Read Brushing Off the Boss: A Half Moon Bay Novel (Entangled Bliss) Online

Authors: Annie Seaton

Tags: #enemies to lovers, #artist, #small town romance, #Mira Lynn Kelly, #opposites attract, #forced proximity, #San Francisco, #Kristan Higgins, #Category Romance

Brushing Off the Boss: A Half Moon Bay Novel (Entangled Bliss) (7 page)

BOOK: Brushing Off the Boss: A Half Moon Bay Novel (Entangled Bliss)
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“Yes. We were born in Texas but grew up in Nebbiton. Our father ran off when we were little, and our mother chased after him and brought us to Half Moon Bay to stay. Her brother and his wife took us in.” Jack’s eyes were fixed on hers, unblinking. She looked down. Jack’s fingers were rubbing the inside of her wrist. She hadn’t even been aware of him picking up her hand.

“So then you had a happy childhood after that?”

“We did. Uncle Renzo and Aunt Lucia gave us all the love we needed.” She stared over his shoulder and couldn’t keep the bitterness out of her voice. “Now our mother only ever comes back when she wants something.”

“Parents can be a trial. I guess I was the opposite. My father smothered me, tried to put what he thought I should do over what I wanted.”

She held her breath as Jack’s deep voice washed over her. “That’s why I’d never have children.”

Well, that’s one thing we agree on.
“Me either.”

Sienna picked up her water glass and took a long drink.

“Wine?” Jack called the waiter over. “If we have one glass you can still drive. Or if you’ll trust me I could drive that snazzy little car home.”

Home?

Jack had settled in a bit too quickly for her liking. She was in
his
gallery, he was in
her
apartment, and now they were having a too-cozy dinner. And Sienna knew the riot of feelings and the trembling of her legs had more to do with his presence across the table than the hunger gnawing at her stomach. She didn’t answer him, and she watched as the waiter opened the bottle. When the ruby-red liquid filled her glass, she held it up to the light, fascinated by the depth of color. “Do you know how hard it is to replicate that ruby red?”

When he nodded, she looked at him curiously. “Tell me about your work, about your art.”

Jack stared past her, and she wondered for a moment what he was thinking about. He lifted the glass to his lips and Sienna looked away. Coming out to dinner, no matter that he said it wasn’t a date, had not been a good idea. She was altogether too attracted to him. Ana and Georgie were the only two people she ever let into her heart. Even Uncle Renzo and Aunt Lucia were kept at a distance; she could never quite trust. She kept her heart locked up tight, and there was no way she was going to leave herself open to be hurt. She’d fostered the prickly exterior and kept people at a distance, and she didn’t like the way Jack was able to get past it. He drilled right past her defenses and unsettled her. He was way too observant for her liking…and way too interested in
her.

And I’m way too attracted to him. I’m going to have to be very careful here.
She needed to brush him off a little.

His next words brought her back to the present, and she focused on what he was saying.

“I’m not sure what you’ll think about it. And I have a feeling it might impact your decision to stay in the gallery.”

“Why?” She tipped her head to the side. It was the most serious she’d seen him be.

“Your exhibition.”

“What’s it got to do with my exhibition?” Unease snaked its way to her stomach, and she picked up the wine and took a sip to cover her uncertainty. He’d seen way too much of that already over one dinner.

“Because of what I do.”

“What do you mean?” It was a strange moment. Jack’s expression was so intense she couldn’t read him.

“In a way, our work might complement each other’s.”

“Jack, get to the point.” Sienna lowered her voice and put her hands beneath her chin. “Will you stop beating around the bush and tell me what you’re trying to say?”

“Is this the first time you’ve experimented with vitreous enamel? Do you have anything bigger than the frogs?” His gaze was fixed on her.

“Not in enamel,” she said. “Only my paintings.”

His shoulders dropped and he let out a breath as she watched.

“My enamel work is all based on small creatures. Frogs, mice, snails…sort of cutesy stuff. My first few pieces were really popular. That’s why I decided to do a range of creatures,” she said as he held her gaze. Jack was worrying her with his intense interest in the nature of her pieces. She had a feeling he was about to drop something she didn’t like.

“That’s excellent, then.” He nodded.

“What are you trying to say?” Sienna tipped her head to the side waiting for his explanation.

