Billionaire Novelist's Fiery Debutante (9 page)

“That topic being me?”

“Actually, our union, as she calls it.”

“Our union?”

“She wants to make sure I know all there is to know about you before I tie the knot. Her words.”

“Oh boy. I fear the worst.” He gave her a knowing smile. “Family photos.”

“That’s pretty bad.”

He suddenly grew serious. “Look, Chloe. I had a great time with you on Eden Island.” He leaned forward, his tone growing soft and confidential. “In fact I had a wonderful time. I… I deeply care about you, but this is all very premature. I mean… Perhaps we should take the time to get to know each other a little better before my mother starts bombarding you with her fondest memories from my diaper days.”

She nodded. He was right. It was early days. They should really take their time. “I agree. But somehow I found myself incapable of saying no.”

“My mother can be very persistent. Even for me it’s hard to say no. Do you want me to cancel your lunch date for you?”

“No, that’s all right. Actually, I’m quite curious to meet her.”

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

“Duly noted, Mr. Poole.”

He grinned, and she couldn’t help swooning a little over his good looks. If the man had wanted, he could have been Hollywood royalty.

He gave her hand a tiny squeeze. “How’s the novel going?”

“Haven’t started yet. You?”

He sighed. “It’s not the same without you, honey. Somehow, the words won’t come so easily if you’re not there to read them later on.”

She raised her eyebrows, pleasantly surprised. “You want me to read some of your chapters?”

He brightened. “Would you? I mean, if you don’t mind? I really value your opinion. And if you like I can read yours?”

“Just like old times.”

He smiled at that. “Not that old.” He glanced at his watch, then back at her, his eyes speaking volumes. “Twenty-four hours to be exact.”

She held his gaze. “I remember.” She felt her heart make a little leap of joy. What she’d feared, that their connection would be severed the moment they touched down, had proved erroneous. The magic they shared was still there, the attraction undeniable.

Then, just when Josh opened his mouth to speak, Ricki Domani appeared at their table, and they started the process of ordering food. The moment Ricki had disappeared, she rose to her feet. “Ladies’ room,” she whispered when he eyed her with a question mark in those amber eyes of his.

Like a gentleman, he stood, and when she squeezed herself past his chair en route to the lavatory, he took her by the elbow and discreetly folded her into the crook of his arm to press a tender kiss on her lips. Then he whispered into her ear, “Just an appetizer.”

Smooth. Very smooth. Her knees wobbly all of a sudden, she continued on her way.

CHAPTER 20

Josh smiled to himself as he awaited Chloe’s return. He really appreciated she’d seated them so he could hide from plain view, for it allowed him moments of privacy he seldom enjoyed when out of the house. In general, people treated him with kindness, especially here on Long Island, his stomping ground for the last ten years, but he still preferred to spend this precious time with Chloe without being interrupted by signature-hunters or, worse, selfie-addicts.

His heart sang. The magic was still there. Their budding romance had survived their return to normalcy, and what was more, his mother’s infernal meddling. He’d feared that Mom’s phone call would have scared her off. That she would have run to the hills by now, wanting nothing more to do with him. Instead, she’d gracefully handled the whole affair. Magnificently, she’d accepted the invitation, knowing full well Mom would ask her a million questions about her personal life, and divulging a million more about Josh’s.

Still smiling, he looked up when Chloe’s cell started buzzing. She’d left it on the table, and it described a small jig as it buzzed all across the table napkin listing all of Ricki Domani’s traits in glowing prose and vivid pictorial richness.

Darting a quick look around, he carelessly turned the phone, so it was facing him, and stared at the display. ‘Fifi’ was trying to reach Chloe. Moments later, the buzzing ceased, only to be followed by the telltale twin buzz indicating a message had been received.

He shook his head. He shouldn’t. He couldn’t. He… picked up the phone and checked the message.

‘Can’t w8 2 C U! XXX Frank’

Shocked and appalled, he placed the phone back. Just ask her, Josh, he told himself. Just ask her if she has a boyfriend. She’s an honest, good woman. She won’t let you down. Don’t jump to conclusions. Talk to her and you’ll see.

He was so engrossed in his little pep talk to himself, that she’d slipped back into her seat before he’d noticed.

“Ah, erm, you had a, erm, text,” he managed, inclining his head at her phone.

