The Playboy's Princess (29 page)

“Jade, I like you, and before you protest, I know the rules. I know you have a contract with Drew, and I know there are going to be boundaries. I can keep a secret. I can be discreet. But I like do you, and I’d like to get to know you better.”

“Sam…”

“Just don’t say no without giving me a chance. One kiss is all I ask. If you feel no chemistry, I’ll leave you alone and never bring it up again.”

She chewed her lip. What could one kiss hurt, really? She knew for a fact that Drew had slept with at least one girl since they’d been together, and her failed attempt with Rick was basically a joke. If the kiss sucked, no harm done. But, what if the kiss was good? Should she pass up the opportunity to be with someone who might actually like her?

“All right. One kiss,” she said.

She expected Sam to jump on her right away, but he didn’t. He smiled, blushing softly, and he looked at her as if she were a wonder. His reached out a hand and stroked her cheek. His touch was gentle, doting. She’d always been attracted to fair guys. Blond hair, with blue or green eyes, but while staring at Sam, she had to admit there was something comforting about the warmth of Sam’s big brown eyes.

She felt like she was melting into them. He leaned forward without breaking eye contact, his lips still curled up in a smile. When he finally moved close enough for her to feel his breath on her skin, she reached for him, twining her fingers into his hair. He crushed his lips to hers and wrapped her in a tight embrace.

He hummed against her mouth, urging her lips apart. She opened to him and breathed in as his tongue met hers. The kiss was nice. Her heart didn’t go into overdrive like when Drew kissed her, but it was nice nonetheless. She was about to pull away, needing to take a breath, when Sam pushed forward, rocking her backward onto the mattress. Her back hit the comforter, and he balanced himself over her.

“Hey, Ariel, I brought you a…
What the fuck?”

Sam rolled away instantly, and Jade sat up, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. Drew stood in her doorway with a burger on a plastic plate in his hand.

She opened her mouth to explain, but he wasn’t looking at her. Drew’s gaze was focused squarely on Sam.

“That’s my wife!” he roared.

Sam put his hands up in a reassuring gesture. “We both know—”

“No, you don’t know
anything
. Get the fuck away from her.”

Sam tried to protest, but Drew’s hands balled into fists and his eyes flashed. Jade could see he was dangerously angry and jumped in before Sam said something to get himself pummeled.

“Sam, you better go.”

He glanced at over his shoulder at her and then back at Drew. “Yeah. Uh, can I call you, Jade?”

“No, you can’t call her. Get out!” Drew took a step forward.

Sam took the hint and ducked around him, headed for the stairs. Drew turned, looking at her for the first time since entering the room.

“Drew, look…”

“Don’t. We have an agreement. You can fuck whoever you want. Just not my friends, okay? Here.” He handed her the burger and left the room.

Jade held the plastic plate with a shaking hand. His voice had been so cold, so detached. She’d never heard him talk to her like that before.

Chapter Sixteen

Play Acting

A W
EEK
A
FTER
T
HE
K
ISS
with Sam, Jade was lying in bed, unable to sleep. Drew had been distant all week, leaving rooms when she entered them, avoiding eye contact when they did speak to each other. A creak on the stairs made her sit up. She looked at the clock and saw it was close to midnight. She threw the covers off and crept out into the hallway.

“Drew?” she called.

She heard keys jingle downstairs, and she followed the noise. He stood in the kitchen, dressed to go out in worn jeans and a button-up shirt. He glanced up when she appeared in the doorway.

“Did I wake you up?” he asked.

“No, I was awake. Are you going somewhere?”

He glanced at his phone. “Yeah. There’s an after party from a premiere. Some of my friends are going, and I haven’t been out for a while.”

“Sounds fun.” She tapped her hand on her thigh, hoping he’d invite her to come along.

She was sick of their silent breakfasts, their grunts of acknowledgment, and their fake smiles. She missed her friend Drew.

“It’ll be okay.” He moved toward the door.

Jade panicked. “I could use a drink,” she blurted out.

He froze, his back to her. He was silent for several seconds and then spun, an accusing look on his face.

“Wanting an excuse to see Sam again?” he spat.

“What? How would I even know if he was going to be there?” She put her hands on her hips.

“Aren’t you two speaking?”

“No. Why would we?”

“Oh come on.” He threw his hands up in frustration. “We’re all adults. You don’t have to be coy.”

“I’m telling the truth, Drew. There was never anything going on between me and Sam.”

“Yeah, it sure looked like nothing was going on when he was lying on top of you with his tongue in your mouth.”

Jade sighed. She didn’t want to fight with Drew. But she had to admit that it was better than the cold shoulder he’d given her the past week.

“It was
one
kiss. He’s a tricky talker, and he confused me. And you said not to date your friends, so that’s the end of it. I
haven’t
spoken to him.”

“Well, he’s going to be there tonight.” The hardness in his eyes was gone, but his voice was still full of attitude.

“Then it will give him the opportunity to see that I’m yours.”

Drew cocked an eyebrow. He thought for a moment, and Jade held her breath, hoping he’d take the bait. Drew was territorial. She hadn’t realized that at the beginning, but she’d guessed that the main reason he’d been upset about Sam kissing her wasn’t jealousy, it was pride.

“All right. Put on something sexy and meet me in the car.”

Jade smiled and ran up the stairs. Finally, she’d seen a hint of the old Drew.

She grabbed a short dress out of her closet and threw it on the bed along with her sexiest pair of heels. If she was going to be Drew’s wife, she’d have to play the part right. There were sure to be photographers there.

