Last Kiss Goodbye. Rita Herron

sank farther into the plush chair.

      “Not accurate enough. What do people get wrong about you?”

      Jason frowned. “I didn’t come here for a counseling session.”

      “Are you scared to tell me?”

      His gaze pierced hers. “I’m not scared.”

      “Are you afraid that I’ll think the same?”

      “I’m not afraid either.”

      “Then, tell me. What’s stopping you? You can trust me. What are they saying about your brand?”

      “My brand?”

      “Yes. Say you’re a car. What are people saying about it?”

      “It’s cheap, comes from a bad lot. It has a good engine but nothing else.”

      “And what do you want them to say?”

      “I want to be a stellar model. You know, a BMW can break down and no one will say that it’s worthless, but I’m like a...a few mistakes and I’m no good and no one expects me to be.”

      “Exactly, so you have to be clever. Because you don’t have the background, you have to create an image that is incorruptible, so that people can come up with excuses for you so that they’ll look good. You’re an easy target right now. We’ll change that.”

      Before ending the session, Abby gave Jason some paperwork to complete and made an appointment for him to attend the next meeting of the local Chamber of Commerce. “You are to dress in business attire, and make sure you introduce yourself to at least three people and exchange business cards. Oh, and by the way, I’ll be the keynote speaker at the event. I’ll see you next week.”

      “Isn’t it customary to shake hands at the end of a meeting?” Jason asked when Abby remained seated behind her desk.

      “No, and in some countries the man waits for the woman to hold out her hand first.”

      He held out his hand. “Fortunately, I’m not in one of those countries.”

      Abby sighed, stood and took his hand. He shook it, then brought it to his lips. “I’m sorry about the handshake,” he said, his breath warm against her skin.

      Abby swallowed, fighting to keep her tone neutral instead of breathless. “You’re forgiven.”

      He kissed the back of her hand, then released her. “Thank you.”

      “You’re welcome,” she said, the back of her hand feeling as if it were on fire. “And don’t kiss a woman’s hand like that unless you want to get into trouble.”

      Jason only grinned, his eyes making it clear that he welcomed trouble and all its consequences.

      * * *

      Jason got in his car, then pumped his fist in the air. Thank you, Mom. Christmas had come sooner than he’d expected. He’d never imagined that the right woman for him would show up like this. She had intrigued him from the moment he laid eyes on her. Not because she was attractive, which she was, or smart, but she wasn’t afraid of him. That was the biggest turn-on. She’d boldly met his gaze, as if challenging him to see how far he would go. The handshake was nothing. He’d had to restrain himself from pulling her closer so that he could inhale her perfume and feel her body against his. He wanted to see what she was like when she wasn’t thinking of business. He wanted to make her think of something else. He now had a new goal.

      His cell phone rang. He looked down at the number and grinned. “Right on time.”

      “How did it go?” Beatrice asked. “Did you scare her away?”

      “She doesn’t scare easily.”

      “That’s good. So you’ll give her a chance?”

      I plan to give her a lot of things. “Yes. You can pat yourself on the back. You were right. She’s just what I need.”

      * * *

      Abby had prepared herself for a number of things. But fierce attraction hadn’t been on her list. She’d assessed him well, but she hadn’t assessed him completely. He’d constantly caught her off guard, at one moment insulting her, then complimenting her in the same breath, not giving her a chance to know which it was or how to respond. Should she be pleased or offended? He knew more about his appearance than he was letting on. She wondered if he really thought he needed her services. He obviously didn’t seem to think he needed to change.

      What she hated most was how he made her heart race—that he made her notice him as a man instead of as a client. She hadn’t felt that way in a long time. His behavior was nothing new. She’d been hit on by clients before, but he was different. She wouldn’t be able to brush him aside. She briefly glanced at her hand, still feeling the sensation of his skin against hers.

      He was a lot bigger than she’d expected. Gruffer, too, but she wasn’t intimidated; she could already see him transformed.

      He’d surprised her with his calm manner. She’d been ready for his temper, outrage, a cool superiority. But he’d displayed none of those traits. She’d learned early on that it was best to keep her distance. Her cool demeanor kept a safe wall between herself and her clients, but Jason Ward was quickly melting it. And she couldn’t let him. Abby knew she would have to push away any preconceived notions and see what he was really about if she was going to help him.

      * * *

      “So, what is he like?” Judith asked Abby the next day. “I was worried about you. I could hardly concentrate. How awful was he?”

      Like I’d tell you. “I really shouldn’t discuss clients.”

      “I do it all the time.” There was a moment of silence. “That difficult, huh?” she said with pity.

      “He’s a fast learner.”

      “Is that supposed to mean something?”

      “Exactly what I said.”

      “You know, if you don’t feel comfortable with him, you don’t have to do this. Just admit you can’t do it. There are other clients.”

      But none like Jason Ward, Abby thought. She couldn’t wait to see him again. Because he was a challenge, nothing else. She’d seen his magnetism, and she would use it to keep a distance. She’d seen where her words bothered him; when she’d mentioned that women found him attractive, his gaze had gone hard. She’d have to figure out why. She was very curious. What was the key to unlocking the man behind the armor?

      “I’ll be fine,” she said, but she already knew that was a lie.