[English] ONE MORE DAY

One More Day
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“You know what?”

She turned at the sound of his voice and raised her eyebrows. As she settled back on the pillows of the couch, her wild hair spilled over the edge, a riotous cascade of curls. She was so stunningly beautiful in that moment that he couldn’t speak. When he finally found his voice again, he couldn’t remember what he was going to say before, what excuse he was going to use to escape from the temptation of her laughter and her smile. So he just went with the truth.

“This is exactly what I needed, too.”

CHAPTER EIGHT

RIDLEY SNUGGLED DEEPER into the cushions of the couch, watching as the flickering lights from the television played over Jackson’s face. His mood had shifted toward the end of the movie and she wasn’t sure what to make of it. They’d started off laughing like hyenas and throwing popcorn at each other before they’d gotten comfortable enough to put their legs up.

She should have kept her mouth closed. All her talk about how crappy her week had been had probably made him uncomfortable. But she’d wanted to express her gratitude for everything he’d done for her today. Not just letting her stay, but listening to her talk about David, and hanging out with her so she didn’t have to be alone.

She closed her eyes, helpless to resist the lure of rest after the hectic pace of traveling for the last few days. Returning to Virginia wasn't something she'd planned on doing yet. College was supposed to be her chance to escape her past, to branch out into a world where no one knew her. A chance to redefine herself as more than just “Raina's sister” or the girl with the bitter, chain-smoking mother who worked double shifts at the diner to keep them all fed. She’d had so many plans to make her mark on the world and be successful before she returned.

How telling that, for all her hope of being independent, the place she’d run to at the first sign of trouble was right back to her sister.

The final cre***s rolled and the screen went blank for a few seconds before the opening menu screen flashed. Ridley yawned so widely it felt like the sides of her face might crack. The clock on the wall to her left told her it was almost two in the morning. She thought of the soft, decadent bed upstairs in the guestroom she was using and almost whimpered. It was way past time for her to go upstairs and get some sleep.

Instead she turned her head and looked at Jackson again.

He was such a puzzle. Men who looked like Jackson weren't nice for no reason yet he hadn't asked her for anything. He'd just been there when she had no one else. Why, she couldn't even begin to guess.

His features were relaxed in sleep, the long, sharp blade of his nose more prominent now that it didn’t have to compete with his killer smile. His lashes rested against the top of his cheekbones and she had to resist the urge to run a hand over his curly hair. It wasn’t fair that he looked so beautiful and guileless in sleep when he carried such a lethal ***iness when fully awake.

“I would say ‘penny for your thoughts’ but I have a feeling that thought would cost more than I’m worth.”

Ridley ripped her gaze from the curve of his lips up to his now wide open eyes.

Oops.

“Hi. I was just…” She decided not to even address her blatant staring. “Wondering if I could borrow something to sleep in?”

“Sure, sure. Of course.” He got up slowly, unfolding his long legs from the couch one at a time. “Follow me. Sorry I conked out at the end there. I guess I was more tired than I thought.” He waved for her to follow him up the stairs and she did, keeping her eyes on her own feet so she couldn’t ogle the way his jeans fit him as he walked.

She was in his room before she’d realized what she’d done. “Oh, I’ll just wait out in the hall,” she stammered.

“No. Stay.” Those two simple words halted her in her tracks. He smiled a slow, ***y grin before pulling open the second drawer in his bureau. He rummaged for a while, pulling out shirts and then pushing them back in. “I’m trying to find one of my shorter ones so it won’t swallow you up.”

“Oh, I like them longer. It’ll hang lower and cover my legs like a nightgown.”

He stopped digging and glanced at her. Then his eyes dipped lower to take in her bare legs exposed by the mid-thigh terry cloth shorts she wore. “Right.”

He held out a shirt and Ridley took it carefully, making sure their fingers didn’t touch.

“Well, thanks again. Goodnight.” She fled the room, racing down the darkened hallway, not stopping until she reached the door of the guest room. She turned the handle and opened the door but before she entered she looked back.

She had to.

Jackson stood in the same position next to his dresser. The heat of his gaze burned over her entire body and she shivered as her nipples peaked against her shirt. She didn’t know him well enough to interpret the look on his face but she could interpret her body’s response.

God, she wanted him.

He’d been nothing but a gentleman all day, seeing to her every need, listening to her vent and keeping her company. He hadn’t made any moves on her, hadn’t done anything suggestive or said anything provocative. Was he just being a good host and making sure she made it to her room?

Or was he imagining what she would look like when she stripped off her clothes and went to bed wearing nothing but his shirt?

* * * * *

JACKSON WASN’T SURE who moved first, but a second later he was down the hall and Ridley was in his arms. Her hair flowed over them as he held her against the wall. He buried his face in her neck and inhaled, his libido instantly going haywire at the warm, seductive scent of her skin. There were no words spoken between them, just the unspoken desires in their eyes.

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I want you.

I know.

I want you, too.

When he finally anchored a hand in her hair and tilted her face up for his kiss, it was both a pain and a relief. Her lips opened under his with a breathy little moan. He would kick himself later for his angry assault on her mouth. There was no gentleness, no finesse. He held her captive against him as he took her mouth, capturing her tongue and sliding it against his own.

She was warm and soft in his arms, her breasts pressing against his chest as he held her against him. He was holding her too tightly but she didn’t push away. She clung to him, her long legs snaking around his waist to hold him in the cradle of her thighs.

“Jackson,” she pleaded.

“Hold on, baby. Just wait.”

He groaned as she arched in his arms, rubbing her core against him. She was perfect, so soft and responsive. He worked her, angling so he could rub right against her sweet spot. Damn if she didn’t catch his rhythm right away, rocking her hips up as he ground against her.

“Jackson. Please, please, please—” She broke off with a strangled cry when he slid her down so she was riding his thigh.

