‘It was wrong of me,’ she said, then added quickly, ‘to tell you. I was told to keep my identity a secret to everyone but your father.’
Dan sat back in his chair, facing his father again. His jaw twitched.
Marty looked between them. ‘It’s done now. Don’t be too hard on yourself, Jet. You’re alone and isolated out here, away from everything that’s familiar. Reaching out to Dan is forgivable. I’ve seen too many others in your situation reach out in the wrong ways.’
Like sending a message to an old friend, Jet wondered, regret twisting her stomach.
‘I’m sorry,’ she began.
‘Stop saying you’re sorry,’ Dan bit out.
Jet and Marty stared at him.
‘Oh, come on, Dad,’ Dan said, raising a hand in the air. ‘You know exactly what I’m talking about. Ever since Jet’s been here, she’s been sorry.’
‘I—’ Jet closed her mouth. She’d been about to say, ‘I’m sorry you feel that way.’
‘Careful, Dan,’ his father advised him. ‘Jet doesn’t have many people she can trust right now. Don’t abuse her trust.’
Dan dropped his hand and a flicker of disgust passed over his features. Jet wasn’t sure if it was aimed at her or himself. She supposed she had just been deliberately vague about last night’s events and it wasn’t entirely fair of her. Their kiss had been special, which is exactly what worried her.
‘Dan and I need to ask you trust us as well, Jet,’ Marty continued.
‘I do,’ she replied honestly.
Marty nodded, like that was the answer he expected. ‘In that case, we think it’s better Cynthia isn’t aware of the situation for the moment and we’d ask you to keep it that way please.’
Jet glanced between the two men. If she was Cynthia, she’d be less than impressed when she found out, but it wasn’t Jet’s decision to make. Both Marty and Dan appeared fiercely protective of the matriarch of Rhodes Estate.
‘Of course.’
‘We also have one other decision we’d like you to trust us on,’ Marty said. ‘Dan’s going to move back into the cottage as of today.’
Jet stopped herself from frowning. Well, this was unexpected, but again, not her decision to make. ‘If that’s your preference, I’ll move my things across to the main house later this afternoon.’
‘No,’ Dan said, turning back to her. ‘You’re staying where you are. I’ll be sharing the cottage with you.’
Oh. Oh. ‘No,’ she said quickly. ‘That’s not necessary. I don’t need babysitting.’
Dan crossed his arms. ‘So you’re happy to move back into the house but not to share the cottage with me?’
Jet opened her mouth and then closed it again. She put a hand to her forehead. Ever since she’d woken up this morning, she’d had the edge of a headache and now it felt much, much worse.
‘No,’ Jet tried to correct Dan. ‘I just don’t think it’s necessary, that’s all.’
‘So you’d feel safer in the house where you’d have to lie to Mum constantly than sharing the cottage with me?’
‘What? No!’ Jet let the exasperation she was feeling get the better of her. What had happened to the easygoing Dan she thought she knew? This man was infuriatingly stubborn and he was being childish, in her opinion. Maybe all men were the same after all.
‘Jet. Dan.’ Marty said their names like he was addressing a pair of children, which maybe they were. ‘Dan and I would both feel more comfortable if you weren’t alone. And as Dan has not so eloquently pointed out, you’d be in the uncomfortable position of having to lie if you were in the main house with us. You don’t have to lie to Dan anymore.’
See, that’s where they were both wrong, Jet realised. She may not have to lie to Dan about who she really was anymore, but a part of her would still be lying about her feelings.
‘And,’ Marty went on, ‘to be fair, it is Dan’s cottage. Up until now I’d gotten the impression both of you get along well and sharing a generously sized cottage shouldn’t be an issue.’
Shouldn’t, but it was in Jet’s opinion. If she told them so, then she’d have to explain why and that was something she would prefer not to have to do.
‘You’re right,’ Jet agreed, addressing Marty. ‘It makes sense for Dan to share the cottage with me, but what will we tell Cynthia?’
