In the Boss's Bed (Harlequin Blaze) (14 page)

24

M
AYA
WAS
WASHING
DISHES
, elbow-deep in warm, tepid, greasy water.
Ah, the glamorous life.
She had found some high energy dance music to try to drown out her feelings about Jamie, about leaving Montreal, about the job in Vegas she hoped she would get.

There was a loud bang on the door, and she hesitated before removing her rubber gloves and walking to the door. The person on the other side rapped loudly once again. “I’m coming,” she hollered out. She hated impatient people. When she got to the door, she looked into the peephole. Jamie stood on the other side. His hands fisted on his hips and a deep scowl on his face. She opened the door and he stormed in.

“Vegas?” he yelled. “You’re moving to Vegas?”

“Maybe. I don’t know. I applied for a job there with Garrett Collins, but I haven’t had an interview scheduled or anything,” she stammered. “How did you know?”

“Garrett called me for my recommendation. I can’t believe you didn’t tell me you were considering moving to Las Vegas. But I guess that would have involved speaking to me at all. You won’t return my calls or even have the courtesy to send me a text message.”

“What did you say to Garrett?”

“I told him that he would be lucky to have you working for him. And that was it. He didn’t mention the video. He didn’t even really care why I was letting you go.”

“Really?”

“Yes, of course.”

“Thank you.”

Jamie shook his head and spoke softly. “It’s just the truth, Maya.”

Maya sighed. Shame creeped over her features. She’d hurt him. She hadn’t even thought about his feelings, but it just occurred to her that she wasn’t the only one who was in pain. “Jamie, I’m really sorry for how all of this went down.”

Jamie shook his head. “Me, too.” He exhaled. “I better go.”

Maya held back the tears that burned her eyes. “Okay.”

“Good luck with the job.”

“Thanks,” she told his back as he flung open the door and strode quickly into the hallway, and out of her life.

25

M
AYA
TOOK
HER
seat on the airplane. Economy this time. This trip to Las Vegas wasn’t on the dime of J. Sellers Holdings. That was the difference. Well, that and the fact that she had only purchased a one-way ticket.

Garrett Collins had called her personally to extend the job offer. He’d told her that Jamie’s recommendation had been enough for him to hire her, without even having an interview. She’d accepted without question, and her career was once again her primary focus. Working as Jamie’s assistant had been an amazing opportunity. She’d had the opportunity to work on some big projects and meet some very important people, Garrett Collins, included. But with an MBA, it was a position below her education. She was more suited to the resort assistant manager position she would be walking into.

Maya sighed unhappily, still missing Jamie—his voice, his scent, his humor, those intense blue eyes, his perpetual five o’clock shadow—and she wondered if the hollow feeling in her chest would ever go away. Maya shook her head, hoping to clear the thoughts from her head; otherwise it would be a long five-hour flight. Looking at her seat neighbor, the old woman kindly smiled back. She recalled the last time she had flown to Vegas. How Jamie had held her hand and helped her control her fear of flying. Her heart ached at the memory.

As the plane began its taxi down the runway, she closed her eyes. She was about to leave everything behind—the city she’d called home, her comfortable apartment, Abby. Jamie. She was leaving Jamie behind. Focusing on everything she would be gaining from the move helped her feel a little better. Also, she welcomed the Las Vegas heat. No more Montreal winters, no more cold weather.

No more Jamie. Stop it, Maya!

Maya squared her shoulders and shored up her resolve. I can do this. She could get through this flight. She could get through her life without Jamie in it. Breathing deeply, she hoped that the Dramamine she had taken would kick in soon. The sooner she could be in Vegas, and away from Montreal, the better. She was ready to start her new life.

* * *

“J
AMIE
,
YOU
HAVE
got to stop moping over Maya.”

Jamie looked up from his tablet and at Trevor, who stood on the other side of the bar holding a clipboard and completing his daily inventory count before the bar opened for business. Jamie was sitting at the bar, nursing a drink and discussing design plans for Swerve Las Vegas via email with Gwen Seaver, the designer he’d hired to oversee the hotel project in Vegas.

“I’m not moping,” he corrected his friend, looking back down at his screen. “I’m working.”

