by Anna Lowe
“Lamar creeps me out,” Hailey said.
“He creeps out a lot of people. Kind of useful at times.” Jonathan grinned.
Tim scowled. Would Jonathan be amused to discover his head of security could turn into a wolf?
“Anyway, what counts is that we’re together again.” Jonathan held out his hand, showing those manicured fingernails again. “I want you to be mine, baby.”
“I am not a baby, and I am not yours. I never was, and I never will be.”
Tim wanted to give her a little fist pump. Hailey was being tough as anything, but she had to be near her limit. The sooner she got this over with, the better.
Jonathan’s eyes hardened, but a moment later, his voice was sticky-sweet. “Hailey, honey. I promise to make it up to you.”
When he reached inside his jacket, Tim nearly slammed him into the serving counter of the teahouse. But Jonathan saw him coming and threw his hands up. “Whoa! Take it easy. It’s just this.”
Tim kept his arms three inches from his sides, ready to pounce as Jonathan slowly pulled out a square box. His preying eyes shifted back to Hailey as he opened the box, revealing a necklace strung with huge, shiny pearls.
“Remember these, princess? They’re for you. A symbol of my love.”
A symbol of my wealth, he might as well have said.
Hailey didn’t move. Her mother clapped her hands to her chest and glowed as if to demonstrate how rich-people courtship went. “Why, Jonathan. They’re gorgeous.”
Jonathan grinned. “Pink pearls. The very best. You know what pink represents?”
Hailey looked like she couldn’t care less.
“Fame, fortune, success,” Jonathan said, answering his own prompt.
“Of course,” Hailey muttered.
Her fingers went to her throat but then fell away, and Tim remembered the single bead she usually wore. It was pink, too. Had she left it at his house?
Jonathan leaned toward Hailey and shot a pointed look at Tim. “I’d rather speak privately, honey.”
I bet you would, asshole. Tim amped up his scowl, making Jonathan eye the door.
“I’d rather not talk at all,” Hailey said. “The answer is no. The answer will always be no.”
Hailey’s mother stopped sniffling and sneezing long enough to chime in with her two cents. “Just hear Jonathan out. You owe him as much.”
“I owe him?” Hailey turned pink. “What would I possibly owe him?”
“More than you know.” Hailey’s mother shrugged, suddenly coy.
Jonathan grinned in a way that made Tim look twice. What was he so satisfied about?
“What is that supposed to mean?” Hailey demanded, looking between the two.
Tim looked, too, as a sinking feeling grew in his gut. Those two had definitely colluded on something — something beyond the deceit that had lured Hailey into that wedding in Waikiki.
“Just the biggest contract of your life,” her mother said, looking more vindictive than any mother ought to be.
Hailey narrowed her eyes. “What are you talking about? The Boundless campaign? I only got that contract when the other model dropped out at the last minute.”
Jonathan went right on smiling, and Hailey’s mother did too, letting some realization slowly sink into Hailey’s mind.
What? Tim wanted to yell. What happened?
Hailey’s mother laughed. “Dropped out? You think Joelle Parks dropped out of the Boundless job?”
Hailey’s brow furrowed. “She was forced to when that drug bust went public. No advertising agency would touch her after that. But…” Hailey trailed off, slowly turning white. “No. You didn’t.” She looked from Jonathan to her mother. “Tell me you didn’t have anything to do with that.”
“We didn’t have anything to do with that,” Jonathan said, letting his shit-eating grin grow.
Hailey backed away, covering her mouth with one trembling hand. “Oh my God. You did, didn’t you? You found out about her problem and made the story go public.”
Hailey’s mother broke out laughing. “Made the story go public? Honey, we made the story in the first place.”
Tim gaped. Hailey’s mother had arranged for drugs to be planted on some unsuspecting young woman to eliminate the competition and let her own daughter win the contract? How sick was she?
But it wasn’t all the mother. Jonathan had played a role in that as well. One glance at the two of them exchanging smug looks said it all.
Hailey looked ready to cover her ears. “You destroyed Joelle’s career for—” She slapped a hand over her mouth, and her mother filled in the rest.
