“It’s your class ring,” she explained. “I noticed that you didn’t have one. I ordered it special from the jewelry store in town. If it doesn’t fit, they can adjust the size. Look.” She removed the ring from the box and set the box aside. “I had your initials engraved inside.”
He took the ring and slipped it onto his finger. “It fits.” He lifted his gaze to her. “It means a lot to me that you…you know, gave me something.”
Suddenly feeling bold in light of his discomfort, she wound her arms around his neck. “You’re probably thinking a box of condoms would have been more practical.”
One corner of his mouth hitched up. “Yeah, as a matter of fact, I was.”
“It’s waiting on the nightstand by my bed.”
Suddenly, his mouth was on hers, his tongue sweeping through her mouth, his hands roaming over her back, up her sides, the heels of his palms pressing against her breasts. Then back down, cupping her bottom as though he wanted to touch all of her desperately.
His eagerness she’d anticipated. Hers took her by surprise. But then, they’d engaged in a sort of secretive foreplay for weeks now, like two strangers who slowly got to know each other through nontraditional means. Watching him in the hallways, knowing he was watching her. Listening as he read poetry with impatience, her reading it to the class as she imagined it had been written to be read.
Finding common ground in the most common of things. Music. A CD left in a drawer in her desk, a note indicating which song she was supposed to listen to. Wildflowers standing in a cracked earthen pitcher by her apartment door. Small things that always managed to startle her. And please her.
She suspected that he hadn’t intended to romance her. Rather, he’d simply wanted to leave no doubt that he was in charge of the situation. Since he couldn’t blatantly pursue, he’d taken a more subtle, but equally effective, approach. And he’d managed to win her over. Slowly, deliberately, persistently. She was probably insane, reckless, and out of her depth.
She had a feeling that tonight, he would be the teacher, she the student.
She felt the warmth of his hands against the skin beneath her shirt, felt the strength as he bracketed her body, felt the resolve as he drew her nearer and deepened the kiss with purpose.
She knew a moment’s hesitation, a moment’s doubt. A niggling at the back of her mind that maybe they were rushing into this night without a clear understanding of what it meant and where their actions might lead. She’d fallen into that trap once before, with another boy. When she’d been younger, more innocent.
This time was different. Her reasons were different.
She felt for Jack what she’d never felt for another. But were her feelings as strong as love? Or were they only infatuation? Knowing that the bad boy of town, the one every girl fantasized about and wanted, desired her.
As he pulled her shirt over her head, she no longer cared. He wasn’t her student any longer. She’d accomplished the impossible. She’d given him a reason to pour his efforts into graduating. And if his reward was to be hers as well…so be it.
He was breathing harshly, staring at her, his eyes taking on a fevered glow. Slowly, he trailed his finger over the red lace of her bra. “You’re so beautiful,” he rasped.
She hadn’t realized how much she’d wanted to meet with his approval.
He took hold of the clasp on the front of her bra. “I love front loaders.”
She laughed for the joy of his predictability. His was the sort of comment she expected of Jack Morgan. Not flattery or sweet nothings but honest words with no hidden agenda. He’d always been upfront about what he wanted of her. She didn’t blame him now for continuing in that vein.
With one quick twist of his fingers, she was free of the restraint, and his sturdy palms had replaced the frilly cloth. He dipped his head, outlining a nipple with his tongue.
She moaned, her limbs grew weak, and she tugged on his shirt. “Jack?”
He tore off his shirt and pulled her close, his mouth plundering, his hands roaming, as he backed her into the bedroom, all the while maintaining as much contact as possible, exploring feverishly.
They tumbled onto the bed. Only then did he break away from her.
“Get your jeans off,” he ordered as he quickly removed his. Sitting on the edge of the bed, laughing, he reached for the wrapped box on the nightstand. “Is this my other gift?”
He didn’t wait for her answer but simply tore off the wrap, opened the box, and quickly put the first condom to use. He turned to her, his brow furrowing. He tugged on her jeans. “Don’t go shy on me now.”
She licked her lips. “Jack, I want this. I want you. I just don’t want you to be disappointed because I don’t have any real experience.”
“Is this your first time?”
She shook her head. “But I’ve only done this once, and it was in the backseat of a Toyota. It was a night I’ve tried to forget.”
Something darted into his eyes, something she would have never expected from this brazen boy who had defied her in the classroom: compassion.
“I promise it’ll be good, Kelley,” he whispered. It was the first time her name had rolled off his tongue. There was something seductive and warm in the way he spoke it, intimate, secretive.
He slid his hand beneath her hair, cupping her neck with his hand, his thumb stroking the soft underside of her chin. “Trust me.”
She wanted to, she truly did. But she’d trusted someone else once before, and her trust had been misplaced. “I’m afraid, Jack.”
He rolled over onto her until his body half covered hers. Lowering his head, he kissed her tenderly, hungrily. Above her waist, he stroked her bare skin; below her waist, he stroked her through her jeans. His hands were strong, his fingers sure. He rubbed his chest over her breasts, and she found herself arching toward him, striving to get closer.
“Trust me, Kelley,” he repeated. “I’ll never hurt you. I swear it.”
