скачать книгу бесплатно
“I don’t know. Maybe.”
“What about lunch?”
Vaughn shrugged as he headed for the door. “I’m not sure, but I hope I’ll be back by then. I’ll let you know.” On the heels of his words, he left.
Alone in the office, Chris wondered what was going on at Elite.
He also wondered what Vaughn would think had he known Chris was fantasizing about Vaughn’s baby sister.
* * *
As Eliza Ellicott walked through the glass door, entering the Prescott George office, she glanced around the familiar surroundings. The interior was quiet, and she wondered again what exactly the guys did here. Where’s Vaughn? Knowing her older brother, he’d probably gotten caught up in something and forgotten their plans for the day.
She went down the hall, encountering no one. She knew that since the door was open, somebody had to be there. When she stepped into the main lobby area, her gaze landed on the black leather sofa.
She jumped when she saw Christopher Marland reclining there, reading a newspaper. He wore a dark suit, crisp white shirt and emerald green tie.
He looked up, a smile crossing his handsome face when he saw her. “Eliza. It’s been ages. How are you?”
Seeing him had her so out of sorts, all she could manage was to squeak out a hello.
His smile broadened. “Come on in. What brings you to Prescott George?”
She couldn’t help staring at his dark gorgeousness. The smile highlighted his full lips and chiseled jawline and put a sparkle in his coffee-hued eyes. Realizing she couldn’t continue to stand there like a deer in the high beams, she shook herself free of his spell as best she could. “I...uh... Where’s Vaughn? I was supposed to meet him for lunch.”
His expression changed. “Oh, sorry. You just missed him.”
She sighed. “Crap.”
“He got a call from Elite and rushed over there.” He folded the newspaper and set it aside. “I’m guessing there was some emergency that needed his attention.”
Her stomach rumbled. She’d been at the counter at her boutique, Ellicott’s, for four solid hours, and now her body demanded sustenance. “I guess that means I’m on my own for lunch, then.” She turned, intent on leaving the same way she’d come.
“Wait.” Chris’s deep voice gave her pause.
She turned back his way. “What is it?”
“Listen, why don’t you stay and have lunch with me? I mean, you already drove all the way over here.” He stood then, his height towering over her.
She pulled her fallen purse strap back up on her shoulder and swallowed. Christopher Marland, the man who’d broken her heart fourteen years ago, was inviting her to have lunch with him. Alone. She doubted he even knew how crushed she’d been by his leaving. Logic told her to get the hell out of there as fast as her black pumps would carry her. “I don’t know, Chris.”
He moved closer then, entering her personal bubble. “I ordered from the Lotus Flower, that new Asian fusion sushi place. At the time, I thought Vaughn would be here, so I ordered enough for two.”
“I, well...” She looked away from his penetrating gaze, feeling herself taken in by his charm. He had a way about him, something that seemed to melt her resistance. His scent, clean and masculine, threatened to overwhelm her. Her inner voice reminded her of good sense, while her stomach reminded her of how much she loved sushi.
“I know you’re probably really busy, so you don’t have to stay long. But I’d hate for the food to go to waste.”
Her stomach growled again, louder this time. She looked his way, hoping he hadn’t heard it.
His grin told her he had.
Hunger won out over logic, in more ways than one. She drew a deep breath. “I’ll stay.”
“Great. Food should be here soon.” He gestured to the circular table and four chairs occupying a corner of the room. “Care to sit down?”
She watched him slide out a chair and stand behind it. When she sat down, he pushed her chair up to the table before taking the seat across from her.
“Still a gentleman, I see.” The remark slipped out before she could stop it.
“Always.” He fixed her with a knowing gaze.
The sound of the glass door opening stopped any further chatter. He stood. “Must be the delivery guy. I’ll get it.”
She sat alone, trying to get her mind right. A few moments later, he returned with the plastic bag. The scent of the food made her stomach grumble again, but she was grateful to have something to distract her from Chris’s distinctive aroma.
As he set the large paper bag of food on the table, she pulled out her travel-sized hand sanitizer. After doing her hands, she offered it to him.
“Thanks.” He used it, then passed the bottle back to her and started setting the food out.
At first, they ate in silence, and she devoured three California rolls. Swallowing a bite, she looked up and saw his gaze resting on her face. “Um, sorry. I was pretty hungry.”
He shrugged. “No biggie. Tell me, how are things at Ellicott’s?”
That brought a smile to her face. “Great. I’ve recently started to carry some clothes and accessories by a new designer. Her name is Bea Phillips, and her items are selling as soon as I can get them in.”
Taking a swig from his bottled water, he asked, “So, what kinds of things does she design?”
“Mainly dresses, but she also makes jewelry and handbags.” She forked up some of her jasmine rice.
“I’m glad to hear business is booming. Back in the day, you would always talk about owning your own boutique.” He tucked his empty plastic tray back into the paper bag. “I knew you’d do it one day.”
