Trouble on Her Doorstep (13 page)

She shivered in the cool air, fracturing the moment, and he grabbed her hand and jogged back across the balcony. Sean slid open the patio doors and wrapped his arm around her waist, hugging her to him, the luxurious warmth from the penthouse warming their backs.

‘Oh, that’s better. Won’t you get into trouble with the boss for wasting heat? Oh—you are the boss! Well, in that case, carry on.’

‘We should be getting back to the others,’ Sean whispered, only his voice sounded low and way too unconvincing. ‘They might be missing us.’

She must have thought so too, because she took a last step and closed the distance between them and pressed the palms of both of her hands flat against the front of his white dinner shirt. He could feel the warmth of her fingertips through the fine fabric as she spread her fingers out in wide arcs; the light perfume enclosed them.

‘This has been a magical evening. Thank you for inviting me,’ she whispered.

Every muscle in his body tensed as she moved closer and pressed her body against his, one hand reaching in to the small of his back and the other still pressed gently against his shirt. He tried to shift but she shifted with him, her body fitting perfectly against his, her cheek resting on his lapel as though they were dancing to music which only she could hear.

So he did the only thing he could.

He kissed her.

She lifted her head and her hair brushed his chin as she pressed tentative kisses onto his collarbone and neck. Her mouth was soft and moist and totally, totally captivating.

With each kiss she stepped closer until her hips beneath the sari were pressed against his and the pressure made him groan.

‘Dee,’ he hissed, reaching for her shoulders to draw her away. But somehow he was sliding his hands up into her hair instead, holding her head and tilting her face towards him. Then he was kissing her, his tongue in her mouth, her taste surrounding him.

He stroked her tongue with his and traced her lower lip before sucking on it gently. She made a small sound and angled her head to give him more access.

She tasted so sweet, so amazing. So giving.

She gazed at him with eyes filled with such delight, as if she was expecting some suggestive comment about the fact that this penthouse came with a king-sized bed...

And that look hit him hard.

He did not just want Dee to be his stand-in date for tonight. He wanted to see her again, be with her again. He wanted to know what she looked like when she had just made love. He wanted to find out what gave her pleasure in bed, and then make sure that he delivered precisely what the lady ordered.

She was as proud and independent as he was. And just as unforgiving with anyone who dared to offer her charity or their pity.

By some fluke, some strange quirk of fate, he had met a woman who truly did understand him more than Sasha had ever done. And that was beyond a miracle.

Could he take a chance and show her how special she was? And put his heart on the line at the same time?

He slid a hand down her back to cup her backside, holding her against him as he flexed his hips forward, and one hand still in her hair. She shuddered as he slid his hand in slow circles up from her back to her waist, running his hands up and down her skin which was like warm silk, so smooth and perfect. He ducked his head and kissed her again, his hands teasing all the while until he was almost holding her upright.

When their lips parted, Dee was panting just as hard as he was. She looked so beautiful, standing there with her gold sari brilliant against the night sky, her cheeks flushed pink and the most stunning smile on her face.

His response was to wrap his arms around her back and, holding her tight against him, rested his chin on her top of her hair.

Eyes closed, they stood locked together until he could feel her heart settle down to a steady beat.

All doubt was cast aside. Her heart beat for him, as his heart beat for her.

Dee moved in his arms and he looked down into her face as she smiled up at him, not just with her sweet mouth but with eyes so bright, fun and joyous that his heart sang just to look at them. And it was as though every good thing that he had ever done had come together into one moment in time.

And his heart melted. Just like that.

For a girl who was just about as different from him and his life as it was possible to be.

And for a girl who had made her tiny flat the size of the hotel’s luggage store into a home and was willing to share her joy with him. And who wanted nothing in return but a chance to see a meteor shower from a penthouse balcony.

God, he admired her for that.... Admired her?

Sean stopped, his body frozen and his mind spinning.

He didn’t just admire Dee, he was falling for her.

Just when he thought that he had finally worked out that he had nothing to give to any woman in the way of a relationship.

Think!
He had to think. He could not allow his emotions to get the better of him.

If he cared for her at all then he should stop right now, because the last thing Dee needed was a one-night stand which would leave her with nothing but more reasons to doubt her judgement.

He wouldn’t do that to her. Hell, he wouldn’t do that to himself. It would only be setting them up for heartbreak down the road.

‘I think we might want to rethink the whole getting back in time for dessert...’ She grinned as though she had read his mind.

‘Right as always,’ he replied, and stroked her cheek with one finger. ‘God, you are beautiful. Do you know that?’

