Kissed

by Ms. Carla Krae

  She had a loaned key for the manor, so she quietly let herself in and went straight to her room. First thing she did was brush the dead cat out of her teeth. Thought about a shower, but she was too exhausted and fell into bed with a sleep-shirt on, instead.

  Her dreams were full of kissing and losing him.

  On repeat.

  When Beth came downstairs for breakfast at noon, Mrs. Lindsey hugged her.

  “I’m so glad you’re here, Elizabeth. Jacob called saying you’d left his apartment and he didn’t know where you’d gone or when.”

  “Sorry to worry you. I came back this morning and crashed.”

  She gave her the Mom Look. “Well, you should have left a note even though you are an adult.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  She smiled and kept her arm around Beth when they turned for the kitchen. “I have an appointment in a bit, but it shouldn’t take very long. We could go into town if you like.”

  “That’d be nice. My stomach’s a little rumble-y, but I might be up to that by the time you get back.”

  “Excellent.” Mrs. Lindsey kissed her cheek and started walking away. “Oh, and call my son to let him know you’re safe?” She left, expecting Beth to follow her suggestion.

  Beth was stirring a pot of oatmeal on the stove when she heard Jacob’s bike pull up out front. Just what I needed.

  “Mother?”

  Waiting for him to look in here, she hoped he wouldn’t. If she could spend the rest of her vacation with Vivian and run home with the remaining shreds of her dignity, she’d be happy.

  “You.”

  “Oh, good morning, Beth. Did you sleep well?” she replied, still stirring breakfast to completion. The oats were cooked, only needed seasonings and the sprinkle of fruit on top.

  He grabbed her shoulders and turned her around. “Nice of you to say goodbye.”

  She rolled her eyes, not planning to rise to his bait. “One, where else would I go, and two, it was early and I didn’t want to wake you.”

  “Didn’t plan on waking me, you mean.”

  “Potato, po-tah-to. Can I eat my breakfast, or do you need to impersonate my father some more?”

  He let go of her robe. “You can be such a brat.”

  “Snappy comeback.” She carried the bowl to the small breakfast table and sat down to eat.

  He sat across from her, glaring with his arms crossed over his chest. His hair looked like he rode the bike without his helmet.

  After five minutes of him staring at her, she put her spoon down. “Were you really that worried? Hello, raised by an Army man. I know how to get myself out of trouble, which I wasn’t in.”

  “You weren’t there, didn’t leave a note, and Mum hadn’t seen you. Didn’t know what to think.”

  “I took a cab here and went to bed. Sorry, I was exhausted.”

  “Not an excuse to be irresponsible.”

  “There you go again, talking down to me like I’m a kid. It’s a two year age difference.” She picked up the bowl to take to her room.

  “Adults don’t walk out in the middle of a conversation.”

  Scowling, she turned to him. “They do when it’s stupid.”

  “Oh, excuse me, Miss Straight A’s. Was I boring you?”

  “I didn’t call you stupid. I said this was stupid.”

  He took another step closer so he looked down his nose at her. “By all means, go back to America where I’m not wasting your time.”

  “Maybe I will,” she said, poking his chest on the last syllable.

  They stared at each other, angry, fired up, and neither willing to be the first to back down.

  Jacob grabbing her shoulders and kissing her wasn’t part of the plan. It wasn’t a nice kiss at all. Their teeth clashed. He scratched her lip. The stubble on his face chafed her skin. She dropped the bowl. It shattered on the tile. He picked her up and set her butt on the table, his lips still on hers. She had one hand on the back of his neck, her nails leaving soft dents in his skin. He set her body on fire, the robe she was wearing suddenly too hot.

  “Don’t go,” he said between kisses.

  “Wasn’t gonna.”

  “Good.” He moved to kissing her throat, nipping her skin with his teeth.

  She squeaked when he bit a particularly sensitive spot. “Why?”

  He pulled back to look at me. “Why what?”

  “What is this? You didn’t want me last night.”

