Authors: Francis Ray
Patterson stepped forward. “The small dining room will have an assortment of food
and beverages for the arriving houseguests. All their rooms are ready. Jefferson will
help with luggage and Mary will see that the dining room is kept stocked. The extra
staff to assist is already here. At six this evening, Mary will assume charge of the
children.”
“Excellent, Mr. Patterson. You’re a lifesaver.” Skylar touched his arm. “I would have
been lost without you.”
The older man flushed. “Thank you, Ms. Dupree. If you’ll excuse me, I’ll go check
on things.”
“Certainly.” She turned to Rio. His expression was hard. “I’ll be fine.”
“I plan to make sure of it.,” he said, his voice tight. “My guts tells me that Tennyson
will have his guy make a move tonight when so much is going on. I’m not risking it.
Jason will be with you until you come down for the auction, then Hendrix and Marshall.”
“What! Rio, you can’t be serious. I can’t do anything with Jason trailing behind me,
let alone two men tonight. I—” She snapped her mouth shut and stared at him. He stared
right back, not saying anything. He didn’t have to. When it came to security, Rio
had the last word.
“Why can’t it be you?” she asked, trying not to sound sullen.
“Because I’ll be doing other things.” Taking her arm, he started for the closed door.
“Don’t worry, I’ll be nearby.”
“I’m not worried. You won’t let anything happen to me.” She placed her hand on his
chest. “Promise you’ll take care of yourself.”
“I told you not to worry.” Rio reached for the door.
Aware he hadn’t given her his promise, she placed her back to the door, keeping it
closed. “I need something to fortify me for the day.”
“What?” he asked.
“You get one guess.” Circling his neck with one arm, she lifted her lips to his. He
did the rest, hauling her into the shelter of his strong arms, his mouth ravaging
hers as his hands molded her lower body to his. Her body caught fire. She strained
against him. They’d made love less than an hour ago, yet every nerve ending screamed
for him to take her again.
Thunk.
Skylar resisted Rio moving away from her. Finally she opened her eyes, then palmed
her face when she saw him pick up her iPad from the carpeted floor. “Is it broken?”
“Doesn’t seem to be.” He rose to his feet and handed it to her. “Check it. You have
a backup disk, don’t you?”
She nodded as she ran through her files. “Daddy gave it to me.”
“I can fix it if there’s a problem,” Rio said. “Everything will be all right.”
Satisfied that her files were operational and the iPad undamaged, she lifted her head.
“Will it? Then why can’t you promise to take care of yourself?”
Tenderly he palmed her face. “A promise infers that I will have full control over
every situation. I won’t.”
She closed her eyes, then opened them. He wouldn’t lie to her; neither would he shirk
his responsibilities. He was strong, courageous. She had to be the same way. “Do you
think you’ll have any trouble coming to my room tonight with so many people in the
house?”
“Nothing is going to keep me away from you,” he said, his voice deep, his hot gaze
steady.
She smiled despite her fear for him. “Well, then. Let’s get this show on the road.”
* * *
Daniel Falcon arrived shortly before after ten with his wife, Madelyn Taggart Falcon,
and their son, a hefty and rambunctious two-and-a-half-year-old Daniel Junior. With
them were his sister, Dominique Falcon-Masters, and her husband, Trent Masters. The
car following them carried Shane and Paige and her mother, Joann Albright, along with
her son, Zachary “Rolling Deep” Albright Wilder, the renowned music producer, and
his world-famous concert violinist wife, Laurel Raineau Albright Wilder.
They were barely out of the car before Luke drove up with Catherine, his mother, her
brother, John Henry Falcon, and his wife, Felicia. Sierra, Blade, Rio, and Skylar
were there to meet them. Jefferson couldn’t carry all the luggage. The men eagerly
helped while the women talked and passed a grinning Daniel Junior around before he
settled with his Granny Felicia.
“I have refreshments in the small dining room,” Skylar said. “There are two guest
bathrooms on the lower floor where you can wash up, or I can show you to your rooms.”
All the women staying overnight opted to go to their rooms. While Skylar took them
upstairs, Ruth showed Felicia, who, with her husband, was staying with her sister-in-law,
to a guest bath.
