She went around to Gareth's side of the desk, grabbed his head, and kissed him, snaking her tongue into his mouth, and groaning like she was in ecstasy. She saw the flash of Kylie's green blouse as she spun away from the office, then she felt the weight of the file cabinet behind her as Gareth pushed her off.
"Are you crazy?" he wiped her lipstick off his mouth. "What's gotten into you?"
He hadn't seen Kylie then. Jackie thought triumphantly.
"I don't know." She straightened her clothes and swallowed. "You are just so irresistible."
"What's the good news?" Gareth asked impatiently.
"Oh yes, I had a private investigator track down Lauren James. Her car was found at the airport. She left the country three weeks ago, to Miami. If the police had really been looking for her, they would have found her. She is doing a breast enhancement surgery. She is going up a cup size, double D, and wanted to keep her new assets a secret."
Gareth exhaled long and loud. "So she is not missing?"
"No," Jackie shook her head, "just didn't want anybody to know what she was doing, including her mother. I told the detective to tell her to contact her mother. When her mother is contacted, she'll tell the police."
"What about those stories about the two of us though?" Gareth asked. "Did you ask the detective to tell her about them?"
"But of course," Jackie said laughing, "I really wanted to know if you ravished her. Not that I doubted you or anything," she said hurriedly, as she looked at Gareth's furious expression. "She was writing down her fantasies. She told the detective that she has a whole folder of them, the ones that were found must have dropped out."
Gareth chuckled in relief. "I desperately hope she doesn't put it in a book and use my name."
Jackie chuckled with him. "I'd sue her for you. Come to lunch with me. I promise not to beg you to get back with me."
Gareth smiled, "I guess a lunch won’t hurt. You did go well beyond the call of duty. I'll buy. And thank you."
"Want to seal your gratefulness with a kiss?"
"Don't push it." Gareth speared her a grin of relief. At least that was settled. His only issue was that hand that was found in his garden.
Kylie went to class and taught something. She wasn't sure she delivered what she intended, but the students seemed to learn something because nobody was looking at her funny.
The image of Jackie and Gareth kissing was running through her mind. She squeezed her eyes shut and then opened them.
Bradley was standing at her classroom door.
"Hey." He said to her weakly. "I figure I am the last person you want to see right now."
Kylie winced. No, she thought, Jackie was lower on the list than he was.
"What can I do for you Bradley?" she headed to her office with him in tow.
"I… er came to apologize to Dr. Beecher about the article. I've been off campus since I printed the propaganda piece."
Kylie slowed down. "It's good that you are apologizing."
"Not only that," Bradley said sheepishly, "Jackie Beecher threatened to sue me if I didn't. So I have to print a piece about good journalism versus gossip, and I have to say something nice about Dr. Beecher in the article, and I have to tell him to his face that I am sorry. Those are the conditions."
He sighed. "The truth is, I was jealous of him."
They entered her office and Kylie shelved the books. "Why?"
"Because he had Lauren and you wrapped around his little finger."
He hung his head and mumbled. "I also placed the hand in his garden. My roommate is a lab technician and I sort of borrowed one of their preserved body parts. I already confessed to my parents." He slumped his shoulders. "They are going to try to get it back from the police."
Kylie was shocked. "Bradley, I can't believe it. Obviously, I don't know you well enough, but that's low."
"I know." He looked up at Kylie pleadingly." Can you ask your father not to press charges? The hand was school property."
Kylie shook her head. "Don't ask me. I have no sway over my father whatsoever."
She grabbed her bag and headed through the door.
Bradley followed her. "Just ask him to ask the legal department to drop it. I am penitent." He held her hand when they reached the lobby area. "Please Kylie, I learned my lesson."
She was about to shrug him off when Gareth and Jackie entered the lobby laughing.
"Look at what we have here," Jackie said snidely. "Kylie Bancroft and Libelous Bradley."
Bradley hung his head and dropped Kylie's hand.
Gareth had stopped behind Jackie. He cleared his throat. "Are you seeing him?" he asked Kylie softly.
"No," Kylie gasped. "Why would you think that? He is here to apologize to you and to beg me to ask my father not to press charges since he was the one who planted the hand in your garden."
"You?" Gareth asked. "And then you wrote that piece about me? What for?"
"Yes me," Bradley said penitently, "but I am sorry. I am extremely sorry."
Jackie chortled. "You should be sorry. Where'd you get the hand from?"
"The Science lab." Bradley said hanging his head once more.
"I should press charges for you stealing school property."
"Are you seeing her?" Kylie asked, nudging her chin in Jackie's direction.
"Hell no!" Gareth bellowed. "Is that why you froze me out?"
"I saw you guys holding hands, heading to the Kaleidoscope seven days ago, and you were kissing in your office just now."
Gareth cursed softly and turned to Jackie who was slowly backing away. "Oops look at the time, I have a ton of paperwork to look at," Jackie said, less confidently than usual.
"Jackie, tell Kylie what really happened." Gareth said sternly.
"I set you up," Jackie said in Kylie's direction. "I went to Gareth's place just before you did and dropped my top. I saw you in the cafeteria so I grabbed his hand. I heard you coming so I kissed him. There, happy now? You were so easily fooled."
