“I’m loving this car thing. You can count on getting yours later.”
She wiggled her eyebrows at him and popped the door open. “I hope so.”
LATER, THE FOUR OF THEM sat over plates of spaghetti and meatballs that Jack and Raine had made together. It was both entirely natural and totally weird to be entertaining friends as if this were her home; they had cooked together, showered together, and now sat with good friends eating and chatting as though this was an old habit. While the sauce was simmering, Jack had made good on his earlier promise to “give her hers”—right on the kitchen floor. Raine smiled to herself, having acquired a new appreciation for hard surfaces.
She watched Gwen leaning into Neal, who had been quiet most of the evening. He did, however, seem to complement her friend’s effervescent personality. Gwen was really, really happy. She was going on now about something that had happened at her Reiki session, and both men listened with rapt attention, though Raine felt Jack’s foot on hers, his toes scratching at her ankle, and she smiled at him openly now.
“And you guys can stop playing footsie under the table for a minute and listen to my new idea.”
Surprised, Raine looked at Gwen, and her friend laughed. “Well, I’d like to say I knew that psychically, but you can always tell when people are fooling around under the table, can’t you, Neal?” Suddenly Neal jumped a little in his seat, and his face went quite red. Gwen laughed, leaning over to plant a kiss on his cheek.
“So anyway, I was thinking when I finish my Reiki lessons maybe I can volunteer at the local animal shelters and do some healing for the animals there—if they are more peaceful and happy maybe people will adopt them faster. Or I can at least help them feel happier and like someone cares about them.”
Raine frowned when she thought she saw Neal almost roll his eyes, but then saw him squeeze Gwen’s hand. Jack, stacking more pasta onto his plate, appeared completely serious and interested, and Raine could have kissed him for that alone.
“So what is this you do, exactly, Gwen?” Jack asked.
Gwen smiled, and leaned toward him.
“Reiki is an ancient form of healing. It works with the natural energy forces that flows through our bodies and spirits, and helps us to manage them. Reiki can help us to figure out where energy is being channeled incorrectly, or where problems are, and can bring a more peaceful, balanced kind of energy to a person through specialized touch. I think it can work for animals, too. Poor babies, after being given up, or even abused, they need lots of good touching.”
Jack nodded, and Raine just looked on.
“My mother used to massage our dog. The dog had arthritis, but also Mom thought if you touched in a very particular way, it helped the dog relax and feel happier. It always seemed to work.”
Raine smiled. “Like sex.”
The entire table was dead quiet for a moment, and she felt the heat move up into her cheeks as she realized she had spoken out loud. Then everyone roared with laughter, which would have been mortifying, but Jack pulled her over and kissed her, looking delighted, so she smiled, too, and shook her head. Gwen, still bubbling over, nodded.
“It’s true—there are lots of ways it can work. Usually touching, the right kind of touching, is key. When people go without being touched, or are touched in bad ways, it can really mess your energy up—and making love is a great way to touch.” She sent a particularly glowing look Neal’s way, then turned her gaze back to Raine and Jack.
“There are lots of studies connecting touching and sex with emotional and physical health. Reiki just adds a spiritual dimension.”
After dinner, Gwen and Raine sat chatting on the sofa, while Neal and Jack got involved in some technical issue in Jack’s office.
“So you and Neal look like you are doing well.”
“Oh yeah—we haven’t, you know, said anything too much yet, he’s very quiet, and I think he would be very careful about telling someone he loved them, but…”
“You love him?” Raine whispered, holding her hand to her heart as she gazed at her friend.
Gwen’s doubts were evident in her eyes.
“I’m not sure. God knows, when we have sex, it’s like heaven, and he is so sweet—he is so, I dunno—attentive, I guess. Not in front of people, then he is shy, but when we are alone, he’s completely different, and well, I know I like him—a lot. But sometimes I think I don’t know him, like there are layers there, things I don’t know. I have tried to see in the cards, but they don’t seem right.”
“Gwen, do you really think you should be looking at your tarot cards for relationship advice?”
“Well, it’s not like hard-and-fast advice. The cards are good reflective tools. They help me see things I may not otherwise, just by making me think about it.”
“And so what are you thinking?”
“That I want to wait and see, but that this could definitely be going somewhere.”
Raine smiled. “Then I hope it goes well.”
Gwen grinned back. “Yeah, and who would’ve thought you’d be living here with Jack?”
Raine winced. “We’re not living together—we weren’t even dating—but all these things happened at once and coming here seemed to be the best thing. But yeah, it’s good. Really good.”
Gwen bounced up and down on the sofa cushion, and Raine continued. “But we are not living together. This is a temporary arrangement just until this stalker mess is figured out.”
Gwen sobered. “Yeah—what’s the word on that? I didn’t want to bring it up at dinner. Buzz kill.”
“Not much. We thought we had a plan to move things along, but it didn’t pan out.” She didn’t go into detail, not wanting Gwen to feel responsible for messing up their trap. “But Jack has a plan, he is tracking down a lead, and so maybe we can find something there.”
“It completely sucks that the police can’t help. What the heck are they there for?”
