Completely turning away from Jake, she extended her hand. “It was a pleasure speaking with you, Mr. Bradley,” she stated, making it clear that Jake wasn’t included in that pleasure. “I appreciate you taking time out of your busy day.”
A moment later, without even a nod in Jake’s direction, she left the office and, damn if he didn’t let his gaze linger on her incredibly long legs. Strong, muscular calves, he noticed. She was still doing that Pilates crap, he’d bet. She hated running or any other sort of cardio exercise. But yoga and Pilates or anything else that strained her muscles while challenging her brain…she loved all of that stuff.
Jake was more of a run-full-out-to-a-sprint kind of guy. And weights. He loved the burn, the strain of his muscles when he pushed himself hard. Jake had convinced her to go running with him once and she hadn’t spoken to him for a full twenty-four hours afterwards. He’d smooth-talked her back, but then teased her for being out of shape. Then she’d tricked him into taking one of her yoga classes.
He hadn’t walked straight for a week. Yoga was more difficult than he’d imagined. Or at least the yoga classes Megan preferred. He supposed that there were yoga and Pilates for all skill levels, but not Megan. She craved the burn just as much as he loved it. They just achieved it in different ways.
Muttering a curse, he threw the presentation she’d inadvertently left with him onto his desk.
“Uh…Jake, you really need to read that,” Mike warned, shifting uncomfortably on his feet.
Jake’s eyes slashed to the older man, his fury uncontainable now. “Why the hell would I do that?” Jake demanded, turning to glare at the man who had run the acquisitions department for the past several years. Mike was a good man, if a bit weak around the chin.
Mike’s chin might be a bit…soft, but he wasn’t an idiot and he obviously wasn’t intimidated by Jake’s bad mood. “Because it’s brilliant.” He walked over and picked up the briefing, flipping through to one of the pages that contained graphs and charts. “Look at this,” he said and explained what Megan was proposing. Jake only listened with half an ear for about two minutes, fully intending to call security to toss the beauty out to the street. But then the ideas in the presentation got through the furious haze in his mind and he picked up the papers, flipping through the information. He skimmed the data quickly, grasping what Megan was trying to do.
“Damn!” he growled, impressed despite his fury. “Think she can really do this?”
Mike shook his head. “I don’t think she can do it alone. But you tried something similar two years ago. Other companies have tried and failed as well.” He took the presentation and flipped to the last page. “I think this might be the missing piece.”
Jake read the last page twice, shaking his head as he realized what it contained. “Damn!” he whispered.
“Exactly,” Mike replied with a smug smile, nodding slowly.
Another man stepped into the office. “Jake, I need you to…”
Jake’s twin brother froze as he took in his brother’s intensely focused features as Jake slowly sat back in the big leather chair, once more flipping through the pages of the briefing.
“What’s going on?” he asked Mike. Jackson recognized the look on his brother’s face and knew that he wouldn’t get anything out of Jake for a while. When Jake was working on a computer problem, he wouldn’t surface, wouldn’t acknowledge the world, until he’d figured it out. Once Jake had a problem in his head, he was like a dog with a bone. Jackson suspected that Jake would be in the computer lab well into the night, trying to work through whatever was going on in that data on the paper in his hands.
Mike turned to explain to Jackson what had just happened. “A woman named Megan Carmichael brought us an idea. She’s worked up some code that would help doctors and hospitals discover cancer years before anything else on the market. It would…”
“Save millions of lives,” Jake filled in, understanding exactly what a discovery like that could mean to the world.
Jake turned around and Jackson saw the pain in his brother’s eyes. If one didn’t know the man well, one wouldn’t know that something was very wrong. His features were hard as granite but…something was off.
And it wasn’t just ‘wrong’, Jackson knew. It was seriously bad.
Jackson had seen that look in his brother’s eyes once before and knew that he’d have to step in. He couldn’t let this happen. Not again.
“Mike, would you excuse us for a moment?” he asked. Mike knew the question wasn’t really a request. It was an order. Immediately, the older man left, silently pulling the door closed behind him.
Jake waited until they were alone before he spoke. “Who brought this idea to you?” he asked.
Jackson watched Jake for a long moment, remembering the last time his twin had looked this…shocked.
Jake might have laughed at Jackson’s expression, but his mind was…otherwise occupied. His brother knew him too well, as only twins could. But this…Jake looked down at the briefing again, considering the issues, but silently coming to the only possible conclusion. “We’re doing it,” he announced, glaring at his brother, daring him to counter that statement. “I’ll get contracts to pull something together.”
“Jake,” Jackson ask softly, “what’s going on?”
Jake shook his head, glaring right back at his brother. “Doesn’t matter. We’re doing it. You and I both know that it’s brilliant and…”
“Jake,” he repeated, his tone effectively stopping Jake’s words. “Who?”
Jake just blinked at his brother. His mirror in every way. They were fraternal twins, but so alike that it was hard for non-family members to tell the difference. They thought alike. They acted alike. And they knew what the other was thinking, sometimes before the other thought it. It was a twin thing that sometimes drove their older sister, Chloe, nuts when they conspired with her.
“Who?” Jackson repeated. “Is it her?”
