Kitabı oku: «Miss Prim And The Maverick Millionaire»

CHAPTER ONE

THIS DEFINITELY WASN’T in her job description.

Jenna Townsend glanced at her watch, not actually noting the time. Then glanced at it again. A car should be picking him up from the airport right at this moment. Which meant he would be here at her office within the hour. She took a too-large swig of coffee and gasped as it burned her tongue and throat. Why was she so nervous? Babysitting the CEO of Jordan’s Fine Jewelry for the next several days shouldn’t warrant this much anxiety.

Cabe Jordan, CEO extraordinaire, was on his way back to Boston. The man who’d taken the small business his parents started in the historic North End and made it one of the most profitable national corporations of the last decade.

Hard to believe they’d grown up together in the same small town just outside Boston. Two years ahead of her in school, Cabe had been her older brother’s bane of existence, besting Sam at everything. Her brother had not been happy when she’d taken the position of regional manager and started working for his nemesis. But opportunities like this weren’t ones to be passed up, not for someone like her.

The job had been everything she could have hoped for and more. Until the email in her inbox the other day “requesting” her assistance in escorting Mr. Jordan as he revisited the flagship Boston site. For some reason, he’d specifically requested that she be his local liaison on this trip. Jenna shook her head.

Why did he need one anyway?

She’d felt like she’d been sent to the principal’s office, unable to shake the feeling that he was really here to check up on her. Had she done something wrong? Let something crucial slip through the cracks? Or had he woken up one day and realized he’d hired a small-town hick with no real-world experience. Maybe he was looking to replace her with some hotshot MBA from a real business school and he wanted to tell her in person. Maybe Sam had been right all these years and Cabe Jordan really was an elitist who had always looked down his nose at people like her.

Heavens, she had to get a grip. And try to stay positive. There could very well be a good reason for Cabe’s visit. Hadn’t she just come across an internal email regarding an opening in upper-level management? Perhaps he was here to tell her she was being promoted. It was possible. After all, her numbers spoke for themselves.

Did she dare to hope? Her job here meant so much for both her future and everyone who depended on her.

A quick knock on the door preceded the abrupt entrance of her assistant carrying a gleaming silver tray laden with pastries, a coffeepot and two brand-new porcelain mugs. Nothing but the best for Mr. Jordan.

“Thanks, Nora,” Jenna said as she set the tray down on a side bureau.

“You got it. Do we know his ETA yet?”

“Won’t be much longer now.”

Nora put her hand over her heart, a dreamy, faraway expression on her face. “I wonder if he’ll have Carmen with him.”

“Carmen?”

“You know, that Spanish model he was photographed with recently.”

Jenna shrugged. “I wouldn’t know.”

“Oh, come on. You have to be as curious as the rest of us. He’s been spotted out and about with at least three different beauties in the last month alone.”

Jenna merely smiled. If she was curious about anything, it was the reason for this whole trip to begin with. “Mr. Jordan’s personal affairs are none of my concern. I simply work for the man.”

“And what a dreamy man he is.” Despite being a happily married grandmother of a newly born infant, Nora was unabashed in her appreciation of handsome men.

“Be that as it may...” Jenna brushed an imaginary piece of lint off her right shoulder. This conversation was making her uncomfortable. Cabe had always been an endless source of gossip around here. She understood the curiosity—of course she did. Handsome, successful, mysterious. Cabe had really made a name for himself in the retail jewelry business. But endless speculation about the man wouldn’t get her a regular paycheck.

“I should probably get back to work on this presentation I set up for him.” She glanced at the graphic on her screen. She’d worked all night on it, taking the initiative to put together a slide presentation for Cabe’s review. Even though she didn’t know the exact reason for his visit, she figured presenting him with some specifics on the current business numbers wouldn’t hurt.

“I’m sure you’ll impress him, dear. Please don’t fret.”

Nora, of all people, knew how much Jenna needed this job. Her school loans alone were enough to keep her in debt for a good portion of her adult life. But as far as assurances went, Jenna wasn’t convinced.

“It can’t hurt to be prepared.”

“Of course, dear.” Taking the hint, Nora walked out of the office, gently shutting the door behind her. As much as she wanted to relax about all this, Jenna couldn’t seem to heed Nora’s advice not to “fret.”

