‘We’re going to a party,’ he told her shortly. ‘And we’re already late.’
‘I suppose it will go on for hours yet—most parties do.’
‘Possibly,’ he nodded distantly. ‘Ready?’
‘Yes,’ she agreed huskily.
They drove to one of the largest hotels in town and Brooke looked at Jarrod interestedly. ‘The party is here?’
He turned to look at her. ‘Yes, in one of the smaller reception rooms.’
Once outside the car she hung back, nervous about meeting Jarrod’s friends for a second time. But his possessive hold on her arm impelled her forward. He opened the door for her and ushered her inside. They found themselves in a small cloakroom area where her wrap was taken by the young man obviously there for just such a purpose, the room behind the double doors surprisingly quiet for a party.
‘Are we the only ones here?’ she whispered to Jarrod.
He grinned at her and moved forward to throw open the double doors. Instantly the feeling of quiet disappeared, people shouting ‘Surprise!’ from every corner of the room. And they were talking to her!
Jarrod bent his head to kiss her fleetingly on the lips. ‘Happy birthday, Brooke.’
She looked from him to his family, all the girls she knew at work, and a few other people who were probably his own personal friends, and tears gathered in her violet-blue eyes. ‘You hadn’t forgotten,’ she choked. ‘I thought everyone had forgotten.’
‘They’d all been sworn to secrecy,’ he corrected. ‘It took quite a lot of organising to get everyone here at such short notice.’ He lowered his voice. ‘It can be quite difficult to do when you’ve only known for four days about the birthday.’
She looked up at him mischievously. ‘You’ve only known me four days.’
‘True,’ he chuckled.
Without hesitating Brooke threw her arms about his neck, kissing him enthusiastically before her attention was taken by the guests he had invited for her. She received all the presents and cards that had been sadly lacking this morning, loving them all, but the present she liked most came from Jarrod’s sister Angie. It was a portrait of Jarrod, a very good portrait that Brooke would treasure as long as she lived. A portrait of the man she loved.
Jarrod grimaced as she put it in place of honour amongst her other gifts. ‘Angie!’ he guessed with feeling. ‘She could have thought of something a little more original than that.’
Brooke looked at it admiringly, a slight curve to her soft pink lips. ‘I think it’s just perfect.’
‘Hardly perfect,’ he denied. ‘I’m sure I don’t have quite that physique. She’s made me out to be some sort of Adonis.’
‘It’s beautiful,’ Brooke insisted.
‘God, now I’m really insulted!’
‘Surely Brooke isn’t insulting you, darling,’ drawled a familiar husky voice. ‘Sorry we’re late, Jarrod, but Charles’ flight was delayed.’
Brooke quickly masked her displeasure at Selina Howard being invited here to her party, turning to smile at the other woman politely. But Selina Howard wasn’t looking at her; her eyes were for Jarrod alone, slanting green eyes that devoured him at a glance.
Brooke found that look frankly disgusting, especially as the man at her side was instantly recognisable as Charles Howard, her husband. He was a tall distinguished man with a handsomeness that was almost as breathtaking as Jarrod’s. Selina Howard must indeed be greedy to possess a husband and lover with such virility.
Charles Howard put out his hand. ‘Nice to see you again, Jarrod,’ he smiled. ‘As Selina has already said, my flight was delayed, hence our lateness.’
‘I’m pleased you could come at all, you must be tired after your flight.’ Jarrod moved to put a possessive arm about Brooke’s shoulders. ‘My fiancée, Brooke Faulkner.’
‘Happy birthday, my dear,’ Charles said smoothly. ‘You don’t know how much pleasure it gives me to see Jarrod joining us other poor downtrodden devils.’
She laughed, noting his twinkling blue eyes. ‘He hasn’t yet, an engagement isn’t necessarily a marriage.’
‘But you did say the marriage was to be next month,’ Selina Howard spoke to her for the first time. ‘All of Jarrod’s friends are waiting in anticipation of their invitation. Have you decided on the actual date yet?’
