She tried to ignore how much she thought about him, but it was hard. Kyle was here every weekend now, and somehow his name always came up. When she was settling all the travel arrangements, she’d seen his name more often than she cared to. She also tried to ignore the little flutter she felt when he’d first texted her about the engagement surprise.
Jess and Kyle had finished all the paperwork for the sale of her apartment building, and she’d arranged for everything at the gallery to complete his plans for proposing to Sadie. It was ridiculously romantic and she was deeply envious. Right now her job was to distract Sadie and help her get ready before they left for the show earlier than planned. Jess was slipping into her new stilettos when Sadie walked out of the closet fully dressed.
“Holy hotness, Jess! You look amazing!” Jess blushed at the compliment. It was a sleeveless silk dress in gray with a plunging neckline, and it fit her perfectly. She hadn’t picked this dress with anyone in mind. Nope. Not at all. Maybe the shoes.
“Thank you. You look stunning, Sadie. I adore the blue silk on you. It matches your eyes perfectly,” Jess awed and then sent a quick text to Mr. Hottie that they were leaving in ten minutes.
“Hey, do you think we could leave a few minutes early? I want to do a run through at the gallery and make sure everything is perfect. I’ve had a few messages about things I need to fix.” Jess hoped the lie worked.
“Sure, let me grab my purse. What about the guys?” Sadie asked, fixing her lipstick before packing it away.
“I’ll text Nathan and tell him we’re leaving a few minutes early. We’ll send the limo back to get them.” Jess was texting they were leaving to Nathan.
“So you and Nathan, huh? Is that who the dress is for?” Sadie wiggled her eyebrows like she was a cartoon character. Jess couldn’t help but giggle as they made their way outside.
“Please! While I admit he is the hottest man I’ve ever seen in person, he’s not my type. I don’t go for the one-nighters, and I most definitely don’t go for the playboys looking for a free ride. Been there, done that,” Jess said as they climbed into the limo that was parked at the front of the hotel.
“I think you’d be really surprised if you got to know Nathan better. I know him well enough to know he had a rough time starting out but turned his life around. And, if it weren’t for Nathan, Kyle would’ve never found me or even survived college. That says a lot about the man.” Sadie patted Jess’s leg then smiled.
“Plus, other than Kyle, he is most definitely the second-hottest man ever. The commercial he was in a few years ago, the shirtless one?” Sadie started fanning herself.
“Don’t I know it,” Jess murmured as memories of touching those abs flooded her senses again. Her poor BOB was on its last limb.
When the limo started to slow as it reached the gallery, Jess took a few deep breaths to calm her nerves. Hopefully she could spend the next twenty minutes with Nathan while Kyle proposed in the gallery and not make a fool of herself.
That was of course until the limo door opened and there was the sex god himself in a tuxedo. Trying not to swallow her own tongue, she climbed out and watched as Nathan’s gaze raked over her. She felt her skin tingle as his eyes devoured her. Recovering her composure, she winked at Kyle before walking over to Nathan, and they watched as Kyle led Sadie by the hand into the gallery. Sadie was looking around with a puzzled look on her face, probably wondering why Kyle and Nathan would already be there. Nathan held out his arm for her to take, and they walked down the street to the closest coffee shop.
_____
Holy hell, he was going to die. Nathan was a man of many words, yet he couldn’t think of any at the moment. He’d never seen anyone look as gorgeous as Jess did all dressed up.
As they walked down the street, Nathan glanced at Jess. Her silvery-gray dress with purple accessories made her eyes stand out even more than usual. The deep neckline had him fighting to keep his eyes forward. If he hadn’t known better, he might have thought she chose the same color palette as the one she wore that night they kissed as a reminder to him.
Not that he needed a reminder of that night. He’d never forget her dejected look as he pulled away. Or the sad wave she gave before she left him on the street. Jess was all wrong for him, but he couldn’t help but want her. He didn’t want to want her so badly, but it was now to the point of distraction.
