by Arianna Hart
“How long have you been taking karate?” Jared asked.
“I started eight years ago, right after my mom died. The therapist Kevin and I were seeing suggested we do something together to find a way to bond. I had been out of the house for four years; he was only nine when I went to college. We were really strangers in a lot of ways; a shared activity helped us to get more comfortable with each other. Once he got into high school he dropped out of karate to play soccer and baseball instead.” Macayla thought back to how having something other than school and work had saved her sanity back then.
“I kept it up, that’s how I met Samara. We were the only two women in the class so we were usually paired off together. We both have similar independent streaks, so we got along really well. I had never really had a best friend before; I was always younger than everyone I went to school with. It was nice to have someone to talk too, to lean on, and to laugh with. She helps me relax, and I make sure she doesn’t let people walk all over her. It works out well.”
“I can believe it. Although, I have a hard time believing Samara lets anyone walk all over her. She seems like a pretty tough cookie.”
“She is a tough cookie for the most part. It’s only with the people she loves the most that she can’t stand up for herself. Her parents had her life scripted out for her, and for so long she followed their plan and was miserable. When she decided to branch out on her own it was hard for her. She hates to disappoint anyone, and she didn’t want to let her parents down, but she was miserable teaching. She is much happier now.”
“So you gave her the courage to go it alone, because you always have?”
“Not really, I just let her know I would support her decision, and be there for her either way. She was a big help to me when I was raising Kevin. She would help take him to games and practices when I couldn’t get out of class or work on time. She listened to me worry when he was out on dates, panic over how we were going to pay for college, and cry when he went to summer camp for the first time.”
“It must have been hard to raise a teenager when you were barely out of your teens yourself.”
“I was lucky, Kevin was a really good kid. He didn’t give me too hard a time.”
“So how did you manage to pay for everything and still have time for medical school?”
“I worked as a cleaning lady for offices at night. I figured out that I could clean the places in almost half the time if I got organized, so I busted my butt for half my shift, and studied for the other half. All the company cared about was that the offices were clean, as long as I did my job I could use my free time anyway I chose.”
“So you were a cleaning lady huh?”
Macayla raised an eyebrow at his condescending smile.
“Yes I was, and a damn good one too! There is nothing wrong with cleaning for a living. It worked out well for me while I was raising Kevin, I’m not ashamed of it.”
“I don’t think you should be. My mother was a cleaning lady, probably for the same reasons as you. My dad ran out on us when I was a kid. My mom raised me by herself until she passed away.”
“Is that why you wanted to make sure you were around for Caitlyn? Because your family wasn’t?”
“I never thought about it that deeply, I just knew that I didn’t want her to need me, and I was in jail for hacking into someone’s computer for cash. The right and wrong of it didn’t bother me so much until I thought about the responsibility that went with having a family again. Connor and I were both loners, we didn’t have any family except the army. When you let people back into your life, you have a responsibility to be there for them.”
“You constantly surprise me Romero, you really do. Did you ever find out what happened to your dad?”
“Yeah, once I finished my computer training in the army I searched him out. He never divorced my mother, he’s living with an ex-stripper in Texas. It really pissed me off that he would leave my mom, a woman who would have done anything for him, for some bimbo with size 44D boobs and bleach blond hair. He works odd jobs, just enough to get him some beer and cigarettes.”
“Did you ever confront him? It sounds like you saw him.”
“I went to the trailer park where he lived, but I didn’t introduce myself to him. I got a look at what he had left us for and just walked away. I had had this picture of what he was like in my head since I was a kid, when I saw the reality, I was pretty disenchanted.”
“I’d be pretty pissed off,” Macayla said, her heart aching for the lonely little boy who dreamed of his father.
“I was that too. When I got back to the army, I kind of lost it for a while, I went on drinking sprees, I got into fights with superior officers, I got thrown out of bars, it was pretty ugly. After I landed in the brig, one of my commanding officers made it part of my probation that I see the company psychologist.”
“Was it helpful? I know most men have a hard time with the thought of therapy.”
“I was pretty resistant to it, but I had to go to ten sessions before I could get my full pay back, so I went. I guess it was as helpful as I’d let it be. The doctor told me that I felt betrayed by my mother because she never told me what a jerk he was. That I was hurt by my father for leaving, that I was mad at myself for building him up to be something he wasn’t. He said that I was turning all of those feelings into anger because that was an emotion I was willing to deal with.”
“Sounds pretty accurate to me.”
“Probably. He said the only way I was ever going to get my life back to normal was to deal with all the feelings, not just the anger. He was right. I no longer hate my father; it’s more like I don’t even care anymore. He made his choices, and he has to live with them. I feel badly that my mom had to work so hard, but in the end we had a much better life without him than we would have had with him.”
“Sounds like you have the right attitude. My therapist said about the same thing to me,” Macayla said without thinking.
“Oh, were you mad at your parents for dying and deserting you?”
