by J. E. Taylor
Jennifer giggled. “I can’t wait to see what you do with the rice.”
Steve reached into the bag and pulled out a plastic fork with a grin. “I’m not that much of an idiot.” He put the chopsticks down and began to eat with the fork.
Jennifer roared. She held her stomach with one hand and covered her mouth with the other, trying not to let the food spout with the laughter.
“Stop laughing at me,” he chuckled.
She swallowed. “I can’t help it,” she said, winding down. “That was too damn funny not to laugh.” When she took a healthy portion of rice on her chopsticks and put it in her mouth without dropping any, she started to giggle again.
“Now you’re just showing off.”
She nodded and swallowed. “You want a beer?”
“That’d be great,” he said, and put another fork full in his mouth.
* * * *
After she retreated inside, he let his eyes drift to the magnificent scenery. A three quarter moon rose over the mountains, the light reflecting on the surface of the lake below. By the end of the week, the moon would be completely full and the view would be breathtaking.
Music blared in the living room and he jumped, spilling rice all over the table. His gaze jumped from the scenery to the room behind him. Jennifer frantically turned knobs and he chuckled. Not one of her attempts decreased the volume and Steve stood, stepping inside to lend a hand.
“I don’t know how to turn this down,” she said over the music.
Steve crossed the room and scanned the hardware in front of him. After a few seconds, he reached down and turned a knob. The music lowered to a respectable level. He raised his eyebrow. “That was interesting.” He headed back toward the balcony, on his way out, he grabbed the beer Jennifer had left on the bar.
He laughed lightly under his breath and continued to eat. “You’re about as good with that as I am with these.” He pointed to the stereo and the chopsticks respectively.
Jennifer blushed and sat, opening her wine cooler. After they finished eating, she leaned back in the lounge chair, looking out over the moon-drenched lake. “The lake is beautiful.”
“Mhm,” Steve agreed, glancing at her profile. Not as beautiful as you are. “I like your choice of music.” He leaning back in his chair as Nickleback’s ‘Far Away’ piped onto the terrace.
“When do you think we should tell them?”
“Let them sweat it out for a while.” Steve took a sip of the beer. “I don’t like being set up and if I didn’t know you, I’d have been pissed at the shit they pulled tonight. I can’t believe they left us alone after that fight, even if it was all bullshit.” He took another swig.
“I’m not sure I can keep this up for very long.”
Steve smiled. “You’re the best actress I’ve ever seen. You’ll do just fine. I’d be more worried about me.” He returned his attention to the scenery. Yeah, I don’t know how long I’ll be able to keep my hands off you.
A blush crept into her cheeks and she stood. “I’m gonna change.” She tilted her head and tapped her lips with her finger, her eyes drifting over him. “I think I may have a pair of shorts that will fit you if you want to get out of your wet clothes,” she offered with a sheepish grin.
“You have something that would fit me?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.
“I might,” she replied.
“Okay,” he said, curious to see what she brought for him.
She returned in dry clothes and hesitantly extended a pair of faded cut-offs to him.
Steve stood, reading the melancholy expression in her eyes and the slight tension in her arm as if second-guessing the offer. “These were Tom’s, weren’t they?” When she nodded, he took them from her outstretched hand. “Are you sure?”
“Yes,” she said. Her eyes met his. “I’m sure. The bathroom is at the end of the hall.”
He walked away, turning once to look at her before he disappeared around the corner.
Steve inspected the soft well-worn fabric and then his reflection in the mirror. I can’t believe she did this. His thoughts drifted to Peggy and the full closet at the cottage. If the situation were reversed, could I do the same? He didn’t have an answer, at least one he’d admit to, and he shrugged the questions out of his head. Stripping out of his wet suit, he slid the shorts on and raised an eyebrow. Oddly enough, they fit perfectly.
He picked up his wet swim trunks and walked into the living room. “What should I do with this?”
