But maybe Austin was right. Jake could be a good time. Just a one-time attraction. What harm would it do for her to have one last fling before her business consumed her? Just the thought of everything she had on her plate made her entire body tense.
Jake grinned from the pool table, and just like that, her stress gave way to desire. The tension in her chest softened, then settled a little lower. Who knew a smile could tug at the zipper of her jeans? With barely a word, this man had her fantasizing about bending over the glass washer, letting him take her any way he wanted.
Maybe a romp in the sack was just what she needed. But not just any romp, one with Jake.
Chapter Two
Jake Miller had no idea when he agreed to find Liv that she would be so…hot. She was nothing like the women he usually went for. She was casual, understated, and seemed to be a little uneasy around him.
Dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, she was the sexiest thing he'd ever seen. He had the overwhelming urge to rip that white T-shirt off her body and slide those tight, well-worn jeans down her thighs. The small flash of skin where her shirt met her waistband made him ache. He imagined what was underneath that thin material: perfect round breasts and lush pink nipples.
“Jake.” A hand punched at his arm, trying to get his attention. Brian Roberts looked at him with a smirk. “It's your turn.”
Jake and Brian had been friends since high school, through University, and now in their adult lives. They were as opposite as two men could get—Jake always focusing on women and Brian on his studies. It would probably explain why Brian was now a straitlaced accountant and Jake was a smooth-talker for hire—a public relations executive for Weston Communications. Jake admired Brian for living out his passion
—
even if he thought numbers were the most boring thing in the world. It wasn't until two years ago that Jake followed suit, steering clear of female complications to follow his passion of photography.
Jake rounded the table and lined up his shot. Classic rock music—his favorite—played in the background, and could barely be heard over the large group that had decided to take up the entire dining room. But the noise coming from their tables wasn't as big a distraction as the bartender. He couldn't help his eyes scanning the room for her every ten seconds. It was starting to affect his game.
He pulled back and missed the shot, trying to bank it off the end of the table into the middle pocket. Brian cursed beside him.
Her friends had left, and the bar traffic had picked up. He watched her work, flying from one end of the bar the other, from draft tap to washer. She was cool, steady, and determined. Despite nagging voices and orders being thrown out at her, she handled the pressure with precision. Not at all like the fumbling, flustered woman who'd served him not fifteen minutes ago.
He shook off his thoughts about the beautiful bartender, but there was no denying that this was the first woman in years that had affected him so quickly, so innately. Even with just a few words, he knew Liv would be a test his willpower, and Jake realized that maybe this mission he'd been assigned wasn't going to be as easy as he'd anticipated.
His main objective: to rendezvous her with his boss. As the CEO of Weston Communications, Robert Shelton was the best at targeting up-and-coming talent, and as far as Shelton was concerned, Liv was the next big thing in cupcakes. He wanted to secure her before the other vultures realized her potential. It was the reason why Jake admired the man, and the reason why Shelton was the best in the business. He knew people were special before they even knew it themselves.
In return, Jake had been promised a VP position and a corner office, and would have the position he needed to make a lateral move to the art business. For him, taking pictures was a hobby. He held no delusions of becoming a famous artist, but he put his passion to good use and turned his art into a way to raise funds for charity. He loved the art industry—the galleries, the champagne, and the schmoozing. A job as a PR exec for an art gallery was his idea of heaven, and he'd spent the last two years making contacts, learning the industry. He would stop at nothing to get there, and no woman—even a sultry, sexy, heart-stopping woman—was going to stand in his way.
“Jake.” Miles's voice called out from a distance. For a minute, he'd forgotten he was here with friends. “Are you going to tell us what happened with that chick last weekend?”
Jake groaned. Last weekend he'd gone on a date, and his dates were now so few and far between that his friends felt the need to hear every single detail.
“Did you get any?” Tony walked to the opposite end of the table, waiting for Miles to take his second shot.
Miles Harper and Tony Griffin were also long-time friends, remaining a constant in Jake's life for the last ten years. Miles had dropped out of University after their first year, and found his calling in video game design. Tony, an acoustical engineer, stayed behind to complete a master's program. Jake often wondered what all three of his friends saw in him. They were all science and math nerds with technological savvy; Jake used his computer to edit pictures and search the Internet.