She had to face it. Whatever his reasons, for the next several days, she would have to be Cabe Jordan’s glorified and overqualified chaperone. If only she could figure out why he needed one.

* * *

The only thing draped on Cabe’s arm when he walked in was his suit jacket. Not that she’d really thought he’d have a date with him when he came into the office. Though if the gossip websites were to be believed, he didn’t travel far without female companionship. Jenna stood as she eyed him in the reception area, chatting with Nora.

She watched as he walked over to the doorway of her office. Dressed in a well-tailored suit that fit him like a glove, he looked impeccable. Tall, still fit. Jenna drew in a deep breath. Those websites hadn’t done him justice. She’d refused to acknowledge it since receiving that email, but the truth was absolutely impossible to ignore now. The silly schoolgirl crush she’d had on him as a kid hadn’t abated one iota.

Well, if he was out of reach then, he was downright unattainable now. Still, like Nora, she could certainly appreciate his...pure masculinity.

Snap out of it.

He was waiting for her to invite him in as she stood there with her mouth gaping open. Staring at him. How utterly unprofessional. So much for coming across as the dynamic, invaluable employee Cabe’s company couldn’t do without.

“Mr. Jordan. So nice to see you here. Come in. Please.”

Wow, now she was positively dazzling him with her talent for witty conversation. He strode into the room and gave her a warm smile that sent electric volts down to her toes.

“Jenna. We’ve known each other a long time. Please call me Cabe.”

He spoke the words cordially enough, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that she sensed some subtle undertone, some kind of underlying message. Or maybe that was just her silly attraction to him that she’d thought she had gotten over eons ago. She’d been so wrong about that.

Definitely not the time to realize it.

She gave her head a brisk shake to clear it. She could not blow this initial meeting. She had the distinct impression the future of her livelihood depended on it.

“Would you like a cup of coffee? Cabe.”

His smile grew wider. “That’s more like it. And I’d love some coffee. But only if you’ll join me.”

She nodded and moved to the serving tray. Cabe held up a hand to stop her. “Please, let me.”

Really? He was going to serve her?

“How do you take it?”

“Just cream, please.”

He poured with a steady hand, doctored it with the small pitcher of creamer and handed her the cup. He poured a cup straight black for himself before sitting down across from her desk. In the smaller chair.

Was it her or was Cabe going out of his way to make her feel less of his employee and more of his equal?

Jenna cleared her throat. “So, what brings you here?”

He shrugged. “Just figured it’s about time I visit the flagship Boston site. Now that the Manhattan store is thriving, I can devote some attention to other areas. This is where it all began, after all. Feel I may have been neglecting it over the years.”

Did he mean it would have fared better if he’d been more involved? But the regional New England stores were doing fine with her at the helm. Sales had grown progressively over the years. Not at an astronomical pace but pretty steady, despite the slow economy. Heavens, why such paranoia?

“I see.”

“Just for a few days.”

“Well, I think you’ll be pleased with the overall numbers. Here, let me show you.” She walked over to the other side of the desk to face her laptop and motioned for him to follow.

Mistake. She hadn’t thought to pull over another chair facing the computer. They had no choice but to stand side by side. He smelled of pine and sandalwood.

She pushed herself to go through each slide, hardly aware of content. She stammered on every other sentence. Hopefully, she was at least coherent.

Cabe nodded at all the right points, so that was at least encouraging. He also asked some pertinent questions that Jenna was blessedly prepared for. Still, when she finished with her presentation, she felt as if she’d just trekked the full length of the Freedom Trail. And felt just as out of breath.

If Cabe noticed, he was too much of a gentleman to let on. “Very impressive,” he said, still staring at the upward slope of the graph on the last slide.

“Thank you.”

“Both the performance numbers and your presentation.”

“Thank you.” Again with the witty conversation.

“I’m not surprised. You’re a very capable regional manager.”

Don’t you dare say “thank you” again. She simply nodded, tried not to duck her head at the praise. The burning in her cheeks crept clear up to her scalp. She resisted the urge to fan herself like an old-fashioned Southern belle.

He did seem genuinely impressed. Maybe she’d been wrong to be so nervous. Perhaps he really was here to talk to her about a promotion. Stranger things had happened.

She decided to take a chance. “Oh. Well, then. Excuse me, Mr. Jordan—”

He interrupted her. “Cabe.”

