Escorting Jessica by Carrie Pulkinen

Chapter One
    Jessica Snider treaded up the sidewalk, cursing the Las Vegas heat. At only eight in the morning, her weather app showed a steadily climbing ninety-one degrees. Though she’d grown up in Nevada, she’d never get used to the heat—not in August.
    Heaving open the coffee shop door, she closed her eyes and stepped inside. Chilled air blasted from above, and she basked in it until goose bumps rose on her skin. She inhaled the frigid breeze with its luscious scents of cinnamon and java as she took her place in line.
    Most of the shop’s customers were on their way to work, but Jessica had already been on the job for three hours. She’d given up her childhood dream of being a Vegas showgirl years ago. Now, she owned a successful women-only gym on the strip. Opening at five in the morning wasn’t as bad as people thought, especially since Chaz didn’t mind the early nights. The charcoal-colored fluff ball seemed to enjoy cuddling against the small of Jessica’s back as she drifted to sleep in the early hours of the evening.
    It was the closest she’d been to spooning with a man in a year. Working in an all-women establishment made dating challenging, to say the least. However, she didn’t complain too much. With a steady income, great friends, and a job she loved, how could she? When the right time came, she’d find a man.
    Her phone vibrated in her pocket. Exhaling to blow her bangs off her forehead, she pulled it out and checked it.
    A text from her employee—and best friend—Amy. Getting busy in here. Bring me an iced mocha? Shoving the phone back into her pocket, she stepped up to order the mocha and a nonfat iced latte for herself. Then she shuffled to the counter to wait for her drinks.
    When the door chimed, Jessica glanced at the man stepping into the shop. Her breath caught and she jerked her gaze to the floor. Though her heart raced in her breast, she spared a quick peek again and had to swallow down the lump that formed in her throat.
    He stared right at her.
    She definitely needed to get out more. Seeing a good-looking man should not have affected her the way it had. Warmth bloomed below her navel. If she’d been a man, she might’ve had an issue. Luckily, her body didn’t give away the intense desire that coursed through her core. Breathe, Jess. Breathe .
    He stood about six feet tall, and though his slacks and button-up hung loosely on his frame, she couldn’t help but notice the obviously well-built body beneath his clothes. His silky, summer blond hair, sheared short on the sides, appeared straight and somewhat spiky on top.
    Aside from having filled out in all the right places, Trevor Hill hadn’t changed a bit since high school. She felt her eyes widen as the recognition hit, and it was all she could do to tear her gaze from those familiar slate-gray eyes. She turned away, willing the barista to work faster.
    She flashed back to her junior—his senior—year aquatic science class. He’d sat two desks to her right. Though his close proximity had made her pulse quicken and her palms sweat, she’d managed—until it was time to dissect the shark. Trevor had drawn her name as lab partner, and she’d nearly had a panic attack right in front of him.
    How embarrassing it had been! She’d faked a migraine and taken off to the nurse. Then she asked the teacher to reassign him a new partner since she wouldn’t be back for a while. The next day, she’d mysteriously come down with a stomachache during that period.
    She’d caught up on the missed work during tutorials, and had somehow managed to avoid speaking to him the rest of the year. He went off to college, and she hadn’t seen him since.
    She had thought about him, though. The corners of her mouth pulled into a grin as she remembered the starring role he played in many of her late night fantasies. But to see him in person after all those years... The rush of emotions was more than she cared to bear.
    “Ma’am? Excuse me, your