Jenna Free Excerpt

Zahir stepped into the bar, vowing that he’d figure out how to slip away from his bodyguards the next time.  He just wanted a drink in a place where no one knew who he was.  There was always a low level of tension whenever his guards surrounded him, both for himself and for the other people impacted by their protection methods.  His current five guards were annoyingly wary of anything out of the ordinary or unplanned.  They preferred to know Zahir’s exact itinerary so that they could check out every location and determine protection strategies. 

So tonight’s deviation from the expected schedule was radical.  In his opinion, going to an unanticipated bar on a week night, a place where no one knew him and no one was expecting him to speak or consult, was a relatively safe endeavor.  His guards could have stayed outside and in the back. 

But no!  They had to accompany him inside and make his visit to a casual establishment for a simple drink look obvious.  There were three guards out front, two in the back, four in vehicles around the perimeter, and the five who had accompanied him inside. 

He wanted to roar with frustration.  He wanted to slash the tires of the guards’ SUVs and slip away.  All he wanted was a bit of quiet.  Maybe some music and a good glass of scotch.  Was that too much to ask for?

Perhaps if that pretty runner from earlier were to show up, he’d be delighted.  But since that wasn’t going to happen, he’d be satisfied with a drink.  A quiet, private drink! 

“A scotch, please,” he said to the bartender. 

The man quickly poured a finger of scotch and Zahir slapped a fifty dollar bill down on the counter.  He turned, ignoring his guards, all of whom ordered seltzers, and surveyed the seating area, looking for a quiet place to sip his scotch and contemplate his life. 

He immediately spotted a dark corner.  His guards wouldn’t like that seat since it wasn’t defensible from all sides and they couldn’t easily see into the shadows, but just this once, Zahir didn’t care.  He was tired.  Not just physically, but mentally exhausted.  He was tired of thinking about the rest of the world, about the impact of every damn decision he made and how it could influence Sanaab or calculate the effect on twenty other countries.  He wanted to think about himself for just five minutes. 

Before Zahir reached the corner table, his eyes clashed with a piercing blue gaze.  Continuing forward, Zahir watched, his body tense, his muscles anticipating battle.  Why a battle?  He didn’t fully understand the reason, but his fatigue from moments ago vanished as he moved towards those surprisingly enticing blue eyes.

 

Jenna watched as the group of men stepped into the bar.  Were they together?  For some odd reason, she suspected that they were even though the taller man, the one with the aura of authority surrounding him, stepped up to the bar while the other men spread out. 

She gazed down into the amber depths of her glass.  Her mind was completely fizzled after spending too long in her office dealing with problem after problem.  Looking up, she took another sip of her drink, watching the scene play out.  The tall man, the one with the broad shoulders and…and goodness, he was tall!  He actually had to look down at the bartender as he ordered his drink. 

Jenna’s fingers tightened around her scotch.  Every cell in her body went on high alert.  She loved running, loved the sensation of feeling alive after a particularly hard run.  The endorphins that shot through her body when she pushed herself up a hill or at the end of a run seemed to make her whole body sparkle. 

But that sensation was nothing compared to what she felt as she watched the stranger order a scotch. She lifted the glass, thinking to take a sip.  But at that moment, he turned, looking directly at her.  She gasped, her breath halting in her lungs.  He’d seen her?  Wasn’t she hidden back here in the corner? 

She cursed the shadows, suddenly wishing she’d just gone home.  She was safe at home.  Safe from this unexpected sensation washing over her, leaving her limbs weak and tingly.  Jenna didn’t like feeling out of control!  Her whole life, her career, what she’d done with every aspect of her life, was all about control!  And this man, with merely a glance, had taken that from her.  Jenna felt oddly vulnerable.  And yet, as he moved closer, his eyes, those dark, penetrating eyes, soothed her.  The sensations were contradictory.  What she was feeling didn’t make sense! 

She wanted to scream at him, tell him to go away.  She definitely didn’t want company and especially not a man who made her…feel!  Jenna had come here to escape from the world.  No, that wasn’t true.  She’d come here to find a sense of normalcy.  She’d come here to avoid the blandness that her life had become and the overwhelming problems she was required to resolve. 

And yet, with every step he took towards her, she felt her heart pound faster.  Could he hear it?  Could he see her heart make her ribs quake?  Not just her ribs, but every part of her body shook as he sat down in the seat next to her. 

She couldn’t see his face clearly in the dim light, but Jenna suspected that he was very attractive.  “You are beautiful.”

 As a pickup line, that one was horrible.  So, why was Jenna still trembling?  Why did she suddenly feel beautiful instead of exhausted and bland?  In fact, Jenna felt more beautiful than she’d ever felt before!

Ridiculous, she thought as she shifted slightly.  Was that shift a way for her to move away from the stranger?  Or closer? 

“Please, have a seat,” she said, wondering why the sarcasm hadn’t appeared in her tone.  She’d meant to be sarcastic.  No, she’d meant to be angry.  Why was this stranger here?  Why was he talking to her and invading her private moment? 

After taking the chair opposite her, the man leaned forward, bracing his forearms on the table as he cradled his glass of scotch.  “I saw you running earlier this evening.”

