All Bets Are On (6 page)

Chapter Eleven

The next morning Jaclyn
opened her eyes, rolled over in the massive bed, and was overcome with a moment of panic. She froze as memories of the night before flashed through her mind.
It hadn’t been a dream
. She stared at Derek’s handsome face deep in sleep and fought the urge to bolt. To get out of that bed and run as fast and as far as she could. But first, she’d have to find her clothes. She lifted the sheet. Yep, stark naked. It was true; she’d had unbelievable, amazing sex and had come over and over, again and again. Damn. She tried to rise up but cringed as pain sliced through her head. She’d had way too much wine.

She took a deep steadying breath. Of course she’d had too much wine. How else could she have ended up here, naked and practically purring like a kitten? God, she did feel good. Her whole body was thrumming. As long as she didn’t move her head. But she couldn’t stay. She definitely had to get out of there before Mr. Gorgeous woke up. She didn’t want to face him. Not now. Not when she was feeling so…vulnerable. As he’d said, last night had been a gift to herself. Permission to indulge in a fantasy. To have the night of her life, even if it would only happen once. And a wonderful fantasy it had been.

Even if it had cost her ten grand.

Damn, she was a fool. And an idiot.

She had to get out of there. Better to end it that way. Better to disappear before he woke up and brought awkward reality crashing in. Carefully, she inched toward the side of the bed, but before she could make it, he turned toward her, his sleepy blue eyes opening.

“Good morning.”

“Morning.”

He reached for her. She rolled, moving as if the building were on fire and someone just yelled, “stop, drop and roll,” right off the edge of the bed where she landed with a heavy thump. She popped up, looking over the edge, trying desperately to keep herself covered.

“Where are you going?” he asked.

“I, uh, I have to go.” She tried to stand, but crouched back down, not wanting him to see her naked. Which, of course, was ridiculous. Especially after last night. Her cheeks burned at the thought of what they’d done. Hell, what would it matter if he saw her naked now; he’d practically tasted every inch of her. Talk about “seeing” her—up close and personal.

“I’m sorry.” She pulled the bedspread toward her as she stood, in a feeble attempt to cover herself. “But I really have to go.”

“Are you sure you can’t stay just a little longer?” He was looking at her with those dreamy eyes and, for a brief second, her traitorous body urged her to jump back into the bed with him. She was still tingling in all the right places. How was it possible he could make her feel so damned good? His body was more than just a perfect vessel; it was a masterful tool in the hands of an incredible artisan. He took her to heights she wasn’t even aware were possible. Made her forget where she was, and who she was. Nothing else mattered except the taste of his lips on hers, the touch of his fingers, the way his body moved, stroking and filling her until she’d screamed her release.

Oh yes, she remembered. In fact, she was quite sure she would never be able to forget. And the way he was looking at her right now, he remembered, too.

“Not even for breakfast?”

“Yes, I’m sure.” She was also sure if she didn’t high-tail it out of there, she would succumb to him and climb right back into that bed.

He shrugged, stood, and walked into the bathroom. Her gaze following his incredibly well-shaped butt until he disappeared. Damn, he was good looking. Too good looking. Obviously, he turned her brain cells into mush. She turned away, quickly searching for her bra and panties. She heard the shower start and was almost dressed when a knock sounded at the door.

Taking a last quick glance around the room to make sure she had everything, she moved through the front room and opened the door. A woman in an expensive business suit with impeccable make-up and not an auburn hair out of place smiled. “Good morning, is my brother here?”

“Your brother?” Jaclyn stepped back, patting down her own hair that must be circling her head in a wild Medusa mess.

“Yes, Derek. I was told he was here.”

Jaclyn looked toward the bedroom door. “He’s in the shower.”

“It’s all right. I’ll wait.” She walked into the room, headed straight to the phone, and ordered coffee.

Jaclyn debated whether she should go into the bathroom and tell Derek his sister was there, or disappear while the going was good.

“I’m Deirdre.”

Unable to see an easy way out, Jaclyn took her outstretched hand. She couldn’t very well turn and bolt for the door. “Jaclyn.”

“I see Derek won his bet,” she said with a sly grin.

Jaclyn’s eyes widened and she felt her cheeks flame. He’d told his sister about their bet? What kind of creep does that? The heat of mortification rushed over her and her stomach soured. Yes, she’d just had sex with a virtual stranger she’d met on the Internet, and she’d lost ten grand doing it. Yep, she was a real loser all right. “I… Uh, I’ve got to go,” she said, and rushed out the door and toward the elevators. How could she have been so stupid? She’d been nothing more than a bet to him. A game he wanted to win. And boy had he ever.

