Eighteen
Seriously?
Tessa eyed the private jet as she stepped from Grant’s rental car. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” she said, glaring at him over her shoulder.
“What?” He closed his car door and rounded the hood to take hold of her arm. “We’re getting away. How else do you think we’ll get there?”
“I assumed we’d drive somewhere, but seeing as how I don’t even know where you’re taking me, I really hadn’t thought about a plane.”
Grant chuckled. “If it takes more than a couple hours by car, I always fly.”
And in her world she flew as little as possible, seeing as how she loved the open road, loved seeing new places, meeting new people. Most often when she traveled, though, it was with horses and not a powerful, sexy man.
Just another difference between them. His jet practically screamed business mogul. Being showered with luxurious gifts was new...and another reminder of how different they were. Not that her family couldn’t afford such things; they just didn’t focus on flashy trips or material objects.
Of course, her father had a jet, but Tessa rarely used it. When did she have time to travel other than going from race to race?
“So where are we heading?” she asked as Grant led her toward the steps of the plane.
“I believe you mentioned something about never having a prom.”
Tessa halted in her tracks. “I’m almost afraid to ask what you’re talking about.”
Squeezing her arm, Grant urged her on up. “Consider this the limo to pick you up.”
Glancing back over her shoulder as she climbed the steps, Tessa smiled. “I only have this small bag, no room for a formal.”
“I’ve taken care of everything, as any good prom date would.”
Tessa’s belly did a flip. The man literally thought of everything. But she wondered just what would be waiting for her once they got to...wherever it was they were going.
“Good evening, Miss Barrington,” the pilot said as she stepped on board.
She smiled. “Good evening.”
Tessa moved inside the luxurious cabin. Behind her, Grant chatted with his pilot for a bit before he joined her. Tessa was still standing in amazement, studying the openness of the plane.
In the far back was an L-shaped sofa, while off to the other side were two club-style chairs and a flat-screen television. Another small seating area was directly in front of her, and there was a door in the back, no doubt leading to a bedroom.
“Wow, this is impressive, Slick.” She moved over to the sofa and sank onto the corner cushions. “Now I know why you fly everywhere.”
Grant laughed and took a seat in a club chair. “You’ll have to come over here to buckle up, babe.”
Tessa moved to the other seat and fastened her belt. In no time they were taxiing down the runway and soaring into the sky. She loved watching out the window, loved seeing just how small everything got in seconds.
“How can you drive everywhere, when it’s clear from the way your face lights up, looking out the window, that you love to fly?” he asked beside her.
Tessa shrugged, keeping her gaze on the ground below. “I love the adventure of a road trip. In a plane it’s all over so fast. Besides, I like to travel with my horse.”
Grant reached out, taking her hand in his and stroking his thumb along her palm. Part of her wanted to read more into this trip, but the other part, the realistic part, kept her grounded.
He was just taking her off somewhere so they didn’t have to sneak. Being away from the film, away from where the paparazzi were camping out, would be easier. She actually appreciated how much he’d gone through to get them out. He’d talked to Cassie to clear the schedule.
The old Tessa would’ve been angry at him for going behind her back. But the new Tessa, the one who had fallen for this Hollywood hotshot, was flattered.
“When will you tell me where we’re going?” she asked.
Grant shrugged. “It’s nothing too exciting. Just a little cabin in the woods in Colorado. I own a good portion of the area, so we’ll have complete privacy.”
She eyed him, quirking a brow. “Define ‘a good portion.’”
“The mountain. I own the entire mountain.”
Of course he did. Why buy the house when you can buy the mountain? Silly of her to think differently. Granted, she and her family had money, but they didn’t think in terms of mountain buying.
Right now all she wanted to do was enjoy these next three days. Anything that came after that would just have to wait.
For once in her life she wasn’t looking at a spreadsheet, wasn’t going by a schedule and wasn’t worried about training.
Whatever Grant had planned was fine with her, because he’d shown her he was more than capable of making her forget her surroundings. Now she couldn’t wait until he showed her again.
And she fully intended to enjoy this little fantasy while it lasted.
* * *
Little cabin?
Tessa laughed as they parked in front of the “cabin.”
“I believe you referred to this as little.”
Grant nodded. “It is, compared to the home I have in L.A.”
She rolled her eyes and exited the car. The two-story log home was built in a rustic style, but with a wide porch stretching across the front and a rather large second-floor balcony with three sets of double doors leading out onto it, Tessa had a feeling this home was easily five thousand square feet.
“Did you have this built?” she asked.
He pulled their two pieces of luggage from the trunk and headed toward the front door. “Yes. I wanted someplace I could escape to between films. I have a condo in Hawaii, but I’ve always loved the mountains. There’s something so peaceful about being up here with the fresh air, the quietness. I rarely get up here, but it’s so worth it when I do.”
So he liked the country. Okay. Maybe they weren’t so different, after all.
Grant unlocked the door and gestured for her to enter ahead of him. If she thought the outside was impressive, the inside was spectacular. The floor plan was completely open, with a large sunken living area. Windows covered the entire back wall and overlooked the city below. Breathtaking wasn’t the right word to describe it.
