Chapter Ten

The Sherbrookes sure knew how to throw a party. Over the years, he’d attended a few New Year’s Eve parties at Cliff House, but it’d been at least three years since the last one. Judging by the scene around him, they put just as much effort into every party they had. The only difference between tonight’s party and the ones he’d attended before was the size. Tonight only fifty to sixty people filled the home, while on New Year’s Eve the numbers swelled closer to two hundred.

Christopher sipped his champagne and surveyed the guests in the grand ballroom. He recognized several from past parties. The Sherbrookes were a large family that still remained close. In addition to members of their family, Elizabeth’s parents and siblings from England had flown over for the birthday bash. Add to that mix some key political figures and powerful CEOs and you had a room full of people worth several billion dollars. If someone had told him twenty years ago he’d be at parties like this, he would’ve thought they were joking.

His eyes settled on Sara across the room. Deep in conversation with her cousin Allison Sherbrooke, she didn’t immediately see him watching her. When she finally looked over and saw him, she smiled. Then she said something to her cousin and started toward him, the smile still on her face.

He couldn’t tear his eyes away as she walked. Since making his first million, he’d dated several beautiful women, including actress Riley Walker, but none could hold a candle to Sara, both on the inside and outside. Right then, all he wanted was to take her upstairs, ditch the dress she wore, and show her how much he loved her.

Loved? For a second, he stopped breathing. He never doubted loved existed. His parents were an excellent example of two people who loved each other a great deal. And unlike many of his friends, he never went out of his way to avoid it. He just thought it happened gradually over time, not in less than two months. Now that he’d labeled the feelings he had for Sara, he couldn’t think of it as anything else. What he felt went beyond a simple physical attraction.

This new revelation put a whole different spin on things, and until he grew accustomed to the idea, he planned to keep the information to himself.

“What are you smiling at?” Sara asked when she reached his side.

“You, and how much I’m looking forward to spending the rest of the weekend away from here.” Christopher leaned closer and whispered in her ear, “How about we go upstairs so I can help you out of your dress.”

Standing so close, he couldn’t resist kissing her. But, aware of his surroundings, he kept the kiss gentle and hoped it would be enough to tempt her upstairs. “What do you say?” he asked, pulling back. “Interested in having our own party?”

Sara took a champagne flute from the uniformed waiter walking by. “My brothers gave me a hard enough time this morning because we skipped dinner last night. I don’t want to hear anymore from them.”

He watched her raise the glass to her mouth, jealous that she didn’t have her lips on his instead. “You need to grow thicker skin, my dear.”

One bare shoulder rose in a gentle shrug. “You don’t have brothers, you have no idea how relentless they are, but we can dance. The band is scheduled to start up again in a few minutes.”

While not what he had in mind, it would do for now.

When the band started their next set, he led her onto the dance floor. Other guests cast glances in their direction as Christopher pulled her close and they began to dance, but he ignored them. One slow ballad flowed into another, as the band in the musician’s balcony played. Not once did they break into anything with a faster tempo. Christopher liked it. The slower music gave him the perfect excuse to keep his arms around Sara without raising any eyebrows. Even if his behavior was acceptable, after tonight there would be no room for speculation about their relationship.

Several times over the past few weeks, their names had been linked together due to their association with Senator Healy and his education initiative, but speculation regarding their relationship never arose. Tonight though reporters from Today Magazine, a national publication, and the Providence Gazette, a local newspaper, had been granted special limited access to the party. Between the two, they’d taken pictures of everyone and everything at the party, which meant tomorrow their relationship would probably be front-page news.

For the most part, he didn’t mind. In the beginning, the paparazzi had bothered him, but now he accepted it as part of his life. Sara was no stranger to the paparazzi either. Still, he liked the idea of keeping their relationship under the radar. Who knew what kind of stress the media might cause? He’d seen firsthand how the media could ruin relationships. Jake and Charlie were married now, but they’d almost split for good at one point because of rumors spread by the media. If rumors started flying, how would their relationship hold up? He wanted to believe it could handle anything thrown at it, but he just didn’t know.

