Jessie Slaymaker's Rules of Engagement (The Jessie Slaymaker Series Book 2) (19 page)

‘I’m impressed,’ Tom said, albeit through partially gritted teeth.

‘Thanks,’ Jack replied, taking a swig of beer. It was the first drink he’d had all evening, so he was considerably behind the rest of the party attendees in their revel-going.

‘Everything alright with you?’ Jack asked, struggling to make conversation with the man. He knew Jessie thought the world of Tom, but there was an invisible barrier between the two men that Jack just couldn’t break through.

‘I’m good, thanks,’ Tom said, relaxing more as he looked across at Trey.

Jack followed his gaze and hid a sneaky smile by taking another drink. Tom clearly had the hots for the Greek god.

‘I’m just worried about my best friend and this new fella who’s been messing her around,’ Tom said pointedly, returning his eyes to Jack and studying him closely. If he’d had hackles, they would have been raised.

‘Hold on, Tom. I don’t think that’s really any of your business,’ Jack said, trying reasonably to tell him to butt out. He didn’t want to start a full-blown disagreement, but he didn’t want to be walked over either. ‘Jessie’s an amazing woman, but she’s as stubborn as a mule about some things and I’m still learning.’

‘You’re right, she is stubborn,’ Tom said, his eyes softening slightly. ‘She has principles made of reinforced steel, I think.’

‘You’re telling me. I became sorely aware of that as soon as we got on the plane. Well, actually maybe even before that with her refusing to let me pay for an upgrade,’ Jack said, remembering back a few weeks.

‘I heard about that. She’s funny about money, or at least accepting big things. Always has been. She has all these rules about things, as though she feels she’s never been quite good enough and has always had to go that extra mile to prove that she’s more than a hundred per cent capable all by herself. She gets herself into muddles though. I know she regrets not accepting it now.’

‘But then she wouldn’t have gotten to meet the delectable Trey,’ Jack said, flicking his eyes at the man mountain, who was currently creating a sizeable dip in his new sofa. ‘Have you met him?’ Jack asked, nodding towards the Aussie, in what he thought was an artful change of subject. It was okay for Tom to be Jessie’s confidant, if that’s what she wanted, but he wasn’t comfortable discussing the ins and outs of his relationship with Jessie to her ex-boyfriend. Not yet, anyway. As far as he was concerned, it was his and Jessie’s business alone, and Tom already had too much of an insight for his liking.

‘Yes, we’ve been introduced,’ came Tom’s clipped reply, as he took a big gulp of his drink. So Tom wasn’t such a fan of people intruding into his personal life either, Jack noted to himself.

‘Oh, Christ, don’t look now,’ Tom said, suddenly shrinking in stature as he tried not to draw attention to them.

‘What?’ Jack asked, jerking his neck to see what Tom was trying so hard not to look at.

‘I said, don’t look,’ Tom hissed. Jack gave him a smile that said that, although they would get along for Jessie’s sake, Jack was never going to be told what to do by Tom.

As it turned out, Tom had been trying not to draw the attention of a pretty young blonde woman. Just for the sake of annoying Tom, Jack smiled broadly at her, which seemed to do the trick of attracting her over.

‘Now look what you did. She’s coming over,’ Tom hissed.

‘Oh, her,’ Jack said. ‘I met her earlier. She was on the VIP guest list. She seemed nice enough.’ Although if Jack had been completely honest, he hadn’t failed to notice the way her hand had lingered on his when they’d been introduced, and she’d looked at him like he was something tasty. He’d made a mental note to stay out of her way. ‘What’s your problem, Tom? Another old flame?’ Jack teased, as a way to deflect from his own discomfort at her approach. As far as he was aware, Jessie was the only old flame of Tom’s in the room, but then again, he didn’t really know the guy that well.

‘That’s Jessie’s bitch of a boss, Rachel,’ Tom managed to get out as the blonde woman approached.

‘Her?
That’s
her boss?’ Jack asked, to which Tom nodded. ‘Bitch?’ Jack silently mouthed. He didn’t even know Jessie didn’t like her boss.

‘You two need to talk more,’ Tom muttered under his breath. He might have muttered something more, like ‘rather than going at it like bunnies all the time,’ but Jack couldn’t be sure.

‘There you are, Jack,’ Rachel began as she grabbed his arm to steady herself. Jack could tell she was far from sober, but not yet completely trashed out of her tree. ‘Ugh,’ she then exclaimed loudly as she plonked her drink down between Jack and Tom overdramatically. She clicked her gum loudly in the roof of her mouth. ‘Would you just look at that?’ she said, her voice dripping with disdain and a pout on her face. She was leaving no doubt as to the mood she was in.

