AFTER JETT ORDERED PIZZA, Natalie wanted to go back to her place and retrieve her cell phone. She needed a few moments alone to regroup, but Jett, seeming disinclined to let her out of his sight, kept finding ways to keep her in his place. He offered her the use of his cell phone, and she knew she’d sound silly if she insisted on running over for her own.
Silly, and as afraid as he’d already accused her of being.
She’d have to go back to her place soon enough, but for now, she accepted his phone. Moving to the other side of the room for privacy, she tried calling her sister. She wanted Molly to know that she’d be gone on spring break. They always checked in with each other, and neither made a big move without telling the other about it. They were best friends as well as sisters, and given the strained relationship they each shared with their father, they were the only real family either one had.
Molly didn’t answer, so Natalie left her a message. Turning her back so Jett wouldn’t hear her, she said low, “Hey, Molly. I’m leaving for spring break tomorrow. Going to a lake. Not alone, either, if you catch my meaning. Call me and I’ll tell you all about it.”
She knew it sounded cryptic and that Molly would give her hell for that later. But she didn’t want Jett to hear her gossiping about him, and she didn’t want to leave anything serious on her sister’s answering machine—just in case.
Molly was such a loner, especially now that she’d broken things off with her fiancé, that Natalie doubted anyone ever heard her sister’s messages. But she didn’t take chances with her privacy. God forbid her stepmother, Kathi, should get wind of her affair. Her dad would be disgusted—nothing new in that—but Kathi would flip out. She worried incessantly about appearances.
Glancing over her shoulder, Natalie saw that Jett was busy putting a movie into his DVD player.
He must have felt her gaze because he said, “All done?”
“Yes.” After closing his phone and handing it back to him, she headed for her discarded clothes which were still on the floor just inside the front door.
Gaze heated, Jett watched her step into her pants. “Spoilsport.”
Natalie rolled her eyes. “A pizza delivery guy is coming over, remember?”
“And you look like a woman who’s just been tumbled.” He didn’t smile as he strolled over to her. “Since I’m starting to feel possessive, I suppose I should bundle you up.”
“Possessive?”
He looped his arms around her waist. “Why did you think I was being such an ass earlier?”
Unsure of his meaning, Natalie ventured a guess. “When you asked me if I was planning another fling?”
“Yeah.” He kissed the end of her nose in apology. “I’m not the sharing kind.”
His attitude thrilled Natalie, prompting her to reciprocate. “How could I even notice other men when you’re here?”
His expression changed. He cupped her face and kissed her again, lingering, enticing. Against her lips, he asked, “You already packed up for tomorrow?”
“Yes.” Though now that she knew Jett would be coming along, she probably needed to change out a few things…like maybe a pretty nightgown in place of her thermal pajamas. And she’d need to pack the makeup she’d planned to leave behind. “If you want to get your stuff together now, I can—”
For only a second, his arms tightened around her. “It won’t take me long. Don’t worry about it.” He stepped back. “We can start the movie after the pizza gets here.”
He led her to the couch and pulled her down to sit in his lap. She felt awkward, unsure what to do. It was a novel thing, sitting with a man like this. Should she cuddle, be playful, or was this another moment of pure intimacy?
“Relax.” Jett rearranged her so that her cheek rested on his shoulder and the starch left her spine. “Did you reach your sister?”
“No.” A little wide-eyed at the sensation of being cradled, pampered, Natalie sought normal conversation. “I called her earlier, too. Molly always returns my calls.”
Jett toyed with her hair, winding curls around his finger. “You’re concerned?”
“A little.” His heat surrounded her, his solid frame somehow very comfortable. She tipped her head to look up at him. “I know that sounds dumb, given that Molly and I are both grown, independent adults. But we’re more than sisters. We’re best friends.”
He nodded in understanding. “So you always stay in touch.”
“We do. If Molly was still dating Adrian, I’d think she was out with him, but that’s over.”
“Adrian?”
Natalie made a face. Even the mention of Adrian’s name annoyed her.
“Ah, not someone well liked, I take it?”
“Not by me, no. He used to be Molly’s fiancé.” She stroked a hand over Jett’s upper chest then into his sparse chest hair. Without a doubt, she knew he was far more honorable than Adrian had ever been.
“Used to be? Past tense?”
“Yeah. Molly thought she was in love with him, but then when her career took off, he showed his true colors.” Hating to think about her sister with that ass, Natalie ducked her face. “I knew Adrian was a jerk long before she did. But when he started making demands of Molly, she caught on real quick.”
Jett tucked her hair behind her ear and then trailed his fingers along her jaw, down her throat, until he cupped a breast. “She ended things?”
“Yes.” Her voice sounded higher with the intimate touch. “And I tried not to look too relieved.”
Still holding her breast, Jett bent down to kiss her throat. “I’m sure she knows you’re motivated by caring.”
Did he expect her to talk while his hot mouth moved over her skin? “Even when Molly is in the middle of business, she usually takes my calls.”
Jett opened a button on the flannel shirt. “She’s an author, right?”
The depths of his research amazed her. Or maybe he was one of her sister’s many fans. “Have you read her?”
“No. She writes suspense or something, right?” He shook his head. “I’m more of a biography kind of reader.”
Natalie frowned. “So that’s just part of what you learned while snooping?”
He paused with his fingers inside the flannel shirt. “Okay, let’s clear the air on that one first.” He put his hand down the front of her shirt, and now it was his hot palm holding her. “You say you’ve been burned? Well me, too.”
Natalie bit her lip, part in reaction to his touch and partly because of the scenarios that ran through her mind. “Did you have a broken engagement?” Or even worse, was he divorced? Had he been madly in love with someone who broke his heart and now—
Somehow, Jett always knew her thoughts. “My heart is intact, honey. But I’ve had women come on to me to get insider information on cases, and let me tell you, being used like that burns.”
Natalie drew back. “Spies?”
He moved his thumb over her nipple, and when it tightened he met her gaze. “Nothing that dramatic. But once I was investigating this influential businessman, finding all kinds of dirt on him, personal and professional, and out of nowhere, some hot babe wants to get under me.”
Hot babe? Natalie scowled at how he said that. “Let me guess: you asked no questions.”
He shrugged. “I’m not ashamed to say that I was a typical guy and just went with it. I thought we clicked sexually, that she wanted me that much.”
He thought they had clicked sexually too. She wanted to groan. What was a very special and unique experience for her was apparently run-of-the-mill for Jett.
“I was interested enough that I didn’t look for ulterior motives.” He paid undue attention to his hand on her breast, pushing the flannel down, toying with her nipple—making her insane.