Read Mistress Minded for Free Online

terry-cloth robe the hotel had provided and applied her makeup with a deft hand. She knew about fashion from her mother, and used all of those tricks now. A little voice deep inside pointed out that she wasn’t exactly being herself, but Jayne ignored it. Being herself had gotten her a high-paying job and a lonely town house.
    Maybe it was time for a change. She grinned at herself in the mirror, pretending not to notice that her eyes were strained and the makeup made her face seem strange and foreign. She exited the bathroom. Adam was in the process of pulling on his dress shirt. He pivoted toward her as she emerged. She’d thought she was ready to see him again. She’d been wrong.
    His chest was bare and muscled. A light dusting of hair covered it, tapering to a thin line that disappeared into his waistband. God, he was gorgeous. Her gaze swept over him time and again and she knew she should look away, but couldn’t.
    â€œI didn’t realize you were back,” she said at last. What an idiot, she thought. Obviously Adam was going to have some doubts about her intelligence if she didn’t snap out of this dreamy state.
    When he gave her one of his wry half grins, sherealized she always accepted them as signs of real emotion, but perhaps they weren’t. “I am. We need to talk before dinner.”
    That was the last thing she wanted to do. She’d been too chatty earlier. She knew she’d let him see too much of the real woman behind his handy little assistant today, and she didn’t want to feel that vulnerable again.
    â€œI don’t think so. I just needed some time to adjust to being your pretend mistress.”
    â€œThat’s part of the problem,” he said.
    She couldn’t endure another conversation on the topic, so she crossed to the armoire where the clothing Adam had purchased hung. Jayne usually chose clothes in shades of black, beige or white because they went together. Adam’s mistresses apparently didn’t worry about that, nor about the amount of luggage they brought with them. There was an entire rainbow of clothing hanging there.
    â€œWhat’s part of the problem, Adam?” she asked, congratulating herself on totally ignoring the fact that he had a scar above his left nipple. Where had he gotten it?
    â€œPretending. Frankly, you’re not very good at it.”
    â€œNo, I’m not,” she said, allowing herself a small smile. “But I think I can handle it now.”
    â€œDo you?”
    â€œYes,” she said. Her fingers fell on a boldly colored wraparound skirt and the gold taffeta, sleevelessblouse that went with it. She held both items to her body and glanced at herself in the full-length mirror on the armoire door. Then she took a deep breath, because she was about to take a huge leap and knew from past experience that there would be no one to catch her if she fell. And she’d probably be free-falling for a while.
    â€œWhat do you think? As good as Isabella?” she asked, pivoting to face him.
    He raised one eyebrow. “I can’t tell with the robe.”
    â€œDidn’t she wear one?”
    â€œYes, but it wasn’t made of terry cloth and it never really covered her body.”
    Oh, man. It figured she’d screw this up. Jayne tipped her chin down and then glanced back at Adam. There was a new tension in his body as he stared at her.
    She walked over to the settee and placed her outfit on it. Then she reached for the tie at her waist. It wasn’t the smooth move Jayne had intended, for she’d knotted it tightly. Finally the belt was free and dangled at her sides, but the robe stayed closed.
    She didn’t know if she could do it. In fact, she couldn’t. She must have island fever or something to have thought she could—
    â€œChère?”
    She felt like a little mouse the moment before a big eagle swooped in for the kill. But steeling herself, shetipped her head to the