So Jarrod hadn’t yet told her it was a lie! Brooke wondered why that was. No doubt he had his reasons, he had one for everything he did, unless of course Selina did know it was a lie and they were continuing with this pretence to cover up their affair. That seemed the most likely explanation.
‘We’re still discussing it with my mother,’ Jarrod put in smoothly. ‘She insists it can’t be arranged in a few weeks.’
‘I’ve never met your mother.’ Selina put her hand through the crook of his arm. ‘Introduce me.’
‘Excuse us,’ Jarrod said politely, leading the beautiful blonde woman over to where his mother was chatting quite easily with some of Jarrod’s employees.
Brooke looked at Charles Howard nervously, returning his smile. ‘I believe you’ve been away on business,’ she said conversationally, feeling extraordinarily shy in the company of this well-known man.
He nodded. ‘For over a week now. I returned at seven o’clock this evening.’
‘Then I’m very honoured that you’ve come straight to my birthday party.’
‘I had to see the girl who’s managed to capture the elusive Jarrod. I thought he was a confirmed bachelor. I can see why he changed his mind.’
She blushed at his intended compliment, looking up sharply as she heard Selina Howard’s throaty chuckle. The two of them had left Jarrod’s mother now and were standing to one side of the room deep in conversation.
Charles followed her gaze, frowning as he saw his wife’s hand on Jarrod’s arm. He looked back at Brooke. ‘You’ll have to forgive Selina,’ he said gently. ‘She’s never been able to accept the fact that she’s a married woman.’
‘Sorry?’ She pretended ignorance, all the time aware of just how close Jarrod and this man’s wife were standing.
Charles sighed. ‘My wife likes to flirt. But she doesn’t mean anything by it,’ he added hastily. ‘At least, not usually,’ he muttered, watching his wife through narrowed eyes.
For such a successful businessman Charles Howard certainly didn’t understand his wife as he should, although he obviously had suspicions about her relationship with Jarrod. That wasn’t surprising in the circumstances. Brooke felt as if everyone could see that possessive hand on her fiancé’s arm.
She felt relieved when the small band at one end of the room began to play, moving into Charles Howard’s arms at his request that they dance together. He was an amusing companion, very attractive, but nevertheless she still knew the exact moment when Jarrod stepped on to the dance floor with the beautiful Selina. And she resented the way the woman’s arms were clasped about his neck, her body moulded to him as she moved to the music. They made no attempt to dance in the conventional way and she knew Charles Howard had noticed them too.
Jarrod’s father claimed her for the next dance, and she felt the tension start to leave her body. If Jarrod had hoped to cover his affair with the other woman by keeping up this phoney engagement he needn’t have bothered. Charles Howard was very very suspicious of his wife’s friendship with him now and it would take drastic measures to allay those suspicions.
And the fact that Jarrod had now danced with the woman three times in succession would not help the situation. Brooke was keeping her eye on Charles Howard and knew that he was aware of his wife’s every move.
‘Jarrod really surprised you this evening, didn’t he,’ Clifford Stone remarked with a grin. ‘Springing this party on you.’
She smiled up at him as they danced. ‘He certainly did,’ she agreed.
‘Has he given you his present yet?’
‘He gave me this dress. And I would like to thank you once again for the lovely pearl necklace you gave me. It�
��s very beautiful.’ And something she had told Jarrod she couldn’t accept. He had cuttingly told her she would do as she was told. Perhaps for the moment she would, but later she would see it returned.
‘We’re just glad you like it. Sarah assured me that the modern setting of the necklace was perfectly suitable. And although it’s a charming dress I’m sure I can tell you without spoiling any of Jarrod’s fun that it isn’t your birthday gift from him. That’s something very special.’
Like any other woman when told something like this Brooke now felt a burning curiosity to know what the gift could be. Unless Jarrod had just told his parents this so that they should think a lot of thought had gone into his present to her. Not that she wanted anything else from him; he had given her far too much already, including this huge ring glittering on her finger like a brand of possession.
Dave claimed her for a dance next, looking very handsome in black trousers and a white evening jacket. He wasted no time in coming straight to what was on his mind. ‘What’s big brother doing with the blonde bombshell?’
