The credits flashed on the screen and he reluctantly shifted. "I should get going."
Violet sat up, shoving hair away from her face. "It is getting late."
Jake nudged her hand aside and brushed her hair back himself. He kept his palm against her cheek and her lids slid closed as she leaned into it. Softly he whispered, "Violet?" When her eyes fluttered open, he captured her gaze and kept it as he lowered his mouth to hers.
Jake’s kiss was sweet, gentle, and way too brief. He pulled back, his eyes glued to her lips. "I should leave."
"Um-hum," she murmured before putting her hands on his chest and leaning forward to touch his mouth again. He groaned and grasped her head with both hands. This kiss was nothing like the previous brush. This one oozed passion and intensity. His mouth devoured hers, tasting, exploring. "Ah, God, Violet," he whispered against her lips as his lips glided, molded.
She was drowning in sensations. Jake’s warm, firm lips were the only thing that mattered, until his hand drifted up to cup her breast. His thumb found her already hardened nipple through her thin tunic, rubbing it sensuously. Excitement shot through her body, sparking each and every nerve ending. Her head was already spinning so she didn’t even notice him lowering her to the sofa and following her down until she felt his hard, strong body pressing against hers. Panic flared momentarily and she stiffened. His mouth continued to taste hers and when his hand again found her sensitive breast, she heard herself whimper. Instinctively, she arched closer to the touch. This was not like her. She didn’t even recognize herself.
The maelstrom of sensations suddenly halted when she first heard the excited barks, and then felt the sloppy wet tongue on her cheek. Pretty sure it wasn’t Jake, she opened her eyes to his amused ones. Zeus perched happily on Jake’s back, big paws draped over his shoulders, tail thumping heavily against the sofa. Zeus eagerly tried to join in the kiss, using his paw to bat at their faces. He threw his head back and howled, then bent down to swipe her on the cheek again.
She could feel the vibrations from Jake’s laughter against her stomach. "Pretty effective birth control," he joked.
"Yeah, but not very convenient to carry around in my purse," Violet responded before she realized what she was saying. Her face heated instantly and she wished she could sink into the couch. Jake’s body rumbled again in laughter. He bent down to quickly peck her lips before urging her big, heavy dog off his back. Zeus finally complied and leaped off the couch, dancing around the floor, still eager to play.
Jake helped her up and then turned to leave. "Set the alarm as soon as I walk out the door." Violet watched as he zipped up his parka and pulled out gloves before spinning back around. "Are you free tomorrow?"
She knew she should pause, pretend to be checking her social calendar, even an imaginary one. Instead, "Would I sound pathetic if I said yes?"
Jake chuckled, "Do I sound pathetic asking?"
Her head moved from side to side. "No."
"Then your question is answered. How about six?"
"I’ll be ready." She snapped her fingers. "Oh, wait…I can’t go tomorrow. I have another commitment."
"Sure, I understand." He spun to leave and she grabbed onto his arm. She didn’t know what had set him off, but she couldn’t let him leave angry. Besides, she wanted to be with him again, too. As soon as he solved the murders he would leave and she might not ever see him again. "Jake, wait."
When he turned she blurted out, "Why don’t you join us?"
"I don’t think so."
"Oh." She couldn’t mask the disappointment on her face.
He sighed. "Look, Violet. It’s just that I don’t want to intrude. I’m sure he wouldn’t appreciate it."
"Who?"
He mumbled something under his breath that sounded like, "Great, Woodsy the Owl is back." Whatever that meant. He sighed and then said, "The man you are going out with tomorrow."
Understanding washed over her. "I’m not going with a man. I promised Melissa, the girl I mentor, that I would take her to the Vermont Teddy Bear Factory to get her bear fixed after school."
He seemed to ponder her statement. Finally, "I’d be honored to join you and Melissa."
Violet let out a breath she didn’t even realize she was holding. "Great. Can you get away a little earlier? How about if I swing by to get you after I pick her up?"
He nodded his agreement. "I’ll meet you in front of my hotel." He bent to brush his lips across hers in a brief, albeit spark-filled, kiss. "Good night, Violet."
