Chapter Seventeen
Jay had sort of been lying to Erin.
No, not lying, he just hadn’t told her the complete truth. Nelson had definitely been missing her, but the worst part was that Jay had been missing her like crazy too. Because she was great to be with, and also because his body wanted what his body wanted. He swore to himself that was the only reason he couldn’t stop thinking about her, that maybe he just had a little crush. But deep down he knew that wasn’t true either. More serious emotions for Erin were taking root. But instead of grounding him, he felt as though he were holding a grenade that was about to explode and take them both down.
So, he continued to tell himself a story—that Erin was like any other woman. That the reason he couldn’t stop thinking about her was that he hadn’t slept with her and he wasn’t used to not getting what he wanted. Maybe it was about time he dealt with that part of himself and grew up.
He’d make sure that tonight was only about saying thank you. He’d wine and dine her and show her an amazing time—all without trying to get her into bed. Maybe this way he could train himself out of his feelings and get her out of his system. He needed to do something to fix how much he longed to be with her all the time.
Even as he was thinking this, he imagined an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other. The angel was telling him he was full of BS, which was kind of funny because that was Erin’s nickname for him. Big shot—which was a tease, of course.
Since he wanted the evening to be special, he’d chosen a restaurant on the coast that was so exclusive it had to be booked months in advance for even a remote chance of securing a table. But he knew there were always a few tables kept aside for special clients, of whom he was one. When he called the day before and asked for an intimate table with a view, they’d said absolutely and they’d be delighted to see him.
He should have been looking forward to dinner, but now that Erin was due at his place any minute, he felt a little apprehensive. As though he’d just made a huge mistake, but he couldn’t figure out what it was. He tried to shake the unfamiliar emotion away. He was Jay Malone. He knew how to close a deal. And that’s what this was—he was just saying thank you in the best way he knew how.
Except, as he shaved, it felt a lot like getting ready for a date.
Would it really be so bad if it were? Maybe that’s how he could get Erin out of his system: allow himself this one date and then move on and get back to being friends. He could still recall her body warm against his while Clark had taken a great deal of time setting up his shots earlier that day.
He pushed the memory away and thought about Clark instead. He’d been watching the guy, thinking his instincts were right. He’d bet those shots were great. Maybe he really could help Clark get on the path to his dream career. And then he remembered how pleased he’d felt that the man was so meticulous, because he loved sitting there snuggled up against Erin, enjoying her softness, smelling her scent... and for those moments, allowing himself to think about how much he wanted her in his bed.
* * *
Erin eyed her open closet, her gaze roaming over the modest selection of clothes. Jay hadn’t said where they were going, but knowing him, it would be somewhere fancy. Maybe even flashy. However, Erin wasn’t like Mila—she didn’t have a closet crammed with designer clothes. In fact, she had a pretty small wardrobe because she only liked to own pieces that she truly loved. She pulled out one of her favorite dresses. It was blue-green and made of fine silk. She didn’t have many opportunities to wear it, but since she’d been shopping with Mila when she saw it, her sister had talked her into buying it, insisting she’d always regret it if she didn’t. It was one of the more expensive pieces she’d ever invested in, but Mila had been right. Every time she wore it, she had a good time.
There was also the small bonus that Jay had never seen her in it.
She took extra care with her appearance, carefully making up her face with a light hand so that her eyelids shimmered and her skin glowed. She even went to the trouble of putting in hot rollers so that her hair fell in loose waves around her face. She might not be a lingerie model, or any kind of model, but she looked her best.
As she slipped on some simple strappy sandals, she mused that at least she might be better read than some of Jay’s usual dates. She was still pleasantly surprised by his library; at least they wouldn’t run out of things to talk about. But why was she even worrying about that? It wasn’t like this was a date… except for the butterflies in her stomach saying otherwise.
She was about to leave her apartment when he texted to say he was waiting outside. She grabbed her keys and stepped out into the warm evening. And there he was, waiting by the passenger side of his Lamborghini, looking particularly sexy in a sharp navy suit and crisp white shirt.
She laughed as he waved and said, “Your chauffeur has arrived.” His eyes flickered over her briefly and then held her gaze. “You look breathtaking, by the way.”
