by Robena Grant
“Oh, you’re awake?” Debbie asked, looking up from her position on the floor. “I’m sorry. Did I awaken you? I peeped in the door to check on you.”
“Oh. So that was the sound?” Jack popped the gun into the top of the towel, and then ran a hand over his hair, smoothing it as best he could.
“You didn’t sleep for nearly long enough.”
“I’m fine,” Jack said. He walked over and offered his hand to help her up. “It’s your turn for some shut-eye now.”
She shook her head, ignoring his hand, and lowering her gaze. “I’m good.”
He thought he detected a sniffle, and cocked his head. “You okay?”
“Sure. I’m fine.”
He doubted it, because she wasn’t making eye contact. Had she been crying? Had their sexual encounter hurt her, worried her? He went to move closer, but she sprang up and wrapped the blanket tight, and then turned her back to him and leaned down to open the small refrigerator.
“How about a bottle of water?” she asked over her shoulder.
“Yeah, sure.” He hitched a thumb in the direction of the hallway. “I’ll use the john. Be back in a sec.”
He walked down the small hall and into the men’s room. The few minutes away would give her a chance to pull herself together, if she had been upset. He wasn’t certain. Maybe she hadn’t been crying. He washed his hands and stared into the mirror at his reflection. Wuss. Go ask her what’s up. And while you’re at it, how about telling her how you feel? He gave his image a sardonic grin. Talking about feelings? Yeah, like that was about to happen.
Back in the foyer, he took the bottle of water Debbie offered and had a long drink. Then he cleared his throat. “You, ah, seem upset,” he said. “Are you sorry about us?”
“No,” she said, and gave a scoffing laugh. “It’s nothing, just women and sex. It makes some of us emotional. We even cry.”
“Oh,” he said, and placed the gun on the countertop. He’d heard that before. He opened his arms. “Come here.” She slid into his embrace, and he rubbed his hands up and down her back. Then he kissed her square in the middle of her forehead. “Feel better?” he asked.
She nodded, and stayed still, her head buried against his chest.
“For what it’s worth, it made me emotional too.”
“Really?” She pulled her head back, and looked up at him, her expression wary.
“It was beautiful, amazing. I’m still trying to process it.” He shrugged. “Men…we have sex, and then fall asleep. We don’t hang around to talk about it, and well, I guess that leaves a woman to wonder, and to question.”
“Yeah,” she said, and sighed.
He kissed her on top of her head, and inhaled the sweet scent of her shampoo, while continuing to gently massage her back. His body stirred into action again and he silently cursed it. This wasn’t the time. If she was upset about what they’d done then she didn’t need any reminders. Not yet. Not until they’d talked it out. Ah hell, he hated talking, but for Debbie…
“You know,” he said, and rubbed her back some more. “Ah, sometimes it takes us days to come to grips with our emotions. And then we start whistling.”
“Whistling?”
He laughed. “Yeah, it’s a dead giveaway that a guy’s happy. Hey, I’ve got an idea, why don’t I give you a massage? You seem tense.”
“A massage?” she asked. “You?” And then she laughed. She took a step backward and peered up at him. “Isn’t that my domain? You’re out of your element here buddy.”
“Hey, I’m damn good at it.” He smiled into her eyes. “Nothing sexual, this is purely a relaxation massage. You’re as tight as a drum.”
“Okay, you’re on,” Debbie said, and marched into the nearest massage room.
He started to hum, and then he whistled a loud tune.
“You can count this as my nap time,” Debbie yelled from the room. “So you’d better keep down that racket, and keep one ear open for noises.”
“Yes ma’am,” he said, and grabbing his gun he followed her. “In fact I’ll keep the gun at the ready and both ears open.” Jack put the gun in easy reach on the table top, and left the door to the room open. He reached for a bottle of rubbing balm. Debbie dropped the blanket.
