The Accidental Boyfriend (16 page)

By the time Lucia left, Holly thought she might go crazy with desire. Every nerve ending was screaming for more. His soft caresses and whispers were teasing. The moment the front door slammed shut behind Lucia, Holly pounced. Moving so she could straddle Jack, her breath caught at the dark desire in his eyes. He looked dazed—drugged, even—as he ran a hand through her curls and tugged her head toward him in a crushing kiss that left her breathless.

They moved with frantic urgency, tugging at clothes and tearing away every bit of fabric that kept them separate. Holly gasped for air once they were finally bare and his hot skin was pressed against her. He rolled so she was trapped beneath him and she moaned at the sweet torture when he pressed against her, so close but not yet inside her.

He leaned down until his forehead touched hers and she heard him struggling to catch his breath. “I can’t wait much longer.”

Incapable of forming words, she clutched him to her as she raised her hips, taking him inside of her. His body shuddered as his tight restraint gave way and with a low growl he thrust inside of her over and over again, deeper and harder until she lost herself completely in mindless passion. Shortly after she came apart in his arms, he groaned her name before collapsing on top of her, a warm, cozy blanket of heat as she basked in the afterglow.

* * * *

Jack watched her sleep for a little while—until he realized that if he stared much longer he would be entering into creeper territory. He didn’t want to wake her. Not yet. She’d had a rough couple of days and the emotional strain was clearly taking its toll. He gently stroked her hair and she murmured something softly before turning into him and nuzzling against his neck.

He allowed himself a moment to revel in the sweet contentment of having her in his arms but gently pulled away before he started overthinking it. It was post-sex hormones that had him getting all sentimental and attached, he reminded himself. But still, he couldn’t remember a time when he’d felt more content. More…complete.

He nearly laughed aloud at the sappy thought. Maybe Lucia had been right, after all. Maybe he was the one he should be worried about. Clearly Holly was well aware there was no hope for a relationship. His lips tugged up in a rueful smile at the memory of her loud laughter when he’d tried to warn her that this couldn’t be serious.

What an idiot he’d been. Of course she didn’t want a relationship with him. She’d made it abundantly clear that she didn’t want him. Well, not like that, at least. All Holly needed from him was fun and distraction—two things he happened to excel at.

Gently prying himself from her loose embrace, Jack threw on his clothes and tip-toed from the room.

By the time Holly woke a half hour later, Jack had already returned from the corner store and was lighting candles on the table he’d set up on the balcony. He looked up at the sound of Holly’s voice in the doorway.

“What are you doing out here?”

She looked so unbelievably adorable, standing there all tousled and sleepy, for a moment Jack thought his heart had stopped beating. Then it kicked into overdrive as if he’d just run a marathon.

“Hey sleepyhead,” he said. “I thought you might be hungry for dinner.”

He pulled out a chair and she gave him a little smile that seemed almost…shy. She slid into the seat without a word as she stared at the spread he’d set out, taking in the candles and champagne and the array of bread, cheese, and meats. She blinked a couple of times but remained speechless. This was a side of Holly he’d never seen before.

For a minute he thought maybe she was upset. Or maybe he’d crossed some boundary. They had agreed to keep this casual, after all, maybe a romantic dinner on the balcony made her uncomfortable. When she finally spoke, her voice was quiet but her smile was brilliant. “Thank you, Jack. This is….this is perfect.”

And it was perfect. They spent the next few hours talking and laughing about everything and nothing. As if they’d made some sort of unspoken agreement, neither of them brought up Benjamin or anything that might mar the festive atmosphere. Instead they shared stories from their pasts, which soon turned into a competition over who had been more wild as a child or, even more entertaining, as a teen.

They were laughing so hard by the time Lucia came home, they didn’t hear her enter until she was standing in the doorway. Taking one look at the empty champagne glasses and the remains of dinner, Lucia lifted a brow. “Am I interrupting?”

She looked to Jack and he knew without a doubt that she was reading more into this than she should. “Not at all, come join us.”

The three of them talked until they were yawning too much to continue. Saying their goodnights, Jack watch Holly head to her room before going to his…alone.

