He was all I could feel. My whole body was alight with a consuming fire. He was all I could breathe, all I could taste. My everything.
He pulled away panting, his eyes still closed, and he rested his forehead against mine.
“Alissa,” he said, “please believe me when I tell you that I want you here.” The door opened behind Jackson. He still had his hands in my hair and his forehead pressed against mine. I could feel his hot breath against my lips. It took every ounce of my self-control to not tip my head up and recapture his lips, but I knew that we couldn’t stand here in the elevator forever.
I had no idea what was going on, but as long as Jackson was saying that he wanted me, I wasn’t going to argue.
“Um. Then are you going to show me in?” I asked sheepishly.
He backed away from me slowly, letting his fingertips brush against my chin. “I’m sorry, I’m behaving very rudely. I’m just a little nervous. Please come in.” I stepped out of the elevator into a foyer-like space. It had two plush leather chairs and a huge vase with a bunch of reeds in it. On the wall opposite the elevator was a door. It was only one door, but I was having a lady and the tiger moment. I had no idea what to expect on the other side. My head was still spinning from Jackson’s kiss, and I felt completely off kilter.
Jackson punched a code into the keypad beside the door and then turned the knob.
“I would prefer that you not leave without an escort,” he said, “but if you need to go in and out for some reason the code is 254772. I’ll get you a key for the elevator. There is a pool and a gym downstairs on the second floor. The whole building is secure, so please make yourself at home.”
He opened the door and motioned for me to follow him. It was every bit as beautiful as I expected it to be. Half of the top story had been removed so the dining room, living room, and library/music room had twenty-five-foot ceilings. He had a beautiful black three-quarter grand piano and shelf upon shelf of books. I could die happily in this room.
The huge glass windows looked out over the whole downtown area. I was willing to bet that this was considered one of the best views in the city. When Jackson stepped into my line of sight, I was positive that I was correct.
“Um, please, help yourself to whatever you want,” he said. His hands were in his hair again, and it reminded me of how it felt to have his hands on me. Just the thought made me flush with heat.
“The kitchen is this way,” he said. I hobbled along after him. “I don’t actually cook, and even if I did, I would be embarrassed by how badly it would pale in comparison to your food. So I think they stocked the fridge, but we can order in if you want something other than freezer pizza.”
I smiled. “I happen to like freezer pizza.” He smiled back at me, looking a little more comfortable.
The doorbell rang. “That’ll be your clothes,” he said. “Please excuse me.” My clothes? I heard Jackson open the door and greet someone. He came back in to the room with large grey suitcase in one hand.
“I hope you don’t mind. I asked Lexy to pack a few things up for you. I thought you might like to have some of your own clothes for your stay. I would have just bought new, but I didn’t know your sizes, and I wasn’t sure what you would need or prefer…” He was rambling and it was adorable.
“Jackson?”
“Yes, Alissa?”
He looked like he was about to face a firing squad.
“Put the suitcase down.”
He did as I asked. I leaned back against his kitchen counter.
“Come here.” He took two steps closer to me. Close enough to reach.
I slipped my index fingers into the belt loops of his jeans and pulled him the rest of the way to me. I looked up into his beautiful blue eyes and then brushed my lips across his.
“Thank you,” I said. I rested my head against his shoulder. His hands returned to my hair and he kissed the top of my head. “Thank you for thinking of everything, for taking care of my restaurant, for letting me stay here, for wanting to protect me, for getting my stuff.”
“Shhh,” he said, and then he was tilting my head with his hands, and his lips were on mine, and I could only be thankful for that. I opened my lips to him, and he gently explored my mouth with his tongue. He tasted like heaven, cool and sweet.
When he released me, I nearly groaned in disappointment.
Chapter 21: Breathing Room
Alissa
“Let me show you to your room,” Jackson said stepping back from me.
I followed him up the elegant open staircase. This place was incredible. The view of Jackson from the back as he ascended the stairs was nothing to scoff at either.
