by Donna Alward
A headache was starting to brew behind her eyes. “Let’s try another half hour. We’ll go in, make another circuit around and then, yes, we can go. I didn’t expect the time difference to affect me quite this much.”
“As long as we keep you away from what’s-his-name.” Jacob smiled, and her heart did another one of those irregular beats. He didn’t smile often, but when he did, it was like a bright ray of sunshine.
“He’s an ex for a reason,” she replied, raising her voice as they entered the room once again. “I’m truly not interested.”
Another glass of champagne was pressed into her hand—that made three now, and nowhere near her normal limit but more than enough on her empty stomach. Jacob stayed close beside her, engaging in brief conversation when invited. She got the feeling he knew how to be quite the chameleon. For all he was a former soldier, he knew how to clean up and be very charming.
They were making their way to the door now and Charlotte was feeling the effects of the champagne. Her legs were a little wobbly, and she felt like her smile was maybe a bit too wide. She looked over at Jacob. He was still calm and cool, looking so suave in his suit and with his hair slicked back. Like a dressed-up Nordic warrior or something.
“What?” he asked, when he noticed her staring at him.
“Nothing. You’re just...never mind.”
“Fine. Let’s get out of here, shall we? You’ve done your duty rounds.”
They headed to the door only to be faced with Mark again, his back to the bar, staring at them. Charlotte’s head began to throb in time with the music. Then she felt Jacob’s arm around her waist, pulling her close to his side.
“One minute and we’re home free,” his voice rumbled in her ear, and she shivered.
He guided her out of the room and to the quiet area where the coat check was. “Come on, let’s get you something to eat. You need to sop up that champagne.”
“Where?”
He laughed. “This is New York. Finding you a hamburger won’t be difficult.”
Oh, a hamburger sounded scrumptious. And maybe french fries, and lots of ketchup.
Jacob called for their car and they waited in the lobby for it to arrive. By this point, Charlotte was really regretting the champagne and not more water, and also not eating something for dinner before arriving. Her head was light and with a strange pounding, and she was sure she could hear her stomach growling over the other sounds in the hotel lobby.
“He’s here,” Jacob said, and took her arm and led her out to the waiting car.
He tucked her inside, then asked the driver to find a good burger joint not far from the apartment. It wasn’t too long and they’d pulled up in front of a Shake Shack.
“I’m going in there...in this?”
“Why not?”
She studied him for a moment, then thought to herself, Why not? It was probably the most spontaneous thing Jacob would agree to all week. She giggled a little thinking about it. “Do you need to go inside and make sure it’s safe first?”
He raised an eyebrow. “Great. A few glasses of fizz and you’re a laugh a minute.”
“Why, thank you.”
He asked the driver to wait, and then they went in. It was ten thirty, still early, and there was a scattering of people inside. As far as she could tell, she was the only one in a designer dress and four-inch heels.
“Cheeseburger?” he asked her.
“God, yes. That sounds perfect.”
He stepped up and ordered two cheeseburgers, fries and, after consulting with her, lemonade. They sat at one of the tables, and Charlotte started to laugh.
“What?”
“This is so strange. But fun! Thank you.” She reached for a fry and dipped it in ketchup. “Oh, my God. This is so good.”
He unwrapped his burger. “Eat something. I’ve never seen someone get so wobbly on a few ounces of champagne.”
“That’s unusual for me, but I’m tired. And I didn’t eat enough.”
“I know.” He wiped his lips with his napkin and took a sip of lemonade. “I checked the agenda for tomorrow. You’re heading to a show at ten.”
“I’ll take in some shows and then I have a conference call with the Paris office at two.”
“That’s late for Paris. The workday will be winding up.”
“We adjusted it to suit my itinerary,” she admitted. “Tomorrow night I have a dinner and another party.” She took a bite of the cheeseburger and nearly moaned in appreciation. “Who knew a fast-food burger would taste so good?”
She was careful not to drip, and leaned over the tray so nothing dropped on her cashmere coat or onto her dress. It was no time at all and the burger was gone. She looked up and found Jacob laughing at her.
“Okay, so that wasn’t very dignified. I was starving.” She reached out for another fry and popped it in her mouth.
“It’s great. You know, you are defying all my expectations of you.”
“You had expectations?”
“Sure. At first, I figured you would be a spoiled rich girl, coming to New York to party for a week. Which you are, but I’ve discovered you’re not a party girl. Not like some of the people back there.” He shook his head.
“Oh, so judgy,” she replied, sipping the tart lemonade. “There’s nothing wrong with working hard and playing hard, and everyone in that room knows how to work hard.”
“Point taken,” he said, pointing a fry at her. “But you...you get a look in your eye. You’re driven by something.”
Wow. That hit a little close to home. She took a long drink of lemonade and avoided his probing. “Aren’t we all?” she said instead.
His gray gaze held hers. “Yes, I think we are.”
She wondered what drove him. Transitioning from soldier to security was a logical step, but why? Or more precisely, why now? He was maybe mid, late thirties. He said he’d been wounded, but clearly that was not an issue now. So why had he quit?
