hours she’d crawled under his skin until she was all he could think about. At this rate he’d be serving barbecue shrimp and pavlova at the wedding, simple Aussie fare, because damned if he could come up with any new signature dishes in the state he was in.
He’d thought getting laid might solve the problem last night but now? Having a one-night stand with some transient woman wouldn’t ease what plagued him. He had it bad. For Jess.
Guaranteed thirty minutes with Reid would clear his head so he could focus on what was important for catering this wedding—providing the best damn food.
That was the plan. He’d better stick to it.
“Mr. Harper will see you now,” Reid’s PA said, gesturing toward his office.
“Thanks.” Jack ignored the appreciative smile the coiffed blonde shot him and headed for Reid’s office, where he knocked twice before entering.
Reid had a cell in one hand, a coffee in the other and was talking into a Bluetooth clipped to his ear. He nodded at the sideboard for Jack to help himself to coffee.
Jack didn’t need caffeine. He was wired without it, but he poured himself a cup of strong espresso and waited for the up and coming senator to finish winning friends and influencing people.
Reid mouthed ‘ sorry ’ as the call continued, giving Jack time to finish his espresso and check emails on his cell before Reid finally lost the corporate paraphernalia and came around the desk to slap him on the back.
“Jack, how’s it hanging?”
“All good, mate. You?”
“Same shit. Different day.” Reid poured a coffee and sank into a black leather L-shaped combo set up in the corner of his gargantuan office. “Sometimes I wonder why I chose this crappy career.”
Jack sat opposite. “Because you’re good at what you do.”
“Spin shit and expect people to believe it?” Reid sipped his coffee and grimaced. “Don’t think I’m cut out for the campaign trail.”
“Problem?”
Reid shook his head. “Just the usual muck-raking pricks who expect you to kiss ass at functions after dragging you through the dirt earlier in the day.”
“Glad it’s you and not me, mate.”
Jack couldn’t stand the fake schmoozing that must be part of Reid’s job on a daily basis. He had his fair share in the restaurant business, and dealt with celebs on the TV circuit, but he didn’t take shit from anyone and they soon twigged to it.
“Anyway, enough of my whining. Have you seen Jess yet?”
Damned if it took every ounce of Jack’s willpower not to slam the coffee cup onto the table and bolt.
“Yeah, we caught up at Burlesque Bombshell, had dinner last night.”
“Great. How is my sis?”
“Same as ever.”
Another massive lie. No way was the new, brash Jess anything like the quiet girl she’d once been. While it turned him on, big time, it also scared the shit out of him. He’d barely handled a shy Jess ten years ago. What hope did he have against a brash woman intent on seduction?
“Really? Too bad.” Reid shook his head. “I’d hoped living in Vegas for a while would help shake the funk she’s been in.”
“She seemed okay to me?” Jack ventured, intrigued to hear Reid’s take on how his sis was doing. Just because they couldn’t get physical didn’t mean he didn’t care about Jess’s welfare.
“Sure, she seems okay, but it’s like…”
Jack heard the concern in Reid’s tone. “Like what?”
“Like she’s so used to being the perfect daughter, the perfect fiancée, the perfect town good girl, she doesn’t know how to live any more.”
Interesting how Reid had echoed Jess’s reasons for cutting loose.
“I wouldn’t worry.”
Reid perked up. “Why? Did she say something to you?”
“Kinda.”
Jess had said a lot of things but none Jack could repeat to her brother.
“She seemed pretty jazzed to be planning the wedding. And I saw her out at that nightclub near the Bombshell.”
The tension in Reid’s shoulders visibly dissipated as he sank into
He’d thought getting laid might solve the problem last night but now? Having a one-night stand with some transient woman wouldn’t ease what plagued him. He had it bad. For Jess.
Guaranteed thirty minutes with Reid would clear his head so he could focus on what was important for catering this wedding—providing the best damn food.
That was the plan. He’d better stick to it.
“Mr. Harper will see you now,” Reid’s PA said, gesturing toward his office.
“Thanks.” Jack ignored the appreciative smile the coiffed blonde shot him and headed for Reid’s office, where he knocked twice before entering.
Reid had a cell in one hand, a coffee in the other and was talking into a Bluetooth clipped to his ear. He nodded at the sideboard for Jack to help himself to coffee.
Jack didn’t need caffeine. He was wired without it, but he poured himself a cup of strong espresso and waited for the up and coming senator to finish winning friends and influencing people.
Reid mouthed ‘ sorry ’ as the call continued, giving Jack time to finish his espresso and check emails on his cell before Reid finally lost the corporate paraphernalia and came around the desk to slap him on the back.
“Jack, how’s it hanging?”
“All good, mate. You?”
“Same shit. Different day.” Reid poured a coffee and sank into a black leather L-shaped combo set up in the corner of his gargantuan office. “Sometimes I wonder why I chose this crappy career.”
Jack sat opposite. “Because you’re good at what you do.”
“Spin shit and expect people to believe it?” Reid sipped his coffee and grimaced. “Don’t think I’m cut out for the campaign trail.”
“Problem?”
Reid shook his head. “Just the usual muck-raking pricks who expect you to kiss ass at functions after dragging you through the dirt earlier in the day.”
“Glad it’s you and not me, mate.”
Jack couldn’t stand the fake schmoozing that must be part of Reid’s job on a daily basis. He had his fair share in the restaurant business, and dealt with celebs on the TV circuit, but he didn’t take shit from anyone and they soon twigged to it.
“Anyway, enough of my whining. Have you seen Jess yet?”
Damned if it took every ounce of Jack’s willpower not to slam the coffee cup onto the table and bolt.
“Yeah, we caught up at Burlesque Bombshell, had dinner last night.”
“Great. How is my sis?”
“Same as ever.”
Another massive lie. No way was the new, brash Jess anything like the quiet girl she’d once been. While it turned him on, big time, it also scared the shit out of him. He’d barely handled a shy Jess ten years ago. What hope did he have against a brash woman intent on seduction?
“Really? Too bad.” Reid shook his head. “I’d hoped living in Vegas for a while would help shake the funk she’s been in.”
“She seemed okay to me?” Jack ventured, intrigued to hear Reid’s take on how his sis was doing. Just because they couldn’t get physical didn’t mean he didn’t care about Jess’s welfare.
“Sure, she seems okay, but it’s like…”
Jack heard the concern in Reid’s tone. “Like what?”
“Like she’s so used to being the perfect daughter, the perfect fiancée, the perfect town good girl, she doesn’t know how to live any more.”
Interesting how Reid had echoed Jess’s reasons for cutting loose.
“I wouldn’t worry.”
Reid perked up. “Why? Did she say something to you?”
“Kinda.”
Jess had said a lot of things but none Jack could repeat to her brother.
“She seemed pretty jazzed to be planning the wedding. And I saw her out at that nightclub near the Bombshell.”
The tension in Reid’s shoulders visibly dissipated as he sank into
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