by Mia Dymond
What the heck.
“I’ve worked extremely hard to maintain my professional position in Diablo.”
“According to my sources, you’re well respected.”
“I hope so. But that kiss insinuated I have ulterior motives for keeping my business.”
Her heart hammered as that sexy, undress me grin overtook his lips again. “I saved you from a temper tantrum.”
Rachel dropped her hand from his chest and squeezed the bridge of her nose. “I know that, thank you by the way, and you know that, but Monica doesn’t. Believe me, she thinks our business is not architecture.”
Hawke’s fingers caressed the edge of her chin as he tilted it to face him. “Who cares? We know it’s professional. So far.”
Rachel fought the urge to shake him. Of course he didn’t care, publicity was nothing new to him. Negative or otherwise. She, however, avoided it at all costs.
“This is very important to me, Hawke,” she answered finally.
With a soft smile, Hawke moved his hands and stepped back. “I understand and I’m sorry.”
Rachel’s heartbeat jumped. Sorry? He was sorry? She fought for the right response. He totally misunderstood and honesty was always best in her book.
“Don’t be sorry,” she said quickly, “because I’m not. The timing just wasn’t right, that’s all.”
He braced himself against the side wall and studied her for a moment as if he didn’t know how to respond. And then he completely shocked her. Again.
“Fly to Sacramento with me.”
Rachel grabbed the side railing for support. “What?”
“Tomorrow. I have a public appearance in Sacramento. Maybe if you spent a little more time alone with me, you’d change your mind about our professional relationship.”
Rachel took a deep breath. There was absolutely no doubt in her mind what kind of relationship they’d have if they managed to be totally alone. A mind-blowing sexual one. And, as much as she hated to admit it, she didn’t think she was strong enough to deny him.
“I can’t.” She tried to block out the sound of her brain cursing her.
She waited for him to ignore her response and insist. Yet, when she moved her gaze to his, she found a look of total understanding. Almost as if he did consider her feelings.
“The offer still stands.” He pushed himself off the wall and punched another button on the panel. “Call me if you change your mind.”
CHAPTER SIX
Once back in his suite, Hawke threw his head back against the sofa while his brain worked overtime. What the hell was her problem? Maybe the kiss they shared had been too much too fast. Too fast, anyway. Personally, the punch of that kiss had knocked him for a loop. He’d kissed quite a few women in his time, but never had he felt so connected to someone. Just the thought of the velvet warmth of her curved, pouty lips tucked between his made him hard. Her soft, full mouth was tailor made for his, caressed him, burnt him with the sweetness. His cock nudged him. Damn, why was she so difficult?
Hawke caught a glimpse of Max as he entered the suite and headed toward the kitchen. After the refrigerator door and several cabinet doors slammed shut, Hawke was convinced Max’s morning hadn’t been much better than his.
“Need a beer?”
Max sat down in a chair opposite Hawke and toasted him with a dark bottle. “Got one, thanks. What about you?”
Hawke sighed. “Wouldn’t help me.”
Max took a swig of beer then balanced the bottle on his knee. “Lay it on me, Hawke.”
Hawke shook his head and grinned. “You don’t want to hear it.”
“Probably not, but let me have it.”
“It’s Rachel.”
Max nodded. “Figured.”
Hawke laid his head back against the sofa. “Extraction won’t be easy from her.”
“What’s the problem? I don’t recall you ever having trouble snagging women. Rock star or otherwise.”
“I’ve played the part of the ultimate ladies’ man for so long, I’m not sure I know what I’m doing. Rachel doesn’t see me as Hawke. She actually avoids me, rather than falls at my feet. And now I’m so damn frustrated I could punch something.”
Max snickered. “You won’t be satisfied until you bed her.”
“What the hell did you just say?”
“Your mission is to do whatever it takes to get to Diego. If that means sleeping with your mark for information, then that’s way it goes.”
“I’m not so sure about that.”
