Emeralds, Rubies, and Camouflage

by Olivia Jaymes

  Shutting the front door behind them, he planted a kiss on top of Lily’s head. She had such a loving heart and this situation with Myra and Holt was killing her. Lily plopped down into a chair and growled with obvious frustration.

  “I thought they’d be head over heels for each other by now. Holt needs someone like Myra and she needs someone like him.”

  “Let it go, Lily.” Dane put some edge into his voice so she would know he was serious. “If they’ve slept together there is something there.”

  His gorgeous wife was tapping her chin as she plotted. “The question is how can we get them to do it again?”

  Dane bent over and placed his hands on the arms of the chair getting face to face with Lily.

  “How about we get out of their way and let them fall in love? We didn’t need anyone pushing us together, remember? And we sure as hell didn’t have it easy. If Holt slept with Myra then he has feelings for her. That much I know for sure.”

  Lily’s hands slid up his arms and looped around his neck. “We did have a few things against us. I love you, Dane Braxton. Now kiss me.”

  He was happy and eager to oblige. If their baby girl Emily would cooperate, he’d be happy to carry her upstairs and do much more.

  “Dad, Emily is trying to climb out of her crib and Ace just got sick on the floor of the family room.”

  Inwardly groaning, Dane turned to his son who was growing up way too fast. “What did you feed Ace, Nick?”

  “Just some cheese, Dad. Honest.”

  “Dog or daughter?” he asked his wife who was openly laughing at him. He’d have to wait until the kids were in bed to do all the naughty things running through his mind.

  “I’ll take the daughter. You take the dog.”

  Heading into the kitchen for a roll of paper towels, Dane hoped that Holt could get his shit straightened out. He was missing this. He didn’t have a family that made his life crazy but interesting. He didn’t have a partner in life that he could share the good and the bad.

  After everything he’d been through, Holt deserved that and so much more.

  Chapter Ten

  ‡

  “So what’s going on between you and Myra?”

  The question came from Holt’s brother Beck as Holt was trying to fix his damn tie for the charity ball tonight. His fingers had turned into ten thumbs after Fiona had stuck her head in a few minutes ago to tell him Dane Braxton was on the phone. It appeared Dane and Lily had a small domestic emergency with an overflowing toilet. Their toddling daughter Emily had tried to flush a doll and they were waiting on a plumber.

  They were going to be late to the party and could Holt drive Myra there?

  Just the thought of being that close to her without touching had turned him into a fucking mess. The last three weeks of avoiding her had taken their toll and he was grouchy, exhausted, and in a very bad mood. He was also about to take it out on his brother who was leaning on the dresser with a gigantic smirk on his face.

  “You’re an asshole,” Holt growled, pulling the knot free to give it another try. He could usually tie these damn things in his sleep.

  It was all Myra’s fault.

  No…it was his. He was fucking chicken shit.

  “Probably.” Beck nodded, completely unperturbed about the slight. “But you’re no saint either. Myra’s moping around like a kid who found out there’s no Santa Claus and you’re snapping at everyone if they don’t read your damn mind. So what’s going on? Maybe your big brother can help you out.”

  “I don’t want to talk about it.”

  Holt tried to concentrate on tying his bowtie but his brother still had the shit-eating expression on his face.

  “Fuck, let me do that.” Beck’s fingers brushed Holt’s out of the way and in less than a minute had it tied perfectly. “You’re a mess, brother. I’ve never seen you like this.”

  “I’m fine. And what are you doing here anyway? You’re not even dressed for the charity function tonight. Are you bailing?”

  “I’ll be there,” Beck said with a lazy grin. “As to why I’m here, Fiona called me. Said you were acting like an ass and I needed to come straighten you out.”

  It was embarrassing that Holt’s behavior had become so bad that Fiona had been forced to call Beck. Holt was a grown man but he’d been acting like a jerk.

  “Lucky you. Now you’ve done your duty and can tell Fiona that I’m just fine. I’ve been working too much, that’s all.”

