Amazonia (4 page)

But could she set aside her fears and allow herself
to do it?

Tears stung her eyes. “Jefferson, I’ve worked so hard
to gain acceptance and respect in the business world. If I let all
of those professionals see this side of me, what is that going to
do to my credibility?”

“Absolutely nothing. You will still be respected.
People will just see how dynamic your personality is.”

“How can you possibly know that?” She stepped away
from him and swiped at the moisture in her eyes to clear her
vision. “Not everyone thinks the same way you do.”

“True, but I saw the way people treated you after
seeing you in ripped jeans and a Death Fire hoodie. They still had
the same measure of respect for you they always had, but a few
seemed to see you in a new light.” Jefferson smiled and stepped
closer again. “And a few seemed to gain more respect for you, since
that outfit made them realize there’s more to you than they’ve ever
seen around the office.”

He laid a hand along her jaw and stroked her cheek
with his thumb. “Everything that’s happened since that day has made
me realize how much of an idiot I’ve been with you. I don’t hate
you, which I’m sure you must think. In fact, it’s just the
opposite. I like you more than is appropriate for a boss. To hide
that, I’ve tried to distance myself and be coolly professional.
Unfortunately, all I’ve managed to do is turn into a humongous jerk
where you’re concerned. You deserve so much better than that. I’m
sorry.”

Layla leaned into his touch, wishing he would have
told her all of this before. How long had he been trying to hide
his feelings from her? She covered his hand with hers and smiled.
“You’re not my boss now.”

Awareness crackled between them, and Jefferson leaned
forward but paused with his lips mere inches from hers. She found
it nearly impossible to breathe as she waited.

“Is this what you really want?” he whispered. “I
don’t want to overstep my bounds again.”

She laughed softly. “Trust me, you’re not
overstepping anything this time.”

He slid an arm around her waist and pulled her close
as he kissed her. She melted into him as his lips moved over hers
with tender passion, and he held her tighter. Just when she thought
her heart would burst with happiness, he broke the kiss and leaned
his forehead against hers, looking deep into her eyes.

“I originally came out here to talk you into coming
back to Prescott and Hayes.”

Layla moved back, and he released her without
hesitation. She wrapped her arms around herself to ward off the
sudden chill. “Please tell me you’re not trying to kiss me into
agreeing.”

“No! Kissing you is—” Jefferson combed his fingers
through his hair. “That has nothing to do with getting you to come
back. Honestly, I’m not sure how that will affect our ability to
work for the same company. You know Marshall likes to keep things
strictly professional in the office.”

Seeing the ethical dilemma waging war in his mind,
she smiled and stepped close, draping her arms across his
shoulders. “Marshall can bite me. If he doesn’t know by now that I
can keep my personal life and my business life separate, he’s an
idiot who shouldn’t be heading a company.”

“I couldn’t agree more.” He kissed her again, and
when he spoke his voice held a husky quality that turned her knees
into jelly. “So, does this mean you’ll come back?”

She traced a finger through the hair at the nape of
his neck. “Hmm…I could, but only if you promise me something.”

“What’s that?”

“You won’t go back to your chauvinistic jerk ways.”
She pressed herself against him and whispered in his ear, “Because
if you do, your days of kissing me are over.”

Jefferson slid a hand down her back to the curve of
her hip. “Trust me, you don’t have anything to worry about.”

“Good.” She pulled his face toward her and kissed him
with more passion than before.

As they walked back to the concert, hand-in-hand,
Layla worked up the courage to share something she’d been
considering since he assured her everyone in the office still
respected her despite seeing a brief glimpse of her weekend
personality.

“Jefferson?”

He lifted her hand and kissed the back. “Yes?”

“Have you already done the photo shoot for the
Amazonia ads?”

“Not yet. After seeing your photos, the client
decided the original model they chose wasn’t right for the image
they want to portray. They’re looking at other models and should
have their decision to us on Monday.” He stopped and faced her.
“Why?”

“Because maybe I could do it, if they still want me
to.” She bit her lip as his eyes widened. “If you still think I
should.”

His hug lifted her off her feet. “Of course I think
you should do it! The client will be thrilled.”

She laughed softly as he set her down. “That’s a
relief after you worked so hard to convince them to use a different
model.”

“They were so disappointed to hear they couldn’t use
your photos, but they’ll get over it when they hear you’re willing
to be their model.”

“There’s just one thing.”

“What’s that?”

Layla smiled and gave him a hug. “You have to be
there to give me moral support during the photo shoot, and I want
Tommy as the photographer.”

Jefferson chuckled and gave her a quick kiss. “That’s
two things.”

“So I’m being as picky as some of the models I’ve
worked with in the past.” She leaned back and met his gaze. “Will
you let me get away with it?”

“In this case, yes. You deserve to get your way
during your first official photo shoot.” He stroked a finger down
her cheek, his eyes full of warmth. “Besides, I wouldn’t miss it
for the world.”

She gave him another hug, her heart overflowing with
affection for this wonderful man. As they continued on to the pole
barn, she made another decision, one she was sure Jefferson would
love. From now on, she would be the embodiment of the Amazonia
image—strong but sexy, capable and feminine.

###

About the Author

Ariela Vaughn is an avid reader with a particular
fondness for the romance genre. With an imagination constantly at
work, it’s no wonder she became an author. The characters and story
ideas demanded an outlet, and Ariela’s love of books made writing
the natural choice.