She touched her lips and nodded woodenly. "Night," she murmured as she watched him navigate the snow-covered walkway to his car. A wave of tenderness drifted through her when she remembered him shoveling a new pathway for Zeus in the backyard earlier in the evening. She meant to take care of the task herself but was running late getting dinner prepared. She never expected Jake to do it, but then, he was an incredible man—a wonderful, gorgeous, intelligent, thoughtful, noble man. He was everything she would've dreamed of if she had ever allowed herself to do so. She was falling hard for him. Not wise, Violet, an inner voice warned. He lived too far away.
But her damn stubborn heart wouldn’t listen.
CHAPTER 13
January 13
Violet glanced over her shoulder at the traffic before merging onto the highway. Melissa gabbled away happily in the back seat, and Violet tried to focus on her recap of the latest Austin and Ally television show, really she did. But her mind kept drifting back to last night and the scene with Jake on the couch.
"And then Ally, she…."
Violet gave the appropriate head nods and little words of encouragement. One Direction was singing about kissing you and all she could think about was Jake’s kiss. Melissa had a world-class crush on the band, especially Niall, so Violet kept all of their CDs handy. She had all the words memorized and though she refused to admit it to anyone, she kinda liked their music. Her head bopped in tune.
"And then Trish told Austin—he’s so cute—that Dez said…."
Violet caught her breath as she turned into the hotel parking lot. Jake stood outside, his head scrunched inside the collar of his heavy parka. The wind whipped a strand of hair around his forehead and he batted it away with a gloved hand. He turned and saw her approach and a smile broke across his face. Violet smiled back and lifted her hand in a small wave. She pulled under the rotunda and stopped beside him. He opened the passenger door.
"Hi there."
"Hi yourself," she responded, hypnotized by the beauty of his face.
He climbed inside and closed the door. He scoped the interior. "Canvas in Vermont?"
"Impulse buy," she muttered. Yeah, it was a ridiculous purchase, but it looked so cute sitting on the lot.
Jake swiveled in his seat. "You must be the fair Melissa."
Violet should have made the introductions herself. After spotting Jake, she totally forgot about her back-seat passenger. She realized that the little girl had stopped prattling when they pulled up to the hotel. "I’m sorry, I should have introduced you."
"No problem," Jake assured her. He pulled off his glove and stuck his hand into the back seat. "Nice to meet you, Melissa."
Melissa shook his hand and giggled. "Wow, you are way cuter than Harry."
Jake quirked an eyebrow questioningly at Violet. "Harry?"
Violet chuckled. "Harry Stiles," she explained. "He’s in One Direction."
"Great. Nothing like being compared to a boy band. At least she didn’t say the Beibs."
"Oh, thankfully she can’t stand him. But hey, comparing you to Harry is the second biggest compliment she could give you. She adores him."
"Second?" Before he could ask what the biggest would be, Melissa chimed in.
"Are you really a secret agent?"
Jake chuckled. "I was," he verified solemnly.
"Wow," she uttered in awe.
"So, you are getting your bear fixed?"
"Yep."
For Violet’s ears, Jake said s
oftly, "Spayed or neutered?"
Violet braked at a stoplight. "Huh?"
He muttered, "Geez, I really should stick to security work," under his breath. His lips curved shyly. "You said you were taking Melissa to get her bear fixed. I didn’t realize there was a rampant overpopulation of teddy bears."
Violet burst out laughing.
With a self-deprecating grin, he said, "I guess it takes a while for my jokes to sink in."
"No, silly," Melissa chortled from the back seat, having obviously heard his jibe. "They have a hospital at the factory and they operate on broken bears. You are so funny!"
Jake chuckled with her, looking ridiculously pleased at making both females laugh. Violet’s heart squeezed.
"Do you want to see him?" She pushed the honey brown bear forward. "His name’s Niall."
Violet glanced at him with a grin. "That would have been the biggest compliment she could have given you—that you were cuter than Niall."
"Ah." Jake tipped his head in understanding. He accepted the fuzzy toy and had to hold it sideways to avoid stuffing leakage. The bear’s white t-shirt and khaki shorts sported several rips and stains and a long, jagged tear marred one furry leg. One of his hiking boots was also missing. "If it weren’t for the damage, the bear would be dressed better than I am," he said softly to Violet. She smiled.
