by Claire, Ava
"Missy? What are you-"
"Jacob wanted to see me bright and early so we could go over Wallace's plan of action." She made sure she said every word like they'd been up to a lot more than business. When I spied Jacob over her shoulder, he gave me a smile that dashed right through her transparent efforts. As soon as his eyes glittered deliciously, I knew that he was mine.
He tapped the bluetooth at his ear and rose to his feet. My mouth watered at the thought of running my fingers over the buttons of his slate blue shirt and diving to the muscled abs beneath. I was sure it must have been all over my face because his brow arched with interest.
Missy turned back to him, ignoring me altogether. "So where were-"
"That'll be all," Jacob said abruptly. "I'll see you in the conference room in a little bit."
When she slowly turned on her heel, her brown eyes round with disdain, I just couldn't help myself. "Jacob and I have lots to discuss. I'm sure you understand."
Once we were alone, Jacob shook his head even though he was still grinning. "Marking your territory?"
"Damn right," I took a step toward him then hesitated, remembering our argument. "About Friday night-"
He perched on the edge of his desk and beckoned me with a finger. "Come here."
I closed the distance between us, standing in front of him. "I just want to apologize-"
"You have nothing to apologize about, Leila," he interrupted. "I'm the one that owes you an apology."
I cocked my head to the side, feigning shock. "I'm sorry, I must have misheard you. It sounded like you said you owe me an apology."
"Haha," he said sarcastically. He reached out and locked his fingers with mine. "Am I really that callous that you think me incapable of apologizing?"
I scratched my chin, pretending to think about it. "I guess stranger things have happened." I moved closer, looking up into his eyes. "Like, who knew Jacob Whitmore could get jealous?"
He traced my jaw, sending tingles up and down my spine. "You seem to have forgotten Tall, Dark, and Italian."
I laughed, remembering taking Allegra's drop dead gorgeous nephew to dinner and seeing Jacob's eyes boil with anger.
This was different though—and we both knew it.
"I was a dick," he said softly. "Just the thought of any man thinking about you, touching you..." His jaw flexed. "It's still no excuse."
I leaned in and pressed my lips against his. I pulled back, fingering his buttons demurely. "Apology accepted."
He murmured with approval and I was close enough to feel the stir of his arousal. "And I plan on calling your parents and apologizing for my behavior as well."
"Not so fast," I said as I unbuttoned the first button on his shirt. "You're still apologizing to me."
He took my face between his massive hands and brought my lips back to his. I dropped my hand to his fly, but he ended our kiss and gently unhitched his belt from my fingers.
“Make no mistake—I want you,” he said huskily. “But we have a meeting.”
I pouted, not wanting to rein it in even though I knew he had a point. "After the meeting then?"
He stood up and buttoned his shirt. "It's a date."
I gave Natasha the biggest shit eating grin I could manage as I walked out at Jacob's side and she returned it with her own. I let go of it once we got to the elevator, instead, focusing on my game face.
I'd never admit it out loud, but hearing that I had an impact on someone I'd pretty much idolized was confusing. The action loving fan in me wanted to shout it from the rooftops but my heart felt like a rag being wrung and twisted in my chest.
Jacob’s eyes bore into me and and I realized I'd been tapping my foot.
"Everything alright?"
"Of course," I swallowed the golf ball sized knot in my throat. "Why wouldn't it be?"
I followed him out the elevator, feeling the sweat explode at my temple, trying to regulate my labored breathing. Jacob pushed into the conference room first and I followed him, pulling on a brave face.
When Cade's eyes met mine and his mouth broke into a grin, I felt ill. I stole a look at Jacob and watched every muscle in him tighten.
Cade wore a red and black checkered shirt with the sleeves rolled up, a tribal tattoo peeking out at the arm cuffs. When he completely ignored Jacob and shook my hand, I could have died right then and there.
"Miss Montgomery," Cade’s rumbled, voice deep and smoky. "It's good to see you again."
