The picture of us kissing out by the fence was so incredible it took me right back to that moment. The image on the screen could have been a promo poster for a movie it was so intimate and natural. The memory of her in my arms rocked me to the core as I saw the pictures they flashed across the screen.
When they finished the story, I was afraid to look at her. What would she have in her eyes? On their own accord, my eyes flicked to her quickly, she was staring at me, her mouth slightly open, her face flushed.
“I think that turned out good. Ryan, those pictures look real, man!” Drew took a huge bite of his food.
“Oh, they looked real because they were,” Roseanne laughed. Jackie and I both considered her for a moment before we looked back at each other.
“Roseanne, we were just acting,” I said quietly.
Jackie started to pull something out of her pocket while everyone watched her. It was her cell phone, and the screen was lighting up. She set her plate down and started moving through screens on her phone. I wondered who was sending her messages. I heard the vibration of the phone from the other side of the room, and it was almost constant.
She started to type. Her face held conflicting emotions while her shoulders and back were straight and tense. Everyone was observing her as she stood up, still typing on her phone.
“Everything all right, Jackie?” Troy asked, aware of her mounting tension as we all were.
She shook her head, her voice soft and husky when she spoke. “You guys just exploded my entire world and you think I should be all right with it? No, I’m not all right.” She glanced at her cell phone as her screen lit up brighter, and the vibration radiated through the air again.
“If you’ll excuse me, I need to try to explain, no wait…” She closed her eyes for a split second to gather herself, and then said, “I need to lie to my boyfriend, my co-workers, and my best friend about why I have supposedly been hiding this from them for months.” She spun and walked out of the room.
I glared at Troy. “Did you know she had a boyfriend?”
“No.” He looked as shocked as I did. “I had no idea. We asked around, but no one seemed to know anything about her having a boyfriend.” He seemed almost as upset as I was.
What if she really did have a boyfriend, and she hadn’t told him about this? What would he be thinking? Did I really care? Not really, but was I such an ass that I wanted to hurt someone else to get what I wanted? With Jackie, yes, I think I was enough of an ass to hurt anyone who got in my way.
I put my plate down on the table and looked toward the door. Should I go out there and try to talk to her, or should I wait until she comes back in? I wasn’t good at waiting, I got up and went to the sliding door, stepping out while her back was to me.
I stepped into the shadows as she spoke again. “Jimmy, it’s not what you think. He’s not flaunting me around.”
Her body was tense. “What do you mean, how long has this been going on? I just came here today.”
He must have been wondering if this really had been going on since January. The kiss they’d shown in the pictures looked a hell of a lot more intimate then just a casual getting-to-know-you kiss. If I was on the other end of this, I wouldn’t have believed it was an act either.
I heard him speaking, although I could not make out his words.
“Son of a bitch!” She spit out the words and stared at her phone. Did he just hang up on her?
I kept watching. I was seeing a different side of her right now, and I wanted to know every part of her. I knew she was upset. The guy she was talking to had frustrated her, and I imagined knocking him out for doing that to her.
She didn’t have long to wait before her phone rang again, and I listened to the brief conversation she had with what sounded like a girlfriend. I watched her shoulders slump as she spoke. Midway through the conversation, she turned and saw me leaning back against the house. I didn’t move.
She was in partial shadow, but my eyes adjusted enough to the darkness that, as I watched her, I knew she was staring back at me. She hung up the phone. I watched the screen go black before she slid her phone into her pocket.
“What?” she asked quietly.
“Why didn’t you tell me you had a boyfriend?” I pushed off the wall and moved toward her while a variety of emotions tossed around in my mind. When I stopped, she took two small steps back.
“First of all, you didn’t ask, and secondly, would it really have even mattered to you?” Ouch! But she was right. Hadn’t I just figured that out for myself?
“No. It wouldn’t have mattered.” My voice was husky, and I pulled her to me before she could move away. I needed to show her that I wanted her, that she was more than just an employee. “When I want something, I take it. I want you, Jackie, whether you think I’m acting or not. I want you.”
