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“Oh my God. You’re Nash. You’re Nash-Nash.”
He was barely recognizable. The headpiece, making up the horns of his costume, gave him a widow’s peak he normally didn’t have and transformed the angular shape of his face into something more oval. His deep-red lipstick was smeared, probably from kissing me, also altering his appearance. And he wore dark purple eyeshadow, coated all the way up to his eyebrows—eyebrows that had been painted black to put an emphasized arch in them. Yet I knew exactly who he
was.
Ezra Nash.
The co-CEO of my father’s company. The Nash my stepmother wanted to claim as her boy toy. The Nash who strode down the halls of JFI in intimidating, yet super-hot business suits, giving me the impression no one ever touched him or joked with him or certainly kissed him while he wore a dress. The very Nash I wanted to buy out someday so I could take back my namesake of a company from.
Oh Lord. This wouldn’t do. This wouldn’t do at all.
I went into hyper-distress.
Lana would literally murder me if she found out I had put my mouth on the very guy she was interested in. She would make my entire life a living hell. Heck, she already made my life a living hell, and she didn’t even have a valid reason.
If she had this reason, she’d—
I shuddered, too worried to even think about the possibilities.
She could never find out about this.
Ergo, he couldn’t find out who I was.
Ergo, I had to leave before he tempted my name from me.
Ergo—oh shit.
He lifted his painted eyebrows. “You know who I am.”
“Uh.” I gulped and hedged a step in reverse. I needed to get out of here. Like now. Like thirty seconds ago. “Yeah. You’re Nash,” I told him uneasily. “One of the CEOs of JFI, head of the Jackets department, son of entrepreneur Henry Nash.” After a nervous laugh, I waved a greeting even as I took another step backward. “Everyone knows who you are.” Clearing my throat, I started to turn away. “I should go.”
“Go? No, wait!”
He leapt forward and caught my wrist, stilling me. Panic filled my veins. But when I looked up at him from wide, worried eyes, he didn’t seem mad. He actually laughed out his confusion and shook his head.
“The dress didn’t scare you off, but my name is? Why? Who are you? I know we’ve never met before. I would definitely remember a face this amazing.”
He thought my face was amazing? Oh man. That was awesome.
I gulped and shook my head, my will against him faltering.
“No, you’re right,” I agreed. “We’ve never formally been introduced before.”
His brow crinkled. “Formally introduced? What does that mean? Should I know who you are? What’s your name?”
I shook my head, unable to tell him. “I… I…”
He rubbed his thumb soothingly over the back of my hand. “Do you work for JFI?” he pressed. “That’s what’s freaking you out, isn’t it? You just found out you kissed the big boss man?”
“I…” My mind spun. Technically, it wouldn’t be a lie if I said no, I didn’t work for him… Yet. Lana had fired me earlier in the week, and I wouldn’t start working for Brick until Monday, so at the moment, no, I was not employed at JFI, and therefore he couldn’t be my boss’s boss. But it’d still feel like a lie to me, so I couldn’t say no, either. And yet, I couldn’t tell him yes. He couldn’t find out who I was. This couldn’t get back to Lana. Ever.
He’d been an amazing kisser, no doubt about that: the best mouth I’d ever had the pleasure of tasting. I’d enjoyed the past half hour with him more than I could remember enjoying much of anything, and we’d connected on an almost cosmic level. But no man was worth the wrath of Lana Judge on a bitter, jealous angry bender. I valued my life more than that. This had to stop here and now, before it went any further.
When it took me too long to answer, Nash’s face filled with concern. He stepped closer and cupped my cheek in his hand. “Talk to me,” he urged gently. “Something is freaking you the fuck out. I can see it all over your face. Help me understand what’s going on here.” He pressed his lips to my forehead and tucked my stray piece of hair behind my ear again. “I swear, I’ll help fix whatever it is.”
I groaned. “Dear God, you are so sweet.”
That was something I never would’ve guessed about him after seeing him only in corporate mode, decked out to the nines in a suit and tie, his jaw always so firm and unforgiving, the air of authority and disdain cloaking him like armor.
