“I’m sorry. I never meant to imply anything, Jessy.” He put his hand up in the air in a quick apology. “I’m sorry about your mom. That must have been hard on you and Lily.”
She took a breath in and let it out slowly. She wasn’t in the mood to get into some kind of argument with him. It had been a rough couple of nights and she was exhausted. She was scared and unsure of who to trust. It made for a lot of sleepless nights trying to figure everything out. She hated living this way but she had to be smart. Her sister’s life was in her hands, besides her own life. She couldn’t afford to make mistakes out of lust.
“Did your brother find anything out?” she asked him, trying to sound polite, like he didn’t unsettle her.
He shook his head no, looking grim again. “Gary had a tight alibi, but my brother won’t give up and neither will I.”
“I figured Gary was harmless,” she said, honestly. “He was drunker than I’d ever seen him before, but I have never seen him act that way.”
“Did he hurt you?” He scooted closer until they were touching thigh to thigh. She felt the heat invade her body right away. What was his deal? The other night he pushed her away so fast her head was still spinning. Now he was here in her house sitting close to her. He pushed her bangs out of her way. The touch of his fingers on her skin made her feel little electrical currents all over. She squeezed her thighs together, hoping to dispel the throbbing need she was feeling between her legs.
“No, he was insistent I go home with him but he didn’t touch me. Mario, the bouncer, got there quickly and took his keys from him,” she answered, lost in his brown eyes.
“I was worried when I heard about some guy peeping through your window like that. What an asshole,” he admitted in a low voice. “He’d better hope I am not the one who finds him.”
“You were worried about me?” Her words tumbled out of her mouth. Was this a dream? He almost sounded like he cared about her.
“I went to your work to apologize for my behavior. Your friend Mike said you took the night off. Is he your boyfriend? He seemed very protective of you.”
Was Lincoln jealous? Surely not, but the idea thrilled her. She certainly experienced enough jealousy over Lincoln.
“No. He is a good person,” Jessy explained with sorrow. “His mother has cancer. My mom died of cancer so I can understand what he is going through.”
“I had no idea. I don’t know Mike too well. He sticks close to home but I had no idea why,” Lincoln admitted. “I’m sorry about your mother, Jessy. Did you move out of the city to get away from sad memories?”
She nodded. It wasn’t the whole truth, but she wasn’t trusting him yet. By tomorrow he’d be his old ornery self again and back to disliking her. Jessy was sure he just felt sorry for her at this moment, but soon it would pass.
“There is so much I don’t know about you.” He spoke softly as if speaking to himself, too.
“You don’t need to know me, Lincoln. We’re not even friends.” It hurt to hear the words but it was the truth.
“What if I want us to be friends?” He surprised her by contradicting her statement.
“Why?”
He chuckled. “Boy, I seem to have lost my touch.”
Was he talking about being more than friends? They couldn’t spend one minute without snapping at each other. “I’m not your type.”
“What is my type?” His dark eyebrow arched upward in a challenge. She could see the lines on his forehead crinkle and she yearned to soothe them.
“Blonde, fancy, stuck-up.” She turned her nose up in the air.
“Ouch. You make me sound shallow.” He laughed loudly.
She gave him the look that said if the shoe fits, wear it. His grin was contagious and it took a few seconds for her to giggle, too. She liked his smile. “You have a nice smile, Lincoln.”
“We got off on the wrong foot, Jessy,” he admitted, losing the smile and turning serious again. His finger swiped her cheek gently as if he liked touching her. That’s a ridiculous thought, Jessy. Get your heads out of the clouds.
“Can we try to be friends? Get to know each other?” he suggested, but she could hear the hesitation in his voice as if he expected her to reject him.
She wasn’t that mean. She had feelings for him but obviously he saw her only as a potential friend. She would have to settle for that.
She was filled with sadness at his statement. A week ago, she would have been thrilled for any opportunity to spend time with him and see the man behind the badge and surly demeanor. She had no idea what tomorrow would bring. She wished she could confide in him, but she wasn’t sure if she could trust him yet. Not that she thought he could be bribed by Jagger or his men, but he might tell his brother. His brother could call New York to confirm her story and then Jagger would find her for sure. Right now, they had no idea if Jagger was here looking for them or not. Jessy had to be cautious just in case he was here in town. She was worried. She promised her sister she would protect her, and she would keep her word.
She tried to smile and not cry. “You think we can stop annoying each other long enough?”
“We can try. How about we go have an ice cream and talk,” he offered, standing up and holding out his hand for her to take. She took it and stood up. His big hand felt warm and strong. She squeezed it and he gave her a gentle smile. No wonder he is so popular with the ladies. He is irresistible when he does smile.