“You want me to put somebody else in? I’m sure Steele would be happy to be re-assigned.”
“No. I can handle it.”
“There’s another tube on the way.”
“Damn. Business is booming.”
“We’ve got to get Shadow in that office. Did you convince her to go to Sacramento?”
“No.”
“Why the hell not?”
“I told you, she’s difficult. Closed. Cautious. Hell, I’ve never seen a woman so damn controlled.”
“You have it bad.”
Yeah, he did. He just wasn’t ready to admit it. “I just need time to break her.”
“We don’t have that kind of time.”
“It won’t do any good to push her. I left the invitation open. Maybe she’ll bite.”
“You have a back-up plan?”
“No.”
Max took another swig of beer and swallowed. “Good luck with that.”
***
The office was deathly quiet when Rachel arrived. Where the heck is Cameron? She blew her bangs off her forehead as she tossed Hawke’s paperwork to the desk and plopped down in her chair. After dealing with Monica this morning, a little distraction would be nice right about now.
Rachel glanced at the application now stamped with approved in big, bold letters. She nibbled the end of her pen, desperately trying to control her fractured thoughts and concentrate on the contracts in front of her. What was wrong with her? She never had trouble keeping her mind on business.
Rachel blinked the fuzziness from her eyes and attempted once again to read. Words and terms slurred together as her mind drifted back to Hawke.
Why exactly did he kiss her? In all reality, she really didn’t care. Besides the fact that she thoroughly enjoyed his lips on hers, he’d saved her from an embarrassing temper tantrum. She rolled her eyes at that thought. Actually, he saved Monica. Two more seconds and he might have witnessed Rachel crawl over the desk and sink her claws into Monica’s holier-than-thou attitude. Not that she was complaining, but was he always so forward? She sighed. The odds were in his favor; he didn’t need to be forward. Jaydon Hawke could sit back and watch women flock to him. There was no need to court, no need to date, no need to impress. All he had to do was snap his fingers and a willing female appeared. And although she found herself willing, Rachel refused to mold herself to suit Hawke. Especially since she still wasn’t convinced monogamy was part of his vocabulary.
She tossed her pen to the desk and folded her arms across her chest. Hawke’s reputation dictated the necessity of a willing woman on his arm. A beautiful, enhanced woman willing to soothe his ego for a day or two. The type of woman she wasn’t. Granted, she was no virgin, but one time sexual affairs were not her thing. She preferred getting to know her partner and building somewhat of a relationship before she jumped into bed with him. If she even decided to.
It had only been one small kiss. She snorted. Okay, two small kisses. Two small, electrified kisses that weakened her knees and dampened her panties was more like it. And, after experiencing the skill of his talented lips, she only dared to imagine the wealth of his sexual expertise.
Rachel shivered and her body shifted into overdrive as she remembered the sight of his toned chest peeking through his shirt, a vision she’d figured out might possibly be repeated. The type of men’s shirt Hawke usually wore had seven buttons and each time she’d seen him, his shirt was only buttoned from the fourth button down. Her body wa
rmed at the thought of rubbing herself against his sculpted pectoral muscles. Up and down, back and forth, until she burnt him with unbelievable friction. In fact, if there weren’t cameras in the hallway, she just might’ve unbuttoned him and experimented. She giggled and fanned herself with a contract. Shameless hussy. Thank God she held exclusive rights to her fantasies.
She jumped at the obnoxious buzz of the telephone and took a calming breath before she answered.
“Newberry & Tremaine.”
“Caught ya!” Cameron’s voice sang smugly over the line.
So much for control. “Caught me what?”
“You were thinking about something naughty.”
Oh, yes I was. “Don’t be ridiculous, Cameron,” she scoffed. “I’m working.”
“Uh-huh, you’re out of breath, you’re working so hard.”
Rachel allowed herself a smile. Some things were worth hard work. Especially when sex was involved. Shocked by that epiphany, Rachel attempted to redirect the conversation. “I thought you had a coffee date.”
