The Next Play: Part One Page 5

  Trying for an air of confidence, she’d given herself the pep-talk of a lifetime, dressed in one of her sharpest outfits and a killer pair of heels, and headed into work after dropping the most important guy in her life off with her best friend, Rey. She was determined to hold her head high and get through the day without looking like the embarrassed ninny who’d run out of the conference room barely twenty-four hours ago.

  Whatever Jonah Cartwright’s intentions had been, Jocelyn didn’t want him thinking she was still rattled by what had happened between them.

  The morning went by smoothly enough in her cubicle, the steady din of the voices around her soothing her nerves. The only sore spot had been when she’d overheard two women talking about how hot Jonah and Lucas had looked when they’d come into work that morning. Apparently decked out in expensive suits, with their hair still damp from the showers they’d taken after working out in the building’s state-of-the-art gym, they’d projected so much hotness that people all over the building had literally stopped whatever they were doing to stare at the duo as they’d walked past. And given how gorgeous they were, Jocelyn figured it wasn’t the first time they’d caused that kind of reaction.

  It also wasn’t the first time she’d heard the other employees talk about the company’s mouthwatering owners—or Jonah in particular. But the talk always tended to be a lot of cheeky innuendos and dramatic face fanning. The real gossip came from her friends in the IT department. They always had the juiciest snippets, some of it so outrageous she’d thought they were just making it up, until that morning all those weeks ago, when she’d run into Jonah in the break room. It’d been a surreal moment, and had made a massive impact on her, even though they’d only said a handful of words to each other. That was the first time Jocelyn had ever been alone with him, and there’d been a…difference. Like a veil had been lifted, and she’d finally seen the real man. The dangerous, primitive male he hid behind the flirtatious, effortless charm.

  And that man was one she could all too easily believe belonged to an exclusive sex club that catered to the wealthy and social elite.

  After yesterday, she wished she’d stayed around to listen to some of the more explicit details—which the IT dept. had apparently found on the “darker” side of the web, where a few of the club’s former members had anonymously talked about the things they’d done there…and the people they’d done them with. But she’d always chickened out, making excuses for why she had to run before the stories became too detailed.

  Did Jonah know that his employees were aware of his extra-curricular activities? Did he even care? It was his private life, so it honestly wasn’t anyone else’s business. But that didn’t change the fact that she knew. And knowing meant Jocelyn had understood, right from the start, that they were like chalk and cheese.

  Damn it, she’d known she needed to keep her distance from him, and yet, she’d still gone and developed a stupid crush on him. One that had grown uncontrollably, no matter how hard she’d tried to rein it in, until she was afraid to even be in the same room with him.

  It’d never happened to her like that before, not even with—

  No! Just, don’t even go there. She wasn’t going to waste her time thinking about the smarmy jackass from her past. The point was that she’d never understood how freaking powerful this kind of attraction could be, until she’d met Jonah Cartwright. And it was just her crappy luck that it had to be with a guy like him—one who had Player permanently stamped on him.

  The sad part was that most twenty-four-year-old women probably wouldn’t have been put off by his reputation. They would have likely just jumped in and let him take them for the ride of their lives, using him as thoroughly as he was using them. But she didn’t have that freedom. Satisfying her sexual urges, no matter how deep they ran, wasn’t something she had time to worry about.

  And, of course, the big if there was if he’d been serious, and not just dicking her around.

  But if he had been serious, why had he let Lucas stand there and watch them together? Had he expected his friend to join in? And if so, was that something they’d done before?

  Jocelyn was still working those questions through her head as she poured water into the coffee machine for a fresh pot, when Denny came into the break room with a big smile on her face.

  A big, suspicious-looking smile that had Jocelyn wondering what was going on.

  “Hey Jace,” Denny said, sounding awfully chipper. “I’m so glad I ran into you. There’s something we need to chat about.”

  Oh, God.

