“She’s not a piece of ass, Miss Hollingford. She got one of the phones off her sister and came to the rendezvous to warn me to stay away from the sister.”
“So she knew you’re trouble. Girl like that doesn’t need to get mixed up with the likes of you.” She shook her head, one cluck of the tongue short of a disapproving grandmother.
“I wanted information about her. She has my phone, and I want it back.”
“They’re throwaway phones. You want in her pants, and it’s the only angle you’ve got.”
“I will not dignify that supposition with a reply.” He winked.
“That’s because I’m right about your rotten ass as usual,” she said, her indulgent tone belying her words. “I took number fifteen off the list because when I called her about the awards dinner, she tried to score a dress and started naming designers like she’d memorized the caption copy from Vogue. You don’t need the likes of her.”
“I thought you didn’t approve of my methods.”
“I don’t, but I’m not about to throw you to the lions. You’re a rich boy who likes pretty girls, but some of them girls got claws you don’t see coming. I have to look out for you.”
“Miss Hollingford, you deserve a raise.” He grinned.
“You can’t buy my kind of loyalty,” she said indignantly, secretly pleased.
“I know, but I can encourage it.”
“You stopped typing about three minutes ago,” she observed. “You got it bad for this one.”
Jasper looked up as if he’d been caught out and returned swiftly to his work. Miss Hollingford shook her head. This could come to no good, she was sure of it.
“Do you have her address?”
“Hell yes, I got her address. I talked to her noodle shop and her neighbor. Do you think I’m an amateur?”
“Send her flowers. Something colorful. Calla lilies…send her those.”
“Callas are white.”
“They come in a deep plummy red. Find some,” he said blithely and ignored her until she left to do his bidding.
Jasper was Skyping with his satellite office in Tokyo when Miss Hollingford buzzed his phone. It was the first time she’d ever used that particular feature, so he thought it must be important. He excused himself, muted the mic on his computer and answered.
“Yes, Miss Hollingford?”
“I just thought you ought to know I got my ass handed to me by that sweet little girl who waters her old neighbor’s plants. She don’t want your flowers and she had some words to say about it. She got a mouth on her like a sailor, and she’s sending those lilies back here right now.”
“Thank you, Miss Hollingford,” he said and returned to his conference call, half his mind on what sort of gift she’d accept. He wasn’t above trickery to get a foot in the door.
An hour later, he was on the phone with a jeweler, talking about a rose gold Vishuddha necklace and dictating a note about the voice and throat chakras from her Virgo. He got a text confirmation that it had been delivered, and five minutes later, he got the buzz from Miss Hollingford.
“I told her she got it all wrong. I sent those flowers, but I’m not dumb enough to send her something else after she cussed me and sent those lilies back. They’re beautiful by the way, and I’m taking them home for the emotional distress of dealing with this woman. I don’t know who all is sending her presents, but they’re not in their right mind, I can tell you that.”
“I sent the necklace, Miss Hollingford. I thought she’d like it.”
“You don’t need to waste your time doing things like that. I can order necklaces. Can I have that, too?” she asked suspiciously.
“No. You can send it back to the jeweler and then call her Singapore noodle place and send an order of whatever is her favorite. She won’t turn that down.”
“Why do you care if she accepts something from you? She doesn’t want your gifts, not even jewelry. She wants to be...here, let me get the message for you. Hannah Largent wants to be ‘left the fuck alone’ and hell will freeze over and unicorns will fly from her behind before she gives you back this phone so you can torment more young blondes.”
“Is that all?”
“Yeah, that’s about it.”
“Take your flowers and go home early today. You’ve earned it,” Jasper said, chuckling to himself.
At six-thirty, when most of the office was empty, Jasper was working on the debt load for a utilities takeover and enjoying the silence. He heard the ping of the elevator, but his gaze didn’t drift from his screen. She didn’t say anything, but he knew she was there. He could smell cinnamon gum.
