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“The 1600s? Wow. Your family line can be traced back that far? You sound so casual about it.”
“I’m actually quite honored. Of course, Canada doesn’t go back that far. My folks migrated from Scotland. My great-great-great grandfather was apparently a duke or earl or something like that.”
Olivia grinned. “I guess you forgot about that lesson,” she said.
“Very funny. Of course, my grandfather founded the Belmont Hotel, which put the family on the map so to speak. The town was named after him because of his contribution to the waterfront community in building it up. I learned enough to pass the family test. That’s what counts.”
“And what if you didn’t?”
“Then I wouldn’t have been let into the family circle.”
“What?” Olivia stopped walking for a moment.
“I’m just kidding.”
“Oh,” Olivia said as she continued to walk, feeling at ease for the first time today. She actually got her mind off her problems, just by being in those wonderful surroundings. It all seemed so surreal. Dane seemed so proud of his family. It must be wild being part of a long, noble family line like the Belmonts.
God, how nice it must be to be part of a close-knit family with strong ties and a respectable presence. She had no idea the Belmont dynasty was so enormous.
They stopped outside a room with a gold-handled door. Dane opened the room and guided Olivia inside. She gasped, looking around. Then tears welled in her eyes.
“You okay?” he asked in his low silky voice, concern on his handsome face.
“I…I can’t believe this.”
“Sorry, if it’s not what you expected.” His voice was filled with charm.
“Oh, no. It is…I mean, it’s not. It’s…better. I…I feel as if I’m in Buckingham Palace! So much has happened to me today and now look…I can’t believe this is happening.”
“I take that you like it then,” Dane said, arching a brow.
“Oh, Dane, it’s gorgeous.” Olivia looked around at the ceiling-to-floor windows, cream-colored walls, and obviously expensive French provincial furniture. The room combined classic with modern furnishings. A super large flat screen TV was mounted on the wall above a marble-gold plated fireplace and in the far corner was an antique desk with a laptop on it and a classic gold-plated rotary dial phone.
“Is that real?” Olivia said, pointing at the fireplace, feeling stupid for even asking.
Dane laughed. “Of course it is. I can get the fire started if you like.”
Oh, you have no idea how you’ve already started a fire, Dane—inside me.
“Oh, no. I’m good for now, thanks…I don’t deserve this,” she dismissed, her heart pounding, a lump inching up in her throat. “I mean, what did I do to deserve this? Dane, you’re so nice to me and you hardly know me.”
“Hey,” Dane said, coming to her side with a tissue he grabbed from the gold tissue holder. “We’ve had more adventure together in this last twenty-four hours than some couples in their first two weeks. What with your ex taking a swing at me at the ceremony. Our talk last night. The wedding. And there’ll be no down talk allowed inside these walls. I’m happy to do this for you—you’ve had a rough time. Call it good karma.”
“Good karma?” she repeated, weakly.
“Olivia, what’s happened to you in your life that you feel you don’t deserve anything good—even compliments? There’s nothing wrong with people being nice to you. Good karma is what you get when you give good to others. I’ve seen your resume, remember? I know you helped Jack with his bills and his school work. You’ve obviously spent your life giving back to others selflessly. So I guess the universe is paying you back.”
“I guess.”
“Sometimes doing good for the sole sake of it brings unexpected blessings. Maybe Jack wasn’t able to repay you for all you’ve done for him but good things will come to you for doing it anyway.”
“Oh, my God. You really know how to make me feel so…okay, Dane.” Dane was right. Olivia was a social worker who had a gift for saying the right things to make others happy, yet for some strange reason, like a brilliant comedian suffering from depression, she had her own struggles when it came to her personal life. Life could be strange sometimes, couldn’t it?
“Hey, whatever I learned from the university of life, nothing more really. Besides, I study people. A lot.”
“You do?”
“Yeah. Plus Mom used to school me a lot about stuff like that,” he said, his voice trailing off.
