CHAPTER ONE
Jezebel Jinx was stunning. She had a petite build, with elfin features, unearthly
pale green eyes and a strawberry blonde, pixie cut. It was disconcerting, yet arousing
to watch her stare him down defiantly. Her hands were positioned on either side
of her low rise jean clad hips, small pert breasts heaving beneath a form fitting tee that
read “Writer’s do it by the book”.
It seemed the joke was on Finn Mackenzie. He had been given the impression that
he would be playing nursemaid for three days to some homely, shrinking violet, afraid of
her own shadow. The fact that she was beautiful changed nothing in his estimation. It
only made him more determined to maintain his professional distance.
This woman was his penance for crossing the line between publicist and client.
He had made a colossal mistake in getting personally involved with his last writer; a
mistake he’d be a fool to repeat. His new employer, Eternity publishing made it clear to
him that he had committed professional suicide and the only way to revive his once
thriving career was to get the recluse to attend a writer’s conference in California to
promote her new book.
He was grateful for the opportunity. After years of dedicated service, Savvy
publishing had given him a pink slip and a terse dismissal, without waiting to hear his
side of the story. He was looking forward to being back on top again and working for the
competition. Being successful was the best revenge and the only way to accomplish that
was to fulfill his mission. One way or another, the author was going to that conference, if
he had to drag her there kicking and screaming.
“Whatever you’re selling, I’m not interested in buying.” Jezebel Jinx eyed the
suit standing on her doorstep with something akin to distaste. It seemed she had been
added to some agoraphobic mailing list. Salesmen flocked to her door like a plague of
locusts, assuming just because she couldn’t leave her home that she was easy prey. She
was far from weak. She could emasculate a persistent seller at twenty paces. The worst
were life insurance peddlers, using people’s insecurities against them. Well, she had
been struck by lightning…twice. She didn’t fear natural disasters. She simply was one.
“I’m not selling anything, Ms. Jinx. I work for Eternity publishing. Your
Editor, Julie Grace sent me here to meet with you. My name is Finn Mackenzie.”
The man spoke with an Irish brogue, completely at odds with his uptight appearance.
Jinx decided to give him a second look and was surprised by what she found. He had
tousled brown hair, eyes as gorgeous as the rolling green hills of Ireland, a slightly
crooked nose, as if it had been broken at least once and full, sensual lips. His body was
long, lean and muscular.
How had she ever thought him a stuffed shirt? Sex oozed from every pore. She had
to fight not to fan herself, he was so hot. Jules had chosen well this time. Her editor had
remembered her birthday after all. She had been starting to wonder. Every
year Jinx received a visit from a male stripper. It was not the sort of thing editors
normally did for their writers, but Julie Grace was a personal friend. A personal friend
with a hidden agenda.
Her goal was a simple one. Get Jinx out of the house. Hence, the stripper was
disguised as someone who would try to lure her outside. Jules had the silly notion that if
Jinx could be cured of all her phobias simply by dispelling the illusion of safety that her
home represented. It was ridiculous, of course; however she did enjoy the challenge.
Jinx smiled in welcome, offering her hand. He switched his briefcase from his right
hand to his left, before grasping hers in a firm grip. “Jules told me to expect you.”
“She did?” Finn was surprised and more than a little suspicious. He had
been warned to expect to be greeted with hostility. What had Julie Grace
said about him? Hopefully it wasn’t an outright lie. It was going to be difficult
enough to convince her to leave with him, without feelings of betrayal thrown into
the mix.
“Did she explain why she sent me to meet with you?”
“Only that you would be my liaison with the publisher and there are
some aspects of my contract that we need to discuss.”
“I suppose you could say that.” Finn agreed. “May I come in?”
“Of course.” She opened the door wider and gestured inside.
Finn studied her home, as he took a seat on the southwestern style sofa. The walls were decorated with various Indian talismans covered in colorful feathers and beads. He recognized a few of the items as dream catchers, medicine wheels and Mandalas. The woman didn’t look Native American. In fact, at first glance she appeared quite pale.
Still, one never knew about a person’s origins.
Jinx noticed the direction of his gaze and smiled ruefully. “They’re supposed to be good luck.”
