Another Saturday Night and I Ain't Got No Body (A Page Turners Novel) (17 page)

The cool night air rushed at her as she ran from the steamy warm bathroom across the hall to where the phone sat on the bedside table.

The readout told her Jeremy was calling, and she wrapped the robe tighter around her waist and flipped the phone open.

“Hey, Jeremy,” she answered hesitantly.

“Hi, Sunny. I’m glad you’re home. I’m sorry to call so late. I just got home from work, but I really wanted to talk to you about the other night.”

“That’s okay, I’m still up.” Sunny sat on the edge of the bed.

“Listen, I know how things must have looked, but if you would have just let me explain instead of running off.”

“Okay, go ahead and explain.”

“I was as surprised to see my mom there as you were.”

“Why
?
Is she not usually home on Saturday nights?”

“Actually, she
is
usually home on Saturday nights, at her
own
home in LA.”

“Her own home in LA?” Sunny repeated.

“Yes, Sunny. My mom lives in Los Angeles. She came up for a spur of the moment business trip, and she usually stays with me when she’s in town. She hadn’t had time to call me and was beat from her trip, so she let herself in and went up to the spare room to crash.”

“She stays with you at your house, that you own and live in by yourself?” Her voice squeaked a little on the word ‘yourself’.

“Of course. I can see how it looked a little funny, but I haven’t lived with my mom since I was nineteen. If you would have stayed and let me explain, you could have met her.”

“Jeremy, I’m so sorry I over-reacted. Now I’m embarrassed.”

“It’s okay. I can understand how you got the wrong idea. As a matter of fact, my mom thought it was hilarious.”

“Oh, great. Well, she sounds like a good sport. Is she still here?”

Beau padded into the room and with a heavy sigh, plopped himself on the floor in front of the bed, his heavy hind end resting on her left foot.

“No, she headed back to California this morning,” he said.

“Jeremy, I’m really sorry again. I’m embarrassed I ran off, but it probably worked out better this way. I wouldn’t want us to have done something we regretted later just because we had some wine and a romantic fire going.”

“You thought that was romantic?” he asked. “Good to know. That would help in case I have to suffer through some more of those Hugh Grant movies my mom left here last time she visited. But it doesn’t sound like I’ll be doing that with you, huh?”

“No, I don’t think so. I think we would be better as friends. I’m really sorry.”

“Don’t be. It’s not the first time I’ve heard the old ‘let’s be friends’ thing.” He laughed. “Seriously, I thought you were nice too, but I guess I’m looking for a little more as well.”

“Okay. So I guess I’ll see you around then.”

“Yeah, okay. Goodnight, Sunny.”

“Goodnight.”  She closed the phone and thought about Jeremy as she absently rubbed Beau’s furry back with her right foot. He was a cute guy, and he had seemed fun to be around
.

The phone rang again, and she absently flipped it open without checking the Caller ID readout. “Hello.” 

Sunny’s foot stopped in mid-stroke on Beau’s back as she heard the familiar silence on the other end of the line.

“Who is this?”  Her body was tense as Sunny strained to listen for a voice or any recognizable background noise. Her hair was still piled in a knot on top of her head, and a droplet of water slithered from a loose ringlet. It ran down her neck and between her breasts, and a deep shiver ran through Sunny’s every nerve.

“I want you to quit calling me,” she stated firmly, remembering Maggie’s instructions. “Don’t ever call me again.”

Sunny snapped the phone shut and tossed it away from her. It bounced twice on the bed and landed by the pillow as she concentrated on slowing her breathing.

Suddenly, she felt Beau’s body tense under her foot. A low growl emanated from his throat. His head came up as he stared at the open bedroom window, and the sheer curtains blew inward with the night breeze.

Nerves already on edge from the mysterious phone call, she now felt a fresh jolt of fear race through her. Sunny stared at the window, her body alert as she watched and listened for what had triggered Beau’s response. The light was on in the room, so the window only reflected her dark pink walls with the black night in the background.

