by Lisa Dyson
Truly the wrong thing to do. The mere touch of his lips to her soft cheek, the light scent of her shampoo, were enough to make his blood heat. He should have remembered that from a few minutes ago when he was whispering sweet nothings in her ear and the same thing happened.
“Well, look at you two! This is pretty cozy.” Allie’s mom came up behind them. She looked directly at her daughter. “And you swore to me that you and Jack weren’t dating, Allison. All that ‘bad boyfriends’ business you’re always telling me about. This is more like it.”
At Allie’s slight tug to pull her hand from his instinctively, he tightened his grip and didn’t let go. “I guess you knew better than we did,” Jack told her.
Eleanor had such a pleased expression on her face that Jack nearly felt guilty about deceiving her.
“What can we do to help you out with the party, Mom?” Allie obviously wanted to change the topic.
“Well, let’s see. I think we’re in pretty good shape, but you could set up some chairs out here.” She pointed to the garage door off the patio. “You’ll find them right through there. Oh, and they might need some cleaning off. Dad can give you a rag to use.”
Then she went on her way. Allie turned to Jack, snatching her hand back as she sputtered, “I changed my mind. I don’t like this at all. Now my mother thinks she’s won, and when she finds out we’ve been lying to her, I’ll be the one to pay the price.”
“This was your idea. Let’s just keep her happy,” he suggested. “Did you see the look on her face?”
“Yes, I did.” Allie pursed her lips and glared at him.
He had a sudden thought. “What’s wrong with keeping her in a good mood for when you talk to her about your adoption?”
CHAPTER TEN
ALLIE STEPPED AROUND her three-year-old niece to get the veggies from the fridge and put them out for the party. Rachael and her husband, Dan, had arrived about thirty minutes ago. Sophie had chosen the kitchen floor—right in the middle of all the action—to play tea party with a doll and two stuffed animals.
While Allie arranged baby carrots and cauliflower florets on a platter, she caught a glimpse of Jack through the window. He had set up folding chairs on the patio and now was on a ladder, changing a lightbulb in the party lights shaped like hamburgers and hot dogs strung around the perimeter of the metal roof that sheltered the cement patio.
It was his own fault that he got put to work. She’d warned him.
He suddenly turned and looked at her through the glass as if he knew she’d been watching. He grinned and waved, making her insides all gooey.
She shook off the effects he stirred up and continued getting out veggies for the platter. “Where do you want this?” she asked her mom when she had added grape tomatoes, celery and broccoli.
“Let’s put the appetizers on the dining room table,” Mom said. “That way we don’t have to worry about bugs, and the boys won’t have to set up another table outside.” She’d already gotten Dan to bring up a card table from the basement for cups, napkins and bottle openers, and set it up next to the large buckets of ice that contained drinks.
Allie glanced outside again, careful not to let Jack see her checking on him. Both he and Dan were opening beers, and Jack turned to her before she could look away. He held up the beer and pointed to it.
Allie shook her head. She needed a clear head to deal with this ruse she’d concocted. Pretending to be attracted to him was as easy as it came. Too easy—which was the problem. Adding alcohol to the mix would be like throwing a propane tank onto a campfire. Instant explosion.
Rachael sidled up next to her and whispered in a singsong manner, “I hear you have a boyfriend.”
“Shush,” Allie said, and then added from the side of her mouth, “Did you really fall for our act?”
Rachael turned ninety degrees toward Allie, her very pregnant belly coming between the two women. “It’s an act?”
“Quiet!” Allie looked to her mother, who was searching for something in the dining room hutch. Thankfully she hadn’t overheard. “I’m trying to keep Mom from matchmaking, so we’re pretending her work is already done.”
Rachael’s eyes widened. “Brilliant!”
Allie was glad that her sister thought so.
“You two had me fooled,” Rachael said. “Although I can see that it wouldn’t be difficult to pretend to be attracted to Jack. He’s pretty hot.”
Allie put a hand up. “Settle your pregnancy hormones down, missy.” They both laughed and ended the conversation when their dad walked through the kitchen. Rachael sliced the rolled-up ham, cream cheese and pickle appetizers their mom had made earlier while Allie got a plate for them.
When they were alone in the kitchen again, Allie said to Rachael, “I need to talk to you about something.”
Rachael didn’t look at her when she said, “Sure. What is it?”
Allie didn’t know how to word her question, so she just blurted, “Why do you think Mom won’t tell me more details about my adoption?”
Rachael spun around, her expanding waistline making her nearly tip over in her rush. “You make it sound like a conspiracy. Why would you think she’s not telling you everything? I never paid that much attention, but I naturally assumed she’d given you more details privately than what she told in front of us.”
Allie shook her head. “She either avoids the subject completely or comes up with a lame excuse like she doesn’t want to talk about any of our adoptions because she considers us all her biological children.”
“Well, that makes no sense. She’s always been very open about when she and Dad flew to China for Scott and me.”
“I know. You guys have great stories that she tells all the time. That’s why I’m coming to you. To see if you have any idea what she might be hiding.”
“You really think she could be hiding something?” Rachael asked. “Like what?”
