Unbreakable

by Amie Nichols

“Do you know what they are talking about?” Luke turns to me baffled.

  “She came over yesterday demanding money. She started belittling me like Jane, and I guess I lost it,” I explain to Luke, as the lady next to me listens in also. I don’t even own a gun. I was just trying to get her out of the house,” I shrug and a smile forms on his face. The man hands me his phone with the article pulled up on it. It reads:

  Heiress Gets Violent

  “Lilly Sumnor, the heiress to the Sumnor fortune, threatened to shoot Adeline Grace yesterday when she reports that she was requesting money for the Jane Sumnor Charitable Society. “I’ve never been so scared in my life. She told me that she would shoot me dead if I didn’t get out of her house and that there was no way she would give one cent to charity,” Mrs. Grace was quoted saying. “I tell you that the courts have to see that she is not fit to control that money. She threatened me bodily harm. Jane’s charity meant the world to Jane, and for her to deny it is just appalling,” she was also quoted saying. When this reporter asked her why she had not pressed charges on Miss. Sumnor yet, she had no comment.

  I look up from the phone, my mouth agape handing it to Luke to read. “So is it true?” The lady next to me asks. “You’re so sweet it can’t be true, right?”

  “Oh it’s true, but it’s not like the way she made it sound in that article,” I tell her as Luke looks up and hands the phone back to its owner.

  “I think it’s time to go,” Luke stands up and takes my hand. “You have to remember there are two sides to every story,” he says to the table. “It was nice meeting you all. Dinner is on us,” he says to them their mouths agape. “Come on baby,” he grabs my hand and leads me out of the restaurant stopping to pay first. He opens the passenger side door and holds my hand to help me in. When he’s in the car, and we are on the road, he starts chuckling.

  “What’s so funny?” I ask him and his chuckle turns into a laugh.

  “Oh just putting two and two together. I was wondering who that crazy woman was that stormed out of your house yesterday yelling obscenities and kept saying Jane was right.” He laughs and looks my way. “Maybe you should’ve shot her,” he says smiling at me. I can’t help but laugh, too.

  “I can’t believe she put it in the paper,” I say shaking my head. “What did she think she was going to accomplish with it?” I turn to look at Luke who places his hand on my thigh, my heart skipping a beat at the contact.

  “Probably exactly what just happened at that table,” he answers me and I’m sure he’s right. “No one who didn’t see how Jane was with you will ever understand, and there is no reason even trying to explain,” he says to me squeezing my thigh lightly. “I know the truth, baby,” he whispers. He takes my hand, brings it to his lips, and kisses my knuckles lightly.

  “So should I do something, like a rebuttal, or I don’t know something?” I ask his opinion. I’ll ask Elliot my legal options first, I decide before I do anything drastic.

  “You’re very sexy when you’re vindictive,” Luke grins at me then kisses my knuckles again.

  “Well, stick around handsome, because I’ve only just begun.” My confidence is building more day by day.

  “I’m not going anywhere,” he declares and I believe him.

  When we reach the plantation, Luke pulls the car in the garage. He runs around the car so he can open my door and takes my hand as I get out.

  “This was a lot of fun,” I tell him sweetly. “Thanks so much for taking me on a date.” I give him a huge smile. He leans me up against the passenger side door and takes my face in his hands. He moves brushing his lips against mine. I wrap my arms around his neck and run my fingers through his hair. As the kiss deepens and his tongue moves into my mouth, he moves closer to me and pins me between him and the car. I feel his chest crush up against my breasts, his hands move down my sides cupping my behind. He pulls my pelvis up to meet his and I can feel his erection against my stomach.

  My heart feels like it is going to beat out of my chest and my breath hitches when he presses his hardness against me.

  A low guttural moan comes from Luke. I want him so bad right now. His lips leave mine and he starts to trail kisses done my neck causing a moan to escape from deep within my throat. He stops all of the sudden, eyes dark with lust and moves away from me.

  “Goodnight, Lilly. I will see you in the morning,” he says frantic. I can tell he is fighting the urge to come right back to me. I am still draped against the car. My top has moved a little and more of my breast is showing. He stares at me for a second fighting with himself, and he darts off in a slow jog out of the garage and around the house to the cottage.

