Landon (Swanson Court Book 4) Read online

  “Hi, sexy,” she drawls, grinning widely.

  I resist the urge to kiss her senseless. “Good morning.”

  She leans close to me. “I dreamed about you last night,” she whispers, running a finger over my tie. “It seemed very, very real.”

  I raise an eyebrow. “If you thought for a moment that was a dream, I’ll have to work harder next time and make sure you’re really awake.”

  She inhales. “Are you going to make a habit of slipping into my bed?”

  “I’m going to make a habit of going to bed with you every night.” She doesn’t reject the idea, and I continue. “Let’s have dinner at my place tonight.”

  She considers for a moment. “Okay.”

  “Will you spend the night?”

  She grins. “Yes, of course.”

  Now I wish it were evening already. “Come over straight from work. Don’t bring anything.”

  “Why not?”

  “You’ll see.” I’ve been working on a surprise for her, and if she likes it, we’ll probably spend more time together. As the car edges through the traffic, I hand her a keycard for my apartment at the Swanson Court. “We added some security measures at the hotel, but this will allow you to access my apartment whenever you want.”

  She reaches for it, slower than I would have liked. What is she thinking? Does she think it’s too soon? She slips it into her purse and looks up at me, her face unreadable. “Thank you.”

  I wish I knew what was going on in her mind. “I’ll leave for San Francisco on Thursday morning. A plane will be here for you Saturday morning, and I’ll have someone take you to the airport.”

  “I’m looking forward to it.”

  I raise an eyebrow. “To me being gone?”

  “No!” She laughs softly. “To joining you on Saturday.”

  Happiness unfurls in my chest as I look at her, along with a feeling I can’t explain or identify. I squeeze her hand. “Can you go out tomorrow night?”

  “Yeah. What’s happening?”

  “A friend of mine…” I stop and smile when she gives me a teasing look. I have friends, Rachel. “A friend of mine is launching a new product for the American market, some new European champagne brand. There’s a mixer, and I want you to come with me.” As my date.

  “Of course.” Her dimple dances on her cheek. “I’d love to.” The car stops in front of her office and she places a quick kiss on my lips. “Enjoy your day.” She reaches for the door handle.

  “Wait.”

  She stops and I pull her back for a proper kiss. She responds with a familiar urgency, her tongue twining with mine in a dance that brings my cock to life. “I’ll see you tonight,” I whisper.

  She nods in agreement then she’s gone, leaving my world just a little less bright.

  I work late, and it’s torture knowing Rachel is waiting for me. When I can’t take it anymore, I end the last conference call and head home.

  At the hotel, the doorman looks like he wants to say something to me but then changes his mind. My thoughts are focused on Rachel, so I barely notice.

  Inside the apartment, I see that she ordered dinner. Her jacket is on the sofa in the living room. Upstairs, I find her purse in my bedroom, but she’s not in the apartment.

  Alarm bells start in my head.

  Where is she?

  Her phone rings and rings but she doesn’t answer. I try again and it goes straight to voicemail.

  “I’ll find out from the doorman,” Joe assures me when I call him. He calls back a few moments later.

  “What happened?” I bark into the phone.

  “She left about half an hour ago.”

  Left where?

  “Did she take a cab?”

  “No.”

  A dark thought crosses my mind. “Was she alone?”

  There is a pause from Joe. “As far as he could see, yes.”

  “Bring the car to the front.”

  “Already waiting.”

  I call Laurie on my way downstairs.

  “Is Rachel with you?”

  “No.” A worried tone creeps into her voice. “I thought she was with you.”

  “No.” I sigh. “She left before I got home. Are you at home?”

  “Yes, and she’s not here. Hold on, I’ll call her.”

  I shake my head. “She turned her phone off.”

  Laurie is quiet. “Did you two fight?”

  “No. No.” I pause. “Did she tell you anything…about…” I don’t even want to think about it. “Someone else…maybe?”

