Chapter Nine
Jake kept two steps ahead of Lily, not wanting to risk saying something to her she’d throw in his face later. He tried to keep his mind on the issues with the project, but he kept thinking about Lily and her trust-fund boyfriend. Seeing her with someone else made him crazy, made him feel like his father. And that was the most unpleasant feeling in the world.
Jake kept walking, forcing himself to focus on the problems he could fix. The project manager claimed the designs for the refurbishing of the former boarding school into a hotel had major flaws. He’d hoped the man had been overreacting, but standing outside the former dormitory that was about to see new life as guest suites, he knew the plans Will Harris had drawn up hadn’t been his best. Which meant Jake would be redoing them. Personally. And as soon as possible.
The McTarnahan brothers were one of the best clients the firm had. They reconstructed historic structures into hotels and restaurants throughout the West Coast, and Jake wasn’t going to risk the account. He’d told Lily this morning that he didn’t spend every day designing, but now he just might have to.
He stopped and turned, motioning for Lily to catch up. He winced at how cold she looked, her high heels wet with slush and mud. She’d have to learn to be more prepared for the things that came up in a business like this. He wanted her to learn what it was her father had done, what he loved to do, so that she’d understand them both better. He couldn’t let her stubbornness or impractical footwear get in the way of that.
“Do you know how to work the tablet?” he asked as she came to stand beside him.
She rolled her eyes. “It’s three versions back from mine. You really should upgrade.”
“Fine. Order a new one when we get back to the office. But right now, I need you to take some notes so I can get started on the fixes.” He kept walking, telling her what needed fixing immediately. When they were spied by the project manager and construction foreman, Jake walked toward them quickly, introducing Lily and promising what he needed to.
Lily wandered between the buildings while he listened to the concerns of the men. He couldn’t help but keep an eye on her, wishing she would stay still so he wouldn’t feel so distracted. He’d thought keeping her close would help him concentrate, but it was not really knowing what she wanted that was keeping him on edge.
His entire world tilted as he watched her disappear. One moment she was walking beside the gymnasium building, and the next she’d vanished. He gave a shout and ran toward where she’d been, his heart hammering between his ears.
Lily lay wide-eyed at the bottom of a trench, PVC pipes along one side of her. Mud and slush splattered all over her coat and bare legs, leeching into her hair. Jake cursed and hopped carefully into the furrow, not sure if he should move her.
“That was embarrassing.” Lily closed her eyes and pulled her legs up. Tension eased from his shoulders, but only slightly.
“Do you hurt anywhere?” He surveyed her from the closer angle, not seeing anything out of place.
“Does my pride count?” She shivered and moved to get up. Jake put a hand behind her back and eased her to sitting.
“Are you sure nothing hurts?”
“My head and my shoulder, but I’m more cold and mortified than anything.”
The men he’d been speaking with appeared at the side of the ditch, all apologies and explanations. Jake stepped out and lifted Lily free. She squealed when he tried to set her down.
“My shoes came off.”
Jake looked down at her bare feet and the icy ground, then up at her flushed cheeks. If he hadn’t been so terrified she’d hurt herself, he might have laughed. Instead, he lifted her into his arms and carried her to the car.
He set her inside and covered her with his coat, tensing at how she was shivering. He blasted the heat as he sped away from the site. He hated that he’d brought her there unprepared, that he hadn’t warned her to be more careful, that his heart still raced with fear.
“Where are we going?” she asked between chattering teeth.
“The emergency room.”
“Please don’t. I’m fine, I swear. It’s bad enough I had an audience. I don’t want to tell even more people what a klutz I am.”
“You hit your head.” Fear and concern knotted inside his gut.
“I’ve done worse with a kitchen cupboard. Really, I’m fine. I need to get changed and warmed up. I’ll be back at work this afternoon.”
“No, you won’t. And you’re freezing. You couldn’t possibly make it all the way back to the house without developing hypothermia. We’re going to the ER.”