He pulled in a quick breath. She was so beautiful. She almost took his breath clean away. He swallowed hard as she positioned herself on the massage table, face down. Her silhouette in the darkened room, the gentle curve of the buttocks, the shape of her shoulders and arms as she lay ready, had him alert and wanting to make love to her all over again. And he’d said this was not going to be a sexual experience.
How wrong could a man be?
****
Debbie could tell by Jack’s breathing that he was getting turned on by touching her. His hands were warm as he kneaded the muscles on her shoulders and back. But now he inched down toward her buttocks, and that had her tingling in places she wasn’t supposed to be tingling.
It was difficult for lay people to understand how to turn off their feelings when touching another person’s body so intimately. She knew that. And she knew Jack was struggling. To her it was a procedure, and she had respect for people’s bodies. Her job was to massage, to heal, and to offer advice. And she’d never been turned on by any person giving her a massage, either, at least, not in the past.
“Um, tell me if I’m pressing too hard,” he said.
She heard the dryness in his voice and allowed herself a tiny smile. “You’re doing great,” she murmured. “Can you give a lot of attention to my legs? Especially the calf muscles…they’re really sore from the hike.”
“No problem.”
Jack worked his way from one foot, up her calf, and stopped halfway up her thigh. “Ah, I’m not sure I can do this.” He dropped a kiss on her shoulder. “I lied. I want you so much.”
“I’m all yours. Finish the other leg and we’ll go back to the dolphin room.”
“Yeah? Okay. I’m on it,” he said, and he grabbed the other leg and massaged with enthusiasm. “Is that good?”
“Perfect. You can stop now.” She heard his sigh of relief and rolled back onto her back. His eyes glinted in the dark, and she saw the gleam of his teeth when he grinned.
“God, you’re gorgeous,” he said.
She slid off the bed and grabbed his hand. “Come with me, big boy,” she said, with a quick glimpse of approval at the tent in the towel. He didn’t wait for a second invitation and they were soon rolling naked on the dolphin bed. She’d decided mid-massage to put her sadness aside. At no time in her life had she ever experienced the feelings she had for Jack. Why him? She couldn’t really say. It was a mixture of respect for him as an individual, admiration for his skills, his rugged sexiness, his sense of humor. She could go on singing his praises forever, but those praises would not be spoken out loud. She sighed loudly.
“You okay?” he asked, from somewhere down near the end of the bed.
“Yes. That was a blissful sigh.”
“Just checking,” he murmured, and got right back to business.
Debbie grinned. If she couldn’t have Jack forever, she’d enjoy him, enjoy their time together now. What more could anyone ask for anyway? Nobody ever knew what tomorrow would bring, or even the next second for that matter.
Chapter Fourteen
The following morning, Debbie worked on the books while waiting for her employees to arrive. She hated Mondays. Like Rachel, she usually worked on the books on Sunday afternoon, but this past week had been far from normal and she’d let her routine slide.
After a hot shower at the spa, and a quick change into the clothes she’d brought with her last night, and topping those with a freshly laundered white esthetician’s coat, she felt maybe she’d be able to make it through the day. But she couldn’t shake the memories of their night of lovemaking, or lose the memories of the special scent that was Jack. Did she even want to?
Debbie raised her coffee cup, and took a sip. She’d been over to
the deli and picked up a croissant with cheese, and a double espresso. She tore off one end of the pastry, and popped it in her mouth, and then crossed the room to stand in the doorway to the dolphin room. Chewing on the end of the croissant, savoring her memories, she wanted to make certain that she hadn’t imagined anything from the night before.
The dolphin bed was inviting, but she’d re-made the bed with fresh linens, and she’d tidied up the massage room, and she wasn’t about to mess up anything. If any of her employees had arrived early, they’d have thought an orgy was held here last night. And they wouldn’t have been wrong.
Already she missed him. He’d sat on the little blue bench to put his boots on, and she’d loved watching him dress, imagining for a brief moment that this was how they’d be for the rest of their lives. Making love, sleeping, and taking pleasure from the small things like watching each other get dressed. Her mood darkened. She’d never really had that. She’d never allowed a man to sleep over when Janelle was growing up.
