Summer Fire
Page 83
Tom was helping out? She wasn’t needed any longer? I don’t think so! She squared her shoulders. “Really? I put a lot of hard work in making these arrangements. I hate to pass the buck now.”
She felt Bradley’s calming hand on her shoulder and forced herself to breathe.
Ralph headed toward the back door. “Nothing to worry about. The ponies are here. Arrived around ten this morning, and the face painting lady is coming in an hour. The tent’s been up since yesterday, and we’re set to have the wine tasting both there and in our tasting room. We have dozens of small tables and chairs along the lakeside. Don’t know who wants to sit outside in this heat. Damn near ninety degrees.”
“I suggested it so people could watch the fireworks. It’ll be beautiful at night. Anyway, I’m sure people will be dressed for the heat,” Jordon answered, not ready to give up. She was responsible for making sure the weekend went without a hitch. Not Tom. “Did they bring the red, white and blue streamers and tablecloths I asked for? And the centerpieces for the tables?”
“Yup, got all of that.”
It was the Fourth of July holiday celebration and she’d decorated accordingly, wanting the place to be festive. Today the winery was hosting a big cookout for families to enjoy, and tomorrow evening it would be an elegant affair with music and dancing as Mrs. Tom Martello was officially introduced. “Good. How many tables inside?”
“There’s another twenty or so larger tables in and around the tent.” Ralph scratched his chin. “Hope that’ll be enough. Oh yeah, we’ve got a couple big barbeque grills and men doing the grilling. Serving up chicken, barbequed ribs, hamburgers and hot dogs, plus we have the biggest vegetable lasagna I’ve ever seen. And four turkey pies.”
“Perfect,” Jordan said, mentally ticking each thing off her list. “That sounds good. What about the salads and fruit, the desserts?”
“Everything came an hour ago and a bunch of women are arranging it.” Ralph stepped toward the door, looking out at the weather. “Supposed to be a nice moon tonight, and if these clouds blow away we’ll all get a chance to see it.”
Marie sighed. “It’s a lovely day that’s for sure. But with Michael here and Tom finally home, how could it not be perfect?”
Ralph nodded. “You’re right about that.” He gave his wife a hug, and turned to Jordon. “You just kick back and relax this weekend. We’ve got it covered.”
Bradley put an arm around her waist. “We’ll do that. Once we put our bags in our rooms, we’ll wander around. Don’t worry about us.”
Marie beamed. “Oh, we have you both in the larger guest room that faces the lake. No sense in putting you in separate rooms when we know you’d be sneaking down the hall, now is there?” She giggled. “It will be more romantic this way.”
Jordon gave an inward groan. She’d known this was likely to happen, but sharing a bed with Bradley, and keeping the “no sex clause” might be pretty hard to handle. She couldn’t help but wonder if he’d lied when he said he’d never broken those rules.
“Come, follow me.” Marie led the way up the staircase and down to the third door on the right. “We have six bedrooms up here, and four bathrooms. You won’t have to share with anyone, but it’s not connected from inside.” She shrugged. “An old farm house, what can I say? Told Ralphie we should renovate, but he says, why bother? With the Good Lord’s blessing, all our children will be happily married soon, and have their own homes, and it isn’t often we have overnight guests. But you two are special.” She smiled fondly at both of them. “Such a handsome couple. I hope to see your romance bloom. You would make beautiful babies. Might even start on one tonight.”
Jordon’s mouth dropped open, and slammed shut. She glanced at Bradley and saw the laughter in his eyes. His lips twitched.
“Oh, no, Marie, we wouldn’t do that,” Jordon replied rather breathlessly. “Not in your house. Your bed. Would we, Bradley darling?”
“Of course not. Wouldn’t think of it.” He winked at Marie. “Floor, bathroom maybe, but certainly not the bed.”
“You are a devil, aren’t you? But why not take advantage of the moment?” Marie let out an audible sigh. “You have a little terrace outside, a view of the lake, and no one close enough to hear.” She smiled. “We are so happy that our Jordon has met a nice fellow.”
