Love Me Like No Other (5 page)

He folded her hand in his and Jade felt the familiar heat stirring inside.

“I’d be interested in hearing about those lessons.” He smiled and then held up a hand to stop her when she would have spoken. “But for now I’ll settle for hearing about what you’ve been doing for the past eight years.”

Making one mistake after another, pining for you, losing a fortune…
Where should she start? Jade shifted in the seat. What was it about him that made her want to scream one minute and melt into his arms the next? At any rate, telling him about her past mistakes was definitely out of the question. Switching the subject would be better. “I have a better idea. Why don’t you give me the rundown on your family? Since I’ll be spending a week with them I should probably know some basics.”

Linc gave her a half smile. She hadn’t admitted it but he was sure there was someone in her past who she was still pretty angry with and he was willing to bet the person was a man. He looked into warm hazel eyes and wanted instinctively to protect her from all hurt and harm. She had secrets, ones that caused her great pain. He wondered how long it would take her to tell him, then decided it didn’t really matter. At least he didn’t want it to.

“I am the oldest of three boys. I have two brothers—Trent and Adam. Trent’s an ex-Navy Seal and Adam’s into real estate. My parents, Henry and Beverly, have been married for forty years and will invite every living member of the Donovan family to the house this week to help them celebrate.”

“Hmm,” she sighed. When her mother had died it had been just her, Noelle and Grammy. She’d always longed for a big family. “What do your parents do?”

Linc chuckled. “Not much of anything anymore. My father was a third generation rich kid, following in his father’s footsteps. He ran the family oil company for about twenty years before deciding to retire. Now he finds hobbies. For a few years he was a racing sponsor, then he dabbled in marine biology and right now he’s into horse breeding.”

“He sounds like an interesting man,” Jade said wistfully.

“He is. Mom comes from money. Her father was an oil tycoon. Now she has her charities and her clubs. But her main job as of late seems to be finding a wife for me.”

Jade’s heart skipped a beat. “A wife?”

His thumb continued to move absently over the back of her hand. “Yeah, she’s pretty focused
on the task.” Then he looked at her. “That’s why I needed you this week.”

“I don’t understand.”

“I don’t need my mother to find me a wife. My life is just fine as it is but Mom is stuck on the idea that I need a wife and kids to make me complete. She’ll have a bunch of women that she believes are good enough for me at the house this week trying to make a match. With you along as my date, she’ll have to back off. Appearances are everything to her. She’d never embarrass you or me by pushing another woman on me in your presence.”

She blinked, appearing to be digesting his words. “So my purpose is to stand in the way of your finding the love of your life.”

“There is no love of my life. I’m just a man, doing man things.”

“Oh,” she said simply, not completely sure how she felt about those “man things.”

Mario drove up to black gates and pressed a combination into the security box to gain entrance. Jade’s attention shifted to her surroundings. It looked like Southfork Ranch, from the hit series
Dallas,
had been thrust into the twenty-first century. Lush green lawns surrounded a huge fountain that sat in the middle of a circular driveway. Just beyond the fountain was a house that looked like it would easily
accommodate a hundred or so residents. An all-brick structure with black shutters and white columns sat comfortably amidst huge trees and an awesome blue sky. It was picturesque to say the least.

Before she had a chance to get over the splendor her door opened and Mario was reaching inside for her hand. Linc had released her other hand and was scooting along the seat behind her. He was so close now she could smell his cologne mixed with the fresh spring breeze coming in from the outside. Taking Mario’s lead she stepped out of the car onto the gravelly walkway and immediately looked around again.

Linc stepped out behind her placing a hand at the small of her back. “I’ll give you a tour then we’ll go in and meet my parents. I’m not sure if Trent and Adam are here yet.”

Jade was silent, still trying to take in her surroundings and the fact that Linc was close and touching her again. There was a light breeze and blooms from a nearby tree scattered about the ground just as the front door to the house opened and a couple stepped out.

