“To my friend. You’re the only one outside of the fashion world, and the fashion world doesn’t have friends. They have trends.”
“Don’t be dumb—”
“Oh my God, Jenna! Are you all right?” Lewis rushed in, snapping Jenna out of her reverie.
“Yeah, I’m okay. The security guards rescued me.”
“I heard. Wow. See? If you lived with me, this wouldn’t have happened. We would’ve been walking in together.”
Jenna didn’t think the joke was funny. Then it dawned on her that it wasn’t a joke. Erika had an expression of incredulity.
“Anyway…” Erika blinked at Lewis for a moment before she switched focus to Jenna. ”You guys should meet me and Phil for lunch.”
“Who’s Phil?” Lewis asked, his tone lightening quickly. Clearly his concern only went so far.
Maybe this was why her feelings didn’t extend past the desire to stay with him a few nights a week. She was matching his level of interest.
“He’s the security guard downstairs,” Erika explained. “Brown hair, about Jenna’s height, works—”
“Oh, that Phil.” Disgust took over Lewis’s expression. “I’m not having lunch with a security guard.”
Erika’s face fell. Jenna stiffened, and then made sure the defensiveness didn’t color her voice. “Let’s do dinner, instead.” She directed a hard stare at Lewis. His back bowed from the force of the look. “We can all get acquainted.”
He put a fist to his mouth and cleared his throat. “Great. Dinner, then. Well, I have to run.” With a last look at Jenna, he was gone.
“Girl, you need a man that you can’t bully.” Erika laughed in that grateful, embarrassed sort of way that Jenna didn’t need to comment on. As a white-collar girl who made a six-figure salary, a lot of their associates would frown on Erika dating someone below her “level.” Luckily, Jenna didn’t give a crap what those shallow idiots might think. They didn’t matter. Happiness did. Something she told Erika with every blue-collar guy she found. Erika had a definite type, and as long as he put Erika first, Jenna was all for it.
“Stubborn guys aren’t any fun. How would I get what I wanted?” Jenna asked, tapping the desk.
“The great thing about Phil is he’d give me the moon if I asked for it, but if I get pushy, he digs in his heels and won’t budge.”
“Next time he says no, grab his cock and give it a hard squeeze. It’s a negotiation tactic that works every time.”
“You are so bad!”
Jenna and Lewis showed up at the restaurant fifteen minutes late. Erika and Phil were waiting at the bar with martinis.
“Over here.” Erika waved.
“You’re hard to miss,” Jenna said dryly as she and Lewis stopped next to them. “Your dress is bright.”
“What?” Erika looked down at her blindingly pink dress. “Oh, shut up. This color looks good on me.”
“Anything looks good on you.” Phil kissed her head.
As soon as Jenna saw him, she recognized the stern-faced man that watched the doors with harsh eyes as she was leaving for the night. He rarely did more than nod at her as she walked out.
She smiled and put out her hand. Phil stood to greet them.
“Hello, Jenna, Lewis,” Phil said in a pleasant voice. He wasn’t exactly handsome, Jenna had to be honest about that, but there was something about him that made it easy to relax in his company. Without his uniform, he had a ready smile and an easy manner.
“Hi, Phil.” Lewis looked out over the crowd, not giving Phil his full attention. “You’re what, a security guard?”
Jenna rolled her eyes. Time for the pissing contest. Lewis liked to present himself as the alpha dog when another penis came on the scene. He tended to ostracize other men immediately in a desire to establish a pecking order. He hadn’t got himself beaten up yet, so Jenna figured it was some sort of man code.
“Would you like my seat, Jenna?” Phil asked.
“Oh no, you’re fine.”
“She likes to show off her fashion.” Erika sipped her drink. “That’s what, this season? You’re losing it, girl…”
“Har har.” Jenna smoothed the pleat at her side. “It was a gift, actually. It hasn’t even hit the runway yet.”
A proud grin lit up Lewis’s features. He looked at Phil again, probably intending to drive the point home. Luckily, their names were called for dinner.
