“Did I say that out loud?” she whispered.
Janie looked at Alexandra and both women burst into laughter. Angel covered her face in embarrassment.
“Oh, no. No, no, babe,” Alexandra cooed, wrapping an arm around the girl. “We’re not laughing at you. It was just a surprise, that’s all.”
“Yeah,” Janie agreed, trying to suppress her laughter. “It’s just the first time I’ve heard you objectify a man. Must be my influence.”
Angel looked between her fingers, first at Alexandra and then at Janie. Her face was still visibly pink, but she was smiling shyly.
“And you’re right,” Alexandra said, smirking at Janie. “He is hot.”
“Who’s hot?” a male voice chimed in. All three women turned to see Connor taking up the entire doorway, glowering like the jealous fiancé he was.
“You are,” Alexandra replied, sauntering up to her man and planting an embarrassingly long kiss on his scowling mouth.
Janie and Angel exchanged a look and Janie rolled her eyes. Angel laughed and for the first time in years, Janie thought it might not be so bad to have a roommate. Living with Alexandra certainly hadn’t been so bad. When she was around they’d both done their own thing when they wanted to, but they’d sometimes sit and have coffee or a meal together. It had been… nice.
“Hey,” Janie said, briefly touching Angel’s arm. “I’m glad to have you here.”
“You’re not just saying that because you didn’t really have a choice?” Angel said, giving her a skeptical look and then tilting her head toward the door where Alexandra and Connor were wrapped up in a whispered conversation.
“I know how Connor can be.” Angel shook her head. “He’s been trying to get me to sell the house for years. I’m pretty sure he would have done anything to get me to move, including threatening to kick you out.”
“Well, it’s a good thing it’s not his house.” Janie snorted. “Because he might have, but Alexandra owns this place, and she gave me a choice.”
It might not have felt like much of one, but still; Janie hadn’t been forced.
“Well, thanks,” Angel replied. “That makes me feel a little better. I wasn’t sure you were really… happy about all this. Not that I’d blame you,” she rushed to add. “I mean if you hadn’t been given a choice, I could understand if you were upset, no matter who your roommate was going to be.”
“Angel, I’m not upset. I had a choice, and I’m glad you’re living here.”
Man, she liked Angel but she was so timid and… nice. It made her want to protect her from the inevitable thrashing the world was going to give her. It also definitely made her want to roll her eyes.
“If you two are done with… whatever this is,” Janie said, gesturing to Connor and Alexandra where they stood, holding hands, heads bent together. “It looks like my new roomie is still missing something. Like maybe, her dresser? How are we supposed to unpack clothes without anything to put them in?”
“It’s in the living room,” Connor replied. “We just finished bringing everything in off the sidewalk to get it out of the rain. I’ll grab Cam and bring it up next.”
Angel thanked him with a sweet smile and Connor reluctantly retreated into the hallway.
The rest of the day Janie kept busy helping Angel unpack her things and organize her room to make it feel more homey. They found space for all of her furniture, even though they ended up using every inch of available wall space.
By seven o’clock everything was in its place and Angel was sitting on the floor of her room surrounded by stacks of books, the last of her things to be organized and put away. Janie had offered to help, but had been politely rebuffed. Knowing how particular Alexandra was about her book collection, she was neither surprised nor offended.
She’d managed to avoid Jackson most of the day, especially since the boys had taken several trips back to the house to move some of the larger items that wouldn’t fit into the townhouse into a storage unit Connor had rented.
It was apparently a point of contention between the two. Connor had wanted her to sell or donate anything that she didn’t need, but Angel had insisted on keeping a lot of things that had belonged to their mother and grandmother. Connor had eventually conceded. Apparently getting her to sell the house was enough for him for the time being.
Janie made her way downstairs, rolling her head from side to side to dissipate some of the tension in her shoulders, both from the moving and unpacking, but also from the constant awareness that Jackson could be around the corner at any given moment.
