by Regina Hart
Jack’s memory returned. “I didn’t realize he’d take me literally.”
Darius’ sigh was deep. “I know you don’t want any part of Founders Day or the sesquicentennial in general. But Doreen doesn’t need my father’s interference on this, as well as the campaign.”
“I know.” Jack scrubbed both hands over his face. “How can I fix this?”
Darius stood to prowl the great room. “No one can reason with either of my parents, especially my father.”
How could two self-centered people like Simon and Ethel Knight have a caring offspring like Darius? Their selfish genes must have canceled each other out.
“Doreen can handle him.” Jack hoped.
“Probably.” Darius stopped in front of the fireplace with his back to the room. “Even if my father gets his name on the ballot, I won’t vote for him.”
Jack empathized with his friend’s conflict. He’d never vote Simon into public office, either. Not while he was sober. “You have to decide who’d be the better choice. No one can make that decision for you.”
Darius turned to Jack. “Who do you think your great-great-grandfather would vote for?”
Jack frowned. “Why?”
“He founded this town. Who do you think he’d want to run it right now?”
“I don’t know.” Jack lowered his right leg to the floor and leaned forward on his chair. “He founded the town in 1864. Women weren’t even allowed to vote. But it’s obvious Doreen’s more committed to Trinity Falls.”
Darius nodded. “A hundred and fifty years. What do you think Ezekiel Sansbury would say about the fact that his town survived when so many others failed?”
Jack had wondered the same thing over the years. What would his great-great-grandfather say about the town’s longevity? How would he feel?
“He’d probably be pretty damn proud. Wouldn’t you?” Jack stood. “The town has had its struggles—the economy, civil rights. But we’ve weathered every storm and emerged even stronger.”
Darius arched a brow. “What’s preventing you from saying those words on your great-great-grandfather’s behalf during the Founders Day Celebration?”
Jack shook his head, in part amusement and part irritation. “You’re a master manipulator.”
“Zoey’s death was devastating to everyone who knew her. She was a smart, kind, and caring little girl who deserved a full life. Don’t you think she’d want you to have a role in the celebration?”
“You played that card when you convinced me to get a shave and haircut.”
“It worked.”
Jack rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m not looking forward to being on exhibit, Darius.”
“That’s obvious.”
Jack paced the room, trying to escape his agitation. “I don’t want people watching me in pity, whispering about me and my family.”
Darius shoved his hands into the front pockets of his black pants. “Since when do you care what people say, either to your face or behind your back?”
“Easy for you to say. You’ve never been the subject of public scrutiny.”
Darius’s brows jumped up his broad forehead. “Do you think it’s easy being the son of Simon and Ethel Knight?”
Jack conceded Darius’s point. His friend’s parents seemed to stage frequent scenes in public. “I’m not ready, Darius.”
“Do you want someone else to make that speech? My father, perhaps?”
Jack gave him a sharp look. “What makes you think Simon would try to speak for my family?”
“You implied it would be a good idea for him to take your place for Founders Day.”
“Shit.”
“What are you going to do about it?”
Jack stared at the honey-wood flooring of his cabin. The silence stretched as he considered his options. Was he ready to emerge from his self-imposed exile and rejoin his community, the community his ancestors founded? Or would his neighbors’ concern and pity serve as painful reminders of Zoey’s death?
He lifted his eyes and met Darius’s gaze. “If anyone speaks for my family, it will be me.”
“What does that mean?”
“I’ll take part in the Founders Day Celebration.”
Darius inclined his head with a smile. “Good. I’ll tell my father.”
CHAPTER 9
Doreen couldn’t have looked more surprised if she’d opened her door Thursday evening to find Santa Claus waiting on her porch in the middle of summer.
Jack smiled at her expression. “May I come in?”
“Of course.” She seemed to collect herself.
It had been years since he’d been to the Fever residence. Memories of visiting Doreen’s son, Ean, while they were still in high school, returned. Despite the new carpeting, furniture, and wall treatment, the home still felt familiar.
