by Day Leclaire
She bowed her head, the tears sliding down her cheeks. He was right. What they felt had nothing to do with Bride’s Bay or Daniels Investment or reports or business. But that didn’t change the facts. There was no future for them, at least not a permanent one.
And yet… If she couldn’t have forever, she could have this moment. For a few brief hours, she could pretend their engagement wasn’t make-believe. For this one single night she could live a lifetime’s worth of love. Slowly she turned. She didn’t say a word. She didn’t have to.
She saw the struggle in his face, saw his eyes change from a vivid sapphire to a deep midnight blue. A muscle leapt in his jaw and he shook his head. But the rejection never came.
Instead, he took her left hand and lifted it to his mouth. “If I had chosen an engagement ring, it would have been identical to your choice. Something that promises this…”
Then he kissed her, a hot searing kiss, and she went up in flames, melting into his heat. She pressed closer, frustrated by the layers of clothes separating them. He must have felt the same. His hands swept beneath her shirt, pulling it over her head and tossing it to one side. Her shorts vanished next, sliding down her legs unnoticed. He backed her toward the bed, peeling away the last wisps of clothing before tackling his own. When they finally fell to the mattress, nothing remained to hinder them.
His hand cupped her breast, his thumb brushing the rigid tip. She groaned, her thoughts splintering. Desire spiraled out of control, and she shifted beneath him, his hard angles weighing her down and emphasizing the differences between them. Never had she felt so vulnerable, so open.
“Easy, Princess. Slow and easy,” he said, as though sensing her hesitation, her fear of the unknown. “I won’t hurt you. I could never hurt you.”
But he would. Whether he knew it or not, the day would come when he’d hurt her terribly. She smiled up at him, pushing the dark tumbled hair back from his brow. “It’s all right,” she whispered. “I want you. I want you to make love to me.”
She kissed him then, kissed him with all the passion she possessed. And slowly, with infinite care, he gave her words physical expression, showed her the heights and depths and wonder of the love she felt.
In that one night, he gave her a treasure no map could ever uncover, a prize beyond price.
He gave her love.
CHAPTER TEN
TAYLOR AWOKE to the insistent ringing of the phone. She groaned in protest and rolled over, groping for the receiver. “Hello?” she said, yawning.
“Taylor? Why is it that every time I call, you sound like you’re still in bed?”
“Dad?” Her eyes popped open. “No! I’m awake.”
“That’s what you said last time. I don’t believe you now any more than I did before.”
She groped for the sheet, glancing at JT. He lay sprawled on his stomach, one arm flung across her middle. “What’s wrong, Dad?”
“Good question. One I was going to ask you. I just got back into town and read through your faxes. I think it’s time we had a talk, don’t you? A face-to-face talk.”
The faxes. Uh-oh. She closed her eyes, her grip tightening on the receiver. The faxes had gotten a little… brief lately. Perhaps she should have tried for more than a series of two-word updates. It would seem that “Everything’s fine” didn’t cut it. “When? When do you want to get together?”
“Now is good for me,” came the bland retort. “Why don’t I come to your room?”
“What!” She shot out of bed, yanking the sheet with her. JT grunted and sat up, running a hand across his shadowed jaw. “You’re here in the hotel? You want to talk now?”
“Right here and right now. Which room, Taylor?”
It took several long seconds for her to catch her breath enough to answer. It didn’t help any that JT was watching quietly, fixing her with a cool assessing gaze. “It’s…it’s the second floor. Presidential Suite.”
“See you in a couple of minutes,” he said. And then the line went dead.
JT swung off the mattress. “What’s going on?” he asked.
“Boss is here. He’s on his way up.”
JT took instant charge. “Okay, Princess. Get dressed, then make the bed. I’ll pick up the clothes.”
“JT, I…” There were so many things she wanted to say. But even if she could find the right words, there was no time.
He paused, waiting for her to continue. “What is it, sweetheart?”
