His thoughts circled back to how he’d believed that they were beginning to trust each other. Then there was that kiss—the kiss he hadn’t been able to forget no matter how hard he tried. Well, he no longer had to worry about it. Obviously, it had been all one-sided. All the time, she’d been playing him for a fool.
Anger warmed his veins. He didn’t like to be lied to. His gut knotted at the thought of her laughing behind his back. He wished this was some sort of dream because he’d liked Mae—a woman who didn’t even exist. Why couldn’t just one thing in his life go his way?
He stuffed her cards back in the wallet. He got to his feet. With the breakfast dishes and food long forgotten, he headed out of the kitchen to find his hostess. The jig was up and he intended to tell her.
He’d just reached the living room when his cell phone rang. At last, the cell tower had been fixed. But it couldn’t have been worse timing. The only person he wanted to speak to was Mae—erm, Serena. But he didn’t see her at the desk working on her laptop. Nor was she on the couch. He could only guess that she was upstairs. And he wasn’t sure his ankle was up for that particular challenge.
The buzzing of his phone would not stop. He withdrew it from his pants pocket and checked the caller ID. It was his agent. And it wasn’t the first time Fred had called. There was a long list of missed calls. He must be worried about Jackson disappearing, especially at such a pivotal time in his career.
Jackson’s gaze returned to the grand stairs leading to the second floor. The phone vibrated in his hand. He sighed and accepted the call.
“Jackson, thank goodness. What happened to you?”
“I was involved in a car accident.”
“Accident? Are you hurt? Did you injure your face?”
Leave it to Fred to get to the heart of his concern—Jackson’s marketability. “My face is fine.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yes.”
“Well, where are you? The crew has been looking for you. They aren’t sure what to do.”
“I’m snowed in.” He headed for Mae...erm...Serena’s desk in the great room to drop off the wallet. “And you’ll never believe who rescued me...”
CHAPTER TEN
THE KISS MEANT NOTHING.
Nothing at all.
That was what Serena had been telling herself ever since last night, when she’d fallen into Jackson’s more-than-capable arms. What had she been thinking to kiss the enemy?
Who was she kidding? Jackson wasn’t the enemy, even if he was part of the news media. Maybe at first she hadn’t trusted him—with her background, who could blame her? But during the time they’d spent together, she’d learned that there was so much more to him than his dashing looks and his day job.
He was a man who’d loved and lost. He was kind and generous. He went out of his way for others, even when he’d rather be doing anything else. And he had a sense of humor. The memory of his deep laugh still sent goose bumps down her arms. That was a sound she could listen to for the rest of her life—
Whoa! Slow down.
She knew that this moment of playing house would end soon—just as soon as the avalanche was cleared and they were able to plow the roads. Then they would return to reality, but for now, they lived within their own little world with their own rules and she intended to enjoy it as long as it lasted.
And if that should include some more kisses?
Well, she wouldn’t complain. An impish smile pulled at her lips.
She’d been kissed by a lot of leading men, but none of them could come close to Jackson. That man was made for kissing. Just the memory of his lips pressed to hers had her sighing. It hadn’t lasted long enough, not even close.
And now, instead of kissing that handsome man, she was doing his laundry. Something wasn’t right about that. But she was proud of herself for being able to take care of herself. Neither of her parents knew how to work a washing machine much less the dryer. They’d always been dependent on domestic help.
Serena learned early on that if she wanted true privacy, she had to be self-sufficient. And to be honest, she was never quite comfortable with people waiting on her. Maybe it was the time she’d spent serving food at the soup kitchen—seeing people who barely made it day to day—that had opened her eyes to the extravagances that her parents took for granted.
Whatever it was, she’d learned to do everything for herself except cooking. She had yet to master it. But she could clean the bathroom and iron her clothes.
It was only recently when her filming schedule became so out of control that she’d taken on a housekeeper. It was only supposed to be temporary, but Mrs. Martinez was so sweet and in desperate need of work that Serena kept her on.
Sometimes Serena missed doing the laundry. She found it relaxing. But doing Jackson’s laundry had extra benefits, like the lingering hint of his cologne on his laundered shirts. She stood in the master suite next to the closet, sniffing his shirt. If he were to walk in now and catch her, she would die of mortification. She was acting like some teenager—
There were footsteps followed by Jackson’s voice. Was he talking to Gizmo? But she didn’t have time to contemplate the answer as she was still clenching his shirt.
Not about to be caught acting like a lovesick puppy, she stepped into the closet and slid the door shut. She had to hunch over in order to fit. Why couldn’t this closet be a walk-in? But no, it had to be long and skinny. And there was a hanger digging into her shoulder blade. She started to move when the metal hangers jingled together. She froze in place.
What was she doing in here?
Plain and simple, she’d panicked.
What was it about Jackson’s presence that short-circuited her thought process? She never had this problem with any other man in her life. Jackson was unique.
She was about to open the door and step out when she heard her name mentioned. The breath caught in her throat as she strained to catch what he was saying about her.
