Shackled Lily (14 page)

I studied him for a minute, trying to decide if I trusted him or not. He had been a complete gentleman all day, but periodically I would get the nagging sense that there was something else going on in his head. “Robbie, I appreciate the offer, but I really don’t know you well enough to go to your house alone or give you my car keys.”

“I have a house full of employees, one who has raised me since I was a baby. I promise you, Isadora, we will never be alone. Dinner on the veranda, out by the pool, watching the sun set. Come on, you can’t turn that one down,” he urged.

“You assume I’m a romantic, Robbie. I’m not.” I made sure to keep eye contact when I said it so there was no confusion. I had decided after Ben that I would never again tie myself to one person, and I was starting to get that vibe from Robbie.

“I would never dare to assume anything about you,” he promised, taking my hand in his. “Just have dinner with me.”

I considered my other option, dinner with my father and Anna, and decided that dinner with Robbie was actually the least offensive of the two.

“Well, you did take me flying, and really that alone should get you another meal with my extraordinary company,” I said dramatically, flipping my hair back and intentionally using the same term he did earlier.

He cocked another side grin and then told the driver where to go.

12
. Robbie

Estate was the absolute right word to describe Robbie’s house. We had to navigate through two separate security gates to enter the property, and then the house alone was large enough to be one of our campus buildings. Rarely was I affected by wealth or extravagant living, but even I had to admit his home was remarkable. It captured all the grandeur and beauty one would expect from a North Carolina mansion, complete with an oversized water fountain sitting just adjacent to the driveway.

The driver opened our door
, and Robbie took my hand to lead me to his house.

“Wait, I want to make a wish,” I announced, changing our direction back to the fountain.

Robbie gave me a confused stare, but followed along anyway. I pulled two pennies out of my purse and was shocked when I saw the pristine bottom of the fountain pool. “Don’t you ever use this thing?”

Robbie just continued to slant his eyes at me as if he was trying to figure me out. I shook my head and handed him a penny. “Close your eyes and make a wish.”

His side grin reappeared as he did what I asked. We stood there quietly until I said to throw it in. I wished for the same thing I had since I was a little girl—a different life. It was always my hope that one day I would wake up in a completely different world and be told this was all a dream. When I finally opened my eyes, Robbie was watching me again, his eyes back to the dark intensity that gave me chills.

“What did you wish for?” I asked playfully, trying to get that look to go away.

Robbie grabbed my hand and pulled me towards him. “I already got my wish,” he admitted right before kissing me again, this time with much more force than the first one. I responded again, but was starting to get a little concerned about where this was going.

When I pulled back I made sure there was some distance between us. “Robbie, I like you, but I want to be honest right away. I don’t do the relationship thing…at all. I just don’t want there
to be any confusion after today. I mean, we can hang out and have fun, but that’s really all I’m capable of.” Something told me Robbie was not easily manipulated, so I needed to be straight with him, or I had a feeling I’d end up at girlfriend status before I ever knew what hit me.

He smiled with such confidence and assurance that I wondered if he even heard what I said until he pulled me back to him and whispered in my ear, “There is no confusion, Isadora. I know
exactly
where I stand.”

I eased away from him, satisfied with his response, but still concerned with his body language. He wrapped his arm around me again and guided us back to his house. The inside was no less grand than the outside. The style was similar to my father’s, although less tacky and more expensive. It still felt cold and overdone, much like a museum full of priceless artifacts that were to be seen and not touched.

“So did you do all of this yourself?” I asked teasingly, trying to gauge if this was his style too or if he was subject to his parents like I was.

“No, this is definitely my mom’s doing. But I do appreciate fine things. Every piece in this house is rare and often a one-of-a-kind. Some pieces took years to negotiate and procure.” He watched my reaction when he spoke, and I sensed a double meaning in it. His mood then switched abruptly as he led me out to the back of the house.

It was breathtaking and much more my style. A stone walkway led us out to the grounds where the space was divided into three separate areas. The main area was filled with a large rectangular pool that appeared to have no boundary on the far end, leaving the water to simply cascade off the side. On the left, a large fireplace was surrounded by plush chairs and tables. Nearby sat a stone hot tub with steps that also descended into the pool. To my right was a covered veranda, complete with a dining table and chairs. Large white draperies were tied to each pillar giving it a whimsical look. The view consisted of plush gardens with flowers of every color and style.

