In the Arms of a Stranger (9 page)

They strolled
through the rest of the rooms on the ground floor before climbing the massive marble staircase to the second level.  Jake was finding it difficult to assimilate the fact he would be living in such grandeur for the next month.  Not that his own house wasn’t fantastic, but it was hardly in the same league.  And it was amazing that Brianne seemed to be having such a great time exploring when it had to be pretty commonplace for her to live in such surroundings, yet she was clearly delighted with the furnishings and layout of the mansion.  As they reached the landing, she laughed when he headed left and she veered right.

“We could each have our own wing,” she exclaimed.

Yes, Jake supposed the wisest thing to do was to have their sleeping quarters as far apart as possible, but he hadn’t really been thinking straight since he’d found Bri in bed with him and saw no reason to muddle things by using any of that grey matter now.  Joining her in a tour of the rooms in the right wing and then checking out the remaining rooms in the opposite direction, he chose the largest one located at the end of the hall to the left of the staircase. 

He liked the large masculine pieces of furniture and the king sized bed that dominated the room and thought the whole bedroom suited him quite nicely.
  He was also pleased to discover Bri had chosen the room directly across from his, although she tried to make it sound as if it was purely coincidental. 

“What?”
 she said, looking wide eyed and innocent.  “It’s the only room with a lavender down comforter and balcony overlooking the gardens.  Obviously, Mom had Pierre decorate this room for me.”

“Obviously,” he grinned.

“Think what you want,” Bri brushed past him with a toss of her head.

Jake lingered at the end of the hall for a moment, thoroughly enjoying the view as she walked away.
  She had a natural grace, and the gentle sway of her hips was extremely enticing, but it was those killer legs of hers that his eyes kept migrating to.  The same satiny limbs that had been entwined with his only a few nights ago as he drifted off to sleep.  Legs that had wound around him, the skin so soft against his sides it was like being sheathed in silk.

“Jake?”

Color flushed his cheeks.  “Right behind you,” he croaked. 

It was going to be both the longest and shortest month of his life.

                                                                 ***

“We have a problem,” Bri told him three days later when they met for lunch.

“I figured we would.  Are the environmentalists still up in arms about the trees we’ll be cutting down?”

She waved her hand dismissively.
  “I took care of that yesterday.  We’re not cutting them down.”

Jake gaped at her.
  “But we have to, we can’t build around them.”

“We’re not cutting them down
; we’re uprooting and transplanting them.  Some will go in the inner courtyard, others will be donated to help beautify local parks.  Everyone was quite pleased with the idea.”

“Then what’s the problem?”

Bri nibbled at the chicken salad she’d ordered.  “It’s the hospital on the east side of the project site.  Apparently, they’d made a bid on the piece of land that we designated for parking and landscaping.  They were pretty disappointed when Daddy won the bid.”

“Did they need it for parking space too?”

“It wouldn’t be an issue if that was the case.  They were hoping to buy the land and then raise enough money for a Cancer Ward.”

Jake groaned.
  “The press is going to make us out to be villains.”

“My thoughts exactly.”

“How much of the land do they need?”

“All of it.”

“
All
of it?”

“Well, the ward itself would take up a major portion of it, but they need parking space too.
  I spoke with the hospital Administrator this morning.  He told me they thought it was in the bag until Daddy put in a bid.”

Jake
watched Bri shuffle her food from one side of the plate to the other, a habit she had when a plan was forming in that brilliant mind of hers.  He’d learned a lot about her in the short time they’d spent working together and knew better than to break into her thoughts right now.  She probably wasn’t even aware she was going it, or how easily he’d picked up on her body language. 

In
terrupting when she was mulling something over was the quickest way to spike her temper and she bit her lower lip when she was uncertain about something.  Twirling a strand of hair around one finger meant she liked his idea and was contemplating ways to implement it, and hands clamped tightly together was a sign she was respectfully listening but was adamantly opposed to what was being presented.

It was truly an adventure working side by side with Brianne and he woke each morning filled with anticipation at what the new day would bring.
  They’d set up a work station in the dining room, using the twelve foot dining table for their laptop computers and all the paperwork and spent a lot of time together hovering over contracts and sharing ideas. 

