Chapter 13

The drive to Long Beach with Joanne was fun. They turned up the music loud and sang along with all the new Pop hits, being silly and changing the words as they went along. By the time they got to the city limits Angela had all but forgotten her angst over her problems with Thomas and the guilt she was feeling about her attraction to Steve.

Joanne followed her GPS and drove up into the long driveway of a house that looked like it had been cut out of the pages of Architects Today magazine. It was breath-taking and gorgeous, but not in the quaint kind of way Angela was usually drawn to. Everything seemed to be geometric, which technically most houses were, but on this house you couldn't help but notice it. The roof was flat and the front door was as wide as it was tall. The windows took up entire walls and there were polished steel beams. The look would have been completely metallic if not for the cedar beams of the external porch and the matching raised plant beds filled with robust blooms…all in white.

“Wow, this is…something,” she told Joanne as they climbed out of their car.

“Yeah, it sure is. Ana is something though, so I guess they go together,” she said with a laugh. They started pulling their bags out of the car and suddenly there was a well-dressed man at their elbow.

“Let me do that for you, ladies. I’m Grant and I work for Miss Ana.”

“Thank you,” they said, taking a step back. There was another, younger man there as well. They piled the bags on a small cart and then Grant turned to the girls and said, “This is Jeff. He’ll park the car if you give him the keys and I’ll show you inside.” Joanne handed him her keys with a shrug in Angela’s direction. They followed Grant into the house. The foyer was huge, the size of a small apartment. A crystal chandelier hung twenty feet above them and illuminated the polished white granite floors. He left the cart where it was and led them down a hall that was filled with photos of race cars and famous drivers and into a living area with light tan carpeting and soft, plush looking furniture. One wall was covered by a granite fire place and the others were made of glass. Angela could see an Olympic sized swimming pool out one window. It had a waterfall that fed into it. The other window looked out onto an expansive garden filled with lush plants and vibrantly colored flowers. “Have a seat ladies and I’ll let Miss Ana know you’re here.”

“Thank you,” they both said again. When he walked out, they looked at each other and giggled. Joanne let out a long whistle between her teeth and said,

“We are definitely not slumming it this weekend.”

It wasn’t long before Ana came in, looking stunning in an off the shoulder sundress that had a sheer skirt. Underneath she wore shorts that stopped at her upper thighs and a slit ran up the side exposing a long, tan leg with a tattoo of a lotus flower on the calf. Joanne stood up, “Hey! God, you always look so good.” Ana smiled and hugged her.

“Thank you, you do too,” she said.

“Right…” Joanne said with a grin.

“Angela! I’m so happy you could make it.” Angela stood up and put her hand out but Ana ignored it and gave her a hug. “Welcome.”

“Thank you. Thanks for having me. Your home is gorgeous.”

“Thanks. It was my parent’s home. My mother couldn’t bear to stay here after Father died. She has a smaller house in Orange County now. My brother and I both also have our own place, but we still use this one for parties and such. None of us can bear the thought of selling it. It’s where we grew up, so it holds a lot of great memories.”

“Is your brother going to be here?” Joanne asked. “I’d love to meet him.”

“He’s here…somewhere,” she said with a grin. “He’s probably out in the garage. The mechanics are fiddling with one of our new cars and he loves to act like he’s in charge. The truth is I’m the boss.” The girls laughed. “Can I get you girls some coffee, or tea?”

“I’d love some coffee,” Joanne said.

“Me too,” Angela agreed. She was looking out at the garden wistfully. She loved flowers. It was the thing she missed most about her home in Miami. Blake had planted her a garden out back and filled it with Lily’s and roses, her two favorites. “Your garden is amazing,” she told Ana as the other woman made her way to a buffet in the corner that looked like a coffee kiosk.

Ana gazed out the window and said, “It’s mother’s garden. She used to spend hours out there. Now the gardeners maintain it mostly. There are some beautiful paths through it. You’re welcome to walk through it while you’re here anytime.”

“I would love that,” Angela said. Ana handed her a cup and said,

“Help yourself to cream and sugar if you like.”

“This is perfect, thank you.”

She handed one to Joanne too and said, “Grant is putting your things in your rooms and when you’re ready I’ll have someone show you up to them. I have some things to do to get ready for the party. If you need anything else, you can push the intercom button and one of the staff will help you out.”

“Thank you again, Ana.”

“You’re so welcome. I won’t be long and then we can all have lunch together. How about we meet back here at noon?”

“Noon it is,” Joanne said. “I think I’m going to go up to the room and maybe soak in the tub for a bit if you don’t mind? I got up so early this morning I barely had time for a quick shower.”

“Of course I don’t mind. I’ll have Mary come show you up to your room. You each have a private bath connected to your room. What about you, Angela?”

“Is it okay if I take that walk out in the garden now?”

“Absolutely. It’s a beautiful morning. The paths all lead down to the ocean and a private strip of beach. It’s gorgeous. Enjoy yourself.”

