Close to Perfect

by Tina Donahue

  Tess arched one brow. “What do you suggest?”

  “That you keep kissing me exactly as you did when I—”

  “About our background.”

  Oh. “We could work it out tonight, at my place. I’ll call you in your room from mine.”

  Where he’d be handcuffed to his bed?

  Tess’s gaze turned inward to that thought, the vivid images her mind was quickly creating.

  There would be a large four-poster bed dominating a room flooded with golden light from the setting sun. The air would be still, steamy, thick with desire. His arms would be lifted above his head, his hands cuffed to one of those posts, his back to her, so that she could run her fingertips over that luscious tattoo.

  More, he would whisper.

  Not yet... not until I allow it.

  The muscles in his buttocks would tense as she slowly stroked and licked that bold design. His flesh would be slightly salty and certainly obedient, allowing her exactly what she willed.

  She would draw out the pleasure, taking her time, making him wait, making him want.

  By God, he would want. She would see to that, pressing close, allowing him to feel her naked breasts, her furry mound that he wasn’t yet allowed to touch. Oh, no. What she wanted came first; he would have to endure as her fingers stroked his silky underarm hair, before slipping down to his pecs and nipples. She would linger on those flat disks, running her fingertips over the tiny nubs, before slipping one arm around his waist to hold him close.

  Once he was fully imprisoned, she would slide her other hand down his taut belly, briefly circling his navel before she reached that thick hair above his stiffened shaft.

  With great gentleness, she would stroke it until he begged for more.

  Not yet... in time.

  She would play with him; her touch would tempt and tease until she, at last, cradled his stiffened shaft, her fingers circling the smooth, blunt head feeling that first pearl of moisture. He would moan in pleasure, a strangled sound that demanded everything, one that came from deep with—

  “Change your mind about those separate rooms?” he asked.

  Tess looked at him.

  His gaze noted her blush and her frown. He lifted his hands in surrender. “Just asking.”

  “We need to get down to business.”

  “I thought I was.”

  Tess ignored that as she went to one of the chairs at the conference table. After removing a large pink teddy bear with a lewd grin, she sat. Her heart was still thudding. Stop it, she ordered. “I’m going to need your itinerary, including the route you take to and from work each day. If you’re going to a public function that was publicized before this tabloid thing happened, then—”

  “Whoa,” Josh said. “You don’t actually think any woman would go so far as to check past business stories and follow me to a function?”

  Tess crossed her legs.

  Josh’s gaze lowered to that; it lingered.

  She drummed her fingers against the conference table until he looked up. “We have to consider all eventualities. You’re a public figure.” Her gaze drifted to the stack of Keys Confidential in here. “Public figures face all sorts of danger. We should put you in body armor.”

  “I’d prefer clothes.”

  “Shoulda thought of that before that.” She inclined her head to the tabloid.

  Josh crossed his arms over his chest. “You’re playing with me, aren’t you?”

  Only a little. Certainly not as much as she would have liked. Of course, this was a job, only a job. She better remember that. Forcing herself to calm down, to be professional, Tess grabbed a yellow legal pad and pencil that were already on the table. “Okay, we’ll skip the body armor for now.” She slid her gaze to him. “Unless you don’t behave.”

  “In that case you have your cuffs.”

  Without warning, her mind returned to that fantasy of him and the four-poster. Before Tess got too excited or distracted, she said, “Better call your attorney in here so we can get started on that contract.”

  In all of his days, Josh never knew that contract negotiations could be so arousing.

  Of course, after the first hour he stopped paying attention to the particulars of that contract, focusing instead on Tess as she duked it out with Alan.

  Not once did she back down; not once did she lose her cool.

  Alan, on the other hand, had never looked more human or vulnerable. By the end of the second hour the man’s face had color, he was actually perspiring, and finally loosened his tie.

  And not because he was frustrated. Oh, no. Alan was loving this. He was unbelievably turned on and was actually flirting with her.