She went rigid in his arms before her head fell back against the wall. Her eyelids drifted down as she shuddered beneath him.

“Oh yeah, that’s it,” he whispered.

That look. Damn if she wasn’t the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen, with her head thrown back, ecstasy all over her face as her most intimate muscles clenched against his thigh.

He’d be seeing that look in his dreams.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” he gasped, then took her mouth in another crushing kiss, kissing her deeply until he again had to pull away just to breathe.

He ripped his mouth from hers, the sight of her swollen lips almost making him dizzy.

“I told myself I wasn’t going to do this. You need someone to lend a helping hand not take advantage.” He pressed his forehead against hers and closed his eyes.

It should have been better with his eyes closed, when he couldn’t see the way she looked up at him, so soft and trusting. But even with his eyes closed, he could still see her face. The way she looked at him made him feel powerless. He could literally feel his self-control oozing out, drop by drop.

“Oh, that’s right. You’re supposed to stay away from me. I’m a vulture, remember?” She licked his bottom lip and he groaned.

When she kissed a trail from his jaw down to his neck, he flinched and set her down. “That was my brother talking. I know better. But that doesn’t make this a good idea.”

“You really are a nice guy, aren’t you?”

“Unfortunately, yes,” he grumbled.

“Well, the fact that you don’t seem any happier about it than I do,” she stood on tiptoe and wrapped her arms around his neck, brushing her body against his, inch by inch, “makes me feel a little better. My ego anyway.”

He stopped thinking the instant she plastered herself against him. It took a moment for him to direct enough blood to his brain to translate what she was saying.

“I’m definitely not happy about it, beautiful. I’m just trying not to be what you think I am.”

She pulled back and looked him in the eye. “Jackson—”

He cut her off before she could continue. “I have a family picnic tomorrow so there’s going to be a lot of people around. But we always have tons of food and good music. You’re welcome to join us. I want you to make yourself at home while you’re here.”

It was asking for trouble but he couldn’t stop himself from taking another kiss, bending her back over his arm until she was forced to cling to his shoulders to stay on her feet. Then, while she was still dazed, he turned and walked off.

There was a cold shower calling his name.

CHAPTER NINE

THE NEXT MORNING, Ridley threw her legs over the side of the bed and stood up. Thank god. Even though she’d been awake since the early hours, she’d been waiting for the sun to rise so she could move around the house. It was bad enough that she was a forced houseguest. She definitely didn’t want to wake her host too early on a holiday.

She stretched and tugged the edges of Jackson’s tee shirt further over her cotton shorts. A warm feeling spread through her as she remembered the look in his eyes last night when she’d asked to borrow something to wear. He had a way of looking at her that made her throat go dry.

The worst part was that she’d not only been restless and itchy after their hot little interlude, but because she’d been so keyed up, she’d heard every noise the house made. Every bump made her think someone was scaling the wall outside her window, every creak in the hallway sounded like footsteps. She’d had to turn on all the lights and ram the chair from the dressing table under the handle of her door before she could even begin to relax.

Even after her makeshift security measures, she’d still spent most of the night staring at the intricate designs in the ceiling. Who would have thought you could create so many different designs with plain white paint?

The thought of seeing Jackson after she’d all but molested him last night was just too embarrassing for words. Not that she didn’t agree with him. Sleeping together would have been a huge mistake. She was only in town for a short time, and he didn’t even know who she really was. But that didn’t mean she liked being turned down. He’d just been so… reasonable. And yes, she was petty enough to hate him for it. She hoped he’d regretted it as soon as he got to his empty bed.

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And she really, really, really hoped he’d had blue balls.

“It’s just chemistry. It doesn’t mean anything. Clearly I’m not irresistible since he walked away. Besides, I’m sure I’m not the first girl to borrow this shirt,” she muttered before going to stand in front of the mirror over the antique dressing table. Her appearance made her wince.

Whoa, I look rough.

She immediately headed into the ensuite bathroom. She may not be a supermodel, but she had enough female vanity not to want Jackson to see her with dark circles under her eyes and bedhead.

She took a long, leisurely shower, wishing the whole time she could take the five streams of water coming from the fancy showerhead with her when she left. After wrapping herself in one of the plush towels on the rack, she brushed her teeth and carefully untwisted her hair. It fell in long waves down her back. She was thankful she’d bundled her long hair up on her head to keep it from getting wet since she didn’t have her hairdryer.

“With any luck, Raina will call soon otherwise I’ll look like a hot mess before long. I don’t have my hair dryer. I don’t even have enough clothes.”

Oh crap, the clothes.

She hung her head. She’d completely forgotten about the clothes she’d put in the wash yesterday. They’d been sitting for the better part of a day in the machine, so she’d no doubt have to rewash them before she could put them in the dryer.

“I guess getting up earlier has its uses.” She dressed quickly, pulling on her shorts and the same tee shirt she’d slept in, before opening the door. She peered out into the hallway. A grin tugged at the edges of her mouth. It was more than a little ridiculous how she was creeping around. What would she have done even if Jackson was in the hallway? She squared her shoulders and walked to the staircase.

The early morning sun streamed through the expansive windows in the family room, bathing the beige furniture with buttery light. She couldn’t suppress a sigh as she walked through the room and then through the kitchen to get to the laundry room. It was such a beautiful morning that she could almost forget why she was here. It was the kind of day that just begged for coffee outside on the patio with a bowl of fruit and a good book.

She pulled one of her shirts out of the washer and held it under her nose. It didn’t smell moldy or anything and the clothes hadn’t been sitting for that long. She shrugged her shoulders and pulled an armful out and then bent to throw them in the dryer.

“Well, good morning.”

At the sound of the voice behind her Ridley stood up straight, bumping her head on the dryer. “Ouch!”

The clothes in her arms fell to the floor in a scattered heap. She held a hand to her forehead as she turned around.

