by Girard, Dara
“Yes. I just came back from dropping Baxter at the shelter. I donated a large sum of money and gave instructions that he’s not to be put down but worked with until he’s ready for a new family.”
Another loss. She’d no longer see Baxter chewing on his favorite doggie bone, jumping at shadows or greeting her at the door wagging his tail so hard his entire back end shook. Monica felt her heart softly crack. “I see.” She cleared her throat. “Well, have a safe trip.”
“Monica—”
She went to the kitchen cabinet and pulled down a plate and glass. “You have to go. I understand that. It hasn’t been the quiet vacation you’d hoped for.”
JD walked up behind her and turned her to face him. “That night with you was wonderful. And although…” He sighed and struggled for words. “I don’t regret a thing about coming here. What happened when we were together—”
“Is over.”
“It doesn’t have to be.” He hesitated. “My life in the city is complicated, but it’s simple here and I like it that way. I can’t make you any promises. I want to see you again without any strings. I won’t put any pressure on you, and you’ll do the same. I won’t ask you why you’re here, and you won’t ask what I do when I’m away from you. We’ll just meet on holidays for times like these. What do you say?”
“I don’t know if I’ll still be here. I have to find another place and—”
JD rested his hands on her shoulders. “You don’t have to go anywhere. The place is mine. Gran gave it to me with specific instructions that you stay for as long as you like.”
The tightness in her chest began to ease. She didn’t have to leave. She would be safe here. “Nadine was always so generous.”
“You haven’t answered my question.”
Monica bit her lip. No strings attached. No questions. No promises. She’d see him only on holidays. Yes, that could work. It meant that it wasn’t anything serious and his mother wouldn’t have to worry. “No one would know?”
He shrugged. “No one needs to. What I do is no one’s business.”
She licked her lips. “Okay.”
He grinned. “Good. I have time off for Thanksgiving, unless you have family that you want to see then.”
Monica quickly shook her head. “No, I’ll be here.”
“Okay, I’ll see you then.” He kissed her then pulled away and left without looking back. As he drove away Monica realized he hadn’t said goodbye.
“Let her go? Did you just say I should let her go?”
Gerald held the phone away from his ear. Even though Stevens wasn’t shouting, his cool delivery was just as effective. “It’s just a suggestion.”
“You may be the best in the business, but you can and will be replaced. Can you do the job or not?”
“Of course. It’s just getting expensive.” Finding Venus had taken a lot longer than he’d anticipated.
“That’s my problem, not yours. Any developments?”
“She’s definitely in the U.S., and that’s all I’ll say for now.” He hung up. Gerald knew he’d taken a risk by advising Stevens to forget about Venus, but he’d been willing to take the gamble because part of him liked her. Part of him liked how cunning she was. She’d outsmarted Stevens and was giving Gerald a hard time. As each day passed he’d become more impressed with her fortitude, her false leads and misdirection. He remembered when she was in the limelight. God, he could imagine just one night with her. But now he knew there was a keen mind behind that beauty.
She deserved a free pass, but he wasn’t the boss. If Stevens was willing to pay to find her, then it was fine with him.
His cell phone rang just as he lay down for a nap. He swore. If it was Stevens again, he was going to up his price. “Hicks.”
“I’ve got a job for you,” a low familiar voice said.
“Sorry, I’ve already got an assignment.”
“This one won’t take you long.” When the voice told him the target, Gerald sat up with interest. “Is this some kind of joke?”
“No, it’s a family thing.” The voice told him the amount they were willing to offer then said, “Think about it.” Then the line went dead.
Gerald rested against the headboard. He’d never worked on two cases before, but Venus made locating the second target easy. The woman wasn’t only a goddess but a sorceress. She could make him a very rich man. It was a risk, but he’d never liked playing it too safe. He brought up Venus’s image on his phone and gazed longingly at it. The woman was so hot—dressed in skintight jeans and a tank top—he was surprised the phone didn’t melt in his hand. “I’ll find you, Venus,” he said to the image. “And it will be a pleasure.”
Over the next few weeks Monica busied herself with work. But she couldn’t stop thinking about JD and Nadine. She’d come here to be alone, away from people, and two had already stolen her heart. She worked on new jewelry designs and patrolled the woods to make sure that Drent and his crew hadn’t come back. Everything seemed to settle back to normal then one day as she cleaned the foyer, she heard scratching on the front door. She opened it and saw Baxter.
He sauntered past her, as if he was where he was meant to be, leaving dirty paw prints on her newly swept floor.
“Come back here.”
He turned to her and wagged his tail. He looked as though he’d traveled for days; his fur held grass stains and stray leaves and was caked down with dirt and mud.
Monica bent down to stroke him then changed her mind. “You bad boy. What are you doing here?”
He licked her hand.
That melted her heart. She picked him up and hugged him. “I missed you, too.” She set him back down and shook her head, wondering what she should do next.
“JD’s not here and they’re going to be looking for you…but let me clean you up first.”
Monica washed and fed him then picked up the phone.
