FIRST LOVE_A Single Dad Second Chance Romance Read online

  Soaking wet, my dress ruined and my pride thoroughly destroyed, I limped through the crowd of partygoers. I could feel the tears pricking my eyelids but I waited until I was out of the large reception hall before I let them fall.

  I ran down the hallway, trying to find the kitchen, but had no idea where I was going in the expansive house. Instead, I came across a large spiral staircase leading downward. I hitched up my skirt and disappeared into the closest thing to a hole in the ground to swallow me alive that I could find.

  The passage at the bottom of the stairwell led to a frosted glass door that I pushed open. I shouldn’t have been surprised, really, but I was amazed to see I’d stepped into a huge underground cavern of luxury. There was a gym, a sauna, and even a steam room. A large pool table stood to one side of a games area, only the felt was green rather than blue, so I guessed it was for snooker, a game I thought only the British played.

  In the center of the large hall was a pool, still and clear. Inner pool lights illuminated the water, casting a soft glimmering pattern against the white ceiling above. A gentle smell of eucalyptus hung in the air and the utter silence was strangely comforting.

  I was so enthralled by my surroundings that I’d completely stopped crying. I slipped my shoes off and dipped my toes into the water. It was warm and inviting, and there was nobody around, so in a moment of insanity, I unzipped my sticky, wine-soaked dress, a dress I’d worked so hard to finish but which I’d only worn for less than an hour before Catherine had so cruelly ruined it. Daringly, I even took off my underwear before I cautiously stepped down into the warm water.

  I was careful not to get my hair wet, it only being swept up in a low chignon. I gently pushed through the balmy water, making as little noise as possible and hoped that nobody upstairs was looking for me.

  I almost laughed at the bitter irony that, after Henry had received such a stern warning from Mom, I was the one to have caused the drama of the night.

  2

  ________

  LIAM

  There was little chance that I’d be able to stay away from the party for much longer before my absence was noticed. But the last thing I needed was to get into an argument with Dad, so after sinking the final ball, I left the snooker table and went to put my cue back in the rack. As I did, though, I heard footsteps and figured it was Mom or Catherine coming to find me. I was about to hold up my hands and admit defeat, but as I went to meet them, I was stunned to see that, walking along the edge of the pool, was none other than Elle Evans.

  I hardly recognized her at first glance. We may have spent the last three years attending the same high school, but this wasn’t the same shy girl I knew who walked the halls with her books clutched to her chest and her hair often covering her face.

  In a stunning pale green dress that swept the floor as she walked, she looked elegant and serene. Stepping into the light, I saw from her tearstained face that she’d been crying. I understood why when I noticed the huge wine stain on her otherwise exquisite dress.

  Something made me stand back in the shadows and watch her. I smiled to myself as she dipped a toe in the water, and then my eyes widened in disbelief as she started taking off her dress. I knew I should have looked away, that would have been the gentlemanly thing to do, but I was spellbound. My eyes drank in the pure beauty of her and, as her bra and lace panties dropped onto the tiles next to her dress, the last traces of the shy schoolgirl I knew fell away, too.

  She stood there, gazing at the pool, utterly exposed. Her breasts were round and smooth, and there was a small V of dark hair between her slim legs. Her ass was firm as a peach, and every movement of her body was just as graceful and delicate as it had been when she was fully clothed. She was captivatingly beautiful and I could only stare at her as she waded into the water before she pushed off to make her way to the other side of the pool.

  With my hands shoved into the pockets of my tuxedo pants, I leaned against the pillar and watched her. The water enveloped her lithe body, and there was a relaxed smile on her face as she floated in the hot water. I couldn’t ignore the fact that there was a very sexy and very naked woman in my pool. She had my full attention. I watched her for a little while longer as she slowly swam back and forth before I decided I should let her know I was there.

  So, I stepped out into the pale light and coughed lightly. She looked horrified as she spun around before giving a loud shriek in shock as she saw me standing there. Immediately, I threw my hands up.

