TWO
Jake slammed the cupboards as he paced around his kitchen. How could…? Where had she found him? Did she sleep with him at the wedding knowingly? He couldn’t wrap his mind around it. He drummed his fingers on the countertop while he waited for the food to reheat. It was too coincidental, like something out of a movie. But why would she have slept with him for the first time just for a job? It didn’t sound like a very good plan because if anything, it would more likely have worked against her.
The microwave sounded, and he took out his food and stabbed at the pasta with his fork. He didn’t know how he was supposed to forget her smell. It was tattooed in his memory, and he knew that was partly due to his shifting abilities. It came with the territory. He ate a mouthful and dropped his fork. He wasn’t hungry. Not for pasta.
He got up and paced; he could feel himself wanting, no, needing to shift. He prided himself on his ability to control his true nature and keep it under wraps most of the time. But when the need was this strong, Jake knew he had to succumb. It had also been over a month since he’d last transformed. He’d always embraced that side of him; there was never a question of that. But he had to exercise extreme caution when the werewolf came out. He had enemies he didn’t know about, and they could be anywhere.
Josie. His mind took him back to her this afternoon. He’d longed to trace his hands along the skirt that had hugged her backside. The backside that he had woken up to in the wee hours of the morning after they’d slept together. The backside that had pushed into his front and woken him up with an urgency. Jake had wanted to flip her over and begin stoking the fire he knew that was burning inside her, but he hadn’t.
She would have been too sore from the night before. And although he knew she would have been more than willing, if her enthusiasm the night before had been any indication, he still felt guilty for having taken her with such force.
If only she had warned him, he thought irritably. What kind of woman didn’t at least give a guy a heads up? He raked his fingers through his hair in frustration. But he couldn’t very well ask her now; she was his employee now, after all. He had to ignore the fact that it had even happened. Oh, this was a big mistake. How the hell was he supposed to do that?
He bordered on calling her and confronting her or calling Bill and telling him to retract the job offer. He sighed. Neither. He couldn’t do either. Dammit, he’d gone soft since he’d left the SEALS. Now he was worried about everyone’s feelings. It had to have been Lucy who’d helped soften his edges. She had done so without him realizing it. It had started off innocently enough, but soon, he would anticipate her kind reactions to situations where she felt he could offer more help or if someone needed an extra hand. She had kept that side of herself well hidden from Bill, of course.
“I don’t need that guy thinking I’m a softie,” she’d scowl. “I’ll never hear the end of it.”
Lucy had threatened to leave him, and so he’d never told Bill out of fear. But now that she had left voluntarily, he wondered if the deal was off. He grinned wryly. Those two would make an amazing couple, but they were too stubborn or stupid to see it.
Jake checked his watch and decided to go for a run to clear his head. He wanted to exhaust himself to the point where he could go into a deep sleep and not be tortured by the thought of Josie in his bed. It was already after sunset, and a slight chill hung in the air. He changed and jogged lightly into the woods that ran along the back of his house. There, he shifted into his other form.
He relished the feel; it had been too long. He raced along a hidden path for over an hour. He’d stumbled and fallen toward the end, tired from his excursion. By the time he finished and transformed back, he was drenched and weary. Stumbling back to the house, he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. A large gash ran from one side of his forehead to his temple. After showering, he applied a thick bandage to the wound, and as he suspected he would, fell into a deep sleep.
***
The following morning, Jake made it a point to arrive two hours earlier than he normally did. He prepared the office for Josie and tried to tell himself he wasn’t waiting for her to walk into the trailer. But he knew that was a lie. He had taken more care in his appearance, even though he had no off-site meetings today. Bill had called and said he was running late. Jake insisted the older man take his time.
Jake was concerned. Bill was always punctual, something Jake was a stickler about. He hoped the past month’s schedule hadn’t put any unnecessary strain on him. He was always cautious about piling on too much work for him, taking extra work home rather than assigning it to him. Bill was invaluable to him, just like Lucy had been. He couldn’t afford to lose another dedicated employee.
The door flew open and Josie walked in. Dammit. She wasn’t supposed to come for another hour.
“Hello,” she said with her polite smile. He couldn’t believe she was going to pretend that she’d never even met him before yesterday. But two could play this game.
“Josie! Yes, good to see you so early. Our last assistant was always very timely as well, so this will work out just fine.”
