Dream Wedding(56)

Arizona hung up without saying goodbye.

He stared at the phone, hating both his father for wanting back into his life after all this time, and himself for being such a bastard. If only he could just turn his back and have it not matter. Unfortunately it did matter. Too much. To add insult to injury, he almost understood the old man.

Grant Smith had loved his wife with a passion that lasted more than thirty years past her death. Arizona didn’t understand that kind of devotion, but he respected it. If only his father had been able to turn a little of that devotion toward his son. But he hadn’t. Instead Grant had hired a series of nannies to take care of the boy. He’d left the infant and the staff in the large house by the lake and had moved into a small apartment on his own.

Once his grandfather had shown up and claimed him, he’d traveled with the old man from then on. Arizona had been twenty-five the first time he’d met his father.

He leaned back on the sofa and groaned. He couldn’t do this tonight—he couldn’t deal with these demons, too. He didn’t want to be alone. But he was in a strange city and he didn’t have many friends here. The truth was there was only one person he wanted to see right now.

He glanced at the clock. It was nearly ten. Too late to be calling her. Besides, she was still furious with him. Even so, he picked up the receiver and dialed.

She answered the phone on the first ring. “Hello?”

“It’s Arizona. I—” What was he going to say? In the end, there was only the truth. “I need you. It’s not what you think,” he added quickly. “My father called. He wants… Hell, that doesn’t matter. It’s just I never know what to say to him. I was a complete idiot. I’m stuck in this hotel room, I’m alone and lonely and I didn’t know who else to call. I just want to be with you. I want to see you and hear your voice. We’re friends, right? Or did I mess that up, too?”

She didn’t answer. If he hadn’t heard her faint breathing, he might have thought she’d hung up on him.

“It’s not about sex,” he told her. “I swear.”

“Oh, Arizona, you make it so hard to stay mad at you. Yes, we’re still friends. Yes, I’ll come over. I want to talk, but I’d be lying if I didn’t tell you that I want it to be about sex, too.”





CHAPTER TWELVE


ARIZONA LEANED BACK against the sofa and sighed with contentment. The remnants of their room service meal had been put out into the hallway. There was still wine in the bottle sitting in the ice bucket and two servings of chocolate mousse waiting for them. This, he thought, was how it was supposed to be. These were the moments that made up a good life.

It wasn’t all about the food either, he reminded himself as he glanced to his left and saw Chloe curled up on the sofa next to him. Before coming over she’d showered and changed into a pale green sleeveless dress. The filmy fabric flowed over her body. She’d tucked her bare legs under her and left her long curls loose around her shoulders. She looked different from the sensibly dressed companion he’d had the previous day on their hike. He liked how she changed to fit the circumstances. He’d thought she was as beautiful yesterday as today and he still believed that.

But what took his breath away wasn’t her attractive features or tempting body—it was the fact that she was here…in his room. He rarely invited women to his room. Because of his travel schedule, he didn’t make a permanent home anywhere, so his hotel and motel rooms were his sanctuary. When he was intimate with a woman, they generally went to her place, or they were somewhere in the wilderness where rooms didn’t really matter. Still it felt right to have Chloe here, with him. She was more completion than intrusion.

“You’re looking pensive about something,” she said, her voice low. “Want to talk about it?”

He shrugged. “It’s not important. I was just thinking that I never invite women up to my room. I prefer to keep all this private.”

“And the outdoors is neutral,” she said.

He glanced at her, but she didn’t look angry. “Exactly.”

“Then I’m honored, both that you would trust me not to violate your space here, and because you called me when you needed a friend.” Her gaze was steady. She took a sip of her wine, then tilted her head slightly to the left. “Tell me about your father.”

Arizona knew the conversation couldn’t be put off forever. No doubt he would feel better after talking about it; he just didn’t want to talk about it now. Unfortunately he couldn’t think of a good excuse to put Chloe off.