“It
is
a coincidence, because I haven’t even seen it in galleries in New York recently.”

She stared at him, and he hurried on. “I sculpt in copper and bronze too, and I use enamel to create pictures on my sculptures.”

Sienna shook her head slowly and frowned. “So you were worried about having the same type of exhibition?” It was a coincidence. When she’d researched the process, she’d found few other artists who were using the same process. And she hadn’t come across his name at all. She would have recognized it if she had. Her heart plummeted. Or maybe this was what the dinner and softening her up was all about. Maybe he’d changed his mind about her exhibition? If she was honest, she hoped he enjoyed being with her. The problem was, she found him so damned attractive, and no matter what his intentions were, all she could think about was getting close to him. Even when she was so unsure of what he wanted for the gallery, and her role in it, all she could think of was how it would feel to be held by him. If she looked into his eyes, she was a goner. She firmed her voice to push away the unwanted riot of feelings racing though her.

“Are you trying to tell me that you don’t want my pieces exhibited in your gallery because it will take away the impact of yours when you have your own?” She narrowed her eyes as she thought of something else. “Wait, it’s more than that. Do you think I’ve copied your ideas?”

Shoot.

Chapter Eight

“Of course not.” Jack reached for Sienna’s hand but she pulled back.

Sienna was the most unpredictable woman he’d ever met. He’d had plenty of girlfriends, and he thought he knew his way around women pretty well. He’d learned when to say the right thing, and when to shut his mouth, and when to nod and not speak, but he was having trouble reading the mixed signals Sienna was giving out. Despite the complication of the gallery and their art, and living in the same place, he had this overwhelming need to kiss her. And he wanted her in his bed.

“Just get to the point, Jack. If you’ve changed your mind, spit it out.” Her cheeks were flushed, and as he watched she crossed her arms in front of her chest and glared at him. “But don’t lie to me.”

“Settle down. There’s no need to get upset.”

“Well, I am. These past few days have been unnerving, and now you’re about to tell me I have to find somewhere else to have my exhibition in
your
gallery, because
my
work is the same as yours?”

He shook his head. “Calm down. Where did you ever get the idea I was going to cancel your show?” He straightened in his chair. “I gave you my word that you could have it there, and I don’t go back on my word.”

“Well, you’d be the first man I’ve ever met who hasn’t.” Sienna’s voice was sad and the look on her face dispelled the anger that had been building in his chest. “Look, this whole thing is getting complicated. Let’s forget the month and the show. I’ll pull out and leave your gallery all to you. You obviously have some concerns about our work being too similar?”

“No, I think it will be great for the gallery. We’ll really establish a theme with the bronze and the enameling.” This time, he took her hands in both of his and held on tightly when she tried to pull back. “I’ve already sold my pieces, and I don’t need to have an exhibition. They’ll be on display in the building. You have yours organized, and I’ll have my first show when I do some more work.”

“No.” She shook her head slowly.

“No, what? I’m not going to get angry, but you are beginning to piss me off with your attitude.”

“No…I’m not being difficult. Do you really think it will work? This changes things even more.”

Her cheeks flushed more deeply as he held on to her. “Nothing has changed, apart from you jumping to conclusions. All I really wanted to tell you…or all I wanted to do, was make sure you knew that I work in the same medium before the truck arrived with my stuff tomorrow and jumped to the wrong conclusion when you saw it.”

He got a glimpse of her dark eyes before she looked down.

“Your reaction tonight, when I’m trying to be honest, tells me if you’d seen my pieces unloaded tomorrow and I hadn’t told you we work in the same medium, you probably would have walked.”

“You’re getting to know me.” She shrugged. “I probably would have.”

“Sienna, do you always think the worst of people?” She was hard work, but he was determined to get closer to her.

She nodded. “Until they prove themselves to me. Yes, I do.”

The walk from the restaurant to Sienna’s car was quiet. For the rest of the meal they’d discussed the techniques they each used and Jack was pleased that Sienna seemed keen to see his work. She had relaxed a lot after he’d told her a bit more about his commission, and her interest was gratifying. He held the driver’s door open for her before walking around to the passenger side and sliding in.

“As much as I love your car, it really is made for midgets.” His knees were cramped between the seat and the dashboard. “Next time we go on a non-date, we’ll take the bike. You’ll love it.”

