Page 6 of A Taste of Trouble

Liv smiled. She was pretty sure that by “scenery,” Patti meant Jake.

With Austin and Patti now gone, she concentrated on her customers. She looked around at the familiar faces, but ultimately, the faces around here were strangers. She had no connections beyond her close circle of friends and family. Suddenly, she felt alone.

Instead of curling up against Jake's yummy body tonight, she would be curled up with her business plan. Or a book. The trials and tribulations of a romance heroine were an enjoyable distraction, but never failed to remind her of what real life could never give her—a happy ending.

But maybe Austin was right. Jake could be a good time. Just a one-time attraction. What harm would it do for her to have one last fling before her business consumed her? Just the thought of everything she had on her plate made her entire body tense.

Jake grinned from the pool table, and just like that, her stress gave way to desire. The tension in her chest softened, then settled a little lower. Who knew a smile could tug at the zipper of her jeans? With barely a word, this man had her fantasizing about bending over the glass washer, letting him take her any way he wanted.

Maybe a romp in the sack was just what she needed. But not just any romp, one with Jake.

Chapter Two

Jake Miller had no idea when he agreed to find Liv that she would be so…hot. She was nothing like the women he usually went for. She was casual, understated, and seemed to be a little uneasy around him.

Dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, she was the sexiest thing he'd ever seen. He had the overwhelming urge to rip that white T-shirt off her body and slide those tight, well-worn jeans down her thighs. The small flash of skin where her shirt met her waistband made him ache. He imagined what was underneath that thin material: perfect round breasts and lush pink nipples.

“Jake.” A hand punched at his arm, trying to get his attention. Brian Roberts looked at him with a smirk. “It's your turn.”

Jake and Brian had been friends since high school, through University, and now in their adult lives. They were as opposite as two men could get—Jake always focusing on women and Brian on his studies. It would probably explain why Brian was now a straitlaced accountant and Jake was a smooth-talker for hire—a public relations executive for Weston Communications. Jake admired Brian for living out his passion—even if he thought numbers were the most boring thing in the world. It wasn't until two years ago that Jake followed suit, steering clear of female complications to follow his passion of photography.

Jake rounded the table and lined up his shot. Classic rock music—his favorite—played in the background, and could barely be heard over the large group that had decided to take up the entire dining room. But the noise coming from their tables wasn't as big a distraction as the bartender. He couldn't help his eyes scanning the room for her every ten seconds. It was starting to affect his game.

He pulled back and missed the shot, trying to bank it off the end of the table into the middle pocket. Brian cursed beside him.

Her friends had left, and the bar traffic had picked up. He watched her work, flying from one end of the bar the other, from draft tap to washer. She was cool, steady, and determined. Despite nagging voices and orders being thrown out at her, she handled the pressure with precision. Not at all like the fumbling, flustered woman who'd served him not fifteen minutes ago.

He shook off his thoughts about the beautiful bartender, but there was no denying that this was the first woman in years that had affected him so quickly, so innately. Even with just a few words, he knew Liv would be a test his willpower, and Jake realized that maybe this mission he'd been assigned wasn't going to be as easy as he'd anticipated.

His main objective: to rendezvous her with his boss. As the CEO of Weston Communications, Robert Shelton was the best at targeting up-and-coming talent, and as far as Shelton was concerned, Liv was the next big thing in cupcakes. He wanted to secure her before the other vultures realized her potential. It was the reason why Jake admired the man, and the reason why Shelton was the best in the business. He knew people were special before they even knew it themselves.

In return, Jake had been promised a VP position and a corner office, and would have the position he needed to make a lateral move to the art business. For him, taking pictures was a hobby. He held no delusions of becoming a famous artist, but he put his passion to good use and turned his art into a way to raise funds for charity. He loved the art industry—the galleries, the champagne, and the schmoozing. A job as a PR exec for an art gallery was his idea of heaven, and he'd spent the last two years making contacts, learning the industry. He would stop at nothing to get there, and no woman—even a sultry, sexy, heart-stopping woman—was going to stand in his way.

“Jake.” Miles's voice called out from a distance. For a minute, he'd forgotten he was here with friends. “Are you going to tell us what happened with that chick last

weekend?”

Jake groaned. Last weekend he'd gone on a date, and his dates were now so few and far between that his friends felt the need to hear every single detail.

“Did you get any?” Tony walked to the opposite end of the table, waiting for Miles to take his second shot.

Miles Harper and Tony Griffin were also long-time friends, remaining a constant in Jake's life for the last ten years. Miles had dropped out of University after their first year, and found his calling in video game design. Tony, an acoustical engineer, stayed behind to complete a master's program. Jake often wondered what all three of his friends saw in him. They were all science and math nerds with technological savvy; Jake used his computer to edit pictures and search the Internet.

Miles bent and lined up his shot. When the ball hit its target, he smiled.

“Ass!” Brian mumbled more colorful words under his breath.

His friends were inspiring. All of them lived their passions. Jake was by no means the most successful. He'd been promoted and recognized many times, but it never satisfied him. Whereas Miles, content to work from home and wear track pants to do his job, was the happiest person he knew.

Two and a half years ago, Tony won a Juno—a Canadian music award—for his work on an album. Watching the expression and pride in his friend being recognized for something he truly loved was exhilarating. And Jake wanted that feeling.

He made the decision to go after his own dreams and do something more creative and substantive with his time. And so his entry into the art world and raising money for Alzheimer's research began.

“Don't think I'll see her again,” Jake answered. She had been nice, sweet, beautiful, but she didn't fit into his plan.

“Nothing for the highlight reel?” Jeff asked.

“She had a great view from her condo on Front Street. That was pretty much the highlight.” Just as the words flew out of his mouth, Liv approached. His stomach jumped.

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