His hands ran over her shoulders bringing her closer as his fingers splayed down over her back, playing with the strap of her bikini top.
“What in the hell am I doing?” Brian growled, pulling away in shock, shaking his head numbly.
Ashley just stood there, looking dazed, with a hand over her mouth.
Brian hung his head. “I can’t believe I did that. I’m sorry, Ashley.”
Suddenly, she gave him what was definitely a mischievous smile. “For what?”
Brian blinked, before a slow smile crossed over his face. “For my hands getting carried away?”
“I didn’t mind,” Ashley answered, smiling widely.
“Meow.”
“I agree, Spook,” Brian answered, turning toward the cat and reaching out his hand. “That kiss was Spooktacular.”
“Meeeeeoww.” Spook answered, cocking his head in definite agreement as Brian rubbed it thoroughly..
Ashley groaned, still looking flustered.
“Well, you know what this means?” Brian said, giving Ashley a side glance.
“What?” Ashley asked, sounding irritable.
“We’re going steady now.”
Ashley snorted, rolling her eyes. “Not likely, with me going away to school next week. Besides, all we do is get on each other’s nerves. I think it’s time to change the subject. Let’s take a walk down that staircase.”
“Alright,” Brian murmured, scooping up Spook, handing him over to Ashley before reaching for the flashlight and switching it on.
Brian turned back to Ashley momentarily, growling, “But we’re not done talking.”
She stuck out her tongue.
And Brian laughed, shaking his head in irritation. Truthfully, he felt so muddled, he didn’t know what to think.
He’d been serious. She was his girl, and not anyone else’s, and it was time she knew it, whether she was going away to school or not.
Chapter Two
Ashley was shaken; she’d never been kissed like that before. And to think that Brian was the one who’d rocked her world to the very core.
Carrying Spook in her arms, she felt uncertain as she made her way down the narrow wooden-planked staircase behind Brian. Although it was difficult to see without additional lighting to guide them, Ashley could make out a row of old lanterns resting on some shelves above, along with a few hanging lights with sockets. Sometime or another, electrical wiring appeared to have been added, although not professionally, since the wiring was exposed.
As they stepped onto a platform, Brian aimed the flashlight down a long narrow passageway, and Ashley squinted, noticing several doors lining the walls.
“I think this is the main floor,” he murmured.
Suddenly, she heard the sound of voices coming from down below. “Everyone must still be in the basement.”
Brian turned, exploring with the beam of the flashlight. “There’s another staircase right here. Also, there seems to be a door leading outside.”
“There’s a padlock on the door,” she said. “It would be interesting to see where it opens up.”
“I was just thinking the same thing,” he answered. “Let’s head down this other flight of stairs.”
“Alright,” she said, following as he started down another long staircase.
Spook was still purring as Ashley gingerly made her way down each step.
When they reached the bottom of the staircase, it was like a maze, Ashley thought, her eyes following the beam of the flashlight.
“I think my grandfather mentioned there used to be some kind of exit from the basement leading outside onto the beach,” Brian said.
“Why?’ she asked, looking at him curiously.
“Smuggling,” Brian answered. “Most people don’t realize it was happening on the great lakes and not just along the ocean coasts.”
Ashley’s eyes went wide. “Your relatives were smugglers?”
Brian grinned. “You ought to see the look on your face. The story is my great-great grandfather was born in Canada, and the rest of the family still lived there when the U.S. and Canada were apparently on the outs. Supposedly, there were all kinds of tariffs imposed on goods coming in from Canada.”
“So why would he need to smuggle?”
“I guess I forgot to mention he owned a trading post along the Crystal Rock River?”
“I don’t know much about Crystal Rock’s history,” Ashley admitted.
“The river branches off from Lake Superior, and it was a regular route back then, especially since the railroad didn’t come through until the mid-eighteen-hundreds, so that’s how he managed to maintain his business in the early years.”
Ashley pursed her lips. “That really is interesting. I can understand why you’d want to take a look around the house.”
Brian confessed, “I wish I could talk my dad into buying the place when it goes on the market.”
Ashley grimaced. “It’s going to cost a fortune to bring this place up to date. Just the heating and cooling alone is going to run into thousands. Not to mention wiring and plumbing.”
Brian looked at her in obvious consternation, and after a moment of silence, he murmured softly, “I knew that dumb girl routine was only an act.”
Ashley scrunched her nose, looking down at Spook, who was still purring madly in her arms. “Come on. Let’s see where this main passageway goes.”
As Brian aimed the beam of the flashlight down the narrow hallway, he noticed there was a door on the left with a latch screwed in.
“Is it my imagination, or does that padlock attached to the door look fairly new?”
“I’d say it was,” Ashley answered, as they paused to study the lock. “Is there an extra key on the ring?”
“Nothing that would fit the lock,” Brian answered. “The entire setup seems strange, doesn’t it?”
“It does,” she admitted.
Just then, Brian heard Jason’s voice.
“There you guys are,” Jason called out. “We were just about to head that way.”