  Tess didn’t seem to mind, or maybe it was that she just didn’t notice.

  She sure as hell noticed when he had flirted with her.

  Change your mind about those separate rooms? he had asked, but only because her breathing had suddenly picked up, while her gaze had been blurry with what appeared to be desire.

  We need to get down to business, she had said.

  Like the kind she was conducting with Alan? They were currently laughing about something as if they’d been friends for years.

  And that certainly didn’t bother Josh. By nature, he wasn’t a jealous man. If a woman wanted him, fine; if she did not, he had always accepted that.

  Tess wanted him; he had seen that in her gaze, in her touch, in her voice. Trouble was, they were never going to be alone if Alan didn’t get a freaking move on and end this thing.

  “So, we about through?” Josh finally asked.

  Alan stopped mid-sentence and looked from Tess to him. “You’ll have to ask Tess. She keeps tying my hands.”

  “Oh, yeah?” Josh’s gaze moved to her. I’m hoping mine are cuffed before this is over.

  “What?” Alan asked.

  Josh looked at him, then Tess. Her brows were lifted. Her gaze said, Bad, bad boy.

  Had he spoken his thoughts aloud?

  Alan delicately cleared his throat. “Anything you want to add, Tess?”

  Josh suppressed a groan. Was there never going to be an end to these damned negotiations? He waited impatiently as Tess carefully reviewed each page of the contract that was nearly as thick as his thumb.

  At last, she looked up and smiled at Alan. “Looks good. I’ve enjoyed this.”

  His blush deepened. “Me, too.”

  “Well,” Josh said, “now that we’ve got that out of the way.”

  “You won’t be sorry you hired me or the company,” said Tess.

  Josh looked at her and spoke from the heart. “I’ve never been happier.”

  This time, Alan sighed. “So, I guess we’re through here.”

  Josh could only hope. Already Alan was sounding far too down. A few more seconds and the man might be seriously depressed.

  “For the moment,” Tess said, then waited until both men were looking at her. “I still have to run the contract past my father.”

  Alan stopped tightening his tie. He smiled. “I can stay here if you want to come back after you see your—”

  “No need,” she said. Her voice was so nice it didn’t sound like a rejection at all. “I’m sure he’ll agree with everything here.” She pushed away from the table and stood.

  So did Josh. “I want you at my place tonight.”

  Color rose in her cheeks; she arched one slender brow.

  “To start protecting me,” he quickly said, then added, “you can’t do that if you’re not there.”

  Unlike that banter with Alan, her voice was now pure business. “I said I’ll be there, and I will.”

  If she wasn’t, he sure as hell would find her. “Great.” He gave her the access code to get inside his gate. “I’ll be expecting you at seven. Sharp.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  God, he loved her cop talk and manner. Of course, a little softness, a little banter with him, would also have been nice. “Wait.”

  Tess paused, then turned back to him
.

  Josh tossed her a set of car keys, which she easily caught.

  She looked up from the keys. “What’s this?”

  “Is it a bonus?” Alan asked. “I didn’t put a bonus in the contract, but I could right now if you want.”

  Josh glanced at him. “It’s just the company car.”

  “It’s a Mercedes,” Alan corrected.

  Tess looked at him, then Josh. “I have my own car.”

  “Which can be traced, because of the plates,” Josh said. “I don’t want you getting any more press than you have to. I want to control that situation, at least. Use the company car.” He told her where it was parked. “I’ll have one of my staff take your car back to your place or your dad’s office, whichever you prefer.”

  Tess looked reluctant, but finally nodded and tossed him her keys. “My place is fine.” She told him the make and model of her car and the license number, then gave him her address.

  Josh wrote it all down, then tossed the pen back on the table. “I’ll walk you out.”

  As he took her arm and guided her from the room, she leaned into him and murmured, “Is Alan always that easy to negotiate with?”

