When Thursday rolled around, his frustration with having Roxanne so close and not being able to do a thing about it made him edgy. He needed release, physically and spiritually. Drinking a calming tonic of herbs and essential oils, he picked up Lora Devine’s latest novel and skimmed through the first chapter. The woman knew how to arouse her reader and by the time he reached the third chapter, he wondered why he had chosen this way to relieve his need. Relief indeed. It seemed the height of irony to ease one’s sexual frustration by reading highly sensual words and in the end, he sat with blood pounding through his veins, a pulsing, aching cock and sweat beading on his upper lip.
He really should stop reading. Instead, he lifted the handset of his phone and dialed Roxanne’s extension. “Are you alone?” he whispered when she picked up.
“I am.”
“Is your door closed?”
“Jett, are you all right? You sound kinda funny—Oh.”
“Let me read you something.”
“Now?”
“Now. Close your eyes.”
He cleared his throat and held the book open on the page that had him most flustered. It took a moment to focus his eyes and find his place.
“She slid her hand into the silk glove, pulling it all the way up to her elbow. He held his breath, waited to see what she would do with the second glove. When she approached the bed, he tugged against the binds at his wrists and ankles. She smiled, knowing that he anticipated the contact so much his desire leaked from the tip of his cock.
“She trailed the silken glove up the inside of his thigh, making him shake with need. Every instinct he had urged him to break free, throw off his shackles and return him to his dominance. But her ropes held and he gritted his teeth while she wound the long silk glove around his pulsing shaft. She had a fascination with it since they’d met and liked to torture him by touching him with barely there strength, but tonight she tied the glove around the base of him and tightened the knot until he grunted. His hips jerked off the bed and she caught him in her gloved hand, stroking him firmly.
“He yelled his need for the world to hear. No one could pleasure him the way she could. The blood drained into his shaft. Her hand squeezed and twisted and he raced toward his release faster than he wanted. Coming all over her bare chest, he fell into her crystal blue gaze and understood this was as much for him as it was for her.”
He fell silent, an image of Roxanne doing to him what the heroine did to the hero filling his mind. Roxanne’s labored breathing drifted into his ear, letting him know the passage turned her on as it did him. He glanced down to his trousers where his cock bulged against his fly.
“Do that to me, Whisper.”
She whimpered into his ear, before murmuring, “Anything you want.”
Jett closed his eyes and imagined her sitting on the edge of his desk, her nimble fingers releasing his length from the confines of his clothes. He let a hand drift down to mimic the envisioned actions. The soft unzipping of his fly eased the pressure and when he pulled away his briefs, more blood rushed into his cock. It stood straight as a flagpole, stiff as one too.
“Is that what it’s like? Being tied up and completely dependent on my touch, on my whims?”
“It’s better than that. I’ll make sure you know, after I win.”
Jett smiled and wrapped his hand around his cock. The warmth of his palm barely compared to the tight, hot pussy he wanted to dive into but it had to do. “What are you doing, Whisper?”
“Listening to you breathe,” she said, sounding breathless. “What about you?”
He grinned. “Let’s just say that if Addison walked in right now, my employment would be terminated.”
She tut-tutted before adding, “Do you wish it were me instead of your hand?”
“Do I need to answer that?”
She chuckled into his ear, sounding close enough to touch but with office walls separating them, the chances of skin-on-skin contact were minimal. His hand stroked harder.
“Do I really turn you on that much?”
“That much and more, Whisper. My body craves yours, my mind is alone without yours. There is nothing else I’d rather do than indulge in you every chance I get.”
A small pause preceded a one-word question that floored him. “Why?”
Why? His hand ceased moving as some of the need subsided. She wanted to know why he desired her, no doubt to question whether all he felt was lust. He remembered her confession that she sucked at relationships. Did she fear he wanted more than sex?
“Whisper, why question it? We’ve got something going that’s unique.”
“But what is it that we’ve got going?”
He zipped himself back up and sat straight in his chair, curious about the things she didn’t say. “Does it matter?”
On the other end of the phone, she sighed. “I just don’t want either of us to have unrealistic expectations, that’s all.”
They weren’t getting anywhere with this line of discussion. He needed to speak to her face-to-face but before he could say anything, a knock sounded at his office door.
“Answer your door,” she instructed. “You have a client and I have work to do.”
“We aren’t done talking.”
“That’s okay, we’ll talk later.”
She hung up, leaving him mulling over her expectations and the expectations she thought he had about them. He barked for the client to come in, though he wished he hadn’t bothered when Greg opened the door. “No one will represent me, you asshole. What have you said about me?”
Jett blinked, not sure if he heard Greg correctly. “No one will represent you?”
Greg stepped inside and slammed the door shut. “Don’t play dumb with me. You’ve been telling lies about me, haven’t you?”
“No. We might have a difference of opinion in business, but we’re still friends.”
“Were friends.” Greg shook his head. “You have done enough to ruin my reputation. I’m going to return the favor, friend. I’ll spread the word about you practicing witchcraft and magic.”
