“I...do?”
How could she possibly look like Janie? Janie was stunning. She had natural beauty, a perfectly symmetrical face. She wore stylish clothes, had the prettiest long, silken hair, and oh...now she understood. Of course she and Janie resembled each other—they were sisters—but Jessica had always stood in Janie’s shadow where beauty was concerned. Her blonde-from-a-bottle hair color had turned out a little less dark honey and much more sweet wheat, similar to Janie’s hair color. Jessica didn’t usually wear her contacts, but she imagined her eyes looked more vibrant green than ever before. Like Janie’s brilliant gemstone eyes. Did Zane think he was seeing a ghost of his former wife? She didn’t believe she looked enough like Janie for that and never thought about how it might appear. “I, um, wasn’t trying to, but I take that as a compliment.” She shrugged, compelled to explain. “I guess I needed a change.”
An awkward moment passed between them, which was weird. They didn’t do awkward. Usually they were completely at peace with each other.
“You didn’t need to change a thing,” he said firmly.
Was he trying to make her feel better? Even she had to admit, after looking at herself in the mirror today, that her new look made her appear revitalized and well, better than she had in years. Zane had no idea what she was really going through right now, the pain, rejection, anger. He didn’t know, because she hadn’t told him. He wasn’t her shrink, her sounding board. And call it pride, but she wasn’t ready to talk about Steven’s quick marriage to her once-friend/bridesmaid to anyone, much less him. “I’m sorry if I upset you. Obviously you don’t approve. I don’t have to go tonight.”
The last thing she wanted to do was cause Zane any upheaval in his life. He was still in love with Janie. She got that. No one knew what a special person her sister was better than she did.
She was staying here thanks to Zane’s generosity. He was her employer now, too, and she had to remember that, yet underlying hurt simmered inside her. He had no idea how hard this was for her. She’d come into this room hoping for some sort of approval. She’d made a change in her appearance, but it was more than that. She looked upon this makeover as a fresh start, a way to say “screw you” to all the Stevens in the world. She’d come into this room with newfound confidence, and Zane’s dismal attitude had caused her heart to plummet. Why did it matter so much to her what Zane thought?
She pivoted on her heels, taking a step toward the staircase, and Zane’s voice boomed across the room. “Damn it, Jess. Don’t leave.”
She whirled around and stared at him. A dark storm raged in his eyes.
Was he angry with her? Maybe she should be angry with him. Maybe she’d had enough of men dictating what they wanted from her. “Is that an order from the boss?”
“Hell, no.” His head thumped against the window behind him once, twice, and then he lowered his voice. “It wasn’t an order.”
“Then what was it?”
Zane’s gaze scoured over her body again, and as he took in her appearance, approval, desire and heat entered his eyes. Her bones could have just about melted from that look. Then, with a quick shake of his head, he said, “Nothing, I guess. Jess, you don’t need my approval for anything. Fact is, you look beautiful tonight. You surprised me and, well...I don’t like surprises.”
She didn’t move. She was torn with indecision.
From the depth of his eyes, his sincerity came through. “I’m a jerk.”
Her lips almost lifted. She fought it tooth and nail, but Zane could be charming when he had to be.
“Blond hair looks great on you.”
She drew breath into her lungs.
“The dress is killer. You’re a real knockout in it.”
His compliments went straight to her head. He’d finally gotten to her. “Okay, Zane. Enough said.” She’d been touchy with him, maybe because she’d hoped to impress him a little. Maybe because, in the back of her mind, she’d wanted to please Zane or at least win his approval. “Let’s forget about this.” She didn’t like confrontation, not one bit.
“You’ll go to the party?”
She nodded. “Yes. I’m ready.”
They’d had their first real argument. Granted, it wasn’t much of one. A few minutes of tension was all. But she’d stood her ground, and she could feel good about that. One thing that loving Steven had taught her was never to turn a blind eye. From now on, she wanted to deal in absolute truth.
“You mind driving?” he asked.
