by Melody Anne
From the look in his eyes as he stared at the top of her blanket, she suspected that he was talking about a lot more than work.
She tugged on the blanket, pulling it just a little bit closer to her chin. It wasn’t that she was a prude. She’d just never felt a desire so strong that it made it worth the time or energy to fall into bed with a stranger. But now? Whoa! After just a bit of conversation with Jackson, she was ready to climb into his small bed, straddle him, and have her every fantasy fulfilled.
It wasn’t helping that she was going to some Podunk town in the middle of Montana she’d never even heard of, where the chance of meeting eligible bachelors was probably nil. Texas hadn’t been the greatest of places to live, at least not in the summertime, when the heat and humidity were off the charts, but at least the state had a large population. Alyssa had heard that cows outnumbered people in Montana. If she ever hoped to get married and start a family, she would be hard-pressed to find a man where she was going—population: negative five.
Okay, maybe she was being a bit overdramatic, but after traversing the world for the last few years, the idea of landing in Montana wasn’t exactly a dream come true.
“We have all night,” Jackson reminded her.
“You sure are persistent. What if it’s something that I’m greatly upset about? Or maybe, just maybe, I don’t know you and don’t want to share my life with a stranger.” That was pretty cut-and-dried. The problem was that she found herself wanting to share everything with this man. This stranger.
Probably not very wise.
“I read people. I do it for a living, Alyssa. I find companies that are failing and I overtake them, then fix them or rip them apart. I know how to read people better than you could imagine.”
“And you’re reading me?”
“I’ve been reading you from the first moment our eyes met.”
From the expression on his face, she had no clue what he’d come up with in his assessment, and she found herself desperately wanting to know. So of course she refused to ask. Still, it wasn’t like her to back down.
She gave him a sassy smile. “Maybe I’m reading you right back.”
“Good. I’m an open book.”
“Liar.”
If it wasn’t his idea, he didn’t speak to people. She’d seen him in action. What she didn’t understand was why he was speaking to her now. What did he find so fascinating about her? She was, all in all, a very uninteresting person.
“Still, I have nothing but time . . . for now,” he said, showing how persistent he could be.
“Yes, and then the clock strikes midnight and we both fade away,” she countered.
“Technically, the clock should strike about eight or nine when we land.”
“I hate traveling backward in time. I start one place on a certain date, and when I land, it’s the day before, or two days later. Why can’t every place just be the same time zone?”
“That would be interesting,” he said. “It could be pitch-black out and still be high noon. Or we could watch the sun rise at midnight.”
“Let’s just reset time.” Dang. He must be floored by the fundamental stupidity of her remarks. But she was so tired . . .
“You can put me off, but I won’t give up,” he told her as he fiddled with her blankets, making her stomach quiver as she waited for the brush of his fingers. When it didn’t happen, when his knuckles never brushed against her flesh, she felt disappointment.
“Fine! But I’m warning you that it’s a horrendous story that no one would really be interested in hearing. Then again, since I won’t ever see you again after tonight . . .” He wasn’t giving up, so what could it hurt to talk to him?
He just continued to gaze at her with those soulful brown eyes of his as he waited for her to continue either her rant or her story.
“I’m a model. Or I guess I should say I was a model. To make a long, boring story much shorter, but still just as uninteresting, my manager, who also happened to be my boyfriend, was having an affair with several other people besides me, including my wardrobe guy. However, I’m the one who got spotlighted. I’m the one labeled, and I’m the one who lost everything when he ran off with my money, my reputation, and my self-respect.” Her voice dripped with self-loathing.
“Whoa, wasn’t expecting that,” Jackson said.
“To make matters worse was how I found out. He cleaned out my account, ended my contracts, and left me high and dry in Paris. I’m currently returning home with my head shamefully low, preparing to eat crow in front of all those who told me the modeling world wasn’t where I should be.”
“How could he end your contracts?”
“That’s just another part of my own stupidity. I signed the documents without even blinking because I trusted him, and didn’t know he was ending my contracts instead of extending them. I was a fool and I’m paying for it now.”
There was a pause as he processed her words, then he focused on something she’d said a minute earlier.
“Why would anyone tell you not to go for your dreams, that modeling was stupid?”
“Because modeling is short-lived and most people don’t make it. I really struggled for a while, but then things started to come around. Romance sparked between my manager and me, or so I thought, and I landed a big contract with a makeup company. All of that has been taken away now. I’m twenty-four, way too old in the modeling world to start over, and I have nothing. No college degree, no work experience to list on a résumé, and no money. The people who told me to get an education instead of modeling were right. I’m sure they’ll enjoy telling me so.”
“Why is it such a scandal? It sounds like he was a cad.”
“Because he was married . . . and before you give me that look, I didn’t know he was married. I also didn’t know he had been taking pictures of me that if ever leaked to the papers would horrify my parents. He framed me to take a fall because all along he was only there to use me.”
She took a shuddering breath. Why was she spilling her guts to the guy? It felt freeing to speak about it, though, to tell her story and let it go.