“Jake, that’s a bit extreme.” She fought him with words, though her body shook convulsively. He’d been wet and muddy when they’d started the car, but now he was starting to sweat from the intensity of the heater. She was obviously more than a little chilled.
“I’m not taking any chances.”
“If you take me to a hospital, I will walk out.” Her voice trembled with cold. “And if you try and strong-arm me, they’ll probably have you investigated for battery.”
Jake cut his gaze to her at the stoplight. “Are you threatening me while I am trying to take care of you?”
“You threaten me all the time. It’s not just architecture I’ve learned about.” She wrapped her arms around her body, but the shaking didn’t stop.
He gunned it when the light turned green, taking his frustration out on the car. Goodness knows what she’d come up with next. He pulled into the garage at his apartment and coasted into his parking space.
“Where are we?” Lily asked as he helped her out of the car.
“The penthouse. Should I carry you, or can you walk? I wouldn’t want you to accuse me of kidnapping you.”
She rolled her eyes. “If you’ll take me back to the office, I can take my car and go home.”
He shook his head. “It’s a half-hour drive, at least. If you don’t want to go to the hospital, then you’re coming upstairs and getting warmed up.”
She opened her mouth, probably to fight with him some more, but the chills must have gotten the best of her, because she didn’t say a word as he led her to the elevator. The mirrored ride to the top showed him how ridiculous they both looked smeared with mud and dripping with water. What a mess they’d gotten into.
Once inside his apartment, he led her to the guest bathroom and started the shower, testing the temperature of the water with his hand. When he was satisfied it was warm enough, he pulled open a drawer the housekeeper kept stocked with toiletries.
“Stay in the shower until you’ve warmed up. It makes me feel like an ass when I argue with a woman whose teeth are chattering.”
She lifted her chin and looked up at him. “Stop snapping at me all the time and you won’t feel like such an ass. You’re not the only one whose opinion matters.”
“Of course not.” Jake blinked. If he didn’t think her opinion mattered, they’d have been married months ago. He looked her up and down, his gaze stalling on her shivering, pink hands. “Do you need help getting out of your clothes?”
“You wish. I’ll be fine.”
He merely nodded and watched her struggle with the buttons of her coat. He stepped back to her and undid them quickly before she could protest. He reached around and unzipped her dress but didn’t trust himself to do more. Instead he turned to go before the steam in the room went to his head.
…
Lily perched on the seat in the shower, hot water pelting down on her. Her head was pounding and a bruise was developing on her leg before her eyes. Propping her elbows on her knees, she let her head drop into her shaky hands. It had taken the last of her energy to wash her hair. The idea of getting out of the shower was absolutely laughable.
She’d been so lucky not to really hurt herself in the fall. She was exhausted and hadn’t paid attention the way she should have. What little energy she had seemed focused on what Jake was thinking or doing instead of taking care of herself. If she didn’t keep her guard up, she’d wind up giving in.
A vision of exactly that flashed in her mind, and she sat up straight. She couldn’t go there. Not even in her fantasies. It was one area in which he had her beaten, and she didn’t want to think about it at all.
Lily shut off the shower, hoping it was the water making her hot. She toweled off, and then a cold chill of panic raced down her back. Her clothes were soggy and muddy on the bathroom floor. Even if she had the energy to rinse off the dirt in the sink, there was no way she could put them back on.
With a groan, she wrapped the towel around her body as tightly as she could manage. She didn’t want any wardrobe malfunctions. She opened the bathroom door and peeked out, seeing nothing but the polished floor of the long hallway. Too focused on staying warm when she’d come in, she wasn’t sure which way anything might be.
“Jake?” she called out, holding the towel to her body.
He burst out of a doorway, slowing when he caught sight of her. She couldn’t take her eyes off him, his hair wet and tousled, the muscles of his chest defined and tan, a pair of worn jeans, and bare feet. Even in her fantasies, he’d never looked this good.
“Are you all right?” He came toward her, the proximity of his overpowering masculinity making her tighten her hold on the towel.