Hiking yesterday had really played havoc with her muscles again, especially those in her calves. Even with the massage from Jack she was still sore. On the short walk to the deli, she’d been aware of the knot in her right calf. Well, at least she was blaming it on the hiking, and not the gymnastics of last night. That thought had her body heating up all over again, and she had to force herself to stop daydreaming and get to work.
Back at the reception desk, she gently kneaded her right leg. The first employee with a vacancy in their schedule today, got to give her a sports massage. The mere idea of lying down on a massage bed made her feel hot and bothered all over again. Would she ever get over what they’d done here? She was happy and smiled softly at the thought, but she was also tired, and it was too late for a nap. She stretched her arms high, and shrugged her shoulders. The door opened, as she chewed and swallowed the last of her croissant.
“Oh…hello,” she said, glancing up. “How are you, Wendy?”
“Not well. A bit tired today.”
“Join the club.” Debbie brushed the crumbs into a paper napkin and popped it into the trash, and did a quick swipe of one hand over her mouth and chin. “I overdid my hike yesterday.”
“I just didn’t sleep…couldn’t.” Dark shadows showed beneath the younger woman’s eyes.
“Oh, did you have a late night?” Debbie reached for her water bottle and took a sip, and waited. She wouldn’t mention the alarm, or the attempted break-in from Saturday night. She’d draw her out if she could, trip her up if she found anything to trip her with.
“Mother was up, and restless. You know how she is.”
“Yes. Give Betty my best. Can I help you with anything?”
“I’m looking for a small gift.”
“Is it for a younger, or older, person? I’ve got some great—”
“My age. A girlfriend.” Wendy strolled about the tiny foyer, picking up items, checking price tags, and finally settled on a book of inspirations.
“I’ll take this. She likes this kind of new age stuff.”
Debbie kept her mouth shut. Inspirations had been around for so long she doubted they were considered new age. Wendy handed over a twenty dollar bill, then stepped away from the countertop and toyed with some beaded sun catchers that had a silver-dollar sized crystal that hung from the end. “That dolphin therapy you keep mentioning…do you think I could get an appointment today?”
Now that’s a surprise. “I think so,” Debbie said, as she reached for the appointment book. Her heartbeat kicked up a notch, the blood pounding in her veins. She handed over the change and the small package, but she, like Wendy, didn’t make eye contact.
“It looks like the first available time is this afternoon,” she said, and then raised her eyes from the appointment book, as an alternative struck her. Getting Wendy here alone might be better. There’d be less distraction, and she could monitor her movements better. She gave her a brief smile. “But, if you prefer, I could stay later, and you could come in when the shop closes.”
“That would be great,” Wendy said, with a sudden burst of enthusiasm, and then quickly sobered. “Yes, I’d like that. It gets busy in the boutique during the season.”
Debbie held her breath for a few seconds then let it out slowly. Please, let Jack be available tonight. She needed him here. And she had to tell him what she suspected, because for the first time since she’d gotten on this roller-coaster ride she knew she was in deeper than she could ever have imagined. What had seemed before, like a challenge, or a game of wits, now held a distinct sense of danger.
“See you tonight then, at seven,” Debbie said.
Wendy gave a tiny wave, and a smug smile, and left the spa. Debbie felt the skin on the back of her neck chill. A lot of the business owners were regulars in the spa, but never Betty, or Wendy. Debbie forced herself to remain calm, and casual.
She grabbed the water bottle and took a long drink. Should she call Jack? He’d gone to the hotel to change. But he could already be in the meeting out at Zeke and Dena’s place. She didn’t want to be a pest, but Wendy’s actions bothered her. She peered into the dolphin room for the second time this morning, almost too scared to walk inside. What on earth could be in there? To hell with it!
She hurried back and opened her purse, and pulled out her cell phone. She punched in Jack’s number, and listened to it ring.
