Beautiful Distraction (32 page)

“So,” Jett said, pushing a sheet of paper across the couch
table toward me. He was fully dressed now in black slacks and a pale blue shirt
that emphasized his broad shoulders. Unfortunately, his fully clothed status
did nothing to diminish his sex appeal.

I narrowed my gaze as I tried to scan the paper without
looking too obvious. He pressed his palm on top of it, obscuring my vision.
“It’s sort of a CSACA.”

I peered up at him. “A what?”

“I don’t fuck my staff, Brooke. I know better than that.” He
drew a sharp breath and held it for a moment before he let it out slowly and
shook his head, as though irritated with whatever he was about to say. “And yet
here I am, almost taking you on that bedroom floor. Apparently there’s
something about you that makes me want to rip off your clothes, and I know you
feel the same way about me. If we’re to work together, we need to sort this out
once and for all.”

Boy, was I cheap. What gave me away? My wet panties, or the
labored breathing every time he so much as gazed at me? I heaved a silent sigh.
Had my attraction to him been so obvious? And more importantly, was I really so
delusional to think I could hide it?

Yeah, I was.

“I’m not really sure where this is going,” I said more to
myself than to him.

“By agreeing to an arrangement, there’ll never be a misunderstanding
as to what’s happening between us and where we’re standing.” His gaze plunged
into me with an intensity that frightened me. I just stared at him, lost in his
eyes. The guy was not only stunning, he also seemed to know what he was talking
about. You can’t keep your head screwed on while lusting after the boss. And we
both needed a clear head if we wanted to get this job done.

“I agree. What sort of arrangement do you propose? Working
in different rooms? Communicating via email and text messages?”

“Not quite, Brooke.” His lips curled into a wicked smile.
“Since we’re adults and this goes way beyond the usual sexual attraction, it’s
about time we gave each other what we so desperately crave.”

My jaw dropped and my cheeks flamed up. Was it the kind of
proposition I thought it was? He couldn’t be serious, and yet I knew from his
no-nonsense expression that he was. “Pardon me?” He must have noticed my
shocked expression because he remained silent for a moment, giving me time to
process his words. I released a hissing breath I didn’t know I had been
holding. While my brain was still protesting, my abdomen did tiny somersaults
at the prospect of getting down and dirty with the guy. What would be the harm
in following Sylvie’s advice and giving in to my own needs for once? I was
single and had nothing to lose.

Apart from your job
and heart.

No, my heart wouldn’t be in it. Just sex. And lots of it, or
as much as it’d take to get bored and move on.

“Why did you hire me?” The question burning in my mind for
the last forty-eight hours finally snaked its way out of my throat.

“It’s not what you’re thinking, Brooke,” Jett said calmly.
“James wants out of the business. For weeks he and I had been talking about
signing Sunrise Properties over to our company. The contract we drafted
included a clause that I take a look at what James called the ‘brightest star’
in the real estate business. He arranged a meeting at The Black Rose so we
could discuss a position best suited to your qualifications and goals.”

I leaned back, surprised. My boss went behind my back and
got me an unofficial interview to not only help me keep my job, but get a
promotion. I felt a strong and overwhelming gratitude toward him and made a
mental note to send him a thank-you gift basket as soon as possible.

“He asked me to talk about the company’s portfolio and pitch
ideas for a future collaboration.” It only now occurred to me just how unlikely
and far-fetched it all sounded. Mayfield Properties was huge, with the kind of
contracts James could only dream about. No company owner would send an employee
to meet with a Fortune 100 company director and risk messing up the chance of a
lifetime.

Jett nodded. “Only I arrived late, which made you angry, and
you stormed out on me.” He smiled at whatever memory crossed his mind.
Actually, that wasn’t the whole truth. I stormed out on him because he was
irresistibly sexy and touched me in a way that made me feel all sorts of
emotions I didn’t want to feel.

I interlaced my fingers in my lap, mortified. Yep, I had
behaved like a real bitch in front of my future employer. Why he still took me
on board was beyond me. Oh wait, we sort of had sex after that; so there was my
answer.

