[English] ONE MORE DAY

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“Of course. Whatever you need.”

“The babysitter my mom recommended is coming over this morning. Her name is Bessie Johnson. The thing is, I have an early meeting with a director about my group’s first music video that I don’t want to miss. If it was anyone else, I would cancel but it’s not like I really need to meet her since I’ve known her for years. Would you mind letting her in?”

“Of course. After everything you’ve done for me, I’d love to be able to return the favor.”

He let out a breath. “Oh, good. I hate to ask but I really don’t want to cancel on this director. He’s our first choice and hard to pin down. So, ok. Um, Chris is old enough to pour cereal; they just need help with the milk. Once Miss Bessie arrives, she can take it from there.”

Ridley put her hands on his shoulders. “It’s going to be fine. Breathe!”

“It’s been kind of stressful. The boys’ grandmother used to watch them four days out of the week and then my mom would take them on Fridays. But now that Cynthia’s mom has moved away, I’m really struggling. It’s harder than I thought to find a childcare provider that you trust.”

“Of course it is. After all, this isn’t something you can afford to get wrong. I totally understand.”

“Thank you. Hey, you should come with me sometime. I’m working on something a little different and I’d love to get your take on it. I’m trying to branch out into pop music and I’ve found this girl group that I think could be the next big thing.”

“I would love to see what you do.” Ridley hadn’t given much thought to how music was produced previously. Like most people, her impressions were mainly what she’d seen on television and in movies.

“Tomorrow, then. I’ll show you around the studio and maybe you could even watch the group record a session.”

“Okay. Now, go! You don’t want to be late. We’ll be fine here.” She pushed him toward the door.

“Thank you, Ridley. I’ll owe you one.”

Their eyes met and she gulped. Jackson might not want to start making her promises because if he owed her one, she had a pretty good idea of how to collect.

* * * * *

“JACK? HAVE YOU heard a word I’ve said?”

Jackson turned to his left and raised his eyebrows at his assistant’s scowl. “What?”

He’d arrived at the office just in time for the video conference with the director they’d been eyeing to do the group’s first video. He was known for dance videos, which was exactly what they wanted. If they were going to make an entry into the pop world, they needed a club-worthy hit. Too bad he hadn’t been able to keep his mind on anything the guy said.

Mac crossed his arms. “You never told me what you thought of his idea. As a matter of fact, I’d bet you don’t even remember the guy’s idea. You keep spacing out on me. What’s the deal?”

“Sorry, I’m really distracted today. I’ve just got some stuff going on at home.”

Just one night. It doesn’t count.

Right.

Any chance he’d had of being a gentleman, and not seducing her, had died an instant death the moment he’d climbed into bed with her. Ridley had been like a dream. It had been just as hot as he’d thought it would be and twice as memorable.

He had a feeling the night that didn’t count was going to cost him more than just a few hours of lost productivity. If he couldn’t get a handle on his crazy emotions, it might cost him his sanity.

“Jackson?” This time Mac was watching him with open amusement. He wondered how long his friend had been calling him this time.

“Huh?”

“I said, is everything all right with the kids?”

“Oh yeah, yeah, they’re fine. I just have a guest this week.”

“Oh right. Your hot neighbor. Matt already has a betting pool going on how long before you nail this one,” Mac chuckled.

The thought that his friends were thinking anything ***ual about Ridley was enough to make his blood boil. Any man actually. No one should see her the way he’d seen her last night or think about the things she could do with that lush mouth.

"It's not like that. So keep her name out of your filthy mouth.” Jackson growled.

“Whoa! Take it easy, man.” Mac backed up a few steps and then cleared his throat. “Damn, Matt was right. You’ve really got it bad.”

Jackson flexed his fists. “I’m serious, Mac. She’s my neighbor and I’m just trying to help her out. Don’t turn it into something dirty.”

Mac tried, unsuccessfully, to hide his smile. “Okay, okay. Sorry. No disrespect intended.”

Jackson walked over to his office and closed the door. He dropped down into his desk chair and looked around his crowded workspace. He hadn’t gotten much of anything done all day.

His inability to concentrate was part of the problem. Ridley was sneaking into his thoughts wherever he was, no matter how inappropriate. He ignored the inner voice that called him a coward. Ridley affected him more than any woman he had ever met. A man had the right to be a little freaked out.

But now, he was being forced to admit that close proximity wasn’t the only reason he was fascinated with her. Ridley was nowhere near him now, yet he couldn’t seem to think of anything else.

He had to get a handle on his feelings or he wasn’t going to be getting any work done. The way he saw it, he had two choices. He could abide by the rules of their one-night deal or he could spend some time with her and let his fascination run its course.

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The more he thought about it, the more sense it made. Of course he was fascinated with Ridley. She was beautiful, and what red-blooded man wouldn’t be affected by a beautiful woman who offered him a night of hot, no-strings ***? But if he spent more time with her, he’d start to see her flaws. It would at least take some of the fascination away. Then he could get back to work, no harm, no foul.

Either way, he wasn’t going to hide his attraction to her any longer. She was a grown woman and he would leave the decision in her hands. They’d agreed on one night but if she gave him even the slightest indication that she’d welcome a little quality time before she left town again, he was more than ready to deliver.

He swiveled in his chair and pulled up his email. When he saw there was an email from Elliot, he smiled.

He opened the message and then double-clicked on the attachment. The top page was a blown up copy of a Florida driver’s license. David Randall Finemore.

“Elliott, you always come through for me.”

He’d just wanted to find out a little about the guy but it looked like Eli had done a full-scale background check. He scrolled through the file. There were several more photographs. They were candid shots, most taken from far away.

Surveillance photos.

