Jane Millionaire (20 page)

“So you do speak Spanish?”

He laughed and pitched his thumb and index finger together. “
Un poquito
. You couldn’t get by in the neighborhood I grew up in without knowing a little, but my mother always insisted upon English being spoken. Because of my father, I think.”

“You said was when you spoke of her.” She hated asking, but she wanted to know more, to understand this man who had come to mean so much to her in such a short amount of time.

Ah, there was just something totally cool about a man who loved his mama. Jill grieved his loss, the knowledge that she’d never meet the remarkable woman who’d given birth to and raised Rob. “Did she remarry after your father left?”

“No, to my knowledge she never even went on the first date after he ran out on us. There wasn’t enough time for her to date.” His hold tightened and Jill winced. She’d stumbled onto a subject she should have left alone.

Why did she always have to push further? To ask one more question?

“I’m sorry. It’s the badge. I just have to ask whatever pops into my mind.” She attempted to smooth things over. Under no circumstances did she want to lose this warmth between them.

“Me?” His expression turned thoughtful and she wondered if he thought she’d gone too far by asking for personal information. “I guess you could say I’m one of the lucky ones. As I mentioned, I grew up on the poor side of L.A. Mom worked all the time trying to support my brother and I. There were days we barely saw her, but she did her best to make sure we had the things we needed and finished school.”

“I went to Hollywood. He went to Uncle Sam, supposedly for four years, but he keeps reenlisting. He’s one of those true blue military guys.” Rob’s gaze grew nostalgic, and Jill got the impression he and his brother had been very close while growing up. Something told her Rob missed that closeness.

“Sounds like a neat guy.”

“Oh, he is. Never a dull moment with Ben around.” He shook his head, laughing. “As I was saying, I went to Hollywood with big dreams. At fifteen, I lied about my age and worked on one of the construction crews for a film JP produced. He needed a stand-in for an actor who failed to show and picked me. Not sure how one thing led to another, but JP took me under his wing and helped me land a few more roles. Money was rolling in. I moved Mom to a big house a year before she died.”

He grew quiet for a few moments and Jill bit her tongue, refusing to ask the questions running through her mind.

“One day,” he finally continued. “I mentioned I planned to write, direct, and produce my own show to JP. He laughed and told me to tell him all about it. I did, and he made it happen.”

“Wow. That’s amazing.” JP had been more of a dad to Rob than his biological father. “So you’ve known JP for most of your life.”

“Yes.” Rob’s face turned sour. “My show didn’t hit the ratings it should thanks to my ex-wife’s interference. We were having marital problems at the time. I’d asked her for a divorce shortly into the first season, the only season, and she used the show as a backdrop for her tantrums.” He turned thoughtful. “But the show got my name out as a director, and one thing led to another until here I am in Europe. With you.”

“I’m glad,” she admitted, snuggling closer, and squelching her curiosity about his ex-wife. The woman must have been an idiot to let Rob go. To have wanted any other man when she’d had Rob.

“If you say so.” So, she sounded like a spoilsport. She didn’t care. She didn’t want to pretend an interest in one of the remaining bachelors. She already had an interest. In the man lying with her.

“I can’t believe I told you all that stuff.”

She lifted her head to search his face. Did he regret having revealed so much about himself? “Why not?”

“Because I don’t usually share personal information with anyone. Too much worry about the press printing every word from my mouth.”

“I’d never repeat the things you just told me.”

“No, I don’t think you would.” His chest rose and fell against her. His frustration a viable entity. “But I’ve been wrong before.”

“You’re not this time. When I asked you about your past, I wanted to know for me. No one else. I’m sorry if I gave you reason to think otherwise.”

“I bet you’re one hell of an interrogator for the police force. No criminal stands a chance. You ask a question and they just start blabbing.” He half-smiled although she could tell he was starting to over-analyze the night’s events.

She laughed softly, wanting to hang onto their temporary closeness. “If only they’d let me interrogate bad guys. I just get to catch them and haul their butts in for someone else to question.”

“No one will know what we’re doing.” She didn’t want to go to her room. She wanted her night. Her whole night. Not just a stolen snippet. She wanted to wake up in his arms. Was that asking for too much?

“No, but you have to go to your room before it’s too late. For the record, we reviewed the video footage of the bachelor’s daycare shots. Not the most brilliant of plans, but at least it gives a halfway plausible reason for you to have been in my suite this long. If anyone asks, I’ll simply say we were going over your options again.”

“My options?” How was she supposed to go on with this charade now that she knew what being with Rob was like? She didn’t want options--unless they included him.

“Regarding the bachelors,” he paused. With every second that passed, she knew her fate was sealed. “Nothing’s changed. We’ll stick to our original agreement.”

When he insisted upon calling her by her show name, she knew he was once again throwing barriers between them. She’d lost him. No, she hadn’t ever had him to lose. He’d given her exactly what he’d agreed to, and she had to live with that.

And she would. Honor demanded it.

