“Jason won’t care about the tests, anyway. Why would he? They only mean something when you’re in school.”
“No, they mean something in the real world, too. My parents kept it a secret because they thought I would be treated badly.” They didn’t seem to realize they treated her as if she was permanently naive or hadn’t learned anything after middle school. “They believe people would take advantage of me because I couldn’t keep up with them.”
“That is simply not true!”
Sometimes she felt that they were right, though. “And I’ve learned that if you can’t keep up with the rock stars and the geniuses, you are just dragging them down. They will cut you loose and move on.”
“Are we still talking about your parents? They moved to Silicon Valley to work on their dream project and you wanted to stay here. Was there more to that?”
She didn’t feel like talking about it. “I don’t want Jason to know about my challenges,” she said quietly. “It will make him look at me differently. Worse, he wouldn’t trust my decision at work.”
“Not necessarily.”
She noticed Kim didn’t sound as certain anymore. “Let’s just keep it a secret, okay?”
As Kim quickly changed the subject, Claire decided that she could enjoy the week with Jason without revealing too much. He kept his relationships light. He didn’t require a brilliant woman at his side.
That was perfect for her. She could indulge in her fantasies with this fake fling and walk away unscathed. As far as she could tell, there was no downside to this strategy.
4
HE SHOULDN’T HAVE kissed her.
And he shouldn’t think about it anymore, Jason decided as he walked to Claire’s apartment the next evening. Eagerness pulsed through him and he tried to will it away. He gave an irritable sigh. He needed to focus on his job tonight. He also needed to complete this favor for Claire without adding any complications.
But if he had to describe Claire Miller, he would only use one word: complicated. She made his job easier but the woman was difficult and stubborn. She argued with him over the tiniest detail with no provocation. She questioned everything from his plans for Mountain Creek Wine Cellars to his enthusiasm.
He wasn’t used to it. In fact, he hadn’t realized how his friends and employees always agreed with him until he started working with Claire. He needed someone like her to push him. To confront and challenge him.
He privately admired Claire for standing up to him. He appreciated that she cared enough to speak her mind. She wasn’t worried about his displeasure when she pointed out why one of his ideas wouldn’t work.
But if she knew how much her opinion mattered to him, there would be no stopping her. He remembered how she used to get on his nerves when they were younger. She had been demanding and hard to ignore. And then, suddenly in high school, she had changed. She had gradually become quieter and withdrawn.
She wasn’t quiet with him anymore. Not since they’d started working together. He’d like to think that she was that way only with him. He wanted their relationship to be different from her other clients. He wanted to be special to Claire.
He scowled as he realized where his thoughts were leading. Jason knocked on the door to her apartment and waited. He absently rubbed his fingertips against his lips as he recalled the jolt of something fierce and mysterious rushing through him when his mouth touched hers.
Jason rolled his eyes. After that kiss, his mind was going to be focused on Claire’s mouth all night long. He should have considered that before he followed his instincts and kissed her. But he had been drawn to Claire. Driven, actually. It was new and different from what he felt with other women. He didn’t want to deny the building desire. Instead, he wanted to see how powerful it would become. He thought... Jason shook his head. That was the problem, he had not been thinking.
The door to her apartment swung open. Jason’s heart skipped a beat when he saw Claire. His fingers itched to sink into the straight blond hair that fell past her shoulders. The tresses would be soft and fragrant.
His gaze slowly traveled down the sleeveless dress that hugged her curves and stopped midthigh. Her legs looked longer in the barely there heels, and the claret-red shade of the dress highlighted her pale skin. The zipper that dominated the front of her dress grabbed his attention. It went all the way from her low neckline to the hem.