I Know You Love Me (6 page)

"Would it help to know that Drew usually steers clear of any woman I'm dating?"

Allison snorted. “We aren't technically dating, but as his oldest and dearest friend, if you told me he loved me...that might."

Jimmy laughed and gave her a quick squeeze. “I'm afraid only he can tell you that, Love, but I truly believe he just might. It's the only thing that could explain how weird he's been acting lately. I haven't seen him this irrational since college."

Allison didn't want to keep letting the monsters rule her life. It was time she took control of things and took a chance, put herself out there where it actually counted. Maybe she'd find happiness at last.

"Stall for me?"

The suspicion in his voice didn't surprise her. “Why?"

"I'm going to do something completely irrational and idiotic. So will you stall for me?” Her grin must have convinced him to trust her. “How can I help?"

Opening the window, she moved quickly before she changed her mind. “Keep everyone busy while I sneak out."

Jimmy lost his temper. “Damn it, Allison..."

Licking her lips, she turned back to face him. How did she explain to him what she couldn't explain to herself? “I need time, Jimmy."

"Where will you go?"

A mischievous smile curved her lips as the perfect place occurred to her. “The last place the Sheriff would ever think of looking for me—Next door; he did offer me a place to stay."

Jimmy laughed and shook his head in disbelief. “You are crazy."

"Wait five minutes before leaving this room. That should give me all the time I need to make my getaway.” He looked at her so thoughtfully; she couldn't help but wonder what was going through his mind.

"You'd better be telling me the truth, because if you aren't, Drew will have me on permanent graveyard and I'll never know if Jeremy is home at night or not. You wouldn't want to leave poor Jeremy without adult guidance, would you?"

"Trust me.” She needed him to, or her plan wouldn't work. “Please?"

"Go. I'll think of something to stall him. How long do you need?"

Allison grinned, and started plotting her escape. “A few hours..."

"Two. I'll give you two hours, and you will so owe me for this."

"Thanks Jimmy, you won't regret it."

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Drew was a patient man, but even he had his limits. Ok, so he'd fucked up...bad. That didn't mean he didn't deserve her. Jimmy had been alone with his girl for almost twenty minutes, and he couldn't take it anymore. Growling his way past Jeremy, he opened the bedroom door and found...nothing. Jimmy was sitting there alone, Allison was gone. Fury filed him at the deception that had been played against him.

"Where is she?"

Jimmy shrugged, looking not the least bit guilty. “She's gone; I think you scared her away with your intensity."

Drew wanted to kill him. How could he let her go? “How long has she been gone?"

"A few minutes or more. From that look on your face, I'm guessing we're going looking for her?"

Drew stared at him in shock. “What do you mean, ‘we?’ You're the one who let her go. What makes you think I would trust you to find her?"

Jimmy leaned back against the window ledge with a grin. “Actually, she kissed me and then escaped out the window before I could recover. I tell you buddy, if she would have kissed me like that last night, we wouldn't be having this conversation."

"Why did she kiss you?” Drew asked suspiciously, not enjoying where this conversation was going one bit.

"Don't go all Neanderthal on me. Her exact words were, ‘give Drew a message for me.’ Then she kissed me like I'd never been kissed before by anyone, and disappeared. Damn, I wish I were you right now."

"Tell me that when the woman of your dreams leaves you without a word. How did she get out anyway?"

Jimmy grinned and stepped away from the window to sit on the bed. “She used the window...come to think of it, the way she was dressed..."

Drew frowned. He hated to admit it, but while wearing Jimmy's jersey she was pretty safe from other men. “No one will touch her while she's wearing your jersey, and you know it."

"You mean this jersey?"

His heart clenched and a slow chill ran up his body. “What the hell was she wearing when she left here Jimmy?"

Jimmy laughed and shrugged. “Honestly, I have no idea what she's wearing now, but the shirt came flying through the window a few seconds after she disappeared."

Relief flooded through Drew, bubbling out in laughter.

"What's so funny? I thought for sure you'd be going ballistic on me right about now,” Jimmy asked, confusion evident in his voice.

"I was just thinking that the kiss she gave you wasn't anything like the one I stole earlier.” Saying those words out loud made him feel more secure in her feeling for him.

Jimmy narrowed his eyes at him suspiciously. “How do you figure?"

"If it had been, you'd have realized by now that she wasn't wearing anything under that jersey. Not a stitch."

"You mean she's out there naked?"

Drew sat back against the window sill and smiled in response. He refused to answer that question; this was his secret to keep.

"Uhmm Drew, your back door was unlocked right?"

"Why?"

Jimmy grinned. “Well, because that's where Allison went, and if it's locked she'll have to make her way to her car where everyone will see her. She'll have more date offers than both of us combined by the end of the night."

Drew felt the floor give way under his feet. “Allison...my Allison is in my house? Naked? Excuse me; I have to go. Someone is waiting for me to find her."

Jimmy moved to block his exit. “You can't; I'm supposed to detain you for at least two hours while she...uhm...prepares."

Drew leaned back against the wall, intrigued by his friend's choice of words. “What exactly does she have planned for me?"

Jimmy relaxed, but didn't move out of the doorway. “She didn't tell me. Guess you'll just have to wait and be surprised."

Grinning, Drew started out of the room, putting his arm around Jimmy's shoulder as he went. “Good; I'm in the mood to be surprised. Shall we play some cards...in the kitchen?"

Jimmy followed him into the other room suspiciously. “You hate playing cards."

"Very true, but I'm curious as to how she plans on preparing for me if she can't turn on any lights without giving away her location.” Pulling out a chair facing the window that looked into his kitchen, Drew had a seat.
This is going to be fun.