I expected her to fight me, and for a second, I thought she might. Instead, her body responded to mine, and I suppressed a shiver of anticipation as she pulled me closer. The kiss should have engulfed us both in flames; that’s how hot and intense it was.
I was lost in the feel of her body against mine, of her tongue dancing in my mouth, her hands straining against me to hold me tighter. I never even heard Roseanne step out through the door.
“Ryan? Oh, damn. Sorry!” Roseanne exclaimed as she found us locked together. We jumped apart like two guilty children.
“What, Rose?” I said breathing heavy, my voice much lower than normal.
“Ummm, Beth is on the phone for you.” I was focused on Jackie. I wanted to pull her back into my arms and finish what we started. I didn’t care what my agent had to say right now. I just wanted Jackie.
“I’ll call her back.” Jackie put her hand on my arm tentatively and told me that she needed to get some rest. I knew what she was really saying was she needed space. I swallowed and nodded to her as she walked into the house.
“Sorry, Ryan,” Roseanne said after Jackie disappeared inside.
I shook my head. “It’s all right, Rose. It’s probably better that you did walk in on us.” I pushed my hand through my hair and tried to calm down my raging hormones.
“I didn’t expect to walk in on that. I figured you were talking to her. What did she say about her boyfriend?” Roseanne spoke casually from beside me, giving me the time I needed to calm down.
I laughed. “Nothing.” I put my hands on my hips and looked out over the pasture. “I didn’t give her a chance to talk.” I shook my head and looked down at my feet.
“You are one pushy man, you do know that, Ryan? You realize that she is probably the strongest woman you’ve ever come up against, so if you want to win her heart, you better figure out how to stop being so damn pushy.” Roseanne tried to joke with me, but what she said was true, and we both knew it.
“Yeah, you’re right, Rose.” I turned to her and put my hand on her shoulder, squeezing gently before I walked into the house and toward my study so that I could take Beth’s call.
In the office, I picked up the phone as I sank down into my leather chair. “What’s the word?” I said in the way of a hello.
“I have gotten about twenty-five phone calls and e-mails since that story hit the air. It seems as if everyone wants to know if that really is her, and if it’s really true.” She laughed generously over the phone.
I wasn’t sure what to feel or say just then.
“You can expect quite a bit of paparazzi to be at the movie set over the next few days to see if it really is true.” She laughed again. “I gotta tell you, Ryan, those were some steamy pictures! Better than some of your movie ones!”
“Yeah. Thanks, Beth. I’m glad the word is getting out there; that’s what we wanted.” I nodded, trying to convince myself that it was still what I wanted. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow. I need to try and get some sleep. It’s going to be an early morning and a long week ahead of us.”
“Sure, Ryan. I’ll be in touch with you tomorrow. Will you have your cell phone? Or should I call T
roy?”
“Call Troy. Jackie doesn’t want me to carry my cell phone right now.” I leaned back in my chair.
“Isn’t that a bit controlling?” she asked, and her words irritated me.
“No, Beth. She’s doing what I’m paying her to do. She thinks my cell phone might be bugged or something so she doesn’t want me to use it.”
“Oh, all right then.” She drug out the last word in a snotty way.
After I dropped the phone on my desk, I decided that Jackie had the right idea; it was time to turn in for the night. Walking up the stairs, I wondered if Jackie was still awake. I stopped at her door and listened quietly, but I didn’t hear anything. I thought briefly about knocking, but in the end, I walked to my room and shut my door for the night.
Chapter 14
Jacquelyn
I heard him outside my door, and I held my breath. The hormonal side of me wanted him to knock while the logical one was scared he would. His footsteps moved away from the door, and I released the air from my lungs. It was better that he left, it was better. Yep, it was better. Who am I trying to convince?
