Karen lifted a brow. "As long as it's enough to give Erica a reason to call off this ridiculous wedding."

He nodded. "Unfortunately, I couldn't find anything on Brian Lawson." At her deep frown he smiled. "But I think I have something even more damaging."

She narrowed her gaze. "For your sake, it better be. I've paid you a lot of money and there's more where it came from if you can deliver."

"I believe I can...and I have. It's not Brian you need to worry about, it's his mother."

Karen's gaze reflected surprise. "His mother? Why on earth would I need to be concerned with her? her?"

"Because she's involved in a very heated affair."

Karen shrugged. "So what? She's single. Some women enjoy that sort of thing with a man."

He chuckled. "Yes, some do. But in her case, the man she's enjoying it with happens to be married."

Karen paused with her teacup mere inches from her lips. "Married?" she asked in surprise.

"Yes, and the man is someone you know."

Before she could ask who, Jaye emptied an envelope filled with pictures on the table before her. At her startled gasped, he said, "Yes, Karen. I hate to inform you, but for the past two months Rita Lawson has been having an affair with Wilson."

Jaye watched Karen. Other than picking up the photographs and turning them over and over, one by one, she said nothing. His mother had once said she thought Karen's heart was made of stone and her father had made her that way. He'd wanted sons but his wife had given him daughters. However, Karen could probably be as ruthless as any son Omar Delbert could have sired.

Jaye was beginning to believe his mother knew what she was talking about.

He then watched as a smile curved her lips and she threw the pictures down on the table and laughed. She actually laughed. It was a rich sound. Rich and filled with joy. This was not the reaction he would expect from a woman who'd just been shown proof that her husband was involved with someone else.

While she continued to laugh, he glanced down at the photographs. Once he'd established the fact that Wilson and the woman were involved, all it had taken was following their pattern. Wilson had never returned to Dallas. Instead the two would plan visits in cities and countries where they most traveled on business. Most of the time things had worked out that way for them. On only a few occasions had they made plans themselves.

Jaye had captured them on camera sharing intimate dinners while gazing into each other eyes, holding hands across the table or walking out of restaurants and hotel rooms plastered to each other's side. There were even a few good shots that he'd captured of them sharing a kiss.

"I would not have figured her to be Wilson's type," Karen said, interrupting his thoughts. He wondered what she meant by that, since Rita Lawson wasn't a bad-looking lady. In fact, he could see her as Wilson's type. Although the man was his cousin by marriage, they'd never actually had any dealings with each other. But he always had appreciated Wilson for the times he would stop by and visit with his wheelchair-bound father.

It had been obvious to Jaye when he snapped the photographs that there was more than l.u.s.t between Wilson and Rita. There was a growing love, and even a cynical b.a.s.t.a.r.d like him could see it. Too bad Karen couldn't.

"But since she is Wilson's type, they deserve each other because they will help to destroy what is between her son and our daughter."

Jaye leaned back in his chair. "You think once Erica finds out about the affair she will call off the wedding?"

"Of course. I'm her mother and I'll make sure it appears that I'm so distraught over the affair that-"

"And you're not distraught over the affair?"

She cast him a glance as if she didn't appreciate being interrupted but would let him do so this one time. "Heavens no. I suggested to Wilson years ago that he consider getting a mistress. But as far as I know he's never taken me up on my suggestion until now. Unfortunately, he decided on the wrong woman and I will use his mistake to my benefit."

Jaye saw her eyes light up and could just imagine what devious plans she had in the works. In a way he didn't want to know. He just wanted to get paid for the work he'd done for her so far.

Feeling the need to escape her presence, he glanced at his watch and stood up. "I have another appointment and need to leave."

"Of course. Let me pay you for your services."

He watched Karen as she moved over to her desk and, using a key, unlocked it. He thought she wasn't a bad-looking woman if she would step down off her high horse every once in a while. He heard about her younger sister and how different the two women had been. There had been an eight-year difference in their ages and, according to his mother, Karen had always been jealous of Blair growing up and hadn't shed a single tear when Blair died.

"Here you are, Jaye."