He hadn’t been to a casting call since he came back from that weekend in San Francisco. Luckily, his graphics clients had sent several large accounts his direction, which keep him busy enough to not care so much about the fact that he had no acting jobs. But as busy as he was, he’d randomly catch a scent that would remind him of her. The warm and irresistible vanilla and brown sugar smell that would take him back to that night and remind him of her breathy sounds. Nathan had even gone as far as to go on a date with another redhead, in hopes of washing away her lingering presence. His attempt was in vain, as he spent the whole night comparing the new girl with Jess and was left let down.
They stepped into the coffee shop at the corner of the block and took a seat at a table. Nathan ordered an espresso, and Jess ordered tea. Her foot twitched, and she wrung her hands; he could tell she was nervous about the show.
“So, how have you been, Jess?” Nathan asked as he sipped his coffee. They had a few minutes to kill before they needed to walk back for the opening. Kyle promised there would be no hanky panky in the gallery.
“Thankfully, incredibly busy. This show is a very big deal, so I’ve been trying to make sure everything is perfect,” Jess said as she cupped her tea and blew the steam.
“I’m sure it’s going to be fantastic. You did everything on your list, right?” Nathan said playfully as he smirked at her.
“Yes, I did. I might be anal about my lists, but they are helpful and I rarely forget things,” she huffed back at him.
“So you’re saying you haven’t forgotten our dinner in the courtyard? Or that you’re wearing the same color gray I complimented you about?” He smiled at her from behind his cup. He enjoyed watching her fidget in her seat.
“It’s purely coincidental. I have a lot of gray items in my closet. I like the way it looks on me.” Jess flushed an adorable pink color.
“I don’t believe it was happenstance you wore those same shades, but I really love the way it looks on you too,” he commented, looking at her admiringly.
“Th-thank you,” she stammered and to hide from his gaze, glanced down at her watch. “We should head back now, the show will be starting soon.” Jess gulped down her tea and started to reach into her purse. Nathan grabbed her hand and tossed down enough money for both of their beverages. Her brow furrowed before she stood, and they headed back.
Back at the gallery, Jess quickly found Sadie. They squealed as they hugged each other tightly before Jess oohed and ahhed over Sadie’s engagement ring. Envy sliced through Jess, but she shoved it down. It was her best friend’s night, and she couldn’t be more ecstatic that Sadie was getting her happily ever after.
Jess engrossed herself with work as the evening progressed, but she couldn’t help but notice Nathan never strayed too far from her. It was impossible for her not to notice him and the way he looked in his tux, or how every woman in the gallery eyed him like a piece of meat. It should be illegal to look that good in a tuxedo. The black was a stark contrast to his sun-streaked hair and sky-blue eyes. He was simply stunning and everyone in the room knew it, including him.
Yet he didn’t wear the sentiment as arrogance but more like a subtle confidence. This, of course, made the overall effect more devastating to a pathetic lovelorn woman like herself. Jess sighed heavily as she noticed yet another super-model type check out Nathan. He laughed at something the woman said in conversation. He had an ease about him that made it possible for him to talk to anyone about anything. She assumed being an actor, and so outgoing, gave him the ability to slip into different personas effortlessly.
Nathan chose that moment to look up an
d caught Jess watching him. He flashed her a smile that sent shivers up her spine and made her nipples tighten. His eyes dropped to her chest and his smile changed from sweet and open, to sexy and smoldering in an instant. He turned back to his conversation for a moment before walking away. Please don’t come over here, she thought. Her nerves were on edge, and she didn’t want to deal with Nathan the predator.
Her chant fell on deaf ears though; he walked up to her. But instead of crowding her from the front like she expected, he stepped right behind her. Since he towered over her, she wasn’t impeding his view of the room or the artwork.
“Gorgeous, you keep eating me up with your eyes like that and we are going to have to make an early exit,” he murmured just loud enough for Jess to hear. She gasped, and to her dismay the bastard walked away.
