In truth, attending her high school reunion was Whit’s idea. Aside from proving to her class she wasn’t so easily forgotten, Bree didn’t even want to go. High school was a nightmare. Why would she want to come back and relive any of that? But Whit had her convinced going to her ten-year reunion would be different. Despite the tightness in her throat and the humming of her nerves, she couldn’t wait to test that theory.
It was going to be a good night. She felt it from her ridiculously styled curls clean down to the open-toed bright red Jimmy Choo stilettos that matched her hip-hugging dress. She’d never spent two thousand dollars on an outfit before, let alone on the shoes alone.
With a deep breath, she walked out of the bathroom and into the bar. It made sense why her class chose this bar to host the ten-year high school reunion. It wasn’t the fanciest bar in the city, but it definitely wasn’t the dive.
She glanced around, searching for any familiar faces in the sparsely lit room. High school had been awkward enough. This reunion brought back all those feelings of inadequacy. She clutched her purse and took another breath to stop herself from letting her raw nerves take over.
“Breanne Willows? Is that you?”
Bree whipped around to face a woman who’d never said more than two words to her in high school. A beautiful brunette with model-like features, she’d been the envy of all the girls back then. She didn’t look any different, as if time stood still for her.
The bitch.
“Jasmine Gray.”
Jasmine gave her a slow once over before snapping those brilliant hazel eyes up to her face. “I can’t believe it’s you. You look so normal now. I see you found a way to tame that wild mane of yours. Well, sort of.”
Same old Jasmine. Bree smiled at the backhanded compliment. “Thank you. You look exactly the same.”
As the other woman smiled, her face barely moved. Who needed that much Botox at twenty-eight? “I married me a plastic surgeon.” When it didn’t draw a reaction, Jasmine thinned her lips. Sort of. “He has his own practice in LA. Half the noses in Hollywood are his work. What have you been doing with yourself these past ten years?”
Since when did she have a southern drawl? They grew up on an island in Washington State, for crying out loud, not Texas.
“I own Goggles.”
Jasmine blinked and waited.
“It’s software. You’ve never heard of it?”
Still blinking.
“Goggles software?” When even that didn’t spark an ounce of recognition, Bree pulled out all the stops and decided to wow her with brilliance, since Jasmine obviously didn’t own a computer. “It’s the only software to take web-crawling to the next level by indexing the metadata and geotags into—”
“Same old Bree.”
“Excuse me?”
“You may look normal now, but when you open your mouth, you’re just the same, talking over everyone’s heads. I swear I never understood a single word you said in high school. I’m sure that’s why we were never friends.”
That didn’t stop her from copying off Bree’s science tests. “I’m sure that’s it. You have fun tonight, Jasmine.”
“Oh, you know I will. I’m just dying to see Jason Bowman. Do you think he’ll be here? After he walked away from the NFL, he simply disappeared off the grid. Believe me. I’ve tried to find him.”
And with Goggles, she would have. “Knowing Jason, he’d never turn down the opportunity to be the center of attention.”
“I hope to be that center, if you catch my drift.”
Um, okay. Interesting thing to say to someone she never talked to in high school. Then again, Jasmine Gray had been known more for her extra-curricular activities than her schoolwork. Clearly, that hadn’t changed. “Didn’t you just say you’re married?”
“My husband and I have a very open relationship.” She crinkled her nose. Maybe. “Never mind. I doubt you’d understand. Oh, to have one more night with Jason Bowman. It would be like reliving the best night of my life. That man had me speaking in tongues.”
Jason Bowman. The boy every girl lusted after in high school. Every girl except Bree. He wasn’t the Bowman she’d come here to see. Her tastes ran more along the intellectual side of the Bowman twins, though she couldn’t deny her curiosity at what had all the women flocking to him. She’d never been one of the girls on the great Jason Bowman’s radar, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t have liked to be.
She did a quick scan of the bar and frowned when she didn’t see Jeremy. The kiss they’d shared at that party still lingered in her dreams. She’d gone off to California and married Peter Harrington as planned, but she never completely recovered from that kiss at graduation.
Jasmine walked away without another word, which didn’t bother Bree any. They were never friends, and it didn’t look like that was going to change now. She dropped her gaze and debated leaving.
“Hello, Breanne.” A deep voice vibrated into her soul, twisting it, turning it, and consuming it. Every muscle tightened as she braced herself for the impact of seeing him again after all this time.
Bree drew in a breath and held it as she turned. Her heart stopped at the sight. Dear God in Heaven. Heat ignited inside her and spread throughout her body, settling as a tingling deep in the heart of her very spirit. Swallowing thickly, she whispered, “Jeremy.”
A hint of laughter tugged at the corner of his lips and sent her senses reeling. Dressed in a navy blue button-up shirt that did incredible things to his matching indigo eyes, Jeremy Bowman looked even better now than he did in high school. His shoulders had broadened and forced the material of the tan jacket to strain to cover them. His playful, dark sandy blond hair was still short on the sides and wild on the top, just the way she liked it.
He’d upgraded from the round glasses he used to wear to rimless glasses that sat perfectly on his straight nose and accented his fierce, handsome features. What did he do for a living that gave him such a gorgeous tan?
