Blooming (17 page)

He was
thrilled at how relaxed Jen had become in his arms - surrendering to him so
easily. He cupped her face in both hands and kissed her deeply, licking inside
her cheeks, tracing over her teeth, mapping her, teaching her how to respond. She
was his and he fully intended she would only ever be his.

Todd stood up
effortlessly, with her still in his arms and carried her through to her
bedroom; he tucked her in and kissed the top of her head.

I’ll see you
in the morning. I’m going to leave the door unlatched - you’re safe in this
building, just don’t try to do anything too difficult until I get here, do you
promise?”

She nodded,
deep in a sleepy sensual fug.

“Jen?” her
eyes flicked open again.

“I’m warning
you early because I know you need time to get used to certain things, so here
it comes.” He paused not just for dramatic effect but because he wanted to choose
his words carefully. “This thing that’s happening, between us – it’s serious
and it feels long term, it feels like falling in love.”

He said it softly,
and then he was gone before she could really process what she’d heard.

****

Jen woke up
at 7 the next morning; she was amazed she’d managed to sleep at all.

Last night
the most handsome man she’d ever seen had told her, actually she wasn’t sure
what he’d told her but it sort of implied he had feelings for her and hoped she
had feelings for him or something like that. She squirmed inside, then gave
herself a pinch, how had that happened, not to mention she’d had another
seriously sexual experience.

She buried
herself under her covers and thrummed her heels into the mattress, half in
delight and half nervous stress. Getting up she caught sight of herself in the
closet mirror, her hair still looked immaculate but there was something
different about her face - a new glow to her. She hazarded a guess it might be
what a growing confidence looks like.

Jen mooched
about making toast and coffee, turning her computer on to catch up on her work
emails, she’d just about finished when swarthy dark Sean burst through her
front door, and she groaned.

Todd says
you’ve to come down to his place; he’s been on the phone all morning and can’t
get away.

“I’m not
dressed yet,”

“Duh,” Sean
said. “Got any saran wrap?”

“Yes,” she
replied tentatively.

“Then let’s
wrap that cast like a leftover chicken then you can get a shower, carefully of
course. I don’t mind dressing you sweetie but I sure ain’t washing you.”

After she’d
suffered Sean’s help and managed a shower, she threw on her white dress, the
one she’d worn for her 2
^nd
doorstep date.

The pair of
them went downstairs and Sean charged in uninvited.

Seb was
already there lounging on the couch, he got up to kiss Jen on the cheek, “Seb
do you know who paid Marguerite yesterday?” she whispered.

Seb smiled,
“it was mine and Sean’s treat.”

“What? Why?”

“Jen I don’t want
you to fuss about it, you need to know that Sean had been struggling to
motivate himself for a year before you came along. He’s been flapping about
like a headless chicken, and I’ve had to support him financially which has
driven him mad, not that it matters to me.

The minute
you arrived things changed, I got my boyfriend back and since the other night
when the shit hit the fan he’s been inundated with calls with people wanting to
commission outfits from him. Sean has made you more dresses and he will want to
treat you and cosset you - it’s the best way he knows to express his affection
for people.”

“Oh.”

“Besides the
pair of us knew you’d never pay 500 bucks for a cut.”

Jen sucked in
a gasp, “No I wouldn’t.”

Todd came
though from his bedroom, the phone glued to his ear.

His face
sparked to life as he spotted her and he beckoned with a finger, touching his
cheek to indicate where he wanted a kiss. She complied and his arm came round
her and held her close while he continued his conversation.

“Marty,
neither of us wants to give an interview; this whole thing isn’t about what
happened in the restaurant, what’s important is that the guy
was
caught
not how he was caught.”

Jen couldn’t
catch what was said on the other end.

“Yeah well it
doesn’t matter how much money they’re offering. I gotta go, just see if you can
make it disappear for me will you? OK bye.” 

“Trouble?”
she asked.

“The press
are circling, Marty is my old PR guy he’s going to see if he can feed them a
small bone and get rid of them. The cops called too and asked me to bring you in
to give your statement, make sure you back up Ben’s story.”

