The Playboy's Princess (19 page)

“Okay.”

He braced his hands on the steering wheel, building courage to say what he needed to say. “I had sex last night,” he blurted out.

Jade didn’t say anything. He searched her face, looking for some kind of reaction but couldn’t see any response at all. She was completely still.

“I know we talked about that when we made this agreement, and we both said that one-night stands were acceptable. I’m not dating anyone; it was just sex. I just feel like I should tell you.”

“Thanks?” she said, sounding like she was asking a question.

“Should I have kept it a secret?”

“No. No, really, thank you for telling me.”

“Are you okay with it?”

“I guess so. I mean, it’s weird that you just had sex with someone else, and now we’re going into your parents’ house to plan our wedding. But this is a weird situation.”

“If you’re not okay with it, just say so, and I won’t do it again.” Drew was surprised as the words left his mouth. Was he really promising to not have sex for a whole year just to please this woman who was still basically a stranger to him?

“I’m okay with it. We’re not really a couple.”

Her words said one thing, but when he tried to hold her hand as they walked into the house, she pulled away. He hoped she was just processing the information and not actually hurt.

“You’re an amazing cook, Laura,” Jade said, resisting the urge to lick her plate.

Drew had been trying to catch her eye across the table all through dinner, but Jade couldn’t bring herself to look at him. She’d meant what she’d said in the car; Drew was free to do what he wanted. He owed her nothing, but it still stung.

She risked a glance at him while he was passing his plate to his mother, and she couldn’t help but imagine him kissing someone else just a few hours before. She shook her head. Thoughts like that weren’t going to do her any good.

She was the kind of person who always tried to be positive and see the good in people and situations. She was going to look at this as a blessing. Despite her constant reminders that Drew wasn’t hers, she’d allowed herself to begin to develop feelings for him. This was the perfect reminder to keep her feelings in check.

Drew obviously wasn’t developing any romantic feelings, so she wouldn’t allow herself to either.

“What’s your favorite color, Jade?”

“Excuse me?” she said, looking up at Laura.

“So we can build a color scheme.”

“Oh. Blue, I guess.”

Laura frowned. “Blue
might
work. Drew’s eyes would certainly pop with a blue tie. I’m just not sure if blue is happy enough, though. How would you feel about yellow? Or orange?”

“Orange?” Jade asked, trying to hide her disgust. She hated orange.

“Mom, if Jade likes blue, then we’ll make it work.”

“It’s okay, Drew. Your mother has exquisite taste. I’m happy to hear her advice,” Jade said, still not looking at him.

“No. Drew’s right. I think we can make blue work. Have you two decided on a date?” Laura leaned forward in her seat, her eyes alight with curiosity.

“In the summer. August sometime, around Dad’s schedule.”

“
This
summer?” his mother asked, sounding shocked.

Jade kept her mouth shut. This was a topic for Drew to sort out with his mother.

“Yes, Mom. We don’t want to wait a whole year to start our lives together, and we want good weather.”

“Drew, we live in southern California. Unless you marry in the dead of winter, you’re pretty much guaranteed good weather,” his mother scolded. “Is there a reason you want to marry so fast? August is only five weeks away.”

“No reason other than being in love.” Drew reached across the table to take Jade’s hand.

She let him, reaching out to make the physical connection.

“I don’t mean to be rude, and I mean no disrespect to you, Jade, but I have to ask…Is there a baby on the way?”

Jade felt a blush rise up her cheeks. Drew dropped her hand and turned on his mother, his eyes flashing with something that concerned her.

“Of course not! We’re not stupid, Mom. Is it so hard to believe that we’re in love?”

Jade was worried. He seemed
too
defensive. She worried Laura would pick up on the fact that his inheritance was in the mix and call them on it. She didn’t think she could lie to Laura’s face if she was asked directly about the inheritance.

“I’m sorry, honey. As I said, I had to ask. And, considering your history, I hope you can understand why I’m shocked you want to rush so quickly into a commitment.” She turned to Jade. “You must be an exceptional woman, is all I can say.”

Jade tried to give a natural smile, but she felt like trash. Laura was so nice, and she obviously loved her son and wanted him to be happy. It wasn’t right that she was investing herself in this fake relationship.

“…roses are always classic, or maybe lilies. What do you think, Jade?”

Jade snapped her head up, looking at Laura with a blank expression.

“Laura, I’ll be honest, I don’t know a lot about these things, and I especially don’t know what’s involved with planning a wedding that will be in the eye of the media. I’m happy to take direction from you.”

“You know, with the short time frame and your openness to ideas, I’m thinking we should hire a planner. Would that suit you?”

“That’s fine with me.” Jade honestly didn’t feel like planning her dream wedding when it wasn’t for real.

“Well, then, I’ll phone around and see who’s available on short notice. Leave it to me, kids.”

Laura got up and walked out of the room, presumably to call around for a wedding planner. Drew looked at Jade with wary eyes.

“You okay?” he asked.

She let out a long breath and leaned back in her chair. “I’m fine. Just a bit overwhelmed with all the wedding stuff.”