Dee blushed from cheek to neck. It was so endearing that he laughed out loud, slid his arms down to her waist and stepped back, even though his body was screaming for him to do something crazy. Like wipe everything off the dining-room table and find out what came next.

He sucked in a breath.

‘You are not so bad yourself. I had no idea that hotel managers were so interested in astronomy.’ And then she bit down on her lower lip and flashed him a coquettish grin. ‘Or did I just get lucky? You are one of a kind, Sean.’

Lucky? He thought of the long days and nights he had spent working for the company to the exclusion of everything else in his life, including the girls who had cared about him. Sasha had lasted the longest.

He had sacrificed everything for the family hotel chain. Everything.

Now as he looked at Dee he thought about what lay ahead, and the hard, cold truth of his situation emptied a bucket of ice water over his head.

His hands slid onto her upper arms and locked there, holding her away from him and the delicious pleasure of her body against his.

‘I am not so sure about the “lucky” bit, Dee. Right now I am in London for a few days to sort things out and run a few classes, then Paris for a month at most. Then I’m off to Canberra...and my diary is full for the next eighteen months. Constant pressure. And all the while I feel as though I am running and running and not getting anywhere.’

‘Then maybe you should stand still long enough to look around and see what you have achieved,’ she said. Dee tilted her head to one side. ‘Somewhere along the way to being the best, I think you forgot the fun part. But I think that funny and creative side of Sean is still inside you, all ready to get excited about new things and have the best time of his life.’

Stretching up onto tiptoes, she kissed him on the lips. ‘You deserve it.’

She stepped back and patted him twice on the chest. Then she laughed. ‘And now it is time to head back down stairs before I embarrass myself even more.’ And she moved a step backwards with a smile.

He frowned, nodded just once and muttered something under his breath along the lines of what he did for the firm. Then he lifted his head, turned towards the door and presented the crook of his arm for her to latch onto. ‘Shall we go to the ball, princess? Your audience awaits.’

ELEVEN

Tea, glorious tea. A celebration of teas from around the world.

Astrologers have long used tea leaves to predict the future. Try it for yourself by leaving a little tea in the bottom of your tea pot with the tea leaves. Stir the brew three times, empty the tea pot into your saucer, then inspect the pattern the leaves make in the cup. Each specific pattern has a special meaning.

From
Flynn’s Phantasmagoria of Tea

Friday
A week later

Sean strolled into
the bar at the Beresford Riverside and nodded to the head barman who was serving after-dinner drinks to guests wandered in from the dining room.

The light strains of a cocktail piano could just be heard in the background against the chatter and laughter from the guests.

He quickly scanned the bar and lounge area to see if Dee was still there. She had called him a couple of times during the afternoon to let him know that Prakash and his team had done an amazing job and all of the last minute worries that had kept her awake were sorted.

The tea festival was all set to go tomorrow.

Then he heard her laughter ring out from a table of Japanese guests who had clustered around the tables next to the long patio doors which led onto the landscaped gardens.

Ribbons of white outdoor lights trailed over the budding branches of the cherry trees which Dee had enjoyed over the past few days.

The first smile of the day slid over his mouth. Hell. His first smile all week. Last minute presentations, flying visits to France with his dad and two days scouting for locations in Scotland meant that he had hardly seen Dee since the night of the dinner.

He missed her like crazy.

Dee was sitting at the table, and spread out in front of her was what looked like a makeshift kitchen. White saucers from the kitchen were scattered all around her, and on each was a tiny sample of what looked to Sean like clippings from the evergreen plants outside in the garden but were no doubt some example of specialist tea leaves.

Whatever they were, the hotel guests seemed enthralled. They were picking up the saucers, sniffing, tasting and chatting away with enormous enthusiasm and clear delight. Nodding, delighted, bewitched.

Because at the centre of it all was Dee.

Sean paused at the bar and leant on the rail, happy just to watch the woman he had come to find.

Her long, sensitive fingers flitted above the table gesturing here and there, no doubt on some terribly important point about growing conditions and water temperature, and he could see the glint of gold in the bangles around her wrists.

She was wearing what for Dee probably passed for quite a conservative outfit of a fitted jacket in a knitted navy fabric which clung to her curves as she moved. But of course that was offset by a stunning scarf which shimmered in shades of blues and greens, highlighting her fair complexion, and even though her head was down he knew that those pale-green eyes were going to be totally enchanting.

This was the real Dee. Sharing her passion and enjoying every second of it.

The Dee he had fallen for the minute he had looked up from a tea room floor and was sucked into oblivion by those eyes. Why wouldn’t he? She was stunning.

Recognition came flooding in, and instead of pushing it away Sean held it in his mind and treasured it like a precious gift that he had never expected to receive but adored.

