"Thank you, then."
She looked into his eyes, then let her own eyes drift down to his mouth. And just like that, the desire for him to kiss her was back.
His eyes shifted from her mouth to her eyes, then back. "I want you so bad, Jaden Quinn," he murmured in a husky voice. When his lips touched hers, she sighed, as though she'd been waiting for his kiss for centuries.
He kissed her gently, as though giving her an opportunity to pull away if she wanted to. When she didn't, he deepened the kiss. His arm closed around her, pulling her closer. So close she felt like he was suddenly her entire world.
She lost herself in him, in the taste of him and in his touch. Then he was pressing her flat against the bed, pinning her body beneath his. He kissed her hungrily, making her moan into his mouth.
When he released her and pulled away, she was dazed and light-headed.
He exhaled slowly. "I've been wanting to do that since I met you."
"Is it bad to admit that I've wanted you to do that since I met you?"
He smiled, then he kissed her again. When he pulled away a second time, she was breathless.
On screen, Jane Fonda was dressed in a swanky black outfit.
"Can you believe how gorgeous she is? Lily Tomlin, too. Those women are timeless."
Kenda nodded. "Think they sold their souls?"
Jaden busted out laughing.
"Okay," Kenda said. "I've never seen Gracie and Frankie before—"
"Grace and Frankie."
"Yeah. So you have to tell me about them."
"I can do better than that. This is episode seven. Let's go to the first episode."
But she never put the first episode on, nor did they look at the television again. He leaned over her before she could grab the remote, and kissed her.
CHAPTER TEN
Jaden was surprised by the sunlight coming in through the sliding glass doors of the bedroom. The deck was awash in light, as was the bedroom. She sat up in bed, amazed that she'd fallen asleep in the first place. The plan had been to stay awake.
"What time is it?" she muttered to herself.
The clock on the bedside table said it was after nine.
She rubbed her eyes and yawned. She never slept so late. In fact, she rarely slept more than six hours. Too much sleep and she risked nightmares. But according to the clock, she'd been asleep nearly nine hours.
She realized something else. She was alone.
When had Kenda left? After she'd fallen asleep?
How long had it been since she'd kissed a man? Since she'd spent all night making out with a man? That's all they had done, kiss, but it had been amazing. Who knew you could get that aroused just from kissing ... while fully clothed.
And now he was gone.
He had a life, she reminded herself, and it was Saturday. He probably had a million things to do and at least a half dozen women to see. A man that attractive, who kissed like that, couldn't possibly be single.
When he appeared in the bedroom doorway holding a tray laden with plates of eggs, bacon, potatoes, and coffee, she had to blink a few times to make sure he wasn't a mirage.
"I made breakfast," he announced, approaching the bed.
He settled the tray over her thighs, then got back into bed beside her. "After the kind of first two days you had in St. Sebastians, I thought I'd give you a better start to your third."
"And you have. Look at all this food. I hope you're gonna help me eat it all."
"That is not something you need not worry about."
Matching words to action, he grabbed a fork and dug in.
After a few minutes of eating in silence, she cleared her throat. "Look, Kenda, you can go home now. I'm sure you have things to do."
He stopped eating to study her. "You want me to leave?"
"You don't have to pretend—"
"Pretend what?"
Jaden stared at him, not sure why he was forcing her to say what they both knew to be true.
"Pretend what, Jaden? I thought, despite how I found you, we turned it into a pretty good night."
"But it's not going anywhere. It can't."
He put his fork down and leaned back on the bed, twisting slightly so he could face her. "And why can't it?"
"As if you don't know already."
"You mean this?" he jerked a finger over his skin. "Because I don't care about that. I don't understand why you do."
"No, not that. But everything else. We come from two different worlds, Kenda. My aunt may be rich, but I'm not. I don't fit in your world, or her world. So we shouldn't pretend this is anything more than what it is."
"And what exactly is it?"
This conversation was not going the way she thought it would. Kenda was shoving the covers back from his legs and getting out of the bed.
"Well?" he demanded.
"It's a summer romance."
"Sex. That's essentially all you want out of this? Is that what you're saying?"
"No. But don't pretend you want more than that."
Shaking his head, he turned from the bed and retrieved his socks and shoes from the floor. "Sorry Jaden, but I'm not interested in being your sex toy for the summer."
"I didn't say..." she began, but he shoved through the bedroom door, then was gone.
The front door slammed shut.
Should she go after him? She was right and he knew she was right. This thing between them would never go anywhere. Still, her timing couldn't have been worse. She could have waited to say something until after they'd eaten.
By noon she was showered and dressed, and still not sure what had gone wrong that morning. Was Kenda just being a good Samaritan last night, or was there were more to it than that? She didn't know. And she shouldn't be worried about it. Not with so much else to worry about. But she couldn't help it. He'd said he didn't want to be her sex toy this summer. She didn't want a sex toy. But neither did she want to be hurt by having unrealistic expectations. Even if he didn't see her as an inconvenience now, he would. Some other woman would come along; a woman more like him, and he'd realize his mistake. That's how life went. She'd been right to set things straight.
Then why did she feel like such a fool?