Sunny realized she was holding her breath. Forcing a loud exhale, she wiped sweaty palms down her robe.
It’s fine. I’m fine. I was strong and told him to stop calling me
.
She sucked in a deep breath.
Calm down
. Beau growled again. A chill rippled down her spine. What was –?

Oh, Lord help me!
A large black-gloved hand reached through the curtains!

Beau shot from the floor and flew at the window growling and barking.

Sunny let loose a blood-curdling scream. The hand jerked back and disappeared.

She sat frozen in place on the edge of the bed. Beau placed both of his front paws on the windowsill as he continued his frenzied barking. She thought she heard a scrambling across the shingles of the roof, but couldn’t be sure.

Seconds passed as she continued to stare at the open window, then suddenly she heard a fierce pounding on the front door. She jumped and let out a shriek as Beau raced past her and ran down the stairs, now barking at the front door. She slowly got up from the bed and inched out the door toward the landing at the top of the stairs. Her legs felt as though they walked through molasses, her body stiff with terror.

In the movies, the heroine would have grabbed for a weapon: a baseball bat, a tennis racket, even a lamp. But Sunny stood frozen and listened to the pounding on the door, mesmerized by the way the front door knob moved as someone furiously shook it.

The pounding stopped and she heard a voice yell, “Sunny
!
Open up, it’s me, Jake
!
Sunny, are you okay?” 

Beau stopped barking and let out a whine. Her paralysis broke, and Sunny stumbled down the stairs, a sob escaping her throat as she reached the door. She fumbled with the deadbolt, pulled the door open, and flung herself into his arms.

“My God, Sunny
!
Are you all right?” he asked, holding her firmly in his arms. “I heard you scream and Beau barking. What happened?”  He tried to pull back to get a better look at her but her arms were locked tightly around him. Her legs turned to jelly.

She sagged against him and he reached down to swing his arm under her legs to lift her up. He carried her to the sofa and sank down into the cushions, Sunny still cradled against his chest. He reached behind them, then she felt the softness of the sofa quilt as he pulled it around her, tucking her into a warm cocoon.

“Geez, you’re shaking like a leaf.” He pulled her in tighter and rubbed her back.

Sunny looked at him then and saw he was shirtless. His hair was rumpled as though he had been sleeping. Something about the start of the blond whiskers on the side of his face, and the way his eyes looked into hers with such worry and concern, sent a new kind of warmth through her that no quilt could accomplish.

It dawned on her that she was naked beneath the little silk robe. She looked down to see that her robe had slid open so the full top of her left breast was exposed, the silk hem of the robe only being held up by the crest of her nipple.

Sunny raised her eyes to see that Jake had now also noticed her exposed flesh, and the look of worry in his eyes dissolved into one of desire.

Her arms curled tighter against his neck and her mouth found his. He pulled her close and she felt a deep stirring as her bare flesh pressed against his. His lips were everywhere as they kissed her mouth, her neck, and the top of her breasts. Her breath came in shallow gasps as her head dropped back, and she arched up, giving him a larger palette of exposed flesh to feast on.

“Sunny! Sunny! My goodness, are you all right?”

Jake and Sunny jerked apart as Edna’s voice came through the partially open front door. She pulled her robe together and pushed up from his lap as Edna barged into the house. She made quite a sight in her flowered robe and pink slippers as she stormed the entryway, a can of Mace in one hand, and a black Taser gun in the other.

“Get away from her!” she yelled at Jake, wielding the Taser. “I am not afraid to use this!”  She held her stance, but her eyes moved to Sunny. “Sunny, darlin’, are you okay?”

“Edna, I’m okay.”  Sunny went to her, her legs still wobbly, and threw her arms around the older woman.

“I’m okay,” Sunny assured her again. “Jake came to help.”

