Moment of Weakness - The Esquire Girls Series - Hailey (Book 1) (5 page)

Chapter 12

We went online and found a restaurant that would deliver a Thanksgiving meal to us. Jackson had ordered first – turkey with stuffing and cranberry sauce, macaroni and cheese, collard greens and apple pie. When I placed my order – glazed sweet potatoes and green beans, he poked and prodded to find out why I hadn’t gotten some turkey. Laughing, I told him that I’m vegan and that I haven’t gone near meat in months. He immediately changed his order to what I was having so that I wouldn’t feel uncomfortable with him eating turkey in my presence. This is even though I explained to him that my friends eat meat around me all the time and it isn’t a big deal. Still, it’s sweet of him to take my comfort into consideration.

We swap stories about going to school in Texas and growing up on a farm. He makes me laugh. A lot.

And he makes me blush.

Those emerald green eyes are so captivating and that boyish smile of his makes my stomach tie into a knot. Even the stubble on his chin adds to his rugged charm although I’ve always liked my men clean-shaven. He’s attractive. I can’t deny it.

I swivel backwards in the chair at the security desk as I close my takeout container. “I’m stuffed,” I say pulling a napkin across my lips.

Jackson lifts an eyebrow at me. He doesn’t look satisfied. That’s to be expected. He’s a Texan man so I’m sure he has a Texan appetite. I can’t help but laugh.

He glances at the time on his phone. “Oh – my shift’s almost over. The other guy should be here by midnight.”

“Midnight?” I toss a glance at my wristwatch. I hadn’t realized that we’d hung out that long.

Jackson gets up and starts gathering our empty containers and dirty napkins. I catch a glimpse of a hand-drawn sketch underneath all the mess.

“What’s this?” I ask tugging on the edge of the sheet of paper and pulling it towards me.

Jackson glances at it and his expression goes coy. “It’s a mock-up of the military app that an old buddy and I are working on.”

An expression of surprise colors my face. “You have an app? Wait – you’re in the military?”

He gives me a small smile. “Did two tours of duty in Iraq. Now, a buddy and I are working on an app. It helps veterans to track down local businesses owned by other military men. We think it’s a pretty solid way of connecting vets to support each other when we get home from active duty.”

I feel my heart soften. “Wow – that’s an awesome idea, Jackson,” I say as I bring my eyes back to the sheet. “My dad was in the air force,” I say in a small voice. “His plane got shot down over Baghdad. He owned a ranch but he always dreamed of opening a dive bar when he got back home. Except he never made it back.”

I see the sympathy in Jackson’s face. “Aww man. I’m sorry to hear that, Hailey.”

I put on a brave smile for him. The same brave smile I’ve donned every time I’ve mentioned my father’s death to a stranger. “It’s okay. He died serving our country. He died an honorable death.” I can tell that Jackson’s mood has been sobered by my confession so I try to change the conversation. “Tell me more about your app.”

“Well, we’ve done the beta testing and there are still a few tweaks that we need to make, but for now, the problem is that we’ve run out of money. We need to eat and pay our bills and until we have a few thousand users, that just won’t be possible. So, that’s why I’m here in New York. When I’m not here at work, I’m out meeting with investors and trying to get funding so that we can have a marketing budget and pay ourselves a salary.”

“Wow – I’m so impressed.” I see him in a whole new light now. At first, he was just a cute security guard, but now, I see the ambition and drive and passion in him.

He gives me a small smile just as his replacement pushes through the front door. The two men chat briefly before Jackson slips into his jacket and we say our goodnights to the replacement security guard.

“It’s late. I’ll take a cab,” I say as we walk down the stairs towards the sidewalk.

“Good idea,” Jackson says as he jogs down ahead of me and hails the first cab he sees.

“Thanks,” I say as he opens the door for me and I slip inside. “What are you doing?” I ask apprehensively as he slides into the cab next to me.

He looks puzzled. “I’m gonna ride with you to make sure you get home safe.”

