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“So you lied to the world.”
“Pretty much.”
“I guess it was a good cause,” Jada said. “I saw that you two were supposed to be engaged.”
“That didn’t come from our camps, and wasn’t part of the agreement. We were going to date for six months or so, and then break up. The story was probably created by the usual rumor mill.”
“Hmm, I wonder.” Jada propped her chin on her slender hand. “Maybe Agatha leaked the rumor to the press. After watching her tonight, it seems like something she’d do.”
“You might be right. I hadn’t considered it.”
Jada bolted upright and leaned forward, excited. “Agatha is probably behind our mess, too! Did you see how she jumped on Sasha’s idea so fast? Lemme think. Yeah. That’s probably it. Think about it.”
“I am.”
“Think. Think. Good, because I’m onto something here. On-to-it! Agatha leaked the information about the engagement so she could turn Sasha into a wronged woman when she leaked a fake marriage license with your name on it to the press. Whew! That’s a lot. I bet she’s already got Sasha booked everywhere to tell how she’s struggling to get through life without you!”
Ian considered the idea. Jada might be a few sheets to the wind, but her theory wasn’t out of the realm of possibility. Agatha was a hell of schemer. “Might be. I wouldn’t put it past her.” He enjoyed the way Jada lit up when he agreed with her. “Maybe we should think about it some more when we haven’t been drinking.”
Jada laughed. “I’m only a little tipsy.”
“Me too.”
She laughed again. “I can’t see you as tipsy. You’re too ... too ... not the kind of person I’d ever describe as tipsy.”
Ian grinned. “So it’s drunk or nothing for me, huh?”
“Nope. I bet you never get drunk either. You wouldn’t want to lose control. You always have to be in control.”
Ian’s grin dimmed. She was right, of course. It was disconcerting. He hardly knew the woman, yet she was growing on him at an alarming rate. He wanted nothing more than to pick her up, toss her on the bed and show her exactly how much he liked to be in control. Instead, he stood and straightened his shirt.
“I think it’s time I get back down to Sasha and that woman before they work Mrs. Best to death,” he said. “Elly will be up with some food and will take care of you, okay?”
Jada blinked at him, her expression sober. “Mm-hmm. Okay.”
Was she hurt that he was leaving? Hell, he didn’t know what to think or what to do. Doing the right thing was warring with doing whatever he wanted. Jada was such a lovely person, and he didn’t meet many people like that in his world.
He’d do the right thing by her, protect her. “I’ll probably be gone tomorrow before you get up.”
Jada’s brows knitted. “Oh. Why?”
“I have to get back to the city. Work, you know.”
“I know. I work, work, work all the time, too. It’s never done, is it ... work?”
“It’s not,” he said, and was jolted by the truth of the statement in a painful, unaccustomed way. “So, I’m sure we’ll see each other again once we get everything straightened out. In the meanwhile, I hope you’ll enjoy your stay here and let the staff get a lot of pampering out of their systems.”
“Okay. If you say so.”
His hand lifted of its own accord, the external expression of an urge to stroke her silken cheek. He lowered his hand. “Good night then. Sleep well.”
He forced himself to walk away and refused to dwell on the disappointment in her eyes.
“Goodnight,” she said softly behind him.
He closed her door behind himself and took a few steps before stopping in the middle of the hall. He was doing the right thing. Jada wasn’t the kind of woman you had a fling with, and Ian wasn’t ready for more than a fling.
Not wanting a serious relationship was one of the reasons he’d gone along with pretending to date Sasha. It took him off the eligibility market, only drawing the kind of women to him who understood he wouldn’t give them more than a night or two of pleasure.
Jada wasn’t that kind of woman. She was the kind you waited for, who you introduced to your parents. She’d want a simple engagement ring and a small wedding with family and close friends. She was the rarely-found girl next door.
She was dangerous.
Elly stepped into the hall and approached rapidly, carrying a silver, covered tray.
“There you are,” Ian said. “That was quick.”
“You know Mrs. Best, sir,” Elly said. “She whipped up a lovely omelet and a few other goodies in a snap.”
