“Yes. A decorator, too. This is now Erika I am talking about. I don’t know if you noticed, but I don’t spare expense when it comes to Erika. And I don’t spare expense on my designs. Now that I have free license, their house will be the best on the block. Hell, best in the city. They need room to house four babies, two boys and two girls—Erika is a moron.”
“What if they don’t get married?”
“If Jax will ask, Erika will say yes, plain and simple. And if not…” Jenna shrugged, “I’ll work out a deal that I get a percentage if he sells. I am talking about dramatically upping his resale value here. It helps that land in Colorado is so cheap, but still…”
Josh nodded with a faint grin. Jenna looked at him a beat longer. “You don’t need to write anything down?”
“I think I can handle common-sense instructions without writing them down.”
“Famous last words. Okay, time to go get my picture taken.”
Chapter Ten
Their destination wasn’t far, so they walked. In between scanning his surroundings, Josh kept glancing at her shoes—four-inch stiletto Jimmy Choos. Finally she said in an offhand way, “Want to try them on?”
“I’ll pass. Just wondering when you’re going to trip and break your ankle.”
“Do I look like a novice?”
“Nope.” Josh took stock of their surroundings, scoping the people around them.
“Okay, then.”
“You’ve proven yourself to be a little crazy when it comes to shoes, though.”
She ignored him.
They found the place, a medium-sized studio, and pressed the bell. A young woman smiled when she opened the door and then led them into a cleared space where equipment and props were already set up.
What must be the photographer sidled up, a graying man with a paunch and faded jeans. He was wearing a shirt that said, Relax, I’m Hilarious, accompanied by a coffee stain. His assistants scurried around in the background.
To a novice, the first impression was that he was cheap, out of date, and not that great at his job. To someone who had been in the field a while, he was a genius who generally got to do and say whatever he wanted because he got results.
He would also be incredibly hard to work with. She had no doubt about that.
The man stopped in front of her. He squinted at her face, and then slowly looked down her body. “Suit is perfect. Better than the shit costuming usually produces. Keep it. Get her to hair and makeup. She needs to look older and more sophisticated. I want attractive and competent, not someone’s pretty armband.”
The flock of assistants changed their flight plan, rushing to do as he said.
He turned to Josh and gave the same scrutiny. “Who’s he?”
“My pretty armband,” Jenna said in a flat tone.
The photographer’s intelligent, though slightly manic, brown eyes shifted to her. Each word dripping sarcasm, he said, “Oh good, a model with a mouth. What a treat.”
Josh watched as three small women wearing black frocks and apologetic smiles whisked Jenna away. He couldn’t help but notice the grim determination on Jenna’s face as she raised her chin and followed the gaggle of women. She was aloof and sophisticated, and far from happy.
From the corner of the room, Josh saw the photographer watch her leave, and then skulk back.
“Why didn’t you follow?” The man’s watery brown eyes surveyed him unrepentantly.
Josh had been sized up many times in his life, but never like this. “Piece of meat” came to mind. “I’m not interested in watching her get her hair done.”
“But someone might, you know, poison her water.”
So he knew exactly who Josh was; he had just wanted Jenna’s reaction when he asked. Interesting. “Then I would be too late anyway, wouldn’t I?”
The man had his arms crossed over his chest with one hand free and holding his weak chin. His head was cocked to the side. “I would like to photograph you. You have a look about you. Danger. Arresting danger. I could spin it. Urban danger. The girls would love it. All ages. Teens would throw themselves at you; older women would fantasize.”
“That’s not my department.” Josh felt uncomfortable. It was a first. He wanted to get the hell out of this creepy place.
“Hmmmm. And you’re with the girl?”
“Yes.”
“Yes. Hmmmm. She’s got the look. You and her, yes, I see that. I could work that. Danger and beauty. No.” Watery eyes looked at the ceiling. “Danger and…hmmmm, innocence is so overplayed. So is naughty duo. I have to think about this.”
