Brushing Off the Boss: A Half Moon Bay Novel (Entangled Bliss)

by Annie Seaton

  …

  Jack turned the closed sign over on the gallery door. He couldn’t wait for Sienna to come back. She’d said an hour and she’d already been gone for more than two. He’d managed to convince Arielle that she’d wasted a trip—he ran his hand through his hair and shook his head. He couldn’t believe she’d come all the way from New York. He’d booked her on a flight from San Francisco tonight, despite her protests that he’d change his mind about their little misunderstanding.

  The look on Sienna’s face when he’d walked into the gallery this afternoon had been as cold as ice. Once he told Sienna that Arielle wasn’t his girlfriend, maybe they could take up where they’d left off last night. But first he had to get Arielle back to San Francisco. He’d arranged for a taxi, but he had to get her to Monterey first, and they had to go on his bike.

  “Are you ready?” He glanced at her sitting primly on the love seat by the door. “Your luggage will be sent from your hotel to the airport.” All he wanted to do was get her on a plane…today.

  The spoiled-girl pout was back. “Helen said you’d be pleased to see me.” Arielle had always lived in a dream world. He knew his mother would not have encouraged her.

  “Helen was wrong. Come on, we’ve just got time to meet the taxi.”

  An hour later, Arielle was safely deposited in the taxi on the way to San Francisco International Airport, and Jack was sure he’d managed to convince her that she’d wasted her time. A pleasant tingle ran over his skin as he rode along the short street to the gallery. He’d expected to see the lights on in the gallery, but the building was locked and almost in darkness. Only the soft display lighting in the front was on. He gunned the motor and turned the bike toward home. It seemed like hours since Sienna had been in his arms this morning, and he needed to talk to her and convince her that they…that they could what?

  Jack frowned to himself as he turned the bike toward Forest Lake. They could have a relationship? Or they could just work and play together? He had a feeling Sienna was going to be hard to convince of anything. And the hardest part was he didn’t really know what he was trying to convince her they had between them. Look how Arielle had tried to complicate his life. Maybe he needed to think a bit more and pull back a little?

  The house was in darkness too, and he let himself in quietly, heading to the apartment wondering where Sienna was. She’d probably been peeved with him when she’d come back from her lunch with that woman and found the gallery closed up. But, damn it, it was his business and he could do what he liked with it. His stomach grumbled, adding to his feeling of being out of sorts with the world. He’d go for a run around the lake and then grab some dinner and hit the sack. Maybe she’d come home before then and they could talk.

  He pulled on his running shorts and shoes, and locked the door behind him as he took off at a slow pace toward the water. There was a distinct chill in the air and winter was not far away. His thoughts ran around his mind and Jack wished he’d thought to grab his iPod so he could listen to music and clear his head.

  When did things get so complicated?

  Jack narrowed his eyes and peered through the dim light as he headed back toward the house after doing a circuit of the small lake. The light reflected on the small garage at the side of the house and he caught the flash of chrome. Sienna’s car was there, but the house was dark. Maybe she’d been picked up? After all, he knew little about her life. But as he ran closer to the house, he saw the flicker of a candle on the back porch. He let out his breath in a sigh of relief, and anticipation filled him.

  He grabbed both sides of the stair rail and pulled himself up the four steps leading to the porch as he leveled his breathing. Sienna was curled up in one of the rockers beneath the covered side of the porch, the flickering candle flame the only movement. For a moment he thought she was asleep, but as soon as his shoes hit the wooden decking, she unfolded herself from the chair, stood, and stretched, reaching for a pair of running shoes.

  A tight black T-shirt almost reached the top of a pair of black leggings, and he caught a glimpse of bare skin as she raised her arms above her head.

  “Great timing,” she said. “I was just going to go for a run myself. Cool out there?”

  Jack caught his breath, not so much from the exertion but from the cute picture filling his vision.

  “Yeah, cool. But it’s great by the water once you warm up.”

