Second Act

by Herkness, Nancy

  “The lab coat is a nice touch,” Emily said as she took Jessica’s jacket to hang on a hook in the hallway.

  “Let’s hope it helps,” Jessica said before she headed down the stairs to the dogs’ quarters. Once she’d quieted the enthusiastic greeting, she scanned the basement space. Sure enough, it was immaculate, the floor so clean she wouldn’t hesitate to eat off it, and the dogs’ coats shone with brushing and good health. Even the windows had been washed, so the pale winter sunlight came through with maximum brightness.

  She walked down the hallway to check on the storage closet where Pari was quarantined. The door was open to allow for ventilation, and she noticed that someone—her money was on Diego—had set up a fan in one corner to circulate the air. She nodded in approval as she spoke softly to the little dog. She felt badly about not petting Pari, but she didn’t have gloves with her.

  Her gaze fell on the brown dog bed where she’d slept, and memories of the power of Hugh’s arms cradling her ignited flares of heat deep in her body. He’d gotten into all the corners of her life, a realization that made her uneasy.

  She forced herself to focus on the room, giving it a thorough scan and finding nothing objectionable, before she strode out.

  Upstairs, she joined Emily in the kitchen, where the director was chatting with Kyra Dixon, the center’s chef.

  When they heard the front door open, both Jessica and Emily jumped off the stools on which they had settled to wait.

  “Good to see you, Mr. Baker,” Jessica heard the security guard say, and her nerves fizzed.

  Hugh appeared in the door to the kitchen, his brilliant blue gaze scanning the room until it locked on her. When he smiled, she read all the feelings in it that she had hoped for, and her heart unfurled like a flower in the spring sunlight.

  “Jess,” he said, coming toward her with his hands stretched out, palms up. She met him and laid her hands in his, loving the feel of his fingers closing around hers. He bent and kissed her in an unguarded way that took her back to the early days of their affair, when she’d been intoxicated by his every touch.

  The kiss was not long, but it left her wrapped in a haze of desire. He released her hands to greet Emily and Kyra, who glanced between Jessica and Hugh with somewhat dreamy expressions. She had time to notice he wore a perfectly tailored charcoal-gray suit, which she guessed belonged to Hugh himself since it seemed less tight fitting than Julian’s attire.

  “No tuxedo?” she teased once she’d recovered enough to speak.

  “It seemed implausible that I’d stopped in for a visit to the Carver Center while en route to Monte Carlo, so I came as myself.” He turned to Emily. “On the way here, I had a few thoughts about how to explain my presence.”

  Jessica stood back and listened with openmouthed admiration as he outlined his plan to sway the inspector into giving a favorable report and discussed the timing of all of their entrances and exits, so as not to overwhelm the inspector and make him or her feel pressured.

  “Brilliant!” Emily agreed with enthusiasm. “Now I guess we should all take our positions.”

  “Or as we say in the movie business, ‘Places, everyone!’” Hugh said. He gave Jessica a private smile before he disappeared up the stairs to the lounge.

  Kyra let out a long, exaggerated sigh and said, “You are one lucky woman.”

  “Hey, I’ve met your fiancé,” Jessica said, remembering the tall, patrician blond who’d brought her the giant flower arrangement. “You’re not exactly suffering on that front.”

  Kyra smiled. “I have no complaints, but I’m not immune to Julian Best’s sexy edge of danger.”

  “You should hear him complain about his gun holster being too tight,” Jessica said with a snort as she headed for the door. Hugh had suggested that she join the inspector in the kennel area, so she trotted back downstairs and worked her way along the row of crates, petting their tail-wagging inhabitants.

  After about twenty minutes, her phone vibrated with a text message from Powell, using their silly code for the arrival of the inspector: The eagle has landed.

  Jessica pulled her stethoscope out of her coat pocket and hung it around her neck, an extra costume prop Hugh had suggested. Soon voices and footsteps came from the stairs, so she swung open Shaq’s crate and pretended to listen to the big dog’s heart.

