In Her Sights (The Thousand Words Series Book 2) (14 page)

“While you’ve been a sweetheart when it comes to my past indiscretions, I’m having a hard time feeling the same way. I know how you feel about monogamy and love and intimacy and you wouldn’t just hop in bed with someone if you didn’t have profound feelings for them. Am I right?”

“Um, yes?” Dev said. She couldn’t be thinking what it sounded like she was thinking. That didn’t make sense. When the hell would he have
time
to have an affair? He was shoehorning
her
into his schedule whenever he could. It took him a week of lost sleep to make up hours of homework and studying every time she dropped by for a weekend surprise.

“That sounded weak.” Dev heard another voice in the background. Lindsay must still be at Ruby’s house.

“Scheiße,” Dev muttered under his breath. He didn’t want witnesses to this. If she was going to accuse him of sleeping around, she could damn well stand on her own two feet. He was alone.

“Dev!” Lindsay snapped. Dev forgot he taught her how to swear in German a few years ago to give her another way to irritate her mother. “You don’t swear around women, not even me. You turned every shade of pink there was when you taught me how to swear in German.”

“I’m sorry, baby, I didn’t mean for you to hear that,” Dev said.

“Still, maybe you’re changing. I couldn’t figure it out, but it’s the only thing that makes sense. And it’s my fault really.” Lindsay sniffled.

“Lin, baby, don’t cry. I’ve got an idea what you think I’ve done, and you’re wrong. There’s only ever been you. I love you. It’s only you, Lindsay.”

“That you
love
, sure. Maybe. You talk about the future and marriage and all that, then you go double-dipping with Erika. How’s that supposed to make me feel?”

“Erika?” Dev asked.

“And I know you’ll be faithful after we’re married. We’re not engaged, but we’ve had an understanding so I don’t think I’m out of line to be upset.”

“Of course not, but Erika? I didn’t –”

“I suppose I should have seen it coming. With the singles and the videos, she probably sees you more than I do now. And your fans expect you to be with someone like her. So now I’m booty call again.”

“Lin, no,” Dev heard her starting to cry again and wished he was there.

“Anyway, I left your car at your house and your keys with Sophie.”

“Wait! What –” Dev started, but Lindsay continued as if she hadn’t heard him.

“Try listening to Flynn every now and again. I know you don’t want to, you hate him and all that, but he knows his stuff even if you don’t like the source.

“Stop listening to Jess
at all
. At least until he grows a pair and can commit. Willingly. He’s running away from his own mommy issues and blazing through women to do it, so you don’t want any advice that comes from him. Trust me on that one.

“Anyway, I’m sorry. I thought about it. It’s not fair, I know it’s not. It’s a double standard. I get the irony, but ... I just can’t be with you if you’ve changed so much that it’ll allow you to be with her.”

“I’m
not
, Lin.”

Lindsay sighed and Dev heard a faint beep as the call ended.

○ ○ ○

Dev tried to call Lindsay back, but she sent him to voicemail so fast he knew his number was blocked. He could mask it, make her think he was someone else, but it’d only make her mad. Nevertheless, he filed the idea away for another time. For now, he returned to his computer, quietly hacked her phone, and unblocked text messages from his number. He didn’t send one yet, deciding it would be better to give her time to calm down. And get farther away from Ruby. He didn’t want to tip off Lindsay’s friends that he could hack her phone.

Dev called Bryan and filled him in on the new development.

Bryan sighed when Dev finished relating what Lindsay said. “At least now we know what you’re up against. Did she say why she thought you slept with Erika?”

“No. Maybe because I spent time with her because of the singles and videos. Or that stupid pseudo-relationship Kenny came up with. I’m going to strangle him.”

“I’ll warn him you’re gunning for him,” Bryan promised. “Actually, no, I won’t. I don’t think it’s a good idea to let Kenny and Jess know there’s a rift between you and Lindsay.”

“Yeah, they’d throw a party and invite Erika to jump out of the cake. Then take pictures and throw them on the cover of some magazine.” Dev closed his laptop again and went upstairs to his bathroom looking for painkillers. The headache he had just took a giant leap at the thought of adding two of his best friends to his relationship problems. Somehow that seemed wrong.

“That’s kind of what I was thinking. I’ll cover things up, if you don’t mind,” Bryan said.

“Good luck with that. Lindsay dropped off my Ferrari at home earlier and gave the keys to Sophie.”

