A Lone Star Love Affair / Falling for the Princess: A Lone Star Love Affair / Falling for the Princess

“You brought it on yourself.”

“I tried to call you earlier when I had a break in my meeting. I missed you.”

“Sorry, I switched the phone to vibrate and had it in my purse. I worked out and then ate dinner with Jada, one of my friends from work. You probably don’t know a lot of the people yet.”

“I know some. Jada Picard, lawyer?”

“Right,” she said, surprised and wondering how many of the employees he could identify and if he learned only the names of those he planned to retain.

“I’m glad you weren’t working late again.”

“You did,” she reminded him.

“That’s also different. If I can get out of here a little earlier tomorrow, I’m going to. Snow is predicted and I don’t want to get snowed in.”

“No danger on my Dallas to San Diego flight,” she said. She kicked off her shoes and carried the phone to a favorite chair to sit and relax while she talked, taking her hair down and combing her fingers through it, promising herself she would end the talk in ten minutes as she glanced at her watch.

It was half-past twelve when she wondered why she couldn’t bring herself to cut him short on his calls. Even though she wasn’t seeing him, they were getting to know each other better with the long phone calls.

“Tony, I have to say good-night. I was only going to talk a few minutes. It’s after midnight.”

“So you’re enjoying this call as much as I am. We have a great time together, Isabelle. Let me hear you admit it.”

“Not now or tomorrow or anytime after that,” she replied, laughing.

“Just wait, I’ll prove it to you. Let me tell you how—”

“Good night,” she interrupted and broke the connection, laughing again. “Unfortunately, Tony Ryder, you’re right,” she admitted to no one.

Before dawn Thursday she was at the airport, looking for her colleagues in the waiting area at the gate. Since joining Morris she had worked closely with Nancy and George and she looked forward to traveling with them.

It was easy to spot Nancy’s red hair and tall George’s thick, wheat-colored blond hair. As they waited for their flight to board, she listened to them talk about their kids, thinking about Tony’s determination to avoid marriage, preferring his work to a family.

“Lucky you,” George kidded her, “you slept peacefully last night while Nancy was up at three with one of hers and my Billy had a basketball game, then dinner, then homework which included a project he needed help with so I had four hours’ sleep.”

Isabelle smiled with them. “What was the trouble with Molly?”

“Nightmares. She’s going through a stage,” Nancy replied.

“That’s one thing—it should be quiet in the hotel. Nancy and I have dreamed of the few hours we’ll be the only one in our rooms and absolutely no demands after midnight,” George said.

“Once we’re free tonight, I’ll bet both of you spend the evening calling home and talking to your families,” Isabelle said, knowing they kept in close touch. Their smiles confirmed her statement.

“After a call home,” Nancy said, “I’m taking a swim in the pool. We’ve seen a hundred pictures as they built the hotel and the pool looked gorgeous. Either of you want to join me, feel free to do so.”

“I will,” Isabelle said, thinking how much a swim would be welcome as a relief in her busy schedule.

While they flew, Isabelle went over appointments and brochures, names of California people she would meet. When they came into San Diego she gazed eagerly at the blue ocean below. Her anticipation grew. She looked forward to this trip for several reasons, business and personal, thankful for the experience and excited to see the city, the hotel and the ocean.

It was an opulent hotel, with a glassed-in lobby that had glittering crystal chandeliers, a plush deep blue carpet and a waterfall that spilled into a pool made of black marble. They went to the VIP lobby to check in, then headed to their rooms.

She spent the rest of the day touring the hotel, meeting the hotel executives, attending a meeting with them and then having dinner and enjoying a reception that included some VIP guests from the area who got a preview before the next day’s activities.

It was eleven when she returned to her suite from the pool. The luxurious suite opened onto its own beachfront. When Tony called, she settled in a chair on the deck, switching off the lights so she could see the whitecaps while they talked for the next two hours.

Later, in bed, she gazed into the darkness while she thought about seeing Tony again Monday. She fell asleep thinking about him and dreamed of him.

Friday, her schedule was booked and included a dinner with media people that ran until after nine. They finally broke up and people left the banquet room.

In her suite she changed to her swimsuit, slipping into a T-shirt, shorts and flip-flops. She headed up to the grand rooftop pool, stepping out onto a well-lit deck with a bar beyond the crystal blue pool. A man near the bar played a guitar, the music clear in the night air.

She put her things on a beach chair and slipped into the water. When she reached the opposite end she turned to see a man enter the area. Her heart missed beats as she paused breathlessly because Tony stood at the other end of the pool.

Five

She was shocked to see him. She watched as he walked along the side of the pool. Her gaze drifted over him, his broad, muscled chest covered with a mat of thick dark curls. His biceps bulged with muscles and his narrow strip of black swimsuit left the rest of him bare, reminding her too clearly of their night of love and his magnificent body.

Feeling hot even though she was in cool water, she continued her perusal. His legs were long, lean and muscled. When he reached the deep end, he jumped in to swim toward her. Her excitement heightened the closer he came until he stopped only inches away.

He combed his hair back with his fingers to get the curls away from his face. While he treaded water to stay afloat in the deep end, she held the side of the pool. Drops glistened on his broad shoulders and she was aware of every inch of him.

Even the spacious hotel pool seemed dominated by Tony, his dark gaze holding hers as if she were magnetized.

“This is a surprise,” she said

“I intended it to be, although I didn’t expect to find you in the pool.”

“I love to swim, but get few chances. The pool is convenient, so I’ve been swimming both nights,” she said, feeling giddy. “You flew here from Chicago?” she asked, still wondering if he had come to look at his newest hotel or if he had a more personal reason.

“By way of Dallas first,” he said. “How was your day?”

“Successful. I think they’ll have a terrific opening and between our publicity and the media interest, we should get dream coverage. If you came to talk to any of the media, they’re scattered all over the hotel.”

Tony smiled at her, his eyes dancing. “Isabelle, I didn’t fly out here to talk to the media or the hotel people.”

She drew another deep breath, finding the air had grown rarefied and she was having difficulty breathing. “You’re not here for business?”

“No. That’s handled by you and others. I don’t have to.”

“You may have wasted a trip,” she said, seeing red flags of warning waving. He had circumvented her plan to avoid being with him again.

“I don’t think so,” he said. “We’ll swim and then let’s go have a drink. We can talk about it.”

“Are you trying to complicate my life?” she asked.

“Not at all. You had planned a swim, so we’ll swim. Want to race the length and back? You can call go.”

Momentarily caught between consternation and excitement, she stared at him in silence until she realized he was waiting for an answer.