Carter pushed away from the wall. “If she’s going to cheat on you, isn’t it better to know that now? I’m helping you. Let the games begin.”
“No, there is no game.”
Carter began walking to the dance floor but called over his shoulder, “If you don’t want to play, I’ll definitely win.”
“May I cut in?”
Jenessa looked past Kevin Meyer to see Carter Sharp standing near the older man’s shoulder. She did her best to control her facial expressions and not show her distaste at the thought of dancing with him. After all, Kole had told her Carter was the biggest fish in the pond. She was supposed to flirt with the man, but she’d rather tell him to drop dead.
“I’m dancing with Kevin,” she said, making that light, lilting tone to her voice she’d heard the other women use tonight. “I can’t just ditch him, but you can have the next dance.”
“It’s okay, dear.” Kevin leaned forward and placed a dry peck of a kiss against Jenessa’s cheek. “My old bones are tired. Since my wife passed, I don’t get the opportunity to dance with pretty ladies anymore, and three dances was enough.”
Probably a good thing. There was only so long Jenessa could pretend to be interested in listening to stories about the man’s late wife, children, and grandchildren. Kevin Meyer had to be the most boring person at the party. At least he didn’t seem to be the mole. The man genuinely admired William and Lynn, loved them like family. She couldn’t see him siding with Paul Billings to hurt them.
“It was lovely dancing with you,” she said. “Thanks for keeping the new girl company and not letting me turn into a wallflower. Kole isn’t much for dancing, I guess.”
Kevin squeezed her hand before passing it over to Carter. “Be nice, Carter. This little lady is special.”
It warmed Jenessa to hear him say that. Even though she was getting bored with the family stories, she’d loosened up a bit while talking with Kevin and let her true personality show. She didn’t act as fake as she had with all the other men tonight, so it was nice to think she might fit in with this crowd just as herself.
Carter wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her a bit closer than custom dictated. “I think we got off on the wrong foot, Jen. I want to make up for any bad impression I might have caused at the restaurant last night.”
Jenessa forced a giggle and rubbed her hand against Carter’s shoulder. “Don’t even worry about it. A strong, impressive man like you can’t worry about what little ol’ me thinks.”
“That’s where you’re wrong.” He pulled her even closer, practically resting his lips against her earlobe and grinding his pelvis into hers. “My brother has a knack of picking women who would be better off with me. All I’ve been able to think about is what it would be like to rip your clothes off, but you’re with him. I can hardly stand it.”
Jenessa hoped this was some sort of test to see whether she was like Clarissa. Perhaps Carter was being a good brother and trying to protect Kole. It was hard to come up with a suitable answer, but Kole had told her to flirt. “Rip my clothes off, huh?” She gave a husky laugh against his ear. “I can feel your muscles under this monkey suit. I bet you have a lot to show me if I ripped yours off.”
Suddenly, Carter’s body jerked away from her. Jenessa relaxed her hold on him, surprised to see Kole yank Carter around to face him.
“That’s enough, Carter. She’s my date.”
Jenessa froze. Unsure what to do as everyone on the dance floor turned to look at them.
Carter snarled at Kole. “She doesn’t want you. She’ll end up hurting you.”
“Doesn’t want me?” Kole shoved Carter and rushed toward Jenessa, taking her in his arms. “I know you want me, baby. I’m all the man you need, right?”
Before Jenessa could decide on the proper response, Kole dipped her downward and his lips crashed into hers.
Partly from surprise and partly from desire, Jenessa wrapped her arms around Kole’s neck. His lips and tongue assaulted her, tasting her in a demanding, needy way. Her heart raced and Jenessa opened her mouth, letting him inside. A soft moan ripped from his throat and he sucked against her bottom lip, kissing her a few more times before placing her back on her feet.
“That’s it? Maybe you don’t feel my passion,” he said in a loud, disbelieving voice. “Why are you pushing me away? Do you really want my brother?”