…

Derek came out of the shower,
a towel slung around his waist, another drying his head. “Are you sure we can’t get some breakfast downstairs before you go? They make a killer brunch.” He walked into the bedroom and then stopped on the spot, surprised to see his sister standing in the doorway.

“Coffee’s just arrived, along with croissants.”

Anger squeezed his chest and his fists tightened against the towel. “What the hell are you doing here?”

She grinned. “Wanted to see the little mouse for myself. I’m afraid she scurried away, though.”

“My mouse?” He sucked fire into his lungs, and growled deep in his throat. “I’m going to kill Minos.”

“What fun would that be? Then who would you have to push around?”

“There’s always you.”

“In your dreams, brother.”

He threw the towel at her, but before it reached its mark she flicked it away. “You make me ill,” he snapped.

She grinned. “Don’t I know it?”

“Again, Deirdre. What do you want? Besides my coffee?” He strode over to the cart and poured himself a cup.

“They do have the best coffee here.” She picked up a chocolate croissant off the tray and took a bite.

“Answer me. What do you want?”

“Mother wants to see you. Something about a new job, and follow-up on the Fredricks’ case. But why she even bothers with you, I can’t imagine. You aren’t wicked enough to be the Prince of Hell, and soon even our misguided mother will see that and turn it all over to me.”

“And yet, she couldn’t call?” he asked, ignoring her complaint. “She had to send you?”

“Your phone is dead. Not that that is any big surprise. And besides, I volunteered.”

“Not dead. Off. So, where’s the fire?”

“Does it matter? She said to be in her office within the hour.”

“You mean she didn’t bother to tell you.”

“She did say something about a ferry accident. But surely you…”

“So why did you feel the need to track me down?” He interrupted, then finished the last of this coffee and refilled his cup.

“I wanted to see the woman you found on an online dating site.” She licked the chocolate off her fingers. “Cute little thing. Very pedestrian. Not at all your type.”

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, not rising to her bait. Deirdre loved a good game, and she always took it a little farther than was necessary. “Fine. Tell Mother I’ll be there as soon as I can. And trust me, dear sister, you don’t have what it takes to do my job. Mainly discipline.”

“We’ll see.” She smiled.

Without waiting a beat, he pulled open the door and was relieved when she left without a fight. This morning wasn’t going at all like he’d planned.

…

Jaclyn sat in the back of the cab
and tried not to think about the night’s events or even that morning’s. Her best bet would be to forget Derek Wescott even existed. She felt so humiliated. Even as she tried not to think about it, she imagined Derek and his friends laughing over their stupid bet. A bet she’d lost. Badly.

What had she been thinking?

Of course she was going to lose. Derek was way out of her league and they both knew it.

She paid the cab and hurried into her house, hoping sweet Mr. Andrews across the street wouldn’t notice her returning home in an evening gown. She closed the door and found Rufus standing behind her, his head cocked in confusion, waiting for his breakfast.

“I know. I stayed out all night. I’m sorry.”

He barked, the sound cutting through her skull.

She shuffled into the kitchen, filled his bowl with food and freshened his water. “After my coffee and shower, we’ll go for a run on the beach.” Massaging her temple, she started the coffee pot. “Make that a walk.”

She rubbed his head. “You are such a sweetie and the only guy I need in my life.” She moved toward her shower, disrobing as she went. But when she took her dress off, the scent of Derek’s cologne reached her. Quickly, she threw the dress into the dry clean bin and tried to get the smell out of her head. She stepped under the hot water and scrubbed herself until she was pink and raw.

“Stupid, stupid, stupid.”

Thirty minutes later, dressed in a fresh pair of jeans and a steaming cup of coffee in her hand, she downed two ibuprofens and took Rufus for a quick walk. She came back, turned on her computer, and stared at the rolling headlines filling her local newspaper’s homepage.

“Buyout of Tellon Inc. sends stock plummeting.” The story went on to talk about Mr. Fredricks artificially inflating the company’s revenue. He’d been arrested. Stock dropped, buyout complete. Rufus curled up at her feet as she flipped through the screens. Many of the people Derek had told her about last night were listed on the internet, their sins right there in black and white. A poultry plant using illegal labor and paying pennies on the dollar. A Chinese restaurant in Fort Lauderdale cited for human trafficking. Workers from Nicaragua, who didn’t know enough English to ask for help, becoming indentured servants.

