“Oh, you do have so much to learn. And so little time,” Cupid added, mimicking my words.
“I can do quite well—without your ‘help’.”
Cupid’s eyes narrowed and he anchored his ankles around the small bulb. “I hope you understand that you have a very important role to play. You can’t be messing around with people’s lives, screwing them up more than they already are.” He stretched out his arm as if addressing a room full of attentive cupids, missing the point that I didn’t care to hear the speech again. “We are here to channel people toward the path of true love and prevent them from making terrible mistakes that will ruin their lives. We have to be highly selective and diligent in our work. Not make things worse.”
“Right. I get it!” I fiddled with my bow, temped to break it in two. “One screw up and you can’t let it go, can you? I fixed my mistake. Look… I have this convention covered. Take a break, old man.”
“So you think you’re ready for the big leagues now, do you?” Cupid glared at me. “Fine. Do it your way. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Cupid flew off, and I was left alone on the silver chandelier. Seething inside, I swore that I’d show my know-it-all uncle—and all his damn awards—that I was equally qualified and exceptional in this love-making business.
I couldn’t wait.
Raising my bow and arrow, I surveyed the crowd. Cupid’s words of wisdom which he’d reinforced a hundred times a day played like a broken record in my head.
“So when you let that arrow fly, do it with caution. For the gift of love is a miracle, and should be given only to the wise and pure of heart.” Yeah. Right!
This was a numbers game and I was going to have at it.
CHAPTER ONE
Jennifer Martin stepped out of the elevator, cell phone in hand. She hit Nikki’s number, excited to speak to her friend. How had a month gone by since their last actual conversation? Between work and her mom, she didn’t have a free second. Until now.
Nikki answered right away. “Jen! Hey. How are you? What’s up?”
Didn’t matter how long they went between talks, it was like they’d never been apart once they did. She looked around the chaotic hotel lobby remembering the last time she’d been in this same spot. “You won’t be able to guess where I am!” Jennifer held the phone out to the dinging sounds of the slot machines and then brought it back to her ear. “At a convention in Vegas. The Mandalay Hotel.”
“No way! That’s awesome.” Nikki’s voice dropped to a hush. “Does that bring back memories—mostly good.”
Mostly? “How’s Josh doing? Still making you happy?”
“Very. It’s funny you called—I was going to call you. We just found out that I’m pregnant,” she said.
“You are!” Jennifer grinned and stepped under a fake palm tree out of the way of foot traffic. “Congratulations, Nik. I’m helping with the baby shower, got it?” Nikki was her best friend even if they lived in different cities and didn’t see each other often. They’d been here a year and a half ago, celebrating Nikki’s upcoming wedding to David, a man she’d dated for five long years. First night in Vegas, she met Josh, hooked up with him, and never did marry David. Josh came along at the right time and saved her best friend from making a huge mistake.
“Well, of course. But we’re keeping it in town.” Nikki’s giggle made her sound like the college girls they’d been years ago. “You have fun, but take care. Don’t go crazy or do something completely out of character. Vegas can do that to people.”
Jen smoothed the short and sparkly dress she’d worn tonight rather than her usual suit. She was already stepping out of her comfort zone, but she had a plan of attack against her mostly male co-workers. “I’m totally focused on my career. I’ll probably work around the clock.” She had her laptop charging in her room upstairs and notes typed into her tablet.
“I take back what I said,” Nikki interjected. “Shake it up a little. All work and no play, you know what they say.”
“Is the key to career advancement?” Jennifer asked, leaving the safety of the fake tree. The dinging of the slot machines made it hard to hear.
“No, silly. Boring. Besides, I want you to get married, and have a baby soon so our kids can grow up together.”
“That is so not going to happen.” Jennifer couldn’t imagine wanting anything less. She spotted her group huddled together. “I’ve gotta go. I’ll call you on my way home to talk baby stuff.”
“Do that. And have a drink for me at the Daylight Beach Bar. Maybe two, since I’m on the bench for nine months.”
