First Sight_Never Give Up, Never Give In

by Mia Jones

  He stood and grabbed his suit coat. “Mrs. Arnett, I’ll be out for a few hours.”

  Mrs. Arnett looked up from her desk and nodded. “Absolutely, sir. Have a good lunch.”

  Close to an hour later, Garrett strode into the animal shelter and stopped at the front desk. “I’m here to see Jessica.”

  All three women at the front desk froze and stared at him.

  Several quiet moments past. “Ladies, I’m here to see Jessica, the director.” Frustration laced his words.

  Kari cleared her throat. “Um, yeah. I’ll call her up to the desk.” It took her a few times to actually dial because her hands had started to tremble. “Jess, there’s someone here to see you.” She listened for a moment. “Okay, I’ll tell him.” Kari turned toward him and cleared her throat. “She said she’ll be right up if you’d like to take a seat.”

  Garrett nodded and turned to look at the posters and missing pet papers on a massive corkboard on a wall by the front door. He turned when she came through the door to the right of the front desk. His mouth watered, and his eyes roamed over her hungrily as she came toward him. She stopped a few feet away from him, clasped her hands nervously over her stomach then smiled.

  “Hi.” Her eyes took in his crisp white button-down shirt and black dress pants. His hair was slightly wind-blown, but on him, it looked sexy. Everything about this man turned her on. He looked like a male model she’d seen in a GQ magazine.

  A soft smile spread across his face. “Hi yourself. Are you forgetting something, baby?” Although his tone was quiet, there was still an edge of authority to his voice.

  She looked confused for a second, and then a deep flush crept into her features. She took a slow step toward him until her hands were pressed against his chest and then stood on her tiptoes and placed her lips on his.

  “Good girl,” he whispered when he lifted his mouth and one of his hands wrapped around her waist. “Where do you want to eat?” he said and indicated the bag of food in his other hand.

  Jessica turned and blushed when she caught her employees frozen and staring at them. “Guys, I’d like you to meet Garrett, my...” Her gaze flew to his when she didn’t know what to call him.

  Garrett smiled down at her and tightened his grip on her waist. “I’m her very close male friend,” he said. As he raised one eyebrow, his eyes glittered with mirth.

  Jessica rolled her eyes and smiled at him. “Come this way. We’ll eat in my office.”

  Several sets of eyes followed them as they walked past the front desk.

  “She’s my lover.”

  Garrett chuckled as he passed the cage in the corner. “Harry, we’ve already had this talk.”

  “She’s pretty.”

  Jessica snorted as she closed the door behind them. “How about we sit on the sofa and eat.”

  Garrett sat down and set the bag down on the low table in front of the sofa. “He’s right, you know.”

  Jessica pulled a couple bottles of water from the small fridge by her desk. “Who is?”

  “Harry. You’re very pretty.”

  Jessica stood silently.

  Garrett walked to her and grasped her shoulders. “You’re beautiful and sexy as hell.” He raised and lowered his eyebrows comedically.

  Jessica laughed. “You’re silly, Garrett.”

  He pulled her against his chest and wrapped his arms around her. “I may be silly, but I’m still telling the truth,” he whispered against the side of her head and breathed in her sweet scent. She was changing him, making him soft, but he didn’t mind it at all. He smiled. He knew that no one, including himself, had ever accused him of being silly.

  They stood together for several moments, neither wanting to move.

  “Are you hungry, baby?” Garrett said reluctantly and bent to kiss her forehead.

  Jessica squeezed him one more time and then pulled away. “Absolutely,” she said as she sat on the old brown sofa. The only other furniture was the sofa table where their food sat, her desk and chair, a tall wooden bookcase, a file cabinet, and the tiny fridge.

  Garrett sat down close beside her and started to pull things out of the bag he brought. “I hope you like sub-sandwiches. I figured if you didn’t like something on it, it would be easy to remove.”

  “It’s perfect, Garrett. Thank you.”

  There was silence for several moments as they ate.