And so would I.
The thought of Sienna pressed up close behind him sent a pleasurable zing through his body. Jack leaned back and closed his eyes and waited for her to start the engine, but she took her time.

“Dratted car,” she muttered.

Eventually there was a loud
click
, and she cursed again. Jack opened his eyes, and realized she’d been trying to start the car while he’d had his head back and his eyes closed, daydreaming about her in his arms.

He shot her a teasing glance. “Don’t tell me we’re going to have to walk home. We should have come on my bike.”

“She’s been doing this on and off for a couple of weeks. I keep meaning to get the motor looked at, but I haven’t had the time. I’ve spent every spare minute with my frogs.”

“What’s wrong with it?”

“Her.” Sienna shot him a cheeky glance. “It’s a she, and she’s old and cranky. Like I will be one day.”

“Is that where I’m supposed to say you’ll be a sweet old lady? And I suppose you’re also hoping I know something about engines?”

“Do you?” Her lips parted as she smiled at him, and a rush of need coiled through Jack’s chest. She was flirting with him.

“The very basics.” He opened his door, enjoying the need that had moved and was now firmly lodged in every nerve ending in his body.

Every
nerve ending.

“Open the hood and I’ll see if any parts look like they’re in the wrong place.”

“That fills me with hope.” The sarcasm was back and he grinned. Better than the quiet tones that had touched him over dinner.

Sienna unlocked the hood using the lever inside the car, and then she followed him around to the front. He lifted the hood and held it up with one hand as he looked for the metal prop to hold it up.

“Sorry, it’s broken. I’ll hold it up while you look.”

Luckily they were parked beneath a streetlight, and he was able to see into the engine in front of him, but nothing stood out as being disconnected, covered with oil or water, or in the wrong place. That was about the limit of his mechanical knowledge. Sienna stood beside him quietly, stretched on her toes, holding the hood above his head. He ducked beneath her arm as he peered at the back of the engine, and the warmth of her body touched his skin. The need built higher and hotter, and he closed his eyes for a moment before he leaned forward, acting like he was still checking the engine. Standing so close without her pulling away was enticing. He muttered a few “ahs” and “hmms” so he sounded a little knowledgeable before he reached up and took the weight from her as he eased the hood down.

“Everything looks fine to me.” He shrugged. “So I guess we’re stuck here until a mechanic shows up.”

Sienna looked up at him without speaking and her dark eyes widened even further, filled with a hunger that echoed what was churning inside him. From the first time he’d laid eyes on her in that “doohickeys” shirt from the hardware store two years ago, he’d known this moment would come.

Something elemental shifted in him as his control fell away. He reached for Sienna without hesitation and turned her, lifting her to sit on the hood of the car so that her face was level with his. For a long moment, he stared into her eyes and she looked back at him, holding his gaze.

Wordless
. But a thousand words passed silently between them. Jack moved, and her stifled gasp puffed gently on his lips as he cradled her small, delicate face between his hands. He brushed his thumb gently over her full bottom lip.

“I know we’re not on a date, and I know you have an issue with me being your boss, but I would very much like to kiss you.” Her gaze locked with his and still she didn’t speak. Jack waited. He wasn’t going to take what he thought she was offering until he knew for sure.

Damn the woman.
He’d been reading her wrong all day and he didn’t want to make the wrong call now. Sienna leaned into him and laced her fingers behind his neck. Her eyes, full of mystery and promise, remained locked on his. Her short hair, dark as the shadows of the still night around them, caught the moonlight. Her skin was warm and the sweet fragrance of her perfume drifted across to him.

He lowered his lips and lightly touched her mouth with his. That first kiss was gentle, full of promise, and her unexpected sweetness hit him like a punch to the solar plexus. This was not the Sienna she presented to the world. Jack gathered her even closer to him, running his fingers through her silky short hair as the need to protect and comfort her sprang from some unfamiliar place deep inside him. Somehow in that kiss he felt her confusion, and her willingness to give, despite the tough exterior she showed the world.


Sienna shivered as a fire raced through her. Never in her life had she felt such a need, and it frightened her. She pulled back with a jerk and stared at Jack, fighting to keep her expression bland. Her response to his kiss had come without thought, and now she tried to force herself to be strong, and not lean back into him like her traitorous body was demanding.

