The Awakening (Entangled Series Book 1) (8 page)

“You won that car?” He nodded out the window where her car sat on the street out front.

“Yes. What they don’t tell you is that you still have to pay the taxes on it. So, I ended up paying a few thousand out of my savings, but when you think about it, a brand new hybrid for a couple thousand isn’t bad.”

“I’m taking you next time I go to Vegas,” he joked and wondered why Arizona hadn’t been on the list she’d shared with them.

“I don’t think I’ll ever go back there.” He noticed her shiver and turn her eyes downward. “Too many people.”

***

There were too few times in her life she could look back on and say she’d truly enjoyed herself. This was quickly becoming one of them.

She couldn’t remember laughing as hard in her entire life as she had in the last half hour. She’d even felt herself relax when Mike reached out and touched her or took her hand in his.

Sure, she was a little uncomfortable with answering all the questions Mike and Jess had for her, but near the end, Jess had turned it around and had flooded Mike with questions.

She found out more about him in a normal way, which, she’d quickly found out, wasn’t all that fun after all. She’d wished several times to be able to reach over and find the answers for herself.

By the time her plate of fries was gone and she’d finished the last of her shake, she was hoping the evening wouldn’t end. But Jess had let out a few yawns and mentioned how she was working the morning shift again tomorrow.

“I’ll walk you out.” Mike took her hand and helped her out of the booth. She was so comfortable with him touching her that she didn’t even flinch at his touch.

“You know, I was thinking about something…” Jess started walking out the doorway, but then dropped away and stared straight ahead.

Xtina looked in the direction and felt her entire body tense. Her hand dropped away from Mike’s as she watched Joe walking casually towards the diner.

“Well, well,” he said once he got closer to them. Just the sound of the man’s voice caused her skin to crawl. “Look who’s back in town. I’d heard you’d come back.”

“As opposed to the rat who never left town,” Jess observed, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Careful, girlie, I haven’t seen any moving vans outside your place.” He didn’t even spare Jess a glance. “Heard about your folks,” Joe added, using his massive shoulders to block the pathway to her car.

She nodded as she wished the cement would open up and swallow her.

“I have to say, you’re looking a lot better than I imagined.” His eyes ran up and down her, causing her skin to continue its crawling.

Now she wished she’d worn an old sweater and jeans instead of the cute outfit she’d chosen just in case she’d run into Mike. Who, to her new horror, she realized was standing right next to her. She felt her entire body begin to shake with fear and anger over the possibility of what was going to happen next.

“If you decide you’re bored, why don’t you give me a jingle, you know.” His eyes turned to Mike and Joe’s smile grew bigger. “For old times’ sake.” He winked at Xtina, then skirted around them and disappeared into the diner.

“You know, my first impressions of people are usually dead on,” Mike said, taking her hand in his once more. He turned to her until her eyes met his. “I had him pegged for an ass the first moment I walked into the liquor store.”

She heard Jess chuckle, but nothing could penetrate her desperate need to escape.

“Hey,” Mike said as he brushed a finger under her chin and forced her to look at him once more. “Don’t sweat it. I have a few skeletons’ in my closet I prefer to keep there too.”

“Joe isn’t just a skeleton,” she started.

“He’s the devil,” Jessica said. “Well, now that all the fun is over, I really do need to get home.” She yawned again, causing Xtina to hold back one herself.

“See you,” she said and waved to her friend as she walked down the street.

“Should we walk her home?” Mike asked.

“No, she’ll be fine.” No matter what she thought of Hidden Creek, it was still the safest town in Georgia. Maybe even all of the South.

“Well, the least you can do is let me walk you to your car.” He tugged on her arm lightly until she fell into step with him.

“Actually…” She stopped and leaned against her car. “I was hoping you’d allow me to follow you home.” When his eyebrows rose, she quickly added, “So you could help me order my microwave.”

He smiled. “Sure. Tired of doing things the old-fashioned way?”

She rolled her eyes. “You’ve no idea.” She groaned.

M
ike felt Xtina’s breath float over his skin and couldn’t stop himself from imagining how it would feel in other places. It had been way too long since he’d enjoyed the feeling of a woman’s breath on his bare skin.

She leaned closer to him as he surfed the web for the best appliances. They had already picked a microwave and were now looking for a single-cup coffee maker.

“I have this one.” He tapped the screen. “I like it fine enough.”

“Hmm.” She frowned. “How is it for tea and hot cocoa?”

He shrugged. “I’m not a big tea maker, but I have made hot chocolate in it before.” He showed her another screen. “See, it has a setting for it.”

“Okay.” She bit her bottom lip. “It’s a little more than I wanted to spend.”

“Well, last time I was in Atlanta, I noticed they were on sale.”

“No, I’ll just bite the cost. I don’t know when I’ll get back into town and I’m becoming accustomed to enjoying a cup in the morning.”

“You know; you could always knock on my door. I’d be happy to share a cup with you in the morning.” He turned slightly and smiled at her. “Better yet…” He wiggled his eyebrows, earning a smile and a chuckle from Xtina.