Damn it, Alissa. Get your head out of the gutter.
He led me past several doors and then entered a room at the end of the hall. He set the suitcase down on a small table in the large bedroom.
It was beautiful. The carpet was a neutral beige color, and the walls were a warm cream.
The bed and the drapes were a study in blues. It was elegant, without being overstated. Abstract paintings hung on the walls, and I had a feeling that they were not replicas. I couldn’t name the artist, but I would bet that any art student could.
“Is this okay?” he asked, taking in my reaction.
“It’s perfect, Jackson. Who did your decorating?”
“What?” he teased. “You think I didn’t do this myself?” I laughed. “Did you?”
“No. My mom did. Interior design is her favorite hobby. She did most of the building.
She’s very talented.”
A man who was proud of his mom, that was so sweet. “Yes, she is.”
“Most of the rooms up here are just bedrooms, but my room is right across the hall, and at the top of the stairs where we came up, there is a study. You can use the computer in there if you want to. I keep all of my work stuff on my laptop or at the office, so there is nothing important or confidential on there. It’s not used very much.”
“That’s very thoughtful of you. Thanks.” Could this man be any more perfect?
“I’ll just give you a few minutes to settle in if you want?” he said. “I was going to take a shower and then see about pulling dinner together. Do you need anything else?”
“No. Thank you, Jackson. Everything is perfect.”
“You really like it?”
I laughed. “Of course I like it. This place is amazing.” Had he really thought that I wouldn’t approve?
“Good, make yourself at home. I mean that.”
He left, and I dropped onto the bed with a heavy sigh. A shower sounded like a very good idea, but I wanted to see what Lexy had packed for me first.
A smile broke from my lips that I just couldn’t contain. He’d reduced me to a silly, grinning little girl. I needed to focus. Honestly.
I unzipped the bag hoping that Lexy had made wise choices. I would need to call and thank her soon. I was glad that Jackson had spoken with her because she would be freaking out otherwise.
When I first looked in the suitcase, I thought that there had been a mistake. These were not my clothes. But, then I spotted my favorite blue long-sleeved shirt and realized what happened. Lexy bought me new clothes. That little brat!
I was afraid to look at what she had picked for me. Granted, everything she chose was always the height of fashion, but she was constantly trying to dress me in things that were girly and uncomfortable. Not to mention that she thought I should show a lot more skin than I usually did. She also spent too much money on me.
I sighed. Hopefully, she gave me my own underwear. She was always trying to get me to wear sexy underwear. I don’t know why she bothered. No one ever saw them anyway.
No such luck. The whole side pocket of the suitcase was full of lacy, strappy, matching bras and underwear. God, she even packed me a practically see-through baby doll nightie. It was a pretty charcoal color, but I would be far too embarrassed to ever wear it, and I was sure that the occasion would never present itself anyway.
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Well, a girl could dream.
I was still holding the nighty up when Jackson cleared his throat behind me.
“Oh fuck,” I blurted out. I dropped the lingerie and turned to see what he wanted. My face was burning. Why the hell didn’t I shut the door?
He was laughing. That fucker was laughing at me.
“I’m sorry, Alissa,” he said. “I just wanted to tell you that Lexy is coming over later. She was worried about you, and I asked her to join us for dinner.”
“Good,” I said. “I’m going to kill her.”
Jackson
As I walked into my room, my phone rang in my pocket. “Hi, Lexy,” I said. “Thanks again for getting Alissa’s things for her.”
“No problem. How is she feeling?”
“She’s doing well, I think. Would you like to come over and see for yourself? We’re having dinner in about an hour.”
We made arrangements for her to come, and then I called down to notify security to allow her through. I walked back across the hall to tell Alissa, and I stopped, stunned, in the doorway.
