High Risk Love (17 page)

“Take it as a compliment, she did the same thing to me when I first met her,” I said.

We walked in silence for a few minutes before Jasper broke it and spoke.

“You like her? More than say your usual conquests?” He was poking at me, baiting me, and I fought the urge to slug him.

I nodded. “But it’ll end up the same; just like any other girl I’ve met. Leave it at that.”

A flash of teeth and he gave a bitter laugh. “Sure, whatever. They’re all the same.”

Broken, he was so broken, worse even than me. After that, there was nothing between us, nothing said, we didn’t even look at each other. Nothing. Empty darkness in the past, but nothing now.

Jasmin waited by the car, her eyes never leaving us as we got close.

I opened the door for her, she slid in the car and I went to the driver’s side. Jasper threw his bag in the back and followed suit.

“You got a mean ear twist,” he said, surprising me by willingly engaging with her; I’d figured his pride would get the better of him.

“You should see the Charlie horse I can hand out,” she answered. “You don’t want to see that one. I crippled my brother with it once.”

He grunted, but didn’t actually answer her. The air in the car was full of tension, awkward and uncomfortable, to the point where it was all I could do not to crank the music and ignore the fact that he was in the back seat at all.

But he saved me from that, slumping down and closing his eyes. “Wake me up when we get there.”

Knuckles white on the steering wheel, I stared out at the road. Jasmin slid across the bench seat, her hand coming to rest on my thigh.

Just her presence helped, and I let go of some of the tension. But that irritated me too. How could a single woman be such an influence on me, how could I not deal with this by myself?

By the time we got back to the hotel where Hugh and I had been staying, Jasmin was asleep, her head pillowed on my shoulder. I turned the car off and sat there in the dark, listening to them both breathe softly in and out. Two people; I couldn’t have one, and I didn’t know how to help the other. What a fucking mess.

“I heard Rodney’s a bit of dick,” Jasper said, his voice pitched low.

“Can be. You two should get along fine.”

“You saying I like dicks?”

Oh, fuck; here we go. “No. But you sure act like one. How the fuck do you get off calling a woman you just met a whore?”

“That’s your type. Whores dressed up like actresses. They use you, you let them. If she isn’t like that, if she’s better than that, then she’s too good for you. By a long shot.” He paused. “No offense, Jet, I just call it like I see it.”

I stared at him in the rear view mirror. “And should I do the same? Call it like I see it?”

“Since when haven’t you?” He growled. We kept our voices low enough that Jasmin hadn’t stirred.

“Since you told me.”

A bomb going off couldn’t have caused more damage inside the car, couldn’t have stolen the air more effectively.

“I should never have told you. I was drunk.”

I thought about Jasmin, about her brother, Ryan, and the loss and anguish I saw in her eyes when she spoke about him. What would I do if I lost Jasper? My pride tried to tell me not to do it, but I needed this said, this darkness dispelled. I could at least try.

“I’m sorry, Jasper. I’m sorry I didn’t know. I would have killed her if I’d known.”

My fingers curled into Jasmin’s hair, and I breathed in her smell, let her calm me without her even knowing it. “I don’t want this between us. You’re my brother and I failed you, but I don’t know how to make this right. I don’t know how to fix this.”

I lifted my eyes once more to look in the mirror. Jasper was staring back at me, confusion filtering through the anger, mingling with fear. He jerked his head to one side, didn’t lift his eyes again.

“You can’t fix it. No one can. Just fucking forget it.”

He lurched to one side, fingers scrambling at the door, finally getting it open with a not so muffled, “Fuck!”

Jasmin jerked awake, her eyes fuzzy from sleep. Jasper walked up the sidewalk away from the car and I finally let out a breath.

“What happened?”

“Nothing.”

I took her back to her hotel and carried her up the stairs despite her protests. Hell, I even helped her into her bed, but when she reached for me, I pulled away. Jasper’s words struck a chord so deep and true I couldn’t deny it: I didn’t deserve her.

“Jet, stay with me. Please,” she whispered, her lips parted for a kiss.

“I’ll see you tomorrow.” I leaned forward and kissed her softly, just a bare brushing of lips against lips. The last time. I wouldn’t do this to her, wouldn’t hurt her for the world. Jasper was right.

