by Jamie Dallas
He could hear her soft gasp as she entered.
“Wow,” she murmured, turning to take in the sleek, modern, minimalist setting. It was the exact impression he wanted when people walked into his place, should he ever let someone in besides his aunt and Evan.
He followed her into the living room.
Even though he’d moved in a month ago, the scent of new building still hung in the air. The couch and TV were barely used, and the photos on the walls felt more decorative than personal. His place may as well be the staging area instead of a home.
Hailey’s flame-colored hair stood out against the dark hardwood floors and the clean white lines of his living room.
“I’ve never been to your place before. Not even in San Francisco. It’s so—” she tilted her head to the side and pulled out a pearl-encrusted comb “—monochrome.” She said the last word like she had ended up with oatmeal for breakfast when she was expecting cake.
Her eyes landed on the giant TV mounted on the wall, the stereo system he spent hours setting up, the black and white cityscape photos, then finally on the guitar he kept in one corner.
She set the comb on an end table and moved to the instrument, as though drawn to the one personal item in the entire room. Her fingers caressed the warm wood and brushed over the strings before she moved to the floor-to-ceiling windows. She leaned her head against the window frame, her long tendrils cascading down her back, tempting and innocent at the same time.
“Thanks for letting me stay.”
“It was a business decision.” A partial lie. Mostly a business decision. At least that’s what he kept telling himself. Because it was safer than telling her he couldn’t leave her abandoned in the rain.
She glanced over her shoulder. “It’s always business with you.”
“Because business makes sense.” It was something real he could sink his teeth into. It was never flighty and would never leave when you needed it most.
“Your place is exactly what I expected,” Hailey continued.
“How’s that?”
“Sparse. Impersonal.” She gestured toward the living room. “Expensive. It must impress the women.”
“I don’t bring women home.” The conversation was a little too personal for his tastes.
Her eyes widened, but before she could say anything, he spoke. “Let’s get you into dry clothes, then we can talk about the contract.”
He didn’t miss the contraction of muscles right below her jaw. Her shoulders tensed, and her nipples—Jace closed his eyes and tried not to notice how hard they were or how hard it was making him.
“There is no contract,” Hailey deadpanned, successfully refocusing his thoughts.
That wasn’t an option. He needed her on board.
“Let’s talk after your shower.” After she had time to relax.
Hailey shook her head. “You’re not going to convince me.”
“I know this is the only contract on your plate.” Thanks to Evan, who convinced her to focus solely on her wedding and Sun Tech. A mistake in his opinion. “Maybe we can come to an agreement.”
“That’s unlikely to happen. Evan is part owner of Sun Tech, and after today, I’m not helping Evan.”
Shit. He smoothed his hand over his hair.
There had to be some way to convince her. He had devoted too much money and made too many promises to their investors to have her back out now. “Just think about it.”
Before she could argue, he headed down the short hall that led to his master suite and the two spare rooms.
His bedroom was dark and cool. The shades were still drawn, blocking the last rays of sunlight for the day.
Jace flipped on the light and moved to his dresser. He pulled out a pair of sweats, some gym shorts, and a couple tees.
He turned to find Hailey standing in the doorway. Her fingers toyed with a bead on her dress, drawing his attention to the swell of her pale breasts where they dipped into the bodice of her gown.
The sooner he got her into his clothes, the better. His oversize shirt would easily drown her curves.
He held up her options. “Which ones?”
She stepped into the room and glanced around. Except for a photo of him and his aunt at his college graduation, and a wood box he had made in high school, his bedroom was as bland as the rest of the place—carefully thought-out and impersonal. Yet the way Hailey examined his few possessions, running her fingers over the frames, made his room feel personal.
It was unnerving.
He shook the bottoms at her. “Sweats or shorts?”
“Shorts.” Hailey pulled the shorts out of his hands. He held up two tees, and she grabbed the gray one, clutching it close to her chest. “Thank you.”
He jerked his head toward the bathroom. “Shower’s in there.”
She looked in the direction he indicated. “The shower is in your bedroom?”
“Unfortunately.” He scratched at the back of his neck. “You can use the shower at the end of the hall, but it isn’t stocked, and the showerhead still needs to be fixed.”
“There’s no door.”
He forced himself not to notice the throaty quality of her voice. He knew there was no door to his bathroom. It had never been an issue before. But Hailey’s pink blush that started at her chest and bloomed to her cheeks had his mind going to places that it didn’t need to go. Images of Hailey’s lush body covered in suds as the water caressed her skin began to form.
No, no, no. Hailey was a consultant he had hired. He couldn’t go there with her. Ever. Even if he wanted to.
Which he didn’t, he reminded himself for what felt like the hundredth time.
“I’ll wait in the living room.” With a glass of whiskey. Thinking unsexy thoughts about accounts and contracts. “Towels are under the sink.”
He’d take the time to figure out how to convince her to follow through with the launch. Sure, she’d had a shock with Evan at her wedding today. However, everyone had a giving point. He needed to find hers.
With that goal in mind, he moved to leave.