Brooke was startled by his straightforwardness, but she should have expected it after Sunday. Dave wasn’t one to mince his words. She arched one eyebrow. ‘Do you mean Mrs Howard?’ she asked innocently.
‘So that’s who she is! Yes, what’s Jarrod doing with the lovely Selina?’
She looked over his shoulder at the other couple. ‘Dancing, I would say.’
His hold tightened as he pulled her closer into his arms. ‘I know that,’ he said in disgust. ‘But she’s a bit—well, she clings a bit. And she’s monopolising Jarrod’s attention, she has been for the last half hour or so.’
‘It could be the other way round, you know.’
He frowned. ‘What do you mean?’
‘I mean Jarrod could be monopolising her,’ she pointed out wryly.
Dave looked down at her. ‘When he’s just got engaged to you? I don’t believe it.’
Brooke gave a hollow laugh. ‘Being engaged to someone doesn’t mean you suddenly stop noticing how attractive other people are.’
‘Does that mean you could come to like me?’ he asked softly against her earlobe.
‘Dave!’ she looked shocked. ‘I’m engaged to your brother.’
‘Do you love him?’
‘Very much,’ she nodded.
He sighed. ‘Lucky Jarrod! I wonder if you would have fallen for me if we’d met first. I’d like to think so.’
She had known that he liked her by his attitude towards her over the weekend, but she hadn’t imagined it had been this much. ‘I would too,’ she said gently. ‘But I’m afraid that as soon as I saw Jarrod I knew he was the one for me. It was just something I instinctively knew.’
‘Well, I instinctively think we should break up his little scene with the lovely Mrs Howard. That woman means trouble if you don’t watch her.’
If only he knew! Selina Howard had been the cause of all her trouble of late. ‘So how do you expect me to get Jarrod away from her?’
He took hold of her hand and began to make his way through the other dancers. ‘Just leave it to me,’ he turned round to murmur. ‘I’ll get her off your back.’
Once he reached the other couple he tapped his brother on the shoulder, grinning in the face of Jarrod’s obvious displeasure. He smiled at Selina Howard. ‘I’m Jarrod’s brother, Mrs Howard,’ he introduced himself. ‘And I’ve been longing to meet you all evening. Would you give me this dance?’
She couldn’t do much else in the circumstances, and Brooke tried to pretend she hadn’t seen the wink Dave gave her over the other woman’s shoulder as he whisked her away. She looked uncertainly at Jarrod as he towered over her.
‘Did Dave think that up on his own or did you put him up to it?’ he rasped.
‘I don’t know what you mean,’ she evaded.
‘I’m pretty damn sure my little brother had no intention of going near Selina before he had that last dance with you.’ His look was grim. ‘You must have given him the idea.’
Her eyes snapped, deeply violet in colour. ‘It wouldn’t occur to you that people have begun to gossip about the time you’re spending with your mistress, that your own brother wanted to know exactly what was going on. Oh no, you wouldn’t think about that, would you? Because that’s just what happened, so don’t blame me for the fool you’re making of yourself.’
Jarrod pulled her roughly into his arms, moving angrily to the slow melodious music. ‘Okay, point taken. But don’t talk to me like that again.’
‘Someone has to tell you,’ she said heatedly, stiff and unrelaxed in his arms. ‘And I think I should also tell you that we might as well forget about this phoney engagement. You aren’t fooling anyone, especially Charles Howard. He knows exactly what’s going on between you and his wife.’
Jarrod’s grey eyes narrowed. ‘Did he tell you that?’ he demanded.
‘He’s been watching you all evening, and there’s been plenty to see. If you can’t keep your hands off her then you shouldn’t have invited her here.’
‘I have a better idea.’ He pulled her so close to him she could feel the taut outline of his body. ‘If we’re seen to be so much in love that we seem inseparable people will forget I was ever with Selina tonight.’
‘I wouldn’t count on her husband forgetting.’
Jarrod put her arms about his shoulders. ‘He will if you give a good performance.’
‘A good performance?’
‘Act as if you love me,’ he explained roughly.