“I’m serious. Serena Winston saved my life.”
There was a pause. He must be talking on the phone. That meant the cell service and internet were back online. She didn’t know if that was a blessing or a curse. She supposed she would soon find out.
“Don’t you dare say a word. I told you that as my friend, not my agent.” A pause ensued. “Because I told you not to. Just leave it be.”
Serena smiled. Jackson was protecting her privacy. He was a bona fide hero in her book.
“Hey, Gizmo.” Pause. “No. I was talking to the dog.”
Oh, no. If Gizmo realized she was in the closet, he would put up a fuss. No sooner had the thought passed through her mind than there was the sound of pawing at the door. Serena didn’t move. She didn’t so much as take a breath. She just prayed that Gizmo would get bored and move on.
“Arff! Arff!”
“Are you serious? She’s all over the headlines?” Another pause. “I don’t need to check it out.” Pause. “Yes. I know this scoop could make a difference in my career, but it’s not worth it to me.”
Serena smiled broadly and pumped her fist, banging her hand into more hangers. Jingle. Jingle. She reached up, silencing the hangers. The last thing she needed was for him to catch her lurking in his closet. She didn’t even want to imagine what she must look like. This was easily the most embarrassing moment of her life—and if Jackson caught her, it would be even worse.
“Arff! Arff!”
Scratch. Scratch. Scratch.
“Stop... No, not you. I was talking to the dog. Listen, I’ve got to go take the dog out.” Pause. “I don’t know.” Pause. “As soon as they plow open the roads.”
Jackson’s footsteps could be heard approaching the closet. “There’s nothing in there, boy. Come on. I’ll take you out.”
Jackson’s foots
teps faded away.
Serena cautiously exhaled a pent-up breath. She opened the closet door a crack to make sure the coast was clear. It was. She quickly exited and stretched. Her muscles did not like being hunched over for so long.
Not wasting too much time, she hung up the shirt, closed the closet and exited Jackson’s bedroom. She glanced toward the front porch, where she saw him through the window. His ankle must be feeling a lot better if he could put on a boot and go out in the snow. That was good, right?
For some reason, the thought of Jackson being mobile didn’t make her happy. Soon he’d be leaving her. And now that she knew she could trust him, she wanted him to stay.
The only question she had was whether he’d known who she was all along. If not, what had tipped him off?
She carried the now-empty laundry basket back to the laundry room just off the kitchen. As she placed it on the floor next to the dryer for another load, she realized that this place, even though it was quite large, was very homey. She’d never felt relaxed at her home in Hollywood.
And then she realized that perhaps it wasn’t the structure around her but rather the people in it. Gizmo was new to her life and they’d immediately bonded. And now there was Jackson. She felt guilty for not trusting him sooner. Perhaps it wasn’t too late to make it up to him.
She returned to the great room and was about to sit down at her laptop when she noticed her wallet sitting on the corner of her desk. How in the world had it gotten here? And then she noticed the distinct bite marks in the black leather. Gizmo. He was the one who’d given her away. That dog.
Just then the front door swung open. Gizmo raced into the room as though he were being chased. He stopped and shook himself off. Serena couldn’t help but smile. This dog did not like snow.
“What’s so amusing?” Jackson asked.
“Gizmo. He doesn’t like the snow. At all.”
“Give him time. It might grow on him.”
Somehow she didn’t think that would be the case. She glanced down at the wallet with bite marks. She supposed it was a little late to come clean considering Jackson knew the truth about her.
“I see you found the wallet,” Jackson said. “I rescued it from Gizmo. I think he was planning to hide it.”
“He is a bit of a thief. You better watch your stuff.” How did she say this? Did she just apologize for keeping her true identity a secret? Would he understand?
Jackson said something.
“Hmm...” She’d been lost in her thoughts and hadn’t caught all he’d said.
“I said your secret is safe with me.”
It wasn’t until her gaze met his dark, pointed stare that she knew she was in trouble. He was angry with her for keeping her identity from him. She didn’t know what to say to undo things.
“I... I’m sorry,” she said, but the words didn’t seem to faze him. “I have a hard time trusting people.”
“Do you know that there’s a search on for you? It appears that your fiancé is heading it up. His face is all over the media sites begging for information about your whereabouts.”
Her hands balled up at her sides. How dare Shawn act like he cared? It was all a show—just another way for him to benefit by linking himself to her.
“He’s not my fiancé. We were never engaged—not even close.”
Jackson’s brows rose. “That’s not what all of the tabloids are saying.”
“Shawn would do anything for headlines, including feeding false information to the press. He doesn’t like me, much less love me. I’m just a stepping-stone to his goals.”
“Really?” Jackson sounded skeptical. “Why don’t you tell people the truth about him?”
“Do you think they’d believe me? Anything I say will be twisted and blown up into an even bigger scandal. I just want it to all die down and go away. I want him to go away. I wish I’d never met him.”
