Chapter Thirteen JACKIE #2
“What are you doing?” His voice is low, smooth, and far too amused.
It grates on my last nerve. “Trying to center myself, you asshole.”
“Sure.” His chuckle vibrates against my skin. “You look very… serene.”
“Don’t you have anywhere else to be?” I snap at him, but it’s weak. The truth is, I’m glad he’s back. And I hate myself for how much I’ve missed him. For how it all falls into place when he’s near.
He’s also a good distraction, even if all we do is bicker.
“Watching you ‘relax’ is stressing me out. It stopped being entertaining five minutes ago.” In one swift move, he pulls his T-shirt over his head with one hand, giving me a prime view of his abs. “I’m going for a dip.”
For the next fifteen minutes, I stick to my routine. Perfectly focused. Not sneaking glances. Not one bit.
Until he climbs out, water sheeting off him, swim-shorts plastered to his… everything. He pushes his brown hair back, sunlight striking each line of him like he’s every woman’s fantasy come to life.
Damn him.
“You should go for a swim,” he says, swiping my towel to dry his hair. “I might get lucky, and the Pocomoonshine monster is lurking around.” He assesses me, fishing for a reaction.
We’re just joking around, like two adults. It’s fine. “In your dreams,” I tease him. I can play this game too.
“My dreams about you are more like nightmares,” he smirks, more at ease now.
My eyes trace the curve of his mouth, the flex of his arms, the clear evidence he still plays hockey with his old teammates. Not that I know much about it. Or care.
Mesmerized by his body, the words tumble out of my mouth. “That why you invite so many women into your bed?”
His grin sharpens, although something darkens in his gaze. “Do you keep track, Jackie?”
“It’s a small world. Somehow, the adventures of Adam’s dick always get back to me.”
“Are you sure you want to talk about my dick?” His voice drops, molten. “Because if I remember right, you loved choking on it.”
Heat flares across my cheeks. “That’s an exaggeration.”
“Keep talking like that,” he murmurs, thumb dragging slowly over his lower lip, gaze fixed on my mouth like he’s imagining it, “and I’ll remind you.”
Heat pools suddenly between my legs. A flare of memory that sets my skin ablaze, because I do remember.
As if realizing what just came out of his mouth, his green eyes widen before his head tips back, a deep groan tearing out of him. “This is so…”
He inhales sharply, and when his gaze falls back on me, it’s different. Sober, almost wary.
This abrupt shift, and the silence that follows, puts me on edge. “Are you having a stroke?”
Adam rubs the back of his neck, a glimpse of hesitation flashing through.
“I’m about to,” he says hoarsely. “If I don’t get this off my chest.” His eyes dart upward, like the words are tangled somewhere in the dense forest canopy.
“Oh?”
His tongue traces the edge of his teeth as he takes a deep breath. “I was out of line the other day. I keep being out of line. You’re right. Death threats are enough without me adding to your stress.”
My back goes rigid, taking him in. Trying to read his angle. “Why do you care all of a sudden?” I can’t help my suspicion.
“This back and forth,” he says, gesturing between us, “is the only way I know how to be with you since…” He clears his throat. “Well, since you came back. We’ve been juggling it pretty well, don’t you think?”
My lungs are fighting for air. It’s the first time either of us has even grazed the subject, and I don’t think I’m ready for this discussion.
“I got carried away,” he admits. “I shouldn’t have cornered you.”
“What do you propose happens now?”
“I don’t want to make it worse for you. How about a truce?”
A truce? After years of resenting him. Of nurturing the hurt close to my chest. Could we? The nugget of remorse for how I left tips the scale. For that, at least, I owe him an attempt at turning down the heat.
“What are the terms?”
“Always straight to business.” Adam’s brows unfurrow, an easy smile curling his lips. “No more touching or inappropriate comments.”
“Obviously.”
“No more cursing.”
“Not even when you deserve it?”
“Jackie…” The low warning hums between us, landing exactly where I don’t want it to.
“Fine. I’ll be a proper lady.”
His answering snort would offend me if I weren’t more worried about my body’s reaction to every fucking little thing he does.
“And no more lobbying for your brother to send me packing.”
Eyebrows up to my hairline, I open my mouth to defend myself, but nothing comes out.
“Don’t look so surprised,” he drawls, more smug than strictly necessary. “There are no secrets in this house. Including the fact that you still dance around in your underwear when you think you’re alone.”
I press my fingers to my brow, eyes squeezed shut. “This truce isn’t off to a great start.”
