by Tessa Radley
Yet, surprisingly, she didn’t shove him away.
Her lips were soft beneath his. Then—more surprisingly—her mouth moved slightly, her lips parting a little—probably because she was in shock.
She tasted of strong hot espresso and a sweetness that was all Georgia.
Jay didn’t dare press the advantage, nor did he deepen the kiss. Too much lay unspoken between them.
He shouldn’t be touching her!
So he retreated, and gave an unsteady laugh, while silently cursing himself.
“Speaking of mistakes, that was a mistake,” she said, much too quickly.
Who was she trying to convince?
Him?
Or herself?
But he didn’t risk challenging her. His heart was thundering so loudly he was sure she would hear it reverberating around the empty garden.
Her hands came out, warding him off. “Don’t move—stay there—I have to work with you tomorrow.”
Picking up the empty cups, Jay rose and swung away almost treading on a trio of sparrows bickering amidst a swirl of fallen leaves. He retreated to the trash can nearby and tossed the cups in with barely restrained force. Then, fighting to keep his face from revealing anything of his feelings, he stalked back.
He refused to think of that sweet, gentle kiss as a mistake.
He came to a halt in front of her.
“You don’t love Fordyce. It will ruin your life,” he said softly, and shoved his hands into his pockets.
She said nothing.
“You’d marry a man you’ve never met, a man your father picked out for his ability to run Kingdom? Why?”
She raised her chin in that maddeningly familiar gesture. “I’ll make it work.”
Or die trying.
That was his Georgia. The blind tenacity. The pig-headed drive. Everything that made her the most maddening, most fascinating woman he’d ever met.
His eyes locked with hers.
“They call him Mr. Ice,” he warned.
Cool, rational logic always worked better. Or provocation. Except, right now, in his desperation, he couldn’t summon either...
“Don’t give in.” He was begging, dammit!
She must have sensed something of his black emotional maelstrom because she tipped her head to one side and considered him with eyes that had cooled to a clear light blue, so disturbingly similar to her father’s that Jay was filled with a flood of dread.
“Jay, I’m not giving in. I’m compromising.”
“You’re damn right, you’re compromising. You’re compromising who you are.”
This was her life—his life—she was talking about. He wanted to shake sense into her. But he kept his hands thrust deep in his pockets and watched the color leach out of her eyes and the wall go up.
Damn Kingston!
So he gentled his tone. “It’s your father’s loss that he doesn’t appreciate you for who you are.”
The smile she gave him was brilliant...and utterly fake.
“You’re lucky,” she said. “You were born the right sex. I’m sure your father is incredibly proud of you, his eldest son—and of your achievements. You’ve had freedom to carve your own life.”
“I suppose you could see it like that,” agreed Jay with little humor.
“I’ve always been expected to work for the family company. I can’t leave.”
“Do you want to leave?” Tension vibrated through him.
“No, of course not! Haven’t you heard a word I’ve said? Kingdom is my life.”
Kingdom.
That was all that mattered to her. All she wanted. What could he offer to match that? Except the freedom to carve out her own life.
The desperate determination in her eyes warned him that it was pointless to even try to negotiate.
Pivoting away, Jay drew a deep steadying breath.
It was perfectly clear. Pressure would only make Georgia dig her toes in further and push her faster toward the altar. The hell-bent desire to fill Kingston Kinnear’s shoes consumed her. She would do anything to be President and CEO of the company she’d been raised to revere.
Even prostitute herself to a man of her father’s choosing.
Six
Georgia had intended for her first meeting with the man who she was contemplating marrying to be in private—even if it was in the back seat of a limousine.
Instead, it was taking place in a marble-tiled lobby on New York’s museum row in the midst of a high society affair.
Her father’s driver, Bruno, had arrived on time to take Georgia to the benefit. But there’d been no sign of Adam Fordyce, apart from the exquisitely packaged corsage on the back seat with a handwritten note from Adam that he looked forward to meeting her at the party.
Now Adam Fordyce’s narrow mouth barely moved as he said to Georgia, “I see you received my flowers.”
“They’re beautiful—thank you.” She carefully touched the corsage on her wrist and silently reminded herself not to rub her eyes any time soon.
“Would you—”
“Should we—”
They both spoke at once, and Georgia laughed awkwardly and felt herself color. This had to be worse than being a teenager on a first date. Tonight had to go well. She couldn’t afford to screw this up...
Then she sneezed. And worse, her eyes started to burn.
Of all the bad luck!
Georgia set her cocktail glass down on a nearby pedestal and sent a prayer to the beauty goddesses that her expensive waterproof mascara would hold up.
“I’m so sorry,” she sputtered, her vision blurring. She fumbled with the clip of her sequined clutch and dug frantically around inside for a tissue. Her eyes pricked and two more sneezes followed in rapid succession.
“Good evening, Georgia.”
Jay.
He thrust a soft linen handkerchief into her hand.
She blew her nose and dabbed at her streaming eyes while Jay and Adam greeted one another. Then she opened her eyes and, to her relief, the world slowly realigned as the noisy chatter echoed around them.