Edna looked from Sunny to Jake and back to Sunny again. Sunny nodded and Edna lowered her arms and dropped the can of Mace into the big terry cloth pocket on the front of her robe.

“What the hell is going on, Sunny? I thought I heard you scream, and Beau was barking like you were being attacked. I would have been here sooner, but I couldn’t find my damn gun, so I settled on this one and rushed over. Where
did
I leave that thing?” Edna muttered the last question more to herself, sticking her hand in the other pocket of her robe, as if her revolver might be hiding there.

“Edna, I’m all right now. Jake came over because he heard me scream too.”

Jake stood slowly from the sofa, and she saw that he hadn’t had any trouble finding his gun. The black metal handle stuck up conspicuously from the back of his jeans, and Sunny wondered how she had not felt that a moment ago during their embrace.

He turned and slowly approached them, as Sunny’s eyes tracked from the gun at his back to the open top button of his jeans. The denim sides formed a vee against his tanned abs, and her legs suddenly didn’t seem quite as strong again.

What is wrong with me?
Someone tries to break into my house and I go crazy over Jake coming to my rescue and start making out with him! I must be in shock.

Sunny reached for the back of the loveseat as her knees threatened to buckle, then Jake was there, his strong arm around her, holding her up and guiding her back to the sofa.

“Well, what in the name of heaven were you screaming about?” Edna wanted to know. Her eyes were sharp. As Sunny looked up at her, she could tell Edna wasn’t missing much, from Jake’s bare chest, to his open button fly, to his arm around Sunny’s shoulders. “And what is Mr. No-Shirt doing over here with half his pants on?”

Sunny’s face burned with shame, but Jake’s eyes were amused as he gave Edna an appraising look. Before he could respond, Sunny blurted out, “A man tried to come into my bedroom through my window.”

Both of their heads shot back toward Sunny. Jake’s eyes went from amused to hard as he took in the whole room with one sweeping gaze.

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” He looked down at Sunny with exasperation. He headed for the front door, reaching behind him to pull the gun free. “You two stay here and lock this door. Don’t let anyone in until I come back.”

He looked pointedly at Edna. “Keep an eye on her.”  Then he was out the door, pulling it firmly shut behind him.

“Why would someone do that?” Edna asked, more to herself than to Sunny. She picked up the quilt from where it had fallen to the floor and again wrapped it around Sunny’s shoulders. Edna sat next to her on the sofa, taking Sunny’s hand and rubbing it between her own.

Edna peppered her with questions as she fussed over tucking the quilt around her. “What is going on here, Sunny? Are you really okay? When I walked in you looked like a kid caught with her hand in the cookie jar. Are you falling for this guy? And why is he running around acting like he is in charge? And where is his shirt?”

Edna took a breath and looked Sunny in the eye. “And I
told
you he had a gun! Now do you believe me?”

They both jumped as they heard Jake knock loudly at the front door and call for them to let him in.

Edna looked at her first, one eyebrow raised, and only after Sunny nodded her consent did she get up and let Jake back into the house. He locked the door behind him, then ran up the stairs. Sunny noticed for the first time that he was barefoot.

They heard him move from room to room upstairs, opening and shutting doors, then he came down the stairs and headed through the dining room, continuing his search for any other signs of the intruder. They listened as he stopped in the kitchen, opened the cupboard door, then heard the faucet running. Sunny’s heart melted as he walked back into the living room, no gun in his hands, only a glass of water he held out to her.

“Okay, start from the beginning, and tell me everything that you can remember,” he said.

She took a sip of the cool water, then set the glass on the edge of the coffee table. Sunny told them everything she could think of, stopping only when Jake had a question.

“Why doesn’t your window have a screen?” he asked.

“It does. I just take it off when it’s warm, because there’s a little flat spot on the roof outside the window, and I love to sit out there in the summer. You’ve seen me, Edna.” Sunny looked to the older woman for acknowledgement, and Edna nodded in agreement.