  It was a moment before Josh understood the question. Her scent and the way she so effortlessly leaned into him, as if she found it comfortable, continued to distract and arouse.

  Clearing that from his voice, he murmured, “You’re kidding, right?”

  “No—why?”

  “I thought he was being a real prick.”

  “You haven’t seen the guys I’ve had to deal with. Actually, he was pretty easy.”

  Spoken like a true ex-cop. His ex-cop. His bodyguard.

  Josh suppressed a whoop of delight, guiding Tess past Peg, who was speaking on the phone as she spritzed herself with perfume.

  He’d have to tell Peg to stop that. He didn’t want any scent but Tess’s filling this space.

  Peg wouldn’t listen, of course, but Josh figured he would give it a shot. He opened the door that led to the hall. “Seven,” he said.

  Tess met his gaze. “I haven’t forgotten, Josh.”

  He liked how she said his name, as if it felt comfortable on her lips. “Drive carefully.” Sliding his hand down her arm, Josh took her hand and gently squeezed her fingers.

  Tess lowered her gaze to their joined hands. To his delight, she gently squeezed his fingers in return.

  “Bring all you’ll need for our time together,” he added.

  She looked at him from beneath her lashes. “Behave yourself.”

  “I haven’t forgotten, Tess.”

  It seemed that she wanted to comment, but then thought better of it. As she backed away, Josh wasn’t yet ready to let go, but then, neither was she.

  Their hands remained joined, their arms outstretched as Tess continued to step back. It was as if she was testing him or herself.

  Soon, just their fingertips touched as their gazes remained locked, captive to each other.

  “What’s up?” Peg suddenly asked, joining Josh at the door.

  She would ask that. In that moment, Tess broke their bond. She moved back and lowered her arm.

  Josh lowered his, too, though he did it with great reluctance.

  “Did I interrupt something?” Peg asked.

  Nothing that wouldn’t be continued tonight.

  “Yeah, you did,” he mumbled as his gaze followed Tess. She moved like a dancer, gracefully, effortlessly, as she turned and headed for the exit.

  “Well, excuse me,” Peg said, then added in a nicer tone, “I like her.”

  That didn’t begin to address what Josh felt. He scanned that silky, peach-colored fabric hugging all of Tess’s curves until she moved out of view. Only then did he look at Peg. “You were right.”

  “About what?”

  He turned back to the exit. Tess was gone, but only for the moment. “This stuff with the tabloid—it’s not so bad.”

  As his mind returned to that last image of his bodyguard, the exceptional woman who would now be living with him, looking out for him, pretending to be romantically involved with him, Josh thought that it was looking pretty damn good.

  Chapter Three

  On the way to her dad’s house Tess had the stereo and air-conditioning pumping full blast. Didn’t help. Her thoughts were still tangled, while the backs of her thighs were glued to the seat’s buttery leather as she continued to sweat.

  So much for being Ms. Cool and enjoying this Mercedes.

  Tess eased to a stop at a red light and sagged into the seat. In a little over an hour she’d have to be at Josh’s place. She was cutting it close, but getting ready for this new job had eaten up a lot of time. There were clothes and toiletries to pack, a shower to take; she had to wash her hair, give herself a manicure, wax her legs even though they didn’t need it, launder the T-shirt and cutoffs she was currently wearing, and figure out how she was going to tell her dad that she would now be living with Josh, while also pretending to be his girlfriend in public, at least until this all blew over.

  “It will, you know.” Her voice sounded loud even though it had to compete with Christina Aguilera’s lusty wails; it also sounded as bummed as Alan’s had earlier.

  The man hadn’t wanted her to leave, but hadn’t pushed it because he knew he didn’t have a chance with her. If he wanted to see her at all, it would have to be at another meeting to tweak the contract.

  Poor guy. After this was all over maybe she would suggest a yearly reunion where they’d share drinks while she pumped him for information about Josh’s newest romance, since it wouldn’t be covered by any publication if he remembered to stay dressed whenever he was outside.

