Unbreakable (31 page)

“I guess you need to stay away from me
then,” I say giggling trying to get out of bed. He grabs my arm and
pulls me to him again. I wrestle to free myself and laugh as he
starts tickling my hip bone.

“Stop, stop,” I struggle to say since I am
laughing so hard. It only makes him keep going. “I’m going to
scream,” I warn finally able to push out the words between
laughter. He finally stops and lets me up.

“You’re no fun,” he pouts and I stick my
tongue out at him then run into the bathroom. “Oh, you are going to
pay for that.” He laughs and follows me.

He joins me in the shower where we both have
yet another mind blowing orgasm. This time I bite down on my finger
to avoid the scream that wants to escape with the pleasure he gives
me.

Chapter 36

After we are dressed and ready for the day
we head to the kitchen. It’s about 8:05 and Lucy is already here
making small talk with Jeffrey in the kitchen. She looks different
than the other day. She is more colorfully dressed in a light blue
skirt and a matching blouse. Her nose piercing and eyebrow ring
have been removed, but her ears are still lined with piercings. She
makes it work and she is very pretty.

“I’m sorry. I hope you haven’t been waiting
too long,” I apologize to her, and grab Luke and myself a cup and
pour us some coffee. He grabs the cup and kisses me on the
cheek.

“Thanks babe. Nice to see you again, Lucy.”
He disappears out of the kitchen.

I see she already has a cup of coffee, so we
head into the study where all the computer equipment I ordered is
still stacked up in their boxes.

“Oh, state of the art.” She admires the
computer. “I could rule the world with this stuff,” she says
walking around looking at all the equipment the salesman sold me. I
just told him I wanted the best of everything and judging by Lucy’s
reaction he delivered.

“I thought I would let you set it up the way
you want,” I tell her trying to explain why everything is still in
its boxes.

“Groovy, I’ll get started,” she states. “Do
you want me to set it up at the desk?” She asks looking at daddy’s
large wooden desk.

“Yeah for now. You’ll have your own office
as soon as we get the extra room across the hall ready,” I explain
and her eyes light up with excitement. “I figured I’d let you pick
out the furniture you like and let you decorate the way you want.”
She giggles with excitement like a kid in a candy store.

“Way cool!” She leaps at me giving me a
giant hug.

While I help her move some of the bigger
boxes around, we start to cut them open to empty the contents and
Lucy finally asks the question I’ve been waiting for.

“So you don’t have to tell me if you don’t
want to, but what is up with the major security?” She asks, and I
can tell she is scared that she overstepped.

“It’s okay, Lucy, you can ask me anything.”
I put her at ease. “I have…. Um well, a stalker.” I wait for her
reaction.

“Must be a crazy son of a bitch judging by
what you got going on around here,” she observes. “I’ve never had
such a thorough back ground check before,” she notes. “They found
out things my great grandfather did 75 years ago. He received a
jaywalking ticket or something like that,” she jokes with me and we
giggle. “I’m glad I know now though, I always put him on a
pedestal, but now that I know this I think I’m going to disown
him,” we laugh. I love her sense of humor.

“Everyone has skeletons in their closets, so
I’m glad we were able to clear some out for you,” I tease back and
she starts hooking parts up while I’m still opening boxes.

“Do you know anything about him, your stalker
that is?” She quizzes me.

“Not much, just that he is crazy and
intelligent,” I answer.

“That’s a bad combination.” She breathes in
between her teeth, and this makes me laugh. I explain to her some
of the things from the past week and tell her about the notes. I’m
glad that she doesn’t seem scared away by all the info I’m throwing
at her.

“Wow, are you scared?” Lucy asks and as soon
as she says it she can tell it was a stupid question. She sits next
to me brushing away the pile of packing peanuts that have
accumulated around me. I can see that she is trying to offer me
comfort.

“Yeah, but I am in good hands with Jacob. He
really knows security,” I tell her and I see her eyes light up at
the mention of his name.

We are interrupted by Luke who walks in
followed by a man his same height and build with bleach blonde hair
and deep blue eyes. They are laughing at something and Luke’s face
is beaming with delight. Whoever this man is, Luke is very happy to
see him.

