by JC Szot
Homeless Heart
After a series of accumulative events, Kelly Jenson finds herself homeless. Alone, her isolated refuge gives her plenty of time to dwell on her past mistakes. Coming upon a stranded motorist, Kelly is forced to face her greatest enemy, her pride. Drake Larson, a prestigious entrepreneur who feels stifled and frustrated with the social circle his monetary success has brought him, becomes obsessed with Kelly. One chance meeting gives Drake the push he’s needed to end a suffocating relationship with a woman whose only mission in life is herself. Kelly questions Drake’s motives when he returns. Drake’s persistence leads to a night of passion and luxury as he escorts Kelly into his world of lavishness and esteem, but hatred and jealousy are lurking. When Drake is targeted through an act of violence, he goes to great lengths to extinguish the lines that Kelly insists should divide their classes.
Genre: Contemporary
Length: 35,253 words
HOMELESS HEART
JC Szot
EROTIC ROMANCE
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: Erotic Romance
HOMELESS HEART
Copyright © 2013 by JC Szot
E-book ISBN: 978-1-62740-590-4
First E-book Publication: October 2013
Cover design by Christine Kirchoff
All art and logo copyright © 2013 by Siren Publishing, Inc.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.
All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.
PUBLISHER
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
Letter to Readers
Dear Readers,
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DEDICATION
For my husband, Mike, whose long battle with AML Leukemia ended on August 1, 2013. My husband always supported my writing. Without his gifts of time and space my writing wouldn’t be what it is today. For Mike, who gave me fifteen great years, years filled with love, friendship, and laughter.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
About the Author
HOMELESS HEART
JC SZOT
Copyright © 2013
Chapter One
“That’s my damn tarp,” Kelly said coldly. “Hand it over.”
“Listen, Kelly…” Sam’s tone softened on a sigh. He released the large, blue piece of vital plastic, letting it fall to the ground. He kicked it toward her. Kelly lunged for the tarp, folding it in her arms. Sam spoke slowly, as if needing to regain his composure. “It’s bad enough I let you hole up here, but you’ve got to have this little campsite of yours cleaned up and out of sight by five a.m. Understood?” His dark eyes bored into hers. Sam ran a hand over his bald head, his lips twisting with annoyance.
“Yeah, I got it,” Kelly huffed. She picked up the backpack that was stuffed with the few precious possessions she owned and stormed off into the woods that bordered Union Gas and Propane. She needed to cool off. If she pushed her luck with Sam, she’d be screwed.
Kelly tied the rope into the corner holes of the tarp. She’d already screwed the hook-and-eyes into the trunks of the surrounding trees. She threaded the ends of the rope through the hooks imbedded in the bark and tugged until the rope was taut, knotting the ends.
This had become her prime location, her home, however pathetic it was. It was secluded, protecting her from the sun and heat of a summer that was soon to be ending. The tall evergreens would hopefully conceal her from the elements of the pending winter.
She’d only been on the streets a few months. Winter was a worry that grew more potent with each passing day. Though Steve said she’d do fine, the concerns weighed heavily. It was already September. If time continued to fly by, she’d be shivering in the snow very soon.
The sun was spreading across the sky, casting intricate patterns of white heat in its wake as it filtered through the evergreens above and settled on the damp ground.
She’d gotten very little sleep last night. Her thoughts had kept her up. They came every night with the darkness, haunting her, shaking her awake until she fully surrendered and aborted the idea of trying to snooze.
The bottom of her life had fallen out quickly, like a tornado moving at a hundred miles an hour ravaging everything in its path within ten seconds.
Her mother’s mind became corroded by dementia. Life for her father at home had become a serious liability. After her mother had attacked him with a steak knife, Kelly gave up her apartment, resigned from her job a
s a receptionist, and moved in.
Taking care of her mother was a battle that quickly wore her and her father out. Her poor father’s health began to slip. The stress of caring for his wife, along with the mental turmoil of trying to comprehend why her mother had become such a lunatic, took its toll at a rapid pace. Her mother, thank God, passed away in her sleep. Kelly still struggled with the possibility that her father may have accidently overmedicated her. The Haldol the doctors had prescribed became the only solution Kelly and her father had had.