Jennifer had her damp clothes in her hands already. “I’ll take that.” She stared at him. “They fit.” She met his clear blue eyes and took his wet shorts, turning and heading toward the kitchen.
“Why are you going in the kitchen with wet clothes?”
“I’m gonna put these in the oven.” She smiled sweetly holding the wet clothes up and hesitating in the doorway.
His mouth dropped for a split second.
“Seriously, our laundry room is off the kitchen.” She disappeared and he heard the dryer turn on.
She got you, dude! Her sense of humor was still a little warped, even after all these years. He chuckled dryly. When she stepped through the kitchen door, he said, “I thought…well, never mind. You got me.”
She laughed.
The musical tenor of her laughter set him into action and he crossed the distance, sweeping her into his arms. Her eyes widened; her laugh teetering into a gasp. The line of her body arched into his touch. As one hand tangled in her long damp hair, the other planted in the curve of her back, just itching to go lower, but he held it in place. Staring into her jade eyes, he forced a ragged breath and slowly leaned toward her luscious, parted lips, wanting to taste the sweetness of her mouth.
This cannot happen!
Steve pulled away, startled by the sudden admonishment. Her eyes were still closed, still expecting the kiss. When he loosened his grip and stepped back, they shot open. A crease appeared between her eyebrows, questioning him silently.
His heart thumped in his chest as if he’d been hit with a tazer, and his breath matched the electrifying experience, coming in short quick bursts. He concentrated on taking long slow breaths, attempting to regain control.
“I have to go.” He took another step away from her, two years of not feeling anything in contrast to the overwhelming tornado of emotions was too much for him to cope with. He turned and headed for the door.
Jennifer caught his arm. “Steve.”
He didn’t look at her. “You aren’t ready for this either, Jen,” he said as he opened the door.
“How do you know?” she whispered.
He met her gaze. “Because I saw the way you looked at me when I came out in these shorts.” He removed her hand from his arm. “I’m not ready.” He let his eyes graze over her. “It was good to see you again.”
“But?”
He gave her a little smile. “I’m not ready for you.” His voice was soft and gentle and he turned, walking to the elevator, refusing to look back because if he did, he wouldn’t be able to leave. When the elevator doors closed, he rested his forehead against them, welcoming the cool metal.
He closed his eyes and for the first time in two years, the face he saw etched onto his eyelids was not Peggy’s.
Chapter 4
Jennifer stood staring at the elevator for almost a full minute thinking he would change his mind and come back. When he didn’t, she closed the door and inhaled, trying to ease the sting of his rejection.
She crossed to the balcony in time to see his car disappear from sight and she glanced at the small mess on the table. Sinking into the lounge chair, she began to clean up, analyzing every move in an attempt to understand why he pulled away.
Didn’t he feel the current? The electricity? The same intensity? Or was it just her? She looked back at the parking lot and shook her head. The way he looked at her, the way he held her, god help her, it felt like coming home.
“No, it isn’t just me,” she said, but there was
no strength behind the words, no conviction.
With a sigh, she gathered the containers and dumped them in the garbage, taking the bag to the dumpster and destroying any evidence he had been at the apartment. When the dryer buzzed, she retrieved the clothes and folded them neatly, tucking them away on the top shelf of her closet.
Something in the back of the closet rustled and Jennifer jumped, spinning in the direction of the disturbance. Cold air engulfed her and the hair on the back of her neck bristled. Fear wrapped around her heart in a tight fist, constricting the sudden pounding in her chest and pulling the air from her lungs. Wheezing, she drew a thin breath and shivered. She shot out of the closet and slammed the door but it did nothing to eradicate the feeling she wasn’t alone.
She backed away slowly, wishing Steve had stayed a little longer. With her eyes glued to the closet door, she changed into her nightshirt and grabbed her bathrobe. She retreated to the living room, slipping the floor length chenille around her as tightly as it would go.
