Not that she knew if they were or not because someone wasn’t coughing up any answers.
She sighed and thought about all that had transpired over the last several days. In a million years, she never would’ve guessed what the week had in store for her. Last night had been even more of a surprise. Not only did she actually punch someone in a fit of rage, she’d cried on Jackson’s shoulder to the point of exhaustion then let him take care of her until she fell asleep in his lap.
She tried to think back to the last time anyone had taken care of her…and came up blank. Even as a child she’d been the one caring for herself and Kat. Hell, she’d even taken care of their mother when she was too far gone on God only knew what to perform the simplest of tasks.
But last night had been completely different. She’d opened up to Jackson more than she ever had with anyone else. Even in her more vulnerable moments with Lucie, she’d still had a thin wall around herself, allowing a modicum of control. And Lucie, being the sweetheart she was, never pushed for anything more than Vanessa was willing to give.
But Jackson had taken her thin wall and chipped away at it until he made a sizable dent. Then kept going until the dent became a crack and the crack became a gap, and that was all he needed to release the raw emotions he’d been looking for. The experience had been terrifying. And also cathartic.
She spent a good deal of her morning wondering why he was so intent on breaking through her barriers, though. What was he getting out of it? It certainly wasn’t some sleazy way of making her vulnerable enough to get into her pants. Technically speaking, he’d had backstage passes to her pants for a full three days. And it sure as hell wasn’t because he was looking for some deep, meaningful relationship with her. They’d both agreed that this was a one-time-only fling.
Yep. Nothing but some fun in the sun and then they were done, and all that other rhyming mantra crap. Little did she know she’d be haunted by the phrase “be careful what you wish for” as she tried to ignore the pang of sadness and regret on their last day together. So much for her women’s intuition.
Maybe Jackson was just one of those rare guys who was genuinely sweet. Plus, she was his sister’s best friend, so he had an added incentive to be nice to her. At any rate, though they’d started off more than a little rocky, Vanessa was really glad for his company the last several days. She had fun with him, he made her laugh, he was playful and charming…and wicked talented in bed. And on the couch. And in the shower. And on Jet Skis.
“What are you smiling about over there?”
Vanessa pressed her lips together. She hadn’t realized her wayward thoughts had gone rogue with brain signals to her mouth. But since they had, there was no sense in letting an opportunity go to waste.
Reaching across the short distance between them, she placed her hand high on his thigh and started tracing the inside hem of his shorts with a tip of her nail. His muscles bunched beneath her palm, and he groaned when her finger crept closer to his crotch then retreated without touching anything fun. She stifled her laugh.
“If you tell me where we’re going, I’ll tell you what I was thinking.” Taking things a step further, she leaned over, pressed a moist kiss just under his ear, and whispered, “And even reward you with some in-the-car fun.”
“Sorry, babe. No dice.” Jackson grabbed her roaming hand, kissed it, and then intertwined their fingers before resting them on his lap. He did a bang-up job of pretending he wasn’t affected, but the pulse in his neck told her it was his way of preventing any further threats of her handling his stick shift while he drove.
Sitting back in her seat, she huffed from defeat and considered the phone conversation she’d had that morning with the only other person besides Lucie she felt she could go to for advice. Fritz, the grizzled owner of the local bar she and Lucie had frequented ever since their freshman year in college, was the closest thing Vanessa had to a father figure. He was the type to show his affection through the fine art of teasing and mock arguments. It was rare for the man to have any serious moments, but the fatherly affection he had for her and Lucie was obvious in every fake barb he threw their way.
Vanessa had woken in Jackson’s arms that morning groggy and content. As she lay there, listening to his even breaths and the steady beating of his heart, she turned her focus inward and analyzed her feelings. Something she rarely allowed herself to do. What she found astonished her. Not only did she feel safe and cared for, but she swore there was something that felt an awful lot like…love.