Another Life: Another Life Series #1

by Jasmine Denton

  He rested his hands on the car and took a slow breath before he looked up at her. Most of the anger was gone now and he seemed like regular Shane again. “Yeah. It does.”

  She leaned against the car and hoped she wasn’t intruding. “Why?”

  “There are so many things I can’t change, but this…” He paused for a minute, and then motioned to the collage of exposed car parts. “I can fix this.”

  ***

  Cameron pulled into the driveway and turned her car off. It was dark outside, and the only lights in the house were upstairs.

  Out of nowhere, a figure popped up behind her and she screamed, twisting around in her seat.

  From the backseat, still partially crouched in the floorboard, Julian smiled at her in his creepiest way. “You’d think you’d check the backseat after what you’ve been through.”

  She pressed a hand against her chest and turned to face the windshield. Her heart was still racing and she tried to slow it.

  In the rearview mirror, she saw Julian, as sleek and lean and muscular as a panther. Leaning in the space between the two front seats, he twisted to look at her and his lips curved in a mischievous grin. “You’re a sight for sore eyes, Cammi. Seriously, lookin’ good.”

  But she couldn’t even gather up the focus to give him a dirty look, or a snide remark, or to tell him to go away. All she could do was stare at him and know that her life—what little of it she had left, anyway—was about to unravel even more.

  “A little tired though,” he said, leaning in to look at her more closely. “Not getting enough sleep, are you?”

  Dropping her hands from the steering wheel, she turned to look at him, surprised by how close his face was. She had to lean back to keep from accidentally kissing him.

  He put his hand on her thigh, digging his fingers in. “Miss me?”

  Still, she couldn’t speak, but managed to push his hand away. Looking around the darkened back yard, she searched for a sign of her brothers, relieved to find they were nowhere in sight. “What are you doing here?”

  “Isn’t it obvious?” he asked.

  As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she could make out his arrogant smile.

  “I came to pick up my wife.”

  She cringed. “Don’t use that word, okay?”

  “Sure. What would you prefer? Spouse? Life-partner? The ol’ ball-and-chain?”

  “How about your ex?”

  He pretended to think a minute, and then shook his head. “I just don’t think it suits us, Cammi.”

  “There’s no us,” she said, flinching once again. Feeling her skin crawl at the thought of sharing her life with him again, being pulled along on every half-baked whim and scheme. “It doesn’t matter what you do. I’m staying here.”

  “Don’t make me do this,” he said softly. “I don’t want to rat you out. I don’t want to hurt you. Just come with me now and nothing bad has to happen.”

  Shaking her head, she kept her gaze steadily on his, refusing to back down. “No.”

  With a sigh, he climbed into the front seat and leaned against the passenger door. After studying her again, he casually said, “Are you sure you want to go to the mat? Seems like an awful lot of effort when we both know you’re just going to cave, anyway.”

  “Listen to me,” she said, fighting to keep her voice steady. “The only reason I even married you in the first place was because I was wasted and you were blackmailing me. It doesn’t, in any way, shape or form, make me your wife. Got it?”

  “I’ve got this little slip of paper that says differently.”

  Narrowing her eyes into a glare, she said, “You can take that paper and shove it right up your—”

  He brought a finger to her lips, cutting her off. “Careful,” he whispered. “You know how much I love it when you talk dirty.”

  She shoved his hand away and climbed out of the car. Before she could even slam the door, he was crawling out after her.

  Turning, she looked up at him. “What’ll it take to make you go away?”

  He thought a moment. “Your first born son.”

  “Very funny.” Aggravated, she raked a hand through her hair.

  Moving forward, he put his hands on her hips and pulled her close. “I’d even settle for one last night between the sheets.”

  Bringing her hands to his chest, she tried to push him away, but he wouldn’t budge. “Stop.”