“I bet you have a rabbit’s foot on your keys too.”
“How’d you guess?” She reached in her pocket and removed a dyed green rabbit’s foot keychain.
“Just lucky.”
She smiled at the irony of his statement, before taking a seat beside him.
“So what can I do for you Mr. Mackenzie?”
“Please call me Finn.”
“Only if you call me Jezebel.” Only her closest friends called her Jinx. “Jules said there was something you wanted to show me?”
With a nod, Finn laid out her contract, indicating the highlighted areas.
“I’m actually a publicist. It is my job to see to it that your novel gets the required exposure to keep you on the best seller lists.”
“And don’t think I don’t appreciate it, but I still don’t see what that has to do with me.” She frowned.
“Most Authors participate in this process with book signings, public appearances and so forth.”
“I’m not most authors. I would have thought Jules would have explained my circumstances to you. I value my privacy.”
“According to your contract, you are required to make a specified number of public appearances. I understand that your friendship with Ms. Grace has given you some leeway in this department, but the time has come to collect, so to speak. I’ve been sent here to escort you to a writer’s convention, where you will be expected to participate in book signings and various other events designed to generate publicity for your new novel.”
Finn waited for the imminent explosion, but only heard gales of laughter.
“You’re good, Mr. Mackenzie. You almost had me there for a minute. Jules certainly didn’t waste her money on you. I don’t mean to sound unappreciative, but why don’t you just get on with it, so I can get back to my writing?”
“Get on with what?”
“Are you new at this or what?” Jinx asked. “Taking off your clothes, of course. Do you need music? I suppose I can find something appropriate.” Jinx rose from the couch and crossed over to the stereo. “Usually they bring their own, but I suppose if you had the jig would have been up much sooner. Love the briefcase, by the way. Very authentic.”
She scanned through several radio stations on the stereo, muttering as she did so. “Too slow. Too fast. I don’t suppose you have a CD or something in that case of yours?”
“Ms. Jinx, I think you may be mistaking me for someone else. I really have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Every year for my birthday Jules sends me a strip o gram. You get a bonus if you can trick me into going outside with you, sound familiar? She’s 0 for 5, by the way.
I give you an A for effort though. I might have fallen for it if you were a little less good looking. You look more like a model than a publicist, though your act was very authentic. Let me guess, you are only stripping part time, until your acting career takes off. Am I right?”
Jinx knew she was rambling, but couldn’t seem to help herself. Despite the annual tradition, she still couldn’t get comfortable with the notion of strange men getting naked in her living room and for some odd reason this one flustered her more than most. It wasn’t because he was attractive, because… well frankly that was in the job description. No one hired ugly strippers.
She could appreciate the male form without blushing like a schoolgirl. She was no innocent, though due to her current living conditions it been awhile since she had been with a man. He just made her feel all tingly and it had been awhile since a man had that kind of instant effect on her libido. Lust at first sight. She was tempted to tear his clothes off and have her wicked way with him right here, but that wouldn’t be appropriate at all. She’d watch his performance and then politely show him the door, just like the others. Then life would resume as normal. Why was that thought suddenly so depressing?
“I am not a stripper, Miss Jinx.”
Finn couldn’t believe what he was hearing. No wonder she welcomed him into her home, without the promised hostility. She actually thought he took off his clothes for money. The misunderstanding was almost laughable and he had the strong suspicion that it was Julie Grace’s intention all along. It was her way of getting him inside. It certainly explained the urgency and why he absolutely had to be on a flight from New York to Arizona first thing this morning. Any other day and Jezebel Jinx would slam the door in his face, if he even made it that far.
“You’re not? Are you sure?” Jinx flushed a bright shade of pink. She had just admitted to him that she thought he was gorgeous. If he wasn’t a stripper, she would just die of embarrassment. She was going to kill Jules for this.
“I am so mortified.” Jinx covered her face with her hands.
“Don’t be. I have a feeling that Ms. Grace intended that you think I was a stripper. I’m guessing she thought it was the only way you would be willing to see me.”
“She was right about that.” Jinx’s embarrassment turned to anger, as she remembered the real reason he was here. “I think it’s time for you to leave. I’m sorry Jules wasted your time by sending you here, but there is no way I’m going to any writer’s conference…now or ever.”