Work had never been so enjoyable
, and though the temptation to grab her and kiss never waned, they had fallen into a comfortable routine that was working out nicely.  And when their agendas kept them apart as it had today, they always met up for lunch.  But it was the evenings that Jake loved most, when he had her all to himself and they were free to laugh and joke and just be themselves.

Of course there were still those sexually tense moments when his hand accidentally touch
ed hers or they leaned too close together when going over a contract.  Their eyes would meet and for that fraction of a second, the connection was so strong he could almost feel the electrical current flowing between them.  Then one or the other of them would invariably look away and the bond would be broken.  It always left him feeling as if there was hope things would work out and that Bri would admit she was in love with him.

“I think…”
  Bri stopped and closed her eyes, trying to visualize the plan that was swirling around in her mind.  If they could move the…no, that wouldn’t work, but maybe…yes, if they had more land she could pull it off.  She opened her eyes.  “What do you know about the forty acre lot to the
west
of the project site?”

“Well, Phillip considered buying it up too, but we really didn’t need it
.  I know it’s still up for grabs.  What do you have in mind?”

“It’s just an idea
, but it will turn us from villains to heroes in the eyes of the public, and to tell the truth, I would feel better knowing we’re doing the right thing.”

“I can see where you’re going with this
, but I’m afraid having that warm and fuzzy feeling because you did something good is only going to go so far.”

“
Come on, Jake, work with me here,” she pleaded.  “If we purchase the forty acres, we can shift to the west which will leave plenty of room for the hospital to build its Cancer Ward.”

“Maybe so, but you just said the Administrator told you they only had the funds to buy the land.
  It could take years before they have the money to construct that ward.  In the meantime, all our work to have Carrington Cosmetics surrounded by breathtaking landscaping will be for nothing.  A vacant plot of land right next to us will look like hell, especially since it will probably go untended until they’re ready to build.”

“I wonder how much it costs to build the ward.”

Jake tried to hide his amusement.  She couldn’t be serious about adding the expense of a whole hospital wing to the project!

“Sweetheart, you’re talking about twenty five to thirty million if you include the equipment.”

“But we don’t need to worry about the equipment.” 

“Now what good would it do to build the wing if it’s just going to sit empty and deteriorate for a couple of years before they have the equipment necessary to open
up to the public?”

Bri gnawed on her lip.
  He was right of course, but there had to be a way around it.  Surely two people who earned their living from being innovative and creating opportunities where there were none could come up with something to make this work.  She didn’t have a problem going to her father for a sizeable donation.  Miranda would ante up too if she asked, and then there was Missy.  Their grandmother had a whole slew of friends and business associates who could use a nice tax write-off.  Her face was flushed with excitement when she laid the plan out for Jake.

“We’ll have a charity ball.”

Jake couldn’t hold it in any longer.  He burst out laughing, shaking his head at such a naïve idea.  “Bri…”

“You think it’s silly,” she
accused, irritated by his response to her brilliant scheme.

“Not silly, just incredibly optimistic.”

“There is nothing wrong with being optimistic, especially when you have the kind of contacts I have.  Do you have any concept of the wealth involved in the circles my parents run in?  These people will fly in from all over the United States and even Europe to attend a function that is sanctioned by Daddy.  If we make it
exclusive,
no one who gets invited would dare miss it for fear they wouldn’t be invited to the next one.”

“My God, you really are serious!”

“Just think how wonderful it will be to present the hospital with the entire amount for the ward and the equipment.”

Jake was skeptical to say the least, but she was almost glowing with confidence and he hated to kill her enthusiasm by dousing it with reality.
  “You honestly think you can raise that kind of money at one event?”

“I have no doubt whatsoever.
  I’m sure my mother would be thrilled to organize it, and she can get Miranda and Missy to help.  With the Carrington women on the job, it will be a smashing success.”

“I’m sure the two Carrington women I haven’t met are just as impressive as the two I know, but we’re talking about thirty million dollars, Bri.”

“Piece of cake,” she quipped with a grin.

“I give you credit for having so much faith in yourself and your family, but I think you’re letting yourself in for some deep disappointment.”

