Spring Into Love

by Chantel Rhondeau

  Finally, the side of my brain that controlled my intelligence came to life and shoved the hormonal side back to where it belonged. I moved away from him just as he began to descend on me.

  “Can’t blame a guy for trying, can you?” He sounded smug, and the urge to punch him in the face made me clench my hands. “I came to tell you that breakfast is ready.” He turned and walked out of the room without saying anything further.

  When he was gone, I sat on the edge of the bed and dropped my face into my hands. Oh, good Lord, this man was going to be the death of me!

  Chapter 9

  Ryan

  It was around seven thirty when the front gate called up to say Jacquelyn had arrived. I stood in the atrium and watched her dark blue Jeep Commander move quickly as it came up the hill and stopped out front. She sat in the driver’s seat peering up at me, her hands gripping the tan steering wheel. I was tempted to run down and pull her into my arms. She was finally here! But I didn’t. Instead, I spun on my heel and went back to my bedroom.

  I hadn’t slept much last night as my mind whirled around with the thought that she might not come back. What if she didn’t? What if she refused to do this? She had to, didn’t she? I mean, I did pay her township an outstanding amount of money to have her services. I finally decided that if she was asked to do something, she would, so she’d be back.

  It wasn’t just that I wanted her here with me; I really did need her help. Things were getting crazy on the sets, and rumors were starting to leak about the things that were happening. I didn’t need any more negative publicity. This year had already been a nightmare with the press.

  Troy and Jackie were talking in the hallway, and I reached to open my door with a grin plastered on my face, but I refrained at the last second. I needed to give her a little time to settle in. When Troy sent me a text saying breakfast was ready a few minutes later, I figured it was as good a time as any to say hello.

  She spun around the moment I stepped through her doorway. Her instincts were incredible, but I already knew that. The look on her face and the light color of her eyes caught and held my attention. We appraised each other for a while before I finally asked her what she thought of her room. I had remembered the earthly look of her the first time I saw her and had purposely had this room decorated to reflect that.

  She said the room was beautiful, but she had no idea what beauty was. I looked it straight in the face. Fresh, vibrant, and earthy. That was what beauty was, and she was it to a T. There wasn’t an actress or model alive who compared to the woman in front of me.

  A few short steps and I stood before her. “Nowhere as beautiful as you are.” Without even a thought, I stepped closer, drawn to her by the need to feel the soft skin of her cheek. I had to be closer. I no longer wanted to imagine the feel of her lips; I needed to feel them, along with her tongue sliding over mine, and her arms holding me tightly. I had dreamed of this woman for months, and I finally had her within reach.

  I shouldn’t have stopped. I should have just moved in to take what I fantasized about. She would have responded; I could feel it, see it in her eyes. The way she explored my face and opened her mouth as the space disappeared between us. Her tongue flicked out to wet her lips, and that alone told me what I needed to know. Maybe I was hoping she would come to me. But she didn’t. Just before I seized the moment, she stepped out of my reach.

  I shrugged. “Can’t blame a guy for trying, can you?” My voice came out all wrong. I knew I sounded like an ass, but I didn’t want her to know that her rejection had stung. “I came to tell you that breakfast is ready.” I spun and left the room.

  In the hallway, I leaned back against the wall, willing the vibrations in my legs to stop. Maybe if I had her, just once, this irrational need would go away. I shook my head and pushed off the wall when my subconscious whispered, once will never be enough. With a sigh, I made my way down to the patio.

  Everyone from the team who stayed at the house had already gathered around the table. “Morning, everyone. Jacquelyn will be down in a few moments; she was just about finished unpacking.” I took a seat and reached for the huge stack of fluffy pancakes that sat in the center of the glass table.

  “I hope you didn’t freak her out,” Roseanne said.

  “I didn’t freak her out, Rose, relax.” I rolled my eyes and grabbed a few pieces of bacon. We all turned toward the back of the house when we heard footsteps hit the flagstone patio.