“Great. Hold on.”

Dev listened as Bryan put down his phone and spoke to Brenda. A few minutes later, Bryan came back on the line.

“Covered, maybe. Bren’s picking up the car. With any luck, Jess and Kenny didn’t see it. If they did, the cover story is it needs something minor done to it and I’m handling it for you. Bren doesn’t have to know what, it’s technical and minor and she can pull that off. That’s the story we’re telling Sophie too. I’m kind of betting Lindsay didn’t tell Sophie anything when she passed off the keys. It’s not her style to tell Sophie before she tells you. We should be good.”

“I sense a ‘but’ in there,” Dev said.

“Flynn isn’t going to buy that in a million years,” Bryan said without hesitation.

“Yeah, don’t sugar-coat it for me. Listen, I don’t care what Flynn thinks, it’s none of his business. He won’t say anything anyway. Who’s he going to tell? Gunter? He’s two.”

“I’m surprised you know that,” Bryan said.

“Cheap shot.”

“He’s your brother and you see him a grand total of three weeks a year.”

“I would argue four. Besides, it’s not like he cares.”

“I told you before, babies grow up. Eventually Gunter’s going to notice. You’re setting a pattern and you need to break it.”

“Enough. I have a more immediate concern. Focus, okay?”

Dev waited while Bryan paused, he guessed it was his penalty time-out for not paying attention to the Gunter-issue. Dev didn’t care and accepted the reprimand. He needed Bryan’s wisdom, and afterward he’d call James, his local study partner and mentor. James hadn’t known Lindsay for as long or as well, but he still knew women in general.

“I’ll see about sending Bren to talk to her,” Bryan said eventually. “They still do the occasional lunch date, manicures or whatever. For now I’d say long-distance gestures. Flowers and emails. Don’t crowd her but make her keep thinking of you. Encourage
her
to call
you.
Try to get her to see that you didn’t change. And no more photos of you and Erika.”

“That’s a given,” Dev said. He hesitated and Bryan seemed to sense something was nagging at him.

“What?”

“Tell me Kenny couldn’t
possibly
have hoped for something like this when he suggested that stupid fake relationship thing. Or Jess.”

Bryan sighed. “They didn’t get along with her, but I don’t think they’d go so far as to try to sabotage your relationship. If it went sideways, you’d never forgive them. The cost is too high and it’s likely you’d find out. Even Jess knows that. Stop jumping at shadows.”

“You’re right,” he admitted.

So Dev stayed at school and relied on James, his best friend there, to keep him sane. He sent flowers and wrote an email to address all her concerns, with James’s help. Then Dev waited and started to pace when, an hour later, he still hadn’t received a response. James set him firmly on the couch in front of the TV and handed him his first beer. Dev didn’t really care for it and it took him nearly an hour to finish it.

They planned for James to sleep in the extra bedroom that night, and James took Dev’s mental health into consideration. He invited the rest of the study group over to distract Dev for the night, also with the hopes Dev would get some homework done.

“How am I going to get anything done when I’m more concerned about getting a stupid email than reading the assignment?” Dev asked.

“You’ve focused when stressed before,” James reminded him. “You’ve got things done while George and Krista have been hitting on you non-stop, remember?”

“Hard to forget, it was last week.”

“You’ve focused while Noah was glaring at you because George was hitting on you instead of paying the
slightest
bit of attention to him.”

“Also last week,” Dev said. “George is going to be a pain when she finds out Lindsay broke up with me.”

“And
that
is what you need to concentrate on, my friend. Not waiting for an email, not waiting for a phone call, not checking the time. It’s fine if the girls figure out something’s wrong, they just can’t know
what,
” James said.

“Lovely,” Dev slumped down into his traditional chair at the dining room table. “I am
screwed.”

“No, you’ll be fine. You’re allowed to be upset. I let them know up front we’re doing this to distract you from problems at home, the key there being
at home.
They know not to ask, and they already know you and Flynn have a history so the assumption about what’s on your mind should be safe.”

Dev laughed softly as he stared at the ceiling. Finally, there was a use for his stepfather. He was tempted to call and tell him. Almost.

“Fine. So I have an excuse for being distracted –”

“And we still have to keep you focused, I know. It’ll be a group effort. Don’t worry,” James assured him.

By the time Kevin left with his doe-eyed twin and Noah pried Georgia from his house, Dev was surprised to find he managed to get caught up on his homework. James saw them out and turned back to Dev in satisfaction.