Bradley was looking between the three of them with interest.
"I seriously have to go," Jackie said, "I can't stay to see the nauseating reunion that my admissions will elicit. Oh, and I told Gareth here that you were kissing Bradley passionately in the Business Center courtyard."
Bradley frowned. "Why'd you use my name like that?"
"Same reason you planted the hand," Jackie said snidely, "jealousy." She walked out of the building with her back straight.
Bradley followed her. "Miss Beecher, can you not press charges against me, since you and I are practically in the same boat. Surely you can understand the lengths a tortured man will go to for love."
When the two of them left, Gareth looked at Kylie and shook his head. "I was miserable for the whole week, thinking of you with him."
"Me too," Kylie said, walking into his arms and clinging to him. "I was miserable for the whole week, thinking of you and Jackie together. Thinking that I was no longer your perfect match. I am an idiot for believing Jackie."
She hugged him tight. "I am sorry."
"Me too." Gareth kissed her on her forehead. "I am your perfect pair, your one and only, now that we have found each other again, we can say goodbye to lonely."
"You learned the song." Kylie looked up at him, her eyes sparkling.
"Every single line. I listened to it all week." Gareth squeezed her tight and they walked to his office, confident that they both would be together for a long, long time.
THE END
Here's a Look at the Next Book in the Series:
Practice Run
Marcus! Marcus! The crowd in Miami Stadium was cheering wildly as he mugged for the camera. It was the beginning of the 400m race, and he was the favorite to win. He had already won the 800m, and he had been eager to see if he could double his medal count. If he won this race, he would be at the top of the American League points standing. He needed this win to end the season in style.
He didn't know what about her caught his eye, bu
t she was standing beside his manager at trackside and was talking animatedly to him. The cameras moved off him as the other runners were introduced; he took the opportunity to drink her in. She must have felt his eyes on her because she turned around and looked at him.
She waved to him cheerfully and gave him a thumbs-up. He nodded and refocused his mind. He needed to put his mind back in the game; single-minded focus won races, not thinking about the pretty girls at trackside.
On your mark, set... and the gun went off. He ran the first one hundred meters on par with the rest of the field, paced himself well for the next hundred meters, and held his form around the last corner coming into the home stretch. At the three hundred meter mark, he was ahead and found the extra energy and blasted past the finished line—he had won again.
Adrenalin pumping and sweat pouring down his face unchecked, he grabbed the bouquet of flowers that was handed to him by the meet usher and gave his victory wave.
Race over. He had conquered another one and was happy, but his mood improved a notch when he saw her waving and jumping up on the television screen beside his manager. Who was she? He needed to know.
"Oh, shugs, you did it again," his girlfriend, Tiffany, hugged him when he finally entered the general area near the changing rooms after giving several interviews.
"Hey," he grinned at Tiffany, "thanks."
"Good job." His manager came over to him. Beside his manager was the girl: tall, naturally curly hair tumbling below her shoulders, dark brown eyes, and a come hither smile.
He nodded to her.
She nodded back, "I am Deidra Durkheim," she smiled at him, showing off her perfect teeth. "I was dying to meet you in person."
"Well, I am Marcus Bancroft," he said, holding out his hand. "It's nice to meet you."
The first contact of their fingers was electric. He almost dragged his hand from hers to see if she had some kind of shocking device in her hand. Was this some kind of trick?
She was looking at him, puzzled. She felt the surge of electricity as well.
OTHER BOOKS BY BRENDA BARRETT
The Scarlett Family Series
Scarlett Baby (Book 1)- When the head of the Scarlett family died, Yuri had to return home to Treasure Beach for the funeral. What he didn't count on was seeing Marla, his childhood sweetheart and his best friend's wife. And when emotions overwhelm them and a few months later Marla is pregnant, Yuri wants the impossible: his best friend's wife and the baby they made together...
Scarlett Sinner (Book 2)- Pastor Troy Scarlett realizes the hard way that some sins are bound to be revealed, like the child that he had out of wedlock with his wife's mortal enemy from college. His wife Chelsea was not happy with the status quo. She was not taking care of the son of the woman she had so despised from college. And she could not get over the deep betrayal that she felt from her husband's indiscretion.
Scarlett Secret (Book 3)- Terri Scarlett had a soft spot for her friend, Lola. She was funny and sweet and they looked remarkably alike. But when Lola's Arab prince demands his bride, Terri foolishly exchange places with her friend and they meet up on a world of trouble.
Scarlett Love (Book 4)- Slater always looked forward to delivering packages to the law firm where he could get a glimpse of the stunning female lawyer, Amoy Gardener. Unfortunately, for Slater a woman like Amoy would not take him seriously, especially when she found out that he could not read!
Scarlett Promise (Book 5)- Driven by desperation Lisa Barclay decides to make some extra money by prostituting herself after being kicked out in the streets. Her first customer turns out to be a popular government senator and then to her horror he dies...