Jay stood before her, immaculate in a black tuxedo and a startlingly white shirt. A black bowtie completed the ensemble. He looked fantastic. The bidding on him tonight was going to be insane.
For some reason, that did not delight her.
“Thank you.” She grimaced. “This is becoming a habit.” Fluttering his handkerchief between her fingers, she made a mental note to get both handkerchiefs she now possessed laundered and returned ASAP.
“It’s the baby’s breath,” said Jay.
“What?” She squinted up at him.
He raised an eyebrow. “Those little white flowers in the corsage that make you sneeze.”
“You’re allergic?” Adam was all concern.
“Yes.” Once again, Georgia felt awkward, her stomach knotting up. She could kill Jay for drawing attention to her weakness—even if he was right about the allergy. “It’s the single-flowered version that’s the problem. I’m fine with the double-flowered hybrid.” The orchid in the arrangement would be fine—but it would be too difficult to separate it from the baby’s breath.
“Here, let me remove it,” said Adam.
“I’ll do it.” Jay moved in between her and Adam, blocking her date from view. His fingers were cool against her skin as he gently removed the corsage from her wrist. This close, his clean-shaven jaw was level with her eyes and she could smell his aftershave—that subtle fresh blend of greenery and wood—as he concentrated on her wrist.
“How did you know I’m allergic to baby’s breath?” she murmured to Jay alone.
His head tipped up and his darkening gaze tangled with hers. Instantly, the memory of the last time he’d been this close flashed into her mind.
He’d kissed h
er.
It had been dizzying, disorienting. She worked with the man... She didn’t want to be thinking of how safe, how comforted she’d felt when he’d brushed his lips across hers. Yet, there’d also been a prickle of high-voltage tension...something that had nothing to do with comfort...or safety. And she certainly didn’t want to think about—
“I’m observant,” Jay said flatly.
Georgia searched her plundered memory bank for an occasion when she’d had an allergic reaction that he might have witnessed and came up blank. But that meant little. There were so many holes where certainty had once existed. The knots in her stomach grew tighter, and she looked away deliberately, and tried to refocus on her date.
She caught Adam studying them.
“Let me fetch you a glass of water,” he offered.
“I’ll be fine.”
The last thing Georgia wanted was for Adam to think she was some kind of freak. But he was unreadable. His dark remote face contrasted so sharply with the pale eyes that revealed no emotion at all. It was easy to see how he’d been nicknamed Mr. Ice.
“Is there anything else I can get you to drink?” Adam’s voice interrupted her thoughts. “Another cosmopolitan, perhaps?”
Coffee...
Jay would have offered her coffee. Even on this rarefied occasion, he would’ve conjured up a paper cup of steaming black gold, and she wouldn’t have needed to ask.
She almost smiled—and only just stopped herself from sneaking Jay a sideways conspiratorial glance.
Adam was still waiting for her response. Feeling guilty at the headspace Jay was occupying, she over-compensated with a thousand-watt smile. “Maybe a lime and soda?”
“Done.”
She watched Adam disappear into the throng.
“So you’re going ahead with this crazy plan to marry Fordyce?”
Georgia’s heart sank. Since their confrontation in the hospital gardens, his accusation that she was giving in—and the implication that she was taking the easy way out—had gnawed at her. There was nothing easy about what she was doing. But she couldn’t expect Jay to understand. How could he? He’d never been in her position...
She tipped her chin up. “The more I consider it, the less crazy it sounds.”
“I’ve instructed Charis to bid on me if I fail to make the reserve.”
“She’s here?” The information came as a relief.
“Yes, I ran into her in the lobby—she’ll be joining you at the table Kingdom sponsored.”
All Georgia’s bubbling questions dried up as she gave Jay a slow once-over. He’d make the reserve for sure. The formal evening clothes made him look breathtakingly gorgeous—and his slightly wayward hair only added to the appeal. Working with Jay every day, she’d never even thought of him as handsome.
Where the hell had her eyes been?
“We have a decent budget for this event.” Georgia certainly wasn’t going to feed his ego. “Charis will make sure you go for a respectable figure. Don’t forget to talk up the raffle of the Kingdom trolley bag we’re doing tonight. Make sure to slip in mention of the Kingdom brand as many times as you can so that we get some decent media attention. And get some photos with whoever makes the highest bid.”
“Thank you!”
Was that a hint of irony she detected?
Before she could call him on it, she spotted the event organizer making frantic hand signals in her peripheral vision. She nudged Jay. “I think that’s your cue—and I need to find the cloakroom to fix my makeup.”
“The moment of truth—let’s see what I’m worth.” Jay’s smile didn’t reach his eyes as he took her in, from her hair styled in an updo to the dark sapphire dress and the diamond drop earrings she wore. “You look beautiful.”
* * *
The mirror in the ladies’ room lounge revealed that Jay had been delusional in his assessment.
After salvaging her eye makeup and repairing the damage caused by her sneezing bout, Georgia went back out and found Adam in the lobby, holding their drinks. Once she joined him, he made short shrift of the rich and famous glitterati crowd that surrounded him.
