Authors: Heidi Rice
Wasn’t that just fine and dandy?
He switched the shower dial to
Froid
and gritted his teeth.
If it wasn’t bad enough she’d mortally offended him and done another damn vanishing act, she’d now added injury to her insults.
The frigid water hit him like a slap in the face.
‘Wonderful life, my arse,’ he growled as he reached for the soap.
J
UNO
let Daisy’s excited chatter and Connor’s calm measured responses float over her as the limousine cruised off the Westway and headed towards Portobello.
Why did she feel so out of sorts?
Ever since she’d arrived at the château that morning, she’d felt totally unlike herself. Weary and unsettled, dissatisfied and confused. Of course, it didn’t help that her body ached in some very unusual places. Or that her head hurt from fielding Daisy’s endless enquiries about why she’d appeared at eight in the morning still wearing her maid of honour gown. Or that their flight had been delayed for three endless hours in Nice airport because of some oversight with the paperwork.
But why couldn’t she shake this hollow feeling—as if she’d lost something she could never get back? And why did she keep picturing Mac Brody, the bronzed skin of his back gleaming in the dawn light as she shut the hotel door?
She’d promised herself she wouldn’t moon over the man. She couldn’t afford to start believing in fantasies. However mouth-watering this one might have been. And yet she couldn’t seem to stop herself.
The only explanation was exhaustion.
What she needed was to return to the quiet order of her bedsit, ground herself in real life again and sleep for a week.
A tired sigh left her lips as the pale Georgian terraces of Colville Gardens glided past the car window. Not long now.
‘What the hell..?’ Connor’s startled shout had Juno’s drooping eyelids jerking open.
She peered out of the limo’s tinted window. How peculiar. A herd of people crowded round the front of Daisy and Connor’s house, spilling off the pavement and blocking the road. Then one man with two enormous cameras hanging from his neck broke from the herd and ran towards them. He lifted one of his cameras and fired. The flash of strobe lighting seared Juno’s eyeballs like a flame-thrower. By the time she’d refocused the pack of photographers had surrounded the vehicle like ravening wolves.
‘We’ll have to run for it.’ Connor lifted Ronan out of his car seat and cocooned the crying baby against his shoulder. He tapped the partition. ‘Jim, get as close as you can and then call the police.’
The chauffeur signalled with his mobile, already dialling the local constabulary.
Juno stumbled out of the car behind Daisy and Connor. The barrage of flashes blinded her as whirring shutter clicks and urgent shouts battered her eardrums. She shielded her eyes from the glare and gripped Daisy’s hand as they elbowed their way through the crowd. But she couldn’t shield her ears from the questions fired at her like bullets.
‘Juno, how long have you known Mac Brody?’ ‘Is he as hot as everyone says, Juno?’ ‘You two an item now?’ ‘Where’s Mac? Will he be visiting you in Portobello for another night of passion?’
Her head throbbed and her eyes stung as she and Daisy ran up the steps of the house behind Connor and the baby, flashbulbs exploding in her face like a demented fireworks display.
She could hear Ronan’s high-pitched wailing as Connor shoved open the door, jostled them inside and then slammed it in the face of the media horde.
‘What the hell was that all about?’ Connor shouted.
‘Keep your voice down,’ Daisy admonished him. She scooped the distressed baby out of Connor’s arms and rocked him.
All three of them jumped when a newspaper landed on the mat and a nose and mouth appeared in the letter slot. ‘Fantastic picture, Juno. You sure you ain’t got a comment?’ a disembodied cockney voice pleaded.
Connor swore and slapped the flap shut as he bent to pick up the newspaper. ‘Take this and go to the study,’ he said, shoving the paper into Juno’s hands. ‘I’ll wait for the police.’ He pulled his mobile out of his top pocket. ‘The firm’s security can send over some muscle as well.’
Juno followed Daisy and the baby to the study, consumed by guilt.
Why hadn’t she thought of the possible fallout from last night? Mac was a famous man. Of course their little tryst wouldn’t have remained a secret. And now she’d brought this madness down on Connor and Daisy, on the first day of their honeymoon.
Daisy peeked out of the study window. ‘Good grief, they’re like a swarm of locusts,’ she murmured, her voice ripe with fascination as she let the curtain fall.
‘This is all my fault,’ Juno mumbled, hideously ashamed.
‘Ju, what on earth’s the matter?’ Daisy hurried over and took her arm. ‘Sit down before you fall down.’