Scarlett Bride (Book 6)- When Oliver Scarlett's missionary work in the Congo region was coming to an end, he had a decision to make, marry Ashaki Azanga and save her from being the fourth wife to the chief of the village or leave her to her fate and get on with his life...
Scarlett Heart (Book 7)- After receiving a heart transplant shy librarian Noah Scarlett started to take on character traits that were unlike him and he kept dreaming of a girl named Charlotte Green...
Rebound Series
On The Rebound--For Better or Worse, Brandon vowed to stay with Ashley, but when worse got too much he moved out and met Nadine. For the first time in years he felt happy, but then Ashley remembered her wedding vows...
On The Rebound 2- Ashley reinvented herself and was now a first lady in a country church in Primrose Hill, but her obsessed ex friend Regina showed up and started digging into the lives of the saints at church. Somebody didn't like Regina's digging. Someone had secrets that were shocking enough to kill for...
Magnolia Sisters
Dear Mystery Guy (Book 1)- Della Gold details her life in a journal dedicated to a mystery guy. But when fascination turns into obsession she finds herself wanting to learn even more about him but in her pursuit of the mystery guy she begins to learn more about herself...
Bad Girl Blues (Book 2)- Brigid Manderson wanted to go to med school but for the time being she was an escort working for her mother, an ex-prostitute. When her latest customer offers her the opportunity of a lifetime would she take it? Or would she choose the harder path and uncertain love with a Christian guy?
Her Mistaken Dreams (Book 3)- Caitlin Denvers dream guy had serious issues. He has a dead wife in his past and he was the main suspect in her murder. Did he really do it? Or did Caitlin for the first time have a mistaken dream?
Just Like Yesterday (Book 4)- Hazel Brown lost six months of memory including the summer that she conceived her son, and had no idea who his father could be. Now that she had the means to fight to get him back from the Deckers, she finds out that the handsome Curtis Decker is willing to share her son with her after all.
New Song Series
Going Solo (Book 1)- Carson Bell, had a lovely voice, a heart of gold, and was no slouch in the looks department. So why did Alice abandon him and their daughter? What did she want after ten years of silence?
Duet on Fire (Book 2)- Ian and Ruby had problems trying to conceive a child. If that wasn't enough, her ex-lover the current pastor of their church wants her back...
Tangled Chords (Book 3)- Xavier Bell, the poor, ugly duckling has made it rich and his looks have been incredibly improved too. Farrah Knight, hotel heiress had cruelly rejected him in the past but now she needed help. Could Xavier forgive and forget?
Broken Harmony(Book 4)- Aaron Lee, wanted the top job in his family company but he had a moral clause to consider just when Alka, his married ex-girlfriend walks back into his life.
A Past Refrain (Book 5)- Jayce had issues with forgetting Haley Greenwald even though he had a new woman in his life. Will he ever be able to shake his love for Haley?
Perfect Melody (Book 6)- Logan Moore had the perfect wife, Melody but his secretary Sabrina was hell bent on breaking up the family. Sabrina wanted Logan whatever the cost and she had a secret about Melody, that could shatter Melody's image to everyone.
The Bancroft Family Series
Homely Girl (Book 0) - April and Taj were opposites in so many ways. He was the cute, athletic boy that everybody wanted to be friends with. She was the overweight, shy, and withdrawn girl. Do April and Taj have a love that can last a lifetime? Or will time and separate paths rip them apart?
Saving Face (Book 1) - Mount Faith University drama begins with a dead president and several suspects including the president in waiting Ryan Bancroft.
Tattered Tiara (Book 2) - Micah Bancroft is targeted by femme fatale Deidra Durkheim. There are also several rape cases to be solved.
Private Dancer (Book 3) Adrian Bancroft was gutted when he returned to Jamaica and found out that his first and only love Cathy Taylor was a stripper and was literally owned by the menacing drug lord, Nanjo Jones.
Goodbye Lonely (Book 4) - Kylie Bancroft was shy and had to resort to going to confidence classes. How could she win the love of Gareth Beecher, her faculty adviser, a man with a jealous ex-wife in his past an
d a current mystery surrounding a hand found in his garden?
Practice Run (Book 5) - Marcus Bancroft had many reasons to avoid Mount Faith but Deidra Durkheim was not one of them. Unfortunately, on one of his visits he was the victim of a deliberate hit and run.
Sense of Rumor (Book 6) - Arnella Bancroft was the wild, passionate Bancroft, the creative loner who didn't mind living dangerously; but when a terrible thing happened to her at her friend Tracy's party, it changed her. She found that courting rumors can be devastating and that only the truth could set her free.
A Younger Man (Book 7)- Pastor Vanley Bancroft loved Anita Parkinson despite their fifteen-year age gap, but Anita had a secret, one that she could not reveal to Vanley. To tell him would change his feelings toward her, or force him to give up the ministry that he loved so much.
Just To See Her (Book 8)- Jessica Bancroft had the opportunity to meet her fantasy guy Khaled, he was finally coming to Mount Faith but she had feelings for Clay Reid, a guy who had all the qualities she was looking for. Who would she choose and what about the weird fascination Khaled had for Clay?
Goodbye Lonely (The Bancrofts: Book 4) Page 13