Meadow's Keep (The Gatekeepers Series) (39 page)

Jasmine nodded. “That’s true.”

Lily seemed to take that as encouragement. “Morna didn’t like me much. At first, she would get irritated if I was in the room when she would come in. She’d say, ‘I need to talk to
my
mother,’ and I would leave. She always called Beverly Mother, never Mom. I called Beverly
Beverly
. She didn’t seem to mind. Mostly, she ignored me. And, she was pretty nice to Dad. Beverly, I mean, not Morna. Morna used to narrow her eyes at Dad when she didn’t think he was looking. But, he started traveling a lot and I didn’t see him as much.” She stopped to take a deep breath and sip the Coke Jasmine had brought. With her swollen lip, Lily was having a hard time, even with the straw.

Watching the girl struggle, a
nger shot through Jasmine. She wished she could share her newly acquired abilities, not only with the girl in the bed, but with most of the residents at Safe Harbor.
Boy, would that cut down on the need for a Safe Harbor.
She felt the tingle in her finger tips and turned back to Lily. She saw Eryk turn his eyes to her from the other side of the bed and saw just the smallest crinkle in the corners, as though he’d heard her thoughts. She tried to ignore the way her pulse sped up.

“Go on, Lily,” she encouraged.

Lily looked down at the blanket, not meeting their eyes. “The first time, I’d come home from school. When I got to the landing—our bedrooms were on the second floor—Morna came flying out of her room, screaming, ‘You’ve been in my room, you little bitch!’ She shoved me. I tried to tell her I hadn’t, but she shoved me again…and I went down the stairs. I still had my backpack on. I guess it knocked me out because, when I came to, Beverly and Morna were standing over me and Morna was saying how I’d slipped. Beverly told me to get up, but I couldn’t. She seemed upset, but called 9-1-1. I’d dislocated my shoulder and twisted my ankle.”

Jasmine
tried to swallow by her mouth had gone dry. She knew that had been the beginning of what had to have been a horrendous change for Lily. “Is that why you ran away?”

Lily nodded. “I knew something was wrong. Dad hadn’t been home for months and Morna had been gone, too.” She suddenly looked up at Jasmine and smiled. “Beverly and I were really beginning to get along.
With Morna gone, Beverly would ask me questions about school and everything. I had a dance coming up and she took me shopping. I got the coolest dress. She has really good taste—almost as good as you, Jasmine.”

Jasmine smiled. It took so little to win the child’s heart.

“Anyway, Morna returned and I overheard her say something about taking care of it. He won’t be back.” Lily’s eyes lifted, the panic plain. “I knew it was my dad she was talking about. I went to my room and tried to call him. I tried all his numbers. I couldn’t get him. Morna came to my room and started hitting on me. I was scared. She had this look in her eyes. I started fighting back. I don’t know how I did it, but I got away. That’s when the cops got me.”

“Lily, it’s none of my business, but I want to know. When we found you, you were pretty beat up and
the clothes you were wearing….” Jasmine didn’t know how to finish the question.

Lily’s eyes widened. “No!” she squeaked. “It wasn’t
what you think. When I left I went to a friend’s house, but her mom was friends with Beverly. Well, not exactly friends, but she wanted to be. I knew I couldn’t stay there. My friend called a friend of her brother’s who drove me to Norfolk. He took me to one of his friend’s house who gave me some clothes cause mine were all dirty and messed up. She dressed kinda cheap. I wasn’t hooking. I was asking for money so I could get a phone to find my dad.”

Eryk jumped in. “You were panhandling,” he said, obviously relieved.

“I guess that’s what you call it. I guess from what I was wearing and all….” She let her voice trail off.

Jasmine smiled at her. “Hey, it got you to us, which is a good thing. We’ll have to
get something pretty for Detective Sonya, as a thank you gift, don’t you think?”

Lily’s eyes lit up. “Yeah. That would be great.”
Her eyes sparkled. “If they ever let me out of here,” she called toward the nurse walking by.

