His mother shook her head. “Au contraire, darling. I’ve been collecting recipes since my last visit and Rose has kindly agreed to indulge them. Another fifteen minutes, yes?”
The cook nodded and went back to the kitchen. He preferred the one they employed when he was a child. This lady, while good at her job, rarely said a word or laughed. Staff should be like family if they were living in your house twenty-four-seven.
“Jacob, you should show Elizabeth your old room while we wait,” his mother said.
“Aw, Mum, it’s not very interesting—”
Beth interrupted him. “I’d love to see it, if you come with us, Vivian.”
“’Vivian’?”
Two pairs of eyes settled on him.
“Yes, dear. Calling me by a title is entirely too formal.” She smiled at Beth. “Elizabeth is like family.”
“We’ve become good friends the past two years,” Beth added. “If I’m not being too bold.”
“Of course not.”
He waved in their field of vision. “Ladies? Still here?”
They glanced at each other with amused grins. Oh, definitely not a good sign.
Vivian coming along to give Beth a tour of the house put her at ease. He had one thing on his mind right now, and until she had a chance to tell him to slow down, she didn’t want to be left alone with him.
A large estate, the house had formal and informal rooms. The family rooms had obviously been used more often, the chairs and sofas broken in and personal items left here and there.
Upstairs, Vivian led her to his boyhood room located next to the master suite. The room reflected a boy that hadn’t yet reached puberty, with stuffed toys and action figures still on the shelves. A child-size acoustic guitar sat in the corner. The twin bed was decorated with navy blue bedding. A moment frozen in time.
“Do you still sleep in here?” Beth asked him.
“Not if I can help it. Bed’s too short.”
She walked over to the bookshelves. “Definitely different than your room at home.” The walls and furniture were white, with accents in primary colors. “Especially the black phase.”
“You’re never going to let me forget that, are you?”
“The Black Hole? Not likely. Has he always done crazy things when he’s bored?”
“Creative ones, yes,” Vivian said. “I once found him—”
He muffled her statement with his hand. “That’s enough stories for one day, Mum.”
She pushed his hand away. “Darling, it’s only Elizabeth. I’m not blabbing your secrets to the press.”
Beth admired that woman so much for keeping up with him, and especially when she won. If they hadn’t started out as tutor and student, he would’ve steamrolled right over her freshman confidence. Bossing him into buckling down with his homework was the only way she could keep on even ground. Now, she could verbally spar with him, but he still intimidated her. Watching him interact with his mother made her homesick. She resolved to call hers after dinner.
A chime sounded over the intercom, signaling dinner was ready.
Vivian had the head of the table, with Beth and Jacob at each hand so they sat across from each other. Mother and son talked more about what they’d missed in each other’s lives.
Beth listened.
After dinner, she got time alone. Mom gave her a phone card for the long-distance minutes, so she used it when she called from her room.
“Hello?”
“Hi, Mom.” She flopped on the bed.
“Beth! Are you having fun, honey? What time is it there?”
“Around seven-thirty. We just finished dinner. I saw Jacob play last night, and went out with Mrs. Lindsey today.” No way was I telling her about the kissing.
“Oh, what did you see?”
She twirled the phone cord around her fingers. “Part of a museum, this really cool vintage bookstore, and some clothes shopping. Mrs. Lindsey has some fundraiser thing to attend, so we picked out a nice dress.”
“I assume you didn’t leave the bookstore empty-handed.” She could hear the smile in her mother’s voice.
“You know me well, Mom. Is Dad still grumbling?”
“He’ll be glad you called, I’ll say that. He means well.”
She sighed. “I know. And I’m fine. The house is nicer than any hotel I’ve ever been in and we’re getting along great.” By “we”, she meant Mrs. Lindsey.
“Good to hear. Call whenever you want, okay? We miss you.”
“Love you, too, Mom. Bye.” Feeling better about being across the world from her family, she hung up.
