And none of them could stir him like the one woman he couldn’t have.
“We need to be thorough on this, Eli. Jackson’s not like us. He’s already been through so much.”
“I know. All right, I’ll take another look at Ridley, too. But I doubt it’ll be anything more interesting than a speeding ticket and a ‘most likely to succeed’ award in high school.”
“Thanks, bro. And one more thing?”
“What do you need?”
Nick thought long and hard about what he was about to do. It was difficult to be successful in business without developing a thick skin and stepping on more than a few toes. He’d been raised with a strict sense of honor and was careful not to make promises he couldn’t keep. But after months of uncertainty, he wasn’t any closer to a solution on his own. He was prepared to admit that he needed help.
“Another background check. This time on Raina Winters. The real one.”
Chapter Fifteen
The next afternoon, Ridley pulled into the first available space she could find in the underground parking garage of MacArthur Center Mall.
Katie had the kids, so she’d decided it was high time she got out of the house. It felt like high school all over again when she’d picked up the phone to invite Mara to lunch. She’d never been that outgoing and after everything that had happened, she wouldn’t have been surprised if Mara wanted nothing to do with her. But in the end, Mara had seemed pleasantly surprised to hear from her again and more than happy to meet her at the mall during her lunch break.
Mara worked as an administrative assistant twenty minutes away in the city of Norfolk. She’d suggested that Ridley drive over and meet her since Norfolk had the closest shopping mall to New Haven anyway.
White-knuckling her way through traffic in an unfamiliar area wasn’t her idea of fun, especially while driving the ultra-expensive Audi coupe Jackson had insisted she take. It was a small triumph that she’d managed to get there without causing any accidents or getting any scratches on the paint. It had been incredibly kind of Jackson to offer her the use of his car in the first place.
They’d spent the previous night tiptoeing around each other. Even though he’d mentioned the industry party again, she doubted he really wanted to take her. He was just too polite to disinvite her. She sighed.
He was probably counting the days until she left.
She threw her purse over her shoulder carelessly and hopped out of the car. She made a note of where her car was parked and set off.
The smell of pizza, hamburgers, and Chinese food hit her as soon as she entered the mall. Using her nose and a quick glance at the mall map, she was able to find the food court where she was supposed to meet Mara, relatively soon. Spotting Mara sitting alone at a Formica table in the center of the room, she hurried over and plopped down across from her. Her apology for being late died on her lips when she saw the look on Mara’s face.
“Is everything all right? You look like you just lost your best friend.”
Mara shook her head at the comment, seeming to compose herself in seconds. “It’s nothing. I’m just ready to shop. Let’s check out the sales in the department stores first.”
Bouncing up with renewed vigor, Mara gathered her purse and gestured for Ridley to follow. Ridley got up slowly, unsure of how to respond to the sudden change in atmosphere.
Oh well, if she wants to tell me what’s wrong, she will. If not, then maybe shopping will cheer her up.
Ignoring the calls of pushy salespeople hanging out of their shops, they headed straight for the department store closest to the food court. Known for having excellent sales, today was no exception. Signs proclaiming everything thirty percent off seemed to raise Mara’s spirits. She made a beeline for the lingerie department.
“So, I was a little surprised to get your call.” Mara flipped through a rack of skimpy negligees. “I figured we’d hauled over enough clothes to last you until the apocalypse.”
“I just felt like shopping. This has been a crazy week.”
“Tell me about it. Hanging out with the guys has never been this much fun!”
Ridley couldn’t resist smiling at the other woman’s antics.
“So, are you shopping for anything in particular? You need something else for your date with Jackson?” Mara asked.
Heat flooded Ridley’s cheeks again but she just shrugged. “It’s not a date. He just needs a companion for this dinner and I’m convenient. I already know what I’m going to wear. I just wanted to get out of the house.”
“Uh huh. Well, maybe if you take one of these home tonight, being in the house won’t be so boring.” Mara held up a nightgown with the nipples cut out.
“Mara!” She glanced behind her. “Put that thing down.”
Mara winked. “Are you kidding? If you won’t get this, then I will.”
Ridley picked up a pair of panties from the display table next to her. She flipped them over to see the price tag and then whistled.
Mara looked up. “Oh, yeah. I know. I hate those stupid boy shorts where half your ass cheeks are hanging out.”
A girl browsing next to them giggled. “Glad I’m not the only one.”
“See! I’m just speaking the truth,” Mara declared.
Ridley shook her head and watched as Mara held up nightgown after nightgown, each skimpier than the last.
“I was actually talking about the price. I just can’t imagine paying so much for something that doesn’t cover anything and feels like a shoestring up your ass.”
She flipped through the rack in front of her, then crossed to a table display of panties. It wasn’t until she picked them up that she could see the gaping hole in the crotch.
“If you’re getting that crazy nightgown you might as well get these, too.” Ridley glanced over her shoulder but saw she was all alone. “Mara? Where did she…”
As she turned back around, she caught a flash of movement in the floor-to-ceiling mirror in front of her. A man two rows back staring right at her.
