Summer Vows (Arabesque)

by Alers, Rochelle

  A muscle jerked in Jacob’s jaw when he clenched his teeth. “I’m not going to get involved with her.”

  “That’s what I said when I came back here to pick up my medal from Mattie. I dated her every day for a week and it took seven days for me to realize my life wouldn’t be complete without her. It was the same with your father and mother. One glance and he knew she was the one.”

  “Where is all of this coming from?”

  “Mattie told me how you look at Ana. It was the same way I look at her and the way Stephen used to look at Gloria. It appears as if the Jones men haven’t quite learned not to be so transparent. The only other thing I’m going to say, then I’ll shut up—she’s quite a catch. Excuse me, but I have to check on my meat.”

  Jacob sat there, staring at his uncle when he opened the door to the smoker. The sweet scent of apple-infused wood chips and the succulent aroma of smoked meat floated in the air. What had Mattie seen that he wasn’t aware of? He’d admit he was physically attracted to Ana, and that was it. Or was it more?

  He went through a mental list of all the things he liked about her. What shocked him most was there wasn’t anything he didn’t like about her. She made him laugh—something he didn’t do enough. And she’d shocked him when she’d offered to take care of his urges, something no other woman had ever offered to do. She didn’t bore him and definitely wasn’t needy. If the police or the investigators her family hired to find the shooter didn’t come up with something concrete within another week Jacob wasn’t certain how long he would be able to pretend he was unaffected by the woman he went to bed thinking about and woke up looking for.

  There was no doubt he was in denial when it came to Ana Cole.

  Chapter 8

  Ana lay in bed waiting for Jacob. They’d sat on the porch swing watching fireflies, while listening to the cacophony of sounds from night creatures, and the radio on a nearby table was tuned to a station playing smooth jazz. She’d felt content, safe sitting with him in the darkness. Sharing dinner with their hosts in the backyard reminded her of the outings with her family whenever it cooled down enough to cook and eat outdoors.

  She knew Jacob had told his uncle about her plight when Ray reassured her she was in good hands, that it wasn’t the first time Jacob been entrusted to protect a witness. What she wanted to tell Ray was that not only was she a witness but also the target, but she’d promised herself that she wouldn’t permit herself to dwell on what was but what would be. The shooter would be caught, prosecuted and imprisoned for a long time.

  Dinner had become a festive affair with melt-in-the-mouth brisket and fall-off-the-bone ribs, savory potato salad, coleslaw and fluffy biscuits. Mattie had made a pitcher of white sangria with white peaches, grapes, pears and apples that complimented the delicious meat and side dishes.

  Mattie told her the houseguests used a separate side entrance that locked automatically at ten each night; they had to use a special magnetic card key to gain entry after that time. Ray had given Jacob a set of keys to keep, so whenever he felt like coming to Key West the house would be available to him.

  Ana knew she’d eaten too much, but after the first few forkfuls she couldn’t stop, requesting a second helping of everything. She was certain she was going to gain weight with the inactivity. That didn’t bother her only because she needed to weigh more than she did. Working out at her building’s health club was only to relieve the stress she no longer had to concern herself with. Her eyes closed, her breathing deepened and within minutes she was sound asleep.

  It was after midnight when Jacob climbed the staircase and walked into the bedroom at the end of the hallway. He’d waited as long as he could without falling asleep on the porch and become bait for the tiny insects waiting to feast on his skin.

  He closed the door, locking it behind him. Ana had turned off the lamp, but had left the bathroom light on. Slipping out of his shoes, he left them on a mat near the door and tiptoed into the bathroom.

  Standing in front of the mirror over the vanity, he stared at his reflection. The stubble made him look scruffy, sinister. He never shaved on his days off, but had done so because of Ana; when she hadn’t commented on his emerging beard he decided to let it grow.

  Jacob brushed his teeth and took a quick shower, and then returned to the bedroom and pulled on a pair of pajama pants. The pajamas were in deference to Ana, because he usually slept nude. He normally would’ve chosen the side of the bed closer to the door, but Ana had claimed it. Then he remembered he’d concealed his handgun in the drawer of the bedside table next to where she lay. Not wanting to wake her, he decided to let it stay where it was.

  Everything in the darkened room seemed magnified: the sound of her soft breathing, his own heartbeat echoing in his ears, the hypnotic scent of her perfume and the warmth of her body. During dinner he’d watched her, delighted she was so comfortable with his aunt and uncle. She’d confirmed what he already knew. She was a wonderful conversationalist, chatty enough to be charming and an intent listener whenever someone else rendered their opinion. She and Ray appeared to be kindred spirits when they discussed music; he promising to play his saxophone but only if she accompanied him on the piano.

  Mattie had whispered that she was a pleasure to have around. This coming from Mattie was odd because those familiar with her knew she didn’t like anyone in her kitchen whenever she cooked. Jacob smiled in the darkness. It appeared as if his charge had passed the test. She’d easily won over his relatives just by being Ana.

  He closed his eyes and soon drifted off to sleep.

  * * *

  Ana managed to get out of bed without waking Jacob. She hadn’t believed she would’ve been able to get a restful night’s sleep with him beside her, yet she had. In fact, she felt more rested than she had in days.

