“Yes, sir.”
“Sir?” Don narrowed his eyes. “What are you trying to pull here? Drop the ‘sir.’ I ain’t your pappy.”
Jenna laughed. “Don, relax. You hire a guy from the armed forces, give him an order, then get all weirded out when he calls you ‘sir’? You’re an idiot.”
“Watch your mouth, young lady. I ain’t your pappy, neither.”
“Speaking of my pappy,” Jenna said, ignoring the ghetto creeping into Don’s voice as they headed for the door. It was happening a lot these days. “I got a message from him on my work line. How much of this has made the paper?”
“There was a squeak about that woods incident, but it was buried. You’re welcome.”
“I would thank you if you’d done it for me instead of for the company’s publicity. Since you didn’t, go fuck yourself.”
Don smirked as they stepped into the elevator. “Do you kiss your mama with that mouth?”
The shock Jenna always felt at even the mention of her mother fired within, but she contained it. Josh’s stare found her a moment later, but thankfully, he was on the other side of Don and couldn’t smother her with his support. The guy liked to wrap her up and cuddle her at the smallest issue. It was great in Colorado, but not so welcome in the wilds of New York. Emotional warfare was below the belt.
They made it to the restaurant without having to deal with horrendous traffic, which was a blessing, and had a cocktail in the bar while they waited for their table. The restaurant was busy and noisy, full of business lunches and men in suits. She had a feeling that the chief food items would be various slabs of meat. Don was nothing if not predictable.
“Here they are,” Don said as he nodded to three men across the busy bar area. “Remember, look like a couple. Be infatuated. Introduce him yourself, Jenna. You need to shine here. I want these guys. They’re from the best PR firm in the city, but I’m trying to lowball ’em on price, so they’re skittish. If you play your part, we can get this.”
“If you redo my contract, I’ll try harder,” Jenna purred.
“Now’s not the time.”
“Now’s exactly the time. I want an additional two hundred fifty thousand on top of my bonus for all this, for both me and Erika.”
“I will not do this with you right now.”
“Then I’m walking.” Jenna put down her drink and started to leave. Josh followed suit.
“Jenna,” Don said in a fierce whisper. “Fine, I can get it for you, but I can’t do anything for Erika.”
“Not good enough, Don. Better think fast; they’re almost here.”
Don turned to her, his face red with fury. Josh stepped closer to Jenna, ready to protect.
She felt like pushing Josh away so she could concentrate, but Don would use it against her. She had to have all her wits to play hardball with Don Jeffries. Any little stray thought or weakness could buckle her deal if he got hold of it and twisted the right way. And Josh was all sorts of stray thoughts and weaknesses.
“One fifty for each. You want more, you do it without Erika. Or go ahead and walk. Our agreement is for me to stick my neck out. No guarantee what the company’ll put it through.”
Jenna put out her hand and Don shook it, respect peeking through his wrath. “You are a hard-nosed bitch, Jenna Anderson. You should have gone into politics.”
“I did. Just like you. Corporate politics.”
Don grunted softly as the PR firm’s representatives got within hearing range. The three men were so polished they looked as if they were dipped in lacquer. Their suits were freshly pressed, ties exact and straight, every hair in place. Even their smiles were perfect, with gleaming white teeth. As they stepped up, they shook Don’s hand, all exuberance, and then they looked at her. She was measured and assessed, smiles enlarging on their faces.
“This must be the famous Miss Anderson we’ve heard so much about. Tell me, where is the rest of your dream team?” This from a man her height with brown, coiffed hair and gold cufflinks. If he weren’t so prim and polished, he would be called plain, average at best. Now he was gleaming average.
“They are all working diligently,” Jenna said as she leaned into him, oozing charm. She felt Josh’s hand on her back at the same time all their eyes suddenly shifted over her shoulder.
Josh must’ve been oozing a different kind of charm.
