The Accidental Boyfriend (7 page)

He couldn’t let go.

Surprise left her mouth slightly open and her eyes wide as she looked up at him. Her lips were so close. He could remember with vivid clarity that passionate kiss they’d shared at the wedding. It had been next to impossible to drag himself away from her then. He didn’t know if he could do it again. If he kissed her now, there was no going back. He wanted her in his arms…in his bed.

She was the one who put an end to the moment, pulling back roughly and shaking her head as if to shake off the thick tension that had developed between them.

“So how far is this place?” she asked, her voice just a bit too loud.

She’d felt it too. And she was walking away from it.

“Are you sure you know where we’re going?” she continued.

Jack followed her lead. “I was there earlier today to drop off my bags. We’re close, I promise,” he said, continuing to walk and pretending that nothing had happened. Easier said than done given the thick desire that had him struggling to think straight.

He latched on to the last topic of conversation. “So we have a deal then,” he said, doing his part to get them back on track. “If I find myself entangled in a, uh,
sticky situation
with an ex-lover….”

“I’ll come to your rescue,” Holly finished. She held out her little finger. “Pinky swear.”

He led her around the corner and pointed triumphantly at the apartment complex ahead of them. “M’lady, may I welcome you to…Brunelli’s home.”

The concierge on duty was expecting them since Jack had already made himself at home at the plush pad. He gestured for them to take the private elevator and they rode in silence to the penthouse suite.

The doors slid open silently, revealing the spacious, opulent apartment in a rather dramatic manner. Holly’s gasp of pleasure made him ridiculously happy.

“Make yourself at home. Brunelli insists,” he said.

He started to give her the grand tour but he hadn’t gotten far before she was racing ahead of him, throwing open doors and exclaiming over every little luxury. All of the stuff that he’d come to take for granted over the years, ever since he’d first come into serious money.

Making money came easily to him—but holding on to it was another matter. It hadn’t taken him long to make back the fortune he’d so easily lost during his first shot at the big leagues. Learning from his past mistakes, he’d surrounded himself with people far more reliable than him and reveled in the glitzy lifestyle secure in the knowledge that his business partners wouldn’t let him repeat his past mistakes.

Jack trusted himself as little as Robbie did, maybe less—but he did trust Daniel and Brunelli and it was a relief to know that the employees of EverTech were safe from his curse.

Some people had a way of turning everything they touched to gold—like Danny, for instance—Jack, on the other hand had the unique ability to turn everything he touched to dust. He was a bull in a china shop when it came to life. Every ex-girlfriend would attest to that, not to mention his family and friends. Even those who loved him most openly admitted that he couldn’t be trusted. Not with anything that mattered, at least, and certainly not with anything involving a commitment.

Holly raced through the kitchen ahead of him, on her way to the wing that housed the master bedroom, her squeals of excitement echoing down the hall and drawing him out of his walk down self-pity lane.

He followed Holly’s excited voice and laughed aloud at her exuberance. Jack had grown accustomed to the blasé attitudes of the wealthy elite he was surrounded by these days and Holly’s reaction was refreshing. It made him feel like he was experiencing first-class living for the first time.

Jack caught up to her in the entrance to the master bathroom, where her mouth was literally hanging open in shock at the brilliant gold and marble opulence.

He grabbed her hand and gave it a tug. “Come on, you haven’t seen the best part yet.” He led her through the apartment to the back living room and through the sliding doors.

Holly let out a little squeak of pleasure at the sight before her. Paris, in all its glory. Lights twinkling across the Seine, the Eiffel Tower illuminated against the night sky.

“It’s like a movie,” she whispered.

Despite the view ahead of him, he couldn’t take his eyes off of her. It was physically impossible to tear his eyes away from the sheer joy in those incredible eyes.

* * * *

It was magic. For the second time in her life, Holly felt like she was in a fairy tale. Was it this man or was it romantic settings where they seemed to find themselves? First a wedding in Tuscany, and now, on the balcony of a penthouse suite in Paris.

