She didn’t seem convinced, although she didn’t move away. “Anyway, about tonight…”
“Yes?”
“What is it you’re planning? The star attraction tonight is New Dawn. We’re going to have a lot of celebrities and I don’t want any of the focus of the evening to be on me. Us.”
“My only target audience is Owen.”
Her furrowed forehead hadn’t smoothed. “Just how vivid is this demonstration going to be?”
“Don’t worry. It’s going to be great. I may not have gone to college but I do know how to behave among them hoity-toity folks.”
She smiled, and he felt her shoulders relax. “I trust you. I think.”
“You just concentrate on the work,” he said. “I’ll take care of the rest.”
WHEN THEY GOT to the Panorama, the valet opened the limo door, and Jessica stepped onto the pavement, her gaze automatically checking to make sure that the guard ropes held back the gathering paparazzi on either side of the entrance. The bouncers were impeccably dressed in tuxedos, and the klieg lights were sweeping the night sky. All seemed well, and when Dan took her hand to lead her inside, her nerves eased perceptibly. She’d been to lots of events like this-movie premieres, awards shows, restaurant openings, but she’d never been in charge of anything this large before. She took comfort in the strength of her team and the fact that she’d been obsessive in her attention to detail. However, things could still go wrong.
For whatever reason, Dan’s hand made things better. His presence radiated confidence that she was able to tap into. Rationally, she should have been more nervous, not less. God knows he sent her thoughts skidding into the danger zone, but maybe that was the key. A large chunk of her fear was siphoned off into sexual awareness. Sure. It made a world of sense. And at least for tonight, she felt grateful.
Inside, the club looked sensational. Festooned with peach and lavender balloons, custom-made to match the New Dawn colors, She’d been afraid that it would look like a sixteen-year-old’s bedroom, but the sophistication of the flowers, the artwork and the sheer drapes made it seem more like something out of a beautiful dream. The decor worked, and when the dance floor was packed and the music filled the air, the atmosphere would transform into something sensual and steamy, exactly what she was going for.
Marla waved from the bar and headed their way. She looked fantastic in her simple black gown. With her hair pinned back by a diamond clip and the small diamond studs in her ears, she seemed radiant.
“Oh, you’re so gorgeous!” Marla walked a complete circle around them. “Va-va-voom! Both of you.”
“Look who’s talking,” Dan said. “You’re going to have every man in the place begging for a scrap of attention.”
Her cheeks got hot pink and she looked at the floor. “Oh, right.”
Dan lifted her hand. “Hey,” he said very softly.
Marla lifted her gaze, but not her head.
“In a very deserted jungle, deep in Costa Rica, I watched a caterpillar turn into a monarch butterfly. The transformation took my breath away, and when I tried later to tell a friend about the beauty of the butterfly, words failed me. Now all I would have to do is point to you, and he would understand.”
Marla’s blush deepened and her eyes grew moist. “I don’t…”
Dan leaned over and kissed her cheek. “Knock ’em dead, gorgeous,” he whispered, just loudly enough so that Jessica could hear.
Her attention shifted from her assistant to this odd man she’d hired to be her escort. How could he have known that Marla had been struggling to transform herself from a somewhat geeky youth into a confident young woman? That this dress, this whole approach to her looks was new and untested? That what she needed most was a man, particularly a good-looking, confident man, to affirm that she was beautiful, that she could relax into this new phase of her life?
Marla practically floated away with a vague promise to check into something, leaving Jessica alone with Dan. Well, as alone as one could be while waiters and team members scurried about straightening this and adjusting that. He smiled at her, but not in a self-satisfied, gloating way, which she had sort of expected. He’d made the night for Marla, and most men she knew would have worn that triumph like a trophy.
“May I get you something to drink?” he asked. “Or maybe there’s some work I can do? I’m pretty handy with a hammer or even a dish towel.”
Jessica shook her head. “No, thanks. I think we’ve got it under control, but if you’d like, you can come with me while I do a final check.”
“It would be my pleasure.”
AFTER A GOOD HALF HOUR talking with the deejay, checking on the liquor and the hired staff, Jessica led Dan back into the main room of the club. Marla was stationed at the door, welcoming the first of the guests. From this distance Jessica couldn’t see who it was. As they walked across the dance floor, she felt Dan’s hand slip from her shoulder to the base of her neck. His long fingers felt warm and a bit ticklish. Her first reaction was to cringe, but she mastered herself quickly. She’d never really thought about all the places a man touched a woman that went beyond casual boundaries. An acquaintance could certainly touch a hand, an arm, even a shoulder. But a touch to the neck or face carried with it an unspoken message: I’m entering into the land of the private, here. You’re allowing me to. That means we’re more than friends, and if you let my hand linger, it means we’re heading for intimacy. Jessica hadn’t let anyone into her privacy in years, and she wondered if she’d been on a date with Dan, would she have cringed? Or would she have welcomed his touch?
As it stood now, she couldn’t very well shake him off. He was simply doing his job. Making it clear to all and sundry that they were a couple. She didn’t dare tell him to back off in case Owen was in sight, because Owen could be anywhere at any time, watching for just this kind of thing. In fact, she slowed her pace, looked up to meet Dan’s gaze, and slipped her hand around his waist.
“Hey there,” he said.
“You’re good at this,” she said.
“I’ve been on dates before.”
“This isn’t one.”
“Not technically, no. But why let a little thing like a pesky, oversexed boss get in the way? I’m going to enjoy every minute of tonight, and I hope you are, too.”
“It’s not important that I enjoy myself. I can’t afford to forget I’m working.”
“Who says the two are mutually exclusive? You can be observant, take care of business, and still have a blast.”
She stopped him short. “What planet are you from?”
He shook his head, his expression puzzled. “Why on earth would you want a career that isn’t fun?”
“Fun? Fun isn’t the issue.”
“Why not? What better criteria are there?”
“Money, power. You know, the things that make the world go round?”
“So you get off on power, do you?”
“Sure.”
“You say that like it’s a given.”
“It is. Power is what it’s all about.”
“Why?”
“Come on, Dan. Look around. Those who have the most power win.”
“Win what? What’s the prize?”
She looked over at the front door. More and more people were arriving, and she shouldn’t leave Marla to face the crowd on her own. “Let’s talk about prizes later, shall we? I need to get over there.”
“Of course. But I’m not going to forget where we were.”
“I’m sure you’re not.”
They reached the entrance and Marla stepped to her side. “Donna Karan is here, and so is Kate Spade. The limos are starting to pile up.”
“Great. Do me a favor, go ask Eddy to start the champagne and hors d’oeuvres. Have you seen Owen?”
“He got here a while ago. He asked me where you were.”
