“HEY, MICA! Welcome back, girl. I missed you in Chem. I was hoping you’d be my lab partner. Do you have one yet?” Tyler ambushed me outside of class. I had only missed two days—I was a walking miracle.
“I’ll make you a deal. I’ll let you be my partner if you do your half of the work. I’m not doing it all again—I don’t have time.” I gave him a stern look. We’d had this conversation last semester, and it hadn’t worked that time either.
He hung his head in mock shame. “Yeah, sure, I’ll do half. I promise.”
I was about to reply when I saw someone else I wanted to talk to. Well, look who it is. Oh, you can run, but you can’t hide. I must have growled out loud because Tyler stopped talking and followed my gaze.
He rolled his eyes and said, “Oh yay. See you later.”
I was already marching in his direction when he saw me coming. Sean’s expression shifted from surprised to wary in a heartbeat. I walked right up to him, ready to do battle.
“Mica,” he said evenly, his voice lowered, eyes guarded.
“We need to talk,” I said between my teeth.
He casually glanced around at the crowd of people and raised one eyebrow. “Do you think this is the place for that conversation?”
That brought me up short. He wasn’t denying it? Huh. I didn’t know what to say to that. I expected him to tell me I was imagining things, but the video camera doesn’t lie. Something was going on. My fingers curled into fists and I tamped down the urge to growl my frustration. “Fine. Will you meet me at the park at 4:00?”
“If you want.”
With that short and not too sweet sentence, he left me standing there until I was late for class. I had questions, and he was going to give me some answers. I wasn’t going to settle for anything else. Time dragged like my grandmother’s breasts.
Not really dressed for winter because I didn’t like bulky clothes, I parked in a sunny spot to avoid freezing to death. Feeling like an ant under a magnifying glass, I sat on my fingers to warm them up. It was still cold, but the snow was starting to melt away and patches of dead grass poked up here and there. People were saying spring was coming. I wasn’t in a hurry for spring, though. There was an anniversary I wasn’t ready to face. I pushed that out of my mind for now and looked around for Sean. It was a little park without too many places to stash a person. A stone fountain surrounded by a handful of stone picnic tables and a bench was the focal point of the park. In the summer there were wild roses growing along the wrought iron fence, but today, they were just clusters of stalks sticking up from the snow-covered beds. A couple of purple and grey pigeons sat fluffed into their feathers on the roof of a tiny gazebo. One of the birds nudged the other rudely in the side until it flew off in a huff. Okay, so a couple of bickering pigeons, but no gorgeous mystery man just yet.
Settling in to wait, I turned up my radio. I was singing along with Audioslave when someone tapped on the window. My heart was in my throat as I nearly jumped through the roof. Damn it! What was wrong with him? Was he trying to give me a heart attack? But he had no way of knowing how jumpy I was, did he? I gave him the evil eye anyway. Sean’s lips twitched, but he didn’t laugh. Smart man.
“We might as well sit. Let’s grab a bench.” Despite the cold, he led the way to the closest picnic table.
I wasn’t sure what to say, and the silence got to be awkward. His gaze drifted from my hands to my face before dropping to my breasts, and then shooting back to my eyes. He wasn’t in a hurry and just calmly waited for me to say something. His expressionless face bothered me. He seemed older than his years could possibly be. I still couldn’t believe he was a student. What would it take to make him lose his composure? What could I do to break through his control? Make him smile? Make him laugh? Make him moan? Shit. What was I thinking? I wanted answers, but now I couldn’t think of the questions.
After endless seconds crawled by, I finally blurted, “Did you know I was sick?”
“I heard that, yeah.”
“It was the most amazing thing. I was really, really sick but somehow made an amazing recovery.”
“Really?” He arched one eyebrow. The arrogant expression was so damn cute I almost lost my train of thought.
He was making this difficult. “Okay, I’ll get to the point. Were you in my apartment or not?” Feeling stupid always made me bitchy.
Sean muttered under his breath and abruptly stood up to pace for a minute while I watched in fascination. Even when annoyed and sneaky, he was eye candy. Apparently coming to a decision, he stalked around the table and straddled the bench beside me. He ran his hand over his jaw several times before speaking in a tone that held more than a little resignation.
“Okay, I can’t hide this from you now. You have a right to know. Hear me out though.”
My surprise must’ve been obvious because he hesitated a beat before continuing more earnestly.
“Yes, I was in your apartment. I didn’t know you were sick, but I was driving by and I recognized your car. I . . . decided to stop and say hi. You didn’t answer the door, and I was leaving when I heard you cry out. You must’ve been dreaming.” His eyes roamed over my face, warming to an impossibly brilliant blue when they lingered on my mouth.
I was hypnotized. Licking my lips, I tried not to imagine his lips slanting over mine. Instead of entertaining that fantasy, I leaned forward, my hand reaching for him. “Go on.”