She whipped around. The man now had his back to her and was pawing through the rack of clothes in front of him. It’s just another clueless guy shopping for a present for his girlfriend. Even though she knew it was ridiculous, her heart was still banging against her ribs when Mara appeared from behind a rack of floor-length silk gowns.
“These are so cute,” she said. “Not that I have enough cleavage for them, but still.” When she saw Ridley standing in the middle of the aisle, still holding the black lace panties to her chest, she stopped in her tracks. “Are you okay?”
“Fine. I’m fine. Just seeing things, that’s all.” Ridley stuck the garment back on the table and followed Mara to the other side of the store. When she looked over her shoulder again, the man was still looking at the same rack of clothes. He turned then and looked directly at her.
Her blood chilled.
“I think I need to get some air,” she whispered. Mara immediately put down the nightgown she was holding and followed her to the escalators.
“Ridley, you are being so weird. What’s going on?” In an effort to keep up with her, Mara pushed past a young couple holding hands, muttering a quick “sorry” over her shoulder as they passed. “You look like you just saw a ghost.”
“I’m not sure what I saw. This guy was staring and it kind of gave me the creeps. Is there a middle-aged man with dark hair and a leather jacket following us? I don’t want to keep looking.”
As they stepped onto the escalator to go down to the first floor, Mara turned and leaned against the rail, looking around her casually. A second later, she turned and faced the front.
“Yeah, there is. He was by the jewelry counter.” She turned and looked again, then whipped around. “Um, he’s on the escalator behind us now. And I think he saw me looking. Who is that?”
Ridley gripped her hands together so tightly she almost winced. “I have no idea. I don’t know what to do. What do we do?”
“At the bottom of the escalat
or, let’s go to the left through the formal wear. It’ll be easier for us to hide behind those racks. Then we can make our way back to the parking garage and get the hell out of here.”
***
That evening, Jackson stood at the end of the staircase, shifting his feet impatiently.
He glanced at his watch and wondered for the tenth time what was taking Ridley so long. A lot of women took hours to dress, but he wasn’t expecting Ridley to need that much time to get ready. She never seemed to bother much about hair or makeup, which was one of the things that Jackson liked best about her.
He hoped she wasn’t having second thoughts. She was probably still shaken after seeing him almost pound his brother into the ground. This night was supposed to be about wooing her. Showing her that he could give her more than just tangled sheets. Instead he’d done nothing lately but go caveman and call her a liar.
Because she was lying to you and who knows what else she’s hiding.
Jackson had been struggling with it all day. He wanted to believe she’d told him everything, but he’d been fooled by a pretty face before. There was probably more to the story than what Ridley had told him and when the rest came out, he needed to be ready. He wouldn’t be blindsided again.
Jackson shook off the dark thoughts when Nick appeared in the doorway of the kitchen. “Are you seriously standing there waiting for her? Have some pride, man.”
“Shut up, Nick.”
“Hey, free advice comes along with free baby-sitting.”
Jackson conceded the point with a nod. “Thank you. I wouldn’t have blamed you for saying no.”
“Whatever. I didn’t do it for you. I just didn’t want Mom to get a look at your hand and then give both of us a lecture.” Nick waved as he turned and went back to the kitchen.
Jackson flexed his fist, then winced as his sore knuckles protested the movement.
You should have known something was up with him.
They’d never encroached on each other’s territory before. If Jackson had shown even the slightest interest in a woman, Nick had respected that. He’d always done the same.
But none of those girls were Ridley.
He knew firsthand that she had the power to make a man lose his sense of reason. A trait she apparently shared with her twin.
It was still a bit of a shock to realize that his brother had been carrying on some kind of affair with Raina ever since he’d introduced them. As a favor to Jackson, she’d accompanied his brother to a charity event. He’d had no idea they’d seen each other after that night. His brother loved being single and had always considered settling down to be something you did when you were too old to do much else.
The sound of high-heeled shoes clicking on the hardwood floor drew his attention back to the staircase and his thoughts stopped in midcourse.
Ridley descended the stairs with her head held high despite the shy look in her eyes. Her long hair had been elaborately braided into an updo fit for a queen. She’d done something to her eyes to make them seem deeper and brighter at the same time. The silk bronze dress clung like a second skin, emphasizing her every curve. The gold fringe on the edge of the hem highlighted her long, copper-skinned legs and tiny ankles. Even her feet, delicately encased in matching heels with tiny straps that wove around her ankles in a crisscross pattern, seemed sexy to him.
Ridley stopped directly in front of him and smoothed her hands down the front of her dress.
“Do you like it? I had a hard time finding something that wasn’t too revealing. Raina is a lot more daring than I am.”
As an answer, he pulled her to him and lowered his head slowly, giving her time to refuse him. His kiss, while gentle, conveyed his desire as his lips tasted every inch of her mouth. She kissed him back enthusiastically until he had to pull away to catch his breath.
“This is going to be a long night.” He pulled open the door and gestured for her to go out.
Ridley smiled knowingly and sashayed past him out into the night air.
“I was worried you didn’t want me to come with you tonight. After everything that happened.”
