by Krista Lakes
Ella.
Just thinking about her made him smile, which was strange. Jace was no stranger to women. The labels of “playboy” and “superficial” were justly earned. He'd had plenty of lovers and had enjoyed them all immensely. But Ella was different.
She was real. When she laughed, she threw her whole body into it. Her eyes sparkled when she smiled and when she was nervous, her blush was real, too. It was so different than the women he was used to. Plastic and born to manipulate, he was used to women who only wanted access to his pocketbook in exchange for a few good nights. He knew Ella was different.
She was honest. innocent, but not annoyingly so. Her smile and jokes had been real, and not just because he was a billionaire. If anything, for a moment, she had allowed him to feel normal. In just the hour he spent with her, she had him smiling and feeling more refreshed than any other company had in years.
Not to mention the chemistry. When she had fallen and he caught her, her body molded to his like she was made for him. She had felt so good in his arms, so right, that it was good they hadn't completed that kiss. Given how much dry hay was in that barn, any more sparks and the whole place would have gone up in flames. He'd never experienced such instant and strong attraction.
It was strange. And now, he couldn't seem to think of anyone else.
There were enough beautiful Hollywood starlets floating around the place that had he been his usual self, he would have had someone lined up to join him in bed tonight. Maybe even two. But he didn't want that. Not anymore.
He didn't want anyone but Ella.
And that was so unlike him that it made him question his sanity. The idea that a single conversation with a beautiful woman could rock his world so completely threw him off a little. He had always been a player, yet the idea of having only Ella was better than knowing he'd have a harem elsewhere.
A small dirt path caught his attention. It was just ahead and barely visible against the lush greenery of the lake. It could be the path that Ella had mentioned, but she hadn't said it would be so small. He paused, debating if the dirt path was better than the concrete one.
The sound of girlish giggles and the clack of high heels decided him. The guests coming around the bend could just be friends or possibly family, but the very real possibility of it being Rosalind and her gang of clones was too dangerous.
Even before he met Ella, Rosalind and her groupies would have gotten a “no” from him this trip. He'd dated Rosalind once upon a time, but had quickly learned that she was just as cold inside as the money she craved. She wasn't even supposed to have been invited to the wedding, yet here she was. The same with so many other guests. Business and politics ruined everything.
They were like sharks drawn to money instead of blood. Every one of them was husband hunting or searching for a pocketbook and he wasn't interested. He was smart enough to know the difference between a girl looking to put a famous notch in her bedpost and someone looking for a long con. He had given up on finding anyone who didn't want his money.
Again, just like his father.
He darted up the dirt path, hiding himself behind a tree as the gaggle of girls passed. It was definitely Rosalind. He shook his head and let out a sigh of relief as she passed without even glancing his direction. She was on the hunt and wasn't going to waste time hiking up dirt trails.
With a grin, Jace turned and saw the gazebo. It was exactly like the photograph.
Upon the announcement of the wedding, venues from all over the world had sent him requests and offers. The picture containing this small gazebo had fallen out of the envelope and Jace had felt in his bones it was the place for Madelyn to get married. It was this picture that had put Blue Lake Inn and Resort as the top contender.
He thought of the picture. A small, simple gazebo stood out against the bright blue of the lake. It was surrounded by greenery, but it was the couple inside that had caught his attention. A man was down on one knee, proposing to a very happy woman. It would have looked staged if the man's hand wasn't blurry from shaking or the sheer delight in the woman's eyes. The note on the back said it was one of the many hidden romantic getaways on the inn, and that the proposal was that of the original owners, Jonathon and Nancy McDaniels. If Love could have taken the image of a photograph, that was it.
The photograph had not lied about the beauty of the place, but it was the woman currently inside the gazebo that stole his breath, not the idyllic picture of the white wooden frame against the bright blue lake.
Ella.
His heart stuttered in his chest and his throat went dry. Somehow, she was even more beautiful than he remembered. He paused, just watching her as she looked out at the lake. She had let her hair down, and the gentle breeze from the lake played with it's dark blonde tresses.
Jace admonished himself for being creepy and just staring at her. He cleared his throat and willed his feet to move forward. She drew him to her like a magnet, his feet gliding along the soft dirt path rather than walking.
“Hello,” he greeted her. His voice sounded squeaky and pre-pubescent to his ears. Heat flamed along the back of his neck, but he smiled the charming smile he knew worked on all women.
Ella started, her hazel eyes going wide as she saw him. Sunlight flashed through her hair as she moved to pull it out of her face.
But she smiled and that was all that mattered.
“Jace...” she gasped. “Hi.”
A slight flush crept into her cheeks and he wondered if she flushed everywhere like that when she was surprised. The almost-kiss they had shared the night before was still heavy on his mind, and just thinking about what he wanted to do with her after kissing her made his core heat.
“So, this is the gazebo you were telling me about?” he asked, trying to distract himself from thinking of her body. He glanced about, noting the beauty of the setting but finding her far more pleasing to look at.
“Do you like it?” she asked. Maybe it was just his imagination, but she sounded breathless. “This is actually where my father proposed to my mother.”
