скачать книгу бесплатно
She hesitantly stepped closer and draped her arms over his powerful shoulders. She was affected by his nearness. Her skin tingled and her knees were wobbly but he was a solid wall of muscle.
“I think I should have been more specific when I said ‘show as much skin as possible,’” he murmured as his hands splayed against her back. “You’re completely covered.”
“It’s a cold September night and the rain is hanging in the air.” That wasn’t the whole reason she hadn’t followed Jason’s advice. She didn’t want him to know that she had already talked herself out of the flirty dresses before she’d even stepped into Miranda’s shop.
“I approve of the shirt.” His fingers stroked the lace. “It looks like you’re not wearing anything underneath. It’s very distracting.”
“I think that was the idea. There’s a thin lining underneath that matches my skin tone.” But with his large hands against her spine, it felt as if there was no barrier between his skin and hers.
“Next time go for a brighter color so you stand out more,” he suggested as his hand slid down her spine. “How long have you been at the party?”
“I just got here.” She sounded breathless as her heart pounded against her chest.
“Perfect.” He bent his head and Claire closed her eyes. He was so close and she wanted to curl into him. She shivered as he whispered in her ear. “So, this is what you need to do. First, relax. This is a party.”
How could she relax when she was wrapped in Jason’s arms? The man of her hottest fantasies surrounded her. Her hands were linked behind his neck and she was tempted to spear her fingers into his hair. She imagined gripping the back of his head before she kissed him hard. “I’ll try,” she said hoarsely.
“Second, get in every picture. Look like you’re having a really great time. Tilt your head back and laugh hard while the picture is being taken.”
She wasn’t paying close attention to what Jason was saying. She just nodded and inhaled his scent. It was warm and masculine. She wanted to burrow her head against his neck. Lick his skin and taste him.
“Third, do something crazy.”
She blinked a couple of times and met his gaze. “Crazy?” she repeated. “How crazy?”
The left side of his mouth hitched up. “I recommend taking on every dare.”
Claire stared at his mouth. What would Jason dare her to do? What would she dare him to do? A kaleidoscope of sexual images crashed through her mind and she tried to ignore the insistent pull deep in her belly.
She abruptly looked away. “Why would I do that? I have no idea what someone’s going to dare me.”
“You’ll be fine,” he decided before he dropped his hold on her. “Yeah, I think that covers it. Good luck.”
Alarm streaked through Claire as her hands dropped down to his chest. “Wait just a second. Where are you going?”
He jerked his thumb in the direction of the bonfire. “I’m going to—”
“This is it?” Her voice rose and she hurriedly pressed her lips together before she tried again. “That’s all the help I’m going to get?”
“Earning a reputation is simple,” Jason said as he took a step away. “There’s not much to it.”
She grabbed his shirt and bunched it with her fist, forcing him to remain where he stood. “You are not getting out of this, Jason Strong,” she hissed in a low tone.
His hand covered hers. He was so big and powerful compared to her and they both knew he could pluck her hand away with very little effort. “I don’t need to be with you through every step.”
“Oh, yes, you do, or this deal is off!”
“Come on, Claire.” Jason tilted his head back as irritation rolled through him. “You are doing everything you have to do. And, let’s face it, your outfit is doing most of the work. Guys are going to swarm you the minute I leave.”
“I’m not looking for a man,” she reminded him.
“Right, you’re doing all this so you can get a job with Max.” He clenched his jaw. She couldn’t tell if it was disapproval or disappointment that flickered in his eyes. “If you want him to see that you are a wild woman, then you need to show that you are fighting off all the men.”
“So to get a man’s attention, I should show that another guy wants me? Great, I’ve just appointed you to be that guy. You’re staying.”
* * *
JASON INSTINCTS WARNED him to get away. His chest felt tight as lust pulsed in his blood. He was fighting the urge to touch her. Press his mouth against the base of her neck and feel her pulse beat against his lips. Caress her and watch the blush bloom on her pale skin. He felt as if he was on the cusp of discovering Claire’s hidden side. A part of her that she only revealed to someone special. He wanted to be that special one.
It didn’t make sense. This was Claire Miller. He had known her forever.
“So what does a woman have to do to get your attention?” she asked as she gripped his shoulders. He wasn’t sure what his expression revealed but Claire rolled her eyes. “I’m asking purely for research.”