* * * *

Holly knew she should stay in her own room. She and Jack may be sleeping together but they were not
sleeping
together. They hadn’t actually written down the rules but everyone knew that casual flings did not spend the night. Well, unless one was too tired out from sex to make it to his or her own bed. But this was different. Holly tossed and turned. Her mind, which she’d pleasantly distracted all day long, had switched into overdrive the moment she tried to close her eyes and go to sleep.

For someone who had always lived life on a whim—for whom the term “life plan” had always been a laughable phrase—she had gotten terribly attached to hers. Suddenly a future that she’d seen before her, clear as a picture, was replaced by a dark, hazy void. What would she do now that Benjamin rejected her?

There was no reason to stay in Oakdale. But then again, if she was going to settle down, her hometown was as good a choice as any. At least she’d be close to family. And Benjamin. She heaved a sigh at the thought of running into Benjamin on a regular basis—a constant reminder of the dream life she’d never have. Maybe she wouldn’t stay in Oakdale after all. All she knew was, she didn’t want to keep living the nomadic life she’d been leading. Not that she wanted to give up the travel altogether but she wanted some sort of stability. An anchor, to keep her rooted in place. She would never give up the dream for a family—the miscarriage and now the aching jealousy she felt whenever she spoke to her sister had made it all too clear what was missing in her life.

Try as she might, she couldn’t shake the dream she’d been clinging to this past year, nor could she picture a new reality for herself. Benjamin was her family—her future—he was her anchor. Without him keeping her grounded, she could never have the life she’d planned. She’d never have that stability. That thought brought a fresh wave of sadness.

Exhausted and desperately in need of sleep to turn off her brain, Holly finally gave into temptation. Tiptoeing out of her bedroom and down the hall, she paused outside of Jack’s closed door. She was dangerously close to crossing a line here. But the thought or returning to her cold, lonely bed was depressing and he was right there, so close. Besides, they’d already agreed that this wasn’t going anywhere. He wouldn’t read into it any more than she would.

With that thought in mind, she opened the door and headed toward the bed. He looked so adorable lying fast asleep. He woke when she sat on the side of the bed. “Holly?” he murmured. “Are you okay?”

Holly nodded. She didn’t want to talk. “I’m fine. But can I…um, can I sleep in here tonight?”

Jack’s eyes were half open and for a moment he stared at her as though confused. But then a slow, sleepy grin spread across his face and he tugged her hand so she was lying beside him. Then, in one quick move, he’d tucked her into him and curled around her so she was buried in a warm, safe cocoon that smelled amazingly good.

He nuzzled her neck through her hair until his lips reached her skin. Giving her a little kiss, he asked, “Better?”

Holly could only manage a quiet moan of contentment. She was already slipping into a deep, dreamless sleep.

The next morning, she woke feeling well rested and mildly confused as to where she was. Then she spotted Jack, typing away on his laptop at the desk in the corner. “Morning,” he said once he noticed that she was awake.

“Morning.” She pushed her curls out of her face and clutched the cover to her body, which was overkill since she was fully clothed as it was. She was slightly mortified. More uncomfortable than she’d felt when she’d woken in his bed naked the day before. Waking up in a man’s bed after a night of lovemaking was one thing. But she had crawled into his bed for cuddles.
Cuddles
, for the love of God. What had she been thinking? He was already worried that she wanted more from him and now he must be convinced that she was some kind of needy chick who wanted him to be her boyfriend.

Still typing at the computer, he said, “Lucia went out, she said something about helping one of her designer friends before the fashion show tomorrow. She wanted you to join her but we both figured you’d rather get some sleep.”

She blinked at his back in confusion. “What time is it?”

“Almost noon.”

Holly sat up straight. “What? Why did you let me sleep that long?”
And in your room? Ugh.
She whipped off the covers and starting to get out of bed.

Jack looked over in surprise before joining her on the bed, effectively pinning her back down to the mattress. “Hey, what’s your hurry? You clearly needed sleep and it’s not like you had any obligations today. You’re on vacation, remember?”

He was smiling down at her and the tension that had filled Holly’s chest started to ease. He didn’t seem put out in the slightest that they’d cuddled the night away. In fact, he seemed pretty damn pleased with himself.

