by Lauren Canan
“Good morning,” he whispered. “Sleep well?”
“Yes.” She smiled up at him. The satisfaction of their night’s lovemaking clearly shone on her face. “And you?”
“I’m still dreaming.” He cupped her face, pressing a soft kiss on her lips. “What time will Matt be home?”
“Noon.”
“Good. Because this was billed as a double feature and I’m pretty sure it’s rated triple X.”
She grinned before his mouth covered hers, and once again he was lost in the magic that was Kelly.
Thirteen
By the time Kelly made it upstairs to her office on Monday, the phones were already ringing off the hook. Kelly settled the baby in the crib and hurried to her desk. The day turned fast and furious and before she knew it, Mona was calling it to an end.
At the end of this week they would all fly to Los Angeles for Mona’s charity gala. Then Jace would stay in town for a series of meetings on his next film project. Kelly and Mona would return to the ranch.
On Tuesday, Jace stopped by Mona’s office. Her heart went into double time, but he only asked how her weekend had been and wished both Kelly and his mom a good day. He seemed to be giving Kelly space to sort it all out, to come to grips with their renewed love affair.
He couldn’t know she already had.
Downstairs that afternoon she found Jace sitting in the kitchen on one of the bar stools, an inch of printed pages in a thick blue binder open on the counter in front of him.
Jace glanced up. “You leaving for the day?”
“Yep.” She switched Henry from one arm to the other. “Is that your script?”
“Yeah.” Jace glanced down at the papers. “I need to read the damn thing but I’m having a hard time concentrating. Thought maybe sitting out here would help.”
He pushed the script aside and reached out to touch Henry’s foot. “He’s growing.”
“Yes, he is.”
“Are you and Mom almost ready for her charity event?” he asked before she could turn away.
“I think we’re right on schedule. If as many people come as have responded so far, there’ll be over four hundred in attendance. Mona is ecstatic.”
Jace grinned. “What about you? Are you looking forward to it?”
“Me? I’ll enjoy seeing it all come together, but I’m not attending the actual dinner and ball.”
Jace frowned. “Why not?”
“Because.”
“Can you elaborate just a bit?”
“I’m an employee.” Her tone said he was dumb for asking. “Mona will have a full catering staff to assist her with drinks and hors d’oeuvres. The food will be prepared on site, overseen by the chef who has assisted Mona at the ball for the past five years. I’ll be there to help set up, make sure everything is going according to plan, but once the guests start arriving I’ll stay in the background as a precautionary measure. Basically, by then, my job will be over.”
“Does Mom know your plans?”
“We talked.” She hoped Jace didn’t try to muddy the water. It had taken her quite a while to convince Mona she did not want or need to be there during the actual festivities. The social class of the guests was intimidating... Senators. Congressmen. Award-winning actors and producers. The elite of the elite. Kelly didn’t need to be reminded she was about as far away from their inner circles as a person could get. And she had no intention of subjecting herself or Mona to any embarrassment she might cause if she committed a faux pas at the gala.
And there was the expense of a gown. No way was she spending a thousand dollars or more on something she would wear only once. She had a hard enough time making herself buy a brand of green beans that wasn’t on sale. Her frugal nature didn’t allow for thousand-dollar dresses. Being a guest at Mona’s ball was simply not going to happen.
“Your mom and I have it all worked out, Jace,” she said with as much happy bravado as she could muster. “No worries.”
* * *
No worries.
With Kelly, that usually meant there was definitely something to worry about. Jace picked up the script as she walked out of the room, heading for the back door. With a frown, he rolled the document up in his hand and headed to his mother’s bedroom.
“Mom?”
“Come in, sweetheart.” Mona smiled as she entered the bedroom from the adjacent powder room. “I think I may have forgotten something regarding the ball. I just can’t remember what it is.” She chuckled. “Do you think that really does mean it isn’t important?”
Jace shook his head. “I’m afraid I couldn’t help you with that one, Mother. Change of subject. I just talked to Kelly downstairs and she said she’s not attending the charity event. I thought you both were going. You both went through the dress fitting.”
“Yes, I know.” His mother sighed. “And she balked at the idea even then. She says she’d be out of her league around the people we expect to be there. Her words, not mine. She contends she’s only an employee and has no business going.”
“They’re not one damn bit better than she is.”
“I know, Jace.”
He muttered an angry curse under his breath. “Give it another try, will you, Mom?”
“Tomorrow,” she promised.
Jace said good-night and headed to his room, his molars grinding in frustration. Kelly shouldn’t be concerned about a bunch of blowhard politicians and a few egotistical actors. He’d counted on her being there. He wasn’t sure why, other than that she and Matt had become part of the family. Kelly wasn’t an employee. He awoke every morning looking forward to seeing her and the baby. For reasons he didn’t understand, Kelly’s presence calmed him. As infuriating as she could be at times, Jace would take the frustrating with the good anytime. Her being in his life was...right. He was the one who was wrong for her.
Other than dealing with the constant, overwhelming need to make love to her, his life was good. Clearly he should have said something to her about the charity event and asked if she would be his date. Was he ever going to get it right?
