End of Day (Jack & Jill #1) (32 page)

“But even after you assured me we would never have sex, as in
less than
zero percent chance, I still wanted to be with you. And maybe it’s because I can tell you anything, even if I haven’t told you everything, but it feels like something more than that.”

Jessica ran her fingers through her hair. “Does the thought of you on a date with someone make me jealous? Yes. Do I know that some completely put-together girl is going to steal your heart someday? Yes. Does it crush mine? Absolutely.”

She bit her lips together until her eyes blinked back the impending tears. “Am I aware that no matter how brilliant and talented you are I will never be completely right … normal?” She nodded as the words broke from her throat.

Luke would never give her normalcy. At best, he’d give her acceptance.

“You two coming?” Tom yelled from downstairs.

Jessica stood, blotting the corners of her eyes. “Good talk, Jones. Good talk.” She grabbed a hoodie out of her suitcase and slipped it on.

“Jessica?” Luke grabbed her wrist as she walked by him.

“Don’t.” She gave him a sad smile. “You don’t have to say anything. Think of everything I just said as off the record and … forget about it.” She pulled away and headed downstairs.

*

Miles of glassy
water under a blanket of stars greeted the Jones family as they all boarded the two-story house boat.

“Are they setting off fireworks tonight?” Lara asked.

“Yes. In about thirty minutes,” Liam answered. “You’re going to love this.” He rested his hand on Jessica’s shoulder.

She smiled, pulling the sleeves of her hoodie over her hands. “I can’t wait. This house boat isn’t too shabby.”

“Our dad bought it at an auction, then completely refurbished it.”

“I’m looking for a sailboat next. You should come help me work on it, Miss Fix-it.” Tom wrapped his arm around Jessica’s shoulders and gave her a squeeze.

“Sure.” She forced as much enthusiasm into her response as possible, knowing it was probably her first and last visit to Luke’s parents’ place.

“There’s drinks and snacks inside and chairs on both the upper and lower decks. Feel free to look around.” Felicity tossed an armful of blankets onto one of the chairs as everyone else crowded inside to grab drinks.

“I’m going to take a look up top.” Jessica pointed toward the stairs.

The view was picturesque from the top deck. Lighted boats dotted the water like glitter and some of the most magnificent homes Jessica had ever seen framed the nearby shores.

“Wine?”

Jessica turned. Luke stood behind her holding two glasses of wine.

“Thank you.” She took one and watched him with a suspicious eye as he sipped from the other. “What are you doing?”

He swallowed, rubbing his lips together. “What do you mean?”

“I mean the wine. You don’t drink wine.”

“
Sometimes
I do,” he replied, each word slow and laden with so much meaning … so much intention.

The patient that wanted to be nothing more than a woman—his woman—stared at him. It had to be a joke, another test.

He took her glass and set both of them down on a small table.

“Jessica,” he whispered as he moved toward her until her back hit the rail.

She blinked over and over. Her hands itched to touch him. Her skin ached to feel him.

“I don’t want you to feel sorry for me.”

He tugged at the hood strings to her sweatshirt. “I don’t.”

She no longer needed the hoodie. Her body heated like a furnace to a fever pitch, but she didn’t dare move.

“Are you going to kiss me?” she whispered as he moved closer until the space between them evaporated.

“Yes,” he breathed.

His promise caressed her body as much as his touch that moved from her sweatshirt to her face.

She drew in a quick breath and held it while her mind spewed silent chants to any and every God anywhere in the universe that could possibly hear her. She asked for strength and resistance.

“And, Jessica?” He stopped less than an inch from her lips.

“Huh?” she whimpered.

“You’re going to stop before you make me bleed. Got it?”

Nodding in rapid succession, she would have sacrificed her right arm had that been the deal he wanted to make with her.

She jumped, even surprising herself, the instant his lips brushed hers. Her conscience had impeccably stupid timing. He paused, his eyes searched hers.

“What’s the catch?”