The woman was beautiful, her hair perfectly styled, her summer suit a flattering shade of mint green. The man wore slacks and a polo shirt. He looked just like Linc except his hair had started
to thin on the top, but the build and coloring were exactly the same. She suspected they were in their early sixties but they both appeared as youthful and healthy as twenty-year-olds. They smiled in her direction and she dutifully smiled back.

“Lincoln, darling,” the woman cooed. “We were wondering when you’d get here.” Coming up on tiptoes the woman hugged him.

Jade watched as Linc embraced her, feeling the love between mother and son.

“Good morning, Mom. I told you I’d be driving up this morning.”

“I know, but you could have come yesterday like your brothers,” she said, stepping aside so that Linc could likewise hug his father.

“Son, it’s good to see you.” The older man clapped Linc’s back as they embraced.

Jade felt out of place and took a step back to give them time for their mini reunion. Just as she was moving out of the way the woman grabbed her hand. “And who, might I ask, is this?”

Jade froze. Linc said that appearances were everything to his mother. She wondered how the woman would feel about her being here. She wasn’t exactly a socialite, although she knew how to act in front of company, compliments of Grammy’s upbringing. She hadn’t noticed Linc returning to her side until his hand snaked around
her waist. She should have pulled away, should have left him and this silly charade and returned to her normal, bad-luck life. Considering that wasn’t an option at this point she simply smiled and leaned closer to him.

“It’s very nice to meet you both,” she managed in a nervous voice. “Happy anniversary.” Jade was beyond nervous but prayed it didn’t show. She’d never met a man’s parents before. Charles’s parents traveled a lot, or so he’d said. Now she figured any-and everything that man had told her had most likely been a lie.

Beverly looked from her son back to Jade with undeniable questions in her eyes. Still holding Jade’s hand she surveyed her yet again. Jade didn’t know whether she’d made the right choice of clothes this morning but she felt certain that Beverly was surmising that very point.

“Please excuse me for staring, but Lincoln has never brought a young lady home to meet us before. I’m a little surprised,” she said.

Mrs. Donovan was more than a little surprised but Jade decided that was not her problem. She only needed to be polite, to get through the next seven days and then she’d never have to deal with any of the Donovans again. “I look forward to spending the week helping you and your husband celebrate.”

“Oh, dear, we have so much planned. You are simply going to enjoy yourself. Now come along. Let me give you a tour and we can get to know each other a little. Lincoln is so rude, he’s never even mentioned you.”

I’m sure he hasn’t,
Jade thought, tossing Linc a baleful look. He hadn’t said she’d be spending time
alone
with his mother. What was she supposed to say when they were alone? She prayed the woman didn’t ask her questions about her relationship with Linc. Jade didn’t like lying—omitting certain parts of the truth was one thing, but outright lying about a nonexistent relationship with a man who only had a passing interest in her was crossing the line. But before another word could be said Beverly had shuffled her off leaving Linc and Henry alone. They both looked on as the women departed.

“Pretty good-looking woman,” Henry said.

Linc grinned. “You’ve been with her for forty years and you’re just realizing that.”

Henry chuckled. “I know
my
woman’s fine. I was talking about yours.”

His woman? Jade was
not
his woman. Then he corrected himself. She was for the week at least.

J
ade walked into the huge dining room and all talking ceased. She’d toured the estate with Mrs. Donovan before being led to her room—the room she and Linc were expected to share in the east wing of the house—and directed to wash and change for lunch. She’d never changed for meals before but figured now was not the time to bring that point to Mrs. Donovan’s attention.

The woman was the epitome of style and grace. With a slim figure and knowing eyes, Mrs. Donovan had talked of general things like education and career goals but Jade knew she’d been
sizing her up. Which was exactly what Jade herself was doing. A little self-evaluation never hurt. As a result, she’d come to the conclusion that she was definitely not in Linc’s league.