Jordon took Marie’s shoulder and escorted her to the door. “Thanks for giving us this lovely room. And if you need me, just call. Happy to help out.”
“No, Jordon, dear. You’ve been working too hard the past few days. Everything is perfect, and we have you to thank for that.”
“Come darling,” Bradley said with a teasing grin. “Come lie down and rest for a while. You’ve been so busy that I’ve hardly seen you.”
Marie gave him a warm smile. “What a lovely idea.” She turned and left, closing the door firmly behind her. They heard her footsteps disappear down the hall.
Chapter Three
“Now what are we going to do?” Jordon asked, standing stiffly in the center of the room, afraid to take a step nearer him.
“Well, we could always take Marie’s advice—nice woman by the way—but I’m not sure if Elizabeth would like that. Breaking all the rules on our first night out.” He gave a lazy grin. “Tempting thought though, isn’t it?”
Her stomach fluttered. “Seriously? You’ve never fooled around with any of the women you’ve dated? I can’t imagine that the women haven’t tried.”
He sat on the bed and patted the side next to him. “Only once did I break my trust. Not while working for Elizabeth, but when I was married. Broke a big one. My wife rightfully divorced me. Now, I’m proving something to myself.”
“What are you proving by working for an escort service?” She didn’t want to be judgmental, but she had difficulty understanding why any decent lawyer would moonlight on his weekends instead of taking out one of the many women he must know.
“That I can sleep with a beautiful woman, and spend time in her company, but keep my promises, and my dick in my pants.” He rubbed his jaw, looking sheepish. “It can be a challenge, but I’m not one of these men that have to prove themselves, or think of women as another notch in their belt. And as I said to you before—I wouldn’t be doing this if not for the money. Divorce in any language is extremely expensive.”
Jordan applauded his honesty. “I’m sorry. This must be very difficult. I mean a guy like you… handsome… successful… intelligent and charming. You could have your pick of women to date, and spending nights or weekends with the lonely heart’s club must be a real drag.”
“I’ve only been with this agency for a few months, and you’re my fifth ‘date’. But so far, so good. It beats the alternative.”
“What’s that?”
“Working, or hanging out with other guys in my situation. I’m not interested in the dating scene, and the woman I ruined my marriage over is also married herself. I have my daughter every second weekend, so if I’m not with her, then this sideline gives me something to do.”
“I see.” She gazed at his handsome face. “It must be painful not to see your daughter every day. Why can’t you see her more often?”
“They live in the Hamptons and I have an apartment in the city. It’s a long drive, and doesn’t make sense to have her for only a day. A full weekend is best for all of us. Amber is on the soccer team and plays tennis, so she also has her sports and friends to think about.”
Jordon opened a bottle of chilled water and took a sip. “Do you still love your wife?”
“Not anymore. The divorce was rough. Ugly.” He shrugged. “That’s how it gets. At the end it’s all about the money, and getting all that you can. At least, it was for my wife, Crystal. I was going to do the right thing by her anyway, but I dragged it out for a while hoping that she’d forgive me.”
Jordon didn’t say anything. He gave her a strange look. “You sure you want to talk about this?”
She nodded, so he continued with his tale of woe. “We�
�d met in college, and she was the first girl I ever truly loved, and hell, I was still in love with her.” His blues eyes misted. “I didn’t mean to hurt her. It was a one-nighter. Biggest mistake of my life.”
“Does she know how you feel? And she won’t forgive you?”
“No. She’s moved on. Got a new boyfriend now. He better treat her good, or he’ll have to answer to me.”
Jordon swallowed a lump in her throat. She couldn’t imagine anyone loving her that much, but if she had someone as special as Bradley—would she chuck him out too, or give him another chance? Did anyone who hurt you that bad deserve forgiveness? Hell if she knew, but one thing for sure? She didn’t want to find out.
“Okay. I get why you’re doing this, but since your wife has moved on, isn’t it time you did the same? Can’t punish yourself forever, now can you?”
