by Mia Caldwell
Elly thought it over. “Yeah, I guess so. One’s lying and the other is called a conspiracy of silence.”
Jada laughed. “Oh, that’s a good one. She’s onto you, Marina. Give the girl some credit.”
“I like to read thrillers,” Elly said, brightening.
“Fine,” Marina snapped. “Look, Elly. You, me and Jada, we’re not like these rich people. We are working peeps and should stick together. We’re the ninety-nine percenters, right? We can’t be throwing each other under the wheels of our overlords’ Rolls Royces. Right? So we keep each other’s secrets.”
“I don’t know. Maybe ... I don’t think Mr. Ian has a Rolls Royce, though,” Elly said.
“Marina did make a good argument, Elly,” Jada said. “Not that you should feel any pressure. It’s clear we can’t keep a secret, anyway, so what’s the point in trying?”
“Come on, we can do this. The three of us, together. Solving the mystery,” Marina said.
Elly’s gaze ping-ponged between the sisters. “I don’t really care about solving the mystery, no offense, Miss Jada.”
“None taken. Leave her alone, Marina.”
“Come on Elly. Just for a day. Keep our secret for a single day,” Marina said, her tone walking the line between pleading and whining. “Trust me. Jada will spill everything to Ian tomorrow because she’s like that. You can do this, Elly. You can. Be a loyal ninety-nine percenter.”
Elly took a deep breath then released it slowly. Her bobbed brown hair swayed when she nodded. “Okay. I’ll do it. I’ll try. If he asks me what I know, though, I’m telling him.”
“Of course. But he won’t ask anything because he has no reason to, right?” Marina asked.
“I guess.” Elly smoothed down her rumpled apron and stood up. “I should get down to the kitchen and help Mrs. Best with dinner. I’ll finish up your dress before I leave, though, Miss Marina.”
Marina was all ingratiating kindness. “Oh, don’t you worry about that dress. I can take care of that no problem. Off you go then, to help Mrs. Best. Not saying anything to anyone about what you heard in here today, right?”
“Don’t push it,” Jada warned.
Elly scampered to the bedroom door. “I’ll try my best not to let you down, Miss Marina.”
After the door closed behind Elly, Marina blew out a loud breath. “Whew! That was a close one.”
“This will never work.”
“It will. She’ll keep our secret better than you will, I bet.”
Jada shrugged. “If you say so. But I predict this will go badly. And I’m pretty sure I’m an idiot for going along with it.”
“It’ll be fine. I’m going to see if I can find that masseuse. I need some pampering and relaxation right away. This has been seriously stressful.” Marina headed to the door.
“Aren’t you taking your dress?”
“I’ll come back for it later.”
“One last thing before you go.”
Marina turned at the door. “What?”
“We haven’t asked an important question. How, exactly, did my name get dragged into all of this?”
“Maybe Syl can tell us that.”
“I hope so.”
“Me too,” Marina said. “Because I’m betting the answer to that question will be the key to solving this whole affair.”
Jada wasn’t so sure.
IAN COULDN’T REMEMBER THE LAST time he had so many guests staying at the lake cabin. He knew the staff was thrilled with the opportunity to do what they did so well.
As he sat in the smaller formal dining room and surveyed his guests, everyone chatting and eating with obvious pleasure, he couldn’t keep from lingering on Jada. She’d worn her hair down tonight for the first time. It cascaded around her face and over her shoulders in dark, shiny ringlets. He longed to tug on those springy curls and watch them bounce back into place, to tangle his fingers in the thick locks.
When she walked into the room, her hair like an angel’s halo, wearing a simple white dress that hugged her curves and showed off her slim arms and shapely legs, Ian forgot to breathe. Jada’s beauty had literally stolen his breath. He’d never believed such a thing was possible, but now it had happened to him.
What did it mean?
If ever there was a man who believed he knew himself, Ian was that man. He had utter confidence in his ability to handle any situation. He had innate faith that even if he got nervous, or if he wasn’t one hundred percent certain of success, he’d pull out a victory anyway, regardless of the odds.