Jack shoved his hands into his dark gray walking shorts. His palms were sweating. What was he doing?
“Am I interrupting your dinner?” It was five in the evening. Jack had put off this meeting for as long as he could.
“You’re not.” Curiosity had nudged out shock in Doreen’s eyes. “I’d heard you went to Belinda’s salon. You look good. Can I get you anything?”
“Ice water would be great. Thank you.” He followed his hostess into her kitchen and took the seat at her blond-wood table.
Doreen joined him, handing Jack one of the two glasses. “It’s great to see you, Jack. But I can’t help wondering why you’re here.”
Jack took a fortifying gulp of the ice-cold water. “I’ll participate in the Founders Day Celebration.”
Doreen’s face glowed with pleasure. She pressed her hands together in a silent clap. “That’s wonderful! Jack, we were so hoping you’d—”
“I’ll give a speech, but don’t expect it to be long.”
Doreen laughed. “Promise you’ll say something more than ‘Thanks for coming.’”
Jack smiled. “I promise.”
“This really will be an exciting day. The celebration’s going to start with a parade down Main Street, featuring civic groups, the high school and junior high school marching bands and cheerleaders, and the town council members.”
Jack felt obliged to respond. “Great.”
“Ramona and several of the former mayors will give speeches.”
That surprised him. “They’re returning to Trinity Falls for the sesquicentennial?”
“Of course. Scores of former residents are coming home for the event, too.”
“I’m amazed.” And humbled.
Doreen continued. “The university’s concert band will perform. Then, in the evening, we’ll have a fireworks show and more music. So, what do you think?”
“Sounds great.” Jack finished his water.
“Are there any events you’d like to add?”
“No, you’re doing a great job. Thanks, Doreen.”
“Thank you.” Her round cocoa cheeks flushed. “But are you sure there isn’t anything we should add? Perhaps we could present a plaque to your family.”
“That’s not necessary.”
Doreen smiled. “You’re a lot like your parents, Jack. They didn’t like being in the limelight, either.”
Jack stood. “I don’t want to help plan the celebration. Just tell me when to show up and what to do. But don’t expect me to participate in more than one event.”
Doreen rose with him. “That’s fair enough. I’m really glad you changed your mind about being part of Founders Day. It wouldn’t have been complete without you.”
Jack didn’t know what to say, so he changed the subject. “Thanks for the water.” He put his empty glass in the sink, then turned to leave.
Doreen accompanied him. “I heard Simon went to see you.”
“Is it true he wants a role in the event?”
“I’ve assigned him to escort one of the floats.”
Jack smiled. “Good thinking.”
“It’s good to see you smiling again.” Doreen unlocked
her front door. “I’m curious.”
“About what?”
“What made you change your mind about participating?”
“Not what, who. Darius. He can be a real pain.” Jack crossed the threshold without looking back.
Darius was annoying, but he’d also been right. The Sansbury family had to be represented during Founders Day. Still, Jack couldn’t shake the feeling he’d agreed to something that would change him in a way he wasn’t ready for.
Jack wandered the woods of the rental cabins’ property. It was after midnight, but he couldn’t sleep. He’d tried reading and watching television. He’d even done laps in Pearl Lake. But his mind was too restless to sleep. So he’d left his cabin, seeking solace in the woods. It wasn’t surprising that his steps led him to Audra.
Her porch was empty. He experienced a hot rush of déjà vu as music floated to him from the back of her cabin, a full band—not just a guitarist—accompanied by a familiar singer. Jack followed the sound.
Just as before, the cabin’s light poured through the back door, illuminating the gray-and-white stone patio. Audra’s laptop lay open on the weathered patio bench. Her compact disc drive played another Mary J. Blige song, “Real Love.” Nearby, Audra interpreted the music with sensuous movements of her gently rounded figure.
