“Love ya Grace, even though I want to drag you back up here by the scruff of your cute little neck. One more thing, please tell me you have an alarm system or at least a rabid dog that can disintegrate someone’s dick with one lick.”
“Good Night, Nathan!”
Chapter Four
Jackson
Do you ever get the feeling that someone is staring at you while you sleep? I roll over and look at the clock. Five a.m. screams the red numbers incased in a dim light. Why is it that on my first day off in twelve weeks, I wake up at five a.m.? I get a soppy, wet kiss in the face as my answer. Thor is sitting on the side of the bed boring holes into my skull. Why can’t I just push his moist, black nose and snooze for thirty more minutes. Suddenly he lets out a small whine and bounds on to my bed. As soon as we make eye contact, it’s all over. I might as well take him out and go for a run.
There is no one on the beach. This is the most relaxed that I have been in a while. The feel of the cool, morning breeze rushing over my body makes me feel refreshed and alive. My muscles scream at the exertion of a five mile run on an uneven sandy surface after spending most of yesterday standing on a parade deck while I watched my recruits turn into Marines. Suddenly, I don’t see Thor.
Where is that mangy mutt?
I let him off his leash just a few feet from the condo so he could feel a little free. If I get a ticket for having a dog off a leash I will muzzle him, crate him, and ship him off to doggie boot camp. That’s the downfall of Labs; they let their porous nose be their guide. I peel my t-shirt from my sweaty body and wipe the moisture from my face and neck. Where the fuck did he go?
It’s just past six as the sun starts peeking over the hills in the distance. God’s design is everywhere in this area. Suddenly I see Thor barreling out of one of my neighbor’s gates, dragging a beach towel sporting a bright pink flamingo that covers the length. Damn that dog! Thor places the towel at my feet and shoots back into the gate before I can grab his collar. With my luck, I’m going to find a shotgun waiting for me just inside. Who leaves their patio wide open here? When I find him, he is sitting in front of a set of French doors with his head cocked to the left. He slowly lies down and puts his head into his paws. I think he’s going to fall asleep. If he does, how am I going to move him? When he is down, he is down. An earthquake will not move him. What is he doing? Then I hear it. It’s the most angelic voice coming from inside the house. She is like a siren calling us both home. I need to remember the mission at hand. Not thinking about the possibility of that shotgun riddling me with holes, I stalk closer to the house. “Thor. Thor,” I whispered. No movement. I stand back up and lay the flamingo towel over one of the chairs on the patio. “Thor, get your blockhead over here.” No movement. I crouch down and low-crawl up to him. Fastening the lead to his cammo collar I give him a firm jerk. No movement. As I start dragging his ass back out to the yard, he hurls his body back to his sacred spot on the patio where he can be lulled to sleep by his new found friend.
“Who are you and what are you doing to that dog?” came a sweet, breathless voice.
I think my heart just skipped a beat. The soulful siren’s voice is attached to the most beautiful maiden I’ve ever seen. She has on a thin, white t-shirt that reads “This is my kick butt shirt”. Seeing her standing over me at a little over five feet gives me a little chuckle. Damn, is she not wearing a bra? The shirt shows the outlines of her nipples which all of the sudden pebble due to a slight cool breeze. Her eyes are the color of the waters of the Mediterranean that I’ve sailed upon many of times. Her legs. My god those legs! I have to cease the urge to run my hands all over them to see if they feel as silky as they look. I envision myself laying her down and slowly opening them so that I could get a taste of the treasure that is buried in between. Damn, I’m getting hard just looking at them. I crouch down in front of Thor until I can gain control of my senses.
“Sorry ma’am. My dog must have come into your yard while we were on our run and decided he wanted a flamingo for breakfast,” I say as I point to the drool stained towel. She lets out the most innocent laugh. She is not helping my problem. Get it together Jackson. Getting back to the task at hand, “Then, Thor decided to defect and take refuge on your back patio.” She leans down and scratches Thor behind the ears. He slowly and lazily turns on his back so that she has open access to rub his stomach. That dog is such a big-ass tramp.