No names. They both knew who “her” was.
Silence. Jake crossed his arms over his chest, glaring at his brother with a resolute determination that few could emulate.
“I don’t want you getting back together with her,” Jackson growled, tossing the presentation onto the low coffee table in disgust.
Jake leaned against his desk, trying to appear relaxed and not give anything away. “We’re not getting back together. She came to JJH for our resources. From the surprise in her eyes, she didn’t even know that I was one of the owners.” He shrugged, his arms crossing over his broad, muscular chest. “Besides, I won’t make the same mistake twice.”
Jackson shook his head. “Jake, you don’t ever make mistakes! At the risk of swelling your already annoying ego, you’re brilliant. You know things and see things in ways that the rest of the world can’t figure out. So you don’t make mistakes! Except for her. I haven’t seen you like this except for that one time years ago. Not until now, but…”
“I told you,” Jake interrupted, lifting his hand to interrupt his sometimes-overly-protective twin. “Have no fear, I’m not getting back together with her, so you can rest easy on that issue.” He pointed to the briefing laying on his desk. “But this is an amazing idea. And I want to develop the technology. I want this. We’re going to do this.”
Jackson moved closer, concern etched in his rugged features. “I don’t care how brilliant it is. If that woman tears you up like she did years ago, it isn’t worth it.”
Jake put a hand on his twin’s shoulder, trying to reassure him. “I’ll be fine.”
Jackson lifted a dark eyebrow, skeptical of his brother’s reassurance. “You’re bigger and badder now?”
Jake rolled his eyes, moving away from the desk. “You’re just itching to get pummeled, aren’t you?”
Now that the decision was made, and Jackson could see from Jake’s eyes that he wouldn’t give in, Jake’s agile mind started working on the problems, the testing issues they’d need to overcome, the marketing possibilities a
nd…a slew of other things. Jackson wasn’t completely reassured that Jake could handle Megan, but he would stay close and make sure that everything worked out for the best.
Jackson scoffed. “Chloe won’t let us fight anymore. The last time, you came away with a black eye.”
Jake chuckled. “Yeah, and you came away with bruised ribs.” They both grinned. “Good times,” Jake laughed, walking over to put another hand on his brother’s shoulder and his amusement disappeared. “I know better now. She’s not worth my time, but she has a brilliant idea. We’re doing this.”
Jackson hesitated, tilting his head as he considered his brother. “How are you going to keep from…?”
Jake’s hand tightened on his brother’s shoulder. “She doesn’t affect me anymore.”
A dark eyebrow lifted with that assurance. “You’re stronger now?”
He pulled away and chuckled. “I don’t have to be stronger. She doesn’t affect me like she used to. Megan Carmichael simply isn’t an issue any more.”
With that, Jake picked up the presentation and walked out of his office, giving his twin brother another look that silently encouraged him not to worry. “I’m fine,” he said when his brother frowned. And then he was gone, heading for the legal department.
Chapter 2
Megan stared up into the inky night sky, admiring the twinkling stars. Taking a deep breath, she wiggled her toes deeper into the cold grass, noticing the way it tickled her bare feet. She didn’t mind the odd sensation. It felt good, actually.
It just…felt.
That was something she wouldn’t ever take for granted. For too long, she hadn’t felt anything but the pain. Seemingly unending pain.
Closing her eyes, she inhaled slowly, and let the air out through her mouth, forcing her shoulders to relax.
That was all in the past, she reminded herself. Taking another sip of the delicious wine, she savored the flavors, recognizing the oak and the slightly fruity aftertaste. With a sigh, she leaned back again. Stars. Grass. Wine. The chill in the early fall air. These are all sensations she wanted to savor.
Today had been a mistake. A horrible, miserable, bitter mistake. She hadn’t known that Jake Hughes would be working at JJH Technologies but…
Something occurred to her. “JJH,” she whispered to the stars, tilting her head back as she breathed in the cool, night air. “Jake has a twin brother.” Obviously, the stars didn’t respond, but she liked to pretend that they could hear her and were interested. Sitting up, she looked around with a startled realization. “JJH! Jake and Jackson Hughes!” When the full impact of her error hit her, she threw back her head, laughing at the impossibility of what she’d opened herself up to. “Good grief!” she sighed.
The stars continued to twinkle cheerfully. As Megan stared up at the twinkling lights, she felt like they were grinning happily down at her, laughing right along with her grievous mistake.
Leaning back against the soft cushions of her chair, she took another sip of wine, thinking about Jake’s sharp, grey eyes, the way his lips pressed together when he’d recognized her. But for a moment, a very brief moment, those grey eyes had widened with surprise. And his mouth had fallen open. For that small moment, he hadn’t hated her for what she’d done all those years ago. For that fraction of a second, they were…!
The doorbell ringing brought her back to the present and she twisted around, trying to see through the windows of her small, cottage style house. But she hadn’t turned on the lights inside, wanting to be enveloped by the springtime night air and the silent reverence of the ascending moon.