Warm, supple lips pressed against his, chasing away thoughts of the media and rumors. “I don’t think I said it, but thank you.” Sara drew her head back and met his eyes.

“For?”

“Coming with me this weekend. I know my family’s parties can be a little stuffy sometimes.”

“We can discuss how you’re going to make it up to me later when we’re alone,” he answered, his voice taking on a husky tone.

She leaned against him, her body aligning perfectly with his. “Sounds like a plan I can fully support.”

Tightening his hold around her waist, he lost himself in the feel of her body against his. The music in the background gradually became nothing more than some subtle noise as they moved as one to their own beat. Even if the band switched to a fast-paced song, he wouldn’t have noticed or cared, the sense of being exactly where he belonged was simply that strong.

Sara wiggled her toes the best she could in her heels. The last time she’d danced this much had been at her father’s inaugural ball. Judging by the guests around her, she wasn’t the only one who wasn’t used to dancing this much. Several other guests, especially the older ones, were seated in chairs around the ballroom perimeter while a few had even left for other parts of house. Even though her feet bothered her, she kept quiet. She’d always enjoyed dancing, even if she didn’t have much opportunity lately. Not to mention, she enjoyed the security and acceptance she always experienced in Christopher’s embrace, regardless of the setting.

“The last song tonight is a special request from the President to his wife,” the band’s lead singer announced before they started a classic hit by the popular seventies group Montana.

Not this song. Sara gritted her teeth to keep from groaning aloud. “Can’t Live Without You” was one of her mom’s favorites. Thankfully, the band hadn’t covered any other songs by the group. And right now, if she had a piece of cake handy, she’d seriously consider stuffing it in the singer’s mouth.

Leaning her head against Christopher’s shoulder, she tried to block out the music with very little success.

“Mind if I cut in, Hall?”

At the sound of Jake’s voice, her head shot up. Other than the brotherly hard time he’d given her this morning after breakfast, they hadn’t spoken much since she and Christopher started dating—a fact that was mostly her own fault. Having been afraid of letting something slip before Christopher told him about their relationship, she hadn’t made her usual effort to stay in touch. In fact, she’d avoided Jake’s recent calls, and with the exception of this morning when he gave her a hard time after breakfast, she’d avoided him here as well.

Christopher’s hands left her body, and he took a step back. “Sure, I hate this song anyway.” He clapped Jake on the shoulder. “I’ll see you in a few, Sara.” He moved away from her as Jake took his place.

With little other choice, she stepped into Jake’s arms as they moved to the music. The reason for her brother’s sudden interruption nagged at her, but she kept silent. If he planned to voice displeasure about the current situation, she wasn’t in any rush to hear it. So far today, he hadn’t indicated any displeasure with her decision, yet that didn’t mean it wasn’t there.

“You two have been inseparable all night, Sara. People have noticed.”

She shrugged. She, like her brothers, learned a long time ago, you couldn’t control what other people thought.

“How’s it going?” Jake asked.

She detected nothing but concern in his voice. How much should I share? It seemed inappropriate to tell her brother she thought she was falling in love with his best friend since she hadn’t yet told Christopher. “Good.” Honest, short and to the point.

One blond eyebrow went up as he looked down at her. “Not very talkative tonight,” he said, moving them across the dance floor.

If she was still ten years old, she would’ve rolled her eyes at him. “It’s very good. Is that better, dear brother?”

The singer on the stage hit a high note as he approached the final segment of the song, and she saw Jake grimace. “I’ll never understand why Mom loves this song,” she said.

“Tell me about it. No man should be asked to hit high notes like that,” Jake said in agreement. Not long after the ear-splitting high note, the music ended for the evening, but Jake remained next to her.

“Before you go I need to know one thing. Are you happy with him?” Jake asked, the humor she’d heard a moment earlier replaced with brotherly concern.

