Seduced in San Diego

by Reese Ryan

  Sharing a meal like that, while enjoying a sense of community reminiscent of the small, working-class neighborhood she’d grown up in, she couldn’t resist letting her guard down. They laughed, chatted and shared their food, as if they were old friends.

  Sasha couldn’t remember when she’d last felt so at ease with anyone outside of her circle of family and longtime friends.

  Too bad he’s a client.

  Translation: look, but don’t dare touch. No matter how badly she wanted to lean across the table and lick the dab of barbecue sauce that dotted the edge of his mouth. Her tongue glided across her lower lip, just thinking of it.

  When she looked up, Jordan’s gaze had zeroed in on her mouth and the movement of her tongue.

  Sasha’s face heated. She returned her attention to her food, sopping up a bit of the delicious sauce with a slice of white bread. Something she’d done since she was a child.

  “Ice cream?” He gathered their empty food containers and put them in the trash.

  “I couldn’t eat another bite.” Sasha patted her distended belly. “Not that ice cream doesn’t sound good.” She tossed their soda cans in the recycle bin and crossed the dusty, gravel lot beside him. “What I need is a good jog to burn off some of those calories.”

  “How about a brisk stroll instead?” He smiled, his eyes twinkling. There seemed to be some secret hidden behind his brown eyes.

  Everything in her told her it was best if she said no, but she wasn’t ready to end their afternoon together.

  Maybe this wasn’t a real date, but the three days she’d spent with Jordan were the best time she’d had...maybe ever.

  “Lead the way.”

  Jordan set the alarm on his car and they strolled down a street with small, simple homes and compact, well-manicured yards.

  “Thank you.” Sasha walked beside him along a path that led to a brick school building.

  “For lunch?”

  “For being so thoughtful.” Sasha’s heart beat a little faster. She told herself it was because of the brisk walk. Not because of her proximity to Jordan Jace. “Last night you asked what I liked to do, and today we did just that. Though this was probably the last thing in the world you wanted to do.”

  “You think this was my first time eating at that little rib shack?” Jordan’s words were filled with amusement. “It happens to be one of my favorite places to eat.”

  “How’d you come across it?”

  “I don’t just teach at my studio.” He nodded toward the school they were approaching. “I’ve done some special projects with students at this high school, including that one.”

  “My God, Jordan. This is stunning.” Sasha stared at the mural that took up the lower half of one side of the building. The vibrant colors popped, breathing life into a building that had seen better decades. The mural consisted of six distinct panels.

  “Each panel chronicles the story of a notable person who once attended this school before going on to do something important.” They walked along the panels depicting a racially diverse group of people including an artist, an engineer, two activists, an inventor and a politician.

  “Learning about each of them and the obstacles they overcame was fascinating. Inspiring.” His brown eyes shone with pride. “But it was truly an honor working with these students. Getting to know them. They’re so bright, and many of them are dealing with issues at home you wouldn’t believe.” He shook his head sadly. “This project was a respite from the storm for some of them. For others, it sparked something inside. Either because of the people they were learning about or because of the talent they discovered in themselves. It was a life-changing experience for me. I hope it was for them, too.”

  A pit of warmth welled in her chest as he spoke. She admired him even more. Her work with Jordan was about more than making him wealthier and more well-known. She could see that now. She’d do everything in her power to give him more opportunities to work on projects like this one.

  “How’d you talk the school into diverting money to the project?”

  “I didn’t.” Jordan shoved his hands in his pockets. “I made them an offer they couldn’t refuse. I donated my services and the money for supplies.”

  Sasha’s attention snapped to his. She’d read everything she could find on Jordan Jace. She hadn’t read anything about his participation in this project or his donation.

  “Why didn’t you put out a press release or talk about the project on your website or any of your social media outlets?” She took out her phone. “I can only imagine how much this project must’ve meant to those students and to the neighborhood.”

  “That’s just it... I did this for those kids and the neighborhood. Not to elevate myself to some sort of saint.” He seemed perturbed by linking their objective to his.

  Sasha snapped a few photos of the mural with her cell phone, then put it away and turned to Jordan.

  “It’s admirable you’re not doing this for selfish reasons. And I applaud your willingness to give your time, money and expertise without expecting anything in return.” Sasha smiled warmly. “But think of it as a symbiotic relationship. Neither entity is using the other. You’re working together to do more good in the world than either of you could alone.”

  Jordan turned toward the mural again. He studied it in silence for a moment. “I don’t see how publicizing it will be helpful. This is a painting. I’m a sculptor.”

  “Doesn’t matter.” Sasha was relieved Jordan was seriously considering her suggestion. “I can still make it work, benefitting both you and the school.”

  “How?”

  “You get positive press and perhaps we can get other artists and corporations to participate in or fund similar projects at this school and others. We can expand what you started here beyond the scope of the limited number of students you can personally help. You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”

  “Of course.”

  “Then trust me.” Sasha placed a hand on his arm and he turned to her. His heated gaze held hers and the space between them seemed to contract. She swallowed hard. “I promise not to compromise the kids or the community.”