****

Jasmine’s ass was dragging. She felt like she hadn’t slept in a month. From the moment they’d released Lily to return to Safe Harbor, it felt like the girl had gone into overdrive. Immediately, they had to stop and the first available fast food place and fill up on more grease than Jasmine figured she’d had in a year. Then, Lily had talked nonstop, even with a swollen mouth, for the entire two-hour ride back. Not the kind of talk she could sit back and nod, yet ignore, but the kind that required her active involvement. Clothing. Wardrobe lines. Designers. As if that wasn’t enough, the dynamo herself, Jenn, had met them at the door and everyone seemed to be talking at once.

She pulled off her jacket and let it drop on the floor, on her way to bed. The light rap on the door came just and she was crawling
onto the big, soft bed.

“Go away.” She could only get a mutter.

“You sure about that?” Eryk’s warm voice washed over her and her body responded, despite her exhaustion.

Lying on her stomach, she turned her head and opened one eye to see him standing next to the bed. “How did—”

He just smiled at her. Jasmine moaned and turned her head away, but scooched over to make room on the bed.

The moment he eased his body down beside her, Jasmine’s body
came alive. As much as she wanted sleep, her very skin seemed to tingle. He was touching her and she felt the blood pulse through her veins to settle in her core. Her breasts felt heavy and achy. Her loins throbbed.

She turned on her side he see him facing her, watching. His emerald green eyes had darkened and
had that molten look. Her breath caught. He reached over and ran his finger over the curve of her cheek.

When he spoke, his voice was deep and husky.
“I have to leave soon.”

“Now? But…”

He cut off her words with his mouth and she found herself drinking him in, wanting so much more. She ran her hand up his chest and around his neck to sink her fingers in the thick black waves that she loved to touch. She pulled his mouth tighter and opened her lips, seeking the intoxication of his tongue. She moved her body against his in a silent plea.

That was all it took. Eryk reached for her with a passion he
had known only with her. When he was near her he became insatiable, wanting to meld their bodies, their beings. He arm dragged her closer until his hardness pushed against her and she, in turn, moved against him. At once they were tearing at clothing, trying to get closer. His mouth and his hands took her, spreading fire in their wake. He took the hardened peak of her breast in his mouth and laved his tongue in a pushing circle, feeling it harden more until he suckled and she moaned. His hand dipped and his fingers spread through her black curls until he found her moisture and eased his finger in, spreading the heat.

Jasmine
moved, leaning toward him, begging. She couldn’t wait. She needed him to fill her. As he eased himself between her legs, his hands clasped her arms and he stared into her eyes. With their eyes locked, he sank deep within her and let the energy flow. She felt the rhythm of their pounding hearts shift, converge into a single beat. Current flowed through her and back to him, encasing her body in a vibrating heat. Her hands grabbed the sculpted muscles of his back, molding them. She moved, meeting his thrusts until there was nothing but him and sensations flooding her. The sensations built until she thought she would die and then their nerves exploded and pulsed in waves of completion.

Their bodies crashed
onto the bed.

“What the hell?”
she gasped. Their bodies still connected, she felt him tense above her.

“Uh…did we just?”

Jasmine giggled. “It sure felt like it.”

“Wow,” he said and buried his face in her neck. A chuckle escaped.

She punched him lightly in the back. “Stop that. That’s not funny.” But her voice betrayed her.

He lifted his head and looked into her eyes.
“That, my love, was some magic.” He reached down, kissed her on the nose, and eased his body to her side. “I really did just come by to tell you I was leaving.” He let his fingers trail down her damp abdomen. “And, if I don’t get up, I’m still not going to make my plane.”

She stilled. “You aren’t flying? You haven’t had any sleep.” She propped herself up on
her elbows and studied his face. His face was shadowed in several days-worth of beard, giving him a rakish look. She wanted to push him back on the bed and straddle him. The thought had her blink twice, trying to clear her sex-fogged brain.