“I’m sure I will. I’ll see you back for lunch.” Angela finished her coffee and when Joanne was shown upstairs, she slipped out the back. The air was pungent with the fragrance of the flowers and the ocean as soon as she walked out the door. She found her way to the entrance and a cobblestone path. As she began to wander along it she saw that bonsai trees lined the perfectly manicured lawn. They were in polished wood boxes and sat in perfectly straight lines. In their midst were rose bushes with huge roses of every different color and variety. The scent was both enticing and overwhelming. She rounded a corner and there was a small wooden bridge that crossed over a pond. That was cute, but what really grabbed her attention was the multi-colored lily’s growing all around it. They were gorgeous and she knelt down to smell one before crossing the bridge. The pond was teeming with huge, flowering lily pads and she could see large Koi swimming in its clear depths. This was just what she needed. No stress, no pressure, no Thomas and no…Shit! Steve?

“Well, imagine meeting you in my garden,” he said in that smooth voice that set her core on fire.

“Your garden?”

“Yes, well, it’s my mother’s garden to be more precise.”

“Shit! You’re Ana’s brother?”

“Guilty,” he said with a grin.

Angela wasn’t sure what to think of this new information. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I honestly didn’t know that you knew my sister,” he said. He stepped up close to her and suddenly the fragrant flowers weren’t what were making her head spin.

She took a step back and said, “I’m not sure I believe you.”

He laughed. “Well, if you’re accusing me of stalking, you might do well to remember that you’re the one at my family home and not the other way around.”

She rolled her eyes. She hated that he was right. “I didn’t say you were stalking. I meant what I said the other day though. I need you to leave me alone…”

He stepped forward again. She could feel his presence as much as she could see and hear him. His body gave off vibrations or something that hers unwittingly picked up. “Why?”

“Why what?” she said, suddenly feeling her mouth go dry.

“Why should I leave you alone? Are you married? Engaged? Seeing someone? Or, just otherwise repulsed by me?” She could tell he was messing with her by the way his lips tugged up at the corners.

“None of the above,” she said, trying to stay in control. “I just don’t want to get involved with someone who is going to bring chaos and drama into my life. I don’t need that right now. I’ve been through enough…” she stopped there. He didn’t need to know what she’d been through.

“I’m not going to bring chaos into your life, Angela.” He leaned in even closer. She had to force her legs to move so she could step back again. He grinned. “What’s wrong? Are you afraid I’m going to bite…or are you afraid you’ll like it?”

“I’m not afraid of you at all,” she said. “I just don’t want to play your silly games. I might seem young, but I’m years ahead of my age. I don’t play with my life or anyone else’s.”

“That’s great,” he said, “Neither do I. Is this about Kimberly? Is that the only reason you don’t want to pursue the feelings I know you have for me?”

“Yes…I mean no…it’s not the only reason, but it’s a big one. She’s my boss for crying out loud! I’m not going to mess with a man who is messing with her.”

“Come with me,” he reached for her hand and to her chagrin it reached out to him. Damned body seems to have a mind of its own when he’s around. He led her across the bridge and further down the path. They came to a clearing and Angela looked around and realized it was a white, sandy beach. The ocean was only about twelve feet away.

“Wow! This is beautiful!”

He smiled. “It’s my favorite place,” he said. He led her to a wooden bench and said, “Sit, please.”

She sat and he knelt in the sand in front of her. He took her hand back in his and said, “Kimberly and I dated for two months. I never felt strongly enough about her to think it was going anywhere beyond that. She, on the other hand became clingy and needy very quickly. Three weeks ago, I told her it was over. Unfortunately, because of our business dealings with her company, I still have to run into her a lot. She can’t seem to let it go. Even Ana has had to tell her to give it up. I don’t want her, Angela. Before I met you, I broke it off…but if I hadn’t, I would have the minute I met you. I don’t know what it is about you…maybe it’s the fact that you’re drop-dead gorgeous, or maybe there is more to it than that,” he smiled and winked at her. “I can’t get you off my mind.”

Angela’s breaths were coming in short gasps again. His story seemed plausible, especially since she’d heard Kimberly and Ana’s exchange that day. God help her, she wanted this man. Maybe not for anything more than some hot, passionate sex. But for now, it was consuming all of her thoughts. She almost sympathized with Kimberly. He was like heroin…once you got just a little taste; you had to have more and more. His face was really close to hers and for the first time, she initiated the kiss. She leaned in and pressed her lips to his. He reached up and fisted her hair in his hands and pulled her face down. They shared a kiss that both of them felt to their toes. By the time he broke it and let her up for air, Angela felt like her lungs would explode.

“My room is the last one on the right on the second floor. Meet me there in ten minutes.” She started to protest but he brought one finger up and placed it on her lips. “You want me, Angela…I can feel it. Why are you denying both of us?”

She had no idea. Why? Because of some sense of loyalty to the man she will always love? Blake’s memories are in her heart and her mind. They will always be there. Joanne was right though, he wouldn’t want her to be alone and miserable. He would hate that.

“I’ll be there,” she said in a shaky voice. He grinned and stood up. Winking at her he said, “I can’t wait.”