by Sable Hunter
“So? By what? A couple of years?”
“I’m twenty-seven. What are you, twenty-two?”
“Five years. That’s nothing.”
Jensen let out a long breath. “I can’t deny the idea is tempting. You’re a sweetheart.” She let her eyes rove over him. “Nice looking too.”
This made Clint smile. “Give in to temptation.” He lifted one finger to touch her face. “Please?”
Jensen chewed on her bottom lip. “There’s just one problem.”
“What’s that?”
“I don’t date football players.”
“At all? Ever?” To say Clint was disappointed was an understatement. “Why? Because of the CTE thing?”
“Partly.” She shook her head. “There’s no need for us to debate this. We’re going our separate ways. We’re never going to see one another again.”
Spotting a notepad and pen on the console, he wrote down his cell phone number. “Think about it and call me if you change your mind. Anytime. Tomorrow or next year. Five years from now. Okay?”
“I won’t change my mind,” she muttered, but she took the notepad from his outstretched hand and held it tight. Deep inside, Jensen felt a poignant sense of loss. “But I do wish you the very best of everything this life has to offer.”
Clint put his hand on the door handle. “Something tells me what we could share together might be the best thing life has to offer.”
A pang of regret hit Jensen right in the chest. He was making this extremely hard. “Believe me. You’re going to have more women chasing you than you can shake a stick at.” To break the tension, she reached into the back seat. “Take my umbrella.”
“No. You’ll need it.”
“I have an extra at home and a connected parking garage.”
Clint accepted the offer. “Thanks, but there’s one more thing I want.” He held her gaze.
“What’s that?” She couldn’t look away; her breathing was rapid and shallow. If circumstances were different, she’d grab onto this sweet guy with both hands.
“A kiss. Just one. To remember you by. Please?”
Since she craved the same thing, Jensen couldn’t think of a good reason to deny him. “Just one.”
As the storm continued to rage, Clint leaned close, breathing in her sweet scent. Jensen was cover girl beautiful with a mouth made for kissing. With his gaze on her full pink lips, his heart almost stopped as she took the lead and touched his face, sliding her hand to tangle her fingers in his hair. In the next heartbeat their lips crashed together, lightning slashed across the sky, and thunder rolled as the most amazing pleasure sizzled between them like an electric shockwave.
With a groan, Clint gathered her near, eating at her mouth with complete abandon. In all his born days, a kiss had never knocked him for a loop like this one. He felt like he’d been waiting for this moment forever. This was no mere kiss, this take-and-give was a homecoming, a recognition of what he’d been missing his entire life. The ecstasy was brand new, yet Jensen felt so familiar in his arms, her taste almost nostalgic to his senses. Wrapping his arms even tighter around her, Clint sought to feed the storm, welcoming the hunger that built and built between them.
For a few magical minutes, Jensen let herself dream. She reveled in his touch, his power, his ability to transport her to paradise. Giving herself over to his kiss, she clung to him as their bodies spoke their own language – one of celebration, longing, and need. She didn’t understand it, all she knew was that she wanted to crawl inside his skin and make herself at home. Invite him into her bed to rumple the sheets. Bite his neck and mark him as her territory.
As these thoughts coalesced in her mind, Jensen realized she needed to stop – before she couldn’t. Forcing herself to let him go, she turned her face away slowly to break the kiss. When his mouth sought hers once more, she placed a palm between them to create some distance. “You should go inside,” she whispered softly.
Through a haze of sexual desire, Clint tried to think. “It can’t end this way.” Since his manhood was fully engaged in the moment, there was very little blood making its way to his brain. “How can you walk away from a kiss like that?”
Jensen didn’t know, but she had to try. “It was just a kiss, Clint,” she lied through her teeth.
“No, it was a world-rocking kiss for me and if you were to admit the truth, no one has ever made you feel the way I do. Am I right?”
Knowing she had to say goodbye, Jensen couldn’t give him a straight answer. “Wow, that’s some big ego you’ve got there,” she teased.