“You guys found a cat,” Michelle squealed, quickly approaching Ashley and rubbing Spook on the head.
Brian didn’t know how it was possible, but Spook was purring louder.
“He must belong to someone, cause he’s wearing a collar,” Ashley told them. “His name is Spook.”
Jeff was scratching his head. “How did you guys end up down here?”
“We came down the back staircase,” Brian answered, sweeping an arm behind him. “There’s not much to see, except for a door with a padlock, and another door which looks like it leads outside. But that has a padlock on it too, and there’s no key on the keyring that looks like it’ll fit either one.”
“Well, strangely, the setup looks pretty normal when you walk down the staircase,” Michelle said.
Brian was puzzled. “How’s that?”
“Come on,” Jason answered, turning and aiming the flashlight. “We’ll show you.”
They walked down the hallway a little further, strolling past a laundry room and a few other open doors.
“Storage,” Jeff murmured, when Ashley peeked inside one of the rooms while Brian aimed the flashlight’s beam inside.
“Look at all the clothes,” Ashley murmured. “I wonder what that’s all about?”
“Here’s the strange thing,” Michelle said. “The clothes are all fairly new.”
“But no one’s been living here,” Ashley said.
“Meoooooooooooowww.”
“Well, besides you Spook,” Brian murmured.
Spook wanted down, and Ashley laid the cat on the floor.
“I’m not so sure about that,” Jason said. “Come and see what we found.”
Brian couldn’t believe what he saw when they reached the end of the hallway, because right in front of them was a huge living room setup, complete with couches, easy chairs and a big screen TV. A modern kitchenette with appliances had been incorporated into the space on the opposite side of the
room and peeking inside a door near the end of the hallway, Brian could see a full-sized bathroom had also been included in the plan.
Jason continued, “Nothing is powered up right now, so whoever was living here doesn’t seem to be around.”
“What’s the source of the power?” Ashley asked.
“Probably a generator somewhere on the property,” Brian answered.
“I agree,” Jeff said. “Your dad must know about this, Ashley?”
“Yes, he must,” Ashley said. “He purchased the property about six months ago. But as far as I know, nothing has been updated.”
Brian became thoughtful. “But you can’t be sure?”
She nodded and answered, “No. I can’t.”
“Well,” Michelle said. “This place kind of gives me the creeps. It’s getting late and I have a lot going on during the next few days, like packing to do.”
“We can puzzle this out another time,” Brian answered. “Let’s get going.”
Ashley called out, “Spook? Where are you?”
“That’s weird,” Brian said. “He was just here a minute ago.”
“I hate just leaving him here,” Ashley muttered as they approached the main staircase leading back upstairs.
“I wouldn’t worry too much,” Jeff said. “Besides the fact that he was wearing a collar, he found a way inside, so he probably knows how to get back out. Our cats go in and out all the time.”
They filed back outside through the side door, and as Jeff, Michelle, Jason and Ashley headed along the path to the pier where the cruiser was tied, Brian locked the back door, pocketing the key.
Although it was approaching ten o’clock, it wasn’t quite dark, and the rosy remains of the vibrant sunset lit up the horizon, trickling across the lake.
Nine-thirty would be the time that would stick in her brain for a very long time, Ashley decided as she continued thinking about Brian’s Spooktacular kiss.
Brian grinned, noticing she was seated in the passenger seat beside him again when he stepped inside the cruiser after unhooking the bow from the pier.
Starting the engine, Brian slowly backed out the cruiser, cranking up the throttle to full speed and heading across the lake.
When Brian wrapped an arm around Ashley’s shoulders and grinned when he tugged her close, she didn’t say a word as she laid her head against his shoulder.
Chapter Three
Ashley awoke the next morning with a smile on her face. Brian had given her another one of those fabulous kisses again before she’d gotten into the car with Jeff and Michelle, who were taking her home.
She sighed, stepping out of bed and heading to the bathroom for a shower. There was a lot she had to do today, including packing and picking up a few new things she would need for school after making a list. Mom was supposed to take her shopping later today when she came home from work.
Ashley made her way downstairs, pouring a cup of coffee from what was left in the pot. It was still hot, so Mom must have just left a few minutes ago.
That’s when she noticed the note on the table and frowned. Mom wasn’t going to be able to take her shopping after all. Something had come up at Dad’s office, and Mom wasn’t sure what time she’d be home.
It was Friday, and Ashley was supposed to leave for California on Tuesday, so they wouldn’t have many more opportunities to pick up what Ashley needed. The reason Mom had wanted to go today was to avoid the weekend crowds.
Well, she might as well grab the suitcases and begin packing everything up, Ashley decided, walking downstairs into the basement. She was pretty sure that the luggage was in the laundry room closet, but when she checked inside, all that was there was a clothing bag and a couple of overnight cases.
Ashley scowled. What had happened to the luggage her dad had purchased for her as a going away present at Christmas?
Maybe it had been moved somewhere else? She might as well get her things together anyway. She could always lay everything out on the bed in the guest bedroom beside hers.
