Jack’s father didn’t help matters. He leaned forward, his gaze holding hers. “I’ve never seen anyone turn Jack on his head the way you have, Gina.”
“Is that…?” She gulped. “Is that good?”
“Oh, yes. More than I can say. You’ve shaken him out of the mold I tried… We all tried,” he said with a glance at Dale Vickers, “to force him into.”
He paused. His throat worked, sending his Adam’s apple up and down a few times. When he could speak again, his voice was raw with emotion.
“Jack’s mother would be proud to call you daughter. So would I.”
That did it. Gina could feel her face getting all blotchy with the effort of holding back tears. “I…I…”
Shoving back her chair, she resorted to her most trustworthy excuse for beating an instant retreat.
“I have to pee.”
* * *
Sarah had followed her when she’d retreated to the bathroom earlier in the afternoon. This time it was Jack. Except he didn’t knock, as her sister had. Nor did he ask for permission to enter. He just barged in and kicked the door shut behind him.
Luckily, Gina hadn’t really needed to go. Her panties weren’t around her ankles. The skinny jeans she’d been wearing for what now felt like two lifetimes were still zipped up. She was on the pot, though, and the tears she’d tried so hard to stem streamed down her cheeks. Like Sarah, Jack sank to his knees beside the stool. Unlike Sarah, he didn’t hesitate to drag Gina off the throne and into his arms.
“Don’t cry, sweetheart. Please, don’t cry.”
He held her, rocking back and forth, while the residual stress and tension and fear poured out via her tear ducts.
“It’s…it’s the hormones,” she said through hiccuping sobs. “I never cry. Never! Ask Sarah. Ask…ask Grandmama. They’ll tell you.”
“It’s okay.”
“Noooo,” she wailed, “it’s not.”
She grabbed the front of his shirt. His bloodied shirt. He hadn’t had time to change, either.
“I didn’t get a chance to tell you this morning, Jack. I…I didn’t think I’d ever get a chance to tell you. I love you.”
“I know, darling.”
“No, you don’t!”
The tears evaporated, replaced by an urgency that reached deep into her core.
“I think…” She shook her head. “Scratch that! I know I fell a little bit in love with you our first weekend together. I’m not sure when I tumbled all the rest of the way, but I’m all the way there.”
“Me, too, my darling.”
His smile was all Jack. Charming, roguish and so damned sexy Gina could feel her tears drying and another part of her starting to get wet.
“So what do you think?” he said, dropping a kiss on her nose. “Want get off the floor, go back into the dining room and tell your grandmother to start planning a wedding?”
“No.”
His confidence took a hit, but he recovered fast. Shaking his head, he acknowledged his gaffe. “I’m such a jackass. How could I forget you’re the world’s greatest event coordinator?”
“Yeah, right.”
Those damned hormones! Gina could for the sneer curled her lip and the sulky response she couldn’t hold back.
“I can’t be that great if you had to send Washington business TTG’s way.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Dale told me you steered business to TTG.” She made a heroic effort to keep the hurt out of her voice. “I appreciate it, Jack. I really do. It’s just that I wanted to… I was trying to… Oh, crap!”
The hand that took her chin and tilted it up was anything but gentle.
“Listen to me, Eugenia Amalia Therése St. Sebastian. I’m going to say this once, and once only. If Dale Vickers or anyone else in my office steered business to TTG, they did it without my knowledge or consent. You got that?”
The fire in his blue eyes convinced her as much as the uncomfortable grip on her still sore chin.
“I’ve got it.”
“You’d better,” he said, the anger still hot. “Now, do you want to work the wedding arrangements yourself or not?”
“Not.”
“Dammit all to hell! I’m past being civilized and modern and reasonable about this. If I have to lock you in those chains your cousin talked about and drag you to the altar, I will. One way or another, you’re going to marry me.”
“Oooooh.”
