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She held back a sigh—she’d never let Allan see that kind of weakness from her. “I’m not about to let you win. I don’t care if I have to work 24/7 when we get back from taking care of this business on the East Coast. That’s what I’ll do.”
He gave her that cocky half grin of his. “I expected a fight. Glad to hear you will be delivering one.”
“Really?”
“Yes,” he said. “I like our skirmishes.”
“Is that all our encounters are to you?” she asked, thinking of that one kiss they’d shared. There was something weird about kissing your enemy and finding some attraction there.
“Are you asking about the night of Patti and John’s wedding?”
“Yes. Seemed like we weren’t at war that night.”
“Well, we were, but we got distracted,” he said.
“Until someone prettier came along,” she said, remembering watching another bridesmaid, Camille Bolls, walk out of Allan’s hotel room the morning after.
He shook his head. “There is no one who can compare to you.”
“Ah, I’ve looked in the mirror. I’m not a classic beauty,” Jessi admitted. And clearly not his type. It didn’t bother her. Really, it didn’t. She had chosen her look a long time ago and had done it deliberately. Most people saw her modern punk exterior and decided she was hard as nails. Exactly what she’d intended when she’d had her nose pierced and a small tattoo done on her collarbone near the hollow of her throat. It was discreet and could be covered with the collar of most blouses.
“No, but there is still...something about you that makes it hard to look away,” he said.
“You must have an iron will because you don’t have any problems doing it,” she said.
He leaned forward, his arms resting on his knees and his expression more sincere than she’d seen in a while. “That’s because I’m not a sap. I know better than to let you think there is anything between us. You’d use it, and me, to get whatever you wanted.”
She shrugged. It would be nice to believe she had that kind of power over him. “Good thing I stopped believing in fairy tales a long time ago.”
“Sometimes I don’t know whether to arm wrestle you or kiss you.”
“Kiss me? That didn’t really get us anywhere the last time,” she said.
“I was hesitant because of business complications, but now Playtone has the upper hand with Infinity and there is nothing stopping me from taking what I want.”
“Except me,” she said softly.
She looked over at him to gauge his reaction, and it was clear that he took it as a challenge. Suddenly, she was able to let herself forget about everything else that had happened today. Forget about the mess that her life was at this moment and remember that Allan McKinney was the one man who’d always been a worthy opponent.
“Except you,” he said, “But I have a feeling you want to know if that one kiss was a fluke, as well.”
“I have a feeling you’re nothing but ego,” she countered, refusing to let him see that she was intrigued. She’d never admit it out loud, but she’d had more than one hot fantasy about him.
She didn’t really want to do this now, didn’t want to have some kind of intense physical attraction to Allan McKinney. But there was no denying that she’d thought about that embrace more times than she’d wanted to over the past year and a half. She’d thought about him more than she’d wanted to. And those thoughts hadn’t always involved fantasies of seeing him roasted over a pit.
She had to admit that in her musings he was usually shirtless, and most times they were both overheated. But that was her secret desire, and no way was she letting anything like that out in the open.
* * *
She looked so determined and at the same time so adorable.... What was wrong with him? Had he really become so bored with life that the only time he felt truly engaged was when he was going toe-to-toe with this woman? He could deny it all he wanted, but he knew the truth. There was something about Jessi that turned him on.
They were alone in the jet and would be for the entirety of the flight. Fawkes rode up front in the cockpit and functioned as copilot.
Allan had thought of Jessi as steel-hearted before today. She’d always seemed sort of a ballbuster until he’d seen the cracks and chinks in her tough-girl facade. Even when she’d hired that P.I. to investigate John before he’d married Patti, Allan hadn’t realized that she’d done it because of her deep emotional attachments, not just to be a bitch. Because she cared about her friend...maybe even loved her. He’d never suspected that the woman who needled him the way she did could be as soft as he was beginning to suspect she was.
“I think I might be able to persuade you to come around to my way of thinking about sex instead of love,” he said. He needed to change the dynamic between them. Get them back to the familiar footing they’d always been on.
