No Regrets Read online

  She brought the dog into the house and bathed him, doctored his wounds while he whined, and gave him a bowl of water, which he lapped up with gusto.

  “We are going to have to find you a home,” she told him. She didn’t have any food in the house save some left over hamburger, and so she crumbled it and set it down for him. The pup ate like it was his last meal, and then sat staring at her, waiting for more.

  “I guess it’s about time I went to the market anyway,” she told him.

  He wagged his tail in reply.

  She had never had any pets as a child and traveled too much as an adult to keep a pet. Her Palm Beach condo was designed for sophisticated adult living, not furry animals. She didn’t like the idea of growing too attached to any living creatures. As an adult, she had forgone any emotional comforts she might become too depended upon.

  Her mother had died when she was fifteen years old, leaving her alone and penniless. She'd worked hard to become successful and independent. Her comforts were material, ones she could see, touch, and feel. Ones she could change or replace without a second thought. Not animals and certainly not people who could die and leave you broken hearted.

  The puppy nudged at her heels, and she knelt down to scratch his head. “We are going to have to give you a name while you’re visiting,” she said. He nipped playfully at her hands as she pet him, until she found a thorn still clinging to his fur. He whimpered as she pulled it out.

  “I guess I’ll have to call you Thorn,” she said. For one eerie moment, the notion of a family slipped through her mind, and Jamie had the strangest feeling of contentment.

  “No, you’re not staying” she said firmly.

  And Thorn, understanding none of it, licked her face in warm appreciation.

  ˜

  The week came and went, and Thorn was still there. Every time Jamie had resigned herself to take him to the pound, the phone or doorbell rang, or he was so peacefully asleep she couldn’t bear to wake him up. It wasn’t because he sat at her feet while she had coffee every morning or yapped with pleasure when she returned home, or cuddled up next to her at the end of the day. Thorn was visiting. She hadn’t had the time to drive him down to the animal shelter. She wasn’t getting attached to him.

  She had no more contact from Conrad for which she was immensely grateful. She’d never foreseen the events of the last few weeks. She knew people of Conrad’s standing were accustomed to a certain level of indulgence from society, but she was completely unprepared for the aggression of his actions. Still, Conrad was nothing if not arrogant and by now, he certainly realized the futility of pursuing her. A top-notch security system would put an end to any more of his antics and give her peace of mind.

  Jamie took a sip of iced tea and glanced contentedly at Thorn who was resting at her feet, shoving the unpleasant thoughts from her mind. She was enjoying her time away from the stifling Palm Beach crowd. She felt alive for the first time in a long while.

  Aidan Brice had certainly done something to her, bringing out a familiar yearning in her she hadn’t known still existed in her conservative, controlled self. Well, there was no leisure time right now to dream about Aidan, who was on his way over with the contract. She still had a few finishing touches to make.

  As an interior designer living in this run down cottage was like a pastry chef going on a diet. She had been living with barebones furniture, and the house had seemed depressingly empty. Then she’d gone shopping. She bought a wicker basket with a big fluffy pillow for Thorn, even though he wasn’t staying, and all the other necessary paraphernalia for a dog. She'd give it to his new owners when the time came.

  An colorful tablecloth now covered a kitchen table, adorned with a vase of fresh flowers. A Key Lime pie from Maggie’s Sweet Tooth, the best bakery in town, was in the oven. Its meringue toasted slowly and filled the house with a decadent scent. She set a bottle of fine chardonnay in a bucket of ice next to two crystal wine glasses. She smiled, pleased at the improvements. Even Thorn looked cute as a button in his red bandana, nothing like the ragamuffin mutt she'd found days ago.

  She wore a fitted, navy blue knit dress and a sexy perfume enticing to even the dullest sense of smell. She would break through Aidan's rough veneer. She would break through his resistance.

  When she heard Thorn yapping from the back yard she knew a moment’s panic as her stomach dropped. The time had finally arrived. Her hands were inexplicably shaking as she opened the front door but her voice was steady and sweet. She had learned to master her emotions long ago. Emotions weren’t of much use in the harshness of the real world.