Dan blew out a long breath. ‘She won’t question it. Like Dad says, we’ve been getting along well. Being roommates makes sense.’
Jet met Dan’s eyes and they held a challenge. Roommates. Is that what they’d be?
Marty placed both of his hands on the edge of the timber desk. ‘Good. I’m glad we’re in agreement. And remember, this is only temporary. Jet has her old life to return to when all of this is over.’
Jet and Dan stood. For the first time this morning, Dan avoided her eyes. They filed out of Marty’s office, Dan in front of her. Jet’s desk was closer and she watched as Dan walked over to his without giving her another glance.
She concentrated on waking her computer up and opening the booking form for another wedding she was finalising the details for, but the unwanted words kept going through her mind.
Roommates. Jet has her old life to return to.
That was exactly why Dan and her shouldn’t be roommates. After last night’s kiss, sharing the cottage was asking for trouble. Jet wasn’t sure what scared her more: the thought that Dan wanted to be more than roommates or the fact that she wanted him to be more than that, too.
Also, Marty wasn’t stupid. Witnessing their conversation, he’d finished by reminding them Jet wasn’t a permanent fixture at Rhodes Family Estate.
It meant no matter what her feelings might be for Dan, it was better for everyone that she didn’t let herself act on them. They were from two vastly different worlds.
Chapter Nineteen
Andrew stifled another yawn. Beside him, Edie held the attention of an older male dinner guest. Or her cleavage did. It was understandable, really. The evening gown she was wearing hinted at sophisticated respectability but nothing Edie did was respectable, Andrew was learning. From a distance, the fitted satin dress was expertly cut—probably supplied from one of the many fashion designers eager to dress Edie. The scooped neckline was tasteful, until of course Edie leaned forward, which was exactly what she was doing right now to indicate her interest in the conversation she was having.
Edie wasn’t stupid, and nor was Andrew. Edie knew the effect she was having on the older gentleman. With her winning smile and pert body she was currently buttering up Peter Atchison, the state politician in charge of the communications portfolio. Later, Andrew needed to have a strategic discussion with him about the position of the media in Australia and he knew Edie’s attentiveness wouldn’t be forgotten.
Andrew hadn’t discussed any of this with Edie. It was like she just knew how to behave and what to say to everyone she met. Perhaps it was the actress in her. Either way, Andrew didn’t care. She was easy to have on his arm and proving more valuable than he ever could have anticipated. He’d also seen her as an easy fuck—a very pleasurable one. That had been his only thought when he’d invited her along to the gala dinner. The tantalising image of bending Edie over and thrusting himself deep inside her was his reward for surviving yet another boring event mixing with self-important businessmen and politicians.
Speaking of which, Andrew was careful to nod in the direction of the woman seated on his other side, telling him all about her latest property purchase. Candace Huang was in her mid-forties and in charge of an influential PR firm. They’d been seated together on other occasions and she always made her intentions clear. A touch of the arm, fingers brushing his—she made no secret of her desire to bed Andrew. He’d never taken her up on the offer though. He wasn’t against older women and her exotic mixed heritage was tempting. Tonight, the curious looks Candace was directing Edie’s way indicated she was aware of the strength of the competition.
Edie cast a knowing glance over her shoulder at
Andrew. She was a minx. Depending on how things went tonight—both in and out of the bedroom—Andrew was seriously considering allowing Edie to become a more regular fixture in his life. Not in his heart, of course. His heart would always be Juliet’s, but events like this hadn’t been quite so effortless with Juliet.
Juliet’s cool reserve intrigued his peers and colleagues. Oh, she’d always been exceptional at mixing with everyone, but had done so differently to Edie. Juliet’s respectability wasn’t something she wore. It was something she carried right to her core. As much as Andrew respected her for it, her admirable morals weren’t always what a man of his position required.
He wondered where his ex-wife was at this moment. Was she safe? The Commissioner assured him so. Andrew wasn’t a trusting man, even with the police, but he could only assume Gordon was true to his word.
