Sweet Reckoning (20 page)

“I can help you with the prep,” I said.

“Nah.” She smiled. “Let me. I’ve got plenty to occupy my mind now. You two go be young or something.”

She was humming to herself as she went to the kitchen.

We changed our clothes, grabbed towels, and headed down the street to the neighborhood’s pool. A couple of families were at the shallow end, so we took lounge chairs at the other end of the pool and lay down. The sun felt glorious.

“I can’t believe you’re married,” Jay said next to me.

“I can’t believe you’re gonna be a dad,” I countered.

“Aren’t we too young for all this? Weren’t we just learning to drive or something?”

“I know, right?”

We both got quiet. He stared off, and the burdens he carried were apparent in his distant eyes.

“Jay . . . how are you feeling?”

“I don’t know. Man. It’s like, I’m not really afraid for myself, but I’m scared for Marna and the baby. I want to keep them safe, but I feel like this little nobody. Powerless or something.”

“You have more power than you realize. Knowing you love her gives Marna strength. She’s happy, Jay. I know it seems crazy, but I think she feels loved by someone other than Ginger for the first time in her life, and she’s thankful.”

“But I don’t want her to die.” His voice thickened as he choked up, causing my own throat to swell with emotion. I couldn’t respond. All I could do was reach over and link my fingers with his, connecting us in our fear and sorrow.

Lying there next to my oldest and dearest friend felt right—the stretch of silence between us was soothing.

Some kids came over, calling Jay by name. He seemed to cheer a little, getting into the water with them. Of course he’d made buddies in the short time he’d lived here. The kids took turns climbing to his shoulders and jumping off. I lay back on the lounge chair and rolled to my stomach, content as I watched them.

Sounds of splashing faded as I dozed.

And then I heard a beautiful voice. . . .

“Cover your arse, and nobody gets hurt.”

I lifted my head to see Kaidan crouched next to me.
He was here!
Just as I was about to get up and throw my arms around him, his gaze slid down my body to my butt and stayed there. Hello, stormy eyes.

I felt twice as hot under the sun as I had one minute ago.

I threw the towel over my body, which forced his eyes back to mine.

“Hey,” I whispered.

He touched my face, and I leaned into his palm.

“I feel like it’s been a year since I saw you,” he said softly. “I’ve missed you.”

I reached up and cupped his hand. “I’ve missed you, too.”

“But you’re still in trouble.” His voice was low and gravelly. “I need you.”

“Um . . .” I looked around.

“Come with me.” He was serious. He took my hand and I sped to keep up, holding the towel around my body. Jay caught sight of us and waved from the middle of the pool, but when he saw Kai’s determined face, he raised his eyebrows. I shrugged a shoulder innocently, and Jay shook his head. My cheeks flushed.

Kai led us to the women’s dressing room, and when he started to push the door open, I pulled back, looking around.

“You can’t go in there!” I whispered.

He pulled me forward. “It’s empty.”

Next thing I knew, we were in a shower stall, kissing behind the closed curtain.

“What if someone comes in?” I asked.

He pressed my back against the smooth tiles. “I’ll be listening.” He pulled off my towel and dropped it to the dry floor with a growl.

We kissed again and my body reacted. I pulled him closer, loving the feel of his hands across my sun-heated skin. Were we really doing this? In a public place?

Oh, just shut up,
my body told my mind. Just a few minutes together before the seriousness began wouldn’t hurt.

I heard a sound outside and we both went still.

“Shite, someone’s coming.”

Two seconds later a woman’s voice sounded in the bathroom. Kai pressed his forehead to the tile next to me and squeezed his eyes shut.

“In here, sweetie. Good girl.” Oh, great. A mom was taking her little girl to the potty. I felt like a perv.

When I heard their stall door close, I peeked out and pulled Kaidan, tiptoeing out.

I chanced a backward glance at him. His eyes were heated with intensity.

“Later,” I promised.

He stopped us under the awning just before the pool area and faced me, lowering his forehead to mine.

“I can’t go back out there yet. I’m having a bit of a focusing problem.”

I gave a dry laugh, though I knew he was being serious. I was feeling tight all over, too.

“I know, baby,” I whispered, squeezing his bicep. Yeah, touching him wasn’t helping my frame of mind much either. I dropped my hand. “Let’s get back to the house so we can tell each other everything and then . . . yeah.”

“Yeah,” he breathed, eyes blazing.

I shivered.

“This is all your fault, you know.” A naughty smile appeared on his lips, and with a flush to my cheeks I remembered the cell-phone picture.

The mother and daughter came out of the restroom, passing us. Kaidan gave me a hopeful look and I shook my head. I was not going in there again.

“Come on, Kai. I have stuff to tell you. Big stuff.”

He studied me. “Are you all right?”

I wanted to tell him everything, but not out in the open like this.

I pulled clothes on over my bathing suit, got Jay, and we headed back to the house. Kaidan kept catching my eye in long gazes, conveying wordless promises that made my blood rush faster.

“Focus,” I told him under my breath.

At the house Patti hugged Kaidan, and it’d been a long time since I’d seen her so happy. She continued to hum as she bustled around the kitchen, her mouth tilting up while she chopped and shredded.

I sat with Kaidan and Jay, and we talked.

Kai said, “I suppose my father decided to make the change of the guard, because Richard Rowe died three days ago.”

