Still, he searched for a way to keep Jessie involved in his life. A way that would allow him to wiggle out of any judgment she might have about how he’d taken bits and pieces of her life and woven them into his script.
Plus, he wanted to spend more time with her. Not because he couldn’t get enough of Jessie, but because he liked her. Admired her. “That fire department position isn’t your only option,” he said after several long beats of silence. If she agreed to his plan, she’d be an integral part of the movie he wanted to film.
She stiffened in his arms and jerked her head back. “You think I won’t pass the physical?” she asked.
His breath caught in his chest. Once she’d wanted the world. He could offer that to her. “You’ll pass.” He stroked his thumb pad over her temple. “But didn’t you join the Marines to experience new things?”
“Yes,” she said. “And to serve my country.”
“You said what I did was important.” He melded his mouth on hers. “You’d make a hell of a great demolitions expert on the Quinn Sawyer movie sets.”
“Why would you want to hire me?” she asked. “I have zero experience.”
“You have experience where it counts. Besides, you won’t bullshit me,” he said.
“And us?” she asked. “What about that?”
“Us is good.” He sucked in her lower lip. “Very good.” An electric shock skimmed through him. Oh yeah, he could get used to this kind of good.
“And if we aren’t good anymore?”
“Then you’ll be part of a great team,” he said, still nibbling. “Making a difference.”
“I thought I had to prove something by getting accepted into the fire academy.” She puffed out air. “I wanted to do anything to make up for what happened to Rodriguez.”
Blake drew her into his embrace. “You’re free of that now.”
“I know,” Jessie whispered. “What you’re offering is tempting, but…”
He cut off her sentence, kissing her, tasting the salt on her tongue and the sweetness of her mouth. She molded her lips to his, joining him so easily that he couldn’t imagine letting her go. “No buts,” he said when they stopped. Hearing her say no wasn’t an option. “Let me know what you decide before the New Year’s Eve party.”
He’d tell her about the script if she said yes. Otherwise there’d be no reason to clue her in at all.
Chapter Ten
Of all the things Blake could have asked of her, becoming part of Hollywood’s elite Quinn Sawyer franchise hadn’t crossed Jessie’s mind. Now, one day before the New Year’s Eve party, she sat at her computer desk, weighing the pros and cons of accepting his offer.
Before she made a decision, she had to understand what she’d get herself into if she said yes. A Google search of images for Blake turned up the usual long, sleek, beautiful women at various red carpet functions.
“I don’t know,” Jessie said to her mother. “He’s perfect and I’m well…you know…not.”
Shannon leaned over to check out the screen shots. “Blake is one tall glass of gorgeous, but you’re too hard on yourself.”
“Look at his regular parade of dates,” Jessie said. “I’m not the prettiest woman in the room. I wouldn’t fit in.”
“You went against the mold when you became a Marine. You can fit wherever you choose to go.” Her mother stroked Jessie’s arm. “Blake respects you. He wants to hire you to do a job that’s right up your alley. Selfishly, I’d like to know you’re out of harm’s way when you go back to work.”
Jessie put her left hand on top of her mom’s, holding her in a familiar half hug. Her mom hadn’t left her side since she’d returned to the States after she’d been stabilized in Germany. “I’m sorry my decisions gave you so many worries, not to mention the biggest scare of all.”
“You’re alive.” Her mom’s voice wavered. “I know serving your community is important to you.”
“I’ve spent the better part of the past two months training for one thing.” All along she’d prayed that passing the fire academy’s grueling physical would help her move past the emotional scars she’d carried for over a year. “I won’t fail if I take the test.” Blake’s Marine Corps-approved workouts had more than prepared her.
“Are you afraid you won’t make the grade in Hollywood as an explosives expert?”
“I can do the job.” Jessie opened another online magazine article. “I’m not sure I can endure this kind of ongoing scrutiny. Look at what they’re writing. They say Blake’s slumming it with his current woman-of-the-month.” Her stomach squeezed tight. She’d never be accepted in Hollywood’s elite circles other than as Blake’s pity date.