Shadowed Instincts (12 page)

After talking for a while longer, Jeremy eventually drifted
back into a peaceful sleep. Confident that he was out of the woods, Melanie
quietly left the room and went in search of Tara. She found her out by the
pond, but she wasn’t alone. She was with Declan.

Trying with all her strength not to charge over and jerk her
best friend away from him, Melanie strolled over as casually as possible.
Before they noticed her, the two of them were laughing at the antics of the
ducklings swimming in the water. Declan leaned close to Tara and whispered
something. She burst into laughter and shoved him playfully.

“Ahem.”

Tara and Declan turned quickly at the sound of Melanie
clearing her throat. Declan took a slight step away from Tara. Her cheeks
turned crimson. Melanie arched an eyebrow at her best friend.

“Tara, can I talk to you?” She looked over at Declan. “In
private?” she added for his benefit.

Declan raised his eyebrows at Melanie’s obviously rude
behavior. Melanie stared pointedly at him, refusing to back down. His shoulders
slumped and he heaved a deep sigh before starting forward.

“See you later,” Declan said to Tara as he walked by her. He
nodded at Melanie as he passed her and headed back toward the house.

Melanie grabbed Tara’s arm and dragged her away from him,
toward the other side of the pond. He was walking slowly, so she knew he was
trying to spy on their conversation.

“Mel, what’s going on?”

“Not yet,” Melanie said, and saw Declan’s shoulders lift in
a shrug before he started walking at a normal pace. When he reached the back
porch and headed up the steps, she whirled on Tara. “What were you doing with
him?” she asked angrily.

“Woah,” Tara said, taking a step back. “What the hell’s the
matter with you?”

Melanie took a deep breath and released it slowly. “I’m
sorry, Tara. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. Maybe it’s p.m.s. or
something.”

“You looked like you were jealous.”

Melanie laughed harshly. “Jealous? What on earth would I
have to be jealous about?”

“I don’t know,” Tara said, arching a finely plucked brow at
her friend. “You tell me.”

Melanie bit her lip as she thought. They were too close to
the woods here. Someone on patrol could walk by and hear them. She needed to
get Tara somewhere private. Tara needed to know about her suspicions and
Declan’s possible involvement in Jeremy’s poisoning.

“Come check out my new Jeep!” Melanie said, trying to inject
some excitement into her tone.

“But I already-”

“You have to see it! It’s so awesome!” Melanie interrupted,
grabbing Tara’s hand and dragging her back toward the house.

When they reached the car, Melanie fished the keys from her
pocket and climbed in, saying, “Dad said I could drive it on the property. Get
in! Let’s go for a spin!”

Tara climbed in and Melanie cranked the car. She backed up
and turned around, heading down the long drive. When they were half way down,
Melanie applied the brakes and put the Jeep into park. She turned the radio up
so that it would drown out their words if anyone was patrolling nearby.

“What are you doing?” Tara asked, a confused look on her
face.

Melanie tried to keep her words vague. “Do you remember what
I told you this morning?”

“Yeah, about-”

“No names,” Melanie interjected quickly. She almost rolled
her eyes at her own paranoia. “Don’t tell anyone about the method. You haven’t
said anything to anyone, right?” When Tara shook her head, Melanie continued,
“Good. What I’m about to tell you is strictly confidential. Got it?” Tara
nodded with wide eyes. “Okay. Jeremy and I think
he
may be the one who
did it,” she said, nodding her head back in the direction of the house.

“Who? De-”

“No names! Yes, him.”

“Oh my God.”

Melanie nodded at her. “I know. That’s why I was so angry
that he was flirting with you and you were flirting back.” Tara opened her
mouth to protest and Melanie held up a finger to silence her. “Yes, you were.
You can’t help it, I know, it’s just how you are. I just need you to be careful
around him, without letting him know that you suspect him. Do you think you can
do that while we figure this out and find some proof?”

“Of course,” Tara said indignantly.

“Good,” Melanie said, shifting the car into drive. “Now,
let’s see what this baby can do.”

