In the Blind (5 page)

“You’re
right. This sounds exactly like what I’m looking for.”

“Excellent.
If you flip to the next page, you’ll find some basic details about the company.
They’re growing like a weed, and all their departments have top talent. They’ll
give you tons of job security.”

“Well
done, Jane.” He fell silent as he finished perusing the document. “This is for William
Keller’s company?”

“You’ve
heard of him, right? He’s fabulous to work for.” She thought about asking him
out after they closed the deal. Her luck was turning around.

“Yes,
that’s what I’ve heard.”

“We
can go over there right now. He’s waiting for us.” She scooted back her chair.
“He started looking yesterday. You’ll be his first interview.”

“No,
I don’t think so. This won’t work.”

She
stopped at his statement and swallowed her disappointment as she took in his hunched
posture and stony expression. Once she pulled her chair back to the table, she
placed her hand on top of his. It felt good to touch him, right to comfort him.

“Rob,
what is it?” She rubbed his hand and waited, feeling terrible for upsetting
him. Her head cocked to the side, and she hoped he’d say something to ease her
worry.

“It’s
not the company. I agree. It’s the kind of company I need.” He placed his hand
over hers and flipped his bottom hand around, cupping her hand in both of his.

She
kissed her career move away. Maybe she’d find another perfect candidate, but
she already knew she wouldn’t push him to go to the interview. This normally
stoic man was squeezing her hand and pressing his lips together as if forcing
out something distasteful.

Nope,
she needed to find somebody new, for Keller and maybe even herself. She ignored
the thoughts that left her feeling like someone kicked her puppy.

“It
would be a smart career move, but only you can make that decision. I don’t know
your situation.” She felt the poorer for it, too. The meeting was a complete
loss. She needed to make her exit before her childish disappointment had a
chance to break out into silly tears.

****

Her
hand pulled away, and he let her go. The loss of her touch felt more present
than the horror he once thought of ever working with Gina again. If he was
honest with himself, he’d admit his apprehension had nothing to do with Gina.
Nope, she was only a reminder of a commitment he let sour.

“I’m
sorry to have upset you.” Her hand lay on the table just out of his reach.

He
shouldn’t let his failed marriage ruin another relationship, or in this case, a
career opportunity. He hadn’t even asked Jane out, yet. Besides, shortly after
their divorce became final, Gina seemed to have turned a corner. They both
realized her poor choices had given them the proper kick to do what they both
knew needed to be done. They weren’t right for each other. She’d moved on, and
after last weekend, he proved he was ready.

Gina
had even been bugging him to start dating and encouraged him to attend the local
BDSM meetings. She’d even promised not to attend them anymore. His buddies
always referred to the meetings as munches because there were always good eats
and some activity like pool or cards to help break the ice.

They
both knew how helpful it was to socialize with like-minded folks. He’d never
forget the first one he attended. The open and honest conversations about BDSM
answered many of his questions. It was during those nights that he started to
understand his needs.

His
marriage hadn’t been meant to survive. It wasn’t his fault. His promises
weren’t meant to be kept. He wasn’t betraying anyone by moving on. It was time
to stop punishing himself and be open and honest.

“I’ll
let you know if I find another opportunity.” She stood and lingered. “Thanks
for meeting me today. It was good to see you again.” She took a step from the
table.

“Wait.”
He grabbed hold of her hand. “I’m overreacting.” He stood, leaving little
distance between them. She looked beautiful, arching her neck to look into his
eyes. He breathed in her sweet vanilla scent, and he felt her fingers fold
around his hand.

“Are
you sure?” With the positive shake of his head she continued, “It would mean
the world to me if you would meet with Keller. I know he’d be impressed by
you.”

“All
right, let’s go.” Her excitement sealed it. “You said
it’s
close, but—”

“Ah,
well.” She gave him a sly grin. “I’ll hail us a cab.”

He
shook his head. Gosh, she was adorable when she blushed. He imagined her ass
would blush just as beautifully during a round of spanking, a punishment he
could envision being eager to deliver.

Marcus
was right. He needed to get back into the club scene, although he couldn’t
imagine finding someone as delectable as Jane at Club Voyage. With her glossy
dark hair, beautiful brown eyes, and her easy way, she captured him. It felt
like Jane had been tailor made for him, and he was determined not to let her go
this time.

They
gathered their things and left the coffee shop.

He
should tell her about Gina. She should hear it from him and not someone at
Keller’s office. To earn her trust, he’d have to start with honesty, and for a
confession like this he wanted privacy. If they got in the cab, he’d lose his
chance. As they neared an alley, he took her hand and steered her around the
corner into the empty lane.

“What
are you doing?” Her eyebrows pinched together.

“I
need to tell you about my ex, Gina.”

“No,
you really don’t.”

“Jane,
let me share this with you.” He stroked her face and tucked a strand of hair
behind her ear. It was an intimacy he had no right to, but one he wanted. His
mind flooded with the things he wanted to demand of her. “The first time we met,
I was still wearing my ring.”

“But
you’re not now.” She looked down at his naked finger.

“You
noticed?” A flash of joy warmed his heart. He chuckled and took hold of her
hands. “The ring had nothing to do with my feelings for Gina.” He shook his
head and pulled her a little closer. “The ring represented my commitment, a
commitment I had to let go.” He captured her sight once more and continued. “I
can’t explain it, but keeping it on reminded me of the mistakes I made,
mistakes I never want to make again.”

