Janey turned a mutinous gaze at him and he knew that she was not going to accept this lightly. To his surprise though, her face suddenly became calm and she pasted a small, polite smile on her lips.
Okay, this ought to be good. He wondered what solution she had come up with. He did not have long to wait.
“There are a couple of really good hotels in town. Guess I’ll be seeing you around then.”
Drew hid a smile. So she thought she could get rid of him so easily?
“You do know how the bodyguard thing works, right?” he asked with an amused smile. “I’ll be moving in to your house.”
Over my dead body! She didn’t say it, but he saw it clearly written on her face and chuckled. This was going to be fun.
He straightened and walked slowly towards her. He watched as her eyes darted first to the right, then to the left. He could see escape written on every line of her body, but to his admiration, she squared her shoulder and lifted her head to meet his gaze head on. He didn’t stop till he was standing beside her chair. Then he sat down at the edge of her table.
“I have not been able to stop thinking about that night.”
He saw her startled eyes then her face filled with color.
“So you’re here for the sex then?”
He had to hand it to her, she had guts.
He leaned forward till his mouth was just a few inches from her ear.
“Among other things,” he said softly.
He was close enough that he heard her catch her breath. He stretched out his hand. “Give me your spare keys and your home address.”
She tightened her lips.
“It’s no use, Janey. I’m just going to sit here until you do. Give me what I need and I’ll leave you in peace.”
“Oh, dammit!” She pulled out a drawer and handed him a single key, then rattled off her address. “Now if you don’t mind, I’ve got work to do.” She pointed at the door.
“Sure, babe,” he said with a smile. He sauntered to the door, stopping to wink at her before disappearing out the door.
Janey waited till he was sure he’d left then sagged in relief. Oh, what had Sierra done to her? All she’d been able to think about the past three months was Drew and how he made her feel. She’d been able to hold off calling the man—a girl had her pride after all. But if he was going to be staying in her house, under the same roof. How was she to keep from jumping his bones?
And he’d all but admitted that he was very much interested in having his bones jumped. Not in so many words but still…
She groaned. “What am I going to do now?”
She had to think of a way out of this fiasco and quick.
Chapter Four
Janey found it difficult to concentrate on work, so for the first time she could remember, she asked Riley to close. When she left the store, it was not yet five p.m. Janey’s Blossoms closed at six, although Janey usually stayed back an hour or two to finish up a few things.
Today, however, the size of her office, which she always found so cozy and cute, had become a problem. It felt like the walls were closing in on her and suddenly felt claustrophobic. She was not ready to head home and face Drew, however, so she opted for a drive instead.
It was raining lightly, which was usual for Oklahoma at that time of the year. One never knew what weather to expect in early spring. It was snow one evening, rain another and heavy winds on other days. She had learned to just roll with it.
She ended up at the local Walmart. She hadn’t shopped for groceries in a while, and if she was going to have a house guest, she would need a few things. Although she was hoping that once he saw that there was no threat to her life, he would pack up and leave, maybe in a few days.
The thought caused a pang in her heart. Well, her heart could pang as much as it wanted, it was just going to have to face the facts. Drew was not a part of her world, and there was nothing she could do about that. She had to stop thinking about him and especially about that night.
She made a face at herself. One orgasm. Just one. That was all it took to get her hooked on him. How pathetic!
Seriously, she needed to get a life. She was in the cereal aisle, randomly picking up three different cereals and dropping them in her shopping cart, when she bumped into someone.
“Hey, Janey, how are you, darling?”
Janey knew that perky voice. It belonged to her middle sister-in-law; Liam’s wife. She sighed, then pasted a bright smile on her face before turning around. She was wrapped in a warm hug.
“Hi, Melissa. How are the boys?”
“Oh, you know how they are; such a wild lot.” She rolled her eyes, her curly red hair bouncing about as she spoke. “But they miss their Aunt Janey.”
Janey gave a half shrug. What could she say? That she could not stand the frosty silence or the sudden chasm that yawned between her and her brother? It was too much heartbreak to go to Liam’s house and have him ignore her. There was just so much she could take.
Melissa’s eyes softened. “You know I didn’t agree with him, right?”
Janey looked at her in surprise.
“Look, if I suddenly went missing, I would want my family to come looking for me no matter how terrible I was to them.”
Janey nodded. “Yeah. Diane … Well, your boys don’t even know her. But she’s still family.”
Janey knew she was not being very coherent, but she also knew from the understanding in Melissa’s eyes that she got what Janey meant.
Suddenly Melissa’s eyes brightened with mischief. “Well, now that you’ve gotten rid of that dufus you were engaged to, why not you come around for dinner sometime. I could invite my cousin.” She wriggled her eyebrows and laughed as Janey groaned.
“I’ll take a rain check.”
“I’ll hold you to that,” Melissa said. Then she hugged Janey once more before going off.
Janey stared at her cart and wondered why she had never really bonded with Melissa. Then she remembered. She belonged to Janey’s mother’s special squad and as a rule, Janey avoided anyone who could possibly go carrying tales to her mom.