“Somewhere in this pile of bubble wrap is
the woman I have been waiting to introduce you to,” Luke says
grinning at Lucy and I who are surrounded by boxes and all kinds of
packing material.

“Baby, I want you to meet my best friend
since first grade, this is Jimmy Carmichael.” Luke says coming over
to me and helping me off the floor to meet his friend. “Jimmy, this
is Lilly,” he says with such pride, and then peels off a piece of
bubble wrap that is stuck to the back of my leg.

“Nice to meet you, Jimmy,” I greet him
shaking his hand. I know the name Carmichael very well. Jimmy, or
James as his mother would call him, is the son of another wealthy
Louisiana family. Lindsey Carmichael was one of Jane and Adeline’s
friends. She was at this house often since she was part of the Jane
Sumnor Charitable organization. I have heard Luke mention Jimmy
many times but I did not know this was the Jimmy he was talking
about. Last I remembered were Jane and Adeline gossiping about the
Carmichael boy running off to California with some trampy girl and
how they could not even imagine how Lindsey was coping. That is
going to be hard for her to spin the story so that she didn’t look
bad.

“I finally get to meet the famous Lilly
Sumnor,” Jimmy says shaking my hand and tilting his head to the
side. “You know, I have heard two very different stories about you,
Miss Sumnor,” he says still holding onto my hand.

I instantly blush at the thought of how his
mother would have portrayed me. The way Jane described me to her
friends was anything but flattering.

“I can’t say that I’m surprised now that I
am putting two and two together,” I say looking up at Luke, who
seems confused. Did he not know that Jane and his best friend’s
mother were attached at the hip?

“I thought you knew who Jimmy was when I
talked about him,” Luke says getting it, that I didn’t know that
Jimmy and James were one in the same.

“Not sure how I would have known, I don’t
remember you telling me his last name. Quite frankly I’m surprised
that Lindsey would have allowed her son to hang out with you,” I
say to Luke, who looks stunned.

“She wouldn’t and didn’t know,” Jimmy admits
making Luke take a step back. “Why do you think you never came to
my house bro?” Jimmy asks Luke who now looks like he is trying to
remember if he was ever at Jimmy’s house.

“Luke, it’s simple. You were poor, the son
of a handyman. Lindsey would have forbid him from being friends
with you,” I tell him almost feeling bad at his cluelessness.

“I can’t believe I never knew that this
whole time,” Luke says with hurt in his eyes.

“Awe, don’t be that way bro. If it makes you
feel any better, I’ve been disowned by my parents,” Jimmy says
grinning. I can’t help but start laughing, and Jimmy joins me. “My
sister tells me that you are enemy number one though,” Jimmy says
directed towards me. “My mother and Adeline are spitting fire at
you inheriting all of the money. If my mother knew I was here
talking with you, I’m pretty sure she’d claim me again so she could
interrogate me for information,” he says looking sly.

“Well by all means, tell her what you want,”
I tell him. “If it will get you back into her good graces, that
is,” I voice as I put my arm around Luke’s waist. I notice Lucy is
sitting quietly behind the desk taking it all in.

“Are you kidding me, I don’t want to have
anything to do with that bitch mother of mine!” Jimmy declares
leaning up against the wall. “She has some major apologizing to do
before I even consider forgiving her.” Even though he is putting up
a tough front, you can tell he is hurt by his mother. I can’t blame
the poor boy. I of all people know what it’s like growing up with
that kind of a woman.

“So what do you mean you’ve heard two
different stories about her?” Lucy asks and we all look her way.
She gives me an apologetic look, “I’m sorry.” She grasps that she
may have spoken out of turn, her cheeks flush with
embarrassment.

“It’s okay, Lucy, it’s a good question,” I
tell her not wanting her to be uncomfortable. “Let’s go in the
kitchen and get something to drink and Jimmy can enlighten us.” I
motion for Lucy to join us.

In the kitchen Jacob is walking in the French
doors as we sit around the table. Luke grabs us all beers and
introduces Jimmy to Jacob.

“Lucy, it’s good to see you again.” Jacob
turns his attention to Lucy after he shakes Jimmy’s hand and sits
across the table from her.

“It’s good to see you too, Italy,” she says
flirtingly which makes Jacob blush. I am so impressed with the
confidence she has.

