Charming Jane_A Reverse Harem Romance

by Kristin Coley

  “You speak from experience.”

  “Yes, it was always one of my favorite parts of mission trips; seeing the stars from a different perspective.”

  “I’ve been to cities all over the world, but I’ve never seen stars like you describe.” He sounded sad at the thought, and I tore my eyes from the sky to look at him. “Perhaps you can show me one day.”

  “I would enjoy that.”

  “Glad you blokes finally decided to show up. I thought the boat was going to leave without us.” Buster’s booming brogue caught my attention, and I smiled as I saw his outfit. He’d decided to celebrate America’s independence with a Scottish kilt. “I’ve been putting lassies off all night asking me if I’m wearing anything under my kilt; as if it’s their business.”

  “The boat would not have left without us,” Michael commented confidently.

  “Did any of those lassies ask to take a peek?” Ian asked with a smirk. I tapped Ian on the arm and stood on tiptoe to kiss Buster’s cheek.

  “Thank you for waiting.”

  “Anything for you, lass.”

  “Of course, anything for Jane,” Ian mocked him as he exchanged an exaggerated eye roll with Michael.

  “Well, I appreciate it,” I said, tucking my arm in Buster’s.

  “Wait a damn minute.” Ian gave us a disbelieving look as we walked past them. “I thought you were my date for the evening.”

  “Perhaps when you learn how to treat a lady, lads,” Buster called back as we sailed on board the boat. We were offered champagne as we entered the deck, which we both declined. “Need to keep my wits tonight, lass.” Buster gave an exaggerated shiver. “Not right fond of a tub in the water.” He gave an uneasy glance down at the river below us.

  “Buster, I didn’t realize you were afraid of boats. You didn’t have to come if it bothers you.”

  He gave me a sharp glance. “With Ian’s unpredictable behavior, I want to make sure he doesn’t take a drunken header off this box of matchsticks.” He shook his head. “My luck, I’ll have to jump in after him and fish the blighter out.”

  I patted the arm my own was looped through. “We’ll make sure that’s unnecessary this evening. I don’t think any of us wish to see you or Ian get wet tonight.” He harrumphed, his eyes moving constantly as he kept us as far away from the railing as possible. “You’re nothing but a big softie, Buster McTavish.”

  “Aye, now, don’t be revealing my secrets, lassie. I have a tough enough time keeping them in line as it is.”

  I laughed as I said, “Your secrets are safe with me, you big lummox.”

  “And now you’re calling me names.”

  “I would think you would consider that a compliment.”

  “Maybe so.” He threw me a wink as we walked in to the dining room where a band played. The music was a lively swing that had my toes tapping as Michael and Ian joined us. Michael gestured to the band.

  “Are you a fan?”

  “I just like the music.” I nodded to the couples dancing. “What they’re doing looks fun.” The quick beat had them swinging around. The spins and fast footwork looked complicated and a little scary, but exhilarating.

  “Does that mean you’d like to try it?” Ian murmured as he casually draped an arm around my waist.

  “I would, but I’m terrified I’ll land flat on my face.”

  “I would never allow that to happen.” His affronted tone made me smile.

  “In that case, I would love to dance with you.” Right as I said it though, the band called for a break.

  “Thwarted again,” he frowned. “At this rate, I may never get an opportunity to dance with you.”

  “They’ll be back, once we’re further down the river.” As we spoke, I could feel the boat pushing away from the pier. “You will owe me a dance then, Ian Wright.”

  “Do you have a dance card, so I can write it in?”

  “I do not.” His ridiculousness made me grin, and it grew only wider with his next words.

  “Then I guess that means they’re all mine.” His self-satisfied smirk had me tapping my knuckles against his stomach.

  “And what may I ask, do you think is all yours?” Michael’s drawl only increased Ian’s smirk as he answered.

  “Jane’s dances. They all belong to me this evening, so I’m afraid you’ll have to find another lady tonight, brother.”