“I love it,” he answered. The lake shimmered behind her in the late morning sunshine. The sky was a clear blue that accented the hazel in her eyes. He was glad the gazebo was just big enough for two people- it gave him an excuse to step closer to her. She was magnetic to him. All he wanted was to be closer to her. “I can't imagine Delores out here, though.”
“Oh, not Delores. My mother was Nancy McDaniels,” Ella explained. “Delores is my stepmother. She inherited this place after my father died.”
That explained why this beautiful woman was nothing like the rather frightening innkeeper. Jace had a suspicion that Ella was the one who sent the brochure with the pictures rather than the pushy older woman. It fit with Ella's kind and loving personality.
The breeze ruffled her hair, sending a stray honey strand across her eyes. He nearly reached for it before stopping himself. Luckily, she moved it herself, smiling shyly before turning away to look at the lake again.
“How is the wedding preparation going?” Ella asked, wrapping her arms around her as if she were cold, yet her smile as she glanced over at him was warm.
“At this stage, there's very little for me to do but put on a tux and look pretty,” Jace replied, leaning against the railing beside her. He was acutely aware of how close she was. The wind caught her hair again and he could smell her shampoo. Lavender. It took everything not to breathe the scent in deeper.
“Ah.” She shifted her weight away slightly, as if trying to put distance between the two of them. He frowned slightly, but didn't push the issue. Women were weird when it came to weddings. And, given that she probably had done a ridiculous amount of work preparing this one, Ella had more reason than most to be weird.
Feeling her drift away from him, he quickly added, “But, I'm actually out here to escape the wedding.”
“Escape?” Her eyes narrowed and suspicion filled in. She couldn't possibly know he was hoping to find her, could she?
“It's peaceful out here,” he explained. “No one's chasing me down and pestering me about what floral arrangements. I mean, really- do you think I care if the roses on the table settings are white or off-white. They're both beautiful and they both smell nice, and no one at the table is going to notice them because they are going to be too busy looking at all the celebrities.”
The suspicion in her eyes vanished and she giggled. Her smile was infectious and he found himself grinning along with her. This was better than he had expected. It was just the two of them leaning against the railing and looking out at the water. They weren't even touching, yet it felt like he was in heaven. She was making sure to stay at least a hair's width away from him. It was him that kept inching closer, trying to close the gap. He could feel her body next to his, distracting him from everything but how loud his heart was pounding.
No one had ever had this kind of effect on him. He felt as giddy as a twelve-year old with his first crush, a feeling he hadn't experienced in over fifteen years. He'd dated plenty of beautiful women, but none of them ever made his brain fog quite like this. It wasn't just her looks or her sexuality that made his heart race. It was something so much more.
“I'm sure you'll be glad when it's all over,” she murmured. “I saw the bride this morning, by the way. She's beautiful.”
“That she is,” Jace agreed. “This is all for her. If I had my choice, I'd get married with just an officiant and immediate family. Maybe even just elope.”
“Really?” Ella sounded surprised. Her eyes went out to the lake and she bit her lip. Good lord, the things he wanted to do with that lip.
“Yes, really.” The idea of Ella and him at a chapel in Vegas popped into his mind, and for the first time he wasn't put off by the idea. “I don't want any of these crowds and white or off-white roses.”
“Me too,” Ella agreed quietly.
Her response made him smile just as she looked up at him. Upon seeing his face, she blushed, tucking her head and letting her hair spill over her face. Her hands pushed the warm strands of hair from her face, and she looked up at him again.
“So why all the hoopla then?” she asked. “If small is what you want, then why have the big fancy wedding?” She indicated to the resort behind her.
“Because it's Madelyn's wedding,” he explained. “I can't say no to her. It's what she has always dreamed of.”
“She's lucky to have you,” Ella remarked, watching his face. Something in her eyes went distant and she quickly looked out at the lake, wrapping her arms around her and leaning away.
“That's what I'm always telling her,” Jace said, hoping to make Ella laugh. He was barely rewarded with a smile, so he changed tactics. “So, other than grooming horses, what do you do for fun around here?”
“Fun?” Ella sighed. “I work most of the time. The inn keeps me pretty busy.”
“Oh, come on,” he pressed. His plan to have her talk about herself wasn't working. Most women loved talking about themselves, so it surprised him. “There must be something you like to do.”
She smiled and shook her head, avoiding his gaze. It was as if she were embarrassed by her hobby, or perhaps trying to keep her distance from him. Most of the time, he was the one trying to put distance between himself and women, so the reverse was incredibly intriguing.
“Horseback riding?” he asked. She shook her head. “Bird watching? Knitting? Swimming? Karate? Underwater basket-weaving?”
She laughed at the last one. The sound was sweet and made his heart speed up again. At this rate, he was going to get his full cardio workout without having to go to the gym.
“Reading,” she answered, finally relenting. “I like to read.”
He could see her in his mind's eye, curling up on a gray evening with a cup of tea and a book. Funny, how the chair she was sitting in was his and the view out the window matched the one from his home.
“What kind of books?” he asked. Now that she was talking, he wasn't about to let her stop.
