Deadly Valentine (6 page)

"I'd like to tell you what I'm really thinking, but I don't think you'd appreciate it."

"How unusual for you to hold your tongue."

He grinned. "It's difficult."

"I appreciate your restraint. Are you going now?"

He frowned. "Why is it so disturbing for you to see me again?"

She sighed. That was a topic she didn't want to get into. "It's been a long night. Seeing Asa like that-" she let her words trail off.

He nodded. "It's been a difficult night. But you were upset about seeing me before all that."

"I have a new life now."

"You talk like I'm secret you don't want anyone to know about. Is that why you want me to think you and Deputy Dan are an item?"

"What makes you think we're not. Daniel loves me."

"That's painfully obvious. Poor sap."

"Jack!" She nearly laughed because it was true. But she didn't want to encourage Jack. "I care for him too." That wasn't a lie. She did care for Daniel. He and his parents were like family. They were the only people she connected with at an emotional level. They had been there for her as a teenager and again three years ago when her life unraveled and she needed a safe place to fall.

"Maybe. But you aren't in love with him. Why did you want me to think you were?"

"I never said I was."

He gave her a chastising look. "You didn't correct me when I asked. Why is that?"

What could she say?
Because I didn't want you to think I'm available?
He hadn't cared when she was available. He would laugh at the idea that she thought maybe his flirtation meant more.

"That part of my life when we knew each other is over. I've moved on."

"Moved on." The tone in which he repeated her words let her know she hurt him. She knew he would have been annoyed at her, but hurt? That didn't make sense. He was the one that pushed her away. He studied her with stormy eyes. "I've missed you." He said it so softly, his eyes shining with sincerity.

She closed her eyes as his confession sent a mixture of pain and guilt. She thought she'd blocked out all memories of her old life. But seeing him again, his affable smile and gorgeous eyes made her realize that she had missed him too.  But she couldn't give him the words, which only increased her guilt.

"Well, you may have moved on, Tess, but I haven't." His words clipped out in frustration. "I've waited for this day for three years."

"Why?" Tess had only wanted to think the question, but wasn't able to prevent it from escaping into the open.

"Did I really mean so little to you?"

"No."

"You meant something to me, Tess. You always have."

She began to wonder if she was sleeping or worse hallucinating. The interlude between her and Jack was just the type of thing she'd have dreamt, but would never have imagined to happen in real life. The reality was that she hadn't meant enough to him. His behavior now made no sense.

He leaned back and gave her a crooked smile. "You look like a deer with your eyes caught in the headlights."

That's how she felt.

"Now isn't the time for this discussion," he said. "You need to rest. We'll talk when you feel better."

Tess was pretty sure she didn't want to have the conversation ever. But since it sounded like he was about to leave, she let it go.

"Is there anything you need? I can get you some pain reliever or something?"

"No, thank you," she said "I just want to sleep."

He nodded but didn't move. "I'll be on the couch if you need anything."

She started to protest, but the look in his eyes told her it would be mute. "There's a blanket in the hall closet."

He grinned, pleased that she'd surrendered the battle. This time she saw the kiss coming and put a hand on his chest to stop him. He took her hand and brought to his lips. The loopy lou it caused in her stomach had nothing to do with the flu. "See you tomorrow," he said

Chapter Eight

Jack shut the door to Tess' room, holding the knob to quiet the latch as it clicked shut. He listened through the door for movement. It would be just like to her to get up and try to make him leave after all.  If she did, she'd be disappointed. He wasn't going anywhere. Not now. Not ever if he could help it. Still, he hoped she would get up and check just to give him an excuse to sit with her.

He'd always planned to see her again, although he'd been surprised to find her standing in Asa Worthington's foyer. It was a strange stroke of luck that had him running into her tonight. He'd had enough of Asa and was heading out the door when he saw her primping in the mirror. In some ways it was surprising they hadn't run into each other sooner since he'd bought a home and spent more time in Jefferson Tavern. But he was glad he hadn't. For too long, timing had been an issue for them. But now he was ready. His life was back on track after three years of misery and self-destructive behavior. And there didn't seem to be anyone in her life. At least not anyone she considered to be in her life.