He snapped his fingers, shamefully making Josh jump. “Sex. Overdone, you think, right? No. Dangerous sex. She could sell sex in her sleep. Draped over you.” The man put his arms out and glided them in the air over Josh’s frame where he imagined Jenna’s body. In another shameful turn, Josh got aroused thinking of Jenna’s body in the way the hands were moving. “She could play off you, bring it out of you. Look at you just thinking about it. Yeeesss. That is what we want. That will work.”
Josh stared at the man, trying to hide how uncomfortable he was, how hard his cock was from following this man’s thoughts. This place was messing with his mind. Torture camps had nothing on this crazy shit.
Jenna walked out with a click, click, click. “Ralph.” Her voice cracked like a whip. “Quit freaking out my bodyguard. Let’s get this done.”
Ralph pulled his gaze away from Josh. “I had an idea for you two.”
Jenna rolled her eyes. “You aren’t getting paid to have an idea for us two. Just me. I’m ready.”
“By all means, let’s make sure we keep to your schedule. I wouldn’t presume to interfere with your very important day.” Ralph moved away to a lighted area.
Jenna gave Josh a wink before he did a double take and looked closer. She had light and dark shades of natural makeup, making her features sharper. She was beautiful in an intimidating sort of way.
“Are you okay?” she asked quietly after veering toward him.
“That dude freaks me out.”
A smile lit up her face. “He won’t hurt you. He’s just half crazy—”
“At your leisure, my lady,” Ralph called with a bow stolen out of King Arthur’s court.
Jenna rolled her eyes and winked again. “Don’t worry, I’ll protect you.”
She sauntered toward the lights, all hip and legs.
With a glob of donut falling out of his mouth, Ralph said, “This isn’t a runway, girl. That talent doesn’t work here.”
Josh was joined by the gaggle of women. They were small, they were jittering, and they also freaked him out. No one was real here. It was like Wonka Land, New York City style: all cracked out and tweaked.
Josh watched as flashes started lighting up the room. Jenna moved constantly. She’d hold a pose for a second, then move slightly and hold, move and hold. Some movements were more pronounced, changing her whole body position; some were just her head or her limbs.
“Oh, she’s good. She’s had experience,” one of the identical blondes said as she moved too close to him.
“Look at me, damn it! You are an architect, not a waitress,” Ralph yelled.
Jenna did so without a flinch, keeping her eyes glued to the camera from then on. She received a few more disparaging comments, taking note without effort or offense. Then suddenly the flashing stopped and Jenna stood still once again.
The photographer gave her another once-over, disdain etched in every line on his face. “It’ll have to do.”
“She’s done already?” one of the clones twittered. “No other props?”
Jenna threw a glance at the horde of females perched around Josh like birds in a birdbath and headed in the direction of makeup.
“Wow, this is a first,” another said as they scampered off after her.
Jenna flashed Josh a smile and yet another wink as she disappeared behind a screen. Then he noticed Ralph slinking up to him, camera loosely in hand.
; Ralph brought the camera to his eye. White light blinded Josh.
“You do that again and I will rip that camera out of your hand and beat you with it,” Josh said with a ferocity he couldn’t quite control.
Ralph lowered the camera slowly, a smile curling the edges of his mouth. He looked at Josh with a predatory light then slid his eyes down his body slowly. “Oh yes, that is it exactly. Vanity Fair would take you in a heartbeat. You and the girl on the cover of Maxim, yeeesss, I can see that.”
When the blessed click, click, click sounded again, Josh had never been so happy to see Jenna.
“Jesus, Ralph, are you trying to emulate Gollum? Scamper away. You’re freaking him out.”
Ralph looked at her with the same leer. “You aren’t completely incompetent.”
Jenna grabbed Josh’s arm as she retorted, “Hopefully you didn’t completely waste my time.”
There was a “hrmph” as Josh was led away.
