by Krista Lakes
“Do you want something?” Jackson asked, turning and stopping.
“I know it’s fake,” Max said. “Anyone with eyes can see it.”
Jackson didn’t even bother to respond. He simply rolled his eyes and kept walking.
“It’s fake and I can prove it,” Max shouted. The words echoed through the empty garage, bouncing off employee cars.
Jackson paused, even though he knew he shouldn’t. He shouldn’t let Max press his buttons. Today was a good day. The only reason Max was here was because sales were back up. He was taking customers away from the Innocence Company and Max didn’t like it.
He didn’t have to dignify this conversation. Jackson knew Max didn’t have a thing on him. He couldn’t. There was nothing Max could have.
Yet, still, he paused. Anger pulsed through him.
“Fuck you,” he said, not bothering to turn around. The words came out harsh and guttural. He turned and looked at Max. “Fuck you.”
“Oh, I think I touched a nerve.” Max grinned like a Cheshire cat, his teeth gleaming in the parking garage gloom.
“You don’t have shit,” Jackson announced. “Because there isn’t shit to have. Make up all the stories you want, Max. You are wrong this time.”
“I am?” Max chuckled. “Katy might say differently.”
“Katy?”
“The girl from the restaurant. I knew you slept around, but I thought you at least remembered your favorite’s names,” Max chided.
Jackson laughed. It was a full belly laugh. The sound boomed through the garage. “That’s your fucking proof? I didn’t know you were so terrible at your job, Max.”
Max’s confident posture didn’t change. “Katy says different. She says you took her up to your usual room, but at least you had the grace to call out Emma’s name.”
“I didn’t know you were practicing for a stand-up comedian job,” Jackson replied. “Because that’s funny right there.”
“You saying it isn’t true?” Max grinned like he was winning.
“I’m saying that the hotel tapes will say it isn’t true. I’m saying that my security camera in the elevator to my apartment will say it isn’t true. I’m saying that my fiancée, who gave me the best damn blow job of my life that night, will say it isn’t true.”
“Except, Katy already told people,” Max said with a shrug. “The first story is usually the one believed.”
Jackson laughed again. “Seriously, you should book a time slot at a comedy club, because you are hilarious!” Jackson slapped his knee, like this was the funniest thing he’d heard all week.
“You think it won’t damage you?” Max asked, still confident.
“No. You know why?” Jackson grinned and walked over, getting in Max’s face. He was taller and heavier than Max, but Max didn’t back down.
“No, Jackson. I’m very curious how you don’t think it will hurt you and that pretty little girl you have acting for you,” Max said. Jackson nearly punched him.
“Easy,” Jackson whispered. “I got home early that night and surprised Emma with flowers. We put the video online. It was a live stream.”
Jackson pulled out his phone, swiped the fingerprint scan and scrolled through Facebook.
“See? It got nine-hundred and eighty-seven likes,” Jackson told Max. He hit play on the video to show Emma walking through the door and seeing a room full of flowers. Her smile lit up the dim garage. She’d been so surprised.
Max grabbed at his phone, obviously looking for the date and time. “I see,” he said, his confidence gone for just a split second.
“I sure hope you didn’t pay Katy,” Jackson needled him, pocketing his phone. “Especially without doing any research. That page is public, by the way.”
Max swallowed hard. Jackson was enjoying putting the weasel man in his place. It was almost as good at hitting him. Jackson patted Max’s shoulder and continued walking to his car. It was a good thing that Jane had told him to be as public as possible with their relationship.
“There’ll just be another girl,” Max called out after him. “You’ll slip up. It’s in your nature.”
Jackson turned and smiled at him. “Not with Emma. She’s worth it. I’m not giving her up. You’re going to be waiting a long time for me to slip. You can go back to being second place in the diaper world.”
Max didn’t say anything. He just turned and went back out the way they’d come in. Jackson had won.
Jackson waited until he heard the heavy door back to the courtyard slam shut. Even then, he waited for a moment, holding his breath as he walked to his car.
That was a close one. Not because Jackson had done anything wrong, but because Max was a dog with a bone. Max wasn’t going to let this go. Max didn’t like being second best. He was going to wait for every opportunity to catch Jackson up.
Which wasn’t going to happen. Even if his company wasn’t on the line, Jackson cared for Emma. She made his stomach twist in the best way and he smiled when she was around. He wasn’t going to put her through the emotional torture of having to watch him with another woman.
Even if their relationship was just a contract, he was better than that. He liked her.
No, he decided, like wasn’t a strong enough word.
His mind shied away from what might be a better word. It was a word that he never thought he’d use with a single woman.
Still, he would have to be careful. Max wanted to destroy him. The competition would look for any semblance of infidelity. He would have to be on his guard for women like Katy, trying to get him to agree to drinks.
His phone chimed.
When are you coming home? I’m hungry.
Emma. He couldn’t help but smile as he read her text. He quickly typed back that he was just leaving and hurried to his car.
With Emma, he wasn’t worried. With her, he wasn’t even tempted to return to his old ways. There was no way Max could get anything.
