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The Job Offer

Published by Eleanor Webb

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2013 as "The Job Offer of a Lifetime" by Eleanor Webb

Excerpt from Going for the Gold copyright 2013 by Eleanor Webb

Cover photo from istockphoto.com

Discover other works by Eleanor Webb on Facebook and at eleanorwebb.com
This book is dedicated to my husband, David, who has been my best friend since we met years ago. Not only has he always encouraged me to follow my dreams, he has also been a helpmate giving me the time to follow them.
Other Books by Eleanor Webb

Going for the Gold

The Search for the Invisible Lady

Table of Contents

Chapter 1  
Chapter 2  
Chapter 3  
Chapter 4  
Chapter 5  
Chapter 6  
Chapter 7  
Chapter 8  
Chapter 9  
Chapter 10  
Chapter 11  
Chapter 12  
Chapter 13  
Chapter 14  
Chapter 15  
Chapter 16  
Chapter 17  
Chapter 18  
Chapter 19  
Chapter 20  
Chapter 21  
Coming Soon  
About the Author
Chapter 1

"Thank you for your interest in Stanford Enterprises, Dr. Conner. Your resume is excellent, and we have been impressed with what we have seen and heard in your first two Skype interviews. If you are still interested in Stanford Enterprises, I would like to, at this time, schedule your next interview with us. As you know, the next phase of the interview process will be for you to meet with us in person here at our headquarters for an interview with Mr. Winfield, Vice President of Engineering, Dr. Rudolph, Vice President of Research and Development, and Ms. Tomlinson, our Human Resources Director. If we decide to call you back for a final interview, you would meet with them again. Mr. Stanford will also be there. Stanford Enterprises will cover the cost of your airfare, of course. Interviews will begin on June tenth. Will you be able to fly in on the morning of the tenth? I can reserve a seat for you on American Airlines Flight 691. Dr. Conner?"

"I'm still here, Ms. Iverson. Let me check my calendar, please. It will be just a moment." Dr. Jane Anne Conner put the call on hold, waited several seconds, and then pressed the "Hold" button once again. "The tenth will be just fine. What time is the flight scheduled to leave Boston?" Anne used her best professional voice when she asked the Stanford Enterprises hiring representative the question. At least, she hoped she came across that way. She was far too excited about making it into this next round of interviews, and her voice tended to rise when she was excited. She looked down at her computer tablet, pulled up the calendar app, and blocked out the full day for the tenth of next month. She already knew the day was free and there was no need to check it. It was nice to finally be able to put something there.

"Flight 691 is scheduled to leave Logan International from the main terminal at 6:40 am Eastern time and will land at Sea-Tac International at 8:35 am Pacific time at Concourse B," Ms. Iverson informed Anne stoically. "We will have a car waiting to meet you at the terminal. Your interview is scheduled at 10:00 in Building One here at our facility. The interview is expected to last until 11:30 and will be followed by a brief tour of our campus. You will have a few hours to have lunch and some time to yourself before the car returns you to the airport again. Your return flight on American flight 1901 will leave at 3:10 and land in Boston at 11:05 pm. I will email the flight information to you, and your ticket to Sea-Tac will be held for you at the American Airlines' counter. The fourth round of interviews will begin on the eighteenth. I'll contact you again if we decide that we would like you to return for the final interview with Mr. Stanford. Do you have any further questions that I can answer about the next interview, Dr. Conner?"

"No, Ms. Iverson. You've been very helpful. Thank you."

"In that case, good luck, Dr. Conner. I wish you well."

"Thank you, Ms. Iverson."

Anne Conner, known professionally as Dr. Jane A. Conner but called Anne by family and friends, pressed the "Talk" button on her phone to disconnect the call and placed the handset receiver down on the kitchen table where she sat while she had talked to the hiring representative. She could feel a laugh bubbling up from her gut, and she let it loose and followed it with a loud cheer. Then she stood up and danced a happy little jig over to the refrigerator where she pulled out a bottle of water from the interior. She took a quick swallow then took a couple of deep breaths to calm her racing heartbeat. Getting the phone call today was an answer to her prayers.

Her latest consulting contract job ended that Friday, just before the Memorial Day weekend, and she didn't have another one lined up. The adjunct courses she taught at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology finished up two weeks ago, and no courses in her field of study were being taught over the summer break. Thinking about what she had still left in savings, she estimated that the longest she could go between paychecks was four months. After that, she would need to ask her father for the money, and she was determined to never do that.

The interview on the tenth of next month came at a perfect time, giving her a little over two weeks to prepare. She intended to "wow" the interviewers, to quote her friend, Carla, with her knowledge of marine biochemical and oceanographic research, experience in lab and field studies, and personality. Anne really wanted this job. She wanted something permanent to replace the uncertainty of the consulting jobs and the adjunct work she had been doing since she became unemployed when her old company closed its doors over a year ago. She also wanted the job because it would take her back to Washington State where she would be working for a company that had built a solid reputation in biochemical research over the last thirty years and in her area of specialty in the past ten years. As much as she liked the Boston area, it wasn't home, and she was ready to go home.

It was Carla who talked to her about coming back to Seattle to interview for the position with Stanford Enterprises. Carla's brother-in-law worked for the company as head of their Information Technology department, and he put in a good recommendation for Anne for the open research scientist position in their Marine Biochemical Research department. It was over four months ago when Anne first submitted her résumé to the hiring manager of the Human Resources department. Just as she had done with so many other companies she sent resumes to over the past year, she gave up hope of a call for an interview when the months went by without a response. But then, out of the blue, she was called two weeks ago for the first Skype interview.

As she thought about Carla, Anne looked at her kitchen clock and noted the time. It was a little after six in Boston, and Carla lived in Seattle. With the time difference, she would not be able to call Carla with the news that she would be coming out for an interview for at least another three hours. She could text her, though. After taking her bottle of water and the salad that she ordered from the deli down the block from the table, Anne went into the living room of her Cambridge apartment to eat and watch the evening news. She saw her smart phone sitting on the coffee table next to her purse, picked it up, and sent Carla a text message to let her know that she would be calling her later in the evening.

* * * * *

"Oh, that's great, Anne," Carla said excitedly from her end of the phone when Anne told her later about making it to the third round of interviews. "I'll be crossing my fingers for you."

"I'll be crossing my fingers, too. I imagine there are a number of applicants they will still need to interview at this stage of the process. I've been doing my homework on the company, Carla, and I intend to get this job. I've liked what I learned so far about the company. It was started thirty-five years ago by Benjamin Stanford, Jr. to research and manufacture environmentally friendly cleaning agents to be used in the manufacturing process. Then, when he died, his widow ran it for a number of years before their son, Benjamin Stanford III, took over twelve years ago. Since then, the son added the research of biochemical solutions for sea and fresh water cleanups. With my background in oceanography and biochemistry, and with my experience in researching solutions to reduce the effects of chlorine on seawater, I think that I will be a good fit. I really want this, Carla. I want it so much I can taste it."

"Yah, you deserve it. You've worked hard enough over the past seven years at distinguishing yourself. You work on saving the planet, girl, and I'll work on feeding it," Carla laughed at her regular joke. How the two of them became friends and stayed that way since elementary school was a mystery, at times, to Anne. They had such different personalities. Anne was always the analytical scientist who approached things logically, and Carla was the free spirit who loved to cook. Carla's love for cooking had led her to her current career as one of the up and coming in-demand caterers in the Seattle area. Anne thought for the hundredth time that Carla was a lot like Anne's mother and that was why they got along as well as they did.

"Are you going to see your mom and Jim while you're here?"

"I planned on calling her to let her know about the interview, but I'll only be in town for a few hours that day. Orcas Island is too far from Seattle for me to go up and see them, and with this being the beginning of their summer season, they won't be able to get away from the inn to meet me in Seattle."

Anne and Carla grew up together on Orcas Island, part of the San Juan Island chain, in Eastsound Village in northwest Washington. Anne's mother and stepfather, Jim, owned and ran the Eagle's Nest Inn on the north shore of the island. They bought the fishing lodge and resort when Anne was a toddler and, over the years, developed it into one of the premier luxury inns and vacation resorts in the San Juan Islands. Carla's parents owned the local bakery that still supplied the inn and the local community with the best in baked goods and desserts.

"Maybe you should just plan on staying with them for the week until you find out if you'll be called in for the next round of interviews. Your parents would love to have you up there for the week. Then, when you get called back again to Seattle, and I know you will, you can drive down instead of fly. You don't have a consulting job lined up that you need to get back to Massachusetts, do you?"

"I hadn't thought of that. Mom and dad would like to see me. She's been bugging me to fly in and spend a week for the last year, especially since I didn't come out last summer." Anne considered the option and saw the sound reasoning in it. Even if she did not get called back for a fourth interview, there was nothing to fly back to Boston for on the tenth, and a week on Orcas would be a nice way to spend her time instead of worrying about her next paycheck. "I'll call her tonight and call Ms. Iverson first thing tomorrow morning and see if it's too late to change my flight plans."

"Good. Then you can also spend the evening of the tenth in our guest room. I'll take the afternoon off, and we can go shopping for maternity clothes."

"Maternity clothes! Why didn't you tell?" Anne cried out in delighted surprise. "You are supposed tell your best friend when you have news like that. You let me go on about the interview when you had such big news yourself. When did you find out? When is the baby due?"

"Hold it before you take my head off with all your questions. I only found out about being pregnant for sure earlier today. But I took a home pregnancy test yesterday. So, I just found out. I called Gary right away, so you calling tonight did not infringe on my surprising him with the news. That was your next question, I'm sure." Carla chuckled softly, and then Anne heard Gary say something in the background that sent Carla roaring with laughter. Anne smiled at the comment Carla made back to her husband about waiting until later before Carla got back on the line.

"You do know me well, Carla. I'll let you know about the change in plans once I talk to mom and Ms. Iverson. I better let you go since it sounds like you and Gary will have some celebrating to do. Congratulations. Give Gary a big kiss for me."

"Will do, Anne. Let me know tomorrow if you can stay. Love ya. Bye."

Carla disconnected at her end, and Anne did the same then put the receiver down so that she could make herself a cup of herbal tea. A feeling of warmth and hope came over her. She thought that she was doing the right thing. It was time to go home to Washington State. Seven years was long enough to be away. Now that she had her PhD from M.I.T. and enough work experience in oceanography and biochemistry, she could go back to Seattle with her head held high. Her father would eventually find out that she was back, but she was no longer the same young woman he used to manipulate and control. Now she would be able to live her own life back where she belonged.

Picking up the phone again, she entered the number for the inn on the keypad. It rang twice on the other end before it was answered by one of the employees. Anne told the woman who she was and whom she wanted to speak to then waited for her mother to pick up the phone at her end.

"Anne! What a surprise." Her mother began calling Anne by her middle name when she was a toddler, much to the relief of Anne's stepfather. Anne's mother was also named Jane, so to avoid confusion, people called her mother Jane and her by her middle name. "I wasn't expecting to hear from you until this weekend. How are you, sweetheart?" The sound of her mother's voice never failed to comfort Anne.

"I'm fine. How are you and dad?"

"We're both good. We're busy. With the holiday coming up, we will have a packed house again this weekend. In fact, we are booked solid all summer. There are weddings planned every weekend over the next three months, starting this Saturday. With the regular vacationers, too, the place is hopping. Your brother is leaving next week for his two-month study abroad program in Italy, so he won't be around to help. That's ok, though. We've got plenty of help lined up for the season. What about you? How is the job hunting going?"

"That's the reason that I called you tonight instead of waiting until Saturday morning. I have a job interview in Seattle on June tenth and hope to stay in the area for the next week until I know if I make it to the final round of interviews."

"That's excellent, Anne. I hoped that you would look for a job back in Seattle. We don't see you enough, and I miss you. Will you be coming up to Orcas for a few days if you stay?"

"If I can get my flight schedule changed, I will. I'll spend the tenth in Seattle at Carla and Gary's then come up. Will it be a problem if I'm there from the eleventh through the eighteenth or nineteenth?"

"What a question. Of course there won't be a problem. I'll have your room ready for you. With Michael in Italy, the house will be pretty quiet. Do not even think about helping out around the inn this year. Like I said, we have plenty of staff on hand. You just come up and enjoy yourself. Relax and consider it your vacation." Anne could hear some noise in the background and her mother saying something that was muffled by her hand over the receiver. "Listen, Anne. I'd love to talk more, but I have to go now. Business calls."

"Ok, Mom. I'll let you know tomorrow if I'll be coming up and staying. Take care and say 'hi' to dad and Michael for me."

"I'll do that. Bye, sweetheart."

The sound of joy in her mother's voice made Anne happy. It was all going to work out for the best. The apathy that she felt began to lift, and for the first time in a very long time, she could feel excitement again. She considered that as she readied for bed that night and slipped on her usual oversized tee shirt. Later as she looked at her reflection in the bathroom mirror after washing her face and brushing her teeth, she saw a light in her blue eyes that had been missing for many years. She smiled at her reflection and watched it reach her eyes. Then she ran a brush through her long brown hair before walking into her bedroom to sit down on the bed so she could apply moisturizing cream to her arms, legs, and feet.

Tomorrow would be her last day working with her latest customer. After tomorrow, she was free to refocus her attention on getting the position back in Washington. The clock in the living room chimed eleven pm, and she turned off the ceiling bedroom light then climbed into bed. At this time next month, she thought as she lie there, she could be packing up her apartment for the long drive home. Smiling at the thought, she reached over to turn off the bedside table lamp and snuggled in.

Chapter 2

Anne walked out of Concourse B into the Central Terminal of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and looked out the giant curved wall of windows at the late morning sky. The sun was shining brightly that Sunday morning, which was a rarity for Seattle in other times of the year, but was much more common in the summer months. The sky was a brilliant azure blue clear of clouds except for a few wispy strips of white that streaked up high in the atmosphere. Anne, who was not prone to superstitions, took the nice weather as a good sign. It wouldn't hurt to believe in good luck at a time like this.

She had made arrangements with Ms. Iverson several days ago to fly in on the ninth instead of the tenth and to stay for two weeks visiting friends and family in case she received a call back interview with Mr. Stanford. This way, she could combine the interview with a short vacation.

The plan for today was that she would meet Carla for lunch on the waterfront before they went shopping, and she would spend the night in Carla and Gary's guest room. This way, Anne would not be rushed tomorrow morning before her interview and could drive at her own pace from Carla's Bellevue home to Redmond where the headquarters for Stanford Enterprises was located. Anne had already made arrangements to rent a car so that she could drive to the Seattle waterfront district to meet Carla for lunch. Carla and Anne decided to meet at the restaurant instead of at Carla's house because Carla was working that morning at her downtown location to clean up and sort through paperwork from a wedding she catered the night before. Because she was feeling thirsty after her long flight, Anne stopped for a latte at the Starbuck's kiosk in the Central Terminal then went to pick up her luggage before heading out to the shuttle.

The air outside was warm. The salty, fish smell of Puget Sound combined with automobile exhaust and reached her as she walked to the airport shuttle that would take her the few miles to the rental car lot where a white Toyota Camry was already waiting for her. After a few minutes spent checking in at the counter and handing over her credit card and driver's license, Anne stored her luggage in the trunk and drove out onto Interstate 5 before heading north to Seattle. She got off at the Spring Street exit then crossed over the freeway and headed over to Alaskan Way, the street that ran along the waterfront. Instead of looking for a spot in one of the several full parking lots close by, she decided to park in the hotel's parking ramp before going in search of Carla. They had decided to meet at the waterfront bistro located inside of the hotel for lunch because of the great food and its location to shopping instead of eating at one of the several restaurants located close by.

As she drove through the downtown lunchtime traffic on her way in, Anne remembered smiling in enjoyment. Her spirit had lifted upon seeing the familiar skyline. This was home. She and Carla used to hang out around the waterfront district during their undergraduate days because Carla worked at the bistro and Anne worked as a front desk hostess for the hotel to earn the money for school. When she walked into the bistro's street side entrance, Anne saw Carla already sitting at a booth in the corner that overlooked the street and Puget Sound.

The hostess was busy seating several groups, and Anne bypassed her, easily. Carla, who was checking her smart phone, did not see Anne until she was almost next to the table. After she looked up, Carla quickly shut down her phone and grinned sheepishly. She was up to something. Anne wondered what her look was about this time. Carla had something planned for today. She always did.

"You look great, Anne! I can't believe that it has been two years," Carla said as she jumped up to give Anne a hug before ushering her into the booth. Two years ago, Anne had made a special trip in September to return to Orcas Island. She had been Carla's maid of honor for her wedding to Gary. "I ordered you a Long Island ice tea while I waited," Carla said as she retook her seat opposite Anne. Carla was wearing a frothy turquoise and white sundress that complimented her petite frame, pixie cut blonde hair, and blue eyes. She always reminded Anne of a fairy tale princess, and the way she was dressed today reinforced the image.

"Perfect! I could use one of these." Anne took a sip and smiled at the flavors of gin and rum. The burn of the different liqueurs combined with the iced cold cola and felt good going down. It helped quench a thirst the latte failed to satisfy. "Marriage and pregnancy agree with you, Carla. You look great, too."

Carla took the compliment in her stride and gave Anne a beaming smile. "I'll take that now since I'm not showing yet. God, Anne. It's hard to believe that it has actually been two years. I still feel like a newlywed. But, we will get to me in a minute. I want to talk about you. So, how was the flight? Are you nervous about tomorrow?" Carla took a sip from her water glass while she waited for Anne's answer.

"The flight was fine but long. I forgot how long the flight actually was. I had a really annoying man sit next to me."

"Naturally."

"Am I nervous? You bet I am, but I think it will go well. I hope so." Anne gave a wry smile and raised her eyebrows. She did not want to get her hopes up too much. She had been through the final interview stages before only to lose out to other more experienced scientists or to find out that the company had made the decision to hold off on hiring. She told Carla about her two Skype interviews and what her impressions were of the company based on the facts she had managed to gather from the Internet.

Although she had read several news articles about the company and the business profile of the current CEO, she had never seen a photo of him. There were several old photographs of the founder but none of the son in the company website. But, since it didn't really matter what the current CEO looked like, Anne didn't bother to search for information on him specifically and concentrated on learning about the company's record in research, instead. At one point, she realized that she was boring Carla with facts about the company and the technical aspects of research and stopped talking.

"I hear it's a good company. Gary's brother really likes being there and is happy that he made the move to them last year. I think you'll get the job," Carla said positively. "My Spidey sense is tingling, and it's telling me you'll get it. Oh, I can't wait to have you back here. I've missed you. I also need you here to help me decorate the nursery. You know that I love Gary to the ends of the earth, but I swear that man will drive me crazy with his total lack of design sense. Do you know what he told me when I started talking about redecorating the third bedroom for the nursery? He told me that the current colors would look fine for a baby's room."

Anne remembered the peanut butter brown color with baby blue sponge paint that was on the walls when they bought the house two years ago and wondered if Carla had repainted yet. Upon seeing the look on Anne's face, Carla exclaimed, "I know! Can you believe it? It's the same ugly color it was when we moved in. I never got around to repainting it with all the other changes we made to the house and me going out on my own."

"He's a dentist, Carla. Need I say more?"

"How in the world I ever fell in love with such a nerd, I'll never know. But he is crazy about me and over the moon about the baby coming."

That led into a conversation about Carla and the baby. Carla was feeling great without any morning sickness, and she glowed with happiness. With babies on her mind, Carla even talked about experimenting with new baby food recipes. From there the afternoon was spent in companionable conversation catching up and laughing over memories from their college days when they worked on the waterfront. After they finished their lunch, they decided to walk to Edmonds Central Plaza, located a few blocks away, to begin their search for new maternity clothing for Carla. It would be months before Carla started showing, but stores always stocked new clothes a few months in advance of the season, and Carla wanted to get a jump on the new fashions.

While browsing through the clothing stores, Carla spotted several summer dresses and a pair of sandals for Anne to try on. The clothing was sexy and lacy and not at all what Anne was used to wearing out east, and Anne couldn't remember ever wearing such flimsy sandals. But Carla kept insisting that Anne try everything on because she said that Anne "seriously needed a summer makeover."

"So this was what 'the look' was about."

"What look?" Carla tried her best to appear innocent but failed miserably.

"I'm talking about the one from lunch. It's the one you get every time you plan something for me without telling me."

"Come on, Anne. I know how you hate shopping for yourself, so I decided that you needed to lose the beatnik slash scientist look." Anne looked down at her blue jeans and button down white blouse and frowned when she looked back up at Carla. "Not that you don't rock that look, sweetie. But when was the last time you bought something sexy for yourself or had your nails done? Probably not since the last time I took you shopping, so you are long overdue for a makeover. I love your hair, though, and if I had your body, I'd flaunt it."

"Ok. I don't want anything too sexy, though. I don't want to look slutty. I still want to look like me."

"You will look like you, only sexier. Trust me, Anne. You know that I've never steered you wrong in the past."

Anne took the dresses and the shoes reluctantly and walked to the changing room while Carla waited out in the store. She had to admit that dresses and sandals did make her look and feel feminine and sexy. After changing back into her regular clothing, she suffered through Carla's smug expression and took out her credit card. But new dresses required new underwear too, Carla said, so Anne bought some of that as well.

As Carla talked about how she soon would be wearing maternity clothes because short people always showed faster than tall people and that last week she saw some cute clothes in another store, Anne mentally tallied up the small fortune she had just spent. If she didn't eat out much or go to the movies for several months, she could afford it. The maternity clothes came next, and Anne helped Carla decide on several fall fashions that would compliment her petite frame. Then with their purchases in hand, Carla led them to a shop for manicures and pedicures because, she reasoned playfully, there was no point in having sexy clothes and sandals without them.

"Maybe you'll get lucky while up at the inn? With all those hot males, Anne, it pays to look good," said Carla as their toes were being colored. Anne laughed at the comment because she was just not the "getting lucky" type of woman men went for. They went for women like Carla.

Once their hands and feet were done, they worked their way along the waterfront past several busy stores and crowds of people who flocked to the waterfront on that Sunday afternoon. Eventually, they found a place to sit in a little coffee shop that faced the harbor. As they split a piece of fudge cake a la mode and drank their beverages, they discussed where to head next. They had a few more hours before they needed to be at Carla's house in Bellevue, so they decided to head in that direction and drive down to the Bellevue Square mall to look for furniture.

At six, they finished their shopping and headed to the house where Carla and Gary lived. Their house was located in a nice quiet neighborhood along a tree-lined street that was only two blocks from a large park and nature preserve. As Anne drove behind Carla up the street, she saw families outside in their yards either working on their lawns and flower gardens or tossing around balls and Frisbees. Several people waved at Anne's car as she drove by, and she waved back. At the top of the hill, they turned their cars into the driveway. Carla and Gary had a Craftsman style house with a wide front porch, and the large lot had several mature trees. A two stall detached garage was tucked away behind the house. Carla parked in the garage while Anne parked behind her on the concrete driveway. Then they brought their purchases and Anne's suitcase inside through the back door. Gary wasn't home and they decided to wait for Gary on the back patio and enjoy the early evening.

Gary returned about twenty minutes later from a walk with their dog, Bob, a golden Labrador retriever who was happy to see them and had to be held back from jumping onto their laps. The last time Anne had seen Bob, he was just a puppy, but he had since grown into his paws to become quite a large dog. The two-year separation didn't stop Bob from showing his acceptance of Anne, though, and he surprised her with a slobbering wet tennis ball dropped at her feet. Gary quickly shooed Bob away and went into the house to clean up before he joined them again on the patio to start up the grill.

Gary had not changed too much physically in the past few years, Anne noticed. He was about Anne's height and had a wiry build that today was covered in a pair of old jeans and a tee shirt with the Superman logo on the front. He still sported his slightly shy expression behind his wire-rimmed glasses, but his hazel eyes were warm with welcome. Anne noticed that he was getting a slight paunch around the middle, and his blond hair was receding. There was nothing really exceptional, physically, about him. But Gary had a keen mind and a wicked, offbeat sense of humor that complimented Carla to a T. Perhaps the thing that struck Anne the most about Gary was that he had a loving expression whenever he looked at his wife. For that reason alone, Anne had always liked him.

While Gary took care of grilling steaks, Carla and Anne worked together in the kitchen pulling together a salad and broiling vegetables. They decided to eat outside at the table and enjoy the warm evening, and Carla set the table to get ready to eat. Anne watched the easy manner between Carla and Gary as they worked together and later while they enjoyed the evening air, and she thought about how nice it would be to be married to your best friend. Her mother and Jim had that same ease between them. Anne smiled happily at Carla and Gary who, at times, seemed to be oblivious to anyone other than each other. Then looking out at the back yard and the late sun, Anne thought that a sunny day and great friends were the perfect way to welcome her back to the Seattle area. Getting the new job would make her trip complete.

* * * * *

Monday morning dawned with the promise of a day as equally beautiful as the day before, and Anne finished getting ready for her interview by running through all possible questions and her answers over a cup of coffee and a bagel. Then after stowing her suitcase and new clothing in the trunk of her rental car, she made her way up Interstate 405 to the Highway 520 exchange and headed east to Redmond. She didn't bother playing with the radio station but, instead, listened to the NPR station someone had previously programmed in. Traffic was light due to missing the morning rush hour, and she made good time as she drove and listened to the morning news report. About two miles after merging onto Highway 520, she saw the exit for the frontage road that she would need to take and followed it until she reached the campus for Stanford Enterprises, a few blocks away.

The Stanford Enterprises campus consisted of a large two story red brick building with two white concrete buildings located behind it that flanked it like raised wings. The sweeping campus was covered with mature maple and pine trees, several large grassy areas, a small parking lot in front of the red building, and a larger parking lot located in back between the two concrete buildings. A well maintained shrub and flower garden filled with azalea and potentilla bushes, blue lobelia, red impatiens, purple and white petunias, red astilbes, and several other annuals Anne couldn't name followed the sidewalk that led to the front door of the red brick building from the smaller parking lot. She parked her rental in one of the Visitor Parking spots in the lot and looked at the dashboard clock before she locked her vehicle and followed the sidewalk to the main door. With fifteen minutes to spare, she entered Building One, the red brick building, and checked in at the reception desk. Then she excused herself and went to the women's restroom to freshen up her hair and makeup and attempt to calm her racing heart.

Thankfully, her reflection didn't reveal any of her nervousness but, instead, showed a woman who was calm and collected. Her long curly dark brown hair that was put up in a neat French twist that morning, still held. This shouldn't have surprised Anne because her hair was so covered in product that a hurricane would not be able to pull a strand loose, but it did. She said a quick "thank you" to the god of good hair days for keeping her hair looking neat. Her white silk shell showed a few wrinkles from the seat belt, so she buttoned up her blue suit jacket to hide them. Her light blue eyes were bright and alert and did not show any effects from the sleepless night she had experienced due to her nervousness over the interview and due to sleeping in a strange bed. At least she looked good, she thought, as she touched up her lipstick and powdered her nose.

When she was finished she went back into the front lobby and was directed by the reception desk to the Human Resources department. After she walked into the department, she took a seat in a light blue colored contemporary accent chair and looked around as she waited. The lobby of the HR department, like the main reception area, was tastefully decorated with a mixture of blues and greens and white painted woodwork. The overall color scheme gave the room a sophisticated beach house look that helped to calm her nerves. A painting of racing sailboats hung behind the HR reception desk and complimented the decor. She liked that the room was not too formal.

A few minutes later, a tall middle-aged African American woman with short silvery white hair came out to greet her. The woman was dressed professionally in a multicolored floral print blouse, black dress pants, and colorful earrings. Her short hair emphasized her striking looks, her good bone structure, her warm brown eyes, and her smile. "Dr. Conner. It is a pleasure to meet you, finally. I am Ms. Tomlinson, our Human Resources Director. Can I get you anything before we go to the conference room?" She shook Anne's hand while she spoke then began leading her down a wide, well lit hallway until they came to a conference room that also reflected the beach house theme.

"No. Thank you, Ms. Tomlinson. I'm fine."

"Good. I hope your flight was all right. I always hate to fly, myself." She ushered Anne inside to a chair at the table. Two men were already waiting inside and were seated at the oblong cherry wood table across from Anne. Each of them had a notebook and several papers on the table in front of them. After Anne's assurance that the flight went well, Anne was introduced to the men. Mr. Winfield was a tall distinguished looking man of about sixty who came across, to Anne, as someone who could be formal and standoffish until he had a chance to get to know you. Dr. Rudolph, in contrast, was a short balding man with a shaved haircut who wore black-framed glasses over his brown eyes. He appeared to be somewhere in his late forties, had a wiry build, and looked like he wanted to jump out of his seat and move around. Anne's first impression of him was that he was like a Jack Russell terrier that had boundless energy. His smile was warm and friendly. If she were to be hired, then he would be her boss.

Anne made herself comfortable as Ms. Tomlinson sat down next to Dr. Rudolph then began answering their seemingly "small talk" questions. Anne knew from experience that the questions were merely "feeler" questions that were asked to see what her personality was like and how she would fit into the company culture. They spent a few minutes with those seemingly unimportant questions, and once that portion of the interview was completed, they proceeded to the portion of the interview where they asked specific questions about her work experiences, education, and ideas. The butterflies in Anne's stomach at the beginning of the interview left her as she began to talk about her work. They spoke for almost fifty-five minutes discussing Anne's work experience. Anne was ready with her replies for each question. The verbal and nonverbal responses she received from the three of them were encouraging. Anne noticed small smiles, their bodies leaning in, a few slight head nods, and silent communications that took place between the interviewers.

After their line of questioning was completed, Anne had the opportunity to ask them specific questions related to the job and the company, things she could not learn from the company website and business journals. This took several more minutes, and before she knew it, the interview was over. The hour and a half long interview had flown by. Anne's good feeling about how it went increased when she saw that the three interviewers were all smiling sincerely as the meeting broke up. Then, after shaking the hands of the men, she was shown out of the room by Ms. Tomlinson for a quick tour of the facility.

The position was for a biochemical research scientist working as part of the Marine Biochemical R & D department, and Anne and Ms. Tomlinson began their tour there. The department's focus was on marine water cleanup solutions. It was the area of research right up Anne's alley, and Anne was very interested in touring the department. The R & D department was located in the front of Building Two, directly behind the main building, and was connected by a glass-enclosed walkway that allowed them to see the nice weather outside. As they walked to the department, Anne could also see that a courtyard was set up outside for people to take breaks and eat their lunches. Wrought iron tables and chairs were set up for the employees, and several people were already outside enjoying the sunny day as they ate their lunches. Flower boxes, filled with red geraniums and multicolored flowers, flanked the edges of the exposed concrete patio, and several Japanese maple trees dressed up the grassy areas.

The R & D department looked much as Anne expected it to with several offices and a central lab area. Although Anne was only allowed a quick glance into the lab through the door, she could see that several scientists were still at work. One man was busy typing on a computer while two other people, a man and a woman, were busy working with beakers and Bunsen burners. Out by the office area, there was a small lunchroom with vending machines, a refrigerator, and a couple of microwave ovens. It was empty except for a woman who was at one of the microwaves heating her lunch. Anne could smell chicken being heated, and her stomach growled. On the far end of the office area was a conference room complete with a digital whiteboard and a table that could seat at least ten people.

After the brief tour of the R & D department, Ms. Tomlinson walked Anne back to the HR Department by way of another glassed in walkway that connected the two white buildings. As they walked through the third building, Anne was told that manufacturing took place behind the office areas of that building but that they would not be touring there because it was restricted. After they came back into Building One, they entered the HR Department after walking past the Sales and Marketing Department and the Customer Service Department. The Accounting Department, the Information Technology Department, and the Executive offices were located on the second floor, Anne was told.

"If we decide to call you back for the final round of interviews, the final interviews will be held with Mr. Winfield, Dr. Rudolph, Benjamin Stanford, our CEO, and me. Final interviews will begin on the eighteenth. There are five applicants being interviewed this week," Ms. Tomlinson informed her as they walked back into the HR Department. "I understand that you will be staying with family in the Seattle area?"

"Yes, I will," Anne said as she walked beside Ms. Tomlinson into the HR lobby.

"Good. We have your cell phone number in your file. You will be called to return again to meet Mr. Stanford if we decide to call you back. Have a nice stay in Seattle, Dr. Conner. It was a pleasure meeting you." She shook Anne's hand warmly before leaving Anne to check herself out from the front reception desk.

With the rest of the day free from interviews, Anne walked out to the rental car, took off her jacket, and steered her car north for the three-hour drive to Orcas Island. She stopped only once to grab a burger and fries from a fast food restaurant along the interstate.

Chapter 3

Anne arrived at the Eagle's Nest Inn around three thirty that afternoon and dropped her suitcase on the bed of her old room in the family's separate residence, and after she changed into shorts and a tee shirt, she went in search of her mother in the main building. She found her mother in the inn's large kitchen discussing the meal for the upcoming wedding that was scheduled for Saturday afternoon, only six days away. Not wanting to interrupt the meeting by drawing attention to her presence, she waited by the door and watched her mother and their chef, William Becker, discuss the menu details and final head count. It sounded like the wedding would be a smallish affair with about eighty guests. If the menu was anything to go by, the wedding was also going to be an expensive affair.

Anne had learned a few weeks ago from her mother that the inn was fully booked with the wedding party and guests, most of them coming up from Seattle, and that they were taking up the majority of the main building's rooms. Island vacationers took up the remaining rooms and the cottages along the water's edge. The bride, Lily Carlson, chose to have her wedding reception at the Eagle's Nest because she used to come up to the inn as a child, and then, when she returned last summer with her boyfriend, her boyfriend proposed to her. It all sounded romantic. Anne was happy for the couple. She was also happy for her parents who had, over the years, built an inn that drew such loyalty from returning guests.

Anne knew the bride fairly well. Lily was a sweet kid who came from a wealthy Seattle family, the kind with whom Anne's father would have gone out of his way to cultivate a friendship, and Anne remembered her fondly. The Carlson family had been coming to the inn for two weeks every summer since Anne was nine. Being the same age as Anne and Carla, Lily Carlson often hung out with Anne and Carla when they were younger. Her older brother, a cute boy named Ben, often tagged along to keep an eye on them. Years later, Lily began to come alone with her parents after Ben finished college. Anne hadn't seen her since the summer before she and Carla moved to Seattle to attend the University of Washington.

It was even longer since she last saw Ben. The last time she saw him was the summer she turned seventeen and wore braces on her teeth. She remembered that summer well because she had developed the biggest crush on Ben, a soon to be college senior. He came back at other times over the years and stayed at the inn, either with his family or with friends, but Anne wasn't on the island during those other times. She wondered what he looked like now and what he was doing. He was probably married with children at this point. She also thought about the number of things she did to draw his attention that last summer, then shuttered and hoped that no one else would remember any of it. How embarrassing would that be?

"Anne, you made it. How was traffic, sweetheart?" Her mother broke into Anne's reverie by giving her a hug. Anne jumped slightly at the sudden contact then returned the hug wholeheartedly. The discussion with William was now apparently finished because he had gone back to work preparing the evening specials while his assistants worked at fulfilling the occasional late lunch orders.