His BMW convertible was still in the driveway from when he’d gone out earlier. He opened the door for her and waited until she settled back into the leather seat before he closed the door and crossed to the driver’s side.
“I won’t deny it was a shock, but I understand why you did it. Now we can start with a clean slate. I’m honored you’ve agreed to come with me. I was worried you wouldn’t want to go out with a Neanderthal who bloodies up his own brother.”
She winced. “I still feel awful. How is Nick?”
Jackson laughed. “He’s fine. He’ll never admit I actually hurt him.”
She covered her smile with her hand. “Right. Of course. Because that would mean admitting that his baby brother beat him up, right?” At his shrug, she let out a breath. “So, how was work today?”
“It was great, but I don’t want to talk about work. Tonight, we’re just two people going on a date.” He winked at her and turned the music up before pulling out of the driveway.
“Okay, in that case what should we talk about?”
“How beautiful you are. I knew you would look good, but you are absolutely stunning. I’m going to have to keep you close by tonight. I’m not usually a jealous man, but I think we’ve already seen that I lose my mind when other men get anywhere near you. It’s taking all my control not to turn this car around and haul you upstairs.”
Ridley leaned over and trailed a hand over his thigh. Jackson’s hands tightened on the wheel and he swerved slightly as he misjudged a curve in the road.
“Not until after the party,” she whispered.
***
After that, they rode to the restaurant in silence, each absorbed in their own thoughts.
She was really excited to spend an evening out. Hopefully, it would be the perfect distraction to keep her from thinking about her disastrous mall trip.
After they’d left the mall and she’d calmed down some, she realized how silly she’d been. It was probably some kind of post-traumatic thing. She’d run from Florida believing that someone was out to get her. Even though she now knew the Morenos had nothing to do with her case, she was still on edge, imagining things.
The guy in the mall had probably just been staring at them trying to get the courage to ask one of them out. And she’d reacted like he’d been a serial killer or something.
There was no telling what Mara thought of her now.
“We’re here.”
Jackson brought the car to a smooth stop in front of a busy restaurant. Ridley craned her head and was shocked to see a cluster of what could only be photographers.
Jackson handed his keys to the valet and then jogged around to her side of the car. He opened her door for her and offered his hand. She took it gratefully. As soon as she stepped out flashbulbs went off, blinding her temporarily. She put up a hand to shield her eyes.
Flashbulbs continued to pop as they hurried into the restaurant. There had only been a few photographers but they were as annoying as a crowd.
Several men in dark suits stood just inside the restaurant holding clipboards. Jackson turned to one of them and said, “Jackson Alexander and guest.” After he found Jackson’s name on his list, they were allowed to enter.
“This is nice. Thanks for inviting me.”
“Are you kidding? You’re doing me a huge favor by coming. I usually attend these alone and end up listening to some stuffed-suit executive from the label all night.”
“Don’t try to tell me you don’t have a date usually. Because I won’t believe you.”
“It’s not that I can’t get a date. I’m just not willing to deal with what comes along with it. Namely, someone who just wants me to introduce her to other people.”
“Oh. Well, you definitely don’t have to worry about that with me.”
“Ah, here we are. Our table.” Jackson stopped at a round table and pulled out a chair
. She sat gratefully. There were tiny place cards with his name on them in front of their seats. She looked around the table curiously but didn’t recognize anyone. There was a redhead across from her with her hair teased up into some kind of eighties-style bouffant who looked slightly familiar, but everyone else at the table was much older.
“Hey, Jackson. Good of you to make it.” A man on Jackson’s left greeted him with a warm handshake.
“Of course, Scott. Allow me to introduce Ridley Wells.”
Ridley smiled politely as the man waved hello and introduced his wife, a bored-looking brunette who appeared to be about three decades younger than he was. The woman just nodded in her direction before flagging down a waiter to ask for more wine.
She leaned over to Jackson and whispered, “Wow, you weren’t kidding about these parties. I think she’s already drunk.”
“Now you see why I needed you to rescue me.”
The appetizers were brought before she could even look around. Somehow the restaurant wasn’t what she had expected. Although it was obviously classy, she didn’t feel at all out of place. Most of the people at their table seemed friendly enough, if a little self-absorbed. Not that she minded, because she definitely didn’t want to talk about her life.
“I’m really sorry about all that commotion outside. This part of Virginia is home to quite a few celebrities and some local photographers have started hanging out here trying to catch a glimpse of them.”
“Anyone I might have heard of?”
“We have a lot of people from the hip-hop and R&B scene. Timbaland, the Neptunes, Missy Elliott.”
“Wow, I had no idea.”
“Since you’re so into jazz, you’re probably already aware that the late, great Ella Fitzgerald was also from this area. She was born in Newport News. Virginia has a rich musical history. Well, anyway… I know photographers are just trying to make a living, but man are they annoying!”
“No apology is needed.” She smiled at him behind her hand. He seemed so nervous, and she was sure a man like Jackson Alexander didn’t get nervous often. She was flattered that he was going to such lengths to show her a good time.
eyond Desire Collection Page 44