* * *
“You know, we must go shopping,” Mona stated the next day as she and Kelly ate lunch in the kitchen.
“For what?” She crumbled crackers into her bowl of soup.
“For the charity ball.”
Kelly wasn’t sure she understood. Everything had been ordered down to the last flower. “Have I missed something?” She put down her spoon, mentally going over the details of the plans for the event. “They called and confirmed they would have the ice sculpture delivered by four on the day of the ball. The chef has said—”
“The preparations are fine. You’ve done an outstanding job. I was referring to us. Surely you know I expect you to attend the gala.”
“Yes. No. I mean yes, I know I’ll be going but not as a guest. I’ll work behind the scenes, stick to the kitchen area. I’ll be at the hotel Saturday afternoon to help oversee everything, but like I said before, I have no business attending the ball.”
Mona looked at Kelly as if she’d grown a second head. “And why not?”
The idea was so ridiculous. She didn’t want to offend this kind, wonderful woman, but going to an event attended by some of the biggest names in both Hollywood and politics was not going to happen. Talk about feeling like a fish out of water.
Kelly just shook her head, refusing to discuss it further, but Mona wasn’t going to let it drop.
“You listen to me, Kelly Michaels. This isn’t one of Jace’s red carpet extravaganzas. It’s my charity ball. And as my personal assistant, you are most certainly expected to attend. And you will need a gown to wear, unless you have one already?”
Kelly closed her eyes in temporary defeat and shook her head.
“No? Then Andre will provide the gowns as I originally intended. I’ll call him myself and reconfirm.”
What had she gotten herself into? She was not part of their world. It was just wrong to think differently. Of course, she wanted to
be there for Mona. No matter how carefully one planned, there were always last-minute details to see to. But to attend the gala dressed as one of the guests was just wrong.
* * *
The trip to Los Angeles in Jace’s Gulfstream was smooth and filled with laughter as Mona recalled mishaps from her past charity events. Kelly enjoyed listening to the banter but the uneasiness hadn’t left her. She should not be attending this elite event. And no amount of winks from Jace or pats on the hand from Mona was going to change that.
Arriving at the hotel the day before the event, they hit the ground running. Kelly quickly realized that when Mona Compton set her mind to do something, anyone not going in her direction had better get out of the way. This fund-raiser was her passion.
Kelly did her best to keep up, but lack of experience initially left her feeling completely out of her depth. Thankfully, the hotel staff had been prepped and things were accomplished efficiently and to Mona’s liking. Kelly oversaw the setup of the banquet hall. The tables, chairs and decorations were brought through the door as fast as she could place them. Meanwhile Mona met with the chef and culinary artists who would provide the special touches that made this occasion a Mona Compton event.
“I think we’re done,” Mona said the next day as she looked around at the vast ballroom. “The ice sculpture will be delivered at four. Where should it go?”
“I thought we’d put it in an area near the dessert buffet but with enough space in between to make it accessible on all sides.” Kelly walked over to the spot. “Around here. There is even an electrical outlet. We can use fluorescent lighting to make it the focus without melting it too badly.”
“Perfect. I need to make a couple of changes to the place cards, only because I know these people.” She rolled her eyes. “Sometimes it’s better to avoid a potentially unpleasant situation than it is to cross your fingers and hope nothing will happen. You’ll learn soon enough.” She laughed. “Take this card and switch it for any one on the table over there in the corner.” After five additional changes, Mona deemed the seating arrangement done.
“Okay,” Mona said, “now it’s time for us to get ready.” She glanced at her watch. “Your dress should be in your room. Let’s head to the salon for hair and make-up first.”
“Hair? Make-up?”
“Why, of course, dear.”
Of course.
Two hours later, Kelly stepped inside her room. Immediately, she saw a large bouquet on the table next to the windows. Tossing her clipboard onto the bed, she approached the flowers. There were several different varieties and the fragrance was amazing. Kelly opened the card.
To my dearest Kelly. I couldn’t have done this without you. Mona.
Kelly sat down on the striped silk-covered chair nearest the small table. With all she had to do, Mona had taken the time and the trouble to send her a beautiful and thoughtful thank-you.
Tears welled in her eyes and she fought to keep them from spilling over. This was all happening because of Jace. It was because of him she was here now. It was because of him she had a great job working for an amazing lady.
She placed a quick call to Mrs. Jenkins to check on Henry, receiving the assurance the baby was fine. Then Kelly turned toward the closet.
She unzipped the black garment bag containing her dress for the gala, refusing to speculate on how much it cost.
Her eyes grew wide. Her mouth dropped open. This couldn’t be right. Removing the gown from the closet, she held it up. This wasn’t the design she’d expected. Not even close. Someone had made a terrible mistake. The dress was not blue. It wasn’t satin. It was exquisite black lace, from top to bottom.
A few minutes later she stood in front of the mirror, her reflection nothing like what she was used to seeing. Not by a mile. The stylist had pulled her long hair to one side, the ends curled into ringlets that fell over her shoulder and down her back. The long-sleeved black lace gown fell to her feet, with a short train at the back. The form-fitting dress highlighted every curve.
It was expensive. It was elegant. It was risqué.