“Well, I heard you, and I thought you were in trouble. I sort of pushed my way inside expecting to see you with someone. But you were all alone and clearly out of it.” He paused for a heartbeat to gauge my reaction. “Anyway, I could tell you were really sick, and I tried to wake you up. You were practically delirious. I was afraid to leave you alone, so I helped you take some Tylenol and drink some water. I sat with you for a while until your fever went down. Once your fever went down, you seemed to be okay again. I didn’t want to freak you out so I left. That’s it.”
Slightly stunned by his admission, I swept my eyes over his face, searching for lies or secrets, but his expression gave nothing away. With those mesmerizing eyes openly assessing my reaction, he waited, muscles taut with tension.
I believed him. Either he was a really good liar or he was telling the truth. Sensing my acceptance, his shoulders relaxed. Still, I had to ask. “It was just you? No one was with you?”
“Yes, it was just me—really. Who else would be there?”
We sat in silence for a while. My brain was going in a thousand directions; thinking about his story while fighting the urge to throw him down and kiss his fascinating mouth until he smiled at me. Eventually his body heat actually pulled me from my fantasy. Wow. He was burning up. I could feel the warmth of his leg even though we weren’t touching. A gust of cold wind blew inside my collar, sending chills racing down my back. Shivering, I automatically edged closer to him.
He shot to his feet. “Okay, then. Good talk. I’ll see you around.”
“Yeah, sure. Why don’t you just go then? Sorry to bother you.” I stomped back to the car and left. Geez, I wasn’t contagious. He liked me, didn’t he? It felt like he did. Was I that bad at reading the signs? Why would he bail? I finally called Ricki for support. She was less than helpful.
“Maybe he’s a vampire, and he’s trying not to eat you. Did you see him in the sunlight?”
“Yeah, that’s it. I thought of that too. He acts like he’s afraid of me. Maybe he thinks I’m dangerous?”
That was funny considering the year I’d had.
“Hey, girl, someone’s at the door. I’ll catch up with you later.”
I used the peephole and nearly had a stroke. I yelled, “Just a minute!” and threw on some lip gloss and fluffed out my hair. I ran back to the door before casually opening it.
He held up one hand in a gesture of peace. “Before you say anything . . .”
There was no chance of that! I couldn’t believe my eyes. He was standing on my porch, looking delicious in faded jeans and a black sweater.
He practically dripped sexiness. I would have forgiven him absolutely anything right then. But he cheated. He brought a guarantee. His eyes were guarded as he stood there waiting for me to say something. I bent down on one knee and held out my hand instead.
“Oh, look at you, pretty girl. What’s your name?”
I was enchanted. The little Dalmatian had a delicate, feminine face. She was wearing a red leather collar with a little medallion on it. I turned it over in my hand to read it. It was a St. Christopher’s medal . . . said to protect children. How odd. Waiting with her head erect, ears cocked, she seemed to expect praise for her beauty. Warm chocolate brown eyes assessed me with more intelligence than my little brother. She had more black spots than I’d ever seen before. Her face was really freckled. On another dog, it might have been ugly, but this dog thought she was a princess.
“A peace offering, Mica. Will you accept it?” Sean’s hand drifted to the dog’s head, fingers unconsciously ruffling her fur. She looked back and forth between us as if to say, I haven’t got all day. It’s cold out here.
Two pairs of incredibly beautiful eyes pled into mine; one blue and one brown. It took me less than a second to decide to keep her. She was beautiful and perfect. I was thrilled. I impulsively grabbed Sean’s hand to thank him. A violent shock raced up my arm, heating my skin, vibrating through my chest in an instant. I flung his hand away like it was on fire.
“What the heck was that?” I rubbed the lingering tingles.
“Static electricity?” With a wince of his own, he stepped back an entire foot, and asked, “Do you think we could come inside for a minute? Angel’s freezing out here.”
“Sure, come on in.” I waved them both inside and plopped down on the floor so I could pet Angel. Her fur was silky and smooth, and I rubbed her ear between my fingers. We sat nose to nose, getting to know each other. She was adorable.
Bemused at this unexpected gift, I murmured, “How did you know?”
Sean tipped his chin towards my jewelry box, expression softening with kindness. “I saw her tied up in front of the pound. The place was closed, and she was pathetic in the cold.” He traced the shape of her muzzle, and she licked his hand. “I remembered your jewelry box from the other night, and well, I thought you might be good for each other.” He ran his hand over her throat, fingering the St. Christopher’s medallion. “I hope you don’t mind.”
The 101 Dalmatians jewelry box was a Christmas present from my mother. The porcelain Dalmatian was Perdita. It had been my favorite movie as a little kid. Mom had smiled in her quiet way as I yanked it out of the box. Never one to get too excited, she had broken into a rare, throaty laugh when I jumped up and hugged her. Hugging me back, she’d said, “I love you, sweetie.”