  Jacob had complained about her modeling her underwear and she’d taken steps to counter that when she selected the outfit she planned to wear for the day, leaving it in on a table behind the decorative screen in the dressing room. Ana was more than aware of the dangerous game she was playing with Jacob by living and sleeping together, and felt the need not to exacerbate the situation by teasing him.

  There was nothing to keep her and Jacob from having a physical liaison. After all, they weren’t in love with each other, which meant they could walk away unscathed. Yes, she liked him, but not enough to give him her heart although he claimed most of the attributes she liked and wanted in a man with whom she could have an ongoing relationship.

  If they were to have a physical encounter, then she doubted whether it would continue after their current situation ended. If not, then they would remain friends. She brushed her teeth, washed her face with a special solution she’d purchased from her dermatologist to combat oiliness, then sliding back the shower door, stepped into the stall.

  She glanced up through the skylight. A bright blue cloudless sky and warm temperatures set the stage for a day of touring and shopping. Turning on the faucet, Ana adjusted the temperature, luxuriating in the flow of warm water. Then she did something she hadn’t done since before her luncheon date with Tyler—she sang. Singing in the shower was something Ana had done since she was a child. She had a good, but not great, singing voice. Gabriel had been gifted with an incredible set of vocal chords, as well as the gift to compose music. He’d earned a Grammy and an Oscar for a movie soundtrack.

  For her it wasn’t about writing music, playing an instrument, but training her ear to recognize something unique in someone’s voice. It wasn’t even about a vocalist’s ability to carry a tune. It was about style. She’d grown up listening to her parents’ music, marveling that singer/songwriters like Barry White and Isaac Hayes didn’t have the most melodious voices, but it was their overt sexual tonality, blending with incredible background music that made them musical geniuses.

  Broadway show tunes were her favorites. Her p
arents had always taken her to New York to see a Broadway show to celebrate her birthday. They’d check into a hotel several days before going to the theatre to go sightseeing and shop at boutiques and department stores. The show was always followed by dinner at one of her favorite restaurants. The tradition began when she’d celebrated her sixth birthday, continuing until she turned twelve. At thirteen she felt it wasn’t that cool to hang out with her parents when compared to being with her friends.

  Turning thirteen had changed Ana. She was a teenager, hosted sleepovers, was permitted to go to the local mall with her girlfriends, and it was the year she realized a boy who’d teased her relentlessly told his friends that he liked her. She may have reciprocated his feelings if he hadn’t been so obnoxious. They were reunited for their tenth high school reunion and he’d apologized profusely, saying he had been too intimidated to approach her because of Jason. His disclosure shocked Ana because Jason, unlike Gabriel, never got involved with the boys or men his sisters dated.

  Picking up a bottle of shampoo, Ana squeezed a glob onto her palm as she launched into “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina.” This was followed by a medley from one of her favorites: Les Misérables. She gasped, her breath catching in her throat and the words dying on her lips when the shower door opened and Jacob joined her.

  His teeth shone whitely in his bearded face. “Good morning, Princess.”

  Turning her back, Ana attempted to shield her nakedness. “What the hell do you think you’re doing? Get out!”

  Jacob picked up a bar of soap. “I’m conserving water.” Lowering his head, he kissed Ana’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. Nothing’s going to happen, because you said you wouldn’t let me make love to you even if I were the last man on earth.”

  “Just because nothing’s going to happen doesn’t mean we should shower together.”

  Standing under the showerhead, Jacob soaped his neck and shoulders. “Come on, baby. You can’t be that shy. You had no problem modeling your Victoria’s Secret yesterday.”

  “They were Eres.”

  “Never heard of it.”

  “Look it up,” she snapped angrily. Ana couldn’t believe Jacob would be so gauche as to barge into the shower with her. And she was being truthful when she’d told him that her underwear concealed more than what some women wore on beaches in some Caribbean islands where topless bathing was the norm and no one was bothered by it.

  Swiping a handful of foaming shampoo off her head, Jacob rubbed it on his scalp. “I like your shampoo.” He sniffed his fingers. “It smells nice.”

  “Why don’t you use my bath gel while you’re at it?”

  “Nah. I don’t need to smell like a girl. You better finish washing your hair before the water cools.”

  “I’ll finish once you leave.”

  Jacob stared at her back, his gaze slipping lower to her tiny waist and even lower still to the roundness of her hips and slender thighs and shapely legs. Her body was incredible, her skin smooth and flawless. A slight frown formed between his eyes. “I don’t believe you, Ana. You act the innocent, then you flaunt yourself in front of me while offering to jerk me off. Who the hell are you?”

  Turning, she faced him. “You know who I am.”

  He shook his head. “No, I don’t. What you’re doing is playing a very dangerous game where you’re going to wind up as the casualty.”

  Blinking furiously, Ana tried wiping away the shampoo trickling down her forehead that had gotten into one eye. Jacob captured her wrist and cupped his free hand under the water and splashed it on her face. “Finish with your hair while we talk.”

  Not venturing to glance below his neck, she massaged her scalp. “There’s nothing to talk about.”