“You’ve got it.” She tucked her phone into the beaded black bag just big enough for that and her room key and marched toward the men standing next to the bar. They were probably sharing jokes with a natural camaraderie that she was excluded from, for the simple reason that she didn’t pack a pair of balls.
Not that there weren’t plenty of women in their organization, after all she worked for a very innovative and highly successful software company. Sonesta had gained recognition as being one of the best in the business. She’d been hired six months ago and loved her job. She was their youngest female manager by far.
Tossing her head back, her auburn curls bounced on her shoulders as she strode purposely toward the four men. John, Mark, Barry and Thomas. John was the oldest fellow on the team, with a balding head as if to prove it. Mark, the youngest, was a junior programmer, brilliant, with shaggy brown hair past his ears, and a groomed beard. Barry was just a few years older than she was, clean shaven, light brown hair, smiling hazel eyes, and a slim build. He was possibly the coolest of the bunch. Thomas was the typical nerd. Small, skinny, pasty skin; he wore paisley shirts with jeans to work.
Jennifer sucked in a breath, pasted on a confident smile, and stood for a moment directly behind them, hoping without being asked, they’d step aside and make room for her. Seconds passed. As if on cue the men shifted closer together, their big shoulders creating a barricade keeping her out.
No way would she let that happen. “Hi guys,” she said, and shimmied her way in the middle, physically separating them. “I guess you didn’t see me standing there.” She gave them a big, phony smile.
The men, all but Thomas, dropped their gazes as if she might be a stripper for their entertainment. She’d dressed for a different kind of success this evening. Leaving her suits in the room she’d opted for a slinky black dress instead.
Neanderthals. She would prove over the next few days that she was one of the gang and belonged here as much as any of them. And if that meant she had to party, drink and tell jokes, then so be it. But she would be accepted, dammit!
“Hi, Jennifer,” Mark said, running his hand through his mop of curls. “Almost didn’t recognize you in a dress.”
“Yup. I have legs and everything.” She had very long, slim legs in fact, and tonight she even had cleavage. Real, honest to goodness, mother-nature breasts on display. Well, shame on me, she said to herself, determined to get these guys to acknowledge her once and for all. Her brains obviously intimidated the men on her team—with the exception of her boss, Hunter Carson. He didn’t feel threatened because she was super smart.
After all, that’s what the company paid her for.
She felt a warm hand on her back and turned her head. There he was. Six feet three of gorgeous, sexy man—not that she’d go there, of course. The boss was strictly off limits and she valued her job too much to lose it. It hadn’t been discussed during the initial job interview, but she assumed Sonesta had a policy regarding co-workers becoming too friendly. Besides, he was a professional and so was she.
Jennifer heard rumors about a divorce and a nasty custody battle, but she didn’t like to listen to girl talk around the coffee pot. Handsome and smart, he probably had a lady friend or two. And if he didn’t, it was sure to be a very good reason that was clearly none of her business.
“Hi, Hunter. I wondered where you were.” She liked and respected him, so her smi
le was genuine. “This is a great hotel. My room is enormous. Almost the size of my condo.”
He laughed, a rich, deep sound. “Glad you like it.” He glanced at all the faces. “Hey guys, you treating Jen okay? She’s an important new visionary for our team and we’re lucky to have snared her away from Microsoft.”
She cringed and gritted her teeth. “They’ve been great,” she said on their behalf even though it was a bald-faced lie. She lifted a hand to get the bartender’s attention. “I’ll have a scotch neat,” she told him. “Glenlivet. A double.” She glanced at her boss. “How about you?”
“Glenlivet?” His eyes showed respect. “Make that two,” he told the bartender before turning his attention back to them. “So, everyone ready for tomorrow? It’s going to be a long day on your feet. Might want to take it fairly easy tonight.”
