Passion Shattered (Masquerade Part III) by Emily Jane Trent Page A

he’d broken up with her, she would have taken him back if only he’d asked, but not now. Finally, she was over him.

2 - The Garden
     
    Ryan’s garden was beautifully tended. It was lush and overgrown. How nice to have lunch out here, she thought. It was only May, but already getting warm. She removed her red cashmere blazer, hanging it over the arm of the chair.
    The delicious male across from her, utterly comfortable in his washed jeans and v-neck sweater, made her forget about food. The little sandwich squares, nuts and fruit were beautifully displayed. They looked almost too good to eat.
    “Wine?”   Ryan inclined the bottle of Pinot Gris over her glass.
    “ Mmmm ,” she nodded. Ryan seemed to pick only the best wines. It was always a treat. Just seeing Ryan was even more of a treat. She gazed with enjoyment at his handsome face, th at mouth with the perfect cupid’ s bow that kissed her in a way she’d never been kissed before. Ryan was smiling at her.
    “You’re not at the office today?” She’d been pleasantly surprised at the lunch invitation, always assuming he was way too busy for weekday lunches. She was grateful to see him, if briefly.
    “I’ll just work at my office here.” Of course, she thought. This place is huge. His office at home is bigger than the one downtown.
    “So, should I be jealous?” Ryan tried to look serious but his eyes sparkled. He felt the hardening under his jeans having Heather so close. Her sweet aroma of roses drifted across the small table. He watched her cross her slender legs, noticing how perfectly the tight white jeans molded to them.
    “You’ll have to clue me in.” Heather wasn’t sure what he was referring to.
    “The man who stopped by and talked to Patricia this morning…. He’s not a very good liar. Said he was interested in investing. Blake Enterprises doesn’t promote publicly. I do my own investing and if I ask for other investors, it’s always privately. So, that tells me Mr. Jamison Stanton, attorney-at-law, had to do quite a bit of research to even find my office.
    The question is - why he would go to that trouble. I have my own research team. They come in handy for many things. I always like to be sure who I’m dealing with. So, I checked this guy out. It kind of spooked me that he would just walk into my office without an appointment and under pretense.
    Turns out, he’s you r former boyfriend. He’s a high- profile attorney, who represents Monica at Walker’s Private Paintings. I’m guessing that’s how you met him. I shudder to think of you with him.
    What I don’t know is why he’s become interested, all of a sudden. If I were to guess, I’d say it’s the usual motive, jealousy. I’m sure he’s seen pictures of us. We’re no secret anymore.”
    Heather’s cheeks flushed. How annoying that Jamison woul d intrude on her private life, o f all the nerve.
    “Ex is right,” she affirmed. “I’d rather not talk about him. I apologize that he’s bothering you. I’ll make it clear that he’s to leave you out of any dealings he has with me. And, no, you shouldn’t be jealous, not in the least.”
    “I can take care of Mr. Stanton, so no need to worry your pretty head about it. Now, let’s get back to the current topic - my painting. When will it be ready?”
    “It is ready.” Heather couldn’t help but think of Jamison’s comment “trashy”. Maybe she’d gone too far. He’d always said her paintings were in bad taste. So many times his attitude had crushed her. Even now, it made her hesitate.
    “I thought you’d stopped working on it when you were, ah, upset with me. When you thought that Christina Levain was competition and you were so gracefully backing out of our relationship.” There was that twinkle in his eyes again. Maybe he found her funny, but she had been dead serious about not fitting into his world. Jamison’s recent visit only reminded her of the need to avoid heartbreak, not sure she’d survive