Please Remember Me

by Wendi Zwaduk

  With an appraising gaze, Marlon smiled. “I see.”

  Okay, his reply didn’t exactly reassure her. She shifted in her seat. The door seemed awfully inviting again. “But anyway, I thought I’d stop by to say hi and then go to the hotel.”

  Bemused, Marlon leant back in his seat. “You don’t have to go so soon.” He cocked his head and grinned. “I’m sure glad you’re back.”

  As much as she wanted to read into his statement, she bit her lip. A girl could only take so much, and he’d be a handful. He’d want details, and telling him about every nook and cranny of her life would get him closer to her. The closer he got, the harder it would be for her to keep a hold on her independence.

  She smiled. “I’ll be around.”

  Chapter Two

  Marlon toyed with the condensation on the can. Jade had changed, and how! Her cheeks, no longer sunken, infused with colour when she smiled. Her eyes, once framed by dark rings, now had a healthy sparkle in their green depths.

  Her tongue darted out to wet her lips once more. Dear God, he wanted to sample those lips. One kiss had sealed his fate. On every other date since their one lip-lock, no other woman had moved him like Jade. She sat on his couch, in his home. What would it be like to have her in his bed, naked in his arms?

  The stiffy pressed against his pyjama pants. Shock rocketed through his veins as he glanced down at the tent. Randy teens didn’t get hard so fast after a solo session. He crossed his legs to hide his reaction. If she knew about his predicament, she’d probably run. What was it about her that brought up his primal urge to be with her?

  The shriek of his cell phone split the air. He jerked and grabbed his phone. “Sorry. I’m off duty. Let me get that, and we can… Yeah…uh…one sec.”

  Curling into herself, Jade nodded. “You’re important, so I bet you’re always on call in one way or another.”

  With a quick glance at the screen, he groaned and flipped open his cell phone. “It’s Mackenzie, my boss. I’ll be right back.” Striding into the kitchen, he spoke into the phone. “This is Cross.”

  “It’s your off day, but we have news about one of your old cases. Do you remember the Nikita Cline case?”

  “Yeah, I remember. What’s new?” Marlon peeked though a crack in the swinging door. Jade still remained, but with every passing minute, she looked more as though she might bolt. With her hand fisted around the couch arm, she scooted to the edge of the cushion. Her eyes widened as she gazed in the direction of the windows. Did she think someone had followed her?

  “Are you listening?”

  Scratching his forehead, Marlon turned away from the door. “I’m here.”

  “One of the main players is back in town. Do you also remember one Jade Weir? We got a call from the Santa Barbara PD that she’s coming your way. I guess her father filed a missing persons report. Crawford was one of her last known whereabouts. She seemed to have a fondness for you so we’re on the lookout for her. I remember her having an unusual attachment to you. She’s got a drug record, you know. Might not be the best for you two to be seen together. What if she slips up?”

  Pinching the bridge of his nose, he gritted his teeth. Damn. He thought he’d regained everyone’s trust. “I’ll keep my nose clean.”

  “Don’t try to pull the wool over my eyes. You want to help her. I can hear it in your voice. You don’t need the trouble the second time around.” Mackenzie groaned. “First time I understood. This time I won’t be able to save your ass.”

  Mac had a point. Marlon toyed with the hairs on his chin. Try explaining the need to keep a distance from Jade to his libido. “Even so, what if she ends up here? Has she done something illegal? Last time I checked, there were no warrants out on her. She’s supposed to have gotten clean.”

  “Clean or not, you don’t need to chance it. The official story, though, is her father wants her home and he’s worried. Keep me posted.”

  “We cater to celebrities now? We’re officers of the law, not babysitters.”

  “Enough of your tone, Cross. We work for the public, and Rexx Weir is part of the public.”

  With a sigh, Marlon closed the phone. Mac would probably have his hide for hanging up on him, but some things were worth the trouble.