“Well, I think that went well,” James said.

“Better than I hoped. Except maybe for Noah and George. She’s
never
going to give up.”

James smiled and shook his head. “What I wouldn’t give for Noah to figure that out.”

“What does he see in her?” Dev asked.

James laughed. “Dev, you have tunnel-vision. George has desirable qualities to someone not already in love with someone else.”

“Sure, whatever. No word from Lindsay.”

“She hasn’t let you sweat enough yet. Give it more time. When she figures you’ve suffered enough and you’re desperate enough, she’ll call. Then she’ll make you jump through some hoops. Just be patient,” James counseled.

Dev nodded, but he didn’t feel right about it. James had several long-lasting relationships behind him, multiple shorter ones, not to mention countless casual encounters. Dev had to respect that experience. It just didn’t seem like Lindsay.

“But –”

“Women are women, Dev. Lindsay’s a bit different, but she’s still a woman when you get right down to it. Let her behave as nature dictates. She already has.”

He had to agree with that.
His
Lindsay wouldn’t make such a rash decision without discussing it with him.

“Right. Wait it out,” Dev agreed.

“Still make the gestures,” James hurried to add. “But yes, wait it out.”

Pacing in her room so no one could see her, Paige considered and dismissed one argument after another. She imagined how Kenny would react to each, then readjusted her plan. Glancing at the clock, she realized the endeavor had taken longer than she anticipated and he was due for dinner soon.

Explaining
that
to her mother was a joy. Gladys Hart took Paige’s title seriously and didn’t want to see her jeopardize it. Having someone over occasionally was one thing, but Gladys saw Paige talking with Kenny too many times at parties and knew her daughter well enough to put the pieces together. Paige understood her mother’s suggestion that they slow it down until her term was over wasn’t really a suggestion, but knew what she was doing. And when she asked for privacy tonight, her mother didn’t say a word. Paige won. This round anyway.

What were the odds she’d continue winning? Not if Preston had his way. He was bitter his plan to seek revenge against her wasn’t going better, largely due to Kenny. But Kenny couldn’t help with her mother.

Paige shrugged the annoying family situation aside. She had to explain her decision to meet with Alastair alone, something she knew Kenny didn’t want her to do. And she not only made the decision, she already did it without telling him.

The doorbell rang and she glanced at the time in a panic. It was too early to be Kenny, although not by much. Leaving the door for Jeeves, Paige sat at her desk and fastened the straps on her shoes. A knock on her door surprised her.

“Come in,” she called.

The door swung open and Jeeves stood in the doorway. He didn’t step in, he just glanced briefly back down the hall toward the stairs and entry way, before turning to her.

“Miss Hart? Hale Drake is here to see Mrs. Hart. I thought this would interest you to know,” Jeeves said quietly.

Paige sighed. “Does everyone
except
my mom know?”

Jeeves rewarded her exasperation with a tight smile. “I don’t believe so. I overheard your brother and Alastair Drake arguing in the study. I haven’t felt the need to share the information, although he hasn’t been subtle so I feel fairly up to date on his plans.”

“Plans?” Paige asked weakly.

He nodded. “He’s not fond of Mr. Wright, you know. And Mr. Hart seems to be of the impression the Drakes will still offer for the company if he supports them rather than you. Hence the reason I suspect Mr. Drake is here the same night Mr. Wright is expected.

“Do you still want dinner served in the conservatory?” Jeeves asked.

“Where Hale will find us and make a scene? No! Thank you for the warning. I can’t think of where he
won’t
find us though. We can’t go out. Kenny will be recognized, or I will. Heaven help me if I am. So we can’t go to his hotel. The study, no. The billiards –”

“Miss Hart? May I suggest a picnic?” Jeeves asked, interrupting her rambling.

Paige glanced out the window. It wasn’t raining, yet. The clouds hung dark in the evening sky and the wind was already blowing fiercely.

“You can’t be serious,” she answered, gesturing at the sky.

“The limousine is on the far side of the garage and you and your brother used to enjoy playing in the cars when you were younger. I think that will provide more than sufficient privacy for the evening. And, as you well know from your childhood escapades, the servants’ entrance is close if you do choose to wander through the house. You know those back stairs and halls.”

Paige stared at him. “You’re right. It’ll be cozy. Fun. Perfect. Will you ask –”

“I’ll have a basket made and have the champagne waiting.” Jeeves nodded his head to her and closed the door behind him.

