by Kwan, Coleen
“It’s not what you think.” She pressed a palm against her chest to collect herself. “We’re not estranged, really, but my mom...she’s not a very motherly person. She worked herself to the bone to provide for us, that was how she showed she cared, but the other mothering stuff, she wasn’t good at it. Especially when it came to Kevin. He’s always been high-strung, difficult, even more so when he was a kid. It was just easier for her to leave me in charge of him while she worked two jobs.”
“Why is she in Mexico?” Lex asked.
“When I finished high school, she decided to treat herself and take a vacation. She met someone there, an expat, and now they have a winery in the mountains.”
“So you were still a teenager when you were left to take care of yourself and your brother.”
Jacinta winced. She opened her mouth to protest. No, it wasn’t like that. Mom did her best. She deserved some happiness after all those years struggling alone. She didn’t mean to leave us. But the words wouldn’t come out. For so long she’d been defending her mother, silently, in her mind, but now she couldn’t. Lex had expressed the truth so bluntly she couldn’t deny it.
“Don’t say that,” she muttered.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to criticize your mom, but, well, you’re being way too generous toward her. She shouldn’t have foisted her responsibilities onto you.”
“I didn’t mind. I—” A spiky lump formed in her throat. All the resentment she’d suppressed—resentment she’d barely acknowledged until now—suddenly rose up and gagged her.
The garden below her blurred as her eyes misted up. Lex said something she didn’t catch, and then his arms encircled her and drew her into his chest. She didn’t even think of resisting, just leaned her forehead against his shoulder and allowed his presence to envelop her. The resentment subsided. It felt so good to be held like this, to rest in his arms and let go of...everything.
“You don’t have to pretend it was okay,” Lex murmured against her hair. “Not to me.”
He was right. With Lex she didn’t have to maintain the facade, but years of habit were difficult to break, so she remained silent in his arms.
Down below, two figures moved across the lawn toward the maze. Nana Alice and Holly. They stopped and looked up at the house—looked up at them. Nana Alice waved and smiled, Holly smirked. Of course, they could see her standing here with Lex’s arms wrapped around her. They must look like a pair of starry-eyed lovers. She squirmed and went to free herself, but Lex held her firm.
“You don’t want to ruin a good impression, do you?” He lifted one hand to wave back at the two women in the garden. Holly gave them a thumbs-up. Jacinta didn’t know if that was meant ironically so she stopped wiggling in Lex’s embrace. When the two down below had moved off, he slowly released her.
“For the record,” she said, “my mom does make an effort to keep in touch with me and Kevin.”
“And I’ll bet each time she calls, you say everything is just fine and not to worry.”
“Everything is fine now. Can we drop the subject?”
“Okay.” He gestured to a side passage. “We’re staying through here.”
The corridor led to a separate suite away from the rest of the house. She walked into the room and found an oasis of tasteful calm. The bedroom and its furnishings were a symphony of restful shades in taupe, cream, and chocolate brown. Tall windows looked out on a panoramic vista of lush gardens and rolling countryside. A king-sized bed, draped with crisp Egyptian cotton and piled high with pillows and cushions, dominated the center of the room.
“What a lovely room.” She couldn’t stop staring at the bed. It looked enormous and amazingly comfortable.
“There’s an en suite bathroom and a walk-in closet.” He gestured at their suitcases, which had been deposited at the foot of the bed. “Do you want to unpack?”
“Yes, I’d better hang up those new clothes before they get too creased.” She tried to ignore the bed as she moved to her suitcase.
“Hazel can get them pressed, if you want.”
“Oh no! I couldn’t do that. She must have more than enough to do.”
His lips twitched. “You don’t have to sound so outraged. We have plenty of staff here, all of them paid well to do their jobs, which can and does include ironing.”
Feeling a little gauche, she unzipped her suitcase and lifted out a few things. “I’m not used to someone else doing my ironing, that’s all.”
“You don’t find it easy asking for something for yourself, do you?”
“You don’t either,” she shot back.
“I disagree. I have something to ask of you right now. Something just for me.”
