My Once and Future Love Page 4

I folded my arms in front of my chest. “You kept saying you were protecting my little-girl-self from the assumptions of you old people.”

  He rubbed the back of his neck. “Not exactly how I worded it…”

  “Point is, you thought of me as a baby sister until I showed up yesterday.” God, it was only yesterday.

  “I did not.”

  “Did too.”

  “Did not.

  “Did too.”

  “Spring Break my senior year. You slept over when your parents were away. I woke up holding you.”

  “Nuh-unh. I left when you were asleep.”

  “I woke up before you did, love, and I liked it. Liked having you there with your cute little snore sounds.”

  “I do not snore!”

  He grinned. “Kinda do, yeah.”

  My hands went to my hips and I glared at him. “Take that back.”

  “It’s adorable, really. A soft breath followed by a tiny whistle.”

  I smacked his arm. “You’re so lying!”

  He caught my hand and laughed. “Cross my heart and hope to die, Beth.”

  “Damn.”

  He shook his head, still laughing at me. “I tell you I liked holding you two years ago and all you take from the story is that you snore? No wonder they say women are crazy.”

  My cheeks flushed. “Shut up.”

  “Do you believe you’re special to me now?”

  I let him pull me into his arms. “Warming up to it.”

  “Finally.”

  I smacked his arm again. “Shut up.”

  “So abusive,” he teased.

  “You drive me nuts. It’s not my fault.”

  “Look at that pout…” He kissed me, gently sucking my lower lip into his mouth.

  Unh. One of his hands slid under the back of my tee to stroke my spine. I leaned into him and he fell back to sit on my bed.

  We were that close to the bed?

  I crawled on his lap so our faces would be even height again. Anything that maximized the kissing.

  He laid back, my body following, and I felt the hard-on he was sporting. One of his hands was tangled in my hair, the other still caressing my back. We were getting pretty hot. He’d just unfastened my bra when someone knocked on my door.

  I sat up so fast; I nearly fell backwards off the bed. His hands tightened on my waist to save me.

  “Elizabeth?” Oh god…his mother!

  “Yes?” Praying my voice sounded normal.

  “Do you still want to go out this afternoon?”

  “Um…” My eyes widened and I glanced down at him. He nodded. “Sure!”

  “Wonderful. Bring a sweater in case it gets chilly this evening.”

  “Yep. Be down in a minute!”

  We heard her walk away. He started to giggle. I put my hand over his mouth.

  “Shhh! She might hear you and come back!” I whispered.

  He stopped and kissed my palm.

  “Oh my God…” That was mortifying. I dropped my hands to my sides.

  “Bethie, we’re adults and she likes you. It’s okay.”

  I got off his lap. “She’s like a second mom to me, Jacob. It’s a big deal. You need to sneak out to another part of the house. I’m sure she saw your bike.”

  Was it obvious I’d been making out? I went into the bathroom. My lips were bright pink, my cheeks flushed, and my hair needed brushing. Oh, yeah, and my bra was undone.

  God, that was close.

  “See you tonight?” he asked, watching me cool my face.

  “I don’t know.”

  “Why not?”

  “’Cause I’ll be with your mother.”

  He shrugged. “So I’ll hang out here for the day.

  “Here?”

  “In the house.”

  “Oh.” That was a relief.

  He turned my face to him and kissed me again. It was short. “See you later, love.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  He kept turning me into Dreamy-Beth. Oh, I was in so much trouble…

  He left. I heard a door open and shut down the hall. When I finally felt presentable, I walked downstairs and found him chatting with Mrs. Lindsey.

  “Did Mother wake you, Beth?” Stinker.

  “Uh, no. I was just in the middle of something. Sorry to keep you waiting, Mrs. Lindsey.”

  “It’s alright, dear. There was no rush. Shall we?”

  “Yep.”

  She placed her hand on his arm, a gesture of affection. “Goodbye, dear. Do you have plans today?”

  “Nope. Maybe some writing.”

  “Then perhaps we can reunite for dinner. Come along, Elizabeth. I’ll show you my favorite spots as a girl.”