Once they were seated, Jenna’s mouth salivated as she saw a dish she’d wanted for the longest time, but had somehow never actually tried. “They have rabbit. I’m getting it!” She dropped her menu in triumph.
“Sweetie, they have venison, too.” Lewis tapped his menu. “It’s lower in calories.”
Jenna’s stomach twisted. “I think rabbit is about the same…”
“Are you sure?” Lewis squinted at her. “I don’t know. It’s awfully greasy, isn’t it?”
“It’s the same.” Erika nodded authoritatively. “It is. I know that for a fact.”
“No, actually, I think—” Phil cut off with a grunt, bending over the table. He straightened up with a smile, choosing not to continue.
Ice filled Jenna’s stomach as she ordered the rabbit anyway, really wanting to try it. But when it showed up, Lewis gave a soft whistle, silently asking if she was going to eat all that, and her throat started to close up. In other words, Don’t eat too much, fatty. She’d heard it all her life.
Stomach twisting uncomfortably, she laid down her utensils and reached for her water.
“You should at least try it,” Erika said, gesturing toward Jenna’s dish.
Jenna waved the thought away. “I’m not even hungry. I’ll just eat the veggies and have some wine. It’ll be less working out I’ll have to do later.”
“Obviously it’s okay to try it, Jenna,” Lewis said quietly. “I was just looking out for you.”
She exhaled and adjusted the stylish ruffle on her new top. She flashed him a smile. “I know. Thanks.”
The next morning, Lewis and she both awoke to ringing phones. Caller ID said it was Don. She didn’t notice the time, but she did notice her raging hangover.
She swiped the screen and put it to her ear. “Yello?”
“Yellow? It is supposed to be a greeting, not a color,” Don said. “Look, Jenna, we got a red light. Some asshole on city council is sticking his big nose into things. I can take that sucker—won’t be the first time—but I’m going to need some time. More to the point, I am going to need the likes of you and your cronies out of my hair. Can’t be worried about the talent getting clubbed to death on the way to work. You’re going on a trip. All expenses paid. Somewhere fun. You’re welcome in advance. Everything will be patched up and ready by the time you get back, don’t you worry. Okay, now talk to my secretary—”
The line clicked.
“Hello?” Jenna took the sleek unit away from her head and blinked at its colorful screen a few times. It was still connected. She put the cell phone back to her ear and waited.
Lewis was looking at her in confusion. “Who was that?”
“Don Jeffries. He said we got a red light. Sounds really pissed, but handling it.”
“Don called you?”
“Yeah. Why? Who called you?”
“One of his minions. Why did he call you, I wonder?”
“Yes.” The secretary’s voice came closer to the phone. “Hello, Miss Anderson. Oh. Miss Annnderson. Ha, ha! Like in The Matrix. My nephew had me watch that movie the other day. I must’ve missed it when it first came out…”
Jenna pinched the bridge of her nose, willing patience.
“Hello?”
“I’m here,” Jenna said dryly.
“Great. You are all set to depart. You leave tonight at eight p.m. Mr. Jeffries said you are usually working at that time, so wouldn’t need any advance notice. I hope that’s all right?”
“Where am I going?”
“That’s a surprise; Mr. Jeffries’s orders. Somewhere fun, he said. O
kay, then. I will email you the details. Have fun!”
Jenna hit the end button as Lewis said, “We’re going on a trip. But why? What’s his angle?”
“I don’t know. He said he wanted us out of his hair.”
“So he’s sending us away with no warning? That doesn’t make sense.”
“This isn’t like Don. Something must’ve happened.”
“I’ll say something nearly happened. That crowd nearly tore us apart.”
Jenna walked out to get some coffee. The crowd had definitely been an issue, but Don had planned to send them to a different office to get around that. No, this was something else. Something bigger.
As she poured herself a cup, Mike’s words came floating back. Whatever was going on, she’d bet it was dangerous. And she hoped that danger wasn’t going to follow them.
Chapter Four
Josh stepped up to his fellow guides as they gathered in a loose circle, hearing the murmured voices in the clearing beyond the trees. He barely focused on Karen, the stout head guide as she finished up her pep talk.
