“You don’t like it,” she said. Her shoulders immediately drooped. “I knew it was too much.” Joey turned, flashing him with her flawless back. “I better go change. Just give me a few minutes.”
“Don’t you dare.” His voice returned in full force.
Slowly she faced him.
“Don’t you change a thing.” Ryan walked toward her. “You are perfect.”
She cocked her head as though concerned with his mental state.
“You don’t know, do you?” he asked, closing the distance between them in two easy strides. “You don’t know how truly beautiful you are.”
Joey rolled her eyes. “I’m no Carlina Leoni.”
He shrugged. “You’re right.” Her gaze lowered to the carpet, but Ryan settled his finger beneath her chin and lifted her head so that their eyes would meet. “You’re better than her. You’re real.”
Her clear, chocolate-colored eyes glossed with unshed tears. They widened briefly as they watched his head descend, but then closed a split second before his pillow-soft lips landed on hers.
She was getting used to the taste of him and could feel herself becoming addicted. That made no sense. She was in love with...what’s his name?
Unable to think straight, Joey wondered why she felt as though her body grew lighter, weightless--as though floating on a cloud. His lips pulled away, but she greedily leaned forward to recapture them and prolong their kiss.
At last, it was Ryan’s soft chuckle that burst her languid reverie, and she jumped back, completely baffled with what she just did.
“No need to look like that. I enjoyed the it, too.” He winked and turned back toward the bar. “Would you like a drink before we go downstairs for dinner?”
Still stunned into silence, Joey lifted her slender hand to her lips. What was wrong with her? She was behaving like a fickle teenager who developed crushes on a new boy every week.
“Joey?” he called, setting two glasses on the bar. “Do you like Cristal?”
“S-sure.” She pushed out the solitary word, and then cleared her throat when she realized that she sounded like Kermit the Frog.
Ryan smiled.
“So.” She composed herself and joined him at the bar. “What is the next step in your master plan? Sure there is more to it than a hostile makeover.”
“Hostile?”
She bit her lower lip. “Forced?”
His brows dipped and collided together. “Sergio held a gun to your head, did he?”
Her gaze dropped. “Fine. A fun makeover.”
Ryan’s smile returned. “Yes, there is more to my plan.” He filled their glasses. “Joey, did you know that men are very simple creatures--animals, actually?”
Her lips sloped into an uneven smile. “I’ve heard rumors.”
“It’s true.” Ryan handed her a glass. “Simple. Primitive. Even in the twenty-first century when we don expensive Armani suits, drive fast cars and drip diamonds over our prey...”
Joey shifted nervously on her feet and sipped her drink.
“...a man is still a hunter. We live for the hunt, the thrill of the chase.” Ryan clinked his glass against hers. “A man wants the very thing he thinks he can’t have.” He took his first sip of his drink.
“Okay,” she said slowly, but still looked confused.
“When Larry¾”
“Laurence.”
Ryan exhaled impatiently. “When Laurence sees you tonight, he will see a magnificent creature, undoubtedly the most beautiful woman in the room. You will be happy, exuberant and you will act as though you’re completely over him.”
“What?”
“This is a very important part of the plan,” he said, and took another sip. “Because another unfortunate male truth is--men view the woman they’ve been with as marked territory.”
“That’s absurd!”
“Yes, but it’s true. It’s vital for a man to feel that he can return to the arms of any woman of his past.”
“But he broke up with me,” she said indignantly.
“Doesn’t matter. If Dr. Benson sees you happy with another man¾especially so soon after the break up--he will come obsessed with trying to prove to himself that he can still have you. And you will behave as though he can’t.” Ryan watched her and finished his drink while his words sank into her head.
“So, all I have to do is just laugh?” she asked, lifting her beautiful eyes up at him.
“That...and pretend that I’m the most important man in your life.”
Her brows rose in suspicion.
“Think about what I said,” Ryan reminded her. “He views you as his property so—”
“He doesn’t want to see another man with his property?” she asked, catching on.