Damn, she could be feisty. Clint responded playfully, wanting to hold on to every moment. “My ego is small compared to my…” When she lifted one elegant eyebrow, he couldn’t resist a smile. “Brain.”
“Oh, yea. Right.” She rolled her eyes. “I hope you do everything you can to protect that big head of yours.”
Putting off leaving her as long as possible, he couldn’t help but whisper, “Admit it, you loved that kiss as much as I did. I could tell.” Clint realized she was slipping through his fingers. He wanted to clasp her to him and never let her go.
Jensen held onto the steering wheel with a death grip. “Maybe I’m not as easy to impress as you are.”
“Oh, really?” God, he loved this. Their sparring electrified him. This woman fired up his blood. “You know what I think, Jensen?”
“You think you should go get your head examined.” She pointed to the clinic.
“Yes.” He chuckled. “I’m heading there now, but before I go, I want to make a prediction and I bet everything I’ll ever own that it’ll come true someday.” When she looked at him expectantly, he continued, “This isn’t the end for us. Our finding one another was meant to be. Our paths will cross again someday and when they do…” His eyes went to her mouth and held his breath while she licked her lower lip. “When they do, we’re going to share more than kisses.”
Part of her wanted to believe him. “How can you be so sure?”
Clint gave her a smile full of promise. “Because of the storm.” He cut his eyes to see the rain was still falling. “Every important event in my life is accompanied by a storm.” Clint didn’t really know where all the romantic talk was coming from, but he couldn’t deny how he felt.
Jensen didn’t argue with him, she didn’t even answer. Holding his gaze for one long moment, she let her eyes do the talking. She didn’t know if he understood the message her soul sent to his – but there was no way she would attempt to put the wistful regret she felt into words. “Take care of yourself, Clint. Good…”
“No.” She didn’t get a chance to finish the word before Clint dipped his head to capture the word before it left her lips. After the sweet, gentle kiss, he leaned his forehead against hers for one brief moment. “This isn’t goodbye, Jensen. This is just farewell…until we meet again.” With that heartfelt declaration, he was out of the car and rushing through the rain – leaving her alone to watch him go.
Chapter Two
More flashes from the past
Jensen…Five years later Spring, 2017
“Hurry. Hurry.” Jensen chided herself as she rushed to get ready for the day. Her morning was full of meetings and the first one would begin in less than an hour. Standing in front of the mirror, she finished brushing her teeth, then yanked open the drawer of the vanity to find her deodorant. Lifting her right arm, she applied the roll-on, then switched hands to do the same thing under her left arm. When she did, the downward motion caused her to yelp in surprise. Her arm nudging her breast hit a tender spot. “What in the world?” She laid down the deodorant and lifted her arm again to better feel of her breast. Considering what happened to her mother, self-examination was something she’d always adhered to – until lately. Had her life become so hectic she’d foregone something so important?
As Jensen pressed her fingers into the sensitive flesh, she felt her heart start to pound in her chest. Sure enough, she felt a lump beneath her fingers. Holdi
ng her breath, she checked her other breast. No lump there.
Rushing to the bed, she laid flat and repeated the breast exam. “Dammit.” She could still feel the lump. It seemed to be the size of a raisin or a pencil eraser. Not big – but big enough.
For a moment she lay there, raising her hands to cover her face. A scream of frustration and fear erupted from her throat. “Why me? Why now?” Things were going so well. Her residency was almost over, and she was being courted by several prominent neurologists with offers to become a partner in their practice. The research she’d worked on for four years at John Hopkins was finally being recognized. She’d even been approached by a company interested in developing the molecule she’d discovered that could conceivably change the way brain injuries were treated. In other words, her future was on the verge of taking off to unimaginable heights – until this.
Jumping from the bed, she hugged herself. She was naked. Vulnerable. Cold. Shaking. Jensen felt like she’d been pushed out of an airplane and was in freefall. “Calm down,” she told herself, walking to the dresser to find her underwear. “You don’t even know if anything’s wrong.” This could be a benign cyst. “It’s probably nothing.”