“It’s okay. It’s nice to have admiration from someone with such enchanting, copper filled eyes.”
Was she referring to me? I turn my attention back to her, catching her as she went back inside leaving her door open. What did my dog do next? He trots in behind her. I hesitantly follow her as well. I’m no better than that disgraceful mutt. I peek in and see that she’s bent over in all her glory digging something out of her refrigerator. Man, what I would give to dig my hands onto that luscious ass, pop her up on that granite counter, and make her scream my name. Snap out of it dude. As I scan the kitchen, I can see that it’s open to a small dining area and a nice size living room. It’s the same floor plan as my condo, but by the way its decorated reminds me of a small house my parents rented when we used to vacation on the Spanish Rivera when I was a child. Before my father… I am brought back to the present by the refrigerator closing tightly.
“Can he have cheese? My parents’ dog loooves cheese.”
The way she rolls “loves” off her tongue while leaning her head back and rolling her eyes into her head is so erotic. I would love to wrap my fist tightly around her long blonde hair, tug it back, and slowly rein kisses down her neck until my lips reached her milky breast.
“Are you okay? You look like something’s wrong.” Holding up the cheese and keeping Thor’s eyes locked in on her hand, she ask, “May I give your dog a piece of cheese?”
I notice she’s already started quartering the cheese. “Yes,” I stammer. “But please be careful. If you don’t pull your hand back quickly, you are likely to lose a digit.”
I am shocked when Thor leans forward, gently taking one piece of cheese from her hand.
“What a good doggie. He is so gentle,” she says in a high pitched voice as if she were praising a small child.
“Wait, Wait,” she says in a soothing voice bringing another piece of cheese closer to the Jaws of Life. Thor’s paws twitch in what I call his happy dance. “Be gentle.”
Thor is turning into a pansy for this girl. Thor is extremely cautious as he takes the next three pieces from her. You’ve got to be kidding. She leans down, places a soft kiss on his head, and rubs him one last time between his ears. If she could only rub those hands through my hair and place soft kisses on my head.
“My name is Grace. Grace Weatherly,” she says as she wipes her hand off on a kitchen towel. She then thrust her hand out towards me.
“I’m Jackson Kavanaugh.”
I touch her hand and a noticeable electric current awakens parts of my body that I didn’t know lied dormant. Obviously she felt it too because her eyes became wide and she flushed the most brilliant shade of pink while taking her hand back suddenly.
“You and… must have just moved in.”
“Me, myself, and I just moved in this past week,” she quickly spouted.
“Oh. Interesting. Well Grace Weatherly, sorry my dog attacked your flamingo. I didn’t see any damage but if you do, I just live two units up from here. I’ll make sure I fully compensate you for the damage. Oh, I think that you should be extra careful and make sure your gate is closed properly. With you living alone, maybe you should have it locked at all times.”
“I don’t see any damage to the flamingo so I think you are off the hook there. Thanks for the advice on the gate. It was nice meeting you, Jackson.”
Suddenly she has a little edge to her tone and her smile doesn’t quite meet her eyes. What did I say to make her tone turn? As I shut her gate, Thor looks up at me with one eye brow raised as if to say, “You dumb ass.”
Chapter Five
Grace
Why do people always want to try to protect me? Maybe he can come over and show me his credentials some night. Goodness gravy. I don’t have the time or patience to step into that ring again. I’m dragging. Sleep eluded me last night. I always get nervous performing and tonight is the night. Since Nate came down so late last night, we didn’t have the opportunity to get through a third of the set we will be performing. Since Nate is a caffeine addict, he decided to run down to the coffee shop a couple blocks away to get his fix. I never thought about getting a coffee maker since all I drink is loose, hot tea.
I need to get this song. It’s a soulful cover of a song expressing getting lost in a romantic moment, with two individuals trying to determine if just a kiss could determine forever, both grasping with feelings never experienced before. Man, his touch. All of the sudden I’m imagining myself licking Jackson Kavanaugh like a yummy popsicle. I thought it was kind of sexy that he was trying to hide the tent forming in his running shorts. I wonder how his kisses would feel trailing along that sensitive line that runs from the curvature of my neck down to the pool that he created with just one touch. Snap out of it Grace. Oh and that poor dog. His sweet eyes were pleading with me just to love him. What I wouldn’t give to see the same pleading in the eyes of his owner.