She was shifting through a pile of lacy underwear. I almost groaned aloud. My mind filled with images of her spread out on that bed in nothing but those thin scraps of cloth. When she lifted a sheer nightgown from the pile I was done for. Did she really sleep in that? What if she slept naked? I was so screwed.
I cleared my throat to alert her to my presence. I couldn’t handle it if she inadvertently showed me any more of her lingerie collection.
“Oh fuck!” She blushed redder than I’d ever seen anyone before. It was the most adorably sexy thing that I’d ever seen. I laughed to cover my natural reaction, which was to growl at her like some kind of animal in heat.
“I’m sorry, Alissa,” I said, trying desperately to control myself. “I just wanted to tell you that Lexy is coming over later. She was worried about you, and so I asked her to join us for dinner.”
“Good,” she said. “I’m going to kill her.”
“Why?” I asked, focusing mostly on trying to breathe.
“These aren’t my clothes,” she said. “Lexy went and bought me a whole new wardrobe.” Ah, well that explained the embarrassment. Lexy had excellent taste as far as I could see.
Bless that woman.
“I’ll, um, just be in the shower, like I said before,” I mumbled. There was no good way to end this awkward conversation. I practically ran from the room. Her ability to reduce me to a horny teenager astounded me.
I stripped off my clothes and stepped into the warm shower. The hot water felt wonderful after the exhausting and complicated week. I allowed my mind to wander to thoughts of Alissa.
She was incredible. Kissing her had been amazing. Her hair was so soft and so beautiful. And she smelled incredible.
There was no way I would make it through this night without absolutely attacking her. I lowered my hand to my cock, which was already erect and aching.
Fuck, she was beautiful. Her blush would kill me. I let my imagination fill with images of undressing her. I would kiss every beautiful inch of her as I worked. I wanted to put my hands all over her flushed body, explore every inch of her.
I stroked myself as the hot water cascaded down my back. I thought of her sweet lips and how her body responded to me as I kissed her. I rested my head against the cool shower wall and grunted my release. If she continued to stay here, I was going to be doing that three times a day.
I hurried through the rest of my shower. Regardless of what Alissa had said about liking freezer pizza, I planned to make a better showing than that. I was going to order in from the best Italian place in town, and I wanted everything to be perfect.
I made my phone calls as I towel dried and got dressed. Alissa had seen me at some of my worst possible moments, now she was going to see me at my best. She hadn’t freaked out so far, even saying that she liked it here. Maybe this would be okay after all. I was going to impress these ladies if it was the last thing I ever did.
Chapter 22: Lucky Elevator
Lexy
She had better not screw this up. I had packed for her everything that she would need. It seemed a bit excessive for one night, but I had a feeling that Jackson would find a way to make Alissa stay a few extra days. Call it a hunch.
Alissa had been asleep when I visited the hospital, so I wasn’t sure that she even knew I had been there. I hadn’t stayed long because I knew that my purpose was better served somewhere else–like the mall—but sitting in that room watching him watching her sleep had told me everything I needed to know. That boy was positively smitten, and I was going to do everything in my power to see that things stayed that way. Alissa had been alone for far too long, and Jackson was perfect for her. I had a sixth sense about these things, and I was never wrong.
Those two were going to get a fairy tale ending.
I had offered to bring something tonight to Jackson’s, but he had assured me that everything was taken care of. He seemed the type to be prepared, so I wasn’t surprised.
I pulled my dress over my head. It was a little more formal than it needed to be, but I was hoping to make ‘Lissa feel more comfortable. I hadn’t actually packed her anything casual. She would have no choice but to look nice. I was not allowing her to run around Jackson’s house in her holey sweats. I knew she would be mad, but truthfully, she should be thanking me.
Everything in that suitcase would look fabulous on her. I couldn’t have made it any easier.
This was going to be an awesome night. I grabbed my new, and might I add adorable, bag and headed out to the car. It started to rain just as I pulled out into the street. I knew that there was underground parking at Jackson’s building, and I was instantly thankful. He was saving my hair. A sudden bolt of lightning flashed across the sky. It looked like this might be a pretty bad storm.