Two knocks on her door, then it opened. “Hey.” Jacob.
“Hey. What’s up?”
He closed the door. “You were quiet at dinner.” He sat on the other side of the bed.
“Just listening.”
“Ah. I was wondering if I should head home, yet.”
She looked up. “Doesn’t your mom want you to hang around?”
He plucked at the duvet. “Didn’t want to get in the way of girl time.”
Beth realized he wasn’t completely secure about this—them—either. “Oh. I just got off the phone with Mom.”
“Everything alright?”
She nodded. “Yeah. Only checking in. My dad is still pouting that I’m here and not at home.”
“Rough.”
“Would be, if he knew about last night.” She shuddered.
He chuckled. “Yeah…that stays between us.”
“Yep.”
He reached for her hand. “This scares me, too, you know. We go down in flames, I lose you for good.”
She watched his thumb stroke the back of her hand. “Is it worth the risk?”
One side of his mouth flicked up in a smile. “Hope so. Don’t know, yet.”
“Ditto.” They lapsed into a few minutes of silence. Was the potential for love worth risking a friendship? How did anyone know? How could they tell? If they waited another ten years, they might not have it figured out. “So, the options are stay friends…or try dating?”
He nodded. “Long-distance dating.”
“No pressure…”
He sighed. “Yeah…”
She turned her body to face him and folded her legs up to sit Indian-style. “Would you call or write more often than you do now?”
He mirrored her position. “I’d try. You know I’m not good at keepin’ track of time, so I hope there’d be allowance for that.”
“Some. Depends on the reason. Studying for midterms—excusable. Partying with your friends—not so much.”
“In case—not sayin’ it will happen—but in case either of us meets someone at home…then what?”
“You want a contingency plan for a hook-up?”
“No! I’m saying…there’s always the possibility one or both of us would fall for someone we see every day. The long-distance thing falls apart ‘cause people can’t stay close. I’ve seen it at school.”
She frowned. “Then how does anyone make it work?”
He ran his hand through his hair. “I don’t know. Might have to ask for advice.”
“Maybe…maybe we shouldn’t start, then. Wait until graduation on the proviso we’re both single at that time.”
“Yours or mine?”
Good question. “Would you move back to L.A. when you’re done here?”
He shrugged. “If I don’t have a contract, then I’ll prob’ly have to, anyway. L.A. or New York.” Music centers.
“Right.”
He took her hands in his. “There is a lot to think about, but we don’t have to decide right now, Beth. It’s too important to make a snap decision, yeah?”
“Really?”
He looked at her like it was the most stupid question in the world. “Well, yeah. Do you see me with another best friend?”
“I-I don’t know… I don’t know what you have here.”
He locked eyes with her. “I only have one Bethie.”
Color sprea
d across her cheeks. “Oh.” When he put it like that…
Honestly, she was a bit overwhelmed by the last twenty-four hours. When she first decided to come to London this summer, it was to see him again. Never dreamed they’d kiss, let alone talk about a future together. So, yeah, she was spun.
Rocked to the bloody core.
Whether from jet lag or the emotional weight, she yawned. “Sorry.”
He smiled. “S okay. Long day.”
She snorted out a laugh. “Yeah.”
“Do you want me to let you sleep?”
“At…” She glanced at the clock. “Eight? No. What kind of self-respecting eighteen-year-old would I be if I did that in perfect health?”
He laughed. “Then what would you like to do, love?”
“Um…got any movies?”
He tugged her hand for her to follow him off the bed. “That I do.”
They went downstairs and outside.
“You store your DVDs in the garden?”
“In a manner of speaking.”
They walked through a maze of hedgerows and came out to open grass on the other side. In the back corner of the property was an old gardener’s cottage. “No one had used this for years, so when I moved back two years ago, I claimed it as a place no one would find me.” He took an old key out of his pocket.
“Secret hideout, eh?”
