Engaged to Jarrod Stone

by Carole Mortimer

  The three girls left their wraps in the cloakroom and made their way over to the booked table next to the dance-floor, the band already providing music for half a dozen couples smooching around the floor.

  Not having explained her suddenly free evening, Brooke knew she would come in for a certain amount of questioning—and it wasn’t long in coming. As they were the first of their party to arrive it gave the other two girls time to question her in private.

  ‘So what happened to your engagement?’ Debbie looked pointedly at her bare left hand, the ring that had adorned the third finger now locked away out of sight. ‘Surely you didn’t change your mind?’

  Brooke sipped her dry Martini and lemonade. ‘It was a mutual thing. We just decided we weren’t suited.’

  Lynette looked at her wide-eyed. ‘Goodness, I would have made sure I suited a dreamboat like him. He’s gorgeous!’

  Brooke gave a distant smile. She had known there would be questions like this, even more so when she went to work on Monday, but it didn’t make them hurt any less. No matter what she might have to tell other people about the end of her engagement, she loved Jarrod.

  ‘He is very handsome, yes,’ she agreed, pretending an interest in the band she didn’t have, even though they were exceptionally good.

  The place was beginning to fill up and in an hour or so’s time what was now an almost empty dance-floor-would be overflowing with people. Perhaps then she wouldn’t be the focus of her friends’ interest, although she couldn’t really blame them for their curiosity; one minute she was engaged to Jarrod and the next he wasn’t even speaking to her.

  ‘Handsome!’ scoffed Debbie. ‘He’s fantastic,’ she corrected her. ‘He has beautiful sexy smouldering grey eyes. I saw a picture of him in a magazine a few weeks ago. I couldn’t believe how lucky you were when I saw you were engaged to him.’

  ‘Thank you for your card, by the way.’ Brooke sighed. ‘But those smouldering sexy eyes can also be contemptuous and glacial as snow. Believe me,’ she shuddered, ‘I know.’

  ‘Oh, but surely he wasn’t like that with you?’ Lynette gasped.

  ‘Don’t you believe it. No, Jarrod is a very handsome, exciting man, but he’s also a ruthless one. I’m afraid I’m not up to being the perfect wife.’ Far from it, in Jarrod’s eyes!

  ‘I think it’s a shame. Still, as long as you aren’t too brokenhearted about it.’ Debbie looked at her sympathetically, obviously doubting the truth of that.

  Brooke shrugged. ‘I’m upset, naturally. No one likes to admit they made a mistake, but it was better to find out now than after we were married. I just realised I didn’t fit in with his idea of a wife.’ She had definitely never been the complacent sort and she wasn’t going to become so in marriage, and Jarrod needed a wife who would accept his affairs with other women.

  When the rest of their crowd arrived ten minutes later they were just as curious, but they were given the same vague excuses as Debbie and Lynette and had to be satisfied with that. There were two more girls as Sheila had brought along a friend of hers from work, and there were six boys. They were all known to Brooke and she soon found herself laughing and joking with them in the old way, thoughts of Jarrod pushed firmly to the back of her mind.

  ‘You’re really finished with this guy Stone?’ asked Jerry, an American student over here studying English history.

  Brooke turned to look at him, sobering slightly at the mention of Jarrod’s name. ‘I’m no longer engaged to him,’ she confirmed.

  ‘Temporarily or permanently?’

  She frowned. ‘I don’t understand.’

  Jerry grinned, a tall loose-limbed man with over-long blond hair and a winning smile. He and Brooke had dated a couple of times in the past, but nothing had come of it. ‘What I mean is, are you finished for good or is this just a momentary disagreement—you know, a lovers’ tiff?’

  ‘Definitely the former.’

  ‘Good,’ he said with some satisfaction, giving a bashful grin at her shocked look. ‘Sorry, honey, that was a purely selfish viewpoint.’

  ‘Selfish?’

  ‘Mm.’ He took a large gulp of his whisky. ‘We had dated a couple of times just before you got engaged to this guy and I was pretty surprised when you suddenly decided to marry him. I was quite interested in you myself, you know.’

  ‘You were?’

  ‘Yes, I was—I still am. I realise you’re probably upset at the moment, but I could help you get over that a whole lot quicker.’