It had been a month and a half since he’d last seen Juliet. With the slow pace of the investigation, Andrew suspected it would be far longer. It simply wasn’t good enough. Juliet might treat Andrew’s attentions with scorn, but he preferred to have her where he could keep an eye on her.
As he suspected, the message to Edie had provided no hints to her location. Andrew had put his specialist security team on the job, without the knowledge of Commissioner Gordon. Despite his frustration, Andrew was almost proud of his ex-wife. She’d obviously carefully researched the best way to get a message to Edie and had done so successfully. By using a fake email address created specifically for that purpose and then using a VPN, Juliet had made the message untraceable.
Unfortunately, it now meant he’d have to resort to Plan B. If he wasn’t able to locate Juliet himself, then he needed to bring her home by other means. His original plan involved simply holding out hope that Alex Benedetti was stupid enough not to cover his tracks. That he’d either end up arrested for the murder of the Asian girl, or for something else approaching the same seriousness. It wasn’t an unreasonable expectation given Alex’s lifestyle choices.
Andrew hadn’t counted on Benedetti senior, though. The old man was loved even more than his son in social and celebrity circles. If Alex had been careless, the old man was tidying up his mess somehow.
It was no matter. A trashy celebrity family was no match for Andrew’s influence and power. Andrew would just have to ensure a new mess was created, one that his father didn’t know about in time to clean up after. Then, with Alex out of the way, Juliet would be safe to return to her old life.
Andrew was disinterested in justice. Besides, the harsh reality was justice wouldn’t help the young Asian girl now. Born to circumstances outside of her control, the best she could hope for was to use her pretty looks to dig herself out of poverty, but in her case it had backfired tragically. Death itself was a form of justice for her, simply because she would no longer be forced to live in less than desirable circumstances.
As for the public, all they were interested in was the appearance of justice. In Alex’s case, if it stinks like shit and looks like shit ... well, then it was probably shit. Andrew couldn’t care less if Alex was gaoled for something he didn’t do because he was certain there was plenty he had done.
Now Andrew just had to make sure of it.
With a wink in Andrew’s direction, Edie stood up from the table and sashayed towards the exit. Andrew bit back a smirk. Peter’s eyes were glued to Edie’s arse as she went.
Andrew tossed his napkin onto the dinner table. He excused himself to Candace, then made his way purposefully towards the foyer without a second glance. Maybe he wouldn’t have to wait until the end of the night after all.
***
Sharing the cottage with Dan wasn’t what Jet had expected.
She’d imagined Dan would be an easy living partner, but at this stage she couldn’t confirm it with any certainty because he seemed to be avoiding her. Jet couldn’t fault his manners or cleanliness. They didn’t have to share a bathroom as they each had their own en suite, but Dan always left the kitchen clean. The rest of the time he stayed in his room or the small second living area just outside his bedroom upstairs. He left the downstairs living room largely to Jet.
Jet wavered between saying something and keeping the status quo. It was obvious Dan was offended by the way she’d brushed off their kiss, yet she was reluctant to raise it. To do so would highlight something Jet had no solution to. They were both attracted to one another but if they acted on it ... Jet knew it was an exercise in futility. The last thing she wanted to do after Dan had so recently split with his fiancée was to become another woman Dan had feelings for, but who didn’t share the same passion for his world.
It wasn’t like Dan was sulking. He wasn’t that sort of man. He just got on with things in that easy way of his. It was the same at work. He was affable and cooperative like always, but now there was a sense of distance between them that showed itself in subtle ways.
He didn’t tease her anymore or ask questions, unless it was work-related.
Jet felt the absence of his attention more keenly than she’d anticipated. Like those first two weeks before Dan had arrived home, Jet felt lonely again. At times she found herself wondering if he was no longer interested in her because of her true identity. He’d been intrigued by Jet, but maybe Juliet wasn’t someone he was keen to get to know.
Either way, it didn’t matter, Jet reminded herself. She didn’t belong here. At least, that’s what she was telling herself, anyway. Tonight she wasn’t so sure.
