Chapter 5
Chapter Five
Juliet
The drive into Oakridge took us through some of the most beautiful countryside in California, but I found it hard to enjoy the scenery as I replayed the conversation with my mother. We'd never had the warmest relationship, but her casual dismissal of my feelings tore at my heart.
The call had been tense even though she hadn't so much as raised her voice. That wasn't her style. She made her feelings known in other ways. Her disapproval came in clipped sentences and long pauses. Although she was hundreds of miles away, her coldness chilled me.
By the time I ended our call, I was emotionally drained.
No matter how many times I tried to tell her I wanted nothing to do with Garrett Kane, she refused to listen.
It made me want to crawl into bed and pull the covers up over my head, but I couldn't do that.
Apart from not wanting to appear childish in front of Nate, I was looking forward to our trip into town.
I couldn't continue to wear clothes belonging to Nate’s assistant.
"Is everything okay?" Nate asked after we'd been driving for a while. I appreciated that he'd allowed the silence between us to continue for so long. It gave me time to gather my thoughts.
I turned to him with what I hoped was a convincing smile. "Yes, of course."
He glanced at me briefly, before focusing on the road once more. "Don't conceal your feelings from me, Juliet. I can see you're not okay."
"I'm fine."
He snorted disbelievingly. "So why are your shoulders up around your ears?"
I had to admit I was pretty tense. Trying to relax, I sank into the surprisingly comfortable seat of Nate's beat-up old truck.
I'd been shocked when he insisted on driving it, rather than the Audi I'd rented or one of his own luxury cars.
It seemed he preferred to be more down to earth when he was away from the city.
I understood the desire to lead a simpler life.
"I'm fine, really," I assured him. "It was a difficult conversation with my mother, that's all."
"You have a lot of those?" Nate must have picked up on the weariness in my tone. With him, I didn't feel like I had to hide it. For some reason he put me at ease.
"Unfortunately. She hates when she's not the one calling the shots."
"I assume she wants you back in L.A."
I nodded. "There are events I'm scheduled to attend. It's important for the Caldwell brand."
"And what about you? Do you enjoy these events?"
"Not much, but as I said, it helps Caldwell Cosmetics' profile."
Nate snorted in what I took to be disapproval. "You know, they could hire someone to pimp their makeup."
"Pimp their makeup?" I gasped in mock outrage since I was sure he wasn't trying to insult me. "I do more than sell eyeliner and lip gloss, you know."
"I know. You sell an image of success that modern women can aspire to, and you make it look effortless."
Nate's words caught me by surprise. A lump formed at the back of my throat. "Well I am more than just a pretty face."
"Yes." He shot me a look of affection. "So much more."
Warmth spread through me, then faded just as quickly. "I wish my mother thought that."
"She doesn't value you?"
"Only the way she values any asset." I sighed heavily. "She thinks I'm being dramatic, refusing Garrett's attention."
Nate scowled. "She really wants you to accept his advances?"
"Yes, apparently she believes I won't find anyone better."
"That's ridiculous. There are plenty of eligible men in the world, other billionaires, even. Why is she so set on a man who's so completely unsuited to you?"
I'd been wondering that myself. At first, I assumed it was because Garrett owned some of the country's leading fashion magazines, but lately I'd been thinking there was more to it than that.
My mother seemed determined to forge an alliance with him.
It aroused my suspicion there was something going on I wasn't privy to.
"I don't know."
"What does your father have to say about all this?"
"Not a thing."
My father, despite being the supposed head of the family, the CEO of Caldwell Cosmetics, left everything to his wife. Shy and sensitive, he wasn't cut out for the business world, nor for marriage to a force of nature like my mother.
Nate nodded in a way that made me think he knew exactly what it was to have a useless father.
"Did you tell her you were staying with me?"
"No. I just said I was staying at a friend's place. If I'd mentioned you, she'd have been straight on the phone to Garrett."
"He probably knows where you are already."
