His mood hadn’t improved through the day. And if possible, became worse when he went to the suite to change for the event introducing the contractors and owners.
He stood just inside his son’s bedroom, watching for a minute at the child who had grown into a man before his father was prepared for it to happen, he realized suddenly. Jamie was relaxed on the bed, a book open and pen moving rapidly over the top sheet in his note pad.
Dark eyes met one another, the younger waiting patiently. There were seldom closed doors in their house but this evening, his father had closed the door behind him.
“What’s up?” Jamie arched a brow and held his pen patiently. It was evidently something he didn’t want to talk about with his sister. “Jenna okay?”
“Fine, reading, like you,” Jesse rubbed at his neck, the shirt he wore still open at the collar and tie hanging freely. “I wanted to talk to you and…”
“And not her?”
The surprise was obvious in Jamie’s voice.
“Two pissed off females in my life right now is not something I ever want, okay? I just…I need to know what you know about Charlotte Bell,” he pushed the words out quickly before he changed his mind.
“Know…Charlie?” He tossed the pen down and pulled himself to sit cross legged on the large bed. “She’s kick ass in the games she plays. Great at strategy and tactics, though I’m a little better, which is how I got through the screening for the team,” Jamie was still staring at his father oddly. “I don’t know what else you want to know, dad….give me a hint…”
Jesse almost laughed at the slight discomfort on his son’s face. He wondered when he had become so paranoid that he worried people spoke to his children just to get to him. He wondered when his ego and arrogance had fallen into that track. How did he slide between worrying about his kids and keeping people who might use them, away from his money? Was there much difference, he wondered tiredly.
He had long talks with the twins about this move, this involvement in the new city growing out of the reclamation. He’d rarely denied them. But he hoped he had taught them.
Especially about entitlement and earning what they want in life. He also hoped he’d taught them to share, properly share with the people who helped you achieve your goals and dreams.
They understood and it had choked him up when his daughter told him how proud she was at the decision and maybe, just maybe, she whispered to him when she hugged him, maybe it would spread and people would learn something vital.
“Um….she has red hair,” Jamie continued in the silence. “She’s your age, I think but she’s not old looking…”
Jesse sighed thickly. “I don’t know what I’m fishing for, Jamie.”
“Did you meet her?”
“We had dinner last night,” Jesse admitted, pacing across to the window and leaning his palms on the short lip, the breeze from the ocean barely noticed as the sun began its descent across the Sound.
“Alright. I’m confused,” Jamie admitted with two hands mimicking a gesture of his fathers, raking the straight brown hair back from his forehead. “You had dinner with her. On a date. So what’re you asking me about her for? Charlie’s pretty talkative. She’s a girl, sometimes they don’t shut up.”
“I didn’t know who she was…I mean I knew…I didn’t know she was the woman you’d been gaming with until this morning when I stopped for coffee,” Jesse couldn’t recall the last time he felt like an idiot trying to hold a conversation. “I knew her name, she introduced herself when I asked her out. Charlotte Bell.”
“What’s the problem then?”
“Did she ever ask questions about your parents when you gamed?”
“I…” a light went off and Jamie nodded slowly to himself. “Not to hit your ego, dad, but we talk game stuff. I knew she made coffee only ‘cause one of the other teams whined about needing a coffee fix before we could launch the mission. Just like we know Faith’s a computer geek works in the IT department here. We didn’t know how old they were until we met them a couple days back. We didn’t even know their last names or that stuff until then. We only knew her as Charlie,” he said with a shrug, searching his memory. “I guess we kind of talked about the move. Mostly how long until we could get our own stuff back…things like that. I think Jenna and Faith talked about the major building going on and how they’d definitely need doctors who wanted to care about people more than money.” Jamie considered his next question carefully. “Are you dating her?”
“Interesting question,” Jesse replied with a light scoff. “At the moment, I’m trying to work out how to apologize for being an ass.”
Jamie met the eyes of the man he’d never seen in doubt with a half shrug and a crooked grin. “Just blame it on being male. It’s in our genes.”
“You need to stop listening to your sister.”