That was our last Christmas together.
The poignant memory brought her face to mind, and I wished for the thousandth time that I resembled her in some way. Wishing didn’t make it so. We looked nothing alike; she had wavy black hair and grey eyes. She was tall and thin with small breasts. I was much shorter and had brown hair and blue eyes. Our faces weren’t even similar. Hers was oval; mine was heart shaped. Somehow I’d gotten the small breasts gene though.
Tomorrow was the first anniversary of her death. I swallowed and cleared my throat, trying to stop the sudden overwhelming grief.
“What’s the matter? Don’t you like her?”
Not trusting myself to speak, I nodded my head, brushing a tear from my eye. Unfortunately, another quickly took its place, and soon I was crying rivers. Without thinking, I turned against him and sobbed my heart out. Tentatively wrapping his arms around me, he patted my back, trying to soothe as guys do. I sank into his heat and let him hold me. It had been forever since I’d been held, comforted, and I needed it more than I’d like to admit. My big, strong girl-power image was really a flimsy papier-mâché facade. It was a work in progress. Deep inside, I missed my mother. I was still afraid of Scott. I wouldn’t admit that aloud, but the fear shadowed me. Grief still lingered and today wasn’t the day to be strong. Today was a day to let myself feel the loss, feel the ache of needing her and knowing she would never be here for me again. So instead of moving away from Sean, I clung to his strength and let him hold me together until I could do it myself.
After a few minutes, the rivers turned to trickles and finally to sniffles. Something very warm pressed against my hip. I froze. What is—Ohhhh! Should I move? Should I ignore it? I didn’t want to make a scene, but I wasn’t ready for that kind of comfort. I surreptitiously wiped my nose on his sweater.
A deep groan interrupted my thoughts. Angel shifted position to lie on her back with her legs in the air—against my hip. Her mouth hung open, teeth shining, tongue lolling to the side. If a dog could laugh . . . I rolled my eyes and mentally smacked my forehead. It was the dog! Sean casually moved to put Angel between us, his posture wary as usual. My face was flushed with more than tears now. His lips quirked into the beginnings of a smile.
“Sean. This dog is no angel. Look at her—she’s laughing at me! I’m giving her a new name as soon as I figure one out. And what’s with the medallion? Who puts those things on a dog?”
That ghost of a smile vanished. Leaning towards me now, he released an oddly frustrated sigh. His face was only inches from mine as he seemed to grope for the right words with lowered eyes. The shadow of a beard accented his jaw, the outline of his lips. A spicy-woodsy cologne clung to the tanned skin of his throat. My mouth watered as he struggled. It wasn’t my fault. He was delicious.
Ignoring my lustful gaze, he countered, “Don’t you believe in signs? In fate? In destiny?”
“Um, no, not really.”
“Maybe the medallion isn’t for her; maybe it was meant for you.”
The hint was obvious, but made no sense at all. I scoffed loftily, “That’s crazy talk. I don’t believe that. I don’t need protection. I’m doing a good job of protecting myself. It’s been months since I was attacked by any psycho people.”
With a heavy sigh, he angled his head and tipped my chin up, fingers feathering over my skin before holding me still. I held my breath, parted my lips. A strange peacefulness settled over me. I leaned closer . . . any second now . . .
With his mouth hovering only inches away, he growled low in his throat, his voice rough with frustration, “We are not in control of our destiny. Take all the help you can get.”
And then he left.
Just like that. Gone.
As I watched the door close behind him, I marveled about three things. One, I somehow became a dog owner; two, my skin still tingled where Sean had touched me; and three, twice today, he passed up a chance to kiss me. Not that I wanted him too—but still.
“Come on, your majesty! Some of us have things to do today.” I was holding the door open for her highness, Princess Domino. It was pouring down rain. She walked suspiciously to the door and peeked out. Are you kidding me? I’ll wait.
I booted her butt outside. “Sorry, dude, but I’m going out to play pool so you need to pee. It’s for your own good.”
I waited for her to pee and let her back inside. She came straight to me and shook out her fur. After I was good and wet, she walked over to my bed, hopped up onto my favorite pillow, made a circle and collapsed, as dogs do. Oh, so warm and snuggly. Thanks, Mica. You have a good time tonight. Buh-bye!
“Seriously?” I glared at her, and I swear she smiled back. Her tail thumped twice before she closed her eyes. I was dismissed.
I slipped on my favorite skinny jeans and added a tight t-shirt and a purple hoodie just as a horn honked out front. Ricki must be ready. I gave the princess an ear fondle and a kiss and locked the door behind me.
The place was warm and smoky inside. Out in the main room, Tyler, Kevin, Dani, and Aric had shown up and commandeered a table for us. The ancient juke box blasted out Sober by Tool. I happily sang along with the depressing song. Tyler came bopping over with a huge grin on his face.
