The party lasted until after midnight. Kell’s and Jeremy’s mothers were the last to leave. His dad had left early for a meeting, which Jeremy knew meant he was going to see his mistress. His mom really liked Bella and had taken him aside three separate times to tell him so. Finally the last guest left and he and Bella were alone.
“Thank you,” he said when they’d finished cleaning up and were sharing a glass of wine on her patio. He pulled her down on the glider next to him, keeping her tucked close to his side.
“Were you surprised?”
“Yes,” he said.
“Good. I know how much you like surprises.”
“I like surprising you,” he said quietly.
“I think I know why. It was so much fun planning this and waiting to see how you would react to it.”
He didn’t say anything else, realizing he didn’t want to talk. He tipped her head back against his shoulder and leaned down to kiss her. She tasted of the sweet wine they were drinking and of something unique to her. He loved that taste. Couldn’t ever get enough of it. He shifted around until he could place the wineglass on the floor and then maneuvered her sideways on his lap so he could caress her while they were kissing.
He’d never let anyone be a part of his life the way he had with Bella. Tonight had brought that home in many ways. His mother liked her. Even Kell, who was leery of all women and treated most of them with disdain, was starting to soften toward her, though he still seemed wary of Jeremy getting suckered in.
He lifted his head, rubbing his thumb over her lower lip. It was moist and swollen from his kisses. “What were you and Lucinda talking about?”
She shrugged, laying her head on his shoulder. Her fingers traced a random pattern on his arm. “Nothing really. Just making peace.”
“Everything cool between you two now?” he asked. His instinct had been to go over and pull Bella away from Lucinda.
“Yes. This is going to sound kind of silly, but I think a lot of the blame was mine. I felt so…naked when it happened that I didn’t really give Lucinda or my other friends a chance to reject me. I just shut down. And then my mother ended up working for some of them, which was very awkward.”
He held her closer, rubbing his hand up and down her back. He loved how fragile she felt in his arms. It made him feel that he could protect her. And he wanted to do that, he realized, not just physically but also emotionally. He didn’t want anyone to snub her or make her feel less than worthy.
“I can understand that. What changed now?”
“You changed me,” she said softly. Her fingers moved from his arm to the buttons of his shirt. She toyed with the open button at his collar and then opened a second one, slipping her hand under the fabric to caress his chest.
He arched one eyebrow at her. “How did I do that?”
He was trying to keep his mind on the conversation, but his blood seemed to be flowing heavier in his veins.
“I think it was the way you accepted me and Dare. The way you were never condescending to us.” She circled his nipple with her fingertip, scratching her nail around it. He groaned deep in his throat.
“Money doesn’t mean everything,” he said, but a part of him knew that wasn’t what he really believed. Their entire relationship was based on finances. He’d given her his contacts and entrée back into the world she wanted to belong to.
She shifted on his lap.
“It does to some people,” she said.
He didn’t want to talk any longer. He wanted her naked, he wanted to open the birthday present he’d been planning on savoring all day long.
He tugged at the hem of her camisole top, but she caught his wrists in her hands. “Not yet.”
She hopped off his lap. When he moved to stand she pushed him back to the glider.
“Wait here. I have a present for you.”
“You don’t need to give me anything else. I’ll be happy to undress you and count that as the best present I’ve received.”
She smiled at him with her heart in her eyes and he had trouble swallowing. “You can do that after you open my other gift.”
She left him alone on the porch while she went inside. A few minutes later he heard the sound of a Jimmy Buffett ballad—“Stars Fell on Alabama”—and then she reappeared. She held a small box in her hands.
He took it, recognizing the blue box with the white ribbon. He knew she was on a budget and worried that she might have given him something too extravagant.
“Open it,” she said.
He did, and saw a pair of silver fish cuff links. Masculine, understated. He looked up at her. Perfect.
“I know how you love the sea and being out on your boat,” she said.
He realized then that he’d fallen for her. And he didn’t like it. Didn’t like the power she had over him. The intense vulnerability that feeling brought with it.
He suddenly felt unworthy of her. Everything he had in his life had been given to him due to the lucky circumstances of his birth. Bella had lost everything, then carved a life and a place for herself in the world through sheer determination.
If he’d learned anything tonight, it was that he couldn’t let her go. And watching his parents had strengthened his resolve to never ruin his relationship with Bella by marrying her.
Eleven
Bella’s day wasn’t going according to plan. Tomorrow was the official last day on her contract with Jeremy and she wanted to put the finishing touches on the private event she’d been working on for the two of them.
But instead of focusing on Jeremy, she had to turn her attention to her business. And for the first time, she really resented it.
Her business had always been the center of her life, the thing she used to keep herself on track and balanced.
But now Jeremy filled that need.
They’d had brunch with his mother and aunt Mary on Sunday, merging their lives even more closely together, and she’d found that she liked that. She’d arrived at work today feeling hopeful.