The candles she’d lit earlier lent a soft, romantic touch to the room, causing shadows to dance over his face, over his body. There was so much tenderness in his voice that her heart melted. She nodded, and he gave her a slow, sensual grin.
“Now, these have to go,” he whispered as he unzipped her jeans and began tugging them down.
She wiggled, pushing on them as he pulled. When her clothes were free, she lay there in the shadows, baring not only her body but her heart and soul. He ran his hand up her leg, across her hip, along her side, over her stomach. “So beautiful.”
Then he stretched out, half his body covering hers, and his mouth blanketed hers with more heat than before, more determination, more skill. As though now he was holding nothing back, when she’d never realized he’d been holding anything back.
She scraped her fingers along his back, up his neck, into his thick, curly hair. He growled, and she felt the rumble of his chest against her breasts. His hands seemed to be everywhere, touching her, fondling, kneading. Working her body into a fevered frenzy as she imagined he worked on cars to keep the engines purring.
She thought she might have purred herself. Her own sighs and moans mingled with his groans. They became a tangle of arms and legs, touching, reaching, exploring.
Then she felt the pressure between her thighs as he began pushing himself inside. She was aware of her body stretching to accommodate him, and then she was aware of nothing but the rightness of it as she tilted up her hips to welcome him fully, as she wrapped her legs around his waist, her arms around his shoulders.
He raised himself above her, his strokes long and sure, deep and strong, his gaze holding hers. As they found their rhythm, she moved against him, watching as his gaze intensified, his jaw clenched.
He pistoned into her, faster, faster, faster, as sensations within her began to mount. Pleasure spiraled outward as he carried her to the edge.
When she plummeted over, he followed.
Kelley jerked awake, her heart pounding, her breathing ragged, her skin damp
. She was in the same bed but a different room, another time.
Another time. A different time.
Jack’s involvement with Stephanie, their marriage, their child, Jack’s custody of that child…all those different aspects had come together to create a barrier between them in ways she was only just beginning to understand.
She slipped her hand beneath her nightgown, her fingers stopping a little above her hairline. She couldn’t feel the scar. It had faded over the years, but she knew it intimately, knew what it looked like without seeing it. She’d always thought it resembled a slight smile that someone would give over a joke that wasn’t quite so funny.
If Jack discovered the scar, understood its ramifications, would he forgive her?
She doubted it. Not when she couldn’t even forgive herself.
Chapter 10
Kelley sat at the table in the bay window of the kitchen, with the blinds raised so she could see the street, the intersection, and the houses on all the other corners and beyond. The scene, along with the hush of early morning, made for an extremely peaceful and calming atmosphere.
And she needed that tranquility after spending most of the night tossing and turning, growing hot and damp, dreaming of Jack. The morning following graduation, she’d awoken with him wrapped around her and her body sore. To her surprise, he’d been considerate, content simply to hold her that morning.
He’d wanted them to go out, but she still hadn’t been comfortable with them being seen together. She didn’t think anyone would believe she hadn’t been involved with her student during the school year, and she’d had no desire to put her theory to the test.
“Maybe by the end of summer,” she’d told him.
After accusing her of being ashamed of him, he’d left angry. By the time he’d returned the following night, she’d already heard the tentative rumors floating around town that he’d gotten Stephanie Townsend pregnant.
One look at his face when she’d opened the door, and she’d known that the rumors were true, that their relationship was over before it got a chance to fully begin. She’d been devastated by what she perceived as a betrayal.
The sound of bare feet on the tile had her turning her attention back to the present. She smiled at Madison. “Good morning, sleepyhead.”
Madison grimaced, ran her hand through her short hair, and opened the refrigerator. “We need to go to the grocery store.”
She brought out the orange juice, one of the few items that remained. Kelley had let the groceries dwindle, thinking it foolish to pack up and move replaceable items.
“We need to do a lot of things today.”
Madison poured her juice and joined Kelley at the table, sitting across from her, placing her feet on the chair opposite the one that Kelley’s feet rested on. Two women still needed four chairs at their table.
“How’d you sleep?” Kelley asked.
“Pretty good. When the wind blows, the limbs from the tree scratch up against the window. That was a little scary. I kept seeing skeleton hands.”
“I’ll see about hiring a tree trimmer.”
“Who’s going to mow the yard?”
“We’ll need to get a lawn service. There are a lot of hidden expenses when you live in a house.”
“I guess there’s no point in fixing things up too much, since we’ll be moving soon.”
Kelley sighed. “Madison, we’ll discuss moving in the spring. Until then, this is our home.”
“What are we going to do with the front rooms?”
“For the time being, nothing. I don’t think it’s worth it to move any more furniture out of the storage unit in Dallas. I’m going to use the other bedroom as an office. We can divide it between us if you want.”
“No, my bedroom is big enough. Much better than the apartment.”
“I wasn’t that crazy about the apartment, either. I think living here is going to be nice.” She looked out the window, sipping her coffee.
“Kell?”
“Mmm?”
“I’m really kinda sorry about last night. I mean, I know I was a total butt, leaving without telling you and everything.”
