Half to Death (23 page)

“I’m gonna clear the table. Why don’t you make yourself comfy on the couch and we’ll watch a movie?”

“Nope, I’m gonna help.” Jade stood suddenly and picked up her plate. I followed behind her and chuckled softly at the zigzag she cut across the room.

“Oh, I wish your clients could see you now.”

She looked over her shoulder as she put her plate in the sink. “If you take out your phone to record any of this, I’ll…” She bit her lip. “I have…no idea. I’m a little slow on the uptake right now.” She wiped at her face and broke into a fit of giggles. “I’ve never been drunk before.”

“Never? You’re telling me you’ve never been smashed at least once?” I moved beside her and rinsed my plate. “Methinks you lie.”

“Me…I think…no, I’ve never been.” She wagged a finger at me. “See, you’re all sorts of temptations.”

“Well, I think you should have some more wine then. I’d like to see your first full-on drunk.”

Her expression turned serious. “My dad was a drinker. That’s what turned me off of it.” Jade shook her head like she was trying to shake off the thought. “What movie are we seeing?”

I stuffed the cork into the wine bottle and set it off to the side. “You pick.” I watched her move unsteadily into the living room and look at the selection as I wiped down the counters.

“This!” She held up a box.

I hoped it wasn’t something with a lot of steamy sex in it. The wine had dulled my inhibitions, and I was not in the mood for a cold shower. I walked over and took the box from her hand. “
Rocky and Bullwinkle
? Absolutely.”

We lay on each end of the L-shaped couch with our heads on pillows in the middle. Jade reached out and took my hand. She was asleep before Boris Badenov came up with his first diabolical plan for the moose and squirrel.

Chapter 22

I awoke with a start. Alone on the couch, I sat up and listened for Jade, wondering if she’d gotten up during the night and went to one of the beds. Quietly, I stretched and yawned, then tiptoed through the house. Jade wasn’t there. After a trip to the bathroom, I walked out onto the porch. Dark clouds loomed on the horizon. I hoped that I was looking at the tail end of a storm system that was moving away.

“Good morning.”

I looked down and saw Jade standing on the beach, waving up at me. When I walked onto the deck, I noticed that she was dripping wet. “Did you swim or is that sweat?”

She looked pleased with herself. “I ran all the way down to the state park and back. I’ll go again if you want to join me.”

“Oh, no,” I said with a laugh. “Workouts are for the afternoon. Right now, it’s coffee time.”

“Better drink it fast if you want some time in the sun.” Jade sprinted up the stairs. “According to the report I saw on TV, it’s supposed to rain.”

“You’ve already run and watched TV this morning? What time is it?”

She looked down at her watch. “It’s nine, and you sleep like the dead.”

I rubbed at the kink in my neck. “You’re not hungover?”

“I had a tiny headache this morning, but after a couple of Tylenol and two bottles of water, I felt okay.” She smiled. “The run did me good.”

“You’re insane.” I turned and went back into the house with Jade on my heels. “Beautiful, but totally insane. I’m gonna put on some coffee and change into my swimsuit.”

“I should shower first.” Jade tugged at her wet tank top.

“Why? You’re just gonna slather yourself with sunscreen and bug repellent.” I nearly spilled the coffee grounds I was measuring as she pulled off her shirt. I’d seen her in a pair of shorts and sports bra more times than I could count, but the sight still took my breath away.

“You have a good point. I’ll just go rinse off for now.”

I watched her walk away, wishing I’d bought the kind of sunscreen that you had to rub on instead of spray.

*******

“Now this is the life.” Jade stretched out on her lounge chair. Her skin glistened in the sun as she reached down and pulled a bottle of water out of a metal pail that we’d filled with ice. Her chair was close to mine so we could share my iPod. She had one ear bud and I had the other. “I like this woman’s voice. Who are we listening to?”

“Brandi Carlile. She’s one of my favorites.”

“She’s raspy and emotional,” Jade said. “You can tell she feels what she’s singing.”

My eyes were closed, Brandi was singing in my ear, the sun was warm on my skin, and something hit my stomach that was so shocking I nearly wet myself. I bolted upright as a chunk of ice landed on my chair. I looked back at Jade, who was looking as innocent as she could manage behind her dark glasses. “So that’s how it’s gonna be.”

