Kiss Me (16 page)

“Without even knowing what the full offer is?” she asked, with a hint of amusement in her voice.

Margie was a class act who took care of her employees. He didn’t doubt for one second that whatever she offered him would outshine what he’d gain as partner with the firm. “I trust you, and look forward to seeing the job contract.”

She offered her hand, a big grin on her face. “I trust you too, Luke. You’re a good, solid man. Benson Steel & Fabricating will only profit by having you on our team. Oh, forget this nonsense.” She pulled her hand away and gave him a quick hug, then drew back. “I’ll be honest, this was the only reason I came to Peter’s party. I told my husband I wouldn’t be long, that I had a CFO to recruit, then I’d meet him at Lakewood Country Club for dinner. So, I’m outta here,” she finished with a wink.

“Let me walk you to your car.”

“No, you stay and do what you have to do. I’d hoped that you would say yes to my offer, and already have our HR person on standby. I’ll call him on my way to the club, so expect to hear from him tomorrow.”

“Margie,” he said, then kissed her cheek. “Thank you for believing in me.”

She searched his face. “Why wouldn’t I?” Then she shook her head. “I understand. Look, you’ll be CFO, not my minion. I’m nothing like Gwen. I appreciate the people who work for my company. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be where I am today.” She took a step back, then paused. “Off to the club. Give my best to Jenna. I wish I could have met her today. Maybe you two would like to meet us at the club one of these weekends?”

“Sure,” he said, completely unsure of anything with Jenna.

“Great, I’ll talk to you on Monday. Have fun avoiding Gwen,” she said, then walked away.

Luke watched her go, then meandered around Peter’s backyard. His entire body hummed with enthusiasm and anticipation.
He
would be CFO of Benson Steel & Fabricating. A company worth over two hundred million dollars, an opportunity of a lifetime, a…

Cigarette smoke rose from behind the bushes lining the pool house, along with voices. One, in particular, he recognized.

Mitch.

Damn, did he despise the guy. Knowing he’d had sex with Jenna pissed him off, but what infuriated him the most was the way Mitch had insulted her with his crude tales about their sex life. Belittled her with his water cooler stories of threesomes, and defamed her reputation with a vulgarity that made his blood boil. Although the need to seek vengeance on Jenna’s behalf seeped into every bone in his body, he started to walk away before he did something stupid.

You’re quitting the firm
, his inner voice reminded him.

He moved toward the hedges again. Knocking Mitch flat on his ass would be an excellent way to end his tenure with Dryscal & Myers. Mitch needed to be taught a lesson. He needed to be schooled on the proper way to treat a woman. Then again, maybe he did, too. Didn’t he belittle Jenna? Took everything Mitch had said and turned it on her without a thought about her feelings? He’d grapple with his own self-loathing later, right now, it was Mitch’s turn.

As he was about to round the tall evergreens and confront Mitch, the bastard spoke to whoever stood with him, smoking cigarettes as if they were hiding in a high school bathroom.

“Picture this,” he began, and Luke shook his head. Thank God he would no longer have to be subjected to Mitch’s “picture this” stories. “So last weekend, me and my buddies went to Sneaky Pete’s, and I met these two hot chicks.”

Mitch chuckled. “Dudes, I’m tellin’ ya, I thought for sure I was about to relive a night I had at a fraternity party.”

Luke frowned. Mitch’s “picture this” story sounded way too familiar.

“Okay.” Mitch lowered his tone, and Luke leaned close enough a pine needle tickled his ear. “I have a respectable rep with the firm, so let’s keep this on the down low.”

A couple of “yeahs” followed.

“So I was dating this sorority girl, Tracy. Damn, if she wasn’t hotter than hell. Brunette, rockin’ curves. Anyway, one night, we had this party at our frat house and I hooked up with some random chick. I mean picture it. I’m totally doing the nasty and Tracy walks into my room. I figured for sure she’d go all ape shit, but she eyed up the girl I was with, then asked if we wanted company.”

Luke heard the “no ways” and “get out of here’s,” but couldn’t shake the fact that he’d heard this same exact story, almost verbatim, before. Only J.C. had been the main attraction. Letting his head fall back, he looked to the sky, now dark and riddled with stars, and tried to control his temper.

How could he have been so stupid? From the start, he didn’t like Mitch. Thought the guy bragged too much and was full of shit. Had never believed any of his stories until today when he’d told him Jenna was J.C.