They had been driving around the property for about twenty
minutes when Tara turned down the radio. Melanie looked over at her with an
arched brow and slowed down to a crawl. Looking back at the road, she asked,
“What is it?”

“What’s with all the cloak and dagger stuff, Mel? Driving to
the middle of nowhere, cranking up the radio, ‘no names.’ I don’t understand
why you couldn’t have just told me that by pond.”

Melanie winced and pulled the Jeep to a complete stop. “I’m
just being extra cautious,” she said, still staring at the road ahead. Looking
at Tara, she continued, “Members of this…community traipse all over the woods,
hunting, hiking, biking and all manner of other things. I can’t take the chance
that someone would hear me accuse Declan and run back and tell him or his
father.” Melanie made sure to only mouth the name.

“Okay. I get it, I guess. Can I tell Chris what’s going on?”

Melanie thought for a moment. “Just hold off, if you can.
I’m not going to ask you to lie to him, but let me talk to Jeremy about it
before you volunteer the information, okay?”

“Okay.”

“Thanks, Tara.”

“No worries. Just be careful, okay?”

“Don’t worry, I’ve got this.”

*~*~*

“So, that’s when I found them by the pond. He was flirting
outrageously with her.”

“Do you think he was trying to get close to her to find out
what we suspect?” Jeremy asked, sitting up and swinging his legs over the side
of the bed.

“Hey, are you sure you’re ready for that?” Melanie asked
worriedly. “You need to save your strength and rest. It’s been less than twenty
four hours since you were poisoned.” She lowered her voice to a whisper with
that last word.

Melanie had gone back to Jeremy’s room after her talk with
Tara. He was sleeping, so she curled up and read a book while he rested. It was
almost time for dinner when he finally woke up and she told him about her
conversation with Tara.

“I’ve been resting all day, Mel! I’m going to go nuts if I
don’t get out of this room, out of this bed, for at least a little while. I’m
going to dinner.”

“Jer-”

“Nope,” he interrupted. “Not going to talk me out of it.
Now, if you love me, come help me. I need to take a shower.”

Melanie blushed as she rushed over to take his arm. “You
want me to help you take a shower?”

Jeremy chuckled. “As tempting as that sounds, I don’t think
I’m strong enough yet to take advantage that offer. Just make sure I don’t fall
down on my way to the bathroom. I feel dizzy.”

“You should go back to bed. I know! I’ll curl up next to you
and we can nap together.”

“Please, Mel.”

“Ugh, okay. But if you fall in the shower and break your
neck, I’ll never forgive you.”

He gave her his megawatt smile. “Thanks, babe. I love you,
too.”

After dinner, Melanie, Jeremy, Tara and Chris decided to go
to the entertainment room to watch a movie on the big screen. Melanie paid more
attention to Jeremy than she did the television. He looked pale and sweat was
beading on his upper lip. She nudged his knee with hers and he put an arm
around her shoulders.

Leaning in and laying her head on his chest, she whispered,
“Are you okay?”

He nodded and squeezed her shoulder, not taking his eyes off
the television. Melanie’s thoughts drifted back to dinner. Jeremy hadn’t eaten
very much and the conversation was stilted, at best. Chris had been the only one
unaffected by the uncomfortable atmosphere, being the only person left in the
dark about the true reason for Jeremy’s illness. He thought Jeremy only had a
stomach bug. Luckily, the Browns went to town for dinner, taking Declan with
them.

When the movie finally ended, Chris used the remote to click
off the T.V. and sat back with a sigh. “What do you guys want to do now?” he
asked.

“I’m kind of tired,” said Melanie, hoping to get Jeremy to
bed before he relapsed.

“Ah, Mel, it’s only 9:30! Let’s do something fun!”

“Chris,” Tara said with a grin, “if they’re tired, we should
let them go to bed.” She ended the sentence with a suggestive waggle of the
eyebrows.

Melanie glanced at Jeremy, who was staring at Tara with his
mouth hanging open. His eyes shot back to Melanie and he mouthed the words,
“You told her?”