“Oh great.”

“It’ll be
fine.”

“What about
Lily isn’t she going to have to come back?”

“Eventually -
but for now the police have id’s from the other victims, they’ve been good
enough to not see the point in dragging her back while they’ve enough evidence
to plough through for the time being.”

“Now I’ve
delivered sleeping beauty, we’re going to head out for coffee guys, catch you
later,” Sean said.

Jen stopped
him and whispered in his ear, “Thank you for my hair.”

Sean gave her
a genuine smile, different to one of his usual sarcastic ones, but then it
quickly flipped back. “Well somebody had to do something about it so you’re
welcome sweetie, it looks good on you.”

Seb winked at
her over the top of his head and the pair left arm in arm.

Todd walked
over and turned her around to face him, “I never got a proper good morning
Jennifer,” he said softly his mossy eyes twinkling at her.

“No you
didn’t.”

“I don’t have
a footstool I’m afraid.”

“Oh,” she
looked about distracted, seeing if there was anything else that would do.

“Guess I’ll
have to go with option 2 then,” next thing strong hands had scooped under her
bottom and he lifted her to his waist with ease, cupping the cheeks of her butt
and squeezing gently.

A startled
laugh shot out of her, “Hi,” she said stroking his gorgeous floppy hair back
off his face, and initiating a soft open mouthed kiss, she was tentative but
growing in confidence.

“I like this
dress very much,” he said.

“I’m just
glad it’s stretchy,” she laughed and playfully kicked her heels against the
backs of his thighs.

“Ohhh you
want to mess with me little girl?” he growled mock seriously, pinching her
bottom and eliciting a squeak from her.

“Todd, I
don’t understand what’s happening, but how I can be with you like this, it’s a
real gift to me. You’ll never understand how big a deal this is – what it means
to me.”

The sincerity
in her eyes rendered him speechless, her trust and openness with him was
something he’d never experienced with another woman. She made him feel he was
the only man in the world, it was pretty new and intoxicating, and it made him
gulp.

The phone
rang distracting them both, “it’s one of the detectives handling the case,” he
sighed - checking the display. “We better get this over with.”

                                                                                         ****                 

Todd was
pretty ticked off, first they’d been kept waiting thirty minutes, then this
jerk that had attempted to put the thumbscrews to him a couple of nights ago
had openly flirted with his Jennifer.

Dismissing
his presence as unnecessary Detective Brader had whisked Jen off with his hand
guiding her lower back, and the bastard had given him a smug glance over his
shoulder as they went.

This was one
of the reasons he didn’t walk round reliving his glory days, it got tiring
having cretins like this constantly trying to prove their masculinity, by
taking him on either physically or mentally. The only fact keeping his anger in
check was he knew Jen was impervious to the jerk’s attentions.

They returned
an hour later Jen had identified Lorenson aka Fitzpatrick from his mug shot and
given a statement. Like Todd had days ago she had also received a verbal
warning as to her future conduct in public.

Jen’s face
was a picture of comical confusion as they returned and Brader’s hand was on
her waist. She saw Todd and smiled, infinitely relieved to see him. “Anyway
Miss Harris, if you need to get in touch with me here’s my card, I’ve written
my home number on the back.”

That bastard
Todd thought, his fingers clenching as he watched Brader slip his card into
Jen’s hand, leaving his thumb pressing on her palm just a fraction too long.

Todd butted
in, “That’s OK Detective, I think I have your number if necessary.” His steely
face betraying the true definition of his meaning.”

Jen detached
herself from Brader and went to Todd putting an arm round his waist and her
fingers through the belt loop of his jeans in a casual gesture of familiarity.
He felt his body relax as he realised she was doing this purely to soothe his
ego.

“Have a nice
day, detective.” Todd gave Brader a whole load of smug right back at him, while
guiding Jen out the door with his hand on her ass.

