“I’d heard that he was seeing someone on a more regular basis, but I never thought it was you, honey.” Thea hugged her then. “I hope this time it works out for you, Lexy. You deserve to be happy. And, if I find out he isn't being good to you, he'll have to answer to me. How are the kids.?”
“They’ve been fine. They are in Vail with Edie for the week. You know how they love going out there.”
“Oh, oh. Here comes the she-devil with Jack. He doesn’t look too happy. Just be yourself, honey. Maybe she will go away.” Thea whispered in her ear as she pulled Lexy up. Jack and an older, over-dressed woman dripping with gaudy jewelry, approached them.
The barracuda moved in immediately. “Jack darling. Who is this lovely creature? For shame. You have been holding out on me. Aren’t you going to introduce us?”
Jack looked pained but resigned himself to his fate.
“Olivia Anders, Lexy Kane. And you know Thea Handle, I presume?”
“My dear, let me introduce you around.” She ignored Thea. “Jack, be a good boy and leave Ms. Kane with me for a while. I see Chris over there. He’s been looking for you. Bye!”
Jack held out his hands in a helpless gesture as Olivia dragged Lexy away. Thea threw him a dirty look and followed Lexy. He could see every man in the place already giving her the once over.
The law of the entertainment business was everyone was fair game. He intended to keep an extra careful eye in her direction. At least Thea would be around. Even if she didn’t like him, he knew she would look out for Lexy.
Keeping that in mind, he weaved his way through the crowd toward Chris. Damn! Gina was by his side, her back turned, talking to several men at once. She turned around as Jack reached Chris’s side. She stared at him with a cool appraising look.
“Hey buddy, I didn’t realize Lexy was still in the picture. Did you fly in tonight?”
Chris’s blonde head towered over the crowd.
“Uh, no...not really. We came from the ranch. I...uh...I took her to see it, you know, as long as we were in the area.”
Jack shuffled his feet and wouldn’t meet Chris’s eyes. Gina slithered in between them.
“I’d love to visit your ranch sometime, Jack. Now that you have opened it to females, that is. I guess we can thank your friend for that. How is it with the little woman anyway Jack darling? When you have finished with her you know where to find me.”
She pressed against him, her breasts barely contained in the next to nothing dress she had on. Jack took her by the arms, moving her away from him. Gina tossed her hair and laughed. She wasn’t about to let Jack get the better of her.
“You’ll be back when you are bored with the little down-home woman, Jack. Of that I have no doubt.”
She turned and flounced away before he could spit out his angry reply. He stared angrily at her as she made her way through the crowd. Chris’s incredulous voice brought him back.
“You took her to the ranch? Wyatt! Are you listening to me? No one gets invited there. What’s going on, Wyatt?”
Chris looked seriously at his friend. Jack stared at him as if he were looking through him and not seeing anything.
“Nothing is going on. Can’t a man make his own decisions without everyone else sticking their noses where they don’t belong?” His face turned darker, his deep set hazel eyes lighting up dangerously. Chris knew that look and backed off.
“Olivia didn’t waste any time latching on to her. I can imagine the papers tomorrow. She’ll have you married or engaged.” Chris grinned at Jack.
“I’m not getting married or engaged! I like her company and that’s all there is to it. We are two consenting adults who enjoy each other’s company and that’s it, no more, no less!”
Jack was angry with himself now. That was a lie and he knew it. Lexy had been honest with him from the start and he wasn’t being that at all.
“I gotta go.” He muttered to himself as he left an open-mouthed Chris Brandt staring after him. He walked toward the place he had last seen Lexy. She didn’t seem to be anywhere in sight. He swore under his breath. She was like a lamb among the wolves here. He should have never brought her here. He muttered a string of expletives as he looked around for her.
Suddenly he saw her with a glass of champagne in her hand, face flushed, talking with Olivia and several young men vying for her attentions. She didn’t seem to know who to give her attentions to first. Thea was by her side, loving it.
