Yet she couldn’t take her eyes off of him. A deep sigh escaped her lips as she concluded how attracted she still was to him. Watching him excited her and sent heat flowing down between her thighs, and made her yearn to have him hold her in his arms again. She breathed quietly, stunned by the physical need that had been dormant for five years.
Hearing a light rap on the door she glanced up to find Jabarie staring down at her. Her heart did a somersault as he turned the knob and opened it.
“All quiet,” he said as he rested against the doorjamb.
She swung around in the chair and took a deep calming breath before speaking. The attraction between them was much too strong for her to ignore. “Thanks for everything. I owe you one.”
His dimples deepened. “Good. I’m going to hold you to that.”
“It’s been a zoo today. My bookstore is twice this size and in a busy part of the city, but even when my partner’s out I have never been this tired.”
He nodded knowingly. “The growth of Main Street has been very good for the economy around here. You might want to talk to your aunt about getting some more summer help. Those girls were just asking if there were any openings.”
She just bet they did. Probably thought they’d have the privilege of seeing Jabarie every day. Jealousy brewed in her little head, and for the life of her, Brenna couldn’t understand why. Jabarie meant nothing to her.
She nodded and reached for the soda can. “I’ll make sure to talk to her tonight.”
Jabarie nodded in agreement then glanced down at his watch. “Well, I guess I better head back to the hotel.”
“Oh, gosh, yes! You better hurry before someone tells the queen you’ve been mingling with the peasants,” she teased. And when he groaned, she laughed. Brenna knew how much he hated the wisecracks.
“I see you haven’t lost your sense of humor,” he said when he stopped chuckling.
Crossing her legs, Brenna returned the smile. “No, I guess I haven’t,” she said, even though she hadn’t had a lot to laugh about lately.
There was a long silence before Jabarie finally pushed away from the door and said, “See you around.”
Brenna simply nodded and watched as he retrieved his jacket and headed out the door.
The rest of the evening was smooth sailing. With food in her stomach, she was able to handle just about anything. In between customers she finished working on the display in the front window, replacing the current books with several hot new releases. However, no matter what she was doing she still had time to think about Jabarie, and she found herself wondering why he was being so nice. She pondered the question until closing time and finally came up with one possible answer—guilt. He felt guilty about breaking her heart. Well, too bad, she scowled. There was no way she was going to willingly help ease his conscience. She was going to make him earn her forgiveness, although in her heart, Brenna knew she already had.
At seven o’clock, she punched in the security code then shut the door behind her and ran right smack into Jabarie. She staggered back a step or two before he caught her.
“Oops, sorry about that.”
Feeling the heat flowing from his hands, her mouth went dry and her knees trembled. A voice inside screamed for her to move closer. Instead, she flinched and stepped out of his reach. “What are you doing here?” she asked, totally shaken by his touch.
He shrugged. “I spotted Nellie’s car in front of her house so I thought I’d come by and walk you home.”
“Why?” she asked, finally finding her equilibrium.
He paused long enough to give her an irresistible grin. “Because I’m a gentleman.”
Gazing up and down the street she returned her eyes to him. “Where’s your SUV?”
“I left it in front of your aunt’s house.” He gave her a puzzled look. “Is something wrong?”
She shook her head and tried not to notice how relaxed he looked. He had removed his jacket and tie and his shirt hung loose with his sleeves rolled up past his elbows. Finally she shrugged, as if to say, “suit yourself,” and became quiet as he fell into step beside her.
The evening brought on a gentle warm breeze that she was thankful for after a long and tiring day. As they strolled down Main Street she spotted Ms. Pearl at the sunglass shop looking through the window waving in their direction. At the jewelry store it was the same thing. By the time they had made it halfway down the block, she heard Jabarie chuckle. Shaking her hair out of her face, Brenna turned to him and asked, “What’s so funny?”
He lifted his brow in amusement. “I think we’re going to be the talk of the town tomorrow.”
He was right. At Milly’s Tailor Shop, she noticed the redhead with the receiver to her ear, pointing in her direction. Obviously, she intended to be the first to spread the news. Brenna groaned inwardly. Aunt Nellie would know long before she set foot in the house.
“That’s why I didn’t need you walking me home,” she snapped.
Jabarie was struggling to keep a straight face. “Sorry.”
Brenna glared at him. He wasn’t sorry. By the look on his face, he was getting a big kick out of the whole thing. And it angered her. What did he have to be embarrassed about? She was the one who had gotten dumped five years ago.
At the watch repair shop she cut around the building and walked heavily down towards the sandy beach. She kicked off her sandals and hopped across the hot sand down to the cool, wet shore. Why should she care that a few busybodies couldn’t mind their own business? But she did. She’d always cared what others thought about her. Brenna took a deep breath and kept walking, ignoring Jabarie as he called her name.
Glancing over her shoulder, she spotted him kicking off his expensive shoes and tucking his socks inside.
“Can you please slow down?” he asked as he rolled his pants up just below his knees.
“Why should I?” she called after him.
“Because I’m supposed to be walking you home!”