"She was right. You are evil. No wonder..."

Shuffling the deck, Drew glanced at Jimmy in amusement. “No wonder what?"

"You're arrogant."

"No, just confident that I'm right."

"Try overconfident!"

"She likes me; she may even already love me. I can't be overconfident when I'm dealing in facts. Now go get the runt. It's going to be a long night."

Jimmy got up and took two beers out of the fridge, passing him one. “Facts, huh? Alright here's a fact for you—Allison will never admit how she feels about you as long as you're acting like an arrogant ass."

"I don't need her to voice her feelings; her actions are admission enough."

Leaning back against the counter, Jimmy opened his bottle and took a long swallow. “That would be true, except she's strong enough to leave here and never come back. Question is, are you strong enough to let her go? Do you love her, Drew? Because if you do, then you had better learn some humility, quick. And if you don't...let her go. Don't play with her just because your ego needs to know you can get anyone you want."

"She wouldn't dare.” Drew hated the way Jimmy was trying to ruin his good mood. Allison wanted him as much as he desired her, and he wished to enjoy that knowledge for a while longer.

"Wouldn't she? She's done it before. She left McHenry and the band after admitting in front of a million people that she loved him and would marry him."

Drew scowled at his friend. Suddenly he wasn't feeling so confident anymore. “That bastard cheated on her."

"Not technically; Andrew McHenry kissed another woman. She caught them before it could go any further."

Drew wasn't about to let that bit of news change his mind about the situation. “He shouldn't have been kissing another woman when he had her in his bed."

"You really don't know anything about her, do you? No wonder she fell for you. With you she can be herself. You have no preconceived notions about who she is or who she should be.” Turning, he went to get his brother so they could start the game.

"Jimmy..."

"He didn't have her in his bed, Drew. Allison made it very clear on all those talk shows she used to do. She doesn't believe in pre-marital sex. I'd be willing to bet that mine's the first bed she's ever shared, and I'm the first man she's ever seen naked."

"Allison's a...” Drew processed this for a moment. “Doesn't matter to me. If she left me, I'd go crazy with loneliness. Tonight she'll be in my bed, and I'm never going to let her go again. Even if that means I have to marry that girl to guarantee it.” The moment the words were out of his mouth, he realized he meant every one.

"Are you serious?"

Seeing the shocked, surprised look on Jimmy's face amused Drew. It had been years since he'd caught his best friend off-guard like this.

"Better get your tux pressed Jimmy, looks like I'm getting married...again."

"Allison McKay, you are a poor excuse for a seductress.” Allison spat in disgust.

Drew walked into his house just in time to hear Allison's curse and found his elusive prey sitting in the dark looking positively miserable. He had intended to play along, maybe even tease her into his bed, but the sadness on her face changed all that instantly.

"What's wrong?"

She turned sad, puffy eyes on him and groaned in failure. “Oh no, not yet. You can't be here. Not right now. I haven't left yet."

"If you were going to leave, Love, you would have left by now. Sweetheart, tell me what's wrong.” Watching her curl up in the chair tore at his heart. She truly didn't have any experience at seduction, and that reality only made him want her more.

"I'm a failure."

Drew walked over to the chair and picked her up, then rested her on his lap once he took over her seat. His need to cradle her close and make her happy nearly overwhelmed him.

"How did you fail? By not leaving town? I don't see that as failure, Beautiful."

Allison cuddled deeper into his lap. “I was planning on seducing you tonight, and now I can't."

Drew laughed; that was the craziest thing he'd ever heard. All she needed to do to seduce him would be to beckon him with one finger, and he'd crawl to her on hands and knees. “Allison, you can be confident that any seduction you planned will be highly successful."

"No, it won't...I never should have tried to do this. I'm being punished..."

When she paused, he tilted her chin up too look into her eyes. “Why do you believe that?"

"Some seductress I've turned out to be—I can't even keep track of when my period is due. Maybe it's fate; I have a lot to do in the next three days. I should go call Jimmy."

Well, damn. That was the last thing I expected to hear today.
He couldn't help the feeling of rightness that washed over him at the thought.

"I'll call Jimmy and tell him to bring over your suitcase."

"Thank you, and please tell Jeremy he can use my car until I get back. There's no sense in my staying here any longer."

Drew growled angrily at her stubbornness. She was going to be very difficult. Good thing he enjoyed a challenge. “I don't care if we don't make love tonight, Allison. Hell, I don't care if I have to wait until our wedding night. I just want to wake up with you in my arms."

"You'd be willing to do that...for me?"

Counting to ten, he forced himself to stay calm. McHenry had done quite a number on her when he broke her heart. It was going to take time and patience to gain her trust, and he had both to spare.

"Damn it, woman, I'll marry you tomorrow if that's the only way I can keep you with me."

"I'll stay tonight, but I'm leaving in the morning."

A lot of time. “Don't you mean we're leaving first thing in the morning? Don't look so surprised, Love; I have vacation days coming to me, and I know Jimmy will be more than happy and willing to cover for me while I'm gone. Hell, I already told you that I planned to marry you. You didn't think I'd let you leave me so soon, did you?"

"I...you can't be serious.” Her voice broke into a squeak, and her eyes grew to the size of dollar coins at his audacity.

Drew flashed the one grin he knew women couldn't resist, in the hope of distracting her. “May I also comment that I truly approve of the wardrobe change."

Allison looked down at herself, a bright scarlet blush creeping across her cheeks. “I forgot. I hope you don't mind but I was getting a little cold, and I needed to put something on while I ran out to my car."

Running his hand up her leg, his eyes never once left her face. Lord, she was beautiful. “I don't mind."