  Garrett carefully wiped his hands on a napkin from the restaurant as he studied her. “What are you doing tonight for dinner?”

  Jessica swallowed the food in her mouth before she choked and then laughed. “We haven’t finished lunch yet.” She stilled when Garrett reached out to wipe a bit of mayonnaise from her mouth with his napkin.

  “I want to make sure I’m on your schedule tonight.”

  A deep flush spread across her face. She tilted her the side and smiled. “I’m free.”

  “Good. I’ll pick you up after work.”

  Jessica shook her head. “No. I would like to go home and shower. Besides, we’d have to come back here to get my car.”

  Garrett leaned forward, set his elbows on his legs, and focused on her. “You like to argue with me, don’t you, baby?”

  She laughed at the ironic, sarcastic tone of his voice. “I don’t mean to. I’m just trying to be logical.”

  He pulled her into his lap and leaned back, taking her with him.

  Jessica yelped then giggled at his abrupt move. He took a deep breath, and she relaxed against his chest and tucked her head under his chin.

  Garrett felt something loosen in his chest with her in his arms. He tightened the arm curved around her back and slid his other hand up and down her arm.

  Jessica tilted her head back to stare up at the sculptured perfection of his face and licked her lips nervously as her hand tightened around his thick wrist.

  Garrett slid a hand up to cup her cheek, and his eyes roamed slowly over her features before he lowered his head and took her lips. Within seconds, his body tensed up. When bolts of pleasure shot within him, and a mixture of hunger and something like anticipation raced through him, he stabbed his tongue into her mouth to taste her sweetness. His need for her spiked higher then he’d ever felt before with any other woman.

  Their moans collided. He quickly diminished the limited space that separated them. He tilted his head to adjusted the way their mouths fit together for deeper contact he needed. Garrett’s hand slid around the back of her neck to support her head as their tongues tangled.

  Jessica jolted and tore herself away from his mouth at a hard knock on the door. He kept her on his lap and against his chest when she nervously tried to push away.

  “Jess. Mr. Thomas is here about the repair in the utility room.” Kari’s voice came through the door.

  Her heart beat violently in her chest and made her breathing hard to control. “I’m...” Jessica cleared her throat without taking her eyes off Garrett. “I’ll be right there, Kari.” She lifted her hand and traced the curves of his face. “I’ve got to go, Garrett,” she whispered.

  He sat her up and lifted her off his lap in one easy movement and grimaced at the tight fit of his pants. “I have to get back to work too.” He stood and helped Jessica clean up their lunch. He held his hand out to her. “Come say good-bye to me.”

  Jessica tucked her small hand in his large callused one and followed behind him as he walked through the front desk area and stopped by the front door.

  “I’ll pick you up at your place at six. Will that work for you, baby?” Garrett pulled her in front of him and encircled her waist with his hands. His eyes watched her with a hot intense expression. “Now, kiss me good-bye,” he demanded quietly.

  Jessica stood on her tiptoes and pressed her mouth to his for a quick kiss, aware and uncomfortable of her employee’s curious stares. “Good-bye, Garrett. I’ll see you tonight and thank you very much for lunch. Plan on dinner at my house this week.”

  Garrett rubbed his thumb over her bottom lip as
his gaze scanned her features. “We’ll see. I just might want to spoil you.”

  Her breath hitched in her throat at the intense expression on his face. “Can’t I spoil you too? I’m a pretty good cook.”

  “We’ll talk about it later tonight,” he said as he bent for another quick kiss before he walked out the door.

  Jessica watched him get in his car before she turned to get back to work. She froze, and her cheeks heated. Every employee in the building stood and stared at her with different degrees of shock. She took a deep breath. “Everyone get back to work. Kari, where is Mr. Thomas?”

  Several of the people reluctantly turned and went back to their work which left the manager and two office girls. Kari watched Jessica turn and fly through a doorway and yelled at her back. “We haven’t even started with the questions, Jess.”

  Jessica laughed and raised her hand and waved.

