The Tycoon's Defiant Southern Belle (15 page)

Dominic stared at his friend and knew instantly something was wrong.  He’d arrived
home five minutes ago and was told by Sydney that Angelo was out by the pool.  Looking
at his friend, Dominic wondered if it had anything to do with the woman he’d mentioned
earlier. 

“What’s up?” Dominic asked, walking forward and handing his friend a glass filled
with amber liquid. 

Angelo took the glass and looked down into the liquid’s depths.  “Jade says she’s
in love with me,” he said softly, then stared out to the horizon once again.  “How’s
your latest acquisition?  If you talk to Burt Hilwinder, he’ll be able to move that
pesky legal issue along.  He has information that can eliminate the obstacle.”

Dominic noted the information, but kept his focus on Angelo’s initial statement. “And
you love her too.  What’s the problem?”

Angelo sighed and took a seat on the chair facing the pool.  “She’s going to realize
what she said and regret it later on.”

Dominic took the opposite seat and considered how to talk to his friend.  “What’s
your plan?”

Angelo threw back the liquid from his glass.  “I’m going to stay away long enough
for her to realize that she doesn’t want me.  And stay out of her way so she won’t
be embarrassed by saying the words.”  He considered his next thought carefully.  “She’ll
realize quickly that she made a mistake.  She’s new to the world of passion,” he explained
without going into detail.  “She just wanted to wrap things up prettily instead of
accepting her sensuality.”

Dominic tried to suppress his smile but knew he wasn’t completely successful.  “That’s
probably it,” he said, not agreeing with his friend at all.  “Or it could be that
she’s completely head over heels in love with you.”

Angelo’s only response was a large, disdainful expulsion of air.  He paused for a
moment before he said, “She wasn’t supposed to get emotional about this.”

Dominic knew that it would take time before his friend realized what was going on. 
He just prayed that the woman who had stolen Angelo’s heart had the perseverance to
hold out for him.  Angelo could be one of the most stubborn people in the world. 
Well, besides his wife, he thought with a smile.  If this Jade woman could just maintain
her love in the face of complete rejection, which Dominic knew would be difficult
for the best of people, she would have the most amazing husband she could ever imagine. 
Ever since he’d lost his parents, Angelo had a great well of love to give someone
and he was aching to do so.  He wouldn’t allow himself to do that with this woman
for fear that her love wasn’t real. 

“Are you hungry?” Dominic asked instead. 

“Not really.”

“How about some food anyway?” he joked. 

“Did Sydney cook?” Angelo asked, knowing he would eat it even if she did.  Sydney
was a good woman and he wouldn’t hurt her feelings for anything.  Even if it meant
eating whatever she’d burned this time.  He could handle a night of indigestion if
it meant not hurting her feelings.  Hell, he’d even have seconds, he thought.

“Hell no!” Dominic said with feeling.  “I convinced her to let me keep my housekeeper
on from the penthouse.  Thankfully, she accepted that she wasn’t a good cook.  And
if I had to eat one more peanut butter sandwich, or even watch her eat one, I think
I might have bought out every restaurant in New York just to ensure we had a catered
meal every night that didn’t include peanut butter.”

“Always did make you gag,” Angelo chuckled as the two men walked into the dining room.

Jade stared at the door of the completed house, willing Angelo to come through the
door.  All of the furniture had arrived and she stood in the middle, the fire crackling
despite the heat of the late summer night.  She’d turned down the air conditioning,
lit some candles and poured a glass of wine.  Angelo’s birthday cake was sitting on
the coffee table, looking beautiful with the rich, cream cheese frosting coating all
of the carrot cake.  She’d even managed to form little carrot-like decorations around
the outer edge.  Of course, Betty, the bake shop owner had looked at her efforts with
a cringe, but it was the first carrot cake Jade had ever made.  Her preference was
cheesecake, of which she was an absolute expert at baking.  Or pecan pie.  Yes, she
could make a mean pecan pie! 

While putting the final touches on the kitchen, Jade had finally discovered why Jasper
and Rufus were so enamored of Angelo’s house.  The dratted man kept a bowl of bacon
in the refrigerator!  The animals were begging for it every night now! 

Jade should be furious with Angelo, and would be, if the bowl of bacon weren’t yet
another indication of his love for her.  He’d wanted her to come over.  He’d purposely
bribed her pets to come over so she’d have to retrieve them.  It was his way of obtaining
her presence without actually coming out and asking her over for a glass of wine. 
It was pretty ingenious, if it didn’t break her heart that he didn’t think she would
want to come over.

Okay, so maybe she would have rejected his offer.  He’d been pretty arrogant initially.

She smiled at the memory of that first night, of how nervous she’d been when first
meeting the amazingly large, scary looking man. 

Rufus and Jasper were sitting in front of the fireplace, Jasper was happily cleaning
his paws after his nightly bacon treat.  The ridiculous cat didn’t even hunt any longer,
too lazy to go after a tasty treat when he could simply stand in front of the refrigerator
and meow until he got his bacon fix.

