Chapter Sixteen
Riley
Landon left before the wine was uncorked. The waiter poured me a taste and then folded his white gloves to wait for my approval. All I could do was nod.
He poured me a full glass, bowed, and left. I willed my hand not to shake before I picked up the glass and managed a sip.
"You're fine, Riley, nothing to see here," I muttered and took another fortifying sip of wine.
What Landon called his “office” was four times the size of Anna’s and my two-bedroom apartment. The architecture was more luxurious, more customized than I would have thought possible.
I started to walk around because I was too nervous to sit still. Then I moved through the space just for the glory of it. I passed a shelf of all first editions. Then I actually picked up and held a copper dagger from the beginning of civilization.
When I came across the signed baseball hat, my heart fluttered. Not because I recognized the name, but because I knew the hat was Landon's. Mixed in with all the antiques and art were Landon's personal memories. That thought drew me to the wall of photographs behind the imposing, polished desk.
There was a faded black and white photograph of the groundbreaking. Golden Bluff's hazy view was the only thing recognizable. That first photograph showed a wild and rocky bluff with a gruff, determined man as the only hint of life. Then there were wedding photographs, Michels with presidents and kings and celebrities, and the Michels as celebrities themselves.
My breath caught on a small color photograph of a young Landon. His parents stood behind him, a hand on each shoulder, but their smiles were distracted and cool.
I thought back to the Landon that I had seen in my cramped apartment. He’d had a vivid glint in his blue eyes. Here he was subdued, his eyes more like the distant ocean. He loved Golden Bluff, but this place seemed to smother him.
I turned away from the photographs, the priceless antiques, and the office altogether. The doors to the balcony were unlocked, and I found a pair of Adirondack chairs facing the far-reaching view. The Pacific Ocean shimmered in the distance, but my gaze was caught by the swaying eucalyptus trees and the tall pines. Golden Bluff stood above it all in the bright sunshine.
My eyes had just drifted closed when I heard Landon's voice. The second time he said my name, there was an edge of worry. I stood up just as he rushed onto the balcony.
"Am I not supposed to be out here? Sorry," I said, holding up my hands.
The shocked look on his face gave way to an incredulous smile. "Enjoying the view?"
I held up my glass. "To be honest, I was enjoying the wine and the sunshine. You caught me about to take a nap."
He burst out laughing. He put a hand on his side and turned in a slow circle, chuckling.
"When was the last time you were out here?" I held out my hand.
Landon kept laughing, but let me lead him to the Adirondack chairs.
"What’s so funny?" I asked.
He shook his head. "I don't know the last time I was out here. You don't know how many times I've stood at the window and admired the view."
"You don't take much time to enjoy your surroundings, do you?" I pushed him back in his chair. "Relax for just a minute." I went inside and poured him a glass of wine.
When I returned to the balcony, Landon was quiet. His head rested against the back of the chair, and his eyes had gone soft, the blue deeper, calmer.
"I've always loved looking at a view like that,” he said. “Everything behind you and the wide open horizon in front."
Everything behind him, I thought. Something about the mansion bothered him. It weighed him down. All the history, the antiques and works of art, the luxurious furnishings and fancy details made him uncomfortable. Looking out at nothing but the trees and the far-glinting ocean, Landon looked more at ease than he'd been in hours.
My mind skipped back to the photograph of Landon as a child. It was obvious why his parents were distracted; Golden Bluff and the Michel Estate took all their focus. He must have felt lost in the midst of it all. The huge house and the huge fortune made everyone seem small.
In contrast, my family loomed large in my memories. The kitchen could feel crowded, the whole house too small on certain days, but it made my family close and it made our love for each other feel bigger.
Landon started to chuckle again and jolted me out of my thoughts.
"What’s so funny?" I perched on the arm of the other chair and stared down at him. "It's not polite to laugh and not share the joke."
He sipped his wine with a wide smile. "I was just surprised to find you out here."
"Worried was more like it," I said. "You sounded like I was about to fall over the edge or something."
Landon's smile grew more thoughtful. "I was worried. I thought maybe you had left again. I thought maybe this place had overwhelmed you."
"Like the gala?" I decided to skip that sore spot. "That still doesn't explain why you started laughing."
"Most people spend their time poring over the books on the shelves because there are a lot of first editions and collectors’ items," he explained. "Then they move on to the antiques. Most people recognize the Tiffany lamps. And then there's the art on the walls."
"Yeah, yeah, it's all very impressive. Not hilarious," I said.
He laughed again. "That's what I'm saying! Most people are trying to estimate the worth of the things inside so they can gossip about the size of my fortune. You, you're just sitting on the balcony thinking about napping in the sun."
"I looked at a few first editions," I said. He cocked a skeptical eyebrow at me. "And I looked at your family photographs."
