Dreams of Ivory (7 page)

He didn’t think there was a self-help book or Hallmark card for this special occasion.

“I didn’t order us anything since I don’t know if you still like the same things,” she said, her voice rushed. “Though, really, we never
actually
went out on dates so…”

He winced at the reminder he’d treated her so poorly before by hiding her from Holiday.

“Ask me anything and I’ll tell you,” he said.

She tilted her head and frowned. “What are we doing here, Jackson?”

“I take it you don’t mean in the diner.”

“No, and you knew that. What are we doing eating together when we could have done this with your family and probably gotten more information out of it?” Her eyes widened. “Unless you’re still hiding me from them, and then we’ve got a problem because I just had breakfast with all of your sisters-in-law this morning.”

Now he felt like the ass everyone called him.

There had to be a way he could fix this.

He reached out and grabbed her hand, ignoring the whispered and no-so-whispered gasps and comments from their audience.

“I don’t know what we’re doing, but whatever it is, we’ll figure it out together. I know things are convoluted at the moment, but it will get better. As for my family, it obviously didn’t occur to me to talk with them and you because I wanted to be with just you. I’m sorry.”

She blushed that pretty shade of pink he knew covered her whole body, and he shifted as his cock hardened.

“Since most of the people in town are currently staring at us, we can’t talk about everything in private. I’m sorry I wanted us to be in public. I guess that didn't make much sense.”

Jackson grinned, and he heard even more gasps. He knew he didn’t smile much, but, hell, people really needed to mind their own business. He looked over his shoulder and glared. Everyone quickly turned away and busied themselves.

Finally.

“Since we’re not going to talk about everything we
need
to talk about, including the tension currently between us,” Jackson began, “let’s talk about you. It’s been eight years, Honor. What did I miss?”

“Well, I finished graduate school, and now I’m here to open up a family-friendly, eco-friendly camp.” She smiled, and he blinked.

“Really? In Holiday?”

She nodded. “Yep. Aunt Clementine said Holiday was dying down because you guys needed more jobs and more men. Her words, not mine. Since my degree is in helping to direct marketing, tourism, and outdoor activities, I thought Holiday was the perfect place for me to work. The camp will bring in hotels and cabins, restaurants and more. All of those will bring in more jobs.”

“You’re going to bring more people into Holiday.”

“Yes. I didn’t know the condition of the town, but Aunt Clementine told me. I’ve already talked with the town council over the internet and phone calls. The plans are already made and most everything is signed. I’m just getting ready to finish the last plans before I hire people to build, design, and do other things. My job is to organize and the fact that I know about the environment helps that.”

She leaned closer. “I’m also going to bring in more people like you said. Magical and non-magical. The area is beautiful, Jackson, and we’re not using its beauty to bring people in safely. I want to open an environmentally friendly outdoor area where the town will thrive. This way people will come in, spend money, and leave without disrupting the town and surrounding area’s ecosystem.”

She smiled as she described it, and Jackson knew he was in love with the woman just like he had been before. No, he’d always loved her; he’d just tried to forget it all.

“That sounds like a big project.”

“It is, but I can do it.”

“I know you can.”

“You always did believe in me,” she said, and then she drank from her glass of her water.

“Of course, Honor. Where are you going to build this place?”

She grinned at him, and he held back a groan. That was her naughty grin. Hell. “Oh, you know the place—the lake by your place.”

He closed his eyes as images of how the moonlight danced along her naked body as they skinny-dipped late at night flooded his mind. They’d made love in that lake, near that lake, and around that lake countless times.

He still remembered a time where a fish got a little too friendly…

Honor threw her head back and laughed, catching the attention of the diner again. “You’re remembering the fish, aren’t you?”

Jackson rested his face in his hands. “God, that damn fish.”

“You always get this little line between your brows when you remember that frisky fish.”

Thankfully, the waitress stopped by and took their order before he had to talk about the fish that knew a
little
too much about certain parts of his anatomy.

