Chapter 9
9
KOLBI
M y hand slapped the alarm clock before it could even go off because I was already wide awake. My eyes were open and affixed to the ceiling of my bedroom as they had been for the last few hours, my mind unable to fall asleep knowing who was sleeping down the hall in the guest room.
When I saw her on the street last night, slumped over and sitting on the ledge of a wall, I felt my heart stop for a moment. When she stumbled over and I caught her before she fell, I felt it stop again. I didn’t know what else I was supposed to do when she couldn’t tell me how to get her home, so I did the thing that made the most sense in the moment and brought her back to my place. I knew I made a mistake as I watched her fall asleep and couldn’t bring myself to leave her side.
It took some time to get her in and upstairs because she kept trying to do everything on her own. The girl might be small, but what she lacked in size she made up for in hard headedness. There were more than a few failed punches sent my way as I unbuckled her from the car and helped her out. After trying to let her go in on her own, I found it was just easier to pick her up and carry her upstairs. Part of me hopes that when she wakes up, she doesn’t remember how she threw up in my front yard before I brought her inside. I hadn’t seen someone as far gone as she was in a long time. Not since the boys and I got Hank drunk before he went off to bootcamp. She fought with me as I tried to clean up the cut on her leg from when she fell and then it took me ten minutes to convince her to please wear the clean shirt I was giving her because what she was wearing reeked of alcohol and puke.
Eventually though, I got her into bed and once her head hit the pillow, it didn’t take her long to finally knock out for the night. I’d almost wished I hadn’t picked up the phone at all last night but that was before I watched her sleeping. I had given her my hand to help her into bed and fully intended to leave once she closed her eyes but as I went to walk away, she reached for my hand and asked me to stay.
“Will you sit with me?” she slurred as her eyes rolled shut. She looked so full of sadness and defeat that I couldn’t tell her no.
So that’s what I did.
I sat next to the bed and held her hand while she slept. I ran my thumb along the back of her hand because it was something I did to soothe myself and I hoped it would help her too. As she slept, I counted her breaths and watched her dark lashes flutter as she dreamt. Being so close to her, I could see the small, almost unnoticeable freckles that dotted her fair skin across the bridge of her nose and cheeks. It didn’t take her more than five minutes to fall asleep completely, but I couldn’t get myself to leave her side. Instead, I sat next to her for over an hour before I was finally able to pull myself away. But even after I left her to sleep and crawled into my own bed down the hall, I couldn’t seem to fall asleep.
My head was racing from the events of the night before. How she had called me to come and get her. The way her hand felt in mine as I helped her into the car and again as she fell asleep. And what she said to me when I picked her up. ‘You smell nice. And you’re really strong. And I like when you call me 'flower.’ Has anyone told you how handsome you are?’ I felt my lips pull up in the corner as I thought about it because I liked when she called me Jack. The names felt like inside jokes only we understood and there was so much about her that I wanted to learn.
I scrubbed my hands down my face and looked at the clock again. 7:15 a.m. blinked back at me. Normally by now I’d be flying down the quiet streets of Charleston on my skateboard. Saturday was my day to go and ride but I knew I wouldn’t be able to do that today because of the sleeping girl down the hall. The last thing I needed was for her to wake up, think I kidnapped her, and call the police. Wouldn’t that headline be rich: Sinclair Heiress Captured by Local Security Firm Owner Hired to Keep The Family Safe . I blew out a breath and decided to get up and make some breakfast. Too afraid to sleep like I normally do, which was usually in shorts or my boxers only, in case she needed me, I was still in the clothes I wore when she called me in the middle of the night. I swapped my shirt for a fresh one and pulled on some joggers before heading downstairs to the kitchen. As I walked, I sent off a text and crossed my fingers that the person on the other end would be able to pull off the favor I’d asked of them.
Half an hour later, I was standing at the stove preparing the last of the scrambled eggs I decided to make when I heard soft footsteps padding down the hallway towards me. When I looked up, I had to remind myself how to breathe.
She stood just inside the doorframe, her long, dark hair messy and falling down her back, rubbing her eyes as she worked to figure out where she was. I could see her whole image from the other side of the island and nearly choked when my eyes fell down her body and noticed the pale, exposed skin of her legs. Wearing just the shirt I had given her last night, it fit her more like a minidress, and with her hands on her face, the back was creeping a little higher than I could handle.
“Good morning,” I called from my side of the kitchen. My hips pressed into the cabinet to try and kill the growing erection under my joggers. When she heard my voice, it seemed to snap her out of the daze she was in and her eyes finally landed on me.
“Where am I?” her groggy morning voice questioned. I loved the raspiness of it until a voice in my head reminded me that, no, I do not. She blinked hard and looked around the spacious kitchen.
“How much of last night do you remember?” Scraping the eggs off the pan and onto a plate, I turned the stove off and looked at her. I could see the confusion swimming in her eyes as she took in my place for the first time.
“Uh…not much,” she confessed, shaking her head lightly and crossing her arms over her chest which I was grateful for because it was hard to ignore how obvious it was that she wasn’t wearing a bra.
