Unexpected Admirer (12 page)

The cold rushed through the house when Jesse walked back through.

“Okay. Hopefully this will help.” He set the bag of snow gently on her ankle.

She jumped and then eased back down on the dusty couch. “Thank you.”

“Did you hurt anything else?” He said as he sat on the side of the couch..

“Just my pride.”

“I assume William is on his way up?”

Melissa wrinkled up her nose. “Yes. He’s plenty pissed, too.”

“Because he has to drive in this?”

“No. Because I’m here with you.”

Jesse nodded a slow nod of understanding. “You and William…”

“Are only friends.”

“But he thinks there is more.”

“He wants to think there’s more. He’s always taken care of me, but I’m not in love with him.”

Jesse ran his fingers up her arm. “Are you sure?”

“I’m very sure.”

He leaned in closer. “I’d like to be the man that takes care of you.” He pulled back slightly. “Both you and Jonah.”

Melissa swallowed hard because she knew what she was feeling, and it went against everything she’d ever believed in. “I’d like that.”

That must have been all he needed to hear. A heartbeat later, his mouth covered hers and his fingers went into her hair. She wasn’t about to pull away or make him stop. She finally admitted to herself that this was what she wanted. She wanted Jesse, and all other things would have to make sense later.

Melissa slid her hands up under his shirt. His chest was warm under her palms, and it made him gasp when she touched him.

He maneuvered his body so that he was above her, but he left one foot on the ground as to not go near her ankle.

Jesse’s lips moved away from hers and he kissed her neck, trailing small kisses over her collarbone.

The moans that escaped had been buried for so long. Every touch sent electricity through her and feelings she never thought she’d feel again.

He quickly went to work unbuttoning her shirt as she tugged his free to pull it over his head.

Beneath the thin cotton was a body of chiseled muscle. His skin was smooth under her fingers, and suddenly she was aware that she had on an old cotton bra and there was no definition in her abs.

But Jesse had not once hesitated as he lay open her shirt. Wasn’t that a sign of love? When they didn’t see the imperfections? Or was this all lust and when it was over—it was over?

Jesse’s kisses trailed between her breasts. She ran her fingers through his hair as her body became numb to the cold that blew through the house. Every touch, every kiss, every moan from Jesse made her warm.

“Come to L.A.,” he said on a ragged breath as his lips pressed against the nook of her neck.

“I have obligations,” she murmured, though her head clouded as to what they were.

“One weekend.”

“Jonah.”

“Will be fine with your mother.” He pressed his mouth to hers and went about exploring with his tongue against hers.

She slid her hands down his back and over his tight buttocks. How could she have accepted that she was going to tell this man goodbye forever, when he molded to her so perfectly?

“I’ll be there.”

Jesse pulled back just far enough to gaze down at her. “Promise?”

“Wouldn’t miss it.”

As he moved back against her, they heard the sound of tires on the snow.

Jesse quickly moved off of her and searched for his T-shirt as she frantically began to button her shirt. Only a moment later, William burst through the front door.

“Are you okay?” he asked, walking right past Jesse to Melissa.

“I’m fine. I fell though that board.”

“I knew I should have come right back up here and fixed it.” He lifted the melted bag of snow from her ankle, which now looked worse than it had. “We need to get you to a doctor.”

“I need to get Jesse to the airport.”

William turned and looked at him, his eyes narrow. “You’re leaving in this weather?”

“I have a concert tomorrow. I’m under contract to be there.”

William gritted his teeth. “Just great.” He looked back at Melissa. “I’m going to go jump the car. Don’t you move.”

She nodded, but she didn’t like his tone. Not to her and certainly not to Jesse. None of this was Jesse’s fault.

William headed toward the door and then turned to Jesse. “C’mon. I’ll need some help.”

Jesse didn’t have a lot of experience with principals. He’d been tutored most his life. But this one scared the hell out of him.

William didn’t like him, but he was used to having critics. But it seemed important for him to win this one over.

He’d meant it when he told Melissa he loved her. Perhaps it had been too premature to say, but he couldn’t help himself.