  She took my breath away as she came to an abrupt stop. The plate of bacon suspended in the air as I was about to put it back down. A moment of unease passed over her features, but she scanned the table and seemed to shift her shoulders and gain control.

  Troy stood up. “Jacquelyn, come sit over here.” He pointed to a chair next to him and moved to hold it out for her.

  “Thanks, Troy.” She smiled up at him. “You can call me Jackie. Jacquelyn can be mouthful.”

  She sat down and shared another smile with him. I forced myself to take a bite of my pancakes and not react to the jealousy that rushed through my veins like acid.

  Troy started the introductions. “Jackie, you met Roseanne yesterday. This is Drew and Robbie. They’re part of our security team. Drew is the other bodyguard; if for some reason we can’t be with Ryan, then he’ll take our place. He is usually with us whenever we travel and will continue to do so while we figure things out. Robbie is in charge of our transportation logistics, and he makes sure things are always secure whenever or wherever we travel.” Jackie acknowledged each man with a quick handshake. I sat quietly watching the exchange while I pulverized my pancakes.

  “Roseanne is our assistant. She does a lot for us, and she is always around to make sure we have what we need. She’s especially here to help you.” Jackie quirked an eyebrow up at Troy as he continued, “If you find you need something, anything, then she will get it for you or find out how to get it if she doesn’t have direct access.”

  “Morning, Roseanne.” The smile Jackie shared with Rose was the brightest I’d seen grace her lips, and I almost bit my tongue while I chewed on a piece of bacon.

  “I can’t wait to work with you, Jackie. I love those CSI shows, so this is going to be so cool watching a real detective figure this all out.” Roseanne gushed out the words with excitement, causing Jackie to laugh. The sound was musical, and Troy and I exchanged a quick glance.

  “It’s really not as exciting as it looks on television, but you work in the movie business, so you should already know that.” They shared another laugh.

  “Yeah, I know. But that’s TV, this is real life!” Even I laughed at how exciting she made it all sound.

  “So, is this the whole team?” Jackie asked.

  I was chewing so Troy answered. “No, this is only the part of the team who knows exactly why you are here. We have eight other people, but they mostly work the sets and scene areas.” He reached over and picked up the coffee carafe that was out of her reach and handed it to her.

  “Thanks.” She poured herself coffee, and I watched as she scanned the table for the creamer, pouring a generous amount into her cup. “So, what do the other people think I’m here for?”

  Everyone looked at me, except for Jackie who was stirring her coffee. When no one said anything, she glanced around the table and saw them all watching me. She picked up her coffee and took a sip, observing me over the rim of her cup with a raised eyebrow.

  I swallowed the lump of pancakes in my mouth as everyone waited for my reply and took a sip of coffee to help wash it down. “Well, they are going to be told that you’re here because we’ve been seeing each other since the airport incident, and I wanted to keep you close; so I gave you this job.”

  She raised her other eyebrow to match the first one and set down her coffee. “Have you told them that yet? I don’t think that’s very practical.” A ping-pong match would not have had as many heads turning back and forth as our conversation did.

  “No one knows you’re here, and we didn’t tel
l anyone else that you were coming. Only the four of us, my agent, and my attorney know what we’re doing,” I said carefully.

  She scrutinized me for a long few moments. “I suggest that you tell people that we started seeing each other after the car accident. I would not have gotten involved with you after the airport incident because it was an open case, and you were a victim. It wouldn’t have been right. The time of your accident would be more appropriate since Mr. Patrick had just been sentenced.”

  I mulled over what she said and chewed on the side of my cheek as I sat back in my seat and stared at my almost empty plate. Obviously, she did things by the book, and I couldn’t fault her for that. I nodded absently. “Okay, we’ll tell people that we started seeing each other in January then. How’s that?”

  She stared at me hard. “So we are actually going to pretend that we’re dating? As in a couple, a real couple?”

