by Kaira Rouda
“Just be sure that is all it is,” Steve said, and then chuckled in his high-pitched way. “Remember all Top Club policies apply to everyone. Including young rising stars like you two.”
“Is that a threat? Tell me, are you going to write us up for this or do we have your permission to hang out?” Jack said to Steve, his hands on his hips. The tension between the two men pumped through the air.
Steve blinked, and smiled. “Just don’t want any drama like we have now with Rebecca, you little Casanova, you. You kids have fun, just keep to the rules.”
“Let’s go,” Jack said to Dorsey and they walked past Steve and out into the night.
Chapter 12
Jack
How dare he bring up Rebecca, in front of Dorsey? Jack was trying hard to keep his temper in check but he felt his fists tightening. He had planned a special evening for Dorsey and he needed to focus on that. One day, he’d get his revenge on Steve, he just had to bide his time.
Jack had decided to create a picnic in the grass near the swimming pool complex, his own domain, and he had a perfect spot hidden from view but still a great view of the sunset. Sure, he’d made out here with a couple girls each summer, most annoyingly Rebecca at the end of last season. But he’d never wanted to make a picnic for anyone. He hoped he’d thought of everything: wine, cheese, bread, and apples he’d actually paid for. He had his favorite red blanket, a pillow and a lantern for after the sunset. He knew Dorsey didn’t want to be near the beach, not after today. He hadn’t been able to be near a swimming pool for a long time after Bobby drowned. But he also knew it was time for her to make some new, good memories on Indigo Island.
“So what do you think?” Jack asked Dorsey as he unfurled the blanket. “Perfect spot, right?”
Dorsey was wearing a simple white sundress and flip flops. Her hair was in a loose braid down her back tied with a white ribbon. Jack thought she’d never looked more beautiful.
“This is perfect, so private. How did you find it? Have you been here before with somebody?” she asked hands on hips, eyes flashing an accusation.
“Nope. Planning a picnic is a first for me,” he said, kissing her on the cheek, enjoying the flush in her face. “Have a seat.”
Dorsey plunked down and he sat down next to her, pouring a glass of Merlot and then filled his own glass. He lit the lantern and pulled out the cheese and apples. He could smell the floral scent of her shampoo. Her heart-shaped lips glistened with clear gloss. She was a natural beauty, her green eyes glowing in the setting sun, freckles dotting her small nose.
“How did you get the courage to become a lifeguard, after watching what happened to your brother?” she asked, swirling the red liquid in her glass. “I just don’t know if I would ever be able to do that.”
“I did it for my mom,” he said, swallowing hard, remembering his reluctance when she first told him. “Mom signed me up for lifeguard training at the Y the summer after Bobby died. She made me do it.”
She put her hand on his shoulder and he relaxed.
“It was the right thing to do. For both of us. The swimming pool is a second home to me now, like the ocean. And my mom didn’t have to worry about me in the water, even though she refuses to ever go swimming.” He sighed and shook his head. He could only live his life and help her as much as he could.
“How about you? Are you doing okay?” Jack asked her, wrapping his arm around her, pulling her in close to him as they sat side by side, facing the now calm sound. He marveled about how just earlier this afternoon, the waters were furious, the waves huge for such a protected stretch of water. Huge enough to push a body onto shore, one that had been, he’d heard from one of the investigators he’d been chatting with, anchored to the sea floor with a weight. That little bit of information had given Jack the chills and he had yet to share it with Dorsey, and he hoped he wouldn’t have to.
“This really is perfect, Jack,” Dorsey said, leaning into his side, trusting him to hold her up. She was holding a clump of the blanket in her right hand, holding on tight. “I feel like I need to tell you everything, tell you my story. It was a night sort of like this one.”
“Honestly, Dorsey, you don’t have to tell me,” Jack said, staring up at the stars beginning to dot the sky. Jack could lose himself in the sky, mesmerized by the number and clarity of the stars and planets. Especially the sky here on Indigo Island – it was so different from the city, from anywhere else he’d known. So freeing. The opposite of Orlando and everything fake that city stood for in his mind. Dorsey was the opposite of every woman he’d known. He didn’t want to push her into anything.
