When the Heart Lies (31 page)

He held her, positioning her face close to his. With steamy breath, he whispered into her ear.  “No woman has ever weakened me the way you have.”

There was something in the way he said the words. They broke her ability to distance herself from him as she had planned. Neither could move nor bring themselves to part. He pulled her body close and rolled with her, so she was lying limp next to him. After brushing her hair to the side, he tilted her face up and laid a delicate kiss on her lips. They burrowed together. Their legs wound like pretzels, and their arms wrapped around each other tight. She fell off to sleep straight away. Within moments, he followed.

When the sun rose and she woke, nestled and secure in his arms, her heart broke. She didn’t want to face him, knowing she had to leave. At any other time in her life, she would’ve been selfish and turned herself inside out to experience the kind of love he’d shown for her. She would’ve allowed him to embed himself in the chaos of her life, but she couldn’t let him get involved. After all, she’d already wreaked havoc in so many lives: Max’s, Nick’s, and—. Jackson stirred and pulled her closer. He looked wonderful, masculine, and in need of a morning shave.

When he opened his eyes, they filled with light. He brushed the hair from her forehead and kissed it. “Good morning, beautiful.”

She snuggled closer and started to say good morning, but he put his finger to her lips.

“Before you say anything, I want to apologize. I was a being a jealous bully last night. I should’ve never said those things.”

“Bullying? Is that what you call what you did?”

His face bunched. “What?”

“Reducing someone’s will so completely it becomes your own?”

“I hadn’t planned on doing all that, but it seems to have worked out for me.” He smiled.

The reflection they saw in each other’s eyes when they made love, relishing every moment, every touch, was love—the way love should be.

Jackson made plans for their entire day and evening, leaving her with nothing to do, but enjoy their time together and transition back to normality.

~ ~ ~

When she finished dressing for their outing on the pier and came out onto the terrace, he nearly choked on his coffee. Her chestnut hair provided a beautiful contrast to the sexy, yellow, halter sundress she wore. Smiling, her cheeks were tight and burning from the anticipation of spending the day with him. He set his coffee down and absorbed her image.

“Wow, getting away from the grove becomes you. Come sit with me. Scar’s stopping by. She’s picking a couple things up for me and bringing my more appropriate vehicle for driving a stunning woman around. She’ll take the truck back to my house. After we go out tonight, we can ditch this place and stay there.”

His last statement took her by surprise. She was going to say she was leaving, but he interjected at once.

“I’d just like to be able to picture you there once you’re gone.”

She lowered her eyes and nodded as she sat down. “I can’t wait to see Scar. I like her.”

“She likes you, too.” He poured her some coffee from the carafe and slid the cup toward her.

The room phone rang. Being closest, she picked it up. “Hello?”

“There’s a visitor for Mr. Pierce, may we send her up?”

“Visitor for whom?” She was confused, thinking of Dr. Pierce.

“Jackson Pierce.”

She peered over at Jackson. She knew almost nothing about him, including his last name. “Yes, of course, send her up.” They’d have all day to talk. Besides, she’d had the idea that the more she found out about him, the more she’d love, and leaving was going to be hard enough already. When Scar knocked, she hurried to the door and opened it. Scar rushed into her arms and hugged her. She hugged her back. It seemed the most natural reaction in the world.

“I’m so glad you’re okay. I was so worried,” Scar said.

They went out to sit with Jackson.

Scar stared at the two of them with a quizzical eye. “About time you two bedded down.”

The three of them burst into laughter at Scar’s never-ending, blunt honesty.

“Someday you’re going to meet someone, and payback is going to be my mine,” Jackson said, giving her a promising nod.

She flashed her eyes and shrugged him off. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to hold you up all day with a million questions. I got the whole scoop from Jim.”

“Jim?” Kinsley and Jackson said in unison, eyeing each other.

“Yeah, when I couldn’t get a hold of Jackson, I went to the café. Jim told me everything.” Scar glanced at her. “Nice job, Rambo. Jim’s a good guy. I like him.”

They sat and talked a bit. Eventually the conversation got around to the fact Kinsley was going back to New York.

“You’ll keep in touch, won’t you?” Scar had the same petitioning face she’d seen on Jackson the first time she met him.

“Yes, I’ll keep in touch ... with you.”

She wouldn’t be keeping in touch with Jackson. From the expression on his face, he got the message, and from the stabbing pain in her gut, she finally got it, too. Now, she needed to accept it.

With eyes lowered, he stood and went to the door. Scar followed. “I’ll walk down with Scar and pick you up in front of the hotel. Okay?” His smiled seemed forced. The door closed behind him.

The fact that she hurt him troubled her heart. After a few minutes, she headed down to meet him.

Jackson looked like a movie star when he rounded the back of the black Cadillac Escalade. The dark glasses and casual, but fashionable, clothes revealed a different side of him. He opened the door, and she got in. When he got behind the wheel, she couldn’t resist teasing him.

“I guess I’m not the only one full of surprises.”

He turned to her with a devilish smile. “How much fun would I be if I were all blue jeans, work boots, and pick-ups?”

She brought her sunglasses down on her nose and peered over them. “Just how much more fun should I be expecting?”

He sucked in a deep breath and exhaled as he pulled out of the hotel portico. “That depends. Are you going to continue to make me feel like I’m sixteen again, all day, with an eternal erection?”

Chapter 21

It wasn’t long before Jackson and Kinsley arrived at the pier and began taking in the festivities. The day was fleeting. She wished she could flip a switch to slow motion. The music, the ocean, the arts, the crafts, the entertainers, and Jackson appearing to enjoy himself as much as she was, was delightful. The things that caught his attention surprised her. He had good taste and seemed interested in everything. And he touched her in tender, non-sexual ways. Ways that made her feel cherished. They were watching the jugglers when he wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and tucked his face in close to hers. It was the happiest she’d been in years. Ever. At long last, she’d found what she’d been searching for, and she had to walk away. She would, but not today.

