The words were magical. She hoped they were real, but even if he was just acting, she didn’t care. She suddenly felt taller and thinner and a whole lot more capable of handling Ted and Marigold.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” His gaze dropped to her mouth. “Damn lipstick,” he muttered, then took her hand and drew her back into the hallway.
Wow, she thought happily. Bringing him along had been one of her best ideas. Only she sort of remembered it had been his idea, which made him even better to have around. Smart and pretty.
They reached the entrance to the dining room. Before she could give her name to the hostess, Ted and Marigold walked up.
Ted was tall and good-looking. Madeline had always thought he was swoon-worthy. But somehow his star seemed to burn a little less bright this year. She knew she had Jonny to thank for that. Marigold was also tall and willowy. A beautiful redhead with pale skin and wide, brown eyes.
Next to her, Madeline always felt dowdy. Not tonight, she told herself. In her borrowed finery, she was a princess for sure. Or, at the very least, a successful businesswoman out for an evening.
“Madeline,” Ted said, glancing from her to Jonny. “You brought a date.”
The tone of surprise was a tiny bit insulting, but she overlooked that. Because she didn’t just have a date. She had a killer date.
“I thought a foursome would be more fun,” she said easily. “Hello, Ted.” She leaned in and they hugged. “Marigold.” She turned and smiled at Jonny. “I’d like you to meet friends of mine. Jonny, this is Ted and Marigold.”
Jonny shook hands with both of them. “The old flame. I appreciate the chance to size up what used to be the competition.”
Madeline knew it was probably wrong, but she’d deliberately not used any last names. She wanted Ted and Marigold to stare, to wonder. She wanted to see the exact moment they—
“Jonny Blaze?” Marigold asked, her voice a squeak. “Ohmygod! You’re Jonny Blaze.” Marigold lunged for him, stopping inches before engulfing him. She cleared her throat and stepped back. “I can’t believe it. What are you doing here?”
Jonny reached for Madeline’s hand and brought it to his mouth where he lightly kissed her knuckles. “I’m with the beautiful blonde.”
“I don’t understand.”
Marigold’s look of confusion was as funny as it was insulting. Madeline told herself to enjoy the moment and not worry that Marigold couldn’t grasp that she and Jonny were a couple. It wasn’t as if Madeline would have believed it, either.
“You’re dating Jonny Blaze?” Ted asked, sounding as perplexed as his wife.
“So it seems,” Madeline said, then turned to the hostess. “Would you please show us to our table?”
* * *
It took nearly a half hour for the evening to return to something like normal. The four of them were seated and ordered cocktails. Marigold kept staring at Jonny with a combination of disbelief and hunger. Madeline understood both emotions but she found the other woman’s wide-eyed stare a little off-putting.
For his part, Jonny took the weirdness in stride. He kept the conversation flowing and made sure to touch Madeline’s arm or hand, just like an attentive date would. It was nice. Tempting. The fact that it wasn’t real didn’t bother her in the least.
“How’s work?” Ted asked Madeline. “You’re still in retail, right?” He turned to Jonny. “I’m the local weather guy up in Washington state.”
“Seattle?” Jonny asked, even though Madeline was pretty sure he already knew the answer.
“Ah, no. Yakima. It’s a small town, east of the Cascade mountains.”
“I see.”
Marigold leaned toward him. “I was a model,” she said eagerly.
“Yes. Madeline told me.”
The words were simple enough, but there was something in his tone that implied being a model wasn’t all that. Marigold frowned, as if not sure what had gone wrong.
Jonny laced his fingers with Madeline. “My girl here is part-owner of Paper Moon. They sell wedding gowns. I think what I like best about what she does is how she makes dreams come true. Women go in with an idea of how their wedding day should be and Madeline makes that happen. People remember their weddings for the rest of their lives.”
Ted and Marigold exchanged a look.
“Ah, right,” Ted said awkwardly. “It’s good you found something you liked.” His voice became confidential. “Madeline had a little trouble figuring out what she wanted to do. College, culinary school. I know I’m forgetting a few disasters.”
Madeline thought about pointing out he would fall firmly in the disaster category, but knew there was no way to say that without sounding bitchy and she was still determined to come out of the evening as the victor.
“I admire people who don’t settle,” Jonny told him. “People who aren’t afraid to keep trying. Most of us take what we can get. A smaller job because it’s safe. But a brave few keep searching for what’s right, and when they find it, they hang on.”
It took Madeline a second to realize he was talking about her. She stared at him.
“I didn’t—” she began.
He cut her off with a quick kiss. “You did. It’s one of the things I like best about you.”
The rest of the meal passed in a blur. Madeline talked in what she hoped were all the right places and laughed at the jokes, but everything had gotten kind of confusing. She wasn’t sure what was real and what was pretend. What she knew for sure was that Jonny was even more charming than she’d thought possible. He was attentive and funny, and when he looked at her with what felt a lot like desire, she melted. If this was acting, imagine how powerful he could be if it was real. No woman would stand a chance.
The waiter spoke as he cleared their dinner plates. “We have a special dessert for the holidays. Chocolate waffles with homemade peppermint ice cream and a special sauce the chef has created.”
