Pining For You: Jasper Falls Page 14

  “Let’s try to find your father.” They checked their coats and searched for Rhett, but Skylar didn’t see him anywhere. She did, however, spot Erin in a red dress by the bar.

  A drink sounded great. Skylar led Addison through the crowd and into the banquet hall. Chef tables glowed from every corner as caterers readied carving stations and candy bars and even an omelet kiosk. A string quartet started to play while a DJ set up behind them.

  “Wow,” Addison said, echoing Skylar’s thoughts.

  No wonder this event was so pricey. The town pulled out all the stops. “This way.”

  When they reached the bar, Erin spotted them and frowned. “What are you wearing?” Her gaze dropped to Skylar’s neckline.

  Skylar glanced at her exaggerated bustline and flushed. “It was all I had last minute.”

  “It’s a little low cut.”

  It was, but it also wasn’t indecent. She smiled tightly. “Do you know where Rhett is?”

  “Mr. Buchanan is speaking with constituents over by the ice sculpture. He won’t want to be disturbed while he’s networking.”

  She was getting tired of this woman always trying to micromanage her every move. “His daughter wants to say hello.”

  “I’d wait—”

  “Come on, Addy. I see him.” She didn’t really care what Erin had to say at that point. The witch had already insulted her attire. And she still owed her forty bucks, which Skylar never expected to see.

  As they pushed through the crowd, Rhett came into view. Dressed in his tuxedo, he looked like everything Bruce Wayne wished he could be. The man was absolutely perfect, the truest definition of debonair.

  When he spotted them, his attention snagged and whatever he’d been saying seemed to fall right out of his head. A group of townies followed the mayor’s stare as he smiled to greet her and Addison.

  “You look incredible,” he said, the moment Skylar approached. His eyes dropped to his daughter. “And look at you! Two princesses.” He scooped up Addison and kissed her cheek.

  “Mayor Buchanan, can we get a picture?”

  He turned and a man with a wide lens camera snapped his photo. Nearby, women gushed over what a handsome, doting father he was.

  Skylar backed into the shadows, letting him have this moment, figuring it was good for his image and good for his daughter to share in his spotlight a little. It was also a good reminder of how out of her league and impressive he was when he wasn’t fumbling over Christmas ornaments and eating his fill of her apple pie. This was the real Rhett Buchanan, and it would serve her well to remember that.

  In true wallflower fashion, she sampled every appetizer that passed and gathered quite a collection of cocktail napkins and toothpicks. A butler delivered a flute of champagne and she gratefully accepted it, using the empty flute to stuff her trash in when she sucked the bubbly fizz dry.

  “Skylar?”

  She turned at the sound of her name, startled to see a familiar face in the mix. “Uncle Colin!” She spotted her aunt. “Wow, Aunt Sammy, I love your dress!”

  “And look at you,” her aunt said, taking her hand and pulling her into a half twirl. “I hardly recognized you.”

  Skylar flushed. “It’s Hannah’s dress. Sort of a last-minute thing.”

  “Well, you’re stunning.” She kissed Skylar’s cheek. “I guess you’re here for your new job?”

  She nodded and pointed to her charge who still clung to her father’s side. “That’s Addison.”

  “She’s a cutie.” Sammy raised her brows and leaned close to whisper, “Just like her father.”

  She needed no reminder that the mayor was considered the town’s most eligible bachelor. Women of all ages found him charming and classically handsome. Apparently, even the happily married ones weren’t immune.

  Rhett turned and smiled at them, then broke away from the conversation to walk over and say hello. “Colin, Samantha, it’s nice to see you again.”

  “You too, Rhett,” Colin greeted, shaking the mayor’s hand. “How’s your newest employee doing?”

  Sammy rolled her eyes and gave Skylar an apologetic glance. But Rhett played it off and simply said, “She’s wonderful. Fitting right in.”

  “Hi, Addison, I’m Sammy. You met my son Michael the other day.” Her aunt crouched down so that she was at the little girl’s eye level. “Do you want me to show you where he is?”