William went to his car and popped open the trunk. He pulled out a pair of jumper cables. “Pop the hood on her car.”

Jesse nodded and walked around Melissa’s car as William opened his car door and pulled the lever for his hood.

He handed Jesse the ends of the cables. “Here, hook these up.”

Jesse took the ends and stood there. He saw William’s cheeks turn redder under the layer of cold.

“You expect to take care of her and Jonah, and you can’t jump a car?”

“I’ve just never had to deal with this.”

William huffed over toward him and took the cables. He attached them and then walked to his car and did the same.

“I’m going to start my car. When I say, you get in and start hers.”

Jesse nodded. Maybe he wasn’t cut out for this taking-care-of-people thing. After all, he had a staff that took care of just him.

When William gave him a signal, he turned the key, but nothing happened. He nodded for him to do it again, but again—nothing.

William got out of his car and walked around to where Jesse sat behind the wheel. Jesse moved out, and William tried his hand at starting the car.

Jesse felt slightly better knowing it didn’t start for him either.

“Damn. I told her she needed a new car. This one is plum wore out and she refuses.” He climbed out of the car and hurried to his to turn it off. “I’ll have to have it towed.”

“I have my truck at her place. I bought it to keep in town. She should use it until she can get this fixed.”

“You bought a truck to keep here?”

“Yes.”

“Why? Do you really think you can move in on her like this? What kind of game are you playing?”

Why did he feel as if he were on trial? He was a grown man, but he felt belittled by this man standing before him in a dress coat.

Jesse could buy the town if he wanted. How was it one man could make him feel so small?

Then it hit him. Because this man loved the same woman he did, only he could give her the life she was used to. Jesse was just messing it up.

“I don’t want to cause her any pain. I care for her.”

“You’ve been around her three times.”

“Relationships have to start somewhere.”

William walked at him. Jesse planted his feet in the snow just in case he came to take a swing.

“She’s not some Hollywood floosy.”

“I know. I respect who she is. That’s what I love about her.”

He inched closer. “Love?”

Jesse swallowed hard. “Listen. If she tells me to go, I go. But for now, I want to be part of her life.”

William sucked in a breath, and it came back out as a cloud on the cold air. “Let’s get you to your flight,” he grunted and walked back into the house.

By the time they’d made it into the house, Melissa had fallen asleep on the couch. It was no wonder. He was used to long days that never ended—she wasn’t that person. She probably had a set bedtime every night, just like her son.

William walked to her side as Jesse shut the door. He knelt down next to her. “Honey, the car is dead.”

She stirred and opened her eyes. She focused in on him. “Dead? As in the battery?”

“I don’t think it’s the battery this time.”

“Damn.”

“I told you that you needed to replace it. It’s old and not made for these conditions.”

She nodded and wiped her eyes. “Where’s Jesse?”

“I’m here,” he quickly spoke up.

“I hope you’re not going to be late.”

William shook his head. “We’ll get him to the airport. You’re keeping his truck until we buy you a new one.”

His voice was stern and definite.

“Let me get you off this couch,” he said.

Melissa looked at him and then up at Jesse. “Can you carry me out?”

Jesse’s heart went out to her. What an awkward position she was in, having them both there fussing over her. “Yeah.”

He moved in toward the couch, and William backed away.

“Put your arm over my neck.”

He lifted her from the couch and, with ease, carried her out to William’s car.

William hurried around and opened the back door so Jesse could set her down and she could rest her foot up on the seat.

As he set her down, she looked up at him and smiled. “Thank you,” she said softly.

“Get comfy.”

The urge to kiss her at that moment was nearly irresistible, but with William literally breathing down his neck, he thought better of it and stepped back.

William stepped up. “I’m going to lock up the house. Do you still have a blanket in your car?”

She nodded.

He looked up at Jesse. “Find the blanket. It’s yellow. We’ll prop it up so she can sit with her foot up.”