“I want to tell you,” Dorsey said. As Jack looked at her he saw her eyes were glistening, wet with silent tears. “Dad and Mom were so in love, they were actually high school sweethearts. I’m an only child. I got to see it all, even if they were embarrassing sometimes. They were the kind of couple you hoped to be. They had that kind of love. And according to the tradition my father taught me as a little girl, I always wish silently upon a star. I miss him so much,” Dorsey said, quickly wiping the back of her hand across each eye, stemming the flow. “He was really handsome. Big brown eyes, like yours.”
“I’m so sorry,” Jack said. He didn’t know what else to say or what else to do. He didn’t know exactly what had happened to her dad, just that something terrible had. He realized listening could be the biggest gift he could give her, even though, like most guys, he wanted to fix things, fix it all for her.
High in the sky, a full moon illuminated a path of light across the ocean, seeming to reach out and touch the blanket they shared on the grass. The air was warm and dry for the island, the perfect temperature.
“It was ten years ago now, but it’s still so vivid. Especially after today, on the beach. We were gardening, Dad and I. I was kneeling, planting a row of sunflower seeds when it happened. I saw the gunman and he saw me before he turned and ran, surprised there had been a witness. Surprised his act had been seen. My dad, though, lay still on the grass, his blood soaking into our perfect green lawn, splattered on my face and arms. His eyes a blank stare, his mouth frozen in the shape of no.”
Jack was at a loss for words, for what to do or say. He wanted to absorb her pain, make it go away but he knew just like with his brother’s death, some things are a weight on your heart forever.
“So they caught the killer, right? You saw him?”
Dorsey’s sobs grew harder and all Jack could do was hold her close until she’d cried them all out.
“I’m sorry,” she said.
“Don’t be. Where is your mom now?” Jack asked, gently rocking her in his arms as she leaned against him.
“She’s back home in Kentucky,” Dorsey said. “It’s where she grew up, although I don’t know anybody there. But she likes it. She’ll never remarry. She’ll garden. Raise horses. Dream about Daddy.”
“So who takes care of you?” Jack asked. He pushed the hair back out of her face and bent forward to look into her eyes.
“Me? Well, myself, I guess. My old boyfriend, Chad, stuck around for a bit, until I became too embarrassing. My dad’s face was on a website hosted by anti-abortion crusaders, a big red X through his face. The local news covered it, and the national news.” Dorsey shuddered, dropping her head in her hands. “Since the killer was never found, the story sort of lingers still. Urban, rather, suburban legend.”
“You didn’t see who did it?” Jack asked.
“I don’t want to talk about that, about the day, okay?” Dorsey said quietly, blinking away the memories. “After he died, I had trouble doing things, trouble concentrating. I made it through high school somehow. I waited tables in different restaurants. Made good money. Worked my way through Ohio State. I was a nanny for a great family and their love helped me pull my life together. But I needed to find myself. I wanted to get whole, start over. Get past my family’s tragedy.”
Jack cradled Dorsey as they looked out over the water. The sun had set and stars fille
d the sky. He was aroused and wanted to touch her, to comfort her, to make her feel like she was home and safe now, but didn’t know how she’d react. He liked taking care of her, but he wanted more. Much more. Patience wasn’t his strong suit. Finally, he said. “Let’s go back to my cottage. Have a nightcap. You can spend the night if you’d like—but you don’t have to.”
“Sure, and Jack, thanks for listening. Nobody here knows the story. Everyone back home thinks they do.”
“I’m honored,” Jack said, pulling Dorsey up to standing as he wrapped his arms around her.
“We’ll see,” Dorsey said, tears springing to her eyes. “After this afternoon, I’m beginning to think death likes finding me.”
“Nonsense, Dorsey. Come on,” Jack said, quickly cleaning up the picnic, blowing out the candle and folding the red blanket. He looked around, making sure they weren’t forgetting anything. He thought he saw a figure off in the woods, a man, but no, nothing was out there, he told himself, and hurried Dorsey to the golf cart.