“If you really don’t want to quit, you don’t have to. Sure, he has what sounds like blackmail material, but the truth will come out. It just may be a long ride while you go to trial.”
“You sound like this is something you’ve gone through,” she said, her curiosity piqued.
“I know the law. Without seeing any documents, I don’t know your exact situation, but it sounds to me like you have a good case to get your contracts back, at least.”
“Yes, I was told the same thing. However, I’m done with this world. I’m tired of the lights, the fake people, the drama. I was ready to come home a year ago, but I didn’t want to accept failure. Carl just forced me to make the decision I wanted to make anyway. The only part that really sucks is that he got away with almost all of my money.”
“Have you hired an attorney?” he asked.
“I’ll worry about that when I get home. This just happened. Right now all I want to do is go home, get some advice from my mom, and take a breath. Then I’ll regroup and try to figure out what I’m going to do next. It just feels like I’ve gone nowhere, done nothing with my life,” she said.
Jackson looked at her for a long moment, his eyes seeming to see right into her very soul. “I think you’re downplaying what you have accomplished.”
“How so? Are you not listening?” she replied with an edge of irritation.
“I’m listening. You got to travel the world. You made good money, even if it was stolen from you. Landing a big account in the modeling world isn’t an easy task, so, again, you accomplished something impressive. Okay, you trusted the wrong person. Many of us have made that mistake.”
“Have you?”
Jackson was quiet as he looked at her, collecting his thoughts. “I’ve made many mistakes, and, yes, I’ve trusted the wrong person before. It’s something you allow to happen once. Trust me when I say you won’t b
e fooled again by someone like your ex-boyfriend.”
“I think I would be a fool to trust you.” This she somehow knew with every fiber of her being. Still, a shiver passed through her while she gazed at Jackson with a rapidly building attraction kindling inside her, and she couldn’t seem to turn away. It was absurd. She didn’t know him, couldn’t possibly know him after talking for only a few hours.
There was hot chemistry between them; that was more than clear. But there was a long way between chemistry and actually knowing the man. Was it his eyes? Though he tried to appear cold and calculating, there was a softness in their endless brown depths that spoke of honor and hardship and led her to believe she could trust him.
“You’re wise to think so,” he said.
“What is happening here?”
A couple of seconds passed before she realized she’d voiced her thought aloud.
“We’re connecting,” he answered, his hand lifting again as he held her captive with his gaze while his fingers trailed down her cheek and then caressed her bottom lip.
She fought the need rippling through her and tried to lighten the mood. She should turn away, but she couldn’t stop speaking to him, couldn’t end their night just yet. So she had no other choice but to put on a smile and challenge him.
“Okay, I’ve told you my pathetic sob story. Now it’s your turn to tell me something about you.”
He smiled, a secretive smile that said he wouldn’t give her anything of himself that he didn’t want to give. A smile that had her hand twitching with a need to run her fingers across that impressive expanse of his chest. That had her wanting to take a taste of those lips. Wanting to learn what he was hiding.
Shaking her head, she remained stubbornly silent, refusing to reveal anything further about herself until he gave up something—anything!
“I was once a completely different man,” he said, then was silent.
She raised her eyebrows expectantly. “You’re persistent in your silences, Jackson.”
He laughed. Oh, the sound of his soft laughter tickled her nerve endings, making her want so badly to close the gap between them.
“I was once married, to my college sweetheart. We had a daughter.” Jackson went silent as he looked at Alyssa.
She didn’t want to say a word, too afraid he would stop talking. She could see he didn’t even understand why he was telling her this, and the pain radiating from his eyes clearly made it obvious this wasn’t something he normally shared.
“My daughter’s name was Olivia. She was three months old when she died. For years I didn’t think I’d ever forgive myself for letting it happen.”
“Oh, Jackson . . .” What should she say? There was nothing that could make that kind of pain disappear.
“I was the fire chief. When I was finally able to enter that building and found her lifeless body, I was done with it all.” He spoke in almost a monotone, his eyes looking over her head as if he wasn’t even seeing her.
“What happened?”
“It’s a long story involving a bitter divorce and a fight for our daughter. My ex wasn’t a good woman, and she didn’t want our child. She was smoking in the apartment, fell asleep, and the building caught fire. I was young when I married, naive, with stars in my eyes. All I’d wanted was to settle down, have a family, and live happily ever after. I discovered it wasn’t going to happen. I will never love again, certainly never marry again, and I would never subject a child to the trauma of parents who hate each other.”
“You had to have loved her if you married her.” That’s how the world survived: people falling in love, getting married, and bringing a new generation into the world.
“I did. And I learned that love isn’t enough to counter greed, dishonesty, and selfishness.”
“Not everything is so black-and-white. Just because your wife turned out to be someone different from what you thought doesn’t mean all women are deceptive,” she said.
“Ha. All women want something, Alyssa. What is it that you want?”
She was instantly offended, and though she shouldn’t respond to such a crass question, she did. “I want to be happy, to have a family someday and live the American dream. I have to regroup, but just because I have to start over doesn’t mean that I’m giving up on life.”