  “It’s all right!” I said. “Don’t be frightened. I’m not coming in. You’re safe. In fact, let me get you a robe for when you want to get out.”

  I chuckled as I watched her face flush scarlet. She quickly swam to the edge of the pool, pressing her naked body against the side to try to conceal herself and then held out one hand. “Yes, please,” she said. “Please give me something.”

  There was a row of white robes hanging from hooks on the far wall and I lifted one off and brought it over to her. “Could you please turn around,” she asked.

  Grinning, I looked at her and shrugged. “It’s too late,” I said, with mock seriousness. “I’m afraid I’ve already seen everything and I’m sorry to say, but you’re no longer just the girl who sits in front of me in history class.”

  The look on her face was one of such mortification that I decided not to taunt her any further and did as she asked. I turned to face the wall and after a brief moment, I heard the splash as she climbed out of the pool. She grabbed the robe from my hand and hurriedly wrapped it around her wet body. As I turned around, she hunched down to gather up her clothes and clutched them to her chest.

  “I’m… I mean… I’m so sorry,” she stammered. “I had no idea there was anyone down here.”

  She was like a frightened little rabbit and was back to being the quiet girl in the school hallways. Only, now that I’d seen the elegant young woman who’d stood by the pool so captivatingly just moments before, I was too intrigued to let her simply run away from me.

  “You don’t have to apologize,” I said. “I just hope you’re not too cold.”

  “No, it’s nice and warm in here,” she replied. “Honestly, please don’t think I was snooping around. I was looking for a bathroom. You see, I spilled some wine on my dress, and I came looking for the restroom, but I saw the pool and couldn’t resist…”

  Her voice trailed off as she stood there, wide-eyed, staring up at me. “Please don’t tell your father.”

  I was surprised at the look of fear I saw in her eyes. “Why would I tell my Dad?” I asked. “Elle, nobody has to know you were here. Why don’t you ask Catherine if she has something else you can wear?”

  But, as her expression darkened a little at the mention of my twin sister’s name, I thought I may have stumbled upon the real reason for her wine-stained dress. I hoped it wasn’t true, but I knew my sister. It wouldn’t be the first time someone walked away from her with wine or something far worse spilled all over themselves. I had a terrible feeling that my suspicion might just be right. I sighed.

  “I believe the robe suits you, actually,” I said. “I’ve heard Gucci’s making a summer robe collection this year.”

  She smiled, and I was pleased to see it. “Come on,” I said. “We’ll have to go upstairs. The bathrooms down here are being remodeled. I’m sure we can find some way to fix you up.”

  “I can’t,” she said. “There’s no way I can go back to the party looking like this!”

  “We’re not going back. There’s an elevator back here that goes up to the second floor and you can change there.”

  “Wait. You have an elevator in your house?”

  “Two,” I grinned. “We can take one each if you’d like.”

  But she shook her head and silently followed me as I walked past the sauna and pressed the gold button mounted on the wall. Immediately the elevator doors swished open. I bowed and held out my hand.

  “My lady,” I joked and Elle stepped inside. I followed and presse
d the top button to take us up to the second floor. After a few seconds, the doors opened out into silence and with relief, I saw there was nobody around.

  “The coast’s clear. Come on.”

  I walked down the hall and I stopped to open the door to my bedroom. “I’m afraid you’ll have to put the dress back on, for now,” I said. “And your underwear, if you want, that is.”

  The blush was back, and I felt a little mean for teasing her again, but it was difficult not to think back to the way her pale skin had glowed in the soft light as the ripples of the water had done little to hide it.

  She was inside my room for only a few moments and returned once again wearing the dress and heels. I nodded and smiled. “It’s a beautiful dress,” I said. “Whoever picked it out for you did a great job.”

  She smiled widely at the compliment. “Thanks,” she whispered. “Um, I guess we’d better rejoin the party.”