“I see now why you have such a hard time with your appearance,” Josh said, as they walked back to the office, arm in arm. “Or image, I guess you call it. That was pretty rough. That guy was a psycho.”
“That was nothing compared to some. But then, others are a lot nicer. It’s the nature of working with artistic people in a cutthroat environment, I guess.”
“I can see how that would be…damaging to a young person.”
Jenna glanced at his face and saw sympathy before he wiped away his expression. It touched that deep place she had been trying to fill in with concrete since he’d ripped all her barriers away in the woods. His understanding of how hard her life had been pushed her dangerously close to tears. Memories hurt, and the acknowledgement of them was hard to bear.
Back at the office, she lost herself in work. When she got stumped or needed to take a break from the nitty-gritty and problem areas, she worked on Jax’s house. One was at the point that it was hard work; the other was in the beginning stages and all design, and therefore fun. The difference in the projects was enough to keep her balanced and sane, but still hidden from the world.
When she came up for air, it was to Josh standing over her with a disapproving scowl.
“What?” she asked, sitting back and massaging her neck. Josh moved around the desk and put his large, strong hands on her shoulders. She ignored the electric current, and focused instead on him deliciously kneading her muscles.
“I know you girls are dedicated, but this is ridiculous.”
She looked at the clock. It was nine o’clock. She hadn’t moved from her desk for five hours, and that had just been to pee. She noticed a plate of Indian food at the corner of her desk. Oops. She’d forgotten to eat that.
“I know, but look at Jax’s house.” She pointed at the monitor, where a rough mock-up gleamed in all its newness.
Josh leaned over her, his chest slightly touching her back.
“Oh wow,” Josh breathed.
It was a large house; she knew that. The curve of the building, the layout, the originality—it was her love of her friend, with Erika’s dream house designed into the core of it. It was Jenna’s way of saying, “Thank you, Erika, for all you’ve done for me. I love you. Oh, and Jax, yeah, thanks.”
Josh was quiet for a long time, his hands firm on Jenna’s shoulders. Finally he said, “My God, Jenna. It’s perfect. I can see both Jax and Erika in that house. It’s… The design is…unreal. Perfect.”
It wasn’t the words that gave her shivers, it was the pauses. It was the speechlessness. “Thank you, Josh.”
He put his arms around her as he looked on, sharing the moment. After a while he said, “Will you design our house just as perfectly?”
She shrugged him off. He could sure ruin a mood.
Chapter Eleven
The week went by in a fog of plans. When Friday came around everyone was beat and hopelessly miserable. After yet another long day, with the boys bored beyond tears, Erika and Jenna decided enough was enough—they needed a night out with the guys. As a means of taking Saturday off, they would get hopelessly drunk so they had to spend the next day with their heads in a toilet. Or a trash can. Or whatever was closest when the copious amounts of booze from the night before fought to exit their stomach at inopportune times.
It was sad when a hangover trumped the job they were supposed to love.
They decided on a hot place uptown that was expensive enough to keep the younger and poorer crowd out, but cheap enough that they wouldn’t have to take out second mortgages on their apartments. The end result would be a hoppin’ scene that wasn’t packed. They hoped. It wasn’t always a recipe for success.
Jenna made one last touch-up to the face looking back at her, and exited her bathroom. Since makeup and hair were done to perfection—she kept each simple so as not to detract from the splendor that was her fire-engine red dress, which was finally making its debut—she headed to the common area to meet Josh.
He was leaning against the sliding glass door, the curtains opened wide, holding a glass of red wine while looking out at the city lights below. His body was in repose, his broad back somehow elegantly resting against the thin frame. One hand held a glass to his chest; the other was tucked into the pocket of his slacks.
Her brain short-circuited and her stomach almost emptied its contents.
He was wearing that shirt she had chosen for him. It was molded to his hard body like a second skin sporting a “pull here to peel” label. Her gaze rolled over his perfectly defined pecs and flat abs, then his bicep muscles bulging as he unconsciously flexed, finally landing on his delicious bulge. It was Thanksgiving and her roving eyes were trying to feast on everything at once.