She wore her summer uniform of brightly colored T-shirt and shorts. Her reactions to the music were fluid and uninhibited. Mesmerizing. His body responded to her, growing warmer. He imagined his hands cupping her slim, undulating hips, her muscles flexing beneath his palms. He envisioned his body pressed to hers. She braced her legs apart and moved her torso from side to side. Jack swallowed. Audra lifted her arms above her head and moved her body. Jack groaned, squeezing his eyes closed briefly as a sweet, sharp ache ricocheted throughout him. Audra spun on her bare heels. Her scream was short, more of a gasp, as she jumped a foot off the ground.
“You. Must. Stop. Doing that.” Audra pressed both palms against her chest. The fright in her eyes ripped at his heart.
“I’m sorry.”
“I accepted your apology the first time. If you were truly sincere, you wouldn’t have done it again.” Audra crossed to her laptop. Her voice shook with the remnants of fear.
Jack followed her. “What are you doing?”
“Turning off the music.”
Panic. “Why?” Was she leaving?
“What are you doing here, Jack?” She silenced the CD, then dropped onto the bench beside it.
“I couldn’t sleep.”
“Neither could I.”
“Dance with me.” He hadn’t danced in years, but he had the sudden urge to give himself over to the music. Her music.
“I don’t feel like dancing anymore.” She sounded like a sulky child.
Jack smiled. “One dance.” He typed commands into her laptop. He selected Mary J. Blige’s “Be Without You,” then offered Audra his hand.
She frowned at him. “That’s a ballad.”
“Perhaps you can’t sleep because you’re dancing to the wrong music. Try slowing down.”
The idea of holding Audra in his arms made the blood rush through his veins. His heart thundered in his chest. His breath hitched in his throat.
Audra hesitated. Her skeptical gaze shifted from his hand to his eyes. Finally she moved into his embrace. In her bare feet, she fit comfortably under his chin. He wrapped his arms loosely around her slender frame and let the music guide his movements. Together they swayed to Mary J. Blige’s achingly romantic song of a woman urging her husband to stay strong with her. He closed his eyes and breathed in her scent, lavender and powder.
Audra’s arms slid up his shoulders to wrap around his neck. He stepped back to look down into her upturned face. Her champagne eyes had darkened. Their bodies rocked together. With one finger, Jack traced the gentle sweep of Audra’s left cheek, the soft curve of her mouth. Her lips parted. Jack’s body stirred.
He lowered his head until his mouth met hers. Her lips were soft and giving. Her taste was so sweet, like the remnants of a dream before waking. Jack held her tighter. He deepened their kiss, eager for her to nourish his soul. Audra opened beneath his demands, inflaming him even more. He stroked his tongue across hers. Audra pressed her body against him and opened wider.
Her sweetness, softness, heat, and strength nearly overwhelmed him. He ached for her as he’d never ached for anyone before. He needed her more than he’d imagined he’d need anyone ever again. He committed her touch and shape to memory with a long, slow caress from her firm breasts to her rounded derriere. His palms burned.
Jack cupped Audra’s hips against his arousal. He tore his mouth from hers. “I need this, Audra. But is this what you want?”
Audra’s answer was to pull him closer. She kissed him hard and hungrily. Her tongue swept inside his mouth, searching him, learning him, making his body smolder and his breath catch. Jack’s legs shook. He broke the kiss and lifted Audra from her feet. Cradling her in his arms, he carried her into her cabin. He kicked the door shut behind them and strode across the great room to her bedroom. Her passion was a drumbeat in his mind, echoing throughout his body. He wanted this night with this woman more than he wanted the sun to rise in the morning. His muscles tightened with an almost painful urgency. Jack released Audra to stand on her own and stepped back.
“Are you sure?” His voice was rough. The words forced from him. What if she said no? Would he have the strength to walk away? Jack gritted his teeth and waited.
“Very sure.”
He exhaled. He pulled a condom from his shorts pocket and laid it on her nightstand.
Audra’s eyes sparkled. “You were confident.”
“Hopeful.”
Their shared humor eased his urgency to join with her. Right. Now.