No guy wants to hear that another guy, especially a pig like Mitch, had been with their girlfriend. What the hell had he been thinking to listen to Mitch in the first place? Sure, what he’d overheard about her past, when she’d been counseling Casey, seemed to back up Mitch’s story, but now he realized Mitch had been completely full of crap. He’d allowed his ego to blind him into believing Mitch over the woman he loved. Ignored that she’d been a hurt, young girl forced to make adult decisions.

Luke clenched his fists and tried to quiet the rage coursing through him. He hated Mitch, and right now, hated himself. For believing his BS, for allowing the perfect woman, the love of his life, to slip away. But knocking out the bastard wasn’t worth the repercussions. As he moved to leave, Mitch began to regale his small audience with the gory details of his supposed threesome with Tracy. Luke stopped. No longer caring about his image or reputation, he decided Mitch’s “picture this” stories ended now.

Not even sure what he’d say, or actually do, he rounded the hedges.

Mitch’s eyes widened, but a slow smile curved over his veneered teeth. “Hey, dude,” he said, then dropped the cigarette to the ground. “You’re just in time. I was about to tell the boys one of my infamous J.C. stories.”

“Not anymore.”

Mitch cupped his ear. “What’s that? I don’t think I heard you right. Are you threatening me?”

“Consider it your first warning. After that…” Luke shrugged.

Mitch nudged the guy next to him, Roy Something-or-other, a junior accountant new to the firm. “Luke just found out that I used to bang his girlfriend.” He tilted his head to the side. “Do ya think he’ll get over it?”

Roy stepped away. “He looks like he’s ready to beat the hell out of you. Maybe you should walk it off, Mitch.”

“Nah, Luke’s a pussycat. He wouldn’t hurt a fly, especially with his reputation on the line.” He moved closer, until he stood nearly nose to nose with Luke. “No hard feelings about the sloppy seconds, bro,” he said with a taunting leer.

Cicadas chirped in the surrounding trees, mosquitoes buzzed, and moths pinged against the light on the pool house. Luke’s sense of awareness, heightened. He caught the subtle movement of the other men as they backed away, the drops of sweat beading along Mitch’s forehead as they trickled down his face. Saw the fear in his eyes, as well as a faint hint of mockery. Mitch didn’t think he’d do it. Knock his ass to the dirt. Luke was sure of it, and knew the bastard was right. Mitch wasn’t worth an assault charge, not with the pending CFO position looming in the horizon.

He stepped back, and turned to walk away.

“I told ya the guy wouldn’t do anything,” Mitch half-laughed. “Hey, Luke,” Mitch called after him. “Pass my number along to Jenna. When she’s ready for a real man —”

Luke cocked his fist as he turned, then slammed it into Mitch’s stomach. As he doubled over, he punched him in the jaw.

Mitch flew back and hit the ground. Leaning his head forward, he wiped blood from the corner of his mouth. “You bastard, I’ll make sure you’re fired for this.”

“No, you’re the one who’s fired,” Peter Walsh said as he strolled into the small clearing. “Get the hell off my property.”

Mitch scrambled to his feet. “B-but, Pete, buddy, I —”

Peter grabbed Mitch by the front of his shirt. “I’ve heard about your bullshit stories and sloughed them off as just that. But, I invite you into my house and you have the balls to make a pass at my wife?” He shook his head. “Leave before I do more damage to your face than Luke already has.”

Without another word, Mitch bypassed them, and ran for the gate. Peter placed a hand on Luke’s shoulder. “It’s none of my business, but if you, of all people, were willing to risk your career with the firm by knocking that loser on his ass, it must have been worth it.”

Luke smiled and rubbed his knuckles. “Yeah, it was.”

Grinning, Peter said, “You know, the board meets on Wednesday, but I can already tell you that the promotion is yours.”

“Jay deserves it more than I do. Give it to him.”

Peter frowned. “I don’t understand…this is what you’ve worked for, what you’ve always wanted.”

“I know, and I wish I had time to explain, but I owe someone else an explanation first. I’ll meet with you on Monday.” He shook Peter’s hand, then practically sprinted for his Explorer.

As he moved through the light traffic, he grabbed his cell phone, then quickly dialed Jenna’s number. Her answering machine picked up the call. He slammed his hand against the steering wheel, swerved into the next lane, and headed for her house.