As she dressed, thoughts of the way her mother suffered and died swamped Jensen. She was so torn up, she almost left wearing two different shoes. In the car, she ran a stop sign and barely missed being hit by a garbage truck. At the hospital, her concentration was shot. She found herself spacing out in the middle of a conference call.
After she’d ended the consultation, Jensen walked to the window. The sky was dark. A storm was moving in. Why didn’t that surprise her? For a moment, she thought of Clint and a fresh pain shot through her breast. This pain wasn’t physical, though – it was emotional. She recalled his face, his kiss, the way he seemed so sure they should pursue the incredible attraction between them. What had he said about storms? Every big event in my life is accompanied by a storm. Well, this was one big event she could do without. “Christ…” Jensen leaned her head against the window and cried.
“Ms. Mistretta?”
Her assistant’s voice caused Jensen to jump. “Yea?” Hastily, she wiped her eyes.
“You’re needed in the lab.”
“Right. I’ll be there in a minute or two. There’s something I need to do.”
Knowing she couldn’t continue to function like this, Jensen put in a phone call to her gynecologist and made an appointment.
Now, all she could do was wait and see what fate had in store.
Clint and Jensen – Late Summer, 2017
“This’d better be good,” Clint grumbled as he circled the parking lot for the fifth time. Not even the rain peppering down did a lot for his mood. “Finally!” He spotted a car backing out not far from the entrance. Pressing on the gas, he eased up to get in position to claim the plum spot – only to be cut off by a small blue car whipping in front of him, coming from the wrong direction in a one-way lane.
“Hellfire and brimstone!” While he looked on, cursing under his breath, the door of the compact sedan opened and this long, shapely, female leg appeared. “Damn,” he breathed reverently, his tune changing as he waited to see the female attached to the sexy, lithe limb. “Oh, yea,” he whispered as a woman emerged with long golden hair and a beautiful profile. He couldn’t tell much about her figure except for those million-dollar legs.
But that was enough.
At the moment she was fighting with her umbrella, twisting and turning as a stiff Texas wind threatened to turn it inside out. Her hair fell into limp, curly strands and the voluminous top she wore began to dampen, clinging to a pair of magnificent breasts. Clint chuckled as the parking spot thief got thoroughly soaked. “Good enough for you, cutie.” To add to his enjoyment, another hard gust of wind blew through and lifted the skirt she wore to reveal a pair of lacy black underwear. He almost swallowed his tongue at the sight. “Wow, dinner and a show.”
As if she knew he was getting an eyeful, the woman whirled around. The glare from the lights kept her from seeing his face clearly but gave him a good view of hers.
The woman reminded him of Jensen.
For a heartbeat or two, he thought he was imagining it. But this was no mirage – this was her. Jensen was here. “Oh, hell yeah.”
Clint was just about to open the door to call her name when a car horn sounded right behind him. Instinctively, he glanced into the rearview mirror to see a man’s irate face as he continued to press on the horn. When he looked back to where Jensen had been standing only a moment ago she was already gone.
Frustrated, he considered abandoning his car to chase after her. The incessant horn blowing of the vehicle behind him was joined by another. “Dammit.” Reluctantly, he pressed the gas to continue down the endless lane. Finally, he found a parking spot so far from the door, he bet it was almost out of Austin city limits. Determined to find the woman he hadn’t been able to forget, he jumped out of his vehicle and locked the door.
“Beautiful car, bro!”
“Thanks.” Clint nodded in the direction of the speaker. He was pretty proud of the black Stingray Corvette. “It’s a 1970 LT-1. I restored it myself.”
“Nice. Hey, aren’t you Clint Wilder?” As he caught up with Clint, the grin on the man’s face indicated he was a fan of the Houston Texans.
“Yea, I am.” He kept walking but managed to shake the young guy’s hand. “How you doing?”
“Great. I’m Brian. You played a hell of a game last weekend.”
“Nice to meet you, Brian. And thanks.”
“Hey, could I have your autograph?”
“Sure. Mind if we get inside first?”
Brian laughed, brushing rain drops from his face. “Oh, man. Sorry. Yea. Good idea.”
