by Tawny Amaya
But now wasn’t the time to have this conversation. Instead of answering him, I grabbed his shoulders and pulled him down over me, kissing him hard until we both forgot about what we were talking about.
******
CHAPTER 4: JACKSON
I rubbed a hand over my face wearily as I looked at the New York numbers, the differences in profit-making me wince. I had left the damn company only four months ago, and now it was circling the drain.
Shit.
“Mr. Temple?”
Looking up, I found Judy standing just inside the office I was currently using as my own when I made it to work that is. I had brought Judy with me from New York, and I had heard her remark more than once that she enjoyed the slower pace of life. “Yes, Judy?”
“Your two o’clock is here.”
I glanced over at the clock on the desk. Was it already that time? Hell, I hadn’t even stopped to eat lunch.
“Would you like for me to get you a sandwich from the deli?”
“That would be great Judy, thanks,” I said, seeing the caring look on her face. Judy loved to consider herself my surrogate mom at times. “Send them in.”
She nodded, and I smoothed my hair back, straightening my cuffs as I stood. The office was actually a spare in one of the buildings my father owned, and I had kind of made myself at home, giving Judy a nice, comfortable space out front. It worked, but it wasn’t New York by any means.
A tall blonde entered the office, and I stopped for a moment, surprise filtering through my body. “Can I help you?”
Her wide smile focused on me as she stuck out her hand. “I’m Marti Grayson. I hope you were expecting me.”
“I-I thought Marti was a man,” I blurted out as I shook her hand.
She laughed as she gripped my hand warmly. “I get that all the time. I hope you won’t hold it against me, Mr. Temple.”
I smiled. In an effort to bring the company to the top of the ladder again, I had sent Judy on a search for a marketing coordinator that could market the company in the new business age. We needed fresh ideas, someone out there busting ass other than me.
I just hadn’t anticipated it being a bombshell of a woman. “I won’t, of course. Your portfolio was great, and I believe that’s exactly what this company needs.”
She fluttered her eyes, her smile even wider now. “That’s very nice of you Mr. Temple.”
“Jackson,” I offered, gesturing to one of the seats in front of my desk. “Have a seat.”
She walked past and did exactly that as I walked back behind the desk, settling in my chair. “So, Mrs. Grayson.”
“Oh, it’s just miss,” she said, crossing her long legs. “I’m not married.”
I cleared my throat, averting my gaze from her and to my notes I had jotted down this morning. Hell. I was all ready for a man, not a woman.
Not that I was unwilling to hire women. That wasn’t it.
“Call me Marti,” she continued after a moment. “I’m very excited to get started.”
I forced myself to nod as I handed over my notes to her. “Here’s some ideas I started to jot down. I’ll show you to your workspace.”
“Thank you, Jackson,” she said, her fingers brushing mine as she took the papers. I loosened my tie as I motioned for her to go before me, eager to get her out of my office. I had just got myself in a shitload of trouble by hiring her.
But hell, we needed the help.
***
I climbed out of my car six hours later, dog tired and looking forward to a cold beer. Maybe even some of those lacy underwear that Bree sometimes put on. Hell yes. I could go for some fun tonight. Surprisingly, Marti was living up to her stellar resume, already working on a plan to get the company out of the toilet and I had to admit, even I was impressed by her work.
I shut the door and walked to the cottage, opening the back door only to be greeted by the smell of burnt cheese. Shit. Bree was cooking again.
As much as I loved the woman, she was horrible in the kitchen. For some reason, she was in this phase where she wanted to try all these recipes on me, and my stomach usually ended up suffering.
But I didn’t have the heart to tell her she sucked.
“Hey babe,” she said as I stepped into the kitchen, seeing the mess of pots and pans in the sink. “I hope you are hungry.”
“I-I am,” I said, running a hand through my hair as I eyed the blob on the plate. “What are we having tonight?”
She leaned over and kissed me on the lips, her smile bright. “We are having chicken casserole.”
The blob on the plate looked nothing like chicken casserole, and I swallowed hard, thinking of how it was going to sit like a fucking stone in my stomach. “Looks great.”
Bree looked so hopeful that I couldn’t lie to her. “Really? I hope so. I followed the recipe to a tee.”
I nodded, feeling my phone vibrate in my pocket, hastily fishing it out so I could put this dinner off a little longer. Seeing that it was my dad, I gave her an apologetic smile. “I got to take this.”
She nodded, and I turned back, putting the phone up to my ear. “Hey old man, what’s up.”
“Why is the fucking company going to shit in New York?”
Never one to mince words. “Hell, dad, I don’t know. You pulled me out of New York, remember?”
He sighed heavily in the phone. “I didn’t pull you out, you left for Bree, remember? Either way, it’s shit, and I need you to go figure it out.”
My pulse hummed just under the skin as I thought about going back to the big city. “What?”
“It’s our biggest market, and if we can’t turn it around, then there are millions to be lost. I need for you to take that new marketing person I heard about and make it work Jackson. We can’t lose that market.”
“I, yes sir,” I said, a grin on my face. “I’ll make it work.”
“I know you will. Keep me posted.”