“Did you employ me because we spent the night together?” I
blurted out.

Amusement glittered in his eyes, but he shook his head
slowly. “No, I hired you because you were brutally honest, just like now. You
weren’t prepared to suck up and take crap from anyone. That trait’s hard to
find. Besides, you came highly recommended. Sunrise Properties might not play
in the big league, but James managed to survive years of recession and sell out
big, which can only mean one thing: he knows how to pick his employees.”

I bit my lip as I thought back to my former job. Not only
had James decided to sell the company, he also made sure his employees wouldn’t
face unemployment. I made a mental note to send him a big fat thank-you card,
together with a huge bottle of his favorite champagne. I figured I owed him
that much.

“Thank you for listening to him.” Let’s face it, there was
nothing on my resume that could possibly impress Jett Mayfield. That he took a
chance on me based on my boss’s recommendation showed me that maybe Jett wasn’t
the cold-hearted business shark I made him out to be. His company was overly successful
and didn’t have the best reputation in the States, but his employees—or
what I had seen of them so far—seemed to like working for him. I flashed
him a hesitant smile. His beautiful lips curled into the most stunning grin I
had ever seen. My chest tightened, and a warm feeling rushed through me.

He leaned forward and brushed his thumb against my lower lip
as he whispered, “I hired you for your attitude, and so far I’m pretty happy
with my decision. But I’m not sure I can work with you until I’ve fucked this
attraction out of my system.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat. Seeing him with his shirt
off, dressed only in his underwear, I wasn’t so sure I could work with him
until he had been inside of me. Every part of me wanted and demanded him,
requested that his mouth kiss me and his fingers touch my body to ease the
throbbing need inside of me.

I peered into his heated green eyes. The passion I saw in
them burned through me like a wildfire. Holy shit, he meant every word of it,
which scared the crap out of me because I knew he wanted me just as much as I
wanted him. Somewhere at the back of my mind it occurred to me every lawyer
would have a feast filing for sexual harassment. But, hell, he could harass me
all he wanted.

Get a grip, Stewart.
Switch your mind on for a change.

Every rulebook argues against getting involved with a
coworker, and particularly against enjoying a fling with the boss because it
tends to backfire. I thought back to Sylvie and how she got herself unemployed.
What would keep Jett from firing me once we were done?

“So you’re telling me you’ll sack me unless I have sex with
you.”

He cringed, hesitating. “That wasn’t what I meant, Brooke. I
wouldn’t sack you, but we both would have a hard time doing our job.”

I cleared my throat to get rid of my fear of making a wrong
decision. For some reason I believed he wouldn’t sack me, but there were a
million other reasons why getting involved wasn’t advisable. What if he was
married? I wasn’t a home wrecker. “I’m not sure sex is such a good idea.”

His brows shot up. “Why not?”

“Because—” I brushed my hair out of my face as I
considered my words. In the end I decided to be frank. “You could be married.”

“I’m not.”

“Oh.” My heart did a somersault. I could barely keep myself
from smiling like an idiot.

“No girlfriend either,” Jett whispered, staring at me with
those green, sinful eyes that made me want to peel off his clothes to see what
sin tasted like. “Look, Brooke. After we work this out of our system, we’ll
both be able to focus on the goals of this company without any distractions.”

He made it sound like a business plan, clear and
straightforward. It wasn’t the most romantic agreement, but it was the most
reasonable move given the circumstances.

“So, what are you saying?” I said, my voice hoarse. “Just
sex? No feelings involved? No expectations?”

“No strings attached.” Staring at me, he reached out his
hand. “You can end it any time. No hard feelings when it’s over. I suggest you
first take a look at the details. If everything’s to your liking, sign it.”

“You won’t sack me once it’s over?”

He shook his head and pointed to the paper. “You have my
promise. Everything’s specified in there, including that your job’s secure.”

I hesitated, thinking back to Sylvie’s advise to start
taking risks and finally have some fun. Jett wanted me, I wanted him. No harm
in having a little fun on the side.

