you arranged to see that delicious hunk of man again.”
She grinned. “He’s going to call.”
“Yusss!” he crowed, tapping out a happy dance with his feet. “Praise the Lord, my girl has got some game.”
She didn’t join his celebration. She was optimistic, yes, but she didn’t want to get too carried away. That would no doubt lead to disappointment.
When he’d finished his dance, he said, “Seriously, though, I’m so proud of you for putting yourself out there, boss lady.”
Her chest squeezed, and her eyes watered. “Thanks, Leo.” She wasn’t sure if she was truly ready to dip her toes into the piranha-infested waters of the dating world, but she was considering it, and it was nice to have her bravery noticed.
She cleared her throat. “So, did you run into any problems while I was away?"
"Nothing I couldn't fix." He went to the counter and speared a fork into her frittata.
"Hey!"
"Friends share." He chewed defiantly. "Did you doubt me?"
"Of course not. I just wanted to know if there is any work I need to tackle immediately."
He swallowed and waved the fork in the air. "We have two new clients for custom dresses and half a dozen brides who ordered dresses off the rack."
"Fantastic. Timelines?”
"No rush jobs.” He set the fork down. “Now, no more distractions. I want to see the photos.”
She’d expected he would and already had them open on her phone. She handed it over and watched as he skimmed through.
"What a gorgeous bunch," he said, pausing on a photograph of the bridesmaids. "You're the stunningest, of course, but the others are knockouts too."
"I don't think 'stunningest' is a word."
"Oh, shush. I just invented it. Say, who's this sexy creature?" He pointed at one of the photos with his fingertip.
"That's Evie. And, yes, she knows she's a ten."
"How could she not? Even I want to do her." He stopped again, studying a shot of the entire bridal party. "The bride looks flawless in that dress. Not that she could possibly be anything but." He tilted his head, moving from Aria to Eli. “She did well for herself. That's one handsome fellow, all dark and commanding. Which of these men are her brothers?"
Clarissa took the phone and zoomed in on Cooper and Justin. “Those two.”
"Huh. She got all the ‘tiny’ genes in the family, huh?"
"Her brothers are enormous."
"Single?"
"No." She zoomed out again. "The blond one is dating Sophie, the bridesmaid nearest the bride, and the other is dating the florist who made the bouquets."
Leo nodded and peered at the flowers. "A talented woman, weaving together all of those different colors so effectively. Who were the other two groomsmen?"
"One was the groom's sister’s boyfriend, and the other was one of the groom's friends."
"Was he as charming as Mr. McHottie?"
"No." She didn't even have to think about it. Much as she liked Sterling, there was no comparison. "Not charming, but very interesting. He's the chief operating officer of a business, so we had a lot to talk about."
"Oooh." Leo's eyebrows waggled. "Any sparks?"
"Not a single one. The only sparks were with Mark." A fact that frightened and excited her in equal measure. She sipped the hazelnut latte, enjoying its sweetness and the fact that she hadn't even had to leave the building to get it. "Thanks, by the way. You're amazing."
He grinned, dimples forming. "I know. So what is it about McHottie that makes you want to shed that invisible chastity belt you’ve been carting around since I met you? Besides the obvious, of course.”
She swallowed and set the latte down, her throat suddenly too tight to drink any more. What was it about Mark that made her want to throw caution to the wind when no other man had roused more than a flicker of her interest? She considered her answer carefully, and Leo pinned her with deep brown eyes that were similar to Mark’s, but so different too.
Leo knew what a big deal it was for her to even think about letting someone into her life. He was encouraging her, but she sensed protectiveness concealed beneath his breezy attitude. He wanted the person she eventually fell for to be the right one, almost as much as she did.
“He’s patient,” she said, her tongue sticking to the roof of her mouth, which had turned dry. She didn’t like to talk about this type of stuff, but Leo was her friend, and outside of Itirangi, she didn’t have many of those. “He’s kind and gentle. Maybe it comes from being raised in a house full of women, but he’s sensitive without being a pushover. I like that.”
“He must be smart too,” Leo added. “Surely that’s a prerequisite for getting a law degree.”
“He is,” she agreed, still exploring exactly what it was that made her want to moon over Mark. She sighed. “To be honest, a lot of it probably stems from listening to his podcast, watching the livestream, and interacting with him by email. When I met him, I felt like I already knew him. Not all of him, obviously, but my heart told me he was a good person. I don’t usually spend enough time with men to feel that way.” A thought occurred to her. “Did I tell you he walked me home one night?”
“No.” Leo leaned forward, expression eager. “What happened?”
She didn’t want to tell him the full story and have to explain her complicated relationship—or lack thereof—with her family, so she paraphrased. “We ran into each other at the local bar. I wanted to head home early, and he didn’t want me walking alone at night, so he went with me right up to my friend’s door, then turned around and left.” She smiled at the memory. “He’s a gentleman.” Though he’d been less than gentlemanly when he’d kissed her. She pressed a hand to her cheek to mask the blush spreading over it.
“Oh, my.” Leo fanned himself. “Are you sure you want him? Friends share, you know.”
She laughed, grateful for the reprieve from her tumultuous emotions. “You can share my frittata, but that’s where I draw the line.”
“I suppose I can live with that.” He took her hand and doodled a heart on the back of it with a marker. “Are you going to give him a fair chance?”
“I want to.” She tapped her lower lip, her insides quivering with uncertainty. “But I’m not 100 percent sure I trust him yet. Anyway, how would it work? I’m down here, and he’s up in Auckland. But….” She trailed off.
“But?” Leo prompted.
“I really like him,” she admitted in a small voice.
He squeezed her hand. “Then be the brave woman I know you are and give him the chance to woo you before you go letting the details get in the way.”
“I’ll try,” she said, then repeated it more firmly. “I’ll try to channel you. You’re not afraid to go after what you want.” And she didn’t want to wake up one morning, cold and alone, overcome with regret. She just hoped her judgment had improved from when she was seventeen.
“That’s my girl.” He patted her cheek and released her. “Let’s get to work. There are brides who need to look fabulous.”