Читать книгу Snapped - Christine d'Abo - Страница 6

Chapter One

Preparations for the reality contest Domestic Goddess are underway. We’re liaising with our U.S. parent company on this show, and for the first time I’m pulling double duty as director and producer. Lots of new faces on both the cast and crew. I’m pleased to be working with Tamara Foles again. I know she wasn’t Reality Life’s first choice for this show, but I think she’ll do a fantastic job.

Production Notes, Brian Merrick, Director

“There you go, Ms. Foles, you’re all set. Enjoy your flight to New York.”

I think the poor lady was scared of me. Her tight smile pulled her cheeks up so high they kissed the bottoms of her eyes. The way she shoved my passport back, as though it was radioactive, normally would have had me giggling. But not today. No, today I was about to get on an airplane. Me, in flight. So not good.

“Thank you.” I snapped my passport up, gave the woman a brief nod and spun on my heel to face my friend and business partner.

Sophia stood behind the check-in line gawking around Pearson Airport as she waited for me. I loved Sophie as if she were my own sister, but the fact that I got assigned to judge a reality show—and by extension was the one who was about to board an airplane—was completely her fault.

Reality Life had wanted one of us for their new interior-design contest show Domestic Goddess on their U.S. station. It was a way for us to introduce our interior design business to a wider audience. It was being taped in New York, the location of Reality Life’s headquarters. Plus, we also had an opportunity to bid on a design contract to redo their head office. While Sophia was the natural choice as judge, her skills in the boardroom weren’t up to mine. She’d suggested we both go, push off our paying customers for the month so we could divide and conquer. While I knew she was the one people really wanted to see on the show, we couldn’t afford for us to both leave our customers. Plus, the brass at Reality Life wanted a hard-ass to act as a third judge.

Sophia was many things, but not an Ice Queen. I’d learned long ago that with a few sharp looks and carefully chosen barbs, I could scare just about anyone. It wasn’t something I took pride in, but over the years it had slowly become my default defense mechanism in stressful situations. So I agreed to act as a judge on the show, leaving Sophia to hold down our business while I was away.

All I had to do was survive the flight.

“I’m all checked in and ready to rock.”

“Awesome.” Sophia handed me my small carry-on bag and hooked her thumb into her jeans pocket. “I’ll walk you over to the security check-in.”

“I’m fine and can manage on my own.” My cheeks were starting to hurt from keeping my smile in place. The sooner Sophie left the sooner I’d have to stop pretending. “It’s just over there. Not even thirty feet away.”

“That’s such bullshit.” She linked her arm through mine and pulled me along. “I know flying scares the shit out of you.”

“I’m not scared. Thousands of people fly daily with absolutely no problems.” And there went my stomach again.

“Do you have something you can take?”

“I already swallowed an Ativan. Really, Sophie, I’m fine.”

Sophia laughed and gave my hand a pat.

The crowd ahead was being filtered through the security checkpoints. I dropped my bag, turned and threw my arms around her. “If my plane crashes I’m going to come back and haunt you and Fynn. Just so you know.”

“Dude, if your plane crashes and you don’t haunt me, I’ll be totally pissed.” Sophie squeezed me tighter. “You’ll be fine, sweetie. I promise. Call me once you land so that I know you didn’t jump out midflight.”

“I know and I will.” Pulling back, I couldn’t help but shake my head at the concerned look on her face. “I promise I’ll be okay once I get to my seat. I have a shit-ton of paperwork to go through, which will help keep me distracted.”

“Is that a metric shit-ton, or an imperial shit-ton?”

“Jerk. Go away. Have sex with Fynn. Lots of sex.”

Sophia’s grin made my own a bit more genuine. “We are totally going to have lots of sex. And then we’re going to eat pizza and drink beer. He’s going to teach me about football. Now go before you miss your flight.”

