Going Under (19 page)

Forbes didn’t fight Cooper, but on the way out the door he turned to me and narrowed his eyes. “This isn’t over by a long shot.”

When they were gone, I walked over to Claire and hugged her closely. When I loosened my hold, she looked up at me. “I don’t want to be alone tonight. Will you stay with me?”

23 Sweet Dream
s

Claire

The look in Forbes’ eye was feral and I had never seen anything like it. I was unnerved because he knew my house as well as he knew his own, but I was more alarmed by his ability to slip in unnoticed because I was positive I locked the front door after I let Jessie inside.

Another nerve-racking factor was my bold invitation for Jessie to spend the night alone with me in my house. I lifted my head from his chest to gage his response and saw an expression I couldn’t define. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked you that. I’m sure you’ll be expected home tonight.”

His strong arms pulled me tighter and he stroked his hand down the back of my hair the way a mother comforts her child. “Of course I’ll stay with you. There’s no way I’d leave you in this house alone after what just happened. Are there any keys hidden outside?”

“There’s one, but he doesn’t know about it.”

“It’s probably wise to get it because he doesn’t need to find it and have access to the house while your parents are gone,” I recommended.

We walked outside and I retrieved the key from it’s hiding place. “It’s here, but I can tell it’s been moved recently. That has to be how he got in because I know I locked the door behind you when you came in.”

He shook his head like he couldn’t believe Forbes has gone so far. “That was a pretty daring move. I think you should probably turn on the alarm as a precaution.”

Things suddenly felt much more serious and he saw the worried look on my face. “I don’t think he’ll be back.” He placed two fingers under my chin and lifted my face for me to look at him. “Don’t be scared. I’ll be here if he comes back and I won’t let him hurt you.”

I started to relax because I was confident in Jessie’s ability to protect me and I reveled in how safe he made me feel. “Thank you. I don’t think I could stay here tonight without you.”

He tried to lighten my mood. “Are we going to paint our nails and talk about boys at this slumber party?”

I reached up, resting my arms over his shoulders. “Nope. I want to pick up where we were before we were interrupted.”

He didn’t look like he shared in my anxiousness to continue where we left off and my hope plunged to my feet. “Did I do something wrong?”

“No, you were doing it right and that’s the problem. Making out like that is completely different for a guy. Do you remember when I told you that if things got too heated, I might tell you I needed a minute and that meant I needed you to back down?”

“Yeah, I remember.”

“Well, things got way too heated for me and I was about to tell you I needed a minute before I looked up and saw Forbes,” I told her.

I dropped my face and pressed it against his chest because I was mortified I had teased him past the point of his limitations. “I’m sorry I was too aggressive.”

He took my face in his hands, forcing me to lift my face. ”It’s not your fault that you’re too sexy for your own good.”

I couldn’t keep from smiling because I was thrilled to hear him call me sexy. “Aha! There it is-that smile I love so much.”

I took his hand and pulled him toward the sofa. “Will you try watching a movie with me if I promise I won’t assault you this time? You can pick since you’re staying to babysit me.”

He opted to finish the movie we started earlier because he clearly wanted to make me happy and it gave me another reason to be crazy about him. How could I not love a guy that would voluntarily inflict a chick flick on himself for me?

I was apprehensive about initiating physical contact with Jessie again, but he put his arm around me and pulled me close, so it felt right when I laid my head against him and rested my hand on his leg.

I don’t know how long it had been since I dosed off, but I couldn’t recall much of the movie when I woke. My neck was stiff from being cocked to the side for so long and I moved it slowly because it felt like it had a crick caught in it.

“Hello, Sleeping Beauty.”

I stretched my neck a little more and hoped his arm didn’t feel the way my neck did. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to fall asleep on you. Is there even a remote possibility that you have a little circulation in your arm?”

“My arm is fine and I can’t complain because I had so much fun hearing the things you said while you slept. You have some fairly interesting ideas about me,” he teased.

I felt the heat rush to my face. “Don’t tell me what I said because I don’t want to know.”

“Good call,” he laughed.

I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to remember what I was dreaming about.

“I’m pulling your leg, Princess. You didn’t say anything. You might have sighed a little, but it was completely innocent.”

I was relieved, but I slapped him hard on the leg. “I’ll get you back for that.”

“I have no doubt you will, but it was so worth it to see your cheeks light up like that, which reminds me. What had you so lit up during dinner?” he asked.

I felt the heat remaining on my cheeks. “I was thinking about something I wanted to ask you.”

“Tell me. I want to hear what was so incredibly blush worthy.”

I was quiet as he looked at me expectantly and I softly asked, “What am I to you?”

He fired back without hesitating, “What do you want to be to me?” It was a challenge for me to admit what my expectations were.

“I asked you first,” I said to dodge answering his question and I braced myself to hear the verdict.

“I don’t know what you are to me.” Disappointment flooded me because it wasn’t what I had hoped to hear, then my hopes were lifted when he continued, “But, I know what I want you to be.”

“I need you to say it so we’re both clear about it,” I encouraged.

“Since we’ve both admitted we’re in love with each other, there’s only one conclusion that makes sense to me. We’re a couple, so that makes you my girl.”

“Your girl? I like the sound of that. Hey, there’s a song about me called ‘Jessie’s girl.’ I still hear it on the radio occasionally.”

“Yeah, everybody wishes they had Jessie’s girl,” he laughed.

I started humming the melody and he asked, “By the way, in case you go back to sleep, do I need to be gone by a certain time in the morning to avoid your parents? I don’t think it will make a great impression if they find me here when they come home.”

