Intimate (18 page)

“You said that at the last one.” She was laughing when she said it, but the novelty had worn off after the first store. Prices were high, and for a woman without a steady job, the last thing she wanted to do was spend money on clothes she didn't need. Jake kept telling her he'd buy whatever she wanted, but that wasn't going to happen, either.

Jake pointed to a darkly beautiful skirt and top on a mannequin just inside the shop. “I have a clothing allowance for this project. If they have this in your size, we're buying it. No arguments. It's perfect to display the tiger eye set. That's the only non-precious gem group in the entire catalog, but it's Marc's favorite stone, and the one that gave him the idea for the entire line. Those pieces and that outfit will look gorgeous in the vineyard setting.”

Kaz had to agree. The skirt was gauzy and shimmery, patterned with dark bronze grape leaves over a black background, designed to sit just below the waist. The cropped cami top had the same colors and design, though the leaves were smaller. The back of the top was longer and would sit right at waist level. In front, it would float just beneath her breasts, exposing a flash of her butterfly tattoo.

“Could we add the gold chains?” She was trying to see the shot through Jake's lens. “The way the top is cut, if I didn't wear a bra I could use the plain gold nipple rings with the chains attached to the one in my navel. That would hint at the tiger eye stones without actually showing them.”

She didn't give Jake a chance to answer. Instead, she looked through the rack, found her size, and took the skirt and top into a dressing room.

It really was stunning. She stepped out and almost ran into Jake. He waited impatiently, standing in front of the small curtained room with his arms folded across his chest. He stared at her, wide eyed, and then slowly shook his head. He sounded almost reverent when he said, “Turn around.”

She spun slowly, aware of the gauzy fabric floating above her ankles. She hadn't noticed the attractively uneven hem at first, but she loved the way the fabric hugged her hips and thighs and yet still seemed to float away from her ankles on the nonexistent breeze.

The top barely covered the lower curve of her breasts, but she was a lot taller than the average shopper. Things never fit her the way the designs were supposed to, but in this case, it was all to Kaz's advantage.

She felt sexy in this outfit. From the look on Jake's face, he agreed. The salesclerk wandered over, though her gaze was focused entirely on Jake. She barely seemed to notice Kaz, standing there in almost eight hundred dollars' worth of designer outfit.

Kaz couldn't blame her.

She'd watch Jake, too, but the man was in a hurry. She knew he hadn't packed yet, and his gear had been all over the room. “Look, why don't you go on ahead. I'll get changed and be right behind you.”

“No, I don't…” He glanced toward the front of the shop.

“We haven't seen that guy at all. If you do see him, come back and get me. Here, take these.” She handed him the tags off the top and the skirt. “You're buying.” She leaned close and kissed him. “It's almost two, and I'll be right there. There are people all over the place, and it's just half a block, Jake. That's all we are from the hotel.”

“Okay. Keep your phone handy, and pay attention. I'm going to worry about you.”

“Don't. Now go.”

Jake took the tags. “You're sure you're okay walking back by yourself?”

“Definitely. Be there in a couple of minutes.” She leaned over and kissed him on the nose, loving the way he looked so nonplussed by the silly act.

Jake wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her against him. His lips moved over hers much too quickly. When he ended the kiss, she stood there, staring at him, her heart pounding, her lips tingling from his kiss.

Then he kissed her on the nose and walked up to the front of the store to pay for the clothes.

Kaz took her time changing, thinking of that kiss, as well as the idea of walking back to the hotel alone. Neither of them had noticed that strange man anywhere on the plaza, and they'd both been looking for him. She decided he wasn't an issue.

No, the issue was that she'd practically been glued to Jake's side from the moment he'd picked her up in San Francisco. A walk—even a short one—by herself sounded really good right now, if only to give her a chance to think about the last couple of days and what Jake meant to her without his powerful male presence affecting her thoughts.

