by Gina Gordon
He reached out to sweep a strand of her hair that had fallen across her face. She turned her head and nuzzled her cheek against his palm. He was a stranger, but he touched her as if they were old lovers.
“Looks like you're just as clumsy as I am.”
When she tried to respond, there was no air in her lungs. “I…I guess so.”
Liv took the opportunity to study him while Jake reached to pick up his gloves. His lush, kissable lips. The way they were parted in a slight smile. The way the natural light picked up golden-brown flecks in his soulful eyes.
Liv couldn't stop the lustful thoughts racing around in her brain. That simple touch was telling her that she wanted this man. He was definitely her last chance for casual, no-strings fun before she got so busy she didn't have time to sleep. But she didn't think her ego could take another hit.
When they stood, he slowly lowered his gaze, taking in her curves from head to toe. She knew not much was visible underneath her winter coat, but that didn't stop the pull of desire coiling in her belly at the heat of his stare and the curve of his lips.
They continued their walk in silence, both of them staring straight ahead, but that didn't stop Liv from stealing glances. Jake looked deep in thought, like the little mouse on the wheel of his brain was working overtime.
They finally reached her building. “This is me.” Liv pointed to the revolving door. “Thanks for the company.”
“My pleasure.” He closed some of the space between them. She was hoping for a kiss. A caress across her cheek. Anything.
“I better get to work.” Instead of putting on his gloves, he had crammed his hands in his pockets.
“Yeah.”
They hardly knew each other, but Liv felt the electricity between them. Neither of them could break their stare, and despite the change in him, he still managed to give her a knee-weakening smile. Damn!
“You've got a killer smile, you know that?” Killer was right. She had no doubt it could decimate any line of defense blocking his way between a woman's legs. “I bet you can get any woman to do anything you want just by smiling.”
He shrugged. “I can hold my own.”
“You must be a very lucky man.” She only hoped he'd make her just as lucky.
His smile got even bigger. His shoulders had loosened, his neck a little more exposed to the elements now that they weren't shoved up to his ears. “All this talk about my smile and now I can't stop.”
“I don't mind.” Staring at this man for an extended period of time was a recipe for self-satisfaction. Liv had a feeling she would be seeing his face again while she stroked between her legs.
“So if your theory is correct, then I should be able to get you to do whatever I want?” he asked. He was definitely more at ease, his charming side emerging from the silence. Which worked for Liv. Maybe this time she wouldn't have to go out on a limb.
“I suppose so.” Liv looked him straight in the eye, hoping he would take her bait. “Why don't you tell me what you want me to do? We'll see what happens.”
“All right.” He rested his bag gently on the ground and rubbed his hands together, his smile wide and bright. One of two things was going to happen. He was either going to take the safe route, or make her job a lot easier. “Before we go to the book launch, I want you to go to dinner with me.”
Safe.
“Mmm…dinner?”
Nodding, he watched her, his eyes darting back and forth. His hand fisted at his side.
No chance. A date was the last thing on Liv's mind right now. “I don't think so.”
“Ah, come on.” He lifted his hand up and rubbed the back of his neck. “You're supposed to humor me.” He pointed to his mouth with both index fingers. “Smile. Remember?” His grin was now forced. “Anything I want.”
“I know, but…” Liv was going to have to take matters into her own hands. “Do you know what I want?”
“What's that?”
Leaning in, Liv crooked her finger, motioning him closer. What the hell. Here goes nothing. She eyed her last chance for fun with a seductive glance. “I think you should go to work.”
His smile faded.
“And when you're done, come back here, where I'll be waiting for you—”
Liv tumbled forward as someone bumped into her walking out of her building. She pressed into Jake, chest to stomach. He was so tall, so warm. Although his smile had faded, it was replaced with desire, the heat of his stare causing the hair on the back of her neck to stand on end.
“You were saying…”
Liv shook off her fumble. Focus! This is not sexy.
She regrouped and stepped back. “I…” Screw it. So much for being sexy.
Liv questioned her game. Her heart pounded. The seconds ticked; they felt like hours. She wanted to have fun with Jake, and during his silence, she realized just how disappointed she would be if she never saw him again.
“Have dinner with me,” he said again.
He wanted to take it slow. A little romance first. She might as well enjoy the journey to rumpled clothing and sweaty sheets. But his detour just didn't equate with the man she'd thought he was.
“Maybe I was mistaken when I painted you with the love 'em and leave 'em brush.” Maybe the womanizer persona was all an act.
He groaned. “We can still have fun. Dinner is fun. Movies are a blast.”
“Just let me…” She fiddled in her bag and pulled out her ringing phone. She recognized the number right away. “I have to get this. Hold your thought. Hello.”
“Liv? It's Teresa.” Her financial planner from the bank. “I'm sorry to bother you, but I have some bad news.” She paused. A pause was never good. “I couldn't get the loan for you.”
Liv's heart sank. Her cushion. The money she didn't necessarily need—which was why she waited so long to apply for it in the first place—but wanted as a security blanket, nonetheless, had been denied.
“Teresa, I don't understand. I thought it was just a matter of paperwork.”
