by Mia Caldwell
“I doubt that,” Jada said, “especially when he refuses to admit there’s anything wrong with how he’s treating me.”
“Oh, and about how he’s treating you. I guess I’ve got one more thing to say about that, too. A question.”
Jada rolled her eyes. “I knew you couldn’t stop at one.”
“Here it is,” Marina said. “What do you call a man who doesn’t sleep with a woman, even though he really wants her and even though she’ll let him, but he doesn’t do it because he won’t take advantage of a woman who’s in a vulnerable position? What do you call a guy like that?”
“I don’t know. High-handed? He didn’t take the girl’s opinion into account.”
Marina had thrown her hands in the air and left the room muttering about Jada being hopeless.
And now here Jada was, flying away from Ian. The helicopter passed over forests, highways and small towns. She cradled the kitty carrier and tried not to think of what might of been, but could never be.
Ian had looked bewildered standing in the drive as the helicopter lifted off. Jada knew he didn’t understand why she couldn’t see him anymore. She wished she had been able to make him see her side. But he was a powerful man, used to having everything his own way. He couldn’t help being himself any more than Jada could help being herself.
She recalled Marina’s question. It repeated in her mind. What do you call a man who ... what do you call a man who ...
What did you call a guy like that? Not high-handed. That had been unfair. He’d been protective, which was good, but he was overly-protective, wasn’t he? Granted, he’d been thinking of her before himself, she couldn’t deny that.
He didn’t want to take advantage, even though he could have.
What do you call a guy ... then the real answer struck her, a bolt of fire sucking the oxygen out of her lungs. She stiffened and grabbed Marina’s arm.
“The answer to your question,” Jada called over the roar of the copter. “It’s not high-handed.”
“What?”
“Your question this morning.”
“ Oh, right. That question. Have you figured it out?” Marina asked.
“Yes. It’s gentleman. That’s what you call a man like that, isn’t it? He’s a gentleman.”
Marina grinned. “Good for you. I’m so glad you’re not hopeless after all.”
In an instant, Jada knew being in that helicopter was all wrong. What the hell was she doing, flying away from a man like Ian? Sure, he had his faults, but she had hers, too.
She tapped Raul’s shoulder. “Turn around. Take me back to the lake house!”
Raul glanced. “Ma’am?”
“Turn around! I’ve got to go back.”
Marina chimed in with, “Yeah, Raul. Go back!”
Sullivan looked confused, but amused. He added his baritone to the chorus, “Go ahead and take us back, Raul.”
Jada put her whole heart into her words. “Please, Raul. I have to get back there right now. I don’t think I’ll—”
He held up a finger for her to wait. He must have switched comm channels because she could see his lips move but couldn’t hear him.
In a few moments, Raul’s voice came through the headset. “Everyone, please be advised that I’m going to be making a steep banking turn, so don’t be alarmed. Everything’s fine. We’re returning to the lake house.”
Marina cheered and Jada thanked Raul profusely.
While Marina explained the reason for the return to Sullivan, Jada stared out the windows and willed the landscape to pass faster. She’d heard Ian was driving back to the city that day. What if he’d already left?
She tried to think of what she should say to him, but couldn’t concentrate. She needed to get to him. That was all. That was the important thing.
Minutes passed like hours. Then they were flying low over a forest canopy. A high fence loomed ahead with a gated entrance. She’d seen it before, she was almost positive. As they buzzed onward, she recalled more and more of the landscape.
When a sparkling lake peeped out between a ring of trees and a rambling roofline loomed in the distance, Jada knew exactly where they were. Home.
She shook her head. That was a silly thing to think. Home. The lake house. That’s where she was. It only felt like home if Ian were there.
The copter flew in fast and low and in a matter of moments hovered over the now-familiar landing zone. Jada saw a tall man standing in the waiting circle. Was it Ian?
Yes, it was him. Her heart leapt into her throat. Was he smiling?
Raul touched down with his usual ease and slowed the rotors. Jada turned to Marina and gestured to Ms. Kitty in the carrier.
