by Marie Force
“You’re wondering about Sebastian, aren’t you?” Hayden addresses the question to Kristian, who winces. “Let me assure you, there’s no fucking way he’d ever roll on us. Not after everything we’ve done for him.”
“And I know that,” Kris says. “That’s why I didn’t say it.”
“Despite his past, he’s one of us,” Hayden says of his childhood friend. “He’d never have anything to do with harming us.”
“I’m sorry to have even had the thought,” Kristian says.
“Everyone is suspect until they aren’t,” Flynn says.
“Not Sebastian,” Hayden says, glaring at Flynn.
“We’ll get Gordon on it,” Emmett says. “Let’s give his people a chance to fully investigate before we start tossing around accusations.”
“Agreed,” Kristian says.
“Someone needs to talk to Devon and give him a heads-up,” I say. “If his security teams up with ours, we might figure this out sooner rather than later.”
“I’ll talk to him,” Hayden says.
We adjourn to join the others, who now include Natalie, Aileen and her children Logan and Maddie, both of whom have grown since they were last here. They immediately run off with Ellie’s nieces and nephews who want to show them Kristian’s game room.
Aileen looks a thousand times better than she did a month ago, and I’m not the only one who notices. Kristian goes to her, as if he can’t not go to her. With everyone watching, he kisses her cheek and gives her a hug that leaves her flustered and flushed.
“It’s so good to see you,” he says.
Aileen offers him a shy smile. “You, too.”
“You look fantastic,” Marlowe says, pushing Kristian aside to hug Aileen.
“I feel fantastic.” Her blonde hair is still thin after a recent round of chemo, but her brown eyes are alive with excitement, which is a marked improvement.
“Do you want to take the kids to the pool on the roof?” Kris asks.
“They’d love that,” Aileen replies, glancing quickly at him before redirecting her gaze. “They’re full of energy after the long flight.”
“Let’s all go up,” Natalie says.
“I brought all the food and booze we were going to have at their house,” Addie says, using her thumb to point to Flynn and Natalie. “We’re overrun with reporters outside the gate, so we moved the party.”
“Oh good,” I say, “thanks for arranging everything.”
“That’s my job!”
Ellie comes over to me, begins to put her arm around me, and then appears to think better of it. “Everything okay?” she asks, looking up at me with a crease in her brow that lets me know she’s worried. I hate that she’s worried. I hate that my father has given her reason to be.
I put my arm around her and kiss the top of her head. “It’s all right, darling. They all know now.”
“Oh,” she says, adorably flustered.
“He calls you dahhling,” Leah says, fanning her face. “How do you not spontaneously come every time he says that?”
Her question is met with stunned silence followed by screaming laughter.
“Crap.” Leah covers her mouth with her hand. “I can’t believe I said that out loud.”
“I can.” Natalie shakes her head in amusement.
“PS,” Ellie says with a wink for Leah, “it’s all I can do not to.”
Now it’s my turn to be mortified as the others howl with laughter. But the embarrassment quickly fades, replaced by elation that Ellie and I have now officially gone public as a couple. The rousing support of my partners has also helped to improve my dour mood. We’re far from out of the woods, but between Emmett’s efforts and my mother’s, the kernel of hope continues to burn bright within me.
The gathering at Kristian’s pool turns into a party that’s made raucous by seven excited kids. My nieces and nephews pick right up where they left off with Logan and Maddie after Flynn and Natalie’s wedding.
While Flynn plays lifeguard for the kids, Marlowe, Natalie, Addie, Aileen and Leah corner me at one of the tables. “What?” I ask between bites of corn chips and delicious pineapple salsa.
“You’ve been holding out on us,” Marlowe says. “You and Jasper? Making plans and a baby?”
I look over at him, sitting next to the pool with Emmett and Kristian. Hayden is actually in the pool with the kids, leading a loud game of basketball. Though Jasper is with his friends, I can see he’s a million miles away, the weight of his worries heavy upon his shoulders.
“It’s, um, well, still very new.”
“Not according to Flynn,” Natalie says. “He claims it’s been coming on for a while now.”
“And of course he’d know better than Jasper and me.”
She laughs. “He thinks he knows better, but I’ve sort of noticed a vibe, if you will… Call me crazy…”
“You’re not crazy.” I feel my face get warm with embarrassment, which is funny because I’m never embarrassed when talking to my friends about guys. Until this guy. “There’s been a vibe for a while now.”
“I love you two together,” Marlowe says.
“Really?”
“God, yes. It’s a perfect match.”
“It feels sort of perfect, or it did until he saw his father and now… It feels sort of tenuous.” My stomach hurts at the thought of what could still happen if his father makes good on his threats. I’d gotten sort of used to the idea of raising our child with Jasper.
“He’ll figure something out.” Marlowe’s confidence gives me a badly needed boost. She is rarely ever wrong about anything. “Here he comes now with Flynn. They’re coming in hot.”
While the others laugh, I notice a new pep to Jasper’s step and a renewed sense of determination in the way he carries himself.
“Flynn has an idea we want to run by you,” he says when they stop next to the table where I’m sitting with the girls.