“Yeah, like that’s going to happen,” Barry, a trouble shooter and experienced technician—and a self confessed ladies man, said with a laugh. “I’m going to be at the baccarat table.”
“Never played that game,” John replied. At forty, he had probably expected to be given her job, a middle management position, but despite being passed over he’d always made a point to be nice to her. She liked him. “Craps table is more my speed.”
Hunter handed Jennifer her double scotch and she touched glasses with him before taking a sip. She hated scotch. This was all for show, but she’d die before letting them know. It burned all the way down her throat, reminding her why she was a wine drinker, and tears blurred her vision before she blinked them away. Her lips seemed on fire.
“Nice,” she said. “Smooth. Nothing like a single malt.”
“You have good taste.” Hunter looked at her with an amused glint in his blue-gray eyes.
Had he seen the tears or did she have lipstick on her teeth? She was wearing a bright cherry-red to go along with her “out in Vegas, having a big night” look. She licked her teeth and shifted her weight as someone passing bumped into her, sending her crashing chest to chest with her boss.
He looked down, right into her cleavage.
Her face flamed. She froze and then she felt a ping, a sharp spur of pain in the back of her shoulder. At precisely the same instant Hunter flared back, rubbing his chest near his heart.
“Ouch! What was that?” The sting was slow to fade. “An electric charge, maybe from the dry air?” She looked into his pale face. “You don’t have a pacemaker, do you? Felt something zinging off you.”
“Hardly. I’m only thirty-four.” His grip tightened on his glass as he admitted, “I felt it too. A stinging pinch.” He scowled. “Maybe a muscle spasm. Nothing serious, I’m sure. I’m in great health.”
Jennifer’s pulse thudded at her wrists. “That’s good. We both couldn’t be having a heart attack.” She laughed. “Still think it’s an electrical charge.”
Barry shot him a concerned look. “You are kind of flushed. Maybe it’s the drink. You want water instead?”
Hunter slowly shook his head. “It’s gone now. Just one sharp pain.”
“You’re sure?” Jen’s voice came out a little breathless. “I don’t want you ignoring it, or taking any chances.” Her eyes met his. Her heart skipped several beats. They were both having heart trouble, it seemed.
“It’s nothing. If it returns I’ll see a doctor, but right now I want to wander around and get the lay of the land. Find where we’re set up tomorrow. Anyone care to join me?” He tossed back his drink then set the glass down.
“Sure,” Jennifer answered since no one else spoke up. Yes, this was Vegas and they didn’t start work until the morning, but the convention required prep time.
“We were about to order another round before you showed up.” Mark clapped Hunter on the shoulder and shook his head of curls. “You should take it easy. Don’t want to wind up in bed for the next few days. Not a hospital bed anyway. Now, with the right woman…” Mark grinned, his eyes dropping to Jennifer’s chest.
She cringed, wishing to God that she was back in one of her tailored suits. Safe. What had she been thinking? That they might like her better this way? She didn’t need their friendship, just their respect.
The drink must have gone straight to her head, because her pulse was racing and her knees weak. She sucked in some air and got a whiff of Hunter’s cologne. He smelled like spice and everything nice.
Laughter bubbled inside and before she made a fool of herself, she placed the drink on the bar counter and turned to face the guys who resented her as their immediate boss. Her chin lifted and heat flushed over her body like an internal flame. Lit from within. What was wrong with her? Had her drink been spiked? “On second thought, I’ll pass on the tour. I probably shouldn’t have had that double. I’m going to get some fresh air and a bite to eat.”
Hunter put a hand on her elbow. “I could use that too.”
She stilled for a sec then placed a careful smile on her face. She didn’t want him anywhere near. Something was happening to her and she was losing control. Hunter, her boss, had a dimple on one cheek that she wanted to lick with her tongue.
The thought was so bizarre and misplaced that she began to shiver, urgently needing to get away. “I’ll see you in the morning,” she whispered, her voice sounding husky. “I feel as though I caught something on that plane. Just my luck.” Ignoring the concern in Hunter’s eyes, she hurried away.
