“Look, I get that you’re into saving animals,” Nichole said, standing by the sidelines, wringing her hands, “but I’m thinking you’re making things worse. Maybe you should just leave the poor thing to die in peace?”
A twinge of guilt struck Jenna just as her fingers caught a wing. Relieved she wouldn’t be making things worse now, she gathered it into her hands, cradling it against her body. The bird stilled, unblinking eyes staring.
“I’m going to get you some help,” she promised her new captive. “Somehow.” She looked at the door. If she put it outside, it would probably flop around on the ground. If it tried to fly, it might run into something else--like the house, or a tree. Or land in the pool or ocean and drown. Or starve to death because it couldn’t hunt.
Rafe would know what to do with it. After all, he was into animal conservation.
At least, she hoped he would know.
But he was busy now. Working.
It squirmed.
Until she could talk to him, she needed to keep it safe. She couldn’t hold it like this for long.
Holding the bird as carefully as possible, she hurried to her bedroom and locked herself and the bird in the bathroom. Using her foot, she kicked a towel onto the floor then knelt down and wrapped the bird tightly, binding the wings against the body so it wouldn’t move.
There. Now it wouldn’t get away and hurt itself worse.
Time to get some help.
With bird in hand, she went to Rafe’s office. The door was closed. She knocked with her elbow and upon receiving a muffled response to come in, cautiously tucked the bird against her body so she could free a hand to open the door.
She stepped inside to find Rafe staring at at his laptop. “I need your help,” she announced.
He looked up. His brows furrowed. And then they rose… and rose… and rose. “What is that?”
“A bird,” she informed him, stating the obvious. She turned it so the head showed.
“Yes, a bird. I see it’s a bird. Why are you holding it? In my house?”
“Because it flew into the house and ran into a window,” she explained, leaving out the part about how Nichole had basically scared it into crashing into the window. No reason to bring that up. The end results were the same. Not to mention, she’d been part of that failed plan. “It’s injured.”
He didn’t stand.
He didn’t rush over to grab the bird and medevac it to the nearest wildlife refuge.
He didn’t even pick up his phone to call the nearest vet.
Why was he still sitting there, staring at her like she was a total idiot? Wasn’t he into wildlife rescue? Didn’t he care?
“What do you expect me to do with that bird?” he asked.
Duh? Really? He needed her to explain? “Take it somewhere. A vet. A wildlife rescue. It needs medical care.”
He shoved his fingers through his hair. “I’m working. I can’t do that now.”
Working? Was there anything more important that a life? “But it’s hurt.”
He went back to staring at his computer screen. “It’ll have to wait until later.”
So much for his so-called commitment to animal protection.
Evidently, his commitment to that cause began and ended with the signing of a check.
“Fine.” With her patient in hand, Jenna headed for the door.
She should have known he wasn’t really into conservation. It was just his pet project, something to make him look good to the public.
Just as she reached the door, he sighed. “Wait.”
“What?” She peered over her shoulder.
“What are you going to do with that?” he motioned to the bird.
“I don’t know. Find something to close it in so it can’t crash into any more windows.”
He tipped his head down, fingers running along his brows.
What did he have to think about? Why was he being so freaking melodramatic?
“I’ll help you,” he said.
“Don’t bother. I wouldn’t want to keep you from your work. Clearly it’s very important to you. More important than saving a member of a local endangered species.” She rolled her eyes, heart pounding with frustration.
“Endangered species?” he echoed, staring at the stupid computer screen again.
“I shouldn’t have come to you. I realize now how important your work is. Far more important than a stupid creature that can’t tell the difference between a window and a door.”
“That isn’t fair,” he snapped, a growl turning his tone threatening.
“I’m sorry,” she said, backpedaling slightly. Maybe she was being a little judgmental, a little prejudice.
Okay, maybe she was being a lot judgmental. About the bird. About his money. About a lot of things.
