Jane Millionaire (29 page)

She met his gaze head-on and except for the slight quiver of her lower lip, she showed no outward signs of being affected by his outburst. “I never meant for anyone to find out.”

Yeah, announcing she’d only slept with him to advance her career probably hadn’t been on her agenda. Of course, he knew producers who wouldn’t care. Heck, most didn’t care.

Rob cared. Too damn much.

“Lesson learned. Next time keep your mouth shut.”

“Huh?” He had to give her credit. She genuinely looked confused. He watched as understanding dawned on her face. “Oh, you mean that last bit about my sleeping with you.”

She reached out and cupped his jaw, her soft palms pressed on either side of his face. “Having been right there, how can you possibly think I made love with you for any reason other than the fact I’m crazy about you?”

His heart slammed into over-drive at her words. He wanted to believe, but Jill was a skilled actress, and he’d taken the crash course in Lying 101 courtesy of his ex-wife. He wouldn’t be taken for a fool again.

“That was just sex.”

She looked taken aback. “I made love to you, Rob. Couldn’t you tell? Feel it in my touch? My kiss? The way I couldn’t get enough of you?”

She was good. He could almost believe her. Almost.

But he knew she was a liar and a fraud, not above breaking rules and laws to get what she wanted. He wrapped his fingers around her wrists, her deceptive wrists, because she was much tougher than she looked. He removed her hands from his face.

“You should leave. Tonight. Consider your early morning services as repayment for my not prosecuting you and your sister for fraud and no telling how many other felonies you’ve committed by being here.”

“Rob, don’t do this,” she pleaded.

“Do what?”

“You didn’t stop me earlier when you could have, when you
should
have. I’m willing to put that behind us, but don’t make the same mistake twice. Don’t throw away what we have together,” she said softly.

He chuckled without humor. “That’s just it, honey. We don’t have anything together. I told you from the beginning you’d never be more than an itch I wanted to scratch. Did you think a tumble in your sheets would change my mind? Not hardly.”

Her eyes filled with tears and if he thought she was sincere, he’d drop to his knees and beg her forgiveness, but for her this was all just another rung up the ladder of her acting career. Hell, she was good enough he might be tempted to cast her in another role--just so long as he wasn’t physically working on the set.

No, he’d never willingly have anything to do with this woman again. Her talon-like clutch on his chest had already created gaping wounds. Another go around would likely kill him.

Her lashes lowered, her chest rose with a deep breath, and she visibly trembled. He had to leave, before he wrapped his arms around her and begged her to go right on pretending because he didn’t want reality.

Reality. What a joke. The biggest joke of all was on him.

Her eyes opened. Her gaze full of pain, regret, and one last glimmer of hope, she stared at him. “Regardless of how you consider this morning’s activities and the events that followed, I made love to you, Rob.”

“Pity for you if that’s true. You mean nothing to me.” He wished like hell he was telling the truth. Maybe they both should be nominated for best performances.

She gasped, and all the stairwell’s already too thin and rose-tainted air vanished right along with that flicker of counterfeit hope in her eyes.

Before he spat out any more lies, or worse, started believing hers, he turned from her sinfully expressive eyes falsely mirroring his own hollow ache.

“Several?” Steve’s brow rose. “Who? Kensington and Jane are cozy, but both admitted to just being friends. And what about this new chick? Who’s she? The real princess?”

“Yep. The genuine article.”

“So Jane’s an imposter?”

“Yep. She’s a wannabe actress who stepped in to fill Isabella’s shoes when the princess got cold feet and decided she wouldn’t do the role herself.”

“And she and Kensington had a thing before the show?”

JP straightened. “Sounded that way, didn’t it? I guess we’ll find out for sure when all this settles.”

The blonde, Jane’s sister, came back into the room carrying broken pieces of porcelain. That was going to cost the network’s insurance company a major penny.

She glanced around and spotted him and Steve. Flashing a smile that would make a blind man see, she walked toward them. He and Steve both sighed in appreciation of the way her hips swayed with each step.

“I had a little accident in the hallway.” Her shoulders lifted as she made an oops expression. “What should I do with this?”

“Just set it down here. I’ll have one of the crew take care of it later.” JP pointed to a spot on the pew.

“Hey, I recognize that voice. You’re who called me and invited me here.” Her face screwed into a mock scowl. “Dude, did you set me up?”

JP laughed. “Set you up?”

“Jill seems to think we’re going to be in trouble for our little switcheroo, but you wouldn’t have sent for me if you were like upset, right?”

Her lower lip pouted and her eyes flashed with flirtation. JP almost laughed. Had Jessie Davidson fulfilled her contract, JANE MILLIONAIRE would have been an entirely different show. Hell, she’d have had the men in such a heated rut, they’d have been at each other’s throats. And the glint in her feline eyes assured that she’d have enjoyed every second of their macho antics.