“He stood me up,” Cameron said flatly. “I waited an hour.”
“Jerk.”
“Jerk,” Cameron echoed. “I’ll be there in about fifteen minutes.”
Rachel frowned at the boisterous wailing of a horn. “Are you calling from your car?”
“Uh-huh,” Cameron responded, “and I’m having a hard time holding my mascara tube. I need my mouth. See ya in a few.”
Rachel shook her head as the connection ended. Cameron was fearless. A little outrageous maybe, but extremely courageous. Cameron embraced life with a vengeance, bound and determined to enjoy every minute and she swore she would teach Rachel a lesson in riskiness. Rachel smirked, secretly envying Cameron’s bravery. Little did Cameron know she had her work cut out for her.
True to her word, Cameron blew in like the wind several minutes later. Rachel heard the front door slam shut then Cameron’s determined footsteps down the hallway. Rachel pushed her hair behind her ears, shuffled the paper in front of her, and sat up in her chair.
“Rough morning?” Cameron tossed her sketch pad on the desk.
Rachel pinched the bridge of her nose. “No.”
“Then why are you stressed?”
Rachel took a second before she answered. Most women would kill for her stress at this particular moment. “I’m not.”
“Spill it, Rach.” Cameron flopped down in a chair and propped her feet on Rachel’s desk. “Like my sandals?”
Rachel nodded.
“Prada,” Cameron confirmed. “Now, what’s happened this morning?”
“You wouldn’t believe what’s happened to me in the last twenty four hours.”
Without another word, Cameron lifted one leg and with one toe, knocked the phone off the hook.
Rachel frowned and reached to put the phone back together. “What if a client calls?”
Cameron chased Rachel’s hands from the phone with one foot. “Cell phone. Now, I want details.”
Rachel brushed her bangs off her forehead. “It all started last night when Hawke kissed me after dinner.”
“I saw the tape.”
“What?!”
Cameron shrugged. “That’s what you get for playing kissy-face in front of the camera.”
Rachel took a deep breath.
“Keep going,” Cameron prompted.
“That was just an innocent kiss. You didn’t see the one inside the elevator.”
“Were you naked?”
“No! But, that kiss was incredible. I swear, Cam, I couldn’t breathe and my knees turned to jelly.”
“That good, huh?”
“Yeah, but then I came to my senses.”
“About what?”
“Look, the man is a major rock star. His moves are probably published in a handbook somewhere.”
“Maybe, maybe not.”
“Anyway, I wrote that one off as a show off. And then we met with Monica today.”
“And how was that?”
“It started out horrible, but then things got interesting.”
“Interesting how?”
Rachel explained Monica’s reluctance to approve Hawke’s application. “So, Hawke kissed me again, right in front of Monica.”
“Was it another innocent kiss?”
“That kiss was anything but innocent.”
“I’m sure that proved your point.”
“That’s another thing. How professional does it look for me to have my client’s tongue crammed in my mouth?”
Cameron burst into a hysterical fit of giggles. When she thought Cameron was finished, Rachel continued. “That’s not all.”
“There’s more?”
“Yes, there’s more. And all thanks to you. If I’d just let you go to the concert alone, I wouldn’t be in this mess.”
“Rachel, you’re the only one I know who would even consider your situation a mess.”
“Cameron!”
“Okay, relax. Now tell me what else.”
“Hawke asked me to go to Sacramento and I said no.”
Cameron sat deathly still. Not one blonde curl bounced. Not one long eyelash blinked.
Rachel reached across the desk and shoved her in the shoulder. “Say something!”
“I’m trying to find the words.”
Rachel groaned and cradled her head in her hands, desperately trying to keep her patience with Cameron.
“Rachel, you’ve got to put the past behind you and stop being so careful.”
Rachel raised her head and frowned. “I’m not being careful.”
“You’re scared.”
“Not really scared, just...cautious.”
Cameron grinned. “That’s the same as careful.”