A white hot rage shot through him as he noticed them staring at her ample cleavage. The blue silk showed her curves nicely.
Jack strode over to her, shoving people out of his way in his haste to reach her. Lexy was talking to Olivia and a young, good looking tall blond man on her other side. The blond had inched closer to her and was refilling her glass.
Jack broke through the crowd inserting himself between Lexy and the young guy trying to move in on her. He took the glass out of her hand, securing her around the waist. The young man started to protest until he saw the censorious look on Jack's face. He backed off then, not wanting a confrontation with Jack Wyatt. Everyone in the business knew better than to tangle with him. Without an explanation to anyone around them, he steered her through the crowd and out the door.
Circling her waist tightly with both arms, he lowered his lips to her ear and whispered irately.
“You wanted me to rescue you and make love to you like in the video. You are getting your wish. I don’t like the idea of you with anyone else but me. In case you weren’t aware of it, that guy was moving in for the kill. You wouldn’t have known what hit you if I hadn’t been around.”
Lexy struggled to free herself without much luck. “Let go of me. You don't have the right. Let go, Jack!” She hissed in his ear.
“I don't have the right to what? To have you, Lexy? Is that what you mean?" He released her then and stood in the street glaring down at her, fury in his eyes that matched hers. "Guess I better take you home then. I mean back to the ranch. This was a mistake. I can see this whole thing has been a mistake. Why did you have to come back in my life anyway? I was doing just fine without you.”
“You can’t lock me up like some doll that only you can play with, Jack. I won’t stand for it. No one has the right to keep another person. I put up with it once and I will never do it again. I need to be with other people too, Jack.” She fidgeted with the bracelet on her wrist, but managed to maintain her firm gaze. This was all wrong. She loved him. but not with a price tag attached.
Jack rubbed the back of his neck, gesturing toward her. Things were not going as he planned. He cared for this woman more than he had ever cared for another person. “Do you think you can run with those people, Lexy? They chew little girls like you up every day and spit them out. I just didn't want to see you get hurt by any of those jokers. They aren't sincere. One minute you're the greatest and the next you're scum. I couldn't stand to see them say or print anything bad or untrue about you.”
Lexy's demeanor had already begun to soften. “But I had you there, Jack. And Thea. You said you would be there for me. I knew where you were. I knew you wouldn’t let me get in trouble. I was aware that Olivia was trying to find out about you and me. She knows even less now than she did before. I was just playing along with her little game. I would not have given that boy the time of day. I'm not the groupie type Jack, and I’m not stupid either.” Lexy put her hand on his arm. “I wanted you to be proud of me. Isn’t that why you brought me here tonight?”
Jack gathered her to him, cradling her in his arms, his chin resting on the top of her russet head. They stood embraced for a long time. All the anger drained out of him. She was so good for him. He didn’t deserve a woman like her and he knew it.
“I’m so sorry, Lexy. I know you can handle yourself. I was...jealous. God, I was jealous of that young punk. I didn't mean what I said about coming back into my life. Will you forgive me?” His voice was muffled as he brushed his lips against the top of her hair.
She sigh
ed a deep sigh. “You are forgiven, Jack Wyatt. Except for talking to Gina. Do you think she could've gotten any closer to you?”
“I've told you, she means nothing to me, Lexy. She's only trying to make trouble. I stay away from her kind now.”
“Now? What is that supposed to mean?” Lexy pulled away from him.
“I mean now, today, tomorrow, forever. She’s not my type. She never has been. I didn’t know I had a type...until now.
“Oh.”
Lexy looked at him, searching for something she couldn't quite find. She couldn’t quite unlock the mystery of the man who stood before her. He had been so gentle and loving the last two days. She wasn’t sure that she liked the anger or hint of possessiveness she had just witnessed. The last few years with a domineering man like Tom made her wary. But, yet, Jack was nothing like Tom. He got angry, but was not violent towards her in any way. It was kind of nice that he didn't like to see another man flirting with her. She remembered what he had said to her while they had been flying.