She grinned
up at him full of mischief and stepped out into the sun. “He was flirting with
me, can you believe that? He’s in the middle of a rape investigation and he
thinks it’s ok to flirt with the witnesses.”

“How did you
feel about that – the flirting I mean?”

“I wasn’t
encouraging him if that’s what you think,” she said indignantly.

“No I mean,
you handled it, it didn’t seem to freak you out – before you’d have been like a
deer in the headlights or at least you were with me.”

The
conversation was interrupted by a burst of camera flashes and microphones were
suddenly shoved under their noses.

“I think I
might freak out now if that’s ok with you.”

“Miss Harris
do you have any comment on your capture of the internet rapist?”

“Mr Baker what’s
the nature of your relationship with Jen, is it true you’re living together?”

“Mr Baker,
Brian Jessup from Bloomington Live,” a voice said shoving another mike their
way. Christ the TV was here as well as the papers.

“No comment,”
Todd growled.

“Mr Baker,
how is your sister, we’ve been unable to reach her for interview?”

“Too damn
right leave her alone.”

“Jennifer is
it true you’re carrying Todd’s baby?”

The gutter
press had arrived, “chance would be a fine thing,” Todd muttered under his
breath. “No comment,” he roared and with that he thrust them through the crowd
of press and flagged down a passing cab.

Todd looked
at Jen, concern in his eyes because she’d gone very white. She dropped her head
to her knees and he massaged the back of her neck, “don’t let them follow us
home Todd,” she muttered.

“I’m sorry
baby; I’ve a feeling that bastard cop let them know we’d be there, maybe that’s
why he had us cooling our heels for so long, they’ll get fed up of us sooner or
later and find something else to write about.”

“I don’t like
it at all,” she said breathing heavily, she still hadn’t sat up and he could
hear that tone in her voice that she’d had when they’d first met, like she
would make an excuse and run at any minute.

They got home
via a circuitous route to throw the snoops off and the phone was ringing as he
guided a wrung out Jen through his front door.

He rushed to
catch it and a familiar voice said, “Todd, are you ok?”

“Lily, it’s
good to hear your voice, how you doing honey?”

Jen’s head
came up and he brought the phone over to her so she could listen in.      

“I’m not too
bad, a lot better since Seb first called us from the hospital to tell us what
was happening. Mom’s here with me; pictures of you and Jen just flashed up on
the news, she looks really pretty.”

Jen blushed.

“Oh heck
you’re in for it now,” Lily said, next thing sounds of the phone being wrestled
from her came down the line, “Todd?”

“Hi Mom,”  

“Todd I think
you should come back home for a couple of days, I know you just got back there but
with all that’s happened and all this being on TV I’d like my family all in one
place. All this press attention it’s crazy even here at home.”

“I know mom,
I’m trying to keep our heads down, truly.”

“Come home
honey I need to see for myself that you’re ok and I want to meet this girl you’re
seeing too. Better yet we can all go out to the cabins and just relax, take the
pressure off.  What do you say?”

Jen’s heart
was beating up a storm.

Todd paused
he was trying to decipher the look on her face and decide which was the safest
course of action; meeting his family was bound to be a big issue for her.

He put his
hand over the mouthpiece, “do you trust me?” he asked fixing her with a look.

There was the
rub - wasn’t this what she was doing? Trusting Todd, it was scary and
exhilarating but hadn’t he always looked after her? She’d have to say the
answer was yes.

Jen bit her
lip almost hard enough to draw blood and nodded at him.

We’ll meet
you at the cabins in a couple of days, I want to bring Sean and Seb out too if
they can get away.”

“That’s a
great idea we’ll head out there tomorrow and get things organised. Hang on a
minute Lily wants the phone back.”

“Todd?”
Lily’s voice came back, “is Jen with you?”

He smiled,
“yes how did you know?”

“Well you
just looked pretty close on TV, it looked like you weren’t going to let her out
of your sight anytime soon.”

Jen smiled
despite herself, it was such a pleasure to hear Lily sounding more normal.

“Put her on.”

Jen took the
receiver with trepidation.