“So is that her?” Minos asked, coming up to stand beside him.
“Yep. The same one you torpedoed when you blabbed to my sister about our bet.”
Minos looked stricken, like he should. “I should have known that Deirdre would spill the beans. Sorry, Boss.”
Sorry didn’t cut it, but Derek didn’t say anything. Not here.
“She’s quite the looker,” Minos added after a long silence.
“You sound surprised,” Derek said dryly.
“Well, you never would have guessed from her online profile pic.”
Derek spun around and faced him. “Why not? She’s the same woman.”
“Yeah, minus the glasses and that hair, it’s…”
“It’s what?” he pressed.
Minos gave him a conciliatory smile and shrugged. “It’s pretty nice.”
Derek’s stare hardened, his voice deepening. “I’m glad you like her, now make sure you stay away from her.”
“Why?” His minion sounded almost disappointed.
“Because I don’t want you playing any of your games with this one.” The warning was clear; what wasn’t clear was whether Minos was smart enough to heed it.
Minos eyed him with curiosity. “Is this girl any different from the others?”
Apparently he wasn’t smart enough. Hell yes, she was different. She was more genuine. More honest. But it was more than that—she also seemed more vulnerable.
“I mean other than the fact that you lost your bet?” Minos grinned.
Derek stared at him. So Deirdre hadn’t let on that she’d found Jaclyn in his hotel room that morning. He wondered why not. What was his dear sister up to now? “Don’t rub it in,” he shot back, not wanting to let on just how wonderful a night he’d had. Not yet, anyway.
“Okay, is there anything we should know about this girl?” Minos pressed.
“We? What’s this we shit? You got a mouse in your pocket?” Why was he pushing this?
Minos didn’t say anything, just stared at him, his eyebrows raised. “Okay, so she’s different.”
“Maybe she is. Maybe she isn’t. Either way I don’t want you interfering.”
“Geez, Boss. I was just hoping a little slap and tickle would make you a happy boy. You need to lighten up a little.”
Derek leaned real close. “Stay out of it. You got that, or you won’t be seeing the light of day for a very long time.”
“Oh, I got it, Boss. Got it loud and clear.” Minos snickered, turned away, and left the bar. Derek hoped this would be the last he saw of him tonight. He’d already caused enough problems for one day. The snake really needed to get a life.
Derek got the wine and scotch, then headed back to Jaclyn. She was talking with Noah Wells, whom they’d met the night before. “They should have our table ready. Can I steal you away from all these prying eyes?”
“Absolutely,” she said with a smile that almost had him forgetting his annoyance at Minos. “Thanks again, Noah,” she said, and stuck a check into her purse. “I will make sure my partner sends you a receipt right away.”
“Another donation?”
“Yep, and a good one.” She grinned, and he was thankful to the man for putting a smile on her face, yet at the same time irritated that it was someone other than him who’d done it. He led her out of the ballroom and into the terrace dining room. As they passed through the room, he saw his mother sitting at a table with his sister and Sabine. Seeing them there, their heads together, co-conspirators, set his teeth on edge. He glared at his mother and tried not to look at Sabine, but his gaze met hers anyway. He’d been angry when she’d left, angry that she took the decision for their relationship out of his hands. Angry that she didn’t discuss it with him first after everything they’d been through and all that they’d lost. And at the same time, he’d been relieved enough not to go after her.
Her eyes, a deep violet purple, beseeched him, and he felt…nothing. He led Jaclyn past without stopping. Whatever his mother was up to, ignoring her for the time being was the best policy. He was tired of her interfering in his life, always complaining, always criticizing, always wanting more.
To hell with her. She was not going to dictate who he saw in his personal life.
He seated Jaclyn, noticing with pleasure how deep her cleavage went from this angle. He pushed her chair in behind her, instantly appreciating the sweet scent of her perfume.
“So what is your job tonight?” she asked as he sat across from her.
He almost choked. “Excuse me?”
“Last night, you needed to accomplish something with Fredricks, was it? What is your job tonight?”
If she only knew his main job right then was her foundation and discovering who was stealing from it.
“No one in particular. Just info gathering.” He picked up his menu.
“Then why are we here? More importantly, why am I here with you?”
He set the menu down. “You almost sound like you’d rather not be here with me.”
“Do I?” she asked, her tone implying that’s exactly how she felt.
“Don’t you? What are you getting at?”
“A little honesty.”
“I’ve been very honest and forthcoming with you.” He was beginning to feel insulted.
“Have you?”
“Absolutely.”
“Okay, then why are we here?”
“You don’t believe I wanted to see you again?” Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. His mood was shot and she wasn’t helping.
“Maybe. But if you did, we could have had dinner anywhere. We didn’t need to come to another crowded event.”
Finally, he was beginning to see the picture. “You don’t like crowds.”
“I didn’t say that.”
“You don’t like people staring at you? Wondering who you are? Why you’re with me?”
“Perhaps.”
“They’re looking at you because you look ravishing in that dress.” He leaned forward and reached for her hand. She hesitated. “Listen, let’s just have a good time. I had to be here. I didn’t want to be alone. I wanted to get to know you better. No strings. No attachments. No illusions. All right?”