“You suck
!” He thought he was Axl Rose. He had the red hair, but that was where the similarities ended.
Singing louder, I tapped out the drums on the edge of the table. “Jealous? You wish you were amazing like me.” To emphasize my awesomeness, I smacked him in the arm.
Hooting a playful laugh, he smacked me back, a bit harder than I expected, and off the stool I went. Someone caught me under the arms before I hit the floor though. That someone chuckled warmly into my ear as he easily pulled me to my feet.
“Whoa, you don’t have to throw yourself at me, darlin’. I like you just fine standin’ up!”
Tall and lean, he seemed familiar. He had unruly blond hair and sparkling blue eyes that were creased into triangles of amusement. A crooked smile and dimples just added to his overall adorability. Now where did I know him from?
“I’m Declan, Sean’s brother. Everybody just calls me Dec. I saw you at the ramps. Ring any bells now?” He had a lilt to his voice like Sean did. It was adorable.
His boyish smile was contagious. I found myself grinning up into his eyes. “Oh yeah, and speak of the devil. There—” I announced as Dec whipped around.
“Where?” he asked seriously, cutting me off, head swiveling back and forth.
Sean sauntered up with a cocky grin. “I think she means me, Dec. It’s cool.”
Wow. He did things to jeans that should be illegal. And the way he moved? Like a cat. Every muscle rolling and flexing with grace and power. Too bad I didn’t like him much. Nope, not much at all . . .
Swiping irritably at blond bangs hanging over his eye, Kevin positioned himself in front of me, interrupting my drooling. Trying for tough, he narrowed his blue eyes and thrust out his jaw. “Friends of yours, Mica?” He appraised the two guys with suspicion and a little hostility.
Tyler and Aric were alert too. Tyler’s good-natured freckled face was creased with an uncharacteristic frown.
“Whoa! Yum!” Dani whispered loudly, fanning herself with a menu. She knew exactly who Sean was. She approved of him because she thought he had a positive aura. I didn’t believe in auras but had to admit there was something about him that drew me closer. He had an energy that tugged at me every time I was near him. Probably only hormones. Lust? Definitely. Something mystical? Mmm . . . doubtful. He was a guy. Hot, yes, but only a guy.
Even with that relaxed expression in place, Sean still carried himself like a soldier, feet planted and shoulders back. He could break Tyler with his hands. He had a look about him that screamed dangerous. It made me sweat—in a good way. Dec, on the other hand, was a little shorter and a little thinner. The two were a contrast. Sean was dark while Dec was light. His hair was a streaky blond, but he had the same arresting blue eyes. His face was more boyish than Sean’s. Even so, the lines of his face were lean and could easily go from relaxed to hard in a minute. Dec stood more loosely than Sean did, but he still looked like a soldier. There was a readiness in them . . . Trying for subtlety, I glanced at my watch while scoping out their bodies.
Dani giggled and rolled her eyes towards Dec’s butt, just in case I hadn’t noticed its awesomeness. Their bodies were hard from work in the real world—they didn’t have the half-hearted workout bodies that most guys had. No, they lived life in ways these small town boys hadn’t even dreamed of yet. My imagination went into hyper-drive. I could see both of them in uniforms holding automatic weapons. They were definitely different—and I was definitely interested. Our guys, as I thought of Kevin, Aric, and Tyler, were reacting to this new threat by posturing like the macho men they dreamed of being. Suddenly they were a little taller and tougher.
Ricki finally snorted with disgust, and said pointedly to Kevin, “Oh, chill out, already.”
It was impossible not to laugh at the guys’ disgruntled expressions. It broke the tension, and everyone relaxed. It was hard not to like Dec; he was hilarious and sweet. He seemed to find everything funny. We must be kindred spirits, him and I. As the night wore on, I noticed his gaze lingered on Dani whenever he thought no one was looking. Hmmm, that might be an interesting match. They’d have pretty babies together.
At the end of the night, I went to the ladies’ room. Sean was waiting for me when I came out. The juke box boomed through the walls, its bass rattling a picture frame near my head. No one would hear me if I screamed. I swallowed the lump of fear in my throat and kept walking, hands suddenly cold. Not threatening, really, he leaned against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. He’d watched me all night, but hadn’t said much to me. Not unusual since he barely talked to me anyway. Conversation wasn’t his strong suit. He’d commented on my pool skills once or twice and then ignored me. But every now and then my skin prickled, and I’d glanced up to find his eyes gleaming in my direction, his emotions cloaked. The intensity made me nervous, and being alone in this dark hallway was freaking me out. I didn’t know him that well and anyone could be deadly. I was buzzing with adrenaline when he peeled away from the wall.
“I’m scaring you, aren’t I?” His mouth twisted into a grimace as he gestured at my clenched hands.