“Thank God!” the shelter coordinator said when Monica explained the situation. “We just took them out for exercise and he jumped the fence and ran! We’ve been searching for days.”
Monica looked at Baxter and made a decision. The determined little dog deserved a permanent home. “I’ll keep him.” When JD returned he could formerly adopt him, and she’d look after him when JD was out of town.
The coordinator agreed with Monica’s plan and everything was settled. Monica smiled. She knew when JD came back he’d be in for a big surprise.
But as summer turned to fall, touching the leaves with yellow, crimson and amber, Monica wasn’t sure JD would return. She sensed that the farm held too many memories. Sad ones that hurt: the rocking chair that sat in the corner unused; the guitar stand that stood empty while the guitar was sealed up in a case inside the closet; and the knotted rug that lay discarded on the family room floor. Once he was back in the city he’d get accustomed to its fast pace and excitement and would forget her, which was exactly what she needed. One of them had to be sensible. It had been a fantastic, hot love affair, and after two months she couldn’t see how it could continue the way it had been. Would he really want to see her again, just for a night in bed?
Monica continued to doubt JD’s return, but as Thanksgiving drew near she held out hope even at the risk of being disappointed. Two days before the holiday she scrubbed down the walls in the kitchen and dining room and purchased a festive orange table cloth, an elegant place setting, and a vase of fresh flowers as the centerpiece. On Thanksgiving Day, Monica spent all day preparing a feast. She made a sweet potato casserole, three-bean salad, fried green tomatoes (she learned how to cook them because JD had once mentioned they were his favorite food), roasted turkey with corn bread dressing and, for dessert, a homemade blackberry cobbler and apricot cookie rolls.
After that she took a long, hot shower and lathered herself in expensive creams and oil then put on a layered tunic-like soft pink dress with a silk head wrap and waited.
And waited.
And waited.
And he didn’t come
.
Chapter 11
“What do you mean he’s in jail?”
“JD,” his mother said in a tart voice. “You know I hate it when you shout.”
“What is Donnie doing in jail?” JD asked, trying to keep rein on his temper.
“He got into a little trouble, that’s all.”
“He always gets into a little trouble.”
“I’m sure that once you bail him out, everything will be cleared.”
JD released a fierce sigh. “Fine, where is he?” He could drop by the jail, pay the fee and still make it to the farmhouse.
“Nevada.”
JD paused. “I’m sorry, did you say Nevada?”
“Yes.”
“What the hell is he doing there?”
“JD, you’re shouting again.”
He lowered his voice. “Answer my question.”
“It’s complicated. He told me it was a business deal. We can’t just leave him in jail over the holiday weekend.”
Yes, we can. “I have plans.”
“Really?”
“Yes,” he said, annoyed by his mother’s surprise.
“You know I would go, but these situations are always so stressful for me. You’re so good with him, and you always were. You could get there in no time. Denis said he’d let you use his private jet. He still doesn’t know why you won’t get one of your own.”
“Since he’s so concerned, why doesn’t he go?” JD asked, referring to his mother’s present boyfriend.
“He’s here with me. His daughter made a special dinner, and—”
Right. It seemed that everyone else’s holiday plans mattered more than his. Probably because he’d never had any before. Usually he was at work and could rescue his brother at a moment’s notice. It would annoy him, but it usually didn’t bother him this much. This time he had spent weeks thinking about Monica and what they would do when he saw her again. And he would see her again. Nothing would stop that. He could make a phone call and have someone else handle it, but he didn’t like to use his staff for his personal life. He glanced at his watch, weighing his options. If he scheduled everything right, he could still make it to Monica. He picked up his phone.
Monica stared at the ringing phone, not sure if she wanted to answer. What excuse would he give her? Would he say that work got busy, that he’d forgotten and wanted to take a rain check, that he’d met someone else? Why even call at all? Soon the ringing stopped and she regretted letting her imagination run wild with different scenarios instead of hearing his explanation. What if he was just delayed? What if something awful had happened? When the message light came on she accessed the voice mail. JD’s voice came on the line.
“Hi, Monica. JD. I have some business that I have to take care—” Then the line went dead.
Monica listened again, just in case she could hear the rest of the message, but it cut off in the same place. He had business. Did that mean he wasn’t coming?
She wrapped up the dinner and put it away then went to her studio to take her mind off things, but it didn’t work so she decided to watch TV. She was flipping channels when Baxter started barking. She scolded him to stop, but he refused and soon she heard the same noise that had agitated him. She put the TV on mute as the sound grew closer. Then through the window she saw a beam of light cascading over the ground. She opened the front door and saw a helicopter landing in the distance. It couldn’t be. Her heart leaped when she saw the silhouette of a man exit and wave to the person inside then head toward the house.
Monica raced into the bathroom and checked her reflection to make sure everything was in place. She adjusted her head wrap then she bounded down the porch stairs and threw herself into his arms. “You came.”
JD laughed, evidently pleased by her response. “I told you I would.” She reached for one of his bags, but he moved it out of reach. Baxter jumped around him. JD bent down to greet him. “Good to see you, buddy!” He lifted him up then stopped. “Wait a minute.” He set the dog down and looked up at her, surprised. “What’s he doing here?”