Allie shrugged. “I have no idea. I was thinking I should go talk to Dad about it. Do you think he might know why Mom is so secretive?”
“It’s worth a try. But you know Dad. His job is to keep Mom happy. He takes that ‘happy wife, happy life’ thing seriously, and Mom eats it up. If he thinks telling you something will make her unhappy, then—” She pursed her lips and raised her eyebrows. “So you and this Charlotte really think you might be related?”
“We’ve got to be,” Allie said. “The more we get to know each other, the more we realize how much alike we are. Not only looks, but we sound alike and we’re both artists, too. Well, she is. That’s how she makes her living.”
“So are you, Allie. I’d give anything to have as much talent and creativity as you have in your little finger.” Rachael popped ham and a pickle slice into her mouth. “Anyway, how great would it be for you to find a blood relative? There’s nothing like having that connection to someone. Seeing yourself in someone else.” Rachael and Scott were only two years apart, but people had always thought they were twins until Scott grew much taller in high school.
Their mother suddenly appeared in the kitchen doorway. “Greg and Nick are here.” Allie’s older brothers both lived and worked on the other side of Albany. Neither of their wives had been able to come this weekend because of job commitments.
She and Rachael exchanged glances. Had their mother heard them talking? Allie straightened her spine. She had to face her mother and get her to spit out the truth.
But now wasn’t the time.
Now was the time to go talk to her dad. She headed out the door to the backyard.
“Hey, Dad.” Allie sauntered over to the gas grill, where her dad was fiddling with the ribs he’d been slow-cooking for several hours now. The grill was far enough away from the patio that Allie was confident they couldn’t be overheard, even if her mom came outside.
He looked over the grill at her and smiled. “Hi, sweetheart. What’s up?” The apron he wore said “Don’t distract the cook, unless it’s with beer.”
“Can I talk to
you about something?”
“Of course. Shoot.”
Her hands grew moist, and the butterflies in her stomach fluttered. “I’d like to know about my adoption.”
Her dad immediately dropped the tongs he was holding.
Not the reaction she’d expected.
He bent to pick them up. “Sorry, Allie, I need to go wash these off.” He took a step toward the house, and Allie grabbed his arm.
“Wait.”
He looked at her then, and she was shocked by the panic in his eyes. His normally ruddy complexion was even more pronounced. “I really need to—”
“What are you and Mom not telling me?” There. The question was out. Waiting for him to answer it.
“Not telling?” He laughed, a choked sound that contained no humor.
“Exactly. Neither you nor Mom will tell me any details about my adoption. My sister and brothers have heard their stories over and over, but when I ask about mine, I get stonewalled.”
“We’re not hiding anything, Allie. Your adoption was typical, nothing unusual. We brought you home and here we are. End of story. There’s really not much to tell. Besides, you know how forgetful I am. If there was anything else to tell, I’ve probably forgotten it.” He held up the tongs and started toward the house. “I really do need to clean these off.”
Allie stood there in shock, watching him abandon her. Forgetful? He played bridge as often as possible and did The New York Times crossword puzzle religiously. He was about as forgetful as a computer.
A little while later, her back was to the door as she arranged crackers in a wicker basket. She knew Jack had entered the kitchen before he said a word. Especially before he came up behind her, caught her by her hips with both hands and kissed the back of her neck.
Without turning around, she picked up a cracker and fed it to him to keep his mouth occupied. She turned her head as far as it would go. “No need to go overboard.”
His breath tickled her ear when he murmured, “Not overboard. Look who’s watching us.”
She glanced over her other shoulder to see her mom in the doorway. She quickly turned away in case her sudden guilt over deceiving her mom showed on her face.
Jack kissed her cheek and released her, leaving her to wonder how she would ever make it through the weekend without throwing herself at him.
* * *
PRETENDING TO BE attracted to Allie was no hardship for Jack. He had more trouble keeping his hands off her. She didn’t want a physical relationship. She’d made that very clear. He needed to remember that, because her actions and reactions said otherwise.
Her acting skills were definitely first-rate.
He took a swig of his beer and decided to switch to soda after this one. Alcohol would muddy the situation, and he needed a clear head if he hoped to continue this ruse and not succumb to his baser instincts.
When Emily’s parents arrived, Jack spent time on the patio with his aunt and uncle, filling them in on his grandfather’s condition.
“Have you heard anything from your dad?” Aunt Monica was his dad’s half sister, but she had about as much contact with him as Jack had.
He shook his head and changed the subject. “Have you tried the jalapeño cheese? It’s got quite a kick.”
Allie came outside then. Perfect timing.
“You probably already know Scott’s sister, Allie,” Jack said to his aunt and uncle, motioning for Allie to join them.
“Of course,” Aunt Monica gushed. “How nice to see you again, Allie.”
His aunt hugged Allie, and then Uncle Aaron hugged her, too. “Great to see you again,” he said.
Out of the corner of his eye, Jack saw Allie’s mom come outside. He slipped an arm around Allie’s waist.
Aunt Monica’s mouth formed an O and she asked, “You two met at the wedding?”
Allie and Jack nodded.