  When he shuffled back through the door, Jade was toying with the strings on her hoodie. He chuckled. The idea of such a glamorous woman in loungewear, albeit sequined loungewear, rocked him. If he’d read her words right, she didn’t want to be the glamour girl anymore—well, not all the way. He agreed. Sure, he’d liked her as the Hollywood beauty, but the more wholesome and real look did things to him deep down in his soul. She stirred feelings he’d assumed had been long buried with Addison. Then again, some of the feelings weren’t so happy. What if she hadn’t kicked her drug habit like she claimed? People lied all the time, and he really couldn’t afford to lose his job.

  He kicked his apprehension aside for the time being. “So you ran away?”

  She froze. Her wide-eyed gaze met his. “I didn’t run away.”

  He sat on the arm of the couch. “Uh-huh. Why don’t you tell me the rest of the story?”

  “So you can turn me in?”

  “Is there something I should turn you in for?”

  “I swear I wasn’t speeding over in Jarvis. It was a miscommunication.”

  Wrinkling his brow, he slid onto the couch cushion. “I don’t know anything about a ticket, but I’ll look into it.” God, he needed to be near her. First he needed to control his hormones. “What’s the name on the ticket? Jade Weir? Claire Rasmussen? Or Claudia O’Neill?”

  “You would remember my stupid alias names.” She shook her head. “I gave them my name. Jaden Marie Haydenweir.”

  Her real name. Ah. Jaden Marie seemed to fit her better than the exotic Jade.

  “And I didn’t disappear or run away. The officer said I owed him seventy-five bucks for the ticket, which I put in the slot at the courthouse in Jarvis. I can show you the citation—it’s in the glove box if you want to see it.” She twisted a diamond-encrusted gold band around her middle finger. “I have enough money to get through a week at the hotel and my credit cards for the rest. It’s not the norm I’m used to, but I’ll make do. If you can point me in the direction of the—what?—job place? I think that’s what they’re called. Do that, and I’m golden.”

  Crinkling his brows, he folded his arms. “You mean Jobs and Family Services.”

  She nodded. “Where is that?”

  “What are your skills?”

  “Are you one of the service officers?”

  “Nah, I’m trying to help.”

  “Until Parker Pie died, I took care of my dog—sort of. I like kids as long as they don’t get messy. I can text, message, and post comments online like no one’s business.” Her eyes lit up. “I can learn a filing system. Do you know where I can get a job where I can put papers in order?”

  “Not at the moment.” The department didn’t need extra help, but maybe she’d work out at the library shelving books or she could volunteer to read to the little kids. “I’ll show you around town tomorrow before my shift starts. Sound like a plan?”

  “Yes.” She glanced at the time on her phone. “I should go.”

  As she stood, he shifted his pyjama pants. God, would she see his excitement? “Jaden?” One more moment and he’d be able to get her out of his system.

  Who was he fooling? One kiss and he’d be sunk.

  In the doorway, she turned. “Call me Jaden Marie. My mom always called me that. I like it better. It seems more like me.”

  “Well, it is you.” Good gravy, he sounded smooth. “I mean…”

  “See? My awkward social grace is catching.” A giggle swept past her lips. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”

  “Yeah, come by around ten and we’ll paint the town.” Oy, that sounded even goofier.

  He clamped his mouth shut but still reached for her. As much as his conscience dictated he let her go, he yearned for her. She
paused. Should he go for it? Why not?

  Jaden beat him to the punch. With lightning speed, she touched her lips to his. Her eyes fluttered shut as she leaned in to him. With his tongue, he traced her mouth, her lips soft as petals on his skin.

  Wrapping an arm around her waist, he tugged her close. The stiffy grew. When they parted for air, he gasped, “I’m glad you didn’t disappear, Jaden Marie.”

  Her voice came out in a whisper. “I am, too.”

  Jaden stepped out onto the porch, into the cool air. Grief, she needed the temperature change. Marlon charged her thoughts and her body. If she stayed much longer, she’d slip into her old self and take advantage of him. Then where would she be? Out on her butt while one of the few men she actually liked walked out of her life. But goodness it felt good to let someone else in on her secret truth and be herself. And the sound of her name on his lips turned her insides to mush.

