“You want me to come with you?” Jessie asked.
“No,” Lila said. “No, I don’t. The things you manage without alcohol in your system frighten me. He’s a player.”
Which sounded like play-a, when Lila said it.
“You just got hustled. We just got hustled into a book extension.”
“Not if I win.”
“You think people won’t be clambering for another book, even if you win?” Lila pointed to the elevator. “Go to your room. Take a nap. Don’t answer the phone. Don’t drink anything with alcohol in it. Put on something pretty and go to the book signing at seven. I will meet you there, but in the name of all that is fuckin’ holy, stay out of trouble.”
Lila took about two steps and whipped back around. “And stay away from Grayson Reynolds. The only contact you have with him from now on is through me. You got it?”
Jessie nodded, because she knew better than to do anything else. But she didn’t feel like she’d gotten played by Grayson. In fact, when he’d put his hand on hers, she’d felt…well…she wasn’t entirely sure what she’d felt, but it hadn’t had anything to do with business at all. Perhaps that was the problem.
Someone tapped her shoulder.
“You want to get a drink and talk about this?” Grayson suggested. “We don’t have to do the whole poker thing if you don’t want to. Lila’s probably giving you shit, huh?”
Jessie nodded and pointed to Lila’s little backside stalking farther and farther down the long hall toward the bar. “Sorry. My mom says I can’t play with you.”
Grayson chuckled, and Jessie’s body tightened with some sort of muscle memory—a split second reminder of his sultry laugh right before he’d slipped inside her body.
Damn. Lila was right. He was a player. Last year, he’d played her to get sex. This year it was apparently about a contract extension.
“That woman has never been nice enough to any man long enough to have children,” he said, looking in the direction Lila disappeared. “Or probably even a date.”
She smiled and decided to take Lila’s advice. A polite distance was the only safe route to take with Grayson Reynolds. Her head knew better, but her body responded like a hormonal teenager every time he was near. “Look, I need to get going, but thanks for shutting down that reporter in there. You did a good job of making her look stupid.”
“No. She did that all on her own.” His expression turned serious, and his gaze connected with hers and held tight. “I saw the video. It wasn’t fake, was it?”
Jessie shook her head. “No. It was all too real. I have the X-rays to prove it.” She smiled, attempting to lighten the weight of his stare. She also had a multitude of aches and pains that never completely went away, plus sleeping pills to curb the number of times she woke in a cold sweat after having nightmares of the fall over and over again. “Look, if you want to discuss anything else, you need to talk to Lila. She’ll work everything out.”
It was a dismissal, plain and clear. He nodded, so maybe he understood that any further communication would be through her agent.
“Jessie, I’m taking over for Lauren this weekend. I’ll be at all the events she was supposed to attend. The book signing tonight. Then the dinner for the raffle winners afterwards. You’re going to see me. It’s not going to be a problem for us to have a civil conversation, is it?”
Nope. Because she had no intention of getting close enough to him to ever have another conversation. “Of course not.”
Chapter Three
If Bourbon Street suffered a vicious Mardi Gras hangover and vomited a casino, Grayson decided Las Vegas’s Masquerade Hotel would be the result. Gargantuan beads and shimmering ribbons decorated every corner of the structure. It was gaudy and tasteless, yet somehow had the same joyful allure of an overdone Christmas tree.
R&R had held a raffle contest and picked five readers to have dinner with authors and cover models. Grayson managed to reserve a large out-of-the-way table at Hnaknak, the hotel’s upscale Thai restaurant. Dinner reservations and schmoozing with romance fans wasn’t exactly his thing. It was the kind of crap Lauren was good at pulling off.
But there was one benefit to getting stuck with the job. If he strategically handled the seating arrangements, it might give him a few minutes to talk with Jessie and feel her out without Lila Kent hovering in the shadows.
He crossed the lobby and made his way to the conference room that was hosting R&R’s book signing.
