by Raina Wilde
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The next morning Leah woke to find Jack still asleep, twisted in the blankets and snoring. She thought about staying, but now that the alcohol from the night before had worn off, she didn't fancy being at the apartment if the owners decided to come home early. She found a slip of paper and jotted her cellphone number on it, then slipped it into the pocket of Jack's jeans.
She called the elevator, hoping she didn't need the key to go down, and was relieved to find that she didn't. She took a cab back to Cambridge and slipped into the apartment she shared with her mom before 8:30am.
Leah showered and dressed, then sat in the living room with her Kindle. She loved novels, but barely had time to read them during the school year. She relished summer and the free time it opened up for her to read.
"Hi darling," her mom, Cara, said as she bustled into the room. She wasn't dressed in her usual flight attendant uniform, but a simple sweater and jeans.
"That sweater looks expensive," Leah said. She hated being catty with her mom, and tried to keep her tone light. But she still wanted to voice her displeasure at her mom's new boyfriend.
"Do you like it?" she asked. "Lawrence bought it for me. From Italy," she turned in a circle to show off the sweater.
"It's nice, mom," Leah said, and lifted her book up again.
"Are you packed yet?" Cara asked.
"Packed for what?" Leah replied.
"I told you last week. Lawrence invited us to Maine for a benefit dinner weekend. We're staying for a week."
"Oh, mom. I really don't want to go," Leah said.
Cara looked disappointed.
"It's just that I wanted to spend the first week of my vacation reading. And relaxing. I think I've earned it," Leah said. She knew she sounded whiney, but didn't care.
"You can relax in Maine! The hotel is on the beach, the weather is supposed to be great. Oh Leah, please. We haven't been on a family vacation in years," Cara said.
"It's not exactly a family vacation though, is it?" she replied. Leah's dad had never been in the picture, and for years while growing up Cara hadn't dated much. She had devoted her life to Leah, and to her job. There had been hard times, especially with rising rents and mortgages. But when Cara finally paid off the mortgage on their house the area was up-and-coming, and she was able to take out another mortgage to convert the dilapidated old house into three apartments. Now they lived on the bottom floor, the largest, while the two upper units were sold to young professionals. That had paid off the second mortgage, but Cara still had to work hard to cover the taxes and basics like food and utilities—as well as Leah's schooling, whenever she could afford it. And Cara often went without so Leah could buy textbooks. Leah was reminded of all of this as Cara stood in the kitchen studying her, and she finally relented.
"I'm sorry, mom. I'll come," she got up and went over to her mom and wrapped her arms around her. "I love you mom," she said into her neck.
"I love you too, darling. I'm so excited you're coming. You'll really like Lawrence when you get to know him. I know you will," she said. "And he's bringing his son and daughter, so you'll have company."
"Great," Leah said. She sulked up to her bedroom and threw a duffle on the bed. She hated feeling so petulant about disliking Lawrence, but he represented everything about the world that she disliked. She was going to medical school to help people, and every day she saw people struggle to get well from illnesses because they couldn't afford to pay for the medications that would make them better. It was people like Lawrence and his company who were responsible for that. They held the patents for medicines that could be produced for next-to-nothing. Instead, they charged ridiculous amounts to people struggling with their health and financial burdens.
Leah's latest fight with her mom came after they had been sitting on the couch watching TV and a clip from a Medtex press conference came on. Lawrence was discussing his company's latest buyout, and how the profits would fund research and offer grants to aspiring doctors. Cara gushed at the TV about what a nice man Lawrence was and Leah lost it. She yelled at her mother that the grants Medtex offered were less than 1 percent of the profits they made on their medications. Her mother looked hurt, but Leah didn't stop. She yelled until her voice was hoarse, and her mom simply sat there with tears in her eyes. Then, when Leah couldn't look at her any longer, she turned and stormed up to her room. That had been a week earlier, and Leah had barely talked to her since.
