Nice & Naughty (11 page)

Jason laughed. “Great. Thank you, Peggy. I’ll look forward to meeting him after that description.”

“So where you taking Mr. December’s sister?”

“I hadn’t thought about that.” He couldn’t take her to his usual haunts and still maintain that he wasn’t really Jason Bryant. He was too well known. The maître de’s all greeted him by name. “Where would you go for a nice casual dinner?”

“On my salary, McDonald’s. On your salary, Guido’s in nice.”

“On your salary, you could buy your own McDonald’s and you know it. Can you make a reservation for me at Guido’s, around seven for two people?”

“Sure.”

“Oh, and make the reservation under my initials, JB.”

Peggy narrowed her eyes. “Why?”

Time to pull rank. “Just do it, please.”

“Yes, sir.” She raised a brow, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

Feeling bad, he closed the to-go container, popped it into the tiny fridge behind his desk and stood. “Thank you, Peggy.” To smooth things over, he dropped a kiss on the forehead of the woman who had been like a grandmother to him for years.

She rolled her eyes. “Sure, you charmer. Can’t even stay mad at you…” Steno pad in hand, she stalked out his door, grumbling the entire way while Jason smiled.

One last piece of business to take care of before he went back to hell—make that the North Pole. Pulling out Tessa’s card, he dialed the number and held his breath. Why he was so nervous he didn’t know. She’d already said yes. But she’d said yes to JB, not Jason Bryant. Would the difference really matter to her? More importantly, exactly how far was he willing to go with this deception?

~ * ~

“Reservation?” The maître’ de, swathed in black polyester, waited politely.

Guilt oozing from every pore, Jason answered. “JB. Table for two, I’m expecting a lady.” He’d have to come up with a fake last name for himself if he was going to keep up this sham.

The man consulted a large leather-bound book on the podium and nodded. “The lady is already waiting for you at your table. Right this way.”

Impressed with Tessa’s promptness, he wondered if she was always this timely or if she was just anxious to see him. He knew which option he was hoping for.

He’d had her meet him at the restaurant because he drove a car that cost more than some people’s homes and he was fairly sure it didn’t fit the JB image he was reluctantly portraying.

Tessa’s back was to him as he approached the table and he found himself holding his breath as he walked around to take his seat and face her.

“Hi. Good thing you made the reservations under JB. I don’t even know your last name.” She smiled brilliantly at him.

Still not having come up with a last name, and not really wanting to, he changed the subject. “You look…amazing.”

That, at least, was not a lie. With her hair pulled back into a sleek ponytail and wearing a black wool turtleneck mini-dress with knee-high red leather boots, Tessa had transformed into a classy but youthful, sexy siren. Pretty sure there was some new term more appropriate than classy, Jason realized he really had to brush up on his fashion lingo.

Tessa was wearing more makeup than she had been at the store and her eyes looked brighter, her mouth fuller, more kissable.

“Thank you.” She accepted his compliment as spots of red stained each alabaster cheek.

“Can I ask you a personal question?” He leaned forward in his chair.

Her eyes opened a little wider. “Uh, okay.”

“Where do you shop?”

Now, she really looked surprised. “For what?”

“Your clothes.”

She leaned back in her chair. “Um. A lot of places. Why?”

“You’re the perfect image for the new Bryant’s customer.”

Her face visibly fell.

Jason frowned at her reaction to his question. “What’s the matter? Did I say something wrong?”

Tessa swallowed hard and avoided meeting his gaze. “No. Everything is fine.”

“No, it’s not. I said something to upset you.” He shuffled his chair around until he was sitting next to her, his knee bumping her leg as he laid one hand over hers. “Tell me.”

“It’s stupid. I thought talking about Bryant’s was just an excuse to ask me out.” Her laugh sounded forced. She studied the tablecloth. “I’m fine, really. I’m just feeling a little silly. Go on. Scoot yourself back over to your side of the table. Take notes, whatever. I’ll tell you anything you want to know.”

