“Oh, that’s right. I forgot you have an image to uphold. Mr. Big Shot Producer.” Matt started clapping. The other guys chimed in and chanted his name.
He shook his head and then took a mock bow. It didn’t bother him when they teased him about his sudden fame. They’d been with him since college when he was still using a closet as a makeshift recording studio. They’d earned the right to clown him a little.
“Daddy! Daddy! Miss Raina ate the fish!” His youngest son, Jase, ran up and jumped in his lap. “She’s in the water!”
Jackson gazed down at his son affectionately. His sons were the best things that had ever happened to him and he knew his late wife had felt the same way. Cynthia had gotten pregnant their second year in college, derailing her plans to be a lawyer. She hadn’t agreed that getting married was the best option, but the idea of only seeing his child on weekends and holidays had left him cold. He’d done everything he could to convince her that he was worth taking a chance on.
Cynthia had finally agreed after a lot of influence from her mother, and they’d been married in a civil ceremony at city hall as soon as the school year ended. They’d decided to have their second child shortly after the first so she wouldn’t have to interrupt her schooling again later with another pregnancy.
They’d had their issues in the beginning, both too young and headstrong to have any idea how to navigate marriage and parenthood. But in the end, no matter what problems they’d had, raising their sons right had been the one thing they’d always agreed on.
Not everyone believed in the old-fashioned methods, but he wanted his boys to grow up with memories like the ones he had: playing outside with his brothers, eating dinner together as a family each night, and having respect for his elders. He intended to raise his kids the same way.
Even if he had to do it alone.
“Are you guys playing in Miss Raina’s yard while she’s out of town?”
Their newest neighbor, Raina, was a fashion model. She’d walked up one afternoon and introduced herself before inviting the boys to come see her fish. Jackson had been so stunned at first that he hadn’t even responded. Most women who looked like Raina weren’t overly fond of rambunctious, messy little boys. That was something Jackson had learned through experience over and over again in recent years.
Raina, however, actually seemed to enjoy their energy. Once he’d recovered enough to give his consent, she’d answered the boys’ million and one questions with aplomb as they walked to her yard. Most impressive of all, she didn’t even blink when Jase jumped in the pond fully dressed, splashing them all in the process.
It was no surprise to him that both of his boys had become instantly fascinated with her. They had a new story about “Miss Raina” every other day it seemed.
“Yeah, Daddy. She ate the fish. Then she fell down.” Jase put his thumb in his mouth and bounced excitedly in his lap.
Matt leaned closer. “Did he say she fell down? Wait, here comes Chris.”
They watched as his oldest son, Christopher, came tearing across the yard. He skidded to a stop right in front of them.
“She won’t wake up!” He took a deep breath, his chest heaving after his mad dash across the yard. “Miss Raina’s hurt! She fell down and she won’t wake up!”
Jackson got up and the other guys followed. Raina’s yard wasn’t directly behind his, rather two yards over and separated by a small creek. As soon as he got to the end of his yard though, he could see the small figure slumped on the ground.
“Look!” He pointed toward Raina’s yard.
“There she is.” Matt vaulted over the creek and Jackson followed. He could hear the other guys behind him and the kids shouting. By the time he reached Raina’s yard, Matt already had his fingers on her pulse point.
“Her heartbeat is strong.” He looked over his shoulder at Jackson. “She doesn’t look like she’s having any trouble breathing, either. But we should definitely call for an ambulance. People don’t just pass out for no reason.” Matt was a sergeant in the Army and trained in first aid, so Jackson was more than willing to trust his judgment.
Trent pulled his phone from his pocket. “I’ll call 911.”
Jackson knelt down next to Matt. “Look at her arms,” he whispered.
Matt lifted her arm and pulled back her long sleeve to expose her skin. Bruises wrapped around her wrist, extending halfway up her arm.
“Is Miss Raina okay?” Chris’s voice wobbled.
He turned around. Usually the boys were right underneath him, but even they could sense the gravity of the situation and were a few feet back, holding Nick’s hands. When he caught his brother’s eye, he was surprised to see that Nick looked deeply shaken.
“She’s okay. Maybe you should take the boys back to the house.”
Nick nodded mutely but didn’t move. It was odd to see his usually jovial brother so disturbed. Although, if he was honest, he was disturbed as well.
Violence wasn’t something they’d ever had to deal with. Seeing the effects on a woman he knew, even if it was only a casual acquaintance, made his stomach turn.
“Raina isn’t even supposed to be in town. She told me just a few days ago that she’d be gone for two weeks straight. She had a bunch of modeling jobs booked in Asia. She seemed really excited about—”
Matt held up a hand and he halted mid-speech. “She’s waking up.”
They all watched as Raina turned on her side and exhaled a long, slow breath. When her eyes opened, they darted around wildly. When she noticed Matt right next to her, she started scrabbling backward.
“Easy, it’s okay.” Matt backed away.
She got to her knees and blinked rapidly.
“Raina?”
She held up a hand as if the sunlight was too bright. He wondered if she could even see them.
“It’s Jackson. Are you okay?”
