Seduction: Book 4 (Strong Young Women Series)

by Joyce Jordan

  “Scared of weddings, Nathaniel?” she asked and walked away, not even giving him the chance to respond.

  Technically it wasn’t his wedding, so why would he be afraid? He was just the best man. All he had to do was organize a bachelor party, make sure the rings made it to the chapel, give a speech and toast the happy couple, right? He probably would need to get the full laundry list from Jes.

  Jes stayed against her better judgment when the girls pleaded with her to stay late into the night. Finally she had to leave otherwise she wouldn’t make it home until after midnight. It was already ten thirty. It had been a great day, better than any she had had in a long time. With the way she had been working for the past several years, there hadn’t really been enough time to play. It had just been all work.

  All work and no play makes Jes a dull girl.

  Now her business was really picking up as she got more and more referrals and catered more to the wealthy. They just kept passing her name around and she tried to make sure she didn’t disappoint. So far it had worked well, except a time or two that she had had the most horrible of clients. Snobs really. She didn’t care much for them.

  Although Evelyn didn’t grow up rich, her brother Gabe was extremely wealthy, and her other brothers were certainly rich too, but she never put on any airs. And that was the reason when they had reconnected, she had not distanced herself from her. Yes, she might have lost some good business from some drama queens, but once Jes saw the drama queen signs she found a reason to not take someone on as a client.

  It all came down to money and allowing someone to treat you like trash versus lost income but not dreading each meeting with her clients. There was nothing worse than providing a service to someone who you dispised. Or vice versa. Chances were that your feelings about that person could easily come out and you might not do such a good job after all. Jes wasn’t the smile even if it kills you person. No, that just made you hate yourself after the fact.

  “Why don’t you just sleep here, Jes? God knows we have enough room,” Ana told her.

  Jes laughed. “Are you kidding me?” When she saw that Ana was serious, she sighed. “Look Ana, thanks for the offer, but I really have to get home. I just need to call for a taxi and I’ll be home soon.”

  Nate had finally manged to get Rafe alone, and managed to quickly relay his party idea to him. “I’m sorry, it just came out, but it’s not really a bad idea.”

  “Go for it man. I get it. Just keep me in the loop so I don’t say something wrong.”

  “That obvious?”

  “Bro, everybody from here to the west coast can see how smitten you are. She suits you,” he said looking at Jes. “If it’s anything like what I feel for Kelly, you won’t have a chance. I tried to fight my feelings for Kelly for months. When I finally surrendered, I realized the missed opportunities I could have had with her. And who knows, maybe this fucker who beat her up might not have,” he said and swore.

  “Don’t beat yourself up. You know it was impossible to be with her before. She was already with this guy when we all met her. I remember, that Friday after we had met Ana the day before.”

  “I know I shouldn’t be second guessing myself. It was hard seeing her helpless and lying on a hospital bed.” He looked over to Kelly and saw her arguing about something with Jes. It looked like the three girls were trying to convince Jes about something and Jes was shaking her head vigorously.

  “I know. But she’s all good now.”

  “That she is,” Rafe agreed. “So when did you want to have this ‘surprise party’?”

  “The sooner we can have it the better. I was thinking this Friday, but wanted to make sure Kelly could attend.”

  Rafe nodded. “If she’s cleared for work, I believe she’ll be working days. The Chief said something about her working half to three quarter days for a week, before she gets back to the crazy twelve to sixteen hour shifts.”

  “Okay, that works perfectly,” Nate said. “Once I confirm the details with Jes on Monday, then we can let everyone know. Maybe not the girls, because I have no doubt that they will tell Ana. I’ll have to swear Tom into secrecy as it is.”

  “What about the rest of the employees?”

  “She’s not yet interacting much with them. I doubt she even had the chance to set up her office before this came down. And I believe she’ll be setting up her home office for a few days with Tom, so that’ll remove her from the premises.”

  “It should work, and it really is a good plan. With what she brought to the table our company is really going to pick up dramatically. I’ve been looking at some of those patents. Man, the possibilities are endless,” Rafe told him.

