Page 21 of Summer Affair
“I got you,” he whispered, resting his chin on top of her head. He let her hold on for as long as she needed, which was a good minute or so, and then she backed away, her gaze on her feet as he wiped her cheeks.
“I’m sorry. It’s just leftover adrenaline from waking up like that and rushing down here. He’s going to be fine. I’m just all he has.”
Clay tipped her chin up until their gazes met and what he saw there made his gut knot. “Who has you?”
He immediately regretted the question because she shut down and her walls went up. It was as if she didn’t want anyone to think that she was weak or needed anyone to lean on. It told him a lot about what her past must have been like.
“I just meant is there anyone I can call?”
Since he’d likely blow the arms off one of the narrow chairs, he sat on the two-seater, surprised when she sat next to him. “It’s just me and Sammy and Eddie. A few years back my grandma passed and, well, my dad, he wasn’t all that into daddying.”
He didn’t have to ask about her mom, the lost look in her eyes told him all he needed to know. “I can stay.”
“I didn’t mean to make it sound … I’m really fine.”
“You already said that.”
“I just know that you train early.”
He smiled. “You keeping tabs on me, Cupcake?”
The blush on her cheeks told him what he’d already suspected and that made him grin.
She shoved his chest. “Only because you like to blast your music.”
Little liar.She’d been watching him as much as he’d been watching her. And wasn’t that interesting? It was a topic he’d love to explore, but then she yawned. It was nearly three and by the way she’d been wearing down the linoleum, he doubted she’d allowed herself any rest, let alone a nap.
“You know, I’ve been told I have pretty comfy shoulders. You can borrow one, maybe to close your eyes for a second, take your mind off everything.”
She watched him, looking for any ulterior motives. He schooled his features, because of course there were. He wanted to get his hands on her in the worst way. But right then he just wanted to give her someone, other than herself, to lean on.
“You sure?” she asked, and he patted his shoulder. She hemmed and hawed for a moment. “Just for a second or two.”
Her two seconds turned into an hour and while she started out on his shoulder, little by little her hand slowly made its way around him, eventually resting on his stomach. And when she looked as if she’d wake up with a cramp in her neck, he shifted sideways so that she was resting on his chest.
He put his arm around her and tugged her to him, and she pulled her legs up on the bench and tucked them behind her. Before long, her warm body sank into his, her chest slowly rising and falling. Her smell was all over him and he was pretty sure that when she awoke, she’d notice he was sporting a woody.
He’d held a lot of women, but none of them felt like this.
Another twenty minutes had passed when the doctor came out. Clay gently ran his hand up her arm. “Jillian,” he said quietly.
Her lashes opened and her eyes immediately locked on his and, instead of jerking away, she stayed there, pressed up against him. She was in sweats and what he assumed was her pajama top, her hair was bed-rumpled and what was left of her mascara was smudged a little. Yet, she looked hot as hell.
He tucked a stray hair behind her ear. “The doctor just came out to speak with you.”
She used his stomach as leverage and pushed herself to sitting, then stood. He stood with her and watched as she went over to the doctor. They talked for a moment, and he knew the moment she received good news. He expected her to head in to see Eddie but, instead, she walked right up to him. Soft eyes met his and she cupped his jaw.
“Thank you for being a rock for me tonight.” And then she shocked him when she went up on her toes and kissed him.
Even though it was nothing more than a drive-by brush of the lips, it packed one hell of a punch.
Chapter Seven
Resolutions from Jillian’s Journal
Don’t rush me. I’m waiting until the last minute.
If Jillian could sum up her morning in one word, it would be chaos. Zombie apocalypse chaos.
