Reflected Pleasures (6 page)

Obviously, he'd made an effort to dress a little nicer than usual in order to make a good impression on the new donor. His royal blue shirt brought out the deeper blue in his eyes. The jeans he wore looked brand-new and she was sure his boots had never been worn before today.

It warmed her heart to see him trying to change his appearance.

Merri wondered how long she would have to know him in order for her to feel comfortable taking him on
a shopping trip. She could just picture him in an expensive, designer suit and tie. Yum.

Within a few minutes, they'd parked the car and were being ushered into a rambling house that seemed to stretch out into the next county. Miguel—Mike—Santos met them halfway down a Saltillo-tiled hall. He was a short man with salt-and-pepper hair and a twinkle in his dark brown eyes. Even though he was an inch shorter than Merri, his regal presence made him seem like a giant.

And…he wore dirty, torn blue jeans and boots that looked like they hadn't been polished once in their whole existence. Merri smiled at her own naive stupidity. Clothes did not always make the man.

Ty clasped the man's hand and her boss's expression said it all. He genuinely liked Mike Santos. And he couldn't care less about the way that either of them were dressed.

Maybe she had a lot more to learn about real life than she'd ever imagined.

For the next hour, over cold drinks and tamales, she listened to Mike as he reminisced about his late wife and showed them pictures of his grandchildren. He had been born right here on this ranch, which had come to his family as a Mexican land grant over two hundred years ago.

But his wife had come from a poor immigrant family and had lost her parents when they crossed into the United States. Hers was a sad story, filled with struggle and hardship. And it made Merri feel more than a little uncomfortable with her own spoiled upbringing.

At last Mike stood, but he signaled for her and Ty
to stay in their seats. “You have been very gracious to listen to an old man's story, Merri. I feel that I could tell you anything.
Gracias.
”

Mike turned to Ty and put a hand on his shoulder. “I planned to donate a nice sum to your children's foundation,
amigo
. Without your backing when I needed it most, I might not have saved the ranch.

“But now…” he continued hesitantly. “Seeing Merri and talking to her about my Maria's childhood has made me ashamed that I have not done more for your lost children. If you will excuse me for a few minutes, I will remedy that situation by tearing up the original check and writing a new one. I think perhaps Maria, looking down from heaven, would not be pleased unless I gave twice the amount that you and I discussed.”

With that, Mike turned and smiled at Merri. “You are quite a lady, senorita. I hope Tyson appreciates the outstanding gem he has in you.”

Mercy. Tyson did in fact appreciate the gift he had been given in Merri. More every minute. He'd watched her as she charmed his old friend. He had been enthralled with her genuine interest in Mike's tales and by the kind way she had urged him to tell only what he could manage without becoming too morbid.

Merri whispered her thanks and Mike disappeared into his study.

“I've never heard that story about Maria,” Ty told Merri when they were alone. “You completely captivated him. I think with a little more encouragement you might've had him confessing every sin he'd ever committed. You are amazing with people, darlin'.”

She blushed a delightful shade of pink and shook her
head. “I like Mike. It was easy to listen to his stories. But he's giving to the Foundation because of you and the respect he has for what you are trying to accomplish…it has nothing to do with me.”

Ty wasn't so sure about that. He knew that, if asked,
he
would gladly give her anything—everything.

He had to find a way to make sure she stayed with him—uh—with the Foundation. In fact, he'd found himself giving serious consideration to making her the head of the entire charity instead of just the head of Development. She was so much better at this charm business than he was.

Maybe she should become the public face for the Lost Children's Foundation? Yeah, her face was bound to be better suited for that sort of thing than his was.

Hmm. Not a bad idea at all.

T
he old gypsy woman narrowed her eyes and scowled down at her crystal ball. Fool!

It was hard to believe Tyson Steele was smart enough to have made so much money in his life. He certainly seemed too stupid to be descended from a great lady like Lucille Steele. Bah!

