by Ronica Black
“Jayden?” she said softly, to which she heard a low mumble. “We need to get up.”
“Not yet. Feels so good.” Jayden inched closer. Kassandra could feel her breath on the back of her neck.
She burned with a smile and jerked as arousing goose bumps tightened her skin. “I know.”
“Can we have a sleepover?” Jayden asked. “I’ll bring snacks and scary movies. But you have to promise I can sleep in here, on this wonderful bed, surrounded by goose feathers and lavender.”
Kassandra laughed. “Maybe.”
“Maybe?”
Jayden popped up behind her, and Kassandra turned to face her. She found her with a crooked grin, dark messy hair, eyes sparkling in the filtered light coming through the gold curtains. Her cheeks were red with heated sleep.
“Maybe when all this calms down.” Kassandra tried not to stare and she tried to sound nonchalant. She didn’t want to jump up and down at the idea even though it was what she was doing inwardly.
Jayden seemed to sense her feelings, though, and reached out to touch her face. She stopped herself, hesitated to speak. “Okay, sounds good.”
Kassandra closed her eyes, wanting the moment to last. Jayden in her bed, looking beyond gorgeous, feeling so soft, strong, warm next to her. Kassandra knew she’d sleep with her face buried in the pillow Jayden had used.
“We should get up, maybe eat something.”
Jayden nodded and cleared the dogs from the bed. She stood and stretched and Kassandra looked away as her T-shirt rose to show a hint of carved abdominal muscles. Jayden was so fit and strong, and each time the realization caught her, it did things to her. Things she didn’t quite understand yet, feelings she’d never felt before. Like a dancing butterfly in her stomach, or a ball of fire in her throat. One second she felt so heavy with heat she thought she’d combust, and the next second she felt so light she could float away.
She remade the bed and Jayden helped her and then stepped closer to help her walk to the living room.
“How’s the foot?”
“A little better.” The wound felt tight, like it would tear open again, but she didn’t let on. Just walked as carefully as she could.
“Thirsty?” Jayden called from the kitchen. “How about some iced tea?”
Kassandra stiffened as she recalled Brian knowing exactly where her first aid kit was.
“Oh. God.” Bile rose in her throat. She sank onto the couch.
“What was that?”
“Yes, tea is fine.” How could she have been so stupid? Could it have been any more obvious?
Dax ran to the door and barked seconds before Kassandra heard the squeak of her gate. Jayden entered carrying two glasses. She set them down on the coffee table as the doorbell rang. She motioned for Kassandra to stay on the couch.
“Good boy, Dax.” She glanced out the blinds. “It’s a man. Looks like a cop.”
She unlocked the door and opened it.
“Hi, I’m Officer Jensen. Can I speak with Ms. Haden, please?”
Jayden welcomed him and opened the door, telling Dax to be good. Officer Jensen entered, and he looked the same as he had the last time she’d seen him, only now he was wearing street clothes.
“Ms. Haden.” He nodded and shook her hand as she rose the best she could.
“Officer Jensen, please, have a seat.” She offered him the ivory chair across from the couch. “This is my friend Jayden Beaumont.”
He shook Jayden’s hand before he settled in on the chair. “Is it okay if I speak freely in front of your friend?”
“Sure.” She grew nervous with what he had to say. His demeanor was very serious.
“I would’ve called, but the information we gathered today…I think I needed to tell you in person.”
“What is it?” Her heart tripled in pace.
Jayden settled down next to her.
“It seems as though Brian Edison, the man who caused a disturbance this morning, is your burglar. We found several photos of you on his person this morning, and based on his behavior and some statements he made, we got a warrant to search his home.”
Kassandra swallowed with difficulty. “And you found my things.”
He cleared his throat. “Yes, ma’am.” He opened his satchel and retrieved a file. He removed a photo and showed her. It was a photo of panties, five altogether, all of them hers. She clenched her jaw and looked away. She felt so exposed and sick to her stomach she could hardly breathe.