Chapter 25
Emma
* * *
“I can’t believe how good that was,” Emma said. She smiled at Jackson. “Thanks for changing our restaurant.”
Stars flickered in the night sky as they left the Mexican food restaurant. Emma couldn’t believe she’d eaten as much food as she had. Morning sickness hadn’t kicked in yet, so food still tasted amazing. She hoped she could keep this good fortune through the rest of her pregnancy.
“It was no problem,” Jackson assured her with a smile. “I’m just glad you like Mexican food.”
“The tacos were so good,” Emma moaned. “The real salsa made the difference. I’ve only ever had Tex-Mex, and this was so much better.”
Jackson grinned at her. “Next time, I’ll take you to Mexico. That’s the real stuff.”
“Really?” Emma asked, pausing as she walked to the car.
“Yes. It’s true. The real Mexican food is in Mexico,” Jackson replied with a laugh. The car unlocked as they approached, the headlights making the parking lot bright.
“No, I mean, going to Mexico,” Emma said softly. She shrugged. “I’ve never been. I’ve wanted to, but...”
Jackson squeezed her shoulders. “We’ll go. Mexico, mountains, islands, wherever you want.”
Hope danced across Emma’s heart as she imagined a future with Jackson. A real future, not just one where they followed a contract. One where they chose to go to these fabulous places simply to be together.
“Mountains first,” she told him. “I think that’s what I want to see most. Maybe even some skiing.”
Jackson grinned and opened the car door for her. From the corner of her eye, she could see his security team making sure they were safe in the dark parking lot. They were incredibly good at their jobs. She usually forgot they were even there. Now that they were officially engaged, she had her own security team. She was just glad she had gotten the chance to get her pregnancy test without them. They’d been hired the next day.
“Do you have any preference on which mountains?”
Jackson asked once she was settled in her seat. He took the driver’s seat, which was fine with her. Despite knowing that he could afford hundreds of cars without batting an eyelash, she was still afraid to drive one of these sports cars. If she so much as nicked it, she would feel terrible.
So, she let him drive. Besides, he loved to drive.
“Um...” Emma paused to think. “Big ones. Ones with the tree line thing.”
“Tree line thing?” Jackson asked her.
“The mountains that are so tall that trees can’t grow any more because of the elevation. Those kinds of mountains,” she told him.
“Okay, we can do that,” Jackson replied. He looked thoughtful. “Do you care if it’s American, European, or Asian?”
“Nope.” She grinned. “Though, I would like to see Mount Everest some day. I don’t have any desire to climb it, but I’d like to see it.”
“It’s beautiful.”
“You’ve been there?” she asked, her voice soft with wonder. She’d never met anyone who had actually been to the world’s tallest mountain.
“Yes. I think you’d love it. And the food is amazing.”
“I’m glad I’m going to marry you,” she blurted out.
He raised an eyebrow and looked over at her. “Is that so?”
“I never would have been able to do any kind of traveling.”
“You would have eventually,” he replied. “It’s not that expensive.”
She blushed a little bit. “Plus, I’ve never had anyone to travel with. That’s the other important part. I don’t want to go to Everest by myself. I want someone who will enjoy it with me.”
His green eyes sparkled in the dark and his mouth curved into the small smile that he only used when he thought she wasn’t looking. It was the smile that told her he liked her. Her heart melted.
“I’m excited to show you the world,” he murmured, his voice rich in the dark. “There’s so much that I want you to see. You’re going to light up when I take you to Paris, and you’ll love this castle I rent near London.”
“We have a future,” she said softly. Her hand went to her belly. She hadn’t had the appointment yet, but she knew the baby was in there. She wanted to wait until it was a little more official before telling him. She was still so early.
If she told him, he would need to announce it to the world. That was the point of being with him. He would need to use her pregnancy for the benefit of his company. If she miscarried, or was wrong, she didn’t want to hurt him. She could only imagine what it would do to his company if he announced a baby only to have it not happen.
So, for now, she was waiting. It made her feel guilty, but she wasn’t ready yet. She wasn’t sure he was either. For right now, she wanted to focus on making sure that they were good as a couple. This would be the only time they’d have before the baby took over their relationship.
It felt selfish, but the other reason for waiting was so that she could have Jackson all to herself for just a little bit longer. She wanted their relationship to work, and not just because she was with child. She wanted him to enjoy being with her because she was Emma, not just the mother of his child.
“We do have a future,” he agreed, flashing her a grin. “A great future.”
For a moment, this didn’t feel like a contract. This felt like a real date. A real romance. And for just a moment, Emma let herself believe it. She let herself love him without fear. She let herself believe that he would want her, even if he wasn’t desperate to save his company.
She loved him.
She knew it was all for show, that there were people watching where they went and what they did, analyzing their relationship from the sidelines, but she still loved him. She couldn’t help it. He just made her so happy. He made her feel beautiful and wanted.
He laughed at her jokes. His eyes dilated every time he saw her naked. She felt safe with him. If this wasn’t love, then she wasn’t sure what else it could be.