She went out the back door and set up her laptop on the table outside. She went back in for a mug of coffee and coffee cake, then settled in for some research. She wouldn't think about Kenda anymore. She'd focus on figuring out what was going on. There had to be more to learn about St. Sebastians. It couldn't be a coincidence that Hayley lived here, Bria fled here to get away from her husband, and now she was here, living in her aunt's house. And now that she was here, she'd had two encounters with the Man in White. Two encounters where he had touched her and had tried to physically hurt her.
So she drank her coffee until it became cold, and paged through online stacks of books at various libraries around the world. First, she focused on places near St. Sebastians, then she'd widened her search to include anywhere there was folklore about a man in white, a place called Chimera, a frozen world, and a Red World. She scoured the web for over two hours and came up empty. When she was coming up on two-thirty, she packed the laptop in her backpack and started for town. She had to meet the others at the library in less than an hour.
She went down the sandy path to the beach and walked along the shore toward town. She could see the start of the boardwalk about a half mile up the beach. The ocean was calm this afternoon. The smell of salt and sea filled the air around her. There weren't many people out on the beach, despite it being a Saturday. She supposed it was easy to take it for granted when you had it right outside your door. She would never take this for granted. She just wished she could enjoy it without the shadow of the Man in White hovering over everything.
When she got to the boardwalk, she realized she had no idea where the library was. She could stop in and ask Hayley, or she could walk the town until she found it herself. She had time, so she walked the boardwalk, intermittently staring at the ocean, t
hen at the boards in front of her. The boardwalk or, Downtown Mall, was crowded. Maybe this was where everyone went on a Saturday afternoon. People went in and out of the shops, kids walked with ice cream cones, she could even hear the music of an arcade from someplace nearby. The beach was crowded, too. It was a stark contrast to the oceanfront outside her aunt's house. She would have preferred the quiet of the beach behind the residences over the madness of the beach at the Downtown Mall.
She didn't get a sense of the Man in White. Not from the beach, or the shops, or the people. But there had to be a connection.
After another ten minutes of walking, she turned toward Main Street. Ten more minutes and she was at the St. Sebastians Public Library.
The library, like the rest of the town, was done up in bright pastels. It was at the end of Main Street and looked out over the ocean and the Downtown Mall. Inside, though, it was like any other library. The employees weren't dressed as though they'd be heading out to the beach at any moment. They were dressed conservatively, in long slacks and plain shirts. The atmosphere within was of quiet learning. There was a line of tables along the far wall of the library, with a view that looked out onto the beach.
She found a table nearby and got busy. First, she'd see if the librarians here had ever heard of a place called Chimera.
After setting up her spot at a table, she went to the circulation desk. "Hi, I'm new in town," she said to the librarian at the counter.
"You're Jaden Quinn, Edna's niece. I was wondering if you'd make your way here."
Yep, her aunt knew everyone in town.
"I'm Crissy." The blond offered Jaden her hand.
Jaden couldn't help noticing it was a hand laden with rings. And none of them looked cheap.
She gave the librarian a second look. Long, perfectly done, platinum blond hair, wide blue eyes, and the kind of smile that made Jaden think of sunshine. She liked Crissy instantly.
She took Crissy's hand and Crissy pumped vigorously. "I work here part time. Carly, there." She pointed over her shoulder to a woman who looked about the same age as Jaden. She had short black hair and seemed to be on the shorter side. Carly was staring at them; or rather, staring at Jaden. Then something seemed to click for her and she smiled and waved.
Carly is the librarian. But, I can probably help you with whatever you need."
"You're Edna's niece, aren't you?" Carly said, appearing behind the counter beside Crissy. "I just love Edna."
"She's a great lady," Jaden agreed, shaking Carly's hand.
"So you're here for the summer?" Carly asked, although Jaden figured she already knew the answer. Before Jaden could reply, Crissy started talking.
"I love Edna's house. It's one of the best on the beach."
Carly looked at Crissy, an eyebrow raised. "When were you at Edna's?"
"I've been there lots. I bring her books. Sometimes she's too tired to come in on Saturday morning, so she tells me what books she wants, I grab them, check them out under her name, then take them to her on my break. She always has Cherry Coke and a creme filled crumb cake waiting for me." Crissy looked at Jaden. "Your aunt is the best."
"Look, I was wondering if you could help me with a bit of research?" Jaden said.
"What do you need?" Carly asked.
"I'm trying to find out about a place. I searched online, but I couldn't find anything. I figured I could use some professional help."
"What's it called?"
"Chimera. Somehow I don't think it's a place that's real. At least not what we'd consider real. I think it's like a fairy tale place, if that makes any sense."
"Chimera, yeah." Crissy started off around the counter. "I got this, Carly."
"You know what that is?" Carly asked.
"Sure do. We have two books." Crissy frowned. "I'm surprised you didn't know that already, Jaden."
"Why would I know that?" Jaden asked.
"Well, we special ordered them for your aunt."
Jaden stared at her. "Books about Chimera? Are you sure?"
"Sure I'm sure. Go get comfortable and I'll bring the books to you. We don't keep them in the stacks. They're too beautiful and too old. You'll see what I mean."
