He gritted his teeth as the doctor made the final stitch, then released his breath. He wasn’t a baby. And he didn’t need babysitting. But maybe it wasn’t worth arguing with his dad about the matter. He’d see these security people, pay their retainer, and then tell them to keep the hell away from him.
He had a business to run.
…
Somewhere along the way, Jessica Bauer had lost the ability—and if she was honest, the inclination—to play nice. While it had started out as a cross between payback and a defense mechanism, now it was second nature. She was the first to admit it; she was a badass with attitude issues.
But that didn’t mean she couldn’t change; she was trying. Her biggest problem with that was she liked being a badass. It beat the crap out of being a pathetic wimp with a broken heart.
She drummed her fingers on the tabletop as she contemplated the man sitting across from her. Phil ticked all the right boxes. A few years older than her, handsome in a blond, bland sort of way, and dressed in a dark blue suit, he looked what he was: a successful city accountant. A nice man. In fact, just what she’d asked for.
And she was bored out of her mind.
She took a large slug of red wine, hoping to numb her senses. Just a little while longer and she could go. Cross Phil off the list. He was her third offering from the dating agency and going just about as well as the first two. She was out of practice that was all. She’d get better.
“Tell me about yourself, Jessica,” Phil said when she remained silent. “What do you like to do in your spare time?”
She opened her mouth to answer that she liked shooting guns and beating people up, when she was saved by the muted buzz of her cell phone. Caller ID showed it was her boss, Jake. Reprieve. Sometimes she just loved him.
Or she would if he’d give her the promotion she deserved.
“I know it’s your day off,” Jake said, “but we’ve had an emergency request and—”
“I’m on my way.” She slipped the phone back in her pocket and faced the man opposite her. “Sorry, Phil. But duty calls.”
“Oh.” She’d thought his smile was a permanent fixture; now it faded. “You want to meet again?” he asked.
She reached across and patted his hand. “I’ll give you a call.” Or not.
“Hey, what’s happening?” she asked as she strolled into Jake’s office ten minutes later. He was lounging in his big chair, behind his big desk. Soon to be hers.
One of the toughest guys she had ever met, these days Jake had the look of a sleepy, sated tiger. But then he was a newlywed, married to Jess’s best friend, Kim.
Recently, he’d decided he wanted to spend more time with his pregnant wife and was pulling back from some of the businesses, including stepping down as CEO of Knight Securities, one of the premier security firms in London. Jess had been his second in command for two years and worked for the company for the last five, ever since they’d both left the army. She was the obvious choice for the job, but Jake was balking at making the final decision.
She wanted this job. She deserved this job.
But the desk would have to go. Ever since Kim had told her that she and Jake had shagged on top of that particular piece of furniture, she’d never been able to look at it the same way. Now she shook her head to dispel the disturbing mental image.
“Is there a problem?” Jake asked.
“Just wondering if I should order myself a new desk. I know what’s happened on top of that one and I’m not sure I want it in my office.”
“Not your office yet.” He sat forward and gave her a long, hard look. The sort of look that would have made her squirm…had she been the squirmy type. “And if the report I got from the Jennings job is anything to go by, it never will be.”
Bloody hell. She should have known Gary would tattle. He was the other person in the running for the CEO position. “Jennings is an asshole.”
“Perhaps. But did you really have to tell him that?”
“It seemed like a good idea at the time.” Along with informing him that if he touched her ass one more time she’d shoot him herself. Life was too short to take that sort of crap.
Jake studied her for what seemed an age, and she held herself very still. “Sit down, Jess.”
She sat.
“You do know that a big part of my job is keeping the clients happy?” he said.
She stiffened her spine and sat up straighter in the chair. This conversation wasn’t heading anywhere good. “Yes.”
“Well, the problem is, I’m not even sure we’ll have any clients left if I put you in charge. Jennings isn’t the first you’ve upset. You’re too…confrontational.”
“I haven’t called anyone else an asshole.” Well, not for a while anyway.
Jake ignored the interruption. “I’ve known you a long time, and you’ve always been the same—hard as nails and pretty screwed up as far as men are concerned. It hasn’t mattered, and it was none of my business. It matters now.”
That was bad news. “It does?”
“Yes. If you’re serious about wanting this job. Whatever happened to you in the past, you need to get over it. Let it go and move on.” He sat back. “Okay, lecture over, but you get one more chance—upset this client and you’ll make Gary a very happy man.”
She glared. “You wouldn’t.”
“Just watch me. I’d rather not. Apart from the PR stuff, you’re better than he is, but I will if you don’t learn to think before you open your mouth.”
She wanted to argue, but deep down she knew he was right. Actually, not that deep down. But she’d always relished a challenge…being “nice” was just another. Taking a deep breath, she curved her lips into a bright smile. “I can do that. In fact, I’ll make you a deal: if I don’t have this next client eating out of my hand and singing my praises, then you’re welcome to give the job to Gary.”
Jake snorted.
She ignored him. “So what is this emergency job? Who’s the client?”
“Bodyguard. CEO of one of the big multinationals.”
“But why call me in? Both Dave and Steve are free since the job they were on was canceled. They’re doing surveillance but bored out of their minds.”
“Because the client asked for you.”
“Oh.” She wasn’t usually requested for bodyguard work, at least not for men. Most didn’t believe a woman could protect them. “Let me see.”