Almost Jamie (The Jet City Kilt Series) (Volume 1)

by Gina Robinson

  She probably meant to put me at ease. She accomplished exactly the opposite with her perky manner. And the self-serving way she knew this would blow up her ratings.

  "My audience is eighty percent female," she said. "Women love a great love story!"

  "This isn't exactly that," I said. "Austin and I only met a few days ago."

  "Oh, but it is!" she said. "Anyone can see that." She leaned close to me. "It doesn't even really matter how this eventually turns out. Your relationship has become a media sensation. It's already epic. Ride the wave, my dear."

  Her manner made me wary. She had something up her sleeve.

  To distract myself after she left, I lost myself in reading the latest Jamie novel on my phone. I was so deep into the story that I shut out the rest of the world, immersed. I often did this when I read. Beth accused me of willfully ignoring her.

  So I was genuinely startled when the door opened. I jumped in my chair and nearly dropped my phone.

  When I looked up, Austin stood in the doorway.

  He was taller, larger, and more breathtaking than I remembered. How was that possible? Had I been intentionally downplaying his charisma and genuine hotness?

  Wearing jeans, a T-shirt, a spring jacket, and a charming grin, he was almost rakish.

  One glimpse of him and my heart took off at a dangerous clip. Our eyes met. He was studying me as intently as I was him. Did he like what he saw as much as I loved what I saw?

  "Did I startle you?" he said. "Sorry."

  "It's all right," I said. "I was lost in a book."

  Any fears I'd had that he wouldn't be as attractive in regular twenty-first-century clothes were quickly put to rest. If anything, he was hotter.

  And so was I. I was suddenly completely flushed.

  But it was his appreciative, genuinely joyful smile that truly made my heart race. To be looked at like that by a man for the rest of my life.

  Nigel had looked at me like that once upon a time. But not recently. Not at the end.

  It was hard not to return a smile like that.

  "What were you reading?" he said.

  "The latest Jamie novel."

  "Studying for the big interview in a few minutes?" He nodded and gave me a quick wink.

  I laughed. "Caught." I let the full force of my lust shine as I raked my gaze over him, playfully. "I've never seen you in pants before. I kind of miss your knees."

  He held my gaze. "I've never seen you in pants before either." He lowered his gaze to my chest. "I kind of miss something else."

  "I take it you mean my panniers."

  "Exactly."

  My hair was down in the way I usually wore it, long and flowing to the middle of my back. Straightened. Not curly, as it had been in my elegant French historical style.

  "Would you have recognized the modern me on the street?" I said, lifting my chin and turning my head so he got a good look at my profile as well.

  "I'd recognize you anywhere, doc."

  How could he make such a simple statement sound so flattering that it turned me to jelly? Me, a confident, professional woman.

  "Good answer." I tried not to sound as delighted as I was. I nodded at his hand. "You're not wearing your tape. I take it your finger is better?"

  He looked at his hand and stretched his fingers. "Good as new. As you predicted, it hurt like hell for the first day. I'm typing like a maniac again."

  "Excellent." I was sitting on the only couch in the room. I scooted over to make room for him. "As your doctor, I'm obligated to tell you not to overdo it."

  "Noted. Coding is such a dangerous profession. Full of risks like sprained fingers and carpal tunnel." He sat beside me. "So. Are you ready for this?"

  For the sexy smell of his cologne? For the feel of his heat next to me? The comfort of his presence? The reassurance of his smile?

  No. Not to this extent.

  I shrugged. "I'm still not sure what I'm doing here, what we're doing here. Why is everyone so interested?"

  "Epic love at first sight," he said, sounding half serious, half teasing.

  "Love at first sight!" I shook my head. "You mean the release of norepinephrine, adrenaline, dopamine, and phenylethylamine, PEA. The chemicals of love that make the pulse race and stimulate the dizzying feelings of romantic love?"