  Mrs. Lindsey took her purse from a servant on the way to the door. I followed, glancing back at him just before I walked outside. He winked at me.

  Chapter Five

  Jacob was in the conservatory testing a melody on the piano when he heard their voices. The front door shut as he walked into the foyer.

  “There are my two favorite ladies.”

  They turned and smiled at him, both carrying shopping bags.

  “Have fun?”

  Beth nodded. “Vivian took me to this really old bookstore that only carries vintage texts!”

  “Ahhh. There goes any hope of seeing you surface the rest of your vacation,” he teased.

  “That is an exaggeration, sir.”

  “We also went to the art museum,” his mother said.

  “Is that what they’re calling clothing stores these days?”

  “Hush.” Mother thrust her bags into his hands. “Be a good boy and carry these to my room.”

  “Yes, Mum.”

  They giggled as he walked away. His girl and his mother bonding—no good could come from this.

  He put his mother’s loot by her closet and left her room. Coming down the hall, he saw Beth enter her bedroom and slipped in behind her.

  “Jacob!”

  “What?” He took the bag out of her hand and wrapped his arm around her waist. “I missed you.”

  “It was only a few hours.” Her breathing quickened when he nibbled on her neck. “Stop that.”

  “But you like it,” he said, grinning against her throat.

  “I don’t want a mark.”

  “I can find a place that doesn’t show.”

  She pushed him away. “We need to get downstairs.”

  He sighed. “As you wish.” He’d just get her alone later.

  Mum was speaking to her cook about the night’s menu. “There you are. Does Chinese work for both you?”

  “Sure.”

  “She just means takeout, love.”

  Beth’s lips formed a soundless “o”.

  His mother shook her head. “Au contraire, darling. I’ve been collecting recipes since my last visit and Rose has kindly agreed to indulge them. Another fifteen minutes, yes?”

  The cook nodded and went back to the kitchen. He preferred the one they employed when he was a child. This lady, while good at her job, rarely said a word or laughed. He felt staff should be like family if they were living in your house twenty-four-seven.

  “Jacob, you should show Elizabeth your old room while we wait,” his mother suggested.

  “Aw, Mum, it’s not very interesting--”

  Beth interrupted him. “I’d love to see it, if you come with us, Vivian.”

  “’Vivian’?”

  Two pairs of eyes settled on him.

  “Yes, dear. Calling me by a title is entirely too formal.” She smiled at Beth. “Elizabeth is like family.”

  “We’ve become good friends the past two years,” Beth added. “If I’m not being too bold.”

  “Of course not.”

  He waved in their field of vision. “Ladies? Still here?”

  They glanced at each other with amused grins. Oh, definitely not a good sign.

  ****

  Watching Jacob interact with his mother made me homesick. I resolved to call Mom
after dinner.

  Vivian coming along to give me a tour of the house put me at ease. He had one thing on his mind right now, and until I had a chance to tell him to slow down, I didn’t want to be left alone with him.

  A large estate, the house had formal and informal rooms. The family rooms had obviously been used more often, the chairs and sofas broken in and personal items left here and there. Upstairs, Vivian led me to his boyhood room located next to the master suite.

  The room reflected a boy that hadn’t yet reached puberty, with stuffed toys and action figures still on the shelves. A child-size acoustic guitar sat in the corner. The twin bed was decorated with navy blue bedding. A moment frozen in time.

  “Do you still sleep in here?” I asked him.

  “Not if I can help it. Bed’s too short.”

  I walked over to the bookshelves. “Definitely different than your room at home.” The walls and furniture were white, with accents in primary colors. “Especially the black phase.”

  “You’re never goin’ to let me forget that, are you?”

  “The Black Hole? Not likely. Has he always done crazy things when he’s bored?”

  “Creative ones, yes,” Vivian said. “I once found him--”

  He muffled her statement with his hand. “That’s enough stories for one day, Mum.”

  She pushed his hand away. “Darling, it’s just Elizabeth. I’m not blabbing your secrets to the press,” she teased.