“Well, you called me around one in the morning to come and pick you up, so I did. When you couldn’t remember how to get home, I brought you back to my place. I hope that’s okay.” I looked at her from across the kitchen and was grateful for the distance between us. “Do you remember calling me last night?”
“I….uh, yeah, a little. Thanks for coming to get me, I’m sorry for bothering you in the middle of the night. Holy shit, my head is killing me.” She dropped her head into her hands and her hair fell around her face. I wanted nothing more than to walk over to her and push it out of the way because I never wanted anything to block my view of her. Between the way her small frame filled the space in the entryway to my kitchen and how my old T-shirt draped over her body as if it was always meant to be worn by her, I was pressing my hips so firmly into the island I could feel my hip bones beginning to bruise. With her head dropped, I watched as she realized what she was wearing. Or more specifically, what she wasn’t.
“Wait a minute, where the hell are my clothes?” She snapped her head back to me and her voice bordered on accusatory.
“They’re being dry cleaned. I sent them out about half an hour ago. When they’re ready, I’ll get your address and have them sent over.”
“Did you…”
“No.” I cut her off quickly before she could go where I knew she was going. “I gave you the shirt and left the room while you changed,” I assured her. We stared at one another awkwardly for a beat when there was a soft knock at the front door. “Those are probably your new clothes now.”
“New clothes?”
I moved from behind the stove and walked past her to answer the door. As I did, I had to force myself to not turn around and try and catch a glimpse of her small yet perky ass under the hem of the shirt. I opened the door, exchanged a few words with the person on the other side, and closed it again. Carrying a large white bag in my hand, I walked back towards where I left her standing and handed her the bag.
“I hope they’re the right size. You’re a similar build to my sister, so I asked for her sizes and sent someone to pick you up something you can wear home.” She looked into the bag with a stunned expression before looking back at me.
“Thank you…” Her voice came out so small that if I wasn’t standing as close as I was, I wouldn’t have been able to hear it. For the first time, her outer shell of attitude and sass she liked to wear seemed to crack and expose a different side of her. She had to tilt her head back to where her chin was almost pointing to the sky in order to meet my gaze because I towered over her so much.
“You’re welcome,” I hummed, looking down at her. We were mere inches apart and if I wanted to, I could close the gap between us with half a step. I felt the muscles in my jaw flex as I clenched my teeth together before taking a step away from her.
“You need to go change now,” I demanded.
“ Need to? ” she sneered, giving me a skeptical look with her eyebrows pressed together in the center of her forehead, not appreciating being told what to do. Didn’t take long for the attitude to return, I see.
“Yes, flower, need to,” I nearly growled, using her nickname for the first time this morning. “Because you’re my client and I’m trying to act professional. But the way you’re dressed right now makes me want to do things to you that are anything but.”
So much for keeping things professional. The words spilled out of my mouth before I could stop them. All I knew is that I wouldn’t be able to sit across from her over breakfast when she was wearing nothing but my shirt and her underwear. Her cheeks flushed a deep shade of pink and her eyes grew round. Without saying anything, she turned on her heels and exited the kitchen, heading towards the stairs again.
By the time she came back down, she’d changed into the clothes I’d texted my secretary to go out and buy for her. When she asked me why I needed a woman’s workout set at seven thirty in the morning, I told her there was a bonus in it for her if she forgot about the errand once it was done. I gave her the sizes I thought Magnolia would need and told her to buy something that a girl would wear to workout. I’d remembered seeing her in one when we first met, and figured she could wear it again if it was the right fit and she liked it.
She came back into the dining room with her hair pulled back into a high ponytail, face washed, and wearing her new clothes. The way they hugged her body was sinful and I reminded myself for the third time that she was a client and had to remain as such.
“Thank you for the clothes,” she offered sheepishly as she reentered the kitchen. Kendall had purchased her a matching lavender workout set which looked like it included a pair of leggings and matching top. On her feet were a pair of slides I don’t remember asking for, but Kendall must have thrown in for good measure. The way the color of the set complimented her onyx colored hair took my breath away.
“You’re welcome. Would you like some food?” I had plated some of what I had been making and was about to sit at the table when she came back down.
“I’d love some.” She gave me a small smile and followed me towards the dining table that was just off of the kitchen. It was weird having her sitting here as this table was really only ever used when my friends came over to play D and D. They could not find out about this or else I would never hear the end of it. I set the plate down in front of her and placed a napkin on my lap. My mama always taught me proper table manners and I wasn’t about to slack on them now.
“What is this?” she asked as she picked up her fork and poked the food on her plate.
“It’s my mama’s morning hash. It’s basically anything you would eat for breakfast thrown together into a casserole dish. I haven’t made it in ages but it’s the best hangover food. Soaks up all the alcohol.” I gave her a small nod as I took a bite of the dish. Mama would always cook this for us when we were sick or were trying to eat what was in the fridge before it went bad. In college, I made it when I was hungover because it always made me feel better. I watched her take a bite and when the food hit her tongue, she moaned in satisfaction. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head as she took another bite and the look of pure bliss on her face almost made me come in my pants.