I watched as Robbie snapped off a fresh daisy and tucked it into my hair with a smile. “Now this is my domain, and you look as beautiful in it as I thought you would.” I let him guide me through the gardens, explaining the different plants to me. I realized that while I enjoyed his company, being with him suddenly made me feel ten years older. He was intelligent and knowledgeable, but every move was so precise that I wondered if he planned each step out in his head before taking it. I resisted the urge to just start tickling him, if anything just to see what it would do to his controlled movement.

When I couldn’t take it anymore, I yelled, “Stop. I feel like I’m on a tour. This is no way to enjoy a yard.” I started to tug on his arm a little, giving him a mischievous grin before taking off in a sprint towards the only open grassy area, my body language urging him to chase me. I watched him hang back a little before taking off after me. He caught me by the waist, and I pushed him over, sending both of us to the ground with a soft thud. I was laughing uncontrollably at this point and started tickling him until he finally pinned me to the ground with his body covering mine.

“Are you always this wild?” he asked breathless after the laughter stopped. His eyes were sparkling, and I got to see a hint of a boy in there. 

I grinned up at him. “Oh I’m just getting started. I haven’t even had a drink today.”

A second later his mouth was over mine, hungrier and more persistent than either time before. I eagerly kissed him back, rolling him over until I was on top and in control again. I felt his hand start to move up my leg and under my dress, but I didn’t stop him. I wanted to be lost in the moment, free to do whatever felt good. However, a persistent buzzing from my phone ended the kiss
, and I finally jumped off of him to answer it. “What?” I scoffed into the phone when I saw it was Grant.

“Where are you? It’s past seven, and your dad is about to lose it.” I looked down at my watch and cringed. I had completely forgotten about the seven sharp rule in the house.

“I’m with a friend. Tell my dad I’m not going to make dinner tonight.”

I could hear Grant let out a sigh as his voice tensed up. “Tell him yourself,” he said and seconds later I heard my father’s stern voice.

“Kaitlyn, you know I expect you at this dinner table by seven. Where are you?”

I rolled my eyes and winked at Robbie who had pulled himself back into the controlled gentleman. “I’m with a friend I met in class today. Trust me, Daddy, you would blissfully approve.”

“Your marketing class?” he asked as his voice took on a pleased tone.

“Yep. I’m going to have dinner with him and then I’ll be home, ok?”

My father cheerfully agreed which struck me as odd, but I chalked it up to the fact that he realized my friend was a business major.

“Unbelievable,” I said after hanging up. “My dad waits until I’m almost twenty years old to try and be fatherly. Go figure.”

Robbie smiled and pulled me up off the ground. “Maybe he just sees that you’re a woman now and wants the best for you.”

“Robbie, I’ll let you in on a little secret. Defending my father is the quickest way possible to put me in a terrible mood.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” he replied as he led us back to the veranda, where a full meal complete with a bottle of red wine awaited us. Robbie pulled out my seat, and pushed it in once I was settled, before taking the one right next to me. I watched him as he moved like royalty at the dinner table. I felt as if I needed to draw on all of the training my mother had imparted on me just to get through the dinner. I mimicked her, eating delicate bites while quietly making conversation. I couldn’t figure out why I actually cared to play along with the charade, but it just seemed fitting in this environment, next to Robbie’s mannerisms.

“So I get the feeling Western wasn’t your first choice,” Robbie stated as he filled my glass.

“Not at all. No offense,” I answered. Robbie arched an eyebrow, but didn’t say anything. “I’ve actually been at Winsor, up by Asheville, since I graduated.”

“I’m familiar,” he stated with a nod.

“Well, on New Year’s, I had a little too much to drink, and Walla, I was whisked away to my father’s house and put in his protective custody. My sentence is up in August.”

“What happens in August?”