Thankfully, the security process only took a few minutes to get through. Customs took me no time as I went through the Nexus line, bypassing the hordes that stood in long winding rows. The gate for my plane was at the farthest possible end of the airport. By the time I reached my final destination, my back and arm were achy from carrying my too-full bag and walking in my knee-high Nine West leather boots. I needed to sit down and start Operation Distract Tamara.

The waiting area for the flight to New York was crazy. Most of the seats around the gate were filled—I plopped onto the first empty seat I saw and let my bag fall onto my feet.

The row directly in front of me was full, forcing me to do that look anywhere but at people so you don’t invite awkward conversation thing. I turned my head and locked eyes on the most handsome man I’d ever seen. It took me three seconds for his face to register as familiar. Another two seconds and I was ready to bolt. The black-rimmed glasses were new, bolder than the ones he’d worn three years ago, but were no less striking. His hair was longer than I remembered, but did nothing to hide his identity.

Reid Jacobs.

No.

No, no, no, this really couldn’t be happening.

His eyes were closed, which meant I hadn’t been spotted yet. I reached down to grab my bag and move to another section. My fingers shook and I couldn’t manage a grip on the handle of my heavy carry-on.

“Thank you for flying AC7382 to New York. This is a preboarding call—”

My head snapped up to see that Reid had opened his eyes and was now staring directly at me. The brilliant green of his eyes sent a shiver through me. The last time we’d been together there had been nothing but anger and harsh words between us.

A sickness that had nothing to do with my impending flight rose up my throat, burning as it went. Too late to flee, I squeezed the handle of my bag and looked away.

“AC7382 to New York is now boarding first class. Please have your boarding pass and your passport opened to your picture ID.”

I’d shoved my passport back into my purse and now had to try and fish the damn thing back out. The entire time I felt Reid’s gaze on me, watching my fumblings. On shaky legs, I made my way into the line for check-in. I finally retrieved my passport when I got to the attendant, who gave it a quick once-over before scanning my boarding pass and nodding me toward the walkway.

“Enjoy your flight.”

“Thanks.” God, I wanted to puke. I was going to be trapped on a plane with my ex. Could this day get any worse?

I pulled my tablet out before shoving my bag into the overhead compartment and falling into my seat. Being in first class meant I had to sit here while everyone in coach walked past. I’d have to ignore Reid, pretend he was just another body in the crowd. I could totally do that, even if it meant using props. Bodies moved past as I focused downward and as each one went by, my rising panic began to subside. That was until a shadow stretched across my body and a long-forgotten scent washed over me.

“Hello, Tamara.”

God, please kill me.

I looked up into those beautiful bright green eyes rimmed with black frames. The flight gods were clearly laughing their asses off, sending a demon to torture me for the next two hours.

Reid ran his hand down across his mouth. “Do I have something on my face? It’s not like you to stare.”

“What?” Shit. Smooth, Tamara. “No. What are you doing here?”

“You’re in my seat. I’m fine with the aisle, though. It gives me room to stretch my legs.” He didn’t wait for me to respond and sat down.

“What?” I squeezed the edge of my tablet. My brain now bounced between running through plane-crash scenarios and trying to figure out how best to change seats. “You can’t be sitting here.”

“I wasn’t originally. You do still hate flying, right? Figured the guy who was going to be here would appreciate moving before your panic attack set in.”

“Asshole.” I tried to relax my grip on the tablet, but my body wasn’t cooperating. “What are you doing here? On this plane?”

“The same thing you are—going to New York.”

His low, rich voice was a balm to my nerves. Despite how we’d broken up, my body seemed to recognize Reid’s and immediately relaxed. I’d forgotten how protected his long, strong body made me feel. The seats in first class gave him more room than in coach, but he still had to tuck his legs awkwardly into the space between the seats whenever someone walked down the aisle.

I wanted nothing more than to say something snarky to him. Three years ago he’d called me a cold bitch and I’d screamed back about him being an uncommunicative asshole. He’d taken my demand to leave seriously, and I’d never seen him again...until today. So the how and why of us sitting side by side on a plane couldn’t be his fault. Could it?

