The Executive's Decision
Page 61
“Oh, I don’t know. Give him a chance and find out. Just remember, after you tell him, give him some time to process it.” He kissed his sister’s cheek. “I bet you’ll be surprised.”
To be surprised was exactly what she didn’t want.
Zach enjoyed watching Regan enjoy the perks of first class. She sipped her champagne from her plastic cup and stretched her legs out far in front of her. For that reason alone he promised himself she’d never have to fly coach again.
The trip was going to be the most successful one of his life. It would make up for the weeks he’d spent since his father had died, reevaluating everything he’d ever done. This time, he’d not only come home with signed contracts, finally, for a building he had so much pride in, but he’d have the woman he loved—and they’d be engaged.
Warmth filtered through his core, and he relaxed into his seat as Regan rested her head against his shoulder.
He could feel the box in his pocket, which held the ring he’d give her. The look in her eyes when she saw the sparkling diamond would be priceless. It would always be his secret, though, that Simone had been the one to pick out that ring. He’d had another in mind, but she wouldn’t hear of it. Simone knew beauty, and she’d been quite frank in letting him know the ring he’d picked wasn’t as brilliant as the woman who was going to wear it.
It pleased him that the women who’d meant the most in his life adored the one he loved. Love—he’d never considered it before, and now he’d never want to live without it.
He’d given great consideration to the wedding and the honeymoon. Of course he would let her plan every moment of it—after all, that was what most women dreamed of—but he had ideas. He’d like her to become his wife in the rose garden at his parent’s home, and perhaps a honeymoon on the yacht owned by Simone's father. Simone’s father had always been fond of him. Though he didn’t know if he’d allow him to honeymoon on the yacht if he wasn’t marrying his daughter. It was worth asking.
Regan cuddled closer to him, wrapping her arms around his arm. “You haven’t said a word since we took off. What are you thinking?”
“Nothing.” He kissed the top of her head. “How long has it been since you’ve been to L.A.?”
He felt her stiffen against him, but he didn’t react. She didn’t answer right away, but she relaxed against him again. “I left there five years ago.”
“Do you miss it?” He ran his thumb over her knuckles.
“No.” Her answer was definite. “It was where I landed after college, but I have no sentimental attachment to it.”
“What about Hawaii? Do you miss it?”
She shook her head defiantly. “No.”
Zach squeezed her hand tight. “I didn’t mean to bring up anything bad. I’m sorry.”
“No, it’s okay.”
“I’ll make it up to you. I promise.” He brushed her lips gently with his, and she closed her eyes and let out a low hum.
“You promise? That sounds like you have a plan.” She slowly opened her eyes.
“Regan, you’ll spoil my surprises if you talk about it further.”
She sat up in her seat as the captain announced their descent. “I hope you didn’t go out of your way.”
“Oh, you have no idea.” Zach rested his head against the back of his seat and closed his eyes. The moonlit walk on the beach, the ring on her finger, the lifetime ahead of them couldn’t come soon enough. “You’ll hate me for them. But—”
“You’re a pain.”
“So you’ve said.” He smiled, his eyes still closed.
Zach kept Regan wrapped in his arms as the elevator carried them to their floor in the hotel. He’d had their luggage sent up when they checked in, and then they’d had dinner with John. He’d spoiled Regan with champagne and dessert. Now it was time to spoil her for the rest of her life.
Zach pushed open the door to their hotel suite, and Regan walked in, still talking about how wonderful dinner had been, but then she stopped and gasped. Dozens of roses adorned the room, and their scent filled the air.
“Oh, Zach.” She lifted her hand to her mouth.
“Do you like it?” He rested his hands on her shoulders and kissed the back of her neck. The floral scent of her perfume intoxicated him and the softness of her skin enticed him, but he had to pace himself. Every moment of their time in L.A. had to be perfectly executed.
“Zachary Benson, this is amazing.” She turned into his arms. “Are you trying to seduce me?”
He moved his hand up her back and cupped her neck in his hand. “Is it working?” He traced a finger down her throat.
“Oh, I think it’s working.” Her eyes shut and her voice was airy.
Every part of him was stirring. He held her back slightly so as not to rush the moment, but his body was far ahead of him.
“There’s more.”
“More?” Her eyes opened slowly as she looked up at him.
“Come with me.” He walked her to the bedroom, where a white box tied with a large ribbon lay on the bed.
She smiled. “What is this?”
“Open it.”
Regan took a deep breath and slid the bow from the box. “Zach…” She laughed as she pulled a long white satin negligee from the box and held it against her body. There was a smoldering in her eyes, and he knew at that moment, inside of her burned a flame as hot as the one heating him up.
“I couldn’t resist. Though I’m not sure you’ll have it on long.” He couldn’t help but think about what seeing her in it was going to do to him. If she didn’t hurry and try it on, he wasn’t sure she’d have a chance. Never in his life had he been so aroused.
“Let me go slip it on, then.” She walked across the room toward the bathroom, keeping her eyes locked on his.
“I’ll wait here.”
Zach propped himself up on the bed and watched for her to make her appearance.
When she returned, she’d slipped into the negligee and pulled her hair up, away from her slender neck. She’d glossed her lips, and the twitching in his pants was probably as obvious to her as it was to him.