“Do you mind?” she asked.
“Nah. She’s grown on me the past few days. Hand her over,” Marina answered.
Jada gave her the crate then added a quick kiss on her sister’s cheek for good measure. “Tell Mom and Dad not to worry.”
“I will. Go on. He’s waiting for you.”
Jada thanked her again and nodded at Sullivan, who said, “Go get him, Jada.”
She thanked Raul then pulled off her headphones and threw open the door. She dashed outside, head down, the wind whipping at her, and ran to the handsome man in the waiting zone.
She stopped in front of him, returning his wide smile.
As the helicopter’s rotors wound back up, and the vehicle took off, Jada leapt into Ian’s arms and kissed him with everything she had, telling him with her body exactly how much she’d missed him, how much she wanted him back.
He passionately returned her kiss, wrapping his arms around her and lifting her off the ground, twirling her around and around. She clung to him, hands clasped behind his corded neck. He was wonderful. Simply wonderful. How could she have ever thought she could live without this man? Without his touch?
By the time they broke apart, the helicopter was long gone, not even a hint of a chop-chop marring nature’s concert of lake, grass, trees and wildlife.
Ian slowly shook his head. “I can’t believe you aren’t mad at me.”
“Why would I be mad at you?”
“Because I ordered Raul to bring you back.”
“I’m the one who told him to come back.”
Ian gave her a funny look. “You told Raul to bring you back ... to me?”
“You told him to bring me back to you?”
They laughed as they realized what had happened.
“I can’t believe we both told Raul to turn around at the same time,” Jada said. “He must think we’re nuts.”
“Maybe we are.”
“I am,” Jada admitted. “I’m sorry, Ian. I made a stupid mistake, leaving you like that. I should have given this more of a chance. I panicked because I’ve never believed this kind of fairy tale was possible.”
“And I should have listened to you sooner,” Ian said. “After you left, I was standing in the driveway trying to figure out what had gone wrong and I realized that it wasn’t just me and it wasn’t just you. It was both of us. And it had nothing to do with us being from different worlds. We’d missed the point.”
“What is the point, Ian?”
“It’s like my grandfather building his dream out here by the lake,” he answered. “You can’t rely on something to happen on its own. You have to work for it. We can have the fantasy, Jada. All of it. Every day. We just have to want it, need it like we need air to breathe. And we have to believe in it.”
He looked deeply into her eyes. “I believe in us, Jada. Do you believe, too?”
Jada had always considered herself a realist, not a dreamer. But she’d realized in the helicopter that she’d actually been protecting herself from the disappointment of failure. She’d been afraid to want something she might never get.
Her spirits soared and she trusted her heart. Faith seemed easy now ... with him. “I do believe, Ian. In you and in us.”
Joy and satisfaction washed over his handsome features. He dropped down on on
e knee before her. “I know this seems too soon, but I’m only asking for time to see where this takes us, to find out if we can build the foundation for our fantasy.”
Jada nodded, her heart pounding.
He cleared his throat, took her hands in his. “Jada Howarth Buckley, will you stay fake married to me while we figure out our future?”
She didn’t need to think about it. “Yes! Of course I’ll stay fake married to you.”
He laughed, jumped up and marched off toward the house, towing her along behind him.
“Where are we going?”
“Where do you think we’re going?”
“Uh, the house?”
“Be more specific,” Ian demanded.
Jada’s insides tingled. “Your bedroom.”
“That’s right, my sweet little bride. It’s time to consummate our fake wedding. Finally!”
She gladly rushed along the path. “I thought it would never happen. Are you as bossy in the bedroom as you are out of it?”
“Worse.”
“Oh my.”
He gave her a lascivious glance. “I’m not going to stop doing my worst to you until your cries ring from the rafters and rattle the dishes in the kitchen.”
“Seriously? I’ll never be able to look your employees in the face again. Too embarrassing.”
They dashed over small bridges and darted past hedges.