“No catch,” he whispered, brushing his lips against hers again: teasing, tasting, tempting.

She covered his hands and pulled back. “There has to be a catch.”

Luke sighed, releasing her. “There’s. No. Catch.”

“You said ‘less than zero percent chance.’ Numbers are my thing, Jones. I know what that means.”

“It’s a kiss, Jessica. Not sex.”

Her head jerked back. “Whoa … clearly you don’t understand. A kiss is a save the date, an RSVP to my vagina that says: You. Will. Be. There.”

Luke rested his hands on his hips and looked to the heavens. Maybe God was taking his call that night.

“So you’ve slept with every guy you’ve kissed?”

“No! But I’ve never kissed a guy that in my head I’ve thought, ‘less than zero percent chance.’”

“You two bay birds envious of our little lake?” Lane asked as he and Anne climbed the last few steps.

“I would be if you had my bridge.” Jessica picked up her wine and took a sip, controlling the urge to gulp down the whole glass.

“Are you a San Francisco native?” Anne asked.

“Yes. I will never leave.”

Lane locked his gaze to Luke’s. “Sounds familiar.”

“I’m attached to my job, not the city.” Luke rested against the railing next to Jessica.

“Is Luke the rebel for not staying in Tahoe and opening a bed and breakfast?” The ten mile Jones’ radius was interesting but the fact that Luke, Lara, and Liam all owned B&Bs too was crazy to Jessica.

Three somber frowns surrounded Jessica. What was she missing? And dare she ask?

“Nah, Luke did what he needed to do. It was for the best.”

A pained expression disguised as a smile stole Luke’s handsome features after Lane’s comment.

“Look!” Anne pointed to the sudden burst of color in the sky.

Lane stood behind Anne, pulling a blanket around them. “There’s another one.” Lane nodded to the extra blanket Anne had set on the lounge chair.

Luke gave Jessica a questioning look.

“I’m fine.” The heat from their moment still clung to her body.

The awkward, junior high dance feeling continued the rest of the evening until everyone arrived back at the house and said their goodnights. Luke followed Jessica up the stairs and stopped as she turned into her room.

“I’ll lock my door.”

She pulled off her hoodie and tucked her dark hair behind her ears. “Maybe I should go to the dungeon.”

“What?” The perplexity in his expression matched that of his voice.

“A BDSM club. What if the only way I can be with someone is if they’re submissive? Maybe I’m a dominatrix and I just don’t know it. I’m sure you think that I have this need to cause pain, but that’s not it. It’s just about the blood.” She plopped down onto the edge of the bed and stared at the floor.

“Does the blood arouse you?”

She shook her head.

“Then I don’t think you’re a dominatrix, and while I’m sure you could hold your own in a
dungeon
, it’s not where you belong.”

Jessica looked up. “Where do I belong?”

“I’m not sure, but it’s not there.”

They could have been making out like teenagers had she only kissed him on the boat. Instead Jessica was headed for a place far from his lips. She’d fallen in love with Luke and the fact that she didn’t kiss him proved it. Love takes nothing but gives everything. Jessica hadn’t given him everything yet.

“Do you believe in spirits?”

“Spirits?” he questioned.

“Yes, like when someone dies, do you believe they have a spirit that leaves their body?”

“I-I don’t know. I’ve never given it much thought. Why do you ask?”

Her hands began to tremble. She clenched them together to make it stop as he moved to the bed and knelt in front of her. She felt the instant pull of her heart from his nearness.

“Tell me about the spirit.” He tugged at her hands until she released her firm grip, then he held them in his.

“When Four died … I think his spirit transferred to my body.”

“Why?” Luke whispered.

“Because I killed him.”

Knight

T
he Monaghan’s lived
in a small ranch style house with mature trees in the front yard and a stunning view of Mt. Hood from their back deck. AJ’s father, Jim, was a mirror image of AJ aged another thirty years, except Jim smiled more. His mom, Charlene “Char,” bubbled with personality as rich as her strawberry and gray hair that fell past her shoulders. She embraced Jillian with all the warmth of a daughter the second they walked through the door.