The drawl in his voice hitched her breathing. Between them, the bed stretched high and wide and inviting. Involuntarily her gaze flickered over the sheets before lifting to clash with his. The simmer in his eyes set her blood fizzing.
“You, ask?” She clutched a dress to her chest. “That’d be a nice change.”
He shook his head slowly, the blue sizzle of his eyes trapping her. “I’ve never done anything without your consent, as that episode in the changing room proved.”
The sparkle in her blood spread to her breasts, making her nipples peak. She gulped. “What exactly are you asking?”
His eyes cooled a fraction. “We’re going to be spending a lot of time together this weekend. To make things easier, we should try to put the past behind us.”
Hadn’t she tried to do just that for months and months? The heat in her body ebbed a little. “It’s not easy to forget.” Not easy to forget the wonder of his kisses, the joy of sex with him. And the pain he’d left behind.
A myriad of expressions flitted across his face, and she sensed he was feeling the same confusing gamut of emotion she was.
He lifted his chin. “I’m sorry.”
She scrunched the dress even tighter. “For what?”
“For the way things ended between us.” Her heart flipped like a hooked fish. Lex continued, “I knew we were over, but in the heat of the moment I let myself get carried away. I shouldn’t have lost my temper the way I did. I apologize for that.”
She gulped, her throat tight and sore. This was a new side to Lex she wasn’t used to—reflective, conciliatory. “We both got carried away.”
“Yeah.” He gave her a wry smile. “I guess we’re both passionate people.”
Passion, yes, they had plenty of that in common, but for her he was the only man who could inspire that sort of passion. Was it the same for him? Had he felt the same devastation and loss after the breakup? Carl had hinted he had, after the initial, scorching anger had died down.
Lex plumped himself down on the bed and leaned back on his hands. “So we’re good, then?”
She stiffened at his breezy cockiness. Typical Lex. So sure she’d agree with him. Let’s play nice, because it suited him. And if she allowed him to seduce her, that would just be a little bonus for him. Well, she had to admit his sexual charms hit her right in the G-spot, and the way he was lounging so provocatively on that bed made her body thrum, but she wasn’t going to let herself get carried away again.
“Yeah, we’re good.” She glanced at the dress in her hands. “I’d better hang this up.”
She moved toward the walk-in closet, all the while conscious of Lex’s gaze pinned on her body. He was still on that bed, that plush, comfy bed they’d soon be sharing. For two nights she’d have his body just inches away from her. Would he sleep in the nude? He always had with her. Oh dear God. Lex, naked and tanned, stretched out right next to her like a smorgasbord of sex. How was she going to control herself?
But she had to. She was a pretend girlfriend, so she’d just have to make do with pretend sex.
…
In a walled garden away from the house, Jacinta found a long, rectangular lily pond with a stone cherub perched on its rim, holding an upturned flagon from which water trickled. Iridescent dragonflies hovered over the water, while ora
nge and white koi drifted under the lily pads. The tranquility should have soothed her, but she couldn’t get rid of her jitters. The impending party, her meeting with Nana Alice and Holly, and the prospect of being with Lex the entire weekend and having to maintain her guard, all combined to play on her nerves.
The crunch of feet on gravel interrupted her. She swiveled around to see Holly nearby.
The young woman sauntered forward. “Hi there. Hope I’m not disturbing you.”
Jacinta shook her head. “Of course not. It’s so peaceful here.” It was a shame she couldn’t absorb some of it for herself.
“I don’t blame you for wanting some peace. It’s all systems go at the house with boring old relatives arriving by the hour.” Holly slanted her gaze at Jacinta. “Lex not with you?”
“He had some work to finish.” It was true. When she’d emerged from the walk-in closet, he had unpacked his laptop on the desk by the window, and when she’d mentioned she was going out for a walk, he had replied he’d be busy for a while.
Holly rolled her eyes. “Figures.” Jacinta must have let something show in her expression, because Holly leaned forward, her tone apologetic. “Sorry, how rude of me. I didn’t mean to insult him in front of you, but, well, isn’t that just typical of my cousin? The first time he brings a girlfriend here, he leaves her to wander about on her own while he buries himself in work.”