When he smiled, laugh lines creased the corner of his eyes. “You look… Wow.”
“So do you.” And he did. Sweet Jesus, how he did.
They stood there staring at each other in awkward yet charged silence. Every carefully laid out step Whit had given her faded from her mind and left her paralyzed. Wonderful. She’d driven almost a hundred miles to endure people like Jasmine Gray, all to freeze in front of the one man she’d come back to see.
Recovering as best she could, she glanced over at the bar. “Do you want to get a drink?”
“What do you want?” Those eyes danced playfully as his lips tipped even more.
You. Heat slapped her cheeks. She had to look away before her expression gave away the real answer. “Something red.”
“Your favorite color.”
She snapped a surprised gaze to his face. How’d he know that? Did she ever tell him? Was red her favorite color in high school? She couldn’t remember. How could he? “How’d you know that?”
“I’ll just get those drinks.” He offered her a shy grin.
As he walked to the bar, her gaze rested on his ass. Wowza. Some things got better with age. He returned moments later with two glasses of wine. “Pinot Noir.” He handed her a glass. “Your favorite.”
“How’d you know this is my favorite wine? The last time we saw each other, we weren’t even old enough to legally drink.” That was two things he knew about her now that she’d never told him.
“A lucky guess.” His smile sent his eyes into a brilliant blue dance. “Besides, that never stopped us from stealing beer and climbing to the roof to watch the stars.” When he dropped his gaze and blew out a breath, her heart melted.
She loved how socially awkward he was. Neither of them had ever mastered the ability to mingle back in high school. With Peter and Whitney’s help, Bree had gotten over her shyness. Clearly, Jeremy hadn’t. It made him even cuter now. As she sipped her wine, it relaxed her enough for her to remember Whit’s plan. She glanced at his lips and suck
ed in a breath.
Here goes nothing. Bree took a step toward him and tilted her chin. After licking her lips, she leaned in.
And missed.
THREE
How could she miss? She was literally two feet away. Not only did Bree miss, she smacked her forehead on his chin.
“Are you okay?”
Damn it. She stepped back and stared at the floor, trying to play off her botched attempt to kiss him. “I, uh, just lost my balance. I’m okay now.”
“You’ve only had like two sips from your wine,” he quipped, clearly amused.
“I guess I’m a lightweight.”
He shook his head with a chuckle as he lowered his attention to his shoes—a classic Jeremy Bowman move. “I can’t believe I’m so nervous.”
“Me, too. Not that you’re nervous, but that I am. Nervous, I mean.” Could she sound any more like a moron? Sucking her bottom lip between her teeth, she bit down to stop herself from fully inserting her foot.
His crooked smile did diabolical things to her control. When he leaned against the post beside him, one hand disappearing into the pocket of his well-fitting jeans, the other casually holding the wine glass, she couldn’t pull her gaze away.
“Can you believe how many of our classmates showed tonight?” He scanned the room before returning his attention to her, spending a few extra seconds robbing her of her sanity as he raked that gaze over her. “Have you had the chance to relive any of that great high school experience, yet?”
“I saw Jasmine Gray. She looks great.”
“Did she give you the ‘I married me a plastic surgeon’ spiel? When did she develop a southern accent?”
“I know, right? Hollywood is not that far south.”
He broke into a full-blown grin that blinded her with a sudden surge of heated need. His deep chuckle melted into her senses. She’d waited ten years for this and refused to let nerves get in her way. He didn’t wear a ring, but some men didn’t. Still, the way he looked at her with those sexy, eyes, with undeniable hunger and interest darkening them, couldn’t be denied.
“So.”
“So,” she repeated, searching for something to talk about and drawing a blank. They used to talk for hours. How was it she couldn’t find a single thing to talk about now? “I own my own company now.”
“A very successful company,” he added and lifted his glass. “Congratulations.”
“Thank you.” They tapped their glasses together and drank.
“Goggles, huh? I thought you hated that nickname.”
Ah, yes. Leave it to him to remember. If it weren’t for him being the brother of the biggest jock in school, Jeremy would have been teased relentlessly as well. But, alas, Bree wasn’t so lucky. As an only child, she didn’t have any siblings to stand up for her when the rest of the school labeled her with cruel nicknames.
Like Goggles, due to her thick glasses. She’d always hated that name. When she’d confided in Peter the stories of how cruel her classmates had been, he’d told her jealousy made people do ugly things and helped her embrace the fact she was different, and how there wasn’t anything wrong with that.
The nickname gave birth to brilliance. Peter named the company after that terrible nickname. It had such a different meaning now. Goggles gave the user the ability to wade through the endless sea of the World Wide Web, to find things they’d otherwise never find, just like goggles gave the ability to do the same under water.
“I used to hate that name, but now that it makes me money, I’m not complaining.” The way he cringed at her explanation caught her attention. What an odd reaction. Wanting to keep the conversation going, she redirected it. “You obviously know what I do now. What are you doing with yourself these days?”
“A little of this. A little of that.”
“How very mysterious. Must keep you busy doing so much of this and that.”
