In the Arms of a Stranger (8 page)

“We’d make a great team,” Jake said, envisioning the limitless possibilities of having someone like Bri on board.

“The best,” Bri whispered, a wave of regret washing over her.  It was a dream and nothing more.

“Maybe we should get some sleep
.  We have a big day ahead of us.”

It wasn’t really that late, but
Bri knew he was right.  The next month was going to be a whirlwind of activity.  She had already established a relationship with the local media and consumer groups but still needed to confer with them on the project agenda and arrange for promotions and advertising.  There would be public appearances, more meetings with their team leaders, and the never ending task of putting out fires when things didn’t go according to plan. 

And her responsibilities didn’t end there
.  She was also in charge of maintaining the peace between the various contractors, keeping the morale buoyed, and playing mediator when there were personal conflicts.  Jake’s job would be just as demanding, and in between it all, they would have to coordinate their individual efforts to keep the project moving forward until everyone settled in and it was running like clockwork. 

None of that, however, was what had her mind spinning off in ten different directions and her stomach twisting into knots.
  It was the panicky feeling that this project would end too soon, that her time with Jake was limited and she would never again experience the thrill of being held in his arms or the warmth of his lips when he kissed her. 

It was such a depressing thought
, Bri seriously considered having an affair with Jake, but it was a short lived fantasy.  She would never survive it.  Letting him go would be hard enough; inviting deeper emotions and strengthening the bond between them would be a monumental mistake.  Inevitably, it would destroy her. 

Bri drew in a stilted breath and squeaked out his name.
  “Jake…”

That’s all she said, all she had to say.
  He gathered her closer, stroking her hair and murmuring soft assurances that everything would be okay.  Bri listened to his voice, not really hearing the words but finding comfort in the gentle way they were administered.  And when she finally sought his mouth and silenced him, it was both the sweetest and the saddest kiss she had ever known. 

 
                                                               ***

“Go back inside and change,” Jake said the moment he opened the door and found Bri standing before him in another one of her practical outfits.

Her eyebrows arched.  “Excuse me?”

“You heard me.”
  He gripped her by the shoulders and turned her around, marching her back to her own room.  “You can save the puritan routine for when the Chadmeister visits.  When you are with me, you will dress and act like yourself, irritating as that may be sometimes.”

Brianne stopped in front of her door, cardkey in hand. “What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?”

Jake snatched the cardkey away, slipped it into the slot and shoved the door open.  “It’s downright depressing,” he admonished, backing her into the room.  “Put on something bright and cheerful, something that will make your colleagues want to smile instead of looking around for the funeral procession.”

“Aren’t you just a ray of sunshine this morning,” she said caustically.

“You’ll have to forgive me,” he shot back, “I tend to get this way when I spend the night with a beautiful woman in my arms and wake up just as sexually frustrated as when I went to bed.”

Bri headed down the hallway to the bedroom, stopping in the doorway to cast a smile over her shoulder.
  “I imagine that’s a first for you, isn’t it, Malone?”

His face darkened but he didn’t bother to respond.
  It was his own fault for thinking he could sleep with her platonically without suffering any side effects, but that knowledge did nothing to dispel his edginess.  Oh, he’d proved his point all right.  And because of that, Bri had agreed they could live in the same house for the month, but it wasn’t without great cost to his own peace of mind or raging hormones. 

For one thing, it had taken him forever to fall asleep after kissing her
.  Once he did manage to nod off, he kept dreaming about those damn lace panties and relived stripping them off her over and over until he’d awoke in the pre-dawn hours in a cold sweat.  As it turned out, the cold sweat was preferable to the surge of heat that followed when he discovered Bri sprawled across his chest this morning.  Her weight barely registered, but where bare flesh met bare flesh, there had been a definite tingling sensation which resulted in a chain reaction of involuntary bodily responses. 

It started with a slow burning heat that might have remained relatively harmless if only she hadn’t shifted in her sleep, giving rise to a whole new kind of agony.
  He’d gritted his teeth, carefully eased her off of him, then slipped out of bed and hopped into the shower.  The icy cold mountain water damn near threw him into hypothermia, but at least he achieved the desired effect.  Until he walked back into the bedroom to discover Bri had kicked the covers off.

He’d stood beside the bed watching her sleep, his eyes sweeping over her slender form, his body all too aware of how good it felt to have those shapely legs wrapped around his waist while he buried himself inside her warmth.
  Only the thought that all his plans would be ruined had kept him from crawling back into bed with her.  He’d dressed as quickly as he could then left her for the solitude of his own suite where he remained until Bri called to say she would come and get him when she was ready to go.

“Does this meet with your approval?”