“Okay,” Rachel admitted, throwing her hands into the air. “I’m being careful.”
“Jaydon Hawke.” Cameron sighed. “Yum. Yum.”
Rachel echoed Cameron’s sigh. You don’t know how true that statement really is. “Amen, sister.” Rachel shook the clouds from her head. “But, he’s a client.”
“Yes,” Cameron agreed, “he is a client. Have you finished drawing his plans?”
Rachel gave a slow nod, the meaning of Cameron’s question starting to hit home.
“You can’t avoid him.”
Rachel snickered. “Believe me, I don’t want to avoid him.”
“Where exactly is he taking you?”
“I have no idea. All he said is Sacramento for a public appearance.”
“Do you think he’s a serial killer?”
“What? No!”
“Then go. Who cares where or why?”
“You make it sound so easy.”
“Look, Rachel, this is the chance you’ve waited for. Step outside your comfort zone. Have fun and just go with the flow.”
Cameron stood and tapped the phone with one professionally-manicured fingernail. “Call him, Rachel.”
“I will.”
Cameron walked across Rachel’s office. “Now.” She tapped a cardboard tube propped against the wall. “Want me to take this down to the mailroom?”
“No, thanks though. I’m not done with it.”
Cameron opened the door. “The phone is next to your left elbow.”
As soon as Cameron left the office, Rachel flipped open her appointment book and watched Hawke’s cell phone number pulse in black and white. She drummed her fingers against the desk and thought long and hard about what she was about to do. Obviously, years of pampering made Hawke extremely difficult to discourage. So why not just give in?
Before she could back out, Rachel grabbed the phone and dialed. Her heart beat a jungle rhythm as she listened to each ring, part of her hoping he wouldn’t answer. Instead, his strong, deep voice answered on the third ring.
“Rachel?”
She fought the ridiculous urge to swoon. What was so damn intoxicating about his voice? And what made him so sure she was calling? She glanced down at her own phone and sighed. Of course
. Caller ID had ratted her out.
Not sure how to approach the subject of flying to Sacramento with him, she stalled. “Hawke?”
“I asked first,” he teased.
Rachel rolled her eyes. “Yes, it’s Rachel. Maybe we need a code word.”
“How about gorgeous?”
Here comes the ego. “How about arrogant?”
Hawke hesitated a moment and she thought maybe she’d offended him. She opened her mouth to apologize when his throaty chuckle tickled her ear. “On second thought, scratch the code word. Change your mind about Sacramento?”
A shiver of uncertainty crawled up Rachel’s spine and almost caused her to make up another excuse. “Yes. I’d love to go.”
“What changed your mind?”
Rachel opened her mouth and then snapped it closed before her usual honesty barreled through. She took a deep breath and chose her words carefully. “My schedule isn’t as full as I thought.”
“Great! I’ll send Max for you in the morning.”
Rachel closed her eyes and silently hoped she made the right decision. Her lips began to tingle and suddenly the warmth of Hawke’s kiss invaded her senses. “See you then.”
Rachel dropped the receiver back in the cradle, her body on fire. The man was a true professional in the art of seduction, she’d give him that. And there was no doubt in her mind he’d use every secret weapon he possessed on her. She squeezed her legs together and fidgeted in her chair. Cameron had a point. Hawke was exactly what she needed to relax.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Rachel took a long look around the jet’s interior and swallowed hard before she forced her brain to process what she’d agreed to. Her spontaneity was now officially out of control. She moved her gaze to rest on several swiveling chairs in the center bolted to the plane’s belly and decided the one in the middle would be the better choice. If the plane were to crash, being sandwiched between Hawke and Max just might cushion the blow. And really, what a way to go.
Rachel forced thoughts of tangled metal out of her brain while she melted into the buttery leather seat, snapped the silver seatbelt across her lap, and silently said a prayer. While she made several, mental, life-altering promises, Hawke and Max settled into the neighboring seats.