“So Jimmy was just going to tell us what he
has heard about me,” I interject as everyone watches Jacob and
Lucy. It’s obvious there is some chemistry there.

“Oh!” Jacob looks up suddenly very curious.
“What exactly does that mean?” He inquires.

“Well first off, my mother and Lilly’s
mother were best friends, so I think you can just about imagine the
stories I have heard about the ungrateful child Jane was raising.
She was ugly and rude and the most disgusting child,” Jimmy says
and Luke puts his hand on my knee as I squirm at the description he
is giving of me.

“Then Luke, being my best friend since well
forever, telling me about the sweetest, prettiest girl. He’s been
in love with you since as long as he’s known you,” Jimmy says to me
sweetly and Luke tightens his grip on me. I blush not knowing what
to say. “Anyway, I was having a hard time believing that these two
totally different descriptions were of the same girl,” Jimmy says,
“but now I see my mother was so wrong.” He lifts his beer bottle
and tips it in Luke’s direction with a wicked smile. Luke does the
same and I guess this means that Jimmy approves.

“Anyways, it didn’t work out with Sophie in
California, so I’m back looking for work and a place to live,”
Jimmy explains. I guess Sophie is the tramp he ran away with.

“I did tell Jimmy he could stay here while
he looks for a place,” Luke springs on me. “I mean, that’s alright,
isn’t it? I didn’t think you’d mind and I forgot to mention it with
all that’s been going on.” He looks at me as though he has
overstepped.

“Of course, you can stay as long as you
need,” I tell Jimmy without hesitation. I want to make sure Luke
knows that I am okay with what he did. Luke gives my knee a squeeze
and I put my hand on top of his.

“Thanks, Lilly, hope it won’t be for long,”
Jimmy says with a genuine smile. “Luke also filled me in on the……
situation.” Jimmy hesitates for a moment. “I just want you to know
that I am willing and able to help in any way I can.” He finishes
with a nod and I smile at him to put him at ease.

“There is a lot to do around here actually.
He’ll be good help when I start tearing up the master bedroom,”
Luke mentions and they start to talk amongst themselves about some
of the various things needing done.

Miss Finnegan walks in and goes right to the
oven. She pulls out a large pot that smells heavenly and starts to
get plates. I hop up to help her with lunch.

“I really like your ink,” Lucy says to Jacob
her eyes directed at the dragon tattoo on his arm. “It’s really
good. Where did you get it done?” She inquiries to Jacob and she
runs her fingers over the tattoo leaning forward to study it
better. “The detailing is amazing,” she admires getting closer,
still touching his arm. I can tell that Jacob loves the
attention.

“Thanks. I have a friend who does it, and he
is a great artist.” He smiles at her.

“You think that’s impressive, you should see
the one on his back,” I lean down telling Lucy as I put plates on
the table. I’ve seen Jacob shirtless enough to admire the pirate
ship that covers his entire back. It’s like a movie scene is
playing out. Although I’ve never been an admirer of tattoos, I can
even appreciate the work that went into it.

“Yes, I would like to see that sometime,”
Lucy says smiling at Jacob, which makes him blush again.

“When have you been checking out Jacob’s
back?” Luke’s attention is now on our conversation and the jealousy
in his voice is apparent.

“I haven’t been ‘checking out’ Jacob, geez
it’s kind of hard to miss, it’s AMAZING.” I sit down next to him
rolling my eyes at his jealousy. He should know by now that there
is nothing between Jacob and I.

“Relax, Luke, everyone knows she only has
eyes for you,” Miss Finnegan says as she brings over a large bowl
of mashed potatoes. She pats Luke on the shoulder reassuringly,
which makes everyone chuckle and makes Luke blush.

“I’m sorry. Guess I’m on edge.” He directs
his apology to Jacob who has been squirming awkwardly.

“Are the other two going to eat?” I question
Jacob to change the subject as I take a spoonful of potatoes.

“Max and Sam? Yes, Miss Finnegan said she
would save them some for when they are done,” he answers. “So Lucy,
where are you from?” He turns to her trying to make small talk.

“I grew up in Shreveport, but I am moving to
Franklin now that I have this job. I think you probably already
knew that though, didn’t you?” She says looking up at him through
her eyelashes and he blushes again.