Jane Millionaire

“Maybe.” JP shrugged, withdrew a cigar from his shirt pocket and lit it.

“Put that out.”

Continuing to eye him with apparent thought, JP sank into the chair next to Rob and took a long drag on the Cuban.

“Ah, that’s good.”

Rob curled his nose at the pungent smell. Such a nasty habit, but JP often said he thought the cigars gave him an intimidating look. He sighed when JP blew a puff of smoke in his direction.

“Now, tell me about Jane.” JP rocked back in the chair, blowing out another smoke puff. “And I want the truth this time.”

“She means nothing to me except as the star of my latest production. The rest is just physical.” Really big fat liar.

“I hope you’re right, because she’s not going to be happy with either of us when she finds out she’s being deceived along with the bachelors.”

Isabella. Yet another of the many reasons he needed to stay away from Jane.

“Yeah, I know.”

# # #

Jill plopped down on her bed, being careful not to muss her hair or the delicate, pale yellow, overtly feminine sundress. Gregory had dolled her up, insisted she wear the dress, and attached the microphone between her breasts before he’d left her suite.

Ugh. She’d behaved like a spoiled child during her boxing match with Bachelor #10, Jeff. Shame filled her at memories of how she’d taunted him in her need to relieve her frustration with Rob and the situation she found herself in.

JP had insisted she make amends, but she would have anyway. She’d invited Jeff to accompany her on a walk in the gardens. He’d responded like a gentleman to her temper tantrum.

Her, Jill Davidson, having a temper tantrum?

She was taking this pretending to be Jessie a bit too far.

A knock sounded on her door.

With reluctance she opened it, expecting one of the crewmembers had come to tell her it was time to meet her mid-morning victim for the promised stroll.

Rob stood in the hallway looking too good to be real in his worn jeans and navy t-shirt. Her heart lodged somewhere in her throat as she waved her hand.

“Come in.”

He shifted his weight almost imperceptibly, but she’d been trained to read people’s body language. At times her life depended on it. Whatever he had to say, she doubted she’d like it.

“I think it better if I stay out here.”

“Coward.”

“Smart,” he corrected, but she’d seen the flash of guilt on his face and wanted to bang her hand against the door as a fresh wave of frustration filled her.

“I came to remind you to stay in character.”

She nodded, feeling more than a little guilty at her earlier behavior. “It won’t happen again. I’ve already told JP that.”

“Good.” He averted his gaze, looking ill at ease.

Warning

bells dinged loudly in Jill’s head. Here came the bad part.

“I, also, want to remind you that you lost last night’s wager.”