“Oh, God,” Melanie whispered. She put her hands on her cheeks
to hide her blush and nodded with her eyes downcast.

Jeremy chuckled and pulled her tighter into his chest.
Arching his neck so that his mouth was by her ear, he whispered, “I hope you
told her it was earth-shatteringly amazing.”

Melanie elbowed him in the ribs, then immediately regretted
it when he grunted. “Oh, God, Jeremy, I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking.”

“It’s okay,” he said shakily. “I’m just sore all over.”

Melanie tried to pull away from him in shame, but he
wouldn’t let her go. He took his free hand and put it under her chin, lifting
it up so that her lips would meet his. “It’s alright, Mel,” he reassured her
again between soft nibbles on her lips.

“Get a room!” Tara yelled from the other side of the couch
where she sat curled against Chris. She picked a cheese puff out of the bowl in
his lap and chucked it Melanie. “You guys are grossing me out.”

“Oh, please,” Mel said, throwing the food back at Tara, “I
couldn’t count on ten hands how many times I’ve had to see you suck face with
Chris!”

They all laughed and Melanie stood up. “Alright kiddos, I’m
going to hit the hay. I have to meet my dad early for a special breakfast, but
then I’m free after that. I’ll meet up with you guys then, okay?”

“Sounds good,” said Tara, snuggling closer to Chris.

“Sounds good to me, too” he said. He turned his attention to
his girlfriend and pulled her onto his lap.

“Ugh,” Melanie said when Tara giggled. “You ready?” She held
out a hand to Jeremy.

“Yeah,” he said grasping her hand as he stood up. “I think
these two need some alone time.” He pulled her toward the door, saying
goodnight to Tara and Chris on the way.

As soon as he had Melanie out in the hallway, he pushed her
up against the wall and kissed her hard. Melanie wound her hands up over his
shoulders and into his hair, hanging on for dear life. Jeremy broke their kiss
but didn’t pull away. He touched his forehead against hers.

“I’ve been wanting to do that for hours,” he said
breathlessly.

Melanie’s tongue shot out to lick her lips before she spoke.
“Me, too.”

Jeremy straightened and took her hand, leading her to the
staircase. As they climbed, he asked, “Do you think your parents would get mad
if you stayed with me tonight?”

“Probably,” she said. “But I don’t care. I’ll stay if you
want me to.”

“I do. I mean, not for, you know. I’m probably not well
enough for that, yet.” He glanced over and saw Melanie blushing. “I love it
when you do that.”

“Do what?”

“Blush like that. Even in this dim lighting, I can see your
pink cheeks and how green it makes your eyes. You’re so beautiful.”

Melanie could feel her cheeks heat up again as they reached
the top of the steps and walked toward Jeremy’s room. He opened the door to let
her in, but she stopped and refused to walk through it.

“What’s wrong?”

“I need to go to my room first. You know, to get changed and
stuff.”

“Oh, okay. I’ll wait for you here, then. Just come in when
you’re ready.”

With one last peck on the lips, he walked through the door.
Melanie rushed to her room and closed the door behind her. Running over to her
dresser, she started rummaging through drawers, looking for something to wear.

“This is ridiculous,” she whispered, forcing herself to stop
and take a breath. “He sees me all the time in my regular pajamas. They’re
fine,” she finished resolutely.

Pulling out a pair of plaid boxers and a white tank top, she
bit her bottom lip and threw the top back into the drawer. She rummaged around
until she found a black one instead.
Don’t want him to think I’m trying too
hard,
she thought.
He said he wasn’t well enough for…that. Not yet.

Melanie cracked open her door and stuck her head out into
the hallway. Determining that the coast was clear, she darted to the bathroom
and shut herself inside. She changed into the pajamas, brushed her teeth, and
washed her face.

Stopping by the door to her room, Melanie opened it, threw
her dirty clothes through the gap and quickly closed it. She tiptoed past her
parents’ room, not knowing if they were actually in there or not. She didn’t
want to take any chances, though. The last thing she needed was for them to
catch her sneaking into Jeremy’s room. They had cut her some slack and given
her a lot of leeway since the poisoning, but she wasn’t going to push her luck.