  “Then how perfect is it that I should be here in need of an escort.” The simpering voice caused the arm around my waist to tighten as Ian’s face lost its lightheartedness. Buster’s gaze sharpened at Ian’s reaction, and Michael’s face tightened almost imperceptibly. “You don’t mind if I join you gentlemen, do you?”

  Michael’s infallible manners came to the forefront at that moment as he said, “Of course not, Audra. I didn’t know you’d be attending the evening’s event, or I would have had you join us sooner.”

  Tension emanated from the man beside me, and I kept my arm tucked firmly around him. I cursed myself for not talking to Michael and Buster before now about what I knew. If it were true, it would explain Ian’s inexplicable behavior of late. I knew she’d been at the gala we’d attended, but it didn’t explain the first drunken incident. Had Ian seen her somehow that night? Was she the girl he’d loved?

  A quick peek at his face revealed a burning hatred as he stared at her and assured me she was indeed the woman who’d betrayed him. His gaze shuttered almost instantly, but it was enough for me to know this evening had just become a whole lot more complicated. I met Buster’s eyes, and the tiny tilt of his head told me he understood. The likelihood of Ian actually jumping off the riverboat had just increased exponentially. Buster may not fully understand, but he did know Ian.

  “We were just about to sit down for dinner. Your timing is impeccable.” Ian’s snide tone did not go unnoticed by Michael as he gave his brother a quick glance. He offered his arm to Audra, who took it gracefully.

  “Let me escort you to the table. You will, of course, dine with us.” His narrowed eyes warned Ian, but the brittle smile he gave in return warned me this was not going to be pleasant.

  “And who are you?” Audra’s question drew my attention as we sat down. She was attempting to determine what my presence here meant, and as I felt her gaze rake over me, she gave the impression I came up lacking.

  “None of your business,” Ian replied shortly, sitting a little closer than the chairs intended. His posture was guarded and protective toward me and only succeeded in igniting Audra’s curiosity. It had been unspoken, but I knew Michael wanted to keep my presence in their life from coming to their parents’ attention. I hadn’t figured out why, but if we weren’t careful, his reasons wouldn’t matter. Audra would know the truth.

  “Ian.” There was no mistaking the rebuke in Michael’s voice or the warning in his eyes, and I felt Ian shift microscopically further away from me. “My apologies, Audra. My brother has apparently forgotten his manners. Jane is a friend. She kindly decided to join us for the celebration this evening.”

  “Your brother’s reputation precedes him.” Her smile was a little too familiar, and I felt an unfamiliar jealousy spark inside of me. If she was who I thought she was, then she knew Ian far more intimately than I did.

  She also betrayed him in ways you never would, I reminded myself.

  “I take no offense.” Her attention turned back to me then. “So, you live in New Orleans?”

  The first course was set before us, delaying my answer, and I felt Ian squeeze me knee. I smiled to let him know I understood.

  “I’m actually visiting for the summer.”

  I kept my answer short and sweet. If she wanted more she’d have to dig, and from her frustrated expression she knew it.

  “You have friends or family in the city?”

  “Family friends,” I lied obliquely. My smile was pleasant as I dipped my spoon into the mushroom soup in front of me. It wasn’t in my nature to be rude, but I also had no desire to tell this woman anything. At t
he very least, she was there to spy on the brothers, but if my suspicions were true, then she had also decided to torture Ian while she was here.

  The rest of dinner went along the same lines as I kept my answers brief. Occasionally, I’d turn the conversation back on her in an attempt to see if she’d reveal anything incriminating. She was far better at eluding answers than I was, though. Michael was understandably confused by my dislike of Audra, not realizing what I knew. Ian had managed to hide behind a pretense of manners the last time they’d met, but whatever had happened between them at the gala had shattered it.

  Buster’s presence was a relief as he joked and told unbelievable tales of his childhood in Scotland. It was the only thing keeping Ian from jumping up from the table, and the fact that I’d hooked my foot around his. When I’d done it, he’d managed a small smile. It wasn’t enough to stop him if he truly wanted to get up, but it would make it awkward.