Less than five minutes inside the signing, Grayson figured out why he hated romance conferences so much. Circles of women surrounded bare-chested cowboys. Three ladies old enough to know better walked by in spandex and fairy wings. Cameras flashed like strobe lights.
It was a fucking zoo.
And part of that clusterfuck was Jessie. Everyone in the place wanted a signed book and a picture with her. Adding to the craziness was shirtless cover model Stan. The tool hovered next to her as if he was some kind of Adonis inspiration for her book.
After enduring the insanity much too long, he was glad things were beginning to wind down. Grayson needed to escort a few authors and cover models to the restaurant in less than a half hour.
He heard Jessie squeal and her unmistakable laugh. Stan had scooped her up and was flexing his ridiculous muscles and posing while slinging Jessie into different positions. Cameras flashed, and fans laughed and shouted obscenities.
Fake Fabio would not be on the invitation list for dinner tonight.
Grayson turned away and bumped into Lila Kent. Great. As if the zoo hadn’t been bad enough already, Jessie’s pissed off little piranha had found him.
She nodded toward Jessie. “I’ve got to say, you guys at R and R work with some great cover models.”
“I guess,” he grumbled. “But you have to wonder what kind of man walks around half naked at a romance conference.”
Lila snickered. “The kind with killer abs and bulked-up arms. Clothing that chest would be like throwing a blanket over the Mona Lisa. Even I want to lick pudding out of his belly button.” She looked up at him. “Did I just say that out loud?”
Grayson smiled. If he wasn’t mistaken, Lila Kent was a bit schnockered.
“So how many texts and emails have you gotten about the poker game you proposed to play against Jessie this weekend?” she asked. “Because I had to turn my phone off.”
Yeah. So had he. Social media spread news quicker than a brushfire. But he wasn’t admitting anything to Lila. “So are you going to let her do it?”
“Do I have a choice?”
“From what I understand, Lila Kent always has a choice in this industry. You don’t want her to do it, simply say so.”
“And hurt her image by having people think she didn’t play a simple poker game for charity. No. You know that’s not an option. You were counting on that not to be an option.”
Lila wasn’t as smart as she thought. He didn’t want the profits from another Jessie James book. He wanted Jessie to agree to move her series to King of Hearts Publishing so he could be rid of the whole damn lot of romance authors and millions richer.
“You’ll get your extra book,” Lila said. “But after the crap you pulled today, whether she wins or loses, you better have a big, fat check prepared for her charity.”
“Not that you’ll believe me, but I wasn’t trying to pull any crap.”
Lila narrowed her eyes. “What about a year ago? When you gave her a fake name and talked her into bed. You just being a stand up citizen then, too?”
Stunned that Lila knew about last year’s encounter, Grayson simply stared and beat back the instinct to tell the miniature old bat to fuck off. Lila Kent was apparently just schnockered enough. Sober, he didn’t think she’d have had the balls to mention it.
“It takes two, Lila.” He’d talked Jessie into nothing. The attraction had been mutual from the first moment they’d looked at each other. He wondered what Lila would say about the fact that it was Jessie who’d walked away w
ithout so much as a backward glance. “I was trying to help today when someone accused her of wrongdoing. Now I’m the bad guy?”
“I’m not saying you’re a bad guy. I’ve done business with your grandfather for years. R and R has always been a stand up company. But I’ve never seen your grandfather at a romance convention.”
“You wouldn’t be seeing me here either, except someone had to fill in for Lauren.”
“Then why are there fifty other romance authors here, yet you haven’t walked so much as ten feet away from Jessie? That tells me there’s something up your sleeve. Whether it’s personal or professional I haven’t figured out yet. I just want it known that her business goes through me. Got it?”
Grayson watched her turn and wobble a bit as she walked away. He had to get Jessie on board before the contract offer went to Lila. Lila would screw him on general principle. It shouldn’t be that hard to get Jessie alone and talk some sense into her. The contract offer from King of Hearts was a solid one. Jessie would make the same money she was making now. Probably more. King of Hearts was the powerhouse romance publisher in the States.
