Picture Perfect (5 page)

“Hey, you’re a real woman with delicious curves on ya. I’m just taking advantage of your situation to cop a few feels, is all.” He gave her a look that combined innocence and mischief all in one.

“Well, when you put it that way….” She raised her hands, offering herself up to him. He lifted her off the seat, and as she wrapped her arms around his neck he kissed her breath away. She leaned her forehead against his when he finally released her lips. “I didn’t know there were free appetizers before the meal.”

“Mmm hmm.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “And after, free dessert, too.”

“I love this place already.”

They laughed quietly together and he brought her into the restaurant. The hostess seated them in a cozy nook that looked out upon a coy pond. After sharing each other’s food, talking about growing up in California, and gushing over their similar taste in movies and music, Jamie removed them to an outside patio for coffee and cuddling on a porch swing.

“Look how beautiful the sunset is. Do you realize we’ll have seen a sunrise and a sunset together? It feels like we’ve lived a lifetime in two days.” She played with his large fingers on a hand powerful enough she thought to knock a man out, yet gentle enough to send shivers across her skin.

“It’s beautiful, like you. Pretty incredible how life changes on a dime, and for the better. When you collapsed at my feet, I never imagined you’d be the best package to land on my doorstep.”

She kissed his hand and opened his palm to her cheek. “Package! Oh my, I forgot with all the hustle and bustle when you came over. There’s a package, an envelope, on my foyer table for you. Some nasty delivery woman brought it to my house since you weren’t home. Creepy lady. Anyhoo, when we get back, don’t forget to take it with you.”

“What the heck is a delivery service giving my mail to a neighbor? No offense to you given our current state of involvement.”

“None taken. I thought the same thing, but she said you allowed this all the time with your packages.”

“All the time? I don’t even get mail delivered to my house. I have a post office box.”

The evening took a disturbing left turn. “Let’s go home, Jamie. I’m not liking the sound of this at all. You need to check out what’s inside that envelope.” He grumbled under his breath and agreed, scuffing his boots against the dirt like a disappointed schoolboy.

***

The ride home had taken on a more somber tone. Hope prayed that whatever was inside the envelope would be legitimate and not another harassing tool of Brittany’s, but she didn’t hold out much faith. Going over the scene for the millionth time, she could kick herself. What a load of crap the woman handed her. Anyone could have seen right through it. Anyone but a love-crazed woman. Well, back down to earth now, she remembered every little detail of her interaction with the abrasive bitch.

When she described her to Jamie, as he walked them up to her front door, he confirmed that Brittany hadn’t delivered the envelope, but maybe a friend willing to do the vengeful deed did. He opened the front door, and there it lay, deceivingly innocent, on the foyer table. “That had to have been the longest ride in history. Put me down, would you, please? Go ahead and open it. I can’t take the suspense much longer.”

“All right.” He felt the package, first around the edges and along the sides. “It feels like photographs to me. Let’s see what we’ve got here.” He tore through the top and looked inside. “Uh, they’re a stack of photos all right. I think I’ll take these back to my place and call the police. I’ll call you when this mess is cl….”

 “Jamie, you’re not going anywhere. Come, let’s sit down, the police can come here. I’m the one who can describe the delivery woman anyway.” He shook his head and used both hands to cup her face, caressing her cheeks with his thumbs. Bright amber orbs glowed before her and his jaw twitched with controlled rage.

“I don’t want you involved in this mess any more than you are already, Hope. It’s turned ugly, scary, and I refuse to have you tangled up in it as well. I’m just gonna go home, and deal with it on my own. When the police and I have things under control, I’ll call you.”

 “Listen to me. You’ve been here for me. Let me be here for you. I can handle things, and I can help you handle things. You’re not alone, Jamie. Come on.” She eased his hands off her face, and as she hopped, guided him toward the sofa. “Now, let’s take a look, together. And we’ll take care of this, together.”

“You’re amazing, you know that?” He shook his head and took the wad of photos out of the envelope.

He placed them, one by one, on the coffee table. The first six were various stock solo shots of Jamie, altered. Red marker slashed through his chest like a dagger on each.

“Oh, my God, Jamie,” she murmured through trembling fingers as he put the next few photos down. “She’s taken photos of you, us.” She scooted forward to get a better look. “Through my windows!” They were amateur shots and poorly taken. She saw her image had been marked over with red and Jamie had devil horns drawn on his head.

“She’s really sick, this Brittany.” He swiped the photos from the table and put his head in his hands. She rubbed his back and held him in her arms. “I’m so sorry.”

“No, I’m the one who’s sorry. She’s got you as a target now, too. Shit. All right, I’m calling the cops.” He took out his cell phone and called. He spoke to an officer who said someone would be over to take a report.

When the police arrived there was a little flurry of activity. The photos were collected into evidence, the area around the windows and doors were scoured for footprints while the outer windowsills were dusted for prints. They suggested that while the investigation continued they both stay elsewhere and keep a low profile.

“We can’t very well do that. We have lives and jobs, Officer Reese.”

“Well, Ms. Evans, we don’t have enough resources to put a detail on both of your houses, but we can put a detail on one of them.”

