Practice Makes Perfect (13 page)

Then he remembered. His mind registered everything quickly—he wasn’t in his bed. Paige was cuddled up against him, gripping his shirt. He saw the cell phone on the table next to them and reached for it. Flicked it open.

“Hello,” Ian said hoarsely.

“Dr. Chandler. This is Hyde Point Animal Hospital.”

He gripped Paige, held her close. “Scalpel?”

“Your dog’s awake now. And he seems just fine, though bruised and sore.”

“Oh, thank God.” He closed his eyes and sighed.

Paige said, “Ian?”

“He’s awake,” he said. “He’s fine.” His hold on her remained viselike. He spoke for a few moments to the nurse about arrangements, then clicked off.

Paige smiled up at him. Her hair was mussed, and she still wore his clothes. And all was right with the world. His grin was wide and his body was...wide awake.

“I’m so glad, Ian.”

“Me, too.”

As if suddenly aware of the intimacy of their position, she tried to pull away. He held her where she was.

“Ian, please. I have to get up. I have to go to work.”

“I want to see you tonight,” he said simply. “For a real date.”

She stared at him, her expression torn. “I’m not sure it’s such a good idea to mix—”

He flipped her onto her back and covered her with his body. Blue eyes widened in surprise—then glazed with desire. Every single plane of his body fit each of her curves. He wondered if she was as aroused as he. He glanced down. Her nipples were beaded against the cotton of her shirt.

“Ian.” It wasn’t a protest.

“If you think for one second I’m not pursuing this relationship after what you did for me last night, you’re crazy.”

“I did what any friend would do for another.”

He pressed into her. “This isn’t just friendship.”

Her eyes twinkled with humor. “Normal human reaction of the male anatomy in the morning.”

His knuckles grazed her breasts. “Is this the normal human reaction of the female anatomy in the morning?”

“Ian—”

“I’m not giving up. So you may as well say yes now.” He brushed back her hair. “I always get what I want, Paige.”

She swallowed hard, and the vulnerability he saw sobered him.

“Paige, what’s holding you back?”

“I...I’m wary, is all.”

“Of?”

“You. Of trusting you.”

“You can trust me, sweetheart. I know I blew it with the tactics I used to get you to work at the Center, but I promised I wouldn’t do anything like that again.” He studied her face, noted the little mole just beneath her chin and the flecks of darker blue in her sky-colored eyes. “I want to take our relationship further, Paige.”

She drew in a deep breath. “So do I. Slowly, though, okay?”

His forehead met hers. “I was afraid you’d say that. I’m in overdrive already.”

He could sense her smile.

“All right. Slowly.” He drew back and cupped her face. “After this.”

He lowered his head and covered her mouth with his. She was soft and sweet and willing, though he sensed a certain restraint in her. He brushed his lips over hers, back and forth, back and forth, until she opened to him. His mouth pressed harder and his body sank into hers, making her squirm. Ah, good. He let his tongue lazily explore her. When she returned the favor, passion slammed into him. He gripped her shoulders, felt her clasp his. He moaned. She matched it. Her fingers threaded through his hair. The kiss turned wild. He devoured her, nipping her lip, taking tiny bites out of her jaw. Going back to her mouth for more.

He wanted her so badly he thought he might explode.

I’m wary of trusting you
.

Damn. With the willpower of a saint, he wound down the kiss. He almost couldn’t pull away, though, when he opened his eyes and saw her face. It was flushed with desire—for him. He stroked her cheek with his knuckles as she watched him with that naked expression. Tenderness, and a little vulnerability of his own, replaced desire.

“Eight o’clock tonight,” he said simply.

“All ri— Oh, I can’t. Jade’s coming.”

“Aw, baby, don’t do this to me.”

“I’m sorry.” She kissed his nose. “Soon, Ian. I promise.”

IN HER BEDROOM, Paige stood before the beveled mirror and scowled at the blue-flowered sheath she was wearing. “Cool enough, but too formal,” she told her reflection. She knew it was silly to be dressing for Jade, but she was excited that her sister was coming to town.

When they were girls, living at home, they fought over clothes.
Mo-om, she took my pink sweater...

But later, when Paige was struggling to support her adolescent sister...

Here, wear this blouse on your date. It goes with your eyes.

No, Paige, you saved for months to buy that. It’s silk.