“Hate to say it, but I need the dough. I had to give up my Manhattan apartment, and now I have a studio flat in Hoboken. I’m paying for the house on the Island, my daughter’s private school, and of course child support. My pay check is spread pretty thin.” He scratched his chin, and looked a lot less sure of himself. The cockiness she had witnessed before disappeared, revealing a sensitive, hurting man underneath. Or he could be acting. How could she tell?
“Come on,” she said, feeling bad for bringing up a tough subject. He was hers for hire, not to judge or care about. “Let’s get out of here, and go see if we can stir up some fun.”
She grabbed his hand and pulled him off the bed. He stumbled into her, and suddenly they were standing very close. His chest lightly brushed hers. She was wearing a breezy summer skirt and a white cotton tee, and at the mere touch she felt her nipples tighten and perk up.
He looked at her mouth, like he wanted to kiss her, and she wet her lips. She wanted to feel his mouth on hers again, to jump into bed and forget Tom, his bride and the humiliation of not being the chosen one. She wanted to lose herself in this man, and she knew she could.
But this was a business arrangement, and he’d already made it clear that sex was off the table, so why start something they couldn’t finish? By tomorrow, or Sunday latest, they’d be broken up. Their fake relationship over. No more pretending, no more lies. She could either quit her job, or come to terms with the fact that Tom now had a wife.
She stepped away from Bradley and picked up her overnight bag. “Let’s unpack our few things and then I’ll show you around. Did you bring a suit or sports jacket for tomorrow’s dinner dance?”
“Of course. I have a light colored dinner jacket and black pants. I think you’ll approve.” He unzipped his bag and hung up his evening clothes. “We have all day tomorrow for you to show me around. Why don’t we just have a short snooze before the activities begin? The wine in the middle of the day made me sleepy.” He slipped off his shoes and lay on the bed, resting his head on the double stacked pillows.
The room was decorated beautifully, the walls a muted blue, rich silk drapes and a matching bed cover in a striped pattern. Pretty pictures on the wall, quality wooden furniture, and a Persian rug, gave the room a warm, homey feel. But nothing was more beautiful than this dazzling man lying on the bed. It took a great amount of will power not to jump on there with him. But his eyes were closed and he didn’t look like he cared if he had company.
“Suit yourself.” She opened her bag, took out her cosmetics, and put them on the small table next to her bed. They only had a small hand sink in their room, and the bathroom was right next door. It could get awkward, but she had a conservative pair of cotton pajamas to wear to bed. Nothing sexy. She hadn’t wanted to look desperate or like a woman that expected more than she’d paid for.
She hung up her cocktail dress for tomorrow night, and used the dresser for her more intimate undergarments.
“I might go out for a while,” she said when she was done. “Catch some fresh air.” The last thing she wanted was to stay here in this room. Both he and the bed looked all too enticing. Her sister would be right on it, tempting him to break the rules. Probably would succeed too. But the last thing Jordon wanted to do was get all hot and bothered by a guy who still loved his wife. Heck, wasn’t Tom’s rejection enough?
“Give me a sec. I’ll go with you.” He jumped up and unzipped his small black garment bag. “Am I dressed okay, or should I change?” he asked, turning around. He wore a light blue V-neck tee that clung to his wide shoulders and strong upper arms, and jeans that made her mouth water.
She looked him up and down and smiled. “You are perfect.”
He winked. “I aim to please.”
Suddenly she had an image of herself and Tom, here at the vineyard, sneaking kisses on the sly. They’d made love in the barn one late summer night, and nothing could be sweeter than rolling around in the hay with her hunky boyfriend. In the beginning of their relationship Tom had been a tender, ardent lover, and she had enjoyed their sex life very much. He’d made her laugh, and when something bothered her, he’d talk away her troubles. Then as one year drifted into the next, they’d lost some of that spark, and their love life had taken a back seat to the business, and mundane stuff. Passion had slipped away. They’d become friends and co-workers first, and lovers a distant second.
She put a hand to her throat, and blinked to block out the images and push away the sadness they made her feel.