“Anything. Everything.” She shrugged.
She was avoiding his question, which just made him more curious to know what she enjoyed reading. He wanted to know everything he could about this woman, and her reading tastes were just the start. “You must have a specific genre you enjoy.”
She twisted her mouth, but her eyes were bright. She wasn't mad, just unwilling to give him an answer. “I like happy endings.”
He grinned. He knew that code word in the reading world. “So you read romance.”
Her mouth opened in protest before closing. He could see her fire building, the light that he was already enjoying so much growing and spilling out of her as she became animated.
“Yes, I like romance.” She raised her chin and puffed out her chest. “I read romance novels in my spare time. So make fun of me all you want.”
“Why do you like them?” he asked, enjoying the way her eyes flashed at him and the set of her jaw.
“There's enough sadness and darkness in the world that I don't want to spend my free time dwelling there too.” She raised her hazel eyes, daring him to make fun of her. “I read romance because I like knowing there's a happy ending coming.”
“Good for you.” He leaned on the railing, feeling her eyes boring into him. “I prefer action and sci-fi myself, but I've read a couple of romance novels that I certainly enjoyed. I can see the appeal.”
He turned to see her jaw drop, obviously surprised at his answer. He liked that he surprised her.
“What? You were expecting me not to have read any?” he asked.
“You don't exactly look the type,” she commented, her eyes going up and down his body. Was it just his imagination, or did her pupils dilate? He couldn't tell from this angle.
“When a book can outsell The Bible, even for a short amount of time, I pay attention. It doesn't matter what the genre is. What matters is that it resonates with people.” He shrugged. Popularity meant money in his world. It didn't matter if it was a 'women's thing.' If it made money, it was his thing. “There's something about that kind of story that appeals to people, and if I want to stay on top of current events and understand how people tick, then I read the damn book.”
“I'm impressed by your reading habits, Jace.” She smiled at him then turned away, mumbling to herself. He thought he heard, “why do you keep getting better and better?” but the wind off the lake was just loud enough to keep it from his ears.
“Just don't tell the press,” he pleaded, turning toward her and putting his palms together in a prayer gesture. He winked. “I have to maintain my bad boy masculine appearance.”
She laughed, and his soul soared. When she smiled, the world lit up and he could swear there was orchestral music and fireworks.
A perfect strand of hair crossed her face, pushed by the wind. His hand moved as if through honey, but he brushed it from her forehead and tucked it behind her ear. The touch of her skin against his hand sent electricity coursing through every part of his body. He wanted to touch every inch of her like that.
She closed her eyes and leaned into his hand, forgetting for a moment that she had been trying to keep their distance this whole time. God, he wanted to kiss her. Those lips called to him like sirens and he was more than happy to crash and never return.
Suddenly she shook herself and stepped back. It was then that he noticed the pocket of her maid's uniform was glowing and making a humming noise.
“I'm sorry, I shouldn't...” she stammered and pulled further away.
“No, it's fine. You're working,” he mumbled, wishing that he could just go back thirty seconds and stop that damn phone from interrupting them. This was the second time something had pulled her away. It was strange, considering he was usually the one always on the phone getting pulled away. No wonder people hated it when he did it.
“Is everything okay?” he asked, watching her face drain of all color as she read the message on her phone. She was gray with a green twist that made him want to sc
oop her up in his arms and rush her off to the nearest doctor.
“Um, yeah...” she answered absently, shoving the phone in her pocket. “I have to go. Work. Excuse me.”
Without pausing, she walked past him, worry and fear etched clearly on her delicate features. Tension and anger were already welling up in his shoulders. He wanted to protect her from whatever it was on that phone that was making her so pale. He just didn't know what it was.
Her steps stopped as she reached the dirt path back to the inn. Slowly, she turned. Her hazel eyes, met his and he felt like he could get lost in them forever and not care. He could drown in those eyes and die happy.
“It was great to see you again, Jace.” The way his name rolled from her lips made him warm. “Good luck tomorrow. Madelyn's a lucky girl to have you.”
Before he could come up with a response, she turned and started running down the path. He watched her for a moment, completely at a loss as to what to do. It had been a long time since a woman had effected him like that.
His hand tingled from where he had touched her cheek and his body ached to hold her. He wanted so much more than just a simple touch and a smile. There was something about her that intrigued him and made him want more. When most women left him, he was glad to have a moment to himself. When Ella left, he found himself counting the minutes until he could see her again.
And he was going to see her again. That was a given. She wasn't someone he could just forget. At least he had the whole weekend to unravel the mystery of why she appealed to him. Hopefully longer if he had his way.
Chapter Six
Ella didn't just run to her stepmother's office. She sprinted.
It wasn't just the text simply stating “Office. Now.” that made her run. No, that would have gotten a fast pace walk, maybe a light jog. It was Jace that made her run. She had come so close to kissing him. Again.
Her cheek still sizzled from his touch. His hand had felt so damn good on her skin. The simple act of him tucking hair behind her ear had sent her heart to pounding so hard she was surprised she hadn't passed out. It had felt so good...