I hung up the phone and turned back to Bree, who was staring at me. “Everything alright?” she asked, a hint of concern in her voice.
“Everything’s just fine,” I said, reaching for her. “Pack your bags, we are going to the big apple.”
******
CHAPTER 5: BREE
I looked at Jackson, surprise filtering through my veins. New York? We were going to New York? “Why?” I asked as he pulled me against him.
“The division is in the fucking toilet,” he said, his hands roaming lower until he was gripping my ass. “God, you feel good.”
I placed my hands on his chest, halting his roaming hands. “But, I mean, I can’t go now.”
His hands stopped as he looked at me, his eyes narrowing. “What do you mean you can’t go?”
I swallowed. “It’s the middle of wedding season. The venue is booked solid for the next two months, Jackson.” The calendar was slammed full, and I was up to my elbows in requests and catering contracts and though I was training someone to be my assistant, but she was far from capable of running it by herself.
His gaze relaxed and he chuckled as he tucked a stray hair behind my ear. “Is that it? Come on Bree, you’re dating a billionaire. You can afford to let the venue run itself for a few weeks.”
I knew full well who I was dating. “I don’t think you understand what I’m saying, Jackson.” Just because I was dating him didn’t mean I didn’t want to work the venue. I loved the venue and the vineyard. They were my babies, why I got out of bed each morning.
His grin grew. “Oh, I do understand Bree. Don’t worry, mom isn’t going to freak out or anything. Dad is sending me to New York. She will be on board.” He pressed a kiss to my lips, giving my ass a slight squeeze before letting me go. “I’m going to the house to talk to dad. I’ll be back shortly.”
I didn’t say anything as he walked out, whistling, waiting until he shut the door before my shoulders slumped. He still didn’t understand that my life hadn’t changed to the point where I wanted to sit on my ass and eat bonbons every day. Peop
le were still counting on me to do my job, though the comments had grown kind of old about me dating the boss’s son. Inside, I was still the same woman who had worked side by side the employees to make this vineyard a success. I was still the same woman who was learning her father’s trade to take over one day. Dating Jackson didn’t change any of those plans.
With a sigh, I stepped into my boots and grabbed my jacket, leaving the cooling supper on the counter as I walked outside. While a trip to New York with Jackson was very appealing indeed, I didn’t want to be gone for a long time. I had responsibilities here, just like he did with his father’s company.
I walked along the rows of vines, my fingers touching the brittle leaves with some sadness. The colder weather was rapidly approaching along with the end of the wine season. While the venue had taken up most of my time lately, I still enjoyed the wine making business with my father. It was and always would be my first love, something that Jackson clearly didn’t understand.
I found my father amongst the rows, clearing out the dead leaves from around the fragile vines, sans a bulky coat in the dying sun. “Where is your jacket?” I asked, placing my hands on my hips.
He looked up, a grin on his face. “You know where it is. It’s barely cold out.”
“Cold enough for you to get pneumonia,” I said.
He waved me off, rising slowly from the ground. “You have grown soft, daughter.”
“I like to not be sick,” I countered as he wiped his hands on his pants. “Jackson wants me to go to New York with him.”
“You’ve always wanted to go.”
“Not during our busiest time of the season for the venue.”
My father looked over at me, arching a brow. “Do you want to go?”
I sighed. “Of course, I want to go, but he doesn’t understand my responsibilities here.” I doubted he would ever understand that I had put my blood, sweat, and tears into this business to make it profitable for his family.
My father chuckled, shaking his head. “Bree, you know your life is changing by the moment. You are not just their employee any longer.”
It wasn’t what I wanted to hear at all. “You’re not helping.”
“I’m telling you the truth,” he said, a slight smile on his face. “You’re the only one that hasn’t seen it yet.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “So, I should go then?”
My father walked over and put his hands on my upper arms, the fatherly smile I was used to on his weathered face. “Bree, you have to do what you think is best for you and your relationship. If you don’t want to go with Jackson, then don’t go, but I think you would be making a mistake. That boy, he loves you, and I wager he’s looking forward to showing the city off to you.”
I blew out a breath. “You’re too smart sometimes, you know that?”
He leaned over and kissed my forehead, the smell of dirt and the aftershave he favored filling my senses. “That’s not the first time you’ve called me smart.”
I laughed as he stepped back, giving me a wink. Leave it up to him to put it in terms that I could relate to. Maybe I had been too rash to think that this place could not run without me for a week or two. My father was right, as usual. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome,” he said, picking up the bucket he was using to gather the leaves. “Fancy a glass of wine?”
I linked arms with him, feeling lighter than I had when I left the cottage. “Of course. I could never turn down a glass of the famous wine.” I was going to New York City. With Jackson.
******
CHAPTER 6: JACKSON
I climbed out of the car and walked around as the driver was opening Bree’s side, unable to contain my excitement. I was going back home, back to the city that I loved and this time, I would have Bree with me. It was the best of both worlds.
She stepped out and eyed the private jet with some uncertainty. “That is taking us?”
I laughed as I grabbed her hand, pulling her toward the stairs. “Yes, and it’s more than capable of doing so. What did you expect?”
