Watching You: KJ Elite Inc. (25 page)

Chapter 13

Tommy wasted no time in grabbing his shirt, turning it inside out and wiping me clean. It was such an intimate action, even I couldn’t deny it was one of those things that made my decision to leave, when it came time, all the more difficult. I was beginning to forget all the reasons I worked up in my head, to hide from him and keep my life so private. Just like every single time, in the history of ever, a ringing that sounded like nails on a chalkboard pierced our silent nirvana.

Would I ever get a full day and night alone with my sort of husband, where we could just be like old times and maybe find a solution to our shit-tuation? The one that was likely to get a whole lot more complicated and frustrating if my overhearing aka snooping was any kind of tip-off.

“Tommy.” He said, clipped, picking up the call.

“Uh, TJ, there’s someone here who insists on seeing Taylor.”

He shifted back and studied me as I tried to act like I wasn’t eavesdropping on his call. I was pretty much a failure and he knew it. When I looked away and back at him, he was still staring at me but had pulled his handy little walkie-talkie looking phone from his ear and the screen lit up with video footage from the front gate. I should have been more concerned with who was on the screen talking about me, again, but all I could think was, ‘what the hell kind of phone is that and when can I get one?’

“Who is it?” He asked, grumpy for the interruption.

“Name is Jason Henderson.” At this revelation my whole face went beet red and Tommy’s more so a purple-red with a deluge of jealousy and fury.
Tommy kind of snarled and released a solid flow of very imaginative and well-articulated curses that made no mistake about what Tommy wished Jason would do.

“What the fuck is he doing here?” He shouted at everyone and no one in particular.

“Should we turn him around?” Lopez asked, sounding fairly amused.

Tommy looked to me and I shrugged my shoulders indifferently. I wanted to say hell no, but I needed to end this once and for all and face to face seemed to be best if he was going to travel all the way to my home state to see me.

“You escort him back here to the front door in five minutes; no more, no less. He is not to leave your sights, do you understand me?”

“You got it, boss.”

The call ended and Tommy chucked his phone over the side of the truck where it hit the soft, and wet, grass with a light thud.

Waiting for him to talk to me was going to take too long so I just got up from the bed, wrapped the blanket around myself and allowed him to lift and carry me to the back doors of the house. As soon as he placed my feet on the rug, I took my leave and nearly sprinted to the bedroom.

I might could have given him the wrong impression of my current feelings.

Tonight, standing in the walk-in closet and looking for suitable clothing before hopping in a quick shower, it really hit me how much I was missing my best friends; wondering where Matt was and what Jamie was up to in Rome.

I was one of those people who really didn’t need much time between visits to sincerely miss someone. Like magic, there came a knock on the bedroom but no pause for an answer before Matty burst through the doors and headed straight for me with no mistake about his attitude. He had that dog tracking quality about him where he rarely had to search for me before knowing where I was; it was kind of adorable in a quirky way and proven quite effective.

“What the actual fuck, Tay?” Matt demanded.

“Define which fuck we are discussing and only then will I divulge the actuality of it.”

People loved my charming and witty repartee, of this I was quite certain.

“Undoubtedly you know that Jason is here so let’s start there, smart ass.”

“I’ve missed you, too.”

“You know I miss the time we used to spend together, but right now it looks like World War 5 is brewing in your library. Tommy is not in a playful mood. Don’t you think you should maybe check that out?”

“World War V, really? Don’t you think that’s really a bit dramatic? And what exactly am I gonna do if it’s true?”

He grabbed a pair of jeans and a mint colored, shell top with black lace decorating the neck to mid-breast, then tossed them on the bed. Matt might be straight but he really had a way with clothes and making women look beautiful. I’d tell him he was a unicorn too, but deflating two male egos in one night was just mean.

“Yes, five, because it’s so charged it will count enough for three, four, and five. Maybe you can diffuse a bit of the testosterone. You’re the reason they’re both here anyways.”

Turning to walk to my waiting shower with Matt in tow, I said, “I have already told Tommy that there is nothing between Jason and me. Plus, Jason doesn’t seem to understand my no, so maybe he will understand my…Tommy’s. You’re kind of acting like a woman right now.” I shrugged and Matt looked like he was choking on a gargantuan bone.

“You honestly want to test that theory out?”

“Which one?”

At the very least, I was amusing myself. Calling him a unicorn might not happen, but he really was acting like a chick.

“Get serious.”

He stared at me only a minute before I caved.

“Damnit, no!”

Matt turned his back as I dropped my robe and jumped in the shower.

“I don’t suppose you’d want to handle this little pre-dick-ament?”

All I got was fits of laughter.

The hysterical kind.

Prick.

Time to bring out the big guns.

“Jason wouldn’t even know me if it weren’t for you.”

It was a low blow and I didn’t need to see his face to notice the sag of his defeated shoulders. Even though I wanted this to be dealt with, I knew I could and should handle it and that making my best friend feel like total shit over this wasn’t helping anything.

“I’m sorry. Low blow. I’ll take care of it. Just stay with me?” I asked, rinsing the shampoo from my hair. Showering in record breaking time was necessary with the events mulling just below.

“I’d never leave you, you know that.”

For once, in a painfully long time, I knew the absolute truth behind the words spoken to me and they put me at ease. I always had Matt and God forbid anything ever happened to him, I would die of a broken heart. There wasn’t a single doubt in my mind.