“I should make you trudge through the sand all the way to Dylan’s place.”
“I’d do it if it would put a smile back on your face.”
“It’s tempting. But I’m not that cruel.”
Amused, Zane’s mouth lifted, and they seemed back on even footing again.
Whatever that was.
Six
Zane stood outside in the shadows, his shoulder braced against the wall of Dylan’s home. The setting sun cast pastel colors across the cobalt sky, and waves pounded the shoreline. The Pacific breezes had died down and no longer lifted Jessica’s blond locks into a flowing silky sheet in the wind. She stood in front of a circular fire pit on the deck. Her flowery summer dress had been a victim of the wind, too, and hell if he hadn’t noticed her hem billow up, every single time. And every single time, something powerful zinged inside him.
He couldn’t figure why Jessica had made such a drastic turnabout in her appearance. He wouldn’t have called her an ugly duckling before—she’d been perfect in her own natural way—but tonight, she’d bloomed into a beautiful swan and he feared he was in deep trouble.
He liked her. A lot. And he knew damn well she was as off-limits to him as any woman would ever be. The old Jess he could deal with. She was like his kid sister. But now, as he watched the predusk light filter through her hair and heard the sound of her sultry laughter carry to him as she spoke with Dylan and his friends, she seemed like a different woman.
Sweet Jess was a knockout, and every man here had noticed.
Dylan popped his head up from the group and gestured to him. “Come on over and join the party.”
Well, damn. He couldn’t very well stay in the shadows the entire night. He’d have to shelve his confused thoughts about Jessica and join them. He pushed off from the wall using his crutches for balance and made his way over to the fire pit.
“I thought Adam was the only recluse on the beach,” Dylan said.
“There’s a difference between savoring one’s privacy as opposed to hiding out from the world,” Adam said.
Adam Chase was his next-door neighbor, the architect of many of the homes on the beachfront and a man who didn’t give much away about himself. He’d been featured in Architectural Digest and agreed to a rare magazine interview, but mostly the man’s astonishing work spoke for itself. The one thing he’d learned about Adam in the time he’d known him was that he shied away from attention.
“He’s got you there, Dylan. Being someone who craves attention, you wouldn’t understand.” Zane zinged him because he knew Dylan was a good sport and could handle the teasing.
Dylan took Jess’s hand, entwining their fingers. “They’re ganging up on me, Jess. I need someone in my corner.”
Jess’s giggles swept over Zane, and he eyed the half-empty blended mojito she held in her other hand. She freed her hand and inched away from Dylan. It was hardly a noticeable move, except maybe to Zane, who was eyeballing her every step. “You boys are on your own. I’m staying out of this.”
Dylan slammed his hand to his chest. “Oh, you’re breaking my heart, Jess.”
Adam’s eyes flickered over Jess and touched on the valley between her breasts in the revealing sundress she wore. She was dazzling tonight, and Zane had a hard time keeping his eyes off her, too. He shouldn’t fault the guys for flirting, yet e
very inappropriate glance at her boiled his blood.
“You’re a smart woman, Jessica,” Adam said.
“The smartest,” Zane added. “She’s going home with me tonight.”
All eyes turned his way. Ah, hell. He’d shocked them, but no more than he’d shocked himself. He spared Dylan a glance, and the guy’s smug grin was bright enough to light the night sky. Adam’s face was unreadable, and the four others around the fire pit became awkwardly silent. “She’s my houseguest and she’s...”
“I think what Zane meant,” Jess chimed in, “was that I’ve had a tough time lately. I’m getting over a broken engagement and, well, he’s sweet enough to want to protect me.” Her eyes scanned the seven people sitting around the fire pit. “Not that I’d need protecting from anyone here. You’ve all been so nice and welcoming.”
They had. And now Zane felt like an ass for staking his claim when he had no right and for putting her in an awkward position.
“But I do make my own decisions. And I’d love to get to know each of you better.”