When he glanced toward the doorway, Hannah filled his gaze. She was bigger than he remembered—tall and curvy, but really larger than life. He’d been convinced that he built her up in his mind because she was a challenge, but in person, her presence nearly knocked him over. Her dark hair was brushed this time, which was an improvement. It had a slight wave to it, and it hung halfway down her back, making him want to twist his fingers in the length of it. Her dark eyes were rimmed with mascara now and she had on a pair of jeans and a loose white t-shirt. There was something about that t-shirt…it was a man’s V-neck undershirt, he was almost certain, and he wondered if she’d bought it work in or if it had been left behind by some lover. The thought made his jaw clench.
“I don’t want your flowers, Mr. Cates,” she began, the throaty voice seeming to travel up his spine and along his neck like a caress.
“I gathered that from my secretary. You made yourself clear.”
“I wasn’t looking for an upgrade. I don’t want jewelry either. Just leave me alone. I don’t want anything from you.”
“I want something from you.”
“The phone, I know. Not happening.”
“Not only that. I want you to stop calling me Mr. Cates.”
“I’ll stop calling you anything. Just agree to leave me alone.”
“My name is Jasper.”
“Jasper? Really?”
“Some name, I know. But if you’ll call me that, I might start to hate it less.” He pushed away from his computer and rounded the desk. “So will you call me that?” He dropped his voice to a whisper, leaning against his desk.
“Jasper,” She breathed, then straightened her spine as if realizing she’d revealed too much with that single word.
“Mockingbird,” he replied.
“You googled me.”
“No, I had my secretary find out about you.”
“It’s only fair. I looked you up. You have people to look things up for you, I suppose.”
“Did you accept the noodles?”
“I resigned myself to them because I was hungry. But here.” She reached into her pocket and pulled out some money, dropped it on his desk. “Six dollars and seventy-three cents, plus tip. Now I’ve bought my own noodles.” She ventured a smile and he put his hand on her face, his thumb brushing the corner of her mouth.
“You sound like Nina Simone most of the time, Mockingbird,” he said softly.
Hannah moved in toward him and he slid his hand to the back of her neck, stroking her hairline, soothing her. He thought she was skittish and would back away but he was wrong. Instead, she kissed him, long and unhurried, her soft lips brushing against his, tugging at his lower lip until she felt him smile. Jasper deepened the kiss, parting her lip and pulling her into his arms. When she drew back, he had trouble catching his breath. She laid a hand on his chest and he knew she felt his heart racing.
“I hate to have to say it but, Mississippi goddamn, Hannah.” He grinned. “What are you doing?”
“Fastening your shirt. I guess I got going on your buttons without thinking.” She sounded sheepish.
“Go out with me. Dinner, coffee, pancakes, noodles, your choice. Just sit across from me and look at me the way you are right now.” He took her hand for the second time since he’d known her and kissed it, this time softly, almost reverently. She swayed toward him a little, tipping her head back to be kissed again when the knock sounded.
“This seems to be the place,” the tall blonde said, flashing white teeth in a feral smile. “I’m Anna. I got the text to be here, dressed for an awards dinner. Am I early?”
The girl was six feet tall, willowy and graceful, wrapped in a white blouson dress just sheer enough to make the absence of underwear evident. Her hair came to her waist in a glossy straight sweep, and everything about her was smooth, tanned and muscular.
Hannah backed away.
“You’re in the right place. I’m the one who’s wrong,” she said. She grabbed the cash off his desk that she’d put there. “And you can pay for the bloody noodles, you jackass. You’re far too good for him. You look like a Valkyrie, in the best possible way, and he gives those phones out to everyone. I even have one. Find someone more discerning next time. He might be good for one night, but I wouldn’t waste my time.” She stomped out of his office.
Chapter 5
Jasper and Hannah
“He is disgusting. Never again. Never. He is nothing but a promiscuous pig, and I hope he dies a horrible death from some venereal disease. I can’t believe I kissed him. He is repulsive. I must be so lonely that I’m losing all judgment. Maybe I need to see a counselor. How could I have ever thought—” Hannah ranted under her breath all the way home.