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She wanted him. And damn it, he wanted her. In the worst kind of way.
Jeff Kensington couldn’t have a honeymoon with his woman--fake or otherwise.
Turmoil raged, churning reason with emotion until he couldn’t tell the two apart. He had to stop her. He couldn’t stop her. Or could he?
He opened his mouth, willing words that would prevent her from choosing Kensington, but not a sound came forth. He was the producer, the host of this show. He’d given his word to JP. GAMBLER being given the go ahead rode on JANE MILLIONAIRE’s continued success. He wouldn’t blow his career over a woman.
“No one.” She finished.
The entire room fell silent.
“No one?” Rob’s mouth closed. He stared at the beautiful woman he’d buried himself in until he’d been too exhausted to do more than collapse upon her mere hours ago.
Shame and grief and relief washed over him. Shame that he’d not been able to publicly acknowledge his feelings for her. But then, he’d never been one for public displays of emotion. He valued his privacy. How could he openly stop Jill when he wasn’t even sure of what the emotions rushing through him meant? Grief that her statement meant problems, big problems, for the show. Relief that she wouldn’t be honeymooning with Jeff Kensington.
Jill’s gaze touched each bachelor in turn, but didn’t flicker to him. He’d disappointed her by allowing her to voice her decision. What had she expected him to do? Declare he couldn’t live without her in front of the cameras for all of America to watch when it aired next week? Not hardly. His personal life was just that. His.
When they discussed whatever was happening between them it would be in private, and it would be kept there.
“The rules state I have to choose whichever one of the bachelors I want to go on a honeymoon with, and very simply put, I don’t want to go with any of you on a honeymoon--pretend or otherwise.” She sighed, confidence, regret, and hurt evident on her face and in her stance. “As I said earlier, I’ve enjoyed meeting and getting to know each of you.”
She smiled and Rob’s heart performed an acrobatic stunt worthy of a gold metal.
“I’ve learned more about myself in the last few weeks than I imagined possible. And one thing I’m sure of is that I’m not willing to settle for anything less than real love with a man who’s not afraid to admit he cares for me.” She shrugged.
Rob held his breath, knowing her remarks referred to his silence when she’d debated her decision.
“The past month has been a woman’s fantasy comes true in so many ways. But I didn’t fall in love with any of you, and it doesn’t seem right to spend a week pretending otherwise.”
She took the tiara off her head, walked to the closest pew and handed the glittering crown to Jeff Kensington. Oh God, had she changed her mind?
Rob took a step in their direction.
She smiled at Kensington. Her eyes glittered brighter than the diamond and pearl necklace around her neck, but her head remained high and her bare shoulders never sagged. Damn, she was something else.
“I would like to want you as more than a friend I hope I’ll have for many years to come, but all I feel is friendship,” she said. “And I know that friendship is all you feel for me. As far as I’m concerned the other two options are yours to choose from. I’m just removing myself from the list.”
Kensington took the bejeweled offering, stared at it a moment before kneeling to kiss Jill’s hand. They looked like something strai
ght from a fairytale, or a romance movie.
“In my heart, you are a true princess, and I wish things could have worked differently between us.”
“Me, too.” Tears shimmered in her eyes as Kensington took her in his arms. In a hug between friends.
Rob stood mesmerized by the scene.
Hell, all of America would be pissed these two hadn’t gotten together, and it was his damn fault. Could a man cry and shout for joy at the same time?
“What’s she doing?” JP hissed from beside him, obviously not caring if the cameras recorded him center stage. No matter since any good cameraman had his sights trained on the embracing couple. Rob didn’t turn to look at his friend, just watched Jill and Kensington whisper back and forth to each other. What were they saying?
“She can’t do this,” JP continued. “Her contract. We’ll sue.”
Rob started to answer his co-producer when a stunning beauty with hair a shade lighter than Jill’s stepped into the room. A woman wearing the black made-to-advertise-one’s-wares pantsuit who could easily be mistaken for the woman he’d spent the last six weeks lusting after. The woman from the interview tape and photos.
What had Jill done?
“Another interruption?” one of the ignored bachelors grumbled as Rob stepped toward Jill. The need to protect her from saying something incriminating, not to mention his desire to strangle her, coursed through his veins as the enormity of what she’d done rammed home.
