HH02 - A Reclusive Heart (15 page)

doubted there would ever be anything more than that. Right now she was going to focus on what they did have, a friendship of

sorts.

When the manager, a short woman with thick glasses and a nervous smile, removed the red ribbon that kept the people in

the line forming in front of the small table they set up for her Nick pulled her chair out and gestured for her to sit down. Biting

her lip, she did just that, hoping that the large breakfast she ate before coming here would help settle her nerves.

She'd been doing this for about a month now and although she thought she was improving with making small talk with her

readers and not freaking out, it was still stressful for her. The only times she found herself relaxing was when Nick was close

by. Thankfully he'd been staying closer the past couple of weeks, probably to make sure that she didn't scare off the fans, she

thought as she sat down and took a quick sip of water. Out of the corner of her eye she watched as Nick spoke to the bookstore

manager, but was thankfully still close enough that she didn't feel like panicking.

Six hours later everything was still fine. Thankfully Nick wasn't too far away and the fans had been great. A few made her

nervous, but that was mostly because they treated her like a freak of nature. Okay, maybe freak of nature was a bit of an

exaggeration, but that's how she felt when they wouldn't stop gushing and going on and on about how excited they were to meet

her. It was flattering, but it also made her really nervous. She preferred it when her readers didn't make a big deal out of

meeting her. She liked meeting them and hearing what they had to say about her books, but the gushing was a little unnerving.

Several times Nick had to step in and calmly get the over-enthusiastic fan to move along.

As she said goodbye to the sweet woman who'd given her a copy of her family's cookie recipe because Jamie mentioned

on her Facebook page the other night that she was dying for a homemade cookie she noted the young college guy behind her.

Her eyes shot to the trio of guys waiting for him near the Sports section. They kept gesturing for their friend to move up in line.

Why were they holding cameras? she wondered as he finally moved up in line and stood in front of her. He cleared his

throat nervously.

"Um, J.L. Lewis?" he said, sounding unsure.

"Yes?" she asked, wondering if he was here to get her autograph for his girlfriend or mother. That was the reason most of

the guys used when asking for her autograph, but a few of them she suspected were closet romance novel junkies. Something

about this guy told her that wasn't the case.

Before she could wonder what he was doing he reached over and grabbed her hand, yanking her to her feet and had his

mouth plastered against hers, surprising the heck out of her and everyone in line if the startled gasps and nervous chuckles were

any indication. Just as fast as it happened it was over.

What the heck just happened, she wondered as her eyes landed on Nick and widened. He was kneeling in front of the table

and it wasn't until he pulled his arm back that she realized what he was doing.

"Stop!" the guy on the ground cried as Nick pulled back his fist and punched him again.

"Oh no," Jamie mumbled, scrambling out from behind the table to stop him, but before she could get close enough to stop

him the guy's friends were there trying to pull Nick away. Nick didn't bother to look back as he shoved them away and focused

his attention on the guy on the floor.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" the blonde guy with a buzz cut demanded as he tried to yank Nick back. "It was just for

a frat scavenger hunt. Let him go!"

Nick ignored him and focused on the guy throwing wild swings as he tried to fight Nick off. A few connected with Nick's

jaw, but if they hurt it didn't show. Having had quite enough of this nonsense, Jamie shoved two of the college kids who were

in the way and did the only thing she could think of at the moment.

She launched herself onto Nick's back.

"Get the hell off of me!" he snapped, trying to gently shrug her off even as he moved to punch the guy again.

"No!" she said, wrapping her legs around his waist in an attempt to use her weight to throw him off.

"Jamie!" he snapped, pausing mid-punch to try and shrug her off again, but she wouldn't budge.

The guy on the floor took the opportunity to make a run for it with his friends not far behind him. With a growl of

frustration, Nick got to his feet to go after them, but apparently he refused to do it with her still on his back.

"Get off!"

"No!"

"Get the hell off my back so that I can go kick his ass!"

"You already did!" she pointed out and then added. "He left bloody and crying! Is that not good enough for you?"

He paused briefly and shook his head as he reached back to pull her off, but she refused to let go. "
Jamie
," he growled out

in warning. Once upon a time that would have sent her screaming for the hills, but not anymore. He wouldn't hurt her. She knew

that, but just in case he decided to get even with her for this little stunt she made a mental note to hide all her chocolate.

"Um, excuse me?" the bookstore manager said, grabbing their attention.

With a sigh, Nick turned so that they were both facing the woman, who looked a little freaked out. Not that Jamie could

blame her. She just hoped the woman didn't call the cops on Nick because she had absolutely no idea how to bail someone out

of jail and she really had no interest in learning how.

"I'm afraid I'm going to have ask you to leave," she said much to Jamie's relief. She really hadn't liked the idea of Nick

becoming some guy's "special friend" for the night.

Chapter 14

"Go. Away," Nick bit out tightly, but the damn woman refused to leave. At least she was on the other side of the door, he

decided, otherwise he'd be tempted to strangle his little recluse.

"You can't still be mad!" she said in exasperation. "I eventually got off your back."

He paused mid-sip of his beer and glared at the door. "You didn't get the hell off my back until I was in front of your

door!" he snapped.

"I had to make sure that you wouldn't do anything stupid," she pointed out and he barely stopped himself from storming

over to his door, ripping it open and kissing the hell out of her.

Now
that
would have been stupid.

