The Perfect Storm (The Blake Boys Book 6) (4 page)

“How does Bo know your taste in cigars?”

“I mentioned this brand to him during one of my visits and he was thoughtful enough to track them down.”

“He speaks very highly of you. But he left out a crucial detail.” He quipped.

“You have a problem working with women?” She raised an eyebrow.

“No, ma’am. I believe women are capable of just about anything, and I wouldn’t dare underestimate you, Samantha Jane.”

“Good to know. Now that we’ve cleared all that up, do I get a handshake now?” She gave him an expectant look.

A small jolt of electricity flowed between them when his big, strong calloused hand engulfed hers. It was rough like he worked them a lot, not the hands of a man who sat in an office all day long making executive decisions. He had a firm grip, but she could tell he was holding back. When she tried pulled away, he relaxed his hand and his thumb lightly caressed the back of hers. He motioned for her to sit down so she did.

“What exactly does Regency do for Blake Enterprises? I must admit I never get involved in the security aspect of the company. Give me a complete rundown, but take it slow and be gentle with me.” He smiled and canyon-deep dimples appeared.

“Well…” she stammered. “We provide security for Blake Enterprises and all of its subsidiaries, including your homes. Regency patrols all properties, vets employees and provides protection details when necessary. I personally manage the more sensitive investigative needs of the family that requires discretion.”

“Give me an example of something that would require discretion.” He ran a hand through his hair.

“Well, let’s use you as an example.” Samantha leaned forward. “You’re a hot commodity since your divorce. I would collect data on the women you date to make sure no one is taking advantage of the situation.”

“So you ferret out gold diggers?” He laughed.

“And keep away the crazies. I just ask that as you bask in the glow of singledom, I would consider it a personal favor if you took pity on my staff and tried to behave. We all took a collective sigh of relief when Tate settled down, but Tyler keeps us plenty busy helping him escape the clutches of some poor girl who thinks she’s love with him.”

J.J. shook his head. “My brother has a robotic pelvis. One of these days it’s going to get him in trouble.”

“I hear Michelle gives him a run for his money.”

“You know about Michelle?” His eyes widened.

“I know many things. All of you have had your fair share of exploits. Your files read like an action movie.”

“So how often do you have eyes on us?”

“We do occasionally pop up at public appearance events or at your favorite haunts like the Bright Star. We dress in plain clothes, blend in with the crowd and keep our distance. We can discreetly imbed ourselves deeply into our clients’ lives to make sure you’re safe without you feeling like your privacy is being violated.”

“How deep do you go?” He scratched at his beard.

“As deep as I need to get the job done.”

* * *

J.J. tried his best to concentrate on what she was saying, but frankly it was hard. How could everyone have neglected to tell him that Sam was a woman? Bubba’s enthusiasm for the annual audits was now becoming clearer to him. When he read the note attached to the box of cigars, he thought it had a flirty tone but tossed the notion aside because he assumed Sam was a man. Did Bubba have the hots for her? If so, why hadn’t he made a move in three years?

He thought he’d be meeting with a crotchety old man who had a pension for drinking whiskey and smoking expensive cigars, not a drop dead gorgeous woman in four inch heels. The stuffy conservative suit she wore couldn’t hide the contours of her firm, full breasts, petite, tapered waist, and perky ass. She was slightly taller than average, and the heels she wore gave her some extra height, but she still only managed to be eye-level with his shoulder. Her pretty brown eyes sparkled and her smile radiated warmth. He wanted to lick the plum lipstick she wore off her full lips—luscious lips—and unpin her long hair that she wore pulled back into a simple ponytail with a barrette. He wondered if his five o’clock shadow would tickle her if he ran his cheek along the nape of her neck.

Damn, when she looked up at him with those arresting eyes to see if he were paying attention, his dick twitched. How the hell was he going to make it through the audit working with her? If his body’s involuntary tension was any indication of what was in store for him every day for the next month, he was in big trouble. And he looked forward to it.

He’d regained control of his body and was able to escort her out of the office by the time she left for the day. Then he’d gone back to his office in a daze.

