The Truth About Fairy Tales (2 page)

Was he crazy? I didn’t want to stop anywhere with him. I wanted to run as fast as I could before the inevitable happened. Before the disaster that I knew to be only a word away hit me.

“I don’t drink and I have to go to work so—do you mind?” I tried to stare him down, but the second his eyes
met mine, I didn’t stand a chance. I looked away and blushed again so much so that he all but laughed at me.

“I happen to know this is your night off. You don’t work Friday nights at
Rosario’s.” How Jackson Riley knew so much about me I didn’t really have to guess. What else had Ben told his uncle besides the fact that I worked evenings at the small Italian restaurant to support myself?

“I know quite a lot about you Maggie…”
Jackson said in answer to the question I couldn’t ask. “Probably more than you’d like at the moment, judging from your expression, but not from Ben. My nephew has been almost too quiet about you, which definitely has me curious. Trust me, I have other ways.” After what felt like a lifetime of staring into those blue eyes he added, “You know you’re a liability to me don’t you? I can’t have you messing with Ben’s head right now. And you are definitely doing that for reasons I can certainly understand. But I’m not prepared to allow it to continue. I need Ben to concentrate on the business, not follow you around like a puppy. Do I make myself clear?”

To my great relief I realized that he was in fact taking me home. We
pulled into my parking lot. I was almost home free.

I decided I had no intention of answering any more of his questions tonight or ever, if I had anything to say about it. I jumped out of the car the second it came to a stop, ignored all of his angry
, not-very-nice words, and ran. Fast.

Somehow, I managed to unlock the door to my apartment with fingers that literally sh
ook from fright while I looked back over my shoulder expecting him to have followed.

I slammed the door and leaned against it
. Even with all the locks in place, I couldn't stop trembling. I didn’t dare turn on the lights. My reaction to Jackson scared the daylights out of me. He was dangerous all right. I was lucky to get away unscathed, but I wasn’t naïve. I knew I hadn’t seen the last of him.

Just when I
'd begun to feel safe enough to step away from the door, an unwelcome knock wiped my confidence away.

“Open up, Maggie
, we need to talk. I can wait all night—I’m not going anywhere.” Part of me wanted to scream at him, part of me wanted to laugh at just how ridiculous this situation had gotten, especially when I had no real interest in Ben in the first place. And an even greater part wanted to know all about his relationship with Miss Gorgeous.

After a
second, less patient knock, I decided he wasn’t leaving no matter which decision I made. Slowly I unlocked the door, careful to keep my hands behind my back so that he didn't see how much they trembled.

Jackson
stood watching me with an expression in those very disturbing blue eyes that made me want to slam the door in his face.

I think he anticipated
my next move because he came inside and closed the door. I back as far away from as possible until my back hit the opposite wall.

“I want you to break it off with Ben and I want you to do it now. Tonight. Do you understand?”

“No…I don’t. Why should I? What business is our relationship to you anyway?”

The second those words were out
I wished them back. He came towards me and I shrank further against the wall until there was no longer any room to move. I tried to keep my composure when he took me by surprise and took me in his arms.

And then Jackson Riley kissed me
and I couldn’t ever remember being kissed like that before. I was lost the second his lips touched mine. The fight was over. I didn’t stand a chance against him. I caught the triumph glint in his eyes before I closed mine tight.

“Now do you understand?”

When I opened my eyes again he'd gone, but he was wrong. I didn’t understand—not at all. I didn’t understand a single thing about what he’d been trying to tell me any more than I understood Jackson Riley. Everything about him scared me to death including my reaction to him.

Chapter Two

“What did you say to my uncle?” Ben barely gave me time to move out of the way before he walked past me into my apartment that same night and slammed the door.

“What are you talking about? I didn’t do anything to him. Ben, it’s late and I’m tired. I was getting ready to go to bed.
Can we please talk about this some other time?”

He turned from prowling around my tiny living room. Ben was still angry, but my
remark about bed brought a wolfish smile to his face. I read Ben’s mind even before he said the words.

“Fine by me…ca
n I join you?” This wasn’t the first time I’d heard that unwelcome line. In fact, I’d stopped counting a long time ago, but now it only served as an uncomfortable reminder of things I didn’t want to deal with tonight.

“
Ben, I’m tired and it’s late. Please just leave.” The wounded expression came back to his eyes, but still he followed my orders and walked to the door while I tried to stamp out my frustration. “Call me tomorrow and we’ll talk, okay?”

He smiled and kissed my cheek before
he left again. I wanted to put this ugly evening behind me completely and forget it ever happened. I only hoped I'd be allowed that peace of mind.

I was up early
the next day thanks to Sidney, the fourteen-year-old terrier my grandmother had given me as a child. Sidney came with me to Austin to keep me company when I moved here to attend the university a few years back. I couldn't imagine life without him.

Poor old
Sidney was blind in one eye and had only partial vision in the other. He had arthritis, which became bad enough at times for him to take medication, not to mention the poor old guy was on a very strict diet.

And
I loved him and pampered him with all my heart, but to tell the truth, Sidney was grouchy most of the time. He didn’t really like anyone, including my two best friends who had moved to Austin along with me all those years ago. He barely put up with me at times.

Over the years,
Sidney had grown to tolerate Serena and Genna, mostly by leaving the room, but Ben, well Ben was just too exuberant for him. All Sid did when Ben was around was snarl. I tried to keep the two of them separated as best I could.

