A Reclusive Heart (Hollywood Hearts 2)

Dana was one of the best women he knew. She was kind, considerate, liked everyone and everyone loved her. It took a lot for someone to upset her never mind piss her off, but Jamie’s sister had his best friend seeing red and going for her throat. Edward barely managed to grab his wife around the waist and yank her back, but that didn’t stop Dana from telling the woman in minute detail what she thought of her.

The only decent thing her father did as far as he was concerned was sign over Jamie’s medical proxy to him. Nick calmly thanked the man before he walked him outside. Once they were in the parking lot he decked the son of a bitch, breaking his nose in the process. He did it for all the years the bastard happily ignored his little recluse. While the man’s wife had treated Jamie like nothing because Jamie was the reminder of her husband’s infidelity her father had ignored her because she was the reminder of what he’d done to a sixteen year old girl who sure as hell didn’t know better. He also did it for keeping Jamie’s mother out of her life.

“Did my family visit while I was sleeping?”

She asked the same question every day and every day it nearly broke his heart. They only came once and that was to see how bad she was and to sign over her care to him while she was unable to do it for herself. Other than that they didn’t visit or call. They were done with her and it was all because of him.

He’d given bastard the choice of telling her the truth or getting the hell out of her life. He’d chosen to get out of her life and save his own ass. It was his loss.

Jamie was a beautiful person inside and out and brought nothing but joy into his life. If the son of a bitch had looked at her, really looked at her for even one moment he would have realized what a precious gift he’d been given.

“No, baby, I’m sorry,” he said, wishing like hell that things were different for her. She deserved a family to love and take care of her, but that didn’t seem to be in the cards for her.

At least not yet.

“It’s okay,” she said with a forced smile as she peered around the room. “Do you know if my doctor’s here yet?”

“I haven’t seen her yet.”

“She’s very pretty,” she pointed out conversationally.

“I guess,” he said slowly, wondering where she was going with this.

“I, um, think she might be interested in you,” she said quietly while she looked down at their entwined hands.

Shit.

His little recluse was jealous. Was she worried that he was interested in her doctor? He wasn’t and he hated the idea of her being hurt because some woman was showing him interest. Not that he was bragging, but it happened a lot and if they were going to give this a chance she was going to have to realize that he wanted her and no one”Do you think you could maybe flirt with her a little bit? Maybe take her out for a coffee?” his little recluse asked, sounding hopeful as she shot him a quick glance.

What. The. Hell?

“You want me to sleep with another woman?” he asked, shocked beyond words. Why in the hell would she want him to sleep with another woman? Was she crazy or was she doped out of her f**king mind?

Jamie rolled her eyes, giving his hand a playful slap. “No, I don’t want you to sleep with another woman,” she said in an exasperated tone. “I just want you to butter her up a bit and then maybe when she’s putty in your hands you could maybe ask her about the chocolate?”

“You’re willing to whore me out for chocolate?” he demanded as he came to his feet and pulled his hand away from hers.

She rolled her eyes as she settled her hands in her lap. “No, I was just kind of hoping that you’d use that pretty smile of yours to get me some sugar.”

“Pretty?” he spat out in disgust.

“Well, yeah,” she said, shrugging. “You have a very pretty smile.”

“Pretty?” he couldn’t help repeat in disbelief. His smile wasn’t pretty. It was charming and boyish, but pretty? Hell no. By all rights he should have stormed out of the room, but he was still too shaken up to leave her side for more than five minutes at a time so he decided to sit in the chair and settle on glaring at her.

When she sent him a cute little wave and a hopeful smile he had to struggle not to smile back. It was difficult but he managed to do it. Her willingness to whore him out for chocolate pleased him immensely, not because she was fine with using him, which he was, but because she wasn’t jealous. His shy little recluse knew that he loved her and would never have to worry that he would hurt her.

He sure as hell hoped at least.

“I’m not asking, Jamie,” he said firmly.

“But-“

“No.”

“Maybe-“

“No.”

“You won’t even hear me out. I-“

“You’re not having any chocolate until your doctor says so, so let it go, baby,”

he said, smiling when she let out the cutest little frustrated growl he’d ever heard.

“Fine. Then let’s talk about something else,” she grumbled, settling back against her pillows as she glared up at the ceiling.

“What would you like to talk about?” he asked, deciding that he’d punished her for traitorous ways long enough. He moved back onto the bed and took her hand into his. With a sigh she stopped glaring at the ceiling to smile softly at him.

“Any luck on the job front?” she asked, nibbling her lip nervously.

He inwardly winced when he realized that there were a few things that he’d failed to tell her, but in his defense when she wasn’t passed out she was drugged out of her mind. Today was the first day that she’d been with it enough that he could actually talk to her.

“I’m staying with Rerum Publishing, sweetheart. After you left we sorted it out and realized that Holly was behind the firing. We’re actually pretty sure she was the one behind the complaints as well,” he said, giving her hand a comforting squeeze.

“Oh,” she said, frowning. “Do I still have a job?”

“If you want it, it’s yours,” he said casually as he silently prayed that she stayed. He loved working with her, but more importantly he loved being with her.

“Will they still let you handle my books?” she asked, worrying her bottom lip.

“Yes,” he said, knowing that if they tried to assign anyone else to her that he’d quit for real. J.L. Lewis was his and the key to his happiness. As long as he handled J.L. Lewis he would be the lucky son of a bitch that spent time with Jamie.