It was this confidence which assured him the win. Most people couldn’t fight Ian’s kind of inner strength, having too many self doubts which made them falter in the face of certainty. Ian’s sheer force of will and drive sent even his most formidable opponents scrambling in retreat.
But the situation with Jada was different. He’d never had feelings like these before. All he could think about was getting this woman alone and doing all sorts of naughty things to her demurely sexy person. Was he obsessed?
This wasn’t Ian Buckley, the man whose iron fist ruled over one of the largest economic empires on the planet. He’d turned into this other Ian Buckley, a greedy horn-dog who couldn’t keep his dirty thoughts and hands off the sweet girl next door.
Jada laughed at something Sullivan said, and Ian experienced a flash of irritation at his old friend. Who was Sullivan to make her laugh?
Oh, great. This wasn’t good. Now Ian was turning into a jealous asshole, too. He was disgusted with himself.
Nonetheless, when dinner was finally over and everyone retreated to the game room for after-dinner drinks and games of billiards and cards, Ian spent his time daydreaming of what he’d do with Jada when he finally got her alone. He wasn’t just a greedy horn-dog, but an unrepentant one, too.
When the party broke up, Ian caught Jada’s eye and she lingered near him.
Ian kept his voice low so he wouldn’t be overheard. “Meet me in twenty minutes in the pool room. I thought we might enjoy a dip in the jacuzzi.”
Jada smiled. “I definitely would enjoy that.”
“Good. Do you have a swimsuit?”
“Yep. Your assistant thought of everything.”
“Damn. She’s too efficient by half. This jacuzzi is suit optional, just so you know.”
Jada laughed lightly, a flirtatious sound.
“Don’t let anyone see you go,” Ian warned.
He himself headed straight to his dressing room, changed into swim trunks and a robe and was back downstairs in under five minutes. He mixed a few drinks, lowered the lighting and found some soft, sexy music to set the mood.
Jada arrived on time, swathed in a thick white bathrobe, her hair pulled back into a ponytail.
He met her with a smile and after a quick check down the hall to make sure no one had followed her, closed the double doors.
“Did anyone see you?” he asked.
“Marina wanted to hang out, but I told her I was turning in early. Other than that, nope. I think we’re safe.”
He led her to the bar, handed her the cocktail he’d mixed. She took only a few sips. Ian could tell she was nervous.
“It’s beautiful in here at night,” Jada said, looking up at the stars twinkling beyond the big glass skylights. “And kind of dark.”
He grinned. It was true. The room was mostly illuminated by the lights under the water in the pool and jacuzzi, and the thin glowing bands that highlighted the lines of the bar. “All the better to seduce you, little wife.”
“Well, it’s working.”
He moved in closer, reached for the ties of her robe. “Shall we get in the jacuzzi?”
She nodded, and swallowed hard.
Her eyes were so big and trusting, Ian felt proud to have inspired such feelings. He pulled the tie and opened her robe.
Now it was his turn to swallow hard. She wore a very tiny, very snug pink string bikini. All the fabric combined in the suit would have fit in the palms of one of his ha
nds. Ian silently blessed his assistant Cathy for her superb fashion sense.
He slipped the robe off Jada’s shoulders and tossed it on a barstool. He shucked off his own and tossed it after hers. Jada checked him out quickly before turning away.
He nabbed their drinks, gestured to the jacuzzi in the corner of the room, and let her lead the way. Damn. That was one fine rear view, too. She was perfect, he thought, rounded in all the right places, sashaying slow and sexy.
When they settled in the jacuzzi, Ian kept the jets on low so they could talk easily.
“I hope you don’t mind,” Ian said, “but would you let your hair down again? It’s beautiful.”
“It’ll get wet.”
“Only on the ends.”
“Being a man, you have no idea what you’re asking. But I can’t seem to say no to you.” She smiled, reached back and undid the clasp. Her hair tumbled down in all its glory. Ian slid over closer while she pushed her unruly mane into place.
