Indulge Page 7

  Back upstairs, Jillian hurried to a door down the hallway from Lex’s. Douglas once told her that Lex tended to take an entire floor when they booked into a hotel. He liked his privacy, but he also made sure his people stayed close-by, which meant Douglas, his pilot Mathews, the temporary co-pilot, and flight attendant were all on this floor.

  Jillian knocked, and the door swung open to reveal a beaming Faith. “Finally,” she said and pulled Jillian inside. “I was beginning to doubt Lex would ever let you leave.”

  Jillian’s cheeks warmed. “We had some catching up to do.”

  Faith chuckled. “Oh, I understand.”

  Jillian had forgotten how gorgeous this particular Fitzgerald woman was. Even in sweats and hair pinned up in a messy bun, she looked stunning. Behind her was a middle-aged woman who looked more worried than pleased by Jillian’s arrival. Not exactly confidence inspiring. From the sewing paraphernalia in the living room, they’d been busy since their arrival. But busy doing what? There was no form with a wedding dress.

  “Are you ready for the unveiling?” Faith asked.

  “Oh yes,” Jillian said, her nervousness shooting up. What if she hated the dress? Would she be forced to wear it just to please Lex’s family? Faith disappeared into a bedroom, and Jillian gave the seamstress a tiny smile.

  “It’s our best work,” the woman reassured Jillian in a heavily accented voice.

  Jillian bit her lower lip, her eyes going to the door through which Faith had disappeared. She owned one of Faith’s gowns, a gift from Lex’s mother after a pool accident at the family mansion. It was beautifully tailored, but that didn’t mean her wedding gown had received the same attention. Faith and her people had only three days to work on it, hardly enough time to create a masterpiece.

  Faith appeared pulling a rolling form, and Jillian jumped up. Slowly, she walked forward, her jaw dropping at the one-shoulder, trumpet style. It was ivory, not white. Its deep neckline was sexy and the corset bodice elegant. Her eyes followed curves of the formfitting dress that seemed to have been made for her body.

  As the awe spread through her, she noticed the thin layer of tulle that covered the dress. It had the most beautiful appliqués of Chantilly lace she had ever seen. The lace appliqués were delicate flowers with pearl and Swarovski crystals. Each flower was perfectly placed on the dress as if it were falling from the sky and onto the dress. A delicate layer of tulle went from the bodice to her left shoulder, creating a thin strap. The tulle would cover the skin, but it still allowed the view of the neckline. It was a perfect combination of sexy and demure.

  The appliqués continued cascading down the bodice, hips, and skirt of the dress until they seemed to rest at the bottom, giving the illusion of a pool of fallen petals and buds. Jillian took a step closer and tilted her head to study the back. It was gorgeous. The corset closed in a low V in the back with beautiful crisscross ivory satin ribbons that held it together. The skirt had the same cascading flowers all over the chapel-length train.

  Then Jillian realized no one was speaking. She glanced up, and her eyes met Faith’s. From the way she was biting her lower lip, she was nervously waiting for her verdict.

  “It’s the most exquisite wedding gown I’ve ever seen.” Her throat tight, Jillian closed the gap between them and hugged Faith. “Thank you.”

  “I’m happy you like it.”

  “Like? I love it.” Jillian stepped back, glanced at the seamstress and mouthed, “Thank you.” The woman nodded. Jillian focused on Faith. “It surpasses my wildest dream.”

  Faith dismissed Jillian’s words with a wave of her hand. “That’s because you gave me free rein. Never tell a designer to surprise you. The lace is Chantilly, imported from France. Each piece was hand-cut and appliquéd onto silk by my talented seamstresses led by Ms. Larissa.” She indicated the seamstress. “The cascade of falling floral motifs gives the gown a romantic feel. We’re still working on the veil, but the pattern matches the gown.” Larissa handed her a veil. “I’m partial to a crystal encrusted veil, but I thought it might be too much if you are wearing a tiara, so I went simple but elegant. The corset back is perfect if you want to adjust the fit.” Her eyes went to Jillian’s stomach.

  Jillian rolled her eyes. “Don’t start. Even my own father asked me if this was a shotgun marriage.”