Erin smiled, thanked him, and then slipped into the car. If there was one thing Jay knew how to do, it was to make a lady feel good. Her earlier nerves about not looking like a model melted away and she decided to just enjoy herself tonight because it was a one-off—even though her body ached for it to be more.
The powerful engine roared as they headed off down the coast. Erin relaxed into the leather seat and let Jay do the talking while she admired the beauty of where she was lucky enough to live. After some time had passed, she began to have an inkling of where they might be headed, and when they pulled into a secluded spot high above the ocean, her hunch was confirmed.
She turned to him in astonishment. Le Nuit was a place she’d heard about, read about, but where she’d never imagined herself dining. “Jay,” she said, “you have to book this place months in advance.”
The grin he sent her was cocky—the Jay she liked least. “They know me here.”
And that line told her more than she wanted to know. He obviously came here frequently. Who had he been with? Clients he was wining and dining, perhaps even her own brother, but almost certainly with other women. As they walked in, she knew she’d been right. She caught a flash of surprise on the ma?tre d’s face. It was quickly gone, but Erin got the message loud and clear: she was not like the usual women who walked in beside Jay. She felt uncomfortable but held her own, even as they were led to their table and she realized that the exclusivity of this place was its downfall—it felt sterile and snooty, and the other diners looked like they were more interested in being seen than in what was on their plates.
Jay nodded and said a quick hello to a couple of people as they walked by, and then they were seated at a round table for two draped in white damask. The owner himself came over, enquired after Jay’s health, introduced himself to Erin, and then asked, “Champagne for the lady?”
Before she could even reply, Jay said, “That would be great. And I’ll have—”
“Your usual Scotch, sir?”
Jay chuckled, obviously delighted that the owner of one of the top restaurants in California had memorized his drink order. “You got it.”
Erin tried not to frown. It wasn’t that she didn’t want the glass of champagne, but it might have been nice if she’d been allowed to answer for herself. Still, she was nothing if not polite.
The drinks arrived swiftly, and Jay raised his glass. “To you, Erin,” he said, smiling. “Thank you for all you’ve done for me over the last week.”
She clinked his glass good naturedly, and as they took their first sip, a very good-looking man came toward their table. She recognized him—a movie star, and one she was pretty sure Archer didn’t like.
“Jay, my man,” he said, as if they were old pals.
“Tom, how’s it going?” He didn’t seem to mind the interruption. If anything, he was enjoying being recognized. Once again, this was the Jay that Erin liked least.
“Can’t complain,” Tom said, shrugging and then giving them a flash of his perfect white teeth. “We should have lunch.”
“Absolutely. I’ll get Gina to put something in the calendar.”
The man nodded and then looked at her with his eyebrows raised. Jay said, “This is Erin.”
“Good to meet you, Erin.”
“You too, Tom.”
He and Jay talked business for a couple of minutes. Erin studied her menu, feeling like a spare part, but when Tom drifted off, Jay said, “If you take my advice, you’ll let them choose our meal for us. That’s how you get the best food here.”
She was game. She didn’t recognize most of the things on the menu anyway. He ordered a bottle of wine that she knew would be expensive, from the number of French words he had to pronounce, and then they were just looking at each other across the table. An awkward silence fell.
She thought back to earlier in the day when he’d been so much more relaxed and more himself. “I have to tell you that Clark is in heaven about the possibility of that job in LA.”
Jay chuckled. “You don’t have to tell me. He’s already sent me three short films and his resume. As sorry as I am to steal a good man from the paper, I have to tell you those shorts are good. He’s got an instinct and an eye that can’t be taught. I predict your friend Clark is going places.”
She was genuinely happy for Clark. It was nice to see good things happen to a friend. “We have some freelance photographers, so the paper won’t be without one, but I’ll tell you right now—you’re going to make an enemy of Pat Sinclair, our editor. She’s pretty fierce.”
“I’m sure I can handle her,” Jay said with amusement. He was fully back to being his old self. Erin didn’t know where to take the conversation from there, but luckily she was saved by the arrival of a tiny glass of what the waiter explained was clear tomato consommé.