“Oh?” She sounded genuinely surprised, then picked up the trinket and stared at the message for a second before displaying the warm smile he’d come to cherish. His stomach lurched. Whoever Frank was, he was having the same effect on her that he had.

He decided he couldn’t wait any longer, but just when he opened his mouth to speak, a waiter showed up carrying two steaming pizzas and carefully placed them on the table.

“Buon appetito!”
the man intoned with a deferential bow.

“Grazzie!”
cried Chloe, in excellent spirits.

“Yeah, thanks,” grumbled Josh as he reached for his cutlery.

Chloe leaned in. “I didn’t want to tell you this before, but this is the best pizza place on Long Island.”

“I know,” riposted Josh a little curtly.

Chloe inched back, and her smile faded. “Are you all right?”

“I’m fine. It’s just… Look, I really don’t know how to tackle this topic gently, so I’ll just come out and ask you, all right?”

“Sure. What’s on your mind?”

“I…” Oh, hell, why was he even going there… “I happened to see the message on your phone just now, and…”

“Yes?”

Was it just his imagination, or did he detect a slight diminution of her exuberance? Nonetheless, he decided to trudge on. “I couldn’t help but notice that a… friend called Frank called you? And…”

Her face cleared. “You’re jealous, is that it?”

“I—”

She clasped a hand on top of his, her eyes shiny and bright. “You are!”

“No, it’s just that—I was just wondering if—” Annoyed with himself, he emitted a soft grumble, then tightened his jaw and said, with controlled anger, “I would like to know if you have a boyfriend. Named Frank or Kiki or, or, whatever,” he concluded a little lamely.

Chloe let rip a tinkling laugh that shook him to the marrow.

“What’s so funny about that? A guy has a right to know if—if—if—”

She bit her lip, a wonderful sparkle in her eye. “I’m sorry, Josh. It’s just that I’ve never had any man ask me that question before. It’s quite a new sensation for me. But to answer you: no, I don’t have a boyfriend. I think I told you that on the island. There’s nobody in my life right now except you.”

“Oh.” He perked up quite a bit at these words. “Are you sure, because this Frank guy—”

“Fifi’s just a very good friend,” she interjected.

“Fifi?”

“That’s what I like to call him.”

“Kiki. Fifi. You have a lot of male friends.”

She shrugged. “I guess I do.”

Just then, Ricki returned to their table, and when he saw that their pizzas were still untouched, a dark frown marred his brow. “What’s wrong with the pizza?”

“Nothing’s wrong with the pizza!” cried Chloe, her cheeks glowing.

Josh grinned. She looked so lovely.

“Then why aren’t you eating!” exclaimed Ricki.

“We are! We are!” assured Chloe, and quickly took a slice and shoved it into her mouth. “See? Yum!”

Ricki’s incandescent eye turned on Josh, and the latter felt compelled to follow Chloe’s example and tuck away a big piece of pasta. “It’s delicious!”

The pizza parlor owner’s gaze swiveled from Josh to Chloe. “I’ll be watching you,” he warned darkly, then stalked off, his professional pride offended.

“He takes this very personally,” mumbled Josh with his mouth full of pizza.

“He does,” agreed Chloe, her mouth equally full.

Then, while they were both munching like cows, their eyes met, and they had the hardest time not bursting out into laughter.

Before long, Kiki and Fifi and Ricki were all forgotten, and they enjoyed both the pizza and each other’s company until darkness had fallen outside, and they were the only ones remaining.

CHAPTER 21

“Don’t you have work to do, dear Sir?”

Josh’s lips curled up into an easy smile at those words. “I’ll have you know I do some of my best work at night.”

“What are you saying? That I’m keeping you from your work?”

He took a firmer grip on her hand and gave her arm a short jerk, landing her into his arms with a twirl.

She yelped in surprise but didn’t protest when he stirred her lips with his. Then, as the kiss deepened, she was momentarily lost to the world. When finally he released her, she felt a little breathless and woozy.

Steadying herself by leaning on his arm, she blinked a few times. “What were we talking about again? I seem to have forgotten…”

He pretended to be thinking hard, furrowing his brow in the process. “I seem to recall you were challenging me about my work ethic.”

“I was? Oh, you’re right. I was.”