“Oh,” she said with a tinkling laugh, half turning into Josh. “I forgot to introduce my boyfriend. He’s from out of town so I’m showing him around. So much to see! Josh, honey”—Jenna slipped her arm into his—“meet— I didn’t get your names…”
“John.” The man in front of her stuck out his hand with a big smile.
Behind John, a tall, gangly man with no chin and a large Adam’s apple stuck out his hand. “I’m Brian. Such a pleasure to meet you.”
“Porter.” The third man was about six feet and in his mid-thirties, with sky-blue eyes.
“Great, let’s get a seat. Our table should be ready by now.” Don attempted to lead the way through the crowd. He got nowhere. He turned to Josh. “Get us through this, would you?”
Josh took Jenna by the hand and stepped into the crowd. His size and radiating menace had people glancing at him. The bar was filled with businessmen, mostly nerdy, and that glance quickly got them shuffling in the opposite direction.
Jenna followed right behind, making a joke about her big, tough boyfriend to the PR crew. They laughed politely, not hiding their nervousness.
At the table, Josh pulled her seat out for her before sinking into the chair beside her. Brian sat on the other side of her, and the other three, including Don, took the remaining seats at random.
“I’ve seen the virtual model of the building and I have to say, it’s one of a kind,” Brian began with a smile. Jenna had a hard time looking away from his bobbing Adam’s apple.
“Thank you. We’ve put a lot of thought and effort into making it unique while keeping its integrity. As you pointed out, it’s tough for such a large building.” Jenna returned the smile.
“The building could sell itself, right enough,” said John, “but having a face to go with it—especially one such as yours, Miss Anderson—will really make things easier. We usually work with CEOs or other executives. They aren’t nearly as pretty.” John’s nose scrunched up as he laughed.
They all paused as the waitress came to take their orders. Jenna, not having looked at the menu, had Don go first. He ordered a steak, as did all the other guys. Josh draped his arm across the back of her chair, and as the waitress came back around to get her order, Josh playfully flicked her hair off her shoulder and stroked the back of her neck lightly.
Jenna’s attention went to the soft graze of those warm fingers, so when he lightly suggested she try the filet mignon, she nodded distractedly as her body leaned in with a will of its own.
“Ah, young love,” Don said, eyeing her closely.
That snapped her back into reality. She felt herself flush, and playfully pushed Josh away. “Sorry. It’s his first day in town and I simply couldn’t resist having him along.” She received answering nods and smiles.
Don expertly steered the conversation away and she was left to pretend to pay attention. The food came quickly. In front of her landed a medium-sized piece of meat wrapped in bacon and sitting in a red wine reduction. Next to it was a large potato with a huge glob of butter, and some wine and butter-soaked vegetables.
Seeing all the food spread before her had her stomach twisting uncomfortably.
Out of the corner of her eye she noticed Josh leaning into her.
“Wanna taste mine? It’s delicious,” he said, loud enough for everyone to hear. She shook her head quickly, but the chunk of meat on the edge of his fork was already at her mouth. As she opened her mouth to receive it, which was embarrassing as hell, but not as embarrassing as refusing and having a fight about it, Josh whispered, “Eat, or I’ll make a show of feeding you.”
It was a dirty trick.
She remarked how good the food was, trying to keep the scowl from her face, and started eating as the men picked up with their business.
And it was good, she couldn’t deny it. She ate half the steak before she saw Don eyeballing her. She put down her fork and heard, “Did you want another bite?”
“No, Josh, thank you,” she replied, noticing his look of warning. She picked up her fork to prevent a further display, and looked at Porter across from her. “So what would you plan to do with an ad campaign?”
“With this type of thing, we would be more concerned about gaining awareness and spreading the word about the upcoming building and neighborhood.”
“Would we need a firm for that? Couldn’t we sell ourselves?” She turned to Don, who was still eyeballing her. “I mean, why not hire a writer or something? No offense, gentlemen, but I’m sure your firm is expensive and we could really just do our own, couldn’t we? I mean, I’m experienced on both sides of the camera, so wouldn’t we just need some print?”