“Actually, Hope, I’m just renting this house for the summer. I have a place in LA. We could get lost there, easily. Brittany doesn’t know that address, and I’ve never taken her, or any woman, home. It’s actually my mom’s home, I live there to take care of the place. She fashions herself as a jet-setter and lives on the East Coast half the year, this coast the other half. I’m cheap labor.” He laughed in a self-depreciating way. “You could bring your laptop and do work from there.”

She immediately approved, not wanting to spend another minute in her home with that lunatic still out there. “Would you be able to provide a detail or a contact up there for us, Officer?”

“Yeah, we could swing that. Give me the address there. I have the rest of your information. You’d best head out and ‘get lost’. We’ll get the station near you apprised of the situation. On our end, we’ll stake out this woman’s apartment complex and follow her to see if she makes another move. Here’s my card. Hopefully this will be over and done with quickly.”

“Thank you so much.”

Jamie walked the officer to the front door and returned, determination set clearly on his face. “You’re not leaving my side, not for a moment, so let’s get you packed up and we’ll head to LA. Hopefully, Brittany will make a mistake in the next couple of days and our worries will be over.”

“It’ll be all right, Jamie. We’ll get through this, she’ll be caught red-handed, literally, and we can go back to our normal lives.” She smiled, praying she showed a calm exterior rather than the stone-cold fear she really felt inside.

Chapter Six

Midnight in LA was like rush hour in LA. It took them twice as long to get back to his place as it should have due to a couple of accidents off to the side of the road. Brake lights and headlights lit up the freeway like a lava flow. Hope had fallen asleep soon after Jamie put her in the car. He replayed everything that had happened since his photo shoot went bust with Brittany and his ire reignited. He didn’t know what he’d do if she tried to contact him again.
She’s good, the psychotic bitch, always making it seem as though I’m the bad guy and she’s only trying to make things right again.
He finally pulled up the driveway and into the garage. He turned off the car and closed the garage door.
Time to forget about her and concentrate on the extraordinary woman next to you, bud.

“Hope, babe, we’re here.” He leaned over and kissed her lightly on her cheek. She stirred, turned toward him, and smiled drowsily.

“Oh, good, ‘cause I’m in desperate need of a comfy bed and you, mister. What are the chances of me getting those at this time of night?”

He put his forehead against hers and whispered, “I think your chances are pretty damned good. In fact, I’d say it is a sure bet. Place your chips, baby.”

Her throaty laugh sent waves of heat through his body straight to all points south. The nighttime air had caused her voice to deepen and rasp, and sound sexy as hell. “I’ll place my chips, honey. Just show me where.”

“Right here, sweetheart, right here.” He pointed to the bulge in his pants. They burst into laughter that sent tears streaming down their cheeks.

“Oh, my God! That’s the cheesiest line ever.” She shook her head.

“I know! I can’t believe I just said that!” He turned serious and looked at her sparkling eyes for a moment, needing to touch her. He reached out a tentative hand to gently tuck away a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “Let’s get out of here and into that comfy bed you requested.”

“Yes, let’s.” Her eyes spoke the rest of her desires.

***

He brought her straight to his bedroom on the second floor, a master suite, complete with loveseat and sofa by a fireplace at the far end. She marveled at the moonlight casting a soft glow through the amber stained glass windows, illuminating a king-sized bed loaded with pillows of all shapes and sizes. He pushed them aside and lowered Hope gently to the bed, joining her just as she’d been anticipating since before dinner. They stayed locked in a desperate embrace for a while, before he released her to rise above her like a canopy, his powerful arms and legs forming posts on either side of her. She couldn’t resist, wouldn’t resist the urge to release his hair from its bindings, and raked her fingers through to release their waves. His eyes, green with desire, seemed to search for refuge in hers.

“I could lose myself in your eyes.”

 She parted her lips but found no words to adequately respond. She batted her lashes and turned away, embarrassed and thrilled at the same time. He moved his head and captured her gaze once again. “No, don’t look away. Look at me. Let me find lost in you.” He’d spoken so softly, so openly and raw. She smiled gently at his play on words, loving the intimacy, the perfection, of the moment.

 She raised herself up to but a hairs breath away from his face. “Kiss me, Jamie, and we’ll find lost together.”

She didn’t wait a moment longer, and reveled in the pressure and urgency of his lips against hers. Pulling away for a moment to breathe, she moaned his name into his ear and teased his lobe with her teeth. Inch by torturous inch, he removed her shirt, revealing a black lace bra she knew barely contained the wealth of her assets. She pulled and tugged at his shirt, and cried out in frustration, when it wouldn’t budge. The light touch of his fingers traced the outline of her bra. She whimpered as the tip of one ran just a hairs-breadth from her nipple.

“Please, Jamie. I need to feel you on my skin.”   She moaned. “Help me.”

Moment by impossible moment, piece by piece, all clothes were shed. In haste and without ceremony, he tore off the last piece of clothing and exposed a sumptuous terrain of hills and valleys for her fingers, lips, and tongue to explore. The light dusting of chest hair tickled her skin, and his blessed hands kneaded her breasts, as she closed her eyes, capturing and committing to memory every sensation of their bodies entwining. Her hands journeyed over his broad back, circling around and down his sides only to playfully flick his nipples.  Moans of desire escaping his lips gave her a feeling of power. That she could make this gorgeous man, who played at making love, moan in real desire, made her own flame higher. With a grin on her face, she followed the trail of hair down. He jumped and sucked in a breath when she teased his manhood  delicately with her fingers, and she giggled.