Jackson wore a puzzled expression. “And that’s what you’re doing here—hiding until the story dies?”
“In a manner of speaking.” She didn’t actually consider it hiding, but she wasn’t going to argue semantics with him.
“From what my agent was telling me, the story is growing with every day you’re gone.” He raked his fingers through his hair. “It might be good to let someone know that you’re alive and safe. Some tabloids have even surmised that you’re dead. Others think you’ve been kidnapped.”
“Seriously?” She shook her head and sat down at the desk. “Can’t people mind their own business?”
“Is there anything I can do to help? Perhaps my agent could release a statement to put everyone at ease—”
“No. No statement.”
“Okay. So what? You’re just going to suddenly reappear one day?”
“Something like that.”
She pulled up the tabloids on her laptop. The headlines were ridiculous. And below the headlines was a photo of a distraught Shawn. Her stomach churned. When was that guy going to get on with his life? She would give him this much, he was a great actor. Because if she didn’t know that he was lying, she might have believed his show.
Unable to take any more of the lies and sensational journalism, she closed the laptop. “Listen, I’m sorry I wasn’t up-front with you.”
“I understand. At least now I do. When your driver’s license fell on the floor, I wasn’t very happy with you.”
“I... I don’t know what to say. I came here to be alone and then I thought—oh, I don’t know what I thought. I should have told you, but I hadn’t worked up the courage. It isn’t easy for me to let people into my life.”
He nodded as though he understood. “You’ve lived your entire life in front of the cameras. You don’t know who you can trust. And with my occupation, I’m sure that didn’t help things.”
“You’re right. It didn’t. I was afraid that once you found out who I was, you would make me a headline on your morning news show.”
When frown lines bracketed his eyes, she knew that she’d said too much. That was the thing about letting people get close. She wasn’t sure how much to say and how much to hold back. At least when she was acting in front of the camera, she had printed lines to follow. She didn’t have to figure out what to say, how much to say and when to say it.
That was another problem that kept her from seeking the spotlight. She was awkward in public. It would seem odd to most considering who her parents were and what she did for a living. But when she was in front of the cameras, she got to pretend that she was someone else—someone brave and ready to say their piece. However, Serena Mae Winston was a private person who struggled with the fame that her family lineage and job brought her.
Jackson cleared his throat. “I know we haven’t known each other for long, but do I strike you as someone who would go behind someone’s back to make a headline?”
“No.” The look on his face said that he didn’t believe her. “I mean it. I know we haven’t known each other for long, but I... I trust you.” He had no idea how hard that was for her to say.
His stance eased, as did the frown lines on his face. “Then maybe we should start over.”
“Start over?”
He nodded. Then he approached her and held out his hand. “Hi. I’m Jackson Bennett. The face of Hello America.”
She placed her hand in his and a warm sensation zinged up her arm. Her heart palpitated faster than normal. “Hi. I’m Serena Winston. I’m an actress who is trying to have a normal, quiet holiday.”
“I’m happy to meet you, Serena—”
Just then there was a loud rumbling sound. It woke Gizmo from his nap on the couch. He started to bark as he ran to the door. Jackson and Serena followed.
“What do you think it is this time?” she asked.
“It’s definitely not another avalanche.
This is a much different sound.” Jackson listened for a moment. “I think they are opening up the road.”
“Really? We can get out of here?”
“You’re that anxious to get rid of me?”
“I didn’t say that, but we need to get you to the doctor to see if you did any serious damage to your leg.”
“Do you really think I could walk on it if I had?”
“Is that what you call the motion you make?”
“Hey, I’m trying here.”
“I know. I just worry that you’re trying too hard and that you’re going to do permanent damage to yourself.”
As they were standing there next to the window talking, a red-and-black snowmobile cut across the front of the yard.
“Looks like that guy from the emergency crew is back to check on you,” Serena said.
“I’m fine. You all need to quit worrying about me.”
“If you were fine, you would walk normal.”
Jackson grunted and limped over to the couch while Serena waited for their visitor to make it to the door.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
SHE WAS RIGHT.
But that knowledge didn’t make Serena happy.
The official diagnosis was in. Jackson’s ankle was fractured. Even the doctor was surprised that Jackson was able to get around as well as he had been. As it was, the doctor had set him up with a walking boot.
“We shouldn’t be here,” she said as they stood at the edge of the town square. “You should be at home resting your leg.”
Jackson turned and stared into her eyes. “Have you ever been to a Christmas market?”
“Arff!”
Jackson smiled and gazed down at Gizmo. “I wasn’t talking to you, boy.” Jackson’s gaze rose until it met Serena’s again. “I was talking to you.”
“Um, well, um...no. But I’m not exactly dressed for it.”
His gaze skimmed over her white coat, red scarf and faded jeans. “There’s nothing wrong with what you’re wearing.”
She lifted a hand to her hair. “But I didn’t do anything with my hair.”
Snowbound with an Heiress Page 9
