Page 156 of Deacon

I stayed in until the water cooled, then pulled the plug and watched it circle away beneath the candlelight. Jackson had left lotion beside the towel too, because apparently he had thought of everything. I reached my bedroom smelling faintly of lilac blossoms, my body soft enough to pour into bed.

I grabbed my phone and stared at his name for all of three seconds.

Lila: Thank you for the pampering session. I appreciated it.

His reply came almost immediately.

Jackson: You deserved it, just wish I coulda been in the tub with ya

I laughed and dropped back against the pillows.

Lila: Maybe next time?

The pause before his answer made me grin.

Jackson: Don’t tease, you suggest it and I will def make it happen

I bit my lip.

Lila: Who says I’m teasing?

Jackson: Princess you are starting a fire you won’t be able to put out

My pulse jumped.

Lila: I might be ready to burn

His answer appeared almost before I could lower the phone.

Jackson: Then get ready because you just started an inferno

Another message followed.

Jackson: And before I say something that’ll have me showin up at your door tonight, I need to tell you somethin. I talked to Matty yesterday.

I pushed up onto one elbow, the heat in me giving way to surprise.

Lila: You did?

Jackson: Yeah. I’m meetin him Friday at 3:30 at Harbor & Bean. I didn’t want you to think I was keepin secrets from you.

That mattered enough to make me sit up fully.

Lila: What are you meeting him about?

Jackson: Jude. The way he keeps turnin up around you. Somethin ain’t right and I don’t like it. Me and Matty are gonna look into it together.

I stared at the screen. A month ago, I might have bristled at both of them deciding to investigate something involving me. Tonight, Jude’s repeated appearances had stopped feeling easy to dismiss, and Jackson had told me what he was doing before I could discover it another way.

That mattered too.

Lila: Thank you for telling me instead of letting me hear about it later.

Jackson: I told you. No more keepin things from you if I can help it.

The words pressed against the one part of this I still couldn’t settle.

Lila: I appreciate it. And honestly... I’m glad you’re trying with him.