Chapter 11
Eleven
Kayla buried her head against Jack’s chest, accepting the comfort he willingly provided. Sometimes, she just needed a hug. It was normal, but her reaction to the movie was not. Finally, she lifted her head and looked at him.
Jack lifted his hands to her face and gently brushed the tears off her cheeks with his thumbs. “What’s wrong?”
Kayla clasped her hands in her lap and looked down at them. “I don’t know.”
Jack placed his hands on her knees over the blanket. “You can tell me anything. You know that, right?”
He was a good listener, but there were some things she simply couldn’t share. “I can’t explain it. I’ve never reacted like that to a movie before.”
Jack eyed her quizzically. “It had a happy ending.”
She sighed. “Sometimes I wonder if I’ll ever get to experience that.”
“What, the flash mob?”
“No. The kind of relationship with the perfect combination of friendship and love.”
“You will.”
If only she had his confidence. “I was just being overemotional. Let’s leave it at that.” She started to move away, but he gripped her knees to keep her in place.
“Listen. You haven’t met the right guy yet. But when you do, you’ll know it.”
“How?”
“You’ll feel it right here.” He tapped the middle of his chest.
Witnessing the softer side of Jack did funny things to her insides. She waited for the punchline, but it never came. “Thanks for the pep talk. I’m feeling better now,” she said.
“Are you sure?”
Kayla nodded and glanced down at his hands on her legs. He had nice hands.
Jack quickly pulled them away. “Okay. So what do you want to do now?”
“I think I’ll go upstairs and read.”
“Already? It’s still early.”
“Now you can watch football.”
“That’s nice of you, but I really don’t have to.”
“Jack. This is your house, and you should do what you want to do.”
“What about dinner?” he asked.
“I’m still full of lunch.”
“You can’t go to bed on an empty stomach.”
Kayla chuckled. “If I get hungry later, I’ll come downstairs and make something. Don’t worry about me.”
Jack sighed. “Okay, if you’re sure.”
“I’m positive.” She stood and folded the blanket, intending to replace it in the ottoman.
“You might as well leave it out so you can use it next time,” Jack suggested.
It reminded her that this was only the beginning of her stay, and there were several weeks to go. She draped the blanket over the back of the couch. “Sleep well.”
“Yeah, you too.”
Kayla gave him a brief smile and went upstairs.
On the landing, she heard him turn on a football game.
Without looking back, she went into the bedroom and closed the door.
Worn out after her emotional outburst, she dozed off after reading only a few pages.
Two hours later, she awakened in the dark to rain pelting against the bedroom window.
Kayla got out of bed, padded to the door, and pressed her ear against it. It was quiet, so Jack must have gone to bed. She decided to pop downstairs, pour a bowl of cereal, and bring it back to her room. It was dark in the living room, but Jack had left the kitchen light on for her.
In the kitchen, Kayla made a bowl of cereal and poured a glass of water. She preferred ice, but she didn’t want the noise of the ice dispenser to wake Jack. Taking the food and drink, she tiptoed out of the kitchen. While passing through the living room, Jack’s voice stopped her in her tracks.
“Oh, Kayla,” he moaned.
She peered down the hallway. Was he calling her? Was he sick?
“Kayla,” he repeated, only louder that time.
She set the bowl and glass on the end table and went down the hall. Pausing outside Jack’s bedroom, she heard him rustling around, but it was dark inside.
“Kayla!” Jack groaned.
Kayla opened the door and peered inside. Jack was lying in bed outside of the covers. He wore only boxer/briefs, and his right hand was tucked inside them.
“Yes. Just like that,” Jack said, his hand moving inside his underwear.
Kayla was riveted to the floor, unable to look away.
He was having an erotic dream, and it was about her—unless he knew someone else named Kayla.
I should leave. Just back out quietly, and he’ll never even know I was here.
Part of her wanted to stay for the finale, or the climax as it were, but she didn’t want to get caught.
This was Jack’s private space, and what he did it in was none of her business, even if he’d called out her name.
“So good,” Jack murmured.
At least I’m good in his dream. She clamped her hand over her mouth to prevent herself from giggling.
Leave now. Kayla stepped back, and the floor creaked loudly.
Jack bolted upright and stared at her like he was seeing a ghost. She almost ran out, but maybe if she stayed perfectly still, he’d think he was still dreaming and go back to sleep.
“Kayla? Is that you?”
So much for that theory.
Jack whipped his hand out of his boxer briefs. “Oh God!”