  Faith chuckled. “People will speculate. On the other hand, I know Lex. When he wants something, he is unstoppable.” She started to loosen the back of the gown. “And no one questions him.”

  “In other words, I’m the one people will hound with questions.”

  “Oh yes. Our family won’t whisper and stare. They come right out and ask. Try it on.”

  “Maybe we should have eloped,” Jillian muttered as she shimmied out of her tube dress.

  Faith heard her and shuddered. “Don’t even joke about that. Aunt Estelle is in her element once again. She planned everyone’s wedding, and Lex is her first born and last child to get married. His wedding means everything to her. If you’d gone to Vegas, she would have been devastated, not to mention a certain family member would have blamed her.”

  Or me. Jillian’s apprehension increased. Maybe her father was right about knowing the family before marrying into it.

  “Vivian?” slipped from Jillian’s mouth before she could stop herself.

  Faith shot her a look. “Yes. We call her the dragon lady. Have you spoken to her since Sunday?”

  “Several times.” Her distaste must have shown because Faith chuckled.

  “She has that effect on most people. I swear she must have a list of questions for every man and woman about to marry into our family. She gave my Ken such a hard time he wanted us to elope, too. But he stood up to her. That’s the way to treat Aunt Viv.” Faith chuckled. “Stand up to her. You’ll receive glares during family gatherings for a while, but she’ll respect you for it. I don’t think she forgave Ken until our son was born.”

  Great! She had no intentions of popping babies just to win over the old hag. Sighing, Jillian finished undressing and kicked off her heeled stilettos.

  “Oh, I like that,” Faith said, eyeing Jillian’s sexy under garments. “An original Noelle?”

  “Sexy Temptation line.” Being nearly naked didn’t bother her. She was used to changing in front of the costume crew, and her hickies were covered. Kind of. “I splurged a few weeks ago.”

  “Their Blissful Bride line is amazing, but I love the Sensual Delight more.” That line was all about the bedroom and Jillian’s favorite, too. Faith lifted the wedding gown off the form and shot Jillian a side glance. “Ever try their Wicked and Wild line?”

  Bondage? “No.”

  “Me neither, but I’m tempted.”

  “Me too.” They exchanged a grin, bonding over lingerie. “Maybe when things get boring.”

  Faith laughed. “That’s exactly what I told the girls during our night out last week. I wish I carried a few of their lines in my shop. Katarina Cavalaro is such a recluse, which only makes people covet her designs even more. I’d kill to get a direct line to her daughter. She represents her at shows, but it is impossible to reach her because of the long line of editors wooing her.”

  Katarina Cavalaro must be Sloan and Deedee’s mother. Jillian was amazed at how very few people knew the truth about Noelle Lingerie. Sloan, not his mother, was the genius behind the exquisitely tailored apparel women loved. As for Deedee, maybe Jillian would give her a call. They’d met once, and the flamboyant woman had unofficially invited herself to their wedding. Jillian hadn’t really thought about her until now.

  “Speaking of family,” Faith continued, “the rest of ours is nothing like Aunt Viv. They can’t wait to meet you. The ones from Ireland will be arriving tomorrow.”

  Other than her family and her grandmother, she’d invited a few circus friends of her father’s, Chris and Greg, and the stunt crew. Her side of the hall, or wherever they’d hold the wedding, was going to be nearly empty. Jillian sighed. Maybe she shou
ldn’t worry about the number of people attending her wedding, but rather if they could mingle with Lex’s family.

  “I’d really hoped for a smaller wedding,” she mumbled, and Faith frowned. Feeling like she had to explain, Jillian added, “My family is small.”

  “Don’t worry about it,” Faith said. “Ken felt the same way. He has one sister who’s unmarried, one grandmother on his mother’s side, and of course his parents. Vince, Jade’s husband, had no one, except an uncle who couldn’t make it to the wedding. From the list your father provided, you have a sizeable number of people coming.” She smiled. “I enjoyed meeting your family. Your father is funny, and Sophia is adorable.”

  Jillian smiled. “I hope Dad wasn’t too, uh, blunt.”