“Okay, gang, let’s have one of the best tours ever!” Karen clapped and looked at him.
He nodded and headed beyond the tree line. Why she insisted on these pre-tour talks was beyond him. Their woods route only varied between three and four paths, depending on the length of the tour, and they’d all been doing it for longer than a year. Talking about it before each tour only wasted time.
“Charlie,” Karen said as she turned to him in alarm.
He sighed at the name. Granted, he went by Chuck these days in an attempt to blend into his new life, but it never sat well, and he’d never said anything about being called Charlie.
Why he never corrected her was anyone’s guess.
“Yes?”
She hesitated, and then blurted out, “Let’s switch. Let’s change groups.”
He almost said yes, but he happened to know that she had a bunch of overly enthusiastic nature lovers, and he’d been allocated some architects from New York City. He’d choose busy and pissed off over tireless joy any day. Besides, he’d been group Red for the whole duration of his employment. He had a strange attachment to it.
“Stick to the plan.” He gently brushed past her before having to slow his pace as one of the other guides, Gale, a petite woman, stepped in front of him.
Karen assumed her position and introduced the guides. As usual, his designated group was the farthest to the left in the clearing. Looking over Gale’s head, he scanned the faces he passed, all smiles and bright eyes. He looked at his group and nearly stopped dead.
Six people dressed in anything but woods attire shuffled with tense postures. Clearly impatient and obviously fashionable, all but two wore expressions of distaste. One man stood too close to another, wearing a leer Josh wanted to rip off his face as the man looked at a small, curvy female glancing around with wide eyes and a bright smile.
None of that floored him, though. This motley crew would be fun to have trampling through the woods for the next week. He would even take bets on who would whine first. What had him gulping and wanting to adjust his pants was the dirty blonde in the back. She was mouth-droppingly gorgeous. Hair styled with reddish highlights that looked natural, and her eyes were the clearest blue. Her face was flawless, with high cheekbones, a delicate but defined jaw, a long, straight nose, and arching eyebrows lending just enough elegance to make her look stately as well as glamorous. Her body was thin, a little too thin perhaps, but she had perky, full breasts and was tall. Tall as Karen. Probably five feet nine or ten.
She was too beautiful for the likes of him. Too elegant by far. But there was raw vulnerability lurking beneath the skillfully crafted scowl that spoke of soggy depths. He would have her crying in ten minutes flat.
It took less than that to have him painfully hard. This was going to be an interesting tour, to say the least.
Jenna’s design team huddled in the area designated for the start of their retreat. When she had heard “all-expenses-paid vacation, fun getaway,” she thought Mexico, Jamaica, maybe even Europe. Instead they’d ended up in freaking Colorado. They were scheduled to backpack through the woods. That was it. Put on some shorts and a big canvas backpack and follow a guide through the trees. No running water, no restaurants, no showers. She had been camping once in her life. She’d hated it.
She felt like going to the police and saying she’d been kidnapped. That was probably why they hadn’t been told where they were going.
As her opposite, Erika was bobbing up and down in anticipation. She was hoping to see a rattlesnake, of all things, and maybe even a mountain lion if they got lucky.
Lucky, my ass! Jenna thought as she looked beyond her crew to the other waiting people, about thirty in all. Unlike her party, everyone else was wearing jeans, faded or otherwise, and casual, loose clothing. All wore excited smiles, and many held maps or water bottles.
After a wait that had every New Yorker checking their watch, five people stepped out from behind a clump of trees, their rugged mannerisms and durable gear suggesting they lived in the mountains full time.
“Okay, everyone, welcome to Wooden Adventures. I’m your lead coordinator and guide, Karen.”
“She’s an Amazon like you,” Erika whispered. “Bigger breasts, though.”
“They look like meatloaf,” Mike said dryly.
“She’s wearing a sports bra, dummy.” Erika elbowed him.
“Ow.” Mike rubbed his chest. “Regardless of why, it looks like she has meatloaf strapped to her chest…”
“You are sectioned off into groups,” Karen was saying. “On your pamphlet, there is a dot. The color of that dot is your group. I’ll give you a moment to find your colors.”