Marigold sighed. “That sounds scrumptious, but I couldn’t possibly—”
“We’ll have one for the table,” Jonny said smoothly.
“It does sound delicious,” Madeline told him.
He put his arm around her. “That’s my girl.” He looked at Marigold. “What are your plans for the holidays?” he asked.
“We’ll visit my family. We do it every year. I’m from a small town in Iowa. What about you?”
“My sister’s getting married the day after Christmas. Madeline’s been helping me with that.” He smiled at her. “I couldn’t have managed it without her. She’s taking care of all the details.”
Ted sat up straighter. “That’s it! She’s working for you. You hired her to plan your sister’s wedding. She’s not a date, she’s an employee.”
He sounded both triumphant and relieved. Madeline wasn’t sure what to say in return, while next to her, Jonny tensed.
“I’m not paying Madeline,” he said, his tone low. “She doesn’t work for me.”
She thought about their arrangement. She had refused money. She’d wanted the experience and being paid had just felt wrong.
“I have a job,” she told Ted. “I wasn’t looking for part-time work. Actually, Mayor Marsha’s the one who brought us together. Jonny needed help and she suggested me. I was happy to step in.” She smiled at him. “When you think about it, it’s a very strange way to meet.”
“But a great story.”
Madeline shifted closer to him, but looked at the couple across the table. “Ginger is Jonny’s younger sister. She’s getting her PhD. Talk about the smartest person in the room. But she’s totally adorable. I’m so happy I can help her. The wedding’s going to be lovely.”
Ted looked at his wife, then back at her. “You’re really with him.”
Madeline shrugged.
“I don’t...” He nodded. “Okay. Well, I hope you’ll be happy together.”
* * *
Madeline shivered slightly in Jonny’s SUV. He had the heat on high and the seat
heaters going, but it was well below freezing and snowing. Her light wrap, while pretty, didn’t exactly warm her.
The wine helped. And the lemon drop she’d had as her cocktail. But still—it was winter. She was looking forward to getting into her warmest pajamas and climbing into bed.
“That was the strangest dinner ever,” she said. “I don’t know what to think.”
“You’re not going to hear from Ted again.”
“You don’t think so?”
“No. He had something to prove and now he knows he can’t.”
“Do you think we hurt their feelings?”
Jonny glanced at her. “How long have they been coming here?”
“Three years.”
“And at the end of every dinner, you feel worse about yourself and wish you didn’t have to see them again.”
“Uh-huh.”
“And you’re still worried about their feelings?”
“I can’t help it.”
“That makes you a good person.”
She supposed she should just go with that. Not about being a good person, but that for once Ted and Marigold hadn’t been able to beat up on her. Of course, a case could be made that she’d allowed them to do it, which made everything confusing.
She turned to Jonny. “Thank you for tonight. For taking me and being my date and saying such nice things about me.”
He pulled up in front of her house and turned off the engine. “You’re welcome.”
She got out of the car and started toward her front door. He walked with her.
“You’re a really good actor,” she continued. “Poor Marigold. I think she wanted to get you in her to-go box. I almost felt sorry for her.” They reached her front porch and she turned to him.
“You’re a fun date,” she said with a grin. “You can turn on the charm. I know it was just for their sake, by the way. Don’t worry that I’m going to turn into stalker girl or anything.”
“I never thought you would.”
His eyes were so beautiful, she thought as she stared at his face. And while the outside package was darned appealing, she had to admit there was something about the inner man that worked for her, too. The more she was around him, the more she liked him.
She shivered.
“You’re freezing,” he said. “Let’s get you inside.”
She fumbled for her key, only then wondering why he’d walked her to her door instead of waiting in his car. She opened the door and stepped inside. She turned, ready to say good-night. Only Jonny hadn’t waited on the porch. Instead, he’d followed her inside.
He closed the front door, took her bag from her and put it on the small table in her entry alcove. Then he put his arms around her and drew her close.
If she’d been with any other man, she would have thought he was going to kiss her. Only there was no way that he would—
His mouth was firm and warm and brushed against hers in the most delightful way possible. Madeline battled surprise and desire as the kiss went on for two heartbeats, then three. She raised her arms, not quite sure what to do with them. Putting them on his body seemed the most logical thing. That was what you did when you kissed. You hugged back.
So she let her hands settle on him. One rested on his shoulder, the other on his side. She felt the muscles in his body and the warmth. Her shoes made her a little wobbly, but that was okay because he was nice to cling to.
She liked the feel of his lips on hers. She liked how they fit together. Tingles danced all through her, and even with her eyes closed she saw the bolts of lightning all around them.
Actor’s magic, she told herself firmly even as his tongue lightly brushed against her lower lip.
She parted for him, not sure what to expect. He deepened the kiss. His tongue teased hers and, with every stroke, she leaned into him.
Wanting grew, as did heat. Suddenly she wasn’t cold anymore. She was trembling and ready and determined not to act like a fool, even though she wanted to.
He drew back and looked into her eyes. “I wasn’t acting,” he said, just before he released her and walked out the door.