  “I do trust you.” Jordan extended his hand. He shook hers when she placed it in his palm. “And I look forward to working with you.”

  Jordan didn’t release her hand. His gaze still locked with hers, his mouth inched closer to hers.

  Sasha froze. Her breath came harder and faster, and her head felt light. She couldn’t look away from his mesmerizing gaze. Or step outside of the space between them, growing ever smaller.

  This is inappropriate on every level.

  Jordan Jace was a client. A fine one with ultrakissable lips. Eyes that drew you in. A gravelly voice that made her most intimate parts hypersensitive.

  She wanted Jordan to kiss her. Needed an answer to the question that’d circulated in her brain and lit a fire in her flesh from the moment he’d trained his eyes on her that night at the gallery.

  What would it feel like to kiss him?

  “Jordan, I ca—” She stepped backward and tripped over the uneven sidewalk.

  “Got you.” He grabbed her before she hit the ground and cradled her in his strong arms. Sasha inhaled his scent—smooth and spicy with a hint of vanilla. “You didn’t hurt yourself, did you?”

  Just wounded what little of my pride there was left.

  “I’m fine.” Sasha righted herself. Her heart raced as much from her proximity to Jordan as the near fall. “Thank you. I swear, I’m not usually such a klutz.”

  His dark eyes danced in the sunlight. “So either I make you nervous in a good way or you desperately want to be rid of me. I’m hoping it’s the former not the latter.”

  “If you must know, it’s both.” She extracted herself from his arms.

  “So, because I make you nervous, in a good way, you’re
desperate to be rid of me.” Deep in thought, he scratched the stubble on his chin, which only made him more enticing. “Can’t decide if that’s the best bloody compliment anyone has ever given me or if I should be mortified by the insult.”

  “It’s neither a compliment nor an insult. It’s a statement of fact.” She took one more glance at the incredible mural before turning back to him. “It’s getting late. We should head back to the car.”

  “If that’s what you want.” For the first time, he seemed slightly unsure of himself. “Look, I hope I didn’t offend you just now by trying to kiss you.”

  “You didn’t.” Sasha folded her arms. Her gaze swept the ground until she drew up enough courage to meet his eyes again. “I don’t deny that I’m flattered by your interest. And I like you. A lot. Under any other circumstances...” She sighed heavily. “But this isn’t any other circumstance. You’re my client. An important one. I can’t afford to...to...” Blow it. Screw up... Why can’t I think of a term without a sexual connotation? “Ruin... I can’t afford to ruin this opportunity.”

  “Is there a rule that precludes you from dating a client?”

  “Not technically, but it would seem improper.”

  “To whom?”

  “To me and, I’m sure, to your mother who, let’s not forget, is paying my rather hefty consultation fee.”

  “Did my mum tell you that?”

  “The impropriety of dating her son didn’t come up in our initial discussion, no,” she said flippantly.

  “Pity.” Jordan grinned. “I would’ve loved to hear her opinion on the matter. Not that it would’ve swayed mine. And from where I stand, the only opinions that matter on the subject are yours and mine.”

  “This isn’t just about how it would look to everyone at my firm and to other potential clients. Getting involved with you romantically would be a disastrous idea.”

  “Ouch.” Jordan pressed a hand to his chest, in mock pain. “You haven’t the slightest regard for my overinflated ego.”

  “I didn’t mean it that way.” She readjusted the purse slung across her body. “But it would ruin our working relationship.”

  “I disagree.” A mischievous smirk made him even more handsome. “Last night you said we needed to learn each other. I can’t think of a better way to accomplish that.”

  “You’re awful.” She couldn’t help laughing, though the last thing she should be doing is encouraging him. Sasha turned back up the path toward the car. “I admit it, I enjoy hanging out with you, Jordan. But I think it’s best that we keep these meetings strictly about business.”

  “Isn’t that what we were just doing?” He jerked a thumb over his shoulder toward the mural.

  “Right up until you tried to kiss me, and I nearly let you.”

  Sasha had wanted a taste of those sensual, full lips from the first time he’d flashed her his impish grin. But her career and the reputation she’d built were more important than her sensual curiosity about a man like Jordan Jace. A man whose lovers were as disposable as single-use contact lenses.

  “Fair enough.” He nodded. “What’s our next matter of business?”

  “We need to finalize your brand strategy. Could we get together on Monday or Tuesday for our initial meeting, then again later in the week to finalize the plan?”

  “Not possible.”

  “I promised your mother I’d give your account priority.” She produced her ever-present planner. “So I’m willing to be flexible on when and where we meet to accommodate any possible scheduling conflicts.”

  Impressing the Jace family matriarch could bring her a slew of well-heeled clients on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. If that meant making a few concessions to her reluctant new client, it was worth the trade-off.

  “I’m not trying to be difficult, I assure you. I just happen to already have...” Jordan paused midsentence, his eyes suddenly gleaming and a grin spreading across his face. “I was going to say we can’t meet because I’ll be traveling next week. But I just had a brilliant idea. You should come with me. I’m going to Mazatlán by boat. It’s a working holiday. Not nearly as glamorous as it might sound.”

