Enraptured Read online

  He was far more interested in the way Drew planted himself at my side, determined to mark his territory. His hooded eyes watched as Drew pulled me away for an early night in our private tent. I cuddled into the sleeping bag as Drew zipped the flap closed behind us.

  “This is more like it,” he murmured as he slipped in beside me. His kisses were hungry but all I could think about was the last time we were here together on this ranch, and how different things were. “What’s wrong?” he asked as his hand slid lower to slip under my shirt.

  “It’s awkward,” I admitted softly.

  His hand stalled. “Because of Alex?”

  “Yes,” I answered.

  He propped himself on one elbow. “Funny. You didn’t find it awkward last time we were here and he shared that tent with you.”

  “He didn’t share the tent with me,” I corrected. “And yes, I did find it awkward. None of this has been easy for me, Drew. I’m not Elise.”

  He sighed. “I suppose you’re right,” he admitted. His hand eased down to cup my growing tummy. “Besides, having sex on the hard ground probably isn’t the best thing for our babies.” He mulled that statement over for a long moment. “Our babies,” he repeated. “All those nights I stayed in tents like this one, in front of fires like that one, under these very same stars, I never would have known this was what the future had in store.” His eyes met mine. “The road has been rocky, but I’m not sorry.”

  I placed my hand on his. He bent for another kiss before cuddling me to his chest as we fell asleep.

  The next day we spent riding the horses. I fell in love with A True Southern Princess, the chestnut filly that was the most recent addition to our stables. I couldn’t wait to ride her once the babies were born. Zoe took my place instead, however since she had never ridden she depended heavily on Alex’s patient instruction. I kept sneaking peeks to figure out if he returned any interest toward the blonde beauty, and ended up catching Drew do the same.

  His jaw clenched as he watched the interaction between his brother and his au pair, assessing all the data behind those cold, hard eyes. I found his interest much more upsetting than anything Alex might have done. Warning bells went off in my brain. The last thing these embattled brothers needed was one more toy to fight over.

  I was counting the minutes until we could leave. Unfortunately, Elise was due to pick Jonathan up by six that evening, so we had to stay all day. Millicent prepared our lunch. I tried to help but Zoe shooed me away so that I could put my feet up and rest. Those were two things I found impossible to do. Drew, Alex and Greg decided to play pool, so I joined them in the game room. Drew and Alex prowled around the pool table like cheetahs sizing each other up, and the game stayed tied to the bitter end. I wanted to play and beat both of them, but Zoe came for me to let me know that Elise had arrived early and wanted to take Jonathan.

  I didn’t bother Drew as I followed Zoe to the foyer. I nodded to dismiss our young nanny before I turned to Elise. “A little early, aren’t you?”

  “I was in the neighborhood,” she purred. She glanced off in the direction where Zoe had disappeared. “That didn’t take long.”

  I sighed. “For your information, we’re having twins. Drew simply hired some extra help.”

  She snickered to herself. “You don’t see it yet, but that’s okay,” she said. “Every Fullerton wife finds it out the hard way.” She glanced me up and down. “And yes, I heard about your bountiful womb. Congratulations. Now maybe you can convince Drew to let Jonathan come live with me.”

  “I’m going to let the courts decide that,” I said.

  She gave me another once-over. “Suit yourself. Tell Jonathan I’ll be out in the car.” She turned to leave, but then turned back. “You know, I knew you’d never last, but I thought at least he’d let you have your babies first. Maybe he’s figured out with you he can have his Swiss cake and eat it too.”

  She spun on her heel in a dramatic whoosh of her designer clothes, and stalked loudly across the hard floor.

  I met Drew as I headed back toward the family room. “Elise is here early. She wants to take Jonathan.”

  His lipped thinned into a hard line. “I should make her wait,” he grumbled. “But I suppose the sooner she leaves, the quicker we can.”

  I watched as he walked over to Zoe to issue his new instructions. I studied them carefully, to see any hint of anything I’d ever seen with me. I was so focused I never heard Nancy walk up beside me. “You’re going to make yourself crazy.”

