by Unknown
“Are you kidding me? How about getting knocked up and having twins with no husband in sight?”
“Did he know about the girls?”
She looked down, the laughter drying in her throat. “He knew. He left before they were born, but we’d known since the scan at twenty weeks that there were two babies, and that they were girls. I also contacted him after the births, which went against every instinct not to, but the girls deserved a father, so I gave him the option to be involved.” Megan was playing with her handbag straps, twisting them hard. “He was busy with his company, but he wished me luck and offered to send money.”
“Well, that’s something.”
She looked at him like he was an alien. “Was it? Anyway, I refused to take it.”
He hesitated but seemed incapable of letting the matter rest. “Why would you do that when you were struggling?”
“I didn’t want his guilt money. If he’d asked to see them, or helped out in any way with their physical care, I would have welcomed it. But he didn’t want anything to do with them. I got that he didn’t love me, but I can’t forgive him for not trying to love my girls. It was, is, hard work, but I owe him nothing, and that’s how I like it.”
“Won’t they ask to see him when they get older?”
“I’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. For now, we are all the family we want or need. A man would complicate things, and I don’t have the time or the energy for those sorts of complications.” Her eyes felt like they were brimming with her depth of feeling, and she need to get away from Jordan before she lost all control.
Fortunately, he made it easy for her.
“Good to know. Well, I better let you get inside. Thanks for the company and the insight. I guess I’ll see you at work tomorrow.”
“I’ll be there.”
Megan went inside and leaned against the door, listening to his retreating footsteps. Why had she done that? He was a nice guy. Yes, he was, but he wasn’t the sort of man who wanted a family – a ready-made family at that. She didn’t even know if he liked kids, and she couldn’t afford to date him and run the risk of the girls falling for him, and him walking away one day. Sure, that wasn’t her only concern, but it was a deal-breaker. She rubbed her face hard. She had to stop this. Jordan Lambert was likely to make her crazy at this rate.
Tonight had been a bad idea, as she’d known it would be, so she only had herself to blame for feeling bad. Bad about being mean to him. Bad about still wanting him, no matter that she couldn’t have him.
Keep busy and keep sane. That had been her motto when she was lonely and scared, and she might have to resurrect it until she could be around him and not have it mean so much.
***
Jordan had been hovering outside Megan’s office, waiting for her to arrive at work. The date last night had gone so well, until he’d realized he had no idea what he was doing with her. Why would he want to force a relationship with a woman like Megan? She’d made it abundantly clear from day one that she had no room in her life for him, in spite of the chemistry between them.
Chemistry. They definitely had that in abundance. He knew she felt it too, and he’d convinced himself that it was worth pursuing her for. He’d given it a lot of thought last night when he was frustrated and hurt by her dismissal. He had to leave her alone, but he certainly didn’t want things to be awkward between them. They needed to talk as soon as she got here and try to clear the air.
“Jordan! There you are. I asked for you at the front desk, but that horrid woman who followed you from New York said you were busy. I knew you’d be around somewhere, and that you’d be able to squeeze in some time for me.”
The long-legged blonde threw her arms around him and planted a kiss firmly on his shocked mouth. What the hell was his ex-girlfriend, Amanda, doing here?
“Did you miss me, babe? I sure as anything missed you. I was so bored and our house seemed so lonely. Never mind, I’m here now. I was desperate for a holiday.”
Jordan breathed a sigh of relief. “Oh, a holiday. That’s good. I thought for a moment you’d come to… Never mind. I left the house to you, Amanda. It’s not ours any more. You know that.”
As if he hadn’t spoken, she untangled herself and held his hand. “It will always be ours, babe. Now, where’s your place? I’d like to freshen up and get settled in.”
“I’ll find a spare room for you in the complex. Are you on your own?”
“Don’t be silly. I can share with you. And who would I bring? What do you mean, am I on my own? You know you’re the only man for me.”
She swung around and pressed herself against him at the same moment Megan came through the resort gates. Their eyes locked for a moment, and even as he tried to pry Amanda off him, he knew it looked bad. Getting out of the car, she tried to sidestep them, but Jordan couldn’t let her go thinking the worst of him. As if this would make him appear any worse in her eyes, but he had to try.
“Good morning, Megan. I’d like you to meet Amanda Merton.”
“Pleased to meet you, but I can’t stop to chat. We have a full capacity today and it’s all hands on deck.”
“Hello, sweetie. Don’t let us keep you from your work. Anyway, Jordan and I need a bit of alone time to get reacquainted.”
“Just a minute.” Jordan finally shook Amanda off his arm and ran after Megan. Grabbing her arm, he turned her around. “Megan, this is not how it looks.”
“It’s none of my business how it looks, boss. You two go right ahead and enjoy yourselves. I’ve got plenty to keep me occupied.”
Her eyes narrowed, and Jordan knew this was going to take a bit of talking to get her to see it for what it was. Not that it should matter, since they weren’t an item, but perversely it did matter. Clearly, they wouldn’t be discussing anything right now, as she was heading down the path at a very fast pace, her back ramrod straight, her hands balled into fists.