“There is an Internet crime expert Jack has been talking with in Boston, but no word yet.” Raine sighed.
“The guy was at your house, for pete’s sake.”
Raine nodded, feeling as if that took place a million years ago, when it had only been less than a week. “Yeah, but he didn’t leave any traces behind. Hopefully something will shake loose soon.”
She thought of the list of names that Jack had started working on earlier. As soon as Neal and Gwen left, he would be back at the computer, she knew, trying to pry out whatever information he could on magazine employees, which she found kind of exciting, in an illicit way.
On that thought, the guys came back in the room, and Raine smiled when Jack squeezed down on the couch beside her and planted a kiss on her lips. Raine caught Gwen’s knowing look and blushed, but Gwen’s eyes just danced as she leaned back against Neal, who was sitting on the opposite arm. It was late, and the fire was burning low. Neal stood up, yawning.
“This was great—thanks for inviting us—but I think we should leave.”
Jack stood as well. “You’re welcome to stay if you want—we have an extra room.”
Neal shook his head. “No, thanks. I have to get in early. Ready, Gwen?”
She nodded, and crossed over to hug Raine, and then Jack. “I missed you—I hope this mess is straightened out soon.”
Jack nodded, placing his hand possessively back on Raine’s shoulder. “We do, too. He’ll make a mistake at some point. And we’ll be ready.”
Gwen nodded, and Neal made the move to end the evening, shaking Jack’s hand, then Raine’s, and guided Gwen out the door. As they stepped out into the night, Jack shook his head.
“I still have a hard time seeing those two together. She is like a ball of fire, and it’s like pulling teeth to get Neal to say anything unless it is about computers.”
Raine shrugged. “Well, she says he is different in private. She’s nuts about him—I hope he knows it’s—kinda hard to tell.”
Jack smiled, linking his arms loosely around her waist. “Do you think pe
ople notice that I am crazy about you?”
She smiled, and felt herself melt a little. “You are a lot more obvious about it than Neal.”
“Is that bad? Does it bother you?”
Raine considered, then shook her head. “No. I like it.”
He smiled, grateful for her answer, and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Good. Because I want to yell it from the rooftops.”
Raine hugged him back, and buried her face in his neck. She knew she was feeling something for him—definitely more than friendship—certainly more than simple lust. But she didn’t completely understand it yet, and didn’t trust how things would be when life went back to normal. She had led a pretty normal, even boring life. Would that be as interesting to Jack as playing hero to her damsel in distress?
“I want to go do more work on those names—see what I can find. I have to figure out how to, um, get past some particularly tricky obstacles.”
She nodded, wondering what the obstacles might be. “Okay, me, too.”
“Why don’t you go up to bed. It’s late, and I’ll probably be a while.”
“No, that’s okay, anyway I won’t be able to sleep wi—” She stopped short, her words stuck in her throat. Without you. I won’t be able to sleep without you is what she almost said. The truth of it stunned her, froze her in her tracks. “Um, with having just eaten dessert. Indigestion. Can I keep you company for a while? Maybe I can help.”
He looked at her intently, wondering what caused the quick flash of dismay in her eyes, but he nodded, and grabbed her hand, walking with her into the office.
RAINE AWOKE to see Jack still staring intently at the computer, tapping keys, and taking notes, just as he had been hours ago when she had nodded off. Crossing over to him, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders from behind, snuggling into his warmth.
“What time is it?”
“A little after two.”
“Time for bed, huh? Did you find anything?”
He grunted. “Nothing notable. Maybe this wasn’t the best strategy.”
She squeezed his shoulders, and shivered. “It’s the best idea we have right now. And I appreciate you doing all this detective work while I fell asleep in the chair.”
He craned his head back, and kissed her softly.
“You cold?”
“It’s gotten a little chilly in here.”
He moved forward, disentangling himself, and stood. “The fire must have died down—I need to go out and get more wood. It will only take a few minutes to get it warmed up in here, then we can go to bed.”
Heat leaped between them as he uttered those completely mundane but deeply intimate words. He found that love made everything, even the slightest moment, richer and more meaningful. He walked to the door, shrugging on a jacket and sending her a warm look.
“Back in a minute.”
15
IT WAS BITTER COLD outside, and Jack grabbed his work gloves as he walked out back toward a large stack of split wood. It was a crisp, moonless night, and he stood for a moment, taking a deep, refreshing breath.
The snow from the recent storm lay like a sparkling blanket on the landscape. He was exhausted—but he was happy, and warm with anticipation of going back to the house to spend the night with the woman he loved. The woman I love. I love Raine Covington.
He laughed to himself, feeling a little giddy, like the teenager who’d had a crush on her so many years ago, but this time he wasn’t just watching her from afar. She was his now; he wanted it to stay that way.
He leaned over to grab some firewood, and tumbled forward, plunging hard into the dark, snowy corner when something cracked him on the head. He lay there, collapsed against the woodpile, fighting the darkness creeping over his consciousness.
His attacker, just a shadow skulking in the dim light, strode quickly back to the house.
