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He took my face between his massive hands and brought my lips back to his. I dropped my hand to his fly, but he ended our kiss and gently unhitched his belt from my fingers.
“Make no mistake—I want you,” he said huskily. “But we have a meeting.”
I pouted, not wanting to rein it in even though I knew he had a point. "After the meeting then?"
He stood up and buttoned his shirt. "It's a date."
I gave Natasha the biggest shit eating grin I could manage as I walked out at Jacob's side and she returned it with her own. I let go of it once we got to the elevator, instead, focusing on my game face. I'd never admit it out loud, but hearing that I had an impact on someone I'd pretty much idolized was confusing. The action loving fan in me wanted to shout it from the rooftops but my heart felt like a rag being wrung and twisted in my chest. Jacob was giving me sidelong glances and I looked down and realized I'd been tapping my foot.
"Everything alright?"
"Of course," I swallowed the golf ball sized knot in my throat. "Why wouldn't it be?"
I followed him out the elevator, feeling the sweat explode at my temple and trying to regulate my labored breathing. Jacob pushed in the conference room first and I followed him, pulling on a brave face.
When Cade's eyes met mine and his mouth broke into a grin, I felt ill. I stole a look at Jacob and watched every muscle in him tighten.
Cade wore a red and black checkered shirt with the sleeves rolled up, a tribal tattoo peeking out at the arm cuffs. When he completely ignored Jacob and shook my hand, I could have died right then and there.
"Miss Montgomery," Cade’s voice rumbled, deep and smoky. "It's good to see you again."
I just stood there, my lips parted but nothing coming out. The rational part of me screamed that it wasn't confirmation and meant nothing; he was just being friendly since we'd already met. But the other traitorous part of me was jumping about, staring at this celebrity who was looking at me like he was star struck.
Jacob cleared his throat and I pulled my hand away. "Uh, Mr. Wallace, this is Jacob Whitmore."
The two men exchanged a hearty handshake and then Cade pivoted back to me, winking. "I thought we decided you'd call me Cade."
I felt the fire blazing from Jacob's eyes, turning both of us to ash and I looked down at the floor, feeling warmth rush to my cheeks.
"I'm surprised that you fit me into your busy schedule Mr. Whitmore," Cade said, the bite in his voice ringing through the tension filled air. "Being CEO and all."
"While I'd prefer to jump out of planes and fire blanks into stuntmen, my company won't run itself," Jacob said coolly still wearing a tight smile.
I saw the anger flicker over Cade's face and I let out a weak chuckle and vaulted away from both of them.
Missy and her assistant, Portia, were watching the whole thing with interest. I didn't need super hearing to pick up on the gist of what they were whispering because it was splashed all over their shocked faces. They didn't get what all the fuss was about.
I swatted away that tiny voice that agreed. After all, both men had been photographed with beautiful women with modelesque frames and ridiculously perfect bone structure; women that I looked nothing like. But then I saw Jacob, staring intensely at a document. I knew that gaze. Those eyes held the same power I'd seen when he looked at me and told me that I was beautiful. His certainty was contagious and it reminded me of the indisputable truth I knew with every fiber: other women's attractiveness didn't make me any less so.
I gripped two coffees from the Keurig and sat down beside Jacob, handing him one. He glanced up and said thank you. When I squeezed his thigh beneath the table, I saw one side of his mouth tug upward.
The meeting was a brief one, with Missy doing most of the talking. While in town they'd set him up at the Today Show and the late night circuit, being interviewed about the film. Once we received any pertinent talking points from the studio, we'd include it in a press docket for him to review before he went live. Missy and Cade's assistant met for a moment, calling Jacob over for a question. Even several seats away I could feel Cade watching me. I pulled out my cell and tried to pretend I was the busiest person on the planet, keeping my eyes on the screen.
"Leila, wait up!"
I was a few feet from the door so I decided to pretend I didn't hear him and pushed into the hall. Unluckily for me, he followed.
"Leila!"
I stopped moving, my heart tap dancing in my chest as I slowly turned around. "Mr. Wallace! S-sorry, I just have a lot of things I have-"
The man had tree trunk for legs and spanned the feet between us in two strides. He was close enough that I could see that all those muscles weren't photoshopped. I couldn't escape the alluring scent of soap and sweat and sandalwood and god, he was all man. I wasn't brave enough to look at him eye to eye and I still felt more vulnerable than I liked.
I took a few steps in the opposite direction as goose bumps race up and down my arms. "If you have any questions, Missy would probably be a lot more helpful than me."
"My question is for you."
"Me?" My eyes snapped upward and I regretted it instantly because I couldn't look away from his olive gaze.
