Red Phoenix's Passion is for Lovers Collection (Boxed Set) (8 page)

“What was that? I wasn’t supposed to come inside you, damn it.”

“It was my birthday wish.”

“I would never have agreed to that.”

She smiled with her head still flat against his chest. “I know.” By taking him completely, Tess hoped Kevin understood that she loved every part of him.

“Don’t ever do that again,” he growled.

Tess lifted her head and looked into his deep blue eyes. “I won’t, I promise.” She leaned forward and kissed Kevin, hoping he wasn’t too mad. When Kevin returned her kiss, she felt confident he understood.

The phone rang. “I have to get it,” she said apologetically as she untangled herself from him. Kevin watched as she took her mother’s phone call.

“Yes. Everything is fine here, Mom. In fact, it has been a good birthday so far. What? You want to know why?” She looked over at Kevin lying naked on her bed and smiled. “Well… any day I don’t have to deal with school and all those creeps is a good day.” Her mother lectured her about maintaining good grades. “Don’t worry, Mom. I will. I just needed my eighteenth birthday off. I promise to go to school tomorrow. Yes, I’ll be your good girl.” She felt the tiniest bit guilty, but her mom was talking about grades so she wasn’t really lying.

When Tess got off the phone, she went back to her bed. Kevin pulled her close and she snuggled against him gratefully. “Thank you.”

“No, Birthday Girl, thank you. I’ve wanted you since the first day. I just never thought I had a chance in hell.”

She lifted her chin up and gazed lovingly at him. “I’ve never met anyone like you, Kevin Reese. I can’t believe you’re all mine.”

He smiled and played with a lock of her feathery hair. “My Tesse.”

“Why do you call me that anyway?”

“It just seems to fit.”

She kissed him on the lips. “I guess it does.”

Tessa lay in his arms in a state of bliss. This was perfect. Never in a million years would she have thought a moment like this was possible. She was in love with an incredible man and he loved her equally as much.

The phone interrupted her thoughts. She reluctantly got up to answer it. “Why are you calling again, Mom? We just talked. No. No, you don’t need to do that. Please.” Tessa’s heart started beating wildly. Her mother was sending her assistant to pick her up. Julie wanted to meet downtown for lunch. For some reason, her mom suddenly felt guilty for not being there for her birthday. “Seriously, Mom. I would rather stay home. We can talk at dinner. I know how busy you are. What? She’s already headed here? Good grief. Don’t I get any say on my own birthday? Fine, whatever.”

Tess frowned when she saw that Kevin was already getting dressed. She put down the phone and ran to him. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t want it to be like this.”

“It’s okay, Tess. I’ll see you tomorrow.” He quickly pulled on his pants and then kissed her. “Enjoy lunch with your mom and think of me.”

She smiled. “I won’t be able to think of anything else.”

“Hopefully I can meet her at the party. I would like to thank the woman responsible for creating my beautiful girlfriend.”

Tess laughed, although she felt uneasy. Her mother had
better
give him a chance. Kevin was the best thing that had ever happened to her. He kissed her several more times before he left.

“Until tomorrow then!” she said, waving enthusiastically as Kevin headed out the door. She ran upstairs and quickly dressed in conservative clothes. She was just in time, too. The doorbell rang as she was putting her pumps on.

After

T
ess woke up feeling like a woman. It was incredible knowing she had shared something so intimate with Kevin. She couldn’t stop smiling as she ate her breakfast.

“Excited about the party, are you?” her mom asked. Tess giggled. There was no need to answer; her mom was already headed out the door with a phone in one hand and her briefcase in the other.

Tess ate her granola as quickly as she could. In just a few hours, she would be in third period sitting next to Kevin. How weird, since they had just had sex together. Would he act any different? Would other people be able to tell?

Tessa hoped he would talk to her, maybe even let her hold his hand in the halls. Now that they were a couple, surely they would eat lunch together. Tessa didn’t care how any of the other kids reacted. Nothing was going to separate the two of them. Nothing!

She was almost out the door when the phone rang. Tess wondered why her mom was already checking up on her. “Mom?”

“Hey, Tesse.”

She broke out in a huge grin. “Oh, hi, Kevin! You
do
realize I’m going to be late for school. I almost didn’t answer because I can’t afford to be late… but I’m glad you called.”

“Yeah, well, I just wanted to say that I love you.”

Tess giggled. “I love you, too. But I’ve gotta go. Mom will kill me if I’m late. See you third period. Love ya!”

“Tesse, it’s Luke.” Before she could question him, he hung up. Had she heard him right?
Who is Luke?
Tess grabbed her backpack and raced out the door, anxious to question him about it.

She barely made it to first period on time. Tess didn’t even want to think what her mom would have done if she was late her first day back. All of her life, Julie had pretty much let her do what she wanted because she was such a good girl. Now every movement Tessa made was under the microscope and she didn’t like it—not one bit.

Tess skipped into her third period class and sat down to wait for Kevin. Samantha glared at her, but Tess just smiled. It was their first meeting since the big fight. Poor Sam would just have to stew in her own juices. Tess was too happy to care.

She sat there glancing at the doorway, trying not to act like a total idiot. Tesse trembled with excitement every time another student walked into the classroom. Where was he? When the bell rang, she started to freak out. His suspension was over. Kevin had said he would see her today. Tess got a sick feeling in her stomach. Something was wrong.