She looked for any mention of the woman with the diamonds running the sweatshop. What did he say her name was? She wracked her brain trying to remember. The Franciscans. That was it. She searched, but found nothing. It didn’t matter.

Last night didn’t happen. She was going to forget it. All of it. Especially the part where she lost ten grand because she couldn’t control her libido. What was wrong with her? A couple glasses of wine, a hot guy, and her brain stops functioning. She knew better. She knew her limitations and still she let herself get sucked in. Chalk it up to another lesson learned, and with any luck, she’d never see Derek Wescott again.

She was about to turn her computer off when she heard a small chime. A new message from Derek popped up on her screen. She clicked it open.

Had a great time last night. When can I see you again?

She chewed on her bottom lip, trying to think of a way to respond. To let him down gently. Who was she kidding? Men like him didn’t need to be treated with kid gloves.

Sorry, Derek. I don’t think we’re well suited for each other. It was wonderful to meet you, though.

Lame. But she refused to give it or him another thought and pushed the send button, powered down her computer, and walked out the door.

Chapter Twelve

“So why the early morning summons?” D
erek asked as he entered his mother’s office. He was still bristling over Jaclyn’s easy dismissal of him. Not suited for each other? They seemed more than suited for each other last night. Deirdre must have said something to her to scare her off—he should have guessed that as soon as he saw her standing in his bedroom with Jaclyn nowhere to be seen. He was going to have to do something to get his sister to back off.

His mother leaned forward, both hands resting on her desk. “I wanted to talk to you about the new job I gave you.”

“You just told me about it last night. I haven’t even had the opportunity to look into it yet.”

“Fair enough. But I wanted to make sure you are going to follow through.”

Annoyance flamed his festering irritation. “Why wouldn’t I?”

She studied him. “I heard you have a soft spot for the girl.”

“You heard wrong. We just met. Not that it matters, but Jaclyn doesn’t have anything to do with the embezzling.”

“How can you be sure the girl is so innocent? As you said, you just met.”

“You read her as well as I did. There were no signs of deception.”

“Maybe, maybe not. A good audit will get to the bottom of it.”

He leaned back in his chair, pulling up his leg over his knee, giving off a stance of nonchalance. At least hoping he was. “Fine. I’ll set it up. If Jaclyn or her partner are behind the embezzling, I will find out.”

“I’m glad to hear it. I expected more of a fight out of you.”

“Why is that?”

“You’ve become too soft, Derek. I would say it was that woman making you this way, if I didn’t already know you’ve been a disappointment for years.”

Derek took a deep breath, swallowing the anger growing in his chest. “Meaning?”

“Meaning, I’ll make you a deal. You want the ninth level, I’ll give it to you on one condition.”

“Do I even want to know?” he asked, dryly.

“I want an heir. A grandbaby. And I want you to give it to me. Have dinner with Sabine. She has changed. She is ready to settle down.”

“That’s terrific. I’m not.”

“You are, you just haven’t realized it yet.”

Derek closed his eyes to keep from rolling them. He could think of other things he’d like to give her, but a baby wasn’t one of them. “So if I sell my balls and give up my soul to a loveless marriage with a woman I don’t trust just to give you a baby, you will give me the promotion I deserve?”

“Think about it,” she said with a smile. “That’s all I ask.”

“How could I not?”

“In the meantime, do your job. Pay a visit to this foundation today. Give the pretty Miss Jaclyn this check for $20,000 from Reginald and Zacharius so we can track the funds. And if you can, see what you can glean from the employees.”

“Today?”

“Yes, or I will turn it over to your sister. She’s jumping at the bit to take this job on.”

“Is that why she’s been hanging around making my life miserable?” He looked past his mother to Deirdre, who’d just entered the room and was watching them with undisguised interest.

His mother shrugged.

“You wouldn’t dare.”

“Watch me.” She smiled, and right then he wished he could do what Sabine had done, and disappear to parts unknown. “Give some thought to what I said. Sabine is waiting for your call.”

“She’s going to be waiting a very long time.”

Derek parked in the gravel lot outside the Safe
Haven Foundation and stared at the boring cinderblock building.