I forced my hands open and tried to play it off. “No, you don’t scare me. I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Lie, lie, lie.
“Look, I’m not trying to scare you. I’m not here to hurt you. I’m just . . .”
“What?”
He hesitated for a heartbeat before the fleeting concern in his eyes dimmed to nonchalance again. “I’m here to play pool. That’s all.”
That sounded like a lie—and a weak one at that. I put my hand on my hip, drawing his attention lower. “Really? That’s it? You’re here to play pool?” The ball of ice in my gut melted when I realized he was uncomfortable too. Feeling a little evil, I moved a foot closer to see how he’d react.
“You didn’t come here to see me? Not at all?” I was crowding him, challenging those glowing eyes of his. Wait. Glowing? That can’t be right. I blinked a couple of times, and the impression was gone.
He stepped back again. I wasn’t having it this time. I advanced. He retreated, hands raised between us, irritation etched across his gorgeous face.
“Knock it off. What do you think you’re playin’ at?” His accent was heavy with the harshness of his voice.
“I’m outta here.” I stalked away more angry than I should have been. Damn, stupid, pain-in-the-ass man.
That night I dreamed about Sean. This dream was different from the others. I was running down the long hallway with doors again. But this time, there was an open door with a gold sigil above it. I couldn’t read the symbol, but I ran through the door anyway, only to fall screaming through cloud cover before landing on a foggy forest floor. A faint light shimmered in the distance, calling to me, drawing me forward. I was making progress at first but then stumbled over rocks and clutching branches. I could see the light beckoning . . . just out of reach. Suddenly a misshapen bulk appeared in front of me. With a surprised cry, I dodged to the side—right into Sean and an entirely new world.
Surrounded by mist and water, everything was green and lush. We were standing in a small pool edged with mossy rocks and purple orchids. The water was so clear I could see the sandy bottom. Sean was holding me against his bare chest, one palm cupping my breast, the other drifting over my shoulder blades. My head was flung back as he slowly dragged his mouth over my neck. My blood raced through my veins like a current, my entire body pulsing with heat. I was looking down at this sexy scene when his eyes snapped open and locked onto mine.
I was still gasping for air a few minutes later. What a dream! It was dark outside. I wasn’t sure I could go back to sleep after that dream though. Whew! That was wicked hot. I wanted to jump back into that pool and . . . Domino stretched restlessly against my side and cracked an eye. Do you mind? I was dozing off again when she stiffened. Growling low in her throat, she pushed herself to her feet, listening. I sat perfectly still with eyes on the alarm pad. It was armed. No one could sneak inside—although it would be pretty easy t
o kill me before the police showed up. It was a very small apartment with limited hiding places. I didn’t hear anything. Domino growled louder, showing teeth this time. She was serious.
Hefting a baseball bat, I pressed my ear against the outside wall, careful to stay away from the window. Domino launched herself in front of the door with her hackles raised. I still didn’t hear anything, but I trusted her instincts. Something was up. The slam of a car door scared me even more. This was not good. Damn it. The sound of tires squealing sent both of us running to the window. What the hell?
Domino had stopped growling, but her lip was curled in a warning snarl. I peeked out of the blinds—nothing. I peeked out of the peephole—nothing.
“Well, what’s the matter, dog? You’re freaking me out.”
She pointed her nose at the door and cocked one ear. I’ll handle this.
“Okay, fine, but if you get eaten by a zombie, don’t blame me!”
I let her out, and she bolted to my car, barking madly. I didn’t want to, but I followed her with the bat. There wasn’t anyone else there. Domino was sniffing all around the car though, probably taking DNA samples. It was uncanny—she started at the front end, methodically working around the whole car. She stopped right next to the tire that had a screwdriver stuck in it.
“Are you frickin’ kidding me? Just great!” I searched the street, but whoever did it was long gone. Damn it.
Later that morning, I was sitting at the kitchen table in the main house, sulking into my cereal when my dad came down.
“Hey, kiddo. What’s the matter? You look bummed.”
That was an understatement. “Some freak flattened my tire this morning, Dad. It was about 4:30. Domino woke me up. What am I supposed to do with it?”
“Flattened your tire? Was that all? Damn it! Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. I had the alarm on and Domino’s there. Plus, your old bat.” I put on a brave face.
Dad ran through the video tape and called the cops. The cameras captured the shadowy shapes of two guys and their car. Unfortunately, we couldn’t see the license plate. Even though I couldn’t see their faces, I knew one of the guys. He didn’t need a face for me to recognize him. His body was burned into my nightmares. It was Scott Flynn. I told the police what I could and took a shower. Dad would help me get my tire changed later. Right now, I needed some air. The walls were closing in. I threw my hair up in a ponytail and grabbed the leash.
