Paradise Falls (Paradise Falls #1-5)(20)
Great job, Jennifer. Ask your date about his dead relatives.
“I’m sorry.” He looked away. “I’ll understand if you want to go home.”
Her ring itched.
“Actually, I don’t,” she said. “I don’t want to go back there right now.”
“Then let’s ride. The hill is a tough grade. Think you’re up to it?”
“Yes,” she said, lifting her chin defiantly. She tightened the straps on her helmet, turned the bike around, and took off, leaving him to catch up.
Jacob immediately pulled ahead, and she clenched her teeth and pedaled hard until she was directly behind him. His broad muscular back and tense shoulders made her feel a strange quiver., Winded from the hard sprinting chase she gave him earlier, the uphill ride was difficult, but she ignored her sore muscles and kept up.
He turned onto newly paved long driveway towards the Dean House and eased the pace. Though two generations of ancestors were born there, Jennifer never set foot inside the house. Not a huge mansion out of a Shirley Walker novel, but definitely bigger than any of the houses in town with its own carriage house, a switchback stair that led down to the river, and a private boat dock.
Jacob pushed something in his pocket, and the rolling door on the carriage house came up with a steady rumble. He wheeled his bike inside, and Jennifer stopped to marvel at the three cars tucked in there, plus a fourth under a drop cloth.
T A long, screened-in porch lined the front of the main house facing the river. Jacob opened the door and gestured to enter.
Bookcases filled the living room. A closer examination of their contents revealed they weren’t decorator grade books sold by the foot. This was a carefully curated and organized collection built by an enthusiast. Glass doors covered a single climate controlled bookcase containing very old volumes.
“This is amazing,” she said. “You’d think you were the English teacher.”
He shrugged beside her. “I took more of an interest after I got out of high school. Drink?”
“Water,” she said. “Please.”
He strode through a sliding door at the end of the living room into the kitchen. Granite counters surrounded the professional grade stainless steel appliances. Everything appeared showroom new.
He rummaged in the refrigerator and handed her a bottle of water, cracking open one of his own. Jennifer sat down and took three big gulps before she heard her mother’s voice in the back of her head, admonishing her not to get a cramp.
“What do you think?”
“Lovely, so far,” she said. “You live here all by yourself?”
He shook his head. “I have staff. I dismissed them for the day.”
“Staff? Like a butler?”
“Sort of,” he said then took a long pull on his water bottle. He breathed hard after he took it from his lips, the movement of his chest pulling the sweat-soaked fabric tight over his body. Embarrassed, Jennifer looked away.
Jacob went on as if he hadn’t noticed. “I have an assistant. He takes care of most things for me. A few others. Take care of the cars, things like that. Between lesson planning and my business interests, I don’t have much free time.”
“You had time for me,” Jennifer said.
“For you, I’ll make time.”
Jennifer stood next to the kitchen table. He moved closer and she tensed, drawing in a sharp breath. His bright green eyes fixed on her and she stared back into them before darting to his sharp chin and smooth lips.
She wanted him so badly it hurt. She just wanted to stop being Miss K for a few minutes.
Touch me.
Her ring itched.
Jennifer swallowed. Her stomach fluttered and she tried to stop it by pressing her hand against her middle. She took a step closer to him like he was a source of gravity pulling her in. There was a cloud of power around him similar to a static electric charge just before the shock.
He moved closer. She stood her ground, but that didn’t prevent him from moving closer. Her hand was heavy and her ring finger itched. He rested one hand on her shoulder, his knees sagged, and she rose up to kiss him.
She turned up her chin and her lips met his, molding her body to his. Heat flooded through her body and her hands skimmed over his sides then his chest. Her eyes flicked open as she traced a network of ridged, tightened tissue all over his chest, up to his shoulders. Scars. There was a star-shaped mound of coarse flesh on his shoulder.
His hands rested awkwardly on her sides. She almost laughed. He was like the boys at school dances, who wanted to hold their partners but were nervous their hands would go too high or two low. Jennifer broke from his kiss just long enough to draw in a sharp breath and kissed him again.
Heat spread through her chest, tingled under her skin.
A lance of white cold pain shot up her left arm, and she pulled back. Her ring felt like it would burn through her finger. She jumped back, clutching her trembling hand. The ring burned. The drum pounded in her head. Franklin, Franklin, Franklin.
“I didn’t mean…” he said.
She bolted through the house. Ignoring the flaring pain in her ankle, she took the front steps two at a time, and sprinted to the carriage house to retrieve her bicycle. She pedaled furiously until she was home, and let the bicycle crash to the porch. Once inside, she fell to her knees, panting and sobbing.