  “You started it,” I pointed out.

  “What do I know?” she asked. “And when have you ever taken my advice when it came to men anyway?”

  I nodded. “I’ll give you that one.”

  Alex passed Drew and Zoe, and Zoe stared after him. “Honestly, I think you have more to worry about with Alex.”

  “Alex isn’t mine,” I reminded softly.

  “Isn’t he?” she returned, softer still.

  We let the subject drop as we corralled the troops to head back to Los Angeles. Alex gave everyone a warm hug in parting, except for his brother of course. I was more interested in the hug he shared with Zoe. Although it was awkward, I could see by the look in her face she was already falling for my compelling brother-in-law.

  I inwardly cringed every time I thought about him in those terms. He was family, but he didn’t feel like family. It felt deeper than that, and I was beginning to suspect it always would.

  If it hadn’t been for the way Jonathan was thriving from each family interaction, I probably would have resigned myself to never seeing him again, just to make it easier.

  Instead we parted with an equally awkward hug and I returned to the Fullerton estate in Beverly Hills.

  By the time Jonathan returned home Sunday evening, our guests had already been flown back to Texas via private jet. He was pouty as a result, given he had missed time with his favorite girl, Becca. Theirs was an innocent courtship, sharing emails over a thousand miles to discuss whatever eleven-year-olds couldn’t wait to discuss. They were friends of a most special kind, with nothing but chaste kisses to crown them as “going together.”

  I made sure I took lots of photos so that I could present him a scrapbook for Christmas, since my last gift of a framed photo of them had gone over so well.

  As it turned out, however, Jonathan was pouting more over his mother’s love life than his own. Aazim had turned into a regular fixture in Elise’s life, particularly on the weekends. He had no cultural aversion to her flashy personality and her materialistic goals, and in fact wore her proudly on his arm as he schmoozed with the Los Angeles elite. He fit in well, given his experience with TruNews and Jasper Carrington. He liked the finer things in life, and had decided that Elise was one of them.

  “I don’t like him,” Jonathan told me the next day. “He’s all about the money. He’d probably roll his cigarettes in dollar bills if he thought he could get away with it.”

  I laughed. “You’re starting to sound like Alex.”

  “Good,” he replied.

  “What about Alex?” Zoe wanted to know as she entered our home office.

  “Just saying he’s awesome,” Jonathan answered easily.

  She smiled softly. “Yes, he certainly is. You’re very lucky to have him as an uncle,” she said as she mussed Jonathan’s hair like I always used to do. Zoe glanced at me. “I can take over here if you’d like to go lie down.”

  Inwardly I seethed. I wasn’t used to other people doing the things I was supposed to do, and I certainly wasn’t used to people forcing me away when I still felt like doing them. “That’s okay, Zoe. I’m feeling much better today. I’ve got Jonathan’s studies.”

  Her eyes were uncertain as she stared at me. “Okay,” she finally relented. “I’ll just go see if I can help Cleo.”

  After she left, Jonathan glanced at me uncertainly. “Don’t you like Zoe, Mom?”

  “I like her just fine,” I muttered. “I just don’t like to be treated lik
e an invalid.”

  “She’s just trying to help,” he reasoned. “Pretty soon we’re going to have our hands full around here. Dad was just thinking ahead.”

  “Well, we’re not there yet. And I can handle taking care of things until we are.”

  He nodded and returned to his work, while my mind raced to find footing, once again, in this melodrama in which I’d been cast.

  I was almost sorry I sent Zoe away and refused that nap.

  I probably could have used one.

  Chapter Fourteen

  As the weeks wore on, I ended up relying on Zoe more and more. My tummy was expanding as my twins grew, which made my back ache and I tired more easily as a result. Drew had splurged on another shopping spree for maternity clothes, insisting that Zoe come along with us to assist me. While he was careful not to flirt, he was a charming, dreamy alpha male as he courted his two ladies around town like he was king of the world. We never had to wait for anything, and there was never an issue of cost or availability. If Drew Fullerton wanted something, Drew Fullerton got it. It cut a powerfully sexy image.

