by Bird, Peggy
Matt turned back to his desk and stared at his laptop. The cursor blinked ominously on the blank document as he tapped a pen on his leg. It was the end of a long day of writing in fits and bursts. He was not at his most productive. He wasn’t even sure that what he had written was usable. He glanced back at Sam tapping on her keyboard with lightning speed.
They had eaten a quick lunch at the main house while Sam filled him in on the latest gossip, some of it was from the city, but some was from Lakehaven. She hadn’t even been here a full day and already she was collecting intel. He had listened with half an ear while scanning the doors for any sign of Jade. She hadn’t made an appearance. Sam had been great, ignoring the fact that Matt wasn’t really listening.
They had gone for a swim in the lake and Sam wore the tiniest bikini Matt had ever seen. Unfortunately, that just made him imagine what Jade would look like in equally small scraps of fabric. That, at least, had made him smile.
Jeff had been mowing the lawn at the time, and he seemed to appreciate Sam’s suit. He mowed over the same area for twenty minutes before Sam got out and wrapped herself in a towel. He had even taken off his flannel shirt and conspicuously mopped sweat off his chest for Sam’s benefit. Sam had pretended not to notice, much to Jeff’s dismay.
After the swim, Matt and Sam had gone back to the cabin where Sam was hard at work and Matt was still staring at his laptop screen. Blink, blink. The cursor was starting to annoy him. He tapped his pen against his leg. He glanced back at Sam again. He was trying to be patient with her method of problem solving. She had come to help him win back Jade, but he knew how she operated. She first would gently fish for information, get the lay of the land, get to know the situation and the players, and then she would let various scenarios roll around in her brain until the perfect solution clicked into place. To an outside observer, it looked like she wasn’t doing anything but Matt knew better. She had been his manager since the very start and she was a genius at managing anything. Sometimes it took weeks for her to steer a situation in the direction she wanted it to go, but she always got the job done. Always. He just wished it would take less time. He wasn’t great at waiting.
Without looking up she spoke. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
Sam typed out a few keystrokes. “Bullshit.”
“What the fuck does that mean?” Matt slammed his laptop closed and turned to face Sam. He knew he was being a baby, but he just couldn’t help himself.
“You’re tapping your leg.”
Matt stopped tapping his pen. “Okay look, I’ve got to do something. This is driving me crazy.”
“Okay. Go for a walk. What time is it?”
“Around five.”
“Where will she be?”
“I don’t know, somewhere in the main house. It’s near dinner so … kitchen or dining room … maybe her office, if she’s hiding from me.”
“Okay, run into her accidentally and then be casual. See what happens.”
“Really?”
Samantha nodded. “Yes, but don’t spook her. Be casual. I mean it.”
Matt grabbed his jacket off the back of his chair and bounded toward the door like a puppy. He was out of the cabin in a matter of seconds. Matt looked in all the places he thought Jade might be, with no luck. He checked the game room and the porch that looked out over the lawn toward the lake. He glanced out at the lawn through the screened-in area. Off to the left, in the direction of cabin four, he could see Jeff working in the brush around the path. Matt strode over to ask about Jade’s whereabouts. Jeff pulled his headphones off long enough to tell Matt that he wasn’t sure, but she might have gone up the path.
In the time that Matt had been at Lakehaven, he had only been hiking that second day, the morning Jade had taken him. The morning they first kissed. The path had been a gradual slope uphill, but followed the shore of the lake. This path led in the opposite direction. From the maps Matt had seen, it looked like this was just the other end of a large loop around the lake. There were various trails that branched off the main loop, but if he stayed on this path it would eventually circle all the way back to his own cabin.
The path in this direction wove its way past cabins three, two, and then one, before starting to slant uphill. Here the path was wide and edged on the left with low bushes that left the lake view unobstructed. To the right, the only thing visible was a forest of trees.