“He lives here now. I think you should adopt him.”
He stood. “You do?”
She nodded. “He ran away from the shelter, and I knew he would keep doing that because he considers this place home. So I thought he could stay here until you made things official.”
“I see.” He rested his arm around her shoulders. “We’ll talk about that later. I’m glad to be here.”
“You’re late,” she said as they walked into the foyer.
He sighed, and for the first time she saw how tired he looked. “I know. I’m sorry.” He dropped his bags and drew her close. “Forgive me?”
“Only this time.”
He buried his face in her neck. “Mmm…good. You’re nice and warm.”
“But what kept you—”
He placed a finger over her lips. “Shh, no questions, remember?”
She kissed his finger. “I remember.” Monica slipped out of his grasp and headed for the kitchen. “Let me go heat up some food.”
JD unbuttoned his shirt. “Do you really think I came all this way just to eat?”
Monica stared at him and saw a devilish gleam in his eyes. She backed away as he approached her, unable to stop a smile. “But I cooked so much food.”
He tossed his shirt aside, his smoldering eyes never leaving her face. “I’ll eat it later.”
“Sweet potato casserole and roasted turkey.”
His heated gaze scaled the length of her as if she was a hundred-dollar bill and he was a broke man. “It can wait.”
“You mean you’re not even a little bit hungry?”
“Baby, I’m ravenous.” He lunged for her.
She escaped him with a shriek. “You’ll need your strength.”
“I’m strong enough.” He grabbed her and covered her mouth, his hand slipping down her dress.
She pulled away, remembering the bright kitchen lights. “We can’t do this here.”
He unzipped her dress. “It’s working for me so far.”
“Let’s go upstairs.”
“I have condoms with me.”
“I have something else for you upstairs.”
“I don’t need anything else right now. All I want is you.”
She pinched him. “You can have me upstairs.”
JD let out a fierce growl. “All right. Let’s go. Fast.” He lifted her up in his arms. “Which room?”
“You don’t need to carry me.”
“Either I carry you or take you right here.”
“Okay, okay,” she said quickly when he started to set her down.
“Which room?”
“Yours.” Earlier she’d made sure to close the drapes.
He took her up the stairs and set her on the bed. “Satisfied?”
“For now.” She closed the door, removed her dress then stood in front of him. “The rest is up to you.”
JD took that as his cue and spent the next two hours satisfying her in ways she didn’t know possible. The touch of his hand, the feel of his mouth, the way his body covered hers filled her with pure, explosive pleasure.
“You like that?” he said when she moaned.
“Oh, yes.”
“Tell me what you’re thankful for,” he whispered.
“I can hardly think.”
“I’ll tell you what I’m thankful for. I’m thankful that you like when I do this.” His hand roved down the back of her thighs. “And this.” His hand slid between her legs. “And especially when I do this.” He let two fingers slip inside. “I’ll be even more thankful,” he said in a hoarse whisper, “the day I get to see your face when you come.”
Monica closed her eyes, unable to speak, her body trembling from the wondrous sensation. She drew him close and kissed him then whispered against his lips. “Please don’t regret this moment.”
“I won’t regret a thing. I just wish—”
Monica didn’t want him to be disappointed
about anything, so she said, “Your wish is my command, master.”
He laughed. “So you’re a genie now?”
“Yes. I’m all yours. Close your eyes and see me with your hands.” She grabbed his hands and placed them on her face. “Do I not please you, master?”
“You please me very much.”
“I want to please you even more.” She kissed him, wanting him to forget that they could make love only in the dark, that she had secrets to hide and that this time wouldn’t last. She touched him in places so that he’d remember her when she wasn’t with him. She wanted to claim every part of his body as hers.
Once finished, JD lay on his back, spellbound. “My Cinderella girl,” he said then drifted off to sleep.
The next day they ate Monica’s Thanksgiving meal and JD treated her to a vanilla-custard strawberry shortcake, made with fresh biscuits, and a berry-flecked pudding with angel food cake he’d had specially ordered from Wisconsin. The next three days were spent eating and finding inventive places throughout the house to make love—the darkened basement, an alcove in the attic, the walk-in closet in the master bedroom.
“I want you to do something for me,” JD said as he packed his bag.
“What?”
“I have a friend’s birthday coming up and I’d like to give her a necklace.”
“Do you think I’ll let you give another woman jewelry?”
“She’s an old friend and I’d like to give her one of your designs.” When she hesitated, he said, “I’ll pay you for it.”
“I don’t need money.”
“I’ll pay you anyway.”
“What does she like?”
“Anything sparkling.”
“Okay, I’ll do it.”
He kissed her. “Thank you. See you at Christmas.”
Christmas seemed like forever. There were only four weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas, but Monica missed him. She missed his touch, his caresses, his smile. Everything about him. Fortunately, her assignment kept her busy. She wanted to make JD’s friend a gorgeous necklace and make JD proud. And when Christmas came and Monica showed him the necklace, he was speechless.