  Addison frowned and Skylar reminded, “You remember Michael, don’t you? He helped you make the gingerbread house at Miss Maureen’s.”

  “Oh, yeah!”

  They broke off from the men and found Michael playing in the banquet hall with some other children. Addison jumped right into the fun.

  “Champagne?” A server appeared and she and Aunt Sammy eagerly accepted two glasses.

  “Thank you.”

  Aunt Sammy watched her and chuckled. “I’m not used to seeing you drink.”

  “I’m twenty-one now, so…”

  “I know, but when I met you, you were just a little girl. I still see you that way sometimes.”

  She remembered when her Aunt Sammy first came to visit. She’d actually come to the mountain with her Uncle Braydon, but there was a whole twisted story there, and she ended up with her Uncle Colin, who, at the time, was supposed to become a priest.

  She smirked into her champagne flute. Every family had their secrets.

  “So, how’s the new job?”

  “Pretty good. I love Addison.”

  “How’s her father?”

  “He’s fine. His assistant leaves something to be desired.”

  She stared across the room where Erin appeared to be lecturing some of the catering staff. It was the first time she got to take in the other woman’s dress. She had a lot of nerve making a comment about Skylar’s dress when she was basically wearing a skintight, red candy wrapper.

  “Erin Montgomery?” Sammy asked, her expression similar to the one Aunt Nicky had made.

  “Do you know her?”

  “Unfortunately.” Sammy hid her mouth behind another glass of champagne. “I’m not a fan.”

  That seemed to be the verdict for most.

  Just then, Erin noticed them and crossed the dance floor. “Skylar, Addison’s wearing white. She’s going to get dirty before pictures. I specifically told you to watch her.”

  “She’s playing with the other kids.”

  “Well, the other kids aren’t the mayor’s children.”

  “Hello, Erin,” Sammy interrupted. She’d never witnessed or believed her aunt had a cold side, but the chilly look she sent Erin proved every woman was capable of an icy stare.

  “Samantha. How are you?”

  “Wonderful. You?”

  “Great.”

  Skylar wasn’t sure how some women managed to use pleasantries as passive aggressive daggers, but her aunt was proving a master. The more she smiled and chose nice words, the more evident it was that she despised Erin. Aunt Sammy was a passive powerhouse, and Skylar was beyond impressed.

  Erin’s brittle smile turned back to Skylar. “Get Addison off the floor.” With that she stalked away.

  Skylar rolled her eyes. “Was she always a bitch?”

  “She’s always been…something special. Let’s get more champagne.”

  Skylar needed to get food in Addison’s stomach.

  They hit the buffet and made plates for the kids. After that, they moved to the line for Santa.

  Michael and Addison were adorable together. They danced and twirled and took great interest in each other, which kept Addison occupied and happy most of the night. It also gave Skylar a chance to catch up with her aunt. The evening turned out to be a lot of fun.

  Once they made it to Santa Claus, she called Rhett over and he got an adorable family photo with his daughter and the big guy, but then it was back to playing mayor. When Sammy and Colin left, Skylar was on her own and back to the usual business of keeping Addison occupied.

  Now on a schedule, her littl
e charge yawned at exactly nine o’clock. Skylar found an upholstered chair in the hall and sat down with her. It wasn’t long before Addison passed out in her arms.

  Skylar was getting tired as well, so she didn’t mind sitting in the shadows and watching the people go by. It was the first time she truly rested in two weeks. No dinner to make, no lesson to plan, and no books to study. She was officially off the hook and able to relax, which she did, for the next two hours.

  As the party cleared out and the DJ played the last song, the hallway clogged with guests waiting at the coat check for their items. Valets fetched cars and vendors packed up.

  Erin didn’t see her sitting off to the side, but Skylar definitely saw her as she slipped her number to a man. The man leaned close, whispered something in her ear, and for the first time ever, Skylar saw the woman smile.