Brian laughed in a placating manner. “Oh sure, some companies have done their own PR work, but with a company your size, and a project of this magnitude, you really want someone experienced.”
“What sort of experience behind a camera?” John asked.
“Oh, I thought Don might have mentioned it. I was a model from about six years old until I was eighteen. I was raised on photo shoots and runways.”
“Oh wow,” John exclaimed, smiling as a monetary gleam sparked his eye.
Don quickly steered the conversation toward what they could do with picture media. Jenna, pushed out of the conversation, finished her steak but refused to touch the butter-infused potato. Instead she cleared her vegetables and sat back, full to bursting. Josh had his arm draped over the back of her chair in an easy and familiar way. He wasn’t pretending.
After the plates were cleared, Don turned to her. “Jenna, if you and your man want to wait by the bar, I’ll finish up here.”
Knowing when she wasn’t wanted, she gracefully got up and Josh held her chair, and smiled at all the men. “It was nice meeting you all.”
She received smiles in return and headed to the bar with Josh close behind. Once there, they placed their drinks on the bar and Josh slipped his arm around her.
“You can’t keep pushing me to eat in public, Josh. It’s embarrassing,” Jenna said, wanting to both back out of his arms and stay at the same time.
She stayed—it was good for appearances.
“If you ate normally, I wouldn’t have to remind you, Jenna. Watching over you isn’t just about protecting you from others. It’s also about protecting you from yourself. You seem intent on harming yourself.”
She leaned against his hard body, not objecting when he squeezed her close. He leaned down and nibbled her ear, and then traced her jaw with his warm lips.
With eyes closed and her breath coming quickly, she said, “Josh, we’re in public.”
“So?” he whispered into her ear before he stuck his tongue in it.
She gasped. A second later she heard, “You two pretend well…”
Jenna pushed herself away, which wasn’t easy considering Josh had her in a viselike grip, and straightened herself. Don was looking at her with an appraising expression.
“I’m good at what I do,” Jenna stated with decorum. She hoped it was decorum, anyway.
“Uh huh. C’mon, lovebirds, let’s go.”
Chapter Six
“How did it go?” Jenna asked when they were in the car.
“Great.” Don looked over some papers he must’ve gotten from the PR guys. “You came across smart but silly, gorgeous, and sexy. The whole deal with the out-of-town love machine made you appear human rather than a cutout copy of a pretty girl. Good recipe. We’ll go with that for a while. I’m sure you’ll get the chance to show your inner bitch soon enough.”
“I always find a way to show her.”
“One thing I am dying to know, though.” Don lowered the papers.
“What’s that? Why I am a rock star and you are a turd?”
“Nice language. No, since when do you eat?”
Jenna scoffed. “What are you talking about? When don’t I eat?”
“I’ve been to a lot of lunches with you. A lot of dinners. A few brunches and a breakfast or two. You pick. You don’t eat. Today you ate. Like a normal human being.”
“Well, Don, I’m aspiring to your gut.”
Don barked out laughter and slapped his bulging stomach. “You have a long way to go, dearie. A very long way. I’ve put a lot of time, effort, and money into this gut of mine. I don’t think you’ve got the stamina.”
They rode the rest of the way in silence. Josh looked out the window, allowing Jenna full access to check him out in his perfectly fitting and upscale attire. He was one handsome bastard, all right. He filled out those pants just right.
Her groin answered her damning thought, hot and wet.
“You all right?” she heard Don ask.
He was looking at her with a Cheshire Cat grin. He’d caught her eyes, probably caught the red in her face, too, as she batted down her embarrassment. She gave a half shrug, to show it was no big deal.
“Ah, to be young again. Casual encounters and indifferent attitudes. Remember those days, Jenna?” Don asked as he smiled and looked away.
When the car pulled up, she was the first out, not waiting for the men to keep up. It wasn’t until she was halfway to the building’s steps, about to say hello to Jimmy the surly security guard, when she was ripped around by her arm and tugged into Josh’s body.