“Can’t…she’s right too often,” he grumbled, thinking of a few of his own missteps dating. “And she does think like a girl. Charlie is pissed at you?”
“Yes. And maybe following your theory, I earned it.”
“So fix it. You’re good at that stuff,” Jamie returned to his stomach, lifting his pen again.
So simple, Jesse thought. “Thanks. I’m out for a while.”
“Have a good time,” came the absent farewell.
Jesse met the curious eyes as he walked back to the main room of the suite. He wanted the house finished, too, he decided, making a mental note to check on things on Monday.
“Another date tonight?” Jenna had hinted for information about his date with Charlotte. “You took Charlie out last night, didn’t you? I asked Faith, so I already know.”
“Is that a problem? I’ll try not to intrude on your gaming time,” he said dryly.
“Not a problem for me unless it throws her game off,” Jenna answered easily. “Do you like her?”
“Private life,” Jesse said flatly, working the tie into a taut black bow and checking inside pockets before striding to the door. “Don’t wait up.”
“That’s not good,” Jenna said with a little frown, staring at her phone, fingers tapping and then closing it with a snap and a resolute sigh. “They’re adults. They’ll manage.”
Jesse Hunter didn’t stop and think why Paige wasn’t with Sebastian when they stood talking with several of the building contractors. Until he saw two redheads laughing across the large banquet room, several men joining them. It wasn’t difficult to see the way their eyes went along the curving forms, long legs and short dresses. He didn’t try and stop the male in him from going to the floor and following the long tanned legs higher.
“Is Charlie the reason you’ve been slamming things all day?” Sebastian snagged a glass of wine from a passing tray and took a casual taste and watched his friend try not to study the redhead flirting with their contractors.
“Charlie?” Jesse followed his move and caught a glass of white wine, one hand shoved in his pocket.
“Charlotte Bell,” Sebastian nodded toward the two redheads. “Paige decided to introduce her to some of the single engineers and contractors.”
“It doesn’t bother you?”
“The men hovering? Paige is mine…just as I’m hers,” he shrugged. “She also comes armed and isn’t afraid to make a scene if one of them gets out of line. If I don’t have trust with her, we don’t have much.”
“Paige, you do realize that this has just shown him that in addition to trolling the internet and my own coffee shop, I troll other people’s office parties for dates,” Charlotte walked with her friend away from the men with a shake of her head.
“However, being the strong and independent woman that you are,” Paige offered her a narrow goblet of wine. “You really don’t care what he thinks.”
Charlotte tossed the thick, free flowing red hair over one shoulder, tipped her head and drained the glass of wine she held in her hand. Pale amber eyes sparkled with laughter.
“No, I don’t,” Charlotte agreed brightly. “And since you were kind enough to give me a lift, I can catch a cab home and intend to enjoy the wine and even a little dancing.”
“I’ve never known a girl named Charlie,” commented one of the engineers she’d met minutes before. “However, I’d be glad to volunteer a dance.”
Charlotte was positive he was a few years younger than her but she didn’t care and offered him her palm. “I would love it, thank you.”
Sebastian caught Paige’s palm and led her to the quiet dance floor, his palm taking one of hers to his lips. “You do realize you’re going to be the cause of a war.”
“I’m not about to discuss my opinions of one boss with one of the other bosses,” Paige told him with a tip of her nose.
“So it’s his fault?”
“Any comment I make would seem like office gossip,” she returned with a bright smile. “Besides, you told me to mind my own business.” She managed to hold the laughter inside at his shocked expression all of one second, her arms up and around his neck, slender fingers toying with the strands of gold straw he’d allowed free tonight.
“And when did you start listening to me? That memo I’d have framed,” he snorted happily.
Charlotte Bell decided half way through the dance with Rory Chambers that she really did prefer to be making up new coffee blends if this was her alternative. She figured her lips were frozen in place and the smile wasn’t one that was coming easily to her at the moment.
And a great deal of the rest of her froze in place when she saw the feral gleam in Jesse Hunter’s eyes as he strode out of the milling people in the large ballroom and seemed to know exactly what his target was. She swallowed hard and waited, too aware of the warmth buzzing in her middle.