He was falling for Dee Flynn. In a big way. This was way beyond attraction. He cared about her and wanted to be with her, in every way possible.

And the very idea shocked him and terrified him so badly that he could only stand there and take it like a sock in the jaw.

His life had been a roller coaster for so many years, he had forgotten what it felt like to make connections with people and form bonds that went beyond business transactions, contracts and meetings in windowless white rooms.

But why now?

He slid silently onto a high-boy leather bar stool.

This was the way he was going to remember her.

He had only been standing there for a few minutes in silent ogling when he saw her head lift and her back straighten.

Almost as if she knew that he was watching her. So that, when she stood up and looked over her shoulder at him, he should have been ready for the impact that seeing her smile transform into a grin that was laser-focused on him would cause.

Impossible. Nothing could have prepared him for the blast of that smile.

She had never looked lovelier. And she literally took his breath away.

Mesmerized, Sean could only watch as she excused herself with several deep bows to the guests, who returned her bows with gentle warm waves and smiles.

Oh yes, she was good.

She skipped between the tables and was at the bar in seconds.

Instantly she flung her arms around his neck as he bent down to kiss her on the cheek, much to the amusement of the hotel guests.

‘You have been away far too long, Sean Beresford.’

‘Agreed. Only, I think your fan club are taking our photograph on their smart phones.’

Dee peeked around Sean’s back and waved back. ‘Oh no, those are proper cameras. We are probably already online. But I’m not in the least ashamed. This has been a brilliant afternoon.’ And, just to prove it, she went up on tiptoes and pecked him on the lips so lightly that he barely had time to register the sensation of her warm, full lips on his before she stepped back into her shoes.

‘I hardly dare to ask,’ he replied, but kept his arms tight around her waist. ‘But could it be anything to do with the party of visiting Japanese academics?’

Dee pressed one finger to her bottom lip and tried to look innocent, but failed.

‘You do know that they brought their own tea with them, don’t you? The word is out Mr B—there is not one hotel in the whole of London who serves speciality Japanese green tea of the quality your guests demand and in the way they like. I think this is quite shocking news. Just imagine the impact on the hotel trade. If only you knew someone who could import some of that fine tea for you. Just imagine what a difference it could make. Now... I wonder what we can do about that?’

Then she fluttered her eyelashes at him in the most outrageous, over-the-top way and a bubble of laughter burst up from deep inside his gut and exploded into a real belly-laugh. The kind of laugh which turned heads and made the barman look at Sean over the top of his spectacles.

And why not? It had been far too long since he had laughed out loud—really laughed.

He had almost forgotten what it felt like, which was more than sad. It was a judgement of the life that he had chosen for himself and had never stopped to question—a roller coaster of work and travel, then more work and more travel, which never stopped long enough for him to get off and see the view now and then. It was too fast, and the highs and lows were so exhilarating, that it was impossible to look anywhere else but straight ahead because he never knew what was going to happen next.

It was a life that was as addictive as it was exhausting. A rush of daily adventure and excitement that called for his total focus and attention.

That was why he had been so attracted to Sasha.

They loved the hotel trade, and the rush of pulling off seemingly impossible projects and delighting his father and their hotel guests along the way. Sasha had been on her own roller coaster and at first they had been side by side, project to project. But slowly their tracks had simply drifted apart, further and further away, until they hadn’t been able to see one another. Both of them had been strapped in and going for the adventure of their lives.

It was true. His life was one long roller-coaster ride. He had jumped on when he was sixteen and was still strapped in at thirty-one.

Almost half of his life.

Strange. He had never thought of it that way until now.

And he knew exactly who he had to thank for that.

The girl with the twinkling green eyes who was grinning up at him.

The girl who had swept into his life like a warm breeze on a cold day.

The girl who he was going to leave behind, and sooner than he had planned.

Sean slid one of his hands from her waist and onto the bar so that he could lean forward slightly. He inhaled the light floral fragrance that she was wearing like the aroma of a fine wine. Intoxicating and provocative. Heady and enticing. Daring him to find out if her skin tasted as delicious as the aroma promised.

‘I still haven’t forgiven you for texting me when you knew that Tuesday was our Bake and Bitch Club night. The girls were scandalized by that sort of suggestive language.’

‘How could I forget our first anniversary? And you did call me brazen last week. I have a reputation to maintain, young lady,’ he whispered into her ear in a voice that was not meant to be overheard, especially by the hotel staff.

Her eyes met his without hesitation or excuse. Beguiling. Honest. True. And, oh, so magical.

‘I know. And I am certainly not complaining,’ she said.

Sean swallowed down a lump in his throat.

