Samantha Hunter

by Make Your Move (lit)

  “What do you mean, you know? How could you know?”

  “We’re going to have a talk, Jason, just you and me. But first, I think you need to listen to something.”

  “Ellison, what are you pulling? You’re severely going to regret—”

  “No, I don’t think so. Listen.”

  Dan placed his iPod on the desk and suddenly Jason and Jodie’s voices played clearly among them, silencing Jason as they all listened to a crystal-clear recording of the events that had happened since he’d come into the bakery.

  Jodie felt renewed disgust as she listened, and stood closer to Dan, who hugged her in.

  Jason’s sallow, angular face was accented with anger, and maybe a hint of fear.

  “You bitch!” he said, glaring at Jodie again. “This was a setup. I should have known.”

  Dan spoke up. “We have the whole thing, and in case voice isn’t enough, the time signatures on the films from the security cameras that Jodie had installed should match the ones on our video, proving it’s you who’s mauling Jodie and willing to trade sex to cover up your other crimes.”

  They watched what little color was in Jason’s face drain away as his eyes took note of the camera in the corner, across from the desk. “That’s an intrusion of privacy. I’ll fight it. I’ll—”

  “It’s over, Jason,” Dan said flatly. “The police would be very interested in this, concerning the break-in and, more important, I would be willing to let my good friend Dean Grandy have a listen. I have a feeling your academic ethics might be very deeply investigated at that point, and you might find it difficult to get any research done in the future. If you managed to stay out of jail.”

  Jason stared, silently seething. He was smart enough to know that they had bested him.

  “Fine. I shall not reveal your stupid cookie formula to anyone. I will erase all files today. And I would like that recording in return,” he demanded.

  “No problem,” Dan said agreeably. “Here, you can have this one. We have others.” He handed Jason the iPod.

  “I suggest you start job-hunting. And I won’t be offering a recommendation.”

  Jason, sneering, was wordless.

  Dan knew they had won. He and Jodie together.

  “I’ll tender my resignation before the start of the new academic semester. It’s far too stifling here anyway. I have felt constrained for quite some time,” Jason said, floundering and unsuccessfully trying to save face.

  Dan shrugged. “Well, wherever you end up, I hope it’s far away. Don’t ever darken our doorstep again.”

  Jason left, and Dan let out a long breath.

  “Man,” he said, checking his bruised knuckles. They were already starting to swell. “That felt great.” He grinned, pulling Jodie up close.

  Jodie slid her hands around his neck, and found his lips with hers.

  “This is good,” she announced, pressing against him. “Are you okay?” she asked, peering down at his swollen hand and bringing it to her lips.

  “Yeah, though that’s the first time I’ve ever had to punch anyone,” he admitted. “Maybe the caveman isn’t so far below my surface.”

  “I kind of like it when you allow your baser instincts to come out and play,” she quipped. Suddenly all the props she had arranged for Jason took on a new glow, and her heart raced for Dan.

  All she wanted was for him to touch her. Now. Here. Everywhere.

  She desperately needed him to get rid of any memory of Jason’s disgusting hands and mouth on her, and replace them with his own.

  Dan seemed to know, without her saying anything.

  “I’m fine. Better than fine,” he assured her, leaving gentle kisses all over her face until he claimed her lips in a deeper kiss, slipping his hand into the bodice of the dress, and ripping it down the front.

  “Wow,” she whispered breathlessly. She really did like his caveman instincts.

  “Hope that wasn’t a favorite,” he said, tossing the scrap to the floor, taking her in.

  “Nope. That was perfect. Uh, wait…the bug?” She pointed to the mole, grinning. Dan’s friend was about to get more of an earful.

  “Oh, right,” Dan said, laughing. “Just a second.”

  He dashed from the store, and was back in less than two minutes, a small bottle in his hand. He locked the door behind him, and looked at her with clear intent.