Eyes sparkling with excitement, he rolled over in the bed so he could grab a box from the nightstand. “I got you something.”

Holly sat upright. “You got me something?” she repeated. “When did you do that?”

“This morning,” he said. “While you were sleeping.”

“Oh.” It was oddly strange to think of him coming in and out of the bedroom, going about his life, all while she slept in a coma, apparently, in his bed. It was even stranger to think that he’d gone out to buy her a present.

“Jack, you shouldn’t have,” she started. When she took the box from him, she looked up at him in surprise. “A phone?”

She didn’t know what she’d been expecting, but a phone was definitely not it.

“It’s a prepaid with international service,” he explained. He was looking so proud of himself, Holly couldn’t help but smile back at him.

“Thank you, but you really didn’t have to do that. You don’t have to get me presents.”

Jack sat beside her, leaning against the wall. “I know, but it’s not so much a present for you as it is for Ivy.”

Holly’s head snapped up at that. “For Ivy?”

Jack nodded. “I know that she hates when she can’t get a hold of you so I thought—”

Holly’s sigh cut him off. “I know, she worries about me.” It was the story of her life. Her parents and Ivy and their older brothers were forever worrying about her.

Jack’s brows were furrowed in confusion for a second before understanding dawned. “Oh no, that’s not what I meant. Ivy needs you, now more than ever. And she’s going to need you even more once the baby arrives. I just wanted her to have a way of getting a hold of you.”

Holly stared at him for so long, he started to shift in the bed, clearly uncomfortable. But Holly didn’t know what to say. His words had struck something in her.
She needs you
. She’d never thought of it like that. She wasn’t sure anyone else saw their relationship that way but the fact that Jack did made her choked up and giddy with joy all at the same time.

How had she never seen that before? She and her sister had always been close but it always seemed like their relationship revolved around Ivy helping Holly. That was just the way it was. But now….

Her brain went from one scenario to another when Ivy had called her for advice or just to vent over the past couple of years.
She needed her.

Jack was still watching her warily and she hoped none of the silly sentimentality was visible in her smile. “Thanks, Jack. Really. That means a lot.”

He gave her the squinty grin before tackling her back to the mattress, which left her breathless with laughter. “That’s what friends are for, right?” he teased.

Holly giggled. “Mmm-hmm.” She slipped a hand down toward the erection that was pressing against her thigh through his jeans. “And this is what friends with benefits are for,” she said as she stroked the length of him.

His groan sent shivers down her spine. “My God, Holly,” he whispered. “You are such a good friend.”

Jack couldn’t remember when he’d had more fun. In fact, he didn’t think he’d ever had so much fun in his entire life. When they finally left the bed, Holly led him on a whirlwind tour of the city. They visited her favorite neighborhoods and traipsed through narrow cobblestone streets, occasionally dropping into stores and frequently stopping at patisseries “for energy” as Holly put it.

By the end of the day, Jack had learned two things—Holly made everything fun. Everything. Even shoe shopping. And she ran solely on sugar and caffeine.

By the time Lucia met up with them for a late dinner, Jack was exhausted and his face hurt from smiling. Which was why, when Holly casually mentioned that she would be heading to Italy soon over dinner, Jack froze with his fork halfway to his mouth.

“What? Why?” His voice may have been a tad to plaintive because Holly and Lucia both gave him a funny look. Holly seemed confused but Lucia seemed almost…pitying. Oh crap. That’s not what he meant.

“I mean, I know you have to be there for Ivy,” he continued. “But there’s no rush, is there?”

Holly’s nose scrunched up as she considered him. “You mean other than the baby who may make an appearance any day now?”

Jack cleared his throat. Right. That. “I just meant, Ivy or Daniel will call when it’s time and…”

Holly gave him a knowing grin. “This is about your parents, isn’t it?”

Jack drew a blank. What was she talking about? Before he could respond, she continued. “Don’t worry, Jack. I’ll stick around until after we have dinner with your parents.” She gave him a light, friendly punch in the arm. A punch in the arm? Seriously? They had slept together multiple times—multiple,
amazing
times, in fact.