She’d tried to pretend he wasn’t even there, to ignore how her ears were always tuned into his voice or the sound of footsteps in the hallway in case they might be his. She felt like she was back in high school, watching for Jimmy Wstson in the hallway or the lunch room. In a word: stupid.
She found Alexandra in the kitchen pouring over the takeout menus strewn across the countertop. Alexandra turned and noticed her, frowning.
“What do you think the guys want to eat?” she asked, turning back to the menus. “I feel like we should feed them after all the work they’ve done today.”
“Pizza,” Janie replied. “I have yet to meet a man who won’t happily eat pizza, even bad pizza. Especially if it’s free.”
“Good point,” Alexandra laughed. She dug through the stack until she found one for a pizza place.
While Alexandra called and ordered enough pizza to feed a Spartan army, Janie went to the fridge and pulled out a beer. She twisted the cap off and took a long pull of the cold brew, sighing in satisfaction when she pulled the bottle away.
“Hand me a water?” Alexandra asked, hopping up onto the counter.
Janie passed over a bottle of water before jumping up to sit beside her. She didn’t manage it as gracefully as Alexandra had, Janie being several inches shorter, but she got there eventually.
“Man, I’m exhausted,” Alexandra sighed, taking a swig from the cold bottle before screwing the cap back on. “And starving.”
“Mmhmm,” Janie agreed. Her stomach rumbled as if on cue and they both laughed.
The room grew quiet as they both sipped from their respective bottles. Alexandra spoke first.
“So, about Jackson…” she began.
“Here we go.” Janie rolled her eyes and hopped off the counter. “We were having this nice bonding moment, and you had to go and ruin it.”
Alexandra chuckled as she stood as well and lightly socked Janie in the shoulder.
“I was just going to give you some advice,” Alexandra said.
“Advice? About a man?” Janie eyed her skeptically. “I know you’re in love, and you certainly got a good one, but of the two of us, don’t you think it should be the other way around?”
“About men in general? Absolutely.” Alexandra shrugged. “About Jackson in particular? No. Aside from Connor and Parker, I’m probably the best person to give you advice.”
“And who says I want or need advice about Jackson?” Janie huffed.
“Me.” Alexandra crossed her arms over her chest. “Exhibit A: You have a pattern of behavior viz a viz men that involves copious flirtatious banter without intent. Your interactions with Jackson have not fit that pattern.”
“No, no, no. You can’t play the lawyer. It’s not fair.” Janie glared at her, putting her hands on her hips.
“Exhibit B,” Alexandra continued as if she hadn’t said anything. “I have had occasion to observe you interact with the person in question on multiple occasions and it’s obvious there exists a mutual attraction. Would you agree?”
“I don’t think-”
“Would you agree, Ms. Carpenter?” Alexandra pressed.
“Fine! Yes,” Janie shouted, throwing up her hands in defeat. “I’m attracted to him.”
“So, if you’re attracted to him, why are you avoiding him instead of flirting with him?”
“I don’t know,” Janie said, shaking her head.
“Yes, you do. And so d
o I,” Alexandra replied, her face softening. She placed her hands on Janie’s arms until Janie looked at her. “You’re afraid."
“Of what?” Janie snorted. “I think I know how to handle men.”
“You know how to handle men you have no real interest in,” Alexandrea pointed out. “You are an expert in transactional relationships with men, but you have no clue how to have an emotional relationship with a man.” She hurried to add, “And I say this with love, believe it or not.”
“You’re not wrong,” Janie admitted with a shrug. “I don’t date in the traditional sense.”
“And that’s fine. No judgement.” Janie eyed her until Alexandra bobbed her head back and forth. “Okay, maybe a little judgment. You know I love you, and I want you to be happy. I just don’t think you are.”
“And you think Jackson will make me happy?” Janie asked, unconvinced
“I don’t know. Maybe. Maybe not. But I know you’re not happy now.”
“Fine,” Janie sighed. “Say your piece and I’ll listen.”
