Jack sat on the plush couch of the Cambridge Suite’s living room while he read the morning paper. But no matter how much he tried to concentrate on the day’s headlines, his thoughts drifted elsewhere.

Back to soft, womanly curves and the feel of satiny smooth skin on his lips. The sweet, shy blush of a pretty lady as he sat next to her on the bed earlier that morning…

The click of the bathroom door jarred him from his thoughts. He looked up from his paper to see Evie making her way out of the bathroom, quietly closing the door behind her. Warmth swarmed in Jack’s belly and he put his paper down on the table. As she shyly padded barefoot across the carpet in to the living room, Jack surmised that she looked even more beautiful in just the jeans and loose white shirt he’d picked out for her.

“You look beautiful.” Jack said, straightening himself up on the couch. Evie smiled bashfully and turned her eyes down to the carpet, hooking her thumbs in the loopholes of her new jeans.

“Thank you.” She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. She always did that whenever something made her shy. The clothes were a little looser than she usually wore, nonetheless she loved them. She loved how comfortable they were and how the chiffon of the white shirt hung loose and swayed as she walked, “Thank you for these clothes again. How much do I owe you for them?”

Evie’s question was met with a amused chuckle.

“You don’t owe me a thing, Evie,” Jack shook his head.

“At least let me pay you back for some of it then?” She persisted.

“Evie,” Jack lifted himself off the couch and walked over to her, lightly placing both of his hands on her shoulders, “I bought them for you as a gift. Like I said, you don’t owe me a thing.”

Jack held her gaze, staring straight in to those captivating doe eyes. Gently, he brushed his hand over her glossy hair. The curls she had the night before had loosened in to soft waves, framing her pretty face. Despite his persuasions, Evie’s mouth twisted stubbornly.

“Alright,” she conceded, before a little smile curled up on her rosebud lips, “Thank you.”

An abrupt knock on the door startled her a little and Jack looked up.

“That’ll be breakfast,” he quickly kissed Evie on her forehead and made his way to the door before turning back, “Get your gorgeous self back in to bed, you.”

With that jokey, boyish grin on his handsome face and a knee-buckling wink, he didn’t need to tell Evie twice. She practically dashed back in to the bedroom.

* * * *

“So spill, Mr. Palmer,” Evie swallowed her last bit of French toast and bacon, “What do you do so that you can afford the Cambridge Suite?”

Jack had been grilling her since breakfast arrived about what she did for a living, curious to know more about her. The second she told him she was a writer for a lifestyle website, there’d been no end of questions. What in particular did she write about? Health, makeup, skin care, relationships, the works! How long had she been there for? Nearly two years. Did she enjoy it? Of course she did! On and on the questions went. Now, it was his turn. Jack sat with her against the pillows on the bed, shoulder to shoulder. He finished a bite of his eggs benedict.

“I run a construction company,” he said simply, “Family business. After Dad retired, it came down to me.”

“Is that what you always wanted to do?” Evie turned slightly towards him, intrigued to find out more. Jack held her gaze.

“I’m afraid so,” he laughed and took another bite of food, “No tale of woe of secretly wanting to be an artist!”

“What about outside of work?” she asked, “Hobbies? Brothers? Sisters?”

For a brief second, Evie saw a sadness wash over him before the bright, jokey demeanour returned.

“There’s not much to know, really,” he said, “I’m actually pretty boring, to be honest!”

He took Evie’s empty plate and placed it on top of his own. He threw his long, muscular legs over the side and out of bed, put the plates and cutlery on a nearby coffee table that sat by a plush Chesterfield couch. As he bent down, the morning sunshine shone through and lit up the rippling muscles bulging under his white shirt. Evie propped herself up on her knees, sinking in to the covers.

She had noticed the way he hurriedly brushed himself off as nothing more than a boring man, when everything she’d known from him in a short time was anything but. There was a guard there that let a slither of insecurity seep through. Though he tried to cover it well, Evie could see right through it.

“You don’t seem it to me.” She muttered, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. He turned to face her, straight backed and serious. The copper tones in his dark hair shone in the sun as he eyed her curiously.

“What makes you say that?” he asked.

Evie couldn’t stifle the girlish laugh that bubbled up from her belly. He didn’t miss the amusement in her face and gazed down questioningly.

“Come on!” Evie laughed, throwing her legs off the bed and going to meet him, “As if it isn’t obvious?”

Despite his unease at the subject, Jack fought down the urge to wrap his arms round her and kiss her lips raw as this beautiful, lively woman came sauntering up to him. The white chiffon hung loose off her frame, clinging to the top bulges of her breasts yet loose enough to tempt the imagination.

It suited her perfectly. The siren that made him double take the night before had switched to a bubbly girl next door. She radiated from the inside out. When Evie got to him, she was only inches away from his chest. Jack felt his chest tighten as those wide green eyes stared up at him shrewdly.

“Dancing with a stranger,” she began, ” being whisked away to a fancy suite, a wild night…”

“Well, who could forget that?” Jack winked teasingly down at her. He saw her mouth twist as she tried not to laugh before her eyes changed. They had softened as she searched his eyes.

“But…” she paused as she tried to find the right words, “How you’ve been this morning with me…not many people do that…”

Evie faltered and grimaced. Why couldn’t she just put it in to words? There was something about this man. He had an air that she just couldn’t place, but “boring” as he put it was the last thing she would call it.

“Go on?” He asked quietly. When she met Jack’s gaze, he was the one searching her eyes. No joking, no standing on ceremony. As the nerves and butterflies began to somersault again in her belly, Evie took a deep breath.

“I get the feeling there’s a lot more to you than you show…” She faltered again, but this time Jack cut in.

“You want to get to know that part of me better?” he murmured, his tone soft. He hadn’t expected this. He wanted to get to know her, but this morning had completely caught him off guard. This woman, this stranger, had seen right through his walls and what surprised him more, he was absolutely fine with it.

There was something about her that made him feel safe, completely himself for the first time in years. He felt…happy. Evie stared up in to his blue eyes, gentle and unguarded. As she took another breath, she began to feel her own guard peel down. There was no use lying. Slowly, she shifted up on to her tiptoes and placed a gentle kiss on his lips.

“Yes,” she admitted, “Honestly, I would like to.”

*

Violet Grey

Copyright, 2018 – Life of Violet

All Rights Reserved.

*Picture – Pinterest