  “Slow, we’re going slowly,” I say out loud as I straighten up and adjust my top. What I really want to do right now is run after him and finish what we just started. Instead, I go inside up to my room where I flop on the bed. I let out a little scream of frustration. I wish he were in this bed with me right now.

  I’m definitely way too wired to sleep. I change my clothes putting on some silk pajama bottoms and a short camisole that leaves my belly button exposed then I head down to the kitchen stopping at Jacob’s door first and knocking to see if he is home. It is only eleven so I’m not surprised he’s not. I smile to myself about his getting lucky comment and wonder if he is actually getting lucky. In the kitchen, I pour myself a glass of white wine and step out onto the patio to see that the lights to the cottage are off.

  His truck is still here. I can’t believe he would be asleep already, but maybe he is.

  I sit in one of the lounges. It is a very warm night and I lay back to relax. There’s a slight breeze making the trees rustle and I almost feel like I could drift off to sleep.

  I hear the sound of footsteps at the side of the house and it startles me. I hear them getting closer and closer then see Luke jogging up to the cottage in loose fitting shorts with no shirt. He stops and stretches for a moment before he looks over and notices me sitting there.

  “Evening run?” I question him as he walks closer to me. I see beads of sweat running down his face and chest. My eyes follow one droplet of sweat that runs down the middle of his chest and over his rippled abs then dips into his belly button before it gets soaked up by his shorts. My heart flutters at the sight of him, my body aching for his touch.

  “I had some energy that I needed to use up,” he says smiling and winking at me. He sits in the chair next to me catching his breath.

  “I could’ve helped you with that, you know. It was your idea to go slow,” I smile and wink back at him.

  “I’d better go to bed. Just looking at you all sexy in your pj’s is starting to get me worked up again,” he says leaning over and giving me a kiss on the cheek that makes me straighten up. I grab his arm and pull on it to bring him back down to me.

  “I want you so bad it hurts, Lilly. I mean it aches, and it is taking every fiber of my being right now to control myself. I just want to wait,” he says. I can tell he is fighting with himself to either stay or go, but his self-control wins and he straightens back up. “Dream of me,” he says and heads back to the cottage not turning around.

  “I’ll be going to take a very cold shower now!” I yell at him as he’s almost to the cottage.

  “Me too, baby, me too,” and he disappears in the cottage.

  Damn it, I want to run in there and join him in that shower.

  I hear someone walk through the French doors behind me. I stretch my neck to look when I see Jacob stepping through with a beer in his hand. He sits in the chair that Luke just got up from.

  “I take it you didn’t get lucky,” I say noticing he has a less than satisfied look on his face. I find it hard to believe since he looks so good. His tight black polo shows off his workouts in the gym. The hem of his sleeves looks like they are cutting into his skin because his arms are very muscular. His dark hair is buzzed with a typical military hairstyle. He is of Italian origin so he has dark olive skin.

  “I could have, but just
didn’t click with any of them. Some of the very beautiful women would have loved for me to take them home,” he says boasting. Cockiness doesn’t suit him so it sounds awkward and he knows it. It makes us both laugh out loud.

  “You’re just too much of a nice guy to have a one night stand,” I say giving him my best I’m sorry you didn’t have sex look.

  “Yeah, it’s a burden,” he chuckles sitting back taking a sip of his beer. “How was your night?” He says changing the subject.

  “Great, except I didn’t lucky either.” I pout raising my wine glass to his beer bottle. “We are taking it slow,” I grumble.

  “Well, I have to give lover boy some credit. He’s got some serious self-control to refuse you.” Jacob winks at me making me blush.

  “Stop!”

  “Seriously, Lilly, you don’t even know how hot you are and that makes you even hotter.” I roll my eyes and look off in the distance when I remember the article.

  “Oh, I almost forgot. Adeline put an article in the paper about me threatening to kill her.” I sit up pulling my legs under me and I reach for my phone to find the article.

