by Vi Keeland
“Would you like me to take you two somewhere?”
Mina thought for a moment, taken aback by his offer.
“I mean, if you think it’d be better if it was just the two of you, that’s fine. But if not, maybe we could take her to Ruby’s – I know how much she likes that place – and to a movie or something. My treat.”
“I think that’s a good idea. She really likes you. I’ll call and invite Karen too – she offered to help me out with Jess tonight anyway. Hopefully between the three of us, Jess won’t feel so isolated.” Hope sparked in Mina. While a group of twenty-somethings wasn’t exactly ideal company for Jess, inviting Jess’s friends wasn’t an option, as they would all be at the dance. Jess really liked Eric and Karen, and at least this way, she wouldn’t have to be alone. “Do you want to meet us here?” Mina asked.
“Sounds good.”
“Okay. Just give me an hour or so to get Jess calmed down and ready.”
“See you then, Mina.”
Warmth spread over her as he said her name. The night would be a far cry from what they’d originally planned, but it was touching that he was willing to sacrifice his evening to help her cheer Jess up. Her heart ached as she remembered his story, and she was sure that he would have done the same for his own sister, Amanda, if he’d had the chance. After saying goodbye, she ended the call and dialed Karen’s number, explaining their plans. When she agreed, all that was left to do was to get Jess on board.
“Hey,” Mina said, standing in the doorway to Jess’s room. “What are you drawing?”
Jess was sitting at her desk, bent over her sketch book, her hair hanging around her face like a curtain. She shrugged. “Nothing. Just a design.”
Mina crossed the room and stood behind her, craning her neck to see what little bit of the paper wasn’t obscured by her hair. “A floral design? It looks a little like my tattoo.” The vines Jess was sketching were gnarled and more thorn than blossom, but Mina chose not to mention that.
“Yeah. Kind of.” She sketched harder, her pencil scratching loudly across the paper.
“Have you thought about what you want to do tonight?”
Jess shrugged again.
“Well unless you have a different idea, Eric, Karen and I would like to take you out. We were thinking Ruby’s and a movie – your pick. How’s that sound?”
“Fine, I guess.” She agreed easily enough, but her tone was flat and devoid of enthusiasm.
“I’m really sorry about the dance, Jess.”
She kept sketching, and after a couple moments, Mina returned to the living room. She’d give Jess a few minutes to cool off before she suggested that they get ready. After all, she had an hour before Eric and Karen would show up. She took a seat at their small kitchen table and began cutting up an apple, snacking on the sweet slices as a couple birds hopped around on the sill of the kitchen window, where her favorite potted geranium was in full bloom. She was almost done with the apple when a knock came at the door. Had Eric or Karen arrived early? She frowned. Jess wasn’t ready yet.
But it was neither Eric nor Karen at the door. “Blake?”
Her teenaged neighbor stood at the threshold, a small bouquet of wildflowers clutched in one hand, the other shoved deep into his pocket. “Hi Mina.” His cheeks were a blazing shade of pink.
“Hi…” She eyed the colorful flowers, noting the similarity between the fuchsia daisies and his flushed face. God, could they be for her? Alarm coursed through her as she remembered the ways he’d been so helpful over the past few weeks, always helping her to carry things and never failing to say hello when they passed in the corridor or the parking lot.
“Is Jess here?” Blake asked, finally meeting Mina’s gaze. His eyes seemed larger than ever.
“Yeah, she’s…” She was sketching angrily in her room, maybe still crying. But Mina couldn’t say that. “She’s here,” she finished lamely.
“Could I talk to her?”
Realization settled over Mina. The flowers weren’t for her. Dual waves of relief and wariness washed over her. “What exactly is this about, Blake?”
He looked down at his toes. “I heard at school that she’s not going to the dance with Will anymore. I was wondering if she’d like to go with me. I mean, if she doesn’t already have another date.”
Mina eyed the bouquet again, as well as Blake’s furious blush. He seemed genuine, and when she thought back over the past few weeks, it all suddenly made more sense. Could Jess’s night be saved? She knew she shouldn’t get her hopes up – after all, she had no idea how Jess would react to Blake’s offer – but she couldn’t help it. “Wait right here. I’ll go get Jess.”