One of the men she remembered from yesterday stood in the doorway to the laundry room. He looked just like Jackson so she had to assume this was Nick, the rude brother she’d overhead him talking to in the hallway. The two young boys she’d met in Raina’s backyard stood directly behind him watching her curiously.

“I wasn’t expecting you to still be here.” He looked down at her borrowed shirt and Ridley squirmed under his gaze. Despite the fact that she knew nothing had happened, it was still weird to have his brother see her wearing Jackson’s shirt this early in the morning. She tugged the hem a little lower.

“Unfortunately, the locksmith hasn’t called back yet. Your brother was kind enough to let me stay. And to loan me something to wear while my clothes are washing.”

“How did you sleep?”

“Okay, I guess.” Ridley blushed. The way he said it came across more like where did you sleep? She turned her attention to the two boys behind him.

“Did you guys have fun with your uncle?”

“Yes! We played games and ate ice cream. All night!” The oldest boy, Chris, if she remembered correctly, was practically quivering with glee as he said it.

The little one took his thumb out to say “Ice cream!” then immediately stuck it back in his mouth after answering.

Nick smiled ruefully. “That was supposed to be our secret, remember?”

Ridley knelt down so she was more on their level. “That’s okay. I won’t tell. I like ice cream, too.”

“Where’s you mommy?” The little boy asked. Ridley looked up at Nicholas uncertainly. He looked a little stunned.

“Sorry, he’s been really curious about that subject lately. Okay, Jase. Let’s go find your dad.” He tried to herd them back through the door. Jase didn’t move, just stood watching her. Nicholas sighed.

“It’s okay, really.” She moved a little closer to Jase and looked him in the eyes. “I don’t have a mommy, anymore. She’s gone.”

“Our mom’s gone, too. We’ve just got our dad.” Chris said. He looked down at his sneakers, then peeked up at her shyly.

Ridley smiled at him. “But you’ve got a really awesome dad.”

“You look like Miss Raina.” Jase giggled and launched himself into her arms.

Nick looked at her curiously.

She grabbed Jase and pulled him into her lap. “That’s because I am Miss Raina.” She laughed weakly. “I guess I look a little different without my makeup on. Should I take that as an insult?”

Ridley couldn’t resist squeezing his chubby little body. It filled her with a small pang to think that she might not ever get to have children of her own. When she was still young enough, and stupid enough, to believe in fate, she’d always assumed she’d meet the perfect guy eventually. They’d get married, and have the kind of family she’d always longed for.

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But all the friends she’d envied, who’d gotten married after college, had also gotten divorced just a few years later. Considering her track record with men, she wouldn’t have fared any better if she’d actually married any of her boyfriends. The thought of putting her children through a nasty custody dispute made her feel ill.

“Okay guys,” Nick’s voice broke through her daydreaming. “Go on upstairs and put your stuff away. Make sure you wake up your father while you’re at it.” He rubbed his hands together in mock delight.

The boys whooped and raced for the stairs. Nick turned back to her. “Sorry about that. Jase has been curious about moms lately. It’s hard to explain to a toddler why everyone else lives with both parents except for him, you know?”

Ridley waved away the apology. “It’s fine. They’re adorable. Besides, I understand. I grew up without my father and I’m still looking for him.” She sighed and wiped a hand over her face. She definitely didn’t want to think about her search for her father.

After a few moments, she looked up to find Nick staring at her. She glanced behind her and then back at him. “What? Did I say something wrong?”

“No, it’s just that you really do look different without makeup.” He stopped and held up his hands. “In a good way.”

“Right. I’m sure vulture was meant as a compliment, too.”

“No,” he barked. At her strange look, he cleared his throat and then said in a more normal tone of voice, “It wasn’t a compliment. But let’s be real. You know exactly why I said it.” Then he turned and walked out without another word.

“What was that about? These Alexander men are all crazy.” An image of Jackson sleeping on the couch the prior night, his handsome face soft with sleep, crossed her mind. “Gorgeous, but crazy.”

She got up off the floor and finished transferring her clothes from the washing machine to the dryer. Then she went back upstairs to call her sister again. She had to get out of this house. All the testosterone was clearly rattling her brain.

If Raina didn’t answer soon, she’d be forced to resort to breaking and entering!

* * * * *

THAT AFTERNOON, JACKSON glanced up the stairs, guilt twisting his stomach. It was past noon and Ridley still hadn’t come down.

God, the memory of her.

He wished, in that moment, he’d gone upstairs before the movie ended. The memory of her tight, little body against his was the last thing he needed right before a family picnic, but not kissing her last night would have taken more self-control than he had.

He closed his eyes and tried to think of something else before he got an erection. He ran through baseball stats, the track listing for the last album he’d produced and was halfway through mentally reciting the states in alphabetical order before he felt calm enough to open his eyes.

He walked back to the kitchen and stared blankly out the window into the backyard where his brothers were setting up the last of the picnic tables.

He’d done the right thing in walking away but damn if it hadn’t been one of the hardest things he’d ever done. Seducing her last night would have been a mistake. He didn’t want her to come to his bed because she was scared and feeling vulnerable. He wanted her to come to him because she wanted him just as much as he wanted her.

He just hoped she hadn’t interpreted his “make yourself at home” last night as “make yourself scarce.” He really wanted her to come down and join the party. After everything she’d been through, she needed to relax and get her mind off things.

“Hey, what are you doing in here?” Nick stepped in from the patio, pulling the sliding glass doors closed behind him. “Everyone’s starting to arrive.”

Irritated that he was just standing in the middle of his kitchen mooning like a teenage boy, Jackson turned to dig in the refrigerator. A second later he handed his brother a platter of sliced tomatoes, lettuce and cheese.

“I’m just getting the last of the food together.”

Nick arched a brow. “Right. The fact that you’re inside has nothing to do with the beautiful girl upstairs in your bedroom.”

He didn’t look at his brother as he yanked the ketchup, mustard and relish bottles from the refrigerator and set them out on the table.