“Any reason why you’re doing it at my bar instead of in your own office?”

“Aren’t you the one who says I spend too much time in my office?” he countered. “I’m just interested in a change of scenery in my own bar. Is that okay?” Jamie wouldn’t share with his friend that his own office, while quite large, felt confining as of late. It was a room where he greatly felt Maya’s presence, so the bar had become a haven of sorts for him.

“Fine by me. But make sure you’re gone before opening. Nobody’s going to have any fun if you’re scowling at anyone who comes near you.”

Jamie furrowed his brow. “I’m not scowling. It’s just that all of this design stuff is getting to me. It’s something I would have had Maya overseeing.”

“So no luck hiring her replacement?”

Jamie frowned.
How could I ever replace her?
He must have interviewed two dozen candidates. But not one had come close to filling the void that Maya had left in his life. Professionally speaking, of course. Maya was a fantastic assistant, and it would be hard to find somebody as good as her to work for him. Romantically, however, he didn’t think he would ever be able to find another to take her place. He was certain he knew that he would never again attempt to pursue a romantic relationship with anyone under his employ.

“I’ve had no luck yet.”

“Do you think your standards might be a little high?”

“I’ve never compromised my professional standards. I hire only the best, as you can attest. I simply haven’t found the right person yet,” he insisted. “And until I do I have to handle all of these details myself.” Jamie placed his tablet on the bar and ran his hands through his hair.

Trevor glanced down at the still-lit screen and he raised an eyebrow at what he saw. “Dude, you know I don’t like to get involved in your other business affairs, but who is that?”

Jamie glanced down and saw the picture that Gwen used for her email profile. “That is Gwen Seaver. She’s the designer I hired for the Vegas hotel. She came highly recommended by Garrett.”

“I’ll bet she did.” Trevor whistled as he took in Gwen’s strong features and long, red hair. “The woman is a knockout.”

“She is,” Jamie admitted, halfheartedly.

“Have you met her?”

“Not in person yet, although we do have a scheduled meeting next week when I head out there.”

“You’re going to Vegas next week?” Trevor asked.

“Yeah.”

“Are you going to see Maya?”

“I hadn’t planned on it.” Jamie was still too raw. The hurt still too new. There was no way he could possibly even think about seeing her during his trip.

“Probably for the best,” Trevor agreed. “But oh man—” he pointed to the picture of Gwen on his screen “—you should get on that, though. A woman like that could make a man forget all sorts of things. And get over the woman who broke his heart.”

Jamie frowned at his friend. But he admitted to himself that Trevor might be right. Sure, Gwen had exhibited more than just a professional interest in working with him. The woman had all but propositioned him, asking if he wanted to get together, outside of work, during his next visit,
for drinks and anything else that might happen
, she’d said. He was reluctant to begin a physical relationship with her, but she had guaranteed her discretion.

Maybe a quick fling was just what he needed. A way to get Maya off his mind. It’s not like Gwen was his employee, exactly, and Vegas was certainly far enough away from Montreal, where the scandal had rocked his life. He nodded. “You might be right.”

Picking up his glass, he downed the rest of his drink and picked up his tablet. He looked at Gwen’s picture. She was a beautiful woman, and he could do a lot worse for a fling. But he couldn’t help but feel that it would be like a betrayal to Maya. He shook his head. No. Maya was no longer in his life, and they hadn’t spoken in weeks.
She’s even living in another country, for God’s sake.
Maybe a fling was exactly what he needed to get Maya out of his system. Although, sleeping with Maya in the first place was how he’d planned to get her out of his system.
And you can see how well that worked out for you, Sellers.

He didn’t feel quite right about it. But he needed to move on, get on with his life. With a shaking finger, he clicked on Gwen’s profile and set up a date.

26

L
AS
V
EGAS
WAS
quite different from Montreal.
Understatement of the century, Maya
, she thought as she stepped out of her apartment and into the blazing heat. She’d found it hard to adjust to all of the changes at first. She missed Abby. Her best friend still called and they Skyped whenever they could, but it wasn’t the same.

