Because of Sydney (11 page)

I
walked into the office. One of these days I would get a wireless printer for the condo. For now, Eden’s printing services would have to work.

She met me with a wide grin. “How did last night go?”

“You know I don’t kiss and tell, girl.”

“That is not true.” She waggled her finger at me.

“I was wondering if you could print another file for me. I already emailed it to you.”

“Of course. Is it about your big resort?”

“I need to sign a few contracts. Standard stuff.” I watched as an older couple shuffled past the front door. I was the only resident under the age of sixty-five staying at the Palm.

“I liked Sydney. Grey does too.”

“Nice to know my nephew approves.” I smirked. It wasn’t as if Grey and I were ever going to have a heart to heart conversation about women. At least I wasn’t planning on it.

“So there is something to approve?” Her eyebrows rose.

I sat on the couch. Eden was relentless. “You are jumping to conclusions. We had a few drinks. I took her back to my place after.”

“Ah-hah! I knew it. And she left this morning, right?”

“Technically, she hasn’t left yet.” I tried to keep the smile from creeping up the corners of my mouth, but I couldn’t help it. I had left Sydney sleeping in my bed. After the morning we had, I knew she needed an extra round of sleep.

“What?” Eden squealed almost spilling her coffee. “This is a good sign. No one ever stays past your run time.”

“What are you talking about?” I prepared a cup of coffee and sat across from her.

“You do the same thing with every girl. Dinner, drinks, moonlight on the ocean, who knows what lines you feed them and then by seven o’clock they are out the door, and you are running on the beach. Like clockwork every time. I’ve never seen the same girl here twice and I’ve never seen anyone leave any later than seven.”

“What are you my mother? How do you know my schedule?”

She shook her head. “That’s not the point. The point is you like her. You really like someone.”

Eden had a way of wanting everyone to be happy. She thought everyone deserved a fairytale romance and a happy ending. She practically sacrificed her life to save the Palm Palace for Grey. She bent over backwards to help Marin with her wedding last year. And when Taylor and I broke up she was on the first flight home to help her best friend. I didn’t want to be on her list of good deeds. When she went all in on something, there was no turning back.

“This is good. Really good. She lives here, and you’re going to be here a lot more now. I’m so excited.”

“Calm down,” I warned her. “It was one night.”

“And a morning,” she reminded me. “Speaking of, what’s she doing right now?”

“Sleeping.” I saw an image of her auburn hair tussled over her shoulders. I waited until I knew she was sleeping deeply before I dressed and walked to the office. I didn’t want to wake her and risk her leaving.

“You should take her breakfast.” She hopped up and started opening cabinets.

“What are you doing?”

“I keep continental breakfast items for the residents, but they have all passed through here by now. You know seniors eat at like six in the morning.” She filled a paper bag with bananas, blueberry muffins, and a couple of yogurts from the fridge. She walked across the room and grabbed the flowers on display and tied a ribbon around them. “And flowers. Girls love flowers.”

“I know what girls like.” I eyed her. “This is not my first rodeo, sweetheart.”

“I’m just trying to help.” She handed me the makeshift breakfast picnic. “Here.”

“Thanks.” It didn’t matter how much I resisted, I knew I had just become Eden’s top priority. “Will you scan these back to me in separate attachments?” I traded her the papers I had signed for the food.

“Sure. But don’t let work get in the way of real life.”

“Eden, stop with the sermons. I know what I’m doing.”

“Right. Sorry.” She winced. “Have a good day, and tell Sydney I said hello.” There was an I-told-you-so hint in her voice.

“Thanks for the food.” I walked out of the office, carrying the goodies for Sydney.

By the time I walked into the condo and set the food on the counter, the sun had filtered through the windows, throwing beams of sunlight into the kitchen. I hummed under my breath while I arranged breakfast on a tray.

I poured a cup of coffee for her and positioned it on the edge of the tray next to the vase of flowers.

I took careful steps to the bedroom. She was right where I left her. Her back moved with deep breaths. The skin on her shoulders was golden and freckled from the sun. I studied the curves of her back, how they dipped at her hips and swelled over her bottom. God, she was gorgeous even asleep. I shook my head.

I placed the tray next to the bed, but she didn’t stir. Couldn’t say I blamed her, after three rounds of mind-blowing sex I was feeling exhausted too. I pulled the T-shirt I had thrown on over my head, stepped out of my jeans and crawled into bed next to her. I felt her body align against my back and within minutes my eyes closed and I slipped into sleep.

