Business or Pleasure? (14 page)

Alec knew that Daisy had probably already slipped beyond his reach. He'd been a jerk—and not just during their last conversation. He'd been a jerk to Daisy almost since he'd met her. He'd taken her for granted on a daily basis, been too busy selfishly protecting himself to see that she truly cared for him. Because of that, he'd thrown an endless parade of inferior women in her face. And then, to reward her for her loyalty, he'd used her to secure this job and his professional reputation.

For three long years Daisy had given him everything. Even, apparently, her love. And he'd given her nothing but a paycheck.

Now that he understood that, he wondered why it had taken her so long to quit.

Alec looked out the window and saw the sky lighten, watched the subtle pinks and blues blend and dance as he waited impatiently for the world to come awake.

As soon as it did, he was going to go to L.A. and do whatever it took to find Daisy and get her back. Only this time he'd ditch the lies and deceit. This time he was going to tell the truth.

Hopefully, he wasn't too late. Because he had no intention of growing old bitter and alone. He was going to grow old happy and fulfilled and peaceful.

With Daisy.

 

Daisy sat on the porch with Bam Bam stretched bonelessly across her lap and looked out over the lovely, crystalline blue Pacific and the lush, intricately tended gardens that sur
rounded the Baldwins' guest cottage. The early-morning sky was painted in magnificent shades of pastel, and the distant shores of Los Angeles were muted and softened by a misty fog.

For the sixth day in a row, she'd woken up in paradise, she thought as she ran a hand absently over the cat's soft fur. But the grand display that nature had been putting on was wasted on her because Daisy had never been so unhappy in all her life.

A week ago, when she'd come to offer both her thanks and her apologies to the Baldwins, she'd had every intention of getting on the next ferry back to Los Angeles and starting the long process of getting on with her life. It was Virginia who'd suggested that she take a week to relax and reflect before making any decisions about the future. Daisy had been reluctant, but eventually she'd accepted their generous offer of the lovely little cottage tucked far up the hill behind the main house.

The week had been tranquil, peaceful and terribly, terribly lonely.

Even though her last image of Alec was that of his angry, frozen eyes just before he walked out of her life, the memories that had been haunting both her waking hours and her restless nights were far more disturbing: his blue eyes shifting to a dark azure just before he'd taken her in his arms that first rainy day; his twinkling eyes filled with laughter as he'd watched her making sand angels on the beach; the stunned look on his face when she'd walloped him at chess; the tender spark she'd seen in his gaze when she'd first explored his body with her hands and her mouth.

A shiver of pure longing passed through her, and she felt deeply sad. It was time. Time to go home and begin again.

She spent the morning packing, then walked down to the main house to say goodbye. Virginia had been a gracious hostess and a patient friend from the first, listening to Daisy's tearful explanation of what had happened without making judgments or blaming either Alec or Daisy. Now she hugged Daisy and told her to call anytime she needed a shoulder, to come back anytime she needed refuge.

By noon Daisy had returned her cart to the Hotel Margarita and was waiting at the ferry landing for the next boat.

She dropped down onto her largest suitcase and set Bam Bam's cage by her feet. It was Saturday and the harbor was thronging with tourists, newly arrived and full of energy. Herds of Scouts and school kids crowded the dock, pushing and shoving and laughing as they sorted through the mountains of gear they'd brought. Teenagers flew by on their skate-boards, parents chased after their children and couples strolled hand in hand along the boardwalk.

Daisy sighed, overwhelmed by the twists and turns of the past few weeks. She didn't know how she was going to do it, but she was going to stop loving Alec Mackenzie. And she was going to start by picking up the pieces of her heart and gluing them back together with whatever optimism she could dredge up from the bottom of her own personal well. And she would start immediately, if not sooner.

“I've been looking everywhere for you,” a deep, profoundly familiar voice said from behind her.

She twisted around, her pulse jumping and skittering. Alec wore a rumpled denim shirt and khakis that needed pressing and he hadn't gotten close enough to a razor to make a difference in days. He looked, as usual, gorgeous. He smiled at her, his eyes crinkling up at the corners, and her heart be
trayed her and picked up the pace. He'd lied to her, he'd used her and he'd left her and her body didn't care.

Lied, used, left,
she repeated to herself and clung to it like a life preserver.
Lied, used, left.

“Why? Did you forget to say something?” she asked, holding her resolve in place by the sheer force of her will and her remembered anger.

“As a matter of fact, I did,” he said as he hunkered down in front of her. He searched her face, settled on her eyes. “My God, I've missed you, Daze.”

She wanted to look away but couldn't. She was stuck, like filings on a magnet. “That's what you forgot to say?”

She clutched her bag in front of her, saw the ferry approaching out of the corner of her eye.
Thank goodness.
In minutes she'd be able to make her escape.

“No, I forgot one other thing.”

She waited. Whatever he said wasn't going to make a difference. She was leaving, any minute now. Soon she'd be safe from his lies, his thoughtless, selfish manipulations, his—

“I love you, Daisy.”

She dropped her bag, heard her stuff spill out onto the dock. She started to bend over to retrieve it, but the action brought her too close to him so she pulled back. Vaguely, she heard the people around them begin to whisper and murmur in curiosity as Alec scooped everything back into her bag and righted it.

The wattage of his smile burned into her. Heat flushed her cheeks. “Did you hear me?”

“No,” she said. “I'm sure I didn't. It sounded like you said—”

“I love you,” he repeated, his smile wide and sincere.