Jake turned at the sound of her voice and let out a low whistle as she did a slow pirouette in front of him.  A sky blue skirt ending at mid thigh conformed to the gentle slope of her hips, the stretchy material flattering her small waist and delightfully rounded bottom.  The matching blazer was perfectly tailored, emphasizing ample breasts, and beneath that was a colorful polka dot silk blouse.  She wore her hair down and the light from the windows bounced off the auburn tresses, lending it even more fire as she completed her turn and waited for his appraisal.

“Beautiful doesn’t even begin to describe you,” he said huskily.
 

Brianne’s face lit up, the brilliance of her smile making his heart race.
  His feet moved of their own accord, as did the arms that reached to encircle her waist.  A soft moan vibrated in the back of her throat when he leaned down and kissed her.  If they hadn’t planned on stopping by the house before meeting with the slew of people who were expecting them at the temporary offices Phillip rented, Jake wouldn’t have given up possession of her mouth after only a few exquisite moments.

Bri opened her eyes slowly to stare up at him
in a daze.  “I think I’m addicted to those
friendly
kisses of yours.”

Jake chuckled, propelling her towards the door.
  “I hope you don’t expect me to be gallant and offer to cure you of your addiction.  I don’t ordinarily consider myself an enabler, but I think I’ll make an exception in your case.”

“Are you telling me I have to kick the habit all by myself?”

He pressed the button for the elevator, a teasing grin on his face.  “I believe as your supplier, it’s my duty to make sure you stay hooked.”  The doors slid open and they stepped inside.

“Really, and just how does that work?”
 

Jake’s response was to cup her chin and give her a kiss
that so tender it nearly brought tears to her eyes.

“You see,
” he murmured against her lips, “given out in small doses, it will leave you wanting even more.”

Bri
drew her head back, albeit reluctantly.  “And if I resist?”

He took her hand as they emerged from the elevators.
  “That’s the beauty of it.  As a junkie, you won’t be able to resist.”

“You underestimate me, Mr. Malone
.  I’m much stronger than I look.”

“Not where I’m concerned,” he said with a cocky grin.

“Oh, really?  You think you have some mystical power over me?”

Jake stopped abruptly and pulled her up hard against his chest.
  “Absolutely,” he said, lowering his head until his lips were so close to hers he could almost taste them.  He could feel her heart hammering against her chest, watched as her pupils dilated and her breath grew ragged.  “Even now, in the middle of the lobby with people milling all around, you would let me kiss you.”  He lowered his voice, “You want me to do it, don’t you?”

His lips brushed lightly against hers, taunting and teasing, and meeting no resistance.
  She whispered his name, her eyes closing halfway, her arms inching up around his neck and tugging at him in an attempt to close the miniscule gap between them.  Jake pulled his head back just far enough to evade her, chuckling at the frustrated little noise Bri made when she realized he’d done it on purpose.  She opened her eyes and gazed up at him, letting him read the depth of her desire, and though every fiber of his being wanted to kiss her until they were both dizzy drunk with it, he refrained.

“We’d better go,” he whispered hoarsely, her mouth still so tantalizingly close he felt the
warmth of her breath when she groaned an unwilling agreement. 

It was at that moment,
as they stood in what could only be called a lover’s embrace, that a man stepped out of hiding.  Unnoticed, he carefully pointed, took aim, and caught them both in a rapid fire of blinding flashes.

Jake shielded her with his body as best he could even knowing it was too late; the damage had been done.  Bri’s frightened eyes met his, her lips trembling.  Already the hotel security was escorting the man out, but the smug look on his face was all the confirmation Jake needed; he’d gotten what he wanted and would now peddle his photographs to the highest bidder.  Jake silently berated himself.  It was just plain stupid of him not realize paparazzi would be hanging around hoping to get a few shots of the wealthy and powerful Phillip Carrington and his beautiful wife.

The man probably hadn’t been interested in Brianne at all, he’d simply been waiting for Phillip to make an appearance and just happened to recognize her.
  It wasn’t as if her face was unknown; she was, after all, the Public Relations Director and Phillip’s daughter.  Despite her rather free-spirited nature, Bri had never drawn negative publicity because it was obvious even to the casual observer that she was simply having fun and living life to the fullest. 

Yes, she was part of the jet set and was often seen in the company of the rich and famous that the paparazzi loved so much, but she’d never been caught up in a scandal
or accused of being sexually promiscuous.  That was all about to change.  Getting caught in the act of kissing a man in the middle of a hotel lobby was barely worth mentioning, but kissing a man who was most definitely not her fiancé…now
that
was worth writing about.

Bri buried her face in his chest.
  “Oh, God, Jake, I’m so sorry!”

“
You’re
sorry?  What in the world would you have to be sorry about?”

“Because of what happened, because now those vultures will be digging into your past and calling you the man who seduced me away from Chad.
  You don’t know how awful they can be, prying into your personal life and making up lies to spice up their sordid stories.”

Jake hugged her to him, loving her more at that moment than ever before.
  It was Bri’s life that was going to be ripped to shreds and here she was worrying about him. 