NINE
JONNY RAISED THE barbell one last time and held it for a count of ten. He would have gone for twenty, but his arms were shaking and he didn’t have a spotter. No way he wanted to end up pinned. Although the rescue video would make a splash on TMZ, he thought humorously as he set the barbell back in the stand and sucked in a breath.
He knew that some actors took their downtime seriously—getting out of shape and putting on weight—then worked hard to get ripped again when filming started. He preferred a more balanced approached. It was easier to stay fit than get fit. He was willing to eat pasta and the occasional cookie, but for the most part, he stayed with his regular fitness routine. When he was about two months from filming, he got more disciplined, but didn’t have to hit the gym five hours a day to get in fighting condition.
He stood and grabbed his water bottle. After downing half of it, he headed for the treadmill. He would run his second two miles before hitting the shower, then drive into town. He had some more ideas for the wedding to discuss with Madeline.
As he pushed the button to start his treadmill program, he allowed himself to think about their recent dinner. She’d been a fun date—no surprise there. He’d liked spending time with her. She laughed easily, which was a quality he liked in a woman. She was caring, sexy. All qualities designed to get him wondering about possibilities. If things were different...if he were different.
He could see himself getting serious about her. Ginger had liked her, as well, and that was important to him. Around Madeline, he could relax and be himself. Whatever she’d felt about him being Jonny Blaze, Action Star, had quickly faded. Now he was just some guy she knew.
Except he wasn’t just some guy and being with him would bring challenges she couldn’t begin to imagine. He’d seen the disaster serious relationships with someone like him could be. Not a very nice thing to do to someone he liked. So he was left with wanting but not having.
Like the kiss. He’d left her on her front door, as if he was some freshman in high school. He’d wanted to do more. Have more. He’d wanted to hold her and make love with her. To please her and be with her. He’d wanted what any man kissing Madeline would want.
He stepped on the treadmill and set the program. He chose one of the more challenging ones, hoping it would distract him. But seventeen minutes later, when he’d finished, he was panting, sweating and still thinking about Madeline.
As he returned to the house and headed for the shower, he thought about what Ginger had said. That he used his fame to hide. If it was true—he was actually afraid to be in a relationship rather than protecting the person he claimed to care about—then the solution was easy. He would just move forward and force himself to face his fears. Which sounded plenty easy but he suspected would be difficult to do.
Too many questions, he thought, stripping off his workout gear. The bottom line was he wanted to see Madeline and he only knew one way to make that happen.
Less than an hour later, he drove into town. The snow was heavier than it had been in the past few days. It piled up on the road. He’d spent enough time in the mountains that he was confident about his driving and his SUV’s ability to handle the weather. He turned onto Brian Lane and found parking, then got out and headed for Paper Moon.
When he stepped inside, he saw that Madeline was with a customer. The willowy brunette stood with her hands on her hips. Her posture was defiant, her chin jutted out. By contrast, Madeline’s shoulders were relaxed, but Jonny saw the tension in the edges of her polite smile.
“I can contact the designer,” she was saying. “But you did sign the order form and it clearly states that the veils aren’t returnable.”
“This isn’t what I ordered,” the brunette insisted, her voice boarding on shrill. “Why can’t you get that through your head?” She sighed heavily. “Everyone is so stupid. I don’t get that. It’s a
simple thing. I want the veil I ordered.”
Madeline nodded. “Of course you do. And as you can see by the picture attached to the order, this is that veil. Down to the family coat of arms you requested be embroidered on the edges.”
The bride looked at the picture and then back at the veil draped across a narrow table. “They don’t look the same at all.”
Even he could see they were identical. He had no idea why the bridezilla was trying to get out of the order. She still wore an engagement ring, and from the paperwork scattered around, it seemed she’d bought a dress. His gaze drifted to the order for the veil. It had been eight thousand dollars. That was a lot for some lace and a few silk flowers. He supposed the custom coat of arms had something to do with it. Maybe the bride had been told to rein in the spending. He could respect that. But trying to screw Madeline over a veil she had no hope of selling to someone else was wrong.
He crossed to the two women.
“Sorry I’m late,” he told Madeline, even though they didn’t have an appointment. He smiled at the bride. “Hi. Am I interrupting? I’m Jonny Blaze.” He held out his hand. “Nice to meet you.”
“Ella,” the other woman said, her eyes widening. “Oh, my God. Did you say Jonny Blaze?”
He gave a self-deprecating shrug. “That would be me. Are you getting your dress here?”
Ella nodded. “I am.”
“Good choice. My sister is, too.” He winked at Madeline. “But that needs to be our secret, okay? We don’t want to have to deal with the press.”
“I won’t say anything,” Ella promised, still looking stunned. “I can’t believe you’re here. In this town. I live in Sacramento, but getting wedding dresses from Paper Moon is kind of a family tradition.”
“Nice,” he said, and picked up a couple of the pictures. “Your dress?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Beautiful.” He set them on the table, then nodded at the veil. “May I?”
“Sure.”
What he knew about wedding veils wouldn’t max out a tweet, but he was an actor and he’d worked on enough period movies to have spent time with costume designers. He knew how to fake his way through almost anything clothing related.
Marry Me at Christmas (Fool's Gold) Page 12