Momentarily ignoring each other, we both took the warm towels and complimentary beverages offered to us. Holy crap, free alcohol was most definitely a bonus right now. The flight attendant was eyeing me in a way that told me I was failing miserably in masking my discomfort.

The only thing worse than flying was being forced to be near Reid. Add the two things up and it was more than I could handle.

The moment the flight attendants began going through their safety demonstration, I was back to thinking about engine failure. I was wondering how quickly I would be able to get off my lower seat cushion if I needed it as a flotation device when I realized Reid was staring at me. “So why are you here?”

I wasn’t expecting him to strike up a conversation, especially after all the static I was throwing his way. The Reid of three years ago wouldn’t have noticed my panic let alone commented on it, so I was surprised to see genuine concern from him.

“Business.” I whimpered when the flaps on the wings started moving. “Meetings with new clients and some other stuff.”

“They’re doing safety checks. Keep looking at me.” He gave me a smile, one that bled into his eyes and made them come alive. “I’m going for work, too. In fact, I think we might be heading off for the same thing. The show.”

“What?”

“I’m one of the assistant directors assigned to Domestic Goddess.”

“When the hell did you get into the film industry?” Being an assistant director was a far cry from a medic in the army.

“After we broke up.”

“That’s a serious change in your career.”

“The last one didn’t work out so well for me. You should know that.”

I did. Even without him telling me, I knew something bad had happened to him on active duty. “Did you know I was working on it?”

“Found out yesterday when I spoke to Brian. I have to admit I was shocked to see your name on the judges list. How did you end up here?”

“My business partner and I were on a show last year. I did all the business stuff while she was on camera. Really, she should be here.”

“Why isn’t she?”

“Business negotiations aren’t her strong suit. Reality Life wanted one of us though, to keep the momentum going from Impact Load. So, here I am.” Which left me with a burning question. “Does Brian know? About us?”

“No. I figured it was best to keep the dirty laundry hidden. That means we have to pretend not to know each other. I’m Reid. Nice to meet you.”

He held out his hand for me to shake. I hesitated, but when the plane hit a bump, I took hold. His fingers were warm as he wrapped them around my hand. He didn’t let go; instead he rubbed my wrist with his thumb. My breath caught and I knew my eyes had widened at the intimacy of the caress, but I didn’t care. I’d missed his support—strong and gentle all at once.

“I’d forgotten how beautiful you are.” There was a surprised note in his voice.

“Are you seriously flirting?” Yes, comments like that from a hot guy were a good thing, but not coming from him. Anyone but him.

“Is that a problem?” He gave my hand a squeeze, sending a shiver through me. “Despite what happened during our last time together, you’re still hot. I’d be blind not to notice and stupid not to appreciate.”

“Dear God. I’d hoped you would have gotten better with time.”

“Come on, I’m working on my communication skills. I’ve expanded my vocabulary.” He paused for a moment, as though he was trying to take stock of my attributes. “Blond hair, like flaxen wheat. Statuesque, like a goddess. Dumb army boy has been taught.”

We hit another bump as the plane continued to taxi into place, which sent my heart racing. With all of my senses on high alert, my inner bitch took over. Attack was my only mode of defense when I got this way. “I never called you dumb. Arrogant bastard. Yes. Uncommunicative. Yes. Never dumb.”

He cocked his head. “I remember.”

He leaned closer and in an instant, I was caught in his spell. His gaze dipped down to my lips, hesitating before he moved to reclaim my gaze. “I had forgotten the way you moved. Strong. Confident. Beautiful.”