Kayla raised her hands in the air. “It’s okay. I didn’t see anything. Just go back to sleep.”
“What are you doing in here?” He sounded more curious than angry.
“I was getting something to eat, and I heard you talking,” she explained.
Jack threaded his hands into his disheveled hair. “What did you hear … exactly?”
She hesitated. “You said my name.”
Jack glanced down at his erection. “What else did I say?”
Kayla shifted uncomfortably. “Do you really want to know?”
He nodded, pinning her with his gaze.
She took a deep breath. “You said yes, just like that, and so good. Maybe I was giving you a massage?”
“Jesus,” Jack muttered.
“It’s no big deal. It was just a dream.” Was she convincing him or herself?
“It was that damn movie!”
Kayla nodded. “It made me cry, and you—”
“Horny,” he finished.
She averted her eyes. “Alrighty then.”
“Sorry you had to witness that.”
I’m not. “We don’t have control over our dreams, Jack. It’s not like you were purposely thinking of me.” Right?
“Right,” he said without conviction.
“Just out of curiosity, do you remember any details?”
He chuckled. “A few.”
“Hmm.”
“Do you want me to tell you?”
“I don’t know. Do I?” Thank God the darkness masked her flushed cheeks. Jack looked cool—and hot—in his underwear, while she was sweating in her sweats.
He patted the edge of the bed. “You might want to sit down for this.”
It was a good idea, since her knees felt a bit weak. Kayla perched on the edge of the bed, just out of his reach. She forced herself to focus on his face and ignore his half-naked body.
“In the dream, we were at a bar with a group of people,” Jack began.
“What people?”
“I’m not sure. Our coworkers. Anyway, you were wearing a tight red dress and high heels.”
“Red isn’t really my color,” she joked.
“It looked good on you. Really good.”
Kayla squirmed. “Continue the story.”
“We were drinking.”
“Of course. That’s how terrible things happen.”
“Are you going to let me finish?” Jack complained.
“Yes. Sorry.”
“Then we started dancing.”
“Fast or slow?”
“First fast and then slow.”
“Hm.”
“My hands were on your hips, and yours were wrapped around my neck, and you smelled really good.”
“Like beer and sweat?” she joked, to relieve some of the sexual tension.
“No. Like your coconut body wash.”
She swallowed hard.
“Anyway, it was hot in the bar, so I asked if you wanted to go outside and get some air.”
“Classic move.”
Jack smirked. “We went outside and there were people milling around smoking, so we ducked into the alleyway beside the bar.”
“Have you been reading my book?” It sounded like an erotic tale.
Jack shook his head.
“So then what happened?” Kayla prompted him.
“You took my hand and led me further down the alley where nobody could see us. The next thing I knew, my back was pressed against the brick wall, and we were kissing.”
This was better than any erotic story she’d ever read because it featured them.
“Then you …” Jack paused.
“What? What did I do?”
He took a deep breath. “You unzipped my pants.”
Kayla’s core clenched. “That was rather forward of me.”
Jack’s loud laughter filled the room.
“What happened next?” she asked.
“You slipped your hand into my underwear and stroked me. That must have been when you came into my bedroom, because that’s the last thing I remember.”
Kayla was flushed with arousal, and it wasn’t even her dream. “It’s interesting that I made the first move,” she mused.
“Why?” Jack inquired.
“Because I don’t usually do that.”
“You wait for the guy,” Jack stated.
She nodded. “But yay for dream Kayla. She knew what she wanted and went for it.”
“Dream Kayla was pretty awesome.”
Better than the real Kayla? She slapped her hands on her knees. “Okay. Well, this has been fun, but I should go.”
“Wait. Are you upset?”
“About what?”
“That I was having sexy thoughts about you.”
Kayla shook her head. “You weren’t really thinking about me. It was a fictional version of me. People have sexy dreams all the time. It doesn’t mean anything.”
“Have you?”
“Have I what?” She fidgeted.
“Had a sexy dream about me?”
If he only knew how many! “I might have.”
Jack smiled, a slow, sexy grin. “Tell me about it.”
“Is this your idea of a bedtime story?” she teased.
“I want to know.”
“I can’t remember the details.” Liar. “Anyway, I have a soggy bowl of cereal in the living room to eat.” Kayla stood and moved away from the scene of the crime.
Jack didn’t speak again until she was at the door. “Kayla?”
“Yeah?”
“I’d like to see you in a red dress sometime.”
“In your dreams,” she said and slipped out the door.