Thrill me, p.5
Thrill Me, page 5
part #3 of Billionaire's Secrets Series
“Don’t worry, Owen didn’t tell me anything, if that’s what you’re wondering. I know I didn’t tell him you were from New York, and you seemed to already know his last name, even though I hadn’t mentioned it to you,” Heidi added, and I gulped. Suddenly my throat had run very dry.
I felt helpless as I sat there. Even though Heidi was being very nice and warm toward me, I felt like I was vulnerable and lost. I had been so strong and confident the previous night, armed with the knowledge that I wouldn’t feel weakened by Owen because I wouldn’t have to see him again. But now, I knew that I wasn’t rid of him just yet. Heidi, my new client, was going to be a constant reminder of how attracted I was to her friend.
“We met last night, at a bar near my B&B,” I said and dropped my gaze to the table, because I was embarrassed of admitting the truth. Although, I felt strangely like I could be friends with Heidi, even though we shared a professional relationship with each other.
Heidi seemed to take in a deep breath.
“I should have guessed, and let me tell you, I’m not surprised,” she said in a soft, indulgent voice, and I looked up at her with my eyes burning. I could feel my fingers tingling, and I had a sudden urge to just get up and run.
I was beginning to feel like maybe I had ruined my shot at this job. I wouldn’t have blamed Heidi if she didn’t want to work with me anymore. I had unknowingly violated a moral code in my profession, by sleeping with a member of the wedding party!
“Don’t worry about it, Etta. We don’t need to talk about Owen anymore. I didn’t mean to embarrass you,” she said with a reassuring smile, and I sucked in my gut. No matter what the consequences were going to be, I owed Heidi my full disclosure.
“I need to tell you something—I think you should know the truth, before we start working together,” I said, holding Heidi’s gaze now. If she was going to fire me, she would have to do it while looking me in the eye. I could already feel myself shaking a little as I sat there on the chair.
“You’ve slept with Owen,” Heidi said in a casual voice. It was almost as though she had known this all along. I felt like the air had been knocked out of my lungs. My cheeks flushed and I could feel the back of my neck burning up.
“Y—yes, last night. I shouldn’t have,” I said, fumbling with my words, and Heidi settled back in her chair, bringing her glass of orange juice to her lips again.
“Don’t be so apologetic about it. I know exactly what happened. I’m not so immune to the charms of men like Owen either. I’m marrying one of them,” Heidi said and took a long sip of her drink. My orange juice was sitting untouched beside me. Ever since I had bumped into Owen again, I hadn’t been thirsty or hungry anymore.
I breathed deeply as she smiled at me, almost like she felt sorry for me.
“You don’t have to tell me any more, if you don’t want to, Etta,” she said in a soft voice, and suddenly, I wanted to tell Heidi everything. I realized that I had been bursting at the seams all this time.
“No, you need to know. Since we’ll be working together and he is your friend,” I said, and Heidi leaned in toward me.
“Okay, I know now. You slept with Owen. You met him at a bar last night, and he was his usual flirty charming self and swept you off your feet. Is there anything else I need to know?” she asked, and my words seemed to be stuck in my throat. I shook my head. She seemed to know exactly what had happened.
“You’re not the first one to fall into that trap, Etta. You don’t need to blame yourself. Owen is known far and wide for making girls swoon,” she said, and I gulped.
“I didn’t swoon, I just—just fell for it. He is very good-looking, and this is a new city, and I was stupidly excited about our meeting,” I countered, and Heidi laughed.
“Okay, yes, I get it. Well, if you didn’t swoon, then it tells me that you’ll be able to keep your distance. I would ask Owen to stay away from you too, but he’s like a child. If I force him into doing something, he’ll do the exact opposite. But I know I can appeal to your better judgment,” Heidi continued, and I nodded.
“Of course. That was the plan. I was hoping that I would never have to see him again, which is why I reacted so badly when I saw him today,” I said quickly, just glad at the prospect that Heidi might not fire me from the job after all. She seemed to be pleased by my enthusiasm, and she laughed again.
