In the Arms of a Stranger (15 page)

Chad peered at her with a worried frown.
  “You’re not getting hysterical, are you?”

She shook her head
, but it took a few more minutes of battling the urge to laugh before she had enough control to remove her hand and speak.  “So you’re telling me, you slept with another woman that night thinking she was me?”

“It’s the truth.
  I know it sounds like a horrendous lie, but honestly, how could anyone make up a story like that?”

They couldn’t, she knew that from experience.
  “Is there more, or is that it?”

Chad looked confused. 
“You mean you believe me?”

Brianne shrugged.
  “Like you said, how could anyone make up a story like that?”

“You don’t know how relieved I am to hear you say that.”
  Chad stood up, fussing with the cuffs of his shirt.  “There is a little more to the story.  This woman and I…well, it was a very intimate night and there was this…connection.  I don’t mean just physical either.  It was as if we were destined to meet and…” 

He sat down again and took both her hands in his.
  “I’m sorry.  I didn’t intend to tell you any of this but under the circumstances…”

“Circumstances?” Bri squeaked out.  Did he know about the night she spent with Jake?

“Yes, you see…this woman and I…”  Chad paused for a moment.  “Look, I don’t know how to tell you this so I’m just going to say it straight out.  I’ve seen her since that night, on many occasions actually, and the reason I know I was never in love with you is because I’m in love with her.  I want to marry her.”

Bri didn’t know what to say.  It was such an unexpected turn of events, she felt a little bewildered. 
I’m free
, she thought.  She didn’t have to worry about disentangling herself from Chad or whether he would publish the pictures of her and Jake. 
Jake. 
She was free to go to him now, to work things out.  To tell him she loved him.

Bri’s smile was as warm and sincere as her words. 
“Chad, that’s wonderful!” 

She
was even more anxious to leave now, but Chad seemed so eager to tell her about the new woman in his life, she felt obligated to ask a few questions.  Bri feigned interest, politely listening as he rattled off her attributes. 

She was sweet and
soft spoken; things Chad adored, and she always asked his opinion on what to wear and how to fix her hair.  It seemed she deferred nearly everything to Chad that required more than a remedial thought, and he could barely contain himself when he divulged that she wanted to quit working after they were married to take care of his house and raise his children. 

“I’m sorry,” Chad
grinned, “I can’t seem to stop talking about her.  I guess I understand what you mean now…about how love should be.  It does make you want to jump off the deep end and do stupid things, doesn’t it?  I want to make her happy, Bri, I want to give her everything and make sure she never wants for anything.”

“She sounds perfect for you, Chad.”

“She is.”  His smile faltered a little when Bri took off her ring and pressed it into his hand.  “What about you, Bri?  Do you think you and Jake will get married?”

“I’m not sure
,” she blinked back the sting of tears.  “We had an argument before I left.  How long have you known how I felt about him?”

“I had my suspicions
the first time Phillip introduced him, but I didn’t realize it was more than physical attraction until that weekend I stayed at the mansion.”

“But there wasn’t anything going on between us while we lived there,” she protested.
  Not that it really mattered now, but she didn’t want him to think she’d been hopping into Jake’s bed every night.

“I
know, but it was obvious you had grown very close and it was really just a matter of time before it happened.”

Bri smiled, there was no denying that.
  “You’re right, it was just a matter of time.  I have a little confession of my own to make.  That whole business with mixing up the rooms…well, you weren’t the only one who wound up with the wrong bed partner.”

Chad stared at her
for a moment before the meaning of her words finally sank in.  “Destiny, you think?”

“Undoubtedly.”
  Just as it was her destiny to find Jake again and make things right between them.

“You love him, don’t you?”

“More than anything in the world,” she said passionately.  “I can’t lose him, Chad, I just can’t!  I’ve barely gone one day without seeing him but it seems like an eternity.  I feel so hollow inside, like there’s this giant void that only Jake can fill.”

“But you’re the one who ran off,” he
pointed out. 