She curled up on the sofa, pulling the soft, cashmere throw over her legs.  She wasn’t
cold, but there was just something comforting in the blanket right now.  After being
alone for over a week, she needed whatever comfort she could find. 

The following morning, she woke up in Angelo’s enormous bed and looked around.  Of
course she couldn’t move since Rufus was behind her legs and Jasper was balanced precariously
on her hip, waist and shoulder, snoring through Jade’s irritation.  She tried to sit
up, but Rufus just shifted and almost pushed her off of the edge of the bed which
made Jasper really irritated.  The fluffy cat stood up on her hip, stretched and started
to settle right in the same position but Jade wasn’t going to take that.  She sat
up, forcing the cat to jump down.  In response, Jasper decided to take a bath right
in front of Jade, as if to show her that he’d meant to get down anyway. 

This waiting game had to stop!  She wasn’t going to stay here, wondering when Angelo
would come to his senses. 

Throwing off the covers, she walked back to her cottage and showered as quickly as
possible.  She dressed in her very best traveling suit, feeling pretty and confident
but still comfortable in anticipation of the cramped, horrible flight from Charleston
to New York. 

Carrying the carrot cake with both hands, Jade stalked through Angelo’s house, almost
slamming the newly installed glass doors.  She wrote him a note just in case he returned
here while she was out chasing him up in New York.  “I’m not letting him get away
from me!” she growled and grabbed her suitcase. 

Back at her cottage, she stuffed her laptop into the case, grabbed her purse and jammed
everything into her tiny hatchback.  She’d get a plane ticket to New York once she
reached the airport but she was finished waiting for that stubborn man!  She was going
to hunt him down and make him come right back here so they could live happily ever
after.  Even if it killed her!

At the airport, she was relieved to find that there was a plane leaving in an hour. 
She had just enough time to get through security, check her bag and run to the terminal. 
She slumped down in her seat, biting her thumbnail as she considered all the different
approaches to get the ornery man to believe that she actually loved him. 

The plane touched down at Kennedy Airport and she held the carrot cake in the plastic
carrier as if it were a chunk of gold or diamonds.  The person next to her probably
thought she was insane, but Jade didn’t care.  She was too angry to care right now. 

Outside, she had her cake carrier in one hand, her roller bag in the other and she
pulled her purse and laptop higher on her shoulder.  Once she’d found the taxi line,
she waited until it was her turn, then dove inside the back of the cab and gave the
driver the Long Island address she’d found in one of the contacts Angelo had given
her a while ago.  He’d said that this Dominic Carson guy was a friend but Jade wasn’t
sure if he would know where Angelo might be.  It was a start at least. 

She thought about checking into a hotel before reaching the house, but then thought
she could just have the cab wait while she asked this Carson guy if he knew where
Angelo might be. 

At the door, she looked back at the irritated cab driver as she rang the doorbell. 
It was answered immediately by a woman who looked like she was going to give birth
at any moment.  “Oh, goodness,” Jade said, feeling horrible all of a sudden.  “I thought
this was where Dominic Carson lived,” she said and started back towards the cab. 
“I’m so sorry to have disturbed you.”

“Wait,” Sydney called out, waddling out of the front door to stop the woman.  “Are
you Jade?” she asked, noting the southern accent and preppy clothes. 

Jade froze.  How could this woman know her name?  “Yes,” she said tentatively, ready
to dive into the cab and beat it back down the private road if any knives showed up. 
She might be pregnant, but Jade watched too many horror movies and her imagination
went a bit crazy at times. 

“Please, come in.  I’m Sydney Watson.  My husband is Dominic Carson,” she explained,
placing a hand on her back.  “And if I’m not mistaken, you’re looking for Angelo,
aren’t you?”

Jade nodded, still not quite sure what’s going on.  “Is he here?”

Sydney shook her head with a gentle smile.  “No, but we’re expecting him back tonight.”

“Where is he?” she asked, feeling like a fool for traveling hundreds of miles without
any knowledge of where she might find her missing man.

“He’s on a flight back from Tusain.  I believe he lands in about an hour.”  Sydney
thought for a moment, considering her options.  “Do you really love him?” she asked. 
“And I mean, really love him and not anything temporary or superficial.  Because if
you hurt him, I’ll hunt you down and make sure you hurt just as much as it will hurt
him to find out that you’re not really in love with him.”

Jade’s eyes filled with worry.  “You’re a friend then?” she asked, hoping that he
had more friends in this world like this woman.

“Angelo has been friends with my husband for years.  I’ve only known him for a few
months, but I already think he’s an exceptionally wonderful man.  So if you don’t
really love him, I’m not going to let you hurt him.  Just head on back home and leave
him alone.  He can’t take the pain.  He might come across as strong, but he’s actually
very vulnerable right now.”

Jade shook her head.  “Has something happened to him?  Is he hurt?”  She wasn’t aware
that her eyes had filled up with tears.  “What’s wrong with him?”

Sydney watched for a moment, then made a snap decision.  This woman was the real deal. 
Those tears, the instant worry, proved that this Jade woman thought Angelo was pretty
special.  “Come inside,” Sydney said.  “I’ll give you the keys to his place.”