A few hours later, she had most of the things she would be taking along to school with her sorted and laying on the guest room bed. It would be easier to pare done her wardrobe this way, because she knew what was here would be way too much; especially if Mom bought her a few new things to take along.
Hearing a sudden honking coming from somewhere outside, Ashley opened the French doors, strolling onto the balcony overlooking the lake.
Brian.
How in the world had she gone so long without understanding her feelings for him? That strange tug at her heart which she’d thought of as irritation had been full-fledged attraction.
Ashley watched as he parked his cruiser beside the dock, stepping onto the pier and tying it loosely to a post.
It was a little cooler today, and he was wearing jeans with a t-shirt. Tall, broad-shouldered, and darkly tanned, he moved like a panther, she decided and grinned.
And then Ashley was nervous, realizing something she’d never understood before, which scared her. She wanted him. She’d never had this deep-seated desire for any other guy before, and it made her feel, well, young. For all the guys she’d dated, she’d never gone all the way.
What about Brian? The jealousy she was feeling was totally different this time around than with any other guy, because she had feelings for Brian. When she’d been rejected by Jason, it hadn’t been jealousy which had caused her to lash out at Kat, the girl he’d been interested in.
It was simply Ashley’s pique for not getting her way.
Strangely, she realized that Brian had never really talked about his plans for the future, although his father had mentioned Brian would be attending school at his Alma mater several times.
But where was that?
“Hey,” Brian called out, halting, apparently just noticing her standing on the balcony.
“Hey, yourself,” she answered, giving him a half smile.
“Got anything going on?”
“Nah. I was just doing some packing.”
It was funny, she suddenly thought about the fact that Brian had never once come to her house on his own. Usually, Jason or Jeff and Michelle were with him when he came to pick her up.
“How about some lunch?” he asked.
She blinked. “Just the two of us?”
“No,” he growled. “I just stopped here for no reason cause it’s on the way to Jason’s.”
Which it wasn’t. Her house was the furthest away from Brian’s.
She grinned. “Okay, give me a minute.”
Ashley heard him groan when she turned away.
“Skip all the makeup, will you?” he yelled. “You look hotter without it.”
He thought she looked hotter without makeup?
She paused without turning back, smiling widely before walking inside the house.
* * *
Whoa, Brian thought when Ashley walked out from inside the house fifteen minutes later. It was sure a turn on to realize she was dressing for him, when she appeared outside wearing a skimpy little sundress which showed off her figure. She’d left her long ash brown hair loose, and held back with a headband, it hung down nearly to her waist.
“Stop staring,” she muttered.
Brian grinned, reaching for her hand.
“Stop that,” she growled, slapping his hand away.
“What?” Brian asked.
“Acting all polite and nice,” Ashley answered as they made their way along the deck and followed the staircase leading onto the dock. “I still haven’t figured out what I’m going to do about you yet.”
Brian laughed.
A few minutes later they were zipping across the lake with Brian at the wheel of the cruiser, the motor cranked at full throttle.
Ashley was surprisingly quiet. He was pretty sure she’d never really understood the depth of his feelings for her, so the fact that she was here with him now was a good indication that deep down, she’d been feeling the same way too.
Brian slo
wed down, steering the cruiser under the bridge which separated Crystal Rock Lake from Stone Lake.
“Are we going to Mike’s?” she asked.
Mike’s was a small restaurant located near the golf course which overlooked Stone Lake.
“If that’s alright with you?” He gave her a side glance. “I thought we should start over after what happened the last time we were there.”
Surprisingly, Ashley laughed. “You mean when you shoved the boat away from the pier when I was ready to step inside so that I fell into the lake instead?”
“You were really pissed at me,” Brian answered, grinning. “But you deserved it for being such a brat to Kat.”
She grimaced. “I was pretty awful. I don’t know what gets into me sometimes. I just can’t seem to help it.”
He pursed his lips, smirking. “Some of us just grow up a little faster than others.”
As Brian cleared the bridge and shoved the throttle into full speed, she punched him in the shoulder.
Another twenty minutes later, after ordering lunch, they were seated at a table on the deck outside the restaurant, which overlooked the lake.
Ashley was being surprisingly quiet, sipping some water and staring across the lake.
Finally, she spoke. “So, what sense does it make to start something now?”
Brian shrugged, before answering, “Because it’s better we admit how we feel now. If it’s meant to be, we’ll be together again someday.”
“Okay. I get what you’re saying.” Ashley sighed. “But tell me something?”
“What?”
“How is it you’re the only one in our crowd who I really don’t know much about? I mean, where are you going to school? I’ve heard your dad talk about it once or twice.”
Brian became thoughtful. “The reason I don’t talk about it is because even though I’ve been accepted at Notre Dame, I’m not one hundred percent sure I want to go to college.”
Ashley scrunched her nose. “What would you do?”
“I want to enlist,” he answered, studying her face. “In the Army.”
If he’d doubted that Ashley had feelings for him, he sure didn’t doubt it anymore, watching the expression on her face transform from serene to panicked.
That Incredible Kiss Page 3
