For Nick (13 page)

Sweet surprises, indeed.

Something approaching downright giddiness stirred within her and she felt like a teenager experiencing her first crush. Zach was clearly busy with an important phone call, so she decided to take a walk outside. On her way, Janine approached, carrying the heels she’d worn last night. Oops…she’d kicked them off when they entered the house and she had no idea where they’d landed. She’d forgotten all about them.

“I found these today while tidying up. Are they yours?”

“Yes,” Andie took them knowing her face was red, feeling as though Janine somehow knew what they had been doing.

She escaped to the outdoors, wandering aimlessly, gazing upon the remarkable countryside that surrounded the house. Her feelings for Zach were becoming stronger by the day and the thought did worry her. It wasn’t as if she was waiting for a proposal or anything, they were already joined by the bonds of matrimony. And it looked as though the next year was going to be…well,
incredible
. But they were under contract to say goodbye to one another after the
incredible
year was over. She was clearly headed for heartbreak, full speed ahead, engines roaring. What was she thinking?

“Andie…” It was Zach, approaching her with long, quick strides. He looked as though he was excited about something, almost ready to burst. The sight of him made her heart melt in her chest.
Yep, full speed ahead.

“I have good news. It took a little finagling, but I was able to pull it off.” He smiled in his excitement.

“What? Tell me,” she said as he kissed her lips tenderly.

“I’ve made arrangements for us to stay for another week. Isn’t that great? I don’t want this to end yet. It’s so good between us. We’ll have the best time. Each day just keeps getting better with you and…”

Nick
…
Nick
…
I’ve hardly thought of Nick.

Andie felt herself freeze, she felt her smile slowly die on her face, and she felt her spirits sink, hating the thought of disappointing him. Zach paused, surely noticing the unmistakable look of alarm in her expression.

“What is it? What’s wrong?”

“Zach…I can’t.”

“Of course you can. A few calls and it can all be arranged.”

“No…it’s impossible.” She didn’t want to hurt Zach, but she couldn’t be away from Nick for any longer than a week. Her time with Nick was beyond important. It was unthinkable to stay away any longer than she already had.

“Please try,” he coaxed.

“It’s out of the question. I’m sorry, I can’t.” Her time with Zach was unlike anything she’d ever experienced and she wished she could tell him yes.

His face hardened. “Can’t or won’t?”

“Let me explain.”

There was utter silence between them for several moments as Zach studied her face. She’d never seen him upset before, but knew that he was. He’d been so happy, so excited to extend their time together. For all of her tact, she may as well have thrown a glass of cold water on him or sucker punched him.

“There’s no need. I jumped to conclusions,” he said slowly.

“No, you didn’t. I’m sorry, I…”

“I have no right to ask this of you,” he interrupted. “I’m breaking the rules, aren’t I?”

Andie knew he was mentally taking a step away from her and she hated it. “Do we have rules?”

“In many ways we do, but we seem to have broken all of them.”

“Zach, please listen to me,” she said as she took his face in her hands. She had to make him understand. “I want to, I want to so much. I would love to stay here with you for another week. Actually, I’d love to stay here with you for another month. But I can’t. I have responsibilities at home. It was extremely difficult to get away for even this one week. I’m so, so sorry.”

“I know. You told me. I conveniently forgot.” He brushed it off, hiding his regret, making Andie feel horrible.

“Please let me tell you about my life.” Andie knew her eyes clouded over. It wasn’t an easy thing to explain.

“No, there’s no need. I’m sorry I overstepped our bounds. Let’s not share those personal details.”

Ouch. Andie let her hands drop and for several moments there was absolute silence between them. “Are you saying that…things have not become personal between us?” she whispered.

“I’m saying the exact opposite; we’ve let things become too personal. We don’t know where this is going just yet. I’d like to give us some time together, that’s all.” He let out his breath heavily. “Look, I’m sorry, I’m expecting too much, too soon.”