“Red,” Mike said, tapping the dot on his map. He leaned over to show it to Erika.
“I believe you,” Erika said, pushing it away.
“Great.” Karen waited for a couple of laughing morons to settle down. “Okay, I will be in charge of group Orange.”
The laughing morons cheered. It was mostly comprised of middle-aged white people with fanny packs. Jenna pointed out the latter.
“No way.” Erika stepped forward to get a better look. “Hello, nineties, how I missed you.”
“Fanny packs were hot in the eighties, actually.” Mike crossed his arms over his chest, probably to ward off another elbow attack.
“Will you bugger off? You’re getting on my nerves.” Erika shot him a glare.
Karen motioned to the people who were slowly moving toward them. “Your team leader is making his or her way to you. I’ll give you a chance to get familiar. Then I’ll go over some important safety rules.”
Jenna looked for her group’s guide. A short blond woman stopped at the group next to them. Stepping out from behind her was a tall man on fluid joints. Jenna shivered as she took stock of the man she would be spending a week with.
He was in his early to mid-thirties. Tall, well over six feet, with jet-black hair, and startling gold-hazel eyes outlined by lush, thick black eyelashes. His large, strapping shoulders reduced down into thin hips. The guy probably had to go sideways through doorjambs. He had a Romanesque face—all planes and angles. If it weren’t for those gorgeous eyes, his face might appear too stony. Those eyes lent him just enough prettiness to make a girl swoon.
Beside his good looks, the guy was downright masculine. He probably clubbed girls over the head and dragged them back to his cave somewhere. There was a predatory quality to him, too. He reminded her a little of her self-defense instructor. He knew how to handle himself, that was clear. Balance, poise, ease of movement, assuredness of step—he could hold his own. The effect was almost dazzling. He was attractive in the way a perfectly sculpted samurai sword was attractive: artfully crafted and exquisite, but play too rough and it might cut your arm off.
He pulled to a stop in front of them. His quick, sweeping gaze paused on Dale for a fraction longer than the rest, but unlike most of the men J
enna had met, he barely noticed her or Erika. It was refreshing.
“Hi,” he said in a gravelly voice that rumbled out of his chest. “I’m Chuck. I’ll be your guide. We’re here to have fun. Stick to the rules, stay safe, and we’ll make it out in one piece. Any questions?”
“Uh…yeah.” Lewis puffed out his chest and shifted, throwing out some swagger. “How long have you been doing this? What are your qualifications?”
Chuck pinned him with a flat stare, his face perfectly impassive. “I have been a guide in these woods for two years. I have never had an incident. I passed the field guide test with flying colors, and I know all types of forest creatures, both dangerous and harmless. I would love to point them out for your—any of your—entertainment.”
His flat, humorless tone didn’t make it sound like he’d love it at all. He returned his stare to Lewis, clearly waiting for any more questions.
Lewis bristled, then shuffled closer to Jenna. Apparently that hadn’t gone as he had intended.
Losing interest, Jenna saw that a woman in the group next to her had a wicked crack in her phone. Soon it would—
“Ma’am?”
Jenna blinked as her thoughts fractured. She turned to find those gold-infused hazel eyes looking at her, registering the flicker of something hostile lurking in their depths. He appeared calm, but there was a raging fire burning on the outskirts of his level gaze. Her mind stuttered and her tongue thickened, raising her hackles with a tingle of warning.
This man was not what he seemed.
She shivered again before raising her eyebrows in question. It was easier than doing the “heebie-jeebies” dance. Less embarrassing.
“Map?” He held out a piece of paper. She took it from him and he said, “Please pay attention.”
“Let’s go over the rules,” Karen said with a disarming smile. A few people chuckled for some reason. “First, whatever we bring into the woods, we take out. Except for biodegradable toilet paper, we don’t leave any trash behind.”
“We have to crap in the bushes?” Mike asked in horror.
Unexpected Hero (Skyline Trilogy Book 1) Page 3