She kept her eyes straight ahead, not daring to glance around and risk eye contact yet with Rhett. No telling what the man would do when he saw her, no matter what Aidan thought. Lily on the other hand could always bolt, just like she had on her very first date with Rhett.
“Don’t worry,” Aidan whispered in her ear, “I’ll keep an eye out and protect you. I’ll even try to maneuver you into a position to get a few minutes alone with Rhett. If you’re still sure that’s what you want.”
“I’m second guessing myself now. Maybe this was a bad idea.”
“Now come on, Lily. You wanted a chance to explain, and this may be your last opportunity.”
He guided her to a quiet spot at the far edge of the terrace near the garden. “This looks like a safe spot to leave you while I go get us a couple drinks.”
“Leave?” She grabbed his arm.
“Why are you so jumpy?”
“Rhett threw me out the last time I was here.”
He gave her a wry smile. “Don’t you think that’s a bit of an exaggeration? I’ve never known Rhett to be overly forceful with women.”
“He tossed my plants all over the terrace and threw my palms in the pool.”
Aidan gaped at her.
“Well? What do you have to say now?”
“Maybe you have a right to be a tad nervous, but I have to say—” He rubbed his hands together. “—this is going to be fun.”
Before she could form a retort, he patted her shoulder and headed for the portable bar set up near the pool.
Lily suddenly felt very alone and cast several furtive glances about the expansive terrace. A dozen clusters of guests milled about the large pool. Others talked and laughed in groups about the terrace. There was enough noise spilling from the open French doors to indicate a goodly number of guests had remained inside the mansion.
What was taking Aidan so long? She could use a fortifying glass of wine. This had been a colossally bad idea and regret had been a step late. All she could do now was tough it out and head for home at the first opportunity.
Her gaze scanned the crowd between the bar and her spot at the edge of the garden, searching for Aidan. Instead, her gaze found Rhett.
He was turned away, speaking to one of his guests. She couldn’t manage to pull her gaze away. He looked so handsome in dark trousers and a pale green polo shirt that hugged his thick biceps. She pulled in a halting breath when he suddenly turned and stared right at her!
Rhett scanned his barbecue crowd to be sure all his guests were happy and suddenly noticed every male head on the terrace had pivoted in the direction of his garden, followed by the collective gazes of their dates and wives. When his fingertips began to tingle, he didn’t have to turn around to know who’d arrived.
Lily.
He turned in the same direction as his guests and stilled.
Lily had her hair pulled up on her head, and a mass of curls dangled and twirled about her nape and ears. Thin tendrils curled about her face. She wore a royal-blue silky blouse thing that clung to her figure with a low and very narrow vee in the front that alluded to sensual mysteries beneath, while showing very little. At least, Rhett sensed the mysteries and stifled an urge to move closer to see what, if anything, could be seen. His gaze slid lower to the white form-fitting capris and simple white leather sandals with her adorable peach-painted toenails winking back at him.
His gaze shot back to her face. She was smiling—at him.
Her eyes sparkled and matched the color of the Gulfstream where the big tarpon hung out. For a moment, he was stunned to find Lily right there on his terrace and looking sexy and gorgeous and . . . strangely defiant.
For one brief second, his body said yank her into your arms and kiss her senseless. In the next second, he noticed every man staring at Lily with some degree of lust, and his hand gripped his drink glass so hard it was a miracle the glass didn’t shatter. His other hand balled into a fist, and he scowled at several leering males to force them to look away.
Who had invited her? Garrett? He felt the scowl tugging at his face. He just might take that proverbial swing at his friend this time. Except he would have missed seeing Lily looking so spectacular if Garrett hadn’t meddled.
Rhett glanced around, but his friend-nemesis was nowhere in sight. How could Garrett just leave Lily alone with Delia prowling about? Another glance across the terrace sent a wave of relief through him. Delia was inside somewhere, probably checking on the caterers.
