Harbour of Refuge (36 page)

Clad in a short, white skirt and a turquoise, spaghetti-strap tank top, she screamed desperation. Her nails were painted the same colour as her shirt and she tottered in her stiletto shoes. A wide smile crossed her face as she immediately adopted a pose that, he supposed, was to be attractive and enticing.

“Enzo,” she purred. “Such a thrill to finally have you at my house. Would you like to come inside? We can have some drinks and talk.”

“Who told you about Halyn?” He strove to keep his voice calm.

Her eyes widened slightly, the only indication she knew what he spoke of, and she licked her lips. “About Halyn?”

His patience snapped like a thread holding a ton weight. He hadn’t the inclination to play this game with her. Narrowing his gaze, he stepped closer to her. “Enough of your games, woman. Who. Told. You?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about?”

“I’m talking about you telling
my
son that as long I’m with Halyn he’ll be an only child because Halyn is
broken
.”

Her perfectly painted face paled. “Oh, that.”

He scowled. “Yes, that.”

“I didn’t mean it like that.”

“I don’t give a damn
how
you meant it. You had no right to say it. And I want to know who told you.” Defiance flared in her eyes but he shook his head. “I am not someone to fuck with, Amber. You screwed with the woman I love and I want to know how you know such things about her.”

He barely recognised his own voice, it was so deep and angry. He clenched his hands, lowered his face to hers, ensuring she got the message he wasn’t screwing around.

She held her ground for all of thirty seconds before she could no longer hold his gaze. “Ernest Macklin.”

The fucking bastard!
“Stay away from me. Stay away from my son.”

Spinning on his heels, he then headed for his vehicle. As he drove to the newspaper, he focused on keeping calm. It wouldn’t do him any good to get locked up. Although it would be worth it. After parking, he strode towards the building and walked into the elevator.

It was a surprise when the person he sought stood there in the elevator with him. They recognised each other at the same time and Enzo slammed his fist over the ‘Stop’ button, jerking the lift to a standstill. In the next second, he had shoved Ernest Macklin into the corner, his forearm across his neck.

“This is assault,” Ernest gasped.

“You don’t stay away from Halyn and I’ll show you what true assault is. Stop digging into her past, leave her and her family alone. And if you feel the need to spread shit around town, especially to someone like Amber Watkins, tell them this, how I promised to kick your ass if you don’t leave us alone. Although maybe it should be more of a ‘I did kick your ass’ as opposed to a promise.”

“I’m a reporter.”

“That’s your excuse for your piss-poor behaviour? You’re a reporter? Tell me, exactly what gain do you have spreading that about my Halyn? What does it benefit? You didn’t report it, you blabbed it to a widow who is looking to score a rich husband. You’re no reporter, you’re a pathetic excuse for a man and I’m taking your job from you.” He pressed harder and Ernest slid to the floor, gasping for breath.

Enzo got off on the floor, leaving the man slumped in the corner and went to find his boss. Seated in his office, he relayed what happened, leaving out the specifics, but highlighting what Ernest had done.

“I want him fired or I’m coming after this paper.”

“This really has nothing to do with you.”

“Really? Halyn is my woman and I’ll do what needs to be in order to protect her and her family. She’ll come after you with the backing of my attorneys. All of them. I’m sure you can do your research, so I’ll let you in on a secret, my main attorney is Ms Valerie Frost. Look her up, see her record. She chews up scum like you and your Ernest Macklin for breakfast and shits you for lunch. Get that bastard off this payroll.”

He stood and walked out. Ernest was no longer in the elevator when he entered it and he wished he had been. It would have been nice to punch the scumbag. Outside, he put in a call to Valerie and gave her a heads-up on what he’d just done.

“Do you ever think before you act, Enzo?” she snapped.

“Just making you earn that obscene amount of money you make off me.”

“I’m worth it and you know it. I’ll look into him, set up the ground work.”

He smiled, albeit a bit evilly, for he knew she was already looking forward to tearing someone a new asshole.

“Thanks, Valerie.”

“Don’t get mushy.” She hung up.

He shook his head, Valerie was damn good at her job, but she didn’t do attachments. She was brusque and most often thought of as being a heartless bitch. While he knew she could be, he felt they had a great relationship. He fucked up—she fixed it without drama. He trusted her implicitly and knew if anyone could get results it was her.