Fifteen minutes later, he stood on her front porch. Lights glowed from within the house, and the TV reflected off the front window. She was home, but refusing to answer her door, just like her phone.

“Damn it,” he muttered, and pounded his fist against the door. “I know you’re in there. Please answer. I need to talk to you.”

The porch light went out, then one by one, so did the rest of the lights in the house, along with the TV.

With the windows closed and the AC running, he wasn’t sure if she could hear him or not, but at this point, he was desperate. He had to make things right before he lost her for good. “Jenna,” he yelled. “I’m sorry, baby. I’m so sorry. Please let me in. I love you. I…I’m a complete idiot, just let me talk to you.”

Her elderly neighbor’s lights flipped on, illuminating Jenna’s yard. “You are an idiot, boy, banging on the door at this ungodly hour.”

Half past ten wasn’t necessarily an ungodly hour. “Sorry, ma’am.” Luke shaded his eyes as he looked toward the neighboring yard.

“You will be if I call the cops.”

He blew out a deep sigh as frustration balled his stomach. “Yes, ma’am,” he said, more to himself, then headed to his car.

As he drove to his condo, an idea occurred to him. He didn’t necessarily like it, but at this point, he was desperate. Chances were that Jenna had already spoken to Darci and told her what an ass he’d been. But once he pled his case, Darci’s penchant for playing matchmaker might outweigh her opinion of him. At least, he hoped…

Jenna’s office looked like a funeral parlor. So did her house. Since Saturday, Luke had sent her a couple of bouquets every day. Not only did he send her flowers, he left messages on her answering machine. He’d tell her that he loved her, that he missed her. Go on about how he’d screwed up and just wanted a chance to talk.

What tore her in two were the late night messages he’d leave just before she’d turn in for the night. He’d tell her that he thought about her constantly, missed kissing her goodnight, holding her, loving her…

The office phone rang. She ignored it and nodded to Casey, who’d been sitting across from her for the past fifteen minutes, explaining how she’d broken things off with Cheetah, and that she’d decided to make school top priority. The kid had even gone so far as to investigate colleges, grants and financial aid. With Casey’s excellent grades, and if she kept on the straight and narrow, she could raise her GPA and achieve those dreams.

“Aren’t you going to answer that?” Casey asked, then, for the millionth time since arriving in her office, eyed the flowers on the desk and filing cabinets.

Jenna puffed her bangs. “No.”

Luke not only called her at home, but at the office too. She didn’t want to risk the chance of talking to him. While she’d missed him, and appreciated his apologies, she knew in her heart that things would never be the same between them. She didn’t think he’d ever overcome her past, and worried that his tattered ego would cause him to wonder or suspect that she’d slept with every guy she met on the street.

“We’re almost through here anyway,” Jenna said. “And I have to say, I’m so proud of you. You know, if you want to earn some extra cash, the youth center offers a work program, almost like a paid internship.” She pulled a sheet of paper from her drawer. “This is a list of companies that we’re affiliated with. If you find something that interests you, let me know. You’ll have to maintain a certain GPA to stay in the program, but I have no doubt that you can do both.”

Casey smiled. “Thank you, Miss Cooper. I’ll check it out.” She stood. “I have a class in a few minutes, so I better go.”

Jenna nodded. “I’ll see you next week, have a great weekend.”

“You too,” she said, then paused at the door. “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“Who are the flowers from?”

“Um, they’re from…a guy.”

“Your boyfriend? The one who took you to lunch last week?”

“How did you know about that?”

Casey shrugged. “There’s not a whole lotta action here, and word travels fast. I didn’t see him, but some of the other girls did and said he was like, totally hot. You’ve been the talk in the dorms all week, especially with all the flowers being delivered.”

Heat rose to her cheeks as she plastered on a smile. “You’re right. There isn’t a whole lotta action here. I guess that’s why the gossip in the teacher’s lounge about how Will Barker’s been crushing on you has been the hot topic.”

Casey blushed. “He’s cool, and so are you,” she said, then slipped out of the office.

Releasing a deep breath, Jenna leaned into the chair, then jumped when the door flew open.

“Hey, I thought I’d catch you before I went into my next class,” Darci said and plopped into the opposite chair. “I just saw Casey. She’s looking happy. I don’t know what you did with that girl, but I swear, in one week, she’s done a complete three-sixty.”

“She’s a good kid who needed a push in the right direction. How’s Diggs?”

“Good, getting there. But that’s not why I dropped by. Are you planning on coming over tonight?”