His gaze shot back to Lily like a metal flake to a magnet. She looked up at that moment and locked eyes with him, the blue of her eyes reminding him of sapphires. She didn’t smile, and he realized, with a start, that he still scowled. He worked to draw a blank expression, and for some inexplicable reason, the stubborn set to her chin made him want to smile. He should be angry. She hadn’t been invited and had shown up anyway.
So who had brought Lily?
Her gaze suddenly shifted to a point behind him, and a radiant smile lit up her face. Rhett felt sucker-punched. How could he forget she looked so drop-dead gorgeous when she smiled like that? He hadn’t forgotten. He just hadn’t allowed himself to remember.
And who the hell had made her smile like that? He followed her gaze to the arbor decorated for barbecue attendees to enter the terrace. He felt his fingers curling back into a fist, which was happening too often as of late. Her grower-cum-charity gala date Shaw, damn him, had just stepped through the entrance arbor. Rhett narrowed his eyes in a glare.
Shaw hesitated and then turned back to the arbor to take hold of the elbow of an older, well-dressed matron. The woman looked familiar, and Shaw seemed attached to her in some way. His mother, perhaps?
Rhett’s fist slowly uncurled. Confused, he turned back to face Lily and got his second shock in as many minutes. Aidan Cross stepped close to Lily and handed her one of the two wine glasses he carried. She smiled warmly at him, and he whispered something in her ear. Watching Aidan stealthily slide an arm around Lily’s slender waist had Rhett dying to take a swing at the guy. Garrett had some deep explaining to do this time.
What the hell was Lily doing with Aidan Cross anyway? Didn’t she know better? The guy had been seducing women since their college days. He was a complete hound dog. Rhett suppressed a knee-jerk urge to cross his terrace and yank Lily away from Aidan, then shout some sense into her.
Lord! Anyone, but Cross.
He’d take Cross apart if he tried to seduce his Lily. He stepped forward, stopped, then frowned. His Lily?
“Oh, there he is,” a feminine voice said from behind him.
He turned at the sound, and Rob Shaw stepped forward, still gripping the older matron’s elbow. Shaw glowered. Probably angry Cross was across the terrace with Lily and her treasonous heart. How dare she strut into Rhett’s home and sidle up to other men right under Rhett’s nose?
Much as it galled him, Rhett extended a hand to Shaw. His barbecue after all. He had to play host, like it or not.
Shaw stared at the hand for a moment, then gripped it hard and gave it one good shake. “Rob Shaw,” he said.
“I remember.” Rhett worked hard not to snarl.
“And this is—”
“Olivia Shaw,” the older woman interjected and popped up a hand.
So, it was the grower’s mother or aunt. The thought didn’t make Rhett relax. Shaw could still be Lily’s date today. Maybe he was glowering about Cross’s arm around her.
“—from the Jupiter Island Garden Club,” Mrs. Shaw was saying. “Thank you so much for your invitation, Mr. Buchanan.”
“Call me Rhett, please,” he said reflexively and worked to unclench his teeth.
“Rhett, then.” She beamed at him. “The Garden Club takes great pride in wonderful landscape designs on the island, and your garden is one
of the loveliest,” she rambled on.
Shaw stood stoically by her side, faced toward Lily and watching her while Rhett was stuck in conversation with his mother.
“My husband couldn’t make it today. Business you know. So, my son Rob agreed to escort me.”
Shaw spoke up then. “Let’s move along, Mother. Buchanan has other guests to greet besides us.” He tugged on his mother’s elbow.
Rhett fought back a glare. He actually preferred Shaw where he could watch him and not milling around Lily out on his terrace. Movement at the French doors to his great room caught Rhett’s eye. Delia was perched to step out onto the terrace as she gave an earful to a passing waiter.
Rhett had better go run interference. No telling what Delia would do when she spotted Lily, and mad as he was right about now, he couldn’t be sure he would actually step in and stop her.
