One More Day (21 page)

“You think I should dress as you? Why? I don’t have to hide anymore, remember? Whatever David was doing for the Morenos had nothing to do with me.”
 

“I’d still rather you stay invisible until Sam checks things out, but I want you to dress up for my sake. There’s usually paparazzi lurking around the house and of course, they’ll assume it’s me coming home from a shoot. I don’t want to be the next ‘What NOT to Wear’ headline, so please dress up a little. Oh and don’t take Jackson with you.”

“Why not? I can do it faster with help. You’re being awfully difficult about this.”

“I’m not! It’s just that he’s too well known and I’m sure he doesn’t want to be linked to me in the media. Is there anyone else you can get to take you?”

Ridley thought back to the day of the cookout. While it had been overwhelming to meet so many people at once, she was glad she’d gone now.

“Yeah, I think I know a few people who wouldn’t mind helping out.”

“SO, WHAT’S IT like to have a sister? As much as I love Matt, there are just certain things I can’t talk to him about. What’s her name?”

Ridley waited patiently for Mara to finish applying yet another layer of lip gloss before answering. Mara had been more than happy to come over and “glam-ify” her after she’d gotten off work. She’d given the excuse that she was trying out ideas for her next blog column. Mara, it turned out, was a fan of the “Legs” blog, and more than willing to help out.
 

They’d been immersed in the guest room for the past thirty minutes while Ridley tried on and rejected each of the outfits Mara had brought with her. After Mara had finally just pulled one of the tops over her head forcefully, they were now working on makeup. She’d never known there could be so many pots of crap used just to paint a face.

“It’s, uh, Rina.” She mentally crossed her heart. It wasn’t actually lying, right? Just omitting a letter.
 

“Is she a model, too?”

“No, she’s my complete opposite, actually. We’ve always been best friends despite being so different. But it’s not easy when your sister is smarter, more confident, and more popular than you are. It's living with constant comparison and feeling like you never measure up.”

“Do you feel like
she
treats you that way?” Mara asked, her voice raising a couple of octaves. She looked like she was insulted on Ridley’s behalf.

“No, no. She’s my biggest fan. She’s
always
defended me. The same way Matt has always defended you."

Mara blew out a breath. "He
has
always defended me. Maybe that's part of the problem. I never stood up for myself, so now he doesn't believe I can stand on my own two feet. I wonder if I've been as much of the problem as he has by leaning on him too much."

“Matt just needs time. He’s been protecting you from guys your whole life and now he’s supposed to pretend he doesn’t care one of his friends has seen you naked?”

Mara cringed. “Ugh. You’re right. I didn’t really think about how much harder it would be that I was dating someone he knows so well. I’m sure he remembers every bad thing Trent’s ever done and feels like he needs to warn me.”

“Since he can’t, he ends up putting his fist through walls,” Ridley added.

“I asked Jackson to talk to him,” Mara muttered. Then she turned Ridley to the mirror gently. “What do you think?”

Ridley leaned forward and inspected her newly long lashes, flawless skin and rosy slicked lips. “Wow. I look so… shiny.” She couldn’t imagine wearing makeup just to hang around the house but Raina always had. She hadn’t even worn this much makeup when she went to prom.

“Thanks so much for your help, Mara. I’ll give your stuff back as soon as I get more clothes from the house. I just didn’t want to go out looking like a bum. If I do, there’ll be a tabloid picture of me tomorrow claiming I just left rehab.”

Mara rubbed her hands together. “No problem, I had fun. I’m channeling my mom for this project. She placed as high as first runner up in the Miss Columbia pageant back in the seventies. This was before she met my dad and came with him to the U.S. She still talks about how close she was to that damn crown. She was always so disappointed that I didn't want to do the pageant thing."
 

Mara picked up a silk headband and then held it against the loose top Ridley was wearing. After staring at it for a minute, she apparently changed her mind and tossed it back on the dressing table.

"I don't blame you. The thought of all those people staring makes me want to throw up."

“But isn’t that what it’s like to model?”
 

Oops.

“Um, kind of. Luckily, I don’t do a lot of runway work.”

“I guess it’s different if it’s just you and the photographer, huh? Although, I could get over it if I had legs like yours.”

Ridley raised an eyebrow. “Considering how Trent looks at you, I'd say you're doing just fine. I only wish someone would look at me like that.”

“Well, you can stop wishing. Someone
does
look at you like that.” Marie stared at her until Ridley laughed.
 

“
Stop
. It’s not like that. Jackson and I are, well, we’re nothing actually. He’s amazing and I like him a lot but I don’t have any illusions about where this is going. He doesn’t want a long-term thing and I’m just passing through, anyway.”
 

“You don’t really think someone followed you here, do you?” Mara asked. Ridley had told her a little about the accident. There was something about Mara that made her extremely easy to talk to. Which was dangerous, in more ways than one.

“I don’t think so. The police are investigating, so the best thing I can do is stay out of the way and try to move on with my life. I’m sure that’s the real reason Jackson asked me to this event. I think he just wanted to take my mind off things.”

"Uh huh. Well, I’m glad he did because this gives you the perfect excuse to flaunt it in front of him a little. I’ve got five that says he swallows his tongue when he sees you wearing your glamour gear." Mara held out her hand.
 

“It’s not like he hasn’t seen me dressed up before, so I doubt he’ll be blown away. I'm sure he'll do what every other guy does. Stare at the boobs, stare at the legs and then once the blood goes back to his brain, he'll be over it. No big deal."

The other woman still held her hand out until Ridley shook it reluctantly. “This is ridiculous but it’s your money.”

