Brushing Off the Boss: A Half Moon Bay Novel (Entangled Bliss) (12 page)

Chapter Fourteen

Sienna slept deeply despite the crazy dreams of weddings where Renzo was giving her away. In her dreams, she walked down an aisle over and over, hanging on to his arm, but when she got to the front there was no one there. She was alone in the church and even Renzo had disappeared.

Runaway groom phobias.
Something she’d never have to worry about. It must be the thought of her mother deciding not to tell Renzo about his child when she first fell pregnant—about
her—
and Arielle that had gotten her mind spinning.

Sienna stood beneath the shower and let the warm water run down her face and neck. She always did her best thinking in the shower, or by the beach, but today her thoughts whirled around and her determination to move on had wavered. Closing her eyes, she leaned her head back and wished that the water could wash away all of her problems.

Marietta had sworn that she wouldn’t tell Georgie what she had told Sienna yesterday. Sienna knew that she couldn’t trust her not to tell Georgie, so she was going to have to make time to see her tonight. Taking time out wasn’t a problem anymore; there was no need to work on the enameling every night. Her throat ached with the disappointment of her lost dream, and Sienna gave in to the tears and let them fall until she was drained. She had worked toward that dream for two years, and in one afternoon, it was all gone.

Maybe she’d been foolish to trust Marietta, but she wanted to protect Georgie and ensure that she was the one to break the news. She knew that Georgie would be hit hard by the revelation that they weren’t twins…or even sisters. Sienna tipped her head back and let the warm water wash away her tears. She knew deep down she was making excuses; it was the thought of losing Jack that hurt the most. But it was better to do it now, on her terms.

She would have a busy day ahead, and she’d tell Jack he could have the studio as soon as he wanted it. Making the call to the newspaper to pull the ad, and canceling the catering, would fill in some of the day.

Fifteen minutes later, she was dressed and sitting in her car—her dead car—as the damn motor refused to fire. Taking it to the mechanic had slipped her mind over the past couple of days.

“Problems?” Jack stood at the front of the car, his hands on his hips, his jeans slung low on his waist, and his chest bare as it seemed to be more often than not. Sienna’s mouth dried and she tore her gaze away. Racing with Jack last night had done her good. He’d seemed genuinely worried about her being upset, and that had touched her, but she hadn’t wanted to go into explanations of what was bothering her. They’d had fun and she had appreciated his thoughtfulness. Plus she’d enjoyed beating him to the other side of the lake. If he hadn’t tricked her she would have beaten him back. She’d run that path so many times she could have done it in her sleep.

“Blasted car. I forgot to call the mechanic.”

She opened the door and eased herself out, and avoided looking at Jack’s bare chest as he moved closer to her. Turning the key in the door, she locked it and stepped back and began to count.

“One, two, three—”

“What are you doing? Trying to keep your temper intact?” Jack’s roguish grin interrupted her counting and Sienna pursed her lips and waved her arm at him.

“Four, five, six, seven, eight, nine…ten!” She unlocked the door and sat in the driver’s seat. “I’m trying something.”

Jack crossed his arms, watching her with an intent expression as he leaned against the side of the carport while she put the key in the ignition and turned it. The engine purred to life and she looked at him with a grin.

“It worked!”

“The counting? Was it overheated?” Jack stepped forward and crouched beside the car, and his face was close enough that she could see the gold flecks in his green eyes.

“No, I was experimenting.” Sienna let the rush of pleasure flow though her as she looked at him. Take what she could while she was still here. Store the memory away somewhere where she could pull it out when she’d moved away. “Before I had my iPad, I had a clunky old PC and every time it jammed, I used to shut it down, count to ten, and restart it. It always worked like a charm. I thought I’d test the theory on my BMW. After all, it has a computer system…I think?”

Jack burst out laughing and Sienna ignored the tremble that ran down to her fingertips. “I’d still take it to a mechanic and get it checked out.”

“I will…when I get time,” she said. “Are you coming into the gallery today?”

His gaze shifted from hers and he shook his head. “No, I thought I’d look around for a place to live. I’ll move into the studio if I haven’t found anything after your exhibition.”

Sienna reached out and put her hand over his. “I was hoping you’d come in today because I wanted to discuss my plans with you.”

“Your plans?”