Lily spotted Rob the minute he stepped through the entrance arbor.
“I’m jealous,” Aidan told her, as he approached carrying two glasses of white wine. “Who put that radiant smile on your face?”
“Rob Shaw,” Lily said delightedly, taking one of the glasses. “Now, I’ll have two protectors here.”
“Three, if you count Garrett.”
“Since I haven’t seen him, I can’t count him.”
“Now don’t stop smiling. Garrett’s around,” Aidan said and slipped an arm around her waist.
She instinctively flinched at his unexpected touch.
“Easy there,” Aidan soothed. “Don’t look now, but Mr. Buchanan is watching and looks none too happy.”
“Really?”
“Really. Almost as black a look as the one I got at the charity gala.” He leaned around to look into her eyes. “Why the long face?”
She sighed. “I’m thinking this is a bad idea. I mean this is Rhett’s home after all. And he didn’t invite me.”
Aidan frowned. “No, but he did invite me, and you’re my date, so he has to be polite. This is a great idea and the perfect place for settling unfinished business.”
He glanced over at Rhett. “Mr. Shaw doesn’t look any happier about being here than you do, which I’m delighted to say will only add to the high drama.”
Sure enough. Rob had escorted his mother over to meet their host who graciously reached for the woman’s hand and said something to make her beam at him. When Rhett’s gaze shifted to Rob, his icy stare was evident even to the two figures huddled at the back of the terrace.
“He doesn’t want to be here,” Lily agreed. “Not really. At the last minute, his father backed out, so his mother called and asked Rob to take her. He only agreed because he could look out for me while he was here.”
She grinned. “He said he couldn’t depend on you.”
“I’m wounded,” Aidan said and slapped a hand over his heart.
“You can tell him so yourself. He’s steering his mother over here.”
“What about Rhett?” Aidan spun around. “Oh good Lord, he’s headed for Delia who’s coming out on the terrace. With luck, she won’t spot you.”
Lily didn’t have time to perseverate on that potential threat. Rob and his mother had already reached them.
Rhett got stopped twice by guests on his way to intercept Delia. The second time he was but steps away from Delia and could monitor her voice, which thankfully remained calm and sociable. However, the guest delaying him was anything but. Chester Armstead blocked his path.
“What is this about you transferring your Boca loan out of my bank?” Chester demanded. He kept his tone low since he, too, had plenty of clients present.
“Just what it looks like,” Rhett replied and stared hard at the liver-spotted hand gripping his arm.
Chester removed his hand. “I deserve to know why.”
Rhett leaned over until he was almost nose-to-nose. “No. You don’t.”
He’d had enough of Chester’s arrogance lately, and if the fool continued this rant at Rhett’s barbecue—especially considering the mood Rhett was in, with Lily in plain sight and escorted by his chief nemesis—he would transfer the rest of his loans as well. Today, in fact, since two of BDC’s other bankers were also in attendance.
Maybe Chester had read his mind or at least made the logical leap. He modulated his tone and cajoled, “Come on, Rhett, we can work things out.”
“Work what out, Daddy?” Delia appeared at Chester’s elbow.
Great. Chester would create the high drama anyway. No way would he keep his trap shut.
“Rhett’s transferred his Boca loan to BMO Harris,” Chester said icily.
Delia squared off with Rhett. “Why would you do that to Daddy?”
He flexed his jaw. “It’s business and not something I intend to discuss here, with either of you.”
Chester glared.
Delia gaped.
“Does this have something to do with her being here?” Chester retorted and angled his head toward the spot where Rhett had last seen Lily.
He didn’t have to check to see if Lily was still there when he heard a reptilian hiss from Delia to his right.
“Nothing to do with her,” Rhett answered Chester and slanted a defensive glance at Delia.
Eyes narrowed to slits, she hissed, “What the hell is she doing here?”
