A Jersey Kiss (Jersey Romance Series) (13 page)

“
We say in Jersey,” Shani said pointedly. “Not on Jersey.” She leant towards Bea. “Lukey?” Shani murmured a little too loudly. He looked at her, but Bea couldn’t tell if he was annoyed or amused.

“
Manhattan is more my thing,” Leilani continued, oblivious to Shani’s sarcasm. Bea suspected Leilani was used to dealing with jealous females. She couldn’t help being amused by Shani’s instant dislike of Leilani though; it made her feel much better.

“
So you’re on holiday then?” Tom asked, not appearing at all fazed by her insulting comments about his place of birth.

“
How long are you planning on staying in Jersey?” Bea said, feeling happier at this news.

“
I haven’t decided yet. I suppose I'll be here for as long as Lukey wants me to be.” She stroked his tight, hard bottom that unfortunately Bea remembered only too well. She stiffened at the memory. Bea cleared her throat. Leilani pouted at Luke. He replied by giving her a slow smile that was so sexy even Shani stood still and gawped.

“
What is it that you do?” Tom asked, unable to take his eyes off her.

“
I’m a model,” she announced, smiling at him as if to prove her point. “On runways mostly, but I specialise in stockings and lingerie.” She pointed one foot forward, and raised her finely waxed eyebrows.

“
Well, it was nice seeing you again,” Luke said. He glanced down at Bea. Then taking Leilani’s hand, added, “We’ll catch up with you all later. Have a fun evening.” Before leading her away across the dance floor.

“
It was lovely to meet with you,” Leilani added over her shoulder at Bea. She oozed sex, and Bea doubted she had ever felt as thoroughly self-satisfied as Leilani now seemed. Bea wanted to dislike her, but apart from her close proximity to Luke and her perfect looks she couldn’t honestly do so. What little confidence she had managed to muster before leaving the house had now vanished. And, as for Lukey, well, Bea decided, she could keep him.

“
Wow,” Shani said. “He is shit hot.” I know, thought Bea. “But Lukey?” said Shani once again.

“
I think all the sex they must be having has turned his brain to mush.” Bea grimaced at the thought.

“
He could turn my brain to mush any day.” Shani glanced away from Luke’s receding back and noticed Bea watching, hands on her hips. “Oops, sorry.”

Bea shrugged.
“No, you’re right, he’s gorgeous, although I thought that performance was a little staged, didn’t you?”

“
That bloody smile wasn’t. It could have set fire to my pants.”

“
Ladies,” Tom said, reminding Bea that he was still there. “Can I get you both a drink?”

Bea winced at Shani and turned to him.
“Yes, please.”

Bea
stared after them, as they moved away, horrified when Luke looked back over his shoulder and caught her. She was unable to tear her eyes away. However, Leilani instantly noticed him looking, and pulled him closer to her, winking at Bea. “Come on big boy, let’s have some fun,” she said, kissing his neck. Luke took her hand away from his buttock and led her to the bar, where he whispered to her for a few seconds before turning his attention to the barman.

“
Well,” Mel said later, when the girls visited the Ladies. “It didn’t take him long to get over you did it? How typical of a man.”

Bea could have killed Shani. She had only admitted to her that they'd slept together, but now regretted being so open, and stupid. She must have told Mel and now her sister would never let her forget what she had done.

“Two entirely different things,” Bea assured her through the locked door, grateful for the time to gather her thoughts. “It was a friendly meal, nothing more.”

“
He kissed you.”

“
So?” Bea felt instantly bad for suspecting Shani of gossiping about her behind her back.

“
Er, you had sex?” Mel said, rather more loudly than Bea would have liked.

“
Thanks, Shani,” she called to the next cubicle. So she had told Mel about their phone call that morning.

“
Sorree.”

“
So what? Now he has a proper girlfriend.” Despite her bravado, Bea felt thoroughly fed up, and she struggled to zip up her tight trousers.