  Sienna tied her laces and stood. Jack’s breath caught in his throat and he chose his words carefully. “Are we…are you okay?”

  ”Yes, why do you ask? I’m good. Are you?” Sienna’s voice was soft and muffled.

  “Whoa.” Jack hurried across the porch to catch her, and gently took her arm before she could step down the stairs. “You sound like you’re catching a cold. Maybe a run’s not such a good idea?” Her skin was icy beneath his fingers. “How about I make you a hot drink? I make a mean lemon hot toddy if you’ve got a sore throat.”

  Sienna pulled away from him and bent, stretching her legs. “Thanks, I’m fine. I’m looking forward to a run. I need some fresh air.”

  “Want some company?” He didn’t want to go inside alone. If it meant going for another run, so be it. He could pull the stamina from somewhere.

  A slight smile crossed Sienna’s face. “Are you up to it?”

  The challenge gave Jack a burst of energy. “Of course I am. Are you?”

  “Race you to the other side of the lake?” Before he could take another breath, Sienna shot past him, down the steps, and across the small patch of lawn. By the time Jack reached the bottom of the steps, she was opening the gate that led to the narrow path beside the lake. She shot a glance at him and her low chuckle pleased him.

  By the time he was through the gate, she was ahead of him and had passed the next two houses along the lake. No way was he going to let her beat him, so Jack took a deep breath and stepped up his pace.

  To his surprise, Sienna lengthened the distance between them and he had to push himself to close the distance. The muscles in his calves burned and he smiled as he almost closed the gap between them.

  “How far are we going?” he huffed as he drew closer to her.

  As soon as he spoke, Sienna took off and the distance between them grew again.

  “Eat my dust.” Her laugh broke the silence of the night. Jack swallowed and gave it all he had.

  By the time she’d reached the last house on the other side of the lake, he was right behind her. Her ragged breath as she pushed to the end showed him how determined she was to beat him.

  Sienna grabbed the rail of the jetty of the last house before the path ended in thick trees. She turned with a grin. Jack reached her, rested his arms on the rail, bent over, and tried to catch his breath. Finally when he could talk, he straightened. Sienna was leaning nonchalantly against the fence, her breathing even and slow, her face slightly pink.

  He shook his head with a wry grin. “You didn’t even break a sweat.”

  “Out of shape, Jack?” She smiled back at him and then turned away. “Race you back?”

  “Whoa, right there.” He reached out and grabbed her arm. “You’ve made your point. You’re fitter than me and you can run like the wind.”

  “And I feel so much better for it, too.”

  It was great to see the smile on her face as she held his gaze. He pulled her closer and looked down into her eyes. “I’m sorry about today. It wasn’t what it looked like.”

  “What wasn’t?” Her eyes narrowed and he realized that even though he had been so worried about her take on Arielle, she seemed to not know that he was talking about it. She stood straight in the loose circle of his arms and looked up at him, her eyes shining in the soft moonlight.

  “I want to explain to you…about Arielle.”

  She lifted her head, and he narrowed his eyes as his gaze settled on her face. At a closer look, her face was pale despite her exertion, and her eyes were slightly puffy. If he didn’t know better, he’d swear she’d been
crying.

  Jack wanted to see her smile again. Frustration warred with wanting to pull her close and kiss her senseless. “Last night was wonderful, and Arielle’s arrival was totally unexpected.” He waited for her reaction.

  A yawn escaped her lips and Jack let his shoulders relax.

  “So, I’m boring you now?” he said.

  “We didn’t get much sleep last night,” she said with a slight turning up of her lips.

  He grinned, pleased the tension that was swirling between them seemed to be easing, and let his gaze settle on her. Dressed all in black, she looked even tinier than normal. She usually gave off an impression of strength, but despite the exertion of the race between them, an air of fragility hung around her tiny shoulders.

  He closed his eyes for a moment, remembering the feel of her fine bones beneath his fingers last night. When he opened them, she was looking at him and he was sure she could read his mind.