Sara nodded, a question of her own nagging her. “Do you mind? Christopher made it seem as if there was some kind of law about a guy dating a friend’s sister.”

A full-blown smile broke out across Jake’s face. “Perhaps calling it a ‘law’ is a bit of a stretch,” he teased before his smile disappeared and his face turned serious again. “He’s a good guy, Sara. I hope you’re happy together.”

Good, he hadn’t gone into overprotective big-brother mode. “Thanks, Jake, that means a lot to me.” She walked alongside him as they moved toward the ballroom entrance. “I was afraid you wouldn’t be happy about our relationship.”

“Like I said, you won’t find a better guy.” Jake stopped just outside the ballroom. “What time do you two plan to leave in the morning?”

“I’m not sure, but probably not too early.”

Jake dropped a kiss on her cheek. “Then I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Sara nodded and watched Jake and Charlie walk away. The fear she’d held onto for weeks disappeared. Her relationship with her brother wasn’t in jeopardy. Eager to find Christopher now, she searched for him among the guests mingling in the hall. With the music over, guests slowly drifted out of the ballroom toward either the grand foyer or their own rooms upstairs.

A quick scan up and down the hall showed no sign of him. I bet he’s in the library. He’d mentioned it was his favorite room in the mansion.

Turning right, she headed down a hallway toward the room. Along the way, several relatives she hadn’t seen in months stopped her. With ease though, she managed to keep the conversations short, and in no time, she stepped into the library where numerous guests remained deep in conversation, including the one man she searched for.

He stood on the far side of the room and instantly her stomach clenched tight with raw jealousy when she caught a glimpse of the woman near him. She could only see their profiles, but she recognized the woman as Tasha Marshall, Senator Marshall’s daughter. The younger woman had a tendency to become infatuated with a man and not give up until she got him. The only man Sara knew who hadn’t fallen for Tasha was Jake. He’d actually gone out of his way to avoid her.

The irrational jealousy twisting her insides slowly built the longer she stood in the doorway. Would anyone notice if she dragged Tasha out by her hair? Probably.

Even as she took a step forward, she recognized her feelings as unjustified. Christopher had the right to talk to anyone, same as she did. Regardless, knowing this intellectually did not kill her unexpected emotions. She’d never felt jealousy like this before. It surged through her body, making her want to grab hold of Christopher and shout “mine” to anyone listening. Too bad you can’t brand a boyfriend the same way a rancher brands cattle.

A second foot followed the first as Sara marched across the room. Before she reached them, Christopher looked in her direction. Without any hesitation, he smiled, his face radiating his genuine pleasure at seeing her. Just like that, her jealousy evaporated. While he might be talking to Tasha, he was pleased to see her. No one could fake the pleasure on his face.

As soon as she joined him, Christopher slipped an arm possessively over her shoulders, and she leaned into him, comfortable as both friend and lover.

“You look fine, so I guess you survived the dance with Jake. I expected you sooner though,” Christopher said after greeting her with a kiss.

“There are a lot of relatives here tonight. I got a little sidetracked on my way.” She ignored the whole comment about her brother. They could talk about him later.

Tasha Marshall’s eyes flicked back and forth between them. Sara felt as if she was being sized up as competition. Don’t even think about it, Tasha.

Wrapping an arm around Christopher’s waist, she reached up to kiss him again. Unlike the peck on the cheek he’d given her, she zeroed right in for his mouth and gave him a kiss that told Tasha and anyone else watching Christopher belonged to her.

***

Floor-to-ceiling windows lined three of the walls in the third-floor solarium, providing Sara with an unobstructed view of the Atlantic Ocean as she enjoyed her tea. And what a view it was. The sun had started to set, coating the sky with various hues of red and pink that stretched out for miles, and there was not a cloud anywhere in sight.