  “I’ll ask again. What’s going on with you and Myra?”

  Beck sat down on the edge of the bed and appeared to be waiting patiently for an answer. It was clear that Holt wasn’t going to be able to get rid of his brother until he answered the damn question.

  “Nothing,” he grated. “Nothing is going on between me and Myra. We’re just boss and assistant.”

  Beck’s face split into a grin. “You crafty old dog. You slept with her, didn’t you? And knowing you, you made a complete mess of it afterward with some speech about keeping things casual and told her not to fall for you because you’re some fucking lone wolf or some shit like that. Am I right?”

  Beck was too close for comfort. But then they’d been able to read each other’s emotions since they were children.

  “Something like that,” Holt admitted gruffly. “A relationship is out of the question.”

  “Why?”

  “You know why. She deserves someone who isn’t damaged. I come with a lot of baggage and you know it.”

  Beck shrugged carelessly. “Everyone worth being with has baggage. When you look in the mirror all you see are those damn scars. I’m here to tell you that no one who means anything sees them. Not really. So stop playing the violin music and get over yourself.”

  Myra had said much the same thing.

  But letting someone in meant being vulnerable. Taking a chance on being hurt. Hiding away was easier. Safer.

  “Your charm this evening leaves something to be desired, big brother. I get your message loud and clear.”

  Beck stood and moved toward the door. “But you’re not going to do anything about it? You’re going to stay locked up in this house until you rot from loneliness.”

  Beck had a few secrets himself. “This is a case of pot and kettle. You’re more alone than I am, even with a different woman every night. Who is the lucky lady this evening?”

  Rebuttoning his blue suit coat, Beck grinned. “I’m stagging it tonight but I’m sure I’ll find a beautiful woman on my arm before the clock strikes midnight and I turn into a pumpkin.”

  Before Holt could reply his brother was out the door and down the hall. Beck’s heavy treads on the staircase grew faint as Holt contemplated their conversation. Holt had never been all that lucky in love even before the bombing. He’d dated women but had never felt any real emotional connection with them. The kind of connection he’d felt with Myra. He didn’t know if he was brave enough to take that chance and put himself out there. Until he was sure he needed to continue keeping his distance.

  It was going to be long evening.

  *

  “If you keep looking around I’m going to think that I’m terrible company,” Beck whispered into Myra’s ear as they danced. The charity ball was in full swing and the large room was crowded with everyone who was anyone.

  And Myra.

  She wasn’t rich, or beautiful, or important. She was a working single mother of average intelligence and less than average bank account. The only difference tonight was she was dressed the same as every other woman at the party. Lily had made sure that Myra wouldn’t feel out of place.

  “You’re wonderful company,” Myra assured him, dragging her gaze from where Holt stood across the room, talking to a group of people. “And fun too. Thank you for asking me to dance.”

  Beck was a good dancer and he’d kept her laughing most of the evening but she hadn’t been the best of companions. Instead she’d been mooning over Holt all night.

  He looked so handsome in
his tuxedo, his hair freshly trimmed. Even with his scars he made every other man seem lacking in some way.

  Beck wore a smug, all-knowing expression. “You and my brother seem to be at cross purposes. He’s scared. You’re scared. At the rate you’re going it’s going to take decades before I get to be best man at your wedding.”

  “Best man?” she echoed. “No one has talked about marriage, Beck.”

  “No one has had to. But I’ve never seen my brother act this way before which means he’s falling for you. I think you’re falling for him too. Am I right?”

  It was stupid to deny her feelings at this point. “I am but he doesn’t want me. At least not enough.”

  Beck threw back his head and laughed. “Honey, he wants you all right. He just needs a little nudge in the right direction. How about we give him one?”

  “I’m terrified to ask what you have in mind. I’m not the most adventurous person on the planet. And I don’t want to push Holt into something he doesn’t truly want.”