  ‘You could?’ Brooke asked with a smile, starting to relax a bit now. This was the sort of man she could handle, the sort of man she felt at ease with. It seemed that only with the Stone men did she feel that muscle-tightening feeling of fear and anticipation. She had been right to feel both emotions.

  ‘Oh yes.’ Jerry stood up, pulling her to her feet. ‘We’ll start by dancing together.’

  Before she could protest he had pulled her on to the dance-floor, holding her closely against his body as they moved to the slow music. They laughed and talked as they danced and only returned to the table to drink thirstily. It was warm work trying to survive amongst that crowd, although it wasn’t long before they went back again.

  As it happened to be a fast-moving number they danced away from each other, and Brooke became lost in the music. She felt quite exhausted at the end of it and collapsed thankfully into Jerry’s arms, laughing happily up at him.

  It was at just this moment, her head thrown back, her eyes violet with pleasure, her smile for Jerry alone, that she saw the couple just stepping on to the dance-floor for the next dance. Jarrod and Selina Howard! And Jarrod was looking at her with undisguised contempt.

  She looked quickly away, all colour leaving her face. ‘Would you mind if we sat down, Jerry?’ she asked breathlessly.

  He put an arm about her shoulders. ‘That last one wore you out, did it?’ he teased.

  She gave a shaky smile. ‘Yes.’

  She deliberately swapped seats with Jerry, her back now firmly turned to the couple she most wanted to avoid. How dared Jarrod come here so blatantly with that woman! She boiled inside, not hearing a word Jerry said.

  ‘Brooke?’ He touched her hand.

  ‘Yes?’ she asked sharply. She smiled at him wanly. ‘Sorry, Jerry. I think I have a headache coming on.’

  ‘Would you like me to take you home?’

  There was nothing she would like better, but it would be too much like running away. No, she would stay here and act as if nothing had happened. She gave Jerry a dazzling smile. ‘Another drink will soon clear my head.’

  ‘Sure it will.’ He stopped a waiter and ordered the required drinks. ‘You haven’t had enough to make you feel relaxed yet.’

  Until a few moments ago she had been completely relaxed and enjoying herself immensely. Until she had seen Jarrod, that was. Oh, damn Jarrod and the attraction she still felt towards him!

  ‘Here you are.’ Jerry handed her a cool drink. ‘Get that down you and you’ll soon forget you ever had a headache.’

  As she hadn’t had one to start with that was highly likely. Nevertheless, after this she threw herself more enthusiastically into the enjoyment of the evening, electing to stay on with Jerry after the others decided they had had enough. Debbie and Lynette were a trifle reluctant about leaving her, but Jerry assured them he would see her home safely.

  ‘I thought they’d never leave!’ Jerry pulled her to her feet. ‘Let’s dance.’

  And dance they did, for what seemed like hours—and probably was. Occasionally Brooke looked about the room for a sight of Jarrod, but could see him nowhere. Perhaps he had already left; it was possible.

  At twelve-thirty she excused herself. She was feeling hot and sticky and wanted to brush her hair and freshen up her make-up. Luckily she had chosen to wear a cool flowing flower-print dress, sleeveless, with a low neckline that revealed the dark shadow between her breasts.

  With her hair brushed back into some semblance of glowing order a
nd her lipstick re-applied, she left the powder-room to return to their table. She didn’t get very far, a firm grip on her arm stopping her progress. She looked up from that familiar-looking hand into the grim face of Jarrod Stone. So he hadn’t left after all!

  ‘What do you think you’re playing at?’ he snapped harshly with no preliminaries.

  Brooke blinked rapidly at this verbal attack on her. ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘Don’t play games with me,’ he said in a controlled voice. ‘Just what do you mean by coming here with your boy-friend tonight?’

  ‘Why shouldn’t I?’ She snatched her wrist out of his grasp, causing extra pain to herself as he didn’t want to let go. ‘You don’t have a monopoly on this place.’

  ‘I don’t have the monopoly on it, but I do part-own it.’

  ‘I should have guessed,’ she said dryly. ‘Does this mean you’re asking me to leave?’

  ‘Not at all, it means I want to know who your friend is.’

  Her eyes sparkled with anger. ‘It’s none of your business—nothing I do is now.’