  I nodded. “Yes, I think you’re right,” I said. “It’s a shame, though. I’ve never been one to enjoy these kinds of things.”

  “But isn’t tonight a bit different?” she asked. “You know, with it being your father’s birthday and all.”

  “It’s the third birthday party he’s had this week,” I said, flatly. “We had dinner at the club on Tuesday with his golfing buddies, and then we went into the city on Wednesday for a huge reception at the Hilton. This is just rounding off a week of parties at which I’ve had to smile politely.”

  “But don’t you like it all?”

  “All what?”

  “You know, the never-ending parties, the champagne, the pool in the basement…”

  “The inability to choose my own future and the crippling responsibility of living up to the Wilde name?” I finished the sentence for her, with a grin.

  She raised her eyebrows in surprise. “Is that true? Can’t you choose your own future?”

  “Well, let’s just say that it’s a good thing I just love mergers and acquisitions,” I said sarcastically as we began to walk down the hall. “Not as if I could choose to make a career out of such a trivial thing as playing soccer, for example. That just wouldn’t do!”

  “I had no idea,” she said. “I just thought life must somehow be easy for you. It sure seems that way.”

  “Does it?”

  “Yes. You know, the way most of us have to work twice as hard to even get close to the kind of grades you’re getting. Then all of this on top of it all. It just seems… well, you…” she trailed off, and I could see she was embarrassed. It humored me to watch her dig herself into a hole she couldn’t get out of.

  “Have everything handed to me on a silver platter?”

  She blushed. “I didn’t mean it like that. I’m sorry.”

  “You don’t need to apologize,” I said. “Plenty of people think a life of privilege means an easy life. But that’s not the case. I work damn hard for those good grades because it’s important to me to know that I’ve earned them. I don’t have one of the highest GPAs in my class just because my family has money.”

  Suddenly, I heard an all too familiar male voice call out my name. We both froze and could only stare at each other in stunned silence. My name echoed through the hallway a second time, and I knew that I had to move quickly or else my father would find us. He was clearly looking for me, but I didn’t want to be found. Not now.

  “Quick!” I whispered to Elle. “Come with me!”

  I grabbed hold of her hand and we took off in the opposite direction, quickly making our way down the long corridor.

  3

  ________

  ELLE

  The fear of being caught by Patrick Wilde was enough to make me run for dear life. I barely noticed that Liam and I had been holding hands as we hurried down the hallway. We turned a few corners, scurried down a flight of stairs and it was only when we were safely behind a closed door, that I could register what had happened.

  I knew I was blushing. I’d been blushing from the second I saw Liam standing next to the pool, seemingly very amused by my sad attempt to hide my nakedness from his searching gaze.

  Nothing could have prepared me for the sheer mortification I felt for being caught skinny-dipping in the pool belonging to the hottest, most popular boy in school. Liam was the guy all the other guys wanted to be and all the girls desperately wanted to ‘do’.

  Catherine’s stunt had devastated me, but Liam’s kindness had somehow made everything seem less terrible.

  He had always been the antithesis of Catherine. From the little I’d ever had to do with him at school, I knew that where Catherine was an alpha-bitch, Liam was a true gentleman. Where she was cruel and selfish, he was friendly and kind. Where Catherine flaunted her wealth and shamed others for their lack of it, Liam conducted himself with dignity and never made anyone feel inferior. I may not have been part of his circle of friends, but I was never made to feel it was because I wasn’t worthy.

  Once, when he and Catherine walked past me in the hall and she accidentally nudged me, causing me to drop my books, Liam was the one to turn around and help me pick them up, making sure I was okay.

  Had Catherine known that I was with her brother, holding his hand and running through their house like we just did, then she would probably have done a lot worse than throw expensive red wine all over my dress.

  But here I was, holding his hand, feeling his long, warm fingers still wrapped around mine as we stood behind the heavy oak door of the room into which he had pulled me. I was too panicked to care where we were at first, but once we were certain the coast was clear, I turned to take in my surroundings and gasped in amazement, yet again.