“So the lake is owned by the town and I already have the permits saying we can build on it. The town will own the camp and I’ll hire people to run it. This way the money goes directly into the community, not someone’s pockets.”

They talked about her place in California and how she was looking for a place in Holiday now. They talked about her aunt and her crazy hair. They talked about Jackson’s sisters-in-law and their addictions to peanut butter.

They talked about pretty much everything except the magic running through each of their veins and the fact that they both still wanted the other.

When the check was paid, Jackson led her out to their cars, again ignoring the pointed glances headed their way.

“Are you off tomorrow?” Honor asked as they made their way to her car. Thankfully she’d parked on the side of the building with no windows so they were alone for the first time that night.

“Yes, though I usually go in and do paperwork. I don’t need to though. We can talk tomorrow about what happened and what
will
happen.”

“You’re not just talking about what happened last night, are you?”

He shook his head as he backed her to the car. Her breasts pressed against his chest, and he framed her face with his hands.

“No, I’m not just talking about what happened when I was asleep. This connection we have? I don’t understand it, but we need to do something about it.”

He leaned down so his lips brushed against hers, but he didn’t press harder, liking the tease and taste just as much.

“I thought you wanted nothing to do with what would come with that,” she said on a breath. He felt her hand come up his back below his shirt, and he shuddered.

“Maybe I changed my mind.” He licked her bottom lip and bit down softly, loving the way she gasped into his mouth.

“I don’t know if I believe that, but we can talk about it tomorrow.” She rocked her hips so she cradled his erection, and they both moaned.

“Tomorrow,” he agreed then lowered his lips to touch hers fully.

Her lips parted, and he let his tongue dance with hers, their breaths in sync as he kissed her again after all this time. He knew they should have talked more before doing this, but he didn’t care.

He
couldn’t
care, not with her taste on his tongue.

He pulled back, leaving them both breathless, and then tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “I’ll follow you to the inn since it’s on my way home.”

She nodded, her lips swollen from his kiss, her eyes a little glazed.

“Are you okay to drive?”

She smiled then looked down at his dick. “Well, if you can drive with a second stick shift, I think I can make it.”

He threw his head back and laughed then let her get in her car. He ran back to his so he could follow her, shaking his head as he did so. Hell, he was crazy, but he didn’t care, not when all he could smell was her crisp floral scent and he could still taste her like he’d drown in her essence. They’d probably just made a mistake and were going to make another tomorrow, but for some reason, he wanted to ignore all the voices in his head telling him not to do anything and jump head-first into something crazy.

Jackson followed her car toward the inn, letting his heartbeat slow down as they pulled into an intersection. He knew he didn’t really need to follow her to make sure she made it home okay, but he still wanted to. Plus, it was on his way home anyway, so he wasn’t really doing anything extra.

The alpha in him scoffed.

Sure, that’s the reason.

Honor pulled out into the intersection, and Jackson drove up to the stop sign just as a dark van barreled into the side of Honor’s car.

Holy shit.

 The sound of bent metal and tires screeching echoed through the air, the smells of burned rubber and hot metal attacking his senses. Before Jackson could blink or react, the van pulled away, driving like a bat out of hell, its front end damaged. It was too dark to make out a license plate, but he did his best to put the van in his memory.

Honor’s car lay in the drainage ditch on the side of the road, the car practically bending inward on itself. Jackson jumped out of his car, his heartbeat a fast echo in his ears.

“Honor!” he yelled as he took out his phone. He dialed 911 as he ran, praying she’d be okay.

“Jacks?” 

He almost passed out at her voice. 

Thank God. 

She was alive.

He told the emergency operator where they were and what had happened then hung up, knowing he needed to put all his attention on Honor. The ambulance would come quickly.

“Honor, baby. Don’t move.”

He skidded down the embankment and made his way to her door, which was crushed inward and almost faced the back door because of the way the metal was twisted.

His gut clenched, but he ignored it.

She had to be all right.