Guided by the street light shining through the large panel window in the living room, Jack made his way up the hall. He took time to look at the home she made for herself. It was a lot like her; neat, tidy, and classic. And yet something was missing. She had all the requisite furniture; an overstuffed couch flanked by an oak side table. Next to that a chair. She'd indulged in a stuffed chaise lounge that sat next to a built-in book case surrounding a brick fire place. But there were no pictures. No knick-knacks. It reminded him of a spec house not a home. Where was her stuff?

He told himself he wasn't snooping by opening the doors that enclosed the lower part of the book cases, even though he was pretty sure she'd think so. He found a few law books. Boring. He opened the doors on the bookcase on the opposite side of the fireplace. There he found fiction books, mostly mystery by the look of them. He recognized the J.D. Robb books as those his mother had enjoyed. He'd read a couple of them to her during her illness. She had liked them not so much because of the mystery or that they took place in the future, but because of the characters, particularly the kick-ass cop and her handsome, rich, recently reformed husband. Jack wondered if that was what drew Tess to the books as well. That could work in his favor. He was rich, handsome and recently reformed as well.

Actually he wondered a lot about her. He'd remembered a beautiful, vivacious woman who'd captivated him from the first moment he'd met her over five years ago. The woman he'd seen tonight was different, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. She was still beautiful, even more so now that she'd put some meat on her bones. But she was wary, guarded. He couldn't decide if it was towards him specifically or if it was being at the Worthington's. They were certainly a family that could suck the life out of a person. Maybe she was, as he'd been for so long, disillusioned with the world. Or maybe it was just because she wasn't feeling well.

Whatever the reason, the difference in her hadn't changed his reaction to her. Seeing her re-awakened something in him; something he thought he'd lost or had died inside him. In the three years since she'd left D.C., his life had sucked. His mother's illness and subsequent death cost him a great deal. The grief had been devastating and ended only when he'd learned not to feel anymore, with the help of alcohol and women. But that took a toll on him as well. When you don't care, life has a way of spiraling out of control.

It had taken time, but he was finally back on the right path. The point of life still eluded him, but at least he had goals. He had been going to bed and waking up sober for nearly a year. And he was working again. According to his friends, that was the sign of progress. But it wasn't until tonight, until he's seen Tess that he'd felt anything other than numb in the last three years.

He closed the doors to the bookcase and walked to the kitchen. It, along with the rest of the house, maintained much of its original charm. He wondered if she'd restored the house. Having spent many summers working for his mother's real estate flipping business, he knew a thing or two about home improvement. Who'd ever done this house, had done well. All it needed was a decorator.

He found a glass in the cupboard and filled it with water from the tap. Leaning against the counter to drink, he noticed a fish bowl.

"Who are you?" he said as he peered at the bluish-red fish swimming in bowl. The fish paid little attention as it darted through the water. Jack wondered what it was doing. Except for some colored rocks, there was nothing in the bowl to entertain the fish.

"To bad you can't talk," he said. "I'd like to know if your owner is usually so difficult or is it just me?" She couldn't be mad at him. Not still. But wasn't that like a woman to be mad and not let the man explain or even know why she was mad.

He put his glass in the sink and made his way back to the living area. As he passed through her dining area he noticed her iPod sitting by her laptop.

"What are you listening to these days, Tess?" he asked. She'd been an old R&B fan when he'd last seen her. He scrolled through her playlist and found that that hadn't changed. Barry White. Chaka Khan. Ray Charles. Aretha Franklin. Marvin Gaye. He was more of a rock music kind of guy himself, but always willing to try out different musical sounds. He clicked on Marvin Gaye to see what songs she had. "No sexual healing," he said naming one of the only two songs he knew Marvin had done. It did have "Let's Get it On" and some song called "You Sure Love to Ball". His lips curved upward at the idea that Tess' new cool demeanor covered up the warm sensual side he'd remembered.

