by Joya Ryan
Harper huffed. “You’re right. You need to take back your life for you. And that’s what you are doing. You made that decision. But Jack helped those kickass emotions you needed rise to the surface to do that. I’m not saying he’s your hero, but he may be the catalyst for your shift in strength. No matter what, it still comes from you. Don’t forget that. In the meantime, there’s no sense in letting go of something good. You can always stop by his place.”
I didn’t want to argue with her, but I didn’t want to just show up at Jack’s house. Facing rejection from him was something I didn’t want to gamble with. Besides, it was just a kiss, right?
“I think I need to focus on how I’m going to pay rent,” I said, changing the subject, and putting the Jack, Cal, trifecta of passion and my uncommon behavior on hold.
“Agreed. I’ll call Sharon on Monday, and I bet by the week’s end, she’ll place you in a job.”
“Thanks.”
“I still don’t recommend hanging out with Cal.” Clearly, Harper wasn’t done with this subject, despite my best efforts.
“He’s not so bad.” He actually made me feel good. Looked at me like he understood the broken part, and with all his strength, could smother it away.
“He’s a runner, Lan. Actually, he’s a runner and a jumper.”
“What do you mean?”
“Cal works wild fires over the summer. He’s one of the adrenaline junkies who go behind fire lines and sometimes right in it.”
“Wow.”
Harper nodded. “He’s charming, and there’s a bad boy vibe there, I get it. But—”
“You don’t think I can handle him.”
“I don’t know any real details,” Harper said, a little softer. “But Cal has been through some crazy shit. I guess he had it rough as a kid? I don’t know for sure, but, for whatever reason, he doesn’t do commitment.”
“I’m not seeking out marriage or anything.”
“I know. But Cal is used to women who know the drill.”
“What drill is that?”
“A one-nighter, no strings kind of drill. You have a pretty raw heart and fresh emotions, Lan. God love you for it, but I don’t want you to get hurt anymore. I just think baby steps are a good thing. You have the whole summer ahead of you, and in one week, you’ve kissed two men.”
“They kissed me.”
“That’s right, they did!” She nudged my shoulder. “But a lot has gone down.”
That was true. I was all over the place with emotions and between Jack’s hot kiss—rough and wild against his front door—then Cal and his strong hold and soft sweep of his lips, I was on the brink of a meltdown. In the end, neither man owed me a thing. Nor I them.
We were all relative strangers, but the ache throbbed a little harder when I thought of how close I’d been to something good. I was standing on the edge of it, staring into Jack’s dark eyes, I could have fallen into the abyss of intensity. That was looking less and less likely. Besides, Harper was right. I didn’t know “the drill.” Both Jack and Cal were experienced and could easily crush the little confidence I had.
“Maybe slowing down is a good idea,” I said. At least when it came to men. I needed to focus on getting this job, and saving this summer for school. That was the priority. If the men wanted something from me, or to talk, or whatever, they’d find me. Right?
“I don’t know about you, but I’m exhausted.”
I nodded. “Me too.”
Walking down the hall, I went to my room and sat down, determined not to think of Jack, of how he tapped into a side of me I’d thought lost forever. Strength. That strength in me directly led to my handling of Cal. Everything felt woven together.
No, I wouldn’t think of how Jack’s hands felt on my skin.
I also wouldn’t think of Cal, or his smile.
Chapter Five
Mondays always seemed to spike my adrenaline. It was a new week. A chance to start fresh. Especially this particular Monday, because I was half a day into my new job of crunching numbers for the staff of one of the many Reign Resorts.
And we had a meeting to go to in five minutes.
Harper had been right about the temp agency hiring quickly. I called Sharon first thing last Monday, and it only took her a few days to find me a job and do the paperwork.
I still hadn’t heard from Jack, and with another week passed since I kissed Cal, hadn’t heard from him either. But seeing as how we didn’t exchange any info, that was no surprise. I did go to the fire station a few days ago to touch base with Cal. I found out he’d been sent to go help with a big wildfire in Montana.