  “I agree and…” Nate heard his name being called out then Gabe repeated what he had been telling Jes.

  “Nate will give you a ride to Jersey. He’s supposed to pick up something from there anyway,” Gabe said.

  What the …? What was going on? Why was he being volunteered for a trip across the river?

  “Isn’t that right, Nate?”

  “Yeah, sure.” Nate quickly realized Jes was leaving and Gabe was telling her he would take her. Okay, not that it was a problem. But how did this come about? He had intended on escaping anyway, but not jumping from the frying pan into the fire. The two of them in a car alone? That was a recipe for disaster.

  “I guess we should go,” he said. Well at least he wasn’t driving tonight. These days he hardly drove himself. It was always the bodyguards.

  “No, I know you are busy, and I don’t want to take up your time. I’ll be fine in a taxi,” she told him.

  Nate growled. What was it with this woman? “No, not busy.” He took her arm and started leading her to the door. “Say goodbye to everyone,” he whispered to her.

  As Jes turned to wave goodbye her now lighter small suitcase was taken out of her hands. She quickly grabbed the purse that was about to fall, and placed it back on her shoulders. She was led to an SUV that was just pulling up to the door. She got in and Nate sat beside her. “You didn’t have to do this,” she said. “But thanks anayway.”

  “If I didn’t want to, I wouldn’t do it. Besides it’s not safe at night to be using public transportation,” he warned her.

  “I’m a born and bred Jersey girl, Nathaniel. I’ve been using public transport for years, day and night. You need…”

  “Fuck Jes. You need to understand that bad things can happen on the train. Just...just don’t, okay.”

  Okay! What was that about? He had gone from zero to sixty so fast, Jes was suffering from whiplash.

  Neither spoke the rest of the way. Jes gave her address to the guy who was driving. He looked like he might have been a cop at one time. As the SUV came to a stop, she opened her door and turned to thank Nate. He was already out on his side of the door. He came round to her side. “Next time wait until your door is opened,” he told her.

  Well, there ain’t gonna be a next time, Jes almost said but chose to keep quiet. “Thanks,” she said instead and started walking to her door. “You don’t have to see me in,” she said stopping after she realized he was walking beside her, making short steps to keep in step with her.

  “I wasn’t raised to let a woman walk herself to her door,” he told her and took her arm, guiding her towards her door.

  “Whatever,” she said and shook her shoulder. Jes took her keys from her handbag and pushed the door open. She had forgotten about her suitcase until she saw Nate lift it up. She stretched her had to take it from him, but he simply pushed the door wider and stepped inside, taking her suit case to the middle of her sitting room.

  “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have raised my voice. It’s just that there was an incident not too long ago and someone close to me was involved. But she’s okay now.”

  “Apology accepted.” Now time to go. But he didn’t move. He just stood there looking at her. Jes wished he would just leave before he saw how attracted she was to him. He was an arse, but for whatever reason, the attraction
was still there. She really didn’t have time for this.

  Jes breathed a sigh of relief when he came back, making his way to the door. He grabbed the door and slowly slid it shut, with him inside. Jes stood in shock, and before she could say anything she was pushed against the door, and her mouth taken hostage. She pushed against his chest and opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out as he came back and took her lips again, this time not letting go.

  Oh yes. That was a kiss. A kiss to die for. And there certainly was the possibility of her death if he didn’t let her take air in. Death by a kiss? Jes thought how that would bring chuckles to people if her headstone said, ‘…here lies Jessica London who died from a kiss…’

  Nate groaned in pleasure and took her hands, held them against her back and pushed her body against his. He really wanted to strip her and take her right there against the door. He knew sinking into her would be heaven. He released her lips and stepped away. His breathing was hard. “I’ll check your house,” he said and walked out of her sitting room, going to her diningroom and kitchen, then towards her bedroom and guest rooms.

  Jes didn’t understand why he would need to do that. Who would want to lie in wait for her? She had lived in this house for years. Having inherited it from her parents. It was a pretty safe enough neighborhood.