“That’s putting a lot of pressure on your charm and sex appeal,” she said with a wry grin.
“Trying to take potshots at my ego?” He put his hand over his heart. “Hoping to see if you can deflate me?”
“Sort of. Is it working?”
“Nah, I still know I’m all that and a bag of doughnuts,” he said.
She laughed, but it sounded a little forced to him, and he realized she was on edge, too. Maybe because she’d felt something for him that one night, or maybe it still had to do with John’s and Patti’s deaths. Allan had no idea, and if he were honest, he didn’t care at this moment. Thinking about Jessi, sparring with her, kept him from remembering his best friend was dead.
“You’re some piece of work,” she said. “Let’s see what you’re bringing to the game, big boy. How are you going to tempt me?”
“I thought I’d make it into a challenge,” he said.
“What kind?”
She seemed intrigued, and he had to wonder if maybe she needed a distraction, the way he did. They’d always made bets over outrageous things and always honored them. In fact, if she weren’t so...well, if she weren’t Jessi, he’d actually like her. But she was Jessi. A Chandler. A prickly, ornery woman with as much cuddliness as a porcupine.
“One you won’t want to lose,” he said.
“I’m listening.”
“I’m betting that you’re attracted to me and that you can’t control yourself better than I can when we put each other to the test,” he said. It was a calculated risk. A chance to prove to himself that his iron willpower over his body and his sexual prowess were still intact. Because there was something very different about Jessi, something that he didn’t entirely know how to deal with.
“I know I can,” she said. “So what’s in it for me?”
He thought about it for a few long minutes, shifting back in the chair. Just thinking of kissing her made him stir, so he stretched his long legs out in front of him to relieve the pressure on his groin.
“If you win I’ll help you keep your job at the newly merged Playtone-Infinity Games,” he said.
A light went out of her eyes and he saw her nibble on her lower lip. He didn’t know what he’d said to cause that reaction, and made a mental note to pursue the question at another time.
“And if you win?” she asked.
“You let me buy you out,” he said. “You walk away from gaming a wealthy woman.”
“If you agree to help me, can you guarantee that I won’t be axed?” she asked. “Because I don’t think Kell is going to be that impressed with you saying that you lost a kissing contest with me and that’s why you have to keep me on.”
“Oh, Jess, I’m not going to lose,” Allan said. “But if I do, I will help you by making my network of contacts available to you. I have a feeling that with those connections you’d be unstoppable.”
“Why not just do that anyway?” she asked.
“We’re enemies, remember? From the first moment we met you knew I was a Montrose cousin and I knew you were a Chandler sister.”
“True. The family feud will always be there, won’t it? Even though Cari and Dec have a son and are planning to get married...there’s still bad blood between our families in your eyes.”
“It’s hard to just dismiss it,” he said. “So do we have a deal?”
She crossed her arms under her breasts while she leaned back in her chair, then crossed her slim legs. She wore boots that would look ridiculous on anyone else, combat boots with a thick, three-inch heel that gave her added height. Tight-fitting leather pants and a loose, sheer black blouse completed the outfit. But it wasn’t inappropriate, given that it was Jessi. He could tell by her all-black outfit that she was mourning.
“All I have to do to win is make sure you are more affected by one kiss than I am?” she asked.
“That’s it. Keep in mind in certain circles I’m known as—”
“The man with a big mouth and bigger ego?” she taunted.
“You’re going down, Chandler,” he said.
“Only if I agree to your deal. And given how hard you’re pushing for me to accept it, I’d say I’m destined to win.”
“There was something destined to happen,” he said, leaning forward in his chair and putting his hands on the armrests on either side of her. “Stop baiting me and make your choice.”
“Am I baiting you?” she asked, shifting closer to him and tilting her head to one side as she stared at his mouth.
“You know you are,” he said, trying to ignore the tingling of his lips. He was in control here.
“Well, then I guess I’m going to have to accept your wager. Prepare to lose, McKinney,” she said.