“I'm sorry, Liv. I thought so, too. I did everything I could. I even tried to pull a few strings, but…it wasn't enough.”
“Oh…” Tears stung her eyes but she refused to let them fall. “Thank you for letting me know.”
“See you soon, Liv. I'm so sorry.”
Liv nodded even though Teresa couldn't see her gesture. She pressed her finger on the red button and ended her call.
“Liv?” Jake's deep voice sounded so far away. “Is everything all right?”
She nodded.
“I have to go.” The moment she took her mind off the bakery… She should have known better. Her plan to leave relationships and men to the side was the right move. Always.
“Liv, wait,” Jake called after her.
“Forget what I said.” She didn't even turn around as she raced to the revolving door. “I…I don't have time for this.”
Liv took the quick elevator ride up to her condo. It was fine. This was just a little blip in her plan. And a major reminder of the fact that she needed to focus.
Walking into her sacred space, she threw her keys on the side table, threw her jacket on the floor, and kicked her shoes, somewhere. Her need for order didn't apply in her own home. Nobody was here to see it. It was the one place where she could be herself with no worry about who was watching, what people were thinking, or what people wanted her to be.
Liv answered to no one and made her own decisions. A man wasn't necessary to make her life complete. She didn't need a man to rely on for shelter, food, money. Achieving that all on her own made it that much sweeter.
She eyed her condo, proud of what she'd accomplished. Even though she lived on her own, her place was fully furnished, comfortable, and inviting. Her decor was minimalistic. Her clothes were draped over anything they could, and stacks of books lay everywhere, despite having one entire wall lined with bookshelf after bookshelf. Reading took the place of relationships. It was a way to escape.
She took a few s
teps into her sanctuary and detoured left into her kitchen. Her cupboards were full of nothing but flour and sugar, her fridge bare except for beer, butter, eggs, and several Tupperware containers of cupcakes and leftover icing.
She grabbed a beer from her fridge and popped the cap with a bottle opener. Heading over to the couch, she settled into the soft, white cushion and took a long swig from the bottle. The book she had started yesterday waited for her on the wood coffee table. For tonight, she would drown herself in romance. Her heart couldn't get broken reading a book.
Tomorrow was a new day. She'd worry about advertising options, furniture orders, and her budget when the sun came up. Now that she had been denied her loan, she was going to have to account for every penny. She couldn't afford mistakes or unexpected events.
The flurry of items bouncing around her brain didn't stop her from thinking about Jake—his sweet smile and hard chest. She gave herself permission to recount their meeting, every last detail, in slow, embarrassing motion.
Yes, tomorrow was a new day. And who knew what the world had in store for her? But she knew with great certainty that it could not involve Jake Miller.
…
Jake wandered through the revolving door of his office building in a haze.
The sun reflected off the hundreds of glass panels that made up the walls of the main lobby. On a usual day, the sun wasn't an issue. But today, after that heart stopping experience with Liv, the sun was blinding.
Taking a deep breath, he stepped into the elevator and knuckled the button to his floor. He'd stopped to get a coffee, but even that was no match for the war waging in his brain. The image of Liv's soft, fresh skin, rosy from the cold morning air, was too hard to shake. The cuteness of her fidgeting, the way she tried her best to get her appearance together to make an impression. But none of that topped the feel of her. Her electric touch that sent him hurtling back to his childhood, a sentimental moment too hard to ignore.
Jake had taken his grandmother's death hard, but his grandfather had taken it harder. Especially during the last year of her life, when she didn't even recognize her own husband's face. From that moment on, the old man wasn't the same, as if she'd taken a piece of his soul, taken the light out of his eyes.
He knew right then and there that he wouldn't settle until he found the one who put that same look in his eyes. That he wouldn't settle for anything less than his soul mate. Sensing Jake's conflict, his grandfather had left him with words of wisdom.
“Don't run away from love, Jakey. Sometimes it can be the only thing that gets you through the day. Your grandmother may be gone, but I wouldn't change a thing. The moment she stumbled into my life, I was taken. There was a spark between us that could be felt from miles away. Six months later, we were married. You're young. Have fun. The right woman will come along, and when she does, she'll shock the hell right out of you.”
When Jake touched Liv, he understood what his grandfather had tried to explain. He just never expected it in the literal sense. All these years, Jake moved from woman to woman, hunting for that spark. And until this morning, his search had turned up empty-handed. But his grandfather forgot to tell him the most important thing—what did he do when he found it?
He'd dropped the ball this morning when she freaked out and ran. Granted, she'd had a crisis, and whatever it was, she needed some space. He had no problem giving it to her, but allowing Liv to blow him off wasn't going to get him any closer to solidifying his dream.
He was getting sloppy, letting his libido take over whenever she was near. There would be plenty of time for sex after he set up the meeting with Shelton.
He stepped off the elevator and made the quick walk to his office. He stopped at his assistant's desk and placed the bag of goodies on the end.
Her fingers moved over the keyboard quickly as she said, “Good morning, Jake,” without even looking over from her screen. “Your meeting with Mr. Shelton is at ten and you're a little late, but…” She finally noticed the bag. “What's this?”