“I’m surprised you remember the things we talked about back then,” she said absently. “In a lot of ways, that all seems like ancient history.” Or at least that’s what she told herself. She’d been heartbroken when they parted ways, but he didn’t know that, and she intended to keep it that way. Besides, she’d done well for herself, both personally and professionally. She’d managed to get the store established and off the ground. And rather than close herself off to romantic relationships, she’d had a string of steady boyfriends, all from prominent social circles. No one could say she’d gone into hiding after Chris left.
“You’d be surprised by all the things I remember.” He smiled as he tipped the water bottle and drained the remaining contents.
Hearing what he’d said, and thinking of the implications of that, made her quickly change the subject. “I don’t know if Vaughn talks about our sisters much, but they’re both married with kids now.”
He nodded. “I know. Vaughn talks about Brianne and Emily on occasion. I know he loves being an uncle.”
She thought back to the conversations they’d had years ago about her dreams. What he didn’t know was how she’d dreamed of being a mother and wife in addition to running her store. Back then, she’d thought she could have it all. Reality had shown her something different. “I’m the only girl in the family to strike out on her own to conquer the business world.”
“Nothing wrong with that, especially when you’re successful at what you do.” He gestured to her near-empty tray. “Are you done?”
She nodded, tucking her trash into the paper bag.
He left the table to throw all the garbage away, then returned to his seat across from her. Stretching, he said, “Yeah. Growing up an only child made me want a big family of my own. Things didn’t exactly go as planned, but I have Jack and Jojo now, and I couldn’t be more grateful for them.”
She felt her heart constrict in her chest at his words. His marriage to his ex-wife had come right on the heels of their breakup, effectively dashing her hopes of reconciliation between them. And now, despite the utter failure of the marriage, he’d still gotten one thing she wanted just as much as she wanted success in business: children. Still, she hid her feelings behind a practiced smile. “How are the kids? They’re teenagers now, aren’t they? I hear that’s an adventure.”
“Yeah, they’re thirteen now. They’re a handful, for sure. I get them every other weekend.”
“What are kids really like at this age?”
“They’re still kids, but they think of themselves as adults, so that’s hard to navigate.” He straightened in his chair. “There are times when I feel torn between work and doing things with them, and sometimes they have their own plans and don’t want to be stuck with me.” He shrugged. “I just do my best, take it one day at a time. They know I love them, and that’s the most important thing.”
She nodded, keeping the smile plastered on her face. Inside, she mused that if she and Chris had gotten married, their children would be about Jack and Jojo’s age. She didn’t dare open her mouth, lest her thoughts become words.
He smiled again then. “I’m really glad you came by, Eliza. It’s so good to see you again.”
She averted her eyes from his arresting handsomeness, only made more appealing by his expression. Was he flirting with her? Her feminine instincts told her he was. Why would he do that now, after all these years apart?
The man he used to be was long gone, as was the young, idealistic girl she’d once been. What she saw before her now was a divorced workaholic who’d walked away from her when he had the chance to make things official.
As far as she was concerned, there was nothing left for her and Chris.
Chapter 2 (#u84027630-8416-5f05-bba3-0ca9fc2863e8)
Chris was enjoying spending time with Eliza. It had been ages since he’d seen her, and having her grace him with her beautiful presence again lit the dark corners of his heart. She seemed a little guarded, and he supposed he understood that, after the abrupt ending of their relationship. Still, he couldn’t deny the feelings this woman elicited in him. He’d thought of her often over the years, and had always known he was still attracted to her. Being in the same room with her now showed him just how strong his feelings still were.
She’s even more beautiful than I remember. While they spoke, he looked over her glossy dark hair, her pink lipstick and the dark fringe of lashes framing her sparkling eyes. Even the way she sat across from him, with one long, bare leg crossed demurely over the other, enthralled him.
“I mean, they’re teenagers,” he continued. “Sometimes I don’t understand a word they’re saying. But at least I’m never bored.”
She stood then, her movement abrupt. “I think I’ve stayed too long.” As she spoke, she smoothed her palms over the formfitting sheath she wore, as if brushing away imaginary wrinkles.
Chris stood, too, caught off guard by her action. Moments ago, they’d been chatting about his twins, and she’d been smiling and nodding. Now, her closed-off expression and tense stance gave him pause. “You don’t have to rush off, Eliza. There’s not too much going on here today.”
She slipped her purse strap over her shoulder. “It’s just that I really have to get back to the boutique. I’ve got a million things to do this afternoon.”
He wanted to convince her to stay, but how could he? She wasn’t the starry-eyed teenager who’d stolen his heart anymore; she was a successful businesswoman with responsibilities. Even though the woman she’d become appealed to him in every way, he knew he had no right to hold her there. “I understand. I won’t keep you, if you’ve got...” His sentence was cut off by the ringing of his cell phone. He slipped it from his pocket, glanced at it. “I have to take this. Excuse me, Eliza.”