  “Yes.” I braced myself for her backlash, but she clenched her jaw and stayed silent. So silent, it began to make me nervous. I was trying to come up with something else to say when she finally spoke.

  “Why? Why do I need to do that? Why can’t I just pretend you gave me this job as a thank you for saving your life?” She picked up her coffee again but didn’t bring it to her lips. I noticed the cup was shaking slightly about the same time she did, I watched her set it back down.

  I realized, with a certain amount of satisfaction, that I wasn’t the only one who was nervous. “Well, because the person who is threatening me seems to have a problem with the women in my life.” The sound of her laughter filled the quiet morning air and startled a bird off a nearby branch.

  “That doesn’t surprise me.” She shook her head and looked down at her plate. She hadn’t eaten anything yet. “Have you ever thought about not having a woman in your life? The problems might stop, you know.”

  “Aren’t you going to eat?” I asked her, ignoring her question. That one had gotten a little too close for comfort. I always found that I was much happier when I had a woman around me, until she got on my nerves, at least.

  “No, I don’t eat breakfast. Coffee is fine.” She turned to Troy. “So, you think me pretending to be with Ryan is going to flush this person out?”

  “Yeah, that’s exactly what we’re hoping. We figure that if they try anything, you might be able to figure it out quicker since you’ll be so close to Ryan.” She examined me for a moment over the table. “Ryan needs to stay focused on the movie, so while he’s focused on that, you will be around and can watch out for him. But…” He stopped and shot me a look.

  “But, what?” Jackie asked and flicked her eyes between the two of us.

  Troy hesitated for a few seconds, and everyone stopped eating. “You’re going to have to pretend to actually like Ryan.” Her shoulders rose and fell as she inhaled deeply and let her breath back out slowly.

  “I don’t think I’m that good of an actress,” she said quietly, and everyone at the table but me chuckled. I focused on my plate for a moment before I lifted my face up. She was grinning at me, so I knew she was just joking. I laughed softly, relieved, and shook my head at her.

  “Fine. How much am I supposed to act like I like you? Am I supposed to be totally smitten by you, or just like you, like you?” She had a mischievous look on her face as she asked.

  Totally smitten I wanted to say. “Maybe someplace in the middle. You’re not the only one who’s going to be acting here, you know. I’m going to have to pretend to like you, too.”

  Everyone burst into laughter, except for Jackie who scanned the table. “What did I just miss?” she asked.

  Troy put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. “Nothing, girl. You missed nothing.” Troy continued to pull her close until he made eye contact with me. I must have had a look on my face because he immediately pulled his arm off her and went back to eating.

  “The people here will know that this is all an act, along with Ryan’s agent and a few other select people. We want to keep it as quiet as we can since we think it’s someone on the set,” Roseanne stated. “Everyone here we absolutely trust. We’ve all been with Ryan for years.”

  “Is it possible that it’s one of your other security team members?” She looked around the table, taking in Robbie and Drew at length.

  Troy answered. “There is a good possibility of that. That’s one of the reasons why we didn’t tell them about you coming. We’d like it to just look like Ryan brought you on as his girlfriend to keep you close and to give you something to do while he’s working.” She nodded at his reply.

  “So, when does all this start?” Jackie picked up her coffee cup and took a drink. She looked more relaxed now.

  “Right after breakfast,” Troy said, “Some of the other team members will be here and then we have two interviews set up for later today. You will be there for both of them, and while you aren’t going to be in the interviews, we want them to see you and know that you’re around. The sooner we can get the rumors flying, the better.”

  She closed her eyes and breathed deeply a few times. With a quick shake of her head, she opened her eyes. “So much for my calm, quiet life,” she muttered, but we all heard it and exchanged glances.

  “What about the notes that you’ve received? When do I get to see them?” She turned to me, but it was Roseanne who replied.

  “I’ll show you all the stuff we have tomorrow when we go to the set, because they are all in Ryan’s trailer. Troy and I will fill you in on all the events that have led up to this.”