“All I wanted to tell you is that I think Jackson really likes you.”
“Well, who wouldn’t like all this?” Janie smirked, striking a pose.
“True.” Alexandra smiled. “But I think he likes all this, too.” She added, tapping Janie’s forehead lightly with an unmanicured finger. “And here.” She repeated the gesture on Janie’s sternum.
Janie made a face and Alexandra slapped her lightly on the arm.
“You really don’t see how amazing you are, but I do. And I think Jackson does, too. And he’s a good guy. He has substance, Janie.”
“Substance, huh?” Janie pondered.
“And... “ she added. “If you happened to be worried about what might happen if things go south, since he and Connor work together and you and I work together and we’re all friends-”
“It’s not-”
“Hush,” Alexandra said firmly. “If you’re worried about it, don’t be.”
“Why not?” Janie asked, uncertainly.
“Because I’m a grown up, bitch.” Alexandra smirked. “And so is Connor. I’m not saying it might not get a little weird, but it’s nothing we can’t all get past if we have to.”
“You say that now…” Janie shook her head, staring at the white faux wood tile on the floor.
“And I’ll say the same thing in six months or a year or however long it takes for you to get your head out of your ass.”
Before Janie could retort, they heard the front door open and men’s voices drifting in from the entryway.
Alexandra walked away without a word, leaving Janie to consider what she’d said. Was she really worried about Connor and Alexandra in this scenario, or was she more worried about herself?
Alexandra had had a point about her relationships with men. She kept them impersonal and temporary, with good reason. But she wasn’t really happy with that anymore. She just wasn’t sure she was prepared to open herself up to anything more.
She felt like she was still a work in progress who may never be finished. If she gave Jackson a shot and it ended badly, how much progress would she lose? How much ground would she have to regain when it was over? Would she even have the strength to recover?
But if it didn’t end, if she could find someone who actually loved her as she was…
She shook her head to clear her thoughts. No point in going down that road, she knew what was at the end: heartbreak.
CHAPTER FIVE
After hauling boxes all day long with nothing to think about except how badly he’d embarrassed himself with Janie, Jackson was mentally and physically exhausted by the time they finished up. He rode back to the townhouse with Connor since he needed to pick up his vehicle, but honestly, all he wanted was a beer and his bed.
As soon as they got back, Jackson hit the head. When he was done, he washed his hands and stuck his head under the faucet for a minute. He was sweaty and gritty and in need of a shower, but this would have to do for now.
He stepped out of the downstairs bathroom to find Janie leaning against the dining room table. He stood, shell-shocked for a moment before he noticed the cold beer in her hand.
“Please tell me that’s for me,” he practically moaned.
“It’s for you.” She smirked, extending the bottle to him. His hand wrapped around hers for a moment as he took the bottle from her and it was like a shot of adrenaline. Suddenly all of his fatigue melted away.
“Thanks,” he muttered, raising the bottle to his lips and tipping it back to take a long swallow. After he’d drained half the contents, he pulled it away and sighed.
“And I believe this is yours,” she added, handing him a piece of folded fabric. His shirt. It was clean and dry and smelled slightly of lavender.
“Thank you.” He smiled at her and she looked away with a shrug. “You really didn’t have to do that. I have a dozen of these, at least.”
“No big deal,” she replied. “Angel washed it, I just threw it in the dryer when it was done.”
And folded it.
It was so surprisingly domestic and unexpectedly cute, that he didn’t really know how to identify the feeling he was experiencing. When he did, he nearly laughed at himself. Yearning. He was yearning for something. Man, would the guys have a field day if they knew…
“Well, thanks,” he mumbled, carefully taking the shirt and tucking it under his arm, being careful to keep it from unfolding in the process.
“You’re welcome.”
“Pizza’s here!” Connor shouted from the living room. Janie started a bit, but Jackson pretended not to notice.