Channel surfing and restless, Jennifer bit the edge of her lip. Her eyes shot down the hall toward her bedroom every few seconds, before returning to the television, and she sank lower and lower into the couch as the night wore on. After a couple of hours of bouncing her attention between the hallway and the repetitive drivel on the television, her eyes drooped, closing slowly. She drifted off, despite her unease.
* * * *
Hands shook her.
“Jen, wake up,” Tracy demanded.
Her eyes fluttered opened trying to place where she was. She looked up at her friend and it all came back to her. “What time is it?”
“Around two,” Tracy answered. “How did it go?”
“How’d what go?” she mumbled and sat up, still half asleep.
“Steve. Did he come up?”
She shook her head awake enough to slip into the role. “He’s an asshole.” Jennifer got up and headed to her room. “Night.” She closed her bedroom door on Tracy’s questioning eyes, crawling into bed and instantly falling asleep.
* * * *
During the night, the closet door popped open and a pair of red shimmering eyes peered out. Jennifer shivered in her sleep and pulled the blankets tight.
Chapter 5
Jennifer woke at eight and wandered into the shower. She let the pulsating jets wash away the edges of sleep, lingering, enjoying the massage on her back and legs. After what seemed like an eternity, she reluctantly shut the water off and wrapped herself in a towel. Her brow furrowed as fragments of a dream drifted into her consciousness—blood, pain, and fear.
She shivered at the image and shoved it down into her subconscious where it belonged, flipping on the hairdryer to take the chill out of her wet locks.
Tracy strolled in and yawned, wiping her eyes. “God, what a night.”
“Mhm.” Jennifer glanced at her roommate.
“You ought to give Steve another chance.”
“Where did that come from?” Jennifer turned off the hairdryer.
“He’s really not an asshole,” Tracy began. “I still think you’re perfect for each other.” She headed into the shower.
If you only knew, Jennifer thought and turned on the hairdryer again.
“I still don’t understand you,” Tracy grumbled as they stood in the elevator. “He’s a nice guy.”
“Then you go out with him.”
“You’re impossible.”
“Lay off, Tracy.”
“But...”
“—But nothing. Leave it alone, I don’t like the guy.”
Tracy pouted the rest of the way in the elevator, playing with her keys. She let the silence build between them until they stepped into the bright morning sunshine. “Couldn’t you give him a chance?”
“You’ve got to be kidding!” Jennifer groaned. “I don’t want anything to do with him.”
Tracy slipped into the driver’s seat of the Jaguar and turned the ignition.
“What did you do last night?” Jennifer asked, focusing the conversation on Tracy.
“We had fun.”
“I’ll bet,” Jennifer said. Steve’s smile came to mind, making her insides feel like a pile of warm silly putty. She didn’t hear a word Tracy uttered, her mind miles away until Tracy turned onto Fraternity Row. “Where are you going?”
“Sorry, Jen, I promised Billy I’d pick him up this morning. His car is on the fritz again. He said you could ride with Steve.”
Jennifer looked at her. “Why doesn’t he ride with Steve?”
Tracy shrugged and pulled up to the curb. “I need to bring him to the shop before we go to get our schedules.”
“Great fucking friend you are,” Jennifer said under her breath as she got out of the car.
Bill and Steve sat on the front porch of the frat house. Bill’s lips pressed into a thin white line and he shot to his feet, scrambling down the stairs at the first sign of Tracy’s car. “Thanks for understanding, Jen.” He glanced at Steve with a nod and slid into the passenger seat.
“I guess you need a lift,” Steve said, shifting his gaze to Jennifer.
“Apparently.” She glared at Tracy’s car as it pulled away from the curb.
“Car’s this way.” He turned, heading toward the parking lot. She followed Steve and slid in the passenger seat when he held the door for her. “Sorry about last night.” He shut the door and walked around the car, slipping into the driver’s seat.
“No apology necessary,” Jennifer said. “How’d you hook up with the frat boys?” She gestured at the house.
