“Next!” The desk clerk looked like she wanted an escape route when I charged at her again.
“I rented a car yesterday. Can you please have the valet bring it up in about fifteen minutes?”
She stopped banging on the computer keyboard and looked up pointedly. “Do you have the registration number please?”
“It’s Miss Jacobs. Janalyn Jacobs.” I quickly retrieved the paperwork out of my handbag and gave her the information before heading back to my room to change. Getting out of Debs’s sleeve of a dress was quite the trick. When I had changed into jeans, T-shirt, Keens and a sweatshirt, I scrubbed my face, wiping off every last bit of makeup and wishing to wash away my profound disappointment. I had been used. I felt so cheap allowing myself to fall for her tricks. I tried to cheer myself up, remembering the powerful orgasms we’d shared. I tried to pretend I had used her too, but it was no use. I had fallen hard for her, and for nothing.
I skipped the elevator and shot down the stairs almost as heavy footed as I was heavy hearted. Thankfully, the roads leading to the heathland for the nightjar sightings were not heavily traveled. It was going on half past seven, and there was plenty of time to get there, have a brisk walk, and wait. At least one thing was going my way.
That was until I spotted a car similar to Robin’s parked beside the road near a nature reserve owned by the Devon County Council. I pulled up alongside the vehicle to check it out. Sure enough, the silver hummingbird figurine was hanging from the rearview mirror; it had to be hers. What was she doing out here? If we were supposed to meet for dinner tonight, why would she do this? Unless…what if she was like Faith? What if there was someone else? Or what if she had just had a change of heart? My mind raced. It took multiple tries to shift the rental into reverse so I could maneuver the car behind hers and park. Although it was totally unlike me to be anything but protective of a prized possession, I flung my binoculars around my neck. At least there was still some daylight, so they would not be totally useless. I slammed the car door with all my might, which did little to relieve the fury I needed to vent.
The nightjars would have to wait.
I quickly found a marked footpath and marched off in the direction I hoped she had gone. I had no idea what I would say to her when and if I found her in this forested area. What if she wasn’t alone? Or what if she was? What would that mean? I tripped over the many visible tree roots, deliberating. It was one thing if a conniving woman skipped out on you to be with another, but it was entirely different to have a woman who leaves you hanging because she can’t face you. But whatever the reason, I was going to confront her and let her know exactly how I felt. Stronger, smarter and more demanding—that was what I had told Debs I was now. And damn it, I was going to live up to that, if nothing else.
I was so busy ranting, raving and hating Robin in my head that I almost walked right past the Devon Wildlife Trust sign mapping out the territory and warning dog owners to keep their pets on the lead at all times in order to preserve the sanctity of the nightjar nesting areas—or something to that effect. At least some Brits were considerate of others, unlike Robin. If I ever spoke to her again, I was going to give her a big piece of my mind, that was for sure. And that was a pretty big if in my mind, even though I was going deeper into the park to find her.
The path led to a lake. I listened to the waders interacting, calling to each other, as they busily nested. I fought to hold on to my fury, but the ducks and geese lulled me a bit. It was one of the reasons I took up bird-watching. It made me feel one with nature—the order of the world restored. I marveled at how everything worked and at the beauty of it all. Humans were the same as birds, following rituals and interacting with each other, only we probably inflicted more pain on each other than the members of the animal kingdom.
I was so busy ticking off the wonders of nature when the sounds of what could only be an intense struggle grabbed my attention. The angry hissing grew louder and, with it, there was splashing and an unmistakably human voice. I couldn’t imagine who would be fighting with a swan. Someone was in trouble.
Although well-worn by hikers, the path was impossible to run on without fear of falling, due to the treacherous uneven terrain. With the echoes and the sounds of my feet crunching over twigs, rocks, and roots, I tripped over one tree root and then another. I used the overhead branches within my reach to steady my descent. The pond came into view: someone was busy wrestling a British swan called the mute swan. The frightened bird flapped and fluttered in distress but to no avail.
At first I wasn’t sure if the wrangler was hurting or helping the poor thing, but her clothing was soaked through from interacting with an uncooperative captive. I ran over and blinked several times when I realized the bird rescuer was none other than Robin.
“Is everything okay down there?” I called out. Robin had her arm around the swan while casting about in the water with her free hand. I could see that something was seriously wrong, but had no clue what.
“Jan! Good job you’re here. Give me a hand.”
“What do you want me to do?” I asked, all flustered.
“Steady on, boy,” she said to the swan. “Jan, help me get him out of the water.”
I moved closer to the edge and started to wade in.
“Stay there,” Robin said. “We won’t have a chance at saving him unless he’s on land.”
I stepped back and waited.
“Drop your bag and take off your binos, then get ready to grab hold of him when I say ‘go.’”
I hoped I could pull this off, because at that moment she had my utmost admiration. In a feat befitting Wonder Woman, she secured the swan’s shoulders from behind and straddled his back as she guided him to where I stood on the bank. Then she shouted, “Go!”