The first one was of two men sitting at an outdoor restaurant. Upon closer inspection he could see that one of the men was David.

David Finemore meeting Alberto Moreno.

He recognized his brother’s handwriting scrawled across the image. He’d also written the date the photo was taken.

“This was taken over a year ago.”

Hadn’t Ridley said she’d only just met the guy? He scrolled through the rest of the photos quickly. Most were just of David but Moreno appeared in a few other shots. Some of them were dated even further back than the first one. His brow furrowed as he came to the last picture. Whoever had been following the guy had been thorough.

He flipped through the rest of his mail. There wasn’t anything else that couldn’t wait. He hurriedly signed his approval on a few bills and then put them back in his inbox for Mac to pick up. He might as well finish up early so they could go out to dinner. He could show Ridley what Elliott had found and see how she felt about an encore of the previous night’s festivities. The sooner he got his fascination with Ridley out of his system, the sooner he could get back to normal.

This was a business decision, even if it felt better than anything he had done for a while.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

RIDLEY PULLED AN Adirondack chair into a shady part of the lawn. She glanced back at the house before settling down with a paperback book she’d found in the family room. Miss Bessie had arrived at precisely 9:29 am and had seemed more than a little surprised to see her.

When he’d introduced her to his parents he hadn’t mentioned where she was staying so, of course, his mother’s friend wouldn’t expect a woman to open the door.

Talk about awkward.

After her initial fumbling introduction, she’d spent the next few hours puttering around in her room. Things seemed to be going well other than a few loud crashes and what sounded like a full-scale tantrum. She’d finally come down to investigate only to find the boys eating sandwiches at the kitchen table, ominously quiet.

She’d made herself a quick turkey and cheese sandwich before deciding to eat outside. Right before she’d left, she’d heard Miss Bessie telling Jase to take his thumb out of his mouth.

She hadn’t sucked her thumb but she’d been a quiet, introverted child much like Jase. It hadn’t been easy growing up around adults who constantly told her to “speak up” or “just smile, honey!” Hopefully, the trio would get along once they got to know each other. She hoped so, anyway. Otherwise Jackson would be searching for yet another nanny.

After reading several pages, she put the book aside. Perhaps, a murder mystery hadn’t been the best choice. Not when she was smack in the middle of her own unsolved murder case. How could she relax as if she was on vacation when someone she thought of as a friend was probably dead because of her? She thought of the jeweled necklace she’d given Jackson to put in his safe.

It was a good thing she’d been on her way to the bank that day. Otherwise, if she’d put the necklace in her jewelry box with the rest of her jewelry, it would have been stolen when her apartment was broken into. She’d have to ask Agent Graham to contact David’s next of kin so she could return it. Clearly, it had been important to him.

“Oh, hi! Sorry, I didn’t think anyone would be back here.”

Ridley looked up to see a young woman with smooth brown skin and short curls, followed by two young boys.

“Hi. Were you looking for Jackson?”

“No, we were just taking a shortcut over to the next street. Sorry to disturb you.”

“Can we play with Chris, mom? Please?” One of the boys jumped up and down next to his mother excitedly.

“The boys are just finishing lunch. Maybe they’d like to play outside. I’ll go check.” Ridley held up a finger and sat up. Before she could get out of the chair, the back door of the house burst open and she heard a high-pitched shriek.

“Get it away, get it away, get it away! Eeeeeeeeek!!”

Miss Bessie came barreling down the back steps, shaking frenetically and throwing her head back and forth. “Oh sweet lord Jesus, it’s a spider. Get it off!”

A giggle came from behind Ridley and she turned to see the two boys being shushed by their mother. Ridley tried valiantly to stifle her own smile as she hurried toward the older woman. She was trembling so furiously Ridley worried she’d hurt herself.

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“Wait, I’ll get it off. Just… wait.” She put her arms on the woman’s trembling shoulders until she stopped throwing her head around. A quick visual inspection proved that there was nothing on her. “See, it’s already gone. You’re fine.”

“He picked it up.” The older woman shuddered, revulsion all over her face. “He brought it to me on his hand. I thought he was showing me a toy.”

The back door opened again and Chris and Jase came outside. Jase took his thumb out of his mouth to say “Spider! I had a spider!”

Miss Bessie shuddered again. “I can’t stand spiders. I can’t believe that sweet little baby was touching that nasty thing.”

Ridley walked over to Jase slowly. “Where’s the spider now, Jase? Is he gone?”

Jase nodded, solemnly. “I lost my spider.”

“It’s okay. Maybe the spider went home.”

“Oh, look! There’s the spider!” Chris pointed at Miss Bessie’s shoulder. She immediately started dancing around again. Chris erupted into giggles. “I’m just joking. It’s gone.”

“Chris! That’s not nice.” Ridley shook her head and turned back to the older woman.

“Some of the neighborhood children are playing outside. I can keep an eye on the boys if that’s all right with you.”

Miss Bessie exhaled, her shoulders drooping visibly. “Only if you don’t mind. I would appreciate that. I wanted to start cooking early, anyway.” She gave a defeated smile before turning and walking back in the house.

Jase tugged the edge of her shirt until she looked down. “She no like my spider.” He sounded so crestfallen that it was hard to keep a straight face.

“You like spiders?” she asked. He nodded.

“He likes all bugs,” Chris interjected.

Oh boy. Ridley was starting to understand why Jackson was having such a hard time keeping a nanny. If there was anything that most women couldn’t tolerate, it was creepy crawlies. Luckily, gardening had forced her to get over her aversion early. You couldn’t work with flowers without encountering insects.

She knelt next to Jase. “Lots of people are scared of spiders. That’s why she ran away. Is there anything you’re afraid of?”

“Um, the thunder,” Jase mumbled around his thumb.