The gypsy steepled her gnarled fingers and sat back in her chair. Her father had been clear enough with his last instructions. The needy members of Lucille's family were to receive the magic gifts made specifically for them. Tyson Steele's gift had been the magic vision.

Twisting her fingers through the silver strands of hair that poked out from under her favorite scarlet scarf, she shook her head and scowled. What was she to do with such an idiot? She had placed the magic in his
hands, hadn't she? She'd even told him how to use it. All he had to do was pick up the glass and look.

But so far, he'd only managed to wade ever deeper into a fog of hazy confusion. With his heart's desire near enough for him to reach out and grasp, he ignored the magic. Even now he considered moving ahead on a very dangerous course instead of following her advice.

There was nothing the gypsy could do to make him see. Her hands were tied. She was not allowed to interfere. The magic only worked if he used it of his own volition.

Sighing, the old woman shook her head again and raised her eyes. Could it be possible that the man would never see? That he would let his stubborn disbelief cause him to lose his one chance?

Stupid. Stupid. She would continue to observe him in her crystal, but she wondered if she could stand watching Tyson Steele lose everything. It would be the ultimate disrespect for the memory of Lucille Steele.

The young fool!

 

Walking across the steaming asphalt parking lot, Merri felt as if she were wilting. Could this really be just early spring? What would the weather be like in the heat of the summer?

“I think you're going to like Juanita,” Ty said casually as they strolled toward the department store for her appointment.

The man didn't seem fazed by the heat. He was still as cool and crisp in his long-sleeved shirt and jeans as he had been hours ago when he'd first walked into the office.

But riding around the countryside with him and being so close was driving Merri crazy—and making her body temperature rise higher than ever.

She would've thought that being sweaty would cool any erotic longings she might have. But no. If anything, having perspiration inch its way down between her breasts was causing her mind to automatically form images of tangled bodies and blazing hot passion.

But those kinds of thoughts would never do. She and Ty were on the verge of forming a true friendship. There were hardly any strained silences between them anymore.

Hopefully, he had put their one kiss out of his mind. She only wished she could've done the same. But just when she was laughing at some joke he'd told—or whenever they were quietly discussing his plans for the future of the Foundation. That's the time when the memory of his arms around her, taking her lips and making her blood sing, came back to haunt her—and make her long for more.

As Ty would say,
Shoot. And dang it all.

“I hope Juanita will be able to help us with clothes donations,” Merri managed to say, trying hard not to think of kissing him again.

“I'm sure she will,” Ty said with a smile. “Juanita is a big shot in the fashion industry. She's headquartered in New York and is the national sales manager for some huge design firm. She comes back to Texas a couple of times a quarter to check on sales here. I'd guess she knows lots about modeling shows.”

“Oh?”
Uh-oh.

They entered the department store and asked for
Juanita. A nice clerk called to some office and then directed them to the second-floor specialty boutique.

Merri had a bad feeling about this. Even in the cold blast of air-conditioning that had felt so good at first, the sweat broke out on her forehead. There probably weren't two people in high positions in the New York fashion world that she didn't know—and most she knew very well.

Her mind was racing, first trying to place a Juanita that she might know from the New York scene. And second, trying to figure some way out of her appointment altogether.

“There she is,” Ty said as they stepped off the escalator. “Hey, Janie!” he called, trying to capture a woman's attention on the other side of the floor.

Janie?
Oh my God. No. Not Janie Ramirez. It couldn't be.

“Janie?” she asked with trepidation. “I thought her name was Juanita.”

“Oh, sure. Janie is a nickname. 'Round here she goes by both, but in New York I understand they only know her by Janie.”

It was too late for Merri to run and there was nowhere for her to hide. Was this going to be the end to her true-life Odyssey?

As they walked closer, Merri dropped her chin and hung back, hoping that she could keep most of her body hidden behind Ty's. Though her mind was racing, there didn't seem to be any way of avoiding catastrophe.

