Shadow of the smoking mo.., p.23
Finding Love on the Slopes: A Sweet Billionaire, Bad Boy Romance (Bad Boys Club), page 23
His lips quirked slightly. “Well, technically, I spent the money.”
Her cheeks grew warm as her temper flared at his flippant remark. This wasn’t a joke. “Neither do I have any intentions of being with someone who would spend that amount of money on a meal. It turns my stomach to see that kind of waste. Did you seriously rent out the entire restaurant so you could have a private meal?”
He straightened now. “Not the entire restaurant; they had reservations they couldn’t change. So, you didn’t enjoy the date?”
“I enjoyed spending time with you. The food was delicious, I think- not my usual flavors. But I would have enjoyed it more if it were in a different setting. I didn’t enjoy all the glitz and glitter. I’m a simple girl, and that isn’t going to change because I am with a wealthy man.”
“Different setting?”
She blinked. “The kind that doesn’t involve spending a month’s salary on food that looks too pretty to eat.”
His brow arched because he still didn’t understand. “But I’m confused. It’s called a date for a reason. I believe the whole premise is that it should be different from the usual dinner you’d have in your home, and the person planning it is supposed to put in a great deal of effort to show that they care. It’s supposed to be special.”
“By special, you mean grand?”
He cocked his head to the side. “Well, yes, you could say that.”
“That’s where I disagree. The word ‘date’ simply means a planned activity so two people can spend quality time together. It doesn’t mean you have to go all out or be extravagant. A date could be seeing a movie together, taking a cooking or painting class, playing games together, reading a book together, or star-gazing. The list is endless, but it doesn’t have to be a grand, expensive gesture, just a thoughtful one.”
There was a confused smile on his lips. “Those seem like such normal everyday things.”
“Exactly,” she said. “All I’m saying is that a date can come in any form. It becomes special when the people involved make it special. It doesn’t have to be a luxurious dinner or a lunch on a yacht or something –”
“I did think about an overnight flight to Paris, but I thought that might make a better proposal date,” he said, cutting her off. She narrowed her eyes at him.
“This is my problem with rich people,” she sighed. “Always throwing their money and privilege around. Enrique, just because you have so much money to spend doesn’t mean you should.”
“I don’t agree. What’s the point of making money if you can’t spend it? When I spend money, people have jobs and can care for their families. If those who have it don’t spend it, then… why have it? And if you go down that rabbit trail, then we’re talking capitalism vs. socialism, and to win that argument, I would have you do research on Venezuela. It’s not working so well for them, is it?” he scoffed.
“I’m not saying it shouldn’t be spent at all, but it shouldn’t be wasted on unnecessary things. I think there are much more important things to spend money on than fancy meals that look better than they taste and leave you needing to snack when you get home.”
His eyes were round, and his jaw dropped dramatically as he argued, “You said it was good!”
She rolled her eyes at his theatrics. “I did. But it doesn’t mean I can’t cook something just as savory and feel much more comfortable and satisfied eating it at home. The thought of how much you spent on that meal makes me almost nauseous.”
“Fine,” he said. “I won a second date. We’ll try this again tomorrow.”
“If it’s going to be a repeat of tonight, then I guess you’ll have to go alone.”
He smirked. “I’m a fast learner, remember. I promise it won’t be a repeat of this.”
“Or anything like this. No flights to Paris or helicopter rides to Denver, for that matter,” she said sternly, and he nodded, smiling.
“I promise. Just give me a second chance tomorrow evening. Me and you. It will be an experience to remember.”
She looked away from him and faced the window, feeling unsure but excited at the same time. “Fine.”
Reaching across the seat, he intertwined their fingers, “You look cute when you’re mad.”
“Oh, hush!” she scolded, but a smile lifted the corners of her lips.
