Close to Perfect

by Tina Donahue

  But she was Teressa Franklin, an ex-cop who moved like a dancer, a bodyguard who protected him with words, a woman who stirred him as no one else had.

  She deserved his respect and would get it even now.

  Especially now.

  As Tess wriggled her body into a more comfortable position that soon had her left arm dangling over the edge of the mattress with her left leg quickly following, Josh told himself he couldn’t touch her. If he did, there would be no turning back, at least for him.

  He went to the other side of the bed, fisted his fingers into the linens, and gently pulled until she was fully on the mattress again and completely undisturbed.

  The picture she created aroused Josh more than he was able to bear.

  Without a backward glance, he left her room and gently closed the door.

  Chapter Twelve

  It was the tempting aroma of coffee that finally stirred Tess from the best sleep she had had in days.

  Forcing her right eye to open, she made a face to all that damned light, surprised it was morning. Given the height of the sun, it had to be past eight. Crud. Time to get up.

  Closing her eye, she snuggled back into bed, then paused.

  The last Tess recalled she had been on her father’s sofa reading a book, but now she was in a bed?

  Forcing her head off the mattress, Tess saw that she was back at the estate in her bed and it was unbelievably messy. The comforter and sheets had been pulled clear off the left side of the mattress. She looked down at herself seeing that she wasn’t quite as messy, though she was still wearing what she had on last night.

  Odd.

  Even though she slept like the dead when she was really exhausted, she had never awakened in a different place than where she had started, while also wearing the same clothes.

  She got out of bed and went downstairs to the kitchen.

  Josh was at the counter already showered and dressed in business casual. The collar of his pale yellow shirt was open, his sleeves were folded back to mid-forearm, while his freshly washed hair looked really thick and blond.

  Tess spoke without thinking. “Wow, you’re beautiful.”

  His gaze lifted from the real estate newspaper he’d been reading.

  She stopped scratching her butt and tried to sound less horny. “You’re up?”

  His brows lifted.

  She frowned at his plate. “You’ve already eaten?”

  “Not everything.”

  Tess lifted her gaze. He was staring at her feet. She stopped curling her toes. “Why didn’t you wake me?”

  His gaze inched up her legs to her breasts before he took a prolonged drink of his coffee, then said, “I tried.”

  “When?”

  “Every fifteen minutes since seven.”

  “What time is it, now?”

  “Way past seven.” He pushed the coffee pot and a cup across the counter to her.

  “Thanks.”

  “Welcome.” He lowered his head to the paper, but Tess could see his gaze was on her legs.

  She quickly drained the cup. “How’d I get here?”

  He seemed confused by the question. “On this planet?”

  Tess rolled her eyes. “This house. After last night’s game.”

  “Oh. Usual way.”

  She supposed that meant his car. “Did I drive?”

  “You kept insisting on it.”

  Her gaze turned inward as she tried to recall that, but could not. “After we got here, did I just go to bed?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “What did you do?”

  He inhaled deeply, then sighed it out. “Not much.”

  Whatever hadn’t happened last night really had him bummed. Despite that, his head remained lowered to the paper as his gaze roamed her chest.

  Since when had he been so bashful? Last night he had wanted to neck in her father’s kitchen.

  Oh, hell. Had her father finally threatened him?

  Wait a sec. If he had, why was she here?

  Oh, damn. Had she threatened him?

  Tess patted her body looking for her gun.

  Josh noticed. “Lose something?”

  “My gun. I can’t find—”

  “It’s in your purse in the hall.”

  Thank God. Tess poured herself another cup of coffee and drank it so quickly, she belched. “Excuse me. Did Pop threaten you last night while I was asleep? Is that why you’re pretending to read that paper when you’re really looking at me?”

  Josh’s expression went from aroused to embarrassed. Clearing his throat, he folded the paper and tossed it aside. “Nothing was said. And nothing happened. The truth is, you were so tired last night that I carried you to the car, drove you here, carried you up to your room, and put you on the bed. End of story.”

