Little White Lies (11 page)

“Not hardly,” she snorted as she dealt the cards.  “If it weren’t for Bri, I’d probably never do anything adventurous.  She has the most annoying knack for talking me into things I don’t particularly want to do, but somehow we always seem to have a great time.”

Jack eyed his hand then held up three fingers.  “You’re very close to your sister aren’t you?”

“I love her to death in spite of how pushy she is.  What about your family?”

He refrained from grimacing when she only took one card for herself.  “My father retired five years ago and is living out his golden years with a wife twenty-two years his junior.”

“So your parents are divorced.  How does your mother feel about him marrying a younger woman?”

He tossed a couple of chips on the pile.  “They’ve been divorced longer than the most recent Mrs. Devlin has been alive.  Actually, my mother and father get along very well.  I think they discovered they were much more compatible as friends than as a married couple so the parting was amicable.  I suspect they still sleep together in between father’s marriages.”

Miranda arched her brows.  “Just how many times has he been married?”

“Six or seven…I think.  It’s hard to keep count.  My father isn’t very good at relationships, obviously, and that includes his two sons. There’s no animosity or anything; that’s just the way he is, and we accept it.  As for mother, she spoiled us rotten, although there was some emotional distance there too.”

“Is that why it’s so difficult for you to express your own feelings?”

“I call.”

“I guess avoidance is one way to handle it,” she sighed.  “Three of a kind.  I was going for a full house, but didn’t quite make it.”

He laid out his cards, gathered up the chips and informed Miranda her blouse had to go.  He was practically salivating by the time she peeled it off and crawled back up on the bed. As much as he was enjoying their game, Jack couldn’t quite tear his eyes away from the lacy bra she was wearing long enough to shuffle the cards.  He reached out, intent on claiming at least one of her delectable breasts and promptly got his hand swatted away.

“You know the rules,” she said primly, “no touching during the game or you automatically lose.”

He swept the cards and chips off the bed.  “I’m losing anyway,” he growled, then pushed Miranda back onto the mattress, pinning her beneath him. 

“We didn’t finish our conversation,” she protested.

His lips skimmed down the column of her elegant neck.  “Baby, it’s late.  Can’t we save the conversation for another day?”

“That’s not fair.  You always do this, Jack.  I answer all your questions but when I start doing the asking, you change the subject or distract me with sex.” 

It was impossible to remain irritated at him once he set his mind on seducing her. Miranda’s body responded with a tremor when his hand glided up her bare back and unhooked her bra.  There was no use fighting it when even the slightest of suggestive touches from Jack turned her mind to mush, and what he was doing to her now was a whole lot more than simply suggestive. 

The only way she was going to get him to talk about himself was to make him take her someplace public. It would have to be quiet enough to carry on a conversation, but with enough people around, there was no possibility of getting her into a compromising position.  Like the one she was in right now.  And Lord, was he ever compromising her at the moment.  Tomorrow she would work on getting him to open up to her; tonight Miranda was quite content with the nonverbal form of communication Jack was so adept at.   

                       ***

They had breakfast in their room the next morning then roamed the casinos for a few hours before taking in a show.  He dragged Miranda from place to place, bought her more clothes, and surprised her at lunch by giving her a gold chain necklace with a horseshoe pendant made entirely of glittering diamonds.  How he’d managed to purchase it without her knowing was a mystery Jack refused to divulge. Miranda found it incredibly touching, especially since he seemed almost as excited to give it to her as she was to have received it.

“Is it for good luck?” Miranda asked, as she pulled her hair aside so he could hook the clasp.

He pressed a kiss to the back of her neck then turned her around and planted a much firmer one on her lips.  “No, it’s to remind you how lucky I feel to have you in life.”

Tears instantly sprang to her eyes and she dabbed them away as they sat down to finish their lunch.  It wasn’t until they checked out of the hotel and were settled in the plane for the flight home that she realized he’d kept her so busy all day, they hadn’t had one single opportunity to talk.  She had a sneaking suspicion he’d done it on purpose, and now that he had his headset on, it would be impossible to carry on a decent conversation.  They hadn’t discussed where they were spending the night, or even if they were spending it together, and that began to worry at her.  With only one day left of vacation and no idea when she would see him again, Miranda was starting to wonder if that was the real reason he’d avoided taking her any place quiet enough to discuss anything personal.

Tired out from the whirlwind day and having slept very little the night before, she dozed off and didn’t wake until he gave her arm a gentle nudge and told her they were getting ready to land.  Jack’s skills in handling the plane were as proficient as they were with everything else he did, and the landing was so smooth she barely felt anything at all when they touched down.  He’d parked his truck inside Devlin Shipping’s private hangar so it didn’t take long to transfer their luggage once he maneuvered the plane inside. Miranda couldn’t help feeling saddened that their week long adventure had come to an end.

Jack caught the dismal look in her eyes just as he opened her door.  Instead of lifting her up into the truck, he gathered her in his arms and just held her for several minutes.  He knew exactly what she’d been thinking and that she was uncertain about where they were going from here, literally and figuratively speaking.  This was all so new to him, this maelstrom of emotions that was playing hell with his heart, and the unfamiliar territory of actually
needing
someone.  He’d never felt this way for any woman before so it wasn’t surprising that he didn’t know how to express those feelings.  And the truth was, until he figured out a way to untangle the little web of lies he’d spun first, he wasn’t sure he even wanted to try and tell her. 

If only he could ask Miranda to come home with him to the ranch, then she wouldn’t be so unsure of their relationship.  It would also put an end to this overwhelming surge of panic whenever he thought about trying to fall asleep each night without her curled up beside him.  He couldn’t keep using the penthouse, couldn’t take her back to the ranch, and wouldn’t even consider staying at the Carrington Manor under the watchful eye of Missy and her live-in butler/lover. 