He glanced down at the check. "Wow! I hadn't expected so much, Karen. Thanks."

"You earned it. Besides, I plan to keep you on retainer. Now that I have a surefire plan to rid Erica of Brian, I can turn my attention to Griffin. I don't believe he's involved with anyone."

"I wouldn't know. But I've heard he's planning to announce his candidacy for mayor soon."

Karen smiled. "Yes, and when he does I plan to have Erica by his side. They'll make a perfect mayor and first lady."

Jaye placed the check in his wallet thinking if she could pull that off then she was definitely a miracle worker. Griffin had said more than once that he and Erica didn't have that sort of relationship. Evidently Karen still wasn't listening.

"Well, you know how to reach me when you need my services again," he said, moving toward the door.

"Yes," she said, smiling. "And I will be calling you."

Griffin checked his watch. He had only twelve hours left to spend with April before heading out to the airport. The thought of leaving her tomorrow depressed him already.

Earlier today he had accompanied her on a film shoot on Malibu Beach. Anyone who thought the life of a model was all glitz and glamour and not hard work was completely wrong. April was a professional and handled herself as such but she wasn't standoffish. She had conversed easily with everyone and he could tell the crew liked her a lot. One of the cameramen told him that she didn't give in to immature tempestuousness like some models did.

And, as some of the other crew members had pointed out, she had a heart of gold. Last year she had help organized several charity events. Griffin had to agree with everyone that there was more to April North than her beautiful face and shapely body.

They had officially been dating for a month now and he always looked forward to her phone call in the middle of the week to share her weekend schedule with him. Then he would make plans to join her in some of the most exotic places. There hadn't been a weekend that they hadn't shared together.

He smiled when he thought of last weekend in Orlando when she had talked him into going to Disney World. He'd had more fun that day with April than he'd had at ten years old. And he could definitely say he'd never had more fun with a woman. There was just something about April that made him want to enjoy life in a way he never had before.

"Sorry about that, but I needed to take that call from London," April said, breezing back into the room with her luscious scent following in her wake.

He glanced up and smiled and when she reached the sofa and tumbled playfully into his arms, he caught her as their laughter mingled. And when he adjusted her position in his lap, she turned and lowered her mouth for him to take.

And he took it.

With a hunger that no longer surprised him, he devoured her. He felt his blood rush south when she adjusted her position in his lap and came in blatant contact with his erection. He was hard and was getting harder, more engorged with every little wiggle her sweet behind was making.

"Stop squirming around so much," he warned, pulling his mouth from hers to whisper against her moist lips.

"Why?" she asked, smiling.

"Why you think?" he asked, knowing she had gotten used to his erections by now. It didn't take much to arouse him where she was concerned.

"I like hot s.e.x. I like you. You're beginning to grow on me," she teased.

A smile touched the corners of his lips. "I like hot s.e.x, too, and I like you. And I know all about growing on you. If I expand any more I'm going to do irreparable damage to my zipper."

She glanced down at his lap. "Show me what's growing."

He didn't give her a chance to recant her request as he tumbled her back on the sofa while standing up to quickly remove his jeans, T-shirt and boxer shorts.

"Oh, my, Mr. Hayes, you're truly a Mr. Big," she said, giving his manhood an eyeful.

"So you say."

She chuckled and reached down and caught hold of his shaft. He knew she felt it thickening in her hand. Her smile widened. "So I know."

Not giving him time to say anything else, she covered his mouth with hers and he wrapped his arms around her waist, bringing her closer to him. He pulled back and whispered, "You've got on too many clothes."

"Umm, earlier today you thought I had on too little clothes."

He smiled remembering the bikini she'd worn during her photo shoot. Just thinking about how she looked in it made sensations race through his groin. She felt him grow some more and laughed before pressing the palm of her hand against his chest, sending him tumbling backward.

Moving quickly, she stripped out of her shorts and blouse. He watched her hungrily. "No panties and bra?" he asked when she returned to ease her naked body over his body.

"Around you, why bother?" Without hesitation, she eased her moist heat down on his manhood.

