My Once and Future Love (48 page)

“When my mother died, a part of me shut
down. It wasn't even conscious, I just...chose very safely. I
buried myself in school, didn't date, then buried myself in my job.
I didn't talk to my dad, danced around topics with my brother... I
just...hardened. And when you asked me to work for you, it was
perfect. I didn't have to look at my life if I was running yours. I
was never that open about my feelings, but I haven't let anyone in,
in years, until recently." I smiled a little. "Celeste kinda pushed
her way in against my will. Well, you met her. She's
very...dynamic."
"Hmm. Seemed like good people, though."
“She is."
"And now? Do I get a hint on what's going on up here?" he asked,
tapping my temple with his finger.
"I'm still trying to figure it out, myself. See, this is why you're
insane for picking me out of all the women in the world that want
you."
"Sweetheart, I already knew you were neurotic.” He pulled me in
close.

I buried my face in his shirt. "Ha, ha," was
my muffled reply. Being encircled in his arms felt safe, the warmth
of his chest in contrast to the chilly breeze picking up off the
ocean. I shivered.
"Cold?"
"A little."
"Let's head back to the cars, then. I'm getting hungry."
"After that big lunch! I swear you have a tapeworm."
"Hey, it takes fuel to maintain this physique. Can't help it if I
need to eat six times a day. But you're one to talk, missy. I seem
to remember you devouring an entire pizza all by your lonesome
during the Super Bowl game."
"I was bored!"
We went to a movie, sharing a tub of popcorn, then picked up dinner
so we could eat with my dad at home. Jacob hesitated on the front
walk.
"Come on, Dad's already home.”

"He's not going to be cleaning a gun in the
den, or anything, is he?"
"Are you scared of my father?" I asked, laughing.
He glared at me. "He's a big, intimidating, ex-military guy, and
you're his baby girl. I think I'm smart to be a little
worried."
I looped my arm with his and dragged him to the door. "Come on, you
big baby. You already scored points back at the hospital. The most
he's going to do is give you
The Talk
."
"That's even worse..." he muttered.
Dad came to the door just as I opened it. "Thought I heard you kids
out there. Jake...nice to see you again.” He put his hand
out.
Jacob shook it firmly. "Nice to see you, too, sir."
"I picked up Chinese, Dad. I hope that's okay?" I carried the bag
into the kitchen.
"As long as you remembered the Egg Foo Yung."
"Of
course
. You've ordered the same thing for twenty-five
years, Daddy. Jacob, can you get the plates, please? Second cabinet
on the right."

While my boyfriend followed my instructions,
I mouthed, "be nice" to my father. He blinked innocently.
"So... Jake. How long are you in town?" Dad asked.
"Until Friday, sir. I have two concerts this weekend." He placed
three plates on the table next to the containers I set out.
"Mm-hmm, and how many more of these concerts will take you out of
town?"
"
Dad
..." I hissed.
"I'm just taking an interest in his vocation, Elizabeth. I
understand what it's like to travel all the time, away from the
people you care about."
Jacob stood next to me, unsure whether it was appropriate to take
his seat, yet, or not. "Another five cities. The tour is almost
done," he answered. "Beth is welcome to come to any concert she
likes, of course."
"You guys want beers?" I hoped to break through the staring
contest.
"And where would she be expected to stay?" Dad asked, ignoring my
question.
"Wherever she is most comfortable. With security, if
necessary."
My father nodded, considering. "You have a need for that often? A
lot of crazy people fixate on celebrities."
"They do, though I've been lucky so far. My fan mail is screened
through my management, and security is all over every venue we
play. There hasn't been an incident on either tour. Beth knows all
the ins and outs, obviously, since she was a part of it for three
years."
"Can we save the interrogation for
after
we eat? The food is
starting to get cold," I said, glaring at my father.
"As you wish, sweetheart. Pass the chow mein?"
I breathed a sigh of relief when Dad focused on the food, and sat
down once I retrieved beverages. Jacob ate quietly, his leg
bouncing under the table. I asked Daddy how his day was, then
talked about my client meeting. Anything to fill the time.

Dad excused himself after dinner to deal
with some paperwork. Jacob finally slumped in his seat.
"God, I could use a smoke," he muttered, picking at the remains of
his food.

