His By Design (18 page)

“Oh. I only came up to grab a few bottles of water.” She picked them up and shooed him out the door. “Hurry up, they may want to buy something.”

“Ah, I don’t think you have to worry about that.”

“Why?”

“You’ll see.”

Zoe stopped abruptly. “It’s not Fredrick Barker, is it?”

“No.” He watched the panic fade from her eyes.

I really wish I knew what the hell that man got you to agree to, to loan you that money.

“How come you’re so secretive all of a sudden?”

“I’m not being secretive. I came up here to get you, now let’s go down and you can see for yourself who it is.”

“All right, all right.” She spun and preceded him down the stairs.

They found Russ in the nook dedicated to Zoe’s fantasy art. When he turned to greet them, Zoe stopped dead and her face lit up with pleasure.

“Russell Manheim. It’s such a pleasure to meet you.” She shook his hand, then elbowed Jeff in the ribs. “Why didn’t you tell me it was him?”

“I wanted to surprise you.”

“Well, you succeeded. Mr. Manheim, may I show you around the gallery?”

“Thank you, but I’ve already taken a quick look around. And please, call me Russ. No need for formality among friends.”

Zoe smiled and bounced ever so slightly on her toes, as excited to meet him as a teen-ager meeting a rock star. “Well? What do you think of the gallery, Russ?”

“The space is well-lit, well-planned, and delightfully spacious. So many galleries in the cities today are woefully short on space. The collections barely have room to breathe and when there’s a large exhibition the people are so crowded together it’s difficult to get enough distance to appreciate some of the larger works.” He clapped Jeff on the shoulder. “You’ve done a great job here. I knew it would be good if you had your hand in it, but this place exceeds my expectations.” Russ transferred his attention to Zoe. “I’m pleased you asked me to be the highlighted artist at your grand opening.”

“And I am so grateful you agreed to have an exclusive showing here on such a big holiday weekend.” Zoe clasped her hands tightly in front of her. “I hope you won’t be disappointed at the turn-out. We’re new and this is a small town, but I’m going to advertise in all the trade papers and especially in Baltimore and Washington. I’m sure your name will bring in many who might otherwise have skipped our opening.”

“We’ve both been in this business long enough to know it takes time to build up a core clientele for a new gallery. If you’re worried about sales of my works, don’t. I’ll be quite comfortable even if you don’t sell a single work of mine.” He gestured over her shoulder at the paintings hanging behind her. “I’ll guarantee you’ll sell some of these. They’re wonderful. Who’s the artist?”

“You’re teasing me, aren’t you? Did Jeff already tell you they were mine?”

“Actually, no. But fantasy art is one of my guilty pleasures. As a youngster I was completely enthralled by Boris Vallejo’s works. These show an exceptional facility with light and color. I love the way you’ve managed to make mists appear so sheer, and water so reflective.”

Zoe grinned. “Thank you, Russ. That is so sweet of you to say.”

“Not at all. Ask any gallery owner who’s dealt with me. They’ll tell you I am not sweet, nor willing to praise anyone’s work that I don’t think is worthy. I have a certain reputation as a diva, one I try hard to maintain.” He chuckled.

“Since you’re an old friend of Jeff’s, I’m sure you’ve seen his work already, but he’s also one of my bestsellers. Aren’t his paintings awesome?”

“Everything Jeff does is awesome, but I’m impressed with his sculptures. That’s where I think his true talent lies.” Russ grinned at Jeff.

Nice side-step, buddy.

Russ checked his watch. “I hate to cut this short, Zoe, but I have to make a flight out of BWI this evening. Let’s nail down the details for your opening. How many paintings do you want to hang? And when should I get them here? Do you have a contract ready for me to sign?”

“Since I wasn’t expecting you today, I don’t have a contract ready.” Zoe shot Jeff an annoyed glance. “But let’s go back to my office and we can work out the details for the show. I’ll get your address and send a contract to you as soon as I can.”

“I’ll leave you two to it, then, and be back in about an hour. I have to stop at Ed’s Diner about a repair.”

He cut across the town square and noticed the masts on the boats in the marina rocking to and fro on the choppy water. The dull-gray sky matched his mood, after his conversation with Russ last night filled him with misgivings.