  We were standing in a huge library, a cavern of books that took my breath away. Nearly every single inch of the paneled walls was adorned with shelves filled with tomes that wouldn’t have looked out of place in a Victorian period drama. It was as if we’d stepped back in time. In the center of the room were two oversized antique leather sofas that faced a stone fireplace. There were several large oriental rugs scattered across the room and a faint woody scent of old books prickled my nose.

  Liam grinned at the stunned expression on my face. “I take it you like it,” he said, but I couldn’t utter a word. I could only wander around the room, my fingers glancing along the spines of books as I drifted from one shelf to the next. He walked behind me, amused by my clear amazement, I’m sure. Finally, I turned and smiled up at him.

  “It’s marvelous,” I whispered. “If someone asked me to imagine a perfect library, this would be it.”

  “Well, I’m glad you like it. Other than the staff, I think I’m the only one in my family ever to come in here.”

  “Really?” I asked.

  “Why are you so surprised?”

  I had to think for a second. “I guess it’s because I can’t really picture you reading anything other than your textbooks. You don’t seem like a bookworm,” I explained. “You’re so popular and clearly good at sports; you’re kind of a jock, and jocks and books make for a very odd pair. They don’t really go together.”

  He cocked his head to one side, intently looking at me. “Wow,” he said, softly.

  “What?”

  “Are you always this quick to form judgments about people?” He wasn’t being cruel. Still, his question caught me off guard.

  “Let me guess,” he continued. “You look at me as being a jock… sorry, a popular jock, and that somehow makes me someone incapable of appreciating works of literature.”

  For the second time that night, Liam had put me in my place and, once again, I had to apologize. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you,” I said.

  “You haven’t offended me,” Liam replied. “But you clearly don’t know the first thing about who I really am. Come here, I want to show you something.”

  He led me to a large cabinet standing to one side of the fireplace. It was made of cherry wood, the beautiful red grain giving off a warm glow. The glass pane door was locked, and L
iam ran his hand along the top of it to bring down a key. He unlocked the cabinet and reached in to take hold of what must have been the oldest book in the library. He handed it to me, and I gently took it in both hands.

  The pages were as thin and delicate as a moth’s wings. I turned to the front leaf and read the words aloud.

  “Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.”

  “It’s a first edition,” Liam said. “It’s been in the family for many years. My great-grandfather bought it at an auction after the war. I’ve probably read half of the books in this library, but out of all of them, it remains my favorite.”

  “I’ve heard of it. In fact, I know we have a copy somewhere in the house and I can remember that, as a child, I’ve only paged through it, but never read it,” I said. “Mister Darcy, right?”

  Liam smiled. “Right. Stuck-up, arrogant, self-obsessed Mister Darcy. Or, at least, that’s what Lizzie thinks of him at first.”

  “Lizzie?”

  “Elizabeth Bennett. The woman who judges him before getting to know him. When she sees him at first, she only ever sees his privilege. She mistakes it for pride.”

  “And let me guess,” I said, smiling. “She’s prejudiced?”

  “Exactly,” Liam replied.

  “Much like me?” I asked.

  He took the book from me and carefully returned it to the cabinet. “Maybe,” he said, grinning. “I’m only teasing. But I’d like to think that you’d look beyond the first impression you might have had. I admit my sister doesn’t exactly endear people to the Wildes, at least not those at school. But even though she’s my twin, she’s nothing like me. I’ve seen the way she treats people, and I’ve got a feeling that she might be the reason you left the party.”

  I looked down at my dress. “It doesn’t matter,” I said. “Surprisingly, the evening didn’t turn out too bad.”

  When I looked up at him again, he was smiling down at me, his dark eyes bright and beautiful. I realized that I meant every single word I just uttered. The evening hadn’t turned out bad at all. In fact, seconds later, it became the most incredible night of my life up until that point.