“Jay.”
She woke up with a choking gasp, tears running down her face. When she realized that heavy hand she remembered had been pulled with her from her dreams, she jolted forward in the dark, a shrill cry escaping her lips. “No.”
“It’s time to get up.” The owner of the hand leaned forward, more shadow than man in the dark. But she recognized that silhouette and her body relaxed before her heart did.
“Oh,” she said. “N-Nick. It’s just you.”
She saw his head tilt, as if he were taking in her expression and posture. “Did I scare you?”
“N-no. Just a bad dream.” She fell back against the mattress. “I’m going back to sleep.”
Nicholas yanked the covers off, making her yelp. And then she abashedly clapped her hand over her mouth, belatedly remembering the neighbors.
Like they don’t recognize the sound of your screams bynow.
“Get up,” Nicholas said, and she was grateful that it was too dark for him to see her blush. “Or no coffee.”
“What coffee? I packed the machine.”
“Coffee that I went out and bought for you.” He waved a cup beneath her nose that smelled utterly intoxicating. Where had he gotten that? It wasn’t gas station swill and Jay didn’t know if any places in this area that were open before—God, what time was it? She reached for the cup and he pulled his arm back. “Get dressed and you can have it.”
Jay grumbled but slid her legs out of bed, letting out an involuntary expletive when Nicholas snapped the light on. He quickly retreated out of swatting distance, leaning back against the wall with her drink in hand as she reached for her skirt.Hewas already fully dressed, she couldn’t help noticing, and irritatingly awake.
“Do you mind?” she asked irritably.
His smile widened. “Not at all.”
“Dick.”
She turned her back on him to change into the business casual outfit she had laid out the night before—when she had been so furious with his head-fucking that she’d burned off her rage by finishing off what remained of the packing.
Ah yes,nowshe remembered why she was so annoyed with Nicholas. Mr. That’s-Why-You-Never-Fucked-Any-of-Your-High-School-Boyfriends was a fine one to talk, when he’d never dated anyone long enough to even know her middle name.
Anger made her fingers clumsy, and though she refused to look at him, she sensed that Nicholas was very amused as he watched her struggle to hook her own bra.
Finally managing the last hook, she began buttoning up her blouse as quickly as she could without looking like she was trying to rush, making sure her skirt was zipped before folding her pajamas into her large purse. She braced herself before turning around.
“Coffee.” She put out her hand. “Now.”
Nicholas handed her the cup, and then gave her ass a smack that had her whipping around to glare at him as he grabbed a second drink from the kitchen counter. “Does anyone else know what a grumpy little bird you are in the morning, or is that something you save for me?”
“It’s still dark out, you monster.”
“So it’s only Daddy you won’t play nice with.”
“Fuck you, Nicholas.”
“If we didn’t have a plane to catch,” he said, “I would.”
Jay set her teeth. The U-Haul driver Nicholas had hired had left with her things very early in the morning, and he had booked a red-eye flight back to LA. Red-eyes were cheaper but money, of course, was no object to him. He just wanted to get her back to Hollybrook, and his bed, as soon as possible. The energy surrounding him was so palpable that she could feel it against her skin.
He’s planning something, she thought.And I’m pretty sure I’m not going to like it.
She hitched her purse up higher on her shoulder and grabbed her carry-on. Carbon had already been loaded into his carrier, she noticed, and was now caterwauling in the hall. Mildly impressed that Nicholas had managed to coax him out of wherever he’d been hiding, Jay looked around her empty apartment and tried to dredge up some sort of emotion. This place had been her refuge for years; surely, she thought, staringat the blank walls and scuffed floors, she should feelsomething.
“Taxi’s waiting,” Nicholas said, breaking into her thoughts.
“Well, let’s not keep him then,” Jay said tautly.
