Scandalous (18 page)

“I'm not smug, Kit Kat,” Jason informed her, his deep voice rumbling in his chest.

“Wha...huh...?” Katie mumbled.

Jason laughed lightly, “I was just saying that I'm not smug. Just happy to know that I still get under your skin.”

Katie didn't respond. She didn't even really hear what he said, she'd stopped trying to pay attention to the words. Stupid words. They just got in the way of listening to his voice...that silky, deep voice.

Jason traced his thumb down the back of Katie's neck slowly, sensuously, and then continued across her shoulder and down her arm. When he reached her waist, he slipped his hand around her easily, spreading his fingers slowly and firmly, grasping her back with a familiarity that felt as dangerous as it did comforting.

His thumb began to gently massage the small of her back, sending sharp zings of electricity ping-ponging off of her nerve endings. She wanted to stop those little zings of pleasure in their tracks. She wanted to ignore, suppress, deny...anything!

She needed to push him away and get some distance is what she needed to do. Her knees began to buckle. Any time now, a little voice in the back of her head whispered. Any time you want to get a jump on creating that distance would be perfect.

That was, however, not what Katie did. No matter how hard her lizard brain screamed at her to push him away...step away...jump away...DANCE away, even...all Katie found herself doing was looking up into his chocolate brown eyes as she melted into his embrace.

Katie heard a low moan escape from Jason's throat and was suddenly hyper-aware of how close their lips were to each other. A shiver ran through her as she contemplated the nearness of those delicious, sexy lips.

Katie's breathing became more labored, but not in an out-of-control, panic-attacky kind of way. No, it was more of a body-coming-alive-for-the-first-time-in-years kind of way.

She vaguely wondered what was going to happen next, but couldn't make herself focus too much on the future. Not when the present was this flipping interesting!

Her brain might be telling her to get out of this situation, to think about the consequences – but her body was perfectly content to ride this little scene out and see where it went thankyouverymuch.

Why did it seem that she was utterly incapable of listening to her brain in any situation where Jason Sloan was involved?

THE HOPE FALLS CHRONICLES

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As Amanda moved the bite-size chicken pieces and chopped vegetables around the sauté pan in front of her, her head swam with conflicted emotions. Was it always going to be this way? If Justin did decide to stay and run the adventure resort with her, was her consciousness going to forever exist in such a state of unbalance?

Karina, Sam, and Lauren had gone to visit Karina's grandmother, albeit reluctantly. They hadn't wanted to leave Amanda alone, but Amanda had insisted, coming just short of physically shoving them out the door.

“I need to get my head on straight!” she had told them, “The only way I am going to accomplish that is with some serious soul searching and contemplation. And, barring that, a little 'come to Jesus' meeting with myself. Trust me! An hour alone will do me a world of good. I'll make dinner, and be a whole new woman by the time you get back.”

So, the rest of the Fabulous Four had departed amidst skeptical expressions and admonitions to call if she needed anything.

And now Amanda was by herself, cooking and contemplating, and not a whole lot seemed to be moving forward. She had started out feeling confused and vulnerable, and that was squarely where she still found herself. It didn't help that she had had ZERO hours of sleep the night before! Maybe it was time to try the 'come to Jesus' meeting.

She heard a knock at the back door which led into the kitchen, and turned around to see the very source of her confusion and angst standing there, his handsome face framed in the glass pane of the exterior door like a finely wrought portrait.

A tremor ran through her from head to toe, but she quickly reminded herself that she could not show him her weaknesses. She again thought of her sleepless night, and noticed how well-rested he looked. She couldn't let him see she was coming apart at the seams!

No, she was only going to show him a completely strong and together facade. She quickly pasted a smile on her face, striving for as natural an expression as possible, but truthfully not even caring if it came off as slightly artificial – as long as her face didn't betray the roiling emotions just below the surface, it could look as plastic as a mannequin's for all she cared.

She crossed to the back door, opened it, and stood aside, inviting him in.

“Is this a bad time?” he asked as he entered.

“Not at all,” she assured him. “The girls went down to see Karina's grandmother, and I'm just cooking some dinner.”

“How is Renata doing?” Justin inquired.

“Oh, you know Renata. As indefatigable as ever. I think she'll outlive us all, and be working on twelve different community projects as she does it.”

“She's a rock,” Justin agreed, “Karina's lucky to have her.”

