Mismatch - By Nana Malone Page 0,34
pretty sure if I tell her I was pretending to be you she’ll skin me, and B, she’s the right one for your career. I’ve done my research on her. “
“Then what now?”
“Well, I made you a deal. I’ll help you with this till the opening. Then I’m telling her. We’re halfway there, and she loves your work. But I need to talk to her first.”
***
Stupid, stupid, stupid. Why the hell had she gone over there without a chaperone? Jessica turned her Volkswagen Bug onto the 110 freeway and merged with the rest of the Angelinos heading south. Pinching the bridge of her nose, she tried to wipe the image of Samson’s sexy smile out of her head. He didn’t smile often, but when he did—whoo boy. Well, that wasn’t entirely true. He’d done nothing but smile when he came to see her at the studio the other day. And he’d been chatty too. All charm. Today, he was tighter. More closed in, like a caged animal.
And lord knew nothing appealed to her more than someone to corrupt. But he was an artist and thereby incorruptible. He’d probably corrupt her.
Loud ringing on the dash snapped her attention back to the road. Izzy.
She pushed the answer phone button on the dashboard. “What up, home skillet? How’s trix?”
“Home skil—? You know what, never mind.” Izzy sounded confused, but that was the norm when Jess slipped into slang. “How did the meeting go? You didn’t kill him or anything, did you? Is there a body to move?”
Jessica chuckled. “Nah, no body, though he totally riled me up and left me hanging.”
“Explain riled you up. Did you two…erm.”
Jessica sighed. She sure as hell wished they had. Maybe he was just one of those guys she had to get of her system. “No. Though not for lack of trying, I guess.”
“Oh boy. I thought you were strictly in the no-go area with him?”
“You’ve seen him. How the hell am I supposed to ignore him with that face and that body?”
“You’ve got to be careful, honey. You’re the one who gave me the personal and professional rule. Though might I remind you, you encouraged me to break it with Jason. Just sayin’.”
“I know. I know. For something like this, I just want it to be above board. He’s my first major client. I don’t want that getting all tangled. He’s super talented. I mean like scary talented.”
***
An hour after Jessica arrived at the studio, she was back at work, resigned to finding ways to get rid of Samson as a client.
A shadow danced over the photos Jessica inspected with a magnifying glass. She was sifting through the list of possibilities for Izzy’s next show. Once she selected her favorites, the two of them would haggle over which ones they would use. She didn’t look up. She’d known who it was the moment he’d walked into the room. Samson. The scent of sandalwood and musk enveloped her. The crackle of tension simmered between them.
Her body was playing tricks on her, and she wasn’t in the mood. “Is there something I can do for you, Samson?”
He cleared his throat. “How about I start with an apology?”
She peered up at him through her blue wig. “Are you serious right now? You’re changing our Facebook status back to it’s complicated?”
He smirked. “I—guess I’ve sort of complicated things.”
Jessica stood, folding her arms across her breasts, wishing she hadn’t taken off her three-inch heels. She could have used the extra inches for added power. “Look, Samson, we both know this is a bad idea. Sometimes there’s this weird attraction that fucks with my mind at least. You, maybe not so much. But it will get in the way of us working together.”
His eyes flared, and she studied him. He looked the same. Same towering height. Startling jade green eyes. Mussed, wavy hair that looked like he’d put some gel in to make it stick out a little. Same full lips that looked like they were made for kissing. But there was a tension around his mouth, like he was holding something back. She wanted to know what it was, but she needed a complication like she needed a hole in the head. Absently, she tongued her lip where her lip ring should be. Okay, like she needed another hole in the head.
“Jess, I need you for my career. You’re already doing more for me than I had any right to hope.” The pain and yearning in his eyes almost broke her heart.