Mythe: A Fairy Tale (49 page)

Richard tilted his head thoughtfully. “You know, now that you mention it, I do think I misjudged you. I was sure you’d struggle with this whole media thing, but actually, I think you may be a natural.”

“Yeah, right,” Manda said disparagingly, “because I was the absolute model of self-possessed grace today!”

Richard chuckled. “Don’t beat yourself up. Everyone trips sometime. But the way you handled it was good. This could have been a very traumatic experience if you’d let it become one, but you didn’t. You took it in stride, with no drama and no hysterics. You just said, ‘Yeah, I looked kinda foolish, but what the heck.’ I really should have known you’d do fine. You’re one of the least vain people I know, and you aren’t one for playing the drama queen either. And let me just clarify;
I
don’t think you looked foolish at all. I’m just guessing your thought process was something like that, wasn’t it?”

“Something like that,” Manda agreed with a shrug.

“Something like that.” Richard rolled his eyes. “You didn’t look foolish at all.” He kissed her neck again. “If anything, the photographers should be embarrassed. They’re coming out of this looking like the villains. The blogs are already condemning them. Josh has been forwarding me the posts. The morning talk shows will pick up on it by Monday.”

“How about we just don’t talk about this anymore tonight?” Manda suggested, shifting uncomfortably in Richards arms. She could feel the tension starting to build again as they discussed it.

“Okay. Just relax.” He stroked his hand up and down her arm lightly. “What did you do while I was gone? Anything interesting?” His voice was low and hypnotic, intended to soothe her, and she gladly succumbed, letting her body relax against him.

“I was going to catch up on my to-do list tonight, but instead I did absolutely nothing,” she answered lazily.

“Mmmm. Well, maybe I’ll help you with that tomorrow,” he murmured close to her ear. His warm breath sent a pleasant shiver through her. He tipped her face toward him with one finger and pressed his lips to hers in a slow, seductive kiss. Without thinking, Manda slipped her arms around his neck and twined her hands into his thick hair...and flinched when the pressure caused a flare of pain in her hands.

Richard took a deep, steadying breath and firmly disentangled her arms. “And now I think it’s time for me to go. You need to get some rest, and it’s not fair of me to leave Mark sitting in the driveway for too long.”

“No, I suppose not,” Manda agreed reluctantly, but she pressed herself more tightly against his chest and kissed his neck, just below his jaw.

“Manda!” he growled in exasperation, standing up with her in his arms, then turning and depositing her back onto the chair. “Don’t make this any harder than it already is!”

“Sorry!” she apologized sheepishly. “Will I see you in the morning?”

“Of course. I’ll pick you up at eight and I’ll take you to breakfast. Are we on for dinner too?” He drifted toward the door...a bit reluctantly Manda thought. She stood and stretched then followed after him.

“Dinner. Yes. I’d love that. And thank you for the flowers. They’re beautiful.”

“Not as beautiful as you,” he asserted before brushing his lips across her forehead in a brief parting kiss. “Goodnight, sweetie. Sleep tight.” Then he slipped out the door.

Chapter 34

R
ichard eluded a fresh spate of reporters at the hotel the next morning and took her to a restaurant downtown. Over breakfast he announced that he had some business to take care of when they were done.

“It was something I was planning on taking care of on Monday, but since I came back early it would be better to take care of it today. Do you mind? You’re welcome to come along. I promise I’ll help you with your to-do list later.”

“Okay,” Manda agreed readily. After all, doing anything with Richard was more fun than housework any day of the week—which was exactly the attitude that had put her so far behind on her household chores. “What do you have to do?”

“I just need to go sign some papers and tie up some loose ends on a project we’ve been working on. I won’t bore you with the details. There is something I need to talk to you about though. My appointment isn’t far from here. Maybe we can walk over and talk a little?”

He said this with such forced casualness that alarm bells went off in Manda’s head. His tone and his expression weren’t grim, as they had been when he’d arrived at her house the night before, but his patently false nonchalance was oddly even more alarming. Her appetite vanished and she pushed away her half-eaten breakfast.

“Okay. I’m done whenever you are,” she said, trying for a casual tone that she failed to achieve.

Richard grimaced guiltily. “We have time. You can finish your breakfast.”

“No. I’m done.” Manda didn’t think she could eat another bite with her stomach suddenly tied in knots as it was.

Richard sighed. “I shouldn’t have said anything until you were finished.” He gestured to get the waitress’s attention and then asked for a cup of tea and a cup of coffee to go.

They sipped their drinks from paper cups as they strolled through the morning sunshine a short time later. They walked in silence for several blocks. Richard didn’t seem particularly eager to bring up whatever it was he thought they needed to discuss and with each step Manda’s dread grew. She tried to tell herself she was being silly—just because he wanted to talk to her didn’t mean it was something bad—but she didn’t find herself particularly convincing. She didn’t realize that her fists were tightly clenched until Richard reached out and took her hand, forcing it open and twining his fingers through hers. Since their relationship had become public knowledge, he no longer hesitated to display his affection openly.

“It’s been nice spending the last seven months here with you, Manda,” Richard said, finally breaking the silence. “When we’re not touring I usually divide my time between the ranch with Sarah and Daniel and our apartment in New York, but I hate New York. I only go there when I have to. Being here has been a nice change. Living in the hotel for so long hasn’t been ideal, but it is close to you. Honestly, that’s the only reason we’ve stayed as long as we have—to be close to you.”

Manda felt as if the air had been sucked out of their immediate surroundings and she wanted to sit down, but she composed her face into a mask of calm and kept walking.

“We haven’t been able to get much work done, though,” Richard continued. “As much as we’ve enjoyed being so close, we’ve decided it’s time to move on. I just thought you should know.” He squeezed her hand as they walked but didn’t look at her.