“Do you need anything else tonight Mr. Blake?” Anna Beth appeared in the doorway.

“Anna Beth, I thought I sent you home hours ago.” J.J. rubbed the back of his neck.

“I thought I’d hang around in case you needed me.”

“That was nice of you, but I was just about to call it a day.” He put some files in the file cabinet and locked it.

“How did things go with the audit?”

He broke into a smile. “So far so good.”

“Sam sure is a…beautiful woman. It’s hard to believe she used to be a police officer.”

A cop. That wasn’t surprising.

“Well, that just goes to show we shouldn’t stereotype people.” He got his car keys out of the drawer. “Why are you still here? You should be out with your friends having fun, enjoying the single life.”

“Is it really that much fun?” She crinkled her nose.

“I know what you mean. I’ve just been plunged back into it and I don’t understand nearly as much as I thought I did.”

“I’d prefer to find that one person who appreciates me.” Anna Beth tucked her hair behind her ear.

“Maybe we should start a club.” He held the door for her and walked her out.

“Oh.” She cleared her throat. “I forgot to tell you that your wife—I mean ex-wife—called while you were in the audit.”

J.J. tensed. “Did she say what she wanted?”

“No, she did not.”

J.J.’s light hearted mood after engaging with Sam all afternoon suddenly got very heavy. He’d promised himself he wouldn’t have any contact with Eden for three months to help the transition out of each other’s lives. It wasn’t going to be easy, not reaching for the phone to see what she wanted.

* * *

J.J. got out of the truck and splayed the blueprints to his new house on the hood. The construction was on schedule, he was confident they’d finish by the fall. Thanks to Jared, his new five-bedroom, five-and-a-half-bath home would be built to his exact specifications. This was a fun project for him. He’d given full control of the last house’s design to Eden.

He had a date tonight, but he really didn’t feel like going. Rebecca was a beautiful, sexy woman that he’d met at a business luncheon last week. She was the perfect person to help expunge a certain security specialist from his mind.

J.J. opened the door and let Rowdy out of the truck so he could stretch his legs. It was now easy to locate the pooch on the ranch with the GPS locator Regency had fitted on his collar. So he’d swung by Tate and Isabelle’s to pick him up for their outing with Jake today. The sound of a golf cart coming down the road made him turn. It was Morgan and Jake. As soon as she parked and unclipped his seat belt, Jake bolted from the golf cart and ran to him.

“Uncle J.J., it’s meeting time!”

“Hey Jake. I was on my way to pick you up.” J.J. lifted him up in the air.

“This is coming along nice.” Morgan surveyed the construction. “Jake has taken an interest in the construction. He has his father’s inquisitive nature. He wants to know the mechanics of everything.”

“That’s a good sign.” J.J. tickled him.

He reached in the back of the truck and got them hard hats. He held Jake with one arm and took Morgan’s hand and gave them a tour of the perimeter, but not inside, explaining to Jake why the men put up foundation walls. By the time they made it back to the truck, Jake had a million more questions.

Morgan did too.

“So how’s the love life?” she asked.

“I’ve been seeing a few women. Nothing serious.”

“Funny, you don’t seem like a swinging single type of man to me.” Morgan eyes twinkled.

J.J. laughed. “And what type of man do you think I am?”

“You’re the kind of man who knows exactly what he wants the moment he sees it. Seth said that’s why you were so success in football and in business. Your gut is never wrong.”

J.J. put his arm around his sister-in-law and gave her a hug. “Are you always so insightful this early in the morning?”

“I have three kids, my brain never shuts off. Well I have to get back to the house. The last time I left Seth with the twins for more than a few minutes he was teaching them words like conglomerate and shareholders.” She shook her head.

“Jake and I are going to the pet store to get a new collar and some toys for Rowdy.”

“Sounds good. Enjoy your big brother’s club meeting.” Morgan kissed both Jake and J.J. on the cheek and headed back to the golf cart. “And J.J., trust that gut when it starts talking to you.”