"I like this," she said in a low, husky tone that heated his blood. Made him tingle with all kinds of sensations as he drove deep inside of her. He lifted his hips off the sofa for deeper penetration.

"I like that, too," she then added.

He could feel himself swelling inside of her and when she glanced down and met his gaze he figured it was going to be one of those days that she intended to ride him until he went crazy.

"I like you," she whispered.

He opened his mouth and his voice caught in his throat. The response he had been about to make to her was, "And I love you."

He sucked in a deep breath instead when the truth of his emotions overtook him with a vengeance. He did love her and he might as well tell her. "I don't just like you, April. I've fallen in love with you."

He watched her eyes flicker when she realized what he'd said. Her body went still, but her inner muscles clamping hard on him didn't let up any. And then he saw something form in her eyes he hadn't expected. Tears.

"I didn't mean to make you cry, sweetheart."

"But you told me you loved me," she said as a couple of tears fell down on his chest.

"Would you rather I not tell you? Did you want to think all I want from you is s.e.x? I couldn't do that. To me you're too honest, clean and pure. You're nothing like those other women I've messed around with."

"But I didn't think you would fall in love with me."

He smiled. "Well, I did. And I didn't tell you that to make you express feelings for me that I know you don't feel yet, but I-"

"Don't feel? I've loved you forever, Griffin Hayes!"

Now it was his gaze that flickered. He was totally startled. "What?"

"You heard me. I can't recall a time that I haven't loved you."

He swallowed thickly. "I never knew."

More tears fell. "It wasn't meant for you to know. I wasn't sure how things were between you and Erica and she was my best friend. Besides, Mrs. Sanders would have banished me off the face of the earth if she thought I had fallen for the guy she wanted Erica to marry."

He held her gaze. "But you got married. Three times."

She nodded. "Yes, because I couldn't have you," she said quietly. She drew in a deep breath. "And I still can't."

He frowned. "Why not? You know there's nothing between me and Erica, and you also know I don't give a friggin' d.a.m.n what Mrs. Sanders thinks."

"Yes, but Hattersville is your home and it will always be. You love it there. It's just the opposite with me. I couldn't wait to finish school and leave there. I hated growing up with people thinking my mother was a tramp because she had me and wasn't married, and that I was beneath them because my grandmother cleaned houses and took care of other people's kids for a living."

He reached out and lifted her chin. "Erica never thought that. Neither did I. In fact, I always admired your accomplishments, was proud of your achievements. Not everybody in our town is as closed-minded as Karen Sanders and my parents."

"Maybe not, but you're thinking of running for mayor and I won't do anything to ruin your chances of winning."

"And how can loving each other ruin my chances?"

She inhaled deeply and then said, "No one would accept me as someone you're interested in."

His eyes narrowed. "I intend to prove you wrong, sweetheart. I've always admitted that there are closed-minded people living in Hattersville, and it won't change overnight. But it will change. I told you my platform. You're going to have to believe in me. Believe that somehow there can and will be an us, us, and that no matter what we will be together." and that no matter what we will be together."

When she didn't say anything he murmured against her lips, "Tell me that you're willing to believe that, April."

She didn't respond and each second that pa.s.sed made his heart beat that much faster. "Okay, I'm willing to believe that," she finally whispered. "But you have to promise that you'll still keep our affair a secret until after the wedding. I want to be the one to tell Erica about us, but only after she marries Brian. The less drama before Erica's wedding, the better."

"All right. I promise."

And then he covered her mouth with his, knowing that his top priority was not winning the mayor's race, but showing April that they were meant to be together. When all was said and done, they would be.

Chapter Nineteen.

Erica laughed and opened yet another gift. This was her first bridal shower and she was totally enjoying herself. The past two weeks had moved by quickly and now she only had three weeks left...and another half-dozen bridal showers to attend.

This one was being given by a few friends from college who'd come to town for the weekend. They were using the patio of the Hattersville Garden Club and the weather had cooperated nicely.

To her surprise her mother had not put up a fuss about attending. In fact, lately her mother hadn't complained about anything. When Erica had mentioned it to Brian he'd said Karen had probably finally resigned herself to the fact that Erica would be marrying him.