“Good. That’s a good plan. I would hate for this to come between us and destroy a perfectly good working relationship,” she said and reached for my hand again. I tried smiling at her when she squeezed my hand affectionately.
“No, don’t worry, I’m not going to behave unprofessionally in any way,” I said, and Heidi smiled wider.
“I know you won’t. I have complete faith in you, as my wedding planner and as the woman who will finally be able to give Owen a taste of his own medicine.” She clapped her hands excitedly, almost like this was a fun event for her.
I smiled and nodded, even though I was quickly losing faith in myself. Seeing Owen again had reminded me of just the effect he had on me, and it had nothing to do with how many martinis I had drunk, or how excited I was about a business meeting. It was entirely due to the fact that he was so drop-dead gorgeous and funny, and my body quivered at the thought of him touching me again.
“Good, I’m glad its settled, then,” Heidi said and stood up from the chair.
I stood up from my chair as well, still feeling slightly nauseous from the conversation we just had.
“I really do hope you have a lovely stay here in Brunswick, Etta. You have my phone number now, so don’t hesitate to call me for anything, anything you need,” Heidi said, and she embraced me again. A hug felt good, it seemed to restore some of my strength now as she pulled away.
“Thank you, Heidi. I’m going to get cracking on organizing the caterers and the decorators. You can expect to hear from me tomorrow, when I have a few other things finalized,” I said, forcing myself to sound casual and confident.
Heidi thanked me again, and then I watched her walking away, before I plonked myself down on my chair. I wasn’t ready to leave the safety of the restaurant yet. I wasn’t ready to face the world that was beginning to look different to me now. It was a world where I knew a little more about Owen, where I had seen him again, and where there was the lingering prospect that I would see him several more times.
I wrung my hands together and tried to remind myself that I was a strong independent woman. That I had gotten over men like Owen in the past, and I’d be able to do it again. But the truth was that no man had that effect on me, like my limbs had turned to jelly and my mind had no control over my body anymore.
But I had no other option than to try and be strong. I had a job to do, and I wasn’t going to let some guy’s muscular, sexy body get in the middle of that.
Chapter Eight
Owen
I found myself standing in front of the house that Etta had brought me to the previous night. I was staring up at the top floor, where I assumed her room was.
Seeing her that afternoon at the hotel had made it worse for me. Now, it was more than just a matter of trying to get her out of my mind; I was desperate to see her again. I wanted to change her mind about me. From her reaction that afternoon, I was pretty sure that she wouldn’t want to see me now, but I had to take the chance. I couldn’t just walk away from this.
So, after a few moments of just standing and staring up, I knocked on the door. After what felt like ages, an old woman finally opened the door, and she stared up at me from behind her large thick glasses.
“Yes?” she spoke in a thin whistling voice.
“I’m here to see Etta. I believe she’s a guest in your house,” I replied, putting on my most charming demeanor. The old lady’s eyes widened behind her glasses, and then she was smirking knowingly.
“Ah, come in, come in. She didn’t tell me she has friends in town,” the lady said and shuffled inside, leading me slowly toward her living room, where the television was switched on.
“She returned only a short while ago. I hope she hasn’t gone to sleep already.” The lady smiled as she stood at the bottom of the stairs, eyeing me up and down like a piece of sweetmeat.
“Etta, dear, there’s a handsome young man who has called on you,” she tried yelling from the bottom of the stairs, not taking her eyes off me.
“Who is it, Ruby?” I heard Etta’s voice, and before the old lady could say anything, I interjected.
“Hi, it’s me. Can we have a quick chat?” I called out, and immediately Etta’s face appeared at the top of the stairs and I saw her distinctly roll her eyes. It might have offended or even angered me under any other circumstances, but I was desperate to talk with her.
“Why don’t I make you both a nice hot pot of tea and you can sit down in the parlor and talk?” Ruby, the old lady, smiled, and then grabbing my hand, she started leading me toward the living room.