When he didn’t move, she glanced up. Jason squeezed her hand.

“No, it’s my fault. I was stupid to assume I could use this dinner to combine business with pleasure. But given the choice, when it comes to you, I’ll take pleasure. Fuck business.” Her saw her shock over his unexpected profanity, and he shook his head. “I’m sorry. That was inappropriate.”

“Well, as long as we’re being inappropriate…” Tessa leaned forward and touched her lips to his. Her mouth felt as warm and inviting as it looked as she sank deeper into him.

She raised one hand and wrapped it around the back of his head, tangling her fingers in the hair at the nape until he groaned…and the waiter cleared his throat.

“Can I get anyone a drink…or a room?”

Jason pulled back. He seemed to recover quicker than Tessa. He ran a hand over his lips, hopefully removing any of her lipstick that was there. “Did you get in any of the new Beaujolais Nouveau?”

The waiter sputtered for a moment. “Uh, I don’t know.”

“Could you please check and find out?”

Now it was the waiter’s turn to look embarrassed. “Yes, sir. I’ll be right back.”

Jason turned back to Tessa and smiled. He raised one hand and ran a finger down her cheek, which was crimson by now. She looked like she wanted to crawl under the table and hide with embarrassment.

“Maybe we had better talk business, Tessa. You’re a little too tempting for me while we’re in public.”

She swallowed hard. “Thrift shop.”

He raised a brow. “Excuse me?”

“That’s where I buy a lot of my clothes. This dress is vintage from a thrift shop.”

“Really?” He leaned back and appraised her outfit, reaching out a hand toward her hem. “May I?”

She nodded.

His fingers brushed the fabric of the dress. “Good quality. Obviously timeless style.” He shook his head. “Amazing. The boots?”

“New. I can’t wear other people’s footwear. Can’t even go bowling, the shoes gross me out.”

Jason would have to be careful he didn’t transform from a man on the date recovering from a first kiss, to a department store manager in the blink of an eye, but he couldn’t help it. Tessa’s buying habits fascinated him. Besides, he needed to pull his mind off kissing her again before he succumbed to the urge.

“You don’t buy any clothes new?” He frowned.

“Of course I do.”

“Just not from Bryant’s,” he added.

She cringed. “I’m a freelancer. Bryant’s is a little pricey for my budget.”

“And not exactly your style,” JB suggested.

“Not necessarily. There are some things I like. Today, I saw a gorgeous cashmere sweater.” She was obviously backpedalling to not insult him.

He nodded, thinking they could probably keep some of the classic basic items, such as the cashmere sweaters, but just add a few new things to freshen the line for the season. “What else. You said today you had a list of things you would change about Bryant’s. Tell me.”

The date had taken a few unexpected and not unwelcome turns already. He’d really liked the kiss. He was learning a lot from her and Tessa seemed to like talking shop—or rather shopping. He might as well learn all he could, then maybe later they could go back to kissing.

She nodded. “Okay, if you’re really serious about listening to me, we’ve got to discuss all those wedding dresses on the third floor…”

Wedding dresses? He frowned. He glanced up and found saw her amused expression. “Why are you smiling at me?”

Tessa shook her head. “It’s nothing.”

“Tessa…”

“All right. I’m just thinking how rare it is to find an attractive and straight man who likes clothes, listens to me when I talk and knows about wine. Not to mention you’re a really good kisser. Christmas came early this year.” She grinned.

“Uh, thank you.” Now it was Jason’s turn to blush.
 

Chapter Four

“Mr. Bryant?”

“Hmm?”

“I asked you if we could go home now since it looks like we’re done.”

Jason noticed the sun rising through the window in the department. He’d driven the crew straight through the night and into the next morning. “Of course. When are you scheduled in again, Jonathon?”

Jonathon glanced at his watch. “In about two hours.”