“Sure you are,” he teased. He tried to imagine what Claire would do if she was interested in him. His skin went hot at the thought of all her drive and passion focused on his pleasure. She wouldn’t give up until she succeeded in getting him into bed.
“Well?” Claire asked. “What does she have to do? Make you jealous?”
Her words were like a splash of cold water. “If she tries that, I walk away and move on to the next woman.”
“Seriously? So quickly? What if you’re really into her?”
He’d fallen for a few women who’d tried to play mind games with him. It hurt because it meant they hadn’t bothered to find out that he wasn’t competitive. But he never showed how it affected him. “It doesn’t matter. If she’s interested in another guy I cut her loose.”
Claire looked away and froze. “Jason,” she whispered from the side of her mouth. “The song ended and everyone’s staring. We need to stop.”
If they stopped dancing then he no longer had an excuse to hold her close. “Why? You are getting exactly what you want.”
She gave a guilty start. “Sorry?”
“You’re getting attention.” He nodded in the direction of the DJ. “Your friends are taking pictures with their phones.”
His words seemed to fluster her even more. She took a determined step out of his embrace and smoothed her hands against her hair. “Okay, great. Thanks for your help. I think that should be enough for tonight, don’t you?”
Claire didn’t wait for his answer as she briskly walked away. What the hell? He was tempted to pursue. It was an unfamiliar sensation and he didn’t like it. He forced himself to remain still.
He watched her walk to the bonfire. Jason didn’t know why he was even interested in Claire. She was not the kind of woman he was usually attracted to. She was uptight. High maintenance. That usually made him back away fast.
Women like Claire were too much work. But he had to admit she was a lot more interesting than the women he had been dating recently. Those women were predictable. He was beginning to feel restless with them. Bored. Empty. These days his flings were getting shorter and shorter.
Claire, on the other hand, was a mystery. He had known her practically all his life but he hadn’t noticed her until recently. Like a fine wine, there were surprising notes about her. She had a sensual streak but she reined it in hard. Why? Why did she feel the need to hide it?
Jason flinched when someone clapped a hand on his back. He turned and saw his friend Dustin. The redhead wasn’t looking at him but was leering at Claire. “Who was that girl?”
“Claire.” His voice sounded rough.
“Claire?” Dustin frowned, obviously trying to put the name with the person. “Claire Miller? She looks different.”
“Not really.” Jason wanted to direct Dustin’s attention elsewhere. He was often protective of Claire, but this didn’t feel protective as much as it felt territorial.
“Are you two hooking up?”
“No,” he answered in a raspy voice as he fought the instinct to pursue Claire and pounce. That wasn’t his style. He waited for the women to come to him. “Why?”
“I didn’t realize she was your type.”
She wasn’t. Claire was a serious woman. She was all about making commitments and focusing on her goals. They would get along like oil and water. “What type is that?”
Dustin smiled. “Wild.”
Jason stared at his friend. Claire hadn’t done anything wild yet. The only thing she had done differently was dance with him. He remembered her friends’ stunned expression when he’d sought Claire out. Was that all it took to establish a reputation around here? For him to show interest?
He shouldn’t test this newfound attraction with Claire. She was too innocent and sweet to handle him. Jason didn’t approve of the men in her past yet none of them had as scandalous a dating past as him.
But Claire was acting differently this week. Reckless. She was determined to attract any kind of male attention and that could only lead to trouble. Despite the lust racing through his veins, he had to remember that his main goal during her “reinvention” was to stay close to Claire and take care of her.
Jason took a moment to consider if that was the best option and realized he didn’t have a choice. He was tempting trouble but the most dangerous thing facing Claire tonight was Claire herself.
3 (#u35481b83-2d6b-59d1-8d2a-3d0255b9aeed)
JASON FOUND CLAIRE on the other side of the bonfire in line to get a drink. Her eyes widened when she saw him striding to her and her spine stiffened. She immediately stepped out of line and headed to where the cars were parked but he caught up with her.
“Why did you walk away after the dance?” Jason asked. He looked over his shoulder but no one was around. The light from the bonfire didn’t quite reach them, and they were cocooned in the shadows.
“The song was over. Why are you following me?”