“For you, Hailey. There. Now you know what to be grateful for.”
“Mother, how could you?” Hailey shrieked.
“I did what I had to do. That contract was ours.”
Hailey gestured helplessly. “Ours?”
Jonathan waved casually. “All water under the bridge.”
Tim nearly socked him. Hailey screeched. “Water under the bridge? You ruined her life!”
Jonathan shrugged. “Business. Stars come, stars go. You got your chance, and that’s all that matters. Now everyone knows your name.”
Tim formed a fist. He really was going to sock Jonathan now.
“Why does that matter?” Hailey half yelled, half cried.
“Because it makes you perfect,” Jonathan said. “Don’t you see?”
All Tim saw was a vision of Jonathan flying through the glass door of the teahouse. If he had to listen to another second of the sick bastard’s talk, he’d be ready to do just that.
“See what?” Hailey cried.
“We’re perfect. My money and connections. Your face and fame. We’ll make the Senate in no time!” Jonathan crowed.
“We’ll make the Senate?” Hailey protested.
Jonathan shrugged. “I’ll make the Senate. Just you watch. Give me a year or two after we’re married, and then I’ll be ready to make my bid for that Montana seat.”
Hailey turned her head in a desperate No, no, no! motion. “This was your plan?” She turned to her mother. “And you were in on it?”
“Baby, just think,” Jonathan said in that overly confident voice of his. “You’ll be Mrs. Jonathan Owen-Clarke, Senate wife. Maybe even First Lady someday. And with my brother in the Senate for California, we’ll be the new Kennedys. Everyone will love you.” Everyone will love me, his expression said as he added, “You’ll never have to work again.”
Hailey’s eyes bugged out. “Why would I want any of that?”
“You did say you wanted to stop modeling,” her mother pointed out.
Tim scowled. Apparently, the woman had been listening, just not admitting as much.
“I want to stop modeling, but I don’t want to stop working. Why would I want that? I want to earn money,” Hailey said. “Honest money. I want control of my own life. Can’t you see?”
Tim sure as hell could see. Jonathan wanted to control Hailey as tightly as her mother had, but Hailey was fighting back.
He stepped forward a tiny bit. This was her battle, and he was just there to support. But damn it, he’d make his support clear.
Jonathan sneered in his direction, then reapplied his smile when he looked at Hailey. A smile he probably practiced in the mirror while he imagined his illustrious political career.
“I swear, I’ll take good care of you.”
“I don’t need to be taken care of.” Hailey stomped. A moment later, her expression changed as she studied Jonathan. “Or do you mean take care of the way Lamar takes care of things for you?” Her voice dropped to a low whisper.
Jonathan’s eyes flashed ever so briefly, making Tim bristle. Yeah, Jonathan was perfectly aware of the strong-arm tactics his head of security used. But the businessman went on talking, smooth as can be.
“Baby, all I want to take care of is you.”
Hailey’s mother exploded into another sneezing fit and dabbed at her nose. “Does this place allow pets or something?”
Or something, his bear muttered.
He was sorely tempted to let his fangs out and give her and Jonathan a good scare. But Hailey would be terrified too. Worse, she’d be repulsed.
He clenched a fist hard enough for his nails to cut into his palms. Sleeping next to Hailey had given him a hint of heaven, but hell wasn’t far off. Not if she discovered he was a shifter.
A young waitress appeared from the back room. “Can I get anyone a tea?”
Jonathan slammed his fist on the table so hard, the silverware jumped. “Do I look like I want some goddamn tea?”
The waitress scurried off, and a second later, Jonathan was back to his fake smile. “Hailey—”
Tim wouldn’t have thought it was possible for Hailey’s face to pinch any tighter, but it did, and he knew why. Once upon a time, she had been that waitress. That nobody — at least in the eyes of men like Jonathan. Which meant the jerk had just nailed his own coffin shut.
Hailey looked at Tim and gave the faintest possible nod. He nodded back. Yeah, he’d had about enough too.