“I’m fine, Jackson. The airbag saved me I think.” Her voice was shaky, but she sounded alert.

“Just humor me then, baby.”

She sat in the driver’s seat, blood running down her face from where the airbag had hurt her, but he couldn’t tell where else she was hurt.

“Honor, talk to me,” he asked as he took off his button-down shirt to press against her forehead gently.

“Ouch,” she said with a smile. “I’m fine. Really. Just that cut I think.” She held back a wince as she tried to move. “Maybe some bruising too.”

“Don’t move, Honor. We don’t know what could be wrong internally. I don’t see any evidence of broken bones, but I can’t tell from this angle. Please, baby, just sit still.”

“You must be scared, Jacks. You keep calling me baby.”

He closed his eyes and prayed for patience. “If you’re able to make fun of me, you must be fine, but let’s pretend you’re actually as scared as I am. Keep still.”

She didn’t move her head, but her eyes met his. “I’m scared as hell, Jacks, but you’re here, so I know I’ll be okay.”

Well, hell. He’d do something with that statement later. First, he had to make sure she was okay.

The sounds of the sirens in the distance were getting closer, and Jackson let out a breath of relief. “Help’s on the way.”

“I know, Jacks. Did you see who ran that stop sign though?”

“No, not really. It was a dark van, but I didn’t get their license plate number. We’ll deal with that once you’re safe though. What hurts, Honor?”

“Just my head and my side, but I’m okay other than that.”

“We’ll see what the doctor has to say.”

“Jackson?” Tyler called from behind him. Jackson didn’t turn to his brother, needing to keep his eyes on Honor.

“We’re here, Ty.”

“What the hell happened? Who’s hurt?”

Jackson told Tyler what he knew, and as the ambulance and fire truck came and used the Jaws of Life to get Honor out of her car, his pulse finally stopped racing. 

He got in the back of the ambulance with her against her protests and told his brother to bring his car to the hospital. There was no way he’d let Honor out of his sight right now—despite the rumors that would surely circulate.

Who the hell cared?

He’d almost lost Honor tonight. Hell, if he hadn’t said he’d follow her…

No, he wouldn’t think about that.

He’d  make sure she was okay then figure out what to do with these raging emotions of his because the thought of losing Honor was more than he could bear. Considering he’d told himself he didn’t want her for so long, he’d have to think about what that meant.

Then he’d find who’d done this to her and make sure they paid.

Chapter 6

“I really don’t need to stay at your home, Jacks,” Honor said for the eighth time the next morning. Her head ached, but really, all she wanted was to go lie down. Alone.

“Don’t argue,” Jackson said as he opened his front door for her. “The doctor said you needed someone near you to make sure your concussion doesn’t have any adverse side effects, plus, with your bruised rib, you need someone to help you.”

They’d spent the night in the emergency room after her hit-and-run. After countless tests, eight stiches, and some binding on her ribs, she had been more than ready to leave. Then, of course, Jackson’s brother, Tyler, had wanted to question her.

Finally, after telling him what she’d seen—which hadn’t been much—he’d let her go, but only on the condition that someone could watch her as she slept. 

Jackson had volunteered and explained that she’d be staying at his home while she recuperated. She would never get the flabbergasted looks of the hospital personnel out of her mind. Nor would she forget Tyler’s knowing glance.

Damn Cooper men.

“I just don’t want the town talking about the fact that I’m staying here with you. Alone.”

She shuffled into the house and sighed. It looked exactly the same as it had when they’d been together before. The foyer opened up into a beautiful living room that held two large couches and a couple of comfy chairs. The fireplace was built into one wall with bookshelves surrounding it—all dark and prominent—but Honor had always found them beautiful with the hand-carved details. 

The kitchen and dining room were to the right off the living room through wide, open doorways. She had a feeling he hadn’t changed anything in there either, meaning everything would be immaculate and beautiful…even though she had a feeling Jackson didn’t use the kitchen as often as he’d like.