"Did Niall have a little mishap?" He turned to Melissa and she nodded solemnly.
"An unfortunate accident." Dramatic sigh. "German Shepherd."
They both pressed their lips together to keep from laughing at her theatrics. "How old are you Melissa?"
She perked up. "I’m seven. Violet says I’m the smartest seven-year-old she knows. She says I’m inta..inte…."
"Intelligent," Violet supplied.
"Yeah, that’s it. Intelligent. She said I gots enough smarts to even be president one day!" Her face puckered into a frustrated pout and she fingered one long red braid. "I’d rather be Taylor."
Jake turned to Violet with a lecherous smile. "I’ve got this one. Taylor Swift."
Violet eyed him disgustingly. "Figures you would know that, pervert. She’s like fifteen."
"Nuh-un," Jake defended. "She’s got to be in her twenties. It seems like she’s been around forever." His eyes danced with humor and Violet couldn’t help but match his grin.
They took Route 7 to Shelburne with Melissa happily chattering the entire trip. She quizzed Jake on everything from Spongebob Squarepants to puppies, her favorite subject. Violet felt sorry for him but to his credit, he never got aggravated with all her questions and he seemed to be enjoying himself. He was really good with her.
Violet experienced an ache in the area around her heart.
"I’ve been here before," Melissa announced as she unbuckled her belt and hopped out the door once Violet had parked at the factory. "Come-on, I’ll show you around." She skipped over to Jake and grabbed his hand. Jake grinned at Violet and managed to clutch her wrist and tow her along in Melissa’s enthusiastic wake. Once inside, an employee handed Violet admittance papers for Niall and she laughed as she filled out the form.
"Melissa," she asked in as serious a voice as she could manage. "Is Niall allergic to any medications?"
Melissa paused in thought, her left palm cradling her right elbow, her right index finger tapping her jaw. "You know, I think he is allergic to bee stings. Just like me."
"Bee stings, got it." Violet heard the low chuckle behind her shoulder as she added the information to the form. She finished the questionnaire and handed it to the bear nurse. Melissa listened intently as the nurse explained that Niall would be admitted to the hospital to be operated on by a trained bear doctor. He would have to go through physical therapy, she was told, but he would be as good as new in a few days.
"I need an authorized signature to allow us to perform the surgery. Are you her mom?"
Violet shook her head and started to correct the nurse when Melissa announced, "She’s my big sister and she bought Niall for me. She’s ostracized."
"Authorized," Jake whispered in Melissa’s ear with a grin.
Melissa corrected her mistake and thrusting her hand forward, she said somberly, "Thank you, ma'am." The amused woman shook her hand and nodded at Jake and Violet.
Once they left the hospital area, Niall’s clothes tucked safely in Violet’s purse, Melissa towed them to the gift shop and then flitted off to admire all the bears.
Jake spun around in disbelief. "They have a bear—and outfit—for everything."
Violet nodded in agreement. "And they aren’t cheap." She displayed the price tag on a miniature Romeo.
Jake choked. "A hundred bucks? For a stuffed animal?"
Melissa came bouncing over. She heaved a package above her head. "Look." The box contained an aviator outfit complete with faux-leather bomber jacket, goggles, helmet and scarf.
Jake whistled. "Cool threads."
"Do you want this one or do you want to keep looking?"
Melissa considered Violet’s question and then said, "Keep looking," as she danced away to look at more accessories.
"I need to buy her another outfit," Violet explained. "The lifetime guarantee covers the bear but not the clothes."
Melissa came dashing over in a breathless rush. "I found it, I found it." Jake stopped her forward progress. "I found the outfit I must have for Niall." She presented a package complete with chambray blue police shirt, navy pants, tie, belt and hat. Even miniature hand-cuffs. "He’ll look just like you, Jake."
Violet fought the sudden rush of tears at Melissa’s honest gesture. She looked at Jake and watched him swallow hard a couple of times before he knelt down to Melissa’s level. Neither had the heart to tell her that Jake wasn’t a regular policeman and didn’t wear the outfit.
