Guarded, page 2
“Anyone ever tell you you’re kind of a pain in the ass?” he asks, his tone jovial.
“You’re certainly not the first.”
I sling my duffle over my shoulder, lifting Jill’s carry-on in one hand, and grabbing her backpack with the other. When I’ve reached the front door, I key in the code on the security pad, waiting for the lock to click open. After gaining entrance, I step foot inside, heading straight for the master suite.
The guest house is actually a bit bigger than Ashley’s main house. With the intention to make his home more of a sanctuary than a space for entertainment, he had this place built at the same time he was renovating his home, in the event that he’d need to play host. Seeing as I’ve been in his service for so long, he told me to take my pick of rooms and make myself at home whenever his schedule brought him this way. Over the last six years, I’ve shared this space with a few different people, but mostly it’s just been me. It’s a lot of house for one man, but it’s familiar. It’s constant. It’s quiet. While it might not be home, it’s safe, which makes it close enough.
It’s four bedrooms with five bathrooms, each set of rooms flanking a full kitchen and living space. I’m sure giving up the master bedroom for the duration of Jill’s stay would be the nice thing to do—but I don’t, which is why I feel like a dick when I set her things outside the opposite room across the hall. Regardless, it’s better this way. Every man has his limits. No way in fuck I’ll be able to get any sleep knowing she’s rolling around in my bed. This room should suit her fine.
For the entire span of the ride from the airport, I couldn’t get her out of my head. Though, I suppose, that’s the thing about forbidden fruit. It taunts you. It tempts you. It makes you fucking stupid. But she’s not so beautiful that I can forget where I come from. She’s not so tempting that I can forget what I’m capable of. Frank was right. The reasons why I should keep my distance are plenty. I need to focus on those—not the way her ass looks in those little, khaki shorts she’s got on, or how that tight, pink, long-sleeved t-shirt clung to her subtle curves—or that I even know what the hell she’s wearing at all.
Shit. I need to get laid.
Shaking my head clear, I turn and start toward my bedroom, closing the door behind me. A long shower seems in order. For now, it’s the best I can do.
THE SOUND OF her laugh sends the blood in my veins straight to my dick—every damn time. We spend an hour at the dining room table eating pizza, everyone but me drinking beer, and all of us listening to Jill tell stories about Corie when the two of them were younger. Hearing them reminds me of where I come from, what I’ve lost, and what I’m sure I’ll never have. Watching both of them reminds me of what I want—what I’m not stupid enough to hope for—and what guys like Ashley have. Not because he’s talented, famous, or rich, but because he’s a kind and humble man who comes from a good home. It’s why I like him. He’s my employer, he’s my responsibility—but he’s also my friend. The only true friend I have. He’s the good that’s been afforded to me in this life, and I don’t take that for granted.
When Corie suggests that we start a movie before it gets too late, Frank announces that he’s going to head back to the guest house. As soon as the words come out of his mouth, I sense Jill’s eyes on me. Snapping my gaze in her direction, I watch as her cheeks blush before she looks away.
“Um,” she starts to speak, tucking a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. “Are you leaving, too? I mean, Ashley could give me a ride over if you guys took the cart, right?” she asks, looking to Ashley for confirmation.
“Absolutely. We’ll get you back, darlin’, one way or another.”
“At least let me frost a couple of the cupcakes for you,” Corie insists, making her way into the adjoining kitchen.
Her cupcakes came out of the oven just as the pizza arrived. I’m not sure what kind she made, but it doesn’t matter. Those things are addicting, and I’ll eat whatever flavor she whips up. With her treats on tonight’s menu, I’ve already scheduled a morning run for tomorrow.
“Hell, yes,” says Frank as he follows after her.
“I’ll help clean up,” Jill offers, standing to collect our plates. When she reaches me, she lifts her eyes to meet mine, hesitantly holding her hand out before she asks, “Are you finished?”
“Thank you,” I murmur, handing her my dish.
“Leo?” Corie calls from the kitchen. “How many cupcakes do you want?”