“
Melanie,” interrupted Shani pointedly. “None of us are in a position to criticise Bea’s choices. After all, you've had your problems in your relationship with Grant. Hey, look at me with Harry.”

“
Harry who?” Mel said sarcastically. “I don’t think any of us have been allowed to meet him yet, but I suppose you’re right,” Mel said, reapplying her crimson red lipstick. “Though Bea, he can’t have been that hurt by you being so weird with him, after all he took no time to replace you, and you have to admit, he looked happy with Leilani. So at least you don’t have to feel guilty about anything.”

“
I wasn’t feeling guilty,” Bea said, brushing her hair and wishing it was straight and shiny like her sister’s rather than curly and wild.

“
I know he’s not all tailored and suave like Tom, but you were attracted to him enough to have sex with him.” Bea grimaced. Mel made it all sound so matter-of-fact and somehow sordid.

“
I just don’t understand, that’s all,” Mel added, her expression one of concern. “You don’t jump into bed with guys, so you must fancy him, a lot.”

Bea shrugged, trying to make light of her reactions to Luke.
“What’s your point, Mel?” Bea asked, bored with her sister’s interest in her non-existent love life.

Mel narrowed her eyes.
“What I don’t understand is why you’d sleep with him, even if he’s a little rugged and messy looking, and then give him the brush-off?”

Bea groaned. She was too embarrassed to tell Mel about discovering that Luke had a girlfriend only after they’d slept together and couldn’t divulge the information Tom had given her about the suspected money laundering, but her sister was a legal assistant and knew how these things worked. She considered her words carefully. She wanted to prove to herself that her instincts weren’t completely crap. Maybe if she could find out more about Luke’s money laundering activities then at least she could feel a little less vulnerable by her attraction to him.

“Tom told me something about him and as much as I may like him, I stand to lose my professional integrity, not to mention my freedom, if I allow some sort of closeness to develop between us. Sleeping with him was just a one-off. A moment of weakness I mustn’t allow to happen again.” She watched Mel trying to make sense of what she’d just told her. “At least for the time being.”

Her sister wasn’t stupid and would be able to put together various scenarios that could link Tom’s, Luke’s and her own business connections. At least she hoped she could. She waited for a moment.

“Ahh.” Mel raised her eyebrows at it dawned on her. “I think I understand your predicament now, and if it’s what I think it is then it’s definitely better that you don’t have anything to do with someone who could be involved in, shall we say, washing.”

Bea nodded miserably.
“I know.” She put her hairbrush back in her bag and clipped it closed. Life stank sometimes.

Shani shook her head.
“I have no idea what the hell you’re both prattling on about, but if that’s the case then am I to take it that Tom did a good thing by tipping Bea off about Luke?”

Bea caught Mel’s eye and pulled a face at Shani’s unintentional use of one of the two words they’d made a point to exclude from their conversation.
“You could say that,” she said as they left the loo and returned to the others.

She was soothed slightly by the sight of Paul grimacing, as he relayed an amusing anecdote to Tom who threw his head back, laughing loudly. Guy watched Paul, happiness lighting up his fine features, his black eyes glistening with adoration. Noticing Bea walk up to him, Tom smiled over at her.
“You all right?”

“
Fine thanks. Shani had some gossip for us two. You know how it is.” She was going to relax and enjoy her evening out. She didn’t have to worry about Tom causing her emotions to go into meltdown. She studied his sea green eyes, as he bent his head towards Paul to catch the punch line of a joke, noticed Luke out of the corner of her eye as he leant against the bar, his back to Leilani. He didn’t seem at all bothered that his girlfriend was flirting with the barman right in front of him. When she looked back at Luke she noticed he was staring directly at her with an intensity that confused her. She saw Mel had noticed too, so glanced quickly up at Tom who seemed to be listening to Paul and Shani, who were now debating whether or not the club manager was gay.

