Another Saturday Night and I Ain't Got No Body (A Page Turners Novel) (40 page)

They talked easily as they ate, and Sunny asked Jake how he felt things were going with Walter.

Jake wiped his mouth with his napkin. “I think we’re gonna be okay. I feel like rebuilding the garage is a great project for us. In fact, our relationship is kind of like the garage project. It was a mess and mostly destroyed, but it still had a good foundation. With time and a little work on both our parts, and a little help from our friends, I think we can rebuild it into something strong and good.”

“I like that.” Sunny was glad to see the effort that both men were putting into patching things up, and her heart melted a little at Jake’s sentimental analogy.

“The garage isn’t gonna be fixed in a day or even a week, but we got the foundation built, and I think the more time we spend hangin’ out together and working on it, the better it’s gonna get.”

“I think so too. Have you heard anything more about Mona?”

“Oh, yeah, I meant to tell you that I got a call from the Bureau tonight while you were getting ready. They said they apprehended Mona as she came off the cruise ship. She was coming out with her new husband, and he was being wheeled out on a stretcher.”

“New husband
?
She already married someone?”

“Evidently so. We knew her bank accounts were running low so we expected her to try something soon. That’s why I was so sure she had gotten to Walter.”

“But you said he was being wheeled out on a stretcher. Did she already kill him?”

“No, but close. Walter gave us the right information about this guy. His name is Toby Samson and he’s loaded. She must have worked some kind of voodoo-sex magic on him to get him to marry her so quickly. She has been steadily poisoning him every day since their blessed union.”

“Didn’t he suspect anything?” Sunny asked.

“I guess she had him convinced that he had the Swine Flu. She kept him secluded in their cabin alternately caring for him and poisoning him a little more each day.”

“So is he okay now?”

“They took him straight to the hospital after they apprehended her, and he seems to be doing fine. She had poisoned him with arsenic which tends to mimic flu-like symptoms. The Swine Flu is so common, I guess she didn’t think she’d have a hard time convincing anyone that’s what he died of.”

Sunny shook her head. “Wow. That woman was some piece of work.”

“I’m just glad we got her and that Walter’s okay.”

“Me too.” 

"
Everybody Loves Somebody Sometime
"
played in the background, and Sunny licked the final dab of cheesecake from her fork. “That was heavenly. I am so full.”

Jake set a container of Cool Whip and a little dish of strawberries in front of her.

She moaned. “Maybe I have room for a little more.”

He pulled the lid back from the Cool Whip, dipped a bright red strawberry into the luscious cream, then touched the cream to her lip.

She licked at the dab of whipped cream with the tip of her tongue, then opened her mouth to receive the juicy berry. Jake barely touched it to her tongue then pulled it back again, teasing her with the fruit. The backs of his fingers gently touched the edge of her face as he released the strawberry, and she bit into it. The mixture of sweet cream, tart berry, and his touch gave her a little shiver, and she closed her eyes to savor the moment.

When she opened them, she saw the same heat and passion she felt reflected in his eyes. She scooted a little closer to him and Jake’s eyes flashed desire as she wiggled her bottom closer to him. She picked another strawberry from the bowl, dipped it in the whipped cream, and placed it in his mouth. She trailed her finger through the whipped cream, then sucked it from her fingertip. She took another swipe through and held her whipped cream covered fingertip out to him. He moved his mouth to lick it from her finger. She flipped her hand, and deposited the creamy drop onto his nose, then broke out into giggles.

“Oh, I see how this is gonna go,” he said and reached for her. Amidst giggling shrieks, he scooped her up and, with a former wrestler’s ease, had her pinned below him, then wiped the whipped cream from his nose against her chin and neck. She held her breath and closed her eyes again as he nibbled and licked the sweet, sticky cream from her neck. His kisses moved up her jaw line, and she could feel his warm breath against her face. She inhaled his scent of aftershave, strawberries, and …dog breath. Her eyes flew open just in time to see Beau’s big pink tongue coming in for a piece of the whipped cream action. She squealed and pulled her face back, exposing more of her neck, which Beau took advantage of, placing a long slobbery lick up her neck.