But she’d been in plenty of exotic, romantic destinations and she’d never felt like Cinderella before.

It was Jack. He was larger than life, like a hero from a comic book. Kind and handsome, intelligent and playful, sexy and…charming. She nearly laughed aloud at the realization—she felt like Cinderella because he was a real life Prince Charming.

She kept her eyes trained on the amazing display of lights before her but every sense was tuned in to the man beside her. He was watching her. She could feel his gaze move over her like a caress.

He wanted her.

The thought made her so hot, her insides seemed to melt. She needed air. Shedding her jacket, she inhaled deeply and ordered her body to calm down. This was ridiculous. She was standing outside on a cool summer’s eve and yet she couldn’t seem to catch her breath.

Had he moved closer or was it just her imagination? He seemed too close, she couldn’t think straight.

“Holly.” Her name sounded like a question and a statement all at once. He moved just a little closer. Close enough for her to feel his warmth and smell his light, intoxicating cologne. She turned toward him and felt his hand brush against her waist.

That was all it took. That slight touch broke down the physical barrier between them and she was in his arms as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Like they were a couple who had been dancing together for decades and moved into place out of habit. He was gazing down at her but he was backlit by the sliding doors and his eyes were in shadows.

One of his arms was wrapped around her waist and he moved his free arm around her back so she was imprisoned against him. They stood that way for a moment, frozen in an embrace. His head was tipped toward her and she was gazing up at him. The air was too thick to breathe.

She couldn’t see his eyes but she could feel his stare on her lips. Nervous excitement made her lightheaded as she waited. What was he waiting for? Her lips parted for air and she heard his soft groan.

She couldn’t have moved if she wanted to once he started to lower his head toward hers. His lips were strong and hard against hers as he crushed her against him. This was nothing like the sweet, torturously teasing kiss at the wedding, with its promise of a slow seduction. This was passion.

Her mind went blank as sensations wreaked havoc on her sanity. She met him kiss for kiss with an urgency that was almost overwhelming. White-hot heat coursed through her as his lips moved against hers, their tongues tangling, almost battling in the most intensely passionate kiss she’d ever experienced.

He stroked her back with one hand, the heat of his touch cutting through the thin cotton of her blouse. With gentle pressure, he held her even closer and she wrapped her arms around his neck, clinging tighter, trying to slake the aching desire that was bordering on painful.

She wanted him everywhere, she wanted him
inside of
her.

The hand on her back moved up, through her curls to cup the back of her neck, his thumb brushing against the base of her throat in an intimate gesture. She let out a moan of pleasure as his other hand moved from her waist to the side of her breast, tantalizingly close to where she needed his touch but still teasing her.

He pulled back his head just enough to lean his forehead against hers to give them a moment to catch their breath. His voice was low and husky with desire when he muttered, “God, Holly, you’re so beautiful. I’m so glad I found you.”

Found her?
A distant part of her brain echoed the words. What did he mean, “found her?”

Thoughts slowly started to form through the haze of desire and sluggishly clicked into place like puzzle pieces. Jack had come here to find her. To save her. Because she’d gone to the wrong Paris. For Benjamin.

Benjamin.

Her stomach plummeted. Oh God, she was going to hell. Pulling back from his embrace with more strength than grace, she turned away from Jack in horror.

“I can’t do this.” She’d meant to speak the words but they came out in a harsh whisper. She was supposed to be here to win Benjamin and instead she was in another man’s arms? What was wrong with her?

Jack stared at her wide-eyed. He was still holding his arms out toward her but dropped them abruptly and ran a hand through his mussed hair. He let out a loud exhale. “Yeah, of course. Sorry if I…” his voice trailed off and he made an awkward gesture in her general direction.

Holly shook her head. “You didn’t.”

She should explain her actions. She knew that but her brain was having a hard time formulating sentences.

