She crossed her arms over her chest, trying not to notice how perfectly Jefferson’s faded jeans hung on his hips or the way his green T-shirt stretched across his wide shoulders and clung to his flat stomach. The man had to exercise regularly to be that built. She forced her thoughts away from his looks. “What do you want?”
“To have a civil conversation.” His words were barely audible, and he sighed. “Do you mind taking a walk so we can hear each other without yelling?”
As much as she wanted to tell him to bug off, curiosity won out. “Yeah, whatever.”
The noise faded as they walked down the car-lined dirt track toward the road. Brilliant moonlight, supplemented by an abundance of stars, illuminated their path and made it possible to see each other. Layla almost wished it was cloudy so she wouldn’t have to see the man who haunted way too many of her thoughts. Once the music was a faint background that blended with the chirp of crickets, she stopped and turned toward Jefferson.
“How did you find me out here?”
He smiled. “That hoodie you wore the day of your photo shoot. I did an internet search for Death Fire and found their blog. To my surprise, I discovered your cousin is the lead singer and you’re a regular at their shows. It didn’t take much to figure out you would likely be here tonight.”
Layla silently cursed her cousin’s openness on the band’s blog. “Well, you found me. Now, what do you want?”
“To apologize again for the mix-up with the photos.” He looked out over the fields around them, and then sighed as he returned his gaze to her. “You have no idea how much I’ve been kicking myself since it happened, even before you found out about it.”
“That doesn’t change the fact that the entire company saw the photos that were never to see the light of day.”
“I know.” He lifted a hand then let it fall to his side. “I’ve been working to fix it, and I finally managed to convince the client to go with a different model. I had Tommy delete all of the photos he took of you, and the prints are in an envelope in my car. You can do whatever you want with them.”
Could it be he hadn’t meant to betray her trust after all? It certainly sounded like he’d worked hard to rectify the situation, which didn’t seem like something a jerk would do. Maybe it really had been an accident, as he and Tommy had claimed. “Why didn’t you destroy the prints?”
“Because I keep hoping you’ll realize how beautiful you are.” Jefferson stepped close and gently grasped her arms. Heat raced through her at his touch, making it hard to focus on what he was saying. “Layla, I know you don’t believe me, but you could easily be a model. You’ve got the looks for it, but you also have something else. A spark in your personality and a natural grace that allow you to become whatever you need to be in any situation.”
She looked away from his sincere gaze. “You’re imagining things.”
“No, I’m not.” He rubbed her arms, sending an electrified longing through her veins. “Think about it. Until last week, I had no idea about this side of you. You’ve always been the professional businesswoman who could handle clients with ease and come up with the most brilliant and successful ad campaigns. When you’re with your cousin’s band, I’d be willing to bet they have no idea how capable you are in the business world. They probably just see you as the laidback woman who enjoys heavy metal and helps haul her cousin’s equipment to various venues.”
“It’s easier to keep the two parts of my life separate. They aren’t particularly compatible.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. They can go together, and often do in the music industry.” Jefferson reached up and stroked her cheek. “You’re versatile in your talents, loyal to your friends, and you’re gorgeous on top of that. I really wish you could see all of that, and allow yourself to use all of your talents instead of hiding some of them depending upon where you are.”
Layla looked deep into his eyes, seeing more warmth than a professional relationship allowed. Her pulse picked up speed and the protective shell around her heart melted. This wasn’t a business colleague trying to talk her into returning to her job. This was a man who cared about her, who wanted to see her be true to herself and live up to her potential.
But could she set aside her fears and allow herself to do it?
Tears stung her eyes. “Jefferson, I’ve worked so hard to gain acceptance and respect in the business world. If I let all of those professionals see this side of me, what is that going to do to my credibility?”
“Absolutely nothing. You will still be respected. People will just see how dynamic your personality is.”
“How can you possibly know that?” She stepped away from him and swiped at the moisture in her eyes to clear her vision. “Not everyone thinks the same way you do.”
“True, but I saw the way people treated you after seeing you in ripped jeans and a Death Fire hoodie. They still had the same measure of respect for you they always had, but a few seemed to see you in a new light.” Jefferson smiled and stepped closer again. “And a few seemed to gain more respect for you, since that outfit made them realize there’s more to you than they’ve ever seen around the office.”