“Jace?”
His hand froze on the doorknob.
“Can you undo the zipper in the back?”
Her voice. Something about her voice froze him in place.
Slowly, warily, he turned to face her. Hailey’s arm bent around her back, her fingers coming short of the zipper.
“Please?” She glanced at him over her shoulder, her dark eyes tempting. “I want out of this awful, itchy thing.”
Jace didn’t blame her. Nothing about the garment appeared comfortable. It looked stiff, a snare meant to trap whoever stepped inside.
He moved closer, feeling edgier than necessary as he stopped inches away from her.
He could smell the sweet fruity scent in her hair. Bright, sexy citrus. Hailey pulled her long curls over one slim shoulder and waited.
He raised his hand to the zipper and hesitated, a mere half-inch away.
“Any time now.” She shifted from one foot to the other.
“Hold your horses.” His voice was harsh. He was far too aware of her, and the fact she’d be naked in his shower in a few minutes wasn’t helping.
Damn it. He was overthinking this zipper situation. This wasn’t rocket science. He just needed to keep this clinical. A simple pulling down of a zipper. A two-second procedure.
His fingers brushed the soft skin of her back as he grasped the ridiculously tiny pull. Tooth by tooth, he eased the pull down, revealing the gentle curve of her spine, followed by the twin dimples above her hip bones, and stopped at the curve of her rear.
Her skin was creamy, luscious. Begging for him to taste her.
As if sensing the direction of his thoughts, her breaths came faster. He could sense it more than hear it. And if he wanted to keep his wits about him, he would hightail it out of here.
But he stood, rooted in place, his fingers on the zipper, unable to step away from the soft temptation before him. Then, before he could stop hi
mself, he traced the line of her back, savoring the feel of her soft skin along each ridge of her spine. Her ribs expanded and contracted under his touch, and her head dipped back a fraction.
“Jace?” Hailey clutched the dress to her body as she twisted to face him. He could see the confusion and question in her eyes.
She was so close, he could kiss her. Drop his lips to hers and take control, like he had done hundreds of other times with hundreds of other women.
But that was a risk that he just couldn’t take.
Hailey wasn’t just any woman. She was the now-ex of his business partner. The woman who had successfully launched Sun Tech both in San Francisco and LA. The woman they needed for their launch in Houston so he could meet the demands of their investors to whom he had made so many promises. He needed to sell every condo in this building, and she was the woman to help sell them.
She was the one woman he could never have.
He dropped his hands and stepped away, his feet heavier than lead.
“I’ll be in the living room.”
Before she could say a word, he crossed the room in three long strides.
With a soft click, he shut the door firmly behind him, trapping the siren tempting him closer to the rocks inside.
Chapter Two
What just happened?
Hailey waited until the door clicked closed and for Jace’s footsteps to recede before she released her breath. She loosened her arms from around her waist, and the dress slid down her body to crumple in a pile around her feet.
The heat in Jace’s eyes had to have been a figment of her imagination. He was not one to fall for a woman like her. She could barely handle her life much less her relationships.
Besides, Jace was too cool, too distant for her. Even his condo felt cold and empty. A place on display, not a home to live in.
But she was grateful for the place to hide out.
Maybe that explained why she reacted the way she did as Jace undid her dress. She was…grateful.
She rolled the word around in her mind.
Yep. It was gratitude that made her body light up the second his fingers grazed her back. There wasn’t any other reason at all.
At least not any reason she was willing to analyze.
Hailey gathered the mountain of silk into her arms and dumped the dress on the tiled bathroom floor in a corner by the toilet. She would deal with that later.
Slapping her hands together, she glanced around the room.
Jace’s bathroom was as impersonal as his living room. A bottle of aftershave, a pair of glasses, and a bar of plain white soap sat on the counter. A single black towel hung on the bathroom door.
She caught her reflection in the large mirror situated over the double-sink counter. She wore only a pair of lacy white underwear Evan had bought for their wedding night. She peeled the underwear down her legs and dumped them unceremoniously into the trash.
If what Jace said was true, she was the first naked woman in his condo. Considering the number of women he went through, she found this hard to believe. However, she couldn’t spy a single trace of another woman. No lipstick, no spare toothbrush, not even a long strand of hair.
Just the pair of glasses she never knew Jace needed.
Turning away, she started the large steam shower. The spray turned from cool to warm within seconds, and she stepped inside, hoping to wash away the day’s events along with the grime from the city.
By the time she stepped out onto the cushy shower mat, clean and fresh, she was certain of one thing.
She was done with Sun Tech.
There was no way she could face Jace and Evan when they both knew what a fool she had been. Today was embarrassing enough; she wasn’t going to drag this out longer.
She tossed her wet hair up in a bun and pulled on Jace’s clothes. The scent of laundry detergent and Jace, a scent all male, surrounded her. The soft cotton fabric settled around her form, hiding her curves and lack of underwear underneath.
She moved to the bedroom door, pointedly ignoring the large king-size bed in the middle of the room. Straightening her shoulders, she took a breath.
