All thumbs, she fumbled in her handbag, found her phone, and read his text. “Welcome toLoving.”
“Thank you, Mr. Loving,” shemurmured.
When he stepped into her personal space, her breath quickened. She wanted to nuzzle the exposed skin in the V of his white dress shirt. Those damned kissable lips would be the death of her. When she peeked up at him, he waswaiting.
“Call me Jagger.” His piercing glare cut right through her. “Do you go by Taylor or is thereanothername you’d prefer Iuse?”
For a long moment, they stared into each other’s eyes as the unspoken truth danced on the tip of hertongue.
* * *
Very little ruffled Jagger,but when Robby returned from the airport with Raven, his mind had stalled. Why had she flown clear across the country to see him when she’d snuck out before dawn yesterday? And what the hell had happened to his new eventplanner?
And then, reality kicked in. This raven-haired beauty was Taylor Hathaway, sent by Colton. He had a myriad of questions. Why did she leave? Why didn’t she jot down her number? Why continue to lie when they were alone, and why in hell had she made up that story about her aunt after he’d told her about being homeless? He’d made a judgment call that this woman was different. But she wasn’t. Would he ever learn his lesson? He wanted the damned truth, for once, and then he wanted to ship her back toVirginia.
But his back was against the wall. He needed her expertise to bail him out of an opening disaster. With calculated intensity, he repeated the question. “Do you go by Taylor or is thereanothername you’d prefer Iuse?”
“What do you want me to say?” she asked, staring into hiseyes.
“The truth, thistime.”
She hesitated, her sapphire eyes stirring up a volcano of need. “Taylor. My name isTaylor.”
“Thank you, Taylor. Please, have a seat.” Jagger waited until she sat in a guest chair before sitting behind hisdesk.
He tapped his phone console. “Yes, sir,” answered a man. “Has Ms. Hathawayarrived?”
“Yes,” Jagger replied. “Coffee and sparkling waters, please,Rico.”
“Right away, sir.” The line wentdead.
Jagger’s all-business persona was laced with confidence and a chilly demeanor. On purpose. He wanted her to get the job done and go home. Being played had soured his opinion ofher.
As he studied her face, he couldn’t deny her sublime beauty. Even her rigid spine and pursed lips didn’t detract. But none of that mattered now. “Taylor, I despise deceit, so I’m going to be candid. Obviously, we’ve met. We had a fun night. Do you have any plans to blackmail me or go public with whathappened?”
She crossed her arms, a flash of anger darkening her eyes. “That was personal. I wouldnever—”
He held up his hand, cutting her off. “Good. Let’s move on. Did you familiarize yourself with my resortline?”
“Yes.”
Time would tell if she were being honest. He leaned back, crossed his legs. “I made poor choices when I lived in Mexico. But thanks to my publicist and my attorney, I’m back on track. This hotel is a reflection of that. It’s the opposite of my Mexican resort, onpurpose.”
A knock on the door interrupted him. “Come in.” A server rolled in a cart and set up a fruit tray and beverages on the side credenza. “Thank you,Rico.”
“Yes, sir. Good day, ma’am.” Rico closed the door on his wayout.
Jagger rose. “Coffee? Can I fix you a fruitplate?”
“Just water,please.”
He poured her a glass, handed it toher.
Though Taylor smiled, anxiety laced her eyes. His resentment was replaced with a sudden urge to comfort her. Like the evening of the auction, he wanted to wrap her in his arms, then kiss her breathless. The pull he’d felt the night they’d met surged throughhim.
Hands off.He needed to keep his focus on work, no matter how badly he craved her. If word got out that they’d hooked up, the media would run with that. Didn’t matter that they’d had sexbeforeshe worked for him. She worked for himnow.
After filling his mug with coffee, he sat in the second guest chair. To be near her. Because he couldn’t stayaway.