Mel gently took Bea’s hand nearest her and in a rare moment of sisterly affection gave it a light squeeze.
“We’ll talk tomorrow. I’ll have a think; see if I can maybe find out more about the case against him. Try and switch off until then,” she whispered into her Bea’s ear.

Bea sighed. Somehow this was more painful and heart breaking than finding out Simon had been unfaithful to her. It seemed ridiculous, but true. She’d been drawn to Luke and it concerned her that her instincts could be wrong. What an emotional mess, and this time she had no one else to blame.

ELEVEN

Never Enough Thyme

Luke watched Bea leaving with Tom. He couldn’t miss her reaction to Leilani and knew she’d assumed they were sleeping together. There was more to her emotional distance towards him than his relationship with Leilani, surely? Bea was an independent woman, a professional who didn’t need validation through whatever man she was seeing, but he should have insisted she listen to him about Leilani; then again, if she’d told him the same story, would he have been willing to accept that there was nothing going on between them? He doubted it. He wasn’t going to let her believe that he was moping around after her, especially now she seemed to be spending time with Tom Brakespear again. What the hell was going on between those two?

“
Honey, are you sure you don’t want to invite me onto your boat for a nightcap?” Leilani raised an eyebrow. “It’s closer to here than my hotel.”

He shook his head.
“No, I think you should go back to your room.”

“
You never used to be so reluctant to sleep with me.”

Luke laughed.
“And you never used to be so forward.”

“
It’s that Beatrix girl, isn’t it? Something’s happened between you.”

Luke shook his head.
“It’s Beatrice, and it’s none of your business what, if anything, has gone on between us.”

“
Lukey,” she teased, kissing him on the cheek and sliding her hand down to his crotch. “Go on, you know you want to.”

“
Stop it.” He laughed, taking hold of her wrist and pulling her hand away. He tried to sound stern, but it didn’t work, she knew him too well. “We both know that you’re only here for a few months, and that whatever was going to happen with us, finished years ago.”

“
You were my first love.” She smiled, tilting her head to one side and flicking her long hair behind her shoulder. “We could still make it work if you wanted to.”

Luke couldn’t help thinking back to those days when everything in his life seemed so much clearer. He’d thought himself in love with Leilani, and he probably had been, after all she was good fun as well as very beautiful. But he had more pressing matters to consider now. His business was in a mess and despite his better judgement he knew he had strong feelings for Bea.

“What?” Leilani asked, resting a hand on his thigh. “You’re not thinking of changing your mind are you?”

“
No, I’m not.” He laughed, taking her hand and placing it back on the seat beside her. “Right, you can sleep in one of the cabins tonight if you like.”

Leilani pouted.
“I’ve never had anyone play as hard to get as you are now and I don’t like it.”

“
Too bad, now where will you be sleeping? I’m shattered and have to get up early in the morning, so I need to get you settled.”

“
I’ll sleep in the other cabin, then. If you’re sure you can’t be persuaded. It’s just a shame you won’t be in there with me.”

“
You’ll be fine, stop sulking.” Amused at her persistence, he thought back to his younger self. He would never have turned down such an appealing offer.

****

With enormous relief Bea finally arrived home. She couldn’t wait to shower and somehow wash away the memory of seeing Luke with Leilani at the club. She began removing her makeup and did her best to push away the thoughts creeping into her aching brain, but as much as she tried she simply couldn’t help think about him being in this room with her that night.

Bea had no choice but to admit that while she may have strong feelings for Luke, he meanwhile, was having the time of his life with someone else. And worse still, she was a leggy model.

Bea sat down heavily on the edge of her bed. Her life had been mapped out in front of her since she was a teenager. She’d always planned on living in her own home with a supportive husband and two children. She tried not to get too miserable as the memory of her miscarriage seeped into her mind. Her baby would have been starting nursery school about now. She pictured her aunt sewing name labels into endless pieces of her own uniform and had always imagined doing the same for her own little boy or girl. It hurt to know she’d missed out on something so life enhancing. The children might not have come along, but she had thought Simon to be “the one” when they married and they did have this house, even if he’d resented her aunt being here with them. It hadn’t occurred to her that her life would ever change from what she’d expected. Any detours from her life plan had never occurred to her.