  "You're such a cynic, doc," he said, his smile unwavering. He leaned in and whispered in my ear, "I admire your ability to break down the chemistry of what happens when love is in the air. But you have to admit, it's getting all those chemicals to react that's the mystery. Why does it happen so rarely? And only between certain people?"

  The door opened before I could respond. But I really had no answer. He was right. That was the mystery. Why did he stir that particular chemical reaction in me? And what did I do about it?

  A staffer came in. "You're on in just a few minutes." He repeated the instructions I'd been given earlier and led us to the edge of the stage to wait for our introduction.

  Austin took my hand and squeezed it reassuringly. "Ready?" He whispered, "Do you think you can act like you're falling in love with me?"

  I couldn't help looking surprised by the question. My breath caught. Falling in love with him should have been so simple. I didn't need to act. I needed to let myself feel. But was I ready?

  I nodded. "I can." Why did I sound breathless and love-struck? I cleared my throat. "If you can pretend to be falling in love with me."

  "Watch me," he said.

  And then Sheri was introducing us. The staffer nudged us onto the stage as the Celtic theme music from Jamie played.

  And there I was, walking into the bright lights, smiling ridiculously, holding the hand of a man I barely knew. And not wanting to let go.

  The live studio audience, which was much smaller than it looked on TV, gave us an enthusiastic round of applause.

  Austin lifted our clenched hands high and then, before I could react, took me in his arms and dipped me, pulling me into an embrace like Jamie and Elinor were famous for. Kissing me lightly, quickly. Nothing more than the merest brush of lips to titillate and thrill the audience. My toes curled. My heart raced. He set me back on my feet, less steady than I had ever been, to the deafening roar of applause.

  When I looked up, Sheri had a hand to her heart. "Aren't they adorable?"

  I thought about Beth watching on TV. And what she would say to me when I got home.

  Sheri hugged me and then Austin. She stroked his cheek playfully. "Isn't he just to die for, ladies?"

  The audience didn't need encouragement to ogle him. They were already drooling over him, even though he was just himself. Not Jamie. Not Connor. Just Austin. Why did I find that so intoxicating?

  Sheri ate up the audience's reaction and laughed. "And gentlemen, I suppose." She fanned herself to more applause. She turned her attention to Austin. "What? No kilt?"

  He glanced down at his jeans. "I didn't have time to get my legs kilt-ready." He winked.

  The audience went wild again.

  As we took a seat, Austin next to Sheri, me next to him, Austin held my hand again, my right in his left. His right still had to be sore. It was obviously bruised, though the bruises were less dark and tinged with green.

  "We've seen the video and pictures from Comicon," Sheri said. "And fallen in love with you and your story. Austin, how did you feel when you first saw Blair?"

  "In pain," he said with a straight face. "I'd just dislocated my finger fighting off a terrifying orc." He held up his hand.

  The audience cooed their sympathy.

  "And in walked Blair, a beautiful angel of mercy. In a hot red dress with a plunging neckline. Now that caught my eye."

  I rolled my eyes, pleased. The way he worked the crowd, it was hard to imagine he'd ever been a geek who didn't know how to talk to women. I wanted to meet Ashley, this woman who'd turned him into a charmer. Or who, at least, had brought his natural charisma out.

  Austin turned to me. "I was in mortal pain. One of my buddi
es was trying to cram my finger back in the socket, rather inexpertly." He winced at the memory. "It hurt like hell, and he was hellbent on giving me a crooked finger for life. Blair walked in and yelled at him to stop before he maimed me and ruined my ability to type. Which is a must in my field. I think I would have fallen for her just because of that. She was saving me from certain torture."

  The look in his eyes made my breath catch. Possession and desire. So genuine. How was he faking this? Was he faking this?

  "But look at her. How could any guy not fall for her?" He sounded absolutely in awe. "Especially wearing that red dress."

  "Blair?" Sheri said. "What about you? How did you feel when you first saw Austin?"