She shook her head. “Never mind. We can talk later.”
Within minutes, they’d straightened the room and dressed. JT took a final look around before focusing on her. “Are you all right?” he asked, his expression concerned.
She shrugged, struggling to regain the professional facade she’d lost days ago. “He’s my father. I’ll be fine.”
His mouth tightened. “That’s not what I meant and you know it.”
“We don’t have time for a postmortem!” she cried, tension demolishing her defenses. “We made love. It happened.”
“You were a virgin, Taylor. Did you think I wouldn’t notice?”
She glared at him. “If you imagine I’m sorry about that, you’re wrong. I’m glad we made love. I wanted to make love. If you’re feeling regrets—”
“Regrets!” He crossed the room and cupped her face, tugging her close. But before he could say anything further, a knock sounded at the door.
“Please go,” she whispered.
“I’ll stay if you want.”
“I don’t.”
He looked as though he might argue. Then he gave her a quick hard kiss and released her. “Call if you need me.”
She waited until he’d closed the door between their bedrooms before hurrying to admit Boss. “Hello, Dad.”
“Taylor.” He spared her a brief searching glance before crossing the threshold and looking around. “Impressive.” He turned to face her. “Is your report completed?”
She closed her eyes. She’d known this moment would come, had dreaded this conversation. “Yes,” she whispered. “It’s completed. You wanted to find out how best to duplicate Bride’s Bay Resort, and the answer is quite simple. You can’t.”
Boss made an exasperated sound. “Use your head, Taylor. I expected you to see through that excuse long ago.”
Dread balled in her stomach. “What do you mean? What excuse?”
He didn’t answer. Instead, he studied her, his expression calm yet remote. “You have something else to tell me, I believe. A small confession, perhaps?”
She swallowed. Did he know about last night? How could he? “What are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about Jason Richmond.”
She stared at him, shocked. “JT?”
“Then you admit it?”
“Of course I admit it.” She hesitated, not quite certain what she was admitting to. “I guess. I hired JT to help with my report, if that’s what you mean.”
“You hired…” It was Boss’s turn to stare in disbelief. “The man is worth a fortune. What do you mean you hired him?”
She couldn’t hide her confusion. “A fortune? No. You’ve got the wrong man. I’m talking about JT Richmond. He rides a motorcycle and wears jeans. He lives in this dilapidated cottage outside of Charleston—”
“He may wear jeans, but that Harley he owns is a very expensive classic. And far from residing in a cottage, he happens to live in a mansion on Murray Boulevard and has a balance sheet even Croesus would envy.” Boss’s mouth tightened. “You don’t know who he is, do you?”
“He’s…he’s an islander,” she stammered. “He’s someone who has access to the information we need—”
“I believe what your father is trying to tell you is that I’m Jason Teach Richmond. As in Teach Development.”
Slowly Taylor turned to look at JT. He stood in the threshold between the two rooms, his expression hard and set, his eyes a wintry blue. Was it just hours ago that this man had held her in his arms, had made passionate love
to her? The man who faced her now was a stranger. “You’re Teach Development?” she whispered.
“Of course he’s Teach,” Boss interrupted impatiently. “I don’t know how you happened to fall into his hands, but it must have been his lucky day. Help with your report?” He snorted. “Sabotage it, more likely.”
“Is that true?” she demanded of JT. “The information you’ve given me… it’s all lies?”
“Not all of it.”
“We just have to try and separate fact from fiction, is that it?” Boss said. “Shrewd, Richmond. Very shrewd. I guess you consider us even now. I ruined your business and now you’re trying to ruin mine.”
“Not even close,” JT retorted in a cold implacable voice. “You’ve made a life’s work out of destroying lives. All I’ve done is stop you from messing with the ones on Jermain Island.”
Boss laughed in genuine amusement. “Do you really think that’s what you’ve done? Do you think that because you fooled my daughter, palmed erroneous information off on her, that will stop me?”
