Jason circulated through the crowd, just as he had all evening. Occasionally Claire had been at his side but she had a tendency to drift away and come back. Jason wanted to clamp his hand on her hip and keep her nearby. Make his claim in the most obvious way and have every man back off. He had the bad feeling that Max was still going to come in and snatch Claire away. A few minutes later he noticed a flash of the purple dress in the corner of his eyes. Jason turned, his breath hitching in his throat as he saw Claire coming his way. She had a smile on her face as she approached. She didn’t seem to notice the crowd parting for her.
Jason’s heart thumped as they shared a smile. He couldn’t pretend anymore. He loved this woman and what they had could no longer be a fling. He wanted something that enveloped their whole lives and brought them closer.
But then his stomach gave a sharp twist of dread when he saw a man in a designer suit following Claire. The man didn’t fit in with the crowd of tech millionaires and hipster parents. Max Blair.
Jason fought the roll of nausea. The man who was going to take Claire away from him had finally arrived.
He quietly inspected his competitor. The man was tall and lean, his curly blond hair brushed back to frame his thin face. Jason didn’t like the smirk on the guy’s narrow mouth or the supercilious arch of his brow.
“Jason, I want you to meet someone.” Claire placed her hand on his shoulder and turned to the stranger. “This is Max Blair, a colleague of mine. Max, this is Jason Strong. I do all of his social media.”
That was how she was going to introduce him? Jason’s muscles locked. He was much more than a client! His instincts were to draw Claire against his body, give her a thorough kiss and let everyone know they belonged together.
Jason stopped himself just in time. He bit his lip down as the words tingled on his tongue. He remembered the last time he had surprised Claire by changing the script. He couldn’t do that to her again. He would help Claire create whatever image she wanted, even if it meant diminishing his role in her life.
He shook Max’s hand and found the man’s grip to be crushing. Jason showed no reaction but it gave him a glimpse of Max Blair. He was aggressive and used force to take charge of any conversation or situation. Why did Claire want to work with this guy?
“Would you like a drink?” Jason asked. “We’re highlighting a merlot from our reserve label.”
“Wine from Washington State?” Max gave a theatrical shudder before flashing a smile. “But I might as well. When in Rome...”
“You haven’t had wine from this region?” Claire gave a cluck of her tongue. “You are missing out.”
“If you say so.” Max thrust his hands in his pockets and surveyed the room. “This is a nice little establishment you have here, Jason.”
He wasn’t going to get into a pissing contest with the guy. Jason was proud of the wine bar and tasting room. With Claire’s help, he had built a strong and loyal community of customers and enthusiasts. If Max didn’t take the time to see that, it wasn’t Jason’s problem. “The party is beginning to wind down. I’m sorry you missed it.”
Max gave a shrug. “It couldn’t be helped. The executives wouldn’t let me leave.” He paused when he noticed Jason’s blank look. “I presented a workshop for a multinational company in Seattle.”
Jason gave a polite nod. “Is that how you and Claire met? Presenting workshops?”
Max leaned back and gave a hearty laugh. “No, no, no. Claire isn’t at that level. The conference organizers wouldn’t recognize her name. It will be years before she’s invited to present a seminar.”
“Actually, I have been invited to be a speaker, but I’ve declined.”
Jason wanted to pump his fist in the air. He was glad to see Claire speaking up for herself. As much as he wanted to swoop in and save the day for her, he knew she would spend the night wishing she had said something.
“A conference organizer asked you to present a workshop?” Max jerked his head back.
“Yes, a social media group in LA,” she said with a serene smile. “My work has been getting a lot of buzz lately. I’ve been getting a lot of results because I emphasize storytelling instead of overwhelming the customer with ads and promotion. I’ve always believed in my methods, and now the industry is shifting to my way of thinking. The conference organizers and sponsors say that I’m a trailblazer.”
“I don’t understand,” Max said as he stared blankly at Claire. “Did someone drop out of their speaking engagement?”