That’s why he called!

Tess tried to phone him at lunch, but no one answered. She wanted to run to his house, but Kevin’s home was too far to make it back for her next class. There was no way her mom would overlook her ditching today. Tess struggled to get through the rest of school, not listening to any of the lectures or her friends chitchatting about her birthday bash. She just watched the clock, begging and pleading for it to go faster.

When the final bell rang, she ran to his house, not even bothering to take her backpack. Tess hoped she would find him there with some lame excuse about why he hadn’t showed. No one answered, even when she rang the doorbell twenty times. Tess peeked in the windows and saw that the house looked like a tornado had gone through it, with things missing as if they had made a quick exit. She walked around the back and looked in the kitchen window. The bread maker was gone. She leaned against the house, letting the tears fall unhindered.

After the shock abated, Tess started searching the outside of the house, certain Kevin had left her a note. Something to let her know what happened and where they were headed. He wouldn’t leave her in the dark like this.

Tess spent the next few hours searching every nook and cranny of their corner lot, determined to find it. She figured that Luke was Kevin’s father and he’d come for them. So Kevin wouldn’t leave the note in an obvious place, because he wouldn’t want his father to find it.

The fading light forced Tess to head home. The large pit in her stomach made it difficult to breathe. She felt lost without Kevin. She worried for both of them, praying that he and his mother were okay.

Julie threatened to cancel the party again because Tess had failed to answer the phone all afternoon. She just looked up at her mother forlornly and said, “Please do.”

It was then that her mother realized something was seriously wrong. “Tessa, what’s going on? I’ve never seen you like this before.” Julie sat next to Tess and put her arm around her. “Whatever it is, I want to know, Pumpkin.”

Tessa was unsure how her mother would react, so she remained silent.

“Does it have to do with that boy Kevin?”

Tears started falling at the mention of his name. Tess nodded her head.

Her mother stood up and yelled, “Did that boy hurt you?”

Tess looked at her in disgust. “No, Mom!”

Julie instantly calmed down and sat beside her again. “Tell me what happened.”

“I love him, Mom. I love him so much and now he is gone.”

“What do you mean he’s gone?”

“I went to his house. They packed up their stuff and left this morning.”

Julie stated unkindly, “I told you they were trouble.”

“No, Kevin is not trouble! I love him. He is the best thing that ever happened to me.”

“How can you be this upset about a guy you’ve known for only a week?”

“Nine days, Mother!”

“
Excuse me
, nine days. Those two extra days make so much difference,” Julie said, sarcasm dripping from her voice.

“They do, Mom. You’ll never know how much.” Tess started sobbing. She had no control over her emotions now.

“I can only think of one reason you would be acting this upset…” Julie choked out the question, “Did you sleep with the boy?”

Tessa answered dully, “Yes.”

Julie jumped off the couch. “What! Is that what you were doing those two days off? Fucking each other like rabbits? I thought I raised you better than that. Damn it! I
knew
that kid was up to no good!”

“I was the one who wanted to, not him. I’m glad I did, too. If I hadn’t, I would never have had the chance.”

“Please tell me you used protection.”

Tessa refused to answer.

“Oh my God! My straight-A daughter fucks a guy after only a week and then doesn’t even bother to use protection. How stupid can you get?”

“I hate you! Just leave me alone.” Tess tried to get up to run to her room, but her mother grabbed her.

“You are not going anywhere, young lady. How many other guys have you slept with?”

Tess spat out, “None! Kevin was my first.”

“Well, thank God for that,” Julie huffed.

“How can you be so cruel? Kevin’s gone! I don’t know where he is and I am really afraid for him.”

“What are you afraid of?”

“His dad was the one who set their house on fire. He killed Kevin’s little brother. He must have come for them. That has to be why they left so quickly.”

“Well, as much as you hate me, at least I can do this for you.” Julie got on the phone and talked with a cop with whom she had a long-standing friendship. After she finished the conversation, she sat back down with Tess. “We should know more in a bit, but I can tell you that Kevin is not his real name. His name is Luke Sanders. Apparently, his father went to jail four years ago for arson, aggravated assault, and third-degree murder. He escaped from prison three weeks ago. Pumpkin, this man is dangerous. I know you don’t want to hear it, but I am glad they’re gone if he is roaming free.”

“But what about Kevin and his mom? Don’t you care about them?”

“I don’t know them, but of course I hope they’re safe. However, the only person I really care about is you.”

“Mom, if anything happens to Kevin a part of me will die.”

Julie chuckled as if amused. “His name is Luke, Pumpkin. And you don’t need to be so dramatic.”

Tess turned on her. “You don’t know anything! You have never felt the kind of love I have for Kevin. It’s way deeper than anything you felt for Dad.”

“Don’t you start! You know nothing about your father and me.”

“Well, I know I would never choose a stupid career over Kevin.”

“How dare you! Go to your room!”

“Gladly!” Tess ran as fast as she could and locked the door behind her. She wailed on and off all night. Everything was wrong. Her heart was crushed from worry and heartache. All she wanted was to be in Ke— Luke’s arms.
It seems weird to call him something else.

Luke wanted her to know his real name, to call him by it. That was why he had told her that last phone call. The name Luke fit, just like his nickname for her. She started crying again. The only thing she needed was for him to hold her tight. Where was Luke tonight? Was he scared? Was he wondering about her and hurting just as much?