With a lazy stretch, she sank deeper into the sofa while she waited for Christopher. They’d come up from the beach for lunch but had only made it halfway through when he received an urgent call from work. While she waited for his return, she contemplated their previous conversation about Callie. For some reason, she couldn’t get it out of her mind. Could a simple apology mend their relationship? Callie never exhibited any signs that she held a grudge toward her. Not to mention, she readily provided her support for Senator Healy’s education initiative regardless of Sara’s involvement. And while she remained reserved in her company, it might have more to do with not knowing how Sara would respond rather than because Callie didn’t like her.

If both Jake and Christopher believed an apology would help, could there be something to it? When Christopher talked about his relationship with his sisters and their relationships with each other, a mixture of guilt and envy always rolled through her.

She had an abundance of friends and acquaintances but none of them were close confidants—just Jake and now Christopher. Even when she’d attended an all-girl boarding school, she’d always held back a little bit of herself. When Callie entered their family, it’d been the perfect opportunity to add her to the short list of people she trusted. Instead of welcoming her though, she’d done the opposite. Afraid Callie wanted to somehow use the family for her own benefit, she’d tried to push her away. Even though she’d only wanted to protect the family, particularly her father and his campaign following Phillip’s betrayal, she’d been in the wrong. Perhaps now was time to fix her mistake.

Such an attempt might fix the minor rift between her and Dylan too. Although very subtle, there had been a change in their relationship once he and Callie became involved. No one else noticed it, but she knew it existed.

Picking up the teacup near her chair, she took a sip expecting a mouthful of hot liquid. Instead, lukewarm tea slid down her throat, taking her by surprise. She’d poured it right before Christopher stepped out, and it’d been steaming. The tea left in the cup now tasted like tap water. How much time had passed since he left? Normally she didn’t lose track of time. Then again, most of the time her schedule was so structured she didn’t have time to sit around and do nothing. Before this relationship, she hadn’t allowed herself any downtime. Instead, she’d planned out every day weeks in advance. Since he’d come into her life, she’d modified that. The workweek remained scheduled down to the minute, but she kept weekends free. Now she couldn’t imagine going back to her old way of doing things. Before Christopher, she hadn’t realized how lonely she’d become. Sure, she spent time around people, that was part of being in Washington, but being around people you worked with couldn’t compare to the joy of being with a person you cared about… whose phone calls you looked forward to each day… who held you close at night while you slept.

Her eyes closed and memories of waking up that morning returned, sending warmth through her. As the scene played out in her mind, she saw them in her bedroom at Cliff House. He’d already been awake when she’d opened her eyes that morning; her head was on his chest, one of his arms was around her, and his fingers were toying with her hair. In that moment, she’d felt not only cared for but loved. At least she thought it was love. No other boyfriend had made her feel the way Christopher did. Some had come close, and at the time she’d believed she loved them. Yet the emotions she felt with them couldn’t compare to the ones she had with Christopher. In fact, the intensity of the emotions she felt this time scared her a little. Frequently she stopped and reminded herself to let their relationship grow and develop at its own pace. With emotions so intense, however, she often forgot her own suggestions.

Several times in the past weeks, she’d almost dropped the L-word during a conversation. Each time she’d covered her blunder, and Christopher appeared none the wiser. And while she realized the slow course was best, she wondered how slow was too slow? Should she wait until he said he loved her to share her own feelings? Or should she take the plunge first? Was he maybe waiting for her to take the first step. And if she decided to tell him, how would she know when the time was right?

Yawning, Sara covered her mouth. She had a lot to consider.

***

“Hey, are you awake over there?” Christopher asked.

Sara’s eyelids flew open, she blinked a few times to focus. Something she could only call giddiness passed through her. “I’m not asleep, just relaxing.”

“Sorry, I didn’t intend to be gone so long.”

She’d grown up with meals and birthday parties being interrupted by business emergencies. For her, it was normal. “Don’t worry about it. It gave me time to think.”

Christopher grimaced as he sat down next to her. “About what?”

“My sister.”

“Oh.” The tone of his voice told her everything. Not only had her answer surprised him, it also made him curious and concerned all at the same time.

