Charade

by Lori Foster

  A small, relieved smile quirked on his lips. “Yeah, a little.”

  “I’ll start breakfast. The coffee should be ready in just a minute. There’s also juice in the refrigerator.”

  John tilted his head. “Since when do you drink coffee? The last time I asked, you said it was bad for me and gave me tea instead.”

  “Uh...” She’d bought the coffee for Judd, but it didn’t seem prudent to tell John that. “You’re older now. I see no reason why you can’t drink coffee if you like.”

  “Okay.” John still seemed a little bemused, but then he squared his shoulders. “I ran away, Emmie. Mom and Dad refused to bring me home, and I couldn’t take another minute of sitting around waiting to see which doctor they’d produce next.”

  Suddenly, Emily felt so tired she wanted to collapse. “They’ll be worried sick, John.”

  “Ha! I left them a note. You watch. When they can’t reach me at home, they’ll call here, probably blame you somehow, then carry on as if they’re on vacation. We both know they’ll be glad to be rid of me. Lately, I’ve been an embarrassment.”

  Since Emily had suffered similarly at the hands of her parents, she knew she couldn’t truthfully deny what he said. She decided to stick to the facts, and to try to figure out what to do. “You came straight here from the airport?”

  “Yeah. Mom and Dad probably don’t even realize I’m gone yet. They had a couple of parties to attend.”

  The disdain, and the hurt, were obvious in his tone. She wished she could make it all better for John, but she didn’t have any answers. “You know you’re welcome here as long as you like.”

  John stared at his feet. “Thanks.”

  “You also know you’ll have to face them again sooner or later.”

  “I don’t see why,” he said. “They’re disgusted with me now, but they won’t say so. They never really say anything. You know how they are. I won’t hang around and let them treat me the way they treat you. Do you remember how they acted when that fiancé of yours tried to scam them for money? Did they offer you support or comfort? No, they wouldn’t even come right out and yell at you. They just made you feel like dirt. And they never forget. I don’t think you’ve been to the house since, that Mom didn’t manage to bring it up, always in some polite way, that she’d been right all along about him, that you’d been used by that jerk, just so he could get his hands on your money.” John shook his head. “No thanks, I don’t want to put up with that. I can just imagine...how...I’d...”

  Emily looked up from pouring the coffee when John’s voice trailed off. She’d heard it all before, his anger on her behalf, his indignation that she let her parents indulge in their little barbs.

  She didn’t understand what had silenced him now until she followed his gaze and saw Judd leaning against the doorjamb. He had his jeans on—just barely. The top button was undone and they rode low on his hips. His feet were bare, he wore no shirt and his hair fell over his forehead in disarray. He looked incredibly sexy, and the way he watched her, with so much heat, instantly had her blushing.

  Then John stood. “Who the hell are you, and what are you doing in my sister’s house?”

  * * *

  Judd wished Emily’s little brother had waited just a bit longer before noticing him. The conversation had taken a rather interesting turn, and he wouldn’t have minded gaining a little more insight into Emily. But he supposed he could question her later on this fiancé of hers and find out exactly what had happened.

  He was careful not to look overlong at the boy’s scars, not that they were really all that noticeable, anyway. But just from the little he’d heard, he knew John was very sensitive about them. He was actually a good-looking kid, with the all-American look of wealth. Now, however, he appeared mightily provoked and ready to attack.

  Judd ignored him.

  His gaze locked on Emily, and suddenly he was cursing. “Damn, Em, are you okay?”

  Emily faltered. “What?”

  He strode forward until he could gently touch the side of her face. “You’ve got a black eye.”

  “I do?” Her hand went instantly to her cheek.

  “It’s not bad, babe. But it looks like it might hurt like hell.”

  She cleared her throat and cast a nervous glance at her brother. “No, it feels fine.”

  Judd smiled, then deliberately leaned down to press a gentle kiss to the bruise. Before Emily could step away, he caught her hands and lifted them out to her sides. In a low, husky tone, he said, “Look at you.” His eyes skimmed over the white cotton eyelet robe. The hem of her gown was visible beneath and showed a row of lace and ice-blue satin trim. It was feminine and romantic and had him hard in a heartbeat.