“Exactly.” His chest filled with triumph. “Do you think you can do it? Do you think that you can pretend to make me the center of your universe?”
“Well, I’m no actress.” She shrugged. “Speaking of which…what will Carlina be doing while Laurence is fawning over me?”
“Don’t worry about her.”
“How can I not?”
“I’ll take care of Ms. Leoni.”
Joey’s face, once again, twisted in confusion. “How?”
“Well, let’s just say that it’s time for me to see if I can salute another woman.”
“Oh.” She blinked, startled by a stab of jealousy. “Oh, so you think your...little problem--?”
“Shouldn’t be such a problem.” A wicked smile slithered across his face. “I’ve been feeling pretty good lately.”
“Well, I wouldn’t want you...want you to do that just for me. I mean, that’s a little above the call of duty, don’t you think?”
“Ah, well. It’s a favor I don’t mind doing.”
“I see.” Joey took a deep breath and drained the rest of her champagne.
Ryan chuckled. “Don’t forget your low tolerance.”
“I might need another.” Her gaze darted around and seemed to have trouble landing on him.
“You should wait until dinner.” He winked and offered his arm. “It’s better for you to glide into the restaurant instead of stumble.”
Joey nodded and fluttered a smile, even though her stomach twisted into knots.
“Oh, wait a minute,” Ryan said and reached into his jacket pocket. “I forgot to give you this.” He withdrew a small jewelry box and popped it open.
Joey gasped at the sight of the most beautiful diamond ring she’d ever laid eyes on. “Wh-what’s this?”
“Your engagement ring.” Ryan shrugged, but his hands trembled slightly. “I had a friend of mine purchase it for me this afternoon. He did a good job, don’t you think?”
The only thing that crossed Joey’s mind was that she would have to wear sunglasses to wear a diamond that big. “Ryan, I don’t know. I think it’s...too much.”
“A ring is important...for our charade.”
Their eyes locked as Ryan removed the ring from the box and slid it up her finger. Now her hand trembled, not from the ring, but from the all the tiny electric pulses charging from his touch.
“It fits.” She observed, amazed.
“So do we.”
Chapter 20
Hotel Principe di Savoia’s five-star Galleria was celebrated for impeccable cuisine. Tonight it was also the stage for Ryan and Joey masterful performances as a newly engaged couple.
As Joey glided past the hotel’s check-in counter, she recognized the tall, lanky, young man who’d cut up her credit card and, judging by his sudden double take, she guessed that he’d recognized her, too. She favored him with a triumphant smile and clung tighter to her escort.
“I see you’re already getting the hang of this,” Ryan whispered, mistaking her smile.
“Practice makes perfect.”
They continued their stroll across the hotel’s grand marble flooring until they reached the restaurant’s door. The establishment’s host, a distinguished septuagenarian with a silver wid
ow’s peak, glanced up from his long reservation list and instantly recognized Ryan.
“Ah, Signore Donovan. We were thrilled to learn you and your beautiful guest would be dining with us this evening.”
“This beautiful guest is my fiancée,” Ryan amended.
The host took the correction with a smile. “My apologies, signore.” He looked to Joey and gave a half bow. “I’m pleased to inform you that your table is ready,” he said. “If you will follow me.”
“Ready?” Ryan whispered.
She drew a deep breath, stilled her wobbling legs, and then nodded to start the show.
Together they fell in line behind their host, and the moment they entered the main dining room, all eyes, whether blatant or covetly, followed them.
Joey could hardly breathe let alone smile and gaze adoringly at the man whose arm she still clutched like her personal life-support machine. Yet, somehow, she managed.
#
“Who the hell is she?” Carlina hissed as her bejeweled fingers gripped her salad fork. Her eyes narrowed and then widened as the roamed over each diamond that clung to the mysterious girl’s ears, neck, wrist and hand. “She looks familiar.”
