Propositions (4 page)

“Jess? What’s happened? Is it Nate?”

“Worse than Nate. Please come over?”

“Jessica?” Max’s voice was full of worry. “You’re freaking me out. I’m on my way. See you soon.”

* * *

At her house, Jessica’s shaky hands managed to pour a full-bodied red wine into an oversized glass. With her fingers wrapped firmly around the glass, she nestled down onto the couch and watched the unsettled harbor waters in the distance. Wind rattled the windows and tossed trees viciously about as the late afternoon turned dark and gloomy. Rain began to splash down. She stared out the window at the drops as they picked up intensity and covered the ground.

So many questions bombarded her mind. Why? How? Troy was working at Gumtrees. What the …?

How could a few days unravel her perfect world? First Nate. Now Troy. Jessica never cried—not in years. Not even when her loveless marriage to Graeme ended. She excelled in her professional life because she kept her feelings under control. She was always so organized and meticulous in detail, but right now she felt like everything was falling apart.

Sex screwed up everything.

She was on her second glass when Max arrived.

Max threw her handbag and car keys on the granite benchtop in the kitchen. “What’s happened?”

“You’d better grab a drink and sit down for this one. It’s a real doozy.”

“You betcha. I need it after a weekend of playing soccer mom and chauffeur.” She poured a red, placed the bottle on the coffee table in front of them and, tucking her feet beneath her, joined Jessica on the couch. “Now, this has nothing to do with Nate?”

“No.” Jessica drew the scent of the wine into every cell of her body in an attempt to find an inner calm. “Max, I have something to tell you that only a few people on the face of this planet know.”

“Okay, now I’m intrigued.” Max wriggled and sank further into the soft leather.

“I was out at Gumtrees and ran into someone from my past.” She shook her head, still in disbelief. “It’s like he’s back from the dead. My old high school boyfriend … Troy Smith.”

“Yeah, so?” Max’s eyes looked vacant, then she gasped. “Oh, did you sleep with him too?”

“No.” Jessica shot Maxine a horrified look. “Well yes—a very long time ago. Max, why did he have to come back after all this time? Why?” She snuffled and wiped a tear away from her cheek with the back of her hand.

“What’s so wrong about running into an old ex? Are you still crazy about him after all this time?”

“No. It’s so much more than that, Max. Troy … Troy is Conner’s father.”

“What the fuck?” Max spluttered, choking on a mouthful of her drink.

“Oh, I wish I was joking, but I’m not.” Jessica looked vacantly off into the distance as she sipped on her drink. “Troy
is
Conner’s father. I haven’t seen him since high school in Cessnock. When he finished school, he wanted to travel overseas for a few months before going to university. The night before he left we didn’t have a condom. I fell pregnant with Conner.”

Jessica remembered the evening all too well, as though it were only yesterday. It was November, humid and still. Everyone had been complaining throughout the day, begging it to storm to relieve the heat that hung in the air. She’d been at Troy’s for dinner and he was driving her home when they stopped at the park on the edge of town. Their favourite spot to make out had been underneath the protective curtain of the branches of a weeping willow tree that overlooked the old rusty playground. Of all nights not to have protection.

Max gasped in shock. It seemed her friend was lost for words for the first time in her life.

Jessica’s jaw tensed as she fought back tears. She’d been repressing this information for so long, she was finding it hard put the words right. “My parents were mortified. Being strict Catholics, abortion wasn’t an option. They were so ashamed of me that they shipped me off to my aunt’s in Melbourne so no one would know that their bright-eyed little girl had got knocked up.”

Her mother cried for hours and her father wanted to hunt Troy down, castrate him, toss him in jail and throw away the key. Jessica wished he had—at least then she would’ve known where he was for the past twenty years.

“Dad transferred to Melbourne with the police force. I know they moved to avoid humiliation around town. Mom refused to let me be a teenage dropout and waste my life. She helped look after Conner while I finished high school and university. I’ll be forever grateful to her as it got me to where I am today. Plus they love Conner to bits,” Jessica said in their defense.

“Does Troy know?” Max asked.