* * *
Jessi came over to him and straddled his lap. Slowly, she eased forward and brought her mouth down on his. Her only thought was to do this and win, and then she’d focus on keeping her job. But the moment her mouth met his something changed.
It had been easy to tell herself that her memory of what had happened between them at the wedding wasn’t accurate, or that everything had been due to the champagne she’d drunk that night. But now, in the cold reality at thirty-five thousand feet in the air, there was no denying that the attraction she felt for him was real.
His mouth was firm against hers and his lips were soft. He was letting her be the aggressor, and she took full advantage of that, running her tongue over the seam where his lips met. He tasted minty and fresh, and she pulled back, but felt his hand on her head, keeping her in place.
His tongue traced her lips, as well, and she wondered if he’d like the flavor of her strawberry lip gloss or if it would be too sweet for him. But he didn’t say anything, only kept coming back to taste more of it and of her.
She opened her mouth and felt the brush of his tongue over hers. She wanted to moan, but kept that sound locked away. She struggled to remember she was competing here. And suddenly it seemed stupid to her that the first man she’d kissed in a long time—and wanted to keep on kissing—was playing a game with her.
She closed her eyes and let herself experience the embrace of a man who made her want to forget she was a Chandler, and just enjoy being a woman.
His mouth was warm, and he tasted good. So good she never wanted the kiss to end. She shifted to get closer to him, but he kept the distance between them and she realized she was in danger of losing this bet. She hadn’t anticipated having to fight her own urges while she kissed him.
She tried to think of Allan, tried to stem the need welling up inside her to feel his solid chest pressed against hers. Tried to forget that she’d seen him shirtless enough times to know that he had solid pecs and a well-developed six-pack. Tried to forget that the man was seriously ripped.
She was losing it and losing the challenge. But then she felt the barest movement of his fingers against her neck. The tracing of a pattern that sent shivers down her spine and electric tingles through her entire body. Dammit, she thought, as every nerve ending started to pulse in time with her heartbeat.
She reached for his head. Tunneled her fingers through his thick hair and pulled him closer. She thrust her tongue deep into his mouth and forced him to take her. Reminded him that she was in control of this desire and this embrace.
But then he answered back and she was once again adrift. Forced to forget about wagers and feuds and every single thing except the way his mouth felt against hers and the way he made her wish this kiss would never end.
She rubbed her thumb against the base of his neck in a small circle and felt his heartbeat quicken. She took her time spreading her fingers out and enjoying the feel of his scalp under her hand, until she shifted forward and forced his head to the side, where she could take more control of their embrace.
But it was no longer about power or winning. Now she was kissing him because the taste of him was addictive. She’d never forget this one moment for years to come; she knew it with bone-deep certainty. The way he felt with just her hands in his hair and her lips on his. The way his tongue felt deep in her mouth as the smell of his aftershave surrounded her.
The dreams and desires she’d forced aside for too long came rushing up to her and she saw a chance to have everything she’d ever wanted. A man who could make her feel real desire and an out to walk away from the gaming world once and for all. All she’d have to do was give up everything she’d made herself into as an adult.
She’d have to lose to Allan. She’d have to show him that she could be vulnerable, and she’d have to admit it all out loud.
She sucked his lower lip into her mouth and bit down, and then rubbed her tongue over it to soothe it. She didn’t think she could do that. But when she felt his hands tightening in her hair for a moment and a low groan issued from the back of his throat, she realized she might not have to.
He pulled his mouth from hers. She opened her eyes to look up into his intense gaze, and shook from what she saw there. He might want to pretend that she was nothing more than an old enemy to him, but the truth was there in those dilated pupils and in the flush across his cheekbones.
She almost cursed out loud as she realized there was no winner in this. No outcome that could be decided other than the truth. She was attracted to him. And though she’d hoped that maybe kissing him would distract her from the lonely feeling in her soul, it hadn’t worked. In fact, she really wanted to just curl up next to him and forget about challenges and the world outside, and take some comfort in his arms.
