When I Fall in Love (9 page)

“It does a body good, huh?” she asked and took another sip of wine.

Propped against the counter with his arms crossed, Rollin nodded. She struggled not to undress him with her eyes again.

“I don't know, you tell me,” he said with a smile.

She cleared her throat. “You're the one who grew up on it, not me. My mother used to stop at the closest fast food joint on her way home most of the time. She wasn't exactly a cook.”

“I didn't grow up eating organic. I learned about it in college.” He turned around to check on the food but continued educating her about everything organic.

Tayler was impressed with his knowledge of soil erosion and how organic production reduced health risks like some cancers and other diseases. She listened and learned.

Once dinner was ready, they moved the conversation into the dining room. He'd already set the table for two.

“Man, today has been an education, that's for sure,” she said.

“I told you this vacation is going to be an experience you'll never forget.”

She laughed. “Oh, it's off to a good start.”

Chapter 9

T
ayler took her usual seat for dinner, while Rollin sat across from her.

After blessing the food, he surprised her when he asked, “So, how does your man feel about you coming down here alone?”

She stopped chewing. “What man?”

“Yesterday I asked why you were single and I believe your reply was, ‘Who said I was single?'” he said, mimicking her voice.

She lowered her head and started eating. “Well,” she said between swallows. “I didn't say I was seeing anybody. It's just that I never said I was single. You made an assumption.”

“Okay, but you are single?”

She held her head up. “At the moment, yes I am.”

“Mm-hmm,” he said tasting his chicken.

“What's that supposed to mean?”

He shook his head. “Nothing.”

Tayler hesitated for a moment, then asked, “How come you're single?”

He shrugged. “I haven't met the right woman yet.”

“What? Mr. Danville can't find Mrs. Danville?” she asked teasingly.

“Okay, you can cut that out,” he said, pointing at her with his fork.

“That's right.” She snapped her fingers. “You're Mr. Morehouse.”

He arched a brow. “How did you know I went there?”

She grinned and tilted her head.

“Corra,” he concluded. “I should have known. So what all did she tell you?” he asked and continued eating.

“Only that you received your business degree from Morehouse in Atlanta, and then came back here to work. I'm wondering why, though? A degree from Morehouse should have landed you a good job in Atlanta.”

“I pursued my degree to learn how to run a business, and that's what I do.”

“Was that the plan, to run the farm?”

“No, but after my parents died, I knew this was where I needed to be.”

“If you don't mind me asking, how did your parents die?”

“Car accident. They were hit by a drunk driver.”

“Wow. I'm sorry for you loss.”

“Thanks. I've always wanted my own business like my pops had. Ownership was really important to him, and I guess he instilled that in me. I wanted to be successful on my own. What about you?”

“I received my master's in business from Northwestern University. Basically, I wanted to be rich,” she said with a shrug of her shoulders. “The plan was to climb the corporate ladder until I reached the ceiling. Then I'd write a bestseller about my struggle and make a fortune off the book and speaking engagements.”

He stopped eating and laughed. “Wow, you had it all figured out, didn't you.”

“Hey, don't laugh. That plan has worked for some folks. And they're no different than me. I've made it to a VP position and established myself as a popular keynote speaker on women's empowerment. Plus, I live a very comfortable life. Don't you want to be rich some day?”

“Baby, I already am in so many ways, just not financially.”

She smiled and her pulse quickened after being addressed so affectionately by him. “I like that answer. Well, I'm still working on it.”

He held up his wineglass. “Here's to Tayler being rich and happy.”

She smiled and toasted with him.

“So, what's the next step in your plan?” he asked and continued to eat.

“I'm in line for a director's position, which I plan on getting.”

He nodded. “You sound very driven and focused. I'm sure you'll be even more successful.”

“Thank you. And as hard as you work, I'm sure you'll get into Whole Foods. But I hope you don't have to close the B and B in order to do it, because I see great potential here. But whatever you decide I'm sure it will be for the best.”

Rollin shared a glance with her that said they understood one another.

* * *

Rollin saw more than a Barbie doll in Tayler tonight. She essentially wanted the same thing out of life that he did—success.

“Dinner was great, thank you,” she said and pushed her plate aside.

“You're welcome. My mother would be proud.”

“Was your mother a good cook?”

“The best. Her cooking is what made them decide to open their home to guests. My pops said she needed to share her talents with the world, or the little piece of the world that happened through Danville.”

“Your parents sound like wonderful people.”

“They were. They died too young.”

Tayler reminded Rollin of his mother in some ways. Jean Coleman always dressed as if she were expecting company. She loved her high heels, and had to be the most stylish black woman in Danville.

“Who do you resemble, your mother or father?” Tayler asked.

“A little of both, but most people say my pops.” Rollin stacked their plates and stood up. “Let me show you something.”

Tayler stood and Rollin heard her footsteps as she followed behind him as he made his way to the library.

He walked over to the bookcase and pulled out a photo album. Tayler stood next to him as he placed the book on the desk and flipped it open. “Here's a picture of my mother that was taken a month before the accident.”

She looked down at the picture and smiled. “You do look like your mother. You have her dimples.”

“Yeah.” He flipped the page. “That's my pops.”

“Corra definitely looks like your father, but you have his eyes.”

“Yeah.”

Rollin closed the book, but not before Tayler glimpsed another picture of him.

“Hold on.” She flipped the book back open. “Is that you?”

It was a picture of him in a basketball uniform showing off legs that used to send Danville schoolgirls into a frenzy.

“You don't want to see my high school team pictures.”

“You played basketball?”

“Yep, and baseball.” He tried to close the book again.

“Oh, no, you don't,” she said laughing. “I've got to see these pictures.”

A loud clap caught their attention.

