Close to Perfect Page 17

  Tess arched one brow as that young woman bent at the waist, leaned really close to him, and murmured, “Hi, can I get you—”

  Tess interrupted, “No, you can’t.”

  The young woman’s gaze jumped to her. So did the gazes of everyone else at the table, while Peg and Alan exchanged a glance.

  Well, screw that. Tess returned their stares, then looked at Josh.

  His eyes were widened in surprise. Well, screw that, too. He was the one who wanted her here. He was the one who insisted that she make certain no fake postal workers tried to deliver themselves to him. Who knew what this server was willing to offer? If he didn’t want to find out, then he’d just have to accept her protection, and not only as a bodyguard.

  Tess leveled her gaze on the server, then wiggled her finger between herself and Josh. “He and I are together.”

  The young woman frowned.

  “If you don’t believe it,” Tess said, “just look at one of those supermarket tabloids.”

  “Do you want another drink or not?” the server asked Josh.

  “No, thanks.”

  The server hurried away, shaking her head.

  Josh looked at Tess.

  She looked right back.

  He hesitated a moment, then leaned toward her and whispered, “You okay?”

  Would she be acting so stupid if she were?

  She whispered, “I was just about to ask you the same thing, for the last several days, in fact, but you haven’t given me a chance, now have you?”

  Josh mumbled, “Maybe I should get that drink.”

  “You better be really tanked when you show up at that poker game.”

  His gaze lifted to hers. He smiled. “That’s not until tomorrow night.”

  “Keep grinning like that and you might not live until then.”

  He leaned close again, and whispered, “I like it when you’re mean.”

  Tess was not going to smile. It was too late now for him to be flirting with her. He should have thought of that when he started to treat her like an employee.

  Leaning back in her chair, Tess behaved like the bodyguard she was supposed to be and regarded the other women in this room. These ladies—unlike the fake postal worker, and Libby, and that other girl who had shown up half-naked at Josh’s gate—were legitimate. They had something to offer him.

  More than a few probably wanted him. Hell, Tess wanted him, but she wasn’t going to get him, especially after he played poker with her dad. Is he seriously nuts? Her father was going to grill him like he was a suspect in a gangland murder; then, when Josh was limp and sweaty and babbling “I’m sorry, man, I’m sorry!” her dad was going to toss him to Bonnie and Clyde and Vic to finish him off.

  After which her father would probably fire her from this job, and then she wouldn’t have an excuse to stare at Josh at boring functions like this.

  Tess thought about that clear to the time this thing was finally over.

  As everyone else jumped out of their seats like they were ready to conquer the world, Tess sighed.

  Josh helped her with the chair. “Tired?”

  More like depressed. “Couldn’t be better.”

  “Really? You look like maybe your gun’s a little too heavy.”

  Three people near them turned around to look at Josh.

  Tess lifted her brows as if to say she had no idea what he was talking about, then leaned into him and whispered, “So now I’m through being just your girlfriend in public? Now you want me to also be your bodyguard? Should I rough up anyone?”

  “Just me.”

  “Don’t tempt me.”

  He seemed genuinely surprised by her snotty tone. “Believe me, I’m just trying to behave myself.”

  Aren’t we all? Tess straightened before his heat and scent made her forget her latest good intentions. “You should’a thought of that before you started swimming in your birthday suit.”

  At just that moment, Alan strolled up.

  Tess looked at him.

  He edged back. “Trouble in paradise?”

  “Don’t you worry,” Peg said, joining them, “Josh has everything under control.”

  He gave her a look.

  “Oh, sorry,” she said. “I won’t say another word.”

  “About what?” Tess asked.

  “Let’s go.” Josh took her arm.

  Tess looked down. It was the first time in forever that Josh had actually touched her, and it felt so right, so comforting her knees went briefly weak.

  Girl, you are such a fool.

  The man had ignored her since their morning at the golf course, and she was ready to forget all of that with one simple touch?

  Maybe.

  What is the matter with you?