  “I didn’t know Arielle was coming to see me, and I want to make one thing quite clear. She isn’t my girlfriend.”

  “It’s all right, Jack.” She stepped away, reached down and stretched one leg. “You don’t owe me any explanations. Last night was fun and we got that out of our systems. Now we go back to the way we were. I don’t care about Arielle, whatever she is…or was…to you.”

  “But you look—” He didn’t want to say that she looked upset because it sounded as though he was an arrogant jerk, as though she cared enough to be upset by Arielle arriving. She’d made it quite clear from the outset that there was going to be nothing between them. Maybe something else was wrong? He’d give her some time and if she wanted to talk, he’d be there to listen.

  “You look tired. And so am I.” He pushed himself from the rail and held out his hand. “Okay, race you back.”

  Sienna grinned at him and stepped onto the path.

  “Sienna?”

  She stopped and looked back at him “Yes?”

  “Your shoelace is undone.”

  She crouched down in the darkness and by the time she realized both her laces were intact, Jack had taken off and was twenty yards ahead of her.

  With a grin, he called back over his shoulder. “Gotcha.”

  The sound of her laughter behind him sent a warm feeling rushing through Jack’s chest.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Sienna slept deeply despite the crazy dreams of weddings where Renzo was giving her away. In her dreams, she walked down an aisle over and over, hanging on to his arm, but when she got to the front there was no one there. She was alone in the church and even Renzo had disappeared.

  Runaway groom phobias. Something she’d never have to worry about. It must be the thought of her mother deciding not to tell Renzo about his child when she first fell pregnant—about her—and Arielle that had gotten her mind spinning.

  Sienna stood beneath the shower and let the warm water run down her face and neck. She always did her best thinking in the shower, or by the beach, but today her thoughts whirled around and her determination to move on had wavered. Closing her eyes, she leaned her head back and wished that the water could wash away all of her problems.

  Marietta had sworn that she wouldn’t tell Georgie what she had told Sienna yesterday. Sienna knew that she couldn’t trust her not to tell Georgie, so she was going to have to make time to see her tonight. Taking time out wasn’t a problem anymore; there was no need to work on the enameling every night. Her throat ached with the disappointment of her lost dream, and Sienna gave in to the tears and let them fall until she was drained. She had worked toward that dream for two years, and in one afternoon, it was all gone.

  Maybe she’d been foolish to trust Marietta, but she wanted to protect Georgie and ensure that she was the one to break the news. She knew that Georgie would be hit hard by the revelation that they weren’t twins…or even sisters. Sienna tipped her head back and let the warm water wash away her tears. She knew deep down she was making excuses; it was the thought of losing Jack that hurt the most. But it was better to do it now, on her terms.

  She would have a busy day ahead, and she’d tell Jack he could have the studio as soon as he wanted it. Making the call to the newspaper to pull the ad, and canceling the catering, would fill in some of the day.

  Fifteen minutes later, she was dressed and sitting in her car—her dead car—as the damn motor refused to fire. Taking it to the mechanic had slipped her mind over the past couple of days.

  “Problems?” Jack stood at the front of the car, his hands on his hips, his jeans slung low on his waist, and his chest bare as it seemed to be more often than not. Sienna’s mouth dried and she tore her gaze away. Racing with Jack last night had done her good. He’d seemed genuinely worried about her being upset, and that had touched her, but she hadn’t wanted to go into explanations of what was bothering her. They’d had fun and she had appreciated his thoughtfulness. Plus she’d enjoyed beating him to the other side of the lake. If he hadn’t tricked her she would have beaten him back. She’d run that path so many times she could have done it in her sleep.

  “Blasted car. I forgot to call the mechanic.”

  She opened the door and eased herself out, and avoided looking at Jack’s bare chest as he moved closer to her. Turning the key in the door, she locked it and stepped back and began to count.