“Of course she’s beautiful. She’s a model, so she’s hardly going to be ugly, right? And she’s not in my bedroom, get your mind out of the gutter.”

He slammed the last bottle on the table harder than he’d intended and the wood responded with a loud CRACK.

“Can't you just put her in a hotel?” Nick grumbled.

Jackson looked back at the stairs again. “Look, I already called a locksmith, but you and I both know that no one is coming out on a holiday. In the meantime, Ridley is staying here with us where she’s safe.”

“Ridley?” Nick asked.

“Yeah, it’s her real name. Anyway, she's a nice girl and there's no reason to push her off to a hotel where she'll be by herself.”

Before his brother could question him further, namely about why Jackson felt it was his responsibility to keep her safe, the sliding door opened again and Matt came barreling inside.

“Whoa, watch it!” Nick juggled the tray in his hands trying to keep the tomatoes from sliding off the edge as Matt clipped his shoulder in his haste to get by.

“Sorry, man. I just need to get out of here.” Matt’s cheeks were bright red beneath his normally dusky skin color. He’d either gotten an instant sunburn or was really pissed.

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“What happened?” Jackson crossed his arms. Matt didn’t say anything.

Jackson looked at his brother and motioned toward the door. Without a word, Nicholas carried the tray outside to the backyard and closed the door behind him. He was glad his brother wasn’t the type to take offense. They were all great friends but he knew how Matt was. He’d have a much better chance of finding out what was bothering him if they didn’t have an audience.

“You look pissed off. You were in a decent enough mood when you got here, so what’s happened in the last hour that has you looking like you’re ready to spit nails?”

“It’s nothing. I think I should go. I don’t want to ruin your party for everyone else.”

“Let me guess, Trent and Mara just arrived, right? Man, you have got to let it go. She’s a grown woman. She’s had boyfriends before and you haven’t been this crazy.”

“He’s going to ask her to marry him. He just told me.” Matt growled and then in a sudden move turned and punched a hole in the wall next to him.

The sliding glass door opened again. Trent and Mara stood on the patio gaping at them. Nicholas walked up behind them and peered over Mara’s shoulder.

“Damn! Cleanup on aisle four,” he joked.

Matt stalked into the living room and Jackson ran his hands over his hair roughly. How had a simple family cookout turned into a soap opera?

CHAPTER TEN

“WHAT DO YOU mean you won’t give me the code?”

Ridley bit her lip and hoped no one downstairs could hear her. Not that they needed any more evidence of the crazy town her life had become.

“Exactly what I said. I am not giving you the code,” Raina pronounced. “I am so sorry about what happened to David. I didn’t like the idea of him poking around in our past but I wouldn’t have wished him dead, especially not in a fiery car crash. But if the police think it wasn’t an accident, then that means he was mixed up with some pretty shady people. And if they’re looking for you, the first place they’ll look is my house.”

“I told you, I never told David about you.”

“I know but if he had any investigative skills at all, he would have figured out that you were a twin. It wouldn’t have taken much for him to figure out who I am. And if he figured it out, then someone else could have, too.”

She paused and took a breath. “Plus, if the FBI really does think you’re involved in David’s accident, you need to stay hidden. They can’t arrest you if they can’t find you. At least at Jackson’s house, I know you’re safe.”

Ridley mentally counted backward from ten. “Raina. I cannot just stay at some guy’s house that I don’t even know. What am I supposed to tell Jackson?”

“All I want you to do is stay safe until I can get home. Don’t worry about Jackson. He owes me a favor. I’ll talk to him.”

“No! You can’t do that!” Ridley bit her lip.

There was silence on the other end of the line.

“Okay, what is going on here?” Raina asked. “Why wouldn’t I talk to Jackson?”

Ridley groaned and flopped down on the bed. She wasn’t sure what kind of outcome she’d been envisioning, but she’d never expected for Raina to want to call Jackson and explain everything. Now she had to come clean and, considering how many times she’d chastised her sister for lying, Raina was never going to let her hear the end of it.

“Because he thinks you’re here. When he saw me outside, he thought it was you. And I didn’t tell him otherwise.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa! You’re pretending to be me?”

Ridley gritted her teeth at the howls of laughter coming through the phone. “This isn’t funny, Ray. I didn’t know what else to do! I needed a place to stay and I figured I could get in contact with you and get the money to get out of here without anyone ever being the wiser.”

“I know, I know. Miss Honesty telling a lie. It’s probably killing you having to pretend to be me.”

“I hate lying to him. That’s it. I’m telling him the truth. Hopefully he won’t throw me out.”

“No, don’t do that! As soon as you tell him, he’s part of this. He’s harboring a criminal. Is that what you want?”

“That’s not fair, Raina. Of course I don’t want that. I never wanted any of this.”

“I know you hate keeping secrets but he won’t be able to resist looking you up and asking questions. We can’t afford that right now. I’m sure the police have no proof against you but I’d still rather no one knows where you are. The shoot is wrapping up in less than a week. Once I’m home, we can figure out a long-term plan. You’re going to stay with me, right?”

Ridley shrugged, then remembered that her sister couldn’t see her. “I haven’t thought that far ahead. But I’ll probably stay for a while. Until I figure out what to do, anyway.”

“Are you okay, Ridley? Really? He’s being nice to you, isn’t he? I’ll kick his ass if he hasn’t been.”

“Raina! Of course he’s been nice. He even stayed up to watch a movie with me, so I wouldn’t be alone. He’s been great. I just feel bad that I’m taking up all his time. He probably has a girlfriend or something that he’s neglecting because he feels obligated to stay here with me.”

“I don’t think he has a girlfriend. Or at least I’ve never seen any evidence of one. Come to think of it, I’ve never seen his ex-wife either.” She was quiet for a moment. “So, you guys stayed up late last night? Just watching a movie?”

