Stormbound with a Tycoon (15 page)

She tried to convince herself that it was just one of those things, a few exciting days tucked away in a mountain cabin with an exciting and sexy man. She knew she would never get over him. There would always be an empty place in her heart where Dylan Russell had lived for those enchanted days and passionate nights. She glanced in the rearview mirror and caught one last glimpse of him before her car rounded the curve. The sight tore at what little composure she still possessed. He looked as devastated as she felt.

Dylan continued to stare down the road at the spot where her car had disappeared around the bend. He felt numb inside except for a hollow ache. His heart had gone with her, leaving a gaping hole in his life. And he didn't know how it happened or what to do about it. For years he had been running from the turmoil of an emotional commitment. Even the thought of becoming involved in a true relationship frightened him. But now he had found something that frightened him even more—the thought that he might have blown any chance of having Jessica as part of his life. And if he didn't do something quickly it would probably end up costing him Justin's friendship as well.

He hunched his shoulders against the cold shiver that swept through his body. He suddenly felt more alone than he ever had in his entire life. He returned
to the cabin and plopped on the couch, too distraught to move or even think except for the one thought that penetrated the fog of his mind. He had to win Jessica back.

It seemed like hours before he was able to focus his thoughts and force himself to move. He went to his cell phone, checking the battery to make sure it had charged up enough to use.

 

Jessica hugged the stuffed bear to her body. It had been a gift from Dylan when she was sixteen years old and was the only one of her stuffed animal collection that she still owned. Even though it had a torn ear and a missing eye, she cherished it dearly. She propped the bear up on her fireplace mantel and stared at it.

“Well, Mr. Buttons, surely you must have an opinion about all of this.” A sigh of despair escaped her throat as the emotion once again overwhelmed her. “I've never loved anyone as much as I love him, but I can't enter into a relationship without having a commitment equal to the one I'm willing to give. He wanted me to run away with him, but that's just what it would be—running away. It would have been a wonderful escape, but eventually I'd need to climb down off cloud nine and come back to earth. I can't ignore my responsibilities. That's just the way I am.”

She ran her fingertips across the bear's face and straightened his vest. “Was I wrong? Did I push him too much? Should I just have accepted whatever he was willing to give and hope that maybe…someday…”

A sob caught in her throat, and tears welled up in her eyes again. She had cried all the way back to Se
attle, so how could she possibly have any tears left? For someone who was normally so self-assured and decisive she had certainly made a muddled mess of everything.

An insistent pounding at her door jerked her back to reality. She quickly wiped the tears away with her hand, ran her fingers through her hair to fluff it up, then opened the door.

“Justin…this is a surprise.” Something about his expression pushed at her anxiety level. She stepped aside so he could come in. “I've only been home for about three hours…just long enough to unpack and run a load of clothes through the washer and dryer.”

He nervously shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “Are you alone?” His gaze darted around the room as if he was searching for something. “I'm not interrupting anything, am I?”

“No…of course not. When did you get back from your flight?”

Justin called over his shoulder as he headed for the kitchen. “I got home yesterday morning.” He opened the refrigerator and grabbed a bottle of beer. “Can I get you anything while I'm here?”

“No, nothing for me.” She joined her brother in the kitchen, watching him closely as he twisted the cap off the bottle. She knew him well enough to know there was something specific on his mind even though he hadn't said so.

“Uh, you'll never guess who I heard from a couple of weeks ago. You remember Dylan Russell, don't you?” He leaned casually against the doorjamb as if the question had no more significance than inquiring about the weather, but she could see the nervousness working through him.

She forced a laugh. “Of course I remember him. How could I forget when you talk about him all the time?” A quick flash of melancholy hit her. There was no way she would ever be able to forget Dylan. His reality was permanently imprinted on her life.

“Well, I got an e-mail from him a couple of weeks ago asking me if he could use our cabin for a week or so. It coincided with the time you said you were going to be in New York, so I sent him the key. Fortunately he must have changed his mind about using it.” Justin laughed nervously. “It's a good thing because it probably wouldn't have been wise to have you and Dylan staying there at the same time.”

“Well…that's not quite accurate.” Now his sudden appearance at her door and his obvious nervousness made sense. He wanted to know if anything had happened between Dylan and her.

Justin looked questioningly at his sister. “Oh?”

“I was surprised to find someone there when I arrived and even more surprised when that someone turned out to be Dylan. He said you had given him the use of the cabin.” She could tell from the expression on Justin's face that he expected her to say more. They normally confided in each other, but this was different. This was much too painful for her. She wasn't ready to talk about it yet. Maybe if she quickly shifted the conversation in another direction he would take the hint and let the subject drop.

“Are you home for a while now or are you scheduled out on another flight right away?” Jessica asked.

“Nothing for a week. I'll be around the office quite a bit, especially with the partnership in the works.” He wandered into the living room and made himself comfortable.

She followed him, curling into the corner of the couch in a manner she hoped would appear casual in spite of the tension pulsing through her body. She looked up to find Justin staring at her. Her tension increased, accompanied by the unnerving way his gaze seemed to be saying he was concerned about her. She self-consciously ran her fingers through her hair.

She tried to make light of what had become a very serious moment. “What's the matter…do I have dirt on my face?”

“No, but your eyes are red as if you've been crying. Are you all right? You look like hell.”

She forced a nervous laugh. “Thank you. That's just the kind of thing a girl wants to hear.” She knew she had to tell him something to satisfy his obvious curiosity. “I'm tired, that's all. There was quite a storm on the Peninsula. The power was out when I arrived and was only restored this morning. The high water and debris washing downstream had the bridge closed for a couple of days, too. So…I really didn't get too much sleep. And I think I'm coming down with a cold. My eyes have been watering and itching.”

