"I'm going to kill him," I said.
"No, don't worry about it," Dana Maria said. "The girls aren't stupid. Word's spread and no one is going near him. Jackson McRay is his own STD as far as the women of Las Vegas are concerned."
"Ugh, it’s always the all-American handsome ones that are the misogynists," Sandi said.
"Don't worry, honey, that's not me," Kev said. "Well, except for the handsome part." He turned to me. "Guess we don't have to worry about people not believing us anymore. Turns out lots of people know what a slime ball Jackson McRay is."
"Except Kya," I said.
I charged for the door. Kev stepped in front of me. "Forget about Jackson McRay. I'll leak the story. We'll get some of Dana Maria's girls to speak out. He'll be ruined. You don't need to go down with him."
"I'm not going to fight him. I'm not going anywhere near Jackson," I said.
"You have to report to the arena in an hour. You're not going anywhere," Kev said.
"Fenton, forget about it. It’s just a distraction," Dana Maria said.
"Move, Kev. You know I have to see her," I said.
Kev nodded and stepped aside. "Tell Kya we'll see her at the fight."
Chapter Forty
Kya
"Hello, beautiful. Aren't you going to invite me in?" Jackson asked. His bright white teeth flashed when he smiled.
Jackson was hard to resist. His tan skin, his warm brown eyes, the square jaw, he was the picture of the perfect man. He was also tall with broad shoulders. His biceps were well defined, his stomach flat and hard. He was stronger and more intimidating than his pastel shirts and friendly smile suggested.
I felt a cold chill despite his warm smile. "Actually, I would, but I'm just on my way out. I'd love if you wanted to walk me out," I said.
"I know, I know, the big title fight. I suppose you do have to go support your other client. Don't worry, you still have plenty of time," Jackson said. "Why not enjoy the view from your suite one more time? I mean, your boss wouldn't want it to go to waste while he's paying for it, would he?"
"I'm sorry, really," I said. "I promised some friends I would meet them early."
"Your friends will understand. Just tell them I wouldn't take no for an answer," he said. He stepped forward and put a wide hand on the suite door. "Come on, nothing wrong with us spending a little time together."
"Fine, let's go have a drink out by the pool. It’s one of my favorite spots. Where we first met for the second time." I tried to laugh, but it got caught in my throat. I almost choked.
&n
bsp; He pushed hard against the door and stepped past me. If I stood my ground, he would have just shoved me aside. So instead, I shuffled back and had to welcome him inside. It suddenly seemed important not to upset him. Jackson smiled and there was still warmth in his brown eyes, but there was a sharpness, an impatience to him that put me on edge.
"I brought you a bottle of champagne. I knew you'd finally be alone, what with your other client off getting ready for his big moment. I think we should celebrate."
"Celebrate what?" I asked. The suite was isolated. There were no other guests on the floor that day. I did not like to think about how the soundproofing had already been tested by loud parties.
Jackson reached in his pocket and pulled out a manila envelope. "Here's the signed contract. Our business is finalized and that means we can put it aside. Now that it's done, we don't have to be so businesslike, either. We don't have to celebrate as colleagues – I don't want to be just your colleague."
"This is wonderful. I'll call my boss right away and tell him the good news. Like you said, get all the business out of the way," I said. I gripped the phone hard to stop my hand from trembling.
Jackson shook his head and reached for my phone. "Don't you think your boss would be really upset if you didn't close this deal? I mean, you'd have unhappy clients, and from what I've heard, the power tool people are longstanding clients of your boss. They'd all be unhappy if you messed this up somehow."
"And, how would I mess it up?" I asked. "I know things have been a little crazy here in Las Vegas, but the contract is sound and you have no objections. So, what is the problem?"
He dangled the signed contract high in the air. "I don't know. I'd like to say I'm a satisfied client. I'd like to think you've taken care of me."
"Is there something you want me to change? Let's go down to the hotel's business center and we can review the contract while we get my boss on a conference call," I said.