“There’s an old dock about two miles down the beach. Do you want to grab some cold drinks and a light lunch? I can’t share you much more today.”

Without turning, she reached back and placed her hand on the side of his cheek, pulling his face closer to hers. “I’d like that.” The skin-to-skin contact made her want to wrap herself up in him and stay forever.

They picked up some Cokes and turkey sandwiches on the way. The dock was idyllic, on a strip of isolated beach with natural native grasses, and it was low to the water so they could dip their feet in. They slipped their shoes off and sat side-by-side, feet dangling in the cool water.

She took in the view. The undeveloped beach brought tranquil thoughts. Breaking the calm with conversation seemed criminal, but there was so little time. “I guess being a native pays off; you know all the best spots.”

He looked contemplative. “Yeah. This is one of my favorites.”

She opened her sandwich and took a long sip of Coke. “I can see why.”

They ate in quietness, enjoying the scenery. Eventually, she got tired, dropped her head back, and closed her eyes.

“Lie down. Rest your head in my lap.”

She nodded, pulled her feet from the water, and stretched out onto her back, laying her head on his legs. She kept her eyes open as his hand smoothed her hair and glided sweetly back to the top to stroke again.

After a few minutes, he spoke. “Did you tell Xavier not to have Nick come because you wanted to be alone with me before you went back?”

She took her time to answer, but never once looked away. “Yes.”

He sighed and smiled. “I have something for you, but before I give it to you, I need you to promise you’ll keep it.” He pulled a tiny, black, velvet bag from his pocket and opened it, revealing a brilliant, blue, square sapphire with diamonds surrounding it.

She sat up to interrupt, but he eased her back down onto his lap. He looked out onto the water, contemplative again, and it made her uneasy. She was, in spite of everything, determined to keep Max close to his father and keep Jackson far enough away so he’d never see her any other way than he did now.

“Jackson please, you know I can’t make a blind promise. I wish you wouldn’t ask me to. We barely know each other.”

“No promises. Compromise. Keep the ring forever to remember me or send it back to me in a year to tell me you want me to forget about you.”

She lifted her head from his lap and stood. “Jackson.”

He followed her up, laid his hand on her cheeks, and held her face. She couldn’t deny him, not today, although she knew she should and would when she returned home. She nodded, bit her lower lip, and blinked, attempting to swallow back tears. He took her right hand and put the ring on her finger. Her hand trembled. He held it, placing his other on top of it.

“The words that go along with this ring won’t ever be spoken unless you let me put it on your left hand someday because, unless you’re my wife, they’re just words.”

“I don’t know what to say.”
I’m married?
How could she have been so selfish, not thinking at all about how he’d feel when she left?

“You don’t have to say anything, but I’d like to tell you the story behind it. Less than a handful of people know it, and you’ll be the only person I’ve ever told it to.” He let go of her hands, sat down, and faced the water, holding his hands between his legs.

She sat beside him and waited.

“My real father, my mother’s lover, gave my mother the ring the day I was born. I’d never seen her without it on and never knew where it came from. It was just part of her. I never questioned it.” He looked down into the water and rubbed some non-existent item from his pant leg. “One night, my mother and father—the man I’d always believed was my father, started fighting. At first, it was nothing unusual. They’d never gotten along well.” He glanced at her and hesitated.

She nodded, and he went on.

“The fight continued until they were screaming at each other. They went into the bedroom, but I was able to hear everything they were saying. I heard her tell him he couldn’t
threaten to keep me as he had done with my sister years before because I wasn’t his son. I ran to my room and covered my head with my pillow, trying to drown them out. The house became quiet. After a while, the bedroom door slammed; a few minutes later, the door slammed again. My mother screamed. I’d never heard a scream like that.” He took a huge breath. “She didn’t stop screaming until a gunshot rang out. I locked my bedroom door and hid under the bed. He killed her. Another shot followed shortly after. He’d turned the gun on himself. I don’t remember much else, except the funeral.”

“Jackson, you don’t have to—”

“I need to tell you this because you’re the reason I finally know what this ring symbolized to my mother. When I was eighteen, my biological father gave me her diary and the ring. I never knew how awful it was for my mother in our house until I read her diary. She married my father, or the man I thought was my father, because she became pregnant with my older sister. She stayed with him, afraid he’d take my sister if they divorced. He was a very wealthy attorney, and she had no money of her own. Later, she fell in love with my biological father. Now, with you, I see how much they must have loved each other. I see how much it meant to my father that she wore this ring, even though she couldn’t bring herself to be with him because of her children.” He stood and reached for her hand to help her up.

Tears welled up in her eyes. She wiped them away. He pulled her into him, and his kiss was tender and sweet. “Don’t cry. It was a lifetime ago. I wanted you to know how much—I want you to wear it. Forever. I want you to know me. I’ve never wanted that with anyone.” He leaned his forehead against hers as he held her face in his hands.

Her hands covered his. Their lips brushed once and again, burning together, with deep connection. It seemed their thoughts were the same.

“C’mon, let’s get you a nap. You need your rest,” he said, and handed her
her shoes.

~ ~ ~

The smell of hot coffee and the awareness of someone in the room woke Kinsley, and the sapphire stopped her movement when the ring caught her eye as she stretched. A split-second later, she remembered where she was, and when she turned, she saw Jackson sitting in the chair by the window, peering over his coffee cup.