“Oh, right.” Olivia noticed darkness in his lovely eyes for a moment. He was probably thinking of how terrible her life ended.
“Mom didn’t live to see that my brother and I were okay, but look what happened. Things lined up anyway. It’s as if somehow, as sad as it was, we got taken care of when old Jonah found out about her death and wanted to take me in. He took care of my brother and me. Mom would have been very happy to know we didn’t end up on the street.”
“I’m sure she would have been, Dane.”
“Anyway.” Dane clasped his hands together and changed his tone as if to change the direction of the conversation. “There’s an en suite full bathroom behind this door and that door is the dressing room.” Dane said, pointing to another door. The entire bedroom itself was massive. Her entire apartment could fit within. And that four-poster bed. Wow!
“You have a dressing room and a bathroom?”
“No. You have a dressing room and a bathroom. For as long as you need it. This will be your room.”
“Oh, Dane, I can’t impose too long.”
“Nonsense. You’re not imposing.”
“But is your family okay with this?”
“Trust me. They’re okay with it. Hospitality isn’t just the family business. It’s how we Belmonts are. If you can’t be kind to someone in need, what’s the point?”
“True. But I feel so out of place.”
“Hey, my room’s not far from here. Two doors down.”
“Two doors down? I thought you live in a condo.”
“I do. My brothers and I kind of moved back here temporarily to spend time with my… our father.” Dane looked as if he was going to say more but stopped. Olivia wished she could reach out to him and hug him. She didn’t want to probe too much right now.
Dane looked into her eyes and her heart turned over in response. The memory of his sweet kiss still played in her mind and her heart. Did he feel the same way about her? Or was she imagining this whole thing?
“What is it?” Dane moved closer to her. She could feel his warm breath and the scent of his sexy cologne wafted to her nostrils, teasing her. How did she come to meet the most gorgeous man of her life at the worst time of her life? Yet she sensed his apprehension. He’d already told her earlier about his ex doing a number on his heart and how much he despised the idea of being with another woman on the rebound. Yep, that would be her. And what a rebound it would be. Her ex just called off her wedding last night and this morning he was killed in a fatal accident. Talk about horrific drama.
“I…you’re a really nice guy, you know that?” she said softly, bringing her mind back to the present.
“You’re a very nice woman, Olivia,” Dane said in his sexy, deep voice.
God, she could listen to his voice all night. She would love if his mouth would be close to hers again, whispering sweet nothings and teasing her tongue again with his. Oh.
“A really kind-hearted woman who deserves a break,” he continued.
“Thank you.” Olivia was humbled and looked down. She then drew in a deep breath. “I don’t know who your ex was personally but she made a bad mistake letting you go. I find it hard to believe any woman would do that.”
“Hey, I guess I couldn’t compete with her ex.”
“What?” Olivia laughed dryly. “Yeah, right. You? Can’t compete? You’re the sweetest, most caring guy I’ve ever met. And….look around. Another plus is you’re an heir to all of this. What more could she want?”
Dane grinned. “You’re really sweet, Olivia. Anyway, she didn’t know I was a Belmont until after we’d broken up since I kept my mother’s maiden name, but I could never be the rock star who left her.”
“Rock star?”
“Yeah. He was a lawyer-turned-recording artiste. It looks as if she missed the red carpet and VIP lounges. I’m a quiet, business-minded guy who doesn’t do spotlights.”
“Ah, I see.” Well, that made sense. But Olivia felt terrible for thinking she wasn’t entirely sorry that they were no longer an item. At least he wasn’t taken, or was he?
Dane was a sizzling catch. No two ways about it. So hot, she was feeling heated right now between her inner thighs. Stop that, Olivia, she tried to tell her body.
Being near to this guy had a crazy effect on her body that she wished she could control. Her nipples strained like hard pebbles inside her silk bra. She wished Dane could close the door to the world and to all the problems out there and just the two of them stay in her princess suite at the Belmont Palace cozying up by the fireplace on the Persian rug, underneath the wall-mounted flat screen TV.