I started to feel normal again around our fifth mile. I found my happy place somewhere around mile three. As crazy as it sounds, I ran for the joy of it. I was walking a cool-down block when a car pulled alongside. I checked it out from the corner of my eye, finger on the pepper spray. Domino was tugging the leash with happiness—it was Sean. She was madly in love with him and wasn’t at all ashamed. She wagged her whole butt in joy. She had no dignity. He pulled into the park and got out.
Uh-oh. Now what? In soldier-mode today, he stood stiffly, scanning the park, lips pressed in a line. The dark scowl alone would send babies screaming for their mothers. It sent a warning trickling through my blood. What was he looking for? Russian agents? Terrorists? Leprechauns? Satisfied that we were alone, he pushed me towards a bench with his hand on my lower back and the other wrapped around my wrist. I bristled a bit at the manhandling. Who did he think he was?
I tried to pry my hand loose. “Excuse me? What is your problem?”
“My problem? Let’s talk about your problem. I just talked to your dad. What were you thinking? Why would you go outside in the dark like that? You could’ve been attacked again.”
“I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself. You don’t have to worry.”
“But I do worry. I worry a lot.” Something in his expression made me warm all over. His voice was curt, but his eyes were tight with real concern.
“You’re cutting off the circulation to my hand. Do you mind?”
“No, I don’t mind at all if it gets your attention.” Instead of letting go of my wrist, he loosened his hold and eased down on the bench, taking me with him. “What’s it going to take to get you to be more careful? It’s like you’ve got a target on your back.”
“First off, it’s called vandalism and it’s not that unusual. The cops will take care of it. Do I like it? No. I’m not happy about it either. But I can’t do much about some assholes stabbing my car.”
He released my hand and dragged his fingers over the top of his head in a familiar gesture of annoyance. The muscles in his arms flexed with the motion, drawing my attention to his shoulders. Broad, hard, probably golden brown under the t-shirt he wore, they were made for snuggling against. My imagination was helpfully stripping off said shirt and filling in the details of his skin. My heart was doing little flip flops because I was actually happy to see him. Uh-oh, those were bad signs. Okay, so maybe he wasn’t just a guy to me. He was an enigma that I wanted to unravel. Simple as that. Time to go while I still had some dignity.
Sean stepped away from me and warned, “This isn’t over, you know. He’s going to keep coming for you. It’s in his nature.” He locked his eyes to mine and added, “I can help you with him.”
Help me? How? Was he offering to kill Scott? The hard set of his face made me wonder. My heart picked up its beat. “Thanks for that cheery thought, but I think the police can handle it. Look, I’ve got to get to work. Do you want to meet us at Giant Mountain tomorrow? We’re hiking. Maybe you can protect me from the bears?”
His lips curved into something close to a genuine smile. “I’ll see what I can do.”
The drive to Giant Mountain was a pretty one. Ricki volunteered to drive, and I happily rode shotgun. Signs of spring were all around us. Trees were sprouting new green leaves. The rivers would be running high with snow melt. I was a little sorry we weren’t going to be on the water, but I would settle for hiking the mountain. The forest was home. I felt a sense of peacefulness that I didn’t feel anywhere else. I wanted to run through the woods and climb to the top of this mountain—I hoped the rest of my friends could keep up.
“Did you bring condoms?” Ricki chuckled with a snort at her cleverness.
Jumping at the sound of her voice, I snorted too. “Geez, woman! No, I did not!” Though the idea had possibilities, the potential wearer wasn’t cooperating. “Besides, he’s not interested in me like that. You’ve seen him. He practically ignores me half the time.”
Grinning evilly, she said, “Yeah, but the other half of the time, he looks at you like you’re lunch! God, he’s hot. He’s got a fabulous ass. You’ve got to reel that one in!” Pausing to nibble her lip, she added thoughtfully, “Now, Killian . . . mmm. He’s more my type. Wicked hot and dangerous.”
“Yeah, he’s dangerous all right. Like a bomb! One wrong move and you’ll lose body parts. You can have that one. He’s too hot for me. I’ll just keep dibs on Sean.”
“You got it. Do you think Killian will be there?” Sucking her finger seductively, she shivered for dramatic effect. “I want to throw him into a cave and . . .” Winking at my gaping mouth, she popped her finger out like a cork.
Giggling in spite of my shock, I said, “You’re so nasty! Geez!”
Killian was another friend of Sean’s. He made such rare appearances in town that he was almost a myth. He was kind of like Bigfoot. If you had a Killian sighting, people thought you were drunk or something. Still, Ricki was right. The man was wicked delicious despite the mystery that surrounded him. A little later we pulled onto the side of the road by the trailhead. Aric, Dani, and Tyler pulled up behind us. There was only one other vehicle there. Dec waved enthusiastically. Unable to resist the magic of his dimples, I waved back. Tons more reserved, Sean raised a hand in a half wave. No Killian. Ricki sighed dramatically. She narrowed her eyes in speculation as she mentally appraised Dec.
