and slapping his hand on Alex’s shoulder.
‘I have no idea.’ He forced his feet to move. ‘But there’s not a doubt in my mind—she’s just what I need.’
Jess walked directly to Kath, trying not to break into a run. She could hardly breathe, hardly think for the jumble of words in her head, the heat in her cheeks, the pounding in her ears.
What had possessed her to be sucked in by Kath’s needling and march up to the one man in the world she’d had no intention of being anywhere near?
Kath swung around on her stool, feigning innocence with wide eyes and raised brows. ‘How’d it go?’
Jess threw up her hands, her stomach tossing as the conversation flooded back to her—every word of her crazed babbling crashing into his calm responses. ‘Don’t ask.’
‘It looked good.’
Jess shook her head. How could a person with four years worth of hatred, wimping out in the face of her evil nemesis, look good?
Her cheeks burned. How was she going to exact her revenge on the guy with a shred of dignity now he knew she was the total twit who’d lost it, tossed a drink on him and spoken absolute rubbish to him?
Women Against Womanisers? Where had that come from? Sure, if such an organisation existed she’d be the first to sign up—giving support to other women who’d been screwed over by men. And there’d be a lot.
She bit her bottom lip. She just hoped he believed it, and forgot all about her.
Jess straightened her jacket, willing her pulse to slow. It was over. So over. And there was no way she was going to be eating anywhere tonight—least of all here. ‘Let’s get out of here.’
‘Did you get it all off your chest?’ Kath stood up slowly, her gaze probing Jess’s face. ‘You have to feel better now that’s over?’
‘Sure,’ Jess choked, looking towards the front door, hoping she sounded more convincing than she felt. ‘I told him.’
Kath hooked her handbag over her shoulder, tipping her head to one side, looking past Jess as though she wasn’t there. ‘I don’t know…I don’t think you made your point very clearly at all.’
Jess sucked in a deep breath. ‘You weren’t there. You have no idea.’ So she’d barely scratched the surface. But now wasn’t the time. She had to work out a way to get their company playing ball with the big guys, to get the clients that Alex Calahan coveted and to drive him broke—as he deserved.
‘So, if you saw Calahan again…?’
She lifted her chin. There was no way she was going to let Kath know the truth about the encounter. It was better to let her partner in business believe she was over the ‘Crush Calahan’ crusade and that she was in no way as idiotically vulnerable as any other woman to the man’s evil charms.
‘Not a problem,’ Jess said easily, seeing as she didn’t plan to see the guy ever again. Unless you counted giving change to him in the street after she’d turned him into a pauper.
‘Good. Because he’s behind you.’
She stiffened, then relaxed. Kath had to be joking. There was no way Calahan would come begging for more of the same—she’d acted like a total idiot.
‘I’m not joking, Jess,’ Kath said from between clenched teeth, imitating the smile of a Cheshire cat, her attention behind Jess.
‘Jess,’ said a distinctly male voice, rich and smooth behind her. ‘Nice name. Short for—?’
Jess’s heart leapt into her throat.
She stared at her friend, flexing her fingers as his warm friendly tone slid through her, doing strange things to the nerves in her body.
She wanted to turn around and shove the guy into next week. But she was frozen to the spot, her breath coming short and ragged.
‘I’m Katherine,’ her ex-friend said, reaching past Jess, offering a nervous sort of smile.
Jess saw Kath’s hand vanish in his large hand beside her, out of the corner of her eye, and her mind darted to how strong and smooth and sensuous his hand probably felt against hers.
‘Alex,’ he said smoothly. ‘But I’m guessing you already knew that.’
Kath nodded. ‘So…’ she offered, glaring at Jess, widening her eyes.
What could he possibly want? Her mind rattled through the possibilities. To give her a dry-cleaning bill? Or a date?
She bristled. He’d better get used to disappointment.
She swung around to face him, her breath snagging in her throat at the sheer presence of him, so close to her, watching her with his deep blue eyes as though he was searching her very soul.
The corners of his mouth tipped. ‘Hello.’
‘Hi,’ she whispered, forcing air into her lungs. ‘I’m sorry…if I gave you the impression that I wanted something from you. I don’t.’
He touched his jaw, his eyes sparkling. ‘Good.’
She stared at his mouth, trying to understand the meaning behind the word, his presence, the strange tingling in the pit of her stomach.
‘I’d like to propose—’
Kath gasped.
‘—that you may have a unique viewpoint to offer, and I’m more than interested in exploring it to the full.’
‘Really?’ She crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes at the man. What sort of pick-up line was that? She’d expected more from a guy with the reputation of wooing the ladies the way she’d heard he did.
‘I’d appreciate your perspective.’
‘I have no idea what you’re talking about, and I have no intention of spending one more minute of my time finding out.’ Jess snatched up her bag from the bar. ‘I’ve said my piece.’ She shot Kath a look. ‘And I won’t waste my time or my breath on self-serving womanisers who are out to exploit everything and everyone around them. Good night.’
She snagged Kath’s arm and lurched towards the exit.
‘Jess?’
Her name on his lips hit her deep in the chest. She swung around to face the last man on earth she wanted using it.
‘That’s exactly the perspective I need. I’m looking to change my image…and I need some honest advice.’
She sucked in a deep breath.
‘I’ll pay you for your time.’
‘Of course you will,’ Kath piped up, stepping forward. ‘And I expect you’ll want her to incorporate herself into your day-to-day routine, so she can point out exactly what’s happening on a minute-by-minute basis?’
He
