by Diane Darcy
“Don’t be ridiculous. I’m…” She looked down. “I’m just feeling a little bit jealous myself, I guess.”
He was lost. “What do you mean? I’m not interested in anyone but you.”
She looked up, then down again. Her shoulder moved. “Becky is really pretty. Beautiful, actually. I’m afraid you’ll take one look at her and will like her better than me. And since we aren’t actually dating until…well, until things get settled, you might decide to ask her out, instead.” She peeked up at him, looked down again. “And I’m sure she’d like the way you look because, well, I like the way you look.”
Adam realized his mouth was hanging open. As his muscles unclenched and he relaxed back into his seat, he couldn’t help it, he laughed. “Now who’s being ridiculous? There isn’t a woman on the planet who can hold my attention the way you do.”
She finally looked up at him and smiled. “You’re still not meeting Becky. Just in case. I’m not used to feeling like this so you’ll just have to bear with me.”
“This?”
She ducked her head again. “Feeling this…,” she shrugged, “possessive.”
He smiled. “So there’s not another guy?”
She shook her head. “There is no other guy.”
“And you got all made up…” he circled his hand indicating her face, dress, and high heels, “for Becky?”
“I told you. She’s really pretty. I don’t want to look like the dowd in the room when I’m standing next to her.”
He looked into her incredibly beautiful face and couldn’t help laughing again, partly in relief, and partly because the idea that she’d worry he could be lured from her side was so ridiculous.
Izzy’s brows drew together. “What?”
He leaned toward her. “Come here.”
She looked startled. “What? Where?”
“I know we’re not dating yet. That we’re still waiting. But if you could just give me one small kiss, just one, then it would go a long way toward making up for the horrible night and morning I had thinking you were meeting up with another guy.”
Isabelle looked indecisive, and Adam tried to stay as nonthreatening as possible. He didn’t move as Isabelle’s gaze dipped to his mouth. She put her fingers to his lips, then slowly moved toward him and placed her lips against his.
At the touch of her soft mouth, sensation flooded Adam as he kissed her gently.
She pulled away and studied his face and her hand lifted to cup his cheek. “Adam,” she breathed his name. “Maybe just one more?”
He immediately leaned closer and captured her mouth with his. This time the kiss was longer, firmer, and he raised his hand and slid it up her bare arm and cupped her shoulder.
She pulled back and sucked in a deep breath, her lashes fluttering. “We should stop now.”
He nodded, leaned back, and tried to look unaffected by her kisses. If she knew how badly he wanted to drag her into his arms and keep her there forever she might run screaming from the car.
Izzy dug in her purse. “I need to fix my lipstick.”
Adam flipped down the visor in front of her.
With shaking fingers, she reapplied her lipstick then rubbed her lips together before turning toward him. “Okay, how do I look?”
“Ravishing,” his voice came out low and husky.
Her chest rose and fell, and when her hand lifted to clutch the necklace he’d made, he drew in a deep breath.
She studied his face and smiled. “Okay. Good. I’m going to walk up to meet Becky.”
“I could still drive you up the hill.”
Her brows drew together. “You really want to meet her, don’t you?”
“What I really want to do is kiss you again.” His lips curved. “Do you need me to pick you up later?”
“I’ll get Becky to drive me home. But I’ll expect you to stay inside. If you’re outside watering the grass or something, you’re a dead man.”
He chuckled, feeling deeply satisfied that she’d called his place home. That she felt possessive enough of him to keep him from her friend. “Okay. I have work to do, anyway. Now that I’m not gripped by irrational jealousy, I’d better get home and do it.”
She smiled and slid out of the car. “See you later.”
He watched her walk up the hill and when he couldn’t see her anymore, he finally started the car and drove away.
Chapter Eleven
WHEN ISABELLE REACHED THE TOP of the drive, Becky, gorgeous as always, with her long dark hair, light skin, and perfectly applied makeup leaned against a limousine. Arms crossed, she looked out at the ocean, the sharp lines of her navy business suit making her look sleek and high class. When she noticed Isabelle, she straightened and hurried forward. “Izzy! Where did you come from? Oh my gosh, you look fantastic!”
“I bummed a ride, and then walked up the hill. Speaking of which, nice ride. I’m hoping you can take me home after?”
Becky giggled. “You bet. The Apple Heiress insisted I arrive at my appointment in style. She really is a sweetie, even if she’s a bit of a snob. But she’s gone around the bend with all this Miss America stuff. Apparently we all have to act high class now. Whatever that means. Thus the limo.”
“Are you having any fun with it?”
Becky smiled. “I won’t lie. It’s not all bad. I’m learning some cool stuff along the way. Come on. I asked the front desk if we could have an ocean view, so it’s all arranged.”
After they were seated and had ordered, Izzy smiled. “Okay, so you were saying it’s not all bad?”
Becky sighed. “Some of it’s fun, but it is insane. You were totally robbed of the title, of course, but still, you’re lucky to have lost your bid for Miss California. It freed you from the insanity. But enough about me, what’s going on? And for real this time. I want to know all the details, so spill.”
Isabelle looked across the table at her friend’s determined expression. “Nothing much has changed with my dad. We’re still in waiting mode.”