I was a bastard for even considering it. She was out of my league, too good for me by far. I had to find a way to put her from my mind, to stop this obsession with her. Neither of us needed this. I sure as fuck didn’t need to need someone like her; that was the last thing on my list.

“Jet?” Soft, hesitant, she called to me and the sudden fear that if I gave in now, I’d never be free of whatever this tie was she had on me, only grew.

I closed the door behind me, leaning my head against it. “Goodbye, Spitfire.”

There was a bar not too far from her hotel and the music and laughter rocked out of it, beckoning me in. Calling to me to forget her, to pick someone else. A red headed woman strode down the sidewalk, pushing her way past the drunken hangers on, and then pushed her way into the bar.

Mind made up, I followed Tina and her fake breasts. One way or another I’d put Jasmin behind me.

Jasmin

S
leep came in fits and starts. Just on the edge of me catching it, a thought would steal into my mind and I’d lay there wide awake. Mostly thoughts of Jet. No, all of Jet. Something had changed when we picked up Jasper from the airport, and now I didn’t know what to do. Was he pushing me away? What had Jasper said to him while I’d slept in the car?

The next morning came and I rolled from the tangled sheets, sat on the edge of the bed, considering what I could do. I had two days; that was it. Two days to either lay my heart on the line or walk away.

I scrubbed my face. A low rumbling vibration told me I had a message and I turned toward my phone. Picking it up, I dialed Lily. Maybe she wanted to apologize. More like she wanted to point out that I was wrong. Again. She picked up right away.

“What is it?” She asked before I could even say hello.

“How do you know anything is even wrong? Besides, you called me, remember?”

“Because I know you, something always goes wrong. And we’ll get to why I called you in a minute, missy.”

I almost hung up, my finger on the end button. “You know what, forget it.”

“No, wait,” she said. “I’m sorry, it’s just, it’s just been a bad night and . . . .”

Think like Jet, just spill it all at once.

“I think I’m in love with him.”

Lily was so quiet I thought maybe she’d hung up on me.

“Lily?”

“Holy mother of God, are you kidding me? You’ve barely known him for like four days or something stupid like that. Are you out of your ever-loving mind? Do I have to come down there and shake you until your teeth rattle? I thought you knew better than this and now it looks like Kevin is going to fire your ass . . . .”

I let her rant, let her get it all out. When she took a breath to go on I interrupted her.

“Are you done? And what do you mean Kevin is going to fire me? I haven’t done anything wrong, I haven’t slept with Jet.”

She snorted. “No, I’m not done, and it doesn’t matter if you’ve slept with him, he’s got some sort of evidence coming in that makes it look like you have. You need to get your butt home and you need to deal with this or you’re going to lose your job.”

I stood and started to pack, then remembered the broken zipper. Crap, I’d have to leave everything except the essentials. “Lily, I’m going to the airport, right now. I’ll call you when I get there and I know when my flight is coming in.”

“Good. You need to get away from him. He isn’t good for you.”

I closed my eyes against the tears and hung up on her, my best friend. “You don’t know that, Lily. He’s the best thing that’s happened to me in years.”

* * * * *

I’d gone to Jet’s hotel to say goodbye, but he hadn’t been in the room the concierge had directed me to. I’d tried calling his phone, had even tried going onto the set to see if he was around. But it was only Jasper I’d found.

Jet’s brother didn’t look like he’d slept much either, and I wondered again what they’d talked about, but didn’t ask. That was none of my business. He’d shook his head when I asked him where Jet was.

“Don’t know. He took you home, then didn’t come back. I assumed he’d stayed with you.”

“No, he didn’t. Do you think he’s all right?”

Jasper’s eyebrows shot into his hairline, his top lip curling up. “Are you worried about him?”

“Yes, I have to go home, there’s been a problem with my job and I have to go, but I don’t want him to think I’m running away.” God, my face was heating up again; I could feel it.

Jasper sucked at one of his teeth, the same way Jet did, before answering. “I can give him a message if you want. I guess. But you’re too good for him. You know that, don’t you?”

I scribbled a note on the back of a napkin stuck in my camera bag. “Here, give this to him, please. And don’t say that, it isn’t true.”