  I admired that woman so much for keeping up with him, and especially when she won. If we hadn’t started out as tutor and student, he would’ve steamrolled right over my teen confidence. Bossing him into buckling down with his homework was the only way I could keep on even ground. Now, I could verbally spar with him, but he still intimidated me.

  A chime sounded over the intercom, signaling dinner was ready.

  Vivian had the head of the table, with me and Jacob at each hand so we sat across from each other. They talked more about what they’d missed in each other’s lives.

  I listened.

  ****

  Mom gave me a phone card for the long-distance minutes, so I used it when I called from my room.

  “Hello?”

  “Hi, Mom.” I flopped on the bed.

  “Beth! Are you having fun, honey? What time is it there?”

  “Around seven-thirty. We just finished dinner. I saw Jacob play last night, and went out with Mrs. Lindsey today.” No way was I telling her about the kissing.

  “Oh, what did you see?”

  I twirled the phone cord around my fingers. “Part of a museum, this really cool vintage bookstore, and some clothes shopping. Mrs. Lindsey has some fundraiser thing to attend, so we picked out a nice dress.”

  “I assume you didn’t leave the bookstore empty-handed.” I could hear the smile in her voice.

  “You know me well, Mom. Is Dad still grumbling?”

  “He’ll be glad you called, I’ll say that. He means well.”

  I sighed. “I know. And I’m fine. The house is nicer than any hotel I’ve ever been in and we’re getting along great.” By “we”, I meant Mrs. Lindsey.

  “Good to hear. Call whenever you want, okay? We miss you.”

  “Love you, too, Mom. Bye.” Feeling better about being across the world from my family, I hung up.

  Two knocks on my door, then the door opened. “Hey.” Jacob.

  “Hey. What’s up?”

  He closed the door. “You were quiet at dinner.” He sat on the other side of the bed.

  “Just listening.”

  “Ah. I was wondering if I should head home, yet.”

  I looked up. “Doesn’t your mom want you to hang around?”

  He plucked at the duvet. “Didn’t want to get in the way of girl time.” I realized he wasn’t completely secure about this—us—either.

  “Oh. I just got off the phone with Mom.”

  “Everything alright?”

  I nodded. “Yeah. Just checking in. My dad is still pouting that I’m here and not at home.”

  “Rough.”

  “Would be, if he knew about last night.” I shuddered.

  He chuckled. “Yeah…that stays between us.”

  “Yep.”

  He reached for my hand. “This scares me, too, you know. We go down in flames, I lose you for good.”

  I watched his thumb stroke the back of my hand. “Is it worth the risk?”

  One side of his mouth flicked up in a smile. “Hope so. Don’t know, yet.”

  “Ditto.”

  We lapsed into a few minutes of silence. Was the potential for love worth risking a friendship? How did anyone know? How could they tell?

  If we waited another ten years, we might not have it figured out.

  “So, the options are stay friends…or try dating?”

  He nodded. “Long distance dating.”

  “No pressure…”

  He sighed. “Yeah…”

  I turned my body to face him and folded my legs up to sit Indian-style. “Would you call or write more often than you do now?”

  He mirrored my position. “I’d try. You know I’m not good at keepin’ track of time, so I hope there’d be allowance for that.”

  “Some. Depends on the reason. Studying for midterms—excusable. Partying with your friends—not so much.”

  “In case—not sayin’ it will happen—but in case either of us meets someone at home…then what?”

  “You want a contingency plan for a hook-up?”

  “No! I’m saying…there’s always the possibility one or both of us would fall for someone that we see every day. The long-distance thing falls apart ‘cause people can’t stay close. I’ve seen it at school.”

  I frowned. “Then how does anyone make it work?”

  He ran his hand through his hair. “I don’t know. Might have to ask.”

  “Maybe…maybe we shouldn’t start, then. Wait until graduation on the proviso we’re both single at that time.”

  “Yours or mine?”

  Good question. “Would you move back to L.A. when you’re done here?”

