Fear Familiar Bundle (153 page)

"The local paper has played all of this down," Jennifer reassured Maji. "Most people in town realize Crush Bonbon is a bigot, an idiot and a fool." Most people, but that didn't mean Bonbon couldn't stampede the masses into a mob mentality. She just wasn't going to mention that to Maji. She'd learned not to fan the flames of Maji's pending-disaster complex.

"Well, make sure that no one pays any attention to that wretched radio person."

It was time for a change of subject. "We have a reading at the library. Eugene is going to try out the manuscript for his new story,
The Lizard King.
" Jennifer found it fascinating that Eugene tried his work on live audiences of children as he honed and polished the final draft. The author liked to watch the children's reactions. Few living writers were willing to risk so much, but Eugene was a perfectionist.

"Promote that angle heavily. And for God's sake, don't let any more of those little snot-nosed brats disappear."

"Yes, Maji." Jennifer couldn't help smiling. If anyone in the media heard Maji Call talk about children, they'd think
she
might have kidnapped Mimi Frost.

"Keep me posted."

"Sure thing." Jennifer replaced the telephone. It had been a long and stressful day. None of the children she and Eugene had interviewed had known anything about Mimi. And she got the feeling they weren't lying to Eugene. There had been a frantic call to Eugene about the cat, Familiar, from Amanda Adams. Familiar had disappeared from the Adamses' luxurious accommodations and Amanda was worried sick. Jennifer smiled. The big black rascal had taken up residence at Eugene's and had refused to leave. He seemed to have been completely charmed by Eugene's youngest female, AnnaLoulou. Jennifer had been amused at the goofy expression on Familiar's face as he'd watched the young female strut and flick her tail. Eugene was right— there were definite signs of interest between the genders, no matter the species.

As if her thoughts were telepathic, the telephone rang and she answered to discover James Tenet on the other end.

"I know I'm risking decapitation or something worse at your hands, but I was wondering if I might get a press pass to Eugene's reading at the library tomorrow?"

Jennifer heard the amusement in his voice and knew instantly that Eugene had been right. James Tenet intended to needle her. He liked to get her riled— to see what outrageous things she might say next.

"I'd be delighted to arrange a press pass." Butter wouldn't melt in her mouth. She'd die before she'd give him the pleasure of losing her temper.

"Why, Ms. Barkley, you sound as if someone spanked some manners into you."

Jennifer's high-minded resolve flew out the window. "You arrogant pencil pusher. I wouldn't give you a press pass to hell. I— " She caught herself when she heard him laughing. Damn! He'd done it to her again. "But I would be glad to invite you to the reading as my special guest." She recovered herself as best she could, even though her ears were burning with her chagrin at being so easily tricked by him.

"If I didn't know better, I'd think you had a split personality. One second you're delightful and the next you're calling me names and threatening me with dire destinations."

"You bring out the best in me," Jennifer said sweetly. It crossed her mind that James Tenet didn't have to call and ask for a press pass to the reading. It was a
public
reading. Anyone could attend. He knew that, so he had to have some other reason for calling. The idea gave her a tiny chill of pleasure.

"I've been at the paper all day, and now that that deadline's over, I wanted to get a bite to eat. How about joining me?"

Even though she'd anticipated it, the question startled Jennifer. Less than twenty-four hours before she'd declared she'd have nothing to do with the man, even if he asked her. And now…

"I have something I want to discuss with you, Jennifer. Something about Eugene, and you aren't going to like it."

"What?"

"Meet me on the causeway. The Calypso. Say, in about thirty minutes?"

Jennifer automatically checked her watch. Where James Tenet was concerned she had no idea whether she should meet him or not. Every time she heard his voice it was as if her brain went on the fritz. Was he asking her on a date and using Eugene as a ploy, or did he really have something to tell her? Or, worse yet, some plan to trick her into acting like a fool?

