Chapter 7

“I’LL BE RIGHT DOWN, MOM.” Kiera grabbed her jacket from the closet, and then checked her phone. More than a week had passed since Gray had flown to Cozumel. While away, he’d called almost everyday but always at a different hour. His last call had been Tuesday. He did send her a dozen roses yesterday with a note that said, Miss you. She’d hoped a call would’ve followed, but, instead, he’d sent her a text message that said, Thinking of you; see you soon.

How soon? When he made it back four weekends in a row, she’d assumed he’d make it back every weekend.

She’d thought about calling him yesterday, but in the end, decided against it. She didn’t want to call when he was in a meeting or asleep. She could have sent him a text message, but she wanted to hear his voice, not just read his words.

Kiera slipped the phone into her purse and pulled on her jacket. As much as she wanted to hear from Gray, she hoped he didn’t call in the next few hours. She had shopping plans with her mom that afternoon.

“I’ve got the perfect idea for your dad’s gift.” Her mom drove away from the apartment complex and turned onto River Road.

“You told me you didn’t know what to get him.” Kiera certainly had no clues, but maybe her mom’s idea would give her some.

“I didn’t until yesterday. Your father started looking at old family vacation photos last night, and he kept bringing up how much fun we had. Then his cousin called. Bernard and his wife are going on a cruise. Your dad has always wanted to go on a cruise, so I thought the three of us could go on one together.”

“That sounds like a great idea for the two of you.” She loved her parents, but a family vacation at her age? The idea didn’t thrill her.

“He’d enjoy it so much more if you came, too. We might never get a chance again. Once you get married, we won’t be able to do those types of things.”

“Married? Do you know something I don’t, Mom?”

Her mom patted her hand. “You will someday. You just haven’t met the right man yet. He’s out there. I know it.”

Kiera kept her face forward so she wouldn’t give herself away. Once her mom learned she was dating someone, she’d pester her for more details. Then, she’d have to spill the beans. Something she wasn’t ready to do yet.

“Have you considered that dating service Jane’s daughter Stacey used? That’s where she met David. Did you know they’re expecting a baby in April?”

Once her mom got going on Kiera’s love life, she wouldn’t stop unless distracted by something else.

“Back to Dad’s birthday present, Mom. I think a romantic trip for just the two of you is a great idea. I’ll help pay and then it can be from both of us.”

Her mom looked over at her. “If you’re worried about being seasick, they sell medicine for that. Come on, it’ll be fun. I spoke with Jane last night. She promised to pull together some information for us to look at today.”

If her mom had called her friend Jane Steward, a travel agent, she’d made up her mind before she’d picked Kiera up that afternoon.

“Right now, I’m thinking a cruise to Alaska in July. How does that sound? Your dad mentioned wanting to do that. And then we don’t have to worry about hurricanes.”

Torturous. “Mom, I don’t want to take a cruise anywhere. But you and Dad go. This is his sixtieth birthday. It should be something memorable, and you guys never go anywhere special.”

Her mom drove into the parking lot for Steward Travel. “You really won’t come?”

“I can’t take that much time off from work.”

She’d only worked at Mon Soleil for a year, so she got one week of vacation. A week she’d rather spend with Gray, assuming he stayed in one place long enough.

Her mom stopped the car. “I think you’ll be missing a lot of fun.”

Jane greeted them and wasted no time presenting the various vacation packages she’d put together. Each one sounded better than the one before it, and if not for the fact that a huge ship was involved, Kiera would’ve been tempted to book a trip for herself. Since her mom had decided on an Alaska cruise, she barely looked at the other brochures Jane handed them.

“We’ll go on the ten-night Alaska Wildlife Cruise in July.”

“Am I booking one cabin or two today?” Jane turned toward her computer.

Her mom looked at her. “Are you sure you won’t come? You could do your own thing while on board. We wouldn’t expect you to spend all your time with us.”

“Positive, Mom. You and Dad go and have fun.”