  “Oh no, Landon. No. Nothing like that.”

  I breathe. “Just wait there. I’m on my way…and let me know as soon as she gets home.”

  “Okay.”

  The drive to her apartment is excruciating. Knowing she could be heading some other place makes it all the more frustrating. I don’t want to think she could be in danger, but even if she’s only walking home, it’s late, and anything could happen to her on the dark streets.

  At Rachel’s apartment building, I tell Joe to drive back along an alternate route and be on the lookout for her. Laurie comes to join me downstairs.

  “She still hasn’t called?”

  “Nope.” Laurie frowns. “What happened?”

  I push a frustrated hand through my hair. “I have no idea. She was at my place, waiting like we planned, then she left.”

  Laurie looks around the street, shivering as a cold breeze hits her. “I’m sure she’ll turn up soon.” Her voice is tinged with worry.

  “Why don’t you go inside? I’ll wait out here.”

  Laurie does as I say, and I pace the sidewalk, waiting, unable to calm the worry building inside me.

  It feels like hours later when I see Rachel turn the corner. She’s walking slowly, and when she sees me, she stops. Too relieved to wonder why, I’m by her side in seconds.

  “What happened?” Her only response is a soft sniff, and I rub the cold from her shoulders and arms. “What happened?”

  Her eyes fill with tears, and a tight rage builds inside me. If anything happened to her, God knows I will not hesitate to hurt anyone who harmed her in any way.

  Drawing her closer, I wipe her face with a handkerchief. “I got home, and you’d left, but your things were there.” She sniffs again. “What’s wrong?”

  “I…” Her words falter.

  Jesus! If anyone so much as laid a finger on her… “Are you all right?”

  “I’m fine.” She pushes away from me, putting some distance between us. Then she’s accusing me with tear-stained eyes. “Where were you? Where were you last night?”

  I don’t understand the words, or what she’s getting at. “Where was I?”

  “You told me you had meetings, but I saw a picture of you having dinner with some woman.”

  It takes a moment for me to understand that she’s accusing me of something. “You what?”

  “I saw you,” she repeats in a shaky voice. “I saw you with your dinner date, and you looked like you were having a good time.”

  “And you left?” She saw some gossip somewhere, and that’s why she’s been out on the street alone? That’s why she put herself in danger? My anger turns to frustration. “You didn’t think you needed to ask me about it before walking away?”

  “You lied to me about where you were last night. Maybe I didn’t want to wait to be lied to again.”

  She was leaving.

  Suddenly, I’m laughing, and there’s no humor in the sound because inside, I feel like crap. “I didn’t lie to you. I had meetings. I had a meeting with her, just like I had meetings with other people over the course of the day. I decided to conclude our meeting over dinner to save time. Are you satisfied, or would you like a fucking list of every single person I spoke to yesterday?”

  She flinches at my tone, but I’m too angry to care. “I’m not supposed to care that you were out with someone else when you told me you’d be working? I’m not supposed to care that you didn’t think to men
tion it to me until I saw it online?” She shrugs. “Fine then. I don’t care.”

  I don’t bother to reply. I’m too pissed to say anything to her. I will not stand here and lecture her about the worry she caused everyone over…what? Some gossip?

  I pull out my phone and call Joe. “You can come back now.” Then I call Laurie. “She’s here.”

  “Did anything… Is she…?”

  “No. She’s okay.”

  I end the call and glance up the street, looking for Joe. I don’t trust myself to say anything without losing my cool.

  Of all the stupid, childish, dangerous things she could have done.

  “Do you realize I had my driver searching the streets for you? Do you realize your cousin was worried about you? You preferred to take a walk across the city, at this time, alone, because you saw a picture online. For fuck’s sake, Rachel! Do you know what could have happened? How would I ever fucking forgive myself if anything happened to you?”

  My words do something to her. The accusation melts away, giving way to a sheen of tears in her eyes. I fight the urge to comfort her. No. This one is on her.

