It didn’t surprise Rikki to see Katie Germaine slowly emerge from the Taurus. She narrowly avoided being run over by a large boy hauling an oversized cooler from the other new arrival’s trunk. Grimacing, Katie cowered against the rear of her car, as if the effort could make her invisible.
That had to stop. Rikki changed course and walked straight toward Katie. “Can you use some help?” she called, drawing the shy girl’s gaze toward her.
A smile broke out on Katie’s face, transforming her from a timid, awkward teen into a budding beauty. Rikki studied the angles and curves of the girl’s face and saw Katie for the gorgeous woman she’d become. Rikki resolved to make sure Katie had the opportunity to grow away from the gawky, graceless teen she was today.
“Thanks, but I don’t have much. Just this,” Katie answered, lifting a small knapsack.
“That barely looks big enough for a point-and-shoot camera. Did you bring a blanket or extra jacket? It’s going to be cold later.”
The smile dissolved off Katie’s face. “Oh, darn.”
“No worries, I brought extra stuff since I hate to be cold. I’ll share.” The smile bloomed on her new intern’s face again. Together, they walked toward Sam’s truck to retrieve the rest of Rikki’s equipment. “But remind me to talk to you on Monday about the value of list-making. It’s a skill you’ll need as my intern. You’re still coming to work right after school on Monday, right?”
Katie took the sleeping bag Rikki handed her and nodded.
“Hey, Kati-simo, watch where you’re going.” Suzannah passed behind them, brushing hard against Katie’s shoulder, throwing her off-balance. A nasty smirk decorated Suzannah’s face when Katie juggled the bundle in her arms to keep from dropping it. Sam walked up to them and steadied Katie, scowling at Suzannah’s retreating back.
“I have half a mind to send that girl home,” he said.
“Don’t do that, Mr. K. I don’t mind. Really.”
“You should. Her behavior is unacceptable.”
Katie stared at her feet as though they were the most fascinating things on the planet. Keeping her chin down, she lifted her eyes to meet Sam’s, the entreaty in them unmistakable. “You’ll only make things worse.”
Putting her hand on Sam’s arm, Rikki nodded. “She’s right, you know. Sending Suzannah home will just irritate her. Do you want Katie to have to deal with the fall-out from that?”
Sam blew out a harsh breath. “Fine, she can stay. But she’ll be running extra sprints at track practice on Monday, along with everyone else, so it won’t seem like I’m singling her out.”
Lips compressed in a thin smile, Katie squeezed the sleeping bag close to her chest, and edged away from them.
Propping his hands on his hips, Sam shook his head disgustedly. “God, you must hate being a girl.”
“Not as much now as I did when I was that age.” Rikki laughed, pleased to feel the tension gripping her shoulders release.
Sam returned the smile, brightening the shadows that lurked in his eyes. The irresistible brackets on his cheeks popped out again.
She looked around to check for listening ears, then carefully lowered her voice. “Yeah, being a girl can suck some days. But every once in a while, a gorgeous man comes along and makes me remember why I like being a woman.”
Shifting her body to block any stray glances, she reached a finger toward his cheek, caressing the dimple as she chewed her lip. Sam turned his head to the right and his tongue snuck out to make a wet lap on her fingertip.
Loud laughter behind them shattered the quiet intimacy of the moment. Smiling ruefully, she shook her head to clear the lusty fog enveloping them, and stepped back. Good heavens, she’d have to work hard to hide her true feelings from their audience of teens.
“Weren’t you going to start a fire?” she asked, surprised by the husky quality of her voice.
“Hmm, maybe I already did.”
“Yes you did, but I was talking about a campfire.”
“There you go, being a killjoy again.”
She grinned and backed away from him. “Sorry, one of us needs to be the adult here. I’m going to go help the kids set up their equipment.”
She pivoted and walked away, knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that if she turned, she’d find his gaze glued to her butt. The certainty, and the low moan she heard behind her, put a little extra sass in the sway of her hips.