"Traffic wasn't too bad once I got away from Seattle. You changed your hair. I like it," Anne commented about her mother's changed look. Her mother, Jane Petrovic, was twenty years older than Anne and had the same light blue eyes and winged eyebrows. From there, however, their similarities ended. Their chins and mouths were different. Anne's chin was stronger and more square-shaped and her mouth was wider with fuller lips. Anne's mother's hair, in contrast to Anne's dark curly locks, was a dark ash blonde shade styled in an attractive layered cut that framed her face.

Today, Anne's mother was dressed in casual chic plum colored business attire that complimented her petite frame. Anne felt like a frumpy Amazon standing next to her dressed in the pair of white shorts, a mint green tee shirt, and canvas sneakers with no socks. Anne also had scrubbed off her makeup leaving nothing on except for a rose-colored lip-gloss. She decided not to cover her lightly tanned skin with anything but sunscreen now that her makeup was off. Her natural curly hair, which had been pulled up in a twist for the interview, was now pulled out and left loose around her shoulders with soft tendrils falling about her face.

"Yes, I did," her mother replied. "I changed it last winter. Are you hungry? Did you eat?" Anne's mother led her out of the kitchen and into the dining room that was almost empty except for a handful of guests and locals. Anne recognized some of the faces that belonged to people who lived in Eastsound and some to returning guests. "You can eat here, or I can have something sent over to the house," she said as she began to fuss a little over Anne.

"Will you be joining me?"

"No, dear. Jim is over at the airport picking up the bride and groom for this weekend's wedding. They are flying in today, along with some of the wedding party and the bride's parents. They intend to stay for the week while they get ready for the wedding. So, I'm holding down the fort until your dad gets back. But, if you are hungry, I'll have Karen whip you up a sandwich and send it over to the house if you do not want to eat here."

"No. That's fine, Mom. I ate on the way up. Actually, I was planning on taking a bike ride to town. I can pick up a bite to eat there if I get hungry."

"All right, Anne. How did your interview go this morning?"

Anne filled her mother in briefly on how it went then left the inn's main building when her mother was called away to help at the front desk. Going out of the front French style double doors, Anne stepped onto the wide front veranda that swept along the full length of the building and around both sides. Outdoor wicker furniture was placed strategically along the veranda for guests who wished to sit outside and enjoy the view. The main part of the inn was a large two-story plantation style building covered in white clapboard siding with black shingles and shutters. Large windows faced out the front onto the veranda and lawn. Six thick white square pillars stretched up to the second story roof and supported a second story gallery that ran the full length of the building. A wrought iron railing enclosed the second floor gallery, and additional furniture was placed outside for guests who wished to look out onto the sweeping front lawn lined with large oaks and flowers.

The main building was constructed over a hundred years earlier by a wealthy Seattle shipbuilder who wanted a vacation home on Orcas Island. Originally from New Orleans, he wanted to create a vacation home that could rival any of the great plantation homes found in the South. It was quite a project for its time. The house took five years to build and cost a couple of million back when it was completed in 1897. It was reported that several heads of state and wealthy industrialists had stayed at the home back when the shipbuilder, Thomas Rhodes, owned the place, and because of that, many people wanted to preserve it as part of the island's heritage. But the house and lands were sold in the 1950s when the direct family line died out and descendants of Mr. Rhodes from California decided that keeping the home was not worth it to them. After the house was sold, several cabins were added along the water's edge, and the place was turned into a vacation and fishing resort.

The place changed owners several times over the years until Jim Petrovic and her mother bought it when Anne was two years old. Jim and Anne's mother were just married a few months before, and using all of their savings and any capital they could scrape together through loans and private investors, they turned around the run down building and cabins into a thriving inn and vacation resort. When Anne was eight, the inn expanded when her parents added the events center, and she and her family moved from their suite in the main building into the remodeled caretaker's house. Over the years, the inn also added a swimming pool, a spa, tennis courts, and an art gallery-gift shop combination that featured the works of local artists.

Now, after rounding the corner of the wrap around veranda, Anne walked back down the trail to the family's house to retrieve some money from her purse.

The inn listed Eastsound as its address, but the inn and resort were actually two miles outside of Eastsound village limits along the northwest shore of the island. Anne could see Waldron Island off in the distance with the expanse of the blue waters of President Channel in between. She also saw several kayakers out enjoying the calm water and a fishing boat off to the right. Further down the channel, on the left, she could make out a sightseeing boat on its way north looking for a pod of orca whales for which the island was famous. She could imagine the surprise and awe of the faceless tourists when a pod was spotted. It never stopped thrilling her, and she had seen them countless times.

After grabbing a twenty-dollar bill and stuffing it in her back pocket, she headed back to the main building to check out one of the inn's mountain bikes. She decided to take the back staircase that led up the southern elevation of the veranda instead of walking around the pool area and cutting across the patio to the back entrance into the building because she liked the private path through the trees. As she walked, she became lost in her own thoughts while she recalled every nuance of that morning's interview. _Surely, they would not have given her the tour if they were not seriously looking at hiring her?_ Research companies tended to guard their research as if their research was precious gold and the company was Fort Knox. To them, their research was more valuable than gold.

_Smack_.

Lost in her thoughts, she didn't watch where she was going and bumped into a man on the veranda who was rounding the corner to head to the back staircase. The force of hitting him would have knocked her down if it had not been for his quick actions to stop her from falling. Immediately after the collision, strong arms enfolded her in a hug before they moved away. She felt strong hands grab her arms to steady her. After the initial hard bump, her fuzzy brain registered warmth, power, and the scents of the great outdoors and a male body. She stepped away from him quickly and put a distance of about a foot between their bodies, surprised by the sudden awareness she felt at being that close to him.

"Whoa, sorry," the man said. He had a deep voice that made Anne's toes curl and stomach flutter. The best way to describe his voice was that he had a bedroom voice, kind of like that singer, Barry White. What a voice! Her nerve endings came alive just at the sound.

She looked at the line of the man's tanned throat and his brown chest hairs that peeked out from above the open collar of his red polo shirt. Her eyes looked down, and she could see the muscle definition of a powerful chest, lean hips, and long legs encased in faded blue jeans. This man had the body to go with the voice. Then she realized that she was ogling the man's body, so she quickly looked up into his face and hoped that he would not realize what she had been doing. She almost groaned when she saw his face. He was possibly the most handsome man she had ever seen. He didn't have the pretty-boy, sophisticated, metro-sexual look that some men cultivated but instead looked like a man's man. He looked like he took life on and bent it to his will. He had just the look that never failed to appeal to her.

The man's hair was a thick medium brown color, and his eyes were like milk chocolate. His nose was strong and slightly crooked, and his lips were positively sensuous, looking both hard and soft at the same time. He also looked familiar. With a jolt, she realized that he was Ben, Lily Carlson's brother. She was ogling Ben! She suddenly felt too warm and breathless to continue standing that close to him, so she stepped away even further until he was forced to let go of her arms.

"Anne? Is that you?" He went from looking at her like a man who knew he had just been checked out by a woman to a man who was full of amused surprise. "Well, what do you know? Little Anne Petrovic is all grown up. Nicely too, I might add."

"Hello. Do I know you?"

"Liar," her mind screamed at her. She tried to assume a look of confusion. A line suddenly appeared between his brows, and he looked slightly disappointed that she didn't remember him. He remembered her. Oh God! Did he remember her crush, too? He called her Anne Petrovic. She was so flustered by his remembering her that she did not correct the use of her name. When he was here, he knew her as Anne Petrovic, the daughter of Jim and Jane Petrovic.

"I used to come here with my family when my sister and I were kids. You remember Lily Carlson, don't you?"

"Of course I remember Lily. She's getting married this weekend."

"Yes, she is." He nodded his head then looked over his shoulder to where Lily stood talking to another man whom Anne assumed correctly was her fiancé.

"Good for her. That would make you Brent."

"Ben," he corrected her. Then he gave her that charming smile that she remembered well. It lit up his eyes with brown fire, and his lips curved up until a small dimple appeared in his left cheek. A slight breeze blew a lock of hair onto his forehead, and Anne became transfixed at the sight. She forgot what she was going to say for several seconds before it came to her that she was trying to pretend that she didn't remember him.

"Of course! I'm sorry I forgot your name. It has been a long time." Oh, what the hell, she thought, before she dropped the coyness act and gave him a warm smile in return. He continued to stare at her now while a strange intensity suddenly entered his eyes. His gaze disturbed her, and she felt the heat of his desire. More disturbing was that her body began to respond. She felt her face blush, and the heat move down. Needing to break the hold he had on her senses, she moved around him so that he was forced to either follow her to the main entrance or stay where he was. He chose to follow her.

"So, Anne... Do you still live here on Orcas?" He soon caught up to her with his longer strides until he walked beside her through the doors and into the main lobby. She felt her blood pressure return back to normal now that he was no longer staring at her. His voice had also become friendly instead of the molten lava tone that she knew his voice would sometimes take.

"No. I'm just here visiting." She walked behind the front desk to get a key to a bike lock. Ben stood waiting by the counter until she was done before talking again. She looked over to the door that led to the dining room and lounge and saw that her mother was busy talking to Lily, her mother, Mrs. Carlson, and another younger woman about Lily's age. Anne's stepdad, Jim, was busy talking to Lily's father and her fiancé over by a seating area on the other side of the main doors next to the entrance to the art gallery-gift shop.

"So, you live in Seattle?" Ben asked her this when she met him where he was standing by the edge of the counter.

"No. I live on the east coast." She missed the look of disappointment that crossed his face at her words when she looked down to sign out a bike in the log. "You live in Seattle?" She finished signing her name then looked back at him.

"Yes, I do. You must be going for a ride. I didn't mean to keep you." A frown marred the line on his face for a second before it was gone, and Anne was not sure if it was merely her own imagination that it was there in the first place. He suddenly stepped out of the way to let her pass. "Have a nice ride. It was nice seeing you again, Anne."

"It was nice seeing you too, Ben." She paused at the end of the counter, reluctant to end the conversation. Suddenly a bike ride didn't sound like a good idea. She had always liked Ben, even before she developed her teenage crush, and now she found his company rather nice. She was even getting used to the little hum along her nerve endings caused by being around him. He had always had the ability to make her laugh and to put her at ease while at the same time making her almost painfully aware of him.

She wanted to keep talking to him and find out how much he had changed, if any, from the boy he used to be. "You're the best man in the wedding, right? I suppose that you'll be busy with wedding things all this week. That's too bad. I remember now that you liked kayaking and mountain biking." That definitely sounded like she was hinting at him joining her. Did she want him to? Yes, she did, she decided.

"I still do. Would..." He was cut off from saying more when his sister came over.

"I don't mean to interrupt, Ben, but I need you for a moment," she said as she touched his arm to get his attention. Then after she saw Anne, her brown eyes widened and she exclaimed, "Anne! It is so nice to see you again. I didn't know that you would be visiting your parents this week. I'll bring Ben back in a second. I promise."

"Hello, Lily," Anne said warmly. Lily did not look like she had changed much in the past eleven years except for having gained a mature look about her. She still had that same unaffected way about her that instantly put people at ease. "It has been a long time. Congratulations, by the way."

"Thank you, Anne. I wish I had more time to catch up right now, but I need to steal Ben away." Lily looked at Ben face. He flashed Lily a look of annoyance before he smiled back at the knowing look in her eyes. Anne missed this because she was still looking at Lily.

"No, that's quite all right, Lily. Steal away. I was just heading out anyway." Anne motioned with her hand to the front door then waited politely for Lily and Ben to move away.

"We'll catch up later then." Lily smiled again before she pulled Ben's arm.

"That we will. I promise you." This comment came from Ben who spoke softly in Anne's ear. His comment was accompanied with a private look that caused her stomach to flutter and her breasts to tighten in awareness. He saw her nipples harden underneath her tee shirt and gave her a knowing grin before he followed in Lily's wake. Anne was shocked by his frank perusal of her breasts and embarrassed by her body's response to the seductive ogling of her body. She turned her head away to hide the red face she knew she now sported. He didn't even try to hide his interest in her, and her body responded instantly, physically to that knowledge. She swore under her breath then quickly walked to the front door and out onto the veranda to take the path to the bike shed. _Oh my,_ she thought as she walked down the steps. Ben Carlson was more attractive then he was when they were younger, and it appeared that she was still attracted to him.

Chapter 4

Benjamin Stanford III, known as Ben for short, followed his stepsister back to their group, but his mind remained on Anne. He ignored the talk around him and watched Anne through the window as she climbed onto a bike and took off pedaling down the long drive. She turned out nicely, he thought, admiring the lean muscles of her long legs and the swell of her full breasts as she rode away. That wild mane of dark hair and those light blue eyes only added to the beautiful package that was Anne Petrovic. He could not help being attracted to her. Any man would.

She apparently felt the same way about him if her physical response to his comment and look a minute earlier was any indication. She certainly had no trouble checking him out earlier, too, he reminded himself. He felt his body respond now when he remembered the feel of her lush body next to his when they bumped into each other and the sight of her breasts reacting under his gaze a few minutes ago. He had wanted to reach out to touch them just as he dreamed of doing when he and Anne were younger. She had been the subject of many of his erotic fantasies as a teenager and, no doubt, would be again. He wondered if she would let him pursue her for a little vacation romance this week. He intended to find out.

Not that he was interested in anything long-term, he told himself. He had ended a relationship last month with yet another woman who was more interested in his money than she was in him. The last thing he needed was another relationship. He ignored the prick to his memory at the disappointment he felt earlier when he learned that Anne did not live in the Seattle area. He tried to reason away his interest in only a short-term relationship and told himself that if she learned who he really was then she would be like all of the other women. He thanked his luck that people only knew him on the island as Ben Carlson.

Ben's mother had always called him Ben as a nickname because his father was called by the more formal name of Benjamin. Then when his father died from a car accident when Ben was only nine, people started calling him by his formal name out of respect for his father. But, by that time, everyone was so used to the nickname that it didn't seem right to call him anything else. Now, he only used his formal name when he signed business documents, but everyone called him Ben. When his mother married Troy Carlson three years after his father died, people outside of their circle assumed that Ben's last name was Carlson, as well. This mistake became a benefit when Ben became an adult because it gave him a certain level of anonymity that he used when he travelled.

After he turned his attention back to the business at hand, he checked in along with the rest of the party and used his assumed last name as he handed over a company credit card. Over the years he discovered that to check into hotels using his real name usually led to trouble. Benjamin Stanford III was quickly becoming something of a local celebrity in the Seattle area and most of the West Coast even though he tried to keep a low profile. Ever since he took over the helm of the family business from his mother, who ran it after his father died, he had invested heavily into researching and developing cleaner solutions for the waterways, as well as, expanding the other areas of biochemical uses in manufacturing for which the company was originally known. These investments paid off, and the once small company grew to become a world leader in research, which made him an even richer man than he was when he took over.

That also led to him being named one of Seattle's most eligible bachelors by _Seattle Magazine_ three years ago. Before that, his personal life was relatively uneventful, and he wished it would be again. After the article, women began throwing themselves at him, sometimes blatantly, which he could ignore, and sometimes subtly, which would require that he take the time to find out their real motivations. Some women even had the gall to follow him to hotels or would try to contact him at his home. The novelty of their interest soon wore off. After that, he always made sure to use the Carlson name when he traveled.

At first he was flattered by all of the attention, but now he was just sick of the whole thing. At thirty-three, he was tired of dating women who only wanted one thing from him. He wanted a family of his own like his mother had with his stepfather and with Ben's father before him. He thought of Anne again, and throughout the remainder of the afternoon he found himself looking for her whenever he went downstairs or outside.

His suite was at the back corner of the building and overlooked the pool below and the dock and President Channel down the hill. He could see the Petrovic's little house that sat behind the main building off to the right mostly hidden in the shadow of several large trees. Long ago, he learned that their home was once the caretaker's cottage. Now sitting on the back balcony, he looked over at the little house while he sat at his balcony table and answered emails. Interviews for the new biochemical scientist were going well his HR director, Bernie Tomlinson, wrote. That day, Dr. Jane Conner and another scientist were interviewed, and two more would be interviewed tomorrow. There was also one more interview planned for Wednesday morning. Bernie gave her impressions so far, and Ben smiled in agreement. Ben had reviewed the candidates' resumes a few months ago, and after following up with a few phone calls to colleagues, he was leaning toward Dr. Conner, too.

He saw a flash of mint green and white out of the corner of his eye and looked up just in time to see Anne walk into her parents' house. After quickly shutting off his laptop, he waited and watched the door to see if she would come out again. When she didn't, he knew that she was getting ready for dinner that she would likely eat in the dining room with her parents. He had almost asked her to have dinner with him earlier before Lily had interrupted, but the moment was lost with the interruption. As it was, he would be eating with his family and the rest of the wedding party tonight in the dining room. But if he played his cards right, then he should be able to also spend some time with Anne after dinner.

She finally began to walk up the path to the back entrance, and his mouth went dry at the sight of her. Her hair was down loose over her naked shoulders, curling in that wild mass that he always loved. She wore a white halter-top dress that clasped around her neck. The fabric molded to her breasts and her hips before ending at mid thigh. The dress was one step away from being indecent, but it still maintained respectability. She had the best legs, and they were shown to perfection with a pair of heeled silver sandals. Each movement she made as she walked aroused him, and he shifted in his chair to ease the discomfort. Who would have thought that the brainy girl with the adventurous spirit would also become so damn sexy? He was definitely finding her later.

Ben quickly showered and shaved before he dressed in charcoal gray trousers, a dove gray button down silk shirt, and his black dress loafers. After he splashed on some cologne, he quickly went downstairs to the dining room where he saw Anne sitting with her parents across the room from where his party was seated. Lily and Tom, Lily's fiancé, were already at the table talking to his mother and stepfather. Also sitting there was Melissa, the matron of honor. He was the last person to arrive. Well, he thought, as long as he was late, what were a few more minutes? He quickly crossed the room to the Petrovic table.

"Ben. How nice it is to see you again."

Anne's mother, Jane Petrovic, greeted him as he approached. Anne was facing away from him when he walked up and gave him an excellent view of her naked back. She turned around suddenly to look at him when Jane said his name.

"It is nice to see you too, Jane. Jim. Anne." He acknowledged each of them individually. Now that he was standing there next to Anne, he was suddenly tongue-tied. After he searched for something to say that didn't sound like pure blathering, he commented on the nice weather. Did they think it would last through the weekend? Yes? Well, that was good. Anne looked up at him with a curious expression on her face. He knew that he didn't sound like his usual self-assured self, and certainly not like the CEO of a company. "How is the water this year? I thought I might kayak over to Waldron Island tomorrow."

"It's fine, Ben. The water along the northeast shallows is quite warm already. Good enough to go swimming, or so I've been told," Jim reported.

"Anne, you just said that you wanted to kayak over to Waldron," Anne's mother chimed in. "Why don't you and Ben go together tomorrow?" Anne blushed beautifully and shot her mother a pleading look to stop. Apparently you were never too old to be embarrassed by your parents. Ben stifled a laugh at the obvious setup. He was all for it.

"I don't want to impose on Ben's time, Mother." Yes, Ben thought. Anne was either angry or nervous. He remembered that she became formal when she was angry and nervous. He wondered which one it was. Hopefully it was nervousness. He felt plenty of that himself right that second. "He has so much to do."

"That's quite alright, Anne. I would certainly be available for kayaking tomorrow." She liked being manipulated even less than being set up. But she also could not be rude, especially to a guest, something that worked in Ben's favor.

"Ben, would you like to come with me tomorrow? I would be delighted if you joined me." She suddenly asked the question then relaxed and smiled up at him. She never could keep a bad emotion for long, especially when he would charm her out of one.

"I would like that, Anne." Her smile made his stomach flutter. He tore his eyes away from her face and looked back at her parents. "I must get over to my table. Thank you for your suggestion. Enjoy your dinner."

"You also, Ben," both of Anne's parents said by way of a goodbye. Ben noticed that Anne remained silent. While he hoped that was a good sign, he made his way across the room to his table and sat down. After he sat, he looked over at Anne again. She was staring at him. When she saw him looking back at her, she turned away and talked to her parents. Yes, Anne Petrovic, he thought. We will definitely become reacquainted this week.

Chapter 5

The next morning Anne dressed in her red bikini and covered it with blue shorts and a light pink tee shirt. She decided to keep her face clean of makeup except for her customary sunscreen and lip-gloss then she clipped her hair behind her head then headed up to the inn to eat and find Ben. She already ate her breakfast at her parents' house. It consisted of her typical one slice of peanut butter toast and coffee, but she decided that she was still hungry and wanted some extra coffee. Her sleep the night before was quite restless, making that two nights in a row where she didn't sleep, and she yawned several times as she walked up the path.

She was supposed to go kayaking with Ben today. How was she supposed to sleep last night after being maneuvered into issuing the invitation? It did not matter that she actually wanted to spend time with Ben. Could it get any more embarrassing than to have her mother push her into issuing the invitation? What if Ben was not able to go with her? There was no question that he wanted to go. They never even had another moment to talk to arrange a time to meet that morning or to give him an out. How was she to give him an out if they could not talk?

She ran into Ben in the dining room when she walked in and waited to be seated. He came up behind her and surprised her with a "good morning" spoken softly in her ear. She gave a small jump and turned to look at him. How was it possible that he was more handsome today than he was yesterday? This morning he was dressed in red swimming trunks and a white tee shirt.

"Are we still on for this morning?" Here was her chance.

"I wanted to talk to you about that, Ben. I'm sorry that my mother pushed for the invitation. I would understand perfectly if you had other plans for the day." The dining room hostess came over and Ben indicated two when she asked how many would be in their party. Anne was not sure if he just wanted to continue the conversation of if he intended to go with her to Waldron Island. But he took her arm and steered her along to the table the hostess indicated.

"I want to come with you, Anne." He picked up the conversation where it left off once the hostess took their order for coffee. "I'm looking forward to it, in fact. So stop worrying and enjoy your breakfast. But I do have to be back no later than two. I have some business to attend to back here at the inn. This is a working vacation."

"That won't be a problem." The waitress came to take their order and caused another pause in their conversation. Once she left, Anne continued, "I have some business to attend to as well. Do you remember Captain Howardton?"

"He used to run the charters out of Eastsound out to the Boundary Pass. What about him?"

"He called last night after hearing that I was here on the island and asked if I could take his two-thirty charter. It appears that the tour guide has a doctor appointment, and he needs someone familiar with the area and the whales to act as guide."

"And he naturally asked you. I haven't seen him for twelve or thirteen years. He must be ninety by now." Anne pictured the old man with the leathery skin who hired her as a part-time guide back when she was little more than a kid.

"He's seventy one, I believe. He just looks much older." They fell into a companionable silence as they each became lost in their memories of the old man. "You should see him now. He looks like Wilfred Brimley," Anne finally said to break the silence. The comparison to the actor made Ben laugh, and he quickly began telling her stories of an old fishing captain he knew in Seattle who looked like Robert Preston. The stories soon loosened their tongues and they began talking like old friends. They both ate fast once their food arrived, and then Ben led her down the path back to her parents' house for a small bottle of sunscreen that she insisted they needed.

An hour later they rowed onto the beach on the northeastern side of Waldron Island. North of Mail Bay, where they saw several sea lions sunning on the rocks, the shoreline became shallow and a long sandy beach greeted them. The land behind the beach was covered in a thick pine forest broken only by the small airstrip where private twin and single engine planes could land. The island was largely uninhabited except for about 100 permanent residents and vacationers who kept cabins along the shore and further in on the grassy western side. The island also was home to one of the largest populations of bald eagles in North America, and Anne could see several soaring high up in the sky as they pulled their kayaks ashore. Once on the beach, they pulled off their life jackets, required equipment for sea kayakers, and sat down on the sand.

They watched the small waves brush against the beach for several minutes and talked about the island and how they used to row over when they were younger. Then Ben looked at his watch noting the time and asked Anne if she wanted to hike on some of the trails. Since she felt the need to stretch her legs, she did not hesitate to agree. They knew that their gear was safe on the beach and took off down the shore until they came to the dirt trail that would eventually lead them up to Cemetery Road and the airport. A single engine Cessna was getting ready to land. Anne could hear its engine and watched it make its approach.

They bypassed the airport and walked along the dirt trail that cut through the dense forest. They walked slowly and took their time so that they could enjoy the surroundings. Anne could smell the strong scent of pine needles and leaves mixed in with the salty smell that came from the water. A few squirrels ran along the ground not far from them, their movement stirring up the leaves and twigs in the ground. Anne could hear the call of birds as they swooped through the trees. A bright yellow golden warbler sat up on a branch watching them before it took to wing and landed high on a pine bough further up the path.

They decided to forgo walking all the way up to Cemetery Road and took a right onto the dirt path that looped back to the beach at its northern most edge. Not surprisingly, they didn't encounter anyone else on their trip or on the beach. With it being a Tuesday morning, there were less people around who would be willing to paddle the three miles to the beach. In addition, most visitors preferred the beach on the other side of the island in Cowlitz Bay where the ferry docked.

"Are you ready to test if the water is warm enough in the shallows for swimming, Anne?" Ben gave her a look that dared her to try it out. The waters of President Channel could still get cold this time of year and test the mettle of even the most ardent kayaker. Even the shallows were not immune to the cold temperatures of the waters further out. But Anne grew up on Orcas and swam on this beach many times in the past. She was willing to give it a try.

"I'm willing if you are."

Ben's answer was to remove his tee shirt and water shoes. Not to be beaten, she quickly pulled off her tee shirt and shorts, and together they ran into the water. The cold just about knocked Anne down, but it was a cold that her body could adjust to quickly, and not a cold that would zap her strength or cause her muscles to cramp. They played for a few minutes in the water before she called it quits and walked back onto the beach. They had stored towels inside their kayaks before taking off, and Anne pulled hers out and spread it on the sand. Ben came out of the water less than a minute behind her and followed suit. Then they dropped down and let the warm sun dry their swimming suits.

"I haven't done that in a long time," Anne said idly as her skin began to soak up the sun's rays. "It's been two years since I was last here."

"You haven't been to a beach in two years? The last I heard it, there are beaches out east, too." Anne smiled at the teasing tone of Ben's voice. "Why, two years since you were home?" Anne looked over at Ben and squinted to keep the sun out of her eyes. He was on his back with his eyes closed. She took a moment to admire his profile.

"I used to come back every summer for a week or two. Two years ago I was here for Carla's wedding. You remember my friend Carla, don't you?" Her eyes wandered lower on his body following the line of his chest, covered in solid muscles and brown hair, and across his stomach. The red suit could not hide the line of his groin or the strong muscles of his legs. After preventing a groan, she closed her eyes again and turned her head to face upward again.

"I remember Carla. She was the little blonde, right? If I remember right, she liked to cook. She was always trying out some recipe on us."

"That's her. She owns a catering company in Seattle now. It's called Anton's Catering." Anne thought she might as well give Carla's business a plug in case Ben or his family ever needed a caterer. You never knew.

"So why didn't you come back last summer if you've been coming back every year?"

"It just didn't work out with my schedule. I wanted to try to fit it in, but time got away from me. Before I knew it, another year had passed."

"Where along the East Coast do you live? You didn't tell me yesterday."

"Boston." Anne told him this while she tried to use her best imitation of a Boston accent. He laughed at her attempt and tried it himself. He did a better accent than she did. For the next half hour, they talked intermittently between companionable stretches of silence. Eventually, Ben sat up and looked around. A group of kayakers were coming ashore further north of them and dropping off their gear. Ben looked at his watch and told her the time. It was later than she thought, and it was about time to head back to the inn. Together, they dressed and packed up their towels before donning their life vests again. The sun was coming out of the southern sky now, so Anne pulled her sunglasses on to block the reflection from the water and took off with Ben at her side.

It took a little under an hour to reach the inn. Once they made it back, they turned in their gear and walked back up the path by way of Anne's parents' house. Anne thanked him for his company when he walked her to her door. He grinned at her politeness and raised an eyebrow, almost in a challenge. She wanted to kiss him, wanted him to kiss her. A blush began to creep up her skin, and she called herself a coward when she began to turn away to go inside. She stopped when she felt his hand touch her arm. Then he dipped his head down and gave her a quick kiss that stole her breath away.

She waited to see if he would kiss her again.

He didn't, and she felt disappointed because she wanted more than a quick kiss. But he did watch her closely, too closely, and she felt another blush creep into her face. He tapped the end of her nose with his finger and told her that she had better put some more sunscreen on before he chuckled and walked back up the path to the inn. She didn't know just how to interpret that, but his little peck left her wanting much, much more.

Chapter 6

Ben sat at his balcony table eating a BLT and waited until he saw Anne leave for her fill-in job as tour guide before he went inside. As he ate, he recounted the day's events and felt his temperature start to rise. They had eaten a nice breakfast and ride over to the island. Anne had not changed much. She still had that quirky sense of humor that he always liked. It might be tiring after a time if it was not for her intelligence and tendency to veer off on one of her scientific tangents that he always found fascinating. He had learned a lot from her when she would veer off when they were younger. It helped that she would mix something humorous in whatever she was talking about.

She came outside wearing a pair of white Capri pants, a yellow button down short sleeve sheet, and her customary white canvas sneakers. She had her hair clipped behind her head to control the mass. If she didn't, he could imagine the struggle it would be later to untangle all of that hair after a boat ride. She didn't see him and walked around to the little driveway where a white Toyota sat in the shade. He watched her drive away while he continued to admire her from his vantage point by his balcony door. Thinking back over the morning again, he remembered how she looked in that red bikini. It was all he could do at the time not to kiss her then. She was all rounded curves, long limbs, and smooth muscle. The cold water helped him hide his arousal. The little kiss when they returned was just a way to see how she would respond. He had wanted to kiss her again, much more deeply. He was pleased by her sudden breathlessness and the desire he saw in her eyes.

Now that he knew that she was ready for more, he arranged to have dinner alone at the inn. The rest of the family was going into Eastsound to the steakhouse, but he called off claiming that he needed to get some work done. He was counting on Anne eating at the inn again tonight with her parents, and he was sure that he could finagle an invitation to join them. With a smile on his face at his plan, he went to work on the new sales reports. Four hours later he took a break and sat out on his balcony again, drinking some complimentary water from the mini-fridge in his suite and looked out at the water.

He really did like it here. For years he considered either buying or building a vacation home on the island, but he was always too busy to fit in more than a week or two every summer. Now that things were moving along well with the company, he reconsidered the idea. As he watched the water, he saw Anne's rental car pull back into the driveway. She got out and walked around to the front door before she disappeared inside. Not in a hurry, he sat at the table drinking his water and waited for her to reappear again.

She came out of the house several minutes later wearing a dark blue sundress that gathered under her breasts and had a fitted waist and flared skirt that ended a few inches above her knees. The dress showed off her figure to the hilt. She was also wearing the silver sandals that gave great definition to her legs. Even from this distance he could see that her toenails were still painted the metallic blue color from yesterday and that morning, and she still wore a thin silver toe ring. Her hair was loose around her bare shoulders in a sexy fall that left him itching to feel if it was as silky as it looked. She wasn't carrying a purse, so she must be dining in just as he thought she might do again that night. He liked what he saw, and he quickly showered and changed for dinner into a white silk dress shirt and black trousers.

When he entered the front lobby from the elevator, he noticed a little ruckus at the front desk. It sounded as if some guests had decided to come up a day early, and their room was not ready yet. Someone else was demanding a room even though the person did not have a reservation at all. Knowing Jim and Jane, something would be done to get a room for the reserved couple that showed up a day early, but he didn't know what they would do with the other guest. Sure enough, he saw Jim leave the dining room and head to the counter to handle the check-in and Jane leave to head back to the employees-only area, probably to get help preparing a room. This left Anne sitting alone at their table by the picture window that faced the flowerbeds and a small bay.

Immediately going into the dining room, he crossed over to the Petrovic's table and stood at her right shoulder. This caused her to give a little gasp in surprise as she looked up at him. "Good evening, Anne. How are you tonight?"

"I-I'm fine, Ben. What are you doing here? That came out rude, didn't it? I mean, the rest of your party went into Eastsound, so I'm surprised to see you here." She looked at him with confusion written on her face. She had the slightest of tans coloring her clear skin. She wore some mascara tonight that made her blue eyes pop and a rosy lip color. Seeing her lips reminded him of his thoughts earlier in the day, and he smiled in anticipation.

"I had some work to finish up. So I told them to go on without me, and I would eat in my suite. But I finished up sooner than I had planned and decided to come down to the dining room to see if a table was available," he told her innocently with a shoulder shrug then pulled the empty chair out so that she would not have to crane her neck to look up at him any longer. A waitress came over and quickly took his drink order.

"All the tables have been reserved for the evening." She looked around the room and saw that every table was indeed full. The lounge was also full. Looking back at him, she smiled shyly. "We have an extra chair. Would you like to join us?"

"Thank you, Anne. I would like that very much. Your parents won't mind?" He liked the look of uncertainty that entered her eyes when she asked him to dinner. Now that he was sitting close to her, he could smell the perfume she was wearing. She smelled like a combination of citrus, which he guessed was from her shampoo, and an undefined floral scent that he found very sexy. He looked down for a second at her full lips then back to her eyes that were so beautiful that he lost himself for a moment in their aquamarine color. Her eyes had always turned him on. Finally, she looked away from him toward the door to the lobby, and he could see a slight blush creep up on her chest and neck. Her breasts rose with her deep breath causing her nipples to tent the blue fabric of her bodice. She was definitely aware of him, he thought with satisfaction.

"Here comes my mother, now." Ben looked over at Anne's mother who was crossing the room to their table. Seeing the disappointed look on her face, Ben guessed that the inn's early arrivals would take up more of hers and Jim's time than originally thought, and he silently thanked the unexpected guests for creating an opportunity for him to have time alone with Anne.

"Hi, sweetheart. Hello, Ben," she greeted them when she finally reached their table. "This is going to take longer than I thought. Would it be ok if we pushed dinner back an hour? Ben, since you're here, maybe you could keep company with Anne so that she doesn't have to sit alone at the table?"

"It won't be a problem with me as long as it is ok with Anne?" Ben could not believe his luck. He looked at Anne with raised eyebrows and a hopeful look on his face. When she gave her assent with a warm smile, he smiled back at her. Both of them missed the look her mother gave them at seeing their expressions.

"Then again, Ben, maybe it would be best if the two of you just went ahead and ate without Jim and me. There's no sense in waiting for us since this will take a while, and Anne must be hungry after her tour this afternoon. Jim and I will eat later."

"Are you sure, Mom?" Anne looked back at her mother, her lips slightly pursed.

"Sure, I'm sure. You two have a nice dinner tonight, and we will try again tomorrow evening." Then she patted her daughter's shoulder and walked away again leaving the two of them alone at the table. Ben could not have planned the intimate dinner alone with Anne better if he had tried. He looked over at Anne who was now reading the menu with great interest. A little smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. The waitress came back quickly with a tall glass of beer from the tap and set it on the table in front of him. Anne looked up when the waitress arrived and watched him as he took his first sip.