  Behind her, Marlon spoke in a deep tone. “Why don’t you let me walk you out? The neighbourhood is pretty good, but I’d hate for something to happen.”

  The outer layer of her defences melted. What girl could turn down a gentleman? Not her. “If you’re worried, you’d better come along.”

  His hand rested on the small of her back and the sheer power in his body burned her to her core. “How long will you be in town?”

  Stopping at the door of her Mercedes, she drummed her fingers on the cracked side mirror. “I thought I’d stay for a while. Cass said this is the best place to be, and when I stayed in her cabin last summer, I never wanted to leave.” She fidgeted with her keys. Back in The Hills, she’d simply shut the door and insist the driver speed off in order to end the date. With Marlon, despite the fact that they weren’t on a date or even a couple for that matter, she didn’t want the night to end.

  “I have some time coming this weekend where I can help you move.”

  The muscles in Marlon’s arms bulged as he rested his hand on her door frame. He shifted his feet, resting his weight on his left foot. Even his bare feet turned her on. Criminy, did she need to get laid to get the lusty thoughts out of her head?

  “What am I thinking? Living in a hotel for three days would suck.” A sheepish grin twisted on his lips. “Just tell me to shut up.”

  A better means to stop his gibberish came to mind, but two searing kisses in one evening? The old Jade would jump on him and insist on a quickie in the back seat. No, Jaden Marie wanted to wait. She’d rushed the first time around. Still, the feel of his beard against her hand was too much to pass up. Smoothing her fingers over the prickly hairs, she sighed. Even his cologne, deodorant, or whatever he wore drove her senses wild. “I don’t have much. It’s not like I could throw the mansion in the backseat of the Benz, so I want to try to find a furnished apartment. I’m staying at the hotel by the freeway for now, but maybe we can look for an apartment in the morning.”

  “Sounds perfect.” Taking her hand in his, he kissed her knuckles. Electricity shot from her hand to her heart.

  She stepped away from him again and plopped into the bucket seat of her car.

  As she pulled out of his parking lot, Marlon stood on the sidewalk waving. Did he want her to leave? Was she a nuisance? She didn’t care. Few people who said what they meant came into her life. If he offered even a tiny shred of honesty, then she’d take it. Besides, it wasn’t every day she met a man who rocked her to the core and made her think about something other than herself.

  After the ten-minute drive to the motel, Jaden settled into bed. Clad in an oversized T-shirt emblazoned with rhinestone J, she tugged the curtains shut and grabbed her cell phone. Phone in hand, she slid between the sheets and thought about Marlon.

  Just forget about him. Forget his smile, the goofy way his beard curled up to his sideburns, the gleam in his emerald green eyes, and that body. She licked her dry lips. Even with the T-shirt covering the important parts, a woman could slide over those abs time and time again without getting bored.

  The unwanted memory of wild nights spent in the throes of passion and illegal substances crawled into her mind. He knew about her past, but could he accept it? Would he believe that she’d changed? Too many men saw her past as a liability. In Marlon’s line of work, a former drug user would definitely not be the right match.

  Throwing her forearm over her eyes, she tried to blot out the painful images of her public disgraces—the times she’d flashed the cameras, grabbed Logan just to get attention, run off to Africa claiming to want to help, but instead found new and exotic ways to party. Then there was her disastrous movie career. Did anyone really watch her movies? No. They downloaded that ridiculous Halloween party video where she’d serviced two guys at the same time.

  Shit.

  Then there was her father. Rexx Weir expected his daughter to parade for the cameras and show skin. Nudity sold magazines. Before her mother had died, her good deeds and philanthropy splashed across the pages of Delish magazine. Would her mother buy the naughty celebutante act? Probably not.

  Instead of allowing her pity party to get the best of her, she sat up and set the alarm on her phone. A shadow hovered by the window. She swung her legs over the edge of her bed. Paparazzi? They didn’t know where she was. She peeked through the curtains. The security light bathed the empty walkway in yellow light. Shrugging, she checked the locks on the door and headed back to bed.

