Janelle Denison – Seductive Fantasy (страница 3)

Jackson winced at the woman’s dull and boring social life. Mike’s profile of Alexis didn’t even come close to matching the vixen-like vision he’d conjured in his mind. “Are we talking about the same woman here?”

Mike laughed, but his humor quickly faded away. “I don’t know what to tell you, Jackson. If the woman has an unscrupulous side, immoral habits or condemning fetishes, she hides them well. Her two biggest indulgences in the week that I had her under surveillance were a box of Amaretto truffles, and a few silky, lacy underthings she bought for herself at a lingerie boutique. Other than that, the woman is as straight as an arrow.”

Jackson snorted at that, remembering how he’d totally and completely misjudged his fiancée, too. How easily she’d deceived him with outward appearances and practiced affection. On the surface she’d presented the facade of a devoted and loving woman who catered to his every need and made him believe they were matched physically as well as intellectually. The kind of lifetime mate he could trust and build a life with. And then he’d discovered the deeper, scheming motivations she’d had for wanting to marry him. It had been a very nasty, public breakup four years ago, one that had made him keep women at arm’s length ever since.

Looking back on the relationship, Jackson now realized he’d played right into Lindsay’s ploy. He’d wanted to believe she’d share in the kind of emotional intimacy and trust that had always been missing from his life, things he’d secretly desired for years but had come to accept he’d never have. His own mother had never provided emotional nurturing and unconditional love, then had completely abandoned him when he’d been a teenager. She’d traipsed back into his life years later when he’d become a successful businessman, pretending love and adoration and begging forgiveness. The little boy in him wanted so badly to believe that she’d changed that he’d allowed her back into his life, until it became painfully apparent that she, too, was only interested in his money. He was merely another person in a long line of fools she’d used for her own purposes.

He wasn’t one to hold onto grudges, yet every time he tried to let go of the past and let down his guard enough to trust someone and build a relationship, he was blindsided by ulterior motives and betrayal. It was safer, easier and less painful not to allow another woman that close.

Jackson rubbed his thumb along his chin, trying to ignore the churning in his belly those memories evoked. “What does Alexis look like?” he asked, tossing aside the thoughts of those two self-centered women for the current one wreaking havoc with his life.

“I was wondering when you were going to ask that question.” A slow grin eased up the corners of Mike’s mouth. “She’s certainly nothing spectacular or anything like the sophisticated beauties you’re used to dealing with. Definitely not the kind of woman who’d turn your head twice if you passed her on the street. Her features are pretty, but plain, and while she wears loose, unfitted clothing it’s fairly obvious that she has real womanly curves beneath all that camouflage.”

Leaning forward, Mike rifled through the contents of his briefcase and pulled out a manila envelope. From that, he withdrew an 8x10 glossy photograph and held the snapshot across the desk for Jackson to take. “I used my zoom lens to get a close-up of her for you. There are other shots in the envelope you can look through later.”

Jackson examined the candid picture through critical eyes. The photograph had been taken as she was leaving her office building midday, accompanied by a thirty-something, brown-haired man with wire-rimmed glasses. First, Jackson focused on Alexis. As Mike had divulged, her looks and appearance were plain and unassuming and nothing remotely close to what Jackson had imagined. Minimal makeup enhanced her features and her glossy black hair was pulled back into one of those French braids. She wore an untucked, loose navy blue blouse that hinted at generous breasts but didn’t fully display them, and a flowing patterned skirt that swirled around her legs and ankles.

Despite the unflattering clothing, he couldn’t stop himself from envisioning the satiny, lacy under-things she might be wearing beneath the practical, unflattering outfit. He imagined warm, soft skin against cool silk, and a flush of unexpected heat infused him. Annoyed with his response, he immediately shook those unbidden thoughts right out of his head.

Sophisticated and extraordinarily beautiful, she wasn’t. But he didn’t doubt Alexis’s intelligence. She was laughing at something the other man must have said, and her eyes, a pale but sparkling shade of blue, seemed to say “I’m at the top of the world“.

Of course she was sitting pretty…she was in the position to make millions from all his hard work.