"I don't know about you, Ben, but I am pretty hungry," Anne exclaimed as she leaned back in her chair. Her aquamarine blue eyes twinkled, and she shook her head in humor. "That was some very clever maneuvering to get a dinner invitation, Mr. Carlson. Did you arrange the diversion, as well?"

Surprised at being found out so soon, he started laughing, which set her softly laughing, too. The sound of her laughter and the look on her face reached into his gut and grabbed hold. "I wish I could say that I arranged that, but alas my pretty, my plan was only to get a dinner invitation." He twirled the end of an imaginary mustache, a move that started her laughing even louder. "Just how many of those have you had, already? I'm not that funny." He indicated the glass of Chardonnay in front of her.

"This one is my first, and no, you are not that funny. But the situation is, and I could really use a good laugh after the tour. So, thank you, Ben, for coming to my rescue, such as it is."

"You are welcome. A toast..." he raised his glass and waited for her to raise her glass, too, "to making the most of a beautiful evening with a beautiful woman. Later, I plan on taking her down to the water and having my evil way with her," he said in his most charming way.

"You think so, do you?" Her grin was slightly shy. Her blush was back, and he found himself becoming enchanted with her once again.

"A man can always hope." He touched his glass to hers and swallowed some beer, never looking away from her face the whole time. She shook her head again with a slight smile on her face and sipped her wine. Then the waitress came back again to take their order, and they concentrated on the menu selections.

The next hour and a half passed as a fun, relaxing time, and Ben found himself enjoying her company immensely. He found out that she was single that morning, an important piece of information to his way of thinking, but learned that evening that she was once engaged. She didn't elaborate about why she and her ex-fiancé broke up, and he didn't ask. They also talked about the tour ride that afternoon, which, he found out, was not much fun because of a surly female passenger who complained throughout the tour about everything from the chairs to the water spray and wind that messed up her hair.

They reminisced further about their times on the island and discovered that they liked to do many of the same things in addition to kayaking and biking. He didn't tell her that he owned a company because he didn't want the knowledge to influence her one way or another about a relationship with him. He skirted that topic of what he did when she asked by just saying that he was in the manufacturing business. He found out that Anne was on summer break from teaching and also worked as a business consultant.

Ben also discovered that she enjoyed football, namely the Seattle Seahawks and the University of Washington Huskies, just as he did, and they got into a lengthy discussion about the Seahawks draft picks and the upcoming season. She must be a fan because she followed them closely via satellite television and never missed a game. He forgave her for not liking basketball and for her take or leave attitude for baseball, and she forgave him for not liking to read for pleasure.

He especially found her charming when she described growing up on the island and at the inn even though he had heard her say it all before. She lit up from the inside when she described some of her adventures and the many guests they had over the years. Then he told her that he was thinking about either buying or building a vacation home on the island and asked her opinion about the best places to build. She considered what he liked to do and recommended finding a place close to Eastsound because of its central location on the island, although there really wasn't a bad location. She also told him to talk to her parents because they would know where to look and who to talk to about buying.

All evening long, he watched the play of emotions across her face and how she talked with her lovely hands. He remembered that she was always expressive. She could not talk without her hands moving. He was surprised that she never wore rings on her long fingers. She smiled frequently as she spoke, and he had a strong desire to taste her lips again. The little freckles he remembered on her nose were no longer there, covered now with powder, and her lightly tanned skin looked soft and warm to the touch. She never was able to develop a deep tan, being fairly light skinned, and always wore sunscreen to prevent burning.

The skin of her chest was slightly lighter than her arms and shoulders, and he remembered how she looked in her bikini. He longed to run his fingers along her throat and down through the deep V of her dress. He could just see the beginning of the under curves of her breasts and her hard nipples again. The sight aroused him, and he moved in his chair to ease his discomfort. She did not seem to notice. Her hair curled around her face, over her shoulders, and down her back in soft waves. The dark brown color was streaked with red highlights caused by the lighting in the room. The more she talked, the more he found himself wanting their meal to continue so that he could look at her and hear more of what she had to say.

The evening was going so well, in fact, that when the last of their food was cleared away and they were drinking coffee, he found that he didn't want the evening to end with dinner. He could not remember ever being with a woman whom he was so at ease with and also found attractive. He thought by the looks she gave him that she felt the same way and would want to extend their evening together. Finally, he had to ask her. "It looks like a nice night, and it is much too early to call it a day. I was thinking about going down to the dock and watching the sunset. I know I promised to have my evil way with you if you went down to the water with me, but if I promise to be mostly good, would you come with me?"

"Mostly good? Now I'm intrigued at how you define 'mostly good.'" She looked at him in that quiet way that took hold of his gut again, with a slight rise of the corners of her soft mouth and a smile around her eyes.

"'Mostly good' means that you are safe from total ravishment, but you can plan on more than me just walking beside you without at least holding your hand. So, Anne...do you feel brave enough to be 'mostly good' with me and see where the evening leads us?"

"I think so, Ben. A walk down to the dock sounds nice."

"Good. Then follow me." He stood up and pulled her chair back from the table. Then he gave her a charming smile at her raised eyebrows and took her hand to lead her from the dining room. There were two doors that led into the dining room, one from the lobby and the other from the lounge that opened up directly to the back patio. He decided to go through the lounge.

They had just entered the crowded room when he noticed someone he did not want to see sitting at the bar. Chelsea Riverton, an ex-girlfriend, sat at the long bar next to her parents and sipped her usual martini. He swore under his breath and stopped walking, forcing Anne to stop beside him. She looked at him confused by his sudden halt and scowl. "Listen, Anne. I need you to do something for me, will you?" He asked in a low serious tone.

"What is it?" She asked imitating his tone.

"Do you see that woman with the red hair in the white outfit sitting at the bar?" Anne looked over to the bar then back at him and gave a small nod. "She's here for the wedding. My family and hers have known each other for years, and a few years ago we dated for a while. It didn't work out, and she made things difficult. Now every time I see her, she comes on to me as if we're still a couple. She does it even if I'm with another woman. I think she thinks that one day I'll come to my senses and marry her. Would you run some interference for me?"

"Say no more, Ben. I've got you covered." She looked over at him in a conspiring way.

"You really do read a lot, don't you? Get ready. She spotted us and is coming over."

"Ben, darling. Wasn't that dinner just wonderful? I love seafood." Anne said with a sigh and started acting for the benefit of the red headed woman who was now within hearing range. "I just love this place. We'll have to come again. In fact, maybe we should have our wedding here, too. What do you think, Ben?"

Whatever Chelsea was about to say turned into a garbled mess once she heard Anne talk about their wedding. Ben decided to go with it.

"I think I like that idea very much, sweetheart." He leaned in to kiss Anne then stopped when he saw Chelsea standing next to them. "Chelsea! What a surprise. I didn't expect to see you here for the wedding. It looks like your parents came early, too. We weren't expecting them until tomorrow or Thursday."

Chelsea's cheeks were red, and her blue eyes were bright as she looked back and forth between Anne and him and at his arm that he held around Anne's waist. Anne put her left arm around his waist and her right hand on his chest when she turned into him to let a waitress loaded down with a tray of drinks pass behind her. Chelsea saw the move and gritted her teeth in a phony smile. Each time Chelsea looked at Anne, her face became redder until Ben thought that she would go for Anne's jugular.

"Who is this, Ben?" She ground out between her clenched teeth and the false smile that she plastered on her face. Ben could see Chelsea's parents looking at them with concern from their bar stools.

"This is my fiancée, Anne," Ben said innocently.

"Hello, I'm Anne Conner..." Anne stuck her hand out for a handshake. "...And you are Chelsea. Ben has told me so much about you."

"When did the two of you get engaged?" Chelsea ignored Anne and ground out the next question to him again.

"Just this evening. Isn't it wonderful?" Anne went on happily as if Chelsea would be happy about the news and congratulate them. "Of course, we don't want to announce it just yet, do we Ben, honey, because we don't want to draw away from Lily's big day?" Ben had to admire Anne's pluck and quick thinking even if her talking about marriage to him did raise immediate alarm bells. He would play his part to get rid of Chelsea, though.

"That's right, sweetheart. So Chelsea, I'm sure you understand why we want to keep quiet about this for the time being." He kept up with their story. "Thanks. Good to see you again, Chelsea." Then after taking Anne's hand again, he pulled her through the throng of people in the lounge to the patio door and left Chelsea to stand alone in the aisle.

Once they were on the patio, Ben kept on walking until they had walked across the large patio filled with guests sitting at tables, around the heated pool where people still swam, and down the path that led down to the dock. He spotted a small set of steps at the edge of the dock by the water's edge then led Anne down the steps and along the shoreline until they were out of sight of the people who stood fishing on the dock and the few cottages that dotted the shore. When they were totally alone, he stopped walking, let go of Anne's hand and stepped over to the small rocky shore, which left Anne standing alone on the grass. He needed to put some distance between them. The alarm that he felt when she told Chelsea that she was his fiancée began to turn to anger and panic now that they were away from the lounge. Finally, he put his hands on his hips, and turned around to face Anne.

"Would you care to tell me what that was about? You were supposed to only act as my date for the evening." He was angry and becoming angrier. She went above and beyond what he expected. She was just supposed to run interference long enough to get Chelsea to leave him alone and for them to get out of the lounge. All he could think about now was that Anne was trying to maneuver herself into a real marriage, just as past girlfriends did, only this time using a whole new tactic.

"You said you needed help to get the woman to leave you alone," Anne said reasonably. "As long as Chelsea thinks there is still a chance, she'll be all over you this week unless she thinks that you are off the market."

"But marriage?" His anger deflated as soon as she began using reason. He overreacted. He knew that, and when he realized that she was right, he felt the tension leave his body and tried to shake off the lingering doubts. After his last girlfriend and some of the stunts a few of his other past girlfriends tried, he was naturally leery. Then there was Chelsea and all she pulled over the years.

"For Heaven's sake, Ben. There is no need to look like that. It's only a make believe engagement. It will be over on Saturday night, Sunday morning at the latest. Relax. I don't have any marriage designs on you. I'll be leaving next week anyway, and I don't believe in long distance relationships."

He took a deep breath, turned around again, and forced himself to relax. As he looked out at the water, he could see the outline of a fishing boat with its trolling lights on about midway through the channel headed southwest. "She will say something to my family."

"Probably. She seems like the type." He turned to look back at Anne. She had taken her sandals off and was now sitting on an overturned tree trunk that made a perfect bench. He could not believe how relaxed she looked. He was finding it difficult to maintain his anger when he looked at her. It was really hard to stay angry with someone who was both logical and beautiful. As he looked at her calm demeanor and pretty smile, he considered the advantages of a fake engagement over the next few days. The setting sun sent fire through her curly hair, and the skin of her chest, her shoulders, and her arms looked downy soft. She looked sexy as hell, and he wanted her right now. Sighing, he walked over and sat down beside her.

"Ok. What do we tell our families?"

"We tell them the truth. We tell them that I'm only acting as your fiancée as a favor to you until the wedding is over."

"It's going to be a job to pull this one off even with the help of our families. You don't know Chelsea. What about where you sleep?" He looked over at her contemplative expression.

"I can see where you are going with this." Her expression turned slightly nervous.

"I didn't mean that I expected you to sleep with me. What kind of a jerk do you think I am, Anne? I only meant that, Chelsea will never believe that you don't sleep in the same room as me, and trust me, she will check."

"She'll check, huh?" Anne sat in silence looking out at the water. Ben wasn't sure what she was thinking. "Which room is yours?"

He told her his suite number, surprised by the question. What did she have planned now?

"Perfect. Every night I'll go up to your room with you and sneak down the back balcony fire escape. Then, in the mornings, I'll sneak back in the same way, and we can go down to breakfast together. What do you think?" The plan did sound good.

"We will have to spend our days together as well. That will spoil your vacation and your time with your parents."

"I probably would not have been spending much time with them, anyway, with this being their busy season. Ok, here's the deal, Ben. How were you planning on spending your few days up here until Friday night's groom's dinner?"

"I had planned on doing some more kayaking and doing some biking over the next few days in between getting some work done."

"Perfect! So was I. We can go together on our outings. When we get back, I'll swim, read, or do something else while you're busy with work or wedding preparations. Then when you leave on Sunday, we can part, and that will be that. We don't see each other again, and you can tell Chelsea whatever you want. Job complete."

"Ok, fine. That sounds pretty cut and dried when you lay it out like that, but what about when I kiss you? Or you kiss me?" He saw the look of alarm that crossed her face.

"What?"

"They are called 'shows of affection', my dear. We have to have them to make this all believable. We have to act like a newly engaged couple, and that means that I get to touch you openly, and I expect you to touch me as well. It also means that there will be times when I will kiss you, and you will kiss me. What's more, I am not talking about a little peck like from earlier today. I'm talking about a real kiss. In fact, we should practice now to make sure we have the right chemistry." She suddenly gave a soft chuckle and looked at him with humor in her eyes.

"This is the being 'mostly good' part of the walk to the water, isn't it?" He flashed a charming smile at her reference to their earlier discussion. The answering smile on her face drew him in, and he felt the catch in his gut again.

"I guess it is." The humor left him only to be replaced by the desire to finally taste her mouth and touch her skin. The intensity of his desire surprised him. He had made his fortune by following his gut, and right now his gut was telling him to kiss her. Turning to face her, he put one arm around her back and the other up to her face then leaned in until his lips covered hers. He soon found himself lost in the sensation and the flavor of Anne.

Chapter 7

Anne nearly threw herself into his arms when he started talking about kissing her on a regular basis. Ever since they parted that afternoon, she wondered if she would see him again other than in passing. Then when he maneuvered himself into having dinner with her, she was both nervous and thrilled to have him there. All evening long, she felt the desire to kiss him, to taste him, to touch him, grow as it did all that last summer when she turned seventeen and that morning after his too brief peck on her lips.

It did not surprise her that she sincerely enjoyed spending time with him. She and Ben always found it easy to talk to each other. What did surprise her was just how much they still had in common. Then when he looked at her with those brown eyes warm with desire, she felt like she would melt from the heat. Once he started talking about taking her for a walk down to the water after dinner, she practically jumped at the chance to find out what a real kiss from him would be like. She knew that he was angling her toward one or two in the moonlight when he talked about bringing her down here. Chelsea showing up had only added a new twist to the already eventful day. Anne never planned on initiating the engagement story. It just came out. Thankfully, Ben went with it.

For the last ten minutes, she waited calmly and watched his anger rise then disappear altogether, bringing him back to his usual friendly self. She remembered that about his personality. If it was something that he was really passionate about, his emotions were closer to the surface. The exchange with Chelsea clearly upset him. He may have followed along with Anne's story, but when they were finally alone, he let her see that he was angered by the exchange. But, just as quickly as his temper rose, it went away leaving him once again looking at her with that intense gaze that set her insides quivering in anticipation, her desire returning to match his own.

When she felt his arm slide around her and his other hand touch her face, she closed her eyes and leaned in for his kiss. The first brush of his lips was soft against hers as if he was testing the texture of her lips. She liked it. His lips were firm and soft at the same time. Then his tongue darted out to trace the seam of her lips, and she opened her mouth to allow in his tongue. The pressure of his lips increased and she moaned softly at the pleasure and the desire to feel and taste more of him. She wrapped her arms around to his back to hold him closer and felt his body heat warm her front. His kiss was wonderful. Then he sucked gently on her lower lip, and she felt a strong stirring straight down to her core.

He responded to her moan of pleasure by pulling her in closer to his chest until her breasts pressed flat against him and she was leaning backward from his weight. His hand that touched her face moved down to stroke her neck then slid to her shoulder when she pulled him in closer to her body. His tongue once again invaded her mouth, and she rubbed her tongue against his seductively. He tasted like the coffee he drank just before they left the dining room and the strawberry cheesecake she shared with him for dessert. Then he pulled his tongue back slightly and sucked on her lower lip again, sending the wave of pleasure to her core until she felt the first sign of wetness.

The pleasure intensified, and she raised her arms until they circled his neck. Then his hand moved down over her front and brushed against her breast before moving to her waist. Her breast continued to tingle where his hand brushed, and she wanted it back on her. She groaned in protest and nipped his lip, causing an answering groan from him.

Then he broke the kiss and pulled back so that he could look at her face. He was breathing heavy, and she could feel his arousal pressed between them hard against her belly. She was practically under him from his leaning over her.

"We definitely have chemistry," he said huskily before his mouth found hers again.

This was what she wanted. She gave herself over to the pleasure of Ben's mouth and his hand that rested on her hip while his thumb brushed over her low belly.

She had never had such a primal reaction to a kiss before. She wanted to be closer to Ben in ways that she had never wanted with anyone else. She wanted desperately to feel his hand back on her breast and his lips on her body. It was as if her body had taken over, and she was no longer capable of rational thought. He understood what she wanted because he suddenly lifted her until she straddled his lap. Her senses were immediately assaulted with the feeling of his arousal now at her juncture and his hand that rose again to her breast. He found her hard nipple and teased it with his fingers through the thin material of her sundress, and she whimpered with desire.

Then his mouth moved from hers to the sensitive side of her neck and down to her collarbone. She tilted her head to give him better access as she drowned in the sensation of his mouth finally on her skin and his tongue lightly brushing her collarbone at the indentation at the base of her throat. The teasing fingers at her breast and the feel of him next to her caused a physical reaction. She gasped in breath and pressed herself closer to his body, eliciting another groan from him. She felt powerful in her ability to excite him, something that she had never felt before with anyone else. His hand stopped its gentle teasing to slide the spaghetti strap from her shoulder and push her bodice down enough to free the breast he had been teasing the second before. Then she felt his hand cover her and test the weight of her full breast. She almost climaxed from that alone, but she wanted his mouth to cover it, and she began to squirm.

Knowing what she wanted, his mouth moved to her breast at last, and she felt his warm breath on her skin and the touch of his tongue tease over the nipple. The feel of his tongue sliding over the sensitive nub nearly drove her over the edge, and she gasped. She felt his free hand slide down to the hem of her dress then move under the fabric until he was touching her naked thigh. She gasped again when she felt him finally take her into his mouth. Her physical response was greater, and she was overcome with the pleasure. She was losing herself in the sensations he caused and wanted him to touch her. She wanted to touch him, too, but all she could reach was his head to hold him to her breast. When his fingers found her, she nearly came undone. That was what she wanted.

He moved his lips back to her mouth and began to kiss her again to drown out her cries as his fingers worked their magic on her flesh, creating a sweat torture. Her climax, when it came, overtook her fully, and she embraced it until her body was sated and became relaxed in a wonderful afterglow.

He released her mouth once she climaxed and put his lips on her neck again where her pulse hammered away wildly. Holding her to him, he breathed deeply and struggled to get his own desire under control. When she was finally able to breathe normally again, she brushed her fingers through his hair, liking the thick silky texture. He gently removed his hand and wrapped his arm around her to hold her tenderly against him.

"I like your idea of 'mostly good', Ben," she managed to say, her voice husky with spent passion. "What do you say we go back to your room and I will show you my version of 'mostly bad'?" He chuckled and kissed her neck where her pulse beat.

"As tempting as that is, Anne, I can't let you. I promised that I wouldn't ravish you tonight. Remember? It's too soon." He looked up at her and smiled at her frustrated look. Then he gave her a quick peck on the lips. "I can't let you take advantage of my virtue, young lady."

"Too soon?" She kissed him in a lingering kiss that caused him to moan and pull away in frustration.

"It's too soon for us. It's not the right time, and I don't have what I need to take care of you right now. If you were another kind of woman, Anne, then maybe we would take it further. But you're not the kind to let a man even go this far this soon, are you? So, sweetheart, I promise it will happen, but first I need to woo you a little bit first. We both have to be ready." Ben gave one last kiss before standing up. Upon seeing that her breast was still exposed, he cupped her with his hand then regretfully moved the bodice and shoulder strap back in place.

"Woo me," she said to herself. "The man drives me wild until I climax in his arms, then he says he wants to woo me. What's next, Carlson?" At his look, she gulped. She had a good idea of what came next, and she was surprised how much she wanted it. Then remembering her sandals were on the ground, she leaned against him for support so that she could slip them back on her feet. The little break allowed her to gain control of her breathing. When she stood back up, she looked around and saw that the sun had set while they were out here. He had her so wrapped up with what he was doing to her body that she did not even notice. Holding his hand now as he led her back along the shore, she became lost in thought until they climbed the steps to the dock that was now lit by overhead lights.

"There is something I need to tell you, Ben, about myself." She stopped to look at him and her face became illuminated by the light bulb shining down on them.

"Is it bad?"

"No, it's not bad," she answered with a small laugh. "I wanted you to know that Anne is actually my middle name and the name I go by here at the inn. My mom and I have the same name, but to avoid confusion I usually go by my middle name. I just wanted you to know in case we run into some of the locals who call me Jane."

"Jane Anne. Not a problem, sweetheart. But I'll stick with Anne if it is all right with you."

"Ok, Ben."

"Ok, Anne." He grinned at her then reached out to brush away strands of hair that blew into her face from the soft breeze that came in over the water. Her hair was a riot of brown curls that only emphasized her bright blue eyes. Her lips were swollen from his kisses, and she had a beard rash on her neck and chin because he had not bothered to shave again that evening when getting ready for dinner. She did not know any of this. She only knew that he was staring at her in a way that made her want to drag him off down the shore again so that they could finish what they started.

"Do I look all right to you?" she finally asked him. He had to stop looking at her like he was doing, or she would drag him back. The last thing she wanted was to have everyone know what they had been doing together out here.

"You look great to me. You look just like a woman who had sex."

"I do not, do I?" She looked up at him in alarm.

"Relax, Anne. You look fine. Come on. We had better go explain the plan to our families."

After taking her hand again, he walked beside her back up to the main building and entered this time through a back entrance that would take them down a hall and into the lobby. After all of their talk of speaking to their families, it was rather anticlimactic when none of their family members were around. The only person they encountered was Chelsea who sat in the lobby reading the newspaper. She watched them enter the lobby suspiciously but, otherwise, left them alone.

"Come on, sweetheart. Time for bed," he said before he steered Anne over to the elevator. While they waited for the car to come to the first floor, he whispered to her then leaned down for a sensual kiss. Anne knew the kiss was just as much for Chelsea's benefit as it was for her own, but she smiled at Ben anyway.

She walked beside Ben in the hallway down to his suite and wondered if she could change his mind about sleeping with her tonight. The thought shocked her, but then she was shocked at her overall behavior tonight. She couldn't even blame it on alcohol because she only had one glass of wine. Since when had she become such a wanton woman that she would sleep with a man after so short an acquaintance? She had only had two short lived romances in her twenty-nine years and not a lot of sexual experience from either. Apparently she had some latent sexual tendencies that Ben brought out in her, she thought logically. She needed to get back to her parents' house and think about all of this without his presence affecting her judgment.

He opened his door and allowed her to walk in first, and she flipped on the light as she waited for him to close and lock his door. They were in the sitting room of the suite. He came to her immediately after locking up and pulled her into his arms. Then he kissed her until she was ready to drag him to the bedroom for more. All too soon for her tastes, he stopped and pulled back enough so that he could hold her still in the circle of his arms. He looked down at her with a look of frustration then kissed the end of her nose before he let her go entirely.

"You have quite a powerful effect on me, my dear Anne. Did you know that? You always have. Not tonight, but soon, you won't be going out that door." He kissed her again then pulled away with a groan to look down at her. "I intend to make sure you experience my 'mostly bad' in a very good way." She sighed in frustrated desire then allowed him to pull her to the back balcony door off of the sitting room. Before stepping outside, she pulled him back into her arms and kissed him until he was drawing her in closer to his body. Then she stepped away, walked over the threshold, and turned to look at him.

"You always had an effect on me, too. Goodnight, Ben. What are you going to do for the rest of the night? It's still pretty early."

"Take the coldest shower I can handle then try to get a few hours of work in. Goodnight my sexy little temptress. I'll see you in the morning. I get up around five and usually have coffee in my room before heading down at six. So meet me up here before six." She gave him one last smile before she slipped quietly into the night.

* * * * *

Ben didn't waste any time after Anne left his suite. After a quick cold shower, he went down to the lobby and was told by the front desk that his parents and the Petrovics were in the lounge. He noticed that Chelsea was gone. Thank God for that. He decided to skip talking to his and Anne's parents tonight, preferring to do so when Anne was with him, and asked for keys to one of the inn's cars. Then he drove until he found the island's only 24-hour pharmacy. He went inside and came out a few minutes later with a box of condoms and a few other necessities. If tonight was any indication of what was ahead, he would have Anne in his bed tomorrow night if not sooner.

Thinking of Anne, he smiled. He liked her. He always had, and there were not that many women whom he actually liked as a friend and whom he also wanted to take to bed. She was fun to be with, had a quick intelligent mind, and had a great sense of humor. Then there was her body. She had a body made for sex. In all his fantasies about her when they were teenagers, he never thought that she would be as responsive as she was tonight. It was all he could do to hang onto his control when she climaxed, he thought. Her lips were like honey, too. He never kissed a woman who could seduce him so quickly with just the touch of her lips and tongue on his. He knew that she was not the type of woman to fall into bed with virtual strangers, which they were after all of these years. Neither was he, for that matter, but when he touched her it was like a flame went wild in both of them. He could not explain it. He had never had that connection with another woman before.

It was a good thing she was leaving the state after that weekend because if she lived in Seattle then he would be tempted to keep seeing her. He would not have been able to stay away. It was just as well she was leaving, he told himself again. At least he knew that she was not after him for his money. She didn't know his real last name or who he really was, and she was perfectly okay with leaving once their vacation romance ended. He ignored the catch in his gut at the idea of using her then walking away and drove back to the inn.

Chapter 8

Anne climbed up the back balcony's narrow fire escape staircase around five-thirty the next morning. The lights were off in Ben's sitting room and the door was locked, so she tried the bedroom door and found it unlocked. Ben had flipped the security bar over to keep the door open a crack. She pushed the door and slipped inside then turned on a small table lamp. His bed was empty. The sheets were messed up and still warm, which indicated that he just got up. She heard the sound of the shower being turned on inside the bathroom and saw a sliver of light under the door. With nothing to do but wait for him, she crossed over to the sitting room and made a pot of coffee at the buffet counter. Then, thinking a cinnamon bagel would be nice, she grabbed the key card from the table and went downstairs to the inn's casual sitting room where a continental buffet was being set up for guests who preferred a light breakfast as opposed to a bigger breakfast in the dining room. She remembered that Ben used to like chocolate covered cake donuts and blueberry muffins, so she grabbed one of each and a cinnamon bagel for herself.

There was no one in the hall on her way back up the stairs or in the hallway when she let herself back into Ben's room a few minutes later. She could still hear water running in the bathroom, only this time it came from the sink. After setting her plate of goodies down on the coffee table, she poured herself a cup of coffee and added two creamers just as she liked it. The morning edition of the _Seattle Times_ was waiting outside the hall door when she returned, and she had brought it in with her and set it on the table next to the plate. Seeing it still where she left it, she sat down on the couch and picked it up to read while she enjoyed her coffee and bagel. Wednesdays were typically not known for being newsworthy, and today proved no exception.

She flipped through the sections until she found the business section where there was a brief mention about Stanford Enterprises winning an award for its improvements in the field of manufacturing biochemical research. The award was to be given out in a gala event in early August. She thought about the news article, and she was hit once again with the desire to work for the company and be a part of all of their important research. She had not heard anything about a call back yet, but there were still interviews to be conducted that week.

She moved further along in the paper until she came to the lifestyle section where there was a photo on the front page of a young, blonde socialite with her new husband. Normally she wouldn't care, but her eyes caught on the photo because the man looked familiar. After looking closer at the man, she had a start and shook her head unbelievingly. The man was none other than her father, the distinguished attorney, Andrew Conner. The woman looked younger than Anne. This would make her new stepmother wife number six for her father. He certainly was a busy man, Anne thought with more than a touch of rancor. Just as long as he stayed out of her life, she thought. Mom would see the article and probably think the same.

Anne's mother was the first wife of Andrew Conner. They met while he was still in law school, and she was a receptionist working at his father's law firm thirty years ago. They fell in love and after a whirlwind courtship of two months decided to get married. Actually, they needed to get married because Anne was on the way. Her mother was a month and a half pregnant when they eloped in Las Vegas before returning to break the news to his parents. It was not a warm welcome. The scene, from what Anne was told, was not pretty. Her grandfather accused Anne's mother of trying to trap her father with another man's child even though her mother had been a virgin prior to her father entering the picture.

From there things got even uglier, and her grandfather threatened to disinherit her father if the marriage was not annulled immediately. Her father folded under the threat, and the marriage was soon annulled. Anne's mother was fired from the firm and kicked out on the street. She was devastated at losing her husband and job in a betrayal of her love and trust. But she learned an important lesson. Money and connections always came first with the Conners. Eventually, she made her way back to Orcas Island, where she was from, and moved in with her parents while she worked at a local resort. After Anne was born, she fell in love with and married Anne's stepfather, Jim, a Croatian immigrant who came from a long line of hoteliers and who was on the island looking for a place to invest in a new resort. The rest of their story was history.

It was not as nice for Anne. Except for the eyes and brows she shared with her mother, most of her looks came from her father's side of the family, namely her paternal grandmother. Anne's life changed forever when a photo of her winning an all-state seventh grade science competition made it into the _Seattle Times_ and was seen by her paternal grandfather. By that time, her father had married and divorced his third wife with no children coming from either the second or third marriages. This left her grandparents without any grandchildren and a sudden desire to meet Anne. At the urging of her grandfather, her father took her mother to court demanding full custody of Anne. After a long and nasty custody battle, her father lost. But while his bid for full custody failed, he was granted visitations on every other weekend, every other holiday, and a month every summer. The court ruling also required Anne to take back her father's last name of Conner, something that her grandfather fought hard for in court.

Anne was young and had not known that Jim was not her real father until the court case. Feeling confused and betrayed with her mother and stepfather for not being honest with the truth, Anne opened her heart unwisely to her father and grandparents. But what she did not know at the time was that her grandfather was dying of cancer, and he had set up a trust fund for Anne to be administered by her father. It was worth millions. The terms of the trust put her father in complete control of her money and left him with the belief that he could also control her young life.

Her father was overly critical of all of her choices and played so many mind games that it eventually ate at her self-confidence until she was afraid to make even the smallest mistake for fear of how he would react. He even went so far as to arrange her boyfriends and an engagement while she was an undergrad in college. She finally saw the light at the beginning of her senior year and kicked her father out of her life for good. The money from the trust would become hers next year when she turned thirty, but she didn't want any of it. She just wanted to forget her father ever existed.

Anne was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't hear the water being turned off, nor did she hear Ben moving around the bedroom until he came into the sitting room wearing only a pair of gray sweatpants. The sweatpants rested low on his hips. She could see the outline of his groin and knew that the sweatpants were all he wore. Ben was another issue, Anne thought. This was Ben Carlson, the boy that she was so sure she loved back when she was in high school. The man he became was sexy, smart, and had a great personality, and she responded to him in a manner so unlike her usual reserved manner with men. She laid awake for most of the night trying to reconcile her behavior when she was around him yesterday with that of the sensible woman she usually was and could not come up with an answer. The only thing she could think was that there were some residual feelings and urges left over from her teen years.

Sometime during the middle of the night, she decided that she needed to treat the next five days like a job and keep her head where Ben was concerned. She was going to tell him today that anything more than a kiss or touch in front of Chelsea would be out of the question. She just was not the kind of woman to engage in meaningless sex with near strangers, her behavior the night before and their past friendship notwithstanding. If he had not held back, had not been the sensible one last night, she would be regretting much more than what they did do. But the minute he walked into the room dressed as he was looking sexy without a shirt over his hair covered chest and with the low riding sweatpants, all of her sound reasoning flew out the window. She was in serious trouble from this man and more so from herself.

"Good morning, Anne," he said cheerfully as he walked into the room and sat next to her. The sensual look in his brown eyes caused a flutter in her belly and her loins to contract with remembered pleasure. Her mouth suddenly went dry, and she gulped her coffee, which caused her to burn her mouth. Ben smiled in understanding when she grimaced at the pain of the hot coffee.

"Good morning, Ben." She was able to talk after a moment. He watched her closely, his smile gone as he looked for something, a clue perhaps, on how she would act with him after last night. She gave him a strained smile, and he let out a disappointed breath.

"Having regrets and second thoughts?" She sighed then looked at the pattern on the carpet.

"I don't know what came over me last night. That wasn't like me at all," she told him sadly. He nodded his head quietly and picked up the donut. They sat in silence while he took a bite and chewed. It was clear to her that he was thinking and was worried.

"Look, Anne. I would never force you into something you did not want or was not ready for. I hope you know that. But I would still like your help with Chelsea. I know that I'm asking a lot." He had been looking earnestly into her eyes when he spoke, and she could feel herself becoming lost in her desire to spend more time with him once again.

"Alright," she eventually told him.

"Good. We will follow the same plan we discussed last night." He finished off his donut then went over to pour himself a cup of coffee that he took straight without cream or sugar. Then he sat back down beside her again and turned to look at her. "You're worried about what happened between us last night, aren't you?"

"Of course I'm worried." She was worried. Was her response to him a fluke? Would it happen again? She just did not know about this new aspect of herself.

"I won't force myself on you, Anne."

"I know you won't," she jumped in to reassure him. "I just..." She did not know how to complete her thought and caught her bottom lip between her teeth. He looked at her questioningly with an eyebrow raised but did not say anything. He was waiting for her. She took a deep breath and started again. "I just did not recognize myself last night," she said truthfully. "Everything between us just sort of exploded."

"And you're wondering what happened? Was it an anomaly? Would it happen again? Will it go further if we began kissing again?" He looked at her closely. She realized that he understood and didn't think poorly of her.

"Precisely."

"I think that you're overthinking this, Anne. But if it helps, I'm game for an experiment. The only way to find out if it happens a second time is if I kiss you again. No surprises. No romantic dinners and walks..."

"Just the cold light of day," she finished for him. He gave a wry smile then took the coffee cup from her hands and put it on the table. "I want you to kiss me, Ben."

"I'm going to." He turned on the couch so that he could put his right elbow on the backrest and hold her head with his hand. Her hair was down again, and she felt his fingers weave into her curls at the back of her head. With his left hand he found the pulse beating at her neck and caressed it with his thumb. She put her hands on his naked chest just as he leaned in and lightly pressed his lips to the corner of her mouth in a brief kiss before claiming her lips with his own.

He kissed her softly at first with just his lips until she sighed and opened her mouth so that she could take his tongue inside. That was all the encouragement he needed before claiming her mouth in a kiss that soon went from savoring to passionate. He tasted so good again. The pleasure of his lips and tongue rubbing against hers was so exquisite that she pulled him closer until her arms were wrapped around his back. His skin felt so warm under her hands. He increased the pressure from his hand at the back of her head as his other moved under the collar of her button down shirt until his palm rested on the upper swell of her right breast, his fingers over the cup of her bra.