He touched one of her curls and tugged on it. They should talk some, he supposed. But all he wanted was to pull her onto his lap and strip off those tiny scraps of fabric that stood between himself and heaven. He wanted to—
Jada sprung forward, wrapped her arms around his neck and surprised him as she kissed him with a force that said she was ready for more. Hot damn. The girl next door had needs of her own.
Ian required no further invitation. He met her demands with his own, driving his tongue past her soft, plump lips, into her hot mouth. They held each other close, their hands roving over one another’s bodies. Ian tangled his fingers in her soft curls, turning her head to suit him best, inhaling her flowery scent as he took what he wanted from her sweet mouth.
She raked her fingernails down his back with the exact right kind of pressure to make his nerves zing and nearly send him jumping out of his swim trunks. She made several little “ah” sounds that drove him crazy. He groaned.
He should hold back. Their first time shouldn’t be in a jacuzzi, should it? Jada made another sound of satisfaction and crawled onto his lap.
He cupped her rear and decided that as it turned out, the jacuzzi was the perfect place for a first time. He reached for the ties on her bikini bottom.
And then the lights came on.
Ian was temporarily blinded, the light was so bright. Jada blinked, pulled backward and leapt off his lap. They both swiveled in the direction of the door.
Marina and Sasha stood inside the doorway, looking almost as surprised as Ian and Jada.
“Oh, we didn’t see you there,” Sasha said, recovering speedily and giving them a saucy look. “Looks like we may have interrupted something, Marina. Something hot and steamy, and I’m not talking about the jacuzzi.”
“Oops!” was Marina’s response. “We should go. Sorry.”
Sasha sauntered into the room. “I don’t think so. It’s not every day I get the chance to ruin Ian’s game.”
“Really?” Ian said drily. “It seems that you do lately.”
Marina lingered by the door, looking uncertain. Sasha strolled over and changed the sexy music to a ramrod beating dance club number, then pranced over to the jacuzzi, ditching her robe on the tiles as she went. Looking svelte and sleek in a one piece suit, she slipped into the water beside Ian.
“Ahh, that’s wonderful,” Sasha said, closing her eyes briefly. “Marina told me you were turning in early, Jada. She didn’t mention you had plans with your old man.”
Jada scampered away from Ian, putting a good foot between them. “I didn’t. I mean, I did, but then I wound up here, and ... whatever.”
Marina came over to the jacuzzi. “Come on, Sasha. Let’s go up to Deb’s room. She’s got a hot tub.”
“Oh, I know, but I’m all settled in here now.” She held out a hand. “Could you hand me my snacks, please?”
Marina passed her a large baggie chocked full of Ian didn’t know what, though he guessed it was freshly made with much love by Mrs. Best.
Marina exchanged an apologetic glance with Jada, then doffed her own robe and stepped into the jacuzzi between Sasha and Jada.
Sasha opened her baggie and began chowing down. “Yum.” She sighed. “This is the best caramel corn in the universe. Want some?”
Everyone declined.
Sasha munched loudly. “Nothing hits the spot like something sweet when it’s that time of the month, does it girls?”
Oh hell no, Ian thought. “On that note,” Ian said, “I’m off to bed.”
“I’ll go with you,” Jada said, half-jumping up but slipping on the wet edge and plopping back into the water with a splash.
Sasha snorted. “Damn, Ian, you get her liquored up again tonight?”
“What?” Marina asked. “Again?”
“That’s right.” Sasha shoved a handful of popcorn in her mouth.
Ian bent down and whispered in Jada’s ear. “You stay. No telling what she’ll say if you leave her here with your sister.”
Jada nodded. But she didn’t look happy about it.
Ian left the room, leaving behind the shattered remnants of what had been a promising end to the day, but taking some comfort in the fact that Jada wasn’t any more pleased about it than he was.
Tomorrow. There was always tomorrow. He’d make sure of it.
Chapter Four
JADA WATCHED IAN WRAP HIMSELF in his robe and sighed in disappointment at all that physical perfection being hidden behind terry-cloth. She sighed again when he left the room.