“No, Ruby, he won’t be staying for long,” Etta called out, but thankfully, Ruby had already made up her mind and had led me into the living room and made me sit down in the middle of her couch.
“Thank you, Ruby. You are very kind,” I said, smiling at her. If it wasn’t for her, I had a feeling that Etta would have kicked me out immediately.
“I’m sure she’ll be down in a minute.” Ruby smiled widely at me and then slowly shuffled out into what appeared to be the kitchen.
I sat on the couch, looking around the room and waiting for Etta. I wouldn’t have ever imagined myself in a place like this. Eventually, she appeared, in a pair of cotton shorts and an oversized T-shirt, with a thin cardigan draped around her shoulders and pulled tightly around herself.
She strode straight into the living room and sat down on a rocking chair across from me, making a huff.
“Seriously, Owen, just because you know where I’m staying doesn’t give you the freedom to waltz in here whenever you want,” Etta was hissing as she spoke to me, throwing glances at the kitchen door as we heard the kettle going off.
“Yes, I know this is highly inappropriate, but I needed to talk to you after what happened this afternoon,” I said, keeping calm. I couldn’t stop staring at her, or her long bronze bare legs, or her adorably messy dark hair.
“What happened this afternoon?” she asked, gently rocking herself on the chair.
“Here we are. Tea for everybody, and some cookies.” Ruby appeared in the living room again, and Etta stood up to go help the old lady with the tray she was shakily carrying.
“Ruby, really, this is unnecessary. We didn’t want tea.” Etta was trying to be polite but firm at the same time.
“I’ll have some tea, thank you, Ruby. And those cookies look delicious!” I exclaimed as Ruby and Etta together placed the tray in front of me on the coffee table.
“They are double chocolate with white chocolate chips, my favorite kind,” Ruby giggled.
“Mine too!” I said and quickly picked one up from the plate, sensing Etta glaring at me while I took a bite.
Ruby seemed delighted, and she and I got busy pouring the tea into three cups, while Etta stood back amazed at the scene that was unfolding. What she hadn’t expected was to witness me getting into the good books of her landlady.
“Don’t mind me, children. I’ll just be sitting here watching my program while you two talk, don’t mind me,” Ruby declared as she went over and sat down on the armchair in front of the television.
Etta glared at her and then whipped around to glare at me again, and I shrugged.
“Sit down, have your tea, dear. This handsome young man has been waiting to talk to you for a long time now.” Ruby smiled at Etta as she took a crumbling bite of her cookie.
Etta took in a deep breath, smiled forcibly at Ruby, and then sat back down on the rocking chair in front of me.
“You have five minutes to explain yourself for being here, and then you’re going,” Etta hissed again, and I sat back on the couch and stirred the sugar into my tea and took a sip.
I was here for a reason, and there was no way I was going to leave without seeing it through. Etta could put up a fight as much as she wanted, but I was going to make sure that she heard me out. I had never been this attracted to someone before, and I wasn’t just going to forget about it.
“Give me a chance to finish my tea at least, Etta. This stuff is delicious,” I said and threw a look at Ruby, who was pretending to pay attention to the TV, but I knew she was straining to eavesdrop on our conversation.
“I thought I made it very clear last night—” Etta said this last bit in a hush and threw another look at Ruby, before she continued. “—and this afternoon, that I don’t want to do it again.”
“What? Sleep with me?” I said, in a pretend confused voice. Etta widened her eyes threateningly at me and then looked at Ruby, who hadn’t or at least pretended to not have heard me.
“Yes. Well, it was a onetime thing. We were drunk, and now it’s over,” she continued, and I took in a deep breath and shrugged.
“You don’t have to make this all about sex, Etta. I thought you were better than that,” I said with a smile and took a long sip of my tea. When I looked back at her, she seemed to be trying her best to control the rage that was bubbling up inside her.
