Yours Truly (Part of Your World, #2)(67)

“Wow, seriously? Thanks,” Daniel said, turning it around in awe. “I know exactly where to put it. This is awesome.”

Jacob looked relieved that his gift had hit the mark and turned back to me with the puppy-dog, hat-in-hand smile that always made my face go soft.

“I’ll show you to your room,” I said, nodding over my shoulder.

He left Lieutenant Dan hopping around the yard with Hunter and followed me up the stairs. We stopped on the landing to look at the big stained-glass window.

“This is beautiful,” he said, studying it.

It was a black bear in a clearing in the woods. The sides of the window were thick green forest with trees with tall brown trunks.

“I bet this is original to the house,” he said. “Weird it wasn’t on the website, it’s so unique.”

“They built Grant House in 1897,” I said, starting up the stairs again.

“I know,” he said, following me. “I read all about it. I love places like this.”

I brought him into the second guest room. He dropped his bag on the hope chest at the end of his bed and peered around.

“This is nice.”

“Yeah.”

When his eyes came back around to mine, I was standing there in front of the fireplace with my hands in my back pockets, and again I got the urge to hug him. I was simultaneously glad that he was here while also wishing that we were at his parents’ house instead so we’d have a reason to touch.

Two days that I couldn’t even hug him. My body screamed to reach for him. I wanted to feel his warm hand in mine or his body pressed against me. I wanted to smell his skin, if only to erase the memory of Amy’s perfume from last night.

And then I felt so, so sad all over again.

Not mine.

Here with me, but his heart’s somewhere else.

Remember that.

“Hey, maybe we should post a selfie,” he said.

I cleared my throat. “Yeah. Good idea. We can tell everyone we’re at a romantic bed-and-breakfast.”

He nodded behind him. “Maybe we should be sitting on the bed?”

“Totally. Definitely. Let everyone think that’s where we’re spending the whole weekend.”

That’s where I wish we were spending the whole weekend…

He got onto the mattress and I climbed on the other side. It was a twin, so we really had to squeeze in. He lay back against the headboard and opened his arm to let me snuggle up next to him and my whole body melted at the contact.

This.

This was what I needed. I could have stayed here forever.

He settled into the pillows, and I got adjusted against his chest. He smelled warm and familiar, and I could see why he could convert dogs who hate men and lure timid cats out from under sofas.

Jacob made me feel safe. He was like a living lullaby. A softly spoken word. The smell of coffee and toast in the morning or a cozy fleece blanket. The rain pattering on the roof on a day where you don’t have to go anywhere or do anything.

I wondered if sex with him would feel like slipping into warm water. All enveloping and just right. I bet kissing him would feel that way too. He was so gentle and careful. I bet he’d kiss me softly. And then hard. I’d put a hand on his jaw to feel his five-o’clock shadow and then move it to the back of his neck to pull him closer. I could picture the feel of his lips and his tongue and his teeth. His breath on my mouth and his chest rising and falling against mine the way it was right now…

I was so in my head I had to remind myself what I was supposed to be doing. I cleared my throat again and angled the camera, taking longer than I needed to, just to have a second more in his arms.

He didn’t look at the lens, though. He tilted his head so his nose was in my hair and closed his eyes. It looked great for the picture. Like this was a private moment with a man who was in love with me and we were catching this in a candid photo.

I had the strongest urge to set down the phone and tip my head up to his and see what would happen.

Instead I took the picture and hopped off the bed.

I had to pretend to be busy putting the picture on Instagram so I wouldn’t have to look at him while my heart rate went back down.

It really was a good picture. Tender. Intimate.

Then I realized that Amy would see this and all it would do is make the situation between them more tense. It might even be the thing that tipped the scales.

Jacob’s family seemed pretty chill. If Amy did switch brothers again, I knew they’d get over it. They’d have their moment. Jewel would probably be the most vocal. She seemed like she didn’t have a lot of time for drama and bullshit and she’d definitely give her two cents. But then they’d all probably just shrug and accept it and move on.

I honestly didn’t see her wedding to Jeremiah happening.

I mean, I’d do what I’d said I was going to do, which was to be his girlfriend in the meantime. But then I’d get dumped. Again.

I was glad he’d come today. Because we only had so long to keep pretending.





Chapter 30

Jacob



Would you punch me in the face for one billion dollars?” Briana asked.

We were at the VFW in Wakan. It was nine p.m., and we’d been here for a few hours after dinner at Jane’s, the little diner on Main Street. We’d spent the day wandering the town, going to antique stores, getting ice cream, checking out the farmers’ market. We were sitting in a booth at the back of the bar with Alexis and Daniel.