Bidding on the Bachelor Page 5

  Next, she was fully aware that she’d had too much to drink the night before. Her head was pounding and her mouth was dry and gritty. She’d definitely consumed one tequila shot too many.

  But most importantly, even with her eyes held firmly shut, she knew without a doubt that she wasn’t alone. Someone was watching her.

  “Morning, sunshine.” Jasper’s cool, calm voice rang out with a touch of humor to it from across the room.

  “Hmphhjmelskjk,” she mumbled incoherently as a reply.

  “I thought you might say something like that.” The mattress shifted and the rocking motion did nothing to appease her headache. “I’m going to grab you a bottle of water and some aspirin.”

  “Thanks,” she ground out even as she buried her head further in the pillow.

  But once Jasper was gone, she did finally peek out from her childish hiding spot. The events of the night before came crashing back. The evening had started off innocently enough with a trip to the grocery store. Then she’d ended up at the Rusty Keg with Jasper, where it was possible she’d drunk all of the alcohol in the whole world.

  She searched her fuzzy brain and tried to remember all the particulars, but the details were slow to return. She knew she’d talked to Jasper for hours. She’d told him about her divorce and wanting to start her business. Then they’d flirted and she’d fallen on her face on the dirty bar floor, and then they’d gone outside and...

  Her eyes widened and she shook her head back and forth, which only served to exacerbate her already-throbbing head. “No, no, no,” she said aloud. They’d kissed. No, worse, they’d made out like they were still teenagers in the damn parking lot.

  What had she been thinking? Well, nothing, duh. Thanks to the tequila. And the small part of her brain not coerced by alcohol had succumbed to the power of Jasper’s clever lips. He’d always been an amazing kisser. She touched a finger to her lips now and that’s when she remembered she was in a bed.

  Carissa looked around. She saw her jeans on the dresser on the other side of the room. She flew out of the bed. She still had her tank top and bra on, but other than that, she was in her underwear.

  At least this is a pair of my sexiest underwear. She berated herself. That wasn’t the point. The point was that—

  “You.” She pointed at Jasper as he came back through the door, carrying a tray. “I don’t have any pants on.”

  He grinned, his eyes roaming down her body. “I can see that.”

  “You took my pants off. You...you...”

  “U, v, w, x, y, z.”

  She stared at him, mouth hanging open. “This isn’t the time for jokes. Did we...”

  Tray still in hand, he leaned back against the doorjamb, an amused expression on his face. “Did we what?”

  She pointed at the bed and then at him and then back to herself. “Did we sleep together?” she whispered.

  His face fell. “You were pretty drunk, Carissa. Give me some credit.”

  Immediately, she felt like a fool. Of course, he’d never do something like that. “Ohmigod, Jasper. I’m sorry.”

  “It’s okay,” he said.

  She wrapped her arms around herself, suddenly aware that she must look absolutely disgusting. She was sure her hair went beyond a messy bird’s nest. It was probably a whole bird mansion.

  “I bring peace offerings.” He held the tray up. “You look like you need these.” He handed over a couple of aspirin, a plate with two pieces of freshly buttered toast, and a glass of water. “You shouldn’t take those on an empty stomach.”

  She sank back onto the bed. “You brought me home and took care of me?”

  “I didn’t do much. You were out, um, pretty fast.” He said that comment strangely and it had her head tilting. Then he quickly followed up with, “I slept in the guest room.”

  Damn, why did he have to be so nice? His sudden kindness—so different from the teenager she remembered—made her feel...things. A blush crept into her cheeks, and desperate to hide her reaction, she turned to take a moment and admire his place.

  His king-size bed was certainly comfy, decorated with a fluffy, light blue duvet cover and matching pillows. The furniture was all wood, very masculine. But the room was tidy and there were amazingly tall windows, almost the entire height of the wall, that let in the light she’d been cursing a few minutes ago. If her head wasn’t throbbing she would be loving all that natural light and the view of the water beyond.

  She could see through the open door into the living space. It was an open concept with brick walls, except for one, which housed floor-to-ceiling bookcases. She shifted on the bed, craning her neck to take in the kitchen, too. But all she could make out from this angle was a large island.

  Jasper chuckled. “I can give you a tour, you know.”

  Her face grew hot. “Sorry. I don’t mean to be nosy. Just curious.”

  “I understand.” He pointed to his dresser where her capri jeans were neatly folded; her shoes sat on the floor nearby. He nodded toward the left. “Bathroom’s over there. Why don’t you take a moment and then meet me in the other room?”

  It was only then that she noticed he was dressed in workout clothes. “Please do not tell me you’ve been to the gym.” She jumped up. “What time is it?”

  He chuckled again but also held his hands out in a soothing gesture. “Don’t worry, it’s still really early. I never sleep late.”

  She tilted her head in consideration. That was different from high school, when she’d always wait until at least eleven to call him on the weekends.

  “I have some exercise equipment in one of the spare bedrooms. Helps me clear my head.”

  One of the spare rooms? “Exactly how big is this place?”

  He grinned. “Three bedrooms, two and a half baths, a nice loft over the living room, and killer views.”