Her wide, brown eyes locked on his face. She stared at him for a minute, then glanced away before looking back. Then her lips curled up into a small smile.
His stomach dropped. The sensation was like falling while standing still.
Shock forced him to take a step back. He’d never had this reaction to Raina before, despite the fact that she was an extremely beautiful woman. When she was dressed impeccably and made up like she was going to a photo shoot, he’d only felt the general attraction that most red-blooded men feel around gorgeous women.
But in that moment, as her eyes held him captive, she was more beautiful than he’d ever seen her. With her hair wild and a streak of dirt on her cheek, all he could think was…
Wow.
Chapter Two
Ridley had always been the good twin. The one who followed the rules. Her sister was the one who seduced, cajoled, and manipulated to get her way. She’d never understood why her sister did the things she did. Lying seemed like more work than just telling the truth.
So when she realized the man in front of her thought she was Raina, she knew what she needed to do. Correct him. Tell him who she was.
Then she looked at him and forgot all of it.
Good Lord, he’s gorgeous.
He crouched down and met her gaze. “I’m sorry if we scared you. The kids saw you passed out in the grass. We’ve already called 911, so don’t worry.”
“No! You can’t.” Ridley jumped up, then swayed when another wave of dizziness hit her.
He caught her and lowered her back to the grass. “Don’t try to stand yet. Just take it easy.”
In that one instant, she understood her sister’s dishonesties better than ever. Because she was willing to allow this man to think she was Raina if it meant she got more time with him treating her like this.
Like someone he cared about.
“I traveled overnight to get here and I must have been more tired than I thought. Please don’t call for an ambulance. I’m fine.”
Her voice failed and heat flooded to her face as she noticed all the people standing around watching. There was a man w
ith a buzz cut on the ground near her. A blond man stood off to the side on a cell phone. The two boys she’d seen earlier were there, too. They were holding the hands of another man who looked a lot like the guy in front of her.
Jackson , he’d called himself.
Despite how bad she felt, all she could think was that she needed to stay under the radar. Her name in some sort of incident report was hardly incognito. If someone was looking for her, she wasn’t going to make it that easy for them to find her.
“I thought you were supposed to be out of the country for two weeks?” Jackson asked. “Did something happen?”
Ridley sighed. That explained why no one had answered at her sister’s house. The last time they’d talked had been a month ago and it hadn’t ended well. Her sister had always been bossy but she’d been unreasonable lately. They’d both said things they shouldn’t have and hadn’t spoken since. She’d assumed that Raina was just ignoring her calls. But if she was out of the country, then she’d come all this way for nothing.
There was no one here to help her.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” The guy with the buzz cut looked at her arms. She pulled her sleeves down further to cover the bruises on her wrists.
“Yeah, I was in a car accident. But I’m fine. I actually should be going.” Something in the back of her mind warned her not to give out too much information. Being too trusting was how she’d gotten in her current situation in the first place.
“I’d really be more comfortable if we took you to the hospital.” Jackson gestured toward the one with the buzz cut. “Matt’s trained as a medic but he’s not a doctor.”
“It’s really not necessary. I’m slightly anemic and it’s worse when I haven’t been eating well. This isn’t the first time I’ve fainted after skipping meals. I’m more embarrassed than anything.”
He nodded once before turning and walking over to the man on the phone.
“Did I interrupt a party?” she asked.
Matt shrugged. “Not exactly. The actual party isn’t until Monday. We just like coming over early to help out. Or to give Jackson a hard time. Both are fun.”
Ridley smacked her forehead with her hand. “Oh, right. I forgot it was Memorial Day weekend. You’re lucky to have such a big group of friends. I’ve only got…” She glanced back at the house and sighed.
“So, you just got back from a modeling job?”
She heard the disbelief and wasn’t even offended by it. She’d never bothered with straightening her hair or wearing makeup anyway. Considering that she’d been traveling for the better part of the last two days and felt like hell, she was sure she looked nothing like a supermodel.
“Not exactly.”
“Well, you’re welcome to hang out with us. It’s just us guys right now but my sister will probably come over later. Mainly because her new boyfriend is here, the blond guy over there, who happens to be one of my best friends.” Matt’s face twisted as he said it.
Ridley looked at him and couldn’t think of anything to say other than “Oh. Well…”
“Yeah. That pretty much sums it up,” Matt deadpanned.
She burst out laughing just as Jackson walked up. He looked between the two of them curiously, which just made them break out into another round of laughter.
“Well, I’ve canceled the ambulance but we should at least get you inside and cleaned up.” He held out a hand.
She hesitated a moment but then allowed him to pull her up. He was even better looking up close, all golden-skinned and masculine. She was suddenly hyper-aware that she was wearing a ragged old tee shirt and hadn’t showered in the past twenty-four hours. After a few gentle tugs he released her hand, which she immediately tucked in her pocket.
“I can’t. I’m locked out.”
Jackson took her arm gently. “Well, that settles it. You’ll come to my house.”
Ridley looked between them awkwardly. “You’re going to let me stay at your house?”
