Close to Perfect (24 page)

Her gaze was already on him. “Want to see the next one?”

He wanted to see her. He wanted to touch and taste all of her, but that wasn't about to happen here, not with that salesgirl popping in to see if they were doing all right.

At last Josh took a deep breath that didn't calm him at all, and said, “Yes, please.”

B
y the time Tess had finished modeling the gowns—with all those stripteases in between—Josh could barely think.

She wasn't any better. Once her purchases had been made and they were back in the car, she looked at the keys as if she didn't know what to do with them; then she moved across the seat to him at the same moment Josh moved towards her.

They had barely started necking when his cell rang.

Shit.

Tess pulled away.

Josh followed. “Come back here.”

“Your cell's ringing.”

“I don't hear—”

“Go on, answer it.” Her hand was on his chest, her gaze moving to the women in the parking lot who were watching them. “It might be important and those two might be gone by the time you're finished.”

“I'll make it fast.” He brought the cell to his ear and growled, “What?”

“Ah, it's me... Alan,” the attorney said, then quickly added, “I thought Bonnie and Clyde were giving you a break.”

“They are, but then, you're still bugging me, aren't you?”

“Well, excuse me, Josh, I don't mean to be such a bother. It's just that I caught something of interest and thought you would like to—”

“If it's a new property or lawsuit, I don't care. Either make an offer or get rid of it.”

“You misunderstand. I don't want to get rid of it.”

“Alan, quit being so cryptic. Why did you call?”

“Now that I think of it, I shouldn't tell you over the phone. This is something you really have to see.”

“Fine. Send it to my cell—”

“Let's meet at your office. I'm headed there now.”

“My office? Why? Why can't you just—” Josh abruptly paused as Alan hung up on him.

“We need to go to your office?” Tess asked.

It surely sounded like it. What in the world could have gotten Alan excited enough to insist on a meeting and then hang up, unless...

Oh, no. A paparazzo couldn't have gotten pictures of Tess just now when she was trying on clothes. How could that be possible? Was the salesgirl involved? Is that why she kept popping in? Had she taken pictures with her cell, then forwarded them to someone who had already put them on the Internet? Not that,
please.
“Ah, yeah, we should go back. Sorry.”

“Not a problem.” Tess started the car. “I can show my gown to Peg.”

“Who?”

“Your secretary.”

Oh, my God, another problem. “She's dating your father now, right?”

“You got a point. Maybe I shouldn't show the gown to her. I'll show it to Alan.”

“Maybe he's already seen it.”

“What?”

“Shouldn't we be heading for the office?”

“Sure.” Tess pulled out of the lot.

Josh drummed his fingers against his thighs.

“I'll get us there as fast as I can,” Tess said.

He bounced his legs.

“Josh, what's wrong?”

He stopped drumming and bouncing. “Nothing.”

“You're sure?”

“I'm fine. I enjoyed the shopping trip. I'm glad we got that first dress you tried on. And those shoes. And the other stuff. Did we get the garter, too?”

“Ah, no, we forgot—”

“We forgot that? Hell.” He sighed. “We should have gotten that garter.”

Tess figured that was the least of their worries as she drove to the office.

Josh stared out his car window like death or another paparazzo was after him. When Tess tried to grill him about that call from Alan, all she received was an occasional grunt or a blank stare.

Once they were back at the complex, Josh was walking so fast Tess could barely keep up with him.

“Hey, do you mind?” she finally shouted.

Josh was already at the door to his suite. He looked over his shoulder at her. “Mind what?”

“That I'm way back here and you're already there.”

“Sorry.” He went into the suite.

When Tess reached Peg's office, Josh was already in his own with Alan.

“What's up?” Peg asked.

“You don't know?”

“Not yet, but you'll tell me when you find out, right?”

“Sure.” Tess went into the office.

Josh immediately shook his head and pointed towards Peg's space. “Stay out there.”

Tess frowned. “Why?”

“Because I said so.”

“Not good enough.” She crossed her arms over her chest.

Josh tightened his jaw. “You don't want to be here.”

“Well I didn't a few seconds ago, but now I definitely do.”

He muttered something Tess didn't hear, then turned to Alan. “She's not leaving, so let's see it.”

“See what?” Tess asked.

The attorney's face got pink. He leaned toward Josh and spoke in a lowered voice. “I really should show it to you first and then—”

“Show
what?”
Tess asked.

“Screw this.” Josh grabbed Alan's briefcase and opened it.

“Hey,” Alan said. “That's my—”

“Holy shit.” Josh lifted the tabloid from the briefcase.

Tess uncrossed her arms and backed away, wishing she had followed Josh's order to get the hell out of here, because no way was she ready to see what was on the cover of this week's edition.

Oddly enough, it lightened Alan's mood. He was actually rocking on his heels. “Told you that you needed to see it.”

Josh whistled. “Any fallout from this yet?”

“Bigger than those photos of you.”

Huh? Tess's heart started beating wildly. “Exactly whose photos are on—”

“Steve Zilenski's.”

She worked that around her brain, then frowned. “Am I supposed to know him?”

“Not if you don't watch football,” Alan said.

“And you do?”

“All the time.”

That was a surprise.

“He's a football star,” Alan explained, then clamped Josh on the shoulder. “And you, apparently, are yesterday's news, not to mention the Keys' dethroned hunk.”

“Hot damn!” Josh threw his free arm around Alan, hugging him.

Tess watched in stunned silence. A football star? Yesterday's news? Dethroned hunk? Just like that her time with Josh was over?

It was a moment before Tess could catch her breath, another before she could think. She had to be cool; she couldn't show her feelings; not now, not in front of Alan. At last, she joked, “Would you two like for me to leave?”

