“Now where did that boy get off to? Honestly, Vivian, I can’t imagine what he was thinking, putting on that outfit.”
Shane froze as he heard the voices just beyond the louvered windows of the sunroom. Aurora. And, apparently, Vivian.
“Probably figured it would liven up this duller than dishwater party. I could have told him that even stripping naked wouldn’t have done that for this bunch.” She sighed deeply. “Although it would have made my day.”
Aurora gasped. “Dear Lord, Vivi, the boy is almost like family.”
“I can’t appreciate his aesthetic beauty?”
“Honestly, I don’t know why I bother. You’re hopeless.”
“Only when it comes to the opposite sex,” Vivian assured her with absolutely zero remorse. “And if a girl has to have a hobby, well, it beats gardening or stamp-collecting, now doesn’t it?”
Aurora sniffed. “I’m not even going to grace that with a reply. Come now, we must find Shane. He simply can’t ignore his social obligations.”
Shane shifted farther around the palm as the two women came into view. The last thing he needed was the godmothers alerting Stefan to his presence.
“He most certainly could,” Vivian tossed back. “In fact, he could be on a plane to Tahiti right now and, frankly, I wouldn’t blame him.”
“Well, then it’s time both of you grew up a little,” Aurora stated with surprisingly firm conviction. “He might not have asked for this inheritance, but the fact is—”
“The fact is, you chose to marry into your money—and you wear it quite fabulously, darling,” Vivian said, not unkindly. “Alexandra did the same thing, although quite ruthlessly. And we both know she reveled in it. Shane made it quite clear to Alexandra that he didn’t want the same things she did. She had no business burdening him this way.”
“Like there was any chance of her letting someone else take over.”
Shane shifted so he could see the two of them, and keep one eye on the open door to the study. Stefan’s back was still to him, but as far as he could tell, he wasn’t talking to anyone yet.
“I still say she should have never had him named in the will.”
“Maybe she thought he’d come around if he had to,” Aurora said.
“Well, then, that’s possibly Alexandra’s most critical mistake, thinking she could coerce him into it from beyond the grave.”
“You have a point.” Aurora sighed. “Still, Vivi, don’t you think it’s time he stopped gallivanting around the globe? The bohemian lifestyle is fine for a younger man, but he’s thirty now. Surely he plans to slow down and settle at some point.”
“I suppose he will, when he finds something worth settling for.” Vivian lowered her voice. “Or someone.”
“You say that as if you know something I don’t.”
Shane glanced back in time to see Vivian’s smug smile.
Aurora swatted her gently on the forearm, but her expression was avidly curious. “Oh, come now, you have to tell. Does Mercy know? Am I the last one to know again? Why is it I’m always the—”
“Aurora, darling, you’ve met her.”
“I have? Why, the only woman I’ve seen him with since his return is—” She broke off, covered her mouth. “No.”
Vivian nodded. Smiled. “In fact, I’ve done my best to steer her in his direction every chance I’ve had. I think they’re adorable together.”
“And I don’t suppose the fact that you wanted a little time with that delectable gilded morsel she arrived with had anything to do with that.”
“We all have to make our sacrifices for the happiness of others,” Vivian said with a sigh.
Shane smiled despite his precarious situation. A shame Vivian wasn’t a Morgan. Alexandra could have left the empire to her. The world would never have been the same. He glanced to the study. Stefan was talking, but he couldn’t hear him now. Dammit. He wanted to get the hell out of here and find Darby, tell her what he’d overheard, put his head together with hers and see what she made of it.
It didn’t look like Vivian and Aurora were ever going to leave. Sighing, he cautiously backed away from the French doors, staying in a crouch until he was right next to the opposite door, then slipped outside as quickly as possible, closing the door with a soft click behind him. “You two contemplating doing some laps?” he asked, motioning to the pool fronting the sunroom.
