Chapter Five

Aja Blue walked around the house, admiring the décor and luxurious upgrades, including a climate-controlled wine room. Christian had told her to help herself to anything in the house, so she selected a bottle of Pinot Noir and carried it to the kitchen.

He was on the phone with his back to her. She stopped to admire the view. The man was a physical specimen. He was beautifully built, with broad, muscular shoulders, solid arms, a trim waist, and perfectly shaped buns. His legs looked powerful beneath the tactical pants he wore. She had the insane urge to strip him naked and taste every inch of his flesh.

The old saying about feeling someone staring must be true because he slowly turned around. As it had when they'd come face to face earlier, time seemed to stand still. A clock ticked somewhere close-by . . . or was it the beat of her heart pounding in her ears? She'd been around handsome males her entire life. Why did this one affect her so intensely?

The peel of his phone snapped them out of their mutual trances. Aja Blue shook her head and rummaged around until she found an electric corkscrew that popped the stopper out in no time. A search of the cabinets produced two goblets. She filled them with the ruby-colored liquid and took a sip from one. The flavor exploded on her tongue, rich and velvety. She took another drink. There was a difference between the less expensive wine she usually purchased and the good stuff. This was exquisite.

Christian slid his phone into a pocket. She picked up the other glass and handed it to him. He was probably a beer man, but he sniffed it and then took a sip.

"Not bad." He tilted his head toward the breakfast nook with built-in benches. "Why don't we talk while we wait for the delivery person?"

Aja Blue grabbed the bottle and carried it with her as she sat. She recalled everything from seeing the same man outside her apartment and at the resort in Sedona, to spotting him across from her office earlier. Gosh, had that been this morning? It seemed so long ago now.

"Why were you in Sedona?"

Aja Blue felt silly telling him she'd raced there on a whim. She'd had no proof it had been Polly on the other end of the phone call, yet it hadn't stopped her from dropping everything to search for her friend.

Christian had flown all the way to the East Coast to help her. The least she owed him was that truth. She filled him in on Polly's troubled life and her association with the porn producer, Dirk Haines.

"Did you see her while you were there?"

Aja Blue winced. "No. I've been trying to get her away from Dirk for a few years. Since his business was shut down and he's been under federal investigation, he's been on the run. I got a call from the resort where I ran into you in Sedona. The person didn't talk, but I had a gut feeling it was Polly. Taking off without confirming she was there was probably foolish, but I did it anyway. A mutual friend thought she saw her in Scottsdale, so I went there. I flashed her picture, and someone thought they remembered her. They overheard her say she was going to Tucson. I tried there next and spent days looking for her, but I never found her. I left her messages, but she didn't return them."

"Does this Haines guy resent you for trying to get her away from him?"

Aja Blue chuffed out a laugh. "Oh yeah, big time. He's threatened to sue me several times and had his shyster lawyer send me harassing letters."

"Could he have hired someone to follow you?"

Aja Blue thought about it and nodded slowly. "It's possible, but I expect he's having cash flow problems at the moment. He certainly hates me enough to do it, though."

Christian's cell beeped, and he checked the screen. "The pizza's here. Be right back."

Aja Blue watched as he slid out of the booth and headed outside. She started to take a drink and realized her glass was empty. When had she drunk it all? Christian's, she noticed, was barely touched. She refilled her glass and reached for her phone to check her messages . . . before realizing she didn't have one now. What if Jay tried to call and she was unavailable, much like he'd been today?

Christian returned with a large white box that smelled divine. She found plates and napkins, and they dug in. She didn't indulge often, but the pie was cheesy, gooey, and delicious.

Between bites, Christian said, "Tell me about your assistant."

Thinking of Jay and his disappearing act dampened her appetite. She placed her slice on the plate and dabbed the napkin against her mouth. "I haven't been able to get in touch with him since I returned from Arizona. I tried calling and stopping by his place, but he wasn't there."

Christian grabbed another piece. "How many people are in your office?"

"Besides Jay and me, there are three others."

"Have they heard from him?"

She shook her head. "He took time off when I did. Usually, he'll check in at least once when he's out."

Christian was studying her, and she refused to squirm. Finally, he said, "Tell me what's bothering you."

Dang, he was good at his job and very perceptive. And where did the wine in her glass go? She refilled it. "Jay's been receiving harassing messages."

Christian's brows raised. "What kind?"

"Oh, you know, the ‘Eat a bullet, hang by a noose and die' kind."

Christian wiped his fingers on a napkin and gave her his full attention. "Tell me why."

"Jay's a drag performer. He's fantastic, and I'm sure he could win RuPaul's Drag Race if he applied." She waved a hand. "That's neither here nor there. When a new club opened, they hired him to be their spokesperson. He appeared on billboards and ads on local television and radio stations."