“I don’t like thunder, either. I’d much rather it stays outside. That’s how most people feel about spiders. Let’s keep the spiders outside so Miss Bessie isn’t scared, okay? Maybe later we can play in the dirt some so you can see where the bugs live.”

Jase’s eyes rounded and then he grinned. “Okay.”

“Okay. Let’s go have some fun.”

Chris let out a happy screech before running and jumping over the three steps leading from the patio to the yard.

The sound was reminiscent of summers past and the freedom of entire days devoted to nothing but adventure, friends and fun. There had been many summers that she and Raina had wandered their neighborhood while their mother was at work. They’d ridden their bikes all day searching for hidden pirate treasure, skipped rope and drawn lines on the sidewalk in front of their building for hopscotch. They’d done everything together and every day had been an adventure.

The world had seemed wide open back then.

“I didn’t get a chance to introduce myself. I’m Katie Mason. We live three houses down.” The other woman had wandered closer to where Ridley stood watching the children chase each other around the yard.

“I’m Ridley. I actually don’t even live here. Not really, anyway. I’m just visiting.”

Katie nodded, a knowing smile on her face. “Your presence here is dashing the hopes of many of the women in the neighborhood. Jackson is considered quite a catch around here. A single, handsome man living in a big place like this all alone tends to attract attention. He’s probably been hit on by all the single women at some point. Probably by some of the married ones, too.”

“I don’t think anyone needs to lose any sleep over my being here. I’ll be gone in a week or so.”

“I hope you’ll stay for a while. I’m excited to see some new faces in town,” Katie said. “A lot of the wives here are a little older. I don’t get Botox or play tennis so there’s just not much common ground. I thought about getting a job to keep me busy while Don’s at work, but that didn’t go over too well.”

“Don is your husband?” Ridley ventured. A shadow crossed the other woman’s face before she squared her shoulders.

“Yes. Donald is my husband.” She didn’t look too happy about it, though. She sighed and then said, “He’s not home much, so the kids and I are usually on our own. That’s why I was trying to find a part-time job before the kids go back to school. But since I’ve technically been unemployed since getting married, it’s harder than I thought.

“Unemployed? That makes it sound like you haven’t been doing anything. I don’t even have children and I find that insulting. You’ve been raising kids.”

“I’m used to it, believe me.”

Ridley shook her head in disbelief. “If you were watching someone else’s children, you’d be considered self-employed. An entrepreneur with your own business. So why is it any different just because you’re watching your own? That doesn’t seem fair.”

“Well, the fact that I don’t have any current skills isn’t helping, I suppose. But the only skill I have is being a wife and mother. There doesn’t seem to be much demand for that lately.”

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Ridley looked back at the house.

“Oh, I think you’d be surprised. What would you say if I told you there might be a job available where all you had to do was watch two kids close in age to your own and cook dinner a few nights a week? Would you be interested?”

“I’d say I think you’re making that up. Of course I’d be interested!” Katie said.

“Let’s get together tomorrow and I’ll let you know what I find out. In the meantime, let’s see if we can keep the kids occupied by letting them play in the dirt a little.”

Katie pushed up her sleeves. “Just another day in the life of a suburban mom.”

* * * * *

“I’M HOME,” JACKSON called out. “Chris? Jase?”

He dropped his bag by the door. It had been a long day, but a good one. After his break-up with Alana, his career had suffered. He’d been too distracted to be creative, which was the only reason he’d put out the substandard album that would haunt him for his entire career.

Not that he paid much attention to the media, but when terms like “has been” start to be bandied around, even he had to notice. He had started to question if he’d lost the one thing that had made him so successful.

His enthusiasm.

Now that he was back in his creative groove, he was writing songs again. Once Divine recorded the single he’d just written for them, they could shoot their first video and start planning the album’s release. He would finally be able to prove the naysayers wrong.

“Where is everyone?”

He wasn’t used to being able to share this kind of stuff with anyone but had found himself rushing to get home so he could tell Ridley. She’d understand how important it was to him. How much it meant to finally be back on track. He stood still, listening. Nothing.

Something was different in the house. He scrutinized the room, trying to figure out if Ridley had changed something, perhaps put something back in a different place from where he usually kept it. Nothing seemed out of place.

The small bowl where he kept his keys was the only thing on the entry table since Jase had broken the few knickknacks he’d been stupid enough to place there. What’s different in here? He turned in circles for a full minute before he figured it out.

It was clean.

The maid service usually cleaned on the weekends, but with the boys in the house it didn’t stay clean for long. It was almost weird to see it so organized. He walked into the family room and stopped in his tracks. Chris and Jase sat on the couch as still as statues. There wasn’t a smudge of dirt or a grass stain on either of them.

“Hey guys, what are you doing sitting in here? I thought you’d be outside playing.”

He walked further into the room and then stopped and sniffed. What the hell is that smell? There was a pungent odor wafting from the kitchen that made his nose itch. Stifling a sneeze, he edged his way into the kitchen his eyes widening at the massive pile of pots and pans lining the counter. Smack in the middle of the chaos was an elderly woman stirring a large pot.

Miss Bessie.

Backing up before she saw him, he turned and retraced his steps to the family room. The room was so clean it sparkled. The house hadn’t looked this good since he’d bought it. His sons were still in the same position as before, like melancholy figurines with their identical downcast expressions.

“So, it looks like Miss Bessie is working on dinner for us.” His words didn’t trigger a response, as both boys continued to stare at their sneakers. “And she did a great job cleaning up.”

Two pairs of eyes turned chilly glares in his direction.

“She didn’t clean up—we did. The only reason we finished before you came home was because Ridley helped us dust. You can’t reach much when you’re as short as we are.” Chris jumped up and put his hands on his hips, affecting an indignant pose. “And she made us change clothes! She said we shouldn’t wear playclothes to the dinner table.”