His conversation with Roxanne vanished. Jett stood. “Don’t be rash, Greg. I swear to you on my family name, I said nothing about you.”
“And that new dish who’s working here?” Greg grinned, brotherly secrets not the only trait of their friendship. He’d always known when Jett had the hots for a woman. “Yeah, I saw the way you looked at her, the way she looked at you. Wait until she finds out that you dabble in voodoo.”
Jett rubbed his brow. “You’re making this worse. No one will believe you and since our business relationship is over, the press will see you as a hothead with a psychotic streak.”
The man standing on the other side of his desk burst out laughing and Jett suddenly realized Greg had changed. He was no longer the childhood friend who’d vowed to keep his confidence. Whatever friendship they’d shared was over and probably had been since Monday.
“You’re a fool. Like I’d say something that wacky without proof. You’re a goner, dude. Start preparing your obituary now because the public will crucify you.”
He has proof?
Shit.
“Out. Get out of my office and my life, and don’t you dare show your face again. You are not the kind of person I’d call a friend.”
“Yeah, fuck off to you too.”
When the door slammed a second time, Jett felt the tremors in his hands rattle up his arms and into his chest. A heady mix of fear and anger made his mind sizzle. Stars popped before his eyes. No one had ever threatened to expose him before, least of all Greg. Until now, the man had been one of his biggest supporters. He understood Greg knew nothing of the healing power that saved his mother but Jett suspected telling him now would do little to ease his old friend’s angry heart.
On the one hand, he wanted to chase after his friend of almost thirty years and find out why he’d changed so much. A business deal gone sour couldn’t turn a lifelong friend into an archenemy in the space of a week
, could it? He’d always thought he understood Greg’s passion for his sport, but it became all too clear now that he really had no idea.
On the other hand, he needed to protect his family, his career. He loved the power and respected the responsibility inherent in the Craft. Following in his family’s footsteps had disciplined him to learn every spell, every mixture’s ingredients. He’d used their healing promise to help others, to learn how to heal and until Roxanne, he’d never used his knowledge for anything else. If he had to choose between his career and his Craft, well, he couldn’t.
He wouldn’t.
What choice did he have?
Chapter Four
All throughout her presentation, Roxanne couldn’t help but keep an eye on Jett. Haggard eyes, sunken and ringed by dark circles, he seemed ready to collapse in a heap. It tested her concentration and while part of her wanted to believe it was a ploy to trip her up, her heart knew better. He gave a haphazard presentation. His presence had disappeared from her soul overnight. Something was very, very wrong with Jett Rich.
When she took her seat beside him, she reached for his hand under the table. His cold skin shocked her but she remained focused on Lora Devine’s cherub face and waited for a verdict.
“Are you unwell, Jett?” Lora asked in all sincerity.
He nodded. “I apologize but I woke up feeling awful. It would have been completely unprofessional of me not to turn up.”
“Well, when you’re sick, you’re sick. Go home, get a good rest and we’ll come back on Monday. I’m sure Roxanne won’t mind.”
When the author turned her serene face toward her, Roxanne nodded her acceptance. “Not at all. Besides, if I’m going to beat him, I’d rather have an even playing field.”
Lora smiled and stood. “It’s settled then. I’ll return on Monday. You’ll let me know the time, Addison?”
“Of course.” He smiled, though Roxanne saw the tightness in his shoulders and understood his displeasure. “I’ll walk you out.”
With Lora out of the room, Addison stopped by Jett’s chair. “Your work was shoddy today and you know it.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Go home, get healthy and return at full strength.”
To Roxanne, Addison smiled sympathetically. “Would you be so kind as to make sure he goes straight home? He doesn’t live far but if it’s out of your way, I’ll have my brother do it.”
“It’s fine.” She patted Addison’s hand. Despite his gruff exterior, he appeared genuinely concerned. “I’ll take him home.”
She waited until Addison left before turning back to Jett. He almost looked ready to cry and when he turned those sad eyes up to her, compassion shushed away her annoyance.
“Thank you.”
Sitting on the boardroom table edge, she took his hand in hers. “What’s wrong, Jett? And don’t tell me you’re sick because I can sense it’s more than that.”
He shook his head before leaning forward and resting his forehead on the table. “I’m screwed.”
“Pardon?”
“Do you remember the client on Monday morning? He looked pissed as hell.”
“I’m sorry, hon, but not really. I only had eyes for you.”
He didn’t return her smile. “Well, he’s an old friend of mine but our business deal went sour. Now he can’t get representation and he’s blaming me, says I ruined his reputation.”
Roxanne rubbed his shoulder and then ran her fingers through his unusually mussed hair. “So you lost a friend?”
“I gained an enemy. He’s threatening to expose me as a witch, says he has proof.” Jett lifted his head and speared her with his pleading gaze. “It’ll ruin me, Whisper, and my whole family. No one will ever take me seriously again.”
His forlorn expression worried her, as did his withdrawn appearance. “When did he make this threat?”
“Yesterday.” Jett shook his head and pulled his hand from hers. “I can deal with it, Roxanne. You don’t need to worry about me. If you want to distance yourself from me for protection, I’ll understand.”