  Leaning down by her ear, Judd whispered in a low tone so her brother wouldn’t hear, “I woke up and missed you. You shouldn’t have left me.”

  He could feel the heat of her blush and smiled to himself, then turned to greet her brother. The kid looked about to self-destruct. Judd stuck out his hand. “Hi. Judd Sanders.”

  John glared. “What are you doing in my sister’s house?” he repeated.

  “That’s none of your damn business.” Then in the next breath, Judd asked, “Didn’t you notice Emily’s black eye?”

  John stiffened, a guilty flush staining his lean cheeks. “It’s not that noticeable. And besides, Emily was asking about me, so I didn’t have time—”

  “Yeah, right.” Judd turned to Emily. “Why don’t you sit down and rest? I’ll fix breakfast. What do you feel like eating?”

  “Hey, wait a minute!” John’s neck had turned red now, too. He apparently didn’t like being ignored.

  Judd sighed. “What?”

  For a moment, John seemed to forget what he wanted. He opened his mouth twice, and his hand went self-consciously to his scar. Then he asked, with a good dose of suspicion, “How did Emmie get a black eye?”

  Judd smiled to himself. He folded his arms over his chest and braced his bare feet apart. “Some guy broke in here—”

  “It was nothing, John.” Emily frowned at Judd and then rushed toward her brother. “Would you like to go freshen up, John, before breakfast?”

  “Women freshen up, Em. Not men.”

  She glared at Judd for that observation.

  Judd lifted his eyebrow. “He has every right to know what happened to you. He’s your brother and you care about him, so it only stands to reason that he cares for you, too.” Judd looked toward John. “Am I right?”

  “Yeah.” John stepped forward. “What did happen?”

  Emily looked so harassed, Judd took pity on her. “Why don’t you go upstairs and...freshen up, Em, or change or whatever. I’ll entertain your brother for you and start breakfast.” Then he leaned down close to her ear. “Not that I don’t like what you’re wearing. You look damn sexy. But little brother looks ready to attack.”

  Her eyes widened and she cast a quick glance at John. “Yes, well, I suppose I ought to get dressed...” She rushed from the room. Judd watched her go, admiring the way her delectable rear swayed in the soft gown.

  “What did you say to her?”

  Little brothers were apparently a pain in the butt, and Judd wasn’t known for his patience. But he supposed, for Emily, he ought to make the effort. “I told her how attractive she is. I get the feeling she isn’t used to hearing compliments very often.” The way he said it placed part of the blame for that condition directly on John. Judd didn’t think it would hurt him to know Emily needed comforting every bit as much as anyone else. “Emily’s a woman. They like to know when they look nice.”

  As he spoke, Judd opened the cabinets and rummaged around for pancake mix and syrup. It was one of the few breakfast things he knew how to make. He wanted to pamper Emily, to make her realize how special she was.

  Last night had been unexpected, something he hadn’t dared dream about, something he supposed shouldn’t have happened. But it had happened, and even though he didn’t know what he was going to
do about it yet, how to balance his feelings for Emily with his need to get Donner, he knew he didn’t want her to be uncomfortable around him.

  He thought breakfast might be a good start. Besides, he owed her one from yesterday.

  John interrupted his thoughts with a lot of grousing and grumbling. “I’m good to Emily.”

  “Are you?” He pulled out a couple of eggs to put in the mix, his mind whirling on possible ways to proceed against Donner, while keeping Emily uninvolved. Perhaps having her brother here would distract her from capturing the gun dealer.

  “She’s been worried about me.”

  Judd glanced at John as he pulled down a large glass mixing bowl. “I don’t see why. You seem healthy and strong. Hell, you’re twice her size.” He took the milk from the refrigerator and added it to the mix.

  “I nearly lost my eyesight not too long ago. And now I’ve got these damn scars.”

  Judd gave up for a moment on the pancakes. He turned to give John his full attention. “That little scar on the side of your face?”