*
“Gracie! Grace, where are you beautiful?” Nate bounds through my door with a mammoth coffee and my favorite, chocolate chip cheesecake muffins. Stopping suddenly with a concerned look he says. “Are you getting sick because of worrying about singing tonight? You are flushed and seem out of sorts.”
“I had an unexpected visitor come to my back patio this morning.”
Walking quickly to the back door and peering out the blinds, he made sure the door was locked. “What kind of unexpected visitor?”
“A very cute dog along with his very cute owner.” I start feeling the warmth spread again.
“I don’t know why you are all smiley-smiley and lovey-dovey because a complete stranger came a rapping at your back door. Damn it, Grace! Please tell me you didn’t open the door.”
Looking like a kid that was caught with its hand in the cookie jar, I whispered, “Yes”.
“Please tell me that you didn’t let a complete stranger with a flea-riddled mutt in this house,” he groaned.
“Yes and no,” I say with my best Gracie smile.
“Damn it, Grace! I knew this was going to happen. You are way too trusting. Do you remember when you were working at the mall and that guy asked you what kind of shoes you were wearing? He asked to see your shoe. You never once thought it was weird until he grabbed your foot and started massaging it. Normal guys don’t care about women’s shoes unless they have a creepy fetish. How about the time when a father of a student pulled into the driveway, blocking your car with his? He told you that he just wanted to talk about his son’s history project. After that, he started showing up at track practice even though his kid was not on track. And the time –”
“I get it.”
“Grace, a psycho killer is going to lure you into his grasp with the help of his puppy. Don’t you watch those most wanted TV shows where the serial killer entices little girls into his car because his puppy is lost?”
“I’m not a little girl. Nate, I just turned twenty-five. See, this is the problem and why I moved out. I need my own independence to learn from the mistakes that I am going to make. Why was it okay for me to be alone when I lived with you and the band in LA but not okay for me to be alone here?”
“I had eyes there Grace. I knew you were safe.”
Shoving my hand through my hair, I started shaking with fury. “What eyes did you have, Nathan? How could you be sure I was safe when you were sometimes thousands of miles away? Don’t lie to me because your left ear does this weird twitching thing when you do.”
Nate turns away and throws himself on the sofa. Lying so I can only see the back of his head, he holds up his fingers and starts ticking away his list. “GPS tracker on your car that tracked location, speed, and braking, an email alert when a door opens and closes to the house, and a location device on your cell phone for when you were away from the car. That is why I always freaked out when you didn’t answer. Oh, and your boyfriends were always willing to give up information on your plans. Having them find me as a threat always worked to my advantage. They always wanted to brag on the romantic things you both were doing and how you found their actions so thoughtful. That always made me gag. Except for dickweed.”
“Dickweed?” I say confusingly.
“Yeah, Dickweed. Evan. Arrogant son of a bitch. He gave me nothing except I can take care of Grace. Grace doesn’t need someone up her ass constantly. Worry about your girlfriend and leave mine alone. Guys and girls being best friends doesn’t last forever. Time to cut the apron strings Natey! Now that pissed me off. Natey! Now look at us. You are sixty miles away from me and some stalker with his dog is trying to worm his way into your bed.”
“How the hell did you get that from unexpected, cute visitor with a cute dog?”
“Gracie, Ted Bundy was charming and handsome. He came upon his victims unexpectedly. If he had a dog, I bet he would have pimped it to the best of his ability.”
Feeling as if my throat is closing, I head up to my room where I put on my running clothes and trainers. As I walk out the door, I lift up and shake my cell phone in a mocking gesture to show Nate that I had it.
“Gracie, where are you going? Wait, I will go with you,” Nate calls out.
