Winter Interlude (63 page)

Her gaze narrowed
.
“
Oh
?
Care to elaborate?
”

“No
.
”
He shook
his head
.
“J
us
t something between brothers
.”
Then, to change the subject, he said, “I gather you’re going skiing tomorrow
—
want some company?”

Sighing contentedly, she stretched
.
“Yeah, I was planning on it, and I would love the company.”

Paul smiled
.
Now that they’d covered all the necessary topics of conversation, he had mo
re important things on his mind, all
centered on making
Kate
scream with pleasure
.
Only this time, they’d go at a slower pace
, if that was possible
.

He captured her lips and moved
his mouth and tongue over hers in
unhurried
,
drugging
kisses that left them both reeling and wanting more.

Her soft moans drove him to the brink and
Paul steeled himself for control
, trying
to draw out her pleasure for as long as possible
. But when her hands roamed lower
, he lost the fight
.
H
e
wondered
if he was ever going to be able to control the passion that flashed between them when they
kisse
d
.
That was his last conscious thought and i
t was all Paul could do to hang on for the ride
until
they
jumped off the precipice together
into oblivion.

~

A
fter a whirlwind couple of months, Paul asked
Kate
to marry him and she didn’t hesitate to say yes. At that point
,
she felt like the luckiest person on the planet. He accompanied her to Chrissie’s wedding in Chicago
where
she
proudly
introduce
d
him
to her family
as her fiancé.

Only family and a few friends were invited to the
ir
August wedding.
T
he
small ceremony
would be
held
at
Lake
Tahoe
—
the place it all began.

~ The End ~

Sandy
Loyd
was born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah. Wanderlust hit early on and she has lived a varied life since then. She joined the Army to see the world and to get an education. Living and training in four states and Germany during the three-year stint provided a cultural education.  She graduated from Arizona State University with a BS in Marketing and landed a job in San Francisco that involved extensive travel throughout the United States. She’s always considered San Francisco a US treasure that few other cities worldwide can compare. She’s since married and moved on from her single days, but she still misses the city’s diversity and beauty.

She now lives in Kentucky and ‘retired’ from sales after twenty years to become a stay at home mom when her son kept asking why she had to be gone all the time. She filled her days with volunteering, ending up as a PTA President in her son’s elementary school. When her son moved on to Middle School, boredom set in. She wanted to be around when he came home from school, so she began to write to fill in the time. And she’s been writing ever since.

Winter Interlude
and the other stories in the California series are set in the Bay Area and are composites of Sandy’s single life. They’re fun stories of crazy friends who, like single people everywhere, are seeking that someone special to share their lives with among thousands of eligible candidates.

Thank you for reading
Winter Interlude
. If you enjoyed this story, please help others find it by post a review on
Goodreads
, or Amazon, or Barnes & Noble—wherever you bought it—share a link, tweet about it, Facebook it… Everything helps in this new internet world.

Here is a glimpse of the second story in the series:

Promises, Promises

Judith Reid lifted her face to the warm rays, enjoying the light breeze. It was one of those glorious, sun-soaked days rarely experienced in San Francisco, especially during this time of the year. Late June was usually socked in with fog, but today the sun shone high in the sky and no clouds marred the horizon. That had to be a good omen.

She slowed her pace when she caught her reflection in the storefront window. A confident woman dressed for success stared back. Her posture straightened an inch. The navy suit offered the perfect professional touch.

Her cell-phone beeped. She weaved in and out of a few tourists before answering Kate’s text about good luck. She stuck the phone back in her bag and continued past the bakery. The scent of freshly baked bread floated out the door and added to her sense of well-being.

Yes!  She was totally prepared to tackle the challenge of redesigning a building – not just any old building, but her building. Besides a personal connection with the four story structure, this project had the potential
to catapult her career to the next level. She’d trained and worked for years for an opportunity like this to showcase her talent as a commercial interior designer in the Bay Area.

Outside her destination, she paused to take a deep breath. She gave herself a mental pat on the back and headed through the heavy glass door, not stopping until the elevator doors closed and reopened to a huge, airy reception area on the fourth floor.

“I’m Judith Reid and I have an appointment to see a Mr. D.A. McAllister,” she said calmly to the receptionist. 

“Please be seated.”  She nodded. “I’ll let Mr. McAllister’s assistant know you’re here.”

