The Scientist and the Supermodel (10 page)

Chapter Ten

He’d arrived at the grand event about thirty minutes ago with his parents and Laney—and grand it was. Outside the hotel, there had literally been a red carpet and lines of photographers and reporters waiting breathlessly for the celebrities expected to attend. Of course, celebrities come late, and Jake wanted to be there early to give Jenny moral support and to get some time with potential contributors before they got caught up in the arrival of the beautiful people. Naturally, the reporters had pretty much ignored them when they realized no one in their party was famous, but Laney and his mom had still enjoyed walking a real red carpet in their gowns. His dad, of course, had hated it.

The two women—his mom in a black gown Jake thought was positively glamorous and Laney in a pretty blue—immediately made a tour of the elegant ballroom, checking out the many gourmet food stations, the champagne bar, and the entertainment centers. One corner of the room had a sizable dance floor and a small orchestra playing, but it was far too early for many of the guests to single themselves out with a foxtrot. Jake wondered, not for the first time, what it would be like to dance with Roan. Yeah, well, that wasn’t gonna happen.

Since the women were occupied and his dad was chatting with the chief of police, who he knew from downtown, Jake had decided to get to work. At the moment, he was in conversation with some important contributors to the charity, to whom Jenny had introduced him. He wanted to make a good impression, which meant he had to quit thinking of Roan and get his head on straight.

“Dr. Martin, Jenny tells me your research may have an impact on cancer.”

Jake smiled at the handsome, gray-haired woman whom he knew to be nearing ninety but looked at least twenty years younger. “Actually, the impact will be more in the treatment of diseases, particularly cancer. Different disease states have their own genetic signatures. If we can discover those, it helps determine the best course of treatment to achieve the best outcome.”

“And have you been successful?”

“I’m happy to say yes. We’re applying the initial findings in hospital studies and should have some results to publish soon.”

“Excellent. Please keep me informed.” She handed him a gold, engraved card, and he slipped it in his pocket.

A hand slipped through his, and he looked down into Jenny’s smiling face. All in lavender, she looked quite grand herself. “I thought you and Mrs. Edmunsen would be grand friends.”

The older woman laughed. “Oh, Jenny, you know I can’t resist a scientist, especially a handsome one.”

“Better look out.” Jenny cocked her head at him. “This one’s got an eye for the ladies.”

Jake winced a little but didn’t disagree. “Only the most beautiful ones.” It was an outrageous gesture, but he raised Mrs. Edmunsen’s hand and gave it a quick kiss. Clearly, she remembered gentler days and returned him a huge smile.

Jenny intervened. “May I steal him away to meet some of our other guests?”

“Yes, of course, but please remember to contact me, Doctor Martin, as soon as you have results.” She cradled her hand a little, seeming to savor the gesture.

“I promise.”

As they walked away, Jenny murmured, “You’ve made a serious conquest. If Mrs. Edmunsen likes your project, many others will too. She’s widely respected.”

“I liked her a lot. Thank you for introducing me.”

“Just doing my job, baby brother.”

He kissed her temple. “Without a hint of favoritism, I know.”

She led him over to where their parents and Laney were nibbling some hors d’oeuvres. Jake realized he’d never seen his dad so dressed up. The big, solid frame looked extremely handsome in a penguin suit. “Enjoying yourselves?” Jake tried not to laugh at his dad’s attempt to hide a frown. The big guy would clearly rather be home on the couch.

“Oh my God.”

Everyone looked at Laney.

“Oh my.” Jenny sounded like an echo.

All heads swiveled to Jenny, then followed her line of sight to the door.

Jake could hardly see for the camera flashes, both from paparazzi and guests who had pulled out their phone cameras to record the moment.

Standing in the doorway was Roan Black, and on his arm was a tall, spectacular woman with short, flaming-red hair.

For a moment, Jake couldn’t do anything but look. If he ever took the model’s beauty for granted, he would remember this moment. Even as amazing as the woman was, it was hard to look at anyone but the man. At least it was for Jake. The perfect black tuxedo dulled beside the ebony shine of that silken hair, and no white shirt could match the alabaster skin. Shit, Roan was magnificent.

Jake’s feelings penetrated the awe—in spades. Why was he here? Wasn’t he supposed to be in Portugal until tomorrow? And much more important, who the
fuck
was that woman?