My eyes still locked with Jill’s, each of us holding a side of my plate, I know in my gut that I should get the hell out of here. I should head back to the house with Frank and ignore the way those bright, blue eyes are staring at me right now. Instead, I open my mouth and reply, “Three. No rush. I’m staying.”
My attention drops down to Jill’s lips as they twitch in an attempt to hide her smile. If I wasn’t sure before, I’m sure as fuck without a doubt now—if I wanted her, I could have her. Just the thought stirs my dick, and I have to force myself to look at something other than her mouth. The truth is, I do want her, which means I could find my way into her panties tonight, if I damn well pleased. I’m not an arrogant man, but I am an observant one. I can sense it, her own curiosity. I know that with one touch, she’d be as good as mine.
Fuck.
I look away from her, letting go of my plate before reaching for the remainder of my water. Taking her cue, she hurries for the kitchen, and I will my dick into submission.
“You gonna tell me what that was?” asks Ashley when we’re alone.
I look over at him, shaking my head as I shrug my shoulders, feigning ignorance.
“Bullshit,” he says with a smirk. “You stickin’ around because you’ve suddenly got a fondness for movie night, or are you more interested in our new company?”
“It’s easier,” I reply nonchalantly, standing to my feet. “Frank can walk back. He knows the way. I’ll drive her down when she’s ready.” Changing the subject before he can chime in any further, I tip my chin toward his bottle of beer, shaking my empty glass of water as I ask, “Need another?”
Speaking through his chuckle, he stands and mutters, “Sure.”
HE DOESN’T TALK much, but he doesn’t have to. It’s uncanny. It’s mysterious. But most of all, it’s unnervingly sexy.
We sit through two movies—the both of us sharing one couch while Ashley and Corie sit snuggled up on another. We’re what feels like miles apart, him on one end, me on the other, and yet I’ve never been so anxious, so agitated, so aware of another human being before. I’m not sure how I feel about it, let alone what to do with it. Yet, as time passes, passivity feels—wrong.
I might come from a small town, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have a little bit of experience under my belt. Granted, it’s not all good, but it’s there. I’m no virgin. I’ve even managed to orgasm a couple of times. It doesn’t come easy, but that’s not to say I haven’t been able to have a little fun while trying. I’ve never had sex with someone who wasn’t my boyfriend first, but for the last hour—all I can think about is how it might feel to have Leo in my bed. Naked. His lips on my body. His cock inside of me.
I frequently find myself grateful for the dark room and the movie that has everyone distracted. So long as no one is paying attention to me, they can’t see how my cheeks keep pinking up at my inappropriate thoughts. Inappropriate thoughts not at all characteristic of me. Not really. How I went from allowing myself to simply admire the man to wondering if I’d really be brave enough to engage in a weekend fling is beyond me.
It didn’t take long for Corie and Ashley to become intimate after they officially/unofficially met. When he asked her out on a date, I knew how attracted she was to him, and I was all for it. I didn’t imagine that she’d jump his bones right away, but it turned out perfectly fine for them. More than fine, actually. Not that I think that’s what would happen between Leo and me. That is, if anything happens at all.
I draw in a slow, quiet, deep breath, staring down into my lap for a moment as I wait for yet another blush to go away. I think it’s about time that I called it a night. My mind is running rampant with fantasies that are, quite realistically, nothing more than fantastical.
Then again, even though he’s hardly spoken to me all evening, I’ve caught his eyes more than once. I might be horribly wrong and incredibly naïve, but something tells me that his pretty blue-green stare isn’t an indifferent one. The way he looked at me after dinner, his gaze examining the features of my face, it made my heart race. Empty, innocent glances don’t make your heart race.
I stifle a sigh of relief when the movie comes to an end and Ashley stands up to turn the lights on. “I’ve got more, if y’all want.”
“It’s actually getting kind of late. Not sure what we’ll be getting into tomorrow, but I should probably try and get some sleep,” I say, standing to my feet. I shove my hands into the back pockets of my shorts, turning slightly to address Leo as I ask, “Is that okay?”
He dips his chin in a nod, rising to his feet and looking straight over my head as he tells Ashley, “Let me know when you need me.”
“Sleep in,” he insists with a shrug. “No solid plans for the mornin’, so just shoot me a text when you’re up.”