  “This is Dr. Quillen, the vet who sees to the medical needs of all our dogs,” Emily said smoothly. “Doctor, I’d like to introduce Arlene Washington from Animal Control and Welfare. She’s here to ensure that we’re doing everything we can to make our canine residents comfortable.”

  Jessica latched Shaq’s cage and stood to shake hands. Ms. Washington was tall and thin, with wiry gray hair pulled back in a ponytail. She wore navy trousers and a matching windbreaker with the New York City government insignia printed on it in white. Tucked under her arm was an electronic tablet.

  “As a vet, I appreciate the work you do to protect animals in the city.” Jessica smiled with total sincerity.

  Ms. Washington gave her a limp handshake without an answering smile, and Jessica’s heart sank. Thank goodness she’d called in the cavalry.

  “If I can answer any questions about the dogs’ health, please let me know,” Jessica said, trying again. “We have one dog quarantined because she has giardiasis. Because of the quick response of the dogs’ caretakers, only three out of twelve canines have shown symptoms of the parasite. That’s pretty impressive.”

  Ms. Washington nodded and looked around the kennel, her brow furrowed. She paced down the row of crates, peering into each one. The dogs all stood and wagged their tails, a couple barking a friendly greeting. “At least the dogs are doing their part to prove they’re happy here,” Jessica whispered to Emily under cover of Shaq’s deep woof.

  The inspector walked over to one of the windows, peering out into the snow-covered backyard. She flipped open the cover of her tablet and tapped at it for several seconds. “Let me see the quarantine room,” she said, her tone flat.

  Jessica’s throat tightened at the mention of the trouble spot. They needed the big guns now, but there was no sign of Hugh.

  “This way,” Emily said, gesturing toward the hallway and falling into step beside Ms. Washington. Jessica walked behind them, wondering what Hugh was waiting for.

  When they entered, Pari sat up and yipped. Ms. Washington showed her first sign of humanity when she knelt and put her fingers through the crate’s wires to let the dog lick her fingers. “Are you feeling okay?” she asked. She straightened to her full height. “Looks like she’s doing all right.”

  The dogs raised a chorus of greeting from the kennel area, and Jessica blew out a breath of relief.

  “Dr. Quillen?” Hugh’s voice projected clearly through the barking.

  “Excuse me,” Jessica said, stepping to the door before she raised her voice. “Mr. Baker, I’m in the quarantine room.” She turned back to Ms. Washington. “I’m sorry for the interruption, but Mr. Baker has very limited time.”

  The inspector’s lips tightened into a thin line. “So do I.”

  Jessica just smiled as Hugh’s footsteps sounded on the concrete hallway’s floor. He came to the door, his broad shoulders filling the width of the frame. “Doctor, I have a—” He feigned surprise. “My apologies, I didn’t realize you were busy.”

  “Ms. Washington, may I introduce Hugh Baker. You might recognize him from the Julian Best movies,” Jessica said, somehow keeping a straight face. “Mr. Baker, this is Arlene Washington. She does the good work of making sure kennel facilities are keeping their boarders happy and healthy.”

  “A pleasure, Ms. Washington,” Hugh said, taking the woman’s hand in both of his and giving her the full focus of his intense blue gaze. “Thank you for your work on behalf of our fur friends.”

  For a moment, the inspector just stared at Hugh, and Jessica’s heart turned to stone in her chest. Did Ms. Washington live under a rock and not know who Hugh Baker was? Maybe she hated s
py movies. Maybe she hated all movies.

  “You’re welcome,” the inspector said, her eyes never leaving Hugh’s face. Everyone waited a beat, but that seemed to be her entire response.

  Hugh appeared to think for a moment before speaking again. “You know, I’m here because I have a foundation that supports other kids’ centers like this one. We heard about the Carver Center’s K-9 Angelz program and believe it is something our kids would benefit from as well. So we’re using this”—he swept his hand around the tiny room—“as our model. Dr. Quillen is acting as the veterinary adviser on the project.”

  Jessica hid her amused surprise. Hugh was improvising beyond the simple script he’d outlined for them.