She finally had to break the kiss so that she could breathe and gasped when his lips found the pulse point of her neck. His arousal pressed against her, and she leaned back on the couch cushions pulling him so that he could follow her down. He did, and she felt his weight upon her, his arousal pressed into the juncture of her legs. She ran his hands over the solid muscles of his back, and he pushed his arousal into her until she began to push back. Suddenly, he found the strength to break the kiss and look down at her. His eyes were hungry with passion, and his shallow breathing matched the rhythm of hers.

"Anne?"

"Yes." It was all she could say before she reached up and kissed his neck causing him to moan. Encouraged, she nibbled his ear lobe while her hands moved beneath his waistband to caress his buttocks. He continued to moan, and he moved so that she could slide her right hand around to touch him. Then suddenly he pulled her hand away and stood up.

"Not here. Bedroom," was all he could say before he pulled her up off the couch and led her to the bedroom door.

The sound of his cell phone ringing rent the silence and made her jump.

"Ignore it," Ben ordered as he opened the bedroom door and pulled her over to the bed. The phone stopped ringing then started again. Whoever it was would keep calling until Ben answered. "Damn. I'll find out who it is and get off the phone quickly." Then he went back into the sitting room, grabbed the phone, and barked into it instead of offering a greeting. She sat down shakily on the side of the bed and took several deep breaths while she listened to the one sided conversation from the bedroom. He was on the phone long enough for the demands of her body to get back under her control and the flame of desire to lower.

He finally ended the call and came into the bedroom with a frown pursing his lips. When he saw her where he left her, he sat next to her on the bed and pulled her hand to his lap to hold it between his hands. "That was work. There are some problems, and I need to make some phone calls right away. I'm sorry, sweetheart."

"It's ok, Ben," she said softly. "Make your calls." Then she leaned over and gave him a passionless kiss. Looking into his eyes, she smiled wistfully at him, and he smiled back.

"You look like you've been thoroughly kissed," he told her softly. He raised his hand and brushed his fingertips over her lips before he dropped his hand again.

"I was." She stood up and walked to the bedroom door. Then she looked back at him with humor in her eyes. "I still don't know what to make of our reactions to each other, but last night was definitely not a fluke. I'm going for a walk outside and will be back at the inn in an hour. Will that give you enough time to make your calls?"

"I think so. What do you have planned for today?"

"When I get back, I was planning on having some breakfast then take a kayak out again. The weather is supposed to be nice, and I was thinking of going down the channel to Deer Harbor."

"Stop up and fetch me when you get back from your walk, and I'll join you." He stood up, walked over to her to put his hands on her shoulders, and kissed her tenderly. "I'll see you later, my Anne." Then he patted her on her rear end and followed her into the sitting room to make his phone calls.

Chapter 9

Anne fetched Ben after her walk into Eastsound and back, and they went down to the dining room for breakfast. It was early yet, and most of the tables were still empty. Inside they saw Ben's parents sitting at a large round table that could seat up to eight people. The other chairs at the table were empty. Ben's parents were both attractive people somewhere in their late fifties. Mr. Carlson was a tall man who looked like he stayed trim by doing outdoor activities. He had salt and pepper hair and the distinguished look of the bank president that he was in his professional life. Mrs. Carlson was a small, trim, elegant looking woman with brown hair cut in a shoulder length cut similar to how Anne's mother wore her hair. They were both dressed in the casual weekend style clothing that cost more than most people made in a week. His parents saw her and Ben immediately and waved them over. After putting his hand on her low back, Ben led her to the table then pulled out a chair for her next to his mother.

"Morning Ben," Ben's mother greeted him warmly. He made a quick reply then began talking to Mr. Carlson. "Anne! How nice to see you. Now I know why Ben skipped out on us last night."

"Good morning, Mrs. Carlson," Anne returned her warm greeting. She had always liked Ben's parents. "It's nice to see you again, too. How is the wedding planning going?"

"Oh, please call me Liz and call him Troy." She indicated her husband with a head tilt. "The wedding plans are running smoothly thanks to your mother and the wedding consultant she recommended. It's hard to believe that Lily will be married in only a few short days. It's exciting and nerve racking at the same time, and I'll be happy when it is over. Your mother told me yesterday that you're interviewing for jobs in Seattle. It will be so nice for you and your family to have you back."

"Thank you, Liz," Anne tried out the familiarity of the address. Liz and Troy Carlson had been coming to the inn every summer since that first time back when Anne was nine. In all the years they came, Anne had always called her Mrs. Carlson and the new form of address seemed strange on her lips. "I hope to be back soon, too."

"I hope so, too. Ah, here comes the bride and groom now." Anne looked over her shoulder to the three people coming across the room. "Tom, as I'm sure you fingered out, is Lily's fiancé. The other woman is Tom's sister, Melissa, the matron of honor and Lily's best friend. Melissa's husband will be coming up tomorrow night."

The small group arrived and sat down at the remaining chairs. What followed was a relaxing breakfast where the main topic of conversation was the wedding. There was a meeting with the consultant and the florist later that morning at the chapel. Then the photographer, a local to the San Juan's, was coming that afternoon from Friday Harbor for some casual shots of the couple outside. That evening, the plan was for everyone to dine at the inn. Ben was free to pursue his own enjoyments until late afternoon when he was needed for photos. Anne discovered that Lily and Tom had decided to exchange vows at the Victorian Valley Chapel, a popular spot for weddings, before having the reception at the inn. Then they would be leaving Sunday afternoon for a honeymoon in Napa Valley. The rest of the family, the wedding party, and guests would also leave on Sunday morning.

Anne felt at home with the group, and several times she was asked her opinions on various things about the island. Once during the meal, she felt Ben's hand rubbing her nape casually while he talked to Tom and Troy. At another point, his hand rested on her naked thigh just below the hem of her shorts. She could also feel his eyes on her several times and looked over at him with a smile. She also saw that his family was noticing their little interactions and smiling at the two of them. She and Ben would need to explain the situation before his mother began making wedding plans for them too, Anne thought.

Their chance to explain arrived a little before breakfast wound down when the Rivertons entered the dining room and stopped at their table to greet them. Ben's parents talked for a few minutes with Chelsea's parents after they exchanged a few words with Lily and Tom. Chelsea, in contrast, did not talk and stood stiffly by shooting daggers at Anne with her eyes. Seeing this, Ben made a point of whispering a joke in Anne's her ear so that she laughed warmly at him. They looked every bit the loving couple they pretended to be. Finally, the Rivertons moved on to their own table across the room.

"I like Marge and Ted, but that daughter of theirs is something else," Troy Carlson said once the other family was out of earshot. "I thought you weren't inviting Chelsea to the wedding, Lily."

"I didn't," Lily stated angrily. "She's crashing the wedding. Can you believe it? If her parents weren't such good friends of yours, I would have told her off for coming. She probably heard that Ben and Trish broke up and decided to come and try to rope Ben. Sorry, Ben."

"It's not your fault, Lil. But as long as you are all here, Anne and I have some news. Last night we ran into Chelsea in the lounge, and I explained the problems I had with her to Anne. So, Anne has agreed to run interference to keep Chelsea at bay."

"You told Anne about the restraining order?" Liz asked.

"I didn't take one out against her, remember."

"She stalked you?" Anne looked at Ben surprised that it was that bad.

"For a time she did. But that part stopped after her parents said something to her. Ever since then, she just makes a point of coming on to me only if we see each other at some event. I try to avoid her the best I can. It's gotten better over the years, although I half expected her to jump you last night."

"What is this interference you're talking about?" Liz asked the question but everyone leaned in to hear the answer.

"So that she doesn't spoil the wedding, we, Anne and I, are pretending to be in a relationship, engaged, actually. I hope that she will get the message and leave before Saturday," Ben told them all. Everyone looked at Anne with inquiring faces.

"You agreed to this, Anne? Do your parents know?" Troy asked the questions with a speculative look on his face. The same look was mirrored on Liz and Lily's faces.

"It was my idea, and I haven't had the chance to tell them, yet." Anne looked around but did not see either of her parents. "Ben and I will find them after breakfast."

"Well, you two. I think I speak for everyone here when I say that we will all act as if the relationship is real and that we are overjoyed by it," Liz told them. "Everyone agreed?"

"Agreed," they all said in unison.

"It's time to get ready to go," Liz said after a quick look at her watch. Everyone gathered their things and took one last sip of their coffees then stood up to leave. When the group reached the lobby, Liz pulled Ben and Anne aside while the others moved toward the elevator. "Ben, the tuxes will be coming up tomorrow, so make sure you try everything on when they get here. The tailor thought he would be here by noon, one o'clock. So make sure that you are here."

"I'll be here, Mom. Don't worry."

"Good," Liz said right before she wrapped Anne in a hug. "Welcome to the family, Anne."

"It's not real, Mom," Ben said drily as she continued to hold Anne's arms after the hug.

"I know, sweetheart. Chelsea was looking over here. You two have fun today."

"Bye, Mom." Liz turned and walked over to the elevator just as the door was opening, leaving Anne and Ben to stare at each other. "Well, Anne, let's go find your parents."

They didn't have to look too far. Celia, the assistant manager, told them that her parents were in the office, so Anne took Ben's hand and led him to the office area in the employees-only area at the back of the inn. Since the day they bought the inn, Jane and Jim Petrovic shared the same office. They did, however, sit at different desks in the large room filled with the usual furniture and equipment found in offices. The room also had two kayaks, one lime green and the other orange, leaning against one corner and a row of plants that lined up on the long windowsill.

A nice breeze blew gently in from the window and ruffled Anne's mother's hair. On seeing her daughter enter the room with Ben, Anne's mother stopped what she was working on and hopped out of her chair. She went to stand behind her husband's chair and placed her hands on his shoulders.

"Mom, Dad. Ben and I have something to tell you."

* * * * *

Seven hours later after a leisurely ride on kayaks down to Deer Harbor and back, Ben stood on his balcony while he drank a bottle of water and thought about the day. Anne's parents took the news well that he and their daughter were masquerading as a newly engaged couple, and they understood the reason why they were doing so. Strangely, they seemed to be almost happy about it. Jim even shook his hand and slapped his back when Anne's parents walked the two of them back to the door leading to the restricted area.

From there he and Anne went back to his room so that he could change into his red swimming shorts and a yellow tee shirt. Then he walked with her to her parents' house and waited while she changed into a light blue bikini that she covered with a well-worn white tee shirt with a peeling University of Washington purple logo and beige shorts. She pulled her hair back in a haphazard ponytail that left tendrils falling out and wore a pair of sunglasses and white canvas shoes. A small bottle of sunscreen was stuffed into her back pocket and it jiggled with her every step. He felt his heart turn over at the sight of her. He knew that he was wearing a silly grin when he followed her down the path, but he just did not care.

They borrowed life vests, kayaks, and paddles again from the inn's checkout cabin located by the dock and took off at a nice leisurely pace down the shore after applying the sunscreen. Taking the trip with Anne reminded him of his first time kayaking. It was here on Orcas that he first learned how to use a kayak, and little Anne Petrovic was his guide down the shoreline. They only went a few miles that first time years ago. She was quite the spitfire adventuress for a nine year old, he remembered, and he liked her immediately even if she was Lily's age.

That trip was the first time his family had come to the inn, and his first time in the San Juan Islands. His mother had married Troy Carlson a few months before, and the trip was their first as a family. He also had his first kiss from a girl named Allie who was also along for the kayak trip. He had a lot of firsts that summer, he remembered.

Their conversations throughout the day were easy exchanges intermingled with companionable silences that made Ben feel like he was with one of his friends. He and Anne paddled down the northwest side of the island enjoying the smooth waters that hugged the shore. The shoreline on his left was mostly rocky and covered with fir trees and scrub bushes. He knew that further in from the shore, grassy meadows and watershed areas would replace the dense forests. To the right was the channel and Waldron Island. He could smell the salt water and pine trees, two scents that he had come to appreciate living in the Puget Sound area and up here in the San Juan's. They passed several anchored fishing boats and waved to the fishermen. Anne recognized one of the men and called out to him by name. Gulls circled and dove trying to grab bait from their fishing lines as the men cast into the water. Overhead, bald eagles soared. They did not see any whale pods on the trip down the coast but passed a couple of sightseeing boats on their way out in search of orca and humpback whales.

Once they reached Deer Harbor a few hours later, they stopped for lunch at a little red painted burger shack that was set up by the dock. The four picnic tables were all taken, so they carried their cheeseburger baskets and diet sodas over to the dock and ate while they dangled their feet in the water. As they talked, another sightseeing charter filled up with tourists and took off. A few sailboats with their sails hoisted drifted around the lower point of the Deer Harbor peninsula. He recognized one belonging to a businessman from Seattle that would dock up in Eastsound's harbor. Several families with children and a couple of college age students walked down the dock shaking the deck boards that Ben and Anne sat upon.

After they were finished eating, Anne picked up their garbage and carried it to the trash container by the shack while he readied the kayaks for the return trip up the coast. It was while he was doing that that he saw Anne talking to a twenty something year old woman with two small children at the shack order-pickup window. They appeared to know each other. Then the woman handed Anne the several months old baby she had been holding while she ran after the little boy who started to wander away. Anne secured the baby naturally against her hip and held the little girl's hand while she swayed. Both Anne and the baby were smiling as Anne talked to the small child. The woman returned with her wayward son and took the baby back right before their order was ready. Then Anne carried the tray for the woman over to a newly vacated table before she said goodbye and walked back to Ben with a smile on her face.

The whole scene caused the catch in his gut again, the one he was beginning to recognize far too often when he was with Anne. But instead of fear, he felt the level of his desire for her increase. He asked her if the woman was a friend when she was next to him again, and she told him the woman's name and that they had graduated from high school together. Then they set out on their return trip and arrived back at the inn a few minutes ago. He excused himself when they returned so that he could get some work done while she decided to grab a book and read. That brought him to now, standing on his balcony looking down at Anne reading in the shade of an umbrella on the patio by the pool. She looked up, saw him standing on the balcony, and waved at him before she went back to her book.

He smiled at her and finished his water before he walked back into the sitting room to turn on his computer. While he waited for it to warm up, he listened to his phone messages and returned the first one, a call to a Japanese customer about a new product released last month. The product was a new chemical designed to separate the metals more effectively and efficiently from the water used to clean computer boards in the manufacturing process. It had already garnered praise and had earned his company an award that was to be given out the first Friday of August. He saw the article about it in the Times and remembered the interview he gave on Monday morning to the business news reporter who came to talk about the award.

After he sat down on the couch, he looked over at the neatly stacked newspaper the maid straightened when she went through the room earlier in the day. Once he ended his phone call, he returned a call to his administrative assistant, Gail, who told him that the trip he had planned to Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Tokyo in two weeks was being moved up to next Monday because of an issue with the permit paperwork he needed signed by the Chinese minister in the Huangpu District of Shanghai. The official would not approve the paperwork without first meeting with Ben, personally, to discuss the proposed research partnership between Stanford Enterprises and Shanghai University's School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering. This meant that Ben would need to cancel his plans to interview final applicants next week and extend his visit to China and Japan from one month to six weeks.

He sighed in reluctant acceptance over the change in plans and ran his eyes over the front page of the newspaper's lifestyle section at the top of the stack as he talked to Gail about what she would need to do in his absence. Andrew Conner had found himself another wife, Ben thought absently when she stopped talking to look for something on her computer. He had met the man on a couple of occasions and didn't think much of him. Conner was the type of man who would say or do just about anything to get what he wanted, not qualities that Ben admired. Gail began talking again, and Ben's mind returned to their conversation while he finished giving her instructions.

After making his phone calls, he checked his emails. Several of them were copies of emails that were sent between his managers designed to keep him in the loop. There was one from Bernie about the interviews, and he emailed her back about his change in plans for next week. Because he wanted the scientist working on their staff by the time he returned from Asia, he told her to have Winfield, Rudolph, and her email their choice for the hire and to make an offer of employment to the person if the three of them were in agreement. Ben trusted their judgments. Then he noted the time and reviewed a report from his CFO.

Twenty minutes later he was notified that a fax was waiting for him in the inn's office. He went down to pick it up, peeked out on the patio, and saw Anne reading in her spot. He smiled at the sight of her in her old U of W tee shirt. After he brought the fax back to his room, he looked through the employment contract sent from his attorney's office and signed him name on the last page. He approved of the choice of hire. Then he went back to the office and faxed the document to Bernie so that additional signatures could be added. It was a fair offer of employment, and Ben thought Dr. Conner would sign it without making any amendments.

His cell phone rang about an hour later. It was his mother on the other end reminding him of the photo session and that they needed him downstairs and dressed in something other than jeans and a tee shirt in fifteen minutes. Ben cursed, hung up, and scrambled to shower and shave before donning a cream silk Oxford shirt and brown Chino pants. He made it downstairs just in time to see the photographer take a photo of Lily and Tom posing on a wooden bench with a flowerbed in front of them and the small bay behind them.

Over the next hour, the photographer had the couple pose for several "casual" shots alone and a few with the rest of the family. The purpose of the photos was to give the couple a photo record of the days leading up to their wedding, as well as, allow the photographer a chance to test different settings and lighting so that the final wedding photos would show the couple and family at their best. The reception would be at the same time of day on Saturday, so the lighting and angles would be similar. After an hour, the photographer finally wrapped up, and Ben quickly excused himself so that he could look for Anne. He had a sudden desire to have her by his side.

He walked back by the patio where she was earlier and found her now at the side of the swimming pool lounging with her eyes closed. Her hair and bikini were soaking wet and water drops were in the process of evaporating from her skin indicating that she had just left the swimming pool. Water ran down her stomach and collected in her navel, and his mouth went dry with the sudden thirst that could only be quenched by lapping it up. Looking over her reclining form, he felt a surge of arousal when he saw the way the light blue suit clung to her and showed the outline of every curve. His hands itched to explore her. Not able to help it, he leaned over and kissed her lips, a move that startled her, and she opened her eyes with a gasp.

"You're starting to turn pink," he told her when she smiled at seeing him. He sat down on the lounger next to her and watched her look over her arms and shoulders.

"Hmm, I suppose that I have been out here enough," she said sleepily. She reached up with her right arm to shield her eyes from the sunlight and bent her right leg in a pose that made her breast push forward and gave him a better view of the inside of her upper thigh and her mound covered in clinging blue fabric. He knew her move was done innocently, but she looked too much like an old poster his friend had in his bedroom as a teenager that he felt himself turn hard as blood rushed to his groin. He leaned forward uncomfortably and rested his elbows on his knees to hide his arousal. "What time is it?"

"It's about five-thirty." His voice came out normal, but his body was acting like a horny teenager's, and he focused on bringing his response to her body under his control. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Chelsea walk out onto the patio and take a lounger on the opposite side of the pool next to some other guests. The sight of the other woman cooled his ardor. "You need to get ready for dinner. You're dining with us, and I invited your parents to join us so that you'll have some time with them."

"Thank you, Ben. I do want to spend some time with them before I head back east. Will you hand me my shirt? You're sitting on it." He looked down to see her shirt half under his leg. After handing it to her, he watched her put the white tee shirt on over her wet suit. The fabric soon got wet and clung to her breasts. His ardor returned in force. He stood up and waited for her to stand before he leaned down and kissed her again.

"Come with me, Anne." He took her hand and led her to the balcony fire escape. "You'll have to shower and change in my room. Chelsea is in the pool and would notice you going to your parents' house."

"I suppose I can call my mother and have her gather together a few things for me," Anne replied reasonably as she walked before him up the narrow staircase. Then she waited for him to unlock the balcony door so that she could precede him into the sitting room. He locked the door again once they were both inside, and no longer able to control himself, he pulled her into his arms until she was held tight against him. He could feel the front of his shirt become wet where her bikini top pressed and felt her breasts flattened against his hard chest. She moaned at the feel of his arousal pressed against her stomach and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'll call her later."

Chapter 10

Ben looked down at Anne with his eyes dark with desire. She pulled his head back down to continue the kiss and blew his mind when her tongue entered his mouth and took control. His senses began reeling. If she kept up with this much longer, he wouldn't be able to stop. He needed to be sure that this was what she wanted, so he pulled his mouth away and looked down at her.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, Ben. I want you."

He took possession of her mouth once again and soon lost his ability to do anything but feel the woman in his arms and taste her sweet mouth. As he lips moved over hers and he stroked her tongue with his, his hands skimmed down her back and over the wet bikini bottoms. She was wearing a string bikini today, and he moved his hands to her hips and pulled at the strings that held the bottom together. She moaned when she felt the wet bikini bottom drop to the floor. Then he moved his hands back over her naked cheeks and lifted her against his arousal. She broke the kiss and pulled in a ragged breath. Taking advantage of his freed lips, he moved his mouth to her neck and lifted her so that she wrapped her legs around his waist. She rubbed herself against him, and he moaned at the motion.

He didn't waste time and quickly carried her into his bedroom, sat down on the bed so that she straddled him, and helped him pull her tee shirt off. Once she was left with only her bikini top on, he pulled the lower ties while she untied the straps at her neck. She pulled the top away to reveal her full breasts to his hungry gaze, and his mouth watered in anticipation. Her nipples were already puckered waiting for his kiss. He ran his hands up her back and held her while his mouth found a breast. Her loud moan of pleasure spiked his desire, and he took it into his mouth and sucked on her nipple, the feel of it hard against his tongue. She began to mew in pleasure and push herself against his arousal. But as nice as this was, this was not how he wanted to pleasure her to her first orgasm.

"Ben," she panted his name and begged for him to give her release.

He pulled his mouth from her breast and reached up and put his lips on her neck where her pulse beat wildly. Then he gently rolled her over until she was on her back with the textured bedcover under her and his full weight on her, his arousal pushed against her. He moved his mouth to hers and plunged his tongue inside. She sucked on his tongue nearly driving him to his own climax at the pleasure. Then he released her mouth and looked down at her as he propped himself on his elbows.

They were both panting hard, and her eyes were glazed in desire. He could take her in a wild joining, now, but he wanted to stretch out their lovemaking and pleasure her again. He wanted to savor her and taste her desire for him. He wanted her to climax in his arms like she did the night before then climax again harder while he was deep inside of her. This was their first time, and he wanted it to be perfect for both of them.

He dipped his head down and kissed her tenderly then he slowly stood up and watched her as her body was spread out before him wantonly. Her hands were up by her head pushing her breasts up for him to take back in his mouth. Her legs were spread wide and he could see her opening through her dark, rosy folds.

Not able to resist, he reached his hand out and stroked his fingers through the moisture before he slipped his finger into her and felt the silk of her womanhood. She gasped then moaned, and her eyes closed as she enjoyed his touch. He moved his finger around inside of her then slid it up to her nub to rub it gently. Then he removed his hand entirely and began to unbutton his shirt. He did not take his eyes from hers once she opened her own to watch him through half closed eyelids.

He tossed his wet shirt on the floor and slipped his loafers off of his feet. Then his hands moved to his belt. He undid it while Anne watched his every movement, hungrily. His erection pushed painfully at the front of his pants and demanded release. Once he had his zipper down, he pulled his pants and jockey shorts off in one movement. When he was as naked as Anne, he stepped between her legs and pulled her toward him, covers and all, so that her legs were half off of the edge of the bed. Then he leaned over her.

He put his hands on each side of her torso, put his mouth on her breast, and licking the hard nub of her nipple until she let out the breath she held and gasped for a new one. Her hands moved up his arms to his shoulders and into his hair. He took her into his mouth and suckled her until she began to cry out his name in pleasure. Then he went to her other breast and repeated the suckling until she was begging him to take her. He smiled because she responded so beautifully to his touch.

Slowly he kissed his way down her belly to her navel where he dipped his tongue inside causing her muscles to quiver. He felt her body become tense as he pulled his tongue back and kissed his way through her curls. Then he knelt before her and pulled her down further on the bed until her bottom was at the edge of the mattress. He put one hand under her to lift her and force her legs open as wide as they would go. He could smell the musky scent of her arousal. She was so wet now that she was sleek with her moisture. With his other hand, he held her down and lowered his head to her opening to feast on her offering.

She bucked and mewed softly when she felt his tongue. Her folds were swollen, begging for a kiss, and he complied. His tongue dipped inside of her opening then slid up to her nub, and she began to moan his name and pant with the movement. Each of her cries drove his desire more. He slid his tongue back down again into her and heard her breath catch in her chest. She was tense, wanting him to drive her to her climax.

He moved his tongue back to her nub and sucked on it while he moved his hand from her belly so that he could stroke her with his fingers. She cried out again and pushed into him wanting more. Then he pleasured her until she exploded in a climax that stretched on while he continued to stoke her sensitive flesh. Finally, her limbs became relaxed in the aftermath of her release. He moved back up to kiss her thrusting his tongue in her mouth until she was grabbing for him again. Then he stood up and looked at her face, so beautiful with eyes dark with desire, and her lips swollen from his kiss.

He left her side for a moment to retrieve a condom from the box on the table. He hated to wear the things, they blocked some sensation, but they prevented pregnancies and disease so they were a necessity. Briefly, he wondered what Anne would feel like without the condom in the way. For the first time ever, he considered not using one and enjoying her skin on skin. He dismissed the thought and opened the foil packet before he smoothed the condom over his erection. She had moved back further on the bed until her head rested on a pillow and she was under the covers. After climbing into bed next to her, he reached over and kissed her softly until she turned and gathered him close. Her fingers slide through his chest hair and found his nipple with one hand, and he moaned at the pressure when she rolled it between her fingers. He needed to be inside of her.

He rolled her onto her back then tested her readiness for him by finding her with his finger. She was wet, and he played with her nub and opening until she began to buck from the torture and grab his arms trying to pull him onto her. He could not wait any longer. He moved himself quickly between her legs and thrust powerfully inside of her until she had taken him in as far as he could go. She wrapped her legs around him to hold him, and he began to slide in and out until she cried out. He could feel another of her orgasms coming and he pushed deeper inside of her with faster thrusts. Then she climaxed around him, her muscles gripped him in spasms that triggered his own release. He jerked with each pump, and her body drew every drop of his seed from him.

Finally, he collapsed on top of her, and she wrapped him in her arms to hold him tenderly to her body. He rested his head against her neck and waited for the brief feeling of dissatisfaction he would get after being with someone, like something was missing. It never came. All he felt was an all-consuming peace. Her hands stroked lightly over his back, and he lifted his head and looked down at her. She had a soft smile on her face that pulled at his heart. He kissed her tenderly then rolled onto his back, removed the used condom, and pulled her warm body next to his.

"What do you say about ordering room service," he said when he was able to speak again a few minutes later. Her body shook against his as she laughed, and he smiled at the feel of her breasts moving against his chest as she laughed. He looked into her blue eyes, bright with laughter.

"If I thought we could get away with that, I would say 'yes'. But, unfortunately, I don't think out families will excuse us." They laid in silence for several minutes, and he rubbed her back lazily. She brushed her hand across his chest then kissed his shoulder before settling back down against him.

"Will you spend the night with me, Anne? I'm not finished with you, yet. Not by a long shot."

"Yes, Ben." She kissed his mouth. "I'll stay with you."

"That's good because I want you again. I want you now."

"Now?"

"Now." He pulled her hand down to his groin until she wrapped her fingers around his hardening erection. Anne squeezed her hand over him then brushed her thumb over the head smearing the drop of liquid that seeped out at her touch. As she slid her fingers over him, he closed his eyes and drank in the sensation. She applied just the right amount of pressure while she teased him until he became so thick that her fingers could no longer circle him.

Not being able to withstand more of her ministrations, he rolled her over quickly, spread her legs wide, and pushed himself into her again. The feel of her was better than before. She was warm, wet, and he moved in her smoothly. His nerve ending were more alive, and he relished the sensations of her sheathing him inside of her silky channel while he felt her breasts move against his chest as he moved. He rode her harder, lost in the feel of her body until she exploded another time around him. Then with a final thrust he came inside of her while her core held him tight and her inner muscles milked him.

It was not until much later, after waking from a light nap, that he realized his mistake. Anne dozed next to him, snuggled against his side. Her soft breath blew across his chest, and her hand rested on his stomach. He ran a hand through the dry curly hair at her head. He forgot to grab a new condom before making love with Anne a second time, and, oddly, he did not feel panic.

Chapter 11

Ben and Anne arrived late for dinner in the inn's dining room that evening. They were supposed to meet everyone in the lounge at seven then head into the dining room a half hour later, but when they finally managed to drag themselves from bed and into a shared shower, it was already five minutes before seven o'clock. Anne didn't mind too much, however, because the shower proved to be a sensual experience with Ben running his soapy hands over every inch of her body and stirring her desire again. Then it was her turn to wash him. If it were not for the fact that they already made love twice and needed some food, then they would have stayed in the shower longer. After their shower, they dried themselves with towels. She took the room's complimentary hair drier to her hair and used Ben's comb to try to bring some semblance of order to her mess of curls. Once she had her hair in order, it finally dawned on her. She didn't have any clothing other than her wet swimsuit.

"I can't call mom, now," she told Ben as she stood in front of the bed wrapped in a towel. Ben was dressing himself in a pair of black trousers and a black polo shirt looking far too sexy for his own good.

"Leave your suit and tee shirt here to dry and you can borrow my sweats to run to your parents' and change. Where are your shorts and shoes?" Ben crossed to the dresser and pulled out his sweatpants from that morning and a sweatshirt with a screen print of the U of W Huskies logo on front.

"Probably still on the patio table where I left them when I started swimming." While his back was turned, she put the sweats on over her naked body. Despite all he had done to and with her body that afternoon, she still felt a little self conscious with him seeing her naked. The sweats were loose on her, and she pulled the drawstring of the pants tight to prevent them from sliding down indecently. "What will you do while I'm changing?"

"I'll go down to the lounge and make excuses. Don't worry! I'll make something up. When I'm there, I'll see if Chelsea and her parents are in the dining room then I'll call up to let you know if the coast is clear. If it is, then you can head over to your parents' and change. Bring some clothing back for tomorrow, too." He sat on the edge of the bed in front of her and leaned over to tie his shoelaces as he laid out his plan. She smiled down at his head.

"You're really getting into this subterfuge, aren't you? What's next; secret codes?"

"I suppose we should have one, shouldn't we? How about if the coast if clear, I say 'the red hen is roosting' or some such nonsense." He sat back up and watched her with a boyish smile that she could not help but respond too. He used to smile the same way at her when she would lead him, Lily, and Carla out on adventures when they were younger. "Or, I could say 'It's a clear night and promises clear sailing', or better yet 'There will be a red sky tonight...'"

"Sailors delight. And if the way isn't clear, you say, 'There will be a red sky at morn...'"

"Sailors be warned," he finished using their old code system to sneak out and explore the island as kids. Then he reached out and took her hand to pull her forward until she stood between his legs. Putting his hands on her hips under the shirt, he looked up to her face. She rested her hands on his shoulders and smiled down at him. He gave her a naughty grin and slid one hand down and pulled the ties of the pants loose. She gasped in surprise and at the sudden longing that entered her. He slid his hands under the fabric and pushed the waistband down until it rested low on her hips and the front rested at the top of her curls. Glancing up, he smiled devilishly at her. "You know, the spy always gets the girl in the end."

"I've seen all of the Bond movies." Heat flooded her body, and her core began to ache at his look. When he placed an open mouth kiss on her low belly just above her curls, she moved her hands into his head, feeling the silky texture of his hair with her fingers. Then he slid his hands down until his thumbs met at the juncture of her thighs before sliding into her cleft and separating her folds. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the pleasurable sensations of his mouth and fingers on her again. "We're going to be late, Ben," she said absently as she spread her legs wider to let his thumbs find more of her. She had to grip him tighter with her hands to hold herself up.

"Hmm. What's a few more minutes?" was his response against her belly. A moan escaped her as his thumbs found her nub and began to tease it. She became wet and his thumbs slide through the moisture. She felt him smile against her belly as he felt her response to his touch. "You're body is wonderful, Anne. So beautiful. So responsive. I want to feel you come again." She looked down at him, and he glanced up to give her a wicked smile.

"You can come again, so soon?" Her voice was breathless.

"No, but you can."

He suddenly moved his hands to the waistband of the sweatpants and pushed them down to the floor until the pants were pooled around her ankles. Then he moved the elastic over her ankles so that he could get them all of the way off. With her standing before him with only his sweatshirt on, he changed positions with her until she sat on the end of the bed, and he was standing between her legs. She felt another wave of moisture flood her core when she knew what he had planned.

He pushed her gently backward until she was lying down then picked up her leg. She closed her eyes when he put his mouth to her instep. She had no idea that an instep could be so sensitive. She opened her eyes again to watch him. Then he kissed his way up her inner leg until she was alive from the pleasure of his lips on her skin. When he knelt before her, she was already melting in anticipation and spread her legs. Then he reached her inner thigh and moved his mouth as far as he could go before spreading her thighs with his hands on each of her legs. She closed her eyes and gripped the blanket under her and held her breath as he pushed her legs wider to give him total access to what she offered. When he moved his thumbs to her to hold her folds open while his tongue glided through her opening. Her breath released in a gasp of surrender to be followed quickly with a moan.

She let out the breath she was holding again and cried out in pleasure at the soft grazing of his tongue. When his mouth moved to suck on her nub, and she felt his thumbs move into her opening, she pushed herself against him. The combination of his tongue and thumbs stretching her and rubbing against her silky sides drove her wild. The pleasure built again until it overcame her. She felt the climax come in waves that took her under and wrapped her in total bliss. Minutes later when her body calmed down, Ben raised his head and looked at her. He gave her a satisfied male expression that Anne could only think reminded her of a hunter who had gotten his prey. Then he removed his thumbs and rubbed them through the moisture to tease her nub until she could feel the pleasure begin to build again. She finally had to beg him to stop. The sweet torture was too much.

With a grin, he gave her belly another kiss then stood up, and stared down into her eyes. Then he leaned over, kissed her lips, and rubbed his tongue against hers so that she could taste herself on him. He pulled back when she felt herself drowning again and gave her a satisfied male smile. Then he stood back up and helped her to pull the sweatpants back on. She didn't think she could stand, but he helped her up. Her core continued to throb with her desire for him, and her breasts ached, highly sensitive to the material of his shirt that rubbed against her nipples.

In a daze, she looked over at the bedside clock and saw that it was seven forty and that they were already late. Alarmed, she instantly started to move, now pulled from the lethargies of her desire.

"Oh, no! Go, go, go," she said as she pushed him toward the door and out into the sitting room. "I'll wait here until you call me, but hurry up."

"I forgot how bossy you were," he said cheekily as he picked up the room key card, his cell phone, and wallet. She walked him to the door and he kissed her hard before grinning at her and leaving.

A few minutes later the room phone rang, and she ran to pick it up. After hearing what he said, she smiled and picked up the spare room key card that Ben had made for her. Then she went out onto the balcony. It would be a red sky that night.

