by Leanne Banks
He frowned.
“Who is she?” Garrett asked. “Takes a woman to inspire that kind of disgust.”
“Nobody.”
“Yeah, right,” Garrett said in disbelief.
“It’s no—”
The door whooshed open, and Stuart strode in. His father had always been the picture of confidence, and someone unfamiliar with him wouldn’t have had a clue that Stuart was clearly on edge. Although his father was an imposing figure, Jack saw the little signs, the narrowed eyes, slightly clenched fist and the tension in his walk.
“Hey, Dad,” Jack said.
“Dad,” Garrett said with a nod.
Stuart nodded shortly and went to the bar. Pouring himself three fingers of whiskey, he swallowed the drink and faced his sons.
He sighed. “There’s no easy way to tell you this. I had hoped you would never need to know, but you’ve got to hear it from me.”
Jack felt an ominous dragging sensation in his gut. “Are you sick?”
Stuart shook his head.
“Mom?” Garret asked.
“No. It’s nothing like that. It’s about something that happened twenty-two years ago. Something I’m ashamed of.”
“Twenty-two years,” Garrett said.
Stuart looked out the huge window, then seemed to brace himself as he turned back around. “Your mother and I had marital problems. The company was demanding all of my time, and I thought she should understand why I had to be gone so much. I admit I took her for granted. I was foolish. I got my priorities all mixed-up. I lost sight of what was truly important.”
“You were separated,” Jack said, remembering how confused he’d been when his father had left.
Stuart nodded. “Yes, for a few months.”
“Mom always told us everything would be okay,” Jack said.
“And it was. But I made a mistake, a big mistake before your mother and I reconciled. I could have lost the best thing that ever happened to me.” He blinked. as if he felt a sharp pain. “I had an affair. Your mother doesn’t know, but I am very concerned that someone knows I made a payment to the woman I was involved with. Her name was Karen Simmons. I think I could be blackmailed.”
His father’s voice broke. “I can’t let Marie find out.”
Five
Troubled by his father’s news, Jack took the long way home. He remembered when his father had left, so many years ago. He remembered the yelling, the slamming doors and then the silence that lasted until his mother started crying. Their separation had shaken his world.
When his father had returned, it was as if the sun decided to shine again. His mother smiled more, and everything felt right.
Jack remembered how supportive his mother and father had been during his own divorce. After their one rocky period their devotion for each other had never wavered, and he had naively expected his marriage to mirror theirs. But his mother had not married his father for money, and Sandra had clearly married Jack for money.
He wondered how his father had gotten so twisted around that he’d lost sight of what was important. When he’d had a heart, Jack had wondered if he would ever experience the kind of love his parents had shared. He had wondered if he would ever find a woman who loved him for himself, not the Fortune name or money.
An image of Amanda flickered through his mind, and he pushed down on the accelerator. She occupied his mind more and more lately. He found himself just wanting to be in her presence. His first instinct was to deny it, but he stopped himself. Maybe he should find out more about Amanda. Maybe he should find out if she was more than background music.
After all was said and done, Jack saw that what mattered most to his father wasn’t money, it was his wife and family. Yet, it had been easy to get sidetracked, blinded. In this way, Jack did not want to follow in his father’s footsteps.
His thoughts weighing heavy on his mind, he pulled into his garage and entered his home. Delilah greeted him by curling around his ankles. Knowing she wouldn’t stop until he petted her, he reached down and stroked her fur, then walked down the hall.
He opened Lilly’s bedroom door and watched her sweet, sleep-flushed face for a long moment. His heart squeezed tight with emotion. This was what mattered to him, he thought. Lilly was what was important to him. He kissed her forehead without making her stir. Quietly, he left her room and closed the door. He stopped outside Amanda’s room filled with a dark yearning just to see her.
Giving in to the urge, he stole into her room and found her asleep, too. She must like having the sun wake her, he thought, because she left the curtains open. Right now the moonlight cast her face in a gentle glow. Her tousled brown hair formed a soft frame for her quietly pleasing face.
