Buch lesen: «The Secret Affair»

To the man who will always and forever be the love of my life, Gerald Jackson, Sr.

Special thanks to Dr Dorothy M. Russ of Meharry Medical College for your assistance in providing information on medical schools and residency programs.

In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

—Colossians 2:3

Prologue

Jillian Novak stared across the table at her sister, not believing what she’d just heard.

Jillian placed the glass of wine she’d been holding on the table, barely keeping the drink from spilling. “What do you mean you aren’t going with me? That’s crazy, Paige. Need I remind you that you’re the one who planned the trip?”

“A reminder isn’t needed, Jill, but please understand my dilemma,” Paige said in a rueful tone, her dark brown eyes shaded with regret. “Getting a part in a Steven Spielberg movie is a dream come true. You can’t imagine what I was feeling—happiness at being chosen one minute, and then disappointment the next, when I found out that shooting starts the same week I was supposed to be on the cruise with you.”

“Let me guess, your happiness overpowered your disappointment, right?” Jillian felt a pounding pressure in her head and knew why. She had been looking forward to the Mediterranean cruise—for many reasons—and now it appeared she wouldn’t be going.

“I’m sorry, Jill. You’ve never gone on a cruise and I know it’s one of the things on your bucket list.”

Paige’s apology only made Jillian feel worse. She’d made her sister feel awful for making a choice Jillian would have made herself if given the chance. Reaching across the table, she grabbed Paige’s hand.

“I’m the one who should be apologizing, Paige. I was only thinking of myself. You’re right. Getting that part in the movie is a dream come true and you’d be crazy not to take it. I’m truly happy for you. Congratulations.”

A bright smile spread across Paige’s lips. “Thanks. I wanted so much for us to spend time together on the cruise. It’s been ages since me, you, Pam and Nadia have had sister time.”

Nadia, a senior in college, was their youngest sister. At twenty-one she was two years younger than Paige and four years younger than Jillian. Pamela, their oldest sister—who Jillian, Nadia and Paige were convinced was the best older sister anyone could ever have—was ten years older than Jillian. A former actress, Pam had given up the glitter of Hollywood to return home to Gamble, Wyoming, and raise them when their father died. Now Pam lived in Denver. She was married, the mother of two and the CEO of two acting schools, one in Denver and the other in Gamble. Paige had followed in Pam’s footsteps and pursued an acting career. She lived in Los Angeles.

With Pam’s busy schedule, she’d said accompanying them on the cruise would have been close to impossible. Nadia had wanted to go but finals kept her from doing so. Jillian had wanted sister time with at least one of her siblings. And now that she had completed medical school, she needed those two weeks on the cruise as a getaway before starting her residency. But there was another reason she wanted to take that two-week cruise.

Aidan Westmoreland.

It was hard to believe it had been a little over a year since she’d broken things off with him. And every time she remembered the reason she’d done so her heart ached. She needed a distraction from her memories.

“You okay, Jill?”

Jillian glanced up at Paige and forced a smile. “Yes, why do you ask?”

“You zoned out on me just now. I was talking and you appeared to be a million miles away. I noticed you haven’t been yourself since I arrived in New Orleans. More than once you’ve seemed preoccupied about something. Is everything okay?”

Jillian waved off Paige’s words. The last thing she wanted was for her sister to start worrying and begin digging. “Yes, everything is okay, Paige.”

Paige didn’t look convinced. “Um, I don’t know. Maybe I should forget about being in that movie and go on that cruise with you after all.”

Jillian picked up her wineglass to take a sip. “Don’t be silly. You’re doing the right thing. Besides, I’m not going on the cruise.”

“Why not?”

Jillian was surprised at her sister’s question. “Surely you don’t expect me to go without you.”

“You need a break before starting your residency.”

Jillian rolled her eyes. “Get real, Paige. What would I do on a two-week cruise by myself?”

“Rest, relax, enjoy the sights, the ocean, the peace and quiet. And you might luck up and meet some nice single guy.”

Jillian shook her head. “Nice single guys don’t go on cruises alone. Besides, the last thing I need right now is a man in my life.”

Paige laughed. “Jill, you haven’t had a guy in your life since you dated Cobb Grindstone in your senior year at Gamble High. I think what’s missing in your life is a man.”

Jillian bristled at her sister’s words. “Not hardly, especially with my busy schedule. And I don’t see you with anyone special.”

“At least I’ve been dating over the years. You haven’t. Or, if you have, you haven’t told me about it.”

Jillian schooled her expression into an impassive facade. She’d never told Paige about her affair with Aidan, and considering how it had ended she was glad she hadn’t.