She didn't believe him. She couldn't. She'd be the
biggest fool in ten counties if she let him hurt her again. Lord, how she wanted to believe him. But how could she, when she already knew how far he'd go to get what he wanted?

Her heart was pounding so fast she felt breathless. “I have to go, Alec. So just tell me why you're really here.” She willed the ferry to hurry. Please hurry, she begged silently.
If I don't run soon, I'm going to get caught loving him again.

Alec didn't blame her for doubting him. The way he'd jerked her around for the past three years, it was no wonder she was looking at him like he was speaking Swahili. Hell, he'd only figured the whole damn thing out about seven hours ago himself.

He drank her in, like a thirsty man falling upon an oasis. She looked beautiful but sad, like a wounded angel trying to take flight. Her brown eyes were huge and wary, her smooth cheeks were stained by emotion, her full, lush lips were tight and tense. He wanted to kiss it all away, make everything okay. But that wasn't enough. He owed her more.

He touched his shirt pocket for the dozenth time in an hour. He'd already been to L.A. and back by helicopter, visited her house and found her youngest brother, Sean, bringing in the mail. Now that he'd met one of her trio of bodyguards, he understood her complaint about being watched over too closely. It had taken quite some time to explain everything to the suspicious, fiercely protective man, but eventually Alec's earnestness had won the day. Sean had given up her whereabouts and wished Alec luck as he ran back to his waiting cab.

Now that he was here, Alec didn't know what to say first, there was so much he needed to get out. And, he thought as he glanced at the approaching ferry, he had to make it snappy.

“I'm so damned sorry I wasn't straight with you, Daze. I
know I've made a mess of everything.” He shook his head and it felt leaden, heavy with regret for what an ass he'd been.

“I was a big, dumb, blind fool. And you were right here all along, hiding in plain sight.” He saw her checking the ferry's progress and knew his time was running out. “I was so busy pushing people away, I couldn't see that you were the one person—the only person—I've ever wanted to hold close to me.” He touched his chest, right over his heart, then pulled his hand away to rake his fingers through his hair.

“I just didn't get it before. But once you were gone and the whole world faded to black-and-white, I figured it out quick.”

She was still silent but at least she was listening. Her hands were clasped tightly in her lap, and when he reached out and pulled her left hand into his, he could feel her pulse beneath his fingers, quick and restless.

“Daisy, I love you,” he said. “I do.” His hand shook as he pulled the black velvet box out of his shirt pocket but he didn't care. “I don't deserve it but please believe me just one more time. I want you. I need you. I can't do this without you.” He flipped the box open with his thumb. “Please marry me and make me an honest man.”

Alec sensed more than saw the crowd that had gathered around them as the flawless three-carat solitaire glinted in the bright, island sun, casting a million tiny prisms all around them. It was perfect, this public demonstration to atone for his very private sins.

Daisy's gaze was fixed on his eyes as if she were searching for an answer there. He smiled, nodded, encouraged her to keep looking because he knew his whole heart was shining in his eyes. It's all right there, he told her silently.
It's all right there.

He saw the smile play about her lips first, then watched it spread to her eyes where it burned off the wariness little by little. “You want to marry me.”

He nodded as relief began to seep into his body. “More than I've ever wanted anything in my whole sad, sorry life,” he said.

She glanced down at the ring, then her gaze shot back up to his and she bit into her bottom lip.

“And you're really Alec Mackenzie? This isn't an
Invasion of the Body Snatchers
thing?”

He chuckled. “Nope. One hundred percent, authentic, homegrown me.”

She suppressed a grin. “I'm still going to open my bed-and-breakfast,” she said. “And I won't let you win at golf.”

His lips twitched into a brief smile, then he nodded solemnly. “I know,” he said. “Those are just two of the reasons I love you.”

She grinned, bright and quick, but it faded just as fast. She lowered her voice so all the interested passersby couldn't hear. “Do you really think you can do it, Alec? Become a one-woman man?

“It's too late for that, sweetheart. I already am,” he said, and his heart hammered hard as he slipped the ring onto her finger and pulled her to her feet. “Now say you'll marry me.”

She looked at the ring again, cocked her head to the side, then looked up and held his gaze for a long, suspended moment. Then she pulled her hands from his, slipped them up and over his shoulders and tipped his forehead down to hers.

They were both trembling, both intensely aware of the scrutiny of the lingering, expectant onlookers, and yet he knew with a humbling certainty that he would have gladly
stood there for an eternity just to keep her sweet little body pressed up against his.

“Yes,” she whispered. “I will.”

To Alec it seemed the world around them let out a long-held breath and began to stir, revolving around them in a swirl of color and energy. He dragged her into his arms, kissed her deeply and hungrily.

The ferry's horn blew, loud and insistent, and Alec pulled away, just an inch, but it seemed like miles. “Tell me,” he said. “Tell me you love me like I love you. A forever, damn-the-torpedoes, bolt-the-doors-and-make-wild-passionate-love-for-a-hundred-years kind of love.”

She smiled up at him. “It's exactly that kind of love, you idiot. It always has been.” And with that she pulled him down to her, kissed him fiercely and sweetly and eternally.

She finally came up for air as the passengers bound for the mainland began to flow around them. “Would you look at what I just did?” she asked, shooting him a wicked grin as she crowded her body up against his and set him on fire. “I got within your arm's length.”

And even though the world around them had always been cast in every color of the rainbow, Alec realized that he was seeing everything in vivid Technicolor for the very first time in his life.

He pulled her closer, lowered his head to hers and breathed against her soft lips, “I thought you'd never get here, sweetheart. I thought you'd never get here.”