His glorious lips curled up into a wicked grin, turning him
from hot to downright perfect like a sex god, and in that instant I made up my
mind.

 
“Okay.” With a deep
breath, I placed my hand into his and let his warm fingers caress my skin. My
heart fluttered all the way down from my chest into parts I never knew could
pulsate like this. It was beyond unsettling and…hot.

“Great. Why don’t you take the rest of the afternoon off to
look through the CSACA? I doubt we’d get much work done anyway.” A soft smile
lit up his eyes as he leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on my cheek, then
turned away and left for his office, leaving me alone to face an array of
emotions.

What are you doing?

My stomach was in nervous knots as I raced down the stairs
to my office and closed the door behind me. Pressing my back against the cold
wall, I peered at the neat stack of folders on my desk. I should be doing my
job, but all I could think of was Jett and the many ways I would love to get
intimate with him. A no strings arrangement might just be what we both needed,
what would make us both happy in more than one way.

I had never heard of or seen a Consensual Sexual Acts and
Confidentiality Agreement (CSACA) in my life, but a quick
Google
search told me they were pretty standard in the business and
celebrity world. Apparently people didn’t like the outside world to know what
they were doing behind closed doors, and I couldn’t blame them. When the
media’s following your every move, who’d want a bitter ex spilling the beans
about your kinky sexual fantasies?

Compared to the information I gathered on Google, the
two-page CSACA in my hand looked pretty standard. Sitting on my bed with my
laptop balanced on my thighs, I skimmed the text briefly as I compared the
points.

CONSENSUAL
SEXUAL ACTS AND CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENT

We, Mr. Jett Mayfield and Miss
Brooke Stewart, from henceforth known as Parties, hereby declare under penalty
of perjury that we are over 18 years old and enter into this contract fully
aware of its nature and undertake to abide by its conditions. The Parties wish
to summarize their understandings in this agreement as follows:

1.
             
Both parties declare that this agreement is of
their own free will and that neither they nor anyone mentally, physically or
emotionally close to them has been threatened with bodily or mental harm.

2.
             
Both parties agree not to disclose any
information considered confidential, including the whole or any portion of this
agreement and any details related to the sexual activities, to any Party not
associated with this agreement without the express written consent of the other
party.

3.
             
Both Parties agree to keep the nature of this
relationship monogamous. If one Party gets romantically or physically involved
with a Party outside of this agreement, the contract is to be terminated with
immediate effect.

4.
             
It is the duty of both Parties to inform the
other Party of any suspected or known sexually transmitted diseases and
infections prior to commencing this agreement.

5.
             
Both parties are forbidden from using mood
altering substances including but not limited to medication, drugs, and sexual
mood enhancers prior and during sexual congress without explicit agreement by
the other Party.

6.
             
Both Parties are forbidden from using any recording
devices before, during, and after acquaintance and subsequent sexual congress,
without express written consent and agreement by the other Party.

7.
             
Both Parties agree not to seek financial gain,
notoriety or advancement in career in any form as a result of this
relationship.

This Contract constitutes the entire
Agreement between the parties. No modification or Amendment to this Agreement
shall be effective until set forth in writing, executed by the parties and
attached as an amendment hereto. Breach of Contract or a failure by one party
to uphold their part of the deal will result in immediate termination. In the
case of breach of any sections by either Party the offended Party may seek all
remedies available at law or in equity. This section shall survive termination
of this agreement and remain in effect for a period of 1 year from termination
of this Agreement.

By signing below, I/we acknowledge that
I/we have received, read, and understood the terms and conditions outlined, and
agree to abide by the above.

Slowly, I scanned the rest of the contract until I found the
clause stating I couldn’t be fired from my job as long as I abided by the rules
and did my job as stated in my work contract. I placed the paper on the bed and
shut down my laptop. My mind raced a million miles an hour, circling around one
single thought: sex. Hot sizzling, steamy, mind blowing sex. And all the great
things that came with it: touching his skin, kissing his lips, wrapping my legs
around his hips, and taking it all.