She threw a week's worth of clothes in her luggage and plugged in her Kindle. They were leaving in a few hours, and she wanted to make sure she had enough entertainment to last the week. She knew it was going to be a boring, stuffy fundraiser full of stuffed shirts and people she didn't like. She laid down in bed and plugged her iPhone in then popped her headphones in, passing the hours until they were due to leave with music.
#
The drive up to Maine was a few hours, and Leah curled up against the door and slept for most of it. When she woke up she saw the rugged Maine coastline stretching out ahead of them with the road twisting and winding its way alongside.
"Are we almost there?" she asked her mother while stretching in her seat.
"Yeah, we'll be in Kennebunkport in about 20 minutes," Cara replied.
"Great, I'm starving," Leah replied.
"Don't eat too much when we get there, we're having dinner with Lawrence and his family," Cara replied.
"Okay," Leah said. She looked at her phone; she barely had a signal. She hadn't even told Bea what had happened with that guy from the bar. While she was sleeping she saw that he had sent her a text message. "Missed you this morning. Out of town for a while, but see you when I get back? Xx" it said. She typed out "I'm out of town too. Xx" and left it at that. She wasn't sure she wanted to see him again, and kind of wished she hadn't even left her phone number. But she didn't really know the etiquette for things like this. She had never had a one-night stand before.
Cara pulled the car into the parking lot of a sprawling old building right on the water. It was white with black shutters, and looked like it had 20 rooms or more. The lawn led right down to the ocean, and Leah could see the waves lapping at a sandy beach.
"This is nice," Leah said.
"Yeah, it is," Cara had a grin on her face like a teenage girl, and Leah smiled. She decided to give up the grudge she had for Lawrence this weekend. He was making her mom happy, and that's all that mattered right now.
They walked inside and Cara checked them in. They were booked under Lawrence's name. Cara was staying in his room, the penthouse suite on the upper floors of the hotel, and Leah had a smaller room on the ground floor in a different wing. She didn't mind being far away; she thought a week more or less by herself would be rejuvenating.
"I'm going to freshen up," Cara said, and she took the stairs to the right to the upper floors. Leah followed the signs for her room, number 04. Once inside she saw it was beautiful. There were sliding glass doors that opened on to a rustic patio, and beyond that was just a short walk down the lawn to the beach. She opened the doors wide and breathed in the fresh ocean air. She could hear music coming from the room next to hers. Something mellow and chilled out, but it wasn't anything she had heard before. Leah peeked her head out of her patio doors. On the neighbouring patio she saw a pair of men's flip-flops and an expensive looking pair of sunglasses on the table. There was a drink next to them with ice cubes crackling as they melted. When she heard footsteps walking toward the door she ducked her head back inside quickly. She didn't want her neighbour to see her being nosey.
She showered and, after opening the closet door to find extra towels, saw that Lawrence had left her a dress to wear. She scowled at it, trying not to be angry at what it implied: that she didn't own anything nice enough for this place. She ripped the note off and read it. "Cara thought you might like this," he had scrawled his name and a smiley face underneath. So it was her mom's idea. She sighed and took the dress out of the plastic. It was beautiful, pale pink with thin straps
. She decided to give it a try and slipped it on over her head. Looking at it in the mirror, shimmering as she moved, she had to admit that it looked pretty amazing. She left her dark wavy hair down and applied just a little pink blush and a fresh coat of mascara. When she twirled in the mirror for herself she couldn't help but smile; she looked pretty. A spray of perfume completed the ensemble, and she stepped out the door into the hallway.
When she saw who was standing outside, she gasped and dropped her key.
"Jack, what are you doing here?" she hissed. He was leaning against the wall across from her door looking down at his phone. He looked up, startled, and then broke out in a grin. He looked completely different to the other night. At the bar his clothes were a little rough around the edges, and he had a bad boy look about him. Tonight, he was wearing a perfectly pressed suit, his tattoos hidden under long sleeves and cufflinks. His hair was combed neatly into place, and he was wearing square frame designer glasses.