He shed his clothes, never looking away from Audra as she slipped off her own. He gave thanks for her summer uniform—two scraps of cotton and two bits of silk. She stood before him in glorious nudity—firm curves, toned muscles, long limbs.
Audra’s tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth as Jack revealed his muscled chest, ripped abs, slim hips, and powerful thighs. Where should she start? As she played with the hair on his chest, his muscles quivered beneath her touch.
Jack took her wrists and drew her arms behind her back. Her body shivered as she pressed her breasts to his chest. Jack claimed her mouth for a mind-melting kiss and Audra fell into the sensation. She opened wider, drawing his tongue deeper. Her nipples tightened. Her sex dampened. She suckled his tongue in the rhythm she wanted him to take her. Jack’s erection flexed against her. Audra moaned her approval.
The room rocked and Audra’s eyes popped open. Jack was walking her backward toward her bed. He nudged her onto the mattress, then he came down on top of her, holding most of his weight off her.
Audra leaned away. “Wait. There’s something I want to do first.”
Jack hesitated before rolling off her.
Audra straddled him. She drew her fingers down his chest. “Mind if I play?”
His onyx eyes gleamed. “Can I play, too?”
“Soon.” She kissed and licked her way down his chest to his stomach, nipping his waist before claiming his shaft. Jack growled low in his throat. The sound filled her with feminine power. Audra took him slowly into her mouth. Jack’s hips tensed, rising off the mattress. She teased him, caressed him, squeezing and stroking until his chest rose and fell.
“Turn around.” Jack’s husky command startled her.
Did he mean to . . . ?
Jack propped himself on his elbows. The heat in his poet’s eyes made his intentions clear before he repeated the words. “Turn around. Lay over me.”
Audra’s thighs went limp. Arousal upon arousal pooled in her core. Shaking with desire, she clumsily turned, scooting backward until she was able to reclaim him with her mouth. Her heart beat so fast, too fast. She was intensely aware of her position in relation to Jack’s face. This was new territory for her. Oh, my
goodness.
Her hand shook as she palmed him again. Audra covered his tip with her mouth, drawing him deep, loving on him. Then Jack touched her. His fingers parted her folds. Shock—hungry and electric—flashed through her. Her nipples pebbled. Her core dampened. Her body trembled. Oh, my goodness.
His fingers explored her, inside and out. He kissed her deeply, intimately, shifting his mouth over her most sensitive flesh. Audra’s eyes widened at the way he used his tongue. It was rough against her, exploring her with broad strokes and intimate caresses. He licked and nipped. Like an erotic puppet master, he commanded her body to rock against him. Audra rolled her hips, lost to the sensation of Jack’s mouth covering her spot as she tried to continue sucking his shaft. But this feeling was too much, too intense. She ached. Her body burned. She rocked faster and faster until pleasure exploded through her.
Breathing hard, Audra turned onto her back beside Jack. Her core continued to pulse with pleasure. Audra lay limp as Jack shifted away, then rolled the condom over his erection. She gasped as he pulled her beneath him and again as he surged into her with one smooth stroke.
He stretched her with his fullness. Audra’s hips rose to meet him as desire built in her again. Jack lowered his head to suckle her nipple. He teased its tip with his tongue and nipped it with his teeth, demanding so much and giving even more. His urgent abandon fed her own. He moved on her with a rough, raw masculinity. Audra answered his challenge. She wrapped her legs around his hips and took him deeper. Jack’s fingers played with her other breast, pinching the nipple. He ministered to it with his teeth and tongue. Audra was frantic.
She clenched her core around his erection. Jack groaned. The sound spurred her own excitement. Arching his back, he buried himself even deeper within her. He rubbed himself against her. It was too much. It wasn’t enough. Her body tightened as Jack continued to thrust home, rocking against her as her muscles became unbearably taut. Then he touched her right there. Yes! Yes! She convulsed under him like a live wire. Wave after wave of pleasure burst in and around her again. Jack pulled her closer in his embrace. He drove into her once, twice, then again . . . until his body shook, prolonging her climax with his own.