“Yes, I’ve had a…er…a change of direction.”

“And…” Jack raised his brows in question.

Might as well get it out of the way now.

“I’m postponing my exhibition.” When he went to speak, she rushed on. “I don’t want to rush it. When I do it, I want it all to be just right, and I’ve left it too late to give it my best work. So there’s no hurry for me to finish my work. You can start using the studio as soon as you want to.”

“No, you can’t do that,” Jack shook his head. “I’ll come in today and we can talk about it. If you’re running out of time, I’ll help out. I’ll hire a second assistant to work in the gallery while you get your pieces ready. And don’t worry, I’ll still pay you.”

She pushed away the gratitude that filled her at his words. He really was a nice guy, but it was too late. “That’s really kind of you, but I’ve made up my mind. I’m really not ready. In a few months, I’ll be in a better place.”

“A better place? You’re leaving the gallery?” Jack’s brow wrinkled in a frown.

“No, I meant a better place personally.” As soon as the words were out, Sienna bit her lip.
Shoot
, she hadn’t meant to say that so she rushed out the next words. “I’m going to leave the gallery, too. You’ll need a new manager.”

She avoided looking at him; she knew if she saw any concern in his eyes she wouldn’t be able to hold back the tears.

“What brought all this on? Are you upset about the other night? Or was it Arielle turning up?” Jack’s intent gaze was seeing way too much, and she focused on lifting her fingers from his and put the car into gear.

“Nothing for you to worry about. I told you I was going to think about everything when you first arrived, and that I’d probably move on.” She let off the emergency brake and waited for him to stand up. “I’ve thought and I’ve decided. I’ll see you later, then. Okay?”

“Okay. We’ll talk later.” Sienna glanced in the rear vision mirror. Jack was staring at the car as she backed out from the carport, a frown wrinkling his brow. She let out the breath she’d been holding. The sooner she sorted out her private life, and the sooner she sold her cottage and moved away the better it would be for all concerned. So much had happened in the last week, she needed to get away. As soon as Faith’s birthday party was over…and she’d spoken to Georgie, she was going to take some time for herself.

Maybe I’ll take a trip to Milwaukee.

Chapter Fifteen

After Sienna turned from the drive and the last flash of red sports car disappeared through the trees, Jack walked back inside. The place felt empty without her. He flicked on the coffeemaker and drew a deep breath as her perfume lingered in the kitchen.

I’ve got it bad.

And he felt bad. Despite what she said, he knew Sienna was upset because they’d spent the night together, and then Arielle flitted in the next morning.
Something else was bugging her.
One minute they’d been laughing and joking, and sharing a great night in bed together. Now she’d canned her exhibition and was leaving the gallery. All he wanted to do was take her in his arms and try to make it up to her. He’d been in knots wondering how he was going to take over the studio and leave her without somewhere to work. He thought he’d wanted to date Sienna and have some fun, without living and working in the same place…now he couldn’t bear to be away from her. When she was away from him, the light went out of his day. Hell, he’d even put in a day’s work at the gallery if it meant spending more time with her.

What was wrong with him?

A few days away was what he needed. He’d committed to going to Faith’s birthday party and was looking forward to catching up with them.
Especially Blake.
Maybe a game of golf and catching up with his buddy would help him sort his head out. Blake and Ana and Sienna seemed to be great friends. Maybe it wasn’t Arielle showing up that had turned her cold toward him. He’d give her a few days and let her get over whatever was bothering her. The week after the party, he’d jump on the bike and head down the coast to L.A. and visit some of his connections down there. Then he’d come back, move into a new place, and get to work on his sculptures.

Here, in
my
studio.
He didn’t need to be around Sienna.

It was so out of character for him to be worrying about things out of his control. He needed to chill and get his head back together.

He wandered through the apartment with his coffee, and looked out the window over the lake. Despite being here such a short time, he felt right at home in Sienna’s apartment, and it was going to be hard to move out. When he did move back to town, he’d miss her, and he really hoped she’d change her mind about leaving the gallery.

He picked up his cell and dialed Blake’s number. No time like the present.

“Jack! How’s it going?” Blake’s voice was upbeat as usual. Since he’d settled on the West Coast, Blake had unwound and the uptight businessman changed into a laid-back husband and father.