  “I can remove that and get it to Kevin tomorrow. He’s gone. We’re alone,” Dan assured her, removing the small device with the edge of a Q-tip and placing it carefully in a small metal box.

  “Now,” he said, “let’s break a few health codes. That dangerous enough for you?” he asked, referring to her comment about him not wanting to break the law.

  She grinned, already feeling lighter than she had in days, her hands finding him, making him dizzy with her touch.

  “Absolutely,” she replied, undressing him as his hands stripped away her undergarments. “But those security cameras are still running. They feed to a computer on my desk at home. So we can take out the recording and watch it later, maybe,” she said naughtily.

  “I like that idea,” he agreed as she sat in a chair and he fell to his knees in front of her, kissing up the inside of her thigh and finding the hot, sweet spot that made her cry out.

  Jodie looked up into the camera, making sure that every bit of her reaction to what he was doing to her as he lifted her legs over his shoulders, opening her completely, would be clear.

  As he explored, and loved her with his mouth and hands, driving her to the edge, she silently mouthed the words she hoped to say to him one day soon, so that when he watched the tape at some later date, he’d know how she was feeling, even then.

  14

  SHE WAS LATE.

  Dan watched the door, hoping Jodie made it in time. It was almost time to start. Everyone was taking seats, the Dean’s voice booming out an introduction.

  He knew that she’d been caught up late at the bakery, and said she would meet him here as soon as she could. He’d told her not to worry about it. She’d probably find his presentation boring anyway, and if she made it in time for the reception, that’s all that mattered.

  Still, he really would have loved to look out into the small audience and have seen her there. She had her business to run, and he had a paper to deliver. There would be other times, he thought reasonably, yet couldn’t stop his eyes from drifting to the door as it was almost time to start.

  Focusing, he took the podium and started to speak.

  Just a few minutes later, she arrived. He flubbed a line, he was so taken by her. Blindingly gorgeous in a new dress, a deep blue satin that saturated her eyes with color and made her skin appear like porcelain, he completely forgot where he was and hastened to continue as people whispered, following the direction of his gaze and smiling.

  Jodie smiled, mouthing a silent apology and quickly took her seat as he picked up where he left off, feeling more engaged and enthusiastic about his presentation, and soon he was as taken with the topic as his audience seemed to be. His new research was exciting, although not as exciting as the new woman in his life. He wanted to get to the end, so he could be with her.

  It wasn’t a surprise to him anymore that his feelings for her overrode everything, even his work. It felt right.

  She had been listening attentively and looked interested in his work. Dan pushed down his impatience for this event to be over, and turned his attention to the question-and-answer session.

  A man he didn’t recognize at all stood up to ask a question, and Dan nodded in his direction.

  “Dr. Ellison, is it true you are the mastermind behind the erotic frosting formula that is sold at Old Town’s Just Eat It bakery?”

  Dan paused in surprise. This had nothing to do with his presentation. The guy had to be a reporter.

  “If you have a question relevant to the discussion, I’d be glad to answer,” Dan said calmly. “But anything else is not up for discussion at this time.”

/>   “So, you create a groundbreaking formula that allows women to get any man they want sexually interested in them, and you don’t want people to know? I mean, Dr. Ellison, this is pretty big stuff—why don’t you want people to know?”

  The reporter wasn’t going to give up, and security obviously hadn’t been called. Everyone was murmuring, and he locked eyes with Jodie, unsure what to do. He concluded that the best course of action was the truth.

  “It’s true. I’m involved in several commercial endeavors in my free time,” he emphasized, so that no one would think he was using university funding for his work, “and several years ago, just out of college, I did create a harmless, vegetable extract that increases women’s pheromone presence slightly. We use this extract in icing for cookies at the bakery we co-own. If a woman is attracted to a certain male, not just any man, her enhanced pheromone level can potentially affect his response. As long as he is attracted to her, as well.”