“You are a smart woman.” Dylan turned to Zane with genuine understanding. He and Dylan had had this conversation before. “And we all knew what Zane was getting at.”
Zane clamped his mouth shut for the moment. He’d said enough, and he had a feeling that Jessica wasn’t too thrilled with him right now. His big brother act had probably started to wear thin on her. He didn’t say boo when she walked down to the water deep in conversation with Adam Chase for a few minutes. He didn’t register an inkling of irritation when Dylan offered to give her a tour of his house. But darn if he wasn’t keenly relieved when Jessica made friends with three of the women at the party. She’d spent a good deal of time with them. He recognized one woman as an actress recently cast in a film about a Southern girl. She’d gobbled up a good deal of time asking Jess questions about Texas.
“You look like you could use a beer.” Adam handed him one of the two longnecks he clasped between his fingers.
“You read my mind. That sounds good.” Adam’s mouth twitched. The man didn’t often smile, but obviously Zane had amused him. “Right. How’s the restaurant coming?”
Zane had asked Adam for a recommendation of someone whose specialty was designing shoreline commercial establishments since Adam didn’t work with small restaurants. “We’ve broken ground. The framework is up, and we should open our doors in a few months. I’m hoping for Labor Day.”
“Glad things are going smoothly.”
He nodded. Last year, he’d opened a restaurant in Reno, and his friend and CEO of Sentinel Construction had overseen the building. But Casey’s business didn’t reach the west coast, and Adam had connections all over the world. He wound up hiring a builder Adam said was top-notch. “They seem to be.”
Adam sipped his beer. “Jessica seems like a nice girl. She said she’s indirectly related to you.”
Indirectly? Though those were true words, it still stung hearing them coming from her mouth secondhand that way. There was something painful in the truth, and if he was being gut-honest with himself, it was liberating, as well. “Uh, yeah. She was my wife’s little sis. She’s staying in Moonlight Beach for a while.”
“With you. Yes, you made that clear earlier.” Adam’s mouth hitched again. It was more animation than Zane had seen in the guy practically since he’d met him. “I’m going out on a limb here, but either you’re hooked on her, or you’ve got a bad case of Big Brother syndrome.”
Zane peered over Adam’s shoulder and caught a glimpse of Jessica speaking with a man who looked enough like Dylan to be his twin. “Who the hell is that?”
Adam swiveled his head and gave the guy a once-over. “Dylan introduced him to me before you arrived. That’s Roy. He’s Dylan’s stunt double.”
Roy and Jessica stood in the sand under the light of a tiki torch and away from the crowd of people beginning to swarm the barbecue pit, where a chef prepared food on the grill. Zane didn’t like it, but he couldn’t very well pull her away from every guy who approached her.
“So, which is it?” Adam asked.
“Which is what?” He watched Jessica laugh at something Roy said.
“Are you playing big brother? Cause if you’re not, I think you have to amp up your game, neighbor. Or you’re going to lose something special, before you know what hit you.”
Zane stared at Adam. The guy had no clue what he was talking about. Adam had no idea how hard he’d loved Janie. He had no idea how he couldn’t get past what happened. He’d tried over and over to put his emotions to lyrics, to gain some sort of closure in a song meant to honor his love for Janie, but the words wouldn’t come. “I’ve already lost—”
Adam began shaking his head. “I’m not talking about the past, Zane. I’m talking about the future.”
“Spoken by a man who rarely steps foot out of his house.”
Now Adam did laugh. “I’m here now, aren’t I?”
“Yeah, that surprises me. Why are you?”
He shrugged. “I’ve got a temperamental artist painting a wall in my gallery. It’s going to be fantastic when he’s through, and he insists on complete privacy. I’m staying at Dylan’s for a few days.”
“Well, damn. You’re sorta here by default, then.”
“It’s not so bad. At least I got to meet Jessica and all her Southern charm.”
“Why, that’s very nice of you to say, Adam.”