Miles bent and lined up his shot. When the ball hit its target, he smiled.
“Ass!” Brian mumbled more colorful words under his breath.
His friends were inspiring. All of them lived their passions. Jake was by no means the most successful. He'd been promoted and recognized many times, but it never satisfied him. Whereas Miles, content to work from home and wear track pants to do his job, was the happiest person he knew.
Two and a half years ago, Tony won a Juno—a Canadian music award—for his work on an album. Watching the expression and pride in his friend being recognized for something he truly loved was exhilarating. And Jake wanted that feeling.
He made the decision to go after his own dreams and do something more creative and substantive with his time. And so his entry into the art world and raising money for Alzheimer's research began.
“Don't think I'll see her again,” Jake answered. She had been nice, sweet, beautiful, but she didn't fit into his plan.
“Nothing for the highlight reel?” Jeff asked.
“She had a great view from her condo on Front Street. That was pretty much the highlight.” Just as the words flew out of his mouth, Liv approached. His stomach jumped.
A grin curved her lips. She'd definitely heard. And she definitely thought he was a joke. “How are we doing, boys? Another round?”
“I'll get this one.” Tony took out his wallet and handed Liv two twenties. “What's your name, sweetheart?”
Liv grabbed the money. “The name's Liv…
sweetheart
.”
Jake chuckled. Liv Crawford—bartender, baker, and the next big thing?
“No laughing. I'm trying to concentrate,” Miles scolded from the table.
“I'm Tony. That's Brian, Jake, and the one bent over the table there is Miles.”
“Nice to meet you.” Liv caught Jake's stare before she hustled away to get their drinks. It hit him like a fist to the gut.
Jake had to tamp down his attraction. He'd never accomplish his mission if he let sex get in the way. He only wished he'd known she was smokin' hot
before
he'd agreed to the proposition.
Miles had missed his shot and it was now Jake's turn. He surveyed the table to pick his best shot. He didn't have a best shot.
“If you're stripes, you're going to want to hit the six and force it into the middle pocket.” Liv's voice broke his concentration. He may not be the best pool player in the world, but even Jake knew that shot was impossible.
“There's no way he can make that.” Brian crept closer to the table. “There's nothing to bank off of.”
Jake agreed. She was totally wrong.
She waved her hands, motioning him to lean over. “I'll show you.”
She approached and the heat of her body surrounded him. She laid her hand on his back and pressed down. He followed through and bent to a right angle, threading the cue between his fingers. She grabbed his left shoulder and leaned in closer, her breath a soft whisper against his neck.
“Now, you're in the right spot.” She shuffled closer and kicked out his foot to widen his stance. She mirrored his body, her knees and hips and stomach molded to him. “Focus on the farthest spot on the six ball from the center of the pocket.”
How was he supposed to focus when she was this close? When he'd just promised himself sex was out of the question?
“Form a line with your eye from the farthest point to the very middle of the cue.” Her voice settled over him, lulling him into a trance. He followed her direction and focused his gaze. “Pull back and follow through with that line.”
Jake took a deep breath, glanced at Brian, then took his shot. The balls cracked on impact and his ball banked off the six and found its home.
“Holy shit!” Brian shouted.
“I'll be damned.” Tony's voice was softer but still audible.
Miles smacked his hand on the edge of the table. “She's a shark.”
“You're a quick study,” Liv said before she backed away and returned to her post at the bar.
Jake made no other move than to follow her back to the bar with his gaze. Was his mouth open? It felt like his mouth was open.
Tony twirled his pool cue between his fingers. “I think this is the first time I've ever seen a woman shock Jake into speechlessness.”
Jake barely recognized his friends laughing in the background, his attention more focused on Liv's sweet scent that still lingered, like chocolate and vanilla. Familiar. Intoxicating. It took all his willpower not to jump over the bar and take her right there in front of his friends, in front of a room full of people.
They finished their game, and one after the other, his friends left, but Jake returned to his original position at the bar. Business had been steady all night, which didn't make it very easy for him to talk to Liv, but finally, only a few customers remained at the bar and he wouldn't waste the opportunity.
“Can I get you another Bud?”