“No, you’re not. If I could stay, I would. Please know that. But I can’t, I just can’t.”

He took her in his arms and she clung to him tightly. He was clearly disturbed by their conversation and she had to admit, she was too. Everything had happened so fast, their emotions were running high and they didn’t know what the heck they were doing.

“Is this real, Zach? Or just the heat of the moment?”

“It’s real,” he told her. “These kinds of emotions can’t be faked.”

They hardly slept that night, knowing they had to leave the next afternoon and start their new life together. They clung to each other throughout the night, and Andie wondered if Zach felt as unsure about their future as she did. He was right, they did need more time together. They’d done everything backwards and their relationship was tenuous. But it was the beginning, and she couldn’t imagine a better commencement to a marriage, or a better foundation for a life together.

A life that Andie lived only for Nick.

-11-

Andie had never seen Zach’s home before the wedding. Upon arrival, she was more than a little shell shocked to see that he lived in a huge, rambling house that seemed to go on forever.

“This home has been in our family for four generations, to include me. I grew up here. Over the past few years I’ve had several renovations done, I think you’ll find the home modern and updated.”

His home was more like a mansion. The entryway was elegant with a chandelier overhead and a magnificent staircase that curved as it went up. The downstairs held several living areas. Her favorite room was the one at the back of the house. One wall held floor to ceiling windows with a view of the landscaped backyard. The kitchen was modern with a breakfast nook and a formal dining area. Zach’s home office was at the front of the house, a cozy room with its own fireplace. The home was stylishly decorated in soft, muted colors. After taking her on a tour of the downstairs, Zach introduced her to Mr. and Mrs. Barnes. They lived in a cottage out back and were the caretakers of the home. Mrs. Barnes cooked and cleaned. Mr. Barnes acted as a butler of sorts, did the heavy work, the gardening, and anything else Zach needed him to do. They’d been working in his home for the last fifteen years. Andie found them to be stiff and formal. It made her miss Janine and her friendly ways.

Besides the master suite, the upstairs held six spacious bedrooms, each with their own bathroom. Zach showed her to her room. It was bigger than her apartment. The bed was a king size bed covered with a floral bedspread that matched the wallpaper. It seemed decidedly extravagant.

“My room is just down the hall,” he told her. At the obvious disappointment in her eyes he added, “I’m sorry. I assumed you’d want your own room.” He took her in his arms. “I didn’t know our situation would be changing on our honeymoon. And I didn’t want to assume anything. You can join me in my room anytime, you have an open invitation. I love holding you in my arms as we sleep.”

“I love it too.”

He showed her his room last. For every inch of femininity that her room held, his room matched in masculinity. It was done in deep, rich, wood tones. Andie sat on the edge of his bed and watched him as he began to unpack his suitcase and hang things up. He spoke as he worked, telling her a little about the history of his home.

“My great-grandfather had this home built for his bride as a wedding gift. Happy marriages have existed here ever since. My grandfather used to say it was a home meant for love and laughter and children…” His cell phone rang, interrupting them. “I’m sorry, Andie, duty calls. I’ll be in my office downstairs. Go ahead and get settled in, make yourself at home. I shouldn’t be too long.”

Her personal items were stacked in boxes in a corner of her room. It only took her about thirty minutes to put everything away. By then it was dark outside and her stomach growled, reminding her she hadn’t eaten anything since the lunch they’d had on the plane. She wanted to wait and eat with Zach, but how long would he be busy? Realization hit that she missed spending every second together with him and she wondered what life would hold for them now that they were back. Would they continue what they had started on their honeymoon? Zach was admittedly a work-a-holic, which meant time with him would be restricted. There was an ache in the pit of her stomach, a longing to be back on their honeymoon, to be alone with him, have him all to herself again. She wished desperately that she could have said yes to another week together in Tahoe.