Paige pulled a notepad out of her desk drawer and made a quick note to remember Jeeves when Christmas came. Then she checked her appearance, grabbed her clutch, and went down to loiter in a shadow by the entry.

Unfortunately, her mother took Hale to the library for their talk, so Paige didn’t have a chance to eavesdrop. She really should have warned her mother it was coming. It was just ... Paige thought it’d be Preston who took this bit of unpleasantness upon himself. This seemed cowardly, even for him.

She wondered if Alastair knew what Hale was going to do when they spoke over lunch. If he did, did he even try to dissuade his father? Did it matter?

The faint sounds of a car’s arrival snapped Paige out of her reflection. Opening the door before Kenny made it to the top step, she blushed when he laughed at her.

“An ambush?”

“Sort of. We’re avoiding unpleasantness. Come on.” Paige reached out to take his hand, but Kenny handed her a rose instead. A single, long stemmed red rose. Red was too simple a description, Paige decided. This was deeper, richer, more sensuous. The fragrance was just as decadent, the perfume filled the air around the perfectly shaped bloom with such a wealth of emotions that it didn’t seem real.

“Wow,” she said, letting the soft rose petals brush against her lips as she inhaled the heady fragrance.

Kenny stepped closer, sliding an arm around her waist and pulled her to him. He pushed the rose aside and his lips met hers. Kenny was soft at first, his lips as delicate against hers as the rose that had been there a moment before. But as Paige’s own lips parted, Kenny reminded her that he was all man. From the firmness of his hold on her, the toned muscles of his chest and abdomen as he pressed against her, and the total control he had in kissing her. Kenny was a man used to being in control. That might be a problem.

Not that kissing him was unpleasant. Or being held by him either. Paige pressed herself more completely against him, feeling Kenny’s excitement grow a notch as a result. Then she backed away, breaking the kiss.

“Hale is here talking with Mom in the library,” she explained.

“Drake? Here? You don’t think he’s ... You still haven’t told her, have you?” Kenny asked with a sigh.

Paige shook her head and took Kenny’s hand. The shortest way to the garage was past the library, but she didn’t quite feel lucky enough to risk it. Instead, she led Kenny through the conservatory, onto the patio, down onto the lawns and around the side of the house.

“So the scenic tour is clearly to avoid Hale,” Kenny said, an edge of laughter to his tone. She almost corrected him that this wasn’t a laughing matter but held her tongue. “Where are we going?”

“Hiding out. I hope you don’t mind.” Paige turned to face him, throwing her arms around his neck in preparation of kissing him into submission.

“Hiding out where?” Kenny asked. He put his hands on her waist as an automatic reflex when she embraced him, but the edge of laughter in his voice was giving way to suspicion. Paige remembered he had years of experience with Jess and Dev, and she was mildly insulted that Kenny thought her capable of that sort of trouble. Of course they were out here, on the lawn behind the garage, because she
was
in trouble.

“Here. And I’m
not
Jess or Dev, so just put those suspicious thoughts out of your mind,” Paige told him. She turned out of his embrace again and took the knob for the garage’s back door, but it was locked. “Damn.”

“So the long way was for naught?”

“Well ...” Paige knocked, hoping Jeeves or another member of the staff was nearby. Actually, Jeeves knew where she would be, but he would be purposely vague if her mother asked. Paige couldn’t count on the same response from the rest of the staff. She stopped knocking and turned back to Kenny, debating on what to do next.

A gust of wind kicked up, blowing her hair about her face. She pushed it away in irritation. The house had been acting as a wind break, but her luck was over there too it seemed.

The door behind her opened, startling them both.

“Miss Hart,” Jeeves said, standing aside to let them enter.

“Thank you,” Paige said. She took the older man’s hand and gave it a squeeze as she walked by, releasing it quickly as Kenny followed.

“Everything is laid out for you. I’ll carry my phone, call or send me a message if you need anything,” Jeeves said and closed the door again behind them.

“It’s on vibrate? Your phone I mean. I don’t want Mom to catch you with it.”

“It is.” He gestured toward the far wall where the limo sat, silently waiting.

“Thank you, Jeeves. For everything,” Paige said. She took Kenny’s hand and led him past her mother’s car, then the sporty little Porsche her father drove once upon a time. Paige barely glanced at it, unwilling to think of his body upstairs, in a room that belonged in a hospital, hooked up to life support and wasting away.