She smiled politely. “I mean Cabe. If you don’t mind my asking... Why are you really here? After all this time. What aren’t you telling me?”

* * *

Cabe’s response died on his lips as the older secretary entered Jenna’s office. “Excuse me, Mr. Jordan. There’s a call on the office phone for you, from Corporate.”

He fished his cell out of his pocket, realizing he’d left it in airplane mode after his flight. “Thanks, Nora.” Sure enough, the phone started buzzing as soon as he changed the setting. A naughty text from Carmen popped up. He tried not to groan out loud. The woman could be draining. He would have to do something about that pretty soon. She had her sights on something that wasn’t going to happen. He’d have to find a way to let her down gently. No doubt it would cost him a pretty penny.

Then there were numerous messages from his assistant in New York, no doubt about the Caribbean expansion deal. Nothing about the project so far had run smoothly.

And so it began.

The interruption was just as well. He wasn’t sure how much he could share with Jenna Townsend just yet. Sharp as she was, she’d surmised that something else had prompted his visit.

He wanted to believe there’d been some kind of mistake, that she had no involvement. But it wouldn’t be the first time he’d misjudged someone.

“Would you mind if I take this, Jenna?”

She shook her head. “Of course not.” She walked toward the door. “I’ll give you some privacy.”

“There’s no need for that.” But she’d already left by the time he reached for her desk phone.

Cabe hung up the phone several minutes later and tried not to curse in frustration. He’d been right. There were indeed yet more complications on the resort island where he planned to open a new high-end retail jewelry store, this time to do with zoning issues.

He would have to fly down there. The sooner the better. Which meant he had to wrap up here in Boston as quickly as he could. He had to address the real purpose of this visit. Of all the reasons to have to come back, a thieving employee. He shook his head at the utter surprise of it. There was absolutely no reason for an employee to steal from him. The company paid well and provided numerous benefits. The only reason had to be greed.

His head of security assured Cabe that such thefts were usually inside jobs, almost always involving the store manager, who in this case was Jenna Townsend. The timing couldn’t have been worse—Jenna had been on track for a major promotion before the theft came to light.

As soon as he’d heard the name, he’d wanted to deal with the matter himself. He’d hired Jenna personally. His parents had always been quite fond of her. They’d asked him to give Jenna a chance when she’d graduated top of her class from business school two years ago. Despite what the town had thought about the Townsend family and its troubled history over the years, his parents had insisted that Jenna was cut from a different cloth and that she just needed a chance to prove it. His mom and dad were all about giving people a chance. He liked to think that had served them well, at least as far as their son was concerned.

Cabe’s original plan was to spend a few days with her. Maybe even find some evidence. So he’d asked for her specifically to be his assistant on this trip. But now he had forty-eight hours at the most before he had to fly to the Caribbean to deal with the other pressing matter. That left him with only one choice. He had to come right out and ask her what, if anything, she knew about the missing jewelry.

He could be quite persuasive when he had to be. Besides, he didn’t have the time to dwell on this. He had to get to the bottom of it all and move on to business as usual.

No one stole from Cabe Jordan and got away with it.

* * *

When Jenna returned to her office, Nora ran fast on her heels. “Is there anything else I can do for you, Mr. Jordan?” the older woman asked as she cleared the tray of mugs and coffee pitcher.

Cabe turned and flashed them both a smile that made Jenna’s knees go weak. “As a matter of fact, you can, Nora,” he replied. “Please clear Jenna’s calendar for the next two hours or so and cancel her appointments.”

What? Why?

To her shock and horror, he added, “I’d like to take my regional manager to lunch.”

Oh, no. She had to nip this in the bud right now. She did not want to sit across a table from this man, just the two of them. She was absolutely no good at small talk. And her presentation earlier had covered all the business details she could possibly bring up. Whatever he had to tell her, he could do so right here in this office. “I’m afraid I just can’t do that, Mr. Jord—”

“Cabe.”

She took a steadying breath. “I can’t steal away for lunch today, Cabe.” She glanced at Nora, willing her to help. Instead, Nora threw her overboard.

“Nonsense. Of course she can. There’s nothing pressing on her calendar this afternoon. And she hardly ever eats a real lunch. Usually a granola bar at her desk as she continues to work.”

Cabe’s smile dripped with satisfaction. “It’s settled, then. Do you have a preference where to eat, Jenna?”

