Wild Fling or a Wedding Ring? (6 page)

It was a simple question, but suddenly Cali felt the possessive undercurrent beneath it and tensed. “No. This move is all about work. Just as well I don’t know anyone.”

“Aside from me that is.”

“Sure.” She smiled feebly, knowing that, friends or not, she didn’t really have time for him either. “Aside from you.”

Jake unlocked the door and then swung it open, standing aside for Cali to enter. “Amanda says this project she’s got you on is a pretty big deal. She’s got a lot of respect for your skills.”

Cali beamed. “Thanks, I’m really excited.” Then, taking several steps inside, she gasped. “This is incredible.” The apartment was spacious, with high ceilings and a glorious bank of windows overlooking the lakefront below. She craned to see down the long hall to the right, before spinning back to check out the kitchen and the fireplace. “My sublets are usually half this size and facing a brick wall.”

Jake folded his arms across his chest, his stance wide. “I don’t think all the Chicago operatives score a sweet pad like this, but apparently there was some problem with the agency Amanda normally uses for temporary housing. This place was available, so…. I’m glad you like it.”

“It’s gorgeous.”

“I agree.” His eyes were on her, moving slowly over her face, her body, and suddenly the vast apartment closed in. Then, just as quickly, his gaze shuttered and shifted to the windows as he crossed the open room to get a better look. “You’ve got a great view out here. The water, the Drive.”

The muscles across his back flexed as he raised a hand to push long fingers through his hair. Hair she’d had
her
fingers wound in the night before—

What was she doing, watching the way he moved when she’d just agreed to this friends-with-a-past business? It had sounded like a great deal—until the apartment door closed behind them and once again they were alone.

Alone was bad. Eyeballing Jake was worse.

He turned from the window and caught her staring. Whatever it was he’d been planning to say was forgotten as his gaze intensified, heated.

She needed to look away. Get him out of her apartment, out of her space, out of eyeballing distance for sure—but she didn’t move. Couldn’t break the visual contact that seemed to be holding her captive. Her panic rose as she scoured a suddenly vacant mind for anything to say. “Well, thank you for bringing me over. I should start getting settled.”

“Your things haven’t been delivered yet,” he said, his gaze dropping to her mouth, sending her thoughts straight to his kiss and the masculine, seductive taste of him.

No.
This was Amanda’s Jackson.

He needed to go.

“Mmm-hmm, right. But I can think about where I want things…once they get here.”

Those blue eyes darkened as if a storm was moving in behind them. He took a step in her direction and her lungs constricted.

“Wha—what are you doing?” she stammered, taking a halting step back.

“You know what I’m doing,” he answered without pretense, matching her retreat with one long-legged stride.

“We—we’re friends. Friends with a past, remember?”

“I’ve reconsidered. Friends isn’t going to work. Not for us.”

“Why not?”

His left hand caught her around the waist. “Friends don’t look at friends the way you’re looking at me.”

“It was an accident! I was thinking about last night for one second,” she said, her voice rising with her panic. “But I’m done now. Over it. Really ready to move from the past to the present.”

Jake nodded, satisfaction evident in the smug curve of his smile. “Me too.”

She put her arms up to stop him, but they buckled against the crush of his chest as he leaned in to her with a soft, sinking brush of his lips against hers. Somewhere between a taste and caress, the slow stroke of his kiss blanked her mind of anything beyond the gentle suction against her mouth and the stirring need low in her belly.

Her nipples peaked, her body begged to curve into his, but her mind knew better. She had plans. She couldn’t follow her heart or trust the instinct that told her to wrap her arms tight around this man’s neck and hold on.

No! Wrenching away from the kiss, Cali shut her eyes against the temptation of his gaze. “Damn it, Jake! We agreed this was a mistake.”

Jake hadn’t moved; his arms still held her. She forced herself to look up at him.

“It doesn’t feel like a mistake. It didn’t last night either.” His head bowed so that his lips grazed the outer ridge of her ear. “Do you know how hard it was to let you go? How much I wanted to follow you?”

His arms circled tighter, holding her against him in a way that warmed her from the inside out.

Thank God he hadn’t followed. She wouldn’t have been able to resist, and then everything today would have been that much worse. She closed her eyes. As if it wasn’t bad enough already.

She’d been breaking her rules since the minute he’d sat down beside her at the bar. Begging for an excuse to sidestep the careful plans she’d laid. And now, what if Amanda found out? She had a second chance at her career and she couldn’t blow it on some feel-good fantasy. “That was last night. When I thought it was
only
last night.” When she’d thought Jake nothing more than a few moments’ indiscretion, free and clear of ties to her work or future.

The muscles surrounding her tensed, as though her admission somehow bothered him. Well, too bad.