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“Yeah, it was some comedy with Will Ferrell. He fell asleep toward the end of the movie. I think he’s been pretty stressed out lately, too.”

“Uh huh. It sounds like you two got pretty close last night.”

Ridley would have crossed her arms if she wasn’t holding the phone. “Don’t start, Raina. Nothing happened. It was just two friends watching a movie.”

“Friends, huh? Friends with benefits?”

“I’m hanging up, now.” Ridley warned.

“Oh, calm down. I’m just kidding. Not that it would hurt you any to seduce a handsome, successful man. You could do worse, you know?”

“I’m not here to steal his virtue,” Ridley said. “I’m just trying to stay out of the way until you get back.”

“Okay but I still think a little romance would do you good. Jackson is exactly the kind of guy I want for you. A real man, not like the guys you’ve been with who only want to use you.”

“Hey, if we’re going to start debating judgment skills, then I am not the one with the worst track record,” Ridley argued.

“Let’s see, there was the guy who just wanted you to cook for him. Was that John? Yeah, it was John. There was the guy who wanted you to write his term papers for him. I don’t even remember his name. Then there was Nate, the surfer dude who was high all the time.”

“Yeah, well who hasn’t picked losers when they were in college? You dated that guy who liked women’s underwear, remember?”

“Oh yeah, that was a shining moment, but my current boyfriend owns half the commercial real estate on the East Coast, so at least I’ve improved. I just want the same for you.”

“I know you do. But Jackson and I are just friends. Especially since he thinks I’m you.”

“Well, that should make it easier to seduce him, not harder.”

“Raina!”

“Okay, okay, I can take a hint. But I still think you should sleep with him. I saw him with his shirt off once. He is really built. Seeing him naked would totally make you feel better.”

“Sure. I’ll get right on that, sis.”

“You’re joking but I’m not. Well, if you change your mind, do it quickly because I’ll be back in about a week.” She paused. “I’ve really missed you, Ri.”

Touched, Ridley sucked in a breath, blinking back a sudden rush of tears. “I’ve missed you, too. Now, hurry up and get home!”

After they hung up she put her phone back on the nightstand. She’d lived apart from her sister ever since graduating from high school, but up until she met David, they’d talked on the phone every day. Raina would be back in a week. She’d already been here almost two days so what were a few more? But for some reason it felt like forever.

She was suddenly really homesick and for her, home wasn’t a place.

It was Raina.

* * * * *

NICHOLAS ALEXANDER HATED to be wrong. Almost as much as he hated Chinese food and clip-on ties. But since he’d learned over the years that even his radar could be faulty at times, he decided to bring in the experts. As he walked down the driveway to his car, he pulled out his cell phone and hit the third speed dial. While everyone was distracted inside, it was the perfect time to do a little sleuthing.

“You rang, little brother?” The wry voice coming through his cell phone was about two octaves deeper than his. His older brother, Elliott, was the kind of man that lesser men feared. And not just because he was bigger than most everyone else.

“I’m glad you haven’t left yet. I need you to look into someone for me. A woman.” Nick glanced behind him to make sure he was still alone. Most of the partygoers had already arrived but it would be just his luck for Jackson or worse, their mother, to somehow overhear.

“It’s always a woman with you, isn’t it?” Elliott said. The dry laugh coming over the line was a surprise. Elliott wasn’t the happy-happy, joy-joy type and treated most conversations as if they were life or death. Nick was actually surprised his brother wasn’t grilling him for details on the “subject” yet.

“So, you want to know if your new flavor of the month has any skeletons in the closet? Namely, any irate husbands who’ll come after you with a baseball bat?”

“Hey! That was one time,” Nick countered. “And he wasn’t her husband. At least I don’t think he was.”

“He was,” Elliott replied firmly.

“Oh, damn. I actually didn’t know that.” Nick made a mental note to start having Elliott check out his future bedmates. He liked to have fun but he wasn’t trying to break up anybody’s home. His parents had managed to raise him better than that.

“Anyway, it’s not for me. It’s for Jackson.”

As he expected, that statement got his brother’s attention. “Subject’s name, age and birthplace.”

“She’s a model so most of her information is already out there. Her name is Raina Winters.”

“Leggy?” Elliott sounded surprised.

“Yeah, they call her ‘Legs’. You know who she is?”

Elliott grunted. “I’m pretty sure every straight man in the western hemisphere knows who she is. She’s frickin’ hot.”

Nick tugged at the collar of his shirt. He closed his eyes tightly against images of those famously long legs wrapped around his neck while their owner bucked and moaned beneath him. They’d only spent one night together but it had changed everything. He’d told her things he’d never told a woman, experienced things he thought weren’t possible. He’d lost himself in her.

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Then the next morning she’d just walked away.

Focus, Nick!

“Well, she claims to be locked out of her house. Jackson seems to have bought her story and he’s letting her stay with him. She’s been there since yesterday.”

“You think she’s lying about being locked out?”

“I don’t know but if she is I’d rather find out now before she wraps Jackson any further around her little finger. She told Jackson her real name is Ridley. That should help.”

His fingers clenched into a fist. When she’d needed a place to stay, she’d turned to Jackson. She’d confided her real name to Jackson.

Not to Nick.

Their night together clearly hadn’t meant as much to her as it had to him. Not that he didn’t already know that. Her refusal to see or talk to him since had pretty much driven that point home.

As angry as it made him, he couldn’t fault his brother for helping her. What was he supposed to say? I know she’s your neighbor and you knew her first but I claim dibs.

Even though she doesn’t want you.

Just the thought of telling his little brother about her soul-crushing rejection made him feel about two inches tall.

“Anyway, can you check her financials and see if she’s having money problems?”

After Eli’s grunt of assent, he ended the call and closed his eyes. He couldn’t tell his brother to stay away from her but that didn’t mean he wasn’t keeping his eyes open. There was nothing to indicate that Raina would use Jackson to get back at him but he would be prepared just in case.