“Well, considering we’re not on a real date, that was a bit of a surprise.” She tried to put a level of sophistication she wasn’t feeling into her words, but it didn’t come out like that. She knew her uncertainty sounded in her voice, with a hint of wariness mixed in, which was probably just as good.

“A nice one, though.” Jack’s face was shadowed, but she had felt his heart thudding hard against her chest as he’d held her.

Sienna slid down from the hood of the car and forced a casual smile onto her face. “It was. But now I need to do something about this car, seeing as your mechanical skills leave a bit to be desired.”

This time her grin was genuine, because it had been obvious all along that he knew nothing about cars. “One more try.” She opened the car door and slid into the driver’s seat, relieved in one way to put some distance between them. Her heart was still thudding and she ached to be back in Jack’s arms, but she was going to listen to logic.

“Come on, start,” she muttered. “Please.” On the first turn of the key the engine fired. “I knew you could do it, old girl. Quick, Jack, get in before she changes her mind.”

Jack climbed into the passenger seat. “Changes her mind?” He flicked a glance in her direction and she knew he wasn’t talking about the car.

“I need to get home. I have a lot of emails to send tonight. It was so busy in the gallery today, the work’s piled up.”

“Can’t let the work wait, then.” Jack settled back in the seat and she eased the car out onto the road. His tone was light, but the look he sent her was full of respect and a warm feeling filled her.

The roads were quiet and Sienna was grateful for the monotonous swishing of the windshield wipers when a light shower of rain began to fall. She took the route around the peninsula through Pacific Grove and skirted Monterey Bay. The moonlight bathing the water glistened eerily through the fog. As they passed the sign for Lovers Point Park, Jack turned to her and she wondered what he was going to say for a moment.

“It’s a beautiful coastline. Great inspiration for the creative soul.”

“It is.” Sienna took a deep breath and gripped the steering wheel tightly. A connection had been forged between them tonight. Not just the kiss they’d shared, but the conversation they’d had when Jack opened up about his sculptures. She was looking forward to seeing them.

“Thanks for the night…and dinner.” Sienna switched off the ignition after she parked in the carport next to the cottage. “I enjoyed myself.”

Unsure of what Jack expected, she fumbled with the car door handle and turned to him.

“Well, I hope she starts tomorrow so I can get her to the mechanic.”

“I’ll have to give you a lift to the gallery if
she
won’t.”

Sienna’s toes almost curled when Jack shot a cheeky grin in her direction. The interior of her little sports car was small, and he was way too close for comfort now that she wasn’t focused on driving. She pushed the door open and grabbed her bag off the floor.

“You’re determined to get me on that bike.” She smiled at him as he followed her up the steps to the small porch. “But I’ve never been on one and I don’t intend to start now.”

“Where’s your spirit of adventure, Sienna?” Jack was so close his breath brushed the back of her neck. She stepped away from him with a small sigh of relief when the door opened.

Thank God.
She needed some time by herself to restore her equilibrium and remind herself why a fling with Jack—the boss—was out of the question.

“I put my all of
my
spirit into my work.”

“And I get to reap the benefits of your hard work.” Jack’s voice was thoughtful, and Sienna wasn’t sure what he was referring to. His words had echoed her thoughts. She turned to him as he followed her to her bedroom door and looked at him from beneath her lashes. She didn’t want to risk heady eye contact, not trusting the nervous little flutters running through her stomach. Sienna lowered her voice as she held the door half shut.

“What are your plans tomorrow? Are you coming into the gallery?” She lifted her chin and forced herself to look up at him, gripping the edge of the door between her fingers.

Jack held her gaze with those deep green eyes for a long moment before he smiled at her. “I’m not sure. Depends on what time the delivery truck gets here.”

She’d forgotten his stuff was arriving tomorrow.

“Okay, then. I’m going in early so I’ll be at the gallery when you need to get in.”

“I do have a key, remember?” His grin got wider, but his words had the effect she needed. The urge to grab his shirt and pull him into her room behind her faded as her boss spoke.

“Of course. Silly me. How could I forget? You own the gallery, don’t you?” She turned away and nodded at him as she pulled the door shut. “Good night, Jack.”

BOOK: Brushing Off the Boss: A Half Moon Bay Novel (Entangled Bliss)
9.59Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
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