All Shook Up

by Ashley Bostock

  “I’d love to help. Don’t be afraid to call on me when you need me, Jillian.” Levi moved to one of the boxes and opened the flaps, peering inside. But the way he said her name, Jillian, so pronounced, so sure of himself with a deeply sensual tone, made her knees a little weak.

  Frankly, she didn’t understand it.

  She wasn’t sure if it was all the toy reviews she’d been doing lately that was causing this crazy tremor through her body or if it was Levi himself, but whatever it was, it was destined for failure.

  Just like The Peekeasy.

  Chapter Six

  The first thing Cole did once he left Lacie’s was pull off the fake earrings. If he didn’t know better he’d think they were giving him a rash. His ear lobes had been itching like crazy the entire time he was in the shop, and it’d taken all his willpower not to pull the damn things out. In front of Jillian. But Carlos’s talk on how well they threw people off had buzzed in his ear every time his fingers itched to unlatch them.

  The next thing he did was call Raymond.

  After an annoying number of rings, his voicemail picked up. “Call me back. Immediately. Jillian said you never called her. She doesn’t know if she’s in charge of the store or not. And what the hell happened to Rebekah?” He hung up. Where the hell was the guy?

  He’d had a mental list of all the things Jillian had told him—most he could fix—and he set about doing them all before he was to his car. He needed to call Rocky. What happened to Rebekah? Why would she leave Cole in a lurch the way she had? Potentially, at least. Thank God Jillian’s sister had dragged her to the store and convinced her to apply for the job. He’d hate to find out days later that it had been locked up with no help.

  “Rocky? It’s Cole. It’s been a while,” Cole said.

  “It has.” A tinge of surprise laced his voice. “I hope you’re doing okay. What can I do for you?”

  “I’m hoping you can help. I’m looking for Rebekah. She up and left Lacie’s yesterday. No, correct that. The evening before when she locked up. Haven’t seen her. Do you know anything about that? I’m not sure if I should be worried or pissed.”

  “She didn’t tell you?” An expletive flew out of Rocky’s mouth. “She said she told you everything. She went to South Dakota. Sturgis. She got a job as a waitress.”

  “You’re joking?” Cole asked.

  “Nah, man. Sorry she blew out on you. It starts in three days so she went up early for training.”

  “Why wouldn’t she say anything?” Cole clenched his jaw, but he couldn’t deny that he also felt a little hurt. She’d worked for him for a while. In the past, when an employee left with no warning, most times it was because they didn’t care. In less frequent cases, it meant they’d been doing something wrong.

  No. He didn’t want his brain to go there. He’d been good to them. She’d been good. Up until a few days ago anyway. He hopped in his car and started the engine while Rocky filled him in.

  “I don’t know. She told me she told you all about Sturgis. That you were happy for her. Is that your car? Oh, man, I can hear the engine from here,” Rocky said.

  Cole leaned his head against the leather seat, still confused about Rebekah’s sudden departure. “You can hear it?” Cole said, then laughed. “No, you can’t.”

  “My phone is vibrating. Dude, you must get chicks like crazy with that thing!” Rocky exclaimed.

  Cole chuckled. “A gentleman never tells.”

  “Bullshit. You know the rev of the Maserati engine increases women’s sexual desires? That is the sound that gets them worked up. They did a study on it.”

  “Bullshit,” Cole said in disbelief.

  “No bullshit here. I’m fo’ real. Come on, man! You have a car like that and you don’t know this shit?”

  Cole laughed again. “No. I had no idea. Who did the study? Playboy?”

  “Don’t remember. Some British people. But fo’ real, Cole. You gotta try it. I’m dying to know if it really works.”

  Cole pulled out of the parking lot and couldn’t keep himself from grinning. “Alright, Rocky. I’ll try it sometime. I’ll let you know if it works. And be sure to tell your mom she isn’t getting her job back.”

  “Will do, Cockosaur.” Rocky laughed.

  “Cock oh sore? What the hell is that?” Cole asked, thinking it sounded like it might not be in a good place.

