by Jean Adams
He led the way to a table at the far side of the room and dropped an armful of books on the table. “Latté?”
“Please.”
While he went to the counter, she perused the titles he’d chosen. A couple of tomes on copywriting, and three classics. The book he’d been looking at when she’d first seen him wasn’t among them. She couldn’t resist a small smile.
He came back a few moments later. “I bought some lunch. A selection of sandwiches. Help yourself.”
“Wonderful. I’m starving.” She inclined her head toward his books. “I see you’ve chosen an interesting selection. But not Lorna Doone.”
“No, I couldn’t get my head around that old language.”
“Old West Country. I wondered how you’d go with that.”
He looked down his nose at her. “I suppose you’ve read it.”
I’m not playing that game. “No, but I saw the movie. I couldn’t get my head around the language enough to read the book, either.”
He pulled a fleeting ‘oh, ok’ face and a smile threatened to break out. “So, what did you buy?”
Jenna hoped the look she gave him held challenge in her eyes. “Me? For the moment, I bought a couple of what you are pleased to call ‘garbage’ books.”
“Can I see?”
“Of course.” She placed them into his outstretched hand.
He flicked her a look of disbelief under his long black lashes as he read the titles. He paused, glanced at her, then back at the books, frowned, and burst out laughing, a sound that rumbled from deep within his chest. “Woman Tamer? Sex Goddess?” A million-megawatt smile lit his whole face, highlighting an attractive dimple in his left cheek.
Well, hallelujah. She’d finally done it. Jenna smiled. “What’s so funny? I try to make room in my life for everything.”
As though realizing he’d done something he’d had no control over, Lucas composed his face back to its usual scowl. Not that it mattered. She’d achieved what she’d set out to do two weeks ago. Make Lucas Nelson smile. No, she’d actually gone further than that. She’d made him laugh, a deep masculine, belly laugh.
“Do you believe in all that love and romance stuff?”
Now, how do I answer that? First thing’s first and play the rest by ear. “Yes. Yes, I do. As a man, I take it you don’t.”
“Nah.” His negative response sounded so absolute, so final, reminding her he was probably still smarting from his past relationship. He took a mouthful of coffee. “So, you believe there’s a Mr. Right for you?” His voice sounded so matter-of-fact.
“Well, yes. Otherwise, what’s it all about?”
“Beats me. So what are you looking for?” He took a bite from a sandwich.
Someone like you, with thick, dark hair I can run my fingers through, and deep brown eyes I could happily drown in. Where in the world did that come from? Like a wellspring that had burst through the earth from deep underground, so her subconscious thoughts had broken through the barrier of her mind, as though they were in control. Her face heated up, and she couldn’t keep her gaze from meeting his. “Don’t know ’til I find him.”
He took a swallow of coffee. “No princes or dukes come calling lately?”
That remark cooled her face in an instant. She put down the sandwich she’d been about to bite into and leaned forward to comment through her teeth. “You’re doing it again. What is it with you? You seem to have a fixation about dukes and stuff.”
He looked at her in that arrogant way he had of putting her down. “Hey, nothing to do with me. I thought they were usually the types you hobnobbed with?”
“We’ve been through this, Lucas. For your information, no, they’re not.”
“Sorry.”
“Now will you please drop the subject?”
He shrugged non-committaly. “Sure, if that’s what you want.”
“Yes, it is.” Jenna moved uneasily in her chair. She had to change the subject before he walked out, or she did. Why she didn’t just get up and walk away right now was beyond her. But she couldn’t. Heaven help her, she didn’t want to walk away from him just when they were getting to know each other. Scary thoughts. Dangerous thoughts. She leaned forward to probe further. “No Miss Right for you, then?”
He pulled a face and shook his head. “Been there, done that, got the T-shirt.”
Why should she feel relieved there was no one on his immediate horizon? “Surely you’re not going to hold whatever happened to you against all women.”