No. no. no. He’s a stranger. There’s no way I’m letting him know where I live. “You’re  a real gentleman but I don’t need a bodyguard, Tough Guy. I’ve been in New York for a while. I can get home on my own.”

His expression is a mix of skepticism and disappointment. “You sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure,” I say trying to sound as convincing as possible.

“Hey buddy, the meter’s running,” the cabbie interrupts rudely. The frown on his face lets us know that he doesn’t want to idle around while Jackson and I argue about whether I can make it home without him escorting me there.

“Alright, then,” he says as he reluctantly steps back onto the curb.

“I had fun hanging out with you tonight, Jackson,” I say as I reach for the door handle to pull it shut.

“Same here, Cowgirl. Same here.”

Chapter 13

His keys and wallet were on the seat.

Goddammit!

The cab pulled up in front of my building and I realized that Jackson’s keys and wallet were on the goddamned seat. They must have fallen out of his pocket when he climbed into the cab with me. That means that he can’t get into his apartment and he has no money. It’s a damned cold night, too, and I can’t imagine what I would do if I found myself in this situation.

We never exchanged phone numbers so I can’t call to let him know that his possessions are with me. Luckily, his address is on a card in his wallet. So, I ask the taxi driver to drive me the eight blocks over to his place.

Once we get to Jackson’s building, the damn cabbie refuses to wait for me while I try to figure out how exactly to find Jackson. The asshole demands payment, then drives off and leaves me standing on the curb.

Ugh!

So now, here I am outside of Jackson’s apartment building, holding his wallet and keys. He’s nowhere in sight and I’m not too sure what my next move is. After about two or three minutes of standing outside of his place, a group of giggly college-aged girls exit the building and I use it as my opportunity to slip in. Maybe, he got into the building and he’s now sitting outside of his door wondering how the hell to get into his apartment.

I climb four flights of stairs and go through the labyrinth of apartments before I finally come upon apartment 438. I press my ear to the door and hear loud country music inside. Hesitantly, I knock on the door. I wait and wait and just as I’m about to walk away defeated, the door swings open.

Jackson stands there wearing nothing but a fluffy white towel around his waist. Beads of water roll down the ridges of his chiseled chest. His shoulders are broad and powerful. His stomach is tight. A light sprinkling of hair covers his pectoral muscles. I have to pry my eyes away from his gorgeous body and bring my attention back to his face which just happens to be gorgeous too.

He looks incredibly surprised to see me. “Hailey – what are you doing here?”

“You dropped your wallet and keys in the cab,” I say, frustration seeping into my tone as I wave his stuff around in the air. “How did you get inside anyway?”

He laughs. “Hailey – I’m ex-special forces. Getting into my apartment without the keys really is no big deal. But thanks for dropping off my stuff though.” He’s still laughing.

“Y’know what, Tough Guy? None of this is funny. I’ve had a really long day. I’m tired. I’m cold. And now I have to go grab another cab to get home –“

“Okay, okay. Calm down. I just turned on the kettle. Come in warm up that little, red nose of yours. I’ll make you some tea.”

Every part of my brain tells me to turn down his offer.

But my body?

My body tells me to rip that damn towel right off of him.

He can sense my hesitation. He moves out of the way and gestures for me to enter. His silly boyish grin tells me that it’s okay. I’m safe with him.

I feel my body move over the threshold and enter the small studio apartment. The tiny space is dim and cozy, but it’s far from fancy. A dated suede sofa sits near the window and a large computer screen is set on the desk in the corner of the room. A small ceramic lamp sits on the table next to the couch. There’s a dark wooden coffee table in the center of the room and a worn rug covers most of the floor. Aside from the papers strewn all over the desk, the apartment is pretty tidy for a guy’s place.

Jackson is busy in the kitchenette preparing the tea. “Sorry – I don’t have guests very often. All I’ve got is peppermint tea. Is that okay for you?”