As far as apologies went, Kelley had heard more sincere ones, but she decided it was at least a start when the apology wasn’t prompted.
“How about truly, absolutely, completely sorry?” Kelley suggested.
“If I’m that sorry, could Ronda come spend next weekend with me?”
Ronda Barnes was Madison’s best friend. Kelley had never been able to determine how much Ronda’s influence had been responsible for Madison’s change in behavior. The only child of very wealthy parents, Ronda tended to think the world revolved around her wants.
“Apologies shouldn’t be conditional, Madison.”
Madison rolled her eyes. “All right. I’m totally sorry about last night.”
Kelley nodded. “I accept your apology.”
“So, can Ronda come visit?”
Why did Kelley have the impression that her apology had still been conditional?
“Please? Yesterday, the guys were talking about the county fair. It’s next weekend, and I was kinda thinking about going, but I don’t want to go alone. It’s probably lame, not nearly as good as the state fair. But it’s something to do.”
“Actually, the county fair is a lot of fun. I went when I was living here before.”
“So, can we go? Can we invite Ronda? Please? I won’t give you any more grief. I swear.”
Kelley had told Madison that this house was a new beginning, for both of them, a chance to bond. She nodded. “All right. You can invite her, and we’ll go to the fair.”
“Yes!”
It was so rewarding to see Madison happy. “The airport is about forty-five minutes from here. Have her fly in Friday night, and we’ll pick her up.”
“Great! You’re the best.”
Funny how she didn’t feel like the best. The best wouldn’t still be trying to reconcile all the shameful things she’d done in her past.
Madison suddenly bolted upright, her feet hitting the floor. “Was that a black truck?”
“Sure looked like it.” Kelley’s heart had kicked up a notch when she spotted it driving by.
“Think it’s the sheriff?”
Kelley shook her head. “Probably not. Haven’t you noticed? Three-fourths of the vehicles in this town are black trucks.”
“Right.” Madison eased back into a lounging position, feet on the chair.
Then a bit of a mean streak hit Kelley. “Maybe it’s Rick.”
Madison stiffened. “No way.” Her brow creased. “You think?”
The doorbell had them hopping out of their chairs, looking guilty and terrified at the same time. Then they broke into nervous giggles.
“We’re a mess,” Kelley acknowledged. “It’s probably the neighborhood welcoming committee.”
“On a Sunday morning?”
“Could be.”
The doorbell chimed again. She tightened the sash on her robe, hastily combed her fingers through her hair, and walked to the front door. She peered through the peephole. At the sight of Jack standing on the other side, she didn’t know whether to be pleased or angry. He really could be pushy when he wanted to be.
She glanced over her shoulder at Madison, who was anxiously awaiting the verdict. “It’s Jack.”
Madison rolled her eyes and did her little body shrug. “What’s he want? I’m not apologizing again.”
Kelly didn’t know what to say to that declaration. She was certain Jack wasn’t there for an apology. If anything, he was there because he’d slept as poorly as she had. She could only hope he wouldn’t say anything in front of Madison about his parting kiss. She opened the door.
“Morning,” he said before she could speak.
She had no luck at all suppressing the gladness that swept through her with the rumble of his deep voice and the slow smile that eased across his face like dawn easing over the horizon.
“What ar
e you doing here?” she asked.
He held up a huge plastic dog dish. “I was sent out on doughnut reconnaissance, and I thought since I was in the neighborhood, I’d drop by and install your temporary security system.”
She didn’t try to keep the skepticism out of her voice. “First of all, there are no doughnut shops in the neighborhood. Secondly, what are you talking about?”
“Invite me in.”
As if he were going to give her a choice. She opened the door farther and stepped back.
He walked through. “Hey, kid.”
Kelley heard the censure in his voice, and, based on the way Madison was squirming, she had a feeling she heard it as well.
“I already apologized to Kelley, okay?” Madison said.
“Okay.” Jack extended the dog dish toward her. “I brought you a security system. Fill this up with water, and put it out on the back patio.”
“Why? We can’t have pets here.”
“Yeah, but a would-be burglar wouldn’t know that, now, would he? He’s going to choose the path of least resistance. He sees a dog dish in your backyard—a big dog dish—and not in your neighbors’, where’s he gonna go?”
“That’s your security system?” Madison asked.
“Temporarily, although I imagine it works just about as well as the real thing.”
Reaching out, Madison took the dish. “You know what I think? I think you just wanted an excuse to come see Kelley.”
“Madison!” Kelley felt the heat rush to her face.
“You got a problem with that, kid?” Jack asked.
“Jack!” Kelley scolded.
Madison grinned. “I think Kelley does.”
“Madison, take care of the dog dish,” Kelley ordered.
Madison flounced into the kitchen. Then Kelley turned to Jack. “I appreciate how much you’ve helped us get settled in, but Jack—”
“Wanna hear about my dream?” he interrupted.
She could well imagine what it entailed. Their hot, damp bodies intertwined…She shook her head. “No, Jack, I really don’t.”
Madison walked past them and headed for the back door to put the dish on the patio.
“I appreciate your stopping by,” Kelly began.
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