Vivian and Aurora whirled around, smiles immediately beaming out of their expertly made-up faces. “There you are, darling!”
He quickly slid his hands beneath their elbows and steered them away from the sunroom. “Didn’t you hear those Beach Boys tunes?” he said. “I thought you two would be in your bikinis and down by the pool by now.”
Aurora flushed even as she swatted him. “Bikinis, my land’s sake. I never wore one of those, even when I was fashionably figured.”
Shane kissed her powdery cheek, even as he moved them closer to the other partygoers. “Your figure has always been fashionable and you know it.”
Vivian leaned in for her kiss, then wiggled her perfectly penciled brows. “Well, I’ve never been figured for a bikini. But I’ll have you know, I’ve got a leopard-print maillot that would turn your head, young man.”
Shane grinned and looped their arms through his. “I don’t doubt it for a second.” He hadn’t forgotten their conversation about him, nor did he pretend it hadn’t given him a bit of a pause. He’d always known Vivian would approve of his decisions, no matter what. And Mercedes likely never would. But it surprised him to know how Aurora felt. Just as it surprised him to realize it stung a little.
“So,” Vivian said, rubbing her heavily ringed hand up and down his forearm. “Did Darby manage to find her way to you earlier?”
“Why, yes, she did,” Shane told her. He leaned down and kissed her soundly on the cheek. “I owe you one. More than one, I think.”
Vivian laughed. “My, my, I’ll have to remember to do you favors more often.”
“So, you like this Landon girl, then?” Aurora asked, looking both interested and a bit concerned. “She seems quite nice, if a bit rough around the edges. I’m afraid we really didn’t have as much time as we’d have liked with her. But we did the best we could with the time we had.”
He gave her hand a squeeze, encouraging her to keep moving. “Your best is always top-notch, and I happen to know that Darby is very thankful for your help.”
Aurora smiled and preened a bit, then looked worried again. “I believe she’s only planning a brief visit. Have you two made plans? Will you be heading out West to see her when things are straightened out here? And my word, dear, how are things going here and at Alexandra’s offices? I know it must be dreadfully overwhelming, but I’m certain you’re up to the task.” She patted him on the arm. “It’s all a balancing act, to be certain. Juggling your social life with your other obligations. Why, I always used to tell Way he simply couldn’t expect to put in all those hours at the office, then leave me sitting home all evening as well.” She smiled brightly. “Balance is key.”
Vivian sighed dramatically. She did that very well. “Could you be any less subtle? Let the poor boy come up for air. He smiles at a woman and you’ve got him locked into a three-piece-suit-white-picket-fence future. He’s a grown man and certainly more than capable of setting his own boundaries and deciding what kind of balance he wants in life.” She turned her gaze up to Shane. “So, have you two made plans?”
Aurora, to her credit, only rolled her eyes, then busied herself with primping the chiffon folds of her dress as they set out strolling along the terraced edge of the lawn.
Shane glanced back at the sunroom, then began scanning the throngs dotting the lawn for Darby. He wanted to get to her before Stefan reappeared. “We’re just enjoying each other’s company. It’s not serious.” Why did that sound like such a lie to his own ears? What did he want from her?
Vivian eyed him closely, but all she said was, “Hmm.”
“We both h
ave other obligations. Things are complicated.”
“Perhaps she’d extend her stay, darling,” Aurora put in.
“She has a ranch to run. She didn’t exactly plan to take this trip in the first place.” Although, this new wrinkle notwithstanding, he thanked God and Darby’s baby sister for foisting it off on her. Her presence in his life might be short-lived, but not for all the hammocks in Bali would he have passed on the chance to share what little time they’d had. “Speaking of Darby, you don’t happen to know where she is at the moment, do you?”
“No, dear, we haven’t seen her in a while.” Vivian leaned closer, eyes twinkling. “You know, there’s no reason you can’t go out West and see her as soon as you wrap things up here.”
