Sleeping with the Boss (Anderson Brothers, #1)(21)
“His is ‘Kung Fu Fighting’ because of his fascination with martial arts. But we won’t be hearing any more ringtones tonight.” He punched the ignore button and shoved the phone into a leather pocket on the door.
No doubt she and Chance would get along great. Too bad she was leaving. “You said you’d take Michael’s call.”
“I certainly did, but not now. Whatever he has to say can wait until after dinner.”
She loved the way this man made her feel like she was his top priority. Relaxing back against the soft leather, her body hummed with anticipation for what the rest of their date held.
…
The sun was lower in the sky, making the interior of the limo seem like a private cocoon. Will wished they were on a cross-country trip instead of a short drive. He wanted to get to know this woman. To learn everything about her from her childhood, to her dreams, to the noises she made in bed. “Tell me about yourself, Claire.”
She angled slightly to face him. “Well, you pretty much know what there is to know. I was raised by my grandparents, who died recently. I got a master’s degree in history. I’m going to Egypt in two weeks.”
Egypt. He couldn’t think of a place he’d rather not visit. After spending years in the desert, it would be like a trip to hell. He’d never set foot in a desert again. He could say that with confidence now that he’d been discharged. He was done with sand forever.
“Then after a month or so of seeing that part of the world to familiarize myself with it, I’m going to intern at the Cairo Museum.”
“So, a long-term thing, then?”
“I hope so.”
And he’d never see her again, which bothered him more than it should considering he’d sworn off relationships. Nope. Not going there. Change the topic. She’d talked about her grandparents, but never her parents. “What happened to your mom and dad?”
She sighed and stared up at the ceiling. “Teen pregnancy happened. My mom never revealed who the father was…he probably never even knew.” Her expression clouded. “I never knew her. She took off pretty soon after I was born, so I was raised by Sissy and Grandpa.”
“I’m sorry,” Will said, brushing her hair off her shoulder. He loved the way it felt between his fingers.
“She left a letter, though. I kept it in a box by my bed and I used to read it every day from the time I was four.”
He stayed very still, waiting for her to order her thoughts.
She stared out the window at darkness. “She said that that one day, she’d come back for me and we’d go see the pyramids.” Her eyes watered, but she didn’t cry. “She died of a drug overdose in California when I was six. I didn’t know until I found the newspaper clipping when I was going through Sissy’s things a couple of years ago—after she got so sick.”
Images of a little girl with blond curls waiting by the window for a mother who would never come flashed in his head and it felt like his chest had caved in on itself. “Why didn’t your grandparents tell you?”
Her slight smile was wistful, as if she were far away. “Sissy was always a big believer in hope. Without hope, you had nothing. She didn’t want to take it from me.”
He ran his hand up and down her arm. “She should have told you the truth.”
She took his hand in hers. “No. Then I would’ve had nothing to look forward to. For as long as I can remember, my Grandpa was sick, and Sissy never left the place, which put a rain cloud over my head as a kid. Then, right as I got old enough to spread my wings a little, she got sick, too, which made me the sole caregiver. Honestly, there were times when that letter was all that kept me going—the dream of traveling to Egypt like my mother had with my grandparents when she was a girl. It made me who I am. It’s why I got so into ancient cultures. It’s why I got into an Ivy League school. It might have actually saved me, Will. Sometimes it’s the difficult stuff that makes us better.”
“Maybe you’re right.” He pulled her hand to his lips and kissed the inside of her palm.
She looked out the window and nothing was moving. Will’s hot breath across her wrist made her squirm and he chuckled. “We’ve stopped,” she said.
“I hadn’t noticed,” he replied, releasing her hand, then pushing the intercom button to speak with the driver. “Please inform T.J. we’re here and will be coming aboard.”
“Yes, sir,” Jacob’s voice answered.
Aboard. Oh, great. A boat. The only boats she’d ever been on were ferries, and she’d refused to get near the edge.
“Ready for your surprise?” he asked, as Jacob opened the door.
“No.”
He laughed, but was the perfect gentleman, of course, as they exited the limo and walked to a long wooden pier at a quaint harbor that looked like something right out of a movie.
The water gently lapped the pilings as they made their way past sailboats and motorboats of all sizes. As they neared the end of the walkway, it dawned on her that the sleek, enormous vessel at the end was their destination.
When they got up close, she realized there were several people wearing uniforms on board. This was not at all what she’d expected. Surprise. “Take me out to dinner, huh?”
“Mr. Anderson! Welcome aboard,” a man called from the deck above them.