This was agony. Her body was screaming for completion and Jack was right there. It took every ounce of willpower to maintain that distance. He was hovering near the doorway.
Why did he have to look so good?
With his shirt partially unbuttoned—
had she done that?
—his disheveled hair and a five o’clock shadow, he was sexy as hell.

It was like he was
trying
to make this difficult for her. She backed up a few more steps and braced herself against the railing for support. Her legs were still trembling and the throbbing heat at her core had barely subsided.

He started backing away toward the balcony door. “I, uh…oh hell, I need a cold shower,” he said with a humorless laugh as he ducked back into the apartment.

She let out a long breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. She could breathe again now that he was not in kissing distance. She collapsed into one of the chairs on the patio and took several deep, steadying breaths.

What had she done? Guilt gnawed at her stomach. She had come all this way for a grand romantic gesture and ended up in the arms of another. She laughed bitterly in the darkness.
Well done, Holly.

For the first time all night the reality of her situation struck her. She had flown to France to surprise the man she loved—and he wasn’t there! Now she really did start to laugh as her eyes filled with tears of self-pity. The whole thing was ludicrous.

She propped her feet up on an end table and let her head fall back against the back of the chair. She made a game of trying to find stars in the night sky, not an easy feat with all the lights from the city spread out below her.

After a little while, the anxious pit in her stomach subsided and her brain was clear once again. Her body was still a bundle of sensitive nerve endings thanks to that kiss but she was no longer aching in all out agony.

What would Benjamin say when he found out? Not about the kiss. There was no reason to confess to that. For all she knew, he was shacking up with some Paris, Texas floozy right now. That thought only managed to bring back the pit in her stomach.

She’d been in a battle for his affection for the past six months—or at least that’s how it felt. First it was a battle to help him overcome any lingering feelings for his ex, then she’d struggled to make him see that she was capable of settling down—that she could be the stable, reliable woman he needed. And now she’d gone and proven to him that she’s just as flaky as ever by running ever off to another continent on a whim.

Love shouldn’t be this hard.

A wave of exhaustion washed over her and it had nothing to do with the wine or running all over Paris. She was tired of trying to make things work with Benjamin. What more did she need to do to make him see that they were meant to be together? A flicker of doubt shot through her.
Maybe it was time to give up.

Her chest tightened in pain at the mere thought. An image of the life they could have—of the
family
they could have—filled her mind. The dream she’d been harboring ever since that terrible night when she’d lost her baby washed away the uncertainty. The hope of the family to come was what drove her, it was everything. No way was she giving up on that dream. She just needed to find a way to get through to Benjamin, to make him realize once and for all that she was serious about their relationship.

And Jack? He was a remnant of her past, a living reminder of the lifestyle and choices she was leaving behind.

Jack woke late the next day. He’d tossed and turned all night in a miserable attempt to sleep, thanks to his irresistible new roommate and their late night make out session that had ended far too soon, as far as he was concerned.
But it was for the best.

There was no sign of Holly when he woke so he made his way to the kitchen to scour the pantry for some coffee. He was glad Holly had ended things when she had, he told himself for the fifteenth time since waking. She was his best friend’s sister which meant she was off limits. Besides, she was in love with another man, which meant she was really,
really
off-limits.

That thought should have been a relief. It meant that he was in no danger of hurting her heart, just like she’d been completely unfazed by their kiss at the wedding. He should be happy. Instead he found himself scowling at a nearly empty pantry, which was how Holly found him a minute later.

“Did that peanut butter do something to offend you?” he heard her ask from the kitchen doorway.

He glanced over and quickly looked away. Dammit. She looked hot as hell in an oversized T-shirt with tousled hair and no makeup. She looked like she’d just come from bed.

He sucked in a deep breath at the vivid image of her lying naked in his bed. Was it too early for another cold shower? He shut the pantry door a little too loudly. “Hey,” he said. He couldn’t think of anything else to say.
Him.
Jake Everett. A man who had a retort for everything, a witty aside for any time of day. But this morning, when he needed his wits most?
Hey.
That was all he could come up with.