  “Too bad. Glamorous sounds fun.”

  Being stuck on a dirty, old fishing boat for the next several days wasn’t her idea of a good time. And the fluttering in her belly at the possibility of spending time alone with Jordan Jace was a flashing red sign. Still, this was the perfect opportunity to demonstrate to Eva Jace her willingness to go above and beyond to accommodate the needs of her clients.

  There was just one thing she needed to clarify. “Why do you want me to come along?”

  “I’ve an idea for a new series of smaller sculptures. Something that would be more accessible to discriminating private art buyers. It occurred to me that it would be beneficial for you to be privy to my entire process—from start to finish.”

  Jordan’s cunning smile and the gleam in his eye betrayed his strictly business logic about the trip. Still, he had a point. It would help her get to know him better as an artist, allowing her to tailor a plan that would fit Jordan’s unique sensibilities.

  “When would we leave?”

  His smile widened. “Bright and early on Tuesday morning.”

  Of course. She’d have little more than two days to prepare.

  “I’ll have my assistant contact yours to make arrangements.” She jotted down notes in her planner, then tapped out a message on her phone.

  “While she’s at it...there are a few other dates we should go ahead and plan, too.” Jordan grinned broadly. His use of the word date was no Freudian slip of the tongue. He enjoyed teasing her.

  And, if she was being honest, she was eager to spend more time with the surprising Jordan Jace.

  Chapter 6

  “What do you think?” Jordan gestured toward the incredible, three-story, luxury yacht they’d be sharing for the next week.

  Sasha’s eyes widened as she surveyed the large, gleaming vessel and its crew standing on deck, ready to serve their every need. Her mouth fell open.

  She was clearly impressed, whether she was willing to admit it or not.

  “This is the ‘little boat’?”

  “You object?”

  “It’s incredible. But all of this...” she stammered, indicating the ten-person, luxury yacht. “It’s just for us?”

  “Us and the diligent eight-person crew that comes with it.” He stepped aside, nodding his thanks to two crew members who began loading their luggage onto the ship.

  Her eyes widened and her cheeks flushed. “I can’t... I mean, I shouldn’t—”

  “Relax, love. If you’re worried that I’m squandering my fortune in an effort to woo you...don’t. The ship belongs to a friend.” Jordan pulled his shades from his breast pocket and put them on. “And if you’ve any qualms about our sleeping arrangements...” He swallowed a grin as she gasped quietly and the flush of her cheeks deepened. “There are four staterooms, in addition to the master suite, so you needn’t worry.”

  “All right, then. I’m in.” Sasha released a long, slow breath and nodded, still surveying the regal vessel. “But regardless of how glamorous this yacht may be, this is a working trip for me, not a vacation.”

  “Well, we must see what we can do to remedy that.” Jordan tried his best to restrain a grin. “I know you’re quite dedicated, but I’m sure we can manage to fit a bit of fun into the next seven days.”

  Her expression softened slightly and a smile curved one edge of her mouth. “I suppose you’re right. After all, who knows when I’ll get another opportunity like this. But work comes first. No exceptions.”

  “Agreed.” He extended his elbow, escorted her up the gangway stairs and to her lovely stateroom.

  Jordan made his way to the master suite and settled in, a smile plastered on his face. By the end of their trip down to
Mazatlán and Puerto Vallarta, he had every intention of helping Sasha Charles learn to loosen up a bit. Preferably in his bed.

  * * *

  Sasha tucked the last of her clothing into a built-in dresser in her generously appointed stateroom. As beautiful and spacious as the room was, she couldn’t imagine how decadent the master suite must be.

  Nor did she have any intention of finding out.

  Jordan occupied the master suite near the bow of the yacht, while her room was located near the stern. Beneath them, a small village of crew members were busy preparing their lunch, which would be served on deck shortly.

  Sasha paced the cabin filled with warm sunlight. Fresh sea air filtered in through the door of the small, private balcony.

  She was on an incredible ship, taking an all-expenses-paid cruise to Mazatlán and Puerto Vallarta. A heavenly scent wafted through the space, courtesy of two large bouquets of red roses and pink Asiatic lilies and gerbera daisies.

  Sasha inhaled the calming scent. Breathed in and out as her pulse slowed down.

  It was clear why Jordan’s mother had hired her. The bad boy, demanding artist image the public had of him was completely wrong.

  Jordan was incredibly smart, intensely passionate about his art and exceedingly committed to the causes he cared about. Her opinion of him had improved greatly upon getting to know him.

  She admired him. Wanted him.

  Admiring a client was ideal. Desiring him and wondering how it would’ve felt if she’d let him kiss her probably weren’t the best uses of her time.

  Keep it professional and everything will be fine.

  After all, Jordan Jace wasn’t the first wealthy, handsome client she’d worked with. He wasn’t even the first to flirt with her.

  So why did everything about working with Jordan feel different?

  Sasha’s knee bounced involuntarily and her belly twisted in knots. She tried to push Jordan from her mind. But when she closed her eyes, all she could see was his handsome face.