“You accused me of being a lazy bum—”

“I did not!”

“—and I reciprocated by pointing out I’m basically the night rider of novelists, reaching my peak performance right around the time other and lesser writers hit the hay.”

She had to giggle at this. “If I’m following you correctly, you’re performing at your peak level right around now?”

He fixed her with a glittering eye. “Haven’t you noticed?”

She gave his shoulder a jocular punch. “You cad, you.”

He took a brief curtsy. “The firm of Poole, Poole, Poole & Poole aims to please, dear lady.”

“Well, tell one of the lesser Pooles from me that the head Poole is doing a good job.”

They were both high on pizza and love and aimlessly wandering the beach by night. After a short ride in his Ferrari, Josh had parked the beast on his driveway and taken her out back, a small path leading to a small stretch of private beach. The idea had been to relive their parting lovemaking on Eden Island, but they’d both felt too giddy to stay put and had opted for a midnight stroll instead.

Chloe suddenly turned serious. “You know, you’re quite different than your public persona indicates, Josh.”

“Oh? I thought you’d never heard of me before last week?”

“Well, I’d heard of you. My mother’s your biggest fan. How could I not have heard of you? I’d just never bothered to look you up before.”

“And now you have.”

“Now I have.”

“Don’t. The Joshua Poole that’s in the public domain doesn’t really exist.” He sighed and looked up at the stars, stretching his arms over his head. “We invented him.”

“You did? Mr. Ladies’ Man, Hot Shot Action Man Poole is a figment of your imagination?”

“My agent, actually. I’d always wanted to write action adventure, but habitually hovered on the verge of being cut by my publisher. Then one day she said I needed an edge if I wanted to break into the hallowed circle of bestselling writers. I needed a story. What she called an origin story. My story was that I was a regular Joe who’d always dreamed of being a writer. You know, the regular stuff.”

“Trust me. I know. I’ve read the same ‘origin story’ on practically every writer’s website. Including my own.”

“To really stand out, Mel told me I needed to reinvent myself. Turn myself into some sort of superman instead of the ordinary kid-turned-writer. So Joshua Poole came into being. The macho, globe-trotting, dame magnet superstar.” He grimaced. “To tell you the truth, Joshua Poole isn’t even my real name. We made that up because it sounded way cooler than…” He hesitated.

“Tell me!” she insisted with a grin. Then, softer, “Trust me. I won’t tell anyone.”

“My real name is Josh Reynolds, and I come from a long line of horse ranchers.”

Her eyes went wide. “A horse rancher? You’re a horse rancher?”

He grinned at her surprise. “The Reynolds Ranch is a household name back where I come from. Started by my paternal grandfather, run by my father until this day, and destined for me to take over one day.”

“So where do you come from?”

“A very small town in Montana,” he said. “Pleasant Springs. Pop. 5467 at the last count. My sister’s running the ranch together with my father and my granddad now.”

“And she’s fine with that?”

He nodded. “Yes, she is. In fact, it was always more my dad’s dream than mine that I follow in his footsteps. I was always the writer in the family. You know, keeping a diary since I was nine, submitting short stories to all the major magazines… My sister’s the one who was fascinated with horses. She could spend hours down at the stables, watching my dad and grandpa work. Grooming the horses, watching the trainers… So one day, about ten years ago, we sat my dad down and broke the news to him that it wasn’t going to be Josh taking over the family business but Jocelyn.”

“Was he very disappointed?”

“He was, at first. For some reason, he’d envisioned the Reynolds name being carried from one generation to the next for the next couple of decades or so. So when I bailed out, it came as something of a shock to him. Fortunately, he came around when we told him he was lucky at least one of the kids had caught the ranching germ. By the same token, neither of us could have wanted to take over the business. Then he would have been forced to sell, and that would have truly broken his heart. And granddad’s, for that matter.”

Chloe slipped her arm through his. “Is he still alive, your granddad?”

“Very much so. In name, my father and sister run the ranch, but my granddad is still in there practically every day.”

They stood staring out across the ocean, the gentle rustling of the waves having a soothing effect. In spite of the cool breeze wafting in from across the vast body of water, Chloe felt a warm glow suffusing her being. “I like your real origin story, Josh. I think I like it even better than the fake one.”