I helped her drag him out of the water and onto dry land.
“So much for being a mute swan. This poor baby sure is noisy,” I commented, mostly to calm my nerves. The swan was busy hissing at Robin, even though she was trying to help.
“Good. I’ve got him. Now you get the disgorger from my bag.”
“Disgorger?”
“The thin metal tool with a cylinder at one end for safely removing fishing hooks. This cheeky bugger has a hook lodged in his throat. If we keep him still, I can get it out without too much damage.”
“Oh, right.” I sifted through her stuff until she nodded I had selected the correct tool. The disgorger was exactly as she described, but until I watched her use it, I couldn’t imagine how it would work.
“Perfect.” She took the disgorger from me. “Hold his neck, like this.” She demonstrated. “Firm, but not too tight. Don’t want to obstruct his airway.”
Soon I was soaked from head to foot with muddy water from the struggle. I kept clearing my eyes using my sleeve.
“He might be more difficult to catch if someone else tried and failed to catch him before I got here, so I came as quickly as I could,” she said, working on catching her breath, but not letting go of her charge.
Once Robin was planted on top of the swan, he calmed down significantly. This was a trick I don’t think I could have mastered even with practice. I wondered what other tricks Robin was capable of. Robin seemed to have sides of her I had never imagined. And now I knew why she had strong arms and a muscular torso.
“Hold his neck straighter. Now, open his beak wide,” she said.
I pried open his beak tenderly.
“Use more muscle. You won’t hurt him.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, stay like that for now.”
I did. She slipped the disgorger inside the swan’s mouth and ran it down the fishing line until she reached the hook and could push it free, leaving no more than a pinprick.
“Oh wow.”
She threw the hook and line over to her bag, I gues
sed to dispose of it properly later. I clapped my hands while we both grinned and sighed with relief. I couldn’t stay mad at her after seeing this. The more I thought about it, she didn’t have my cell phone number, and I could see now why she didn’t stop to ring my room.
“What idiot leaves a hook in the lake in the first place?” I asked. “He could have tried to get it out, since it’s still attached to the line.”
“The same tosser who lets his dog off the lead, litters wherever he goes, and takes no notice of anyone or anything but himself.”
“Too true.”
The swan was free. He and his missus took off into the wild blue, with streaks of orange, yellow, and purple yonder. I was so proud of her, I pulled her in for a proper hug. She squeezed me tightly to the vibrant, throbbing sounds of mute swans’ wings in flight. We smiled with glee when they landed many feet away from us to nest across the pond.
“You’ve saved the day.” I was jubilant.
“Good job you came along when you did. I don’t usually get backup, particularly, a competent and lovely helper like you.”
“Do you often rescue water fowl?”
Robin rummaged through her bag and took out an oversized towel. She placed it over both our shoulders.
“I’m part of a volunteer rescue team. Although it’s unusual to be called out two nights in a row, it happens. There’s a phone chain, and I was the first responder available on short notice. When I got the call, naturally I had to dash out straight away, but I hated that I couldn’t ring you first. I am truly sorry about that, but there was no time to lose. I’m the nearest one on the team. I was about to radio for help when you miraculously showed up. Lucky that.”
“I was so freaking mad at you, but now—”
“Now?”
“Now you’re my hero.” Shivering like mad all over, I kissed her lips, now blue from the cold.
“Let’s say we get out of these wet things?”
“Good idea,” I said, between chattering teeth. “Except, I don’t have a change of clothes, do you?”
“I have enough for us both, if you don’t mind sharing.”
We quickly started shedding our clothes before I could be shy. We had made love, so it wasn’t like she hadn’t seen all of me already. But something about getting naked outdoors not only instilled new yearning for her in me, I suddenly cared what she thought and how she saw me. I suddenly worried about whether or not I measured up to her expectations. One look up into her eyes, and, again, I instantly knew she liked what she saw. She made me feel loved. She made me feel desirable. She was just what my soul needed. “I like what I see too,” I said.
“How did you know that I was just thinking about how lovely you look?”
“Because I can just tell.”
“I could take you to the rescue center before you leave, if you like?” she said.
“I’d like that very much.” So now she was going to show me where she volunteered. Maybe next, I’ll get to meet her mother, I thought, cracking myself up.
“Good then. We can head over during a break or just blow off tomorrow’s afternoon sessions. It’s up to you.”
“Let’s play it by ear.”
“Okay then.”
I loved the way she combed her fingers through my hair, moving closer until our bodies met and connected in a fiery kiss that warmed me to the core.
Her voice was husky when she murmured, “We’d better get out of here before I—”
“Not if I don’t shag you first.” I grinned.
“I see I’m rubbing off on you already.”
“You most certainly are, mate.”
“You still sound too much like Fran Drescher to pull off that ‘mate.’”
“Oh, stop. You sound like, actually, I can’t think of who you sound like, but I do like all your sounds.” I winked.