Two days ago, Darci had informed her that she and Nate were throwing a last minute barbeque at their house on Friday. Talk about a complete three-sixty. The night she had broken up with Luke, she’d called Darci, crying up a storm. Her best friend had been ready to scratch Luke’s eyes out for what he’d done to her, but since Monday, she’d been singing a different tune. Maybe you should talk with him, she’d say. Listen to him, hear him out.

No thanks. She and Luke were through, kaput.

“I don’t know,” Jenna said. “I’m kind of tired.”

“Oh, pooh, c’mon. It’ll be fun. We’re expecting about twenty or so people. Please,” she begged and batted her lashes. “It won’t be any fun without you there.”

While she suspected her Cupid wannabe friend was up to something, she could use a night away from the house. Since last Saturday, she’d spent her evenings cleaning, rearranging her hutch, her closets and drawers. “Do you promise Luke won’t be there?”

Darci crossed her heart. “I promise. Luke will
not
be at our house. You know I wouldn’t do that to you.”

Jenna eyed her skeptically, then grinned. A promise was a promise, and Darci never went against her word. “Okay, what can I bring?”

*

At seven p.m. sharp, Jenna pulled into Darci and Nate’s driveway. Grabbing the bottle of wine from the passenger seat, she eased out of the car, and shifted her gaze to their darkened house, then to the street where two utility-style vans sat on the curb.

She slammed the door shut, and pursed her lips. Hmmm, dark house, no other cars but her own, no noise, no laughter and popping of beer tops, or the smell of meat roasting on the grill.

Pivoting, she shifted her gaze to the neighboring house. The old Victorian home Darci had sold to Luke. While his car wasn’t in the driveway, dim lighting illuminated the windows, and a sweet, romantic melody emanated from the backyard.

Smelling a set up, she quickly whipped open the car door. “Promise my ass,” she muttered, and tossed the wine bottle in the back seat, then moved to shove the keys in the ignition. Furious that she’d fallen into Darci’s trap and totally unprepared to see Luke, her nerves had gone past bundling and straight to exploding. Her hands shook with frustration and panic, causing her to fumble the keys. She cursed as they dropped to the floor, then reached to retrieve them.

A sharp rap at her closed window made her jump. She bonked her head on the steering wheel, released a string of swear words, then craned her neck toward the driver’s side window.

A young, smiling woman, stood alongside her car. Jenna sat up, rubbed her head and eyed her white blouse and black pants. She looked like a restaurant server, or maybe part of a catering crew.

Jenna inserted the key in the ignition and cracked the window open. She basically worked in the ghetto, and although this was a nice neighborhood, and she suspected Luke was in residence, she erred on the side of caution. “Can I help you?”

“Jenna Cooper?” the young woman asked.

“Yes?”

“Your presence has been requested. If you’ll please join me,” she said and motioned toward Luke’s new home.

Panic stricken, at first she didn’t move. Finally, curiosity outweighed the dread of facing Luke. She rolled up the window, turned off the ignition, then followed the young woman across the adjoining lawn to Luke’s house.

As the woman led her through the gate leading to the backyard, music, an engaging, yet soft, dreamy song she didn’t recognize, rippled and rose. She zeroed in on the weeping melody and stared at a trio of men playing in harmony next to the flourishing, burgundy Japanese maple flanking the large cobblestone patio.

Realizing her mouth gaped open, she sealed her lips and swept her gaze across the patio. A table sat in the center, garnished with a beautiful centerpiece, loaded with blood red roses, white day lilies, greens and angels breath. A trail of rose petals had been scattered across the pristine white tablecloth. Flickering candles, encased in ornate globes, sat on either side of the center piece, along with an elaborate setting for two.

Oh boy, Luke had gone though a lot of trouble and expense. While she appreciated the gesture, the thought of spending the evening alone with him, dining by candlelight, made her stomach jump and churn.

How could she face him after all that had been said? Luke had believed Mitch’s stories before ever giving her the chance to explain otherwise. Yeah, she knew she was as much to blame. She could have been honest from the start, if she had, they probably would never have fought. Still, how could she respect or forgive a man who had not only chosen his reputation over her, but had been flat-out embarrassed to be seen with her.

She couldn’t.

Squaring her shoulders, she gave the patio one last glance, then moved toward the gate.

“Please don’t go.”