* * *

Sam was pleased with the progress of the audit so far. It had been a busy three days in Montana, and Sam and J.J. got to work visiting Blake Enterprises sites as soon as they touched down. The audits were going smoothly, with a few minor wrinkles that could be worked out with training. Most of the company heads were accustomed to seeing her, but when she walked in with J.J., the tone of the audit became immediately serious. Roy Sachs usually asked her out to dinner, but this time he kept his mouth shut and barely said ten words. They were scared of the man and it showed. J.J. was firm and no nonsense when he visited the offices, but he would relax and become lively once they made it back to the hotel. They had separate rooms on the same floor and they started each day with breakfast and a run through of the day’s itinerary. She would give him time to return phone calls to the office in Dallas, and then they were on their way. She expected him to get a limousine or maybe a town car, but he simply requested a spacious SUV. He was surprisingly capable for a CEO.

He was pleasant, attentive and charming when they dined together, and he was receptive to some of the changes she had in mind to streamline security of his business ventures across the country. He let her take the lead in meetings and often deferred to her when asked an intricate question about the security aspect of the company.

Tonight she would be dining alone in her room. He was meeting with an old friend and she declined the invitation to join them. She needed to review her notes and frankly, some time away from the gorgeous man with the contagious smile.

The vibration of her cell phone jutted her out of her thoughts. It was a text from her sister Kaitlyn updating her on the family reunion plans. She was trying to find a nice way out of this year’s festivities to avoid the same questions she’d been asked every year since she graduated college. No one told her that a husband and a baby were all that she should have strived for after completing college and the police academy. Women had gone to outer space, for Pete’s sake, but her family would ask if she cooked her husband a good meal after she returned.

Instead of being the perfect June Cleaver wife, she’d opted for a law enforcement career and a steady boyfriend. It had been two years since Ray died in the line of duty and brought her world to a grinding halt. They’d discussed living together two weeks before he’d gotten killed. Somehow people seemed to forget that she lost the love of her life in a police shootout. She always felt because they weren’t married or engaged, the family’s sympathy just wasn’t strong as she’d hoped for when her world was falling apart.

* * *

J.J. sipped on his beer at the hotel bar while waiting for his friend, professional race car driver Scott Norwood. Scott was in town doing promos for his next race. Scott had been spending time with Tyler on track as a favor to J.J. Tyler’s interest in racing, unlike many other things he’d fancied in the past, didn’t seem to be waning. Scott was one of the best drivers around and knew the industry well. He promised he would give Tyler the skinny on the dedication it took to be a pro driver.

“Blake!” Scott approached the bar.

“Scott, you old dog. How the hell are you?” J.J. gave him a hearty hug.

“Can’t complain. How’s the family?”

“They’re fantastic. The family is growing, my mom and dad couldn’t be happier.” J.J. smiled.

“How the world can change in three years.” Scott rubbed the back of his neck.

“I want to thank for letting Tyler spend time with you and your pit crew. I hope he wasn’t too much trouble. But I knew you could give him a great perspective on racing.” J.J. said as the hostess led them to a table.

“Never too much trouble to help a friend. But I don’t think you’re gonna like what I have to say.”

J.J. sat down and ordered another beer when the waiter appeared, preparing himself for the bad news. It was not his intention to dash his brother’s dreams. He just wanted him to be safe and understand the perils involved in racing. He and Scott looked at the menu and ordered quickly. After Scott took a big gulp of his longneck, he started talking.

“I’m not going to sugar coat it Blake. I’ve been with Tyler for three weeks now and I feel like I got a good sense of the type of man he is and why he wants to race. Once you get past that need-for-speed energy of his, the depth of his knowledge about racing is immense. He has a natural instinct and the potential to be a great driver.”

“What?” J.J. stammered.

“Yeah. I think it would be a good fit for him.”

J.J. scratched his beard. “I wasn’t expecting that. Tyler’s always been a bit of a rolling stone. I could never see him sitting at some desk pushing papers around. Heaven knows I’ve tried to get him to work for the family business.”

“I know how you feel. I have a baby brother too. But this may be good for Tyler. He’s asked to hang around for a few more weeks and I said yes. I hope you don’t mind.”