“You look like shit.” Jenna laughed as she gazed warmly at her friend. Both girls were dirty and disheveled, but still beautiful by anyone’s standards. Maybe more so because of it.
Erika closed her eyes and smiled. “I would take offense if you didn’t look so bad yourself.”
They both chuckled.
“Okay, it’s time for you girls to say goodbye.” Josh moved around to stand behind Jenna. He let his fingers trail along the back of her neck. So vulnerable. So fearless. So breathtakingly beautiful.
Yes. It was enough. He might as well push his chips to the center of the table and bluff it out. He wanted her like he hadn’t wanted anything in his life. She was way out of his league, but he had to try. For her, he’d try anything.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Agony flipped Jenna’s stomach at the thought of leaving her best friend and them both heading into danger. Josh was a rock, but he was still a strange rock. Erika was an old, comfortable shoe that never let her down.
Emotion choked her. Erika, eyes glassy, gave a sad smile. Her lip trembled.
“Erika, if you cry, I am going to deck you.” Jenna blinked quickly, trying to clear the moisture from her eyes.
“Jenna, you should lighten up or Josh might think you’re not capable of loving.”
“I’m not.”
“Just for that, I’m going to cry.”
“Don’t you do it, Erika. I won’t say goodbye to you.”
“Then I might die and you’d never see me agai—”
Before Jenna knew what she’d done, the slap rang out in the room. Erika’s eyes were wide as a fresh mark welled up on her face. Two solid men immediately moved between them, separating them to their corners.
Jenna stood still, staring at Erika. She didn’t trust herself to say she was sorry because all her energy was going into not breaking down. Erika, who should have been mad as hell, moved calmly around Jack. “Well, then, I guess we know who’s boss.” Erika’s eyes glistened but did not overflow.
Jenna nodded slightly, her own eyes welling up with suppressed emotion. Erika hugged her fiercely. They clung to each other for a long time, neither wanting to let go. Finally, Erika disentangled herself and walked out of the room.
Jack, taking his cue, shook Josh’s hand. He turned to Jenna to say goodbye. Jenna stared at him and said in a cold, calm voice, “You now have possession of the person I most hold dear in the entire world. She is my life, do you understand? She is all I have that I care about in this world. If you bring her out of this alive, I will see to it that you are handsomely rewarded. If you fail and it is your fault, I will see to it that you are killed. If you cannot accept those parameters, say so now and I will find someone who can.”
“Jesus. I don’t know whether to be touched or severely pissed off. You two deserve each other.” Jack gestured toward Josh. Shaking his head, he walked out the door.
“Nice touch,” Josh said with dry humor.
“I know he’s your friend and all, but it had to be said.”
“It didn’t, because I talked to him about the gravity of the situation earlier. Although I didn’t threaten to have him killed.”
“You work your way, I work mine.”
Josh just shook his head. They headed toward the jail cell.
“I’m not going to stay here, am I?” Jenna asked.
“Why? Did you think you were coming home with me?”
Jenna swallowed. Yes, that was exactly what she thought. He walked her to the cell and stood in front of it.
“Don’t be an idiot.” Jenna was steered to a small door off to the right. “This door’s used to ferret out high-risk criminals so the public can’t kill them when they’re being transferred to higher-security prisons. Although I don’t think it’s ever been used for that purpose.”
“Oh.”
Josh stopped her, spun her toward him, and kissed her passionately. Her already-addled brain started buzzing as she clutched his hard body, opening her mouth to admit him. He tasted of wild wine and sun-warmed mornings. He smelled of dirt and growth and vegetation, but also of man. Strong man. That would protect her.
She lost herself for a minute, hanging on to him. When he broke the kiss, he looked down at her with burning hazel eyes, the liquid gold in their depths hot enough to leave a mark. There was a fierce possessiveness to him that made her tingle with desire. She wanted him. Bad. More than she could remember wanting anyone.
“Of course you’re coming to my home, Jenna,” he murmured. “Even if I wanted to leave you here, which never crossed my mind, I was threatened with my life if any harm came to you.”
Jenna smiled. “Erika?”
“Yes. She gave me a speech similar to the one you gave Jack. I also didn’t know whether to be touched or pissed. I chose touched.”
Jenna nodded, closing her mouth tight so she wouldn’t cry.
“Keep it together a little longer, baby,” Josh said with an impossibly soft tone. “We are almost home. Then you can let go.”
“What happens now, Josh?” Jenna asked as Josh loaded her up into an expensive Hummer that a woods guide would never be able to afford.
“We wait.”
“For what?”
He closed her door before climbing into the driver’s side. The engine roared to life. Fire flashed through his eyes. “Our attacker to show himself. I’m going to show him what a real nightmare looks like.”
Jenna’s story continues in Unexpected Danger
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The End
Unexpected Danger (book 2)
The story continues in the second book:
Unexpected Danger
Excerpt:
“I didn’t think you’d be one for a Hummer.” Jenna grunted in an unfeminine way as Josh hit a bump in the road.
They were on their way to Josh’s house, where he’d be hiding her until Don could smooth their plans out. All they had to do was lie low. Hopefully.