She stopped, closed her eyes and let his soft timbre envelop her soul. How she’d missed the sound of his voice. Although he’d left her a bazillion messages over the last week, the real deal didn’t compare to those tinny recordings. Heart racing, she slowly turned.

As Luke crossed the cobblestone, she drank in the sight of him. He wore a crisp, dark green shirt, that she’d bet made his emerald eyes sparkle. His casual jeans rode low on his hips, belying the pomp and circumstance of the musicians and elaborate setting. She didn’t know how it was possible, but he looked more mouthwatering and more desirable now than he had a
week ago.

Except none of that mattered. They were through.

The reminder hurt, because despite it all, she still loved him. But she had to stay strong, focused. Hell, she had to leave before she allowed herself to fall prey to his seductions.

She held up her hands as he approached. Took a step back and shook her head. “Uh-uh, no way. I don’t know what you and Darci concocted, but all this,” she said, and waved her arm, “is not going to work.”

Panic twisted Luke’s gut. He pressed his hand on the gate, blocking her. “Just give me a chance. I know I was an idiot.” He looked toward the patio and musicians. Thought about the meal the hired chef, Don Hardy, had prepared, the packages wrapped and waiting for Jenna upstairs, then sighed and met her gaze. “Just give me a chance,” he repeated and reached for her hands.

Her chin wobbled, tears filled her eyes.

His throat constricted. Were her tears of joy, pain or humiliation? What he’d done the day her past came back to haunt them both, how he’d acted…his head tingled with regret and sorrow. He’d shamed her, taken all that she’d done for herself and thrown it into the garbage with harsh words said out of self-preservation, without a thought for her feelings and with his trumped-up ego in mind. Would she understand if he explained? The better question, would she give him the chance?

“Stay. What could it hurt?”

She took a step back, never taking her eyes off his and gripped his hands. “Both of us.”

Vicki, Don Hardy’s daughter and, for the night, their server, came out of the house, and filled the delicate crystal glasses he’d bought for the occasion. Jenna darted her eyes toward Vicki, released his hands then folded her arms across her chest.

Luke stepped closer, and inhaled her summery, wildflower scent. “I’m willing to take my chances.” He cupped her cheeks. “I’ve missed you.”

Tears slipped down her sun-kissed cheeks. He wiped them with the pad of his thumb and kissed her nose. “No tears. Tonight isn’t just about apologizing, but a celebration.”

“Yes.” She filled his palms with her smile. “Congratulations on your promotion.”

He frowned. In all the messages he’d left her, he hadn’t bothered to tell her about the CFO position. He’d wanted to talk to
her
about it, not to the answering machine. “I didn’t get the promotion.”

Her face crumpled into a frown. “I’m so sorry. I —”

Placing a finger to her lips, he asked, “Join me? Please?” He escorted her to the table, then held a chair for her. “Let’s have a toast.”

She tossed her hair over her shoulder, then reached for her glass. “To what?”

He tapped her glass and smiled as he remembered their first toast, the night he’d asked her to date him. “To us.”

She didn’t smile. Instead, she raised the glass to her lips and took several long swallows. As he watched her, his confidence faltered, and the wine soured in his mouth.

At that moment, Vicki stepped onto the patio with a medley of
hors d’oeuvres. G
olden fried calamari, bacon wrapped scallops, and jumbo shrimp stuffed with crab. Spices he couldn’t name wafted through the air and made his mouth water. Or was it the woman across from him.

She could wear a brown paper bag over her body and still look gorgeous. He’d missed seeing her, looking into her golden eyes, hearing her voice, her raspy laughter. Damn, he needed to get rid of that little L between her brows and make her smile and laugh again. He needed to make things right between them.

As they ate the appetizers, he made small talk. She did the same. Periodically, Vicki would interrupt, top their wine, remove plates, then she brought their salads and bread.

Throughout it all, he’d wanted to apologize, say everything he’d practiced, but couldn’t do it. Tension radiated from her, the furrowing between her brows seemed permanent. But he had to release everything he’d been holding back. Tell her he couldn’t live without her.

Dropping his fork onto the plate, he reached for her hand. “Jenna, I —”

Vicki and Don barreled out of the house carrying plates loaded with roasted vegetables, garlic potatoes and lamb chops. Everything looked wonderful and smelled delicious. Too bad he’d lost his appetite. To be polite, though, he introduced Jenna to the rotund chef and commented on how wonderful the
hors d’oeuvres had
tasted.