“She’s with Rob?”

Jessie shrugged. “The crazy man took off after Jilly broke this vase. Was it worth that much?”

JP suspected the vase hadn’t had a thing to do with whatever put a fire under Rob’s shoes. More likely the boy had been stunned to discover Jane was an imposter. It wasn’t often something slipped past Rob. But then the boy hadn’t thought straight since he’d become twitter-pated when Jane had made her practice descent down the stairs.

“Well, aren’t you going to introduce me?” Jessie’s eyelashes batted back and forth as she sized up Bachelor #6, Steve. She held out her hand. “I’m Jessie Davidson and I know who you are. You’ve been coming into my living room on a weekly basis. I think there’s still steam on my windows from your last visit.”

A bedazzled Steve took Jessie’s hand, to shake it, JP imagined, but the sexy wench laced her fingers with his and tugged him closer.

“You have really big,” a smile played on her painted lips. “Hands.”

“Thank you.” Steve gulped. JP bet Steve had never been this hot under the collar during his military stints.

As if Jessie had read his mind, she grinned. “Like, I’ve always been fascinated by Navy Seals. I bet by the time Uncle Sam is finished with you guys, your endurance is something to be marveled.”

“Something like that.”

“I’ve got some time to kill while I wait on Jilly. Wanna show me around the castle and tell me why Seals do it better?”

JP shook his head as the two walked off, deep in conversation. Oh, yeah, had Jessie been Jane the show might have turned X-rated.

Had Jill and Rob gotten together yet?

The boy was going to owe him big time for setting this up. But just seeing the lad happy would be enough.

And Isabella and Kensington. Jessie and Steve had looked pretty cozy, too. Hell, he was pretty good at this matchmaking stuff. Maybe he could pitch another reality show to the network. One where he played cupid.

“You brought me here so you could see me again. Yet, you don’t want to continue with our relationship.” He shot her an exasperated glower. “Not that I’d necessarily be willing, mind you. But why bring me here if all you wanted was to see me? Why not just return to Central America?”

How could she explain that her heart belonged to him, even if her obligations belonged to her people?

“I am sorry. What I did was wrong. Forgive me.”

“Forgive you? This isn’t a joke, Izzy. You’re talking about my giving up five weeks of my work because I thought I’d see you when I got here.”

She closed her eyes and swallowed the bitter taste duty left in her mouth. “No, I can not marry you. I must marry royalty and take my place as Queen of this country.”

“I believe in helping others. My country funded many charitable works before my father’s death. I wanted to do something beyond monetary. My father agreed under duress as long as I traveled with body guards.” She shrugged. “It was not as if I had not had them my entire life. Even while at university in the U.S., two body guards accompanied me to ever class incognito as students.”

“Why as Izzy Strover?”

She shrugged, knowing he could never understand the burden of constant surveillance and expectations. “I did not want to be treated differently than any other volunteer when I visited mission sites. Being a princess can bring undue attention. I wanted a chance to just be a woman.”

His jaw tightened. “Is that what I was all about? Making you feel like a woman?”

“I will always treasure the time we spent together.” She placed her hand over his. Her heart sped at the contact of his skin against hers. Goosebumps covered her skin. It had been so long since she had felt the heat of his touch.

“As you did mine.” His musky scent tantalized her senses. She inhaled deeply, embracing the powerful way her body reacted to his male fragrance.

“You are engaged?”

“Soon.” She leaned closer, her gaze focused on his lips. She wanted him to kiss her. She wanted much more than that. Which was wrong. They had no future. She would not use him to satisfy the ache within her chest.

Isabella’s gaze lifted to his eyes. She had never seen a color so blue. Not even the seas could compete with the hues of his eyes. “She wants you,” she admitted honestly.

His sharp intake popped through her mind, seconds before all thought disintegrated with the touch of his lips.

“Izzy.” His breath was warm against her mouth as he stared at her, a slightly dazed look in his eyes.

This was why she had insured she would see Jeff one last time. Because she had needed more memories of his touch to hold her through a lifetime of royal service.

“Jeff, I want much more than a kiss. Knowing we have no future together beyond the present, I want you to choose to go on JANE MILLIONAIRE’s week in paradise. With me.”

# # #

“Where’s Jessie?” Jill asked JP. She’d expected to find Jessie waiting for her in the hallway. She should have known better. Jessie had never been one to wait around.

Some of the crew milled around in the throne room. Jill’s gaze had immediately landed on where JP sat on one of the pews. He’d looked alone and she’d had the urge to wrap her arms around him. Not that the older man would appreciate her sentiments.

“Don’t act like you have no idea what I’m talking about. Do you think I couldn’t see what was happening right in front of my eyes? I may be old, but I ain’t dead.”