Six

Six.

Lily woke what seemed like minutes later, but when her eyes squinted adjusting to the natural light peeling into the room. She’d slept all night, figures jet lag had to catch up with her in the end. She stretched against the weight of the body against her back. His arm was tucked neatly around her waist but he didn’t stir.

“Jon?” she asked turning her head over her shoulder. He was out to it. The bottle of Nyquil on the bedside table was still half open. Well least he took his medicine. She shifted her weight and sat up. The bags beside her bed caught her eye. They had been moved, and suspiciously tampered with.

Oh lord. She swung her legs over the bed and reached down for her main bag from the lingerie shop and sure enough the garments had been moved.

Note to self, Jon is a peeper. She shook her head letting herself laugh as she got up and headed to the shower. She needed to commence the rest of her shopping that morning and since Jon was dead out on Nyquil. Now was the perfect time.

She changed into jeans and wrapped her beloved pink woollen coat back around her as she tied her hair up away from her face. Toeing on her boots, a soft grunt came from the bed.

“LJ?” he lifted his head, the blue in his eyes just visible as he cracked them open.

She tugged the belt tighter and sat down on the bed “Morning sleepyhead.... are we a little drugged?”

He cleared his throat before trying to speak with one of those loopy grins she was becoming accustomed to “You died on me first, so I figured I might as well take it since I wasn’t going to be getting any....”

Lily raised her brow “Getting any? Were you really in a state to be doing that? I don’t think so Mister” she said smoothing down the blond crop that framed his face.

“What? I was, you were the one in your sexy nightwear trying to entice me...now I know you’re game Ms St James. You’re just a big tease” he curled his fingers into the pillow as he watched her.

She snorted “Oh I see, yes I’m quite the temptress”

“You are, I know so” he mumbled matter of factually.

She flicked his nose “Yes you do because you looked in my bags, didn’t you?”

His eyes widened “What? I was just looking to see what you were going to do to me with all those sets of lingerie” he said innocently.

“Yeah right, I know your game. You were looking for presents. You’re terrible Jon. I think that cold medicine has gone to your head” It was nice to see the lighter side of Jon, Lily wasn’t even aware of how much she relaxed around him. Forgetting anything else in the outside world, work anything. And what scared her most. Is how much more of it she wanted.

“I wasn’t, I have to say though....” he paused and reached out to her thigh and then stopped “Where are you going?” he asked suddenly realizing she was dressed and ready to go.

“I’m going to catch a cab and go shopping in Manhattan. There’s something I need to check out for Dad...” she lied.

He tugged on her hands pulling her down to lie beside him “LJ, we still haven’t had some time together...we’ll do that before you go...” a smile crept on his face as his lips met hers. She let her hands roam around the soft fur on his chest and slide up his neck as she returned the kiss.

“I know, but you’re sick Jon. There’s no rush...” she pressed her lips against his, letting her tongue lift under his top lip before entering his mouth. God she just had missed this part the most. The intimacy with him. They fitted so well. And she’d never felt so comfortable with someone in, well ever.

He found the tie of her coat and unraveled the little knot she’d drawn and pushed it apart letting his hands find her hips. The weight on his head was pulsing, he wasn’t at his best he knew it. But he’d missed her too damn much to let anymore time pass.

“You couldn’t resist me if you tried” his breath was warm on her neck. The cough came out of nowhere, as his lungs filled with liquid glass.

Lily pulled away and let him catch his breath back “No you’re right I can’t resist the river of snot you’re producing” as she plucked a tissue from the box and handed it to him.

He snatched it off her and the honk from his nose vibrated through the room. “I’m fine...” he flopped back down and patted the spot by him

“Come on you know you want to... Give me a little sugar bef--“the next sneeze made her get off the bed and had her laughing.

“You need sleep not sugar, maybe you’ll feel better tonight” she insisted tying her coat back up.

The look of horror on this face was too much. “Fine don’t say it wasn’t offered” he tugged the sheet up around him and rolled away from her.

“Jon” she stifled her giggle. He was too much.

He waved his hand away towards her “No go shop, shop till you drop. I’ll just stay here and die... don’t worry about me”

Her mother seriously was right. Jon was shocking sick. It was kind of hilarious to her though. She gathered her scarf and tucked her purse under her arm before she was ready to go. A devious grin curled on her lips as she reached for pen and scrawled on a card “Jon’s thing” and then a phone number and left it just lying on the floor like she’d dropped it. It was the mobile number of her assistant Claire back in London but she had a little plan as she just knew Jon would ring it.

“Ok, I‘ll be a couple of hours so I’ll see you a little later on then k?” she asked. He didn’t reply, but the slow steady rise of his chest indicated he’d fallen back to sleep. So much for being horny, she thought as she slipped out of the apartment into New York.

~

Jon stirred and lifted his head, his head felt like cotton wool. He lifted himself up in the bed and reached over for his medicine, careful to check the bottle that it was the daytime one. He needed to get up. God knows he’d have calls to return and email to check. He swung his feet around letting them hit the ground. He sighed and used the heel of his hands to rub his eyes.

The air was still a little cold to him so he shrugged on a robe before padding across the room. A small pink slip of paper on the floor caught his eye from where Lily’s luggage was all settled. He squinted and leaned forward to collect it. His name and a number was scrawled in ink, in what he could only assume was her handwriting.

“Looks like an international number” he jammed it in the oversized pocket of the robe and headed down to the kitchen. The coffee pot was already one.

“God Bless you LJ” he appreciated as he poured himself a cup. Maybe it was to do with his Christmas present. It had his name on it? Hmm.

He snagged the cordless and fished for the paper. Keying the numbers in he leaned back against the bench and waited. When a British woman answered he cleared his throat.

“Ah yes. This is ..er Francis Miller, Ms St James assistant. I was told to check on something for her for Jon? Do you know anything about that?” he asked biting his lip.

The woman chuckled down the line “Why yes I do, Ms St James did tell me you would be calling”

Jon’s brow winged “She did?”

“Yes she said to say, get back to bed and stop snooping around the house Jon”

Jon rubbed his temples and laughed “She did huh?”

“Strict orders and trust me Jon, you don’t want to be one to be on the wrong end of her... “

“Got it” he said shaking his head as they disconnected. She so did that on purpose knowing he’d ring the number.

Well. Well Ms St James, have you met your match.