Everyone else clapped and cheered. I didn’t. I sat there in shock. A million dollars raised? A million? Responsibility for improving literacy in forty-five Florida schools? Who was this guy?
“Clap, honey,” Aaron said over the dull roar of acclimation.
“Right. Of course.” I put my hands together, still shocked, and leaned over to him as I began to clap. “I just had no idea he was this generous.”
“He is.” Aaron lifted one shoulder. “And I tell you this, he won’t be happy about this attention. He doesn’t like it.”
“Why not?”
“Luke prefers to do things in private. Less questions that way. Less to worry about. Just being a Rothschild is a hard enough.”
“I can see that,” I said, watching as Luke walked up the dais steps and shook hands with Connie. I glanced in the direction of the table where his father and stepmother sat. I couldn’t read the expressions on their faces. “It seems like everywhere we go, someone knows him—or thinks that they do.”
“And that’s only half of it.” Aaron laughed. “Not to mention all the pressures. He can never live up to his father’s expectations. Never. No matter what he does.”
The applause died down. I still felt stunned and overwhelmed as I took in the sight of Luke standing in the center of the podium. Connie handed him the microphone, and he took a deep breath before he addressed the crowd.
“I appreciate the accolades,” he said. “But I don’t deserve this at all, and I don’t seek out this kind of publicity. I just believe in this mission, and I have for a while. And really, tonight isn’t about me in any way. It’s about all of you—and I want to challenge you to consider over the next few days what you can do to change the outcome for someone in this community. For me, that comes with education.”
Luke said a few more words, then gave the microphone back to Connie. When he returned to the table, I couldn’t help but stare at him.
“What?” he whispered.
“I didn’t expect this,” I said as Connie signaled the band and invited the guests to dance. “Not at all.”
“I didn’t expect it, either.” He held out a hand. “Want to dance?”
I tried to bite back a smile, and failed. “What if I say no?”
“Then I’ll be devastated.”
I took his hand. “Well, we can’t have that, can we?”
I didn’t have a chance to talk to him about the award until about two hours later, as we drove away from the estate in the McLaren. Once we reached the street, I decided to bring it up. “So that’s why they fawned over you at the reception a few weeks ago.”
Luke brought the car to a stop at a red light on South County Road. He kept his attention on the street. “Yes.”
“You’re the biggest supporter they have, aren’t you?”
He still didn’t look at me. “Yes.”
“And for how long?”
The light changed to green. “Long enough.”
“And why did you get involved in this?”
“What is this?” He accelerated and began to move the car through the light traffic. “An interrogation?”
“No.” I laughed. “Yes. I’m just surprised. You seem really involved in this group, and I just wondered why.”
He gave me a sideways glance. “It’s complicated.”
“I’m sure I can follow.”
“When I was a kid, I had trouble reading. A lot of trouble. It wasn’t anything that couldn’t be fixed, but I was slower. It didn’t come easy, and I needed extra help. In fact, I got held back in third grade because I had trouble reading on grade level.” Luke laughed to himself. “And trust me, it wasn’t the kind of thing my father wanted to deal with; it didn’t fit into the kind of story he wanted people to know about our family. A man like him sees his children as assets and his wives as interchangeable. An only son with learning problems didn’t fit into his lifestyle. I guess that’s the best way to put it.”
“Wow.”
“We Rothschilds are good at painting a beautiful picture of ourselves, but it’s not that great when you get close up.”
“But you did get help, right? I mean, you seem fine now.”
“Thanks to my mother.” Luke pressed the turn signal on the car and changed lanes. “I don’t really like talking about it.”
“I can tell,” I whispered.
He didn’t speak again until he stopped the car at another light. “I’m sorry. That was curt. I’m just…sometimes, I still have trouble opening up.”
I took his hand. “It’s okay.”
“Good.” He squeezed my palm. “Do you want to come back to my place?”
“Yes.” I regarded him. “But only if you tell me about your mom.”
He chuckled to himself. “Fair enough. But I’m warning you, Natalie. You might not like what you hear.”
“Try me.”
“Okay.”
The light changed, and Luke drove the car through the intersection.
“She died almost a decade ago.” He glanced at me, and our gazes met for a brief second. “The first of two major deaths in my life, and she was a really wonderful person. Shrewd. Knew what she wanted. After she died, my life fell apart, in a way. I didn’t handle it well. Then I met Faye, and she died, too…”
“And somehow you ended up here.”