It was time to face the music.
She spotted Jace on the gray suede couch in the living room, his arms spread over the back cushions, a glass of whiskey in one hand. His head was tipped back, exposing the column of his throat.
His eyes were closed.
She moved closer. Jace didn’t move.
She should say something. At least announce her presence. But something about the lack of tension in his face had her edging closer, her bare feet silent against the dark hardwood floor.
His dark lashes fanned against his golden-brown skin. The muscles along his cheeks were relaxed, and a hint of purplish circles ringed the corners of his eyes. He looked sleep-deprived and vulnerable.
“Sneaking around?”
Her nerves shot to the roof, and a gasp escaped her lips. The room suddenly felt twenty degrees warmer as she pressed her hand against her hammering heart.
“I’m not sneaking around,” she squeaked.
“Could have fooled me.” Jace straightened and took a sip of whiskey.
“I was checking to see if you were asleep.” The excuse sounded lame.
“Right.” He rose from the couch and crossed his arms as he took in her five-foot-five frame swimming in his clothing. Two vertical lines formed between his eyes. “Do you need anything else?”
“A garbage bag for my wedding dress?”
Jace laughed. “I can take care of that for you.” He ran his hand over his jaw. “Unless you’d rather bag it up and burn it yourself.”
She snorted softly. “No. I’d owe you so big if I never had to see that thing again.”
Jace nodded, his eyes sharp. “I’m sure we can work out a deal.”
Hailey crossed her arms over her chest. The deal being she stay on board with Sun Tech. She could read it in his expression. Something about his tone and the way he watched her—his gaze careful and assessing—made it clear he was navigating his approach to the contract.
If there was one thing she’d learned about Jace after all these years, he was dog-on-a-bone determined. If he wanted her on the job, he would keep her up all night until she agreed. And she had a feeling Jace was ready to fight the good fight.
“Can I borrow your phone?”
Jace raised an eyebrow. “My phone?”
She scrambled for an excuse. “To call my mom so she knows I’m safe.”
It took all her self-control to not cringe. She sounded like she was back in high school, but it was the best delay tactic she could come up with in the moment.
Jace picked up his cell and tossed it over to her. “Go to town.”
She caught the phone and headed into the sleek kitchen for a bit of privacy.
Taking a deep, fortifying breath, she dialed her mother’s number from memory. The phone rang once before her mom, Jane, answered with a tense “Hello?”
“Mom? It’s Hailey.”
“Oh, honey, I’m so glad to hear from you.”
She could almost see her mother’s shoulders sag on the other side, and her throat tightened in response. She should have called sooner.
“I’m sorry I ran and didn’t say anything. I just saw Evan—” She paused and closed her eyes. The image of Evan, his arms wrapped around her wedding planner, his thigh pressed between her legs, filled her mind. “Cheating. Evan was cheating.”
There was a stunned silence. “Cheating? Seriously? That bastard. No wonder you ran.”
Her stomach twisted, and a wave of nausea washed over her. Jace was right. She had dodged a bullet.
“He keeps calling to see if you’ve been in touch,” her mom added.
“Tell him that I’m not interested in talking.” She gripped the phone and leaned her head against the cabinet.
“Of course, honey. Come stay with me. We can hang out, have a glass of wine. Where are you? I’ll send a car to pick you up.”
“Thanks, Mom. I appreciate it. I really do. But I need a moment to myself.” Just one night to hide away. Even if it meant dealing with the hot man in the other room.
“Just tell me where you are staying so I don’t worry.”
Hailey swallowed. She wanted to tell her, but she also knew her mom was a horrible liar. She didn’t want to risk Evan hopping in the first taxi over to Jace’s condo.
“With a friend,” Hailey replied firmly. “I’ll see you tomorrow. Love you.”
The phone sat heavy in her hand as she hung up, and the knot in her stomach felt like a rock.
This day was a path through her own personal hell.
“So, I’m a friend, am I?”
And apparently, she wasn’t out of the woods yet.
With a groan, she pushed away from the cabinet. “Eavesdrop much?”
Jace sauntered in, hands in his pockets. “It’s a small condo. You should have gone in the bedroom.”
Hailey rolled her eyes. As if she would willingly go back into a space as personal as Jace’s bedroom. “‘Friend’ was the easiest explanation.”
A muscle in Jace’s jaw twitched. Intrigued, she tilted her head.
“So I’m your dirty little secret for tonight?”
“Would you like me to explain to my mother I’m staying with Evan’s best friend?”
“I’m his business partner. Two different things.”
“Uh-huh.” She gripped the edge of the counter. “Because business partners have a poker night every week.”
Jace’s brows drew together. “I’m not sure what Evan was telling you, but there was never a poker night. We’re business partners, and that’s it.”
Her breath caught in her lungs as the pieces clicked together. “You’re telling me the poker nights never happened?”
Jace snorted. “Hell no.”
Evan had cheated right under her nose, and she blindly accepted it.
“Fine. Next time I talk with my parents, I’ll tell them I stayed with you. They can think whatever they want.”