  John nearly choked. “Little?”

  “It’s not that big a deal. So you’ve got a scar? You’re a man. Men are expected to get banged up a little. Happens all the time. It’s not like you’re disabled or anything. You’ll still be able to work and support yourself, won’t you?”

  “I’m only sixteen.”

  Judd shrugged. “I was thinking long term.”

  “My face is ruined.”

  “Naw. You’re still a good-lookin’ kid. And in a few more years, that scar will most likely fade until you can barely see it. Besides, you’ll probably get all kinds of sympathy from the females once you hit college. So what’s the problem?”

  John collapsed back in his chair. “You really don’t think the scars are all that bad?”

  Judd went back to mixing the batter. “I didn’t even notice them at first. Of course, with Emily around that’s not saying much. I wouldn’t notice an elephant at the table when she looks at me with those big brown eyes. Your sister is a real charmer.”

  There was a stretch of silence. “You and Emily got something going?”

  “Yeah. Something. I’m not sure what. Hey, how many pancakes can you eat? About ten?”

  “I suppose. I didn’t know Emily was dating anyone.”

  “We aren’t actually dating.”

  “Oh.” Another silence. “Should I be worried about this?”

  That brought Judd around. “Well, hallelujah. I didn’t think anyone ever worried about Em.”

  John frowned. “She’s my sister. Of course I worry about her.”

  “Good. But no, you don’t have to worry right now. I’ll take care of her.”

  “And I’m just supposed to believe you because you say so?”

  He almost smiled again. John sounded just like his sister. “Why not? Emily does.”

  That brought a laugh. “My parents would have a field day with that analogy. They don’t think Emily has very good judgment.”

  “And what do you think?”

  “I think she’s too naive, too trusting and a very good person.”

  Judd grinned. “Me, too.”

  “So tell me how she got the black eye.”

  Suddenly, John looked much older, and very serious. Judd gave one sharp nod. “You can set the table while I talk.”

  Fifteen minutes later, Judd had three plates full of pancakes, and he’d finished a rather convoluted explanation of Emily’s exploits. It was an abridged version, because even though Judd admitted to helping Emily, he didn’t say anything about going undercover as a male stripper, or his overwhelming attraction to Emily, or their newly discovered sexual chemistry. In fact, he wasn’t certain yet just what that chemistry was, so he sure as hell wasn’t about to discuss it with anyone, let alone Emily’s little brother.

  John was appalled to learn what steps Emily had taken to try to help him.

  And he hadn’t even noticed her black eye.

  Judd knew he was feeling guilty, which hopefully would help bring him out of his self-pity. “So you can see how serious Emily is about this.”

  “Damn.” John rubbed one hand over his scar, then across his neck. “What can I do to help?”

  Ah. Just the reaction he’d hoped for. From what Emily had told him about John, Judd hadn’t known for sure what to expect. By all accounts, John could have been a very spoiled, selfish punk. But then, he had Emily for a sister, so that scenario didn’t seem entirely feasible. “You want to help? Stay out of the east end. And stay out of trouble.”

  “But there must be something—”

  “No.” When John started to object, Judd cursed. “I’m having enough trouble keeping an eye on Emily. And she has enough to do without worrying about you more than she already does. Give her a rest, John. Get your act together and keep it together.”

  “That’s easy for you to say. You don’t know my parents.”

  “No. But I do know your sister. If she turned out so great, I suppose you can, too.”

  John laughed. “That’s one way of looking at it.”

  Emily walked into the room just then, and Judd immediately went to her. He tried to keep his eyes on her face as he talked to her, but she was wearing another one of those soft, ladylike dresses. But what really drove him insane was the white lace tie that circled her throat and ended in a bow. Without meaning to, his fingers began toying with it. “I told your brother what happened.”

  The frown she gave him showed both irritation and concern. “Judd.”

  “Hey, it’s okay,” John said as he took a plate of pancakes and smothered them in warm syrup. “I’m glad he told me. And I’m glad he’s looking after you.”