“Owen, what are you doing here?” she asked through gritted teeth, and I shifted in my seat to place the teacup back on the saucer. I wasn’t a tea drinker and it left a funny taste in my mouth, and suddenly, I was craving whisky again.
“I’m here to ask you on a date,” I said, and we both heard the rattle of Ruby’s teacup. That bit she had definitely heard. I looked over at Ruby, caught her eye, and smiled.
Etta now was looking like she had seen a ghost. The color had all but drained from her face, and she was licking her lips nervously. She hadn’t touched her tea or any of the cookies yet.
“Owen, you know I’m working with your friends. Having any kind of a relationship with you is going to be highly unprofessional on my part,” Etta said, and she was refusing to meet my eyes now.
It was strange for me to have this conversation with her, or anyone. It was usually me on the other side of the table. It was usually me trying to gently let a girl down after sleeping with her. Now, for the first time, I was getting a taste of what it might have felt like for all those women to be turned away by me. No matter how much fair warning I might have given them the previous night, being refused by someone still hurt.
“Yes, I understand that you have a job to do, and that you’re working with Rhett and Heidi, but us going on a date won’t interfere with your work if we don’t let it,” I countered, and Etta glanced at Ruby, who was openly staring at us now. Clearly, the conversation we were having was way more interesting than anything on TV.
Etta looked back at me, feeling a little embarrassed to be talking about this in front of Ruby.
“I promised Heidi that I’d keep this professional,” Etta said, and I smiled at her encouragingly.
“So, don’t go on a date with her, no matter how much she insists,” I said, and I saw a soft smile tugging the corners of Etta’s lips. I knew I was close to cracking her, no matter how stern of an exterior she put up.
“I’m only in Brunswick for a short while,” she continued, and I couldn’t help but gaze down at the breasts she was so adamant about keeping covered, or her long delicious legs that she had crossed.
“It’s just a date, Etta. Just a chance for me to properly apologize for today’s behavior. And you’re new here, you don’t know anybody else—this will give you a chance to socialize a little in a new city,” I argued, as best as I could without coming off as too pushy.
Etta gulped while she held my gaze. It seemed like she was trying to decide what to do.
“Okay, how about we don’t call it a date? Just a friendly dinner between two acquaintances,” I continued, and she finally nodded.
“Yes, fine, a dinner,” she said, and Ruby clapped her hands excitedly. I looked over at her and smiled, while Etta dropped her gaze to her lap in embarrassment.
“Oh, that’s a lovely plan. Just lovely! Should I get some more cookies for you, dear?” Ruby, in her excitement, came rushing toward us and whisked up the half-finished plate of cookies from the tray.
Etta watched her go into the kitchen, after which she turned to me, her eyes small and dark and twinkling.
“I want to make it very clear to you, Owen, that nothing more will happen between us,” she said, and I held up my hands in a show of defense.
“You’ve made it very clear, and I understand. I enjoyed our time together—before anything happened—and I think it’ll be fun hanging out again. That is all,” I argued, and she settled back in the rocking chair and rocked herself a little.
“Yes, that was fun,” she admitted and couldn’t help but smile. I smiled too, just as Ruby returned with her plate covered in more cookies now.
“It’s so lovely when two young people are so well matched,” she said, placing the plate on the coffee table again.
“We’re just friends, Ruby,” Etta countered, and Ruby let out a small sigh and turned to her.
“Isn’t that what Beyoncé and Jay-Z said about each other too? Look at them now, with their beautiful babies,” Ruby said, walking back to her armchair.
Etta looked at me, and we both burst out laughing at the same time.
Chapter Nine
Etta
All Owen told me was to come to the docks at eight, which I did, not prepared for what he had in store for me that night.
Despite my conversation with Heidi the previous day and having made up my mind to stay away from Owen, here I was, in a brand-new black cocktail dress I’d purchased for more money than I should have spent. My new red stilettos were uncomfortable and pinched my toes, but I tried walking as casually in them as I could.