Although desire coursed through Jenessa’s entire body, making it hard to follow what was happening, she suddenly realized his kiss had simply been an act. He didn’t want people to realize that she’d enjoyed the kiss. She was supposed to want Carter.
A blush started at the base of her neck and Jenessa knew she probably looked like a fool. Kole would certainly know she had honestly thought he wanted to kiss her. How would she face him when they were alone?
That was a question to worry about later. For now, she had a show to put on for the room full of people gawking at them.
“You know I don’t like PDA,” she snapped, rubbing at her lips to get the taste of him off her. “And I like this scene you’re making even less.”
“Then let’s leave,” he said.
She narrowed her eyes, glancing between Kole and his brother. Softly, she said, “I didn’t finish my dance with Carter.”
Kole went pale, looking truly stricken. “Is he what you want?”
Wow! He was a better actor than she thought. However, a smart social climber wouldn’t leave Kole for an uncertain future. Carter hadn’t offered Jenessa anything but sex. She had a pretty good deal with Kole if she wanted money, fame, and power. Nothing short of a marriage proposal should make her publicly reject him.
She fluttered her hands ineffectively around her head, the way she’d watched another woman do earlier in the night while upset. “You know that’s not what I want, but you haven’t danced with me once tonight and then you come over here and create a scene.”
Kole raised an eyebrow. “Who are you kidding, Jen? You love being the center of attention.”
Jenessa allowed a smile to tug at her lips, as though she was trying hard not to be charmed by him. “You know me so well.”
He stepped back to her, kissing her cheek. “Forgive me for being a jealous fool?”
Jenessa gave one last, longing look at Carter, to let the crowd around them know she still thought the elder brother was the bigger catch. When Carter made no move to encourage her, she snuggled against Kole’s chest, settling into his embrace when his arms closed around her. “Let’s go home, lover. I’ll show you just how dedicated I am.”
Kole drove across town, worried about how silent Jenessa had been since they left the party. He knew she’d felt his real passion in that kiss. Even though she’d responded to it, as per her job, she obviously hadn’t welcomed it. While his blood still pumped loudly in his ears just thinking about how soft and wonderful she’d been in his arms, Kole knew he had to get things back to normal between them. Perhaps ignoring what happened would be the best course of action.
“What did you think about everyone?” he asked, hoping he sounded casual and not accusatory. It wouldn’t do for her to sense his real jealousy. “I noticed you danced with Caleb, Charles, and Kevin all for quite a while. They’re all on the board. Any of them set off alarm bells?”
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her shake her head.
“Not really,” she replied. “Caleb asked a lot of questions about where I’m from. I hope you didn’t answer that question tonight because I’ll need to detail out my fake life for you so our stories match.”
“No one asked,” he said. “People wanted to know how we met and if it was serious. I told them the wedding story and that I think you’re the one.”
“What about Carter? He was propositioning me out on that floor and grinding his pelvis into me.” She made a soft huffing sound as though it had upset her, which pleased Kole more than it should have. “Was he trying to test me to see if I’d betray you? I don’t understand your brother.”
Kole knew he’d have to tell Jenessa the truth about what happened with Clarissa. If for no other reason than to help her navigate future meetings with Carter.
He pulled the car up to his house and punched in the new code for the security gate. It was a relief to find the house exactly as they’d left it when he parked the car. Then again, perhaps whoever had broken in last night was still at the charity event.
He turned off the car and then faced Jenessa, finally having the courage to meet her eyes after everything that happened tonight. “Carter wasn’t testing you,” he said. “My brother’s truly interested in you.”
Jenessa wrinkled her nose. “Why?”
“Mostly because he thinks you’re mine.”
The suspicion in her brown eyes softened, morphing to warmth and compassion. “Kole? What did he do?”
He shook his head, wanting to put off the moment of humiliation just a bit longer. “Why don’t we go inside, change into more comfortable clothes, and put on a pot of coffee? Then, we’ll talk about everything.”