He took in her outfit and immediately wished he hadn’t. She was wearing another skirt and blazer number. This time, it was a soft pink. Her light brown hair was worn down today, and he wanted to run his hands through the silky strands that swung around her shoulders like a halo. She turned to hang her jacket in the small closet behind the door, and he got another eyeful.
He closed his eyes to the onslaught of visuals she was providing him and wondered again if it was too late to retract his offer. The hollows behind her knees where he remembered kissing her, hearing her sharp intake of breath when he explored the dimples on the small of her back. He stifled a groan. He could think of ten new places he wanted to explore, but he would have to forget about that now.
It had all been new to her, hadn’t it? But why? Why had she waited so long? She looked much younger, but her resume stated that she was in her mid-twenties. Most women didn’t make it past their teens as virgins. And why had she wanted to lose it so quickly? Was it an impulse decision?
Jake shook his head to clear the thoughts racing through his mind. He had to focus on what tasks he needed her to complete. Perhaps he should have slipped these questions into her application, he thought wryly. He withdrew her file and prepared the paperwork for her to sign. While she wrote, maybe he could get her to reveal more about herself. She hadn’t been so forthcoming the night they had met.
“If you could, I have some papers here to sign so you can get paid for all the work we’re about to dump on you,” Jake joked. “I also need some updated immunization records, as well as a liability form that you’ll need to fill out.”
Josie smiled and sat down across from him, digging out a pen from her handbag. “It would be nice to have some compensation for the work,” she agreed. “I do have my doctor’s number, maybe he can--” she cut herself off, and her brow creased with worry. “Well, let me call and see if he can send the files over,” she finished. “Um, just out of curiosity, when does health insurance kick in?”
Jake studied her carefully before responding. “It begins ninety days from the day you start, which is today.” He was cautious not to pry about her health, but she seemed healthy from what he could tell. But that could be deceiving, he knew. A thought struck him. What if she was terminally ill? That would explain her impulse to lose her virginity. But why get a job, then? It didn’t make sense.
“So, it says here that you’re from California. Do you miss the weather out there? It’s awfully cold and dreary here today, but that’s not always the case.”
Josie cleared her throat, clearly uncomfortable with the topic. “I’m, yes, I’m from California,” she said simply, not offering any additional information.
He thought about that for a moment. He seemed to have struck a sore spot. She was from California, but beyond that, she wasn’t picking up on even the small talk about the weather there. Something, or perhaps someone, had made her move across the country. She had chosen this job when she’d had her pick of several jobs with the credentials she had under her belt. Sure, her resume was modest for her field, but for someone breaking into the job market after college, she had a lot to offer.
“Well, if you ever plan on running back for the weather, I can’t say I’d blame you.”
“Oh, you don’t have to worry about that!” she exclaimed. “I just moved here a couple weeks ago, and I already love everything about it.” Then she clamped her lips shut, as if she’d revealed more than she should have. There was definitely something about California that she was hiding; he just didn’t know what it was. Yet.
It was well past mid-afternoon before Jake had a chance to get back to the office. He’d let Bill take over leading Josie through the steps to train her. He normally relished in the work that required his physical capabilities, but today, he felt worn out.
He hadn’t eaten a proper meal since yesterday’s lunch, he realized with surprise. His breakfast this morning had been coffee and oatmeal, since he’d had little time to eat anything else in his attempt to get to work early. He thought about when he could leave to grab some food on his way home as he trekked back to the trailer.
“Well, you’re a sight for sore eyes,” Bill quipped when Jake walked in. “What the hell happened to you?”
“I’m doing your job, that’s what,” Jake joked. “No wonder you look so old. You’re probably twenty years younger than we all think you are.”
Bill chuckled. “You know, normally I’d take the compliment, but in this case, I know you’ve earned your rank in building this company from the ground up. I do my job and go home, and I’m able to do that because you’ve made it easy for an old bastard like me.”
Jake looked at Bill to see the older man turning away. He rarely said much, but lately, he was becoming...what was the word? Transparent? More than anything, it made Jake curious about what he did after hours. They never saw each other outside of work. Jake made it an unwritten rule of sorts to not socialize with any of his employees. But Lucy and Bill had proven their loyalty time and time again, so he trusted them, albeit grudgingly.