“I guess you could say I’m in the security business.” He studied the way he swirled the wine in the glass. “Being the CEO of a Fortune 500 company must keep you pretty busy.”
She held the position in title only. The board of directors had all the power. She was simply the face of the company. Being the widow of the founder, as well as an exceptional public speaker, kept the company’s stock in the black. That made her board happy, and when they were happy, she was happy. “It definitely keeps me busy.”
“No time for anything else? Any hobbies?”
“Goggles pretty much takes all my time.” The realization hit her as she said it aloud. At twenty-eight, she should have at least one hobby. What did that say about her? She didn’t even cook her own meals, instead ordering in more often than not. Then again, she couldn’t cook to save her life. She attempted macaroni and cheese once not long after she was married and burned the noodles to the bottom of the pan. “What about you?”
“Nothing worth mentioning.” He shrugged and scanned the room once again. Was he looking for someone more interesting to talk to? Maybe he didn’t come alone. What if he brought a date? Now she couldn’t stop thinking about him being with someone else.
This was beyond awkward. They couldn’t find anything to talk about. Bree had her PR team write all her speeches and prep her on conversation points before every public appearance. She had no idea how much she relied on someone else to tell her exactly what to talk about.
Until now.
Yet something else to make her feel inadequate. Awesome. After all these years, all her successes, she still couldn’t shake being that mouse of a girl from high school. She should have never come back. Returning to Anacortes only reminded her of all the reasons she’d left. “Well, thanks for the drink.”
“Don’t go.” He stopped her with a quick grasp of her wrist. As soon as he touched her, he let go as if she’d just burned him. “Sorry.”
She stared at her wrist for several seconds before sweeping her gaze from his hand up to his face. His expression twisted as he shook his head. She knew that look. He’d worn that same troubled look ten years ago. He wanted to tell her something. “Why’d you stop me?”
“Why do you think?” He riveted his gaze to her. That was when she saw it. His expression grew rigid, his eyes cold, like he’d flipped a switch and turned to stone. Just as fast as he’d transformed into a stranger before her very eyes, his gaze softened and that hard look disappeared. “Ten years later, and I still can’t talk to you.”
“You could always talk to me.” She refused to give up on him this time. No, this time she wouldn’t walk away. This time, she’d make him talk to her. Jeremy used to love talking about whatever he’d been working on. She hoped that hadn’t changed. “So, Mr. Mysterious. Security, huh? Like chasing bad guys?”
“The worst.”
“Have you ever killed anyone?” she teased.
He lowered his voice. “Only the ones who deserved it.”
“Are you serious?” she whispered, unable to speak any louder. He’d stolen her voice along with everything else with that comment.
He leaned close, so close the woodsy, masculine scent of his cologne invaded her senses. He had to be six-three at least. She didn’t remember him being so tall. She held her own thanks to the three-inch stilettos, yet he still towered over her. “Of course not. I just wanted to see your reaction.”
She drew in a breath and held it, taking in his heady scent. Tilting her head, she then lifted her chin so their lips were only inches apart. “Is that so?”
He licked his lips and inched closer. “You smell great.”
“Thank you.” Moving her chin again, she rested her lips a whisper from his.
“Bree?”
“Yes?”
“Can I—”
“Oh, my God! There he is! It’s Jason Bowman!” A female screamed above the sound of the music drumming through the room.
Jeremy withdrew and dropped his smile. Darkness swirled in his eyes as his expression turned to stone. “I guess the party can begin.”
Several wome
n squealed and rushed to Jason as he pushed his way to the bar. He flashed his brilliant grin and in no time at all, had a crowd surrounding him, men and women alike. The bar erupted in a frenzy of flashes as everyone scrambled to get a picture of the great Jason Bowman, the quarterback who’d made first round draft pick and owned the pre-season, only to walk away from training camp and disappear from the spotlight before regular season. Regardless, he was still famous in this crowd.
Bree studied Jeremy. That trouble brewing in his gaze tugged at her heart. She knew the feeling. And, just like that, they were back to those gangly teens stuck in the shadows, standing on the sidelines as those more beautiful stole the spotlight.
“He’s still the most popular guy in school.” Bree ran her finger along the rim of her glass.
“He’s pretty spectacular. Football scholarships up the ass. His choice of colleges. One of the first round picks in the draft. He would have taken the Heisman if he wasn’t up against that running back from Texas State.”
“Why’d he walk away?”
“That’s for him to tell.”
Odd retort. Bree shook it off to sibling rivalry. “Are you two still close?”
“He’s my twin. It’s kind of a bond thing. Anyway, maybe you should get down there and say hello.”
Like Jason Bowman would even talk to her. She shook her head and pulled her attention to Jeremy, to his mouth. Those lips stole her sanity when he’d kissed her so many years ago. Would she have the same reaction to him now?
“Yo, bro!”
“That’s my cue.” Jeremy sucked in a breath and pushed away from the post.
Bree grabbed his arm. “Don’t.”
He looked at her, first her hand on his arm, and then locked that penetrating gaze on her face. A flutter of nerves almost stopped her, but she’d planned this reunion with him for ten years. She would not let Jason or anyone else take this from her.
It Takes Two Page 3