Brown eyes bored into her from across the table with an intense glare. “What happened to me, Miss Blake?”
Immediately, she retreated. “I don’t know, but it’s obvious something did.” Her turn to pull back before this conversation deteriorated any further. “And will you please call me Jenna? It’s a tad more friendly, don’t you think?”
While she stirred her coffee Jenna sensed he’d been about to say something, but changed his mind. It might do him good to get whatever was bugging him off his chest, and she ventured a daring question, given his resistance. “Do you want to talk about it?”
His head jerked up. His eyes narrowed. “Talk about what?”
“Whatever’s gnawing at your insides?”
His scowl brought deep furrows between his eyes. “What’s Bill been saying?”
Oh, help! There was that defensiveness again. “Nothing. Nothing at all, but it’s obvious you’re in some kind of deep—”
“I’m not in deep anything, Miss Blake. I’m just in a bookshop, minding my own business, choosing my week’s reading.”
“My turn to apologize.” She took a mouthful of coffee. “I didn’t mean to give offense.”
“None taken.”
But her interest had been snagged by his earlier comment. “Will you get through all these in a week?”
He nodded briefly, and his gorgeous thick, black hair fell over his forehead again, giving him a boyish appearance. He shoved it back with his hand. Jenna resisted the urge to do it for him. “A couple of them. The others are work related. Reference books.”
“Don’t you ever go out?” It was out of her mouth before she could stop it.
His frown bit deeper. “Don’t you start. I have enough trouble with Bill and Helen. Make no mistake about it, Miss Blake, when I want to go out, I go out.”
“They’re just looking out for you. Being good mates.”
“They’d be better ‘mates’ if they stopped harassing me and left me to live my life in my own way.”
“But, don’t you think—”
“Miss Blake, why don’t we change the subject?” He glared at her, determination in the swirling chocolate eyes, and lowered his voice. “Don’t spoil this pleasant interlude by poking your nose in where it’s not wanted.”
“Poking my nose in?” Well, that told me. “I was just trying to be helpful. I won’t mention it again.”
“I’d be grateful.” He could’ve got up and left then, but he didn’t. Instead, he accepted her withdrawal with a curt nod and what she thought looked like him biting his own tongue. “Now that’s finally out of the way, may I?” He picked up her books again.
“Only if you promise not to laugh at me,” she said, forcing her voice into a lighter note.
He perused the back covers and another half smile threatened to break out. “So, you really do read this garbage?”
“Of course. That ‘garbage’ is light relief from other subjects.”
“Such as?”
“Classics, like you. Travel, of course. Biographies. Anything that takes my fancy. Today, I’m in the mood for a good romance. I might even let you borrow them when I’ve finished.” She eyed the pile of books nestling by his arm and grinned. “If you run short of reading material.”
“Huh.” He handed her books back. “I have work to do.”
“You know what they say. All work and no play.”
“You’re digging again,” he said with a warning glance. “And I’m well aware of what they s
ay, but they didn’t take into account different people have their own definitions of play.”
Well, he might’ve turned up his nose at her choice of reading material, but there was that glitter in his eyes again. He couldn’t disguise that. And, she noted with a secret smile, neither of them had felt any further inclination to leave. They both seemed perfectly happy to remain in each other’s company until the middle of the afternoon.
****
So much for his decision to stay away from Jenna Blake.
As soon as he saw her in that bookshop, like a well-trained puppy, he went and bought her lunch. Dumbass. He could just as easily have said goodbye and walked out of the shop.
Truth was, he’d enjoyed sparring with her. Enjoyed seeing all her different facial expressions, even the ones she’d tried to hide.
Or maybe it was that delicious perfume clinging to her like an invisible cloud. Like everything else about her, it invaded his senses, turned his brain to mush, burrowed deep into his heart. Just where he didn’t want it, didn’t need it.
If he didn’t stay away from her, he could end up in real trouble. But he couldn’t help himself. He was being drawn into the vortex. This early in the piece. Hell, that was scary.