They hurried toward the entrance to Pappadeaux’s Cajun Restaurant. Clint searched the cars out front until he spotted Jensen’s blue Audi. She was still here, so she had to be inside. When his fan jumped ahead to open the door for Clint, he gave him a friendly smile. “Thanks, Brian.” Once inside, he took the time to sign his name on the back of a wrinkled Wal-Mart receipt. “There you go.” He clapped his admirer on the shoulder. “I hate to rush off, but I saw an old friend come in and I’d like to catch up to her.”
“Oh, sure.” He raised the autographed receipt. “I appreciate this, Clint. Good to see you in Austin.”
“Yea. Nice to meet you.” Clint waved him on as he began to scan the crowd. “All right, Jensen. Where did you go?”
…Outside, Jensen climbed into Scott Walker’s car and fastened her seatbelt. Straightening her skirt, she gave the man and his wife a smile. “I could’ve followed you in my car. Now, you’ll have to drive all the way back to Pappadeaux’s when we’re finished.
“We don’t mind, Jensen.” Lia Walker assured her. “It’s not that far.”
“Yea, we’re just a hop, skip, and a jump from downtown.” Scott looked over the seat to glance at Jensen. “When this reservation opened up at Uchiko, I couldn’t turn it down. I think you’re going to love the place.”
“I’m sure I will, and I appreciate this opportunity. Very much.” Clasping her hands together, she tried to stop them from shaking. Yes, she was nervous. This wasn’t just a dinner; this was an interview to join one of the most prestigious neuro practices in the south.
“You’re welcome. I think you could be a great fit with the team. The research you’ve done with this new concussion medication is fascinating.”
Jensen cleared her throat. “I was so fortunate to work with Dr. Bennett. He gave me free rein to test my theories. The engineered molecule is called a capton and it can be targeted to a specific region of the brain, conceivably halting trauma from spreading and preventing long-term problems like ALS, CTE, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.”
“That sounds amazing and we’re ready to give you whatever you need to continue your research.” Scott changed lanes to take the next exit.
“I’m honored by your interest.” She
gazed out the window at the wet highway. The rain was still coming down in sheets. Jensen couldn’t help but think of the last rainstorm she’d experienced in Central Texas. A sad smile came to her lips. Who was she kidding? She recalled that day often. The memory of Clint and the kiss they’d shared was never far from her mind. Just being back in Texas brought him to the forefront of her thoughts. For a moment tonight, she’d almost convinced herself she spotted him in the parking lot of the restaurant. How unlikely was that? He was probably enjoying the nightlife in Houston, not seeking out a bowl of gumbo at a Cajun restaurant in Austin.
“How do you feel about moving back to Texas from the east coast?” Lia asked. “The heat can be so intense here.”
“I’ve missed Texas, to tell you the truth.” She smiled a bit sadly. “I guess I’m not as fond of snow as I thought I’d be.”
“I hear you,” Scott commented as he tapped the screen of his GPS. “We’re getting close to the restaurant. Considering the weather, I think I’ll use the valet service.”
“Sounds good to me,” his wife agreed. “I’d rather not look like a drowned rat over dinner.”
Wanting to freshen her makeup, Jensen dug in her purse. Where was that lip gloss? With trembling hands, she felt in every compartment. She found everything from hair clasps to a bottle of Tylenol. When her fingers touched a well-worn piece of paper, she jerked her hand back as if the tattered remnant burned her skin. Call me if you change your mind. Anytime. Tomorrow or next year. Five years from now. Jensen was embarrassed to admit how many times she’d dialed the number, then ended the call before it could register on the other end. Reaching back in her purse, she clutched the paper, thinking she should just crumple it up and throw it away. This probably wasn’t even his number anymore. Besides, she was sure he must have a girlfriend by now. Or twenty. Even with her avoidance of everything football, Jensen couldn’t help but be aware of his growing reputation and popularity. Clint Wilder had made a name for himself in the past five years. She just hoped he was safe and well, unscathed by the game that stole her father’s health and ultimately his life.