Page 5 of Our Little Secret
I don’t know what Jacob says to him, but it has Paul’s eyebrows inching up his forehead as he nods. “Yes, of course. Of course, sir. I’ll send her right up.” He hangs up the phone, and his demeanor is completely different than it was just a fewminutes ago. He smiles at me deferentially now, and gestures me toward the elevator.
“Right this way, Miss. I’ll get the elevator for you.” He’s all courtesy and head bobs now. I bite back a grin. It’s almost like a Pretty Woman moment. See? I do belong here. Jerk.
I mean, I don’t. Not anymore. But still. I will take this little bright spot in a tremendously shitty day.
He uses a key fob to send the elevator up to the penthouse, and my nerves start to fire on all cylinders as the elevator glides upward. What if Jacob tells me he can’t help me? I don’t even know exactly what I’m asking for here. All I know is that he’s the only person I can turn to right now.
The interior of the elevator is mirrored on all sides, and I sigh as I take in my bedraggled reflection. My hair is waving and going frizzy from the flood and the rain, my clothes are wet, and I look exhausted.
Even still, I’m not the same girl I was last time I was in this elevator. I’m older. A tiny bit wiser. More confident and comfortable in my skin. More sure of what I want.
Once again, his words from four years ago play through my mind, but I’m not thinking about his promise to always be there for me.
You’re extraordinary.
I have to admit, I’m curious to see if he still means that, as well.
The elevator doors slide open soundlessly and all the breath whooshes out of my lungs. Jacob’s standing there, wearing a dress shirt open at the collar, a pair of beautifully tailored pants, and bare feet.
It reminds me of my disastrous prom night. It reminds me of the crush I…I lick my lips, every single thing I thought of saying drying up in my throat as I stare at him.
He’s even more beautiful than I remembered. Sure, I’ve seen pictures of him over the years, but in person he’s…he’s magnetic. It’s more than just the way his hair falls so perfectly, a single lock hanging artfully over his forehead. There’s more gray at his temples than the last time I saw him, but other than that, little else has changed. His gray eyes are still steely, intense. His shoulders are still impossibly broad, his stomach completely flat. Same square jaw, dimpled chin, sharp cheekbones.
And beyond the physical, there’s something in the way he carries himself. He exudes quiet masculine confidence out of every pore. Like he could take on the world singlehandedly and still have time to make you a nice breakfast.
He’s perfect.
Okay, so. Raging crush still firmly in place. Noted.
“Cam,” he says in that deep voice. I shiver. I don’t mean to, but I do. “What’s going on? Why are you…” His gaze trails down my body. “What happened?”
I heave a sigh and take a step closer. “There was a flood at my apartment. I…I didn’t have anywhere else to go. And you’d said…” I twist my fingers together, uncertainty crashing through me. Oh god, what am I doing here? We haven’t spoken in years.
Without a word, he takes my bag from me and sets it down, then starts helping me out of my wet coat. His hands are warm and firm as we work together to slide the damp fabric down my arms. His fingers graze my skin, making goosebumps erupt in their wake. He drops the sodden coat to the ground, then reaches out and tucks a strand of frizzing hair behind my ear, his eyes searching my face. The touch sends little electrical sparks dancing across my skin, and I work to keep my expression neutral. I need a place to stay, and if I act like a creep, I won’t have one.
“You’re shivering,” he murmurs.
“I’m wet,” I say, then close my eyes as flames lick their way up my neck. “I mean, I’m cold. And water from the flood, and it’s raining and…” I blow out a breath. I’m not usually this tongue tied around other people, but seeing Jacob again has me unnerved. I shake my head and pull my shoulders back. “Let me start again. Hi, Jacob. It’s nice to see you. It’s been a few years, I know. I was wondering if I could ask you a favour. My apartment flooded, and I don’t have anywhere else to go, and you said I could always turn to you for help, so…help?”
The words tumble out of me fast and breathless, and Jacob rubs a hand over his mouth. I think he’s trying not to laugh at me. Great.
But then he drops his hand and nods. “Of course. You can always come to me, for anything.” Our eyes meet and hold, and my skin starts to tingle.
Really? Anything? Like if I need a gorgeous face to sit on?
God, I’m such a perv.
But we continue to stare at each other, and he swallows, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “You’ve really grown up, Cam.”
Warmth blooms in my chest. “It’s been four years. I’m twenty-two now.”
He nods slowly. “Come in.” He picks up my bag and turns, and I kick off my wet boots and follow him into the penthouse where I used to live. I feel a pang of nostalgia as I take it all in. A few things are different—art on the walls, a different area rug under the coffee table—but most of it is the same. Life was simpler when I lived here, in some ways.
Harder, too, though. And even though it’s only been four years, I’ve changed. Thanks, in part, to Jacob. He probably has no idea the gift he gave me that night.
And so, while the penthouse is largely the same, it also feels different. Because I’m different.
The elevator doors slide closed, sealing us away together.