Matt looked to his left. At this time of day, the late afternoon sun was throwing stardust trails of gold across the darkening water. It had been a sunny day and there was still warmth in the air, but Matt could feel it fading and knew in an hour it would be chilly. He made his way up the hill, and after a five-minute walk, the path began to narrow. The bushes got taller and were gradually replaced by trees that blocked the view of the lake. There were openings in the tree line to his right leading off to other trails, but a solid wall of greenery to his left. The lake mostly curved to the left, but here it bent right for a way before curving back in the other direction. Much of the lake line was like that, creating small coves and shallows perfect for fishing or swimming. He walked farther, listening to the breeze running through the branches and the cadence of his own footfalls.
Suddenly, he was aware of a third sound up ahead—a splashing below him and to the left. It was a rhythmic sound but not the same as the lapping of lake water on its own. It was closer to the sound of an animal drinking or wading in the water. He walked twenty yards until the sound was directly below him and looked around. The path was dark here, and in the waning light, it was getting darker by the minute. Matt looked closely at the trees bordering the lake side of the path. There were bushes filling in between the trees, and after a careful inspection, Matt noticed a small opening between the greenery. He gently drew the branches aside and sure enough, there was a narrow path angling downward, presumably toward the lake’s edge.
He moved slowly and silently, hoping to see a deer drinking from the water and not wanting to startle it. The thin trail made a series of switchbacks, zigzagging across the steep slope and winding its way down to the lake. As he approached the bottom, he could see the darkness of tree-cover give way to light. He slowed his pace even more as he approached the shore, hoping not to disturb whatever was ahead.
The sun had dropped to the horizon line and glowed orange on the water. The same warm glow glinted off the midnight blue silhouette of a naked woman, outlining her against the gold-flecked water. Her body stood in profile, and her head was turned toward the center of the lake. Even so, Matt could tell it was Jade. He froze at the edge of the tree line, deciding what to do. Or not deciding.
She had waded in to mid-thigh and bent over to trail her hand lovingly through the water. The waning light glinted off her hip, the curve of her lower, lower back and everything in between. Holy God. Matt sucked in a breath. She waded in deeper and the water lapped at the apex of her thighs. Lucky water.
He stood frozen as she slipped lower into the water, dunked herself completely under, and then came back up, facing the other direction. She wasn’t quite facing him, but from this angle, he could see more of her. She was sliding her hand over her hair, water sluicing off her body and pouring down in rivulets between her breasts. He could tell the water was cold.
She dove back under and disappeared for a bit. She rose up out of the lake a few yards from where she had gone under. She reminded Matt of a water nymph.
Without turning, she spoke. “Are you coming in or are you just going to gawk?”
Matt found his voice on the third try. “Can I just gawk?”
She shrugged. “Suit yourself.” Then she disappeared beneath the lake’s surface.
He waited for her to rise again, holding his breath and scanning for her figure. She came out of the water facing him, and he could feel desire pour through him. He loved the tease of it, could almost see it in slow motion. Each part of her was gradually revealed from her lovely shoulders, her high, round breasts, the slope
of her ribcage down to her abdomen. His whole body tightened for her. He almost groaned aloud.
She smiled at him where he was, still standing at the edge of the trees watching. “I’m glad you’re here, actually. I wanted to talk to you.”
Matt just nodded. I mean, what could he say to her right now? Certainly nothing coherent.
Jade continued on as if she were standing in her office fully clothed. “I wanted to apologize for … overreacting last week. I guess it can’t be easy, the fame and the lack of privacy. I shouldn’t have thrown plant life at you.” She turned away from Matt and looked out at the water for a moment. Matt stared at her backside and marveled at the glory of nature. He was starting to rethink the decision to just watch. Part of him wanted to shuck his clothes, rush in, and lick lake water off her, then drag her back to shore and slide inside of her. He was hard just thinking about it.