“Fine. It’s just that I don’t have any clothes.”
“You don’t need them.”
Her eyes widened. Part of her wanted to run, but another bolder part felt like dropping the towel. Luckily, she’d never let that part have a say in what she did, and now was not the time to start.
“I need something to wear back to the office so I can get my car. A T-shirt or sweats or something.”
He shook his head. “You’re going to bed.”
“Not with you!”
“Lily, you’ve had quite the morning. You’re not going back to work.”
“Fine, but I’m not staying here.” Her mind floundered for a way out, a solution that made sense. Unfortunately, it seemed the fall had knocked the sense clean out of her.
“I don’t see how you have much choice.”
He snaked his hand out and laid it on her shoulder to guide her to a bedroom. The sight of the large bed with the covers pulled back stiffened her spine and had her heart racing.
“Relax, angel. This is the guest room. You’re safe from the Big Bad Wolf. But you do need to get out of that towel. It’s wet, and you’ll get cold again.”
She shook her head. “No way.”
“What if I promise to turn around?” His voice softened, losing the steely edge.
“I’m not going to get naked with you.”
“You liked it last time.” With a flick of his wrist, her towel dropped and she went scrambling for the bed. He delivered a quick swat to her bottom before she was able to sit down and wrap the sheets around her.
“You can’t keep me here.” Blood pounded in her ears, her headache intensifying.
He shrugged. “If I planned on keeping you here, I wouldn’t have bought an estate in the hills for you. What I want now is for you to rest.”
“You can’t dictate how things are going to be and expect me to respond like a puppet. The second you leave, I’ll find something to put on and get a cab downstairs. Hell, I’d even wear something of Dee’s.”
He shot a commanding look at her. “I’m not going to let you hurt yourself. I wish you’d forget this damn bargain and marry me. This is getting out of hand.”
“I am not marrying you.”
“You don’t want to marry me right now, but you will eventually.”
“I don’t want the life you’re offering.”
“You can’t think Ian can give you more. That boy can’t afford you.”
She suddenly felt colder than she had lying in the slush. “You might be used to women who place a dollar value on their pride, but I am not one of them. You cannot talk to me like I am some kind of…” The words didn’t come as her face crumpled, her strength failing her as she choked on a sob. She didn’t have it in her to fight with him, not while she was trapped here and her head felt as if it were splitting in two.
He cursed and sat next to her on the bed. She didn’t want him to touch her, didn’t want him anywhere near her, but she couldn’t find the strength to push him away. She might have discovered it somewhere if he’d done more than wrap her in his arms and hold her close.
Tears dripped down her cheeks, her throat growing tight and heavy. Each time she sobbed, her head hurt worse. She pulled away from him, wiping her face with the sheet and laying her head down on the soft pillow. Feeing his heavy stare on her, she pulled the sheet over her head and wished both him and the headache away.
“I’m sorry I made you go to the site today.”
His apology startled her so much she peeked out from beneath the sheet. “You’re sorry I fell. Worried about getting sued?”
He grinned down at her, his mouth curved with tenderness as he reached his hand out to caress her cheek. “You scared me. I thought maybe you really had hurt yourself when you started crying. You’re stronger than that.”
“I have a headache, and I’m being held against my will. I think I’ve earned a tantrum.”
“You are not being held here against your will. There’s the door.” He lay down next to her on the bed, making her eyes widen in shock. But he didn’t do anything but stare at her for what seemed like an eternity. She searched the dark depths of his gaze for answers, but she’d forgotten the questions.
“You might have a concussion. Do you hurt anywhere else?”
He slid his fingers through her damp hair, massaging her neck and then her scalp. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the sensation until he found a sensitive spot that made her wince.
“I wish you’d have gone to the ER.”
“Me, too. Then I wouldn’t be naked in a bed with you.”