“Do not tell Jake I said this, but maybe you and he are right. Maybe an apology would help things.” As she spoke the words, her decision solidified in her mind. Perhaps deep down she’d always known she should apologize, but needed the help of someone impartial to make her acknowledge the fact. “I don’t know if she’ll accept it, but...”

Reaching for her hand, he raised it to his mouth and brushed a kiss across her knuckles. Warmth raced up her arm then spiraled throughout her body.

“I don’t see her as the type to hold a grudge. She’ll accept it,” Christopher said with confidence.

Perhaps in other areas of her life, Callie might not hold grudges, but she may react much differently to something so personal. “And if she doesn’t?” she asked, her voice little more than a whisper. She stared straight ahead. If she looked at Christopher, he’d see her fear. Admitting you were wrong was never easy, but when another person’s reaction could be predicted, it became a little easier.

“Then it’s her loss, but my computer-simulated eight ball told me that won’t happen.”

The thought of Christopher staring at an eight ball, even a computer-simulated one, made her laugh. And with that simple reaction, her body relaxed. The fear that overwhelmed her a moment earlier began to drain away. “Is that a program you created at Cal Tech?”

“No, in high school. Four sisters remember? They loved it for their slumber parties and, trust me, there were a lot of slumber parties at my house.”

From previous stories he had told her, it sounded as if the Hall house had been a fun place to live. Almost every story he recounted included at least one of his sisters and his friends growing up. Hearing the stories made her a little envious. While she’d had a childhood most could only dream about, it had been lonely. Dylan was not only several years older than her, but he’d split his time living in the United States with their mom and in England with his father. Jake was only two years older, but they didn’t share many of the same interests. Growing up, he’d often go off and do his own thing. Then when he turned fourteen, he left for school in Connecticut. Not long after that, she followed in Mom’s footsteps and went off to Roedean School, an all-girls boarding school in England.

Even if they’d gone to schools nearby, Sara knew camping trips in state forests and cross-country road trips wouldn’t have happened. Her family vacations included trips to Paris and London where they stayed in hotels with every amenity imaginable. While those trips had been fantastic, she found the stories of Christopher’s family trips both intriguing and appealing.

What was it like to sleep inside a tent at night? Could she even fall asleep on the ground? Even with a sleeping bag and some additional padding, how comfortable could it possibly be lying on the ground all night? People did it all the time, so it was manageable.

“I want to try camping,” Sara said without realizing how out-of-the-blue the statement sounded.

Christopher’s eyebrows drew together in confusion. “And where did that idea come from?”

“You.” In her mind, she began a list of items she’d need. She saw a shopping trip in her future.

“Me? You must have me confused with your other boyfriend.” Christopher continued to look confused.

Sara slid to the edge of her seat. “The camping trips with your family you told me about got me thinking. I’ve never been camping. I’ve never even been inside a tent.” She squeezed his hand. “Let’s try it.”

“You want to sleep… in a tent … on the ground?” The look of amazement remained on his face.

“Stop looking at me like I’ve lost my mind. It’ll be fun,” she answered, her excitement building.

“The ground is hard and bugs sometimes get into a tent. And, Sara, you don’t get your own bathroom when you camp.”

Crossing her arms across her chest, she glared at him. Why was he trying to change her mind? Did he think she couldn’t handle it? “Fine, if you don’t want to come, I’ll ask someone else.’” She reverted back to her polite, professional tone. “Maybe Jake and Charlie will come with me.”

The disbelief vanished from his face. “Hey, if you really want to camp, we’ll camp. I haven’t gone in a while, but I still remember how.” Gently, he pulled her arms apart. “How about at the end of next month?” He trailed a hand down her arm. When he reached her hand, he brought it to his lips. “Deal?” he asked before kissing her knuckles.

Most of her annoyance washed away but not all. If he’d only agreed because he thought she’d change her mind, he was in for a big surprise. “I’m going to hold you to it, Mr. Hall.”