The sun had almost disappeared behind the trees on the opposite shore by the time the campfire was lit and all the kids had their equipment in place. A couple of the more curious kids watched while she loaded film into her grandfather’s camera. Their questions didn’t surprise her. Many of them hadn’t much experience with the antiquated system, since digital photography had been around as long as most of them.
Some thoughtful parent had sent the fixings for a good old-fashioned wiener roast, a cooler filled with soft drinks, snacks, potato salad, and brownies. Questions about film photography continued and contributed to a lively discussion when they gathered around the campfire to char up their dinner. Rikki had brought the camera with her to the fire and let any interested student take turns trying to capture pictures of the flames and the sparks floating up and away toward the heavens.
Sam had claimed a spot on a log close to the fire, inviting Rikki to sit next to him to eat. Katie sat by herself a little bit away from the rest of the kids, who’d grouped together directly opposite them. Sam engaged everyone in conversation, but Rikki noticed there was a lot of whispering and snickering among a small group she’d begun to think of as the alpha kids.
As the meal wound down, Suzannah pulled the lid off a plastic container and stood, offering around brownies. “I baked them myself. There’s a whole lot of love in them.” She batted Brett’s hand away when he reached toward the container. “Not that one. Try this one.” She grabbed one and extended her hand toward him. She walked around the circle passing out dessert to any takers. Then she scooted around and offered a large piece to Katie.
Katie stared at Suzannah’s hand, as if reluctant to accept the dark brown cake-like treat. Suzannah broke the momentary hesitation by stabbing the brownie toward Katie, palm up and bobbing in front of Katie’s nose. “Jeez, Kati-simo, it won’t kill you. Look, everyone is eating them. Are you going to insult me by not tasting some of my good cooking?”
Glancing around at the rest of the students, Katie finally accepted the brownie and nibbled a corner obediently. “It’s good, thanks.”
“Make sure you eat it all. You’re so thin you can afford to.” Suzannah directed a snarky smile toward Sam. “Would you like a brownie, Mr. K?”
“Maybe later.”
Rikki took a treat from the container Suzannah waved in front of her face and put it on the plate she’d set aside, saving it for later. Frowning, Katie took one last bite of brownie, then wrapped the uneaten portion in her napkin. The girl’s nose wrinkled as she set the bundle on the log next to her.
Reaching behind her for the thermos of coffee, Rikki poured some into the bright red top that served as a cup. Taking a sip, she extended the cup toward Sam. A delightful sizzle of electricity shot up her arm when their fingers brushed.
The thrill of the internal fire died when she happened to glance at the students across from her. Suzannah wore her default expression, sullen and scowly. Brett fiddled with his camera, then shot them a smug look across the cheery flames. He flicked his eyes sideways toward Suzannah.
Rikki didn’t have a chance to wonder what the heck their behavior was about. Suzannah started screeching to beat the band. The loud shriek jolted everyone into a shocked stillness for a second before pandemonium broke out.
“Oh, shit! A big-ass snake just slithered over my foot.” Suzannah jumped up and leaped over the bench she’d been sitting on. The teens nearest her scattered. “Where the hell did it go? Jesus, Mr. K, do something!”
Sam scrambled to his feet and skirted the fire, hustling toward the kids. He leaped over the log bench
, making his way to Suzannah’s side just as Brett jumped forward. The two collided in front of the girl, and Brett, a fairly good-sized football player, knocked Sam off-balance.
Sam cart-wheeled his arms, trying to right himself. Unfortunately, his momentum was his undoing, and he crashed into Suzannah, who continued to scream about the creepy crawly. With Suzannah’s arms wrapped tightly around Sam’s shoulders, they slammed to the ground.
Chapter 12
All breath evacuated Sam’s body on impact. Because of the way Suzannah had wrapped her arms tightly around his shoulders, he was unable to twist away before they landed, crushing her under him. Her legs cradled his hips, and he swore she was laughing beneath him. He lay still for a moment, attempting to re-inflate his lungs.
“God, I’m sorry. Are you okay?” he asked as he struggled to pull himself off her with limited oxygen in his body. God dammit, the little witch bucked her hips against him, driving him closer to panic. The wicked glimmer in her eyes dropped him over the edge of hysteria. He had to get off her, but she wouldn’t loosen her arms around him. “Christ, Suzannah, let me go so I can get off you.”