It was a noisy, happy bunch that finally settled in the dining room. The doorbell
rang and more guests arrived. This time it was Madelyn’s older brother Kane Taggart
and his wife, Victoria, with their seven-year old twins, Kane Junior and Chandler.
Behind them were Matt Taggart, his wife, Shannon, and their two-year-old daughter,
Tempest. The little girl immediately wanted to get down and go to Daniel Junior.
Daniel and Matt looked at each other and shook their heads as the two cousin toddlers
held hands and jabbered. Kane Junior and Chandler were asking Mary in Spanish if there
were any soft drinks.
“I heard that,” Victoria answered. “No sugary drinks.”
The twins looked at their brawny, six-foot-plus father for help. “Sorry, guys. She’s
the boss, but Sierra and Blade have horses. Why don’t you ask nicely if we can all
go for a ride?”
The twins’ eyes widened. They rushed to Sierra and Blade. They received a yes just
as Patterson let in more relatives. Morgan and Phoenix; Pierce Grayson and his wife,
Sabra Raineau Grayson, Broadway and movie star; Brandon and his wife, Faith McBride
Grayson, with her older brother Duncan McBride and his wife, Raven.
“Hi, Skylar.” Faith greeted her with a hug. “Cameron and his family couldn’t make
it due to a NASCAR race this weekend, but he wishes the auction the best.”
“I understand. Your brother’s NASCAR package of a weekend with him at a race of their
choice is doing fantastic. I’m pulling for him to win the Sprint Cup this year.”
“Thanks, I’ll tell him,” Faith told her.
Skylar glanced around the room to ensure everyone was all right and didn’t need anything.
Rio, Shane, Blade, and Luke were talking quietly among themselves. It wasn’t difficult
to imagine what the subject was. She hated that she had brought trouble to Sierra
and her family, and had told her as much that morning. Typically, Sierra had responded
just as her mother had the night the intruder broke into Skylar’s room: “I can handle
trouble.” Then she’d added, “Good friends are hard to find.”
“Hello, Skylar.”
Skylar jerked around to see Felicia Falcon, the woman who might be working with Mrs.
Grayson to try to take Rio away from her. Or try to push them together. Skylar wished
she had enough courage to ask.
Felicia, as beautiful and as youthful looking as ever in one of her knockout dove-gray
Chanel suits, frowned. “Is something wrong?”
Skylar mentally shook herself. “Mrs. Falcon, I’m sorry. I was thinking. It’s good
to see you again. Thank you again for steering me toward Navarone.”
“You’re welcome, although for a while Meredith wasn’t thrilled with me,” Felicia admitted,
sipping her mimosa. “It’s not good when you’re at odds with a good friend and sorority
sister.”
Skylar hadn’t known. “I’m sorry, but Mother seems happy for me.”
“Now. She mentioned you were meeting them for dinner and bringing someone special,”
Felicia said. “Anyone I know?”
“Rio,” Skylar said proudly, her gaze intent, hoping Mrs. Falcon would pass the message
on to Mrs. Grayson to back off. Expecting at the very least mild annoyance, Skylar
was surprised to see a flash of excitement in the other woman’s eyes.
“Rio is an interesting man. I don’t recall seeing him with a particular woman,” Felicia
went on to say.
“I guess it took the right woman,” Skylar told her, aware there was more than a little
pride and a hint of naughtiness in her voice.
Mrs. Falcon laughed softly and touched Skylar affectionally on the shoulder. “Well
said. It takes a strong woman to grab the attention of a strong man. What time is
your mother arriving?”
“Around six.” Skylar wasn’t sure why, but she felt as if something had gone over her
head. Perhaps the two women were on her side after all.
“I won’t keep you. John Henry gets lonely if I’m gone too long.” Lifting her glass
in a salute, she walked straight to her husband. He curved his arm around her slim
waist and kissed her on the cheek. Their marriage might have been rocky once, but
it certainly wasn’t that way now.
“Can I have everyone’s attention please?” Sierra tapped a knife against her juice
glass. “That means you, Brandon.”
Brandon grinned. Faith blushed.
“Navarone, over here.” Sierra beckoned to her husband.
“I’m coming as fast as I can pull this ball and chain.” Blade dragged his leg for
a couple of steps, then hurried to his wife’s side.
“Ha. Ha,” she said.
Unrepentant, he grinned, kissed her, and threw his arm around her shoulders. “It’s
wonderful having family and friends together under one roof. Sierra had an idea that
she wanted to tell you about.”