Chapter Eight
Jess had given up sketching and was sitting in her chair, looking glum as she stared at nothing in particular. “Jess, there’s someone here to see you.”
Jess replied without meeting Mina’s gaze. “Eric and Karen?”
“No.”
Jess looked up suspiciously. “Who?”
“It’s Blake.”
“Why’s he here?”
Mina fought the smile that was threatening to spread across her face. “Why don’t you go see?” Maybe Jess would accept Blake’s offer and end up having a good time after all.
Jess hesitated for a moment before finally relaxing her frown just a little and rolling out of her room. Mina followed her, her stomach churning with nervousness. Would she say yes? Her dress hung in her closet, ready to be worn. There was still time for her hair and make-up to be done. It could work. The night could be saved.
“Hey Jess.” Blake stood in the doorway, looking more nervous than ever. “These are for you.” He thrust the flowers toward Jess before she could say anything.
She accepted the bouquet and stared down at the vibrant riot of blossoms, looking faintly bewildered. “What for?”
He seemed to have spent his time waiting working up the courage to ask a single question. “Will you go to the homecoming dance with me tonight?” It came out rushed, but clear enough.
Mina’s heart wrenched as Blake and Jess made eye contact and simply stared at each other for a moment. Blake’s gaze was nervous and hopeful, while Jess’s was wary, but beneath their inhibitions, they both wore identical expressions of hope.
“You’re not asking me just because you feel sorry for me, are you?” Jess asked, her tone suspicious, but softer than Mina had expected.
He shook his head. “No. I wanted to ask you weeks ago, but I was nervous and Will asked you first.”
“Well then…” She dropped her gaze to the flowers in her lap, stroking a deep purple petal. “Okay.” She smiled up at him tentatively, and he beamed back.
Mina turned toward the kitchen, hiding a huge grin. When she was able to smooth her features into a somewhat less ecstatic expression, she faced Jess and Blake again. “We’d better hurry to get you ready,” she said, crossing the room and placing a hand on Jess’s shoulder.
“When do you want me to come back?” Blake asked.
“How about six?” Mina suggested.
Jess and Blake both nodded. “See you then,” Blake said, casting one last glance over his shoulder at Jess as he retreated toward his own apartment.
“Okay, let’s get started on your hair.” Mina ushered Jess down the hallway, pausing only to call Eric and Karen to inform them of the change in plans. Karen offered to drive Jess and Blake to the dance, as well as to a restaurant beforehand if they wanted. Mina thanked her profusely, her heart fluttering as she imagined her half a night alone with Eric. Everything was back on, and for a moment she was almost as nervous as Blake had looked when he’d come to the door asking for Jess. The remembered feel of the warm press of Eric’s lips and tongue between her hips put some fire in her blood, quelling her worries a little. She couldn’t wait to finally have him and the apartment to herself.
“Hey.” Mina dusted a few flecks of fine glitter from her palms as she greeted Eric. She’d misted Jess’s perfectly curled hair wi
th a shimmer spray before she’d left with Blake and Karen, and a little of it had stuck to her hands.
“Hey.” Eric stepped inside, cradling a porcelain pot against his chest. “This is for you.” A slender stem rose from the pot, ending in half a dozen perfect violet blossoms.
“An orchid,” she said, relishing the way her body warmed when Eric’s fingertips brushed hers as he handed her the plant. “One of my favorites, and it’s beautiful. Thank you.” She sat it carefully in the center of the kitchen table – she’d find a permanent place for it later. Right now, all her thoughts were locked on Eric.
“I’m glad you like it.” Eric pulled the door softly shut.
Mina’s heart began to speed as she looked at him, drinking in the image of his perfect figure – slim muscles concealed by well-fitted denim and a shirt that was decidedly, deliciously on the tight side. His jacket hung unzipped, granting her a view of his flat stomach and – oh God – the bulge at the front of his jeans.