I changed into pale lavender cotton lounge pants and put on a camisole top to match. The comforter was deep green and burgundy, I ran my hand over it before turning it back. I snuggled down into the sheets and rubbed my cheek against the pillow; the coolness was refreshing while the heated exchange kept playing in my mind. It was a king-sized bed, much larger than my queen at home, and lying on my side, I realized how alone this huge mattress made me feel. I pushed myself toward the middle to make it seem not so large.
In my mind’s eye, the images of today flashed on the back of my eyelids: When I arrived and saw Ryan standing at the top of the hallway, the banter at the breakfast table, the amount of work the interviews took, and the heart-stopping kisses we shared by the pasture and on the patio.
Those kisses out by the fence had been for show. They were to give everyone an eyeful. The images splashed across the TV screen reminded me just what kind of a show it was, and how—even to me—it looked like more than just an act. We shared a very intimate moment that normally would have been meant only for us, and now it was being flashed all over the world. How did people in the public eye put up with such nonsense? And why did the population feel it was so damn important to know?
I pushed the thoughts out of my head and forced myself to think of a dark circle. A circle that kept getting larger and darker as it filled my mind. I forced the random images of Ryan that tried to push through out of the circle. Slowly, I gained control, and my body relaxed into sleep.
If only I was able to keep that dark circle in my mind as I slept. If I could have, it would’ve kept the other images away, but they slowly crept into my mind as my body relaxed into a deep slumber. Memories of my life drifted quickly, explosive images mixed with sad moments. Dreams of love and loss played over and over causing me to toss and turn throughout the night.
My alarm went off at four thirty a.m. and I untwisted myself from the sheets. More than once, I had woken up. The fleeting memories had fallen away each time, but the feelings they produced did not. It had been a long night, but I still felt I had gotten enough sleep to deal with what I’d need to do today. I didn’t really have a choice, did I?
Troy told me we were starting early, and I wanted to make sure I was ready to go and could meet with him to find out any last minute details about what was to come today before we left for the set.
I showered and dressed in tan cargo pants and a purple polo shirt. Troy told me to dress comfortably in whatever I wanted; there was no dress code on the sets. I lived in cargo pants when I was wasn’t dressed in slacks for work. I pulled on a pair of hiking boots and strapped my off-duty holster to my ankle. I put my sub-compact Glock into the holster and made sure it was secure. My straight blade was strapped to my other ankle and I pulled it out of its sheath to double check that it was clean and ready.
When I left the bedroom, I found the rest of the house still dark. I could hear someone moving about down below. I hoped it was Troy because, without coffee, I wasn’t quite ready to face Ryan. I made my way down to the kitchen and started the coffee. While it was brewing, I sat down at the counter and turned my cell phone on. I had thirty text messages and four voicemails.
I sighed and began to read through the text messages. Most of them were comments from friends and co-workers about what they saw on television. Some people commented about additional photos they saw online. I even had a couple of people send me the pictures. I bypassed the photos without even looking at them and put my phone down.
When the coffee was done and as I was pouring, someone walked into the kitchen behind me.
“There is nothing like the smell of coffee in the morning…except bacon. Well, bacon and coffee. Hmmm.” I glanced at Troy over my shoulder and watched him rub his face with both hands. I reached up and grabbed another mug for him.
With our coffee in my hands, I turned around and set his down on the counter in front of him.
“How are you so awake this early in the morning?” he asked as he fought back a yawn, “You’re even dressed already.”
“I’m used to getting up early.” I shrugged. “I have trained myself that when the alarm goes off, I wake up. It’s part of the job.”
“As long as I have been in this business, I still can’t get used to it.” He took a sip of his coffee, and I watched the steam drift up around his dark, handsome face.
“So…what are your thoughts on who’s trying to get to Ryan?” I studied him carefully. I couldn’t rule anyone out, and if Troy was one of those who knew all of Ryan’s whereabouts, then he was on the list. At least for now, anyway.