  Denny rambled on as she opened the dishwasher to pull out her favorite mug. “There’s a huge deal in the works that the guys have wanted for a few years now. It’s with a company called Fillmore & Sons, and the main focus of the deal is going to be on about twenty different pieces of intellectual tech property. Jonah’s taking the reins on this one, and he’ll be working with a team of company lawyers. But he’ll need someone at his side throughout the deal who can handle all the tech issues and questions.”

  Any relief she might have felt when Denny started talking died a quick and sudden death as Jocelyn waited for the hammer to drop.

  “And”— Denny gave her an excited look—“everyone has agreed that you’re the perfect person for the job!”

  Oh, God.

  Wetting her lips, she struggled not to let any of her panic show on her face. “But what about Greg? Won’t he be pissed? I’ve heard that he’s been Jonah’s right-hand man for years. This should be his assignment.”

  “Oh, Greg won’t mind. He’s going out on paternity leave in a few days and won’t be back for a couple of months.”

  Crap. She’d forgotten about that.

  No longer smiling quite so brightly, Denny gave her a look that fell somewhere between concerned and sympathetic. “Jace, this is such a great opportunity for you. So I hope it won’t be a problem that you’ll be working with Jonah.”

  “Why?” she croaked, having to force a cough to clear her throat. “Why would it be a problem?”

  Denny bit her bottom lip. “I, um, heard about the thing with him and Lucas.”

  “Oh, God,” she said again, only this time she put the words out there for Denny to hear.

  “At first, Jonah tried to play it off like it was just a misunderstanding. But when I heard that you left work early because you weren’t feeling well and that you seemed upset, I had Gabe go to Lucas and get the full story.”

  “Denny,” she whispered, so embarrassed she could have cried. And the sympathy on Denny’s pretty face wasn’t helping.

  “Jace, you should know that’s not normal behavior for Jonah. And he definitely wasn’t playing a joke on you. I think…I think he truly got carried away, because he doesn’t do things like that at the office. He might be a charmer, but he’s always careful about how he treats women in the workplace.”

  “Trust me, I’m well aware of how he usually treats women,” she muttered, trying to ignore the massive wave of relief she felt when Denny said it hadn’t been a joke. Reaching for the fresh pot of coffee, she filled their mugs as she said, “But don’t worry. How he acts doesn’t matter to me.”

  Denny’s dark gaze was deep and searching. “Doesn’t it?”

  She forced her shoulders to lift in an I couldn’t care less what he does kind of shrug. “Denny, he’s a player. Like the biggest freaking player in the world. Believe me, I’ve heard all the talk, and if even a fraction of it’s true, then he’s the last man I would be interested in, no matter how gorgeous I think he is.”

  “He’s more than just his reputation, Jace. I honestly think that a lot of what he does is because he’s angry…and even a little afraid,” Denny said quietly, as they both added sugar and creamer to their coffees. “He acts like he doesn’t have a care in the world, but it’s all a bunch of bull. I think he uses sex and that devil may care attitude to hide something. I just don’t know what it is.”

  “Really?” she asked with surprise, given tha
t Jonah was Gabriel’s best friend. She hadn’t thought there would be many secrets between them.

  Denny shot her a crooked smile as she held her steaming mug against her chest and settled her hip against the counter. “I know Gabe would tell me if I asked, but I don't want to put him in that position.”

  “That’s understandable,” she murmured, her thoughts consumed by the things Denny had just told her. Was there any truth to them, or was Denny just trying to paint her friend in a better light?

  “So,” Denny said into the heavy silence, putting her chipper face back on, “I could tell you to just go for it and boink his beautiful brains out. I know he’d be up for it. Literally.”

  Jocelyn used her hand to muffle her surprised burst of laughter. Sometimes Denny just cracked her up.

  “But,” her friend added, sounding a bit more serious, “I truly think you’d be selling both of you short if that’s all you try for.”

  Jocelyn had to fight the urge to roll her eyes. “Denny, get real. I’m nothing like the kind of woman he’d choose if he wanted a relationship.”

  “Why the hell not?” Denny asked, scrunching up her cute little nose.