Jackson resisted the urge to laugh. All of his babysitters growing up had been like Miss Bessie, which was probably why his mother had recommended her. She was always saying the boys were too spoiled and could use a little “down-south” discipline. He was aware he indulged them too much at times, but it was hard not to. He wanted to give them everything he’d enjoyed growing up. Especially, a father who was there for them.

“Oh, Jackson! I didn’t even know you were home!” Miss Bessie bustled into the room and gave him a hearty hug. “We’ve missed you at Sunday service. You’re just as skinny as your momma said!”

“Yes, ma’am. How have you been?”

“Oh, I’ve been just fine. Come on over here and sit.”

“Thank you for coming on such short notice.” Jackson followed her into the dining room and sat in the chair she indicated at the head of the table.

He motioned for the boys to sit down as well. They climbed into the chairs, looking at him uncertainly. They never ate in the formal dining room but he could only hope they didn’t mention it in front of Miss Bessie. He was no doubt violating some parenting rule by not teaching his boys proper table manners before elementary school.

“Your momma keeps telling me you’re not eating right, so I made you a pot roast. This’ll put some meat on your bones for sure.”

He groaned as she set a full plate in front of him. He wanted to set a good example for the boys, but he had to draw the line somewhere. He really didn’t want to hurt her feelings, especially with the way she smiled at him, obviously proud of the meal.

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“Where’s Ridley? I mean, Miss Raina?”

Chris leaned over and whispered loudly, “She told us her real name is Ridley. She has two names. Like Spiderman! His real name is Peter Parker except no one knows it’s him.”

“That’s right. It’s too bad she can’t climb buildings and shoot that cool stuff from her hands. Did she go upstairs?”

Chris shrugged.

Jackson almost hoped she didn’t come down. There was no reason she should have *****ffer through the meal also. He hadn’t even taken a bite yet and he already felt light-headed.

Well, at least she said it was beef. How bad could it be?

He picked up his fork, speared a small piece and swiped it through the heavy gravy on the plate.

“Jackson Alexander! Did you say grace?” Miss Bessie’s face was the picture of shocked outrage.

The boys giggled as he dropped the fork.

“No, ma’am. Sorry. I was just… really hungry.” He closed his eyes and prayed for strength. He opened them again to see Miss Bessie hurriedly gathering up her belongings.

“You can’t stay?” He tried not to sound too optimistic.

If this first meal was any indication of her cooking skill, he feared to think of what they had to endure in the future. Images of sharing dinner with Ridley over the weekend brought a smile to his face. Even though he didn’t want her to have *****ffer through the meal, he couldn’t help wishing she was sitting across from him making faces. He knew she’d get the humor in the situation.

“Actually, I hate to do this but I won’t be able to work for you this summer after all. I’m so sorry, but keeping up with two active little boys is more taxing than I thought. I think I’m getting too old for this.”

She was inching toward the door, smiling apologetically. “Your boys are really very,” she grimaced, “sweet.”

Jackson bit his lip to keep from laughing. He knew his boys were a handful, especially for an older person who couldn’t chase after them to keep them out of trouble.

“It’s no problem. I understand—” His reply was interrupted by the sound of the front door swinging shut behind her as she rushed out.

O-kay then.

“Is she gone?” Chris whispered.

Jackson laughed out loud. “Yes, she’s gone. I guess we can go back to our ****man ways now.”

Truthfully, he was glad he didn’t have to hurt her feelings by firing her. However, he had to admit his situation was getting desperate. He needed to devote his attention to producing Divine. He was so close to getting back on top.

If he got this close and failed, he wasn’t sure he’d have it in him to try again.

He looked up to see Chris and Jase watching him. Chris poked the meat on his plate with the tip of his fork, dispiritedly. Jackson dropped his own fork.

“Who wants pizza?”

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

AFTER TEN MINUTES of searching without finding her, Jackson started to wonder if Ridley was angry with him. He’d expected things to be awkward the next day but he hadn’t expected her to avoid him completely. She hadn’t seemed mad that morning, though she could have just been distracted by Matt.

He scowled. She’d definitely been distracted by Matt.

Just the thought of it made him feel, well, he wasn’t exactly sure. Matt was a good guy and they’d seemed to get along really well at the party. Should he really be surprised if Ridley liked him? The whole point of their one-night rule was to get it out of their systems so they could move on. It was really none of his business if she liked someone else. The thought certainly shouldn’t make him want to punch his friend in the face.

Hell.

“Ridley? Are you in here?” He stuck his head in the guest room after a quick knock. The door was partially open so he could only hope he wasn’t catching her napping or god forbid, undressing. His hormones were already in overdrive around her. Another glimpse of her naked would probably send him so far into ****man territory that he’d just club her over the head and drag her to his bedroom.

Luckily the room was empty.

He didn’t find her in the boys’ room or outside in the backyard. He wanted to thank her for helping the boys clean the house. Even before Chris had told him, he’d known they had help. He could always tell when the boys cleaned up; anything higher than four feet was left untouched. His suspicions were confirmed when he saw her with the dust rag and can of furniture polish in her hand as he entered his office.

Funny how the last place you look is always where you find what you’re looking for.

“Hey, there you are.”

She looked up and grinned. “Jackson! You’re home.”

His breath caught. The thought that she might have missed him was such an unexpected pleasure. He wanted her to miss him and enjoy being with him. He wanted things he had no right to want.

She raised her hand in greeting and accidentally knocked over one of the books on the edge of the desk. A puff of dust billowed up. She sneezed delicately and wrinkled her nose at the layers of dirt on the table.

