The Power (9 page)

Sitting at Garret’s Bar and Grill with his brother and the owner, Garret Stone, that Satur
day night Jack did his best to forget the case at least for those few hours he had to catch up with his older brother. They didn’t get to talk as much as they used to, Jack thought with regret. Jack was always putting in the hours at the station or on the streets and Garret was always putting in the hours here at his restaurant. The restaurant had been open for going on six years now and was gaining more and more popularity through great reviews and A-listers dining in. Jack had heard that one of those guys from that show
Friends
had stopped in last week. Now more and more people were piling in, hoping to see the star again. That always happened the weekend after a movie star stopped by. While that was good for Garret, the packed house was keeping Jack from being able to have a decent conversation with his brother. Garret slid back into the corner booth as Jack lowered his beer mug.

“Sorry, Jack.” Garret swept his overly long blonde hair back away from his handsome face. His blue eyes were alight with excitement. “Jennifer Aniston just called to make reservations for next week. Can you believe that? That Perry guy must have given us a good review.” Garret grinned from ear to ear.

“That’s great, Gar.” Jack lifted his mug once again. Fucking great, he added to himself. All he had wanted was a few minutes alone with his brother. Jack stifled the resentful feelings. He really was happy for Garret. It was just that Garret was all the family Jack had left and they didn’t seem to even have time for dinner together, rather alone any real quality time. Stop whining, Jack scolded himself as he met Garret’s happy face.

“I’m sorry, Jack. I know I’ve been busy.” Garret began sincerely, but Jack cut him off with a wave of his hand.

“Don’t worry about it. We can catch up some other time.” Jack replied as if it was no big deal. They hadn’t seen each other in three months though. What was another three months?

“Things have been going well for you?” he cocked a blonde brow Garret’s way. Garret’s grin intensified if that were possible, making Jack wonder what was up.

“I popped the question.” Garret blurted out suddenly as if he couldn‘t contain himself.

“The question?” Jack leaned forward in near shock. Garret laughed nervously.

“I know. I know. Sheila didn’t think I would ever get around to it. I got her the perfect little ring, diamonds and sapphires. She loves sapphires.” Garret was gushing. It was laughable. Garret never gushed! Jack grinned. He downed the rest of his beer before setting the mug aside and clapping his brother on the shoulder.

“Congratulations. I know it was a long time in coming. You’re lucky Sheila didn’t dump your ass a long time ago.” he joked good naturedly.

“Damned lucky.” Garret agreed. Jack grinned. If there were ever two people more right for each other than Garret and Sheila, Jack sure didn’t know them. Garret and Sheila Queens had been dating for the past two years or more. Sheila had been Garret’s downfall so to speak. Before Sheila had come along, Garret had been a notorious playboy, able to get any woman he wanted with the snap of his fingers, or so it had seemed to Jack, but then Sheila had come along, and suddenly Garret had lost all eyes for anyone but her.

“Congratulations.” Jack said again, proudly.

“Thanks.” Garret grabbed his beer and drank up. “I wanted to tell you first, just not over the damned phone. You’d think you would eat here more, Jack. Your brother does own the place.”

“You’d think I’d eat something besides sandwiches and crap from street venders, but God, I don’t have the time. I work all damned night and then some. So do you for that matter.” Jack groaned out.

“We need to get together more often.” Garret acknowledged with an edge of sadness in his deep voice. Jack nodded his head in total agreement, knowing at the same time that it more and likely wouldn’t happen. Garret opened his mouth to say something more, but then someone called his name from behind them. Sheila was there. Jack gave a wave to the beautiful, petite woman with the short blonde bob, and told Garret to go on. Garret promised he would be right back, but Jack stood ready to leave, knowing that their time together as brothers and friends was over, at least for the night.

“Don’t tell me you’re leaving just because I showed up?” Sheila called loudly over the buzzing crowd and soft music.

“Nah. It’s late. I got work to do. Congratulations, sweetie. You finally roped my brother into marriage.” Jack said on a teasing note, and he leaned in giving Sheila a friendly peck on the cheek.