  Faith grinned. “He and Aunt Estelle clicked, which was a relief. Bride’s family and future in-laws not getting along is a recipe for disaster. I’ve worked with enough brides to know. Oh, my cousins wanted to thank you for allowing their girls to join Sophia as flower girls. They’re going to love their outfits. I don’t do children’s dresses, but I found the perfect ones, shoes, flower baskets with cute little bows and rhinestones around the rim, and the most adorable tux for Sean, your ring bearer.”

  Sean was Lex’s nephew, his sister’s son. From the sounds of things, Faith had thought of everything. Elena, Jillian’s brother’s wife, had teared up when she’d asked her to be her matron of honor. Somehow, Elena had assumed Jillian would ask her more famous Hollywood friends.

  One chat had dispelled misconceptions and years of strain between them. Her sister-in-law, like everyone in her family, always assumed Jillian led a glamorous life. Elena had even admitted to being jealous of her. Jillian had confessed to being isolated in Hollywood and how the cattiness in the industry made it impossible to make meaningful friendships. She’d even explained how she’d hoped to rejoin the Fearless Finnegan Troupe again.

  “Are the bridesmaid dresses ready?” Jillian asked.

  “Almost. My other seamstresses are working on them. Your bridesmaids loved the shade of blue you chose. I plan to use it to make bows for the flower girls and a tie for Sean.” Faith adjusted the corset back. “How’s that?”

  “The strap is a bit loose.”

  Faith pinned it for a better fit. “Now?”

  “Perfect.”

  Faith led Jillian to the full-length mirror in her bedroom. “I usually work from a toile, but since this was a rush job, I improvised. Good thing you are a perfect model. No weight gain.”

  “Ha-ha, very funny.” Jillian studied her reflection. “They told you to ask me, didn’t they?”

  “Yes, but I’m a lot subtler. They won’t stop until they see a bump.”

  Then they’d wait a long time. The dress fit her perfectly around her chest and hips. It fell to the floor with enough length for heels.

  “I love it, Faith.” She turned to check her back. Sexy, yet classy. Except for the hickies she’d missed on her back, it was perfect. Jillian bunched her thick hair and lifted it off her neck. “The back is gorgeous.”

  “Are you wearing your hair up or down?” Faith asked.

  “Curled and pinned at the base of my neck.” She faked a messy bun, her eyes connecting with Faith’s in the mirror. “What do you think?”

  “You have a long neck and the perfect shape of face to carry it off. Tiara or hair clip?”

  Jillian hadn’t thought about that. “I don’t know. Either.”

  “Aunt Estelle has a gorgeous pearl hair clip with matching pearl earrings that would go with the entire outfit.”

  Jillian cringed. “I wouldn’t dare ask her.”

  “As your wedding planner, it’s her job to make sure you have everything you need. She already offered. It could be your something borrowed.”

  “Oh, that’s nice of her.” Then something registered. “She saw my dress already?”

  Faith chuckled. “Of course not. She saw the lace when I was trimming it. She wanted to, but I told her no. Even my cousins wanted to take a peak. No one except you, my seamstresses, and me has seen it. Not even Lex saw it during the flight.”

  Jillian felt bad for overreacting. “Sorry. I have this weird belief that if anyone sees it before the day of the wedding, they’ll jinx everything.”

  “They won’t. I have a safe no one can break into, and believe me, every reporter will want to know what you are wearing once word gets out that you are getting married on Saturday.”

  Jillian groaned. “According to Troy, they already know. Why can’t they just leave me alone?”

  Surprise flickered across Faith’s face. “Such is the price of fame,” she said calmly. “But with Lex by your side, you can’t go wrong. He’s an expert at dealing with the media.”

  Yeah, like asking her to give a statement. That would be a major disaster, especially if they hurled intrusive questions at her. She was likely to say something insulting.

  “We were about to take off when his office called and told Mathews to file a different flight plan because Lex was joining us. He spent the flight talking to a friend of his,” Faith continued, starting to undo the corset. “By the time we landed, a new piece about you had already aired and was trending online.” Faith chuckled. “They’re debating which hashtags to use. American sweetheart. Biker princess. Biker heiress.”

  Not sure how to react, Jillian asked, “The piece XSN did?”

  “Yes. It was picked up by a lot of media outlets. They find you even more fascinating now.”