  Jacob continued to lather his body. “That’s where we disagree. I said some things to you because I’d believed you were mature enough to deal with it. Case in point—human sexuality. I’m not going to hide the fact that I sleep with women, and that I enjoy sleeping with them. What I don’t do is accept everything thrown at me because that has never been my way. I prefer to do the hunting instead of becoming the hunted. And, it’s never slam bam thank you ma’am.”

  Placing her hand on Jacob’s hairy chest, Ana gave him a gentle push as she turned her face upward to the flowing water. Reaching for another plastic bottle on the shower shelf, she applied a liberal amount of conditioner to the wet strands. “Why are you telling me this?”

  “Because I want you to know where I’m coming from, Princess.”

  “And that is?”

  “We have to stop playing games with each other. It’s getting more and more difficult for me to keep my hands off you.”

  More surprised than frightened, Ana stared up into the deep-set eyes that reminded her of cups of rich dark coffee. A shiver of awareness raced through her body when she digested what she’d just heard. “You haven’t touched me.”

  Jacob curved an arm around her waist, bringing them closer. “It’s not because I haven’t wanted to.”

  Large golden-brown eyes met his. “Is this about sex?”

  His expressive eyebrows lifted a fraction. “And if it is?”

  Ana closed her eyes against his intense stare. “That’s all it can be because when this is over I’ll go back to Boca Raton and you’ll return to Miami to do whatever we were doing before this living nightmare disrupted our lives.”

  Jacob’s expression changed, becoming a mask of stone. He couldn’t believe Ana could talk about allowing him to make love to her as if she were negotiating a business deal. There was no warmth, only indifference.

  He wasn’t so naïve, believing even if he’d met Ana under an entirely different set of circumstances they could have a relationship similar to what Diego had with Vivienne before they were married. Firstly, he and Ana came from two different worlds where he wouldn’t fit into hers and she in his. He also doubted whether she would give up or modify her career to share her future with any man.

  Having her live under his roof, even for a short time, had changed him. It was nice having someone to talk to and share meals with. With Ana he never knew what to expect from her. There were times when she appeared mature beyond her years, then she would say something that indicated she wasn’t as secure as she projected. He knew she missed her brother when she called him Jason rather than Jacob.

  He wasn’t a twin and he’d never had a brother so he was unfamiliar with the bond between siblings. His mother had miscarried several times before she had him, and he’d grown up hearing her refer to him as her “golden bead.”

  Jacob knew he was on edge from what had become a period of self-imposed celibacy, yet he didn’t want to use Ana to slake his pent-up frustration. She didn’t deserve that. He’d thought he was in control until she came prancing out of the bathroom in underwear that showed more than it concealed.

  Raising his hands, he cradled her face. “I don’t want to take advantage of you.”

  She flashed her trademark dimpled smile. “You can’t, only because I won’t let you.” Going on tiptoe, she kissed his stubble. “Why don’t we let things unfold naturally.”

  Even if they never made love Ana knew she would have wonderful memories of playing house with Jacob. He was different from the other men she’d known and she found herself looking forward to being with him. He was more complex than she’d originally thought, comparing him to a puzzle. She had to find all the pieces and put them together before the real man emerged.

  Jacob smiled. “That sounds like a plan.”

  “Now please finish showering so I can wash my body.”

  “Do you want me to wash your back?” His smile was more of a leer.

  Ana pointed to the bath brush hanging from a hook. “No, thank you. That’s why I use a brush.” She took a step back, her eyes traveling downward for the first time. Swallowing an inaudib
le gasp she suddenly wished she hadn’t looked. Now she knew what Eve felt in the Garden of Eden when faced with temptation. Jacob’s naked body was magnificent from head to toe. Raw desire raced throughout her body, making it difficult for her to keep her footing.

  His leer widened. “Now that I know what you look like and you know what I look like I believe I have the better view.”

  “Please, Jacob,” Ana pleaded. Her body was on fire and it had nothing to do with the water or the sunlight coming through the skylight.

  He continued to stare at her, his gaze as tender as a caress. “No more teasing, Princess.” Jacob hands went around her upper arms at the same time he angled his head and took her mouth in an explosive kiss that buckled her knees. The kiss ended as quickly as it’d begun.

  Summoning strength from somewhere she didn’t know existed, Ana was able to endure the length of time it took for Jacob to complete his shower. Her knees were still shaking when she rinsed her hair and stepped out. Smiling, she noticed he’d placed two towels within reach: one for her hair and the other for her body, aware it was to become a day of firsts. It was the first time she’d shared a bed with a man and they’d not made love. It was also the first time a man had ever showered with her.

  Wrapping the towel around her head in a turban-style, Ana stared at her reflection in the full-length mirror as she blotted beads of moisture from her body. She’d reached a point with Jacob as to where they understood who they were and where they wanted to take their transient relationship.

  They would continue to live together, but not necessarily make love with each other. However, if or when they did Ana prayed she would be able to walk away unscathed. Unlike her girlfriends, she’d always loved with her heart and not her head. It was why she’d become the Wild Bunch anomaly. Maybe she would be more successful with her relationship with Jacob.