My Once and Future Love Page 7

We stepped onto the patio. He pulled me into his arms. “We can hear the music out here, too.”

  I placed my hands on his shoulders. It was nice being a bit removed from all the chatter. The summer night air was perfumed with roses and other flowers I couldn’t identify in the garden. Standing between the house and the open air, with the band playing slow jazz, the atmosphere was a lot more romantic. Private.

  “Better without all those eyes on you?” he asked.

  “Mmm-hmm.” I let out a contented sigh and lay my head on his shoulder.

  “I hope you and Kit hit it off tomorrow.”

  “Kit?” I asked, lifting my head to look up at him.

  “The photographer. Did you forget already?”

  “No. You didn’t tell me her name.”

  “Oh. Anyway, I hope you want to work with her.”

  “So I stay,” I translated. So transparent.

  He rolled his eyes and hugged me a little closer. “Yeah, I have an agenda. Sue me; I have an interest in keeping my girlfriend in town.”

  “Girlfriend?” I sounded way too hopeful-needy.

  He met my eyes. “Well, yeah. Thought you were the smart one in this relationship.”

  My heart started doing cartwheels. “You know what they say about assuming.”

  His hands slid up to my neck, cupping my jaw-line. “Then let me be clear: as far as I’m concerned, love, you’re my girl. My squeeze, honey, girlfriend, etcetera. My Bethie.”

  He dipped his head and I tilted mine to my right, rising on my toes to kiss him back. One of his hands stayed on my cheek; the other dropped to my low back, pressing our bodies closer. That same fire from all week stirred again, driving me to try crawling inside him. Nothing was close enough. He could kiss me a thousand times and I’d still want more.

  It scared me.

  “This, um…”

  “Not really the place for a snog.” He let out a long breath. “Yeah.”

  “I’m going to visit the ladies’ room.”

  “Alright. I’ll see if Mum’s ready to go.”

  ****

  Less than a week in each other’s presence again, and he was biting back proclamations every time he kissed her.

  He’d always cared for Beth—it was pretty easy to do, actually—but he’d never named it before. Honestly, though, he should’ve seen it’d come to this. She was the only girl he’d ever trusted into his life, his secrets. Didn’t know when it happened, really, but it all made sense at the time. They needed quiet to study, so they went to his room. She was good at English, so he asked her opinion of his lyrics. Their mothers hit it off, so they ate dinner together often.

  Family.

  Except you weren’t supposed to want to shag your sister. Good thing she hadn’t occupied that space in his mind for a long time. Spring break of senior year killed that notion.

  Now, well…he understood how love had inspired millions of works since the dawn of time.

  “Ah, Jacob, there you are.” An older lady approached him, her hair mostly white.

  “Evenin’, Mrs. Haversham. Have you seen my mother around?”

  She was a longtime friend of the family. “That’s what I was going to tell you, dear. Your mother went home with a headache, but she said not to be concerned and to have fun as long as you like.”

  “Oh. Thanks, then. Goodnight, Mrs. Haversham.”

  She smiled. “Nice to see you again, Jacob.” Message delivered, she wandered off.

  Well, with his mother gone home, all they had to do was wait for the car to return, if it hadn’t already. He went to the nearest restroom to find Beth. A short line of ladies stood outside.

  “Looking for me?”

  He turned around. “There you are. Mum went home, so it’s just you and me.”

  “Is she okay? How are we going to get back?”

  He steered her toward the front door. “She’s fine, love. Just a little headache. As for the car, he’d come right back.”

  “Oh. How long ago did she leave?”

  “While we were outside. Might have to wait a bit.”

  She sat on a chair in the foyer. “Why didn’t she say goodbye?” Her shoulders slumped. “I’m a rotten guest. She asked me to come to keep her company.”

  He crouched down in front of her and took her hands. “Hey, you are not. You didn’t ignore her through dinner, did you?”

  “No…”

  “I guarantee she wasn’t offended by you dancing with me.”

  A smile tugged at one corner of her mouth. “Okay.”