He grinned in the dark and nudged the door open. “Exactly. Let me find the lights…”
She heard the flick of a lighter, then light spread from a lantern. The cottage was one open room, save for a door that might lead to a bathroom. A stone fireplace sat center in the back wall. He had set up an inflatable mattress, an older TV, and a writing desk by the window.
“No electricity wired back here, so I use a portable battery. Lanterns or candles are enough to see by. Don’t have much to trip over.”
“Yeah. This is…unexpected, but pretty cool. I thought you liked your creature comforts.”
He got the TV and DVD player running. “I do…but every so often, it’s nice to have the quiet. Sit. I’ve got snacks and a box of movies.”
“Why do I feel like there should be a ‘Boys Only’ sign on the door?” she teased.
He plopped down on the mattress next to her. “Because you’re a dork. Pick something.”
Looking at the titles, she gasped. “Someone has a thing for ‘80s flicks…”
“What of it?”
“Oh my God, The Breakfast Club…my mom loves this movie. Aww, Superman one-through-four… I haven’t watched any of those since my brother left.”
“Then pick one.”
“It’s your secret hideout.”
“And I’m bein’ a good host. Pick a bloody movie, Beth.”
“I don’t know. Recommend something.”
He rolled his eyes and lay back on the bed. “Wake me when you decide.”
“Okay, okay… Well…out of the movies I recognize…here.” She handed him the case.
“Goonies? Somehow that does not surprise me.”
She play-shoved him. “It’s hilarious.”
“No question, but it’s also almost two hours long.”
“Most movies are two hours long. If you’re worried I’ll fall asleep, I’ll just go back inside. We can watch something another time.” She started to get to her feet.
He tugged her back down. “Don’t think I said you could leave, love.” He held her wrist.
“Gonna hold me prisoner? Very mature.”
He slowly shook his head. “Temper, temper…” And kissed her.
Thoughts of running away fled her mind. His lips were soft against hers, yet they demanded she join in, coaxing her to yield to his dominance.
Jacob was always naturally confident in the time she’d known him, but Adult-Jacob had a mastery of his life. He was one of those lucky people things just worked out for, but more than that, he’d figured out how to get what he wanted and knew he’d have it. He kissed in the same way, overwhelming her senses with his touch and his scent. She needed more…something.
Not close enough…
He’d tugged her to sit sideways on his lap, but twisting to kiss him was uncomfortable. She straddled his hips—much better.
“Want you,” he said, his voice rough with passion.
She shook her head. “Not yet.”
He nodded, and the next kiss was slower. The rhythm he intended to cool things down with backfired on her, though. Her heart pounded in her chest and heat suffused her body, focusing deep in her belly.
He broke away. “Beth, you keep rubbin’ on me like that and I’m not going to be responsible for the consequences.”
“Huh?” This must be what they meant by “lust-addled brain”. He placed one of her hands on his fly. Whoa. That was, um…
“I’m hard enough to hammer nails, love, to borrow a phrase.”
There’s no way that’s fitting in— “Oh, um…sorry. I should go, um…” She gestured toward the house.
“Maybe. Yeah.”
It’d work better if you got off the boy’s lap, Beth. They stared at each other, breathing in unison. “I’m gonna leave. Any second now.”
“Uh-huh.” He leaned closer, his reply touching her lips as well as her ears.
“Yep.” Speaking with their mouths touching might’ve been the most erotic thing she’d experienced this weekend.
Sighing, she made full contact again, a junkie for his kisses. He moaned and pressed her closer with a hand on her low back. If she could crawl inside him, maybe she could satisfy this ache…
She sucked in a breath. He dipped his head to bite her neck where it met her shoulder. “I need…”
“Tell me, baby.”
Baby…I liked that. “Unh… I can’t think with you this close.”
He rolled her onto her back. “Thinking’s overrated.”
Okay…wait, I was going to do something…I needed to… “Go. I mean, I should go.”