“It looks pretty because I’ve never had to use it how it’s made to be used. But mark my words, if we need to go cross-country, this baby will get us there. It’s got all the bells and whistles, and it’s a hell of a machine.”
“People don’t buy luxury automobiles to go off-roading.”
“That’s because they don’t have the money, or they’re idiots. One or the other.”
“But not you? Please remember that you are driving this very pretty SUV when you answer.”
“You’ll see what I did to the last luxury off-road vehicle I bought.”
They drove in silence for a while as Jenna tried to stay awake. Instead, she fell asleep almost immediately and woke up when they were parking in front of a moderately sized house in the woods.
“Won’t the guy know I came to your house?” Jenna asked as she surveyed the woods around her.
“This is a summer house that belongs to my family. They own a lot of property around here. There’s no reason why our guy would think you came with me. Even if he did, he would go to my house on the outside of town—not this one. We should be okay here.”
“If he was in the woods to shoot at us, I’m sure he saw us fornicating in the water.”
“Fornicating, huh? Well, if he makes that connection, which he might not, since you showed up with Lewis, then he’ll go to the other house. I have a neighbor staying there off and on, since I’m supposed to be in the woods on a tour. It looks lived in. It should do until the week is up. A week isn’t much time.”
Jenna sighed. “I hate my life.”
Josh had his arms around her in less than two seconds. “The only easy day was yesterday.”
“That’s what Jack said.”
“There you go. We’ll get through this, okay? I will see you through.” His words were etched with fierce determination. The only problem was, he sounded like he was still trying to convince himself.
In addition to a master and two medium-sized bedrooms, the house had a living room with fireplace, a decent kitchen, a dining room, and an extensive covered porch. The furniture and appliances were on the older side, and there wasn’t much in the way of decoration besides some landscape pictures on the walls and some solid rugs, but it was…nice. That was about all she could say for it. Quaint, moderate, decent—all summed up as nice.
Through the master bedroom, Josh ushered her into the bathroom. “I’ll let you freshen up. I’ll bring in your pack and let you get settled. Do you need anything?”
“Uh.” She looked around. The layer of dust meant it was not being lived in at present, but it had once been a happy home. The oak bedposts were worn, as were the dressers and nightstands, but they were a matching set, probably expensive when bought. Besides her home, her wardrobe, her bed, and a glass of red wine, she didn’t need anything but running water. Jenna figured she’d find the last in the bathroom. “Nope. Thanks.”
Josh nodded and closed the door behind him. She half thought he was going to get all hot and romantic on her. She couldn’t say it would go amiss.
On the other hand, she was filthy, bloody—she shivered—and wanted to shut off. She needed oblivion. Sex was a great distraction, but not as good as unconsciousness.
Dreading what was going to come next, she stripped off her shirt. Clean skin completely devoid of dried blood greeted her. Surprised, she stripped out of her pants and looked closer. When Josh had dressed her—she assumed it’d been Josh—he’d cleaned her thoroughly. He’d taken care of her, just like in the woods, so she didn’t have to take care of herself.
No one had ever done that for her except Erika. Not even her family.
As she turned on the water, tears of relief filled her eyes. The emotion welled up then, leading to tears of pent-up stress. And then fear. Sobs racked her body, weakening her legs. She sank to the ground as the water beat down on her mercilessly.
The shower door clicked open. “Hey, baby, it’s okay. Shhh.” Nurse Josh to the rescue.
Naked, he stood her up and hugged her close before adjusting the cold water to warm. With delicate care, he washed her again, and then lathered her hair, cooing to her the whole time. He didn’t once tell her to be strong, or to shoulder the pain. He let her cry out all the fear and agony she was feeling. All the uncertainty over what lay ahead.
“Okay, here we go.” Josh shut off the water and stepped with her out of the shower.
She hiccupped a sob as he wrapped her in a large, fuzzy towel. That led to tears of gratitude.
By the time Josh had her dressed in one of her sexy nighties, which was silk and lacy and had no place in the tender setting they found themselves, she was hollow from raw emotion. He tucked her into bed and turned off the light.
Silence descended on the room. Shadows obscured her vision.
“Josh?” she asked, clutching the bedsheets.
He moved into the room immediately. “I’m here. Go to sleep. I’ll watch over you.”
“But aren’t you going to sleep?”
“I’ll sleep close by. I’ll be on hand if you need me.”
“I need you.”
His big body shifted in the shadows. He’d put on clothes for sleeping. Away from her.
Something about that thought tore her heart.
“What do you want from me, Jenna?” he asked quietly. “I will watch you and keep you safe, but I’m not a toy. I don’t like being used.”
“Please, Josh. I don’t want to be alone. Please.”
It was the please that did it. She wasn’t trying to manipulate him, or coerce him. She was lost and alone and afraid, and she spoke from the depths of her soul. That was what had him slipping into bed even as the please escaped her mouth. It was that which made him lie still as she draped her body around his, craving his warmth and protection. And it was that which made him consent to one more time. One more encounter that was about need and want and their bodies in the moment.