She dove under and this time came out of the water several yards closer to Matt. This time she actually was slowly, purposefully gliding up out of the water. When she was standing fully, she tilted her head back and lifted her arms to squeeze the water out of her hair. It was timed just right so that her breasts tilted up and her back arched just so. Her lips parted slightly and she paused there for the slightest moment. Okay, now he was really hard.
She smiled slightly and slid her gaze over to Matt. “Oh, I have a surprise for you.”
Matt thought about pinching himself to see if he was dreaming, but that would look embarrassing if he wasn’t and would wake him up if he was. There was absolutely no reason to wake up from this kind of a dream.
Jade turned toward him. The golden sunlight was gone, replaced by silvery moon glow. The water glistened off her body, highlighting each and every one of her perfect curves. She started out of the water toward the shore, toward him. She shivered a little as the cold air hit more and more of her skin. Matt shivered for another reason altogether.
Jade smiled. “I’m sure you’ll like it.” She walked closer.
Matt pulled his gaze away from her body and forced himself to make eye contact. He smiled. His voice was deep and husky. “I’m sure I will.”
Jade nodded. “My dad found some more Cartwright papers in his office.” She veered toward a rock and leaned over to pick up a towel. Somehow, Matt had failed to notice it sitting there in the fading light. Jade continued speaking. “He was cleaning out his filing cabinets and found them.” Jade wrapped the towel around herself and picked up the pile of clothing that was on the rock next to it. Somehow, Matt had missed that, too. “He’s mailing them, so they should be here in a couple of days. Isn’t that a great surprise?” She secured the ends of the towel under its edge and tucked her clothes under her right arm.
Matt nodded, stupefied. “Uh, great.” He was supposed to be good with words but that was the response he came up with? It seemed that most of his brain was stuck thinking about Jade—naked.
He was sure he was awake now because this was not how he would have scripted the dream. Jade sauntered past him and up the trail. Her shoes were in her left hand, but even in bare feet in the dark, she was sure footed. She had obviously been here many times.
She took a few steps up the hill and turned. “I’m glad we had this talk. I hope you can forgive me.”
Matt waved his hand in the air, but kept his back to her, his gaze on the lake. He cleared his throat. “Nothing to forgive. Apology accepted.”
She paused and said, “Thanks,” then turned and continued up the hill.
He knew he would come up with the perfect words to woo her about an hour from now. For now, the only word that came to mind was pathetic. Matt took the few strides to the rock where Jade’s towel and clothes had been. He sat down hard. The rock was still warm. He rested his elbows on his knees and stared out at the water. He nodded to no one in particular. That went well.
Chapter 17
Two days later, Jade received her father’s newly discovered papers and decided to deliver them to Matt’s cabin in person. Matt’s friend Samantha had gone back to the city. She must have liked Lakehaven, at least enough to book a cabin for the following weekend.
Ben insisted that there was nothing going on between Sam and Matt. He pointed out that Sam had called to ask him to bring an additional set of blankets to the cabin. Stu and Maddie had mentioned seeing the same blankets on the couch. Jade was still suspicious. She knew what she would be doing if she were locked in a cabin with Matt all weekend. She could feel her body tighten at the thought.
Jade sighed at her traitorous body and tried to pull herself together. If she arrived at Matt’s cabin like this, she was likely to jump him. She was pretty sure after the skinny dipping episode that he wouldn’t protest. That had been fun, to have the upper hand for a change, but for now, she was trying to keep a little distance, sort of. She really wanted to stay mad at him; it was safer for her heart if she did. When her relationship with Nick fell apart, she had made a promise to herself: never again. She could feel herself relenting bit by bit, and it wasn’t the most comfortable feeling. She was freaked out by how quickly she had fallen for Matt. When he’d confessed his real identity, it had pulled the rug out from under her, and now she was just trying to keep her equilibrium. She didn’t want to really care about Matt, and she still wasn’t sure if she was anything more than a vacation fling for him. Not that he didn’t genuinely like her; he probably did, but beyond that she couldn’t tell. It felt like he always had an edge over her, somehow, that left her scrambling to come out on top. The moment the phrase out on top popped into her head, her mind turned wicked. She had an instant image of Matt flat on his back underneath her, her thighs straddling his waist and her hair draped over his naked chest. Jade frowned and tried to think about something else.