Brenna didn’t turn around, but she did slow down so that he would have an opportunity to catch up. As she neared a couple of kids frolicking around in the water, Jabarie fell into step beside her. The wind caught her curls, tossing them hopelessly as she strolled down the shore in silence.
Brenna knew he was watching her because the hairs on the back of her neck tingled, but she didn’t dare look his way. Walking along the shoreline, she stared out at the rising ocean tide instead. Seagulls screeched overhead. Tourists were sailing and fishing along the pier, others were visiting the numerous shops.
“You’re still attracted to me.”
“What?” She halted and planted her hand on her hips.
Jabarie pinned her with a hard look then tossed his head back, his rich laughter rolling over the ocean waves. “That’s why you won’t go out to dinner with me. And that’s why you’re angry, because everyone in town has noticed that we’re still attracted to each other.”
Brenna stood with her legs braced apart and her sandals clutched tightly in her left hand. “Don’t flatter yourself. I got over you a long time ago.” With a roll of her eyes she turned on her heels and headed down the beach again. She could see her aunt’s backyard and right now it wasn’t nearly close enough.
Jabarie quickly moved up beside her. “Quit lying to yourself, Bren. I know I have. We still have some unfinished business to attend to.”
Not bothering to stop, she glanced to her right and rolled her eyes. “You’re a bigger fool than I thought,” she stated boldly. Did he really think she’d admit to holding a torch for him after all these years?
Brenna picked up her step and hurried along the shore toward the house. Anger brewed inside. The sooner she got away from Jabarie the better.
“Hey, slow down,” he suddenly said and grabbed her elbow.
As she turned around she felt the imprint of his fingers branding her with his heat. It took a second or two for her to pull her brain cells together so she could reply.
“Listen,” s
he began between breaths. “I didn’t come back to town for this.” He didn’t let go and for some insane reason she wasn’t in any rush to move.
“Can we at least talk about it?”
Talk about what? she wanted to scream. How much I miss lying in your arms? “I’d rather not,” she retorted then blew hair out of her face. “Now if you’d let my arm go, I would like to go home and take a long hot bath and relax for the rest of the evening.”
He released her and she started towards the house again, only slower this time. Jabarie moved beside her with a wing tip shoe tucked underneath each arm and his hands buried deep inside his pockets. “Brenna, I would really like to talk about what happened.”
“Jabarie…” she warned. She was seconds away from weakening if she didn’t put a stop to this line of questioning right now. “I don’t want to talk about what could have been. We were both young and stupid back then. I’ve moved on, started a new life, a better life, and I don’t want to go back and revisit that time…it’s over.”
He was quiet for the duration of the walk although she could tell he was deep in thought. Brenna didn’t look his way because she didn’t trust herself if she did. Instead she stared ahead and allowed the wind to whip around her. By the time they reached Aunt Nellie’s gate, the cool wet sand beneath her toes had calmed some of the fire that raged inside her.
Brenna reached down to open the gate, then paused and glanced up at Jabarie standing beside her. He tilted his head, studying her face in that quiet intense way that always made her throat dry and her nipples harden. Feeling a tingling at her breasts she quickly folded her arms across her chest and said, “Thanks for walking me home.”
“You’re welcome.”
With nothing else to say, Brenna opened the gate and stepped into the backyard.
“Remember when you said you owed me one,” Jabarie called after her.
She stopped and turned slowly. Something told her she wasn’t going to like what he was about to say. “Yeah, so?”
Jabarie grinned. “So, I’ve figured out how you can pay me back.”
Afraid to ask, Brenna waited for him to speak again.
“I want a kiss,” he said as if thinking out loud.
She couldn’t have heard him right. “A what?” she whispered her voice uneven.
“A kiss.”
“No way,” she said shaking her head.
Before she had a chance to react, Jabarie moved into the yard and closed the gate behind him. “You said you’re not attracted to me. If that’s true then a kiss won’t matter, right?”
She stared up at him and felt the sweet slow pull of want rise up in her again. From the moment he’d arrived back at the store she’d felt it. Heck, she’d felt it since the moment she spotted him staring at her from the store window. A rush of desire that was so powerful she felt her knees buckle. It was as if the last five years hadn’t happened. Five years of not seeing his face, not touching his skin, not feeling him buried deep inside her. Five long years without a single tantalizing kiss. She swallowed when she saw his eyes focus in on her mouth.
At her continued silence, Jabarie smiled and finally said, “I thought you’d agree.”
Brenna tried to stop the heated desire racing through her body as he dropped his shoes in the grass and took a step closer. Before she realized what she was doing, she tipped her chin and her lips parted. “You probably shouldn’t,” she suggested softly.
“I know,” he admitted as he brushed his lips across hers. “But I’m going to do it anyway.”
Before she could even prepare, Jabarie tugged her to him and took her mouth with enough heat to make her forget everything but taking all that he had to offer. As his tongue traced her lips, it occurred to her that she might have lost her mind but she didn’t do anything to stop him. Instead she dropped her sandals and enjoyed the feel of his tongue sliding inside her mouth. His lips were hard and hot, and so possessive that Brenna arched up to meet him. His hands came around her waist and held her closer. It had to be a dream. Yet everything that she had remembered about Jabarie was real and it was hers again at last. He explored, teased and tasted like no one else could compare. And that was exactly why she had to fight him. His passion was enough to burn away everything else.