“Hey, buddy. I was wondering if you had time for a game of golf in your busy schedule?”

“Maybe. When were you planning to come up and play?”

“How about I grab a motel room and we get together the day after the birthday party?” Jack grinned.

“Sounds like a plan. How’s the gallery going?” Blake’s tone was bland.

“Hidden subtext? You mean how are Sienna and I getting along?”

“Yeah, I thought you might have some issues there.” Blake laughed. “She’s the toughest of the three girls. I wondered how things were going down there with you two. Ana hasn’t spoken to her for a few days.”

“We’re getting on very well. She’s a great person. She’s a talented artist and she’s done a great job with the gallery in the short time she’s been here. And her house is amazing.”

“Still smitten, then?”

“No, we have a business relationship, that’s all. You know me, I don’t mix business and pleasure.” A little white lie, but it wasn’t the done thing to share, even with a buddy.

“But you’ve been out to her place?”

“I’m actually living in her apartment—”

“You always were a fast mover.”

“I’m taking it slow.” That’s as much as Jack was going to say.

“I’ve got some news for you, buddy. This golf game will be the last for a while. Ana and I are moving back to New York for a year. I’m helping your dad out for a few months.”

“How come? I thought you loved it down here?” A twinge of guilt was quickly pushed away. Dad knew he wasn’t coming back, so getting Blake back to New York was a good move. He was just surprised that Blake had agreed to go.

“Won’t be for long. Ana was hoping you’d look out for Sienna a bit.”

“I think she’s pretty good at looking out for herself.”

“That’s the front she puts up, but she’s as soft as butter beneath that.” Blake’s voice was protective. “But hey, listen. Don’t hurt her, okay? She’s special.”

Ah, maybe Ana moving away was what had upset Sienna? All of a sudden, Jack wanted to get off the call so he could think things through a bit more. “Listen, I’m just on my way out. I’ll see you at the party.”

“Looking forward to it. Never thought I’d end up a doting dad and husband. Lot to be said for it, Jack.”

“Not for me, buddy. See you soon.” He disconnected the call and headed for the shower. It was time to go and find a place to live before he got too settled in here.

…

By the middle of the morning, Sienna had canceled all of the arrangements for the exhibition, and taken down the posters from the window of the gallery. All she had to do was go for a walk and get the posters taken down in the post office and the few shops that had agreed to put them up for her around Carmel. And she’d taken a call from Katy, the new gallery assistant, saying she had a job in L.A. and wouldn’t be able to help out. She’d close at lunchtime, unless Jack came in to look after the gallery.

She swallowed hard and leaned back against her chair; regret spiked her chest. She’d have her show one day. For the first time since she’d decided to leave, Sienna looked around the gallery and realized how hard it would be to move on. Not only did she love this town, she’d had such dreams for the gallery. Maybe she would sell her house to Jack. Ever since Marietta had dropped the truth on her, she’d found it hard to get motivated, and she even wondered for the first time if she was kidding herself thinking she could be a successful artist. But whatever happened she was not going to risk getting hurt. She was strong, and she could start again, somewhere else. Somewhere away from Jack, somewhere she wouldn’t be tempted by a sexy grin and a lock of hair falling casually across eyes that held hers.

Sienna walked across to the wall and flicked the switch to turn on the new lighting. Even if she wasn’t using it for the exhibition it had enhanced the displays and was one thing less Jack would have to worry about. The pieces on the shelves glowed beneath the soft light, and she watched as a couple of tourists admired the display across the room. Her work here was done, and it was time to think about where she was going. In one way, Marietta had done her a favor and pushed the decision about the gallery—and Jack—to be made more quickly. Sienna knew she had to get away soon, because he was altogether too damned sexy, and it would only be a matter of time before she gave in to him.. There were so many things she didn’t like about him. He was too laid-back and casual about this business, he’d lied to her about being an artist, and… But if she was honest, she knew she was reaching, because she was so damned attracted to him. She wasn’t going to get involved with anyone. She was keeping her heart intact from now on. Relationships were not for her. Not with anyone. Not with him.

Him. Jack.

And she intended to keep her life private and her emotions safe.