He must nod his response or something, because I don’t hear him as Corie gets up to give me a hug goodnight. “Text me when you’re up, too. Or if you need anything before that.”
“I’ll be fine, babe,” I reply with a laugh, remembering the fully stocked house I’ll be staying in for the weekend. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
I wave one final goodbye as we head for the garage. Silently, Leo and I both climb into the golf cart. He then starts for the guest house, as if he’s done it a million times. The night is warm, but the sky is overcast, making it almost pitch black out here.
“Does he get any, like, animals roaming around his property?” I ask, suddenly feeling like a total wuss for being afraid of what might lurk in the shadows.
“Might spot a deer. Foxes aren’t all that uncommon.”
“Oh,” I murmur, unconsciously sliding toward the center of the bench seat. I can feel the heat of Leo’s body from where he sits, and it calms me down while simultaneously wracking my nerves—the latter, of course, for entirely different reasons than the possible wildlife we might come across unexpectedly.
“We scare them more than they scare us,” he murmurs.
“I live in the mountains. I don’t know about here, but the wildlife in Colorado is bold. I trust no animal.”
I whip my head around to peer at him in the darkness when he makes a sound. I can’t tell if the noise was more of a grunt or a muted laugh, but just the thought that I could amuse this man at all makes my stomach flutter.
“I’ll protect you.”
This time, when I scoot a little closer, I do so intentionally. For the duration of our ride, we sit so close, we’re almost touching—every bump we bounce eliminating a little more space from between us. When he comes to a stop in front of the house, the light from the porch flooding the surrounding area, my eyes flick all around us, making sure the coast is clear before I look up at him. When I find him staring down at me, I want so badly to lean into him—to touch him in some way, however small. Yet, he speaks before I manage to do something silly.
“Think you can make it to the door?” he asks, his face straight, but his eyes dancing with laughter.
I fight a smile, my heart racing at the possibility that he might actually be teasing me right now, and then reply, “Yes. I mean, you’re coming with, right?”
The corners of his mouth lift the tiniest bit, and as I admire him, I make myself a promise. Before this weekend is over—I will get him to laugh.
“Right behind you, Jill,” he answers after a long moment. “Go on.”
I do as he says, mostly because I love the way my name sounds spilling from his lips, and I hurry toward the door. Ashley told me the code to get in earlier, but I’ve completely forgotten now.
My stomach clenches when I feel Leo at my back, just as he said he would be. He reaches around me to key in the code on the security pad, and the lock clicks open. Sure that if I don’t reach for the handle and step inside, I’ll likely do something embarrassing, I proceed to make my way into the house.
Silently, we walk through the living room, taking a right down the hallway that leads to my room. I know that his room is across the hall, that he’s only following me because we’re essentially going to the same place. I know that I shouldn’t read into how close he still feels—but then I remember that I wasn’t the one who chose this room for me to sleep in. He was.
I think of the look he gave me when he told Corie he was staying for movie night, and the way I almost made him laugh a couple of minutes ago. I think of how good it felt to sit so close to him after hours of what can only be accurately described as the building of sexual tension. I think that I can’t possibly be making this up, and that maybe—just maybe…
Upon reaching the doorway to my bedroom, I turn to look up at him, wondering if there’s any hope in just maybe. But before I can utter a word, he mumbles, “Goodnight,” and then walks straight into his room, shutting the door in my face.
I DON’T BOTHER leaving my room until I’m dressed and showered for the morning, still feeling a bit ridiculous after last night. To be fair, I didn’t exactly put myself out there in order to really consider Leo’s goodnight as any sort of rejection. But in my head—that crazy place where I somehow convinced myself that I’d totally go there with him—we were playing a game of sorts. Though, perhaps my lack of experience in terms of how to have a fling had me misinterpreting everything I thought was happening. Regardless, right or wrong, game on or no game at all, I feel embarrassed about the prospect of running into him before coffee.
