Love on the Menu

by Ellen March

  “Well, come on, let’s go,” she ordered, moving in front of him. Admiring her curvy backside, he just hoped he’d manage to make the meeting without a rampant hard on.

  * * *

  Driving through the small town, Riley looked around with interest. With its quaint shops and old buildings, it was like stepping back in time; she looked forward to exploring it. Shopping was a passion. Money didn’t enter the equation, because she mostly window shopped, deciding what to buy on her next payday.

  She opened her bag and rifled inside for her purse. Checking the contents, she saw how little she had to work with. Surely she could find something she could afford.

  Jago glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. She reminded him of a mouse stashing its hoard. The description made him grin; he was only too aware that she wouldn’t appreciate the comparison.

  “What are you doing?” he asked, swinging the jeep into the car park.

  “Checking my money,” she said. “Think I’ll do a bit of shopping.” Her eyes gleamed with excitement.

  “How much have you got?” Jago was already pulling out his wallet.

  “Forty-nine pounds and twenty-nine pence,” she stated precisely.

  Jago simply stared at her, blinking his eyes. He wondered why she had to be so exact. “Why not round it up to fifty?” he asked, already knowing her answer would be strange and original.

  “Have you ever been in a shop and had to put something back because you haven’t got the odd pence?” she asked without embarrassment. “Well, let me tell you, it’s a right pain. So I always know exactly how much money I’ve got.” She shot him a grin. “Not that I’ve got much, what with paying for the flat.”

  Jago shook his head in confusion. “Why are you still doing that?” A frisson of alarm ran through him. Did she intend to return?

  “My brother doesn’t work,” she explained. “Doesn’t do anything, really.” Her hand on the door handle, she itched to wander around the small town. “And if I don’t pay the rent, he’ll be on the street or on his way to Tyrian. Trust me, you wouldn’t want that.”

  Jago decided he’d have to have a little chat with this Rob. He was bleeding her dry and Riley simply accepted it. Pulling a wad of notes out, he dropped them on her lap. “Here, take this. Buy what you want.”

  Riley looked down at the bundle of notes and shook her head slowly. “I can’t take this, Jago. You can’t afford it. Put it back in your wallet. I’ve got plenty, honestly.”

  He shook his head in frustration, only too aware that a couple of hundred pounds was nothing to him. “Look, think of it as an advance on your salary.” He was determined she was going to accept it.

  “Flaming hell! You paying for room service as well?” Stubbornly she shook her head, pushing it back.

  “Riley, you’ll take the damn money or we’ll turn around and go home now.” He started the car.

  “What about your bank meeting?” She smiled triumphantly, having played her trump card.

  “To hell with it.” He slammed the car into gear and spun around.

  “Okay, okay! If it makes you happy, I’ll take it,” she said, determined not to lose out on a day’s shopping. God, she thought, he had a low threshold when it came to losing his temper.

  Jago smiled, and reversing back into his space, knocked the engine off.

  “You should take an anger management course,” Riley said. Stuffing the notes into her bag, she clambered out. Unable to stretch her legs due to the tightness of the dress, she looked around. “Where will I meet you?”

  “It’s only a small village. Have faith I’ll find you.” He gave her a swift kiss and slapped her backside. “Enjoy, and don’t get into any trouble.”

  “Who, me?” She grinned. With a new spring in her step, she practically skipped towards the main street.

  Jago shook his head as he watched her make her way across the road. Even from where he stood, he didn’t miss the attention she attracted. He was determined that his business at the bank would take the shortest time in history.

  Riley wandered in and out of the shops, thoroughly enjoying herself. Spying a jewellers shop located cosily up a small side street, she moved towards it.

  Peering through the window, Riley admired the trays of Welsh gold. Glinting in the light of day, it appeared burnished—a dark, almost-rose colour. Her eyes dropped to the identity bracelet with an ache of longing. Impulsively she strode through the doorway, making the little bell jangle.