“I’m the first?”
“As far as I know.” Holly widened her eyes. “Why do you think Nana was all over you like a rash? She’d never admit it, but Lex is her favorite grandchild, and she’d do anything to see him settle down.”
Jacinta almost choked. Lex settle down? The idea was ludicrous. “What did you tell her before we arrived?”
“Don’t worry. I said all the right things, that you seemed like a lovely person and Lex was really into you that night at the art exhibition.” She threaded her fingers through her hair, a coy expression on her face. “And what did Lex tell you about me? I bet he said I’m a pain in his ass.”
“Well, um...” Jacinta mumbled, taken aback by Holly’s brashness.
“Ha, I knew it. Lex and I are like oil and water, but I don’t hold any grudges. Honest.”
Did she mean that? Or was she just saying it to deflect suspicion? Holly was sharp as a tack, gutsy enough to pull off the betrayal and smart enough to cover her tracks. She wouldn’t give away anything easily. Jacinta decided to borrow some of Holly’s forthrightness. “So you aren’t still upset about the way he got you arrested and thrown into jail?”
Holly let out a laugh. “Yeah, I was mad as hell at first. I didn’t think he’d go that far, but he called my bluff.” She shrugged ruefully. “I overplayed my hand. Lex has a tendency to go extra hard on anyone who might seem to use their connections to influence him, especially family members. I couldn’t expect an easy ride just because we’re related. In fact, he went out of his way to make an example of me. He’s freaky like that.”
Jacinta’s stomach clenched. How familiar Holly’s words sounded. Lex had shown as much mercy on Holly as he had on Kevin. He had singled Kevin out because he’d wanted to emphasize he wouldn’t be swayed by his relationship with Jacinta. Wanted to demonstrate that all his dealings were way aboveboard. Well, at least he’d been consistent.
“No, I don’t hate him for that anymore,” Holly continued. “I acted like a brat, and I deserved what I got.” She scooped up a handful of pebbles and began to throw them one by one into the lily pond. “But you should know I don’t like the way he’s treated my brother. He’s been so unfair to Kirk.”
“I haven’t met Kirk yet,” Jacinta said.
“He’ll be here soon, and my dad.” Holly scowled as she lobbed another pebble at the pond. “Lex has been trying to push Kirk from the company because he feels threatened. He’s doing to Kirk what his father did to mine.”
There was more than a hint of melodrama to Holly’s words, Jacinta decided. She knew nothing about the relationship between Lex and Kirk, but she doubted very much that Lex would feel threatened by anyone.
“I don’t know much about the situation, but is that really what’s going on?” she asked mildly.
Holly’s cheeks went pink. “I can figure it out. Lex has been telling Kirk he doesn’t need to come in to work, that he’s got it all covered.”
Jacinta frowned, puzzled. “But isn’t that because of his wife passing away?”
“That’s Lex’s excuse, of course.”
“It’s a valid reason. Why would your brother—”
“Lex is just pretending to be concerned when in reality he’s using Kirk’s absence to move his own stooges into place, like that Carl friend of his. If Kirk doesn’t watch out, there’ll be no room for him.” Holly threw away the last few pebbles in disgust and dusted her hands.
“I still don’t see why Lex would do that.” Irritation rose in her. What did Holly know? She was biased and overdramatic; she had no idea what Lex was really like. The Lex Jacinta knew would never stoop to petty jealousy.
Holly’s face glowered. “It’s obvious, isn’t it? Kirk stole Lex’s girlfriend and married her, and Lex has never forgiven him. That’s why.”
Jacinta stared at Holly. “Kirk’s wife was Lex’s ex-girlfriend?”
“Yes.” Holly squinted at her, the scowl evaporating. “You didn’t know about Alison? She was one of the Hancocks. Those Hancocks, the ones that own a third of California.”
Jacinta didn’t know about any of Lex’s past girlfriends, but everyone knew who the Hancocks were. Another billionaire family like the Rochesters. She could just imagine what Alison Hancock must have been like—sophisticated, elegant, assured of her place in society. Had Lex been in love with Alison Hancock? Was that why he resented Kirk? The idea of Lex being in love with someone else—someone so rare and refined—brought a cramping pain to her sides.