“Roped? He practically begged me.” Sheila countered and they all chuckled in amusement. Jack was smiling when he looked up
, and his heart jumped suddenly to his throat. She was there, he thought, as his amber eyes melted over the tall, beautiful woman across the room. She was standing there looking perplexed as if she were waiting for someone. She was dressed to kill in a little, sexy black dress that was sleeveless and revealed her creamy, white shoulders and more than a hint of her ample cleavage. Her hair was pulled up in a fashionable sense that drew all attention to her cleverly angled face. Jack’s hand came to his gut, suddenly feeling as if he couldn’t breathe. He had looked her up on the Internet that night after he had met her in the coffee shop a week ago. Lillian Saint Rose was a wealthy woman. Her great, great, great grandmother, her namesake, had been an artist and a famous one. Her paintings, mostly portraits, sold in the millions still today, and Lillian Saint Rose, the new one, the one standing there looking bewildered and beautiful, was an artist herself, one compared to her great, great, great grandmother, which was an honor, or so Lillian had said in the article written about her in the Smithsonian, which Jack had also found on-line. It seemed Miss Saint Rose had homes all over the world. Clearly, she was out of his league, Jack was thinking, not for the first time, when suddenly those pale blue eyes lifted to find him where he stood at the balcony peering down at her. He smiled nervously knowing that he had been caught staring. Miss Saint Rose smiled in return and before he knew what he was doing, Jack made his way down the winding stairs and right to her as if he had been pulled there by some unseen rope.

“Good evening, Jack.” she was the first to speak, and her voice floated like magic over him.

“Lilly.” he returned informally, and her smile lit up the room. Lord, but she was beautiful, Jack thought breathlessly, but she was so, so very out of his league. What would a woman like her want with a lowly, street detective? The smile seemed to slide from her face to be replaced by a look of distraught. What was wrong? Had he said something wrong? No, he hadn’t said a word. “Are you all right?” he asked in concern, and she met his gaze once more, but there was sadness in her eyes now, and Jack couldn’t help but to wonder if he had somehow caused it. Damned if he didn’t feel responsible!

“I’m fine.” she whispered, but she looked away from him, and Jack felt the loss as if it had been a physical one. His damned heart was beating wildly away from him when he stepped to Lilly’s side and gently took up her hand. She turned to him then, those curious pale blue eyes washing over her pale, slender hand held in his larger, darker one. Jack smoothed his fingers over the softness of hers. Her skin was cool and very soft to the touch, he noted. Nice.

“Do you come here often?” he asked, and he could have groaned out loud. If that didn’t sound like a line, he didn’t know what did. “I mean, well, my brother is Garret. He owns the place and well, I was just wondering if you had been here before?” Jack fumbled badly. Embarrassed, he looked up to see that Lilly’s bright smile had returned. He sucked in his breath as his heart slammed hard against his ribs as if she had slugged him with that beautiful smile of hers. He smiled at the thought.

“It’s my first time actually.” Lilly let him know. “I suppose you come here quite often, since your brother owns the place?”

“Not as often as I would like.” Jack returned. “Garret and I have both been pretty busy lately.” he explained lowly.

“I know the feeling.” Lilly squeezed his hand, and Jack realized th
at he was still holding hers. “It’s awfully loud in here.” she mentioned.

“Yes. A celebrity was spotted in here last weekend. The crowd has accumulated in hopes of seeing him again.” Jack countered.

“I see.” Lilly returned and her eyes seemed to melt into him. What was she doing here? Was this just a coincidence, them running into each other again?

“You were waiting for someone?” Jack asked, recalling how she had appeared lost when he spotted her earlier, as if she had been looking for someone.

“You.” she returned softly, and his heart jumped hard.

“Me?” Jack swallowed, pointing to himself. Lilly nodded.

“But you couldn’t have known that I would be here.” The detective in him reasoned.