“No, it had to do with something completely different,” Macayla said with a frown. She really didn’t want to get into her relationship with her ex-boyfriend Joe. He had been gone for eight years, and good riddance. She still worried that he might resurface in her life. That was why she kept up with her karate, but Jared didn’t need to know all of that. “Are you hungry? Would you like some lunch?”
“So my life is an open book, but yours is closed for discussion?” Jared asked.
“Hey, I told you all about raising Kevin, that’s enough ancient history for one day. Let’s get some sandwiches and eat them on the porch. It’s finally warming up, and the fresh air will do you good.”
“Sounds good to me. Macayla, I’ll find out everything eventually you know.”
“Maybe, but not today. Now, peanut butter and jelly or grilled cheese?”
Chapter Ten
Jared had done little but eat and sleep for the last week and he was getting damn sick and tired of being so weak. He needed to find out what the hell was going on with Shaun Hints, and he needed to find out now.
He waited all afternoon until Macayla went into the master bathroom for one of her prolonged baths with a book and some scented candles she found in the living room. Once he heard the water stop running in the bath and the splash that signaled her entrance into the tub he pulled his laptop out of his briefcase in the bedroom.
It wasn’t that he was hiding it from Macayla, but she wasn’t an idiot and she would ask questions better off left alone. He checked the battery; it had some life left in it, but would need to be recharged soon. His computer was a prototype so it had some very special bells and whistles. The battery was half the size of the lightest ones on the market, yet had twice the life of them.
The battery was a nice feature, but the newest feature was what made it the most valuable to Jared. Instead of a modem, the computer had an antenna. Jared didn’t need to hook up to a phone line in order to access
the internet; he just needed to put up the antenna. It worked off the same towers as cell phones, and didn’t have a permanent IP address. There were only two other computers with this feature in the world right now, and Jared knew who had them.
He was part of the design team that came up with the prototype, and therefore was able to test it before they sold the technology to the government. The public market didn’t have the security to guard against a computer that didn’t leave a trace, yet. Jared was working with a group to come up with a way to trace the wireless computer next.
It took a few minutes for the computer to boot up. Once everything was operational, Jared started typing at an amazing pace. Jared didn’t use a mouse; it actually took him longer to use a mouse than to type in the commands. After navigating his way through cyber space, Jared finally settled on his e-mail server.
If he had been using a landline, Hints would have been able to trace him in less time than it would take for Jared to finish checking his e-mail. With Jared’s prototype, there was no technology for Hints to use to trace his IP address from the cell phone towers. Jared felt relatively safe using his computer sparingly, he didn’t want to take the chance that Hints had developed something since he had been out of action.
Technology moved so fast, even though it wasn’t probable, it was still possible for Hints to trace him. Jared downloaded his e-mail messages to read later. He noticed there was nothing from his connection in the Justice department.
That wasn’t good.
Jared fired off a quick inquiry; he hated playing a waiting game, but had no choice. He had to lay low until all the evidence was gathered, and all the witnesses prepared. He could help the case the best by staying alive.
He waited as long as he thought prudent before disconnecting from the Internet. He checked the rest of his e-mail, but didn’t bother to reply. Most of the e-mails were job offers; Jared didn’t think he was going to be in a position to accept any new jobs for a little while yet.
Luckily, he had a nest egg that would hold him over for years if he needed it. Too bad he couldn’t touch it right now for fear that Hints would be able to trace his whereabouts. Jared ground his teeth in frustration. He hated feeling so inept at controlling his own life. He was the only one who could put Hints away, and there was nothing more he could do to make sure the scumbag went to jail than hide and wait for the trial to start. The whole situation had to be kept hush hush for fear that there would be a panic and people would withdraw their money and the economy would collapse. Jared hated waiting for things to happen, he’d much rather make things happen on his own.
He was closing down his computer when he heard the door to the bathroom open. He quickly put the computer away and lay back down on the couch before Macayla came out of the room.
“Enjoy your bath?”
“Yup. I wouldn’t try to take a shower for a little while, I’m sure I used up all the hot water.”
“I’ll wait until tomorrow morning then. What would you like for supper?”
“I don’t know, what do you feel like?”
“Well, I can make pasta, or I can make pasta, but my specialty is pasta.”
“Hum, I guess either I’ll cook or we’re going to have pasta.”
“I’ll clean up if you cook.”
“Deal. How do you feel about chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, and biscuits?”
“I have warm and fuzzy feelings about mashed potatoes and biscuits.”
“Two of my personal favorites. I’m pretty much a fan of starch, in whatever form it appears.”
“Me too, especially with lots of real butter dripping all over it.” Jared’s mouth watered at the thought of hot biscuits with butter. Made the idea of pasta look pretty dismal. He didn’t feel up to cooking anyway.
“Is there any other way to eat starch? I once tried that no-carbs-all-protien diet, I lost seven pounds, but was so miserable for two weeks Samara force fed me popcorn like it was an intervention or something.”
“No carbs? That sounds like a punishment instead of a diet. Why were you dieting anyway? You’re not one of those woman who’s always complaining about being fat when you really aren’t, are you? They drive me crazy.”