  Tess had never let a guy treat her bad, not even the first ones she hung out with in junior high.

  She had never chased a guy, either. If she liked someone and he didn’t return the favor, Tess just figured to hell with it.

  She admired the honesty of her parents’ marriage, the fact that they were so goofy with need that the rest of the world didn’t matter.

  She wanted that for herself. She wanted that with Josh.

  Glancing at him, Tess was surprised they had reached the elevator. She went in first, followed by Josh, who quickly turned to the others. “Take the next one down,” he said to Alan and Peg.

  As the doors closed on those two, Josh looked at the buttons for the floors. He pressed the one for the lobby, but the moment the elevator started its descent, he hit the stop button.

  Okay, that wasn’t something Tess had expected. She lifted her gaze from that button.

  Josh turned to her.

  In that moment, Tess didn’t stop to think of the consequences; she didn’t even consider her hurt pride. All that mattered was that she was alone in here with him.

  Moving across the small space, Tess wreathed her arms around Josh’s neck and kissed him with all the passion and love that she felt. She couldn’t help herself. She didn’t want to help herself. She missed him more than she would have believed possible, and wasn’t about to let him go until he was breathless.

  Several minutes later, they both were.

  At last, Tess pulled back and tried to catch her breath. “Thanks.”

  “You’re welcome.” Josh pulled her right back into himself, and didn’t hold back, nor did he come up for air.

  He kissed her as if he meant it, as if he had missed her even more than Tess had missed him, because there was yearning in this kiss, a lingering tenderness that hadn’t been there before.

  Of course, bad boy that he was, Josh soon went back to savage and wild, but Tess didn’t mind. She stayed with him from beginning to end.

  Even when they were both finally breathless, Tess just couldn’t keep away. Resting her head on his shoulder, she ran her fingertip over his ear, tickling him.

  Josh’s chest quivered with his quiet laughter.

  “I like it when you’re bad,” Tess said.

  “Oh, yeah?”

  She was about to nod, but didn’t get the chance as Josh backed her into the wall, then cupped her buttocks, pulling her up until Tess was straddling him. He held her to himself with one arm around her waist, as his other hand cupped her breast, fondling it, while he kissed her until she had no resistance left.

  Only then, did he allow her a moment’s peace.

  “Oh, yeah,” she said, then sighed.

  “Oh, yeah, what?”

  “I like it when you’re bad.”

  Josh grinned, then kissed her neck until she moaned. Satisfied, he eased Tess to her feet, then whispered in her ear. “You’re sure?”

  “About what?”

  “That you want me to be bad.”

  Tess released all of her weight into him. “You bet.”

  “Then you’re going to love it when we’re at that poker game.”

  “I can’t wait—what?” Tess lifted her head, then pushed him away. “What do you mean?”
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br />   “Don’t you worry.” He followed her to the other side of the elevator, and when he had her cornered, Josh held her chin between his thumb and forefinger. “I’ve got everything under control.”

  “Are you seriously nuts?” Tess slapped his hand away from her chin. “You don’t have anything under control. First, you make up that junk about those poker games and then—”

  “Nope, that’s not true,” he interrupted. “Learned some of it from Grandpa, the rest from my friends in construction. It’s totally real and legit.”

  “Who cares?” Tess said. “If you haven’t yet noticed, we’re kissing in an elevator.”

  He smiled. “Oh, I’ve noticed.”

  Tess lowered her head and breathed hard. “If you haven’t yet noticed, we have to kiss in elevators, because if we kiss out there,” she flung out her arm, “a bunch of psychos are ready to take our picture or every retired cop in the Keys is ready to ride posse for my dad.” She lifted her head. “Hank and Sammie and Vic are probably calling the building people right now about you hijacking this elevator.”

  “Let them. It won’t stop me. Only you can do that.”

  He was putting it on her, again. Tess closed her eyes, too tired to fight. She rested the back of her head against the shiny metal wall, then trembled as Josh first kissed the base of her throat, then worked those kisses lower as he unbuttoned her blouse. At last, he lingered on the swell of her breasts just above the cups of her bra.