Jade looked back at her cab driver, not sure what to do.  “If you give me the address,
I’ll make it there on my own.”

Sydney shook her head.  She waved to her housekeeper.  “Can you pay the cab driver? 
Then ask John to come around so he can drive Jade over to Angelo’s place.”

The housekeeper immediately moved forward and handed the driver a wad of cash while
at the same time, efficiently pulling the cake carrier and luggage out of the back
seat. 

Jade wasn’t sure how it had happened, but who knows how much later, she was sitting
in the back seat of a luxurious limousine with her luggage stored in the back while
the driver maneuvered his way through the heavy Manhattan traffic, the carrot cake
still balanced on her knees.  She was nervous about seeing Angelo.  Sydney said he
was due to land any minute now so she’d have to hurry to get over to his place. 

The doorman was ready at the curb, obviously waiting for her to arrive.  “Take the
elevator up,” he explained as he rolled her luggage behind his desk.  “I’ll take care
of this in the freight elevator.  The code has already been set.”

Jade didn’t understand, but the doorman nudged her into the elevator and the doors
closed with her looking down at her silly carrot cake.  She wasn’t sure what was going
on, but she blinked when the doors opened once again, revealing an extraordinarily
beautiful apartment.  No, this was bigger than an apartment, she realized as she noticed
the floating staircase off to the left.  There were two story windows that looked
out over the city and the comfortable leather seating area beckoned her muddled, travel
weary mind. 

But she didn’t have time to wonder about things.  She was standing in the large foyer,
her hands clenched around the cake holder and feeling ridiculous when the elevator
chimed once again, indicating that someone else was about to enter. 

When the doors opened and Angelo stepped off, she was so stunned, she clenched the
cake holder closer, her eyes wide with fear of what he might think about her being
here.  Would he be angry?  Resentful? 

“Jade?” he asked, his voice hoarse as his eyes drank in her appearance in his home. 
“What are you doing here?” he asked. 

Jade noticed that he didn’t take another step closer to her.  He stood just inside
the doorway, his features confused.  It was almost as if he didn’t believe his eyes,
that he was imagining her here. 

She shrugged slightly and took a deep breath.  “You didn’t come back,” she said as
if that explained everything. 

He closed the distance between them, his hands reaching out to touch her but he pulled
back.  His thumb reached down and wiped away a tear she hadn’t known was there and
he smelled so wonderful she just threw her arms around him, not sure what was happening
to the cake now.  But she didn’t care either.  He felt so wonderful, so amazing and
when his arms wrapped around her as well, she sobbed out her happiness against his
suit. 

“What’s wrong?” Angelo demanded.  His arms tightened and his mind sifted through possibilities. 
“Are you okay?  Are you hurt?”  His hands moved down her back, obviously checking
to make sure she didn’t have any broken bones. 

Jade laughed at the idea that she would be standing here in his arms if something
were broken.  “I’m fine,” she said and sniffed, trying to regain control of her emotions. 
“I just missed you.  You didn’t come back and I waited and waited for you but I didn’t
even hear anything from you.  I started to worry,” she explained, laughing now.  “I
know it sounds ridiculous, but I can’t help it.  I started to imagine all sorts of
horrible things happening to you and I just had to find you, to make sure you were
okay.”

Angelo couldn’t believe her words.  No one had ever worried about him except for Zayn
and Dominic.  They were his family and had been ever since that horrible day when
the police had arrived at his school to explain that his parents had been killed in
a car accident.  His arms tightened around her, trying to believe the words she was
saying but it was so hard.  “You shouldn’t be here,” he said, but negated his comment
when he wouldn’t release her.  “You should forget about me.  I’m no good,” he finally
told her.  But still, his arms kept her close, his body seeming to wrap around her. 

She shook her head, looking up at him and reaching out her hand to touch his cheek. 
“You’re wonderful.  And you’re my man so don’t ever let me hear you say something
like that again!” she told him sternly. 

“You need to find someone who is better.”

She smiled gently.  “Angelo, there is no one better.  You’re the most wonderful, kindest,
gentlest man I’ve ever met in my life.  And you’re so intelligent it is scary.”

“You don’t know me.  You don’t know what I’ve done.”

“I know who you are now.  I know that you’re a generous person who is in love with
me.  And since I’m in love with you, there’s nothing that we can’t get through together.”

Angelo’s eyes widened with her declaration but he shook his head.  “You don’t love
me.  You’re calling it love when it’s just old fashioned lust.”

She sighed and pulled him over to the sofa.  After pushing him down, she set the cake
carrier on the coffee table, relieved to finally be free of that cumbersome container.
She then turned around and plunked herself on his lap, smiling when his arms automatically
reached out to hold her safely on his hard thighs.  “I know about your past.  You’d
already told me a little of your childhood and Dave thought it would be to his benefit
to run a background check on you.”  She felt his body tense up and she leaned into
him, kissing his firm lips with reassurance.  “I’m so sorry that your parents died
when you were so young.  But I’d like to change the future, if you’re willing to change
it with me.”