The pace of Las Vegas was also different from that of Montreal. Sure, Montreal was the more populous city, but Las Vegas had far more hustle and bustle. There were always people everywhere, at all hours, coming and going. Tourists stopping for pictures. People drinking and acting out. Maya was more of a quiet person and she didn’t care for the rowdiness that came with working on the Strip.

But the first adjustment Maya had had to make was the heat.
Good God, the heat!
She’d always liked warm weather, but when the hot desert sun blazed on her daily, she often found herself seeking the refuge of her air conditioner. To adapt, Maya had been forced to downsize her wardrobe and adopt a business style that was still appropriate, but more suited to the climate. She wore more short skirts and sleeveless blouses these days.

In her new profession, however, she was a natural. She’d adapted so well to the staff, clientele and the organizational culture in only a matter of days, and she also enjoyed an excellent working relationship with Garrett Collins. He was older than Jamie, more experienced and more connected, but she would be lying if she said she didn’t miss working with her former lover.

Maya had been there for more than six weeks when Garrett Collins strolled into her office, not bothering to knock, as usual.

He sat on the chair on the opposite side of the desk and crossed his legs. “Maya, I would like you to join me for lunch today.” He said it as a statement, not a question. A man like Garrett Collins was not used to asking people to do things.

“Sure, I’ve got no plans. Any special occasion?”

Garrett shrugged. “Just a meeting with an old friend of yours. Jamie Sellers is in the city to get an update on the progress of his hotel and we arranged to have lunch. Just a friendly get-together.”

“Uh, sir, I don’t think—” Maya shook her head. She didn’t think it would be possible to see Jamie. She still wasn’t ready.

“Twelve o’clock sharp at Piazza,” he interrupted her, naming the popular restaurant located in the hotel. He strode out the door without glancing back, a man not used to being denied.

Twelve o’clock. Maya had exactly three hours to panic about her upcoming lunch with Jamie. She told Garrett that she had no other plans, and he wouldn’t accept any excuse for her absence.
Suck it up, Maya. You’re a big girl.
You are more than capable of sitting and having a pleasant lunch with Jamie...
Wasn’t she?

* * *

W
HEN
M
AYA
WALKED
into the upscale pizza restaurant, she found Garrett and Jamie almost immediately. Obviously, when men as influential as those two were in a room, the power could be felt by all.

Maya took a deep breath and squared her shoulders and walked toward the table. She smiled, until she saw that the three of them would not be dining alone. A beautiful woman was also seated at the table, dangerously close to Jamie. She was holding court, both men captivated, and they hung on to her every word. Maya thought she might just run away before anyone saw her. She watched Jamie smile and turn to the woman. Maya thought she might die.

Jamie was the first to see her. His eyes widened in surprise for a quick second before he recovered. He smiled. Maya smiled.

“Maya!” Garrett stood. “You made it.”

“Hi.” She sat. “Sorry if I’m a little late. I got held up.”

“No problem, Maya. We’re all just getting here.” He gestured to their female guest. “Maya, this is Gwen. She’s the interior designer I use quite often, and she’s going to be working with Jamie on his hotel.”

Gwen extended her hand to Maya and she accepted it. But she could see through the phony smile that Gwen plastered on her face—
the woman is clearly a snake
—but there was no mistaking the possessive hand she had placed on Jamie’s forearm. “Hello, Jamie,” she said coolly, trying to form the words around the lump in her throat.

At her tone, Jamie’s eyebrows lowered to harsh, dark lines. “Maya, how have you been?”

Maya about shivered from the formality of it all. She smiled too broadly, showing too many teeth. She must have looked ridiculous. “Great!” She suddenly turned manic. “Everything’s great! I love it here. And the job’s keeping me busy. And the weather’s great here. How are the plans coming for your new hotel?” All of the words had been spoken in mere seconds. She wanted to kick herself for acting so foolish.

“Fantastically.” He turned to Gwen. “I’m actually in town to discuss the concept and design ideas with Gwen here,” he said, taking her hand and removing it from his forearm.

Maya smiled to herself, watching the other woman’s cocky smile falter.
What do we have here?

* * *

“S
O
, J
AMIE
,
WHAT
we have here is a blend of white linens with dark hardwood.” Gwen scrolled through the images she’d designed on her tablet. “This presents a mix of the cleanliness and the opulence that comes with white, but it also feels kind of rustic, and that’s a huge look right now.”