She glanced down at her own ensemble self-consciously – did his arousal mean that the form-fitting top and skirt she’d chosen were as flattering as she’d hoped? The skirt was long enough to cover her thighs, but it still complimented her figure. Originally, she’d bought it for work, but had decided afterward that it was a little too flattering and had never worked up the courage to wear it to the bank. Tonight, she’d put on the outfit after Jess had left, choosing her clothing for sex appeal – something she virtually never did. She’d even donned a pair of heeled boots despite the fact that she’d sworn off heels after losing her job at the bank.
Eric reached out and wrapped her in a loose embrace, brushing his lips across hers in greeting. “You look beautiful. Where do you want me to take you?”
Mina pressed her face against his shoulder, breathing in his scent as her cheeks heated. “Nowhere.”
“You got all dressed up just to stay home?”
She wrapped her arms around his waist, taking a second fortifying breath. His scent had become familiar to her, mostly during the dozens of kisses and caresses they’d shared, none of which had ever been enough. Now, it reminded her exactly why she didn’t want to leave her apartment. Not tonight. “Exactly.”
He tightened his embrace, pulling her against his chest. “You sure?”
A shiver raced down her spine as she remembered him kneeling between her thighs, his breath streaming over her slick skin. She could feel how hard he was now; his erection was digging into her belly, causing the butterflies that seemed to have taken up permanent residence there to burst into flight. “Yes.”
He buried his fingers in her hair, crushing his mouth against hers and slipping his tongue inside, reaching deep as he tasted her. His hips shifted slightly and his cock pressed against her belly. She reached for it, thinking of when she’d touched him there several nights ago. He’d refused to let her do any more than that then, but tonight would be different. “Come with me,” she said, tracing the thick outline of his shaft beneath the denim.
She took him by the hand and led him down the short hallway that branched off from the living room. This was the first time he’d ever been inside her apartment, and she found herself more nervous than she’d expected to be as she led him to her bedroom. She’d never brought a man home before – at least, not since she’d gained custody of Jess three years ago. What did he think of her modest bedroom, and would her narrow bed be comfortable enough for the both of them? More importantly, what would he think of her? She smoothed nonexistent wrinkles from the front of her skirt, her fingers gliding over the ridge of her scar. Slowly, she turned to face him.
“It feels like I’ve been waiting forever for this,” she said, placing her hands above his hips, relishing the feel of his firm muscle beneath her palms and the steady rise-and-fall of his sides as he breathed. It felt as if she was breathing twice as fast. Was she just imagining it?
“It feels that way for me too,” he said, shedding his jacket and then his shirt.
Mina sucked in a breath as he let it flutter to the floor, taking in the perfect lines of his body and the designs inked across it. He looked every bit as good as he did in the poster, and when she reached out to touch him, he felt just as hot and firm as he had in the studio. And she felt just as decadent and turned-on as she had that day as she smoothed her hands over his stomach, tracing the ridges of his abs.
He placed his hands on the small of her back, his fingers brushing her spine as he tucked them beneath the hem of her lacy top. Her nipples puckered inside her bra cups at just the thought of being pressed against his chest with nothing between their skins. Slowly, he raised her shirt, his fingers sweeping over her skin and causing it to pebble as desire gripped her. He treated her shirt with more care than he had his own, taking care not to tangle her hair in the material as he pulled it over her head and let it drop.
When he pulled her into another embrace, she pressed kisses against the side of his neck as he undid her bra clasp. It came undone within a moment’s time and soon joined her top on the floor. Eric cupped her breasts in his palms, his breath rushing over the top of her head and causing a few strands of her hair to dance. Her nipples shrunk to tiny aching points as he trailed his thumbs over them. She wanted to lose herself in the sensation, but a little nervousness tinged her arousal, peppering her thoughts with imaginings of how he might react when the rest of her clothes came off. She pulled back and met his eyes – they were as blue as ever, hazy with desire.
