In The Boss's Bed. J. Margot Critch
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it seemed she could barely think straight. When his eyes connected with hers, she couldn’t hear what was going on around her or what he or anyone else in the class was saying. She could hear nothing but the sound of her heart beating in her ears. When his gaze connected with hers, she could only manage to fidget with her fingers, her pen. She straightened some papers on her desk, and then she straightened them again. Anything so she wouldn’t have to look back at the man in front of her. The man who seemingly made her cheeks flush and her skin tingle with a single stare.
* * *
AFTER ONE OF the most uncomfortable hours of his life, Jamie said goodbye to the class and wished them luck in their future careers. He shook Dr. Carmichael’s hand and quickly left the classroom. He stopped in the hallway outside to pull out his phone to see how many calls, texts and emails he had missed. There were many of each. He sighed. Once again, he thought of the empty assistant’s desk in the corner of his office and remembered that he had to get on with hiring someone new. Martin wasn’t coming back, no matter what price Jamie offered him.
Jamie put his phone to his ear, when he felt the soft touch of a hand on his arm. He turned and saw her. Maya Connor. The woman from the bar last night. The woman who had been sitting front and center during his talk. How many times was he forced to tear his gaze from her, only to have it roam, out of his control, back in her direction. How many times had he tripped over his own tongue when he thought of her arms around him and her body pressed against his? More than once the blood that fueled his brain, his speech and any logical thought he’d formed surged south. Luckily, he’d worn dark pants, so his innermost thoughts and desires remained secret to the class. But the fact that he couldn’t seem to control his hormones, as if he were a horny teenager, bothered him right in the control-freak tendencies.
Last night he’d watched her from the staircase leading up to his office, and he had to hold himself back from going to her. He had spent the rest of the night watching Maya from his office through the window that let him see what was happening in his club. No matter where she was in the crowd, he had always seemed to be able to find her. Like a siren in the fog, she drew him in whether he liked it or not. On the dance floor, she’d moved effortlessly to the beat of the music. He had pondered arranging a VIP table for them, but he remembered the frightened look in her eyes after she’d kissed him, and he thought better of it. He wouldn’t want to scare her off, and he certainly wanted to see her back in his club again.
Jamie knew that he had to be careful. Thankfully, he hadn’t seen any pictures or videos posted of their kiss. He’d spent the morning scouring the worst of the online tabloids, especially Montreal Secrets, run by John Power, which had been decidedly poor in their treatment of him since he’d opened his first club.
In this case, he’d gotten lucky. He couldn’t afford any bad press as he was about to embark on one of the most daunting projects of his life, and he certainly didn’t have time to be in a relationship, or even just casually see anyone. Every bit of focus had to be put toward his work.
“Listen, Mr. Sellers,” Maya said, interrupting his thoughts. She averted her eyes and was clearly embarrassed. He enjoyed the way her brow creased and the way she brought her bottom lip between her teeth.
Jamie was watching her mouth, wishing that his lips, teeth and tongue were there, joined with hers. So he didn’t realize that she was still speaking and he had to force his eyes back to hers. The beautiful, dark, almond eyes he recalled from the previous night. He was lost.
“I’m really sorry about last night,” she stammered. “I shouldn’t have kissed you. It was inappropriate, and it was—”
“It’s okay,” he said, assuring her with a smile.
“It’s really not,” she insisted. “It’s just that my friend Abby dared me to do something reckless, and I’d had a bit too much to drink. Oh, and can I assume you paid for our drinks?” He nodded. “It was sweet, but really not necessary. Here, let me pay you back.” She reached into her purse and pulled out her wallet. “How much do I owe you? I made sure to tip the bartender. I hope it was enough for how much the bill must have been—”
He put a hand on hers, stilling her. “Don’t.” He forced himself to ignore the sizzle he felt when his fingers touched hers. “Keep your money. It’s not a big deal. It was only a couple of drinks.”
She laughed. The sound pulsed pleasantly through him. “I think it was more than a couple, if how I felt this morning was any indication. And for your information, just so we’re clear, that’s not why I kissed you. This isn’t some scam I have to get free drinks. I didn’t even know who you were. I just thought you were some sexy guy at the bar—” She stopped suddenly, and her eyes widened, the flush returning to her cheeks. She laughed once more, shakily, bringing her palm to her forehead. “I’m rambling again, aren’t I? I do that when I’m nervous. I just can’t stop talking sometimes. It’s this thing I do.” She was speaking so quickly that Jamie could barely keep up. She gesticulated wildly. “I say something embarrassing, and then I keep talking to try and talk my way out of it. And I just can’t stop myself. I go on and on and on and on. And I can’t stop.” She paused. “I should just stop talking, shouldn’t I?”
It was Jamie’s turn to laugh. This woman was not only gorgeous, but she was also absolutely delightful to be around. “I really wish you wouldn’t.” He opened his mouth to continue when he heard a familiar voice over his shoulder.
“Jamie, Maya,” Dr. Carmichael said, placing an arm over each of their shoulders. “I’m glad you had a chance to get acquainted.” He smiled indulgently at them both. “Jamie, Maya is one of the finest students I’ve ever had the pleasure of teaching.”
Jamie looked at her, wonder raising his eyebrows. He knew that Dr. C.’s compliments were not easy to come by. He’d had to work long and hard before he had earned any of his own. He knew Maya must be something special to have deserved such commendation. “Is that right? That’s certainly high praise, indeed.” He nodded appreciatively. “Any plans for after graduation?”
She exhaled slightly and allowed the rigidity in her posture to relax slightly. The shift was subtle, but he noticed. Clearly, she was a woman who was most at ease with her work.
“I’ve got nothing concrete lined up yet, but I’m interested in hotel management,” she told him, her voice giving away the fact that she had definitely memorized the answer and used it often. “I’ve got a career path that I’d like to follow to make that happen.”
“That’s great. It’s important to stay focused on your goals.” Jamie’s phone started ringing in his left hand, and he held out his right to Maya. “Maya, it was a pleasure meeting you today,” he added for emphasis, before turning to his mentor. “Dr. C., I’ll be in touch. Let’s have dinner some night when I’m not quite so bogged down with work.”
The professor smiled. “Well, son, unless you’ve changed your ways recently, I don’t know when that will be.”
Jamie regretted not having time to catch up with his mentor. A man who had done so much for him and his career. “Thanks for having me.”
“Thanks for coming in, Jamie.” The man shook his hand and gave him a pat on the shoulder before releasing him, his eyes twinkling with obvious pride. “Look after yourself. But make sure you focus on what’s really important in life.”
Jamie looked quizzically at the professor before putting his phone to his ear, turning his back on the old man and the single most beautiful woman he had ever met. He had important business to conduct with the contractor on the other end, but it didn’t stop him from thinking about the woman who had come into his life, catching him off guard for the second time in just under twelve hours. He pushed all thoughts of Maya out of his mind. He had work to do, and he certainly didn’t have time for indulging fantasies of gorgeous graduate students.
“Scott, good to hear from you,” he said into the phone, pushing through the doors to the warm spring air.