Regan sauntered toward the bed, running her hand over the fabric that clung to her curves. He sat up. “You look wonderful.” He stood and slid his hands around her waist, feeling the warmth of her skin through the thin material.
To be surprised was exactly what she didn’t want.
Zach enjoyed watching Regan enjoy the perks of first class. She sipped her champagne from her plastic cup and stretched her legs out far in front of her. For that reason alone he promised himself she’d never have to fly coach again.
The trip was going to be the most successful one of his life. It would make up for the weeks he’d spent since his father had died, reevaluating everything he’d ever done. This time, he’d not only come home with signed contracts, finally, for a building he had so much pride in, but he’d have the woman he loved—and they’d be engaged.
Warmth filtered through his core, and he relaxed into his seat as Regan rested her head against his shoulder.
He could feel the box in his pocket, which held the ring he’d give her. The look in her eyes when she saw the sparkling diamond would be priceless. It would always be his secret, though, that Simone had been the one to pick out that ring. He’d had another in mind, but she wouldn’t hear of it. Simone knew beauty, and she’d been quite frank in letting him know the ring he’d picked wasn’t as brilliant as the woman who was going to wear it.
It pleased him that the women who’d meant the most in his life adored the one he loved. Love—he’d never considered it before, and now he’d never want to live without it.
He’d given great consideration to the wedding and the honeymoon. Of course he would let her plan every moment of it—after all, that was what most women dreamed of—but he had ideas. He’d like her to become his wife in the rose garden at his parent’s home, and perhaps a honeymoon on the yacht owned by Simone's father. Simone’s father had always been fond of him. Though he didn’t know if he’d allow him to honeymoon on the yacht if he wasn’t marrying his daughter. It was worth asking.
Regan cuddled closer to him, wrapping her arms around his arm. “You haven’t said a word since we took off. What are you thinking?”
“Nothing.” He kissed the top of her head. “How long has it been since you’ve been to L.A.?”
He felt her stiffen against him, but he didn’t react. She didn’t answer right away, but she relaxed against him again. “I left there five years ago.”
“Do you miss it?” He ran his thumb over her knuckles.
“No.” Her answer was definite. “It was where I landed after college, but I have no sentimental attachment to it.”
“What about Hawaii? Do you miss it?”
She shook her head defiantly. “No.”
Zach squeezed her hand tight. “I didn’t mean to bring up anything bad. I’m sorry.”
“No, it’s okay.”
“I’ll make it up to you. I promise.” He brushed her lips gently with his, and she closed her eyes and let out a low hum.
“You promise? That sounds like you have a plan.” She slowly opened her eyes.
“Regan, you’ll spoil my surprises if you talk about it further.”
She sat up in her seat as the captain announced their descent. “I hope you didn’t go out of your way.”
“Oh, you have no idea.” Zach rested his head against the back of his seat and closed his eyes. The moonlit walk on the beach, the ring on her finger, the lifetime ahead of them couldn’t come soon enough. “You’ll hate me for them. But—”
“You’re a pain.”
“So you’ve said.” He smiled, his eyes still closed.
Zach kept Regan wrapped in his arms as the elevator carried them to their floor in the hotel. He’d had their luggage sent up when they checked in, and then they’d had dinner with John. He’d spoiled Regan with champagne and dessert. Now it was time to spoil her for the rest of her life.
Zach pushed open the door to their hotel suite, and Regan walked in, still talking about how wonderful dinner had been, but then she stopped and gasped. Dozens of roses adorned the room, and their scent filled the air.
“Oh, Zach.” She lifted her hand to her mouth.
“Do you like it?” He rested his hands on her shoulders and kissed the back of her neck. The floral scent of her perfume intoxicated him and the softness of her skin enticed him, but he had to pace himself. Every moment of their time in L.A. had to be perfectly executed.
“Zachary Benson, this is amazing.” She turned into his arms. “Are you trying to seduce me?”
He moved his hand up her back and cupped her neck in his hand. “Is it working?” He traced a finger down her throat.
“Oh, I think it’s working.” Her eyes shut and her voice was airy.
Every part of him was stirring. He held her back slightly so as not to rush the moment, but his body was far ahead of him.
“There’s more.”
“More?” Her eyes opened slowly as she looked up at him.
“Come with me.” He walked her to the bedroom, where a white box tied with a large ribbon lay on the bed.
She smiled. “What is this?”
“Open it.”
Regan took a deep breath and slid the bow from the box. “Zach…” She laughed as she pulled a long white satin negligee from the box and held it against her body. There was a smoldering in her eyes, and he knew at that moment, inside of her burned a flame as hot as the one heating him up.
“I couldn’t resist. Though I’m not sure you’ll have it on long.” He couldn’t help but think about what seeing her in it was going to do to him. If she didn’t hurry and try it on, he wasn’t sure she’d have a chance. Never in his life had he been so aroused.
“Let me go slip it on, then.” She walked across the room toward the bathroom, keeping her eyes locked on his.
“I’ll wait here.”
Zach propped himself up on the bed and watched for her to make her appearance.
When she returned, she’d slipped into the negligee and pulled her hair up, away from her slender neck. She’d glossed her lips, and the twitching in his pants was probably as obvious to her as it was to him.
Regan sauntered toward the bed, running her hand over the fabric that clung to her curves. He sat up. “You look wonderful.” He stood and slid his hands around her waist, feeling the warmth of her skin through the thin material.