"Niall…," he had to clear his throat to get the sentence out, "will look very handsome in this outfit."
Melissa nodded sincerely and hugged the package to her chest.
#
Violet wandered over to look at the princess display while Melissa toted Jake around to look at the ballerina bears, cowboy bears and bears that looked like cows. "If they looked like puppies," Melissa informed him, "I would like them much better."
Jake felt supremely guilty for shopping for stuffed animals when a killer was on the loose, but he didn’t like the idea of Violet travelling so far from home with just a young girl to keep her company. If the killer decided to come after her for messing up his plans, it would be the perfect opportunity. Turner agreed. The best way to keep her safe was to keep her close.
Finally Melissa urged him over to the area where bears were made. She held up different carcasses from large metal bins and explained how the machine filled the fur with stuffing. Jake glanced over his shoulder to where Violet browsed, making sure she couldn’t hear. "I’ve got an idea, Melissa." She listened as he whispered into her ear and then she hopped up and down.
"Yea, yea, let’s do it! Let's do it!"
"Shh, we don’t want her to know what we are doing." Melissa nodded and Jake asked, "Are you up to a little acting?"
"Oh, yes."
He gave her some last minute instructions and then sent her over to Violet as a diversion. In an academy award performance, Melissa guided Violet to the back of the store to look at the angel bears, winking conspiratorially at Jake over her shoulder. He laughed, winked back and spun on his heel to find the nurse. He explained his plan and she readily agreed to participate. Jake wandered back into the shop and caught up with the girls. A few minutes later, the nurse approached Violet.
"I’m sorry, Ms. Anastasia, but I’m afraid an orderly spilled coffee on Niall’s admittance form. Do you mind following me to fill out another one?"
"Of course," Violet responded. "I’ll be right back," she told them. The co-schemers watched her go and when she disappeared down the hallway, they hurried over to the bear-making machine, Melissa giggling the entire time. A Bear Crew member helped them pick out a "fat-free" bear—they
decided on dark chocolate to match Violet’s hair—and then he carried it to the filling station.
"We gets to pick out its ingredients," Melissa said solemnly, pointing to a wheel with ten different items. She told Jake to pick the first one.
"Hum," he stroked his chin as he studied the list. "Well, I would think the bear needs some giggles, to remind Violet of you." He tweaked Melissa’s nose and she demonstrated his choice. "Okay, you pick next."
Melissa covertly studied Jake out of the corner of her eye and mimicked his stance, rubbing her chin. "Hum," she copied. "Wishes next." The Bear Crew member dialed the wheel to wishes and added more stuffing. "Your choice."
"Definitely dreams. Every bear needs to dream." Melissa nodded sagely and made her next choice.
"Magic," she told the employee.
"We have room for one more ingredient. What will it be?"
Jake bent down and put his arm around Melissa. "I think we should add love, don’t you?"
"Oh yes," Melissa quickly agreed. "Love."
No, he didn’t love Violet. But he would have to be very careful around her. She was the kind of woman that could sneak up on you and steal your heart before you realized it.
Jake paid for Niall’s new duds and Violet’s bear, which was issued a birth certificate and boxed in a carton complete with air holes for breathing. The clerk handed Jake a shopping bag just as Violet reappeared. She eyed the bag suspiciously as Jake guided them out the door. He mouthed a "Thank you," to the nurse for her assistance and she smiled and waved.
They stepped outside and a flash of light snagged his attention. The glow of high-powered security lights in the parking lot reflected off a shiny surface. Though it was still early, it got dark much sooner in the winter. He caught a glimpse of a car as it slowly rounded the building and disappeared from sight. He moved to shield the two females. He didn’t want to worry Violet, but he thought he spotted a car following them from Burlington. The driver didn’t pursue them into the parking lot, continuing down the highway when they turned in. He hoped he had been wrong. The car he just spotted was the same make and color of the other car. He'd memorized the license plate when it motored past earlier. He would get Turner to run a check on the Alabama plates as soon as possible.
Violets Are Blue Page 14