She got to his cabin and knocked, then glanced at the large envelope in her hand. She was still looking at her father’s scrawl when the door swung open, and just like that, he was there in front of her. Suddenly, all of her concerns seemed to fly out of her head. She had avoided seeing too much of him lately. Down at the lake’s shore the other day it had been dark, and he had been hard to see. He wasn’t hard to see now. The over six feet of potent male standing in front of her rendered her speechless. He wore faded jeans, slung low on his lean hips, and a grey t-shirt stretched taut across his beautiful broad chest. Her breath caught in her throat. All she could manage was to raise the envelope and wave it about in front of him.
For a moment, Matt’s face was completely expressionless. Jade was betting he was a really good poker player. Then he broke into a casual smile and stepped aside to usher her in. She paused before entering. It hadn’t occurred to her that he would invite her in. She was pretty curious to find out what was in the envelope and maybe a little curious to find out where they stood with each other. The truth was she flat out missed him, his warmth, his humor, his scent. She walked in.
The cabin was tidy. The pile of bedding provided by Ben sat neatly folded on one end of the couch. Other than that, the place was spotless. Matt had a lot of papers on the desk, but even they seemed to be well organized.
Matt shot her a thousand watt smile that made her stomach jump. “Let’s see what we’ve got here.” He opened the envelope and slid a sheaf of papers out. Some of them were old and yellowed, while others looked more recent. Matt spread them out on the coffee table and invited Jade to sit. He sat next to her, not so close as to crowd her, but close enough. She could smell his soap and that other warm scent that seemed to be just him. He picked up one of the more yellowed papers and slid in toward her. “What do you think?” It was an old map.
“Well, it’s not original. If this were four hundred years old, it’d be crumbling under our touch. It could be this lake, though.”
Matt shrugged. “It’s not proof of much of anything.”
Jade nodded her agreement. They started to sift through the rest of the papers on the table. His hand brushed hers as they both reached for a paper that looked like another map.
Her stomach jumped again, and she quickly pulled her hand away.
He stopped what he was doing and looked at her. “This is ridiculous. We’re lovers, for crying out loud! We should be able to touch each other without being awkward.”
Jade sighed. “Are we?”
“Are we what?”
“Are we still lovers?”
Matt ran his hand through his hair and looked into her eyes. His eyes were a stormy grey with a dark black ring around the iris. He had small lines at the corners of his eyes that crinkled with concern. He laughed, but it came out choked. “Just say the word and … ” He opened his arms. It was both an invitation and a surrender.
There was a moment when she almost did it. It would be so easy to take off her clothes, take off his, and lose herself in pleasure. That thought stopped her—losing herself, all of herself—the fear of losing her heart and her soul to him. It would be so easy to give them away, but could he hold them dear and keep them safe? Was she brave enough to take that risk?
She pulled back from him and gave him a wistful smile. “I don’t know how to … ”
His smile turned teasing. “As I recall, you know how to … really well.”
Jade grabbed the pillow off the stack behind her and smacked Matt in the face with it. “That’s not what I meant.” His teasing had helped though, and now her smile was relaxed.
“Okay, look. Whatever it is you think you don’t know, we’ll figure it out. Together.”
She nodded and took the pillow and put it back on the stack. “I’ll definitely consider it.” She turned back to the papers on the coffee table and picked up a map.
Matt exhaled and gave her a small smile. He must have been satisfied or at least had decided not to press his luck because he, too, turned back to the coffee table. He picked up a paper covered in small, precise lettering—a woman’s handwriting. He read the first line and smiled.