“I know
, but I…how did you know I was the one to leave?” 

“You took an earlier flight and burst into tears the moment you saw me.”

Bri shook her head.  “I never should have left without taking to him.  It was the worst mistake of my life, but I’m going to find him and when I do I’m going to…to…”

“Throw yourself in his arms and tell him you can’t live without him,” a deep, masculine voice said from behind her.

Bri’s heart surged when she turned her head and spied Jake standing not three feet from her.  For a moment all she could do was stare because she wasn't altogether sure he was real.     

“Jake, how did you…?”
 

She looked up at Chad, who had risen to his feet and was actually grinning.
  Her eyes bounced back and forth between the two men. 

“I don’t understand," she said to
 Jake.  "How did you get here before I did?  And why do you and Chad look as if you’ve pulled off the coup of the century?  Oh, my God,” she gasped, when it finally hit her.  “You two planned this!” 

The greater shock was that they’d worked together to pull it off.
  And then, just when she’d started to gather her thoughts enough to hit them with a slew of questions, Bri was dealt another stunning blow.  Looking like a million bucks in a crisp, white button down blouse and black slacks that emphasized the woman’s amazingly long legs, Brandy appeared from somewhere down the hall and moved silently across the room.

Jake ambled over to join Chad and Brandy, all three of them looking down at her as if it was some sort of intervention party and they were here to save Bri from herself.
  She rose slowly, the air around her growing thick with her own fear.  Had Jake reconciled with Brandy? 

“Wh-what’s going on here?”
 

 
“I think I’d like to take a stab at that one,” Jake said.

He’d been wondering himself why Brandy was here, but after hearing Chad’s story about the hotel and falling in love with the woman he’d slept with, it wasn’t difficult to figure out.
  It was apparent by the shaken look on Bri’s face, however, that she hadn’t put two and two together yet and Jake was anxious to put her worried mind to rest.  He didn’t like the way she was looking at them, as if she’d just discovered herself among a pack of wolves, and he didn’t think letting Bri get so stressed was good for the baby either.

“Brianne,
” he spoke softly, “it was
my
room key the hotel clerk gave Chad that night, and it was Brandy he mistook for you.”

Bri
’s mind stalled.  Her eyes moved from one face to another but she couldn’t seem to assimilate why they were all here and what they were trying to tell her. 

“It’s true,” Chad said, turning his gaze to Brandy.  “When I woke the next morning, I knew Brandy was the woman I was meant to be with
.”

Brandy was instantly by his side, tucking herself up under his arm as if she belonged there.
  In all the months Bri and Chad had been together, she’d never once seen him look at her the way he was looking at this woman now, and it was obvious by the adoring expression on Brandy’s face that she shared his feelings. 

Bri wasn’t sure what to say, or if she should say anything at all.
  It wasn’t likely either of them would have heard her if she'd spoken anyway, and truthfully, she was more concerned about Jake’s reasons for being here.  They needed to talk, but she didn’t want to do it in front of Chad and Brandy.  Jake seemed to be of the same mind because he came to her and took her hand then led her outside.  They didn’t even say good-bye.

She was surprised to see her father’s Mercedes in the garage, but didn’t say anything.
  She didn’t even ask where they were going because it didn’t matter.  Jake had come for her, he’d even gone so far as to make peace with Chad to do it, and that had to mean something.  Bri turned her head, not enough so he would notice, but enough so she could simply look at him.  This morning she’d been devastated thinking she might never see him again.  But now here he was not an arm’s length away, looking as handsome as ever and stealing her heart all over again.  A contented smile curved her lips just as Jake glanced over at her.

He reached out, gently raking his fingers along her cheek.
  “You look tired.  We’re going to be on the road for a little while.  I can pull over so you can crawl in the back and take a nap if you like.”

“Would it bother you if I just laid down here?”

Jake smiled warmly.  “I’d prefer it actually.  I just thought you might be more comfortable in the back seat.  My jacket is back there, grab it and use it for a pillow.”

