Dealmaker, Heartbreaker Read online

  “Come on in. I have to get your key card. It’s too late for breakfast, but if you want I can fix something for you to eat,” Viviana said over her shoulder as Noah followed her into the great room.

  “Please don’t bother. I told Giles I would hang out with him and Mya later this afternoon. I’ll probably have dinner with them.”

  “The last time I saw Lily she was talking up a storm.”

  “That’s because she’s a Wainwright. When everyone gets together, if you don’t talk fast you won’t get a word in edgewise.”

  Viviana walked into the room next to the parlor that she had set up as her office. She swiped a key card over the sensor and pushed open the door. The room was off-limits to everyone in the ten-bedroom house. Since the bed-and-breakfast had opened for business, she had hired a part-time cook, two part-time housekeepers and a landscape company to maintain the grounds.

  She opened a desk drawer and removed two key cards and activated them. “I’m giving you two in case you misplace one.”

  Noah took the cards and handed her a credit card. “I don’t know how long I’m staying, but put all of the charges on this card.”

  Viviana stared at the black card as if it was a venomous snake. She shook her head. “I’m not going to take that.”

  “Why not?”

  She glared at him. “Because I’m not going to take any more money from you, that’s why.”

  Noah’s eyes flashed with glints of anger. “You’re right when you say that your brother handles the finances. How do expect to run a viable business when you let folks lay up for free?”

  Viviana felt as if he’d given her a stinging slap across the face as she recoiled from his acerbic taunt. She closed her eyes and counted slowly until she felt her anger subside and could say what was on her mind without regretting what she actually wanted to tell him.

  “When I told you to talk to Leland about buying the land, I didn’t think you would pay us more than the prevailing rate for land around here, and that means I’m not going to take advantage of you. Now that you own my land I consider you a business partner, and that means extending certain privileges. You can stay in the guesthouse without me charging you, or you can go and live with your cousin. If you decide not to stay, then give me the key cards and get back in your fancy little sports car and drive away.”

  * * *

  Noah looked at Viviana as if she had taken leave of her senses, and he wanted to tell her he wasn’t her ex looking to fleece her. The rise and fall of her breasts under a white blouse and the slight flaring of her delicate nostrils told him she wasn’t just annoyed but angry. All he wanted to do was pay her for living in the guesthouse, and she’d gone off on him.

  At that point he did not want to do or say anything that would drive a wedge between them. It was apparent he had underestimated Viviana. She had come at him like a cat he’d once seen that’d had a litter of kittens. The one time he tried picking up one of the kittens, the queen sprang and dug her claws into the back of his hand until he let go of her baby.

  “Okay, you win,” he said after an uneasy silence.

  “It’s not about winning and losing,” Viviana retorted. “It’s about what is right and wrong.”

  Noah threw up a hand in exasperation. “You’re right, Viviana.”

  “Please don’t attempt to placate me.”

  Noah smothered a savage expletive under his breath as he forced a smile. “I’m sorry. I think I can find the guesthouse without your assistance.” At that point he did not care if she felt he was being facetious. All he wanted to do was get away from Viviana before he said something he would come to regret.

  He walked out of the house, got into his car and drove around to the guesthouses. As he unloaded the trunk of luggage and electronic equipment, Noah thought about Viviana’s attitude toward him during their first encounter. At that time, he hadn’t known what had made her unapproachable, but now he knew it had something to do with a man—a man who’d used her and nearly ruined her financially. What she would soon learn, however, was that he did not take advantage of women.

  He’d sown his wild oats, and now at thirty-three, he was looking forward to finding that special woman with whom to settle down. Some of his friends teased him, saying he was still too young to talk about marrying and having kids, but few knew that Noah had tired of the nonstop, never-ending parties where he woke feeling worse than when he’d gone to sleep, that he’d dated too many girls. However, he had always been very discriminating when sleeping with a woman. He really had to like and date a woman to make love with her. And when he looked back at his continual party days, he was proud to admit he hadn’t used women.

  He swiped the key card, and the door opened. The lingering distinctive smell of lemon wafted to his nostrils. Noah discovered the structure contained two bedrooms, and there was a loft with a king-size bed overlooking the living/dining area. The kitchen and bath were updated, and the furniture contemporary and functional. A desk, worktable and chair were set up in a corner under a window which was the perfect spot for him to conduct business.

  Noah picked up a brochure on the desk advertising the amenities the bed-and-breakfast offered. There was a buffet breakfast for guests from seven to ten. Check out was at 11:00 a.m., and early check-in was at 2:00 p.m. Cordials and sweet breads were served in the parlor at 8:00 p.m., and all rooms were wired with free cable and Wi-Fi.

  He decided to unpack, shower and change his clothes, then drive over to see his cousin. Perhaps Giles could give him a better read on the enigmatic, beautiful woman with whom he had found himself enthralled.

  Chapter Two

  Noah stood in the middle of the kitchen, smiling when he saw Giles kiss his wife’s forehead. His cousin had changed since becoming a husband and father. And now that Mya had recently announced she was pregnant with their second child, Giles had begun complaining about traveling and leaving her and Lily behind.