“My mother loved Palm Beach. She came here as much as she could, and in the end, she was here almost six months out of the year. I can’t blame her for that.”
I took his hand. “And because of what you went through, you decided to devote your time to Read With America? That’s amazing.”
“Plenty of children in our country don’t have the advantages that I do, and when I heard about the charity, I decided I’d help any way that I could. Seemed like one way that I could get over my grief.”
“Did it help?”
He shrugged.
“You never cease to surprise me, Luke.”
He drove the McLaren onto a side street, one that would take us to his oceanfront home. “Same to you, Natalie.”
“That was really selfless what you did. A lot of people are going to benefit from your generosity.”
“I sure hope so.” Luke drove the car into the driveway and cut off the engine. When he turned to me, he narrowed his eyes. “Do you realize how sexy you look in that dress?”
“No.” I moved closer to him so that our faces were only inches apart. “I don’t think I do.”
“Good enough to eat.”
The tone of his voice sent a shiver down my spine. I knew what was coming next, and I wanted it—badly. “Well, what are you going to do about that?”
Luke slipped his hand around the nape of my neck and I gave myself over to him. Our lips met, and he kissed me with force, devouring me with his touch. I returned his caresses and our kisses deepened. It didn’t take long for something to stir in the deepest part of my body, and he left me breathless with his touch.
“Do you want me here?” I asked when I had the courage to break away. “In the car?”
“No,” he murmured. “Upstairs.” His forehead touched mine. “I’m going to take you upstairs and make love to you all night. I’m not going to stop until you scream.”
“Good,” I said. “I expect no less.”
The following morning, an incoming call on my phone woke me just before eleven. I rolled over and silenced the ringer, hoping it wouldn’t disturb Natalie, who lay naked in the bed beside me. When I saw the name on the phone screen, I let out a soft groan.
No way would I be able to avoid this one. At all.
I tumbled out of bed with the phone in my hand and punched the answer button. Holding it to my ear, I padded into the hallway and asked, “Dad? Is everything all right?”
“Perfectly fine.” His deep voice boomed through the receiver. “Why wouldn’t it be?”
“Nothing, I…”
Goddamn it, why was I always such a pussy around him? I could be a man about everything else in my life, so why not with him? I shuffled into one of the guest bedrooms I never used and closed the door. “Did you have a nice time last night?”
“I certainly did.” He grunted. “And I must admit, I like what I’m seeing from you down here. You’re doing great with this Read America deal.”
“Read With America,” I muttered. “And it’s an initiative.”
“Right. That. I think it’s a good place to put some of the foundation’s money. We certainly have the room.” He paused. “I’d like to see you this afternoon. You and I need to talk about a few things, including your future with our companies.”
I winced. Something about his tone of voice had me on edge. He had a way of forcing things and bullying people, even when he wasn’t trying to do so, and I felt it through the phone. He wasn’t really asking, he was demanding.
“What time?”
“We’ll meet in the lobby of The Breakers Resort at one. I already have a reservation.”
Not a question, or a request. An order.
“Absolutely,” I said. “Looking forward to it.”
After our conversation ended, I walked back into my bedroom and took a long look at Natalie. She made my bed better. Simple as that. I wanted nothing more than to wake up next to her—every day.
“Natalie.” I moved closer to the bed. “Time to wake up.”
She stirred, then stretched. “Hmm. Really?”
“I have to meet with my father, and I can’t get out of it,” I murmured. “He just called.”
“Oh, he did?” She rose up from the bed and rubbed sleep from her eyes. “What time is the meeting?”
“One.” I looked down at my Omega watch, which I hadn’t bothered to remove from my wrist the night before. “An hour forty-five or so from now. It sounded important.”
“I see.”
She got out of bed and searched the floor for her clothes, not bothering to hide her naked body. My breath clogged in my throat, and I took in the long, beautiful lines of her torso. When she saw me staring at her, a smile spread across her face. “What?”
“Just thinking about last night.” My gaze floated down to the apex of her thighs, then returned to her eyes. “And I’m not talking about the gala.”
“Hmm…last night was great, wasn’t it?” She strode toward me, letting her handful of clothing fall to her side. Our gazes locked, and stayed that way.