“Care to put your money where your mouth is, Malone?”

He leaned back in his chair, admiring her spirit.
  “Are you trying to wheedle a donation from me?”

“No, I’ll let Mom do the wheedling
.  Fair warning; she’ll do a lot more damage to your bank account than I would.  I’m talking about a wager.  I’ll bet you that I can raise the thirty million with this charity ball even though I think I can top that.”

Jake chuckled.
  “Unless you plan on putting yourself up for bids at this event, I doubt you’ll even make half that, but I’m game.  So, tell me…if it’s not my money you want, just what kind of wager are you talking about?”

“Something that will take that cocky attitude of yours down a peg or two.
  The loser…that will be
you
, has to do whatever the winner wants them to do for one entire day.”

Intrigued by her proposal and certain he couldn’t lose, Jake asked, “When you say
whatever
the winner wants…”

“I mean,” she said softly, “short of committing a crime, there are no limitations.
  The loser must do whatever is asked of them without question.  Are you in?”

Jake didn’t have to think about it.
  A whole day of having Bri submit to his desires was far too appealing to pass up. 

“Miss Carrington, I accept your wager and the terms.”

What in the world possessed her to make a bet like that, Bri thought later as she lay in bed.
  There was really very little chance she would lose, but was there some small part of her that was hoping she would?  She’d seen the look in Jake’s eyes and knew exactly what he had in mind for her if he wound up being the victor.  But then, wasn’t it the same thing she wanted too? 

Yes, she admitted to herself, she wanted to make love to Jake again
.  Would she have the nerve to actually come right out and ask him when she won the bet?  She shouldn’t even be contemplating it, she was engaged to Chad and it was morally wrong to long for the touch of another man when she was to be married in less than two months.

Brianne shivered.
  Just thinking of the wedding and marrying Chad made her stomach churn.  So why was she going through with it?  Because her parents liked Chad and thought he was good for her, she thought sadly.  But surely they would agree that it would be a tragic mistake to marry a man she didn't love, wouldn't they?  Phillip Carrington was a powerful man; he could squash any rumors that were being spread about her.  And if Chad prized his position with Carrington Cosmetics as much as she thought he did, the threat of losing his job just might be the incentive he needed to let her go quietly.

Yes, her parents would be disappointed because she'd once again proved how flighty she was by calling it off this close to the wedding
.  They wouldn’t be happy about losing the money they'd already dished out, not to mention all the work that would go into cancelling everything.  But in the end, she knew all they really wanted was for her to be happy. 

And that brought her to Jake.
  Because if she was honest with herself, Bri had to admit that it was her attraction for him that had finally made her see the light about how wrong Chad was for her.  But was he looking for a real relationship or just a short term affair?  Was she just setting herself up for more heartache by hoping for something that might never be?

“Oh stop thinking so much and go to sleep,” she told herself, and eventually she did.

                                                                  ***

The days that followed seem to whiz past and now that she had the added responsibility of getting the media involved with the charity ball
, there was even more work to do.  One of the major local newspapers agreed to set up an account and take in donations from the residents of Jackson and would continue to run ads right up until the day of the ball which was only two and half weeks away. 

Her mother had chosen the Friday evening before Bri and Jake would be packing it up and moving on to other projects
.  In a way, she was relieved that her last evening with him wouldn’t be spent sitting around the mansion in a state of depression.  They would laugh and dance and mingle with other people, and when it was over they would be too exhausted to do anything but tumble into bed.  The next morning, they would say their good-byes and be on their way.  Their relationship had progressed into a strong friendship and she didn't want to risk that for a few nights between the sheets no matter how much her body craved his touch.  It was for the best.

Bri tried not to think of never sharing that kind of intimacy
 with Jake again because she came precariously close to bursting into tears whenever she did.  It was probably her preoccupation with work and the heartbreaking notion of their parting that drove all thoughts of Chad from her mind, so it came as quite a shock that Friday evening to hear the doorbell chime and find him standing there when she opened the door.  She’d been expecting the delivery person because she and Jake had worked longer than usual and decided to order out.  For a moment, she just stared at Chad, the disappointment rolling through her with such a fury, Bri was surprised he didn’t notice.