  “Landon.” She covers her face with her hands. “I didn’t think…”

  “No, you didn’t,” I interrupt. “You were too eager to indict me.”

  Because she’s still looking for a reason to leave.

  The realization hurts like hell.

  “Are we still at this stage, Rachel? Are you still looking for excuses to walk away?”

  She doesn’t reply. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Joe drive up the street. He comes to park right next to where we’re standing.

  “You can go up now,” I tell her, heading for the car. “I’ll send your things later tonight.”

  “Wait.” Her voice shatters my anger. “Please, Landon.” When I face her, her eyes are glistening with tears. Fuck!

  “I’m sorry,” she whispers.

  A lone tear rolls down her cheek.

  “Dammit, Rachel.” I take her in my arms and wipe the tear away. “You’re going to drive me crazy,” I whisper, knowing she already has.

  She buries her face in my chest. “I’m sorry.”

  My arms tighten. God, I don’t want to let her go. “Are you sure you won’t go up? Laurie was very worried.”

  She shakes her head. “No. I want to come with you.”

  In the car, she switches on her phone and replies to her messages. I try not to torture myself with images of what could have happened. I try not to connect my fears to what happened to my family twenty years ago.

  Why didn’t she wait for me?

  It’s just sex, Landon.

  She still doesn’t trust me. She still wouldn’t hesitate before walking away. Where does that leave me?

  Am I fooling myself by thinking we have a chance when she’s looking for any excuse to end things?

  At my place, I go to change then lay out dinner. She disappears to the bedroom for a while, and when she returns, I see she has discovered the additions to the closet. I commissioned a couple of personal shoppers to stock the wardrobe with two weeks’ worth of clothes and accessories for her. It was meant to be a pleasant surprise, but now I’m not sure what it is.

  She’s wearing a pair of sleeping shorts and a tank top. I chose them personally, because of how similar they are to a pair she already owns.

  “I hope you don’t mind,” I say quietly, barely looking at her. “I thought having a few things here…”

  “I don’t mind,” she replies in a small voice. “They’re all perfect.”

  “I’m glad you like them. The shoppers came highly recommended, but in case there’s anything else you want or something you wish to exchange, I’ll make sure you have their contact details.”

  “Okay.”

  We have dinner in front of the TV, watching a show. After, we finish a bottle of wine together. We talk little, and we don’t talk at all about what happened.

  When the show is over, she reaches over and takes my hand. “I’m sorry,” she says again.

  I take her hand in mine. “You don’t have any reason to be jealous, Rachel. You have to believe me when I tell you that.”

  “I don’t know what I was thinking.” Her eyes close. “I wasn’t thinking at all.”

  I can understand that—not thinking, acting on emotions alone. Before her, that would have been foreign to me, but now, I understand. “No matter what happens, don’t run. I want this to work, and I want to be sure you want the same thing.”

  Her voice is firm. “I do.”

  I draw her into my arms, and she lays her head on my chest while I stroke her hair. I want to take all her doubts away, and mine too, but I don’t know how.

  “I was so worried. When your phone went off…” I close my eyes. “I don’t think I’ve ever been so afraid in my life.”

  Her only response is a soft sigh. She’s exhausted, and after a few minutes, she falls asleep on my chest.

  Chapter 26

  The next day, when I arrive at Rachel’s apartment to pick her up for the cocktail mixer, she meets me at the door. As usual, she looks stunning.

  For a few moments, I just stare, thanking all the stars that aligned to bring her to my apartment on the night we met.

  I take her hand. “Rachel, I’ll never get used to how beautiful you are.”

  “Thank you.” She’s blushing, and it’s almost too cute. “You look fab, as usual.”

  I’m more interested in touching her than in enjoying her compliments. I trail my fingers down her arm, wishing we didn’t have to go anywhere.

  “Are you ready?”

  She sighs. “Yes.”