Kelly believed that her father died of a depressed and broken heart. Her parents’ deaths were only five months apart.
Unbeknownst to her, the amount of medical debt her parents had accrued while going to various gerontologists, as well as countless visits to the emergency room and psychiatric evaluations, left her parents’ estate in a vulnerable position.
She had no job, no money, and no home. The idea of crawling back to the few friend’s she’d had sucked every, last bit of pride out of her. Kelly chose to just disappear. A wavering sigh escaped from between her lips. I’m so tired. Maybe it all won’t look so devastating after I rest for a bit.
A wide bar of the sun’s heat hit her face, warming her, soothing her. Kelly closed her eyes and drifted off as the branches rustled overhead, pushing the fresh, cool scent of pine into her nose.
Chapter Two
A bone-chilling shiver woke her. Dusk shadowed the surrounding woods of her camp. Kelly rolled over and fumbled through her pack, searching for the old watch Steve had found in a trash can outside of Target. Her days and nights were often mixed up, accepting sleep when it would come.
Squinting through the scratched face, she saw it was already after seven. Autumn was closing in, the days now shorter and cooling down in the evening. She sat up and slipped out of the warmth she didn’t want to leave, but there was work to be done. She needed to continue to stockpile the wood, and some food would be helpful. While rolling up her bedroll, her eyes landed on a small paper bag, the grease bleeding through.
Steve was here!
Kelly grabbed the bag and peered inside. A small, foil-wrapped package had her grappling down into the bag. After Kelly sat down on a nearby log and put on her sneakers, she unwrapped what was an egg sandwich. She bit into it. Though it was cold, her stomach was thankful.
After her routine—which consisted of trekking to the outdoor restroom that Sam left open for her, washing up, and collecting her firewood—she’d go into town and see if she could find Steve. There were several places he could be. Marshall’s Creek, a small, rural town in Pennsylvania, was only so big. She could search the perimeter and surely find him.
Steve had become a close friend. He’d been on the streets for almost five years. Steve was once a successful hair stylist, owner of his own shop. After his wife’s affair he’d been devastated, throwing his life into the downward spiral of drug addiction. Though now clean, he’d lost it all, never reclaiming his life.
He’d come to her aid almost immediately. Steve looked out for her, often finding Kelly her meals and guiding her to the most fruitful locations. Steve knew that Sam was a connection from Kelly’s previous life. Sam had supplied her parents with propane for over twenty years. Steve never stayed overnight with Kelly. He’d told her if he tarnished her arrangement with Sam, he’d never forgive himself.
* * * *
Kelly emerged from the restroom as refreshed as she could be. Twice a week she and Steve would walk to the truck stop off of Exit 42 and shower. Sometimes Steve would have enough change to run their clothes through the washing machine. Kelly often hand-washed her undergarments in the sink, hanging them up to dry beneath her tarp.
A dark sky loomed above, the black dome starless. She tucked her toiletries away in her pack and planned to walk into town in search of Steve. As Kelly was zipping up her pack, the crunching of tires on stone dragged her attention back to the main building of Union Gas and Propane.
Her eyes narrowed. A sleek, black Lexus was pulled over. The headlights slowly dimmed. The parking lights illuminated the surrounding area with soft amber light that began to fade.
Kelly slowly rose to her feet when the car door opened. Footsteps sounded over the stones as the hood popped open.
Her breath caught. A tall man, his legs long, encased in what looked like expensive gabardine as he leaned over the failing engine. A cool wind gusted through the trees, holding a fragrance that smelled as classy as he looked.
Kelly cautiously walked near the edge of the wooded hedgerow that surrounded the parking lot, wanting a closer look. She huddled behind a tree as he touched and wiggled wires. He shook his head and stepped away from the vehicle. Taking a cell phone from the upper pocket of his suit jacket, he made a call. He ran his fingers through dark waves of stiffly styled hair.
“Damn it!” His angered tone drifted through the quiet air, reaching her ears. Kelly leaned into the tree’s trunk, her fingers digging into the bark. He jammed the phone back into his pocket and began to pace, circling the car, gazing into the surrounding darkness.