  He ran a hand through his hair and let out an audible breath. “Oh, I wanted you. The way you kiss, Bethie…” He shivered.

  “Oh.”

  That was all—physical lust. She slid her feet to the floor, stepped around him, and started cleaning up the mess of oatmeal and china.

  “What ‘oh’?”

  “I hope the bowl wasn’t expensive. I’m so clumsy sometimes.” Keep him off-guard and he’ll stop arguing.

  He crouched down in her way. “Beth, stop avoiding the question.”

  “I get it, that’s all.” She shrugged and picked up more bits of china.

  “Maybe you can enlighten me, then, ‘cause I’m lost.”

  “You like what I can do, so you’re attracted to me.”

  “Well, yeah…but—”

  “Jacob, it’s okay. Can you find some paper towels or something?”

  “Uh, yeah…”

  He rose and went to the broom closet and found the towels and a dustpan. She dumped what was in her hand in the dustpan and stood to wet a paper towel at the sink. At least the bowl was almost empty when she dropped it, so there hadn’t been much splatter. Once the floor was spotless again, she washed her hands.

  Turning to where he’d been, she came face-to-face. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close.

  “Now, where were we?” He closed in on her lips again. Like a dog with a bone!

  She moved her head back. “Someone might see us.”

  He grinned and said, “So we find a more private room. House is huge, in case you didn’t notice.”

  She broke his hold. “I’m not like those groupies.” The girls he was used to might like private corners or dark hallways, but that wasn’t her.

  His eyebrows rose. “What groupies?”

  “The girls ready to have your babies at the concert. Don’t tell me you’re oblivious to the attention!”

  “We have fans, but what does that have to do with—”

  “Ugh. Men.” She stormed out of the kitchen. With any luck, she’d reach the stairs before he recovered.

  “Will you stop running away from me, woman?” He grabbed her hand and pulled her to a stop. “What the hell is your problem?”

  “You and your Y chromosome are my problem! Let me go.”

  “No. You’ll just run off.”

  “My prerogative. Asshole.”

  He brushed her hair off her face with his left hand. The touch of his fingers on her scalp gave her tingles. “Afraid to be alone with me?”

  Yes. She stuck her chin out, fronting. “Why should I be?”

  His thumb caressed her cheekbone, his fingers resting on her neck. “You tell me.” His gaze flicked from her eyes to her lips and back again.

  “You have a reputation.”

  “Do I?” he said, amused at the notion.

  “Well, your mother has suspicions.”

  He chuckled at that. “My mother has an over-active imagination about what I don’t share.”

  “Can you blame her? Your career goal is Rock Star.”

  He frowned. “What’s wrong with that?”

  “Potentially nothing. And potentially everything. Say you get famous—what will you do with all the attention? Where will we fit? Who will you know to trust when everyone wants a piece of you? How will you find privacy?”

  “Been reading tabloids?”

  She sighed, not wanting another argument. “No. There are people who want you to succeed and worry about it at the same time. I know you’re having fun right now…”

 
; They stood apart.

  “You think this is a ‘bit of fun’?”

  “Well, yeah. Isn’t it?”

  “Beth, you’re not a fling.”

  “Yeah, not yet. And I never would’ve kissed you last night if I was sober. I can’t just fool around with you and go home. I won’t.”

  “So, what, we pretend it didn’t happen?” He stepped to her and cupped her cheeks in his hands. “I can’t do that.”

  “Why not?”

  He opened his mouth to reply, and paused, searching for the right answer.

  She pulled away. “Yeah…exactly. You come up with a good answer, then we can talk.”

  Before he could see her cry, she fled to her room.

  The bike started up outside after a few minutes. She went to the window and watched him ride away.

  You just had to come to England. Had to see Jacob. How’s that goin’ for ya?

  Bite me.

  Pretty hard to accomplish that, considering I’m your mind.

  Figure of speech. Go away.

  You’re really going to throw away that much gorgeous just because he’s not in love with you?

  I have standards.