  He pulled her up. “Let’s check on the car. It’s stuffy in here.”

  Luck on their side, the chauffeur showed up just as they came down the entry steps. Jacob opened the door for Beth.

  “Where to, sir?”

  He glanced at Beth. “My flat.”

  “Yes, sir.” The car pulled out of the driveway.

  “Your place?” she asked.

  “Unless you want to go home. Are you tired?”

  “No. I can’t ride the bike in this dress, though. Wait, did you ride to the house?”

  Blast. “Uh…” He tapped on the glass partition separating them from the driver. A panel slid open. “Second thought, take us to my mother’s house, please.”

  “As you wish, sir.”

  She tried hiding her smile in her hand.

  “Quiet, you.”

  “Hey, I didn’t forget where I left a vehicle.”

  He slid her closer on the leather seat and poised his index finger to dig under her ribs. “Persons who are extremely ticklish should be nice.”

  She looked up at him with wide eyes. “I am nice.” Her hand slid up to his neck, her thumb stroking the soft skin behind his ear. “I can be very nice.”

  His eyelids drooped, her touch relaxing him into jelly. If he was a kitten, he’d purr.

  “No fair…”

  “Stop threatening to tickle me,” she said.

  “How ‘bout I kiss you instead?” He leaned in, the tips of their noses brushing before he made contact with her lips.

  She exhaled into his mouth, wrapping her arm around his neck. This was fast becoming one of his favorite things to do in life. His girl was lovely to kiss, her lips having just the right fullness, her responses always equaling his. They matched.

  He pulled away before they got too hot, not wanting to give the driver a show.

  “I’m glad you came.”

  “Me, too.” She laced her right hand with his left. “Tonight, or…”

  “To England. Hopefully for more than a week.”

  “I’m meeting your friend, aren’t I?”

  “Yep!” The thought of having Beth here for a month put a wide grin on his face.

  She rolled her eyes, then leaned her head on his shoulder. “I’ll admit, I’m not ready to go home, yet. Don’t think I should leave until I see Stonehenge.”

  “Ohhh, so a circle of rocks is really what’s keepin’ you here?”

  “It’s a factor.”

  “Brat.”

  “Such an ego you have…”

  He couldn’t see much of her face from this angle, but he knew the expression that went with her teasing by heart. She’d always been expressive, for a shy girl. Well, formerly shy.

  “You handled yourself pretty well tonight.”

  She sat up to look at him. “You think so?”

  He nodded. “Very nice first impression and those people are big on those.”

  “I was taught a little social grace.”

  “Hey, I wasn’t implying anything. I meant you didn’t look nervous, love.”

  “Oh.” She pulled her bag onto her lap and took out a small bottle of water. “Want a sip?”

  “I’m fine.”

  She unscrewed the cap and took a swallow.

  “Can I ask you something and not get my head bitten off?”

  She eyed him warily. “What?”

  “Why do you get defensive with me?”

  She sighed and put the bott
le back in her purse. “Not just you.”

  “Good to know. And?”

  “You might have noticed I wasn’t one of the popular people? From the time I hit school, I wasn’t comfortable around a single person except my parents. My brother left when I was eight, so I barely knew him. To other kids, I was born with giant ‘kick me’ signs front and back. It wasn’t fun.”

  “We’ve always gotten along.”

  “And I didn’t expect that to last.” Her gaze dropped to her shoes. “You keep surprising me.”

  He reached for her hand again. “I’d never hurt you on purpose, Beth. Hope you know that.”

  She lifted her head and met his eyes. “Yeah. I do.”

  “That’s somethin’”

  The car stopped. They glanced out the window and saw the house. He slid to the door and opened it, then held his hand out to her. The house was dark. He bid the driver goodnight and walked to the front door.

  A small lamp had been left on in the foyer.

  “Hungry? I know a few places open late,” Jacob asked.

  “Sure. I should probably change first.”

  “Need any help?” He added a wink, just in case she thought he was serious.

  She swatted his arm. “No! Perv.”