Jake let her go and stepped back a pace. “Cali, I see the way you’re looking at me—”

She cut him off with a slash of her hand. There was no room for pride here. “I don’t get out much, okay? You’re an attractive guy and I’m not immune. But that doesn’t change the fact that I have priorities higher than my libido.”

Finally some straight thinking she could feel good about, even if the look of frustrated aggravation on Jake’s face was something she couldn’t. He studied her from beneath the grim set of his brow and then nodded. “I get the priorities, and I already told you I wasn’t looking for something serious—believe me, I’m not—but this attraction. It’s intense. You think you can just ignore it?”

She bit down on her lips, drew her arms across her chest.
She had to. He was a risk on too many levels. Because of Amanda’s feelings. Because of her own. He was a risk she wouldn’t take. “I can and will. I’m sorry, Jake. Starting tomorrow I’ll barely have time for a glass of water, let alone getting swept up in whatever chemistry there is between us. Trust me, that’s just how these assignments go. We probably won’t even see each other again while I’m here.”

Stuffing his hands into his pockets, he cocked his head. “So, out of sight, out of mind, then?”

“Yes.” The ache in her chest would be gone as soon as he left. It would work. She just needed him to go. To vanish into the city and let her focus on her goal.

“Okay. Good luck with the project.” Jake smiled that easy smile at her, hoarding all the confidence in the room as he offered a no-hard-feelings wave.

“Thank you.”

He stopped, as if struck by a thought, and turned back. “If you have any problems or questions, just knock next door. 17E.”

“Who lives there?” she asked as she went for her purse to jot down the name.

“I do. It’s my building. Take it easy, neighbor.” He grinned and walked out.

Her purse clattered to floor at her feet as Jake shut the door behind him, his low chuckle cut off by the latch.

I
T WAS
Wednesday, and dusk had fallen as Cali jostled her laptop and messenger-style briefcase, pushing backward through the swinging door into the fluorescent lit convenience Mecca known as the Snappy Convenience Store. Bells rang above her head, announcing her entrance.

“Amanda, hold on one sec.” Phone pinched between shoulder and ear, she snagged a plastic basket from the stack and descended into the third aisle.

Her boss groaned through the line. “Good Lord, what are you doing?”

“Sorry, sorry,” she answered, moving by rote toward the international snacks. “Just picking up some supplies. Okay, so I’ve looked into the discrepancy we picked up this morning. The numbers are off—I know that much. But what kind of delay we’re facing I won’t be able to tell you until I’ve met with Reynolds to get a better understanding.”

“He should be arriving back from Atlanta this evening, and I’ve left messages in addition to yours. Keep me in the loop on this one.”

“Will do.” Cali stifled a yawn.

A quiet laugh filtered through the line. “You sound ready to drop. Have you gotten all moved in at home?”

“Ah, I wish.” At the sound of the doorbells clanging, Cali shot a quick glance to the front of the store and stopped short, her breath leaking out in a slow hiss. Jake Tyler strode in and, shirt collar open, cuffs rolled, offered a warm greeting to the clerk behind the register. Distracted, Cali made her way deeper into the aisle, shoulders hunched in an attempt to avoid his notice. For days she’d been unsuccessfully trying to dodge Jake. She’d peek out into the hall to make sure he wasn’t there, only to cross his path twenty minutes later, running at the lakefront. Hustle through the lobby to catch a closing elevator, only to find him standing at the security desk, ready to throw some frustratingly engaging line her way that had her laughing before she could think to stop. Escaping the flash of that cocky grin was proving to be an exercise in futility. Though one she couldn’t quite regret. He was
fun
.

“Hello?” Amanda’s voice through the line pulled her back to the now. Her job, her boss. Even when he wasn’t trying Jake got in the way. “You wish what?”

“There was some mix-up,” she answered quietly. “Half my things ended up in Washington. I’m supposed to be getting them this weekend, but it’s been a long week so far.”

“What are you missing?”

“The furniture all came, which was great.” She knelt, flipping through the assortment of cellophane-packaged dry snacks. “But whatever went into a box didn’t. So pretty much…well, everything.”

“Wait—you don’t have dishes? Cooking equipment? Clothing?”

There wasn’t much to do about it. The truck was in another state. “I bought some new clothes and a few essentials.”

“Did you tell Jackson? He could help you out with some supplies. He could help with anything you need while you’re there. The man has a million skills.”

Yeah, like kissing, and long, intimate conversation. Cali closed her eyes, hating this feeling that she was betraying her boss, a woman who had given her the break—a second chance to prove herself—that no one else would grant. “Uh, I haven’t seen much of Jake.” Peeking around the corner, she let out a relieved breath to see him pulling a few bills from his front pocket for what looked like a current affairs magazine. Almost done. “Honestly, don’t worry about it, Amanda. I’m not the first person in history to spend a week surviving on microwave meals and plastic forks. It’s as good an excuse to skip cooking as you can get.”

