Fiance by Fate (13 page)

Sabrina flopped down in the chair. “But Chris is my friend. I feel funny not telling her the truth.”

There she goes again
. He figured if he could bottle her neuroses, it would be a hundred times more potent than any stimulant on the black market. “You’ve had no problem deceiving David. Why is this so different?”

“Maybe because it seems like this thing between us is getting out of control. She should know the truth.”

“Absolutely not. The less people who know in the office, the better. Less chance for slip-ups that way.”

Sabrina seemed to think it over. She finally stood but her eyes still looked worried. “I guess you’re right.”

“That’s my girl.” Without thinking, he pulled her into a hug. She was soft and warm and smelled like powered sugar. Then he kept his arms around her, telling himself she needed the extra reassurance.

“You’re still coming to David’s fund-raiser tomorrow, right?” She drew back slightly and looked at him with eyes the color of a perfect summer sky.

He smiled, but his breathing had taken on a rough edge. “I wouldn’t miss it. In fact, I called
Boston
magazine and they’re going to be there too. If we play our cards right we could even end up in some pictures on their blog. So wear something dazzling. Not that you wouldn’t look completely ravishing in a Hefty trash bag.”

A pretty pink crept up Sabrina’s cheeks, then seeming to realize she was still wrapped in his arms, she politely disengaged herself from his embrace. “Well.” She cleared her throat. “Good. It seems everything is going according to plan then, right?”

Jack’s arms felt empty, and suddenly he was the one who went tense. He jammed his hands in his pockets and scowled. This was not good. His attraction to Sabrina was becoming a complication. A complication he could not afford to act on.

He turned and headed for the door, figuring they both could use a little space away from each other. They’d spend enough time together tomorrow night—time together with her jackass fiancé.

He stopped before heading out into the office and looked back. “Yeah,” he finally answered through gritted teeth, “everything is going exactly according to plan.”

…

Saturday evening Sabrina adamantly searched her closet until her prospects went from good to bad, then steadily approached butt ugly. She had nothing to wear. David had already seen her in that black dress at the Ram’s Horn. Then she ruled out a few other dresses because of the weather. That left her staring at only two would-be candidates. Finally pulling out what she dubbed
old standby
, she vowed to devote next week’s paycheck to getting some new clothes. If she wanted to play the part of a woman who captured the interest of Jack Brenner, she’d have to
look
the part.

She held the dress up against the light and inspected the floral silk.
It’s actually very pretty
, she thought half-heartedly. The dress was long and flowing, with a low scoop neck and little flutter sleeves. Not exactly sexy, but kind of classic and romantic. Probably a nice change of pace from some of the outfits Jack’s model girlfriends had been seen in.

Sabrina finished dressing, and, after examining herself in the mirror, decided to leave her hair down and loose. She glanced at the time, and her heart leaped when she realized Jack would be picking her up at any minute.

“Of course you’re happy to see Jack,” she told herself as she put on a pair of small pearl earrings David had given to her for her birthday. “He’s your friend.”

Yes, a friend. She thought again about how sweet Jack had been when he went in search of pain reliever for her headache the other day. She had to chuckle because “sweet” and “Jack” were two words she would’ve never put together in the same thought a few short weeks ago. Funny how quickly this fledgling friendship was happening between them.

The doorbell rang and, forgoing the perfume she was about to apply, Sabrina went to answer it.

Jack wore no tie but managed to look both elegant and casual in a stone gray suit. His grin exuded that male confidence of his and a jumpy feeling awakened in the pit of her stomach. She blinked twice and took a step back, wondering if she’d ever get used to Jack’s dark, dynamic presence.

As he stepped in, his eyes lit up with pleasure. “You look incredible.”

She felt herself beginning to blush, then had to sternly remind herself who she was trying to impress. “I hope David thinks so, too.”

Something in his turquoise eyes shifted. “If he doesn’t, he’s more of an idiot than I already suspect,” he said in a voice low and controlled.