When he took the time to look, Jack noticed there was beauty in her simplicity. Her nose was straight, her mouth, small yet lush, her chin just a little stubborn. Her eyelashes were long and curly. He frowned, wondering why he’d never noticed her eyelashes before.
His gaze trailed down her ivory throat to the thrust of her small, firm breasts against her nightgown. Lower still, he knew her waist was slim, her thighs silky, inviting. She would wrap her body around his and give him release. Restless, feeling his body swell with arousal, he glanced back at her face. He wanted to read her mind and find out if she was true, or just another feminine broken promise waiting to happen.
His gaze fell on the bedside table where she’d left a book. Curious, he stepped closer and picked it up. How To Fall out of Love. The woman was determined.
He’d told her their relationship was professional. He was reconsidering. Jack thought again of his father and how he’d almost lost what was most important to him.
He picked up the book and quietly carried it out of the room with him.
“Mr. Fortune,” his assistant said the following afternoon, “Kate Fortune is on line three.” Surprised, he set down his marketing demographic study. The grande dame of his family rarely called him. He wondered what had motivated his great aunt this time. “Put her through.”
“Jack, dear, this is Kate. Amanda insisted that I needn’t call you, but I just want you to know that she is resting comfortably and—”
His chest tightened. “Amanda!”
“Well, yes. She fell—”
“Fell where?” he demanded, not getting the information he wanted fast enough.
“At the park. She took Lilly to the park today, and Lilly begged to climb on one of the jungle gyms. She lost her footing and Amanda caught her. Lilly’s fine. Unfortunately Amanda lost her footing, too, and hurt her ankle.”
“Is she in the hospital?”
“Oh, no. At home,” Kate added with a chuckle. “She called the house and I had just showed up for an impromptu visit with Lilly. My chauffeur, Giles, and I picked Amanda and Lilly up and we all went to the clinic together.” She paused. “I thought you would want to know. Lilly just adores Amanda, and I’m sure she must be important to you, too.”
Jack wanted to see Amanda for himself. He checked his watch and schedule, mentally shuffling appointments. “I have a few things to tie up here, then I’ll be home. Thank you, Kate.”
“Not at all. I’m glad to help.”
An hour later Kate greeted him at the door. She was just getting ready to leave. “Hi, darling,” she said, tilting her cheek for his kiss. “You’re as gorgeous as ever. I wish I could stay, but Sterling and I have an early dinner planned with Mac and Kelly.”
Jack nodded. He knew his cousin Mac and Kelly’s marriage had started out on shaky ground, but everyone could tell they were happy now. Would he ever be so lucky? “Tell them I said hi. And thank you for helping Amanda today.”
“Not at all,” she said, and paused. “I can’t help admiring how well Amanda handles Lilly. If I didn’t know better, Amanda loves that child so much she could be her mother. She would be a wonderful mother. A wonderful wife. Something to think about,” she mused meaningfully, then gave him an air kiss. “’Bye for now, darling.”
/> Catching the scent of her signature perfume in her wake, Jack felt a wry kick of humor as he headed upstairs. Kate had never been known for her subtlety. She didn’t like to plant a seed. She preferred planting an entire garden.
He rounded the corner and found Lilly coming out of the bathroom. Holding her kitty tightly to her, her eyes lit up and she ran to him, bouncing on her toes.
“’Manda’s a she-ro. She saved me!”
Jack smiled and crouched down. “She did?”
Lilly nodded emphatically. “I falled off the jungle gym onto ’Manda, and she falled, too.” She twisted the stuffed kitty. “I told her I was very sorry, but she said it wasn’t my fault. She said she’s a klutz.”
“Are you hurt?”
Lilly shook her head. “No, but ’Manda yelled when she hurt her leg. She was very brave at the doctor. She didn’t cry.” She reached for his hand and tugged at him. “She’s in her bed.”