  She opened the door.

  Aidan looked devastatingly sexy in jeans and work boots, his hair was ruffled as if he'd taken off a cap and ran his hands through the golden strands. He was wearing dark sunglasses, which hid his expression and he gripped a manila folder in one capable hand. It made her breathless to look at him.

  “Please come in,” she said.

  Aidan stepped carefully into the house as if entering the realm of the devil. There had been a subtle change since the last time he had been there. A wonderful scent came from the kitchen, causing his empty stomach to growl. The afternoon light shone through the bare windows, creating a dappled effect on the worn walls. Despite its near emptiness, the house had a very strong sense of Jamie’s presence.

  “Let’s sit in the kitchen,” she said and led the way, her hips swaying slightly as she moved in front of him.

  He took his sunglasses off.

  The kitchen looked warm and inviting with a set table, colorful dishrags hung at the stove and even a pet bowl, presumably for the dog of the house, was artistically set askew on the floor. Nice designer’s touch.

  He couldn’t imagine Jamie owning a dog, unless it was one of those ridiculously small lap dogs, and he’d seen no sign of one of those yappers. Decorators were masters of illusion, and Jamie was nothing more than an illusionist. He eyed the wine bottle chilling in a bucket and immediately felt uneasy. He was being ambushed.

  “Please sit down,” she said graciously.

  She removed a pie from the oven and the sweet aroma made his mouth water.

  ”Would you like a piece of Key Lime pie?”

  “No. Let’s get down to business,” he said.

  She took the seat opposite to him, crossing her long, lithe legs in full view. She sat in nothing but an old, folding chair yet she looked like a goddess, sitting serenely on a throne. He settled in stiffly and turned his attentions to the folder he carried.

  “I don’t think one precludes the other. We can have our cake and eat it too,” Jamie said. She smiled sweetly at him.

  She was baiting him and he felt his body reacting to her, to her sweet smelling perfume, her full lips, and the clingy dress, which left little to his vivid imagination. He'd done his share of seducing women in the past and in turn had been chased by many women, hotter and far more aggressive than Jamie. So, why was he acting like a hormonal teenager?

  "I'm not hungry," he said.

  Her eyes lit up with amusement.

  He looked around the room, his gaze resting on a torn up, lacy pillow lying in an empty cardboard box. He glanced at her face and caught her in an unguarded moment, noticing the fatigue behind her weary eyes. She smiled brightly the moment she was aware he watched her.

  "I forgot to mention. I'm having a security system put in so I'll need you to work out the electrical needs with Custom Security."

  "A security system? This is Seabrook, not Palm Beach. I'm sure that's not necessary," he said.

  "Oh it is. I'll sleep better at night. You know, single girl and all." She laughed lightly.

  "It's your money," he said.

  Her voiced hardened. "I would like it installed as soon as possible."

  Something felt uneasy to him. The circles under her eyes, the weariness, and the tension in her weren’t just the signs of a stressed out career woman. There was more to it. Her association with Conrad Malcolm gave him paus
e. Jamie was the sort of woman he would prey on. He would know.

  "I know Jim, the owner of Custom Security. I'll give him a call tomorrow," he said.

  "Good. The sooner the better."

  She read through the contract he gave her. Her hands were unsteady as she held it. She looked as though her thoughts were somewhere else, rather than on the paper she was supposed to be reading. She was hiding something, and he wanted to know what it was, needed to know what secret she harbored. He didn’t like secrets, though admittedly he had many of his own.

  "Is the contract okay?" he asked.

  She looked up, startled for a moment. "Yes. But we may need to amend the contract after you talk to Custom Security," she said.

  He'd let it go, for now. He looked over the well-worn kitchen, settling his eyes on the wine until she noticed. She shifted in her seat and a sheepish grin spread across her face.

  He raised an eyebrow. “Expecting company?"

  "I like to celebrate with a toast when I start a new project," she said lightly.

  "Considering your line of work, you must celebrate all the time."

  Her eyes flashed up at him, indignant. "Are you insinuating I have a drinking problem?"