"True." A man with Garrett's resources would have no trouble tracking me down. "But I didn't want to listen to a lecture about shacking up with a notorious womanizer."
Nate quirked an eyebrow. "Notorious womanizer?"
"I've read the tabloids." His indignant huffing made me smile. "I didn't say I believed what I read."
"You shouldn't. I'm not what I'm made out to be."
"I know." What I didn't add was that I wouldn't have come to him if I thought he was a feckless playboy.
We lapsed into silence again. It lasted until we finally reached the small town of Oakridge. A complete contrast to the city I called home, it was one of those cute little places where everyone probably knew their neighbors and helped each other out in a crisis.
The main street featured a row of buildings with brick facades. With hanging baskets and floral displays decorating some of the stores and covered seating areas outside the cafes, it exuded a laid-back charm I found incredibly appealing.
Nate pulled up halfway along the street and jumped out of the truck. He came around to my side and opened the door for me. Taking my hand, he helped me safely out onto the sidewalk.
"Thank you, kind sir," I said with a smile.
"It's my job to look after you." Putting a hand at the small of my back, he guided me away from the curb as a delivery truck rattled past. "And I take my job very seriously."
There was no doubting the sincerity in his voice. I was fast learning that Nate didn't speak unless he meant what he said. That was refreshing. The world we inhabited was full of people who used flattery and half-truths to get what they wanted.
Nate led me into a clothing store with shelves filled with neatly folded jeans and racks of cotton shirts in an array of colors. Looking around, I could see they also stocked sportswear, a selection of dresses, some lingerie and footwear.
"This is the only place in town that sells women's clothing," Nate said. "If I had more time, I'd have taken you to San Francisco."
I shook my head. "This is fine. There are plenty of options.
" Well, color-wise that was true, but the choice of styles seemed more limited.
I picked out four shirts in different shades and a couple of pairs of jeans before heading for the changing rooms. I shimmied out of my borrowed clothes and slipped on the new ones, admiring myself in the mirror.
The jeans hugged my hips and gave the illusion of a fuller ass than I had. I liked it.
When I stepped out to model my first outfit for Nate, he was leaning against the wall, legs casually crossed at the ankles as he scrolled through his phone. As soon as he realized I'd emerged from behind the heavy floral curtain, he gave me his full attention.
"What do you think?" I raised myself up on my tiptoes and executed a perfect pirouette.
"Looks good. Orange suits you."
Orange? I examined the sleeve of the shirt. "It's coral."
Nate shrugged. "Still suits you."
Our eyes met, and for several long seconds, neither of us looked away. My own desire was reflected back at me from Nate's intense gaze. After a moment, I cleared my throat.
"Uh, I think I'll buy all this and then grab some, um, underwear." My cheeks heated. I hadn't intended to draw attention to my need for bras and panties. Before my embarrassment could make me say something stupid, I remembered something. "Oh, will I need a gown for the harvest dance?"
Nate smiled and shook his head gently. "It's not a harvest dance, sweetheart. It's just a small gathering for the men and their wives."
"Do you have food and drink at this gathering?"
"Yes."
"Music?"
"Yes."
I put my hands on my hips and cocked my head to the right. "Dancing?"
A grin spread across Nate's lips. "Uh-huh."
"Then I hate to tell you, buddy, it's a harvest dance."
Throwing his head back, Nate laughed. "Yeah, I guess it is."
"I'm glad we're agreed. Now I want you to know you don't have to worry about the decorations and things. Eileen and I have decided on a theme. We're going with Sunset on Sonoma. I'm having the lighting guys work up some ideas, and I've commissioned an ice sculpture."
Nate's expression was so startled I couldn't contain my laughter.
"I'm kidding. A few drinks, some chili, maybe something sweet and a little music. That's what you usually have, isn't it?"
"It is. We like to keep things simple." He thought about it for a moment. "But a dress might be a good idea. Wait here."
As he disappeared from the changing room, I sat on the wooden chair in the corner.
This place was a million miles from the glamorous boutiques I usually shopped at, but for some reason, I preferred it.