  On the drive, I can barely take my eyes off her, and she notices.

  “You look like you’re about to jump my bones.”

  “I’m trying not to,” I admit shamelessly. “We’re leaving as early as we can manage. I’m not spending valuable time at a party when I’d rather be with you.”

  She wets her lips. “Now I don’t want to go at all.”

  Careful not to mess with her hair and makeup, I pull her into my arms. “I’m going to have a hard time surviving two days without you. What have you done to me?”

  She grins. “I bewitched you.”

  “You certainly did.”

  Her eyes close and she touches her forehead to mine. I listen to her breaths, caught up in the unexpected intimacy of the moment. After a while, she pulls back then smiles naughtily. “Just so you know, I’ll be having fun while you’re gone. I’ll be out clubbing all night Friday, so I won’t miss you too much.”

  “I’ll be suffering alone.” I chuckle and place one hand on my chest. “I think you just broke my heart.”

  She takes a deep breath. “I’ll miss you too,” she says quietly. “Every single minute.”

  We take pictures outside the venue then walk in together. The host, Steven Yeagar, soon joins us. He’s an old friend from college and a serial entrepreneur.

  “I’m glad you could make it,” he tells me before turning to Rachel. “Landon, who is this angel?”

  “She’s Rachel Foster.” I hold her gaze as I speak. “My girlfriend.”

  A spot of color stains her cheeks and her eyes soften. Then Steven is talking to her, almost gushing, and though I can’t hear what he tells her, I love the way her face lights up.

  The evening progresses. Many of the guests are young and hip. Steven likes to roll with a fashionable crowd. They’re not exactly interesting to me, and I’m thinking of leaving when I hear a familiar voice.

  “Landon!”

  Rachel and I both turn toward the voice. Ava is walking toward me, a lazy smile on her face. Trust her to make a late and dramatic entrance.

  She hugs me, smiling brilliantly.

  “I didn’t know you were coming,” I tell her, pulling back.

  “Steven invited me,” she replies, turning to Rachel.

  I wonder if Rachel recognizes her from the pictures. I can’t tell from her face a
s I introduce them.

  “How nice to meet you,” Ava drawls.

  “It’s good to meet you too.” Rachel’s voice is calm and impersonal. “I’ve met your brother,” she continues. “Evans Sinclair?” She smiles. “It was a very…memorable meeting.”

  Ava doesn’t reply. It’s not the answer she expected, obviously, and Evans is a sore spot.

  “I thought you’d returned to San Francisco.”

  Ava shakes her head. “Not yet. I had a few things to take care of.” She takes my hand. “I want to say hello to Steven. It’s been ages. Why don’t you come?”

  I’m not looking to prolong my stay at the party, not when Rachel and I have plans.

  “We already saw him.” My eyes are on Rachel, and I barely notice as Ava lets go of my hand.

  “All right then.” She does a small, quick wave before walking away.

  We leave soon after that. After spending all night trying to keep my hands off Rachel, I’m more focused on getting her alone than on anything else. As soon as we’re alone in my apartment, I do what I’ve been aching to do all night.

  By the time we fall asleep, exhausted, Ava is the furthest thing from my mind.

  “A little birdie tells me you’re smitten with the writer from Gilt,” Alex tells me after a meeting. It’s my second day in San Francisco, and even though I have a mountain of work to get through, I’ve been spending as much time as I can on the phone with Rachel.

  “Tell your little birdie to mind their own business.”

  He laughs. “Okay. I just never thought I’d see the day.”

  I glare at him.

  “My little birdie also told me you had dinner with Ava last night?”

  “Why doesn’t your little birdie work for me?”

  “Don’t we all?”

  “She wanted to talk about Evans,” I say with a shrug. “She’s worried about him.”

  “Have they considered rehab?”

  “Many times. He doesn’t exactly have a cooperative personality.”

  “So, no progress.”

  “She thinks if we ignore him, he’ll go away.”