Into the Night

“And what if it doesn’t? Shouldn’t we try to get out while we can? “

She turned, her hip brushing up against his groin, and Derek clenched his jaw. Being near a beautiful woman still caused the same physiological response, the same need to possess. But somewhere along the line, he’d stopped surrendering to his impulses. Sure, he had no trouble finding women to share his bed, but lately, he’d been searching for something more.

Could men and women be friends first and lovers second? Though he’d had a number of long-term relationships, Derek hadn’t found that one woman who he felt completely comfortable with.

“We’re still not moving,” she said, her voice tense and her fingers digging into his arm.

“Don’t worry,” he said softly.

“You don’t think it will …” Her voice faded.

“Plummet to the basement?” Derek asked. “No, I don’t think so. There are all kinds of safety features on elevators these days. That only happens in horror movies and bad dreams.”

“I have that dream all the time,” she said. “And it never ends well.”

He reached into his pocket and pulled out his BlackBerry. The screen lit up, providing enough light to see the features of her face. “There should be an alarm button,” he said. Derek found the button behind a door on the control panel and pushed it. A buzzer sounded in the shaft above their heads.

Then he dialed the number for the front desk. “Hi, this is Derek Nolan. I’m stuck in the elevator with …” He leaned closer to her. “What’s your name?”

“Tess,” she said. “Tess Robertson.”

“With Tess Robertson. Could you call maintenance and have them get us out?”

“Certainly, Mr. Nolan. Right away. I’m so sorry about this. We’ve been having a lot of trouble with the elevators lately.”

“Just get us out,” he said calmly. “And call me at this number if there’s any problem.” He hung up, then turned the light from the screen toward her. “Is there anyone you’d like to call?”

Tess hesitated for a moment, then shook her head. “No. I’m fine.”

But she didn’t sound fine. She sounded uneasy. Being in a dark, confined space with a stranger would make anyone nervous. “You don’t have to worry,” he said. “You’re safe with me. In fact, you’re better off with me. I’m a pretty important guest here. They’ll get us out as quickly as they can.”

“I’m really not worried,” she said. “I mean, not about you. But the whole ‘plunging to the basement’ thing is still an issue.”

He chuckled. “Why don’t we sit down and make ourselves comfortable.” Derek held out his hand and she placed her fingers in his as he helped her settle onto the floor. Derek sat down next to her. Then he set the bottle of scotch between them. “What do you think? Should we open it? It’s really good stuff. And it may calm your nerves.”

Tess shrugged, crossing her legs in front of her and folding her hands in her lap. She forced a smile. “Why not? Maybe it will soften the fall, too?”

“We’re not going to fall,” Derek insisted. With a grin, he handed her the BlackBerry. “You hold the light.” He peeled the foil from around the cap, then twisted it open. “Unfortunately, I don’t have any glasses. Some might consider it a crime to drink twelve-year-old scotch right out of the bottle but desperate times call for desperate measures.”

“I don’t care what some people say,” Tess replied. “I’ve never really liked arbitrary rules.” She raised the bottle to him. “To … to the very strong and capable cable that’s holding this elevator up.” Like an experienced drinker, she tipped the bottle and took a sip, then coughed. “It’s good.”

Derek reached over and patted her on the back. “Easy there, you don’t want to drink too fast.”

With a soft laugh, she handed him back the bottle. “Don’t worry. I can handle my liquor.”

Derek took a swig of the scotch. “So, Tess Robertson. Since we’re stuck here for a while, tell me about yourself. Are you from Nashville?”

She shook her head, her dark hair falling into her face. “No. I live near Lexington, Kentucky. I manage a horse farm. We breed and raise thoroughbreds. For racing.”

“You work with horses?”

Tess nodded. “My dad is a trainer. He put me on a horse when I was three and I haven’t been off one since then.” She smoothed her hands over her skirt. “Yesterday, I was mucking out stables. Today, I’m sipping expensive scotch in a party dress, waiting for my eminent death.” Tess reached for the bottle and took another sip. “What about you?”

“My family owns a chain of hotels.”

“Hah!” she said with a laugh. “I bet you’re sorry you decided to stay at this one.”

“I probably shouldn’t admit this, but this hotel is one of ours. The one with the broken elevator.”