“I know you didn’t expect me so soon but I managed to catch an earlier flight.”
  He stepped inside and pulled her into his arms.  “I’ve missed you,” he said, then lowered his head to kiss her.

Bri nearly turned her head away but caught herself in time.
  She didn't want to cause a scene in front of Jake, and until she had a chance to lay all her cards out with Chad, she would just have to play the role of fiancé for a while longer.  Regardless of what did or didn't happen between her and Jake, she didn’t love Chad, and realized now that she never had. 

It seemed awkward being held in his arms, forced even, and
Bri didn’t think she was the only one feeling it.  He slanted his head in an attempt to deepen the kiss, but it was painfully obvious there was very little emotion involved on his part.  Admittedly, her lack of participation did nothing to bring any warmth into it, but she couldn’t help herself. 

“Hey
, Bri, what’s the hold up?  Are you trying to starve me to…”  Jake’s teasing grin froze on his face when he saw what, or rather
who
, had detained her.

Bri hastily extracted herself from Chad’s embrace,
both guilt-stricken and embarrassed.  “He…uh…Chad caught an earlier flight.  I told you he would be here this weekend, remember?”

Like hell she’d told him, Jake thought angrily,
and then quickly checked himself.  She looked just as shocked as he was, and had obviously forgotten all about her fiancé’s visit; a fact that bolstered his belief Brianne wasn’t really in love with Chad.  That knowledge, however, did little to alleviate the rush of jealousy he’d felt when he saw them kissing, a jealousy that was going to cause him to do something stupid if he didn’t reel in his feelings. 

“Of course, I remember,” Jake said, impressed that he managed to sound almost friendly.

Bri smiled nervously, making a valiant effort to compose herself.  “Jake and I were expecting the pizza delivery man, in case you didn’t catch that.  Why don’t you get your luggage and I’ll show you to your room then we can all have dinner together.”

Chad gave her a reproving look.
  “You shouldn’t be eating that garbage, Brianne.”  His expression didn’t change when his gaze moved from Bri to Jake.  “I realize my lovely fiancé is a bit headstrong and sometimes forgets she’s no longer a teen-ager, but I would expect a man of your caliber to be above polluting your body with such rubbish.  I imagine Bri talked you into it, but as tempting as it is to indulge in her whims, I would appreciate it if you would encourage her to dress and act like the lady she is.”

Bri
just stood there with her eyes downcast, totally mortified to be talked about as if she was a child and could only imagine the horrible things that were going through Jake’s mind right now.  She was incredibly self-conscious about the snug pair of jeans she was wearing, and Chad would no doubt have something to say about the cropped off t-shirt and the fact that her hair was hanging loose in untidy curls.  Oh, why hadn’t she remembered that he was arriving this evening?

“Actually,” Jake drawled, “it was my idea.”

Bri’s head shot up. 
What was he doing?
  She’d practically had to beg him to order pizza and he only given in because she promised he could pick what they had for dinner the following night.  She started to protest, but Jake jumped in before she could say anything.

“I’m sorry to disappoint you, Chad, but I happen to love pizza.
  I also happen to respect Bri enough to let her make her own decisions about what she wears or how she conducts herself.  I should be so lucky to have her exuberance for life and wouldn’t dream of taking that away from her.”

Chad’s eyes narrowed.
  “No, I suppose you wouldn’t find anything wrong with it,” he said icily.  “I imagine you enjoy watching her plow down junk food like an adolescent and parading herself around in skin tight clothes.”

Jake’s fingers curled into fists, his face a mask of fury.
  “If you dare say another nasty thing about Bri, I’ll…”

“Jake please,” Bri choked, “let it go.”

His hostility instantly focused on Bri.  “Are you just going to stand there and let him talk to you like that?”  When she didn’t say anything, he shook his head in disgust.  “Yes, I can see that you are.  It's no wonder Chad has no respect for you when you obviously have so little for yourself.”