Chapter Forty-Two
“No way,” Leighann laughed as she stumbled back, falling onto the slope. The snowball Enrique had just lobbed at her exploded across her face as it slammed into her upper arm. Ice crystals dripped down her chin and into the neck of her new ski suit before she could wipe them away.
Initially, Enrique worried the slopes wouldn’t be open again before he had to leave, but much to his surprise, the mountain was declared safe to skiers the next morning.
Leighann agreed to resume her ski lessons since the doctor said he was cleared physically but insisted he didn’t need to reserve the mountain for himself anymore. Given all that had transpired and their conversation from the night before, he conceded and called Mr. Bailey to open the reserved slopes to everyone.
The poor man sounded terrified he was going to ask for a partial refund, so he assured him the contract was binding, and it was his own choice to give up the reservation, so the money was rightfully theirs. It was obvious they had already spent the funds, which made sense; the resort needed some serious upgrades.
Leighann, on the other hand, was pleasantly surprised when he agreed so easily. She didn’t think he would give in without a fight, so she was happy when he joined the rest of the skiers on the slopes without a moment’s hesitation.
When they arrived, Enrique listened to her instructions, and she had to admit he was pretty good for such a novice skier. She noticed that since the accident he was more cautious and deliberate on the slope, instead of the usual recklessness he displayed. Whatever dark shadow pursued him the first few days was gone. He was a completely different man.
They skied for hours without a single mishap, increasing his skills with each run. And then he fell flat on his behind. His loss of balance was so unexpected that Leighann burst into a fit of giggles before she could stop herself. She expected his arrogant side to appear and for him to stomp off or throw a tantrum, but instead, he lobbed a snowball at her. All of a sudden, the lesson was forgotten, and they were in a full-on snowball war.
And Enrique was winning.
Until some kids coming down the mountain saw the fight and decided to join the fun on the losing side. The tables turned really fast when it was five to one.
His laughter echoed through the trees lining the slope and within minutes he was calling a truce, his hands on his knees, chest heaving lightly from laughing a little too hard. The dimple in his cheek made another appearance and Leighann found herself wanting to press a kiss to that spot.
She enjoyed hearing his laughter and reveled in the fact that the arrogant jerk seemed gone for good, replaced by a jovial man, able to have fun and relax with her.
Enrique slowly made his way to her as the children helping her regained their skis and headed back up the mountain for another run.
“I win!” she announced when he was arm’s length away.
He smiled as he shrugged and brushed flecks of snow from her face and hair with his glove-clad hands. “I can’t be the best at everything, I guess. Claim your prize, woman, before I freeze to death out here.”
“What? I distinctly remember beating you at Go Fish and War. The only game you were better than me at was Blackjack,” she corrected. Staring up into his eyes as he looked into hers. Joy still radiated from both of them. “I claim a date this time. You are going to get to see what my kind of dating looks like.”
“Okay, I can agree to that. But I already called dibs on tonight, so you have to settle for tomorrow.” His voice was soft and gentle as he traced a finger down her cheek. The look in his eyes warned her he may be about to kiss her, and she wasn’t sure she was ready for that yet.
“I’m hungry,” she said abruptly. “Are you hungry? We should go eat.”
Turning, she gathered her abandoned skis and poles, placing them in the rack outside the lodge. They walked hand in hand to the café counter and ordered a light snack, considering it was getting late and they still had a date that evening.
Leighann claimed an empty table as he waited at the counter for their food.
“Smells crazy good,” she said as he sat down and set their meals in front of them.
“It tastes good, too,” he responded after unwrapping his turkey sandwich and taking a large bite while Leighann uncovered her cobb salad.
She stirred chocolate packets into two steaming cups of water and handed him his.
Holding up her cup, she said, “Toast. To a wonderful day of great skiing and memory-making. Cheers.” She grinned, and he smiled a tiny, secretive smile as he tapped his cup with hers.
***
“Remember, this is your second chance, Enrique,” Leighann chuckled as he led her into a room with his hands over her eyes. He walked behind her, guiding her step and grinning as he led her further into the all-season room of the chalet.