  "I don't know, do you?"

  He cherished her barely concealed anger.

  "I rarely have more than one drink on any given occasion. I don’t know what you've read in the tabloids about me, but trust me, none of it is true," she said, obviously riled.

  "I don't read the tabloids," he said. “Just the respectable newspapers."

  "Well, don't be so sure they publish the facts either," she said. "You can't know someone from a newspaper article."

  “I know enough,” he said, leaning back in the chair. "I know you do a lot of charity work. Very nice. I know you've been linked with some of the most eligible bachelors in Hollywood and high society. Among them Conrad Malcolm," he said, hiding his disgust with effort.

  Her reaction was too instinctive for her to hide it. Her face turned pale and for a moment, she was stunned into silence.

  "Don't believe everything you read," she said quietly.

  She did have a secret. “You know the old saying, birds of a feather and all," he said, knowing her was pushing boundaries now.

  “You know nothing about me!”

  He'd said it to goad her and to get beneath her controlled demeanor. He wanted to smile but he didn’t dare. He relaxed, feeling inexplicably more at ease. She was uneasy about Conrad Malcolm. He would put money on it.

  "You and your assumptions," she said. "Sure, I'm a big, bad city woman whose sole interests are partying, and picking up celebrity men. You certainly lack imagination," she said with unconcealed irritation.

  “Now settle down, darling. Don’t tie your panties in a knot.”

  “My panties are fine," she muttered.

  Aidan traced over her body, imagining the feel of how fine those silky panties would feel as he slid them off her hips and down those forever legs. Her cheeks flushed when he lifted his eyes to her face.

  She raised her chin in haughty defiance. “Perhaps you’re hungry after all?”

  She was a devil, wasn’t she? Aidan felt the dangerous tension in the air, in his body, running hot through his veins. He liked a woman with a sharp wit and fight. Too bad. Once he'd won the battle over Villa Milagros, she'd despise him. He could tell she wasn't a woman who liked to lose. He had to smile as he imagined the fit she'd throw when she found out he’d outbid her.

  “I didn’t know you were capable of smiling,” she mused.

  She went to the kitchen counter and began slicing the pie. She looked poised and refined amidst the stained walls of a kitchen that had seen better days. Just a little guilt seeped into his conscience. He didn’t have any right to judge her. She was a prospective client, and he'd never treated any other client so uncouthly, including the hot, aggressive Miss Sinclair who might have deserved it. What could a piece of pie do other than satiate his empty stomach? He was after all, in charge of the situation.

  “I guess I’ll have some pie. Smells too good to resist.” He could have said the same thing about her.

  The delicate smirk, which crossed her face didn’t escape him as she laid out two plates and two glasses of water. He pulled out the contract for the renovations. They went over some of the finer details. Jamie made a few changes and quietly signed the contract. The loud noise of a dog barking broke the silence.

  “You have a dog?” Aidan asked.

  She nodded, clearing away the dishes. “I found him yesterday, tangled up in the bougainvillea bush, poor thing. Come and meet him.”

  She was out the back door before he could refuse.

  The dog was a mere pup and wagged his tail frantically at their arrival, apparently not appreciating being ignored for so long. The puppy jumped at her energetically as she approached. She scratched his ears absently and cooed to him in soft, incoherent sounds. The mutt then sniffed Aidan’s boot suspiciously and deciding he was acceptable, jumped up on him until Aidan rewarded him with a pat on the head.

  “Cute pup,” he said, thinking of how much Ross would have liked him. “What’s his name?”

  “Thorn. I’m not keeping him though. I guess I’ll take him to the pound next week.”

  “If you’re not keeping him then why did you name him?”

  An unreadable expression moved over her face. “They’ll find him a home.” She sounded as though she were trying to convince herself.

  He didn’t want to tell her the chances were slim. With so many strays, few had the chance of finding homes and most ended up euthanized. “He’s a cute mutt, maybe someone will adopt him,” he offered, trying to sound upbeat.

  They walked back into the house and Thorn cheerfully followed. He nudged his nose against Jamie’s leg and she patted his head, absently looking out the kitchen window.

