Hearts Collide (Canyon Cove Book 4) (7 page)

“Of what?” Gunnar asked. “The women? Never.”

“No, the bar scene.”

“This is all research. They talk about the things they like, and I listen. I figure out what draws them to their purchases and then I can market to them better. These women are where the money is. The fact that I get to please them in bed is just the icing on the cake. But who gives a fuck about me, what’s going on with you? You look like someone stole your blanket.”

“I don’t know,” I said. “There’s this girl.”

“It’s always about a girl.”

“She hates me, but when we kiss I know there’s something there. I know she should be mine.”

“So then make her yours,” he said.

“She’s with someone else,” I grunted. “I don’t get it, because Sam is always saying we’d be perfect together and they’re pretty tight, but Sam seems to think Jackie is single.”

“Maybe she is single.”

“No, she’s not. I spoke to her boyfriend.”

“When?”

“A while back. After Sam and Drake’s wedding,” I said. “She gave me her number and I called that night. Her boyfriend answered and said it’s a game she likes to play. She gives guys her number for the fun of it.”

“That doesn’t sound like the kind of woman you’re usually into.”

“Honestly, I didn’t think she was like that,” I said. “But he answered her phone and it was pretty late. If he wasn’t her boyfriend, then what was he doing there?”

“I’m sorry. Maybe it’s better if you move on from this one.”

I shook my head. “I can’t. I’ve been trying to and I end up obsessing about her even more. It’s like I’ve become a crazy person.”

“So then what the hell? Go for it. What do you have to lose?”

What did I have to lose?

I thought about the proposition I made to Jackie earlier. I didn’t really mean anything by it. I was drunk off her lips when I suggested it. I didn’t think she would entertain the idea at all, but if she did maybe it meant something.
 

Maybe I was wrong in thinking she had a boyfriend. Sam should know and she didn’t think so. So what if this guy said she was his girl and they had a future together? I didn’t know him and Jackie wasn’t the kind of girl to two-time anyone. What if Dennis lied to me?

Whatever the truth was about how she felt about me, she couldn’t deny that kiss.

Taking my phone out, I set it on the table and thought about what to say. I thought about what she said earlier about being curious and how her body melted against mine whenever we kissed. I had made a ridiculous offer to her before, and I had nothing to lose.

Sam had given me Jackie’s cell number weeks ago, but I never called her. I wasn’t going to call a woman who made it a habit to remind me of her hatred. But tonight was different.

I saw something in her eyes that made me want to take a risk. I saw something that said I had a chance.

“Brent?” Jackie said as she answered the phone.

It didn’t slip past me that she must have added me to her contacts. It made me even more confident in my plan. I would make Jackie mine some way, somehow.

“About my proposition earlier,” I said. “Forget you hate me for just one night. That’s all I’m asking for.”

Chapter Six

Jackie

After Brent left, I couldn’t stay at Samantha’s for dinner. I knew what would happen, Sam would keep going on and on about how wonderful her brother-in-law was. I didn’t want to hear about it. The last thing I wanted to do was talk about Brent Winslow.

I needed to get home. I wanted to grab that container of cookie dough ice cream I just bought and think about what he said. Was he serious? Was he playing games with my head? What did he mean?

My mind spun as I tried to figure out what he meant or if it was all a joke.

As I entered my apartment, I was grateful that Dennis was out instead of planted on the couch like always. I headed straight to the refrigerator, pulled out the carton of Haagen Dazs, grabbed a spoon, and sat down at the small kitchen table.

Scooping a large spoonful, I sighed as I took a taste. With the spoon stuck in my mouth, I pulled my phone out of my bag with Brent’s business card. Winslow Environmental was a few blocks away from my school, but I never pieced together that it was Brent’s company.

Flipping his card over, I saw he wrote his cell on the back. Without thinking, I added his number into my contacts list.

Maybe I should call him,
I thought.
How else will I know for sure what he meant?

My phone buzzed as Brent’s number lit up my screen. Oh no. Did I accidentally call him? What do I do? Should I answer? I have to answer.

“Brent?” I said as I answered.

“About my proposition earlier,” Brent said. “Forget you hate me for just one night. That’s all I’m asking for.”

I stared at the phone for a moment, wondering if I was imagining this. Did the man I hate just ask me to spend the night with him? And if I hate him so much, why do I want to so badly?

“Are you serious?” I asked.

“Dead serious. One night, you and me. All night. I can’t promise you’ll get much sleep, but maybe you’ll change your mind about me.”

There was that confidence again. I couldn’t deny that no matter how much I wanted to keep disliking him, it was damn near impossible.

“I’ll think about it,” I said, glad he wasn’t there to see the smile on my face.

***

I spent the next few days finding that everything reminded me of Brent. I wanted to call or text him and just say yes, but then I started wondering what kind of girl did that make me?

Did I just want to have one night with Brent? Definitely not. That wasn’t who I was, but it wasn’t who I thought he was either. Samantha was too much of his cheerleader for him to be some kind of manwhore. I couldn’t help but think that his proposition meant something else, but I had been wrong before. Thinking about my track record, I wasn’t the best in picking men.