Curious, he pulled his ear buds from the iPhone in his pocket and slipped them into her iPod. He clicked on the song as he moved back to the couch. Grabbing the throw blanket folded over the back of the couch, he lay down. The couch and the blanket were too short for his large frame. Adjusting the pillows, and putting his feet on the armrest, he settled in to listen to Marvin's smooth voice asking his lady to turn around so that he could love her.

He wondered what it would take to have Tess allow him to love her, not just physically, but emotionally as well. Before he could find out though, he needed to be upfront with her, which meant coming clean and confessing what he'd done to Asa earlier that night.

Chapter Nine

Tess rolled over and willed the room to stop spinning. Opening her eyes to get her bearings, she saw the ice covered yard through the sliding doors of her bedroom. Jefferson Tavern, Virginia was known for its brilliant spring flowers and autumn leaves, but the guide books failed to mention its worst attribute, February. To Tess, February in Jefferson Tavern was like a month full of Mondays. It was dark, cold, and endless despite its being only 28 days. The trees stood like dead twigs ready to break as the ice coated the branches. The dormant grass, lush and green for most of the year, now looked as peaked as she felt. Then there was the sleet. It had taken some time for Tess to remember the difference between sleet and freezing rain. Sleet, she determined, was like Slurpees falling from the sky only without color or taste.

The thought of Slurpees sent her stomach tumbling again. Scrambling from her bed, she made it to the bathroom just in time. When the nausea subsided, she leaned against the cast iron tub wondering if she should make an attempt to get back in bed or stay where she was, toilet at the ready. As nice as her newly remodeled bathroom with the vintage tile and original tub was, the idea of spending the day on her bathroom floor seemed pathetic.

Instead she forced herself to stand and made her way to the kitchen to make tea. While the weather outside was cold and dreary, inside her home was warm and cozy. Tess loved her home. The location couldn't be beat as it was within walking distance to the historic downtown area and her office.

Jefferson Tavern was founded in the 1700's and like many pre-revolutionary towns in Virginia, it preserved much of its architectural history. Tess' house wasn't as old, but the 1940's bungalow style home retained its original charm with its crown molding and arched doorways.

Buying the home a year ago had been a major milestone. She'd set out to rebuild her life and career, and her home was a symbol of her success in achieving both. The home had been in disarray when she bought it, but aside from the bathroom that needed a complete remodel, the rest of the home simply needed a good cleaning and a coat of paint to restore its beauty.  Although Daniel called her home stark because it lacked photos and decorations, Tess felt the architecture of the home all the decor it needed. Besides, the only photos she had, she'd burned when she made her break from her old life.

She put a pinch of fish food in Buster's bowl, filled her tea kettle with water, and set it on the Wedgewood stove as she turned on the burner. Hopefully a cup of tea would settle her stomach and a couple of pain relievers would stop the pounding in her head.

"Feeling better?"

She wasn't sure if she was relieved or annoyed to discover Jack Valentine standing in her kitchen doorway. It took a minute for the previous night to come back to her. Asa was dead and Jack had camped out on her couch. Well camped wasn't the right word. He didn't look wrinkled or rumpled enough to have camped. Even the stubble from his overnight growth of beard looked manicured. He could have stepped from the pages of GQ instead of her living room.

He leaned against the door frame looking way too comfortable in her home.  “You don’t look better.”

“Thanks for sharing.”

He reached out to take her arm."Lay down. I'll make the tea."

"How about you leave?"

"You're not a morning person are you?"

Tess would have argued the point except that he was right. Even when she was feeling well and didn't have her past staring down at her, she wasn't a morning person. But she did feel bad and lying down seemed like a good idea. She let him lead her to the couch. He picked up the folded blanket from the back of the couch. Unfurling it, he laid it over her.