“I think that’s our cue,” Janie said, heading toward the living room, Jackson following right on her heels. He watched the sway of her hips encased in those leggings and his mouth began watering for more than pizza.
Her hair was looking a little lopsided and more tendrils had escaped. He wanted to twist every last one around his finger while she lay draped over him, naked, after some earth shattering sex.
He quickly shifted his focus to the wall, the ceiling, the floor- anywhere besides the tempting siren walking before him. If he hadn’t, he wouldn’t have been fit for company.
Everyone else was already assembled in the living room, putting slices of pizza on paper plates and grabbing seats wherever they could find them. A cold six pack sat on the coffee table beside the open pizza box.
Janie bent over to snag a slice of pepperoni and Jackson looked steadfastly away until she’d straightened and taken a seat on the couch beside Alexandra.
With the ladies taking up most of the available seating, Jackson transferred two slices to his own plate and plopped down onto the floor, leaning back against the stone fireplace. He stretched his legs out, crossing them at the ankles and took a sip of beer before digging in.
Alexandra and Angel were chatting about the house, the wedding, and her new job, while Cam and Connor talked soccer, of all things.
Janie seemed to be listening to Alexandra and Angel, nodding periodically or tossing out a word of agreement here and there. Jackson sat in silence, watching her.
Even the way she ate was adorable. She took small, precise bites, chewing each one thoroughly before swallowing. She’d even occasionally dab at her mouth with a white paper napkin.
Jesus, I must really be losing it.
Since when did he care about the way a woman ate? As long as she actually ate real food and wasn’t one of those girls who was constantly on some weird diet, the how didn’t matter much to him.
He finished his food without even tasting it and found himself opening a new box and reaching for a third, and fourth, slice. Noticing Janie’s plate was empty, he held up a fresh slice of cheese pizza toward her.
“Want another?” he asked.
“No, thanks,” she said with a tight smile.
“Aw, come on. One slice of pizza after all the work you’ve done today?”
“Right,” she snorted. “Unpacking boxes and hanging u
p clothes is so hard.” She rolled her eyes. His mouth lilted up on its own and he laughed. He loved her sass.
“More for me then.” He shrugged, tossing the slice on top of the other two already on his plate and then methodically licking the stray sauce off his finger tips while Janie’s eyes rounded into saucers before she looked away.
She wouldn’t look at him again until they were all finished and everyone started rounding up plates, empty boxes and napkins. Even then it was a narrow-eyed glare followed by a shake of her head. Exasperation was better than being ignored. It felt like progress, at least.
Cam was the first to leave, having already returned the moving truck and retrieved his own car before they’d returned for dinner with the last load of boxes. He muttered goodbyes and hurried out like his tail was on fire.
Angel claimed she was beat and climbed the stairs to her room with a smile and a thank you. Alexandra stood on tiptoe and whispered something in Connor’s ear. Whatever she’d said had him grinning from ear to ear when he’d announced that they were taking off. Connor slapped Jackson’s shoulder and mumbled something about seeing him at the office while Alexandra hugged Janie goodbye. Before letting go, she caught Jackson’s eye and winked.
That’s my girl.
Alexandra and Connor cleared out in a hurry and he was once again left alone with Janie. He crossed his fingers and hoped he could do better this time.
He snagged the last box left on the table, the only one with pizza left, and carried it to the kitchen, hoping Janie would follow. She hesitated, but eventually followed at a distance.
He set the box on the counter and opened it up.
“Well, hell,” Jackson said. “Nobody told me they ordered ham and pineapple.” He picked up a slice and took a bite.
“What?” Janie asked, leaning to look over his shoulder. “Aw, man.” He looked at her and she was clearly as disappointed as he was.
“It’s still warm, grab a slice,” he urged.
“I shouldn’t,” she said biting her lip.
“Come on,” he prodded. “One more slice isn’t going to hurt. You probably burned twice as many calories today.”
Her Defender (MacLachlan Security Group Book 2) Page 5