Manda concentrated on keeping her feet moving and reminded herself to breathe. After he left, how often would she see him?
Would
she see him? Maybe he would invite her to come with him. Could she do that? Would he even ask? She reminded herself to breathe again.

“When will you go?” she finally asked.

Richard squeezed her hand again and finally stopped walking. “We were planning on moving out of the hotel on Thursday, but if I can get this business wrapped up today we’ll probably check out on Tuesday morning.”

“So soon?” Manda whispered in dismay before biting her lip and looking away.

Richard sighed. “It all depends on how things go right now, so why don’t we go upstairs and get this taken care of, okay?” He gestured to the building beside which they had stopped. “We’re a little early but maybe we can go ahead and get it over with.”

Getting it over with was the last thing Manda wanted if it meant Richard would be leaving even sooner, but she let him shepherd her into the building with an arm around her waist. Their walk had taken them to an area of old warehouses and industrial buildings that had been converted into lofts and high-end office space. They entered through a plain steel door into a tiny, empty foyer with only a small elevator door and an intercom panel. Richard pushed the buzzer to announce their arrival. A man’s voice greeted him, inviting him to “come on up,” and the elevator door slid open.

Richard tugged on her hand, half pulling her into the small elevator. “Come on, sweetie. Don’t worry. Everything will work out. You’ll see.”

Manda tried on a confident smile but it didn’t fit well and Richard sighed again.

The elevator ride was short and when it stopped they exited through a door opposite the one they had entered. A man in a suit was waiting for them, but the space wasn’t an office as Manda had expected. Instead they were in an open and airy loft apartment. It was unfurnished and smelled of fresh paint and wood. Expansive windows opened onto a terrace that commanded a striking view of the mountains.

The man in the suit extended his hand toward Richard with a warm smile. “You’re a little early. Eager to get moved in?”

“Yes, as a matter of fact,” Richard answered, grinning broadly as he shook the man’s hand.

When the import of this exchange registered, Manda glared at Richard indignantly. “Richard Raines, that was just mean!” Tears of relief welled up in her eyes and she turned away quickly and stalked back to the elevator, mortified to be crying in front of a complete stranger.

“Will you excuse us for a minute, Wesley?” Richard said hastily over his shoulder as he followed Manda onto the elevator. Manda pushed the down button without waiting for Wesley’s reply. She stared straight ahead, not looking at Richard while she tried to compose herself.

“I’m sorry, Manda,” Richard apologized earnestly as soon as the door closed. “Please don’t cry. You’re right, that was a terrible thing to do and you have every right to be angry. I hope you can forgive me. I never meant to upset you.” He touched her shoulder tentatively.

Manda spun toward him, startling him when she flung her arms around him and hugged him fiercely. “I’m not angry. I’m just glad you’re not leaving!”

Richard wrapped his arms around her and exhaled in relief. “Manda Jensen, I’d sooner stop breathing than leave you. It was just time to find something more permanent. Did you seriously think I could just go like that?”

“Well, you’re just too good to be true. I always sort of half expect fate to correct its mistake at any moment and take you away,” Manda confessed.

“If fate made a mistake it was sending you to me, because I’m not even close to being good enough for you. I’ve done nothing but cause you trouble and make your life difficult.” His spoke lightly but his eyes belied his teasing tone. Manda saw real anxiety there.

“Richard, you are the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” she stated with every ounce of conviction she possessed. Then, to drive the point home, she kissed him fervently.

“Now,” she continued breathlessly, “tell me about your new place?”

Richard briefly filled her in during the elevator ride back up...to the penthouse it turned out. He’d acquired the building and had the top two floors converted into a loft residence, while the next floor down was turned into a recording studio and rehearsal space. The remaining four floors had been remodeled into six loft-style apartments. Wesley was his real estate attorney and Richard just needed to sign a few papers and get the keys from him.

Manda strolled out onto the terrace, enjoying the view while Richard wrapped up his business. When Wesley had gone, Richard gave her the grand tour. One end of the top floor had been opened up to the floor below, creating a high-ceilinged living space on the main floor adjacent to the terrace. What was left of the upper floor was divided into four separate master suites. The main floor had a fifth bathroom and a spacious office, as well as the huge, undivided space that encompassed kitchen, dining, and living areas. The original hardwood flooring had been salvaged and refinished throughout and the perimeter walls were all the original exposed brick. Manda fell in love with it immediately.

The private elevator they’d come up in was actually the back door and that outside door would generally remain locked. Richard told her this as he slipped her a key and a slip of paper with an elevator access code...just in case she ever needed to get in. Another point of entry was the private four car garage that was connected directly to the penthouse loft by both stairs and another, larger private elevator. A third entrance was through the building’s main lobby and was monitored by around-the-clock security. Richard took her down to introduce her to the doorman on duty, and when they returned Josh and Mikey were buzzing the intercom, waiting to be let in via the back elevator.

Josh was as excited as a little boy with a new toy and insisted on completing Manda’s tour. He took her down to the studio and the rehearsal room. The recording studio was already fully functional and impressive, even if Manda couldn’t make heads or tails of most of the equipment there. The only thing in the rehearsal space, on the other hand, was a glossy black grand piano draped with a large drop cloth. It had been easier, Josh explained, to have it brought in before all of the interior walls had been erected and the new windows installed.

After this whirlwind tour of their new workspace, Josh dashed back up to the main floor, dragging Manda breathlessly behind him. When she rejoined Richard, Josh darted up the stairs to prowl through his new bedroom. She was amused by her friend’s enthusiasm. He’d been cooped up in that hotel for much too long and obviously couldn’t wait to move into their new home. She was afraid their timeline might be a little overly optimistic if they truly intended to check out of the hotel on Tuesday though. There wasn’t a stick of furniture in the place.