“I’m listening.”
Jasper’s gaze darts from me to the others.
“It’s okay,” I tell him. “We’re all in this together.”
“You bet your ass we are,” Marlowe says. “Let’s hear it.”
“An interview with Carolyn Justice,” Flynn says. “We’ll give her a huge exclusive on why Jasper kept his pedigree a secret for all this time, how no one ever found out, why his father spilled the beans, and how Jasper has no plans to return to London now or ever.”
“It sounds like a good idea.” I look up at Jasper. “What do you think?”
“It’s a great idea, and it would knock the legs right out of my father’s plan to blackmail me. But Flynn thinks it would be more powerful if you did the interview with me. How would you feel about that?”
“I told you I’d do anything I could to help you, up to and including doing an interview on national TV.” As I say the words, a flurry of nerves attacks my belly. I can go on TV. Of course I can.
“It needs to happen fast,” Flynn says. “Henry is due to leave on his trip in two days. If we want him to hear about it before he goes, we need to move.”
“What about the deadline?” I ask.
“We talked about that,” Jasper says. “I’ll call my father’s assistant, Nathan, and tell him what they want to hear to buy us the time we need to get the interview done and on the air.”
“Will they be able to do it in two days?” I ask.
“When I offer it to Carolyn, I’ll tell her that’s the condition,” Flynn says. From the fierce look in his eyes, I can see that my brother is entirely focused on the challenge at hand, and willing to do whatever it takes to help his friend—and me. “Shall I make the call?” He holds up his cell.
Jasper looks to me, and I nod. “Do it,” he says.
I reach for his hand and hold on tight to what I want as much as I want the child I hope we’ve created together.
“Before you go on TV,” Flynn says to me, “you need to talk to Mom and Dad about what’s going on.” His gaze shifts to incl
ude Jasper.
“I know.”
“They’re coming here later. They had another party to go to, but they said they’d come by.”
“I’ll talk to them then.”
“We’ll talk to them then,” Jasper says, smiling down at me.
My heart flutters from the way he looks at me with so much warmth and affection and love. I’ve waited my whole life for a man to look at me the way he’s looking at me now, and I never want this feeling of joyful elation to stop.
“I’ll make the call,” Flynn says, heading for a quiet corner of the deck.
Jasper sits next to me on my lounge and puts his arms around me. “Are you okay?”
“I’m good. You?”
“I’ll feel better when we manage to neutralize this threat.”
“I like Flynn’s idea. How do you feel about it?”
“Well, I’m not him, so the idea of being on TV makes me nervous.”
I lean my head against his shoulder. “Me, too.”
“I’m sorry to put you through this, darling, but I think it’s our best chance.”
“Could you say that again?” Leah asks.
“Say what?” Jasper replies, sounding perplexed.
“Dahhhhling.” She fans her face. “Do you really get to listen to that every day?”
“I really do,” I say, smiling at Jasper, who rolls his eyes at the two of us.
Flynn comes back. “We got lucky. Carolyn is in LA. She’s coming here with a team at nine.”
I blink up at him. “As in tonight?”
“As in tonight.”
“You ready to go public, darling?” He puts extra emphasis on the last word for Leah’s sake, and she fans her face again.
“As ready as I’ll ever be.”
Chapter 21
My parents arrive at Kristian’s about thirty minutes before Carolyn is due. After they say their hellos, Jasper and I ask for a moment alone with them. I can see that Mom is baffled as to why we’d both need to talk to them, but Dad seems less so after nearly catching us together the other night. They come with us into Kristian’s office.
“Is everything all right?” Mom asks the second the door closes behind us.
“Everything is fine. In fact,” I say, glancing at Jasper, “everything is great. Jasper and I… We, well…”
“We’re together now.”
I want to kiss him for saying the words for me.
“Oh, well, this is a wonderful development,” Dad says, grinning from ear to ear. “How long have you been seeing each other?”
“It’s been years now,” Jasper’s mouth twists into a sly smile as he reaches for my hand. “We’ve been friends a long time, as you know, and only recently have we both confessed to wanting to be more than friends.”
“When we were in Mexico, I told Jasper that I’m tired of waiting for Mr. Right to come along and that I want to have a baby. He offered to help me out with that, and one thing led to another, and…”
“And, we’re together.”
“You, you’re… You’re having a baby?”
My mother’s unusual stammer makes me want to giggle. “We don’t know that yet, but we’re hoping so.”
“I assume this means you’re going to marry my daughter,” Dad says in his sternest Dad voice.
“Dad! Stop. This is the new millennium. We don’t have to be married to have a baby.”
“Now wait just a minute—”
“Max,” Jasper says, “I fully intend to marry your daughter, and I’d love to have your blessing.”
He does? He would? This is news to me. Not bad news, but news just the same.
“But before I get down on one knee, I have a few things to take care of so I’m free to be what she needs.”
“This business with your family,” Dad says, nodding.
“Yes.” Jasper’s sexy mouth is set in a grim expression that I hope to never see again after we get this situation sorted out. I want to see him laughing and smiling and happy and hopeful about the future the way he was before we went to London.