Maybe she was just deluding herself into thinking she had feelings for him to make this easier. He obviously liked her, since he didn’t have to spend as much time as he did with her. Did that mean that he felt something too? Or was she just pleasant company?
It was so confusing and just made her heart and her head hurt.
“Are you okay?” Jackson asked, coming to a smooth stop at a red light.
“Yeah, why?” she asked, forcing a quick smile.
“You just went quiet all of the sudden,” he said. Silence hung between them, heavy and dark in the night. Her heartbeat seemed to stretch into infinity.
“I was just thinking,” she said softly. She looked down at the floor of the car. She’d at least gotten used to not worrying about her shoes in the car anymore. Jackson swore she could get the car dirty and he wouldn’t mind.
“About what?” he asked. She didn’t answer right away, instead waiting for the light to change so he would have to focus on driving. The light stayed red. It had to be the world’s longest red light. “You were thinking about the contract,” he said, looking up at the light.
She nodded. Her stomach twisted with sudden anxiety. She should just tell him what was on her mind. What was the worst that could happen? He couldn’t dump her. He couldn’t kick her out.
She took a deep breath. “Yes.”
He nodded. His face was strange shadows in the red of the stoplight. He looked up at it, waiting for it to change.
If the light changed, this moment would be gone. He would continue driving and they wouldn’t be stuck in this moment anymore.
“I like you,” she whispered, afraid that she might break the spell. “I like you a lot.”
He glanced over at her and grinned. “I already knew that.”
She rolled her eyes. Of course he’d be arrogant and full of himself. “That’s not what I’m trying to say, and you know it.”
“I know.” His eyes didn’t leave the light. “I like you a lot, too. Much more than I expected.”
“Really?” She was surprised by how much this made her heart race. Her mouth felt dry and sticky.
“Really,” he replied. He looked away from the light and over at her. His green eyes filled her soul with bubbling light. “And it’s not the contract that has me spending time with you. These dinners aren’t in the contract. They’re because I want to spend time with you. I’d rather be with you than anyone else.”
“Really?” Her voice came out as a squeak.
He smiled. “Really.”
He leaned over and kissed her as the light changed. He didn’t care that he was supposed to move because he was kissing her. Really kissing her. This wasn’t the kiss of a one-night stand or a good time. This was a kiss that meant something.
This was a kiss that lead to love.
When they broke apart, Emma was breathless. She grinned at him and then looked back at the light.
It was red again.
She grinned. That meant she got to kiss him longer this time.
Chapter 26
Emma
* * *
“You must be Emma. It’s so wonderful to meet you. You look just like your pictures in the magazines.”
Emma stood at the door of Jackson’s apartment and suddenly wished very much that she didn’t have to do this. But, she didn’t really have much of a choice. This had to happen.
“Yes, I’m Emma,” she said, forcing herself to smile as she opened the door a little wider. “Please come in. Your name is Becca, right?”
“That’s me, Becca the wedding planner,” the woman chirped. Becca wasn’t much older than Emma, but was several inches shorter. She had beautiful blonde hair in beautiful wavy curls down her back. The woman looked like she just stepped out of a beauty salon.
She wore a light pink dress that looked like 1950’s vintage. Her makeup was perfect. Her hair was perfect.
Even though Emma wore nice slacks, a button-up dark blue silk shirt, and light makeup, she felt incredibly unprepared. Becca just looked so put
together.
“Now, I have some samples of other weddings so that I can get your opinion on what you want,” Becca said, walking through the front door. She pulled two suitcases behind her in matching pink.
“Um, well, Jackson and I were thinking something elegant. I don’t want over the top lavish or ornate, but something beautiful,” Emma told her. “Here, we can sit at the table here. Would you like some coffee?”
“Oh no, thank you.” Becca shook her head. “And, if you want white teeth for the wedding, you shouldn’t have coffee either. Or tea. Stick with water. It’ll help your figure in your dress, too.”
“Oh.” Emma wasn’t sure what to say to that. She just motioned to the table.
Becca quickly set up shop. She had binders full of pictures and fabric that she laid out systematically on the table.
“You said elegant, correct?” Becca asked, pulling out a specific binder from one of the suitcases. “Take a look in here and tell me what you think.”
Emma took the big binder and carefully opened it, unsure of what was going to be inside.
“The first picture is the reception hall of another wedding I did in New York last year,” Becca explained. “Everything was seashell cream with bluebird navy accents with a theme of diamonds, because diamonds are forever. Absolutely lovely.”
The picture was of a beautiful room decorated into something out of a movie. White and blue were everywhere, along with more glittery gemstones than Emma could count. Everything in the room glittered.
“Wow. Where did you get all the sparkle?” Emma asked, turning to the next page. It was of a different angle, but still the sparkle remained. “Are they sequins?”
“Those are Swarovski crystals, dear,” Becca replied. “Straight from Austria, just for this wedding.”
Emma turned the page and found the price tag. She nearly threw up. The crystals were stunning, but not for that price. She could buy several houses for what they paid to make their reception sparkle for just a few hours.