After Sidney and I took our usual morning walk around the apartment complex, I made coffee, gave Sid his
breakfast, and started in on my Saturday morning ritual of cleaning house. For obvious reasons, this morning I did it with more enthusiasm than normal for me.

I was trying to forget about the night before even though it kept me
sleepless of the night.

I didn’t understand Jackson Riley’s behavior toward me and my only conclusion was he’d kissed me out of anger. Probably some alpha male domination need. Figures. Just another reason to avoid the
man.

By mid-morning, I’d successfully put
Ben and his uncle out of my thoughts. Although I should be studying for the huge test, I had the following week. Instead, I was knee deep in that hot romance Ben had interrupted last night.

Y
ou can imagine my frustration when Ben called just as I’d reached one particular interesting, not-to-be-interrupted-for-any-reason page in the book.

"Have dinner with me
tonight,” he purred into the receiver.

I held back my annoyance somehow.
“Ben, I have to work to tonight,” I told him gently.

“Oh, shit
, I forgot. Can’t you call in sick for once? I mean, you never miss work. What would one night hurt?”

Ben couldn't understand my devotion to a mere waitress job. But then,
he had never had to work for a living.

“I can’t. I’m sorry but I have to be there. They’re counting on me.” I could virtually feel his disappointment through the receiver so I tried to shift the subject to something that would definitely get his mind off taking me out to dinner. “So what’s this about your uncle that had you so worked up last night?” Why exactly I felt the need to bring
Jackson into the conversation, I wasn’t so sure. Things were going perfectly well without Jackson Riley’s name ever coming into play.

Ben blew out a very loud, very irritated sigh.
“You don’t want to know. He’s furious with me and more determined than ever to ship me off to Paris. Well, I won't let that happen. I'd miss you too much.”

I cringed over every single one of those words. “Ben, you and I are just friends.
This could be a great opportunity for you. I mean, we're talking about Paris.”

In my mind, I kept remembering
Jackson’s words the night before. Part of me truly believed he had his nephew’s best interest at heart, although convincing Ben of this wouldn't be easy. I decided to do what I do best in sticky situations such as this. Ignore them at all costs.

By
midweek, as I hurried to meet my friends for lunch, I'd managed to push my problems with Ben out of my mind.

With all of our busy schedules, it was harder for the three of us to get together anymore.
Especially with Genna married and involved in her husband Layne’s life, his business, not to mention trying to have a baby to boot. And then of course there was Serena, who'd recently gotten engaged and was spending more time with her boyfriend Jeff. It was becoming almost commonplace for one of the three of us to miss the lunch entirely, or as was more often the case,
cancel altogether.

A
fter some serious juggling on everyone’s part, we’d managed to get everyone together in one place at the deli close to Genna’s house.

As
usual, I was the last to arrive—Genna was the first.

“So, how’s the baby making going?” Serena
asked the second I slid into the booth.

“Still no luck. I’m beginning to wonder if it will ever happen.”

Genna and her husband had only been trying a few months now but Genna, well once she’d made up her mind about something she didn’t like to be kept waiting.

Genna turned to me.
“Maggie, when is Ben leaving for Paris?” I knew she still held out a small amount of hope I'd come to my senses before it was too late and fall into Ben’s waiting arms.

“Next week, I think, and let me tell you it can’t be soon enough for me.
Ben is sweet—don’t get me wrong,” I added that to forestall any further protest from her after I spotted that look of Genna’s that told me I was out of my mind. “But I’m not interested. Romance doesn’t fit into my plans right now. I have to concentrate on my studies. Ben will meet some nice girl in Paris and realize how wrong I would have been for him.”

“But what if he’s the one for you? How can you be so smug about letting him walk out of your life like that?” I looked to Serena for help
and the ring on her left hand finger almost blinded me.

“Gen, we’ve been all through this. Ben is just a friend—that’s all
.”

“Fine, Maggie, but one of these days some guy is going to come along and knock you off your feet and I for one can’t wait. I can’t wait to see you fall in love.”

This image had Serena and me both laughing and almost falling out of our seats. Unfortunately, my amusement was short lived. That uneasy feeling had returned. The one that I’d been trying to ignore for days now. The one that reminded me I hadn’t seen the last of Jackson Riley.

****

Two days later, my worst fear became a reality. I was in the process of leaving Rosario’s after my shift late one night only to be accosted by someone driving a very expensive sports vehicle.

I didn’t need to see the driver’s face to know who it was.

Jackson Riley got out of the car and in his usual manner all but forced me inside.

“What do you think you’re doing?” I demanded when
I'd righted myself.

Jackson
didn’t answer. He smiled that little infuriating smile of his that told me absolutely nothing.

I grabbed my purse and found my cell phone. “I’m calling the cops
. They have a name for this, you know. It’s called kidnapping and it’s against the law, in case you didn’t realize that.”

Again
, he smile, then he took my phone from my hand. “I wouldn’t do that, little bit.”

“Don’t call me that
. And why shouldn’t I? Are you afraid someone might see the real you behind all of that polished fake charm?” I'd hoped for some reaction. I didn’t get it.

“As it happens, I know just about every single person on the
Austin police force. Trust me it wouldn’t turn out the way you’d like it to.”

That scared me
. Actually, everything about the man scared me from the second I’d met him.

“Calm down. I’m taking you to my place, where we can talk in peace. Where you can’t get away
,” he added and I realized he’d seen my fear.