“Except for security, and they stay on the perimeter and gates, I sent everyone else away,” Ian said. “They’re off on a well-deserved break. Won’t come back until I tell them to.”
Her heart fluttered. “In that case, tell me again what you’re going to do to me.”
Ian grinned, his dark hair shining in the sun, his tanned, strong hand clasped around hers. “Jada, I’m going to make you mine.”
That sounded fine to her. In fact, it was more than fine.
It was the perfect fantasy come true.
Chapter Nine
Three months later
JADA HANDED IAN THE BOWL of popcorn and flopped down next to him in the king-sized bed. She snuggled beside his big, warm body and Ms. Kitty delicately snuggled in next to Jada on her other side.
“Turn it on. We’re going to miss the beginning,” she said, grabbing a handful of popcorn.
He turned on the TV and flipped to CGTV. Piper Sandy’s tight, half-immobile face filled the screen.
Ian flinched. “Someone needs to tell that woman to back off the botox. She’s going to mummify herself alive.”
“I don’t think she cares,” Jada said. “Turn it up. I can’t hear.”
“Always telling me what to do,” he mumbled.
She bumped shoulders with him and grinned. “Shh.”
Piper’s shark-smile gleamed out of the screen. “First up tonight, an interview with supermodel Sasha. We’re going to get the scoop on all the latest news, from her coming out party to her shocking decision to retire from modeling. What’s next for Sasha? Let’s welcome her and find out.”
The scene panned wide and showed the typical talk show set, complete with small couches and chairs. Sasha lounged on the couch like she was at home. Piper perched in one of the chairs, her sidekick Dirk preening away in the other.
“Sasha darling, tell us it isn’t so,” Piper said. “You aren’t seriously going to retire from modeling I hope. At your age? You still have what ... a good six months left before you’re too old to get bookings? Why throw all that away?”
Jada laughed. “She’s just so ... Piper.”
“She’d better be careful. A minute in and she’s already treading the line,” Ian said.
Back on the set, Sasha was totally unfazed by Piper’s barb. “It’s true. I’m chucking it all. I’m retiring from modeling forever.”
Dirk gasped. “Forever? But why? Why would anyone give up a glamorous career like yours?”
“It’s not as glamorous as you might think, Dink,” Sasha answered. “Ha! Think Dink. That rhymed.”
“It’s Dirk,” he said, flipping back the thick shock of frosted hair that swooped down over his forehead.
“Is modeling hard work?” Piper asked, hardly bothering to hide her ridicule behind faux concern. “Is that what you’re telling us, Sasha? Having to stand and look beautiful while someone takes your picture is probably horribly tiring. And those runway shows. You have to walk down those runways what ... three four times a day sometimes? You models have it tough.” She smirked straight into the camera.
“No, that’s not what I meant. But I can see how someone who never had the least hope of being a model themselves might misunderstand how it works,” Sasha said.
“Me-ow!” Dirk said.
Piper and Sasha ignored him, only having eyes for one another, eyes like two heavyweight boxers squaring off in the ring.
“Yikes, I can almost feel the tension in there.” Jada grabbed up a handful of popcorn.
“I hope they remember what they’re about,” Ian said.
“So what’s next, Sasha?” Piper asked. “Perhaps you’ve found yourself a sugar mama. Wait, I know. You’re getting your own line of bikinis that someone else designs, produces and sells for you so you don’t have to tax yourself overly much?”
“Ooh!,” Dirk cried. “The bathing suits could be made out of sashes. Get it? Sashes by Sasha. I loooove it!”
“Great idea, Dork,” Sasha said with her brightest makeup-ad smile. “I’ll keep it in mind. But actually, I’ve been accepted to culinary school. I’m becoming a chef.”
“That’s Dirk,” he muttered, his enthusiasm dowsed.
Ian put his arm around Jada’s shoulder and squeezed. “It was a real stroke of genius, Jada, getting Agatha to leave Sasha alone. Threatening to sic your DA friend on Sasha for fraud unless Agatha stepped back and let her daughter make her own decisions about her life—genius. It worked exactly like you said it would.”