He took another sip from his mug. “Honestly, Jackie, I don’t know. It doesn’t make sense. The notes have all been left in odd places where Ryan randomly shows up. There doesn’t seem to be a rhyme or reason to it.”
“I know that you help make his arrangements. Is there anyone else whom you might have told about where he goes?” I took a sip from my mug while keeping my eyes on him.
He shook his head and shrugged with one shoulder. “No. I keep most of Ryan’s plans to myself. Roseanne knows, but I know it’s not her.”
“What makes you think it’s not her?” I asked, tipping my head to the side. “Is she interested in him? Maybe jealous of the women he brings into his life?”
He laughed. “Roseanne? No way! Rose treats him like a kid, and to be honest, she’s not exactly into the male type.”
My eyebrows shot up. “Oh…Okay. Yeah, maybe we can take her off the list then.” I shared a laugh with him.
“She is definitely off the list.”
“Is there anyone else Ryan has been seeing lately who might have ended on a bad note?” Not that I really wanted to know about the long list of women that had been part of his revolving door, but if this person was making comments about him being with women, then it was probably someone scorned.
“Wow…Where do I even begin?” He scratched the side of his face.
“You can begin by pouring me coffee.” We both snapped our necks to the side. Ryan was leaning against the doorjamb, watching us.
“Don’t you think you should ask me those questions?” Ryan’s normal husky voice was more raspy than normal, and I noticed an irritated look on his face.
I sat up straight on the stool. Someone got up on the wrong side of the bed. “Well, I plan on asking you those questions, too, but you and Troy will both have different opinions of the women in your life.”
He walked into the kitchen and sat down on the stool next to Troy’s. “Why would our opinions be different?”
“Because he sees them as women in your life. You see them as…well,” I cleared my throat, “let’s just say you see them in a different light.” I really didn’t want to talk to him directly about his sexual relationships.
“You mean to say that I see them as women I have slept with?” He voice carried a trace of sarcasm.
> I raised an eyebrow and shrugged my shoulders.
“Well, for your information, I don’t sleep with every woman I go out with.” He climbed up off the stool and started to pour some coffee. I glanced at Troy and found him inspecting me.
“Ryan is right, he didn’t sleep with every one of them, just most of them.” Troy chuckled, and Ryan turned to scowl at him. “Sorry, man, but the truth is the truth, and if it helps to stop this, then Jackie needs to know.”
Professional, be professional, Jackie. “Troy is correct. Your sexual history is of no concern to me, but the women you were involved with are.” It was Ryan’s turn to raise a skeptical eyebrow.
“Really? Not your concern, huh?” His eyes bore into mine. Did this man’s eyes ever stop sparkling?
Before I could respond to Ryan, voices carried in from the hallway, and Drew and Roseanne entered. “Jacquelyn, are you ready to go? Troy will stay here with Ryan. We want you to come with us to the set and have a look around. It will give you a chance to get familiar with the area.” She stood at the door waiting, dressed in jeans and a colorful blouse.
“Yep, I’m ready.” I slid off the stool and took one last large gulp of my coffee before depositing the mug into the sink. “We will finish this discussion later. You both might want to make a list of women who have come through Ryan’s life that haven’t exactly been happy to be put back out.” I smiled to ease the sting of what I said and turned to walk out the door.
“Hey, Jackie…those letters that Ryan received are at the set. I’ll make sure you get them today,” Troy called out as I started to turn the corner.
“Sounds good, Troy. And make sure I get your lists as soon as possible.” I called over my shoulder, trying to avoid Ryan’s aggressive look as I left.
“Whoa…I could make a nice list for you,” Roseanne commented as she followed me outside.
“Good, you do that. A woman’s insight would be useful in this, too.” We exchanged a quick look before I followed Roseanne out front. We decided to take my truck over to the set and the ride only took about fifteen minutes. I didn’t even realize they were filming a movie in this area. Tells you how much I stay out of the everyday patrol dealings.
Spring Into Love Page 78