“You said you’re not Jess and Dev, but as mischief goes, I have to say this looks alarmingly familiar,” Kenny said as they passed the Porsche and reached the limo.

“Go with it,” she told him.

“Of course. I’m just laughing, that’s all.” Kenny jogged ahead to open the door for her with a curt bow. “My lady?”

Paige laughed and slid in. Kenny followed and closed the door.

“Wow. You do this better than Jess,” Kenny said as he looked around.

Jeeves did well, Paige decided. The limo wasn’t a stretch design, unfortunately, but it did have a certain coziness to it this way. The seat across from them had a large basket that Paige saw held a bottle of champagne, a bottle of Cabernet from the cellar, and slices of meat and cheese. Beside the basket was a wedge of brie, a basket of crackers, and a bowl of nectarines, grapes, and pears, and a separate bowl of large, ripe strawberries. A pair of plates, cutlery, and wine glasses stood off to the right with an unremarkable box that Paige recognized as being one of Roberta’s dessert creations.

She was still carrying the rose Kenny gave her and set it down in favor of picking up the box. Kenny gave her a questioning look.

“It’s Roberta’s. She makes amazing desserts. I just want to know what I have to look forward to.”

Kenny took the box from her and put it back. Taking her face in his hands, he kissed her. His lips were soft against hers at first, molding gently to hers so that when his lips parted, hers seemed to open of their own accord. Paige felt the warm knot in her stomach tighten and twist when Kenny’s tongue slid along hers. He brushed the sensitive top of her tongue: teasing and tempting her. The very core of her body was drawn to him. He held only her face, but Paige wanted the feel of Kenny’s hands on her body, she longed for his touch.

To encourage him, she ran her hands along his arms and across his shoulders. He leaned closer in his kiss, hovering over her. But she wanted more. Paige wrapped her hands around Kenny’s body and tried to draw him closer still. It was too awkward. The position, sitting like this, it didn’t work.

Kenny broke off the kiss, leaving Paige unfulfilled and needing more.

“Dessert before dinner? I think you know better,” he said with a smile.

“Are you really hungry?” she asked, hearing the throaty richness to her voice that wasn’t usually there. It was a red flag she was aroused. Was he listening?

His hazel eyes searched hers, then slid down her body. Paige was grateful she planned on presenting a seductive appearance tonight. Actually, she half-considered seducing him. She just didn’t expect him to start it. Her low-cut dress outlined the shape of her breasts and advertised the valley between them. A bit of geography that had Kenny’s attention now.

“Not quite the right question,” Kenny answered when his eyes met hers again.

Paige wriggled closer until she was almost on Kenny’s lap. She crossed her legs again, letting one fall over his. He looked down at the smooth skin draped over his lap. Paige briefly eyed the bulge in his pants that wasn’t there a few minutes ago.

Slipping a hand behind his neck, she drew his face back to hers. “Honey, what are you hungry for? Not a picnic, I hope.”

Kenny took Paige in his arms and pulled her the rest of the way onto his lap. She straddled him and slid forward to press against the bulge in his pants. He groaned softly and pulled her closer still, holding her face to face.

“Hungry for you.”

○ ○ ○

Paige kissed him hard, with desperate passion finally unleashed. It was all the invitation Kenny needed. His hands slid up her bare thighs, leaving a trail of fire in their wake. Keeping her body pressed against him, Paige kissed Kenny and marveled at his ability to multi-task. His kisses were deep and probing, erotic in their own way; his hands found her panties and explored the edges with skill and determination. And a thoroughness Paige found distracting.

Kenny’s fingers slid around her waistband, which was fine. It let him know just how firm her stomach was, in case he wasn’t already aware, and that she was wearing a thong. His fingers slid down around the back, slowly tracing the line of the slender piece of fabric as it went down between her cheeks.

She caught her breath, breaking off the kiss when he reached her ass. Kenny skirted the sensitive muscles, tracing an outline around her anus once, then twice, and as much as it aroused her, Paige wondered what he was going to do before he moved on.

Quickly switching the position of his hands, Kenny used his thumbs now, sliding them just underneath the edge of the fabric in the front of her panties. He started at each hip and slowly – tortuously slow – slid them around the curve of her thigh and between Paige’s legs. As his hands dipped toward the entrance to her body, Paige’s heart rate quickened.