“How romantic!”
Were all women matchmakers, ecstatic when men and women were paired? Growing up without his mother and then not having a woman to look up to beyond his au pair, his education was lacking in that area. In truth, his knowledge of women was mostly sexual.
Allie leaned into his hip as they stood talking. He enjoyed the contact so much that he missed what she said to him. “What?”
“I said, can you give me a hand with something in the house?”
“Of course.” Then he turned to his aunt and uncle and said, “Duty calls.”
They were no sooner alone in the living room when Allie turned on him. “You don’t have to be so handsy, you know.”
He was taken aback. “I wasn’t trying to be. It’s just an act.”
“Don’t you think I know that?”
He wasn’t sure why she was so angry.
What he did know was that, even angry, she was the sexiest woman he’d been around in quite a while.
From her orange-painted toenails in white flip-flops, to her exposed ankles and shins below her white capris that sculpted her thighs and backside, to the top that showed a mere peek of skin because it tied right above her waist, to the white-and-dark-blue check of said top that matched her eyes perfectly.
Those eyes.
Damn those eyes.
He heard the front door open and close and used it as an excuse to pull Allie into his arms and kiss her. He had no idea if someone came in or went out the door. No idea if it was one of Allie’s parents or merely someone who already knew about this fake relationship—specifically Rachael.
He didn’t care. He cared only about tasting Allie’s mouth while her body was plastered against his. His body reacted instantaneously when Allie deliberately moved her pelvis against him.
Her mouth was hot. He could have kissed her for hours. Not since high school had a kiss been this intoxicating.
They were alone, so his hands roamed her body freely. She didn’t stop him. She didn’t complain again that he was being too handsy. She was obviously enjoying it as much as he was.
Her hips again grazed his erection, and he pulled his mouth from hers to whisper, “Stop. You’re killing me.”
She froze.
“This isn’t fake,” he whispered close to her ear. “I want you. I’ve wanted you from the moment I first saw you.” He swallowed before continuing. “I know you’re afraid to take this beyond friendship. You’re afraid to make a mistake with me.” He sucked in a breath. “You have to know I won’t hurt you.”
She didn’t say anything, still pressed against him. Finally she took a step back. Without meeting his gaze, she turned and fled upstairs. Presumably to her bedroom.
* * *
ALLIE THREW HERSELF on her bed, facedown. She pounded her fists on the mattress and kicked her feet, screaming out her frustration, muffled by the comforter.
Once she’d released her emotions, she rolled over onto her back and stared at the ceiling.
Harvey began pacing in his crate, whimpering. He probably had to go out. At least get some exercise. “Just a minute, Harvey.” As if he understood her words, he curled up on his blanket.
What had she been thinking when she came up with this crazy plan with Jack?
That was the problem. She hadn’t thought at all. She’d only felt. And, damn, but Jack felt really, really good.
She covered her face with both hands. How could she face him again? She’d claimed to want just friendship, and then she’d been the one to suggest this pretense. Taking it a step further by practically throwing herself at him was plain stupid.
Stupid, stupid, stupid.
Concentrate on the important things—keeping her business afloat, so she could grow it into a successful company.
She removed her hands, lifted her head and sat up. As she breathed in and out slowly for a few minutes, her equilibrium returned.
Knock, knock, knock.
Her heart rate accelerated. She didn’t want to talk to Jack.
Knock, knock, knock.
The rap on the door was louder now.
�
�Allie?” Not Jack, but Rachael.
Allie swallowed and said, “Come in.”
Rachael peeked around the doorjamb. “Are you okay?”
“Sure.” She tried to sound upbeat.
“You’re positive?” Rachael came into the room and shut the door behind her.
“Yes, I’m fine. Why would you think something was wrong?”
Rachael’s color heightened, and Allie knew immediately why her sister had come looking for her. “Did Jack send you?”
Rachael’s scrunched expression said it all.
Allie shot up from the bed, hands on her hips. “I’m fine. You can tell Jack I just needed to get away from everyone for a few minutes.”
Rachael remained silent, merely listening as Allie blathered on. “Just because we kissed a few times, he’s under the impression that I’m attracted to him. I guess my acting skills are better than he expected.”
“Are you sure you’re acting?” Rachael finally asked. “I’ve seen the way you two look at each other.”
Allie turned her back on Rachael and straightened the bed. “I told you, Rach, my acting skills are spot-on.”
“Uh-huh.”
Allie spun around to face Rachael. “What does that mean?”
“Nothing.” Her tone couldn’t sound more innocent.
“It’s true. I don’t want more than friendship with Jack, no matter what he wants.”
“I’m glad.”
Allie thought she’d heard wrong. “What did you say?”
“I said I’m glad you’re not getting involved with Jack. I think you need a break from men to figure out what you want.”
“You do?” Allie wasn’t used to having someone agree with her reasoning. Should she be suspicious of Rachael’s motives? “Are you only agreeing with me so I change my mind?”
Rachael laughed. “No, I mean it. Jack seems like a really nice guy, but I don’t think you’re ready to get tied down to one person right now. You barely know him.”
Allie considered her sister’s words carefully.