The team he was on was an intense one, and it meant I wouldn’t be seeing him any time soon. At least the majority of the summer, his co-worker said.
No note.
No goodbye.
Once again, I was kissed and left to figure out what it meant. Which, apparently, was nothing.
I pinched the bridge of my nose and cursed my brain for the spiral. I was trying to be stronger. Trying to be more confident. Yeah, trying and failing.
At least I had a job I could focus on.
I typed a few more numbers on my ten key and balanced my spreadsheet. Coming to a stopping point, I grabbed a dollar from my purse, then locked it away and wound around the endless lanes of cubicles to the break room.
I needed caffeine, and the vending machine was calling my name. People were already bustling toward the large conference room. Of course, it took two tries for the machine to accept my dollar.
“You coming?” Devin said, as he stood in the doorway of the break room, blocking my only way out.
“Yeah.”
He snickered and openly stared at my chest.
I swallowed back disgust. The man was gross at best. It took only a few minutes in his presence this morning to realize he was a walking sexual harassment suit waiting to happen. But he was also my floor manager. The guy I reported to. Gripping my soda can, I took a few small steps in his direction, hoping he’d take the hint and move.
When he didn’t. An icky taste rose in my throat and I glanced at my feet.
“We better get in there,” I said.
I felt his gaze linger on me for a minute, then he sighed. “Yeah, we better.”
He opened his stance to let me pass, and I hustled through quickly, hating that I had to brush against him as I went by.
I walked into the boardroom and people were already crowded in. The chairs that were set out were filled, and only a little standing room in the back was left. I stayed as close to the door and as far away from Devin and his overwhelming aftershave smell as I could get.
I was just about to ask Edith, the woman who sat on the other side of my cubicle, and the only other person I’d gotten a chance to know aside from Devin, what this meeting was about when my question was answered.
“Good afternoon, everyone.”
I’d recognize that deep raspy voice anywhere. My gaze snapped to the front of the room where Jack stood in a three piece black suit, looking every bit the sexy man I remembered from two weeks ago. So much so that it made my heart throb to a point I was certain everyone around me could hear it.
“What is he doing here?” I whispered to Edith. She was smoothing her hair and smiling like crazy. She was close to my age, and I realized what had made her so happy: Jack. His charm or hotness seemed to know no bounds.
“Edith?” I tried again. She reluctantly pulled her stare from Jack and frowned at me like I’d robbed her of a toy.
“What?”
“What is he doing here?” I asked again in a whisper.
Now, she looked shocked, then patted my shoulder. “Sweetie, that’s Jack Powell. He owns the resorts.” She glanced at him and sighed. “Hottest boss I’ve ever had. He almost never stops by.”
My mouth dropped. Owns the resorts? “As in…Reign Resorts? The company we work for? Jack owns it?” She nodded and looked at me like I’d lost my mind. Which I must have, because this was, “Unbelievable.”
<
br /> “I wanted to stop by today to tell you all you’ve been doing a great job with the payroll for the Rocky Mountain Resort. As you may have noticed, extra staff has been hired to oversee the Pacific Resort as well.” His dark eyes glanced around the room until they landed on me. “Please help the new hires feel welcome, and keep up the good work.”
When he walked out of the room, all the confidence he radiated followed him. The world around me seemed to close in until I was dying to have just a moment with him—to share in the same space, the same breath.
He’s my catalyst.
And that feeling was too overwhelming to ignore. And so was this situation. If Jack Powell was my boss, that was going to be a problem. Because I couldn’t handle him having power over me in that way. All of my bright ideas of being a bold woman didn’t extend to my boss.
So, I scooted out of the meeting, and followed him.
“Jack?” I said, just as he exited the building into the midday summer sun.