  She sighed. “Better hurry before the firemen break us out of here.”

  “Believe me, that won’t happen.”

  No? Tess inhaled deeply as Josh eased the right cup below her nipple. That small nub tightened quickly to the cool air and his forefinger as he gently circled it.

  Tess bit back a moan, then paused, because she just understood what he said. “The firemen won’t break us out of here because you own this elevator—that is, because you own this hotel?”

  “Had to buy it to get the elevator. We can stay in here as long as you want.”

  Oh. Ahhhh. She moaned as Josh rolled her nipple between his thumb and forefinger even as he suckled her neck.

  Tess was a goner, except for one thing.

  They couldn’t stay in here as long as she wanted, because that would be forever, and that wasn’t something Josh was giving to her.

  “Wait a minute,” she said.

  Josh didn’t. He continued suckling her neck, then the swell of her breast.

  “Josh. Stop.”

  He finally did, but kept his head lowered and breathed hard as if he was frustrated.

  And she wasn’t?

  “Why?” he asked.

  Because this wasn’t going to last forever, that’s why. No way was Tess going to have sex with him in this elevator or at his house, not while they had the contract. It would make things too damned hard.

  Not that she could tell him that.

  “Why are you going to that poker game?”

  He lifted his head and looked at her. “You want to talk about that now?”

  It was either that or the brutal truth about not having sex with him until the contract ended—or maybe not even then if things got too damned complicated. “Yeah. So, why?”

  Josh straightened, then shrugged. “If you can’t beat ’em, Tessie, then you just gotta join ’em.”

  “Uh-uh—hold it,” she said, then literally kept him at arm’s length when he tried to kiss her again.

  Josh’s gaze slipped down to her hand on his chest. Her forefinger was stroking his tie. He smiled.

  Tess stopped stroking. Her mind continued to work around what he had just said.

  If you can’t beat ’em, Tessie, then you just gotta join ’em?

  How twisted was that? So were they now going to spend all of their free time with her father and his friends, because Josh figured there was no other way around it?

  Tess could see it now—their evenings filled with lively discussions about who had the baddest aches and pains and all that bitching about how young cops could run a computer, but could they get down and dirty with a perp—hell, no.

  She pulled back her hand, pressing the heel of it against her forehead.

  “Trust me,” Josh said.

  Despite all of her worries, Tess did. It was the countless women who would always be after him that Tess didn’t trust. No man, not even a saint, could resist temptation forever.

  And even one slip from Josh, one minor indiscretion, would kill the love she felt for him. Better not to get involved in that sorry mess.

  “Tess?”

  She dropped her hand and shook her head.

  “You don’t trust me?” He sounded genuinely hurt.

  Oh, hell. Tess cradled the side of his face in her hand, gently running her thumb over his smooth cheek. “You I trust. Now, your judgment?” She muttered an oath in Spanish.

  “I heard that,” he growled, then pulled her back into himself and silenced her surprised gasp with his mouth and tongue.

  Tess pulled her mouth free. “Josh.”

  He had just pressed his lips to her cheek. “You want me to stop, again?”

  Yes. No. Maybe. Tess placed her hands on either side of his head, lifting it until he had to look at her and she could look at him.

  “What?” he asked.

  “Forget it,” she said, and kissed him fast and hard, slipping her tongue inside.

  He moaned, returning her kiss as he eased her blouse off her right shoulder. Pulling his mouth free, Josh kissed her shoulder, her biceps, the swell of her right breast, and was about to suckle her nipple when the emergency phone rang.

  Josh’s head snapped up. “What was that?”

  Tess looked past him to the still-ringing phone.

  He looked over his shoulder at it, then back at her. “Want to just let it ring?”

  “There’s going to be hell to pay.”

  “How much time do you think we have?”

  “Two minutes. Maybe three.”