There was one possibility though.  Jack’s spirits lifted considerably.  He had several rental houses, including two condos which were both vacant at the moment.  One was having some plumbing issues that needed to be resolved before the new tenants moved in next month, but the other one had just recently become vacant.  He would have to get the place completely furnished before the end of the day Monday, but a few phone calls between now and then would get the ball rolling.  He could do this, Jack thought.  He was, after all, a Devlin.

He stroked Miranda’s hair, fiercely determined to do whatever it took to keep her with him.  “I have a plan,” he said softly.

Miranda tipped her head back.  “What kind of plan?”

“One that will insure we can spend every spare minute together.  I’ve been thinking about keeping a place closer to work, and one of my condos just happens to be free right now.”  Jack’s heart leapt at the brilliant smile lighting Miranda’s face. Suddenly what he was offering didn’t seem nearly good enough.  “Come with me tomorrow to pick out furniture.”

Her smile faltered.  “You…you want me furniture shop for your condo?”

Jack chuckled.  “No, sweetheart, I want you to help furnish
our
condo.  Move in with me, Miranda.”

There were probably a million reasons she should have told him no, but not a single one of them came to mind.  “You mean it, Jack?”

“Honey, you have no idea how much I want this.  We can pick everything out together, really make it our own.”  He pulled her closer, a devilish grin playing on his lips.  “Say yes or I’ll be forced to resort to plan B.”

“Hmmmm, perhaps I should consider all my options first.  What is plan B?” 

“Oh, the end result is the same, I can assure you.  It would just be a lot easier if I had your full cooperation.”

Miranda widened her eyes in mock horror.  “You were going to kidnap me?”

His grin broadened and he looked anything but repentant.  “Just until I convinced you what a grand idea it was.”

With a sigh, she leaned into him and rested her cheek against is chest.  “If you and Bri ever teamed up against me I wouldn’t have a prayer.”

“You don’t have a prayer now.  You’re as helpless to resist my powers of persuasion as you are your sister’s.”

She smiled at his cocky confidence.  “I don’t suppose it’s very smart of me to let you know you’re right.”

“I’m sure of it, but since it works to my advantage I’m happy to hear you admit it.”

“We’re probably making a huge mistake.  I mean, we’ve only known each other for a week.”

Jack brushed a kiss to her forehead.  “You’re wrong, sweetheart, we’ve known each other forever.”

“I feel that way too.” 

“Then we’ll do it,” he said firmly.  “We’ll spend tonight at the penthouse then get up early and hit some furniture stores.  We’ll have to outfit the whole thing, but we can start with the most important things first and take our time filling it up.”

Miranda didn’t have to speculate which items he thought were the most important.  “So we look for bedroom furniture first then kitchen appliances?”

He lifted her up into the truck.  “You see, already you know me so well.  A bed and a refrigerator full of food, what more does a man need?”

                        ***

“I have to admit I’m pleasantly surprised at your taste.”  Jack eyed the hunter green down comforter that covered the massive and decidedly masculine bed frame they’d agreed on.  “I half expected you to choose something white and frilly.”

Miranda let out an indignant huff.  “Do I seem like the frilly type to you?”

“As a matter of fact you do,” he said, pulling her up hard against his chest. “You’re so small and delicate, like a fragile flower.”

“I am not fragile, Jack Devlin.  I happen to be a very strong, independent woman.”

He laughed at her futile attempt to extract herself from his arms.  “You’re weak as a kitten, honey.  And do I need to remind you that you are no longer an independent woman?  You are most assuredly spoken for, and I am very, very possessive of what’s mine.” 

He dipped his head with the sole purpose of sealing that statement with a kiss.  Unfortunately, he was reminded they had an audience when the sales lady who had been assisting them cleared her throat.  The woman smiled timidly when he glanced over his shoulder. Her cheeks were a bright, rosy red, but she wasn’t about to leave them unattended and chance giving up the sizeable commission she would receive from the sale.

She was clutching her clipboard in one hand and a pen in the other, almost desperate in her attempt not to appear too eager about adding the bed to the growing list of furniture.  Miranda must have noticed it too because she stepped away from him and flashed one of her dazzling smiles on the woman.

“You’ve been very patient and we really do appreciate it.  Have you worked here long?”

A little of the tension slipped from the woman’s face.  “Only six months.  I was actually looking for something in accounting but the job market is pretty tight right now.”  She blushed again, her eyes moving nervously from Jack to Miranda.  “I guess that wasn’t very professional to tell you this job wasn’t my first choice.”

Miranda noted the name tag on her blouse.  “You’re doing just fine, Linda.  We’ll take the bed as well as the comforter and all the bedding that goes with it.  Shall we take the dressers and nightstands too, Jack?”

“Whatever you want, honey.”

Linda was all smiles.  “I can’t tell you how much this means to me.  My boy is just starting college this year and with me losing my job, it hasn’t been easy.  I know you’ll love the furniture,” she quickly added.

Jack couldn’t help notice that Miranda’s eyes were filled with empathy as she watched the sales woman jot down the items they’d selected.  He’d never given much thought to the sales people who attended him or even once considered the impact his decision to buy or not buy would have on them. 

Of course, he hadn’t gotten where he was by being a bleeding heart, but something about this woman’s plight with her son made him want to help.  The only thing he could attribute it to was Miranda.  By allowing himself to feel for her, he’d opened up a whole new world of compassion for others.  He laughed inwardly.  It wasn’t nearly as painful as he’d thought it would be, especially since he had the power to do something about it.