That was unexpected.  Granted, everything about this interaction was unexpected.  But Jenna wasn’t sure how to react to his comment.  Instead, she took the coward’s way out and silently sipped her scotch. 

“I saw you running along the waterfront earlier tonight,” he commented, startling her once more.  “You are an excellent runner.”

Again, she wasn’t sure what to say. She was, however, intensely grateful for the shadows that hid the flush of happiness that suffused her cheeks. 

“I’m Zahir,” he said, extending his hand. 

Jenna stared at him, wondering what to do.  Should she shake his hand?  Should she ignore it? 

As if in slow motion, Jenna watched her hand move towards his. A shock went up her arm as her fingers were enfolded in the stranger’s enormous hand. 

She tried to pull away, but his fingers tightened around hers.  She lifted her eyes higher, frowning at him.  Dark eyes, tanned features, and black hair.  Even the scruff along his jawline was dark and dangerous looking.  This man was dangerous, she thought, wondering if she could run away. 

But something inside of her was inexplicably drawn to him.  Something inside of him called to the loneliness that she’d tried to bury deep down within herself. 

“Jenna,” she whispered, almost against her will.  She felt his fingers tighten ever so slightly around her hand and her heart accelerated to a truly alarming level. 

He nodded ever so slightly.  “Jenna.  That’s a beautiful name.”

She thought about saying “Thank you,” but the words caught in her throat. 

“How often do you run?”

She shrugged one shoulder.  “I try to get out every day.”

“For exercise or to relieve the stress from the day?”

She thought about it for a moment, then nodded.  “Both, I suppose.”  She twirled her glass.  “What do you do to relieve stress?”

His smile was slow and knowing, making her stomach muscles tighten.  “My methods probably differ from yours.”

Jenna blinked, not sure what he meant.  Then his words registered and, for a fleeting moment, she wanted to toss her drink in his face. 

Instead, she huffed and leaned back in the seat.  “Well, that’s…I’m sure that there are, um, many ways to make stress go away.”

He chuckled softly, shaking his head.  “Alas, your mind has gone down the wrong path.”  He leaned forward conspiratorially.  “I’m into MMA fighting.  It’s the perfect way to literally beat the stress out of one’s mind and body.”

Immediately, she felt the tension ease.  Relaxing, she glared at him, unaware of the playful smile that crossed her face.  “You did that on purpose.”

He nodded, his eyes laughing at her.  “I did.  I wanted to see your reaction.”  He waited until she’d huffed her frustration at him.  “And yet, I also agree with your first thought.  Your initial assumption is a very effective way to relieve stress.”  He tilted his head. “You don’t agree?”

She snorted and took a sip of her drink. As she swallowed the smoky liquid, she watched him carefully.  Then she tilted her head slightly, acknowledging his opinion as she commented, “Let’s just say that, in the past, that other method created more problems than it resolved, in my experience.”

“Pity.”

Now why did that feel like a challenge?  Jenna twirled her glass again.  “What do you do, Zahir?” A change of subject was a good idea since their conversation was now in dangerous territory. 

“Right now, I’m in Seattle negotiating a business deal.  What do you do?”

She didn’t like his answer.  Jenna felt as if he were leaving out something very significant.  Two could play at that game.  “I negotiate contracts and business issues as well.  Sometimes, those transactions can be very…” she thought about it for a moment, then decided to be honest with him.  “Tedious,” she finally finished.

His lips compressed for a moment.  “I agree.  There are times I’d like to just slap the opposing negotiators because I know that they’re playing a game.”

She groaned, nodding her agreement. “Exactly.  Why not just get right to the point and give someone your best offer?  If that offer fits in with my business plans, then I’ll agree to the terms.” She took another sip of her scotch. “No need to dance around it.  Just play it straight and I’m more willing to do business with you.”

He nodded.  “The games seem like a pointless waste of time.”

Jenna found that she enjoyed the sound of his voice; there was a fascinating lilt to his words.  She didn’t recognize the accent.  “Where are you from?”

“You don’t think I’m from Seattle?”

She laughed and shook her head. “Not a chance.”

“What gave me away?”

Jenna tilted her head slightly.  “Well, for one thing, if you were from here, doing business in Seattle, then I would have run into you at some point.  There aren’t many business leaders in the city that I don’t know.”

“Fair enough.  You’re correct.  I don’t normally operate out of Seattle.”

She smiled and nodded.  “And secondly, your accent.”

He lifted a dark eyebrow.  “What’s wrong with my accent?  I thought I was pronouncing my words perfectly.”

She pointed a finger at him, the rest of her fingers still circling her glass.  “Exactly,” she exclaimed and laughed.  “If you were from here, you’d comingle some of your words.  You’re too precise.  Too accurate.”

He nodded in acknowledgement.  “I will endeavor to…” he paused, thinking back to her comment, “comingle my words,” he finished.  “I wouldn’t want to give all my secrets away on the first date.”

She snorted.  “No chance of that.”  She lifted her glass, swirling the amber liquid around.  “I think you have a great many secrets, Zahir.”

“And do you?” he asked. 

The glass froze, Jenna looking at him over the edge.  “Do I what?”

“Do you have a great many secrets, Jenna?”