  “What are you going to do?” he taunted. “Tell your brothers every sordid detail? You really want to see that disgust in their faces? Sure, they might beat me up or make me leave, but then you’d have to deal with the aftermath.” Lowering his head, he whispered into her ear. “You remember what that’s like, don’t you? That change in the way they look at you, the hushed conversations that will stop the second you walk into the room. You ready for that?”

  “No,” she whispered, acutely aware of his body so close to hers.

  “Alright then,” he said quietly. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled a small card out and held it up for her to see. “This is where I’m staying.”

  With deliberate, excruciatingly slow movements, he slid the card into her pocket, making sure to scrape his knuckles across the denim covering her hip-bone. Pulling his hand back out, he whispered, “Carve some time out of your busy schedule to come see me tomorrow. Alright?”

  She felt a sense of relief when he finally stepped away and gave her some personal space. As she watched him disappear into the shadows, she knew he’d only begun to play his game.

  Chapter Nine

  “You really spent the whole year travelling across the country?” Sadie asked, leaning forward to hear more of the story.

  Julian knew women well, and he could tell by the sparkle in Sadie’s eyes that she was interested in him. He also sensed there was some part of her that was resisting, holding on to something or someone else, but he didn’t have time for that. For his plan to work, he needed Sadie to fall for him fast, so he was making every effort to impress. He’d started the night off with a few genuine compliments about her stunning black dress and a simple but effective bouquet of calla lilies. Then he’d driven her about thirty miles away to a cozy lake-side restaurant, where he’d already reserved a table on the deck. The waterfront view and the dim, romantic lighting set the scene nicely, and now he just needed to reel her in with a few exotic stories, since his instincts were also telling him Sadie was craving a little adventure.

  “I love a good road trip,” he said. “There’s nothing better than the open road, the wind in your hair. A steaming cup of coffee at dawn. Sometimes, I think I could just drive around like that forever.”

  “You must have seen a lot,” she said, gently probing for details.

  “Oh yeah. I’ve been sprayed by Niagara Falls and I yelled into the Grand Canyon. I gambled in Vegas and lost a lot,” he said, chuckling. He made sure to leave out certain details, like that the trip had only lasted six months instead of a year and that he’d been with Cameron at the time. And he definitely wouldn’t mention that Cameron had been pregnant and they’d run away to avoid telling her aunt. Instead, he focused on the basic sight-seeing things. “And the Black Hills are amazing. I swear, I’ve never seen anything more gorgeous.”

  “That sounds like so much fun,” she said.

  “It was a blast,” he said, taking a sip of red-wine. “What about you? Been anywhere exciting?”

  “Not really,” she said.

  “That surprises me,” he said. “You seem like you like to have a good time. I bet you’d enjoy travelling.”

  “I’m sure I would,” she said.

  “So what’s keeping you in Victory Hollow, then?” he asked as he used his knife and fork to cut off a bite of sirloin.

  “Right now it’s work,” she said.

  “You work hard,” he noted. “I downloaded your podcasts. I couldn’t quit listening. Great taste in music, by the way.”

  “Thanks,” she said. “What’s your favorite?”

/>   They spent the next few hours deeply engrossed in the idle chit-chat women seemed to love so much. He had to admit that, while he’d only chosen Sadie because she was the only single girl remotely close to Cameron’s life and it would eventually drive her crazy, he didn’t find Sadie’s company completely boring.

  At the end of the night, he walked her to the door like a gentleman and gave her a tender kiss goodnight. Then he drove downtown and parked across the street from Harper’s Automotive.

  Through the tall glass windows in front of the store, he could see Cameron, leaned across the counter to talk to some blond guy in coveralls. As he watched her dip her head, shaking it slowly while the guy laughed at something, he was struck by an insatiable streak of jealousy. He’d been foolish to think that marrying Cameron would finally mean he’d stop chasing her, that she’d stay with him.

  The morning he’d woken up alone and found her ring on the pillow had been one of the coldest, darkest mornings of his life. And for that, she needed to pay.

