“So your wolf still longs for nature.”
Rafe finished another crab leg. “Yeah. Just as yours wanted to create something that made it easier for women to be wolves.”
Someone standing on the beach and looking in their direction caught her eye. Worried that one of her brother’s men was spying on them, Jade turned to see who it was. The man wearing jeans, a T-shirt, and sneakers wasn’t from her pack, but he was getting ready to take a picture of them. Rafe might not be a movie star celebrity, but his wealth still made him a powerful man.
“There’s a guy taking a picture of us. Why in the world would he do that?” She feigned ignorance that Rafe had the kind of wealth and power that would entice the paparazzo to take shots of him. Well, of them.
“The photojournalist taking a picture of the two of us sharing lunch? I make enough money that some people are interested in what I do with my social life. It comes with the territory. Most of the time, I don’t even notice photographers unless they get in my way. Do you mind?”
Yeah, she did, because she didn’t want people to believe she was dating him when she wasn’t, not that she could do anything about it. “I guess not. I just never expected anything like that to happen.” Jade wasn’t used to mixing with celebrities or billionaires, and she really hadn’t thought she’d be caught up in this too. The pictures she’d seen of Rafe all had to do with parties, either that he put on or that he attended, not having lunch at a seafood shack on the beach with a friend.
“Because I’m not a movie star?” He smiled.
She thought he would make one great-looking movie star.
“A confirmed billionaire bachelor raises lots of speculation.”
Jade choked on her water. “I…guess he would.” She coughed a little bit and tried to catch her breath. She hadn’t expected him to tell her the truth.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah. Thanks. I’ve never been interested in the lifestyles of the rich and famous. I’ve never met one in the flesh before. You look pretty ordinary to me.”
Rafe smiled.
Her face burned. No way did he look ordinary, but he fit in with the general beach crowd. “I mean, you don’t stand out.”
His eyes twinkling with mirth, Rafe chuckled and saluted her with his glass of water. “It’s been one hell of a way to live.”
Now Jade worried that if the photojournalist thought the two of them were an item, he would look into her background and learn who she was. Even if she and Rafe weren’t dating, she imagined stories could be made up. She’d never considered that kind of trouble. One good thing, if he did learn Kenneth was her brother, Kenneth wouldn’t screw up this deal by mentioning Toby was her son.
Taking a breath to calm her raw nerves, Jade dove back into the conversation as if she hadn’t been concerned about anything. “Do you ever worry about losing it all?”
“Nah. I can live with a lot less and be perfectly happy.” Rafe wiped his hands off on a wet towel. “So what is the name of your intimate apparel company?”
She knew the lingerie line had really snagged his attention.
“The press will be checking it out and linking the two of us before long, now that a paparazzo has caught us together. A picture of a beautiful woman dining with me won’t be enough.”
Jade smiled. “Thanks for the compliment.” But that’s just what she’d been worried about. She cleaned her hands with the warm, soapy cloth and removed her bib. “Sweet and Sassy Secrets. Maybe they’ll think you’re looking to invest in my silky intimates.” She meant her lingerie company, but the roguish gleam in his eye and his wolfish smile said he was thinking of something a lot hotter than that. She felt her whole body flush.
“Most likely,” Rafe said, still grinning.
If he didn’t hook up with women much—that the press caught sight of, anyway—she figured they’d really be interested in who she was. She thought back to what she and Rafe had been doing earlier. What if a paparazzo, this one possibly, had photographed them kissing on the beach? She’d been too busy worrying about Rafe’s cut foot and the lie she was living to think of anything else or notice anyone on the beach.
“When we were on the beach, do you think a paparazzo was taking any shots?”
“Maybe. Sometimes one captures shots of starlets who come to the beach. If one had, what a story that would be. Me rescuing a beautiful woman and…the rest.”
Jade groaned out loud. The rest was what she was worried about. “My reputation is ruined.”
He laughed.
“Thanks so much for lunch, Rafe. I…need to head back to my place and get cleaned up.” She was still feeling salty and sandy and needed to wash the sea out of her hair and off her skin.
“Want to do something tonight? Besides the run? A movie? Dinner? I mean, if you’re alone and want to do something else.” He looked so hopeful, and she felt like such a heel.
Jade thought about it and decided seeing too much of him would not be a good idea. The more she was with him, the more she was afraid she’d be caught up in her lies and give away her secrets, including the one she had to keep at all costs. Why she was truly here. At the same time, she needed to continue to see him, but not to the extent that he got the wrong notion.
She didn’t want to hurt Rafe. Before he’d rescued her, he was just a billionaire in a bunch of news stories she’d looked up. No one real. But he’d treated her so nicely that she was having an even harder time with this than she’d thought she would.
If she weren’t in her current predicament, she would have eagerly taken him up on the offer of spending more time together. He was gallant and generous, fun to be with, and she wanted nothing more than to see him again. But only if she’d had a clear conscience.
“The run will be fine.”
Rafe paid the bill. “I’ll take you to my favorite place to run.”
“That works for me.” He’d know the safest places, and she hadn’t gone for a run since she got here, so she was itching to stretch her legs as a wolf.
“I’ll pick you up at eight.”
“Okay.” Jade thanked him for lunch.
Before she could suggest meeting him later at his place, he drove into the public-beach parking lot and asked which car was hers. She pointed out her classic 2002 Firebird convertible in canary yellow.
Rafe eyed it appreciably. “I love your car.”
She got out of his Ferrari before he could open the door for her and patted the frame. “I have to say the same about yours.”
Looking pleased, he smiled. “Seven then?”
“What happened to eight?” She thought he had mistaken the time, but the sparkle in his eyes and the smile on his lips said otherwise. He was cute, she had to admit.
“I can’t wait that long.”
Jade laughed. “All right. Seven then.” She climbed into her car, waved good-bye, and drove off, hating the deception all over again and wishing that this could have been a real date with someone like Rafe. But she couldn’t stop thinking about Toby. She was afraid he’d fuss because he wasn’t with her, and she hoped Lizzie wouldn’t become exasperated and treat Toby poorly.
With her heart in knots, Jade pulled into the parking lot of the Lace & Lavender Bed & Breakfast, a two-story colonial with a wraparound porch surrounded by lavender gardens that had a view of the beach. Her brother was paying for the expensive room so she could stay near Rafe’s home. She was planning to get cleaned up, take a nap to make up for the restless sleep she’d had last night, and go on another walk. She couldn’t do anything about anything right now, and exercising helped to calm her nerves.