Over my dead body. The thought flashed through Jake’s mind, followed by a much more acceptable alternative. Or Steve’s. He’d had just about enough of this “Steve” shit.
Kim finally turned to face him, hands on hips. “Will it do?”
He motioned with his fingers for her to do a twirl.
She scowled and spun. “Well?”
“Maybe. I’ll let you know when I’ve seen the others.”
Kim swirled and marched back to the dressing room. He could almost hear her teeth grinding, but he needed her out of here so he had a moment to pull himself back together from that little bombshell. And she thought she was going to go after another guy under his nose, did she? Abso-fucking-lutely not.
A minute later, an outraged squawk came from behind the curtain. “No freaking way!”
Jake grinned. The sales assistant must have given Kim the pink dress. Five minutes later, she ripped the curtain aside.
Jake bit back a whistle. The material was skintight and hugged every line and curve of her body, leaving nothing to the imagination.
“I’ll warn you now,” Kim said, poking a finger in his direction. “If you choose this one, I won’t be taking my coat off. So if you want me to blend in, I suggest you think again.”
Jake dragged his gaze from her nipples, clearly visible and pointing straight at him. “Come here.”
“Why?”
He sighed impatiently. “Can you never do anything without questioning it?”
“No.”
“Please come here, Kimberly.”
She approached until she stood only inches from his seat and glowered down at him, her golden eyes flashing.
“Actually,” he said, “I like you in pink. Very pretty.”
“Hah hah. Finished?”
“For now.”
Kim turned and sashayed back to the changing room.
The back view was as good as the front. Jake watched her go, unable to pull his eyes from the sway of her ass clearly defined under the tight, clingy material and powerless to prevent his body’s response.
He sat a moment longer waiting for the fierce burn of desire to subside, then rose from his seat and approached the changing room.
“The black will do, Kim,” he called out.
Kim’s head appeared around the curtain. “You don’t want to see the other three?”
“No. The first one was fine.”
“Oh dear, and I was having so much fun,” she mocked. “Sure I can’t tempt you into one more? The red perhaps? I’ve always considered red to be my color.”
He ignored the sarcasm. “Another day.”
Jake reckoned he was one sexy outfit away from letting everyone know his intentions. And that probably wouldn’t go down too well in a busy department store.
But yeah, it was time to reveal his motives, and he was guessing that his not-so-little Kimberly was in for a shock with what was about to come next.
Chapter Two
Music played in the ballroom, mingling with the clink of glasses and the murmur of voices as Kim circulated the periphery of the room, forcing herself to relax, to stop feeling so self-conscious in her new dress and three-inch heels. It didn’t help that she could feel Jake’s eyes boring into her wherever she went, as if, after all this time, he still didn’t trust her skills. Or was there some other reason? Whatever—he was making her twitch.
She needed to make a good impression tonight. Prove to Jake she was up to the more dangerous work. Though sadly, she didn’t think there’d be anything more hazardous to this assignment than tripping over her heels. Probably why Jake had assigned her the job.
The fashion designer hosting the party had received threats from an animal-rights group who reckoned he’d used too much fur in this year’s collection. He’d panicked and called Jake. But Kim had read the files on the group and to date, they’d never done anything more violent than hand out fliers, which likely meant she was in for an exciting evening of blisters and boredom.
She completed her first circuit and headed over to report in to Dave. Like many of Jake’s employees, Dave was ex-army and looked it. He was big and bulky, but all muscle.
“Everything okay?” he asked.
“Yeah. Nothing to report.”
He grinned. “You sound disappointed.”
“A little. It would be nice to justify my existence.” She half smiled at the half joke and glanced across the crowded dance floor only to make eye contact with Jake again. He stood at the edge of the room, Nadia clinging possessively to his arm, and he was following Kim’s every move with hooded, dark eyes. A shiver ran through her.
Jake was acting strange lately. She didn’t like it. He’d told her he had motives for being nice to her. What were they? Did he still feel sorry for her? Was that the only reason he employed her, and the real reason he wouldn’t give her that promotion?
She turned back to Dave. “Dave?”
“Hmm?”
“Does Jake think I can do the job?” There. She’d asked it out loud. “Or is he just being nice? And is it only me he’s nice to?”
Dave made a sound like a snort. “He’s the man who pays my wages. That makes him nice to me, too.”