One Christmas Wish by Brenda Jackson
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
VAUGHNTOOKHISseat after Sierra sat down. He was certain the glare she was giving him would bring a lesser man to his knees. However, seeing her only stirred his desire, and it didn’t help matters that she was wearing jeans—the first time he’d ever seen her in a pair—and a pretty light blue blouse.
The moment she’d walked in, his gaze had found her and flowed over those curvaceous hips in denim. And then to recall just how hard he’d ridden those hips last night made his body throb something mercilessly.
“That’s a nice scarf, Sierra.” No need to mention that he knew the reason she was wearing it.
The waitress came and took Sierra’s drink order. When she walked off, Sierra asked, “How did you know?”
Vaughn took a leisurely sip of his coffee before saying, “How did I know what? That you were going to reveal your stubborn streak?”
He saw the smile she was fighting hard not to show. “Something like that, yes.”
“Strategic thinking from my Wall Street days.”
The waitress returned with Sierra’s tea and a basket of hot blueberry muffins. Vaughn thought they looked and smelled good. “Before you get started on whatever you feel we need to talk about, I want to ask you something,” he said.
“What?”
“Did you talk to the woman at that bakery about working with you to sell desserts?”
He could tell his question was not what she’d expected; it knocked her off balance and deflated her irritation some. It was another ploy from his Wall Street experience.
“Yes, I met with Freda and she was excited at the prospect of us doing business together. She gave me a list of possible treats and I’ll be meeting with her for a tasting. I’m hoping to introduce the desserts the week of Thanksgiving.”
“You plan to be open that week?”
“Yes, but I won’t be spending a lot of time in the restaurant because that will be a short school week for Teryn.”
He nodded. “Will you be going to Atlanta to visit your sister?”
“No. My parents are coming home the week of Thanksgiving and we’re looking forward to that. Once they got me and Dani out of college, they sold their home here and bought an RV and love traveling in it. They’ve seen a lot of the country.”
“Will everyone be staying with you?”
“Heck no. My parents own my grandmother’s lake house. They stay there whenever they come back home. Plus, since it’s on three acres, it gives them a place to park the RV.” She took a sip of tea and said, “Dani and I are happy they are living their dream.”
Vaughn knew in a way his parents had lived theirs, too. His father had always promised his mother that once he retired, they would move to her hometown of Paris, and Catalina Cove would become their second home. His father had kept his promise. They had only been in Paris for a couple of years when the boating accident happened.
“Now that you’ve tried distracting me, can we finally discuss why I’m having breakfast with you?”
Sierra’s question broke into his thoughts. He smiled and asked, “Do you want me to believe you didn’t wake up as famished as I was this morning?”
There was no need to tell her what he’d really awakened with was a boner and he’d wanted desperately to slide his body into hers again.
“I could have prepared something at home.”
“Yes, but I have a feeling you would not have invited me to stay. Besides, I needed to get as far away from your bedroom as I could,” he added. “No need to wear out my welcome.”
She sipped her tea and said, “You were right, Vaughn. Last night was fantastic and amazing. I will even admit it was something I needed. However, nothing has changed, it was just for the moment.”
He didn’t say that he thought that last night was just getting started. “May I ask you why?”
“I told you. I’m not ready for any serious involvement with a man. Right now, Teryn is my sole responsibility.”
“Taking care of a child doesn’t mean you have to put your life on hold, does it?”
“No, and you’re also aware of the other reason I prefer not dating.”
“The scars from your divorce?”
“Yes.”
“Will you allow me a chance to heal them?”
“Not sure that you can.”
“Will you let me at least try?” Whatever it took, he would show her how to love again, the same way Marie had shown him how to believe in better days. That made him probe deeper by asking, “Is there something you are afraid of, Sierra?”
SIERRADIDN’TRESPONDbecause the truth was that a part of her was afraid. Maybe she shouldn’t be but she was. She was afraid of falling for another man who’d only break her heart. She had promised Rhonda she would provide Teryn with a loving home, and she intended to do that. She refused to place her and her goddaughter’s happiness with someone else.
Last night was a prime example of what could happen if she let her guard down. Especially with Vaughn. So, yes, there was a fear factor, but that was something she would never confess to him. “No, there’s not anything I’m afraid of.”
“Then please give me a chance. I think once you get to know me you’ll see I’m harmless.”
Harmless?Could a man who looked like him truly be harmless to a woman? But she knew he was harmless in the ways that mattered to her; he treated women with dignity and respect. And she truly believed he wouldn’t betray someone he loved.
“I know you’re harmless, Vaughn. Had I thought otherwise you would never have shared my bed.”
He leaned back. “Now I am asking to share more of your time, Sierra.”
She nibbled her bottom lip, a nervous gesture she wished she could get rid of. Over the years, more than one man had told her for them it was a total turn-on. From the way Vaughn was looking at her mouth she wondered if that was true for him as well. “Like I said, my time is taken up with Teryn.”