Perhaps not as stupid as attacking some dumb kid in front of a group of J.L. Lewis' fans at a signing, he thought with a

groan. What in the hell had he been thinking? He'd never lost it like that and certainly never over a woman. Several of the

women he'd taken out over the years received attention from other men and he hadn't cared at all. He didn't get jealous, never

cared enough to, but today he'd been ready to kill the little bastard.

For any other client he would have simply pulled her away and signaled for either store security to handle the guy or the

manager. There was no way he would have taken a chance screwing up his career for anyone. He'd worked too damn hard to

get where he was and wasn't about to let anyone come between him and what he wanted.

Of course all his plans went to hell the moment he saw another man kiss her. All he could think of at the time was that

another man was touching his little recluse. Even as he grabbed the guy he knew what he was doing and that it could very well

be the end of his career, but he hadn't given a damn. All that mattered was taking care of Jamie and if he hadn't been so furious

at the time the realization would have probably worried him like it did now.

"Are you going to let me in?" she asked, sighing heavily with annoyance and sounding so damn cute that he had to stop

himself from smiling.

"No."

There was a brief pause before she said, "If you do I'll tell you about the new book I'm writing and the big surprise," she

said brightly, probably hoping to lure him into letting her in and pestering him.

"I don't care," he said, surprising even himself. As her editor he should care. The woman's books were a goldmine and

he'd be an idiot not to find out what she was working on so he could prepare an advertising campaign, but at the moment he

simply didn't care.

The only thing he cared about at the moment was getting his head clear, perhaps getting drunk as he tried to figure out how

to explain to this whole thing to Rick in the morning when he called up to chew Nick's ass out for the pictures that were no

doubt already making the rounds on the internet.

"You're really not coming out of there?" she asked, sounding disappointed.

"No."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes!"

"Fine," she said, sighing unhappily. "I guess I'll just go without you."

He didn't bother responding as he took a sip of his beer. She could go out on her own for one night. She'd be more than

fine. Besides he doubted that she was doing anything dangerous. Knowing his little recluse she was probably getting around to

the little karaoke item on her to do list that had made him want to cry. Actually if she was hitting a karaoke bar then he

definitely wasn't going with her, he decided, taking another sip of his beer.

"Okay, but if you need me I'll be at Extreme Tattoo on Elm Street. I'll be back later," she said brightly as he choked on his

beer.

*******

the man only glared down at her.

He'd been doing it for the past hour. Well, actually for the first twenty minutes he argued against her going through with

this, but this was something that she wanted to do and wouldn't let anyone talk her out of. For years she toyed with the idea of

getting a tattoo, but her family's disapproving attitude and her inability to stick up for herself held her back. After the phone call

from her mother she decided that she was done letting her family's expectations, needs and wants dictate her life. This was her

life and she was going to start really living it.

It also didn't hurt that over the past month she'd learned to take chances and enjoy her life. Before this tour she only

dreamed of doing things like riding on a motorcycle or trying out paintball, but now that she did them she couldn't help but want

to do all of those other things that she'd been curious about over the years. She was still nervous. Not that she'd admit that to

Nick, but she was glad that he came with her tonight. She only wished that he'd lighten up a bit.

"This is permanent, Jamie," he reminded her, again.

"That's the whole point, Nick," she said, walking over to the picture of the tribal tattoo that she'd chosen ten minutes ago.

It was black, intricate and beautiful and she couldn't wait to have it on her body.

"I really think that you should take some time and think this over," he said as he ran his eyes over the artwork on the wall.

"I've been thinking about doing this for years, Nick. It's not like I'm making some drunken impulsive decision," she pointed

out.

"Then what would one more week hurt?" he asked, still not looking at her. She'd noticed since he opened his door to try

and stop her from doing this that he wouldn't look her in the eye, or at her face for that matter. She didn't know what was wrong

and wasn't going to stress herself out trying to figure it out.

"Are you ready?" the tattoo artist names Bret asked as he gestured for her to come with him.

She didn't even hesitate when she said, "Yes," and followed after him. She ignored Nick's muttered curses and focused on

getting something she'd always wanted.

This was going to be great!

*******

It was bad enough that she was going through with this asinine plan, she didn't need a fucked up tattoo on top of

everything. He really wished she'd listened to him, but the damn stubborn woman wouldn't listen to reason. Tattoos on women

were tacky and he hated the idea of her marring her body with one. It didn't matter how sexy the woman was, tattoos always

turned him off. Then again maybe it was for the best that she was getting something done to her that would repulse him, he

decided as Jamie squeezed his hands tightly.

"I think he's almost done," he said soothingly even as he prayed that it was the truth. His damn legs were cramping up, but

he refused to let her hands go out of fear that she would bolt and screw up the tattoo.

"That's what you said an hour ago!" Jamie said accusingly as she squeezed her eyes shut.

"It was ten minutes ago, Jamie. It only seems like an hour ago because you're in pain," he explained as gently as he could

while Jamie continued to mutter a combination of "ow" and "owie."

"Almost done," Bret thankfully said.

Nick didn't bother looking at her tattoo as it was being drawn on. He'd still been too upset that she was doing something

this stupid. He still couldn't believe she was getting it on her lower back, right above her ass and yeah, when the guy had her

drop her pants and panties halfway down her ass he looked and drooled.

She really had a beautiful ass. It was round, soft and groan worthy, but the damn woman decided to ruin the scenery with a

tramp stamp of all things. No doubt by next week he was going to have to take her to have the damn thing removed.