As they walked to Amanda’s room, it occurred to Jack that this was the first time since Sandra’s death that Lilly hadn’t spoken to him in a whisper. From the doorway, he saw Amanda in bed, with her wrapped ankle propped on pillows and surrounded by Lilly’s books.
His heart dipped at the sight, and Kate’s words echoed through his head. She would make a wonderful mother. A wonderful wife.
“Thank you,” he said.
She glanced up, her eyes wide with surprise. “How did you—” She broke off, and realization dawned. “Kate called you. I told her not—”
“I’m glad she did,” he said, moving into the room. “I need to know if there’s an emergency with you.”
Amanda’s stomach dipped. Don’t be fooled by that look in his eyes, she told herself. He needed to know because she was his daughter’s nanny. “I’m sorry you left work. There was really no reason.” She found a willing distraction in Lilly. “C’mon sweetie, let me fix your hair.”
“How is your ankle?” he asked, standing next to her bed and tugging his tie loose.
Adjusting Lilly’s pigtail, Amanda tried not to think about how her heart was racing just because of his presence. “Not too bad. The doctor said I should stay off of it for a day or so.” She shook her head and grimaced. “It was just an accident mostly due to my lack of coordination. No karate for me for a while.”
“Lilly,” Jack said. “I need to talk with Amanda for a few minutes. Can you play in your room?”
Lilly nodded and hugged Amanda before she scampered out of the room with Delilah.
Uneasy, Amanda stacked Lilly’s books on top of each other. She didn’t want to look at Jack. The damn book wasn’t working.
His hand covered hers, and she took a deep breath.
“Thank you for protecting Lilly,” he said in a low voice that stroked her heart.
“I couldn’t have done anything else,” she said, then managed a slight smile. “I just wish I’d been more coordinated.”
He skimmed his hand down her leg, setting her nerve endings on fire. “How bad is it really?”
She took another quick breath. “It’s, uh—it’s not great, but it’s not—”
He put his thumb under her chin, coaxing her to meet his gaze. “Really?”
Responding to his demand for the truth, she sighed. “I landed badly.”
“Then you need to rest. I’ll make arrangements for Lilly,” he said.
Hating the idea that she might disrupt Lilly’s and Jack’s schedules, she shook her head. “I can still keep her with me part of the day. Remember, she takes an afternoon nap and we can read and sing and play—”
“You need to rest that ankle.” He ran his fingertips over her toes. “It looks swollen, and I bet you are the kind to push things instead of following the doctor’s instructions.”
“Doctors are always too cautious,” she grumbled.
He chuckled. “You just proved my theory. It’s bedtime for you, although if you’re going to be in bed for the next few days I can suggest more pleasurable ways to spend it.”
Amanda blinked. Had he just flirted with her? She gave a tiny shake of her head. No. She must have dreamed that last comment.
Jack leaned closer. “You have beautiful eyelashes.”
His nearness made her mouth dry.
“It’s not mascara, is it?”
She shook her head. “I usually forget to put on mascara.”
“Is the book working?” he asked in the same voice he might have used during sex.
It took Amanda a full moment to absorb his question. She drew back immediately. “The book,” she echoed.
“How To Fall out of Love,” he said, gazing at her as if he not only saw her, but wanted her.
Amanda drew in a quick breath, hoping the delicious scent of his aftershave wouldn’t boggle her mind. “I knew you were tough, but I never knew you had a cruel streak,” she told him. “You said you wanted a professional relationship with me. You said you didn’t want me. I’m doing the best I can to not be in love with you anymore.”
He tilted his head, and the predatory look in his eyes made her nervous. “Maybe I don’t want you to succeed.”
Her heart slammed into her rib cage. “I can’t imagine why not.”
“I never told you I didn’t want you.”
“You said kissing me was temporary insanity.”
He leaned closer, his mouth a breath from taking hers. “Maybe it wasn’t temporary.”