  The reporter nodded. “So, for the formula to work, the woman has to be interested, and so does the man?”

  Dan nodded. “That’s pretty much the gist of it.”

  “So if they are already interested, what’s the point of the formula?”

  Dan looked at Jodie. “A lot of people have trouble expressing their emotions. They keep their desires and attractions a secret, and that could mean they lose out on the love of a lifetime. This might help them make that first move,” he said.

  Continuing, he added, “Most humans put out pheromone signatures on some level, but what attracts people to each other is more than physical, more than chemical. There’s a complicated mix of emotional, social and psychological elements that figure into even basic physical attraction. You can’t create a formula for love, I’m afraid,” he said with a sheepish smile, glad to see that several people were nodding, even smiling.

  “Love just happens,” he added very unscientifically, smiling at Jodie, who smiled back, and then stood up. He wondered what she was about to do.

  “May I say something?” she asked the room.

  Dan took her in and nodded, without saying a word.

  “I’m not a scientist. I only understood parts and pieces of what was discussed here tonight, but I understand the importance of the work Dr. Ellison is doing. That’s what we should be talking about,” she gently chastised the reporter. “However, as the owner of the bakery you’re all talking about, I have to speak up.”

  She took a deep breath, and Dan didn’t think she’d ever been more beautiful.

  “Dan’s formula helped me make my business a success. But more than that, all of his science is about helping people. As it turned out, his formula also helps people all the time, to have a little more confidence, a little more fun, a little more spark in their lives. For the life of me, I can’t figure out why anyone would find something wrong with that,” she said, again glaring directly at the reporter.

  Dan discreetly covered his smile with his hand. He didn’t need to say anything. Jodie was on a roll.

  “And one final thing. I know the cookies have an effect, whether it’s a chemical one or a psychological one, it doesn’t matter.”

  “How do you know this?” the reporter interjected.

  Jodie pulled herself up, looking so stunningly gorgeous that Dan couldn’t take his eyes away from her. She looked at the reporter as she spoke.

  “Because I’ve experienced their effect, firsthand. They helped me find the man I love. At first I thought it was just a chemical reaction, but guess what? When the effect of the frosting wears off, the feelings don’t. The cookies just gave us the boost we needed to do something about it, like Dr. Ellison said. Sometimes we just need a little help expressing them, that’s all.”

  The man I love. The words echoed in Dan’s ears, and the room fell away. People murmured among themselves as he left the podium to walk to where Jodie stood, as the reporter scribbled notes frantically.

  The Dean might have said something, and people were talking amongst themselves, and asking him more questions, but Dan didn’t care about any of it.

  He took Jodie’s hand and pulled her outside where he could get her alone.

  JODIE HURRIED ALONG after Dan, her heels clicking on the pavement.

  “Dan! You can’t just leave! This is your event,” Jodie objected as they made their way across the parking lot to sit on a bench under a swaying willow tree.

  “I don’t care about that,” he said, pulling her down on the bench with him.

  Jodie’s heart was beating like mad, and she was sure it wasn’t from the race across the parking lot. She bit her lip.

  “I’m sorry. I really did it, didn’t I? Standing up and going off like that? I didn’t mean to embarrass you, but that reporter just got under my skin and—”

  He put a finger to her lips. “Jodie, you could never embarrass me. I loved what you had to say. One part in particular. I was kind of hoping you could repeat it for me,” he said, his hands firm and warm around hers.

  Jodie’s heart really did pick up speed now.

  She knew what he meant, and pulled her hands from his, framing his face. She’d known this face for a long time and had never realized until now how precious this man was to her. Or maybe she had known it all along, but now she was ready to say so.

  “I love you Dan. I love you so much it’s almost more than I can bear. I want you, and to have a life with you, and everything that we can have together,” she said.

  The happiness that transformed his features touched her heart. He looked like she’d just handed him the moon, sun and stars all in one. It choked her up that anyone could feel this way about her, but especially her best friend.

