“You’re the most beautiful woman in the world.” His thumb stroked her cheek, followed her jawline and rubbed over her bottom lip. His gaze never left hers.
His touch sent her insides quivering with excitement. She was drawn to him like a butterfly to a field of poppies. Not waiting for him to make the first move, she pressed her lips to his thumb. His eyes lit up with excitement. She was enjoying this new side of herself and she didn’t want this moment to end.
The tip of her tongue darted out, stroking the length of his finger. She immediately heard the swift intake of his breath. He wanted her. And she wanted him. There were no strings. No promises. Just the intrigue of finding out where this moment might lead.
Jax pulled away. “I have to get the sauce... It’s getting too hot. It’s bubbling over. I don’t want it to...uh, burn.”
He moved away and Cleo smiled to herself knowing that she’d gotten to him. This thing between them, whatever it was, was not over. Not by a long shot.
Jax kept his attention focused on the food. “You know there are good guys in this world.”
“I know. You’re one of them.”
He shook his head. “I don’t mean me. I’m not right for you. But there’s someone better waiting to find you.”
“I doubt it.” The smiled faded from her face. “Besides, the people that you’re supposed to be able to trust the most are the first ones to let you down when you really need them.”
“We’re not talking about jerk face anymore, are we?”
She shook her head and lowered her gaze to the floor. She couldn’t help but think of her family. They were the ones she always thought she could count on—no matter what.
“I honestly think you should call you mother.”
He was really pushing for a mother-daughter reunion. Buy why? Was he that anxious to get rid of her and he just couldn’t bring himself to say it?
Dread filled her heart. She’d been down this road before. Her instinct was to leave and not look back. She could return to the casino and he could fly back to New York. But as much as she wanted that to happen, some ape man out there was looking for them. For now, they were stuck here together.
BY THE END of the week, Cleo had promised she’d call her mother if he’d just quit pestering her.
Now the moment of truth had arrived. She stared at the disposable cell phone the same way she would a rattler—one false move and she’d be in a world of regret. Whatever made her think calling home was a good idea? Oh, yes, Jax. He seemed to be full of all sorts of advice these days.
And the part she hated most was knowing he was right. She missed her family. After fighting to follow her own path in life and to be able to make her own choices, she still didn’t feel complete. There was a gap in her life—her mother and brothers.
Jax’s voice echoed in her mind. Deep down she still loves you. What do you have to lose?
Inhaling a steadying breath, Cleo picked up the phone. She didn’t know if she was strong enough to do as Jax suggested, but she could do the next best thing. She dialed an old, familiar number. Her stomach quivered like a dried leaf on a blustery fall day. What if—
“Hello?”
She knew the deep timbre of the male voice. “Kurt, it’s Cleo.”
“Cleo?” Her oldest brother said her name as if he was talking to a ghost. “What are you doing calling? Is something wrong?”
It was not exactly the greeting she’d been hoping for. This was nothing like the cheerful calls she’d used to make from college. But then again that was another lifetime. Things had changed irrevocably since then.
“I—I— How are things there?”
“Not so good. I’ve been putting off telling Mom about the mess with the bank, but I need to do it soon.”
“You know Mom has no head for business. That’s why Dad left you in charge. If you tell her, she’ll just worry.” And have one more thing to hold against Cleo.
“And if we don’t come up with some money soon, there won’t be a business for any of us to worry about.”
Cleo worried the inside of her lip, wondering if she should mention her promotion. After her accident and now with her missing work, she didn’t know if she’d still have a job when she returned. Although Jax seemed certain that her job was protected. Maybe he was right.
“I got a big promotion at work.” Then in her excitement, she forgot that she hadn’t told her family about her job at the casino.
“That’s nice, sis. But we need more than a bump in your paycheck to cover the arrears on this loan.” He sighed. “I should tell you that I’ve had to sell off some of the stock, including Buttercup.”
Cleo gasped. She loved and missed the even-tempered mare. The backs of her eyes started to burn. It was the last gift her father had given her—no, it wasn’t. There was the horse her father had bought for her as a bribe to move home. But the horse had died in the same accident that snuffed out her father’s life. With that sobering thought in mind, she knew she had no right to complain about her brother’s actions.
“I’m sorry, Cleo. I’ve had to drastically reduce the overhead.”
She swiped at her eyes and sniffled. “I—I understand.”
Maybe Jax was right. Maybe now was the time to be up front with her family about her choices. It was time to quit sneaking around and pretending to be the person they wanted her to be instead of showing them the real Cleo.
Taking a calming breath, she gripped the phone tightly. “Kurt, this promotion is a lot more than a bump in my check. I’m now working as a casino host.”
“What?” There was a pause as though he were letting the news sink in. “You mean you wear slinky outfits and flirt with men to get them to gamble more?”
“No. I wear really nice clothes. In fact, I design and make my own clothes.”
She considered mentioning that Jax was one of her clients so her brother wouldn’t worry so much, but under the circumstances, she realized that it was best to keep Jax and this mess with ape man to herself. It would be safest for everyone—especially Jax. And she didn’t want to jeopardize Jax’s friendship with her brother, if Kurt decided to act all protective of his little sister.
Without giving her brother an opportunity to hassle her about her career choice, she hurried on. “I’ll forward you some money as soon as I get paid.” And now for the real reason she’d called. “How are Joe, Stephen and Cassidy?”
“They’re fine. Cleo, what is it you really want to know?”
Kurt always knew when she was hedging around something. “And how’s Mom doing?”
“You know, same as always. Busy with this and that. But the arthritis in her fingers is getting worse. If you’re really curious to know how she’s doing, you should call her.”
Her chest tightened at the thought of being rejected by her mother again. She didn’t know if she could open herself up to the potential for that kind of pain.
“I—I don’t think that’s a good idea. I tried calling her after the funeral. She told me not to call back and hung up.”
“I’m sorry, sis.” He expelled a weary sigh. “Mom wasn’t herself after Dad died. She was angry with everyone for a long time. Most of all I