Just because he didn’t know what to do with an injured bird didn’t make him a callous jerk, as she’d implied. Nor was he a spoiled brat, just because his family was rich. “I shouldn’t have said that. I get a little crazy about these things. I studied up on the local wildlife before I came. So when I saw the hawk, I knew right away it was a big deal.”
His tone and expression lifted immediately “I see.” He circled the desk, catching up to her as she stepped into the hallway. He placed a hand on the small of her back. “With that kind of commitment, you would be a great addition to the GLC.”
Instantly her nerves reacted to his touch, sending little tingles through her body. Her mind, on the other hand, focused on his words, particularly ‘great addition’. “I would love to have a chance to prove that to you.”
“It looks like you found your chance, here.” His gaze flicked to the bird, cradled in her arms.
“I didn’t plan this. I swear.”
“I’m sure you didn’t.” He pressed on her back, turning her toward a closed door on the other side of the library. “Now, let’s see what we can find in here.” Reaching around her side, he opened the door. The hairs on her nape stood on end at his nearness. His breath caressed her neck.
She stepped into the room, a walk-in storage closet, the walls lined with deep shelves.
“When we were younger, my brother Vin had a pet parrot named Superman.”
“Superman?”
“It was blue. Crazy bird, that one. Too much inbreeding, I think. Anyway, it died when our family was vacationing here one winter. The cage should be around here somewhere.” Rafe moved to a shadowy corner. “It can’t be that hard to find. It was huge,” he grumbled as he shoved his bulky body between two large stacks of boxes. “Ah. Here it is.” The boxes started trembling, and Jenna jumped back just before the whole shebang came crashing down. The bird in her hand jerked as the small room filled with the sound of shattering glass and thumping boxes.
When the dust settled, she saw Rafe, standing wide-eyed, next to a birdcage, sitting atop a large table.
She laughed.
He blinked once, twice and then laughed with her. “Well, I was worried I wouldn’t get this out of this corner. That won’t be a problem now.” He lifted the cage and picked his way through the rubble to set it on top of one of the boxes close to Jenna. He pulled open the door. “There you are. Your friend will be safe in here until we can get it on a boat to the mainland.”
Carefully, she set the bird in the cage, leaving the towel wrapped around it, knowing he would wriggle out of his cocoon fast enough. She quickly withdrew her hand and Rafe shut the door.
The bird wiggled and flopped as they stepped back to admire the results.
“Ah it’s a hawk,” Rafe said once the bird was free. “You’re right. You did well to save this one.”
Ha! So all her effort had been worth it.
Feeling justified in making such a huge fuss, she grinned and folded her arms over her chest. “Of course I was right. Did you think I would come here without doing at least a cursory study of the island wildlife? I came here to convince you I’m dedicated to the important work of the GLC. I’d be a fool not to study up on
the endangered species in this area, just in case I came into contact with one while I was here.”
“Yes, of course. It makes perfect sense.” He studied her, as if she were an endangered species. His sharply focused attention made her uneasy. What was he thinking?
She reached for the cage, her hand bumping his as he did the same. “Sorry.”
“I’ll carry it. It’s rather heavy.” Lifting the cage, he tipped his head. “After you.”
She held the door as he exited the storage room. The bird flopped and flapped frantically. “It’s going to hurt itself.”
“I’ll make a call. We’ll get him some help. You can return to your sunbathing if you wish. My brothers have both left for the day. You’ll have plenty of privacy.”
“Oh, I’m done with that.” She lifted a sleeve, wincing at the sting, to show off her gorgeous blistered upper arm. “I had more sun than I could handle yesterday. And wine.”
They stopped outside his office. “I see that. There should be lotion in your bathroom.” Holding the cage’s handle in one hand, he curled the other over the doorknob and turned it.
“Already found it. Thank you.” Jenna set a hand on his arm. “Before you disappear in there again for another twelve hours, I wanted to thank you.”