“You own this hotel? Sorry. It’s very nice.”

“I’m here looking after the family interests. Making sure the staff is doing its job. Tomorrow I head down to Puerto Rico to visit another hotel.”

“Your job sounds very glamorous,” she said.

“So does your job,” he said.

Tess shrugged. “Horses can’t bring you room service.”

It was an odd statement and caused him to chuckle. Was the scotch beginning to take effect? Or was this just the way she was—honest and plainspoken? “I suppose they can’t. But you can’t ride a hotel. Or race one.”

“Very true,” she said.

The light on his phone went out, but they continued to talk in the dark, passing the bottle between them.

“You said you were on your way to a party?”

“The owners of the farm are giving a New Year’s Eve party. It’s an annual event and I was invited.”

“And now, you’re stuck here with me,” he said in an apologetic tone.

“No, it’s fine. I’m really not much of a party girl. I can’t remember the last time I wore a dress. And it’s one of those high-society deals. Half the time, I don’t know what they’re talking about and the other half, I don’t really care.” She paused. “Sorry.”

“For what?”

“You’re probably one of those high-society types, aren’t you.”

“No. And you’re right to want to stay here,” he said in a teasing tone. “I hate socializing with snooty people, too. The atmosphere here is so much nicer. And the conversation more interesting.” He picked up his BlackBerry and pulled up a song, the melody barely audible, the light illuminating her profile again. “We even have music.”

“Maybe this is exactly what I needed,” she said with a sigh.

“Really?”

“I have to take a deep breath. Clear my mind.”

“I was just thinking the same thing.”

He leaned back against the wall of the elevator and smiled. For the first time in a very long time, he found himself completely relaxed. His brain wasn’t spinning with thoughts of business. He took a sip of scotch, then handed her the bottle. “I like this,” he murmured.

“Me, too,” she said softly.

When their shoulders touched, she didn’t pull away and Derek felt the warmth of her body seep into his. He had everything he wanted and needed here in this elevator—a beautiful woman to talk to in the dark, a good bottle of scotch and time to relax.

By anyone’s standards, he was successful. He had a job that gave him the opportunity to travel the world on a moment’s notice, to stay in luxury surroundings, to work at something he truly enjoyed. And he had a social life that most guys his age would kill for. But he felt old, as if the years spent working were starting to take a toll on him.

Derek knew exactly why he threw himself into his job. It made it easier to forget that he didn’t have a life beyond work. And not having a real life just made it easier to work harder. He was caught in a vicious circle and he needed a way out. When he was kid, he’d always considered running away as a viable option. But as an adult his options were—

It was the perfect answer. No explanations necessary, no opportunities to reconsider. Just pick up and leave, deal with the consequences later. “Did you ever feel like taking off?” Derek asked. “Just dropping all of your problems and worries and running in the opposite direction?”

“Never,” she said. “I’ve always stayed and worked them out.”

“Me, too. But I’m starting to think that every now and then, it might be nice to just go. Run. And don’t look back.”

“I was supposed to get engaged tonight. At the party.”

The news took him by surprise—first, that she seemed so blasé about their predicament and second, that he felt a sliver of envy for the man who was about to claim her as his own. This was crazy! He’d met her only a few minutes before. Yet he was selfish enough to want her to stay here, with him.

“I guess we’d better get you out of here, then,” he said.

“No.” Her voice was soft and unsure. “I’d rather stay.”

She reached for the bottle at the same time he did and their hands touched. The contact was electric and for a moment, neither of them moved. Derek smoothed his fingers over the back of her wrist, imagining the contours in the dark. “With me or inside this elevator?”

“Both,” she said.

“All right, then.” He grabbed the bottle and held it up. “Another toast. To a rather unconventional meeting. And to the good fortune that put us in this elevator together.”

The lights flickered, then came on. Tess held up her hand to the glare, squinting at the sudden change. Derek cursed beneath his breath. Why the hell did the staff have to be so damn efficient?

A knock sounded and then the doors were slowly forced open. The car was stuck between two floors and the maintenance men were standing on the upper floor. “Sorry about the wait,” the hotel manager said, bending down to speak to them. “We’re bringing a ladder and we’ll have you—”

“Don’t bother,” Derek said. He stepped over to the doors, setting the scotch down in the corner. “Come on, I’ll lift you up.” He held out his hand and helped Tess to her feet. Slipping his arms around her waist, he gently lifted her up until the maintenance men grabbed her hands. Then Derek boosted himself up and climbed out into the lobby of the fifth floor.