I just stood there, lips parted but nothing coming out. The rational part of me screamed that it wasn't confirmation and meant nothing; he was just being friendly since we'd already met. But the other traitorous part of me was jumping about, staring at this celebrity who was looking at me like he was star struck.
Jacob cleared his throat and I pulled my hand away. "Uh, Mr. Wallace, this is Jacob Whitmore."
The two men exchanged a hearty handshake and then Cade pivoted back to me, winking. "I thought we decided you'd call me Cade."
I felt the fire blazing from Jacob's eyes, turning both of us to ash and I looked down at the floor, feeling warmth invade my cheeks.
"I'm surprised that you fit me into your busy schedule Mr. Whitmore," Cade said, the bite in his voice ringing through the tension filled air. "Being CEO and all."
"While I too would prefer to jump out of planes and fire blanks into stuntmen, my company won't run itself," Jacob said coolly still wearing a tight smile.
I saw the anger flicker over Cade's face and I let out a weak chuckle and vaulted away from both of them.
Missy and her assistant, Portia Crawford, watched the whole thing with interest. I didn't need super hearing to pick up on the gist of what they were whispering because it was splashed all over their shocked faces. They didn't get what all the fuss was about.
I swatted away that tiny voice that agreed. After all, both men had been photographed with beautiful women with model-esque frames and ridiculously perfect bone structure; women that I looked nothing like. But then I saw Jacob, staring intensely at a document. I knew that gaze. Those eyes held the same power I'd seen when he looked at me and told me that I was beautiful. His certainty was contagious and it reminded me of the indisputable truth I knew with every fiber: other women's attractiveness didn't make me any less so.
I gripped two coffees from the Keurig and sat down beside Jacob, handing him one. He glanced up and said thank you. When I squeezed his thigh beneath the table, I saw one side of his mouth tug upward.
The meeting was a brief one, with Missy doing most of the talking. While in town they'd set him up at The Today Show and the late night circuit, being interviewed about the film. Once we received any pertinent talking points from the studio, we'd include it in a press docket for him to review before he went live. Missy and Cade's assistant met for a moment, calling Jacob over for a question. Even several seats away I felt Cade watching me. I pulled out my cell and pretended I was the busiest person on the planet, keeping my eyes on the screen as I moved toward the exit.
"Leila, wait up!"
I was a few feet from the door so I ignored him and pushed into the hall. Unluckily for me, he followed.
"Leila!"
I stopped moving, my heart tap dancing in my chest as I slowly faced him. "Mr. Wallace! S-sorry, I just have a lot of things I have to take care of."
The man had tree trunk for legs and spanned the feet between us in two strides. He was close enough that I could see that all those muscles weren't photoshopped. I couldn't escape the alluring scent of soap and sweat and sandalwood and god, he was all man. I wasn't brave enough to look at him eye to eye and felt more vulnerable than I liked.
I took a few steps in the opposite direction as goose bumps raced up and down my arms. "If you have any questions, Missy would probably be a lot more helpful than me."
"My question is for you, and you alone."
"Me?" My eyes snapped upward and I regretted it instantly because I couldn't look away from his olive gaze.
&nb
sp; "Yeah." He ran a hand through his sandy hair. "You wanna grab a cup of coffee sometime?"
"A cup of coffee?" I parroted back, dread clinging to every word.
"Or tea or ice cream or something else if that's not your thing." He scanned my face. "Are you ok? You look kind of green."
I tried to smile and reassure him, but I was sick with worry and guilt. I still didn't know for sure if he was coming on to me and if I dropped the boyfriend bomb and he wasn't, I risked looking silly and possibly insulting him. But if I said yes, I had Jacob to deal with.
So I lied.
"We're not allowed to uh, fraternize with clients."
"I wasn't offering a moonlit walk on the beach," he joked. "I just..." His face went serious and he shut down, just like he had when he talked about his history in the military. "Never mind. I'll see you later."
He walked around me and stalked toward the exit. He looked like a man marching toward his execution.