Taylor closed her eyes. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. This couldn’t be happening. The man she loved, the man she’d given herself to body and soul, had lied to her from the beginning. He was nothing but a fraud.
“You’re not giving up?” JT asked Boss. “Then what’s the plan?” He tilted his head to one side, his tone contemplative. “Let’s see… What’s your usual method of operation? As I recall you compete with a business, undercut their rates until you drive them into bankruptcy and then snatch up the remains at a bargain price. Is that close?”
“Very clever, Richmond. I congratulate you on your business acumen.”
“It will never happen. Not with Bride’s Bay.”
“Time will tell, won’t it?” Boss retorted. “Despite your attempts to interfere, I think Taylor has gathered enough information to be of use. I’m sure she’ll have picked up on any weak spots the resort might have.”
Taylor cleared her throat, not bothering to confirm or deny her father’s statement. “How? How are you going to compete with Bride’s Bay?”
But JT answered once again. “A person’s only allowed on the island if he’s either a guest at the resort or owns property.” He stared at Boss. “My guess is that you own property. Quite a bit, if you’re going to build a competing hotel.”
Boss shook his head in admiration. “I am impressed, Richmond. Truly impressed. I can see I made a mistake all those years ago. Instead of taking over your first business—the one I ruined before you became Teach Development, I should have taken over you.”
JT simply smiled. “Not possible, I’m afraid. I have this rather disgraceful ethical streak. It wouldn’t have gone over well at Daniels.”
“I notice that ethical streak didn’t stop you from lying to my daughter,” Boss commented with noticeable irony. “How did you keep her in the dark about your identity? She’s normally quite levelheaded. Or don’t your ethics prevent you from getting what you want by seducing-”
Taylor covered her ears with her hands. “Stop it! Stop it, both of you. I don’t want to hear any more.” She glared at JT, her breath coming in painful gasps. “I thought you were different. I thought—”
“He’s a businessman,” Boss cut in. “As ruthless as every other businessman at getting what he wants. If you hadn’t let your emotions interfere with your better judgment, you’d have seen that. You’ve been around enough men like him.”
JT stepped closer. “Taylor—”
She backed away. “Don’t! Just… don’t.”
Boss dropped a comforting arm around her shoulders. “Let’s go, Taylor. I’ll arrange for someone to pack your clothes and deliver them to your apartment. I have a car waiting downstairs. Come with me.”
She shook her head. “You go. I’m not leaving until I’ve had a chance to speak to JT in private.”
“Is that wise?” Boss murmured. “Use your head. Remember your training.”
“My training?” She laughed, the sound harsh and raw. “It’s a little late for that, I’m afraid. Please wait for me downstairs. I’ll be through soon.”
To her relief, he didn’t argue. The minute the door closed behind him, she rounded on JT, intent on learning the truth—assuming he’d share it with her. “So your name is Jason Teach,” she said. “Any relation to Shadroe Teach?”
JT inclined his head. “He’s my uncle. The one who raised me after my parents died.”
“And Shadroe, the Jermains, Judge Bradshaw, the employees…” She pressed her hands together to keep them from shaking. “They all know who I really am, why I came here, that our engagement is a sham?”
“They know all of it,” he confirmed coolly. “They have from the start.”
She blinked back tears, more hurt than she’d imagined possible. “Why? Why did you lie to me?”
“You know why. To protect the island from Boss.” He ran a hand through his hair. “And I didn’t lie, not really. I own that cottage where we met. I bought it after leaving the island.”
“Before you became Teach Development? That was the business you started after my father…”
“Stole my first company. Yes to both questions. Nor did I lie about my identity.”
No, he hadn’t. She’d just failed to make the connection between JT Richmond and Teach Development. “You promised to keep my identity a secret,” she stated, instead.
“I agreed to keep silent only if Daniels Investment’s plans weren’t illegal or wouldn’t harm the economy of the island. But they were harmful, weren’t they? And just so you know, Princess—if it meant protecting the island and the people on this island, I’d do it again.”