Juno sank onto the sofa. Daisy perched beside her as Ronan’s cries turned to jerky sobs. Juno’s guilt intensified. How could she have been so thoughtless and irresponsible last night?
She stroked a trembling palm down Ronan’s curls, his gulping sobs piercing her heart. ‘I’m so sorry,’ she whispered. ‘Will Ronan be all right?’
‘Ronan will be fine,’ Daisy said easily. ‘He’s had a bit of a shock, that’s all.’ Unbuttoning her blouse, she lifted her
breast deftly out of her nursing bra and the baby’s mouth latched onto her nipple. His sobs gentled as he concentrated on sucking voraciously. ‘You see, all sorted.’
Daisy patted Juno’s knee and smiled. ‘You can stop shaking now, he’s okay.’ She nodded at the paper still clutched forgotten in Juno’s fist. ‘Why don’t we see what the fuss is about?’
Juno unfolded the paper on her lap and gawped at the front page.
Underneath the banner headline
‘Hollywood Hunk Brody’s Night of Passion with London Shop Girl’
was a huge, grainy, colour photograph. Despite the poor picture quality, the image had recognition blazing through Juno like a fireball. Mac towered over her on the château balcony, his dark head obscuring most of her face as his mouth devoured hers. His large hand covered her bottom, drawing her close, while her fingers clutched at his shoulders as she kissed him back for all she was worth.
Daisy hummed. ‘Suddenly, the mystery is solved.’
Juno slapped the paper closed, despair and humiliation churning in her stomach. How did you go about explaining the unexplainable? ‘I didn’t plan for it to happen. He kissed me on the balcony—and we sort of got carried away.’
‘I can see that,’ Daisy said, a smile lurking at the corners of her mouth.
‘This is so awful.’ How typical that her big Cinderella moment should turn into a pantomime disaster.
‘No, it’s not,’ Daisy said firmly, easing Ronan off her breast. She lifted the baby onto her shoulder and patted his back. ‘Actually, I think it’s fabulous.’ The smile became a mischievous grin. ‘Now, I have two very important questions to ask. Was your night of passion with the Hollywood Hunk as hot as it looks from that photo? And when are you seeing him again?’
The blush that flooded Juno’s cheeks had Daisy chuckling. ‘Okay, scratch question one,’ she said. ‘I think I got my answer to that one.’
‘I’m not seeing him again,’ Juno said firmly. ‘It was strictly a one-night deal.’
‘Who says? Did he say that?’
‘Not in so many words,’ Juno said carefully. ‘He was still asleep when I left this morning.’
Daisy’s eyebrows shot up. ‘You ran out on him? A man most women would kill for. Are you nuts?’
‘I didn’t want to wake him,’ she said plaintively. ‘I left him a note.’ Fine, so it sounded a bit lame now, even to her. But that was hardly the point. ‘Anyway, it’s academic. He wasn’t looking for more than one night—and neither was I.’
It was the truth. Even if her heartbeat did the two-step every time she thought about him. That could only be leftover sexual chemistry—anything else would signal disaster.
Daisy adjusted the sleeping Ronan on her shoulder and gave Juno a look that made her want to squirm. ‘How do you know? You didn’t wait to find out.’
‘I didn’t need to wait,’ she said deliberately. ‘It was understood. I was being realistic.’ Wherever Daisy was going with this, she didn’t want to follow. Daisy was a bona fide hopeless romantic; she wouldn’t know realistic if it hit her over the head.
Daisy held up her palm. ‘Don’t even think about hiding behind that being realistic baloney. There’s a time for realism and there’s a time for letting your inner nymphomaniac loose and going completely insane. Having the opportunity for a wild fling with Mac Brody would definitely qualify as the latter.’ She sighed. ‘I can’t believe you let a chance like this slip through your fingers. Forget slip. You just chucked it under a bus.’
‘Daisy, don’t. It’s over and done with.’
Daisy’s expression sobered, making Juno feel very, very uneasy. ‘Don’t do this, Juno. Not now. Not after everything you’ve achieved in the last couple of weeks.’
‘I don’t know what you mean.’ But she had a bad feeling she did know, and she didn’t want to hear it.
‘Juno, ever since you met Mac at Heathrow and shared that kiss, I’ve seen a side of you I’ve never seen before, and it’s been wonderful to watch. Honestly, it’s been like seeing a butterfly coming out of its cocoon and learning to spread its wings.’ Daisy gave a sad smile. ‘Don’t you see, you were finally starting to get your spirit back? Just look at the way you wore that maid of honour gown, even though you felt naked in it. And the way you had the guts to spend the night with Mac.’ Daisy’s tone deepened. ‘I bet you were scared to death when you got to his hotel room, weren’t you?’