But then...none of her business. And she suspected if she’d ask, that was the answer she’d get, too.
She grabbed two more french fries, but he reached at the same time and their fingers touched.
He pulled his back quickly and a sliver of something zinged through her stomach. She looked up but he was busy crumpling up his napkin and tidying up. Interesting. A little jolt of attraction, and not just on her part. He’d reacted as if her fingers had burned him.
“So that guy back there, Mark. I take it you guys were a thing at one time.”
“We were, regretfully. I think every woman, at some point in their dating lives, meets one guy who breaks their heart and steals their innocence about the fairy tale of true and perfect love. That was Mark for me.”
He sat back, eyebrows raised in surprise. “He did all that, and you were just...so poised.”
“He got the better of me once. He won’t again.”
“What happened?”
“He wanted my connections more than he wanted me. He also wanted connections with some other major players. None of us knew about the others. Until... Well, I guess I was the last one to figure it out. I was only twenty-two.”
Jacob made a sound of disgust in his throat.
“Exactly. I overheard gossip about him sleeping with all three of us. I honestly thought I was going to be sick. When I confronted him about it, he said that this was how the game was played.”
“And you said?”
“I said I wasn’t into games, and that we were over. I’m sure I seemed very strong and decisive. Inside I was a wreck. I’ve managed to avoid him ever since. Until tonight.”
“And he propositioned you?”
“He’s greasier than that burger I just ate.”
Jacob laughed then, a rich, warm sound that reached in and thawed all the frozen places inside. Second surprise of the night: Jac
ob Wolfe was actually quite likable when he was being human.
“Anyway, enough of my sordid romantic past. I’m full,” she announced, and wiped her fingers. “Shall we go?”
“Of course,” he answered, and sent her a genuine, warm smile. Oh, she was going to have to watch out for that.
The ride to the apartment was short, and it seemed they barely got in the car and then they were at the tall gray building. The park loomed to the left, across the street, tree branches bare and snow still covering the grass. She loved Central Park, but right now it looked cold and uninviting.
Unlike the Aurora Inc. apartment. It was warm and bathed in mellow light from lit lamps. The housekeeper had been in during the day and made everything shipshape. Charlotte let out a sigh of relief and wilted a little, unbuttoning her coat.
To her surprise, Jacob slid the coat off her shoulders and took it to the hidden closet where he carefully hung it up. When he turned back, she was watching him, as an awareness settled in the air.
Oh, my.
“Do you always wear black and white?” he asked suddenly.
She looked down at her dress, and then back up. “Well, a lot. It’s the Aurora signature colors.”
“So it’s a statement?”
“Yes. It’s...on brand.”
He frowned a little.
“What?”
“It’s just...never mind. It’s none of my business and you’re clearly the one in fashion.”
Now she was intrigued, because to her great surprise, twin dots of color showed on his cheeks. “What, Jacob? What were you going to say?”
He cleared his throat. “You’re a beautiful woman. Why wouldn’t you want to stand out? In bold colors, like the birds I used to see in South America. Dramatic plumage that would take my breath away.”
Her heart started tapping out a strange rhythm. “I’m not sure it’s wise for me to take your breath away,” she murmured.
His gaze held hers. “Too late.”
“Jacob...”
He cleared his throat again. “That’s all I’m going to say about that, and it was probably too much.”
He turned to leave the foyer but she stopped him. “Thank you, for what you did tonight. With Mark.”
“It’s my job.” She wondered if he was reminding her or himself. Because when he’d gone back and said “not cool,” it hadn’t felt like someone doing just a job.
“You could have been more...bodyguardish. But it felt like having a friend in my corner. So even if you’re on the payroll, I appreciate how you handled this evening.” She smiled. “Including the cheeseburger, which I needed very much, and the ear. I feel a lot better.”
“Good. Get some rest, Charlotte. Your week is just getting started.”
He moved beside her for a moment, and she caught the scent of his aftershave as he passed by and checked to ensure the door was locked.
Because it was his job. She couldn’t forget that. Even if she was now feeling as if she’d overshared.
“Good night, Jacob.”
“Good night.”
Then he disappeared down the hallway to his room, and she heard the soft click of the bedroom door as he shut it.
She hadn’t imagined it, right? There’d been something. When their fingers had touched and just now, when he’d looked at her. And admitted she took his breath away.
This trip might end up being more interesting than she planned. And that was saying something...
CHAPTER FIVE
JACOB WAS A damned idiot.
He’d crossed a line last night. First, when his gut had burned when he’d seen that slime ball Mark trying to make nice. Then when they’d gone to the burger joint. A simple touch of fingers shouldn’t have caused such a reaction, and he’d pulled away like he was fourteen years old.
But worst of all was what he’d said when they’d arrived home. That she’d taken his breath away? He looked up at the ceiling and scowled. He didn’t do romantic gestures. He didn’t get emotionally involved...ever. Not since Jacinta.
