"No!" His laughing slows. "I was trying in my roundabout, awkward way to see if you'd hook me up with Liz."
"Oh!" My hand jumps to cover my mouth as my laughing begins again.
"She's not interested in me, I'm afraid."
"We haven't discussed it that much."
"I thought she was." He continues," we had a few drinks one night and then when I visited her at her studio, she almost kissed me."
"Almost?" My curiosity is racing.
I don't know what happened." He shrugs his shoulders. "We were close, she seemed really into it, and then pulled back and said that she was in love with someone else."
"What? Who?" This is the first I've heard of Liz being in love with anyone.
"She didn't say."
"I'm baffled." I run every man Liz has dated the last few years through my mind. I can't imagine who Brighton is referring to.
"Back to the favor, Ivy."
"Yes." I look directly at him. "What is it?"
"Put in a good word for me with her," he says with a mischievous smirk. "You know, extol all my wonderful virtues."
I nod even though I'm caught at the point in the conversation when he told me Liz was in love. We've always shared everything and now a virtual stranger is telling me she's crazy about some invisible man.
"Of course." I smile back. "I'm supposed to be doing the same with you except in an artistic way."
"What do you mean?"
"The placement. Liz is very hopeful she'll get it."
"She will," he assures me. "I'd like to tell her myself in the next few days. Can you keep it a secret?"
"Absolutely," I say excitedly.
***
"Who is he?" I say the moment Liz opens the door of her apartment.
"What are you doing here so late?"
Judging by Liz's lack of makeup and her sweat pants it seems a call ahead might have been in order.
"You don't sleep anyways, remember?"
"It's midnight." Liz moves aside so I can step in. "What is it?"
"Who is he?" I repeat.
"Who?" Liz shrugs her shoulders before turning to walk into the kitchen to turn on the espresso machine.
"The man you're in love with."
Liz's face turns ashen. "Who told you?"
"Brighton," I say, reaching to grab a cookie off a plate sitting on the counter.
"What did he say?" her voice is trembling.
"He said you're head over heels for some mystery guy."
She stares at me, her eyes beginning to fill with tears. "No."
"No?"
"I'm sorry, Ivy." She turns and runs down the hallway, slamming the bathroom door behind her.
I knock softly. "Liz, please come out. I didn't mean to ambush you. I was just confused." I hear water running and the sound of Liz blowing her nose.
"I'll be right out."
I sit back in the kitchen nursing my cup of espresso and second almond cookie.
"I'm sorry." Liz appears around the corner, no trace of tears left.
"No. I'm sorry I upset you."
"You didn't, sugar." Liz sits across from me. "I told Brighton that so he'd stop pursuing me. I'm not fond of mixing business with pleasure."
"Ah. That makes perfect sense."
She nods her head.
"Why did you get so upset when I mentioned it?"
She sighs heavily before answering. "I just wish a man really loved me, I guess."
"Me too," I say, my mind jumping instantly to Jax.
"It's been a long day."
"You don't have to tell me to get lost twice." I wink at her before giving her a quick hug and heading to the door.
Chapter 11
"Ivy, you look good enough to eat." Brighton's voice greets me as I step out the front door of my building.
"I'm not your type, remember?" I tease.
"Ouch." Brighton feigns grabbing his heart.
"You look wonderful too." I take in the sight of him wearing a tailored gray suit, black shirt and silver tie.
"Red really is your color, Ivy." His gaze follows the neckline of my dress which precariously hovers in a deep v just above my navel. "You brought out the big guns tonight, I see."
I giggle. "I brought out the double-sided tape." I adjust the hem of the dress, which falls just below my knee.
"The car awaits." He motions his hand towards the street.
As we walk in that direction, I decide that now is as good a time as any to revisit the conversation we almost had about Jax and the great lengths he's gone to. I'm still not sure what Brighton meant but some clarification is definitely in order before I see his brother again.
"The other day you mentioned Jax going to great lengths...um...something about him and I?" I fumble for the right words as Brighton and I reach the car.
"You first." He gestures for me to get in the backseat as the driver holds the door open.
"Thank you," I mumble hoping that the conversation isn't going to get sidetracked again.
"Give us a minute," Brighton says to the driver before closing the door. "After I tell you this you may decide you don't want to see me or my brother again."
My heart instantly starts pounding. "I'm really confused."
Ivy." Brighton reaches for both my hands cradling them in his. "My brother…he's…well…to put it mildly…he's obsessed with you."
"Obsessed?"
"He's been in a string of empty relationships. He's dated so many women over the past few years I've lost count."
"I didn't know."
Brighton looks down at my hands. "Are you sure you want to know all of this?"
I nod.
"It started when he was in high school. He was the typical high school heart throb." He pauses to take a long, slow breath before he continues, "it was one girl after another. He'd date one, bed her and dump her."
I shrug feeling somewhat let down by his admission. I don't speak, hoping he'll elaborate.
"Jax has always been about the conquest. That's not just with women but everything." He scowls and I can see that he's not completely comfortable sharing so many details about his brother.
"I thought as much. He does have that air about him," I offer.