  Oh, come on! Do you really want your first time to be with some college nerd instead of your hot best friend? Take advantage of an opportunity here!

  Since when is my subconscious such a slut?

  Since she got a taste of what you’ve been dreaming about for four years. Ain’t my fault you couldn’t crush on more than one guy at a time.

  Oh, shut up.

  Debating with her Id wasn’t going to do any good. Since she didn’t know when Mrs. Lindsey would be back, she set the alarm for a half-hour nap.

  Someone knocked on her door while she was dressing after her shower.

  “Come in.”

  The door opened. “Nice legs.” Male voice.

  She froze, sunscreen half-rubbed into her skin. “Thought you were your mother.”

  He shut the door. “Sorry to disappoint.”

  “She’ll be back any minute.” Beth closed the cap on the bottle, legs now sufficiently protected. Her skin got sunburns from beach scenes on TV.

  He came closer. “Got plans?”

  “Yes.”

  “To do what?”

  “I don’t know. Stuff. Why are you here?” She backed into the dresser. Dammit. Felt like the antelope about to be pounced on by the lion.

  “Because you’re my favorite girl next to Mum, of course.” He placed both hands on the dresser behind her, pinning her in.

  “That’s, um, nice, but—”

  His lips cut off her sentence. Another different kiss, this one coaxing her to play his game of seduction, slowly making her blood boil. One of us moaned. “Need you, Bethie.”

  Again with the lust. “I’m not—”

  “Need you in my life. I’ve never wanted to share.”

  She ducked under his arm, needing air. “You don’t like sharing anything. Whine and moan if I steal one fry.”

  He stalked her again. “That’s not what I meant. Remember how you complained about me not bringing you along with my friends? I wasn’t excluding you. I wanted our time all to myself. You’re the only girl I ever trusted in my room.”

  Her eyes widened at that news. “You never brought your dates back to the house?”

  “Sure, to the den or the kitchen. Not in my room.”

  “Do…do you share your room now?”

  He grinned. “Nope.”

  Whoa. “You haven’t…in…”

  He shook his head. “Not at my place.”

  “But…you’ve…?” Had sex.

  “Yeah. If it matters.”

  “Ah.” Well, she’d expected that already, so…well. “I didn’t like being excluded. Back then.”

  “I know. I remember.”

  She folded her arms over her chest. “You kept saying you were protecting my little-girl-self from the assumptions of you old people.”

  He rubbed the back of his neck. “Not exactly how I worded it…”

  “Point is, you thought of me as a baby sister until I showed up yesterday.” God, it was only yesterday.

  “I did not.”

  “Did too.”

  “Did not.

  “Did too.”

  “Spring Break my senior year. You slept over when your parents were away. I woke up holding you.”

  “Nuh-unh. I left when you were asleep.”

  “I woke up before you did, love, and I liked it. Liked having you there with your cute little snore sounds.”

  “I do not snore!”

  He grinned. “Kinda do, yeah.”

  Her hands went to her hips and she glared at him. “Take that back.”

  “It’s adorable, really. A soft breath followed by a tiny whistle.”

  She smacked his arm. “You’re so lying!”

  He caught her hand and laughed. “Cross my heart and hope to die, Beth.”

  “Damn.”

  He shook his head, still laughing at her. “I tell you I liked holding you two years ago and all you take from the story is that you snore? No wonder they say women are crazy.”

  Her cheeks flushed. “Shut up.”

  “Do you believe you’re special to me now?”

  She let him pull her into his arms. “Warming up to it.”

  “Finally.”

  She smacked his arm again. “Shut up.”

  “So abusive,” he teased.

  “You drive me nuts. It’s not my fault.”

  “Look at that pout…” He kissed her, gently sucking her lower lip into his mouth.

  Unh. One of his hands slid under the back of her tee to stroke her spine. She leaned into him and he fell back to sit on her bed.

  We were that close to the bed?

  She crawled on his lap so their faces would be even height again. Anything that maximized the kissing.