Perhaps it was because I wasn't under pressure to make the right choices.
There was no need to consider what would photograph well or how fashion commentators would write about my outfit.
When Nate returned, after a couple of minutes, he had a pretty red floral dress draped over his arm.
"It's not Chanel, but I think you can pull it off."
He held out the dress, and I took it from him. "I'll try it on."
I retreated behind the curtain and stripped off the jeans and shirt. The moment I slipped the dress on over my head, I knew it was perfect for me. The light jersey fabric draped well, and as I wiggled my hips, the skirt swished from side to side.
When I stepped out to show Nate, his cobalt-blue eyes gleamed with appreciation. That sent a tingle down my spine. He made a spinning motion with his finger, and I turned slowly, giving him time to study every inch of me.
"Beautiful." I got the feeling his impassioned tone wasn't for the dress. "We'll get it."
"I'll get it," I corrected him. Nate opened his mouth as if to argue, but I beat him to it. "This is important to me, Nate. I don't want to feel as if I'm being bought."
He pursed his lips and, for almost a minute, said nothing.
"Your credit card could be tracked."
"If he can track my credit card, he can track my phone."
Nate rubbed his chin thoughtfully, then he nodded. "If you want to pay, I won't argue."
It was probably a blow to his pride, so I appreciated him giving up all the more.
I changed back into the clothes Eileen gave me and took my purchases to the register.
As the cashier rang up the items, I quickly gathered some underwear, a couple of t-shirts, a pair of cowboy boots, and some white sneakers.
"Don't you want to try those on?" Nate asked.
"No, they should fit." I didn't want to waste any more time in here. Our trip to town would be short because Nate had to get back before tonight's shift began, and I wanted to check out the bookstore I'd spotted two doors down.
"If you're sure." Nate sounded skeptical, and I hoped I wouldn't end up paying for my haste with ill-fitting shoes that rubbed my feet.
When the cashier finished totaling my purchases and carefully placing them into white paper bags, with the store logo emblazoned on them, I tapped my card on the payment machine.
"You'll need to insert your card," the cashier said.
I did as she asked and entered my PIN.
"I'm sorry, Miss, it's been declined."
My stomach dropped. "That's not possible. Let me try another card."
I took out the debit card I used for work purposes and tried it. Again the transaction failed. Heat crept up my neck as it dawned on me I'd been cut off. My mother had made some noise about seeing how I would cope without the family, but I hadn't imagined she would immediately freeze my finances.
"Do you have another form of payment?" the cashier asked, not unkindly.
"Uh, no, I'm sorry. Can you put everything back?"
Humiliated, I turned and fled from the store before she could respond. Thankfully Nate hadn't locked his truck since it clearly wasn't the sort of town where he needed to, so I got back into the passenger side.
A few minutes passed before Nate appeared, carrying a half dozen bags, which he put on the back seat of the truck. Anger spiked my pulse as he got into the driver's seat.
"You paid for my clothes?"
Nate didn't answer immediately. He slotted the key in the ignition and started the engine. "Yes, I paid for your clothes."
"I asked you not to."
"That was before."
"Before my family cut me off." I huffed. "It's not your responsibility to buy me clothes."
Nate turned in his seat to face me. "You are my responsibility, Juliet. You needed clothes. I bought them. That's the end of it."
"Like hell it is."
"Careful." Nate shot me a warning look. "If you keep that up, you're going to earn your first punishment."
Why did my clit throb at the very threat of it? A shiver ran through me that had nothing to do with anger. Suddenly I found myself wanting to push him further.
"What? You're going to punish me because I don't appreciate you trying to buy me. What's the matter, Nate? Don't women want you unless you flash your cash around?"
He clenched his jaw and stared straight ahead. "We'll deal with this when we get home."
My stomach knotted. I'd got the reaction I wanted from him, but already I regretted it. Nate turned and cupped my cheek, stroking my face with a tenderness that belied his next words.
"Don't say I didn't warn you.”