“Well, yeah.” He looked at her strangely. “We’re neighbors. In New Haven that means we’re practically family. You can take one of the spare rooms upstairs and relax until a locksmith can make it.”
Ridley watched, openmouthed, as Matt jogged over to the deck and picked up her backpack. She looked back at Jackson who stood patiently waiting. He didn’t rush her or seem pissed that she was holding him up, either. He seemed to understand that she needed a moment.
What had seemed like a simple plan had turned into a tangled mess. Not that she’d thought her plan was perfect. Run and hide was about as far as she’d gotten. But now she was stranded, possibly being stalked, and her sister was clearly angrier than she’d suspected if she’d changed the security code. Her plan had taken a huge nosedive, and Jackson had unwittingly just offered her the perfect solution.
There was no better way to hide than in plain sight.
If she went to Jackson’s house, she’d be completely off the grid. It was a much better plan than checking into a hotel, at least until she got in contact with Raina. She’d be on her way before long and no one had to be the wiser. She could travel and leave no trail.
Going off with a stranger probably wasn’t ideal, but he seemed so sincere, and Raina wouldn’t be friends with this guy if he was an axe murderer, right? If she was lucky, Raina would call back tonight and then she’d be on her way. Raina was mad at her but she’d still help her until the police figured things out.
She hoped.
In the end she couldn’t see any reason not to trust him.
“Okay,” she said at last. “Lead the way.” She followed the guys to a section where the creek was narrower and they took turns hopping over it. Then they walked down a couple of houses to a sprawling, white-brick colonial.
Holy cow.
She didn’t have to worry about him having bad intentions toward her. Gorgeous men with this kind of money in the bank usually had more women than they could handle. Not that it mattered. This wasn’t a social call. She was staying just long enough to get some sleep, charge her phone, and get in contact with her sister. Then she was gone.
We’re practically family.
She ignored the thrill those words made her feel. The only family she had was a father she’d never met and a sister who was halfway around the world. These were hardly normal circumstances and, even if they were, the last thing she had time for was a handsome man.
Especially since the last one she’d liked had ended up dead.
***
After showing Raina to a guest room, Jackson retrieved his cell phone from his office. He’d had his security company on speed dial ever since his youngest son had gotten tall enough to reach the door handle. He’d been locked out plenty of times.
Although he doubted anyone would be willing to come out on a holiday weekend without charging an outrageous amount, it was still worth calling. The Raina Winters he knew probably wouldn’t even blink at the price. She no doubt spent thousands a month just on the fancy clothes she usually wore.
You’re going to let me stay at your house?
Not that she wasn’t usually polite, but she’d seemed stunned and incredibly grateful at the offer. He softened, remembering the look on her face. Why was she having this effect on him now? They’d been neighbors for almost six months. His boys adored her and she was always very friendly, but he’d never felt anything more than passing interest. But she’d seemed different. Approachable, even. Which was dangerous, in more ways than one.
He hit the last speed dial on his phone and waited as it rang. As expected, it went to voice mail.
“Hey, Len, it’s Jackson Alexander. One of my neighbors is locked out. You’re probably out of town for the long weekend but if not, let me know. She’s staying with me in the meantime. Thanks.”
He called a few other companies for good measure, then tucked his phone in his pocket. All they could do now was wait. It was a long shot, hoping that anyone would be able to come out on a holiday, but the alternative was sp
ending the long weekend with a supermodel. Raina Winters was the kind of woman he usually stayed far away from.
After the dark year following Cynthia’s death, his friends had pushed him headfirst into the singles scene, determined to draw him out of his depressed state. He’d gone out with singers, actresses, athletes, and socialites. Blondes, brunettes, and every shade in between. Curvy and slender, feisty and giggly, he’d been on a mission to feast on all the female delights he’d missed out on by marrying young.
Somehow, he’d thought if he could bury himself in female attention, he could forget that the only woman he wanted was gone forever.
Then he’d met Alana. She’d seemed like everything he could want in a woman: sexy, talented, and ambitious. A jazz singer, she’d been someone he could talk to about the business and bounce around his ideas about producing a new kind of album. She’d been excited about the project and even volunteered to sing. When she’d started pressuring him for more of his time and commitment, he’d actually felt guilty that he couldn’t give her what she needed.
Until the day he found her ass-up over his assistant’s desk. In the end, Alana wasn’t special. She was just another singer looking for her big break and she’d been willing to do whatever or whoever it took to get there. They’d broken up, but he’d learned a valuable lesson. He’d been in love with a fantastic woman once and the odds of it happening for him again were somewhere between “not gonna happen” and “a snowball’s chance in hell.”
Since then he’d only dated women who knew the score and had just as much to lose as he did. Starlets who needed someone on their arm for a film premiere and models who needed an escort who wasn’t prettier than they were.
But in that moment, when he’d seen Raina on the ground with those big wounded eyes aimed at him, he’d experienced an almost startling sensation of longing . In the past three years no other woman had tempted him to break his no-strings rule. And none had roused the instinct to comfort and protect. Until now. Until Raina.
Which meant she really had to go.
He walked down the hall to his sons’ room where Nicholas was helping Chris with one of his toys.
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