“You do make a persuasive argument.” She smiled. “Thanks for the offer.”

“But?” He ran a finger down her arm.

“Just like my house, I’m kind of old fashioned.” He watched her eyes turn sad. “Besides, as witnessed earlier, my relationships don’t always turn out the way I’d hoped.”

He turned his chair towards hers. “So, why did you and douchebag go out?”

She closed her eyes for a moment. “Believe it or not, there was a time when Joe was one of the nicest kids in town.”

He whistled. “That is hard to believe.”

“Yeah, I guess now.” She leaned back. “But, in tenth grade…” She shook her head.

He sat up slightly. “Was he your first?”

“First?” She frowned. “No.” She shook her head. “Yes, I mean…” She actually blushed. “He was the first boy I tried to go out with. If that’s what you mean.”

“Sex,” he said plainly, then chuckled when she made a face.

“No, I didn’t sleep with Joe.”

“That’s good to know.”

“Why?” She tilted her head and frowned slightly.

“Because when we’re finally together, I’d hate to think of you with him.”

“Mike—”

He closed the distance and laid his lips over hers gently.

It still shocked him when he felt the zing up his body as their skin touched, but this time he’d braced for it, much like he imagined she braced herself each time she touched someone.

Her hands moved up and gripped his shirt in her fists as he played his tongue over her lips. He allowed his fingers to explore her soft skin and enjoyed feeling goose bumps rise wherever he touched her.

When she pulled back slightly, he watched her eyes focus.

“I…” She shook her head and swallowed. “It’s so hard to fight what’s between us.” She leaned her head against his forehead and closed her eyes. “Order me the coffee maker. I better go home now before… before.” She chuckled.

“Stay. I know…I know what you think, but stay anyway.”

She shook her head quickly. “No, maybe soon. But not tonight.”

Seeing the fear and determination in her eyes, he nodded and then turned back to the computer screen and clicked a few buttons, placing her order. “How about I walk you home?”

“No, I can find my way.” She stood up. “Thank you… for helping me.” She nodded to his laptop.

“Thank you.” He smiled. “For not blowing it up.” She chuckled and then turned towards the door.

He watched her walk towards her house and smiled when the lights turned on inside. He sat back down at his screen and knocked off a few items before bed. He hadn’t realized he’d stayed up so late until he felt the chill on the back of his neck. Turning around, he watched the brightness appear just a few feet away.

He’d never seen her appear outside of his room before. This time, he noticed there was no anger, only sadness in her eyes. She glanced towards the bedroom and for a minute, he felt like he owed her an apology. Then he shook that feeling off when he realized he was about to explain to a ghost why he was working late. Not a ghost, he told himself and held in a chuckle.

She disappeared as quickly as she showed up and this time, he actually felt an emptiness when she was gone.

He shut his computer down and crawled into bed, but he couldn’t sleep. His eyes were glued to the ceiling as his mind filled with Xtina.

The next day, when his phone buzzed, he rolled over and answered his mother’s call. Glancing at the clock, he realized he’d slept most of the day away.

“You sound tired,” she answered. “Didn’t you get any sleep?”

His brain was too foggy to register who he was talking to, and before he knew it, he had answered.

“Yeah, I guess between the ghost and Xtina, I was too preoccupied to sleep.”

“Ghost?” The tone in his mother’s voice woke him up and he groaned.

“I mean…”

“What ghost?” His mother covered the phone and called out to his dad. “Charles, Michael is seeing ghosts.”

“Mom, no, I wasn’t awake.” He sat up and rubbed his hands over his face and thought about pulling out his hair. “It was a dream.”

“What’s all this about seeing ghosts?” His dad was now on the line. He closed his eyes and wished desperately for a cup of coffee.

“I was half asleep.”

“Was it the ghost or a woman that kept you up?” his mother asked.

He stopped himself from answering, “Both,” just in time.

“A woman,” he replied, hoping to divert the conversation.

“Would this be Xtina?” his mother said slowly.

“Yes,”

“Who’s Xtina? What kind of name is that anyway?” his father asked.

“She’s my neighbor, and her name fits her perfectly.”

“Well”—his father’s voice got a little louder— “sounds like we have perfect timing for our trip.”

“Trip?” He felt his stomach kick in. “What trip?”

“The one we’re planning for next month to come see you.”

He tried to think of a million excuses but knew that they wouldn’t listen to any of them anyway.

“When?” he finally asked.

“Around the tenth,” his father supplied.

“That should give you plenty of time to finish your kitchen.”

He groaned outwardly as he looked around at everything that still had to be done.

“Roseline, don’t pester him about the kitchen. I’m sure he’s working as fast as he can,” his father broke in.

“It’s not pestering, Charles, I’m just mothering.”

He listened to his parents argue for a few minutes as he walked into his kitchen, hit the button on his coffee maker, and poured a hot cup. When he glanced over at the house next door, he wondered if Xtina was up yet.

“He’s not even listening to us,” his mother broke in. “No doubt thinking about Xtina.”

He shook his head. “I did mention that I didn’t get enough sleep last night.”