  And that was good how? It didn’t matter whether they called her an American heiress, princess, or sweetheart; she didn’t deserve the titles or the attention. Worse, the only media mogul friend of Lex’s was Roderick “Rod” Thorne, and that man could publish anything without an ounce of shame. Instead of feeling relieved, she started to worry. She’d warned Lex not to micromanage her life. She should have known he was already doing it on a large scale.

  Jillian didn’t speak as Faith helped her out of the dress. “I should have the strap and the veil completed by tomorrow. If you need anything changed, let me know.”

  “No, it’s perfect. Just send the bill. I’ll pay whatever you ask.”

  Faith chuckled. “You don’t owe me anything, Jillian.”

  “Of course I do.” A bad feeling washed over Jillian. “Please, don’t tell me Lex paid for it, because I swear, if he did, I’m going to kill him and—”

  Faith gripped Jillian’s arm reassuringly. “No, he didn’t. I make all Fitzgerald wedding dresses for free. The weddings make society pages, and I get free publicity. It’s a win-win situation.”

  Jillian didn’t know whether to believe her or not. How could she be making a profit? The Chantilly lace alone was worth thousands. She didn’t argue with her. Lex would tell her the truth. If she didn’t kill him first for the piece he and Rod had done on her without her permission.

  CHAPTER 5

  Back in her suite, Jillian flipped through the channels, but found nothing about the piece everyone was talking about. She had no idea when Canadians aired their news or how much of the U.S. stories they reported.

  She grabbed her laptop from where she’d left it on the table and went online to XSNnews.com, the online arm of XSN. Five minutes later, her jaw dropped.

  How the hell had Rod’s people gotten a hold of such personal videos? Didn’t investigative reporters fish things from dumpsters? She pulled out her phone and saw her grandmother had called again. Jillian sighed. Now that she knew her grandmother hadn’t started the media hubbub, she felt a little bad for not calling her back. She checked her watch. Her grandmother went to sleep early, so calling now wasn’t an option. She’d visit her the moment they landed.

  Jillian dialed Ricky’s number. Her brother picked up after a few rings.

  “Hey, sis. Saw you on TV. You, Fitzgerald, and the bodyguard saying, ‘No comment… No comment…’” he said, imitating a gangster boss in one of his favorite movies.

  “Ha-ha, Mr. Funny Man. Listen, did you
guys throw away our old home videos? You know, the ones Mom took when we were kids?”

  “Of course not. We uploaded all of them on the family channel online. It’s actually for the troupe, but everything ends up there. We have lots of subscribers.”

  Jillian groaned. “When were you planning on telling me? Did you add some of mine? Phantom-rider, gay-pride parade…?”

  “It’s the Finnegan Family Troupe channel, princess. Last time I checked, you were still a part of this family. And, uh, who said we have to check in with you before posting anything online?”

  He probably hadn’t seen the news, and she didn’t want to explain. Rod and Lex were behind this, and no matter how much she griped, they’d saved the day. She owed them a big thank-you.

  “Call me princess again and I’ll whoop your ass, Ricky Finnegan.”

  “You fight like a girl. Do you remember your first princess birthday with us?”

  What a disaster that had turned out to be. Bikers and circus clowns, and ice cream cake and tiaras at a downtown San Juan playground didn’t mix. Even her mother couldn’t save the day. And now Jillian wanted the same circus people mingling with the Fitzgeralds at her wedding. “Don’t remind me. I just wanted to know about the videos. Gotta go.”

  “Whoa, not so fast. When are you coming home?”

  “Tomorrow. Why?”

  “Stop by the house to talk to Pops. He’s taking your marriage harder than he did ours. Don’t know why. You’ve been nothing but a pain in his ass.”

  Jillian laughed. “Takes one to know one, pinhead. I’ll swing by after I square things with my grandmother.”

  “She started this media mess, didn’t she?”

  “No, she didn’t.”

  “It’s something she’d do. She’s a stuck up b—”

  “Watch your mouth, mister. That’s my grandmother. I can call her names. You can’t. Talk to you later.” She hung up and went to refresh her makeup.

  As soon as she entered the room, she knew something wasn’t right. Opening the closet and drawers confirmed it. Even her toiletries were gone from the bathroom.