I arrived at Jackson’s without incident and handed my ID to the security guard in the lobby. He gave me a key card for the elevator and told me to return it on my way out.
On the second floor, the elevator stopped and the hottest man that I have ever seen stepped in with me. Wow. I hadn’t seen that one coming. He was sweaty, and there was a white towel thrown over his shoulder. I was guessing that the gym was on the second floor.
I wonder if I can get a membership or if it’s for residents only.
His T-shirt was tight across his chest, displaying his well-defined pecs. He lifted his head to take a drink from his water bottle, and my eyes were instantly transfixed on the muscles in his neck while he swallowed, the way the sweat rolled over his collarbones, the hairs at the back of his head that were more curly when wet. God, he was handsome.
He finished off the rest of the water bottle in one long swig and crushed it in his right hand. He turned his head to look at the elevator buttons and caught me blatantly staring at him.
Oops.
He looked a little surprised to see me standing there, but after a moment his face lit up with a brilliant smile that reached the whole way to his shining blue eyes.
After a surprisingly comfortable pause, he finally spoke. “I know I haven’t seen you here before, because I would definitely remember you. Did you just move in?” As soon as the words left his mouth, he looked like he regretted them. Truth be told, it was a pretty bad pickup line, but he had spoken it so genuinely. I sympathized. I couldn’t think of anything witty to say in his presence either. He was fucking adorable.
“I’m visiting a friend,” I said, “but incidentally, I wouldn’t forget you either.” He smiled again, and I had the urge to throw myself across the elevator at him.
“I’m David,” he said, extending his hand.
“Lexy,” I placed my hand in his. He lifted it to his lips and brushed a soft kiss across my knuckles.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lexy.”
“You as well.”
The elevator dinged, and the doors opened. I shook my head to clear it and looked at the row of buttons. We were on the
thirty-fourth floor. Jackson’s floor. We were so distracted that we had failed to push a button for David. He seemed to realize this a moment after I did.
“You’re visiting Jackson?” he asked. His face fell considerably.
“Oh no!” I said quickly and a bit too loudly. “Well, I mean, yes and no.” The elevator door tried to shut. I stuck my arm out quickly to keep it from closing. “I mean, I’m here to see
‘Lissa, who is here to see Jackson.”
“What?”
“Why don’t we step out of the elevator?” I offered. I hoped that Jackson wouldn’t mind us borrowing his foyer for a few minutes, but I couldn’t have this conversation while trying to keep the elevator stationary.
We stepped out, and the doors closed behind us. “What I meant to say,” I continued, “is that my best friend, Alissa, is visiting Jackson, and they very kindly asked me to come to dinner with them. So I’m here to see both of them really.”
A door opened behind me. “Lexy? Who are you talking…” Jackson stuck his head out into the foyer. “Oh, hey, Dave.”
I breathed a sigh of relief; at least they knew each other.
“Good to see you man,” David said shaking Jackson’s hand.
“Likewise,” Jackson said.
“I missed you at the gym this past week. Where have you been?” Jackson laughed. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.” He looked at me, confusion crossing his face. “How do you know Lexy?”
“Oh, we just met in the elevator,” he offered rather sheepishly.
Jackson chuckled and then gave David a look that I didn’t quite understand. “Well, I was just unpacking dinner, and we have plenty. Why don’t you join us?” Oh God. He was inviting this glorious creature to eat with us. Squee!!!
“Oh,” David started, “I, uh, really am not dressed for it. I mean I was just, you know…”
“You live two floors down,” Jackson said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Go change and then come back up.” He took the elevator key from my hand and handed it to stunned looking David. “We’ll see you in fifteen minutes.” With that Jackson pulled me through the door into his apartment, and my inner girl jumped for joy.
The Billionaire Bum Page 12