  “Noah and I are going to sit out on the porch for a while. I promise not to take too long.”

  Mya smiled at her husband, her hazel eyes softening. “Take your time. I know you and Noah have a lot to talk about. I’ll probably be asleep when you come up.”

  Noah wanted to tell Mya it wasn’t business he wanted to discuss with her husband, but Viviana. “I promise not to keep him too long.”

  He sat on a rocker facing Giles and stared out at the darkening sky. The air in the mountains was cool and crisp. “I can see why you live here. Everything is so quiet and peaceful.”

  Giles’s teeth shone brightly in his face, darkened by the hot Bahamian sun. “Am I hearing you right, little coz? The last time you were here, you complained that it was too quiet, that you could hear crickets in the daytime.”

  “You’re right about that,” Noah agreed. “There’s something about living in the mountains that makes you think and feel differently. But that doesn’t mean I’m ready to move here.”

  “Does that difference have anything to do with a beautiful young woman with long black hair?”

  Noah looked directly at his cousin. “What are you talking about?”

  “Not what but who, Noah. You think everyone didn’t notice you gawking at Viviana Remington like a lovesick puppy the first time you met her?”

  “That’s because she is beautiful.”

  “I’m not saying she isn’t, Noah. I try not to listen to gossip, but I overheard Mya talking about Viviana breaking up with her boyfriend. I don’t know and don’t want to know what happened between them, but right about now she wants nothing to do with men.”

  Noah shifted on the cushioned rocker. “He stole her identity.”

  Giles sat straight. “Damn! No wonder she doesn’t trust men.” He paused. “But she wouldn’t have to worry about that with you because you don’t need her money. By the way, did you know that you offered to pay her and her brother a lot more
than that land is worth?”

  He knew Giles was privy to the payout because every Wainwright was given a monthly report of every purchase and sale. “You noticed that?”

  “Yeah, I did, but I decided to defend the expenditure because otherwise your daddy would’ve raised holy hell. The older Uncle Teddy gets the more he tries to pinch pennies.”

  Noah smiled. “Thanks for covering my ass.” He’d driven up to New York for the monthly board meeting, and when the subject of the purchase of land in West Virginia had been brought up, it was Giles and not Noah who had defended the decision to buy the parcels.

  “I did it in the name of love. Now, what are you going to do with Viviana? Should I assume she’s not falling for your so-called million-dollar charm?”

  “I’m not trying to charm her, Giles. I know when a woman doesn’t want anything to do with me. But on the other hand, I’ve spent the past three months thinking about her. I don’t know what it is, but I can’t get her out of my head.”

  “Have you been seeing someone else in the meantime?”

  “No. And I don’t want to.”

  “The only thing I’m going to say is not to put any pressure on her. It’s best that you become friends before you think about sleeping with the woman.”

  “That’s not even a thought at this time.”

  “Good. Then take it slow, coz. How long do you plan to hang out here?”

  Noah lifted his shoulders. “I don’t know. Tomorrow I’m going to the town hall to register my name for the zoning-board meeting to submit my proposal. Then I have to wait for a hearing.”

  “What else do you have on your calendar?”

  Noah shook his head. “Nothing but time. After the DC project I decided to take a break. I’ve been going nonstop for more than a year, and it’s time I get off the real-estate roller coaster.”

  Giles exhaled an audible breath. “I hear you. I’m definitely going to slow down once Mya has this baby. It’s time your brother Rhett dips his toe in this crazy business.”

  “Rhett is too much like Jordan. They love the law.”

  “If not Rhett, then Chanel. She’s graduated college with a degree in business and finance. It’s time we have a woman sitting at the table.”

  “She would be the first one,” Noah confirmed.

  “If you agree with me, then when we have the next board meeting I’m going to bring it up,” Giles said.

  “It will probably bring holy hell down on you from some of the other family members, but don’t worry because I’ll have your back.”

  Giles smiled. “That’s all I need because you’re the only one who has been able to go a couple of rounds with your father and our grandfather and come out winning most of the time.”

  “That’s only because I refuse to be intimidated. My father just got hard once he took over the company, but it’s Grandpa who is the pit bull. That old gangster still has a gun in his desk drawer.”

  “That’s because he is a gangster down to the marrow in his bones,” Giles joked.

  Noah laughed. He’d heard rumors that his grandfather had been a teenage bagman for criminals who controlled the illegal numbers on the Lower East Side. He sobered. “I’m going to take your advice about taking it slow with Viviana. I’ll give her all of the time she needs to come to the realization that I don’t want to take advantage of her.”

  “The only other thing I’m going to say is not to hurt her emotionally or you’ll have to answer to her brother. The man is an ex–Army Ranger, and those Special Forces dudes are crazy.”

  “I don’t plan to hurt her, Giles.”

  “I’m not saying you would, but just keep it in mind if things don’t work out.”

  Noah stood up and stretched his arms over his head. He was tired from the long drive from New York to West Virginia, and right now all he craved was a bed. “I’m leaving. Kiss Mya and Lily for me.”

  Giles got up. “I will.”

  “Do you have any plans to fly down to the Bahamas?”

  “No. I told my father I’m taking a break until Mya completes her first trimester.”