If she was still the lying bitch he remembered, his brother didn’t stand a chance.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

“I KNOW THIS is hard, but you have to get a grip.” Jackson said.

“I’m sorry about your wall, man. I’ll pay for the damage,” Matt mumbled. He stared at something on the ground and kicked at it, looking so miserable that Ridley was suddenly embarrassed to be there.

Ridley had stopped in the middle of the staircase. She’d come down to see what all the commotion was and, of course, her impeccable sense of timing put her right in the middle of a private conversation. At least the guys were facing away from her.

“Come on, Matt. Talk to me. What’s really the deal here? Your sister is getting married, not moving to a foreign country.” Jackson crossed his arms. “You’ve always been so overprotective of her.”

“She’s his family.” Ridley froze when they both looked at her. “I’m so sorry. I really didn’t mean to overhear. It’s just, I don’t know. I get it.” She walked down the staircase until she stood next to Matt.

“I’d feel the same way if my sister was getting married. It’s always been just the two of us against the world. When she gets married, suddenly someone else is her next of kin. I’d be happy for her, of course. But I’d be sad, too. It would feel like someone was taking her away from me.”

“You’re right. I’ve always been the one who took care of her and now it’s like…” Matt crossed his arms and glared at the floor.

“Like someone’s taking your place?” she suggested gently.

“I’m being an ass.”

“You’re being human. You’re only an ass if you don’t go apologize so that your sister can stop worrying about you.”

“You’re right.” He looked at Jackson. “I meant what I said about your wall. I’ll fix it tomorrow.” He punched him in the arm and then walked out.

Jackson watched him go and then turned back to her. He stared for so long that Ridley squirmed under his scrutiny. Was he annoyed that she’d butted into his conversation?

“I didn’t mean to intrude.”

“You didn’t. I’m just amazed. It’s not easy to convince Matt to see reason. I feel like I’m watching one of those nature shows when the guy talks to the angry crocodile and manages to tame it. How did you know what to say to him?”

“I’m no crocodile whisperer. Like I said, I get it. I love my sister but we’re very different and I know what it’s like to be the one who’s left behind.”

Jackson went still, a dark look passing over his features.

“I understand loss, too. Believe me,” he whispered.

When he looked up at her, Ridley swallowed. Hard. There was something in his eyes that reflected what she saw in the mirror every day. Sadness. Loneliness.

Longing.

It was almost too intense to witness so she looked away, breaking the spell.

“Still, I apologize. I should have just walked out when I realized you guys were having a private conversation. I’ve been told I’m too nosy.”

A tendril of warmth curled through her as their eyes met.

“I’m glad you didn’t. You managed to get him to admit something that I’ve been trying to force out of him since college. I owe you one.”

“I think saving me from death by grass stain more than makes up for it.”

They laughed together, the earlier tension in the room dissipating. Jackson was quiet for a moment, then clapped his hands together.

“I was actually on my way upstairs to get you. Come join the party. I want you to meet the rest of the gang.”

He led her from the family room, through the kitchen and out the glass doors to the patio. Ridley stopped short when she saw all of the people milling around the backyard.

“Whoa! This is a lot of people. I thought you were just having a family barbecue?”

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“My family does this every year and I swear every year my family gets bigger and bigger. You invite a few people who invite a few people. You know how it is.”

“Not really.” Ridley stepped out onto the patio behind him and they were immediately surrounded.

She hung back, in awe of his easy confidence, as he hugged a few people and slapped a couple of the guys on the back. He seemed oblivious to the way the women looked at him, with hungry stares and flirtatious smiles. Jackson reached back and grabbed her hand, pulling her to his side. Her heart sped up.

It doesn’t mean anything, he’s just being nice so you don’t get lost in the crowd, she thought. Still, she couldn’t deny the feel of his large hand around hers was a thrill.

Several of the girls looked at Ridley critically before dismissing her and turning back to Jackson. Apparently they didn’t find her to be a threat.

It took all her willpower not to throw her arms around him and say, “He’s mine, back off biyatches!” just to see the looks on their faces. She doubted Jackson would share the humor though, so she refrained.

Jackson pulled her closer until she stood right under his arm. “Ridley, I want to introduce my oldest brother, Bennett.”

A ruggedly handsome man with light brown skin shook her hand vigorously. “Nice to meet you, Ridley. I hope you’re feeling better.”

She blushed furiously as everyone looked at her speculatively. “I am, much better.” She glanced up at Jackson. He seemed to understand her discomfort because he quickly turned to someone else.

“And these are the other members of our usual group, Trent Townsend and Mara Simmons. Mara is Matt’s twin sister.”

He addressed Mara directly. “You should have seen her talking to Matt earlier. He actually listened to her. It was amazing.”

Embarrassed at the praise, Ridley shook hands with them both, surprised when Mara pulled her into a quick hug.

“Thanks for talking Matt down. He just came back from overseas and he hasn’t been himself lately. I don’t think he’s adjusting to civilian life so well.”

Mara looked over at Trent who hugged her close to his side and kissed the tip of her nose.

Ridley swallowed back a sudden stab of envy. With just one look, she could sense the bond between them. She’d always wondered what it would be like to have that kind of connection with someone.

“Well, let’s get something to eat. I went a little overboard on the grill.” Jackson tugged her toward the long picnic tables set up in the middle of the lawn.

The two boys she remembered from earlier that morning ran up. The smallest one didn’t wait to be picked up, just latched on to Jackson’s pant leg and started climbing like he was scaling a wall. “Daddy, we want ice cream!”

Jackson scooped him up and held him cuddled in the crook of his arm. “Not yet, little man. Let’s get some food first.”

