Jamie takes hold of Miss Sebastian’s arm as if to keep her from getting started on giving the luxurious suite a makeover. “That’s not something you need to think about right now. Come sit and rest a little.”
“Aww… my angel-child. No need to worry about me. My bedazzled ass has the stamina of a stallion.”
I hear a burst of laughter from Lake before he walks into the suite, and Mason has to move fast to grab the pizza boxes from him, before our dinner lands on the floor. I can only assume he’s cracking up because of what Miss Sebastian said.
The suite is crammed with everyone sitting where there’s an open space. Taking a bite of pizza, my eyes land on Jamie.
She reaches for another slice and catching me watching her, she sticks out her tongue at me, then says, “You better eat, Mr. Reyes, or I’ll finish it all.”
“Don’t let me stop you from stuffing your face,” I throw back at her, unable to stop the corner of my mouth from lifting.
I’m glad she has a healthy appetite with all the shit that’s happening.
She takes a big bite, and her tongue darts out to lick her lips. “Mhhh… so yummy.”
Mason leans closer to me and whispers, “Enjoying the food porn?”
Scowling at him, I shake my head. “Don’t even go there today.”
“Where do you want to go?” Kingsley asks, catching the tail end of our hopefully short conversation.
“Nowhere,” I answer on behalf of Mason, not giving him time to say something I might regret.
Lake begins to chuckle, which has me shooting a glare his way. “Have another slice, Lake.”
“Don’t mind if I do.” He loads another three slices onto his plate and croons, “Come to Daddy.”
“Where the hell does he put it all?” I mumble to myself.
I’m relieved the atmosphere around dinner is light, and when everyone has had enough, Lee gets up to start cleaning. Layla and Kingsley join her, which has Jamie getting up as well. She walks to my side of the table and leaning close to me, she picks up my plate.
“Thank you.”
I glance up at her as she replies, “You’re welcome. When I’m done helping the girls, can we talk in private?”
“Sure.”
As she continues gathering plates, I rest my elbow on the table, and wondering what she wants to talk about, I rub a thumb over my bottom lip.
Perhaps she wants to discuss the piano lessons I mentioned?
“It’s only a matter of time now,” Lake suddenly says, pulling me out of my thoughts.
“For what?” Mason asks, which has Lake gesturing in my direction.
“Yeah, you think?” Falcon asks.
“What the hell are you talking about?” I ask, hating when they silently communicate with their eyes, which can only mean trouble for me.
“About you taking the plunge,” Lake clarifies, giving me a knowing smile.
“Y’all need to stop already,” I grumble a warning.
“Why? Isn’t my angel-girl good enough for you?” Miss Sebastian jumps into the conversation.
I let out a groan of self-pity, knowing there’s no stopping her once she gets started.
“Leave him be, Miss Sebastian,” Jamie scolds her playfully.
Rhett leans forward, pinning me with one hell of an intimidating look. “Is there something going on, I don’t know about?”
“Not at all,” I assure him.
“Not at all, my bedazzled ass.” Miss Sebastian points a finger at me then at Jamie. “I see the way y’all keep stealing glances at each other.”
I take a deep breath and tiredly rub a hand over my face.
There’s just no winning with these people.
“Like Julian said, there’s nothing going on,” Jamie tries to argue. “Besides, even if we're interested in each other, it really has nothing to do with y’all.”
“As long as it doesn’t affect our business dealings,” Rhett warns.
Needing to assure Rhett, I say, “It won’t. There’s really nothing to worry about.”
“So, you’re admitting there’s something, though?” Miss Sebastian continues to flog a dead horse.
“God, help me,” I groan. “No, I’m just reassuring Rhett so he won’t worry.”
“Hmm…” Miss Sebastian keeps glancing between Jamie and me.
Just as the conversation turns to Preston and his new girlfriend, giving me some reprieve, Jamie walks over to me and whispers, “Can we talk now?”
“You really think now is a good time?” I ask, not wanting the spotlight back on us.
“What are you two love-birds whispering about?” Miss Sebastian asks.
“Too late,” I grumble, closing my eyes in defeat.
“Fine, I’ll just talk here,” Jamie says. “Were you serious about teaching me the piano?”
“You couldn’t wait to ask that?” I rise from the chair, so I don’t have to stare up at Jamie.
“Julian, were you serious?” she asks again.
“Yes. Your previous tutor probably got a new student by now, and I thought it would help take your mind off everything that’s happened.”
“Great, when do we start?” There’s a flash of excitement in her eyes, which is a nice change from the worried expression she’s had since waking in the hospital.
“We can begin as soon as you’re settled into your new room. Though the lessons will have to be after eight in the evenings.”
“I’ll be settled in no time. Can we start tonight?” she asks, a pleading look crossing her features.
Not having the heart to say no, I agree, “Fine, but you better not give me attitude during the lessons.”
“Would I ever?” She widens her eyes for added effect.
I let out a chuckle then decide to make a quick escape before Miss Sebastian has something to say about me offering to teach Jamie to play the piano.
“If you’ll all excuse me, I have some calls to make.”
Mason coughs and mutters under his breath, “Bullshit.”