“Yeah – it’s fine,” I say as I settle onto the couch staring at his sculpted back. I wonder what it would be like to run my fingernails down its carved ridges.

I shake my head to chase the thought away.

Jackson sets a cup of tea down on the table in front of me with a jar of brown sugar and a spoon.

“Thank you,” I mutter softly as I bring the cup to my lips.

“No sugar?” he asks as he sinks into the couch next to me with a hot water bottle he’s just filled with scalding water.

“No thanks. I’m on a diet,” I say feeling self-conscious. I feel slightly embarrassed discussing my eating habits with him so I change the subject quickly. “No tea for you?”

“Nah.” He shakes his head as he brings the hot water bottle to his left shoulder. This movement causes his entire chest to flex and my, is he delicious.

“What’s up with the water bottle?” I ask as I take a sip of tea before setting my cup down on the table.

“Battle wound, I guess.” A distant look comes across his face like my question has tossed him back into the throes of an unpleasant memory. “Explosion in Basra. The blast was strong enough to pelt me a good few yards backwards into a concrete beam. My shoulder still acts up every now and then.”

“Oh, shit,” I say softly. “That’s awful.”

He looks up at me with a light smile on his lips. “I was lucky. Some of my brothers died in that explosion. I’m just lucky to be alive.”

I don’t know what to say so I don’t say anything.

We sit in silence for a long while. My eyes begin to flutter shut.

And that’s the last thing I remember.

Chapter 14

When my eyes blink open the next morning, they land on a set of unfamiliar curtains. Alarmed, I bounce upright in my seat and the couch springs squeak loudly. I yank the blankets off of me and notice that my jacket is still on, buttoned all the way up with my scarf around my neck.

“Hey.”

My head darts to the left where I see Jackson sitting at his computer desk in all his chiseled, shirtless glory.

I yank wild strands of hair from my face as I try to piece together the events of last night and figure out how the hell I got here.

“Good morning, Cowgirl,” Jackson says as he stands to his feet and with the flick of a button, turns on the electric kettle.

“Good morning,” I mumble groggily as he bends into the mini fridge. His shorts hang loosely on his hips.

Wow – what an ass.

“You were out like a light last night,” he says as he sets a bowl of fruit on the counter.

“I was tired,” I say as I glance around the apartment. It looks different in the glow of the sunlight. “Where did you sleep?” I ask panicking when I notice that the only door in the apartment leads to the washroom. There’s no separate bedroom.

He nods towards the pile of blankets and pillows on the floor. When his eyes meet mine, he gives me an awkward grin.

“Aww, man. Now I feel bad. I just showed up at your house in the middle of the night and stole your bed,” I say apologetically as I glance back at the couch where I’m sitting. “Why didn’t you wake me up? I would have gone home.”

He smiles coyly. “I didn’t want to disturb you. You’re just so damned pretty while you sleep.”

He moves towards me with a hot cup of tea and a bowl of fruits. He sets them on the table in front of me before sitting on the edge of the couch.

“You’re blushing,” he remarks as he runs a finger down my heated cheek. Amusement dances in his eyes.

I feel flustered and tongue-tied. It’s not every day that a man who I feel such raw attraction to calls me ‘damned pretty’. I can’t bring my gaze to his.

He reaches out and gently holds my face in his hand. “Hailey…you’re pretty.
Very
pretty.”

I must be the color of a beet right now. “Thank you,” I say in a small voice as I dare to bring my eyes to his.

He finally looks satisfied. He stands again. “Okay – I need to go take a shower. I have to be at work soon,” he announces as he moves towards the washroom.

I nod as I watch him go.

“Don’t go anywhere, okay? I want you to be here when I get out.”

I nod again.

But as soon as the bathroom door closes, I grab my purse and tiptoe out the front door because I’m far too aroused to be left alone with this man. If I have to sit here watching water run down his stone-cut body when he emerges from the bathroom, I’m guaranteed to do something stupid.