“Oh, I see.” He took a swallow from his bottle of beer. “I thought maybe Dylan's being there had caused you a problem. He's a lot of fun, and we've been good friends since our freshman year of college, but it wouldn't be advisable to take him too seriously. He goes through women like some people go through Kleenex. I know for a fact that he has no interest in settling down and staying in one place. Any woman who became involved with him would end up with a broken heart.”

A spark of irritation exploded inside her. She tried to shove it down, to appear unconcerned. “You're the
last person who should be handing out advice about dating and relationships. You and I both have one bad marriage strike against us. And your track record with women since your divorce certainly isn't anything to brag about.”

Justin sat up straight, his gaze shifting nervously around the room. “We're not talking about my track record, we're talking about Dylan's. He's one of my best friends, and I probably know him better than anyone, but…”

Except me.
Justin's words faded off into the background as her thoughts drifted to her conversations with Dylan where he shared his secrets with her. She knew about his being shafted by his fiancée on their wedding day and about what had happened to Rose and Stanley Clarkson…things Justin didn't know.

A new level of confusion pushed at her. Dylan had shared deeply personal things with her. He had trusted her with his pain and vulnerability. Didn't that say something? Didn't that show how much he cared about her? Her eyes misted over as another wave of despair washed through her. If he could do that, then why couldn't he tell her he loved her?

Her attention was drawn back to what Justin was saying.

“…am only telling you this for your own good.”

She made no attempt to withhold her irritation. “I don't need you to run my life for me. I'm capable of making my own decisions.”

“I didn't say you weren't.” Justin carried his empty beer bottle into the kitchen, followed closely by Jessica. “It's just that you've never come up against anyone like Dylan before. He plays in the big leagues and lives in the fast lane. He's left a trail of broken hearts
all over the world. I don't want you to end up as another one.”

“Apparently I need to remind you…
again
…that you're my brother, not my father. I'm thirty-one years old and have been married and divorced. I'm self-supporting and travel all over the country as part of my career. I'm not exactly some naive little teenager. I've been around. I don't need you selecting my friends for me…or my dates. I can make those decisions myself without any help from you.”

Justin whirled around and stared at her, his jaw set in a hard line. “You may be thirty-one years old but…” He fought the grin that tugged at the corners of his mouth.

She gave him a loving, sisterly punch in the shoulder. “You'd better get out of my face or I'll call Aunt Phoebe and invite her to be your houseguest for a monthlong visit, and I'll tell her you insist that she bring cousin Lily with her.”

Justin took two quick steps back as he raised his hands in a gesture of surrender. “Mea culpa…I give up!” A soft chuckle escaped his throat. “You're just ornery enough to do it, too.”

He put his arm around her shoulder and walked back into the living room with her. “You're still my baby sister, Jess, and I reserve the right to worry about you.”

She gave him a loving hug. “I know, and thank you for caring.”

“So, this puts us back to where we started. Are you okay?”

“I will be.” A sigh turned into a sob as she drew in a steadying breath, then expelled it. “But I'm afraid
your advice is a little late. I haven't felt this way about any man since my divorce.”

Justin awkwardly shifted his weight from one foot to the other, his body language confirming his discomfort at the unexpected turn in the conversation. “Uh, I'm not sure exactly what you mean.”

“I mean I'm very attracted to him. In fact—” her voice dropped to a whisper as she stared at the floor “—I think I just might be falling in love with him.” It was the biggest understatement of all time.

“I hope you know what you're doing, Jess.”

She gave a halfhearted laugh, as much bittersweet as anything else. “I can't imagine what I said that gave you that impression.”

He smiled encouragingly. “Well, if things turn out badly for you I promise not to say ‘I told you so.”'

“I don't think there's anything to worry about. I doubt I'll be seeing Dylan again.” A sob caught in her throat, accompanied by the now-familiar sick churning in her stomach. “Everything ended at the cabin.”

“I'm sorry, Jess. I wish there was something more appropriate I could say to make you feel better.” He glanced toward the kitchen. “Have you had any dinner?”

“I'm not very hungry.”

“Let's go out and get something to eat—my treat.”

The melancholy settled over her, making her realize how empty she felt inside—empty and numb. “I don't think so, not tonight.” She looked up at her brother, mustering as much of a smile as she could manage. “Maybe some other time.”

“Do, uh, do you want to talk about it? I don't have any plans. I could stay with you tonight if you'd like.”

“Thanks, Justin, but it's not necessary. I'll be fine. I just need to sort out a few things in my mind.”

A worried expression crossed his face. “Are you sure? I don't mind staying.”

She forced an upbeat manner that she really didn't feel. “I'm sure…now go on.”

“I'll call you in the morning. If you need anything, I'll be home.”

She escorted her brother out the front door, then watched as he drove away. Once again she was alone with the emotional turmoil that churned inside her. Telling her brother that she might be falling in love with Dylan had been an out-and-out lie. She could tell from Justin's expression that he didn't really believe what she had told him but had the good sense not to say so. She had already fallen deeply in love with the charmer in spite of every reason she had given herself for not allowing it to happen.

And never very far from the forefront of her thoughts was the possibility that she could be pregnant. Maybe things would look better in the morning after a good night's sleep. A single tear rolled down her cheek. How was it possible for love to hurt so much?

The ringing phone broke the silence of the room. A surge of excitement raced through her body. Did she dare to hope that it would be Dylan? She took a deep breath to calm her nerves, then lifted the receiver.

“Hello.” She waited a second, but no one replied. Then the line went dead. Her spirits sank to the depth of her consciousness. It was obviously a wrong number. She turned and went to the bedroom, her heart heavy with her despair.