Gina batted her eyes and thought about leading him on a little longer. She decided against it, primarily because she wasn’t quite sure he wouldn’t follow through with that bit about the chains.
“As much as I might enjoy the kinky aspects of your proposal,” she breathed, “I think we should go for something a little more traditional.”
“Then for God’s sake,” he bellowed, “tell me what the hell you want.”
Whoa! What happened to the smooth, polished diplomat who’d seduced her with his charm and sophisticated wit? This glimpse of the angry male under Jack’s urbane shell thrilled and made her just a tad nervous. Yielding to the age-old feminine instinct to soothe and soften and placate her mate, Gina stroked his cheek.
“What I want,” she said, “is for us to get off the bathroom floor. Then we’ll make a call to your mom and get her up here on the next flight. After which, we’ll haul ass to a lab and have our blood drawn so we can stand up before the nearest justice of the peace.”
Jack agreed with the last portion of her agenda, if not the first. Instead of pushing to his feet and pulling her up with him, he kept her anchored to the fluffy bath mat. The fire went out of his eyes, the irritation out of his voice.
“Are you sure that’s what you want?” he asked in a much subdued tone.
“That’s what I want.”
“No big fancy wedding? No exotic theme?”
“No big fancy wedding.” With silent apologies to Nikki and Samuel and Kallie, she lied her heart out. “No exotic theme. Just you and me and our immediate families in front of a JP.”
* * *
Gina should have known that plan wouldn’t hold up against the combined assault of her sister, her grandmother and Jack’s mom, Ellen. All right, maybe she didn’t really want it to. She’d given too much of herself and her energy to the party-planning business. In her heart of hearts, she secretly wished for at least a little splash.
Still, she had to work to overcome her irritation when her boss called less than an hour after Gina and Jack had emerged from the bathroom and announced their intentions to the assembled entourage. Vickers, Gina thought immediately. The little toad probably had TTG on his speed dial.
“Gina,” Nikki gushed in her rapid-fire way, “I just heard! You’ve finally come to your senses.”
“I…”
“I’m so, so glad you’ve agreed to marry your sexy ambassador.”
“I have, but…”
“Listen, kiddo, I know Jack is hot to get you to the altar before you change your mind. I also know you want to keep the wedding small and intimate, but the midtown venue’s available Thursday evening.”
“Nikki…”
“My office, ten tomorrow morning. We’ll hammer out the details. Oh, and bring your grandmother. I’ve been wanting to meet her since the day my father announced he was leaving my mother for her. God, I wish he had! Might have saved me thousands of dollars in shrink fees. Ciao, my darling. And don’t worry. TTG will send you off in grand style.”
* * *
Send you off in grand style.
The blithe promise had been intended to reassure. It acted instead like a bucket of frigid water. Every spark of Gina’s newfound joy got a thorough dousing.
Grandmama, she thought on a wave of dismay. How could she move to D.C. a
nd live with Jack? Not that he’d remain in D.C. much longer. Vickers had hinted he was being considered for a major diplomatic posting. London was a definite possibility. So was Athens.
Heartsick, she caught Sarah’s eye and telegraphed a silent signal. Her sister’s hidden antenna were obviously in full receive mode. She nodded and moments later pushed through the swinging door to the kitchen. As soon as she saw Gina’s face, concern clouded her green eyes.
“What’s the matter?”
“Nothing out of the ordinary,” Gina said bitterly. “I’m just being my usual, selfish self.”
“Selfish how?”
“I didn’t even think about Grandmama when I agreed to marry Jack. She’s so looking forward to the baby. She’s already talking about converting the study to a nursery. How can I just flit off and leave her alone?”
“She wants you to be happy. She wants both of us to be happy. You know she does.”
Gina might have believed her if not for the guilt clouding Sarah’s forest-green eyes. She’d experienced the same wrenching pangs before her wedding to Dev. They hadn’t eased until Gina posed the possibility of moving back into the Dakota.