Jess moved around the room, and wherever she was, Nathan was close by. He’d sometimes join her conversations, or stay close enough to be included in introductions. But the worst thing was how he touched her. He’d place his hand on the small of her back or graze her hand as he handed her a drink. His touch was like electricity pulsating through her body. Her nerves felt as if they were on fire, and she was incredibly aroused. It made concentrating damn near impossible.
_____
Nathan was dying in this monkey suit. He usually didn’t mind wearing a tux, but right now his skin felt stretched, and he was being choked by his bow tie. All he wanted to do was peel the dress off Jess and lick her from head to toe. Thoughts like that did not help as he willed away yet another erection. Whenever he glanced at Jess, all he saw was her flushed face and her constant stares in his direction. He’d purposely made an effort to put his hands on her whenever possible. Jess’s delightfully naughty comments at the coffee shop all those months ago had piqued Nathan’s interest in her. Each time they met he was more drawn to her. Shit, he really needed to get over her. Maybe getting her under him was what Nathan really needed.
The problems with scratching this particular itch were still the same as they were in San Francisco, the night he’d come to his senses and stopped things from going too far. He looked over at Kyle and Sadie and watched as they gazed into each other’s eyes and laughed. Jess was Sadie’s best friend, agent, and previous landlord. Their lives couldn’t be more entwined. Upsetting Sadie by using Jess, whether intentional or not, could result in Nathan losing his own best friend.
But now, watching Jess at work, there was something about her—maybe her confident attitude—that led him to believe she could handle a brief fling. If they were both open and honest about what they wanted from each other and weren’t looking for anything serious, maybe they could work out this attraction they shared. From the looks of it, she had the same itch Nathan had, and hopefully she was up for the idea of scratching it together.
As the show started to wind down, Nathan’s brain was formulating a plan.
“Hey, man, thanks for the help earlier,” Kyle slapped him on the back. Nathan looked away from a large photograph of a man’s naked back with a woman dragging her clawed fingers downward. It was a gorgeous display of raw passion that few knew was of Kyle and Sadie.
“No problem, buddy. I’m damn happy for you, and from the looks of all those sold signs, there is a lot more to celebrate isn’t there?” Nathan smirked. Almost every piece hanging on the walls had a big red “Sold” sign on it. Seemed that Chicago loved Sadie.
“It appears that way. Sadie is over the moon,” Kyle snorted at the reference.
“Why don’t you guys take the limo back to the hotel? Jess and I can catch our own ride. You guys should be alone,” Nathan offered. They turned to admire the women as they talked with a couple about one of the photographs on display.
“All right, that works. By the way, I saw the way you two have been looking at each other all night.” Kyle smirked before glancing back at Jess.
“Well, you know I was never one to resist a pretty face. But don’t worry; Jess and I are cool. You guys head out. I’ll talk to you in the morning.”
“Better make it afternoon.” Kyle laughed as he walked off toward his fiancé.
Nathan headed toward the back of the gallery where Jess was now busy tapping away on her phone as she spoke to the person he assumed was the gallery manager. He leaned against the closest pillar to wait for her.
_____
Why was he staring at her? Jess kept mistyping on her phone as she felt Nathan’s eyes on her. The gallery was emptied of patrons, and only the staff were left cleaning up. Jess’s clutch was on the verge of bursting with all the business cards from the evening, and her mind was overloaded with opportunities for her and Sadie. Tonight could not be any better!
“Oh, I wouldn’t say that,” Nathan murmured from right behind her. Jess jumped and nearly dropped her phone. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Lord, her hormones were out of control.
“I didn’t realize I said that last part out loud,” she replied still clutching her phone to her chest as she turned to face him.
“I sent Kyle and Sadie back to the hotel in the limo, so looks like we’re left to our own devices.” He wagged his eyebrows at her.
Really?
“What are you, five? Let’s call a taxi.” Jess ran a finger across her screen before calling information.