* * * * *

Anne let herself into her parents' house and went straight to her room. After looking through her clothing, she found a blush pink colored sleeveless sheath dress that hugged her figure and ended at mid thigh and her silver sandals from the night before. She dressing first in a white lace thong and barely there lace demi-bra. Then she stood in front of her bedroom mirror and looked at herself. She looked like a woman who was well pleasured. Her eyes were too bright and her lips were swollen from Ben's kisses. Oh, my God, she thought, and had to sit down on the bed. She could still feel him. When she came to Seattle, she had just been expecting to interview for the job then come and enjoy herself at her parents' inn. She never expected that she would be involved in a vacation romance with Ben Carlson of all people.

But she was, and it felt right somehow.

Maybe that was why she responded to him as she did, she thought. She had always liked him when they were younger, and now that they were older, she found that she liked him even more. There were even times last night when she watched him talk through dinner, and then again today when they were kayaking, that she thought it would be so easy to fall in love with him. Her heart did little flips when she was with him. Then there was the attraction thing that, at times, felt like much more. He made her blood heat up with just a look or a touch of his hands.

Was she confusing attraction for love? She just did not have enough experience with men to know what she was feeling. The first man she was with was her fiancé with whom she thought she loved. After their miserable first time together, she overheard him tell a friend of his that she was a cold fish, but he had agreed to take her father's money to marry her with the promise of more to follow once the deed was done. Feeling betrayed, angry, and ashamed, she confronted him about it and learned the truth of her engagement. It was just a setup created by her father who wanted to control her and, more importantly, her inheritance.

The experience shattered her confidence with men, and it was years before she would even go out with another man for more than a few dates. Once things began to progress and the men wanted a physical relationship, she always backed away, afraid that her father had somehow found a way to control her from the other side of the country. She knew she was being ridiculous, but she could not help it, and she eventually sought help from a therapist a few years ago. Then just before her company closed, she began dating another scientist with the company. She allowed the relationship to progress once to the sexual stage, but never felt anything close to burning desire for the man. Her interest was lukewarm, at best. When the company closed a few days later, the relationship ended because neither of them wanted to put in any more effort into it with now needing to find jobs.

That brought her here. If she got the job with Stanford Enterprise or someplace else local, would Ben still want to see her? She knew that she wanted to still see him, but they had agreed to end the relationship once the wedding was over. Maybe that was why everything she felt was so much more intense? Maybe it was just an illusion created by the circumstance? She knew it would be over soon, so their time together was sweeter, their passion more powerful. She groaned. She was overthinking it again. Just trying to make sense of her crazy emotions was making her head spin.

The clock chimed the time, and she jumped up to pull on the dress. She needed to get going. After running into the bathroom, she pulled her unruly hair back in a loose clip that allowed soft tendrils to fall around her face, brushed some mascara on her lashes, and applied some lipstick. Then running back into her bedroom, she slipped on earrings and her sandals, grabbed clean underwear, a shirt and jeans, Ben's sweats, and picked up her cell phone.

That was when she noticed that there was a new message on her phone. She looked at the caller ID log, saw that it was a Seattle number, and that the call came at four o'clock that afternoon. It could only be Stanford Enterprises. She dropped her extra clothing on the bed and sat down to listen to the message. It was Ms. Tomlinson explaining that Mr. Stanford would not be available for interviews next week, but he wanted to offer her the position. If she was still interested in joining them at Stanford Enterprises as a biochemical research scientist, please call Ms. Tomlinson as soon as possible.

Anne called the number and was surprised to hear Ms. Tomlinson answer on the third ring. Either the woman was still working, or this was her cell phone number.

"Ms. Tomlinson, this is Dr. Conner returning your call." Anne used her professional voice.

"Dr. Conner! Thank you for calling me so soon. As I said in my message, Mr. Stanford will be unavailable next week but wants to offer you the position. Are you still interested?"

"Yes, I am, Ms. Tomlinson."

"Excellent. We have an employment contract already made up for the position. It is the standard employment contract with non-disclosure and non-compete clauses, and your beginning wages and benefits are also listed. As we discussed on Monday, the contract is for one year of at-will employment. This will be considered the trial period. Then after that, if all the parties are in agreement, then the contract will extend to a permanent status. If you give me a fax number, I can fax the contract to you tomorrow morning."

Anne remembered the inn's regular office fax number and gave it to Ms. Tomlinson. After she completed the call and hung up, Anne jumped up and danced around the room, giving fist pumps in her excitement. Then remembering the time, she grabbed the clothing, the cell phone, and her purse and ran back to the inn. She stopped along the way to pick up her shorts, canvas shoes, and book from the patio. Then she dropped everything off, except her purse, in Ben's room and walked into the dining room just as salads were delivered.

"I ordered for you," Ben told her as she sat down next to him.

"Thanks."

The rest of the evening was full of lots of laughter and silly stories about the bride and groom. They were sitting in a private room off the main dining room and had two tables pushed together to make room for all of them. Tom, Lily's fiancé, sat next to his parents, who had arrived sometime during the day, and Anne's parents sat next to her on her other side. The food was excellent and the conversations were easy. Several times she felt Ben's hand at her nape or holding her hand while he talked to someone else at the table. The day would be imprinted on her mind as the perfect day, she thought once as she looked at Ben's smiling face. He winked at her when he saw that she was watching him and went back to talking to his father across the table.

Eventually, Anne needed to use the Ladies' room and excused herself from the table. Lily decided to come with her, and they walked together into the room where they had to wait because all three stalls were taken. With time on their hands, they began to touch up their lipstick. Lily's brown eyes watched Anne in the mirror as she began to play with her bangs. Lily had the same coloring as Ben but shared no family resemblance to him, Anne noted, when her eyes caught Lily's in the mirror. After she fixed her hair, Lily turned around and stared at Anne's face.

"You had sex, right?"

"What?" Anne looked at her, startled by the question.

"Oh, come on, Anne. That's why you and Ben were late. It certainly explained why he disappeared all of the sudden after the photographer left this afternoon. I won't ask how he was because, well, it's too yucky to think about when we are talking about my brother, but you look like you enjoyed yourself. You two certainly move fast. But then you always got along when we were kids. You know he became interested in marine research because of you and all your little lessons."

"No, I didn't know that." She didn't know it and wondered why Lily brought it up.

"It's too bad your heading back east after this week. You and Ben are really good together. We can all see it."

"Actually, Lily, I have to tell someone, or I am going to burst. I came to Seattle to interview for a job, and I found out this afternoon that I got it. I'll be moving back at the end of the month."

"That's fabulous, Anne. Congratulations. Does Ben know? Are you going to tell your father? I saw his picture today." They shared a look that was not complimentary to Andrew Conner. "When you move back, you and Ben can...you know." She gave Anne a suggestive grin. "That will be great for both of you."

"Wait a second, Lily. Ben only wants and is expecting a vacation romance. I don't think either of us expected it to go as far as it has. I'm not going to spring it on him that I'm staying and expect him to be there." One of the stalls flushed, and a woman came out and went to the sink. Anne stepped out of the way. They suspended their conversation as the woman washed and left. Another stall flushed, and a second woman stepped out and crossed to wash her hands.

"Anne. He wants it." Lily waited until the second woman left before speaking.

"I wish I could be sure."

"My advice, Anne, is to tell him as soon as possible. Tell him tonight."

"I'll feel him out, but if he isn't warm on the idea of continuing our relationship after this week, I don't want to make things awkward between us for your wedding."

"Don't worry. He'll be receptive."

After that, they each headed to a stall and closed the doors. The third stall flushed and the woman stepped out. She walked to the line of sinks and washed her hands, smiling the whole time as she looked in the mirror. Then she flipped back her red hair and fixed her lipstick before going back into the dining room.

Chapter 12

Later that night, Ben and Anne were lying in Ben's bed after making love another time and they looked at each other with soft smiles on their faces. Anne was on her side looking at Ben who was lying on his belly looking at her with a satisfied male smile on his face. She reached out, brushed his shoulder, and trailed her hand down his back before leaning over to kiss his shoulder.

"Hmmm, you wear me out, Anne," Ben said sleepily. Then he yawned and rolled over to his side so that he faced her and reached his hand out to brush his fingers over her breast.

"I'm not going to be able to walk tomorrow," she told him. The comment elicited a laugh from Ben. She rolled onto her back, and he cupped the breast he had been brushing. She was suddenly nervous about asking him, but Lily said that she should ask him tonight. In her logical mind, she needed to know where she stood, too. "Ben, I have a question."

"What, Baby?"

"What do you think of our relationship?" He sighed, removed his hand, and rolled onto his back to look at the ceiling. He was no longer smiling, and she could feel his withdrawal emotionally as well as physically. She bit her lower lip and sighed in disappointment. "I mean, does this, do I, mean anything to you? Or is this just sex to you?"

"Anne. Of course it isn't just sex." He rolled over and looked at her again. "If you're wondering if I expect more after the week is over, I don't. I know that this is just for this week only. I'll always remember our time together this week as the best time I've had with a woman. You're such a wonderful woman, Anne. I hope you know that."

"After this week, that's it." She stated it rather than asked. She could not look at him and did as he did seconds earlier; she stared at the ceiling. He was silent for a long time, his eyes sad as he thought of how to answer her. Finally, he rolled onto his back again and looked up at the ceiling.

"Yes."

His answer didn't surprise her, but she was surprised by the stab of pain that went through her chest and the water that pooled in her eyes. Not wanting him to see how much his answer hurt her, she rolled on her side so that she faced away from him. A tear rolled over the ridge of her nose and dropped onto the pillow. After a few minutes, she felt him move behind her until he was wrapped around her, spooning her. His arm crossed over her side and pulled her back against him. Then he kissed her shoulder and the back of her head.

"Let me love you for the rest of this week, Anne. Don't push me away now. I need you the rest of this week. Anne?" She did not answer him right away as she struggled to be able to talk without letting him know that she was silently crying.

"Ok. I'll be yours for the rest of this week." She was surprised that her voice did not give him a clue to how she was feeling.

"I have a question for you, Anne." His breath brushed her shoulder.

"What is it?" Her voice was soft, barely reaching his ears.

"Do you think having a child is a good reason to get married?" She never expected that question. If he had not been holding her so tight against his front, she would have turned around to look at him.

"No, I don't. My mother married my father when she found out she was pregnant with me. It didn't last long. It was over before I was born. Knowing my father the way I do, I'm glad it didn't work out. If my mom had remained married to my father, she would never have married my dad."

"I never knew that Jim wasn't your natural father," Ben spoke softly behind her. "You're so close, and you call him 'Dad.'"

"That's because he is my dad. My father wanted nothing to do with me when I was born. Jim married my mom when I was a baby and adopted me. My natural father came around and caused problems when I was a teenager, wanting a relationship. For a while, he was in our lives, but not now. I haven't seen or heard from him in years. If I never see him again, it will be fine with me, although, I'll see him again eventually. I really don't like talking about him, Ben. Why did you ask me if I thought a baby would be a good reason to marry?"

"I had a couple of past girlfriends who tried to trap me with claiming that I was the father of their baby. That's all."

"What?" Her voice rose is her shock, and she tried to turn around. He held her tight, and she settled back down.

"Chelsea was one. She knew that I was planning on breaking up with her. The relationship was going nowhere, and she just downright scared me. So she made up the story that she was pregnant. There was no pregnancy, thank God. When I asked to see the doctor's report, she crumbled and finally admitted there wasn't going to be a baby. My last girlfriend tried passing another man's baby off as mine. While I was out of the country on business, she hooked up with an old boyfriend and became pregnant. When he refused to marry her, she told me the baby was mine. I went to the first doctor visit with her and got the baby's due date. Doing the math, it would not have been possible for me to be the father. Plus I always use protection. I confronted her about it, and she admitted that the baby was the other guy's."

"That's awful, Ben. I don't know how a woman could do that to a man. How did you feel about the baby when she told you she was pregnant?"

"Trapped. I felt trapped. I already knew we would be breaking up. I had heard it from friends who saw her out with the other guy. But even before I went on the trip, I knew that I did not want to see her anymore."

"Don't you want to have children?"

"Yes, I would. Someday, when I find the right woman, I want to have children. But, I won't be tricked into getting married by a woman who only wants me for my money. Do you want children?"

"Yes, when I find the right man."

They laid in silence for a long time, and Anne felt herself drifting off. She did not know if Ben was asleep or awake. His breathing was even.

"Anne."

"Yes, Ben?"

"I'm glad that you're here this week, that I found you again."

"I'm glad, too. Goodnight, Ben."

"Goodnight, Anne." He kissed her shoulder then settled back down behind her, curled into her back. Anne drifted off to sleep never seeing the sad eyes that watched her.

* * * * *

Ben woke up a little before five am, stretched his arm out in the dark to feel Anne's warm body in the spot next to him, and sighed in relief. He watched her fall asleep the night before, and held her in his arms, afraid that if he let go that she would get up and leave. He looked at her now with the light of the alarm clock casting enough light to see the softness of her face while she slept. He stared at her committing her face to memory. It was Thursday, and he only had less than four full days to try to win her heart. On Sunday he would be leaving, and she was leaving next week sometime. He never asked on what day she was planning to go back east. After Sunday morning, he would never see her again. It did not matter until now.

He wasn't ready to let her go, but he did not know how to keep her in Seattle. Her life was out east, and his was here. She said she only wanted this to be a vacation romance and that once she left then that would be it. He had agreed to it because that was all he thought he wanted at the time. But he was wrong. He wanted her for a lot longer than a vacation romance. He had to woo her. He had to show her how good they were together. He knew it was too soon after their reunion to be in love with her, but he was. When she asked him last night how he saw their relationship, he realized that he loved her. Maybe he always had.

He thought about their unprotected sex yesterday. He never asked her if she was on birth control. Right now, he didn't want to know. Right now he wanted to think that there was a chance that his baby was already growing inside of her. She would be a good mother; he knew that. He asked her last night about what she thought about a baby being a good reason for marriage, not because he had past girlfriends who tried to trap him, but because of the idea that if she became pregnant then he would marry her. Then when he heard her talk about her natural father and that she would not get married just because she was pregnant, he knew that she was right, and he was thinking foolishly. But if she became pregnant, he would be there. A baby would give him a reason to still keep her in his life.

He looked at her face with the digital light shining on it and smiled. He had dated several women over the years, some of them he had a physical relationship with and some he did not. There were several who dated him because they wanted something from him, namely his money. Now, here he was with a woman who wanted nothing from him, and he was hooked.

He reached out his hand and traced her breast running his fingertips over her nipple until it hardened into a pebble. Then he twirled it in his fingers and tugged on it gently. Anne began to stir. Leaning over, he took her breast into his mouth and moved his hand down until his fingers found her already wet. He pushed his finger inside of her, and she moaned with pleasure. Then he teased her until she began to push herself into his hand.

Letting her go, he quickly reached over to the nightstand and grabbed a foil packet. Then he slipped on the condom and positioned himself between Anne's thighs, the head of his penis pressed against her opening, waiting. She opened her eyes and looked at him then said his name breathlessly. Watching her face, he pushed himself inside of her slowly feeling her open a little bit at a time to hug him in her warmth. Her eyes remained open watching him. When he was in a far as he could go, he held still watching her face. Then he pulled out slowly and pushed back in. He watched the different expressions of passion cross her face at the sensation of him moving inside of her.

He pulled out again until he was almost outside of her then pushed back in more forcefully. She gasped and closed her eyes enjoying his movement. He waited for her to open her eyes again then began repeating the movement, each time pushing in a little further with more force. Each time, he waited until she was watching him before he began again. She began to pant and he watched her breasts rise and fall with each breath, her nipples hard. He moved his hands to her breasts and pinched her nipples gently with each thrust until she was crying out with pleasure.

He kept up with the torment of her body until he could feel her inner muscles begin to quiver. Then he pushed himself in so far he felt the wall of her womb open to him. Her body exploded in an orgasm that went on and on, and he held still inside of her absorbing the sensation of her body gripping his in this timeless dance of lovers. When her body quieted, he started again from the beginning until she reached another orgasm. This time, he let his control go when her body began to contract around him, and he had the most power orgasm he had ever experienced. His vision went white for a second as he began to release his seed into the condom.

He collapsed on top of her and she wrapped her arms and legs around him to hold him against her and inside of her. He wrapped his arms under her back then held her tight and pushed his face into her neck. They stayed that way holding each other with their bodies still joined for several minutes until he was sure he was squishing her beneath him. Finally, he removed his arms and put them on the sides of her head so that he could lift his weight off of her. After raising his head, he looked at her face and was surprised to see a trail of tears that ran from her eyes to her hairline. He kissed one of her eyes then the other and pulled himself out of her body. Then he rolled to his back. She moved against him until her head rested on his shoulder, and he held her against him until the sun came up.

Chapter 13

By mutual agreement, everyone decided to remain at the inn that morning. After showering, Anne and Ben went downstairs and had breakfast with Ben's family before splitting up to pursue their own activities. Ben had work he was trying to get a jump on before Monday when he went to Asia for his business trip. He explained to her the night before that he needed to make an unexpected early trip to China to straighten out some paperwork that could not be done by someone else or from a distance. Since the tailor was also coming around noon to deliver the tuxes for the wedding, and Lily and Melissa were having final fittings for their dresses that morning, too, the entire Carlson party was staying close to the inn.

Anne had business of her own to see to so she was not unhappy by missing time with Ben. They made plans to meet for lunch at one and go for a bike ride to Orcas Village that afternoon. When she finished with her breakfast, Anne went in search of her mother and informed her about the job offer and that an employment contract was being faxed to her at the inn's number. Her mother promised to call her when it came through. While she waited, she went onto the patio and read the mystery that she had picked up at Boston's Logan Airport in a little store so that she would have something to read on the flight. She didn't get much of a chance to read it while flying out to Seattle but made a serious dent in the book yesterday. Between reviewing her notes for the interview and an overly talkative man in the seat next to her on the flight, she only had half of the first chapter read by the time the plane touched down at Sea-Tac. Yesterday, she got all the way to chapter nine before she decided on a swim.

A few minutes after nine, her mother found her on the patio and handed her the fax that had just come through. The cover sheet bore the logo of Stanford Enterprises. She didn't want to read the contract outside, so she carried it into a quiet meeting room and looked through it. The contract terms were more than fair. Her starting salary was about what she had been making at her old company, and the benefits were good. She would start out with two weeks of paid vacation that she could start to use after the first six months. She reached the final page and saw that Benjamin Stanford III, Ms. Tomlinson, and Dr. Rudolph had already signed the contract. There was a spot for her to sign, and she used the pen that she borrowed from the office to sign her name "Dr. Jane A. Conner" on the paper. Then she left the room so that she could fax it back to Stanford Enterprises in the office.

While carrying the fax with her, Anne went through to the lobby and was bumped by someone from behind. The contact caused her to drop the contract on the floor. When she knelt down to pick up the scattered papers, she saw a woman's hand grab the cover sheet that showed the company logo and listed her name as the recipient. Anne looked at the woman, saw that the other woman was Chelsea Riverton, and groaned. Chelsea had a smug look on her face that Anne would have loved to wipe off. She probably bumped into her on purpose.

"I'll take that, please." Anne took the cover sheet immediately out of Chelsea's hand and stood up.

"What are you doing with a fax from Stanford Enterprises?"

"That's really none of your business, Chelsea. If you will excuse me, I have some things to attend to." After she stood, Anne took the fax, walked back to the office, and used the fax machine. Then she waited until it went through then called Ms Tomlinson to confirm that the fax was received.

After she took care of her business, Anne took the contract to her parents' house and put it in her briefcase that she had sitting on the floor next to her dresser. Then she smeared sunscreen on her face, neck, and arms and went for a walk so that she could get away from the inn for a while. She took off down the drive until she came to Ocean's Drive then turned left. Following the path that led to Eastsound, she continued walking and enjoyed the clear morning sunshine. It was a comfortable temperature and a nice breeze stirred the grasses of the watershed area that she walked through on her way into Eastsound. As she walked she thought about her discussion with Ben the night before. She could already feel that her emotions were involved.

Their relationship was not just about sex. At least not to her, it wasn't. What she felt for him in the past seemed like a child's crush compared to what she felt now. When the week ended, she knew that she was going to be hurt, and she realized that she needed to think about how she could protect her heart from further pain before Ben left on Sunday. The more time she spent with him, the more she wanted to be with him. But he made it clear last night that he would not want to take their relationship further than this week.

As difficult as it would be, she would not contact him once she moved to Seattle. Since he didn't want to see her again, there was also no point in telling him that she was moving in the first place. With more than 3.5 million people in the Seattle metro area, it was doubtful that they would ever run into one another.

The thought of never seeing Ben again after Sunday made her walk faster to chase away her heavy feelings. It dawned on her suddenly that she had fallen in love with him, and the knowledge robbed her of breath. Her chest hurt, and she groaned. How stupid could she get! No wonder her heart hurt at the idea of not seeing him again. Her logical scientist's brain was telling her it simply was not possible. It was far too close to love at first sight, something she simply did not believe in. It didn't matter that she had been attracted to him years ago. But she knew what she felt, and if she and Ben had more time together, she knew that they could have something special.

That stopped her. She was not going to ask for more from him. He liked her. Yes! But he did not feel the same way about her that she felt about him. She was not going to turn into another Chelsea.

She stopped walking and looked around her. She recognized the point. She had walked almost six miles to the east and could see the gates for Morgan State Park up ahead and Mount Constitution in the distance. The mountain was the highest point in the San Juan Islands, and if she had more time, she would keep walking until she reached the observation tower at the summit. But that would take far too much time. As it was, she needed to head back to the inn. She forgot her watch, but could tell by where the sun was in the sky that it was already past noon. She doubted that she and Ben would have time to bike down to Orcas Village, but they could take a short trip if they set out once she got back.

At least their families were not expecting them that night. Anne and Ben were planning on skipping dinner with the families so that the rest of the afternoon and evening would be theirs. With only a few short days, she didn't want to miss any more time with him. The clock was ticking. They only had about seventy-two hours before he left for good, and she wanted to spend as much of those hours with him as she could before they said goodbye.

It took her a few more hours to walk back, and her feet hurt long before she limped up the drive to the inn. Her canvas shoes may work for everyday wear, but they were the wrong shoes for a long walk, especially without socks. She could already feel the blisters forming on her heels and big toe. She chastised herself for her mistake. She should have changed into walking shoes before she left, but she just did not expect to walk for so long. She also had left her cell phone in the suite, so she couldn't even call for a ride. Limping into her parents' house before going to Ben's suite, she pulled off her shoes and reached for a few bandages. Then she grabbed a pair of socks and her walking shoes and put them as she grimaced at the pain.

After taking a bottle of water from her parents' refrigerator, she slipped up the back way and let herself into Ben's sitting room. He wasn't in the suite, but she simply could not walk anymore to go find him, and she did not have his cell number. Her feet were throbbing, so she dropped down on the couch and put her feet up. She must have fallen asleep because the next thing she knew Ben was sitting on the coffee table watching her. She opened her eyes and looked up at him, and she felt suddenly overwhelmed by the tender expression she saw in his eyes.

"Hi. What time is it?" She sat up and pushed her hair back from her face.

"It's after three. I was worried about you. We were supposed to meet in the dining room for lunch. You never showed. Then when you didn't come, I went looking for you. I checked up here twice, your parents' house once, and everywhere else I could think of. I wasn't sure if you had changed your mind about being with me anymore." His gaze was intent upon her face, and a worried line appeared between his eyebrows. "Did you change your mind?"

"No. I went for a walk to clear my head and lost track of the time. I forgot my watch. I'm sorry to have worried you." She was becoming confused by the look on his face. Perhaps he cared more than she thought.

"It's alright." He leaned forward and kissed her softly then leaned back again. "Did you eat anything?"

"No, and I'm pretty hungry."

"I'm sure you are. I didn't eat anything either. Come on, we'll get something to eat in the dining room." He reached across to help her stand, but as soon as she stepped down with her full weight on her feet, she gasped in pain. "What is it, Anne?" He helped her sit back down again.

"It's nothing. I didn't change my shoes before I left for my walk, and now I've got a few blisters. If you don't mind, I think I'm going to forego biking this afternoon." Ben helped her put her feet on the table, and she leaned back against the couch and sighed. "You'll have to go without me."

"No, I'll stay here. Did you put some antibacterial cream on the blisters?" At the shake of her head, he frowned. "Did you do anything?"

"I put on bandages."

Ben sighed then told her to stay put, as if she was going anywhere, she thought. He picked up the room phone and ordered sandwiches, diet sodas, and popcorn from the dining room. Then he called the front desk and asked for some first aid supplies and a footbath to be brought up to the room. After that he walked into the bathroom and returned a minute later with a towel and her shorts. He put the towel on the floor in front of her, then sat down on the table and began untying her shoes.

"I can do that," she told him lazily, but she made no move to do it herself.

"I know." He pulled one shoe and sock off. After looking at her bandaged foot, he said 'tsk' and made her smile before he removed the bandages. Then he removed the shoe, sock, and bandages from her other foot, before he set her foot down and reached for the snap of her jeans.

"I can do that, too." She stopped his hands and looked up at his face.

"I know that, too." His hands made short work on the snap and zipper before he helped her pull the jeans off. Then he reached for her shorts that he had set on the couch next to her.

"You know. I can dress myself. I've been doing for a number of years now." The man was just too much at times, she thought lightly, but he gave her a playful smile that caused her heart to flip.

"Humor me," was all he said with that charming smile that revealed a dimple before he lifted one leg and looped her shorts over her foot before he did the same for the other leg. Then with him kneeling in front of her, she helped him slide the shorts up her legs and zipper the fly before snapping them closed. "Admit it. You enjoyed that."

"I did not." She spoiled it by laughing.

"You'll enjoy it more when I take them off of you, later." She laughed again at the exaggerated leer he gave her when he said that.

"You're terrible. What's the popcorn for?"

"Since it looks like we won't be going anywhere for the rest of the day, that would make this movie night, or afternoon as the case may be. Have you seen the new James Bond movie?"

"Twice, but I can watch it again."

"I knew there was a reason I liked you."

A soft knock sounded at the door, and Ben stood up to answer it. The food, drinks, first aid supplies, and footbath were all delivered and placed where he indicated. Then he tipped the two employees and saw them out. The footbath felt heavenly on her sore feet, and she soaked them in the warm Epsom salt water while she ate her turkey sandwich. Ben pulled up the menu for the on-demand movie streaming service the inn used, and as she soaked her feet, they watched the latest Bond movie. The food was delicious but she especially enjoyed the popcorn. What was it about popcorn with a movie? About midway through the movie, Ben pressed the "pause" button to stop the movie and dried her feet before he saw to her blisters. He certainly liked to spoil her, she thought. But she was not going to complain.

They spent the rest of the afternoon snuggled up on the couch watching the rest of the movie. Then they followed that with a game of cribbage and a Seattle Mariners' game on the television. During the baseball game, he told her all of the finer points on baseball in between their on and off casual conversation on other topics. At one point, when Ben became excited at a triple play, Anne stared at his face and was struck by the strong feeling of affection that she felt while she watched him. She smiled at him tenderly. Later he argued with the umpire over a close play at home plate, and she laughed over his involvement in the game.

Midway through the game, Ben ordered a sausage and pepperoni pizza and a couple of beers that were delivered during the seventh inning stretch. They consumed the food and beer greedily and cheered the Mariners on to a tenth inning victory over the Detroit Tigers. When the game was finished, Ben turned off the television and stacked up all of their garbage and foot care products by the door.

"Admit it, you like baseball," he said as he sat back down next to her.

"I do like baseball. It's just a game that I prefer watching in the stadium instead of on T.V.," she told him as he took her hand in his.

"Come back sometime, and I'll take you to a Mariners game." He stared straight ahead at the television screen. The room became silent, and she wondered if he was holding his breath. Was that his subtle way of saying he wanted to keep seeing her or just a casual comment people made all of the time? She just did not know.

"Maybe I will take you up on that." She spoke softly and watched him release a slow breath. Then he smiled and looked over at her before leaning in to give her a quick peck on her lips. She looked into his warm brown eyes and began to hope that he wanted the relationship to go beyond that week.

"I need to get some exercise," he said suddenly. "I've been sitting too long. Do you feel up to going for a walk?"

"I think so."

She put her socks and walking shoes back on and took his hand for him to pull her up off of the couch. Then he walked with her to the balcony, opened the door, and waited for her to leave before he closed it. The sun was setting over the channel, coloring the sky. There was still enough light to see by, though, so they took off down the path to the dock to watch the final fall of the sun over the water. Their hands were entwined, Anne's held securely in the warmth of his, as they walked over to the spot by the water that they had stopped at two nights before. Ben sat on the tree trunk and pulled her down onto his lap so that he could hold her in the circle of his arms.

In the silence of the still night, they watched the sun finish setting over the calm water. The reds, oranges, and purples of the sky caught in the clouds to give the night a magical glow as the sun set behind Waldron Island. The colorful display was replaced by a dark sky filled with stars that twinkled down at them as if pinholes were made in a piece of paper and a light shown from behind. This was why you left the city, Anne thought. You just couldn't get sunsets like that unless you were outside of the city lights.

When the night bugs came out and started attacking them, Ben kissed her in a passionless meeting of their mouths that shook her more than a passionate kiss would have done. The sound of a fish breaking the surface of the water and the call of an owl went unnoticed. After standing up, Ben took her hand again in his larger one and walked with her back to his suite. They walked in silence, and neither of them spoke until the balcony door to his room was opened, and they were ready to walk inside. That's when Ben stopped to look at her.

"Anne."

It was just the one word. Her name was spoken as a question, a statement, a prayer. Anne took Ben's hand and pulled him inside of the bedroom quietly then locked the door behind her.

Once inside, she led him to the bed and they undressed each other in silence. Once they stood in front of each other unclothed, their lips touched until the passion built and they both felt the need to lie down. They made love to each other, glorying in each other's touch and taste, until they were left lying breathless and sated in each other's arms. Eventually, Anne fell asleep snuggled next to him. Her head rested on his shoulder, and her hand pressed soft against his heart. She missed seeing his expression of surprise. He forgot to grab a condom again. He wondered if his subconscious was telling him something. His slips the past two days could either lead to something wonderful or mess up their lives in a very big way.

Chapter 14

After a quick shower early the next morning, Anne pulled her hair back in a clip and decided that she needed a change of clothes. While Ben was in the shower, she slipped out the balcony door and hurried down to her parents' house. Ben told her before she left to bring back a dress for that afternoon and evening because she was going with him to the chapel for the rehearsal and the groom's dinner that followed. They would be eating at a local steak and seafood supper club located in Orcas Village instead of driving back to eat at the inn that evening, so semi-dressy was the attire. The wedding planner and helpers were coming to set up for the reception and dance tomorrow evening, and since no one wanted to be in the way, everyone was making his or herself scarce. This included Ben and Ann who decided on a bike ride to Mount Constitution.

The sun was still coming up when Anne let herself into the house and walked into the small kitchen where her dad was reading the paper. His usual cup of tea sat in front of him on the table. For nearly every morning of her childhood this was her dad's routine, and she smiled because some things never changed. Jim Petrovic had never acquired the American taste for coffee and preferred black tea in the mornings sweetened with cream and sugar. He also took tea in the afternoons, hot tea not iced, as was the European way.

"Morning, Anne," he greeted her with a warm smile when she walked in.

"Morning, Dad. Did mom tell you yesterday that I got the job?" She could see that the bathroom door was closed down the hall and guessed that her mother was getting ready. Like Anne, her mother liked to get cleaned up for the day before having her morning coffee. After she pulled a cup from the cabinet, Anne poured herself a cup of coffee from the pot her mom brewed every morning for herself. Then, after adding the cream, as she liked it, she carried the cup to the table and sat down across from her dad.

"She did. Congratulations." His Croatian accent was always stronger first thing in the morning, just as she remembered. "You'll be starting after the Fourth? Will that give you time to find an apartment?" Because of Independence Day on the Fourth of July, it was decided by Ms. Tomlinson that she would begin at Stanford Enterprises on the first Monday after the holiday.

"Probably not. I'll contact a realtor today and see about setting up some showings for the first part of next week. If I can't find an apartment, then I'll rent a monthly place until I find the apartment that I want. The hard part will be packing up my apartment back in Cambridge and shipping everything to Seattle. If I don't find an apartment, my stuff will need to go into storage." She sipped her coffee and pursed her lips at the thought of packing then storing her stuff.

"It will be nice to have you back, sweetheart. Your mother and I worry about you out there all by yourself, especially after this past year. Do you need money?"

"No, Dad. I think I've got it covered. I'll lose my security deposit unless I can sublet my apartment, but I don't think that will be a problem. There's a waiting line for people wanting to move into my building. But if I lose it, I'll make that up by not paying for parking." He nodded his head in understanding. Parking in the Boston area was expensive due to the supply and demand problem.

"Your mother and I have been talking, and we don't like the idea of you driving across the country by yourself. So, your mother is flying out and will drive back with you."

"She doesn't need to do that." Anne looked up into his concerned blue eyes.

"Maybe not, but, it will make us both feel better knowing that you're not traveling alone. Umm, do you expect to keep seeing Ben when you move here?" His change of subject threw her.

"I don't know, Dad. It's kind of complicated." It was complicated, and she really did not know where their relationship stood. Except for the offhand invitation to a Mariners' game the night before, she had no reason to believe Ben wanted to see more of her after that week.

"Yes, I suppose it is." He gave her a concerned look and watched her face closely. "I read the contract over. I hope you don't mind? It was sitting on your dresser. It looks like you are getting a fair deal from it."

"It was on my dresser? Huh. I must have been more distracted than I thought because I thought I put it in my briefcase. No matter, it's fine that you read it. Yes, the contract is fair, and I have wanted to work for the company for a while."

"Does Ben know that?"

"No, I haven't told him. Is it important?"

"Is what important?" Her mother walked into the kitchen and poured her morning cup of coffee. She looked fabulous, as always, Anne thought. "So my dear, what do you and Ben have planned for today?"

"We were planning on biking over to Mount Constitution after breakfast and having a picnic before coming back to get cleaned up for the rehearsal. I sneaked a peek at the reception hall, and it's going to look great."

"Wait until the flowers and tables are set up. Penelope is making the wedding cake to compliment the design. You will be so impressed when it all comes together." She was referring to Carla's mother who owned the bakery along with her husband. The reference to Carla's mother reminded Anne that she forgot to tell her parents about the baby, and she told them the news, happily.

The topic of her new job was dropped as they began to discuss the wedding, some of the guests who were already at the inn, and Carla's good news. Finally, her dad stood up so that he could get cleaned up for the day, dropped a kiss on the top of her head, and moved down the hall. Anne talked to her mother for a few minutes more then went to her room to change her clothing and put on her red bikini under her blue shorts and pink tee shirt.

While she was in her room, she looked up the number for a realtor listed in the Redmond-Bellevue area on her cell phone and placed the called, fully expecting to be told to leave a message because it was still too early. The realtor answered the call on her cell phone and promised to have a number of apartments and rental houses lined up to show Anne on Tuesday and Wednesday, a schedule that worked well for Anne because she was set to fly back to Boston on Thursday morning. After grabbing her dress and essentials for the evening, she headed back across the path to Ben's balcony. When she got to the door, she stopped in shock at what she found.