  “Right.” He lowered his head to her breast and gently flicked his tongue over her nipple.

  Tess moaned.

  At just that moment, Sammie’s voice suddenly filled the small space, “Tessie! You okay?”

  Josh’s head snapped up again. He lifted his gaze to the ceiling as if he expected Sammie to be up there.

  Since she wasn’t, he looked back down and whispered. “Are you wearing a walkie-talkie?”

  “No. Of course not. Her voice is coming from the emergency speaker. It’s right below the phone. We can hear her, but she can’t hear us.”

  “You’re sure about that?”

  “Relatively.”

  “Then you better start moaning in Spanish.”

  Tess laughed so hard she sagged into him, then whimpered as Josh ran his hand down her back.

  “Tessie!” Sammie shouted, “Hank’s gonna call your dad—Freddy’ll know what to do if something’s wrong, if you’re not all—”

  “I’m fine,” Tess said. In one second flat, she had pushed Josh out of the way, went to the emergency phone, and was still holding the receiver to her ear as she tried not to sound too breathless.

  Not that Josh was helping. He had regained his balance and was now pushing her into the wall, his hands on her breasts.

  Tess lowered the receiver to her left shoulder. She moaned.

  “Tessie?” Sammie shouted. After a brief pause, her voice was fainter, as if she was talking to someone on her side. “I hear moaning.”

  Josh’s hands dropped away from Tess’s breasts. He whispered, “Fuck.”

  Tess pressed the receiver into her shoulder so Sammie couldn’t hear. “You behave,” she whispered to him, “unless you want to leave here in traction.” Sidling away, Tess turned her back to Josh, and spoke into the receiver. “Sammie, hi, it’s me, I’m fine. Josh had to take an important business call, very private, so I stopped the elevator.” Tess looked over her shoulder at him.

  His hair was still a mess and the right tail
of his shirt was pulled out of his trousers.

  Tess pointed. “Put it back in.”

  “What?” Sammie asked.

  Crud. “Josh is still on the phone,” Tess said to the woman, keeping her voice very low, as if she were afraid to disturb him. “He’s still talking to that important client, so I can’t talk right now.”

  “We don’t want you to talk, hon. We want you to come down.”

  “Josh is finishing up right now. Be right there. Bye.”

  Tess hung up the phone and made certain the speaker was no longer on, then started buttoning her blouse as she backed away from Josh.

  “Come here,” he said, giving her a sexy smile.

  After that call he still wanted to play? “I’m warning you,” Tess said, “stay where you are. Remember, I’m armed.”

  His eyes grew hooded. “Yeah, I know, I finally felt your weapon.”

  “I felt yours, too, but,” she said, continuing despite his quick laughter, “we gotta get this show on the road. We don’t have a choice, not if you still want to go to that game tomorrow night.”

  That got him to stop chasing her around the elevator. “Okay.”

  Okay? Getting his cooperation was that easy? All she had to do was threaten to take away his poker night with a bunch of old ex-cops? “What are you planning to do?”

  Josh hit the elevator button to get the little box moving. As it started its descent, he tucked in his shirt and ran his fingers through his hair.

  “Just trust me,” he said.

  Chapter Ten

  What choice did she have but to trust him?

  There was no stopping that dumb game, unless a business emergency came up.

  None did, though Josh did spend a lot of the next day in the conference room with a guy Tess had never seen before. He was probably in his mid-twenties and looked more like a gigolo than a client.

  What he and Josh were doing was a mystery, because each time Tess tried to find out, Peg escorted her away from the area, guarding that room as if Josh’s life depended upon it.

  Maybe he was brushing up on his poker skills. Maybe he and that guy were devising new games. Who knew? Not only was Peg keeping Tess in the dark, but ever since the paparazzi problem, that area, and most of the others, now had blinds.

  Still, Tess strolled outside hoping to sneak a peek into that room, just like the young woman who was currently bent forward at the waist, butt in the air, with her hands cupped around her eyes as she tried to see past those tightly drawn blinds.