  “Perhaps you could assist me with the regulatory side of things.” He smiled into Ms. Washington’s eyes, his charm turned up to full wattage.

  Jessica’s knees had turned to rubber, so she wasn’t surprised when the inspector broke at last and nodded so hard her ponytail bounced. “That could be worked out,” she said.

  “Excellent!” Hugh sounded as though he’d been granted his fondest wish. He pulled a business card and a slim silver pen from his pocket, scrawling something on the back of the card before he proffered it to her. “Here’s my personal cell phone number. Do you have a business card I might take?”

  Ms. Washington took the card by one corner and gaped down at it. “Your personal cell phone number,” she repeated.

  “And your card?” Hugh prompted after a moment.

  The inspector looked flustered. “I don’t have one.” She slipped his card into an inner pocket and patted the others. “Maybe a piece of . . .”

  Hugh produced another of his cards and held out the pen as well. “Just write your name and number on the back of mine.”

  She used her tablet as a writing surface and penned her information with great care. When Hugh’s fingers brushed hers as he accepted the card, the inspector jerked slightly and gave him a nervous look.

  “Do you know that I found Dr. Quillen sleeping on the dog bed in that corner last week?” Hugh said to Ms. Washington, pointing to the spot. “She was so concerned about one of the dogs that she didn’t want to leave until she was sure the little creature would make it. That’s an impressive commitment to the animals here, don’t you think?”

  Jessica’s mind went straight to what she and Hugh had done afterward, making the blood heat up in her veins, but she managed to say, “Any vet would have done the same thing.”

  The inspector tore her attention away from Hugh long enough to acknowledge Jessica. “I’ve heard good things about you.”

  “This program has instilled a love of animals in the young people here that they’ll take with them all of their lives,” Hugh said, making another grand sweep with his arm. “They will go out as ambassadors of kindness to our fur friends. Maybe one of them might even become an inspector like yourself.”

  Ms. Washington swallowed before she said, “That would . . . well, maybe.”

  Hugh stepped out of the doorway and bent just slightly at the waist in an almost bow. “Why don’t we go to the kennel area and you can use it as an illustration of how I should set up my own program?”

  “I could do that,” the inspector said, walking out the door. Hugh gave Emily and Jessica a wink before he followed the woman into the hallway.

  They waited until the footsteps had receded. Emily quietly closed the storage room door and then made a show of fanning herself. “Oh my God, he had me nearly melting onto the floor, and he wasn’t even looking at me!”

  “Me, too,” Jessica said, sagging against the wall as the adrenaline drained out of her system.

  “Well, that’s because when he looks at you like that, he means it.” Emily glanced at her watch. “We’re supposed to give him a little more time alone with her before we rejoin them. By then he’ll have her eating out of his hand.”

  “And the K-9 Angelz will be safe.” Jessica blew out a breath. “I don’t think we could have done it without him.”

  “Yes, meeting Hugh Baker probably made her week. You know, I always feel a little sorry for the various inspectors,” Emily said. “Everyone dislikes them so much, but it’s a job that needs to be done.”

  “It’s only the occasional bad apple who abuses the power they have. But you just never know which kind is going to walk into your place.”

  Emily twisted the door handle open. “Time to find out the verdict.”

  Once he got her talking, Hugh discovered that Arlene Washington knew her stuff and was genuinely concerned about the dogs’ health and well-being, so his interest was no longer feigned. In fact, he was glad to have her contact information for future use.

  But he knew the power of leaving them wanting more, so Jessica and Emily’s reappearance played right into his plan. He looked at his watch—or rather, Julian’s, since he hadn’t had time to do more than strip off the black turtleneck and jeans and throw on his own suit—and smiled an apology at Arlene, as she’d asked him to call her. “If you’re finished with your inspection, I’ll walk you to the door. Otherwise, I’m going to have to say good-bye here. I have a scuba scene to shoot, and it takes a while to suit up.” He made a wry face.

  “I’m satisfied with what I’ve seen,” Arlene said, tapping on her tablet again. She spared a quick nod for the other two women. “You’ve passed.”