She rested her elbow on the bar in front of him and leaned in. Close enough that he could feel her heat, but far enough away to let him know he had to work if he wanted her.
“I'm good.” He raised his beer, letting her know he still had some left. “Where did you learn to shoot like that?”
“I've worked here for almost ten years.” She wiped at the bar with a wet cloth. “You learn a thing or two.”
She'd learned more than that. “If the bartending thing ever falls through, you can always become a professional pool player.”
She rested her hip against the bar and stuck her hands in her pockets. “I won't be a bartender for much longer. I'm going into business for myself.”
He already knew all about her plan to open a bakery, but he was distracted by her scent. He inhaled deeply, savoring it, never taking his eyes off her. Watching those soft, plump lips made it hard for him to concentrate, but he kept the conversation on track and played along. “Are you opening a bar? I'd definitely be a regular.”
Ugh.
He made
himself
sick with his attempt at small talk. When did he become the King of Cheese?
“A bakery. On the corner of Eglinton and Greenway. Right now I'm working at Sweet Creations. You know the bakery just a few blocks from here?”
He nodded. He knew all about her employment status, too.
“If you're ever in the mood for something sweet, you should stop by.”
Jake silently cursed his plan. There was no mistaking her interest. She held his gaze, desire dancing in her black eyes. They were mesmerizing, like an iris with no pupil. Jake itched to reach out and pull her over the bar, sitting her on his lap, stroking the smooth strands of her black hair.
“When do you open the doors?” he asked.
At first, she looked confused. The desire danced in her eyes ten seconds before it dissipated and she straightened. “In a few weeks.” She hesitated and bit her bottom lip. “I hope. I have a lot of things to do before the city will let me open for business.”
“I'm sure you're on top of it.”
“Thanks.” Her face softened and she smiled.
Something constricted in his chest. It was usually his crotch that reacted to a beautiful woman, but this time, Liv touched something inside of him he hadn't felt before. At first, it was the fact she was a ten on the hotness scale. A hard ten. But with only a few minutes of conversation, something else touched him. Was it her desire to follow her dream?
Liv was another person following their passion, solidifying Jake's decision to follow his own dream and accept his boss's proposition—no matter the cost.
He pushed aside his desire. His dream was more important than sleeping with a beautiful woman. Right, and if he said it enough he'd believe it. But he and Liv had something in common, a dream. She was opening her own business, and if Jake's plan went accordingly, he would be fast on his way to doing PR for an art gallery. She would understand if she knew the truth.
The truth. She deserved the truth. But a little white lie wasn't the end of the world. In fact, with Shelton on her side, this little white lie would only bring her closer to achieving her dream.
“Liv, dear.” An older woman made her way behind the bar. “Why don't you go home? I'll close up tonight.”
“Really?” Jake saw her ecstatic expression in the mirror behind the bar. Her eyes were intense, a gateway to her emotions. He wondered if she knew they gave her away.
After an exchange of words, Liv shuffled over to the register and pocketed her tips. She opened a cabinet and grabbed her coat and bag. She struggled with it, Jake unable to miss the fact that she had three or four books stuffed inside the black bag. And if he wasn't mistaken, she had a Leslie James book in there. Leslie James was his client, and he was in the middle of planning the launch party for her new book. An idea formulated in his mind. A brilliant idea.
“You're heading out?” It was probably smart to pretend he hadn't just heard her entire conversation.
“I am.” She turned around to face him with a cute little twist. “Would you walk me to my car?”
Jake had to keep himself from jumping off his stool, his stomach tightening. “I'm ready when you are.”
She cocked her head toward the back door. He collected himself and sauntered around the bar to meet her. His body tensed in anticipation. She hefted her heavy bag on her shoulder and bundled up before leading him through the metal door into the alley—the dark, deserted alley—and he cradled the small of her back with his hand.
“My car is just over there.” She pointed to a vehicle, a four-door sedan. Practical, durable, and black.
The dim light of the bulb above the back door did little to guide their way. The smell of grease hung in the air, mixing with the pungent scent of garbage that wafted from the Dumpster. All of that was overpowered the minute she walked in front of him and her sugary, sweet scent threw his senses into a frenzy.