The Executive's Decision (12 page)

When lunch was finished, Zach brought out another bottle of wine. Once the bottle was empty, Regan was sure she’d be free to go. She enjoyed the company of Zach’s parents, but walking away, giving Zach the cold shoulder, would be even better than the taste of the expensive wine he’d served.

Audrey let out a loud sigh and patted her cheeks. “I think I’ve had too much wine and too much sun today. Tyler, would you walk me upstairs. I think I’d like to lie down.”

He stood as though it were part of the protocol.

Regan also stood. “Thank you so much for having me.”

“Oh, you’re staying.” Audrey smiled and Regan took a breath to speak. “I’ve bought a beautiful pie. You told me you loved pie.” She winked and Regan closed her open mouth. “I won’t be too long. Zachary, you show her around. Take her through the gardens and out to the stables. Run along.”

Zach stood and kissed his mother’s cheek before his father led her away.

Regan watched him with his mother. He was a different in her presence than he was in the office. He was gentle and loving when he was caring for someone. The executive was about the contract, the timeline, and the money. Only someone with a genuine heart cared for his mother in a way that was obvious to an onlooker, but then again she’d seen it before. The powerful man who could be vicious on the business end and on the home front act as though he were a decent and loving man.

But there was something in Zach Benson’s eyes that hadn’t been in Alexander Hamilton’s. A compassion she wanted to believe was genuine.

“C’mon,” he said, taking hold of her hand.

“I will not.” She took her hand back and looked at him. Even if she believed he was capable of separating the power of the businessman from the sincerity of a lover, she had to be true to herself.

She needed to leave, quickly. She’d wanted to leave him alone, ready to console himself with his French mistress, but a little part of her wanted him to long for her after she left. “She wants me to show you around, let’s go.” He gave a nod toward the door, and she could see that his executive attitude could cross the threshold of the home.

“Fine.” She folded her arms to keep them closed around her. “I’ll let you show me around, but you keep your hands to yourself.”

“Regan.” He stepped closer to her, raising his hand to her hair. “Are you sure that’s what you want me to do?” He slid his fingers to her cheek.

A shudder of anticipation ran through her. No, she didn’t want him to keep his hands to himself. She wanted them to roam all over her. She squeezed her eyes shut. It had to go away. Her longing for him had to go away.

“Regan.” She opened her eyes and looked at him. He offered her his arm. “Let’s take a walk.”

They started in Audrey’s rose garden, and despite Regan’s best efforts to retain an icy demeanor, Zach’s undemanding conversation melted her defenses.

“This is lovely.” She could smell the fragrance of the roses all around her. It would be a wonderful place to spend all of her days. There was every color rose imaginable. “How does she take care of all this?”

“She sits in that lounge chair and watches someone do it for her,” he whispered.

“Oh.” She nodded with a smile. “So this is where you grew up?”

“When I wasn’t at boarding school.”

“That’s right. That’s why you don’t have an accent?”

“What?” He looked down at her as they walked.

“I assume the schools weren’t around here? You don’t have a southern sound.” She turned up her own accent.

“No, mademoiselle, my accent is French.”

She swallowed back the vile reminder of Simone’s voice on the phone. His accent was perfect, just like hers. The thought was unsettling.

“Tell me something in French,” she said, in an attempt to rid herself of unwanted jealousy.

He spun her around to face him. He stroked her hair. “
J'aime vos cheveux quand le soleil les caresse.
”

“Wow.” She sighed.

“I’m full of surprises.”

She was sure he was. “What did you say?”

“I like your hair when the sun caresses it.”

She sucked in a breath and let the beauty of his sentiment ease her into being with him.

With a wink, he interlaced their fingers and continued toward the stables.

Regan looked back at the house as they walked further from it. “Remember when you asked me where I’d like to live?” He nodded. “I think this is heaven.”

“I could make arrangements for you to live in the house They have a room for rent,” he joked as they entered the stable.

The horse on the far end of the stables pranced around in its stall as they walked closer, then moved to the gate, shaking its golden mane in a hello.

“You’d think it’s been years since you saw me.” He patted the nose of the horse.

“This one is yours, I take it?”

“Yes. Isn’t she beautiful?” He ran his hand down her neck, giving her a hearty pat on the side.

“I don’t know much about horses.”

“Oh, well she’s a palomino quarter horse.”

Regan nodded with a laugh. “Got it.”

“She was mine from the moment she took her first step.” His eyes settled on the horse as she’d seen Carlos’s when he’d watch his children do something new. “Would you like to go for a ride?” He looked down at her.

The thought of sitting so high on the large animal with Zach pressed up close to her made her entire body quiver. That was too intimate. “No.” Her voice was unsteady. “Not today. I’d like to keep walking if that’s okay.”