  ***

  The next day, before Cameron had decided if she was going to go see Julian or just ignore him, he decided to pay her another spontaneous visit. When he just sauntered right into the store for anybody to see, she thought her eyes were going to pop out of her head. Not that anybody but her would know who he was, but still. The second she saw him, her heart jumped into her throat. Was he just going to keep popping up at the most random times?

  Hurrying over to him, she grabbed his arm and pulled him down one of the aisles. Giving one last look around the store to make sure no one could see them, she let go of his hand and glared at him. “What are you doing?”

  “Just popping in to say hi.” He gave her a pleasant smile. “Hi.”

  “I’m not in the mood for games,” she said. “I want you to leave town. Just let this one go, okay?”

  “You don’t want to be tied down, I get it.” His voice was rational and calm, without a hint of sarcasm or mockery. “Luckily for you, that doesn’t bother me. I just came to visit.”

  Arms crossed, she studied him skeptically.

  “What?” he asked in an innocent tone. “I miss you. And I want you to come spend some time with me. Before you say no…” he said quickly, raising a finger to her lips as she started to protest, he said, “I know you won’t come away with me…so I won’t even ask.How about you ditch this dump and we’ll go have some fun? Like we used to.”

  “Like we used to,” she repeated. “I’m not interested in reliving the past.”

  “I just want to talk, okay?” he said, gently placing a hand on each shoulder. He held her gaze as he spoke. “There’s a lot we need to talk about. I want to call a truce.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I don’t want to be the kind of person that you have to leave in the middle of the night.”

  Studying him, she tried to size him up and see if he was being sincere. It seemed like it, but it often did and he rarely was. Still, the temptation to mend fences with him started to stir inside her. She tried to fight it, tried to convince herself that she should stay away from him. But she’d been lonely and bored and he seemed so alluring right now, with that appealing smile that showed his perfect teeth and the soft, playful way his eyes gazed at her. Like an addict, she felt herself being pulled back into his trap, and before she realized what was happening, she said, “I’ll see if I can get away.”

  “That’s my girl.” He smiled triumphantly as he walked away. “You know where I’ll be.”

  Cameron found Shane working in the garage and approached him cautiously. “Hey,” she said.

  “Hey.” He glanced over at her. “Something’s on your mind. What is it?”

  “I kind of…” she hesitated. “I forgot I had this doctor’s appointment…”

  Shane just looked at her a minute. “A doctor’s appointment?

  She nodded, and so he wouldn’t ask any more questions, she added, “It’s a female thing.”

  He turned his attention back to the Buick motor he was rebuilding. “When is it? The appointment.”

  “In about ten minutes. I should’ve mentioned it sooner, I just completely spaced it until now.”

  “Alright. Go ahead, but you owe me a double shift tomorrow.”

  “Got it, boss,” she gave him a smile. “Thanks.”

  She left quickly before either of them could change their minds.

  In ten minutes, she was knocking on his door. By the time she arrived, she’d convinced herself she was walking into a trap and had her guard up again.

  He answered the door and smiled at her. “You made it.”

  “You didn’t give me much choice,” she replied.

  “About that…” Stepping aside, he opened the door far enough for her to come inside.

  Stepping into the small room, she saw a king-sized bed and a flat-screen TV (which she assumed to be his own). The dinette set on the far side of the room was adorned with burning candles, dinner for two and a bouquet of flowers.

  “What’s going on here?” she asked. “Having company?”

  “It’s for you.” Stepping to the side of the table, he picked up the roses and held them out.

  “Right,” she said skeptically. “What kind of angle are you playing, here?”

  “There’s no angle.” He popped open a bottle of Champagne and held it aside while it spewed. “There’s no game. Just me. Trying to say I’m sorry for whatever it was that made you leave me in the middle of the night.”

  He looked away from her as he spoke, in the half-pout that always made her feel guilty and usually resulted in him getting his way. “Julian, you didn’t…do anything, really.”