Doesn’t matter, kiddo. We’ll be sleeping in silk one of these days.

Paige whipped off the dress and dove back into her closet. There had to be something more appropriate. Her gaze landed on Ian’s clothes, which sat in a pile on the floor. She picked up the T-shirt and held it to her nose. His smell encompassed her, causing her mind to drift back to last night, when she’d worn it. Unbidden, her hand went to her mouth. She could still feel his lips— soft at first, then demanding. Her palm went to her chest.
Is this the normal reaction of the female anatomy in the morning?

It wasn’t, of course. She’d been blissfully aroused by his nearness. By
his
arousal. He’d smiled down at her with all that fire reflecting in his eyes, but there was tenderness there, too, that melted her heart. They’d played phone tag today, but hadn’t connected. Instead, throughout the morning and into the afternoon, she’d fantasized about being intimate with him. Somehow she knew making love with Ian would be a lot more than having sex.

With Jade on her way home tonight, Paige felt like some blessed deity had smiled down on her and said,
Okay, let things go right for this woman
.

Settling on a silky rust-colored shorts set with a skinny tank top and unstructured jacket, Paige dressed hurriedly. The outfit reminded her of the one Julia Roberts wore in one of the last scenes of
Pretty Woman
. Paige and Jade had considered that movie so romantic. Paige shook her head. It hadn’t taken her long to realize they didn’t need—couldn’t count on—Prince Charmings to rescue them.

Was Jade still looking for her Prince Charming? What had she been doing the past three years that was so secretive she couldn’t tell Paige? Wouldn’t even see her?

The doorbell pealed. “Well, you’re about to find out.” Paige took one more look at her reflection, then bolted out of the room and down the winding oak staircase; by the time she reached the foyer, she was breathless. She whipped open the door.

On her covered porch, flanked by two huge white pillars, stood her sister. It wasn’t Jade’s low-slung leopard-print skirt and bikini top that halted Paige’s words in her throat. It wasn’t Jade’s hair, that had once been straight and was now a blond mass of curls, that had Paige speechless.

It was the little girl Jade held in her arms. About three, the child’s head was nestled on Jade’s shoulder, and she was sucking her middle two fingers. Sky-blue eyes—the exact color of Paige’s—stared out of a heart-shaped face. Hair, again the same shade as Paige’s, rippled down the child’s back. She was dressed in a blue flowered sundress and wearing white sandals and a floppy white hat.

The words tumbled out of Paige’s mouth. “She looks just like me.”

Jade smiled. “She should. Jewel Anderson, meet your aunt Paige.” Jade’s voice was husky and deep as always. But there was a quaver in it. “Paige, meet my daughter.”

“Your
daughter
?”

The little girl nestled more deeply into her mother’s arms.

“Your
daughter
?” Paige repeated.

Jade bit her lip.

Don’t do that, kiddo. Anybody can tell you’re frightened when you bite your lip. You’ve got to keep up a good front
.

The memory warmed Paige. Her love of children and her sisterly heart came to the surface. “Hello, Jewel.” She held out her arms. “Come see your Aunt Paige?”

Jade’s release of breath was audible. After inspecting Paige, Jewel removed her hand from her mouth and reached out. Paige hugged the child close to her. She experienced an immediate connection to the little girl. Paige had to close her eyes to tolerate the emotion flooding her. When she finally looked at Jade, she saw that her sister was staring at them. Her green eyes—she’d been named for them—were misty, like grass glistening in the morning dew.

“Well,” Paige said. “This is wonderful.”

“You think so?”

“Of course.” She hugged the child. “Of
course
.”

Then she reached out and touched her sister for the first time in more than three years. Jade came forward and embraced Paige so hard that Jewel cried out. “Mommy.”

Jade pulled back and wiped her eyes. Giving Paige a watery smile, she said, “You look great.”

Paige smiled. “So do you.” She glanced over her shoulder at the shiny new Lexus in her driveway. “Is he out there?”

Jade cocked her head. “Who?”

“Your husband.”

At Jade’s blank look, Paige said, “Jewel’s father.” Still no reaction. “Mr. Anderson.”

It was as if storm clouds had appeared from nowhere to block out the sun. Jade’s face darkened. Then, she squared her shoulders and lifted her chin. “I’m not married to Jewel’s father, Paige.”

o0o

JEWEL LAY UNDER the covers on the guest room queen- size bed and gazed up at her mother. “Me sleep with Mommy?” she asked before stuffing fingers back in her mouth.