As lots of small plates with tiny, very pretty things topped with foam were brought to the table in a seemingly never-ending relay, Erin found that, while she was enjoying the food, she couldn’t quite relax. The restaurant was more about style than substance and, just as when she found this quality in people, it put her on edge. Still, it was nice of Jay to bring her to such an expensive place, so she told herself to just chill out and enjoy the evening as their conversation finally turned to books and LA and how much he liked his new home.
“It’s such a beautiful house and you’ve done a great job making it into a home. I really enjoyed staying there.”
Jay gave her a funny look and leaned in closer. “When I walked in on the three of you sleeping in my bed the other night—” He paused and held her gaze, and the intense expression in his gray eyes had her heart pumping a little harder. “I was very tempted to climb in as well.”
She let out a long, trembling breath. She couldn’t even speak. The deep emotions she’d been pushing down inside welled up and she couldn’t deny her feelings for another second. Jay’s gaze was still trained on hers and she had a feeling they both knew what was going to happen next.
She could barely taste the fancy little dessert they brought out, and both of them turned down coffee. Before she knew it, they were back outside looking at the water swirling and crashing against the rocks below them. Her heart pounded with a similar rhythm.
Jay turned toward her and she was positive he was going to kiss her. She was feeling a little wild—maybe it was the wine, maybe it was the setting, maybe it was because it had been so long since she’d been with a man, or because Jay was such a sweetheart with both Nelson and Buzzy. Whatever it was, she made the crazy decision that she was ready, not only to kiss him, but to go home and sleep with him too. In fact, she was so turned on by the prospect that she tingled all over and could hardly stand still.
She couldn’t wait for him to make the move and was about to lean in herself, when Jay tilted up her chin with a finger. “Has anyone ever told you that you have the most beautiful eyes? No, don’t look away, it would be a crime.”
Her heart plummeted like a rock through water.
She pulled back and said, “Stop!” before he got out the rest of his awful line and embarrassed them both even more. She stared at him, horrified, all of her desire snuffed out like a candle in a cold draft. “This is what you always do, isn’t it? This is your signature move to—” She made air quotes. “— seal the deal and get some unsuspecting woman into bed. News flash—I’m not an underwear model.” She emphasized the word just to let him know she could say it to his face.
Instead of backing off and apologizing the way she expected, he almost leered at her. “I did see you in your bathing suit. You could model.”
Erin shook her head, outraged. This wasn’t the Jay she liked. This was the hustler. The big shot. And now she was on the receiving end, being hustled.
What had gone wrong? On some level, she wondered if he was nervous, and trying too hard, but she was too angry to think it through.
She took another step back. “Does talking to women like that ever work?”
He still had that cocky look on his face. “Sure. Like you said, I always seal the deal.”
Erin’s revulsion had to be written all over her face, because at last it dawned in Jay’s eyes that he’d blown it.
“Deal?” she all but shouted. Her brothers had taught her how to hit a man without hurting her hand, so she could get in a surprise shot if she wanted to. But she stopped herself. She was better than that. More calmly, and very clearly, she said, “I am not a deal. Nor am I another notch in your bedpost.”
Jay looked stricken. All the color had drained from his face and the cocky smile was long gone. He threw up his hands and said, “No. That’s not what I meant.”
“I can’t believe I was almost ready to go home with you.” She paused and let it sink in just how much he’d screwed up. “And now you’ll never see me naked.” With that, she stepped away, pulled her phone out of her bag, and called a cab.
Jay followed her. “Erin, come on—at least let me drive you home.”
She kept her back to him. “No. I’m too angry.”
Luckily, there were plenty of cabs nearby to pick up patrons from the very fancy restaurant, so one pulled up right away. She strode toward it, but Jay overtook her and managed to open the door for her.
She glanced at him as she got in and before he shut the door, he opened his lips. She waited for him to apologize. Instead, he said, “You know I can’t resist a challenge. I’ll have you in my bed before you know it.”
She simply raised an eyebrow, letting him know she didn’t care about anything he had to say. In a clipped, emotionless voice she said, “In your dreams.”