These people had ten cars in their garage, a tennis court, a golf course, an indoor and outdoor pool and a solarium. Oh, and she hadn’t even mentioned the stables, which were magnificent by the way. She’d ridden a horse once when she was a little girl and had instantly fallen in love with the chocolate pony that had taken her around in circles. But then she’d never given another thought to riding a horse since that day, no matter how much she’d enjoyed it. That just went to show you what type of people she was dealing with.

Mrs. Donovan informed her that she rode every day when she could, that it was like an obsession to her and her husband. In Jade’s average, but basically happy, life, even as the owner of a spa, she never anticipated owning horses or a stable that she could walk to at any time to ride.

But this was their life. A life that she was painfully aware she’d never fit into. Jade decided not to think about their difference in social status anymore. There would be no misguided daydreams about her presence in Linc’s life this time. Accordingly, what Mrs. Donovan thought of her was no big deal. Or at least it shouldn’t be.

She’d changed into another pair of slacks and a silky halter top and prayed that this would be appropriate. Actually, she prayed that this would be the quickest week of her life.

“That’s a beautiful color on you, Jade.” Mrs. Donovan motioned for her to take the seat left empty to the right of her when she’d finally made it downstairs. Mrs. Donovan sat at one end of the long oak table while her husband sat at the opposite end. The brothers, Adam and Trent, sat on either side leaving two chairs, one to the right and one to the left of their mother. Presumably those seats were for her and Linc, who was nowhere to be found.

“Thank you,” Jade said with a wavering smile. She was here as Linc’s date, as his convenient arm piece for the week, so why was she at this family luncheon and he wasn’t? “Is Linc coming?”

“We were just about to ask you the same thing,” Trent commented dryly.

Noting his tone, but deciding to dismiss it, Jade took her seat and reached for the napkin centered on her plate. “Nope. I haven’t seen him since we arrived.”

Mr. Donovan, who had been staring at her since the moment she’d walked in, took a sip from his glass then spoke. “He’s in the den making a few calls.”

“He’s working? He hasn’t eaten anything all day,” Jade exclaimed.

“He’s a big boy. I’m sure he knows when it’s time to eat.” This was from Trent, who, Jade noted again, spoke to her in clipped tones. What the hell was up with him?

“Still, he should join us,” Mrs. Donovan interrupted.

Mr. Donovan shook his head. “Let him get his work done now. You know how important it is to him. Then he’ll be free for the rest of the week.”

A small woman dressed in a neat gray-and-white uniform had slipped quietly through a door at the back of the room. She carried a tray and proceeded to stop in front of each of them placing a bowl before them. Jade inhaled and thought she’d died and gone to heaven. She loved crab soup but hadn’t eaten it since Grammy died. Without another word she picked up her spoon and dug in. It was a few minutes before she realized she was the only one eating.

Heat infused her cheeks. She wasn’t slurping nor had she spilled any on the gorgeous linen tablecloth, so why was everybody staring at her…again? She looked around and noted that the nicely dressed server was placing a plate laden with sandwiches in the center of the table. So it was to be a soup and sandwich meal? Well, she
could eat the sandwich later, she thought and continued happily with her soup.

“So what do you do, Jade?” Adam smiled at her.

Jade found herself smiling back. Adam was the youngest of the Donovan men; his laughing brown eyes and dimpled cheeks said he was also the happiest. He eagerly lifted not one, not two, but three half-sandwich portions from the serving tray and dropped them onto the plate beside his soup bowl. Adam was built quite nicely. As a matter of fact all three of the Donovan brothers were exceptionally handsome and well built. But to Jade, none of them quite measured up to Linc. Still, Adam possessed the kind of carefree attitude Jade was normally attracted to. Trent, on the other hand, needed to take a chill pill.

“I’m a licensed massage therapist.” She didn’t mention the fact that she owned her own spa because that seemed to pale in comparison to what the Donovans were used to as a way to make a living.

“She also graduated from Harvard. That’s where she and Lincoln met,” Mrs. Donovan added.