His laugh warmed her, the tension swirling out of her body as his warm hands brushed over her shoulders and arms. He found a sore spot on an elbow that was sure to be a bruise. If she weren’t so exhausted, she might worry about how black and blue she’d be tomorrow.
…
“Lily, put this on.”
She blinked to awareness, her heart hammering as she looked about the strange room. Jake’s guest room. She must have drifted off after her shower. She reached a hand to her head. It was still aching, but her hair was nearly dry. The doorbell chimed, and Jake dropped a folded T-shirt on the bed beside her.
“Put on the shirt, angel.” Jake turned and left the room.
Lily’s head spun as she sat up and tried to get her bearings. The fall, the shower, the slap on her rump all came back to her. In a flash, she grabbed the shirt and wriggled into it, thankful to finally have something on. Not that she could catch a cab in an oversize T-shirt, but it was better than being stark naked.
The voices in the hallway had her sitting up, trying to listen and figure out what was going on. Jake entered the room first. She realized he’d gotten dressed, a soft black sweater and worn jeans hugging his body. Behind him came a beautiful woman with long raven hair and a friendly smile. Her grassy-green sweater set off her green eyes perfectly, but it all served to confuse Lily further.
Jake sat next to her on the bed, taking her hand. With everything such a jumble in her mind, she didn’t want to pull away.
“Angel, this is Susanna Kaye. She’s a doctor.”
She ran a hand through her hair, not sure what to think. “I didn’t think doctors made house calls anymore.”
“I don’t for anyone but friends.” Susanna stepped forward and held out her hand. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Lily. Though I wish it were under better circumstances.”
Susanna sat on the bed, opening a large bag she’d carried in with her.
“Wait a minute,” Lily said. “Did something else happen?” Maybe she’d had a seizure and that was why she was feeling so out of it.
“You do remember that you fell?” He stared at her until she nodded. “With a concussion, it’s better to be safe than sorry.” Jake squeezed her hand and then rose from the bed. “I think her head and shoulder took the brunt of it, but she has bruises on her elbow and legs, too. I’ll be outside if you need me.”
“What’s going on?” Lily asked as Susanna laid some instruments beside her on the bed.
“You scared him.” Susanna smiled and clicked a small device that shone a light in Lily’s eye. She reared her head back but then relaxed as the light moved to the other eye. “I’ve never heard him in such a panic. In fact, I thought he was quite incapable of overreacting. Have you had any dizziness?”
“Dizziness? When I first sat up, but I think I moved too fast.” Jake was panicked? Maybe he thought she was serious about suing him.
“When was the last time you ate?” Susanna’s small fingers probed along Lily’s neck to her collar bones.
“Breakfast.”
“That’s more likely to be it. Are you normally tired in the afternoon?”
Lily shook her head and watched as the doctor examined one arm and shoulder and then the other. “But I haven’t been sleeping much. I’ve been working and keeping up with school.”
Susanna merely nodded, putting on her stethoscope. “I love Jane Austen. I don’t see anything more than a story though. I think we’re hardwired for what we’re supposed to do.” She pressed the chest piece against Lily’s ribs. “I’ve always wanted to know how the body works. I never seem to get tired of it. You’re probably the same way with books.”
She was actually, but what surprised her was how much this woman seemed to know about her. Jake couldn’t have relayed much between the entry and her room.
“Take a deep breath and hold it for a few seconds?”
Lily did, glad for the moment to collect her thoughts. “How long have you known Jake?”
“Forever. We grew up in the same housing project. He was the one who helped me fill out the scholarship forms to get into college. He’s always helping someone, but you already knew that.”
That made her his latest pet project. She looked at Susanna, wondering if she’d been one of his improvement schemes, too. Maybe he reconstructed women the way he did buildings, and then walked away to find someone else to captivate his attention for a while. How could she make him understand that no matter how much he built up her exterior, she didn’t have the internal structure to withstand the blow of being cast aside for another?
“I think you’re fine.” Susanna packed her things back in her satchel. “A mild concussion and some bruises. Nothing a good meal and rest won’t take care of. Ibuprofen can help with the achiness you’ll feel next time you wake up. Any questions?”