“Dev said he could set up a temporary headquarters here in New York,” Sarah reminded her sister. “We could still do that. Or…”
The swish of the swinging door cut off whatever alternate Sarah had intended to propose. She and Gina both turned to face Zia.
“I’m sorry to intrude,” she said. “But I wished to speak to you both, and this may be my only chance before Dom and I move to a hotel.”
The heavy, stress-induced accent had disappeared. Zia was once again their gorgeous, self-assured cousin.
Or a third sister. One demanding to be included in this girls-only enclave. The thought struck Gina all of two seconds before Zia gave it flesh and blood.
“As Gina knows,” she said to Sarah, “I’ve just finished my last year of medical school at Semmelweis University in Budapest. It’s a very prestigious institution and…well…”
She shrugged, as if to downplay what both sisters knew had to be a major accomplishment. “I’ve been offered a number of residencies in pediatric medicine,” she continued after a moment. “One of them is at Kravis Children’s Hospital. That’s why I insisted on accompanying Dom on this visit. I…I have an interview with the head of the residency program tomorrow,” she finished on a note of uncharacteristic hesitation.
“That’s wonderful,” Sarah said with unfeigned delight. “You and Grandmama will be able to visit and get to know each other better.”
“Yes, well…” Zia’s glance shifted from one sister to the other. “The duchess has invited me to live with her, should I do my three-year residency here in New York City. I’m overwhelmed by her generosity but I don’t wish to impose on her. If the idea concerns you…either of you…or in any way makes you think I’m taking advantage of her, please tell me.”
Gina wished she were a better person. She really did! Here she was, wracked with guilt one moment at the prospect of leaving her grandmother alone. In the next, she was battling a toxic niggle of jealousy at the idea of this ultra-smart, ultra-achieving woman taking her place in the duchess’s heart.
And of course, because Zia was so damned smart, she read every emotion that flitted across Gina’s face.
“I will not live here if you don’t wish it,” she said quietly. “Or you, Sarah. I know how much you love the duchess. How much she loves you. If it will cause you or her heartache, I’ll turn down the offer from Kravis. None of you will ever hear from me again.”
Gina knew the speech came straight from the heart. But it was the mist that sheened her cousin’s dark eyes that obliterated any and every doubt. Somehow, someway, the knowledge that brilliant, self-assured Anastazia St. Sebastian was susceptible to human emotion made everything all right.
The jealousy fell away, leaving only a profound thankfulness. Smiling, she reached out and squeezed Zia’s hand.
“I think it would be wonderful for Grandmama to have your company.”
Sixteen
Nicole Tremayne came through as promised. TTG sent Gina and Jack off in grand style.
The balmy June evening was perfect for an outdoor ceremony. Thousands of tiny white lights gleamed in the topiary trees outlining the terrace of TTG’s midtown venue. More lights sheathed in filmy white netting were hung in graceful loops to form an archway from the reception room to the dais. The platform itself was framed by antique wrought-iron. The intricate iron work was painted pearl-white and intertwined with netting, lights, ivy and fragrant yellow honeysuckle.
Gina and Jack had kept the guest list small. Relatively small, that is, compared to the hundreds who usually attended TTG’s functions. Still, the attendees filled eight rows of white chairs arranged in a semicircle on the terrace overlooking the East River.
Gina’s coworkers at TTG came as guests for a change instead of employees. Jerome and his wife had been invited, of course, and Maria beamed from her seat in the front row. Dominic sat beside her, his black eye still noticeable but considerably reduced in size and discoloration.
Jack’s guests filled the seats on the other side of the aisle. Following her son’s wishes, Ellen had been ruthless. She’d axed every one of the political cronies her husband had tried to add to the list. Only Jack’s family, close personal friends and associates survived the hatchet. In his case, though, “close” included the Secretary of State, the current U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. and Virginia’s lieutenant governor.
“You ready, Gina?”
