The Billionaire's Best Friend (The Sherbrookes of Newport) (20 page)

“
Are you going to tell me where we’re going or not?” Outside the window the White Mountains rose before them. Even through the rain and overcast skies, they were breathtaking. Instinctively, she searched for the state’s famous Old Man in the mountain, something she’d always done when her family and Nate’s had camped in the area. But then she remembered that it had fallen from the side of the mountain a few years earlier. The last time she’d come up to this part of the state it had still been visible. Had it really been that long since her last trip up here?

During her childhood and up until she
’d turned seventeen, her family, along with Nate’s, had camped up here together almost every summer. Had she been here since then? Lauren thought back, but nothing came to mind. Had it really been more than fifteen years since she’d last come up here?

“
You’ll know when we get there.” He threw her a don’t worry, you’re going to love this smile, but said nothing else as he continued on the Kancamagus Highway that cut a path through the White Mountain National Forest.

“Time to wake up.” Nate shook her, his voice invading her nap.

Lauren pulled her face off the window and rubbed the back of her neck.
Outside the window stood a rustic wooden sign welcoming them to Middlebrooke Woods.
Middlebrooke Woods
. She hadn’t thought of that place in years. It was the place their two families had normally stayed in New Hampshire. Back then they’d come in either July or August, and most years both families had campers in tow. Nate didn’t intend for them to camp did he? She’d slept in a tent before, but it didn’t rank high on her list of favorite activities, not to mention it was raining out.

“
Isn’t it a little wet to camp?” She appreciated his effort to surprise her, but she wasn’t spending the weekend in a wet tent.

The car continued down the gravel-covered road.
“We’re not camping. The owners turned the place into a hotel and spa.”

Sure enough, when they turned the bend in the driveway a four-story building came into view. With its white exterior and red-colored roof it reminded her of a smaller version of the famous Mount Washington Resort.

At the curb, a valet waited when Nate pulled up. “Both the hotel and spa got great reviews. I wanted to make you an appointment at the spa, but the place has services I’ve never heard of. I figured you should do it yourself.”

“
Maybe we can have a couple’s massage. Christine, from school, and her husband go for them all the time.”

Nate
’s expression spoke volumes. “Not happening. Get anything you want, but count me out.” He opened the car door without another word.

Despite the rustic location, the hotel they entered had everything you
’d expect to find in a hotel located in the heart of a big city. Marble floors led from the revolving doors into the foyer. A gleaming reception desk lined one wall, while in another area several upholstered sofas were arranged in front of a granite fireplace. It was beautiful and not at all what she’d ever expect to find on the grounds of Middlebrooke Woods.

While Nate checked them in, she studied the paintings of the area hanging on the walls. By the looks of it, the owners had built the new hotel on what had been the campsites but had kept the individual log cabins located closer to the lake. Whenever her family had come they
’d camped, but she’d always thought the cabins looked cute, and she was glad to see they remained.

“
If you need anything, don’t hesitate to call the front desk, Mr. Callahan,” the receptionist said, handing Nate two room cards.

So far so good. They’d both gotten home early and made it up to New Hampshire at a decent hour. The hotel matched everything he’d seen on the Internet, and Lauren appeared happy with his surprise so far this weekend. Now he just needed to pick the perfect time for the next part of his surprise. Should he do it tonight? Reaching into the front pocket of his suitcase, he felt for the box he’d slipped in there just before they left. Satisfied it remained safe and hidden, he re-zipped the pocket before Lauren came back into the bedroom. If he waited until tomorrow, he could do it over a nice romantic dinner. Make it a special occasion for Lauren. Something that she would always remember. If anyone deserved that, she did.

Nate cracked his knuckles on his left hand. He
’d waited this long. He’d survive another night for Lauren’s sake.

“
If they have openings tomorrow, I want a seaweed wrap.” Lauren entered the bedroom, a spa menu in her hand, wearing some black lace teddy he’d never seen on her before. “I’ve always wanted to try one.”

His entire body snapped to attention. The only thing he wanted wrapped around her body right then was him.
“Think about it tomorrow.” He ripped the menu from her hand and tossed it over his shoulder. “Where have you been hiding this?” He raked his eyes up and down her toned body.

“
I picked it up when I went shopping on Monday. Do you like it?” Her voice held the tiniest bit of uncertainty.

She really needed to ask?
“I’ll show you just how much I like it, sweetheart,” he whispered in her ear before picking her up and carrying her to the king-sized bed.

He kissed a trail down her neck toward the strip of lace over her shoulder. Sliding one finger under the lace he tugged it down, his lips following the path his finger took. Once the strap passed her shoulder, he moved lower and pulled the material away from her breast. When he traced the exposed nipple with his tongue, she moaned and dug her fingernails into his back.

Before doing the same thing to her other breast, he looked up. Lauren’s eyes were closed, and her cheeks were flush. The sight of her like that amped up his own desire. “I love you,” he whispered, before pulling down the fabric hiding her other breast from him.

Chapter 12

Nate tapped into every ounce of energy he had left and sprinted the last two hundred yards back toward the hotel. After Lauren headed off to her appointment at the spa, he
’d hit the wooded trail on the resort grounds. The hotel directory claimed it was almost ten miles. He thought the run would not only use some of the time while he waited for Lauren’s return, but also take the edge off his nerves. That morning when he’d woken up with her body snuggled close and a leg thrown over his, he’d almost popped the question. In his heart and mind they’d always belonged together. Now he wanted the rest of the world to know it, too. Even with his eagerness to ask her, he’d managed to hold back. Women loved things to be romantic. Or at least according to the movies they did, so that was what he’d give her. Tonight over a nice candlelit dinner in a restaurant that charged more for one glass of wine than an entire case cost, he’d ask her.