When she entered the main office, he decided against putting his dirty laundry on display; besides, taking Amanda anywhere near Megan would not help at this point, so he turned back to the woman who had taken him for every cent she could when they split up. On top of that, he couldn’t even remember why he’d been with her for so long, or at all.
“Come up to my place while I get you sorted with a room of your own. It’s a busy time at the resort, but I need my own space.”
She took a step closer and ran a hand up his arm, making a small pout. “But I came all this way to be with you.”
He turned and began the ascent to his house. It wasn’t in him to be cruel, but Amanda was testing his self-control. “I don’t know why you thought that was a good idea. I seem to remember that you called it quits, not me, remember?”
She followed at a slower pace, her heels impractical on the steps.
“I was angry that you chose this resort over me, but I’ve thought about it and I think I was wrong.”
“It wasn’t like that. This was my dream for a long time. You knew that, and you didn’t have anything to give up.”
She sniffed. “Maybe I didn’t have a job, but I had my friends. My life was in New York.”
“Then why are you here?”
“Because I think I could make it work here, as long as I have you.”
She tried to grab his hand but he moved faster, causing her to break in to a trot. “You should have called me. I could have saved you the trip.”
“Don’t be silly. What we had was so good.”
They’d reached his deck and now he turned to her. Next to Megan she looked and sounded plastic, and he thought what a lucky escape he’d had from ending up with a woman like this.
“No, it wasn’t good. I didn’t realize how bad it was until I left. We’re over. You coming here doesn’t change that.”
Her eyes widened. “Are you telling me to leave?”
“I’m saying, have a vacation if that’s what you want, but that’s the extent of things with us.”
A glint came to her eyes
and she looked him up and down as if she was trying to work out what was different in him. “Is there someone else?”
“Whether there is or not wouldn’t change anything.”
Amanda looked shocked. Then her face crumpled and fat tears ran down her cheeks. She would have made a good actress. Her ability to turn her tears on and off was what had kept him from leaving her many times before, but he’d been over it for a long time, and he didn’t buy her sudden show of sadness. Still, he wasn’t a total jerk. He took her arm and led her inside to a couch.
He’d let her get herself back together before he took her down to her room. He picked up the phone and called his receptionist. Chelsea was a little brisk with him, but then she knew Amanda as well as he did.
Chapter Nine
Megan watched as Jordan went up to his place with that tall streak of amazing-looking woman. So much for not hurting her. The two of them were obviously close, and yet Jordan had made her think he was a free agent. Bloody men and their libidos. She was probably nothing more than a challenge to a man who didn’t have his girlfriend on tap.
Chelsea sat at the reception desk, scowling up at Jordan’s house.
“I can’t believe he’s letting her stay here. She’s got to be the nastiest woman I’ve ever met.”
Megan was surprised at the only slip of professionalism she’d witnessed from Chelsea since she’d been working here. “Really? I thought you got along with everyone.”
“I do my best, but some women don’t want or need to be liked by other women, and Amanda bloody Merton is one of them.” She put her hand to her mouth as she looked around her. “Shit, I shouldn’t be saying things like that.”
The look on Chelsea’s face made Megan smile in spite of her own anger. “I’m hardly going to repeat it. Besides, it’s just you and me here.”
Chelsea gave a quick repeat check around her, then leaned forward a little, her voice much quieter. “I’ve been with Jordan for a very long time, and I’ve put up with a lot because he’s generous, a truly nice person, and a great boss, but from the first day she arrived on the scene I had to field Amanda’s calls, and heaven help me if he was busy. That woman has a vocabulary suitable for prison, and a nasty streak a mile high. I never got what he saw in her.”
“You have to admit, she’d pretty damn gorgeous.”
“If you like that plastic look. You’re far more attractive and much nicer. Don’t you let her get her claws back into him.”
Megan stiffened. “I think you’re confused. Jordan and I are not an item, and I have no say over who he sees.”
“Don’t give me that.” Chelsea waved her hand dismissively. “You two can’t stop looking at each other.”
“You’re imagining it.”
“Sure I am. You can pretend all you want that you don’t like him, but he’s not pretending at all, not when he’s asking about you twenty times a day, and doing all the improvements around here based on your suggestions.”
“Perhaps it’s because my suggestions are right?”
“I’m not implying that they’re not, but the way he follows you with his eyes and has to be in or near your office twenty times a day says as much as the way he’s been trying to date you for weeks, and actually has, if my friend at Louis’s is correct?”
Megan blushed. Damn small towns. “If you’re right, and I’m not for a minute saying you are, then what the heck is she doing here?”
Chelsea scowled. “I’m willing to bet her money’s drying up without Jordan around. She hasn’t worked a day since they hooked up and she needs a rich man to maintain her status. She’s all about the look and what she can get out of him, nothing to do with loving him.”
“You can’t know that.”
“I know how she treated him, and you don’t do that to someone you love. Besides, he’s just asked me to find her a room. He wouldn’t be doing that if he was going to take her back, would he?”
Megan wasn’t convinced. She’d seen the way Amanda had been all over Jordan, and she felt flustered again. “I really have a lot to do today. Can you give him these files for me?” She hurried outside, not acknowledging the look of frustration in Chelsea’s eyes.