"After his father died, it just intensified." Brighton's eyes dart to the people quickly passing by the car. "He would set a goal for himself and then do whatever it took to achieve it."
"And I'm a goal?" I whisper the words, not wanting to hear them myself.
"You are." He reaches for my hand. "But you're different than the others."
"How so?" I bite my lip feeling the unexpected rush of tears approaching.
He squeezes my hand. "Are you sure you want to know all of this?"
"I have a right to know."
He nods and shifts his body so he's looking directly at me. "There was something different about you. He started talking about you right after he moved back to New York." There's a pause and I realize he's waiting for me to respond.
"He told me that a woman he was dating was wearing one of my bracelets and that he sought out the designer," I offer. I share it with him because it's really all I know about Jax's interest in me.
"That makes sense. He saw a write up in one of the papers about your broken engagement and mentioned you and your jewelry."
"He had a lot of my pieces at his apartment."
"He was fascinated by the beauty of your work. He talked about it constantly. He talked about you constantly."
I feel my pulse quickening. I'm not sure whether to feel flattered or upset by this news.
"He left L.A. to come here to find you."
"The jewelry company..."
Brighton nods. "He told me he was going to do that, but until you came to see me the other day I didn't put two and two together. He convinced Madeline to sell half to him so he could be closer to you."
"But at the gallery...at your showing, that was fate." I'm desperately trying to make sense of everything Brighton is sharing w
ith me.
He hangs his head. "No."
"No?"
"Jax asked me to put Liz on my short list of potential placement candidates so you'd be at the opening. We discussed it months ago. It was before he bought into Veray."
"None of this makes sense." I feel my face becoming flush. I just can't absorb everything he's telling me.
"He was so distraught after our mother died. His dad died just a few months before that. When he asked me to help him get close to you I couldn't say no. I told Liz she was a placement candidate before I even saw her work."
"But the other night you said she would be in the program." I think about Liz and how manipulated she's been by all of this.
"She will be, Ivy." He rests his hand on my forearm. "She's so talented. I'm so grateful Jax insisted on her."
"I don't understand any of this." I feel the muscles in my neck tightening.
"Jax is very controlling." Brighton continues, "our mother was like that too. When he wants something, he'll take it. Right now he wants you."
I sit quietly, listening to Brighton's voice and the distant sounds of the streets of Manhattan outside the cocoon of the car.
"I've told him it worries me." His voice becomes softer. "You're all he thinks about."
I lower the window. "We're ready, Sir."
The driver nods.
"You're sure?" Brighton asks with apprehension in his voice.
"Positive, " I say. "I can't wait to see Jax."
***
"The guest of honor has yet to arrive," Madeline says to me even though she's staring straight at Brighton.
"Oh, Madeline, this is Brighton Beck." I step back allowing Madeline space to greet Brighton.
She doesn't waste a moment before she pulls him into a tight embrace. Brighton throws me a quizzed look and I giggle.
"I'm such a huge fan, Brighton. I have one of your paintings in my den. Come." With that Madeline pulls a hesitant Brighton down the hall.
I survey the room quickly, waving to a couple of acquaintances. My mind is still reeling from the information Brighton threw at me before we arrived. Part of me feels flattered by Jax's almost compulsive like interest. The other part is deeply concerned that his fascination is dangerous.
I feel my clutch vibrating and realize I didn't set my phone to silent before Brighton picked me up. I scoop it out of my bag and with one quick glance spot that it's Mark calling. I push the ignore button. The last person I want to deal with tonight is him.
"Ivy Marlow, is that you?" An unrecognizable woman's voice breaks through my thoughts.
I turn to see Jennifer, one of the first buyers I worked with at Veray. "Jen, it's been how long?" I reach to hug her.
"Too long." She smiles warmly. "Where's Mark?"
"We're not together anymore," I say wishing I didn't have to keep explaining Mark's absence to people.
"Really?" She seems genuinely shocked. "I thought you two would do the whole white picket fence, two kids, happily-ever-after thing."
"It wasn't meant to be." Jax's voice interrupts before I can form any sort of reply.
I don't turn to look at him but I realize from Jen's expression that she finds him just as attractive as I do.
"You're Jax Walker, aren't you?" Jen holds out her hand as Jax comes into my peripheral vision.
"And you are?" Jax reaches for her hand, while his other hand finds its way to my back.
"Jennifer Flanagan. I'm a buyer. Well, I used to be a buyer. Although sometimes Ms. Veray will have a special project for me. "She's rambling and apparently isn't aware of it. "I..."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Jennifer." Jax's voice calmly saves us both from Jennifer's overenthusiastic greeting. "If you'll excuse us, Ms. Marlow and I have some business to discuss."
Before I can protest, Jax has me by the arm and is guiding me through the same hallway, Madeline and Brighton disappeared into moments before. As we step through the doorway of a bedroom I get my first frontal glimpse of Jax since I've learned he's semi-stalking me.
As much as I try not to stare it's impossible. He's just shaven, his facial skin glowing gently in the soft light of the room. He's wearing a dark suit, and a light pink shirt opened enough that several small chest hairs are finding their way into my line of sight. I shake my head trying to gain some perspective.