“Get off me!” She wheezed as she beat at his shoulders to push him away. “What happened to the snake? Where did it go?”
Rikki wrapped her hand around his bicep and helped him to his feet. He bent, bracing his elbows on his knees and sucked in several deep breaths. Rikki rubbed between his shoulder blades, the sensation soothing, calming the panic that had seized him when he’d landed in a very compromising position on a student. Brett and another student, Alex, led Suzannah back to the log bench and helped her to sit.
“Suz, are you okay? Are you hurt, doll?” Brett squatted in front of Suzannah, his hands massaging her thighs. He tossed a glance over his shoulder, a self-satisfied smirk lingering on his lips. “I can’t believe Mr. K fell on you like that. It was almost hot.”
She grasped his wrists and moved his hands off her legs. “You’re such an idiot, Brett. Get the fuck away from me.”
Sam righted himself, glancing at Rikki at his side. Huh? Her brows needled together, her lips thinned, suspicion lurking in her dark eyes. She didn’t like this any more than he did. The whole incident played like a set-up. A quick survey of the other kids’ faces didn’t disprove his theory. The dead fish at the edge of the nearby river weren’t the only things with a bad smell. Rikki moved closer, the protective movement easing his pent-up tension. He had a character witness if he needed one. God forbid.
“Did anyone else see the snake? Anyone know where it went?” He couldn’t keep the skeptical tone out of his voice. It was too cold for snakes to venture out of their winter burrows. If Suzannah had actually seen a snake, then he was a monkey’s uncle.
The students shook their heads, not admitting whether they had or hadn’t. Sam knew his face was grim; thankfully the flickering firelight hid most of his expression. “Okay, then. Crisis over, right? Let’s clean up this mess and do some astro painting and star trails. What do you say?”
Silence reigned over the group as they collected and disposed of their trash. Rikki stepped away, walking over to where Katie sat staring into the fire. The girl jumped when Rikki nudged her foot with the toe of her hiking boot, prodding Katie into action.
Jeez, another kid acting strangely. Sam made a mental note to never take the photo club on extra-curricular field trips again. Between camera mishaps in the bay and now landing in a compromising position on a student…He suppressed a shudder at the memory of the girl’s legs wrapped around his waist. Would this night ever end?
Sam pushed the negative thoughts aside and walked to the riverbank to help with final equipment adjustments. When he’d practiced the technique last month, he’d made notes on compensating for the Earth’s rotation, setting the length of time the shutter needed to stay open, how a wide angle returned a better photo than a regular lens. He’d experimented with using a foreground image, like a tree, to provide scale for the pictures.
His dad had kept him company while he tested settings on six different cameras. It had been months since they’d gotten together, just the two of them. Dad had brought a thermos of Bailey’s-laced coffee and Mom had sent along a huge container of homemade trail mix. Sixty minutes was a long time to leave a shutter open to capture a picture, so they’d passed the time talking about sports and catching up on family gossip.
Any evening he had an opportunity to be with his dad was a great night. Although, spending time with Rikki was becoming his favorite pastime. He’d wanted more around Rikki time and he was getting it. Her reassuring smile when a student questioned her sent an unfamiliar pressure through his chest. It was a comfortable feeling, as though he’d known her forever, in spite of only meeting her a week ago.
Her white teeth flashed in the dim light. He remembered a more private grin from when she’d lain under him, all but purring. Bending to check the focus on the camera in front of him, he stored the thought away for a more intimate moment, when the fit of his trousers wouldn’t cause raucous speculation by a bunch of horny teenagers.
Sam walked along the line of cameras, checking the equipment. As he moved, he talked to the kids in his best teacher voice. “Remember, if you aren’t doing star trails, you only have to leave your shutter open for thirty seconds to get the astrophotography effect, the picture that looks like the Milky Way galaxy. Take those first, then move on to the star trails.”
“Mr. K, how long will we be here?” Suzannah whined. “I’m cold.”