She pulled her hair back into a tight ponytail and straightened the ends. She applied more makeup than was comfortable and changed into the dress. After a quick once-over in the mirror and assuring herself that Clare would approve of the look, she ran down the stairs and out to the convertible.

Drew whistled when she climbed into the low seat of the car and smiled.

“You clean up nice,” he said.

“Oh, I just threw this together.” She shrugged a shoulder and smiled. She literally
had
thrown it together.

Jade was glad she’d tied her hair up because with the car’s top down, it would have been a disaster if she’d left it out. She looked up into the sky and frowned. All she could see was gray smog.

“Remember how many stars were in the sky in Australia?” she asked.

Drew smiled and rubbed her bare thigh. “They’re up there. We just can’t see them.”

Jade nodded. His hand was warm on her bare skin. A part of her thought about dragging his fingers up just a little higher under her skirt, but before she could reach for him, he put his hand back on the steering wheel. She let out a breath. She’d almost given in.

A throng of photographers hugged the entrance of a large property, and security pushed them back as Drew drove up to the gate.

“Mr. Malik,” one of the guards said, waving him through.

Drew drove to the house and parked in the circular driveway. He climbed out of the car, tossed his keys to the valet, and opened Jade’s door. She stood, adjusting her short skirt, and looked up at the mansion. Ivy climbed up the cream bricks by the front door and followed a drainpipe up three levels. The air smelled of smoke and midnight, and the deep thumping base of the music from inside vibrated in her chest.

A group of people huddled by the double front doors in a cloud of smoke. Drew went and shook hands with one of the men. Jade covered her mouth to cough.

“Ah, the newlyweds. We haven’t seen you out, Drew. Guess you’ve been keeping yourself busy with the little woman,” the man said. He winked at Jade.

Drew smiled. “Oh, you know what it’s like, Richard. We can’t keep our hands off each other.”

Richard laughed and offered Drew a cigarette. He accepted and took a long drag once it was lit. Jade frowned. She’d never seen Drew smoke before. She coughed again.

“Why are you all crowded out here?” Drew asked the group.

One of the women rolled her eyes and blew a long stream of white smoke into the air. “The owner doesn’t let anyone smoke inside because his daughter has asthma or some shit. The girl’s not even here.”

Drew shrugged and blew a cloud of smoke, which caught in the wind and swirled around Jade.

“Sorry,” he said, waving his hand through the cloud to clear it for her.

She gave him a tight smile. He turned back to the group.

“We’re going inside,” he said to them and stubbed the cigarette out on the ground.

“Sorry about that. I have to make the rounds,” he said once they were inside the house.

“I’m not here to cramp your style,” she said, grabbing a glass of wine from a serving tray on the side table. She handed it to Drew and grabbed another for herself.

He drained the glass and took a second.

“Come on. Let me introduce you to some people.”

For the next hour, Jade was introduced to some of the most influential people in Hollywood. Directors, producers, network executives. They were all on a first-name basis with Drew and all seemed to know a lot about Jade. She shook so many hands that she felt like she needed some moisturizer.

Everyone complimented her dress, or her hair, or just her looks in general. A plastic surgeon even asked her to come into his office so he could photograph her. Apparently, people had been asking for her nose. That blew her mind.

“Wanna get some fresh air?” Drew asked, his hand in the small of her back.

“Sure.”

He ushered her out to the pool deck. People were in the water, naked, and others lay on deck chairs. One of the guys in the pool was familiar, and Jade gasped when she realized it was Sam.

“Drew! Jade!” he yelled, waving them over.

Drew purposefully looked in the opposite direction and pulled Jade to the outside bar.

“Four shots of vodka,” he said to the bartender.

“Oh, I don’t want any,” Jade said.

Drew winked. “These are all for me.”

She watched as he downed all four shots without even a grimace, and she ran after him when he darted off to the far side of the pool. They leaned against a railing that had an amazing view of the city.

“So, you’re just ignoring me? Come on, man.”

Jade looked over her shoulder and saw Sam dripping water behind them. He’d put some jeans on, and the waistband was soaked in water that still ran down his bare chest.

“Sam, didn’t see you there.” Drew didn’t bother to turn around.

“Hey, Jade. You look beautiful tonight,” Sam said.

Drew tensed and turned around with a fiery expression. Jade put a hand on his chest to quiet him before he made a scene.

“Thanks, Sam,” she said. “Drew and I are just looking to have some time alone.”

Sam frowned. “Right.”

Drew’s hand crept around her back and clamped firmly on her hip. Sam’s eyes flicked to his hand and then back up to Jade’s face.

“Okay, then. Give me a call, I guess.” Sam turned and strode into the house, leaving wet footprints in his wake.

“Thanks,” Drew said.

He went to remove his hand, but Jade held it in place.

“While we’re here, we’re a real married couple. These people all need to see us together, right? So, for tonight, all my walls are down. If that’s what you want,” she said.

Drew tipped his head to the side and took in her expression.

“
All
your walls?”

To answer his question, Jade reached up and kissed him. Drew responded immediately, wrapping her in an embrace. His kiss brought back the flood of emotions she’d felt in Australia. Her head swam with Drew. The smell of him, the feel of him, the taste. It brought her body to life.

“We need to go out in public more often,” he murmured against her mouth.

Jade giggled.

Drew pressed a kiss to her forehead and held her against his chest.

“Wanna get out of here?” he whispered.