Page 49 of Taken With You
“Late to your own party!”
“Glad you finally decided to show up.”
“All hail the king!”
“Cutting it close there, buddy.”
Garrick grinned as if this was his usual reception. His gaze scanned the veranda and halted as it met hers.
In her mind, a bomb went off. The explosion violently vibrated the shield she’d put up between her roiling self and the world. She’d last seen him in the dim light of morning, hours after their lovemaking in the cave. Emotionally vulnerable, she’d feigned sleep as he’d placed a kiss upon her forehead. After he left the room, she’d slipped to a window and stood back in the shadows so he wouldn’t see her if he looked up before leaving for the airport.Time and space,she’d told herself. That’s what she needed to make sense of all this. But now, in the shade of the veranda, she realized time and space had been water and food to her growing feelings. If she wasn’t careful, she’d turn herself into a stuttering fool.
She thought she saw a flicker in his eyes, but she couldn’t trust her own senses. As suddenly as his gaze had come, it slid away, trailing over the rest of his family as he pulled a face for his nephews. Was she hyperventilating? She tried to control her breathing. She’d promised herself she would not act besotted. What a cliché she was, tumbling in love with a man like this. She pulled away from the rail of the veranda and forced her expression smooth.
He mounted the three stairs with a rueful half smile. “I see you’ve met my family, Amanda.” He stepped toward his mother and kissed her on both cheeks before raising his brows at his siblings. “I trust you’ve all been on your best behavior.”
“Mom just began the interrogation.”
“Luke hasn’t scared her off yet.”
“We kept the kids on leashes.”
“See what I have to put up with?” he muttered playfully, passing close enough that she could smell his menthol aftershave. He dropped to a crouch to catch his careening nephews, one in each arm, careless of dirty hands and sticky faces. “My two favorite nephews! Did you see what’s in the backyard?”
“A bounce house!”
“A race course!”
“Who’s your favorite uncle now?”
“Really?” Luke barked, grinning from his slouch. “Talk about upping the bar, bro.”
“Okay, guys.” One of Garrick’s sisters—for the life of her, Amanda couldn’t remember her name—dove in to peel dirty hands off Garrick’s designer suit. “How about we check if they’ve finished setting everything up back there?”
Garrick’s sister ushered the excited kids down the stairs as Garrick rose to his feet to hug his father and then turned to clasp elbows with his brother. She stood as silent as the post within reach, resisting the urge to sink upon it. The affectionate, familial scene rippled up memories both sweet and pinching.
“Apologies for the late arrival, Amanda.” He swung to address her in all his handsome glory, the look in his eye steady but shielded. “I had a last-minute meeting—”
“Of course.” She didn’t need a reminder of how small a part she was in his very big world. “I just arrived not long ago myself.”
He winced. “Was Shelley on fire?”
“She was a little frantic, but all is forgiven.” How steady her voice. She wondered if actresses felt this jittery inside when on stage. “Should I go tell her—”
“Don’t go anywhere. I’ll text Shelley.” A muscle in his cheek flexed as he slipped his phone out of his pocket. “Guests will be arriving soon. I won’t make it through this without you whispering names in my ear.”
“Oh. All right.” Her cheeks went warm. She hoped the family didn’t notice her face changing color, or at least attribute the flush to the heat. “I was hoping to give your family the executive bells-and-whistles tour of the winery, but I guess that will have to wait.”
“Tomorrow.” He finished texting and hit send before slipping his phone back into his pocket. “The caterers are bringing breakfast in the morning to feed this crew. Skip breakfast at the inn and join us.”
She startled. “The inn?”
“Shelley reserved you a room at the B&B down the road.” His expression remained neutral. “You shouldn’t be driving all the way back to San Francisco in the dead of night.”
“Oh. Right. Yes.”Don’t be flustered. Play along.“She texted me about that earlier. I lost it amid other details.”
Shelley hadn’t said a thing about sleeping arrangements at an inn. Was he trying to tell her that he wanted her to spend the night? His expression didn’t give away any detail, but his eyes saidyes.Her heart lifted like the hot-air balloons at the Georges Duchamp gala. She was glad she brought a change of clothes.
The sound of tires biting gravel saved her from getting lost in his midnight-blue eyes. A cloud of dust preceded the impressive grille of a Bentley turning into the circular parking area before the cabin. Amanda recognized the vehicle.