IN THE DEN, Raine lost the battle and dozed off. She smiled when she felt a caressing hand on her cheek awaken her. She raised her hands, put them on shoulders that were close to hers and registered immediately that something was wrong. Her hands knew Jack’s body intimately, and she knew the broad feel of his chest and shoulders—and this wasn’t it.
Too slight. Too narrow.
Alarmed, she cried out, pushing wildly at the shadow in front of her, striking out with her legs and catching him unexpectedly, toppling him over the coffee table.
She heard the resulting crash and a string of vile curses as she bolted over the side of the sofa and ran toward the door. Jack. Where was Jack? She screamed his name. Just making it to the door, she reached out to open it, but was tugged back rudely by the hair, her scalp screaming with the force of it. Pain shot up her arm when she smashed her elbow into the wall as she was dragged backward almost off her feet.
“Sit down, dammit!” The voice that yelled at her was high and almost whiny, and she felt herself shoved down into the couch cushions, where she sat and tried to focus on the face across from her. The fire was gone now, and light entered the den dimly from the office down the hall, so it was hard to make out details.
The figure paced back and forth in front of her, grumbling to himself, and she felt a prick of familiarity at the back of her mind—the stature, something in the voice—and she struggled through her fear to place it.
Neal.
It was Neal, though he looked different. Not the quiet, reserved young man who had sat across the table from her earlier in the evening; his hair was tossed about, and his face deathly pale except for the red splotches on his cheeks.
For a moment, she was too shocked to think about her situation—Neal was the one who had been harassing her? He was staring at her now, staring through her as if he was trying to read her thoughts, and she looked away, a new wave of terror overcoming her. She leaped up from the couch, which had him crossing the room, and she spun on him, screaming at him.
“Where’s Jack? What have you done with Jack?”
He walked up and grabbed her by the neck, yanking her close to him, and she fought, flailing, but he was surprisingly strong and dug his fingers painfully into the soft skin behind her ear to keep her still.
“Lover boy? Oh, I took care of him. I took care of him but good. I wouldn’t be counting on any help from your precious Jack.” He grinned, and Raine felt the coldness of it down to her bones. “Besides, what do you need him for? You have me now.”
She fought again, not caring about the pain of his fingers in her skin, and finally he drew his hand back and the strong slap against her cheek tumbled her back on the sofa. She felt tears sting her eyes, and looked up at him. He was standing over her, his voice shaking.
“I didn’t want to do that! I don’t hit women, don’t like to hit them—why do you keep making me do these things?” He looked at her, his face contorted with rage. “Bitch. You’re all bitches. Every last one of you. I thought you might be nicer, different, but you aren’t. A whore, just like all of them.”
Raine felt weak with fear. “Why, Neal? Why would you do this? I don’t even know you—”
His face momentarily softened, then contorted with anger again. “You didn’t want to know me. You met me before him—I watched you at work, I tried to get to know you, and you all but ignored me. Vague pleasantries—that’s all you ever offered. The things people say when they really want you to leave them alone. But then you found him, and you didn’t tell him to leave you alone, did you? Sluts—you’re all sluts.”
He turned on her, spitting mad.
“But you were mine first. He had no right—neither did you. I knew you were meant to be mine. And you would have been if he hadn’t interfered. I just needed more time. Now we have the time.”
Raine raised her hand to where the side of her face was stinging, and tried to comprehend what he was saying. It didn’t seem right—Neal? She thought back to the times she’d dealt with him at work, but she couldn’t remember any of their encounters clearly.
“I tried to do nice things, tried to get to know y
ou—the only way I could get around you, or get any information about you was with Gwen—”
Raine’s eyes flew open, and she sat forward. “No—you haven’t hurt her, Neal, please say you haven’t.”
He made a disgusted face. “Hardly. I just gave her a little something so she would sleep really sound tonight. She thinks she’s in love with me—so stupid. But she was convenient—she liked to talk about you, and she was an easy lay. I figured it was practice until I could get the real thing. I’m good, you know—very good. Gwen even said so.” His smile was sly. Raine felt her skin crawl, but made her voice sound as calm as she could.
“You can’t get away with this, Neal. Gwen will know. Everyone will know.”
“No one knows anything! I’m taking you out of here with me tonight, and no one will know anything.” He smiled again, moving closer. “As for your former boyfriend, I figure he’ll die of exposure. Sad, but necessary. I can’t afford to have him around. They’ll just think he fell down getting some wood, smashed his head on a log and died from being out in the cold too long. That’s how I planned it.”
Raine felt her stomach twist and her whole body began to shake as she realized that Jack was hurt, maybe dying, and she was trapped in here with Neal. She had to do something—had to figure out a way to get to Jack.
She looked up at Neal, the change in his voice alerting her to something dangerous, and she felt shivers run down her back. He was standing closer now, and he looked at her almost—gently? He made a clucking noise and stepped closer to her.
“Oh, I’ve upset you—don’t be upset about him, you have me now. I can take care of you. All I want to do, all I have wanted to do is be with you, take care of you.” He reached out to touch her face. “Touch you.” She pulled back, and saw the flash of anger in his face, and stopped herself. Swallowing her fear and the vile repulsion that surged through her, she made herself smile as she looked up at him.
Virtually Perfect Page 19