She sighed, the anger dying, only the pain remaining. “Believe it or not, I don’t blame you for that. And for what it’s worth, if I’d known Boss’s true plans, I’d never have gone along with them. But did you have to…” Her voice broke and she took a quick breath, forcing herself to go on. “Did you have to make it personal? Couldn’t you have just given me the false information without… without…” She shook her head, her throat closing over.
“Without making love to you?” He approached, refusing to allow her to back away again. His hands fastened around her upper arms and he pulled her into his embrace. “No. I couldn’t. I took one look at you and I knew I had to have you. It didn’t matter to me that you were a Daniels, that you were out to ruin my friends and family.”
“Don’t lie to me! Not now. You don’t…you don’t care for me. All that matters is protecting the island. You’re no different from Boss. You’re both out to win regardless of the cost, regardless of who gets in the way.”
Anger flared in his eyes. “If you believe that, then you don’t know me very well.”
“Don’t I?” She searched his face, hoping to discover the truth. But he was as impossible to read as Boss. “You used me. You made love to me to keep me off-balance, to keep me from pursuing my investigation, didn’t you?”
He released her, taking a step back. “Wasn’t that your original plan, too? What did you say after that first kiss? You’d do anything it took to accomplish your job—including seducing the hired help.”
“And you believed that?”
“Why not. You believe it about me, don’t you?” He lifted an eyebrow. “Well? Don’t you?”
She didn’t know what to think anymore. Only he could provide the answers she so desperately sought. “Tell me the truth. Please, JT. Was last night just business?”
But he only shook his head. “That’s for you to decide. But before you do, consider this. Do you really think last night was all a lie? Was it a lie for you?”
“I don’t know!” she cried in anguish. “I don’t know what to believe anymore.”
His expression closed over. “Then I guess there’s nothing left to be said.”
She held out her hand. “JT…”
But he didn’t relent. “I can’t help you, Taylor, nor will I defend myself against Boss’s
accusations. Either you trust me or you don’t. It’s your choice.”
“You’re asking me to choose between you and my father.” She’d known it would come to this. She’d always known. And yet she still wasn’t prepared to face that choice.
“Yes, I am.”
“Well, I can’t. I just can’t.”
Without another word, she fled from the room, racing down the staircase and out the lobby door. Boss’s limo sat in the circle outside the resort, the engine running. She didn’t wait for the driver, but climbed into the back seat, fighting to hold her tears at bay.
“Are you all right?” Boss asked in a surprisingly gentle voice.
She didn’t bother to lie. “No.”
“You’re in love with him, aren’t you?”
“Yes.” She took a deep breath, brushing the dampness from her cheeks. “And don’t ask me to rationalize my feelings or try to be logical about all this. Sometimes…” Her voice threatened to break, but she forced herself to finish. “Sometimes need outweighs logic.”
Boss sighed. “I’ll take your word for it. I wouldn’t know.”
“Why didn’t you tell me the real purpose behind my investigation?” she asked bitterly.
“Because you wouldn’t have gone along. I did plan on telling you eventually. But then I was called away and…” He shrugged. “I’m sorry you were hurt. That was never my intention.”
She stared out the window. “Where is the hotel going in?”
“On the north side. We’re heading there now. I thought you might like to see the site.”
A few minutes later they pulled up in front of a big white estate by the forest. It was the very one she’d admired just a week ago. “You own the forest, too?” she asked.
“Yes. As well as the first few houses in the village that border it. I think a high-rise hotel will do very nicely here. What do you think?”
She smiled sadly. “You don’t want to know what I think. I don’t suppose you’re willing to reconsider your plans?”
“Not a chance.” He tilted his head to one side, studying her. “It might be just as well this happened. You’re not quite vice-president material. At least not yet. This should help toughen you up, make you less gullible.”