She curled up on the seat with the crown of her head nudging his thigh and his balled up jacket cushioned against her cheek.
  It smelled like Jake and she couldn’t resist the temptation of inhaling deeply as if she could draw his scent inside of her.  Bri closed her eyes, letting out a contented little purr when he stroked her hair, sifting his fingers through the strands so gently she was quickly lulled to sleep.  She smiled to herself, secure in the knowledge that when she woke up, Jake would still be here.

He’d made good time, and was less than forty minutes from his destination when Bri woke up.  It was good that she’d slept, although he doubted it had been her intention to sleep for over three hours.  Jake enjoyed the drive; it gave him time to clear his mind and think things out.  But what he’d enjoyed the most was being able to glance down whenever he wanted and look at Bri, or reach out and touch her soft skin.  He didn’t like how pale she was though, but he would be putting color into her cheeks soon enough.

“Hey
, sleep-head, it’s about time you woke up.”

Bri sat up, still feeling a bit groggy, and peered out at the unfamiliar surroundings.
  “Where are we?”

Jake
’s grin was secretive.  “You’ll find out.  We should reach our final destination in a few hours.  We’ll pull over a few miles down the road and get a quick bite to eat first.”

“Good,” she rubbed her stomach, “I’m ravenous.”

“You’ll like the place I’m taking to you.  I discovered it several years ago and make a point of eating there whenever I happen to be passing through.”

Bri pulled a brush out of her purse and ran it through her hair in an attempt to look somewhat presentable before they got to the restaurant.
  “What kind of food do they serve?”

“Hamburgers mostly.”

“Hamburgers,” she laughed, “geez, Malone, you really know how to show a girl a good time.”

“Oh
, we’ll get to the good time, I promise you,” he said with a sexy grin, “but first I need to feed you.”

It was nothing more than a hole in the wall on the edge of a town so small it probably didn’t even rate its own dot on the map, but Bri instantly fell in love with the place.
  Country music twanged from an ancient jukebox and a waitress dressed in an outfit straight out of a Dale Evans movie showed them to their seats.  The young woman even had on cowboy boots with spurs that jingle jangled as she walked so Bri wasn’t at all surprised to find cute little names on the menu like Rustler Burgers and a Cow Patty Special that was really a meatloaf dinner.  In spite of the less than appetizing names for some of their meals, the enticing aroma in the restaurant made her mouth water. 

“What’s the name of this place?”
 she asked after the waitress had taken their orders.

“You mean you didn’t see the giant spur with Bronco Bob’s Beef and Brewery hand painted on it?”

Brianne burst out laughing and was happy to see the haunted look behind Jake’s eyes disappear.  “Just out of curiosity, what in the world possessed you to even consider stopping at a place called Bronco Bob’s?”

“I was driving back from a business trip and pulled into town for gas.
  When I asked the attendant to point me to the best place in town to eat, he gave me directions to this joint.  I had some serious doubts when I saw the sign but was starving and didn’t feel like trying to find another restaurant.”

“If the food tastes half as good as it smells, I’ll be a very happy camper.”
  She glanced around, looking for a sign for the restrooms but didn’t see one.  “Don’t tell me there are no bathrooms.  I have a pressing matter that’s getting more urgent by the minute.”

Jake stood up, offering Bri his hand.
  “Come on, I’ll show you to the little gal’s outhouse.”

She slipped her hand into his,
not quite sure if he was joking.  “I do hope you’re speaking figuratively about it being an outhouse.” 

When Jake looked
down at her with a sexy grin, Bri knew he was remembering the last time he’d led the way to the bathrooms and the passionate kiss that followed.  She muttered something about not trusting him, but Jake only chuckled as he tugged her along.  It was a relief to find the facilities were not only located inside the building but modern and exceptionally clean. 

Bri attended to the most crucial needs first then washed her hands and face, groaning at the pale faced image in the mirror.
  She looked like something the cat dragged in, but there wasn’t much she could do about it now.  Knowing Jake was probably waiting for her, she hurried out of the bathroom and nearly collided with him. Gripping her shoulders, Jake studied her face with a worried frown. 