  I was afraid of what would happen if he left. I’d caught him eyeing the bar a few times, and he’d drunk mine and his glasses of wine with dinner. There was nowhere to escape to, and as the dinner wore on, the boat seemed to shrink. Buster tugged at the collar of his shirt, and I knew how he felt. Any excitement I’d had about the fireworks was long gone as my desire to escape increased. Ian’s jaw was so tight I didn’t know how he hadn’t broken a tooth yet. He hadn’t touched his food, keeping to a liquid diet.

  “Do you have any children, Jane?” Her seemingly innocuous question had me slipping my foot away from Ian and not a second too soon. His entire body went rigid, and at her next words, he shoved himself roughly from the table. “I had a bit of a scare in college, but some girls try and hook a man early. You aren’t one of those, are you?”

  If there had been the slightest question in my mind as to who she was, it was gone now.

  Before I could blister her with my answer, Michael replied. “The absolute temerity of your question astounds me. Do not for a second think I will allow you to cast aspirations on Jane’s character. She is our guest, and you would do well to know your place.”

  The cutting edge of his words caught Audra by surprise, and as she glanced at him, I stood up. Ian had been hanging on by a thread, and her last remark had pushed him over the edge. I was worried what might happen if I didn’t find him quickly.

  Buster stood with me, and I pointed him toward the left as I went to the right. One of us would find him. The steamboat had several decks, but the bar was on this one. If Ian kept to his usual behavior, he’d find a bottle first.

  Fifteen minutes later, I let out a sigh as I spotted his silhouette tucked into a dark corner.

  “I thought you might have swam to shore,” I said, attempting a joke, but relief made my voice shaky and caused the joke to fall flat.

  “The thought crossed my mind, but I found I’m not entirely suicidal. That current is deceptive.” He flashed me his familiar cocky smile. “Plus, I pictured your disappointed face and resigned myself to the corner instead.” He held up a bottle of brown liquid. “A fine gent at the bar was more than willing to allow me to procure a bottle for a reasonable price. Care to join me?”

  “Best offer I’ve had tonight,” I answered as he scooted over to give me room. We were wedged on a seat meant for one, but the tight press of his body kept me warm. There was a breeze off the river, and even though the days were sweltering, the temperature dropped considerably on the water at night. He handed me the bottle with a grin that dared me to drink. I took a deep breath, already anticipating the burn, and tipped the bottle up.

  I coughed.

  It was inescapable.

  My eyes watered as warmth trickled down to my stomach.

  “I’m impressed.” He laughed, taking a swig from the bottle.

  “It was Audra, wasn’t it?” The question slipped out. I knew it was, but I needed to hear him say it.

  “You are a determined little thing.” He sighed, setting the bottle on his knee as he rolled his head toward me. His eyes gleamed in the low light as I waited for his answer. “Yes, Audra was the girl I loved; the one who murdered my child for the sum of half a million pounds.” His laugh was bitter as he took another drink and passed me the bottle. I took a small sip, already feeling the effects from the first. “She dared to tell me that she made the same choice anyone would, under the same circumstances. She said, “Who wouldn’t erase a mistake for half a million pounds?” I heard his hard swallow and felt him reach for the bottle I held. “A mistake. She considered our child a mistake. One she could profit from.”

  “Is that what happened at the gala? She told you that?”

  “Yes.” The word was quiet, almost soundless. “I confronted her. She’d disappeared after telling me she miscarried, and then finally admitted she aborted it. Of course, I found out later my parents had paid her, but I always thought maybe there was more. Maybe they threatened her in some way. But no, it was nothing but a reasonable business transaction in her mind.”

  I swiped at the tears trickling down my cheek.

  “She is a horrible person. No child’s life should be measured by its’ worth in dollars or pounds.” I wouldn’t condemn a woman for her choice in having an abortion, but this was wrong. She’d done it without Ian’s knowledge, after leading him to believe she was happy about it. Then to accept money to abort their child …. I couldn’t process that depth of betrayal. Both from a woman he believed he loved and the parents who should have loved him.

  “Then for her to say that to you.” He sighed and drank from the bottle. “I was afraid of what I would do, so I walked out and left you there with her.”