  Arching one eyebrow, she replied in her most matter-of-fact tone. “I’m a young mother. I’m not rich. And I’m definitely not a model.”

  Denny frowned. “So you think some glamorous socialite is the perfect woman for him?”

  Shrugging, she tried not to sound bitter as she said, “I don’t know that any woman could be perfect for him. He apparently likes his variety.”

  A flash of disappointment sparked in Denny’s brown eyes, but Jocelyn didn’t know if it was because she’d been honest about what she believed, or the fact that what she’d said was entirely true.

  “You know,” Denny murmured in a thoughtful tone, “just because something’s been a part of Jonah’s past doesn’t mean that it’s his future. And you can never truly say what a man’s type is, Jace, because the heart will lead us places that we don’t always expect to go. Just look at Gabe and me.”

  “What about you? You’re perfect for each other.”

  There was the softest edge of pain in Denny’s quiet laugh. “Gabe thinks we are. But you have no idea how many cutting comments I’ve gotten from some of the women and men we meet through work and the social events Gabe has to attend.”

  She was outraged on her friend’s behalf, wondering why people had to be so freaking petty. “Denny, that’s so wrong. You’re gorgeous and that man is crazy about you.”

  “But I never would have known that if we hadn’t been…put in the right situation. And that’s exactly what this could be for you and Jonah. Working together might be the perfect way for the two of you to get past all the secrets and misconceptions and really get to know each other.”

  “I don’t have any secrets,” she stated, before taking a sip of her coffee.

  Denny gave her a pointed look. “Have you told him about Davey?”

  Jocelyn frowned. “No. And why should I? He doesn’t care about me or what’s important in my life. I’m just his employee.” And protecting her precious little boy was the most important job she had, aside from making him happy.

  Looking like she was fighting back another smile, Denny said, “Yesterday pretty much made it clear that he’d like you to be more, Jace.”

  She snorted as she shook her head. “Like another notch on his belt? Come on, Den. The two of you might be close, but you know that he’d just use me and lose me.”

  “I know he doesn’t have a good track record, but I honestly don’t think that would happen. Not with you.”

  “Then we’re just going to have to agree to disagree. Because in my experience, men like Jonah Cartwright take whatever they want, whenever they want, without caring about the collateral damage.”

  Denny’s gaze softened, as if she understood just how terrified Jocelyn was of being hurt. “That’s probably true of a lot of men, and a lot of women too. But I think you’re wrong about Jonah.”

  And then, as if he’d been conjured by the sound of his freaking name, Jonah Cartwright walked into the break room, looking too handsome to be real in a dark blue suit, crisp white shirt, and silk tie that perfectly matched the color of his eyes.

  That sky-blue gaze immediately settled on her face, doing a quick study of her expression, before sweeping down her body, taking in the tight gray skirt, high black heels, and feminine black top that hugged the shape of her breasts. She watched his throat work as he swallowed, and then he took a quick breath and shot a curious look at Denny. “What were you just saying about me?”

  “Nothing,” she replied, giving him an innocent look.

  Pushing his hands into his front pockets, he said, “I swear I heard my name.”

  Denny raised her brows. “Then you must be hearing things. You should have that checked out.”

  He smirked, shaking his head, the glitter in his eyes saying he knew she was bullshitting him.

  Denny set her mug down in the sink and gave Jocelyn a sweet look of encouragement, even as her next words proved she was leaving her to the wolves. Or at least to this one particular alpha. “I’ve got to run, but let’s try to get together next week for lunch. Okay?”

  “Yeah, sure,” she murmured, fighting the urge to kick the little traitor for abandoning her. She knew damn well what Denny was doing!

  Denny stopped as she reached Jonah, lifted up on her toes to give him a quick peck on the cheek as he lowered his head for her, and then she was gone.

  Why in the hell didn’t I stay at home today? Jocelyn thought, fighting the urge to turn and bang her head against the cupboards. Instead, she lifted her mug and took another sip of her coffee, determined not to show any fear as he came over and took up Denny’s place against the counter.