  “Cockosaur. You know, when your cocks so big it’s like a dinosaur. That’s how it’s gonna be when the ladies hear the purr.”

  Cole rolled his eyes in disbelief as he hung up with Rocky. Cole shook his head and still thinking of his cockosaur, his thoughts immediately drifted to Jillian. He glanced in the passenger seat at his glasses, hat and earrings. How long could he do this? Aside from the fact that he had Deluxe Posh to run, he also had a heart. He wasn’t sure how long his heart could stand the idea of getting to know Jillian and becoming friends, as well as the idea of tricking her into believing he was someone else.

  He’d worked hard on trying not to blow his cover – mainly by not answering questions in detail. He firmly believed in the adage that the truth was easier to remember than a lie. But there were moments that it’d been difficult and today was his first day!

  There was no mistake he was attracted to her and desperately wanted to confirm that her lips felt as soft as they looked. He wanted confirmation that her body would hum beneath his touch and that she’d purr when he kissed every inch of her fair skin.

  He just didn’t see how that could fit into his current plans. If he showed up as Cole, she might quickly recognize the resemblance between Levi and Cole. But he wanted to get to know her.

  As Cole.

  As Levi too.

  Perhaps Cole was going to have to call Lacie’s Lingerie himself and sort things out. Of course, it would have to be around the times he wasn’t working.

  His car notified him of an incoming call, seeing that it was Raymond, he pressed the Bluetooth button,

  “Raymond, what’s going on? Jillian said you haven’t told her anything about keeping the job.”

  “I wanted to wait until you got in there to assess the situation. Make sure she was the one we wanted to keep on. I’m in Salt Lake right now and knew you’d be there sooner than I could. I just got off the phone with Jillian-”

  His mind strayed from the call as he stopped at a red light and watched as two women began to cross the street in front of him. College girls, if he had to guess, as both had backpacks slung over their shoulders. They were laughing and giggling and Cole revved his engine.

  Both of them looked. The dark haired one smiled directly at him and gave a small wave.

  Hmm. Maybe it does work.

  “––She’s willing to stay.” Raymond finished and Cole had no idea what he’d said.

  Cole cleared his throat. “Sorry, I got another call coming in. Jillian stays. She’s the new boss. Make sure she knows that by tonight. Text me once you let her know.”

  Cole clicked the button, ending the call. He pulled up to the access gate where the reader scanned his fingerprint and the garage doors automatically parted. He rolled inside and pulled into one of his elevator stalls. Only two cars could be in the penthouse at a time which suited Cole just fine because he only needed two – his Maserati and his Bentayga. The Bentayga for the mountains and snow. He shut the engine off and unbuckled his seat belt as the private lift took him to the twelfth floor.

  Just as he made his way from the lifts and into the entryway of his penthouse, his phone vibrated in his pocket. A text from Raymond letting him know that he’d spoken to Jillian again. Raymond sent Jillian’s number in a second text, as Cole’s fingers hovered over the keys. Nice.

  Marble columns that had been imported from Spain separated the entryway and the glass windows of the lift. The system was designed so that he could close the drapes along the widows and virtually hide the cars from sight. All with a touch of his phone.

  He loved technology.

  And th
e extravagant penthouse had plenty of technologically advanced features that newer properties had. He loved the hi-tech as much as he loved the historical artifacts that were a part of the condo. Over-priced, state-of-the-art entertainment center and imported antiques and artwork. The four 18th century marble fireplaces that had all been hand-carved, had come all the way from France. The exquisite Rojo Alicante countertops came from Spain. The wood that made up most his bookcases had been built with Ebony Gabon wood imported from Africa.

  Cole enjoyed the finer things in life. Especially when all his hard work could afford it.

  He poured himself a beer and enjoyed the smoothness as it flowed down his throat. His eyes landed on a framed photograph of himself and his sister. God, he missed Francesca. The regret and ache of losing her never went away, but when he was at work—gone for the day—he could minimize the thoughts. When he came home at night, she was there. In the pale colors of the curtains and custom glassware in his bar, to just about every damn book that lined the walls of his office, her soul lived on.