Jett stood. His words confused her. It sounded like he was ending it. When his hands framed her face and he kissed her sweetly, she knew that was what he was doing.
“Jett, you don’t need to do this.”
“I do,” he whispered against her cheek. “I can’t have him drag you down too.”
She held onto his hands to stop him from leaving. “I can help.”
“You don’t want a relationship with a failure, sweetheart. I have loved our nights together but they have to stop before you get hurt by this.”
A smile touched his lips before he kissed her again, this time deeper. His sadness penetrated her soul and, though he spoke of the end, she understood that deep down it wasn’t what he wanted. His reluctance to let her go proved it and she silently vowed to help him whether he wanted her to or not.
“Don’t go, Jett.”
His hands fell away, his touch disappeared. “This might sound strange but I love you, Roxanne Whisper. You accept me for who I am. I will treasure that.”
“Let me take you home.”
His sad smile tore at her heart while he backed away toward the door. “You’re sweet but you don’t want this trouble.”
His bloodshot eyes looked ready to release their tears. Then he left the room.
“That’s where you’re wrong, Jett,” she whispered.
Hell, she’d been the first PR consultant to represent the erotic romance industry and succeed, she wasn’t about to let a little witchcraft get in her way. Gathering her paperwork and presentation materials, she hurried out of the boardroom and practically ran to his office. She caught him shoving papers into his briefcase, but he refused to look up and acknowledge her.
“I’m taking you home.”
“No. You’re not.”
Frustrated by his stubbornness, Roxanne raced back to her office, dumped her things and collected her purse. Everything else could wait until Monday. By the time she reached reception, he exited the main doors without giving her a second look. She managed one step before Addison stopped her.
“He’s a spoiled brat sometimes,” he said with a shake of the head. “Come into my office, Roxanne.”
“But you wanted me to take him home?”
He nodded and took her elbow in his gentlemanly manner. “I think there’s something about Jett you need to know.”
Reluctantly, she let him lead her to his corner office with the enormous windows overlooking the city. Outside, gray clouds hung low, heavy with rain. They seemed a permanent feature of the Melbourne skyline at times and today, they reflected her mood. In the distance, a single ray of sunshine had found its way through the doom and gloom, reminding her that Jett had sparked the hope in her that she’d finally found someone of her own.
But he’d shut her out without a thought, hadn’t he? The moment his secrets were threatened, the moment he got scared, he withdrew into himself. He was back to his controlling ways, trying to minimize the damage before it was done. But he hadn’t counted on Roxanne being there to stand her ground and maybe even share the burden.
Addison appeared in the corner of her eye as he came to stand at the windows with her. “How much do you know about Jett?”
“Not a great deal. It’s hard to know someone in a week.”
“You two seem to spend a lot of time on the phone to each other,” he noted quietly, astonishing her. “So I assumed you two had formed some sort of bond. It pleased me. Jett has been very secretive about his life outside Taylor & Taylor. I have no idea if there’s a woman in his life or whether he plays golf on Sundays. I had hoped you would bring him out of his shell.”
“How long has he worked here?”
“Five years,” Addison boasted with a proud smile. “I know that doesn’t say a lot about me, considering I hardly know him, but there is one thing I have learned about Jett that I think you should know. You see, he practices witchcraft.”
Roxanne
turned, though Addison only held up a palm and nodded.
“I know, it’s hard to believe. He doesn’t seem the type to believe in the occult and I’d rather not go into the way I learned of this…hobby. I’m not opposed to it, mind you. Every man deserves his privacy and so long as he doesn’t force it onto his clients or claim to use it to help them, I don’t greatly care what he does in his spare time. But I think, when it comes to Jett, he’s torn. This job has no place for that sort of thing and the dichotomy can’t be good for the mind.”
Or the soul, she mused silently.
“I only say this to prepare you for the shock.”
Roxanne smiled warmly, trying not to give up her secret knowledge. “I know you say you don’t care about his private pursuits, but how would you react if it came out publicly? Do you think that would reflect badly on the firm?”
Her boss turned to the window again and rubbed his chin. “That is an interesting dilemma you pose and I’d need to consider it before I answer.”
“Perhaps he’s worried about adversely affecting the firm, even if unwittingly. He seems to adore working here and takes pride in his work. Today aside.”
Addison nodded. “You are right. How do you feel about him being a witch?”
Now isn’t that just the question of the hour? Roxanne didn’t answer, needing to have this discussion with Jett long before she had it with their boss. “I’m not sure,” she admitted. “I guess I’d need some time too.”
“Well, in the meantime, how do you feel about stopping by his place to make sure he’s okay? I’d do it but I have dinner and opera arrangements with my wife tonight. Our usual Friday night outing. Say,” he turned to her with a smile, “I’d love for you to meet her. Would you join us next Friday? Perhaps with your partner?”
“Oh, I—” Roxanne snapped her mouth shut. What was she supposed to say? “That would be lovely. Thank you.”
Whisper Page 4