“Don’t say it. I don’t need a reminder that you’re a one-night stand man. As I told you when I came in here, I’m okay with that. I’ll stick to my end of the deal. I’ll choose one of the bachelors and continue with this crazy show. But know this.” She leaned forward and brushed her lips across his with a light, feathery touch. “That door,” she motioned to the one separating their rooms. “Won’t be locked on my side. I’m not looking for marriage or long-term commitment from you, but I do want you and freely admit to wanting a repeat of what we just shared. The choice is yours.”

With that she leapt out of his bed while she had the strength to do so, scooped up her clothes, dressed, and disappeared through said door as regal as any true royalty could ever have done.

# # #

Rob watched Jill leave his suite, her head held high. Heat, sweltering heat, spread through him. Which was utterly ridiculous since he’d just had the most guttural fulfillment of his life. Twice.

Or maybe the sensation running through him was regret. Regret at not being able to call her back. Regret at the knowledge he’d never again experience the emotional and physical high he’d just shared with her.

He’d made a mistake. A big mistake. Huge. Horrendous.
Gigante
.
Enorme
. Okay, he’d made his point. He’d messed up by thinking making love to Jill would ease the tension between them. Because now that he knew how hot she was, how she could bring him to places he’d never been, staying away was going to be almost impossible.

Jill
. That was another thing. He needed to think of her as Jane, not Jill. Jane was off-limits. Jill wasn’t. He had to think of her as Jane.

Jane. Jane. Jane.

It was no use. No matter what he called her, she was still the woman he wanted. The woman he’d had, twice, and it hadn’t been nearly enough. A rose by any other name…damn.

What a fool he’d been to think sex would diminish the sparks between them. But then, he’d only been fooling himself, wanting to believe when he’d bought into that line.

He swung his feet over the bed and sat up. As he ran his finger through his damp hair, old insecurities filled him. Would he pick up a tabloid and read about the things he’d told her? Or worse, had she had sex with him because he was the producer and she believed he could do wonders for her career?

Why was it anytime he had sex that question always remained in the back of his mind? Which was why he normally avoided having flings with women working on his productions. Mandy had taught him that lesson well--only in a reversed kind of way.

Several girlfriends since had provided refresher courses. Sleeping with him until a bigger fish came along, or she landed the role she wanted. Sex to advance one’s career seemed to be par the course in this industry. But not where Rob was concerned.

Truth be told, sleeping with him was probably the worst thing Jill could have done for her career.

When JANE MILLIONAIRE aired, viewers were going to want her to fall in love with one of the bachelors. Having a hot affair with the producer probably wouldn’t ingratiate her in America’s hearts.
If
what they’d done leaked out. Which he’d do his damnedest to prevent.

Jill smiled at each one of the six bachelors remaining as part of the show before taking her seat at the breakfast table. They stared at her curiously. Heat tinged her cheeks. Could they tell what she’d done during the night?

Maybe having glorious sex made a woman look different. Certainly there had been a gleam in her eyes this morning when she’d stared at her reflection in the mirror. She’d looked…alive. Really alive for the first time.

“Good morning, gentlemen.” She nodded at Jeff and Steve in particular. “I’m sorry you had to wait on me. I overslept.”

Which was the truth. Once she’d drifted to sleep, she’d slept surprisingly peaceful considering she’d been kicked out of Rob’s bed.

Too bad she hadn’t even showered when Gregory woke her, expecting to do her hair and make-up rather than drag her from bed.

She glanced around the breakfast nook where they generally ate their meals. Large floor to ceiling windows that had been an addition made to the castle within the last century allowed the bright morning sunshine to filter into the room.

“Late night?” Jeff asked as he passed her a butter dish.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” She winked, amazed she felt as chipper as she did this morning. She’d expected to wake all teary-eyed at what could have been, but would never come to pass. Apparently memories of making love with Rob outweighed any remorse she experienced over knowing he didn’t plan on a repeat performance. She’d count her blessings. “So, what’s on the schedule this morning?”

“A trip to Paris for shopping and amour.”

Jill’s gaze shot suspiciously to Bachelor #4. “Really?”

“Don’t listen to him. You know we signed up to stay within these stone walls until the filming is finished.” Steve reminded with a glower at Bachelor #4.

Jill shot him a scowl of her own. She hoped he got booted on tonight’s show. His jokes just weren’t funny. She might could get past that if he didn’t think he was the funniest thing since knock-knock jokes. Surely he’d get the axe soon.

She chatted with the bachelors for a few more minutes, enjoying the delicious eggs, sausage, and toast.

“That’s a wrap. You guys enjoy the rest of your meal.” The cameraman lowered the camera from his shoulder. He shot Jill a glance. “You, too.”

“Thanks.” She always felt more relaxed when the cameramen weren’t in her face. Of course there were still the mounted cameras, but it was easy enough to forget they watched her every move.

“Canoeing?” Now there was something she’d never done. “I don’t know how to canoe, but sure.” How hard could it be to sit in a skinny boat and paddle?

“Then this will be an enlightening experience for you, won’t it?” He sank into one of three empty chairs remaining at the large round table.