"I might ask you the same thing," he said. Even his voice was different; he had a British accent! Suddenly a door to their left opened and a young girl stepped out.
"Jackson, finish zipping me, will you?" the girl asked.
Jack stepped toward his sister, trying to hold back a smile.
"Leah," he said, "This is my sister, Imogen."
"Nice to meet you," Leah said. Imogen forced a smile and when Jack had finished zipping her dress she walked away down the hall without another word.
"Shall we? I expect our parents are waiting," Jack held out his arm for Leah to take. Her heart was pounding and she didn't know what to say. He had been intimidating last night, but like this it was almost unbearable. His posture was so perfect he seemed to tower over Leah. She looped her arm through his, and touching him like this brought back the memories from last night. How he had kissed her, how he had pressed her up against the windows of the apartment. In a dawning of understanding she realised it wasn't an apartment he broke in to after all. It was his. She felt like slapping him, but when she turned to him his eyes were devouring her with such intensity she felt her knees go weak.
"I'm very pleased we'll be staying next to each other for the week," he whispered close to her ear as they entered the dining room. His breath on her skin made a shiver run down her body. She felt breathless and wondered how she was going to sit next to him during this entire meal! She felt like as soon as her mom saw her face, she would know something was up.
When their table came into view, an elegant round dining table set in an alcove of windows overlooking the water, Leah knew there was going to be a big announcement. She could see the enormous engagement ring sparkling on her mother's hand from here. Her stomach did a flip.
"Leah," her mother gushed as they approached the table. "Lawrence and I have an announcement to make." Leah didn't even hear what her mother said, because she knew already. She did, however, glance over at Jack, and he winked at her as he sat down.
"Congratulations," Leah said, "I'm so happy you're happy, mom."
"It's good to see you you've met Imogen and Jackson," Lawrence said to Leah as he filled her wine glass. "You guys will probably be spending a lot of time together." Leah was sitting across from Jack, and he was trying to hide a smug grin behind his wine glass.
"Yeah, probably," Leah replied and forced a smile. Leah was aware of Jack's eyes on her throughout the whole dinner, and every time she glanced up at him she caught him unabashedly looking at her. She was both eager and excited to go back to her room for the night, and apprehensive. They were practically stepbrother and stepsister now; their parents were getting married! She couldn't let what had happened last night happen again.
After a dinner where Leah's mom and Lawrence did most of the talking, Leah excused herself to get some fresh air. She left the dining room through a set of patio doors. The air smelled salty and fresh, and she breathed in deeply, trying to settle her nerves. After a few minutes she felt someone approaching her from behind. She turned and saw Jack smiling at her, his hands stuck casually in the pockets of his pants. He really did look incredible, she thought. There was a faint shadow of stubble on his chin where he obviously hadn't shaved this morning. He had a strong jaw, and the black frames of his glasses made his blue eyes pop.
"So, sister," he said sarcastically.
"Don't call me that," Leah said, turning back toward the ocean.
"Do you think this means we'll have more family holidays together?" he asked, stepping up beside her.
"Not if I have anything to do with it," Leah replied. She didn't know why she was being so cagey. They got along so well last night. She just felt unsettled knowing he had been deceiving her.
"Oh, I think you might change your mind about that," he replied. His voice was a low seductive purr and he ran his fingers across Leah's cheek, brushing her hair aside. She shivered and raised her chin. The only thing she could think about was how much she wanted him to kiss her neck.
"So what's up with the dual personality?" she asked finally. "Do you use it to pick up girls?"
"Don't you think a charming Englishman would be more likely to pick up girls than just another scruffy American?" he quipped, but the smile on his face told Leah he wasn't being completely serious. She didn't say anything, just met his eyes.
"Okay," he said after a minute, raising his hands. "I don't do it to pick up girls, I do it just to escape. Believe it or not, this gets old sometimes," he held his hand up and gestured at the hotel inside. From the patio it was clear just how opulent it was. Rustic and coastal in style, but still very high-end. It was easily the most expensive hotel Leah had ever stayed in.