He just needed Jessie to be reasonable. She wasn’t exactly a rock star. Yet. But with the help of King of Hearts, he could see her career heading in that direction.
He glanced back at her table. The line for her to sign books was still out the door. All the other authors had maybe a handful of people at their tables. He plowed his hands back through his hair. Jessie needed to quit yacking with fans and get her butt to the next event. Obviously, Jessie James was too important to look at a clock. The woman did whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted.
She certainly came and went as she pleased. He’d learned that the hard way. Shaking his head, he walked to the end of Jessie’s line to cut it off.
…
Jessie smiled and signed another book.
Stan leaned over her shoulder and said, “Boss man is in the back of your line. You think he wants an autograph?”
She laughed. “No. I think he’s cutting me off. I have another dinner to attend. But I’m betting that screwing around and being late will put a bunch in his corporate tighty-whities, so I’m taking my time.” She grinned at Stan and winked. Then she proceeded to pose for shot after shot with fans, chatting and thanking each one personally, even pulling Stan into most of the pictures.
When she finally sat again, Stan whispered in her ear, “How long will your dinner last? The Karaoke Lounge is supposed to be hopping tonight. A bunch of the guys are going. You want to come?”
Not particularly, was her first instinct. She’d been on social overload all day. One of her ankles was still messed up from the skydiving debacle. After wearing heels all day, a warm soak in a bathtub sounded like heaven.
“All I really want is a giant piece of chocolate cake and my bed,” she whispered back.
Stan raised both of his handsomely sculpted brows. “You sure it’s chocolate you want? You’ve been licking your chops every time you glance at Reynolds.”
She whipped her head in Stan’s direction. “Have not.”
“Have too,” he shot back. “Hey, girl. No judgment here. I see the allure.”
“Then you need your eyes checked.”
Stan chuckled. “Fine. Then come to karaoke with me. You know I don’t like to party without you.”
She did know that. In fact, there was a very specific reason Stan used her as arm candy. Years ago, they’d met at a conference and hit it off immediately. Their friendship had flourished through the years, in spite of living in different cities. Jessie had fought hard to get him for the cover of her latest book.
Not only was he a devoted friend, but as cover models went, Stan was money in the bank. He had dark, sexy hair. Gray eyes. Killer smile. A chest like a Viking. Ripped, sculpted muscles.
He was also gay.
But the number of people who knew the truth could be counted on one hand.
Stan was afraid he’d lose work as a cover model if the romance industry knew his sexual orientation. Long ago, Jessie had promised to keep her mouth shut and had never told a soul. Until today when she’d told Lila, Stan had been the only person she’d confided in about her disastrous night with Grayson. The long-standing joke was that they’d be friends forever because they knew way too much crap about each other to ever be enemies.
And honestly, hanging together at conferences was a win-win for both of them. Women more or less left him alone when they were together. And Jessie got to have a great time with a stunningly beautiful man who had no expectations at the end of the night.
Except last year Stan had broken his leg skiing and missed the conference. Jessie had blamed him for the Grayson catastrophe ever since. It never would have happened if Stan had been there to talk some sense into her.
“I’ve got an idea.” She glanced at Stan in between talking to fans. “Why don’t you come to dinner with me, and then I’ll go to karaoke with you for a while. I’ve got a long day tomorrow, so I can’t stay out too late, but we could check out both events for a little while.”
“No way. Reynolds didn’t invite me,” Stan said. “Plus, I wouldn’t want to piss you off if he takes me back to his room this year instead of you.”
Jessie mouthed the words, “kiss my ass” and wiped a nonexistent eyelash from under her eye with her middle finger.
Stan laughed.
“Come on,” she pleaded. “You’re my cover model and I’m inviting you. Besides, Lila threatened me with bodily harm if I talked to him again without her around. She says he suckered me into a contract extension today and I was too dumb to realize it.”