“That’s good. But first things first. What I really want to know is who that guy was you were talking to at nine o’clock last night.”
Isabelle thought about evading the question, but knew from long experience Becky would see right through her and harp about it until she told all. She thought about Adam, about the way he’d been worried Becky was a guy, and tried to hide an unexpected smile.
Becky pounced. “What? What’s the smile for? What’s going on?”
Isabelle finally allowed herself to really smile. She shrugged. “There’s a lot going on in my life right now. There is no change with my father’s situation at the moment. But we’re hopeful. I’m still working at the hospital part time. I’ve been spending a lot more time on the beach than usual. Oh,” she tapped a finger on her lips. “Oh yes, and I’ve moved in with a really cute guy.”
Becky screeched.
Isabelle laughed, and looked around to see that several people had turned to stare. She flopped a hand at Becky. “Shh. You’re going to get us thrown out of here.”
Becky put her elbows on the table and leaned forward. “So, spill. Who is this guy? What is his name? What does he look like?”
Isabelle grinned again. “His name is Adam and he’s gorgeous.”
Becky grinned and stamped her feet under the table and let out a softer squealing noise. “I can’t believe you finally fell for someone. Tall, dark, and handsome?”
“Yes. That describes him exactly. But you left out the dangerous-looking scar on his face.”
Becky sank back against her chair and, smiling, let out a sigh as she placed her hand to her heart. “Does he have a brother?”
“I believe he does, but it sounds like he’s taken.”
Her lips twisted. “Just my luck.”
“But he has some good friends he gambles with. Marines, like him. I’ll look into that if you want.”
“Marines? You know I can’t resist a guy in uniform. I definitely want.” She sighed. “No, yo
u know what I really want? I want a guy who doesn’t know who I am. Who isn’t intimidated by my beauty pageant crowns or by my rich and crazy stepmother. Just an ordinary guy, you know? I wasn’t kidding about being dateless at the moment. I really can’t wait until the pageant is completely over so I can get off the wheel. But tell me more about Adam.”
“Okay, but just so you know, it’s not what it seems. So don’t get too excited.”
The waitress delivered their food, and they both remained silent until she was gone.
“Not what it seems? What does that even mean?” Rebecca said in an aggrieved tone. “Don’t you dare ruin this for me.”
Isabelle took a breath. Then told Rebecca everything. The prom, the lost necklace, the search. Then she told her about meeting Adam at the hospital, finding out he was Dad’s boss, her offer to move in and pretend to be his girlfriend, the way their relationship had changed and progressed.
When Isabelle stopped speaking Rebecca didn’t say a word for a moment. Finally she whistled. “A $100,000 necklace? Oh. My. Gosh.”
“I know, right?” She couldn’t believe how good it felt to tell someone everything.
“And your boyfriend is acting all calm now? He isn’t freaking?”
“Adam isn’t exactly my boyfriend.”
“Right. He didn’t press charges. He has you living in his house and isn’t leching on you. Instead, he’s cooking with you, taking you for long walks on the beach, letting everyone believe you're his girlfriend, and he’s even watching romantic movies with you. Get real. Anyway, you light up when you’re talking about him, so you’re not fooling me.”
Isabelle sat back. After a long hesitation she said, “I light up?”
“Like the Fourth of July.”
Isabelle sighed. She thought about the kisses she’d just shared with him, and let out a short laugh. She wasn’t fooling herself very well, either. If she wasn’t already in love with him, she was getting close. “We were going to start dating at the end of the summer, you know? After Courtney left for school and I was in my own place. He’d asked me out and I put him off until then.” She shrugged. “And then this happened and it ruined everything. It makes me and my family look, I don’t know. Bad? Trashy? Or just stupid?”
Rebecca placed a hand over hers. “No, it doesn’t. If I’ve learned anything from this whole beauty rigmarole it’s that life is simply a comedy of errors. Stupid, craptastic things happen all the time to everyone. When your turn comes up, you just roll with it and make the best of it. There’s really nothing else to do. And the sooner you see life is to be laughed through, the sooner life starts to be a whole lot more fun.”
“Do you think?”
“I know. Stupid things that seem really important at the moment just seem silly or at least bearable, given time. What are the chances of finding the necklace at this point?”
“That would pretty much solve everything, wouldn’t it?” said Izzy. “But I don’t think we're going to find it.”
“Don’t be so pessimistic. What will Adam do if it doesn’t turn up?”
“We offered to work it off as a family over the next few years and he seemed amenable to the idea.”
“Okay, then. That’s good. You have a plan. Life sucks sometimes, but then you move on.”
“But can you see me being his girlfriend and paying him a check every month?”
Rebecca looked at her with pity. “I see what you mean. That does put a damper on your relationship.”
Isabelle sighed. “Yeah, it really does.”
“Don’t give up yet. You’ll think of something. These things have a way of working themselves out.”
“I hope so. I really do.”
~~~
Adam heard a car and looked out the window to see Izzy and her girlfriend climb out of a limousine. Her dark-haired friend hugged her, and then got back inside the car. As the limo backed out of the driveway, Izzy waved until the vehicle swung around and drove out of sight.