  I never saw Zoe return any interest, not like she did with Alex. Since she often joined Jonathan and me at the offices, Zoe and Alex bumped into each other regularly. I could tell by the flush in her cheeks and her hidden smile that his attention was far more exciting than a rack full of clothes or a ride in a stretch limousine.

  Drew could tell it, too, which was why he was pulling out all the stops to demonstrate how much of a god he already was. Each week Elise would twist the knife a little more, reminding me that the competition between them meant more than any marriage. All Alex had to do was return one iota of Zoe’s interest and Drew would pull out all the stops to change her mind and prove, once again, he was the better man.

  At the present, Alex was content to let Zoe’s obvious enchantment slide. Instead he was working closely with a new hire at FEI, one Martina Delgado. She was a stunning Hispanic beauty with cascading ebony hair and big amber eyes that shone with intelligence.

  I suspected that she was thrust into Alex’s path by Drew as a diversion. The fact that she was tasked with teaching both Alex and Jonathan Spanish only validated my suspicions, showing me that Drew hadn’t given up the idea of shipping Alex off to Mexico.

  It was yet another calculated move along the chess board.

  I had hoped the months that had passed would soften their competition, but Drew was feeling more and more threatened by Alex’s presence at the office. It wasn’t just the business, although Alex’s refusal to accept Drew’s assignments and decisions in blind faith didn’t go over particularly well. It wasn’t just me, though Drew watched every single interaction between us. It seemed that at every turn, Alex was no longer settling for supporting cast. He wanted to costar in this particular drama, with equal footing.

  He didn’t respond to Martina any more than he responded to Zoe. Drew kept lobbing shots his direction, but he simply refused to play. He dodged every distraction and stayed right on task.

  It was decidedly un-Alex-like.

  And I could always tell when it was getting to Drew. He reached for the whiskey bottle more and more, passing out on his sofa in his study on more than one occasion.

  “I didn’t want to disturb you by coming to bed,” he’d dismiss.

  In fact, the bigger my stomach grew, the less likely he was to “disturb” me at all. He filled our days until we were both too exhausted to do anything more than collapse into a deep sleep every night. As his wife, I was required to make appearances with him at parties, hobnobbing with the top one percent on a weekly basis.

  Troy and Sloane were regular guests, and Drew had invited them to stay in our home late April while they were in town on a fundraising drive. I wasn’t especially looking forward to it, as they weren’t my favorite people. But Sloane greeted me like I was a long lost relative the minute she walked in the door.

  Harrison had a dirty martini ready for her, as well as a whiskey neat for Troy, and they joined us in the living room. “You look fabulous, darling,” she purred as she inspected me head to toe. “But two babies, I just can’t picture it. I hope you get good drugs out of the deal.”

  Drew chuckled. “Rachel is strong enough to have them without any drugs at all.”

  “I don’t know about that,” I muttered.

  Dinner was served and we all headed to the formal dining room. Sloane linked her arm with mine. “So do you like our gift, dear?”

  “Your gift?” I repeated.

  “Zoe,” she said. “When Drew told us about the twins, and the problems you had been having with the pregnancy, Troy pulled a few strings and hand-picked her personally.”

  This was all news to me. “Oh, he did?”

  “Of course. He’s known Drew long enough to know what he’s looking for. All except for you, of course. But you’re not the hired help anymore, are you, dear?”

  She chuckled at her own joke but I wasn’t all that amused. I stayed mostly quiet during dinner. Troy picked up on my mood immediately. “Are you not feeling well, Rachel?” he asked with feigned concern he’d mastered from decades in politics.

  “A little tired,” I admitted.

  “She gets tired quite a bit,” Drew explained. If I didn’t know better, I would have said he sounded disappointed.