“That will be ten dollars,” Jamie pipes up.
A look of surprise flashes across Mason’s face. “Why?”
“You have to pay up for cursing,” Rhett explains to him.
Mason lets out a chuckle. “I do?”
“Don’t worry, it’s Jamie’s way of showing she cares,” Miss Sebastian says.
“Ten dollars it is then.” Mason pulls the note from his wallet and hands it to Jamie.
“Ooh… you curse like a drunken sailor. With all the money I’ll make off you, we can pay for our Sunday dinners out of the swear jar.”
“That’s an excellent idea,” Lake laughs. “I should’ve thought of that. I’d never have to pay for food again.”
Shaking my head at their bantering, I wave and leave the suite with a smile on my face.
That’s something I’ve started to notice recently. I’ve been smiling more.
Chapter 15
Jamie
Julian: Wait at the suite. I’ll meet you there at eight.
I frown at the message, wondering why he would want me to wait here.
Is it possible he does care and doesn’t want me walking the short distance to the music building alone in the dark?
“Aww… sweet. He has a heart after all,” I murmur as I place my phone down on the nightstand.
Thirty minutes later, I’ve put away most of my clothes, and as I’m placing my bras in the drawers, Kingsley calls out, “Jamie, Julian’s here.”
“I’ll be right out,” I shout back, rushing to the bed. I scoop up my panties, and as I turn to the dresser, Julian comes to stand in the doorway. I shove the bundle of lingerie into the drawer then close it. “All done. Let’s go.”
Walking toward him, I’m surprised to see he’s not wearing a suit, but instead, opted for wearing a pair of jeans and a sweater. The sleeves are pushed up to his elbows, giving me a view of his forearms in all their annoyingly sexy glory.
When we head for the front doo
r, Kingsley’s voice drips with innuendo as she says, “Enjoy your piano lesson.”
I smile at her and wiggle my eyebrows before I pull the front door closed behind us.
“Did you manage to return all your calls?” I ask to make conversation as we wait for the elevator to open.
The last time I stood in front of an elevator with him, my panties were practically melting from all the heat I was feeling.
Nope, don’t think about that night.
“Yes, I did. Thank you for asking,” Julian answers formally.
“Seriously?” I ask, stepping inside the elevator. “Are you going to be all formal now?”
“I'm not formal,” he argues. “I even dressed casually.”
Letting my eyes sweep over his well-toned body, I tease, “I can see that. The look suits you.”
That’s no lie. The man looks good in a suit, but seeing him like this is nothing short of yummy.
I notice his eyes moving over me, but then they stop on the bandage. “How does your arm feel?”
“Better. Thank you for asking.” I repeat his words from earlier, then chuckle when a light frown forms on his face from my reserved tone.
The doors to the elevator open, and as we step out, a janitor comes toward us, so I step closer to Julian to get out of his way.
“Evening, Mr. Reyes, Miss Truman,” the janitor says, a friendly smile on his face.
“Hi,” I greet him, where Julian just nods his head at the man.
When we walk out of the building, I ask, “How does he know my name?”
“He probably had to fix something in your suite,” Julian guesses.
I shrug it off and glance around me as we walk down the path leading to the music building.
A couple of security guards pass by us, each one greeting us.
“It’s actually comforting seeing the extra security around campus. Thank you for arranging it.”
We reach the building, and Julian opens the door. Waiting for me to walk in first, he murmurs, “You’re welcome.”
“Which studio do you want to use?” I ask, stopping in front of the first door.
“I prefer number four.”
Julian walks behind me, and when we’re in the studio, I head over to the piano and sitting down, I look up at him.
Geez, talk about having déjà vu.
My eyes drop to his arms before I turn my head away and look down at the keys.
As Julian takes a seat next to me, and his arm presses against mine, I feel the same fluttering of attraction I had when I first met him.
“Place your hands on the keys.” His voice is nothing more than a low rumble, and it makes my eyes snap up to his face, wondering if he’s feeling the same thing as me.
We stare at each other, and it only makes the moment grow with more intensity, but then a guarded look settles on his face.
“Let’s not go there, Jamie.”
“Go where?” I ask, wanting to hear him say it. We might not have a chance at having a relationship, but I still want to hear him admit the attraction wasn’t one-sided.
He lets out a deep breath before saying, “You know where.”
I let out a burst of cynical laughter. “You can’t even admit it. I think it’s quite sad because our night together actually meant something to me.”
Hey, at least no one can fault me for not being honest.
Julian clears his throat, then murmurs, “I’m sorry I said being with you was a mistake.”
“Yeah, you don’t look like someone who makes mistakes,” I tease to lighten the air around us.
I place my pointer fingers on the F and G keys and press them four times before I stop, an eerie feeling rippling through me.
“This feels familiar,” I whisper, trying to remember where I learned it.
“Lisa taught you the first keys to Chopsticks the night you…” Julian’s words trail away and glancing up at him, I see a deep frown on his forehead. “You were out of it as if you were…” his eyes meet mine, and seeing the worry, I finish his sentence, “drugged.”
I drop my hands back to my lap as the fear comes trickling back into my heart.
