The Training

Chapter Twenty-eight

—ABBY—

The end of September found us in Florida. I’ll admit my idea of a nice vacation was not being surrounded by screaming kids, overly tired families, and sweaty, sticky bodies. Unless, of course, you counted Nathaniel’s sweaty, sticky body.

The resort we stayed at was very nice. From a distance it looked like a sprawling Victorian mansion and, if you ignored the constant traffic in the lobby, it was nicely decorated as well. Nathaniel had procured us a roomy suite, and it was relatively quiet on the upper floors.

When we arrived on Friday night, I had my collar on. At first I thought it would be like when we stayed in Tampa for the Super Bowl, but he was quick to tell me otherwise.

“I want you in my bed this weekend, Abigail,” he said.

I wasn’t about to argue with that.

His part in the conference didn’t start until Sunday evening, so for the first part of our trip, our time was ours. Well, ours and the two hundred thousand people who happened to be visiting at the same time we were.

We tried the touristy thing on Saturday. I watched Nathaniel and enjoyed his almost childlike playfulness, realizing just how much of his childhood had been stolen from him with his parents’ deaths. But a day was just about all we could take of the push and pull of the crowds. I supposed we were both relatively quiet people who enjoyed our privacy. This was just as well, considering his plans for Sunday morning. It had somehow escaped my attention that spreader bars, floggers, and paddles filled one of his suitcases.

On Monday, I spent the morning in the resort’s spa, Nathaniel’s reward for the day before. Afterward I lounged by the pool, watching little kids splash around the shallow end. Even though I was half reading, I noticed at once when Nathaniel entered the pool area.

For one, he still had his suit and tie on. Regardless of being in Florida for a conference, no one else I’d seen had visited the pool dressed in such a manner.

Second, he was Nathaniel and he was a sight to behold. As evidenced by the number of women who perked up or talked more animatedly when he showed up. I held my magazine up higher, hiding for just a second as I watched him.

He looked around the pool, eyes scanning faces as he tried to find me. I shot my gaze to the text before me when he started looking at the pool deck.

The ladies’ voices to my right dropping to a low murmur was my only indication he’d found me. I strained to hear what they were saying as it became obvious he was walking toward me.

“There you are,” he said, taking a seat in the empty lounge chair to my left.

I folded my magazine across my chest and smiled brightly at him. “How’d it go?”

“Eh,” he said. “As well as can be expected. Talk, talk, and more talk. Boring as hell, actually.”

“No receptions. No cocktail parties tonight?”

“Nope,” he said. “Just you and me.”

“Heaven,” I said. The night before we’d attended a reception, and the never-ending smiles and introductions had just about done me in.

“It will be as soon as I get out of this suit.”

I thought back to my comment to Elaina the month before about getting him out of his clothes. And our suite did have a private whirlpool. “How about I help you with that?” I asked. “Maybe order some wine from room service?”

He stood up. “Count me in.”

I collected my things and draped my gauzy wrap across my shoulders. I didn’t miss the viperlike stares of the women to my right as we left with Nathaniel’s hand protectively settled around my waist.

Late Tuesday afternoon, he surprised me after he finished with his conference for the day.

“Pack an overnight bag,” he said, finding me while I dug through my bag in search of a book to read. “I have a surprise for you.”

“Overnight? Aren’t we already doing that?” I waved my hand to an unpacked suitcase visible in the open closet.

His eyes were positively dancing with excitement. “Consider this an overnight overnight.”

“Okay,” I said, getting caught up in his playful mood and shoving my new book to the back of my mind. “What does one pack for an overnight overnight?”

“First”—he undid his tie as he talked, and I walked over to help him—“wear the dress Elaina gave you, and—”

“That one?” I asked, my hands stilling at his neck. I held his face, forcing him to meet my gaze. “Where are you taking me?”

His mouth curled up at one end. “It’s not a surprise if I tell you.”

I scowled at him, but he just kept on with the half smile.

“Okay. Fine,” I said. “I’ll wear the gown. There’s no one on this planet who should be allowed to call it a dress. What else?”

“Casual for tomorrow.”

Wednesday was his free day. I narrowed my eyes at him as if I could pick the information from his brain simply by the force of my will.

What is he planning?

“A bathing suit.” He nodded toward the bathroom. “And I suppose you’ll need to bring your two hundred bottles of face cream.”

I laughed. “They aren’t all face cream, and there aren’t two hundred of them. I have only a cleanser, a toner, and a—”

“Yes, yes,” he said, clearly enjoying himself. “All of them. Bring them all.”

“You’re impossible.”

Again with the smile. “Not for you,” he said. “Never impossible for you.”

I huffed and crossed my arms in mock disgust. “How long do I have?”

He gave me a quick kiss on the cheek. “Two hours?”

Two hours later, I was dressed and packed. I’ll admit I felt a bit silly wearing the gown Elaina gave me for my birthday. I still didn’t quite understand why she’d felt the need to give me a gown, of all things. I supposed she knew I’d need several formal items, since Nathaniel attended various black tie events in any given year.

The gown was lovely: an elegant halter dress made of flowing chiffon and belted at the waist. The slate- gray color should have washed me out, but somehow Elaina had known how fabulous it’d look on me.

Still . . .

I’d be walking around a family resort in a formal gown, dragging an overnight bag behind me, for crying out loud. I was willing to bet everyone would look at me like I was two bricks short of a load.

I checked myself in the living room mirror to make sure I didn’t have lipstick on my teeth. Wouldn’t do to be all dressed up with someplace to go—someplace secret, I corrected myself—and to have lipstick on my teeth.

I gave my reflection a satisfied half nod. Not bad. Even for dragging around an overnight bag.

Then Nathaniel stepped out of the bathroom.

Now, I’d seen Nathaniel in a tux before, and it had always been enough to give me pause, but somehow he looked even more . . . more.

I looked him up and down. “Hello, handsome.”

“Hello, beautiful,” he said, planting a kiss on my forehead. “You look too perfect to touch.”

This from the man who packed spreader bars and a wooden paddle for vacation?

“Don’t be silly,” I said, patting his chest.

He jumped backward as if I’d punched him, his face freezing in horror, but almost before I could register what happened, his expression returned to normal.

I blinked.