“I’d live here if I were you,” she told him, making her way to the picturesque windows. “How do you ever leave?”
“Well, when work calls, I have no choice.”
Tessa turned back to him and raised a brow. “I’m ready to sell my house and live here. Do you rent rooms out?”
Laughing, Grant crossed the spacious living area and came to stand beside her. “You should see this in the fall when all the leaves have turned. Or in the winter with all the snow. It’s almost magical.”
Tessa wanted nothing more than to still be around during those seasons, yet realistically, that probably wasn’t going to happen. But her imagination was pretty good, and she could practically see the assortment of colors on the trees in September, the pristine white branches in January.
This cabin wasn’t just magical, it was romantic.
Tessa turned, slid her arms around Grant’s waist and rested her head against his chest. “Thank you so much for bringing me here. Had I known how amazing this was, I wouldn’t have argued.”
He wrapped his arms around her, stroking her back. “It’s okay. I knew you’d see the error of your ways once you arrived.”
Tessa swatted his shoulder and laughed.
“You haven’t even seen the best part yet,” he told her, easing back to look into her eyes. “There’s a surprise in the master suite for you.”
Tessa couldn’t stop her eyes from roaming over his body.
“Not that,” he told her with a smile. “I have something for you. You can go look now or later.”
“Well, considering it’s about nine o’clock, I have a feeling that we’ll be otherwise occupied, later....”
He nipped at her jawline, traveled toward her ear. “You do have the best ideas,” he whispered against her skin. “But I assure you, there’s plenty of time for you to have your way with me.”
Tessa couldn’t help but laugh again. “You’re always so eager to offer your services. But I’m selfish, and I want my surprise.”
Grant’s cell rang, cutting into the moment. When he groaned, Tessa stepped back, disappointment spreading through her. Of course these three days wouldn’t go uninterrupted. He hadn’t said he’d stop working, just that they were going to get away.
Well, they were away...with phones.
Could anybody truly get away anymore? There were far too many ways to access someone, and unless there was an emergency, Tessa honestly didn’t want to be bothered. Once she’d warmed up to the idea of going away, she’d wanted Grant all to herself with no outside matters interrupting them.
Silly of her to assume that’s what he’d want.
Perhaps he wasn’t as emotionally invested as she’d first thought.
“Sorry about that,” he told her, pulling his phone from his pocket. When he glanced at the screen, he sighed. “I have to take this. The master suite is upstairs, at the end of the hall.”
While Tessa was excited to see her present, she would rather do so with him and not have to share his attention with callers.
God, that sounded whiny. He’d taken her away on a private jet, to a cabin and mountain that he freakin’ owned, and she was throwing a pity party in her head. Yeah, that was wrong. But she’d truly thought they were on the same page. Truly thought this trip was about taking their relationship to another level.
Apparently, she shouldn’t assume.
After her mental lecture, Tessa headed upstairs. The wide hallway led straight toward a giant bed. The entire second floor was a giant master suite.
Seriously, she really wanted to live here. Could all her horses come? A stable would have to be built and...
Tessa shook her head. This was fantasy. She wasn’t living here, she was briefly vacationing. After three days she’d be back to reality and Grant would resume his grueling schedule and traveling, as well. They were shooting at the estate, but they also planned on being at the main race, to capture the pure essence of the industry and her father’s legacy.
Her cell vibrated in her pocket, but when she pulled it out and saw a text from Aaron, she cringed.
Stop avoiding me. I said I was sorry. I need to see you.
Tessa shoved the phone back into her pocket. As always, she didn’t reply, and she certainly wasn’t going to start now, when she was ready to enjoy a few days with Grant. No way was Aaron and his persistent texts ruining her weekend. She refused to allow anything to interrupt her and Grant’s special getaway.
As she stepped into the massive bedroom, all done up in creams and soft earth tones, she turned, taking in the natural beauty of the exposed beams in the ceiling and on the walls, the wide windows offering more spectacular views of the mountains.
And there, hanging on the closet door, was a large white garment bag with a paper pinned to the front, with her name on it.
As she crossed the room, Tessa’s mind ran wild. What on earth could he possibly be thinking?
She unzipped the bag, exposing the most exquisite gown she’d ever seen. Long, strapless, sapphire-blue, of flowing chiffon material... Tessa slid her fingertips over the delicate fabric before taking it from the bag. Did he intend for her to wear this? Obviously, but now?
Why not? The dress was beautiful and the thought of playing dress-up totally appealed to her. When did she ever get out of her riding boots and flannel? Dressing up to her was wearing her riding attire during races, because of the silky material and the bright colors.
Quickly, Tessa shed her clothes, folded them and laid them on the old trunk at the foot of the bed, then donned the gown. The side zipper went up perfectly, almost as if this dress was tailor-made for her.
As she looked in the mirror, she saw that the dress matched her eyes. And with her red hair spilling over her shoulders, for once in her life Tessa felt beautiful.
She swallowed the sting of tears as she reminded herself this was still a fantasy. But she would live it happily these next three days...which would have to last her a lifetime.