Jamie was blown away by Gwen’s eye for flair. His eyes were wide in excitement. “This looks amazing, Gwen. I love it.”

He took her tablet from her and scrolled through once again on his own. It was finally happening, and if these sketches and designs were any indication, Swerve Las Vegas was going to be absolutely incredible. “Can you email these images to me?” He handed the tablet back to her.

“Yeah, sure,” Gwen said, accepting it and sitting back against the couch.

She stretched her arms along the back and crossed her legs toward Jamie in a well-practiced move of seduction that Jamie recognized. She looked at him intently, her voice smooth like velvet. “I’m glad you like it. Now that all the pesky work is out of the way, what do you suggest we do with the rest of this evening?”

Jamie caught the way she looked at him through her eyelashes. And in his pre-Maya days, he might have succumbed to her advances. He averted his eyes and brought his glass to his lips. Maybe pouring them each a scotch when she’d come in was a mistake. There was no mistaking the intent in her eyes and the sexy, catlike way she moved. But Maya still occupied all of the space in his brain. Why had he suggested that they
get together
during his visit?

Jamie smiled uneasily. Suddenly the idea of a quick, meaningless fling with Gwen became less appealing to him. Sure, she was a sexy woman, and he knew that they would both have one hell of a night together, but since seeing Maya earlier that day he had little interest in any other woman.

Sensing his reluctance, Gwen reached out and put a hand on his thigh. “What do you think?” She let her hand move up, up, farther, venturing around to his inner thigh. Every time Maya had touched him during their short relationship, she lit a fire inside of him. But with Gwen, he felt nothing. Well, almost nothing. He was still a man and Gwen was still a gorgeous woman whose warm, soft, but insistent hand was quickly closing in on his cock. Sure, it had been weeks since he’d had sex. Not since Maya had left. But he knew that he couldn’t be with Gwen.

Despite his best attempts to discourage her, Gwen looked down and caught sight of the growing bulge behind his zipper and she smiled seductively. “Well, it looks like you have an idea of what we could do.”

Jamie took a deep breath and shook his head. He picked up her hand and removed it from his lap. “Gwen, I don’t think so. This can’t happen.”

She shook her head, confused, and then looked pointedly in his lap. “From where I’m sitting it definitely looks like it can.”

“No, it’s not going to happen.” He took a deep breath. “There’s someone else.”

“Someone else?” she hissed. “You didn’t mention this other person when we agreed to get together.”

“I know. It’s a long story. But, Gwen, I’m sorry, we can’t do this.”

“I can’t believe this,” she said, stunned. Jamie was sure that no other man had ever said no to her. “Are you serious? I’ve heard about you, Jamie. I heard you were a notorious skirt-chaser, and rumor has it that you like to mix business with pleasure, if you know what I’m saying,” she said, her voice too loud with astonishment. “I figured you would be a sure thing.”

Sudden anger darkened Jamie’s features.
Gwen likes to play dirty.
She was trying to draw him out, get a reaction from him. Lashing out in anger because he rejected her advances. He didn’t respond, refusing to play along.

Quickly, Gwen changed her mood on a dime. She composed herself and stood languidly from the couch. “Fine. I’m sorry. I’m just a little disappointed, I guess. You know, I skipped the gym this morning and was hoping to make up the cardio.” She laughed shakily as she gathered her things. “But, you know, that’s life, I guess. I’ll email those pictures to you when I get back to my office.”

Jamie closed his eyes, relieved that even though he spurned her advances, Gwen would continue to give him her business. “Thank you, Gwen.”

“What, did you think I’d quit because you wouldn’t sleep with me?”

Jamie laughed still not convinced that he wasn’t in trouble with her. “I—”

She walked up to him and placed a hand on his chest and rubbed it back and forth a little. “I’m still a professional. Our personal issues won’t affect business.”

“That’s a relief,” he said, escorting her to the door. Her slick smile caused him some concern, and he hoped that he could trust her word that their professional relationship would not be affected. Jamie had met women like her, and they did not care for being rebuked. “Thank you. I’ll be in touch.” He opened the door and she left without a word.