His sister had to have said something to Jaclyn to screw this up for him. Women didn’t usually brush him off so easily. They were the ones who swarmed around him. He was the one swatting them away, not the other way around. He was half-inclined to blow her off, but he had a job to do. He would go in and find out what he could about her organization. If Jaclyn was involved in wrongdoing, he’d find that out, too. And he’d show no mercy. A lot of non-profits could be problematic; several were tax shelters paying obscene salaries to the people that ran them. Jaclyn had better hope she wasn’t in that category.

He got out of his car. There wasn’t a vehicle in the lot that screamed high salaries. But Marlena Wescott was never wrong. Something was going on here. He walked into the building. The front room was small and empty but for a metal industrial desk in the corner piled high with file folders.

“Hello?” he called and continued into the next room. It was large, brightly carpeted, and dotted with small, round, kid-sized tables. By the placement of tables and chairs, and short bookcases, the room was divided up into different sections. In the center of the room, Jaclyn sat in a chair too small for her reading out loud from a storybook to at least twenty children who listened with rapt attention.

Her eyes flashed with confusion and then annoyance when she saw him. She continued reading, her voice animated, her face full of expression, though. He couldn’t help but feel mesmerized as he watched her. She gave her all to the story as if there wasn’t anything else she’d rather be doing. The children looked up at her with huge smiles and complete adoration. In that moment, he had to admit he didn’t mind her long skirt and button-up frilly blouse. But he sure wouldn’t mind a glimpse of those long, luscious legs again, either.

As if reading his thoughts, Jaclyn closed the book and stood. “Lunch time.”

The children ran like a pack of wild animals toward the back of the room, where a small kitchen was set up and an older woman was making what looked like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and then setting out bowls of cut up apples.

He stood in the corner and watched Jaclyn with the kids. He had to admit she was so much more than a beauty hidden beneath a shapeless smock and a pair of dark-rimmed glasses. A smock he would love to get her out of, though the glasses were a little sexy.

“Derek. What are you doing here?” She moved with grace and style as she approached him. How could he have ever thought she was awkward and a schoolmarm? “I thought I told you I—”

“I was hoping for the grand tour,” he cut in, not wanting to hear her vocalize why she didn’t want to see him again.

“You were?”

“Yes. I’d like to see where my colleagues’ money is going.”

“Your colleagues?”

“Reginald and Zacharius. I believed they pledged to you last night. I have their check right here.”

“You do?” Her eyes widened as she stared at the check. “I-I didn’t really think—”

“That they’d follow through?”

“Yes.”

“That’s what those charity events are all about.”

“I guess so.” She stared at him, her dark green eyes warring between relief and embarrassment, but then she took a deep breath and smiled. It did something strange to his insides. Something not at all comfortable.

“So about that tour?” he asked.

“Yes, of course. Come with me.”

She led him out of the noisy room and into the back of the building. He took her hand and drew his finger up her palm, feeling her shiver next to him. She pulled away. Images from the night before ran through his mind, her tentative touch, her passion-filled kisses. Seduction of the little schoolmarm had been quite exquisite. And he knew damned well she’d enjoyed it as much as he had. He could see the same images running through her mind when they touched and he had to admit, the effect was extremely arousing.

He moved closer to her as they continued down a hall that led to the private rooms; most were filled with twin beds. A twin bed would be plenty. “Are the rooms soundproof?” he asked.

“What?” She looked up at him with a touch of confusion in her eyes.

He stepped close to her, so close the tips of her breasts were touching his chest. “For when I make you come so hard you won’t be able to hold back your moans. Will they hear you?” Her pupils dilated and he leaned forward to pull that plump bottom lip, the one she was worrying with her teeth, into his mouth.

She quickly moved back.

“Through here are the restrooms,” she said as they passed a bathroom with ten stalls and showers. Acting like she wasn’t affected by him. By the night they’d shared. Acting like she didn’t want him to take her right there, when they both knew she did.

“This area of the facility is available for the kids to take their naps. We aren’t an overnight shelter yet. We don’t have the staff or the funds now, but hopefully soon,” she said, her words a tad too quick, her gestures slightly too awkward.

He grinned, loving the effect he was having on her. “So it’s basically daycare for families who can’t afford it.”

“Yes. Daycare is outrageously expensive. Here, parents who don’t have jobs or homes can use our facility as a home address to put on their job applications. They can leave their kids during the day while they search for work or go to their jobs until they are able to get back on their feet. To date, we’ve helped two hundred and thirty families.”