Besides, what was Susanna’s relationship with Jake? “Not really. Thank you for coming over. It was kind of you.”
“I’d do anything for Jake.” Susanna stood and lifted her bag. “You’re very lucky.”
Lily watched her leave the room, knowing the woman wasn’t referring to the fall. She sank back into the pillows and wondered how many women were walking around in love with Jake Tolliver.
…
“What exactly did you tell Susanna about me?” Lily sipped at her tea, trying not to seem too interested.
“That you fell at the site and every time I tried to wake you up, you kept telling me to let you sleep, which isn’t good if you had a concussion. Why?” Jake leaned in the doorway of the bedroom holding a tray with the remnants of their lunch.
“She knew what I’m studying.”
He shrugged and left the room without a word. Lily finished her tea and set the mug on the nightstand. The painkillers had worked their magic, as had the food. She might be able to rest if her mind ever slowed down.
Now it was busy making a list of all she had to do before classes tomorrow as well as coming up with myriad explanations for how the good doctor knew so much about her. Since she studied story and motivation for fun, she had a million ways the plot could twist, and none of them in her favor.
“I’m going to work in the den.” Jake leaned against the doorjamb and ran his fingers through his hair, leaving it mussed for the first time she’d ever seen. “You should sleep. If you need anything, I’ll be right here.”
“I need to go home, Jake. Besides, I don’t want to cramp your style. What if one of your girlfriends was to find me here? I’m not in any shape for a catfight.”
“I think you hit your head harder than you think.” He crossed the room and sat down next to her on the bed. “Just because you want to be with me doesn’t mean every woman in the free world does. Half of them maybe, but not all.”
Lily closed her gaping mouth. “I don’t understand why you don’t find someone more suitable for your breeding plan.”
“Breeding plan?” Jake laughed and leaned back against the padded headboard. “No one is more suitable for either of us.” He let out a long sigh and turned to look at her. “Nothing has ever come easy for me. I’ve had to fight for everything I have. If I gave up on everything that didn’t fall in my lap, I’d have been a junior partner at the firm, and we would have lost the house. And you still wouldn’t have looked twice at me.”
Lily turned toward him, anxiety trilling through her veins. She didn’t trust herself this close to him, an intimate distance that belied their relationship. But for once, they were talking without yelling, so maybe he’d hear her this time.
“Marrying me is part of a game to you, something you don’t want to lose out of pride. You see me as some token of success that will validate all you’ve attained. But once you’ve had your fill of me, you’ll toss me aside like all the others. There are women that can handle that, some that would welcome it for the alimony payments alone, but not me. I do appreciate everything you’ve done to protect me, and I’ll even admit a month ago I needed it. But we have to stop this.”
“I agree.”
At his words, Lily breathed a sigh of relief and closed her eyes, thankful he’d finally heard her. She glimpsed freedom until she felt his mouth touch hers. He tasted of rich coffee and persuasion. Flames of desire licked through her, and she kissed him back, not consciously, but because she couldn’t not. The mingling of lips and tongues felt as natural and comforting as breathing, as soft and gentle as his fingertips against her scalp tilting her head back for more.
Jake eased his lips from hers and framed her face in his large hands. “I’ll never have enough of you, Lily. This kind of chemistry doesn’t happen often, if at all. I will go to my grave still wanting you, and as much as I want to run from it, to keep us both safe from being consumed by it, I’ve never taken the safe route.”
When he looked at her like this, as if there was more behind his words than lust and ambition, she almost believed him. He slid his hands from her face, skimming her body, and she wanted there to be more. She wanted to buy the dream he was selling, wanted to believe. The more time she spent with him, the less she thought about their stupid bargain, about his ridiculous proposal, about anything but the way he could make her feel with a look, a smile, the touch of his hand.
He cupped her breast, and she leaned into him, winding her arms around his neck and threading her hands into his hair. The silky softness surprised her, as did Jake when he pulled away to tug his sweater off.