She visibly relaxed. “All right.”
This time when he reached for her hand, she gave it to him, and he stroked the tips of his fingers across her soft skin. She didn’t pull away. She smiled, not a full smile, but a small one, a reluctant one, and something stirred within him.
“No bets with your cronies tonight?”
“None whatsoever.”
“Good.”
As he held her hand, he concentrated on what was within her, her character, her moral code, and he found no signs of deception. She was giving off nothing but the truest intentions toward her foundation and toward him.
He scared her.
“I tell you what. How about tonight we focus on your foundation? We’ll make the rounds and see how much interest we can garner. Maybe even enough money for a cook so you can start a soup kitchen.”
She looked surprised. “You would do that for me?”
“I was impressed with what I saw today. You’re genuinely invested in those kids and what you do. Trust me, that is a rare commodity.”
She smiled as pleasure filled her face. “How could you be impressed with us after our horrible disaster?”
“Accidents happen. Luckily, nothing seriously bad happened. Maybe tomorrow I can come by and secure that bookcase and the others to the wall.”
She leaned forward and placed her hand on his arm. “I would be so thankful. I can’t stop thinking of that bookcase lying on its side like that, and Billy lying there crying his little eyes out. It was terrifying.”
“You handled it perfectly.”
She relaxed, her tension visibly leaving her body. “You were surprisingly very good with the kids.”
“Surprisingly?” he asked.
She laughed. “Yes.”
He grinned. The hardest par
t of his persuasive skills was not using them constantly. Mostly, he preferred using his verbal skills to get people to do what he wanted—it was definitely more of a challenge that way. He looked past Jaclyn at his mother. She was staring at him, her eyes narrowing, Deirdre was positively glowing, and Sabine was pretending to be engrossed in her food.
He would have to say hello to her, or his mother would continue to try to invent ways to throw them together. Might as well let both of them know he wouldn’t be seeing Sabine again, not now, not ever. He sucked up a deep breath and turned to Jaclyn. “I need to say hello to my mother or there will be hell to pay. Do you mind if I leave you alone for a moment?”
“Not at all. Take all the time you need.”
He stood and walked slowly toward his mother’s table. “Hello, Mother, Deirdre, Sabine. It’s good to see you again,” he said politely.
His mother leaned forward, an accommodating smile on her face. “I was hoping you could spend some time with Sabine tonight. She’s just arrived, and well, as you know it’s been a while.”
“I’m sure Sabine has many old friends to call. Will you be here long?” he asked, finally turning to look at her.
“I haven’t decided,” she said, her voice as rich and smooth as he remembered.
“Well, I must get back to my date,” he said, emphasizing the word and turning to smile at Jaclyn. Sabine put her hand on his arm, stopping him before he could walk away.
“I really would love to see you, Derek. I think we have a lot to talk about.”
He shook his head, thoughtful for a long moment. “No, Sabine. I really don’t think we do.”
He started to walk away when his mother called out, “I’d like an update on Ms. Franciscan. I see she’s here tonight. She was also at the Rutherford event last night.”
“And your point?” Derek asked, turning back to her.
“Why hasn’t she been dealt with yet?”
He rolled back on his heels, his gaze taking in the guests at the tables in the room who were all completely frozen in time. Everyone except Deirdre and Sabine. When his mother wanted a private conversation, she didn’t hesitate to do what it took. “You said you wanted creativity. Creativity takes time. It takes extra thought. It takes ingenuity, and that kind of planning doesn’t happen overnight.”
“Then you are planning something?” she asked, one doubtful eyebrow cocked.
“Of course. I want her caught in one of the sweatshops. I want her takedown to be done in the most public and humiliating way possible.”
A grin lifted her lips. “Good, I’m glad to hear it.”
“We are done, then?”
“Yes. Though I do hope you are making progress with your little bird’s foundation. I am expecting a great deal of creativity with that one, also.”
Of course she was. Especially now that Jaclyn was appearing to be an obstacle to his getting back with Sabine. He would have to set her straight on that as soon as they were alone. “Don’t worry, Mother. You won’t be displeased.”
“That’s good to hear.” With a quick shift of his mother’s hand, the roar of the room started up again.
“I hear there’s a wager going on with some of your men,” Deirdre said before he could walk away; a hint of a smile lifted her devious lips
“I wouldn’t be surprised to find trouble wherever you are involved, sister. Especially since you’re the one most likely to cause it.”
“Now, now. Let’s not bore Sabine with your squabbling.” His mother pulled an envelope out of her bag and handed it to him. He glanced inside and saw the name Safe Haven Foundation. He shoved it inside his jacket pocket. “I’d like this project wrapped up as quickly as possible,” she insisted. “Put Ms. Reynolds and her foundation behind us and move on to our other projects.”
In other words, move on to Sabine. She certainly didn’t want him dating a woman who ran a charitable foundation, whether she was guilty or not. Not when Sabine was here to step back into his life. There would be a cold day in hell before that happened. Micro-managing him at work was one thing, but he would not let her dictate his personal life.