“Good to see you, Juanita,” Ty said as he greeted the other woman with a smile in his voice. “I'd like for you
to meet my new assistant and Jewel's new renter, Merri Davis.” He stepped aside so that the two women could face each other.

Merri kept her eyes down, took a deep breath and stretched out a hand. “How do you do, Ms. Ramirez.”

“Merri? Why…I…” Janie said with obvious confusion in her voice. But she took Merri's hand and clung to it.

“Yes,” Merri broke in. “The name is Merri Davis. Jewel has told me so much about you. It's a pleasure to meet you.”

Merri took a chance and glanced up through the top of her glasses to watch the other woman's expression. Not good. Janie was studying Merri's dress and shoes, all the while shaking her head in disbelief.

Merri decided to take another big risk and pray that the woman would take pity on her and keep her mouth closed.

Turning to Ty, she said, “Thanks so much for bringing me here for the appointment. But I'm sure our discussion about modeling clothes will be terribly boring. Maybe you could wander around the store for a little while and give us girls a chance to get acquainted.” She was desperate for a chance to talk to Janie—alone.

He frowned, but then checked with Janie. “If you need me, just call my cell phone. I should get decent reception while inside the store. And I've got a couple of calls to make in the meantime.”

Janie nodded to him, but she couldn't manage a smile.

Ty turned to Merri with a grin. “Maybe I'll swing by the men's department. What do you think?”

“That's a good idea. But…ask for a clerk's help, okay?”

He laughed. “Yes, ma'am. I know where my talents lie…and where they don't.”

Despite being a hairsbreadth away from total ruin, Merri's brain took her on a fantasy ride of imagining what other talents Ty might just have—and to imagining where exactly on her body she would like for them to lie.

Ty touched her arm lightly and broke into her dreams. Then he nodded once, turned and walked away. When he was out of earshot, Merri swallowed back the inappropriate lust and turned to face the storm.

And it came instantly. “Merrill Davis-Ross, what in heaven's name do you think you're doing?” Janie hissed, and grabbed her arm. “This had better not be another one of your bad jokes or some game of dare…or else I swear…”

“Please, will you just listen while I explain?”

The other woman nodded, grabbed her elbow and stormed the two of them off in the direction of the private offices.

When they were secure in a tiny office with one small desk and two chairs, Janie let go of her arm and turned to face her. “This had better be good. You're messing with a couple of people who mean the world to me and I won't stand by and let you hurt them.”

“Wait a minute,” Merri said with a huff. “If Jewel and Ty mean so much to you, why didn't you just give me up back there? Why not tell Ty who I was the minute you spotted me?”

Janie narrowed her eyes and shook her head. “At
first you surprised me so much with the disguise that I couldn't speak. But then…”

“What? You and I have never been that close. I mean, I like you, and I liked working with you, but…”

“It has nothing to do with you,” Janie told her. “And everything to do with the look on Ty's face when he introduced you. The man's seriously goofy about you, and I made a quick decision to go slow until I found out the situation. So now…you tell me the situation.”

“Goofy?” Merri asked with a laugh. “Tyson Steele—about me? I don't think so.”

“No question about it,” Janie said. “And unless I miss my guess, you've got it bad for him, too.”

She plopped down on one of the chairs and motioned for Merri to take the other one. “I want the truth and I want it now. The last I heard about you, the tabloid headlines were screaming that you were a fake. Something about you deserting your gay boyfriend, wasn't it?”

“What?” Merri sank down in the chair and closed her eyes. “I knew it. That is so not the way it was. Let me explain what really happened.”

She told Janie the whole story of how she'd agreed to become Brad's make-believe girlfriend in order to throw the paparazzi off his trail. Merri had been trying to be a friend to Brad. But when that photographer caught him coming out of his boyfriend's house and the whole thing blew up in their faces, Brad's publicist asked her to take a vacation for a while.