“I don’t think you understand the seriousness of the situation, Miss Jinx. If you refuse me, you will be in breach of contract. I can tell you from personal experience that once the publishing industry decides to blackball you, your career in the literary world will be over. There could even be a lawsuit involved. I don’t think you can afford either eventuality.”
“Are you threatening me, Mr. Mackenzie?”
“I wouldn’t do that. Call it a friendly warning.”
“I wasn’t aware we were friends.” Her eyes squinted in not so friendly warning.
“I’d like to keep this arrangement as friendly as possible. Your job is not the only one on the line here. I’ll do whatever it takes to help you through this ordeal. I am fully aware of your…unique situation.” He tried to be as delicate as possible.
“Jules told you about my agoraphobia? So you know I don’t leave my house…ever.”
“I will attempt to make the transition as gentle as possible.” Finn assured her. “It really won’t be as bad as you think.”
“I guess there’s nothing more to say then, is there? I’ll just go pack a bag and we can be on our way.” Jinx rose to her feet and crossed over to the bedroom, leaving him in her wake. The fact that she locked the bedroom door behind her showed how much trust she had in him, but that would change with time. He hoped.
Speaking of time, she had been in there for quite awhile. What was she doing, packing everything she owned? He was going to give her a few more minutes, and then he was going in after her. At least he could be certain she wasn’t sneaking out the window in an attempt to escape. Thanks to the agoraphobia there was no where for her to go.
Finn wandered over to her bookcase and studied her collection. There were the usual writing manuals, as well as an eclectic assortment of fictional reading material. He focused on the shelf containing her own novels, particularly the newly popular superstition series Eternity was promoting. He pulled out an ARC of her latest novel “Broken Mirror” and read the blurb on the back cover.
“ Destiny Desiree purchases a beautiful antique mirror at auction, but when the mirror accidentally shatters to reveal a hidden map beneath, her troubles really begin. Breaking a mirror is supposed to be seven years bad luck, but as the hit men come out of the woodwork, she doubts she’ll last even a fraction of that long. Her only hope for survival is her old flame Fate Fortune of Fortune detective agency. Old fires rekindle as they try to beat the odds in a search for the map’s origin before their own fates are sealed.”
The character names were a bit hokey, but the plot sounded interesting. Still, Finn slid the book back onto the shelf and perused the others. He ran his finger tips along the spines, recalling as he did so the information given to him in his meeting with Julie Grace. “Bad Luck” was the first novel of the series, followed by “Black Cat” and her upcoming release “Broken Mirror”, which he had been told would be available at the conference. Finn decided to start at the beginning and removed “Bad Luck” from the shelf.
Authors put a lot of themselves into their novels. Perhaps if he read some of her work, it would give him an insight on how to deal with the writer herself. Settling on the couch, Finn opened the book to the first well worn page.
“You have to help me, Mr. Fortune. I am in terrible trouble. At first I thought the incidents were just bad luck. A tumble down the stairwell attributed to a faulty banister; a gas leak in my home and an unexplained fire at my office. They didn’t seem connected at all, until last night. On the way home from work my breaks failed. I’d just had them checked a month ago and they were fine. I’ve had several near misses lately. It can’t be coincidence. I think someone is trying to kill me and I need you to find out why.”
The woman was clearly desperate and God knows he could never resist a damsel in distress. It didn’t hurt either that she was easy on the eyes. There was no doubt she was a looker with that strawberry blonde hair, delicate features and bottomless pale green eyes that seemed to be begging for his kiss.”
Hold on there a minute. Finn shook his head to clear it. Destiny Desiree was brunette, not blonde and her eyes were blue, rather than green. He was imposing his own fantasy woman over the actual character in the book. Worse than that, his fantasy woman seemed to be Jezebel Jinx. Finn didn’t understand it at all. She wasn’t even his type, not that his type had been working for him lately.
Sure, he thought she was cute, but she was no sex goddess and even if she were, he had vowed not to go down that road again. An affair with Jezebel would destroy his credibility in the publishing world for good. Finn needed to get his head on straight and keep this strictly professional.