  “You’re kidding me,” he says leaning forward to grab the phone from my hands once I pull it up. He reads it quickly while shaking his head and then starts laughing.

  “What a crazy bitch!” He scoffs handing the phone back to me.

  “You’re telling me. We had the pleasure of a couple at the restaurant telling us about it. It was very humiliating,” I tell him turning sideways in the chair pulling my knees up under my chin. “Luke didn’t know anything about it and he came to my defense right away,” I mention staring at my toes.

  “I’d hope so!” Jacob says finishing off his beer in one long swig. “I still can’t believe he left you, especially the way you looked tonight, not to mention the way you look right now,” he says giving me a smile pointing his beer bottle at me, knowing that when he comments on how I look it makes me uncomfortable. He doesn’t like me dressing sexy. He is very protective and he tells me that there could be someone watching me at any moment. No reason to give them any more fuel, but I don’t listen.

  I spent my whole life wearing Jane approved clothes that I am going to wear what I want when I want.

  “Yeah yeah, I’ve heard it all before. I’m going to bed so I don’t have to hear this lecture again.” I roll my eyes and stand up stretching.

  “I’ll walk you to your room, my lady.” Jacob stands up and bends his arm so I can hook mine in it and he leads the way up the stairs.

  “Goodnight, sweet princess,” Jacob jokes once we are at the top of the stairs. He takes my hand and kisses my knuckles.

  “Goodnight, good sir,” I play along and curtsey. I go off to my room and him to his room.

  Chapter 13

  I get up, shower, and then dress in jean shorts with a t-shirt. As I walk down the curved stairway that leads into the great room, I smell breakfast. Miss Finnegan is back, and I am very hungry for her breakfast. I hurry into the kitchen and sitting at the island is Jeffrey, Luke, and someone else I don’t know. Luke beams when he sees me walk into the kitchen.

  “Hey beautiful,” he greets me as I sit down beside him. He kisses my temple gently. “Did you sleep well?” He asks and places his hand on my thigh.

  “I did,” I answer dreamily as Miss Finnegan places a cup of coffee in front of me. “Thank you,” I tell her and she nods at me sweetly.

  As I sip my coffee, I look down the line to the man sitting at the end of the “L” shaped island and look at Jeffrey puzzled.

  “Oh, sorry, Lil, this is my new hand, Simon Booth.” He’s tall, muscular, dark hair with dark eyes, and looks to be in his thirties. I stand up, walk over to him, and reach out to shake his hand.

  “I’m Lilly Sumnor, pleasure to meet you,” I greet him and he takes my hand. His dark eyes travel down me then back up again. It gives me a shiver. The look is very inappropriate and creepy. I take my hand back and make my way back to my chair next to Luke. He tenses up not liking the way he sized me up either. I sit back down, lean my head on his shoulder, and I sip my coffee. I feel him relax as he kisses the top of my head.

  “What’s on your agenda today?” I ask Luke as Miss Finnegan places a fresh stack of pancakes in front of me.

  “I was going to work on that old electrical job in the basement,” he answers me as he watches me take a forkful of pancakes in my mouth, syrup running down my chin. He takes my face with one hand and pulls me toward him. He slowly licks the syrup off my lips. My heart flutters and I start to laugh. My mouth is still full of pancakes.

  “Hey, I wanted that,” I tease him and he smiles at me.

  “I love to hear you laugh,” he coos. “It’s the sweetest sound in the whole world,” he whispers to me.

  Jacob walks in the kitchen just getting back from his morning workout and he is dripping in sweat. He has a towel in his hand and puts it up to his face to dry some of the perspiration.

  “Miss F. you’re back,” Jacob says walking over to her and giving her a kiss on the forehead. “I so want some of your pancakes right now.” Jacob sits on the stool next to me and she puts a plate in front of him. He looks across the island noticing Simon on the end, and gives me a who-the-heck-is-that look.

  “This is Simon Booth, he is my new hand,” Jeffrey offers seeing the look on Jacob’s face. “Simon, this is Jacob, Lilly’s security,” Jeffrey introduces them. They nod at each other, but Jacob doesn’t look pleased that Jeffrey hired someone without his normal background check. He doesn’t say anything in front of Simon though, but I can tell Jacob will be having a word with Jeffrey about it later.