She'd readily agreed. The “wronged” woman was not a role she had any intention of playing out in front of the entire world. Especially when it wasn't true.

“Okay, I understand why you needed to start a new life,” Janie began. “And I certainly accept that you had to change your looks in order to escape the paparazzi. It's true your face is recognizable all over the world, and they would've made your life a miserable hell. They're hot on your trail as we speak, as a matter of fact.

“But what I don't understand is why in Stanville, Texas?” she continued. “Why involve decent people like Ty and Jewel in your deception?” Janie lifted her head with a thoughtful scowl. “They don't know, do they?”

“No,” Merri said sadly. “They don't know. I came here to do something worthwhile with my life. I really wanted to help raise funds for Ty's foundation. And before I met them I was afraid they would give me away if they knew the truth.”

Merri squirmed in her seat and continued. “I don't expect you to believe this, but I also wanted to live a normal life. For once in my life, I wanted to know what it would be like for people to think I'm just a regular person. To maybe make a friend who didn't want something from me or my family.”

Janie sat back in her chair and studied Merri's face. “You did a damn good makeup job there, honey. If I hadn't seen you just a few weeks ago before a show without your makeup, I might've missed the connection altogether.

“And I can almost understand your motivations,” Janie went on. “But…none of it excuses you from taking the chance of hurting Ty and Jewel. Why don't you simply tell them the truth? I'd be willing to bet they'd keep up the charade for you.”

Merri shook her head. “Maybe it wouldn't bother Jewel, but Ty would hate me. He can't stand liars of any sort. It's too late for me to go back now.”

Janie cocked her head and frowned. “Mmm. You can't keep this up indefinitely, you know. You will have to tell him the truth someday.”

Merri dropped her chin. “Yeah, I know. But I thought if I could get by for a few more months…just until the paparazzi lose interest in me…that by that time Ty and Jewel would've grown to like me for who I really am. Then maybe they wouldn't hate me so much when they find out the truth.”

Janie thought that over for a few seconds. “Well…It's against my better judgment. I think that the longer you go on lying to Ty, the worse it will be when he learns the truth.”

“Please,” Merri begged. “Let me do it my way. I'm trying to walk a fine line with Ty—a line between becoming his friend and letting him get too close. Give me a few more months. And besides, I think I'm really beginning to make a difference for his kids. I just need a little more time.”

“All right,” Janie agreed grudgingly. “Making a better life for those abandoned and abused kids will give you a second chance with Ty, I know. But be careful. If you hurt him, I will hunt you down and ruin your life. This whole thing could go wrong at any turn.”

“I know,” Merri whispered. “Believe me, I know.”

 

A couple of hours later Ty strolled across the main floor of the department store and stepped onto the escalator. He hefted the packages in his arms and caught
himself as he began to whistle an old Willie Nelson love song.

Whistling? Ty hadn't whistled in years. Interesting that he was finding himself doing things he would not have contemplated doing only a few short weeks ago.

It must be Merri's influence that was changing his lifestyle. He knew for certain that she'd been having an effect on his libido. The closer they became, the more he wanted her in his bed.

Well, he would just have to do something toward making that happen. And soon.

He rounded the corner and spotted the two women off in the distance in the children's department. Heading in their direction, he studied the differences in the two.

Merri was easy to spot. Tall and slender, she stood talking to Janie with an almost regal bearing. In fact, she looked rather statuesque from this distance. It was strange that he hadn't noticed that about her before. She'd always seemed so shy and vulnerable to him. Today she stood like a queen.

Tiny Juanita standing beside her looked lost, though her jet-black hair was shiny and smooth compared to Merri's dull brown wisps. And Juanita's suit seemed sophisticated but flashy in a spring green shade, making Merri's plain dress and clunky shoes look ever more homely. But none of that changed the fact that it was Merri who drew his attention.