He wasn’t an earl, or a movie star. He was boring old Lucas Nelson, copywriter, failed businessman who didn’t have sense enough to know when he was being fleeced and taken for everything he had.
A stupid, dumbass, prize fool.
Okay, so he had a sizeable chunk of investments, money put aside. Money he refused to use, a stash that bitch hadn’t been able to get her hands on. Now he had some high-paying work, enough to keep his brain well occupied. Enough work to stay the hell out of Jenna’s way until she went home.
But even as he had the thought, he knew it wouldn’t happen.
Chapter Four
Jenna blew out a long, hard breath as she let the last passenger of the day out of the Europa office door, and locked it firmly behind them.
“Thank heaven it’s the weekend.” Now she could go home, put her feet up and relax for the rest of evening.
As she headed toward the building where her car was parked she grimaced at the stormy clouds gathering above. She took the elevator to the fourth floor and flopped into her car. When she turned the key in the ignition, nothing happened. “Oh, no.” She tried once more. Again, nothing happened.
Frustration brought a torrent of angry words. “Don’t play games with me. It’s been a tough day. It’s nine o’clock, I’m tired, hungry, and in no mood for this.”
After waiting a few moments, she tried the key one more time. The reluctant engine caught, and with a sigh of relief Jenna drove out on to the street.
She cast a wary eye at the dark, starless sky. The black clouds she’d seen building toward the end of the afternoon through the office picture window seemed even more threatening now. Not merely nightfall, but heavy and ominous. Just as she turned the car onto the main highway, the clouds gave way to torrential rain.
“Hey, I thought it never rained in California!”
Several blocks on, she was forced to stop at a traffic light. Since there didn’t appear to be anyone else around on a night like this, she considered running the red light just to get home a little quicker.
“Better not. There’s bound to be a cop around when I don’t want one.”
Finally, the light changed green and she pressed her foot to the accelerator.
The car had other ideas.
“Oh, good grief!” Surely things couldn’t get any worse.
After several attempts to get the car started again, she knew it was going nowhere tonight. It’d given up the ghost.
“Oh, for pity’s sake. Now what?”
Heavy rain continued to hammer the vehicle and she sat helplessly, peering out at the weather. How long would she have to sit here gazing at the murk?
Her spirits lifted suddenly when she managed to make out a street sign, one she recognized. She was only two blocks from Lucas’ apartment building.
Her heart raced. If she called him, would he venture out in weather like this to rescue a damsel in distress? Of course he would. He might be unreasonably grumpy some of the time, but if nothing else, he was a gentleman.
She reached into her purse for her phone. It wasn’t there. “Oh, no. I’ve left it in the office again.” Dejected, she slumped back against the seat when she pictured exactly where she’d last seen it. “Fat lot of good it is to me sitting in the staff room.”
There was only one thing to do. Go to Lucas for help. Surely, he’d drive her home. But that meant a two-block dash to his apartment in this heavy rain. Either that or stay here until someone came to find out what was going on. No, she didn’t much like that idea, any more than she liked the idea of flagging down another car.
“Nothing for it, old girl. You’ll have to grit your teeth and get ready for a drenching.”
Taking a deep breath, she grabbed the keys, got out and, without bothering to lock the door, made a run for the nearest shop doorway. In the few short steps it took to reach cover, she was soaked through.
“Ugh! I’ll look like a drowned rat by the time I’ve gone two blocks.”
Rain beat into her face as she darted in and out of shop doorways to the end of the block. At the next crossing, she waited under cover until the traffic lights turned in her favor then, bending as low as she could against the deluge, ran out from her protective doorway and across the road to the sidewalk opposite.
Footsteps sounded behind her. Well, at least she wasn’t alone in this weather. Maybe it was someone she could ask for help if necessary. Maybe they had a phone so she could call Lucas.