“
He’s still outside,” he said.  “Maybe I should try to stop him and offer to pay for the film before he has a chance to develop it.”

Bri looked up at him.
  Poor Jake didn’t have a clue how it worked.  “It won’t do any good.  If you offer him money, he’ll know how important it is for them not to go public, and the more money you offer the more valuable he knows they are.”  She averted her eyes, too ashamed to look at him, too afraid of what she might see if she did.  “This is part of the reason Chad keeps at me to tone down my appearance.  He says the way I dress draws attention and encourages things like this to happen.” 

“Bri, that’s…”

“He’s right.”

“No, he’s not,” Jake said fiercely.
  “Damn it, Bri, this is
not
your fault!  I’m the one that tried to get you to kiss me, remember?”

“But I didn’t do anything to dissuade you,” she said miserably.
  “I wanted to kiss you, and that was wrong.”  She still wanted to kiss him but pulled away instead.  “I’m going back to my room to change, then I’m going to call Daddy and let him know what happened.”  She drew her shoulders back as if preparing for battle.  “After that, I’m going to call Chad.”

Jake caught her by the arm.
  “You shouldn’t do that right now, not when you’re so emotional.  Besides, those pictures might never even make the tabloids.”

“And if they do, how will I explain it then?”

“How will you explain it now?”

His question made her stomach roll.
  “I’m not sure.  I…I’ll make something up.  I’ll tell him I tripped and you caught me to keep me from falling and that’s when the man shot the pictures.”

“You really think he’ll believe that?”

“Yeah, he’ll believe it.  He knows how those sleazy tabloids take things out of context.”  She eased her arm out of his grip, letting out a short laugh.  “You know, the most preposterous thing is that he probably won’t be nearly as upset about the pictures as he’ll be about what I’m wearing in them.”

Jake shook his head.
  Chad really wasn’t too bright if he was more concerned about her clothes than whether another man was honing in on his woman. 

“You don’t think he’ll call off the wedding?”

Recalling her conversation with Chad before he left, she told him no.  “He’ll just use this as a way to manipulate me.  It doesn’t matter,” she shrugged, her voice dull and lifeless.  “I guess it was a wakeup call for me.  I’m just sorry you might suffer because of it.”

Jake frowned, not at all happy with the listless way she was talking.
  “I hardly think a picture of me holding a beautiful woman is going to damage my reputation.  I’m more concerned with what you said about this being a wakeup call.”

She
forced herself to look at him.  “I mean this…
thing
between you and me.  Jake, it has to stop.  I don’t know why I feel so drawn to you, maybe it’s just good old fashioned lust, maybe it’s something far more meaningful, but there is no future in it regardless.”

Her words gutted him and the sudden realization that he was losing her
hit him hard.  “You can’t mean that.”

Bri
wanted to tell him he was right, that she didn’t mean a single word of it, but if she waivered now it would only make matters worse when it finally did have to end.  Still, she couldn’t make herself let go of him completely.  She was happy when she was with him, light-hearted and carefree, the way she used to be before Chad started dragging her down and chipping away at her self-confidence.  Then again, maybe she was being too hard on Chad and not placing the blame where it needed to be placed.  It was true she hadn’t been entirely pleased with the way he tried to change her, but she hadn’t been nearly as dissatisfied with him before she allowed her relationship with Jake to progress.

“I don’t want to lose you, Jake.
  I value your friendship, but that’s all it is and all it can ever be.  If you can’t accept that, then I’ll have to resign from this project.”

Panic welled up inside of him.
  It was something Jake had never experienced before and in total desperation he reached out and grasped her hand.  “No, don’t do that!  I can’t lose you either, Bri, and if friendship is all you can offer then I’ll take it.  Just don’t…don’t go.  Please.”

It was the please that did it.
  Or maybe it was the anguish in her own heart at the thought of leaving him now when she’d expected to have a whole month with him. 

“Okay, I’ll stay.”
 

He squeezed her hand, the relief so immense he couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across his face.
  “I’ll wait here while you change.”

Bri’s chin lifted defiantly.
  “If it’s all the same to you, I’ll save the puritan routine for Chad.  Let’s go.”

Maybe there was still a little bit of rebellion left in her, she thought.
  She would tell her parents about what happened, but not Chad.  It would only invite trouble, especially if the pictures never made the tabloids.  She didn’t want to think about it right now; all she wanted to do was go check out the house then start working on the project. 

 
                                                                 ***

“Your father doesn’t believe in doing anything on a small scale, does he?”

Bri stood beside him, gazing up at the mansion her parents had referred to as a house.  “He’s never been one to endure cramped quarters.”

“We still have a few hours before we need to be anywhere, what do you say we take a grand tour and stake out our bedrooms?”

“Sounds good.” 