There was no sign of Jay.
To Georgia’s irritation, there was little opportunity for the social let’s-get-to-know-each-other-better chatter she craved with Adam amid waiters circling with platters piled high with canapés, the constant greetings from acquaintances and a never-ending stream of interruptions by Adam’s business connections.
Finally, much to her relief, a bell sounded, summoning the crowd to a large triple-height gallery that had been set up for the benefit auction. Adam revealed flawless manners as he seated her at the table sponsored by Kingdom close to the stage, before taking his seat beside her.
Good. Finally they would get a chance to get to know each other.
Georgia smiled a greeting at the others at the table. Roberta was already there, accompanied by a heart-stoppingly handsome man. Then Georgia recognized him.
“Blake. Blake John Williams.” She laughed as he rose to his feet. “How long it’s been!”
He came from one of New York’s wealthiest families. Was he the reason for her sister’s recent surge in texting activity?
Marcia Hall was sandwiched between Roberta and Charis, who had—surprisingly—come alone. Charis looked amazing in a traffic-stopping dress covered with a riot of beaded flowers. It was nothing like the elegant garments Charis usually wore. Georgia had never seen anything like it. It definitely wasn’t her sister’s work. But Charis had discovered some exciting new talent. Once photos got out, the unsuspecting designer was going to be mobbed with orders.
Two other couples filled out their numbers at the table.
As the meal progressed, the conversation predictably turned to fashion. Adam was exchanging small talk with Roberta’s date. Georgia’s gaze strayed to the table where the bachelors were sitting. Jay was seated at the farthest end, head tipped to the side in a pose Georgia knew so well. Another of the bachelors leaned across and said something that made Jay smile, and he laughed as a third chipped in.
Georgia felt her own mood lighten.
When Jay laughed, he was utterly, irresistibly wicked.
If he laughed like that when his turn came to be auctioned, he would have no problem winning a more than desirable figure.
Her glance flicked across to Charis. How far would Charis need to go? But her sister was staring fixedly at the floral arrangement in front of her. Whatever Charis was thinking about wasn’t making her happy. Georgia’s own heart ached in response. Their father’s rejection must be killing her sister.
For the first time in years, Georgia wished she and Charis were closer.
“A glass of champagne?” Adam offered.
It reminded her of Jay’s joke about sharing a bottle if she bid on him—and won—him tonight.
Georgia came back to earth.
“Yes, please.” She smiled, and the wine waiter at her elbow filled her glass.
“Excuse me for a moment.” Adam pushed his chair back. “There’s someone I must talk to—I’ll be back shortly.”
As he left, Georgia glanced back to where Jay sat to one side of the stage. He was chuckling at the antics of the first bachelor getting ready to be auctioned off.
As though he felt the pressure of her stare, Jay turned his head and met her gaze. His laughter froze.
A sharp pang pierced her chest, causing Georgia to draw a quick breath. What was this? She couldn’t be jealous of the woman who’d win him...
How ridiculous.
Jay was her rival. A perpetual thorn in her side.
Their relationship was...complicated. Confusing.
But he made her laugh.
And in those unguarded moments, she forgot about her fears. She even forgot about the terror of not being enough.
B
ut Jay wasn’t laughing now. His gaze was boring into hers. He alone knew the stakes that faced her tonight, and the magnitude of the decision she’d made. Tomorrow, her world would be different. She’d have Adam.
She’d no longer be alone.
And after tonight’s benefit auction, some other woman would be sharing a dinner date and laughing with Jay.
Georgia acknowledged the truth: she envied the mystery woman that carefree, frivolous experience.
One of the other bachelors tapped his shoulder, and Jay’s fierce focus shifted, breaking the bond between them. He got up and headed for the stage.
When Jay leaped up the stairs two at a time, and sauntered into the spotlight, Georgia found herself tracking his long strides. He finally stopped and turned to face the crowded gallery, dimples slashing his cheeks as he grinned and adopted a pose so typical of Jay: legs spread apart, hands on his hips, head tilted back. Confident. Arrogant.
Of course, it only served to show off the superb cut of his tuxedo—and the lean body beneath. A charge pulsed through the crowd as the female half of the audience swooned.
The opening bid came quickly from Georgia’s left.
Xia. A top fashion blogger. She and Jay had dated a while back. The relationship had fizzled out, but it had led to some fantastic product exposure for Kingdom on Xia’s blog. Roberta still raved about the Xia Factor.
“Come, ladies, get out those checkbooks.” The auctioneer was extolling Jay’s virtues. Cameras flashed.
This was Charis’s cue.
Georgia glanced across the table—but the chair Charis had occupied only minutes before was empty. Roberta was no help, either—she was conversing with her date, their heads close together. Quickly, Georgia scanned the gallery. There was no sign of Charis’s stunning dress anywhere. Where had her sister gone?
From the lofty height of the stage, Jay’s gaze met hers. His eyes were narrowed in challenge.
Of its own volition, her hand lifted.