  She waited for him to say something, but he didn’t. The drop-dead-sexy redhead just stood there and stared, pinning her in place, the look in his brilliant blue eyes so intense, so intimate, that Jocelyn feared he could see straight into her. Deep inside. Right down to the naked truths that she tried so hard to hide from him. Truths like I want you, I can’t stop thinking about you, and You’re driving me crazy. Then the corner of his sinfully-molded mouth started to curve in a small, boyish grin, those blue eyes burning with unmistakable mischief. “From the look on your face,” he murmured, “I’d say you’ve heard the news.”

  “About Fillmore? Unfortunately, yes.”

  From one instant to the next, his expression changed, taking on a serious cast. “Before we talk about that, I want you to know that you had it wrong, Jace. What happened with Lucas yesterday—I wasn’t trying to embarrass you or having a laugh. I wouldn’t do something like that.”

  She set her mug down with a sharp thunk, feeling the humiliation roll through her all over again. “My name is Jocelyn, Mr. Cartwright. Jocelyn. And you’ll do whatever the hell you feel like. Just please stay away from me and leave me out of your stupid games.”

  His head tilted ever so slightly to the side, the overhead lights casting a golden tint to the auburn strands of his hair. “I don’t think I can do that.”

  Frustration made her voice sharp. “You can’t leave me out of your stupid games?”

  “No,” he replied softly, giving her a heavy-lidded look that made her toes curl. “I can’t stay away from you.”

  She blinked, stunned that he would admit something like that. But then reality slapped her upside the head as he grinned and reminded her, “We’re teamed up on the Fillmore deal together, remember?”

  “Um…right,” she mumbled, feeling like a total idiot. “Isn’t there any way we can get out of it?”

  “I’m afraid not.” There was a definite edge to his deep voice that hadn’t been there before, but she wasn’t sure what it meant. “Gabe and the others are convinced this is best for the company.”

  “Aren’t you all equal owners?”

  “Yeah, but we each have our strongpoints, and we listen to each other. That’s why t
he partnership works so well. So when Gabe has a gut feeling about something, I don’t discount it.”

  “Fine,” she muttered, smoothing down the front of her skirt. “We’ll just…find a way to work together.” One that hopefully doesn’t end with me in shreds.

  He took his right hand out of his pocket and rubbed his jaw as he kept his gaze locked tight on hers. “So, anything you want to get out in the open before we start?”

  “No,” she blurted, wanting to shut that line of conversation down as quickly as possible. But she could tell by the glint of humor in his eyes that he didn’t believe her.

  “Come on, Jace.” A husky, devilish drawl that made her heart beat faster. “Don’t be a little mouse.”

  “Fine,” she bit out, wishing she could knock that taunting smirk right off his gorgeous face. But despite the fact that she’d slapped him yesterday, she wasn’t a violent person. “How do you do it?”

  “How do I do what?” he asked, lifting one arrogant brow.

  “Never mind,” she murmured, too chicken to go through with it.

  “No, come on. Don’t back down now,” he whispered as he leaned toward her, acting as if they were sharing naughty secrets in the back of a classroom.

  “All right. Aside from Gabe, the rumors about you and your friends—about all of your…sexual exploits—are legendary in this place,” she said, forcing her chin high, despite the quivering in her voice. She hoped he’d chalk it up to nerves and not the bone-melting arousal that always hit her whenever he was near. “It’s like something off a raunchy TV show.”

  A low laugh rumbled deep in his chest. “Is that right?”

  She managed a sharp nod as she swallowed, that laugh affecting her so strongly it was embarrassing.

  His smile came slow and easy, and he seemed to take a moment to study the spray of freckles over her nose, before asking, “Has anyone ever told you that you look like a little angel, with all that blond hair and those tiny freckles?” Then he shifted that smoldering stare to her mouth, before lifting it back to her eyes, his tone unmistakably teasing as he rubbed his jaw again and said, “But I don’t think angels can hit as hard as you can.”