Robin half smiled and looked away, appearing uncomfortable about the frank way I had just paid her lovemaking prowess a compliment. “Bloody hell, woman, are you trying to kill me? Please get in the car and try to behave yourself.”
I started up my rental and waited for her to pull out first. Soon we were headed back to the hotel, and I wondered whether in my current state of arousal I’d actually leave a watermark on the bucket seat. I was that turned on as I drove behind her car toward the hotel, consumed by one thought and one thought alone.
I could not wait to fuck her.
CHAPTER 13
“Jan, quick, run: there’s Lena and friends.” Robin grabbed my hand. With haste, we scurried to the stairwell. “Hope they didn’t spot us,” she said.
“I think Lena called your name.”
“I didn’t hear anything.” Her tone was arch, playful.
“Neither did I.” I smiled, deliriously happy.
“Where should we go?” she asked.
“Debs is spending the night with one of the attendees, a guy named Kirk; let’s use my room.”
“Have you had tea yet?” she asked.
“I had coffee at the last break before we cut out to change clothes.” It was a shame Robin missed seeing me all dressed up, but how the evening turned out so far was much nicer.
“That’s not what I meant—have you had a proper evening meal?”
“Oh, you mean, dinner.” I saw no point in reminding her that the plan had been to have dinner together—or that I had been much too upset to eat earlier. “Nope, I haven’t. You?”
“No time.”
Stepping closer, our bodies touching, I clasped my hands behind her neck, stole a quick kiss. The huskiness in my voice surprised me. “We can always order room service, but first I have a better idea.” My suggestive smile wasn’t lost on her.
“I do as well. Come on.”
It wasn’t long before Robin and I tumbled onto the bed, tearing off her spare clothes, tossing off all the bedding but the sheets until we had created a cozy love nest.
“You fancy a shower first?” she asked, alternating between nibbling on my ear and taking tiny bites on prickled flesh along my neck, shoulders, and finally, thank God, my breasts.
“No time. Fuck me first, I beg you.”
She sucked on a nipple, and I gasped at the current that shot straight down to my clit as she played all over my body with her teeth and tongue. Her knee rested between my legs, and I pumped my hips, rubbing against her leg with greater and greater speed. I caught my last breath just before orgasm, held it, and shuddered from the moment the release started until the very last vestige of bliss. The euphoria, mixed with an emotional release I hadn’t been at all prepared for, set me off on a fit of giggles mixed with tears.
“You okay?” Her deep concern etched the subtle lines around her darkened eyes.
I stifled an overwhelming desire for a good cry and peered into her eyes. Again, when things seemed too good, I got a sense of foreboding and a profound feeling of dread; sometimes tears were the unexpected result. She made me so happy in the space of a moment. But could such joy last?
Live in the moment, Janalyn, I could hear Debs say. Live in the moment.
Caressing Robin’s dear face, I tried to smooth her worries away. “Better than okay. I’m wonderful. Thank you.”
“No need to thank me. It’s me who should thank you for indulging me. I love watching you come. But why the tears?”
“You’ve blown me away. Sometimes happy tears just happen out of nowhere.”
“Happy is okay then.” Robin’s sigh was miles better than her frown mere moments ago. Her next statement just clinched it. “You’re an amazing lover, know that?”
“In what way?”
“Every way. But to be honest, I’ve never made a woman cry after sex. What’s on your mind?” she asked.
“You. Us. Everything.”
“I have to get back for more meetings after I’ve written up all the reports,” I said. But I was actually thinking that the longer I stayed, the harder I’d fall for her, and then what? It would be even harder to leave her if I allowed myself the freedom to indulge every emotion and act on every impulse.
“You can stay at my house after the conference,” she said. “At least stay the weekend. I can show you the rescue center then, and we won’t have to miss anything tomorrow or the closing on Friday. Please, Jan, think about it, yeah?”
I’d gone quiet and when I looked up into her face, I could see how deep her worry lines went. We lived on different continents. We didn’t really know each other. All we had was our unmistakable mutual attraction, but were her feelings as strong as mine? Even though she was asking me to stay after knowing me but a few days, she still seemed a bit too independent to settle down with just one woman. I couldn’t imagine a strong-willed, self-sufficient woman like her, who could weather any storm totally on her own, needing someone like me in her life. Even if we gave in to allowing a relationship to bloom, we would have to find a way to see each other. How many times a year could we possibly take a vacation together, afford the airfare, hotels, stay at each other’s homes? Or attend the same conference? I suspected it would take a lot of compromises to make it work.
She tapped my forehead. “What’s going on in there?”
“Oh God. I’m getting way ahead of myself here. I have this annoying habit of ‘future-tripping,’ where I worry and obsess about the future instead of enjoying the present. I’m sorry, where were we?” I kissed her, hoping to end my introspection before I let it all hang out, and she learned prematurely how seriously I felt about her, in case she wasn’t ready.
She placed her hand under my chin and turned my face up toward hers. “Jan? Where did you go?”
Across the Pond Page 17