Without waiting to see if she agreed, Kole hopped out of the car, rounding quickly to her side to open the passenger door. Luckily, she remembered his earlier lesson and waited for him. She was teachable about stuffy social rules, but Kole couldn’t help but appreciate that she didn’t follow them in her usual life.
Why had he been such an ass to her over the past couple of days? She was a refreshing change from women like Clarissa and Tanya.
He smiled and held his hand out to her. “I see you’re a quick study.”
Her eyes darted around the yard as she took his hand and allowed him to help her out of the seat. She leaned in close, brushing her lips against his ear. “I figured someone could be watching,” she breathed.
Damn, but Kole hated the way he longed to kiss her again. He’d been on his own too long. Jenessa wasn’t the sort of woman he should look twice at, and yet all he wanted was to take her to a bedroom and forget about the way Carter tried to steal her.
Forcing himself to kiss her cheek and then back away, tucking her arm under his, Kole remembered his role. She was right that they might have watchers. “I’m glad everything’s okay between us,” he said on the off chance someone could overhear them. “When you danced with Carter I became so jealous.”
She let out a soft giggle, so unlike the woman he knew she really was. “Oh, lover. You know I only have eyes for you. Let’s go inside. I can show you how much you mean to me.”
“Let’s hurry,” he urged, rushing her to the front door.
Chapter 9
Jenessa took a few extra moments to brush out her hair in front of the vanity that had once belonged to Kole’s ex. Excitement still coursed through her when she thought about the kiss they’d shared on the dance floor.
Damn it! She needed to get control of herself. Kole had been doing his job. Maybe spending the evening with him alone was just what she needed. It never took him long to remind her how inferior of a woman she was in his eyes. Then, she’d be able to loathe him again rather than wishing for another kiss.
She adjusted the neckline on her new off-the-shoulder purple sweater that the beauty consultant had picked for her. Along with the gray skin-tight leggings, Jenessa couldn’t help but think she looked cute. Relaxed and not at all like an FBI agent. She doubted Kole would notice or appreciate it if he did, but at least there wouldn’t be too much for him to criticize.
She wanted him to be just snarky enough to shut off her attraction to him. She didn’t really want to hate the man she had to work with for however long it took to catch the person taking out board members.
Smoothing her hair one last time, Jenessa rose from the vanity and made her way downstairs. The comforting smell of fresh coffee led her to the kitchen.
Kole stood at the counter, back turned to her. Jenessa involuntarily licked her lips at the sight of him. He’d changed into jeans that hugged his tight ass almost as much as leggings would have. A black T-shirt with the logo of a band Jenessa had never heard of covered his muscles, but she’d been wrapped in his arms enough tonight to know how sexy and toned Kole’s body was.
With a slight sigh, she forced herself to stop gawking and cleared her throat. “Sorry that took me so long. It took forever to brush all that crap out of my hair.”
Kole turned around, gazing at her with an unreadable look on his face. “You made the perfect socialite tonight,” he said softly, “but I prefer this girl.”
Jenessa’s breath arrested in her chest and her heart pounded a touch faster. He wasn’t supposed to say that. He was supposed to be a jerk. Shaking herself slightly to break whatever spell had come over her when they’d kissed earlier, Jenessa gave a self-depreciating grin. “Thanks, I guess. Better than what you usually say.”
A frown marred his handsome face. “I know I’ve been terrible. There’s a reason I push people away, and I’m afraid you suffered because of it. It’s not a good excuse and I don’t expect you to forgive me, but I am sorry.”
He wouldn’t understand if she told him his apology was making things harder for her, not better. “That coffee smells good,” she said, not sure how to respond to his apology without her attraction to him blazing higher.
His eyes narrowed for a second but then he shrugged. “Do you take cream or sugar?”
“Black is fine.”