  She no longer believed the woman had something going on with Rhett. Mainly because Rhett said he was unattached, but also because she didn’t believe he was the sort to kiss other women while in a relationship—casual or otherwise.

  But she still believed Erin wished there was something there. Not only was she overly protective and territorial around him, the PA shamelessly flirted with him at every opportunity. She also worked hard to leave the impression that no one knew Rhett as well as she did. But the truth was, everything Erin told her about Rhett didn’t add up to the man Skylar knew.

  Either the woman was misinformed or the man was pretending to be someone he wasn’t. Skylar didn’t care about proving Erin wrong, but she did care about revealing the real Rhett Buchanan.

  When the crowd thinned and most of the guests were gone, only the staff and those on the mayor’s payroll remained. Erin shifted into her coat, finally noticing Skylar and Addison sitting in the corner.

  “You’re still here?”

  Where would she have gone? “We’ve been enjoying the music.”

  She frowned. “It’s past Addison’s bedtime.”

  The woman truly treated her like the worst nanny in the world. “She’s fine. She’s been sleeping for the last hour and a half.”

  Erin rolled her eyes. “Here comes Rhett, now.” She crossed the hall—likely to tell on her—and said something to their boss.

  His gaze lifted, connected with Skylar’s, and his eyes widened. Then he scowled.

  Doubt knifed through Skylar. Maybe Erin did know him better. He looked shocked to see they were still there. With a swish of her hips, the PA pivoted and walked out of the hall, smirking with her nose held high as she passed.

  Skylar couldn’t believe it. The woman actually tattled on her. What a little snitch. And now her boss was stalking toward her, face drawn with a frown.

  “How long have you been sitting here?”

  “A little over an hour. It’s fine. Addison fell asleep and I didn’t want to disturb her.”

  His lips pressed into a thin line and he bent down to collect his daughter in his arms.

  The absence of Addison’s weight left Skylar feeling a little numb and off balance. She stood and brushed the wrinkles out of her dress.

  Rhett watched her and his frown deepened. “I thought you two left a while ago.”

  “You were busy.”

  He glanced at the empty coat check closet. The attendant had left and only a few garments remained. “Do you mind fetching the coats?”

  “Of course.” She lifted the trap door and retrieved their items.

  Once she had her coat on, she draped Addison’s over her little, sleeping body and hesitated, unsure what to do with Rhett’s. “Um…” Should she put it over his shoulders?

  “Can you carry it for me?”

  “Sure.” The material was heavy wool and the lining smelled like his cologne. She might have taken a few extra breaths when he wasn’t looking.

  She followed him out of the hall. Her little car and a black limo idled by the curb, all the other vehicles were gone. The limo driver opened the door and he set Addison inside. “You next.”

  “Oh, my car’s right—”

  “The roads are a sheet of ice. We can get it in the morning. In you go.”

  She hesitated a moment, but he pressed a firm hand on her bare shoulder and she immediately obeyed. When he touched her, no matter how casually, her body turned into absolute mush.

  The valet returned her car to the lot as soon as Rhett waved him off.

  Slipping into the warm limousine, she pulled Addison onto her lap like a shield. Rhett used the other door, and once the chauffeur put the car in gear, they rode in silence.

  If he was upset with her, she wished he would just come out and say it. She didn’t come from a family that stewed silently. Both sides of her family liked to air their grievances and move on.

  Silent treatment was a slow sort of torture she wasn’t used to. He was killing her, and the drive home was taking forever due to the icy condition of the roads.

  The closer they came to the mansion the more she sensed his stare on her, burning through the shadows, through the material of her dress, and into her skin. Okay, maybe not through her dress, but a girl could dream.

  He obviously wasn’t happy with her. A person could choke on the tension in the air.

  Her finger nudged the window button and the cool breeze hit her skin like a gulp of water eases thirst.

  “Hot?”

  Every breath filled her belly and she seemed to breathe faster than usual. “A little.”

  A low grunt was his only reply.