She started up the stone pathway, excited at the prospect of exploring the place with Jake.
  As they approached the door, Bri couldn't fight the urge to lighten up the dark mood the incident at the hotel had put them in.  Hiding the impish grin on her face, she called back to him.

“You do have the key, don’t you?”

“Well…no.  I assumed Phillip gave it to you.”

She stopped and turned around, planting her hands on her hips.
  “You mean to tell me we drove all the way out here and you didn’t even think to ask Daddy for the key?  I suppose you forget to arrange for our luggage to be delivered too.”

Jake grimaced.
  “Sorry, I don’t know where my mind was.”

She let out an exaggerated sigh.
  “I guess it’s a good thing I know the pass code then.”  She giggled at the look of disbelief he shot her then darted sideways when he lunged at her with a playful growl.  “Now Jake, it was just a little joke,” she said, taking a step backwards.

“Uh
, huh, and the luggage?”

“Daddy’s having it delivered later today.”
 

His eyes narrowed.
  “Did anyone ever tell you you’re a brat?”

Bri flashed him her sweetest smile.
  “Never.”

“I’ll just bet.
  I ought to tan your hide, you know.”

She grabbed his hand and tugged him towards the door.
  “Come on, I’ll make it up to you by letting you have first choice on the bedrooms.”

“How many do you suppose there
are in a place this size?”

She keyed in the pass
code and pushed the door open.  “Daddy never buys a house with less than six bedrooms.  He always has rooms made up for me and Miranda, plus a couple of extra guest rooms.  He usually has a live-in housekeeper too, but hasn’t had time to find one for this place yet.”

Jake was awestruck the minute he stepped inside.
  “He really has a live-in housekeeper for every house he owns?”

“They need to be maintained when he’s not there and he
likes to know there will be someone to cook and clean for him and Mom anytime he decides to drop in.”

“I guess we’ll be doing our own cooking and cleaning,” he said when they located the kitchen.
  Taking a peek inside the refrigerator, he was pleasantly surprised to find it fully stocked.  “What did your Dad do, have the previous owners leave with nothing but their clothes on their backs?”

Bri was busy opening and closing cabinets.
  “What do you mean?”

“It’s fully furnished, including paintings on the walls, towels in the bathrooms, food in the fridge.
  It looks like the owners just up and took off, leaving everything behind.”

Laughing at his bemused expression, she led the way to the next room.
  “Daddy can have a place fully loaded with all the comforts of home in no time.  I think his record is two days.  Actually, he can’t take credit for it except for the money he shells out to get it done.  It’s really Pierre that oversees the operation.”

“Pierre?”

“You remember him.  Pierre LeMonde, you met him at the first dinner party.”

Oh
, yes, Jake remembered him well.  The suave young Frenchman had sparked a bit of jealousy when he cut in on Jake’s dance with Bri and then absconded with her for nearly thirty minutes.  Jake had watched the pair as they chatted, resentful of the obvious familiarity and even more resentful when the man gave Bri a warm embrace before she moved on to mingle with the rest of the guests.  He hadn’t mentioned it to her because he hadn’t felt it was his place, but now he saw his opportunity to question her about Pierre without seeming trivial.

“Your Dad pulled him from the project to furnish the mansion?”

“Good Lord, no.  Pierre would be absolutely insulted if he heard you say that.  He would never do anything so crass as to be involved with one of Daddy’s projects.  He’s an interior decorator, very expensive, and works almost exclusively for Daddy.  He travels with them, you know.”

“No, I didn’t know,” he mumbled, his eyes darkening.
  “So you must know him pretty well.”

“Oh
, yes, he’s been with us for almost five years.  He’s from France, as if you couldn’t guess by his name and beautiful accent.”  She opened the doors to a study and stared in reverence at the floor to ceiling bookshelves that Pierre had somehow managed to completely stock with books.  “Wow.  Isn’t he wonderful?  I’m still amazed by how quickly he can accomplish all of this and make it look like months of work.”

Jake’s jaw twitched.
  “Yeah, very impressive.  So have you and he ever…?”

Bri’s laughter filled the room.
  “Me and Pierre, are you kidding?  Don’t get me wrong, I think he’s incredibly talented and a genuinely nice man, but I drive him crazy.  He says I make him nervous, flitting around like a hummingbird, always on the go.  He says I make his head swim, or more precisely, I make ‘is ‘ed sweem,” she mocked Pierre’s French accent.

He stuck his hands in his pockets, affect
ing a look of indifference.  “You’ve never entertained any romantic thoughts about him?”  That threw her into a fit of giggles.  “Why is that so funny?”

“Me and Pierre,” she snorted.
  The idea was ludicrous.  “That would be the mismatch of the century.  If you think Chad is stuffy, talk to Pierre for a few minutes and you would figure out pretty quickly why I never had any romantic fantasies about him.”