Jesse watched his presence register in her eyes. He wondered at her arrogance comment when he decided she wasn’t having a good time with the guy holding her too close for the dance.
Arrogance or wishful thinking, he mused briefly, dark lashes narrowed a bit when the man’s hand slid to the rise of her behind and she offered no protest.
He hadn’t slept much the night before. He knew his children. He knew them well enough that they didn’t brag about him or his worth. They were more likely to talk about things they’d done or arguments they’d worked through.
He knew from conversations with them they’d often shut people down who questioned that they sometimes rode in a limo or ate at a certain place and it was broadcast on some social network.
Then he saw his intent register in her eyes and felt a thin slice of his hide carved off and resolutely accepted that he deserved it. Jesse met the eyes of the younger man holding onto Charlotte and applied the appropriate male expression, his gaze cruising over the woman in the middle.
“May I cut in?” Jesse offered his hand. He knew etiquette, he knew manners. He also knew the younger man worked for him and wouldn’t dare refuse, though he did see a sliver of annoyance in his eyes before he covered it.
Charlotte had been traded in dances enough time to know it really didn’t matter to the males what the woman wanted, something that continued to irk.
“My pleasure,” Rory tipped his head slightly. “I’ll find you later, Charlie.”
“I’m not sure I care for him,” Jesse announced simply, his hand quickly fitting into hers, the other at her waist before she could bolt.
“You requested a dance. Nothing was said about conversation, and I certainly do not need or want your opinion of whom I choose to associate with,” she informed him stiffly, setting her teeth firmly together and staring at his shoulder. She didn’t pretend to smile and tried to make her mind focus on the music, not his cologne or how amazing he made the black tux look.
“You didn’t have a happy look in your eyes when you were dancing with him,” Jesse watched the slightly tinted mouth purse a little tighter.
“I don’t know what you do for a living, but I’m guessing you’re in high level management since you don’t take instruction well,” Charlotte ground her teeth together. “Dance. No conversation. I’m angry at you.”
“I owe you an apology.” He said as if she hadn’t spoken. This time he did see the faintest flicker of something but she continued to stare at his shoulder. “I wouldn’t have thought you the type to withhold forgiveness from a politely given apology,” he laughed at the sudden shift of her eyes to his, the myriad of expressions too many to count. But he was pretty sure fury still ruled.
Charlotte returned her gaze to his shoulder, trying to remember just how long the song was that was playing. Soon, something told her, teeth grinding and his palm sliding possessively along her back. His palm was still technically on her back, right? She wasn’t quite sure how much further she’d let his hand slide before she said something. And hoped it didn’t come out as the soft mew of pleasure she felt brewing inside her.
Her brain was flipping between how nice it had been to see him this morning and how much she wanted to kill him, all before seven in the morning.
“Sulking?”
“Ignoring,” she countered sweetly. “You’ve offered your apology. You realize you made a huge mistake and that’s the end of it.”
“Is it?” The smallest hint of humor played over his lips. He had to admit he’d given little thought to playful flirting over the last dozen years or more.
“I’m not your type,” she informed him with a nod, satisfied with the direction of their conversation.
“Oh? Do you think we know each other well enough to predict a type?”
Charlotte had been watching the tall almost regal woman talking to people on the fringe of the milling people near the bar. She had heels that went on forever and legs that picked up after that, leading into a sea green dress that ended in an open slit on the side. She landed on Sebastian at last who seemed to be pointing her to the dance floor.
“I’m thinking she’s your type,” Charlotte wasn’t sure why but this promised to be entertaining. From somewhere, a smile brightened her face. She bit the inside of her cheek when the low, growling curse left the man holding her. But it was trepidation she felt suddenly, not humor at his predicament. Something was wrong.
“What the hell is she doing here?” All the humor and relaxation he’d been feeling, all the fun at exchanging words with Charlotte suddenly went up in smoke. A dark, black lethal smoke.
“Friend of yours? She seems to have really good radar,” Charlotte tried stepping back when the music stopped but his arms didn’t loosen. “I think the music is over.”
“Have you been to the buffet?” Jesse turned her without waiting for a response, his palm riding warmly on her waist. “Why do you think you’re not my type?”