"Where's Brighton?" Jax demands.
"With Madeline." I offer.
"Are you interested in him?" Jax hasn't let go of my arm yet.
"He's interesting."
"That's not what I asked, Ivy." I can tell from his tone that he's losing patience.
"We're friends," I say softly.
"Friends?" His expression turns to uncertainty.
"Yes."
"Are you going to sleep with him?"
"I haven't decided." I lie.
I see the pain in his eyes the moment I say it. "No. You can't."
"Why?" I can feel my heart racing as I stare into Jax's eyes. "Why can't I?"
"He's completely wrong for you." He grabs my other arm now, pulling me closer to him. "I want you."
"You don't want me." I try to pull back but his grasp on me is too strong. "You want to fuck me. As soon as that's done, you'll be done with me."
"I what?" His voice has a hint of anger. "Why would you say that?"
"Brighton. He said...he..." I grope for words, my mind darting back to what Brighton shared with me less than an hour earlier. "Brighton told me all about your past. I know you just use women and then throw them away. "
Jax's hands drop. "He doesn't understand."
"What doesn't he understand?" I press on, "it makes perfect sense to me. When I was at your place, you almost fucked me and that was what? Two days after we met? That's impressive."
"It's not like that with you. I feel things," he states boldly.
I stop. I can't breathe. I stare at him. "It's the same thing you feel each time you chase a woman and catch her." I look past him to the wall, not wanting to meet his gaze. "I'm just a conquest to you."
"You're wrong." He pulls his hand through his hair, pushing it back from his forehead.
"I'm not wrong." I poke my index finger into his chest. "You even used my best friend to get me into bed. Why the hell would you insist on Brighton adding her to his list of candidates? Why go to so much trouble? Why?"
"Brighton's mistaken. The two aren't related. Your friend has real talent."
I scan his face trying to pull out the truth. "Mistaken? Is that your story?"
"It's not a story."
"She means so much to me. You don't understand that. You don't know me." I manage to say.
"I do know you." He reaches for my hand gently cradling it in his. "I know that you were devastated when the person you loved cheated on you. I know that you're a kind, talented and exceptional woman. I know that you deserve to be with a man who cherishes you for the gift that you are. I don't want to hurt you."
I close my eyes hoping that will stop the tears. It doesn't. "Please don't say those things. Please." I feel my clutch vibrating again.
"Ivy, your phone." Jax has obviously noticed the irritating rumble as well. "Do you need to get that?"
"No," I whisper. "We should get back."
"I want to explain more." Jax inches closer to me, his right hand pushes my hair back behind my ear. "Brighton doesn't know what I feel. The other night when we were together, you pulled back because I called you sweetheart. When I saw the pain in your eyes I knew Mark must have called you that too. I hated myself for doing that. For making you think of that bastard and for making you feel pain because of him again. I panicked."
I feel overwhelmed by everything he's saying. "Madeline will be looking for us by now."
"I want to protect you, Ivy." His breath runs across my cheek." I want to help you heal. I want to help you love again."
I look into his eyes, seeing something I hadn't before. There's a vulnerability that wasn't there before tonight. I need time to think.
"We need to get back now. You're the guest of honor."
He stares silently at me for a moment before releasing my hand. "You're right."
As he walks out of the bedroom door, my phone once again starts vibrating.
"Go to hell, Mark." I say under my breath before I follow Jax.
Chapter 12
Ninety minutes, and several dozen stolen glances at Jax later, I'm ready to leave. I search the room for Brighton and spot him delicately kissing the hand of a woman who works in the sales department at Veray. I smile realizing that Liz was right in her decision not to pursue a relationship with such an obvious playboy.
"I'm going to call it a night, Madeline." I reach to give her a quick embrace. "Thank you for including me."
"You know you're part of our family." Madeline looks past me to where Brighton is. "Are you taking him with you?"
I giggle. "No, he's all yours." I give her a quick wink before turning to leave.
As I ride the elevator to the lobby I fish in my clutch for my phone. Five missed Mark calls in total. I sigh thinking that a good night's rest will give me the emotional energy I need to deal with him.
I quickly dial Liz, hoping that I can secure some best friend time tonight. I could really use her perspective to help me sort through what I've learned about Jax and his unexpected confession about his feelings.
"Hello?" Liz screams as she answers. There's a surge of loud background noise wafting through the phone.
"Liz? It's me." I raise my voice hoping she can make out what I'm saying.
"Ivy? Hold on. I'll find a quieter spot."
I exit Madeline's building into an unpredicted rain shower. "Damn," I say as I take cover under the awning hanging over the door.
"Are you still there?" I bring my phone back to my ear.
"I'm here, sugar."
"Where are you?" I ask. "Sounds like way more fun than my night."
Liz laughs. "I'm just out grabbing a drink with a few friends. What's up?"
"I could use some best friend time."
"What happened?"
"Mark. Jax." I sigh heavily. "You know how it is."
"What about Mark?" Liz's voice is clearer now.
"He's called a bunch of times tonight." I step back into the rain, trying to hail a taxi. "Where are you? I'll grab a taxi and come meet you."
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