“What…” I swallow hard on the lump forming in my throat. “What do I do if there’s really a creep out there who wants to hurt me?”
“We’ll catch him, Jamie,” Julian says with so much certainty I almost believe him.
I take a deep breath and let my eyes glance around the room, taking in the cello, a violin, a set of drums, and every other instrument in here while I try to get my emotions back under control.
“I hope so.” Forcing a smile around my lips, I ask, “Are you going to teach me Chopsticks?”
“Yes, it’s the easiest piece to learn with.”
I position my hands on the right keys and follow Julian’s instructions, but no matter how hard I try, I can’t focus and keep making mistakes.
“It’s okay. You’ll get the hang of it,” Julian says patiently.
“I’d rather you bite my head off. Being overly patient with me isn’t helping,” I say as I try the notes again. “It just reminds me that I might be in danger, and you’re so worried you’re forgetting to argue with me.”
To my surprise, Julian lets out a chuckle, then he growls, “Focus, Jamie. Don’t waste my time.”
I begin to laugh and give him a thankful smile, but it fades away when I see the concern coloring his irises black.
“I’m scared,” I whisper, the emotions all rushing back to suffocate me. “I’m so scared, Julian.”
Turning his body toward me, he pulls me into a hug, promising, “I won’t let anything happen to you.”
Wrapping my arms around his waist, I bury my face against his chest and breathe in his spicy scent.
After a moment, I mumble, “I know I’ve been a pain in the butt, but thank you for supporting me through this nightmare.”
“You’re welcome.” He moves his hand to the back of my head and gently caresses my hair.
When minutes have passed, I pull back, giving Julian another grateful smile, then I say with a joking tone, “So much for the piano lesson.”
He shakes his head. “Tsk… at this rate, it’s going to take forever to teach you.”
“Well, I hope you have lots of time because I’m not giving up.”
Our bantering lightens the air and feeling better after the comfort Julian gave me, I actually manage to concentrate and learn a couple of notes.
After the lesson, Julian walks me back to the suite. When I open the door, he follows me inside, and I watch as he goes to check my room before walking back to where I am.
Smiling, I say, “Thank you for tonight. I appreciate it.”
“You’re welcome.”
He takes a step toward the hallway, and not wanting to miss the chance, I quickly hold a hand out to him. “Friends?”
The corner of his mouth lifts slightly as he takes my hand, his fingers closing warmly around mine. “Friends.”
“Enjoy the rest of your night,” I say as I pull my hand free.
“You too.”
After he leaves, I close the door and make sure to lock it before I walk to my room, thinking at least something good has come from this horrible ordeal.
Chapter 16
Julian
Signing the documents Stephanie placed on my desk earlier, my head snaps up when the door to my office bursts open without a knock.
Mason rushes in, a dark scowl on his face, and it has me putting down the pen as I frown at him. “What’s wrong?”
“We officially have one hell of a big problem.” He takes a moment to catch his breath. “Preston just called me. He found cameras hidden in Jamie’s old suite. He tried to trace the feed, but it only shows that it’s coming from within the grounds of Trinity.”
“What?” Shock numbs me for a moment, but then the gravity of the situation sinks in, and I rise from my seat so fast it sends the chair rolling backward until it slams against the floor to ceiling windo
ws behind my desk. “Someone was watching Jamie?”
“Yes,” he grinds the word out. “We need to report this to the police, and we have to call Carter.”
A wave of anger hits, knowing someone has been invading Jamie’s privacy. Walking to where my jacket is hanging, I grab it and shrug it on. “I’m going to Trinity.”
“Shouldn’t you call Carter first,” Mason argues.
“No. You can call him. Right now, I’m going to Jamie. She’s going to be scared out of her mind when she hears this. As far as I’m concerned, her well-being comes before Carter and the police,” I snap, then rush out of my office.
As soon as I walk out of the elevator on the ground floor, I pull my phone from my pocket and bring up Jamie’s number.
“Julian?” she answers her voice sounding shaky.
“You’ve heard?” I ask.
“Yes.”
“I’m on my way over. Stay in your suite.”
“Okay.”
I hear her exhale a trembling breath, and I add, “I’ll be there in five minutes.”
“Okay.”
Climbing into my car, I attach my phone to the Bluetooth. “Do you want me to stay on the line while I drive over?”
“Please.” The word sounds like it’s been drenched in dread.
I start the engine and steer the car away from CRC, and not knowing what else to talk about right now, I ask, “Have you been able to catch up on the work you missed?”
Jamie sucks in another trembling breath. “I was busy working on a paper when I heard…”
When her words trail away, I ask, “What was the paper about?”
“About why the liquidating fiduciary exception should not exist.”
“You like arguing, so you’ll do great with the paper.”
She lets out a burst of laughter, but then it hitches in her throat.
Driving up to the gate of Trinity, I say, “I’m here, just parking the car.”
“Uh-huh.”
Her voice sounds so small, I decide to stop right in front of the dorm. Unplugging my phone, I bring it to my ear as I open my door and climb out. I rush inside, saying, “I’m going to hang up now.”
Julian (Trinity Academy Book 4) Page 8