  Tomorrow she’d meet Cass, shop at the thrift store, and try to find a job. As much as she wanted to hunt Marlon down and spend the day in his arms, he deserved better. From the way Sabrina talked, there was already an affair in progress.

  A rush of jealousy surged through Jaden’s veins. Tears wetted her eyes. If she didn’t know better, for the first time in her life, she just might be in love.

  Well, hell.

  Chapter Three

  The next morning, Jaden showered, dressed, and drove in the exact opposite direction of Marlon’s apartment. By the time she reached Cass Malone’s driveway, she’d considered and disregarded three impulses to turn around and head back to California. As she pulled up onto the pad in front of the garage, she spotted Logan, or rather Logan’s legs, peeking out from under an enormous black truck.

  A tremor ran through her veins. Sure, she’d made amends with the object of her puppy-love obsession, but seeing him still brought a tiny twinge of remorse and longing. From his sandy-coloured hair, to his drop-dead hazel eyes and his boyish smile, the ex-movie star could stop traffic and melt the iciest of hearts. At one time, he’d used his assets to woo just about every woman in Hollywood. Jaden grinned. His tomcat ways had stopped the moment he’d met Cass. She matched him in every way without pretension.

  Standing, Logan barely reached five-feet-eight inches. But get him angry and look out. If anyone tried to harm Cass, hell hath no fury like a Malone scorned…or really pissed off. Jaden sighed. Maybe one day she’d find that one man who’d fall head over heels with her without a care.

  Maybe.

  Closing the car door, she strode to his position on the floor. Before she uttered a word, he rolled out from under the truck. “Hello, honey. How are you?”

  A laugh bubbled in her throat. Despite her nasty tactics to gain his affections and her affiliation with Cass’s ex-husband, Dex, Logan still treated her with respect. Cass had become one of her closest friends. “I’m good. I asked Cass to go with me to shop for furniture. She said the thrift stores around here are the best.”

  “Yup.” Logan wiped his dirty hands on a rag. “She got a sweet deal on the dresser in Julian’s room.”

  “Why are you lying under the truck?” She peeked around him and pointed to the tailgate of the truck. “Don’t you have someone to fix it if it’s broken?”

  Throwing his head back, Logan laughed. “We do have someone.” He pointed to his chest. “Me. Working with Ray on the dirt team really helped me out. I knew enough about trucks to change my wipers and the oil, but those guys are hardcore and insisted I learn how to change brakes and anything else t
hat had to do with a vehicle. With Team Jensen, you have to know it all and be fast. Good thing I just wanted to check the rear brakes. I haven’t gotten to the lesson on rebuilding an engine block. When that goes, I’m sunk. By the way, Cass should be out in a moment.”

  As if they had an unspoken link, Cass walked out of the garage door with Julian in her arms. “See, I told you. Daddy’s right out here.” The crying child brightened upon seeing his father. “He didn’t leave you.”

  Logan wiped his hands on his jeans and held open his arms. “Come here, big guy.”

  “He’s spoilt rotten by his father.” Cass shook her head. She pointed towards the road. ”Hey, do you know who was in the dark green car at the end of the driveway?”

  “No clue.” Logan bounced Julian on his hip. “Might’ve been the mail lady. She drives a new car every day, it seems. Whoever it was is gone now.”

  “Still bothers me. I’m not keen on strangers showing up out of the blue.” Cass turned away from the drive. “So how are you? I already got a phone call, Miss Jaden.”

  Jaden cringed. First an unknown car and now a phone call. From whom? If her father had felt the need to involve himself yet again, she’d scream and hit the road for Siberia.

  Taking Julian’s hand, Logan waved. “On that note, we’ll leave you girls alone.” He kissed Cass’s cheek. “Have fun and spend all my money, love.”

  Cass kissed him on the lips and then kissed Julian on the forehead. “Don’t miss me too much, boys.” After Logan closed the garage door, Cass spoke again. “Well, now that they’re taken care of, I can deal with you. Were you supposed to meet someone other than me this morning?” She crooked a brow. “I’m telling you, he acted like I was your big sister, checking in like that. What you do is none of my business.”