  Not entirely. How did her bed get so messy? “Wait. Where are you going?”

  Josh lifted his plates, showing them to her, before he put them in the dishwasher.

  “Where are you going after that?”

  “Work.”

  “Uh-uh.” Tess went around the counter and blocked him. “Not without me. I won’t allow it.”

  He arched one dark brow. “You’d actually try to stop me?”

  “Sure. But I wouldn’t actually hurt you when I did.”

  “Oh, really? You punched me in the jaw last night.”

  Her eyes widened, then narrowed. “I did not.”

  “Sure you did. You were yawning and stretching and I got in the line of fire. Now, be nice.” Before Tess could comment, Josh put his hands on her waist, then lifted her to the counter, out of his way.

  Her gaze drifted to his hands still on her waist. “Exactly how nice?”

  “Lift either knee and we’re through talking.”

  Tess used her sweetest voice. “Well, you would be.” She wrapped her legs around his lean hips, pulling him closer.

  Josh eased his hands from her waist to her thighs. “What are you doing?”

  “Making sure you don’t go to work without my protection.”

  “But who’s going to protect you?”

  Tess frowned, then squealed as he tickled her. When she was sprawled across the counter, he easily backed away.

  “Before you get your gun,” he said, “I was going to do some work in my office down the hall, while you get ready.”

  Tess extended her right foot to touch his chest. Trouble was, he kept backing away and she kept sliding forward until she was about to fall off the counter.

  At last, Josh cradled her foot in his hands, kissed the tips of her toes, then released her.

  As that seemed to be the extent of his passion, Tess wiggled back onto the counter and pushed to a sitting position. “You really need to go right this minute?”

  His gaze lifted to hers. “I’d better.”

  I’d better? Oh, come on, he was avoiding her, again. This was what—the third time he was avoiding her since they met? Only now he wasn’t trying to protect her from the paparazzi or trying to avoid talking about a poker game she had never wanted him to attend. This time it was because something had been said while she had been asleep at that game. Not that he was going to admit to it this morning. “In that case, guess I’ll get ready.”

  Josh turned to leave the room.

  “You’ll really wait for me?” she asked.

  He stopped in the doorway. “Always.” He looked over his shoulder at her. “Now, go on.”

  On the drive to the office for Josh’s business meeting, Hank and Sammie were visibly absent.

  Tess finally asked, “Did Bonnie and Clyde get tired of waiting for me to wake up or did they retire while I was out?”

  He smiled. “They have other jobs.”

  “Jobs you gave them?”

  Josh shook his head no, but offered nothing more as he pulled out his cell and made a call that lasted clear through the ride to his office.

  After that, the only time Tess saw him was at the conclusion of his business things that c
ontinued over the weekend.

  Suddenly, she was nothing more than his chauffeur. But each time Tess asked why he didn’t need her to be his date in public or on hand as a bodyguard, Josh explained that it was an all-male business meeting or an all-boys club event, or something women didn’t attend.

  Tess finally understood why Hank, Sammie, and Vic were no longer on hand to protect her virtue. Of course, a few days ago their absence would have given Josh license to seduce her in an all-male elevator or a golf course used by ultraconservative clerics.

  Now, he was suddenly a monk?

  By Monday she was tired of his latest attempt to avoid her.

  As Josh went into his office and closed the door before she could follow, Tess cornered Peg. “What happened at that poker game after I fell asleep?”

  “I won a few of the—”

  “I’m not talking about that.”

  Peg stopped spritzing herself with perfume. “Your dad asked me out.” She looked worried. “You’re not going to give him any trouble about it, are you?”

  “Of course not. He should have gone out and had some fun long before now.”

  Peg’s expression and voice became very cool. “If he had, I wouldn’t be going out with him, now would I?”