He lifted his head to stare at her. “Now?”
She nodded. This was about to go where she couldn’t come back from.
Rolling onto the mattress, he said, “Better run, then.”
Scrambling to her feet, she glanced at him. His blue eyes were dilated black and naked longing was written on his gorgeous face. Part of her wanted to throw sense to the wind and learn what he could teach her.
She ran out, not slowing down until she reached the other side of the maze.
When she woke up the next morning, his motorcycle was gone. She and Vivian had a light breakfast, then set out for more sightseeing. They took the tour of the Tower, Beth shot photos of the Bridge, then they explored the British Museum.
“Tomorrow, we can drive over to Stratford-upon-Avon, and perhaps Jacob can take you on one of those ghost tours this week.”
“I’m all for the Shakespeare. Not so much with the scary stuff.”
Vivian shrugged. “Merely a thought. Really, there’s more to do around London than you’ll have time for, so I’m sure we can keep you entertained.”
“That’s why I packed a guidebook.”
She put a hand on Beth’s arm. “Would you rather go off alone? I don’t want to…crimp your style?”
“You’re not,” she assured his mother. “I might take a day before I leave, but I love spending time with you. My mother would be wandering the parks taking pictures of strangers, Dad would drag me to every war museum, and Jacob would be bored to tears looking at old books. You like what I like.”
She smiled. “Lucky for us, then, isn’t it.”
“Absolutely.”
As the day went on and she was so nice, Beth felt guilty about kissing her son behind her back. “Can I ask you a hypothetical question?” she asked at lunch.
Vivian set her fork on her plate. “Of course.”
“Say you had feelings, and even kissed someone, but you’re not sure if it can work. How do you know?”
“Hmm, does the hypothetical object of that affection share
those feelings?”
Stirring the straw in her soda, she watched the ice float in circles. “I don’t know. Maybe.”
“Well, you would only know if you tried, but the effort would have to be equal from both sides. If you want different things, that’s something that has to be settled.”
Figured as much. “Hypothetically, is it okay to put off a relationship for a while, then? Can a person be asked to wait?”
“Elizabeth, is there something you want to tell me?” Her right eyebrow arched just like Jacob’s did when he had a hunch.
She shook her head, maybe a little too hard. “No, no. Only thinking...”
Vivian smirked. “Hypothetically.”
“Yeah.” She felt the blood rushing to her cheeks and tried to relax before she blushed like a beet.
“Well…” Vivian picked up her fork to resume eating her salad. “It’s merely my opinion, but I think Jacob should court you properly, or not at all.”
“J-Jacob? What— I mean, there’s…there’s no Jacob,” she sputtered.
“Mm-hm.”
“I didn’t say anything about—”
“Elizabeth. I’m not blind. Only the incredibly oblivious would miss the flirtation between you two since we arrived.”
This time, she did blush. “Oh.” What all had she seen? “What do you think?”
Vivian reached across the table and took Beth’s hand. “I’m quite fond of you, I hope you know that. I’d be happy to welcome you as a daughter…when you’re ready. However, I promised your parents a wholesome and educational trip, and I’m pretty sure a summer fling doesn’t fall under those guidelines.”
“I don’t want a fling.” She pulled her hand away.
“Forgive the way that sounded. That was not my intent. You’re a good girl, dear. I worry more about my son’s intentions more than yours.”
Hey. “Jacob is a good man.”
She nodded. “He is. He has a good heart. He’s also young, and usually gets his way, and I don’t think he’s mature enough to be what you hope, Elizabeth.”
“What does that mean?”
She smiled kindly. “That I don’t think it’s the right time for you, dear. Maybe in a few years. Maybe ten—who knows? But, I’d hate to see you hurt unnecessarily when the distance wasn’t realistic in the first place.”
Logic sucked. “Maybe I won’t like UCLA.”
She sighed, but the smile was still in place. “Maybe you won’t.”
Kissed Page 8