He dusted his hands off on his pants. “Thank you,” he said, nodding to the manager. “And don’t worry. I’m not going to mention this to anyone.”

“Thank you, Mr. Nolan. I appreciate that.”

Tess turned and looked back inside the elevator. “We left the scotch.”

“Oh, I can get that for you,” the manager volunteered.

“No,” Derek said. “There’s more where that came from.”

They both slowly walked toward the door to the stairwell. When they’d regained a bit of the privacy they’d shared in the elevator, Derek turned to her, still holding on to her hand. “So …”

“So …” she said softly, a winsome smile curling her lips. “It was a pleasure, Mr. Nolan.”

“Derek,” he murmured.

“Derek. It was nice meeting you.”

He knew he had to find some way to keep her with him. But she was late for her engagement party. What could he possibly say to convince her to spend the evening with him? “You don’t have to go upstairs. You could stay here with me.”

“Right here?” she asked.

“Here. The bar. My suite.” He paused. “Or we could always run away.”

She drew in a deep breath and to his surprise, he watched her consider his invitation. It was clear from the confusion etching her features that she wasn’t thrilled with what awaited her upstairs. “I don’t expect anything,” he assured. “I just want to get out of here and I’d like you to come along. It’ll be an adventure, I promise.”

“Why me?” she said.

“I don’t know. I like the sound of your voice. It relaxes me. And I don’t want to go without you.”

“Where will we go?”

“I don’t know. We’ll figure it out.”

She smiled, then nodded. “All right. Yes, I’ll go with you.”

Derek grinned. “All right.” He pushed open the door to the stairwell. “We’re going up,” he said. “It’s going to be a hike.” Pointing to her shoes, he shook his head. “And those are going to kill you.” He turned his back to her. “Hop on.”

“You’re going to carry me up the stairs?”

“Yes,” Derek said. “You don’t think I can do it?”

“I’m perfectly capable of walking.” She kicked off her shoes, picked them up and handed them to him. “I bet I can beat you to the top.” With a laugh, she started up the stairs. Tess was already on the first landing before he’d even moved.

Derek chuckled to himself. Now, this was going to be fun—a woman as beautiful as Tess challenging him to a race in her party dress and bare feet in a hotel stairwell. Either she’d had too much scotch or she was the most charming creature he’d ever met. He intended to spend the rest of the evening figuring out which it was.

2

WHEN THEY GOT TO THE DOOR of his room, they were both out of breath. Tess leaned back against the wall as he slid the key card through the lock. Suddenly it felt as if the weight of the world had been lifted from her shoulders.

It wasn’t really right to run away from her doubts and insecurities—or from Jeffrey—but she was tired of always choosing the safe route. From the time she was seven, she’d had to be the responsible one, always doing her best to choose the right path, make the right decision. For once, she wanted to do something impetuous. She wasn’t sure what she’d tell Jeffrey or how he’d feel about being stood up. For one night, she could be wild and spontaneous. Tomorrow she’d start the rest of her life, but tonight she’d be the woman she always wanted to be.

Derek pushed open the door and stepped aside, leaning against the wall and gasping for breath. “Man, you are fast.”

“You’re not one of those guys that always has to win, are you?” Tess asked. “Because we can go back and do it again, and I can pretend to pull up lame on the last flight of stairs.”

He laughed, then swept his arm in front of him. “After you, Secretariat,” he said.

“Was that a horse joke?”

“A bad attempt at one.”

“Very clever. But Secretariat was a stallion. Genuine Risk was a mare and she won the Derby. And placed at Belmont and Pimlico. My horse, Genny, is named after her.”

“You’re faster than me. You’re prettier than me. And you have your own horse. I think I may have found the perfect woman.”

Tess strolled into the suite. It was so easy to relax around Derek. She could be herself, say anything that came into her head, something she’d never been able to do around Jeffrey.

The lights were low and through the wide windows on the opposite wall, she could see the far side of the Cumberland River. She walked over and looked down, watching a barge slowly float south with the current. A moment later, he joined her, bracing his hands on the windowsill next to her.