Jessica hand trembled as she took a sip of her wine. “Yes. Though, it took me nearly three years to find him. When he left, he was supposed to only go on a holiday, but I got a postcard from him saying he was staying in the US and our relationship was over. Dumped by postcard. Who does that? That’s like breaking up with someone via text message these days, isn’t it? When I tried to contact his mom to get his details, she’d moved to God only knows where.

“Conner was three by the time I tracked Troy down through an old school friend. When I rang the ranch where Troy was working, a woman answered. She was rude. ‘She didn’t want me to call anymore. She was his new girlfriend, they were were engaged and he wanted nothing to do with me.’ I didn’t believe it at first, so I tried several more times and left message after message. I sent him letters, photos and details of Conner. When I heard nothing in return, eventually I had to give up.” Jessica felt the hurt wash over her as if the words were fresh in her ears. She had locked all this pain away for so long. One sighting of Troy had opened up old wounds.

Jessica shuddered as a loud bolt of lightning and thunder rumbled across the darkened sky. It added to the somber mood in the air.

“Geez, Jess, I never suspected that Graeme wasn’t Conner’s dad.” Max shook her head. Disbelief written all over her face.

“Graeme loved Conner from day one.” Jessica smiled, remembering back to university and what seemed a lifetime ago. Those first few years with Conner were tough. Her life was filled with nothing but him and study. She rarely went to parties or out with friends. Seeing Graeme on the bus and studying together was her only form of social life.

Conner needed a father and Graeme was kind, loving and had a decent family. “He was all I could ever want for Conner—a father who was going to be there for him. We married after university and moved back here for work when Conner was five. I made new friends and a new life. No one needed to know the finer details.”

“How dare you keep a secret like this from me?” Max playfully punched Jessica in the arm.

“I’m so sorry I’ve never told you.” Jessica let out a huge sigh of relief. Finally her best friend knew. “It’s been one of the biggest hurdles to overcome and my motivation in establishing my career. I wanted to ensure people saw me as the best in my field—not the silly teenage girl who got pregnant.

“For years I have been heading out to Gumtrees. Troy’s the last person I would have expected to turn up. And now he’s working there?”

“What?” Max’s eyes nearly popped out of her head. “Oh! This just gets better. Your past has more twists in it than a French braid. What did you say to him?”

“Nothing. I flipped out. I ran off. Literally.” Jessica had played out so many scenarios in her head on what she’d do and say if she ever saw him again. None of them came to fruition.

“I’ve never known you to walk away from anything.” Max’s eyes were full of concern as she looked at Jessica. “I think you need to talk to Troy. You’ve finally found him after all these years.”

Jessica closed her eyes and bit down hard upon her lip. “I know. The thought of talking to him after all this time is just scaring the hell out of me. What do I say to someone who abandoned not only me but his son as well? I need to sort this mess out in my head, and then I suppose I’ll have to arrange to go and see him.”

Jessica looked down at her hands in her lap and twisted the throw rug that lay across her legs into knots. “Conner has his eyes, Max. Every day of his life I looked into them and saw Troy. And now he’s back.”

“Maybe he has a good explanation or excuse. I’ve heard a lot of them in my court cases.” Max’s eyes widened with intrigue and she jovially hit one of Jessica’s throw cushions. “He might have come up with something new.”

Jessica tried not to roll her eyes at Max’s optimistic outlook on everything.

Max leaned over to the coffee table, grabbed the bottle of wine and refilled their glasses as the setting sun broke through the clearing storm clouds. Mist swirled across the icy harbor waters in the distance as the cold winter’s night started to set in. Max finally knowing her secret felt like the weight of the world had been lifted from Jessica’s shoulders. She inhaled deeply and took a long, soothing sip of her wine. Her phone vibrated on the coffee table. She picked it up and read the text message. It was from Nate.

When can I see you again? Dinner?

“Crap.” Jessica’s shoulders sank and she rubbed her forehead with her hand. She couldn’t deal with him as well right now.

“What is it?” Max reached out and touched Jessica’s leg.

Just when Jessica got her head above the water, something dragged her back down under. She’d never been like this … all emotional, not knowing what to do.

“It’s Nate. He wants to see me again.”

“And?” Max grinned widely.

“I can’t see him again. He’s my client.”

“Mr ComeFuckMe just sent you a text to see him and you’re turning him down?”