She knew it even as she kissed his full lips. Knew it from that one second he hesitated before he put his arms around her. That one moment of teetering before he let her suck him under, let her strip off his shirt slowly, looking into her eyes so she knew what he was doing for her, what he was sacrificing. He was giving himself, body and soul, and she was taking it all, consuming him in her need, crushing him.
Come tomorrow, she would be throwing him away, discarding him because of her fear and uncertainty. He knew it even if she did not, and he gave himself anyway. For her.
Jenna kept the eye contact so she would be responsible. She would remember this night. She would remember that someone had done something selfless for her despite the risk to themselves. She held his eyes in a lock as she stripped off his pants, and then stripped herself. He strayed from her gaze long enough to roam her naked body before his eyes came back to hers.
She bent back to him, kissed him, and rolled him on top of her, giving him the choice to be soft and tender, or rough and abusive. She craved one, but deserved the other.
Like the good heart he was, Josh entered her slowly with tender kisses and loving words. He held her tight as he moved into her, kissing her and loving her as they built together, experiencing a part of each other usually held back. He gave to her selflessly, revealing depths in his lovemaking she didn’t think a man could exhibit, and in turn, she gave everything she had to match. The sensations were almost unbearable, so sharp they cut, bleeding into each other, mixing and fusing. Their bodies strained into each other, demanding, needing, wanting, and giving, and finally, in an explosion with no sound, their labors resulted in a climax so hard it was only buffered by the sweetness of release.
When they were done, they rested. Then, to forestall the reality of morning and the hurt it would bring, they did it again. After they reached a new height, they decided without needing words that the night shouldn’t be wasted with sleep, and kept on until they passed out from fatigue as dawn encroached on the magic of the night.
Harsh light singed Jenna’s eyelids. With a moan, she moved her face away, feeling the heat slide across her face. Rolling, she reached out for Josh, smelling his delicious scent on the pillow next to her. Her hands met empty mattress.
Blinking her eyes open, and then wiping the sleep away, she stared at his empty place.
He’d gone.
The smell of bacon tickled her nose.
He’d made breakfast. Forgiven.
She arched and extended her arms, waking up. A dull ache stretched through her body from the glorious lovemaking of the night. She closed her eyes and breathed in the fresh forest air from the cracked window, remembering.
“Lovemaking” was exactly what it had been, for the first time in her life, and it had been truly earth-shattering. Absolutely unbelievable. She’d never been so open and honest with anyone, without walls or defenses. Every time she’d cried, whether from telling him something from her past, or from the emotion that tried to suffocate her, he’d kissed away her tears and cooed to her, calming her down. Saint Josh. She’d completely let go, and offered everything up for Josh to claim. Which he had, without reservation.
The man was stellar in bed. It should be illegal. Not that that would stop her.
With a small smile flitting across her lips, she swung her feet out of bed. As she looked over her options for the day, something else tickled her memory. Not only had she been unguarded in her emotions, she’d let her tongue run wild. She’d admitted things that she’d never told anybody, not even Erika.
Jenna ran her fingers over her designer pants and then a silky blouse. They weren’t woods attire, but they’d be fine for today. Except he now knew that she never felt pretty. Not with all the hair products or makeup money could buy, and certainly not with expensive clothes. All of those things only masked her insecurities. They wrapped up a hollow shell of a person in a pretty package.
And now he knew.
She couldn’t resume her image of fearless, ha
rd-ass bitch now—he’d mock her.
She pushed out a noisy exhale.
She had given him the upper hand in exchange for feeling needed for one night.
Last night it had been worth it.
Today she felt like she’d made a pact with the devil and been punched in the face with her own soul.
Without warning, everything from the day before came rushing in. The death, the threat, and the emotional assault. She tried to clear her raw throat.
She staggered and clutched the bedpost. More emotion welled up before she could bat it down.
She did not need this emotional stuff with Josh. She couldn’t deal with both the real world and the issues of her past at the same time. She wasn’t strong enough for that.
With that thought, she put on some jeans and a white T-shirt and tied her hair back. A moment later she entered the kitchen with a straight face and a raised chin. Unto the breach, dear friend.
Josh looked up from the table with a guarded expression. The noon light from the windows fell across his handsome face and illuminated his beautiful sunburst eyes, wrapped in jealousy-inspiring black lashes. It also lit up his budding scowl, which wasn’t so attractive. He didn’t approve of something she had or hadn’t done, it seemed.
“Good morning,” she said with carefully crafted indifference. “Coffee?”
Deep creases formed in his face from the strengthening scowl. “Morning. In the pot. I made breakfast.”
She paused, wondering if he would get a cup for her, or a plate. But as he sat there, watching her with calculating eyes, she realized that it was an every woman for herself situation.
Fine. It was a kitchen. She knew how they worked. In theory…
She put her hands on her hips and surveyed the setup. The same modest approach applied to the kitchen as the rest of the house: the appliances were made to be used, not look nice. The fridge, a small affair with a faded Disneyland magnet, nearly matched the horrible mustard color of the countertops. An old-school stove, scratched but clean, nestled into the particle board cabinets. The floor, some sort of yellowish laminate, chorused a 1970s tone with the rest of the kitchen.
Unexpected Hero (Skyline Trilogy Book 1) Page 25