Jackson was almost embarrassed at the state of his office. He never let the maids come up there because he didn’t like anyone else in his space. It didn’t surprise him that having Ridley in his office didn’t bother him. Everything about her calmed him.

“I was wondering where you were.” He felt like an idiot. Did his hands have to sweat like a teenager’s every time she was around? He wiped his palms on his slacks.

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“I was trying to finish this before you came up here.” She put the furniture polish on the table and turned to face him. “I would have come to dinner but I thought maybe you guys needed some family time alone.”

Jackson looked at her nervously wringing her hands and felt better instantly. Apparently he wasn’t the only one who was uneasy. Which meant that maybe she wouldn’t be averse to ***ching their one-night policy in exchange for an as-many-times-as-they-could-do-it policy?

“Oh, be honest. You just didn’t want to eat that monstrosity she was creating in the kitchen.” Their eyes met and they both burst into laughter.

“I didn’t want to say anything but whatever she was cooking did smell awful. Did you actually eat it?”

Her eyes widened, the apparent horror of the thought causing her to reach out for him. The feel of her hand gripping his arm sent tingles of electricity through him. He cleared his throat and tried to remember her question.

“No, she left before we ate so I didn’t feel obligated to eat it to avoid hurt feelings. I did taste enough of it to declare it unfit for consumption. Maybe she left out an ingredient. Either way, I don’t think what she left out was the problem, but what she left in.”

“The boys didn’t seem to like her so much. I guess she was a little strict.”

“Well, it’s not a problem anymore because she quit. I am officially desperate.”

Ridley didn’t look surprised. “Yeah, I figured that was coming when Jase brought her a spider. She was so afraid she ran out of the house into the back yard shaking like she was having a seizure.”

“Not again. I thought we’d broken him of that. He knows he’s not supposed to bring insects in the house.”

“I think it was already in the house. He just wanted to, um, share his discovery with her. Then, after she finally calmed down, Chris pretended to see the spider on her shoulder and that set her off again. I felt so guilty laughing but I couldn’t help it. Anyway, I explained to Jase that most people are scared of bugs but I’m not sure how much help that will be in the future. But, I did meet someone today who may be able to help you with your childcare problem if you’re willing to be a little open-minded.”

“I’m willing to be very open-minded at this point.” He offered her his arm. “Come on, I was going to take the boys out for pizza anyway. You can tell me the whole story while we’re surrounded by screaming kids.”

Ridley dropped her cleaning rag on top of the desk and slid her arm through his.

“How could a girl resist an invitation like that?”

* * * * *

“SO, DID YOU get to meet your video director?”

Jackson had taken them to the boys’ favorite pizza arcade, Bingos. Although they were eating greasy pizza in hard plastic booths and were surrounded by what seemed like hundreds of screaming children, she and Jackson were in a world all their own.

She hadn’t been sure what to make of things after that morning. He’d been friendly but he hadn’t mentioned wanting to do it again. She’d honestly thought that one night together would assuage the fascination she’d felt for him since they met but images of their night together had been tormenting her all day.

Jackson, on the other hand, seemed perfectly fine. Perhaps one night had been enough for him.

“I did but I’m not sure if we’re going to hire him. We’re trying to do something different with this group. I really want to get it right.”

“I’m sure you will.”

He looked out the plate glass window next to them at the parking lot. A harried-looking mother was trying to pull a screaming toddler over to a minivan.

“I don’t know. I’ve been distracted lately. I actually forgot about a label party that I’m supposed to attend Thursday night. I told everyone I’d be there a few weeks ago and then promptly forgot all about it.” He glanced at her suddenly, a gleam in his eye. “Hey, do you want to go to an insanely boring, industry launch party with me?”

Is he asking me out?

“I’d love to. It’ll give me an excuse to go shopping.”

She prodded the pizza on her plate, trying not to let her excitement slip into her voice. Maybe this was his way of getting closer to her? A thrill went through her at the idea of an evening out with him.

“Good. Although I have to warn you, they’re probably not what you’re expecting. It’s a lot of self-important people trying to impress each other and a lot of old guys showing off their trophy wives. But hopefully the music will be worth it.”

“It’ll just be nice to get out of the house. I’m starting to get a little bit of cabin fever. Oh, speaking of getting out of the house, I met one of your neighbors today. Katie Mason. Married to a guy named Donald?”

Jackson’s brow crinkled. “Yeah, the Masons. Chris plays with their son, Matthew sometimes. They kind of keep to themselves. I think he’s some kind of surgeon.”

“Well, Katie was outside when Miss Bessie came running out of the house. We spent some time talking and she said something that made me think about your situation.”

“My situation?” he repeated.

“Looking for a nanny. From what you’ve told me, it sounds like what you want is so simple, but yet you haven’t been able to find anyone.”

“I’ve found people. Just not the right ones.” He shook his head ruefully.

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“Exactly. Well, Katie has been looking for a job and hasn’t been able to find one because, according to her, she’s only qualified to be a wife and mother and there isn’t much demand for that these days. Well, that made me think of you. That’s basically what you need. You can just hire a wife and mom.”

“I’m pretty sure that’s illegal.”

“Jackson!” She swatted his arm. “You know what I mean. Katie has two boys of her own so she clearly has experience with children and the boys are already friendly with her kids. She wants to do a summer camp for them.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. She was great with the kids today and I had a great time, too. Jase was beside himself when we dug up spots for the flowers I want to plant.”

Jackson glanced behind them where Chris was playing Skee-Ball and Jase was jumping into a vat of colorful balls.

“So, what do you think?”

“I think it’s a great idea. I’ve known the Masons for a while, practically since I moved in. They were one of the few that actually came over to welcome me to the neighborhood. She baked this apple turnover thing that was amazing. I had no idea she would be interested in watching other children. Why don’t you invite her over tomorrow?”