Because he couldn’t stop himself. He was always aware of where Claire was, who she was with and what she was doing. Until tonight he’d thought it was because he’d assigned himself to watch over her, but now he wasn’t so sure his motives had been that noble.
“Everything was going great,” he said. “Dustin’s eyes bugged out and he’s probably going to make a move on you.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Getting Dustin’s attention is not part of my goal.”
“You want to create a persona. I thought we were doing that. Did you change your mind?”
“If you must know...” Claire rolled back her shoulders and looked him straight in the eye. “I don’t like being center stage.”
“Everyone wants to be in the spotlight,” Jason argued. “They want to be seen and heard. It’s human nature.”
“Not everybody. I do better behind the scenes,” she said softly.
Was she trying to convince him or herself? Did she think she didn’t belong in the spotlight because she found it easier to stay offstage? “You were able to put yourself out there when you got Max’s attention,” he pointed out.
“That was an unusual circumstance,” she admitted. “I can’t do it easily in the real world. It’s different when you’re online. You can create an image and no one has to know that it’s fake. No one sees the work you did to cultivate the image.”
“The whole point of this project is to put the spotlight on you so you can show what you are made of. What you are capable of doing. If that’s not going to happen, what are you going to do?”
She glanced over to where the cars were parked. The need to escape vibrated from her. “I think we should put more work into this idea.”
Jason wanted to roll his eyes. “What is it with you and work?”
She gave a shrug and looked at her boots. “Hard work has been my saving grace.”
“It’s like you want to hide behind your charts and calendars. We don’t have time for that.” He wasn’t sure why he was the one concerned about the schedule. It was usually Claire’s role to keep pointing at the clock.
“I’m feeling the time crunch.” She patted her hand against her heart. “Believe me.”
“Then what is it?” He wanted to fling his arms out in exasperation. “There is no work or thought behind acting wild and wasted. You just have to do something crazy and stupid. Everyone will take a picture and share it. People will remember what you have done this week, and that is what Max will hear about. What are you waiting for?”
Her expression was blank but tension rippled from her body.
“What did I say?” he asked. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” Her voice was barely a whisper. “I just realized that we’re going to need a new plan.”
Jason gritted his teeth and held back a growl of frustration. “Haven’t you been listening? You shouldn’t have a plan. You just—”
“No, seriously, Jason.” She started to wring her hands. “I can’t act like that.”
He stared at her hands and wondered where the panic was coming from. He had never seen her like this. Claire worried a lot but she didn’t give in to the panic. The worrying was her way of dealing with possible outcomes and working through it before it happened. “Why not?”
She pressed her lips together. “What if I don’t get this job?” she blurted out. “What if I’m sticking my neck out and making a fool of myself? How can I recover from that?”
Jason narrowed his eyes with suspicion. He didn’t think that was the real reason she was balking at his suggestions. “That’s not going to happen.”
“I’ve never gone all out pursuing a goal. I’m all about consistent and small steps. Even then, I’m holding back a little.”
“Why would you do that?” he asked.
“I don’t know,” she muttered. “Maybe it’s my way of not getting too excited or too hopeful if it all falls apart.”
“But you have to go all out if you want to pass this test and get your dream job.”
Claire covered her face her hands for a moment. “I am so out of my comfort zone.”
Jason exhaled sharply. Why did she have to make everything so difficult? “Claire, haven’t you ever done something incredibly stupid that everyone found out and talked about it? They’re not talking about it now.”
“That’s because I haven’t done anything like that.” She frowned when he scoffed at her answer. She set her hands on her hips and glared at him. “Have you heard any rumors about me?”
He tried to come up with one but he couldn’t remember hearing any stories about Claire. He had heard plenty about his sister, but Kim had been proud of her antics.
“Well?” she asked with a defiant thrust of her chin.
“I just assumed you were good at covering your tracks.”
“I don’t make my mistakes public and I don’t bring attention to myself. That’s just how I was raised. The importance of image is ingrained within me and I can’t change my basic nature in just one night.”
He splayed his arms out. “Why not?”
His question flustered her. She fidgeted, shifting from one foot to the next. He watched, fascinated, as her mouth opened and closed but no words came out. She wanted to say something but couldn’t quite find the courage to say it.