He didn’t call when he said he would and now he wants a one-night-stand. Sounds perfect!
I thought.

No wonder I was so attracted to Brent. He fit my wrong guy bill perfectly.

Already dressed in my black slacks, white button-down shirt, and black tie, I was ready for work but had a few minutes before I had to leave. Dennis was sitting on the couch in his usual spot, watching a football game.

As much as we clashed, I had to admit I liked having Dennis around. I didn’t like living by myself.

During a commercial, Dennis muted the television, then got up to go to the kitchen.

“Do you want anything?” he asked.

“No, thanks,” I said. “I’ll be leaving soon. Do you have any plans for tonight?”

“Yeah, watching the rest of this game. I have some money on it.” He opened a can of Coke and took a long sip as he looked at me. “You do something different?”

I looked down at myself, then smoothed my ponytail, expecting him to criticize me. As far as I could tell, everything was fine.

“No, what’s wrong?” I asked.

“Nothing’s wrong. You look good, happy.” He shrugged. “I don’t know.” He sat back on the couch, but closer to me than usual. “I miss you,” he said softly.

Huh?

“How can you miss me? You see me every day.”

“That’s not what I meant,” he said as he moved closer to me.

He had that look in his eye that I recognized as his come hither, sexy time look. I hadn’t seen it since we last dated over a year ago. I moved a couple inches away from him, hoping he’d get the hint, but instead he tilted his head towards me with his lips pursed and his eyes closed like a sick guppy.

“What are you doing?” I pushed him away and stood up.

“What? You gave me that look,” he said.

“I gave you no such look! Get that out of your head right now. We are completely and totally platonic. You know that.”

“I’m sorry, okay? It’ll never happen again.”

“It better not,” I said as I grabbed my bag. “Have you heard anything about your apartment?”

“I spoke to the landlord yesterday. He said just another couple of days, so don’t worry, I know when I’m not wanted. I’ll be out of your hair soon.”

Grrrrr! I don’t have time for this bullshit.

I left without saying another word. It was the perfect reminder of how bad I was with picking boyfriends. I pushed all thoughts of Brent into the back of my mind. At least at work I’d be too busy to think about him.

Chapter Seven

Jackie

That night I was working a big event at the Arc Hotel, one of the largest hotels in Canyon Cove. Usually I knew everything about the events I worked at, especially since I started working for Samantha, but this one was different.

Tonight was extra important for Samantha since it was a new client, a big advertising agency she had been trying to get some catering work from for a long time. Since she was home with the baby, I told her I would manage the cooking and wait staff to make sure everything turned out perfectly.

I had just finished going over everything on my clipboard when the guests started to arrive. Standing next to the bar was a tall man with short dark hair and beard. He was model handsome and in his perfectly tailored suit, he could have stepped out of GQ magazine. I knew right away he was the client.

“Mr. Craven, right?” I asked.

He turned to look at me, gave me a once over and smiled.

“Definitely,” he said. “But please call me Gunnar.”

“I’m Jackie Stone–”

“Ahh, yes, now I get it. You’ve got that sweet, sexy thing going on.”

“Excuse me?”

“Don’t play coy with me,” he said. “You’re one of those who on the outside is proper and sweet, but I bet you’re a wild one in the sack.”

In the restaurant and food service world, I was used to my fair share of sexual harassment, but this was a little overboard.

“That’s really inappropriate,” I said.

“See, that’s exactly what I’m talking about.” He laughed as he rubbed his chin, looking satisfied. “It’s no wonder he can’t stop thinking about you.”

“Wait, what did you just say?” I asked.

A loud crash echoed through the room.

Shoot! What was that?

“Hold that thought,” I said. “I’ll be back.”

I rushed over and found one of the waitresses trying to clean up the mess from an overturned cart. The floor was covered with plates, some which had shattered from the impact.

“What happened?” I asked.

“I’m sorry, Miss Stone,” she said. “The wheel caught and I gave the cart a good push to unstick it, but it fell over.”

I waved another member of the wait staff over and told them to hurry and clean up the mess, thankful it wasn't the food. As I surveyed the room, everything else looked fine.

Glancing back at the bar to keep an eye on where Gunnar was, I noticed he wasn’t alone anymore. Standing beside him was another perfectly tailored suit with broad shoulders, but this man had blond hair. I didn't need to see his face to recognize Brent.

Seriously, how is he everywhere now?

Maybe Samantha was right, maybe fate was throwing us together, but I refused to believe that. This was Samantha’s job and it wouldn’t surprise me if she told Brent I would be here. But why was he talking to Gunnar? Could Brent be the guy Gunnar was talking about?

As I started making my way over to the bar, Brent met me halfway.

“I heard you met Gunnar,” he said.

“I did. And he said some interesting things,” I said.

“He has a way with words.” Brent’s hand touched my back softly. “Can I talk to you privately?”

“Sure, I need to make sure everything has left the kitchen anyway.”

As we entered the empty kitchen, Brent pushed me against the wall and kissed me. I dropped the clipboard and pulled him closer to me. I didn’t care that he didn’t call or about my bad decisions, I just wanted him.