He lounged with such ease, striking a pose of powerful grace outlined by the black of the night sky. How could he not know what a handsome bastard he was? How could the countless women’s panties that had no doubt been thrown at him all his life fail to sink in?
As she stood and stared, dumbfounded, he looked around, probably feeling eyes trying for x-ray vision. A beat later, he froze while mimicking her eye sweep, and finally met her stare with one of his own.
They looked at each other, their eyes meeting, connecting, and then locking into place. He crossed to her as if in a vivid dream, everything slow and syrupy, motor skills in someone’s else’s control. His mouth found hers, his soft lips brushing, then fusing. His tongue entered her mouth, his taste wild and raw. Her body lit on fire, the heat consuming her.
If there was a reason they shouldn’t be doing this, she’d forgotten what it was as her hands slid over that powerful frame, all six feet, three inches of it, coming back often to the hard spot between his thighs.
She felt an answering hand on her, slipping under her dress then sliding beneath her panty line. She opened herself, giving him more access, not stopping the moan in response to his wicked fingers.
Suddenly desperate, she pulled him toward her bedroom, feeling his body move with her, hands all over her, until just as suddenly…his heat was gone.
She blinked a couple of times as cold air replaced warm. “Wha…” Her voice was hoarse. She cleared her throat.
“What happened?” Better. She almost didn’t sound pathetically confused.
He was standing by the window again, leaning awkwardly against the same spot she’d found him. The tableau was changed slightly, though. She didn’t remember seeing rigid anguish in his pose earlier.
“I lost control of myself there,” he said, just as hoarsely.
Good, she wasn’t the only one with problems in the vocal department.
His body was flexed from top to bottom, making Jenna’s insides turn over and her legs threaten to give out.
“So what’s the problem?” she asked as she took a few wobbly steps toward him.
“I was going against one of your rules. The body one. You don’t want this, not yet. I don’t want to rush you.”
Her brain was slippery with lust. It was hard to focus on why she didn’t want this. At this point, it wa
s almost laughable not to give in. She’d shared everything with this man. She’d tried to push him away. She’d tried to run from him. She’d nearly gotten her neck snapped by him, but he still stayed to torture her. Or maybe be tortured. Whatever it was, he just wouldn’t go away.
And now he was denying her.
Seriously, what the hell? Was this an elaborate joke that she kept falling for?
In defeat, she tried to get herself organized. It was hard with that consistent ache to have him slide inside her, his body bumping up against…
That wasn’t helping.
“Should we call a time-out and go to our respective rooms for a minute?” she asked in desperation.
“No.” He crossed to the bar stiffly and poured her a glass of wine. “We’re going to ride this all night and see how strong you are at resisting at the end.”
Did he miss the part a second ago when she wasn’t resisting? Then a thought came to her.
“Joshua Williams, please don’t rip this dress.”
Josh looked at her with hooded eyes. She knew he was imagining the prospects of ripping off the dress. Or maybe the other times he had ripped off her clothes.
Just to make this harder on him, she said, “Like you did that night at your dad’s house. Remember?”
His body went rigid again and his eyes closed. He was battling for control, fighting his desire. Then a slow smile soaked up his face. “Oh yes, I remember.” He opened his eyes and found hers, bonfires burning against the black of night, fierce with desire. “As I recall, that was the night you told me you loved me.”
The breath went out of her in a whoosh as he identified it for her. Touché.
“I think I’ll take that wine now.”
His smile was triumphant. “I thought you might.”
She took a sip, noticing that she was still the subject of scrutiny. She was about to, rather rudely, tell him to go away when the taste of the wine blossomed in her mouth.
Her eyes dipped to her glass. “Where did you get this?”
Unexpected Guardian (Skyline Trilogy Book 3) Page 8