We’d made love three times. Each one was better than the last. And I couldn’t remember the last time I’d made love with anyone. For years, I’d only had sex with no emotion. But not anymore.
Natalie reached my side and traced her index finger down the center of my chest. “If you’re meeting your dad, you probably need to take a shower.”
“I do.” I didn’t tear my gaze away from her. Couldn’t have even if I’d wanted to. I liked that. Wanted more of that. Natalie held my attention more than any other woman I’d ever met.
She rose up on her tiptoes and her lips met mine. “Then let’s get you clean,” she said after she pecked me on my lips.
We moved farther into the bathroom, and then stepped into the glass-enclosed shower in the far corner of the room. She turned on the water and moved the nozzle to the lukewarm setting. My hands found the gentle curve of her behind, and I pressed up against her.
I was already hard. And ravenous. I lowered my lips to her ear. “Do you know how good you look?”
“How good?” She didn’t turn around. The steady pulse of the water filled my ears, drowning out everything. There was no one else. Nothing else.
There was only us.
“Good enough to eat,” I said, just before I allowed myself to nibble on the nape of her neck. She turned around at the touch of my lips, and her eyes were bright with desire.
“What are you waiting for, Luke? Eat me.”
“With pleasure,” I said.
I rolled into my father’s meeting two minutes late. I didn’t need the look on his face to tell me that I’d violated one of his cardinal business rules. He always said that being even a minute late showed disrespect.
“Don’t bother with an excuse,” he said as I walked through the tall, two-story doors at the entrance to The Breakers property. He stood in the center of the room next to a large mahogany table, covered with an ornate display of flowers that took up most of the surface. Behind him, the Florida sun heated up a sizeable courtyard that linked various wings to the hotel.
“It’s complicated,” I said. “I really am sorry that I’m late. But you’re the one who wanted a spur-of-the-moment appointment.”
“I only did that because I can’t get you to stay in New York for any decent length of time.” As usual, he spoke to me like I was one of the vice presidents in his company, and not like his son. “I have a table in the Circle. Are you eating?”
“Sure,” I said. “Sounds wonderful.”
As if there was any other way to answer him.
Sunday brunch at The Breakers featured a spread that would have delighted Louis XVII. Eight large buffet stations showcased a full breakfast, salads, made-to-order omelets, prime rib, an endless mimosa bar, a Bloody Mary station, Belgium waffles, sushi, caviar bar, and more. Tables of guests exclaimed over the decadent offerings and dressed-in-resort, chic outfits that blended perfectly with the gold, stucco, and Italian style of the resort.
And any other day, I would have enjoyed my time there. But not that day. That day, I barely noticed any of it. Instead, with every bite of my waffle and every sip of my coffee, I waited for the other shoe to drop. Dad didn’t have these kinds of meetings without having something big to discuss.
“As you know, I want to give the company to you,” he finally said over a refill of black coffee. “Despite your best efforts to shirk your responsibilities, I think you are the best fit for the business. You’re my eldest son. The only person who deserves to succeed me.”
“Thank you,” I said, keeping my voice even as I racked my brain, trying to think of where this conversation would lead next.
“And that’s why I’ve decided to meet you halfway.”
“If this is about that goddamn contract—”
“Forget the contract. I’ll have it made null and void when I get back to New York, as long as you agree to help me do what I’m about to propose.” He studied me for a beat, and I noticed how much older he appeared. The wrinkles around his eyes had grown deeper, and his sallow skin reminded me of chalk. Time hadn’t been on his side, and anyone who saw him would notice that. “For years, I’ve considered getting back into the South Florida market. I should have done it back in 2009, when no one was buying, but I still think the short-term potential down here isn’t over.” He cleared his throat. “Especially on the West Palm side of the Intracoastal.”
“What kind of potential?”
“Condos, mixed-use developments.” He waved his hand. “The kind of thing that appeals to millennials with a little bit of money. I’ve decided to invest—and invest heavily. I want you to manage this development, and after you’re done overseeing it, I’ll pass the rest of our assets to you.”
Stunned, I sat back in my chair. I hadn’t expected this. I hadn’t prepared for it. And I didn’t know if I really wanted it.
He took his napkin from his lap and backed his chair away from the table. “Are you finished eating?”
“Yes,” I croaked.
“Good. I want to show you in person what I’m talking about.”