Can't Help Falling In Love (28 page)
Read Can't Help Falling In Love Online
Authors: Cheryl Harper
Tony said, “Willodean, would you mind checking to see if the Westwind room is available
for the next week? I know you said I can’t stay here, but we both know you won’t kick
me out. You don’t have any security around this place.”
Willodean wagged her eyebrows at Randa. “Got a thing for boats, have you?”
Randa had no idea what they were talking about. She wiped her hands on her skirt and
waited.
Tony sighed. “Please, just check for me.”
Willodean danced out of the room.
And then the silence was heavy in the small office.
“It’s the name of the sailboat. In
Girls, Girls, Girls.
” Tony stopped her compulsive wiping with one hand on hers. “You’re really going to
have to spend some time learning everything there is to know about Elvis if you want
to work here. Luckily, I can teach you everything I know in a week or so. In the sailboat
room.”
Randa laughed softly. “You know how to drive a very hard bargain, Tony.”
“Good.”
Randa was even more nervous now. “I owe you another apology. You have every right
to be mad at me and I’d say I wouldn’t blame you if you refused to accept it, because
how many times am I going to get this wrong, but I think I know that no matter how
many times I do, you’re just going to be all… amazing.” She forced herself to
stop babbling when he squeezed her hand.
Tony snorted. “I was madder at myself, but I’ve been a little annoyed since you left.
I’m pretty sure Willodean would have strapped me to the plane if I’d put up any protest
about leaving.”
“Were you really coming to Chicago?” She didn’t understand why she asked, but the
idea that he would pursue her… it mattered.
He glanced at his watch. “Should probably be at the gate right about now.”
“What were you going to do when you got there?”
Tony leaned forward until his knee touched hers. “First, I was going to visit the
W Group to see if you were at work. Then I was going to try your house.”
“What were you going to say?”
Tony rolled his eyes. “Well, I had planned to tell you just exactly what I thought
about sneaking out and leaving me a Miss Manners thank-you note.”
“But not anymore?” Randa could feel the sting of tears.
“Tell me why. Why would leave like that? I thought… didn’t you…” Tony rubbed
his forehead. “That wasn’t what I expected, not after everything we’ve talked through
and that night.”
Randa sniffed. “Well, it was going to be messy. And I thought, for me to be the new
Randa, I needed to… I don’t know, maybe be stronger than that. A kiss goodbye
would have wrecked me.” She hated these tears, but she couldn’t stop them.
“I was wrecked either way, Randa. I’d have much rather said goodbye, no matter how
messy it got. I deserved that chance.” Tony reached for her hand and squeezed it.
“I’m glad you’re back, don’t get me wrong. But I need to know that I can trust you
to stick. When you’re mad, you say so. When you’re afraid, tell me. Don’t try to work
me and for God’s sake, don’t leave me. Not without giving me a chance.”
“You’re right. I’m sorry. I keep saying that, don’t I?” She shrugged a shoulder. “If
it makes you feel any better, I’ve wanted to kick my own ass for leaving that way.
Even if I thought it was better for you and for me and it would have been ugly and
hurt like hell, I wanted that last kiss.”
She’d been so dumb. She was lucky Tony was the kind of man he was. Unflappable. He
might be annoyed or irritated, but he wasn’t going to punish her for making the wrong
decision.
He shook his head. “When I saw you walking across that lobby, I realized I didn’t
give a damn about that. Not now. Here you are. Now is so much better than two weeks
ago because now you’re here.”
Randa sighed. “I can’t believe you were going to come after me. I’ve spent my whole
life afraid to make one misstep because I wasn’t sure anyone would…” She squeezed
her eyes shut. “But you, who have every right to be mad or at least prepared to find
someone who’ll be a lot less trouble… you were coming for me. That means…
everything, Tony.”
“I told you, I know a keeper when I see one. Besides, Willodean can be a nightmare
negotiator when she wants to be. Failure was not an option. She would have been headed
up there next and Chicago would have never been the same.”
