Little White Lies (8 page)

“Make her happy, young man.”

Jack smiled confidently.  “If that’s all it takes, you and I shall get along famously.”

                         ***

She waited until they were on the coastal highway to ask.  “How awful was it?”

“Not too bad,” he shrugged, “although I can now sympathize with the victims of the Spanish Inquisition.”

Miranda grimaced but managed to refrain from groaning out loud.  “Go ahead, lay it on me.”

Jack couldn’t help himself.  “She told me if I got you pregnant I would have to marry you.”

This time the groan erupted before she could stop it.  “Tell me you didn’t admit we were sleeping together.”

“Not outright, but my stuttering pretty much gave it away.”

Miranda’s eyes widened, though she wasn’t entirely surprised.  “She asked you point blank?”

“Does Missy ask any question in a manner that isn’t point blank?”

“Unfortunately, no.  She couldn’t have been too hard on you though.”

“What makes you say that?”  He thought the old bird had done a pretty good grilling job.

“You didn’t suddenly remember an appointment and race for the door.”

“That’s because she threw me for such a loop I couldn’t think straight.”  He reached out and took Miranda’s hand when she glanced at him sharply then turned her face to the window.  “Sweetheart, I was only kidding.  You don’t honestly believe anything your grandmother said could change the way I feel about you, do you?”

“I wasn’t sure.  She can be pretty blunt sometimes.  I’ve never brought anyone home to meet her before so I didn’t really know what to expect.”

“I know, she said you didn’t date much.”

“Good Lord, is there anything she
didn’t
tell you?”

Jack grinned.  “Yeah, but in her defense, we didn’t have much time.”

“I’ll have to remember that and keep our visits short and sweet.  So where are you taking me?”

“First stop, a lovely boutique called Elizabeth’s.”

“Jack, I told you not to buy me things.”

“No,” he corrected, “you told me I didn’t
have
to buy you things.  Let me do this for you, Miranda.  No offense, sweetheart, but I’d like to see you in something besides beige, black, or brown.”

Miranda looked down at the chocolate colored blouse and beige slacks she had on.  “I guess I do look a bit drab,” she frowned.

“You look beautiful, but you’ll look even better once we liven up your wardrobe.  Now, tell me more about your family.  Why do your parents live in Europe and how come your sister doesn’t live at the mansion?”

“Carrington Cosmetics is based in the south of France. My father got tired of traveling back and forth, and since my mother adores the French Riviera, she didn’t put up a fuss about staying there.”

“Do you miss them?”

“I suppose.  They were always jetting off somewhere, so we got used to their long absences.  We traveled with them pretty frequently when we were younger, but as we got older, being pulled out of school and away from our friends wore on us.  Bri became quite vocal about it, so they relented and let us move in with Missy.”

“Did Bri get along with your grandmother?”

“Not as well as I did.  Bri is so vibrant and was always running a million miles a minute. She didn’t always have the calming effect on Missy that I did.”

Jack nodded, understanding perfectly.  Miranda had that same calming effect on him too, which was one of the things that made being with her so enjoyable.  He didn’t have to try to impress her and knew she would never get upset if he didn’t take her to the most posh restaurants or prestigious social events.  He could simply be himself and go whichever way the wind blew them because she was content just to be with him. 

The women he usually dated were always overly concerned about where he was taking them and who would be there to see them on his arm.  And if he left their side for any length of time, they hunted him down and pouted about being neglected.  He used to think it was flattering that a woman was so enamored of him she couldn’t bear to be separated even for a short period. Eventually, he put his ego aside long enough to realize it was because their status at these events dwindled to nothing unless people recognized they were with him. 

He thought of Miranda and how it would feel to walk in with her by his side.  She certainly wouldn’t have to hunt him down because Jack was pretty damn sure he’d never let her out of his sight.  He stole a quick glance at her and shook his head.  If someone had told him even a week ago that he would be spending twenty-four hours a day with one woman and thinking it wasn’t nearly long enough, he would have laughed his ass off. 

And if they’d told him he’d not only be accompanying her on a shopping spree and footing the bill, but was actually looking forward to it, he would have told them all they were crazy.  But here he was, heading to Elizabeth’s Boutique after having spent the past three nights and two days with Miranda, and he couldn’t have been more content.  No, content was too tame a word for what he was feeling.  Happy, exhilarated, ecstatic, and it was all because of the beautiful woman beside him.

Elizabeth’s hadn’t been open for more than twenty minutes by the time they pulled into the parking lot, but already there were several women browsing around the exclusive shop when they stepped inside.  Jack left Miranda to admire a collection of silk blouses while he went in search of the boutique’s owner, Elizabeth Russell.  He’d known her for years and simply adored the vivacious woman.

There had never been anything romantic between them; Beth only had eyes for Jack’s corporate attorney and good friend, Dave Russell.  He’d wanted to take Miranda some place that offered only the finest of clothing and knew there were very few shops that could top Elizabeth’s.  But the real reason he’d brought her here was because he trusted Beth to cover for him and not let the cat out of the bag.  She probably wouldn’t approve, but she would never betray him.

Jack caught Beth’s arm just as she was coming out of the back room and whisked her off to a corner behind the counter where they wouldn’t be interrupted by customers.  She gave him a big hug before teasing him about being there since she knew his aversion for such feminine places.  He took her ribbing good naturedly knowing full well he was going to get more of the same and probably worse when Dave found out he’d been there and why.  Casting a furtive glance at Miranda, Jack explained what was going on then begged her not to expose him when she looked at him as if he’d lost his mind.  As he knew she would, Beth finally relented and told him to take Miranda back to one of the dressing rooms.