That done, he picked up his tuxedo for the wedding. Almost everything was in place. When the dust had settled, he had every intention on having his woman back in his arms. Where she belonged.

* * * *

Halyn stretched her back, rolled her shoulders and got back to work on the cakes before her. She’d buried herself in preparations for the wedding. Stacy was dealing with the shop so she could put all her focus on making sure Mila’s day went as perfectly as she could make it.

The wedding was in less than twelve hours and she knew she should be sleeping, but all she had done was toss and turn when she’d tried, so she’d got to work on the cakes. They were in the hotel and they’d given her use of the kitchen and walk-in cooler, so the fondant would be set when it was time to wheel the cake out.

She wore shorts and a camisole as she laid the fondant over the tiers and cut it off. Her iPod was tucked safely away in its armband so it stayed out of her way while she worked. E.S. Posthumus alternated with Snow Patrol and others to keep her awake and upbeat.

By the time she’d finished she found she had an audience. Members from the hotel staff sat around the long prep table watching her, intrigued.

“Morning,” she said, lowering the volume of her music. “I’m almost finished so you can have your table back.”

“No need to rush. We’re just observing how you did it. Have you done this professionally?” a tall man with greying hair asked.

“No, just something I love to do. Mila wanted me to do her cakes so I said yes. Thanks for the use of your kitchen. We really appreciate it.”

“Any extra?”

“There are three over to my left which aren’t going to be used. You can have those if you really want cake at five in the morning.”

Soon, she was listening to them tell tales of what it was like working in the hotel while they ate cake. She added the finishing touches to her project and stood back, a smile on her face. It had turned out beautifully, if she said so herself.

Five tiers, each layer a different flavour cake. Chocolate, lemon, vanilla, strawberry and mint for Joe on the top. She hoped they’d enjoy the finished product as much as they had the samples she’d baked for them.

Two men helped her move it onto a wheeled tray so she could push it into the walk-in cooler. “Thank you,” she said after they’d stepped back.

“Our pleasure. We’ll take good care of this and have it out there at the proper time.”

“Wonderful. Guess I should go get changed.” She waved and left for the elevator. Not much later she stood under the shower spray and allowed it to revive her. After she’d styled her hair, she woke the bride-to-be.

“Come on, lazy bones, get up.”

Mila stretched and stared at her. “I’m tired.”

“You’re the one who stayed up so late. Up, go shower. You know your mom will be here soon and if you’re not at least showered she’ll freak out.”

Mila rolled from the bed, muttering under her breath about her obnoxious mother. Their family was huge, Greek and somewhat overbearing, more often than not. It had been a huge battle for Mila to get her wedding the way
she
wanted, as opposed to the vision her mother had for the special day.

Halyn applied lotion to her legs and put on her full-length, lux, chiffon dress. It had draped sleeves and a matte, satin belt, matching in colour at the natural waist. Hers was Windsor blue, while the other bridesmaids wore the same style, just in a meadow green. Simple elegance, understated as Mila had wished. Halyn sat on a cream ottoman fastening her shoes when Mila walked out wearing her undergarments.

She flopped down in a chair and groaned.

“What’s wrong?” Halyn asked with patience.

“What if this is a mistake?”

Getting to her feet, she went to her friend’s side and kissed her forehead. “You have been waiting for this day for so long. Get up and put your dress on.”

“Are we rushing?”

“Who do you look for when you first wake in the morning?”

“Joe.”

“And before you sleep?”

“Joe.”

“You love him, he loves you. Take a leap of faith, Mila. You two are a great couple.” She put her hands on her hips and tapped her foot. “Besides, I didn’t just lose sleep to make you a five-tier cake in order to have you bail out now. That shit is awesome and people will eat it and love it. So…get dressed.”

Mila smiled. “When you put it that way, how can I refuse?”

“You can’t. That’s the point.” She waved her up. “Come on. I don’t want to face your mama’s wrath any more than I will be already.”

Mila rose. “I know, sorry about that. She just assumed my sister would be maid-of-honour.” An eye roll. “I told her, my day, my wedding, my bestie at my side.”