“Something bigger than that,” she muttered, anxiety all over her face. I knew she hadn’t flown before and I was excited to see her reaction to flying in high style. Me, I lived on this jet before meeting her, flying all over the damn country in my early days to smooze with clients. Sometimes, I enjoyed a leisurely flight to get out for a few days but never had I taken a woman on the plane with me before.
I allowed Bree to walk up the stairs before I followed, my eyes watching her ass encased in a tight pair of jeans as she climbed them. Hell, at this rate, we were both going to join the mile-high club on her inaugural trip. The mere thought had my cock twitching.
I entered the small plane and saw that Bree had stopped in the doorway. I peered over her shoulder, my cock shriveling as I spied Marti seated on one of the leather chairs. Damn. I had forgotten about her joining us.
“Jackson!” she said brightly, looking up from her magazine. “I arrived early. I hope you don’t mind.”
“No, not at all,” I said, finding my voice. “Uh, Bree, this is Marti.”
“Hi,” she said, giving Bree a once over before extending her hand. “I’m Marti, Jackson’s new marketing coordinator.”
True to form, I watched as Bree took her hand, her smile not reaching her eyes. “I’m Bree. Jackson didn’t mention that we were going to have company.”
I swore under my breath as I heard the lethal edge to her voice. Hell, I had forgotten myself. “Marti is needed in New York as well. I figured there was no reason for her to take a commercial flight.”
Bree looked back at me, her expression hard to read. “No, of course not. That’s thoughtful of you.”
I gave her a look, but she just gave me a smile and walked over to the set of leather seats across from Marti’s, dropping her carry-on bag in the corner as she settled in. I ran a hand through my hair and took the seat next to her, feeling the tension roll off her. I should have told her about Marti. Not just about her coming on this trip but about her in general. She wasn’t going to believe me that I had totally forgotten, but I had. I had been so wrapped up in getting everything ready to head back to the city that it had slipped my mind.
Besides, she had no reason to think anything else. No reason at all.
Reaching over, I grabbed her hand and pressed a kiss to the back of it, not caring as she stiffened to my touch. Fuck it. If she didn’t know by now that I was completely head over heels for her, then she was fucking blind. Bree had changed my life in more ways than one and I wanted nothing more than for her to be happy.
With me.
The door was closed by the flight attendant, and I settled in for the flight, looking forward to seeing how Bree was going to react.
“Jackson,” Marti said as the engines were started. “I started on the campaign and have some mockups if you want to see them.”
I looked over to see Marti holding out her tablet, a grin coming across my face as I saw what we had worked on coming to light. “You already did them?”
“Last night,” she said shyly as I took the tablet from her. “I know how much they meant to you to have done, so I worked after you left the office.”
I thumbed through the mockups, surprised that she was able to knock out the work in the short amount of time. “They are fucking awesome.”
The plane started to lift in the air as I scrutinized some of her wording, making comments as she scribbled on a pad in her hands. “I think we should move this here. It will have more punch.”
She leaned over, and I could smell her expensive perfume. “Yes, you are right. Great catch.”
I nodded and handed over the tablet as the plane smoothed out, feeling the weightlessness in my stomach for a brief moment.
Then I remembered Bree.
Looking over, I found her clenching the armrests so tightly that her fingers were white, her eyes closed.
Shit. She looked scared to death. “Bree.”
She
opened her eyes, and I felt like an ass as I saw the fear in their depths. “We are fine. The worst is over.”
“Are you sure?” she asked softly as I pried her hand from the armrest, wrapping my hand around it instead.
I nodded, wanting to apologize for not explaining what was happening. “You did well. You survived your first takeoff.”
She gave me a trembling smile, and I suddenly wished that it was just the two of us right now. I would kiss the hell out of her, get her mind on something more than just the flight. “All I can think about is how I have to do this all over again when we leave.”
“I’m sorry,” I whispered, raising the armrest so I could pull her close, pressing a kiss in her hair.
She didn’t answer but pressed into me, and I felt her body tremble against mine. I would make it up to her somehow in New York, show her the city I loved. I might be going to save my father’s company, but I also was going for another reason, and that was to introduce Bree. I wanted her to enjoy this trip.
******
CHAPTER 7: BREE
I inwardly let out a breath as Marti climbed out of the private car, giving us a little wave before the door closed behind her and we were on our way once again. Her expensive smelling perfume still clung to the interior, but I was glad that the woman was gone.
That way I didn’t have to claw out her eyeballs for staring at Jackson like she was starving and he was her only source of food. I mean the woman could benefit from a large pizza or two anyway.
“What are you smiling about?”
I looked over at Jackson, who suddenly looked pleased about something. “I’m thinking of feeding your new coordinator a few pizzas if you must know.”
His grin faded and he suddenly looked troubled, taking my hand in his own. “I’m sorry Bree. I should have told you about her, but I just forgot.”
I didn’t know how any hot-blooded man could forget about the gorgeous woman, but I decided to let that one slide for now. I didn’t want to be jealous. Jackson had never given me any indication of being a cheater, and I felt his love, I really did.