Miranda didn’t miss the familiar way the stunning blonde hugged Jack or how close they stood as they huddled in a corner behind the counter.  She told herself it was ridiculous to be jealous, that she couldn’t possibly care enough about him after only a few days to warrant this kind of a response.  Even so, when he leaned down and kissed the blue-eyed beauty on the cheek, a sharp pain twisted her gut. 

She had no illusions about herself.  Not even on her best day could she compete with a woman who looked like that, and she was suddenly very conscience of her appearance and the nondescript clothing she was wearing.  No wonder Jack wanted to buy her new things if this woman was indicative of the female companionship he was used to; quite simply, he was embarrassed by Miranda and her drab wardrobe.

Her cheeks were burning by the time Jack headed back her way and all she wanted to do was duck into one of the dressing rooms and hide.  Why was he with her anyway?  He was charming, devastatingly handsome, wealthy, a fantastic lover, and he could have any woman he wanted.  Miranda wasn’t even in the same league as the woman he’d been cozying up to, and she certainly didn’t possess the social skills necessary to accompany him to the exclusive parties he surely attended.  Standing there in her chocolate blouse and beige slacks with her hair falling unstylishly straight over her shoulders, she felt like Cinderella…after the ball!

“Ready, sweetheart?”

Miranda started, unaware that Jack had been standing beside her.  “Well, I…I haven’t really had a chance to look for anything.”  She glanced around, feeling hopelessly out of her realm.  “Maybe we should just go.”

Jack was confused by her sudden discomfort. She was behaving as if she was going to bolt out of there any second. “I don’t understand.  Why do you want to go without even giving the place a chance?”

“Look, Jack, I know you’re used to being with sophisticated women who dress like fashion models so I’m sure it’s just as embarrassing for you to be seen with me as…”

“
Embarrassed?
  Why the hell would I be embarrassed?”

“Oh, please, Jack, I saw you with that woman.  That’s the type you’re used to; tall and sleek and dressed to the nines.”  Miranda was dangerously close to tears so it didn’t sit very well with her when he threw his head back and started laughing.  “And just what is so funny, Jack Devlin?”

“You are, honey.”  He drew her into his arms, still chuckling.  “Miranda, baby, listen to me.  You can wear anything you want, wear a gunnysack if it makes you feel comfortable.  Personally, I prefer you in nothing at all. Regardless of what you wear or don’t wear, I think you are the most beautiful woman I have ever met.”

“You don’t mean that.” 

“I do mean that.  I swear, I just wanted to do something nice for you, something I’d never done for any other woman.”

Miranda eyed him skeptically.  “If you’ve never done this for another woman before, how come that sales lady seems to know you so well?  Or is she one of your former lovers?”

“Oh, my,” he grinned, “the green in your eyes is starting to spread to the rest of your body.”

“Don’t be so full of yourself, Jack.”

He pulled her a little closer.  “You’re jealous, admit it.”

“I am
not
jealous, and you’re just trying to avoid my question.”

“Beth is the wife of my corporate lawyer, who also happens to be a very good friend.  I brought you here because I knew she would take good care of you.  It’s not a sin to be fashion challenged, sweetheart.  I haven’t always been this dashing, you know.  It took a lot of work to learn just the right shirt to wear with blue jeans.”

Miranda found herself smiling at his gentle teasing.  “So maybe I was just a teeny tiny bit jealous.  I just don’t want you to be ashamed to be seen with me.”

His expression softened.  “If I was even the slightest bit ashamed of you, would I do this?”

Her stomach did a wild flip when he dipped his head and caught her up in hard, passionate kiss.  Strong arms crushed her to his chest as his mouth did a very thorough exploration, and though she was sure the world went on around them, she wasn’t aware of anything but the way he was making her feel at that moment.  He released her on shaky legs and seemed quite satisfied with the results of his kiss when she followed him demurely to the dressing room.

The next two hours were a flurry of activity as clothes were brought in, tried on, modeled for Jack, then either taken away or placed to the side to be purchased.  Beth attended them personally, and Miranda grudgingly admitted the woman knew what she was doing.  She didn’t try to pass off clothes that fit her own taste, which was chic but a little too bold for Miranda. 

Instead, Beth brought things that were simple but elegant, colorful but not loud, and were geared towards Miranda’s conservative nature.  True, at Jack’s urging the necklines were a little more daring than she was used to and the material more form fitting, but the way he looked at her in each new outfit Miranda paraded for him made her lose some of her inhibitions.

“I’m exhausted,” she announced as they piled the boxes and bags in the back of his truck.

Jack secured everything with a cargo net then opened her door and lifted her in.  “I promise to take you for a nice relaxing lunch, and for the rest of the day we won’t do anything more strenuous than kiss.  Besides, I want you rested for this evening.”

Miranda gave him a sexy smile.  “Why, what have you got planned for this evening?”

“Not what you’re thinking, at least not until later.  I’m going to wine and dine you then take you dancing so you can wear one of those pretty new dresses I got you.”

She bit her lip, a worried frown creasing her forehead.  “I shouldn’t have let you spend that much.  I do have money of my own, you know.”

“Oh, no you don’t,” he said, strapping her into the seat.  “We’re not going to argue over the money issue again.  Look, I make an extremely good living and what I laid down in there is nothing compared to what I spend putting on lavish parties I don’t even enjoy.  Now be a good girl and stop getting so worked up over it.”

She waited until he climbed back in and they were back on the highway to ask, “You never said what you did for a living.”

“I own a company.”

“I could have figured that out on my own.  What kind of company?  Where is it located?”