Juno’s blush returned full force. ‘Maybe a bit. But he was okay about it. Actually, he was pretty amazing really.’
Daisy let out a deep sigh. ‘So why did you run out on him?’
‘Because I didn’t want to make a fool of myself,’ Juno blurted out. So it made her sound pathetic? So what. It didn’t alter the facts. She couldn’t get drawn into another impossible romantic fantasy with a man who wasn’t interested. ‘For goodness’ sake, Daisy, he may be Connor’s brother, but he’s a movie star. He has women far more gorgeous and glamorous than me falling all over him. I didn’t want to have him patronise me and pretend he cared when he didn’t. It would have been embarrassing.’ And it would have crushed the thrilling feeling of power, of achievement.
She’d discovered something wonderful last night. That the world wasn’t going to collapse around her if she took a chance and went with her instincts. Maybe one day she’d even have the courage to go after what Daisy had found and see if she couldn’t find the same thing for herself. But if and when she did decide to reach for the stars, she would take it one patient step at a time, assessing the risks carefully as she went. She wasn’t going to charge into the unknown, trust to luck and then be forced to spend another six years picking up the pieces of her shattered heart.
‘I’m not you, Daisy,’ she said. ‘And Mac’s not Connor, either. I risked everything once before and it was a disaster. I can’t do it again. And I won’t. Not until I’m sure.’
Daisy clasped her hand, a single tear spilling over her lid. ‘I understand, Juno. I really do. You went through something no sixteen-year-old should ever have to cope with. And I would never want you to put yourself through that again.’She scrubbed the tear away with an impatient hand. ‘But you have to start trusting your own judgement if you’re ever going to be sure of anything again. Don’t you see that?’
‘Fine, well, my judgement was telling me that Mac Brody was only interested in a one-night stand.’
‘You don’t know that,’ Daisy said, undeterred.
Juno forced out a laugh. ‘You’re just saying that because he’s Connor’s brother. You don’t know him. Do you want to know what he said to me? Why he really came to France?’ she asked.
‘I’d love to know,’ Daisy said.
‘He came because he wanted to sleep with me,’ Juno said grimly, feeling guiltier now than ever.
Instead of looking disgusted, Daisy laughed. ‘I knew it. I hope you were suitably flattered.’
Juno felt the flush heat her cheeks. Of course, she had been flattered. Ridiculously so. But Daisy was missing the point completely. ‘Can’t you see how shallow that makes him? He as good as shunned you and Connor and even little Ronan at the wedding reception. You know he did. I don’t know how you can forgive him for that so easily.’ And how had she?
‘You mustn’t judge him because of that,’ Daisy said, sounding exasperated. ‘The situation between him and Connor is complicated. I told you that.’
‘I know, I know, you said they had a tough childhood, but that doesn’t justify—’
‘Juno, listen to me,’ Daisy interrupted her. ‘They haven’t seen each other since Mac was ten years old. Connor is pretty sure he spent the whole of his teens being shunted from one foster home to another.’ She let out a heavy sigh. ‘I’m not making excuses for him. It really is complicated. And I don’t think he’s as shallow as you think. He’s just careful to guard his emotions.’
Juno closed her mouth. Not sure what to say. She didn’t want to think about Mac as a child, unloved and alone. It would make him seem vulnerable again.
‘The thing is, Juno, you don’t know him either,’ Daisy said. ‘And the little you did know you liked. I believe you said yourself, and I quote, “Mac was really amazing.” Why couldn’t you have enjoyed a bit more of that amazing? And got to know him while you were at it? Instead of running off before you gave yourself the chance?’
‘You think I overreacted?’ Had she overreacted? Had she let herself down? Reverting to her old cut-and-run technique at the first sign of intimacy? Was that why she’d been feeling so empty, so disillusioned ever since she’d crept out of that hotel room? Not because she’d been mooning over Mac, but because she’d taken the coward’s way out?
‘Maybe a teensy-weensy little bit.’ Daisy gave a reluctant laugh. ‘There was always the slight chance Mac wouldn’t have kicked you out on your bum the instant he woke up.’
‘Gee, thanks,’ Juno said, smiling despite the crushing feeling of disappointment pushing at her chest. ‘That makes me feel so much better.’
The sudden barrage of noise from outside startled them both.