His smile dropped in surprise. He leaned back and closed his eyes against the warm sun. "So what'd you think of my family?"
I moved off the arm and sat down in my chair next to him. "Your mother was very beautiful. More than movie star beautiful—she looked like royalty."
Landon smiled, his eyes still closed. "She looked like an angel."
I imagined him watching her from a distance, just out of reach. "And your father looked pretty strict."
"It wasn’t so much strictness, but business." Landon opened his eyes and sat up a little straighter. "My father was always busy with the Michel company or the estate management."
"You looked adorable in your little suit," I added.
The smile came back. "Yeah, I loved wearing suits as a little boy. Super easy to play and have fun in them."
"Oh god," I said, faking horror. "Did you dress for dinner? Like black tie?"
He reached over and slapped my knee lightly. "Only on special occasions. And I didn't always wear suits. My parents were gone a lot so I got to wear whatever I wanted." Landon stood up and offered me his hand. "Speaking of dinner, I think I promised to make you something, didn't I?"
"You did?" My body thrilled when he lifted me easily out of the chair. I lost my balance and tipped against his side.
His hand went easily around my waist and tucked me close. "I like cooking for you."
I held my wine glass steady and hoped I wouldn't spill on him. His smiling lips, only inches from mine, were making me dizzy. "You cooked at our place. How about I cook for you here?"
"No way," he said, moving closer. "I want to treat you. What are you in the mood for?"
I licked my lips and saw bolts of blue lightning in his eyes. "I don't know, what do you like?"
His smile was wicked and he leaned in to taste my kiss. He nibbled my bottom lip and a rush of desire washed through me. I leaned on him and felt his arm tighten. Landon delved deeper, hot licks of need that melted my resistance.
My wine glass wobbled in my hand and I panicked. "What do you feel like doing, I mean, cooking?"
His deep chuckle reverberated against my breasts, and I had to grip his waist to stay upright.
"I don't know, I'm really only good at making breakfast foods," Landon murmured.
"Are you asking me to sleep over?" I tumbled into the depths of his blue eyes.
The wave of attraction pushed me against him and I reached my lips to his smile. It would have been easy to drown in that kiss if I hadn't forgotten about my wine. It sloshed against his shirt and surprised us both.
"Oh, I'm so sorry," I said.
"Forget about it," Landon leaned forward to reclaim the kiss.
"It'll stain. Oh, I'm such a klutz. I'm so sorry." All I could think about was how expensive his shirt looked, and I had ruined it. Then I caught the humorous look on his face. He probably had dozens of these shirts, or he could buy dozens. Landon didn't care about the spilled wine.
So I took another sip to calm myself down. His arm loosened around my waist and we took a step apart. He looked around as if just noticing we had been kissing on the balcony within the full view of anyone on the estate.
He rubbed his neck and grinned. "I never answered your question."
"What question?"
He caught my fluttering hand. "Yes, I want you to sleep over. You can decide where, but first, I'm going to cook you dinner."
He tugged me toward him and I could feel the undertow of another passionate wave. My brain panicked and I blurted, "Chinese!"
"What?"
"I'm in the mood for Chinese food." It was an insane request and my cheeks flooded with heat.
Landon's eyes lit up. "That's perfect. I can’t cook it, but there's a place just north of here that I absolutely love. I'll call and order it."
I blinked, relieved and disappointed when he moved away from me and into his splendid office. "They deliver here?" I asked. "That's crazy, it has to cost a…"
He laughed when I cut myself off. "I'm telling you, the food is worth it."
Landon grabbed his phone and within minutes was talking to someone. "Yes, exactly. That sounds wonderful." He hung up the phone. "He's making us a special menu. I hope you really do like Chinese food. I didn't even think to ask if there was anything you didn't want."
"No, no, I like pretty much anything. Wait, was that the actual chef? He's making you a whole special menu right now?" I drifted in Landon's wake as he led the way out and down the grand staircase.
"Sure. We're friends. I helped him get on his feet after a kitchen fire a couple years ago," he explained.
I resisted the urge to pinch myself. After all, Chinese food was not the hardest whim to satisfy. Still, I had the awestruck feeling that Landon could actually snap his fingers and get anything he wanted.
He caught my look and shook his head. "The delivery drivers really don't mind it," he said. "In fact, they were already arguing about whose turn it is. I'm a really good tipper."
Landon led me through a stunning gold-edged sitting room to a graceful set of French doors. He opened them and we stepped into an elegant rose garden.
"My mother's favorite place," he said. "She could sit here and watch her guests arrive."
The roses were gorgeous and came in every shade of pink imaginable from pale baby pink to blinding coral pink. Landon sat in the high-backed white wicker chair and watched me. A funny smile quirked his lips as he leaned on the arm and rested his chin on his hand.
"I can see why your mother loved it out here." I breathed in the heavy aroma of sun-kissed roses.