“Eww
!
Beau, get away.”  She pushed the dog’s big head away but couldn’t seem to move as she was pinned under Jake’s body which currently shook with laughter.

They heard a soft chuckle from above them and looked up to see the elderly couple of the aluminum lawn chairs walking past their blanket. The woman smiled down at them. “What a cute dog.”

Jake laughed and rolled off Sunny. They watched the couple move to the dance floor and the older man gently pull his wife into his arms. He led her around the dance floor, and they seemed to float as they glided around the floor with years of practiced ease.

The band play
ed and the lead singer crooned "
Come Fly With Me
"
as Jake took Sunny’s hand. “Come dance with me?” he asked.

She nodded, and they joined the other couples on the dance floor. Sunny fit perfectly in his arms, and she leaned her head on his shoulder.

Jake seemed comfortable on the dance floor and cradled her to him as they moved around the pavilion. Night had fallen, and the trees were lit with hundreds of little twinkle lights. Sunny felt like she was living a dream as this amazing man held her in his arms. He had put so much thought into tonight, with the food from her favorite places, and the concert with her favorite music, then taking her dancing. All of which she loved.

“I am having the best night,” she said and tipped her head to look into his eyes.

“I’m glad.”

She wished she could freeze this moment and keep it in her mind forever. Swaying to the music, with his arm wrapped around her, and his hand resting in the small of her back, he leaned his head down and gave her the softest kiss, putting this moment into one of the Top Ten Best Moments of her life.

She leaned her head against his shoulder and looked out over the park. The fried chicken parents sprawled across their blanket, their youngest asleep across the mom’s lap. The young couple still sat cross-legged in the grass, a baby blanket thrown over the new mom’s shoulder with the tiny feet of an infant kicking out the side.

Sunny’s gaze then roamed to their blanket where the remains of their picnic lay scattered around their blanket. Her yellow dog’s body lay sprawled across the quilt, his nose buried in the Cool Whip tub as he licked it clean, and a dollop of whipped cream streaked across his ear.

* * *

Sunny pushed the front door open, and Beau ran into the house, heading first to the laundry room to see if the puppy-chow fairy had deposited any food into his bowl while they were gone.

The breeze of the warm night caressed her face as she stood in the doorway. The moon was full, and she had yet to turn the house lights on. “Would you like to come in?”

“Oh, yes,” Jake said and Sunny’s breath quickened with anticipation. He stepped toward her and wrapped one arm around her waist as he swept her into the house with him, then pushed the door shut. He leaned his back against the closed door and pulled her into the circle of his arms.

Silver rays of moonlight shot through the house giving her enough light to see his eyes go dark and a delicious thrill sparked in her belly. Her voice was soft, barely above a whisper as she asked, “Do you want some wine…or something?”

He chuckled softly and reached up to run his fingers through her hair. “Definitely the ‘or something’.”

A nervous giggle bubbled up inside of her, and she looked down at her feet, suddenly shy, all of her insecurities rushing to the surface. “But why?” she whispered. “I’m just a boring school teacher with unruly hair and a crazy dog. I’m ten pounds overweight, and I still love ice cream. I say stupid things when I should just stay quiet, and I cry at the drop of a hat. You live this exciting life of an FBI agent who travels, and I’m pretty sure has been shot. What could you possibly see in me?”

“Oh, babe,” he said quietly and took her face in his hands. He tilted her chin up and wiped away the one lone tear that had escaped as she laid out her soul to him. He looked at her, and she felt he was trying to convey his feelings through his eyes as well as his words.

“I may have led an adventurous life and done some traveling, but having those adventures and moving around all the time hasn’t let me get to know anyone. Adventures mean nothing when you’re alone and don’t have anyone to share them with.” 