“Don’t worry about it. My mom will take care of it. All you’ll have to do is show up on the day.” He gave her a dazzling smile.

She smiled back, but it was forced, and his eyes narrowed. He knew something was up.

“Come out to the island with me? I’d love to show you my favorite place in the house.”

“All right,” Jade said.

She stood and waited for Drew to indicate which way she should walk. He came up behind her and put his hand in the small of her back, guiding her through the halls. The house was grand. That was the only word Jade could think of to describe it.

If she were to picture a movie star’s home in her mind, this would be pretty close to her imagination. A grand staircase, marble pillars, iconic artwork on the walls. Drew moved through the rooms, ignoring the beauty around him. Jade supposed that when you lived somewhere and saw the beauty every day, you didn’t appreciate it.

They stepped out a set of double doors and onto a wooden decking. Jade gasped. When Drew had said he was taking her to “the island,” she wasn’t really sure what he’d meant, but he hadn’t been speaking in code. There was an island in the middle of a large swimming pool.

“It’s really an island,” she gasped, staring in amazement.

“Of course. My father loves Fiji and wanted to create a little piece of it here.”

The pool looked like a donut, with a wooden bridge leading from the deck over the water to the island. On the island was a palm tree and several chairs.

Drew sat down and pulled Jade into his lap. She struggled.

“My mom might see us out the window. We need to look loved up.”

She conceded and settled into his embrace, looking up at the stars.

“Are you all right? You were so playful on the drive over, and since I told you what I did last night, you’ve been distant.”

“I’m sorry, Drew.” She spun in his lap so she was straddling him and they could speak face to face. “You haven’t done anything wrong. I just wasn’t expecting it.”

“But we’re okay, right?”

“Yes, we’re okay.”

He pulled her down and kissed her, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her against him. Jade was startled but melted into him, allowing the kiss.

“Was your mom watching?” she asked when they pulled away. She glanced over her shoulder toward the house but couldn’t see anybody.

“Yeah.”

Jade raised her eyebrow, but he gave her an innocent smile, and she let it drop.

“I could get used to this,” she said.

“What?”

“Living on a tropical island.”

“Really? Coming from Florida, I thought you might be sick of the sand and the sun.”

“The water is what I love. My dream holiday would be to go to the Great Barrier Reef.”

“My father went there a few years ago. He loved Australia.”

“I’ll get there one day.”

“You can go wherever you want when you get your payment.”

“You’re right.” Jade perked up.

Her life was going to be so different after this was all over. She had to keep reminding herself
why
she was getting involved with Drew. It didn’t matter if he was having sex with someone else. He wasn’t hers to be jealous over. She was here for the money and for no other reason.

“I think Australia will be my first destination.”

Chapter Twelve

Reality Bites

J
ADE
G
ROANED
. She reached for her phone as it vibrated on the nightstand.

“Hello?” she asked, her voice hoarse from sleep.

“Jade? Are you with Drew?”

“What? Who is this?” She sat up and rubbed her eyes, trying to place the voice. The last thing she needed was for a reporter to have her private number.

“It’s Laura Malik. Are you with him?”

“No, Laura. I’m at home.”

“Shit.”

“Is everything all right?” The panic in Laura’s voice finally registered, and Jade was wide awake. “Has something happened?”

“I don’t know. He called me just a moment ago, extremely drunk. His words were so slurred I couldn’t understand anything he said, and then the line just went dead. Do you have any idea where he could be?”

Jade wracked her brain. The truth was, unless they had an arranged date, she and Drew didn’t talk about their plans. She had no idea what he did at night or where he would be.

“Do you have phone numbers for any of his friends?” Jade asked, trying to be helpful.

“Yes. I tried you first because I hoped you’d be with him. But I can try Tully.”

Jealousy bubbled in Jade’s stomach, making her feel nauseous. She looked at the clock and saw it was close to three in the morning. More than likely he was at a club.

“Oh, Aaron has Tully on the phone right now,” Laura informed her.

Jade waited, hoping for good news. She could hear Aaron talking in the background but couldn’t make out what he was saying.

Laura came back on the line. “He’s at The Key Club on Sunset. Tully said he’s drunk. Aaron’s going to pick him up. I’m so sorry to wake you, dear.”

Jade chewed her lip. She knew she wasn’t really Drew’s fiancée, but she still cared about him and wanted to make sure he was okay.

“Do you think it would be okay if I came over to see him?” she asked.

Laura let out a soft sigh. “I think that’s a good idea. He’ll be angry that he’s been brought home like a child. Seeing you will hopefully make him happy.”

“Okay, I’ll be there soon.”

She dressed quickly in jeans and a T-shirt and ran out onto the street. Times like this was when she needed a working car. She’d make sure to take hers to the mechanic in the morning. The power bill payment would have to be delayed a little. She waved down a taxi and gave him the Beverly Hills address.

Her leg bounced the whole way to Drew’s house, and she was surprised her fingers weren’t bloody stumps from the ferociousness with which she’d attacked her nails. Aaron’s car had just pulled up in front of them, and she jumped out of the taxi.