“Don’t call him that.” Jessica couldn’t help but smile at the vision of Nate in her mind. “But yes. I have to.”

Max looked disappointed. “Well then, what are you going to do about Troy?”

“I don’t know. Conner knows Graeme isn’t his dad. We’ve always been honest with him. Conner’s strong-willed and has never suffered any identity issues. Well, not that I know of.”

Max took Jessica’s hand and squeezed it tightly. “Conner is a grown man. He might want to meet Troy, knowing he’s around. Plus, after all this time, Jess, don’t you want to know where Troy’s been and what happened?”

Breathing deeply, Jessica tried to calm the uneasiness brewing in the pit of her stomach as she headed in to meet with Nate and his team. Surely she’d be able to find a quiet moment during a break or something to apologize to him. Then she’d be able to carry on with business as if nothing had happened. Holding her shoulders back, she said hello to everyone present and took her seat at the head of the table. Nate slid into the chair next to her. Jessica tried with all her might to refrain from looking at him and focus her attention on the other people in the room. Lin with news on sourcing international artists to perform as part of the entertainment; Matt with his round of new designs. And then there were her promotional schedules to present. But all the while she could feel the magnetic pull of Nate’s eyes. She needed more distance away from him—feet, not inches. His smell and his presence made it hard not to fantasize. And even harder not to think about how good he looked in his charcoal suit, or how his sky-colored shirt made his eyes look even bluer. Oh, how she would like to tear off every layer of his clothing …

“Jessica?” The sound of her name pulled her from her inappropriate thoughts.

“I’m sorry, what was the question?” She dropped her pen and looked around.

“I’d like to hear those new ideas of yours you mentioned last week,” Nate said as he flipped through his documentation. “But first, can we take a quick ten-minute tea break? Those pastries Zoe brought in look delicious.”

“Sure. That sounds good.” Yes, tea was what she needed. Strong tea.

She finished writing down some notes from the meeting while the staff made drinks, grabbed some food and drifted to the far end of the room to stretch their legs.

Jessica stood to make her way over to the bench. “Would you like anything, Nate?”

“Tea, would be lovely. The stronger the better.”

That’d be right! Yet another thing they had in common.

Jessica grabbed two bright orange Kick-logoed cups and searched through the tea box for her favourite flavor. She placed the bags in the mugs, poured in boiling water and waited for them to brew.

“I like mine white, one sugar,” Nate whispered in her ear as he came up and stood behind her. Jessica jumped at his close proximity. His warm breath made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end and goosebumps shoot down her arm. He was so close—barely an inch away from brushing up against her hip. She found it difficult to concentrate and her hands trembled as she scooped in the sugar and stirred in some milk.

“I apologize for not having any loose leaf tea today, but we’ve unfortunately run out. I’ll send Zoe to the shops later.”

“I’ll forgive you just this once.” He winked.

“Oh no, the tag fell off,” she fretted as she fished around in his cup with a spoon trying to dish out the tea bag.

She looked up at Nate and saw concern drawn across his face.

“Is there something wrong?” she asked.

“No. It’s nothing. Just a silly old superstition.” He shrugged. “When the tag falls off, it’s supposed to mean that you will lose something major within the next week.”

“Well, as long it’s not your business, I have nothing to fear.” She tried to make light of his comment, but damn it, he’d planted a seed. Now she was going to worry endlessly about what could possibly happen over the next seven days.

“Well, you can rest easy. I’m not going anywhere,” said Nate.

“Good.” She took a sip of her tea. “Are you generally superstitious?”

“My grandmother was. She was convinced one’s whole life could be determined by making a pot of tea and by tasseography, the reading of the leaves in the bottom of the cup.”

He sounded so genuine that Jessica wondered whether the man before her was sane or not, as she placed her empty cup on the tray. Everyone had their own quirks, well, this was obviously Nate’s.

“So do you believe in them?” she asked.

“I’m trying not to.” He smiled as he drained his cup.

“Here, let me take that for you.”

As she reached for his cup, her fingers softly swept over his, sending a sizzling sensation up her arm and down her spine. Her eyes turned sharply toward his. She tried to open her mouth to speak, but words failed her. His stance straightened as he quickly pulled his hand away, turned and went back to the table.

