All of Me (Compass Cove Book 3)

by Jeannie Moon

  Chapter Fifteen

  It wasn’t the floor outside her apartment, but Jack’s neck felt only marginally better when he woke up on Lilly’s couch. The last thing he remembered was watching Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts moon over each other in Notting Hill. He never got the appeal of the movie, but Lilly sat there with the popcorn in her lap, the cat snuggled next to her and a box of tissues close by.

  She thought their love was fated; Jack thought poor Hugh got played. Ten years down the road, there would be a messy divorce and he’d be raising the kid.

  It took him a second to realize Lilly was laying across him, head in his lap, a soft purr escaping with each breath. Checking his phone for the time, he swore. “Shit. One-fifteen. Lilly…” He gently took hold of her shoulder and gave it a light shake. She moaned, stretched, and pulled herself into a fetal position. The dress she had on draped over the curves of her body, and Jack took a moment to appreciate the beautiful woman curled up in his lap.

  “Lilly, honey, we fell asleep.”

  “Huh, what?”

  “We fell asleep, it’s after one.”

  It took a second for her to process what he said. She pursed her lips, then a crinkle formed between her brows… then her eyes flew open, and he knew she’d gotten the message.

  Popping up, she did a little shake of her head, and stared at him. “Did you say after one?”

  “Uh huh. You should get to bed. I’m on vacation, but you have to work in the morning.”

  “Yeah, and we have a full schedule.”

  The woman didn’t stop. “You don’t get a break, do you?”

  “We have our slow days, but tomorrow we have a back-to-school haircut special. I run it one day a week the three weeks before school starts.”

  “So, you’re going to have a salon full of kids?”

  “And teachers. I run a special for teachers and school staff, too. It’s going to be nuts.”

  Standing, Lilly extended her arms over her head, stretching her body out in all its curvy glory. Lord have mercy. The woman moved with the grace of a ballerina and the sass of a porn star. It was the most glorious contradiction. Jack kept his hands close to his sides, not letting them budge while Lilly was close. She was so tempting, but once she admitted she wasn’t ready for anything with him, no matter how much he wanted to feel all that lovely softness, he’d keep his hands to himself. His grandmother and his mother taught him to be a gentleman, and he wasn’t going to forget those lessons when they were most important.

  When Lilly finally walked away from the couch, her skirt swishing around her legs, Jack rose, scrubbing his hands across his face to bring himself out of the stupor she induced. But the gods of temptation weren’t done with him yet. He never expected that would be the moment Lilly became a contortionist. It only took a few seconds of twisting and writhing, and without a word she pulled her bra from the sleeve of the dress. Just like that. She whipped that puppy off and tossed it on the chair.

  He’d never seen anything like it before, and when Lilly turned around, the soft knit dress highlighted every pebble and curve of her ample, beautiful breasts.

  It was torture, pure and simple. The woman turned his brain into paste, and Jack, still thinking about the lessons the women in his life taught him, kept his thoughts to himself.

  “Jack, is something wrong? I mean, other than it being too late and we’re both exhausted?”

  Obviously, he didn’t do a very good job masking those thoughts. But tempting or not, Jack had to keep focused on his objective.

  What was that again?

  Lilly took a deep breath and let out a sigh. “Are you going home, or are am I going to find you outside my door in the morning?”

  It had crossed Jack’s mind. Lilly had had a pretty thorough meltdown earlier, and he didn’t like the idea of her being alone.

  “Umm… I don’t know. I can’t say you won’t.”

  “I’m fine, you know?”

  The hell with distance. He took a step toward her, and Lilly’s face tilted up. Her eyes were misty and soft from sleep, and her skin, the makeup long gone, looked almost golden in the light, sparkling and shining like something earthy and precious.

  “Can I sleep on the couch?”

  “You don’t have to.”

  Taking a chance, Jack reached out and cupped her cheek in his hand, a bad idea, and slid his fingers into the wisps of hair by her neck, Another bad idea. She leaned in, the feel of her skin and hair reminding him of the fluid softness of one of his grandmother’s silk scarves.