Taped to the door was a single piece of paper with the word "slut" written on it in big letters with a felt tip pen.

Feeling shaken, she pulled it off of the door. It was probably Chelsea's attempt to scare her off. She planned on telling Ben about it, but when she entered the room, he was working on his laptop and talking on his cell phone in a foreign language. It sounded like he was either speaking Chinese or Japanese, and she remembered that he said he was leaving for Asia on Monday. He glanced over at her, gave her a quick smile, and went back to his conversation. She crumbled the paper into a ball and threw it in the trash. She would tell him later.

She didn't want to disturb him, so she took her things into his bedroom, hung up her dress, and put her makeup, jewelry, and hair products on the bathroom vanity. Then she checked her reflection. She thought that her casual attire with the red straps sticking out from under her tee shirt would not be a problem in the dining room for a Friday. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday mornings were a little more formal than the other days of the week, usually because of weddings, special events, and church services. But there were always a handful of people who tended to dress casually for breakfast at the inn no matter the day of the week, and Ben was in his swim shorts and a tee shirt, too.

After going back into the sitting room, she sat on the couch, picked up the newspaper and began to read an article in the _Times_ about a housing boom in the Seattle area, one of the few booms after the Great Recession that hit the country a few years before. That would drive up the price of rents, and she wondered what she would find in her price range. She wanted to find a two or three bedroom house. After living in apartments for the past eleven years, she wanted to be back in a house. It would probably be better to buy, but she was leery to do that until she had a chance to check out the southern and eastern suburbs.

"Ready?"

Ben finished his conversation and looked at her expectantly from the table he used as a desk. "Ready," she said and stood up. She decided to leave her purse behind and walked beside Ben downstairs to the dining room. She forgot all about telling Ben about the nasty note taped to the door.

* * * * *

Anne and Ben spent a relaxing day biking to the eastern side of the island and Moran State Park. From there, they made their way up the road to Mount Constitution and wound their way up to the observation deck that had been built at the summit. The views from the top were breathtaking. The sky was clear again, and they could see for miles. The rest of the San Juan Islands were the closest. Further out they could see Mount Rainer, the Cascade Mountains, and the port cities of Anacortes to the southeast, Port Townsend to the south, and Bellingham to the northeast. They stood for several minutes just taking in the splendor of the 360-degree view from the top.

Then they made their way back down the summit again and rode their bikes south to Mountain Lake along one of the many bike trails located in the park. The blue water surrounded by tall pine trees came into view long before they arrived. Several fishing boats and canoes were in the water further out and away from the shoreline. They stopped at a public beach along the lakeshore then ate a light picnic lunch of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, apples, and water after taking a swim to cool off. The food and cool water revived them. The warm sun and exercise were taking their toll.

Later that day, they made their way back to the inn and cleaned up for the wedding rehearsal that would take place at the chapel. They drove her rental car to the chapel and to dinner at the steak and seafood house located in Orcas Village, so that they could leave when they wanted to do so. After the dinner was finished, they decided to leave before dessert, and said goodbyes to everyone before they left. Anne couldn't help but see the happy smiles directed at her and Ben from Ben's family. On their drive back to the inn, they decided to detour their route and stop in Eastsound for some ice cream and a walk around the harbor. While they walked arm and arm along the docks and the downtown area, they greeted several locals and the tourists they crossed paths with who were also out for a stroll.

The village was quaint and always warmed her heart when she was there. If she could have a vacation home, it would be in Eastsound, she thought, as they stopped to look in the storefronts. The buildings in town looked like cottages that could be found in a storybook, all neat with painted clapboard siding. Some sported gingerbread trim along the fascia and gables. A number of houses were owned by permanent islanders, but there were also several rental homes and B & B's that could be found in the village.

The landscape was dotted with cabins and campgrounds further out of the small downtown area. Wild flowers growing in rock ledges along the shoreline and hills were juxtaposed with neat window boxes and flowerpots on doorsteps. They could see both of the distant shorelines of the East Sound, a natural waterway that split the island into two halves like an undone bow tie whose ends were left hanging from the center loop. Eastsound was the knot in the middle. Hilltops covered primarily with fir trees could be seen in the lowering sun that cast warm colors across the sky and made the water of the Sound sparkle.

While walking around downtown, they found a little shop that sold ice cream and went inside to get a couple of waffle cones that they ate as they continued their stroll along the downtown area filled with various businesses. When the sun finally set, they headed back to Anne's car and drove back to the inn. Ben parked the car in the Petrovic's private parking area behind their house then walked with Anne up the back path to the inn's main building. The swimming pool, that held a number of people earlier in the day, was empty now and music from a live band came from inside the lounge. After deciding to skip the lounge full of wedding guests and vacationers, Ben took Anne's hand and led her up the fire escape to his room where he proceeded to show her just what the day spent with her meant to him.

Chapter 15

Anne woke early on Saturday morning to the feel of Ben behind her; his arm was thrown over her waist, and his hand was on her breast. His lips moved over her shoulder and she sighed before rolling onto her back. He moved between her legs and entered her as he watched her face in the dim morning light. She felt the familiar pleasure enter her with each of his thrusts, and she rose to meet him. Then they found their climaxes together before Ben collapsed on top of her, their bodies still joined. She gladly accepted his weight and held him in her arms while she ran her hands over his muscled back and firm cheeks.

They both knew that their time was running out, and their passionate lovemaking the night before was laced with a touch of desperation that heightened every sensation. Several times during the night, Ben brought her to climax, holding back his own release until she finally took control and drove him over the edge of desire. In contrast, their joining this morning was sweet and simple, and its impact squeezed her heart. She still held out hope that he would say something today to let her know that he wanted to continue their relationship. If he didn't, she would risk his rejection by telling him that she would be moving back to Seattle and hope for the best.

There were several times when she tried to find the words in the past two days to tell him, but her fear held her back. When it came right down to it, the woman she was here on the island was not who she really was anymore. He remembered the fearless spitfire she used to be when she was a kid. But she had changed, and if he knew just how boring she really was, he would run in the other direction. Her life revolved around science now, around being careful, and in looking at things logically. She wore lab coats over tee shirts and jeans, her hair was usually pulled back into a clip, and her nails were unpolished. But she wished that she could be the sexy spitfire he said that she was.

Ben smiled sleepily at her and kissed her tenderly before laying back down beside her. She soon fell back to sleep. When she woke up again, the sun was bright, and she looked over at the bedside clock. It was ten-seventeen. Goodness! Anne could not remember ever sleeping so late. After getting out of bed, she picked up Ben's tee shirt and put it on before she went into the sitting room to find Ben. The room was empty, but a note had been left on the buffet next to the coffee pot and a lemon poppy-seed muffin. She smiled because he remembered the kind of muffin that was her favorite. The note told her that he would be back soon.

Before she poured a cup of coffee and ate her muffin, she went into the bathroom for a quick shower then dressed in the pair of shorts and a blue button down shirt that she had brought over the day before. Once dressed, she went back into the sitting room and picked up her cell phone to check the text message that beeped at her. While she looked at the message, she smiled. It was from Carla. After sitting down on the couch, she pressed Carla's number in her contacts list and waited for the phone to be answered.

"So, did you get called back?" Carla greeted Anne by asking her the question.

"Good morning to you, too. They offered me the job." Carla screamed in excitement then told Gary, who was somewhere close by. When Carla got back on the line, Anne told her the details of the contract and when she would start. Then she told her that she would be looking for a rental on Tuesday and Wednesday.

"Oh, I know of a place you can rent. You know that little Cape Cod at the other end of the block?"

"Is it the blue one with the dormers or the white one with the fence?"

"It's the blue one. It's owned by a techie who's moving to California for a year. But he doesn't want to sell it, just lease it out. But he is picky about who he will lease it to, too. He was talking about leasing it out to someone who doesn't have kids or pets, preferably a professional. No college students. I told him about you, and he's interested in showing it to you. What should I tell him? Will you look at it? It's a two bedroom, has a killer kitchen, a fireplace, and a big deck in back. Oh, and it has a single detached garage. You need to see it."

"Sounds super tempting, Carla. What's he asking per month?" Carla told her the lease price that was well within Anne's budget. "Tell him that I'll be in town on Tuesday and Wednesday. If he is available, I want to see it."

"Will do. How's it going at the inn? Do your mom and dad have you working?" Anne took a sip of her coffee before answering.

"No work this time. I'm just relaxing with old friends."

"That's good, Anne. I told you that I had a good feeling about this." Anne heard Ben putting his key card into the lock.

"Hey, I have to go now, Carla. I'll fill you in on Tuesday about what I've been doing. Ok?"

"Ok. Bye, Anne."

Anne pressed the "Disconnect" call button just as Ben walked into the room. He saw her sitting on the couch and put his hand behind his back before he walked over to where she sat. She was curious about what he was hiding.

"Morning," she greeted him with a smile. He, in contrast, had a nervous look on his face.

"Good morning. I got this for you." He pulled his arm from behind him and showed her what he held in his hand. It was a white jewelry box. Surprised, she looked up into his eyes then took the box from him. She was speechless and swallowed a couple of times to remove the lump that suddenly formed. Inside the box she found a delicate silver chain with an aquamarine stone attached as a permanent setting of the chain. It was beautiful. "It reminded me of your eyes," he said as she continued to look at the necklace. She felt her eyes water. "Anne?"

"It's beautiful." She looked up at him, and he saw her tears.

"Don't cry, Anne. You don't like it. I'll take it back. I'll exchange it." Alarmed, he dropped to his knees before her.

"Don't you dare! I love it. Help me put it on." She took the delicate chain from the box and tried to open the clasp, but her hands were shaking too much. Ben took it from her and sat next to her on the couch. She lifted her hair so that he could secure the clasp, and then he kissed her nape when the clasp was secure. After letting her hair fall back down, she turned to look at him and fingered the stone that rested at the base of her throat. She was not expecting this. Hopefully it was a good sign, she thought, and not a parting gift. "When did you get this?"

"I got it this morning. I drove over to the jewelry store in Eastsound, the one we walked by last night, and had the proprietor open up early. You look beautiful."

She stood up and crossed over to the mirror by the door. The stone was the same color as her eyes. Ben came to stand behind her, and she spun around to kiss him then wrapped her arms around his waist. "I love it. It's too expensive, though."

"I can afford it, Anne." He put his hands up and cupped her face. "I wanted to give you something...something to remember me by after this week." He pulled her back into his arms so that she rested her head against his shoulder and ran his hand through her hair. "I'll never forget this week together, Anne." That didn't sound good, Anne thought. It sounded like this was a parting gift. Some of her happiness dimmed.

"Ben, if I was in Seattle, would you still want to see me?" She said this nervously against his shoulder. It was now or never. He pulled away from her and rested his hands on her arms. He was smiling, and she became encouraged by it.

"Of course I would, Anne."

"What if I'm not the woman you think I am?" She suddenly decided that she should explain what she did for a living. Over the years she had found that some men were turned off by it. Although she did not think that he would be, she wasn't sure.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, what if I'm different. People act differently when on vacation."

"Yes, they do. Are you saying that you would think about coming back to live in Seattle? What about your job? Your life is out..." A knock at the door stopped him from finishing what he wanted to say. "I'll be happy when this wedding is over," he groaned in resignation before he let go of her and opened the door. His mother stood in the hall. She came inside the room when he opened the door and greeted Anne when she saw her. His mother was clearly upset and full of nervous energy.

"Ben, you're supposed to be in your tux and ready to go. It's eleven o'clock."

"The wedding isn't until two, Mom."

"That's right, Ben. But we need to drive to the chapel, there are photos that need to be taken, we still need to have lunch because dinner won't be served until five, and as Best Man, you cannot miss any of it. Now go and change, and for Heaven's sake, shave." Ben winked at Anne then went into the other room. A minute later they heard the shower turn on. "What was he doing this morning? I saw him drive up the front drive in your car," she said distractedly. "You wait, Anne. Men just do not get it." She looked at her watch and groaned. "Tell him that we had to get going. We're already going to be late for the chapel. Can he borrow your car?"

"Yes. I'll catch a ride with my parents."

"Good. Oh, Lord, if this day goes off without a hitch, I'll be very surprised. Bye, dear." Then like a whirlwind, she was gone.

After she closed the door behind Ben's mother, Anne smiled at the image of Ben's usually unflappable mother who was so uptight and took a deep breath. Anne had not been invited to the wedding per se, but was included as Ben's "plus-one." It was naturally accepted by everyone that she was going, so Anne didn't feel like she was crashing the wedding. After she looked around at the now empty sitting room, she turned once more to the mirror to admire the necklace Ben had given her only a few minutes before. It didn't sound like Ben intended the necklace as a parting gift if his response to her asking him about her being in Seattle was any indication. She smiled happily as she fingered the stone and thought about what hers and Ben's future would be once he found out that she was moving back to Seattle. She looked forward to telling him that night.

Anne remembered her coffee sitting on the coffee table and walked over to pick it up. It was cold. After dumping it out into the buffet bar's sink, she poured a second cup and sat down on the couch. She was quite hungry, now, and pulled the muffin over to her, took the top from the lower portion, and nibbled the delicious muffin top, the part she always ate first. The shower turned off, and Anne heard the sound of the sink water running for a minute before the bathroom door opened. She went into the bedroom and saw Ben standing in a towel taking the tuxedo from the garment bag.

"Your mother left and said to take my car to the chapel. Don't dawdle. She didn't say that, but it was implied."

"I'm sure it was." He pulled on a pair of underwear and sat on the edge of the bed to begin pulling on his socks. The hair on his head and chest was still wet. "Anne, can you find my shoes?"

She looked in the closet and found a shoebox that she pulled out and took to the bed. The shoes were a size thirteen pair of black oxfords delivered for the wedding. Ben already had his pants on and was in the process of buttoning up his shirt that was sticking in places to his wet chest and back. The rest of the tuxedo included a cream colored silk vest, a deep purple woven silk tie, and a black tuxedo jacket with a deep purple silk handkerchief that matched the tie. She watched Ben as he dressed and thought that he was an exceptionally handsome man. Once he was dressed, she whistled. He looked sharp and incredibly sexy.

"Anne," he began as he tied his shoes. "I know that we were interrupted earlier, and I want to finish the discussion. But can it wait until tonight?"

"It can wait. Now get going before your mother starts calling."

He grabbed her car keys and his wallet that he had put on the dresser and kissed her quickly before leaving. Once she was alone, she turned off the lights in the bedroom and collected her hair and makeup items from the bathroom. Her dress for the wedding was still at her parents' house, and she would need to ride with them, so she decided to head over to their house now. She stepped outside and saw another piece of paper taped to the glass of the balcony door. Anne read the word "whore" on the sheet and shuttered. That Chelsea really was a piece of work, she thought. Then she pulled the note off, crumbled it into a ball, and carried it with her until she could toss it into a trash container that sat at the edge of the patio.

* * * * *

The wedding was performed inside the beautifully decorated Victorian styled chapel built outside of Orcas Village. Set in a meadow and surrounded by towering pines, the chapel looked like it belonged on the New England countryside instead of in the Pacific Northwest. The white chapel, built in the 1970s to resemble a Victorian era chapel, was a throwback to days gone by complete with a center steeple and bell tower. Narrow stained glass windows flanked the front door and the sides of the building, and visitors were greeted with another large stained glass window that filled the arch behind the altar and captured the light. The cream plaster walls, stained wooden ceiling, and exposed beams complimented Lily's chosen colors of dark purple and cream.

Lily wore a custom Badgley Mischka designer wedding dress with an off white strapless beaded bodice, a dark purple silk sash at the waist, and a flowing cream colored organza skirt with beaded calla lilies interwoven throughout the fabric. She chose not to wear a veil but had her brown hair styled in a soft up-do with strands curling loosely around her face and beads woven through her curls. In her hands, she carried a simple bouquet of purple calla lilies tied with a cream bow that contrasted with the cream colored calla lilies carried by her matron of honor and used as boutonnières worn by the men and in the mothers' corsages. Flower arrangements of calla lilies, alliums, and mums were set strategically around the chapel and tied to the ends of pews to complement the flowers they carried. The chapel was quaint, and the enclosed space captured the wonderful scents from the flowers. Anne breathed it in with enjoyment. Lilies were her favorite flower.

Anne sat next to her parents in the pew and wore a simple aqua lace sleeveless shift dress with a scooped neck that Carla talked her into buying. It complimented her eyes and showed off her figure to the best advantage by clinging to her curves and ending just above her knees. The necklace that Ben gave her earlier in the day was around her neck, and she wore no other jewelry. She also wore a simple smile when she watched Lily and Tom exchange their vows and when she found her eyes wondering frequently over to Ben.

After the ceremony, Anne stood outside and looked at the meadow and trees outside of the chapel instead of returning to the inn with her parents. She waited to drive back with Ben, but they could not leave right away because the photographer needed a few more shots. Finally, when the church was cleared of guests and the photographs were taken, they saw the newly married couple into a white Rolls Royce limousine and followed them back up Orcas Road to the inn.

The reception room at the inn was full of guests when they arrived, and a small orchestra played by the dance floor. Nobody danced, as it was the custom to wait until after the newly married couple took their first dance as husband and wife before anyone danced. The tables were covered in cream and purple overlaid cloths, and each table sported a tall clear crystal love vase holding cream calla lilies.

While Ben stood in the reception line with the rest of the wedding party, Anne looked for a place to get a glass of wine. Surprisingly, she saw several people whom she recognized. Once the guests had gone through the receiving line, Ben came to find her. She was talking with a nice couple that she had first met years before. They were frequent guests of the inn in addition to being friends to the Carlson family. They greeted Ben warmly when he arrived at her side and exchanged a few words about the wedding. Ben had handed her a Champaign flute when he walked up and clinked glasses with her before he sipped from his glass and talked to the other couple. He didn't leave her side again until it was time to eat.

When he went to the head table to sit, Anne found her spot next to her parents at their table across the room. Soon the toasts were given with Ben's being both a stirring and funny Best Man's toast that paid homage to his sister and her new husband. There were a number of calls for the couple to kiss, and then everyone focused on enjoying the delicious seafood and beef dishes prepared by the inn's resident chef.

Sometime later, after the dinner plates were removed and the bride and groom shared their first dance, Anne was having a wonderful time talking to another couple at her table when she suddenly felt Ben at her side again. This time he was there to ask her for a dance. Anne quickly accepted and let him lead her to the dance floor where a slow waltz was being played. Anne recognized the song but couldn't place the composer. The waltz had been played at Carla's wedding, also. It had been a long time since she had danced with anyone, not since Carla's wedding, in fact, and Anne was slow to start out. But Ben was an excellent leader, and she was soon floating around the floor in his arms.

All too soon the dance ended, and another song began. Instead of staying for another dance, Ben led her from the floor and through the many couples moving to the new waltz. Anne expected him to take her somewhere to sit down so that they could talk, but instead he whisked her out of the room and into a private meeting room one door down from the reception room's door.

After he closed the door of the meeting room behind them, he quickly pulled her into his arms for a private dance that stirred her blood and left her breathless. They swayed to the sound of the orchestra playing in the other room, their bodies pressed against each other in a sexier version of the waltz they did on the dance floor. She moved her arms around Ben's neck and looked up at him, and he found her mouth in a seductive kiss that stirred her body and left her wanting much more. She finally pulled away to catch her breath and felt Ben's lips move onto her neck and the space behind her earlobe.

"Shouldn't we go back?" She didn't want to but asked because she was afraid of the kiss escalating right there when anyone could walk in on them. As it was, her voice was already breathless. "Everyone will miss you." His lips moved to her earlobe and his hands slide down her back to rest on her bottom, cupping her cheeks and pulling her in closer to his body.

"Hmm, maybe... I've wanted to do this ever since you walked into the chapel." His mouth found hers again for a passionate kiss that left her moaning before he moved his mouth to her collarbone then along to the base of her throat. She could feel his erection pressed against her, and she rubbed herself against him until his hands lifted her up against him. He backed her against the wall and began to pull up her skirt, his hands sliding up her thighs until he reached her hips.

"Stop, Ben," she whispered fervently. He stopped moving his hands upward, groaned, and finally moved his hands away from her hips. Then he put his elbows by her head and ended the kiss so that he could look at her. He had a scowl on his face that clearly showed his frustration and disappointment.

"You're right. Here is not the place for this." He pushed himself away from her and took several deep breaths. "But we are not staying to close out the night. I don't care what my duties are. We still need to talk, and then I intend to make love to you all night long." He leaned forward and told her just what he had planned for her that night. The images he created with his words caused her to blush and her core to fill with moisture. He gave her a wicked look at her shocked expression. "Trust me, you'll like it."

"I'm sure I will."

"Well, I must say, you certainly worked fast." The sound of someone entering the room startled them both. They looked at the door and saw Chelsea walk in, close the door, and lean a shoulder against the wood surface. Ben sighed angrily.

"Would you mind leaving Chelsea? We're a little busy right now." Ben turned around and stepped in front of Anne to block Chelsea seeing her. Anne looked down at herself and saw that her shirt was still up around her waist. She quickly pushed it back down to cover herself then stepped out from behind Ben.

"I'll say you are. But then she is good at getting what she wants. Isn't that right, Dr. Conner?" Chelsea sneered at Anne then looked innocently at Ben and spoke sweetly to him. "I just want to protect you, Ben."

"Chelsea, leave now. Go back to the party and your parents. You've had too much to drink."

Anne looked at her closely. The other woman's face was red and she swayed a little where she stood as if her world was swirling around her. Her words were also slightly slurred. She clearly had been drinking too much alcohol.

"Not until you know the truth, Ben." Chelsea's sweet tone turned to ice when she looked at Anne. "I did a little checking up on you, Jane. Did you know that the little slut was only using you, Ben?" She looked innocently at Ben again.

"That's enough, Chelsea. No more. I've had enough of your actions and your language." The tone of Ben's voice became dangerously cold. Anne could feel the anger radiate from him. He reached over and took Anne's hand and pulled her to the door. "Come on, Anne."

"Oh, you're not leaving, yet. Not until I tell you what I found out." Chelsea's voice became singsong, and she turned so that her full weight was against the door barring their exit. "You see, Ben, your little fiancée there was only using you to get a job. Isn't that right, Dr. Conner? But then she never was your fiancée."

"What are you talking about?" He looked back at Anne. "What is she talking about?"

"I don't know." Anne was genuinely perplexed why Chelsea would think that Anne was using Ben to get a job with Stanford Enterprises. Anne had never even told him that she was interviewing in Seattle. She was planning on telling him tonight. How did Chelsea know? Then Anne remembered the dropped fax.

"Oh, come on, you little whore."

"That's enough, Chelsea. I'm warning you to stop with the insults." Ben's voice became menacing with his anger. But Chelsea didn't stop. Her voice became angry when she continued.

"She sold yourself to you, Ben, so that she could get a job at Stanford Enterprises. You see, Ben, she just wanted you for a job, baby. Isn't that right, Dr. Jane Conner? There's nothing like screwing the boss to get ahead in life." Chelsea laughed drunkenly. Anne gasped in surprise. What was Chelsea talking about? "There's nothing like screwing the great Benjamin Stanford the Third. You should have asked for more money, Jane. He's loaded."

"That's enough, Chelsea. Get out of the way before I move you myself." Ben glared at Chelsea. The look in his face and the tone of his voice finally sank in and were enough to convince her to move out of the way.

"Ok, Ben." Chelsea moved away from the door and allowed them to leave. But she made sure to give Anne a smug look before Anne left the room. The look said, "I win!" Anne began to understand that Chelsea's performance was just part of her plan to get Ben back. Ben could not be _the_ Benjamin Stanford III. Instead of going back to the reception as Anne thought they might do, Ben gripped her hand tightly and forced her to walk beside him over to the elevator in the lobby.

He didn't say anything on the way to his suite. Anne was too stunned, too lost in her own feelings of confusion at learning that he was Benjamin Stanford to comprehend just how angry he really was. He opened the door to the sitting room and escorted her inside. Once they were both in the room, he walked over to the balcony door and looked out for several minutes at the darkening sky and remained silent. She stood motionless in the center of the room, lost in her numbness, and didn't feel the heaviness of his mood. Finally, she began to thaw, and noticed that Ben had been standing silently for quite some time looking outside. The quiet became excruciating, and she wanted to say something. She just didn't know what to say.

"Is what she said true?" His voice reached her through the lifting fog of her mind and pulled her the rest of the way out of her reverie. His voice was calm, deep. She did not think that it was a good sign that he was calm. He should be angry. His voice should be heightened with his temper. She didn't know this calm side of him and was not sure what to expect from him next.

"What part?" He laughed mirthlessly at her question. No, it definitely was not a good sign.

"Let's start with the easy part first. Are you Dr. Jane Conner?"

"Yes, but the other things she said are not true, Ben."

"What a fool I am," he said to himself. Anne became alarmed by what he said and quickly crossed over to him to put her hand on his arm. She was about ready to say something when he shook off her hand and walked away from her. His voice became deathly cold. "You know, Anne, or maybe I should call you Jane. You know, Jane. All I can think about right now is that you said this morning that you weren't who I thought you were." He didn't look at her.

"That's not what I meant, Ben," she said calmly even though she wanted to scream. "Please look at me. I did not know who you were, and what we have between us was never about a job?" She could hear the tears in her voice. "Please believe me."

"Believe you?" His voice became even icier, if that was possible, and Anne knew just how angry he really was. He believed Chelsea's story! She could feel her own anger rise at his unfounded belief that she had used him. "Why should I believe you? Let's look at the facts, shall we? You are Dr. Jane Conner who interviewed for a job with my company earlier this week against a strong field of candidates, I might add. You conveniently decide to visit your family at the same time that you knew that I was planning to be here. Then on the second day at the inn, you arrange it so that we must pretend that we are engaged and sharing a room. Of course, this is only after you already asked me to go kayaking with you. Was your mother in on it, too? How convenient. You came on to me from the first moment we ran into each other and, even though you maintained that you did not sleep around, you fell into bed pretty quickly with me."

She gasped when he said that last part and turned around. He might as well have just slapped her. It could not hurt as much as his words did. Her heart plummeted, and she struggled to stifle her rising emotions. "Do I have this right so far?" His voice became louder with each of his points. That's it! She was angry and extremely hurt. She could not answer him, and she could not turn around. But she could see his reflection in the glass of the balcony door, and he stood where he was before, glaring at her back. Finally she found the words to speak again.

"Ben, those were all coincidences. I did not know who you were. I thought that you were Ben Carlson." The feeling of dread increased in her chest, and she blinked back sudden tears. Crying right now would not help, either. She knew that he would not believe that they were sincere.

"And I'm supposed to believe that? Your parents knew who I was." Her breath caught in surprise at that bit of news. She didn't know! Why didn't they tell her? "So what were you going to do tonight? Were you going to tell me who you really were and fake innocence? Or were you just going to wait until I saw you at work then spring it on me, all of a sudden? Were you going to tell me tonight that you loved me so that I would believe your story?"

"No, Ben. I didn't know who you were. I swear." Her voice came out quietly, but at least it was calm and did not reveal the turmoil of her emotions. The look on his face told her that he did not believe a word she said, and she realized that fighting further would be useless. She wasn't who he thought she was, and he wasn't who she thought he was either. The fight left her when she accepted that he would never believe her capable of these things if he truly did care about her. This was just a vacation romance to him, nothing more, so why fight? Her vision became blurred, and she blinked back her tears.

The weight in her chest was almost unbearable. She was more upset about his not caring for her than she was at finding out who he really was. She had to get through this evening before he saw that she loved him and was destroyed by his rejection. She would get through it, she told herself. After straightening her spine, she blinked a few more times then turned around and faced him. "You don't believe me. I'm sorry for the confusion, Ben, but this, all of this, was not what you think." His expression remained the same. "Forget about the contract, Ben. I won't hold you to it. I don't want to come and work for you, now."

Her softly spoken words finally got him to change his expression, only this time to a sneer.

"Nice try, Jane. We have a contract, and if I cancel it now that we've had sex, you'll find yourself a lawyer and sue. It would get nasty. Then we would have to settle out of court, probably for a few million, making you a rich woman. It would be almost worth it to pay you off. But I refuse to give you the satisfaction. No, I'm afraid that we are stuck with each other for at least the trial period. Just stay away from me, and I'll stay away from you. Now get your things and get out of my room. I'm going back to the party." He moved to the door and looked at her one more time. When she said nothing, he walked out.

As soon as the door closed, the pain in Anne's chest overwhelmed her. She could no longer stand and sat down on the floor then leaned her back against the balcony door. The tears began silently spilling over her lashes and running down her cheeks. She hiccupped, and it turned into a sob that rocked through her until she was sobbing openly. She wrapped her arms around her legs and pressed her forehead against her knees, her body shaking with each sob. It seemed like hours that she cried, but it was only minutes before she went in search of a tissue to blow her nose. Then she took the necklace off and set it by his laptop before she went into the bedroom to pick up every one of her things. She looked around to make sure that she left no trace of herself behind and opened the balcony door to go down the fire escape. She didn't know how she made it to her parent's house without crying again because as soon as the front door closed, the tears began again and lasted for most of the night.

Chapter 16

Ben woke up the next morning with a raging hangover. The one and only time he had a hangover in college, he swore to never drink to excess again. But last night he returned to the party and went up to the open bar, first thing. He stayed there for the rest of the party in hopes that the alcohol would help him forget. But no amount of alcohol was able to drown out the pain in his chest or his feelings of betrayal. His behavior worried his parents who asked him several times where Anne was. He avoided their questions until they stopped asking.

Now with the cold light of day smacking him in the face, he looked over at Anne's empty place in the bed. His anger was gone, and all he felt was emptiness and regret. He had accused her of some awful things the night before, and now he knew that he had acted like a fool believing the crazy story his mind had strung together to explain all of the coincidences. That hurt more than anything. She was none of those things he accused her of being. It was all just a big misunderstanding that he played a major role in perpetuating. If he had only told her his last name, then all of this would have been avoided.

But he had wanted her and had wanted her even when they were teenagers. She was such a big part of his life even though they only saw each other for a few weeks every year. For years after he graduated college, he would come to the island hoping that he would run into her, but she never came when he was here. Then, when she was suddenly at the inn on Monday, he knew he had to have her. But, looking back, if she had known who he was, then she would have kept her friendly distance. In honesty, that was not what he wanted.

The fact that he jumped on his crazy story as if it was the truth shamed him now. What a fool he was to let Chelsea's poison get to him. But he had been so afraid to lose Anne, so afraid that she would reject his love that he tried to protect himself in the worst way possible. He projected his own fear of her rejection of his love into a stupid theory until he drove her away. Talk about a self-fulfilling prophecy. When he realized that he did it because he loved her, had loved her for years, and had just been afraid of being hurt, he switched to drinking because of his own stupidity. She would never forgive him for what he said, and he could not just showed up drunk at her parents' door and apologize.

If nothing else, he owed her an apology. He would have to find her this morning, apologize, and hope that she would forgive him. Then somehow he would have to find a way to work with her for the next year while he loved her and knew that she could never love him for what he did, for what he said. His mind played over their time together the last few days. Did she love him? Was that what she was trying to tell him yesterday morning before they were interrupted by his mother? He needed to find her and set things right, today.

He looked at the clock and saw that it was much later than he thought and that he only had one hour to check out before he had to leave for the airport. That wouldn't give him much time to find Anne. He would try calling her first. After rolling out of bed, he sat up and dialed the front desk. He did not know the number of Anne's parents' house and asked the front desk clerk. The man connected him directly, but the phone rang until the answering service picked up. He would try Anne's cell phone, he decided, and went into the sitting room to check his computer for her resume. Then he saw the necklace on the table sitting next to his laptop and groaned in pain. It was worse than he thought. She was going to cut him out of her life entirely if he did not act soon. He needed to apologize this morning while he still had a chance. She would shut him out forever, otherwise. But she didn't answer her cell phone when he called, and he left a message asking her to call him. That would not be enough. He needed to see her in person.

After quickly showering and haphazardly throwing his clothing and bathroom kit into his suitcase, he went to the lobby to check out. Upon seeing his family in the dining room, he went inside to see if he could spot Anne. She wasn't there. He didn't want to waste time talking to anyone else and didn't go over to his family's table even though they waved him over. Anne had to be around somewhere. He decided the best place to start looking was at her parents' house. He knocked several times on their door, but no one answered, and he eventually left. Then he went down to the dock, but did not see her there, either. He even checked the log bench further down the shore. He knew that he was running out of time, and he went back to the inn's main building.

He ran into Jim, who was coming out of the office door, when he walked into the main building through the back way. After stopping him, Ben asked Jim if he knew where Anne was.

"I wish I could help you, Ben, but I thought she was with you."

"No. Is she at your house?"

"No, she's not there. At least she wasn't when we got up." Ben looked at the time and swore under his breath.

"Look, Jim, I have to leave. My flight back to Seattle will be leaving soon, but I need to talk to Anne. Can you tell her to call me?" He pulled a business card from his wallet and wrote his personal cell phone number on the back with a pen he saw sitting by the fax machine.

"I'll give her the card, Ben."

"Thanks, Jim." Ben walked back to the lobby, disappointed that he would not see Anne before he left. He would feel much better if he could talk to her. His family came out of the dining room and walked outside onto the veranda. The car that would take them back to the airport had arrived, and the driver was packing their luggage in the trunk. After looking around one last time inside of the inn, Ben finally went to the veranda and climbed into the vehicle. She would call him, and when she did, he would tell her that he loved her and beg for forgiveness, if necessary.

* * * * *

Anne returned to the inn late that afternoon after a long day on the water kayaking. The sky was overcast and she could feel rain in the air. Fitting, she thought. She wouldn't have been able to stay at the inn and watch Ben leave, and she also didn't want to face her parents, so she left early that morning. She and Ben said their goodbyes the night before and a whole lot more. She was not up to seeing his derision today when he looked at her. Over the course of the day she went through every minute of their time together, and her heart ached with pain. She honestly had no idea that he was Benjamin Stanford, and it hurt her tremendously that he accused her of using him to get a job with his company. Then she went and fell in love with the man she thought he was, the grown boy from her youth. That should teach her to follow her heart. Whenever she overrode her logic, she always got into trouble.

She walked into her parents' empty house and went to the kitchen for a bottle of water. She had not eaten anything since last night and only had a bottle of water during the whole day. She was dehydrated, hungry, and had a terrible headache from caffeine withdrawal. After deciding to make herself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, she went to the counter by the silverware drawer and saw a business card with the Stanford Enterprise logo sitting on the counter. Looking at the front, she saw Ben's, make that Benjamin Stanford's, contact information at the office printed in neat lettering.

He probably stopped by to rake her over the coals again or threaten her with legal action if she declined the job now that the contract was signed. That's probably what his phone message was about earlier. She did not want to answer it and turned her phone off when she saw that it was from him. She was just not in the mood to deal with what he would throw at her next, and knowing that when she finally saw him again, it would be at a distance as boss and employee, she picked up the card and threw it in the garbage. If he wanted to talk to her, he had her cell phone number.