Jake took a deep breath and wrapped one of her curls around his finger. “I love your hair, and you are anything but boring. In fact, from the moment I met you, we’ve had an adventure of our own. I seem to recall you almost blinding me with breath spray before you launched a bag of frozen chicken chunks at me.”

“And then the garage exploded, and you came to find me after the explosion,” she said. Her hands lay on his chest, and she could feel the hard muscles of his body under the soft cotton of his shirt.

“Oh, man. I was so scared you had been hurt. I couldn’t get you out of my mind that first night. Then you showed up on my doorstep the next day with a plate of brownies and fresh out of the shower. The smell of your hair and your skin as you walked into Walter’s house almost drove me crazy. It was weird because I barely knew you, but, Sunny, when I heard that explosion and thought you were hurt, I couldn’t get to you fast enough.”

“I know. I was so happy to see you coming across the yard,” she told him. “Holding on to you made me feel so safe.”

He touched her cheek. “Sunny, I have watched your crazy antics over the summer with your friends and those stupid dates. I was so jealous over those guys… secretly I was glad when they didn’t work out. I wish I would have known how suspicious you were of me sooner so I could have eased your fears. I can’t believe you went all that time thinking I might have killed my own grandfather.”

She reached up and laid her hand on his cheek. “I may have had suspicions, but they never felt right. I have been drawn to you since the day we met. I think that inside, my heart has always trusted you.”

Jake leaned down to lay his lips against hers. The kiss was sweet and light, a promise of more to come. “Sunny, I love your smile and the way you make me laugh. I love the way your crazy dog wags his tail, and sometimes his whole body, when he sees me. And I love the way you say what you feel.”  He reached a hand down and caressed her bottom. “I especially love these extra ten pounds, and I will feed you ice cream by the spoonful if you let me.”

He kissed her again, this time with more urgency, and he pulled her body tight against him as he spoke softly into her ear. “I can’t stop thinking about you, and I can’t stop myself from falling in love with you.”

“Then don’t,” she whispered. “Don’t stop.”  She wrapped her arms tight around his shoulders and pressed her cheek to his. “Don’t ever stop.”

He lifted her then, and she wrapped her legs around his waist, pressing herself against him. He kissed her ear, her neck, her face… then his lips crushed against hers, and all thoughts left her mind except this man, this one glorious man.

He carried her to the stairs, but Sunny was already unbuttoning his shirt and pulling it from his shoulders. Halfway up, he set her down and yanked his half un-buttoned shirt over his head. Her breath caught at the sight of his magnificent body in the moonlight. His tan chest, his slim waist, the line of curly hair that started at his belly button and ran into the waistband of his jeans. Sunny wanted to see, to touch every part of him.

Jake’s fingers first unbuttoned, then unzipped her capris. He tugged at them and Sunny wiggled against the steps as he pulled them free of her legs. He slowly unsnapped her blouse, kissing each spot under the snap, her neck, her chest, her stomach.

He leaned back and looked at her. She felt exposed as she lay against the steps, clad only in her bra and thong panties, her unsnapped shirt open and clinging to her shoulders. She could almost feel the heat of his eyes as they took in each part of her body. She couldn’t believe this gorgeous man wanted her
.

“You are so beautiful,” he whispered, then his hands were on her again and finally her skin was touching his. Sunny couldn’t seem to get enough of him. She kissed him with a fever and an urgency she didn’t know was inside of her. She reveled in the feel of his large hands skimming along her body. Jake reached under her shirt to caress her back and her bare bottom, then slid his fingers along the thin band of her thong panties.

She felt the smooth hard wood of the stair step against her bare skin, then his hand slid between her legs and cupped her femininity. She rubbed herself against his hand, the thin lacy fabric adding extra friction against her already tender area. He bent his head to her breast and nudging the fabric aside, took her erect nipple into his mouth.