Back inside his cottage, Jack’s heart stopped racing. He wondered why he was suddenly so on edge, here, on this island he wanted to call home. It wasn’t Dorsey who was making him feel this way. It was Steve, his lurking, his implied threats. His lying, and not following through with his promises. Just one of those characteristics would be enough for Jack to think he was a squirrely guy – all of them together, well...
“Hey, Jack, could you come in, and help me?” Dorsey called from the bedroom, his bedroom.
Jack steeled himself. He knew it would be a favor, like unhooking her necklace or adjusting the thermostat.
Chapter 13
Dorsey
She’d made a decision, something she hoped she wouldn’t regret. It happened during their picnic together. Jack had listened, really listened to her story and hadn’t judged. He hadn’t been repelled by her past, not like Chad had been. In fact, he’d held her tighter as she told him the story. He’d been there with her on the beach when the poor woman had washed up, and he’d taken care of her when she’d fallen apart and fainted.
Jack had been everything she could imagine in a partner and even though her heart was beating, and her eyes were swollen from all the crying, and even though she could be wrong and he could be everything terrible that Rebecca said he was, she wanted to be with him.
Dorsey pulled open the top drawer of his dresser and found a white muscle shirt. She smiled even as her hands shook. Could she really do this? Be this assertive? She pulled off her sundress and bra and pulled Jack’s shirt over her head. The fabric was thin and cool, her nipples responded as if Jack’s hands were already on her body and she felt her face flush. Before she lost her nerve she pulled off her underwear, shook the braid out of her hair, checked her reflection in the mirror and called to Jack to come into the bedroom.
Dorsey smiled at Jack’s startled reaction. His full lips, his strong jaw and sparkling eyes focusing on her, all of her. She stared at him in response, his handsome face, his caring eyes. She wanted to feel his strong body on top of her, there was no longer any way to stop this. Their attraction was potent, pulsing through the air between them.
“Jack, I’m ready,” she said, as he crossed the room, picked her up in his strong arms and carried her to his bed. Dorsey held on tight, running her fingers through his thick hair, breathing in the masculine scent of him, dizzy with his smell and her desire.
He dropped Dorsey on the bed and fell on top of her, his erection pressing against her through his jeans. He grabbed both of her wrists, holding them over her head as he pressed his mouth over Dorsey’s, a kiss full of want and need that matched her own. The kiss was hungry, frantic, his tongue thrusting inside her mouth.
Dorsey pulled her arms free and reached for his shirt, pulling on it, wanting to feel his bare skin against her own. Needing to feel it. She heard Jack moan as he realized she wore nothing under his t-shirt as he quickly slipped it over her head. He cupped her breasts, sucking each of her erect nipples. Dorsey moaned, her pelvis pushing against him, her arms reaching to unbutton his jeans. She nuzzled into his neck, breathing him in, dizzy with desire.
“Please, I need to feel you inside me,” she said into his ear, her need so powerful, so overwhelming, her heart felt like it would escape her chest. Her fears about getting too close to him raced through her mind even as she told herself to be in the moment, to trust him, even as her body arched with desire. He was what she’d always waited for, who she thought she’d never find. Her eyes opened, to plead with him, just as his gaze locked on hers, his eyes dark and glistening.
“Slow down, we’re going to make this count,” he said in a deep strong voice as his mouth moved to her sex, his warm tongue sliding deep inside her, as stars swirled through her head and her hips arched into him until she finally let go, exploding, shuddering. Before she could catch her breath or stop the swirls shooting through her brain, his fingers slid into the spot where his tongue had just been. She was on the brink again.
“Oh, Jack, please.”
Finally, he stood and undressed. He kept his eyes locked on Dorsey’s as he removed his shirt revealing his tanned six-pack that was the talk of the pool. He undid his jeans, slipping them off with his underwear and stood naked, and completely erect. Dorsey realized he was trusting her, too, revealing himself, all of himself to her.
“I hope you know how much you mean to me,” he said as he climbed back on the bed, lying beside her, his erection pressing into her side.
