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Paul nodded but shrugged. “She didn’t say much. She prayed a jet airplane would drop on your handsome head.” He smiled and Jagger couldn’t help but smile too. That was so Bee. “She only told me her former love was out there and she needed a moment to compose herself.”
“Thank you for sharing.” Jagger meant it. Paul didn’t have to help him. They were supposed to be enemies, after all. He extended his hand, and they shared a firm handshake. “I swear to you I will not hurt Bee. I hate that we’re pitted against each other.”
“You’re doing this for Mercedes and Shawn?” Paul guessed.
“Yes. They’re my closest friends besides Hays. We all loved and lost Mercedes’s brother Grayson. That bonded us.”
“I see. Well, nothing we can do about the competition but make the best of it,” Paul said. “Compete fiercely, then banter about it later.”
“Sounds great.” He clapped Paul’s shoulder. “I figured you for a stiff. Nothing like Aiden and Nick, who loved to banter and give me a hard time.”
He’d especially liked Nick and Darcy. They’d teased Darcy about being her ‘brothers’ and he’d gotten overprotective of her putting herself in danger.
Paul smiled. “I’m less of a jokester than those two, but I make up for it in agility, intelligence, good looks and, of course, humility.”
They both laughed at that, then turned and walked back toward the house. Jagger’s head was spinning. He and Paul were in agreement. Neither of them wanted Bee hurt. Now if only he could get to the bottom of their past, why she had given up on him that summer and turned to Mike, and if Jagger and Bee stood a chance in the future.
What if the answers hurt worse than the separation? He couldn’t worry about that. He didn’t worry about pain when he plunged into battle. He dealt with wounds later. If a man was scared, he could tense up and make mistakes, hurt himself and others. Jagger had to go forward with confidence. No hesitation.
Unfortunately, he’d made the stupid promise to Shawn to pretend they didn’t know each other for the cameras.
Him and making promises he shouldn’t make. It had been a big part of their separation. How many times had he wished he hadn’t been so cocky and impulsive and intent on keeping his word? He should’ve burst out of the horse stall, knocked Mike flat, demanded answers from Bee, and found a way to work everything out between them. Instead he’d stayed quiet, let his heart be broken by her cheating, been knocked out by her dad, and hadn’t gone back to fight for her.
He would fight for her now. More likely, he would fight with her.
Jagger grinned as they reached the house and headed to their suites to change for the hike. Fighting with Bee was almost as fun as kissing her.
A hope and light he hadn’t experienced in fourteen years filled him. He might have a future again.
Chapter
Six
The four of them went on an easy walk to the nearby Stone Dam. Hays apologized that it wasn’t a huge waterfall, promising they’d find a better one tomorrow, but they were running out of daylight. Belinda didn’t care. The waterfall and the entire walk were gorgeous—loads of flowers, a mahogany tree farm, a small waterfall and pool. The roosters everywhere would not last long in most areas of Africa she’d visited.
Belinda talked nonstop about her charity and the children and the gardening efforts and challenges, prompted initially by the lushness of the land, then by the men asking her question after question, sometimes sharing ideas or insights from their own experiences throughout the world.
Jagger seemed more interested than any of them. He only gave her a little bit of a hard time about her security, relaxing when she said they always had armed security guards on staff. Though he did an okay job of acting like the two of them didn’t have a convoluted past for the cameras, he stayed far too close for her unstable state of mind, and every time their hands or arms so much as brushed, she reacted and he gave her a knowing smile that made her feel bubbly with warmth and angry at the same time. When he cracked his knuckles, she reached for his hand before stopping herself. This was rough.
Was he playing with her mind? He’d ditched her fourteen years ago. She knew she was at fault as well as she’d been trying to give Mike a chance for her parents’ sake, but no way could Jagger have known that. He’d been obviously frustrated that they hadn’t been able to connect through video chats, phone calls, and texts throughout the summer and as she started at the university, but to cut her off and give up on them like he had was inexcusable in her mind.
Had he learned from the past? Did they have a future? And wait a hot minute ... If he loved Mercedes Belle and the famous beauty loved him, what was he doing brushing his arm against Belinda’s and making her want him?
They got back to the house as darkness fell. The beautiful pool area was glowing blue, and lights decorated the trees and greenery around the patio. They opted to eat the dinner waiting for them, traditional Hawaiian katsu chicken, teriyaki steak, macaroni salad, rice, and coleslaw, outside on the patio.
Everyone appeared friendly and amicable as the men chatted about favorite weapons and fighting techniques. Belinda didn’t have much to contribute and found herself staring at Jagger, wondering what was going on in his mind and savoring the view of his handsome face. She could admit she’d missed staring at him. She was dying to have her questions answered and at the same time terrified of what the answers may be.
They all pitched in to clean up dinner, and Belinda wondered what they’d do now. It was eight o’clock. Not late enough to go to bed, but too late to get in the ocean like Jagger suggested. Belinda wouldn’t mind seeing him in a swimsuit, but that wouldn’t be smart.
Hays suggested they play pool. That was safer. It was fun to play with the ultra-competitive men and laugh and taunt with them even though she wasn’t very good at pool.
Jagger was enticing to her and making her crazy with his meaningful looks and not-so-accidental brushes of his arm or hand.
He came around behind her as she was getting ready to shoot and softly wrapped his hands around hers, pressing his chest against her back. She about jumped out of her skin.
“Whoa.” He chuckled softly against her cheek. “I thought you said you needed some help with your technique.”
Belinda catalogued every inch of his strong frame pressed against her and especially his lips inches from hers. His mouth touched her cheek, and she went hot and cold. She wanted to spin in his arms and kiss him for hours, but he was messing with her mind and suddenly she couldn’t take it any longer.