“True. All of Hope Falls is lucky to have her, when you think about it. So, what were you up to today?”

“Oh, just cleaning out the bunkhouse and getting it habitable. It brought back a lot of memories of living there.”

“I bet.” Amanda said, and sitting between them, making the air electric, was the unspoken memory of the last time they had been in the bunkhouse together. The last time they had seen each other at all.

She quickly turned back to the stove and focused her attention on the chicken sizzling in the pan.

Justin moved behind Amanda, close. So close that she could feel his ragged breath on her neck and in her hair. The nearness of him paralyzed her. Her vision swam and her body felt on fire, and he wasn't even touching her.

“Amanda...” he said, his voice husky with emotion, with regret. With desire? Was that just wishful thinking on her part?

“Amanda...” he started again, and then trailed off again.

Slowly, so slowly that she almost couldn't tell if she was really doing it or if it were only her imagination, she turned her face up to his. She could barely breathe. Their mouths were less than an inch apart, and their eyes were locked on each other. She felt as if she would melt on the spot, or possibly explode.

“Yes?” she whispered. With the one small scrap of awareness of her surroundings that she had left, she realized that her breathing had grown ragged as well, as if in answer to Justin's.

“I...” he started, then took a deep breathe and tried to begin again, “I just...”

And then, displaying a sense of timing so horrendous that it belied the flawless sense of rhythm she possessed which was one of the factors which made her a brilliant musician, Karina called from the front door, “Yoo hoo! We're home

Amanda drew in her breath sharply as Justin retreated across the kitchen, but couldn't manage to access her vocal chords to summon a response. She heard Karina's voice calling as she came down the hall, “Did you hear me? Lucy, I'm home!” she hollered in her best Desi Arnaz impersonation.

Amanda looked up as Karina entered the kitchen and shook her head to clear it, but realized that the truth of what had just happened must have been written all over her face when she saw a sly smile spread across Karina's face. “Lucy, you've got some 'splaining to do,” she grinned, drawing out the impression.

“What?” Amanda asked, doing her best to maintain an innocent expression as Lauren and Samantha entered the kitchen behind Karina.

As soon as Lauren laid eyes on Amanda's face, she rushed over and took the wooden spoon out of her hand, taking over the job of t sautéing the chicken and veggies. “Oh my goodness, Amanda! I knew we shouldn't have left you to cook dinner for all of us right now. Seriously, go grab a water, sit down and relax. Your entire face is flushed, you're getting overheated.”

Karina continued to grin her evil little grin, and added an eyebrow waggle for emphasis. “Oh, yes, it is quite hot in here, isn't it? Very, very hot. On a completely unrelated note, by the way, how are you today, Justin?”

Lauren looked up and followed Karina's gaze to the opposite end of the kitchen, where Justin was leaning against the counter. “Oh, hello,” she intoned flatly, “I didn't see you there,” and turned back to moving the food around the pan, but with an added degree of aggression that was clearly visible.

“OK!” said Samantha cheerfully, taking the spoon away from Lauren, “Maybe I should be the one to do this. Although, I think it's done.” She announced, cutting open one of the chicken pieces and examining the interior, “And it smells delicious!”

“Thanks,” Amanda responded, “There's actually three parts, and I didn't know what everyone's dietary restrictions were – vegetarian, low carb, etc – so feel free to mix and match any or all. Whole wheat pasta in the pot, chicken and veggies in the skillet, and vodka sauce in the saucepan,” she finished, pointing at each in turn.

“And vodka in the freezer!” Karina added, pulling the bottle out with a flourish. “Justin, are you joining us for dinner?“Oh, yes,” Sam put in, looking at Amanda, “You really should! It will be fun, like old times!”

Karina and Samantha looked at Lauren until she finally shrugged and said, “It's a free country.”

But Justin had eyes for only one person in the room, and no one else's invitation or approval meant anything to him.

“Amanda?” he asked, “Do you want me to stay?”

Now, Amanda felt a certainty and a clarity she hadn't been able to achieve while solitarily searching her soul. There was no confusion, no hesitation anywhere in her as she answered firmly in the affirmative.

Sweet Reunion
(The Hope Falls Chronicles, #1)

Sweet Harmonies
(The Hope Falls Chronicles, #2)

Sweet Victory
(The Hope Falls Chronicles, #3)