Laurence would have answered, but he was almost certain that his eyes were playing tricks on him. It simply couldn’t be. But when the woman’s soft laugh drifted over to him, he knew there was no mistaking it. “Jo-Jo.”
“What?” Carlina’s head snapped toward him. “Your Jo-Jo?”
“Well, technically she’s not my Jo-Jo anymore.” He laughed, but his fiancée looked far from being amused.
“What is she still doing with Ryan…wearing an engagement ring?”
“What?” He half stood out of his chair to see for himself, but Carlina quickly pulled him back down into his chair.
“Don’t look so obvious,” she snapped. A scowl marred her once-beautiful features and then, as she forcibly composed herself, it disappeared.
Another bubble of Joey’s laughter floated throughout the room, and Laurence squirmed in his seat as though he waited for a root canal. It didn’t make sense. Joey, honest almost to a fault, had stated that she wasn’t dating anyone else. So how was it possible that within a week’s time she was sporting a ring from one of Hollywood’s powerful directors?
Hollywood moves fast, but this had to be a record.
“Larry, did you hear me?” Carlina hissed at him again.
“No, dear,” he said with his gaze still piercing across the room. “What did you say?”
“I said I want to know what’s going on with them.”
“You’re not the only one.”
Joey opened her mouth and allowed Ryan to plop a piece of their delicious Italian bread into her mouth and then moaned seductively. “That is good.”
“You keep moaning like that and I’m going to have to cut your boy when he comes over here to try and steal you away.”
She laughed at his confidence. “I seriously doubt that he will come--”
“Ryan,” Carlina’s syrupy voice interrupted. “What a surprise seeing you here.”
Ryan cast a quick glance over his shoulder. “Not really.” He returned his attention to Joey. “The American cast is staying at the same hotel. It’s reasonable to think we’ll bump into each other during meal time, as well.”
Joey smiled and kept her eyes locked on Ryan, mostly because she was afraid to look at Laurence--afraid that he would see through her performance. After all, she’d only been an actress for twenty minutes.
“Aren’t you going to say hello, Jo-Jo?”
Damn. Slowly, calmly, she glanced up, widened her eyes to the appropriate degree to covey surprise, and then laugh. “Laurence, I didn’t see you standing there.”
Ryan squeezed her hand. Had she blown her cover?
Laurence nodded with his eyes searing into hers. “I can’t tell you how stunned I am to see you here. One would think you followed me.”
“The only person she was following was me,” Ryan sliced in and brought her diamonded hand to his lips. “Isn’t that right, sweetheart?”
Joey returned her gaze to Ryan as she inched closer to him. “You know I would follow you anywhere, honey.”
Ryan winked. “So how’s that jaw healing up, Dr. Benson? It looks like the swelling has gone down.”
“You’re lucky I didn’t sue--”
“Larry.” No one missed the warning in Carlina’s voice. “You’re talking to my director.”
An ugly war raged across Laurence’s face before he finally clamped his mouth shut, but when Ryan brushed a butterfly kiss again Joey’s nose he spat out a question. “How long you two have been together?”
Ryan answered again. “Long enough for me to know that I want to spend the rest of my life with her.”
Though she knew his words were lies, Joey’s heart still fluttered, and her face heated with embarrassment at the compliment.
“May I?” Carlina reached for Joey’s hand before she had a chance to refuse her inquiry. “Ah, looks like about six carats.” She tossed an angry glare at her fiancé.
“You know your diamonds,” Ryan complimented.
Their waiter appeared. “Will you two be joining Mr. Donovan’s party?”
“Yes,” Carlina answered, and then curved on her million-dollar smile toward Ryan and Joey. “Dinner is on me. I want to be the first to congratulate the happy couple.”
“Well,” Ryan pretended to be a little put off. “We were sort of hoping to have a private celebration.”
“You’ll have plenty of time for that later,” Laurence joined in on the game and took one of the new chairs the staff added to Ryan’s table.