He surprised her by sweeping her feet out from under her, scooping her up and lowering her onto the bed. He pressed himself on top of her, and soon they were so entwined that the narrow mattress left them room to spare. She closed her eyes and returned his hard kisses, letting her libido rise until it made her all but forget about her nervousness. That lasted for several glorious minutes as he ran his hands over her body, cupping her breasts and teasing her nipples as his tongue delved deeper and deeper into her mouth. Then his hands found the button at the waist of her skirt, and she tensed beneath him.
He paused, ending their kiss and smoothing a few stray locks of hair out of her eyes as he searched out her gaze. “Is something wrong?”
“No.” She found his free hand and squeezed it. “I’m just nervous.” She considered telling him what had her on edge, but couldn’t bring herself to do it. She knew he’d felt the thick line of scar tissue that spanned her right thigh during that late night at Hot Ink.
“Don’t be,” he said, squeezing back.
It was impossible to know whether he’d been thinking of her scar when he’d said it or whether he’d forgotten, but she couldn’t quell the butterflies in her stomach as he unbuttoned her skirt and pulled the zipper down. The thin lace of her panties showed beneath the parted fabric, peeking from between the zipper’s teeth. He pressed a kiss just above her bikini line, his lips hot against her skin, and pulled her skirt a little lower, baring her hips. Her lacy panties, which she’d bought in preparation for this night, left virtually nothing to the imagination. Still, she knew she’d feel much more exposed when he pulled her skirt just a few inches lower. When the material began to glide over her skin again, she closed her eyes, too nervous to watch.
Eric pulled her skirt smoothly over her ankles, the motion followed by the soft sound of crumpling fabric as he tossed it aside. The sheets caressed the backs of her legs, leaving the rest of her exposed to Eric. She could practically feel his gaze on her body. “Mina.”
She opened her eyes slowly and found herself locked in eye contact with Eric. He smoothed a hand over her thigh and she experienced the familiar lapse in sensation when his fingers glided over her scar. She was numb where her skin had once been torn.
“Were you really embarrassed for me to see this?”
She tensed. There was no derision in his voice, but there was a hint of concern that made her feel vaguely ridiculous. But she wasn’t going to lie. “Yes.” The scar was ugly – it twisted down the front surface of her thigh, an eight inch ridge of
raised, white flesh. When it rained, she could still feel the tiny particles of glass that had once been ground into the open wound. It made her feel unattractive and old – what kind of twenty-four year old complained about her leg hurting when the weather was bad? That was something elderly characters always did in movies.
“It doesn’t matter to me at all,” he said. “Mina, you’re beautiful.”
“I know it’s just a scar and I should be glad that it wasn’t a lot worse, but I couldn’t help being nervous. I just really wanted you to like what you see.”
“I do.” He lay down next to her on the bed, grasping a breast and pressing his mouth into the hollow of her neck. “God, how could I not?”
She sighed as a little of the tension left her. Maybe it had been stupid of her to get so worked up about it. But he was so perfect that she hadn’t been able to help herself. She wanted him to feel the same way about her.
“You’re perfect,” he said, sending a sensual shiver down her spine. It was as if he’d read her thoughts. His fingers fluttered against her thigh. “How did it happen?”
She rolled onto her side, facing him. “Car accident. The same one that hurt Jess – that’s why she can’t walk.”
He was silent for a moment, listening, and – Mina assumed – thinking of the crash on a winter road that had robbed his sister of her life. She hated to make him think of it.
“It happened seven years ago,” she continued. “Our mother was driving, and she was high. The car clipped another vehicle, veered off the road and rolled down a bank.” Familiar anger coursed through her as she told the story as briefly as possible, leaving out the weeks she’d spent in agony at the hospital by Jess’s bedside, feeling guilty for coming away from the disaster with just cuts, bruises and a fractured wrist when Jess’s life had been changed so drastically. Their mother hadn’t felt nearly guilty enough, and so Mina had borne the burden, feeling bad enough for them both. “That’s why I wanted custody of Jess. She spent a lot of time in foster care after that – well, we both did at first, but I was a lot older and only had to spend a year in the system – and I couldn’t stand to see her shuffled around.”