"And people took offense."

"They did. The thing is, Jay didn't tell me what he was going through. People have always mocked him, but I didn't know how bad it had gotten. I would've never known about the threatening texts if one hadn't come through as I was taking him to a client meeting." She sighed. "I guess it's fair because I didn't tell him about the message I received either."

"You're getting harassing calls?"

"No, it was in the form of a letter sent to the office. It said something along the lines of ‘Fire Jay, or you'll be sorry,' although they used demeaning slurs instead of his name."

"That's horrible," Christian muttered. "Do you still have the note?"

"In my office. I figured I should keep it just in case, but I didn't call the police. Honestly, I thought nothing of it until I discovered he'd been getting them, too."

"I'd like to see it in the morning."

"We also received a package." She told him about the altered Ken doll. "That happened right before Jay disappeared."

"Did you call the police then?"

"I did. Jay took off before they arrived." She told him about Jay's fear of authorities and how he'd been unlawfully detained in the past. "That was the last time I saw him."

"Man, he's getting harassed from all sides."

"Tell me about it."

He took out his cell and handed it to her. "Do you want to try to call Jay again?"

Tears pricked her eyes at his generosity, and she took the phone. "Was I that obvious?"

"Nah," insisted Christian. "It's what I would've wanted."

He was being kind, but she had no doubt he'd picked up on her distress. She punched in Jay's number through bleary eyes, her heart sinking when his voicemail kicked in again. She disconnected and handed the cell back to him. "Still not answering."

"Is that unusual for him?"

"Very. He's the definition of reliable."

Christian glanced at his watch. "It's late, and it's been a long day. We'll stop by Jay's apartment on the way to your office tomorrow morning. I want to talk to the rest of your staff and look at the letter and box you received."

"Okay."

Aja Blue stood, and the room tilted.

"Whoa." Christian reached out and steadied her. "You okay?"

"Sure, just tired." And a teeny bit tipsy. It was never a good idea to drink on an empty stomach. The few bites of pizza she'd taken didn't amount to a meal.

Aja Blue looked up, and, oh, how she wanted this man. Much as she had the first time they'd met, she pushed up on her tiptoes and kissed him. Her head swam again, this time from his taste and her lust—a whopping combination.

She couldn't get enough of him. Her hands roamed his muscular body, tugging at his shirt.

He broke the kiss. "Aja Blue, we have to stop."

"No, we don't." She kissed him again and ran her fingers over the steely ridges of his abs, smiling when he moaned low and deep.

Suddenly, the room tilted again, but this time, it was because he'd swept her into his arms. Good. They were finally on the same page. Somehow, he found the bedroom, even though she refused to break lip contact. Aja Blue reached for him when he placed her on the bed, but he wasn't there. She shot up and instantly regretted it when the few pizza bites threatened to reappear. She dropped to the mattress with a groan.

"Christian?"

"Get some sleep. I'll see you in the morning."

Her eyes popped open, and she frowned at the closed door. Sure, she was slightly drunk, but not so much that she didn't know what she wanted. Right now, it was him. She would lay here for a minute and then make him sorry for rejecting her.

#

Christian was simply a man. A human with thoughts and feelings, made of muscle, bone, tissue, and water. Turning down the most desirable woman on the planet wasn't easy. It was damned near impossible, and he deserved a freaking gold medal or something.

He'd known the instant she kissed him it was wrong, but her taste was like a narcotic, and he couldn't stop. Christian might not have been so noble if he hadn't watched her down a bottle of wine while only nibbling on her dinner. It was never wise to mix business with pleasure, but there was a chemistry between them that was impossible to deny. As much as he'd try, he wasn't sure he could resist her for long.

Though he'd been tired earlier, Christian felt wired and restless now. He changed into workout clothes and headed to the gym he knew was somewhere in the house. He found it in the basement and began pumping iron, keeping at it until his muscles screamed in protest and sweat coated his body, soaking through his T-shirt.

Aja Blue's door was still closed when he jogged up the steps. He couldn't stop himself from gently twisting the knob and peeking inside. She was asleep where he'd left her, a soft snore escaping her lips. Christian smiled and eased the door closed.

After showering, he almost fell into bed naked. It was how he usually slept. However, it wasn't a good idea with Aja Blue under the same roof, especially with her roaming hands. He dug out a pair of jogging shorts and then plopped on the mattress. A remote for the television was lying on the bedside table, so he turned it on and found a game to watch.

Christian finally drifted to sleep, his dreams filled with everything he wanted to do with the beautiful lady across the hall.