“It’s beautiful,” she said.

“I’ve never really liked this hotel,” he said. “But I’m beginning to think I might have been wrong. It is beautiful.”

“Do you have a home somewhere, or do you just go from hotel to hotel?” she asked, turning to face him.

“I live out of a suitcase,” he said, pointing to the packed garment bag lying on the sofa.

Tess waited for him to continue, but he was suddenly silent. His gaze dropped to her mouth and she felt her heart begin to pound in her chest. Was he thinking of kissing her? She hadn’t been kissed by anyone other than Jeffrey for over four years. But she wasn’t nervous … just curious.

What would it feel like? Would the thrill racing through her right now increase? The anticipation was so delicious, Tess wanted it to last forever. Anticipation was all she could enjoy, after all. She was supposed to be in love with Jeffrey, committed to him.

He leaned closer and she waited, hoping, knowing that it would probably be more wonderful than she could imagine. But then he drew a deep breath and smiled. “Champagne,” he murmured. “I’m going to open a bottle of champagne. Would you like something to eat before we leave? Unfortunately, we don’t keep the jet stocked.”

Tess swallowed hard. She hated flying. “We’re going on a jet?”

“Did you think we’d just set out on foot? Or maybe hop on our bicycles? I have a little more style than that.”

“I kind of thought we were metaphorically running away. I assumed we’d stay here. Or maybe go out and get some dinner.”

“We could do that,” Derek said. “But if we’re going to run, I figure we should run as fast and as far as we can.”

“Yes,” she murmured, so caught up in the fantasy that she could think of only one answer. “Let’s go. Right now. Where are we going?”

“I assume you’re not carrying a passport, so we’ll have to go get that first. You do have a passport, don’t you?”

Tess nodded. “I’ve never used it.”

He nodded. “Good. Now, where to go? I really don’t want to spend the next ten hours on a plane. How about if we fly to the Caribbean? We can be walking on a beach in three, maybe four hours. Does that sound good?”

The thought of escaping to a warm, sunny beach was almost too good to believe. But this was crazy! Derek Nolan was a complete stranger. “I can’t just leave the country. I don’t have anything to wear.”

“Sure we can. We’ll send a messenger to pick up your passport for you and they can meet us at the airport in Lexington. And then we’ll be on our way. Is there someone who can get the passport for you at your house?”

Tess nodded. “But what if we can’t get a flight? We don’t have reservations.”

“We’re taking my private jet,” he said. “And my family owns the island, so there won’t be any immigration problems. And where we’re going, you won’t need anything to wear.”

Tess’s breath caught in her throat. “What does that mean? I’m not going to run around naked.” Although the prospect seemed intriguing, she thought. Why not just cast aside all her inhibitions and go for it? This was her one chance to live without regret.

Derek laughed, shaking his head. “We have plenty of clothes at the house,” he said. “And there’s a small resort on the other end of the island that has a number of shops. We can buy you something there if you don’t find anything that suits you.” He paused. “But if you do decide to run around naked, I’m all right with that, too.”

“Good to know,” Tess said, giving him wary look.

“Just say the word and I’ll call for the plane.”

“What’s the word?” she asked.

“Yes,” he murmured. He smoothed his hands over her bare arms. “We’ll have fun, I promise. No expectations, no pressure.”

Tess held her breath. This is exactly how she had imagined it, the thrill, the excitement, the undeniable attraction. A handsome man and a tantalizing invitation. “I don’t know you,” she said.

“I’m a good guy. And we won’t be flying alone. I’ll introduce you to my pilot and if you don’t like him, I’ll bring you right back to the hotel. But I think you’d really enjoy spending the night sitting on a sandy beach with your toes in the sand, staring up at the stars.”

“All right,” she said, throwing caution to the wind. When would she ever have an opportunity like this again? Tonight, she’d live a fantasy with this handsome stranger and tomorrow, she’d make a decision about the rest of her life.

“I’ll call my pilot,” he said.

Tess nodded. “I’m just going to go freshen up.”

“The bathroom is through the bedroom,” he said, pulling out his cell phone.