‘What’s up, Barbie?’ Tom asked out of politeness as he rolled his eyes at Jack. They both simultaneously followed her gaze to see what was the cause of her offence. Jack maintained a neutral facial expression as he saw Jessie and Aussie Trey deep in conversation. Their knees were touching, and she had a hand placed on top of his. But the more he studied the scene, the more he realised there was nothing at all sexual about it. It was just Jessie being Jessie. She looked kind and caring. Yet he was sure that Barbie Rachel was seeing something quite different through her alcohol goggles.

‘For starters,’ Rachel began, as she pointed towards Jessie and Trey, ‘that trumped-up madam over there is wearing
my
dress. And would you just look at the way she’s draping herself over the only half-decent man here? Present company excluded, of course,’ she added hastily, casting an appreciative look Jack’s way. Tom wasn’t getting a look in. ‘Who is she, anyway?’ Rachel droned on in her high horse voice. ‘Do you know her? I haven’t seen her around before, so she’s obviously just some tourist tart crashing your party, Jack.’

‘Are you sure you haven’t seen her before?’ Tom piped up, a thin smile appearing on his lips.

‘Why would I recognise someone like that?’ Rachel retorted dismissively, with a loud snap of her gum.

‘Because that’s Jessie Slaymaker. I believe she works in your department,’ Tom added, fixing Barbie with an evil look.

‘OMG,’ Rachel gasped, realising her faux pas. ‘I didn’t recognise her. Who knew she could get so dolled up?’ she added, as she took a couple of furtive glances between Jack and Tom.

‘And you’ve obviously already met Jack,’ Tom said smoothly, gesturing towards him. ‘Jack and Jessie are very much in love,’ Tom added, fluttering his eyelashes and clutching at his heart. He was enjoying this way too much, Jack thought. Barbie Rachel didn’t so much as say anything next. She just made a guttural sound that then erupted into a fit of coughing as she began to choke on her gum.

‘You alright there, love?’ Tom said smugly as he took delight in giving her a thump on the back. ‘You know, it
is
rather unsightly having that gum rolling around your trap like that. Next time, I’d opt for a good old-fashioned mint if I were you. Probably safer,’ he added, giving her a wink before he took his leave and headed off for the bathroom.

‘I didn’t mean anything by it,’ Rachel said, turning to Jack with what she hoped was a charming smile. He met it with a steely glare. Jack had remained silent throughout Rachel and Tom’s entire exchange. Part of him had been stunned by her vileness, and the other part of him wanted to see how deep a hole this silly woman was going to dig for herself.

‘I don’t know what’s been going on at the bank exactly, but I’d hazard a guess that you haven’t been exactly fair on Jessie. A word of advice… Rachel, is it?’ Jack asked, screwing his eyes up slightly. ‘I’d start being a bit nicer to those people around you. You never know when you might put your foot in it, as clearly evidenced by tonight. Jessie is no tart, and I’d bet a decent wager on the fact that she looks better in that dress than you.’

Jack looked across at Jessie. She looked to be saying goodnight to Tom and the Aussie guy. And it was as though she sensed him looking at her, because she suddenly looked up and held his gaze from across the room. Jack knew she must have noticed her boss standing right next to him, but her eyes didn’t falter from his as she made her way over to him. She definitely wore her dress well, Jack thought, noticing the natural rhythm and sway of her hips, emphasised by the tight fabric.

‘I’m going to make a move,’ Jessie said when she reached them. Jack put his arm around her waist and pulled her to him with an intimate familiarity. Rachel was still there, and Jack felt some satisfaction that she was gawping at them, her mouth hanging open.

‘Hang on five minutes and I’ll come with you,’ Jack murmured softly, leaning into her neck. He traced a finger from her jaw to her collarbone and felt her pulse quicken.

‘Okay,’ she replied, making no disguise of inhaling his scent. Her head turned slightly and she finally looked at Rachel. ‘Oh Rachel, is that you? I didn’t recognise you.’ Jessie said, smiling brightly at her boss. ‘You look… lovely.’

‘Hi, Jessie. See you on Monday,’ Rachel said quickly, then gave Jack a brief nod before scuttling off.

‘Wonder what’s up with her,’ Jessie mused aloud. And then to Jack, ‘I see you met Rachel.’ Her smile tightened visibly.

‘Not a patch on you,’ Jack whispered, giving her hand a quick squeeze. ‘‘I’ll be five minutes and then we can get out of here.’