“Don’t worry, Mother, I’m on top of the Safe Haven situation.” And if he had his way, he’d be on top of Jaclyn, too.
Jaclyn watched Derek walk toward her, his face full of dark clouds. He sat down and snapped his fingers. A waiter arrived at once.
“A scotch,” he barked.
Apparently whatever his mother had said to him had not made him happy. Or maybe it had been that woman with the possessive touch.
The waiter nodded and disappeared, then came back a few minutes later with Derek’s scotch.
“Is everything all right?” she asked, though clearly it wasn’t.
He looked at her, shadows racing through his vibrant blue eyes. Disconcerted, she blinked and looked again but they were gone. He reached across the table and held out his hand palm up. For a second, she was hesitant to put her hand in his. But she did, and the moment her skin touched his, she felt instantly better.
“I’m sorry. My mother and my sister can be fairly annoying at times. I’m afraid I let them get the better of me.”
“And that woman?” she asked, though she knew she had no right to. And she’d promised herself that she wouldn’t, but she did anyway.
“An old family friend back in town for a visit. You know what? Somehow we got off track. We are going to have fun tonight, and we are going to raise a lot of money for Safe Haven.”
“I like the sound of that,” she said, and took a deep pull off her wine.
“In fact, I think we need to make this night a little more interesting.” He smiled and a wicked gleam entered his eyes.
Instantly, thoughts of his hands on her body flooded her mind. She finished her wine and cleared her throat. “What do you have in mind?”
He leaned back in his chair looking almost predatory. “You want money for your foundation and I want a repeat of last night. I think there’s a way we can make both of these things happen.”
Jaclyn almost spewed her wine. She pressed her fist against her chest. “Are you kidding me?”
“You said you wanted honesty, didn’t you?” He smiled, the cocky arrogant smile of a man who always gets whatever he wants. And damn it if she didn’t want to give it to him.
She leaned forward. “I am not having sex with you every time I see you. What happened last night… That, that was an anomaly.” That’s not the kind of girl she was. Not the kind she wanted to be. Not even with him.
He slipped his hand to her thigh and she almost jumped out of her chair. “You want me,” he whispered.
“I don’t,” she countered. But it was a lie and they both knew it.
He scooted his chair closer to her. “Want to bet? Kiss me and say that again.”
“I won’t,” she insisted. She couldn’t, because if she did… She wouldn’t last an hour.
“Are you sure?” Suddenly his lips were inches from hers.
“Yes,” she whispered. She wouldn’t. But that didn’t mean she wasn’t hoping he would kiss her.
“How much money do I need to collect for you? Name your price,” he challenged, the warm timbre of his voice sending lust zinging through her.
“I can’t be bought,” she said, though her voice shook with false bravado. She could be bought, and they both knew it. What was worse, all he had to do was touch her, and she’d be lost.
He smiled, and to her horror she leaned in. Almost close enough for their lips to touch. “Everyone can be bought,” he whispered, then he pulled back, his gaze drifting over her shoulder. “Come on, let’s go.”
Relieved or disappointed? Had she dodged a bullet or was she missing out on another fabulous night? The truth was, she couldn’t be sure.
Chapter Fifteen
Derek held tight to Jaclyn as they danced. They’d already made the rounds talking up her foundation to several investors, and now he wanted nothing more than to be alone with her. “What do you sa
y we blow this joint?”
She looked up at him, her eyes searching his, trying to read his intentions.
“More ice cream?” he asked with a wink and a grin.
She paused. “How about coffee?”
“I know just the place.”
Ten minutes later, they were climbing into the back of the limo.
“This is just what I need,” she said, stretching out.
“Tired?” he asked, and hoped she wasn’t too tired.
“Exhausted. I don’t know how Trish does it. She’s the fundraising queen. I much prefer to wear my jeans and work with the kids.”
“I, for one, am glad I got to see you in that dress.” His eyes traveled over the swell of her breasts, pushed up and highlighted in shimmering gold.
“Consider it a one time deal.”
“Oh, I don’t know, I’d say you are pretty good at these things. In fact, I’m going to take a leap and say perhaps you should take over for Trish at these fundraising events.”
“Never!” She leaned her head back against the seat and closed her eyes. A few seconds later she opened them again and smiled. “Although I must admit, I brought in more in this one weekend than she has in the last few months.”
He would guess that Trish was bringing in a lot more than Jaclyn knew about. Certainly more than what was making it into the foundation’s bank accounts. “I rest my case.”
“But still, I couldn’t do it. Dressing up and asking for money. No matter how much the foundation needs it. There should be an easier way.”
“But this way you get to meet the movers and the shakers in the area.”
“True. If you like that sort of thing.”
“I like them a lot better with you on my arm.”
She didn’t respond, just looked at him for a long moment, before finally asking, “Why is that?”
“Why?”
“Why me?”
He caught a gleam of vulnerability in her eyes and felt an urge to pull her close. “You mean other than the fact that you’re drop dead gorgeous.”
All Bets Are On Page 9