Friends--And Then Some (13 page)

“I don’t know.” He closed his eyes, knowing that one pleading glance from Lily and he’d give her anything she wanted. He hated his lack of self-control. It had never been like this with any other woman. He had always been the one calling the shots.

Jake opened his eyes to discover Lily standing so close that all he had to do was lean forward and their bodies would touch. He could feel the heat radiating from her. So
little would be required of him to press his thigh to hers, to feel her breasts against his chest. His senses were suddenly awake to her every curve and it was slowly driving him insane.

Unable to keep his hands away, Jake tenderly cupped her cheek. Her thick lashes fluttered closed as she turned her face into his palm. Ever so gently, she kissed the inside of his hand. The inch or so between them was eliminated before another second could pass. They stood thigh to thigh, breasts to chest, and feasted on the feel of each other. With a reverence that shocked him, Jake lowered his head and claimed Lily’s mouth. Their lips met in the sweetest, most profound kiss Lily had ever experienced. Passion smoldered just beneath the surface, but this was a different kind of kiss—one that Lily didn’t know how to define. Her hand crept up his chest and closed around the folds of his shirt collar as she clung to him.

When Jake lifted his mouth from hers, Lily smiled up at him and tears clouded her eyes. “That was beautiful,” she whispered.

“You’re beautiful.” He tucked a strand of hair around her ear and traced her temple with his fingertips.

She had that dreamy look of a person in love.

Lightly, he kissed her again. “Lily, believe me when I tell you that this has to stop right now.”

“Okay,” she murmured. She looped her arms around his neck and buried her face in his throat. He smelled of the sea and the sun. Vital and alive. Her tongue discovered his pulse.

“Lily,” he groaned, moving his hands to set her away from him.

“You taste good.”

Already he was wavering. He hadn’t wanted her on his boat and here she was a few feet from his bed. They were in each other’s arms, and from the way things were progressing, only heaven knew where they’d end up.

“I said, no more.” Forcefully Jake moved away from her.

Lily’s expression fell into a mixture of bewilderment and hurt.

“I told you before, I want to put an end to this nonsense. You women are all alike.”

“Jake—”

“It was the same thing with Elaine.” It hadn’t been, but Lily didn’t know that and Jake was desperate to extract himself before things went any further. He had to act fast. “I’m not anything like Elaine.”

“The two of you could be sisters. You think a woman has the right to drive a ring through a man’s nose and lead him around.”

“That’s not true.” Lily struggled to swallow back her indignation.

“You women are never satisfied. There’s always something that needs to be changed.”

“What have I ever asked you to change?”

“My writing. At first you were content to read the short stories, but oh no, those didn’t make enough money, so you started pressing me to write novels.”

“But I thought …”

“The crazy part of all this is that for a time I even considered it.”

Lily took a step back, staring up at Jake. She slowly shook her head, still having trouble believing that this was Jake speaking to her—the man who only minutes ago had kissed her and held her so lovingly in his arms.

“Elaine almost ruined my life and I almost let her. Thank God I saw the light in time.”

“Jake …” Recklessly, Lily tried one last time to reason with him.

“You aren’t any better than Elaine, worming your way into my life, using me, and then taking it upon yourself to mold me into whatever you want.”

“I’ve never tried to change you.”

“Oh that’s right. You want to save me. Well, listen and listen good. I like my life. I don’t want to be saved. Got it?”

“Would you stop shouting long enough for me to say something?” Lily demanded.

“No. Enough’s been said.”

“It hasn’t!” she shouted. “I like you the way you are and I have no intention of saving you.”

Jake snorted. “That was what Elaine said.”

“I’m not Elaine!” She stabbed a finger in his direction.

“Right,” he snickered.

“There’s no reasoning with you when you’re like this.”

“Then it would be best if you left, wouldn’t it?”

She didn’t say anything for several seconds. “Are you kicking me off your boat?”

“I’m saying—”

“Don’t say anything … it’s not necessary. I get the picture. I won’t bother you again … and I’ll never, ever come on board the
Lucky Lady
again. You’ve made your point perfectly clear.” She turned quickly and moved up the steps in a huff.