Stan laughed. “That does sound like Lila. I hope she was a little more tactful than that.”
“No.” Jessie thought for a second. “That’s pretty much exactly what she said. Then she grounded me to my room until the signing.”
They both chuckled.
“Fine,” he said. “If Reynolds doesn’t have a problem with me showing up, I’ll go.” Stan walked away to pose for pictures, and Jessie continued to sign the last of the autographs.
Someone approached her from behind and leaned close to her ear. At first, she thought Stan had returned.
“Do you think you might be done with this anytime soon?”
No. It was Grayson.
She didn’t need to see him to recognize his expensive, fresh scent as he spoke softly in her ear. Plus, the warmth of his breath heated her cheek and caused chill bumps to erupt across her neck.
Then fury erupted in her belly.
He’d invaded her personal space and her body had reacted like she didn’t have good sense. Annoyed that the largest part of her simply wanted to turn and breathe him in, she tilted her neck and inched even closer, giving him full access to her neck. “My, my, Stan. You are impatient.”
He stood, put a hand under her chin, and twisted her head so that she had no choice but to look up at him. She was quite pleased with the little joke until his gaze almost bore a hole clean through her.
“You’re supposed to be at dinner with the raffle winners in five minutes,” he said. “Could you move it along?”
“I’ll be there as soon as I can. Why don’t you go ahead and Stan and I will be just a few minutes behind.”
“Stan?”
“Yeah. Cover models are coming tonight also, correct?”
Grayson looked over with a surly narrowing of his eyes. “Thanks anyway, but I’ve already invited all the cover models I need.”
“But you didn’t invite the best looking model at the conference. Trust me, everyone loves him. He’s awesome.” She winked just to irritate him. “You can thank me later.”
Grayson stalked away, grumbling something. Probably a good thing she didn’t quite catch what he’d said.
Stan approached a few moments later. “Does Reynolds want me to come?”
“Sure,” she lied. But Grayson had a lot of power in the publishing industry. The guilt of putting Stan in Grayson’s cr
osshairs finally got the better of her. “Truthfully, I have no idea what the ass wants. Just forget it. You don’t have to go. Hell, I don’t even want to go.”
“No, it’s okay. I’ll risk being your Grayson beard, but then you’ll owe me. You have to come to the karaoke bar with me tonight.” He smiled down at her and tapped her nose. “And sing.”
Crap. A horrifying memory of a drunken karaoke-fest from a couple years ago centered in her mind. She sighed. Heavily. “Fine. But I am so not singing I Want Your Sex with you again.”
Chapter Four
“They’re here! They’re here!” One of the raffle winners at the table bounced in her seat as though a Hollywood super couple had entered the restaurant.
Grayson turned.
Sure enough, larger than life, Stan-the-giant-muscle approached with Jessie hanging from his arm. Something had to be off with the guy. Who walked around wearing a vest and nothing underneath?
Then Grayson turned his focus to Jessie. The women at the table were busy ogling Stan, but his attention was solely on Jessie’s short dress and sultry laugh. She definitely had an indefinable “it” factor. The entire room lit up, electrified, when she entered.
Much like a diva working the red carpet, she shook hands and greeted all the guests.
He watched her long enough for his mouth to go dry. Her silky nylons and fuck-me heels were black, and her long, wild hair was even darker. But in between was a shock of blue material that clung to every tight curve of her body.
“Waitress.” He held up his whiskey glass and motioned for another round.
He had to hand it to Lila, the plan to brand Jessie as a sexy rebel had been nothing but brilliant. Because sexy clung to Jessie like a tight, silk nightie. And he knew from the precious few hours they’d shared, she had a healthy appetite in the bedroom that had met his own, beat for beat.
Jessie laughed and cocked her hip. The stretchy, blue material clinging to her ass screamed for mercy. No—wait a minute. That was just his dick crying out for another night with the outlaw.
Tamed by the Outlaw Page 3