His stomach knotted as the familiar weight of self-loathing settled over him. He had known that the mission always, always came first. And instead he’d let himself get wrapped up in her. An asset to their mission with wide, dark eyes and soft lips. She’d made him laugh despite the danger. Made him think and do a lot of things. And that had gotten her killed.
He should have let it go by now; it was years ago. But he couldn’t, because the consequences had been too severe and he’d stopped trusting himself. It had prompted his retirement more than any gunshot wound.
He threw off the covers and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. Five a.m. The gym in the building was state of the art, and yesterday there’d been one other person in there with him. Nice and quiet, just the way he liked it, so he could hear his heart beat in his ears and the clank of weight plates.
He set his jaw and went to wake Charlotte. Last night he’d forgotten his promise to be tough on her after yesterday morning, but today he was reminded. He’d told her he would drag her to the gym because he couldn’t trust her to follow instructions. Maybe they both needed to be reminded of that.
He put on shorts and a T-shirt and then went next door and knocked on her door. Loudly.
Time to get back on the job and stop being foolish.
* * *
Charlotte pulled the pillow over her head. What was that awful noise? Persistent thumping was coming from somewhere... She pulled the pillow off again and realized it was her bedroom door.
“What?” she yelled, irritated. She hated being awakened.
“Rise and shine, buttercup. Time for the gym.”
Oh, no. No, he wouldn’t. Sure, she’d gone out yesterday when she’d promised she wouldn’t, but the day had ended so nicely. Nicely enough she’d lain awake for an hour after going to bed, just thinking about it. “I’m sleeping!”
“No, you’re not or you wouldn’t be yelling at me. I told you I wouldn’t give up my workouts, so up and at ’em, sunshine. Pull on some spandex and let’s go.”
She growled and rolled over, pulling the covers over her head. It wasn’t enough to block out his voice, though. “If you’re not up in ten seconds, I’m coming in. Ten...nine—”
“Fine, I’m up!” she snapped, throwing off the covers. She went to the door and flung it open. “I’m up. Now please go away.”
Jacob had been ready to say “eight” and his mouth now hung open and his eyes widened. She realized belatedly that she was wearing a short silk nightie that covered everything important but didn’t leave a whole lot to the imagination. She stepped back and slammed the door in his face as heat rushed up into her cheeks.
She would have to act as if nothing had happened. And he wasn’t going to leave her alone, so she went to her drawers and pulled out a pair of yoga pants and a fitted top that she normally wore for her irregular yoga practice. She always traveled with it just in case she ended up stressed out and in need of some stretching and deep breathing. And boy, could she use that today.
Only there’d be no Zen, would there? Because they were going to the gym. Ugh.
She wrenched the door open again to find him still standing there, the stunned look gone from his face. Thank God. “Fine,” she said, her voice sharp with annoyance. “If I must, I must. Though I might want to remind you that you work for me.”
“Oh, la dee da, there’s the princess.” His eyes lit with humor that only infuriated her more. “Technically, I work for your mother, so that actually puts me in charge. Let’s go. Bring music if you want. As long as I can see you, that’s fine. No need to chat.”
She grabbed her mobile and a pair of wireless earbuds, thinking that the moment from last night had to be an utter blip, because she was back to despising him again. She said nothing to him in the elevator, and when they entered the gym, he wen
t his way and she went to the other side and the cardio machines.
She hated running and wasn’t a fan of stationary bikes, so she chose an elliptical and put it on the easiest setting. Playlist blaring in her ears, she hit the start button and started the smooth yet slightly awkward motion of the machine.
Five minutes later she was thinking how out of shape she was. Granted, she led a busy life and walked a lot and tried to eat well so she kept her trim figure. And the genetics from her mother’s side didn’t hurt, either. But as far as cardio health... Her breath was labored and she knew her face was turning red from the exertion. Worse, this was how Jacob was going to see her.
It made her feel naked. She worked very hard to not show anyone her weaknesses or insecurities. She was Charlotte Pemberton. There was an image to uphold.
She stole a glance over at Jacob and tried not to goggle. He was lying flat on a bench doing chest presses, and his whole upper body flexed as the bar and plates went up and down, up and down, at least ten times. He was...beautiful, she realized. In a rugged, angular, rough sort of way. Her body clenched as she watched him put the bar back in the bracket, and then she looked away before he could catch her staring.
The next time she glanced over, he’d removed his T-shirt and was wiping his face with it. He had abs. Like six-pack abs that glistened with sweat. He dropped the shirt and went to a machine that had two handles sticking out. He braced his elbows, held onto the handles and lifted his knees in an ab crunch that made those ridges bunch and flex.
Good heavens. She lost her rhythm on the elliptical and had to regain it. She supposed this was the equivalent of her opening the door in her negligee this morning. At least maybe he’d liked what he’d seen?
Though why should it matter?
After torturing herself for thirty minutes, she finally stopped the machine and went to the water cooler for a drink. She’d turned off her playlist just in case he said something, but he was now over at the leg press. It didn’t seem possible that he could push that much weight with his legs, but the black plates moved back and forth in a steady rhythm.