Would she ever find another man like him? Did she really want to? He was totally male, and in so many ways, totally overwhelming. He wasn't a guy any woman could easily forget. When they were close, he filled her senses. When he wasn't, he filled her thoughts.

But he'd been very clear—there was no future for them.

She needed to be just as clear, and the way to do that was to remind herself that this job was important to her career. The exposure to a national audience was a huge leap for her. Even with all its hassles, she loved modeling. She loved the freedom it gave her, the chance to meet new people, to do really fun projects, even improve her acting skills if this job with Fletch worked out, all with relatively little risk.

Except, her focus had shifted over the past couple of days—and had steadied with all the certainty of a compass pointing north. Hers pointed toward Jake. Misquoting Hamlet, she muttered, “And therein lies the risk.”

Unfortunately, she was fully aware that it was her sense of self-preservation facing the biggest risk of all.

 

CHAPTER 11

Jake parked in front of the B and B, a beautifully restored Victorian on the main street in town. It was another beautiful day—no sign of the rain Jake had mentioned the day he hired her. They'd had such a terrific time today that she decided not to call him on it—if he'd lied to get her to come with him, she wasn't going to complain.

He held her hand as they went inside. A young couple was ahead of them, listening to an older woman in the lobby. “I'm sorry,” she said. “I found the note our part-time girl wrote down about your call for a room, but we don't have any vacancies at all. We've been booked for weeks. This is a busy time of year.”

The man stared at the beautiful woman next to him. They looked so young. Kaz didn't think she'd ever been that young, that innocent.

“I'm sorry, sweetheart.” He faced the older lady. “We must have misunderstood. She assured us we had a reservation.”

Kaz glanced at Jake. She knew Jake had reservations for two rooms, and she was absolutely certain they only needed one.

“Excuse me.” He stepped closer to the young couple. Kaz thought their wedding rings looked awfully new. “I have reservations for two rooms, but we only need one. Are you guys on your honeymoon?”

The girl nodded. Jake spoke to the older woman. “Can you give our extra room to these folks?'

That was all it took.

Sometimes things were meant to be.

But now they were walking hand in hand, back to their shared room after a lovely dinner in the little town of Geyserville. It was a place she'd driven past more than once, but had never stopped to explore.

“That was a really good dinner,” she said, but she wasn't thinking of the salmon she'd eaten. No, it was all about getting back to their room, getting naked. She wondered if he realized she was wearing the rubies tonight. All of them.

“It was.” He squeezed her hand, glanced at her from the corner of his eye, and she had a strong feeling his mind was moving parallel to hers.

“So tomorrow,” he said, swinging their hands together, “I want to go back to the vineyard, get some shots among the vines, maybe a few more down near the creek.”

“What?” She fluttered her eyelashes. “None in the stall?”

His soft chuckle sent shivers over her spine. They'd had sex only once, yesterday in the barn, and she'd thought of it constantly until her explicit memories—visual and tactile—played an infinite loop in her mind and left her with one entirely inescapable conclusion: once wasn't nearly enough.

She had two more nights with Jake. Two nights and two days, but the days would be all about work. About finishing the job.

She had a snarky thought and doubted he'd penciled in time to get naked with his model, but she couldn't blame Jake entirely for the chemistry that practically exploded between the two of them. She was well aware of the effect arousal could have when she was on a job. She'd learned to work it, to project that sensuality in a way that left no doubt in the minds of consumers. They would look at her picture in the ad, feel her desire for whatever product was the focus, and know, without any doubt, that they, too, could feel that way, look that good, even experience that kind of excitement and sensual fulfillment if only they purchased whatever product the ad was trying to sell.

Manipulative and probably unfair, but it was a job she loved, and what her role entailed. She earned her living selling products by making them look so desirable that the consumer couldn't live without them.

Except Jake made her forget all about the job. When she smiled at him, whether he held a camera or not, she was smiling at the man, not the camera. Somewhere around the middle of that first day with Jake, she'd moved well beyond the lens.