James sensed her hesitation and realized that, once again, he'd bungled the situation. In more than one instance he'd been considered better than smooth with the ladies. But Jennifer Barkley had the most infuriating effect on him. He took everything just a little too far— his teasing, his seriousness, his thoughts. Lately he'd discovered that he was sitting at his computer staring at a blank screen and visualizing Jennifer's eyes or lips. It was a terribly distracting habit to form at the ripe age of thirty-five.

"Jennifer, I'm asking you to dinner, and I also have something to tell you about Eugene." There. He'd straightened it out with simple directness.

Jennifer responded in kind. "I'll meet you at the Calypso in half an hour."

"See you there." James was grinning as he replaced the telephone. But the grin faded as he scanned his computer screen. He'd pulled up the state wire to see what stories were breaking across the nation, and much to his surprise, he'd come upon a very brief reference to the developing feud between radio host Crush Bonbon and children's writer Eugene Legander.

The story quoted Crush as saying he was launching a campaign to get the author's books "banned and/or burned in all God-fearing cities and towns." Crush did not go so far as to claim that Eugene was a man who would like to injure children, but he implied it. James's lips quirked as he read the story again. Crush had a personal vendetta against Eugene, that was plain to see. At least for the moment he wasn't accusing Eugene of kidnapping that missing girl. For the moment. That was what he had to alert Jennifer to.

He picked up his coat, tightened his tie and started toward the parking lot. He had bad news for Jennifer, but he could certainly appreciate the pleasure of her company for dinner— before he had to break it to her.

J
ENNIFER
had ten minutes to decide on what she would wear. The stubborn part of her urged her to go in her faded blue jeans and red silk blouse. She looked perfectly fine for the island atmosphere of the Calypso restaurant. Still…She snatched her favorite blue sundress out of the closet and slipped into it. The full skirt and fitted bodice showed off every firm curve. Let James Tenet eat his heart out. As her aunt Beth had often told her, "Look, look. But lookin' and gettin' are two different things." It would do her ego a lot of good to see James Tenet want something he couldn't have. The man had too much charm by far, and she'd seen him around town, squiring the most eligible of Mobile's bachelorettes. Even as she recalled the instances, she was aware that she'd never seen him with the same woman more than once or twice. He seemed determined not to show a public preference for any one lady.

The night was slightly cool and Jennifer picked up a soft white sweater and got in her car. The strip of highway that connected Mobile and Baldwin counties and crossed the Mobile River delta and Mobile Bay was called the causeway. A newer, safer, superhighway had been constructed above the water, but some of the tough old-timers who'd weathered hurricanes and floods still owned restaurants and lounges along the old highway where the water lapped the edge of the road. There were bait houses and a few hotels, but mostly there was tall saw grass whispering in the gentle April breeze and the sound of water beating a soft cadence against rowboats and black wooden piers.

Jennifer loved the smell of the water and the gentle sounds of the night as she drove with her window down. A full moon was slipping over the trees on the Mobile side of the bay, a silvery globe of pale spring magic. It was definitely a night for romance.

The thought surprised her, and embarrassed her. And it was Eugene's fault. He'd put foolish notions in her head where James Tenet was involved. And the tropical spring night was having an effect on her. She was normally a sensible young woman with her future completely in focus. A night for romance, indeed. It was a night when she'd better stay alert because James Tenet was a man who'd take advantage of any weakness.

She pulled into the parking lot of the Calypso with her jaw squared and her purse clutched. The saw grass whispered secrets about the moon, and just for a moment she stopped to watch the moonlight glitter silver on the soft waves of Mobile Bay. It was a beautiful evening.

"You walked up, and for a moment it was like a scene from a black-and-white movie." James Tenet stepped out of the shadows of the building. "Moonlight, water, a beautiful woman making an unknown rendezvous. And then I realized I was the lucky man."

His nearness made Jennifer unexpectedly breathless. She was intensely aware of him, of the touch of his wool blazer against the bare skin of her arm. It was suddenly as if every inch of skin had been sensitized to his nearness. The reaction was almost painful.