  “Off to work!” Jeffrey says and Simon follows him out. He gives me a nod and another kind of creepy look.

  “I need his information, I don’t like the way he just looked at you. I want to do a background check today,” Jacob says as soon as they are through the doors.

  “I agree. If he looks at her like that one more time, I am going to hurt him,” Luke tenses up again.

  “I’m sure he’s harmless, just not well mannered,” I say trying to calm them down.

  “Well, whatever he is, he’s not to be looking at my girl that way,” he says still watching out the window at him as they walk toward the trees.

  My heart flutters again at the way he says, “My girl.” Suddenly I remember the safe in the study.

  “Hey before you two get started on work, can you guys move something for me in the study?” I ask them sweetly.

  “For you, I’d move two things!” Luke teases me and they follow me into the study. I point to the large wooden file cabinet in the corner.

  “Oh yeah, the safe,” Jacob says when we walk in the study.

  “There’s a safe behind it. I discovered it yesterday when I dropped something,” I explain to Luke as he looks at me and Jacob puzzled. He seems a little bothered that Jacob already knew about it. I walk over to him and put my arm around his waist and he relaxes.

  “Exciting! A safe no one knew about!” Luke says his eyebrows go up and down. Jacob on one end, Luke walks over to the file cabinet, and with what seems like little effort they slide the cabinet from the wall.

  “That is a huge safe! Do you know the combination?” He asks as he examines it closer and then looks my way.

  “I didn’t even know it existed. How would I know the combination?” I snap at him.

  “Feisty, I’ll go call a locksmith then,” he says and swats my behind as he walks by me.

  “At least I’m not the only one who asks stupid questions,” Jacob smiles and walks out of the study behind Luke. “I’m going to shower, then go grill that Simon,” he says his voice trailing as he walks down the hall.

  I stand and stare at the safe, trailing my fingers over the cool metal. I reach the large silver dial and spin it. What could be in here? I wonder if Jane even knew about it.

  Luke walks back into the study, his cell to his ear, and stands beside me gently putting his hand on m
y waist to move me aside. “Excuse me,” he whispers softly with a smile. My belly is doing somersaults. He leans down and says into the phone, “Smith and Son’s 1892,” he reads off the bottom of the safe. “Yeah, number combination, dial, and lever,” he answers the man on the other end of the phone. “The house, I think late 1800’s,” he shrugs looking at me to see if I know the answer to the year the house was built. That would be my best guess also so I nod in agreement. “Alright thanks, see you then.” He swipes his phone to end the call.

  “He said he is really busy, but can come tonight for an extra charge.” He looks at me like he assumes that’s alright since I am so curious about what’s in the safe. “He told me it can take up to 4 hours to crack these older safes,” he says

  “That’s a bummer. I really want to know what’s in her,” I pout to him.

  “Damn, you’re very cute when you pout,” he says and walks closer to me, pulling down on the back of my hair so my face tilts up to his. “You are so sexy. I can’t stop thinking about you,” his voice sultry.

  “Me neither, yet you keep walking away from me,” I say pouting again. I can’t help but think that his dad has something to do with him wanting to take it so slow.

  “Trust me. I think it’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done, walking away from you last night,” he agrees with me. “I want to show you that I’m in it for real baby,” he confesses to me.

  “I’ve never thought you would be a one night stand or something,” I tell him. “Hell, you work for me and live in my guest house. Just try and get away,” I laugh.

  He takes my face in his hands and leans down giving me a full long kiss. His tongue finding its way in my mouth, I reciprocate grabbing his neck so I can pull him in harder to me. He’s such a great kisser, I think as his lips move with mine. His hands travel down my back and he leans down kissing me below my ear and then moves to my neck.

  I feel my insides tighten as my inner thighs quiver. A low moan escapes my lips. He moves up staring into my eyes, his eyes filled with desire. “We have all the time in the world. I promise it will happen soon,” he whispers in my ear as if it is a secret.