  A stooped, grey-haired woman stood behind the counter, wire-rimmed spectacles balancing on her nose. “Can I help you?” She spoke the words in a gentle singsong that only a Welsh accent could achieve.

  “I’d like to see that,” she said, pointing decisively to the bracelet.

  The woman smiled and handed it to her. “It’s a lovely piece. Is it for someone special?” she asked.

  Riley nodded. “Yes, very special,” she whispered, loving it. When she held it up, the light glinted off the links, rich and warm. “Do you by any chance do engraving?”

  The lady nodded. “When do you want it by?”

  “Er, straight away?” Riley didn’t know when she might return and hoped the woman could manage it.

  “I’ll ask Stan, see if he can do it now.” She disappeared behind a curtain.

  Riley checked the price, then looked into her bag and hoped the engraving wouldn’t cost too much.

  The old woman reappeared with a smile on her face. “You’re in luck. He’ll do it while you wait. What do you want it to say?”

  “I’ll love you forever and a day. Riley.” She didn’t hesitate. “And can you put it on the inside? I want the outer with just ‘Jago’ on it.” She pulled the notes out. “How much will it cost in total?”

  Riley counted the money out, then added her loose change. “I’m sorry, but I’m five pounds short. Don’t suppose I can have a discount for cash?” she added with a shy smile.

  The old lady grinned. Even at seventy, she had sweet dreams. “Just let us know if he proposes.”

  * * *

  “Jago!” shouted Frank, his bank manager and close friend. “Will you stop daydreaming?”

  “Sorry.” He glanced at his watch for the hundredth time. “Are we nearly finished?”

  “Not really. I still need you to give your consent about the investment that’s doubled. What do you want to do with it, reinvest?”

  “Yeah, go ahead.” Jago rose to his feet and paced restlessly. “Can I leave it with you?”

  Frank nodded. He’d known Jago for years and had never seen him like this. He normally micromanaged his finances, going over them with a fine-toothed comb and accounting for every pound. And now he was going to leave it up to Frank?

  “Hope she’s worth it.” He sat back in his chair and gave his friend a long look of assessment. The problem had to be of a female kind.

  “She is, Frank, she is,” Jago agreed, already backing towards the exit.

  “Don’t forget to invite me to the wedding,” he called after him.

  Jago laughed, closing the door. The idea of marriage was not sounding as scary as it once had.

  Back out into the sunshine, he searched around for any sign of her. She couldn’t be far, because there was only one main street with a few off-shoots. He wandered in and out of the shops, looking for her.

  Half an hour later, he was losing patience. Just where the hell could she get to in a small village? Then he spotted her coming out of a side entrance and wondered what shop she’d found up there.

  As he walked towards her, he glared at the admiring glances sent her way. But she was totally oblivious. Her head was bent and she was busy clipping her bag firmly shut.

  “Riley!” He called her name, waving, wondering what she’d bought. Then he noticed she had no bags.

  Her beautiful face was instantly lit up by a radiant smile as she strolled towards him. Standing on tiptoe, she kissed him gently. “How did your meeting go?”

  “Fine. How did
your shopping go?” he countered.

  “Fine,” she echoed, wanting to deflect the subject away from her purchase. “I’m hungry. Anywhere we can eat?”

  He laughed, never having met any woman who could put food away like her. “How about a pub lunch?” He placed an arm possessively around her waist and walked her back towards the car.

  “Yep! I’m famished.”

  “So, come on, what did you buy?” he pushed.

  “Can’t tell you. It’s a surprise.” She wanted to wait for a special moment before she gave it to him. “But I’m spent out now.” She cursed her big mouth. When would she learn not to speak her thoughts aloud?

  “What, all of it?” he asked in amazement, considering she wasn’t carrying anything.

  “Hmmm, guess you could say that.” She held tightly to her bag. “So, how far is that pub?”

  Jago placed a hand at the small of her back as they walked into the packed restaurant.