If he hadn’t made this a contest and if she’d been a different sort of woman—the kind who was okay being emotional and needy—then she’d be able to just rest her head on his shoulder and admit that she hadn’t ever felt this scared and alone before.
“So...” he said. “That was more than I expected.”
“Me, too,” she admitted. “I guess we underestimated how much we’d enjoy each other.”
“I sure did. Tonight especially, I...I enjoyed kissing you, Jessi.”
“Me, too, Allan. I don’t think you’re my archnemesis anymore.”
“That’s good. So what are we going to do about this? Is it just grief? Did we turn to each other because our friends are gone?”
She shrugged. A part of her wanted to say yes and make this about the tragedy that had brought them both together. But she knew that would be a lie. And lying even to herself was something she didn’t like to do.
“I really don’t know,” she admitted.
“Me, either. I have always been able to... Never mind. The real question is what are we going to do about it?”
She didn’t have an answer. There wasn’t a clear solution. He had surprised her and made her realize that there was more to this man than she’d previously thought. Because if he’d been all ego, then he would have swaggered away from her. But he was sitting across from her, looking just as perplexed as she was.
Four
It was humid and breezy as they stepped off the plane at the Dare County Airport in Manteo, North Carolina. Unlike the Los Angeles area, where everything was either developed or part of the desert, North Carolina—and especially the Outer Banks—was made up of small villages surrounded by state-owned land that had been preserved to keep this part of the world wild.
As the breeze flattened her shirt to her breasts, Allan was transfixed for a second by the sheer beauty of Jessi. Who’d have guessed that she would be a femme fatale without even trying? He fiddled with the strap on his overnight bag to distract himself.
But there was no distraction from Jessi. Her perfume danced on the wind and wrapped around his senses as he stood there in the eerie predawn light.
“Thanks for the lift,” she said in that smart-ass way of hers that signaled the truce they’d sort of reached on the plane was over.
“You’re welcome. It was an enjoyable flight,” he said.
“Whatever. I figured I’d stay at Patti and John’s bed-and-breakfast until we go home,” she said.
“Fawkes has taken care of all the arrangements. The staff has canceled new arrivals, and when I spoke to the caretaker, he said there were only two couples left at the resort and that they would be leaving today.”
“I guess that’s one less thing to worry about,” she said. “I’m more than ready to talk to their attorney and do whatever we need to do. Patti’s mother isn’t going to be much help...since she’s ill.”
Allan understood that Patti’s mom, Amelia Pearson, was in the second stage of Alzheimer’s-related dementia, but John had told him to keep it quiet, since Patti hadn’t wanted anyone to know. He saw how thinking about Amelia’s condition affected Jessi. Her shoulders were stooped for a second and he imagined it was from the burden of knowing that your best friend’s own mother might not be able to mourn her.
“As soon as we see the attorney this morning we’ll know more,” he said. It wasn’t something he was looking forward to, but at least Allan already knew a lot about John’s wishes for the future. His friend had always been very loquacious and liked to share his dreams once he’d met and married Patti.
“I don’t get why they wanted to live here,” Jessi said. She glanced around the small airport. “I mean, it’s nice enough to get away from the bustle of L.A. once in a while, but all the time? I don’t think I could do it,” she said. “It’s going to take us over an hour to get to their place on Hatteras.”
“I know, and my cell phone signal stinks. I think Kell is probably going to disown me if I don’t check in, and I’ve only got one bar,” Allan said.
Jessi pulled her iPhone out of her pocket and glanced at the screen. “I’ve got almost two bars...want to use mine?”
He looked at her. As an olive branch gesture it was almost remarkable. She’d never offered him anything before. He tucked that fact away in the back of his mind to analyze later as he nodded at her.
“I have his number preprogrammed. He’s listed under Darth Sucks-A-Lot,” Jessi said as she handed the phone over.
Allan turned away to keep her from seeing the smile that spread across his face. He couldn’t wait to tell Dec, who would think Jessi’s tag for Kell was funny. “Don’t let him see that. He hates Star Wars.”
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