He dreaded the upcoming grand opening because he’d have to tap-dance around ownership of Jen’s paintings. At the same time he prayed they would sell enough to fund her next operation. Once she was healed and they could come clean to Zoe, he’d feel a lot better. He didn’t like lying and now that he’d fallen for the feisty brunette, he couldn’t imagine how he’d live without her.

He’d take his chances and tell her the truth right now, but if something did go wrong, he wanted Zoe able to truthfully deny any knowledge of his fraudulent behavior. No matter what it cost him personally, protecting Zoe and his sister were his top priorities.

Chapter 17

Zoe locked the front door and turned off all but the security lights in the gallery. She and Amanda had spent the whole day interviewing and hiring people for the Wyndham’s party. She hadn’t talked that much in weeks.

Dev had picked Amanda up to take her to dinner. Zoe shook her head at Amanda’s refusal to admit what was obvious to anyone with half a brain. She knew it the night Mandy had cooked dinner for them after they’d done their on-site review of the party venue. Those two were in love, and much as Amanda feared loving—and losing—another man she cared for, sooner or later she’d have to see the light. Even if it took Zoe to shine it right in her eyes.

She had hoped the same light would dawn on Jeff, but their relationship seemed stuck in the physical only category. They had worked together, laughed together, and had experienced mind-blowing sexual intimacy. There had been times, plenty of times, when Jeff had the opportunity to move their relationship to a deeper level. To say something—anything—that would indicate he wanted a long-term arrangement. But with every opportunity he let pass, the more convinced she became that she was nothing more than a convenient sexual partner.

He doesn’t have to say he loves me. I know guys are leery about commitment. But at this point I’m not even sure I’m the only woman he’s sleeping with. Maybe I shouldn’t be so . . . so . . . available.

She sighed and started up the stairs to her apartment, only to be stopped by the sound of Jeff’s bike out back. Her cell phone vibrated in her pocket. She dug it out and read the text. “Hi, sweet cheeks. Want some company?” He had a key to that door but never used it without letting her know it was him. She cursed the flare of longing and desire his message produced, and toyed with the idea of saying no. Then sighed in defeat. Who was she kidding? She had no willpower at all where Jeff Petrosky was concerned. She went to the door and opened it.

He leaned in and kissed her, then held up two containers of Chinese food. “I come bearing gifts. And they’re a lot more practical than frankincense and myrrh.”

“You do know the way to a girl’s heart. Come on upstairs.” She led and unlocked her apartment door. “Why don’t you dish the food out while I change clothes?” The business attire she wore in the gallery was too straight-laced to relax in.

“Your wish is my command, my lady.”

I wish I was your lady. Then there would be no need for commands.

She traded her pencil skirt and silk blouse for gym shorts and a tank top. “What have you been up to all day?”

“I helped Dev do some upgrades to Amanda’s cottage. He wanted to install new baseboard heaters and caulk the windows to keep the place warmer.” Jeff poured her a glass of wine and opened a beer for himself.

Zoe smiled. “He’s got it bad for her, doesn’t he?”

“No doubt about that. But he may be in for some hard times.” Jeff took a long swallow of his beer.

“What makes you say that? It sounds like he did some really nice things to her place.”

“Yeah, but he, uh, didn’t exactly get her permission first. She thought all he was going to do was the caulking.”

“Oops. That’s not good. She’ll be pissed that he didn’t ask her first.”

“Which is what I told him.” He chewed thoughtfully on a mouthful of Kung Pao chicken. “But what do I know about women?” He shrugged and washed the chicken down with beer.

Not much, Studley. Other than how to make them come three times in less than an hour.

“Have you heard any more from Russell?” Zoe pushed the beef with broccoli around on her plate, her usual hearty appetite banished by worry.

“No. I expect he’d call you about the showing if he had any concerns, not me. Why? Is something wrong?”

“No. I just wondered if he might have said anything to you that he didn’t want to say to me, that’s all.”

“I can only tell you that when he left after meeting you, he told me he was very impressed with the gallery, and with the artisans whose works you accepted for display.” He tilted her chin up with a finger and stared into her eyes. “I know you’re worried about the opening, babe, but you’ve done a great job with the gallery. It’ll be a success.” He leaned in and kissed her. “I do know a great way to relieve stress,” he murmured, trailing kisses down her throat. “Wanna try it?”