“
No wonder I’m making such a mess of it all,” she groaned miserably. “I didn’t see this coming.”

The following morning, bored by her self-pity, Bea went through to the small room her aunt had used as a study and sat down in front of her untidy desk. She lay her hands palm down on the scarred wooden surface and sighed. If only she’d solved the puzzle of the Jersey Kiss. It must be something important if her aunt had included it in her will. Maybe she would find some reference to it in her aunt’s papers. She pulled open the middle drawer and lifted out the mass of papers sifting through one invoice after another. Nothing giving any reference to a mysterious item in there, she thought frustrated by her unsuccessful search.

Pushing her hands to the back of the drawer to check she hadn’t missed anything, her fingers touched something. Bea took out several small envelopes she vaguely recognised. She read the childish scrawl on the front of each one and breathed in the faint scent of her aunt’s perfume. Reading one of the letters she’d sent to her aunt from boarding school, Bea was instantly transported back to the misery she’d experienced being away from everything familiar to her.

She replaced the invoices and her letters back neatly into the desk and checked the other six drawers. Nothing. Wondering if her aunt had maybe filed something away about the legacy, she spent the following two hours carefully working her way through the dusty lever arch files on the bookcase.

Bea had scoured every inch of the study, but apart from her old letters and a few heartfelt ones from Antonio, she’d only really found paperwork relating to the garden. She remembered standing in here with her aunt many times over the years with Annabel proudly showing her plans for designs that she’d won prizes for at flower shows. She’d even discovered several of her school photos and a certificate for coming second in a painting competition, but nothing that could possibly relate to the Jersey Kiss.

Bea went out in to the garden, pushing the orange plastic wheelbarrow half filled with weeds and dead wood, and as she walked to the compost heap behind the walled garden, she came to the conclusion that she was perfectly happy without a man in her life. She just needed not to lose this house.

Paul had a partner and Shani would no doubt work things out with Harry, or find someone to take his place. She needed to persuade Mr Peters at their meeting that she deserved the loan, buy Simon out of his share of The Brae and take back some sort of control of her life. The thought cheered her up.

A couple of hours later, Bea had worked her way through several flower beds, noticing that she needed to plant more thyme for next year. Never enough thyme, she mused. She’d managed to clear her head a little and work through her dilemma about the men in the life. She showered and changed, tying her damp hair up in a scrunchie, and then padded through to the kitchen in her worn bunny slippers to make a desperately needed mug of coffee and read through the papers. It helped to immerse herself in other people’s chaos as she skimmed the gossip columns.

“It’s only us,” Mel shouted from the hallway. “The front door was unlocked, so we’ve invited ourselves in.” Bea’s heart sank several levels; she knew that tone. It was her sister’s organising over-the-top-cheerful one. Not what you needed at any time, but especially not on a rare chill-out day. Had she forgotten about their conversation the previous night?

“
Through here,” she answered, willing herself to sound welcoming.

“
Hi, hon,” said Shani, pulling a face from behind Mel’s back. “Mel and I were talking about the wedding and I just knew you would hate to be left out.”

Cow, mouthed Bea, unable to help smiling at her disloyal friend. Shani winked back slyly, as Mel busied herself filling a cup with boiling water and dunking a herbal tea bag in it.

“Right, listen to me, ladies,” started Mel. “I’ve had an idea.” Bea suppressed an anguished groan. “I didn’t initially want to have any bridesmaids, but I think I’d like to have them now. I don’t want to have to choose between my friends, you know how sensitive people can me. So, I thought you two would be perfect. My sister, who everyone will expect to be one and you, Shani. You’re so opposite to look at and both so different to me, we’ll look great in the photos. Isn’t it perfect?”