“Then my time will be as well.”
Her brows arched. “Excuse me?”
“If your time is spent with Teryn then I have no problem doing the same. In fact, I would enjoy it. There will be times when I’d want you all to myself, but I can think of a number of activities the three of us can do together. Why would I want to exclude her? She is a part of you.”
He must have noticed the funny look on her face. “What?” he asked.
“A lot of men don’t like kids.”
Sierra’s statement made Vaughn suspect her ex-husband was one of those men. “Let me assure you that I’m not one of them. I had planned to marry and have kids. If those plans hadn’t gotten ruined, chances are I would have been a father by now.”
For him it was about wanting to be a better father to his children than his father had been to him and Zara. It wasn’t that Eugene Miller had been a lousy father, it was just that during Vaughn’s growing years when he would have enjoyed a closer relationship with his father, he was busy building his wealth and rarely had time for his children.
Needing to shift his thoughts from his family and back to the topic of Teryn, he smiled and said, “I like Teryn and enjoyed her company Sunday. And Teryn did say she enjoyed mine.”
Sierra returned his smile. “She did.”
“And I hope you did as well.”
“You know I did, Vaughn.”
“Then may I make a suggestion?” he asked.
“And what is your suggestion?”
“How about if we take things one day at a time to see how it goes, Sierra.”
SIERRACONCLUDEDWHAThe was proposing couldn’t be too bad since she’d had him over for dinner, he’d met Teryn, and Sierra and Vaughn had shared a bed. Something Dani had said was also true, that although being afraid of getting attached and burned made sense, at some point Sierra needed to get past Nathan and understand that not all men were like him. Teryn was getting older and needed to see that a healthy relationship between a man and a woman was a positive. She had come from a loving home and probably would expect that. All Sierra had to do was recall her goddaughter’s excitement after being told Vaughn was coming to dinner to accept that was true.
“What does taking things one day at a time entail?” she asked.
“Things would be no different than they are now, and I’ll let you set the pace. However, I do have another suggestion.”
“What?”
“If you agree for us to continue to see each other, next weekend I’d like to invite you and Teryn to join me for a picnic on my boat. At dinner last week Teryn mentioned she’d never been out on a boat before.”
Sierra could recall her goddaughter saying that. “Teryn and her mom had a cruise planned for a few days in Cancún, but Rhonda died a week before they were to set sail.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
She could tell by the look in his eyes that he really was. “I think she would enjoy a picnic on your boat. Thanks for inviting us, Vaughn.”
“Don’t mention it.” He looked at his watch. “Are you still planning to spend the day in New Orleans?”
“Yes.”
“I would still love to join you.”
If nothing else, he didn’t believe in giving up on going after something he wanted. In a way she admired his tenacity. “What if I said I would prefer spending the day by myself?”
He gave her that hot, sexy smile that put her entire body on throb alert. “Then, Sierra Crane, I would have to convince you that you’ll enjoy the day a lot better if you shared it with me.”
She knew he wouldn’t have to do much convincing. Even now all kinds of sensations were curling around in her stomach.
Would she enjoy the day better if she spent it with him? As much as she didn’t want to believe that was true, a part of her knew it was.
“Yes, Vaughn, you may join me on my trip to New Orleans.”
His smile told her everything. It wasn’t cocky, but appreciative. “You won’t regret it, Sierra.”
She hoped not. A short while later they were heading out of the café just when Laura Crawford and another woman were coming in.
“Well, hi, Vaughn. It’s good seeing you out and about.” Then she glanced at Sierra, gave a fake smile and said, “Hello, Sierra. This is my friend from college, Belva. She’s thinking about moving to the cove.”
After Sierra and Vaughn greeted Belva, Laura said, “I’m glad I ran into you, Vaughn. Belva and I would love to talk to you if you have some time to spare.”
“I don’t have any at the moment,” he said. “As you can see Sierra and I were on our way out.”
“Then perhaps Belva and I can stop by your house later,” Laura suggested.
“What’s it about?” Vaughn asked.
Sierra could hear annoyance in Vaughn’s voice. Laura was choosing to ignore it or she hadn’t yet recognized it. “Belva wants to open a clothing boutique here and was interested in getting one of Reid Lacroix’s low-interest loans.”
Vaughn turned to Belva. “Sorry. Unless you grew up in Catalina Cove and are moving back to town, you won’t qualify for the loan. Being a Catalina Cove native is a prerequisite.”
“That’s nonsense, Vaughn. Belva would often come home with me from college most summers, so you can say she has connections here. Besides, you’ll be the top man at Lacroix Industries pretty soon, so you can bend the rules a little, can’t you?”
Sierra had to fight from rolling her eyes at the way Laura was batting her lashes at Vaughn. “No, I can’t,” Vaughn was saying. “Reid made the rules, and I won’t change them. Now if you don’t mind, Sierra and I are leaving. Enjoy your breakfast.”
He took hold of Sierra’s hand and led her to where his SUV was parked.