  A cruel smile curved that firm mouth. ‘I think it is,’ he insisted determinedly. ‘I haven’t refuted our engagement yet and it could prove rather embarrassing for us both if you’re spotted here with another man.’

  She stood proud, her head thrown back. ‘And who would I be spotted by? I’m not exactly a well-known face. Unless of course your companion sees me. But I can’t really see that that would make any difference, she already knows our engagement was a sham.’

  He frowned. ‘My companion? And who might that be?’

  ‘Now who’s playing games?’ she scorned. ‘Let me go, Jarrod. Jerry will be wondering where I am.’

  ‘So his name’s Jerry,’ he said softly. ‘Have you known him long?’

  ‘Long enough.’

  ‘For what?’

  ‘For whatever,’ Brooke answered carelessly.

  ‘I see,’ his mouth tightened. ‘Now perhaps you’ll tell me what game I’m supposed to be playing?’

  ‘I saw you with that woman, so don’t try to deny it. I think you should be the one to worry if you’re seen with her, not me.’

  ‘By “that woman” I presume you mean Selina. Does it bother you that I’m here with her?’

  At last he let go of her wrist and she glowered at him as she massaged the reddened skin. ‘Why should I care? I’ve always known she came first in your life, so why should it bother me if you see her?’

  ‘You tell me.’

  ‘It doesn’t bother me,’ she said crossly. ‘Excuse me, but I would like to rejoin my friend.’ She turned on her heel and walked away, expecting at any moment to feel his hand on her arm. When it didn’t happen she didn’t know if she was relieved or disappointed.

  Whatever her emotions were she became quite recklessly enthusiastic about the evening, drinking heavily between dances. Jerry was becoming quite friendly, but in her state of rejection she didn’t seem to mind his attentions. Jarrod might no longer want her, but she was still attractive to other men; Jerry made it clear that he found her very attractive.

  She swallowed the remainder of her drink, about her seventh of the evening. ‘Shall we dance again?’ she asked him gaily.

  ‘Sure,’ he agreed readily.

  The music had slowed down a little with the progression of the evening and she snuggled against him as they danced. It might not be the best reason for her to be in his arms, but for now it was the only one she had. He was quite good-looking and she badly needed a salve to her dented ego at the moment. Besides, he was fun to be with.

  They danced close together, their bodies curved together as they moved to the music. Jerry bent his head to caress her throat with demanding lips. ‘Can we leave soon, honey?’ he asked huskily.

  ‘Soon,’ she promised. ‘But it’s early yet.’

  ‘It’s after two in the morning,’ he corrected. ‘I don’t call that early.’

  Brooke pouted up at him. ‘Don’t be a meanie. You don’t have to get up for college in the morning.’

  ‘I wasn’t thinking about the morning,’ he murmured, his eyes admiring. ‘When can I take you home?’

  She looked at him reproachfully. ‘We have plenty of time to go home. I’m enjoying myself.’

  ‘So am I,’ he brushed his lips across her mouth. ‘But I can think of a way I would enjoy myself more.’

  She giggled. ‘That’s naughty!’

  ‘I know, but I—’

  ‘Excuse me!’ a harshly angry voice interrupted their conversation.

  Brooke turned with dazed eyes to see Jarrod standing at her side. She and Jerry had stopped dancing at the first sound of his voice, jerked out of their flirtatious mood by the coldness of his tone. Brooke felt sure he must have heard part of their bantering conversation and she knew what construction he would have put on it.

  Jerry looked at the other man challengingly. ‘Yeah? Can I do something for you?’

  Jarrod gave him a glacial look. ‘Not you, no. I would like to talk to Brooke.’

  ‘She’s with me.’ Jerry had had as much to drink as she had and it had given him more courage than he might otherwise have had. ‘So anything you have to say can be said in front of me.’

  He received a look of arrogant disdain for his rude outburst. ‘I don’t think so,’ Jarrod disagreed. ‘What I have to say to Brooke is totally private.’

  ‘We don’t have any secrets from each other.’

  Even Brooke looked sharply at Jerry for this statement. They might have dated a couple of times, but they had never been that close. Still, she couldn’t altogether blame Jerry for his defiant attitude; Jarrod brought out those feelings in her too. It was all that arrogance that did it.

  Jarrod gave a nasty smile. ‘What I have to say to Brooke isn’t exactly a secret, I should think everyone in the club has been thinking what I’m about to say.’