“They’re yours?” he asked.
“Yes.”
He tucked the photo back in the folder and removed more. Kassandra nodded at the photos of her jewelry and other personal keepsakes.
Officer Jensen returned the photos and placed the satchel on the floor. He clasped his hands. “We also found more photos of you in his home. Seventy-three altogether.”
Kassandra closed her eyes, feeling dizzy. A warm hand covered hers and squeezed.
“He’s been stalking you for some time.”
Kassandra took a deep breath and exhaled. “What now?”
“We press charges. Fortunately, we have complaints from two other women as well. One at his workplace and another who works at the corner store. Neither knew enough about him to report him. But today’s events tied it all together. We found their photos as well as written notes about where they worked. The same information he had on you.”
“Has he ever hurt anyone?” Jayden asked.
“No previous record,” he said. “But it was obvious he’s been escalating from Peeping Tom type of behavior to stealing undergarments to breaking and entering. If he hadn’t been caught, the next step could’ve been very, very bad.” He stood. “We’ll keep in contact. For now, try and relax. He can’t seem to make bail. I’ll have someone call you with instructions on how to get a restraining order. That will keep him away from here.”
Kassandra hugged herself. She felt like Brian Edison had touched her everywhere. She wanted to scrub her skin and every inch of her home. She just wanted everyone out so she could lock herself in and the world out.
Officer Jensen left with Jayden showing him out. Kassandra sat motionless. Jayden came to her, tried to talk to her, but Kassandra was gone, scrubbing her mind before she started in on everything else. She saw Jayden’s face, her concerned eyes. But how could she explain how she felt? How could she explain it to anyone?
“I think I need to be alone,” she said softly.
Jayden reared back a little and blinked. “Okay.” She stood from her kneel. “I won’t argue with you, but you have to keep Dax.”
Kassandra nodded, staring beyond her.
Jayden touched her face. “Don’t check out on me, Kassandra. Please don’t do that. Because I’m never going to check out on you.”
Kassandra met her eyes briefly. “I can’t make any promises,” she said.
Jayden bent, kissed her forehead, slipped into her shoes, and walked out the door.
Kassandra limped to the door, bolted the locks, and headed straight for the shower. She was going to scrub herself raw and hope against hope that she could wash Brian Edison away.
Chapter Twenty-six
Jayden entered the office and checked her phone for texts. It had been two weeks since the Brian incident, and Jayden had been keeping close tabs on Kassandra, who texted her a few times a day on her days away from the kennel. Today, however, she was due to come in and Jayden was excited, for she had quite the surprise for her.
She stopped at Allie’s desk, grabbed a few messages, and walked to her desk where a young man sat. She tossed the messages on the desk and sat in her chair. She smiled.
“Tony, as always, good to see you.”
The young man returned the smile. “Is she here?”
“Not yet.”
“Man, I can’t wait to see her. It’s been a long time.”
“I know. She’ll be thrilled.”
“I hope so.”
“She will.”
He squirmed in his
chair and fiddled with his ball cap, which was in his lap. For a boy without much parental supervision, he seemed to have very good manners. It had taken some time and lots of finagling with her friends, but Jayden had finally found him newly placed in a foster home. He’d started a new school, and so far, had been in much less trouble. It helped that his foster parents were good, patient people. They’d fostered one of her former kids a few years back and she knew them to be good people. They’d told her Tony was still pretty quiet but that he seemed happier on days when he worked at the kennel.
“No one has told her, right?” he asked.
Jayden shook her head. “Nope.”
His knee bounced. “I really appreciate you finding me and offering me this job.”
“You had a good reference,” Jayden said, referring to Kassandra. “If Ms. Haden likes you, then that says a lot to me. The second test…the dogs. And so far, they approve.”
“Is there a third test?”
“Mm-hmm. The fam. The Angel’s Wings family.”