Jake didn’t move. Above him, he heard Lily’s footsteps as she hurried across the deck. Her steps were heavy and their echo cut straight into his heart. The frustrations of a lifetime of bitterness suddenly surfaced and he struggled against the urge to ram his fist through the side of the boat. He paced the tiny, enclosed area in an effort to compose himself. It was what he wanted. Lily was gone. He didn’t doubt her word; she wouldn’t be back. He’d driven her away for good.

But Jake couldn’t imagine what his life would be like without her. There were better ways of handling this situation. He could apologize, but his pride sneered at the thought. No, he’d bide his time and try to forget how deeply he cared for her. That was the only solution to avoid ruining both their lives.

* * *

By the time Lily slid onto the bench at the grand piano at the Wheaton that evening, she was outwardly composed. But the inner battle continued to rage. She didn’t know which had hurt the most—Jake comparing her to that horrible Elaine, or when he’d told her to get off his boat. Both had devastated her to the point that she hadn’t been able to talk to Gram.

Lily placed her hands over the ivory keys and her fingers moved automatically, playing from memory. Lily had learned not to involve her mind in the music. If she did, she’d have been half crazy by now. Her smile was pasted on her mouth, curving her full lips slightly upward.

The manager strolled past her once and Lily dropped her gaze to her hands. Usually his presence meant she had done something that annoyed him. Lily no longer cared. If he fired her, she’d find another job. The monotony of playing the same songs night after night had robbed her musical gift of the natural spark she’d once possessed. She hardly ever sat at the piano to goof around anymore. And all this for what? The only wealthy man she’d met in a year’s time at the hotel was Rex Flanders and that had turned out to be a bust. Even now, Jake’s negative reaction to the Texan confused her. He hadn’t so much as seen Rex and he’d forced Lily into promising that she wouldn’t go out with the middle-aged man.

When Lily had finished the first half of the evening’s set of music, she took a break. Henry, the senior bellhop, stopped her halfway across the lobby.

“Miss Lily, there’s a message for you.” He strolled across the carpet to hand her a beige envelope.

Lily accepted the letter and her heart flip-flopped in her chest. For one insane moment, Lily thought it might be from Jake. After a glance at the slanted strokes of the cursive script, she recognized the handwriting as Rex Flanders’s.

The first genuine smile of the evening came.

Folding the single sheet over, Lily tucked it inside the envelope. She would join Rex for dinner. Her promise to Jake had been made under duress. Besides, she owed him nothing now. He’d made that clear. He had no reason to care if she saw Rex or any other
man, for that matter.

* * *

Parked outside the Wheaton, Jake leaned against the side of his cab and crossed his arms, watching the entrance. Lily was due out in another hour. He needed to talk to her so he could explain that he hadn’t meant what he’d said. The anger had been a ploy to keep her out of his arms, but he hadn’t meant to insult her. The apology burned in his chest. The minute she came out through those doors, he’d go to her and admit he was wrong. That was the very least he could do. She deserved that and a lot more.

Once he’d made his peace with Lily, Jake decided, they had to have a serious discussion about what was going on between them. They had to stop pretending their kisses didn’t mean something, that they were simply friends. For his part, Jake was convinced that a serious relationship between them wouldn’t work. Their life goals couldn’t be more different. He wasn’t going to change. And if Lily wanted a wealthy man, then she ought to look elsewhere. She was putting her schemes in jeopardy by flirting with him.

They were reasonable adults. After they’d talked this craziness out of their systems, they could go back to the way things used to be, and continue as friends. They had to acknowledge those feelings for what they were—infatuation. He was flattered that Lily found him attractive. But they could be only one or the other. They could be great friends or they could be good lovers. Of the two, Jake sought her friendship.

Satisfied with his reasoning, Jake checked his watch again. It wouldn’t be long. A crooked grin spread across his face. He felt much better now than he had that afternoon.