After they ended their ski session for the day, they went hiking, enjoying the trails behind the chalet for the rest of the afternoon. Now, after they had freshened up, he told her he wanted to surprise her and started by covering her eyes after she came out of her room.
“I’m well aware, Leighann,” he said against her ear. “I won’t mess this up.” Then, under his breath, he murmured ‘hopefully.’
“Alright,” he said, clearing his throat once they were standing in front of his romantic date set-up. He moved his hands away from her eyes and placed them on her shoulders as she took in the scene before her.
He bit the inside of his cheek nervously as he awaited her reaction.
“Well, what do you think?” he asked when she didn’t say anything for a long moment.
Leighann was struggling to believe her eyes. It was as if he had read her mind. Enrique had managed to arrange the most romantic picnic imaginable. A large, fluffy, ruby-red blanket was laid out on the floor, with a giant pile of throw pillows lined along the back. A low table sat to one side with three large pillar candles illuminating the space with a soft glow just barely enough to see by. Another low table held crystal goblets filled with pink bubbly liquid, and a cart nearby was laden with covered plates of delicious-smelling food.
More candles were placed around the room, lending to the sweet, romantic atmosphere. The glass windows enclosing the room gave them a clear view of the stars. She turned around, and from the blush on her cheeks and the tears flooding her eyes, he knew he had impressed her.
“Who would have thought you could come up with something like this?”
He grinned and shrugged. “I may or may not have had help, but the vision was mine.”
She laughed as they sat down, facing each other. He pulled two wooden trays off the lowest level of the cart to reveal an elegantly set table for one on each. Next came the plates from the middle, revealing a tossed salad and a basket of fresh sourdough rolls with herbed butter.
“Down to the salad?”
“Hey, I was the decorator. I think I deserve some credit.”
“I’m just saying,” she grinned.
He handed her the flute of pink liquid, and she was startled when she took a sip and didn’t get the taste of alcohol. She had assumed champagne was on the menu.
“I know you don’t like drinking. To be honest, I don’t do it often myself. So, we improvised. It’s cranberry Sprite or something like that. It was Mrs. Ellis’ suggestion. She said she did it for her kids every New Year’s Eve so they didn’t feel left out of the toast. As for the food, next time, I promise to prepare at least part of the meal myself,” he smiled, raising his glass to hers. “But for tonight, let’s enjoy Lorenzo’s cooking.”
“Smells good,” she nodded, sipping from her glass before lifting a fork of twirled pasta into her mouth and savoring the robust flavors that burst on her tongue. Enrique agreed, Lorenzo had outdone himself with this simple yet beautifully executed meal.
Leighann sighed in delight as she chewed the pasta in her mouth. Lifting both of her thumbs to show her approval. Enrique did the same, and she grinned widely.
“So, how would you rate this date?”
“Well, we only just started,” Leighann responded. “But you’ve obliterated last night’s disaster. I can already give today’s date a seven out of ten, and the night is still young.”
Enrique hummed, sipping his soda and nodding. “I guess I still have some more work to do then.”
She winked at him. “If you’re up to it.”
“Oh, trust me, sweetheart, I’m always up for a good challenge.”
After they finished the meal, complete with a rich, creamy New York-style cheesecake drizzled in strawberry compote, Enrique cleared away their dishes and rolled the cart to the hallway outside before closing the door once more.
They reclined on the pillows, staring up at the stars, but instead of identifying constellations Leigh wanted to know more about Enrique.
As she lay with her head on his shoulder, his fingers playing with the ends of her long blond hair, she asked, “You told me back at the cabin that explaining the root of your fear of heights was a story for another day. Do you think you feel comfortable enough to discuss it now?”
She had chosen her time wisely. Being able to avoid eye contact when discussing something uncomfortable but also having that human connection to ground you when emotions ran high could be helpful. At least, she had found it to be the case for herself.