  Now how was I supposed to top what he'd said?

  "Well," I said, trying to gather my thoughts. "At first glance, I thought he was Connor Reid."

  "Aw," Sheri said, clapping. "We all know what that means! Connor Reid!" She sighed. "And were you disappointed when you realized he wasn't Connor?"

  I felt Austin tense. I turned to him and spoke from the heart. "No. Not at all."

  "Isn't that beautiful," Sheri said, and continued with her questions.

  Just like at Comicon, Austin was the real focus of the attention. He handled the interview well, laughing and joking with Sheri like they were old friends. She flirted with him and showed pictures and footage of us at Comicon. The women in the audience couldn't get enough and looked like they wanted to eat him up.

  I answered questions about my costume and how I'd managed to make it so authentic. How about my undergarments—were they period, too? Did I need help getting into, and out of, my dress? Those questions were laced with innuendo.

  As the segment flew by and the end was in sight, I relaxed. It was nearly over, and then this charade could end. I could go back to being anonymous Dr. Edwards. Why did that thought make me so sad?

  I remembered that command to attend Bob's party and was oddly happy about it.

  "This is such a fairytale start to a romance," Sheri said. "We here at the station want to be a part of fostering this new relationship and give it the best chance of success. What can I say? We're suckers for love. In the spirit of that, we have a surprise for you."

  Oh, no. Sheri looked too happy with herself.

  "We've put together a special date package for you! A night on the town, dinner at…"

  She kept talking, but I barely heard. This was getting out of hand. If we didn't put a stop to it…

  But I found myself nodding and thanking her. And feeling excited about spending more time with Austin.

  "You'll have to promise to take selfies and some video so we can follow you on your date. You have to report back to us. We can't get enough of you two, can we, Seattle?"

  The audience roared their approval while Austin playfully muttered something about there always being strings.

  Then we were shaking hands with Sheri, giving her final hugs, and walking off the stage as she went to commercial break.

  "No pressure or anything," Austin whispered to me. "Am I imagining it, or were we just ambushed in there?"

  "Ambushed, definitely."

  He shook his head. "That's so Sheri. Always trying to get the story. Or make one up if necessary. She did the same thing to my buddy Lazer."

  The show's producer caught us and detailed what they had in mind for our night out.

  I wasn't a pushover. I could have protested and flatly refused. But…

  But what?

  I wanted more time with Austin. And the odds of him asking me out after I'd blown him off as being heartbroken and needing time were slim. I glanced at him.

  He leaned in and whispered to me, "We don't have to do this."

  I hesitated.

  "But it is a free meal and entertainment," he said. "And a few more minutes of fame."

  And with that, I was in. Pushed over by a marshmallow's worth of effort on his part.

  The producer gave us the details of the schedule she was looking for.

  "I'm busy Saturday night." I quickly corrected myself: "We're busy Saturday night." I glanced at Austin.

  He looked puzzled, but played along.

  "I can do Friday night." I looked at him for confirmation.

  "I'm free."

  We agreed to the final schedule.

  Austin walked me out of the building. "We're busy Saturday night? Is there something I should know about? Or will I just be home washing my hair?"

  I smiled at him, heart hammering in my ears. "I'm supposed to strong-arm you into coming to a party put on by one of the hospital's major donors. Turns out they'd like to capitalize on our fame, too." I told him about Erica's party.

  "You don't have to twist my arm," he said. "I'm happy to help a worthy cause."

  He walked me to my car. "See you Friday."

  I nodded, regretting that he made no move to kiss me and remembering the brush of his lips on mine. "Friday."

  As I drove away, I glanced at him in my rearview mirror, unable to suppress a smile. His back was to me as he walked to his car. Fortunately. Or he would have seen what I saw as I caught a glimpse of myself.

  Be careful, Blair. You look like you're falling in love.