  “I love you, too, Jodie, and you have no idea how long I’ve waited to hear you say that. I want to share everything with you, too. I want to make you as happy as you’ve made me,” he said earnestly.

  Tears flowed down over tender kisses that quickly turned hot, and Dan pulled back, wiping a tear from her cheek.

  “Hey, what’s this?”

  Jodie swallowed hard. “It just hit me, how stupid I’ve been for so long, when we could have been together. I’ve been so worried that I wouldn’t be enough for you. That after the passion wore off, there wouldn’t be anything else about me that interested you.”

  “Jodie, I have to insist on one rule in our life together,” Dan said seriously, his eyes intent on hers. “What?”

  “You are never, ever, to use the word stupid, or any of its synonyms, in reference to yourself again. Okay? I can’t have you talking about the woman I love that way because she happens to be one of the smartest, most creative, passionate, incredible people I know. I’ll be happy to remind you, every day. Every night,” he said huskily, leaning in for a kiss but stopping before contact. “Promise.”

  She smiled, laughing as more happy tears flowed. “Okay. I promise,” she said, promising that and everything else she could give him.

  “Good. You could never bore me. If anything, I’m the boring one,” he said as he nuzzled her. “You’re gorgeous, sexy and amazing. I never imagined you could feel this way about me.”

  After long heated moments sealing the deal with kisses and touches that threatened to put the bench to very creative use, Jodie pulled away.

  “Hey,” Dan objected.

  She shook her head. “We need to go back in. There are people waiting for you in there. I bought this dress for you—let’s go celebrate.”

  He smiled, leaning in to kiss her again. “Okay. You’re right. Besides, I want to show you off. And there are some people I’d like you to meet.”

  “Hmm,” she said. “I’ve probably ruined all my makeup.”

  “You’re perfect. But get used to it, because I have a lot of these kinds of things,” he said, “and I always want you with me, by my side. I loved looking out and seeing you there tonight. It meant the world to me.”

  “I wouldn’t have missed it,” she told him, ready to face anything with Dan. “I’m so proud o
f you, and your work.”

  “As I am of you,” he returned sincerely. “When we get home, we can celebrate without the dress.”

  Jodie smiled and stood, holding her hand out to him. So this was what it was like to be in love with a genius.

  Epilogue

  “GINGER, YOU SIT DOWN for a while. You shouldn’t be on your feet so much,” Jodie said, directing her friend to the kitchen to sit, while she waited on the seemingly never ending parade of customers.

  “I’m fine. The exercise is good for me,” Ginger objected, but still did as she was told, taking a seat.

  “You just look a bit tired, is all,” Jodie said gently. “But happy.”

  “You, too.”

  Jodie grinned. “Yeah, but I’ve been missing sleep for an entirely different reason.”

  She and Dan had been married the week before, three months after the evening of his presentation. They’d had a wonderful wedding with just their friends and family as they’d negotiated around both of their busy work schedules. But now the holiday rush was almost past, and the semester was over, and they were nearly free to spend all of their time together.

  Business was booming. The reporter who’d come to the presentation was so taken with their story, he’d done a huge feature, focusing on the bakery. After the story hit the papers and they appeared on some local talk shows, answering questions about how Dan and Jodie met, the cookie icing formula and their wedding, Jodie couldn’t make Passionate Hearts fast enough.

  Life was good. Better than good.

  Dan had never had to use the recording they had against Jason. After what had happened that night, Jason had quietly resigned and left the university. Neither she nor Dan had any idea where he was and didn’t care. Good riddance, Jodie thought.

  “Just you wait. Your turn is coming, you keep this up,” Ginger warned with a grin.

  “You need to be more careful with those predictions of yours,” she teased. “I’m barely used to being married let alone have a family yet.”

  It had been Ginger, after all, who told her that her playgirl lifestyle would one day come crashing to a halt, and thankfully, it had.