"Having unlimited money and resources gets old?" she asked sarcastically.
"It's not unlimited. And yeah, kind of," he sounded genuinely offended and when Leah looked at him, she saw he was staring out at the ocean.
"Do you wanna go for a walk?" she asked. He turned to her and smiled.
"Lead the way, love," he replied, and Leah's stomach twisted with excitement at his accent and the prospect of being alone with him again. She hopped over the railing, being careful not to tear her dress, and landed on the lawn below. Jack followed, swinging his legs over the rail with the grace of a gymnast.
"You look like you've done that a lot," Leah said.
"Hopping fences and outrunning the cops," he replied with a grin as they settled into a stride toward the beach.
"Are you serious?" Leah asked; she could never tell. He just continued grinning at her, and then started to jog toward the water.
"Hurry up," he said. Leah jogged after him. The night was warm, but the water was freezing on her feet. She threw her shoes into the sand and sat down, letting the surf lick at her feet. Jack was standing in front of her, facing the ocean. He had rolled up his pants to his knees and was letting the waves wash the sand over his feet.
"It's beautiful here," he said.
"Yeah. We used to come to Maine with my dad. Since he died my mom hasn't been back,"
"I'm sorry about your dad," Jack said quietly. "But she's back now."
"Yeah. She really loves Lawrence."
"My dad is pretty crazy about her, too," Jack replied. He sat down beside her, and Leah could feel the warmth from his body through her dress. She shivered.
"Are you cold?" he asked, taking off his suit jacket and slipping it over her shoulders before she could protest. It smelled like him, like cologne and warmth. She breathed the smell in deeply.
When she looked over she saw Jack was staring at her. He had a playful smile on his lips.
"What are you smirking at?" Leah asked.
"Nothing," he lied. He wiggled his fingers through the sand until they found hers.
They sat there for several minutes, taking in the sound of the waves, until they heard Cara calling them from the deck.
"I think my dad is about to give a speech at this fundraiser," Jack said, helping Leah to her feet. He brushed the sand off her dress, his hands lingering at the small of her
back. She wanted to push him into the sand and climb on top of him, but instead she handed his jacket back. There would be plenty of time for pushing tonight. Her stomach twisted into an excited knot as she thought about how close their rooms were.
Lawrence's speech was long, and mostly boring, but Leah and Jack stood at the back of the room where there was less chance of anyone seeing their hands, still entwined. Jack slid his thumb across Leah's knuckles and then tickled the palm of her hand. His touch, and everything it implied, was tantalising.
An hour later Jack and Leah had both had a few glasses of wine. Cara and Lawrence disappeared a short time later, and as soon as they were out of sight Jack grabbed Leah's hand and led her from the room. His bow tie was undone and hanging loosely, and the first few buttons of his shirt were undone. He grabbed a bottle of champagne and two glasses as they left, holding them skilfully in one hand.
"My room, or yours?" he asked when they were standing in front of Leah's door.
"Who says I'm going to invite you in?" she asked playfully. Jack made her weak in the knees, but a part of her felt that this must be wrong. Wasn’t it? He would soon be family; that surely made him strictly off limits. Her back was against the door and he was leaning on the frame, trapping her in.
"Oh, I think you're going to invite me in," he replied quietly with his trademark grin. He bent his head low and brushed his lips against Leah's neck. She shivered, and fought the urge to moan. Momentarily forgetting her feelings of apprehension she pulled her key card out of her purse and unlocked the door. Jack followed behind her and before closing the door, slipped the DO NOT DISTURB sign over the outside handle.
Jack set the two glasses of champagne down and then expertly popped the cork of the bottle. He caught the bubbling champagne with the flutes and handed one to Leah.
"Cheers," he said, raising his glass. He never took his eyes off Leah, and she felt a warmth start growing between her thighs at his gaze. He set the glass down and stepped toward her, running his hands up her arms. She shivered at his touch.
"Did you have fun with me last night?" Jack asked, lowering his head to run his lips along Leah's collarbone.