“Why are you telling me all this?”
She looked up at
him with hope and confusion.

The
why filled his thoughts with
heat.
This strong,
adventurous creature excited him. She took a step back, and he went with her. He
couldn’t let her go. “I’m so glad you called me, Jane. I haven’t been able to get
you off my mind since we met.” He widened his stance to give himself a stronger
foundation. “Gina and I have been over for a long time, long before we even
filed for divorce, but big changes, no matter how natural, take time to cope.”

“Wise words.”
Her smile
started shaky and eased into something that took his breath away.

“You
gave me a reason to want to move on from my mistakes. I remember it being
almost impossible to walk away from you that day at the convention, and I’ve
been desperate for more time with you ever since.”

“I
know what you mean.” She lowered her head.

He
reached out and lifted her chin so he could once again see the expression in
her eyes.

“We
don’t know anything about each other, not really.”

“Something
I hope to rectify regardless if you find me a new job. There’s something about
you. It pulls at me. I want to be near you. I can’t tell you how many times
I’ve replayed our conversation in my head.”

“I
could have talked to you all afternoon, and you’re the only one I remember from
that day. I kept searching for job opportunities for you, and nothing came up.”
She chewed on her lower lip for a moment before continuing. “It was killing me
not to have an excuse to call you. But since you were still wearing your ring,
I figured I needed to let you go.”

“I’m
sorry for delaying us.” He wanted to tie her to him before he told her anything
more about Gina. Maybe it was selfish, but he needed to make sure she knew his
intentions. He needed control over their next move together. “Let me take you to
dinner. Tell me I’ll see you again.”

“Sure,
you can take me out to dinner.”

“Great.
There’s one more thing. Gina works for Keller.”

“That’s
not funny.” She took a step away from him.

“It’s
not a joke, but I honestly don’t think it will be a problem. The whole thing
might actually be cathartic.” He didn’t remove the space between then. He
wanted her to have what she needed to work through what he was telling her, but
his heart beat erratically as he sensed her pulling further away.

“I
can understand the two of you getting along now, but working with her?” She
broke eye contact and heaved a heavy sigh.

“My
best friend works there, and, believe me, if he can make it work then so can
I.”

“Why
is that?”

“She’s
always gotten under his skin. I think he has more of a problem with the breakup
than either of us did.”

“He’s
probably a great friend.” She took a step towards him.

“You
have no idea. He’s the best. I’m looking forward to introducing you two.” Everything
was falling into place. “So, you’re okay with this?”

“It’s
a lot to take in, but I know a few things about moving on and I’m proud of you
for finding your own way.” She looked him over. “I still think you’re the best
candidate for Keller. If you’re sure, then I am, too.”

“All
right, it’s settled. Let’s go charm Keller, and then I’ll take you out to
dinner.” He took hold of her hands.
“Unless you have a
surprise for me?”

“Maybe after dinner.”
She giggled.

“Kitschy, Jane.”
When her blush
deepened, he added, “I like it.”

Chapter Four

Almost
twenty minutes later Rob got out of the cab with Jane in front of Keller’s
office building in northwest Chicago. They’d made small talk through most of
the ride, and he enjoyed watching her as she watched the world through the
window. The shine of her rich, brown hair captured his attention. If he dug his
fingers through the strands would it feel like silk?

The
three-story building was set on the edge of a lush park. Just when you thought
you’d seen everything in Chicago, you came across a plot of land like this.
He’d heard about it from Marcus, but he’d never been out here. Deer were frequently
spotted roaming their backyard.

They
walked in the front door, and he followed her to the elevator in the lobby.
Alone in the elevator, he had a sudden desire for the lights to go out. Darkness
had a way of breaking inhibitions, and he’d give anything to share a dark
encounter with Jane.

“Let’s
go.”

“What?”
He looked down at Jane and tried to figure out if he’d spoken out loud.

“We
should probably step off the elevator now.”

He
looked up and saw the door was indeed open. “Yes, right, after you.”

Once
out of the elevator, they entered a lobby rich in mahogany. A blonde sat at the
desk, her gaze fixed on the computer screen.

“Hello, welcome to Voyage Industries.
How can I
assist you?” she said without moving her focus from her computer screen.

“Hi, Anne.”

She
looked up, and her face brightened into a comfortable smile. “Hi!” She stood
and shook Jane’s hand.

“Rob
and I are here to meet with Keller. Is he available?”

“It’s
good to see you again, Rob.”

“Thanks.”
He shook her hand. “I forgot you worked here.” He’d met Anne a couple times at munches
he’d attended.

“What
have you been up to?”

“I’ve
been doing the consulting thing for a while now, since my last company was
bought out, and I’m ready to settle into a team.”

“Keller
is pleased you found someone so quickly.”

He
looked at Jane, reached out and took hold of her hand. Her fingers wrapped
around his, and his chest tightened. Telling her about Gina before they arrived
had been the right thing to do. Their gazes met, a smile warmed his face, and he
gave her hand a squeeze.

The
door opened behind them, and Keller came out with a couple of people.

“Hello,”
said Keller. “I was hoping to see you today.”

“Hi,
Mr. Keller, it’s good to see you again.” Jane shook his hand. “This is Rob
Meyer.”

“Rob,
your reputation precedes you.” He turned to the couple at his side. “Jake Reed
is one of our Directors here. He’d help you get the resources you need, which
would include Lydia Taylor. She’s one of the best technical writers around. Her
attention to detail is impressive.”