  When he’d bought the penthouse, she’d been the one to decorate and purchase everything he’d needed, down to the hand soap. He’d been in Paris for Fashion Week and he’d never seen Francesca happier than when she’d asked about decorating his place—thinking he’d say no—but he surprised her by saying yes and she’d been beyond thrilled. Truthfully, he wasn’t sure how well of a job she’d do because she’d only been twenty at the time and he was afraid.

  She’d blown him away.

  He’d clearly underestimated his young sister’s talents.

  Everything she’d done had been top-notch and he hadn’t changed a thing. Then she’d met Tucker not long after and the time Cole spent with his sister kept getting shorter and shorter.

  Unwilling to go that route tonight, Cole took his beer and headed into his office to call Jillian under the guise that he was reaching out to her to thank her for staying at Lacie’s. His heart thumped wildly in his chest as he dialed her number. It’d been far too long since he’d pursued a woman, especially one that technically worked for him.

  He’d never done that.

  Why was he starting now?

  Before he could dwell on that thought too much he hit the call button and hoped she’d answer.

  “Hello?” Her light voice sent a thrill through his nerve-endings.

  “Jillian?”

  “Yes?” she answered with a slight hesitation.

  “This is Cole Carrington. Do you have a minute?” he asked and hoped he didn’t sound too eager.

  “Sure. What can I do for you?” she said, still sounding too unsure. Crap. Why was he calling her? His mind went blank.

  “Cole? Are you there?” Her tone was cool and impersonal.

  “I’m here. How are you doing? I know we didn’t part with the best circumstances.”

  When she exhaled slightly, her sigh did funny things to him. As if she were stoking a gently growing fire. He realized the conversation could go either way. She could be irritated with him about The Peekeasy still, or she could be neutral. He was hoping she was going to be neutral since she was technically his employee at this point.

  “I’m doing okay. I assume you heard I’m working at Lacie’s?” she asked.

  “Raymond had a lot of good things to say about you. I apologize for Rebekah leaving you in a lurch,” he said.

  “It’s actually turning out okay. Well, I was worried there for a little while until Raymond called. But Levi showed up and that has been a blessing.”

  “I heard that, too. Look, I wanted to apologize again about The Peekeasy. I’m sorry, Jillian. I hope you understand it wasn’t anything personal against you. It just happened to be you.”

  “You know, I believe you’re sincere. Things like that happen and it isn’t stopping me from working toward my dream,” she said.

  “Tell me what that is, Jillian.” Cole wanted to hear her dreams. He acknowledged it was strange talking to her when Levi had managed to learn some information about her, but he wanted her to tell him while she knew she was talking to Cole.

  That mattered to him.

  “My dream? You want to hear about my dreams? Wait. Do you call all of your employees on their personal line and listen to their dreams?”

  Cole chuckled. “No, Jillian. I don’t make it a habit of calling any of my employees outside of working hours.”

  She was silent and he imagined what she was wearing. Short shorts? Tight pants like she had that day he followed her up the stairs? When she spoke again, he could swear there was a smile in her voice. “What makes me different?”

  “Aside from the fact that I’ve never thought about my employees for almost three months straight? There’s also the fact that I’ve never wanted to call them outside of work. Not the way I’ve been wanting to call you. And that makes you different.”

  She was silent again and he feared he’d revealed too much. He had, too. Which was totally unlike him. He was used to keeping his cards close to his vest. He’d learned to be that way in business and as a result it had carried over into his personal life too.

  “I want to reopen The Peekeasy eventually. In a suitable location. I want to help my sister,” she told him, answering his original question.

  “Seems doable.”

  “In theory, they should be. Well, my sister can be iffy. But now that I work at Lacie’s, hopefully I can make The Peekeasy become a reality again someday. What about you? What are your dreams, Cole? Or are you already living them?”