“Yes, sweetie. I said you can sleep with Mommy until we get our own place again.” She reached out and grasped her daughter’s hand, kissed it tenderly.

“Lie down now?” Jewel asked sleepily.

“All right.” Jade glanced at Paige. “Sometimes I lie down with her to help her get to sleep. Especially in a strange house.”

“Good idea.” Paige smiled. “Can I lie down, too?”

Jade smiled. “You remember?”

Can I lie down with you, Paige?

All right. It’s only been a week since they died.

Just one more night, I promise
.

“I remember.” Paige stretched out on the bed. The past hour was buzzing in her brain like a thousand little bees waiting to sting. After Jade’s admission that she wasn’t married, she’d asked Paige to table her questions until Jewel was asleep. They’d given the little girl a snack. Then Jade had bathed her and pulled on her pajamas.

Staring down at the child, whose eyes were already closed, Paige said, “I can’t get over how much she looks like me.”

“Jewel’s father looks a lot like Dad. It’s why she’s your little clone, I guess.” Jade gazed lovingly at her child. “I have baby pictures of you that could pass for Jewel.”

Paige smiled and pushed lank bangs from the girl’s face.

“She’s got your personality, too.”

The thought pleased Paige. “Really?”

“Yep. She’s a conservative dresser.” Of course Jade would state that first. Since they’d grown up, her sister dressed as if she’d stepped off the pages of a Victoria’s Secret catalog. “I can’t even get her into a pair of jeans. She’s meticulous about her things. Her room is a showcase. And she’s stubborn and willful.”

Paige felt her throat go dry at the blunt assessment. She sounded like one of Cinderella’s stepsisters.

Kissing the top of her daughter’s head, Jade added, “She’s also generous to a fault, kind to every stray she meets—animals and people—and very, very bright.” Jade smiled. “Just like Aunt Paige.”

“I missed three years of her life, Jade. Why didn’t you tell me?”

Jade slid off the bed and picked up the baby monitor she’d brought with her. “Let’s go sit. This will take a while.”

They stopped in the kitchen, then headed out to the pool, armed with glasses of wine and the monitor. Jade lounged back in the same chaise Ian had favored when he’d been here. Paige perched on the edge of a chair across from her.

“This is great, sis. You’ve done well for yourself.”

“So have you, kiddo.”

“You mean the baby?”

“That goes without saying. I meant financially. A Lexus. Vuitton luggage. Expensive baby clothes.” She smiled. “I’m glad for you.”

Jade sipped her wine and drilled her fingers on the arm of the chair. “I wish I hadn’t quit smoking.”

“Did you quit when you got pregnant?”

“Yeah, and I would never smoke around her. Like Mom and Dad did around us.”

What do you have, Jade?

Some of their grass.

They’ll have a fit.

They won’t even know, Paige. They’re so burned
.

Paige sipped her wine. “I want to talk about why I’ve missed out on three years of my niece’s life.”

Slowly Jade lifted her gaze to Paige’s. In her face was a determination Paige had never seen before.

“Because of the circumstances of her birth. And what followed.”

Swallowing hard, Paige broached a subject she hated to talk about. “Surely you didn’t think I’d judge you. After all, I made the same mistake.”

Jade’s eyes turned frosty. “Jewel is not a mistake.”

“You didn’t get pregnant on purpose, did you?”

“No, but she’s the best thing that’s happened to me.”

“Okay. I’m sorry it came out that way. In any event, how can you think I’d get on
your
case about her after what happened to me?”

“Because I wanted to keep her.”

“Just because you made a different decision than I did doesn’t mean I’d be upset about it.” She nodded to Jade’s perfectly manicured blood-red nails. And her Italian leather sandals. “You’ve obviously got enough money to buy nice things. You can take care of her.”

Jade kicked off her shoes, stood and walked to the edge of the pool. Yanking up her calf-length leopard skirt, she sat down and dangled her feet in the water, making it swirl in the moonlight. “No, Paige, I can’t take care of her. At least, I haven’t been able to up till now.”

Catching the seriousness of Jade’s tone, Paige followed her to the water and dropped down on the slate next to her. “I don’t understand.” She reached out and hugged Jade close. “Honey, you can tell me anything.”