“I take it your parents don’t buy that I’m your ‘friend.’”

“Why do you say that?” AJ questioned as he set their bags at the foot of the bed.

“They have us sleeping in the same room, genius. Which you realize can’t actually happen.”

“They’re not stupid. The last woman they saw me with was Brooke.”

“Your ex-wife?”

He nodded, tossing the folded blanket from the end of the bed and one of the pillows onto the floor. “Don’t worry, I’ll be sleeping on the floor tonight.”

Jillian pushed him back until he sat on the bed, then she crawled up on his lap. “You told your parents the bruises on your face were from a training incident. Thank you.”

“Yeah, well my mom used to counsel victims of domestic abuse. I’m not sure how she’d feel about her son being one.”

She shoved his shoulders until he fell back. “Domestic abuse? Really? You think I’m abusing you?”

AJ stared at her as he slid his shirt up revealing the bite marks and scratches. Jillian feathered her fingertips over them.

“I’m—”

“Don’t.” He pulled her onto his chest, silencing her with his lips.

Desire stirred a need for him. She shifted her hips to feel his arousal between her legs. His acceptance and forgiveness turned her on as much as his body.

“Not now.” He gripped her waist, ceasing her movement.

She buried her face in his chest and nodded. “You’re right.”

“Up you go.” AJ sat up, lifting her with him and setting her on her feet as if she weighed nothing.

“I’m going to stop … doing
that
. Okay?” She could do it. She could do it without Luke. There was no other choice. Jackson was right. She had to make a choice between AJ and Jessica.

He nodded, but his eyes lacked conviction. Hers did too.

“I hope your control is stronger than mine.” He pulled her between his legs and rested his forehead against her sternum.

Jillian kissed the top of his head. Her feelings for him were intense and real. Comparing him to Luke wasn’t fair. Jillian had never been with Luke, Jessica had. As messed-up as making that distinction in her head felt, it was necessary. Luke was the love of Jessica’s life. Jillian deserved one too.

“We’re taking a walk before dinner. You two want to join us?” Char called down the hallway.

“Be right there,” AJ answered.

Jillian placed her palms on his cheeks and smiled. “I like your parents.”

“They’re good people.” He pressed his lips to her for a quick kiss. “There’s something I need to tell you.”

“You’re adopted?” She smirked. “I’m not surprised. They…” she tipped her head toward the door “…are genuinely nice,
happy
people. And I’ve only exchanged a handful of words with them since we arrived.”

“Exactly, give them twenty-four hours, and they’ll be ready to kick your crazy ass to the curb.”

She kept her smile firm in place. He had no idea just how “crazy” she really was.

“As I was saying … I didn’t mention their neighbors.”

“You said Dodge and Lilith used to live next door.”

“Yes, but on the opposite side is Brooke, her husband, and their twin girls.”

“Oh … that’s …”

“Strange. I know, but it’s not as crazy as it seems.” AJ pursed his lips. “Well, it may be, but long story short, we bought the house next to my parents so my mom could help with Cage. I gave her the house in the divorce since she had Cage more often, but honestly I figured she’d sell it and move.”

“But she didn’t?”

“No. She stayed, married her boss, and five years ago they had twin girls that my mom babysits since Brooke’s mom passed away three years ago.”

Jillian took a step back. “Wow. Cage never mentioned he had twin sisters.”

“It is surprising because he thinks the world of them, but lately he’s been distracted by football and the naked neighbor lady getting the mail.”

“You realize you’re funny when you want to be.”

AJ shrugged. “I don’t try to be.”

“Yeah, I know that’s why it works. So why the warning? Are we all having dinner tonight?”

“No, but you’ll eventually see them.”

“We’re leaving tomorrow.”

“I know, but I also know Brooke. Trust me, my mom told her about our visit and Brooke never misses an opportunity to throw her perfect little life in my face.”