He caught the look and let his eyes slowly gaze down her long body, memorizing the lush fullness of her breasts, the curve of her waist and the legs that went on forever.
She wore a thin silver chain around her ankle and that had the blood rushing to his groin. God, he would never get enough of this woman. But, he had places to be and people to see. He leaned over and placed a kiss just below her naval, glanced up and saw her eyes darken. Mustering more control than he felt he had, he kissed her on her love-swollen mouth and eased off the bed.

“Bask has someone meeting me at the plane. They’re going to fly while I catch some sleep. How he
’d found someone who would fly to Mississippi on a moment’s notice….” He didn’t finish, but pulled on his jeans and buttoned his shirt.

“Don’t eve
n ask. He won’t answer.” Jasmine was slipping her clothes on as well.

“Go back to bed. I’ll call you tonight.”

Already somewhat dressed she followed him to the door. She wanted to say something, but waited, not letting the words come. Instead, she nodded. One more quick kiss and he was gone. She closed the door and leaned against it.

****

A light tap on her door brought her awake. She didn’t remembered lying down.

“Eryk…”
She pulled open the door.

“Sorry,” Jenn said, grinned
, and lifted the tray she was holding. “I thought some tea and scones might be just about the right thing.”

Jasmine ran her hand through her hair. “Let me rinse out my mouth…or something….” She pointed to the bed
. “What time is it?”

“Ten
-thirty,” Jenn call out to her.

“Damn,” Jasmine responded and closed the bathroom door.

In minutes, they were propped in her bed with the tray between them, sipping Earl Grey tea and munching on cinnamon scones.

Jasmine let the cinnamon melt on her tongue. “God, don’t tell Teresa, but these are as good as hers.”

“They ought to be, they are hers.”

Jasmine stopped in mid chew.

“She overnighted a care package.” She handed Jasmine a note.

Jasmine recognized the Abbott Bed & Breakfast station
ery with a pang of homesickness. Teresa’s neat scrawl slanted across the notepaper:

Hey, Sweetie—

You’ve certainly had a time of it, haven’t you? I figured some goodies waiting for you would make things a little better. Just picture me sitting across from you and Jenn, chatting away.

I just want to let you know I’m so very proud of you. You are an amazing woman and I love you with all my heart.
I know things haven’t gone like you might have liked but, trust me, these things have a way of working out.

I’m doing fine.
We’ll talk more when you and Eryk come down to help Morgan and Dorian. She’s big as a barn now. Both of them are happy as larks.

Enjoy the treats.

Love you,

Teresa

“You okay?”

Jasmine nodded and wiped away the stray tear. She sighed a deep sigh. “I feel bad that I haven’t been there for her.”

“If I know Teresa, she’d want you to be exactly where you are—with Lily.”

“How is
Lily?”

“She slept until about nine o’clock and made a beeline to wardrobe.”

Jasmine shook her head and smiled. “She a resilient girl, isn’t she.”

“Most of them are,” Jenn added.

Jasmine looked at her friend. Jenn would know. She’d been saving them for years.

“She agreed to meet with Dr. Browne this afternoon.”

“That’s good. I think Dr. Browne can help her get through this.”

“I talked to Bask this morning, by the way.” Jenn topped off their cups and handed Jasmine the honey.

Jasmine stirred the honey into the tea and sipped the sweet liquid. The light filtered in through the window and played across the comforter on her bed. The warm serenity of sitting in bed with a good friend, sharing tea and talk, slipped into her mind like a hug and she relished the feeling. Eryk’s image stole into the scene and she felt complete.

“
Uncle Mike had a conference call with the facility in Sweden. It was on the up and up,” Jenn said. “He’s at the facility here now and will examine Mr. Greeson when he arrives this afternoon.”

Sometimes a small world was very small indeed. Mike Yancy, Ruthorford’s doctor as long as Jasmine could remember, and Teresa’s ex-boyfriend, had turned out to be Jenn’s uncle
.