Corie calls me shortly after I’ve blow dried my hair, inviting me over for coffee and cupcakes. I jump at the offer, relieved for the chance to get out of the house. Except, when I venture out of my room, Leo’s door is open—but his bedroom is empty. As I make my way into the common area, spotting neither Frank nor Leo, I find it rather odd, and I wonder where they could be. Stepping outside, I see the golf cart is still parked just beyond the porch. Not sure whether or not it would be rude to take it, I opt to walk up to the main house, instead.
I try to enjoy the scenery, shrouded in the morning sun, and the feel of the warm Tennessee breeze against my skin. Where I’m from, at this time of morning, the summer air is still cool. Except, try as I might to focus on the details of this place, I wonder where Leo snuck off to this morning. As I casually stroll along the little, worn, dirt path, I try and wrap my head around the reality that maybe I really did make up all the signs I thought he might have left me. It’s too bad, really. It felt nice, thinking that what I was feeling wasn’t one sided. It’s been a while since a guy has shown any interest. Dillon can’t exactly boast of men the likes of him.
By the time I’ve reached the house, I’ve convinced myself to let it go and simply enjoy whatever the day has for me. While Corie and I are indulging in her promised coffee and cupcakes, we’re interrupted by a couple of surprise guests. Ashley answers the door, Corie and I peeking through the opening between the kitchen and the entryway as he greets his mother and sister.
“Oh, my gosh—I get to meet the notorious Deb and Mel,” I cheer, clapping my hands in excitement.
Corie laughs at me, knowing how much I’ve been looking forward to this. Not only are these women about to be Corie’s family, but they’re the ones who convinced her to have somewhat of a traditional wedding, instead of eloping. I sort of get why Corie would want that, but I probably still would have killed her. This way, I don’t have to.
“Come on,” I insist, standing from my stool behind the kitchen island. “Introduce me.”
I hold my hand out, waiting for hers, and she grabs hold of me before taking me to the door.
“There she is,” says Deb. One look at her—with her blonde-gray hair and blue eyes—and I know Ashley must get his dark hair and hazel eyes from his dad’s side of the family. “It’s so good to see you, dear,” she coos, pulling Corie in for a hug. Melanie takes her turn greeting Corie next, and then all attention is on me.
“You are just pretty as a doll!” Melanie cries, eyeing me up and down.
“Oh, thanks.” I cough out a tiny laugh, feeling slightly bashful that she would say such a thing—especially considering how gorgeous she is. It’s quite obvious that Ashley didn’t get all of the beauty—he was kind enough to share. Her dark hair is a few shades lighter than her brother’s, and her brilliant green eyes are stunning.
“We’re gonna have fun shoppin’ with this one,” says Deb, winking at Corie before she walks toward me with open arms. “Nice to meet you, darlin’, I’m Deb.”
I return her embrace, loving her southern hospitality, and reply, “I’m Jill.”
“I’m Mel,” Melanie says as she takes her turn, wrapping me in a friendly hug. “And our first mission of the day is to find you a dress for this weddin’.”
“It is?” I ask, glancing from Mel to Deb to Corie and back again.
“Yes, ma’am. Tell her, Corie. When a Hicks woman wants to go shoppin’, she won’t be swayed.”
I look to Corie and she shrugs, smiling as she says, “We should call Frank. Looks like we’re going out for the day.”
WE SPEND MOST of the morning hopping from one store to another. After I find the perfect dress for Corie and Ashley’s nuptials—a Bardot, navy floral, off shoulder, pencil dress that I love—a dress Corie refused to let me pay for—Mel and Deb have something special planned for the bride-to-be. We end up spending a couple of hours at a lingerie boutique, stocking up Corie’s marital underwear collection, and it’s a blast.
We shop until we can’t go another minute without food, and then find our way to a nearby restaurant to refuel. Frank opts to sit up at the bar, where there’s some baseball game on the television. If I wasn’t having so much fun, I’d feel bad for the guy. I know Corie feels more comfortable being out and about with him around, though. I’m just glad he has someplace to chill and be a man while we dine. It’s nice, hanging out with my best friend while simultaneously getting to know a little bit more about the family she’ll be marrying into. What Corie and Ashley have is a bit of a whirlwind romance, but today has offered me a chance to see that Corie really is where she belongs—in more ways than one—and I couldn’t be happier for her.