  I patted his arm.

  “It’s okay. I was about to ream her when Michael did it for me.” I smiled as he gave me a startled look. “He didn’t understand the underlying meaning, but he’s Michael. He told her she couldn’t cast aspirations on my character or some such thing. It was very Michaelish.”

  His laugh was a little rough, but more real that time.

  “I wouldn’t have run off this time,” he admitted in a rush, and I felt my heart kick a little harder.

  “You don’t have to explain to me, Ian. I understand now.”

  “No, you don’t.” He gave me a bittersweet smile. “You really don’t, and I think that’s what I love best about you, Jane.” The word love made my heart skip a beat. “You can’t comprehend hurting someone so terribly, and you would never do what she’s done.” He threaded his fingers with mine. “You also wouldn’t react as I have. You’re a much better person than I am, Jane, and I want to be better; for you.” His simple declaration had my heart soaring. “So, when I say I wouldn’t have run off, I meant it. I needed a few minutes to get myself under control, but I intended to find you. I’m not perfect.” He held up the bottle as proof. “But I want to be good enough for you. And that means facing my demons, instead of running from them.”

  “Ian, you have your flaws, but those flaws make you the man you are, and I wouldn’t trade one single aspect of you, for anything.” I traced my finger around his eye, down his cheek, and to his jaw, settling my palm against his face. “You think you aren’t good enough for me, but I never dreamed I would have the love of a man as kind as you.”

  His eyes glistened a second before his lips met mine. The chaste press of his mouth surprised me, and I held still as I felt his warm lips move. He placed tiny kisses along the seam of my lips, and as they parted, I tasted the liquor on his breath or perhaps it was mine, I thought vaguely.

  The thought was lost as our lips met more firmly, and I felt the velvet soft brush of his tongue against my lower lip. He pulled back slightly, and I drifted forward, the heated scent of his skin a drug that called to me. He didn’t resist me, instead placing gentle kisses against my upper lip and along my cheekbone. The skin along his jaw was silky smooth, letting me know he’d shaved right before we left, otherwise the golden stubble he normally had would have chafed my skin.

  “You taste better than I ever imagined.” His low vo
ice was rough as he dipped his head and brushed his lips against mine once more. The kisses were barely there, brushes and strokes that hinted at a deeper desire. “I want to consume you, but like my favorite bourbon, you must be savored.” He pressed a kiss right between my eyebrows, the heat from his lips branding my skin, even as the stroke of his thumbs along my neck sent a shiver through me.

  “Ian,” I sighed, my own voice unrecognizable to me as desire threaded through it.

  “Love,” he replied with a peck against my nose before he pushed me back. “You would lead a man straight into hell with voice like that, and he wouldn’t think twice about the burn.” His words penetrated the haze of longing, and I smiled at the idea that I could tempt a man such as Ian. He groaned the next words. “That smile. I’m a doomed man.”

  “Would you have it any other way?” I replied, wondering where this flirty vixen had come from. It was so unlike me, but his utter sincerity gave me a confidence I hadn’t expected.

  “No, love. I wouldn’t.”

  He tilted his head back down, sealing our lips together, and as I wrapped my arms around his neck, there was a thunderous boom. We broke apart, startled, as the first fireworks lit the sky.

  “I do believe you’ve made me see stars, Ian Wright,” I told him with a laugh as the booms continued, sending a spectacular show into the night sky above us.

  Chapter Twenty

  “Would anyone care to tell me what the bloody HELL is going on?” Michael demanded as he stormed into the hotel suite. Anger vibrated off him as Buster stood behind him with a sympathetic expression.

  I’d known Ian couldn’t handle another go around with Audra that evening, not without him potentially losing it in a rage. I’d texted Buster telling him we were going to get off the riverboat as soon as it docked and find our way back to the hotel. I’d asked him to stay with Michael, because I didn’t trust Audra at all. There was still no reason she needed to be here, except to keep an eye on Michael and his business dealings, and while I had no doubt Michael could take care of himself, I wanted Buster with him.