William headed back to the house, and Jesse went to find the yellow blanket. He was sure “blanket” would have sufficed in the description, but William letting him know that he knew she had a blanket and exactly what color it was had been his way of keeping control over the situation. There was an underlying tone of
I’m her man and you’re in the way.

Jesse found the blanket and walked back to William’s car.

Melissa had fallen asleep again. He felt terrible having kept her up all night. She was well past the twenty-four hour mark by now.

As he gazed down at her, William hurried down the front steps. “Don’t just stand there if you’re in a hurry.”

He took the blanket from Jesse and stirred Melissa awake. He tucked the blanket between her and the door so she could recline. Then he got into the car, and Jesse followed suit.

Moments later, Melissa was asleep again, and Jesse watched her as William began their decent down the mountain and out of Aspen Creek toward Grand Junction.

“Does she have the keys to your truck?” William asked, his eyes focused on the road.

“No.” Jesse dug into his pocket and pulled out the keys. He held them in his hand. “She can keep it as long as she needs to. I know things are tough right now for her…”

“Damn straight they are.”

Jesse only nodded. This man didn’t like him, and he made that clear.

“Thank you for taking me to the airport.”

“If it’s what she needs me to do, then I do it.”

The point was taken. None of this was a favor to Jesse.

The drive was cold and quiet. He hadn’t realized just how much a snowstorm would hinder the drive, but it had. It was evening by the time William got him to the airport.

Jesse zipped up his
borrowed
coat and looked back at Melissa.

“I won’t wake her, but let her know I’ll call her later.”

William only nodded.

Jesse handed him the keys to his truck. “Thank you for everything. I’m sorry if we ruined any of your plans for today.”

Jesse opened the door and stepped out.

“Hey,” William called, and Jesse ducked his head back into the car. “I’m sorry I’ve been suck a jerk.” He looked back at Melissa. “She’s very important to me, and I don’t want to see her get hurt.”

Jesse nodded. “She’s important to me too, and I feel the same way.” He shut the door to the car and headed back to his life—his miserable pop-star life.

Chapter Ten

Melissa heard William’s voice in her ear, and she stirred.

Her neck was stiff from having slept so long in the back seat of the car.

“Where are we?”

“Hospital,” William said as he reached a hand in to help her out.

She looked around and realized it was only the two of them. “Jesse?”

“I dropped him off at the airport.”

She sat straight up and coursing pain shot through her ankle. “Why didn’t he say goodbye?”

“I didn’t see any reason to wake you.”

“You?” She pulled herself up further, gritting her teeth against the pain. “How was that your decision to make?”

“I just wanted to get you here with the least amount of pain.”

“I’m fine,” she said as she winced.

His lips pursed. “Maybe you should fix the buttons on your shirt before we get inside.”

She looked down and noticed she’d buttoned her shirt wrong after she and Jesse had hurried to dress quickly.

She huffed out a breath and adjusted the buttons.

William shook his head. “Melissa, what were you doing up there?”

“It is none of your business. I’m an adult. I will be with whomever I want.”

“But…”

“Don’t you lecture me. I’m not one of your students, and I am not your wife.”

William only shook his head. “Let’s get inside and get this looked at.”

William helped her to the edge of the seat and then went and retrieved a wheelchair. He hoisted her out of the car and into the chair and pushed her into the emergency room.

Two hours later, as the long day inched into night, Melissa was released with a pair of crutches and a severely sprained ankle.

William filled her prescription and then helped her back into the car. She’d done her best to not even speak to him. She was furious.

They pulled into her driveway, and William hurried around the car.

Patsy opened the front door. “Is she okay?”

“Sprained ankle,” he answered as he opened the car door. “Let me help you.”

Melissa batted away his hand. “I’m fine. I can get this on my own.”

She scooted to the edge of the seat and took the crutches he’d pulled out of the car for her.

“I’ll walk in with you,” he said softly.

“William, go home. I think you’ve aggravated me enough today.”

She hobbled to the front step on her crutches where her mother waited for her. She hated the feeling of being dependent on sticks under her arms to make her mobile.