* * *

Lily nervously smoothed a wrinkle from the skirt of her blue dress. She glanced up to find Rex strolling toward her, his eyes alight with appreciation.

“Lily,” he whispered, and collected her hands. “You’re as lovely as I remember.”

Rex looked even bigger and taller than she had recalled. “Thank you.”

“Have you been waiting long?”

“No. Only a minute.” Actually, she’d changed her mind twice. Not until she had neared the huge glass doors at the Wheaton’s entrance had she decided to go back and meet Rex.

“Good.” His gaze claimed hers. “It doesn’t seem a whole month since I first laid eyes on you.”

“Time has a way of slipping past, doesn’t it?” Once she’d worried about appearing witty and attractive. Now she didn’t care; she could only be herself.

“It sure does.” He offered her his elbow in gentlemanly fashion. “I know a quiet little French restaurant where the food is excellent.”

“That sounds lovely.”

“You do like French food?”

“Oh, yes.”

Smiling at her, Rex directed Lily toward the front entrance. Once outside, he stepped forward and raised his hand, calling for a taxi.

Jake was parked in the driveway, chewing on the end of a toothpick, wondering what was taking Lily so long. He had almost made up his mind to go inside and find out. As he straightened, the toothpick slipped from his mouth and fell to the ground. Lily was with that Texan. Jake was incredulous. She’d only mentioned the man a couple of times, but Jake knew instantly that the man she’d told him about was the one escorting her now. She’d promised to stay away from that potbellied fool. Promised. He’d been right all along. She wasn’t any different from Elaine.

Stupefied, Jake watched as one of his colleagues pulled toward the front. The doorman opened the cab door and Lily climbed in the back with the Texan. Jake was so furious that he slammed his fist against the side of his taxi, momentarily paralyzing his fingers.

Well, fine, Lily could date whomever she liked. She was nothing to him. Nothing.

* * *

Inside the cab, Lily tossed a glance over her shoulder, wondering if Jake had been out
front. Silently she lambasted herself for even looking. He wouldn’t be there, of course, especially after a whole week of avoiding her. After what had happened that afternoon, the Wheaton would be the last place Jake would show.

Feeling agitated, Lily fiddled with her fingers. She regretted having agreed to go with Rex. She’d accepted the date for all the wrong reasons.

Rex must have sensed her uneasiness since he chatted the whole way, his deep voice filling the taxi. When she responded with only a polite word or two, he struck up a conversation with the cab driver.

Lily wondered if the driver, who was a friend of Jake’s, would mention it to him. Fervently she prayed he wouldn’t, then doubted that Jake would care either way.

The restaurant, Chez Philippe, was one of the most expensive and highly rated in all of San Francisco. Famous people from all over the world were reputed to have dined there. Lily had often dreamed of sampling the excellent cuisine and catching a glimpse of a celebrity.

After arriving at the restaurant, they were seated by the maître d’ and handed huge, odd-shaped menus. Lily noted that the prices weren’t listed, so she was left to guess what this dinner would cost Rex. However, she had learned long ago that anyone who needed to ask about the price probably couldn’t afford it.

“Do you see anything that looks good to you, little filly?”

Their eyes met over the top of the menu. “What would you suggest?”

Rex listed a couple of items and Lily smiled absently. The waiter returned and filled their water glasses with expensive bottled water.

* * *

With each passing minute, Jake’s anger grew until he could almost taste his fury with every breath. Slamming the door of his cab, he cursed his lack of decisive action when he’d seen Lily with the rich Texan. She’d promised him she wouldn’t go out with Daddy Warbucks, and with God as his witness, Jake was going to hold her to her word. As hard as it was on his patience, he waited until the cabbie who drove Lily and the Texan returned to the Wheaton.

“Where’d you take them?” Jake demanded in a tone that caused the other driver to cringe.

“Who?”

“You know who. Lily.”

“Oh, yeah. That was her, wasn’t it?”

“Where did you take them?” Jake demanded a second time.

The driver cleared his throat. “That fancy French place on Thirty-third.”