Read Online Nightmares from Within by Jessica Prince - Free Book Online Page B

hand at the small of my back to direct me through the lobby. “Luckily, I was able to get a reservation. It took some fancy talk on my part so feel free to be impressed.”
    I laughed and glanced over to see Gary sitting behind his desk, smiling warmly at me from over the top of his latest Stephen King novel. “Enjoy your night, Taylor,” he called as we walked past. The look on his face was similar to what I could only guess a proud father would look like.
    “Thanks, Gary, you too. I’ve got some muffins already baked for you in the morning.”
    He placed a hand over his heart. “You’re too good to me, sweetheart.”
    Jordan and I walked out the doors into the mild Seattle night to a black Toyota Sequoia. He disengaged the locks and opened the passenger door to help me in before heading around the front of the car, getting in on the driver side.
    “Should I be jealous?” he asked with humor laced through his words.
    “Of Gary?”
    He smiled, showing off his dimples and nodded.
    “Well, I guess you could be. But seeing as he’s madly in love with his wife of thirty-two years you might be wasting your time. Besides, he’s like a father to me.” The affection was evident in my voice whenever I talked about Gary...or Benny. They were like the parents I never had.
    “Where’s your dad?” he asked as he merged into traffic and started for the restaurant. I knew there would be questions about my family and childhood, but I didn’t think I’d ever be properly prepared to discuss my past.
    “My parents are in Connecticut. I moved out here when I graduated.” I left it at that hoping he wouldn’t ask anymore about them, but I wasn’t so lucky.
    “Did you move out here for college or something?”
    I looked out the window as the city passed by in a blur. “No, I didn’t go to college. I just wanted to get away.”
    “And they were okay with you moving across the country by yourself?”
    I directed my gaze to Jordan and he glanced away from the road to look at me. “I’m not really close with my family.” I hoped my tone carried the message that my parents weren’t really a topic I wanted to discuss. Thankfully, he seemed to understand.
    We made idle conversation for the remainder of the drive and by the time we pulled up to the valet in front of the restaurant the mood in the car had lightened once again.
    The valet opened my door and I stepped out as Jordan came around the car and joined me. “Ready?” he asked with that dimpled smile that I was really starting to love.
    “Mm hmm.”
    He took my hand and led me into the restaurant.
    That’s when it hit me. I’d been so consumed with Jordan that I’d completely forgotten the fact that I didn’t do well in crowded places. I was hit with a reminder the minute he pulled the door open and we stepped into the crowded restaurant. My chest tightened and my nerves came back full force.
    I didn’t know if I would be able to pull this off.

A bead of perspiration traveled from the nape of my neck, down my back.
    “You okay?” Jordan whispered in my ear as we made our way to the hostess. At that moment I wished he wasn’t so in tune with every slight shift in my mood. He’d had the ability to read me like a book from the first moment we’d laid eyes on each other.
    All I could do was smile weakly and nod.
    The slight frown across his brow told me he didn’t believe me, but he didn’t push the matter and I appreciated it. “Reservation for Donovan,” he said with a charming grin to the hostess and the pretty redhead lit up at Jordan’s attention. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one that he had an effect on. That was confirmed when I looked around the crowded area and saw every woman there giving Jordan an appreciative smile. At their obvious attention toward Jordan, I quickly realized that I was way out of my league.
    Not only were the women paying attention to Jordan, they were sizing me up as well, causing my throat to dry up like the Sahara. I