“Yes, yes.” He could imagine his mother waving him off with her hands, the move she made all the time when dismissing him. “We’ll let you go, we just wanted to let you know about our plans.”

After hanging up, he decided some more sleep wouldn’t hurt. Unfortunately, his phone rang and he spent the next few hours working on a new project. Getting paid was better than sleep. Besides, he was hoping to save up enough money to get the next phase of the house done soon.

By the time he hung up from the last call, his stomach was growling and he had a slight headache. He dug around the kitchen and threw together a ham sandwich. Shoveling it and a handful of chips into his mouth, he decided he needed a few hours of sweat to clear his mind of Xtina.

Since his folks were going to be making an appearance in a few weeks, he figured the first place to work on would be his guest room. It only needed a fresh coat of paint and new hardwood flooring laid down, which he figured he could finish by dinnertime if he worked fast enough.

The paint went on smoothly and before he knew it, the walls were covered in a warm gray/blue. He touched up the white baseboards and crown molding he’d put in a few weeks before and then started hauling in the boxes of wood for the flooring. Strapping on his kneepads, he got to work laying the planks. He had a saw set up out back and took trips to cut the measured boards until he was on the last board.

Glancing outside, he realized he’d worked faster than he’d expected, since it was still daylight out. He straightened and rolled his shoulders and stretched all the kinks from his back just as his stomach growled again.

This time, though, he decided a cold sandwich wouldn’t cut it, and he was just about to reach for his keys to drive into town when there was a knock at his door.

When he opened the door, a smile spread on his face. “Hey,” he said to Xtina, who was standing on his front porch looking very sexy in a pair of tight jeans and a low-cut silver sweater that hugged her just right.

“Hey,” she said back, her own smile matching his. “I was thinking…” She glanced into his house briefly before her eyes settled back on his. “Would you come somewhere with me?” His eyebrows shot up in question. “I have this theory,” she finally added. “It won’t take long.”

He tilted his head. “I was just about to get some food. Could we grab something on the way?”

She smiled and nodded. “Sounds good to me,” she said after her stomach growled softly.

“I’ll just get a jacket. It looks like it might rain later.” He nodded up to the dark skies.

She followed him inside when he motioned for her to come in. “So, how is the remodel going?” When he turned to her, she smiled. “I heard the saw.”

“Come have a look for yourself.” He took her hand and walked towards the back, stopping just outside the guest room door.

“Wow,” she gasped. “You did this all today?” She walked into the room as he leaned against the doorjamb.

“Yeah, call it a need to work off lack of sleep.”

She turned to him, worry flashing behind those green eyes of hers. “Did she keep you up?”

He smiled. “No.” He moved closer to her. “Thinking about someone else did.” His hands took her hips and he pulled her close until his lips covered hers. He’d been starved for the taste of her again. He felt her melt against his chest. Her fingers dug gently into his shoulders as she relaxed into the kiss. When he felt her shiver, he pulled back slightly, not wanting her to feel how much he wanted her.

“It still gets me,” she said softly as she rested her forehead against his chest. “Not being able to see anything.” She shook her head.

When his stomach growled again, she chuckled. “Later.” She shook her head and took a step back, glancing once more around the room. “There’s a lot I’d like to do to my place.” She turned to him. “Ever consider getting paid for this?”

He laughed. “I don’t think my back would survive.” He rolled his shoulders again, feeling the kink between his shoulder blades.

“I can help with that.” Her fingers fidgeted for a moment. “Later.”

He smiled. “It’s a date.” He took her hand again and this time walked her to the front door. “Where were you thinking of grabbing some food?”

“How about some pizza?” she asked as they walked towards her car.

“Sounds good.” He opened her door for her, then rushed around to the passenger side and climbed in.

“So,” he said when he settled in the seat, reaching over and taking her hand, “our first date.” He smiled and winked at her and watched her cheeks turn a nice shade of pink.

***

Xtina parked in O’Riley’s Pizza parking lot and wiped her sweaty palms on her jeans. Michael made her feel nervous. She didn’t know if it was because she couldn’t read him or if it was the pure desire and lust she felt when she was around him.

Either way, her body had a way of acting strange when he was around. She watched him dart out of her car and rush around to her side to open her door.

She’d never really “dated” someone before. Sure, she’d gone on dates, but looking across the table in the noisy pizza place, she doubted that’s what this was. Mike wasn’t a “one date” kind of guy.

Her mind flashed to Jessie, and she felt her heart skip.

“So,” she said after they had ordered a large veggie pizza, “are you ever going to tell me what happened between you and Jess?”

She could tell that he didn’t want to talk about it, so she nudged slightly.

“I mean, I kind of saw…” She bit her lip. “From Jessie’s point of view.”

He shifted in the booth. “What did you see?”

“The night you went back to her place.”

“And?”

“How everything was hot and heavy… can I just say, wow, by the way.” She smiled when he chuckled. “Then…” She made a fizzle sound and leaned back.

He blinked a few times, then leaned back when the waitress delivered their drinks. She’d ordered a seltzer water while he’d gone for a cold beer.