“And you sped it right up here, too. Good girl. Thank you.”
Elly mumbled and shuffled her feet. Poor girl couldn’t take a compliment. He cleared his throat. “So, if you would, I’d like you to make Jada your priority while she’s here. Sasha and Mrs. Brimgore will probably try to steal you away, but don’t let them. Tell them I said you are to focus on Jada whenever she wants you, okay?”
Elly didn’t appear impressed with the idea of standing up to Sasha and Agatha.
“I’ll tell Nina to call in some extra help to take care of those two. Is that better?” Ian asked.
She exhaled in relief. “Yes, sir. Thank you.”
Ian nodded, turned to leave, then stopped. “Oh, and Elly, if Jada’s up to it after she eats, have Deb come and give her a massage. Good. That’ll be all.”
“Yes, sir.”
Ian took a few more steps, then stopped again, turned. “Oh, and before Jada goes to bed, please find her cat for her.”
“Yes, sir. That’s easy. Ms. Kitty’s in the kitchen.”
“Good. Bring her to Jada’s room before you turn in, please. That’s all.”
He turned again, walked a ways before realizing he hadn’t heard Elly open the door to Jada’s room. He raised a hand and called out, “I really am done now. Get that food to her before it gets cold.”
“Thank you, sir” the young woman said.
He heard her knock lightly on the door and the soft reply of “Come in.”
He wished he was going back in that room instead of being forced to suffer more of the Brimgore woman’s company. It was Sullivan’s fault, every bit of it. He wouldn’t have come out to the lake cabin if Sullivan hadn’t persuaded him. And he never would have been put in the position of guarding a woman he’d much rather seduce than protect.
And Brimgore never would have found him out here if Sullivan hadn’t told her where Ian was.
Ian trudged down the curving staircase to the first floor, reluctantly heading to the dining room. He could hear the woman already, her shrill, nasal voice carrying down the hallway and skewering his eardrums like a pike.
Damn that Sullivan. Ian should fire him—twice.
Chapter Three
THE NEXT MORNING, JADA FULFILLED her promise to herself and had breakfast on her balcony. It was a beautiful morning, some chill st
ill in the air, with brilliant blue skies and a fair breeze rippling the surface of the sparkling lake.
Birds chirped and sang to one another through the woods and across the lake. Someone must have trimmed the path edges already that morning because the scent of cut grass wafted in the air, blending with tangy pine and sweet wildflowers.
Jada sipped the delicious, freshly-squeezed orange juice and wriggled her toes in her warm, furry slippers. A cool gust made her shiver and she tugged on the lapels of her downy, fuzzy robe.
This had to be the height of decadence, she thought, setting down the juice and tearing off another piece of the freshly-baked, buttery croissant. Mrs. Best’s skills were a wonder. The roll practically melted on Jada’s tongue.
She leaned back in the chair and sighed. It would have been an ideal morning but for a few unfortunate things. One, Ian was gone, and two, Jada had made a total ass out of herself the night before.
The instant she’d woken up, she remembered what happened. Jada couldn’t believe she’d gotten half-drunk and said so many moronic things. Why, oh why, couldn’t she be a blackout drunk and not recall any of it? Why did she have to remember every single, excruciating detail?
Whenever she thought about it, even now, outside on the balcony basking in the splendor of Ian’s estate, her face grew warm and she became slightly nauseous. She couldn’t recall being more embarrassed. Lesbian song? Man-sealing harlot? Telling everyone she’d kissed Ian?
She wanted to disappear, melt away.
To make matters worse, she still hadn’t heard from her sister. Marina always returned Jada’s calls quickly. She was aching to tell Marina everything that had happened and had texted her several times that morning. She’d gotten no response.
Now Jada was getting worried. What if something had happened to Marina? Something bad?
She told herself not to worry, and overcome by the sudden need to move, she hopped out of her chair and leaned on the balcony’s iron railing, scanning the wide sweep of natural grounds. She should go for a walk, she thought. Maybe it would rid her of her antsy nervousness.