Jessica faced the bench to make herself another drink. Her head was reeling. Nate was making her lose her mind.
I can’t work like this. I can’t think straight around him.
So much for pretending nothing had happened. It was clearly not working. She would have to talk to Alex about swapping accounts before she did something else she’d regret. Surely Alex would understand.

* * *

“Jess, are you up for lunch?” Nate asked as the meeting concluded. He needed the chance to apologize for his behavior the other night. Was she just going to ignore what happened?

“Sorry, I have a client meeting with Audi.”

“No we don’t,” Darren interjected. “It’s not until tomorrow.”

Nate hid his smile as he saw Jessica flare her eyes in Darren’s direction. “Lunch it is then.”

“Right.” She hesitated, looking anxious. “Well then, I’ll just be a moment and grab my handbag.”

Nate stood with his hands in his pockets while he waited for her in the reception area. What was taking her so long?

Sleeping with Jessica had been at the forefront of his mind ever since it happened. In a moment of madness, he’d thought his simple plan to sleep with her would make all these crazy feelings disappear. But he hadn’t been prepared for her to respond to him the way she did. It was like nothing he had ever experienced before. It made his mind spin like a roulette wheel. Bet on black—he’d put the incident out of his mind and act like the consummate gentleman. Bet on red—he’d strip her down and do it again. He jumped between the two every split second, unable to decide where to place his bet.

But the right thing to do was apologize for his unprofessional behavior. No more flirting. No more meetings in his apartment. Go on as if it didn’t happen. Too much wine was surely the cause behind their undoing the other night. It was best that this all be put behind them so they could continue working together.

That’s what the guardian angel sitting on one shoulder said. But the devil on the other was hard to ignore.

The very thought of not having Jessica in his bed again made him restless. He had been seduced from her very first touch. He hated this sensation of being preoccupied by a woman. But she had his blood swirling like a cauldron on fire. No other woman he’d ever been with held a candle to the way she’d turned him on. The mere thought of her naked skin beneath him made his body react. His dick started to bulge in his trousers from just thinking about her.
Jesus.
Embarrassed, he spun away from the girl sitting at the reception desk as he tried to deal with his predicament.

Then Jessica entered the foyer. Her golden hair was striking against her black suit. He admired her sexy legs that he knew were long enough to tie themselves in knots around his waist. And in those four-inch high heels she was equal to his height—he liked that. Arousing images of her naked body filled his mind again as she walked toward him. He watched her gaze drop to his feet and slowly run up over his body. Her lips parted just a fraction as she momentarily paused at his groin. That only made his body respond even more. He clenched his teeth as subtly as he could. He had to get his body under control. Somehow.

“Shall we?” Nate pointed to the elevator.

* * *

They made their way down to the cafe restaurant on the ground floor of the building, taking a booth toward the back. Jessica ordered a light salad and Nate the creamy beef and asparagus risotto. Their meals arrived quickly and Jessica toyed with the lettuce leaves on her plate.

“Jess, I think we need to clear the air about what happened the other night.” Nate wiped his hands on his napkin.

“About that … I haven’t had time to call. I sent you a text because I was busy. Did you have Brooke send the flowers?”

“No. I sent them.” Oh—she could be harsh. She’d driven a knife right through the center of his ego.

Her eyebrows rose. Was she questioning his sincerity? He’d never get Brooke to send flowers on his behalf.

“Look, what happened the other night was a mistake,” she said. “It shouldn’t have happened. It was very unprofessional of me. I swear I’ve never done anything like that before, and it won’t happen again.”

The tension in Nate’s shoulders disappeared. Relief washed over him knowing that she felt the same way. This was just a moment of craziness they could both put behind them. “I also want to apologize for being so bold. While we were both consenting on the night, I agree with you entirely about the unethical behavior on both our parts.” He paused. “But I certainly don’t apologize for the phenomenal sex.”

Jessica stared down at the table and fumbled with her water glass. “Believe me, I didn’t know I had it in me,” she said. “I think it’s best if I talk to Alex and see if he can take over your account so we don’t have any further issues.” Her eyes looked full of disappointment.

“No. That won’t be necessary. I’m sure we’ll be able to control ourselves.” He would do anything to avoid gossip and scandal; his father had caused enough of that for the business. Nate couldn’t risk losing suppliers, or the financial backing of sponsors for the launch.