“Don’t walk out into the open without me again, do you understand?” he said angrily as his hand kept her body pressed against him.
“Josh—” Jenna pushed at him before she whipped around and was released. She staggered, getting her bearings, in time for Josh to gracefully dodge Jimmy’s outstretched hands. Josh used the momentum of his attacker to spin Jimmy around like a doll. When the other man’s back was to him, Josh pushed him onto the ground, all in one quick, effortless move, always in complete control.
Jimmy struggled to his feet as a few other guards started yelling and coming down the steps toward them. Josh stepped in front of Jenna with his hands out, trying to show he wasn’t a threat, but the pose of his body and the death in his eyes were doing little to sell it.
Don stepped in front of them and boomed, “He’s with her. Leave him be.”
Jimmy was up and glaring at Josh with hate-filled eyes. “You don’t manhandle a woman!”
Don grabbed Josh’s arm and gave him a gentle pull toward the door. “She’s not a woman. She’s the devil in disguise, and manhandling her is the only way to move things along. Isn’t that right, Josh?”
Josh stared at all the angry guards.
“Isn’t that right?” Don said again.
“Correct, sir,” Josh answered calmly.
“She’s kind to you if you’re kind to her,” Jimmy said as he trudged along behind.
That was nice, Jenna thought. Completely inaccurate, but nice. She would remember to give him a nice Christmas gift.
Back in the building, Don said to Josh, “You are worth every penny,” with an accompanying pat on the back.
“He manhandled me, and he gets a pat on the back?” Jenna asked incredulously. “What does he get if he beats me?”
“A raise,” Don replied as they got into the elevator.
“Jenna, you can’t walk off into the open without me,” Josh said seriously, his eyes and manner intent. He stood next to her protectively, his hand firmly on her back, ready to guide her even though the danger—what there was of it—had passed.
She stared straight ahead, wanting to refuse for the sake of appearances, but knowing this was in her best interest, that he was thinking solely of her safety.
“When we arrive somewhere,” Josh went on, “I will get out first, you will get out behind me. If I give you direction, you will follow it. Clear?”
She refused to look into those intense hazel eyes, feeling Don’s glee stuff the small space of the elevator.
“Clear?” she heard again, an octave lower. That was the warning register. The “I am reaching the end of my patience and I will find a pool to throw you in” voice.
She nodded to get it over with. Josh stepped behind her silently. His hand didn’t drop away.
“That’s it?” Don asked as they all stepped out of the elevator. “No bloodshed? No demands? No threats?” He looked back and forth between Josh and Jenna, mystified. “How do I learn that trick?”
Jenna ignored both men as she sought out Erika. Her friend wasn’t in her office or in the break room. Finally Jenna found her on the patio, straddling Jax on a bench in a heated make-out session.
“Are you humping him?” Jenna asked incredulously, not quite able to look away. They were completely out in the open, after all. They had their clothes on, but still, the movements suggested otherwise.
“Give me two secs,” Erika said, not stopping.
“Seriously?” Jenna covered her eyes. “We’re at work!” Then peeked, chuckling while she did so. Jax had a look of concentration on his face.
Jenna covered her eyes again, still laughing, and went back inside. “So gross!”
Erika came in a minute later with a look of satisfaction on her face. Jax remained seated.
“He looks good in those clothes you got him,” Erika said by way of explanation.
“So you dry-hump him on the patio? Anyone could’ve gone out there.”
“I meant to just get some air and sneak a kiss. But, you know, he kind of got excited during the kiss. Couldn’t waste it.”
“You— Oh my God, just stop talking. Work. What about work?”
“Well, I just had my lunch break—”
“Would you stop?”
“—so now I am ready to get back to it. I finished what you gave me, but I need a lackey to make some copies and do some touch-ups. With only three of us, I’m stretched pretty thin.”
Unexpected Guardian (Skyline Trilogy Book 3) Page 5
