Trusting Jake (Blueprint To Love Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page B

hi!" Her smile was quick when she recognized her friend.
    "Jenna, it's nice to see you again." Compelling eyes, far greener than she remembered gleamed with friendly amusement. "The kids are good?"
    She shook his extended hand. "They're fine. Alex is still talking about visiting your trucks." Jake looked very different today. In an immaculately tailored suit, he appeared lean and powerful . . . and just a little dangerous. Her pulse skittered a warning.
    "And Lulu?"
    His question made her smile, easing her nerves over the interview. "Her surgery went well. I think I'll have her around a few more years."
    He chuckled. "I'm not sure that's a good thing." When someone tapped softly on the door before opening it, his smile was apologetic. Seeming accustomed to the interruption, he acknowledged Mrs. Reilly.
    "Mr. Traynor, you've got a call holding. She says it's urgent."
    He sighed. "Who is it?"
    "It's Mrs. Traynor."
    He rolled his eyes. "I'll call her later," he said. "Can you please hold my calls for the next thirty minutes?"
    Jen startled. Married? How had she not suspected he was married? Gorgeous. Successful. Kind? Disappointment sliding over her, Jen pushed it aside. Jackson Traynor being off limits was a good thing. She needed a job. Steady work with a kind boss. Not an infatuation with her employer. Her mind drifted to the stack of bills that needed paying. Rick's life insurance would last another month . . . hopefully.
    "Let's talk about the job I want to fill." Jake's gaze was expectant. "Tell me again about your qualifications."
    Jen plunged in, describing her decade of experience as an assistant to project teams. Steering clear of the Baldwin angle, she offered the names of the project managers she'd worked for as references . . . hoping Baldwin's petty desire for revenge didn't extend to the managers below him.
    "I'm looking for a right hand person," he explained, expanding on the role he envisioned working for him. Her nerves melting away, she answered several more questions, surprised by the level of detail Jake was willing to delve into.
    "We're growing so fast, I need help keeping it all straight. The fact that you could act as an assistant, but perform some of the tasks of an engineer is intriguing to me because I'm hoping for someone who can sort of stay one step ahead of me."
    "I think I'm up for that challenge. Specialty seems like a wonderful place to work." Jen grew more confident by the minute. Jake was reassuringly all business. No innuendo. No sly comments to gauge her reaction. There was no vibe of anything other than enthusiasm. Passion for his work and for the company his father and uncle had built from the ground up.
    "When would you be able to start?" Jake flicked a glance at his watch.
    Hope soaring, Jen tried not to smile. "I could start Monday, if you like." He proceeded to answer several questions she posed about the position and his expectations. Nearly two months had passed since Baltimore, yet the memory of the incident could still make her flinch. But the more time that passed, her flagging confidence was bouncing back. Though still cautious, Jen was willing to chalk up her experience there to bad luck.
    Crossing her fingers, she finally asked the question she could no longer put off. It would be a shame if they were talking in different ballparks. "What does the position pay?"
    Jake tossed out a figure that sent a shiver of warning down her spine. "The going rate for assistants is lower."
    "I know what the market is paying." Leaning on the corner of his desk, his stance was relaxed, belying the serious expression on his face. "You want to make less?"
    Damn. Was this it? Her heart sank. Where he'd explain the ‘tasks’ she'd be required to perform to earn more? Wink. Wink. Disappointed with herself, Jen took the bait. "Then why are you-"
    "Because I'll expect a great deal more from you."
    There it was. Maybe Jackson Traynor wasn't different. Though her stomach plunged to the floor, she hid