“It’ll just be the two of us. Can you get us a cabin with a balcony?”

Kiera heard the disappointment and excitement in her mom’s voice. “Dad’s going to love this. The two of you are going to have so much fun.”

While Jane and her mom discussed the details of the trip, Kiera checked her phone. She’d heard it ding several times since they’d sat down, which meant she had messages. With her mom busy, she could check them now.

All three messages were jokes from Joanna. Since none of them required responses, she put the phone away and listened as Jane explained the various cabins available and the prices of each.

After the travel agency, they stopped for a late lunch. Through the entire meal and the drive back to her apartment, her mom talked about the upcoming trip. Kiera couldn’t recall the last time her mom had been so excited.

“The itinerary lists two formal dinners. I’ll need another dress; I only have the one I wore to Trent’s wedding. Maybe next month you can come shopping with me.”

“Get two new ones. The one you wore to the wedding is dark blue, which is more of a winter color. You are going in July. You should have something bright and summery.”

“It’ll be fine. I will buy a new bathing suit. The ship has three pools. Did I mention it has a full service spa, too?”

Kiera opened her apartment door and walked inside. “You did, and I think you should book yourself a day there. Get the full treatment” Her mom never let herself get pampered.

“Maybe. I’ll have to think about it. Can you help me decide on some port excursions? I brought the information up with me. I already know I want to take the train ride when we stop in Skagway.”

Kiera walked past the table into the kitchen. “Sure let me get—”

“These are gorgeous. Who did you get them from?”

Kiera turned around. Her mom stood near the table, examining the roses. When she’d invited her mom inside, she’d forgotten about them on the table.

“No one. They looked pretty, so I bought them myself.” Thank goodness she’d removed the card that had come with them.

“Flowers do brighten up a room.” Her mom leaned in for a closer inspection. “What florist did you get them from? These are exceptional.”

The name of every florist she’d ever seen disappeared. “The grocery store.” The store in Cumberland did sell flowers.

Her mom raised an eyebrow. “You got these at the grocery store? Those florist sections don’t usually have flowers this nice.”

“I got lucky I guess.” Kiera took the vase and put it on the counter. “I’ll make some tea then we can look through that booklet. I bet Dad would love the flight tour to Mount McKinley.”

Her mom didn’t mention the flowers again, but Kiera wasn’t sure she’d bought her excuse. Once or twice her mom had glanced at them and then at Kiera. Each time, Kiera had held her breath and waited for more questions.

“Do you have any nights off this weekend so we can celebrate your dad’s birthday?”

“Tomorrow night and Sunday.” Kiera didn’t want to make any commitments just in case Gray showed up. At the same time, she couldn’t sit around and wait. She did have a life to live. “I have an idea. Bring Dad here tomorrow, and I’ll cook dinner.”

Her mom nodded. “Wonderful idea. Why don’t we invite your grandparents, too?”

“Sounds good.”

“I’m going to use the bathroom. Be right back.

Kiera ran though a list of her dad’s favorite meals, dismissing those she knew her mom didn’t like, which made the list much more manageable. When she heard the knock on her door, her thoughts froze. The last time she got an unexpected knock, it had been Gray. What were the chances it was him now? If it was, how would she explain that one to her mom?

Kiera passed the bathroom door. She could hear the water running on the other side. Her mom would be back out any second.

“Please don’t let it be Gray,” she said under her breath as she opened the door.

The sight before her would’ve thrilled her the day before or even that morning, but not so much now. Behind her, the bathroom door opened.

“I had another thought,” her mom said.

Kiera turned and waited.

“What if we—” Her mom’s voice stopped, which meant one thing, her mom was going to want answers. “Gray?”

Her mom glanced from Gray to the roses and then back and her jaw clenched. “I see.”

Did she dare lie now? Her mom suspected but had no proof. “Mom, Gray was—”

Her mom picked up her jacket. “I need to go anyway. Your father is expecting me.” She gathered up the trip information. “Do you mind walking out with me, so we can discuss your father’s birthday dinner?”