  “You know what I mean.” Tess glanced over her shoulder at Josh’s office. The back of his chair was to this room as he talked to someone on the phone.

  She leaned down to Peg and spoke in a very low voice. “Did Pop say anything to Josh while I was asleep?”

  “He told him to ante up a couple of—”

  “Did he threaten Josh about me?”

  Peg slowly shook her head. “Your dad was the one who told Josh that where you spent the night was up to you. When you finally woke up, you chose Josh’s place over your dad’s.”

  That was news to Tess. “Before that, did Josh promise Pop anything?”

  “Like what?”

  “Like never to kiss me again or touch me or anything like that. Because of the paparazzi,” she quickly added.

  “The subject never came up.”

  Tess couldn’t believe it. Josh wasn’t making any moves on her when he finally could?

  Sex had seemed such a small thing to hope for; it surely wasn’t as monumental as love. But even that wasn’t going to happen?

  Why?

  Days later, when Josh told her they were having lunch at an ultra-private club Tess figured it wasn’t because he needed her presence as a public girlfriend or bodyguard. No way could paparazzi or the Libbys of this world sneak into that sacred domain.

  This was it. That’s why he’d been acting so strange. The abuse at that poker game had convinced him that no sex was worth that, especially if he had plans to cut out after the sex. Better to tell her he didn’t need her anymore, the contract was over, and he had chosen a public place with the protection of other diners to drop that bombshell.

  Tess knew she should have been prepared for this eventuality, but wasn’t.

  When they were finally seated at their table she stared at the menu without really seeing it, while Josh studied his as if the lines to a great you’re fired speech were written there.

  At last, he cleared his throat.

  “What?” Tess asked, just wanting to get it over with.

  Josh looked up at her sharp tone, then returned his gaze to the menu. “You might want to try the mahi-mahi. It’s good here.”

  Tess looked back at her menu. A few more minutes of this unbearable suspense and she’d be totally nuts. “Mahi-mahi, huh?”

  “Yeah. It’s good. So is the shrimp. You might like that. I have this formal dinner to go to.”

  Tess lifted her gaze. Her mouth went dry as Josh looked back at his menu. He had been talking about seafood and suddenly decided to change the subject to a formal dinner he had to attend?

  “It’s this gala event,” he said.

  Tess’s heart started to pound as he explained that it had been planned for months, he just had to go, and finally added, “You don’t have to go if you don’t—”

  “Are you going with someone else?”

  Josh looked at her and frowned. “What? No.” He shook his head. “Of course not.”

  Of course not? Like she was an idiot for even asking? Tess frowned. “But you still don’t want me to go?”

  Josh looked at the waiter who took just that moment to arrive at their table.

  “Give us a minute,” Josh said.

  “No, stay, we’re ready. In fact we might be finished,” Tess said, then spoke to Josh. “We’re supposed to be romantically involved. That was the plan, right? Yet, you don’t want me to go to this—”

  “I didn’t say that.”

  “Then what were you say—”

  “You’ll go—we’ll go, of course.”

  Tess’s heart soared, then fell right back down as she recalled how he’d been avoiding her these last days and before that, too many others. Suddenly, that was forgotten? The show was back on the road, again? For how long this time? And where would it end? “Was the poker game really that bad?”

  “I’ll come back,” the waiter said.

  Josh followed that young man with his gaze, before looking at her. “What?”

  “Haven’t you noticed Bonnie and Clyde aren’t tailing us like they used to?”

  “There is a God.”

  Tess frowned. “Why are you acting like this?”

  “Like what?”

  Like he had no intention of ever kissing her again, not even for the public’s benefit. Like he was still getting ready to cut out, maybe after that gala event. Tess looked back at her menu.

  “Hey, you okay?” he asked.