“It’s not a problem. I needed to get away from my computer for a few minutes—“
“No, not about that. I mean, yes, I’m grateful for the cage too. But I was talking about your taking such good care of me yesterday. When I was… passed out.”
He visibly swallowed. “Who told you I took care of you?”
“Nichole said—“
“She lied.” He shook his head. “She’s always trying to paint me as the knight in shining armor. Don’t buy her fairy stories. They aren’t real.”
Then, as if to prove his warning, he locked himself in his office—which no respectable prince charming would do with his princess standing there, waiting for his kiss.
9
“There you are. I was beginning to think Rafe had been an idiot and sent you home.” Nichole announced a little while later. Nichole was sprawled on the couch again, just like she’d said she would be, watching some crazy reality show on TV. There was lots of yelling and cussing going on. In English, this time. “I saw the boat.”
“That was for the hawk.” Feeling a little bummed out after Rafe gave her the cold shoulder, she shook her head. “You need to stop saying such things about me. I’m nobody to Prince Raphael.” It was time she faced reality. Nothing would be happening between Rafe and her again. He didn’t like her. Not romantically. He respected her, maybe. He lusted after her, quite possibly. But whatever they had been starting was done. Over. Kaput.
She wasn’t right for him. That was the gist of it. Which sucked. She’d never felt such an instant connection to a guy before. Just her luck, it was with a man she could never have.
Nichole scowled, sitting up to make room for Jenna and patting the couch cushion. “Get over here. We need to talk.” She shook a finger at Jenna. “You’ve got that totally backward. You need to stop saying such things about yourself. You are someone. A really special someone.”
“I’m glad you think so. But my boss doesn’t.” Jenna flopped onto the couch. “I’m not even a useful PA. He should have put me on the boat back to the mainland, too. I don’t know what I’m doing here.”
Nichole clicked the remote, muting the overblown drama blasting from the hidden TV speakers. “Listen to me. You can’t let Rafe’s act fool you. You are special to him.”
God, she wanted to believe Nichole. But she couldn’t.
Women had to be throwing themselves at all three brothers’ feet all the time. And not just wanna-be personal assistants, either. But women with pedigrees and ivy league educations. Women their parents would gladly accept as their daughters-in-law.
She hadn’t graduated from Harvard or Yale.
She didn’t have a perfect bikini body.
Or a pedigree his parents would respect.
It was a useless cause. Useless and silly.
She stared at the television screen. A handful of gorgeous women were arguing on the set of some dating show. They all looked like Nichole and Bikini Babe.
Those were the kind of women Rafe and his brothers liked. Flashy. Beautiful. Emaciated. “I think I should leave.”
“No way. You don’t want to go.”
“Yes. Yes, I do.”
Nichole poked Jenna’s chin. “You’re the worst liar I have ever met.” At the sound of men approaching, Nichole grabbed Jenna’s wrist and tugged her toward the French doors. “Let’s go find somewhere quiet to talk about this.”
“I thought you wanted to stay out of it,” Jenna grumbled as she followed Nichole.
“I did. I do. But you aren’t giving me any choice!”
Outside, they scurried past the swimming pool and down the trail that lead to the beach. The sun warmed Jenna’s skin, and the fresh and salty scent of the ocean filled her nose. She breathed in deeply and her saggy mood lifted slightly. She kicked her shoes off and the hot sand oozed between her toes.
Now this was more like it.
She needed to stop walking around pouting. That was so unlike her, obsessing over a guy. She hadn’t gotten so wrapped up in a guy since…
“Okay, so what’s going on?” Nichole demanded, arms crossed over her chest. “We can’t stay out here long. You’re scorched.”
Jenna plopped on her ass and buried her feet in the sand. “You know what? I’d rather just drop it. Let it go, Nichole. It’s not worth it. I’m fine.”
Nichole gave her an oh-really look from high above.
“I am,” Jenna insisted. After all, why wouldn’t she be? She’d just met Rafe a couple of days ago. And since then they’d spent so little time together.