  An hour later, Jessica showed Mr. Thomas out after she paid him and sighed when Kari followed her into her office.

  “Omg. What the hell, Jess? I didn’t know you were dating anyone, and I never expected to see you with someone like him. He’s scrumptious in a dark, scary kind of way. I always thought you’d go for the safe, nerdy type.”

  Jess rolled her eyes and took a seat at her desk. She used to think the same thing. Sometimes she still did.

  “Okay, woman. Tell me all. Where in the hell did you meet him? How long have you been seeing him? Et cetera, et cetera. “

  Jessica snorted. “I met him last Friday at the gathering at the country club I went to with Angie and Nick.”

  Kari’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Wow. You both look so together, like you’ve been dating for a while.”

  “No, not at all.” Jessica sat at her desk and looked at some papers. She was a private person and it was hard for her open herself up to anybody beside Angie. After a minute of silence, Jessica looked up at Kari. “Is there anything else?”

  A breath blew from her mouth and a look of disappointment when she knew she wasn’t going to say more. “Not unless you have more to tell me.”

  Jessica laughed. “No, I don’t. How are the discharges going?” she asked.

  Kari took the hint. “Good. There are three more going home today.”

  “That’s great, Kari. Any animals dropped off in the last hour?”

  Kari shook her head, smiled, and then turned to go.

  Jessica sat back in her desk chair and raised her eyes to the ceiling. This thing with Garrett scared her. Kari was right; he wasn’t someone she ever thought she’d end up with. She always pictured herself with an earthy blue-collar man or, like Kari said, the safe, nerdy type.

  Her brows drew together in confusion. Why did it feel like they’d known each other for years, instead of just days? Jessica didn’t know a lot, but she was pretty sure this wasn’t the norm for relationships. Jessica got up and closed her office door and called the one person in the world she trusted.

  “Angie, it’s Jess. Do you have a minute to talk?”

  Ten minutes later, after she disconnected, she went over her conversation. At first, Angie was shocked and then a little hurt that Jess hadn’t told her about Garrett right away. Jess explained she never thought he would want to see her again.

  Jessica was glad when Angie didn’t share her negative opinions about Garrett and was willing to listen to everything Jess had to say and even seemed willing to give their relationship a chance. She surprised her further, asking to have a double date with them on Friday. Although Jess knew it was a chance for Angie to see them together, she decided she would ask Garrett tonight at dinner and get back to her.

  Jessica bounced a pencil on her desk, tapping it between her finger and thumb. Her thoughts and questions circled in her mind. Garrett, she guessed, probably didn’t ever see himself with a woman like her. So why her and why now?

  Why would an extremely successful, gorgeous, intelligent man be interested in someone like her. A plain, kind of anti-social, poor woman with no body? She loved being with him, but when they were apart, her doubts and insecurities hit her and started eating at her resolve to see where this relationship went.

  Maybe if she had more experience with men? She didn’t want to stop seeing him, but what if this was just a game to him or worse, some kind of joke. Something in her would die if that happened, and it would be a long time, if ever, before she could trust again. She had to decide if she wanted to take a chance.

  Was she strong enough to see this through? Jessica shrugged. She guessed time would tell.

  Chapter 11

  Garrett held back a smile when Jessica opened the door a little disgruntled. He didn’t care if she was mad. She had followed his instructions, even going so far as kissing him right away before the door was closed behind them.

  Garrett grasped her arms when she tried to move back. “Do you know how happy you just made me?”

  Jessica bit her lip, shook her head, and kept her eyes on him.

  Garrett bent his head and took her mouth in a hot quick kiss. He lifted his head and stood at his full height, dwarfing her. “You made me very, very happy. Now I won’t worry so much about your safety.” He knew in his heart that that wasn’t true, but it made him happy she was doing as he asked.