“Huh?” Jade pulled the bud from her ear. “Sorry, I didn’t hear you.”

“I said, it’s time for lunch. We’re having seaweed sandwiches. Ever have one?” I reached down and grabbed a glob of the stuff. The gnats swarmed and nearly chewed my arm off.

“Sloan, if you put that on me, I’ll totally freak out.” Jade scrambled to get out of her chair. “You have no idea what’s living in there.”

“Maybe a crab, maybe the Loch Ness Monster’s baby, but they’ll all be happy living in your shorts.” I sprinted after her as she ran screaming like a sissy girl down the beach. I was laughing so hard, I could barely keep up. Her tough-girl persona was totally shattered. “Come back here and take it like a woman.”

Jade cut close to the water and let me gain on her. I really had no intention of touching her with the seaweed, but when she tripped and went down, the weed and I joined her. The clump of decaying mush landed on her upper arm, and she did freak, arms and legs flailing wildly. My apology sounded insincere coming out between fits of uncontrollable laughter. The battle was on.

Jade grabbed me by the ankle and started dragging me toward the water. “Don’t you…Jade, I don’t go into anything I can’t see the bottom of.” I twisted and turned, trying to break her grasp. When the water met my butt, it felt like ice. I grabbed Jade around the leg and tried to pull her down before she could get me any deeper. When that didn’t work, I grabbed a handful of wet sand and tried to stuff it in her shorts. She lost her footing and went down on her knees. We were both laughing hysterically as we tried to put sand in each other’s shorts and bras.

Jade fell silent and looked past my shoulder. Still laughing, I followed her gaze and turned to see Jacquelyn standing on the beach with her arms folded. Her displeasure was obvious. “I distinctly remember you saying you did not date your clients.”

I looked back at Jade, unsure of whether I should point out that I wasn’t a client, but what I really wanted to do was tell Jacquelyn it wasn’t really any of her business. Jade’s stunned expression slowly changed into one of indifference. “As a rule, I don’t. If I had been honest and told you that I was involved with someone, would it have made a difference?”

Jacquelyn looked at me pointedly. “No, it wouldn’t have.”

“What’re you doing here?” I asked as anger surged through me.

“I live here.” Jacquelyn looked back at Jade. “I’ll see you Monday.”

“Actually, you’ll be seeing Jim. I’m off Monday,” Jade said. “You’ll like him. He’s single and dates quite a few clients.”

Jacquelyn shot me a smile, then looked back at Jade. “I’ll see you Tuesday then.”

I didn’t wait for Jacquelyn to get out of earshot before saying, “pretentious bitch.”

Jade grinned as she pulled a piece of seaweed from my chest. “She’s just jealous. Not everyone finds a pearl on the beach.”

“Oh, that was really sweet, but I think you’re just saying that to avoid having a handful of sand shoved down your butt crack.”

Jade opened her mouth to retort when the first raindrop hit her squarely in the forehead. We both jumped up and ran to the chairs. The rain started to pound as I grabbed my iPod and she grabbed the towels. We used the water hose to rinse off the sand, and between the wind and rain, we were freezing.

“You shower first,” Jade said between chattering teeth when we walked onto the porch.

“There are two bathrooms. If we’re quick, we’ll both have hot water.” We went our separate ways into the bathrooms. After I’d bathed, I wanted to stand under the hot spray until it ran cold but got out quickly, afraid that I’d take the hot water from Jade.

As I combed the tangles from my hair, thunder rocked the small house. It seemed to vibrate with every crash. I looked up at the light and wondered how long the power would stay on. My answer came a heartbeat later. I wrapped a towel around myself, cursing the fact that I’d picked the bathroom that didn’t adjoin the room with our clothes.

The door to the bathroom that Jade had chosen was closed, so I felt safe creeping into the room with half of my rear end hanging out from beneath the towel. Jade lay in the bed on her stomach, the sheet at her waist revealing her bare back. She was staring out at the storm as it pounded the house. “I was hoping you would come to me,” she said, her voice barely audible over the storm.

Heat rushed over me like the lightning flashing outside, burning and calling every nerve ending to life. I swallowed hard as I walked slowly to the bed. She didn’t move as I dropped the towel and crawled in beside her. I lay on my side and reached out to touch her skin. My hand hovered as I mentally prepared myself.