Maggie Shane was a middle-aged woman who had worked at Weston for almost twenty years. When she wasn't coddling and fussing over Jake, she was desperately trying to set him up with one of her daughters. But he couldn't ask for anyone better.
“I stopped on my way in and bought some cupcakes.”
“This is so sweet.” She peeked into the bag. “And so uncharacteristic.” She cocked her head and stared at him long and hard. “Are you feeling all right? You don't look so good.”
“I'm feeling great.” He turned and meandered into his office and Maggie was right on his heels, huddling in the doorway with a folder held tight to her body.
“You do look a little under the weather.” She eyed the paper coffee cup in his hands. “You shouldn't be drinking coffee if you're sick. You need some tea. I'll have some ready for you after your meeting.”
“I'm fine, Maggie, really. You don't have to do that.” He knew his words wouldn't be acknowledged.
“Nonsense. That's what I'm here for.”
“You're not here to be my servant.” Many of his coworkers took advantage of their assistants, especially assistants who had as much experience as Maggie. They were old school, believing that coffee runs—or in this case, tea—were part of the job description. Jake never took her generosity for granted.
“I am no one's servant, young man.” She braced herself, legs shoulder-width apart, hands on hips. “But I am here to make sure you get your job done. And if that means bringing you tea, so be it.”
“Fair enough.”
Maggie stepped through the doorway. “Here are your messages. I've copied your presentation to this flash drive, and here are the most recent details for the venue. Caterer and equipment rentals are also in there for your review.” She placed the items on his desk.
Did he mention she was also invaluable?
“Thank you, Maggie.”
“You only have a few minutes to prepare.” With that, she sashayed to the door. “Expect tea on your desk when you're done,” she called as she disappeared.
Going through his messages, Jake secretly hoped that he would see Liv's name scrawled across one of the pink message slips. Maybe she would be able to track him down. If she even wanted to track him down.
It wasn't just the deal he made with his boss that tied him to Liv. She wasn't like other women. Something pulled at him, something familiar. He just couldn't put his finger on it…yet.
When he looked in her eyes, he sensed her desire. He would do whatever it took to make his dream a reality, but now his motives were unclear. Liv was only supposed to be a mission. And when his mission was complete, she might very well be a client. In which case, sex would be out of the question.
Guilt clouded his desire.
The things he wanted to do to this woman. He could think of nothing but pleasuring her. How he would take her, drop her pants, and kneel before her, taking in her sweetness. Was the promise of a corner office and the job of his dreams worth a little strain in his boxers?
Jake skimmed through the file but nothing held his attention. Nothing was as interesting as Liv. He needed to know more about her. But she was going to be a tough nut to crack. He needed more ammo in his arsenal.
He opened a new Internet browser and typed in “Liv Crawford Toronto.”
The first item that came up on the search engine was her Facebook page. Pictures of her with family and friends. Jake recognized two of the people as the couple she was talking to at the bar the first time he saw her. There were also a lot of cupcakes and bakery links.
Next there was an article in a local newspaper featuring cupcakes…and Liv. She had publicity even before she had opened her doors. He was impressed.
He skimmed the article, finding out the name of her business, then searched Cupcake! and found a separate Twitter and Facebook account. Her latest posts talked about her grand opening in a few weeks.
He returned to the search list. There were University of Toronto affiliations
, a couple of blog posts and comments, and a link to the Sweet Creations website with her photo and bio.
Jake stared at her picture. The same rumbling he felt in his chest surfaced even when looking at a photograph. That flutter of hope he'd felt when he touched her delicate hand overtook him. Staring at her beautiful face, Jake knew at that moment he was in trouble.
“Jake, my boy!”
Jake just about jumped out of his skin and quickly clicked the X at the top of the computer screen to close the browser.
Looming in the doorway was his boss, Robert Shelton. “Are you ready for our meeting? I'm interested to see what your plans are.” Mr. Shelton was strong, larger-than-life, a real no-nonsense guy.
He walked in and settled in the black fabric chair with the confident ease Jake had always admired. Jake had been working for weeks on an upcoming book launch, and today was the final presentation to senior management. He'd arranged everything from swag bags to a signature cocktail. Promotion was his strength, and by the time the event was over, everyone would remember the author's name. But it wasn't the author or the book that turned him on—it was the thrill of promotion. And how much sweeter life would be if he had the opportunity to promote something he loved.
“I'm ready, sir. Just taking a few minutes to catch my breath.”
“Everything okay?” Shelton actually looked concerned.
“Sure, just a little tired or something.”
“Did a lovely lady keep you up all night?” The look on Jake's face must have confirmed his theory. “That's worth the fatigue. I've had many of those nights myself.” Robert was the quintessential ladies' man. A middle-aged bachelor with money and a fondness for middle-aged women who liked to spend said money. “It'll be our secret. I won't hold it against you this morning.”
Jake shook his head. “It's really not like that.”
“Well, don't tell me you just talked, because if that's the case, don't waste your time.”
What used to be a comment that would make him smile failed to resonate. Had Shelton always been so callous? “There wasn't any talking, either.”