“Catherine had the first Christmas with family and friends before Brandon, Pierce,
and I were married. It was wonderful. We’re so happy you’re here to help Mama and
the Music Department at St. John’s, but also to get together as a family. Time will
be limited this weekend, but Blade and I would like to invite everyone in this room,
and a few not here, to spend next Christmas week at Navarone Castle.”
Husbands and wives looked at each other, and couples began accepting the invitation.
Less than a minute later, everyone had accepted except Rio and Skylar.
“Skylar, I know you’ll want to spend Christmas with your family in Boston, but I hope
you can spend some of the week here,” Sierra said. “We’ll get you there on time, even
if the small jet has to take you.”
Rio and Christmas, playing in the snow, skiing, sitting in front of a fire talking.
“I’d love to. Thank you.”
Sierra pinned Rio with a narrowed gaze as he stood with Luke and Catherine. “Rio,
I have something very special planned for you for Christmas.”
Crossing his arms, he grunted.
Sierra just grinned.
* * *
Skylar had a nonstop day. Surprisingly, Jason, her bodyguard, didn’t slow her down
in the least. Most of the time she forgot he was with her. She was too busy making
sure the band, the caterers, the delivery service, the florist, the wait staff, and
the gift boxes shaped like Navarone Castle with chocolate musical instruments inside
all arrived on time.
One thing she didn’t have to worry about was Mrs. Grayson’s students. They arrived
eager and excited in the luxury van Blade had arranged for them. She and Felicia greeted
them. Skylar felt they were watching her, but she never caught them. Too busy to worry,
she went to check the dining tables.
They were draped in white linen with fresh-cut rose centerpieces. If desired and present,
the highest bidder of the night could take his or her centerpiece choice, and continue
until all were gone. Napkins and flatware were already on the table, and would be
removed and replaced with a fresh place setting when the draped seat was vacated.
In the kitchen, she again checked over the menu with the catering company Brandon
had recommended. There would be smoked salmon, roast tenderloin, avocado spheres,
mushroom risotto fries, assorted vegetables, breads, raspberry macaroon lollipops,
raspberry cake with fresh raspberries and raspberry sauce.
She saw Rio at a distance in the early afternoon with Shane. She waved and he waved
back before getting into one of the speedy golf carts. Continuing, she met with the
man in charge of valet service. Thankfully, an area behind the garage was paved as
the original owner had planned to entertain lavishly.
Then it was back to the house to speak with Patterson on checking the guests’ coats
and wraps. On and on the day went. She saw little of the houseguests as they were
scattered over the estate riding, boating, on the archery range, or just relaxing
out back.
“It’s five thirty, Skylar.”
Skylar looked around at Jason, then at her watch. She couldn’t believe the day had
rushed by so quickly. She’d asked him to remind her of the time. She wanted to be
dressed so she could recheck everything before her parents and grandparents arrived.
She was already cutting it close. She hurried to the stairs. “Thank you, Jason.”
At her door, Jason said, “The boss said to tell you that he’d see you before you went
downstairs.”
“To give me my accessory, I suppose.”
Jason’s lips twitched. “That would be my first guess.”
Wondering what his second guess would be, Skylar entered her room. She headed straight
to the bathroom. By the time a knock sounded on her door twenty-two minutes later,
she was zipping up her gown.
“Yes?”
“Rio.”
“Alone?”
“Yes.”
Unzipping her dress she answered the door. “Come in.”
His gaze swept over her in one hot sweep. The emerald-green, high-waisted gown was
hand-embroidered with a bateau neckline. Green chiffon peeked from beneath the elbow-length
sleeves. The silk skirt flared from thighs to end in a short ruffle train.
She did her own looking. With his muscular build and broad shoulders, Rio was magnificent
in a black tux. And for the time being, all hers.
She presented her back and thought, hoped, she’d heard a sharp intake of air. The
V draped to the middle of her bare back. She’d piled her hair on the top of her head
so nothing could impede his view of all that naked skin. “Can you help with the zipper,
please?”
She didn’t know he’d moved until she felt the warmth of the back of his fingers on
her skin. She shivered, fought the urge to lean back against him, then turned around
and let them feast on each other.
“I’m going to enjoy taking this off you.”