  “Judd is not looking after me. He’s a...well, a partner of sorts.”

  Judd lowered his eyebrows as if in deep thought, then gave a slow, very serious nod. “Of sorts.”

  The look she sent him insisted he behave himself. He wasn’t going to, though. A slight tug on the bow brought her an inch or two closer. His eyes drifted from her neatly brushed hair, her slender stockinged legs and her flat, black shoes. Her attire was casual, but also very elegant. “You look real pretty in that dress, Em. Do you always wear such...feminine stuff?”

  Trying to act as though she wasn’t flushed a bright pink, Emily stepped out of his reach and picked up her own plate. She stared at the huge stack of pancakes. “Most of my wardrobe is similar, yes. This is one of my older dresses because I have some work to do today.”

  “I like it.”

  John suddenly laughed. “I think you’ve caught a live one, Emmie. I don’t remember what’s-his-name ever acting this outrageous. He always tried to suck up to Mom and Dad by being as stuffy and proper as they are.”

  After frowning at her brother and giving a quick shake of her head, she said, “I can’t truly imagine Judd ever ‘sucking up’ to anyone. Can you?”

  “It’ll be interesting to see what the folks think of him.”

  An expression of horror passed over her face. “For heaven’s sake, John. I doubt Judd has any interest in meeting our parents.”

  Judd narrowed his eyes at the way she’d said that. So she didn’t want him to meet them? It was no skin off his nose. He wasn’t into doing the family thing, anyway. He couldn’t remember one single woman he’d ever dated who wanted to rush him home to meet her mama.

  But somehow, coming from Emily, the implicit rejection smarted. “There wouldn’t be any reason for me to meet them. Especially since they’re out of the country, right?”

  Emily stared at her fork. “Yes. And we should have everything resolved before they return if we’re as close to finishing this business as you say.”

  And once everything was resolved, there would be no reason to keep him around? Judd wanted to ask, but he couldn’t. It was annoying to admit, but he felt vulnerable. He couldn’t quite credit Emily with using him; she simply wasn’t that mercenary. But that didn’t mean she wouldn’t gladly take advantage of a situ
ation when it presented itself. He’d known from the start that she wanted him. They’d met, and sparks had shot off all around them. And if she wanted to have a fling on what she considered “the wild side of life,” Judd was more than willing to oblige. For a time.

  He would get a great deal of satisfaction when Donner was taken care of, and he’d be able to return to his normal routine: life without a driving purpose. He’d be alone again, without Max and without the overwhelming need to avenge him. Actually, he’d have no commitments, no obligations at all, unless Emily...

  Judd shook his head. With any luck, he’d be wrong in what he was feeling, and he wouldn’t miss her. The time he had with Emily right now would be enough.

  Hell, he’d make it enough.

  With that thought in mind, he urged Emily to eat, and he dug into his own pancakes. When she was almost finished, curiosity got the better of him and he asked, “So who was this bozo who tried to schmooze your parents?”

  Emily choked. He took the time to whack her on the back a few times, then caught her chin and turned her face his way. “Emily?”

  When she didn’t answer right away, John spoke up. “Emmie was engaged to a guy for a while. She loved him, but he only wanted to use her to get in good with my parents. Luckily, everyone found out in time, before the wedding.”

  “Thank you very much, John.”

  “Oh, come on, sis. It wasn’t your fault. The guy was a con artist.”

  “Yes, he was. And that is all in the past. I’d appreciate it if we found something else to talk about.”

  Judd transferred his gaze to John. “Your folks are pretty hard on her about it still?”

  “God, yes. And she lets them. I don’t think I’ve ever heard her really defend herself, though I’d like to see her tell them where to go. They even try to bully her into giving up her work with the homeless. They keep reminding her how she got burned once. It was a real embarrassing event. The papers got wind of it and all of society knew.” John made a face, then added, “My parents really hate being publicly embarrassed.”

  With a disgusted sound of protest, Emily stood and took her plate to the sink. Judd glanced toward her, then back to John. “She’s still a little touchy about it.”