A sliver of sanity slid into her brain. You are in over your head. She put her hand against his chest and pushed.
“I don’t want to go to maybe land again.”
He studied her intently. “I’ll have to find a way to persuade you.”
His tone was casual, but the determination stamped across his face told Amanda she was in trouble.
Amanda quickly concluded that Jack was playing with her. She had no idea why. Perhaps he was bored. A dangerous state for such a sexually magnetic man. It didn’t change the net result for her. She needed to be on her guard. She needed to continue to avoid Jack. She needed to continue falling out of love with him. Her task would have been far easier if she hadn’t been confined to her bed. Beyond bored, she sneaked out late one night to the pool, unwrapped her ankle and slid into the water.
She did a slow lap on her back, and reveled in a few moments of freedom. The clean water felt like cool satin on her skin, and the buoyancy kept her from hurting her ankle. She stopped mid-stroke when she saw Jack by the side of the pool. He wore jeans and an unbuttoned shirt. His hair was slightly mussed as if he’d raked his fingers through it. Just looking at him made her light-headed.
“I thought everyone had gone to bed,” she said.
He shook his head. “Not quite. How were you planning to get back to your room without putting any weight on your ankle?”
“The same way I got out here. Hop,” she said.
“And if you fall?”
“Then hopefully I will fall better this time and I won’t wake up the house,” she said and ducked her head underwater to keep her head clear.
“That’s Plan A?” he asked in a mild tone. “I like Plan B better.”
She watched him come closer to the pool. “Plan B? There is no Plan B.”
“Yes, there is. Plan B is I carry you to your room so you don’t break your pretty little neck.”
Panic raced through her. “No. That’s really not necessary. I got here under my own steam. I can get back the same way.”
“Not in this lifetime,” he said with a deadly determined smile.
“This is crazy,” she said.
“I agree. It’s crazy for you to hop all the way back to your room,” he said, crooking his finger at her. “Come here.”
“I’m not letting you carry me.”
A flicker of surprise darted across his face, then he set his jaw. “Yes, you will.”
Amanda stiffened her spine. “I’m staying in here until you leave.”
“You’re cold,” he said, his gaze falling to her breasts. “I can te
ll.”
Amanda felt her nipples taut against her bathing suit and fought embarrassment. “I’m not getting out.”
“Okay,” he said with a slow nod, then he stepped out of his shoes, pulled off his shirt and undid the top button of his jeans.
Holy moly! Panic shot through Amanda. The man was going to undress right before her very eyes. Uncle . “Stop!” she said when she found her breath. Her heart pounding a mile a minute, she pulled herself out of the pool.
His hand lingered near the zipper of his jeans. “You see the wisdom of my suggestion,” he concluded.
“It didn’t look like a suggestion to me,” she told him.
He wrapped her towel around her. “I don’t argue about the safety of the people who are important to me.” He lifted her into his arms. “Put your arms around my neck.”
Amanda hesitated, then reluctantly did as he’d ordered. “I didn’t know you were directive in your personal life.”
“I don’t need to be directive if the person I’m dealing with is reasonable,” he said as he carried her through the den to the stairs. “I didn’t expect you to be unreasonable.”
He made a valid point It probably wasn’t the smartest thing in the world for her to be hopping up and down the stairs. Amanda sighed. “I’ve been chained to that bed for days.”
He carried her into her room. “That image works for me,” he said in a silky voice. “You chained to the bed.”
Amanda rolled her eyes at his comment and the way her stomach dipped. “Oh, stop. You’re just playing with me.”
He stopped in the middle of her room and gazed down at her. “Is that what you think?”
“It’s what I know,” she told him, wiggling to be set down. “I just don’t know why.”
Jack placed her on the bed, but didn’t stand up. His face mere inches from hers, he pushed the towel off her shoulders and ran his finger over the thin shoulder strap of her bathing suit. “What’s wrong with playing?”