“Who is the guy with her?” Jackson asked curiously.

“That’s Dennis Merrick.”

Jackson looked once more. No, they didn’t seem like lovers in the picture. Alexis appeared more amused by the man than enamored. But there was no denying the wistfulness in the other man’s expression as he gazed at her.

Setting the photo aside, Jackson indicated the report and pinned his friend with an unrelenting stare. “You do realize, don’t you, that you’ve given me nothing substantial to work with here.”

“What can I say, other than sometimes that happens.” Mike’s tone held a silent apology as he stood and closed his briefcase. “I can only give you information that’s available. I dug as deep as I could on Alexis Baylor, and while I have no doubt she stole your design, I couldn’t find anything personally incriminating on her.”

And that put Jackson back on square one and without a way of exacting personal retribution from Alexis as he’d hoped. “I know you did your best,” he acknowledged, still confident in Mike’s abilities, but disappointed nonetheless. “Thanks for your time and work on this case. I’ll catch you later for that cold beer.”

“I’m holding you to it.” Lifting his briefcase from the desk, Mike turned to go, then swung back around, his head tipped to the side. “I forgot to mention something. It’s in my report, but just so you know, Alexis is leaving this Saturday for a weeklong vacation.”

That snagged Jackson’s attention and he shuffled past the photo of Alexis and her VP to the summary Mike had given him. “To where?” he asked as he thumbed anxiously through the pages for the information he was sure Mike would supply.

“A place called Seductive Fantasy.”

Jackson glanced up sharply, certain his expression reflected his incredulity. “What the hell is Seductive Fantasy?”

“Believe it or not, it’s one of four island resorts off the Florida Keys that caters to people’s fantasies—for a price, of course.”

Jackson’s jaw opened, snapped shut, then he shook his head in disbelief. “You’re joking, right?” Mike had to be. He’d never heard of anything so ridiculous. So intriguing.

“I checked it out. Fantasies, Inc. is legit, and so is Alexis Baylor’s reservation.”

Which put a whole different spin on Jackson’s quest for personal revenge. “What’s Alexis’s fantasy?”

“All fantasies are confidential.”

“There has to be some way to find out—”

Mike held up a hand, stopping his tirade. “I called the resort directly. Trust me, Merrilee Schaefer-Weston, the woman who owns the place, is a stickler about confidentiality. And I can’t blame her, considering that she’s dealing with people’s deepest, most private secrets and desires. But it is a fascinating concept, don’t you think?”

“Very fascinating,” Jackson murmured, feeling a rush of excitement as he realized how Alexis’s fantasy vacation could work to his advantage as well. Anonymity. Close proximity. His fantasy. Could getting to Alexis truly be as easy as filling out paperwork, paying a fee and stepping into a role that would enable him to walk away the victor this time?

He managed, just barely, to tamp his exhilaration. “Is she going to this island with anyone?”

Mike shifted on his feet and reluctantly divulged more. “It’s a single seat reservation, so I’m assuming she’s going alone.”

“Perfect.”

Understanding dawned across Mike’s face. “I take it you have a fantasy of your own to request from Ms. Weston?”

Jackson gave him a smug smile. “I believe I do.”

Mike frowned. “I know you’re upset, but doing something like this is so unlike you.”

“What can I say?” Jackson said without a trace of an apology. “Alexis Baylor put my business and livelihood at stake. I’m tired of being used by women with agendas. This time I’m doing something about it.”

“Be careful what you wish for, Jackson,” he said in a low, cautioning tone of voice.

Jackson’s deep laughter filled his office. “Why? Because I might just get what I ask for?”

“Exactly. For as intriguing as I find this fantasy stuff, I can’t help but think that there are things and outcomes a person can’t factor in when they wish and pay for something that doesn’t come naturally.” He shrugged. “It’s like messing with fate.”

Or maybe this whole setup was fate. Jackson rocked back in his chair, refusing to allow his friend’s warning to deter him, no matter how logical Mike’s comment was. “That’s your suspicious P.I. nature talking, Mansel.” After all, what could go wrong?