When she didn't speak— and didn't walk away— James stood beside her, content to listen to the night. "I grew up down the bay a little ways." His voice was as soft and gentle as the water. "Late at night my brother and I would sneak out our bedroom window and go down to the water. Sometimes we'd wade with a flashlight, just looking to see what we could see. Other nights we'd sit on one of the big rocks that had been thrown out to stop erosion. We learned to tell all of the birds by the sounds they made in the dark. We saw nutria and foxes, and sometimes even a passing alligator. One time the animal control people caught a 'gator that was over eighteen feet long. It had been living not a quarter mile from our front yard."

Jennifer felt as if time had stopped. She was in a magic bubble, a time warp where there was nothing but the erotic sounds of the night and James's voice, the smell of water and grass, and the feel of him standing so close behind her that if she drew a deep breath, she'd bump into him. She didn't want to move or speak. She wanted to stand and allow herself the luxury of the experience. James Tenet was a new sensation. She wanted to savor the way he made her feel.

An easy silence stretched between them. "Are you hungry?"

"No." Her voice was low, sensual, and she felt a twinge of embarrassment. "I mean, it's pleasant to stand here."

"I never thought I'd hear you say that it was pleasant to stand anywhere with me." Though Jennifer's words had been carefully chosen, he heard the slightly roughened texture of her voice. The idea that she might actually enjoy his company sent a jolt of pleasure through him.

"I surprise myself sometimes." Jennifer laughed. She was astounded! Here she was, standing in the moonlight with a man who could ignite her fuse like nobody else— and she was actually delighted. "I think Eugene must have cast a spell on me," she added, thinking of the writer and how he'd cackle at her behavior. He wouldn't have to say "I told you so." It would be clear in his eyes.

"He's a remarkable man," James agreed. "I just finished his book. I know it's for children, but I thoroughly enjoyed reading it."

"Eugene says that the best stories for children should also capture an adult's interest."

"He's right. Look, just there." As James pointed to the quick black silhouette of a bird skimming just above the water, his arm brushed her shoulder. "A brown pelican. They were almost extinct, but they're coming back since the chemical companies have been forced to clean up their pollutants."

At the touch of his arm Jennifer felt her heart pounding. She wanted him to kiss her, but it was a wild longing that she certainly shouldn't entertain. No matter what her brain said, her body had its own ideas. Without intending to, she turned slightly. James was at least six inches taller, and she looked up to find the moonlight bronzing the squareness of his chin and his straight nose.

He bent to kiss her, and she lifted her chin. It was a kiss that left both of them startled and breathless.

"We should go inside," Jennifer said. She felt off-balance, and James's hand steadied her as she turned out of his arms and started toward the steps of the restaurant.

For a few seconds James had been surprised by the intensity of the kiss. He was still trying to figure out exactly what had happened between the two of them when he opened the door of the restaurant for her.

Loud reggae music greeted them, and a smiling waiter led them to a table where James ordered two rum specials. He looked across the table at Jennifer, but her eyes were demurely cast at her place setting. For the first time since he'd laid eyes on her, she seemed unsure of herself. He felt a mischievous urge to tease her, but thought better of it. Jennifer Barkley was delightful when she was angered, but he was also developing a real appreciation for the softer side of her. Especially her soft lips.

The waiter returned, and they ordered. Jennifer watched James from beneath her shield of eyelashes. His kiss had surprised her. He was cocky and arrogant and filled with devilment. But his kiss had been tender, and very exciting. It had also been more intimate than she'd ever experienced. There had been a bond formed that frightened her in a way. She'd kissed her share of men, but it had always been carefree and simply sexual. With James, it had been something more.

"I've never seen you so quiet."

Jennifer was too aware that James was watching her. "It's been a long day," she said. "Eugene and I tried to play detective, but we had only minor success." She filled him in on the day's events, glad to put some distance between herself and her unsettled feelings as she talked about her favorite writer.

James leaned forward on his elbows, his interest keen. "That was good work. And the cat really found the hideout?"

Jennifer held up three fingers, then changed to four and finally back to three in an attempt to imitate a scout's pledge of truth. "Honest. Familiar found the place. Eugene says cats have a very sophisticated sense of smell."