  He came back. “Good night,” he told her and leaned down for another kiss. He titled her head and groaned biting her lips. He needed to leave, before he embarrased himself. “What time will I see you on Monday?”

  “Ten?” Jes squeaked.

  “Make it eleven and we’ll go for lunch after that.”

  “I don’t need lunch,” she told him.

  “Jes, we’ll go for lunch,” he said and gave her a peck on the lips, then opened the door and walked out. “Lock the door,” he said as he shut the door.

  Five

  Kelly woke up moaning and groaning the next morning, or was it afternoon? She was alone in bed. She rolled and groaned some more. Last night had been like some major party. She only hoped Jes hadn’t left. Because a few minutes after she had gone, her parents and Eva had turned up and stronger stuff had started flowing. Kelly had been glad she wasn’t taking medication anymore, because she would have hated to lose out on the margaritas that Ana and Evelyn had been consuming with so much abandon.

  Her parents, being California natives knew how to party. Kelly wouldn’t have recognized them if she didn’t know for a fact that they were her parents. They shared the same blood, yet yesterday she had doubts for a moment or two. They had even dragged Eva into it and the poor woman hadn’t known what she had been drinking until she started being ‘happier’ than usual.

  Kelly had laughed as Eva’s sons had tried to limit the alcohol consumption after that, but had not succeeded in thwarting the Andersens from their mission. And after that they had been serenaded a number of golden oldies by the three senior citizens. Nate had come back after Rafe had sent him a text and he had stood frozen in the door, thinking he might have walked into the wrong penthouse. Except Gabe had the whole top floor.

  She finally rose from the bed and went to the bathroom. She needed to make herself presentable. Last night she didn’t even know how she had made it home and into bed. Only the imprint on the pillow told her Rafe had slept beside her too. She knew Ana and Evelyn had been pretty gone too. At least Ana just had to walk a few steps and she would be in bed. She had wondered if Mitch would drive to his place or just shack up with Evelyn in the bedroom she used when she slept at Gabe’s place.

  From what she remembered, everyone had been drunk, although the degree of drunkeness differed among them all. Eva had been the worst. Clearly she was not used to consuming that much alcohol, or maybe her parents had made Eva’s glasses stronger than everyone elses. Nate had been the only one close to sober. She wondered if he would have been had Jes been there. Yes she had seen his interest in Jes and they had all teased Jes after lunch by the pool. Jes had blushed prettily and insisted Nate had just been asking about her job.

  Really? A man interested in frilly stuff?

  As she stood under the hot and strong spray of the shower, Kelly immediately felt better. She realized the food Rafe had insisted she eat was probably helping with the hangover. After the chlorine all day yesterday, her hair needed a thorough shampoo wash. Kelly took her time and only walked out of the shower when she knew she was a full human being again.

  She later walked into the kitchen to see her dad waving the spatula around, emphasizing some point to her audience of Rafe, her mom and Nate. Eva was obviously at Gabe’s. Everyone was having breakfast and there were serving dishes piled high with food, in the center of the table. She didn’t think anyone else would be eating more. Clearly they had been eating for a while.

  “Morning daddy,” Kelly said and kissed him on the cheek. “Don’t you think you should stop adding more food?”

  “Morning, baby girl,” he said and smiled like yesterday hadn’t happened. “Oh that?” he asked pointing. “The others should be here shortly. Then your mother and I will need to be on our way.”

  Kelly nodded and moved to the table where she greeted her mum and kissed her cheek too. Nate held out his head, offering his cheek as well. She giggled and gave him a sloppy kiss. The next instant Kelly landed on Rafe’s lap as he pulled her away from Nate.

  “Are you trying to make me jealous of my own brother?” he asked her.

  At Nate’s laugh he turned to him. “Go get your own woman, bro. This one’s taken,” he warned him.

  “Rafe,” she hissed in embarrassment. “My parents are here,” she whispered through her closed mouth.

