"Can I ask why not?"
"It brings back memories of my father. I'm not particularly fond of him." His tone invited no further conversation. His blue eyes weren’t bright anymore like they’d been this morning before he spoke to his grandmother. He intensely disliked being here and yet had come at the drop of a hat because his grandfather wasn't feeling well. He was initially a grump, but underneath those thorns was a generous and kind man I liked far too much.
The car stopped right in front of us, and Jake opened the door for me again. This time I made sure I didn't accidentally brush against him. No matter how much I wanted to feel those hard muscles again, it was simply not a good idea.
He was going back to New York as soon as possible. I had my own issues going on, and no matter how seductive this tension between us was, I had to ignore it.
The drive to Jeannie's house took well over forty minutes. How could there be so much traffic on Saturday afternoon? I didn't get it. Next to me, Jake was on the phone the whole time, barking orders, although it wasn't fair to say barking—his tone was never disrespectful. No, he was firm, and every sentence just dripped with authority.
He drummed his fingers on the leather seat. Once again, I was struck by how alluring his hands were, and forearms too. When had he rolled up his sleeves? Probably on the plane.
I glanced out the window and tried my best to tune out the conversation, not wanting to make it seem like I was eavesdropping. I fidgeted in my seat, stretching out my arms, and our hands accidentally brushed.
Holy shit.All my efforts to not accidentally bump up against him when I got in the car were in vain. Now I’d gone and done it.
Heat pooled straight between my legs, causing me to exhale sharply. I peeked at him. His eyes were glued on my thighs. As if he could sense I was looking at him, he glanced at me. My cheeks were on fire. I abruptly cocked my head, looking out the window.
“Sorry about that. Went on for longer than I thought. I make it a rule not to ignore calls from clients,” he said after hanging up.
“No problem.”
We arrived at his grandparents’ house a few seconds later, and Jake got out first. He was probably going to open the door to my side as well, but I didn't bother to wait. I unbuckled the seat belt and immediately got out.
"Are you sure this is okay with you? I can have the driver take you home right now," Jake said as I rounded the car.
"No, I'm fine. Really. Unless you think I'm intruding."
"No, you're not. I'm going to have a serious conversation with my grandfather. It would actually be a tremendous help if you could keep my grandmother entertained in the meantime."
"Oh, I see. You're making me your accomplice. I demand to know exactly what I'm getting into."
The corners of his mouth lifted. "You’re something, Ms. Summers."
"Oh, we’re back to last names? Just so I know where I stand."
"No, we're not. We're on a first-name basis, Natalie."
My name in his mouth sounded different than before. It did something to my belly. Were those flutters I felt? This man had an insane effect on me.
Natalie, forget the flutters.
I couldn’t, though. My ex, Vince, had never given me flutters. Even though we’d broken up six months ago, I wasn’t looking for a relationship. Not that Jake was offering, of course.
"Should we take out our suitcases?"
"No, Cal is going to wait here until we're done."
I didn't question that. I was just happy I didn't have to carry around my suitcase everywhere.
Jake and I walked into the small garden and up the porch to the front door. He didn't bother knocking, and we went straight inside the house, taking off our shoes and leaving them in the entryway.
"Grandmother, Grandfather!" he called loudly. "Natalie and I are here."
Jeannie poked her head out from the living room. "Oh, goodness. You really didn't have to come back. I have everything under control."
I was shocked. When Jake had said his grandmother would be out of sorts, I'd expected her to maybe be a bit on edge, but Jeannie seemed a completely different person than the woman I'd met before. She had dark circles under her eyes, strands of hair escaped her strict bun, and she looked frazzled.
"Grandmother, have you slept at all?" Jake asked. His voice was full of concern.