Her heart thumped erratically. She forced a smile and tore her eyes away from Jack’s penetrating gaze. Why was she so flustered? Did she have to act like every other woman Jack Brenner had ever come across in his life? He meant nothing to her. And she meant even less to him. Jack probably couldn’t wait for the day that all this pretending would be over and he could date other women again. Women he really wanted, not just pretended he wanted.

“What’s the entertainment for this event?” he asked, breaking her thoughts.

“Broadway by Request.”

“As in Broadway musicals?” Jack made a face. “Ugh. Is it too late to cancel?”

“What? You have to go,” she said, frowning. “How else is David going to see how well I’m doing without him and want me back? Plus you already called the media.”

“Fine. But I can assure you that no straight man will be happy tonight.”

“I’ll have you know, plenty of heterosexual men enjoy Broadway music.”

He snorted.

“Oh, for goodness sake, suck it up. This is for
charity
.”

“Okay,” he huffed. “I’ll just sit in the corner and nurse my beer like a good boy.”

“There won’t be any beer.”

“All right, wine.”

She shook her head. “No alcohol of any kind. It’s being held at the Tradewind Hotel, which used to be a church. I think when the pastor sold it, he had it stipulated in the contract that it would always remain dry.”

Jack looked up toward the ceiling and groaned. “If God has any compassion, he’ll strike me down now.”

She couldn’t help but laugh.
Poor guy
, she thought, smiling. He almost looked like he was about to cry.

“Don’t be such a baby.” Sabrina took a step closer and smoothed his lapels. “Think how good this is going to be for your reputation.”

She glanced up, and seeing the cute cranky demeanor still lingering on his face, pressed her lips to his cheek. “Don’t worry. You’ll live.”

She was about to turn away, but Jack grabbed her hand. “You broke your own rule,” he told her with a deep look that sent a tingle through her spine.

“R-rule?”

His lips curved, a devilish gleam in his eyes. “You said no kissing, but you just planted one right here,” he said, tapping a finger to his cheek.

She gasped.
Ohmygoshohmygosh.
She did kiss him. Hadn’t even given it a second thought. “I…uh…”

“I know,” he said, his smile turning steamier than a cup of hot chocolate in the Arctic. “You couldn’t control yourself. I get that a lot. Look, if you want to change the rules, you won’t hear any complaints from me. Although you might want to save the good bits for when people are actually around to see.”

Her lips thinned. “Bite me.”

“Probably a little soon in our fake relationship, but since you asked so nicely, I’ll see what I can do when we get home.”

She rolled her eyes, then picked up her coat, draping it over her arm. “Let’s just go and get this over with before I succumb to my flaming passion for you.”

“Right. Wouldn’t want you to break any more
rules
on account of little ol’ me,” he said, batting his eyes at her.

She chuckled as the realization hit her full force. Jack had gotten to her. She was actually falling under his spell like so many women before her. Oh, no. Since when had she become attracted to emotionally unavailable playboys?

Big mistake, Sabrina
.
Don’t do it.
Jack Brenner avoided commitment like she avoided meat. If there were ever two people who wanted completely different things out of life, she and Jack would be them. She had to concentrate on David. David, who had the potential to give her what she so badly wanted: a relationship, a family,
a future.

As long as she was aware of that fact, she’d be safe.

But then Jack slid his fingers through hers as he led her out the door. Goose bumps danced up the back of her spine, and she felt her willpower slip another notch.

Chapter Nine

When Sabrina walked up the stairs, she was in awe of the exquisite dining room. Long rows of tables were covered with crisp white linen cloths, and large ornate candles surrounded by green ivy and white lilies were placed as centerpieces. Even a stage was set in the front of the room with a piano, two Queen Anne chairs, and a settee, cleverly making it look like a small formal living room for the singers.

She handed Jack her coat and was immediately met by David. “Sabrina, I’m so glad you’re here. I need you.”

Those words would have been music to her ears, except David carried a huge glass bowl and wore a face of sheer panic. “There’s no one to go around and collect the song requests,” he explained.

Before she could respond, the bowl was plopped into her hands. “Oh. Sure, anything I can do to help,” she said, fumbling with its heavy weight.

David’s gaze then landed directly on Jack. She frowned when she realized that David had nothing more to say to her. He didn’t even blink at the extra care she’d put into getting dressed for this evening. She thought for sure he’d express some interest or make a small comment.

