saw she still had her pyjamas on.
"Morning."
Glancing over her shoulder, she saw his smile was now a grin, and the feelings from the night’s vision hit her hard. "Why are you in my bed?"
"Don't you remember?" he asked, his smile fading a little.
"Obviously, I don't, or I wouldn't be asking." He sat up against the headboard, the sheet falling around his waist, and she dragged her gaze away from his chest.
"You were upset. When I carried you upstairs, you ... you asked me to stay because you didn't want to be alone."
He was being kind with the word “asked,” as she remembered clinging to him, practically begging him to stay. Her cheeks felt like they were on fire. She needed space, needed to get away from him. "Mmm, thanks. I'll go put some coffee on."
"Jess ..."
But she was already out the door and bounding down the stairs.
Staring out the kitchen window, she sipped her coffee. She heard Rob pour himself a cup, but didn't acknowledge him. She couldn't believe she'd asked him to share her bed. How disappointed he must have been when he realised she only meant to sleep.
"I don't have to go into work until late this afternoon. I was ... I wondered if you'd mind if I came with you all, to see James."
Why? Why wasn't he running from the house as fast as he could? Tipping her cup back, she drained the dregs of her coffee and went to get a refill. "If you want to. It's not up to me. And you know Matt and Emma already think you're involved somehow."
"Jess."
She looked up at him as he held her wrist, his fingers curled around it. She was being a bitch, she knew, but she couldn't seem to stop herself. They might have shared a bed, but she was just Matt's sister to him; she didn't need to hear the brush-off story. She was just someone he had to look out for; she already knew that. When he just shook his head, she pulled her arm free, heading upstairs for a shower.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Jess had done a really good job at avoiding him for the rest of the morning. He wanted to talk to her, but he just wasn't entirely sure what he wanted to say. He rubbed his fingers across the back of his neck, frustrated that he couldn't say anything at the moment anyway.
Emma had turned up with enough food to feed half the village, and now they were on their way to collect Matt from the museum, so they could all go speak to James. And Jess was doing a great impression of him not even existing, avoiding eye contact—hell, any kind of contact. Anyone would think his touch burned the way she pulled her hand away from him so fast.
He was confused; she'd done a complete turnaround. She was acting like the ice queen she had been when she first met him. But he knew that wasn't who she was, and he didn't know what he'd done for her to be like this.
"Hey, rabbit."
Rob looked up at the words to see Jess engulfed in a hug by James. He guessed James wouldn't be too happy knowing where Jess had slept the previous night, never mind what Matt would think. He was beginning to think the whole night had been a big mistake, or maybe he had imagined it all. But Jess wouldn't want to share, so maybe it could just stay between the two of them, never to be mentioned again. That seemed to be what Jess wanted, anyway.
***
Jess wrapped her arms around James and squeezed him hard. She loved Matt, but he always managed to wind her up. James was always there for her, always stood up for her. When she thought she'd lost him ... She couldn't even finish that sentence in her head. Instead, she kissed his cheek as he put her back on her feet.
She and Emma set out the buffet-style lunch for everyone, and Jess smiled, noticing that James had at least attempted to clean up the place before they arrived.
After lunch, talk turned serious. Matt took the lead, which was unusual when James was around, but Jess guessed they'd all have to do a little adjusting. At that idea, her gaze flicked in Rob's direction; maybe she needed to do a little adjusting where he was
"Morning."
Glancing over her shoulder, she saw his smile was now a grin, and the feelings from the night’s vision hit her hard. "Why are you in my bed?"
"Don't you remember?" he asked, his smile fading a little.
"Obviously, I don't, or I wouldn't be asking." He sat up against the headboard, the sheet falling around his waist, and she dragged her gaze away from his chest.
"You were upset. When I carried you upstairs, you ... you asked me to stay because you didn't want to be alone."
He was being kind with the word “asked,” as she remembered clinging to him, practically begging him to stay. Her cheeks felt like they were on fire. She needed space, needed to get away from him. "Mmm, thanks. I'll go put some coffee on."
"Jess ..."
But she was already out the door and bounding down the stairs.
Staring out the kitchen window, she sipped her coffee. She heard Rob pour himself a cup, but didn't acknowledge him. She couldn't believe she'd asked him to share her bed. How disappointed he must have been when he realised she only meant to sleep.
"I don't have to go into work until late this afternoon. I was ... I wondered if you'd mind if I came with you all, to see James."
Why? Why wasn't he running from the house as fast as he could? Tipping her cup back, she drained the dregs of her coffee and went to get a refill. "If you want to. It's not up to me. And you know Matt and Emma already think you're involved somehow."
"Jess."
She looked up at him as he held her wrist, his fingers curled around it. She was being a bitch, she knew, but she couldn't seem to stop herself. They might have shared a bed, but she was just Matt's sister to him; she didn't need to hear the brush-off story. She was just someone he had to look out for; she already knew that. When he just shook his head, she pulled her arm free, heading upstairs for a shower.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Jess had done a really good job at avoiding him for the rest of the morning. He wanted to talk to her, but he just wasn't entirely sure what he wanted to say. He rubbed his fingers across the back of his neck, frustrated that he couldn't say anything at the moment anyway.
Emma had turned up with enough food to feed half the village, and now they were on their way to collect Matt from the museum, so they could all go speak to James. And Jess was doing a great impression of him not even existing, avoiding eye contact—hell, any kind of contact. Anyone would think his touch burned the way she pulled her hand away from him so fast.
He was confused; she'd done a complete turnaround. She was acting like the ice queen she had been when she first met him. But he knew that wasn't who she was, and he didn't know what he'd done for her to be like this.
"Hey, rabbit."
Rob looked up at the words to see Jess engulfed in a hug by James. He guessed James wouldn't be too happy knowing where Jess had slept the previous night, never mind what Matt would think. He was beginning to think the whole night had been a big mistake, or maybe he had imagined it all. But Jess wouldn't want to share, so maybe it could just stay between the two of them, never to be mentioned again. That seemed to be what Jess wanted, anyway.
***
Jess wrapped her arms around James and squeezed him hard. She loved Matt, but he always managed to wind her up. James was always there for her, always stood up for her. When she thought she'd lost him ... She couldn't even finish that sentence in her head. Instead, she kissed his cheek as he put her back on her feet.
She and Emma set out the buffet-style lunch for everyone, and Jess smiled, noticing that James had at least attempted to clean up the place before they arrived.
After lunch, talk turned serious. Matt took the lead, which was unusual when James was around, but Jess guessed they'd all have to do a little adjusting. At that idea, her gaze flicked in Rob's direction; maybe she needed to do a little adjusting where he was