"So, go have one in the backyard."
He shook his head. "Can't. I quit a few months ago."
"Seriously? Why?"
He gave me a look that said the answer was obvious. "Something
about ‘how could anyone kiss an ashtray’?"
I
had
said that. He did it for me? "Oh. Well, it's better
for your health and your voice. How did you quit?"
"Cold turkey," he said with a grimace. "The guys were saying I
didn't have the willpower to quit, so I didn't use the gum, or
patches, or anything. The first two weeks were hell. I wasn't
exactly pleasant."
"I can imagine. I'm proud of you, though.” I kissed him gently on
the mouth. "Want some ice cream before Dad comes out to grill you
again?"
"Couldn't I just escape now while he's not looking? I don't even
know how I did, he was so stoic.”
"He approves. You'll get used to it. He has little tells if you
watch him long enough." I stood to put the plates in the sink.
"There's Fudge Ripple in the freezer."
"Chocolate for what ails you?"
"Something like that."
My father stayed in his study longer than I expected, so I sent
Jacob home while he still had the chance to escape. Before I turned
in for the night, I stopped in for Dad's official opinion.
"Well? Did my boyfriend pass his first test?" I asked, arms crossed
over my chest.
"I like him well enough.”
"Good. He's a little afraid of you, you know, so in the future, be
nice."
"As long as he's nice to you.”
I rolled my eyes. "G'night, Daddy."

Chapter Fourteen

Thursday

Jacob had me over for breakfast. Not knowing
what he had planned today, I was a bit ill-at-ease. He pulled me
inside when I knocked on the door.

“Hey, what about breakfast?” I asked when he
led me down the hall.

“I wanted to show you the rest of the house
when you don’t have an excuse to run away.”

“But I’m hungry!”

“Good, but you can wait five minutes.” We
entered his hub of creativity. "I love this room for that window.
The garden is really the house's crowning glory. Sorry about the
white walls...all I've done is hung up stuff."

"Well, I can see where Maria's influence
ends," I teased, patting the desk littered with bits of paper,
notepads, and pens.

He shrugged. “Doesn’t matter what it looks
like. I know where everything is. Let me show you all the exciting
empty rooms.” He took my hand again. They fit well, our hands, and
laced together like they remembered how it was done.

Every room was placed like my dream showed
them, but I let him play tour guide. The library looked so large
and empty without the bookshelves and comfy furniture. Upstairs, I
felt…odd…venturing down that last hallway. Allison’s room was as
plain and empty as the rest.

“The carpet is very nice,” I finally
said.

“They certainly thought of everything. The
master bath is quite gorgeous, in my opinion.”

“At the moment, I’m more interested in
breakfast.”

“Fair enough. Let’s see what Maria made too
much of today.”

After filling up on waffles, fruit, and fresh
cream, Jacob drew me out to the garden. A field of grass started at
the house and spread out several feet, with a black-bottom lap pool
off to the side. Where the grass ended, an intricate design of
flowers, shrubs, and trees wove a maze to encompass the rest of the
grounds.

“This way,” he said, mischief in the twinkle
of his eyes, leading me around twists and turns until I felt sure
I’d never find the house again. He finally stopped at the center, a
cleared circle containing a fountain and some antiqued benches.
“It’s amazing how quiet it is,” he began in a hushed voice. “You’d
never guess you were in Los Angeles. Isn’t it pretty?”

A marble statue stood at the fountain’s
center holding a single rose. Her eyes were closed as she sniffed
the blossom. She wore a simple draped tunic, her hair pulled over
one shoulder.

“Very classic. I don’t know how you found
your way here through that maze. I doubt I could find the house
right now.”

“That’s the point,” he said, pulling me onto
his lap after he sat on a bench. “No cell phones, no nosy
onlookers, no distractions…” He nuzzled into the crook of my neck
and inhaled. "I have a private flight tomorrow. Will you see me
off?"

"Of course." I wrapped my arms around his
shoulders so I wouldn't tip. "How long will you be gone?"
"Too bloody long, now," he grumbled. "I know you said you want to
go slow, but you're welcome to come join me at any of the venues,
Beth." His arms tightened around my waist. "I hate leaving you
right now."

