AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Well, that’s your job, I suppose. I should leave you to it.”
He stands and says over his shoulder, “Seven am, Jessica, good night.”
As the door closes on an abrupt exit, it leaves me with more questions than answers and, feeling a surge of enthusiasm for my task, I head back to the kitchen to study these over an extremely desirable cup of coffee.
CHAPTER14
ROBERT
Ihad to get out of there for my own sanity. I should never have ventured into the kitchen, but the minute I saw her through the door looking so desirable it stopped me in my tracks. I could smell the shampoo and fancy lotions she obviously used and the sight of her long blonde hair cascading down her back made me long to run my fingers through it and pull her lips to mine. The soft fabric of her lounge pants hugged her curves, revealing a shapely body beneath and just seeing a woman who is so naturally beautiful standing in my kitchen did something to me I wasn’t expecting.
I liked it.
I liked seeing her in my space, providing life to a place that always seems so cold. The way she scrunched up her nose as she studied the beverages made me long to draw my finger across the lines and smooth them away. The more time I spend with her the more I want and when we headed to the study, and I saw her looking so small and fragile wrapped inside my leather seat, it sparked an animal instinct that surprised me.
The concern in her eyes as she read the cards hit me square in the heart and when she lifted those gorgeous brown eyes in my direction, it took every ounce of self-control I have to stop myself from pouncing.
I want her.
I want the abrasive, hard edges of a woman who lights the spark to my life. She is everything I look for in a woman and yet she is the most disinterested I have ever met. Women usually want me. They want what I can give them, but for the first time I’ve met someone who doesn’t appear affected by any of it and it’s a humbling experience.
So, I walked away for my own self-preservation because distance is what I need right now, and I must remind myself that this is purely business, and she is here to do a job.
I head to the shower, and she follows me there. As the water rains down from the oversized shower head, I close my eyes and she is behind them. As I soap my body, she is telling me I’m doing it wrong and as I wash the sweat from my hair, she is running her fingers through it. Every single move I make, she is in my thoughts and I’m coming to the conclusion I’m going slightly crazy. Is this what happens when a man finds the woman he was always meant to? I’m certain of that, but it’s obviously one sided, which is a huge blow to my ego.
Even the game doesn’t banish her from my thoughts. I sense her beside me, her head resting on my shoulder, asking me what it all means. I picture her feet resting on my lap as she asks questions, causing me to growl irritably, my peace forever shattered.
I try so hard to picture the pitfalls of having a woman in my life, but when I head off to bed, the space feels so empty without her warm body to mould around mine. Imagining her tiny fingers trailing my body and her soft kisses pressed against my skin has me heading for the shower again and if I thought this would be hell sharing my space with a woman like that, I was right on the nail.
* * *
Breakfast arrivesafter a tortured night where Jessica starred in every dream I had. I’m embarrassed to face her this morning after what happened in them and I’m not surprised to find her already in the kitchen, the strong aroma of coffee brewing telling me she’s made herself at home already.
“Hi.” Her voice is soft, and I nod abruptly, trying not to stare at the woman who is wearing a skirt that falls just above her knees and a silk blouse unbuttoned low enough to be sexy yet practical. Her hair is tied in a loose ponytail and her make up accentuates a pretty face that she tries to hide behind her usual hard stare.
“I’m not sure what you like for breakfast, but I’ve made scrambled eggs on brown toast.”
“You don’t have to cook for me.”
I’m being rude, but this situation is disturbing me more than I thought it would, and I try not to register the hurt that lights those soulful eyes.
“I know.” Her voice is tight and with an irritated huff, she slides the plate across the breakfast bar towards me.
“I was making some for myself and made enough for two. No big deal.”
She pours two mugs of coffee and pushes one my way with a tense, “I’m guessing you hate this coffee too. Just deal with it and stop acting like an idiot.”
Despite her words, it makes me smile, and she rolls her eyes. “You’re so weird.”
As I tuck into the unexpected treat, I hate how good it tastes. If she burned the toast, or overcooked the eggs, I’d be happier because then I would have reason to find fault with her. But like everything she does, Jessica strives for excellence, which also extends to the kitchen, it seems.
“So,” She chews on her toast, making it difficult to look away from the sight of her luscious lips.
“I studied the cards and made some notes. Do you want to hear what I discovered?”
“Of course.” I take a sip of coffee and feel myself relax as the caffeine hits my bloodstream.
“The words are similar on all of them, as if the postman doesn’t have much else to say. It’s all very basic and is designed to alarm more than anything. It’s almost as if they don’t know how to move past the threat that this will be your last Christmas, which tells me one of two things.”