Chapter 17

"Put that box over there, please." Anne was in her new rental home, the blue Cape Cod down the block from Carla and Gary, directing the movers when she saw Carla and Gary show up. She smiled as much as she could these days, which was not much since she left the inn two weeks ago, and went to welcome them.

"You're finally here," Carla said as she gave Anne a hug. She looked closely at Anne's face and noticed the signs of sleepless nights and stress. "Are you ok, Anne?"

"I'm fine, Carla. Just a little tired is all. It was a long trip and a stressful move. I should have just hired the movers to do everything instead of just moving my boxes and furniture here. Come in."

"That's what you said two weeks ago, Anne, the being tired part. You are happy about moving back, aren't you?" Carla looked at Anne closely then at Gary who was frowning at Anne as well.

"Of course I'm happy to be back. I'm thrilled. Now stop asking questions and help me unpack." Anne led Carla to the kitchen where Anne's mother was busy working, and then went back to Gary in the entryway to give him instructions about what to do.

There really wasn't that much to do. The movers brought everything in. She and Gary just needed to set up her bed and arrange the furniture pieces where she wanted them. Anne would take care of hanging up her clothes, hanging pictures, and a bunch of other little things she needed to do to set the house in order. She just wished that she had more energy. The breakup hit her hard, and that, combined with moving clear across the country, exhausted her. She also knew she was not eating right, and her clothing was beginning to hang on her frame.

"Anne, the kitchen is set up, now. Gary and I bought some steaks for all of us. You and your mom come on up to our house and relax now. What the two of you need is to sit down and relax." Carla came out of the kitchen with Anne's mother on her heels. Both women looked a little dusty from washing down the cabinets and floors before they put items away. "We figured that since you are just moving in that you would not have had the time to pick up any groceries. And I really cannot stomach fast food right now, so no one is making a food run. Plus it's the Fourth. With it being the Fourth, we need to barbeque. Anything else would be un-American."

"Well, young lady..." Anne's mother said to Carla with a thankful smile, "...I for one appreciate that. Fast food is all we've eaten for several days straight, and some of your home cooking would be nice. Don't you agree, Anne?"

"Yes! Thanks, Carla. Thanks, Gary. Mom and I will be up in a few minutes. Thanks for all of your help today." Anne gave a tired smile that didn't reach her eyes. Carla looked at her closely again with a worried frown on her face. She didn't say anything, though, but told them to come on up in a few minutes to relax and eat. Then Carla and Gary left, leaving Anne and her mother alone.

"Ok, young lady. Are you going to tell me what happened between you and Ben? This just isn't like you, Anne. You are not the brooding type, and that is all you've done on the entire trip west. You are also not eating. I'm worried about you, sweetheart."

"There's nothing to tell, Mom. We broke up. That's all, and I'm ok with it." Anne knew that her mother was worried about her, but there really wasn't anything to worry about. Anne's broken heart would eventually heal, and things in her life would settle down. People get their hearts broken all of the time. She just wished that she would not have to see Ben in a few weeks. The thought of that made her sick to her stomach. He had not even called. Not once. There was no apology, even. She forgot about his cryptic call to her cell phone on that Sunday morning. He really did believe those things he said about her. Her hurt pride still suffered from that, but even more, her heart hurt, and she missed him terribly. How can she miss him after they were only together for a couple of days?

"Anne? You're brooding again. Have you tried calling him?"

"No. He wouldn't want me to call him. He's in Asia right now anyway. Mom, I really don't want to talk about Ben. And please don't say anything to Carla. She'll just keep at me, and I really don't want to discuss him." She knew she sounded like she was pleading, but she didn't care. She just was not ready to talk yet.

"Ok, sweetheart. I won't say anything. But if you ever want to talk, Anne, just call me. I know what it is like to have a broken heart."

"Ok, Mom. Let's go get something to eat. We have a long drive ahead of us if we plan on getting you back to the inn before tomorrow."

"I know, Anne. With the holiday and a wedding on Saturday, there is no good time to be away from the inn during the summer. You'll spend the night with us, tonight. Are you planning on staying through Saturday?"

"No, I'll come back tomorrow and finish setting the house up. Thanks for coming out, Mom. I love you."

"I love you, too, Anne. Let's get cleaned up and go get some food. I'm starving." They both used the bathroom to wash the dust and grime from the trip and unpacking from their faces and hands. Then after locking up the house, they walked up the street to Carla and Gary's house for a Fourth of July barbeque. After they ate, they once again climbed into Anne's SUV hybrid and took off north on Interstate 5 until they reached the inn well after dark.

Chapter 18

Anne waited the required time before she checked the second stick. The results were the same as the first time. She sat down heavily and looked out the window at the rainy Seattle day. She felt numb inside. Fitting that it would be raining on today of all days, she thought, because it mirrored her life. As she looked out the window, she could see the gas barbecue grill her landlord decided to leave on the deck. It was still covered with the grill cover. She had not used it once since she arrived. She had left her bicycle on the deck last night after her ride, too tired to put it away in the garage, and she watched as the rainwater dripped from the frame. She sat there until the numbness began to start to wear off. Then she put her hand on her belly and looked down, feeling both a mixture of awe and panic. What was she going to do, now?

She was pregnant.

Two tests, both showing the same results, could not be wrong. She took several deep breaths to calm herself and looked at herself in the mirror. She didn't look any different, but everything about her was going to be different from now on. Well, sitting here won't make any difference on her current state, she thought, and she stood back up to go into her bedroom to dress for work. A wave of morning sickness struck her, and she fought it down until she could reach her bedside. There she grabbed a saltine cracker and ate it to settle her stomach. It didn't work, and she ran back into the bathroom and lost her meager breakfast. Once she emptied her stomach, she felt better and stood to brush her teeth again. That was the first time she actually vomited. Usually eating something or munching on crackers helped stem the nausea.

She was beginning the fourth week of working at Stanford Enterprises today and her seventh week of being late with her monthly flow. When she didn't get her period when she was due, she thought it was just the stress of her breakup with Ben, the move, and starting a new job that was causing the delay. But they were not the reason she was late, and she finally stopped at the pharmacy last night because she had to be sure. Now she was sure that it wasn't just stress causing her symptoms.

It was easy to see why she was at first confused. After all, there was a tremendous amount of stress in her life right now. She moved, started a new job, and every single day she tried to work her body and mind to a state of exhaustion so that she could sleep at night and forget that she loved Ben, and that he did not love her in return. It did not work.

It was not difficult to stay busy during the day, though. She was thrown into the deep end at work once her first week was completed, and she loved it. Dr. Scott Rudolph, her new boss, put her in charge of a team to begin searching for a new compound solution for the problem of counteracting crude oil in marine water. They hoped to create a natural solution to quicken the seawater's natural ability to absorb oil so that when future spills happened, the sea would recover faster. The key was in also not making something that would ultimately hurt the very thing they were trying to save. She found the work, so far, to be challenging, and she liked her coworkers.

The only down side of her job was that she spent far too much time looking for Ben on campus even though she knew that he would not be back until next week. Dr. Rudolph told her that his trip was being extended another week but did not go into details as to why. Not that she missed him, she told herself again. If she told herself that long enough, maybe one day she would believe it.

Oh, whom was she kidding? Except for her professional life, she was miserable. Even that would change once he returned. Carla noticed and commented a few times over the past few weeks about Anne's brooding and weight loss and wanted to know what was wrong. But Anne just was not ready to talk to her about Ben, yet. Not with Carla and not with her mother who asked her again if she wanted to talk about Ben when she heard the sadness in Anne's voice the last time they talked on the phone. All Anne could do was hope that her heart would heal in time. She just needed to survive the next year.

But having a baby changed everything. If Ben thought that she used him to get the position in the company, what would he think when he found out that she was pregnant with his child? She could not continue to work for the company over the next year knowing that Ben would think that she was only trying to trap him into marriage like Chelsea and his other past girlfriend. Or worse, that he would think that she was trapping him just so that she could collect child support payments from him for the next eighteen years. But Ben needed to know about the baby. He had a right to know. Even if he did not want her or the baby, he had a right to know. Eventually, she would have to tell him. She just could not do it yet. Once she found another job, she would tell him.

Maybe, she would tell him!

Yes, she would tell him.

Her indecisiveness was driving her crazy, and she left her house for work while she lectured herself. She just hoped her indecisiveness would not start to cross over into her professional life, too.

She drove into the parking lot of Building Two a half an hour later, grabbed her umbrella from the passenger seat, and ran for the employee entrance through the pouring rain. After shaking the water from her umbrella when she walked through the door, she rounded the corner at the end of the hall and went into the Research and Development wing. Her office was the second one in, and she quickly stored her things, turned on her computer, and pulled out her files. She needed to get her notes together for the morning meeting she was to attend with Dr. Rudolph, Mr. Winfield, and the science technicians who worked on the project with her.

They were going to discuss proposed compounds with which they might experiment and lay out a game plan for combining them. Compounds needed to be mixed in a certain order to gain the results they were looking for. Ben usually joined these initial meetings, Dr. Rudolph told her last Friday, when he also told her that Ben would not be there. Anne was just happy that this morning, of all mornings, he would miss the meeting because he was still in Asia. She didn't think that she could handle seeing him today.

Anne walked into the first floor R & D conference room of her building at five minutes to ten and saw the technicians already sitting at the large oblong table. Before she left her desk, she uploaded her PowerPoint presentation to the Research drive, and now went to the front of the room to pull the presentation up on the digital board so that it would be ready for the beginning of the meeting. She could hear Mr. Winfield and Dr. Rudolph talking as they came into the conference room, but she didn't turn around to acknowledge them. Finally, once the program was ready, she turned around and stopped frozen in place. Her body went into shock, and her heart filled with sudden pain.

Oh, God!

Ben was sitting at the table looking at her, closely. He wasn't supposed to be here. What was he doing here, and why was he staring at her so intently? He was the one who called off their relationship, not her. When he saw that she was aware of him looking at her, he turned away and began talking to Dr. Rudolph who sat next to him at the table.

Seeing him again drove home to her that she was no closer to getting over her feelings for him than she was seven weeks ago, and the sudden pain in her chest knocked the wind out of her. She wanted to keep looking at him but didn't dare because she wasn't sure she would be able to do it without the pain shining through her eyes. She sneaked a peek at him again while he looked away. He looked tired and like he had lost some weight, but otherwise he was just as handsome as she remembered. After noting the time, she cleared her throat and picked up the clicker so that she could begin giving her presentation. Ben focused on the digital screen instead of looking at her directly throughout the meeting, a fact that helped her to continue speaking instead of becoming a bundle of nerves. When he finally did speak to her to ask questions, his voice was distant, like she was a stranger to him.

After the meeting and the technicians had left the room, Dr. Rudolph introduced her to Ben, and she shook his hand. Her hand was cold, and she pulled it away as quickly as she could without being rude. Their smaller group talked for a few minutes about the project and her move to Seattle. The entire time they talked, Ben continued to act as if they were meeting for the first time, as if she had never laughed with him or loved him. She realized that her thoughts were wandering into areas that would only lead her to trouble, and she looked down at her notes and waited until she could get them back under control. The meeting ended fifteen minutes later, and Ben walked out with Dr. Rudolph and Mr. Winfield, leaving her to shut off the digital board and turn off the lights.

After they left, she sat in the silence of the room for several minutes as she worked to compose herself. Her emotions were in turmoil, and she wiped away several tears before she felt like she was in control enough to move again. After taking several deep breaths, she slowly stood up and felt a pain move throughout her body that had nothing to do with her pregnancy or feeling under the weather. Stop wasting your time, she told herself. Pull yourself together! She stifled a laugh of hysteria and began to close up the room by turning off the digital board, picking up her notes, and turning off the lights.

Anne didn't see Ben for the rest of the week, which gave her time to contemplate her future. The fact that he didn't seek her out only served to cement the idea that he really never cared about her like she cared for him and that there was no hope. On Wednesday, she confirmed her pregnancy with an OB-GYN, started a regimen of vitamins, and adjusted her diet. With her pregnancy confirmed, she began to consider her options. On Thursday she saw an attorney, not from her father's firm, and looked into having paperwork written up for Ben to give up his parental rights. She would not seek child support. She remembered what he said about feeling trapped, and she did not want him to ever feel that way about their child. He would resent the baby, eventually, if he did. She did not want their child to go through what she went through with her own father.

Her options for future work were a little more complicated. She had signed a non-compete clause in her contract, so she could not work for a rival research company for at least another year. She liked working at Stanford Enterprises, but she also knew that she had to leave. Staying would not be an option. She could see about doing adjunct teaching and consulting again to make ends meet until the year was up. To fill in the gaps in her income, she only had one option. As much as she hated it to use it, it would help her until she found a different position or until her inheritance came through.

On Friday, she worked late and stayed to enter her notes into a file the team used to track their observations and results. It was well after eight pm, and the research area was empty except for her in her office. She looked down at her peanut butter and jelly sandwich without much interest but ate it anyway. In the past few weeks, she discovered that she could not stomach lunchmeat. What she would not give for a diet soda and a slice of pizza right now, she thought, but they were not on her diet. She finished typing her last note from the day's experiment and future ideas then closed out the file. Then she opened up her email program and typed out an email before she pressed the "send" button. After closing down her computer, she grabbed her purse and walked out into the warm evening air before she headed home.

Chapter 19

Ben drove over to his parents' house on Lake Washington in the Benny-Blaine neighborhood of Seattle late on Saturday morning for lunch. It would be good to see them again after eight weeks away, but he was not looking forward to their response to seeing him looking so gaunt. For weeks he waited for Anne to call his cell phone while he was in China. But she never called, and he knew now that he should have waited until he spoke with her in person before leaving the inn. Maybe then he could have convinced her to forgive him. But he didn't, and now he lost his chance.

He kept himself busy over the last several weeks trying to remove her from his mind once he realized that she would not call. It worked during the day because he had too much business to see to, but at night he would dream about her and remember being with her, seeing her laugh as they watched the ball game, her smile when they were out doing something together, and the glaze of passion that filled her eyes when he made love to her. His body ached as much as his heart. At one point he tried calling her cell phone again, but her number was disconnected, and he didn't know her new one.

He was aware that she planned on being at the meeting on Monday morning, and seeing her there did not come as a surprise. He didn't sleep a wink the night before because of his anticipation in seeing her and his fear at how she would react upon seeing him. What did come as a surprise was how much he wanted to take her in his arms the minute that he saw her so that he could hold her, just hold her, and apologize. Even if she did not accept his apology, he needed to give her one. He also needed to be honest, tell her how he really felt about her, and face her possible rejection.

She looked good to him even though she looked like she had also lost weight. But it was not the right time to talk to her on Monday. She acted so remotely that he found it difficult looking at her because the pain in his chest was too heavy. He remembered how quickly she removed her hand from his when Rudolph introduced them and how she would not look at him in the eye. After the meeting he decided he could not wait any longer to talk to her face to face and had gotten her address and telephone information from Bernie. His plan was to bring her dinner that evening. But then a call came from San Diego that he was needed there on Tuesday morning, and he left on Monday afternoon. He returned to Seattle around five pm yesterday afternoon, and that gave him just enough time to change into formal wear and make it to the award's dinner downtown.

The dinner went much as he expected it to, he remembered. He had hoped to see Anne there. Several Stanford Enterprise employees were in attendance. It wasn't until after the award was given and people were milling around talking that Ben was glad that Anne was not in attendance. The situation would have been too explosive. It began when he was talking with Davis Wynn, the chairman of the foundation, and he felt a hand move up his arm almost stroking him. He looked over at who was touching him and just about tossed the woman's hand off of his arm, which would have caused a scene. The hand belonged to none other than Chelsea who was doing her best to insinuate to Wynn that he and Chelsea were together.

As politely as he could, Ben excused himself from the conversation and walked to the bar for a glass of soda. She followed him. He could smell her liberally applied perfume that made her smell like a gardenia garden run amok. She put her hand on his arm, and he shrugged it away before he turned to glare at her. Right now he was too tired, too much in pain, and too revved up with anger directed toward her to stomach even a minute in her presence.

"What are you doing here, Chelsea?"

"I've come to support you, Ben. What do you think I'm doing here?" Ben was not fooled for one minute by her sugary sweet tone or her innocent expression. "I see your girlfriend is noticeably absent tonight. Did you break up, Ben? Not that I'm surprised. She got what she wanted. She may have only wanted a job. But I want you, Ben." She said the last sentence seductively and put her hand on his chest.

Ben grabbed her wrist and pushed her hand down. He did not let go. Right now, all he saw was red. After putting his glass of soda on the bar, he walked with Chelsea by his side out into the hotel lobby. When they were by the front desk, Ben asked the front desk clerk if there was a private meeting room available for just a few minutes. They were shown to a small conference room that looked like it was used by hotel staff for booking high profile events, and Ben closed the door when the clerk left. Chelsea, who stood beside him quietly up until this point, seemed to take encouragement by them being alone because she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.

Ben pulled her arms from him and pushed her away.

"Chelsea, I'm only going to say this one more time. If you do not pay attention, I will get the law involved. There is nothing between us. There will never be anything between us ever again."

"Come on, Ben, honey. You're not still mad about Dr. Conner are you? I was doing you a favor, darling."

"Watch how you talk about her, Chelsea. Anne is going to be my wife."

Chelsea laughed and swatted his arm playfully. "Not that again, Ben? How gullible do you think that I am?"

"It's no joke, Chelsea. I'm marrying Anne. From now on, if there is any more of your stalking, any more of your snide comments or slanderous statements, you will be hearing from my attorney. I don't care about our parents' friendship. Stay away from me. Stay away from Anne. Do not push me on this. Goodbye." He left her standing there with a shocked expression on her face. The door closed behind him, and he heard her yell, damning him and Anne before he heard a crash as something broke. The clerk who showed them to the door looked up from her post with a worried expression when she heard the crash.

"Send the bill for any damages to me," Ben told her before he went back to the party to make his excuses to the host for an early departure.

Now, after another sleepless night, Ben thought about Anne. Earlier today he wanted to see if she was home, so he called her that morning and heard her voice instructing him to leave a message. He didn't leave one but drove over to her house and knocked on the door. There was no answer, and her car was gone. After checking his watch, he decided that he would leave and come back after his lunch with his parents, and he would sit on her doorsteps for the rest of the day, if he had to, until she came home. The waiting to talk to her was nearly killing him.

It was a twenty-minute drive to his parents' house, and he listened to the soulful sound of Brandi Carlile as he drove over the bridge. He steered his car through his parents' open front gate when he arrived at their home, and headed up the long driveway, not noticing the flowering plants that bordered the drive nor the lake in the background. As he looked at the French chateau style house that he had spent so much of his life in, he hoped one day that he could give Anne a similar one. It was a great place to raise children. He parked out front in their circular driveway and let himself inside the front door only to be met in the French country tiled entryway by Linda, his parents' housekeeper, who was on her way down the front staircase.

"Morning, Linda." He kicked off his worn sneakers and put them in the front hall closet.

"Morning, Ben. How was your trip? You went to China this time, wasn't it?" They began moving down the hall to the giant family room that looked out over the lake through a large picture window. The French doors that led out to a stone patio were open to let in the morning breeze that blew in off of the water. Right now it was comfortable outside, but by that afternoon, the doors would be closed again to block out the heat and humidity.

"My trip went well. You should see China, someday. Maybe I'll take you with me the next time I go." He gave her a rakish grin.

"You are such a flirt, Ben. You always have been." Linda laughed, and her ample bosom jiggled. Linda and her husband, Fred, had worked for Troy Carlson long before Ben's mother married him. Linda ran the house, and Fred handled the outdoor concerns. Their one daughter was grown by the time Ben and his mother moved in. Now, both in their early seventies, they could have retired years ago but chose to stay with the Carlson family, and spent their summers in Seattle with them and their winters in Anaheim with their daughter. Over the years, Linda and Fred had become part of the family and were like additional grandparents to Ben and Lily. "I must say, they sure did not feed you when you were over there. Don't you worry. I made your favorites."

"Strawberry pie, too?"

"Strawberry pie, too. Your mother is down in the flower garden, and your dad is in his study watching a ball game. Don't tell your mother that, though. She thinks that he's working."

"I won't, Linda." He gave her a conspiring wink then excused himself to go into the study located at the far end of the family room.

"Who's winning?" He asked Troy the question as soon as he walked in without knocking.

"The Yankees are up by one. But Martinez is up and the Mariners have the tying run on third." Troy Carlson was sitting in a padded leather wing chair with a can of soda and a cigar in his hands. He was dressed in old jeans, tennis shoes, and a salmon colored polo shirt not looking anything like a bank executive. The window behind him was open to let the smoke from his cigar outside. "The Mariners will be playing at home next Thursday night. What do you say to going?"

"Sounds like fun. Count me in." Troy reached inside the small drawer in the side table, pulled out a box of cigars, and removed one. He handed it to Ben who took it and sat down on the couch before he pinched off the end. "You know, you're not fooling mom with having the window open." He lit up and took his first puff.

"I know. But she doesn't say anything to me because I never say anything to her about her caramel macchiato addiction. It's part of marriage, overlooking a few small bad habits. You look terrible by the way. Have you talked to Anne lately?"

"I saw her Monday." Ben frowned and looked at the television screen.

"I don't mean professionally."

"What do you know about her being here? I never said anything to you or mom."

"Ben, it's obvious that you love her and that she loves you. You were both crazy about each other when you were kids. Some things just need time to ripen, that's all, like yours and Anne's relationship. It's also obvious that the two of you had a falling out at Lily's reception." Ben took another puff from the cigar then looked over at his stepfather.

"Did you know that she was interviewing with my company?"

"Sure I did. You talked about hiring her when you were looking through resumes. So what's the problem?" Troy looked at Ben closely. His examination began to make Ben squirm.

"You knew that Anne was Dr. Conner, and you never told me? Why?" Ben leaned forward and rested the lit cigar in the ashtray. A deep frown marred his face as he looked over at his stepfather.

"We thought you already knew." Troy Carlson set his can of soda down on the coffee table and his cigar in the ashtray then leaned back and looked at Ben in pity.

"Well I didn't, and when I found out I made a total ass of myself and accused her of only sleeping with me because she wanted the job."

Troy whistled and shook his head. "That would be a tough one to let go."

"Is it tough for her or for me?"

"For her. Ben, she wouldn't do that, and before you make more of a fool of yourself, you should know that she wasn't after you money either. Anne doesn't have to work if she doesn't want to."

"What do you mean?" It chafed a little because that thought had occurred to Ben the night of the wedding, too.

"She's Jay Conner's granddaughter and Andrew Conner's daughter and only heir unless his new wife produces a child."

"Anne is Conner's daughter? No wonder she doesn't like him."

"Few people do. But if you need a good lawyer, he's your man." They sat for several minutes and watched the game while Ben digested what his stepfather told him. Eventually, Troy said, "Ben, do you want to marry Anne? Because your relationship would only be allowed if you married her."

"Yes, I want to marry her."

"Then why are you still here when you should be at Anne's?"

"She wasn't home when I called at her house this morning." Ben leaned forward on his knees and picked up the cigar from the ashtray. He took a puff then he ran his hands through his hair. Why was he here when he wanted to be with Anne? Suddenly, he heard the sound of his smart phone announcing that he received a text message. He pulled it from his back pocket and read the message that said "Urgent, see email!"

"Is it anything important?" Troy asked him when Ben put the cigar back in the ashtray and touched the email app to start looking through the new messages.

"It's Rudolph telling me to see an urgent email."

Ben finally found the one that his VP of Research and Development was referring to. It was an email from Dr. Conner to Rudolph and copied to Ben that she was giving her two-week notice. He swore when he read the message.

"What is it?"

"Anne's quitting. She gave her notice last night. I've got to go and see her." He stubbed out his cigar and stood up while pushing his phone back into the back pocket of his jeans.

"Go. Get out of here. I'll tell your mother that you were called away."

"Thanks."

After putting his shoes back on, he ran to his car and headed back out to Bellevue. He was so distracted by his thoughts that he missed his turn, doubled back, and eventually found the little blue Cape Cod style house again on the corner with the enclosed backyard and the detached garage. She was home now if her SUV was any indication. After parking in the driveway behind her vehicle, he jumped out, took the front two steps at once, and rang the doorbell. When Anne didn't answer, he turned and sat on her front step. She could not be far. She was not quitting until he had a chance to talk to her and convince her to stay. He felt a sense of panic when he realized that if she left, he didn't know where she would go, if she would move away, or if he would ever see her again. This may very well be his last chance, and he was not leaving until he saw her.

Chapter 20

"Ok, I've had enough." Anne looked over at Carla who had stopped walking and sat on a bench in the little park that was a few blocks from their houses. Carla and Gary liked to walk their dog to the park every day, but ever since Anne had moved in, Carla and Anne began taking power walks when their schedules allowed, usually taking the dog with them. But today Gary had the dog, and they had a late start on their walk because Carla had catered a wedding the evening before and was too tired to get out of bed. They had only walked the two blocks to the entrance to the park, so far, and Carla was tired already. This worried Anne. She sat beside Carla on the bench, looked at her, and examined her face for signs of fatigue or illness. She did not find either.

"Are you feeling ok, Carla? It's not like you to be tired so soon."

"I don't mean that I'm tired. I mean I've had enough of waiting for you to tell me what's going on. You haven't been the same since you went to your parents' last month. It's been seven, make that eight weeks, and you have not told me why you seem so heartsick I guess is the word. Talk to me, Anne."

It was late morning, later than they usually walked and more people were out either walking, running, or in-line skating along the paved paths that wove through the park and the attached nature preserve. Anne leaned back on the bench and watched them as she reached up to pull the clip from her hair. Then she pulled the mass of hair back in her hand and attached the clip again.

"You're stalling, Anne."

"I know, Carla." Anne looked at her friend with a sad expression. "I gave my notice yesterday."

"What? Why, Anne? I thought that you liked Stanford Enterprises. You've only been there a few weeks."

"I do like the company. It's just not going to work, my being there." A young mother pushed a baby stroller by, and Anne could see another young mother further down the path. She thought it was funny how she had never noticed all of the pregnant women and women with babies in the area before. Her focus had certainly changed in the last week. "Carla, do you remember Ben Carlson?"

"Ben Carlson? You mean the one from the inn? You're talking about that Ben Carlson? Of course I do. He was hot. You and Ben were kind of an item when he used to come up to the island."

"We weren't an 'item'. Most of the time he didn't even know that I was alive other than that I was the Petrovic kid who guided him and Lily around."

"That's not how I remember it, Anne. What about him?"

"He was at the inn that week for Lily's wedding. She got married on the island that weekend."

"Ok. So you saw Ben Carlson. Did something happen between you two?"

"You could say that." She told Carla about pretending to be Ben's fiancée to discourage Chelsea and that she and Ben began an actual relationship during that time. Anne looked over at Carla, hoping that she would not see any censure. There wasn't any.

"So, are you planning on seeing him again? He still lives in the area, doesn't he?"

"No, I won't be seeing him again, at least not romantically. It turns out that Ben is actually Benjamin Stanford III, as in Stanford Enterprises."

"No way," Carla exclaimed as she grabbed Anne's arm. "So he's your boss. I can see how that would be a problem. Has he made it difficult for you at work? Is that why you're quitting?"

"No, he was out of the country until earlier this week, and I only saw him for a short time on Monday. He treated me very professionally."

"I see. No, I don't. From what you said, I think that you want to keep seeing him, but he isn't interested. Have I got it right, so far?" Anne nodded in agreement and told her what Ben had accused her of before breaking their relationship off that Saturday. "That's terrible, Anne. But I can kind of see his side, too. Not that you would ever do that, but that if past girlfriends always wanted him for other reasons than him, well, his not knowing that you were the applicant would seem like you were using him. But this is Ben, Anne. The guy was always crazy about you. If you want my advice, hang in there because he will eventually come around. He probably already regrets jumping to the wrong conclusion.

"That's not all, Carla. I'm pregnant."

"What? You're just telling me now?"

"I just found out for sure this week. Before that, I thought it was stress from everything."

"That would make you almost eight weeks, a month and a half behind me. How are you feeling, otherwise?"

"Fine, I guess. The doctor said I looked good other than the fact that I looked tired. Carla, what am I going to do? Ben had other ex-girlfriends who tried to trap him into marriage with false claims of pregnancy. I can't tell him that I'm pregnant. He will think that I'm trying to trap him. And I definitely cannot continue to work there. The last thing I want to do is tell him so that he feels that he has to be the father to a baby that he doesn't want. And I won't marry him because of it. Not if he does not love me."

"But you love him," Carla stated matter-of-factly. "Well, in my opinion, I think you are underestimating him. He has a right to know that he is going to be a father, Anne."

"I know, and I'll tell him after I've left the company."

"Have you decided what you are going to do for work? You can't work for another research company for the next year. What are you going to do for money?"

"I plan on writing up my curriculum vitae this afternoon and sending it to the University and to the Aquarium. I hope to get some adjunct work teaching jobs, and I can do some consulting. And if that isn't enough, I plan on asking my father."

"There has to be a better way than asking your father. The last thing you need, especially now, is your father in your life messing it up." Carla had her lips pursed in distaste at the mention of Anne's father. She was a true friend, Anne thought. "You told me how you think Ben will feel, but you haven't told me what you feel. Do you love Ben?"

"Yes. I had hoped that it would fade, but it hasn't. It's only gotten worse."

"What about the baby?"

"I'm scared and happy all at the same time. I keep rubbing my belly to see if there has been any change even though I know that it's too early. And I talk to the baby. Is that strange?"

"It sounds perfectly normal to me because I do the same things. Oh, Anne. This will be great. We will go through all the stages together, and our kids will play together."

From that point on the conversation turned to pregnancy and babies. Anne and Carla stood back up and continued their walk, and after they were finished, they walked back to the neighborhood. Anne stopped at Carla's house to look at paint samples and to try a new recipe that Carla was testing for lunch. If it was good, she was planning on presenting it as part of the entree course for a catered fiftieth wedding anniversary next month. Then they sat on Carla's back patio and drank glasses of ice water until Gary came home an hour later with Bob in tow.

"Hi, honey," Carla called out from the patio.

"Hi! Hey, Anne! You have a visitor at your house. There is a car in the driveway."

"There is?" Anne put her water glass down on the table and got up to walk around to the front of the house to look down the block at the strange silver Lexus sports sedan sitting in her driveway behind her SUV. Carla came up behind her, something that did not surprise Anne.

"Is it Ben?"

"I don't know, Carla. I don't know what kind of car he drives."

"I think that it's him. Go on home. You can tell me who it is later."

Anne didn't bother to say goodbye but began to walk down the street to her house. Her stomach began to jump the closer she got, and it felt as if her nerves were strung tight, ready to snap at the slightest provocation. The car blocked her view of her front door, so she did not see Ben sitting on the front steps until she walked around the back of his car. He was dressed in old jeans with a hole in the right knee, an old gray tee shirt, and a ratty old pair of athletic shoes. His hair was a mess, as if he ran his hands through it several times. Her heart leaped when she saw him. He stopped looking at his smart phone and stood up immediately when she came into view. She felt too nervous to talk, and she pulled her key from her pocket and walked forward until she was only a few feet away from him.

"Hello, Ben," she croaked out a greeting. She couldn't make out what he was thinking from his expression. His face had a guarded look with a burning, intense gaze. He did not greet her, a fact she noticed because it made the pain in her chest widen to other parts of her body. She climbed her steps and moved around him to unlock the front door. Once she had it unlocked, she stepped over the threshold and held the door open for him to come inside.

Chapter 21

"Will you tell me what your resignation letter is about?" Ben finally asked after he walked in behind her and stood looking at her in the foyer. He now looked angry, frustrated actually, and her heart sank. He was here only to confront her about leaving the company, nothing more.

"I don't think that it will work out, my being there, working with you." Anne turned and walked into the kitchen with Ben on her heels. After she stopped to pull two water bottles from the refrigerator, she handed one to him. Ben leaned his backside against the counter and thanked her gruffly. "I won't sue you or the company, Ben, if that is what you are worried about. I'll even sign papers waiving my right to do so if that is what you want."

"I don't give a damn about that, Anne. Tell me why you want to leave. Rudolph told me that you were doing well and seemed to like the company." He ran a hand through his hair again, messing it up further until the ends stuck straight up. She wanted to brush his hair down, to touch his face, to touch any part of him. But she could not do it, not any more. She no longer had the right to do so. She shook her head sadly, put her bottle down on the counter, and looked out the patio door at the sunny deck.

"I do like the company."

Without looking at Ben, she walked back into the living room and sat down on the couch. Ben came in behind her and took the chair next to her. He looked so good dressed in his jeans and tee shirt. His eyes looked tired, though, with circles under his eyes, as if he had not slept for a while.

"Then why?" He clearly looked frustrated now as he asked her. He no longer looked angry, only worried.

"You know why." It hurt to keep looking at him, so she stared at the fireplace.

He set his water bottle down on a coaster on the coffee table and ran his hands over his face. When he looked back at her, his eyes were sad and his lips were frowning.

"I tried to find you that Sunday to apologize, Anne. I was stupid, so stupid. I know that you did not try to manipulate your way into the job, that you would never do that. I'm sorry, Anne. Don't leave because of that." She could hear the sincerity in his voice. It did not change anything. He still had only wanted a vacation romance, and now she was pregnant.

"That's not why I'm leaving, Ben," she spoke softly.

"Then why?" He suddenly exploded and stood up to pace the floor a few times before he sat back down again. Anne watched him, confused by his agitation. He was the one who called off their relationship, not her. She hoped he would leave soon because she found that the pain of seeing him here wore on her control.

"Why, Anne? I don't want you to go." Pain suddenly flashed across his face, and his eyes looked tormented. "We'll work it out, Anne."

"I can't, Ben. It's too hard." Her voice caught, and she swallowed and wished that she still had her water bottle. She could not look at him any longer and stared at the fireplace again.

"I tried calling you, Anne, to explain but you changed your cell phone number right away."

"I changed it to a local number before I went back to Boston."

"You didn't call me. I asked Jim to tell you to call me." His voice sounded husky with emotion.

"I threw your card out," she said quietly. She continued to stare straight ahead but was surprised by the low moan that came for him. She looked over at him and saw him press the fingers of his right hand to his eyes. He was silent for several long seconds before he looked up at her. His eyes were full of sorrow and regret. She could feel tears behind her eyes and looked away as she bit her lower lip with her teeth. This was much more difficult than she thought it would be.

"Anne," his voice was choked. "I'm sorry for what I said to you at the inn. You have no idea how sorry I am about that. But I'll never be sorry for loving you, Anne. Never!"

Anne felt a tear slide down her cheek, and she looked over at Ben. He stood up shakily, kissed the top of her head, and walked to the front door. The sound of the door closing registered in her muddled thoughts, and what he said sank in. He loved her! He was gone! He tells her that and just leaves? She had to stop him before he left.