  The memory from his childhood was right there in his hands. Fitting, since Lilly had been part of his life for almost as long as he could remember. The two of them had danced around each other for so many years, he almost felt relief that there was a possibility this thing between them might have some closure.

  He had no idea what these feelings meant, or if it was even a consideration, but he knew he had to be careful with her. No matter what Jack felt, Lilly’s heart was fragile, and he wouldn’t break it.

  “So? Couch? I’m getting too old to sleep on the floor.”

  “And I’m too old for a babysitter.”

  “I’m not a babysitter, Lilly.”

  It was then, when her eyes drilled into him with focused intensity, that Jack knew his reckoning was coming.

  “Then what are you?”

  His thumb circled over the soft skin of her cheek, and words danced around in his head. Jack didn’t know what to say because there was no right answer to the question.

  Then again, maybe that was the answer. “I don’t know. Part of me wants to say you’re my friend, and you are, but that doesn’t seem like enough.”

  Jack waited for her response, wondering if that particular truth was too much. The last thing he wanted to do was play on her emotions. Lilly took another step closer. There was just a whisper of space between them, but he could feel her. Their connection was that strong.

  Lilly nodded quickly, almost imperceptibly. “Anything else feels like too much, too scary, doesn’t it? I get it.”

  “We’ve entered new territory.” The emotions jumping between them arced like an electrical current. There was conflict, fear, and a will to survive on her own terms, but at the same time, the vulnerability he sensed beneath the raw strength was intoxicating. It triggered every primal male instinct embedded in his DNA.

  “You want to sleep on my couch?” she asked.

  “Yes.”.

  “Okay.”

  Without realizing he’d been holding his breath, Jack exhaled. It wasn’t that he wanted to sleep on her couch, but he wanted to be close. And that Lilly trusted him enough to let him stay made his heart beat a little steadier.

  Trust like that, blind trust, was everything between two people. It was the foundation on which lifetimes were built.

  “I’ll get you a pillow and a blanket.” Before he could stop her, she scurried into her bedroom. A week ago, he’d been staked out in an abandoned building sleeping against a wall. Last night it was her foyer. The couch would be an upgrade. There were some thumps and bumps, as well as a stray curse before Jack followed her in there. He found Lilly jumping to grab the extra linens at the top of her closet. All that jiggling and bouncing was either erotic or comic. He wasn’t sure which, until he got a response from his crotch. Great.

  Moving behind her, Jack reached up and took down the pillow, saving himself from any more torture.

  “There you go.” The hand-off should have been simple, but her closeness, her scent, got under his skin.

  “Oh, ah. Thanks. The shelves are so high. It’s tough for someone vertically challenged.”

  “You mean short?” Lilly had always been a peanut, but no one wore it better than she did. No one. Still, he liked teasing her.

  Lilly smacked him with the pillow. “That’s not nice.”

  Jack felt the smirk pull at the corner of his mouth. “Wah wah. Cry me a river.”

  Lilly whacked him again, and instinctively
, without any thought, he pulled her in, the pillow caught between them.

  Everything went still.

  His gaze fell on hers and Jack plummeted into her fathomless deep brown eyes. He saw his life in there, his future, and he had to figure out what to do about it.

  Lilly’s hands clutched the pillow, her grip firm, her body taut. He could see the muscles in her shoulders flex. She was going to ask him to leave. He’d just gone too far.

  “Lilly, I just want to crash. I promise no more teasing.”

  Pulling the pillow away from him, she took a step back, her eyes laser focused. He wanted to take back whatever it was he’d done, whatever he’d said, but he couldn’t pinpoint his exact offense. The transgression could have been minor, but she wasn’t telling. Dread flooded through him and his brain screamed at him to do something.

  “God, whatever it is, I’m sorry.”

  She could have been a statue. The woman was frozen in place, and Jack was screwed.

  “Lilly, say something. Anything. I’m sorry.”