“That's next,” Alan said. “Josh doesn't need you to be his bodyguard anymore.”

A bullet in her heart couldn't have been more effective or more painful.

Tess looked at Josh. He was happier than she had ever seen him as he read that tabloid.

He really didn't need her anymore. He didn't even notice her anymore. It was truly over.

Tess told herself to leave, but her heart wouldn't allow it.

She moistened her lips; she rubbed the back of her neck. At last, she asked, “Is that true, Josh?”

He finished reading the article before lifting his gaze. “I'm sorry, what?”

Tess felt as if she were dying, but kept her voice even. “Alan said I don't have to be your bodyguard anymore.”

“What?” Josh frowned at the man.

“Well, she doesn't,” Alan said. “You're yesterday's news. No one's bothered you for days.”

“Oh, yeah?” Josh said. “I was practically assaulted by two lunatics when Tess and I were shopping.”

Alan dismissed that with a wave of his hand. “They probably haven't seen this edition of the tabloid yet. Give them time. In a few days this'll all be over. We can all get back to normal.”

Tess's heart sank even lower, but she kept that sorrow out of her voice. “Great.” She looked at Josh. “Just what we all wanted.”

His expression changed. “It hasn't happened yet, all right?”

“It will,” she said. “We always knew it would end.”

Josh tossed the tabloid on his desk and went to her. “Everything ends, but this isn't over yet, which means you'll still be accompanying me to that formal dinner. The plans have been made and you will attend, is that understood?”

That's all he cared about, that stupid dinner? She frowned. “You couldn't have made it any clearer, Mr. Wyatt.”

Josh lowered his head and breathed hard. “Look, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you.” He lifted his gaze. “Please go with me, okay?”

Tess told herself to say no; she ordered herself to just get the hell out of here so she could be alone and cry.

“Tess?”

At last, she nodded; she had no choice. That dinner would be the last time she would see him. Alan was so right. In a few days Josh's need of a bodyguard and a public girlfriend would all be over. The moments they shared would be quickly forgotten by him. He would go back to his regular life.

All she had left was that coming night.

It was a reality that remained with Tess the rest of that day and the ones that followed, right up to the evening of the dinner.

As she got dressed, Tess knew she had to make these final moments ones Josh wouldn't soon forget.

Smoothing her gown, she looked at her room's reflection in the cheval mirror.

She would miss it. Never had Tess felt more at home than she had here.

Her gaze lingered on the bed, then moved to the gentle rapping on the door. A moment later, Josh opened it and came inside, not bothering to ask if she was decent. What did it matter when he had seen nearly all of her at Kiki's?

Tess smiled at that memory and how awesome he looked now.

The bad boy had been momentarily tamed in a black dinner jacket and trousers that complemented his white shirt and pearl gray tie.

How beautiful he was. How she would miss him. Not that Tess could tell him that, so she teased, repeating her father's words. “You don't look so bad dressed. You should plan on doing it all the time.”

Josh's expression was playful, his voice deep and soft. “You really want that?”

“Ask me after the dinner.”

He started to nod, then stopped. His gaze lifted from her gown. “What's after the dinner?”

“No more ground rules.”

Josh's eyes widened, then closed as Tess worked her fingers through his hair, guiding his head to hers, his mouth to hers, keeping it there as she kissed him longer than the law allowed.

There was no reason to hold back anymore.

She wanted to taste him, to rub her scent on him and to take his in return.

She wanted to make him hers tonight, their last night together.

When Josh was finally breathless, Tess pressed her cheek to his. It was smooth, hot, and scented with aftershave that reminded her of tobacco and leather. She whispered, “Let's go.”

Before she could ease away, Josh pulled her right back into himself, wrapping his arm around her waist. “We don't have to. We could stay here. We could take a swim in the pool and then—”

“No.” She pulled away. “Then it would be over. I don't want it to go fast.”

Fast?
Was she kidding? Josh wanted to tell her they could make love from this moment clear to the end of tomorrow, then take a rest and start all over again, but was afraid to push too hard. If he pissed her off, she might just change her mind. So, like a good boy, Josh simply went with the flow as Tess got her purse, took his hand, then led him out of the house to the car.

“I almost forgot.” She tossed him the keys.

“You sure you want me to drive?”

“You are licensed, aren't you?”

“What would it matter when Vic's not going to like this? He's going to tell you this is no way for a bodyguard to act.”

“Things change.”

That they did, and Josh was afraid to ask what she meant by that. Ever since Alan made those stupid comments in the office Tess hadn't been her usual cocky self. Dammit, Josh wanted that woman back.

“Sometimes for the better,” he said.

She regarded the house and the grounds for a moment more before meeting his gaze. Her eyes sparkled in the moonlight. “We should go.”

Josh didn't want to, and once they were there, he couldn't wait to leave.

No more ground rules,
she had said back at the house and obviously meant that to include here.

As the man across their table said something, Josh nodded agreeably even though he hadn't a clue what was being discussed, because his attention was still on Tess.

The moment they were seated, she had wrapped her leg behind his, then leaned toward him so that he couldn't miss her powdery fragrance or the way her gown gapped in front, showing him quite a bit of her right breast.

For the next twenty minutes, Josh endured that sweet torture until the event's speaker said something that had everyone turning in their chairs and looking at him.

At just that moment, Tess ran her fingers down the inside of Josh's right thigh.

He lowered his head, breathed hard, then slid his gaze to her.

Her attention, like the others, was still on the speaker. Her fingers, however, were creeping back up his thigh. Just as she stroked his groin, Josh wrapped his fingers around her wrist.

Although Tess's gaze remained on the speaker, she did lift her brows.

Leaning close, Josh whispered, “No more ground rules?”