  He shrugged. “If I don’t have a contract, then I’ll prob’ly have to, anyway. L.A. or New York.” Music centers.

  “Right…”

  He took my hands in his. “There is a lot to think about, but we don’t have to decide right now, Beth. It’s too important to make a snap decision, yeah?”

  “Really?”

  He looked at me like it was the most stupid question in the world. “Well, yeah. Do you see me with another best friend?”

  “I-I don’t know…I don’t know what you have here.”

  He locked eyes with me. “I only have one Bethie.”

  Color spread across my cheeks. “Oh.” When he put it like that…

  Honestly, I was a bit overwhelmed by the last twenty-four hours. When I first decided to come to London this summer, it was to see him again. Never dreamed we’d kiss, let alone talk about a future together. So, yeah, I was spun.

  Rocked to the bloody core.

  Whether from jet lag or the emotional weight, I yawned. “Sorry.”

  He smiled. “S okay. Long day.”

  I snorted out a laugh. “Yeah.”

  “Do you want me to let you sleep?”

  “At…” I glanced at the clock. “Eight? No. What kind of self-respecting eighteen-year-old would I be if I did that in perfect health?”

  He laughed. “Then what would you like to do, love?”

  “Um…got any movies?”

  He tugged my hand for me to follow him off the bed. “That I do.”

  We went downstairs and outside.

  “You store your DVDs in the garden?”

  “In a manner of speaking.”

  We walked through a maze of hedgerows and came out to open grass on the other side. In the back corner of the property was an old gardener’s cottage.

  “No one had used this for years, so when I moved back two years ago, I claimed it as a place n
o one would find me.” He took an old key out of his pocket.

  “Secret hideout, eh?”

  He grinned in the dark and nudged the door open. “Exactly. Let me find the lights…”

  I heard the flick of a lighter, then light spread from a lantern. The cottage was one open room, save for a door that might lead to a bathroom. A stone fireplace sat center in the back wall. He had set up an inflatable mattress, an older TV, and a writing desk by the window.

  “No electricity wired back here, so I use a portable battery. Lanterns or candles are enough to see by. Don’t have much to trip over.”

  “Yeah. This is…unexpected, but pretty cool. I thought you liked your creature comforts.”

  He got the TV and DVD player running. “I do…but every so often, it’s nice to have the quiet. Sit. I’ve got snacks and a box of movies.”

  “Why do I feel like there should be a ‘Boys Only’ sign on the door?” I teased.

  He plopped down on the mattress next to me. “Because you’re a dork. Pick something.”

  Looking at the titles, I gasped. “Someone has a thing for ‘80s flicks…”

  “What of it?”

  “Oh my God, The Breakfast Club…my mom loves this movie. Aww, Superman one-through-four…I haven’t watched any of those since my brother left.”

  “Then pick one.”

  “It’s your secret hideout.”

  “And I’m bein’ a good host. Pick a bloody movie, Bethie.”

  “I don’t know. Recommend something.”

  He rolled his eyes and lay back on the bed. “Wake me when you decide.”

  “Okay, okay… Well…out of the movies I recognize…here.” I handed him the case.

  “Goonies? Somehow that does not surprise me.”

  I play-shoved him. “It’s hilarious.”

  “No question, but it’s also almost two hours long.”

  “Most movies are two hours long. If you’re worried I’ll fall asleep, I’ll just go back inside. We can watch something another time.” I started to get to my feet.

  He tugged me back down. “Don’t think I said you could leave, love.” He held my wrist.

  “Gonna hold me prisoner? Very mature.”

  He slowly shook his head. “Temper, temper…” And kissed me.

  Thoughts of running away fled my mind. His lips were soft against mine, yet they demanded I join in, coaxing me to yield to his dominance.

  Jacob was always naturally confident in the time I’d known him, but Adult-Jacob had a mastery of his life. He was one of those lucky people things just worked out for, but more than that, he’d figured out how to get what he wanted and knew he’d have it. He kissed in the same way, overwhelming my senses with his touch and his scent. I needed more…something.