Sienna touched the screen of her iPad and opened a browser window. Her fingers hovered over the touch-screen keyboard, until she drew a deep breath and typed in the words “Catherine Elizabeth Stuart, Milwaukee.” She’d looked at the birth certificate so much, it was almost falling to pieces.

Tears filled her eyes. Of course the first damn search result pulled up her mother’s name and her dates of birth and death. Nothing was private these days. You could Google just about anything, but the last thing Sienna had expected to see was her mother’s life dates on the screen in front of her. Her vision blurred as she ran her finger down the screen and read the funeral notice that had obviously been scanned in from an old site. She checked the website; it was archived newspaper issues scanned and indexed as a part of a local history project for an ancestry database. She emailed the page to the printer and put the iPad aside as a customer wandered over with a small vase in her hand.

Brushing her eyes with the back of her hand, Sienna greeted the lady with a smile. “You’ve chosen a lovely piece.”

She still had a job to do, until she left.

Jack wandered in midafternoon. She’d closed the gallery at noon and visited the shops to take down the ads. The disappointment expressed by the locals that her show had been postponed lifted her and was one of the best things that happened to her this week.

Almost the best.

Her thoughts went straight back to the night with Jack in the studio. Nothing could compare to that. She pushed away the thought, and because she was trying to block it out, her voice was short when she greeted him.

“I’m about to close.”

“That’s fine. I came in to take you for dinner before you go home.”

Sienna’s head flew up. “Why?”

“Because you look like you need cheering up…and I wanted to convince you I’m a nice guy.”

Tears pricked her eyes again. She’d been so damn emotional since Marietta dropped the news on her, she was tearing up at stupid things, and it wasn’t the way she usually dealt with problems. Not by a long shot.

Turning away so he couldn’t see her eyes fill, Sienna slid her iPad into its case. “There’s no need for that. I told you last night what you do has nothing to do with me.”

“Okay, how about we go to dinner and talk about why you’ve canceled your show and why you’ve decided to leave.”

“No.” Sienna put her iPad in the drawer beneath the desk and shut it with a firm push. The tiny desk rocked on its narrow legs, and Jack grabbed for the antique lamp that teetered on the corner at the same time she did. Their fingers brushed and she pulled back when her skin tingled.

“Whoa, that was close.” He lifted the lamp and put it closer to the middle of the desk.

“Thank you.”

“Okay, third and final try. One, I don’t need to explain Arielle to you?”

“No.”

“Two, you don’t want to talk about your exhibition?”

“No.” Sienna glanced up at him from beneath her lashes, and her breath caught in her throat. She bit down the beginning of a smile that was playing around her mouth as Jack got down on to his knees. This was the very reason why she had to leave. He only had to smile at her, and she was willing to do whatever Jack wanted.

“Three.” He put his hands together in front of his chest and Sienna let the smile spread.

“Three?” she asked.

“I want to go back to that fantastic Italian restaurant and I hate eating alone, and I enjoy your company. Is that enough?”

For the first time since she’d raced him last night, a laugh bubbled up from Sienna’s chest and she let it out past her lips. “You are one very persuasive man, Jack.”

“And a hungry one. So, dinner?” He pushed to his feet and crooked his arm and held it out to her.

Sienna stared at his arm as a breathless feeling radiated throughout her chest. She had an inkling she was making a big mistake, but she guessed she had to eat. She would go and see Georgie first thing in the morning. Jack could mind the gallery. She would have dinner with him tonight and that would be it.

“How about a compromise? Instead of going all the way to Monterey, there’s a nice little Italian restaurant around the corner.” She pressed her lips tightly together so she didn’t look too enthusiastic, and ignored Jack’s arm when she glanced at her watch. “And you do realize it’s not dinnertime yet?”

“I can wait.” He grinned at her. “I might have to grab a burger to see me through, but I’ll look forward to Italian. Are you going home first?”

She shook her head. “No, I was going to close up here and do some accounts.”

“Don’t work too hard. I’ll come back at six. Okay?”

Her gaze met his and held it for a long moment, and Sienna knew she’d made the wrong call. Spending more time in Jack’s company than she had to was going to put her emotions in the way of logical—and safe—decision making.

I don’t need this.
But the warmth filling her chest belied her thoughts.

She’d make certain they would have a quick meal, and then she’d go home and get a good night’s sleep.

By myself.