  Lilly started to turn away, and Jack was about to beg if he had to. But right as he was about to open his mouth, he was whacked on the side of the head. The weapon of choice?

  A pillow.

  When Jack looked up, Lilly was standing across the room, her legs wide and her pillow at the ready. Jack was so attracted to her at that moment, he was ready to propose. God, she was fantastic. Was there another woman on the planet who could look like a warrior while holding a plump pillow in a frilly pillowcase? With a quick grab, Jack found his own weapon on her bed. More ruffles, and it was pink. He would own the pink.

  “Do you really want to do this?” He shook out the pillow to allow for maximum volume and prepared for incoming.

  “Bring it, G-Man.” Her eyes narrowed, but her smile widened.

  “Fine,” he said waiting for her next move. “Game on.”

  *

  Lilly had forgotten how competitive Jack was. He wasn’t going to go easy on her, but that was fine. She was ready for it. This was going to be fun, and God knew, she could use some fun.

  He started swinging the pillow back and forth by the corner, keeping it loose and fluid. “I cannot believe we’re having a pillow fight,” he said.

  “We aren’t doing anything right now. You’re just swinging it around. Come on.”

  “I happened to be the pillow fight champion in my family. You might regret this.”

  “Pffft. Stop stalling.”

  Lilly knew she was baiting him, but the tension that had bubbled up between them needed to be diffused somehow. This was as good a way as any. Her senses were heightened, watching him for the slightest move. He flinched to one side, then the other. He was trying to fake her.

  Lilly was having none of it. It was possible he was holding back because he didn’t want to be too aggressive. Sweet Jack. A warrior on one side, and a total softie on the other. He was still going down.

  Tired of waiting, she lunged and swung her pillow, connecting squarely with his shoulder.

  Peering at her, his expression amused, Jack raised an eyebrow. “Is that all you got?”

  The challenge was all she needed. Lilly started swinging and so did he. The gentle thumps and thuds perforated their laughter, which bounced around her bedroom. Her heart was positively light. Jumping up on her bed, Lilly stood there glaring down at him.

  Jack shook his head. “You’re insane. Get down from there.”

  “No! Do you yield?”

  “Yield? Chill out, Lancelot. No.”

  She swung the pillow, but he grabbed it, and with one good tug she lost her footing, falling onto the bed. Lilly landed in the soft comforter with a whoosh, and sank into the pillowtop mattress.

  Jack leaned over her, his smile tipping between mischievous and wicked. “Do you yield?”

  “Never.” He was so close she could feel the tickle of his breath on her cheek. It would be so easy to kiss him and let the world spin out from under them. However, true to form, she chickened out. “But, um… I do have to sleep.”

  Pushing away, Jack turned his body. She heard him exhale—a long, steady breath that could have indicated exasperation or resignation. “Right. Of course.”

  Sitting on the bed, he propped the pillow against the headboard and leaned into it, once again displaying that sense of ease that was so utterly endearing. Something in Lilly’s heart stirred. It was an old feeling, something hugging her heart in the way only old feelings did. It was connected to Jack, no doubt. His closeness, their changing relationship, her old crush, all had a place.

  There were so many things that could go south between them, but for now, things were going right.

  When she looked up, she caught him examining the picture of her and her brother that she kept on the nightstand. She didn’t know why she was so set on keeping Luca in her life when he was set on keeping everyone out of his.

  “You miss him?”

  Lilly nodded. “He doesn’t deserve it. But yeah, I do.”

  “Something is keeping him away. I don’t know what, but he’ll be back.”

  Jack’s read on people was usually dead on. And Lilly hoped he was right. Thinking about her brother was painful, and Lilly didn’t know exactly why. They were never particularly close, but she always loved having a big brother. Even if her big brother didn’t return the affection. It hurt. “I have to change.”

  She rose from the bed and grabbed a T-shirt from her dresser drawer. Once she was safely in the bathroom, it was Lilly’s turn to breathe.