But the ones looking at her image wouldn't understand. They wouldn't know that all of Kaz's desire wasn't focused on them or on the product she was touting, that what they saw was her response to Jacob Lowell. No—they'd see the product and the look of need in her eyes and that's the connection they'd make.

And wasn't that exactly what Jake and his client wanted?

Of course it was. For all she knew, his fascination with her was merely his method of getting the job done. Okay, so that would hurt, but she couldn't hold it against him. Now all Kaz had to do was keep reminding herself that sexual desire, even arousal, was perfectly okay, as long as it enhanced the shot.

It was not okay if she personalized it, if she lied convincingly enough to herself and ended up believing her own sales pitch. Keeping that thought in mind, Kaz walked through the door to the B and B when Jake held it for her. Walked up the stairs to their room, her mind free to enjoy whatever the night might bring.

No strings. No permanent attachment.

Then she blew it. She glanced at Jake, caught him watching her, and there was so much need in that dark-eyed gaze that shivers raced over her arms and her nipples tightened against the gold rings she wore.

The best of plans, the very best of intentions, all swept away in that one intense look from the man still holding on to her hand. Was she reading more into Jake's look than he meant?

Or was she a complete idiot, believing she could spend more time in his bed and then blithely walk away, unscathed?

Except she had to walk away. The deal with Fletcher Arnold was huge, a chance to take her career to an entirely new level. Jake had put them in touch; he'd understood that she was serious when she said she didn't have time for a relationship. He'd made it perfectly clear he wasn't interested in more than the next couple of days.

He smiled at her, tugged her hand, and they continued down the hall to their room, but the truth was an uncomfortable weight lying heavily on her chest, most likely in the vicinity of her heart. Lying there with the half-truths she'd allowed him to believe.

She'd been lying to herself as much as to Jake, and she was absolutely terrified she'd never, ever get enough of him. She'd better make tonight count—make every minute with Jake count—if only to give herself as many memories as she could. They might be all she'd have of him to keep.

And wouldn't that just absolutely suck.

*   *   *

For whatever reason, Jake was a wreck. They'd had such a great day together—dinner had been terrific, he knew he'd gotten some gorgeous shots in town today—and yet he felt out of sync, as if he was making some horrible mistake.

But what?

Marc was going to be totally blown away by the photos he'd gotten so far. One more series out among the vines, and they'd be done.

Kaz would go her way, Jake would go his. Once they were apart, she'd be safe.

Hell, he'd never dreamed he'd be putting her in danger on this trip, but as long as that bastard was out there, watching him, she was at risk.

He hadn't gotten any texts today, though there was no doubt in his mind the guy outside their hotel room was the one who'd been sending them.

What the hell did he want? And how did he know about RJ?

Screw it. He'd wait for the next one, and concentrate on Kaz, on tonight and tomorrow night making love with an amazing woman, knowing that what they had would end when he took her home. He'd concentrate on that, not on whoever was out there waiting for him to do something stupid.

Jake used the old-fashioned key to unlock the door to their room. It was decorated in Victorian chic, overdone as most places like this were, but with the subtle glow of one small lamp, the big bed against the far wall, the polished oak plank floors, and the plush area rug patterned in black with pink roses, somehow it worked.

And somehow, Kaz fit right in, even dressed as purely modern as could be. Wearing black skinny jeans and a tight black turtleneck sweater with knee-high red leather boots, she looked glamorous and sexy as hell.

Locking the door behind them, Jake turned to pull her into his arms. She fit perfectly, eye-to-eye with him in those high-heeled boots of hers. He'd given her the rubies to wear tonight, but she'd never said whether or not she'd worn the entire set. Keeping him guessing had added a layer of arousal he'd not expected, but he reined in his inner caveman and gently kissed the curve of her jaw before settling on her lush mouth.

Kaz opened for him, sucking his tongue into her mouth, pressing herself tightly against his groin. He knew it was impossible for her to miss how hard he was as she rubbed against him.