Carlina cleared her throat, and Laurence bounced back up to pull out a chair for her. “Thank you, dear.”
Joey shared a bemused grin with her date and then surprised herself by leaning forward to steal a kiss.
Ryan met her lips in an eager tenderness that caused both of them to momentarily forget about their guests.
Laurence cleared his throat.
Joey shied back and apologized. “We tend to get carried away,” she offered as an excuse.
“Apparently.” Laurence sulked as the waiter poured everyone fresh drinks. “I guess you pulled the wool over my eyes.”
She frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Come now.” He straightened in his chair. “I’ve never seen you like this. The hair, the clothes--you’ve changed.”
Joey suddenly felt like a fraud. “I haven’t changed that much. I’m still a woman who wants to plant roots and watch them grow.”
“Six roots, if I remember correctly.”
“Six?” Carlina chuckled in horror. “Don’t you think that’s a little too...domestic? Do you know what that many kids could do to a woman’s figure?”
“Actually,” Ryan butted in, “I was hoping for more. Seven--maybe eight?”
“Eight children?” Carlina questioned. “You? Come now, Ryan. You must be pulling my leg.”
“Why is that so hard to believe?” he challenged. “How long do you think a man can go through life, filling his house with useless things? Things that can’t love you back or give measure to a life. Children are a slice of immortality. Who wouldn’t want that?”
Tears glistened in Joey’s eyes, and she quickly lowered them before she embarrassed herself.
“Well, I never quite thought about it that way,” Laurence admitted, his attention settling back on Joey.
Ryan took things a step farther as he lifted Joey’s chin so that their eyes met. “I can hardly wait to have girls with dark, mesmerizing eyes, rich flawless skin and smiles that remind me each time how lucky I am for marrying their mother.”
“The boys,” Joey whispered, “will grow to be as strong and tall, and no matter how well we teach them, they’ll never quite have hearts as big and tender as their father.”
A light twinkled in Ryan’s eyes, and this time it was he who leaned forward and captured another kiss.
Emotions Joey had never experienced, let alone name, crashed through her and uprooted everything she’d ever known. Suddenly she was confused or caught up in her own web of lies.
Throughout dinner Ryan and Joey continued to have eyes only for each other, and more than a few times she thought Laurence’s gaze was going to burn a hole through her head. But before dessert was served, Carlina made announcement.
“I better visit the little girl’s room. Jo, would you care to join me?”
I rather go skinny dipping in a tank full of white sharks. “Sure.”
Ryan jumped from his seat and quickly helped Joey from her chair.
“Try not to miss me,” she flirted.
“You know I will.” He kissed her cheek and watched her walk away.
During the walk to the ladies’ room, Joey wondered whether she was going to have to throw punches in her beautiful white gown once they reached their destination. It’s not that she wouldn’t mind; it’s just that she really would hate to get blood all over it.
Carlina pushed through the door and checked around before she waltzed over to the large, rectangular mirror before the sinks.
“I have to hand it to you,” Carlina said saucily. “You’re one smooth operator. I’ve never seen Ryan so completely whipped--and so quickly. What’s your secret?”
Joey folded her arms. “I don’t follow you.”
“Oh, we’re going to play that game, are we?” Carlina turned toward her. Her eyes glinted like the wicked witch of the west. “You can’t out slick a can of oil, dear. I know a gold digger when I see one. And you’re the best one I’ve seen in a long time. Eight children. Please!”
“I’m confused,” Joey admitted. “You’re engaged but yet you’re acting like your jealous of me and Ryan.”
“I’m jealous of no woman,” Carlina seethed. “I can get any man, any time. I took Laurence, didn’t I? And right from under your nose.”
“That’s one way of looking at it.” Joey stepped toward the woman and met her gaze daringly. “Or you can say I took Ryan right from under yours. If you ask me, I got the better deal.”
Chapter 21
When You Were Mine (Adams Sisters) Page 13