  There was a lovely ache in her lower belly where desire bloomed like a summer flower. Jack had done that. With him around, her body was a wonderful jumble of emotions and sensations. She had no idea what she was ready for, but she didn’t have to decide at that moment. There was time to deal with Jack, her surprisingly vocal libido, and her mixed up heart.

  She pulled the dress over her head and slipped on the long, pale yellow sleep tee. Tying up her hair, she smeared cream all over her face, wiping it all off with a tissue. Once that was done, Lilly examined her face in the mirror. Her skin was still smooth, and there was fullness in her lips. She was lucky that genetics would hold off overt signs of aging for a long while. Her mother and grandmother looked years younger than they were, so she had some good genes floating around on both sides of the family. But her eyes showed her the starkest change. There were a few crow’s feet, which didn’t really bother her; but the weariness she saw reflected back did. If the eyes were the window to the soul, Lilly’s eyes gave her, and anyone who really looked, a clear view of her pain.

  This was why she hated Gio. He’d ruined not just her past, but her present, and maybe her future—if she let him.

  As much as Lilly detested that the film shoot had come to Compass Cove, she couldn’t deny that it was forcing her to face all the things from which she’d run. Maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing. If Lilly was ever going to get closure, if she was ever going to put the trauma behind her, she had to deal with what sent her running.

  Gio was part of it, and there wasn’t much that would make her want to face him, but she could face Jack. He was no Gio, that was certain, but she’d run away from him just the same. And where had it gotten her?

  Lilly was done running, especially from the people who loved her. While she wasn’t sure Jack fell into that category, she knew the deep affection between them went beyond a simple friendship. Maybe, if there was a risk to be taken, it was with him.

  Her body vibrated with want, with need. He could be the bridge back to herself. Even if it wasn’t permanent, Jack represented a chance, and she’d be dumb not to take it.

  Squaring her shoulders, she stepped back into the bedroom. Jack was in the same place on her bed as a few minutes ago, but he was sound asleep. Head back against the pillows, he snored softly.

  “Well, so much for the grand seduction.” Seduction was wishful thinking, but she could dream. She suspected Jack’s honor and sense of right would keep him fr
om doing more than kissing her. Staring down, she felt a tingling in the vicinity of her heart. He was so handsome. In some ways he hadn’t aged at all, but in other ways his maturity was evident. His eyes and his smile were still boyish, but the gray hair at his temples, the ruddiness of his skin, told a tale of all the things he’d seen and the places he’d been. Jack had gone to war. He’d dedicated his life to protecting people, whether in the Army or the FBI. He was selfless, a warrior, a guardian, but he’d never take credit.

  The throw on the chair in the corner was light, perfect for summer sleeping, so she grabbed it and draped it over him. For a second, she thought about going to the couch herself, but looked at the queen-sized bed and thought that there was plenty of room for her. It wouldn’t be a problem. So, she got in on the other side of the bed.

  It was odd. And perfect. His weight pulled her slightly toward the middle of the mattress, and even thought she was underneath the coverlet, and he was on top, she could feel the warmth of his body. She instructed her electronic assistant to turn off the lights and set the alarm, and even with the acknowledgement, Jack didn’t stir. Maybe this was a mistake, but at the moment, they both needed to sleep.

  Lilly smiled as she turned on her side and brought the light coverlet over her shoulder. Wouldn’t Jack be surprised when he opened his eyes in the morning? She hoped she was awake to see it.

  Chapter Sixteen

  When Jack opened his eyes, the brightness of the morning nearly blinded him. Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, and as he drifted awake, awareness of his surroundings hit him squarely in the chest.

  He was in Lilly’s room.

  In Lilly’s bed.

  Looking to his right had him questioning his sanity. Yep, there she was.

  What the hell had happened last night? The last thing he remembered was they’d had a pillow fight, flirted—probably too much—and then… that was the last thing he remembered.

  He was still dressed and so was she, but that didn’t necessarily mean anything. He decided he had to walk the scenario back to get some answers.