life, caused a queasy, weak-kneed reaction in Fiona. Not her thing. She’d rather convince herself that the tender side of life, where soulful sighs and sensuous cravings resided, wasn’t a high priority.
“I suspect that you’ll stay as long as Leo is there,” Dana teased in a singsong voice.
“He means nothing to me.”
“Don’t toss that out so fast. You’re not fooling us. I know you sampled those gorgeous lips when he was an intern at Meadows.” Belinda took up the baton of teasing and echoed Dana with a series of exaggerated kissing sounds.
“Who’s got gorgeous lips?” A familiar deep male voice interrupted the noisy exchange among the cousins.
Silence. Then the women erupted into fits of giggles.
“You, baby.” Belinda opened her arms in invitation to Jesse. Without hesitation, he stepped into her embrace, where she locked him to her chest. No complaints came from him as Belinda planted a wet, sloppy kiss before releasing her man.
Fiona and Dana groaned and made a show of shielding their eyes.
“On that note, Dana, let’s go. Take me home. I think the lovebirds are not going to wait for us to leave before the scene turns into Mature Audiences Only. And I’m too young to see any of this.” Fiona grabbed her cousin’s arm for their quick goodbye. “Besides, I’m sure your love muffin is also home waiting for you.”
“Now you sound like you’re hatin’. But yeah, Kent is home. Tomorrow he’s heading back to England to be a coach for the executive staff of an airline. Fingers crossed that he’ll be back in time to spend a few days at the Hamptons. We both need the time off.”
Fiona nodded. How would she survive being surrounded by couples madly in love?
As they walked to Dana’s car, her cousin playfully bumped Fiona’s shoulder. “Thinking about the owner of those wicked cheekbones and that chiseled jawline? I remember when those females at Meadows Media were salivating every time he arrived. Emails would whip through the office with the announcement. Yet you were the only lucky one from the company to road test those lips. Maybe more than that?” Dana aimed the car remote at her Audi and popped open the locks. She leaned against the car and continued, “And that’s my dose of encouragement for you to look forward to the Hamptons. In two days, your secret nighttime thoughts and the sexy reality can become one.”
“And that’s what I’m afraid of,” Fiona mumbled as Dana got into the car.
“I’m rooting for you.”
She took a moment longer than Dana to get in the car. Her imagination wasn’t waiting for the darkness of her bedroom to go to work. If the embarrassing memories of those hot kisses kept up, tonight she’d suffer a sleepless night, tossing and turning in her bed from reawakened delicious torment.
On the ride home, she was mostly silent. Along with recalling the unusual passionate response to Leo’s touch, she also couldn’t ignore the thought that she’d ultimately rejected him three years ago. Back then, her fear of love and all its side effects was more potent and undisciplined. Now the fear had become ingrained like a habit that could be relied upon in other relationships, but one that provided zero comfort to her soul. A year and a few days with Leo as a friend and lover had changed her life, her outlook and what she desired in her heart. She’d never moved on, knowing that she’d made a huge mistake. All she’d wanted was to let him go so he could fulfill his dreams of being a top-notch lawyer without the added stress of an unlikely romance. All around her, women—her mother, aunts, even grandmother—had life stories where career and romance were two colliding forces that demanded their time and energy. Their men seemed the exception to the rule of finding that precious balance, without setting conditions on their partners. Fiona didn’t ever want to force sacrifices or obligations on anyone. In an impulsive move, she’d taken a stance and lived to regret it.
In two days there would be a chance for a do-over or maybe a continuation of this unresolved episode between them. The possibility of an amended ending, however, didn’t hold any promise of a change of heart. There still would be no commitment. She didn’t believe in surrendering every part of her soul into the heady mix of deep emotions; love would eventually get ripped apart, either because a couple grew distant and fell out of love or because the randomness of life had a way of snatching someone away. Her job taught her that one, while her childhood with an emotionally distant mother and emotionally constrained father left her unsure of what was best when it came to opening up and being vulnerable and in love.
On the other hand, Leo had been so hurt by her rejection that he’d probably moved on to someone who appreciated him. Someone who didn’t live life with that undercurrent of fear guiding important decisions.
By the time Fiona climbed into bed for the night, she toyed with the thin sliver of a chance that she would have a change of heart. Dare she entertain the possibility? Was she up for a second attempt with Leo Starks? She hugged her pillow and closed her eyes. His face filled her memory. A small smile curved her lips. She could hear the unique cadence of his voice in her head. And he was the best kisser...ever.
A vacation at the Hamptons suddenly had great appeal.
* * *
What to do when Grace Meadows sent an invitation that was really a command? Leo knew his response would be clear in two days when he arrived at the family’s eleven-acre vacation estate in the Hamptons.
“Leo Starks, you are the man.” His coworker collapsed into the nearest chair in his office.
Leo ignored Eric, although he knew that wouldn’t stop the envious jabs thinly disguised as ribbing. Working on anything related to the Meadows Media business was not just a perk but a guaranteed career boost at Grayson, Buckley and Tynesdale.
Although Grace Meadows was no longer leading Meadows Media, she had a sizable net worth that required her to have the best legal counsel. His firm had served both the personal and public sides of the Meadows family for two decades. Now the next generation of lawyers was being groomed to smooth the transition as staff retired. To be selected for that esteemed position took hard work and long hours, the savvy to navigate the sharklike office politics, and, of a more personal nature, a passion for looking out for the rights of his clients.
All of that didn’t matter if Grace was unhappy with any part of their service. Heaven help the person who ticked off the indomitable woman with error or incompetence. That lawyer might as well voluntarily banish himself to the darkest, coldest and most wretched place in the world.
“Not too many of us mortals have visited the palatial digs in Water Mill. I could put four of my condos in that house and still have room.”
“It’s not a vacation, Eric. And imagine working under Grace’s scrutiny for an unknown number of days.” Leo tried to dim his excitement. Plus there was the potential to see Fiona. As far as he knew, the entire Meadows family was expected to show up. The grain of hope for a meet-up with his ex had steadily expanded to the point where his gut now reacted under the flurry of what-if scenarios.
“Come on—cough up the details. What are you working on with Meadows? Another company in the mix? Will she need more lawyers working on a project?” Eric fired his questions at Leo without a breath between each piercing inquiry. His colleague’s easy smile faded into a mask of intensity.
“Aren’t you on the Van Buren files? That’s a hot new opportunity.” Leo did his best to push Eric back into his own lane. His connection to the Meadows