Hell, for all he knew, he wasn’t even Jezebel’s type either. Just because she had a few phobias didn’t mean she was desperate. Granted, never being able to leave her home was an obstacle, but not an insurmountable one. She could have a steady stream of lovers that came to call whenever the need arose. Men could be lining up around the corner to be with the famous author. He hadn’t noticed a wedding ring, so he was fairly certain she was single, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t taken.
The thought of her with another man was disturbing and more disturbing was the fact that it should disturb him at all. He did not know this woman. He had no intention of knowing her, in the biblical sense or otherwise. It should not matter to him what she did with her time or body. He had to remember, this was just a job and it was time to do it.
Jezebel Jinx had stalled for long enough. She was trying to delay the inevitable and that was only making things worse for herself. It was best to yank the band aid off quickly and be done with it. Once she was outside, Jinx would see that the world wasn’t such a terrible place.
Snapping the book closed, Finn strode quickly to her bedroom door and firmly knocked.
“Ms. Jinx are you ready to go?”
“I’m not going anywhere with you.” She called through the locked door.
“Then we have a problem because I’m not going without you.” Finn crossed his arms in a waiting stance.
“Oh, you’re going or I’m calling the police.”
“What are you going to tell them? You can’t accuse me of breaking and entering. You invited me in.” Finn replied smugly.
“I’ll tell them that you are trying to kidnap me.”
That might actually work. She wouldn’t dare. Would she? He didn’t know her well enough to say one way or the other and he couldn’t take the chance. If he failed his assignment, Eternity publishing would happily let him rot in a jail cell on kidnapping charges. It wouldn’t be the first time his employer had backed up their writer, without giving him the benefit of the doubt.
He had to act fast. He was going to have to cut the phone line. He knew he was crossing a line here, but he was desperate. Finn had already resolved to do whatever was necessary to get her to that damn conference and hang the consequences. Hurrying to the kitchen, he rifled through her drawers until he found a sharp knife, then stepped outside to sever her line. She could come out to stop him and then he’d have her, but he didn’t think she was that brave. Moments later, he was once more outside her door.
“What did you do to my phone?” She demanded angrily.
“Cut the line.” He answered smugly. “Now you won’t be calling anybody.”
“What are you? A fossil? Ever hear of a cell phone? You just committed a felony for nothing.”
“Is that right? While I was in your kitchen looking for a knife to cut your phone line, I noticed a cute little pink cell phone on the counter and I can guarantee you it’s not my color.”
“You think you’ve won?” Jinx was steaming. She was going to kill Jules for setting this maniac loose on her. “I can wait you out. I’ll stay in this room until the conference is over and there’s nothing you can do about it. If you try to break down the door and drag me out, the neighbors will hear and call the police for me.”
“The conference is three days long. Sooner or later you are going to have to eat or go to the bathroom. You’ll come out and I’ll have you.”
“My bedroom has a connecting bathroom, with all the sink water I can possibly drink and I have a supply of energy bars in my nightstand. It might not be gourmet fare, but I can rough it when I have to. The worst thing you could do to me in here is cut my cable and force me to watch basic television. Oh, the horror of it!”
Damn, she would probably do it too, just to spite him. What a stubborn woman! There had to be some way to get her out of there. Finn strolled through her house, opening drawers and cupboards, searching for anything he could use to lure her out of seclusion. Finally, he hit the jackpot in her bathroom medicine cabinet. Sleeping pills. The question was how did he get her to take them?
Food. He’d tempt her with something irresistible. Just about anything had to be better than energy bars. He flipped open Jinx’s cell phone and found Julie Grace’s phone number in her contact list.
“Jules here.”
“This is Finn Mackenzie. You know, the guy you set up?”
“Oh yeah?” She laughed. “How’s it going on the battlefield?”
“Pretty much as you’d expect. She has locked herself in her bedroom and threatened to call the police and have me arrested for kidnapping.”
“Oh my.” This time her laughter was muffled, as she attempted to be sympathetic. “That’s terrible. I hope you talked her out of it.”
“Yeah right. I had to cut the phone line.”
“I knew you were the right man for the job. You are very resourceful.”
“She’s holed up in her bedroom for the duration. Any ideas on how to get her out?”