“I’ve said everything I need to say. Goodbye, Jonathan.” Hailey strode to the door then whirled. “And I mean goodbye.”
“You’ll regret this,” Jonathan snarled, stepping in front of her.
Tim would have tossed the asshole out the nearest window if Hailey hadn’t shoved him aside first. “Regret meeting you? Yes. But you’ll be the one regretting things soon. I’ll get a restraining order if you or any of your wacko security guys come anywhere near me, and I’ll go to the press with every detail of your sick wedding plan. I’m sure that will look good on your record when you run for office.”
Jonathan opened his mouth in horror, but Hailey flicked her eyes away from him and looked at her mother in a mix of sorrow and disgust. “I’ll call you, Mom.”
“You’ll call me?” Her mother’s eyes widened in outrage.
Hailey nodded firmly. “Sometime. Whenever I’m ready to talk to you without screaming. Goodbye.”
Then she walked out, leaving her mother and Jonathan staring as if they’d didn’t know Hailey had it in her.
Tim followed immediately. Well, he wasn’t the least bit surprised. Hailey had a hell of a lot more than a pretty face going for her. She had guts and more soul than both of those two crooks — yes, crooks — combined.
The door to the teahouse swung shut behind him, making the glass panel rattle. Of course, Hailey’s mother snatched it open a second later and called out, “Now, you listen to me…”
Hailey didn’t listen, though, and neither did Tim. Hunter and Connor were waiting outside, ready to escort Hailey’s mother and Jonathan onto the helicopter.
“Hailey!” Jonathan yelled.
“Miss Crewe?” the portly lawyer murmured as Hailey swept by.
“What a goddamn circus,” Connor muttered.
Tim rushed to catch up with Hailey, but she didn’t stop until she reached the motorcycle at the far end of the lot. There, she closed her eyes, huffing and puffing like she’d just blown a house down. A big, ugly, brick house she’d probably never dreamed of demolishing until then.
“That circus is my life,” she whispered.
Tim took her hand and kissed her gently on the knuckles. “Not any more, it isn’t.” He handed her a helmet and nodded toward the motorcycle. “Can I offer you a ride?”
Her smile was weak and weary, but it was still a smile. “Yes, please.”
Chapter Fourteen
If it hadn’t been for Tim’s reassuring bulk right in front of her — or the powerful roar of the motorcycle engine he gunned down the road — Hailey might have burst into tears. Instead, she nestled her head between his shoulders, letting the scenery blur in the periphery of her vision. The helmet muffled sound, giving her even more of a cocoon to hide away in. And instead of breaking down, she fumed.
Her own mother, an accomplice to a crime. And Jonathan — the arrogant bastard. Had he really thought she would embrace his plan?
Apparently so, because he had turned a shade of red she’d never seen before and stormed out of the teahouse after her. Too bad Tim’s friends had stopped him. She’d missed the perfect opportunity to kick Jonathan in the balls.
She dug her fingers into Tim’s leather jacket and rocked her head from side to side. Connor was right. Her life had become a circus.
Tim let go of the handlebar long enough to cover her right hand with his, and his words echoed through her mind. Not any more, it isn’t.
She smiled, if only briefly. The truth was, that circus had at least one more hoop she’d have to jump through when the press found her — the nasty, prying Hollywood press, not that sweet woman from the Maui Times. But after that, maybe there was a light at the end of the tunnel.
“Want me to go faster?” Tim shouted over his shoulder.
She laughed. Was that man-therapy for times like this? Well, she was ready to give anything a try. “Yes, please.”
He revved so hard, the front tire nearly peeled off the ground, and she shrieked. A good kind of shriek, which she followed up on by clamping onto his back as tightly as a baby baboon.
She couldn’t actually see Tim grin, but she could feel it, and it made her smile too.
“Thank you,” she whispered. Too softly for him to hear above the whipping of the wind, but heck — maybe he could sense it the same way she could sense things about him.
“Too bad,” she sighed when he finally parked at the plantation barn.
He turned to look over his shoulder. “Too bad?”
“I was enjoying that ride. Feeling free,” she admitted.