“So you’ve known Linc for about eight or nine years now?”

Leveling her gaze at Trent, the middle child, the one with the cool dark eyes and a strong jaw,
she tried to read his expression. If she didn’t know better she’d think he was purposefully goading her. Instead she was slightly intrigued by this instant dislike he directed toward her. “Yes. But we haven’t seen each other in quite some time.”

“And you picked now to show up?”

“Actually, I didn’t pick anything. I went to the Gramercy for some R&R. My grandmother passed away almost a year ago and I needed to get out and do something with myself. I had no idea that Linc owned the Gramercy.” Part truth was just as good as total honesty, she reminded herself.

“But you were happy to find out weren’t you?”

“Trent, that’s enough,” Mr. Donovan stated adamantly.

So the lion had decided to bare his teeth after all. Jade never backed down from a battle. It would do Trent good to find this out now. “I was not looking for your brother, who I knew from the moment I met him eight years ago would be successful. So to answer your question, yes. It was good to see Linc again and yes, I was proud of what he’d accomplished with his life.” She took a deep breath and continued to stare at Trent. “And no, the fact that he owns a casino did not register dollar signs in my mind. I have my own education and ambition and I don’t need to ride on anybody’s coattails.”

Adam grinned. “Score one for Jade and a whopping goose egg for Trent.”

Mr. Donovan rolled his eyes.

Mrs. Donovan wiped her hands on her napkin. “That’s enough, Trent. Jade is Lincoln’s guest and we will be nothing but polite to her. It’s good to see Lincoln with someone. He appears happy.”

Jade turned at the woman’s words. Did he appear happy? She couldn’t tell. But then it didn’t matter. Lifting her spoon to her mouth again Jade silently chanted “business, not pleasure,” over and over again.

The meal was soon over and even though Trent seemed to question her more than others Jade found that she enjoyed herself. Mr. Donovan was quite the comedian once he managed to get a word in between his wife and his youngest son. Adam was hands down her favorite Donovan—in the room, that is. With his laughing eyes and easy personality he was a stark contrast to Trent’s serious, almost suspicious nature.

But neither of them measured up to Linc. Throughout the meal she found her thoughts constantly returning to him. His presence did something to her, something other than annoy her with memories, something she wasn’t quite willing to examine just yet. Besides, she wanted to do her
job to the best of her ability; dismissing the five-thousand-dollar debt was all that mattered.

Her heels clicked on the hardwood floors in the foyer of the Donovan home. She paused in the living room to examine all the family photos strewn about. They seemed so happy, so complete. On her mantel in her apartment she had a photo of her, Noelle and her mother when she was six and her, Grammy and Noelle when she’d graduated from Harvard. Emptiness settled over her as she traced a hand along one silver-trimmed frame.

Quickly regaining her senses she left the beautifully decorated room in search of the den and Linc. He was sitting in a sage-green high-backed chair. This room was warm, more inviting than any of the others in the house. With its coppery wallpaper and forest-green carpet, the lighter green furniture looked comfortable and relaxing. Coming farther in the room she realized he was on the speakerphone so when she would normally have immediately spoken, this time she remained quiet. Going to the couch she sat, crossing one leg over the other, watching him as he flipped through a folder and talked in that smooth, commanding voice that sent pleasurable chills down her spine.

He still wore the slacks and polo shirt he’d worn since this morning, his thick biceps straining just a bit against the rim of his sleeves. She
sucked in a breath as his broad chest moved rhythmically while he spoke. Confidence oozed from his every pore and she couldn’t help but admire him. He was a success. He ran a lucrative business he seemed to enjoy. He had it all. She not only admired him, she envied him. These were the things she wanted. The things that always seemed just out of her reach.

Linc felt her presence. The moment she’d walked into that room, he’d known, his whole body becoming alert. She sat across from him now looking like she had a lot on her mind. Lines knotted her forehead and caused him to frown. The urge to cure whatever it was that ailed her was great. That bothered him, so he shifted to thoughts he more easily understood—the physical pull between them.