“You can still call me. I don’t know what my
schedule will be like, but I’ll answer my phone.” Even if we had a
three-hour time difference, it still wouldn’t be a big deal.
“Jacob…”

“Hmm?”

“When we do go public, or the press finds out
about us, what then? They’re going to get really…nosy.”

The media pressure had split up more than one
couple over the years. How would our lives change once the news got
out? He softly stroked my cheek and I leaned into his touch.

“We’ll figure it out. I’ll protect you as
much as possible, sweetheart. We both know how to play the game,
yeah? So it’s just a matter of making them play on our terms.”

“You make it sound so simple.”

“It will be if we focus on
us
, not
what some tabloid says, alright? The people that really know us
know the truth. If the gossip rags step over the line, I'll just
sue.”

I wished I shared his confidence. “Still…I’d
rather they find out later than sooner.”

We stayed in the garden enjoying each other's
company until it started to get dark. Jacob suggested watching a
movie on the big TV, so we curled up on the couch with a big bowl
of popcorn.

****

The DVD had gone back to the menu screen.
Beth was asleep in front of him, breathing softly. His arm banded
around her waist, drawing her closer as he nuzzled into her
sweet-smelling hair. She sighed contentedly, her hand sliding over
his to entwine their fingers. They fit together like two spoons in
a drawer.
She shifted against him, revealing her face, and whispered his
name.
She dreams about me?
He brushed her hair off her face with
his finger, tracing along her cheek, her slender nose, the pretty
curve of her lips...rarely did he get to see her unguarded and
soft. She had the cutest little ears. He kissed the skin beneath
her ear, the muscles twitching against his lips. A twitch became a
shiver when he grazed his teeth along her neck and she moaned. It
wasn't exactly
innocent
of him to explore her responses
while she slept, but he couldn't help it...and his hands
were
behaving themselves. This was just her neck...

****

I was having a perfectly pleasant and
slightly naughty dream that felt very real. In this space, there
were no worries, no fears... I just enjoyed feeling. Dream-Jacob
made me feel sure, uninhibited, free... I lived a part where I
wasn't constantly
thinking
. If I wanted to speak, I did. If
I wanted to touch him, I did.

Waking, I looked up at Jacob through
half-open eyes. From the tingling of my skin, he’d been nibbling on
my neck. His eyes widened when I pulled his head down for a kiss. I
rolled my body so we were both on our sides facing each other, not
looking to get naked right now, but I didn't want to run, either.
So, that's how I kissed him, with measured desire.

He gave me full control, shifting underneath
me without breaking the kiss to put me on top. I appreciated him
letting me set the pace, especially since he initiated most of the
contact in our past.

My hair fell on both sides of his face,
casting it in shadow from the light of the TV.
"I...um..." I whispered.
"Do you want to move?"
I shook my head slightly and closed the gap to kiss him again,
little brushes of my lips on his. He tilted his head to easier
accept my advances, but kept his hands still on my back. I flicked
my tongue along his mouth; he gave me access, his hands tightening
their grip when I brushed the roof of his mouth.

"I like being here with you," I whispered,
kissing along his defined jaw. "I know it's seemed like I'm a
reluctant participant in all this, but... I do want to be
here.”
"Do you, now..."
"Mm-hmm..." I nipped his ear. "Did you just growl?"
"Playin' with fire, love," he said, shifting his hips to get the
point across.
I immediately abandoned his earlobe. "I forgot about… Sorry."
Hard-ons were more than I could deal with right now.

“You only have to be sorry if you don't
intend to do somethin' about it."
"Understood."
"Good. Kiss me."

It was the first make-out session either of
us had started that didn’t threaten to lead to sex—which was good,
right? A mature thing. Though, aside from wanting to build our
relationship on a stronger foundation, my scar kept me from losing
control. Vanity, sure, but I didn’t want him to see it, maybe
ever.
I reluctantly went home an hour later. It was going to be several
days 'til I saw him again, but at least we had the airport tomorrow
morning.

Celebrity News Zone has exclusive photos
of Jake Lindsey and his new love interest. Looks like Jake is into
brunettes this fall
.