His sister whispered like she was in church. “I’ve never seen him in person. Who would have dreamed he could be
more
beautiful than in pictures.”

His dad stepped closer. “Who is that?”

Jenny whispered back. “Roan Black, the supermodel, and his fiancée, Alexandra Shields. Excuse me, I have to go greet them.”

As his sister took off across the room, his mom continued. “Oh yes, I’ve seen him in magazines. My, he is lovely, isn’t he? And isn’t she amazing?”

Jake couldn’t hear. Fian-fucking-cée? Every cell contracted into a pit of screaming jealousy. Fiancée? Could it be true? He remembered the girls at the pool back in LA saying he’d been engaged to an actress or something. But why was she here—now? Was that where Roan had really been—with
her
in Portugal? Or with her anyplace?

He appraised the woman as Jenny led the supermodel and the woman across the room, pausing to let people greet them. Yeah, the redhead was pretty, if you liked your women tall and slim and boyish. Of course, it made sense that Roan would. In her heels, she matched his height. Her flaming red hair was cut short as a boy’s—a lot shorter than Roan’s—but with a dash of style that was all female. A gold dress clung to slender hips and long, coltish legs while the neckline plunged to her waist with a sort of Grecian draping. Her breasts were so small, the daring plunge looked elegant rather than sexy as it would on a larger-breasted woman.

But sexy she was. In fact, she reeked of it. Her carved face had the best of male and female like Roan’s, but hers was edgier.
C’mon over here, Mister
, it seemed to say.
I’ll tie you up and tie you down
. Next to Roan’s elegant beauty, she looked like a pagan goddess, and Jake couldn’t help imagining the two of them locked together in passion. He hated her. He despised her. He would have loathed her even more if his cock wasn’t so hard.

Shit. Jenny was bringing both of them straight to him, or to his family, more accurately. Jake knew the second Roan saw him. The dark eyes widened; his graceful walk faltered ever so slightly. Jake gave a tight smile.
Feeling guilty, you green-eyed bitch
? Jake could hardly get air into his lungs, his chest was so tight. He wasn’t sure whether to run, hide, or faint. Too late for decisions.

Jenny was smiling. “Mom, Dad, this is Alexandra Shields and Roan Black, two of our honored guests.” They shook hands all around. Jenny turned to him. Deer. Headlights.

“And this is my brother, Dr. Jake Martin.”

Roan was gazing at him, his expression inscrutable. The woman’s eyebrows rose—what did she know?

That silky voice Jake loved said, “Good to see you again, Jake. I had no idea Jenny was your sister.”

He extended his hand, and Jake took it automatically, only coming back to life when that familiar electricity snapped through his hand straight to his cock. “Good to see you too, Roan. What a coincidence.” Could Roan hear Jake’s teeth grinding together?

Roan looked pointedly at Laney and extended his hand. “Hello, I’m Roan Black.”

“Uh, sorry,” Jake stammered. “This is Maude Delaney. Laney, uh, my friend.”

Laney beamed at the gorgeous man now holding her hand. “I’m delighted, Mr. Black. I’m a big fan. I had no idea you knew Jake.”

Jenny stepped a little closer to Jake’s side. “Neither did I.” She sounded accusing.

Jake panicked. He was a crappy actor and simply had no idea what to say. The words “Roan and I are lovers” pressed against the back of his throat.

Roan’s soft baritone came to his rescue. “Jake and I met in Los Angeles in a hotel bar, where we were both escaping our pursuers.”

“Pursuers?” His mom looked way too interested.

Roan gave the famous smile, flashing the signature tooth. “Yes. I was trying to evade the paparazzi who were hounding me, and as I recall, Jake was escaping some overly zealous female scientist who was determined to experiment on him.”

Jake blushed full-on, and his dad laughed while his mother pretended outrage. “Jakey!”

“Yes,” Roan continued, “we commiserated with each other over a bit more alcohol than either of us is used to. But we enjoyed the company.”

Jake knew his blush had reached epic proportions at Roan’s double entendre.

The tall woman had never stopped staring at him. “So, you’re Jake.” The voice was surprisingly high for such a boyish woman and a bit breathless. It reminded Jake of Elizabeth Taylor in those old films. And her eyes were such a pale blue, they were almost white.

He took her offered hand. “Yes.” She didn’t let go.

“Beautiful.”