****
About to leave the hotel room for his appointment with Zeke and Deputy Stanton, and the real estate agent, Jack heard the hotel phone ring. He ignored it, checked the gun in the shoulder holster, slipped on his jacket, patted his pocket to make sure he had his wallet and ID, and reached for his car keys.
Then his cell phone rang, and he cursed. He thought about letting it go to voice mail, but cringed. It could be Debbie. If it was, he’d kick himself later for not answering. He grimaced and shook his head as he retrieved the phone from his pocket. See, that’s what you get when you open the window a crack. Something gets inside. You start thinking about other people. You start caring again. He checked the caller ID.
Damn. It was her.
“Hey,” he said. A wash of pleasure swept through him, as he heard her murmured response, and despite his prior grumblings, he felt his shoulders relax. Her voice, one word, a simple hi, stirred up memories of the way her muscles trembled when he’d stroked her. And how her pale skin had flushed, the heat of their kisses.
“Jack, I need you—”
“Sure. Whenever.”
“There’s weird stuff happening. I think I know who the female passenger was in the car on Saturday night, and…well…she’s kind of booked an appointment for the dolphin room, and she’s never done that before, and neither has her mother, and—”
“Whoa. Hold on a sec,” Jack said. When she’d said she needed him, his thoughts had taken an immediate left turn into the sexual, but this had to do with the case. Debbie had begun to trust him, and he knew how fast she talked when she got nervous. He couldn’t risk her changing her mind and clamming up. He had to slow her down.
“I’m on my way to Three C’s, for that meeting. When is the woman’s appointment?”
“After work, tonight,” Debbie said. “Seven. Can you…I mean, would you be able to be here?”
“Absolutely, you can count on me.” He’d heard hesitation in her voice, and the unwillingness to ask a favor, but he knew she’d put her personal feelings aside. She must be afraid. She wanted him there in his professional, not personal, capacity. He wouldn’t let her down. “I’ll pick up a late lunch for us, and stay for the rest of the day,” he said. “Anything you can’t eat?”
“No. I’m a real foodie.”
“Good.” He liked the change of tone in her voice. She sounded less worried now that she knew he’d be with her. “Listen, if anything unusual happens in the meantime…if you’re suspicious about anything, you call immediately. Don’t hesitate. Okay?”
“Okay,” she repeated. “I didn’t want to interrupt.”
<
br /> “No problem.” He heard her let out a puff of air, and knew she’d be okay. Debbie was a tough one. It would take a lot to unnerve her. “So, who is this woman?”
“Betty Blue’s daughter, Wendy, and—”
“Interesting.”
“Yes. I think there’s something in the dolphin room that she wants. I can’t think what. It’s only a feeling, you know?”
“I do.” He held himself rigid for a moment. The dolphin room, what was the connection? Blue dolphins; the dolphins in her video were gray. Still, whatever, at least there were dolphins. “Your instincts are good.”
“I’d never had anything to do with Wendy until she took over the boutique after her mother collapsed,” Debbie said. “She’s been kind of pushy and a bit smothering this past week. Trying to monopolize my time, asking for advice, visiting my store twice a day, and being generally whiny.”
“Tell you what,” Jack said. He glanced at his watch, pulled back the drape on the window and looked down at the driveway into the hotel. There was no sign of Stanton yet. “Try, if you get a moment of free time this morning, to write down everything about your dolphin room. And everything you know about Wendy and her mother.”
“Like what?”
“How you came up with the idea for your therapy. How you put it together, and who you worked with. It might help me to gain some insight into what it is that Wendy wants.”
“Oh, okay,” she said.
It would give her something constructive to do, and he knew Debbie well enough to know her mind would be going off on tangents. She was determined to find the murderer; that much he’d picked up on. He doubted that she’d come up with anything of importance, but at least she’d be busy making notes, and staying out of trouble.
“Okay,” she said again. “See you around noon.”