  Brooke bristled angrily. ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘Could we go to your table and sit down?’ Jarrod suggested. ‘We’re rather conspicuous standing here.’

  For the first time she became aware of how they must look to other people, standing here in the middle of a crowded dance-floor having an obviously hostile conversation. She nodded distantly, her gaiety of a few minutes earlier gone completely.

  ‘Now,’ Jarrod leant forward in his chair, ‘you’re making an exhibition of yourself,’ he told her coldly. ‘I could almost say you’re drunk.’

  ‘Why, you—’

  ‘And as for you,’ he cut into Jerry’s indignant outburst, ‘if you don’t stop pawing her I’m going to kill you!’

  The words were spoken so softly and with such force that Brooke knew he meant it. Surely Jarrod couldn’t be jealous? If only he were!

  Jerry seemed to have got over his surprise at such a statement and now gave an assured smile. ‘Perhaps the lady likes to be pawed,’ he drawled.

  ‘Maybe she does.’ Jarrod acknowledged. ‘But if anyone is going to paw her it’s going to be me. Brooke is my fiancée.’

  Jerry looked impressed. ‘So you’re Jarrod Stone!’

  ‘That’s right. So you can understand why I’m not too pleased at seeing her here with you.’

  ‘Oh, I can understand it, but as Brooke claims to be no longer engaged to you I don’t think it’s any of your concern now.’

  Brooke gasped. ‘I don’t claim anything. I’m not—’

  ‘We’ve had a temporary setback, that’s all,’ Jarrod declared firmly. ‘She’s only here with you to hit back at me.’

  Jerry grinned. ‘She seems to have succeeded.’

  Jarrod gave a wry smile. ‘Doesn’t she just! So in the circumstances I hope you will understand my wanting to take her home now,’ he said smoothly.

  ‘I don’t want—’

  ‘Neither do I, honey.’ Jerry hadn’t been fooled by the now charming manner of this man, remembering the threat he had made and the conviction behind the words. ‘Brooke came with me,’ he lied.
‘And she’s leaving with me.’

  Grey eyes raked over him mercilessly. ‘Are you sure about that?’

  Jerry stood up, taking Brooke with him. ‘Very sure. It’s been—interesting meeting you, Mr Stone. No, don’t bother to see us to the door, we know the way out.’

  Brooke collected up her handbag, halted once again by Jarrod’s grip on her arm. ‘Let go of me!’ she ordered.

  ‘I want to talk to you, Brooke.’

  ‘We’ve said all we had to say.’ She held up her left hand. ‘You see, I no longer wear your brand of possession.’

  ‘Does Dave know about your new boy-friend?’

  She shrugged, forgetting her earlier declaration that she was having an affair with his brother. ‘Why should he? No one owns me.’

  ‘Then perhaps it’s time someone did,’ he said softly. ‘Goodnight.’

  ‘Goodnight,’ she answered, startled by his sudden turn-about of mood.

  He looked at Jerry again. ‘I take it you’re not going to attempt to drive?’

  ‘And if I were?’ Jerry asked insolently.

  Jarrod shrugged. ‘I would simply make a telephone call to the police informing them of your inebriated state.’

  ‘Thanks! ‘Jerry returned dryly. ‘But as I don’t possess a car that won’t be necessary.’ He put his arm about Brooke’s shoulders. ‘Goodnight, Mr Stone.’

  Jarrod didn’t answer but turned on his heel and walked away. Brooke was still shaking from the encounter when she returned to Jerry’s side after collecting her wrap. They got into a waiting taxi, Jerry giving the driver Brooke’s address.

  He turned to her in the darkness of the car. ‘A very determined man, your Mr Stone,’ he remarked.

  ‘He isn’t my Mr Stone,’ she answered crossly.

  ‘He doesn’t seem to be of the same opinion.’

  ‘He just wanted to be nasty.’

  Jerry shook his head. ‘I don’t think so. He was mad as hell to see you in my arms.’

  ‘Not through jealousy, I can assure you!’

  ‘Hey, come on, Brooke, there’s no need to get aggressive with me. I’m only telling you that the guy didn’t like you being with me. If we hadn’t been in such a public place he would probably have hit me. And that was no idle threat he made about my touching you.’