“We were so surprised to hear about your lineage,” Mom says. “A future duke, of all things!”
“He’s a marquess,” I interject, earning a scowl from my beloved.
“Very impressive,” Dad says.
“I’m sure it must seem impressive, but it’s been mostly oppressive to me. I’m not well suited for the role that was predetermined for me before I was born. If I were being asked to tend to only the title and the holdings that come with it, I could handle that. But taking on Kingsley Enterprises, too?” He shakes his head. “It’s just not for me.”
“Surely something can be worked out with your father.”
Of course my dad would think that. He’s never been anything other than completely supportive of whatever his four children wished to do with their lives. He has no ability to understand any other sort of father.
“I wish that were the case,” Jasper says, “but it’s always been all or nothing with him. No gray area whatsoever. In fact,” he says, glancing at me, “my father has resorted to blackmail to try to get me to march to his beat.”
My parents are shocked speechless by this news.
“We’re dealing with it on a number of fronts,” Jasper assures them. “Flynn had the brilliant idea for me to do an interview with Carolyn Justice about what’s happening to try to cut my father off at the knees.” He puts his arm around me. “Ellie and I are doing the interview tonight, and we wanted you to know what’s going on before we go public.”
“He’s blackmailing his own son?” Dad asks, stupefied.
“I’m afraid so.”
“And whatever it is he’s holding over you—”
“Would be embarrassing to me and others I care very much about.”
“Dear God,” Mom says for all of us. “This is an outrage!”
“Welcome to my world,” Jasper says ruefully.
“I’m almost ashamed to admit that at times I’ve envied Henry Kingsley for his daring approach to life and business and adventure,” Dad says. “But after hearing all this, any admiration I might’ve had has been replaced with revulsion.” He places a hand on Jasper’s shoulder. “You were an honorary member of the Godfrey family long before I knew you love my daughter, and of course you have our blessing to ask her to marry you. You’ll always be one of us, Jasper. You fight that son of a bitch with everything you’ve got, you hear me?”
While I blink back tears, Jasper nods. “I appreciate your support, Max,” he says gruffly. “It means the world.”
Mom goes up on tiptoes to kiss Jasper’s cheek. “We love you, and I’m thrilled to know that you and that yummy accent will be available to read The Night Before Christmas to us every year from now on.”
Jasper barks out a laugh. “It would be my honor, Stella.”
Mom turns to me, smiling widely, and hugs me tight. “Someone has been keeping secrets from her mama.”
“I was going to tell you soon. I promise.”
“How do I go to Vegas six months a year when there may be a new baby coming?”
“That was one reason why I didn’t say anything. I didn’t want to influence your decision.”
“Why in the world would you do something foolish like that? Max, this is the sign I’ve been waiting for.”
“She has been waiting for a sign,” Dad confirms.
“It’s not the time for Vegas. There’ll be time for that when the grandkids are awful teenagers and we need a break from them.”
We share a laugh and more hugs before they leave me alone with Jasper. He puts his arms around me and gathers me into his embrace. I breathe in the intoxicating scent of his cologne as we take comfort from each other.
“That went well, don’t you think, darling?”
“It went very well. They already loved you as our friend and Flynn’s business partner.”
“It’s quite something else when a man is telling his lady’s parents that he intends to marry th
eir daughter.”
“About that…”
His laughter makes me smile. “Did I catch you by surprise?”
“You could say that.”
“How can you be surprised that I want it all with you, Estelle Godfrey Junior?”
I playfully scowl at him. “Don’t call me that.”
“How about just Junior, then?”
“How about just Ellie?”
“How about love of my life, mother of my children, every beat of my heart?”
“Jasper,” I whisper, “is this really happening? Do you really feel those things for me?”
“I love you desperately, Ellie. I suspect that I have for quite some time, long before I knew what it was like to hold you and kiss you and make love to you. And now that I’ve held you in my arms, I can’t imagine a time that I’ll ever want anything other than more of you.”
I raise my hands to his face and draw him into a kiss that’s all about the overwhelming love I feel for this man, who’s risking everything to be with me. Unlike every man who came before him, I haven’t a single doubt about his sincerity. This one is as real as it gets, and I know that my heart will be safe in his hands and my life with him will be filled with love and family and friends and excitement.
He withdraws slowly from the kiss, but keeps his lips close to mine. “I feel guilty for talking about the future before I’ve taken care of the present. If I ever had to disappoint you—”
I cover his lips with my fingers. “The only way you could disappoint me is if you stopped loving me.”
“That’s not going to happen.”
“No matter where you are, I’ll be there with you, whether it’s here or in London or Cornwall or whatever. I’m with you, mate.”
His eyes dance with love and amusement as he looks down at me. “Spoken by a Los Angeles-born-and-bred woman who’s never been to Cornwall.”
“Spoken by the woman who loves you no matter where in the world you are.”
“Thank you, darling,” he whispers, his lips brushing against my neck and setting off a reaction I feel everywhere. “Do you suppose we’d be missed if we take a few more minutes alone?”
“I’m sure we’ll be missed and razzed upon our return, but I’m willing to put up with that if you are.”