“Is something the matter, Jordon?”
“No. No.” She shook off the memories and the melancholy, determined to be nothing but upbeat tonight. “Come on, Bradley. Let’s go make ourselves visible. But you better watch yourself around Megan. She wants to climb you like a cat.”
He chuckled and shook his head. “She’s just a kid. And I know better than to play with fire. Besides, I’ll be attached to your side tonight.” He stepped close and lifted her chin. “I don’t want to see you upset. If Tom or anyone says or does anything that hurts you, you let me know. Okay?”
“Okay.” She swallowed hard. “And I’ll protect you from Megan.”
He smiled and ran the back of his fingers down her cheek. “Sounds like we had better stick close tonight. Too many Martello’s running around with thoughts of ruining our future happiness,” he said, and kissed her forehead.
Stepping away, he opened the door and put a hand on her back as he ushered her through. Jordon slipped her hand in his, and they walked down the stairs and ventured outside. It was hot already, mid-eighties, and there was barely a breeze. The trees offered some shade, but they wouldn’t get far without breaking a sweat.
Determined to put some distance between them and the wine tasting room where Tom was probably setting things up, Jordon led Bradley past the caves where they stored the wine, beyond the farming machines, and through the vineyard, strolling toward the lake that glistened below.
“It’s beautiful,” he said. “Glad you needed someone this weekend. Being here sure beats the noise and traffic, and nothing but concrete. Summers in Manhattan can be brutal.” He glanced at the view then back at her face. “You must spend a lot of time up here.”
“I do. Or did. Won’t be anymore.” She swallowed a lump in her throat and turned away.
“There you go again. That sad look in your eyes.”
“I’m not sad,” she said with a determined tilt to her head. “His loss, right?”
“I would say so.”
He pulled her into his arms and softly, gently kissed her on the lips. The kiss wasn’t the hot passionate ones they’d enjoyed after too many drinks back at her apartment, but still it was surprisingly nice. Not intrusive, but casual, like two people seeking to be friends. Although his breath was sweet, the taste of his mouth pleasing, after a few seconds she pulled back, and offered a smile.
“What was that for?” She squinted up at him. “No one’s around.”
“Partly to make you smile again, but mainly because I wanted to.” He linked his fingers with hers. “Besides, I’ve been wanting to do that since I saw you sitting in that tavern today waiting for me.
I didn’t think I’d ever see you again, and there you were.”
“You did? That’s nice.” She gave his hand a squeeze. “If you’d wanted to see me again, why didn’t you ask for my number?”
“That’s a hellova question. I don’t think I realized it until later that day when I couldn’t stop thinking about you, and wanted you again.” He smiled. “I went back again that night and every night for a week, but you never showed up.”
“That’s because I was here.” She shrugged. “For the past two years I kept that small condo in the city for occasional weekends, but because it was such a long drive and Tom and I were together, I simply stayed here. But I don’t have to be here to do my job.”
“Maybe we could see each other occasionally. Back in the city.”
“Maybe,” she said, unwilling to commit. “Right now the only thing I can think of is getting through the next forty-eight hours without losing my cool.”
“I get that. I plan on making sure you do.”
“Good.” Jordon linked arms with him and pulled him down the slope to the water’s edge. “I love it here. It’s so peaceful.”
He picked up a stone and tossed it sideways, watching it skip across the calm lake. “How are you doing the fireworks?”
“There’s a barge coming in later and it will be done from there. Should be pretty spectacular.”
“I’m sure everything you do is spectacular.”
She laughed. “Be careful. You keep flattering me like that I might start to believe you, and want you to stick around.”
His eyes connected to hers, and she sucked a breath in with surprise. He looked so serious, intense, like he wanted to convey something important to her. What were those blue eyes saying? That she was to believe him? Hardly! They didn’t even know each other.
“Don’t look at me like that.” She dropped her head, kicked off her sandals and walked into the cool water. “I have a feeling that you’re as vulnerable as I am right now. We don’t want to get confused about our feelings. They aren’t real.”