Ridley’s heart slammed against her chest. It shouldn’t be so hot that he was such a devoted father. She busied herself by picking up a paper plate and filling it with potato chips. He’d kissed her last night, but that didn’t mean he was single. For all she knew his ex-wife or girlfriend could be at the party, too. Jackson wasn’t the kind of man any sane woman would let get away, especially if they had a family.

She pushed down a pang of regret and focused on the food. The last time she’d liked a guy he’d ended up dead, so it was probably better if she kept her thoughts off romance. Her time was going to be occupied, in near future, just trying to stay out of harm’s way.

She put a hot dog on a bun and bit into it angrily.

“So, your real name is actually Ridley?” Matt appeared on her left and she jumped.

“Oh, hi. Yeah, I changed it years ago.”

“I’m surprised you didn’t just use your real name. It’s so distinctive. Although I can understand not liking it. The only people who call me Matthew are my mother and people who want to get punched in the face. And don’t even get Mara started on her name.”

“What? Mara is perfect. Short, feminine and easy to pronounce.”

“It’s actually Marina. My parents love to sail.” Matt rolled his eyes. “So, why do you look like you want to punch a wall now?” Matt grabbed a paper plate. “Or like you want to punch Jackson. What did he do?”

She choked down the last piece of her food. “Nothing. So, how old are Jackson’s kids?” She didn’t look at him as she asked, just put another hot dog on her plate and picked up the ketchup bottle.

Matt raised an eyebrow when she squeezed too hard and ketchup squirted all over the table. “What’s up with all this love in the air? I need to watch my back before I get hit with an arrow.”

“What? I didn’t say… I was just wondering.”

Matt looked at her from the corner of his eye. “You were just wondering where their mother is? Normally I’d make you work for it, but I like you. So, I’ll just tell you straight out that you might not want to go there. Jackson is a great guy but ever since his wife died, he hasn’t been the same.”

Ridley looked back at Jackson and the two kids clinging to him. “Oh, no. I had no idea. When they said they didn’t have a mom, I assumed it was due to divorce or something. Was it recent?”

“It was about three years ago. Jase had just been born. I don’t even think the boys remember her. Jackson doesn’t like talking about it, so he usually lets people assume he’s divorced. I’m only telling you this so you’ll understand why I’m warning you. You seem like a nice girl and I’d hate to see you get your heart broken.”

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Jackson looked up then and their eyes met.

I understand loss, too. Believe me.

“Don’t worry about me. Jackson is just being nice since we’re neighbors. My heart is in no danger.”

But even as she said it she knew it was a lie.

* * * * *

JACKSON BOBBED HIS head to the beat of the music, pretending that he was having a good time. His other brother, Elliott, had finally shown up and taken over his usual party position as makeshift DJ. He’d hooked his laptop computer up to a pair of monster-size speakers and put on a huge pair of earphones. Anti-social as a rule, he preferred presiding over the music so he didn’t have to dance or talk to anyone. Or rather, deal with people who walked up and tried to talk to him.

Luckily Jackson had been able to grab him before he’d gotten busy to ask him to find out a little more about Ridley’s friend, David. If anyone could get to the bottom of a mystery, it was Elliott.

Bennett was on the other side of the yard keeping an eye on the boys while they played. Nicholas was near them flirting with a pretty blonde in a miniskirt. The girls were dancing, the guys were watching and there was plenty of food. On all accounts, it was a successful party.

Other than the fact that he couldn’t keep his eyes off his temporary houseguest.

“As the host of this party you should probably smile every once in a while. Act like you’re having fun.” Mara appeared at his left elbow, looking like a Sofia Vergara clone in her crisp, white shorts and tank top.

“I am having fun. Especially now that you’re here.” He winked at her. Flirting with Mara was a time-honored tra***ion in their group, partially because she was naturally playful, and partially because it pissed off Matt so much. He frowned as he thought of the fist-sized hole in his living room wall.

As if she sensed the direction of his thoughts, Mara frowned, too. “I’m worried about Matt. Will you talk to him?”

“Of course. Ridley was able to calm him earlier, so I think he’s okay now. But hopefully I can get him to talk to me before he puts his fist through anything else.”

She nodded quickly and then surprised him by throwing her arms around his neck. He had to switch his beer to his left hand to keep from dropping it. When she pulled back, her eyes were slightly shiny.

Please god, don’t start crying.

“Sorry. I’m fine. Don’t get that panicked look.” She swiped under her eyes. “It’s just been a hard transition with him coming back from Iraq. Then there’s the thing with Trent.” She flushed slightly and averted her eyes.

All joking aside, he’d never taken flirting with Mara seriously, so he couldn’t deny that the idea of her and Trent as a couple was just… weird. As beautiful as she was, it would feel too much like hitting on his own sister, if he’d had one. Plus, if he was honest, she really wasn’t his type. Cynthia had been quiet, more into playing the piano and singing to the boys than socializing. As wild and outgoing as he appeared to his friends, he connected better with quiet, introverted women.

Women like Ridley.

“Jackson, there you are,” a voice called out.

He turned and then groaned.

What the hell is she doing here?

Alana, inappropriately dressed as usual, in some sort of clingy, white silk dress, picked her way across the lawn on her needle-thin heels.

Mara turned as well and then glared at him. “Please tell me you’re not still seeing her?”

Alana reached them before he could answer. Her gaze settled on Mara. “Oh hello, Mona. It’s been ages.”

Mara didn’t even bother responding, just turned and walked off.

“What are you doing here, Alana?”

He didn’t bother with pleasantries. If her past behavior was anything to go on, she only showed up when she wanted something. It was just a matter of getting her to admit what it was.

“I remembered you used to have your little party every year for Memorial Day. I just took a chance and decided to swing by." She glanced around, a look of disgust passing over her face when she took in the tables lined with picnic food. “I don’t know why you don’t get this catered.”

“You remembering the date doesn't explain why you're here. We broke up a year ago.”

