Chapter 4

Jake got up slowly, tensing his neck from side to side and extending his hand politely toward her, trying not to react as that face turned his way. She pretty much floored him with the biggest, softest blue eyes he’d ever seen. An internal sort of gut-punching reaction he had never experienced in his life and had no idea what to do with. It momentarily stunned him.

She had a soft pouting mouth that could do a lot of damage if put to use in the right way and delicate, almost childlike, features that somehow worked in a mature face. There was very precisely and expertly applied subtle makeup under a sleek updo of soft hair, yet you could still see the girl was pretty. God, he would go as far as saying this one was beautiful, and that was rare coming from him. He had seen and bedded enough models over the years to stop being pulled in by symmetrical features and so-called perfection. She was beautiful in another way entirely, not in a fluffed and preened attractive but a real unapologetic, born to make men want her kind of way. Jake felt suddenly uncomfortable and let his eyes flicker back to that body, hoping to God he wasn’t showing just how much she was affecting him.

Her hand felt soft and small in his when she took it to shake, a little too fragile when dwarfed in his, and he suddenly got the impression he might hurt her. A tense moment of doubt, and he loosened his grip instinctively. Little delicate hands, perfect pastel manicured nails, free from any jewelry. He found himself looking at her hand a little too intensely and let it go abruptly.

What the fuck, Jake? Seriously? Hand fetish now?

“Mr. Car—” That voice distracted him again, drawing attention to that mouth. She had a soft, sultry tone to her voice. Huskiness in the depths yet youthful and girlish.

Fuck.

“Jake! Please.” He cut in quickly to get his focus back on track, his brain moving in smoothly from years of self-control and practice to save him from himself. “Margo informs me she’s happy with you so far and will be training you a little more extensively in time to step in fully when she retires. I guess that means we should get better acquainted on a first-name basis.” Jake smiled involuntarily at the hint of knowing her better, his mind immediately dragging her to his desk and most definitely not being allowed to take it any further. He needed to get control of the raging hormones and accept that she was fuckable. He wanted her, she was piquing some primal interest in him, and as soon as he admitted that and got over the fact he would never go there, they could move along.

“I’m really grateful for the opportunity.” She drew him back in with that voice, and he couldn’t help but notice she wasn’t reacting to him the way women normally did. He had been too caught up in what she was doing to him to notice, and, now he did, it irked him.

What the hell was wrong with him? Why wasn’t she flirting and pouting? It was obvious that there was chemistry. He could feel it in the air.

He realized that maybe all that chemistry was possibly one-sided, and irritation hit him hard in the gut. He couldn’t even remember the last time he had met such indifference in someone so appealing; maybe Leila when she was like seven, but not any women he’d met since his teen hormones evaporated and he’d filled out and learned to use what God gave him. He needed to get his crap together and stop whatever this was; he needed a moment to breathe because those baby blue eyes staring into his soul right now were distracting the shit out of him in all kinds of ways.

“Would you like a drink, Emma? You look a little flushed.” That tiny pink spot high on each cheek after he had shaken her hand seemed to be more from being uncomfortable about him touching her than any sexual yearnings, and he was feeling pissed about it. He had no idea why he was being such an asshole about this. Acting like a spoiled, prissy brat because a girl didn’t fall for his charms. Maybe because this was completely fucking new to him.

“Thank you.” She smiled a little, a hint of one, and he paused for a moment. It wasn’t full on, but it suggested that she probably had a pretty smile too, the way her cheeks puffed a little, and her eyes softened just slightly from doe-eyed to a little more carefree. It did all kinds of weird crap to his insides, and he had no idea what was going on with him today. He was never again drinking that lethal combo of crap he had last night.

Fuck, he wanted to see her smile properly.

Jake caught sight of Arrick watching him from the corner of his eye, an obvious smirk and that annoying goddamn phone app game he loved to play blaring away in the corner. He wanted to throw something at his head for the way he was looking highly amused at his expense. No one knew Jake as he did, and he could tell something was off.

Lap it up, princess, it’s not often I get knocked off my game, and you’re never going to get a repeat.

Jake walked to the minibar and found himself mixing up one of Leila’s cocktails as he looked down at what he was doing, stupefied for a moment. Literally had no idea how getting her a glass of water had turned into this in his head. The only thing he could think was that he was subconsciously trying to impress her or, on some deeper level, had decided she simply wasn’t a girl you gave water to. She was somehow much classier than ice water. Maybe it had been that heady, fruity, slightly sweet perfume clinging around her that had made him move to start fixing one of Leila’s girly combos for her. He had no idea what he was doing anymore.

Downing a quick gin to get his head straight, he took back the drink to the awaiting distraction. Margo was regarding him with an odd expression, probably wondering why he was trying to get his new PA drunk if the clinking of bottles was anything to go by.

Be damned if he had a fucking clue. He was acting all kinds of crazy.

“Here you go.”