“Let’s go home and finish the rest of the story, Lexy.” He bent over and whispered in her ear.
“Let me say good-by to Thea, Jack.”
“Wait here. I’ll get her.” He dashed off in the direction of the party. Thea returned with him a minute later. The two friends hugged.
Thea stared at Jack. “She’s my friend, Jack. And I don’t like my friends to get hurt.”
Jack stared back. He didn’t say anything. What could he say? He didn’t know himself where this was leading to. He only knew that Lexy made him feel like no other woman had been able to do. How do you explain that to another woman. Especially one who cared deeply about her.
Lexy reached out and gave Thea’s arm an affectionate squeeze. “I’ll be fine Thea. I’m a big girl now.”
“If you say so Lexy. Just...just be careful.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll call you next week, all right?”
Jack put his arm around her waist. “Time to go, Lexy.”
She waved good-by as they stepped into the waiting Limo. They got in and Jack directed the driver to the airport. “Thanks for inviting Thea, Jack.”
“She doesn’t like me, you know.”
“It’s okay, Jack. She has always been protective of me. Don’t forget, we’ve known each other a long time.”
“A lot of people are protective of you, sweetheart.”
“You aren’t jealous of them too?” She was teasing him now.
He pulled her to him and kissed her hard. “I’ll show you how protective I can be. When we get home!”
“My hero.” She sighed as he kissed her again, this time so much more tenderly.
“Yeah, baby. Your hero. Only yours.”
Thirty minutes later, they got into the Dodge at the small airstrip near his ranch. Twenty minutes later he was leading her into the house where they continued the rest of the story after the rescue.
“I have to get back home today you know, Jack.” Lexy had gotten up after their voracious night of lovemaking to make breakfast. He seemed to have had a fierce need to take her after the incident at the party. He was draped across a chair at the table in the kitchen watching her every move, the hunger in his eyes still there.
She felt as if she were being stalked by a hunter. She went on carefully, not meeting his eyes. “I want to thank you for a great time.”
Lexy didn’t want to seem overeager. She was hoping he’d want to see her again, forever.
“A great time. A great time? Is that what you had?”
Startled by the tone in his voice, Lexy's head snapped up in surprise. His eyes were dangerously darkened. She already knew that look.
“I’m...I'm in love with you, Lexy. I’d say that is more than a great time!”
He looked across the table at her, putting his fork down, his eyes smoldering now. Lexy lowered her eyes.
“You know how I feel, Jack. I’ve said it enough times in the last two days.”
She pushed her fork around on her plate, not wanting to look at him. Her heart was pounding so loud she thought he would be able to hear it! He loved her! He loved her! Her heart was singing.
He gripped the old wooden table tightly. “Tell me again. I want to hear it from you while we are sitting here now. Look at me when you say it!”
She looked up at him and knew she was lost to him, forever. His eyes remained dark and questioning.
“Say it!” he demanded.
“I love you. I’ve always loved you. Is that what you want to hear? There, I’ve said it again.”
She looked away as his eyes released her. She was afraid, very afraid. She had never been this open with anyone.....except all those years ago with him. One of her biggest shortcomings was keeping things to herself. That was to protect herself from getting hurt. Lexy didn’t think she could take that again. Jack was making her be honest with herself. Maybe that was what she was really afraid of.
Jack cleared his throat and began speaking again. He had made her say what he wanted to hear. Now he had to give her some painful news, and he wasn’t looking forward to it. He had needed to know how she felt about him before he broke the news.
“Look Lexy, angel, I wanted to tell you this last night when we got home.” He hesitated and then plunged ahead. “I have to go to Africa in a week for three weeks to shoot some footage for the video. We're doing some scenes in the Sahara.”