Dazed, Jaden returned to the table where she'd left her laptop.
Aunt Edna had special ordered books about Chimera? But why? How had she known about the place?
"Here you are." Crissy set two large, ornate books on the table. "See what I mean? Aren't they gorgeous?"
To say the books were gorgeous was to understate the fact. The covers were woven in silk. The first had embroidered lettering that simply read, Chimera, and the other didn't have any name on it. Almost reverently, Jaden opened the book called Chimera. The pages were thick, the way she imagined papyrus would feel. The script was large and ornate, and each page was decorated with an artist's drawing. The details were amazing.
She opened the second book and frowned. While Chimera had been written in English, the nameless book had been written in a language she couldn't understand. She'd never seen anything like it before.
"I know," Crissy said. "We've tried to get someone in to translate it, but nobody knows the language. I think it must be old. Really, really old."
Jaden stroked the thick page she was staring at with a finger. Wondering what secrets this book held. That it was old, was obvious. It looked like it belonged in a museum, not the library of a beach town.
"Are these one of a kind books?"
"You'd think so, but they're not. There aren't many copies available. We were lucky."
"Incredible."
"Just bring them back to the circulation desk when you're done."
"Thank you," Jaden said, meaning it. "Aunt Edna, what did you know?" she murmured to herself.
She spent a good ten minutes simply touching the books and studying their bindings. She wasn't a specialist by any stretch of the imagination, but she thought the books had been bound by hand. The pages were sewn together by a thick, leather-like string. The string wound through the covers, binding the entire book together.
"Hi again." Crissy was standing at the head of the table, a steaming cup of something in her hand. "I thought you could use this." She set the cup down on the table and the aroma of fresh brewed coffee rose to greet Jaden.
"That smells wonderful. But is it allowed?"
Crissy waved this off. "Carly doesn't mind. We have a cafe on the second floor."
"Thank you."
"Let me know if you need anything else."
"Quick question. Are you sure these books aren't one of a kind? The pages are sown together with leather."
"I'm sure."
Crissy left, leaving behind the scent of lavender.
Jaden took a sip of coffee, then began to read Chimera. By the time the others arrived, she had the foundation of a story.
Sydney was the first to get there. She came in with a briefcase and looking very polished in a gray pantsuit with her dark hair pulled back. She must have come straight from work.
She settled in across from Jaden, then eyed the books. "How long have you been here?"
"Not long. About forty minutes or so. And you won't believe what I've learned. And you won't believe what happened to me last night."
Sydney set her briefcase on the chair beside her and leaned in close. "What happened?"
"Let's wait until the others arrive."
"I knew you'd say that." She set a coffee on the table, then looked over her shoulder. "We're not supposed to have drinks in here, but Carly usually gives me a break. I'm in here all the time and I never spill."
"Your secret is safe with me."
Hayley and Bria arrived together. The sight of the two of them was jarring. Hayley carried herself with confidence. Even in a simple, white sundress and sandals, there was an air about her that made you look her way. Bria was exotic and beautiful, but carried her insecurities like a badge of honor. She walked with her shoulders hunched. She never smiled and she never made eye contact. Hayley spo
ke to everyone.
"What she needs is a makeover."
Jaden saw Sydney was watching the pair approach, too.
"You noticed," Jaden said.
"She's afraid of her own shadow. We can't fix that, but we can keep her from announcing it to the world. She has victim written all over her. And Nico doesn't help."
"You can see he cares about her."
"But he hovers. She's come to him for help and he's put her in a cage. He thinks he's protecting her, but he's not. She needs to learn how to take care of herself. How to protect herself from predators who'll want to victimize her."
Jaden was surprised Sydney had noticed all those things. She seemed too rigid to note the needs of another person. Maybe Jaden had misjudged her.
"Agreed," Jaden said, as Hayley and Bria got to their table.
"Agreed about what?" Hayley asked.
Jaden and Sydney looked at each other, then Jaden said, "That I'm ready to put the Man in White in his place once and for all."
She told them about what had happened to her the previous night, downplaying the part about Kenda staying overnight with her. She wasn't ready to discuss that with anyone. Especially virtual strangers.
"He pulled you into the water?" Bria's eyes were wide. Both hands were cupped over her mouth so it was difficult to understand what she was saying.
Jaden could have played that part down, too, but she didn't think that was a good idea. If it had happened to her, it could happen to Bria and Hayley. Bria needed to be prepared. "He did."
"Then you were in his world? In the dream world?"
"I don't think I was actually in it. I think it was just a dream, like the others."
"But you said someone spoke to you."
"Yeah, but he wasn't..." Jaden paused, then started again. "The man who spoke to me didn't feel evil. Not like the Man in White. I felt peace when this man approached me. I really think he wanted my help."
"Has anything like that ever happened to either of you?" Sydney asked.
"No. Thank God," Hayley said.
Bria shook her head. "Will it?"
"Not necessarily," said Sydney. "At least, that's my guess."
"It happened because we're together," Jaden said. "I'm sure of it. He doesn't like it."
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