Another day, another death threat. Bodily harm, destruction of the company, some drivel about my bloodline, my inevitable downfall. They’re starting to sound repetitive. At this point, I might have to take Logan up on his offer to filter my emails. This nonsense is getting old.
Pacing Carter’s living room, I feel shackled by inaction, suspended in uncertainty, pissed off beyond measure. He’s vanished to God knows where, and I’m left twiddling my thumbs, staring out at the lake like an extremely dull version of Rapunzel.
An engine revs outside, and a small boat slips out of the waterside shed. It’s quite far away, but I’d recognize Adam’s broad shoulders and windswept hair anywhere.
I step closer to the window before I realize what I’m doing.
Years have turned the cute, athletic, fresh graduate into something far more dangerous: confident and devastatingly handsome. I’ve done my best to ignore the electric current that runs along my skin whenever he looks at me. One more touch and I might forget everything I hate about him.
Good thing we have rules now.
Noise at the front door jolts me out of the Adam-induced haze. A bright spot that instantly lifts my spirits clicks her heels on the hardwood entranceway.
“Where’s my darling princess?”
I turn toward the voice, rushed steps carrying me to my mom, and I wrap my arms around her, holding on longer than usual. She senses I need it and doesn’t let go until I pull away, smiling at her. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?”
“You know our mother likes to make an entrance,” Carter says, fighting to keep a straight face. “I was threatened with bodily harm.”
Mom arches an elegant brow and looks Carter up and down. “Don’t forget I birthed you, and it shows. You have a flair for the dramatic too, with all that nearly-dying business.”
My brother caves, reverts to his teenage years and shoots Mom an annoyed look, grabbing her luggage.
“It’s not like I did it on purpose. Come on, you can change in Jackie’s room before we drive to Uncle Kenneth’s.
” He motions her up the stairs and, with a more serious tone, wipes away my grin.
“Wait for me in the office. We need to talk.”
“Why does it sound like I’m in trouble?” I grumble, heading to the office, where he now spends his time instead of at our headquarters. Last year, when he stepped down, I bet he wouldn’t last more than a month. Yet here he is, running his own business hub, meddling in town affairs. It’s unreal.
His perennially pristine and empty desk now holds a few photo frames in the corner, no doubt Eliza’s suggestions, because my brother hasn’t got an aesthetic bone in his body.
The largest one is a selfie she took last summer when they went kayaking.
She’s a bit sunburnt and laughing while my brother looks at her like she’s magic.
The next photo makes me smile: it’s the two of us with Mom at the housewarming party. I’d never seen him that happy before.
My heart squeezes painfully when I pick up the last picture.
In a light blue frame, an old photo of me sandwiched between Adam and Carter brings back so many bittersweet memories.
I’d been deliriously in love that year, planning to tell my brother after graduating in a few months, hoping he’d help me deal with Dad’s strategic marriage schemes.
In the end, I didn’t have to.
“That was a fun trip.”
I jump, fumbling to keep hold of the frame.
“Yeah, good times.” I have no intention of going down memory lane. “What’s happened?”
He studies me, his stare turning razor-sharp, but doesn’t push it. “Let’s sit.”
My pulse spikes and my fingers curl into fists. “Oh God. It’s bad, isn’t it?”
As usual, my brother’s unruffled. He settles into one of the two armchairs by the large window, so I mirror him, the sense of dread pressing on my eardrums.
“I had an emergency meeting with the FBI and Logan at their offices. That’s why I left last night.”
“Why wasn’t I there?” I argue. “I understand being safe, but this matter concerns me more than anyone.”
“That’s the exact reason. You’re clearly the target. Not me—”
Anger pushes out of me like a hot spear. “You can’t sideline me like this, and make decisions for me.”
“Jackie—”
“You are not my dad.” The words hit low, and he flinches. It’s a sore spot for him. “Stop using his tactics. I won’t accept it.”
“I only want—”
“To keep me safe?” I cut him off. “This is not how we are going to do this. You said you trusted me when I took over.”
“I do.”
“Then don’t treat me like a child. I might be your little sister, but you can’t run around doing whatever you think is best and leave me in the dark.
This forced isolation in this town, instead of anywhere else in the world, is for your benefit, not mine.
So you won’t stress.” I won’t be the reason he lands in the hospital again, and Carter’s eyes widen at the realization.
“But you can’t force me to stay. Pull another stunt like this, and I’m out. ”