“Wait, I’ve got a better idea. I’m a little . . . ramped up.” Nathan held his hand out for her to take.
Jess would have to be blind to miss the latent sexual remark in that statement. But she was ramped up too. Nathan’s constant steady presence made her feel as if she were drunk. Her skin felt too tight yet tingled all over, and she couldn’t keep one solid thought in her head for longer than a moment. However, she trusted Nathan, and suspected he’d never hurt her or allow anyone else to do so.
“I’m game if you are,” Jess said as she grabbed his hand and squeezed.
CHAPTER FIVE
They left the gallery and took a cab a few blocks over to a bar that Nathan directed the driver to. The hostess found them a table, and they got settled while the band finished their song. When it was quiet enough Nathan asked what she wanted to drink and left for the bar to buy it.
Jess took the time to survey the dark bar he’d brought her to. It was located in the lower level of a beautiful art deco building, probably built during the roaring twenties. Ain’t no sunshine when she’s gone . . . Bill Withers filled the dark space. The brassiness of his voice gave the bar a sultry feel.
“Here you go,” Nathan said as he handed over her glass of wine before taking his seat next to her. “Do you like jazz?”
She nodded as she took a sip, hoping to calm her nerves.
“I asked a few of the locals at the gallery about the jazz bars around here, and a couple mentioned this place since it was close. I thought it would a nice place to sit, relax, and get to know each other a little better,” Nathan said before taking a swallow of the amber-colored liquid in his glass.
“I’m a big music lover, so this is great. Music has always had a way of relaxing me.” She felt her cheeks get warm at the statement. Yes, music and her battery-operated boyfriend.
“Oh Jess, how I love to see you blush. I have to know what brought that on, please tell me.” He leaned in closer to her.
Could she tell him? Could she explain how the last couple of months she’d spent most of her free time fantasizing about him. His hands on her, his mouth touching her. She focused on the connection she felt whenever he kissed her as she touched herself. Should she tell him that it was his name that spilled from her lips when she came? What would he think?
“I’ll tell you if you tell me something personal first.” She smiled coyly as she took another sip of her crisp wine.
“Hmm, quid pro quo I see. All right, I’ll answer one question, and then you have to answer mine in return.” He leaned back in his chair and regarded her intensely.
“Excellent, but you have to answer first.”
He nodded at her request.
&nb
sp; “Why did you pull away?” She was looking at her hands when she asked. He reached over and pulled one toward him. Her breath hitched when he placed his soft lips on the back of her trembling hand he held to his mouth.
“Because I wanted you so badly it made me forget that you aren’t like other women I date,” he murmured against her skin. His breath was hot on her skin and ignited her blood. “What made you blush, Jess.” It wasn’t a question.
“I-I was thinking about the last time I touched my-myself. I called out your name.” Jess watched Nathan’s eyes widen, and his pupils followed suit. She was pretty sure she heard him growl.
“God, you’re the sexist woman I have ever met,” he leaned in, whispering in her ear. Goose bumps ran down her neck and arms as a delicious shiver shot down her spine to her already throbbing sex.
“I doubt that, but thank you.” She blushed again. Nathan pulled back and ran his lips across her heated skin. Jesus, she was on fire.
“Dance with me,” he said as he pulled her from her chair. Again, it wasn’t a question.
_____
Nathan tossed back the rest of his scotch before pulling a very naughty redhead behind him toward the small dance floor in the middle of the room. Her reason for blushing damn near had him making a fool of himself in public. She had to know he thought of her every time he took matters into his own hand.
Jess was an unassuming vixen, he decided. Her responses were too potent to be faked, yet she said all the right things to drive him crazy. That was a highly dangerous combination.
They cut through the couples circling the dance floor to get to the center. He spun her then pulled her into him hard so that she collided with his chest, and he felt her full breasts pressed against him. Nathan raised the hand he was holding and curled it into his chest and placed his other hand dangerously low on her back.
Moon over the Bay (Moonlit Nights) Page 4