Fudge. How could she refuse that? “Sure.” She grabbed her jacket. “Be right back, Gray.” Kiera followed her mom downstairs and waited for her to speak, but she remained closed-lipped until they got outside.

“Don’t try to deny it. Those roses are from Gray,” her mom said as they walked toward her car.

Kiera nodded.

“You assured me nothing was going on between you two.”

“When I said that, there wasn’t, Mom.” They had kissed, but her mom didn’t need all the particulars.

“This is a bad idea, Kiera. You’re not right for each other.”

All her life, her mom had supported every decision she’d made. She didn’t like that her mom disapproved now.

“We’re seeing where things go. The worst that will happen is we go back to being friends. You and Dad won’t be affected. I promise.”

“You’re wrong. Gray could break your heart, not to mention turn your life into a circus. Do you want to find pictures of yourself on magazines covers? Have the media speculating on your relationship?” Her mom opened her car door, but didn’t get inside.

“You’re exaggerating.”

“No, I’m not. Trent and Addie were on at least three magazine covers last month.”

Kiera fought the urge to roll her eyes. “That’s because they got married in January. I haven’t seen Jake and his wife anywhere in a long time. And Callie was in the media in the fall because she had a baby. A baby who happens to be the President’s first grandchild.”

“Kiera, this isn’t going to turn out the way you want.”

“Who says I want it to turn out any one way? Maybe I just want to have fun with someone I like. People can spend time together and not have marriage in mind.”

Her mother wasn’t buying any of it; her expression said as much.

“Think about what I said.” Her mom got into her car. “You’d be much better off with someone else.”

Kiera had no response for that comment. “Do you still want to do dinner here tomorrow night?”

Her mom nodded. “I’ll let you know if your grandparents are coming.”

Her mom’s words haunted her all the way back upstairs. Their different social backgrounds didn’t make them wrong for each other. She could easily meet a man through a dating service or through a friend and have him break her heart, too. Why was her mom so certain Gray would do that? Maybe in another month, she’d decide Gray was wrong for her and end things herself. There was no rule saying the guy had to end a relationship.

The more she reviewed her mom’s words, the more annoyed she got. She understood her mom sharing her opinion, but today she’d gone past that.

Kiera slammed the apartment door harder than she’d intended when she walked inside.

“I’m guessing your mom’s not happy.”

For a moment, she forgot about her mom and gave herself a chance to enjoy the sight of Gray. No one could say he wasn’t gorgeous. Dressed in black pants and a white dress shirt, with his tie loose around his neck, he was the quintessential GQ guy. One who lived the life as well as looked the part.

“That’s one way to put it.” Kiera met Gray halfway, and he wrapped his arms around her.

“I should’ve called before I came. It didn’t occur to me.”

The blame game accomplished one thing: making people angry. “It’s okay.” She touched his cheek. “I’ve missed you.”

“I’ve missed you, too. That’s why I came straight here after my plane landed.”

“How long are you staying?” If he said only the day, she’d think about tying him to a chair.

“Until you kick me out.” He smiled, and her knees got a little weak.

“Oh, really? So you plan on staying here?”

Gray kissed her, and her knees went from weak to useless.

“That was my plan.” He kissed her again, this time infusing a little more passion into it. “I arranged to work from home for a few days.”

“No international business disasters you need to handle?”

“My phone isn’t even turned on right now. Any business crisis will have to wait until next week at the earliest.” He moved his hands up and down her back. “What do you think? Do you want a roommate?”

Waking up and going to sleep with Gray for several days sounded wonderful. “I’ll have to think about it.” Today she wanted to tease him a little. “What’s in it for me if I let you stay here? Can you cook? Do laundry? Clean bathrooms?”

“What’s in it for you?” Gray gave her a wicked smile, and then reached toward her waist. “How about I make love to you every night before we fall asleep?” He undid the button on her jeans and pulled down the zipper. “Then again every morning.”

