All of this was running through her mind when she found the girls sitting out by the pool having quiche lorraine and black coffee.
“May I join you?” she asked when she made it to the table.
“That depends,” Robyn said, putting down her fork. “Because you may not like to hear what we have to say.”
Kimberly frowned. “What are you talking about?”
Gabrielle pushed a section of newspaper toward her. Kimberly picked it up and scanned the pages. There in black-and-white in the society pages of the Beverly Hills Times was yet another headline about Jaxon Dunham and Stephanie Sawyer, along with their photos. It was the first time Kimberly had seen a picture of Stephanie. She could have gone online and searched for information about the woman, but she hadn’t wanted anything to sully what Jaxon had told her. But now with the newspaper right in front of her, she couldn’t resist taking a seat and skimming the article. Stephanie refused to let her relationship with Jaxon end quietly even though it had been nearly two months since their breakup.
“Where is the elusive bachelor who broke the socialite’s heart?” the paper asked. “Is he as heartless as she claims?”
She threw the newspaper down on the table and glanced at her friends. “So you know who he is.” She said it more like a statement than a question.
“Yeah,” Gabrielle said sarcastically. “Jaxon Dunham of the Dunham Foundation. Kim, how could you keep something like this from us?”
Before she could answer, Robyn asked her, “Did you read that article?” She pointed to the society section she’d thrown back on the table. “It says that he led her on, this Stephanie whoever she is, making false promises before he dropped her like a hot potato. The poor girl is heartbroken.”
“There are two sides to every story,” Kimberly said in Jaxon’s defense, “and you’re only reading Stephanie’s side.”
“That’s because you haven’t shared Jaxon’s side with us.”
“Did I have to?” Kimberly spat back. “Forgive me if I wanted to keep some information about our relationship to myself.” She rose from the table.
“That’s not fair, Kim,” Gabrielle replied.
“The two of you ganging up on me is not fair,” Kimberly said as she began to walk away from the table.
“Oh, no, you don’t.” Robyn rose and grabbed her by the arm. “So you knew about this, this Stephanie person?”
“Of course I did,” Kimberly said. “Do you think I would just blindly fall into bed with a man?”
“All right, all right, let’s all settle down.” Gabrielle tried being the voice of reason. “Guests are watching.”
Suddenly Kimberly remembered her surroundings and noticed a few people were staring at them. She pursed her lips. “Fine.”
Once they were all seated, Robyn wasted no time firing off a question. “How long have you known?”
“I didn’t know initially,” Kimberly replied tartly. “But before we became intimate, he shared his story with me and what happened between him and Stephanie.”
“Clearly you felt comfortable after that to embark on a relationship with him,” Gabrielle said. “But why didn’t you at least tell us who he was? That’s what irks us the most. I mean, maybe what happened with Stephanie isn’t our business, even though we’re your girls and only want what’s best for you. But at the very least you could have told us his connection with the Dunhams. We’ve been worried sick about the gala and now we know you’ve had the inside scoop all along.”
Kimberly turned to Gabby. “I don’t have any inside scoop. I told Jaxon to pick the Belleza only if he thinks we’re the best fit for the gala. I don’t want him to choose us because he’s sleeping with me.” She whispered the last sentence so no one would hear them.
“Ah, now there’s the Kimberly I know and love,” Robyn said, breathing a sigh of relief.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you guys about Jaxon, but our relationship caught me off guard. I wasn’t expecting...”
“To fall in love,” Robyn offered.
Kimberly glanced up at her and she knew in that moment that she could no longer deny how she felt any more than she could stop breathing. These were her oldest and dearest friends in the world and if she couldn’t be honest with them, who could she be honest with?
Tears sprang to her eyes, but she couldn’t say the words aloud. She merely nodded her head.
Robyn and Gabrielle instantly scooted their chairs over to her and wrapped their arms around her.
After several minutes, Robyn spoke. “And how does he feel about you?”
“I don’t know,” Kimberly answered honestly as a tear fell down her cheek.
“Then he’s treating you the same way he did Stephanie, leading you on.”
Kimberly shook her head, even though she’d thought the very same thing a few moments ago as she walked over to breakfast. “No, Jaxon never made me any promises, and he didn’t make Stephanie any, either.”
“So he’s a serial dater?” Gabrielle scoffed. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
Robyn glared at Gabrielle before turning back to Kimberly. “Okay, he hasn’t made you any promises, so no harm, no foul. You can still get out of this with your dignity intact. End it, Kimberly. End it before he breaks your heart, too.”
Kimberly rose suddenly from the table. “I have to get to the office. I’ll see you both later at the staff meeting.” She didn’t bother to hear their responses; she just rushed across the pool pavement as fast as she could in her peep-toe pumps.
As much as she wanted to go to Jaxon and talk to him, she had more pressing matters to deal with. She had to meet with the insurance adjuster at the Ruby Retreat.
Fire insurance coverage was part of the property insurance policy the Belleza had, so all the damages would be covered after their twenty-five-thousand-dollar deductible was met. The adjuster gave Kimberly the names of several licensed contractors that would accept their insurance, and thankfully, the contractor who’d done their renovations five years ago was on that list.
