Chapter 22 #2
I loved it. Every time she rolled her eyes at me, I ate it up. That look she often gave me, annoyed and sharp but amused despite herself, did things to me that had absolutely nothing to do with business strategy or board seats.
“Are you ready to go?” I asked when she emerged from her office, blinking myself out of the wonder that she’d actually said yes to marrying me.
She slung her bag higher on her shoulder. “Are you sure you even want to? It might not be your crowd.”
I shrugged. “I love pretentious artists.”
She smirked at me. “You’ll fit right in then.”
Twenty minutes later, we were on the road, snow coming down hard enough that even I had to admit the conditions were shit. My hands were steady on the wheel, but I could feel her watching the road and the headlights disappearing into white nothing.
We were supposed to stay for two nights.
Zara’s party was tonight, but the roads were slick, visibility was garbage, and if it got any worse, we were going to have to admit defeat, find a different place to stay tonight, and only head for Lake Forrest tomorrow.
We’d miss the party, but we’d be safe and we’d still have the rental for one night.
By the time we left the highway and turned onto narrow roads, Jane’s composure cracked. “You can turn around. I saw a motel not too far back.”
I glanced at her, taking in her tight jaw and the way her fingers curled into the sleeve of her coat. “I’ve driven in worse and we’re almost there, but if it picks up, we’ll pull over at the next motel, okay?”
She nodded, trusting me without question. My gut churned, my stomach feeling like it was about to drop out of my ass as I refocused on the road ahead. Responsibility had never scared me, but this did.
When the gates finally came into view, wrought iron and heavy, I practically felt her exhale. I keyed in the entry code Deborah had provided and the gates swung open, the house looming up out of the storm like something out of a Gothic novel.
Victorian lines, warm golden light spilling from tall windows, and snow clinging to the roof. Even from the drive, I could see fires already lit inside, and relief spiraled through me that once again Deborah had proven to know what I’d need before I even knew it myself.
Jane just stared as we rolled to a stop in front of the steps. “Oh, Alex. It’s beautiful.”
I watched her take it in, and the relief, the awe, and the way her shoulders dropped for the first time all day made it worth every obscene dollar. After I shut off the engine, I reached for my door, then turned back to her.
“Make a run for it. The front door should be unlocked. I’ll grab our stuff.”
She gave me a nod, then clutched her purse, reached for her door handle, and flung herself out into the storm, quickly disappearing into the snow. I inhaled a heavy breath, then followed suit, running around the car and just about freezing my balls off by the time I made it into the house.
I dropped the bags next to the front door, shutting it quickly behind me. The interior was warm enough to make a rush of relief slide over my frozen skin. I brought my hands up to my mouth, blowing into them as I crossed to the nearest fireplace.
“Shit, that was cold,” I said, barely able to keep my teeth from chattering and letting out a low groan when I felt the heat from the fire wash over me. “Is the party even still happening with this weather?”
Jane slid her phone out of her pocket, checking it before she looked over at me and nodded. “Yeah, it looks like it. Zara says a little snow has never stopped them.”
I chuckled. “That sounds like her.”
“Do you know her well?”
I shrugged. “No, I don’t know her at all, but her brother has been working for us for a while. The company and the family. I wouldn’t call him a friend, exactly, but we’ve spent some time together. He talks about her a lot.”
“I didn’t realize you guys needed lawyers that often,” she teased, but then she shuddered. “I’ll be happy if I never have to talk to another lawyer for as long as I live.”
I nodded. “Your experience with them has definitely been different to mine, that’s for sure, but you’ll like her brother. If he’s even made it out tonight.”
She gave me a brief smile before glancing toward the stairs. “I should go change, but there’s no rush. We’ve still got at least an hour.”
“Noted.”
She laughed. “Corporate lingo is in your blood, isn’t it?”
“Guilty as charged,” I joked, and she laughed again. Then she allowed me to help her take her bag to one of the guest rooms while I took the other.
We didn’t talk about it, but I also wasn’t about to pressure her to start sharing a room, a bed, or anything else. If it was ever going to happen, it would happen when we were both ready for it.
In my own room, I changed into something more casual, jeans, a long-sleeved Henley, and a sweater, and then waited at the bottom of the stairs with a glass of whiskey in hand, listening to the wind howl outside.
When she finally came downstairs, she wore the faux-fur coat again, but beneath it was a mini cocktail dress with simple lines. It was nothing flashy, just gold like the ring on her finger, and my brain stalled completely at the sight of her.
This wasn’t part of the deal, this pull. The quiet, dangerous wanting, but as the storm raged outside, I knew that whatever this was becoming, I wasn’t walking away.