“No, I wouldn’t say I complain about my weight, but when you are as short as I am every pound shows up. I usually try to eat a healthy, balanced diet and working out takes care of my occasional chocolate binges. This was just because I had sprained my ankle and was out of the studio for a few weeks. I was trying to keep from putting on the weight when I couldn’t work out to keep it off. I’d rather just work out longer next time. I got really sick of eggs by the end of the two weeks.”
“I can imagine. Do you need any help in the kitchen?”
“Can you make a salad?” Macayla asked.
“Of course, it goes well with pasta,” Jared said.
Macayla laughed as she headed into the kitchen to begin peeling the potatoes. As she bustled around the kitchen, she surreptitiously kept an eye on Jared to see if he was tiring. They hadn’t done much but hang around the house for the last week. He was moving cautiously, but well. She’d be able to take his staples out soon. He was careful when he bent over to get things out of the fridge, but he was able to get up without help. Macayla couldn’t help but admire his backside as he did his bending, but she kept it to herself.
“So, are you going to move to the master bedroom after dinner?” Macayla asked as she put the chicken in the oven and started on the biscuits.
“Are you giving up on the dare?” Jared asked with mischief in his voice.
“No, I already beat the dare. I figured you’d want to spread out on the king size bed in the master bedroom after having your feet hang off the end of the twin bed all week.”
“I didn’t dare you to share a room for one week, I specifically didn’t set a time limit. If you move out, you lose.”
“This is childish. I am almost thirty years old; I don’t have to worry about whether or not I lose a silly dare. If you don’t want the master bedroom, I’ll take it.”
“Go ahead, but then I’ll know you can’t handle it.”
“Handle what?”
“You can’t stand being in the same room as me because you want me and don’t want to admit it,” Jared said smugly.
“What are you talking about? I can handle anything you dish out. I don’t want you, and I don’t have to admit anything!” Macayla said furiously as she kneaded the dough for the biscuits.
“Hey, you‘re the one who wants to move out of the room.”
“I thought you would be more comfortable in the big bed, but if you want to play games, fine. I can take it as long as you can. I’ll stay in the damn room with you, and it won’t bother me one bit.” Macayla was now massacring the dough.
She didn’t even see him coming. The next thing she knew, he was swinging her around and pulling her body to his. He put one of his large hands behind her head and held it while he plundered her mouth.
Macayla’s hands were still covered in dough, and she didn’t know what to do with them. The same magic that always hit her as soon as she got close to Jared had her in its grasp. The logical part of her brain shut down as her hormones took control of her body. Her knees felt rubbery, she could feel the heat building from stomach and spreading outward. Sharp bolts of pleasure speared her as Jared pushed her against the counter and stepped between her legs. She could feel his erection against his jeans, his chest was like a brick wall against her much softer one, and his mouth was taking complete control of her. He eased his way inside her mouth, tongues dueling, making the kiss more intimate.
When she didn’t fight him, he released his grip on her head and began running his hands up and down her back. Macayla still didn’t know what to do with her hands, she wasn’t so far out of it that she forgot the dough stuck all over them. Jared solved that problem by lightly cuffing them behind her back. He used his free hand to tease her responsive nipples through her sweater. When she only gro
aned, he cupped the weight of them in his hand.
Jared moved his lips down the column of Macayla’s throat and to the shell of her ear. He slowly slid his hand under her sweater and gently raised it to the clasp of her bra. Macayla was thanking her stars that she wore the bra with the clasp in the front when Jared released it and heat poured over her.
Macayla had her head thrown back and was floating on the waves of sensation rushing through her. Jared was sucking on her nipples, gently squeezing her breasts, and turning her into a puddle of sensation. She wasn’t sure how much longer she was going to survive before she begged him not to stop when the hiss of the potatoes boiling over broke the spell.
“Jared stop! I have to get that! Stop, you are going to get burned.” Macayla was pushing Jared away from her so she could get away from the counter and take the potatoes off the stove. He was in a daze and just stepped back as she bustled around the kitchen.
“Why don’t you start a fire in the living room while I finish these biscuits. Dinner should be ready soon.”
“Macayla, you can’t hide forever. Why won’t you even talk about this? It isn’t going to disappear,” Jared said as he ran his hands through his black hair.
“I’m not hiding from it,” Macayla said, not looking at him.
“Then what do you call it? You practically melt in my arms. God knows you set me on fire, what is wrong? Do you have some disease I should know about? Are you afraid I do? Just for your information, I don’t. I’m in perfect health.”
“You have a bullet hole in your side. You are not in perfect health.”
“Stop changing the subject! You know perfectly well what I mean! I’m not going to hurt you.”
“Maybe I’m just really careful about the people I get intimate with, and maybe I need more time,” Macayla said hesitantly.
“Is that what you are saying? That you need more time? Because I’m willing to give it to you, but I have to tell you, I don’t know how much time I have in me.”
“I won’t be pushed into something I’m not ready for.”