“And I’m the Queen of Sheba.” Barb pulled a vape pen from inside her blazer. “I need wine.”
“It’s eight… in the morning.”
“Midnight in LA. When you find Little Miss Love Struck, remind her we have a FaceTime call in fifteen minutes with Violet and Archer.
I didn’t have to look up to know Tessa had entered the lobby. The light scent of her perfume preceded her every step and coiled around my body, squeezing all the air out of my lungs.
“I haven’t forgotten the call.” She handed a mug of black coffee to Barb.
Barb took the coffee and leaned back in the chair, crossing her ankles. “Get me a shot of whiskey for it. It’d make this hell hole bearable.”
“Whiskey later. Work now. Would you like an update?”
There was a determination in Tessa’s tone, one I hadn’t heard before.
“Not unless you’re about to tell me the bride and groom will get here for their own wedding.”
“Like I already pointed out,” I said, coming to Tessa’s defense. “Tessa can’t control the weather.”
The steely look Tessa shot me all but sliced me in two and told me to keep my mouth shut and nose out.
“I guarantee the wedding will happen,” she said, her eyes not leaving mine.
“Hmph.” Barb scooped up Max and strutted toward the staircase. “Send Brendan to my room with an inventory of his wine cellar and steak for my dog.”
“Looks like Max found his new owner.” I laughed as Barb vanished upstairs. Apologies weren’t something I had a lot of experience with, and now Tessa and I were alone, I didn’t know what to say or where to begin. “Tessa, I—”
“Don’t you ever get involved when I’m discussing a delicate situation with my client.”
“How can I not get involved? She was out of line.”
“I mean it.” Irritation tinted her cheeks a pretty shade of pink. “Butt out.”
“I have years of experience in dealing with people like Barb. I want to help.”
“Sure you do.” Skepticism colored her words, and she crossed her arms, shutting me out.
“I’m not the bastard you think I am.” Saying sorry to someone who thought I was a narcissist would not be easy. I deserved all of her anger and loathing.
“Fooled me.”
“I don’t like how you got this job, but I’m beginning to understand why you lied. I’m sorry. I made a mistake. I’m going to do all I can to help you with no ulterior motive.” I should tell her about Shane. Tell her I knew how this mess of a situation had happened. Confess I was a fool who fell for a con man’s lies just like her. But if I did, Tessa would never trust another word I said.
She glared at me, her eyes narrow and hard. “Are you telling me you won’t say anything to Barb or Violet?”
“I shouldn’t have treated you the way I did. Blackmail—,” I winced, “—isn’t who I am.”
“Then you can understand why you have to leave and allow me to do my job the way I want.”
I closed the space between us. “Really? You want me to walk out the door? You never want to see me again?”
She lifted her face until our lips were a breath apart. “Sounds about right.”
“I don’t believe you.”
I captured her waist in my hands and tugged her body close. The scent of her skin drained all coherent thought from my brain. I crushed my lips to hers. A faint taste of coffee and chocolate coated her lips. There was no way I could stop even if I wanted to.
How did she have such a potent effect on me? She was everything I didn’t want. But that didn’t matter, because right now, all that mattered was the feel of her soft curves beneath my hands.
She arched into me, her breasts nudging my chest, her body molding into mine. What I wouldn’t give to feel her naked skin, feel her body writhe and shudder beneath mine.
She ran her fingers up my back and plowed them through my hair. Fuck, I wanted to taste, bite, and lick every part of her.
It’d been a long time since I’d wanted anyone like this. If ever.
I skimmed kisses down her jawbone and over the exposed skin on her throat, her perfume coated my lips. The fabric of her sweater bunched up, and when I grazed my fingers along the curve of her waist, sparks shot up my arm, shocking my erratically beating heart.
Barely suppressing a whimper, she broke away, confusion creasing her forehead. “I can’t. Not now. I have to do… the things.”
“Things?” I continued to circle my fingertips over her waist.
“Work things.” Blindly, she reached for the back of a chair and held on. “There’s too much to do. I don’t have time for—” she motioned between us, her wide eyes saying what her lips didn’t.
“Don’t have time for what?” I raised my eyebrows in question.
“Us. You. Whatever this is.” As if afraid to say more, she rolled her lips between her teeth and held them there.
I brushed my lips over the shell of her ear, and whispered, “I have a feeling we’ll both have plenty of time for ‘whatever this is’ later.”
“No. I can’t. We can’t.” Tessa moved back, and I dropped my hands from her waist. Disappointment seemed to flash across her face, but she quickly blinked it away, and with a tilt of her chin, her expression turned devious.
“Because of the shitty weather, the cleaners can’t make it. You really want to help, then help me clean.”
“You’re joking? Clean?” When I’d offered help, I’d meant I’d help manage the contractors and vendors. Help make sure everyone was doing what they were supposed to do. That I’d look at the fine details to make sure she had overlooked nothing.