Breathing heavily, he walked to the far corner of the building
’s exterior. Even after the run, he felt as if he’d finished a whole pot of coffee on an otherwise empty stomach. So far the exercise had done nothing but cover him in mud and make him sweaty.

Why the hell am I worried? She
’s going to say yes. Why wouldn’t she?
He tried to ignore the answers his brain immediately made to that question. Still, they kept popping back up. They’d only been back together for a month. After fifteen years apart, a month was nothing. Whose fault was that anyway? No one’s but his. What if she preferred to just live together more or less like they were now? Not everyone wanted the whole marriage-and-two-kids thing. Just because she wanted it in high school didn’t mean she envisioned it for herself now.

Nate retraced his steps toward the front entrance.
Get your head out of your ass, Callahan.
She’s going to say yes. End of story.
He crossed the front foyer to the elevators. With each step, he banished his insecurities, locking them behind the barriers in his mind where he stored everything he didn’t want to think about. Then he focused on the words he should use tonight. He hated poetry. He didn’t know the difference between a sonnet and a haiku, but just this once he wished he knew how to string together the perfect words. Words that would express how he truly felt. He didn’t, though, so he’d do what he did best, adapt and conquer.

***

“If this place were closer, I’d visit that spa once a month.”

He watched the candlelight dance across her face. She
’d arranged her hair in some kind of intricate braid leaving her slender neck and shoulders exposed. He didn’t know where she picked up the dress she had on, but it fit her to a T, and he suspected it cost more than he made in a month.

“
I cannot believe you came up here and went for a run.” She shook her head, an expression of mock outrage on her face. “You should have come with me. There were two men in the waiting room.”

Nate raised an eyebrow at her.
“Seriously, you can picture me in a spa? Before this weekend that word wasn’t even in my vocabulary.”

A true smile lit up her face, and his heart doubled in size. Lord, he loved to see her smile.

“No, I can’t, but I feel bad. I spent the day enjoying myself and getting pampered while you went for a run.” She reached out for his hand. “I want you to enjoy yourself, too.”

“
Trust me, I enjoyed myself last night and this morning.” He squeezed her hand. “And I plan on enjoying myself tonight.”

There was no mistaking the eye roll Lauren threw at him.
“You know that’s not what I meant.”

“
I brought you up here so we could spend time together and relax. We’re doing that, so I am happy.”
It’s time.
They’d already ordered and both had full glasses of wine. Their waiter had no reason to disturb them again.

Pulling at his tie, he slid the knot down a fraction of an inch then reached for his wine, his pulse beating double-time in his head.
“I wanted to talk to you about something.”
Yep, that sounded real romantic.

“
You’ll need to wait your turn, because I want to ask you something first.”

Taken off guard, he blinked a few times. Before he could reply, she went on.

“You’re practically living with me now anyway, so I thought you should just make it official. You know, change the drivers’ license, get whatever is left in your parents’ apartment.”

She wanted him to move in. Good sign.

“What do you think?” she asked

He dropped his free hand into his pocket. His hand wrapped around the ring inside, and his stomach inched a little closer to his throat.
“Perfect. My turn.” Nate pushed back his chair prepared to get up. And do what? He didn’t know. Should he drop to one knee like on TV? “I didn’t bring you up here just to relax.” He began picking the words as he went. “Even when we weren’t together, I loved you. I don’t want us to waste any more time apart, Lauren. I know I should have asked you this a long time ago.” At the last minute, Nate dropped to one knee in front of her and held up the diamond ring. “Lauren, will you marry me?”

For the first time in his life, he understood the expression
“time stood still.” His hand wavered as he waited and watched. Lauren’s eyes grew wide reminding him of a deer caught in the car’s headlights. The expression then disappeared as teardrops rolled down her cheeks. Thankfully, despite her tears, a bright smile graced her face. When she finally nodded, Nate took in a breath, only to have it almost knocked out of him when Lauren launched herself at him.

“
I . . . yes.” She wrapped her arms around him.

He pulled her closer for a kiss, and only when he heard the applause from the restaurant patrons did he pull back. Even in the restaurant
’s muted light, he saw the color crawl up Lauren’s cheeks. “I hope you like it.” He slid the white gold and diamond engagement ring onto her finger. Before he had ventured into a jewelry store, he’d spent several hours reading up on diamonds. He now knew more about the different types of cuts and color qualities of diamonds than a man had any right to. Not that it had made the selection process any easier. He’d still spent a good two hours in the jewelry store the day he bought the ring.

“
Nate, it’s gorgeous. And it fits. How did you manage that?” Lauren sat back down, but her eyes never left the ring on her hand.

“
I brought one of your other rings with me so they could size it. I grabbed it before work one day, and put it back when I came home.”

She looked up and frowned at him.
“You sneaked through my things, seriously?”

“
It was for a good cause. Besides, you can punish me later. Right now, let’s eat,” he said as their waiter placed their appetizers on the table.

She glanced down at her left hand for perhaps the hundredth time since she’d slipped on the ring. The diamond caught the lights from above and sparkled. The ring was gorgeous. Nate had done a fabulous job picking it out.

Engaged.
They were engaged. In high school she had dreamed about it. When he left for the Naval Academy she had buried that dream down deep. Even after they reunited the month before, she hadn’t allowed the dream out. Now the dream was about to become a reality.