But she did! ‘Why should I do that? That would prove nothing, except that I’m in love with a man who loves another woman. I’m not going to make myself appear any more ridiculous than I do already.’
His grey eyes bore down into hers. ‘You’ll do this, Brooke, or you’ll learn just what humiliation really is,’ he told her grimly.
She flinched at the look in his eyes. ‘Meaning?’
‘Meaning that if you found my talking to Selina embarrassing you’ll find I can do much worse things than that. I could make things so bad for you you’ll feel like dying of shame. Especially as my family already consider us to be lovers,’ he added cruelly.
Brooke gasped. ‘They don’t! Your mother said—’
‘My mother believed me about the weekend, I said nothing about us not sleeping together at other times. I’m thirty-seven, Brooke, I haven’t lived that long without a certain amount of physical relationships. I admit it, I’m not ashamed of the fact. So as you’re my fiancée they would naturally expect us to be— Well, I’m sure you can draw your own conclusions.’
‘Oh God!’ She danced against him automatically, uncaring that they were moving slowly to music that required much faster movements. They looked like a couple so much in love that they wanted only to be close to each other, everything else irrelevant to both of them.
If only that were the case, but she wasn’t even aware of the music or the other people in the room. She hadn’t thought of people assuming they had that sort of relationship, and she now found it so embarrassing she couldn’t look anywhere but at him.
‘That’s terrible!’ she groaned.
Jarrod laughed, a deep throaty sound that mocked. ‘Don’t be such an innocent, Brooke, engaged couples often do, you know.’
‘So you keep saying. But it isn’t my idea of an engagement,’ she said resentfully.
‘You’re nothing but a little prude!’
‘At least I have some morals,’ she burst out angrily. ‘Unlike some people. Doesn’t it bother you that Charles Howard is a friend of yours, that people openly know of your affair with his wife?’
He had that cold angry look on his face now. ‘Would you believe me if I said it did?’
‘No.’
‘That’s what I thought, that’s why I’ve made no effort to deny your accusations. You’ve already made up your mind about me and I wouldn’t like to ruin any of your illusions.’
‘I doubt you could ever do that,’ she scor
ned. ‘Everyone warned me when I came to work for you, everyone knew your reputation with women. But I still thought you—’
‘Yes?’ he prompted.
She hesitated about continuing, realising she had been about to admit to her attraction to him. ‘You’re very attractive,’ she finished abruptly. ‘I’m sure I’m not the first female to tell you that. I thought you quite romantic, very sophisticated. But then I found I didn’t like the games sophisticated people play, that I didn’t like you very much. I like you even less now.’
He looked down at her as her bright head rested on his shoulder. ‘No one would believe it to look at you,’ he taunted.
Instantly she moved away from him, but he stilled her movements, making her gasp at the force of his body on hers. ‘Let me go!’ she ordered. ‘Stop making an exhibition out of us!’
He forced her to remain still. ‘You’re doing that,’ he growled angrily. ‘People expect to see us gazing into each other’s eyes, so do it!’
She obstinately continued to look away from him. ‘I don’t like your eyes,’ she declared childishly. ‘They’re cruel and unkind.’ And incredibly sexy, she could have added. Grey eyes that could be coolly calculating could also be dark with sleepy passion, passion she had aroused only once but assuredly knew existed.
‘They probably are at this moment,’ Jarrod agreed carelessly.
‘They are most of the time,’ she added bitchily.
He laughed at her anger. ‘Okay, off you go and act the gracious hostess.’ He pushed her away from him. ‘Your acting is lousy, I’ll have to give you some private lessons.’
Her face aflame, she rushed away from the taunting mockery of his face, well aware of what sort of lessons he had in mind. And she had no defence against the brand of seduction he practised.
She found herself standing with Jean, her boy-friend Nathaniel off dancing with one of the other girls from the Stone office building. ‘Everything all right?’ she asked her friend.
Jean gave her a glowing smile. ‘Lovely. Mr Stone’s family are all very nice. I’ve had a chat with all of them and they aren’t in the least snobbish. His father is a real charmer.’
Engaged to Jarrod Stone Page 9