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“Who said anything about damage? I’m talking priceless free viral publicity! Get that mopey-ass look off your handsome face and sit down. I’ll grab you some coffee while you admire my handiwork.”
Drew sank down into the chair and glanced at the headlines on the screen. The pictures jolted him. All different angles of the passionate lip-lock with Jenna after escaping from the lobby of the Maddox Hill building. He was looming over her, clutching her like a conquering hero while she arched back in sweet surrender.
Whoa. Hot.
The headlines made him flinch. “Lust-Crazed Architect Romances Sexy Scientist” was one. Then, “Bad Boy of Architecture Locks Lips with Brainiac Beauty of Biomed.” And another gem: “Already? Billionaire Starchitect Frolics with Brand-New Plaything.”
Ouch. They’d surpassed themselves this time.
Drew shoved the papers away, dismayed. So Jenna wasn’t getting out of this unscathed. At best, she’d look foolish and gullible, and at worst...
Never mind. He’d worry about the worst when it crawled down his throat.
Ava set down a fragrant, steaming mug of coffee in front of him and perched on the table next to him. “So?” she said, eyes expectant.
“So what?” he said sourly. “So Jenna’s reputation is rolling downhill right after mine, and picking up speed. You want me to celebrate that?”
Ava rolled her eyes. “You’re missing the point. Bev is completely taken with Jenna. Hendrick won’t do anything to displease her. The board doesn’t meet for another week. If we scramble, that’s more than enough time to distract, deflect and dazzle, because Jenna is dazzling, right? Is she not the best?”
“Ava,” he began grimly, “I’ve been thinking about this all night, and I’ve decided that—”
“Wait! Hold that thought. There she is, the Brainiac Beauty of Biomed herself!” Ava bounced up and was gone.
Drew turned, bracing himself.
Ava had her arms wrapped tightly around Jenna’s neck, and was jumping excitedly up and down, which made Jenna’s corona of bouncing red-gold ringlets toss and flop. When Jenna finally detached herself, smiling, her hazel eyes flicked over to his.
The buzz of that eye contact brought every detail of yesterday’s encounter back to his mind. He could smell her scent, feel her softness. Taste the sweet flavors of her lips, her mouth. The way her hair felt wound around his fingers. The way pleasure made her shudder and gasp and move.
His face got hot. His lower body stirred.
He hung back, not wanting to get in her face if she felt self-conscious about last night, but there was no need. Jenna hung up her coat, ignoring him. She was dressed in a black wool sweater that hugged her curves, and a pencil skirt. A narrow gold belt accented her trim waist. Black tights. Lace-up boots with pointy toes, perfect for kicking a lightweight playboy’s ass right into an alternate dimension. Her hair was free, a mane of bouncing curls. No twisting or braiding or bunning today.
“Good morning,” he ventured cautiously.
Her eyes flicked to his briefly. “Morning.” Her voice was offhand. Remote.
“Sit, sit,” Ava urged. “Look at these!” She snatched the tablet away from Drew and presented it to Jenna. “Behold, the magic is happening. Check it out! Superhot, huh? You guys really rocked the method acting. So real! Rawr!”
“Oh, my God.” Jenna scrolled through the articles, pausing on each of the pictures. “Wow,” she whispered. “That’s...really something.”
“I know, right?” Ava crowed. “You brainiac beauty, you! Rupert’s going to choke on his bran flakes. And only Kayleigh will be there to perform the Heimlich maneuver on him. The poor guy’s done for.”
Jenna snorted. “I doubt that Rupert follows these particular news channels.”
“Oh, you better believe he has his system set to ping if your name is mentioned, that jealous little user. He’s always been jealous that you’re a better engineer than he is. He couldn’t marry you, Jenn, because he wants to be you.”
Jenna scanned one of the articles, a frown of concentration between her eyes. “Wow. I’ve never been described as a plaything before. It’s like getting written up on a toilet stall in the guys’ bathroom. For a good time, call so-and-so. It’s a twisted compliment of sorts, but what do you do with it?”
“Enjoy it,” Ava suggested. “Accept it. You might as well. What’s the alternative?”
“But how do playthings even dress? Higher heels? Shorter skirts? Longer nails, brighter lipstick? Should I giggle and squeal?”
Ava snorted. “Like Kayleigh, you mean?”
“Who’s Kayleigh?” Drew asked.
Jenna’s mouth tightened. “My ex’s twenty-three-year-old intern,” she said. “Now his wife. Currently on a romantic honeymoon on a beach in Bali. I wish them well.”