An angry Delia wasn’t nearly as beautiful as a happy Delia, and since Rhett had been having difficulty warming up to a happy Delia lately, he didn’t feel particularly compassionate toward an angry one at the present moment.
“How should I know?” he said flatly.
Her eyes narrowed. “You didn’t invite her?”
“No.”
Now he did turn to look at Lily. She’d remained where she was, happily surrounded by Shaw and his mother. Aidan had vanished. Maybe he wasn’t her date. Rhett intended to get to the bottom of that deal.
“For heaven’s sake, stop staring at her!” Delia hissed. “I’m your date, remember?”
He tore his gaze from Lily
“I’m going to tell her to leave,” Delia snapped. “She wasn’t invited.”
Delia took a step, and Rhett stopped her. “No!”
She wheeled on him, her eyes glittering dangerously. “If you didn’t invite her and I didn’t invite her—”
“I did,” Garrett said, stepping forward to interrupt, “indirectly.”
“I should have figured,” Rhett muttered.
Garrett held up a hand. “Before you get all huffy, my friend, remember you told me to invite Aidan Cross. And I did.”
“And I suppose Lily came with Cross?” Rhett growled.
“She did.” Garrett grinned. “And if Aidan hadn’t asked her, I would have.”
“Why?” Rhett demanded.
“Because she did these beautiful floral designs you see everywhere. We owe her.”
“That’s ridiculous,” Delia said huffily. “We don’t owe her a damn thing. As far as I’m concerned, she’s hired help.”
She took off across the terrace, and Garrett moved to follow her, but Rhett grabbed his arm to stay him. Garrett spun around, looking worried.
“Delia’s managing this party like I asked her to,” Rhett said evenly, “so let it go.”
“Delia will get nasty.”
“You should’ve thought of that before you brought Lily in here.” Rhett didn’t like the idea of Delia charging over there to confront Lily either, but Garrett rushing over like a knight in shining armor he liked even less. Let Aidan protect her. He brought her.
And that thought had his hand flexing into a fist again.
Chester butted in again. “At least, we can discuss the loan. Garrett, talk to him. Don’t let him transfer the Boca loan.”
“Beat it, Chester,” Garrett and Rhett
barked in unison.
Indignant, Armstead stalked off to the bar.
Again, Garrett started toward Lily. Again, Rhett stopped him.
“Come on, Rhett. She’s a sitting duck. Delia will be a bitch, and you know it.”
He glared, madder at Garrett than he’d ever been for causing this fiasco. “That’s the price you pay for meddling. Maybe this will teach you a lesson. You should have known this would happen when you invited Lily.”
“I didn’t,” he snapped. “Aidan—”
“—can take of her. I’m ordering you to stay away. Go take care of our clients, which is why we’re having this barbecue in the first place.”
Garrett cursed under his breath, ignored Rhett’s directive to mingle with clients, and stomped over to the cocktail bar closest to Lily to keep watch and swing into action if need be.
Rhett sighed and glanced back at Lily. No sign of Aidan. The ass had abandoned her. Delia was bending Lily’s ear but good, judging by the alarmed expression on Olivia Shaw’s face and the glower on her son. Rhett had let his anger get the best of him when he turned Delia loose. Lily didn’t deserve the sting of Delia’s notoriously wicked tongue. He had better go run interference since Aidan was a no show.
He started after Delia when he felt a tug on his arm and found an elderly matron, another garden club member no doubt, who had patiently waited for his attention ever since he’d evaded her grasp minutes earlier on his way to get to Delia. The woman clung to him this time, and several minutes passed before he could break free.
By then, he was too late to rescue Lily.
Chapter 13
Introductions were swiftly made when Rob and his mother caught up with Lily and Aidan on the terrace.
“You two don’t have anything to drink yet,” Aidan noted.
“We spotted Lily as soon as we got away from Buchanan,” Rob explained. “Haven’t made it to the bar yet.” He looked around.
Cinderella Busted (The Cinderella Romances Book 1) Page 22
