Kathy Jay - What If He’s the One

“I’m not up for being practiced on like some kind of seduction technique guinea-pig,” she burbled. “I can’t play your game. It might work on the zillion other women in your life. But it doesn’t do anything for me. I knew you before you were television’s sexiest vampire …” She was aiming for sarcasm. It was a struggle. “In case you’d forgotten.”

“Ohhhhh, I’ve definitely not forgotten,” he rumbled. Before she could respond he silenced her, feathering her lips with his for a fraction of a nano-second.

“Alex!” She exhaled his name and sucked in a breath, almost fighting for air. There was no confusion. Vampires were fiction. This was real. He’d hijacked her controls and she was tipsy on a cocktail laced with one hundred per cent temptingly awesome man.

He settled back into his own seat. Leaning on the cushiony headrest, he taunted, “It’s no good. If you want to make me a club member there’s only one thing for it.” He nodded towards the front of the aircraft. “We’ll have to join the queue.”

“Ha flipping ha.” She smirked at him caustically. “Very funny. Like that’s going to happen.” Apparently fashion stylist Magenta had put on a parachute and jumped, leaving the teenager she’d been when she first met him in her place.

Maggie was in a crazy spin. She wasn’t going to let Alex know it. He was only flirting with her. Even so, he was sinfully hard to resist.

She glanced around the cabin. In the low light the other passengers either worked on laptops or dozed. Luckily.

Her heart squeezed. Her life plan didn’t include a man to share it. She’d convinced herself that she didn’t need one. Alex’s provocative half a heartbeat of an almost kiss told her in no uncertain terms that men had their uses. For some things they were indispensable, even.

That was by the by. There was still no such thing as The One. He didn’t exist. For one sugary moment ten years ago she’d wondered if Alex might be her One. As it turned out – he wasn’t. She got over it – eventually. She hadn’t seen it at first, but the writing had always been on the wall for Maggie. Her dad hadn’t stuck around for her mum. And no guy was going to stick around for her. Even her grandfather hadn’t been a long-haul guy. He’d gone off with an ahead-of-her-time cougar from the village fish-and-chip shop.

In spite of the evidence, Maggie had remained positive. She’d truly believed she could find her Mr. Right and beat the family curse. Only things had changed when Marcus came along and burst that bubble. Men were fickle creatures. And as if she needed any more proof. Here was Hot Vampire Guy, charming the life out of her, just to pass the time.

The plane juddered. The seatbelt lights pinged on. “Ladies and gentleman – we are experiencing some turbulence. Please return to your seats and refrain from moving about the cabin.”

Nick was ejected from the toilet; followed after about thirty none-too-discreet seconds by the petite flight attendant.

Nick ignored the instruction to sit. He stopped beside Maggie.

“Maggie Plumtree – we meet again.” He raked his gaze over her. “Last time I saw you, you were wearing a fetching little Santa Girl number,” he teased. “I’m glad to see your dress sense has improved.”

She laughed off his jokey remark. It dawned on her, somewhat belatedly, that the fashion shoot had the makings of the old friends’ reunion from hell. Why hadn’t she seen that coming? She needed a thick skin.

Alex glared at his brother.

Nick crossed his arms over his broad chest. “I’ve heard a lot about your work – all good, of course.”

“Of course.” She looked him up and down, hoping the looks she had planned were going to work. “It’s good to see you too, Nick.” She pointed to the fasten seatbelts lights. “Shouldn’t you go back to your seat?”

Nick had been a bit-part actor when she’d known the brothers in London. Unlike Alex, he’d avoided drama school, scoring roles mostly through luck and the helping hand of a famous name. It opened doors and got him into TV medical dramas and whodunits. The way she remembered it, Nick and their mother had more or less kidnapped Alex when Mercy of the Vampires came along . It would have been crazy not to go for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. But, ultimately, TV in Hollywood had been Nick’s dream, not Alex’s. Seeing the brothers together now, she wondered what direction Alex’s life might have taken if he hadn’t gone to LA. Before he’d dropped out of drama school to play Nick’s evil vampire twin in the pilot series of Mercy he’d talked about getting into theater, serious stuff like directing and Shakespeare.

Nick pinned her with his sparkly almond gaze and didn’t budge.

“So, what have you got planned for us? Or is it top secret?”

Maggie snapped into professional mode, reminding herself that she needed to let bygones be bygones.

“Day one we’re in downtown Boston. We’re planning something rural meets urban – with fresh produce.” Nick frowned. “Apples. Flowers. Helium balloons.” She bubbled with enthusiasm. “I’m aiming for a kitsch vibe with pretty girls in retro florals. And you guys in country tweeds.”

“Tweeds?” Alex and Nick echoed in sync. They exchanged a skeptical look.

“It’ll be fab. Trust me. The magazine wants something cute. A farmers’ market in the heart of the city feel. I’m going to work with a devil within theme to keep the focus on the vampire premise of the show.”

“Brainy as well as beautiful. No wonder you’ve done so well for yourself.”

Nick’s playboy reputation was as legendary as Alex’s mystery. Lately the tabloids couldn’t get enough of his allegedly on-off affair with his on-screen love interest Ella Swift. Going by what she’d just witnessed, it was more off than on.

In contrast, scandal about Alex rarely appeared in the gossip magazines. Even so, the paparazzi frequently photographed him with some glitterati girl glued to his side. Only last week she’d seen his name on a list of the world’s top twenty most-eligible bachelors.

The show had been a huge success, running for almost ten years and making them household names. It helped that their mother was the flamboyant Cassandra Wells, and being real-life twins didn’t hurt either. It added to the hype that surrounded the Wells brand.

“We’re at Cape Cod the second day. Doing something atmospheric in the dunes.”

“Tell me more. I’m intrigued.” Alex butted into the conversation.

“Leather and lace. Anyone?” Oops. She wasn’t doing very well on the act-professional-absolutely-no-flirting front.

“Just as long as it’s you in leather and Alex wearing the lace. Or should it be the other way around?” A cheeky grin spread across Nick’s face.

“Well, no.” She feared that working with Alex and Nick might require the bringing out of her inner schoolmarm – if she had one. “We’ve booked some lovely willowy girls to do something a bit Victoriana meets boho chic. We’re going to blend that with sea, sand, and a sexy biker-boy look.” She gave a little shrug. “That’s where you guys come in.”

“Cool.” Nick’s grin widened at the approach of the flight attendant, smiling pinkly.

“Sit down, please – um, sir.”

The seatbelt lights pinged off, but Nick was bored now. He made a move to go back to his seat. “Catch you later,” he said loudly, drowning out the disembodied voice of the co-pilot regaling passengers with details of the cruising height and the ground temperature in Boston.

Towards the end of the flight Alex looked down at Maggie. She’d fallen asleep. Her head had dropped onto his shoulder, but he hadn’t dared wake her.