Something crossed his expression, a flicker of…holy Ryan Seacrest, was that heat?
It was very rare for Pepper to be caught off guard, but for a moment, she was rendered speechless. The thought that Jack Hunter—Jack Hunter—could feel even the teeniest smidgen of lust in her presence—her, Pepper Wilson—was downright mind-boggling. He’d never treated her like anything other than a pesky kid sister, and was as possessive and protective as Parker when it came to keeping her in line. Jack was a grumpy, prickly stick-in-the-mud. He was the bane of her existence, and she was the bane of his. That was how it’d always been.
She must have imagined that lustful glimmer in his eyes. Two months of traveling in a cramped car with four other people had clearly made her go insane.
“I swear to God, Pepper, if you don’t go to bed in the next two seconds, I’ll—”
“Take a chill pill,” she cut in, sighing dramatically. “I’m going, all right?” With that, she strode off toward the last door in the hall, tossing a saccharine look over her shoulder. “Nighty-night, Jackjack.”
When she was alone in the bedroom, she collapsed, her carefree bravado snuffed out like a wet candle. God, she was tired. And sore. And, frankly, still pissed off. What had started off as a fun cross-country road trip with her fellow college grads had ended with a bang. And not the good kind of bang, where people ended up sweaty and sated.
Nope, it was the kind of bang that left her looking like a reject from a Jean-Claude Van Damme street-fighting movie.
Her plan to come home like the prodigal daughter and greet her folks and Parker with hugs and kisses had been shot to hell. Jack was right—her brother would go on a murder spree once he saw her face, and her parents would never let her leave their house again. Which interfered with her other plan, the one that involved finding her own place and living a life where she wasn’t being babied by everyone.
Sighing, Pepper changed into the shirt Jack had given her. The soft fabric swallowed her entire body and hung past her knees, making her feel like an orphan girl who’d been taken in by a gentle giant. Except…Jack, gentle? Ha. She’d pay money to see that.
Well, if she had any money. Her savings account was pitiful since she’d refused to take out any school loans. Her parents had fronted the tuition costs, but Pepper had paid her own expenses and residence fees by waitressing at a diner back in Chicago. She didn’t like owing anyone anything, and she had every intention of paying her parents back the first chance she got.
But right now…sleep was the only item on her agenda. Tomorrow she’d call Kendra and arrange to pick up the belongings she’d abandoned at their campsite. And then she’d suck it up and let Jack lecture her for a while.
And after that? Time to take charge of her life, and woe to anyone who screwed around with her plans for the future. This was one girl who’d seen the light, and she had no intention of lying down and letting anyone walk over her ever again.
Chapter Two
The aroma of cooking bacon lured Pepper from her restless slumber. Groaning, she checked the alarm clock on the night table, saw that it was eight o’clock, and groaned a whole bunch more.
Damn that man. Sleep as long as you want, he’d said.
Sure, like that was even remotely possible when he was taunting her with the delicious smell of bacon. He knew she’d give up her firstborn if a lifetime supply of bacon was on the table.
She heaved herself out of bed. Stretched her arms over her head and instantly regretted it when a jolt of pain shot through her ribcage. She hadn’t gotten the official word that anything was broken since she hadn’t seen a doctor, but her ribs were either broken or really badly bruised. Maybe a hot shower would help.
She moaned the second the thought entered her head. Washing up at Parker’s office yesterday hadn’t done more than knock off the surface dirt. Being immersed in steamy hot water sounded like heaven at the moment.
Hot shower. Then bacon.
The guest room didn’t have a private bath, so she padded barefoot toward the hall bathroom. She tossed Jack’s oversized T-shirt on the towel rack and a moment later was purring happily as blistering moisture slid down her aching body.
She wasn’t sure how long she stood there under the spray, but it must’ve been a while because suddenly Jack pounded on the door.
“Get out before you drain the hot water, Candy Cane!” came his muffled voice. “I haven’t taken my shower yet.”
Candy Cane. It irked her that he still used the juvenile nickname. Even Parker had stopped calling her that a long time ago. Like, once she’d turned eight.
“I mean it, you brat! Shower time’s over,” he shouted.