As he watched Jessica across the table, however, all his rational thought started to trickle down the drain. Her smile captivated him; her deep brown eyes hypnotized him. He sighed as the blood rushed from his brain to his groin again. So much for wanting to forget about having had sex with her. So much for not wanting more of it.

“Well you can be assured, it won’t happen again,” Jessica replied in all seriousness. “My work is my life. I will not jeopardize your launch, so let’s keep our relationship strictly above the table—not on it. If you want me on the account, that’s the way it has to be. There will be no more escapades.”

He had to agree. While she’d been the first woman to grab his undivided attention in such a long time, it was for the best. He didn’t need any complications.

“Why don’t we change the subject?” Jessica suggested. “Let’s discuss next week’s Melbourne PR trip in more detail.” She leaned back against the seat and folded her arms. “Zoe and Brooke have booked all the accommodation and flights and I’ll have the week’s schedule of TV, print and radio interviews ready on Friday afternoon.”

As he listened to her from across the table he only had one subject on his mind, and it had nothing to do with work. He wanted to crawl over the tabletop and have his way with her, feel her underneath him again. What had she done to him?

But no. He’d respect her wishes. Somehow he’d get himself under control so they could continue to work together.

“Please be assured that I’m happy to work in with whatever you’ve organized on such short notice,” said Nate. “So, now let’s put our little encounter behind us and look forward to the next few months. Can I buy you a drink as a means to a new start?”

“Alcohol and us is a bad combination. So unless there’s anything else you need to discuss, I think we’re done.” Jessica wiped the corners of her mouth on her napkin and grabbed her handbag. “I have a huge hotel launch and promotions campaign to work on before my client kicks my ass.”

* * *

Jessica was beyond frazzled when she returned to her office. She pulled at the collar on her knit top; it felt uncomfortably tight and hot. Nate’s admission that the sex they’d had was phenomenal had set her pulse racing at lightning speed. In fact, his whole presence excited her. His velvet voice. His charisma. His kiss had sparked a long-dormant flame back to life.

Nate, however, was only in the country for a few months and then he’d be gone. She couldn’t risk her work or her heart for him. Her mind wandered back to last Thursday evening. Their crazy, hot sex had been so damn good. Her body temperature started to rise just thinking about it. She closed her eyes and furrowed her eyebrows as she tried to clear her thoughts. She controlled everything in her life—surely she could control herself around Nate Somers.

Goddamn it!
Jessica grabbed her handbag and jacket and swept by Zoe’s desk on her way out. “Something urgent has come up. I’ll be back in time for my four o’clock meeting.” Without breaking her stride, she walked out of the office. With Nate on her mind she was not thinking straight.

Jessica clenched her hands tightly around the steering wheel as she pulled into the visitors’ car park at Somers Residential Towers. After a quick check of her lipstick and hair in the rearview mirror, she dashed from the car and into the foyer.

“Nate Somers, please,” Jessica asked Amy, the receptionist at the counter.

“Yes, Ms Mason. He just went up to his apartment. I’ll ring through for him.”

Before Jessica had time to gather her senses, Amy gave her the all clear to head on up.

“Thanks.” She walked over to the elevator and stepped inside. She leaned her head back against the wall as it ascended, closing her eyes in an effort to find some clarity. But there was none. She was out of her mind. What on earth was she doing?

When the elevator doors opened on Nate’s floor, her feet somehow carried her up the hall to his apartment. She hesitated before knocking. The few seconds it took for him to reach the door seemed to drag on endlessly. But then it opened, and his eyes locked on to hers.

He cocked one eyebrow at the sight of her. “It’s been so long, Ms Mason. Forty-five minutes to be exact. I didn’t know we had a meeting planned for this afternoon?” A smile touched the corner of his lips.

“Are you alone?”

“Yes.”

Before Nate could utter another word, Jessica placed both her hands on his chest and pushed him hard, back into his apartment, swinging the door shut behind her. He backed into the wall behind him as her lips found his without a moment to waste.

Her bag fell to the floor with a soft thud. Heat surged up between their bodies like lava up the chute of a volcano. Their mouths were desperate to taste each other as his hands knotted into her hair, drawing her closer to his chest.