However, tomorrow she would get to see Nick. She missed Nick with a desperation that made her heart hurt, real physical pain. She would have to learn to divide her time.

However, right now she longed to be with Zach. She decided to make the most of her time with him, it may be limited, after all. Making her way downstairs to his office, she found him deep in conversation. Somehow, she had to let him know, show him that the honeymoon was far from over. She moved behind him as he sat at his desk and wrapped her arms around him, kissing his neck softly.

His hand reached up and buried itself in her hair. “All right…I’m sorry…I have to go now. Yes…of course…bye.”

“I missed you,” Andie whispered in his ear.

He turned in his chair and pulled her down onto his lap. She straddled him as their arms wrapped around each other and their lips sealed together in a searing kiss.

“You can interrupt me in my office any time you’d like,” he mumbled with his lips pressed to hers. He arose from his chair, carrying her, her legs still straddling him. He closed the door to his office, locked it, and took her to the couch. They made love for the first time in Zach’s home, both knowing that the heat-of-the-moment-honeymoon was definitely not the only thing between them.

“Isn’t this where you wanted me in the first place?” Andie breathed.

“What?” Zach answered, completely distracted.

“You know, on a couch, in your office…”

To her surprise, Zach collapsed into laughter. She never knew what would tickle his funny bone, but when something caught his quirky sense of humor, look out.

“It doesn’t count. I had to marry you to get you here.”

“I like having you as my husband, Zach. I haven’t felt this happy in a very long time. Am I the one breaking the rules now?”

“I think everything changed for us on our honeymoon. And, frankly, I don’t want to live by any set of rules when it comes to you.”

“What about the romantic entanglement issue?”

Zach chuckled. “I’ve eaten my words over that one, haven’t I?”

They slept in his bed that night, entwined with each other. By morning they were dreading the looming separation, but knew they needed to go on with life. Andie sat on Zach’s bathroom counter, dressed in his robe, watching him perform his morning routine. She was fascinated with his every move. He brushed his teeth, then showered, dried off, and with a towel around his waist, combed his hair. She smiled to herself at his perfect hair, resisting the urge to run her fingers through it and mess it up. She sat closer to him as he began to smear on shaving cream and then he let her take over and spread it on for him. Then she watched as he began to shave competently, making it look easy.

“You want to do it?”

“No, I might cut you,” she balked.

“I trust you.”

He stood in front of her, her legs straddling him, and let her shave him. She moved agonizingly slow, scared of cutting him and sending him off to work with several nicks on his perfect face. She didn’t do too badly of a job, although he had to go over a few sections a second time. Next, he applied his aftershave. She pulled him close and kissed him.

“Mmmmmm…you smell good.”

“You’re going to make me late, adorable Andie.”

“Can I pick your clothes?”

He shrugged. “Sure.”

She stepped into his huge walk-in closet and was amazed with his wardrobe, well organized and hanging neatly. She chose a black suit, with a hunter green dress shirt and a matching print tie.

She watched him dress, feeling at one with him. There was something about watching him throughout his personal routine that made her feel intimately close to him. She took over tying his tie for him and he watched her expression, amused.

“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”

“Yes I am. I like watching you,” she admitted.

“I married a stalker,” he bemoaned.

“Good thing you happen to like your stalker,” she joked.

“I admit, you are kinda cute. Want to meet me for lunch today? I can’t last all day without seeing you. Last week seems like a dream already.”

“It does, doesn’t it? A really good dream, the kind that makes you feel like you don’t want to wake up.”

“My sentiments exactly.”

“I’d love to meet you for lunch.” It would work perfectly. She’d meet him for lunch and then spend the rest of the day with Nick.

They ate breakfast together, then stood in the hallway hugging before he left.

“
Sad spouse
,” she whispered in his ear.

“
Miserable man
,” he immediately came back at her.

He held her to him fiercely and then started to laugh. “We’re acting as though we’ll never see each other again.”

She giggled. “See you at lunch.”