I stepped out and reached for my robe knowing that something completely awful awaited me just downstairs.

Yuck and other words that rhymed with it.

Tommy walked around the bar and grunted before he stopped in front me and I could tell he struggled within himself for several seconds before he asked, “Would you like to see him alone?”

“No.” It wasn’t a lie and it wasn’t forced. I had no interest in this man, in spite of his good looks or intentions, and I had already made that clear. Or so I thought.

It almost looked as if he had relaxed and sighed with relief but I chalked it up to my newly refound wishful thinking. Sex was one thing, wanting to be with me… well, a man could only be forced to wait so long. I didn’t hold Tommy to anything and I was pretty sure he knew that.

As much as I wanted to laugh and take triumph in his over-bearing love and protective jealousy, I wanted to know what the hell Jason was doing here and how he found me.

Things were past strange and beginning to tap on annoying. Because seriously, a stalker wasn’t enough… now, I needed to have a dad in a coma, oblivious nagging mother’s and you know a freakin’ celebrity with a crush who really doesn’t understand the meaning of thanks, but really, no thanks. Someone was going to get shot soon, and I was beginning to not care who was first in line.

“Can I have my gun back now?”

He just shook his head. It’s cute that he thought I was actually asking.

Tommy walked past me to go to the front door and I couldn’t help myself.

“Thanks but don’t worry about me.” At least we still had some sort of a sense of humor. We both knew I could get up on my own but mocking his manners was never not fun. Thankfully he was in the joking mood because he turned immediately around and approached me with mischief in his eyes.

“I was only kidding. Ah! What are you doing? Put me down you oaf!”

He threw me over his shoulder in a fireman carry or as I like to call it, the caveman show. This was going to be a display of whose dick is bigger and better and Tommy was jumping in feet first, or in this case, my butt first. As he reached the door, I stopped kicking him in the chest and couldn’t help but laugh. Matt got me into this whole situation and I was going to have to get myself out of it… slung over my, for all intents and purposes, secret husband’s shoulder. Some days I totally did not envy myself.

Tommy opened the door before Jason or Lopez had a chance to knock and was greeted by my big ass and Tommy’s even bigger grin.

Shit.Eatin’.Style.

“Hel-oh. Uh, Taylor?” Jason was caught up and stopped mid-hello.

I waved back to him and said, “Hi Jason, back here.”

Tommy hesitated but finally turned and allowed Jason to see my face that was painted several shades of tickled and embarrassed.

“Oh, there you are. Hi. I brought these for you.” He held up a bouquet of pink roses and Tommy snorted.

Jason frowned.

This was going to be lovely.                             

* * *

Of course he brought her roses.

Idiot.

Tommy snorted a little louder than necessary to be heard and chuckled silently. She hated roses; said they were too cliché and typical and didn’t mean anything. She would say, “What good is it if you buy a common flower to give to someone you want to say is extraordinary to you.”

Fucking amateur.

Jason didn’t speak ‘Taylor’ like Tommy did and for that, he was more than overjoyed. He was grateful, giddy, excited beyond belief and ready to watch how this played out. Tommy supposed he should set her down now, but he was still enjoying this so he let her slide down his body slowly until she hit midway, wrapping her legs around his waist. He noticed the very light blush that spread over her cheeks and chalked up one for himself.

Let’s see what you’ve got, hot shot actor.

“Am I interrupting something?” He asked looking between them.

Taylor said “No” just as Tommy said “Yes.”

That nipped his ass, just a bit so he did the same to her.

Tommy palmed her ass and squeezed as a silent reminder, then let her shimmy her way out of his grasp.

“Please, come in and sit down Jason, let’s talk.”

Ever the sweetheart, Tommy figured that’s why it had become Matt’s little nickname for her. Pure to the southern belle bone. They moved to the sitting room and Tommy stayed close.

Taylor gave Tommy the death stare as a warning and he merely smiled back in answer.

“How have you been? With the crazy fan and all?” Jason asked as a conversation starter and Tommy wanted to punch him already.

“Crazy fan? This is a deranged stalker.” He blurted out angrily.

“TJ.” She looked back to him and put her hand on his chest, pushing lightly. “I am fine, so far. Better than fine, actually. How are you?” She asked warmly.

“I am good. Missing your beautiful face, though. When will you be coming back to New York?”

“Oh, um. Jason, there’s something you should know.” She moved to put her hand on his maybe hoping to soften the blow but she must have figured better not to and pulled away. Smart move.

“Okay.” He flashed his Hollywood smile and Tommy showed his teeth in return.

“You remember all those times I told you I wasn’t interested and wouldn’t pursue a relationship?” She hedged.

“Yes.” He laughed a little laugh, nodding.

“See, Jason,” She was tiptoeing around him like she was afraid to hurt his feelings and Tommy couldn’t say he suffered from the same emotion.

He slid his hand over Taylor’s shoulder and nearly announced, enthusiastically, “My
wife
isn’t interested because she’s already taken Jeremy.”

Hard emphasis on the wife, dickwad.

“It’s Jason and the last time I checked, Taylor was a willing and able woman who can speak for herself.” He corrected with a bemused expression.

“Yeah, well, she’s happily married and has been for nearly six years. So thanks, but no thanks.” Tommy ignored everything Jason had to say because he just wanted this dick wrinkle out of his house.