“Jill?”

She glanced up at her sister. “Yes?”

A teasing smile spread across Paige’s lips. “You aren’t keeping secrets, are you?”

Jill knew Paige had given her the perfect opportunity to come clean about her affair with Aidan, but she wasn’t ready. Even after a year, the pain was still raw. And the last thing Jillian needed was for Paige to start probing for more information.

“You know the reason I don’t have a man in my life is because of time. My focus has been on becoming a doctor and nothing else.” Paige didn’t have to know that a few years ago Aidan had wiggled his way past that focus without much effort. That had been a mistake that cost her.

“That’s why I think you should go on that cruise without me,” Paige said. “You’ve worked hard and need to rest and enjoy yourself for a change. Once you begin your residency you’ll have even less time for yourself—or anything else.”

“That’s true,” Jillian said. “But—”

“No buts, Jillian.”

Jillian knew that tone. She also knew that whenever Paige called her by her full name she meant business. “If I were to go on that cruise alone I’d be bored stiff. You’re talking about two weeks.”

Paige gave her a pointed look. “I’m talking about two weeks that I believe you need. And just think of all the fabulous places you’ll get to see—Barcelona, France, Rome, Greece and Turkey.” Now it was Paige who reached out to take hold of Jillian’s hand. “Look, Jill, there is something going on with you, I can feel it. Whatever it is, it’s tearing you apart. I picked up on it months ago, the last time I came to visit you.”

A wry smile touched Paige’s lips when she added, “Perhaps you are keeping secrets. Maybe there’s some doctor in medical school that caught your eye and you’re not ready to tell me about him. One who has blown your mind and you don’t know how to handle the intensity of such a relationship. If that’s the case, I understand. All of us at some time or another have issues we prefer to deal with alone. That’s why I believe two weeks on the open seas will be good for you.”

Jillian drew in a deep breath. Paige didn’t know how close she was to the truth. Her problem did center on some doctor, but not one attending medical school with her.

At that moment the waitress returned with their meal, and Jillian appreciated the interruption. She knew Paige would not be happy until Jillian agreed to go on the cruise. She’d heard what Paige had said—Paige knew something was bothering Jillian. It would only be a matter of time before Pam and Nadia knew as well, if they didn’t already. Besides, Jillian had already taken those two weeks off. If she didn’t go on the cruise, the family would expect her to come home and spend that time with them. She couldn’t do that. What if Aidan came home unexpectedly while she was there? He was the last person she wanted to see.

“Jill?”

Jillian drew in another deep breath and met Paige’s gaze. “Okay, I’ll do it. I’ll go cruising alone. Hopefully, I’ll enjoy myself.”

Paige smiled. “You will. There will be plenty for you to do and on those days when you feel like doing nothing, you can do that, too. Everybody needs to give their mind a rest once in a while.”

Jillian nodded. Her mind definitely needed a rest. She would be the first to admit that she had missed Aidan—the steamy hot text messages, the emails that made her adrenaline surge and the late-night phone calls that sent heat sizzling through her entire body.

But that had been before she’d learned the truth. Now all she wanted to do was get over him.

She sighed deeply while thinking that Paige was right. Jillian needed that cruise and the time away it would give her. She would go on the cruise alone.

* * *

Dr. Aidan Westmoreland entered his apartment and removed his lab coat. After running a frustrated hand down his face, he glanced at his watch. He’d hoped he would have heard something by now. What if...

The ringing of his cell phone made him pause on his way to the kitchen. It was the call he’d been waiting for. “Paige?”

“Yes, it’s me.”

“Is she still going?” he asked, not wasting time with chitchat.

There was a slight pause on the other end and in that short space of time knots formed in his stomach. “Yes, she’s still going on the cruise, Aidan.”

He released the breath he’d been holding as Paige continued, “Jill still has no idea I’m aware that the two of you had an affair.”

Aidan hadn’t known Paige knew the truth, either, until she’d paid him a surprise visit last month. According to her, she’d figured things out the year Jillian had entered medical school. She’d become suspicious when he’d come home for his cousin Riley’s wedding and she’d overheard him call Jillian Jilly in an intimate tone. Paige had been concerned this past year when she’d noticed Jillian seemed troubled by something that she wouldn’t share with Paige.

Paige had talked to Ivy, Jillian’s best friend, who’d also been concerned about Jillian. Ivy had shared everything about the situation with Paige. That prompted Paige to fly to Charlotte and confront him. Until then, he’d been clueless as to the real reason behind his and Jillian’s breakup.