“That’s quite an accomplishment. And you do this all by yourself?”

“My business partner, Trish Anderson, and I run the foundation together. I work with the families and kids and she handles all the administrative work. We also have high school volunteers needing service project hours come in every day after school. That helps tremendously.”

“Trish Anderson,” he repeated. He recognized the name but couldn’t place it.

“She’s the one who usually works the charity balls. You’ve probably met her at one point or another.”

“That must be it.” At the end of the hallway, he reached for her, brushing a loose curl back from her face.

She stepped back, biting her lip again. “I-uh-I’m surprised you came by after my email.”

“I told you why. To bring you your check.”

“Yes. And I appreciate that, but why do I think there is more than that?”

He shrugged, and smiled at the increased thudding of her heart. She wanted him to kiss her. She wanted it as much as he did. He leaned forward again, his lips mere inches from hers. “I can’t help what you think.”

“But—”

“We had a great time last night,” he whispered, moving his lips to nibble on the column of her neck.

She sucked in a breath. “Maybe.”

“You want me. And I want you. Can’t you feel it?” He shifted, pushing his erection against her hip.

“Oh, God.”

“So why the brush off?” He found her sweet hollow at the base of her neck and sucked.

“I can’t,” she pushed out on a deep breath and took a quick step away from him. Before he could respond, she pivoted back. “I can’t believe you told your sister about our bet! I was so humiliated.”

He froze. “What are you talking about?”

“What am I talking about? You. Your stupid bet. Your sister had a great time rubbing it in my face this morning. I’ve never been more mortified in my life.”

“Whoa, now,” he said, raising his hands in surrender. “You’ve got this all wrong.” He was going to kill Deirdre, long and slow and painfully.

“Do I?” She challenged, her eyes two glittering stones of fury. “’I see Derek won his bet,’ were her exact words.”

He rolled back on his heels and took a deep breath.

“She wasn’t referring to
our
bet,” he explained, gesturing between them with one finger. “I didn’t tell anyone about our bet. She was referring to the bet I had with the boys.”

“The boys?”

“My colleagues who set up our blind date in the first place.”

Her eyes widened in disbelief. “You made the same bet with them that you did with me?”

He could see this wasn’t going well. The mood between them lost, he figured he might as well come clean. “Yes.”

“And that’s supposed to make me feel better?”

“Shouldn’t it?”

“Let me get this straight. Not only were you not the one to ask me out for coffee in the first place, but you made a bet with your
buddies
, who found me on an online dating site, that you could get me into your bed? What are we, children?” She was beginning to screech.

This was going from bad to disastrous in a heartbeat. “I know, it sounds bad.”

“It sounds like you are exactly what I thought you were to begin with. No good. A damned devil.”

Not too far from the mark. “I’d say after last night, I proved just how good I am.” He smiled, his most devastatingly charming smile yet. This woman needed to lighten up. “And how good we can be.”

Her lids lowered to half-mast. “Congratulations.”

She turned to walk away. He grabbed her arm. “What difference does it make how our date got set up in the first place? Admit it, we had a great time last night.”

She cocked her head to the side. “Are you a professional gambler or just an addictive one?” she asked, side-stepping the question.

“Excuse me? Of course not.”

“Are you sure? You had not just one, but two bets that you could get me into bed last night. One of them with me! You must have been damned sure of yourself.”

“Damned sure that I wanted to be with you.”

“You mean sleep with me.”

He shrugged. She had him pegged, nail on the head. “Yes, that, too. But I also wanted to go out with you. Find out what made you tick. You fascinate me.” There he said it. “And I don’t regret it. I had a great night last night.”

“Why?” She blurted, the one word dripping with doubt. “Why were you fascinated? What was it about me that made you want to play this game? Wait, let me guess. It was my wild curly hair, my glasses, my overall not your perfect-ten usual.” She swept her hands down her body.

He couldn’t respond. He didn’t know how. She was spot on. But it was so much more than that. She was so much more than that.

“You have an incredible body.” He closed the gap between them.

“We should get back to the kids.” She turned and marched back down the hall.

How could he be fucking this up so drastically? He was the charming one. The smooth operator. But when it came to this woman…

Okay time to try a different tactic. “You’re really good with them,” he said when he finally caught up with her. Truth was, he didn’t know what to say to her, or how to come back from her too-close-to-the-truth accusation.

“They mean the world to me,” she said stiffly.