“Give it a few more years.”
“You seem so sure, Jackson,” she said with sadness. “Where is the man who was just giving me a pep talk a few minutes ago?” He ignored her question, so she continued. “Yes, what you went through is horrible, but that doesn’t mean you have to change into another person entirely.”
“At one point in my life, all I wanted was to be a hero. Now I realize that people don’t want to be saved. They want to take and take, just like your manager took from you.”
“It’s too bad you feel that way,” she said with a sigh, thinking that opening up hadn’t been such a great idea. She decided to try to switch things up, to try to salvage their conversation. “You said you buy and sell companies now?”
“Yes. It’s boring, it’s easy, and I have a knack for it.”
“If it’s so boring, why do it?”
“Because it’s something to do. I have been investing for years; this was just another form of investment.”
“You’re right, that does sound boring,” she said with a laugh, and he raised his eyebrows.
“Are you mocking me, Alyssa?” Oh, the sound of his voice whispered right through her entire body.
“I find I quite enjoy mocking you. I have a feeling not too many people do it, Jackson.”
“You’re certainly right about that. Besides you, I think the only other people who would dare to challenge me or mock me are my father and brothers,” he said with a real smile.
“Tell me about them.”
His eyes sparkled, making her stomach twist knowing she’d hit his sweet spot. “I have three brothers: Michael, Camden, and Spence. They’re a pain in the ass, but we have each other’s backs no matter what.”
“And . . . ?” He sure didn’t speak much.
“And that’s all. They are great. My dad is great. I love my family.”
“Getting information from you isn’t very easy,” she said.
“Don’t you like it that we both have an air of mystery about us, Alyssa? Isn’t that what makes this so exciting?”
She felt caught. Did she admit how exhilarating all of this was for her? Or did she stay cool and collected? Was she making a huge mistake here by flirting with this man? Her entire world had been flipped upside down, yet lying here beside Jackson seemed to drown out the disappointment, the sadness, the emptiness. Didn’t that mean she was using him? Wasn’t that wrong?
But in any case, wasn’t he using her just as much? It was more than clear that he, too, felt an attraction. That was something she was used to—men wanting her. It was the unfamiliar desire awakening within her for this man that was catching her by complete surprise.
Could she surrender to the desires of her body and continue down this road with him? It wasn’t as if they could have sex. They were on a plane filled with people. But what would a little harmless flirting do?
“Yes, Jackson, I do like the air of mystery.”
“Then let’s stop all this talking about our past. Why don’t I tell you exactly what I want to do with you right now?”
As he spoke, he shifted closer to her, bringing his lips within inches of her own. Would she allow a kiss? Was she even capable of denying this man when she wanted to taste him so badly?
Not giving her a chance to think anymore, he caressed her face, brought his mouth to hers, and connected their lips, sending jolts of electricity through her body. As his lips moved across hers, she felt an unfamiliar pressure build deep within, a feeling she knew would only grow stronger the closer she got to this man.
“I knew we would set off sparks, Alyssa,” he murmured as he pulled back, looking at her with clear desire in his eyes.
Fear filled her as
she realized the power this man could have over her. What was she thinking? She was playing with fire. Hadn’t she been burned enough?
“This isn’t wise, Jackson.”
“We don’t always need to be wise,” he informed her.
Luckily, he backed up, gave her some space. They continued speaking and soon her fatigue was overwhelming. She fought against that inopportune drowsiness as the two of them talked about neutral topics, nothing too intimate, but enough that as she got to know him a little bit more, learned what made his lips twitch, or his eyes sparkle, she found herself becoming increasingly infatuated with him.
When she fell asleep, Jackson less than a foot away, he filled her dreams—just as he’d assured her he would do.
Alyssa opened her eyes slowly to a hushed silence. Damn. She’d wasted precious time with something as useless as sleep, and now she didn’t know how much longer she had until the plane landed.
Stretching quietly in her seat, she sat up and looked over at the peaceful expression on Jackson’s face. He looked almost like a different person. He was just as handsome as before, but his guard wasn’t up as he slept. She wondered what this man dreamed of.
The barest hint of stubble dotting his square jaw and angular cheekbones rendered him even more striking than when she’d first laid eyes upon him. Despite an almost desperate need to reach over and touch him, she slipped from her warm bed and went to use the bathroom, where she took her time brushing her teeth.
When she came back, Alyssa tripped, landing right in Jackson’s lap. His beautiful brown eyes instantly snapped open, and then she couldn’t pull her gaze away from them.
“Good . . . morning?” he mumbled, and her blood ran hot at the scratchy timbre of his voice. It was so deep and rich, it must have originated clear down in his toes.
“I’m sorry,” she said, trying to get off him, but his arms locked around her. Oh, this man would star in her dreams for many nights to come. She was surprised and delighted to know that one chance encounter would shape her, change her, from this point on. No, she wouldn’t moon over him forever. But hereafter she’d compare every man she met with him.