If anyone else had said that to me, I would have dismissed them as trying too hard. Even coming from Reid I was inclined to think he was simply putting me on. Maybe it was the fact we were on a plane that was now sitting in line and apparently waiting for takeoff. Maybe it was the sincerity shining back at me in those green eyes of his. My body became blindingly aware of Reid’s presence—the scent of his cologne, the way his brown hair curled around his ears, the fit of his black-framed glasses and how they highlighted his cheekbones—and wanted to melt against him.

He must have taken my silence as permission to keep talking. “I would love to see your hair down loose again. It’s long. Probably comes down to just about your breasts. Right?”

My body was clearly a traitor, because at the mention of my breasts, my nipples tightened and a shiver of adrenaline shot through me. “You need to stop.” Shit, even I wasn’t convinced by my scold.

Reid chuckled. “I remember how your hair looked against your body in bed. You’d be beautiful photographed that way.”

“Flight attendants, please prepare for takeoff.” The captain’s voice crackled through the PA system.

My breath caught in my throat and I tried to pull away. Reid gave my hand another soft squeeze. “Don’t worry, everything is fine. Just keep looking at me.”

“Let me go.”

“I will if that’s what you want. Or I can keep talking. I can tell you how soft I find your skin. I can feel your pulse racing under my thumb. I know it’s because you’re nervous, but I remember it being the same when you were aroused. Beating just as strong as if I were to kiss you there.”

The plane engines roared as we accelerated down the runway. His gaze still held mine, his thumb still circling, bringing my body to the edge of awareness. The quickness of my breath had as much to do with Reid’s intensity as it did with my fear. The twist of my stomach was a mix of nerves and desire.

With a gentle bump and a not-so-subtle tilt of the floor, the plane was finally off the ground. The grinding noise of the wheels being pulled into the underbelly punctuated the fact that we were airborne. A silent count started ticking down in my head, my mind wondering how much longer this moment would go on before he’d pull away. It wasn’t until the copilot came on the intercom to welcome us that Reid finally relaxed his hold, allowing me to place my hand back in my lap.

“There, that wasn’t so bad.” He gave me a wink before turning back to face front, settling his long frame as comfortably as he could in the seat. “You let me know if you need anything.”

Wait, what? I hadn’t engaged in eye fucking that intense since my first year of university, and now I was getting a brush-off? Not that I had any interest in doing anything with him ever again.

Still. Asshole much?

“I would have managed fine on my own.” I wasn’t one to sit around and wait to be rescued, and it annoyed me he thought otherwise.

He opened one eye, his grin still firmly in place. “I remember. You always liked to be the one in charge.”

Great, we were back to this. I didn’t want to start the show on this note. If it got out that there was something going on between me and Reid, there was a chance it would hurt my reputation. The last thing I wanted was for the decision makers at Reality Life to start questioning my integrity as I was bidding on a major contract.

I sat up straighter in my seat and ran my palms across the tops of my thighs. Better to put an end to things immediately rather than encourage something that wouldn’t be. Reid adjusted in his seat so his thigh pressed against my knee. In any normal situation, I would have either moved away or asked him to shift over. I even opened my mouth to do that now, except my words stalled. The bastard had closed his eyes once again. With the adrenaline running high in my system, my body overreacted to his touch. Sure, I’d dated off and on over the past few years, but I hadn’t had this strong a reaction to any of those men. Never like what I had with him.

Shit. Shit, shit, this wasn’t good. I didn’t have time to deal with him and our past issues, not with everything else on my plate. I still didn’t have a clue what the Reality Life proposal was going to require, or how likely they’d be to go with a Canadian firm rather than someone local. Our company, Mosaic Designs, was still getting established, with clients coming in fits and starts. Despite Sophia’s appearance on Impact Load, we weren’t all that well-known. We needed every deal we could pull in, and getting this contract would require every ounce of my concentration.

I’d have to pretend Reid was nothing more than another body on the set of the show. A coworker and not the man who’d crushed my hopes of a happily ever after. Ignoring the tingles moving through my body, I left Reid’s leg where it was and reached for my tablet. Taking a deep breath, I got to work.