She wandered over to the bedroom door, then looked back at him. For all she knew, he could be a homicidal maniac—a serial killer … with a plane and pilot at his beck and call, and his very own string of hotels with managers and maintenance workers who knew him by name.

Tess stepped inside the luxurious bathroom, then sat down on the edge of the whirlpool tub. She pulled her phone from her clutch purse and quickly dialed Alison’s cell phone. When her friend picked up, she turned away from the door and spoke softly. “Hi, it’s me.”

“Hi,” Alison said. “What’s going on? Did he propose yet? Are you engaged? “

“I haven’t seen Jeffrey. On my way up to the party, I got stuck in the elevator with a gorgeous man. Now I’m in his hotel suite and we’re going to get on a plane and fly … somewhere. To the Caribbean.” She moaned softly. “Please tell me I’m not crazy.”

“Are you kidding me? Of course you’re crazy. Get out of there right now.”

“But I don’t want to leave. I feel like I’m in the middle of some Hollywood movie. He has his own plane. He owns hotels, all over the world. He owns this hotel. And he’s so funny and nice and he says he doesn’t expect any—”

“That’s what they all say,” Alison interrupted. “Have you had too much to drink?”

“No,” she said. “I want to do this, Ali. I want one night of spontaneity and excitement. One night to be someone I’m not. After that, I can marry Jeffrey. One night is all I need.”

“You don’t even know this guy,” Alison said.

“We’re not going to be completely alone. There’s the pilot. And he told me he’ll be a perfect gentleman.”

“What are you going to tell Jeffrey?”

“I’ll figure out something,” she said. “I just know that I can’t bring myself to go to that party. I don’t want him to ask me to marry him tonight.”

“You are crazy,” Alison said.

“I know! Isn’t it wonderful? I’ve never been crazy in my life!” She deserved a fantasy just once, Tess reasoned. She’d spent her entire existence waiting for the next disaster to strike. Now she had a chance to let go of all her worries for one night and to really live. She’d become a practical woman who was about to accept the marriage proposal of a very practical man and together, they’d live a practical life. But not until she had this one night of utter fantasy.

“Let me talk to him,” Alison said.

“What?”

“You heard me. I want to talk to this guy. Where are you? I want to meet him right now. If I say he’s all right, then you can go.”

“I can’t—”

“You will or I’ll call security and have them find you.”

Tess stood and opened the bathroom door. Derek was waiting in the bedroom, a worried look on his face. “Are you all right? You’ve been in there an awfully long time.”

“Here,” she said, holding the phone out to him. “My friend Alison wants to talk to you.” Tess felt her cheeks warm. This was definitely not part of the fantasy. She shouldn’t need to get permission from anyone to run away with a handsome man.

Derek gave her an odd look, then took the phone. “Hi,” he said. For a long time he listened, interjecting a ‘yes’ every now and then. And finally he gave Alison their room number, said goodbye and handed the phone back to Tess. “She’s a little scary. Does she always screen your dates?”

“No. Only those who want to fly me out of the country on a private jet.”

He nodded. “Good to have a friend like that. Hey, she can come with us if she wants. You can invite as many people as you like. We can make a party of it.”

A knock sounded and Tess followed Derek into the sitting room. Alison was waiting at the door, with a handsome man standing behind her, dressed in faded jeans and a T-shirt. Derek let them both in, introducing himself.

“This is Drew Phillips,” Alison said. “Drew, my mentally deranged best friend, Tess Robertson.”

Drew sent Tess an apologetic smile. He was almost as handsome as Derek, Tess mused. But not quite.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Drew said. He turned to Alison. “Why am I here?” he whispered. He turned back to Derek. “Sorry about this. I was just watching the hockey game and she dragged me down here.”

“No problem. Hey, would you like to come along with us?” Derek offered. “There’s plenty of room in the plane. We’re going down to my family’s island in the Caribbean. Good food, good weather … good company?”

Alison forced a smile, then grabbed Tess and pulled her into the privacy of the bedroom. When the door was shut behind them, she gave Tess a shrewd look. “Are you drunk? “

“I’ve had a little scotch,” Tess said. “But I’m not drunk. Although I feel … lightheaded. What do you think? Isn’t he gorgeous?”

“Yes, he’s gorgeous. And he seems like a really nice guy. But you can’t be serious about running off with him.”