She slid into a comfy plush chair and took a moment to observe her surroundings. She’d tried to learn as much as she could about the reclusive CEO, but
Googling
had provided only a sketchy idea of a man who kept to himself and shied away from the limelight. Still, he had a reputation for being a mover and a shaker in Northern California.

Whoever he was, he knew how to create a statement. Details such as spacing, lighting and building materials were subtle tricks designers used to work their magic. The granite, glass and dark wood had the look of success and polish. The owner of this company had extravagant taste, but it wasn’t overdone. From the big windows overlooking the bay to the Chagall and Monet prints gracing the walls, this entire operation shouted class, something she understood.

“Ms. Reid?” 

Judith glanced up. An auburn-haired, petite woman, flashing a no-nonsense smile, approached. Dressed in a dark tailored dress, she appeared sixtyish, given the tell-tale lines around her eyes and mouth. Clearly a dynamic woman who didn’t miss much, Judith thought, also noting those shrewd, brown eyes.

“I’m Ms. Abrams.”  She extended her hand.  “Mr. McAllister’s assistant.”

Judith stood. “It’s nice to meet you.”  The woman’s handshake was firm. 

“Mr. McAllister is ready to see you now.”  She turned and led her through a hallway.

Ms. Abrams saw her inside a spacious office,
then
efficiently closed the door behind her.

Judith’s gaze made a quick sweep of a room that was even more impressive than the reception area. She took two more steps then stopped. Her smile froze in place. The instant she focused on the man seated behind the huge walnut desk, her beautiful day and optimistic mood ended.

Mac…

“Hello Judith.”  The familiar deep voice wrapped around her ears and tossed her senses into chaos. “It’s good to see you again. You’re looking better than at our last meeting.”

There had to be some mistake. Tongue-tied, she eyed the imposing man and prodded her brain to work. How
could the same Mac from her worst college nightmare
be sitting in front of her impersonating Devon A. McAllister, the CEO and majority owner of McAllister, Inc., a business now selling on the NASDAQ? 

The strong features on his face would never be considered pretty, but together with his black, wavy hair and alert, blue eyes, they only added to his appeal. 

She tamped down the urge to run when he stood and offered a polite hand. All six-feet-two inches of this solidly built male presented an image of power. His firm grip confirmed the idea. A slight tingle shot up her arm as her hand continued to be engulfed in his bigger one. The feeling alarmed her.
The
calculated look in his eyes alarmed her more, especially when she noticed him scanning the length of her body. He quickly extinguished the look and suddenly was all business.

“Have a seat.”  He let go of her hand and pointed to a chair. “I was pleased to learn you’ve decided to join in the bidding fray and submit plans. I’ve heard good things about your work from Smith and Kline.”

Having spent most of her youth hiding her feelings behind a mask of calm reserve, Judith quickly recovered from the shock of seeing Mac after all these years. Thankful for the ability to hold others at a distance with a cool stare, another self-protective skill learned early on, she presented that detached expression now. That didn’t stop her thoughts from racing. Or her insides from twisting

Relax!  Stay cool and play out this chance meeting. Get through the interview.

If she could, everything would be fine.
But t
hings weren’t fine, her mind screamed. They were in fact, just the opposite. Her galloping heartbeat wouldn’t let her relax and the energy humming through her veins hindered her efforts to remain in control. She’d forgotten how much he affected her. Thirty seconds in his company and every sensation she’d felt that night spewed forth with tornado-like speed. How would she ever survive the next half-hour? 

Buck up!  Remember, this is an opportunity of a lifetime – a chance to bring my building, something I love, back to its natural beauty and glory. That’s worth more than the heartache of seeing Mac again.

“I’m honored to learn my work’s been noticed,
Mr. McAllister
.”  She flashed her most serene smile, the same one she’d perfected in high school to survive the taunts from cruel kids. She had to keep everything in the past where it belonged, just as he seemed to be doing. It was a matter of pride. He’d never know how much this meeting bothered her. Her smile grew an inch. “I’ve been on my own for about two years now, since I left Smith and Kline.”

“Please, call me, Dev. After all, it seems silly not to, considering our past.”  His devilish grin told her he hadn’t forgotten either, even though the past they shared consisted of a few scant hours together ten years ago.