“Because I need trust and you don’t have it to give,” Charlotte stopped moving forward and took a step to the side. “Good night, Jesse Hunter.”
He stood momentarily stunned.
Not only at her comment but at his reaction to it.
Trust. The key ingredient Sebastian had mentioned with Paige. Long, strong strides had him at her side without pausing, his hand back at her waist and his head bent next to her ear.
“I need your help and I’m willing to bargain,” he said quietly, fiercely. “You don’t owe me a thing,” he said when her mouth opened and eyes narrowed. “I’m not even pretending you do, Charlotte. And when we have more time and privacy, I’ll explain everything. I’m asking for your help right now. I’m asking you to trust me with a problem I have that I believed remained in Vancouver,” he paused, swore he could see her walking the line between yes and no. “Please.”
Charlotte was the only one who heard the softest sigh of genuine relief when he sighed after she nodded agreement. “What do you need help with, Jesse?”
“Just…” His head turned in the direction of the approaching blonde.
Charlotte frowned and followed his gaze. Something was definitely off, she realized, the look in the green eyes had been focused on Jesse until she got closer to the couple.
Was this the reason he didn’t trust? Then her gaze went to where his palm rested on her hip and Charlotte really didn’t like the pure hatred she saw there. Carefully hidden, but definitely there.
She saw Jesse as her property, Charlotte realized sharply, positive she could feel the burning fire of the woman’s glare over her skin. She wasn’t sure why, but her body seemed to automatically fold against Jesse’s, a strange sense of uncertainty making her edgy.
“Jesse…darling…I’ve been searching all over for you,” the blonde made a move forward, stopping when only a flat stare was returned.
“What are you doing here, Jasmine? This is a business party,” Jesse kept his hand firmly on Charlotte’s hip.
“We’re associates, Jesse,” she turned the smile that had been reserved for him to Charlotte and offered her palm. “Jasmine Billings.”
“Charlotte Bell,” she placed her hand in the one offered, one woman appraising the other, she thought. But more so. “You’re an old friend of Jesse’s? From where he used to live? He hasn’t mentioned you, but then we’re not big on dissecting the past, are we, lover?”
“I know how much you live in the now, Charlotte,” Jesse felt part of him relax. Charlotte was smart and intuitive and evidently sensed something. His body reacted when she leaned against him, her hips moving to stand in front of him, as if to shield him, he thought briefly. An almost protective stance and he realized it wasn’t something he’d ever had before.
“Jesse and I have known one another a long time, Ms. Bell,” Jasmine said, a hint of the effort it was taking her to remain civil.
“Good friends, are you?” Charlotte decided she wanted to see how close this blonde was to Jesse and moved easily in front of him, taking both his hands in hers and wrapping them around her, their fingers entwined at her waist. “You must have been sad when he left Vancouver,” Charlotte wracked her brain for information, all the while watching the jealousy simmering in the woman’s green eyes.
“It isn’t such a long distance,” she assured Charlotte with a simple shrug.
“Very true…just please, call before you show up on our doorstep,” Charlotte laid her head against his jaw. “I try and take weekends off and we like to sleep late. And I work early mornings, so we tend to turn in early. Do you work, Ms. Billings? I’m sure you understand the constraints it puts on a couple.”
“I’m very sure I do.”
“Well, it was nice meeting you, but I’m after the ladies room,” she turned in his arms and kissed him soundly, dancing amber eyes meeting a pair of dark circles with too many sparks flaring to life inside them for her to guess his mood. “I’ll be right back.”
“You appear to be settling in well, Jesse,” Jasmine Billings met the dark eyes without blinking.
“Jasmine, you’re breaking a restraining order by being here,” Jesse spoke the words slowly, carefully. It only just dawned on him the possible danger he’d thrown Charlotte into by mixing her with Jasmine.
“We’re in the States, Jesse,” she laughed and stepped closer to him, her palm up and stroking lightly over his arm. She shrugged. “It’s a nice resort. I might stay awhile and visit. Have a pleasant evening, Jesse.” She paused, her head tipped slightly to the side. “You know you won’t be happy with anyone other than me. I’ve told you that before.”