“I was in the same fraternity at Yale. I figured it was probably better than off campus. At least I’d feel like I was a part of something again.” He looked up at the house. “Now I’m wondering if that had been a good idea or not. There isn’t much privacy here.”
She smiled and he turned over the ignition but he didn’t put the car in gear right away.
* * * *
The storm of emotion swirled within him, and being this close to her just increased the velocity. He stared at his hands, gripping the steering wheel before letting his eyes wander in her direction, taking in the tan legs and the hem of her white skirt, slowly grazing her until their eyes met. Electrifying heat took hold. With a deep breath, he dragged his eyes away and backed the car out of the parking spot.
Something about the determined set of his jaw prompted her to ask, “Are you all right?”
He nodded but didn’t look her way.
“Stop the car.”
The car swerved to the left. His eyebrows arched and his lips slightly parted, surprised by her sharp tone. Steve jerked the steering wheel back in line, correcting the car’s trajectory and settling back on the proper side of the road. “Why?”
“I don’t want to ride with you if you’re gonna to shut me out.” The anger in her voice matched the spark in her eyes.
“Are you acting right now?”
“Stop the damn car.”
He pulled to the curb and she shot out onto the sidewalk. He slammed the gears into neutral, set the brake and ran after her, grabbing her arm and spinning her around. “What are you doing?”
“Leaving you alone.” Jennifer yanked her arm from his grasp.
Steve grabbed her again and pulled her close. “Maybe that’s not what I want.”
“What exactly do you want, Steve?” She shot up at him, her eyes fiery and frustrated.
He kissed her hard and pulled away. “You.” He let her go and stormed back to the car, leaving her breathless.
“You sure have a funny way of showing it,” she called after him.
The car rolled away, leaving her standing on the sidewalk. He parked less than a block away. “Get in,” he said when she marched by the car, heading in the direction of the school.
“No,” she snapped over her shoulder.
“What the hell do you want from me?”
* * * *
She stopped and turned. The rightness of being with him hit her like a ph
ysical blow, silencing her because everything she wanted to say just wasn’t enough. His blue eyes locked with hers, knocking her senseless and at the same time fueled her, making her feel alive and vital.
He pulled the car up next to her. “What do you want, Jen?” he asked, softer this time.
A powerful combination of fear and wanting flashed in his eyes, making him seem vulnerable and sexy.
“You’re not ready for what I want.”
“Then tell me, what the hell do we do now?” He kept her intense stare. “What do we do?” he asked again, throwing the car in neutral.
She shook her head. “I don’t know.” She took a deep breath and slipped into the car. “But next time you kiss me, you better make it last a hell of a lot longer than that.” The slow sexy smile spreading over his face made her shiver and impossibly hot at the same time.
Steve slid the car in gear.
“You’d better wipe that grin off your face before either Tracy or Bill sees it. That’s a dead giveaway.”
He obliged and put on his moody expression. “Better?”
“Yes and no.” She suppressed a grin of her own. “I like the sexy smile.”
“Ah,” he replied. “I’ll have to remember that.”
Jennifer was quiet for a few minutes. “Tracy was a little pushy this morning. She wants me to give you a second chance.”
Steve glanced sideways. “Bill said I was a fool.” They pulled into the student center and he put his game face back on. He opened the car door for her, shaking his head. His expression looked tight, annoyed to any onlooker. His eyes surveyed the parking lot and landed back on her.
“You’re quite the actor, you know.”
“I have to be in my line of work.” His eyes went a little wider at the admission.
“And what line is that?” she asked stepping onto the asphalt.
“I’m a law student.” He headed into the student center without waiting for her.
Jennifer shut the door and watched him walk away. He studied his surroundings with sharp eyes, drinking in every detail, and it hit her. Not a lawyer. Jesus, he’s here because of the murders. Oh my god, he’s a cop? She ran up to him and caught his arm. “Are you working now?” The steady glare he gave her made her drop her hand and step back.