She wanted to say no. But her resolve to be less accessible weakened with every kiss. When his hand covered her breast, the nipple pebbled under his palm and her breath shuddered out. “Mmmm,” she moaned, all reason lost to the sensations his touch aroused in her.

At least she had enough sense not to tell him she loved him.

Jeff lay awake, one arm behind
his head, the other holding Zoe snugged against his side. He’d loved her slowly and tenderly, trying to convey his feelings for her with his actions when he couldn’t express them with words. He sensed that Zoe was worried about more than the gallery opening.

They’d gone way past casual sex in the months they had worked together and he knew she was hoping to hear some indication from him that he’d like their relationship to move up to the next level.

He sighed. The next level? Hell, if he was honest with her he’d skip the levels bullshit and just tell her he loved her. Would gladly devote the rest of his life to making her happy. He’d ask her to marry him and never leave him. But he couldn’t very well propose to her while he was keeping the secret of Jen and her paintings from her. And once he told her and she realized he’d lied to her for months, it might not matter whether he loved her or not. She might kick his ass out the door and lock it behind him.

He thought about the day he spent with Dev, helping him fix up Amanda’s cottage. The man had some issues about his injuries. Jeff could understand and he’d done his best to show Dev that those scars wouldn’t stand in the way if he wanted to begin a friendship.

Jeff looked forward to hearing how today’s renovation work went down with Amanda. Keeping the full extent of his plans a secret until the work was done might backfire on Dev. Women nowadays didn’t like secrets or being treated as though they were unable to handle their own lives. Dev may have bought himself a ticket on the break-up express today. But, if the man managed to salvage his growing relationship with Amanda, Jeff would ask him for some pointers.

Because in a few months he would be in line at the same ticket window. Much as he wanted to fix things for Jen, it would break his heart if he lost Zoe in the process.

The night of the Wyndham’s party finally arr
ived. They had spent most of the day setting up, decorating, checking and double-checking every last detail. The deck, walkway, and pavilion were awash in fairy lights embedded in greenery, and the red carpets enhanced the centerpieces of tall red amaryllis and trailing needlepoint ivy. The clear night sky held a brilliant full moon. Everything was perfect.

Zoe and Amanda were the last two to change clothes in the Wyndham’s old house where they had stored all the furniture and decorations. They had scouted the second-hand stores in Annapolis to find gowns since Mrs. Wyndham expected them to remain onsite for the duration, in case anything went wrong. She wanted them to blend in with the guests. They had almost given up on finding a dress for Zoe.

“Really? Size two?” Amanda sighed. “Size two is for toddlers, not grown women.”

“Well, I’m sorry. It’s my Polynesian heritage. We don’t grow as tall as you Scandinavians.”

Eventually they did find a gown, although Zoe had to take the hem up a fair amount. Black and strapless, it had an empire waist that added some visual inches to her height. The bolero top shimmered with tiny jet beads.

When she came out of the bedroom, Amanda clapped her hands. “You look stunning, Zo.”

“Thanks. You look pretty great yourself.”

Amanda’s gown was black matte jersey, long-sleeved and high-necked. It followed every curve and looked quite demure—until she walked away. The back was another story. Not much of a story actually, since a lot of it was missing. There was nothing but skin from the jeweled choker to just above her waist. Zoe figured Dev would be speechless when he got his first eyeful.

“Shouldn’t Dev be here by now with the singer?”

Mrs. Wyndham’s last minute demand for a singer had thrown Amanda into a tailspin. Luckily one of Dev’s former alumni came to the rescue and Dev had gone to pick him up at the airport.

“They should be here any time now.” Amanda went to the front door to look out and met Jeff coming in.

“Okay, beautiful, we’re all set. You look like a million bucks.” He winked. “Better watch out for gropers. You don’t want to be stealing the show from Mrs. W. She’ll be expecting the major portion of attention from the male half of this shindig.”

“She can have all the attention as far as I’m concerned. Most of these men are too old and too elite to hit on the hired help,” Amanda replied.

“Don’t count them safe because of their age, Beautiful. That puts them right into the dirty old man category. They’ll think feeling up the hired help is not only allowed, it’s expected. If you—” Jeff stopped mid-sentence, mouth open. He clutched his chest, then fell to his knees.