“How do I pass that?”
“Just be yourself, work hard, be good to the dogs, nice to people. You’ll do fine.”
He wiped nervous-looking hands on his long denim shorts. His knee continued to bounce.
“She’s here!” Allie called out as Jayden stood and saw Kassandra’s car pulling in. The group in the office gathered around Tony, and Jayden crossed to meet Kassandra at the counter. She entered slowly, just as she did on any other day, head down, purse on her shoulder, eyes covered by sunglasses. When she finally looked up at the counter, she jerked a little at Jayden’s presence. She smiled.
“What are you doing?” she asked with a laugh.
Jayden shrugged. “Just wanted to greet my friend at the door.”
“Oh-kay,” Kassandra said, walking beyond the waist-high door, which Jayden held for her. “Why?”
“Just to be polite. You know, ‘Hi, honey, how was your day?’ kind of thing.” She tried not to break out in a grin. She walked by her side as Kassandra continued to look at her curiously.
“Seriously, what is up?” They stopped in the middle of the room and Kassandra eyed the group of workers, gathered in a group, all grins.
Again, Jayden shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe we have something of a surprise for you.”
“A surprise?”
Jayden nodded at the group and they all moved outward, showing Tony standing in the middle.
Kassandra looked at him for a second with complete disbelief. Then she blinked and let out a scream. “Oh my God!” She rushed at him and enveloped him in her arms. He laughed and hugged her back and they spun like giddy children. “What in the world? Are you really here?” She grabbed his face.
“It’s me,” he said. “I’m really here.”
“But when? How?” She looked back to Jayden, who was smiling so hard it hurt.
“Ms. Beaumont, she hunted me down. She knows my new fosters.”
“She does, huh?” Kassandra placed a hand on her hip. “Guess I have to hug you, too.” She looked at the group as a whole. “Guess I owe everybody a hug.”
Jayden laughed as she hugged one person after another. When she got to Jayden, she hesitated but then embraced her quickly. “Thank you,” she whispered. “Thank you so much.”
Jayden released her as she pulled away, seemingly overcome with emotion. “How did you do this without me knowing?”
“We met on your days off,” Tony said. “But this day,” he said. “This day is the best by far.”
Kassandra tugged on his baseball cap. “I’d say so.”
“Today is also special for a couple of other reasons,” Jayden said, quieting the group. “Kassandra, I—we’d like to offer you a permanent position here at the kennel. When your semester ends, of course. We are willing to work around your school schedule if you want to return to get your degree in counseling.”
A look of complete disbelief washed over Kassandra’s face. Her mouth fell open and she stared at Jayden as if she wasn’t sure what she’d just heard.
“You can go back to school, Kassandra. Do what you really want to do.”
“Yeah, and work here,” Gus said. “Because we aren’t letting you leave again.”
The teens all voiced their agreement and Tony swatted her on the arm. “Say something, Ms. H. Don’t leave us hanging.”
“I’m just so surprised. Pleasantly surprised.”
“Is that a yes?” Billy asked.
“Yes. Yes, of course it is. I’d be honored to be included in this group.”
The teens cheered and collapsed into her, hugging her. Jayden smiled and noticed that Kassandra’s eyes never left hers. She looked truly happy, truly grateful. And nothing had ever lit Jayden up from the inside like seeing Kassandra so happy. She grinned, felt tears threaten, and clapped her hands for attention, needing to change topics before she cried in front of her staff.
“There’s one more surprise today and a reason to celebrate.” She looked to the warehouse door and nodded. Gus entered with Cooper on a leash. He handed him over and knelt and said good-bye. When he stood, he wiped tears from his eyes.
“Cooper is going to his forever home today,” Jayden said. She eyed the clock. “Any minute now.” The group cheered, but then the noise lowered to mumbles as they all said good-bye to him, one by one. Kassandra also knelt and told him good-bye. She, too, teared up.