  “I must’ve done something.” He carried two glasses over and offered one to her. “When you marry a girl, you don’t expect to wake the next day and find her gone.”

  Taking the glass of Champagne in her hand, she looked down at the little gold bubbles. “I panicked,” she said, as if this would somehow explain her actions.

  “Ouch.”

  She felt the usual pangs of shame, along with the skin-crawling sensation every time he mentioned the subject of marriage. “It’s just…why don’t I remember it?” she asked. “I had to have been drunk—there’s no other explanation—and why would you do that to me?”

  “Hey, I was wasted, too,” he said, looking completely innocent. “But we were happy that night, Cammi. And on this impulsive whim, we decided to tie the knot. I wish you could remember.”

  So did she. Taking a sip from her glass, she turned and took a seat at the edge of the bed. “What are we going to do about this?”

  “Call me insane and idealistic,” he said, kneeling in front of her. “But why can’t we just try to work it out?”

  “You’re insane and idealistic.”

  He brought a finger to her lips. Lowering his voice to a seductive whisper, he said, “Come on, Cammi. You can’t deny what we have. You and me against the world, remember?”

  She remembered how much she’d adored him, how she’d grown up with a huge crush on him and was surprised when he turned his attention on her once she hit puberty. And she also remembered how devastating it was the first time he’d hurt her. How he’d pull her close, insist she was the only one on earth who understood him, and then toss her away like she meant nothing. Sometimes he would ditch her for another girl, but most of the time she thought he did it just for the pleasure he felt when he saw that shattered look on her face. With Julian, life was a rollercoaster. And she hated it.

  “You’re saying it’s all good?” she asked dryly. “Everything’s perfect and I’m overreacting.”

  As he gazed at her, something in his eyes darkened. “No,” he admitted. “I’m by no means perfect, but I do love you, and I accept you just the way you are. I’ve never once asked you to change or tried to make you someone you’re not.”

  And yet, he was the one who taught her that alcohol could numb pain. And he was the one who always paid for the drugs she used, got
them into the hottest nightclubs and showed her how…freeing a one night stand could be. He may not have tried to make her be someone she wasn’t, but he definitely conditioned the person she became.

  Even though she knew all of this and had lived through the pain, she found herself arguing Julian’s case for him. He had supported her for years, whether she’d needed quick cash or a shoulder to cry on or just a place to hide for a few hours. And even when he pushed her away, he always came back with an apology and usually a gift because he needed her. And whether she liked it or not, for a long time she’d needed him, too. In fact, she wasn’t sure she would’ve survived her youth without him.

  Tilting her head back, she downed what was in her glass but felt nothing. Wiping her lips, she asked, “Got anything a little stronger?”

  He smiled a little and stood. “Of course.”

  After a trip to the mini-fridge, he came back with a chilled bottle of Tequila and a double shooter glass. He waited patiently while she poured herself a shot and drank it.

  He sat next to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “You’re so tense, baby,” he said, moving his hand to massage her shoulders.

  She started to shrug away, and then she felt the tension slowly leaving her body and she didn’t want to fight it. So she poured herself another shot and closed her eyes, allowing his touch to melt away the stress.

  He placed his other hand on her other shoulder and began to gently rub them both, moving his hands in semi-circular motions. “From the feel of things, life hasn’t been so easy here.”

  She opted for another shot instead of an answer. Her head was swimming by the time she swallowed, and everything suddenly felt lighter and less intimidating.

  Sliding behind her, he brought his lips to the curve in her neck. Her skin started to tingle long before his mouth actually touched her, and when he planted a hot kiss, she felt her skin ignite in flames.

  She tried to remind herself that sex with Julian—no matter how mind-blowing it always was—wasn’t a good idea right now. But as he moved his hands down her back, applying pressure on all the right muscles, the protests died on her lips. His lips feathered across the back of her neck and sent chills all down her spine. She arched her back against it, but he slipped an arm around her waist to hold her still.