Looking over at her, Jake noticed Josie hunched over a table with scrolls of paper spread out before her. He could tell she was trying to stay out of their conversation, but her small smile at Bill’s words indicated that she was just as touched by his words as Jake was. Jake cleared his throat, and she looked up. Her hair was tousled from her fingers raking through the tresses, and some of it felt over one eye, making her look even more alluring.
“How are you settling in? Did you make any progress with the backlogged paperwork? I know Bill did his best, but it’s really not one of his strengths. He definitely belongs outdoors; it’s where he does his best work.”
“Now, wait just a darn minute,” Bill grumbled. “I give you a compliment, and you throw me under the bus?”
Jake laughed. “You know it’s true. And I did say you do a good job. I couldn’t find a better replacement for you if I tried.”
“See this guy?” Bill looked at Josie and jerked his thumb at Jake. “Already looking for replacements. I ain’t even in the grave yet.”
Josie looked slightly horrified by the morbid joke but saw that neither was taking anything seriously. She smiled politely at their jokes and continued to take notes for the blueprint in front of her.
“Well, you don’t need to worry about Josie here,” Bill said proudly. “She’s one step ahead of me; give her a week, and she’ll be leaps and bounds ahead of you, too. I just need to train her on the program tomorrow; it was under maintenance today. But she got all the paperwork done, and the Sanders Company came by earlier. They were happy with her offer to take a look at their old blueprints since they decided to go in another direction with the designs.”
Jake was pleased. If she could impress Bill that quickly, she must have done something to deserve it. Bill wasn’t easily impressed, and he knew the old man was not easily swayed by good looks either. He was sharp, witty, and appreciated women who could handle themselves in a typically male field. Jake’s mind again flitted to Lucy and how he knew Bill was besotted with her, although he had never admitted as much to him. It was obvious in the way he got flustered any time Jake brought her up in conversation.
“That’s great!” Jake replied. “I’m glad to hear that. We were afraid we’d be stuck with Bill to deliver the scowl every morning. Now, we can at least wait until we get outside to see it.”
After Bill left, Jake and Josie were left alone. She worked quietly at the large center table, and he sat behind the desk, trying to send off emails.
“Oh!” Josie straightened. “I forgot to tell you, I did check the mail, and there was an invitation to the Governor’s ball in less than two weeks at the bottom of the pile. Looks like it was already opened. I didn’t know if you planned on going or not, but it’s not marked on your calendar.”
Jake groaned. “I forgot about that. Thanks. I did RSVP with a guest, but I don’t have anyone to attend with.” He glanced at her and spoke before he could think about it too long. “Would you be able to attend? I know it’s last minute, and I can help with whatever it costs. I can even keep you on the clock and pay you overtime.” He knew it was a lot, but he had to go with someone. He’d originally planned on taking Lucy, but that was out of the question now.
Josie looked surprised, and she seemed to think about it briefly. “Um, well, that sounds nice. Are there a lot of people at these things?”
“Well, generally, yes, but it’s mostly for the fancy food and networking. The Governor will make an appearance at dinner and only stay to mingle for about twenty minutes. That’s usually how it goes, anyway. That’s my window of time to make sure I can talk to him about some upcoming projects I need his backing on.”
Josie nodded slowly. “Sure, that sounds nice. I’d like to go with you.” She lifted her head and smiled at him. Jake felt his pulse quicken at her radiant face. He coughed to cover up the uncomfortable pause he’d created.
“Yes, great. That’s great. I’ll give you my card number, and you’re welcome to go and pick up a nice gown for the evening. There’s no budget; just consider it my gift to you.”
Josie bit her lip and looked uncomfortable. “Yes, that sounds good. I’ll get something reasonable; I wouldn’t want to get anything I can wear only once.”
Jake opened his mouth to say more but clamped it shut again. He wanted her to feel comfortable, but he was afraid of saying more or she would begin to think he was insisting on something more intimate later. He decided it was best to leave it alone. “Sure, your call,” he said lightly. “I’ll pick you up that night. Thanks again for doing this.”
Josie smiled, “It’s my pleasure. I already feel like Cinderella.”
“Well, does that make me a fairy Godmother?” Jake feigned a look of horror.
She giggled, “We don’t have to tell anyone...except maybe Bill.”
He laughed loudly at that, and she joined in.