Now Shelley had been in a minor fender bender and was late for work. One of Shelley’s clients had shown up early, while the client Bella was supposed to be meeting with was late.
She smiled at Huntley Donovan of the Art Council Guild as she showed her to the conference room and left to get her something to drink.
Randall, one of her event managers, walked in the door. Bella pounced on him. “Thank God you’re here. Shelley was in an accident. She’s fine, but she was supposed to be doing a precontract bid for the Art Guild this morning.”
“I know. That’s why I’m here. She called me before she called her insurance agent.”
Randall was one of her best employees. He’d joined her staff only three months earlier and had proven himself invaluable. He was a tall African-American man with an easy smile and affable charm as well as a sense of calmness that put even the most temperamental clients at ease.
“I think it’s time I gave her a raise,” Bella said with a smile.
“Where is Ms. Donovan?”
“In the conference room. She’d like a cup of Earl Grey tea, and the file is somewhere on Shelley’s desk,” she said, gesturing toward the messy stack of paper.
Randall walked over to the desk and started going through the piles there. “I’ve got it.”
“Thanks, Randall. I’m expecting a new client any minute.”
Her phone was ringing when she entered her office and she was almost afraid to answer it and have one more thing go wrong.
“Good morning, this is Isabella.”
“Hey, honey. Got a few minutes?” Her pulse sped up just at the sound of his voice. Oh, man, she had it bad for him. She propped her hip on the edge of her desk so she could keep an eye on the front door for her client.
“Yes. My client is running a few minutes late,” she said, trying to reach her coffee cup while they were talking. It was too far away. With anyone else she’d put the phone down and grab her coffee but she didn’t want to miss anyth
ing that Jeremy said.
“I want you to clear your calendar for tonight and tomorrow.”
That arrogance of his was going to get him in trouble someday, but not today. She did like the way he was so confident in everything he said and did with her.
“I’ll try,” she said, adding that task to the growing to-do list in her head. Frankly, after this morning, she wanted to take a few weeks off and just hide away.
“Don’t try. I need you to do it.”
“Is this more than mere bossiness?” she asked. There was a tone in his voice that she’d never heard before. Something she couldn’t place.
“Yes.”
“What’s up?” she asked. “Is everything okay with your family?”
“Yes. I have something special planned for tonight and I think we’re going to want to spend the day together tomorrow.”
“What do you have planned?” she asked. She should have realized that he’d be as aware as she was that they were nearing the end of their contracted time together.
“Something special that’s just for you,” he said. There was an odd huskiness to his voice.
“Another surprise? I think I’m beginning to like them.” And she was. Before Jeremy, she’d liked to know every detail of her day and any variation would immediately send her into crisis mode. But she’d learned that not every upheaval was a bad one. Not every surprise was to be dreaded. In fact, most of the ones he’d sprung on her were to be embraced.
“You’ll like this one.”
“Promise?” she asked, knowing that was just her knee-jerk reaction. Her conditioned response to anything unexpected.
“Guarantee it, honey.”
“I’m going to hold you to that.”
“You do that. I’ll pick you up around six tonight.”
“Where are we going?”
“Out on my yacht.”
They hadn’t been out on his yacht since the night they’d had that argument and he’d said that he didn’t want their time together to end. She told herself not to get her hopes up, not to expect more than he’d promised her. But she felt a tinge of excitement.
“What are we going to be doing?”
“Having dinner and discussing the future.”
A surge of joy went through her and she could hardly speak as he said goodbye. She hung up the phone, her mind alive with the possibilities of what the future held for her and Jeremy.
Jeremy checked every inch of the yacht before leaving to pick up Bella. Andy had prepared Bella’s favorite meal and left him explicit instructions for heating it up. He’d had the housekeeping staff ensure that the dining room was set to Jeremy’s exact instructions.
The bed was made up with the new Egyptian cotton sheets he’d ordered that would just match Bella’s honey-brown eyes.
He had her favorite white wine chilling in the fridge, her favorite songs queued up on his Bose stereo. In fact, everything was as perfect as he could make it. He adjusted one of the blooms in the vase of purple tulips before he climbed the stairs two at a time and vaulted from the boat to the dock. He could probably run all the way to her house and not get rid of the excess energy that was dogging him tonight.
Seldom was he nervous about anything, but he was about tonight. He had played the scenario in his head a million times during the last few days. He’d gone over every possible answer she could give him and had a contingency plan worked out for each one.
He forced himself to stand still and calm the nervous energy. This was the same as closing a big deal at the office. Except a big deal never affected him this way. He had a lot invested in the outcome of this evening. He’d done everything he could to ensure he got the outcome he wanted.
Then why the hell was he so nervous?
He shook his head at his own stupidity and walked to his car. Once he had Bella on his boat out at sea, everything would fall into place.
He knew she wanted to be with him. She’d said as much the last time they were here. And he knew she needed some kind of stability, so his plan was absolutely perfect.