“Are you all right?”

“Of course, why wouldn’t I be?”

Because you’re pregn
ant, he wanted to say.  But he couldn’t tell Bri he knew she was carrying his child.  It had to come from her first.  Instead, he made light of it by telling her she’d been gone so long he was afraid she’d fallen in the toilet. 

Bri affected an accusatory tone.  “If I
had
fallen in, it would have been your fault for not stopping sooner to feed me.”

He
would have given just about anything right then to be able to pull her into his arms and kiss her, but his emotions were too raw, too unstable, and he didn’t think he would be able to stop himself once he started.  Cursing himself for driving instead of flying so he could have been alone with her sooner, Jake trailed her back to the table just as their food arrived.

“It smells heavenly,” she cooed, lifting the monstrous burger to her lips and taking a bite.

Jake watched her with amusement as she plowed down the food as if she hadn’t eaten for days, but then it was entirely possible she felt that way.  He didn’t know much about pregnancy, but he’d heard enough from his married co-workers to know Bri probably suffered from morning sickness and needed to replenish her body.  He’d barely finished his own sizeable plate of food when she popped the last morsel in her mouth then sat back with a satisfied smile.  Jake couldn’t help himself; his heart simply couldn’t be contained any longer. 

“I love you, Bri,” he said thickly.

A soft smile tipped the corners of her mouth.  “We’re going to be okay, aren’t we?”

“Better than okay,
sweetheart.” 

Grabbing the bill, he went
to pay the cashier then came back and hustled Bri out to the car.  He needed to be alone with her, but there was still a good two or three hours standing in the way of that goal and Jake was determined to keep any further delays to a minimum.  Pushing the speed limit, he made record time and hit the outskirts of town just after sunset, which made the flashing neon lights seem even more spectacular.

Bri looked around her, a little bewildered.
  “Vegas?  You live in Las Vegas?”

Jake chuckled.
  “No, I live about twenty miles outside of Malibu.”

Disappointment rolled through her.
  She’d been so certain he was taking her to his house so they could be alone.  Bri adored the excitement of Las Vegas, but it was hardly the place she would have chosen to have a serious discussion about their future.  Unless…unless Jake wasn’t thinking that far ahead.  Yes, he’d told her he loved her, but that didn’t necessarily mean he was considering marriage, or even offering a long term commitment.  And if that was the case, Bri would be forced to leave him in a month or two before the pregnancy started to show.

Jake pulled up in front of the hotel and looked at Bri.
  “Well, what do you think?”

Snapping out of her dark thoughts, she peered out the window at what was probably the most expensive hotel in the city.
  “It’s beautiful, Jake.  How long will we be staying?  I mean, my luggage is still in the back of Chad’s car.”

“We’ll only be here for a few days so you won’t need much.
  There are some nice shops here in the hotel so I thought I would get us checked in and then run down to buy a change of clothes for both of us while you take a shower.  I realize it’s been a long day for you, so we’ll get cleaned up and go out for a few hours, grab some dinner then come back and get a good night’s rest.”

Before she could voice her opinion on
his plans for the evening, Jake was out of the car and handing his keys to the valet.  He ushered her into the hotel and checked in, then escorted her to the room and was out the door again without having said more than two words. 
At least the hotel provided
robes
, she thought dismally as she undressed and stepped into the shower. 

Ignoring the twinges of pain that kept trying to burrow their way into her heart, Bri concentrated on how good it felt to wash this horrible day off of her.
  There was still time, she told herself.  Time to work on Jake and get him to see they belonged together, time to make him love her enough to want to marry her.  She could do this, she had to, because she simply couldn’t face a future that didn’t include him.

 
                                                                ***

Jake slipped silently into the room and stashed the two garment bags in the closet by the door before
carrying the remaining packages into the bedroom.  The shower wasn’t running but Bri was still in the bathroom so he unloaded the bags and boxes and arranged them on the bed so she could see them when she got finished.  He hadn’t been sure of her jeans size and was afraid if he bought a pair that was too tight it would be bad for the baby so he’d purchased two casual dresses instead. 