It didn’t matter what Chelsea said; Jordan had a long-time partner who apparently wanted to be back in his life, and Megan wasn’t about to fight over him with Amanda. For goodness’ sake, she wasn’t his girlfriend – there was nothing to do battle for.
Fortunately, she hadn’t lied; she was kept busy all day, even eating her packed lunch at her desk instead of down at the beach, which always reminded her of lunch with the girls, and where Jordan might find her.
There had been no sign of Jordan, and she climbed into her car that afternoon feeling more and more like an idiot. A man who looked like Jordan, and had the money he did, was going to be a catch. Why would he want to hang around with a single mom who had no idea of the lifestyle he was used to, and challenged him at every turn, whether he deserved it or not?
There was only one answer, and it wasn’t flattering. Some women liked the idea of a bit of fun – no strings and certainly no love, but that wasn’t Megan. She’d had enough fun to last her a lifetime and she wasn’t about to go through that humiliation again.
When she got home, Abby called to say that the girls wanted a sleepover and was that okay? Oh hell yes, she thought. As much as she missed her munchkins when she was at work, to have time by herself occasionally was a luxury. She ran a rare bath, and took the book that she’d been wanting to read for a year and a large glass of wine into the bathroom. For tonight she wasn’t going to worry about anything or anyone. Tonight it was all about her and a certain fictional heroine who was going to get exactly what she deserved – Megan fervently hoped.
***
The next day Jordan found Megan in the storeroom surrounded by a pile of linen. She was very flushed from the heat and was giving a backhanded swipe at a stray lock of hair that dared to cover her eyes. Even disheveled she made his blood run hot. He would have loved to pick her up and take her up the hill to his place to cool her down so that he could heat her up again. He already knew that she was a passionate woman; he knew about her independence, her kids and her friends, but he’d be willing to bet that her passion took other forms, and damned if that thought didn’t make him groan out loud.
Megan turned. “Are you all right? I know it’s hot in here, but you don’t look well.”
If this was unwell, he’d welcome more of it any day. “No, I’m fine. What are you doing?”
“I noticed that some of the linen coming out of here is a substandard quality, so I was checking to see if it’s an anomaly or the norm.”
“And?”
“And, as I suspected, most of what we have isn’t good enough for the resort. Your last manager brought cheap stuff that isn’t wearing well, and some of it already looks bad enough that I don’t want it used. At this rate we could run short any time.”
“Damn that woman. Will her inadequacies never end? I saw and approved her budget and let me tell you, there was nothing cheap on her lists. No doubt she was pocketing the difference on that and a lot more besides.”
“No wonder you were fit to be tied when you saw me taking cleaning stuff home.”
Jordan felt embarrassed once more by his hasty conclusion. “Please. You explained that and I have no trust issues with you. In fact, I’d still like to make that up to you.”
“Let’s not go there again. Getting back to the linen. I thought I’d look at some old invoices to see who she’s used in the past and then find a more reputable source.”
“Great. It needs to be figured out if my client list is about to expand the way I intend. Actually, I wanted to ask you to help me with that. I’m organizing an event and I’d like your help hosting it if you’re free on Friday night.”
“It sounds interesting, but you know evenings are difficult for me, with the girls to organize.”
“I know and I wouldn’t ask normally, but it is work-r
elated and you’d have all week to get a babysitter.”
She looked like she was going to refuse, but she surprised him yet again.
“What sort of an event?”
“I’m entertaining a CEO from a renowned company, Global Plastics. He’s looking at using the resort for seminars and training. If we get the booking it could turn into something ongoing, and if that happens, it would be very lucrative.”
“Why don’t you ask Amanda? She looks more the part of a hostess than I ever could.”
He hid his surprise, but the thought that Megan was actually jealous did give him a buzz. “Amanda will never host anything for me. She’s not the sort of woman who can talk about anything remotely interesting to businessmen, if you get my point. Mr. Sainsbury is bringing his wife and a few top executives. Not too many people, but it’ll be upmarket. I know you’ve had the experience, and I’d appreciate it if you can help me out. Naturally, I would reimburse you for your time.”
Megan hesitated. He couldn’t gauge exactly what she was going on in that prickly mind, and was relieved by her answer.
“You pay me well enough. I’ll see what I can do.”
He had to be satisfied with that. At least it wasn’t a ‘no’.
“Could we sit down and work out a few ideas?’
“Sure. I have a few salespeople coming in to discuss linen later this morning, but after that would work for me.”
Jordan smiled. “Perfect. Come over to the restaurant for a light lunch. There’ll be more room, and it’ll be cooler than your office.”
Megan nodded and went to walk away, then turned back to surprise him with a random comment.
“You know, you have some great staff here. They think a lot of you.”
“I hope they know I feel the same about them.”
“I imagine they do. Certainly, the turnover of staff is virtually non-existent. That’s a good achievement.”
She left him to wonder where that whole topic had come from. And unfortunately, to reignite the feelings he had when he was around her. In spite of his best intentions of not thinking about her, she was always on his mind, and even though her attitude had initially grated, he’d come to enjoy it. Look forward to it, he realized.