  She wanted to kick Erin for getting her in trouble. But why was she in trouble? She’d done exactly what was asked of her, every time, for precisely two weeks. If he was really all that particular when it came to his out of the house mayor functions, he should give her more notice and clarify his expectations in advance.

  She hated taking orders from Erin. As a matter of fact, she hated the way Erin constantly tried to overthrow her authority where Addison was involved. Who was the governess here? Addison was her job, and Skylar had done nothing short of care for her properly since the moment she accepted the job.

  Attending balls was above her pay grade. She hadn’t complained. She’d found a last-minute dress and made it all work. She even worked late, so that the mayor wouldn’t be disrupted, which was really the only instructions she’d been given. It wasn’t her fault no one told her when to leave.

  “If you didn’t want me there, why did you insist I come?” she suddenly snapped.

  But as soon as the words left her mouth, as soon as she found herself finally looking at him, the hard lines of his beautiful face cast in moonlit shadows and the hungry glow of his eyes, she realized she’d drastically misjudged the situation.

  13

  Did she think she could hide behind Addison all night? Even with his daughter sleeping in her lap she was barely covered.

  Skylar’s breasts were practically spilling out of that dress, and the moonlight accented every dip and curve. She looked too young, too innocent, and too damn tempting for him to deal. And what was this about him not wanting her there?

  The limo pulled into the driveway. There wouldn’t be enough time to discuss her little outburst now, and the roads were too shitty to simply joyride and talk out the misunderstanding. But he couldn’t let it go.

  Who knew how much time they would have once they made it inside the house? According to their recent behavior, she’d likely put Addison to bed then disappear to the third floor. He couldn’t let that happen.

  “Let’s get one thing straight, Skylar. If I don’t want something, I don’t do it. You were there, because I wanted you there.” The limo parked. “We’re home.”

  The driver opened her door before she could muster a response, and the next several minutes were focused on navigating the icy walkway, unlocking the house, and getting Addison undressed and into bed.

  His daughter didn’t stir once through the process as he hovered, watching Skylar the entire time, not giving her a single shot of escaping the upcoming confrontati
on. The longer he observed her moving about in that sexier than sin dress, caring for his child, blushing under his inspection because she knew damn well he stared, the more he wanted her.

  He was through denying his attraction.

  Tonight, when she first arrived and smiled at him, he caught something in her stare. Her presence made his pulse fluttered with awareness whenever they were within a few feet of each other, and he was coming to guess that her temperamental moods were less to do with the fact that he’d kissed and touched her, and more to do with the fact that he’d stopped before finishing what they started.

  Fuck propriety. He wanted her every which way and then some.

  He wanted her under him, on her knees in front of him, riding him, stroking him, screaming for him. Hell, he even wanted her sweet for him. He wanted the freedom to kiss her at will when she danced around in cute little aprons. He wanted to trap her under mistletoe and lick her cheek when she made a mess of herself while baking. He wanted to feel her up when she was soft, in her pajamas, sneaking down for a cup of bedtime tea, and steal into her room when she tried to hide from him.

  He wanted her sexiness, but also her softness. Perhaps that was where it all began. She was such a nurturer at heart, he wanted her to take care of him.

  She had become an obsession he’d quickly grown tired of trying to ignore. His fixation with her had multiplied every day, to the point that he was distracted at work and fighting the constant threat of an erection.

  She didn’t even have to try for sexy. The woman achieved it effortlessly. Hell, even her bulky winter socks did it for him.

  Backing out of the nursery, he gave her space to emerge when she was ready. As Skylar turned, the look in her eyes made it clear she understood his intentions. They were addressing the tension between them tonight.

  She shut the nursery door and paused. Her hair had tumbled loose and her shoes were in her hand. Stocking-covered feet pointed toward him, small and delicate. Christ, there wasn’t one part of her that didn’t captivate him.

  She glanced at the floor, appearing unsure.

  Run, little girl… a hungry voice in his head growled, mostly because the thought of chasing her turned him on even more.