She shook her head. “I felt like I needed to try something on my own, not go from
my dad’s money to leaning on Willodean or you, but… I don’t want to let you go.
I was so excited when I thought I had the idea, the one thing that would build me
a place here.”
Tony traced a thumb over the back of her hand. “Maybe you’re thinking about it the
wrong way. Maybe the place was always here, waiting for the right person to fill it.
And here you are.”
Randa blinked back tears and rubbed her nose. “I used to think you were the strong
silent type.”
He frowned. “I am the strong silent type. And you better not tell anyone any different.”
Randa laughed. “Okay, you are, but it’s like… you always know the right thing
to say to me. How do you do that?”
He laughed. “That may be another one of those places that was just waiting for the
right person to fill it. I’ve certainly never had exactly the right words for anyone
else.”
Randa squeezed her eyes shut. “Do you really think I can do this? I can’t cook. What
if I starve to death? And you saw the bag I brought. No money, no clothes, hardly
any shoes… and books… what am I going to do?”
Tony laughed. “Bargain hard. You’ll be fine. Wait and see. Besides, I’ll keep you
supplied in grilled cheese and peanut butter and jelly. You won’t starve.”
“I’ve got a bad shoe habit. How many pairs of flip-flops do you think I’ll end up
with?”
Tony shook his head. “Hard to say. But you’ll make every damn pair look good.”
“Silver-tongued devil.” Randa leaned forward to press a kiss against his lips.
He leaned back. “I thought I wasn’t ready for you. I thought I needed more time to
get myself together before I found the girl that I was going to build the life I wanted
with.” He traced his thumb over her cheek. “I didn’t think she could possibly be you
because you’re so… damn beautiful. And smart. And good. And even after a year
of therapy, I still have so much growing to do, healing, and just… adjusting.
I thought the answer was time but here you are. And whether I’m ready for you or not,
I want you. And I’m going to make sure you never regret coming home to the Rock’n’Rolla.
If you give me a chance.”
“Maybe you could give me the name of your therapist. I am still a Whitmore, you know.
I have my own expensive set of baggage.” Randa wiped away the first tear that fell.
“If you’d said that to me two weeks ago, I would have… I don’t know. Maybe nothing
would have changed. I think I’ve just spent my whole life trying to do better, be
more… I didn’t know what to do with you. You made me feel exactly right.”
He pulled her out of the chair and across his lap. When his hand landed on her bare
thigh, she gasped and he took full advantage, tangling his tongue with hers and stealing
her breath.
Randa pulled back. “Do you think I’d make a good soccer mom?” She said it as a joke
but she really wanted to know his answer.
He laughed. “Randa, I’ve already told you that I think you can do anything you want.
And, with you, I’m pretty sure I can too. We’re going to rock the soccer field. I’ll
coach the winning team. You’ll organize practice schedules and killer fundraisers.
You just wait.”
Randa’s laugh was accompanied by sniffles but she was happier than she could ever
remember being. It really was all going to work out. Maybe this wasn’t the plan she’d
dreamed of as the littlest Whitmore, but it was perfect for the Randa she wanted to
be.
She brushed his lips with hers and then rested her forehead against his while she
listened to the beat of her heart. When she finally pulled back, she whispered, “So,
the Westwind room… a week on a boat’s a dream come true.”
Tony’s eyes gleamed with heat and humor. “I didn’t dream big enough, obviously. A
week with a long-legged blonde naked in my bed never occurred to me. Falling in love
with her is a serious bonus. I think we’re both going to be really happy.”
Randa laughed and ran her finger over his tattoo. “That first day, I would have said
it was impossible. But I can’t help falling in love with you.”
Want more Rock’n’Rolla Hotel?
See how the romance began in
STUCK ON YOU
Now available from Avon Books.
An Excerpt from
Love’s in the limelight when big-shot producer KT Masters accidentally picks a fight
with Laura Charles, a single mother working as a showgirl waitress in a hotel bar.
When he offers her the fling of a lifetime, Laura’s willing to play along… just
so long as her heart stays out of it. If she can help it, that is!