“Sure. We haven’t even made it to the creek yet.”

She longed to see the creek that wandered through the land. The sound of it was bold, rolling along, not held back, but she’d yet to actually see it through the trees.

Behind the stable was path that wound its way through the tall grasses that lay before them.

He looked down at her shoes. “We could go back and get the cart my dad drives out this way. Your sandals might not survive the dirt and rocks.”

She had to laugh at his concern for her footwear. She reached down, holding to his arm for balance, and pulled the shoes from her feet. “Then you won’t mind if I take them off. They’re horribly uncomfortable.”

“Now we can’t race.”

“Oh, I don’t know about that,” she said, then took off as quickly as she could.

He followed her, running in his dress shoes until he caught her and scooped her off her feet.

She let out a squeal and then laughed until he set her on her feet just as they cleared the trees that gave way to the creek.

Once she caught her breath, she took in the tranquility of the quaint spot. The large sycamore trees, with their full branches of thick green leaves, by the water’s edge created a cool green hideaway, and an enormous boulder sat in the middle of the water.

He pulled of his shoes and socks then rolled up his pant legs. “C’mon, we’re going in.”

“No I’m not.”

“I’m your boss. Do it.”

She gave him a narrow-eyed look, irritated that after he’d held her hand, and carried her through the grass, he’d even say that. But she gathered her skirt in her hand and followed him to the bank of the creek.

Zach took her hand again, gently, and pulled her near him as they started toward the creek. “There are stones here in the shallow part to help you get to the boulder.”

She stopped and tugged against his hand, searching for the stones he spoke of. “And if I fall?”

“You’ll get wet.” He laughed as he tugged her along.

Once they made it to the boulder, he helped her up to the top and they sat.

They didn’t speak, but she knew he watched her taking in the sights around them. She let herself relax and listen to the peacefulness of the area. She closed her eyes, felt the breeze blow against her, and listened to the water ripple beneath her.

When she opened her eyes, she saw Zach reclined on his elbows looking up at her. “You’re beautiful.”

“Please don’t ruin the moment.”

“You said we should talk about what’s going on between us.” He lay back on the rock and tucked his folded hands under his head.

“Nothing is going on between us. It was a mistake,” she said smoothly. “Just a mistake. They happen.”

“That’s too bad.”

“Yes it is.” She lay back against the rock and watched the breeze rustle the leaves on the trees. She folded her hands and rested them on her stomach.

“So, why is it that you won’t see me?” he asked.

“I thought we were done talking about it.”

“No, you were. I’m not.” He was smiling with his eyes closed.

“I won’t see you socially because that’s not professional. Things happen when the assistant falls in love with the boss.”

“I see. Does that mean I should fire you?”

“I’m not attracted to you that way.” She hoped she was convincing.

“I don’t believe you.” He reached for piece of her hair and curled it around his finger.

Regan leaned up on her elbow and looked down at him. “Is this really important? Do you really want to see me socially? Romantically?”

“Uh-huh.”

“I thought I made it clear.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Stop that!” Her heart was racing and her palms had grown damp. She pushed her hair back as she sat up and cradled her knees to her chest. This was the end. No matter what it led to, it was the end, not a beginning. If she saw him socially, she had to find a new job. If she refused to see him, their work relationship would be strained and she’d have to find a new job anyway. It was a no-win situation—for her—and she was going to lose everything again.

“Regan.” He sat up next to her. “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you since you fell onto my lap. I look at it like a sign from above.”

“No. It was a horrible day.” She shook her head and angled her body away from him.

“Maybe.” He reached his arm behind her and moved his body in closer to her as if to move into her territory. He lowered his head until his breath was in her ear. “I know you’re involved with other men.”

“Other men?” She pulled away and saw dark sadness in his eyes. The fear that he knew what she’d been through stabbed at her. What if he was the kind of man who held that against the woman and thought the man was justified in how he acted? Did he think she was still involved with the man she’d worked for before him? That she was so weak she would hold on to anyone? “What other men?”

“Dr. Curtis,” he said holding up one finger. “And then there was the man who met you at your door.” He held up another finger.

The tension released in her shoulders, and her breathing returned to normal. She had to smile, and the fear that he was some pompous control freak slid away, leaving her with her urge to laugh. “Mr. Benson, you are very observant. And you certainly have been spending a lot of time thinking about the other men in my life.”

“I can’t help it.” He raised his hand to her face and caressed her cheek. His blue eyes sank into hers and held her. “Regan, you’re all I think about. I want to be with you. I want to get to know you on a personal level, and I want you to want that too. Tell me why you’re so guarded.”