Conscious of Holly’s curious stare, she quickly composed herself. “I didn’t know. Lex doesn’t talk about that kind of thing.”
Holly bit her lip. “I guess that was sorta tactless of me. It happened years ago.”
But Holly had suggested it still rankled with Lex, that the real reason for the lack of trust between the cousins was because Kirk had stolen the woman Lex loved.
“I should ask Lex about it sometime.”
Holly sucked in her cheeks. “He’ll probably call me an interfering busybody but yeah, I think he should tell you. There shouldn’t be any secrets between you.” She raised her chin, still bold, before her gaze shifted and her expression brightened.
“Kirk! You’ve finally arrived.” Brushing past Jacinta, she ran toward the garden entrance.
The man who must be Kirk walked toward them. He was tall and broad-shouldered, with more than a passing resemblance to Lex, though his figure was distinctly leaner. His gaunt face lifted into a smile as Holly hurried up to him.
“Hello, Holly,” he said in a quiet voice. “Thought I’d find you out here.”
Jacinta stood still. So this was Kirk, Lex’s cousin. The man who had stolen and married Lex’s girlfriend.
Chapter Eight
“So you’re Jacinta.”
Aware of Kirk’s eyes assessing her, Jacinta shook his hand, hoping he hadn’t overheard any of the conversation between her and Holly.
“And you must be Kirk,” she said.
“Has Holly been talking about me? She’s a chatterbox, my sister.” He grinned as Holly aimed a punch at his arm. “Nana was looking for you, Holly. She needs some help with something. Do you mind?”
“Of course not. See you later.” She took off through the trees in the direction of the house.
Kirk turned back to Jacinta. “I hear this is your first visit to Mariposa. What do you think of the place?”
“It’s magnificent, the little I’ve seen of it.”
“My grandfather bought Mariposa for my grandmother when he made his first millions. Back then, it was falling to pieces, especially the gardens.” He gest
ured around him. “All this is thanks to my nana’s dedication.”
On the surface Kirk seemed normal enough, but she sensed turbulence beneath the politeness. He looked wired and weary at the same time. A muscle in the corner of his eye twitched every now and then, and his skin was stretched and pallid, with dark circles beneath his eyes, as if he hadn’t had a good night’s sleep in years.
“Would you like me to show you around?” he asked.
“I wouldn’t want to bother you so soon after your trip.”
“It’s no problem.”
“But you look tired—” She broke off, aware she’d wandered into a minefield. Of course he looks tired. He lost his wife not long ago.
“You mean these big bags under my eyes? I think they’re permanent.”
“No, I didn’t mean to imply...”
He waved her off with a wry smile. “Only kidding. We Rochesters aren’t the easiest of people to meet, I’ll admit.”
“Knowing Lex, I guess I should have been forewarned.”
“Let me make it up to you by showing you around some of the gardens.”
“I’d like that.”
They made their way through the gardens, and as they rambled, Kirk told her more about the history of Mariposa. His conversation was cordial, but she felt him still sizing her up.
“How is Lex anyway?” Kirk suddenly said. “I see him around the office, but we don’t get much one-on-one time. Is he okay?”
She was instantly alert. From what she’d been told the two cousins were hardly best buddies, so why the sudden interest in Lex’s welfare?
“Why do you ask?” She feigned bewilderment. “Do you think he’s not okay?”
Kirk lifted one shoulder. “To be honest, he hasn’t looked too good the last couple of months. I haven’t been at the office a lot, but the few times I’ve seen him, he seemed to be under a lot of pressure.”
All her antennae trilled with rising suspicion. Was Kirk probing her for information he could use against Lex? She squinted more closely at him. He appeared genuine, but there was a lot she didn’t know about the relationship between him and Lex. A lot Lex had hidden from her, like what Kirk’s late wife had meant to him. Shouldn’t he have disclosed that information? She found her hands were curled into tight fists.