L
AURA SAID, “
E
XCUSE
me, Mr. Masters.” When he held up an impatient hand, she narrowed her eyes and turned
back to the two women. “Maybe you can tell him the drinks are here? I’ve got other
customers to take care of.”
The pink-haired woman held out a hand. “Sure thing. I’m Mandy, the makeup artist.
This is Shane. She’ll do hair. We’ll both help with costumes and props as needed.”
As Laura shook their hands, she privately thought that might be the best arrangement.
Shane’s hair was perfect, not one strand out of place. Mandy’s pink shag sort of made
it look like she’d been caught in a windstorm. In a convertible. But her makeup and
clothes were very cute.
KT said, “Hold on just a sec, Bob. Let me go ahead and tweet this. Gotta keep the
fans interested, you know.”
Laura glanced over her bare shoulder to see KT bound down the stairs, pause, snap
a picture, and then type something on his phone before shouting about taking down
the electronic display in the corner. Lucky would not be happy about that. As KT waved
his arms dramatically and the director nodded, Laura smiled at the two girls. “Guess
I’m dismissed.”
They laughed, and Laura turned to skirt their table as she reached for the drink tray.
Being unable to move, like her feathers had attached themselves to the floor, was
her first clue that something had gone horribly wrong. And when KT Masters bumped
into her, sending the tray skidding into the sodas she’d just delivered, she knew
exactly who was responsible. She tried to whirl around to give him a piece of her
mind but spun in place and then heard a loud rip just before she bumped into the table
and sent two glasses crashing to the floor. She might have followed them, but KT wrapped
a hand around her arm to steady her. His warm skin was a brand against her chilly
flesh.
The only sound in Viva Las Vegas was the tinny
plink
of electricity through one million bright white bulbs. Every eye was focused on the
drama taking place at the foot of the stage. Before she could really get a firm grip
on the embarrassment, irritation, shock, and downright anger boiling over, Laura shouted,
“You ripped off my feather!”
Even the light bulbs seemed to hold their breath at that point.
KT’s hand slid down her arm, raising goose bumps as it went, before he slammed both
hands on his hips, and Laura shivered. The heat from that one hand made her wonder
what it would be like to be pressed up against him. Instead of the flannel robe, she
should put a KT Masters on her birthday list. She wouldn’t have to worry about being
cold ever again.
“Yeah, I did you a favor. This costume has real potential”—he motioned with one hand
as he looked her over from collarbone to knee—“but the feathers get in the way, so
. . . you’re welcome!” The frown looked all wrong on his face, like he didn’t have
a lot of experience with anger or irritation, but the look in his eyes was as warm
as his hand had been. When he rubbed his palms together, she thought maybe she wasn’t
the only one to be surprised by the heat.
They both looked down at the bedraggled pink feather, now swimming in ice cubes and
spilled soda under his left shoe. No matter how much she hated the feathers or how
valid his point about their ridiculousness was, she wasn’t going to let him get away
with this. He should apologize. Any decent person would.
“What are you going to do about it?” She plopped her hands on her own hips, thrust
her chin out, and met his angry stare.
He straightened and flashed a grim smile before leaning down to scrape the feather
up off the floor. He pinched the driest edge and held it out from his body. “Never
heard ‘the customer’s always right,’ have you?”
Laura snatched the feather away. “In what way are you a customer? I only see a too-important
big shot who can’t apologize.”
His opened his mouth to say… something, then changed his mind and pointed a finger
in her face instead. “Oh, really? I bet if I went to have a little talk with the manager
or Miss Willodean, they’d have a completely different take on what just happened here
and who needs to apologize.”
Laura narrowed her eyes and tilted her head. “Oh, really? I’ll take that bet.”
Whether she’s writing, reading, or just checking the items off of her daily to-do
list, small-town girl CHERYL HARPER loves her romance mixed with a little laughter.
When she’s not working, you will find her ignoring housework, cursing yard work, and
spending way too much time with a television remote in her hand. You can visit her
online at www.cherylharperbooks.com.
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