  “One, two, three—”

  “What are you doing? Trying to keep your temper intact?” Jack’s roguish grin interrupted her counting and Sienna pursed her lips and waved her arm at him.

  “Four, five, six, seven, eight, nine…ten!” She unlocked the door and sat in the driver’s seat. “I’m trying something.”

  Jack crossed his arms, watching her with an intent expression as he leaned against the side of the carport while she put the key in the ignition and turned it. The engine purred to life and she looked at him with a grin.

  “It worked!”

  “The counting? Was it overheated?” Jack stepped forward and crouched beside the car, and his face was close enough that she could see the gold flecks in his green eyes.

  “No, I was experimenting.” Sienna let the rush of pleasure flow though her as she looked at him. Take what she could while she was still here. Store the memory away somewhere where she could pull it out when she’d moved away. “Before I had my iPad, I had a clunky old PC and every time it jammed, I used to shut it down, count to ten, and restart it. It always worked like a charm. I thought I’d test the theory on my BMW. After all, it has a computer system…I think?”

  Jack burst out laughing and Sienna ignored the tremble that ran down to her fingertips. “I’d still take it to a mechanic and get it checked out.”

  “I will…when I get time,” she said. “Are you coming into the gallery today?”

  His gaze shifted from hers and he shook his head. “No, I thought I’d look around for a place to live. I’ll move into the studio if I haven’t found anything after your exhibition.”

  Sienna reached out and put her hand over his. “I was hoping you’d come in today because I wanted to discuss my plans with you.”

  “Your plans?”

  “Yes, I’ve had a…er…a change of direction.”

  “And…” Jack raised his brows in question.

  Might as well get it out of the way now.

  “I’m postponing my exhibition.” When he went to speak, she rushed on. “I don’t want to rush it. When I do it, I want it all to be just right, and I’ve left it too late to give it my best work. So there’s no hurry for me to finish my work. You can start using the studio as soon as you want to.”

  “No, you can’t do that,” Jack shook his head. “I’ll come in today and we can talk about it. If you’re running out of time, I’ll help out. I’ll hire a second assistant to work in the gallery while you get your pieces ready. And don’t worry, I’ll still pay you.”

  She pushed away the gratitude that filled her at his words. He really was a nice guy, but it was too late. “That’s really kind of you, but
I’ve made up my mind. I’m really not ready. In a few months, I’ll be in a better place.”

  “A better place? You’re leaving the gallery?” Jack’s brow wrinkled in a frown.

  “No, I meant a better place personally.” As soon as the words were out, Sienna bit her lip. Shoot, she hadn’t meant to say that so she rushed out the next words. “I’m going to leave the gallery, too. You’ll need a new manager.”

  She avoided looking at him; she knew if she saw any concern in his eyes she wouldn’t be able to hold back the tears.

  “What brought all this on? Are you upset about the other night? Or was it Arielle turning up?” Jack’s intent gaze was seeing way too much, and she focused on lifting her fingers from his and put the car into gear.

  “Nothing for you to worry about. I told you I was going to think about everything when you first arrived, and that I’d probably move on.” She let off the emergency brake and waited for him to stand up. “I’ve thought and I’ve decided. I’ll see you later, then. Okay?”

  “Okay. We’ll talk later.” Sienna glanced in the rear vision mirror. Jack was staring at the car as she backed out from the carport, a frown wrinkling his brow. She let out the breath she’d been holding. The sooner she sorted out her private life, and the sooner she sold her cottage and moved away the better it would be for all concerned. So much had happened in the last week, she needed to get away. As soon as Faith’s birthday party was over…and she’d spoken to Georgie, she was going to take some time for herself.

  Maybe I’ll take a trip to Milwaukee.

  Chapter Fifteen

  After Sienna turned from the drive and the last flash of red sports car disappeared through the trees, Jack walked back inside. The place felt empty without her. He flicked on the coffeemaker and drew a deep breath as her perfume lingered in the kitchen.