Dee was so close. So very close. Her gaze was locked onto his face, as though it was the most fascinating thing that she had ever seen, and he almost flinched with the loss when a guest sidled up behind them at the bar.

‘That colour looks great on you.’ He smiled. ‘Stylish and...’ He paused and, when he was sure that she was looking at him, silently mouthed the word ‘hot’ before slipping off the bar stool and grabbing her hand.

Her eyebrows lifted and she replied with a girly giggle and a small shoulder-wiggle, which was so endearing that he had to distract himself by focusing on the way her fingers felt clasped inside his.

Time to move to something less likely to scandalize his staff.

‘I think it’s about time you showed me what you have been up to in my conference suite. Don’t you?’

Dee paused outside the main doors to the conference room where she had spent most of the day with Prakash, and a stream of porters, delivery drivers and other people who she had never met before but who somehow seemed to be able to transform her sketches and lists into reality.

She raised one hand, palm upwards. ‘Now, it might come as a bit of a shock. So prepare yourself.’

Sean nodded just once. ‘I have been through everything, from Mardi Gras to beer festivals. I can handle it.’

Dee stretched out her hand towards the brass door plate, then lifted it back and whirled around on her heel. ‘First of all, I should say that Prakash and the team were amazing. Just amazing. And they did it all in one day! Totally brilliant, in fact. I couldn’t have done any of this without them... And now I am babbling, because I’m so excited and it’s wonderful, and did I say that it is amazing and the festival is tomorrow and...?’

‘Dee.’ Sean smiled and gently rested a hand on each of her shoulders. ‘I spoke to Prakash. He helped, but this is your idea. Your design, your colour scheme, your concept. So I know that it is going to be wonderful.’

‘Perhaps you should come back tomorrow when the exhibitors are setting up. There will be such a buzz.’

Sean looked over her shoulder into the middle distance and seemed about to say something, but changed his mind, turned back and lowered his head so that his nose was almost pressed against hers. He spoke in a jokey, firm voice.

‘Dee. I want the full tour and I want it now.’

‘You are so bossy!’

‘I know. But that’s why you like me.’

‘Really? Is that the reason? I thought it was your snazzy ties and shiny shoes.’

‘They only add to the allure. And you’re putting off the inevitable. What is it? Why don’t you want me to see your design? You know that I am going to, one way or another. ‘

‘Yes. I know. It is your hotel. It’s just that...’ She sucked in a breath then exhaled on one long string of words. ‘I am seriously nervous because this is the biggest thing that I have ever done on my own and I know that it’s mad but my whole future depends on this being a big success.’

Then she stopped, but Sean kept looking at her with that smile on his face, as though he was waiting for her to carry on.

Then without waiting another second he stepped forward, pushed open the doors to the conference suite with both hands and stood to one side.

Then he nodded towards the space behind him, reached out and grabbed her hand. ‘Come on.’ He smiled. ‘Show me what you have done. Show me what your imagination has created. Share it with me. Please.’

For the next ten minutes Sean walked slowly around the room as Dee explained each of the display panels in turn, starting with the history of tea production, then slowly walking from stand to stand.

She didn’t need to. But he liked hearing her voice, so he let her carry on.

The whole room was decorated in co-ordinating shades of green with stencils of green tea leaves against cream, pale gold and emerald green. There were plenty of stands for the exhibitors, power points, fresh water dispensers. And a portable professional kitchen. All ready for the morning. He couldn’t have been prouder.

‘So this is where the magic is going to happen. I love it. Professional, elegant and attractive. It’s a hit!’

‘Do you really think so?’ Dee screwed up her mouth.

‘It looks fresh and inviting. And the colour scheme is great.’

His hands moved in gentle circles on her shoulders, up and down her arms, and slowly, slowly, the stiffness in Dee’s neck relaxed and she felt her shoulders drop down from around her ears.

‘You must think that I am a total idiot,’ she chuckled. ‘All of this work for a one-day festival of tea. The world will not end if nobody turns up to drink the tea and buy the china. And on Sunday I can go back to the tea rooms and carry on as normal. I know that; I’ve known that from the start. But being with you and working in the hotel here has given me so many ideas for new projects, and new ways I can sell my blended tea, I can hardly sleep at night. It is so exciting. So, whatever happens tomorrow, thank you, Sean. Thank you for helping me.’

His response was to step forward and gather her into his arms, holding her tight against his pristine shirt, not caring that he was crushing his superb suit jacket in the process. Holding her with such tenderness and warmth that she melted against him with a gentle sigh. Instantly his chin slid down and rested on the top of her hair, and his arms relaxed their grip and rested gently on her back.