Mara dug around in the black tote bag she’d brought and pulled out a pair of slinky black sandals. “He's not going to know what hit him.”

*
 
*
 
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*

IT TOOK SEVERAL trips for her, Mara, and Matt to haul all the stuff she’d brought up to her room. She’d made a good call by asking for Raina’s help. It would have been ridiculous to go out and buy dressy clothes, shoes and handbags when Raina practically had a department store in her closet.

I hope Raina really doesn’t mind that I took all this stuff.
Rather than waste time sorting through it all she’d figured it was easier to take a bunch with her. She could decide what she wanted to wear later.
 

Raina won’t mind you borrowing it. Especially since it’s for a cause she supports.
 

Ridley snorted, remembering her sister’s words. No, Raina definitely wouldn’t have any problem with her taking so much if it meant she was seducing Jackson. This was what her scheming sister had been hoping for the entire time!

“Okay, I think that’s the last of it.” Matt bounded down the stairs. “I thought Mara had a lot of crap. Girls are crazy. How many pairs of shoes does one person need?”

“Well, I figured it was better just to bring a bunch. You know, just in case.”

“In case of what? A shoe emergency?” Matt stepped back when she swiped at him. “Okay, okay. I know better than to question female logic. If you don’t need anything else, I have to meet Nick. He’s taking me to look at condos.”

“I’m pretty sure I’ve got it all.” She leaned out the open front door and waved at Mara. “Thanks again. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
 

She watched as they walked across the lawn and then stopped next to a car pulling in. Nick got out and exchanged a handshake with Matt before continuing toward the house.
 

Great. Just what I need right now.

Nick had hated her practically on sight. The last thing she needed was to see him while she was still all dolled up in her “Raina-wear”. He’d probably make fun of her or, better yet, accuse her of trying to seduce his brother. Although she had no defense against that claim if he did. She was definitely trying to seduce his brother. An evil grin pulled the edges of her lips as he walked up.

“So you’re
dating
my brother now? And you’re what? Moving in?” Nick charged up the steps and grabbed her by the arm.

“Hey, what are you doing?” Ridley tried to yank her arm from his grip but he tightened his hold until it almost hurt.

“I’m taking you in the house. You and I are going to have a talk.”
 

*
 
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*

NICK HAD TRIED to stay out of it, he really had. He was on guard and Elliott was still searching for information. He
’
d thought they could be alert enough on Jackson’s behalf.

But when he’d driven up to his brother’s house and heard that Jackson was taking Raina on a date, the control he thought he’d mastered snapped.

He grabbed her by the arm, ignoring her gasp of outrage. She was a master at playing it up, pretending to feel things she really didn’t. No one knew that better than he did, yet he still relaxed his grip a bit as he dragged her across the threshold and into the house.
 

“I knew you were a bitch, but I didn’t think even
you
were that cold.”

He advanced on her, walking forward until she was backed up against the wall. She was tall for a woman but she still had to look up to meet his eyes. He stilled, surprised at the sheen of tears in her eyes. Raina didn’t cry. Ever. The impact was almost enough to make him back down.
 

Almost, but not quite.

“Nick, what are you talking about? I don’t know what I did to make you hate me so much.”

He laughed cruelly. “You don’t know what you did?” He swore and then braced a hand on the wall above her head. “You don’t remember? Is that the game we’re going to play? We had the most amazing night, the hottest, wettest sex in every position we could bend ourselves into and you don’t remember?”

He clenched his fists, on the verge of turning and running out. He’d never raised a hand to a woman in his life, and never would, but damn if he didn’t want to just
shake
her until her teeth rattled. Or spank her. No, no spanking. Her soft curves beneath the palm of his hand would be more his undoing than hers.

“Nick, wait. You don’t understand—”

Still on edge from the visual image of her bent over, he slapped the wall above her head, the loud sound making her jump. He didn’t want to hear her excuses or whatever lies she’d prepared to explain what she was up to. She was using his brother to punish him and it had to stop.
 

 
“I know what you’re trying to do. You screwed with my head and I let you. But leave Jackson alone. I mean it.”
 

She watched him with wide, watchful eyes. The innocent look was just an act, he knew that but he couldn’t stop himself from reacting to it. His body saw her hurting and it strained to do whatever necessary to protect her.
 

Even though his mind knew that Raina needed protection about as much as a baby piranha.

“Stop fucking with my brother’s head.” He leaned down until they were nose to nose and whispered, “We both know he’s not the one you really want.”

His eyes dropped to her lips and he thought,
to hell with it.

Then he dragged her against him and covered her mouth with his.
 

JACKSON SIGNED HIS approval on the video treatment Mac had handed him just that morning and slid it back into its envelope. They’d finally come up with an original concept for the video and now that he’d approved the budget, the project could proceed.

He’d taken work home with him, instead of staying at the office so he could enjoy a little more time with the boys.
 

And with Ridley.
 

More and more when he thought of family, his thoughts included her. If he didn’t see her for too long, he missed her. If she needed something, he wanted to help her get it. For someone who was determined not to sign up for commitment, he was teetering dangerously close to falling for her.
 

He could see it coming for him and was powerless to stop it.
 

Raised voices floated up the stairs. The loudest one sounded like his brother, Nick. He got up and walked to the top of the stairs. Ridley stood against the wall and
holy hell
, she looked amazing. When she’d told him about her undercover mission to get clothes from her house, he’d asked her to bring Matt along as well. Elliott already had bodyguards assigned to watch his house but he still wanted someone he knew personally to go with her. Plus, Matt had a pickup so they could get everything she needed in one trip.