Ridley clapped her hands. “Great. This is so exciting! I can’t wait to tell Katie. We talked a lot today and she’s a lot of fun. She gave me some great ideas for my column, too.”

“Your column?”

Ridley hugged herself, so overcome with excitement she could almost burst. “I’ve decided to do a column about gardening on the “Legs” blog. It was really rewarding to teach the kids about plants and their life cycles. They get so excited about things.”

It was something that Raina had been trying to convince her to do for years. She’d always said no because she didn’t want people thinking she was using her sister’s success. But Jackson had given her a new perspective on things. A column would give her a chance to try out some of her new design ideas and reach more people than she could on her own.

“That’s great, Ridley!”

“What you said about accepting help really changed my way of thinking. It doesn’t matter if people only read my column in the beginning because of the fashion side. They’ll keep reading it because they like it.”

Jackson leaned across the booth and tugged on a lock of her hair. Warmth arrowed straight down to her core. What would it be like to have him look at her like that all the time? To have the right to lean across the table and kiss him right now? She looked down at the table and clenched her fists in her lap.

“Speaking of news, I have some for you, too. About your friend David.”

Ridley looked up, her earlier excitement draining away. “About David? What about him?”

“Remember I told you I was going to ask my brother Eli to look into things?” At her nod, he continued, “Well, he got copies of part of David’s FBI file. He didn’t get the whole thing, so he’s still going to do his own background check but he got some of the surveillance photos of him meeting with the Morenos. They go back for more than a year.”

“Oh my god.” Ridley suddenly felt sick.

“No, this is a good thing.” Jackson grabbed her hands.

“How is it good? I thought he was nice and just got caught up in something by accident. If he’s been meeting up with them for that long, then that means he was some kind of criminal!”

“It also means that whatever he was doing with the Morenos had nothing to do with you. You didn’t know him that long, right?”

Ridley let out a slow breath. “You’re right. I didn’t even think about that. I only met him a few months ago. So, that means he didn’t suspect Moreno of being my father. He probably never had any leads at all. It was just a lie so he could keep charging me.”

“Probably. But either way, you can relax a little now. It’s too bad that you can’t get your money back, but at least it’s over with.”

“You’re right. And hopefully my column will do well. It’s something I can do anywhere, you know? It’ll be easy for me to keep it up even after I go back.”

The thought didn’t sound nearly as appealing as it had just a week ago. Technically, she didn’t really even need to be in hiding anymore. She could just enjoy a little vacation time with her sister and then go back to her life. She was surprised to find that the idea didn’t make her as happy as it should, as happy as it would have just a few days ago.

“Go back?”

“Yeah. When I go back to Florida.”

“Right.” A flash of something crossed his face as he looked at her. “We should probably go. I have a lot of stuff I need to work on tonight.” He nodded curtly and left the booth, calling out to the kids.

Ridley folded her arms around herself again, this time to stop herself from trembling.

She’d always thought it was a nice change when she moved on. It was like wiping the slate clean of all her screw-ups and starting over. But this time, she didn’t think she’d be moving on to something better.

This time, walking away seemed more like a cop out than a fresh start.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

JACKSON STOOD OVER the chair and watched Ridley’s chest rise and fall as she slept. He had come downstairs with every intention of apologizing for his attitude since they’d left the pizza place.

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His carefully thought out speech had deserted him when he had come across her sprawled in one of the armchairs in the family room, her head thrown back against the armrest, her hair wild around her shoulders. She was beautiful even when she was sleeping.

He’d been such an ass. She’d tried to make conversation on the way home but he’d barely spoken two words to her in reply. She’d finally given up and gone upstairs alone when they reached the house. He picked up the remote and turned the television off. After he’d put the boys to bed, he’d gone into his own room and shut the door. She must have come down sometime after that.

It had taken him by surprise when she’d mentioned going back to Florida so casually. As if she couldn’t wait to leave. When just the idea of her not being around anymore made him feel panicky. She owned a house here so surely she’d come back sometime, right? He’d only known her a few days but the idea of not seeing her every day just seemed crazy.

Unfathomable.

“What are you doing to me?” He trailed a finger over her cheek and she shifted in her sleep.

“Jackson?” She turned over in the chair and would have fallen out if he wasn’t there to catch her. Her arms twined around his neck as he lifted her into his.

“What are you doing?” she mumbled sleepily.

“I have no idea.” He carried her upstairs to his room and laid her gently amidst the rumpled linens.

In the dim light coming through the window, he could just make out her face. She blinked at him a few times before her eyes turned soft, slumberous.

“Come here,” she whispered.

He didn’t waste any time. He dropped down on the bed next to her and pulled her into his arms. Her head fell back as his lips found her throat. She let out a soft “ah” as he nipped his way down the soft skin of her neck. He gently pulled her cotton tee shirt over her head and groaned as he saw she hadn’t been wearing a bra.

“I thought,” she broke off with a moan when he nuzzled his face between her breasts.

The scent of her skin was driving him crazy.

“I thought you were mad at me.”

He tugged at her jeans and watched, mesmerized, as she moved next to him on the bed and arched her back so she could pull them off. The seductive thrust of her hips made his throat go dry.

“I wasn’t mad at you. I was mad at myself.”

She laughed, a low, throaty sound, as he captured her leg and pulled her closer. A few kicks later, her jeans were on the floor next to the bed. Her eyes held his as she arched her back again, this time to slide her panties off. She sat up and flung them at his head like a slingshot.

“Christ. Come over here.”

She straddled him and he anchored a hand in her hair and pulled her down for his kiss. He loved her taste, the way she melted against him, the sounds she made. Nothing had ever been this good.