No wonder. She wore a tissue-thin T-shirt and had a fleece tied around her waist. Had she left her common sense at home? He pointed at her jacket. “That would work better if you put it on. We’ll be here at least another ninety minutes. Once you start your star trails, you can go back to the fire to keep warm. Just remember to come back to check your equipment periodically.”
Katie giggled, then snorted. “Check your equipment. Good one, Mr. K.”
Several of the other kids snickered at Katie’s unusual outburst. Rikki’s gaze met his and she shrugged her shoulders. Katie’s behavior was odd, but what else was new?
As a group, they fell silent when they began to take pictures, the soft whirring of the digital cameras, the burbling river, and the occasional screech of night birds breaking the quiet. Sam continued to walk behind the students, stopping to answer their questions, or look through their viewfinders when invited. Most of the kids were excited about the chance to take the kind of sensational pictures they’d only seen on websites and Facebook pages.
After ten minutes, Sam suggested it was time to reset their cameras to capture star trails, those pictures that relied on the spin of the earth to show stars moving in a circular motion.
“All right, did everyone put fresh batteries in your camera?” He retrieved a roll of masking tape from a rock. “I have tape to help keep your lens rings open for the full sixty minutes. Make sure your ISO is set at least to four hundred, but no more than eight hundred.”
“Can I have the tape, Mr. K?” Alex asked.
Sam tossed the roll to the boy, who snagged it smoothly out of mid-air and tore a small piece off, then handed it to Stephanie on his right. They continued to pass it down until each student had secured their lens.
Suzannah was the last in the line next to Rikki and Katie. When she’d received the roll, she’d torn off a large piece and pressed it over Brett’s mouth, effectively gagging the jock who’d begun a running commentary of his last lacrosse meet.
Sam rolled his eyes heavenward an uttered a muted “Thank God.” The other students around them weren’t as quiet; a small cheer went up from those nearby. Katie giggled, earning her a hard look from Brett and startling Sam. The girl was shyer than a box turtle, hiding in a protective shell most days. She rarely contributed to any conversation. Sam couldn’t remember ever hearing her laugh. Maybe it was due to Rikki’s presence.
Jeez-oh-Pete, the woman truly was magic.
Checking the display on his phone, Sam not
ed that it was half past eight. Their project was making good time. Hopefully, the star trails portion of the evening would be over by ten. Allowing thirty minutes to pack everything up, he would be on his way back to heaven in Rikki’s arms before midnight. He made his way back up the line of cameras to where she and Katie had placed theirs.
“You doing okay? Not too cold?” he murmured, standing close enough to smell Rikki’s shampoo. It invaded his brain, overriding the lingering scent of wood-smoke from the fire. He shoved his hands in his jacket pockets to refrain from pulling her against his chest.
“I’m fine, but I’m worried about Katie. She’s acting weird.” Rikki’s voice was low and concerned. She looked toward Katie, who’d found a large rock to sit on.
Katie appeared agitated, her knees bouncing rapidly, as if she’d had too much sugar or caffeine. She stared into the distance, clearly fascinated by the stars. He headed her way, calling out as he went, “Katie, are you okay?”
She jumped and her knees bounced faster as he approached. “I’m…I feel funny.”
Rikki had followed him and knelt in front of the girl, putting a hand on her thigh to slow the boomerang motion of her legs. “What’s wrong?”
Katie darted her eyes around, not focusing on anything, tears threatening to overflow. “I don’t know. Something’s wrong! I think…I might be dying.”
“Hey, Katie.” Rikki grasped the girl’s chin and turned her to face them. “Come on! Tell me what’s going on. Does something hurt?”
Katie slapped Rikki’s hand away and turned wide, frightened eyes toward Sam. He pulled out his cell phone and tapped it to life, directing the light at her face. The girl’s pupils were dilated to the point where the irises had all but disappeared.
Katie collapsed off her perch, sliding in a boneless heap toward the ground. Rikki wrapped her arms around the girl’s shoulders, attempting to keep Katie from smacking her head against the rock.
Exposed to Passion (Five Senses series Book 3) Page 11