Free Ace of Spades by Elle Bright Page B

out the morning-after-trash . An epinephrine pen.  So you can stab me if you ever
have to use the first two… OR if I eat peanuts.. .
             
The strange assortment of welcome gifts continued, each tagged with a
suggestion for the particular item’s use...  A giant Toblerone bar – her favorite. So you don’t get
too cranky on the road . A stretch-cotton black tee with the band’s burning spade logo. So everyone will know you belong .  The newest Blackberry.   So I’m never more than
a touch away...
             
  Her fingers tangled in the soft fabric of something, lacy,
black, and skimpy. Heat flooded Melody’s cheeks. This item, Melody shoved
toward the bottom of the basket without glancing at the post-it note, praying
nobody saw the slinky lingerie before she had it safely tucked out of sight.
              Was Jackson insane? He had no right to give her lingerie. She had a
boyfriend. She was his employee.
             
Melody traced the edge of the much less threatening black box containing an iPad Air and tried to ignore the feel of Jackson heated
gaze on her. But those electric blue eyes burned into her with such intensity,
she caved and lifted her gaze to meet his. He grinned, his boyish, lopsided
smile adding fuel to the fire in her cheeks and adding to her insanity
theory.  He was shameless.
             
Now Melody understood why ‘present time,’ as Daysia had called, it had to wait until Grimms was gone. No
attorney in his right mind would let a client so blatantly sexually harass a
new employee. Not that Melody felt harassed by the inappropriate gift...  
Thrown off kilter? Yes. Embarrassed and uncertain? Of course . But, the gift basket was so
characteristically Jackson, direct and unabashed, thoughtful and clever, it
amused instead of offended her. He’d never been one to play by the rules.
Clearly that hadn’t changed in the last eight years.
             
Mel cleared her throat and tried to act unaffected. “Um, thanks. Some of these
will be more useful than others.”
             
Jackson chuckled. “They better be.”
             
“Come on, J, we have to have some boundaries if this is going to work,” Melody
said quietly, trying to keep the conversation just between them.
             
Jackson shrugged. “Boundaries are overrated. But you go ahead and draw that
line in the sand, Mel. I won’t cross it.” A wicked smile twisted his lips. “But
I make no promises about what’ll happen when you do. “
             
Mel arched a brow at him, but didn’t bother arguing with his assumption that it
wasn’t a matter of if she crossed the line she’d
drawn between them, but when . If he expected her to throw herself at him
like the rest of the world, then he was in for a big surprise.
             
“I’m glad we’re clear then.”
             
“Crystal clear,” Jackson said, his grin undermining the finality of her
conclusion.
              Time for a subject change . “So, when do I
start?”
              Another shrug from Jackson. “Today, I guess. I figure
you can work from home, handle issues as they arise, commute to LA for any
important meetings, and travel with the band when we tour. Unless, of course,
you want to move up to LA…” he suggested leadingly.
             
Mel scoffed. “Pass.”
             
“Oh, come on, Mel. It’s so much better up there in the City of Angels than it
is down here. We’ve got the Hollywood sign, loads of tourists, the Walk of
Fame, messed up celebrities, Rodeo Drive, and more crime than San Diego would
know what to do with.”
             
“Sounds like paradise,” Melody chuckled dryly.
             
“Well, the offer stands,” Jackson said with another shrug and a wry smile. “Most
of the crew will be down here until the tour kicks off in Las Vegas next week.
We’re playing a charity event this weekend