Jason groaned. “I’m sorry. I can’t even give you the day off. We’re already short handed.”

Jonathon smiled. “It’s okay. If I can grab an hour nap, a shower and change my clothes, I’ll be as good as new. And just think of my next paycheck with all this overtime. I’ll be able to buy my girl something really nice for Hanukah.”

Ahh, the exuberance of youth. Jason smiled. “Thanks, Jonathon. And tell the others thank you also. Now get out of here.”

Jason glanced around the former bridal department. Gone were the miles of white silk, satin and tulle, banished to a corner on the bottom floor behind the baby section, a more logical place for it anyway. He had no doubt that brides would find the department when they needed it. In its place on the sunny third floor was every item he could find in store stock that said young, fabulous female. And so Bryant’s new department had been born, catering to women too sophisticated for the junior department but funkier than the misses department, just in time for the upcoming bachelor auction.

He shook his head. He should have thought of the change himself. Retail was his life, it was in his blood, and it took Tessa to open his eyes to how blind he was for holding the bachelor auction in the bridal department. His only excuse was that the stage was already in place from a recent bridal show.

His eyes had been opened to something else the night before too. He realized as much as he wanted Tessa—and did he want her, more than he could quantify—he couldn’t take their relationship to a physical level while he was still lying to her. He wasn’t sure who had been more surprised when he’d come to that realization, himself or Tessa as he’d left her standing by her car in the cold restaurant parking lot.

Things might have been easier on both of them if they hadn’t been getting very well acquainted while pressed up against her car at the time. He’d known he couldn’t bring her home to have sex in his penthouse without blowing his cover. And he couldn’t follow her to her apartment because she would have seen what kind of car he drove. The depth of the deception had stopped him cold in his tracks.

This was not going to be some one-night stand. He wanted a relationship with Tessa and starting it off with a lie was bad enough, but even worse would be sleeping with her before he confessed that lie.

Tell the truth and possibly lose her, or continue to lie and never be able to have her, the choices were not at all appealing. The whole situation was laughable. He’d heard of men exaggerating about how much money they made, or lying to make their career sound better, but he was probably the only man in history who was pretending to be less successful to get a woman.

Maybe he had underestimated Tessa. He should have told her who he was the moment she’d accused him—or rather accused the Bryant heir—of having been born with a silver spoon in his mouth and servants up his ass. They could have both had a good laugh. Maybe she would have gotten a little embarrassed, but then they could have moved on from there. But now, he was eyeball deep in a lie and he didn’t know how to peddle out of it.

On top of everything, the store was opening in two hours and he had yet to get to sleep. Good thing he kept a razor and a change of clothes in his office. Peggy would have his hide if she realized he’d worked all night. The woman was like a bloodhound when it came to sniffing out lies. Good thing he wasn’t dating Peggy.

The absurdity of that thought made him laugh out loud. He was obviously giddy from lack of sleep. Bryant’s on the Saturday after Thanksgiving on two hours sleep. It was going to be one hell of a day. He only hoped Santa Claus showed up for work today. That would be all he needed. Ho, ho, ho.

~ * ~

“Jesus, Jason. Did you sleep here all night?”

His dream of being wrapped in Tessa’s arms was rudely squelched by Peggy’s screech. He popped his head up off the desk and feigned alertness. “No, of course not.”

Peggy’s skeptical scowl came into view as his eyes focused. He let out a deep breath and gave in. “I worked all night, I only slept here for a couple of hours.”

She delivered a loud humph at his revelation. “You’re going to go home and get some decent sleep in a real bed.”

He shook his head. “I have to set up a meeting with the buyers about an idea for a vintage inspired line of clothing. I have to shuffle around the sales associates. I made some major changes last night. There’s a new department. I need to send out a memo to the marketing department and get signs made. Ads have to be run—” Jason halted when a large and strangely familiar looking male suddenly appeared in the doorway behind Peggy, dwarfing her.