“No.” She admitted, and then she smiled. “I asked around, Jack.” she said. “I knew that your brother owned this restaurant.” she confessed. Jack met her gaze. It was warm and down right seductive, though he wasn’t sure that she had meant for it to be. She had come looking for him? They had barely met! Still, his hand closed tighter around hers and before he realized what he was doing, he drew her closer to him. The scent of her was fresh, like flowers, like her nam
esake: Lilies. Jack drew it in as his fingers locked around hers in a possessive manner. He was tempted to close his eyes and savor the moment.  Instead, he turned, leading her out of the noisy restaurant into the cool, night air. Together, they waited silently until the Valet brought his car around. His dark Mustang pulled beneath the awning, and Jack tipped the Valet after he helped Lilly in on her side. He came around and got behind the wheel, looking over at Lilly, who was watching him closely.

“Where to?” he asked, and she shrugged her slender shoulders.

“Somewhere quiet?” she put to him, and he turned to the road, and drove out. A few minutes later, they were back at the same coffee shop they had originally met at. Jack helped Lilly from the car and his hand came to the small of her back as he led her within. They chose a booth in the corner overlooking the street and ordered two coffees before either spoke again.

“I have a confession to make, Lilly.” Jack told her. “After that first night I met you, I looked you up on the Internet. I know who you are, the family that you come from, what you do. So, I guess my question to you is this, what are you doing here with a guy like me?” he met her gaze, and easily held it. Did she look hurt all of a sudden?

“Money doesn’t make one person better than another, Jack. It should be what’s inside that counts.” she pointed at her chest, and Jack couldn’t help but to glance there in slow appreciation. “Beneath the flesh and the skin, Jack.” Lilly smiled, and Jack nearly flushed at having been caught staring at her breasts. Lilly was smiling when he met her gaze again. Jack chuckled.

“You were born to wealth?” Jack began, but she cut him off.

“No. The Internet is a great source of information, but it doesn’t tell you everything, Jack. I’ve known what it is like to be poor, very poor.” she replied softly, and she looked away from him. “My grandmother had money. She left it to me. It is as simple as that.”

“And you’re an artist?” Jack squeezed her hand for comfort, sensing that she needed it at the moment, and those pa
le blue eyes came back to him.

“I try. And you, Jack, what is it that you do?” Her English accent was sweet, Jack thought, making her sound almost musical when she spoke to him.

“I’m a Detective for the NYPD. Homicide Detective.” he filled in.

“It sounds like dangerous work.” She didn’t look away from him, and Jack couldn’t look away from those bewitching eyes even if he wanted to, which he didn’t.

“Not as much as those ridiculous, yet cleverly made television shows would have a person think.” Jack teased, and she smiled, taking his breath away. “Why did you come looking for me?” Jack blurted out suddenly, and her face seemed to pale, if that were possible. She was incredibly fair, alabaster, he thought in appreciation to her beauty. Had he embarrassed her?

“I wanted to see you again.” She confessed, and his heart slammed against his ribs not once but twice. What could he say to that? She was forward, wasn’t she? She had wanted to see him again? Why? His heart began to beat faster, stronger. “I’ve made you feel uncomfortable.” Lilly tried to pull her hand free of his. Jack pulled back, and slowly grabbed her other hand as well.

“No.” he said, but then he laughed. “Well, perhaps a little. I guess I’m just not used to women of your class seeking a guy like me out.”

“And the fact that I have money makes you uncomfortable as well.” Lilly accused, and she succeeded in pulling her hands free of his. She stood to her tall height
, and Jack came up right after her, shoving his hands into his pockets nervously. He met and held her gaze and swallowed the heavy emotions that were beginning to surface in his throat. What was she doing to him? Heat seemed to swell in and around him the longer that they stood there staring at each other.

“I should go.” Lilly whispered at last, and he knew that he should let her do so, but when she turned to leave him, his fingers brushed her bare arm, and he pulled her back.

“Stay a while?” he found himself asking, and again his hand slid down the coolness of her soft skin to tangle his fingers with hers. He gave a slight tug, and she gave a relenting nod, but then his cell phone rang and he had to excuse himself to answer the call from Dr. Harold. Jack walked to the back of the restaurant, and answered the call but his gaze kept returning to the beautiful woman sitting at his table. She was writing something on a napkin, he realized and he was curious to what.