Just like Nikki, she thought. It happened the first night at the bar. She got all feverish and somehow ended up in a stranger’s bed. Well, that was sure not going to happen to her. And especially not Hunter’s bed. She would go to her room, order room service. It was safer that way.
There was something very weird about this place and her earlier excitement fled. Fear clogged her throat. She couldn’t afford any mistakes. She’d just bought herself a nice two-bedroom condo, she supported her mother, and she needed to hang on to her job—not her boss.
CHAPTER TWO
Hunter watched Jennifer leave with half a mind to follow her. Something wasn’t right. He felt feverish too. They’d sat together in first class on their way here, so if she caught something he had it as well. It had been a short flight and they’d barely spoken, immersed in the project they were working on. The flight attendant had looked surprised when they both declined a drink and food.
An executive perk, traveling in first meant that the two of them could work without the distraction of crying children and had the extra benefit of bigger, more comfortable seats and generous leg space.
They were both tall though he’d noticed her legs for the first time tonight. She had worn a business pantsuit for the interview, which he’d liked. Didn’t need the distraction of a gorgeous young woman with short skirts conducting meetings and leading her team of men—who resented her for getting a job they’d wanted. Better to keep those slim, shapely legs well covered, for everyone’s sake.
He couldn’t speak for the guys, but he’d enjoyed the fleeting view of toned calf as she headed off for who knew where, as if frightened by the zap of electricity between them. Interest flickered in her eyes and he’d felt an answering response in his dick.
He was glad she’d brushed him off for the tour and dinner, even though he had no intentions of doing anything with her that even suggested impropriety. He was her boss and the last thing he needed was a sexual harassment case. He’d spent a fortune in the past year battling his bitch of a wife who’d moved back to New York and taken his son with her.
“Guess I should head off.” The guys had become quiet, probably waiting for him to leave so they could go out and get into trouble. He’d been like that once. So long ago, he could hardly remember. Before he’d married.
“See you later,” Mark said and then the men turned their backs and ordered another round.
Hunter walked away, feeling unsettled. He did want to check out the venue for tomorrow but that would take ten to fifteen minutes, tops. Then what?
He had tried to be a good husband. Never strayed,
even though temptation seemed to be everywhere. But he believed in the institution of marriage and took his vows seriously.
Adrienne obviously had a different point of view. She was a high-powered attorney who didn’t like living in California. Too laid back for the likes of her. She’d felt the weather too hot, the people too self-centered and vain, calling them plastic. Adrienne wouldn’t do Botox if it saved her face from falling off. How he had once adored her and found her attractive was beyond him now. She’d become sharp and bitter, saving her smiles and love for her only son.
Cameron was five and the light of his life. After the divorce his ex had remained in Mountain View for the first six months, but then boredom set in and she got a job back east, putting Cameron in a private Manhattan day school. Without discussing it first, or getting his consent. The battle began. He fought her long and hard and lost—only getting a month in the summer and a week at Easter or spring break, and another week at Christmas to spend with his son.
He missed his boy with every ounce of his being. Adrienne not at all. They were polar opposites and although he’d enjoyed her mind and quick wit, he loved sunny days, and the easy-going California lifestyle. He didn’t have one plastic person working for him.
Take Jennifer for example. She was the most honest, hard-working, dedicated professional he knew. Hence she got the management job instead of the men who were assigned to her team project. He had studied her resume carefully before she was officially hired and her credentials were impressive but not outstanding. It was the high praise from previous employers and business associates that told his gut she was the right person for the job. She hadn’t let him down yet.
Lost in thought, he didn’t see her standing at a slot machine and darn near bumped into her. “Jen? You looking for something?”
“I’m trying to figure out this machine. Somebody just won some money here, and I was tempted.” She blushed. “I was hoping to use my credit card.”
DOUBLE TROUBLE: TROUBLE IN VEGAS series Page 11
