Beside the man was a tall, slim blond woman with pale blue eyes. Alix thought she was quite pretty, but she looked tired and maybe older than she really was.
When the woman caught sight of Jared, her face lit up, the tiredness disappeared, and her prettiness doubled. Alix could imagine her riding on a parade float and being the queen of the prom.
When the man beside her saw Jared, for a split second, his face clouded. He recovered enough to put on a grin that didn’t make it all the way to his eyes.
“Jared,” the woman said and held out her arms as though she meant to hug him.
Alix reacted on instinct. He hadn’t finished his request of her, but she thought he’d been about to ask her to run interference between him and his ex. “Want me to protect you?” she said under her breath.
“Please,” he said, standing his ground and waiting for the charging woman to get to him.
Alix put her body in front of Jared’s so that she halted. Her arms were still outstretched and she didn’t seem to know what to do with them.
Alix reached up and shook her hand. “Hi. I’m Alix. I take it you know Jared.” Out of the corner of her eye she saw Lexie punch Toby in the ribs. Of course both women stood there eagerly watching the drama unfold.
“I’m Missy,” the woman said. “Jared and I have known each other for a very long time.”
“Oh?” Alix said. “And here I thought I’d heard of all his friends, but he never mentioned a Missy.” W
hen she turned to look at Jared, she realized that, with his head bent, they were practically nose to nose. When she started to step away, he put his arm around her waist and pulled her full length back against him.
Alix’s eyes widened, but then she got herself under control. Sort of. “I, uh … I …”
“It’s good to see you, Jared,” the man said as he came to stand behind the blond woman. Like Jared, he put his arm possessively around her waist. “So how is it living off-island? Did you learn lots of new things about the outside world?”
Even Alix knew that was an insult. She gave the man a chilly smile. “Jared is still conquering the world with his magnificent designs.” When the man didn’t lose his self-satisfied little smile, Alix remembered her mother’s books and how that family had spent centuries fighting over the family home. “And of course there’s all the work he does at Kingsley House. Keeping it intact for his son-to-be, the Eighth, is a cherished legacy of his inheritance.”
For a moment Alix thought she’d laid it on too thick, but then she had the satisfaction of seeing him drop the smug little smile.
Behind her, Jared buried his face in Alix’s neck—and sent the hairs of her body rising.
“You are my dream girl,” he said, and she could feel him holding in his laughter. He managed to recover himself enough to lift his head. “This is my cousin Oliver Collins and his wife, Missy. And this is Alix.”
“How nice to meet you,” Alix said, holding out her hand to shake Oliver’s. “You’re not named Kingsley?”
“We’re related through his mother, who married an off-islander,” Jared said. Then, still holding firmly on to Alix’s waist, he motioned toward the truck that was loaded with food. “Come and have lunch with us.”
“Thanks,” Oliver said, “but we must get home. The children need us. Marriage carries great responsibilities. Alix, Jared,” he said curtly, leading his wife away.
Missy glanced back as though she wanted to stay, but her husband didn’t let up his iron grip.
Jared turned Alix around to face him. “You were wonderful!” he said. “Really great. Ol’ Oliver hasn’t been put in his place so well in … well, ever, I guess. You are Victoria’s daughter!” Still laughing, on impulse, he planted a quick, hard kiss on Alix’s smiling mouth.
At least that’s what it was meant to be. Instead, both he and Alix were jolted as though an electrical current went through them.
“I …” Jared began, then stepped closer.
Again she saw that fire in his eyes, and she lifted her arms to put them around his neck.
But it wasn’t to be. Frowning, Jared stepped away, the fire in his eyes doused.
Alix’s first impulse was to flee. How many times was this going to happen? They’d get close, he’d look at her as though he was about to devour her, then he’d turn cold and walk away. Again and again it had happened.
Alix didn’t know where she’d go if she did leave the picnic, but from the anger that surged through her she thought she could walk back to Kingsley House. And once she was there she just might pack and leave the island. She’d had all she could take of this man looking at her with lust one second and turning away the next. She backed away from him.
“Alix—” Jared began, but she moved quickly through the crowd.
Toby caught up with her.