“We broke up ten months ago. I think we were a little rash,” Alana huffed. She smoothed a non-existent wrinkle out of her dress. It wasn’t like her to be fidgety or self-conscious, so the movement was telling.

“You slept with my assistant.” It was strange how saying it out loud wasn’t as difficult as it had been just a few months ago. She seemed alarmed at his blunt statement but covered it quickly with a cajoling expression.

“I did not sleep with him. That was a misunderstanding.” She tried to reach for his arm but he stepped back.

“I don’t think I misunderstood you bent over his desk. Not that it matters because I’m seeing someone else now.” The lie jumped, unbidden, from his mouth.

****.

“You are? Who? It’s that Mona girl, isn’t it? She always had a thing for you.” Alana crossed her arms.

“It’s not Mara. It’s no one you know.” He really wasn’t trying to hurt her feelings but maybe thinking he had a girlfriend would finally convince her that it was over between them. Nothing else he’d tried had gotten the point across.

“Look, I’m sorry for the way things ended between us but I’ve moved on and I suggest you do the same.” Happy that for once he had the last word, he turned to walk away and then stopped dead in his tracks.

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Ridley stood right behind him watching the exchange with wide eyes.

CHAPTER TWELVE

“OH, GREAT. SHE has a lot of nerve showing up here.” Matt looked over her shoulder and frowned. Ridley turned and peered in the same direction. There were so many people there that she couldn’t be sure what he was looking at.

Until her eyes zeroed in on Jackson and Mara talking to a beautiful woman in a short, white dress.

“Who is that?” She hated to ask, hated that she wanted to know so badly. The woman was tall and thin with long, curly brown hair. Her light brown skin looked airbrushed, almost as if she’d photo shopped herself before leaving the house. Just then she tossed her long hair over her shoulder and smiled at Jackson.

Ridley hated her on sight.

Mara turned and walked away from them, her shoulders drawn up and her lips twisted into a snarl. Matt chuckled and tossed his empty beer bottle in one of the recycling bins nearby.

“That is Jackson’s bitchy ex-girlfriend. Looks like she’s already pissed Mara off. Typical.”

Jackson crossed his arms, his body language communicating that he definitely didn’t want to be there. Miss Photoshop clearly didn’t get the message because she kept moving closer and closer, leaning in toward Jackson as she spoke even as he leaned away. Ridley clenched her fists.

Without thinking about what she was doing she found herself moving in their direction.

“I’m sorry for the way things ended between us but I’ve moved on and I suggest you do the same.” Jackson turned as she walked up. Her mouth went dry.

The bravado that had compelled her to march over there didn’t extend to knowing what to say.

“Hey, I was wondering where you’d gone off to.”

The other woman looked her up and down but didn’t extend her hand. “I’m Alana. I don’t think I’ve met you before.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Ridley.”

Jackson put an arm around her and anchored her to his side. “Hey, baby. I didn’t mean to abandon you.” He nuzzled her hair and snaked an arm around her back to settle possessively on her waist.

She looked at him in shock, then quickly covered her reaction with a bright smile. Her pulse raced as she curled against Jackson’s chest. It shouldn’t give her such satisfaction to see the other woman’s eyes narrow at the affectionate gesture.

If he wanted her to play along to get rid of a clingy ex-girlfriend she could do that. It was no big deal, despite the fact that her libido was suddenly wide awake and doing the samba. She’d have to be dead not to react to the flex and play of Jackson’s muscles under the thin, short-sleeved shirt he wore.

Especially when he was holding her so tightly that she was plastered against those muscles.

“No, I was fine,” she managed to get out, hoping her voice didn’t betray just how turned on she actually was. Did he have to smell like that, all warm and slightly sweet?

“I was just hanging out with Matt and watching the boys play. The thing is, I hate to be a party pooper but I think I'm going to go upstairs and lie down for a bit.”

She figured it was as good an excuse as any. It was one thing to play lovers for a few minutes to fool his ex, but she couldn’t be this close to Jackson for too long without melting into a puddle. No doubt, they were already attracting attention. She turned and met Nick’s frosty gaze. She smiled at him, but he didn’t smile back.

What is his deal?

“You live here?" Alana asked suspiciously. “Who are you, one of his little cousins?”

Ridley would have laughed in any other circumstance. She was used to the criticism. When people found out who her sister was, their first question was usually why don’t you look like that? She was immune to rudeness at this point and she certainly wasn’t going to take offense when the criticism came from a woman who looked like she had bird feathers or something equally ridiculous stuck to her eyelashes.

“Yes, I live here.”

The ironic thing was she didn’t even have to lie. She currently was living there, and unless her sister changed her mind about letting her stay in her house alone, she’d be there until Raina came back.

Jackson’s hand tightened around her waist before he turned to look at her, his gratitude clear by the way the stress lines around his eyes relaxed a little. In that moment, Ridley experienced a fierce surge of protectiveness.

Cat fights weren’t her style and she’d never been the type to engage in verbal spats over a man. If a man wanted to be with her, then he needed to tell other women that he was taken.

Period.

But in this case, not only was Jackson not her boyfriend but she could clearly read the S.O.S. signals the poor man was sending out. This girl looked like the type who wouldn’t take no for an answer, and as his friend, she was more than happy to help him get this she-cat-in-heat off his back.

“Like I said, I’m going upstairs to rest. Are you coming?” she asked.

Jackson nodded slowly, as if he couldn’t believe what she was saying. Alana watched them with slitted eyes, her mouth falling open slightly as Ridley threaded her fingers through Jackson’s. Just as they were walking off, Ridley turned back.

“And if Jackson and I are cousins, then I'm pretty sure we're both going to hell.”

* * * * *

DID SHE REALLY just say that?

Jackson was fully aware that he was playing with fire. He couldn’t articulate what had made him do it. It was one thing to tell Alana he was dating someone else, but to draft Ridley into playing the part without permission was just asking to get slapped. He was lucky she’d gone along with it at all.