Kiera swallowed as he inched her pants down.

“And anytime during the day that you want.” He knelt to free her legs from her jeans. “How does that sound?” He raised the hem of her shirt and placed a kiss on her stomach.

Anticipation surged through her, and she looked down at him. “It sounds like we should go upstairs now so you can demonstrate before I make any decisions.”

“I believe this dance is mine,” Gray said, as he stopped next to the stunning brunette.

Nadia smiled at him. “I’ve been waiting for you all night.” Nadia put her arms around his neck and melded her body into his.

Gray led her across the dance floor. “You look beautiful.” He leaned in as if to kiss her cheek. “Did you come with anyone tonight?” he whispered.

“Unfortunately, my father never lets me out alone.” Nadia ran a hand down his chest and into his pants pocket. “But you know that.” Her fingers walked back up his stomach and then over his shoulder again. “One of his bodyguards is by the front entrance and another is by the emergency exit.”

Gray glanced at the front entrance only there wasn’t anyone standing by it. Turning in time to the music, he checked the emergency exit. Empty, too. “Are you sure? No one is there now,” Gray whispered.

“They were. Do you think they know about us?”

A beefy hand dropped on Gray’s shoulder before he answered.

“Mr. Danilova would like a word with you,” the owner of the beefy hand said.

Gray didn’t argue. Instead, he followed the well-dressed thug across the dance floor and outside, looking around for a possible escape route.

“Please give me a reason to shoot you.” The thug pressed the barrel of a gun into Gray’s back.

A drip of sweat went down Gray’s spine, but he took a step forward and entered the waiting limo. The door slammed shut behind him, leaving him alone with Nadia’s father and his security guard.

Gray bolted upright as the sound of a car exploding filled the room He studied his surroundings. The explosion had come from the television. It wasn’t real. He wasn’t trapped in a limo with Nadia’s father. He was in Kiera’s apartment. His cover remained intact. It had just been a nightmare.

Gray raked a hand down his face. He should have known better than to polish off an entire meat lover’s pizza and then watch the original Exorcist movie. Even as an adult, he always got nightmares from the movie.

He grabbed the remote from the floor and started channel surfing. The suspense thriller, that had replaced the horror film had to go. He needed an over-the-top comedy or some sports to purge his dream and pass the time until Kiera got home from work. When a pass through all the channels turned up nothing, he went back to the sports channel. The basketball game would provide enough background noise and mindless entertainment until Kiera came home.

The image of Nadia came back to haunt him. They’d spoken briefly two weeks ago at a party, but they hadn’t danced. She’d invited him upstairs, promising they could get around her father’s security guards without any problem. When he turned her down, she’d taken the news well. Or at least, it appeared that way. He hoped that was true. Not only did they run into each other at social events, but she was also his most valuable asset in Russia. Almost all the intel he got out of Russia came from her. If she took his rejection to heart, it could cause some serious problems down the line.

He watched the basketball game for a few minutes, but soon found himself restless. It’d be another hour or so before Kiera came home. Some exercise would kill an hour, but he didn’t have a gym handy. If he was home in New York, he’d consider a bar a good place to kill an hour. Tonight, the thought of a night out drinking while women hit on him made him cringe. He could do some work. He always had Sherbrooke Enterprise emails waiting for him.

Gray switched off the television and retrieved his laptop. The more work he got done while Kiera worked, the more free time he’d have for more pleasant activities. Activities such as those they enjoyed after her mom had left that afternoon.

Gray logged into his email, but instead of reading a message, he considered the problem with Kiera’s mom.

He didn’t want to come between Kiera and her mom, yet he had no intention of ending things because Annette disapproved. That left him with only one option: prove Annette wrong.

He realized she feared it would put her job in jeopardy, but he sensed there was more to it. A woman like Annette wouldn’t put her own happiness above her daughter’s. Did she think he’d hurt Kiera? Both Trent and Jake had dated enough women and left behind enough broken hearts to form a small army; Kiera’s mom shouldn’t tarnish him with the same brush. On occasion, the media did portray him in a similar light, but Annette had known him all his life; she couldn’t believe him capable of playing with Kiera’s emotions.