Another ring and she stood up, walking barefoot into the house and ignoring a few blades of grass that stuck to her now-damp skin. “Coming!” she called out, putting her glass of wine on the table. It was a small house – just a family room and kitchen on this floor with a tiny dining room. Upstairs, there were two bedrooms and a shared bathroom. It was small, but she loved it. She loved every piece of furniture she’d carefully acquired over the years and loved cooking delicious foods in her tiny but well set up kitchen. She loved savoring the flavors of the foods and matching delicious wines to enhance the flavors. At night, Megan loved slipping between the cool, crisp sheets, cherishing the softness against her skin.
After the past few years, Megan tried to focus on enjoying all aspects of this wonderful world. The small moments and the big ones, the scary as well as the quiet, subtle ones.
At the heavy wood door, she put her hand on the old, iron knob and tugged. It was heavy and she remembered she needed to sand down the wood so that it would open more smoothly. But that was a job for another day, she thought.
And then all thoughts vanished as she stared at the huge man standing in the doorway.
“Jake!” she whispered, thinking of all the times he’d come to her late at night, exactly like this. Immediately, her mind, and body, remembered what would happen next. After classes or studying, they’d meet at one or the other’s place and then…!
With a shiver, she stepped back. It was an unconscious action, designed to keep her from throwing herself into his arms, to protect herself from his magnetic pull. The pull that she’d craved so many times over the past several years. The pull that she’d….!
Not now, she told herself firmly. But he took her startled retreat as an invitation to come inside.
As she leaned against the closed door, watching Jake prowl around her cottage, she realized just how small her house really was. With just her in the space, everything was the perfect size. But with Jake standing in the middle of her tiny family room, her house felt like a hobbit’s house. Everything was just too small. Jake was a huge man! He was tall and muscular, but even more, his personality was a living, breathing thing. He had an aura of power around him that never failed to make her aware of his physical presence. He was a force, she thought, remembering all the ways he’d shown her how he could use that power. And all of his efforts had been for her pleasure. A pleasure she’d never experienced before or after Jake.
“This is good,” he announced curtly, tossing her presentation onto her old, scuffed coffee table.
She looked at the table covered in nicks and scratches, each a testimonial to a life well lived. Then she remembered the expensive designer furniture from his office. His coffee table alone probably cost more than all of the furniture in her house combined.
Blinking, she looked away from the presentation she’d accidentally left at his office, too desperate to get away from him and his anger as well as the bitter, brutal flood of bittersweet memories. Crossing her arms over her stomach, as much to ward off his presence as to keep herself from…maybe throwing herself into his arms and begging his forgiveness. Not a good idea, she told herself firmly.
With a curt nod, she straightened her spine, reminding herself to be strong. “Well, thank you for returning it.”
She watched as his gaze landed on her bookcase and his head tilted quizzically. “Who’s that?” he asked, referring to the picture on the shelf sitting in a place of pride in front of her books.
Megan glanced over and cringed. But as soon as she realized what she was doing, she straightened her shoulders, refusing to be embarrassed by the image staring back at her.
“Is that your sister?” he asked, lifting the picture for a better look.
She smiled tightly, shaking her head. “No. I don’t have a sister. I’m an only child.”
He waited for an explanation. But when he realized that Megan wasn’t going to elaborate, he returned the picture to the shelf.
He tossed a file folder on top of the presentation. “Here’s the contract. Read it and sign it. I’ve reserved one of the labs for our exclusive use. We’ll start as soon as you’ve signed.” He walked out of her tiny home, leaving a stunned Megan staring at the now-closed door.
It took her several minutes to pull herself together. Just like years ago, Megan thought that Jake was a force. There was so much energy and power inside him that just being in the s
ame room with him was overwhelming.
Walking over to the bookshelf, she took the picture down. She ran her thumb over the image of the hairless, reed-thin woman staring back at her with huge brown eyes surrounded by purple, blotchy skin. Megan remembered that day. She remembered the way her mother had cried. The pain of the chemotherapy. The toxic chemicals injected into her body might have fought the cancer, but there were many days, this one included, when Megan was sure that the cure was worse than the disease. Chemotherapy was literally toxins that one willingly allowed to enter one’s body. Treatments like the one done this day…the fiery burn of the chemo going into her veins and bones, the mind-numbing pain that lasted for days, burning her body from the inside out. The blisters. The nausea. It got so bad that there were many days that they’d had to feed her intravenously either because her body couldn’t handle food or her mouth was so blistered, she couldn’t swallow anything. Months and months of chemo. Radiation. Desperate hope that the tumors would shrink only for those hopes to be crushed and the whole process starting over with a slight variation in the cocktail of her chemo treatment. No variation in the pain. That was one thing that was consistent.
Two years of treatments. Two years of agony and desperation. Two years of thinking about Jake, wondering what he was doing, thinking about their time together. There were many days when those memories were the only thing that got her through the torture of those miserable treatments. Too many times, her mother had screamed at her to fight, to not give in, to not let the cancer win. She’d thought about Jake during those times, about his strength and how he’d never, ever, allow anything to stop him if he wanted something. Megan had used the memories of his perseverance, his tenacity, to get her through the worst of those seemingly endless months of pain when it would have been so much easier to just…give up and let the cancer have her body.
Inconveniently Tempted Page 2
