Bedding the Bachelors Box Set (Books 1-3) (53 page)

And when she’d told him she and her family didn’t speak?

He’d suggested—in all seriousness—that she act more like daddy’s little girl so she could gain access to daddy’s money.

Screw that.

Sex with Jericho hadn’t been
that
good. Certainly not worth putting up with bullshit. And it wasn’t good enough to get Jamie Whitcomb out of her mind, either. So she’d tossed the sprouts out of her refrigerator, stocked it with steaks, and told Jericho to take his ukulele and stuff it up his—

“We broke up a while ago, as well.”

“Ah. Any big plans for summer vacation?”

Why all the small talk? she wondered. Didn’t he realize how hard it was for her to stand here making polite conversation with him? To resist stripping off his clothes and begging him, once again, to take it all the way? “Just Vegas,” she said, referring to her upcoming trip to visit her friends and support the opening of Rhys and Max’s new magic show. Jamie would be attending as well.

She normally had more planned during the summer. Liked to get out of northern California and explore the rest of the country. But this time, she was looking forward to staying close to home. God, wasn’t she becoming the domesticated one?

“So, about why you came…”

“I came to say a goodbye, of sorts.”

Her heart stuttered, but hopefully she managed to keep her face blank. “Goodbye?”

“That’s right. I’m not coming back next semester.”

“You’ve taken another teaching job?”

“No,” he said, slipping his hands in his pockets. “Teaching has been wonderful, but I always planned to return to Whitcomb Enterprises in Los Angeles. My father will be retiring soon. Plus, the company’s expanding into airplane parts manufacturing plants and my environmental science expertise is going to be critical in that expansion.”

“I see,” she said, looking down at her hands, folded on her desk. “So, when are you leaving?”

“I leave tomorrow in order to start the ball rolling, but I won’t officially be in the swing of things for a few weeks.”

He left tomorrow.

She hadn’t seen him much since they’d broken up. Only here and there. And she’d been so angry before. It had only been a few weeks since they’d been able to be civil to one another again. Now he’d be gone from her life. Forever?

She was more shaken by the news than she wanted to admit.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

She swallowed, forcing a shrug. “Of course. I wish you well, Jamie.”

“I may be leaving the university, but we’ve still got Vegas.”

“Of course.”

“I’m attending a bachelor party while I’m there—one of my college friends is marrying my sister—and then I’ll be at the wedding.”

“That’s right. Brianne. And Eric?”

His jaw clenched. “That’s right.”

“So the wedding is in L.A.?”

“Coronado Island.”

The well-to-do place where he grew up. Lucy had been there once. It was a beautiful beach resort town that managed to seem casual even as it reeked of old money.

“Yes, well…I’m sure it’ll be a grand affair.” She rose from her seated position behind the desk, and to prove to him and to herself how over him she was, she came around to where he was and reached out to give him a hug. “See you in Vegas.”

He wrapped his arms around her waist.

His shoulders were as strong and broad and taut as she remembered them. His scent as woodsy. His breath as soft on her neck as he held her tight, returning the embrace. Tingles shot through her stomach. God, what this man could do to her. Sexual chemistry had never been their problem.

A little overwhelmed by being in bodily contact with a man her body still seemed to desire, she pulled back, intent on ending the hug. But when she tried to pull away, Jamie kept his arms around her waist.

“Do you need something else?” she asked, now eye-to-eye with him.

“Yes.”

For a moment, time hung suspended, and it seemed as though Lucy could see every fleck of gold in Jamie’s eyes, could feel every pound of his heartbeat, could breathe in the essence of him…and then he cupped her face and kissed her, even as he wound the hair at the sides of her face up in his fingers and tugged. Lucy felt herself melt into him and a moan escaped her lips. As they parted of their own free will, he slipped his tongue inside her mouth and sought hers out.

God, it was so good to kiss him. To have him touch her again. Lucy could hardly breathe. She was dizzy and she felt like she might very well black out. Her panties were soaked by the time he gently disengaged his fingers from her hair and pulled back.

