Jane Millionaire (30 page)

“Your personality is quite different from your sister’s. On her interview tapes, she was a total flirt. That’s one of the reasons I chose her. I wanted sparks to fly on JANE MILLIONAIRE. The more sensational, the better. Everything about Jessie screams sensational.”

“You can say that again.”

“At first, I thought you were just shy. Rob commented that comparing you to the woman on the tapes was like looking at a different woman. I had to agree and found myself watching Jessie’s interview once again. The resemblance is remarkable for you not to be twins, but she lacks your gracefulness and strength, but has a verve for life that is enchanting.”

“Why didn’t you say something?”

“Because Rob refused to see the truth when it was right before his eyes. All he could see was you. Since Mandy, he’s never let a woman close. With you, he was so busy focusing on all the other reasons why you two shouldn’t be together, he forgot to protect his heart.”

“He couldn’t tell you. To do so would have been betraying me. He may be as thickheaded as a Neanderthal, but the boy is loyal. I’d trust him with my life.”

“Yes, he cares a great deal for you.”

“As he does you.”

“I thought he did, but I was wrong. When it comes down to it, Rob isn’t willing to risk getting hurt, again. He’d rather I have gone on that stupid honeymoon with Jeff than to have admitted he cares about me. I deserve better.”

“Agreed. Give the boy some time. He’ll come around. Apparently you had a conversation with his foolish pride.”

“No.” She shook her head, knowing she spoke the truth. She and Rob were finished. Too many things stood between them. Things like their backgrounds and financial status. His past and her desire for a real relationship rather than a clandestine one hidden from prying eyes. “Please help me to leave tonight. I don’t want to see him again.”

“Now whose pride is talking?”

“Not pride. Reality. My reality is that I’m a police officer who for a short while got to live out a fantasy. Rob’s a famous producer who got sucked into that fantasy. What we had would never last under the strains of the real world.”

JP sighed. “You’re sure about this? Because once he’s had time to calm down and think about this, he’s going to realize your taking Jessie’s place isn’t the real issue.”

“He already knows. And yes, I’m sure. Please help me go home.”

“I’ll arrange for you to leave tonight. But first we have to record your comments on the show. If you’re sure this is what you want, I’ll set everything up.”

She nodded. “I’m sure. I want to go home.”

Chapter Eighteen

“Do you have any idea of how fast you were driving?” Jill asked the grinning man in the gleaming red Porsche she’d just pulled over on the San Padres highway.

“Why don’t you tell me, sugar.” The man’s gaze raked over her uniformed bosom, visibly undressing her before meeting her gaze again.

What a jerk. “I’ll need to see your license, registration and prove of insurance, please.”

“Baby, you can see anything you’d like.” He reached into his glove box, withdrew papers and handed them along with his already out license to her.

She flicked her gaze over his information and had started to walk back to the patrol car where Dan was running the guy’s tags.

“Hey, while you’re writing my ticket, do you mind autographing this?” He handed her a copy of a magazine with her smiling face on the cover.

Not another one
.

She forced a smile, tight though it was, took the magazine, and resisted the urge to fling it into the ditch. She opened the door and slid into the front seat of the patrol car.

“Ooooh,” she grunted in frustration.

“What? Did he offer you a part in a porn flick like the last guy we pulled over?” Dan grinned at her from his seat, enjoying this way too much.

“No. This one just wants my autograph.” She rolled her eyes and handed Dan the guy’s information. “Here, you finish this. I think I’m going to be sick.”

He took the papers, but didn’t start filling out the ticket. Instead, his expression grew serious. “You really should have taken Chief’s offer of a desk job until all this blows over.”

Jill shot him an eat-crap-and-die look. “Not you, too.”

“Hey, I’m on your side, but, honestly, knowing we’re being constantly followed by the press is getting a bit old. Did you read this week’s issue of the
The Tattler
? It has a spread on you and I claiming our love affair was why you didn’t chose that doctor dude.” Dan rolled his eyes. “My phone is ringing off the wall, and my girlfriend is threatening to dump me if something doesn’t give. She would have if you two weren’t getting along so well since you’ve come back. I think she actually feels sorry for you.”

Dan’s girlfriend felt sorry for her. What a great testament to the state of her life. Jill sighed. Yeah, her life had been topsy-turvy during the almost two weeks she’d been back in California.

Poor Dan. He didn’t deserve any of this three-ring circus act being forced upon him. Neither did she, for that matter. But try explaining that to the nuts purposely breaking the law to flash a camera in her face, attempting to get an interview with her, or to offer her the lead role in
Jane Does Porn
.

She’d never expected her every move to continue to be scrutinized following her trip from the castle. The castle. She and Jessie had left a couple of hours following her conversation with JP.

She’d fulfilled her duties by filming her comments on her role as Jane. She’d done so, although she couldn’t recite a word of what she’d said. The show had given Jeff the cash in addition to the week with Princess Jane--or Izzy as he’d known the woman when she’d volunteered incognito at his medical missionary. Seems Izzy had been responsible for Jeff’s personal invitation to appear on the show.