“I guess he’s decent looking, for a man,” Sasha said. “It’s kind of hard for me to see it, though, since he’s like a brother. That’s why I make life as difficult for him as I can. It’s my kid sisterly duty. Marina gets it, don’t you?”
“Great,” Jada said. “Both our kid sisters are out to keep us apart.”
“I’m not!” Marina looked appalled. “Speak for yourself, Sasha.”
“Whatever.”
“Anyway,” Marina said, “we came here to talk about what’s actually important. Now, Sasha, we need to go over your list of enemies.”
“What?” Jada asked, thinking her sister must have lost her mind to be questioning the supermodel so blatantly.
“Oh, she knows everything. I told her.”
Jada goggled. “You didn’t.”
“I had to. It’s the best way to get her help. And she said she’d keep it a secret. Didn’t you, Sasha?”
Sasha nodded, her mouth full of popcorn.
“That’s it. We need to tell Ian. There’s no way this will stay a secret, not at this rate,” Jada said.
“Don’t tell Ian,” Sasha said.
Popcorn crumbs dropped from her lips and fingers and floated on the water. Jada worried they might clog the jacuzzi filter, not that she knew anything about filters, but still. It couldn’t be good to get popcorn bits in them.
“He’ll get uptight about it and probably blow up,” Sasha added. “What he doesn’t know won’t hurt Marina.”
“I can’t imagine Ian blowing up, not over this, anyway,” Jada said. “It was an honest mistake and Ian’s a reasonable man.”
“Sure, you’d think so,” Sasha said. “But let’s say I’ve known him for years, and you’ve known him for what? Two days. Who do you think knows him better?”
Jada couldn’t argue with that, though she wanted to. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t picture Ian getting upset over what amounted to a mistake. Sure, Marina had lied after the fact, but not for long, and she was sorry about it.
Jada was disconcerted by Sasha’s opinion about Ian. She only half listened to the answers Sasha gave to Marina’s questions regarding possible enemies.
From what she gathered while trying to imagine Ian in the role of out-of-control jerk, Sasha had a handful of minor enemies, but didn’t think any of them hated her enough to go to so much trouble to try to hurt her.
Marina kept turning the conversation to a model named Freya Volker. According to Marina, gossip magazines h
ad reported numerous tiffs between the two at various fashion shows and events over the last few years.
Sasha insisted she and Freya resolved their issues long ago. “The gossips exaggerated the situation. We’re friends now. No need to waste time investigating her. We’re better off focusing on Esmer Granger and Petra Sukolova. Those two are grade A bitches and run as a pair. They once put oil on the soles of my shoes at a Betsy Johnson show. I love Betsy Johnson. We did cartwheels together.”
Marina said she remembered reading the story about Sasha falling on the runway. “The press didn’t say anything about oil on your shoes.”
“Petra’s daddy is a huge Russian mobster,” Sasha said. “Would you say unkind things about his darling daughter in your newspaper?”
“Probably not.” Marina appeared to think. “Do you have a number for Esmer? Or Petra? I’d like to call and ask them a few questions.”
“Nope. And I don’t recommend it,” Sasha said. She drew a line across her throat with her manicured fingertip. “Seriously. Those people play for keeps. They’re not like the rest of us. And anyway, the more we talk about this, the less I think another model could be out to get me.”
“Why?” Marina asked.
“You may not realize this, but models don’t have a lot of energy. They spend most of their free time sleeping.”
“Why?” Jada asked.
Sasha chewed a big mouthful of popcorn and swallowed. “They keep this pretty hush-hush, but the truth is, most models hardly ever eat.”
Marina looked about as shocked by Sasha’s big secret as Jada herself was—in other words, not surprised at all.
“They only eat a bite here and there,” Sasha continued. “Who can have energy when your body doesn’t have fuel? I have lots of energy because I eat and eat and eat. All day long, and sometimes I get up in the night and eat more. I have to do it, or I get too skinny. And I don’t have to worry over my skin and hair the way other models do, either, because I get plenty of nutrients from my food. I never get breakouts or anything like that. I don’t even get split ends. I’m always telling my fellow models that they should follow my example if they want to simplify their lives.”