“Don’t need ya, don’t want ya.” I start to jog, picking up a faster pace the more I think about the conversation I just had with Nate. I need to breathe. As I run down the paved sidewalks, tears slowly stream down my face. I’m never going to have control over my life if I have constant interference. I know that Nate is just looking out for me, but I feel as if I’m being held back from learning who I am and what I want out of life. I now know that my decision to move was the best decision I’ve made since I went to college to follow my dreams.
Chapter Six
Jackson
I walk into my house, slam the door and hurl my keys on the table. “Thor, what just happened?” Thor sits there with his head cocked to the left like he is hanging on my every word. “Never in my life have I felt that kind of electricity, that kind of connection. Now I’m worried that I pissed her off. What did I say? I’ve racked my brain since we left. Be glad you’re a dog. No attachments. That’s why I don’t have the time or energy for girls. It’s always a game to see why they’re pissed this second or what they need next. Give me a fucking break!” Thor is still sitting there being the best friend he knows how to be, except he’s the one responsible for getting me into this mess. “Thanks buddy,” I say sarcastically. Thor gets a drink of water and plops down on his bed, ready for one of many naps of the day.
“Dude, do you remember that I have just come off the same schedule as you? It’s not my fault that your mutt is on an internal doggy time clock and that he doesn’t have the ability to walk himself,” Ben walks down the stairs rubbing his eyes.
“Sorry man. It’s already been a rough morning. Thor decided to track down an unimaginable beauty and then decided he didn’t want to leave. I looked like an ass dragging him across her patio because he wouldn’t move.”
“Classic! Is she single?” he says with the biggest smile.
“Why would I ask?”
“Why wouldn’t you? Obviously this girl has you torn up. As I was coming down, you were having a conversation with your dog in an octave that should be illegal for a Marine.”
Pointing at my feet then to my hair Ben continued, “You’re pacing like a caged animal. Hell, the little hair that you do have is sticking straight up because you keep running your hands through it.”
“Fuck off! I don’t have time for this.”
“Well, do you have time to go to Moon Doggies this evening? It seems like forever since we’ve been there. Tonight they have awesome draft
specials, plus they have live music. It always gets us in the mood to relax and start our leave off just right. Mike said that he booked a well known singer but wouldn’t elaborate. He’s trying to keep it on the down low so it will not cause a huge frenzy.”
“Sounds like a good time. I love that place, especially being able to take Thor and sit on the back patio overlooking the beach. I feel so guilty for leaving him alone so much.”
*
We walk into Moon Doggies and it’s hopping. I think someone secretly sneaked out a memo that something was going down. Ben goes and gets us a nice cold one while I go outside and find us a place to sit. I find us two chairs that have been sculpted out of old surf boards that overlook the ocean below. What I see before me is majestic. This is what Southern California is about. In all my travels, I’ve never seen a sunset more beautiful than the one on this beach. The ocean seems so endless. The vibrant oranges melting into the blackness of the coming night highlight a sunset that takes your breath away. It may sound cliché but sometimes I swear I can hear the surf sizzling as the sun dips into the night. Thor sits in between the two chairs and gets extremely comfortable. Ben walks over and hands me my big beer.
“Look at that sunset. I wish our schedule presented itself so that we could enjoy more of these without feeling the pain the next day.” Ben exasperatedly sat down in his chair. Thor looked up briefly then went back to standard pose. “Did you check out all the hot babes as we walked in? It’s like a buffet. Now we just need to choose what our palate is craving.”
“Tonight, it’s about drinking a beer, relaxing, and just enjoying life.” I thrust up my beer and Ben tips his into mine signaling round one is beginning. The first of many to come.
*
Ben and I are on our third round when I notice that the entertainment is starting to warm up. Mike and one of his waitresses come over and open the back patio doors so there is no barrier between the patio and the main part of the bar. Our backs are to the area where the band is playing. My main focus is on the ocean that lies before me; the music is just an added plus on my path to relaxation. The male voice sounds familiar. His name is on the tip of my tongue as I look over. I glance over my shoulder and see the back of a blonde accompany him on the piano with a few vocals. Man, she sounds extremely familiar.
Seeking Me To Find You (Finding You Series Book 1) Page 3