When she started to turn around, Adam quickly sat down and got back to work. He didn’t want Izzy to think he was watching her--or trying to get a look at her friend, either. The thought of her possessiveness made him smile all over again.
He was fitting another small pearl inside a bracelet that would look wonderful on Izzy’s delicate wrist if he could ever find a way to get her to wear it. He laughed at himself. She’d become his inspiration and he basically thought everything he made would look good on her.
With his office door open, he could hear Isabelle coming upstairs. “Did you have fun with your friend?” he called out.
A moment later she came to a stop just inside his doorway and looked at him. She seemed a little sad as she studied him, but he must have been mistaken because a second later she smiled.
“It was fun. We had a great time. I loved seeing her again.”
He took in her blue eyes, flawless skin, and full lips that instantly reminded him of their kiss. Actually, he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about kissing Izzy since he’d dropped her off, but he just said, “Oh, good. Do you want to come in and keep me company while I work?”
She shook her head. “I’m going to wash some laundry and then go to the beach. What time do you want me to start dinner?”
“Five o’clock or so?” He noticed she didn’t invite him to the beach or to help with the cooking and wondered if it was an oversight and if he should invite himself.
“Okay. See you later.”
Apparently it wasn’t an oversight. A few minutes later, he realized he was still holding the jeweler’s clamp in his hand, unmoving, as he worried about what the lack of invitation signified.
Did she regret kissing him? Was she unhappy living here with him? Had her friend said something to her?
He took a breath and acknowledged what he’d known from almost the first moment he’d met her. She was special to him. He’d met her, and that had pretty much been it for him. He’d schemed and pushed and considered how to get her to accept him into her life. When the opportunity had presented itself, he’d jumped at the chance to have her near him.
The bottom line was, now that he’d really had the chance to get to know her, he loved her. He was flat-out, head-over-heels, heart-fully-engaged, crazy in love with her.
He set everything down, and then sat back in his chair. He rubbed his face and let out a breath. Okay. There. He’d acknowledged it. He loved her. So having her around meant he was happy.
But he wanted her happy, too. And really, how could she be in these circumstances? Her father owing him money. His power to throw her father in jail, even if he’d assured her he wouldn’t. What had she said to him at the picnic? How she’d like it if they could meet again, with nothing between them?
He closed his eyes. What she’d meant was nothing ugly between them.
So now what did he do about it? Before any of this had happened, she’d agreed to date him. Had the chance to be together come and gone when her father had taken the necklace?
He considered the kiss. Her flushed reaction. She’d been breathless and had kissed him again, afterwards flashing him that heart-wrenching smile. She had to feel something for him, too, right?
But attraction aside, would she ever be able to see him as more than a debtor who needed paying off?
What he needed to do was excuse the debt. To keep Izzy, he’d do it in a heartbeat. But, of course, she wouldn’t let him do that, would she? She’d insist on paying him back. Her entire family would.
What if he signed a paper that promised he’d never prosecute over the necklace? That way, even if they did pay him back, she’d be free of any worry about her father being prosecuted, regardless of what happened between the two of them.
She would also be released from their agreement and could go home. With everything in him, he didn’t want to let her go. He wanted to lie, cheat, and steal to keep her.
Anyway, while it would relieve her mind, it wouldn’t change the fact that she’d still feel oblig
ated to pay him back.
Maybe he could just make the deal with her father? He could forgive the debt and give her dad back his job if he still wanted it. He could insist he wouldn’t take any money. If he made her father accept it, then Izzy would have to, as well, wouldn’t she?
He sighed. Even if her father agreed, she wouldn’t. He knew her too well.
There had to be a way for them to start over. With a clean slate. So she could have the opportunity to want him or not on his own merits without the stolen necklace clouding the issue.
They needed to find that necklace.
He could make a new one, a voice whispered in his head. Lie, cheat, and then steal her heart. He could make a new one and then pretend it had been found. Then her family would be off the hook and he would have the chance to win her heart without any encumbrances between them.
He looked toward the doorway, suddenly afraid that if she saw his expression, she’d know what he was thinking.
It would take him a while to do it. It would take time to order the jewels and gems and gold. Which was fine with him. It would give him more time to win her before she left.
And she would leave him. His heart clenched.
But ultimately, if he really wanted a chance to win her, he’d have to let her go, anyway. But the thought of losing her, of going back to a house without her in it, already made him feel like he had a giant hole in his heart.
~~~
Izzy was putting some clothes into the washing machine and thinking about her earlier conversation with Becky. Having her friend point out that Isabelle’s feelings for Adam were plain for the world to see, had her examining said feelings. Did Adam know how she felt about him? Was she okay with him knowing? Wait. How exactly did she feel about him?
Her phone rang and she picked it up to see that Courtney was calling. “Hello?”
“Izzy, I just got a call from Rosie’s mom and she says Dad is acting insane and some of the neighbors are thinking about calling the police. Izzy, he fell out of a tree! What was he doing in a tree? I’m working my shift and if I leave I’ll get in trouble because we’re way understaffed today. Can you get over there? Then call me and tell me what the heck is going on?”