Jake tried not to blush again. Should he pull his hand away? He didn’t want to insult her. He’d have to adjust his tuxedo jacket, since the combined effects of Roan and this woman were making his pants very crowded.

“Oh, excuse me, Alexandra,” Roan said. “I didn’t mean to be rude, but I was so surprised to see Jake.” He focused the green eyes on Jake’s face. “Jake, this is my
friend
, Alexandra Shields.”

Jake felt all the eyes of his family on him. He forced a genial smile. “Jenny tells me you’re an actress, Miss Shields. Are you in town making a movie?”

Her grin was friendly, if a little predatory. “Negotiating one, actually. And call me Alex.”

“You don’t live here?” Jenny said.

“Paris.”

“Oh, that must be so hard for you two, having to maintain a long-distance relationship. Where will you live when you’re married?”

Jake felt his stomach hit his knees.

Alexandra’s eyes took on a wicked gleam. “Yes, Roan, where will we live when we’re married?”

Roan gave her an indecipherable glance, then smiled at Jenny. “Alex is just teasing me, Jenny. We ended our engagement a while back, partly for the very reasons you’re suggesting, but we’ve stayed close friends.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry. I should have known that.” She smiled shyly. “I’m really a big fan.”

Jake got to see the charm that endeared Roan to the fashion world as much as his beauty. He leaned in to Jenny. “There are far more interesting subjects in this world than my love life, and you’re at the heart of many of them. In truth, I’m the one who’s a fan of yours. Would you like to dance?”

Jake thought he might have to give Jenny CPR. He knew just how she felt.

Jenny didn’t giggle—except in the presence of Roan Black. “Yes, thank you, I’d love to.”

“And why don’t you dance with me, Jake?” The red-haired Amazon extended her hand. Jake glanced a bit helplessly at his dad, who winked, and then he looked at Laney.

“Please, Jake, go right ahead.” Her tone had a little edge to it, but he wasn’t sure how to escape his obvious fate.

“All right. Laney, will you save me the next dance?”

That got more of a smile. “Sure, Jake.”

Taking the redhead’s hand, he walked to the dance floor.

Jake was a decent dancer, but his recent dancing experience had only included a six-foot alpha male whose cock stabbed into his abdomen. Alexandra wasn’t all that different—except for the cock part. About six feet tall in her heels, her body under the slip of a gown was strong and lean with only a hint of the soft roundness Jake associated with femininity. She also smelled heavenly. No perfume, just some sweet almondy scent that wafted around Jake like a cloud.

Even with that tall body pressed tight against him, Jake still had a couple inches on her. She tilted her head up and whispered in his ear, “So you’re my lover’s lover.”

Torn. Should he strangle her or throw her on the ground and fuck her? She had a powerful magnetism; he’d give her that. “In what way is he your lover?” He could hear the anger in his own voice.

“Jealous, lover?”

“Should I be?”

She gave him a steady stare with those ice blue eyes. “Actually, no.”

“Does that mean you’re not his lover?”

“No, it doesn’t mean that. It simply means that the boy is crazy about you.”

Jake felt himself tense. Of course, she felt it too and gave him a cool stare. “I hope you can handle that, lover boy, because nobody gets to hurt Roan with me around.”

He stared her down for a minute, but she didn’t waver, and he was the first to look away. “I’m trying, really, but this is all new to me.”

“He said you’ve always been straight.”

“Yeah.”

She nodded her head to where they’d left Laney with his parents. “Who’s the little ingénue?”

“Just a friend.”

“You fucking her?”

“No!”

She laughed. “A little defensive, are we? You using her for cover?”

“No! I just needed a date for this shindig, and I thought of her. What about you? Aren’t you with Roan to promulgate the fiction that he’s straight?”

“Partly. But I was in town, and we always get together when I’m here or he’s in Paris. My trip just happened to coincide with this event he was committed to attend, so I came with him.”

Jake gritted his teeth. “You always get together? Why? To fuck?” He could feel his hands tightening on her.

She pressed her body tight against him and whispered in his ear. “Yes, to fuck. And to suck, and to do everything a man and a woman can do together. Do you hate it that your boyfriend likes girls too, just like you do?”

“Yes. I…hate…it.”

She pulled back and looked at him. “Wow, you really are jealous, aren’t you? My beautiful boy really gets you going.” She ground her hips against him. “I can feel how hard you are.”