Stopping in front of Jeremy’s door, she tapped lightly and
twisted the knob. The room was dimly lit with only the light from the
dark-shaded lamp by the bed. Melanie’s ever-improving eyesight made navigating
the darkened room easier than it would have been a few weeks ago. She walked
over to the bed and gazed down at Jeremy, her heart swelling in her chest.

He was sleeping peacefully, in nothing but a pair of boxers,
with one arm thrown over his chest and the other stretched across the empty
expanse of mattress beside him. It looked like he had been reaching for her in
his sleep. Careful not to jostle the bed, she climbed in curled up next to him.
She gently laid her head on his shoulder and extended one arm across his torso.
She smiled as she felt his arm curl up around her back, as if in reflex.
Matching her breathing to his slow and steady rhythm, Melanie dozed off
quickly.

A few hours later, she woke to the startling feeling of a
warm palm smoothing up her outer thigh. The hand froze with her quick intake of
breath. It took her a few tense seconds to remember where she was. Once he felt
the tension ease out of her, Jeremy resumed his soft exploration.

Melanie blushed a little when she realized that, in her
sleep, she had thrown one leg across Jeremy’s waist and was snuggled tightly
against his side. All embarrassment was forgotten, however, when his fingertips
reached the hem of her boxers and slipped underneath to caress the swell of her
butt.

“Hi,” he whispered softly.

When Melanie lifted her face toward him to respond, he
quickly pressed his lips to hers and swept his tongue into her mouth. The magic
he worked with his mouth and hand caused butterflies to erupt in Melanie’s
stomach. It soon turned to a burning inferno that had her pushing on his
shoulders in an attempt to roll over completely on top of him.

As she straddled her legs around his waist, their mouths
broke apart and they sat up quickly, looking toward the door. They were both
panting when they looked back at each other, bewildered.

“What was that?” Melanie asked, trying to keep her voice at
a whisper.

“I don’t know. It sounded like someone was trying to open
the door. Did you lock it when you came in?”

 Melanie shook her head. “I don’t think so.” She glanced at
the digital clock on his nightstand. “Who would be coming to your room at three
thirty in the morning?”

Carefully lifting her off his lap and setting her beside
him, he got up from the bed and strode as quickly as he could manage to the
door. He flung it open and stepped out into the hall. Looking both directions,
he shook his head and walked back into the room, pausing to close and lock the
door behind him.

“I don’t know, Mel. Maybe one of your parents was checking
on you? If they didn’t find you in your room, they’d look here first.”

Melanie considered it for a moment, then shook her head.
“No. If either of my parents found me in your room in the middle of night, much
less in the position we were in, they would have come in and ripped us a new
one. They would most definitely
not
leave us to what we were doing.”

“Who could it have been, then?” he asked, walking back over
to the bed and sitting down next to her.

“I don’t know, Jeremy, but I have a bad feeling. What if
whoever tried to poison you was coming to finish what they started?”

Jeremy’s mouth tightened into a straight line. “Then I will
just have to be ready for them.”

Melanie took his face in her hands and kissed his lips
lightly. “We,” she said with meaning. “
We
will
be ready for
them.”

“Melanie, I don’t want you getting in the crosshairs here.
This person, whoever it is, is after me. Not you.”

“I don’t care,” Melanie whisper-shouted. “If they are after
you, that means they are after what’s mine. And I protect what’s mine.”

Melanie quickly ducked her head, her face burning with a
blush.
I can’t believe I just said that out loud,
she thought.
I
probably sounded like a total idiot.

Jeremy placed two fingers beneath her chin and lifted her
face. Refusing to open her eyes, she shook her head slightly when Jeremy asked
her to look at him. She felt his lips brush against hers lightly once, then
twice.

“Mel, please look at me,” he whispered. When she finally
complied he said, “That was the most amazing thing anyone has ever said to me.
Don’t be embarrassed to stake your claim on me. Because you’re right. I am
yours and I always will be.”