My heels clacked on the floor as I raced to catch him. He was just as surprised as me when I asked him a question.
"Just a cup of coffee?"
****
I slipped out of the office a little early, being as vague as possible about my departure when Natasha grilled me like a warden. Jacob was tied up in a meeting so I didn't have to face his questions, thank God. I had a feeling he wouldn’t be a fan of me grabbing a coffee with Cade, even if we’d both agreed it was strictly platonic. It would be easier to ask forgiveness than permission, right?
That's what I kept repeating over and over like a mantra as I stepped into the coffee shop, The Roast. As soon as I smelled the fragrant aroma of coffee beans, it was like pulling on my favorite old t-shirt.
The Roast was in a touch and go part of town and definitely qualified as 'hole in the wall'. Somehow they made it work, the peeling wall paint mixing with works of local artists and scuffed tables and armchairs barely holding onto their threads. I'd pretty much lived in the tiny shop during the months before I got the job at Whitmore and Creighton since they had free refills on large coffees and I could drain the well dry and use the wifi.
Cade sat at a table near the back. Even though he was clearly packing in the muscle department, his slightly wrinkled chambray shirt and shaggy blond hair blended in with the surroundings. With gold strands of hair spilling into his eyes as he leafed through a paperback book, he looked like a bodybuilding hipster. I was the one that looked out of place in my silk blouse, couture slacks, and blood red pumps. It was only magnified by my slicked, bobby pinned hair. I debated ducking into the bathroom near the door and at least taking my hair down. But Cade glanced up when he took a sip from his coffee mug and spotted me.
I clutched my latte and walked over, trying to smooth out the nerves that had me close to spilling the contents all over the floor. I managed to sit down without making a mess or a fool of myself and swiped a hand over my forehead.
"Hi! How are you?"
"Surprised that you showed up," he said, a teasing smirk on his lips. When I gaped at him, he added, "I know you're dating Jacob. And even if I didn't recognize you as the 'secretary turned Cinderella' that’s all over the magazines, Jacob's territorial glares all meeting did the trick."
I relaxed, feeling a little less like Judas. "For the record, I'm a personal assistant, not a secretary."
"My bad,” he said with a grin that said he was anything but. He gestured at my cup. "What's your poison?"
"Mocha," I answered, bringing the rim to my nose and inhaling deep. "Extra shot."
"White chocolate mocha here," he said, nodding with approval. "Two extra shots." He took a long sip of his coffee, swallowing hard before speaking. "You'll be a double shot-er before you know it."
"Is that right?" I said, highly doubting it. My extra shot was pushing it...I’d be bouncing off the walls all night.
I watched the jovial nature drain from his face like air from a balloon, replaced by a solemnity that reminded me of the quiet moments when he withdrew inside himself. Like when he was talking about filming Soldier’s Creed and how he felt like a fake. Or when I first declined to get coffee.
"This life isn’t easy,” he said after a moment. “It's hard being on the receiving end of those flashing lights. It drains pieces of you that you never get back."
"It can't be all that bad, Cade,” I said. “Look at all the opportunities you get because you are Cade Wallace." I said his name in that movie preview guy's voice, trying to lighten things a bit. The tight line of his jaw unwound just a little.
"I guess you have a point. I have seen things and worked with actors and directors I idolized." He steered the conversation back to me. "How about you? Met anyone interesting while you’ve been in the biz?"
"Besides you?" I thought about Rachel, remembering all the drama fit for a movie screen. "Nah."
"And I'm sure I'm a disappointment."
"Well, you're certainly more emo than I thought you'd be," I said, mixing equal measures of joking with truth.
He laughed at that and it pushed away the rest of the storm clouds on his face. "Emo, huh? I've been called a lot of things, but that is definitely a first. Though God only knows what I'd find if I was brave enough to read comments section online."
"Do not read the comment section online," I said after gulping down chocolatey goodness. "Like, ever."
He leaned back in his chair, folding his arms behind his head. "I take it you found that out the hard way?"