It was so not her.
She couldn’t go downstairs in this.
She glanced at the clock. Seven fifteen. The event started at eight. A full panic attack hit her with the velocity of an air bag deployed during an unexpected crash. Placing her hands against her temples, Kelly tried to calm her racing heart enough to think. What was she going to do? How could she hurt Mona by not showing up for the festivities? How could she refuse to wear a gown that must have cost thousands of dollars? Yet she couldn’t wear this in front of all those people. They would stare. She would die. What had the designer been thinking? He obviously sent the wrong dress. She’d expected something like a blue prom dress and instead received an elegant black spiderweb.
Clearly, she shouldn’t have let Mona and the designer make the selection. She’d just blown it off the day the man came to the ranch to take fittings. When asked if she wanted to look at styles, she’d politely refused, thinking she wouldn’t be going anyway so it wouldn’t matter. She couldn’t have imagined that with that small action, she’d pulled the trigger and shot herself in the foot.
Fourteen
“Have you seen Kelly?” Jace asked his mom as he scanned the people entering the ballroom.
“No. I haven’t seen her since we had our hair done this afternoon and... Oh dear.”
“Oh dear?” Jace eyed his mother. “What?”
His mother suddenly appeared apprehensive. “You may need to go up and encourage her to come down.”
“Why? I mean, I’ll be glad to, but I thought it was settled that she would attend.”
“It is. It was. She, uh...she might not be completely happy with her gown.”
Jace frowned. “Why would you say that?”
“Oh dear. Jason, please go up to her room and see if you can talk to her. She left the dress selection up to me and I may have made the wrong decision.”
His mother wrung her hands, obvious concern in every feature of her face.
What in the world did his mother consider the wrong decision?
He rushed up to Kelly’s suite. After two raps on the door, she immediately pulled it open. Quickly she looked past him down the long hall, first one way then the other. Grabbing his arm, she yanked him inside, shutting the door behind them.
There were no words for the vision standing before him. Jace swallowed hard. His body surged to readiness. Kelly was a natural beauty, but in that dress, every man at the ball would beat a fast path straight to her. His protective instinct jumped to the fore.
“You look...incredibly beautiful.”
She pushed away from the door and walked past him into the suite, her hands fidgeting at her sides. Apparently, she felt something was terribly wrong. The only thing he felt wrong was that a certain part of his anatomy was about to explode.
“I can’t do this,” she said. “I can’t go downstairs.”
“Why not?” He frowned.
“You’re kidding, right? Wearing this?”
“What do you think is wrong with it?”
“There isn’t enough material to make a shirt for Henry.”
“Kelly, you’re way overreacting.”
“I am not. Oh God. Jace, you’ve got to help me. I can’t hurt your mother.”
“Why can’t you go in the dress? It’s amazing. You look...ravishing. Good enough to eat.”
“I’m serious.”
“So am I.”
“Look at it.”
“Believe me, I am.”
“It makes me look as if I’m not wearing anything but a few scanty strips of lace.”
“And you think that’s a bad thing?”
“Well, it isn’t good.”
Jace ran his hand over the lower part of his face. He didn’t know what to say. Kelly was beyond gorgeous and sexy and that dress just confirmed it. She would be the sensation of the ball. How could she not realize how beautiful she looked? Had she looked in
a mirror?
“The dress is fine. It’s beyond fine. And we need to go. Dinner will be called in about thirty minutes. We’ll need to find our seats.”
Her hands began to fidget again. “Maybe I’ll go down later. Food is the last thing I want right now. Anyway, there’s no place card for me at the any of the tables. I made sure of it. I’m only an employee, Jace, playing dress-up for the night. And your date won’t appreciate it at all if you show up with me on your arm.”
“I’m looking at my date for the evening.”
“You... I... No. You can’t.”
“Why not?”
“You know. Anyway, I’m not ready.”
“You look more than ready to me. And I assure you, there is a place card at the table, next to me. You’re good. Mom’s better. You look beautiful. Now get anything you want to take with you and let’s go before I lock the door and help you out of the dress you don’t like.”
“Jace, please.” She moved farther inside the room. “There will be reporters. It will look bad for Mona if you walk into the room with me. The gold digger from Texas.”
“Kelly, tonight you’re my date,” he stated, stepping toward her. “A very beautiful date. In that dress, every man here will sit up and take notice.”
“I feel like a sideshow freak. Did you have a stripper pole put in the ballroom?”
He inhaled deeply and rubbed the back of his neck. He knew women who didn’t give full nudity a second thought. Kelly was still an innocent in so many ways. It was part of the charm he found so irresistible. He understood after the media blitz about the baby that she was also trying to protect Mona and the charity. She couldn’t be more wrong. But he didn’t have time for the argument she would no doubt wage. He looked from Kelly through the open door to the large bed in the room to his left.
“If you really don’t want to go downstairs, I can’t make you.” He’d make damn sure the locks were set.
“Oh,” Kelly inhaled a deep sigh of relief. “Thank you, Jace.”
He slipped out of his jacket, tossed it onto a chair and then pulled at the end of his bow tie, pulling it free from its knot.