Whether she did or not, he had to prove her wrong because unless Kiera pushed him away, he had no intentions of going anywhere.

Gray was working at the desk in Kiera’s bedroom when she came home. She wore her uniform, but she’d pulled out her bun—just like he’d done when he’d made love to her earlier.

“You’re up. I thought you’d be asleep. You looked tired when I left.” Kiera walked over and kissed his cheek. “What are you up to?”

“Got some work done while I waited for you.” He closed the laptop. “How was your night?” Gray pulled her into his lap.

“Crazy. Jean-Paul, the restaurant’s owner, showed up tonight. He likes to make surprise visits to all his restaurants. I think it’s his way of keeping us all on our toes. The owner of the restaurant I worked at in Paris did the same thing.”

Gray worked on the knots in her upper back.

He heard the pop when Kiera moved her head from side to side, and he kissed her neck.

“This back rub feels so good. Maybe I’ll keep you here forever so you can give me one every day when I come home.”

“I’d be okay with that. I can put another desk under the window and work from here all the time.” He started rubbing another knot.

Kiera sighed with pleasure. “Don’t tempt me like that. I might force you to do it.”

He’d made the statement as a joke, but he liked the idea. Not so much the work-from-home part, but the living-with-Kiera part. Over a week apart had been hell.

“At least, for the next few days you can have a back rub whenever you want. Or anything else for that matter. Consider me your personal servant.”

Kiera looked over her shoulder at him. “You might regret saying that.”

“Never.” He tangled his hand in her soft hair and kissed her. “Whatever it takes to make you happy.”

She stood. “Right now, going to bed will make me happy. I’m beat, and tomorrow I’m cooking dinner. My parents are coming over to celebrate my dad’s birthday.”

“Should I stick around for that?”

Kiera removed her uniform top, revealing a plain white tank underneath. “Unless you’ll be uncomfortable, I’d like you here.” After tossing her top in the laundry hamper, she pulled off her pants and the tank.

Immediately, his body reacted, and he considered removing her bra and panties himself.

“Then I’ll be here.” Gray took a step toward her. “Or we could all go out. We don’t have to keep our relationship secret anymore.” He noticed the purple smudges under her eyes and stopped moving. She’d told him she was beat.

Kiera opened the bathroom door behind her. “My dad will like it better if we stay here. I’m going to take a quick shower before bed. Be right out.”

While Gray waited, he got himself ready for bed. The sound of the shower running in the bathroom created images that his brain didn’t need. Already he wanted her, and the vision of her naked under running water was pure torture. Tonight, he’d suffer through it.

Stacking another pillow under his head, Gray pulled up the blankets, hoping it hid the evidence of his current state.

“Much better.” Kiera came out rubbing a towel over her hair. She dropped the towel in the laundry hamper then crossed to the bed. “You look comfy.” She kneeled beside him.

“Comfortable but lonely.”

She smiled and leaned forward, the deep V-neck of her t-shirt giving him an eyeful. His hands wanted to be full, so he cupped one breast, flicking his thumb against her nipple, and ran his other hand up her thigh.

“Still lonely?” She kissed him, and his good intentions when out the window.

Gray gave control to Kiera. She didn’t disappoint. She coaxed his lips apart and rubbed her tongue against his as her hands moved across his body.

When she pulled the blankets down, he broke their kiss. “I thought you were tired?”

Her hand traveled lower, and he grabbed her wrist. If she went any farther, he’d never be able to stop.

“My shower woke me up.” She wiggled her hand free. “And I’ve been thinking about you all night.” She pulled her t-shirt off. “But if you’d rather sleep, we can do that instead.”

He never imagined Kiera had such a sexy side, but he liked it. “We’ll both sleep in tomorrow morning.” Gray pulled her on top of him and neither spoke again.