“I simply counted on Agatha being a mother first and a publicist second,” Jada said.
“I don’t know if I would have been as sure as you about the outcome,” he teased.
“Oh, they’re getting to the good stuff,” Jada said. “Look.”
The few muscles in Piper’s face that still worked, twitched. “There you have it. From supermodel to chef. Bizarre. Moving on. I hear you’ve brought us some pictures, Sasha. This is a big surprise for all you fans out there. So exciting!”
“That’s right,” Sasha said. “I wanted to share some photos from my friends’ re-commitment wedding ceremony.”
“And tell us who those friends are,” Dirk practically squealed.
Sasha waved her hands like a game show co-host. “Ian and Jada Buckley.”
Dirk could hardly contain himself. “Ooh, so thrilling.”
Piper was less demonstrative in her delight. “Yes, so exciting, I’m sure. I’m wondering though, why a couple who has only been married three months needs a re-commitment ceremony. Trouble in newlywed paradise, perhaps?”
Jada snorted. “Nope. We just had to make our marriage legal. Not that Piper knows that, thankfully.”
Back on television, Sasha said, “Believe me, there hasn’t been any trouble between Jada and Ian. They’re off on a honeymoon cruise on Ian’s yacht right now. They’re so happy it’s revolting. You don’t want to be around it. Touchy-feely all the time. They can’t keep their hands off of each other. Don’t even try to sit down and have a normal conversation with either of them because they’re either spaced out flirting with each other or they go running off to knock ... you know.”
“Day-um,” Dirk said.
“TMI,” Piper interjected.
“Finally,” Ian said. “Piper and I agree on something.”
Jada laughed. “Oh look, they’re putting the pictures up finally.”
“I understand the ceremony was at Ian’s lakeside estate, right?” Piper asked.
“Yep,” Sasha answered. “You can see in this picture where they were. It was next to this sickening, bubbling perfect creek. T
here’s Ian and Jada standing on the fancy Japanese bridge. That’s where they said their vows.”
“Oh, so romantic. Aren’t they a wonderful-looking couple?” Dirk gushed.
“Kind of simple attire, wasn’t it?” Piper asked.
“Jada wanted a small ceremony, only friends and family. She’s not into showy stuff, unlike some people.” Sasha looked Piper up and down, obviously unimpressed.
“You looked beautiful in that dress, Jada, and in that photo,” Ian said. “And if Piper knows what’s good for her, she’ll say as much.”
“Well Jada looks absolutely stunning, I must say,” Piper said, sounding as sincere as she ever did, which was a miracle.
“Good,” Ian mumbled.
“That dress suits her perfectly,” Piper added. “So classy. We’ll have to put her on our best-dressed wedding list, won’t we Dreck?”
Her sidekick eeped. “Dirk. Dirk. Why can’t anyone get it right today?”
“I agree with you, Piper,” Sasha said. “I’ve never seen a lovelier bride. I was totally jealous of Ian.”
Piper laughed awkwardly. “Yes, I’m sure you were.”
“I was.”
“I’m sure you were.”
“I was.”
They glared at one another until Dirk cried out, “Oh, who’s in that picture?”
Sasha glanced at the monitor. The pictures slowly changed as Sasha spoke. “Just family. There’s Jada’s parents and sister. There’s Ian’s parents. There’s my mother with her new husband, Saturn Talleyrand, good luck to him. That’s my brother, Trey, with Ian’s lawyer, Sullivan. There’s some of the estate staff, a few friends of the bride and groom.”
“Who’s that older woman you’re standing next to?” Piper asked.
Sasha’s smile was wide and genuine. “Oh, that’s Mrs. Best. She’s my cooking inspiration and mentor.”
“You’re looking at her like she’s ... like she’s your date or something.” From the sound of her voice, Piper’s brow may have been furrowed, if her brow had been capable of furrowing.
“I’d date her if she’d let me,” Sasha said. “But she won’t have me. Says I’m too young.”
“I find that hard to believe,” Piper said.