  Noah patted his older cousin’s back. “Good for you. Thanks for dinner and the talk.”

  Giles hugged his cousin. “Anytime, coz.”

  Noah folded his tall frame into the low-slung Porsche and fastened the seat belt. Tapping a button, he brought the powerful engine roaring to life, and he executed a perfect U-turn and headed back in the opposite direction.

  There was only one car in the section designated for guest parking when he drove past the main house, and he wondered if Viviana had enough guests to sustain the bed-and-breakfast. He parked his car behind the guesthouse and walked around to open the front door. He lingered long enough to brush his teeth before climbing into bed. An audible sigh echoed in the bedroom decorated in monochromatic hues of blues when he pulled a lightweight blanket over his nude body. Within minutes he fell asleep, and for the first time in a very long time, he wasn’t disturbed by erotic dreams of making love to a faceless woman he knew was Viviana.

  * * *

  Viviana had just finished inspecting the dishes the cook had set over warmers on the buffet server when Noah walked into the dining room. She smiled, and she wasn’t disappointed when he returned it with a friendly one. After he’d left, she’d chided herself for her waspish tone when he had done nothing to deserve it. Viviana knew if she did not stop believing every man was like her con-man ex, then she would never be able to move on with her life. Thankfully, Leland had paid the delinquent property taxes, and with the land sale, she was able to repair and update the property and put some money away for the proverbial rainy day. Now she was ready to reclaim the life she had before her last failed relationship.

  Her admiring gaze took in Noah’s crisp light blue shirt he had paired with slim-fitting jeans and Doc Martens. “Good morning. Did you sleep well?”

  He stared at her under lowered lids. “Like a newborn in his mama’s arms.”

  “Good.” She pointed to the buffet table. “Breakfast is ready. Let me know if you want an omelet, and I’ll have the cook make one for you.”

  Noah glanced around the dining room with a table set for six. “How many guests are you expecting?”

  “Only two. A couple checked in late last night, and they’ll probably be down later.”

  “Did you eat?”

  Viviana shook her head. “I had a cup of coffee. I’ll eat later.”

  “Will it bother you if I ask you to eat with me? I hate eating alone.”

  She wondered if he was extending an olive branch when it should’ve been her apologizing for her sharp tongue. “Of course I’ll eat with you.” She pointed to a round table in the corner with place settings for two. “We can eat over there.”

  Noah rested a hand at the small of her back. “Why don’t you go and sit down. Tell me what you want.”

  “Oh, you’re going to serve me?”

  He smiled. “Of course. We Wainwright men may not be able to cook well, but we do know how to serve a woman.”

  Viviana wanted to remind Noah that she wasn’t his woman or even a Wainwright woman but decided to play along. It was better than trading barbs with him. She executed a graceful curtsy. “I’m sorry I barked at you yesterday, and I want to—”

  Noah placed a finger over her parted lips, cutting off her apology. His mouth was a hairbreadth from hers. “No apologies. It’s in the past, and I don’t believe in reliving the past,” he said, winking at her. His eyebrows lifted questioningly. “Agree?”

  Viviana was too stunned to speak and nodded instead. Noah hadn’t kissed her, but that did not stop her heart from beating faster than normal. Did he not know he was much too virile for her to ignore? All he had to do was stare at her, and she felt things she did not want to feel. The scars from her last relationship were still healing, and she
did not want to reopen them.

  “What do you want?”

  “Bring me whatever you’re going to eat.”

  “What if I bring enough for us to share?” he asked.

  Viviana smiled. “Okay.”

  The cook always prepared enough for the registered guests and staff, eliminating the need for storing leftovers or throwing food away—something she loathed because there were people in The Falls that depended on the church’s outreach pantry to supply them with staples they needed to feed their families.

  She watched Noah fill several plates and balance them along his arm as he returned to the table, and she wondered if he had been a waiter but quickly dashed the idea because of what she’d gleaned about the Wainwrights. She knew Noah and Giles did not have to wait tables to earn extra pocket money like a lot of young men she knew. Fortunately for her, she and Leland were exempt; they weren’t as wealthy as their ancestors, the Johnson County Wolfes, but they had still grown up in relative comfort.

  “It looks as if you’ve had a lot of practice waiting tables,” she teased when he set down four dishes with scrambled eggs, home fries, bacon, sausage patties and sliced melon.

  Noah winked at her again. “I’m auditioning for a job in your dining room.”

  Her smile grew wider, bringing his gaze to linger on her lips. “I haven’t advertised for a waiter.”

  Noah tugged on the single braid falling down her back. “If you decide to advertise, then I’m willing to take the position. I’m going back to get some juice and coffee.”

  Viviana held his arm. “Sit down and eat. I’ll get the beverages. What do you want?”

  “Cranberry juice and black coffee.”

  She got up and walked over to the beverage table and filled a glass with chilled juice and a mug with coffee. Noah stood up when she returned to the table and pulled out the chair to seat her. Viviana did not have too many memories of her parents together when she was a young girl, but the one that had lingered was when her father would pull out a chair to seat her mother. It was a habit he had repeated with her whenever they were together.