  Despite the protest, there might have been some added sway to her hips as she ascended the staircase. Seriously fine ass…

  He loosened his tie, took it off, and slipped it into his pocket. Hated anything snug on his neck.

  “Jacob?” She appeared at the top of the stairs, still in her dress.

  “Yeah?”

  “I really do need help. The zipper’s stuck.”

  He started up the stairs. “You’re kidding.”

  “I think a bit of fabric got caught in the teeth, so it doesn’t want to slide.”

  She walked back into her room where there was more light.

  Her back to him, she said, “Be careful.”

  “I won’t rip it.” He tried sliding the zipper. “Bend forward a little.”

  That was better—he could see detail in the light now. Yep, a bit of fabric was stuck between the teeth at the top.

  “Uhh, I’m not sure how to get this unstuck.”

  “Great.” She turned around. “It’s too snug to slide off.”

  “What about lifting it over your head?”

  She shrugged. “I’ll give it a shot.”

  She walked into the bathroom.

  He sat on the bed to wait, and heard a few muffled curses a minute later.

  “You okay?”

  The door opened a crack. “Not so much.”

  “Do you want help?”

  She hesitated long enough; he thought she wasn’t going to reply. Then, “Yeah…”

  No big deal, mate…just innocently help your girl out of a jam.

  She walked out. “I can’t lift it all the way off without tweaking my shoulders.” She turned her back to him. “Don’t look.”

  He took a breath, then bent to grab the hem and started lifting. Keeping his eyes on the floor didn’t stop him from seeing thigh-high stockings, so he directed them skyward, instead. She lifted her arms once he’d reached her shoulders. When the dress was past her head, she took it from him and tossed it on the bed.

  “Thanks.”

  He kept his eyes on her face. “You’re welcome.”

  “I-I’ll be right back.” She backed into the bathroom.

  “Yeah.”

  Just shut the damn door, Beth.

  Once she was out of sight, he rubbed his face with both hands and let out a long breath. If she stood there a moment longer, he’d have looked, and after looking, he’d have touched.

  He left her bedroom and jogged downstairs. Saw enough, though.

  Black bra with matching satin knickers, and those stockings…long, slender legs in sheer black…an image of those legs wrapped around his hips popped into his head and he headed for the kitchen and a drink. Couldn’t hop in a cold shower, but he could down some ice water.

  Get a grip, man.

  Chapter Eight

  I leaned against the closed door, feeling flushed all over. Not even a week since I first kissed him and the man had seen me in my underwear. Logically, I didn’t have many options. Cut myself out of the dress—ah, no. Wake Vivian to help me—rude when she wasn’t feeling well. That left him, and for a second, I almost succumbed to the tension between us and kissed him.

  Could I keep resisting the entire month he wanted me to stay?

  I dressed in jeans and a tee, put away my finery, and sat down to send Mom an e-mail about the party. Describing the house and dinner and the music helped calm me down, and I felt cool and normal by the time I carried the envelope of prints downstairs.

  “Jacob?”

  “In the kitchen, pet.”

  He stood at the window to the backyard with a glass of something clear. Probably water.

  “Here are the photos I was going to show you.”

  He took the envelope. “Thanks. I should be goin’. It’s late. I’ll come get you for the meeting tomorrow.”

  He was leaving?

  “I thought we were going to grab a bite.” Great, Beth, you scared him off.

  He sighed. “Food isn’t really on my mind right now.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You’re a bloody siren, Beth. More alone time isn’t the best idea at the moment.”

  “It’s a restaurant, Jacob, not a cozy cabin for two.”

  He turned from the window and set the glass on the island. “And then?”

  “And then, what?”

  “Where do we go from there? My flat? Here?”

  I threw my hands up. “Fine. Leave. Run away.” I stomped out of the kitchen and opened the front door.

  He slowly followed, looking pained. He glanced at my face, set in a hard mask, shook his head, and walked out. I slammed the door, locked it, and ran upstairs to flop on my bed.