  Beck guided her off the dance floor and onto the terrace that overlooked the white sandy beach and the Gulf of Mexico. The moon shone brightly in the nighttime sky and cast silvery shadows on the surface of the water. The warm breeze wrapped around her, the air heavy with the scents of salt and hibiscus.

  “Why did you bring me out here?” Myra asked, leaning against the ornate wrought iron railing and staring out into the deserted strip of sand. Somewhere in the distance a dog barked but there wasn’t a human to be seen.

  “Holt’s been watching us all night. Once he sees that I’ve brought you out here he’ll follow. The question is only how long he’ll be able to hold out.”

  “I don’t think this is going to work.”

  But if it did…

  “Trust me. I know my brother.” Beck consulted his watch. “I give him five minutes. Tops.”

  It would be the longest five minutes of her life.

  *

  Holt was going to punch his brother in the stomach and then give him a right hook to the jaw. Beck had been flaunting his flirtation with Myra all damn night. Dancing with her. Holding her hand. Whispering in her ear and making her smile. Generally monopolizing her every move all evening.

  Holt was damn tired of it. In fact, he was furious.

  Not that he didn’t realize he was being manipulated. Beck was doing this to make Holt jealous. The problem was it was working. Too well. He was ready to do bodily damage to his older brother for simply spending time with the woman Holt wanted for himself.

  “Are you going to let him do that all night?” Dane Braxton followed Holt’s gaze as Beck disappeared out to the terrace with Myra.

  “It’s complicated.”

  Holt’s friend chuckled and took a sip from his champagne. “You sound like me. I went kicking and screaming into love and commitment. Turns out I actually like it. Parenthood is pretty cool too.”

  “I’m not afraid of commitment,” Holt denied, his gaze still on the door to the terrace. They were still out there. Alone. In the moonlight. He didn’t think Beck was serious about Myra but what if she fell for Holt’s brother? “I came back–”

  “Yes, we know,” Dane cut him off. “You came back injured and you’ve been clinging to that for almost three years. Using it as an excuse to live half a life. You once told me that if you didn’t do something meaningful then you were disrespecting those that didn’t make it. Do you think they’d be proud of how you hide in that big house, throwing away a good woman with both hands? Are you proud of it?”

  “Dane?” Holt finally turned his gaze to one of his best friends in the world. People were worried about both Myra and himself but they needed to mind their own business.

  “Yes?”

  “Fuck you.”

  With Dane’s laughter ringing in Holt’s ears, he strode across the room and through the open terrace doors, scanning the area for Beck and Myra. He didn’t see them but he could hear Beck’s low chuckle and Myra’s throaty whisper.

  And that pissed him off even more.

  Rounding a hibiscus bush, he found Beck and Myra leaning against the rail, their heads close together. Holt stood a few feet away until his brother finally noticed him. A slow smile spread across Beck’s smirking countenance.

  “Did you come out for some fresh air, Holt? It’s a nice evening, isn’t it? A little humid compared to London but I have to say I really missed the beach.”

  “I’d like to talk to you, Myra.”

  Holt pointedly ignored his brother, instead letting his gaze wander up and down the woman who had haunted his every waking moment for weeks. Just looking at her made the blood pump harder in his veins and his heart gallop in his chest.

  Wearing a white silk gown that skimmed her perfect hourglass figure, Myra was easily the most beautiful woman in the room. The dress bared her shoulders and a bit of cleavage with a smattering of freckles as if someone had sprinkled pixie dust on the creamy flesh. She was wearing her hair down tonight so it hung to the middle of her back, the copper color shining in the candlelight.

  She was also staring at him as if he’d lost his mind.

  “I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

  He could hear the hurt in her voice, the hurt he’d put there. He needed to make it up to her but he didn’t have a clue where to start.

  “We can’t talk here and we need to.” Holt paused. “Please.”

  Myra looked uncertainly at Beck but he nodded his encouragement. Maybe Holt wouldn’t bust his jaw after all.

  “Fine. Where do you want to talk?”