He drove to her home and parked out front, waiting for a few minutes before getting out. He refused to give in to the urge to get to her sooner. He had to manage his emotional response to her and so far, tonight, he was doing a piss-poor job of it.
He rang the bell instead of letting himself in with the key she’d given him. He liked her quiet neighborhood more than he’d expected to. One of her neighbors waved at him as she backed out of her driveway. It seemed like a good sign. A sign that things were meant to be between him and Bella.
The door opened with a rush of cold air. He glanced at Bella, his words dying on his lips. She was breathtaking in her simple silk sundress. The halter top dipped down in the front between her breasts.
“Aren’t you going to say anything?” she asked, looking like a femme fatale.
“Uh-huh,” he said, but he couldn’t get his brain to work. Her hair was pulled up on top of her head and a few tendrils fell around her face.
She had on some kind of dewy lip gloss that made him ache to lick her lips. To taste them. He skimmed his gaze higher and saw the amusement in her eyes. He knew he was a goner.
He stepped forward, put his hand on the back of her head and tilted her head up to his. He leaned down and licked at her lips. They tasted sweet but when he thrust his tongue into her mouth, he realized he liked the way she tasted more. Craved her on his tongue.
His body stirred. He thrust her away from him, turning his back to her before he did something crazy like make love to her on the front-hall table.
“Jeremy?”
“Bella…dammit, woman, I have plans for this evening.”
“Ah, sorry?”
He shook his head and cleared his throat and then turned around again. “Good evening. You look gorgeous tonight.”
“Thanks. You look very nice as well,” she said. There was a lightness about her tonight that he’d never seen before and as soon as he recognized it, he was at ease. She wasn’t on her guard around him.
“I hope this is okay,” she said.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he said.
“My clothes. You said it was going to be a special evening, so I thought I’d dress up.”
“I like you dressed up,” he said. The only thing he liked more was her naked. But her clothing tonight was perfect for what he had in mind. He was glad she’d picked up on the vibe he’d sent her. Glad to see that she, too, was ready for a special night.
When he’d asked her to be his mistress he had no idea how important she’d become to his life.
“I thought you would. Do we have time for a drink before we leave?” she asked.
“We’re going out on the boat so we have all the time we’d like.”
“So, do you want a drink?” she asked.
“I want this evening to be perfect for you, Bella.”
“I think it will be,” she said, pushing the door all the way open. “Come on in.”
He followed her into her home and saw she’d taken the time to prepare for this drink. She had all the ingredients for his favorite cocktail on her bar. She mixed him a Grey Goose martini and poured it neatly into a glass, then garnished it with a cocktail onion instead of an olive. Then she poured herself one as well.
“To the future,” she said with a faint smile.
“The future,” he said, tapping their glasses together.
He watched her take a sip of the cool drink and tip her head to the side to watch him. He knew there was no such thing as a sure thing, but he felt very sure of Bella.
Very sure that he’d made the right decision as far as tonight went.
The sun was setting as they left the marina behind. Bella relaxed against the padded bench at the back of the yacht while Jeremy piloted the boat. Her entire body was buzzing from the way he’d kissed her when he’d shown up at her door.
They’d talked on the way to the yacht club, but not about anything important
. Just the day’s events. And it was nice to be able to share that with someone. She’d never really had that before Jeremy. Dare asked how she was, but he didn’t really listen unless something was wrong that she needed him to attend to.
It was so different with Jeremy. She had given up cautioning herself about expecting too much from him. She was filled with the love she felt for him. It made her nerves tingle.
She wanted him. Needed him. Needed to be by his side.
Kicking off her high-heeled sandals, she walked across the deck to him. The breeze tugged at her hair and a few more strands escaped her clip. She felt them curling over her bare shoulders. Finally she reached him and she wrapped her arms around his back, resting her head between his shoulder blades.
He turned in her arms, lowering his head to hers. She lifted her face, meeting him halfway. The kiss was everything she wanted, yet left her wanting more.
She framed his face with her hands as he moved his mouth over hers, skimming his tongue along the seam of her lips and then pushing inside. He tasted wild and untamed, like the sea surrounding them. He groaned and angled his head for a deeper penetration of her mouth.
He pulled her body more tightly against his. She felt the weight of her breasts against his chest and his big hands wrapped around her waist. She stroked his face and neck with her hands. He lifted her more fully into him.
His kiss left room for nothing but thoughts of Jeremy. His hands slid down her back, pulling her closer. He nibbled on her mouth and she felt like she was completely at his mercy.
Exactly where she wanted to be. She dug her nails into his shoulders as she leaned up, brushing against his chest.
She glanced down and saw her nipples pressing against the thin bodice of her dress. Jeremy skimmed his thumbs over her breasts before he slid his hands beneath the fabric.
“Baby, you are playing hell with my plans.”
“Should I go sit back down?”
“Oh, hell, no,” he said, caressing her back and spine.
She had a feeling she was going to remember this night for the rest of her life.
Six-Month Mistress (The Mistresses Book 2) Page 10