  If he could, he would have her moved in with him and wrapped in Bubble Wrap to keep her safe, but knew the first wouldn’t happen for a while. It was a crazy to think that way after only knowing her a few days. And the Bubble Wrap, he knew, she’d never let happen. But it is good to have dreams, he thought sarcastically. As crazy as it seemed to him that this little slip of a woman turned his life upside down in a sudden moment, he wouldn’t change anything. His bachelor days were over. His dreams at night were all of her. Her in his lap, in his home, and under him.

  They had to get moving before he reached for her again. “Let’s get going, baby, or we’ll miss our reservations.”

  Jessica looked down at herself. Before having met Garrett, she hadn’t cared what she wore, and didn’t like to spend any money on clothes. As she stood in her black pants and light blue short-sleeved shirt, she felt embarrassed. “I think I should change, Garrett. You look so nice in your suit pants and white button-down shirt, and I look frumpy.”

  Garrett’s gaze slid from her thick hair down around her shoulders set like he liked, to the rosy perfection of her skin, and to the brightness of her beautiful eyes, and snorted. “That’s not possible. You’re gorgeous no matter what you wear. Now let’s go, I’m hungry.”

  Garrett could tell she was still uncomfortable when they sat down at the restaurant. He reached across the table to catch her hand. “Jessica, I want you to stop worrying about your clothes.”

  Jessica raised her stricken eyes to his. “Garrett,” she said as her gaze roamed over the restaurant where everybody looked wonderful. Even the waitresses were better dressed. “I know I’m being self-conscious about this, but—”

  “There are no buts, Jess.” Garrett waved the waitress away. “I want you to feel good about being with me.” He raised his hand when she started to interrupt then reached across and captured her hand. “We can absolutely go somewhere else if this is too uncomfortable. I don’t want you embarrassed about anything. I think you’re beautiful, but you have to feel beautiful to relax, right?”

  Jessica shrugged one shoulder and kept her eyes on his hand that cupped hers on top of the table. “It’s never bothered me before...”

  “And I don’t want it to now,” he said as he raised his hand for the waitress.

  “Garrett, what are you doing?” Her tone was imploring, and her eyes were wide.

  “I’m getting our drink check so we can go.”

  Jessica felt guilty that she was ruining the night and tugged on his hand. “No, Garrett. I want to stay here. I’ll deal with my insecurities later, but right now I would like a nice dinner with you.”

  His eyes narrowed on her. “Baby, are you sure?”

  She nodded.

  He
didn’t look convinced but let it go for now. “Do you know what you’re hungry for?”

  “I’ll have whatever you’ll have. I like about everything.” Jessica watched Garrett as he ordered the food. She wished she had his self-assurance. Maybe if he wasn’t so fricken handsome, it wouldn’t bother her as much. Jessica even noticed the waitress that eyed him as he ordered.

  “What are you thinking?”

  Jessica jerked to attention and a dark flush crept up her face when she noticed that the waitress was gone and Garrett had been watching her stare at him.

  Garrett laughed. “God, I love the way you blush.”

  Jessica snorted. “I’m sure you do. It’s probably been years since you blushed.”

  Garrett tensed, and his smile fell slightly. “No, I can honestly say I have never blushed in my life.”

  Jessica watched as a slight, distant change came over Garrett. Most of the time, she saw a gentle, sweet Garrett, but a few times she saw this Garrett. The hard, cold, arrogant man that seemed to make Angie uncomfortable at times but never Jessica. She knew in her heart and without a doubt that this man would never hurt her. Before she said anything, he changed the subject.

  “So tell me a story about work?” he asked while he kept a hold on her hands tenderly, but his eyes stayed a little distant and cold.

  By the end of dinner, they were both relaxed and smiling. Garrett pulled Jessica up from her chair and led her by the hand out of the restaurant.

  Jessica slid into the car a little slowly and looked up at Garrett as he stood beside her. “Oh, God, Garrett. I’m so full, I can hardly move,” she groaned.

  Garrett leaned toward her with one hand on her door and his other on the top of the car and his gaze slid down her body, taking in her compacted curvy shape. “Good. I will always make sure you get enough to eat.”

  Jessica grunted. “If you keep feeding me like this, I’ll be a blimp before long.”