I elbowed her. “Forget it! He’s too sweet for you. You’d give him a heart attack!”
Dani glided over to us, and we headed into the trees. Tyl
er and Aric forged ahead like they had a speed record to break and were soon out of view. Ricki and Dani dawdled along like they had all day. Impatient with their speed, I finally broke away, taking off up the trail by myself. Sean and Dec hung together behind me. Sean still hadn’t said anything to me, and I was content to ignore him. He was one small person in this huge wilderness. There’d be time to talk later. Right now, I had a mountain to conquer!
Barking randomly, Domino turned into a sheepdog, spending her time running back and forth between our little groups. She was crazy with joy as she loped beside us, occasionally grabbing at stalks of grass with her teeth. There was a long green stem hanging from her mouth when she raced past me again. I had to laugh at her because she acted like I felt inside. I would’ve wagged my tail too, if I had one. It was an amazing place. The trail cut through trees and over little streams. Huge granite boulders were randomly plopped here and there courtesy of the last ice age. Some giant had tossed them around for us to climb on, and no two were alike. Some were bare and grey while others were covered with lichen or bright green moss. Occasionally water trickled down their sides and shimmered in stray beams of sunlight. It was a magical place. There should be wood nymphs and trolls roaming around.
I eventually caught up to Tyler and Aric. They couldn’t contain their inner-billy goat and climbed to the top of every big rock they found. When I paused to catch my breath, Dec slipped back to join Dani and Ricki. Echoes of his laughter floated on the wind that whistled through the trees. Every now and then I caught the tinkling of Dani’s giggles too. That was interesting . . .
I stopped at a cleft in a gigantic tumble of granite. It was almost big enough to walk through. No way was I venturing into the pitch blackness inside. As cold air drifted over my skin, I peered into the opening. What lived here? Bears? No, probably not. More likely foxes or something smallish . . . I felt him before he spoke.
“Too small for bears,” Sean said smugly.
“Oh, you think you’re so smart, don’t you?”
“You’re not that hard to read.” He wasn’t smiling, but he looked like he wanted to. I wished I could make him smile for me. What would it take?
For the rest of the day he played shadow with me, stopping when I did, pacing me as I explored. He didn’t say a lot, but I didn’t mind. There was something about him. I tried to ignore him, but I was completely aware of every move he made. He gave off such energy . . . A vitality that was hard to ignore. I could almost feel vibrations coming from him. My skin prickled when he passed near; my pulse picked up its pace. He drew me like a magnet that I was struggling to resist. I peered at him now. He looked so . . . powerful, bigger than life, a predator. He was sitting on a rock with his face dappled by sunlight. His eyes were half-closed, a jaguar sunning itself. He seemed like he was relaxing, but I sensed his watchfulness. He wasn’t dozing at all; he was scanning the woods around us. Was he guarding or hunting? He caught me staring and straightened with a knowing look. I blushed and glanced away.
Finally exhausted, Domino threw herself down in a thick patch of grass, panting happily while I soaked my feet in a deliciously cold bubbling stream. Taking a cue from Sean, I closed my eyes to worship the sun. A splash of icy water on my face startled me upright with a girly squeak and a mad search for bears.
No bears, just Dec. He was standing close enough to splash me with another handful of water. I jumped up to get out of the way when the next splash hit me in the chest. Oh, it’s on! I scooped up my own handful of water and threw it at Dec. He crowed with laughter when it missed him and caught Sean instead. The others found us and an epic water battle began.
I was still fizzing with laughter on the way back down the mountain. We were a ragged-looking group. Everyone was wet and muddy. Dani was profoundly put out as she tried in vain to dry off without a single dry piece of fabric.
“I can’t believe you people,” she griped.
Aric put his arm around her, and soothed, “You’ll live, babe.”
Dec caught up to me and shook himself like a wet dog. I tried to jump away from him and stumbled over a root growing across the trail. Going down on one knee with a yelp, I flailed my arms to keep my balance. Instead of keeping my balance, I slid into a loose patch of leaves that gave way into the side of the embankment. With a muffled squeak of surprise, I went tumbling over the edge, dragging Dec with me. We bounced and slid at least fifty feet before landing on firmer ground in a final messy skid. I ended up on my face in the wet leaves. Dec fell on top of me with a heavy grunt. Stars flew around my head as I blinked into the dirt.
“Get off!” I grunted, pushing at his shoulders. Shoving harder, I inhaled with relief when he pushed himself up to his elbows. Turning around so I could breathe, I ended up wedged between his surprisingly heavy body and the soft ground . . . most of which was in my mouth. Ewww . . . I spit a mouthful of dirt out.
Eyes brimming with laughter, he thumbed dirt from the top of my lip, saying, “Nice job, darlin’.”
Voices called down from the cliff above. Ricki yelled something I couldn’t understand, but Sean’s words were clear.