They were behind the house now. He scanned the milling crowds, but didn’t spot Darby or Stefan. He turned his best smile on Vivian. “Maybe I will. Right after I sign the Morgan empire and this whole monstrosity of a heritage all over to you, sweetheart. God knows you’d do more with it than I ever could.”
Aurora gasped, but Vivian merely hooted and cupped his face with her ringed hands. “You are such a scamp, you know that?”
Through squeezed cheeks, Shane said, “I might be serious.”
“Seriously deluded if you think I want that hassle, honey,” she said with a snort and released him with a cheek pinch.
He laughed, but eased out of her grasp. “Well, there is that. Listen, I have to scoot. You two enjoy yourselves, okay?” He was almost free when Aurora grasped his arm and tugged him around.
“Darling, all joking aside, you can’t simply walk away from your ancestral home. Heritage means something, if not for you, then for your children and their children. It’s quite one thing to sell off the business—”
“Aurora, I’m not selling anything off.” Yet. “Please, don’t worry about all this. I’ll find a solution that satisfies everyone.” Right after I find a cure for cancer and come up with a solution for world peace.
He dropped a quick kiss on her cheek. “I’ll catch up with you two later, okay? Enjoy yourselves.” He winked at Vivian. “And you behave.”
“Now, why would I want to do that?” Vivian asked with a laugh.
Shane shot her a grin, then plunged into the fray, intent on tracking Darby down.
Shit.
She was on the far side of the yard, once again ensconced in conversation . . . with Stefan already back and smiling by her side.
Cinderella Rule #16
Standards. Goals. Everyone has them. Or should. But before you judge yourself a success or failure, make certain the standards you’re applying are your own. And that the goals you’re trying to achieve aren’t being pursued for the wrong reasons.
—MERCEDES
Chapter 16
It was hard to tell where the afternoon lawn party ended and the evening soiree began. Darby realized people were reappearing with dressier clothing, and that gradually everyone was moving indoors. She’d blown an extra outfit already today, so they’d just have to take her in the same clothes for a whole afternoon and evening. The horror.
She hadn’t seen Shane since he’d plunged into the fray in his Hawaiian shorts. The few times she’d tried to wade through the human tide pool to find him, she’d gotten sucked into the undertow and missed him completely. It didn’t help that since returning from his phone call, Stefan had stuck to her like fine sand on damp skin; a bit irritating and impossible to get rid of.
She’d intentionally kept the two of them involved in this group or that, all the while keeping an eye out for Shane. Of course, that meant subjecting herself to an endless stream of Bitsy-clones, which made grilling Stefan further almost impossible. Not that she was getting anywhere with that plan anyway. But it was a small price to pay if it kept him from pursuing his intention to push their arrangement in a more personal direction.
Over the past couple of hours, she’d gotten quite good at deflecting questions about herself, mostly by mercilessly shoving Stefan in the busybodies’ faces every chance she got, and smiling until she thought her cheeks were going to be permanently stuck in that position.
“I understand they are setting up games of chance in the ballroom,” one of the gentlemen in their current circle—Roger? Ralston?—announced. He sent a speculative look at Stefan and Darby, drawing the attention of everyone in their group. “Care to join us?”
“I don’t know.” Stefan turned to her, his dark eyes as intent as ever. “Are you a gambler, Darby?”
Her smile tightened. One thing she hadn’t gotten better at was playing this cat-and-mouse game with Stefan. “The house always wins, doesn’t it?” she managed. Where in the hell was Shane when she needed him, anyway? She liked his games better. Far better.
An amused smile curved Stefan’s chiseled lips. “I believe that depends on who’s running the house.”
Two of the women tittered at Stefan’s barely disguised innuendo. Great, just what she needed, more whispers and sideways glances. Like everyone wasn’t already talking about the two of them.