He laid a hand along her jaw and stroked her cheek with his thumb. “Everything that’s happened since that day has made me realize how much of an idiot I’ve been with you. I don’t hate you, which I’m sure you must think. In fact, it’s just the opposite. I like you more than is appropriate for a boss. To hide that, I’ve tried to distance myself and be coolly professional. Unfortunately, all I’ve managed to do is turn into a humongous jerk where you’re concerned. You deserve so much better than that. I’m sorry.”
Layla leaned into his touch, wishing he would have told her all of this before. How long had he been trying to hide his feelings from her? She covered his hand with hers and smiled. “You’re not my boss now.”
Awareness crackled between them, and Jefferson leaned forward but paused with his lips mere inches from hers. She found it nearly impossible to breathe as she waited.
“Is this what you really want?” he whispered. “I don’t want to overstep my bounds again.”
She laughed softly. “Trust me, you’re not overstepping anything this time.”
He slid an arm around her waist and pulled her close as he kissed her. She melted into him as his lips moved over hers with tender passion, and he held her tighter. Just when she thought her heart would burst with happiness, he broke the kiss and leaned his forehead against hers, looking deep into her eyes.
“I originally came out here to talk you into coming back to Prescott and Hayes.”
Layla moved back, and he released her without hesitation. She wrapped her arms around herself to ward off the sudden chill. “Please tell me you’re not trying to kiss me into agreeing.”
“No! Kissing you is—” Jefferson combed his fingers through his hair. “That has nothing to do with getting you to come back. Honestly, I’m not sure how that will affect our ability to work for the same company. You know Marshall likes to keep things strictly professional in the office.”
Seeing the ethical dilemma waging war in his mind, she smiled and stepped close, draping her arms across his shoulders. “Marshall can bite me. If he doesn’t know by now that I can keep my personal life and my business life separate, he’s an idiot who shouldn’t be heading a company.”
“I couldn’t agree more.” He kissed her again, and when he spoke his voice held a husky quality that turned her knees into jelly. “So, does this mean you’ll come back?”
She traced a finger through the hair at the nape of his neck. “Hmm…I could, but only if you promise me something.”
“What’s that?”
“You won’t go back to your chauvinistic jerk ways.” She pressed herself against him and whispered in his ear, “Because if you do, your days of kissing me are over.”
Jefferson slid a hand down her back to the curve of her hip. “Trust me, you don’t have anything to worry about.”
�
��Good.” She pulled his face toward her and kissed him with more passion than before.
As they walked back to the concert, hand-in-hand, Layla worked up the courage to share something she’d been considering since he assured her everyone in the office still respected her despite seeing a brief glimpse of her weekend personality.
“Jefferson?”
He lifted her hand and kissed the back. “Yes?”
“Have you already done the photo shoot for the Amazonia ads?”
“Not yet. After seeing your photos, the client decided the original model they chose wasn’t right for the image they want to portray. They’re looking at other models and should have their decision to us on Monday.” He stopped and faced her. “Why?”
“Because maybe I could do it, if they still want me to.” She bit her lip as his eyes widened. “If you still think I should.”
His hug lifted her off her feet. “Of course I think you should do it! The client will be thrilled.”
She laughed softly as he set her down. “That’s a relief after you worked so hard to convince them to use a different model.”
“They were so disappointed to hear they couldn’t use your photos, but they’ll get over it when they hear you’re willing to be their model.”
“There’s just one thing.”
“What’s that?”
Layla smiled and gave him a hug. “You have to be there to give me moral support during the photo shoot, and I want Tommy as the photographer.”
Jefferson chuckled and gave her a quick kiss. “That’s two things.”
“So I’m being as picky as some of the models I’ve worked with in the past.” She leaned back and met his gaze. “Will you let me get away with it?”
“In this case, yes. You deserve to get your way during your first official photo shoot.” He stroked a finger down her cheek, his eyes full of warmth. “Besides, I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
She gave him another hug, her heart overflowing with affection for this wonderful man. As they continued on to the pole barn, she made another decision, one she was sure Jefferson would love. From now on, she would be the embodiment of the Amazonia image—strong but sexy, capable and feminine.
###
About the Author
Ariela Vaughn is an avid reader with a particular fondness for the romance genre. With an imagination constantly at work, it’s no wonder she became an author. The characters and story ideas demanded an outlet, and Ariela’s love of books made writing the natural choice.
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