  “Today, just start getting to know people. Keep your eyes open and see what you think of everyone,” Troy stated.

  Troy’s cell phone rang, and he checked the screen and stood up. “Excuse me, I need to take this.” He walked back into the house.

  Roseanne, Drew, and Robbie got up after Troy left and excused themselves. I watched them walk away and pushed my chair back from the table, dropping my napkin on my plate.

  When I looked up, she was watching me. “You have no idea how much this is going to impact my life,” she said quietly.

  I didn’t know what to say, so I shrugged lightly.

  Her eyes sparkled hotly for a moment, and I realized that shrugging probably wasn’t the best thing to do. It was pretty insensitive on my part.

  “You are going to have to be honest with me, Ryan. You’re going to have to talk to me and tell me things that are going on. Are you going to be able to do that?”

  “Yes.” I stood, and she followed my lead. After pushing in her chair, she turned to look out over the property behind us.

  “It is beautiful here.” Her voice was soft. I walked up behind her, afraid I would miss a single word she said. She stiffened at my approach just as I heard voices inside the house heading our way.

  “Show time, Jackie. You ready for this?” I whispered behind her as I stepped closer to her back and put my hands on her elbows.

  Her entire body tensed. “Relax. I’m not going to hurt you,” I said softly as I wrapped my arms around her from behind, gently laying my hands over her stomach; the skin was taut under her shirt. Was that from tension, or did she have abs of steel? For a moment, I relished the feel of her in my arms. She fit perfectly, but I knew she would. To me this was not acting, but I needed her to think I was doing my part. I didn’t want to scare her away.

  The voices grew closer, and she moved her arms up to her stomach where my forearms crossed over. She put her hands on mine. I moved one of my hands to her shoulder and pushed her hair off her neck so that I could lean in and kiss it just as two members of our team walked out through the door.

  Her skin smelled so sweet and felt so soft under my lips. I couldn’t help but kiss it a second time, and when I pulled my lips back, I slowly flicked my tongue out and over her neck. I felt her shiver, and a small sound came from her mouth.

  “You liked that,” I whispered in her ear, nudging it with the tip of my nose.

  She turned her head to the side and looked
me in the eyes. “I’m a better actress than I thought,” she whispered under her breath, though her eyes were playful.

  “Hey, Ryan,” Bill yelled from the door. I didn’t let go of Jacquelyn, but pulled her along with me as I turned.

  “Hey, Bill. I think they’re going to start the meeting in the study.” I held Jackie tightly, probably tighter than I needed to, but I was enjoying the feel of her in my arms too much to let up.

  Bill was eyeballing us, and absorbing everything. He was the perfect person to watch this because I knew he liked to talk. He’d start the rumors immediately.

  “Okay, thanks,” he said and stood there a moment longer. I spun Jackie slowly into my arms. She looked surprised when I did it, and I know she was even more surprised when I pulled her tightly against my chest and kissed her hard.

  She didn’t respond at first, but then, I felt her body melting into mine ever so slightly. The sound of Bill laughing faded as he went back into the house. I should have ended the kiss then, but my mouth had a mind of its own. I held her tighter, savoring the way her tongue ran over mine, the way our lips melded together, and the way her body fit perfectly against mine. When I finally stepped back, my knees were weak. She smirked up into my eyes.

  “Yeah, I’m a much better actress than I thought.” She winked and pulled out of my arms.

  If that was acting, I was in deep trouble. I watched her hips sway as she walked away, and I could feel my heart pounding against my breastbone.

  Chapter 10

  Jacquelyn

  I walked away from Ryan with my heart thudding loudly in my chest. Did I really just kiss him like that? Oh, good Lord, I really did. I still felt the imprint of his lips on mine. The way his tongue tasted sweet from the pancake syrup as it entered my mouth.

  How I got into the house and found the bathroom was beyond me. I shut my eyes as I leaned my head against the back of the door.