He poured two mugs full and handed her one. “Let’s go to the library. It’s more comfortable in there.”
“Is that a good idea? What if our visitor left something behind yesterday?”
An amused smile uplifted the corners of his mouth and crinkled his eyes. “It’s amazing how much we think alike. You’re definitely one smart cookie. Don’t worry, though. There aren’t any bugs in the house. I checked this morning before going to the police station and giving my statement on the way to the board meeting. I also made sure our cell phones were free of any ability to listen in remotely.”
Jenessa couldn’t help but grin in response. His smile melted her heart, but she needed to stay focused on the business at hand. “I always worry about someone planting a bug and spying on me. I guess it comes from my ability to hack others. I know how simply I can do it, and these days, anyone can buy a listening device or small camera and plant it.”
“I have detection equipment for those,” he assured her. “The house is safe. I also changed the security codes on the front gate and the alarm system. I only gave the new codes to my main housekeeper. She’s completely loyal. No one will get in this house unless she or I let them in.”
When Kole turned and led the way to the library, Jenessa padded after him. The carpeted areas throughout the house were plush and comfortable under her bare feet, nothing like the thin carpets at her own apartment. She had really moved up in the world. This was like staying at Nick and Carlie’s five-star resort. However, when staying in Sayle she didn’t have to deal with mixed emotions and a difficult partner.
Kole set his coffee on an end table in between two overstuffed reclining chairs, sitting in the one on the left and indicating the one to his right. “Please, sit. This is my favorite place in the house.” He gave a wry smile and shook his head. “Of course, that might be because Clarissa detested reading and never stepped foot in this room.”
Jenessa folded her legs beneath her on the chair and blew across the top of her coffee to cool it before taking a sip. She wondered if Kole would tell her everything now. She had a suspicion his problems with Clarissa likely had something to do with Carter. It was horrible to contemplate. How could a man hurt his own brother that way?
Kole fell silent and sipped at his own coffee for several long minutes.
Finally, Jenessa couldn’t stand it anymore. “Did Carter sleep with her?”
“He was only one of many.” Kole made a scoffing sound deep in his throat. “I was so stupid, blinded by her beauty and zest for life. People tried to warn me, most notably Carter. I didn’t want to listen, convinced she loved me.”
&
nbsp; “The newspaper articles I read made it sound like you were the one at fault for the relationship ending. Why?” Part of the reason Jenessa had been so ready to dislike Kole was from the Google search she’d done on him before boarding the plane to D.C. It seemed she should have dug a little deeper. Maybe he wasn’t the jerk he’d shown himself to be and she’d written him off as.
“This is so humiliating. I hate talking about it, especially with a pretty woman.”
Jenessa tried to brush that away as more of his desire to distract her than a sincere compliment. “I won’t judge you for what they did.”
Kole stared into his cup, seeming unwilling to meet her eyes. “Even if you do judge me, I have to tell you. Carter really is interested, and that could cause a problem.”
“Even before knowing he slept with your girlfriend, I wouldn’t have touched your brother with a ten-foot pole.” She felt heat rise to her cheeks and was glad he wasn’t looking at her. She was talking about the likely future president of their country. “No offense.”
A slight smile played across Kole’s kissable lips and he finally glanced at her. “None taken. I’m glad I won’t have to fight him for you.”
Jenessa was sure her face must be scarlet, as hot as it felt. He couldn’t be serious!
“I’ve embarrassed you,” he noted, his smile widening. “That’s cute.”
She needed to get the conversation back on track. “How did you find out the truth?”
His face fell and the frown returned. “I caught them, her and Carter. Here in our bed.”
Jenessa gasped. “That’s horrible.”
“It is what it is.” He shrugged. “It didn’t stop there. They dated for a while. I think Carter would have married her, but she jumped on the next big thing and hooked up with a Senator who has more money than even my family.”
Love & Compromise (Agents in Love Book 3) Page 8