“Ever the optimist, huh?”

Cali rolled her eyes, thinking about the blue streak she’d cursed that very morning when faced with the single pair of heels she’d brought. “That’s me.”

Papers shuffled in the background and Amanda’s voice returned, sharp and professional. “Okay, well, hang in there and get back to me on the timetable when you have something.”

“Will do, Amanda. You can count on me.” Cali disconnected the call and reached back to tuck her phone into her pocket. The bags slung awkwardly around her shoulders slipped forward, the shifting weight pulling Cali to her knees with a muffled grunt. Scrunching her eyes closed, she forced a calming breath before snatching a pouch of Japanese trail mix from the rack and dropping it into her basket.

Dinner.

Even a microwave meal was too labor-intensive after the day she’d had.

Pushing back to a crouch, Cali moved to stand—only to find herself lifted to her feet. With a gasp, she spun. “Jake!”

“Krissy up front thought someone was crawling around back here. What are you doing on the floor?”

She blinked, feeling the hot lick of humiliation in her cheeks. “No—but—I wasn’t crawling—”

He chuckled, waving her away as he smoothly stripped her of the heavy briefcase. “Just weighted down by your cargo, huh?”

Nodding, she reached to reclaim her bag. “Yes, but you don’t have to carry that for me.”

He raised a brow at her, and she had to acknowledge how much better she felt without the weight of the overloaded bag. “Well, thank you.”

“Welcome. We’ll walk back together.”

Jake took a step forward, but Cali found herself rooted to her spot. Her limbs unwilling to follow.

“Jake—”

He turned, noting her stagnated progress with a downward pull to his mouth. “Take it easy, Cali. I’m just carrying your bag.”

“I know.” And yet her feet refused to move.

“So what’s the problem?” He watched her, awareness glinting in his eyes. “Unless you don’t trust yourself in the elevator with me.” His brow was raised in subtle challenge and she had to look away, unwilling to acknowledge her fear of being trapped together for seventeen floors in a tiny box that took her mind straight back to a phone booth flooded with jazz and need. An unwelcome wave of heat washed through her belly, frustrating her to the point where she had to clench her fists before daring another look at the man who spurred such intense reactions.

She shook her head.

“I think I’m going to grab a few more things, since I’m already here. Why don’t you go ahead?”

After a beat, Jake handed her briefcase back, slipping the strap over her shoulder and straightening her jacket. “Whatever you want, Cali.”

The weight of the bag dug into her strained muscle, but she smiled as though it were nothing.

Watching him leave, Cali dropped a few random selections from the shelves into her basket. When he was safely out of the store, she walked to the front counter to make her purchases. Through the plate glass window she could see Jake halfway down the block, drawing to a stop when a pretty blonde crossed the traffic with a broad smile and an eager wave to get to him. A baseless, utterly irrational stab of jealousy cut through her at seeing his arm slip across the woman’s shoulders.

A familiar ping alerted her to a waiting text. Absently she plucked out the phone and read the message. Reynolds was back and could meet with her now. Perfect. Cali pushed out a steady breath and sent a short reply that she’d meet him in twenty minutes, back in conference room four.

This was why she’d come to Chicago. Not for the attention of some sexy man who couldn’t walk down the street without a beautiful woman throwing herself into his path. But, even so, she couldn’t fight one last glance down the street.

Three hours later, Cali made it home. The news from Reynolds wasn’t what she’d wanted to hear, but at least she knew what she was up against. Tomorrow morning she’d wrestle the project back on track.

Dropping her bags in a heap by the door, she kicked off her shoes and groaned as blood surged to her aching toes. Eyes closed, she dropped onto the couch and dragged the unopened bag of trail mix up to her chest—fairly certain she was still hungry, but beyond the point where she could differentiate one discomfort from the next. She’d forgotten her bottled water by the door. Cranking her head to the side, she debated exerting the energy to get it. Her gaze drifted from
the flimsy Snappy Store bag to a white piece of paper on the floor a foot over. A note? Had the movers been by? There hadn’t been any messages on her phone.

She forced herself from the comforting hold of the cushions and swept it up.

No, not the movers. Jake.

“Stop by my apartment when you get home tonight.”

“Tonight” was underlined. He owned the building—maybe he’d spoken to the movers. Thinking back to the blonde, she wondered if he’d have company. He wouldn’t have left the note if he wasn’t alone. Would he? Only one way to find out.

Shoulders back, head high, stomach in knots, she strode down the hall to Jake’s door and knocked. Waited. Maybe he wouldn’t answer and she’d be able to skulk back to her apartment without having to face him.

No luck.