She’d changed clothes, the pants clinging to her hips a little more than the ones she’d had on earlier and the deep green color of the top highlighting her hazel eyes, its thin straps drawing his attention immediately to the honey-toned skin of her bare shoulders and inevitably the plump roundness of her breasts. He shifted in the chair, his erection making it harder to sit still.

She licked her lips and he almost expired right then and there. He’d have to cut this phone call short or risk embarrassing himself with his col
league. “So I’ll give you a call in the morning and we can go over the rest of the figures,” he said in closing.

He’d long since given up looking at the papers in the folder and was now solely focused on the minx across from him. With her legs crossed she dangled one sandal-clad foot in the air. The heels were spiked, at least four inches high, and he could imagine how they emphasized those long, gorgeous legs of hers. The man on the phone’s voice resonated throughout the room but Linc had no idea what he’d said. Standing on less than stable legs he went to the desk and said quickly, “Yes, I’ll call you in the morning.” Before the man could respond he’d switched off the speakerphone and went to face her.

Without another word he reached for her hands and hefted her to her feet. Her breasts—to his immense delight—made instant contact with his chest as his hands moved around her waist. “Did you come in here to deliberately tempt me?” he asked in a low voice.

“No. I came in here to tell you that your family expects you to participate in the week’s events, not work the entire time.”

He raised a brow. “Did you miss me?”

She moved out of his embrace. “You wish.”

He watched her walk away and stop in front of
the window. “They’re about to play golf,” she said as she turned to face him again.

“I don’t play golf.”

He managed a smile, relief at the disappearance of the lines in her forehead spreading through him. He still couldn’t believe she was actually here with him. Last night, he’d wondered why she’d really agreed to this week. That question had led to several more, like what she did for a living.

“Then what do you do? For fun, I mean,” she continued.

“We’ve all been asking ourselves that question for years now.” Adam chuckled as he entered and walked across the room idly swinging a golf club.

Both Linc and Jade acknowledged the intruder, Linc with a scowl and Jade suppressing a grin. “Shouldn’t you be out on the course?” Linc asked, eyeing his brother’s attire.

“Shouldn’t you?” Adam added teasingly.

“That’s what I was trying to tell him,” Jade interrupted. “Your father said some of his friends were coming by to play. Your mother had some sort of last-minute meeting to attend but suggested that I take a swim.”

Linc thrust his hands in his pockets in an attempt to hide his growing arousal. The mere thought of Jade’s seductive body, wet and barely
clad, had his mouth watering. He could just imagine licking each droplet from her moist skin, exploring her completely as he’d done before. It had been a long time yet he’d never forgotten her sweetness.

He cleared his throat. “I don’t play golf.”

“But you do ride,” Adam said with a devilish grin. “Horses, I mean. You love to ride…horses, right, Linc?”

Linc hadn’t missed his brother’s crass remark and frowned as it appeared Jade hadn’t, either. “I have work to do.”

“I’d love to go riding,” Jade quickly added.

She folded her arms behind her back, her breasts jutting forward as she toyed with her bottom lip again. Did she have any idea how sexy that was? How when her tongue grazed that plump bottom lip he simply wanted to ravish her? How the sight of her breasts being offered, albeit unknowingly, spiked his blood pressure? No, she didn’t know. He was just getting used to the realization himself. He desperately wanted to get her in his bed.

Still, he wasn’t so lust-filled that he missed the light in her eyes when she spoke of riding. He decided instantly that he liked that light in her eyes and would do whatever he could to keep it there. “Go change. I’ll meet you at the stables.”

“Great! Thanks for the suggestion, Adam.” Planting an impromptu kiss on Adam’s cheek she turned and made her way out of the room.

Linc went straight to the bar and felt his brother’s elated glare on his back as he did. “Go ahead and say it.” He picked up a glass and poured a finger of brandy then drank it down and poured another.