Jayden followed, rubbing his soft furry chest. He placed a paw on her shoulder. “I’m going to miss you, buddy. So very much. But John will love you and pay you so much more attention than I ever could. I love you.” She kissed his head and nuzzled his neck, inhaling his scent. Gus had just bathed him for his trip home and he smelled fresh and clean, ready for his new life. Moments like these were what the kennel was all about. But they were always bittersweet.
The bell on the door jingled as John rushed in. Allie let him in through the counter door and he bolted for Jayden, sliding on his knees in front of Cooper, who wagged his tail. “I’m here, I’m here.” He hugged Cooper. “I’m not late, boy. I’d never be late to get you.”
Jayden again held back tears. She could hardly look at the boy, much less hear his love for the dog. It burned deep in her chest, and she almost needed to excuse herself to go break down into tears. Cooper and John had their time together, but their time also paralleled her time with Kassandra. And as she caught her eye, she saw that she too was tearing up and not just because of a boy and his dog.
It was a quiet, heavy moment. One of deep emotion. Kassandra touched her chest, right at her heart. Jayden did the same, not knowing if Kassandra meant anything by it. When she smiled, Jayden figured she did.
“The big day is here,” John’s mother said, joining the small crowd.
“And to think, you actually doubted it would ever come,” Jayden teased her, having to tear her eyes away from Kassandra.
“I know, can you believe it? I should’ve known my son better.”
“Can we go now, Mom?” John looked at Jayden. “We’re taking him to the pet store. Going to buy him everything he needs.”
“That’s great.” She shook his hand as he stood and handed him the leash. Jayden walked them to the counter. “He’s been microchipped as you requested, and all his pertinent papers are in here.” She retrieved Cooper’s good-bye bag and handed it over. “The vet information is in there for his free visit. But you need to do that within thirty days. And as always, if you have any questions or concerns, let me know. I do suggest you get him a pillow bed rather than a crate. He doesn’t like being locked up. And he’s very much house trained, so you could get a pet door. Overall, he’s a wonderful dog and I think you all will be very, very happy.”
“He’s gonna sleep with me,” John said. “But we will still get him his very own bed.”
“Thank you so much, Jayden.” John’s mother reached out and shook her hand.
“My pleasure.”
“Come on, boy! Time to go get some toys.” John
and Cooper ran through the counter door and pushed out the main door. His mother waved and disappeared behind them. Jayden stood and watched them go.
“You did a very good thing there,” Kassandra said, placing a hand on her shoulder.
“Mmm.”
“Can I talk to you for a second?”
Jayden felt her lower her hand and press up against her. Her breathing grew short and quick as they stood like that, skin on skin, body pressed to body, Kassandra slightly behind her. She reached down and covered Jayden’s hand with her own. Jayden inhaled sharply.
“Please, I really need to talk to you,” Kassandra whispered.
Jayden turned her head slightly, wanting to feel her breath. “Where do you want to go?”
“Your place.” She squeezed her hand.
“Okay.”
They crossed the room, Kassandra walking behind her at a distance. The group was chatting with excitement and no one seemed to notice as they slipped out the door. Jayden turned to her as she walked across the lot toward her house. Kassandra moved slowly, grinning slightly. Jayden swallowed against a rising lump in her throat as she considered what was happening. She knew she shouldn’t get too excited, but there seemed to be little doubt in Kassandra’s intent. She had the look of hunger, moving with seduction, never tearing her eyes away from Jayden.
When they reached the door, Jayden waited for her. When she felt the press of her body up against hers, she let out a shaky breath.
“Are you sure?” Jayden asked, hand trembling as she reached for the doorknob.
“Yes.”
Jayden closed her eyes. She couldn’t believe it was finally happening. Her normally confident attitude in such matters was missing, nowhere to be found. She was excited, aroused, and surprisingly…nervous.
“Open the door, Jayden,” Kassandra said.