“I’m sure you’ll think of something.”
“I’m going to bribe her with food.” He didn’t dare mention that he intended to poison said food. She might consider drugging her friend over the line, which it probably was. Unfortunately, he couldn’t think of any other alternative. “I’m calling to find out what her favorite meal is.”
“You’re going to cook for her? How sweet.”
“Hardly.” He snorted. “I was thinking take out.”
“Oh, well in that case, she loves Fat Pizza. They have this great garlic butter crust. Order pepperoni, sausage and extra cheese. The phone number is on the fridge.”
“Got it.”
“Keep me informed.” She severed the connection.
A half hour later, the doorbell rang and Finn answered.
“Where’s Miss J?” The teenage boy tried to look over Finn’s shoulder.
“She’s in the shower. I can take care of it.” Finn took out his wallet and paid the tab.
The boy frowned, as he counted exact change, before looking up again expectantly. “Miss J is a good tipper.”
Finn added an extra five spot, then kicked the door shut.
“What’s going on out there?” Jinx yelled from the bedroom.
“Nothing that need concern you. I know you have your energy bars, but I was getting hungry so I ordered a pizza.”
“From where?”
“I don’t remember. The number was on your fridge. I figured if they were fridge worthy, they had to be good.” Finn took a couple slices for himself, then sprinkled the sleeping pill dust he had crushed over the remainder of the food. If she didn’t fall for his ruse, it was going to waste a perfectly good pizza.
“What’s on it?” She asked feigning disinterest.
“Sausage, pepperoni and extra cheese. My favorite.” Actually he preferred black olives, but it was all good. “Want some?”
“No thanks. I’m a vegetarian.”
He laughed out loud. “Really? Your delivery boy said this was your usual.” He lied.
“Okay, so I’m not a vegetarian, but I’m still not combing out.
“Can’t we call a truce? Come eat with me. I won’t even mention the conference and if you still want to go back to your room when you’re done, then I’ll let you go. Scout’s honor.” Good thing he had never been a scout.
Jinx silently debated his trustworthiness, but caved under the onslaught of Italian goodness as it wafted through her ventilation system. She was faint with hunger. She knew he was up to something, but at this point she didn’t care. After all, what could he really do to her? If he tried to force her, she’d scream the house down and security would come running. Surely this job was not worth the jail time? Eventually, Mr. Mackenzie would accept that she wasn’t giving in and give up.
Warily, she reentered the living room. A paper plate was waiting for her on the coffee table and she helped herself to a slice of pizza, before seating herself as far away from Finn as possible.
“This doesn’t change anything.” She declared defiantly.
“I know.”
“No hard feelings?”
“No hard feelings.” He agreed, hoping she would still feel the same way when everything was said and done, but he doubted it. “More pizza?”
“Thanks.” She took another slice. “So tell me, how did you get assigned to me? I’m sure they’re not lining up at the office to work with the agoraphobic, no matter how popular my books are.”
“I screwed up and got personally involved with one of my writers.”
Finn had loosened his tie and eased into a comfortable position on the couch. It made him look more human and less like a stuffed shirt. Jinx was beginning to suspect that wasn’t his true nature at all. He still wasn’t convincing her to go to the conference, but they could enjoy a pizza together and talk. She’d had worse birthdays.
“Tell me it wasn’t Constance Mallory?” She laughed, when he gave her a pained look.
“How did you know?”
“Lucky guess. I don’t understand how people fall for her fake southern
belle act. I’ve never met her personally, but from what I’ve heard the woman is completely shallow. Why do men always fall for women like her?”
“She has a hot body.” He shrugged.
“Just the kind of answer I’d expect. Why don’t you try looking for someone deeper next time? You might be pleasantly surprised.” Jinx yawned.
“Someone like you?”
“Not me.” Jinx stretched and yawned once more, before curling up on the sofa like a cat. “I’m too hot to handle.”
“I think I can take the heat.” He laughed in the face of her soft snores. He couldn’t resist giving her a soft kiss on the forehead, before heading to the bedroom to pack her suitcase. A few minutes later, he was carrying a suitcase with accompanying duffel bag over one shoulder and an unconscious woman over the other. It was time to hit the road.
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