  When he was behind closed doors, however...

  Uh-uh. Tess wasn’t going there, again. That earlier fantasy about him nicely nude and cuffed to a bed would have to be enough, at least until she got aroused all over again as she explained to her dad about the public kissing, touching, and flirting she and Josh were going to share.

  He was just gonna love that.

  The driver behind her honked his horn.

  Tess gave him an apologetic smile, then pulled away more slowly than he would have liked. She didn’t have a choice. The only way to control the coming situation with her father was to give it as little time as possible. She’d rush through the good news about the contract, zip through the bad news about Josh, then quickly cut out to meet her seven P.M. deadline. After that, she wouldn’t answer her phone for days until her father calmed down and got on board with all of this.

  Sure.

  Tess sighed deeply, wondering how she could have agreed to this even if it was the job of a lifetime. It wasn’t as if Privacy Dynamics was totally without clients, though it certainly didn’t have any in Josh’s league.

  Even if it had, Tess seriously doubted she would have kissed those clients, agreed to move into their homes, or pretended to be romantically involved with any of them.

  She had done that far too easily with Josh, because even when he flirted with her or teased, Tess sensed a core of honesty in him she had never seen in a player. The guys she had dated would have been burning up Instant Messenger, bragging like mad if even one babe had been sending them naked pictures and flowers.

  Not Josh.

  And it wasn’t only because Alan was getting a new bald spot worrying about potential lawsuits. Tess sensed right off that Josh didn’t use women. If anything, he seemed kind of stunned that he was so popular.

  Didn’t he know what a hottie he was? Didn’t he look at those pictures of himself?

  Tess couldn’t stop. She figured that’s how she was going to spend a lot of her time tonight when she was holed up in his guest bedroom.

  You are hopeless.

  She was also pretty damned scared, because she was falling under his spell faster than the speed of light and had absolutely no excuse.

  It wasn’t like she was a blushing virgin. And yet, when Josh’s mouth had covered hers, all the kisses she ha
d shared with those other guys seemed to be only so much practice for his kiss, which was the real deal.

  His initial tenderness, then hesitation before deepening the kiss moved Tess more than all the words or promises in the world. After that, all she could think of was that she wanted a whole lot more, and not only because of passion.

  She had felt comforted and protected, which was the greatest aphrodisiac of all. In no way did Josh seem to be taking advantage of her or seducing her, unless he was a very good actor and she had already been deeply conned.

  Oddly enough, that possibility didn’t bother Tess as much as the feeling that Josh hadn’t been acting; he was a really good man, which meant that she was unbelievably screwed.

  How in the world was she going to restrain herself tonight and all those other nights when there was nothing to do but watch him and want him?

  How in the world was she going to move on when this came to an end?

  Why was she even thinking about any of this? She wasn’t a romantic fool, had never been a pushover, and even Josh Wyatt was not going to change that.

  “This is nothing more than a job,” Tess told herself as she turned into the street where she had grown up.

  It was a cramped, middle-class neighborhood that still felt like home since nothing here ever changed. The Minelli’s front yard was as cluttered with their grandkids’ toys as it had been with their kids’ stuff.

  Tess recalled more than a few afternoons when she had chased Tommy Minelli into his house because he had pissed her off. Didn’t matter that Tommy was two years older than she and outweighed her by more than sixty pounds; even then, Tess hadn’t taken any lip.

  She smiled in memory, because Tommy was now a professional wrestler on one of those awful cable shows. The Minellis thought it was great and couldn’t brag enough about their boy no matter how often he got hurt.

  So maybe she should tell her father that she wanted to be a wrestler now. Maybe then he wouldn’t whine about her being a bodyguard for a man she would soon start living with.

  Right. Tess’s smile faded, her heart started to race as she finally approached her childhood home, a modest one-story frame crowded by foliage and protected by a white picket fence, which had been her mom’s idea.