Amanda leaned over him. “What’s wrong? Don’t you feel well? Zoe, get Jeff some water. We may need to call a doctor.”

Jeff brushed her aside, his eyes fixed on Zoe. “My sea goddess,” he said with reverence bordering on awe.

When Zoe realized she was the cause of all the commotion, her cheeks heated up and she gave Amanda a surprised shrug of her shoulders. She marched across the few feet that separated them. “Get up from there, you idiot. You scared me to death.”

“No more than you do to me,” Jeff said. “Promise to marry me and be my muse forever.” He clasped his hands in supplication.

Grinning from ear-to-ear, Amanda turned to go to give the two of them some privacy.

Zoe reached out and grabbed her wrist to stop her exit. “No need for you to go, Mandy. Jeff has obviously been sampling the champagne fountain up at the big house. It’s not water he needs, it’s coffee.”

Jeff, his usual flippant mask sliding back in place, bounced up off the floor. “No need for coffee, ladies. I’m fine. I’ll just go back to my duties. Call me if you need me.” He directed his last comment to Amanda and without another glance at Zoe, he left.

“He was being so sweet.” Amanda threw up her hands in exasperation. “Did you have to crush him so completely?”

“What do you mean, ‘crush him?’ He was just kidding around like he always does. And I’m too nervous to put up with his games tonight.”

“That wasn’t a game, girl. That man’s eyes nearly popped out of his head when he saw you. It was his way of telling you how beautiful he thinks you are. And I’m not so sure that proposal was just a throwaway line either.”

“There was no proposal,” Zoe scoffed. “You were standing right here the whole time.”

“Oh, I see. The whole ‘marry me and be my muse forever’ thing didn’t count because I was standing here to hear it?” Amanda crossed her arms and huffed. “Let me give you a bulletin, my dear. That man is in love with you. Has been in love with you for months. I would think proposing to you in front of a witness would make you take it more seriously rather than less.”

Zoe instinctively rejected Amanda’s interpretation. Then the possibility her friend could be right completely flustered her. She stared in amazement as Amanda continued her harangue. Through the open doorway, she saw Dev’s truck spit gravel as it slid to a stop. Two men got out. As they came through the door, Amanda’s lecture was winding down.

“So take a good look in the mirror, Zoe, and don’t let Jeff get away, he’s—”

Zoe’s eyes were wide and intense. She shook her head minutely and tried to stop the flow of Amanda’s words with a hand gesture. Finally her friend got the message. Amanda glanced over her shoulder to see what Zoe was staring at. Dev and another man dressed in jeans and polo shirt stood in the doorway.

There were ten seconds of dead silence, then the stranger stepped forward and put out his hand.

“Hi. I’m Arnold Katzenbaum. It’s nice to meet you. I hear you’re in need of a singer.”

“Hello, Arnold, I’m Amanda. It’s a pleasure to meet you, too.”

Another brief silence followed before Zoe stepped up beside Amanda and offered her hand to the newcomer. “Hi, I’m Zoe, Amanda’s partner. We are sooo glad you could make it tonight.”

“Thanks. Glad I could help you out. Sorry to cut it so tight but I had a wedding reception this afternoon.” He slipped the garment bag from his shoulder. “Is there someplace I could change?”

“Oh, of course. I’m so sorry. I’m . . . a little . . . tense tonight.” Amanda heard Zoe snort a laugh, and closed her eyes briefly. “You can use the bedroom to the right. Can I get you something to drink? Soda, coffee, water?”

“Cold water would be great, thanks.”

Arnold did his best to keep a straight face, but Zoe could see his lips twitching up at the corners. Amanda looked as though she wanted to sink through the floor. Zoe had to bite the inside of her lip to keep from laughing.

Arnold looked back and forth between the two women and Dev, then said to Dev, “Yeah, I understand where you’re coming from now, buddy. No wonder you were so persuasive. Come on, let’s get these monkey suits on. It’s almost show time.”

Dev followed him toward the bedroom saying, “I have it on good authority that these monkey suits are very attractive to the opposite sex.” He winked at Amanda.

“No kidding, pal. Why do you think I went into this line of work? Weddings, bar mitzvahs—the dames practically stuff their phone numbers in my pockets. It’s a gold—” The bedroom door shut, cutting off the rest of Arnold’s sentence.