“What do you say we forget the one night thing?”

Ridley whimpered and bit his bottom lip. “Forget it? You mean not do this anymore? I don’t like that plan.”

“No. I mean forget it, and just do whatever we want.”

She nipped along his jawline and then pressed her tongue against his pulse. “Whatever we want, hmm?”

He laughed and flipped them over. She squealed as her back hit the bed.

“Mmm, hmm. I know exactly what I want to do first.”

Her eyes fluttered closed as he returned to his position between her breasts, nuzzling and licking his way down to her belly button.

“You do?” she whispered.

“Mmm, can you guess?” He nipped at her hipbone.

“Oh my, I think… I can’t think.”

Her legs fell open as he lowered his head between her thighs. The scent of her was like a drug, filling his nostrils, wrapping around him and through him until he was consumed by it.

She cried out at the first lash of his tongue. The sound echoed in his ears as he lapped at her, already lost in her taste. He pulled one of the pillows from the head of the bed to him so he could prop her higher.

“What are you doing?” she asked, breathlessly.

“Just getting comfortable, baby girl. I’m not done with you, yet.”

He was nowhere near done, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t enjoy a few detours. Propping her hips up also gave him a unique view of her breasts. He leaned over and laved each of her nipples until they pebbled against his tongue. She gripped his hair and held him against her, moaning when he pulled away.

Her moans turned to soft sighs when he settled between her thighs. Another long lick of her core had her arching off the bed.

“Jackson, stop teasing me.”

He laughed softly and gripped her thighs, pulling her closer. The position pushed her against his mouth and he growled his approval. He drew the lips of her *** between his teeth lightly until she cried out.

“Oh. Oh!” She clamped her hand over her mouth to muffle her cries as she came.

He moved with her, keeping his mouth on her as she clenched against his tongue, trying to prolong her pleasure. Finally she dropped down against the bed and sighed.

He turned her gently on her stomach until her perfectly round ass was beneath him. Hell yeah. Now he could play.

She shivered as he caressed the soft skin of her back, pressing his thumbs gently next to the indentation of her spine. She arched under his fingers like a cat. He followed the same path with his tongue, until she trembled.

He reached over to the nightstand and grabbed another condom. At the rate they were going he would need a new box by tomorrow. He glanced over at Ridley. She was up on her arms, watching him.

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“Hurry up.” She wiggled her ass in his direction.

“Damn. I’m on my way.” He ripped the package open carefully and rolled it on.

He moved behind her, enjoying the view. She looked over her shoulder and winked. He teased her with the tip of his shaft and her mouth fell open on a soft sigh. She pushed back and took him deep. They both cried out.

He twisted the long fall of her hair around his fist and pulled gently as he rocked back and forth, taking her deeper with every thrust. Before long he was powering forward as she pushed back, their hips coming together with savage intensity. It was unlike anything he’d ever experienced. Being inside her was about more than just desire. Every inch of him felt alive when he was with her and he wanted nothing more than to please her in a way that no other man could.

“Jackson. Jackson.” Her head fell forward as she panted his name and her fingers twisted in the sheets again. He was overcome with a sense of supreme masculine satisfaction. She might have a life in Florida that he wasn’t a part of, but he was willing to bet she didn’t have this. Maybe he couldn’t keep her here but he’d be damned if he wouldn’t give her something worth remembering.

He closed his eyes as she tightened around him, crying out his name again. The way she called his name made him feel almost primal. He cupped her breasts, leaning over her back and biting her shoulder gently as he sank even deeper.

“Oh, damn. I’m coming.” Tremors raced through him as he clutched her against him. He closed his eyes and let out a long groan as the last spasm left his body.

He pulled out gently and they fell back against the sheets in a tangle of sweaty limbs.

“Wow.” Ridley turned her head to look at him. “I like our new plan.”

He chuckled and pulled her closer for a quick kiss. “I like it, too. Stay with me awhile?”

“Okay,” she whispered.

“Be right back.” He went to the bathroom and disposed of the condom. On the way back, he peered out into the hallway to make sure the boys’ bedroom door was still closed.

She was watching him curiously when he got back into bed.

“I just wanted to make sure we didn’t wake them.”

A shy smile spread across her face before she pressed her face into the pillow. “I was loud. I couldn’t help it.”

He smirked. “I don’t want you to help it.” He slid under the covers and moved over until he was in the center of the bed.

“By the way,” he whispered. He waited until she looked over at him sleepily. “I’m sorry.”

She grinned and snuggled up against him.

“You are so forgiven.”

* * * * *

WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON, RIDLEY sat on the edge of the bed staring at her cell phone. Jackson had asked Katie to meet them at the park so the boys could play while they talked things over. From the screeching and loud sounds below her room, the boys were already excited.

If she was going to make her call, this was the best time to do it. Otherwise, she’d get caught up and lose track of time and if she put it off any longer she’d end up taking the easy way out by buying something new. But in the end her pragmatic nature won out and she decided to just get it over with.

Due to the time difference it was doubtful that Raina would actually answer. She could just leave a message and then deal with the teasing later.

Hearing her sister say “I told you, so” wasn’t something she was looking forward to.

“Hey, Ri! How are things back home?” Raina answered the phone as if she were still on East Coast time instead of it being early morning the way she knew it was in Singapore.

“Oh, hey. I’m so sorry to wake you. I didn’t think you’d actually answer.”

There was a soft whooshing sound in the background and Ridley wondered if their connection was really that bad or if she was just hearing things.

“It’s not early here. I’m in the Bahamas now. We’re in the same time zone you are.”

She’d completely forgotten that her sister never stayed in the same place for long. Although she supposed she could have at least pretended to pay attention when they’d last spoken and Raina had told her where she was going next.