His cell must be dead.
Kelly picked up her pack and dug for the small flashlight. She tucked it inside the pocket of an old fleece jacket Steve had scored at a consignment shop last week, knowing she’d need it to deal with the autumn temperatures. She turned on the flashlight, lighting a tiny area at her feet as she walked toward the stranded motorist.
When her footsteps hit the gravel, he spun around on his heel, his body tight and at attention. His eyes narrowed, searing into her. Kelly wanted to help, but the feeling that was rolling through her stomach told her that she may have made a naive assumption about her stranded, frustrated guest.
“Only want to help,” Kelly called out to him, her hands raised. Gravelly laughter rose into the air between them. The outside lights that Sam had on a sensor lit up the corners of the building, illuminating the parking lot. Kelly knew how to dodge them at night to keep them from drawing attention to her occupancy.
“I don’t know what you can do,” he scoffed. His face was thin and chiseled, model-like. Bright teeth glowed against his face as his mouth curled into a snide smile.
“Hey, buddy.” Kelly chuckled right back at him, not caring for his condescending tone. Her eyes slinked over the car, lowering to his shoes, the shiny leather now dusty. “It’s up to you,” she told him, her tone more angered than anxious.
He backpedaled. “I’m sorry…I just think I might need a tow,” he said, his expression softening. “My phone is dead. As you can see, I’m not having a good night here,” he said, laughing sarcastically.
Yeah, I bet your life is real rough. “Mind if I take a look?” Kelly moved closer.
“Sure,” he said, waving her on.
Chapter Three
Kelly handed him the flashlight. He held it above their heads as she looked at the complex wires of what was probably a $40,000 car. She had a basic knowledge of a car engine, thanks to her father teaching her all the basics when she’d first gotten her license, but today’s engines were much more complex and mostly computerized.
Feeling her throat close on a pending sob, Kelly shook off the memory of her father instructing her with his tools. She wiggled several wires that looked like they’d been chewed through or singed by something. Kelly bundled the wires together and rerouted them into what she thought might be the alternator housing, thinking that may be hindering the vital connection he needed.
“These wires look a bit tattered, did you know that?”
“No,” he mumbled, leaning closer. His clean, rich scent assaulted her nose, nostrils that weren’t accustomed to a fragrance as intense as his.
Their eyes held. Their faces inches apart. She leaned away slightly, thinking she’d felt his warm breath on her mouth. God, I hope I don’t stink. She’d just taken a shower two days ago, but it was hard to keep the odors out of her hair, which she kept tied up.
“I’m gonna go get some electrical tape and see what
I can do,” she told him, stepping back.
He walked around the car and sat down in the driver’s seat to wait. Kelly wiped her hands down the front of her jeans and headed for the restroom.
Sam had been generous enough to leave a Rubbermaid bin on the floor underneath the sink for her with an assortment of items. Sam really wasn’t a bad guy, just ornery at times.
Kelly ran over to the side of the building and went into the restroom, retrieving the tape. She kept her eyes on him as she quickly walked back to the front of his car. He was back on his feet, his back to her, his white dress shirt an iridescent reflector in the dark.
She wrapped the wires, feeding them through and securing them inside. When he returned to the driver’s seat and turned the key, the engine suddenly came to life. Kelly lowered the hood, closing it gently. The car door slammed closed before the window lowered between them. He glanced up at her.
“Thank you. I’m Drake, by the way,” he said, extending his hand. Gelled waves of hair fell over his brow, his appearance fading in the late hour. Kelly’s gaze dipped down to his outstretched hand. Hesitation barreled through her at the thought of disclosing her name.
“My hand’s all oily,” Kelly said, her words rushed.
You’re nothing but a homeless loser. He won’t remember you by the time he gets to the nearest intersection
“Kelly…Kelly Jenson. Glad I could help,” she said dryly. Did I just give him my last name? She backed away from his vehicle, waving. “Have a safe trip,” she called, not wanting to continue with any sort of conversation. Kelly quickly turned and moved toward the woods, wanting to slip back into the darkness, unseen and hopefully forgotten.