Bri was so stung by what he’d said,
 all she could do was watch as Jake turned and stomped off towards the study.  She felt frozen inside, as if the blood had stopped flowing through her veins and her heart…oh, God, her heart was being torn to shreds.  She wanted to run after him, to beg him not to be angry with her, but she doubted he would listen to a word she had to say.

Chad’s tone was less than loving when he told
Bri he was going to get his luggage from the car.  “We’ll talk once I’m settled in.”

Bri cringed when he leaned down and kissed her on the cheek
, but she didn’t say anything.  She didn’t think she was capable of speech at that moment and sure as hell didn’t want to have a discussion about what just happened.  What she really wanted to do was go to her room and let out the anguished cry that was building up inside of her.  She didn’t, of course.  She didn’t want Chad speculating about her relationship with Jake, and that is exactly what he would do if she refused to talk to him.  So she waited obediently by the door until he returned then led him up the stairs.

“There
are several spare rooms,” she told him when they reached the landing.  “My room is to the left, at the end of the hall.”

“Shall I guess where Malone’s bedroom is?”

“Jake has been a perfect gentleman since we’ve been here,” she said between clenched teeth.

Chad laughed derisively.
  “How carefully worded that was, my love.  What about
before
you moved in, was he a perfect gentleman then?”

The color drained from her face.
  She’d been watching the tabloids for the photos of her and Jake at the hotel and had almost convinced herself she’d dodged the bullet.  Now she wasn’t so sure.  Had they been printed and she’d missed it?  Was that what he was hinting at, or was he merely guessing because of how quickly Jake had come to her defense?  Or worse, had he somehow found out about the night she and Jake spent together?

“What are you getting at?”
 she finally asked.

“I think this discussion should take place someplace a little more private, don’t you?”

Her insides where shaking, but she refused to let him see he’d upset her and lend credence to his veiled accusation.  “Which bedroom do you want?”

Chad smiled.
  “Why, the one next to yours, of course.”

Nodding stiffly, Bri proceeded to show him to his room.
  Once they were inside, he closed the door and ambled casually over to the closet and set his luggage inside.  She didn’t move from the center of the room as he strolled around to inspect the furnishings and check out the bathroom.  He even stopped and opened a few of the dresser drawers then went to stand in front of the window for several minutes. 

It was deliberate, of that she was sure.
  He wanted to torture her, to make her wonder and worry about how much he knew.  When he finally turned around to face her, Bri’s stomach knotted.  Chad crossed the room and sat down on the edge of the bed, patting the spot beside him. 

“Sit with me,” he said quietly.

Bri did as he asked, the knots tightening painfully when he put his arm around her and pulled her closer.  “There…there’s nothing going on…”

“Don’t, Brianne.”
  He took her hand and raised it to his lips.  “You know, regardless of all the irresponsible things you do, I’ve always known I could count on you to be truthful.  Don’t tarnish that belief now.”  He let loose of her hand and cupped her chin, tilting her head back so she was forced to look at him.  “I saw the photographs,” he said, his voice deceptively calm.

“Chad, I can explain.
  We…we were in the hotel lobby and the paparazzi…”

His laughter cut her off.
  “Paparazzi?  Is that who you thought snapped those pictures?”

She blinked, confused by his obvious amusement.
  “Well I…I just assumed you saw it in one of the tabloids along with some fantasy-based story about Jake and I.”

“Rest assured those pictures will never go public.
  Unless, of course, you give me a reason to release them.”

Bri gaped at him in horror.
  “
You
have them?  But how…”

“I hired a detective to follow you for a few days after I
left.”

“But why?
  You had no right!”

“I wanted to make sure you were behaving yourself.”
  His fingers moved across her cheek in a soft caress then curled around the back of her neck.  “You’ve been a very naughty girl, Brianne,” he chided.

“No, I…”

“Oh, I believe there’s nothing going on now, but back at the hotel…” he let his voice trail off, the fingers on her neck holding her immobile as he lowered his mouth to hers.  “Now listen very carefully, my love,” he said softly.  “You are going to do exactly as I say or I’ll release those photos along with a very damaging story about your boyfriend and how he seduced my fiancé.  I’ll make sure his reputation is destroyed, personal and professional.  Along with yours, of course.”