Jett made no secret of the fact he wanted nothing but a
sexual relationship. Since my relationship with Sean had just ended and I
wasn’t the kind to jump head on into dating, Jett’s proposition didn’t offend
me. In fact, the idea of no emotional involvement seemed quite intriguing. Men
had meaningless sex all the time and they seemed happier for it. They didn’t
have their hearts broken and their plans for the future shattered. Lots of
women were content with just the carnal side of a relationship. For once, I
wanted a piece of that carefree living, of having my needs fulfilled without
any sort of emotional involvement. It was just a bit of safe fun and nothing else.
No harm in giving it a try because I knew right from the beginning what I was
getting myself into.

I chewed my lip as I kept going back and forth between my
arguments. Jett was my boss, meaning there was a bit of a conflict there. Could
I accept him as my superior during working hours and get down and dirty with
him at night? The thought sent a delicious shiver down my spine.
It was a challenge that was hard to resist.

Get your mind out of
the gutter, Stewart.

Sylvie’s relationship with her boss turned sour, but this
was different. First, Jett wasn’t married. Second, we had a contract, so there
would never be any sort of confusion. And last, Sylvie had assumed she was
having a romantic relationship and that Ryan loved her. Jett and I had nothing
but a sexual arrangement that was tailored to our needs and suited the both of
us.

The pro points began to dominate, or maybe it was the way I
subconsciously wanted to progress. Somehow I knew I’d accept Jett’s offer
before I admitted it to myself.

The screen of my smartphone lit up with a text message from
Sylvie. I skimmed its contents about an important looking letter that had
arrived on the day of my departure. Deciding it wasn’t important, I made a
mental note to call her later. My stomach grumbled, and I realized not only had
I wasted my afternoon obsessing over a decision that had been made the moment
Jett entered The Black Rose, but I had also skipped lunch.

Night was slowly falling, and a million stars dotted the
black skyline. The air had noticeably cooled down, making me shiver in my thin
shirt and skirt. I changed into a pair of blue jeans and a red snugly pullover,
and made my way downstairs to find something to eat.

***

The scent of pasta, fresh pesto, and seafood hit my nostrils
the moment I descended the stairs and turned right, following the narrow hall
to the kitchen. Was Jett cooking? Hardly likely. I had yet to meet a man who
could do more than warm up macaroni and cheese. He probably had a chef at his
beck and call, and good for him. And me, because I was famished.

Through the open door I heard the clanking sound of pots and
pans being hazardously moved around. Whoever was cooking had a hard time not
breaking anything in the process. I gently knocked on the door, then pushed it
open and froze to the spot as I took in the picture before me. Jett, dressed in
blue jeans and a white tee, was standing in the middle of a cream-colored state
of the art kitchen that looked like it cost more than I had made at Sunrise
Properties in a year. The place was a mess—with dirty pots piling up in
the sink, dishes, chopping boards, kitchen utensils, and flour littering the
work surfaces.

“Hey.” He barely looked up as he dove his fingers into a pot
of hot water and fished out a thin green Fettuccine band and popped it into his
mouth. I stared at him as he chewed slowly, his brows furrowed as though he
couldn’t decide whether the pasta was boiled to perfection or needed another
minute. In the end he nodded, satisfied, and emptied the pot into a stainless
steel colander.

“Need help?” I inched forward, then stopped in mid-stride,
my breath catching in my throat as he turned to me with a dazzling smile that
made me want to throw myself into his arms and beg him to do whatever he wanted
to do to me. Moistening my lips, I took a step back but didn’t avert my gaze.
His feet were bare; his blue jeans hung low on his hips. His hair was damp from
the heat, and the muscles of his torso were clearly visible beneath the white
snug cotton of his tee. But what drew my immediate attention was the tattoo
covering his upper left arm. I hadn’t noticed it the morning I woke up with him
in my room, maybe because his left side had been turned away from me and there
were so many other things that had captured my attention, like his barely covered
modesty.