Like it or not, she’d have to start wearing her clothes a little looser because Jake wasn’t about to let anything endanger his child, and that included squashing the poor thing inside what would be a pretty tight squeeze anyway.
  Bri was so slender, a good gust of wind would blow her away and he was concerned about how rough this pregnancy was going to be on her.  He’d just have to watch over her and make sure she ate properly and got plenty of rest, and if that meant she had to give up her job then he’d make sure she did that too.

When the bathroom door opened and Brianne joined him beside the bed, Jake stepped back and swept his arm through the air with a flourish.
 

“Your clothes, my lady.”

Bri’s eyes lit up at the brightly colored dresses.  She touched the soft fabric, arching a brow at Jake when he proudly pointed out how proficient he’d been at finding lacy underclothes that matched each dress.  With a silly grin pasted on his face, he held up the sheer panties and asked if she cared to model them for him.  Bri snatched them from his hand and tossed them back on the bed.

“I’m glad you enjoyed your little shopping spree, but I believe you were going to grab a quick shower and then take me out on the town for a few hours.”

Jake glanced longingly at the panties.  They would never leave the room if he caught so much as a brief glimpse of her in them; it would be far too tempting to peel them right back off so he could make love to her.  No, it was better to stick to his plans and get Bri out of the room as quickly as possible before the strain of keeping his hands off of her got to be too much.  Leaning down, he brushed a chaste kiss across her cheek. 

“You’re right.
  I’ll take my shower now so we can go have a little fun.”

Bri stared after him, her fingertips touching the spot where his lips had just been.
  Amend that to where they had so
briefly
been.  The one kiss Jake had given her all day barely even qualified as a kiss at all, and he’d obviously changed his mind about sitting down and having that nice, long talk.  What the hell was going on?  She turned back to the bed, her eyes migrating to the pale blue nightgown.  A
nightgown
? 

An unhappy frown began to form on her face.
  Oh, it was expensive all right and the fabric looked soft as lamb’s wool, but it was floor length with a modest neckline and short sleeves so that not even her shoulders would be bare.  It was in total opposition to the underclothes he purchased, which were obviously meant for his viewing pleasure while the gown practically screamed,
I’m a virgin, don’t touch
me
.

Bri noticed another bag he hadn’t emptied and leaned across the bed, dragging it closer so she could examine the contents.
  She pulled the items out one by one; men’s jeans, cotton shirts, a couple of pairs of socks and a package of briefs.  And for the grand finale, a pair of hunter green pajamas. 

Okay, so he wasn’t planning to seduce her tonight, so what?
  He’d been fussing all day about how tired she looked, maybe this was his way of being considerate so they wouldn’t be tempted to make love all night.  Bri snorted and stuffed everything back in the bag.  As if having pajamas on was going to lessen her desire for him when they would be sleeping in the same bed.  At least he hadn’t secured a room with two beds.  Not that the message wasn’t loud and clear regardless.

Well, if that’s the way he wanted to play it she
would let him have it his way.  She’d be damned if she was going to look foolish by throwing herself at him when he’d already rejected her once!  Leaving the turquoise dress on the bed, Bri gathered up the rest of the clothes and hung them in the massive armoire in the corner of the room then placed the underwear in the dresser drawers.  Separate drawers. 

She draped the robe over the back of the chair then shimmied into the panties and had just gotten her bra hooked when she heard the shower shut off.
  Bri turned her back to the bathroom, smiling to herself as she waited for Jake to open the door before leaning over the bed to pick up the dress.  Her movements were deliberately languid and aimed at torturing her helpless prey as she stepped into the dress and wiggled her way into it.  It was no easy feat to keep from giggling when she turned around to find poor Jake standing there, still as a statue with one hand gripping the towel around his hips and a pained look on his face.