Desire thrummed through her veins as she looked at his bare chest, the powerful swell of his arms. She couldn’t keep herself from touching him, feeling the strength of the muscles beneath his taut skin. He groaned his approval, his mouth claiming hers once more.
He moved closer, the sheet covering her drifting down to tangle with her legs. As his kisses moved to her neck, she was unsure what to do. Should she try and remove the T-shirt she wore or let him do it for her? She’d never had to worry about the next step when kissing a man, because she’d never had the desire to move things beyond that point. She’d done more with Jake than with all the other men she’d dated combined. But now she wished she knew, wished she had the suave assurance of the women he was used to.
She felt her body’s response, her breasts growing heavy, her nipples tightening, her sex swelling in anticipation. His kisses trailed back up her neck, to a spot right behind her ear that made her moan. Jake shifted, propping himself up on an elbow next to her while one hand traveled over her body.
“You have no idea how badly I want you, want you to feel that you’re mine, completely.” He rested his hand between her breasts, the thin cotton no barrier to the heat of him. He traced his thumb around the peak, drawing her nipple tighter without even touching it. Her breath quickened, and he pulled the tip between his thumb and finger, making her toes curl into the mattress. “We need to end this game soon. Walking around like this can’t be healthy for either of us.”
Anxiety niggled at her. Warning bells rang in her mind, yet a part of her she never gave a voice to made her brave. She covered his hand with her own, pressing his palm harder against her breast.
“There is something we could do about that.” She lifted her head, kissing his lips softly.
Jake returned her passion, tugging her shirt from below her hips up and over her head. She moved to kiss him again, but he held her back with his hands on her shoulders, his gaze raking over her nakedness like a caress.
“You’re absolutely perfect.”
In that moment, she felt it, beautiful and sexy and bold enough to be like him. To chase down what she wanted until she got it. She reached for the waistband of his jeans, undid the button, and slid down the zipper, the back of her hand brushing along the hard ridge of him.
Suddenly, her wrists were pinned over her head. Jake’s weight was on top of her, his bare chest crushing against her breasts. The thrill of the movement gave her a rush better than any drug she’d ever imagined.
“I only have so much restraint.”
She grinned at the quiver in his voice. She’d done that to him, brought him to the edge of control. It should scare her, but it only thrilled. She felt more alive than she ever had. Maybe this was why she’d always been afraid of him. She’d known he had the power to unlock this part of her she’d kept so carefully hidden. It wasn’t him she feared, but her response to him. He’d always made her heart pound and her blood race. A more experienced woman would have known what was happening long ago, but she hadn’t known until now with his hard body pressing into hers.
“We can’t, Lily. Not now.”
“We could.” She pulled her lip between her teeth, her bravado faltering as the feelings he’d left her with in the kitchen all those weeks ago came swirling back.
“You hit your head today. I don’t want you to wake up tomorrow and think I took advantage of a concussion.”
“If you wake up with me, I won’t.”
He shook his head, his dark eyes gleaming. “When I make love to you, angel, you’ll be fully aware of what’s happening and why. I want you to look in my eyes and know there is no going back from that moment.” He released her and rolled away, leaving her scrambling to cover herself with the sheet. “Now you know why it’s such a struggle for me to hold back. I’ve known we’d be like this from the first time I touched you.”
He turned his head, smiling at her as she tried to cover her mortification. Last time he’d rejected her inexperienced advances, this time she must have done something as equally awkward, and she didn’t even have a clue what it was. Her throat grew tight and hot, and she clenched her teeth to keep from giving in to the tears.
“I don’t mean to hurt you, angel. If you would only marry me, I could make you forget all the hurt.” Jake’s finger traced down her cheek, but she swatted it away.
She rolled away from him, wishing she hadn’t kissed him, touched him, let him take off the damned shirt. The humiliation of running into the street naked couldn’t be as bad as she felt at this moment.