When Paige had told him of the cruise she and Jillian had planned and had suggested an idea for getting Jillian on the cruise alone, he’d readily embraced the plan.

I’ve done my part and the rest is up to you, Aidan. I hope you can convince Jill of the truth.

Moments later he ended the call and continued to the kitchen where he grabbed a beer. Popping the top, he leaned against the counter and took a huge gulp. Two weeks on the open seas with Jillian would be interesting. But he intended to make it more than just interesting. He aimed to make it productive.

A determined smile spread across his lips. By the time the cruise ended there would be no doubt in Jillian’s mind that he was the only man for her.

Moments later, he tossed the empty can in the recycle bin before heading for the shower. As he undressed, he couldn’t help but recall how his secret affair with Jillian had begun nearly four years ago....

Chapter One

Four years earlier

“So, how does it feel to be twenty-one?”

Jillian’s breath caught in her throat when Aidan Westmoreland’s tall frame slid into the seat across from her. It was only then that she noticed everyone had gone inside. She and Aidan were the only ones on the patio that overlooked a beautiful lake.

This birthday party had been a huge surprise and Aidan’s attendance even more so since he rarely came home from medical school. She couldn’t imagine he’d come home just for her birthday. With her away at college most of the time as well, their paths rarely crossed. She couldn’t recall them ever holding what she considered a real conversation during the four years she’d known him.

“It feels the same as yesterday,” she said. “Age is just a number. No big deal.”

A smile touched the corners of his lips and her stomach clenched. He had a gorgeous smile, one that complemented the rest of him. If there was such a thing as eye candy he was certainly it. She had the hots for him big-time.

Who wouldn’t have the hots while sitting across from this hunk of sexiness? If his lips didn’t grab you then his eyes certainly would. They were deep, dark and penetrating. Jillian’s heart missed beats just looking into them.

“Just a number?” He chuckled, leaning back in his chair, stretching long legs in front of him. “Women might think that way but men think differently.”

He smelled good. When did she start noticing the scent of a man?

“And why is that, Aidan?” she asked, picking up her glass of lemonade to take a sip. It suddenly felt hotter than usual. It had nothing to do with the temperature and everything to do with her body’s heated reaction to him.

She watched him lift a brow over those striking dark eyes. A feral smile edged his lips as he leaned forward. “Are you sure I’m Aidan and not Adrian?”

Oh, yes she was sure he was Aidan. She’d heard about the games he and his identical twin would play on unsuspecting souls, those who couldn’t tell them apart. “I’m sure.”

It was Aidan and not Adrian who stirred her in places she’d rather not think about at the moment.

He leaned in even closer. So close she could see the pupils in his dark eyes. “And how are you so certain?” he asked.

Was she imagining things or had the tone of his voice dropped to a husky murmur? It was rumored that he was a big flirt. She had seen him in action at several Westmoreland weddings. It was also a fact that he and his twin were womanizers and had developed quite a reputation at Harvard. She could certainly see why women were at their beck and call.

“Because I am,” she replied. And that’s all she intended to say on the matter.

There was no way she would tell him the real reason, that from the moment her brother-in-law Dillon had introduced her to Aidan, before he’d married Pam, she had developed a full-blown crush. She’d been seventeen at the time, a senior in high school. The only problem was the crush hadn’t lessened much since.

“Why?”

She glanced back up at Aidan. “Why what?”

“Why are you so certain? You still haven’t said.”

She inwardly sighed. Why couldn’t he leave it alone? She had no intention of telling him. But since she had a feeling he wouldn’t let up, she added, “The two of you sound different.”

He flashed another sexy smile, showing the dimples in his cheeks. Her hormones, which always acted out of control around him, were erratic now. “Funny you say that. Most people think we sound a lot alike.”

“Well, I don’t think that.”

There was no way she could think that when it was Aidan’s voice, and not Adrian’s, that stroked her senses. Deciding it was time to take charge of the conversation to keep his questions at bay, she inquired, “So how is medical school going?”

He didn’t let on that he suspected her ploy, and as she took another sip of her lemonade, he began telling her what she had to look forward to in another year or so. Becoming a neurosurgeon had been a lifelong dream of hers ever since her mother died of a brain infection when Jillian was seven.

Aidan told her about the dual residency program at hospitals in Portland, Maine, and Charlotte, North Carolina, that he planned to pursue after completing medical school. His dream was to become a cardiologist. He was excited about becoming a doctor and she could hear it in his voice. She was thrilled about becoming a doctor one day as well, but she had another year left before she finished her studies at the University of Wyoming.