  “I’ll give you a reprieve for now. But I still get my kiss,” he said with a growl and kissed her soundly on the lips, then let her go and sat her down on the chair next to him.

  Kelly didn’t want to die, but this was the perfect time for a sink hole to open up right underneath this building. Hopefully all the residents would be somewhere out and about and she would be the only one to sink through the hole. It would have to be tiny enough just to take her and only her.

  She was saved from further embarrassing moments as the doorbell rang and a few seconds later Evelyn and Mitch walked in. Ana, Gabe and Eva were barely five minutes behind them. Manuel and Stefano seemed to be in the habit of making grand entrances. They came almost half an hour later.

  Kelly accepted the glass being placed in her hand. She looked at Ana who asked what it was. It looked like orange juice but why was it being served in a flute. She realized her mother and father had taken over the kitchen. Kelly tasted already knowing it was a mimosa. It was their favorite breakfast beverage.

  “Do they have any intention of making it home?” she hissed at Ana beside her.

  Ana giggled. “I guess not. It seems they may just relocate to New York.”

  “Oh God,” Kelly said shaking her body as she imagined it.

  “That wouldn’t be so bad,” Evelyn said. “It would be a party everyday. Your parents sure know how to throw one.”

  “Evelyn,” she answered her. “That’s not so bad when you are in Hollywood. Everyday is a party out there. But here in New York?” she said. “Well, I guess it’s possible, but not really the same. New Yorkers throw parties a little differently from the Californians. Nothing wrong with either, just different.”

  “Wilder, on the west coast,” Ana added.

  “You must take me there one day. We can borrow Gabe’s jet,” she said. “We’ll just go and attend a party then be back the next day.”

  “You mean steal the jet?” Kelly asked.

  “Vocabulary Kelly. I said borrow.”

  Ana shook her head. “I’m so not going to get into trouble with you two over a party in LA.”

  Evelyn grumbled. “Spoil sport.”

  “If we do go, then we take a flight like everyone else out of JFK or LaGuardia. But that would have to wait until Jeremy is behind bars and we can move around without bodyguards two steps b
ehind us.”

  Their conversation was broken with the announcement that the Andersens were taking Gabe’s jet later that evening, and that everybody needed to make their way to Eva’s house in Jersey. They were told to be there in three hours, but in the meantime the senior citizens were on their way to cook lunch. We just had breakfast, Kelly thought to herself.

  “We should invite Jes,” Ana suggested.

  “I’ll call her,” Evelyn said taking her phone out. “Voicemail,” she said as she hung up. “I’ll text instead.”

  “Hi stranger,” Kelly said as she saw Stefano materialize beside her.

  “Stefano. Long time no see,” Ana agreed.

  “My brother must be keeping him tied to the bed,” Evelyn guessed.

  All three girls looked at him and roared out laughing. Even with his dark Greek complexion, the blush crept through.

  “Stefano,” Ana called for his attention. “I’ve never known you to blush.”

  “Me, neither.” Kelly grinned at him.

  He cleared his throat. “You just caught me offguard. But to satisfy your curiosity,” he said and leaned closer. “You have no idea.” He looked over to Manuel. “That man…”

  “Eish. TMI Stefano,” Evelyn said waving both hands.

  “…is a great lover,” he ended with a dreamy look on his face.

  “Stop, Stefano,” Evelyn implored.

  He laughed. “I get to hear about you and your man, so it’s only fair you get to hear about me and my man.”

  “So not the same,” Kelly said.

  “Yeah,” Ana agreed. “Some things shouldn’t be said out loud.”

  Stefano looked at Evelyn, who shook her head. “What she said, and she said too,” Evelyn said pointing to Kelly then Ana.

  “Isn’t that sexist or something?” he asked them. “Whatever. That just means I won’t tell you what I heard about the swimsuits you were wearing yesterday,” he teased them.

  “Now that’s not fair,” Kelly said pulling Stefano closer. “Dish.”

  “You can’t have it both ways, girls,” he told them. “If you want to hear about it then you first get to hear about the other.”