  A large, most likely expensive, condo. Just like she’d had with her husband in Chicago. Although her condo with Preston had been done in all beige and neutral tones, looking more like the model home real estate agents showed prospective clients than someone’s living quarters. Jasper’s place, on the other hand, had more of an edgy, urban vibe. Plus, she kinda wanted to marry these amazing wood floors.

  “I’ll go make us some coffee.”

  With that, he left the room and Carissa quickly chomped down the toast and swallowed the aspirin. Then she jumped from the bed, grabbed her jeans off the dresser and ran into the bathroom. Of course, she stopped to admire his killer walk-in closet on the way. The bathroom was just as nice and tastefully done as the rest of the place. Double vanity, separate soaker tub, and a shower that looked like it had no less than a hundred showerheads.

  She stopped gawking at everything and she was very proud to say that she did not give in to the temptation to go through his medicine cabinet. Instead, Carissa quickly dressed, splashed some water on her face, did her best job of brushing her teeth with her finger, and ran a comb through her hair. Not a massive improvement, but definitely better than a couple minutes ago.

  The aroma of coffee reached her nose and she followed it out to the kitchen. And if she thought she coveted the wood floors or the orgasmic shower, that was nothing compared to his kitchen. New stainless steel appliances, a farmhouse sink, and a gorgeous island that looked to be made out of reclaimed wood on the bottom and marble counter on top. She ran her hands along the cool stone and tried to keep from drooling.

  “You like?”

  “It kind of makes my aunt’s tiny kitchen seem like an anthill.”

  “Is that where you plan to start your business from?”

  “Of course.” As he handed her a mug of steaming hot coffee, it occurred to her that he didn’t realize her full situation. Jasper had no way of knowing that she was broke and desperate.

  “You should consider re
nting out a space for a year or so. That would give you some separation. Plus, it would be better for meeting with clients. I could show you some places, give you a couple recommendations.”

  She sipped the coffee. “I thought we called a truce only for last night.”

  He considered. “Showing you real estate would be business.”

  Oh. Not really the answer she’d wanted. Then again, what did she expect? He’d been kinder to her than she deserved.

  She ran a hand through her hair. “This coffee’s good.”

  “Thanks. It’s from The Brewside. A coffeehouse in the town square,” he finished, clearly realizing she wouldn’t be familiar with the changes in Bayside.

  She put the mug down on the counter. “No, thank you. For getting me here last night, the coffee, for picking my clothes up, the toast. You didn’t have to do all of that.”

  “I would have done it for anyone.”

  Again, not the response she’d expected. The sides of her mouth turned down in a frown.

  “I would have let you sleep longer,” he said, “but I have to get to work shortly and I didn’t want you to wake up in a strange environment.”

  She eyed the clock above the stove. “It’s still really early.”

  “I like to get into the office early.”

  “Of course,” she said, and pointed toward the door. “I’ll just get out of your hair.”

  “No, Car, I didn’t mean you had to leave. Stay as long as you want.”

  She shook her head. “I’m sure you don’t want some hungover girl lolling around in your place.”

  “I’ve had plenty of girls, hungover and stone-cold sober, loll around here.” He snapped his mouth shut.

  Plenty of girls. She looked away. What did she think? Jasper hadn’t been dating for the last ten years? He became some kind of monk or something? Look at him. He was probably fending off women left and right.

  “That didn’t come out right,” he said sheepishly.

  Carissa held up a hand. “It’s fine, Jasp. Don’t worry about it.” He seemed uncomfortable still. “What? Is there something else?”

  He eyed his coffee mug. “Just something that happened last night. You probably don’t remember but we...”

  “Kissed,” she finished. And what a kiss it had been. But after his “plenty of women” comment, she decided to keep that to herself. “I do remember.”

  “I’m really sorry about that.”

  He was? Because despite everything else, she wasn’t sure that she was sorry. In fact, she kind of liked it. “Why in the world would you be sorry?”

  He ran a hand through his hair. “You were drunk, Carissa. I took advantage of you.”

  She let out a relieved breath. “Jasp, we’ve kissed each other a million times before.”

  “I know, but...” He trailed off and she wondered what he wanted to say. Finally, he said, “More coffee?”

  She shook her head. When he turned and crossed to the opposite counter to refill his own mug, his phone vibrated, dancing across the surface of the island. She tried not to look but couldn’t help it. It was too close. Close enough to see a text message from someone named Simone Graves.

  Morning, cutie. Sorry I missed having drinks w/u last nite. I’ll make up for it. Promise. This was punctuated by a kissy-face emoji.

  Wasn’t it a tad bit early for emojis of any kind? Carissa couldn’t contain the sigh.

  “What was that for?” Jasper asked from across the room.

  “Uh, nothing. Just exhausted.” She was being ridiculous. Of course Jasper had women texting him. Was he serious about this one? Did he have a girlfriend? She searched her hungover brain. Did she even ask him last night?

  “I’ll bet.” He crossed to the pantry and reached for a new box of sweetener.

  She crossed the room and studied his very large collection of books on the floor-to-ceiling bookcases. Two entire shelves were devoted to graphic novels. She tapped them with a finger and let out a small laugh.