He grinned, and a tiny bit of the bad boy showed. “Want to go back out?”
She did, but she shook her head. “Time to face the music, I guess.”
He took her hand. “You already did, and you were amazing.”
She snorted. He was the amazing one. She was the one with dysfunctional relationships and a mess of a life.
Her eyes strayed over the property. Lucky Tim. Smart Tim. He kept to himself way out in this quiet corner of Maui. Would she ever find a way to do the same?
She slid off the back of the motorcycle, reluctantly releasing her grip on him. It was time to make some plans and get on with her life.
“Hey,” he called as she walked off. “Where are you going?”
She stopped, looked around, and gave a bitter laugh. “Good question. I have no idea. But you’ve done so much for me. It’s time I stopped imposing and moved on, don’t you think?”
Her heart beat a little faster, and she strained for the protest she was dying to hear. Something like, No. Please, Hailey, don’t go. Stay a little longer so we can see where things between us go.
Their chemistry was undeniable, and she’d give anything for a chance to get to know Tim more intimately — ideally, when her mess of a life calmed down. She was sure he wanted that, too, but something always seemed to put on the brakes.
Tim’s eyes grew so bright, she could swear they glowed, and he opened his mouth to reply. She leaned forward, stiff as a board, telling herself not to wish or hope too hard. But then Tim froze and hardened up all over again. When he spoke, his voice was gruff.
“I guess so.”
Hailey swallowed hard, but the leaden feeling of disappointment still pressed on her chest. Okay, he didn’t want her. Or he did, but he wasn’t ready to go there. Had he been burned by some heartless woman in the past? Was he turned off by the realities of who she was?
She was about to force her chin up and breeze away when Tim took her hand and smiled that bittersweet I wish things were different smile. Then he murmured, “Come on. Coffee time.”
He waited, giving her every opportunity to resist. But she didn’t have any resistance left in her — especially not for him.
“Coffee sounds good.”
They walked side by side to his house, where he led her around the back. There was a little lean-to there that he’d turned into a patio, with one chair, a rickety
table, and a gorgeous view of the dips and rises of the plantation, all leading to a triangle of incredibly blue ocean visible between the slopes.
He waved around apologetically. “Someday this will be a nice terrace, with sliding doors to the living room. But for now, I have to walk around.”
She stepped to follow him, but he shook his head. “You sit. Relax. Think. I’ll be right back.”
Seconds later, he returned, carrying a second chair that didn’t match the first, yet somehow fit perfectly. Like the table, which looked like a recycled strip of fence laid sideways over a sturdy frame. Obviously, Tim had a penchant for repurposed woodwork.
“Just one more second…” he said, disappearing again.
Hailey stood at the edge of the patio, fingering the leaves of a coffee plant that grew near the roof post. She leaned over, sniffing its sweet scent. Small green beads were starting to form amidst the tiny white flowers. Someday, Tim would be able to pluck coffee beans right from his patio.
“Cool,” she whispered into the wind.
If only she could stay and watch those buds grow.
A finch flew over the bushes, showing a rose-colored belly and pink beak. Hailey watched, trying to relax and not think.
When Tim came out with two steaming mugs and coffee cake, her eyebrows shot up, but he just shrugged. “My mom did this when I was little. When she’d had it with everything, including us.” He flashed a half smile as he set the mugs and plates on the table. “Connor and I were kind of a handful, in case you didn’t guess. So she would order us to go outside and give her ten minutes of peace. And she’d just sit there, holding a mug of coffee. We’d sneak over to watch her, and neither of us got it. She didn’t drink the coffee — she’d just hold it with both hands and watch the steam swirl in the air. And she barely touched the cake.” He laughed. “That’s what we found totally crazy. But sometimes, I catch myself doing the same thing. Every time we lost a guy on a mission—”
His eyes clouded over, and his face turned dark.
Hailey’s throat went dry. She’d been so wrapped up in her own troubles, she’d forgotten to put things into perspective. She looked down, studying Tim’s callused hands, if not his face. What awful experiences might he have endured? What memories still cropped up in his dreams?