She swallowed, wanting to believe him, staring into his gorgeous eyes, seeing the desire and the care there, too. She shuddered as his warm lips sealed over hers and his hand slid across her stomach and down to her sex, a light touch that caused Dorsey to moan and arch. Jack broke the kiss, sliding his lips to her neck. “You smell so good,” he whispered. “You’re so beautiful.”
“Jack, please,” Dorsey moaned as her need mounted and he slid two fingers inside her, feeling her wetness, finding the spot. She was more than ready, again, she didn’t know if she could wait any longer as she pushed against his hand, needing all of him inside her. He left her writhing on the bed and, she heard him unwrapping a condom.
“Ready, baby,” he said as he straddled her. His eyes were dark and focused on her. Slowly he began thrusting, entering her gently, a little at a time and then pushing further inside as Dorsey moaned, wrapping her legs around his perfect torso, her hands grasping his muscled shoulders, pulling him deeper, their eyes still locked on each other.
“You feel so good, just keep coming,” Jack said, as he started to drive deeper inside her. Dorsey’s head spun as she began to climax again, and she dug her fingernails into his back as he ground into her with a final thrust and they came together.
Afterward, lying naked in Jack’s arms while he slept, Dorsey knew she’d never felt this safe, this loved. She hoped this could last, that she meant as much to Jack as he did to her. She’d heard stories of his past summer conquests, of course, as everyone – Steve, Sabrina, Rebecca – had all made it their mission to share those with her. And Dorsey saw how all the other female staffers flirted with him during meetings, how the pool staff swarmed around his lifeguard chair. Even the tourists tried to catch his eye.
But Dorsey had decided to trust him, believe in what he said. For now, that had to be enough. She had to admit if great sex meant they had a deep emotional connection, well, she was certain they’d connected deeply. Her stomach clenched at the thought and she snuggled closer to Jack. And finally, she closed her eyes and instead of death and bodies, she allowed herself to dream of Jack.
The next morning, Dorsey woke up early, rolling out of Jack’s arms to hurry back to her own cottage. It was hard to leave him, his arm flung out to his side, his powerful body so peaceful in sleep. His face was so handsome in sleep, worry-free, relaxed. But, for both of them she knew she had to hide their relationship, so she had to get back to her own cottage before Steve found out they’d spent the night together, really spent
the night together. It was, Dorsey realized, the most wonderful night of her life. She’d never felt so alive, so loved, so consumed by someone.
She took her time walking back to her cottage, wearing the white sundress and a huge grin. As she walked in the door, the telephone rang. It was Steve’s assistant, summoning her to his office to meet with the sheriff. She hopped in the shower, pulled on her uniform and didn’t bother trying to dry her hair, making it to Steve’s office a half an hour later.
After asking some standard questions, the sheriff asked, “Would you like to add anything else?” He was suntanned a dark brown, and his eyes were kind, with at least twenty different wrinkles fanning out from the edges of each, like a child’s drawing of sunbeams. He was peaceful, and as he leaned back in his chair, the fingers of each hand had pointed together, unconsciously mimicking the “Here’s the church, here’s the steeple” nursery rhyme.
Dorsey watched him, thinking his weathered skin would feel thick to touch.
“We are checking all angles but believe she may be a domestic violence victim from Hilton Head,” he said.
“How sad,” Steve said, before Dorsey could speak. “That’s all you have for her, right? She’s got work to do.”
That unsatisfying meeting had happened several hours earlier, and Dorsey still felt uneasy. Now, she sat in the sun on the seawall, forcing herself back to the ocean, back to where they found the dead body the day before. It was another beautiful day on Indigo Island, except for the swarm of investigators walking every bit of the beach, combing it for evidence. She had checked in at the Kids Club every few minutes since the scheduled opening time, but she doubted many parents would be apart from their kids today. A chill ran down her spine as she looked at the spot where the body had been.
She was getting sunburned. She pushed on her thigh with her thumb and a white circle appeared. The Calibogue Sound sparkled in the morning sunshine, and the humidity was down. Flowers bloomed everywhere on the well-groomed grounds of the plantation – bright bursts of pink, and orange and yellow, and butterflies swarmed the gazebo, guzzling the pollen from the clusters of flowers decorating its side.