She opened her eyes and he was staring into hers with an intense smoldering look that made her want to take him right there on the desk. Instead, she forced herself to take a step back.

“Bye, Luce. Take care of yourself, okay?”

“You, too,” she said simply. Because what else was there to say?

He turned then started walking away. She stared at the notes on her desk, the words a blur, when her cell phone rang.

***

Jamie automatically turned back as Lucy’s phone continued to ring.

She was staring at the screen, frowning, clearly distressed.

He hesitated. He hadn’t intended to kiss her and the fact he wanted to do it again told him he should get the hell out of there. But something about the strained look on her face…

“Lucy,” he said. “What is it?”

“It’s my father,” she whispered. “I—I haven’t talked to him in fifteen years.”

“How does he have your cell phone number?”

“I—I don’t know. Unless…” She looked up at him. “I called Gail once. Years ago. Left her a message with my number, hoping to…” She shook her head.

Gail was her older sister and as far as Jamie knew, they hadn’t spoken in over a decade. When she didn’t continue, he placed a hand on her shoulder and she looked back at him.

“Something must be wrong.”

“Answer it, Luce. I’m right here with you.”

Seeming comforted by his words, she lifted the phone to her ear. “Hello?”

He heard a muffled voice. Could just make out the words “Gail” and “don’t think she’s going to make it,” before Lucy dropped the phone and her knees collapsed. Jamie barely caught her before she hit the ground.

Swiftly, he swept her into his arms, cradling her in his lap as he sat in one of the chairs in front of the desk.

She was pale with shock, her gaze desperate.

When they were dating, Lucy hadn’t told him much about her family besides the fact that they were estranged. When he’d tried to dig further about why that was the case, why she’d walked away not only from her mother and father, but from her sister, too, she’d clammed up. But it was obvious the news about her sister had completely shaken her.

“Hang on to me, sweet thing,” he said. “I’ve got you.”

She took several deep breaths. When her color returned and her gaze met his, he shifted, gently placed her in the chair, and crouched beside her. He noted with more than a small amount of concern how she clutched at his shirt, as if she was afraid he was going to abandon her in her time of need.

“I’m going to get your phone and call your father back. Do you understand?”

She just stared at him.

“Luce, let go of me. Just for a few seconds. I need to call your father back, okay?”

After several seconds, she nodded and with great effort released her hold on his shirt. He took her hands in his, squeezed them, and kissed her forehead. “I’m here for you, Luce. I’m not leaving.”

Jamie swiftly retrieved the phone before retuning to place a comforting hand on her leg. He called the last number that had come through on her phone.

A hoarse male voice answered. “Yes?”

“This is Jamie Whitcomb, a friend of Lucy’s. Lucy is extremely upset and I need to find out what’s going on so I can help her.”

“Lucy’s sister Gail and her husband Mason were in a car accident. Mason died at the scene. Gail…it’s not looking good. If Lucy wants a chance to say goodbye, she needs to get to the hospital right away.”

“How much time do we have?”

“Hours. Maybe.”

Shit.

Jamie got the information he needed, hung up, and made more phone calls. The entire time, he remained next to Lucy, caressing her leg. After disconnecting from his latest call, he said, “I’m so sorry, Luce. Tell me what you know.”

“Accident…Mason dead…Gail isn’t expected to live.”

He nodded. “Your father said they were driving home to Palm Springs when the accident occurred. They were airlifted to a trauma center called Desert Regional Medical Center. I have all the information, but Lucy…I called the airlines and there’s no commercial flight out of here until ten a.m. tomorrow.”

She gave a cry of dismay.

“Don’t worry. I can get you there in a few hours.”

“How?”

“I have access to a private jet.”

She stared at him. “Of course you do,” she seemed to choke out even as she looked away.

Gently, he turned her face back toward him. “Please don’t reject my help because of some ill will you harbor toward—”

“I’m not. I’m not going to reject it. Help me. Please.”