This wasn’t going to be like all the other times when the other person’s feelings meant nothing to me. My goal had been to please and be pleased, but my heart was never engaged. It felt like such a monumental step for me. This moment, this act was going to change everything. I exhaled softly and let my fingers drift over skin smooth as silk.

I’d hoped to lose myself in the place where my mind and body were centered on sensation, but that was not the case. My body was responding to the delight beneath my fingers, but my brain was pushing for its own connection. I blinked rapidly as images formed in the peripheral. My want for her confused and frustrated me. Mind, body, and soul clamored for its own connection, each refusing to be deprived. A soft groan crossed my lips as it occurred to me that I might not be strong enough to close the door between my mind and Jade’s private thoughts.

As I began to withdraw, Jade’s emotions pushed through— fear and desire, need and insecurity. But above all those feelings, there was affection so strong and sweet. I could feel her hesitancy to put a name to it just as I had. I absorbed her feelings and let them intertwine with mine. The images in the corner of my mind’s eye darkened and receded as I caressed her back. Muscles moved beneath warm velvety skin.

Jade rolled beneath my hand onto her back. She draped an arm over her head and looked deep into my eyes, searching for what I gleaned in a touch.

“This is just the beginning of something I know in my heart has no end,” I said softly. I took her hand and pressed it against my chest. “You can’t feel what I’m feeling, so I have to tell you, show you, and I’ve never been good at that. If you’ll trust me, I will never let you down, never let you go. Don’t move,” I said when her hand moved and gripped the back of my neck. I ran my hand down her chest between her breasts and across her stomach. “I just want to touch you for a minute.”

She relaxed, but the muscles in her stomach quivered as my fingers drifted over them. I pressed my palm over her hip bone, then slid it down a silky thigh. My feelings came to the forefront then—arousal and longing.

Jade’s gaze stayed locked with mine as I moved my hand slowly up the inside of her thigh. The higher I went, the hotter her skin became. She grasped my hand when it reached the bend of her leg. A small smile creased her lips as she rolled over, pinning me to the bed.

“What do you feel when you touch me?” She looked into my eyes.

“Smooth skin, taut muscle,” I said with a grin of my own, then said seriously, “adored.”

“You are,” she said before kissing me.

So many sensations hit me at once, the softness of her mouth, her tongue moving against mine, the heat of her skin, the slow grind of her hips, and passion that mingled with mine and made my head swim. Breathless, I broke the kiss and moved to her neck where I nibbled and kissed the sweet-smelling skin. The movement of her hips became more insistent before she devoured my mouth again.

Jade was moving into that place where thought ceases and the mind is only aware of sensation. Her fear slipped away, and the craving for a connection that transcended sex flowed through her. I had thought making love would be difficult with my ability, but it made it so much more intense. I was experiencing all of Jade, mind and body.

I felt the muscles in her stomach tense against mine. She tried to pull away, but I wrapped my legs tighter around her and whispered in her ear, “Don’t stop.” She groaned and buried her face in my neck. The muscles in her back felt like iron under my touch. My entire body quivered with excitement as her orgasm grew nearer. She stopped moving, and I felt the breath go out of her in a shudder. Her mind engaged with her body again, and I felt her affection for me so strong it made me weak.

My body responded to her kisses and strokes of its own volition, but my mind fought for dominance, once again trying to process each emotion and sensation. Jade’s tongue and teeth on my nipple made me gasp, and for a second, I told my brain to shut the hell up, but as she began her descent, I wove my hands in her hair.

“What’s wrong?” Jade’s eyes reflected fear and disappointment as I felt it flow through her touch.

“I need…” I let out a long sigh and rolled her over onto her back. “I need to touch you for a little longer.”

“We don’t have to do this if you’re not ready.” Jade looked into my eyes. “I mean it.”

I ran my tongue up the center of her chest and listened with great pleasure to her sharp intake of breath. “I’m ready,” I said before I grazed my teeth across her nipple. “My mind just won’t shut off long enough for me to relax and enjoy. Distract me, talk to me.”

“How about music? I’ve never been good at talking dirty I—Oh.” Jade’s eyes flew open wide when I put my leg between hers and thrust against her.

I couldn’t help but grin. “You were saying?”