Enrique was clearly surprised by this line of questioning and took a few minutes to think it through. “I guess now is as good a time as any. If we are going to move forward in our relationship, you should know the good, the bad, and the ugly. I hope you’re ready for this, though, because… you’re about to get the bad and the ugly.”
Chapter Forty-Three
“I’m not going to sugarcoat this, but I’m also not going to dump my entire life story on you in one setting. I’m hoping this relationship is the real deal, and we will have the rest of our lives to get to know each other. However, there are things you need to know upfront to make an informed decision as to whether you can be all in with me.” Enrique paused, but Leighann said nothing, merely nodded her head in agreement and placed her hand over his heart as if to say, ‘You’re safe with me.’ And he believed he was.
“I already told you I grew up on the streets. That isn’t entirely true. My brother Julio did, but I had a home, for what that was worth. I told you what my mother thought of me. She was always looking for an angle to get more of my father’s attention. What I left out was that my father was a monster. He beat her regularly, and when he could find and get his hands on me, he beat me, too. He was an angry, violent man. My parents were in a gang in the inner city. We lived in this crappy apartment on the seventh floor, and there was always someone screaming, fighting, breaking things, gunshots. When I was little, my parents ran drugs for the gang. I was used to transport them. Several times, they worked out deals for me to carry out at school. I, and other kids, would meet up on the sidewalk outside the gates, on the playground, wherever we were told, and swap packages. The first time I was caught and questioned by the cops, I was in kindergarten. A teacher, married to a cop, witnessed the exchanges happen several times before notifying the authorities; the next week, we were picked up. My parents said someone must have put me up to it. Dad made a big show of slapping me around a bit. I knew to keep my mouth shut. ‘Never say nothin’ to nobody’ had been drilled into my head from infancy. When that system fell through, I was sent out on my bike, left at street corners, and sent to local shops. My parents knew as long as I carried the drugs, they could claim ignorance; after all, we lived in a rough part of town. Even if I eventually got time, it would only be juvie, and it wouldn’t last long; I was so young. Pretty soon, they were moved up to bigger and better things. By the time I was in second grade, we were a three-man robbery crew. The gang picked the marks and got the intel. My family hit the property, got the goods, and carried them home. If I got caught, I was just a dumb kid who got mixed up with the wrong crowd. My parents always went out before and after a job, so they had alibis. I was supposed to be in bed, babysat by a neighbor. That was their story anyway... if I got caught.”
“I’m assuming that, given your age, something went terribly wrong if you met your brothers as a child,” Leighann interjected.
“Yep, pretty much, but that isn’t where my fear of heights comes from. See, I had learned to keep my mouth shut, but my dad always sat around running his trap to other guys in the gang when they came over to get drunk. So, one day, some of the other kids from the gang were harassing me, and I blabbed about the big score we had pulled the night before and how much money it was going to bring in. That evening, I was on the roof, doing my homework, where I could think with a little peace and quiet. My father came bursting through the door, mad as a wounded bear. He grabbed me by the front of my shirt, held me over the edge of the roof, and told me in great detail what happened to big mouths in the gang. The look in his eye told me he was out of his mind with rage. I had not only endangered myself, which I don’t really think he cared about, but I had endangered him. The next thing I knew, he let me go, and I was falling. To this day, I don’t know if his intent was to kill me or just scare me straight. I only survived because I landed on the fire escape below. The rusty railing sliced my head open and caused this scar to run halfway up my scalp. That is one reason I keep my hair long. If I wore it short like my brothers, you would see the scar plainly. When I made it back to our apartment, my father was watching TV with a beer, and my mother was livid. Not that I had almost died or been injured, but because I had put her in danger and bled all over my shirt. She sent me to a neighbor to get patched up, saying she couldn’t even stand to see my ugly face. And that is why I am terrified of heights and falling.”