An hour after the phone call with her father, Lucy pressed her forehead to the cool glass of the tinted window and watched the lights of the city blur past them as the driver navigated them to the San Francisco Airport. She could vaguely hear Jamie talking to the pilot about taking them to Palm Springs. When he finished, she felt the warmth of his hand on her shoulder. She didn’t move into him as she wanted to, but she didn’t pull away, either. They rode in silence until the limousine parked in a secure area of the airport and stopped about thirty feet from a deluxe looking silver jet with “WHITCOMB ENTERPRISES” stenciled across the side in elegant black letters.

After exiting the limo, Jamie led Lucy up the ramp and into the jet. A woman in a black skirt and blazer helped her through the jet doors and led her to an open area with several plush seats. They were nothing like the airline seats she’d seen in the past, not even in first class, which she’d used her points to bump up to once. Lucy shuffled to one of the recliners and practically collapsed into it. She was vaguely aware of Jamie buckling her seat belt as she glanced around the rest of the jet. It had a wet bar and an espresso machine. A closed door toward the back had her wondering if there was actually a bedroom on board.

He sat down in the recliner next to hers and took her hand. She closed her eyes, wanting nothing more than to fall into a deep sleep from which she could wake and start the day over again. She concentrated on the feel of Jamie’s grip and way he occasionally stroked her arm.

Mason had used to stroke her arm like that. Despite how things had ended between them, he’d always been affectionate and caring. That’s why it had stunned her when he’d walked away from her so easily, only to take up with Gail. Now Mason was dead. His eyes, which had reminded her of dark chocolate and could light up her world when he laughed, would never light up again. Oh God.

She sobbed and instinctively moved away from Jamie. Think of Gail, she told herself. Gail is still alive. With Gail there’s still hope.

As Lucy closed her eyes, however, hope eluded her.

The doctors don’t think she’s going to make it
, her father had said.

But she has to make it, Lucy thought.

Her older sister couldn’t die.

She couldn’t die without Lucy seeing her. Without Lucy telling her she loved her.

Time lost meaning, and Lucy’s mind drifted between the past and the present. The next thing she knew, someone was shaking her and calling her name.

“Lucy, we’re here,” Jamie said.

Her eyes popped open. The lingering dream she’d been having of her and Gail, nine and eleven, making bracelets for each other that said, “My sister/My best friend,” drifted away. Within minutes, they were on the move again, in another limo, then pulling up in front of the doors of a big hospital. She wasn’t sure how she managed to put one foot in front of the other, much less breathe, but somehow Jamie held her firm and steady and got her inside.

Everything seemed to be happening so fast. She couldn’t get a hold on reality. All she could do was cling to Jamie and the safety and comfort he represented, even as a part of her knew his presence and those feelings were only temporary. He was leaving the university. Had come to her classroom just hours ago to say good-bye. Unfortunately for him, he’d gotten caught in this maelstrom that was currently her life, but soon she’d have to pull herself together and deal with the reality of what was happening on her own.

Soon, she’d have to let Jamie walk away.

A nurse directed them to the ICU on the tenth floor. The elevator opened into the waiting room and the sight of all the people she’d avoided for fifteen years twisted her stomach into a tight knot. Her mother and father looked very much as they should after the passing of fifteen years, their hair grayer, their bodies more fragile, their faces painted with lines she didn’t remember. They sat on a sofa next to one of her aunts, who didn’t look like she’d aged at all. Mason’s parents were seated in a corner with his mother’s face buried in his father’s chest.

There were men in suits standing around the perimeter of the room, and by their posture Lucy suspected they were her father’s bodyguards; even before Lucy had left home at sixteen, her father, a congressman, had already received several threats on his life. He’d been fanatical about ensuring his family was safe and terribly furious each time Lucy had ditched her guards in order to have some time to herself.

Her father neither rose nor called her over. He just stared at her and she knew what he was wishing. That it was her lying in the ICU bed rather than Gail.

Her mother followed her father’s gaze and the second she saw Lucy, her face contorted. She stood, then rushed to Lucy, pulling her into her arms as she sobbed. For several precious seconds, Lucy closed her eyes, cherishing the feel of her mother’s embrace. But before she could begin sobbing, too, her mother pulled away.

In all these years, her mother had never reached out to Lucy. Not once. She’d never betray her husband in such a way.