I inched closer to peer at it, but didn’t dare touch him. The
solid black curves ended in points and interlocked in a complex pattern that
looked like your usual tribal tattoo, only there was something about it that
seemed odd. Right in the middle of it, the swirls combined to resemble a face
surrounded by tiny leaves. For some reason it seemed strange that Jett had a
tattoo. Judging from his business reputation and the fact that he had no
problem signing a sex contract, I figured him as your usual
I-don’t-love-just-fuck type, but the tattoo made it seem as though he had a
past people didn’t know about. I wondered whether his confidence was the result
of once being a bad boy. Maybe his assertiveness wasn’t just cockiness. Maybe
he dared take what he wanted because his past had taught him he could.

“Brooke?”

Jett’s voice jolted me out of my thoughts. I peered up into
his deep eyes the color of green marble, only now realizing he had been
speaking to me.

“Sorry, what?”

“I asked whether you liked seafood.”

“Seafood’s great, thanks.”

Something shimmered in his gaze. He regarded me in silence
for a moment, his expression indecipherable. And then his mysterious mood
shifted, and a lazy smile lit up his face. “I gave the chef the evening off.”

“Why?” I leaned against the counter and watched him decorate
the plates by pouring a thin layer of cream sauce onto the white china and then
drawing thin, concentric circles with a teaspoon.

“Why not?” He shrugged, as though no further explanation was
necessary. “We’re in Italy.”

“Ah.” I nodded. “It smells amazing.”

Jett finished his concoction while I decked the table and
steered the conversation toward the history of the house, which was the safest
topic I could think of. Eventually Jett ordered me to sit down as he opened a
bottle of white wine and poured two glasses, handing me one.

“Here’s to a new business venture.” Jett raised his glass to
mine, and we chinked.

“And to a new job.” I took a sip. Although I couldn’t
usually tell the difference between one wine brand and the other, even my
inconsequential taste buds picked up a hint of gooseberry and apple. “This is
good.” I took a generous sip and forced myself to put down the glass before I
ended up drunk and generous, like the last time I mixed alcohol with Jett.

“It’s a
Fume Blanc
,”
Jett said. “My favorite with fish. Dive right in.”

He gestured at the plate before me. I plunged my fork into
the fish trimmings, tiny shrimps, scallops, and clams atop a pasta nest, and
rolled a few bands with the help of my spoon, then pushed them into my mouth,
chewing slowly. The aroma of fresh pesto spreading over my tongue almost made
me moan with pleasure.

“It’s delicious,” I said, licking my lips.

Jett’s eyes wandered to my mouth and his gaze turned a shade
darker. Self-consciously, I wiped my fingers across my lips, and then put my
fork down, my appetite slowly dissipating at the lust in his eyes.

“Do you have any idea how hungry I am, Brooke?” he said so
low I had difficulties hearing him. He wasn’t talking about the food and we
both knew it. I swallowed hard and took a gulp of wine to moisten my dry mouth.
It didn’t help.

 
“I—”

Holy cow, the guy knew how to turn up the heat. My whole
body was on fire, and he hadn’t even touched me yet. Well, not physically. His
eyes were doing all the work. I should be playing hard to get. But for once in
my life I didn’t want to. I was in a different country, stuck in a beautiful
villa with a bottle of wine and a hot guy who knew how to make a woman feel
special. Sylvie always said a bit of danger never hurt anyone. Well, why not
have it all? Life’s too short and I had nothing to lose anyway.

Jett’s gaze moved down my neck to my chest, then back up
again, lingering on my mouth.

“More wine?” he asked hoarsely. At my nod, he stood to
refill our glasses. His fingers touched my hand, sending delicious electric
impulses down my spine. I gasped and bit my lip to stifle the sudden need
pooling between my legs. In one swift motion Jett captured my face in his hands
and pressed his mouth against mine. His lips melted into mine, and then his
tongue slipped inside my mouth, pushing, probing, circling my tongue in a slow
and erotic dance. Fire spread through my body and gathered in my abdomen,
waiting to erupt like a volcano. I pressed my thighs together to intensify the
aching sensation that could take me over the edge.