Within seconds, the lock sounded and her fate was sealed. The door swung open and rock music spilled out into the hall.

“Cali?” Jake, bare chest glistening with sweat, dark hair pushed back in damp disarray, rested his forearm against the door frame and scanned the length of her. “You okay? You don’t look so good.”

Her mouth went dry, her head light. Hell,
she
might not look so good, but she’d never seen anything as criminally attractive as Jake in her entire life.

It was obscene. He should know better than to answer the door like that. Sure, he wasn’t naked. The longish black basketball shorts hung low on his trim hips covered a stretch of him, but she couldn’t keep her eyes from trailing down the crisp hair of his abdomen to—

“Cali,” he growled, “eyes up here, if you don’t mind.” Her
gaze, filled with horrified embarrassment, collided with the pure masculine amusement of his. “I’m guessing your awed silence has something to do with that ‘man-candy’ thing you mentioned the other morning?”

Okay, that did the trick and broke through her haze of lust. She coughed out a laugh. “Get over yourself.”

He raised a brow at her. “It’s not like
I
was gawking. At least your color’s back. You were looking a little pale there.”

“I wasn’t gawking!” she protested, waiting for a bolt of lightning to strike her down for the lie. “You just took me by surprise opening the door like…” she flapped her hand around at his body “…like that! Jeez, what if there were children out here?”

“Hey, it’s almost twelve on a school night. Kids out this late wouldn’t be up to much good anyway.” He grinned. “I couldn’t take credit for corrupting them.”

“I didn’t realize— I didn’t think—” She’d come knocking on his door at midnight. Shame-faced, she focused on a point halfway down the hall. This was
so
sending the wrong message. Finally, she held up the note. “I didn’t realize it was so late. I had to go back to work, so I only just got this.”

Jake shifted in her peripheral vision. “Don’t worry about the time. I was kind of keyed up from a case today and was working it off. I’m glad you came over.” He stepped back. “Come on in for a minute.”

“No,” she nearly choked. She didn’t have to look to know that sinful smile played on his lips. “No, thank you. I just—”

“Cali, I’m standing in the doorway, dripping sweat on the hall carpet. Come in a minute and let me clean up. I’ve got some stuff for you.”

She didn’t want to go into his apartment. If ninety seconds in an elevator seemed bad to her, there was no way she could brace herself against this half-naked-behind-closed-doors business.

“Inside, Cali.” He leaned out and reached for her hand. “Think of the children.”

“Oh, fine.” Rolling her eyes, she brushed his hand away and nudged past him into the apartment, surprised to find the space was significantly larger than hers and filled with an eclectic mix of styles that combined to create a cool setting epitomizing Jake.

An enormous oriental rug covering much of the hardwood floor somehow complemented the modern blown-glass light fixtures, and tribal art hung on the walls. It would have been sophisticated styling if not for the treadmill parked in front of a sixty-five-inch flatscreen television scrolling financial stats.

Jake walked over to the stereo and turned the music down, then grabbed a small towel and carelessly dragged it over his face, neck and torso.

Deep breaths
.

“Okay, Cali.” The playful glint was gone from his eyes. “Amanda told me your stuff hasn’t been delivered yet. You should have come over.”

She might have—only every time she got within a few feet of this man she found herself giving in to a pull she had to deny. “I was fine. If I’d really needed anything I would have knocked or just gone and gotten it.”

He stared at her then, those blue eyes holding her in place, making her squirm, challenging her as if he doubted what she’d said.

To hell with him. “I would have.”

“Sure—that’s why you’ve been eating microwave meals off plastic forks all week.”

Amanda
.

Rather than get into it any further, Cali stepped over the cardboard box atop the low coffee table. There were two plates, a skillet, two settings of silverware, a roll of paper
towels, a pot, a four-cup coffee-maker, a mug from some pharmaceutical company and two glasses packed with a dish towel and a potholder. Her throat tightened at the thoughtful generosity of this man she was working so hard to avoid. “Thank you.”

“No big deal.”

She shook her head, daring a glance at him. “It is to me.”

Jake offered a nod, watching her with eyes that saw more than she wanted to reveal. Eyes that echoed the satisfaction curving through his lips at whatever he’d found. “So I guess I’m your hero, then?”

She swallowed, unable to look away, barely able to speak. “God, your ego.”

That smug smile pulled to one side and he closed the distance between them in two lazy strides. Her heart slammed against her chest as he leaned closer, until his breath warmed the whorl of her ear and the heat of his body licked across the scant space between them. “Yeah, well, stop stroking it and maybe it’ll go away.”

Her traitorous body seized under the rough stroke of his voice and she stumbled back, shocked at the ease with which he could get past her defenses. She cast him a sidelong glance, afraid of what he’d manage if she let him out of her sight for too long.