At the first regular school she’d attended after arriving in L.A., a boy in her class had started a rumor that Jillian and her mother were criminals and that was why she’d been homeschooled.Jillian never learned where George Schmidt had heard such nonsense.Yes, they’d moved lot, slept in her mother’s tiny car on a few occasions, lived in dingy apartments, motels, even a trailer, but they never stole anything from anyone.Her mother had always found work.She’d been big on visual learning.
So when Georgie “Porgie” Schmidt had started that rumor, Jillian had leaped across her desk and given him a bloody nose and a split lip.Her mother had picked her up and went back to homeschooling her.That was the first time she ever shut down after an incident.Scared the crap out of her mother.
Lex returned with more coffee, his cell phone ringing in his hand.“I need to take this.”Before the door closed, she heard him say, “Lander, thanks for returning my call.”
Why was Lex calling Chris?
CHAPTER 15
Nine o’clock.Jillian stretched and smiled.She was back, thanks to Lex.He’d yanked her out of her funk with his brand of care.He’d given Douglas the weekend off and taken care of her, completely enabling her.
Cheetos.
Ice cream.
Anything she’d wanted, he’d provided.At night, he’d cradled her in his arms and not once tried to cop a feel.The man didn’t believe in sleeping in anything, which made him the perfect bedmate.She’d woken up at odd hours of the night to find herself sprawled all over him.The fuzzy feeling she hadn’t wanted was growing fast, and she was helpless to stop it.
As for her family, Lex never brought it up again since their discussion on the deck.Instead, he’d regaled her with anecdotes about his family—from his Irish grandfather who’d headed to California and made his fortune during the gold rush, to his Great Aunt Sophia who was nearly a hundred years old.
Jillian had barely kept up with who was who in his family—his twin brothers, their spouses and kids; his sister Jade and cousins, Ashley, Faith, and Eddie and their families; his aunts and uncles and their children, and his Aunt Vivian.His Aunt Viv, as he affectionately called her, was apparently the matriarch of the Fitzgerald family and a formidable woman.
“Everyone is married with kids except you.What are you waiting for?”she’d asked.
“The best.I have discerning taste,” he’d said.
Jillian had tried not to care about his response, but now she couldn’t help but wonder what kind of woman would bring the mighty Lex to his knees.Get him to propose.Probably some blueblood with a weird name and a lineage that went back to the Founding Fathers.People tended to gravitate toward their own kind.Look at her brothers.Elena and Ginger had both worked in Vegas as showgirls.
Her brothers.She’d never think of Ricky and Cian as anything else no matter what her father had said.Just like Daniel Finnegan would always be her father.
Had her brothers gone looking for her at her place?Possibly, especially since she had destroyed her phone.They knew where she hid her spare key.Ricky would have left a note on her fridge door.The more practical Cian would have insisted on calling the police.
No, they hadn’t tried to find her.Ricky had met Lex and would have tracked him down or called Chris.The fact that they hadn’t proved that, once again, they’d let their father dictate what to do.Guess the years they’d spent together didn’t matter.The holidays and the performances.The family dinners, silly sibling fights and rivalry, then…
No, it was time for the pity-fest to stop.Time to face the world and get her ass home.She had work tomorrow.Her stomach growled.She needed food and clean clothes, especially underwear.She’d used her spare pair already.
The thought of going to her place and getting some had filled her with dread.Not anymore.Yes, her home was filled with family mementos—pictures and presents they’d given her—but she planned to box them and put them in storage until she decided what to do with them.
“Good morning,” Lex said, and Jillian whipped around.
Her stomach flipped and flopped, a behavior she now associated with Lex.The urge to walk into his arms and never let go washed over her, but she squashed it.Despite the fact that he’d taken care of her, she was here on a job.The line between reality and illusion was blurring, and it was his fault.He should stop treating her like she was his real girlfriend.
“Or is it another bad morning?”he added.
His attempt at humor was sweet, and he came bearing a gift.Coffee.Her senses celebrated at the thought of caffeine.
“It’s a perfect morning,” she said.Her hand went to her hair when he continued to study her.She knew she wasn’t at her best, but he’d seen her at her worst the last couple of days.Still, self-consciousness hit her.“Thanks for everything.Taking care of me while I, uh…”
“Coped with a painful situation,” he finished.He tucked lock of stray hair behind her ear.“How are you feeling?”
“Better, but I think I’ve outstayed my welcome and should go home,” she whispered.
He shook his head.“No.”
“Yes.This is not my home, Lex.I need clean clothes.”
“This is yourfuturehome, and I have a better idea.”He took the chair beside the bed and tugged her down to his lap.“We’re going shopping.”
Jillian was not in the mood to start on her Mrs.Fitzgerald trousseau.She shook her head.“Futuretemporaryhome, and no, we’re not.I have nothing to wear except your T-shirts.”