"It was definitely enlightening to discover that complete strangers could call me ugly, uninteresting, and a waste of oxygen in one breath."
Anger reignited in my gut as I remembered going further and further down the rabbit hole, my eyes glazing over as the list of reasons I wasn't worthy of Jacob lengthened. Even though my sanity told me to step away from the keyboard, I just kept clicking through pages and pages of people who thought I was so out of Jacob’s league it was ridiculous.
"Well that's the thing about the public; most of them are complete idiots." He shook his head. "On what planet are you ugly, uninteresting, or a waste of anything?"
The heat of anger changed to a kind of shame. I didn't want him to think I was some weakling that stayed up at nights stressing over it. It hurt because I was human, but I was trying really hard to not let their crap impact my identity or my relationship with Jacob.
"You don't have to do that."
"Do what?"
I remembered my mother's sweet, slightly patronizing voice ringing in my ears after someone said something mean about my appearance when I was younger. “The whole, ‘You are beautiful in your own way’ thing."
"In your own way?" he repeated, his mouth creasing into a frown. "You're beautiful in every way."
I froze, my cup hovering inches from my lips. I didn't know what to say to that—or what to do with the feeling his words sent scattering over me. Either way, I had to make the lines clear as day.
"Just so we’re on the same page-" I began.
"It's just an observation." He held up both hands in defense. "Please don't sic Jacob Whitmore on me."
I tossed my coffee stirrer at him with a laugh. "Jacob's about to be the least of your worries."
His own laughter tapered off and he gave me a strange look before he picked up his drink and polished it off. “I’d be lying if I said I understand it though.”
“Understand what?”
“The female obsession with Jacob Whitmore.”
I playfully glanced to the right, then the left, then gestured for Cade to come close. I lowered my volume like I was about to share some top secret information. “Honestly? It’s the dreamy blue eyes.”
“And what about my eyes?” He said it playfully too, but his face was mere inches from mine and I could tell he was asking me a serious question. His warm, minty breath washed over me, fanning the heat in my cheeks.
If I reared back it would seem like I had feelings that I didn’t. That I couldn’t. So I just sat there, practically nose to nose with
him, trying to think of something witty to say. The problem was suddenly, I couldn’t remember how to speak at all.
I looked into his evergreen eyes, as wild and untamed as some lush, exotic forest. Flashes of gold swirled in and out like some vibrant bird, beckoning me to come closer. To explore. If this was a movie, I knew exactly what would come next. An impassioned, powerful kiss and he would pull me on the table, his hands pulling off my clothes as his mouth made promises of the delights to come.
I slid back a fraction of an inch and gave him a noncommittal shrug. “They’re alright.”
He held my gaze for a minute more before he released me, leaning back in his seat. “Just alright, huh?”
“I mean, I can see why some women would be into them,” I said, trying to maintain my indifference. “The intensity or whatever.”
“But not you?”
“I have a boyfriend,” I said pointedly. “So as a general rule, I don’t go swooning over other guys.”
Finally, he cracked a grin. “Fair enough, Leila. Fair enough.” He lifted up his empty mug. “Want another?”
“Sure.” I reached for my clutch but he stopped me, insisting that he pay for it. I went rigid, looking at his hand covering mine. He retreated almost instantly, already halfway to the counter by the time it registered that this was becoming more and more like a date.
Cade came back, balancing two mugs and a couple of pastries. “I went ahead and got that second shot for you,” he began. “And I hope you like whipped-”
“Actually, I forgot that I have something to take care of in the office.” I made sure I didn’t make eye contact as I stood up, stumbling a little in my hustle to get out of there. When he tried to steady me, I recoiled from his touch. I couldn’t help but look at him and I saw a mixture of confusion and hurt.
“Is something wrong?” he asked.
“No, I just have things to take care of.” My voice sounded phony, pinched and too high, but I didn’t have time to care.
I never should have come.
“Thank you so much for the coffee. Take care, Cade.”