  He could see the quick flicker of relief on both their faces.

  “Thank you,” Emily said sincerely but without any sign that she expected otherwise. “I appreciate your taking the time to come here. We always want to be sure we’re doing things correctly.”

  He gestured for the women to precede him up the stairs, but as soon as they reached the top, he made sure to walk beside Arlene so he could focus his attention on her one last time. It wouldn’t do for her to think that once the center’s kennel had been approved, he had lost interest. He made a point of taking Arlene’s winter coat from Emily and helping the inspector into it.

  “It’s been a pleasure and an education,” he said, pulling the heavy metal front door open. He stepped out behind Arlene to find half a dozen photographers loitering on the sidewalk. As they scrambled into action, their cameras clicking and whirring, irritation burned through him. He supposed they had followed his limo from the movie set. That had been a tactical error on his part, but he’d been in a hurry.

  Arlene stood frozen at the top of the steps, her mouth half-open. He forced a rueful half smile and offered his arm to her. “I’m sorry for the aggravation. Allow me to escort you past these nuisances.”

  She swallowed. “Sure,” she said, putting her hand through the crook of his elbow. They walked down the steps side by side with Arlene looking like a deer in headlights. The photographers parted barely enough to let them through. He controlled his desire to give them a look that would make them move farther away. He could imagine the caption: “Hugh Baker angered when he runs afoul of the Big Apple’s health department. Inspector hauls him off to jail.”

  His limo was parked by a fire hydrant a few steps away. The photographers followed them, so he bent to murmur in Arlene’s ear, “May I offer you a ride anywhere?”

  She shook her head. “My car’s just down the block.” With a flash of unexpected humor, she added, “I don’t want to start any crazy rumors by getting into a limo with you.”

  He laughed. “You’re a wise woman.”

  As he ducked into the car, he glanced back at the Carver Center to see Jessica standing at the top of the steps, an expression of stunned horror on her face while the photographers swarmed his ride. He closed the door and hit the driver’s intercom. “Drive around until you lose these vultures and then circle back here.”

  “With pleasure, sir,” his driver said. All his chauffeurs considered it a point of honor to be able to shake off the paparazzi.

  He yanked out his phone to send Jessica a text saying, Don’t leave. I’ll be back once I lose the bottom feeders.

  I’ll be he
re.

  Fifteen minutes later, the limo glided back into position at the fire hydrant. Hugh waited for a few moments, but no lurking photographers leaped out of hiding places.

  As he walked up the steps, the door swung open. “Did you get rid of them?” Jessica asked, peering around him.

  He stepped inside. “All clear.”

  “How do you stand that?” she asked.

  Unease prickled through him, but he shrugged it off. “It comes with the territory. Let’s get out of the hallway.” He needed to kiss her until her distress melted away, so he started toward the stairs down to the kennel.

  “Emily wants to thank you,” Jessica said, veering toward the upward staircase.

  “Later.” He seized her hand and pulled her into him so he could murmur, “I think you should thank me first.”

  Her eyes lit with amusement that went hot when she met his gaze. But it wasn’t just desire he saw in her face. There was something more, something that she hadn’t allowed him to see before. Suddenly, his need went beyond distracting her from the underbelly of fame. Now he wanted to feel this new thing between them, to wrap himself in it as he moved inside her.

  “Oh, in that case.” She grinned before tugging him along at a brisk pace.

  When they reached the bottom of the steps, the dogs set up their usual high-volume welcome, but he didn’t care. He spun her back to the wall and leaned against her, reveling in the soft push of her breasts against his chest and the sigh of her breath on his mouth when he brought his lips down on hers. Her fingers were in his hair, then gripping his shoulders, then digging into his buttocks to bring him closer as she rocked into his erection.

  “We can’t do this here,” she said as he slipped his hands up under her scrubs to fill his palms with the round weight of her breasts. Her nipples hardened when he rubbed his thumbs over the delicate lace of her bra, making him want to suck on her. His cock stiffened further at nothing more than the thought.