While he talked, she nodded as she discreetly gave him a slow, appreciative appraisal. The man was too handsome for words. His voice was smooth as silk, with just enough huskiness to keep her pulse rate on edge. Creamy caramel skin spread across the bridge of a hawkish nose, sharp cheekbones, a perfect sculptured jaw and a mouth so sensual she enjoyed watching it in motion. She could imagine all the things he did with that mouth.

“Have you decided where you’re going for medical school, Jillian?”

She blinked. He had asked her a question and was waiting on an answer. And while he waited she saw that sexy mouth ease into another smile. She wondered if he’d known she was checking him out.

“I’ve always wanted to live in New Orleans so working at a hospital there will be at the top of my list,” she said, trying to ignore the eyes staring at her.

“And your second choice?”

She shrugged. “Not sure. I guess one in Florida.”

“Why?”

She frowned. Why was he quizzing her? “I’ve never been to Florida.”

He chuckled. “I hope that’s not the only reason.”

Her frown deepened. “Of course that’s not the only reason,” she said defensively. “There are good medical schools in Louisiana and Florida.”

He nodded. “Yes, there are. How’s your grade point average?”

“Good. In fact my GPA is better than good. I’m at the top of my class. In the top ten at least.”

Getting there hadn’t been easy. She’d made a lot of sacrifices, especially in her social life. She couldn’t recall the last time she’d gone out on a date or participated in any school activities. But she was okay with that. Pam was paying a lot of the cost for her education and Jillian wanted to make her sister proud.

“What about the entrance exam—the MCAT—and admission essays? Started on them yet?”

“Too early.”

“It’s never too early. I suggest you prepare for them during your free time.”

Now it was her turn to smile. “Free time? What’s that?”

The chuckle that erupted from his throat was smooth and sexy and made her pulse thump. “It’s time you should squeeze in regardless of whether you think you can or not. It’s essential to know how to manage your time wisely, otherwise you’ll get burned-out before you even get started.”

She grudgingly wondered what made him an expert. Then she pushed her resentment aside. He was giving her sound advice and he had gone where she had yet to go. And from what she’d heard, he was doing pretty well at it. He would graduate from Harvard Medical School at the top of his class and then enter a dual residency program that any medical student would die for. He would get the chance to work with the best cardiologists in the United States.

“Thanks for the advice, Aidan.”

“You’re welcome. When you get ready to knock them out of the way, let me know. I’ll help you.”

“You will?”

“Sure. Even if I have to come to you to do it.”

She lifted a brow. He would come to her? She couldn’t imagine him doing such a thing. Harvard was in Boston and that was a long way from her university in Laramie, Wyoming.

“Hand me your phone for a second.”

His request jarred her thoughts back into focus. “Why?”

“So I can put my numbers into it.”

Jillian drew in a deep breath before standing to pull her cell phone from the back pocket of her jeans. She handed it to him and tried to ignore the tingling sensation that flowed through her when their hands touched. She watched him use deft fingers to key in the numbers. Surgeon’s fingers. Long, strong, with precise and swift movements. She wondered how those same fingers would feel stroking her skin. She heated just thinking about it.

Moments later his phone rang, interrupting her thoughts. It was then that she realized he’d called himself to have her number, as well. “There,” he said, handing her phone back to her. “You now have my number and I have yours.”

Was she jumping to conclusions or did his words hold some significance? “Yes, we have each other’s numbers,” she agreed softly, shoving the assumption out of her mind.

He stood, glancing at his watch. “Adrian and I are meeting up with Canyon and Stern in town for drinks and to shoot pool, so I best get going. Happy birthday again.”

“Thanks, Aidan.”

“You’re welcome.”

He walked away but when he got to the French doors he turned and looked back at her, regarding her through his gorgeous dark eyes. The intensity of his gaze made her stomach quiver and another burst of heat swept through her. She felt something...passion? Sexual chemistry? Lust? All three and more, she decided. She’d thought all the Westmoreland males she’d met since Pam married Dillon were eye candy, but there was something about Aidan that pulled at everything female inside of her.

She cleared her throat. “Is anything wrong?” she asked when the silence began to stretch.

Her question seemed to jar him. He frowned slightly before quickly forcing a smile. “Not sure.”

As he opened the French door to go inside, she wondered what he meant by that.

* * *

Why, of all the women in the world, have I developed this deep attraction for Jillian Novak?

The first time he’d noticed it was when they’d been introduced four years ago. He’d been twenty-two, and she only seventeen, but still a looker. He’d known then that he would have to keep his distance. Now she was twenty-one and still had the word innocent written all over her. From what he’d heard, she didn’t even have a boyfriend, preferring to concentrate on her studies and forgo a love life.