Tayler jumped. “What was that?” she asked.

Rollin let go of the photo album. “I don't know,” he said and walked out into the hall.

Tayler followed him.

He opened the front door to blackness and a rainstorm.

“I didn't know it was raining,” Tayler said.

Rollin stepped out onto the porch, where one of the large white rockers lay on its side, and then pulled all of the chairs against the house.

“That's what we heard,” he said. The minute he came back in the phone rang. He hurried into the kitchen to pick it up.

A flash of lightning streaked across the sky before a deep rumbling noise preceded a loud clap of thunder. Tayler hurried closely behind Rollin into the kitchen.

“I need to make a run,” Rollin said.

“Now?” Tayler asked, wide-eyed.

“I need to help get some equipment inside the barn. I'll be right back.”

Another flash of lightning followed by thunder that shook the house sent Tayler dashing back into the windowless library.

“Don't tell me you're afraid of a little storm?” he asked, following her.

“A little storm! Do you see what's going on out there? That's no
little
storm.”

He laughed. “Did you bring a jacket?”

“Not a raincoat.”

“I'll get you a jacket and you can ride out with me.”

“Oh, I don't think so. Who in their right mind runs out into a storm?”

“Want to stay here, then?”

Another flash of lightning shone through the glass around the front door.

“Where's the jacket?” she asked and trailed Rollin down the hall toward his private family quarters.

He realized that this was the first time she'd been beyond the reception desk. They passed an office and several other closed doors, which were bedrooms. He opened a closet door and took out a big ugly yellow jacket and handed it to her.

“Here, put this on. It'll keep you dry.”

She pulled the jacket on and snapped it up to the neck. Rollin grabbed a dark green jacket for himself and put it on. He then led the way through the kitchen to the back door, where he grabbed a big flashlight. A loud clap of thunder greeted them as he opened the door.

Tayler squealed and then put her hand over her mouth.

Rollin closed the door and turned around. “Maybe you should stay here.”

“No! Not by myself. The girl left alone in the house is always the one who gets killed. I'm going with you.”

Grinning, he shook his head before he reached up and pulled her hood on. “Come on.”

They ran out to the truck, where Rollin opened the door and quickly helped Tayler in. Once he drove off, the heavy rain obstructed the view so much so that he could barely see where he was going. But it didn't take long before he pulled up to the barn, where two of his farm hands were quickly getting equipment out of the rain.

“I'll be right back,” Rollin said.

Tayler grabbed him by the arm and shook her head. “Don't leave me in here by myself. If the killer doesn't get her in the house, he pulls her out of the truck.”

He shook his head. “You've been watching too many movies.”

“Whatever,” she said and pulled her hood on.

They jumped out and ran inside the barn. Tayler stood back and watched as Rollin and his employees carried pieces of heavy equipment into the barn. Buckets of water dropped from the sky now, and they worked quicker to get things tied down. Once finished, his guys ran from the barn to their late-model truck and took off.

“You okay?” he asked when he walked over to Tayler.

“Yeah, I'm good.” She nodded.

The sky lit up and Tayler jumped from the counter she was leaning against right into Rollin's arms.

Laughing, he wrapped her arms around her. “You must not be living right if you're that afraid of lightning.”

“Lightning strikes are deadly. You should know that.”

“No more than riding in a car or taking a plane. You don't have to be this afraid. Did you have a bad experience or something?”

She pulled back and looked up into his eyes. “No, but my mother was always afraid of storms and I guess... I guess it just—” She seemed to lose her train of thought as she stared up at his face. “It just sort of...uh...rubbed off on me.”

Rollin's arms wrapped around her body felt warm and comforting. He knew he needed to pull away from her, but he couldn't. Lost in the deep pools of her eyes, he wanted to taste her sweet lips. The minute she shut up he lowered his head and kissed her without any resistance. The kiss was nice but not enough for him.

The storm was a natural aphrodisiac to Rollin. It had brought her body into his arms and her mouth to meet his. Her lips parted and let his tongue inside, sending a surge of pleasure through his body. She went all soft against him, and he held her tighter.

Her soft body pressed firmly against his awoke a desire that had been raging in him from the first day he laid eyes on her. With his arms still around her he took a step forward until she backed into the counter. The taste of her mouth was driving him crazy. He released her and brought his hands to her face, cupping her cheeks in the palm of his hands. With an urgency he'd never felt before, he unsnapped her raincoat and pushed it off her shoulders and down her back until it hit the floor. Then did the same with his.

He cupped and caressed her breast through her T-shirt until she arched her back and wrapped her arms around his neck. While the lightning and thunder continued all around them, Rollin filled his palms with Tayler's jean-clad bottom and lifted her up until she sat on the counter. In one swift move he pulled her T-shirt from her jeans over her head. Then slid her bra straps off her shoulders, releasing her breasts. She shivered and he lowered his head, taking one soft nipple into his mouth, sucking until it hardened, before moving to the next one. The feel of her erect nipples drove him farther than he intended to go.

With her arms around his neck again, Rollin lifted Tayler from the counter. He unzipped her jeans and smiled as she wiggled to get them over her hips. The minute she did, she kicked them away and reached down to unbuckle his belt. He took his pants down, kicked his way out of his boots and threw everything aside. He couldn't keep his mouth off her body, he realized after pulling her back into his embrace and kissing her everywhere he possibly could. She responded with soft moans and sounds that drove him crazy.

Unable to control his urge any longer, he backed her into the wall. She wrapped her legs around his waist, and her arms around his neck. Thunder drowned out her gasp and moans while Rollin pressed one hand against the wall and kept the other around Tayler's waist.

Then suddenly she threw her head back and uttered, “Rollin, Oh, God! What are we doing?”