  Of course she wasn’t, but at least she hadn’t completely lost her mind as he seemed to be doing. A moment before he was all too casual, even distant. Now he looked concerned, his voice was tender, and he was even covering her hand with his own. Of course, they were out in public. Maybe he finally recalled that he wanted them to be romantically involved as long as it was for everyone else’s benefit, who knew?

  “Tess?”

  There it was again, that tender worry that made her forget pride and how badly she was going to be hurt when this was over.

  Turning her hand so that his was inside, Tess curled her fingers in a gentle caress. “This dinner thing... we’ll go?”

  Josh’s gaze remained lowered to their hands as he nodded.

  “Together?”

  He looked at her. “You’ll even be driving.”

  “Not that night,” Tess quickly said. “I don’t want to mess up my heels and clingy gown.”

  His gaze turned inward as if he were trying to picture that. “A red gown?”

  “Sure, if that’s what you want.”

  “You have more than one, in different colors?”

  Tess laughed. “I haven’t got any, but I do know how to shop for that... and whatever I need to wear beneath it.”

  Josh leaned toward her and spoke in a voice that was downright husky. “A garter for your gun?”

  “If that’s what you want. I’ll even let you pick it out.”

  He seemed surprised. “You want me to come along?”

  “I’m insisting upon it... so I get what you want. If you’re not too busy.”

  “Let me free up some time on my calendar.”

  That’s my bad, bad boy. Tess lifted her hand and gently smoothed the hair near his ear. “A lot of time.” She ran her fingertip down his cheek to his mouth, then gently traced it as she murmured, “I’m warning you, I don’t shop fast. I like to feel the fabric against my skin and see how well it drapes my body.”

  Josh’s eyes fluttered closed. His nostrils flared as he inhaled deeply. “You’ll model each gown for me?”

  “Whatever you want.”

  He wanted to be with her, pure and simple. He wanted to tell her he loved her; but it wasn’t that easy.

  Maybe after that formal dinner. If Tess told him then that she didn’t feel the same,
Josh knew he would have at least enjoyed their night together and even today’s shopping trip.

  They were in Kiki’s, a cavernous warehouse that Tess swore by, possibly because it was stuffed with billions of gowns and every other kind of female apparel.

  The place was so damned big it was twenty minutes before Josh realized that except for little boys with their mothers he was the only guy here.

  The ladies certainly noticed. Josh saw more than a few of them sneaking glances at him, then Tess. She was so consumed with rifling through a rack of gowns, she didn’t even see those two young women who were whispering to each other and now coming over.

  Oh, shit.

  The young brunette with close-cropped hair spoke first. “Hey, Josh.”

  Tess finally looked up.

  Before she pulled out her gun, Josh blocked her view of the girl and grabbed one of the gowns. “I like this one,” he said, lifting it by the skirt.

  Tess’s gaze followed the hanger as it fell off the dress to the floor.

  “I’ll get it.” The second Josh bent over, there was a hand on his ass.

  He straightened and turned.

  The brunette was licking her lips, while her blonde friend was wiggling her fingers as she said, “Hey, Josh.”

  He stepped back, then quickly looked over his shoulder at Tess. “Sorry.” He pulled her out of the rack of clothes he had just pushed her into, then felt a hand stroking his arm.

  “Do I know you?” he asked, his voice hard as he turned to the blonde whose wiggling fingers were still trying to touch him.

  She moved closer. “We know you. We saw your picture on the Net. Mmmm.”

  “Take off your shirt,” the brunette ordered. “Let’s see that yummy tattoo on your—”

  “Go away,” Josh said, his voice even harder. “I’m with someone.” He slipped his arm around Tess’s waist, pulling her close.

  “Hey, there,” the brunette said to Tess, then gave him a wicked smile. “Now, come on, take off your shirt. I want to see that bad-ass tattoo on your—”

  “Okay, that’s it,” he interrupted. “I’m not interested in what you want. I will never be interested in that. If you have anything else to say, it better be an apology to this lady—my lady.”

  The young women looked at each other, then laughed.