“I go back to Winsor, of course. Western is just to appease my dad. But don’t go telling our group that,” I teased with a smile. “I don’t want them to know that I could really care less about our little project.”

“You seemed to care today,” he reminded me, taking another perfect bite of his dinner.

“That’s only because the Mansfield product was awesome. It reminded me of me…lots of popularity with very little constraint.” I was laughing a little as I spoke, trying to get Robbie to relax again. He was always so stiff.

“I can see that. Where as I am much more like the Pepsi product…guaranteed success, but straddled with a multitude of constraints.”

I watched his face again. They were empty words, spoken with no emotion to tell me whether or not he was bothered by them. “It doesn’t have to be that way, you know,” I offered.

“Ah, you forget, I like being able to get whatever I want. In fact, I am every bit the spoiled kid you said I was.” The intensity was back in his eyes, sending a shiver down my spine.

“See, I knew it,” I responded throwing my arms in the air as if disappointed. The relaxed Robbie returned, and we finished dinner without any more intense moments.

When the meal was over, Robbie led me out to the fireplace, where someone had already started the blaze for us. He sat me down and pulled me next to him snuggly so we were watching the fire like a couple who had been doing it for years. The intimacy of the moment made me uncomfortable, and I shifted away from him stating that I should probably head home.

“I’d like to see you again,” he stated, moving me back towards him.

I didn’t know how to respond. Robbie had somehow managed to turn a lunch date into an all day event and now seemed to want to do the same thing again. He wasn’t the kind of guy who took the brush off easily, so I just smiled and said, “I guess you could call me.”

He took his phone out and handed it to me, carefully watching my every move. I put my number in there, making sure to label it Issy just to make a point. I stood after I handed it back to him, indicating I was ready to go now. He didn’t try and stop me, just took my hand and led me back out front where my car waited with the keys inside.

We were at the driver’s door when I felt him lean up against me, trapping me between the car door and his body. “What was your wish?” he asked in a sultry voice, never taking his eyes off mine.

I glared back at him, keeping my eyes as void as his were. “It doesn’t matter. It will never come true.” He responded by giving me a soft kiss and then opened my door for me. I felt relief when I turned the key and drove away from his house. That confined feeling I always got around guys came flooding in with more intensity than usual tonight and didn’t leave until I was a good ten miles away from Robbie’s property.

Grant and my father were still working when I got home. My father exuded jubilance while Grant looked completely miserable.

“Did you have a nice time tonight?” my father asked when I approached the office.

“It was fine,” I responded with a shrug. “Why the midnight oil?”

“Nothing for you to worry your pretty little head about, Issy,” my father answered dismissing me. “Its all paperwork and contracts at this point.”

I didn’t argue and tried to push away the guilt that suddenly sprung up when Grant looked in my direction. I went upstairs to change, and filled my flask with the stash I had in the armoire. My trip back to Winsor had replenished me nicely.

I could hear my father and Grant still talking when I tip toed down the stairs and out to the lake. The wind was blowing now, and I felt it rip right through my silk pajamas as I walked along the water. The liquid in my flask warmed me from the inside until the combination of the two succeeded in numbing every part of me. I rolled up my pant legs and started to wade a little in the water before I heard Grant’s voice behind me.

“I’m not coming in after you this time,” he joked as he approached me.

“Ah come on, I thought you loved saving me,” I kidded back with a mischievous smile.

Grant took the flask out of my hand and sniffed the contents, handing it back to me with scowl. “Can’t leave home without it, huh?”

“But I am home,” I stated absently, looking back over the water.

Grant rolled up his pants and stood next to me, not saying a word. It was one of the things I most appreciated about him. He never pressed me to talk. Finally after minutes of silence
, Grant chuckled and said, “Are we going to stand here forever, because I really can’t feel my toes anymore.”

I turned to look at him, forgetting that we had been standing in freezing water and walked backward to take a seat on the dry part of the sand. He joined me and I offered him a drink of my flask, but he declined.

“I overheard you this morning,” I admitted after taking another drink. “I’m sorry my dad is stonewalling you.”

“You heard us?” he asked, surprised. “I must have been more agitated than I thought. Probably the regret I’ve been fighting all day.”