About to make her way to the tables to collect the requests, Sabrina caught Jack’s steely expression and the glare David returned to him and had second thoughts about leaving them alone.

She placed a hand on Jack’s arm. “Why don’t you come with me?” She phrased it more like a command than a question and tried to get his attention by tugging on the sleeve of his blazer. But he wouldn’t look away from David.

“Go ahead, Brie. I’ll be fine here.” Jack finally broke his gaze away long enough to bend down and gently brush his lips against her cheek.

She had to smile at the use of a nickname in spite of the tenseness of the situation. Jack really knew how to play up the pretend intimacy. But even though he seemed calm and everything was proceeding as planned, her feet wouldn’t budge. The way the two men continued to assess each other, she still half expected a high-noon shootout at any moment. Her only consolation was that they were in a former church.

Hearing someone call out that she had a request to make, Sabrina had no choice but to leave. She turned her gaze back to Jack and all but drilled holes right into his forehead, despite the grin she kept on her face.
Jack, do you hear me?
She hoped telepathy would work through his thick skull.
Don’t blow this.
Then, praying for the best, she walked away.

…

Jack could tell by the way David stood there with his chest puffed out like a rooster that he was itching to have words with him. That’s what civilized doctors like David used. Words. But not Jack. He preferred fists, especially when dealing with civilized doctors with puffed chests. Of course, they were at a charity event and Jack couldn’t afford the bad publicity. Plus, as much as he would enjoy it, Sabrina wouldn’t appreciate him sending her fiancé to the emergency room.

“What’s up, Doc?” Jack asked. He inwardly winced. No wonder he did better with his hands.

His question hardly mattered, since David went right to what was on his mind. “What are you doing with Sabrina?”

Jack responded with a lazy shrug. “At the moment, I’d say I’m attending this charity event of yours. It looks like it’s a hit.”

That comment drew a slow, cool smile. “Yes, but I’m not surprised. The Assist Club does do a lot of admirable work.”

“Well, you’re an admirable guy.”

“You and your father should get involved with the club. The organization provides a lot of great networking. It’ll be extremely useful to me when I open up my own practice.”

“Brenner Capital gives to many charities in and out of the Boston area. However, we give without expecting anything in return.”

David scowled and left little doubt as to his lack of patience with their small talk. “I’d like you to leave, Brenner.”

“Sorry, no can do. Sabrina invited me, plus
I
happen to be the kind of guy who sticks to a promise once I commit to it.”

David’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “Don’t give me that bull about sticking to commitments. I know your type. But Sabrina isn’t going to be fooled for much longer. She’s hanging on to you now because she’s needy and can’t handle being alone, but she’ll figure out sooner or later you can’t give her what she wants.”

Jack snorted. “And you can? That’s funny, because I don’t see your ring on her finger any longer.” Although that wasn’t nearly as funny as David calling Sabrina a needy person. Just wait until she heard that one. “It’s time for you to step aside, Doc, and let Sabrina go. You’ve had your chance.”

David’s expression turned a degree colder. “We’ll see about that. You’re just an infatuation, but she still loves
me
.”

Jack watched him storm off, more than sorry he’d kept his hands at his sides. Words were useless with a guy like that. Dr. Personality needed to be knocked down a peg. Or twenty.

He had to find Sabrina. Damn it. She couldn’t be in love with that jerk. Was she that blind? He couldn’t keep it to himself any longer. She had a right to know what a mistake she’d be making.

Looking around, Jack found her in the corner of the room talking to an elderly couple, and slowly released the breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. There was no describing the way his mood lifted when he saw her. Sabrina had the weirdest effect on him, provoking rushes of protectiveness and tenderness and…something else he wasn’t entirely sure he liked.

She looked stunning tonight, the way the soft waves of her hair brushed her shoulders and her long dress flowed over her delicate curves. She reminded him of an angel. Sabrina seemed to be everything that was good, and honest, and loyal. But she was also passionate and fiery. Things that stuffed shirt of an ex-fiancé obviously didn’t appreciate.