“I’ve got to go, Chris.” She started walking toward the hallway.
“Just give me a few moments, please. I want to at least see you out, okay?”
She stopped, turned his way. “All right.”
He answered his phone then. “Jojo? How are you, sweetheart?”
“I’m okay, I guess.”
Sensing the angst in her words, he asked, “What do you need, Jojo?”
“Well, there’s this dance coming up at school. Mom says I can go, if you say it’s okay. So, can I go?”
The parts of him that still saw her as a little girl warred with the reality of her actual age. Finally, he acquiesced. “Sure. Who are you going with?” Relief coursed through him as she named two of her female friends.
“There’s one more thing. I really need a dress.”
“A dress?” Chris looked at Eliza. She was leaning against the wall between the kitchen and the hallway. “Jojo, I may be able to help you with that.” Covering the microphone, he gestured to her. “Eliza, can you come here for a second?”
She walked over, a curious expression on her face. “What is it?”
“I know you have to go, but my daughter’s on the phone. She needs a dress for a school dance. Can you help us out?”
“Maybe. What size does she wear?”
He scratched his head. “I don’t know. I could ask her...”
Eliza’s lips tilted in a soft smile. “She’s thirteen, right? I remember those days well. Why don’t you just bring her to the shop Friday?” She glanced at her gold watch. “I really do have to go.”
“What time should I bring her?” he asked as Eliza strode away.
“Around six,” she answered as she rounded the corner to the hallway.
A few moments later, Chris heard the door to the office open, then close as she walked out. Uncovering the mic, he spoke to his daughter. “Good news. Friday, I’ll take you shopping for a dress.”
Jojo exhaled. “Thanks, Dad.” Then she paused. “Wait. You’re not going to take me to the little girl’s section of Macy’s again, are you?”
He chuckled at the memory of how their last shopping trip had panned out. “No, no. I’m taking you to a boutique in Gaslamp. Don’t worry, you’ll love it.”
“Sounds great. When?”
“I’ll pick you up around five Friday evening. We’ll grab dinner and head over after that.”
Her voice took on the light, happy tone of a girl pleased with her father. “You’re the best, Dad. Gotta go. Love you.”
He smiled, both at her words and at knowing she was excited. “I love you, too.”
After he disconnected the call, he looked around the quiet office. He and Vaughn had been the only members in the building today, and now that Eliza had gone, he was alone save for the security guard patrolling the place. In truth, he needed this time alone to think. The problems at Prescott George were pressing, and he needed the space and silence to determine the best course of action. As chapter president, the responsibility rested on his shoulders.
Chris knew full well what an honor it was for it to be chosen for the Chapter of the Year award. The San Diego chapter members were a younger set compared with the old guard of the original members’ descendants in some of the other chapters. Prescott George had been around for a long time, and not everyone embraced the necessary changes that came with changing times. Still, if the national organization had seen fit to recognize his chapter, then Chris would make damn sure that San Diego PG lived up to those lofty expectations.
Now, though, he had something else on his mind; an almost welcome distraction. He’d been shocked and amazed to see Eliza Ellicott stroll into the office, looking every bit like his dream come true. Here he was, at the top of his game in the architecture field, with his designs having been used for structures all around the world. Yet when she’d walked in, he’d felt...outdone, as if she were way out of his league. He could have spent all day talking to her, watching her smile light the room. While he didn’t like that she’d been inconvenienced by her brother, he was glad fate had decided to let him enjoy her company again.
He thought of Vaughn then and wondered what was going on at Elite. Lunch had long since ended, and Vaughn hadn’t reached out yet. Chris pulled out his phone again, intent on calling his friend before he continued strategizing his plans for the chapter.
After all, if it was something serious, he needed to know so he could lend a hand. He could only hope whatever was going down at Elite wasn’t tied to Prescott George. Their chapter had enough problems already.
* * *
Ellicott’s did brisk business on the weekends, and Friday evening was no exception. Eliza and her two clerks were all working, with Eliza bagging purchases and the clerks running the registers.
As Eliza passed one of her signature glossy silver paper bags filled with items to a customer, she heard the bell ring, signaling someone entering the shop. After the customer was taken care of, she glanced toward the door and saw Chris walking in her direction.
Eliza couldn’t help admiring him as he walked. Dressed in a dark blue polo shirt, matching sneakers and a pair of khaki shorts that revealed his muscled calves, he looked ready to head down to the marina for a day on the bay.
At his side was a pretty young lady in ripped white jeans, a Candy Crush T-shirt and sneakers. She was tall for her age; the top of her head lined up with Chris’s shoulder. Her dark brown hair, styled in box braids, hung just past her collarbone. Much of her face was concealed by the round frames of a very large pair of white-rimmed sunglasses.