The streets were relatively calm, considering the work day was still in session, but when the wind blew a slight breeze, I caught a whiff of that same spice and man that I had the night we met.
“Lana,” he said, not surprised to see me at all.
“This isn’t a coincidence, is it?” I asked. “Me working here?”
He didn’t say a word. Didn’t shrug. Didn’t give any kind of answer or emotion away.
Instead, he turned and started walking, glancing back at me as if expecting me to follow. I did.
“I was pleased to see you today,” he said.
“Are you leaving without answering me?” I kept stride beside him, rounding the corner of the building.
“My office is a few blocks away.”
“I didn’t know you owned the resorts.”
“Does that make a difference now?” His tone was a little sharp, so I went with honesty.
“Yes, it does.”
“Why?”
“Because I…” I tried to get a handle on my thoughts, which were scattering a million miles a minute. I had admitted the truth to him once. That I wanted him. And he did have a powerful persona, and it was one of things I liked most about him. But, in a work environment? No, not a good idea.
“I don’t think I can work for you.”
That made him stop and face me. His dark eyes skated over my entire body. My simple black dress was sleeveless and hit just above my knees. It was sleek, but professional. The way his eyes ran the length of me made me feel anything but professional though.
“You said you’d see me again,” I blurted out, hating that my social skills, especially with men, were lacking. But this situation was too easy to ignore, especially since he was one of the only things I’d been thinking about. “I didn’t think it would be like this. Did you know I was being hired? Somehow set this up?”
The moment the words left my mouth, I felt like an idiot. Harper had been the one to mention this job to me. There was no way—aside from Jack being part magical—he had anything to do with that.
“I met you in a bar, Lana.”
I nodded. Again, hating how stupid I felt.
“After our encounter,” his gaze paused on my mouth and a shiver broke over my spine, “I did look into who you were, and the fact that you applied for the payroll position came up, but you’d already passed through the hiring process.”
“I see.”
He took a step toward me. His eyes locked on my face. I glided back just a foot.
“Still running from me?”
“No,” I gasped, because it was the last thing I wanted to do. It was just instinct.
A man came toward me, I took a step back. Simple.
I didn’t want to do that with Jack. I hadn’t before. But I was so off kilter with seeing him like this. Out of nowhere.
He was different. At least, I thought he was. Then I hadn’t heard from him. Same as Cal. “Kiss and ditch” was becoming my motto, and somehow, it left me feeling like the bad guy. It also took a toll on the faith I’d had in Jack.
No. I didn’t have any ties to either Jack or Cal. If I had, I wouldn’t have kissed Cal, rather, let him kiss me. Just like now, I had no ties to Cal. He was gone. Kisses weren’t contracts, no matter how hot.
Too bad I kept thinking about Jack’s front door, and the way it felt against my back. The way he felt against my front. He’d read and tapped into my emotions and somehow let me feel in control. All the while exercising his own intensity over me.
“Now, about this notion that you can’t work for me?” He took another step and I could already feel the heat radiating from him. It was everything I could do not to get swept up in him again. “I want to clarify that I’m the owner of the resorts, but I don’t plan on interfering with your job.”
I bit my bottom lip, thinking it over. Surely, the owner of the entire resort company had better things to do than to monitor one small payroll branch. Edith had just said he didn’t stop by much.
Yet, he was still here. And if I were totally honest, my pride hurt a little. I was getting the sense that I was easily discarded. I just wanted to work in peace, save for grad school, and not be reminded what a sad sack I was.
“I still don’t think it’s a good idea,” I said, trying for an authoritative tone.
He took another step, his expression like stone. Reaching out, he traced his fingertip along my cheek bone. “I don’t hear much confidence in your voice.”
That’s because there was none. Not about this. When it came to Jack, I didn’t know what was rational or normal. He made me feel things that made a professional relationship difficult. If he wanted me, I wanted him to see me. Not because I worked for him. Not because he had some arbitrary title like “my bosses boss” kind of hierarchy, but because he simply wanted me.