And speaking of life, Aidan was fairly certain he loved every part of his, especially his family. So why was he allowing himself to be attracted to Pam’s sister? He didn’t want to cause any trouble for Dillon.

Pam Novak was a jewel and just what Dillon needed. Everyone had been shocked when Dillon announced he had met a woman who he intended to marry. That had been the craziest thing Aidan had ever heard.

Dillon, of all people, should have known better. Hadn’t his first wife left him when he’d refused to send the youngest four members of the Westmoreland family—namely him, Adrian, Bane and Bailey—to foster care? What had made Dillon think Pam would be different? But it didn’t take Aidan, his siblings and cousins long to discover that she was different.

As far as Aidan was concerned, she was everything they’d all needed; she knew the value of family. And she had proven it when she’d turned her back on a promising acting career to care for her three teenaged sisters when her father passed away.

To say the Westmorelands had undergone a lot of family turmoil of their own was an understatement. It all started when Aidan’s parents and uncle and aunt died in a plane crash, leaving his cousin Dillon in charge of the family, along with Aidan’s oldest brother, Ramsey, as backup. Dillon and Ramsey had worked hard and made sacrifices to keep the family together—all fifteen of them.

Aidan’s parents had had eight children: five boys—Ramsey, Zane, Derringer and the twins, Aidan and Adrian—and three girls—Megan, Gemma and Bailey. Uncle Adam and Aunt Clarisse had had seven sons: Dillon, Micah, Jason, Riley, Canyon, Stern and Brisbane.

It hadn’t been easy, especially since he, Adrian, Brisbane and Bailey had been under the age of sixteen. And Aidan would admit the four of them had been the most challenging of the bunch, getting into all sorts of mischief, even to the point that the State of Colorado ordered they be put in foster homes. Dillon had appealed that decision and won. Lucky for the four youngest Westmorelands, Dillon had known their acts of rebellion were their way of handling the grief of losing their parents. Now Aidan was in medical school; Adrian was working on his PhD in engineering; Bane had joined the navy and Bailey was taking classes at a local university while working part-time.

Aidan’s thoughts shifted back to Jillian, although he didn’t want them to. The birthday party yesterday had been a surprise, and the shocked look on her face had been priceless—adorable and a total turn-on. If he’d had any doubt about just how much he was attracted to her, that doubt had been dispelled when he saw her.

She had walked out onto the patio expecting a going-away party for his sister Gemma, who had married Callum and was moving to Australia. Instead it had been a surprise birthday party for her. After shedding a few happy tears, which he would have loved to lick away, she had hugged Pam and Dillon for thinking of her on her twenty-first birthday. From what he’d heard, it was the first time Jillian had had a party since she was a little kid.

While everyone had rushed over to congratulate her, he had hung back, checking her out. The sundress looked cute on her and it was obvious she wasn’t the seventeen-year-old he’d met four years ago. Her face was fuller, her features stunning and her body...

Where had those curves come from? There’s no way he would have missed them before. She was short compared with his six-foot-two-inch height. He figured she stood no taller than five feet three inches in bare feet. And speaking of her feet, her polished toes, a flaming red, had been another turn-on. Pam might not want to hear it, but her sister was Hot with a capital H.

When he realized he had been the only one who hadn’t wished her a happy birthday, he was about to do so when his phone rang. He had slipped off the patio to take the call from a friend from college who was trying to fix him up on a blind date for next weekend.

When he returned to the patio after finishing his call, everyone else had gone inside to watch a movie or play cards, and she’d been alone. She would never know how hard it had been for him to sit across from her without touching her. She looked good and smelled good, as well.

Jillian Novak had definitely caught his eye.

But Dillon and Pam would pluck out that same eye if he didn’t squash what he was feeling.

Everybody knew how protective Pam was when it came to her sisters. Just like everyone knew Aidan wasn’t one to take women seriously. And he didn’t plan to change his behavior now. So the best thing for him to do while he was home for the next three days was to keep his distance from Jillian as he’d always done.

So why did I get her phone number and give her mine, for crying out loud?

Okay, he reasoned quickly, it had been a crazy moment, one he now regretted. The good thing was he doubted she would ever call him for help and he would make it a point never to call her.

That was a good plan, one he intended to stick to. Now, if he could only stop thinking about her that would be great. Glancing down at the medical journal he was supposed to be reading, he tried to focus on the words. Within a few minutes he’d read one interesting article and was about to start on another.