Kimberly never got a chance to talk with Jaxon because one meeting led to another and another. He hadn’t been far from her thoughts whether she was talking to the adjuster, discussing a potential update to the Ruby Retreat’s look with the contractor, meeting with the private investigator or walking the property with the landscaper on new plant choices for the front entranceway. Jaxon called her once on her mobile and sent her a few texts, which she’d been unable to respond to.
At the staff meeting later that afternoon, she made it clear to everyone that she wouldn’t tolerate hearing any rumors about the curse of the Belleza.
“C’mon, Kim,” Antoine, her assistant manager, said, “you have to admit that the Belleza has a haunted past.”
“A curse doesn’t exist,” she said firmly. Then she looked around the room. “And I need you all to foster this sentiment.”
“What about Trina Erickson’s birthday party?” Robyn asked. “I received a formal request for a proposal from her.”
Kimberly rolled her eyes upward. She wished she could give Trina the same amount of courtesy she’d shown them over the years—none—but that would be unprofessional. “Have you prepared something?”
Robyn nodded. “I did.” She handed Kimberly the presentation packet.
Kimberly quickly skimmed over it. “Looks good. Send it out and let’s see if she bites.”
“Will do,” Robyn replied.
Once the meeting concluded, she didn’t stay in the conference room to talk to the girls even though she knew they wanted to talk her, not just about Trina’s request, but about Jaxon, too. But until she and Jaxon hashed things out, she couldn’t speak to them again.
By the time she made it back to her desk, it was well after 5:00 p.m. and she still needed to go through the nearly hun
dred emails waiting for her. It was going to be a long night.
* * *
Jaxon was worried. It wasn’t like Kimberly not to call or at least text. She was always very responsive. Could another incident have occurred? If so, he hadn’t heard anything. Was she mad at him for some reason? But he couldn’t think of a single reason. Last night, they’d shared a fun night, laughing, talking and watching movies. It had been very platonic. He’d shown her that there was more to their relationship than just the physical.
Was that the reason she hadn’t called? Had she really wanted him to make love to her and he’d offended her by not taking her to bed? Well, he would rectify that problem tonight.
Unfortunately he had Dunham Foundation business to attend to. He joined the conference call just as Hayley was going through roll call.
“Glad to see you could join us,” his father said when Jaxon answered after his name was called.
He didn’t respond; he just listened to the updates on old business from previous meetings. One of the outstanding items was the location for the Dunham Foundation annual gala.
“We have to decide,” his mother stated. “We’re running out of time.”
“Well, perhaps if you weren’t so picky,” his grandmother Ruth admonished, “we wouldn’t be in this position.” The two women had always been at odds. His mother thought Ruth considered her high maintenance even though Ruth was the very person who’d pushed his father into marriage.
“I’m not picky. I’m selective, Mother Dunham. And there is a new hotel, The Pinnacle, opening up soon that we might want to consider.”
“Do we really want to go with an unproven hotel? I’ve looked at all the other options,” Jaxon said, “and I think the Belleza is the perfect fit.”
“Is there a reason you think so, brother?” Hayley teased him.
“If you must know, yes,” Jaxon responded. “Not only does the Belleza have the history and reputation to back it up rather than an upstart like The Pinnacle, it’s just a two-hour drive from Los Angeles, so our guests will not have far to travel. And the hotel’s grand ballroom is spectacular. I believe you visited, Hales?”
“Jack’s right,” she admitted. “The Belleza’s grand ballroom is breathtaking and the staff took great care to show what our event might look like. You all have their presentation packet and the photos that were taken. I was impressed.”
“I think we should take it to a vote,” his father commented, “so we can put this matter to bed.”
His mother interrupted, but his father stopped her.
“It’s time, Claire,” he said.
“Very well, then.”
Hayley completed the call for the vote. Despite his mother’s initial qualms, the decision was unanimous. The Belleza would hold the Dunham Foundation gala.
Business moved on. They continued a heated discussion on grants and eventually agreed to support the Second Harvest Food Bank since it was a local homegrown organization. They would fund the fight against autism in next year’s budget.
After new business was concluded, Jaxon was about to get off the conference call, but his father stopped him. “A word, Jaxon. Everyone else can leave.”
Jaxon heard the voices of the family as they said their goodbyes and left the room.
“I’ve put up with your insolence long enough, Jaxon,” his father said. “You’ve made your point that as your parents we’ve disappointed you, but your presence, or should I say lack thereof, has been noted at several meetings with our top clients. As much as you’re handling their interests, from wherever you are, they expect a face-to-face when they’re in town at the end of the month. Should I tell them we can expect you?”
Jaxon hated having his arm twisted. “I’ll be back.” And with that he ended the call. The end of the month was in a few days. Now he had to figure out what his next move was.