Which he didn’t. Because, if he did, I would have heard from him before now. If he’d been thinking about me the way I had been him, then he would have reached out.
My eyes met his. The building shaded us just enough to hide us from the few passersby on the street only ten yards away.
“I’m happy I got to see you again,” I admitted. It was the only truth I could say with confidence.
His eyes were like two smoking volcanos—dangerous, smoldering. “Are you?”
I nodded.
“And have you seen anyone else?” His tone was steady. Not accusing or angry. Simply asking. My mind flashed to the night I met Cal.
“That’s none of your business.”
“So, you have.”
“I didn’t say that.”
“You don’t deny it.”
“You didn’t call!” I finally said, feeling defeated. “I haven’t heard from you. I didn’t know what to think.”
“I told you I’d see you again.”
I shook my head, and a humorous laugh escaped. Looking at him, it was clear. He knew the game, hell, he probably invented it, when it came to women. I wasn’t the kind that could keep up. Harper was right, I wasn’t a “drill” kind of girl. No pun intended.
“You’re right, you did say that. You also made no promises or shed any clarity on what to expect. So, yes, I kissed someone. But that—”
“Just kissed?” he asked sharply, like he had a right to be jealous.
“Yes, just kissed. What about you, huh?” I crossed my arms. Maybe Jack brought out the fire in me, maybe I was just irritated and frustrated, and staring down his perfect face and dark eyes was too much to handle all at once.
“I’ve kissed no one since you.”
I swallowed hard. “Oh. So, you don’t have a girlfriend?” Something I should have asked before, but right now, it just seemed like I needed all the clarity I could get. Plus, it gave me more info.
“No.”
I glanced at the ground and threaded my fingers.
Jack flicked the bottom of my chin with his finger, forcing my gaze up. “You do that when you’re nervous. Keep your eyes on me when you speak. Do you understand?”
>
I nodded.
“Good.” His knuckles trailed the length of my jaw, then down my neck. “Give me a number.”
I swallowed, wanting to arch into his touch. I had to keep some pride, so I said. “I’m not that nervous…”
“Quantify,” he said sharply.
“Three: Hot.”
He nodded. “Don’t look away. Even when you’re unsure. Say what you need to say.”
A dose of courage surged. He was right. I squared my shoulders. “Everything else aside, I was hoping I could see more of you, but that was before today.”
“Before you realized I owned the resorts?”
“Yes.”
A sexy smile tugged at his lips for a split second. Lips I knew firsthand to be sinful.
“Why don’t you come by my home tomorrow on your lunch break, and we’ll discuss this before you make any rash decisions.”
“Your home?”
“Yes, I have an office and take several meetings there. It’s where I’ll be tomorrow. However,” he pulled a card from his pocket. “Here is my corporate office information. A clear statement of my intentions to pursue per your request. Because I like this idea of seeing more of each other.” He cupped the underside of my chin in one hand and brought me close enough that I felt his lips move against mine when he whispered, “Now, don’t go kissing anyone else. Do you understand?”
I nodded, not knowing what else to do.
He closed the fraction between our mouths and branded a searing kiss on me. So quick and consuming, it almost knocked me off my feet. One deep thrust of his tongue had me moaning and teetering on my heels, because as soon as he advanced, he retreated, leaving me breathless and dazed.
He wiped his thumb over my bottom lip—the lip he’d just sucked on—turned, and walked away.
Chapter Six
Of course Jack would have an office in his incredible home. I had an hour for lunch. While his corporate headquarters were in some building downtown as well, I made the short trek to his home, which wasn’t that far.
“Ten minute walk,” I said to myself, doing some mental math, as I reached the front door of his home. Depending on how long it took to actually get face time with him, a safe estimate meant I’d give him thirty minutes. That allowed for plenty of time to walk back and eat lunch, take a deep breath, and re-focus on work.