"I don't think she ever looked at the roses. My mother was all about parties —perfect, elegant parties," Landon said. "But I'm glad I brought you here."
The air stilled and when I turned to Landon, the garden seemed to hold us in a private, secluded world. The only intrusion was the scrape of wheels in the driveway.
"Our food's here," I said.
Landon jumped up and headed for the garden path. "You wait here and enjoy the roses. I'll be right back."
"Oh, no," I said, "I have to thank the driver for coming all this way."
Landon stopped and held out his hand. When I placed my fingers in his, he squeezed. "I'm so glad you're here," he said again.
The driver was already out of his economy car and gaping at the towering roofs of Golden Bluff. When he saw us coming, he couldn't contain his excitement. "I won! My name was pulled from the hat. And this is, this is, wow. I mean, now I know what Tommy was talking about."
"Glad you could make it," Landon said.
The young man shook Landon’s hand vigorously. "I can't believe it. This place is unbelievable!"
"Thanks, I like it," Landon said.
"Yeah, it's not bad for a castle," I added with a snooty flip of my wrist.
Landon elbowed me in the ribs, but we both stopped when the delivery driver cleared his throat. "Actually, technically castles are fortified, strategic holds. This would be classified as a palace." He grinned. "I'm studying history."
"Well, there's a lot of that here, too," Landon said. He handed the young man a wad of bills and took the three full bags of food.
"That's just for the two of us?" I asked as the delivery driver whooped with joy.
Landon nodded and caught my eyes. "It will be after I send everyone else home for the night."
How was I supposed to keep my feet on the ground? I looked up past the impressive rooftops of his palace. The moon was higher in the sky and gave me an idea. "How about we eat outside?"
He had been so nice to the delivery driver, so patient with his awestruck comments, but I couldn’t help but notice how the house seemed to bring him down. I worried if we went upstairs, he would choose the formal dining room or somewhere else that would weigh on him.
Without answering me, he plucked out his phone and made a call. "Please set up a picnic on the upper bowling lawn. Yes, thank you, that would be perfect. Oh, and champagne. No, do not notify anyone else. Send everyone home and don't even mention it to Ms. Lyla." He lowered his voice as he said the last part.
He put his phone back in his pocket and shifted the Chinese food to one hand. He held out his elbow and I slipped my hand through. We walked together away from the imposing front door.
A few hundred yards beyond the wide, white steps, another white staircase wound through terraced gardens and past a shimmering swimming pool. The pool house was hidden with the pillars and facades of a temple.
"Are those Grecian columns?" I asked.
"My great-grandfather had them brought here.”
“Brought them here —you mean the temple murals are real?”
“Twice a year, museum techs come to ensure they’re properly preserved." He led me farther up the white staircase. "My great-grandmother loved to swim, so he found a bas relief of Neptune for her favorite place."
We walked farther away from the sprawling palace and high up the bluff. Ahead was a low white wall, and behind it I saw the perfect, deep green of a carefully maintained bowling lawn. In the middle of it, someone had spread a thick, beautiful quilt. Pillar candles stood around on wooden crates, and pillows were strewn at the corners of the blanket.
The mysterious staff had left without a trace.
"Ah, good, they opened the champagne," Landon said. "Can I pour you a glass while you unpack?"
I was grateful to have a job while my mind whirled. I hadn't just walked into a dream —this was real. Even better, I’d been right to suggest we eat outside. Landon's smile was quick and easy, and he was more relaxed.
He poured the champagne and laid out porcelain plates so delicate the candlelight shone through them. Real silver glinted in the moonlight. I pulled out box after box of mouthwatering food.
It all became real, and almost normal, when we dug in.
"Oh my god, this is the most amazing lo mein I have ever tasted," I groaned with my mouth full.
Landon grinned. "See? I told you the food was worth the wait. I'm so glad you suggested Chinese."
"I love that you instantly knew a local place, I mean, I guess you have to call miles up the coast local." I bit into a spring roll and savored the crisp bite. "You know all the best places along Highway 1."
He shook his head. "I know all the places along the coast from here to San Francisco and all the way down to Monterey. Good and bad."
"See? That's what makes you different," I said. "You have the world at your feet, but really you're just a local boy."
"Here's to being different from all the rest," Landon said. He tapped his crystal champagne flute against mine. "No one's ever called me a local boy before."
I took a delectable bite of teriyaki salmon. "Your parents didn't spend much time around here?"
Landon snorted. "My father paid heavily to update the landing strip because they used it so much. Instead of ordering Chinese food, he would have booked his favorite table in San Francisco. When my mother wanted a new dress for a cocktail party, they flew to Milan. Once when I asked to see the circus, we went to Berlin."
I choked on my champagne. "They took you to Germany?"
"No, they didn't. I went with my nanny and a small staff." Landon's jaw flexed.