  “Bringing a baby into the world is hard work,” Troy mused. “Bringing two is more a miraculous feat.” He toasted me with his glass. “We won’t feel at all insulted if you need to excuse yourself, Rachel. The important work you are doing within your body trumps small talk.”

  Finally I agreed with him.

  I ended up retiring early, but Drew didn’t stumble into bed until after four o’clock in the morning.

  The next day we all drove together to an art gallery in Mid-Wilshire, a neighborhood in central L.A. known for its culture and diversity. The gallery was Images of Light, a three-story modern architectural wonder run by a curvaceous redhead named Caitlin Delaney. Her assistant, Jeffrey Steele, was openly gay, which I could tell put Troy off at once. Jeffrey was not at all fazed by his reaction. In fact he looked rather amused.

  I immediately knew that I liked him.

  I was equally impressed with the catering staff. It was multicultural, with Spanish siblings and beautiful blonde women from my neck of the woods. I could detect their Texas twang immediately, though I knew they were from an area closer to the gulf and closer to Houston.

  “You nailed it,” the woman named Lissette beamed.

  I ended up hanging with the staff while Drew, Troy and Sloane mixed it up with the other high-profile guests.

  My new friends were the one that helped me to Caitlin’s office when the shrimp cocktail I selected began to rebel. Caitlin was a mother herself, and saw the signs of trouble immediately. “You’re a saint,” I muttered as she eased me down onto the leather sofa in her stark white office.

  She chuckled. “I wouldn’t go that far.” She reached for a soft fleece throw. “How far along are you?”

  “Five months today,” I said as I tried to get into a comfortable position. “I’m having twins.”

  She was immediately empathetic. “You stay up here as long as you like,” she said with a smile. “I’ll send your husband and friends along when they’re ready.”

  “Thanks, Caitlin,” I said as I laid my head back and rested my eyes.

  A full hour had passed before I opened them again. Sloane was knocking gently on the slightly opened door. “Rachel, darling? Are you in here?”

  I scooted back up into a seated position. “I’m here.”

  “Are you all right?” she asked as she walked over to the sofa, perching on the edge.

  I nodded. “The shrimp cocktail didn’t agree with me. I’m better now.”

  She nursed yet another martini. “You know, darling, you’d feel a lot more rested if you’d let Zoe take over any unnecessary chores and tasks.”

  “I don’t seem to have a choice,” I muttered. �
�She’s always there shooing me away from everything I need to do.”

  “That’s her job,” she insisted with a slur. “And that’s what they’re good for. They take the burden off of you, in doing so proving they are worth their weight in gold. I don’t know where I would be without my Maria. Anything that I find I don’t want to do, I delegate to her and all my problems are solved. It keeps me happy. It keeps Troy happy. It keeps our marriage together.”

  My brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”

  She laughed. “Don’t play coy, Rachel. You have to know how things work. You’ve been on the other end of the paycheck.”

  “I’m sorry but I don’t. What exactly are you implying?”

  She exhaled deeply as she sat next to me on the sofa. “You wouldn’t be so exhausted if you allowed Zoe take care of the things that you can’t. You are a mother-to-be. You have much bigger priorities than warming up Drew’s bed. Take this time to take care of you. Believe me, by the time those babies are born he’ll be tired of her and ready to come crawling back like every other man.”

  “Are you saying I should let Drew cheat?”

  “What’s it cheating you, really? You’re in no state to have sex. You’re busy doing what a woman’s body is meant to do, and who wants to make love to a mother in full bloom? Let someone else be his playmate for a while. As long as you have the ring on your finger, you’re golden.”

  “My best friend said the same thing,” I muttered.

  “Wise woman,” Sloane agreed.

  “Don’t tell her that.” I paused. “Is that the real reason Troy hired her?”

  “He hired her to meet whatever need that needed to be met. I think you’ll find she’s open to it. Most of them are. Sweet, young girl flattered by the attention of a powerful man? She’ll do anything. Just like the rest of us,” she grinned as she threw back the last of her drink. “Let’s get you home and in bed. Drew and the others can come whenever they’re ready.”