  Their conversation had gotten personal quickly. It confirmed there was something electric between them that day at her shop. That he wasn’t the only one. He felt it all day today while they’d been together too. The thick air between them, the desire to constantly touch her and of course, the urge to tell her who he was. The need to feel her mouth against his.

  He looked around his office and took in the shelves of books that surrounded his desk as well as the large window that overlooked the private golf course below. “Yeah, I’m mostly living my dream.”

  He thought of the apartment complex, and the desire to have it completed and running. The want was so strong he could practically taste the fear of the women whose lives he was determined to make better.

  “Mostly?” her sweet voice asked.

  “Yeah, mostly. So what are your plans for Lacie’s? Now that you’re in charge.”

  Her voice lost its dream-like quality when she spoke. “So many things. Unfortunately, Rebekah wasn’t following the brand of what you want Lacie’s to be and I’m going to change all of that. Levi helped me with some of the stuff today, but we’re going to continue taking items off the shelves and replacing them with more of Deluxe Posh and less sleaze.”

  Cole chuckled. “Less sleaze?”

  It was awkward to have any conversation with her about all of this as he’d just spent the entire day with her. He had to work at not using his Levi accent because damn, it was hard. Being two different men was already proving to be difficult. He thought it was going to be a breeze before, but now that he was doing it, he realized he was wrong. Maybe he shouldn’t have called her as Cole.

  Damn, though. As Cole, the two of them had attraction. Hell, as Levi, the two of them had something pretty dang similar. Would she act on her attraction with Levi though? As a business man himself, Cole knew the cons of mixing business and pleasure and as smart as Jillian was, he knew it was most likely something that had crossed her mind today.

  He saw the flush in her cheeks and desire in her eyes.

  She laughed. “Yes. So…I take it you’re happy to have me under you?”

  Cole chuckled. “It is a strange turn of events, but I meant what I said, Ms. Winters, my gut tells me you’re exactly what Lacie’s Lingerie needs. Oh, and yes, I’m quite happy to have you underneath me.”

  A tiny little moan escaped her lips, making him smile and his pants tighten. “Ah, well…thanks for the compliment. I couldn’t do it without Levi. And you c
an call me anytime, Cole. Anytime.”

  He cocked his head to the side, maybe enjoying it a little too much that she’d extended him the invitation to call her. As a last thought, he asked, “Do you have any inventory left from The Peekeasy?”

  “I have some things. Similar to what I’m trying to do here, I asked a few places for returns. There was one company in particular that wouldn’t accept anything and they also happened to be the brand I had the most inventory in—their stuff is phenomenal—so I have that in the spare room at my place. Why?”

  “How about you set a price and I will have the company purchase it all from you. You can use it as some new inventory – only under the condition that you think it will sell,” he said.

  “Really? You’d do that for me?” Her voice rose in excitement. “You trust me enough to buy it sight unseen and sell it inside the store?”

  He smiled to himself, beginning to think there were not many things he wouldn’t do for her. Imagining the way her mouth turned up at the corners and how her pert little nose wrinkled up as she grinned, had him wanting to please her in ways that might as well be foreign to him since he hadn’t experienced them in so long.

  His voice was husky when he spoke. “Yeah, Jillian. I’d do that. Remember when I said I had a feeling we’d be good friends had we meant under different circumstances? I’m hoping we can be friends despite the circumstances.”

  “You mean, of you not renewing my lease and forcing me to close down my store?” she asked.

  Okay, I spoke too soon. He was jumping the gun, and she was clearly still upset about everything.

  “Look—”

  She laughed. “I’m teasing. It was a strange turn of events, not ideal for me, but I’m genuinely glad I’m at Lacie’s. I know I can make the store better. With Levi there, well he’s pretty amazing. So a truce?”

  The way she put emphasis on the word amazing when she mentioned Levi, had Cole’s back stiffen. She was happy with Levi. Him? Not so much. But he would take a truce. Anything from her. “Yeah, a truce is in order,” he said.