Jasper took the napkin, folded it and tucked it into his back pocket. “Hey, wait. I might know someone who can find him.” He turned and called over his shoulder. “Reggie, you seen Jet?”

Reggie’s eyes slid over me, and then he grimaced. “Yeah. Just a second—Jasper, come here.”

The two men stepped a few feet away from me, heads close as they spoke in muted tones. What was going on? Jasper’s shoulders stiffened, he glanced over at me and a look that resembled pity crossed through his green eyes. What the hell was that about?

Reggie walked away from Jasper, shaking his head as he went. Jasper seemed to gather himself, then walked slowly back to me.

“I can give you the address. But I don’t think it’s a good idea; he was at the bar last night. . . .”

I gave him a smile. So what if Jet was a bit hung over? There were worse things. “It’s okay, I can deal with him.”

Jasper let out a heavy sigh, as if he really didn’t want to tell me. “Room 145. First floor.”

“Thanks, I appreciate that. I’d better go, I don’t have long before my flight leaves,” I said, and then put my hand on his forearm. “Jasper, give your brother a chance. He loves you, he does. I don’t know what you’re fighting about, but he wants to make it right.”

Pale green eyes glared into mine in anger, flaring, making them darken for a moment, but then he looked away, his jaw tight. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

I backed away, knowing I’d made a mistake. “I’m sorry. Just forget it.”

I stumbled backward, and ran down the street toward Jet’s hotel. Maybe the brothers had a fight last night? If that was the case, I could see Jet going back to blaming himself for what had happened to Jasper. Which would explain the visit to the bar.

The hotel was air conditioned, at least that was a perk; sweat dripped down the sides of my neck, cooling considerably as I stepped into the hotel for the second time that day.

I was exhausted from my sleepless night, freaking out about the impending meeting with Kevin, and terrified that this would be the last time I’d see Jet; the combination of emotions didn’t leave me at my best. So when I knocked on the door Jasper had told me Jet was staying in and a half naked Tina opened it, I didn’t put it together. Her hair was tousled, lips swollen and her breath reeked of tequila even from five feet away. One nipple peeked out at me from her silk baby doll top.

“Oh, Tina. I’m sorry, I must have the wrong room,” I said, stepping back and looking down the hallway. I was sure Jasper had said 145.

She smirked at me, her eyes red from a night of drinking and—there was a very male groan from inside the room—other things.

With a widening smile on her face she opened the door wide, giving me a full view of her ample chest barely contained inside the plum-colored bra that really clashed with her vibrant red hair.

“Jet, baby. Someone’s here to see you.”

He groaned and sat up in the bed. I could see him easily from the doorway. “Tell them to go away. I have a fucking hangover.”

Tina looked at me and laughed. “Oh, God, you should see your face. Shocked? You shouldn’t be, he doesn’t do the whole monogamy thing. You’re an idiot.”

Jet stood, buck naked, and I turned away before I got more of a view than I bargained for. I refused to remember him like this, hung over and in another woman’s bed. Heart beating erratically, I tipped my head at Tina.

“Enjoy your time together.”

Her eyes narrowed. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

I didn’t answer her, just walked away. I didn’t run, though I wanted to. I didn’t cry, though that was something I wanted to do, as well.

Everyone had been right and I’d been a naive fool to believe for one second that Jet Sterling was anything but a womanizing asshole. Chin high, I strode down the hallway and out of the hotel.

I stared into the street, waiting at a Taxi stand outside the hotel, hoping I could hold it together long enough to get away from here. Away from Jet.

From behind me, I could hear footsteps; I knew it was Jet, but kept my back to him. I didn’t owe him anything. His breathing was uneven, as if he’d run to catch me. But why would he care now?

“Don’t bother, Jet. You made your choice loud and clear.”

A large set of hands spun me around to face him, and I gasped at the pressure he put into holding me firm. For one tiny sliver of a second, I thought he was going to apologize, to tell me he was sorry.

I was so very, very wrong.

“What the hell? Are you turning into Elise? Stalking me everywhere I go? Going to tell people we’re a couple now when we fucking well aren’t?”

I gasped and kicked at him, missing miserably. “Let me go!”