  “I can’t keep Thorn. I’m too busy. I’m always out of town and my condo in Palm Beach doesn’t allow dogs.”

  A frown settled on her face. It was obvious to Aidan she wanted to keep the mutt despite her protests. He softened a bit. Maybe she wasn't so snotty, high society after all.

  “I could find someone who’d take him,” he offered. “I know about everyone in Seabrook these days,” he said, surprising himself. Who was he to make promises to her?

  Thorn was sniffing his bowl expectantly, and she leaned against the kitchen counter, watching him with a bittersweet smile. “I guess I’ll have to find a way to keep him,” she said softly.

  Again, the gnawing feeling of tenderness tinged with allure. Jamie Connolly was a formidable woman, part seductress, part innocent. He was finding out too much about his new client. More than he wanted to know. More than he needed to know. He grabbed his folder abruptly from the table and turned to go.

  “My men are finishing up another job right now. We’ll start demolition on Thursday. Okay with you?”

  “Perfect. It will give me a chance to start shopping for materials,” she said, leading him to the front door.

  “All women love to shop,” Aidan quipped, not able to resist the urge to provoke her again.

  “You certainly have narrow views for such an educated, well traveled man.”

  Aidan stopped in his tracks. Jamie stood in front of the door but made no move to open it.

  “What do you mean?” He was thoroughly suspicious now.

  “You did specialize in historic renovations didn’t you? Studied in Italy and France. Very impressive.”

  She obviously approved. He, on the other hand did not. If there was one thing he hated, and one thing he found hazardous to his well-established life, it was someone prying into his past.

  “Have you been snooping into my personal affairs?” It was more of a demand than a question.

  Her eyes flashed defensively at his reaction, but she quickly regained her composure.

  “I hired you to do some very expensive work on my house. I always check the credentials of anyone I
work with, especially before signing a contract.”

  He relaxed, a little. “I take it they were satisfactory to you?”

  She leaned against the front door, her expression challenging him. “Very satisfactory, otherwise I wouldn’t have picked you for the job.”

  A slow grumble interrupted Aidan’s reply. Evidently, the mutt had enough of being ignored and his growl grew into an all out barking frenzy. Jamie, obviously unaccustomed to dogs, jumped suddenly at his yapping. She stepped forward to quiet him, but the pup ran between her feet, and she lost her balance. In a split second, she was crashing toward the floor.

  Aidan halted her fall in an instance, grabbing her around the waist to steady her as she fell gracelessly into his arms. Her soft breasts brushed against his body, and the scent of her alluring perfume mingled against his cotton tee shirt, leaving behind a seductive hint of her flowery scent. Her long, dark hair fell loosely across her shoulders, flowing elegantly over her face like a veil. She steadied herself, bracing her body against Aidan’s chest, and peered up into his face.

  At that moment, all bets were off.

  Aidan reached for her and pulled her against him, capturing her mouth with his before she uttered a sound of protest or invitation. Her lips parted under his willingly, and he heard a barely suppressed moan escape her mouth as his tongue touched hers in a moment exquisite pleasure.

  She tasted like tart limes, graham crackers, and sunshine rolled into one. Her lips were lush, soft, and warm. The creak of the old ceiling fan faded as he breathed in her heady scent, glorious and sweet. He heard the tap of paws against the wood floors as the mutt scuttled away. Somewhere outside a palm frond rustled against the windowpane, and the bright sunlight faded into darkness as he gave into the succulent lips brushing insistently against his mouth.

  He moved his hands slowly down the curves of her luscious body and wrapped them around her waist. She sighed against his mouth, not trying to suppress it this time and drew her hands up around his neck, pulling him harder, closer to her as if he might try to escape.

  He didn’t want to escape. The feel of her was too intense, too wonderfully gratifying to let go. He loved the way she tasted, loved the uninhibited way she responded, the way her body reacted smothered against him. Memories of the taste of her sweet lips invaded his mind, memories of secret kisses on a moonlit night with the sand beneath their feet.