She could only shake her head.

He led her gently to the door. “How about Nawlin’s, that sidewalk café on Newbury, then? It’s a pleasant enough day to eat outside and I’ve missed their sandwiches.”

Like it mattered. As if she’d be able to taste anything. She’d be lucky if she could keep it down.

“That’s fine.” Only it wasn’t fine at all, and her stomach did another little flip to prove it.

The queasiness hadn’t subsided at all ten minutes later when Cabe pulled a chair out for her at the quaint outdoor café on one of Boston’s swankiest streets. The lunch crowd milled and bustled around them. Two food trucks parked nearby had lines several feet long. All in all, a perfect day to enjoy a leisurely meal outside. If only she could enjoy it.

Their food came out in no time. She was picking at her Caesar salad when things went from bad to catastrophic. Cabe was going to try to make small talk. And his first choice of topic: the absolute last thing in the world she wanted to get into right now.

“So, Jenna. If I recall, you have an older brother.”

She had to discuss her broken, dysfunctional family, with none other than Cabe Jordan.

“Yes. Sam. You two must have been in a few of the same classes.”

“It was just the two of you and your mom, right? How is she, by the way? Do I recall she hadn’t been feeling well for a while?”

Jenna’s blood froze in her veins and she lost her grip on her fork. It fell to her plate with a clatter so loud the sound echoed through the air. Of course he must have heard rumblings over the years. Stories about Amanda tended to get around.

Cabe stopped eating and stared at her.

She stammered for a response. There was no good way to talk about her mother. “Yes. Yes, she’s doing better.” Such a lie.

Cabe stopped eating. “I’m so sorry, Jenna. I hope it isn’t anything too serious.”

She so didn’t want to go down this path. Any topic but her mother. Anything but discussing Amanda and her problems in front of this perfect man who grew up with the perfect family in his perfect home. But what choice did she have? He waited for an answer, staring at her expectantly.

“Uh...she actually is ill. In a way.” She took a deep breath. “My mother’s been having a hard time the past few years. Trying to kick a drug and alcohol problem.”

Cabe blinked at her. Clearly, he hadn’t seen that coming.

“She’s trying really hard,” Jenna added. Another lie.

In fact, her mother had just shown up at her door last night, asking for money for “groceries.” When Jenna had insisted on taking her to the market herself, Amanda had grown violent, shattering a vase on her hardwood floor before storming out. She’d wanted groceries of the more liquid variety. It had been the last thing Jenna had needed as she’d been trying to finish up her presentation for today. Thanks to Amanda’s visit, she’d been up most of the night due to the upsetting interruption.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Cabe said in a gentle and soothing voice.

“I’m sure you’re a tremendous source of support for your mother,” he continued. “She’s lucky to have you.”

Though her mother didn’t see it that way. In Amanda’s eyes, Jenna always came up short. Even though if Jenna hadn’t stepped in on numerous occasions, Amanda would no doubt be in jail. Or worse.

“I’m doing what I can to help her.”

Cabe cleared his throat. The look he gave her was so understanding, so gentle that it made her breath catch. “It’s quite admirable that you’re trying to help your mother.”

Oh, heavens. What could she say to that? She didn’t have a choice but to help her mother. Otherwise, she and her brother would be left to deal with the cleanup.

“Thanks.”

Several moments passed in awkward silence. So awkward that she wanted to give the waitress a hug when she interrupted to fill their glasses.

Jenna watched her leave before hesitantly turning her gaze back to Cabe. He gave her an unreadable look. Curiosity? Admiration?

She didn’t and couldn’t care. What did it matter what Cabe Jordan thought of her or her broken family? In a few days, he’d be gone from Boston and hopefully he wouldn’t return for another three to four years. He would just go back to being nothing more than an electronic signature at the bottom of her office emails.

But for now, she still had to get through this godforsaken lunch with him sitting right across from her.

He’d never understand, Jenna thought as she pretended to eat. Even under the best of circumstances, she’d never be in league with people like Cabe or even his parents, who had always been so sweet to her. Cabe had probably never had to hide from a drunken tirade or had to clean up after a parent who’d barreled in at three in the morning then promptly gotten sick all over the carpet.

She and Cabe Jordan may have grown up in the same town, but they were from two different worlds.