her vision. Even as the others moved into the room and Charlene preened, Jorge had not taken his eyes off her.
He stepped closer. “I couldn’t wait to get back here. Please, say you’ll have dinner with me.”
“But… um…” The alternate dimension she’d dropped into continued, and Josie shook her head in an effort to ascertain why he was really here. Sucking in a gasp, it hit her. Dad. Governor Cobb. Investigator. Bodyguard. Jorge. Well, fuck. Glancing to the side, she observed her lobby now filled with all the employees of the clinic, their faces full of curiosity, and for the moment she was stunned silent.
Laurie stepped forward, and with great exuberance, greeted him. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Laurie, best friend and nurse extraordinaire.” After shaking his hand, she turned and pinned Josie with a pointed glare. “You were just saying how much you were looking forward to dinner with him. Head on out, and we’ll make sure the clinic is closed up.”
Grateful that Laurie had a cool head and kept her wits about her, something Josie was lacking at the moment, she nodded, her head moving in jerks. “Yeah… sure. That sounds good. Um… see you tomorrow, everyone.”
“I’ll grab your purse,” Laurie volunteered and hustled down the hall, returning quickly. Handing it to Josie, she offered a hug and whispered into her ear, “Girl, if this is the bodyguard Jorge you danced with and let walk away, fate has just given you another chance. Damn, he’s fine… and the governor’s son!” Squeezing her tighter, she added, “Let me know what’s going on as soon as you find out.”
With her head held high, Josie walked toward Jorge, not saying anything until they made it outside. Walking to her car, she noticed a huge, black SUV was parked next to her and wasn’t surprised when he leaned against it. No, this wasn’t fate. More like a royal kick in the ass.
Sucking in a deep breath, her eyes pinned him to the spot. “Jorge Cobb. Governor Cobb’s son. I can imagine your reasons for not wanting me to know your full name when we met at the gala.”
“My reasons are that I prefer to be known as myself and not who my father is. Although, Jorge is the name my family calls me. To everyone else, I’m just Cobb.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Wouldn’t that be rather telling?” He smiled, and she tried to ignore the tingles running rampant through her body.
“Only to people in New Mexico. Outside of my father being the governor, no one knows or cares about the name Cobb. It’s what I was called in the military, and it stuck.”
Shaking her head quickly, she said, “I don’t even know why we’re talking about what name you want to go by. What I really want to know is why are you here? Are you a bodyguard or was that another deception?”
“There was no deception, Josie. I work for a security and investigative company. I’m qualified to provide protection detail as well as investigate suspicious activity and crimes.”
That news was unexpected, and she chewed on her bottom lip as her eyes cut to the side for a moment before returning to his. “You’re the person that my father said would be coming to help me?”
“Yes.”
Inclining her head back toward the building they just left, she asked, “And we act as though we’re going out on a date?”
“Right now, it’s best if no one knows what’s going on. As far as I’m concerned, no one is above suspicion. I take it, though, that your friend Laurie knows.”
She nodded her head slowly. “She’s my best friend, and I trust her. But I also admit that I said something to her before I talked to my father and was given the direction that no one else should know.”
“She thinks fast on her feet and covered for you very well.”
In the light of day, she noticed his eyes were as dark as she had remembered, only little flecks of gold-rimmed the irises. He seemed even taller, but considering she was now wearing comfortable flats, her five-feet-three-inches made her at least a foot shorter than him. While he had cut an elegant vision in his tux, seeing him in jeans and a dark-blue polo that stretched over his muscles, showing off arms that looked like they could chop wood, rope cows, and cuddle with equal prowess, she was struck dumb, something that rarely happened.
“Josie?”
Blinking, she jerked, feeling her face heat. “Sorry, my mind is… I’m distracted…