  He laid back, her body following, and she felt the hard-on he was sporting. One of his hands was tangled in her hair, the other still caressing her back. They were getting pretty hot. He’d just unfastened her bra when someone knocked on her door.

  Beth sat up so fast; she nearly fell backward off the bed. His hands tightened on her waist to save her.

  “Elizabeth?” Oh god…his mother!

  “Yes?” Praying her voice sounded normal.

  “Do you still want to go out this afternoon?”

  “Um…” Her eyes widened and she glanced down at him. He nodded. “Sure!”

  “Wonderful. Bring a sweater in case it gets chilly this evening.”

  “Yep. Be down in a minute!” They heard her walk away. He started to giggle. She put her hand over his mouth. “Shhh! She might hear you and come back!” she whispered. He stopped and kissed her palm. “Oh my God…” That was mortifying. She dropped her hands to her sides.

  “Bethie, we’re adults and she likes you. It’s okay.”

  She got off his lap. “She’s like a second mom to me, Jacob. It’s a big deal. You need to sneak out to another part of the house. I’m sure she saw your bike.”

  Was it obvious she’d been making out? She went into the bathroom. Her lips were bright pink, cheeks flushed, and her hair needed brushing. Oh, yeah, and her bra was undone.

  God, that was close.

  “See you tonight?” he asked, watching her cool her face.

  “I don’t know.”

  “Why not?”

  “’Cause I’ll be with your mother.”

  He shrugged. “So I’ll hang out here for the day.

  “Here?”

  “In the house.”

  “Oh.” That was a relief.

  He turned her face to him and kissed her again. It was short. “See you later, love.”

  “Uh-huh.” He kept turning her into Dreamy-Beth. Oh, I’m in so much trouble…

  He left. She heard a door open and shut down the hall. When she finally felt presentable, she walked downstairs and found him chatting with Mrs. Lindsey.
>
  “Did Mother wake you, Beth?” Stinker.

  “Uh, no. I was just in the middle of something. Sorry to keep you waiting, Mrs. Lindsey.”

  “It’s alright, dear. There was no rush. Shall we?”

  “Yep.”

  Vivian placed her hand on his arm, a gesture of affection. “Goodbye, dear. Do you have plans today?”

  “Nope. Maybe some writing.”

  “Then perhaps we can reunite for dinner. Come along, Elizabeth. I’ll show you my favorite spots as a girl.”

  Mrs. Lindsey took her purse from a servant on the way to the door. Beth followed, glancing back at him just before she walked outside. He winked at her.

  Chapter Eight

  Jacob was in the conservatory testing a melody on the piano when he heard their voices. The front door shut as he walked into the foyer. “There are my two favorite ladies.” They turned and smiled at him, both carrying shopping bags. “Have fun?”

  Beth nodded. “Vivian took me to this really old bookstore that only carries vintage texts!”

  “Ahhh. There goes any hope of seeing you surface the rest of your vacation,” he teased.

  “That is an exaggeration, sir.”

  “We also went to the art museum,” his mother said.

  “Is that what they’re calling clothing stores these days?”

  “Hush.” Mother thrust her bags into his hands. “Be a good boy and carry these to my room.”

  “Yes, Mum.”

  They giggled as he walked away. His girl and his mother bonding—no good could come from this.

  He put his mother’s loot by her closet and left her room. Coming down the hall, he saw Beth enter her bedroom and slipped in behind her.

  “Jacob!”

  “What?” He took the bag out of her hand and wrapped his arm around her waist. “I missed you.”

  “It was only a few hours.” Her breathing quickened when he nibbled on her neck. “Stop that.”

  “But you like it,” he said, grinning against her throat.

  “I don’t want a mark.”

  “I can find a place that doesn’t show.”

  She pushed him away. “We need to get downstairs.”

  He sighed. “As you wish.” He’d only get her alone later.

  Mum was speaking to her cook about the night’s menu. “There you are. Does Chinese work for both you?”

  “Sure.”

  “She just means takeout, love.”

  Beth’s lips formed a soundless “o”.