  He was all too aware of the attention they were attracting—sly glances from the women who coveted him and more blatantly lustful gazes from the men, whose eyes were locked on Riley. His hand moved from her back and slid round her waist as he directed his cold glare on each of them individually. He felt both pride and indescribable anger, a combination he now recognized as jealousy.

  “Hmm, nice in here,” Riley said, glancing around. She pulled his head down and kissed him lightly on the lips. “If any other woman looks at you as if they want to jump your bones, I won’t be responsible for my actions,” she declared in a firm voice.

  Relieved that the jealousy wasn’t one-sided, Jago found her reaction deeply satisfying. “And if another man looks at you, I won’t be responsible either.”

  Riley chuckled. “Are you jealous?” She took his hand and rubbed her thumb in a circling motion on his palm.

  He realized he needed to come clean. “Damn right I am!”

  “Good, I’m glad.” Taking his hand and raising it to her lips, she ignored the stares and kissed his knuckles. “Because so am I.” Her eyes lit on the dessert trolley. “You know,” she said, “I never dreamed I’d have so much in common with that thing.”

  Jago threw his head back, laughing.

  * * *

  It was late afternoon when they arrived back at Tyrian. A large black Mercedes was parked in the yard.

  Standing beside Jago, Riley squinted at the tinted windows, unable to see inside. The door opened and she at once recognized the huge physique of Mick. Her heart raced. Instinctively she knew his presence had something to do with her brother and swallowed nervously.

  Jago strode forward and held out his hand. “Can I help?” he asked genially. His fleeting glance instantly took in the expensive suit. That and the heavy gold chains laced around a thick neck smacked of tacky status symbols shouting money.

  “It’s actually Riley I’ve come to see.” He turned to her and flashed a cold smile, wherein a gold tooth winked.

  “You know each other?” asked Jago, instantly on his guard. His gut instinct told him this man was trouble, and yet he knew Riley.

  “That’s right. We go back a long ways, don’t we?” His pale blue eyes speared through her. “And her brother, Rob. He’s staying with me at the moment.”

  “Really?” Jago saw Riley’s face drain of colour and her features go rigid. Nervously she he fiddled with her ring.

  “How is Rob?” she asked, swallowing. Her mouth was bone dry. He was trying to tell her something, and he hadn’t come all this way to talk about her brother.

  “Knowing that I would be passing by, he asked me to give you a message.” He gave Jago a pointed look. “A private one.”

  Riley looked up at Jago. “This won’t take long, I promise.” Her eyes begged him to leave.

  Jago gave a curt nod. “If you need me, I won’t be far.” He shot the man a warning glare before walking stiffly towards the house.

  Mick pinned a cold gaze on her. “How is your health these days?” He hated the bitch. While she’d worked in one of his clubs, she’d consistently snubbed him. He hadn’t even known when she left. She thought she was too good for the likes of him, but he knew different and was determined to have her.

  For one last time before she took her final breath.

  “Fine, at least it was till you turned up.”

  “I’m glad to see you wearing black. It suits you,” he stated, slowly circling her. “Nice outfit. You can wear it at your brother’s funeral.”

  “Don’t you dare touch my brother!” Her eyes, black with fury, flashed dangerously.

  “Well then, that depends,” he drawled. His eyes settled on her breasts, every bit as ample as he remembered.

  “On what?” As she stood in front of him, her hand flew up and rested against her throat.

  “On whether you give me back the drugs he stole off me,” he said flatly. “He gave them to you.”

  “He wouldn’t do that. And besides I don’t know anything about them.”

  “Afraid we’ll agree to disagree there,” he said slowly. “So let me make it clear.” He moved close to her and snarled into her face, “If I don’t have them back by tomorrow, your brother dies.”

  “But I don’t know anything about them,” she pleaded, her eyes shimmering with tears.

  “Well, I suggest you do some research and try and remember. Because I haven’t come all this way for nothing.” He turned and opened the door of his car. “I’ll be back, and don’t try running away, because I’ll know about it.” He handed her his card. “Ring me tomorrow. If not, I’ll make you a call to end all calls.”