“This is so good,” she moaned again before doing a little shimmy in her seat which caused me to chuckle.
“I’m glad you like it.”
“Like it? I love it! It reminds me of something Ms. Ruthie would make me when my parents were gone growing up.” The way she spoke about the woman I remember meeting at her house made my heart swell, the love she felt for her was in her voice.
“Ruthie is a nice woman, I remember meeting her when I came to your home earlier this week,” I recounted before taking another bite. She stared off into the distance as if lost in a memory and had a small smile on her face.
“Ms. Ruthie is more than a nice woman, she’s an actual saint. She practically raised me when I was little. She doesn’t have any family and was more of a mother to me than my own mother was…” her voice trailed off. Before I could say anything, she cleared her throat and spoke again, “The food is wonderful, thank you for making it.”
We both continued to eat in silence before she put down her fork and looked at me. With her arms crossed in front of her, she studied me from across the table as I continued to eat.
“Something wrong?” I asked without looking up. I could feel her eyes on me and tried to play it cool.
“No, I just have a wondering.” I glanced up as she gave me a pointed look from her chair and cocked her head at me.
“A wondering? A wondering about what?”
“A wondering about why you had someone buy me these clothes. And a wondering about why you feel like you need to be professional with me. And a wondering if you do this for all the girls you bring home with you.”
“That’s three wonderings,” I pointed out, finally settling my eyes on hers. They narrowed fiercely and she leaned on the table with her elbows, not breaking eye contact.
“Excellent counting skills, Jack.” When she raised her brows at me, I took that as my signal to answer her questions.
“I asked Kendall, my secretary, to buy you the clothes because yours reeked of puke and alcohol. I remembered you wearing something similar the first time we met and figured if you liked them, you could keep them and wear them again. If you don’t like them, you can return them for something else or just keep the cash.” She leaned back in her chair as I spoke. “As for being professional, I don’t see my clients… personally, and try to maintain a level of professionalism at all times. And finally, no, I don’t do this with ‘all the girls I bring home with me.’ I haven’t brought a girl home with me in over a year.”
“What’s wrong, you broken or something?” Her tone resembled that of a bratty child and I wanted nothing more than to show her just how not broken I am. The invitation of her smirk felt like bait, luring me in, hoping to catch me. I stood from the table to clear our empty plates and leaned down to bring my face level with hers.
“I can assure you, flower, I have no issues performing.” Her eyes burned into mine like hot embers and I tried to ignore how she licked her lips, pausing for just a second with her tongue at the corner of her mouth. The moment swelled with obvious desire and heat and I needed to walk away from it fast before I got burned. Forcing myself to stand up, I walked into the kitchen and set the dirty plates inside the sink. I’ll deal with those later when she’s not sitting at my kitchen table like a fresh meal waiting to be consumed. Walking back into the dining room, I noticed a fresh shade of rose in her cheeks.
“You ready to go? I’ll drive you home.”
We drove in silence as I took her back to her place which was on the river. She lived in The Boroughs which was a section of town in the northern part of the city in a brand new townhouse which was part of a recent development effort the city was making. She directed me through the streets of downtown and when we reached her place, I hopped out of the car first and she watched as I made my way around the side of the car and pulled her door open for her. She squinted her eyes at me for half a second before she took the hand I was offering her and stepped out. My hand encased hers with ease and hugged it like a long lost companion.
“Thanks for picking up the phone last night. I’m sorry again for bothering you, I?—”
I cut her off and took the edge of her chin in my fingers, tilting it up so she had to look at me. “Don’t apologize. I told you to call me if you needed anything and I’m glad you did. I’d do it again if you needed me too.”
Her eyes scanned my face and dashed to my lips more than once. She pressed her lips together into a tight line, nerves and unease mixing together on her face.
“Can you maybe not mention this to my parents? Like I told you before, my mother is skittish and would lose her mind if she knew what I did last night.”
“Your secret is safe with me.” I gave her a reassuring smile and she nodded her head at me in thanks, finally pulling her chin from my hand. After a beat, she turned and started towards the door of her townhouse when she stopped midway and turned to look at me again. The words she wanted to say just on the cusp of her half upturned lips and piercing green eyes.
“What’s that look for?” I asked, cocking my head at her.
“I have another wondering,” she answered, her voice a mix of mischief and tease.
“Do you have those a lot?” I stuffed my fists in my pockets and tried to act casual, as if I hadn’t secretly hoped she wondered about me all the time.
“Only about people who I think are interesting.”
“So you think I’m interesting?”
“I think you think I’m interesting. And that, to me, is very interesting.” She smirked from where she stood a few paces away from me on the sidewalk. She crossed her arms across her chest and popped her hip to one side.
“What’s your wondering, flower?” I pressed, needing to know what was going on inside that beautiful head of hers. She looked me up and down once before pulling her lips back into a smug expression. Little brat.
“I think I’ll keep this one to myself,” she hummed before winking at me and turning back towards her front door again. I watched her as she climbed the front steps, and I swore she was swinging her hips a little more dramatically than normal.
So much for playing it cool you absolute fuckwad.