“Dec? Are you guys okay?”
Dec cocked his head. After a second, he shouted, “We’re okay! We’ll be there in a minute.”
I measured the width of his shoulders with my dirty palms, commenting, “I had no idea you were so heavy. Are you going to get up or squish me to death?”
Leaning his weight to the side, he sprang to his feet like a cat before hauling me upright and slapping leaves off my back. I let him, since I was busily spitting the dirt out of my mouth, and digging it out of my ears and hair. God only knew what I looked like. He looked wretched, and I felt a small stab of guilt.
“Come over here, you. You’re a mess.” I plucked leaves and broken twigs out of his hair. He had broad smears of black dirt all over him, including his adorable face. Looking around for some water, I spotted my backpack. The water bottle was nearly empty, but there was enough. After rinsing my mouth, I handed it to Dec.
“I’m sorry, Dec. It was an accident.”
“So what did you want to talk about?” he asked as he circled me, peering interestedly at my body.
“What do you mean? Nothing!” I felt naked and backed away from him. “What are you doing?”
“Oh, relax. I’m just checking to see if you’re bleeding! You’re so suspicious! Do I look dangerous to you?”
“Well, no. But looks can be deceiving,” I muttered uncomfortably. “Come on. We’re going to have to walk around the base of the cliff before we can get back to the trail on top.”
Easily pacing me, he surprised me by reaching out and taking my hand. No one could see us from above, but he angled us to the back of a tree to be sure the view was blocked. Serious now, he smiled very gently, his eyes soft with apology.
“Sweetheart, I’m so sorry. That was profoundly insensitive of me. I know what you’ve been through.”
He was so sincere I nearly cried. “It’s okay, Dec.”
“Forgive me?”
One deep dimple made an appearance, and I caved. “Of course I do. Who could say no to the dimples? So while I have your undivided attention . . .”
A knowing grin creased his face. “Here it comes. Go ahead. Ask me. I know you want to.”
Unable to help it, I started to laugh again. He really was incorrigible. “Fine! What’s the deal with Sean?”
We started to pick our way along, admittedly making our own trail, but down was down—we’d get there eventually.
“Sean likes you, but—”
“But what? Does he have a girlfriend someplace?” I knew it! No one that good-looking was single! It figured. It made perfect sense. Ugh.
“Don’t be stupid. Does he act like someone who has a girlfriend?” Pointing his chin towards the trail above us, he added, “It’s not that. It’s complicated. We’ve got . . . uh, family issues. We might have to leave to help our . . . family take care of some things. He just doesn
’t want to get serious with anybody right now.” His sunny expression clouded over and he dropped the playful tone. “That’s probably a good idea.”
He was lying. But it was close to the truth. His story had the right nuances without any facts to make it completely believable. Hmm. Very interesting. Those huge blue eyes stayed locked with mine, and I wanted to believe him. The more I stared into his eyes, the more I wanted to believe him.
Of course, he was telling the truth. Why would he lie?
Still moving along, he lifted me up and over a rock that blocked my way. He had an easy personality. Everything about Dec was warm and fun. He was like a puppy—you had to like him.
“So he likes me?” I asked out of the blue twenty minutes later.
Draping his arm loosely around my shoulders, Dec kissed the side of my cheek just as we rounded a bend and popped out onto the main trail. We had an audience. Dec coughed with a strangled laugh as Sean’s eyes narrowed instantly.
With a great show of holding me up, he bent his head and begged, “Do me a favor, darlin’, and limp a bit for Sean’s temper.” Much louder, he said, “We’re almost there, and you can sit down.”
Catching the suspicious gleams in Sean’s and Ricki’s eyes, I stumbled heavily into Dec’s side. He shocked all of us when he scooped me up in his arms.
“Oh, yeah, this’ll make him soooo much happier!” I whispered in between helpless giggles.
Hefting me easily, he bounced me a couple of times before settling me against his muddy chest. “That’s what he gets for being jealous!”
After eyeballing us closely, Ricki asked, “Are you okay? Did you hurt . . . anything?” Her eyes twinkled with mischief as she took in the tan skin visible through the huge tear in his t-shirt. Half of his stomach was showing, and he did have nice abs.
When we got to the cars, Ricki looked at Domino’s wet, muddy fur and asked if anyone had a blanket to cover her seats. Oh, crap, I didn’t even think about that; Ricki’s car had cloth seats. In the end, the dog and I rode back with Sean and Dec. Domino curled up on the leather backseat with Dec, and they were both asleep in minutes. I was all out of witty conversation so I pretended to sleep most of the way back. I kept my head turned away from the driver’s side since I kept breaking into a cheesy grin. Sean was jealous? Hmmm. Very, very interesting . . . Sean glanced at me every now and then, but didn’t break the silence.
Chapter 5: Seduction?