Daphne Moore was the queen of the country club wives, and she gathered around her a drove of southern belles who were ready to do her bidding. A nod of approval from her could greatly improve one’s standing in Broken Arrow. It was a group of well-behaved, perfectly made-up women who were conscious of their class and standing in society. And it was a group that Janey wanted no part of; that had been more Diane’s territory.
They weren’t all bad or insufferable. Some of them, like Melissa, were actually nice and personable. But Janey always felt odd amongst them. She was never pretty enough and she had very little interest in makeup. Her limp, dirty blonde hair also refused to cooperate, no matter how many salon visits her mother dragged her to. It just hung there, doing nothing. It wouldn’t even cooperate and give her half a wave. It used to be the bane of her existence, but she’d long ceased to care.
Nevertheless, she did not actively seek the company of those who served to remind her of what she was lacking. And sweet, perfect, Melissa belonged to that category.
With a deep sigh, she sped up her shopping, waited on the line to pay for her stuff before heading to her vehicle. By the time she drove out of the Walmart parking lot, it was already dark outside.
**
Drew paced back and forth between the kitchen and the living room in Janey’s house. Not like there was enough room for a good pace, what room there was had been taken over by plants. Still, it was such a peaceful place that as soon as he’d entered, he felt himself relax for the first time in several years.
He was not relaxed at the moment. He was worried. And angry.
He glanced at the clock on the wall, it was half past eight. He had called the flower shop a while ago and was told that Janey had left for home. Three hours later, he was still waiting for her to arrive.
It did not take three hours to get from Main Street to Iron Horse Ranch Estate, which was
where she lived. It was a fifteen-minute drive; he’d made it in less.
It occurred to him that she might have decided to abandon her home while he was around. That did not sit well with him. He might not have known her very well or very long, but one thing he did know about her was that she was no coward. She faced her problems head-on, even while trembling with fear. She did not run away when she got scared.
It was one of the things he’d admired about her. That, and how incredibly hot and tight she was when he slid into her… Shit! His pants were suddenly uncomfortable. He needed to get a grip.
Instead of pacing like a caged tiger, what he needed to do was to go find her. He had no idea how he was going to find her at that time of the night, but he was resourceful. He would find her. He grabbed his keys and his jacket and stepped out of the house. Before he got to the car he’d parked in front of her house, he saw her drive in. He paused and folded his arms, waiting for her.
She opened the door and jumped out. Then went to the trunk and began to haul in a large jute shopping bag. That galvanized him into action.
“Here, give me that,” he said, reaching for it.
“I can manage, thanks.”
He could see that she was tired and the bag looked heavy. He grabbed it and held on. After a brief pause, she sighed and let go. “Thank you,” she mumbled.
“Gee, you don’t need to sound so grateful.”
She huffed and went ahead of him into the house. At the kitchen door, Janey stopped abruptly. Drew almost ran into her.
“What’s up?”
“You cooked.”
It wasn’t a question, but Drew chose to reply all the same.
“Yeah.”
She turned to look at him, surprise written on her face. “Why?”
“Because I was hungry?” He gently edged her out of the way and took the groceries, placing them on top of the island.
She followed at a slower pace. “Did you go grocery shopping?”
“Yeah, I did. There was barely enough to keep a cat alive in this house, let alone a full grown human,” he said with a wry smile.
She didn’t smile back. “How long are you planning to stay here?”
He looked at her then. Really looked at her. Her eyes were round in her face and she looked anxious. The thought that she wanted him out so badly stung his pride.
She had told him that he’d given her first orgasm. Surely that had to count for something? Drew caught the train of his thoughts and shook his head slightly. Damn, he sounded like such an egotistical fool. Little wonder she wanted as far away from him as possible.
He chose his words carefully. “I don’t like that someone out there is spooking you. Once I’m sure that you’re okay and there is no threat to you, I’ll get out of your hair. I promise.”
She did not look relieved. In fact, he thought he saw disappointment on her face before she turned away. Talk about mixed signals.
“You can leave those there, I’ll put them away later,” she said, waving at the groceries.
“I made you dinner,” he said as she turned to leave. She paused at the door, but didn’t look back. “I just need to heat it up, but it should be ready in five minutes.”
“I’m not hungry. I need to lay down a bit.”
She was gone before he could reply.
Drew frowned. He could not place this woman. It was almost like dealing with two different people. She appeared timid and reserved, but then she could handle a gun with the best of them.
She never raised her voice and it appeared like she always let others have their way. But he had seen the steel beneath all that and he could see in her eyes that she could be just as stubborn as she was gentle.
Trying to figure her out was just frustrating as hell. One thing he knew was that she needed to eat and he was not going to take no for an answer. He was walking over to her bedroom door when it opened and she stepped out.