  Dammit. Why couldn’t we date without all this sexual tension?

  I hoped no one heard the door. It was stupid to slam it at this hour, but that was a Lawson trait. Doors got slammed when we were pissed off. My mom’s version was slamming the cabinet doors in the kitchen while she cleaned. Always knew Dad was in trouble if I heard that.

  If I went to bed now, I could wake up early enough to call Mom. I washed my face, brushed my teeth, pulled the pins out of my hair, and turned off the lights.

  ****

  I woke a little before seven. Since I’d washed my hair the afternoon before, I knotted it out of my way for a quick shower. No one else was up, yet, so I found the laundry machines and washed the clothes I’d worn so far.

  Vivian came downstairs at eight-thirty. “You’re up early for a Saturday.”

  “Got my eight hours. Tea? Kettle’s gonna whistle any minute.”

  “Certainly. Thank you.” She opened a cupboard and took out a tin of loose-leaf and a small teapot. “Did you have fun last night?”

  Except at the end of it. “Yeah. Not my normal scene, but it was nice enough. I never went to a formal at school, so getting dressed up was neat.”

  The kettle sang. She poured hot water into the little teapot. “I’m sorry I had to leave early, but I need to take medication right away if I feel that kind of headache coming on.”

  “Migraine?”

  “Something like that, yes. The pill knocks me out within an hour. Most inconvenient.” While her tea brewed, she retrieved a mug. “So, do you have plans for today?”

  “Well, I’m meeting a photographer friend of Jacob’s to pick her brain. Other than that, nope.” I poured the leftover water in the kettle into a bowl of oatmeal.

  She dropped one lump of sugar in the mug, then poured the tea. After stirring it three times, she sipped from the cup.

  “I thought Jacob had a concert tonight,” she said, green eyes looking over the rim.

  “He mentioned it.”

  “You’re not going?”

  I shrugged. �
�He didn’t invite me.”

  “Ah.” There was a lot of weight in that “ah”.

  “There’s no ah…just two facts: I know about the concert and I’m not going.”

  “Alright.”

  A tricksy woman, but I was not going to spill details. I shook my head and picked up my oatmeal to sit at the table.

  Failing at getting any dirt from me, she picked up her teacup and a saucer. “Well, I think I’ll take my tea and get dressed.” She’d come down in her robe and pajamas. “Have fun today.”

  “Yep. I’m sure I’ll see you later.”

  Once she was gone, I checked the dryer to see if the first load was done. I folded the clean clothes and tossed the wet ones in the machine. Picking up the small stack, I carried it to my room and put it on my bed so no one would stumble upon my socks and undies. That made me think of home and Daddy going “uh…” because he found women’s stuff in the laundry room again. Mom always offered to do his stuff with hers, but he insisted on doing it his way. Even used a different soap just to avoid it “smelling girly”.

  I retrieved my breakfast and picked up the phone.

  “Lawson residence.” They picked up on the first ring.

  “Hey, Mom.”

  “Beth! I just read your e-mail. Sweetie, do you know what time it is?”

  Checking my watch, I did the math. “Crap, it’s just after one, huh?” I smacked my forehead. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking.”

  “It’s okay. I was still up reading a novel, but you’re lucky I picked it up before your father heard it.”

  Thank God Dad slept like the dead. “Yeah. Again, sorry.”

  “Are you still having a good time, honey?” Dang sensitive Mom ears.

  “Just a little homesick. I was doing a little laundry and remembered how he gets all weird if he finds a whites load.”

  She laughed. “You should have seen him when we first got married. Sure, he had no problem stripping those things off in bed, but--”

  “Mom! Eww, stop! TMI!”

  That just made her laugh more. “How else do you think you came to be, Beth?”

  “Stork.”

  “Ah, you kids… Well, unless there’s something you need, can we talk later, honey? I need to get to bed.”

  “No, sure, later’s good. Sorry about the hour, again. Sweet dreams, Mom.”

  “Thank you, Beth. Have fun today. Be good. We love you.”