Jeff had seemed happy when she’d said her goodbyes and exchanged addresses with him. She hoped things worked out for him. He really was a great guy.

For Jill’s time, the show had presented a matching check. She’d tried to refuse, but JP hadn’t budged. She’d earned the check. She’d tried not to flinch at his words. Rob might have had a different perspective on what she’d earned and how she’d done so.

Rob. Her heart squeezed. She missed him so much. Although JP had begged her to reconsider, she hadn’t seen Rob since she’d left him in the stairwell.

Well, that wasn’t completely true.

Foolish as it was, she’d watched the episodes Jessie had taped of JANE MILLIONAIRE over and over, just so she could see him. Last week along with the rest of America, she’d watched the grand finale where she’d made her choice. She’d cried when the camera had flashed to Rob prior to her making her choice and immediately after. He’d been tense, then relieved. Why had that footage been included? Even at the end of the episode when Jeff had opted to take the trip with the real princess, she was still puzzling over why Rob’s reaction had been shown.

Not that it mattered. He’d proven how little he cared. He’d been willing to let her go with Jeff. Would he have encouraged her to sleep with him to improve ratings as well?

And he’d had the gall to accuse her of sleeping with him to help her career. He was the one who put his precious Hollywood career above everything else, because in her heart she knew he had cared for her, despite what he’d said. In the long run, it hadn’t mattered. His career meant more to him than she ever could.

“You want me to do this?” Dan asked when he’d finished filling in the speeding ticket. Jill blinked. She’d totally phased out. Again.

She shook her head, hating that she couldn’t seem to keep her mind on her job and off Rob.

“I’ll do it.” She grabbed the clipboard and the man’s belongings, scribbled her name on the magazine, and climbed out of the car.

Rob shifted his gaze from his laptop where he worked on polishing GAMBLER for his meeting next week with a WOLF executive to JP’s smug expression.

“Because you should have taken her in your arms and told her to choose you rather than one of the bachelors. If you had, you’d have just spent a week in paradise with her rather than filming Kensington and Isabella.”

“You aren’t serious?” Rob gawked at his friend. “I stayed away from Jill so she could choose one of the bachelors. I worked hard to insure the show would be a success.”

“And you were a fool to let her go. You should have been the one down on your knees, not Kensington. A smart man would have proposed to a woman like Jane right then and there.”

“Don’t try to lie to me. I know everything. Even if the cameras hadn’t caught her conversation with her sister in the hallway, I already had a pretty clear picture of what was going on between the two of you. You think I don’t know you went to her room the night before her decision?”

With stilted movements he pulled out his attaché case and slid the laptop inside. “There was no reason for her to stay since she didn’t choose one of the bachelors.”

This time JP rolled his eyes. “Not if you don’t include the fact that she loves you. Although why, I’ve yet to figure out.”

“She only pretended to care about me,” Rob insisted. Her words in the stairwell had haunted him day and night. Only the knowledge that she’d faked everything from the moment they met had kept him sane.

“Really? Why would she do that?” JP asked the question Rob had asked himself a thousand times.

Rob pushed the case under the seat in front of him and straightened. “So I would help her career.”

JP appeared to consider his answer. “Possibly, but I doubt it. You know she gave the money to the Police fund for wives and children of officers killed in the line of duty.”

“I heard that. Great publicity stunt.” He settled back into his first class seat, hoping JP would take the hint and drop the subject. He did not want to talk about Jill. Nor did he want to think about her, but his mind had yet to take note. How long would it take before she quit monopolizing his thoughts?

“She’s refused to be interviewed, although I know for a fact she’s had offers from everyone from Oprah to Leno.”

“So?” Rob shrugged as if JP’s words were falling on indifferent ears. Unfortunately, they weren’t.

“Sounds a bit odd that someone seeking fame and fortune would turn down all opportunities to ride the media wave just so she could return to her former job as a cop.”

JP said what had been nagging at Rob’s psyche for the past week. From the moment Leno’s people had called trying to arrange an interview with Jill and he’d learned she’d already refused their offer, he’d wondered why. If she had really slept with him to further her career, why would she refuse free publicity now? He’d heard through the rumor mill several of his colleagues had actually offered her big screen female leads that she’d point blank refused, stating she was a police officer at heart, not an actress.

But he’d refused to delve into the meanings of Jill’s actions. He’d thrown himself into finishing the show. Not an easy thing to do when the couple being filmed were sickeningly in love.

Had he been wrong? And if he had, the thought of what he could have had, what they could have had together, threatened to destroy his ability to breath.

She’d claimed to love him. Had she?

JP seemed to think so. And he trusted JP.

Memory of hearing Jill tell her sister that she’d slept with him to further her career rang in his ears. With the clarity of hindsight, he knew she’d been joking.

Why hadn’t he realized it then? Why hadn’t he been willing to risk his heart, everything he was, to do as JP suggested and to have interfered when she’d sat on her throne facing the four remaining bachelors? He should have resigned from the show and asked her to choose him. Begged her to choose him.

His pulse picked up speed as he remembered the hurt look of resignation as she’d asked him not to throw away what they’d had, that she could forgive him for allowing her to choose another man. And he’d told her to leave.