Jet looked around the gazebo with a sense of accomplishment. Over one hundred wedding guests were seated around a series of circular tables, each displaying ornate floral centrepieces of pink and white. The bride and groom together with the wedding party, overlooked the guests from a traditional setting at the front of the gazebo. The young bride’s face glowed with love and pride, mirroring that of her new husband’s.
Jet couldn’t recall a wedding she’d hosted that was quite so sweet. Maybe it was because of the clients themselves. Jet occasionally organised Sydney weddings but they were always for notable people. Someone from the upper echelons of business or a celebrity of some sort. These days, social media guaranteed a wedding that was stage-managed at every turn. Each moment had to be carefully captured for sharing with the world. Jet felt those special, genuine moments between a couple were lost to a manufactured idea of what love should look like—and she would know. She’d been at the centre of one of those stage-managed weddings herself several years earlier.
Not tonight, though. The young couple were just a regular Hunter Valley couple starting out and they seemed refreshingly unconcerned about appearances. Jet was pleased the night had gone off without a hitch. They might be a regular couple, but they were important to the Rhodes family. The bride’s older brother had been a good friend of Dan’s at school and Dan, Marty and Cynthia were not only hosting the wedding, they were among the guests.
Jet smiled as the bride and groom stood for their first dance as a married couple. The sun was slipping behind the hillside, casting a warm orange glow over everything. Beyond them, the vines nearing harvest danced in a light evening breeze, full of life and expectation like the newlywed couple. Combined with the fairy lights twinkling above them, the scene felt magical. Mysterious. It wasn’t something you could capture with a social media snap. It was the sort of memory that would remain treasured and referred to again and again as the years went by. Jet felt honoured to have been able to help create such a memory.
The guitarist in the corner started playing. The young woman called Isla looked barely old enough to be out of school but she had an amazing voice. She’d been playing an eclectic selection of covers all night, giving them a dreamy, ethereal edge.
Jet allowed herself to sway gently to the tune as the couple started to dance. They’d chosen ‘All Of Me’ by John Legend. When the dance finished, everyone applauded and guests began to stand and make their way onto the dance floor.
Feeling more at peace than she had in months, Jet took her cue t
o leave and check in with the catering staff who would be cleaning up. She skidded to a halt at the sight of a solid male chest, mere inches in front of her.
‘Hey, slow down.’ Dan raised his arms and placed both of his hands on Jet’s shoulders. ‘You can relax, the event’s almost over.’
Jet resisted the urge to shake him off. Not because his touch was unwanted, but because the bare skin beneath his hands tingled with heat. His tailored suit wasn’t helping either. It was navy in colour and he’d paired it with a light pink shirt, of all things. It looked wonderful. The cut of the suit didn’t leave anything to the imagination, highlighting his narrow waist and broad shoulders. When she’d complimented him on the outfit earlier in the day he’d replied by saying he was glad the women appreciated his Rosé shirt, causing Jet and his mother to laugh.
Jet caught hold of her runaway thoughts. ‘It’s not over until the last guest has gone home.’
‘If that’s the case, we’ve got time for one dance then.’
Before she could protest, Dan spun Jet around in the direction of the dance floor, one arm slipping down to circle her waist.
‘Wait.’ Jet stopped and turned to face him. ‘It’s not professional. And your parents are here.’
Dan tilted his head to study her. He didn’t answer straight away, just stood there looking at her openly.
‘Dan?’ How did he do that? When he looked at her that way she felt like the only woman in the room.
His dimple appeared. ‘Dad can’t stand dancing so he and Mum have slipped away to take a few of the guests for a personal tasting. And at the risk of sounding arrogant, this is my estate so I’ll decide whether my star event planner is allowed to have a dance. Is that acceptable or would you prefer not to dance with your boss?’
‘You’re not my boss,’ she blurted, then pressed her lips together to silence herself.
The dimple deepened. ‘Ah, I’ve hit a nerve. You’re a woman who prefers to be in charge, I know. I’m curious to see how this pans out on the dance floor.’
Don't Let Me Forget Page 12