  With shaking fingers, she took it, gripping it tightly, and stared blindly after the car until it disappeared. Standing still for a few minutes, she tried to digest what had just happened. She prayed that her brother hadn’t been so stupid as to steal off Mick. Because if he wanted trouble, that was to the way to get it.

  She had to ring Rob. Find out the truth. She trod slowly towards the house. What had started out as a wonderful day was now turning into her worst nightmare.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Eve watched them return. The car had been parked there awhile. The big man had come up to the house and said he’d wait. And she was more than relieved to leave him outside. She’d known immediately that this was Mick from the text message.

  The door slammed and Jago stormed in. Pulling at his tie, he shrugged out of his jacket, tossing both over the settee and pouring himself a whisky. He stood by the large window overlooking the yard, keeping an eye on the proceedings going on below.

  Something was very wrong. He knew that, could sense it. Riley seemed scared, and he’d wanted to stay. He’d done what she asked, but he wasn’t leaving her out of his sight.

  He felt a hand on his arm and looked down at Eve, thinking that now was not the time for her to come on to him again.

  “I need to show you something,” she said quietly. “It’s important.”

  “Later.” He shrugged her hand off, his face tense with irritation, and returned to his vigil.

  “It can’t wait,” she insisted coldly. “It’s about that man out there … Mick.”

  Jago swung around. “What are you talking about?” He wondered how she knew his name.

  “Read this.” She gave him Riley’s phone.

  He took it, his disgust evident. “What are you doing reading her mail?”

  “Read it, and you’ll know why.”

  Against his better judgement, he let his eyes be drawn to the text. His face paled when he read the words. Then he looked up at Eve. “What’s it all about?”

  “Come with me, and I’ll show you.” Eve turned and Jago hesitated for a split second before following.

  Once in Riley’s room, she pulled at the case. The contents tumbled out, followed by a sheet of cardboard. “Look.”

  The planes of Jago’s face were harsh at the sight of what lay before him. He picked one packet up and slowly examined it. His stomach coiled into knots. A knife scraped
around his intestines, shredding them to sawdust. He knew the drugs had to be worth thousands, and couldn’t believe the amount that lay there.

  All this time, she’d played the innocent.

  She’d taken him in and anyone else who came into contact with her … had woven a web with her deceit. While all the time she was a drug dealer. No wonder she’d required such an extreme change of career. It was nothing but a ruse, and she’d paid for it with her virginity. His fists balled in anger, and his face paled with the rage that choked him.

  He’d actually thought he might love her!

  And now, now he couldn’t even think of her. She disgusted him. He reacted like a hurt and angry animal, unable to understand why she’d led him on. Picking the bag up, he took it to his room and stuffed it in his wardrobe. He wanted to see for himself if it was true or some monstrous mistake.

  He prayed to God he was wrong about her.

  Jago had returned to the lounge when she walked in. He observed her, judging each soft movement. She resembled a sleepwalker, pale and listless. He knocked back another whiskey and silently stared through her.

  “So, who was your friend?” he eventually asked, breathing out a long, slow, tenuous breath. Desperately he tried to calm his ripped emotions. His palms were sticky with sweat.

  He was scared, so scared he was right about her.

  “Mick, from London,” she said quietly. Opening her bag she fished absently for her mobile but was unable to find it.

  “Bit out of his way, isn’t it?” He took a sip of yet another drink, needing fortification.

  Eve looked on with a sudden squall of nerve. She had initially wanted to watch the drama unfold, but gauging his reaction, she decided to take her leave. “See you both tomorrow.” No answer came from either of them.

  Aware that she’d set the wheels in motion, she left quickly.

  “Is this what you’re looking for?” Jago held out her mobile.

  Nodding, she moved to take it, unsure whether to tell him about Rob. But she didn’t want him involved and so decided to try and sort the sorry mess out by herself.