“Well, the thing is, I have a favor to ask. And I don’t want you to worry that I’ll be upset if you say no.” She took a deep breath. “It’s just that Jackson has asked me to go to this industry party, but I don’t have anything to wear. I was going to buy something but I thought, why do that when I know you’ve got tons of dressy stuff at your house.”

There was silence before Raina said, “Jackson asked you out?”

Ridley struggled to keep her voice neutral as she replied, “No, he didn’t ask me out. It’s for work. It’s some party his label is throwing for a new jazz singer. You know how much I love jazz.” Stop babbling Ridley.

“Oh my god, you slept with him, didn’t you? You dirty slut!” Raina crowed.

Even from another country, no one could embarrass her quite like her sister.

“Raina! It’s not like that. I mean, yes we did, but it’s not like I just jumped on the man.” Okay, I kind of did but whatever. “I really like him,” she surprised herself by saying.

“I can tell. I’m happy for you, Ri.” Raina did sound happy for her. She was quiet for a moment before she said, “The code is Mom’s name spelled backward. So just type out the letters N-A-O-J on the keypad. You still remember where the spare key is, right?”

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“I still have it from the day I originally tried to get in.” She started mentally preparing a list of what she’d need. It didn’t make sense to keep going over there so she might as well just pack up a suitcase and bring it back.

“You know, I wanted you to avoid my house but if you’re going to do this, at least dress up a little.”

Ridley stopped adding items to her mental list long enough to say, “Huh?”

“You know what I mean. Just dress up a little, wear some makeup for once.” Ridley wrinkled her nose at the phone. “And anyone watching will just assume that I’m home from my latest travels. No one thinks anything of my strange comings and goings at this point. I’m actually away from home more than I’m there.”

“You think I should dress as you? Why? I don’t have to hide anymore, remember? Whatever David was doing for the Morenos had nothing to do with me.”

“I’d still rather you stay invisible until Sam checks things out, but I want you to dress up for my sake. There’s usually paparazzi lurking around the house and of course, they’ll assume it’s me coming home from a shoot. I don’t want to be the next ‘What NOT to Wear’ headline, so please dress up a little. Oh and don’t take Jackson with you.”

“Why not? I can do it faster with help. You’re being awfully difficult about this.”

“I’m not! It’s just that he’s too well known and I’m sure he doesn’t want to be linked to me in the media. Is there anyone else you can get to take you?”

Ridley thought back to the day of the cookout. While it had been overwhelming to meet so many people at once, she was glad she’d gone now.

“Yeah, I think I know a few people who wouldn’t mind helping out.”

CHAPTER TWENTY

“SO, WHAT’S IT like to have a sister? As much as I love Matt, there are just certain things I can’t talk to him about. What’s her name?”

Ridley waited patiently for Mara to finish applying yet another layer of lip gloss before answering. Mara had been more than happy to come over and “glam-ify” her after she’d gotten off work. She’d given the excuse that she was trying out ideas for her next blog column. Mara, it turned out, was a fan of the “Legs” blog, and more than willing to help out.

They’d been immersed in the guest room for the past thirty minutes while Ridley tried on and rejected each of the outfits Mara had brought with her. After Mara had finally just pulled one of the tops over her head forcefully, they were now working on makeup. She’d never known there could be so many pots of crap used just to paint a face.

“It’s, uh, Rina.” She mentally crossed her heart. It wasn’t actually lying, right? Just omitting a letter.

“Is she a model, too?”

“No, she’s my complete opposite, actually. We’ve always been best friends despite being so different. But it’s not easy when your sister is smarter, more confident, and more popular than you are. It's living with constant comparison and feeling like you never measure up.”

“Do you feel like she treats you that way?” Mara asked, her voice raising a couple of octaves. She looked like she was insulted on Ridley’s behalf.

“No, no. She’s my biggest fan. She’s always defended me. The same way Matt has always defended you."

Mara blew out a breath. "He has always defended me. Maybe that's part of the problem. I never stood up for myself, so now he doesn't believe I can stand on my own two feet. I wonder if I've been as much of the problem as he has by leaning on him too much."

“Matt just needs time. He’s been protecting you from guys your whole life and now he’s supposed to pretend he doesn’t care one of his friends has seen you naked?”

Mara cringed. “Ugh. You’re right. I didn’t really think about how much harder it would be that I was dating someone he knows so well. I’m sure he remembers every bad thing Trent’s ever done and feels like he needs to warn me.”

“Since he can’t, he ends up putting his fist through walls,” Ridley added.

“I asked Jackson to talk to him,” Mara muttered. Then she turned Ridley to the mirror gently. “What do you think?”

Ridley leaned forward and inspected her newly long lashes, flawless skin and rosy slicked lips. “Wow. I look so… shiny.” She couldn’t imagine wearing makeup just to hang around the house but Raina always had. She hadn’t even worn this much makeup when she went to prom.

“Thanks so much for your help, Mara. I’ll give your stuff back as soon as I get more clothes from the house. I just didn’t want to go out looking like a bum. If I do, there’ll be a tabloid picture of me tomorrow claiming I just left rehab.”

Mara rubbed her hands together. “No problem, I had fun. I’m channeling my mom for this project. She placed as high as first runner up in the Miss Columbia pageant back in the seventies. This was before she met my dad and came with him to the U.S. She still talks about how close she was to that damn crown. She was always so disappointed that I didn't want to do the pageant thing."

Mara picked up a silk headband and then held it against the loose top Ridley was wearing. After staring at it for a minute, she apparently changed her mind and tossed it back on the dressing table.

"I don't blame you. The thought of all those people staring makes me want to throw up."