A sweet strawberry scent wafted to his nostrils, announcing Jessica’s presence even before she’d uttered a word. He’d come to recognize her scent, and every time she approached, a little bitty buzz would rush through his belly. She took a place by his side, and he refrained from puffing out his chest.
“Just speaking the truth,” Adam said.
“Hey, Jess,” Zane said.
“Hey, yourself,” she said to him. He wasn’t sure if she’d been deliberately avoiding him since his dopey remark earlier, or if she was flitting around like a butterfly to make new friends. Either way, he was glad she’d come over to him.
“Having fun?”
“Sure am. I’m meeting some great people here. It was sweet of Dylan to invite me. Sorry if I abandoned you.”
He raised his beer bottle to his lips. “No problem. I spent my time keeping Adam amused.”
Jessica shot a questioning glance at Adam.
“He’s quite a party animal these days,” Adam explained, tucking his free hand into his trouser pockets.
Zane gulped the rest of his beer. He wouldn’t be here if Jessica hadn’t changed her mind about coming. “C’mon Jess. Looks like the meal’s being served. I’ve got me a hankering for some barbecue chicken.”
“Adam, will you join us?” she asked.
Adam shook his head. “I’ll see you over at the table later. I’m going to have another drink first.”
Zane began moving, and Jessica kept by his side as he headed for a table occupying the far corner of the massive patio. “Chances are we won’t see much of Adam tonight. He keeps to himself pretty much.”
“Does he?” she asked. “Why?”
“I don’t really know. We got friendly when I leased the house from him. And we had some business dealings, but I sensed he’s a loner. It’s probably why he was standing with me, over against the wall.”
“Well, he was cordial to me.”
“Yeah, I know.” Zane dipped his gaze to the swell of her breasts teasing the top of her frilly sundress. Her skin looked creamy soft and—Lord help him—inviting. With that blond hair flowing down her back and her eyes as green as a grassy meadow, she made his heart ache. “I saw the two of you walking out to the water.”
“All I did was ask him about his designs. Architecture has always fascinated me.”
“Yeah, that’s probably why he spent time with you. He
loves talking shop.” Lucky for him, Jess didn’t notice the sarcasm in his voice. He managed to pull a chair out for her, crutches and all.
Man, he’d be glad to rid himself of them.
It couldn’t happen soon enough.
* * *
They’d stayed at the party a little too long. Zane was smashed, going over his liquor limit an hour ago, and now she struggled to get him out of the car. He obviously didn’t take his own advice. Hadn’t he warned her of not drinking too much, because in his handicapped state, he wouldn’t be able to help her? Well...now the shoe was on the other foot. “Hang on to me,” she said, reaching inside the car.
“Glad to, darlin’.”
He slung his arm around her shoulder, nearly pulling her onto his lap.
“Zane!”
An earthy laugh rumbled from his throat.
“Not cute.”
“Neither are y-you,” he said.
After a few seconds of maneuvering, she managed to get him upright.
“You’re b-beautiful.”
Oh, boy. She rolled her eyes and ignored his comment.
He swayed to the left. Sure-footed he was not. She leaned him up against the car. “Here.” She shoved a crutch under his arm, tucking it carefully but none too gently. “Please, please, try to concentrate.”
Maybe she should’ve taken Dylan up on his offer to drive Zane home. But Zane wouldn’t have any of it, insisting he could manage.
Men and their egos.
Now she had two hundred pounds of sheer brawn and muscle to contend with. “Lean against me, Zane. Try not to topple. Ready?”
He nodded forcefully, and his whole body coasted away from her. “Whoa!” She gripped him around the waist and tugged with all of her might to bring him close. Letting him go right now would be a disaster. “Don’t make sudden moves like that.”
“Mmm.”
He sounded happy about something. She was glad someone was enjoying this. When he seemed secure in his stance, she took a step and then another. With his body pressed to hers and one shoulder supporting his arm, she managed to get him through the garage and inside the house. By the time she made it to his bed, her strength was almost sapped. “Here we go. I’m going to let go of you now.”
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