Jessie watched Jack as he stood a couple of paces from her, giving instructions to one of his staff. He looked so cool and calm. And utterly gorgeous. She could practically smell the pheromones he was giving off. Jack absolutely reeked of sex. The hot kind. For the first time in weeks, Jessie felt herself tingle from being in such close proximity to him. They weren’t even touching, but he still had an effect on her, which required her to concentrate on breathing.

And then time seemed to stand still as reality dawned on her. Something had happened, but her brain had been made sluggish by the champagne and had been slow to comprehend.

‘Hello Jack,’ came the woman’s silky voice.

Jack whipped around as though he’d been shot. When he looked the woman in the eye, a look of disbelief appeared on his face. Jessie for her part just stood there like a lemon, watching events unfold, rooted to the spot. One second she’d been looking forward to a night of hot makeup sex with Jack, and now she was staring the infamous Sonia Shum in the eye.

‘Oh, and Jessie. Fancy seeing you here,’ Sonia said smoothly.

Jack silently positioned himself next to Jessie and grabbed her hand in a united show of support. Jessie held on for dear life as her eyes dropped to the neat rounded bump of Sonia’s stomach. Sonia was wearing a revealing white minidress which left absolutely nothing to the imagination as to what was growing inside her. She had looked good in the magazine photograph, but in the flesh she looked like she’d stepped off a Victoria’s Secret runway. She was all shiny, glowy, and the epitome of good health. Yet although she may have looked like an angel in her expensive white frock, Jessie sensed the motive for her sudden appearance was far from angelic.

‘Sonia,’ Jack practically growled at her. ‘What do you want?’

‘Why, don’t be in a grump, Jack. I’ve come for your little party, of course,’ she said, her voice dripping condescension as she surveyed her surroundings. ‘My invite must have been mislaid in the post,’ she went on. ‘Nice place you’ve got here though, Jack.’

‘Thanks,’ Jack replied curtly. ‘But it’s not your usual type of haunt.’

‘Yes. Perhaps it
is
a little rustic,’ she said, glancing at Jessie, her insult screaming volumes. Jessie made a move to pull her arm from Jack’s grasp and escape, but Jack held her firm.

‘So, Jack. How have you been?’ Sonia asked, completely ignoring Jessie and closing the distance between herself and Jack until her baby bump was almost touching him. She ran a slow caress behind Jack’s neck and down his shoulder. Jessie felt him shudder under her touch—and not in a good way. In that instant she knew she had nothing to fear: Jack would never reciprocate Sonia’s feelings ever again. It was quite apparent he loathed the woman.

‘We’ve been great,’ Jessie piped up loudly. Sonia touching Jack like that had made her see red. ‘And don’t you ever touch Jack uninvited like that ever again, or I’ll snap your skinny arm off.’

‘Are you threatening a poor defenceless pregnant woman, Jessie?’ Sonia asked innocently, her eyes wide.

‘You may be a lot of things, Sonia, but poor and defenceless are not two of the first adjectives I’d choose for you. Oh, and congrats on the baby news by the way,’ she added good-naturedly, giving Sonia her best fake smile. ‘Shouldn’t you be taking it easy and putting your feet up in your condition?’

‘You’re probably right. But this one is a bit of a night owl,’ she answered smoothly, rubbing her stomach. ‘In fact, he keeps me up all night. Just like his father.’ If they dished out awards for being a snide bitch, then Sonia Shum would have won it every time. She was loving every minute of her party-crashing, and Jessie could tell she was dying for them to ask her who the father of her unborn son was.

‘Well, I hope you manage to get some rest at some point. I hear pregnancy can be a bitch on the cankles,’ Jessie sniped, surprised at herself and wondering where this inner vindictiveness had come from. Sure, it was a cheap shot, but she wondered why Sonia had to be so picture-perfect the whole time. Why couldn’t she just be an
ugly
pregnant woman? All bloated and uncomfortable-looking.

‘There’s no need to be unfriendly,’ Sonia said, as though Jessie’s words had hurt her. Jessie didn’t believe for one second that they had. ‘I merely came to offer an old friend my support as he embarked on a new adventure,’ she continued smoothly.

‘Your support is always appreciated,’ Jack said, eyeing the onlookers who had surrounded their unmerry little threesome. Sonia was practically a celebrity and her presence was bound to cause a stir. ‘But I’m afraid you’ll have to excuse us. We were just leaving,’ Jack said, giving Sonia a thin smile and steering Jessie towards the door with a firm hand in the small of her back.