He continued quickly. “I would like to come and see you this next weekend before I leave. I’d like to meet your kids and get to know them. Once I’m over there I don’t know when I’ll have time to get in touch with you. We can get together as soon as I get back to the states. I want you in my life, Lexy, all the time.” He had that helpless little boy look again.
“Does this mean Gina will be there too?” Lexy looked at him with consternation.
He had expected that question and she didn’t disappoint him. “I won’t deny that, Lexy. She will be there. I love you, not her. Haven’t you got that into that pretty head of yours yet? I wouldn’t be with you if I cared anything about her. She already knows how I feel. I’m afraid I was rather blunt about the whole thing. You see, there is nothing to worry about.” He looked at her, his dark eyes revealing his passion for her.
“I..I guess so Jack.” Lexy was not feeling at all at ease with his explanation. “Won’t it be dangerous? They are always fighting over there!” she sighed. “Besides, it will be a long three weeks without you.”
“I’ll be fine, baby. Don’t worry. There’ll be plenty of security. You know I’ll miss you too.”
He got up from the table and walked around to where she sat. He pulled her up out of the chair and put his arms around her, holding her close. Lexy clung to him fiercely. She trusted Jack, but not Gina. Who would guard him against her? Her heart was afraid, but she didn’t want Jack to know that. It would seem as if she were the jealous type and that she didn’t trust him. Trust! She knew all about trust and a relationship. Well, she decided, she could trust one more time.
“Come on, honey. I want to show you something before we leave for the airstrip.” He pulled her out the door and took her over to a small shed. He lifted the wooden bolt and swung the doors open.
“Oh, Jack. It’s the Harley. You kept it.” Excitement danced in her eyes. “Let’s go for a quick ride. It still works doesn’t it?”
“Yeah, the old girl can still take a turn or two. One thing about Harley’s, they get old, but like fine wine, they only get better.” Jack steered it out of the shed. “Grab the helmets over there, Lexy.”
Their helmets secure, Lexy put her arms around him as they rode off down the mountain valley. Twenty minutes later, they were brushing the dust off and laughing like two kids.
“That was so great, Jack. Just like old times.”
“Yeah, it was great.” Great, feeling her arms around him again, wild and free. “Time to go, Lexy. We’ll just make it.”
“Okay. Race you to the house.” She took off, leaving h
im in her dust.
Driving back to the small airstrip, once again, Lexy drank in the splendor of the valley, green and lush. God’s country she thought. Back home everything was covered with white. Yes, she could surely live among all this loveliness and be blissfully happy.
“You are the first one I’ve brought here, you know.” Jack's voice broke into her thoughts.
“I figured that out when I stepped into your house. I couldn’t understand why, what was his name, Evan, was watching me so intently, like I was an alien or something. I knew the moment I entered the house that I was probably the first female of any kind to be there.”
Jack pulled Lexy to him and kissed her tenderly. “I’ll miss you, Lexy angel.”
“I’ll miss you too Jack.” She paused. “Jack, I think there is something you should know before you come next week-end.”
“And what terrible thing might that be?” He watched her expectantly.
“Well, you see, it’s just that...I...I’m not a very good housekeeper!” Lexy looked away as Jack burst into laughter. She couldn’t bring herself to tell him about Ryan, yet.
“I won’t even be looking at the house, Lexy.”
“Oh.”
“I’ll see you soon, angel.”
And will you be in for a shock. Shuddering at the thought of Jack meeting Ryan for the first time, Lexy knew she should have told him, but the moment had passed. Now she could say nothing.
He watched as she boarded the plane. She turned, waved and disappeared through the doorway. With his hands jammed in his pockets, Jack turned and walked slowly back towards his truck. The woman of his dreams was leaving him....for the time being. His dreams. It was about time his dreams came true. Jack swung into the Dodge and headed back to the ranch. It wouldn’t be the same without her there. For the first time in a long, long while, he didn’t look forward to that empty feeling.
Looking Out for Lexy Page 18