Bea shot a rabbit caught in headlights glance at Shani, who gave her a knowing look.

“Well? What do you think,” Mel asked excitedly, arms held out. “Think of all the fun we can have. Getting dressed together, our hair and make-up, manicures. What could be more fun?”

Struggling for an acceptable answer, Bea racked her brains.
“Um, yes,” she answered lamely. “Although…”

“
What do you mean, although?” Mel’s lengthy French-polished extensions tapped a rapid chorus on the pine table.

The embryo of an idea was rattling around Bea’s addled brain and she forced herself to pursue it. She knew she had to make her excuses now, or go along with the horrible bridesmaid idea for the next few months. If she didn’t come up with a suitable alternative, photos of themselves in peach crinoline dresses or some other hideous creation would forever haunt her and Shani.
“What about Grant’s nieces?”

“
Who?” Mel asked, eyes lighting up.

“
His sister’s twins,” agreed Shani, immediately making the most of Bea’s brilliant idea, relief flowing across her exotic face. “Yes, your soon-to-be nieces, you have to think of them at a time like this. They’ll be devastated not to be included in your special day.”

Bea nodded, chewing her lip, knowing the little girls would more than likely be delighted to be asked, and even if they weren’t, thought Bea, there are times when adults have to pull rank and this was one of them.

“What about them? I presumed you would be having them, to be honest,” enthused Bea, running with the idea now that Mel hadn’t immediately rejected it. “They can walk ahead of you down the church aisle scattering rose petals from a tiny wicker basket, or something.”

Mel looked suspiciously from one to the other and thought through the suggestion.
“What, as well as you two, or instead of?”

“
I think two are probably enough, so you should have the little ones only.”

Mel thought about it briefly and Bea had to hold back a sigh of relief when her sister’s face slowly broke into a broad grin.
“Of course, why didn’t I think of it? It’s a great idea and a good way to score points with his mum.” She clapped her hands together gleefully. “Clever girl.”

“
That’s what Shani and I are here for, to help you plan your day as perfectly as possible.” She smiled, relieved beyond belief that her idea had been so eagerly accepted.

“
But what about you two,” Mel added, her face filled with concern. “What will you do on the day if you’re not going to be my bridesmaids?”

Shani folded her arms across her chest.
“I can help with organising the setting up of the marquee or whatever else you may need me to do.”

“
Yes, are you still going to have it at your mum’s and Dad’s? You’re more than welcome to have it here if you want, you know?” offered Bea, crossing her fingers behind her back.

“
Thanks, but this is your house, where you and your aunt have memories, they’re not mine, Bea. My childhood was spent at home with Dad and my mum and anyway Dad’s already drawn up a plan of the layout and matting leading from the driveway to the inside.”

Bea pushed away the hurt that Simon’s insistence that they hold their wedding reception at a hotel instead of in this garden had caused her aunt. She’d never forgiven herself for giving in to him on that.
“Whatever you want, it’s your day after all.”

“
Great idea,” Shani said oblivious to the tension. “I’ve always envied you being able to walk down steps out at the end of your parent’s garden straight onto the beach.”

Mel smiled.
“It’s going to make the most of the view with one of those marquees that have windows all along the side of the sea view. Then, he said that if the weather is good they’ll roll up that side so we’re almost holding the reception in the garden.”

Bea said thoughtfully,
“I can arrange flowers and the table settings can be put together from the plants here. Or, if you prefer, I can do something different.”

“
You can both start by helping compile a list of who to invite. I’m scared of missing someone, and must make sure I don’t forget anyone who might buy one of the expensive items I intend to have on my wedding lists.” Noticing Shani’s frown, she added pointedly. “There will be cheaper bits on it, too for the tighter guests.”

“
How rude,” Shani teased. “Just don’t forget any great aunt Ethel, or you’ll never be forgiven.”