I shot out of bed, unsure of the time. I heard light laughter over my shoulder.

“You ok?”

I rubbed the back of my neck. “Yeah. I don’t usually sleep in like that.” I turned to see Sydney smiling at me.

The breakfast tray was almost empty. “Thanks for bringing me food.”

“Have you been awake long?” I asked.

“No, just long enough to eat.”

I checked my phone. I had emails piling up, and a few missed calls from the office. I rolled out of bed. “I’ll be right back.”

I dialed Mark and stepped into the living room. “What do you have for me?”

“Good morning, sir.”

“Good morning.” I still hadn’t checked the time. The morning was a fog. Between waking up at five to help Sydney with her story, to the shower that moved into bed, and then climbing back in to sleep, my body was out of sorts.

“Congratulations again on the Cove deal.”

“Thanks, I appreciate everyone’s efforts yesterday. Now the real work begins.”

“That’s why I’m calling.”

“Go on.” I waited.

“We have two sub-contractors lined up in San Antonio who are interested in bidding on the resort. Do you want me to drive down and meet with them?”

“God, no.” I wasn’t about to let Mark scout anything. “I’ll take care of it. Tell them I’ll be there to meet in the morning.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Have Kelly set up my hotel and set up the meetings. I need an hour in between each appointment. I don’t want them running into each other.”

“Yes, sir. We can handle that. Will you be driving or do you need a flight?”

I calculated how long it would take for me to drive to San Antonio. Sydney peeked around the corner of the door, my sheets wrapped around her chest.

“I’ll drive. Call me when it’s done.”

I tossed the phone on the couch.

“Is that how you get so much accomplished?” She walked into the living room.

“As a matter fact, it is.”

She pulled the corners of the sheet around her shoulders, and I realized how much I wanted to pull it down. But I had a full day’s worth of work to do. I couldn’t jump back in bed no matter how much I wanted to.

She settled onto the couch.

“What do you have planned today?” I asked.

“I’m waiting to hear from my editor about the story. I’m sure I’ll have follow up to do.”

“Right.” It wasn’t as if just because I had granted one interview for her she would no longer have to follow the story. “The story is never over is it?”

The smile faded from her face. “We agreed last night we wouldn’t—”

“Sydney, I understand. It’s your job.”

One side of the sheet fell from her shoulder. I sat next to her. “I have an idea.”

“What’s that?”

“I have to leave this afternoon for San Antonio. Come with me.”

“Go with you to San Antonio?”

I nodded. “It will be fun. Road trip.”

“You don’t really strike me as the spontaneous type.” It looked as if she was analyzing my face, trying to read my next move.

“There you go again with your interpretive journalism. I’m the definition of spontaneity. Thought I proved that this morning.” I winked.

“And how would you suggest I take off from work with no warning?”

“I’m sure you just delivered a Pulitzer award-winning article. That should give you some negotiating power.”

“The newsroom doesn’t work like that. Would you give that poor guy you were talking to the day off for doing something great?”

“I’m not giving him the day off for anything. He’s new.”

“Exactly. I’m new too. I don’t get to take off on vacation whenever I feel like it.”

I pulled her into my lap, letting the rest of the sheet fall away. I brushed my lips against her collarbone. “Then, I only see one option for you.”

“And what is that?” Her arms circled my neck.

“I think you’ve caught your first Texas bug.”

She leaned back on the pillow, the perkiness of her breasts drawing me on top of her. I changed my mind. I had enough time for this.

“Call in sick?”

“If that’s what you want.” My hands ran along her hips.

“I think you’re going to be very bad for me.” Her voice was raspy as I pushed her knee to the side and kissed between her legs.

“I hope so, baby.”

M
y body was sore in places I didn’t know existed. I let the hot water run over my shoulders and down my back. I ran a handful of shampoo then conditioner through my hair before lathering my legs in shaving cream. These were all the things I would have done last night before going home with Mason if I had known. I giggled. How would I have known anything like that was even possible?

I pulled the blade over my shin, careful not to press too deeply. The foam bubbled at the drain and disappeared with the water.

I dried off and looked at my reflection in the mirror. My full lips felt swollen. My hands ran over my breasts, feeling the extra tender spots lashed by his tongue and teeth. I sighed looking at the blue marks on the inside of my thigh. When he had landed there after breakfast I almost squirmed out of his hands, but it didn’t take much coaxing to relax on the couch and let him show me what he was capable of. I should have written a piece for
Cosmo
instead of the
News & Record
. The world was missing out on Mason Lachlan’s real skills.