After she jumped up, she ran to her front door, pulled it open, and stepped onto the front steps. Ben was standing next to his car with his hands resting on the roof. His head was down, and Anne could see the muscles of his back and arms flexing as if he was trying to control his emotions.

"Ben! You can't just tell me that you love me and leave."

He turned to look at her, and she saw that his eyes were wet with tears.

"I was planning on coming back inside. I'm not giving up on us, Anne. We have something special here, and I'm not giving it up. I don't care about the job. I only care about you." He stood facing her as he prepared himself for her rejection and dared her to reject him.

"I don't regret loving you, either." She called out the words and watched the change on his face and in his stance. He seemed to become taller, more sure, before her eyes.

"I love you, Jane Anne Conner. I don't want you to leave because I love you. I've always loved you." He waited by his car and looked at her. He waited for her response with his heart in his eyes. They burned with so much fire that she felt it clear down to her bones.

"I love you too, Ben."

As soon as she said the words, he ran back to the house and scooped her into his arms. They felt so right around her. She held him tight against her and rested her cheek against his shoulder. He held her close as he took several deep shaky breaths. She could feel his chest move with each inhale and exhale, and she could also feel him swallow a lump in his throat. Finally, she lifted her head and looked up at him. He kissed her softly with a tender rubbing of his lips over hers. The softness of his kiss warmed her heart and melted away the last bit of her doubts and resistance, and she kissed him back until they both were breathless. Then she smiled into his eyes. They had lost their sad look, and now burned with a renewed and determined intensity.

She quickly pulled him back into the house and closed the door. Then, after she took his hand, she led him to her bedroom where he pulled her once again into his arms. The love and desire he felt for her came through when his mouth found hers again. It touched her heart and stirred her loins until she could not wait any longer to touch him. She pushed his shirt up, kissed his chest, and loved the feel of his hair against her palms and lips. He told her he loved her again as he helped her take the shirt off. Every one of their movements while they undressed each other was followed by words of love. Oh, how she missed him.

Ben laid her down on the bed and began to slowly drive her wild with passion and pleasure. He worshipped her body until she could no longer take the powerful sensations that racked her body, and she rolled him over so that she could take control of their lovemaking. He helped position her over his erection and pushed himself inside of her as she came down until she was full of him. Then she began to move and rode him until she climaxed around him. Her pleasure ran through her and transferred to him. When she became calm again, he rolled her onto her back, never breaking their connection, and began thrusting again until she reached another climax stronger than the first while he found his own release inside of her.

After their bodies cooled off and the lethargy that comes from being satisfied set in, Anne snuggled against his side and told him again that she loved him. She could not have asked for a better response than the tender smile that lit his face. He pulled her close to his side and whispered the same words to her. They dozed for a while, locked in each other's arms, and they were satisfied in a way they had never been before, secure in the knowledge of their shared love. Sometime later Anne woke slowly, in stages, with the feel of Ben's hand lazily rubbing her across her back. She stretched like a cat next to him then snuggled into his side again. She began drifting off when his spoke. His words woke her with a start.

"You're going to have to marry me, you know." She looked quickly at him, and he grinned charmingly at her sleepy, albeit, happy expression. "I can't just have an affair with one of my employees. It's bad for business."

"What makes you think that I'll be staying with your company?" She was teasing him now but wanted to hear his reply.

"Well, for starters, I have a contract. So, my love, you aren't going anywhere anytime soon. Secondly, I have every intention of making you my wife and the mother of my children, so you working somewhere else won't work either. And in case you did not notice, we didn't use protection again. At this rate, I'll have you pregnant in no time, so you had better say 'yes' soon to being my wife. What do you say to a big wedding next summer at the cathedral?"

"No." She shook her head and laughed.

"That's my girl. But you will marry me?" He suddenly looked worried again, and she put his mind at rest with a wide smile.

"Yes, I will. But I should tell you that you would be getting more than you bargained for. I come as a package deal."

"What do you mean? Is there something you want? Name it. It will be yours if I have any say in it."

"I don't want anything more. Only you and...well, that's not what I meant by a package deal. What I meant was that you won't make me pregnant if we don't use protection in the future." At his confused look she continued. "It won't work on me because I'm already..."

She stopped talking because he flipped her over and began kissing her again joyfully. Then he looked down at her in wonder.

"You're happy?" She looked up at him with worry.

"I'm very happy. Ok, I have new terms. What do you say to getting married next month at the inn?"

"Yes! I think that would be acceptable." She giggled at his happy expression and the way he began rubbing her belly. He scooted down and kissed her belly before he looked back up into her face.

"I have another term."

"You have another one! You are pushing your luck today, Stanford."

Ben scooted back up so that they were face to face again. "I think you will agree with this one. If we have a boy, my term is that he will not be named Benjamin Stanford IV."

"And if we have a girl?"

"That she not be named Jane Anne."

"It's a deal."

#####

Coming Soon

Going for the Gold

Prologue

" _Ni, ni, ni, Dytyna_. You need more speed going into the triple Lutz, or you'll catch your toe pick!"

Kerri Sullivan didn't turn her head to look at her coach but increased her speed as she rounded the boards and headed back to the center of the ice rink. She changed her position so that she now skated backwards on the ice. Then she moved her weight onto her left leg and went into her preparations for the jump that had been plaguing her since the U.S. Nationals. She lifted her right leg and leaned forward with her torso. As quickly as she could, she pushed off with her right foot that she dropped suddenly to the ice.

One.

Two.

Three.

She came down perfectly on the ice with her weight on the ball of her right foot and the correct edge of her blade and swung her left leg around and behind her. Quickly, she leaped in the air again and completed the triple toe loop in her combination triple-triple jump required for competition. She nailed the landing on her second jump, too. The feeling of victory she gained after completing her triple-triple continued as she glided across the ice doing two more jumps before going into her final spin to end her long program. The second movement of the Rachmaninoff piano concerto she skated to ended gradually in exact synchronization with her spin.

Clap.

Clap.

Clap.

"Beautiful! Perfect, Kerri!"

Kerri looked over at her coach, who stood on the other side of the boards, then up at the mostly empty seats in the ice arena they were using for practice that morning. There were several people scattered in the seats. Some of them were family members of skaters who came to watch the practice. Some of them were reporters covering the figure skating events. She saw her mother sitting in the seventh row. A huge smile was on her face.

Kerri felt good about practice today. It went better than she had hoped. It was important that she practice with the team even though she was only an alternate. She still needed to be prepared to compete, so she practiced daily with the team to keep herself prepared. After skating over to the boards, she pushed open the door that would take her to the bench where she could put her neon blue guards on over her blades. As she dropped down heavily onto the bench, she worked at catching her breath.

"Very good, Kerri," Coach Baranski praised. She was known for being stingy in giving praise, so any words received were high praise, indeed. Her words were thick with the Ukrainian accent she had yet to lose after twenty years in the United States, and Kerri smiled at her vocal patterns. Petra Baranski had been Kerri's coach for the last four years, and in that time, Kerri's skating had improved enough for her to win several junior national and world championships, a few senior level competitions, and become an alternate to the U.S. Ladies' Figure Skating Olympic team. Coach Baranski was also the assistant coach for the U.S. Ladies' Olympic team. "You keep doing it like that and you may find yourself in the top ten if Shannon is too ill to compete."

Kerri took the towel her coach handed her and wiped the sweat from her forehead and neck before she looked back at her coach with interest. Her coach's words filled her with nervous excitement, but she remained speechless while she worked at being able to talk over her breathlessness. Coach Baranski raised one of her brown eyebrows and looked down at Kerri with a slight smile that showed her that her coach was proud of how well she did in her practice that day. But practice was not competition, Coach Baranski's look also said. "Your Lutz was good today, Kerri, but you still need some work. I don't like the way you transition with your arms. You are still pulling back too soon with your left arm. We finish for the day, though. The Japanese team has the arena booked for the next three hours."

"That was great, Kerri." Kerri's mother said excitedly when she finally reached them by the bench. Kerri's mother was a medium sized woman in her middle forties with a pretty heart shaped face that matched Kerri's, light brown hair that she wore in a short bob, and blue eyes that were lit with excitement and great interest at what Kerri's coach just said. "Coach Baranski, will Kerri be competing? She's worked so hard, and it looks like she fixed her problem with the Lutz." There was a hopeful look on her face that was mirrored by Kerri.

"Who's to say, Mrs. Sullivan? Coach Taylor said to have Kerri prepared to compete on Monday. I know not if Shannon is over her illness. Come, _Dytyna_. We discuss your performance now."

"When will we know if I'll be competing?"

"We will not know until Monday when we check in at the Olympic arena. Coach Taylor will know then."

"I'm going back to the hotel to call your father, Kerri. We plan on meeting for lunch then will head on over to the hockey arena. Two kids in the Olympics! Whoa. I'll see you later." She leaned down and gave Kerri a hug before she kissed her forehead. "Stay out of trouble."

"I can hardly get into any trouble in the Olympic village, Mom." At almost seventeen, Kerri was still able to feel embarrassed at receiving her mother's counsel, and she thought that her mother's advice was unfounded. The village was closed off, after all, from the rest of Turin and from the fray of the crowds that converged upon the venues. She watched her mother walk away before she stood up and adjusted the strap of her black exercise leotard. Then she picked up the towel and a water bottle that was also sitting on the bench and followed her coach. As they left the rink that began to fill up with the Japanese coaches, they discussed her performance and walked into the large gathering room that would take Kerri to the women's locker room.

"You go, _Dytyna_. I meet you in front of the building in twenty minutes," Kerri's coach told her before she left Kerri's side. Coach Baranski had spotted Coach Taylor standing by the vending machines in conference with an Olympic official and began to walk over to them. Being used to the constant interruptions and calls on her coach's time now that she was one of the assistant coaches, Kerri said "goodbye" and quickly headed down the corridor to the locker rooms for a quick shower and change of clothing. Twenty minutes wouldn't give her much time to get cleaned up.

"That was a great practice, Kerri. You looked really good out there." Kerri looked around to see who was talking and saw David Rathbourne, a member of the men's team, standing by the water fountain in the hall that crossed the end of the corridor to form a T. He was dressed in his official team sweats. Because he was the second skater on the ice that morning, he had plenty of time to shower and change. Practicing earlier also gave him time to watch the rest of the practice routines. Because Kerri was an alternate, she was the last skater to practice with the U.S. team. She usually hated to wait, but going last gave her the opportunity to watch his performance while she waited for her chance to skate. In her estimation, his performance had been flawless.

"Thanks, David. You looked really good out there, too," Kerri said a little breathlessly. David was four years older than Kerri, and she had a huge crush on him. Her mother called it a bad case of hero worship that developed four years earlier when Kerri began to follow his skating career. Four years ago, he competed in the Salt Lake City Games and finished fourth. She had heard that he was dating Shannon Ellison, who was the odds-on favorite to win the ladies' gold that year, and had been since the beginning of the season. But the rumor mill also said that they would probably be breaking up after the games. It was a rumor that Kerri latched onto with relish.

Her stomach gave a little flutter when David walked over and flicked her strawberry blonde ponytail before he gazed down into her jade green eyes. In the distance she heard the faint sound of the door to the men's locker room opening, but she didn't turn to look at the door. She was too focused on David's smiling face.

"So, Kerri. A few of us were planning on going over and watching the ice dancing short program tonight instead of staying in the dorms. Do you want to come?" Kerri couldn't be positive, but he appeared to be flirting with her. She looked into his dark blue eyes and became lost in their beauty when he smiled like that. His dark blond hair was still damp from his shower, and she wanted to reach out and touch it to feel its texture. "You certainly are a pretty thing, aren't you? So what do you say?"

"I'm afraid that I can't tonight, David." Kerri felt both flustered by his invitation and disappointed that she couldn't go along with the group because it sounded like fun. She really wanted to spend time with David. Her heart simply sang because he asked her to come along. He actually noticed her and wanted to spend time with her! "The men's hockey team is playing the Swedish team tonight, so I'll be cheering them on."

That entire season David had kept his distance from her and spent all of his free time with Shannon and the members of the men's team. The fact that he was talking to her now overwhelmed her. Her stomach quivered when he smiled at her and revealed his small dimple. She felt her face warm with a blush and gave him a shy smile. He noticed and gave her a knowing smile in return. The man was positively gorgeous! She wished she could go over to the arena with the others. But she couldn't.

"My brother is starting right wing in tonight's game. Maybe, after the Games we could...?"

"Too bad you can't come tonight, Kerri. It would be fun to have you along." He took her ponytail in his hand again and held it for a second before he let go. Then he winked at her and walked up the corridor. She sighed and smiled wistfully as she watched him walk toward the main entrance. It was a shame that she couldn't go. But maybe there would be another time, and she smiled at the thought.

When he turned the corner at the top of the corridor, she looked around the hall where she stood and saw Jakobe "Jake" Takeda leaning against the wall by the men's locker room watching her closely. Jake was the three-time reigning men's world champion, the gold medalist in Salt Lake City, and he was expected to take the gold again at the end of the week. Kerri always thought he was one of the most focused skaters on the senior tour. His powerful style laced with animal grace had even caught the attention of non-skating fans and advertisers alike in addition to the legions of fans of the sport. Everyone wanted to be around him, except her. His intense stare made her slightly uncomfortable. Because she didn't want to engage him in a conversation, she turned to begin the walk down the other end of the hall to the women's locker room.

"I'd stay away from him if I were you."

That stopped her. She turned back around to look at him. He was dressed in black workout clothes, his signature color, and looked strong and lean. His skates added several inches to his already tall muscular frame. His hair was black, and his eyes were light brown in his handsome face. She knew from a feature done on him last month that he was twenty-four years old and was the son of the Japanese Takeda Athletics CEO and the British national championship pair skater, Evelyn Andrews.

"Excuse me?"

Kerri could feel the power that emanated from his body even though there was a good twenty feet between them. It was his intense gaze and seemingly casual stance, she thought, that made her uneasy. Everything about Jake Takeda intimidated her. He was like a tiger ready to pounce, but she refused to move when he walked over and stopped when he stood right in front of her. Mere inches separated them now, and she had to crane her neck up to look him in the eye. She could feel the heat from his body reach her and could smell the spiciness of the cologne he wore.

Her heart began to beat wildly in nervousness. She wanted to flee, to get away from him. But she didn't move. She refused to do so and continued to hold his gaze, unflinchingly. It was difficult to not reveal just what he was doing to her by standing so close. She could see why he had become so successful both in and outside of the sport. Jake didn't say anything as he watched her, but she could feel the power and charisma oozing from him.

"I told you to stay away from him," he finally said again.

He spoke English with a slight Japanese accent, but the little that was there gave his deep voice a quality that made the hairs on her arms stand up. His voice was like smooth dark velvet that drifted over her skin.

"I don't think that what I do is any of your business." Her voice came out strong and sure. She grew up in a house with four brothers and knew how to hold her own in a stare-down match.

"Maybe not, but Rathbourne is only interested in one thing from you, _shoujo_."

"What does that mean?"

" _Shoujo_?"

"Yes."

"It means 'little girl' or 'virgin', both of which describe you. You are Kerri Sullivan, correct?"

His explanation of what he called her caused Kerri to blush angrily. This man was as arrogant as he was handsome. She chose to ignore his question about who she was.

"You can't be serious? David is seeing Shannon Ellison."

"That hasn't stopped him, yet. Stay away from him, Kerri. You'll only get hurt." He looked deeply into her eyes for a moment as if he was looking into her very soul, but she would not look away. Once again, she refused to do so and give him that small victory. Her body became warm, and her nerve endings prickled. His nostrils flared with each of his deep breaths, and she saw his pupils dilate. The spell he cast her in was finally broken when Kerri heard a woman softly speaking Japanese. Jake answered her with a quick reply that sounded almost like a bark, but his eyes stayed on Kerri when he spoke. After giving Kerri one last look and raising his left eyebrow in a sort of command or challenge, he turned to walk up the corridor with his female teammate, Izumi Sasaki, who stood a few feet away watching them closely.

Kerri shivered when he left but didn't stay to watch him walk up the corridor even though she wanted to do just that. Coach Baranski would be waiting for her soon, and her coach didn't like to be kept waiting. After hurrying into the locker room, Kerri quickly removed her skates and stuffed them into her duffle bag. She wouldn't have time for a shower, so she just put her team sweats on over her practice clothing and slipped on a pair of athletic shoes. Without a second glance, she hurried up to the main entrance just as Coach Baranski walked out the main door to the team bus.

Kerri climbed onto the bus, made her way to the back row, and dropped her duffle bag on the seat next to her. When everyone was seated, Coach Taylor stood at the front of the bus and said something to the group about the ice dancing teams needing to be ready and back at the bus at noon. It didn't need to be said that the ice dancing teams needed to eat as soon as they arrived back at the dorms, and everyone else could wait until they had gone through the line. Several of the skaters talked as the bus drove away, but Kerri chose to remain silent. She wasn't in the mood for conversation.

As they rode through the streets of Turin, Kerri didn't bother to look over at David, either. Instead, she sat in silence and looked out the window as her mind replayed the entire encounter with Jake Takeda. She could still see his intense gaze and smell his cologne. As she sat and looked out the window, she also tried to shake off the feeling of having been burned.

Chapter 1

Seven years later

Kerri gritted her teeth, concentrated on bending her right knee, and climbed the stair step. The pain was intense but not as bad as it was three months earlier when she felt her ACL tendon tear loose in her knee after trying to land the quad Lutz at the Skate America competition. Eight weeks ago she had a full ACL reconstruction, and she was now starting her third week of more intense physical therapy that included climbing steps and lifting her leg with small ankle weights. Soon she would be working in the swimming pool.

Her recovery was not going fast enough for her taste. She was tired of doing nothing but keeping her leg elevated for months on end interspersed with the few stretching exercises she was instructed to do. She did them so that her knee joint wouldn't freeze and become locked into place.

The combination of inactivity and pain made her cranky on most days and fighting off what felt like a losing battle with depression on other days. She yearned to be back on the ice so much that her mother began to drive her to the local rink in Iowa City where Kerri learned to skate. It was only for a few hours twice a week, and she went when a group of children learning how to skate met with their figure skating instructor. But to Kerri, the time she spent there was a lifeline. Kerri knew the instructor from years ago and offered to help with the children. As much as she could with her limited movements on the bench, Kerri worked with the young skaters on improving their form by giving them gentle instructions. Her time with the children helped see her through the darker days of her recovery.

The current skating season was in full swing. It was the first season Kerri had missed in her eight years on the senior ladies' world tour and in her three years in the juniors. She was now twenty-three, would be twenty-four on President's Day in February a month from now, and she had the rest of the year to heal up and get ready to compete again. The first senior ladies' championship was the Nebelhorn Trophy in Germany followed by the Skate America competition in Detroit in nine months. She would make it to both and all the way to the Olympics. Kerri had one more Olympics left in her. She could feel it even if nearly everyone in the sport was telling her to retire. That it was over.

But she didn't want to leave yet. She didn't want to be forced to retire due to an injury because she still wanted the one medal that had eluded her thus far. The Olympic gold, the medal of all medals, was still missing from her awards cabinet at home.

She would heal up. She would come back and show everyone that she had what it took to go out on her terms as an Olympic champion. With her teeth clenched and a determined look in her eyes, she put her weight on her knee and climbed to the top of the four-step platform.

"Good, Kerri. Now come down the other side and lead with your right."

Kerri did what she was told by Karen, her physical therapist, and walked down the four steps before she hobbled over to a nearby chair. Her forehead was wet with sweat, and she wiped the sleeve of her Iowa Hawkeye's sweatshirt across her forehead.

"That was good, Kerri. I'm impressed with how far you've come even with the brace. On a scale of one to ten, can you tell me your pain level now that you've done a few exercises?"

Kerri said "five" even though it felt like much worse. Once she got home, she would ice her knee, take some painkillers, and elevate her leg again. But for now, she needed to work through the pain. Kerri looked over at Karen who was busy scribbling down notes in Kerri's file. Then, after telling Kerri to wait, the therapist left for a few minutes and returned with several sheets of paper with photographs that depicted different exercises.

"Now, I want you to do these four that we did today plus the others at least twice a day. Ice when you get home and after your exercises. I don't want you trying the stairs at home unless you have someone there with you. You see the orthopedist again on Friday, right?"

"Yes."

"I'll have my notes to him by then. Now I want you back here on Thursday. Ok? Bring your swimming suit. We'll start in the pool."

Kerri picked up her crutches and used them and her left leg to pull herself out of the chair. Then after taking the sheets of paper in her hand, she folded them up and shoved them into the front pocket of her hooded sweatshirt. They left the room a minute later, and Kerri walked beside the therapist to the front desk to schedule her appointments for the following week before Karen walked away. Kerri's mother was waiting for her in the busy waiting room and rose when Kerri walked in with her new appointment card wrapped around the bar of her crutch.

"How did it go?" her mother asked calmly when Kerri walked up. Nothing ever fazed her mother, Kerri thought for the hundredth time. With four brothers in hockey and Kerri in competitive figure skating, Kerri's mother had seen her fair share of injuries and played chauffeur and nursemaid too many times to count.

"Good. I think it went well. Let's go home."

Home was a large red cedar and brick, two storied, colonial styled house located on the outskirts of Iowa City. It sat on a five-acre parcel of land that looked out onto Muddy Creek on the north end of town, two mile outside of the city limits. A permanent ice rink was set up off on one side next to a small warming house. At one point or another, every one of the Sullivan children had used it. The rink was being used now by Kerri's youngest brother, Jeffrey, who was in his senior year of high school and who played center on the high school hockey team. She also had two older brothers who played in the National Hockey League, one for the Toronto Maple Leafs and the other for the Dallas Stars, a younger brother who played hockey for the University of Iowa Hawkeyes, and a younger sister who lived in an apartment close by.

"Hey, Gimpy," Jeffrey greeted her when she hobbled through the garage door into the kitchen. He was off from school that day due to the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. His hair and clothing were wet, which told Kerri that he had just finished with a workout. As he sat at the kitchen table with a small mixing bowl full of cereal in front of him and a tall glass of water sitting beside him, he watched a video on the small computer tablet that was propped on a stand. Kerri could see the movements and hear the sounds that were associated with a hockey game. It was likely a video of his last game that he was reviewing for the tournament that weekend.

"Hey, Squirt," Kerri said in return when she came in. She rested her crutches by the door and walked the rest of the way into the room carefully with the aid of the black knee brace that she wore for support. Her knee may have been killing her, but she refused to rely on her crutches inside of the house. She only used them now when she went outside so that she would not slip in the snow.

"Jeffrey, you could have at least waited until supper," Kerri's mother chided when she walked in behind Kerri. "It will be ready in a half hour. Kerri, go sit on the recliner and put your leg up. I'll get your ice pack and painkillers."

"Smells good too, Mom," Jeffrey said at the same time that their mother was addressing Kerri. He was referring to the delicious aroma coming from the pot roast in the slow cooker on the countertop. Then he took another spoonful of cereal and mumbled something unintelligent.

"What?" both Kerri and her mother asked on hearing the mumble.

"I said that Coach Baranski called for Kerri. You're supposed to call her back when you get home from therapy. What can I say? You left your phone here, so I answered it." He put another spoonful in his mouth and chewed.

"It's all right. Where did you put my phone?" He pointed to the living room. "Thanks."

Kerri walked into the living room, sat down in her father's favorite chair, and put her leg up. Her father preferred the brown leather recliner that sat in the corner and faced the flat screen television. The TV had been left turned on with the volume muted, and Kerri picked up the remote to turn it off. Since her injury in October, Kerri often claimed the recliner during the day when she needed to elevate her leg and while her father was at the university where he worked as the dean of the business college. He was off today, too, due to the holiday, but had left shortly after lunch. Her sister, Maddie, needed help setting up her new computer system and files, so their father was at her apartment in Coralville helping her.

Kerri could just picture them and smiled. Her sister was hopelessly non-computer literate, able to use certain office programs but helpless beyond that. Her father fancied himself to be a weekend techie. That was his alter ego.

Kerri's mother walked in from the kitchen a few minutes later with the ice pack, and she set it on Kerri's knee. Then she handed Kerri some pain medication and a glass of water before she went back to the kitchen to work on clearing the kitchen table for supper. The ice immediately began to do its job, and Kerri sighed in relief. Once she was settled, she reached for her cell phone that sat on the table next to the chair where she left it that afternoon. After quickly checking for messages, she pulled up Coach Baranski's telephone number from her contacts list and pressed the "call" button. The phone rang several times. It reminded Kerri that her coach was probably busy in Canada with the Grand Prix event that week and likely wouldn't be available to talk. But just when Kerri expected the call to switch over to the answering service, her old coach came on the line.

" _Dytyna_! So good of you to call me back so soon," Coach Baranski said by way of a greeting when she answered on her end. It was good to hear the other woman's voice. Kerri had missed her stilted way of speaking over the last few months. She hadn't talked to her coach much after the surgery and was curious about what her coach had to say. "How is the knee today?"

"Getting better every day. I hope to be able to get back on the ice in another month. Two at the very most."

"What does your doctor say about that?"

"I should be able to skate as long as I don't do too much, initially, but no jumping for at least four months." That was a stretch, actually, but Kerri was anxious to get back into training as quickly as possible. She needed to be ready for next season.

"That is good, Kerri. That is also why I called. I will not be able to coach you for the next year." Coach Baranski jumped right to the point in her usual up-front style.

"What?" Kerri tried and failed to stop the shock and disappointment in her voice from coming through. Coach Baranski had been with her for over ten years. If Coach Baranski didn't train her, then who would? Kerri needed a top coach for her comeback.

"Don't worry, _Dytyna_. I have been talking to other coaches, and I found you a coach that I think will work very well with you. He is strong skater, very familiar with your skating already, knows all about your injury and your desire to come back for the Olympics, and he wants to work with you."

"That's excellent, Coach Baranski. Who is it? Is it Mikhail Chenko?" Kerri felt a glimmer of hope now that the shock had worn off. She hoped that it would be Coach Chenko. He was one of the best.

" _Ni._ "

"Oleg Alexander?" He was Kerri's second choice.

" _Ni_. He is Jake Takeda. Now that he is retired from skating, he is coaching. Already, he has several skaters from his school winning in the junior level and is coaching Yuka Mori. He wants a caliper female skater in the senior level. He wants you."

That news was a shock to Kerri. She hadn't seen Jake since the Senior World Championships three years ago just before he retired from competitive skating. Over the years, ever since that day in Turin and up to that last world championship before he retired, she would run into him occasionally. She usually saw him in the hallways or at a mixer at one of the competitions. Each time that she saw him, she waited to see if he would say something to her. She was half afraid that he would. But he never spoke to her again after that day in Turin even though she often thought that he was looking at her.

She never saw him do it, though, but she always felt that same burning sensation whenever he was near. When she saw him, he was usually in the company of Izumi in the beginning, and later on he was with a beautiful Japanese woman whom Kerri learned was his wife. Why he would want to coach her now was a mystery.

"You say he wants to coach me? I'm not sure that he even likes me."

"What does 'like' have to do with it? You need a strong coach who understands the world-class system. He knows that you will still need time for your knee to heal, and he knows an excellent orthopedist that lives close to his training center. There are only a few issues, but with you, they would be non-issues. His training center is in Matsumoto, Japan, and you need to live on the premises. He assures me that you would be very comfortable there."

"A year in Japan? I would be living in a dorm for almost a year, Coach. I would much rather get an apartment."

" _Ni_. He said because you had no family there that you would need to live with him at his family home outside of Matsumoto."

"He wants me to live at his house? I can't live with him!" It would be difficult enough working so close to the man. She didn't know if she even wanted to try working with him. There was no possible way that she would live with him and his wife.

"You will if you want to compete in the Olympics next winter. Those are his stipulations. The truth, _Dytyna_ , is there are no coaches who want to risk a season working with you when there is no guarantee that you can come back. Your injury ends careers. You will work with Jake, Kerri. You will do what he says. It is to his benefit, as well as yours, to see you healthy again and competing. I'm told that his parents and grandmother also live at the house, so it would be more than just you and his immediate family."

Kerri's heart sank. This was not what she wanted to hear. She had been looking forward to working with Coach Baranski for her comeback. Knowing that all of the other top coaches did not want to work with her did not, unfortunately, come as a surprise. She knew what they would be dealing with only too well. But she sighed in resignation. There was no other choice. If she wanted to make it back, then she had to do it. She would work with Jake Takeda because she wanted to return to the sport. Going back to her conversation with her old coach, Kerri asked, "How big is his house, anyway?"

"I'm not sure, but I imagine it's large." Kerri could hear the relief in her old coach's voice come through the phone. "The man comes from old money and did his part to add millions. You'll go, _Dytyna_ , if you want the Olympics next year. When will you be ready to leave?"

"A month, maybe two, I suppose." She wanted to go back to Connecticut to train. A year in Japan working with Jake Takeda was not what she wanted at all. Although, she had liked Japan very much the several times that she was there, she could not get over her worry over how it would work out between her and Jake. "Did he send a contract?"

"Yes. I'll send it to you tomorrow. Do you want to call him and confirm or should I?"

"I'll call. Give me his number if you have it." Coach Baranski read the telephone number to her from the contract, and Kerri wrote it down on the back of an envelope that her father left sitting on the table.

"Don't worry, _Dytyna_. If you really want to come back for next season, this is the only way. Too many coaches are worried that you won't be able to with your injury. But I know you, Kerri. You are stubborn and strong. You need someone stronger and more stubborn than you to make a comeback. Jake will get you to the Olympics. You will see. He and I had a long talk about you before he made the offer. He's the coach you want. I wish I was, Kerri, but I am too close to you now. I'm afraid I won't get you what you want. Let me know how it goes when you get to Japan. I must go now. _Do pobachennia_ , Kerri."

" _Do pobachennia_ , Coach." Kerri said goodbye in Ukrainian just as she had done with Coach Baranski since she was taught the words as a child and disconnected the call. She checked the clock app on her phone, saw that it was still too early to call Japan, and decided to wait a few more hours. The number that Coach Baranski gave her was Jake Takeda's business phone number, so she would need to call during business hours.

Later, after eating supper and watching a few hours of mindless television, Kerri decided to make the call to Japan knowing that it would be early afternoon there. A pleasant sounding woman answered the call. She spoke Japanese but switched to English when Kerri began talking, and when Kerri explained who she was and why she was calling, the woman transferred the call to another number.

"Kerri, how are you? How is the knee?" Another woman answered warmly. This woman spoke with a British accent. "I'm sorry. You must be confused. Jake is in Canada right now for the London competition this week, but he told me that you would be calling. I'm Evelyn Takeda."

"Jake's mother?"

"That's right. I'm sure that you have many questions. Jake can be a little short on details as I'm sure he was when he talked to Petra."

"Actually, Mrs. Takeda. I do have some questions."

"Call me Evelyn. Now what can I help you with?"

What followed was a half-hour conversation where the missing details were filled in. The training center, located on the large family estate, was owned and operated by Jake, his mother, and one of his sisters. The center trained beginning skaters up to world-class senior amateurs, and most of the athletes lived locally either with their own families or with foster families. But because of Kerri's age, nationality, and lack of family in Japan, it was decided that she would stay at their home at least for the first few months. After that, it would be up to Kerri to decide if she wanted to rent an apartment in the city. During her stay with the Takeda family, Kerri would be using one of the guest rooms in their large house.

They had an orthopedist lined up to work with her. She would also work with a physical therapist and strength trainer in between her time with Jake and his assistant coach to get her back into world-class shape. Then after a few months, Jake would take over the majority of her coaching to prepare her for her return to competition.

Kerri found that talking to Evelyn Takeda was extremely easy to do. It was almost as if they had known each other for years even though they had never actually met. The rapport was instantaneous. She couldn't help but compare Jake and his mother based on her limited interactions with them. The differences between Jake and his mother were like night and day. Jake was cold, closed off, and intimidating, and his mother was warm, friendly, and inviting. After Kerri disconnected the call, she smiled her first real smile in months. Like it or not, she was going to Japan. With Jake as her coach, she would win the gold at next year's Olympics.

* * * * *

Jake Takeda ended the phone call from Japan and walked over to the hotel window to look out onto the London, Ontario skyline. Kerri Sullivan had accepted the contract and would be coming to Japan after the Junior World Championships in March. His heart gave a little jump, and his nostrils flared in remembrance of her. He took a deep breath and lifted his cup of tea to his suddenly dry throat. He had a little over two months to get ready before she was in his life, before he would begin to help her heal and get ready for her return to competition. A lot would be determined about their future once his orthopedist cleared her for jumping, and that could be months away yet. Without that ability, she would never make it back into any competition let alone the world tour and the Olympics.

The Olympics. He knew well the allure of the Games having been there three times. Wanting that gold medal was like a drug to an athlete. On that he was sure. He had three Olympic gold medals to show for it. He was also finding that it was equally addictive for a coach. To take one of his skaters to the Games and watch him or her win a medal would be a crowning achievement. Kerri would be with him when he returned next winter.

For years he had watched her skate and grow into her potential. She was a natural and had won several world and national championships in addition to the silver medal from the last Olympics and a bronze in Turin. For most skaters, that would be enough. Not for Kerri, though. She was a fighter who loved competition. Her coach, Petra Baranski, told him what Kerri was going through and what she wanted when he saw Petra again at the Grand Prix tournament in Oslo two weeks ago. Jake knew that this was his chance. He didn't know if another one with Kerri would come, and he wasn't going to let this one go by. He was the kind of man who reached for what he wanted and was not the kind who let things just happen in the hopes that it would work out in his favor. The plain and simple truth was that he wanted Kerri. He wanted her.

After he stepped away from his window, he crossed the hotel suite and sat down on the white, leather sectional sofa located in the sitting room. Then he leaned back, pulled his legs up onto the chaise sectional, and set his cup of tea on the side table. Once he picked up his cell phone again, he pressed the button that would connect him to the person he most wanted to talk to now. The phone rang several times and was eventually answered by one of the servants in his home. He spoke in rapid Japanese to the woman and then waited patiently at his end. It didn't take long before the female voice he most wanted to hear came on the line. Jake grinned broadly as she spoke, and he leaned back on the chaise to listen to her tell him about her day. His heart lifted with each of her words. But all too soon the conversation ended, and he switched his phone off and prepared for bed.

About the Author

Author Eleanor Webb has always loved reading contemporary and historical romances and writing stories that are filled with passion, adventure, and suspense. From an early age she created characters and stories that have engaged her readers and taken them on an adventure into the lives of her characters. After years of working in the corporate world and earning two master's degrees, Eleanor decided to return to her roots and pursue her passion for writing and storytelling to reach a new crop of readers. Her first digitally published book is _The Job Offer._ She resides in Minnesota with her husband and best friend, her two sons, and family dog. Eleanor would love to hear from her readers and can be reached at www.eleanorwebb.com, on Facebook at <https://www.facebook.com/eleanor.webb.982?fref=ts>, or email her directly at mailto:emailto:eleanorwebb@outlook.com.