Jabarie was making it hard for her to resist. Desire consumed her. She pushed him away slightly to see how much he truly wanted her, and Jabarie brought her closer just as she had hoped. She sank into the hunger, the taste, the need to meet him stroke for stroke.
He deepened the kiss, one hand cupped her head, the other slid down to her buttocks and pressed her against him. She could feel him growing long and hard. And for a moment she allowed herself to remember how good he had felt buried deep inside her wet core. A moan erupted from her throat. The kiss was glorious and wild. He was zapping her senses in a way only he could. Jabarie always had that kind of power over her and he knew it. Slowly snapping out of the dizzy haze he had created, Brenna realized how easily she had succumbed to him, and knew she needed to put a halt to what was happening immediately or risk losing everything she had worked so hard to build. With a firm push, Brenna broke off the kiss, but Jabarie continued to hold her against his beating heart.
“It’s not over,” he whispered roughly.
She could feel him smiling as he nibbled hungrily at her earlobe. Did he really think she would forget everything that had happened between them so easily? With renewed anger, she pressed her lips against the warmth of his throat, and bit him lightly on the neck.
“Ow!” he yelled as he jumped back and gave her a confused look. “What did you do that for?”
Brenna’s hands were balled at her waist and defiance had tilted her lips. “Listen up, Jabarie Isaiah Beaumont, and listen good…” she began as she tried to catch her breath. “It’s over between us, and if you think I’m stupid enough to give you a second chance you better think again.” With that she swung around and stormed inside the house.
Chapter 4
With his hands inside his pockets, Jabarie stood there for the longest time wondering what in the world had just happened. Fool. Did you really think you could just kiss her and that would make everything right between you two?
Yeah, right. He scowled as his anger resurfaced. He wasn’t that crazy, although as he shook his head, he had to admit he didn’t know what he had been thinking. For a moment, he had indeed lost his head. While holding her soft, curved body against him, he had forgotten that five years had passed and was back to a time when everything in the world was right between them. All he could think about was tasting those lush lips again. But the instant Brenna sunk her teeth into him, his mind had zapped back to the present and his anger had returned.
Wiping a palm against the side of his neck, he looked down and was happy to see that she hadn’t broken the skin. Stupid. What in the world had he been thinking? Jabarie scowled. That was the problem. He wasn’t thinking. Instead his anger and resentment had been M.I.A since the moment he’d spotted her in the bookstore window.
Still standing in the middle of her backyard, he took several deep frustrated breaths and debated going in after her, but decided against it. For some reason he had a hard time remembering to be angry when Brenna was within several feet of him. Why was that, he wondered then shrugged. It no longer mattered because his anger was back and brewing darker and hotter than before. Stupid, stupid. He had no business kissing her.
Briefly lowering his eyelids, he could still see her eyes glaring and her nostrils flaring. Brenna was mad at him? Hell, if anyone had a right to be mad then it was him. What in the world was he doing letting his guard down? Brenna left him, not the other way around he scolded inwardly then opened his eyes and glanced once more at the back door.
Jabarie reached down and while he slipped his socks back onto his feet followed by his shoes, he tried to figure out what Brenna had done that angered him the most.
She still hasn’t apologized.
Hell, yes. Yesterday
and again today, Brenna had several opportunities since her return to apologize and still hadn’t.
Maybe she didn’t feel there was anything to apologize about.
His frown deepened. The hell there wasn’t. She walked out on him the night before their wedding with a check for one hundred thousand dollars. He still had a sneaky suspicion that his mother had initiated the transaction. However, if Brenna would apologize and explain her reason for taking the money then maybe, just maybe, it might make more sense. Then maybe he could get past that point in his life and move on.
Jabarie moved across the lush green yard and was careful not to brush against Ms. Nellie’s massive rose bushes. As he closed the gate, memories of Brenna’s deception raged through his mind. It was as if it was yesterday. The pain. The devastation. He remembered that even after his mother told him what Brenna had done, he still didn’t want to believe it. Instead, he went searching for his fiancée at her aunt’s house only to discover she had packed her things and left without any type of explanation. Completely devastated, he had hoped that in time Brenna would have called and said something so he could understand, yet she neither explained nor returned. It wasn’t until his father showed him the canceled check with her signature that reality finally hit him. Brenna wasn’t coming back. With enough money to start a new life, she had left him and Sheraton Beach behind. Then to drive the nail further through his chest, a week later, by certified mail, she had returned his engagement ring without bothering to enclose a note. The realization left him both confused and hurt, and to this day he still didn’t understand why she left and instead he had come to his own conclusion that they had been too young. And maybe she, like her mother, really was all about the money. But that was the part that he refused to believe because his heart told him it was something else, even though the evidence said otherwise.
The Second Time Around Page 3