* * *
Kimberly wasn’t looking forward to the conversation she needed to have with Jaxon. She hated to put him on the spot, but she had to know where she stood and where their relationship was going. On the other hand, she wasn’t ready to end it as Robyn had suggested. Any time she spent with Jaxon was precious and she didn’t want to give it up despite how much it might hurt to know that he didn’t love her as she much as she loved him.
He arrived on her doorstep at nearly 9:00 p.m. After getting home an hour earlier, she’d just had time to shower and put on a silk romper with a splash of perfume before she opened the door.
“Hey, babe.” He leaned down for a kiss.
“Hi, yourself.” She kept the kiss brief and pulled away, opening the door wider. “C’mon in.”
She noticed the disappointed look on his face at her greeting when he walked inside, but it disappeared when he turned back to her.
“So what would you like to do tonight?” he asked, reaching for her and circling his arms around her waist.
She wiggled free of his grasp. “Actually, I thought we could talk first.” She walked over to the couch and took a seat.
“Talk?” He looked perplexed and a bit bewildered by her rejection. “Okay, what would you like to talk about?”
He sat beside her, but she shifted away from him slightly. When they were close, it was too easy to fall under the spell of the strong attraction between them; he’d have her on her back before she’d get a word out. Some physical distance would help keep her mind clear and on the task at hand.
She looked at him and answered his question. “Stephanie. Us.”
His brows furrowed at the name and he remained silent.
Now that the moment was here, Kimberly was nervous as hell. “Well, we’ve never really talked about us, and I guess I don’t want to get into the same situation that you had with Stephanie. I saw the Beverly Hills Times society pages today, as did my friends.”
“So they know who I am?”
She nodded. “If your family finds out where you are, it won’t have come from them.”
“I know that. But let me guess. They were worried after reading what happened between me and Stephanie? And now you are, too?”
She nodded.
“Kimberly, my story has changed. Stephanie and I started out as childhood friends. We grew up together, but our parents wanted to play matchmaker, and to appease them, we played along and in doing so became lovers. I thought it couldn’t hurt. I mean Stephanie was a good-looking girl, but I never made any commitment of any kind to her. I was up-front with Stephanie that I didn’t want to marry. I’m sorry if she got the wrong impression.”
Kimberly stared back at Jaxon. Was she behaving the same as Stephanie? Had she gotten the wrong impression because the attraction between them was so strong?
* * *
Jaxon eyed Kim warily. This conversation had sprung up on him out of the blue. How had they gotten here that quickly? They’d only been seeing each other for a couple of weeks. Was Kimberly like Stephanie? Was she another frantic woman in desperate need of a husband? No. Kim was nothing like Stephanie. Kim was a career-minded person like himself, strong and independent, while Stephanie was a trust-fund baby. Kimberly didn’t have a manipulative bone in her body. She wanted reassurance; she wanted to hear how he felt about her, but he wasn’t sure he understood his feelings, so how could he voice them?
He scooted toward her. He wouldn’t let her put distance between them, especially because her fears about Stephanie were unfounded. “Listen, there was never anything substantial between me and Stephanie. Nothing other than sex. Stephanie seems to have gone on this media rampage out of spite. You can’t believe a word she says.”
Kim’s next question was bold and direct. “Do you consider what we have to be ‘substantial’?”
His answer was to reach across the couch, sweep Kimberly into his arms and kiss her with all the pent-up passion he’d felt s
ince yesterday. He didn’t speak; he just picked her up off the couch and carried her toward the bedroom.
“Jaxon, wait!”
But he didn’t wait; he kicked open the door with his foot, and without turning on the lights, he strolled over to her bed. Not letting her go, he laid her down, framing her face and kissing her deeply. His tongue flicked out to moisten her lips and they parted, allowing him entry just as he began attacking the buttons on her romper. He sent them flying as he went after her with a hunger and urgency he hadn’t known possible. He stripped her until she was naked.
He must have succeeded in changing the topic of conversation, because she murmured, “Hurry.”
He removed his clothes in lightning speed. When he was just as naked as she, he put on a condom and joined her on the bed. His heart thudded loudly in his chest and a flood of sensations overtook him as he gazed down at her. Tangling his fingers in her hair, he tugged her toward him so he could glide the tip of his tongue across the fullness of her mouth. When she let out a soft moan, he used the opportunity to take advantage and feast on her hungrily. Their mouths locked together and he devoured her as if he was a starving man and she was his banquet.
A part of his brain told him that their union should be slow and gentle, but he knew it was going to be fast and hard. He teased her sweet folds aside and found her wet, and his muscles tightened with desire. He began stroking her, ardently fondling her womanhood, giving her his undivided, singular focus.
“Jaxon...” she murmured in a tortured groan.
When she could take no more and he could feel the rumble of a scream coming on, he gripped her hips and in one quick movement he entered her. An electrical charge went right through him as he surged inside her. He let out a ragged breath as he joined their bodies as one.
“Wrap your legs around me,” he barked.
Kimberly did as she was told, taking him all the way inside her. He moved back and forth inside her and she lifted her hips off the bed as he pumped. She was plotting a course to send him soaring to the ultimate experience and he was happy to be on the ride.
Heat Wave of Desire Page 15