But some inner warning system stopped her from asking a stranger for help. She didn’t know what. Better to go to someone she knew. Lucas was her best option. Her only option.
Only one more block to go, but her clothing, heavy with rain, stuck to her shivering body. Her priority became getting home and out of this sodden uniform as quickly as possible.
Huddling against the rain, she increased her pace.
The footsteps behind followed suit.
Had she imagined it? She sped up as much as she could, as did the following footsteps.
Oh, God. I hope that’s not what I think it is.
Stomach churning, she didn’t dare look round for fear it might encourage whoever was there. Heart thumping wildly in her chest, she kept going. Her mouth went dry as waves of terror crashed through her system.
Lucas’ building came into view, but curiosity finally got the better of her. She chanced a glance over her shoulder and saw the silhouette of man under a street lamp heading in the same direction. He wasn’t trying to hide. It even seemed like he wanted her to see him.
No, it was all in her imagination.
When he started making suggestive kissing noises with his mouth, Jenna’s heart almost bounded out of her chest. Battling the rain slowed her down even though she tried to speed up a little more.
So did the man following her.
Now she knew for certain this was no figment of her imagination. She was being followed by a dirty old creep who had no intention of letting a drop of rain put off his obvious intent.
The kissing noises got louder. Was he gaining on her? She shouldn’t have peeked over her shoulder. Fear speared her heart, tightened her stomach, spurring her to keep going through sheer force of will.
Then, after what seemed an age, miraculously she was at the bottom of Lucas’ apartment steps. Using the light of the streetlamp at the bottom to guide her, she hurried up, found the buzzer marked ‘Nelson’ and leaned on it. Hard.
The pursuing man stopped under the streetlamp at the bottom of the steps.
Her heart raced in her chest. She could barely breathe, her erratic breath coming in short, sharp bursts. “Please, Lucas. Please be home.”
She chanced a quick glance over her shoulder. The sinister, shadowy figure moved forward, away from the lamp to stand with
one foot on the bottom step. Dear God, if Lucas wasn’t home, she’d be trapped in this doorway.
Shadows hid the man’s face, but he was still making those awful kissing noises, and now he had started moving his hand up and down the front of his trousers in a suggestive way. He unzipped his pants and shoved his hand inside, leaning back slightly, making sure she saw what he was doing. He moaned with ecstasy, and her eyes widened in terror.
Jenna’s life flashed before her eyes. “Oh, God!”
A sound came over the intercom. “Luke Nelson.”
Just the sound of his deep, velvet voice acted like a balm on her screaming nerves. She almost collapsed against the wall with relief. “Oh, oh, thank goodness. Lucas, it’s Jenna. Please help me.”
“Come right in.”
The door released and she slipped inside. It closed behind her with a reassuring click and the dark, threatening figure was left outside.
Lucas called over the stairwell. “Take the elevator. Third floor.” The richness of his voice sounded so comforting, soothing her frazzled nerves.
He was waiting by the lift doors when they opened. “You’re soaked through.” He didn’t smile. He didn’t need to. That he was there and ready to help was all she needed.
“I’m so sorry to disturb you on a Friday night, but my car broke down and—”
“Hey, no explanation necessary. Let’s get you out of those wet clothes.” Grateful for his understanding, when he took her arm in an automatic reaction, she allowed him to guide her along the narrow hallway to his apartment.
He ushered her inside where she was immediately enveloped in warmth and friendship. This is the real Lucas Nelson. Anyone entering this sanctuary couldn’t help but feel welcome. So different from the face he showed the world.
She noted his pristine, cream wool floor covering. “I—I don’t want to drip all over your carpet.”
He dismissed her worries with a wave of his hand. “Don’t worry about that. It’s only a carpet. Take off your jacket. I’ll get you a towel to dry your hair.”
His reaction to her predicament didn’t surprise her. She slipped off her jacket, but held onto it, reluctant to put it down on anything she might ruin.