“Would you prefer to go in and sample the buffet?” she suggested, refusing to play anymore. She’d already provided enough entertainment for the troops. What she really wanted to do was go in and sample the open bar. Heavily. Instead, she mustered up one more smile and looked to their little group. “I’m famished. Anyone care to join us?”
Several of the couples nodded, while two others demurred and headed off to gamble, instead. She sidled closer to two of the other women, thinking she’d corral them into hitting a bathroom to freshen up . . . then slip away and find Shane.
But Stefan very smoothly slid her arm through his, keeping her close. “Enjoying yourself?” he asked, his gaze focused so intently on her that it was as if they were the only two people in the room.
Darby wasn’t sure if he was sincere, or if it was his way of letting her know that he saw through her strategy. Every time she gained an edge, he’d do something as casual as focus that amazing gaze of his directly on her, and her throat would go dry, her pulse would speed up. And she’d realize that any notion that she was in control of things was merely an illusion. One he was allowing her to have. For now.
“I—well, it certainly looks like they’ve had a successful turnout.”
He stroked her arm and all the hairs on her neck stood up. Other parts of her body had an entirely different reaction. How was it that the man could unnerve her and turn her on at the same time? Admittedly, Stefan was a devastatingly good-looking, larger-than-life male specimen. But he also made her very uncomfortable. Some women—okay, a lot of women—would probably enjoy being prey to his predator. She just felt like a mouse being toyed with, amusing the cat until he decided it was time to pounce.
“You didn’t answer my question.” With a little tug, he pulled her slightly to the side of the flow of people moving toward the ballroom. “You know, you handled yourself quite admirably today.”
Right there, that was what bugged her. That slightly superior tone, with that amused undercurrent. She didn’t care what league she was playing in, he was condescending as hell, and hostess job or not, she was done putting up with it. “What is that supposed to mean?”
The sharp edge to her voice obviously surprised him. Only she couldn’t tell if it bothered him . . . or encouraged him. Dammit. Then he pulled out the double-dimple whammy . . . and she hated herself for it, but her knees did wobble a tiny bit. Okay, so maybe it did matter what league she was playing in. Just a little.
“It means that from everything I’ve gathered, you’ve been gone from this kind of . . . lifestyle for some time. And I don’t believe you’re entirely happy to be back.” His voice was velvety smooth, with that accent of his flavoring every word. And those dark eyes that missed nothing. “You must care for your father a great deal, to be willing to subject yourself to the kind of scrutiny you’ve been under since your arrival.”
Well, shit. He’d seen through her charade right from the start. Lovely. A
ll that time in makeover hell, and for what? So Bitchy Bitsy could make her feel like fashion roadkill? “It was more a favor to my sister,” she said without thinking. Only when something flickered in his gaze did she realize that she might not have wanted to reveal so much.
“Ah. And your father . . . does he realize you’ve chosen to stand in for your sister?”
Trapped. She was a cornered mouse with nowhere to hide. Something was going on here, something she didn’t understand. He’d been suspicious of her since he’d found out she was taking Pepper’s place. If she really was only here to play hostess until her father showed up, then it shouldn’t have made any difference to him who escorted him around. She realized that not only did she not know the rules of the game they were playing . . . she didn’t even know what the damn game really was.
“Does it matter?” she finally said. She deliberately moved them back into the flow of people, smiling up at him as if he hadn’t just called her bluff. “You know, you never did answer my question.”
His smile didn’t reach his eyes. “It seems we both have an aptitude for evasion.”
She refused to take the bait. Maybe if she just pretended she wasn’t the mouse, he’d pretend not to pounce. “You never did tell me what it was you did for a living. Are you a jeweler?”
He studied her for a moment, then said, “No, I leave that to the jewelers and appraisers. I’m afraid I’m in on the dirty end of things.” His eyes darkened further and he stroked her arm, his lips quirking when he felt her shudder. “It’s the raw element that excites me, the thrill of discovery. Unlike you, I enjoy risk.”
The Cinderella Rules Page 22