“Don’t make me start crying now. I’ve done my makeup.”

Their lighthearted banter continued even when Mila’s mother showed up. Time flew by and soon she walked down the aisle with Joe’s best friend and best man, Hank. It wasn’t until she turned around that she saw Enzo. He sat near the front on the groom’s side, dressed in a killer tuxedo. The damn thing looked so delicious on him she nearly forgot what she was doing. Ripping her gaze from him, she focused on everyone else.

She cried during the vows and cheered along with everyone else as the ceremony concluded. After pictures, they went to the ballroom in the hotel and sat for the meal. She remained at the bridal party table, not wanting to run into tall, dark and handsome who wandered around in his tuxedo.

As she ate her potato salad, she thought about Enzo. She missed him. A lot. Missed the comfort being in his arms gave her. Missed how it felt waking with him in bed. Missed his humour and his son.

Mila had told her if she truly loved him, she’d move past it. Trust he wasn’t the one who’d spilled that secret. She wanted to, she did—it just wasn’t easy. Through lowered lids, she scanned the room. Her heart rate tripled in speed when she found him.

He stood with some of the guests chatting easily. She hungrily inhaled his side profile. There wasn’t anything he could wear that wouldn’t make her mouth water. It wasn’t fair. Even now, here, across the room from him, her body gravitated towards him. Craved his touch, his kiss, his caress.

He lifted his gaze and speared her with it. Heat scorched her, nipples tightening, pressing against her strapless bra. She reached for her ice water, desperately needing to cool down. Her clit throbbed and she fought the need to shift in the chair. It wasn’t fair, not even a single touch and he had her on the cusp of an orgasm.

Thankfully, the cake came in, offering her a slight reprieve. Mila jumped up with a squeal and dashed to her side, enveloping her in a tight hug.

“Oh my God! I love it, love it, love it! You are the best, Halyn. Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

Returning the hug, she smiled. “I take it you like it then?”

“It’s beautiful. I want a picture of it before we cut into it.”

“I’m sure someone has one. Go on, he’s waiting for you.”

Mila leaned close. “And
he’s
waiting for you.” A quick cheek kiss then Mila stood by her husband and they cut the cake.

Halyn thought about it as she watched Mila get a face full of cake, laugh and return the favour to Joe. Unbidden, her gaze drifted back to where she last saw Enzo. He wasn’t there.

What if he’s left?
She shook him out of her thoughts. This was about Mila and Joe. Not her and Enzo.

Are you sure?

No, she wasn’t. There was the possibility someone else had said something to Amber. She blew out a breath.

“Dance?”

She looked up to find Mila’s brother, Stavos, standing before her. Pushing to her feet, she took his hand. “I’d love to.”

The song allowed them to be close, but it wasn’t overly intimate. Stavos was Mila’s youngest brother and he was growing up nicely. “How are you doing, Stavos?”

“Well, thank you. Became a doctor this year so I’m packing to move to Texas where I’ve signed on to do my residency.”

“Congratulations. I forgot you were so close. I bet you’re excited.”

His grin was heart-stopping. She would be hard-pressed not to lust after him if she’d not known him growing up. He was a brother to her, nothing else. The song ended and he bowed over her hand, releasing it.

Halyn winked, turned and smacked into someone’s hard chest. “Omph. I’m—”

She knew who it was. Enzo.

“Dance with me.”

She didn’t move, torn between the two warring emotions within her. Stay or run. He took the decision from her, drawing her close for the next song. It wasn’t until they were there, barely moving to the song, that she realised her anger towards him had diminished almost completely—what was left was miniscule. So much of her time the past few days had been spent ensuring she was buried in work. She realised that she’d forgotten she had the ability to move forward.

“You look beautiful.”

“And you’re handsome, the night is gorgeous and the weather is perfect.” Apparently, she was quite a bit more angry than she’d thought.

“Right, no small talk for you. I got it. I have something to say to you, Halyn, and I’d like you to come with me so I can say it.” She began to frown and he shook his head. “Look, I don’t care if I say it privately or in public because if you say no now, I’ll walk up there on stage and say what I have to in front of everyone here. If you don’t want that, come with me. I’m not taking you anywhere from the hotel.”