“They won’t be home until tomorrow afternoon, so you don’t have to leave early.”

It was getting late. She saw me look at the clock and said, “It’s after one. Is it past your bedtime?”

“Not normally, but I’m exhausted. I didn’t sleep much last night after a certain beautiful girl told me she loved me and then kissed me for hours.”

I stretched and said, “I’m pretty tired myself. A certain handsome guy with the most magnificent pale blue eyes kept me awake last night after he told me he loved me and kissed me for hours and hours and hours, so I’m ready to go to bed if you are.”

I stood to go upstairs, but he didn’t get off of the sofa. “I think this couch will sleep better than my bed at home.”

I didn’t intend on having him in my house alone all night long sleeping on an entirely different floor. “I want you to stay upstairs with me.”

I looked down at him, hoping he would agree. “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Princess.”

I didn’t intend on giving up that easily.“I want to be close to you. I want to feel you laying next to me when I fall asleep.”

He reached for my hands. “Did he frighten you that much?

“No, it’s not that. I was just thinking we should take advantage of this opportunity. Who knows when we will have another chance to be this close to one another?” I asked with hope it would be enough to convince him.

“If I agree to this, you can’t get me all revved up like you did earlier. No wrapping your legs around me or rubbing your body against me because a saint couldn’t have held back as well as I did. I make no guarantees if there is a next time,” he warned me.

“I’ll be a good girl,” I said, but was uncertain if I would be able to keep my promise.

“That naughty grin on your face has planted seeds of doubt in my mind.”

I pulled on his hands to get him off the sofa. “Come on. Nothing bad is going to happen.”

After he followed me upstairs, he used my brother’s bathroom to get ready for bed while I readied myself for bed in the bathroom inside my bedroom. After I brushed my teeth and washed my face, I put on a tank with matching boxer pajama bottoms. I opened the bathroom door and saw a shirtless Jessie standing at the foot of my bed wearing my brother’s knit pajama pants and I stopped dead in my tracks.

“Which side of the bed do you sleep on?” he asked.

“All sides, but I start out on the left side. I’m kind of a crazy sleeper. At least that’s what I’ve been told. You can give me your opinion in the morning.”

“Am I going to wake up in a headlock?” he laughed and it broke the tension a little.

“I won’t say it’s not a possibility, at least according to my family.”

He began removing the throw pillows from my bed. “You might have mentioned that in the disclaimer.”

“You still would have agreed.”

“Yeah, I know.”

I stood frozen by my bathroom door, not because I was scared of Jessie, but because I was in awe of his beautiful body. It begged me to touch it and I wondered what he would say if I went back on my promise to be a good girl.

I shook my head, trying to clear those thoughts from it. “Did you find everything you needed in Ryan’s bathroom?”

“I did, thank you.”

When I didn’t make a move toward the bed, he looked concerned and questioned me. “Are you sure this is what you want?”

I looked at him and nodded because I was speechless from the anticipation of sharing a bed with this beautiful man tonight. I walked to my side of the bed and we turned back the linens, then climbed in together.

I turned onto my side and propped my head up to look at Jessie. My bedside lamp gave off a dim glow, but it was enough to allow me a good look at him. I studied his tattoo first because it was the first time I had seen it in it’s entirety. It extended further up his shoulder than I guessed and I reached out to trace the intricate detail with my fingertips.

He smiled when I touched it and asked, “Why are you so fascinated by my tattoo?”

“I’m not fascinated. I just really like it a lot. I like what it says about you,” I admitted.

“And what does it say about me?” he asked curiously.

I ran my finger along one of the curves. “It says that you don’t care what anyone thinks. You’re living for you, not everyone else or what they want for you.”

“I think you’re reading more into it. I really got it so the ladies would think I was hot.”

I felt a pang of jealousy when I thought of another girl being with Jessie like this.

“Just how many girls have seen your whole tattoo?” I asked, but we both knew I was asking an entirely different question.

“Do you really want to go there? I doubt you’ll like the answer because most of the girls at Collinsville aren’t like you. They’re more like Gretchen.”

It was his way of warning me I might not be able to handle the truth, and while I debated pushing the issue, he put his arm out and said, “Come here.”

I scooted closer to him and put my head on his shoulder as he tried to put my mind at rest. “You’re the only one for me. Every other girl is in the past.”

I put my hand on his chest, but couldn’t resist the urge to run my palm back and forth across his muscular chest. He closed his eyes and I wondered if I was pushing too hard again. “Is it okay for me to touch you like this?”

“Yeah, I like it. It’s very relaxing.”

I stroked his chest until his breathing became deep and steady, then I rolled away to turn off the light, but he caught me with his arm. “Don’t go, Princess.”

“I didn’t mean to wake you. I was only turning off the lamp. I’m not going anywhere.”

After turning off the lamp switch, I nestled against Jessie and went back to running my palm over his smooth chest. I wanted to be close to him and explore his body, but I was unclear about what his limits were for me.

I felt his chest rising and falling deep and evenly, confirming he was asleep and ending any potential exploring I had on my mind.

“Sweet Dreams,” I whispered, hoping any he had would only include me.

24 Kiss Me Good

Jessie

I woke up the next morning with Claire blissfully burrowed into me and it was a gift I didn’t think could be real. I put my nose against her hair and breathed deeply, taking in her smell. I hadn’t noticed last night because I was too exhausted, but her bed smelled just like she did-sweet and floral with a hint of peach and cherry.