  Then she returned to the island just as his phone lit up again. Someone named Sherry popped up on the screen this time. Me, you, our usual time and place. Don’t be late.

  Our usual time and place? Carissa gnawed on her lip as she considered. Just how many girlfriends did he have? She blew an errant hair out of her face. None of her business. Jasper had always been a flirt. Apparently nothing had changed.

  Suddenly she felt nauseous and it had nothing to do with the copious amount of alcohol she’d consumed the night before. She pushed her coffee mug away and when she did, she noticed one last text message from someone named Elle.

  4 calls in 1 day. All-time record, Jasp. Be back in town later today. Promise.

  Simone, Sherry, Elle. Who were all these women? More importantly, why was she experiencing a sinking feeling in her stomach?

  Because no matter what, and in spite of everything they’d been through, she would always harbor a very soft spot for Jasper Dumont. Always.

  Admitting that was the first step. Now she needed to refocus. Worrying about Jasper and his apparently very active love life was futile. She had more important things to think of now, like her business. Because the one thing she knew was that no matter what, she needed time right now to concentrate on this business venture. No way would she end up like her father, relying on someone else for money and security.

  An image of her Chicago condo all packed up with Preston’s name scribbled on the majority of the boxes flashed into her mind. She wouldn’t do that again. No, she was going to put everything she had into this business and it was going to succeed. And she simply couldn’t get bogged down by a drunken night with her ex-boyfriend, no matter how nice he was the morning after and how many pieces of toast he made her.

  She pushed back from the counter abruptly. “I, uh, should really get going.”

  Surprise shone in his eyes, but he quickly added a playful, “Worried you’ll be spotted leaving my place the morning after?”

  “Not particularly. Besides, nothing happened between us.”

  A shadow passed over his face. “Right.”

  “Right,” she repeated.

  A long moment stretched between them. Neither moved, neither spoke. Finally, Carissa backed up toward the door. “Listen, Jasp, don’t worry about that kiss. In fact, don’t even think about it. It was nothing.”

  “Really?”

  Was it just her or did his expression darken? Maybe it was the light from the windows. “Yes. Like you said last night. We called a truce. Just...pretend it never happened.”

  “That’s really what you want?”

  It had to be. She nodded enthusiastically. “Yes. Absolutely. Go about your life. Continue dating, or seeing, or spending time with, whoever you might be doing those things with.” She coughed. Why was she rambling? “Seriously,” she finished when he opened his mouth to speak. “We are just old friends now.” She ran a hand through her hair before taking the final step to the door. “Thanks again for everything. I guess I’ll see you around.”

  With that, she made a hasty retreat from his beautiful loft, acting very much like she was worried she would be spotted the morning after.

  * * *

  The morning after a night like last night was enough to have Jasper dragging. He hadn’t been drunk, but taking care of a drunk ex-girlfriend whom he’d securely placed in the “I’m definitely never seeing this person again” folder had been a bit much.

  He ran a hand through his hair and then quickly cursed himself for messing it up while he was at work. See, one day in town and Carissa was already messing with his hair, not to mention with his lonely night out to drink away his thoughts.

  He straightened in the leather chair behind his large oak desk at the Dumont Incorporated headquarters. If he was being truthful with himself
, he hadn’t actually minded taking care of Carissa last night. And he definitely hadn’t minded that kiss. But wasn’t that the problem? He should mind it.

  He was going to have to chalk it up to nostalgia. He didn’t harbor feelings for her any longer. In fact, he was positive they could exist in the same town without any emotional strife to speak of.

  Besides, even if he was interested, which he clearly wasn’t, she’d just gotten divorced. Although what moron divorced an amazing woman like Carissa was beyond him. Even more preposterous was the idea that anyone would cheat on her. That fact still set his blood boiling.

  At least she’d decided to come back home instead of staying in Chicago. And now she was going to start a business, too. Maybe he could throw some contacts her way. After all, he was forever being invited to one party or another.

  Leaning onto his desk, he nodded. He could definitely help her out. Not because she was an ex-girlfriend, though. He’d help anyone out.

  “Right,” he said aloud for emphasis.

  “Everything okay, Mr. Dumont?”

  Jasper practically jumped out of his seat at the sound of his assistant’s voice. “Yes, everything’s fine, Sherry. Didn’t I ask you to call me Jasper? Mr. Dumont is my dad.”

  The young woman smiled. Jasper had taken a chance hiring Sherry. Straight out of college with little experience. But he knew her family and Sherry had needed a job desperately. Luckily, she’d turned out to be one of the hardest workers on his team.

  “Sorry, Jasper,” she said. “Now on to our usual time and place.”

  “My favorite date with my favorite person,” he said, referring to their usual morning rundown of his schedule and events.

  “Yeah, yeah, I bet you say that to all the girls. Your two o’clock meeting switched to three,” she said, beginning to go through her usual morning checklist. “I scheduled your dentist appointment for next week. Don’t look at me like that. Even millionaires need to go to the dentist.” She grinned. “I sent out those contracts first thing. Oh, and your brother called. Twice,” she said, her smile fading. “I hope Elle is coming back soon.”