That weight was settling on his shoulders and I couldn't bear it. "See, I think that's why you’re going to make a much better caretaker of the estate," I said. He cocked an eyebrow at me, so I explained further. "You aren't rushing off all the time. You're here. And not only do you know the people here and the places that surround you, but you care about what's right in front of you."
I put my spring roll back on my plate and took a nervous gulp of champagne. The quiet of our hidden picnic spot stole over us. The moon was reaching out over the far-off ocean and the gleam of it shifted and undulated against the horizon. The night was cool, but the warm quilt was soft, and so was the candlelight. Then Landon's fingers brushed over mine and I no longer felt cold.
He took the delicate plate out of my willing fingers and set it down away from us. I felt his kiss before our lips even met. The warm rush of his breath mingling with mine, the crash of heartbeats rising to meet each other.
Landon shifted closer to me, one hand sliding up my back to tangle in the hair at the base of my neck. I leaned back against his strength and gave in to his hungry lips. He broke from the kiss to trail currents of electric kisses down my neck and onto my bare shoulder. The thin strap of my sundress loosened underneath his teeth, and I shivered as he kissed and nibbled my skin.
When his lips came back to mine, I was on fire. I answered each brushing kiss with a pressing demand of my own. Landon laid me down on the soft quilt and leaned over me. His next kiss dropped just over my heart. Then he reached into his pocket and flung his phone away across the grass.
I laughed and arched up against him as his hands gripped my waist and his arms slipped under me. He dragged his mouth down the neckline of my dress and discovered the thin, filigree lace of my bra. Landon groaned and tugged my dress down farther so his lips could travel over the exquisitely thin material. I felt each breath as he paused over my breast. Then the hot tip of his tongue touched my nipple, and I rose up against the lightning bolt of sensation.
I could feel him growing harder as he pressed his hips into mine.
Landon's lips wrapped around my taut nipple and brought me higher. My hands tugged at his shirt, pulling him closer to me and untucking the fabric between our bodies. He pulled back and tossed the shirt over his head, then slid off his pants. “Is this okay?”
“Yes,” I panted. “Yes.”
When he embraced me once more, the heat of his bare skin made my body tingle all over.
While his tongue traced fiery circles around my other, now taut nipple, he skimmed his hand down my sundress. I lifted my knee up and felt the gauzy material slip higher, leaving my leg exposed. He found the bare skin and teased us both with long, slow strokes up my calf to my thigh.
When his hand stroked between my legs, I cried out at the intense surge of pleasure. Landon pressed his palm against me as I shuddered around him, breathless at the intensity and the surprise of my body's instant reaction. He slowly slid a finger inside of me, gently teasing. I took in a long deep breath as I felt myself getting wetter with each gentle touch. My throbbing bundle of nerves ached for his touch and I wanted to feel him slide inside of me. “Please,” I begged as I bit on his lip.
With heavy breaths, he fumbled in one of his pockets for a condom. In seconds, he was covered, and I tugged his hair and brought his lips back to mine. The kiss consumed us both and I felt the rising tide of need surging between us. I slipped one leg underneath him and moaned as he rocked against me, his hard member thrusting deep inside of me. Fingers fumbling, I reached between us, our breath panting, mouths still tangling together.
The full riveting pleasure of him made my hips push off the quilt for more. Landon dropped his head into the crook of my neck, his hot breath tickling my hair as he tried to control himself. I didn't want his control, his poise. I wrapped my legs around his waist and heard his breath break.
Landon pressed into me, the rhythm coming faster as the stars above us shattered. His muscles flexed into stone beneath my gripping fingers as he cried out, his pleasure muffled against my damp skin. His throbbing head hit me in all of the right spots, bringing my body to complete heaven.
When my vision cleared, the stars seemed very close. For a moment, I couldn't tell the difference between the bright candle flames and the sparkling starlight. We could have been floating high above the bluff and out over the ocean.
After a few minutes of quiet breathing and cuddling, Landon pulled on his clothes and I straightened my dress.
I attempted to stand, but my legs were almost too weak, giving way. I grabbed onto Landon’s strong shoulders to steady myself and gave him a small smile.
Steadying myself I asked, "Shouldn't we clean up?"
He shook his head as he lifted me in his arms and headed back toward the house. Beads of sweat still dampened his forehead. "Just grab the champagne."
"You know you're going to have to draw me a map," I joked as he led me through the cavernous house to his master suite. We went through a large sitting room, a smaller parlor, and into his bedroom. "I won't even be able to find the door to the hallway."
"I know it's too much." His shoulders tightened.
"No," I whispered and patted the massive four-poster bed next to me. He sat and I rubbed my hand across those wide shoulders. "We didn't care about where we were earlier —why should we now?"
Landon's lips curled and the look he gave me was a bright match to my sudden flame. We fell into the massive bed and let our passion ignite again.