  Frustrated, Holt looked right and left but there was nothing but wall to wall bodies. There wasn’t a place private enough here for what he wanted to say.

  “Are you ready to leave? We could talk at home.”

  Or even in the limo. It was an hour drive back to the house. He’d put up the partition and they’d have complete privacy for their discussion. He’d done his duty by showing up and shaking hands. He was ready to leave.

  Myra sighed and tucked her small purse under her arm. “Actually I am tired. Thank you, Beck, for taking such good care of me tonight. I had a lovely time.”

  Beck’s eyes glinted with mischief as he lifted Myra’s hand to his lips. “You are most welcome. Anytime you want to go dancing give me a call.”

  Beck wouldn’t be able to dance with two broken legs.

  Myra giggled at Beck as Holt placed a hand under her elbow and guided her across the large ballroom toward the exit. They were almost home free when Dane and Lily seemed to materialize out of nowhere.

  “Myra, we found you.” Lily hugged her friend and then linked her arm with Dane’s. “My mom and dad just called and they were hoping they could keep Amelia and Nicky for the night.”

  Myra’s look of dismay almost made Holt laugh. Apparently she’d been counting on Amelia’s presence as a buffer between the two of them.

  “I guess that’s okay,” Myra finally answered. “Are your parents sure they want both of them?”

  “They say it’s actually easier when they have both since the kids play so nicely together. So I can tell them yes? Dane and I will go pick them up in the morning since we’re taking my parents out for breakfast. We’ll just drop Amelia off after that.”

  Lily had her phone out and was pressing a few buttons. Holt silently thanked whoever was watching over them that he would have all night if needed to talk to Myra.

  After a brief discussion of overnight logistics for the kids and a tension-filled wait for the limo to pull up to the front of the building, Holt finally had Myra alone. He rolled up the dark privacy window between the two of them and the driver. It wasn’t soundproof but if they kept their voices down the driver wouldn’t see or hear them at all.

  She sat next to him as stiff as a statue, her head turned away. He’d planned to hold off their discussion until they returned home, but that was an hour away. They couldn’t sit in silence like this for that long.

  “Myra, we need to talk
.”

  Her head swiveled so she was looking at him and he could see that her eyes glistened with unshed tears.

  He was such an asshole.

  Chapter Eleven

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  Myra was damn tired of the emotional wood chipper Holt was putting her through. It wasn’t enough that he’d walked away after making love to her three weeks ago. And it wasn’t enough that he’d basically ignored her all evening from the silent ride in the limo to the party to the rest of the evening that had only been bearable because of Beck.

  Now he wanted them to retrace a path they had already been down. She didn’t need another rehashing of why they couldn’t be together. She relived it every night lying wide awake in her empty bed.

  It hadn’t been easy to act naturally around Amelia when Holt was there too but she’d done it for her daughter. Amelia adored Holt and she would miss him when they moved on. Leaving him would be like tearing out her own heart but he’d left Myra little choice.

  Her heart pounded loudly in her ears and she summoned all the courage she had inside.

  “Before you even start I want you to know that I’m looking for another job. I think it’s best for both of us. Beck said he has lots of connections and that he can put me in the right place at the right time.”

  He sucked in an audible breath. “How long have you been thinking about this? You never said anything.”

  Their gazes collided and her eyes burned with tears. It was her own damn fault she was in this mess, falling for the wrong man. “We haven’t said much of anything to one another since that night unless it’s about business and even then you try to leave me notes. Fiona says she has never seen you spend this much time at the office and we both know why that is. It’s better for both of us if I find a new job.”

  “I don’t want you to go.” Instead of shouting, his words came out hoarse and tortured. She was sure he believed what he was saying. But she also knew something else to be true.

  “But you don’t want me to stay either. I make life more difficult for you.”

  He opened his mouth as if to rebuke her statement but then snapped it shut again. An ache in the vicinity of her heart made it hard to breathe as Holt clearly struggled to answer her charge.