Kallie was the only of her fellow employees not seated out front. She’d volunteered to get the major players in place and cue the music. The wings in her red hair were yellow tonight in keeping with the yellow roses that wreathed the hair of the bride and her attendants.
The event coordinator in Gina had her taking a quick peek through the gauze curtains to make sure everyone was where they were supposed to be. Sure enough, Jack waited under the wrought-iron arch with his groomsmen. Dev stood tall and handsome beside him. Dale Vickers was arranged next to Dev. Gina grimaced inwardly but reminded herself of her resolution to try to build a better relationship with the little toad.
She let the curtain drop and sent a smile to the other three women clustered with her in the small anteroom. Her grandmother, regal in royal blue silk and lace, looked like the grand duchess she was. Gina had asked Zia to be one of her attendants. And Sarah, of course. They were each wearing the dress of her choice. Zia had hit the shops on 5th Avenue and found a body-hugging gold silk sheath that dipped to her waist in the back. With her black hair piled loosely on top of her head, the rear view was sure to drop most of the male jaws in the house when she glided down the aisle.
Sarah’s dress was one of the retro classics she still favored despite Dev’s repeated attempts to get her to buy out Rodeo Drive. This one was a Balenciaga that fell in soft, shimmering folds in the same vivid green hue as the Russian emerald Dev had slipped on her finger when they’d become engaged.
Gina’s choice of rings was more traditional, if you could call a three-carat marquise traditional. Particularly since Jack had upped the weight from her original choice and had the stone set in a band studded with another three carats of baguettes.
The diamonds’ glitter didn’t compare to the sparkle in Gina’s smile as she gave Kallie the go-ahead. “I am so ready.”
She wasn’t sure, but she thought Sarah and the duchess let out a collective sigh of relief. Even Zia perked up as the music swelled and she led the way down the aisle. Sarah gave her sister a quick kiss and went next. Then Gina slipped her arm through her grandmother’s.
As they made their slow progress under the arch of netting and tiny white lights, Gina couldn’t believe how her world had changed so drastically in such a short time. Was it only two months since
Grandmama had made this same, slow walk with Sarah? Two and a half months since Gina had peed on a little purple stick and felt her world tilt off its axis? Those frantic days might have happened in another life, to another person. Everything in Gina’s world now was right and bright and perfect.
The duchess seemed to agree. When she and her youngest granddaughter reached the dais, her faded blue eyes shone with love. “My dearest Eugenia. I’m so very proud of you.”
Gina wouldn’t cry! She wouldn’t! She wanted to, though. Big, fat, wet, sloppy tears that would streak her entire face with mascara.
Uh-oh! Jack must have sensed how close she was to a meltdown. He took a hasty step forward, smiling as he relieved the duchess of escort duty.
“I’ll take it from here.”
Bending, he dropped a kiss on his soon-to-be-grandmother-in-law’s cheek. She murmured something for his ears only. Probably the same death threat she’d issued to Dev, Gina guessed, threatening him with unspeakable agony if he hurt so much as a single hair on her head.
Jack acknowledged the warning with a solemn nod. Then his eyes were on Gina. Only on Gina. Her glorious smile, her tumble of silvery blond curls, her laughing blue eyes. He tucked her arm in his, amazed and humbled by the fact he’d been given the precious gift of love twice in one lifetime.
In all the excitement of the past week, he and Gina had almost missed their second appointment with their OB doc. They’d gone in yesterday and had the first ultrasound done. Jack carried a copy of the scan in his tux pocket now, right next to his heart. As far as his parents knew, he and Gina would welcome the Mason family’s first set of twins.
First things first, though! Jack’s number one priority at the moment was getting a wedding band on Gina St. Sebastian’s finger. He practically dragged her into position on the dais and issued a swift instruction to the senior judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, who also happened to be his former college roommate.
The Diplomat's Pregnant Bride Page 17