Some of that time had been wonderful.
Mind-blowing.
But very little of it.
Nichole sighed and sat beside her. “Of course you are. Because you aren’t a simpering little fool like most of the women those boys hook up with. But you’re still upset.”
“I’m fine.”
“Stop lying to me.”
Jenna rolled her eyes as she poked a finger into the sand. “You sound like my best friend, Mikki. She says that all the time, too.”
“That’s because you’re a terrible liar.” Nichole kicked off her flip-flops and dug her toes into the sand too. “Look, what I said earlier, it’s true. You’re different. If I was wrong, Rafe would’ve sent you home by now. Like he did Adri.”
“Why? Why did he do that? She was beautiful.”
“She was. But she made one fatal mistake. She invited herself here and basically threw herself at him. Rafe likes a challenge. He likes complicated women that make him think, that keep him on his toes. Adri was neither. You should have seen her when he told her to leave. She was hysterical.” Smiling, Nichole elbowed Jenna. “She blamed you.”
That was laughable. How could she be to blame? She hadn’t done anything.
And as far as the other things Nichole had said… well, Jenna didn’t know what to say. She hadn’t thrown herself at Rafe, that much was true. But she hadn’t made it difficult for him either. It was Rafe who was starting things and then backpedaling, while apologizing and throwing out excuses. Now that she thought about it, she was acting wishy-washy and spineless, letting him call the shots. “I think you’re wrong.” Why hadn’t he cast her aside? She wasn’t being strong and independent. Not at all.
“Girl, there’s no way I’m wrong. You’re the first woman who’s made Rafe crazy.”
Now Nichole was just being silly.
“Stop bullshitting me,” Jenna said, scooping sand onto her feet.
“He’s going absolutely nuts. He wants you so bad. But he doesn’t want to want you… if that makes sense.” Nichole lifted a hand, sand sifting through her fingers. “His brothers and I are having a blast watching him. It’s better than any reality show.”
“You’re beautiful. Smart. And you aren’t throwing yourself at him like a spoiled and desperate brat. You’ve got him right here.” She lifted her pinky finger.
Wrapped around her pinky? Hardly. Jenna turned toward the house, half-hoping to see Rafe standing out by the pool, watching them. But of course, he wasn’t. He was inside. Like always. Working. Because that was all that mattered to him. His work. He was not wrapped around her pinky. “No woman will ever have that man wrapped around her pinky.” She stood. “None of this matters, Nichole.”
“Why do you say that?” she asked, as she stood.
“Because his parents won’t accept a poor, American daughter-in-law. And if they won’t then—”
“Pshaw!” Nichole dismissed her argument with a toss of a hand. “It happens in books and movies all the time. The prince falls in love with the maid or secretary. They get married and live happily-ever-after. It happens in real life too.”
“No,” Jenna corrected her. She moseyed down to the water’s edge, letting the gentle current lap at her toes and wash away the sand. “Princes fall in love with models. And actresses. Everyone knows that.”
“Sure they do. But not this prince. He isn’t impressed with models and actresses. He’s impressed with women who are real. Like you.”
“You have a point, maybe a model or actress isn’t his thing, but neither is a wanna-be animal conservationist.” She ventured deeper into the water, enjoying its warm caress against her ankles. “I should go home. You watch, he’ll have forgotten all about me before my plane lands in the US.”
Nichole caught Jenna’s arm and tugged. “It almost sounds like you want him to forget about you.”
“Yes, well, maybe a part of me does,” she confessed quietly, staring down at the shimmering, clear water.
“Girl, that is crazy!” Nichole nudged her. “Why? Do you realize what a great catch Rafe is?”
“He’s too great. That’s just it. He’s good looking. Hard working. Dedicated. I think I’m just a novelty. And like all novelties, I’ll grow old. And then what?”
Be My Princess - A Bad Boy Billionaire Romance (Pretty Dirty Romance Book 1) Page 7