He stopped in his tracks, arrested by her. She was dressed in a pair of stretchy jeans that clung lovingly to her legs. Legs that seemed to go on forever. She had a blue Tulsa Community College hooded sweatshirt over it. Her face was scrubbed clean of makeup and with her hair held back in a ponytail, she looked like a teenager.
“I was just coming over to let you know dinner was ready.”
“Ah, okay. Look, I forgot to check if you’d settled in? There’s a spare room, it’s really my home office, but it has a bed…” she shrugged, looking unsure.
Drew knew for a fact that she did not want him around, yet she was trying to make him comfortable. The contradictions were simply baffling.
“I don’t get it,” he said at last.
She glanced at him, a question in her eyes.
“I can’t figure you out.”
She smiled briefly. “I’m not that complex.”
“That night at the safe house, I have thought about it every single day since then and every single night as well. Yet here you are in the flesh and it’s almost as though I imagined it.”
She seemed to go through an internal struggle. Then she sighed.
“You could have called, you know,” she said, walking past him into the kitchen.
She spoke in a gentle voice, no accusations or recriminations, but he felt the effect nonetheless. She was right, he could have called. He should have called her. But his life was messed up and well, he had a bad track record with women. He followed her into the kitchen.
“I didn’t want to complicate your life,” he said when he finally spoke.
She cast a sideways glance at him. “Hmmm.”
“What does that mean?” he asked, gesturing to the food on the table. He had set two places.
He pulled out a chair for her, and seated her neatly before taking his own seat across from hers.
“It means that my life was already complicated. After being with you, it was kind of impossible to go back to being with Mark, that’s the guy I was to get married to.”
Drew stiffened. She’d actually considered going back to that guy? Hell.
“Why would you want to be with a man who could not even give you a single orgasm after so many years of being together?”
She had opened a serving dish and the strong aroma of Chinese ginger chicken filled the room. At his words, she stilled for a faction, then clamped her lips together. He saw the color rise on her face as she shot him an exasperated look.
“I knew telling you that was a big mistake.”
“You can’t unsay it,” he pointed out, suddenly feeling quite happy with himself.
“Tell me about it,” she muttered bitterly.
“I could. Then again, I could show you.”
Janey felt his words right down to her toes. She closed her eyes and took in a sharp breath, feeling the sudden and unexpected pool of liquid in her center.
“Hope you like it?” At her blank look, he pointed to the food. “I remembered your preference when we were at the safe house. So I made the chicken with side helpings of rice and stir fry veggies.”
Marry me.
The thought popped into her head out of nowhere and she felt her face heat up.
But really, who could blame her. With his silvery gray eyes and dark hair, which he wore in a buzz cut, he was gorgeous. He was much taller than she was, taller than her brothers even and well built. She was sure that he had rock solid abs. Heck, she’d felt them, even if she had never seen him naked.
Her eyes glazed over at the thought of a naked Drew. Then to top it up, he was kind, had a wicked sense of humor and could cook. Life was so unfair. Why bring this man into her life if she was not meant to have him? Why taunt her?
“Earth to Janey.” He waved a hand in front of her face and she blinked.
“What?”
“Where were you?” he asked curiously.
She looked down at her plate. If she really wanted to get rid of him, here was her chance. All she had to do was say what she’d been thinking and he would be out of there like a bat out of
hell.
The thought amused her. She shook her head. “Nothing. It’s just that everything smells so divine.” She glanced at him. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” he said with a smile. “Now eat up. I’ve beefed up the security in your house and I need to run you through the basics.”
And just like that, he ruined her mood. Janey could not help the scowl that appeared on her face. She felt like she was going through a hostile takeover and she did not like the feeling.
She quietly dished her food and was pleasantly surprised when she was able to eat and even enjoy it. She decided that she would concentrate on the lovely ginger chicken and ignore His high-handedness for the moment.
Chapter Five
“Aren’t you going to say anything?”
Janey glared at Drew. She was angry. So angry that it rendered her speechless. She could not believe all the things he’d done to her house. A security camera in her bedroom! That was too much.
“What do you want me to say?” Her voice was tight with the fury she felt. “I told you that I didn’t need protection, but you insisted on going over my head and doing whatever you please. You want to turn my home into a war zone? Knock yourself out!”
“What are you talking about? All I did was place security cameras around the house…”
“And bullet resistant doors and windows? Where the hell do you think you are? This is Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, for goodness sakes!” She stood up, feeling agitated.
Janey was shocked to hear her voice raised. She never raised her voice. But Drew was driving her crazy. She was beyond aggravated.
Drew pushed back his chair and stood up too. “What is your problem?”
Janey clenched her fists and gritted her teeth. She did not know where to begin. What was it about her that made everyone feel it was okay to tell her what to do with her life? Her mom, her brothers…even Mark! Why did they all feel that she could not make decisions for herself and she needed someone else to order her life for her?
She glanced at Drew. He looked puzzled, and she did not blame him. She understood that he was doing a good thing, but he should have checked with her first. She hated it when control was wrested from her. She did not want to control the world, just her life. Was that too much to ask?
Silver Shield Security Box Set Page 28