  My heart hammered. But from fear? Or excitement? My mind raced—were we standing on the edge of a great romance? My great romance? Or was I about to get my heart thoroughly broken by a romance that was playing out in public?

  Oh, Blair. What are you doing?

  Austin

  I was beaming as I walked away from Blair's car. I had to resist fist pumping. I'd gotten exactly what I wanted and more. Not just one more guaranteed date with her, but two.

  Ashley would be proud of the way I was playing the dating game. Keep this up and I'd be her star student. Yeah, gold star for me. And, with luck, the girl.

  It had taken every ounce of self-restraint I had not to appear too eager. To act as if I could go either way—accept Sheri's date. Or not. Shrug. No big deal. Every bit of willpower to resist kissing Blair goodbye. Every damn bit.

  Ashley was a genius.

  My phone buzzed. I had a text from a buddy at work. Heads up. Rumors are flying. Panic is ensuing. Clear your calendar and prepare to be chained to your desk—mandatory overtime is about to rear its ugly head. The company is considering bringing your good buddy Randy Dickless and his team in on your project. His douche reputation precedes him. Watch your back, buddy. Word is that Randy has you in his crosshairs.

  Thank You!

  Thanks for reading Almost Jamie! I hope you enjoyed it!

  If you liked Almost Jamie you’ll want to read Almost Elinor, the next book in the series, right away. Grab your copy today!

  Want to know when my next book will be out? Sign up for my new release newsletter at ginarobinson.com. If you’re on the list, you’ll always be the first to know about new releases, including when the next Jet City romance will be available.

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  If you enjoyed Almost Jamie please review it. Your reviews help others find this book and others in the series. Every review is very much appreciated!

  Also by Gina Robinson

  The Jet City Kilt Series

  Almost Jamie

  Almost Elinor

  Simply Blair

  Simply Austin

  The Billionaire Matchmaker Series

  Part 1—Lazer Focused

  Part 2—Harte Strings

  Part 3—Pair Us

  Part 4—Dating Lazer

  Part 5—Match Point

  The Billionaire Duke Series

  Part 1—The Billionaire Duke

  Part 2—The Duchess Contest

  Part 3—The Temporary Duchess

  Part 4—The American Heir

  The Switched at Marriage Series

  Part 1—A Wedding to Remember

  Part 2—The Virgin Billionaire

  Part 3—To Have and To Hold

  Part 4—From This Day Forward

  Part 5—For Ri
cher, For Richest

  Part 6—In Sickness and In Wealth

  Part 7—To Love and To Cherish

  The Billionaire’s Christmas Vows

  Gina Robinson’s Contemporary New Adult Romance Series

  The Rushed Series

  Book 1—Rushed, Zach and Alexis’ story

  Book 2—Crushed, Dakota and Morgan’s story

  Book 3—Hushed, Seth and Maddie’s story

  The Reckless Series

  Book 1—Reckless Longing

  Book 2—Reckless Secrets

  Book 3—Reckless Together

  About the Author

  Gina Robinson is the bestselling and award-winning author of the popular Switched at Marriage, Billionaire Duke, and Billionaire Matchmaker romantic comedy series, featuring a billionaire in a surprising marriage of convenience, a billionaire who inherits a British dukedom, and a billionaire who partners with a matchmaker, the Reckless and Rushed contemporary new adult romance series, and the Agent Ex series of humorous romantic suspense novels. Her books have delighted readers and received praise in Publishers Weekly, Booklist, and Romantic Times Book Reviews.

  She writes romance and women's fiction across a wide variety of subgenres--romantic comedy, new adult, contemporary, historical, and romantic suspense. Her love stories are infused with a blend of romance, adventure, a bit of mystery, and humor. Readers are drawn to the light touch she gives even serious topics and the fast, fun, easy-to-read pace of her books.

  Sign up for her mailing list at www.ginarobinson.com and be the first to hear about new releases, contests, and giveaways.

  www.ginarobinson.com