“Change of the guard?” Jay asked.

“It’s when they get rid of their bodies,” I explained. “The old body dies when their spirit leaves it, and they have to possess a new one—start a new life.”

“Nasty,” Jay whispered.

“My father was going to wait a few years, but he must’ve changed his mind,” Kai said, looking at me. “I’ve worried he’d come to you as a spirit and you wouldn’t recognize him, but he’d need a body to smell you, so I’m guessing we still have time. It can take a while.”

“Yeah,” I said. “About that . . . he found a body.”

Kaidan bolted upright. “You’ve seen him?”

“Yes. He’s about your age, maybe a little older. Tall. Blond.”

His jaw tightened. “When did you see him? What did he say? Did he touch you?”

I told him everything. He stared at the wall, and pulled out his knife as he listened. He continued to open it. Close it. Spin it on his palm. Weave it through his fingers. Jay and I gave it nervous glances.

“Bloody hell . . .” Kaidan thought for a while then shoved the closed knife back into his pocket. “Would you say he’s better looking than me?”

Jay laughed. “Dude. Weird.”

“I’m only curious,” Kaidan said.

“Ew, Kai, no. I can’t even think of him like that. His eyes are pure evil. I don’t know how anyone can look at him and not get a bad feeling.”

“They probably do get a bad feeling,” said Jay. “But they like it. They feel like he’s dangerous or something.”

Oh, he was dangerous, all right. I rubbed my temples.

The doorbell rang, and Jay practically tripped over his own feet jumping up.

Kaidan slipped an arm around me. “You did well. That’s over, and we’ll be safe for a bit now.” He kissed my temple, then bit my earlobe, pulling me closer. I lifted my face to kiss him since we were semialone. As soon as his hot mouth met mine, I wished we were really alone.

“I can’t stop thinking about you,” he whispered. His words and touch held an urgency that was stronger than it had been before we married, like his self-control had lessened now that we’d been together. This was going to be a long day.

From the kitchen I heard Patti set down her stirring spoon with a clatter and say, “Well, hello, Kope. And you must be Zania! I’m so happy to finally meet you.”

I smiled up at Kaidan’s handsome face before getting to my feet.

“Z!” I ran, crashing into her in the kitchen. We hugged tight, and I smiled at Kopano over her shoulder. He gave me a half grin. More people were coming in behind him.

“Well, if it isn’t my sweet Ginger!” Patti said now. “And Marna! And you’re Blake, right?”

I couldn’t even bring myself to scoff at the “sweet Ginger” comment. We had a house full of friends and the kitchen smelled divine. The holiday had officially begun.

W
e all stood in the kitchen talking over one another. Marna and I noticed at the same time when Zania made her way back to Kopano’s side and slipped her arm snuggly under his. And then they shared a look so tender that Marna turned and gave me a hand-over-her-heart “Aww!” face. She then wrapped her arms around Jay, and they stood there holding each other with their eyes closed. So much emotion filled the room, but one stood out above the rest. . . .

Love was in the air.

Among other things. Like lust. And the smell of turkey. A weird combo.

Kaidan finally made his way into the kitchen with a serious demeanor. He greeted everyone, but whenever his eyes met mine, the air got hotter until a palpable tension had woven its way around the room. I could feel the warm sunbeam of his stare on me, though I pretended to ignore it. Our friends kept eyeing us. Even Patti noticed.

She regarded Kaidan with curiosity, as if trying to figure him out. When she saw him looking at me, her brow went up. She cleared her throat and dropped her eyes, mumbling, “All righty then,” and busied herself basting the turkey.

Okay, this was seriously getting embarrassing. I eyed Kaidan as if to say,
Behave yourself!
He cocked his head as if to say,
I can’t bloody help it!

When Patti left the kitchen to make the guest bed, I suddenly smelled his citrusy pheromones from across the room, and they made me light-headed. I hoped no one else would notice.

“Blech. The newlyweds are hot for each other,” Ginger said.

So much for that hope. Heat traveled from my neck up to my face.

“Perhaps the whole lot of you can take a walk,” Kaidan said, dead serious.

My eyes got huge. “Kaidan, no!”

Blake, Jay, and Marna started laughing. Ginger rolled her eyes, and I couldn’t bring myself to look at Kope and Z.

But Kopano, choosing to ignore the sexual tension despite his own inclination toward lust, stepped forward and held out his hand.

“Congratulations, brother. I am happy for your blessing.”

Kaidan took his offering and shook. “Thank you, mate. I’m glad to see you happy, as well.” He nodded to Zania, who returned his nod and gifted him with one of her regal smiles. When Kope came to me and with an outstretched hand I ignored it, going up on my toes to hug him instead. He chuckled and hugged me back before returning to Z’s side. Kaidan watched the whole time, but thankfully didn’t get upset.

I wish I could say the tension dissipated after that. Kaidan leaned against the counter watching me, his thumb running back and forth over his bottom lip. My whole body prickled with a flush of heat, and I tried not to look at him. His need for me became the elephant in the room that everyone pretended to ignore. I thought about sending him upstairs for a cold shower.

Patti bounded back into the room, and I plastered the fakest smile ever on my face.

“How much longer until the feast?” I asked.

“About one hour,” she said. She was busy peeling potatoes into the sink. “Did you get any whipped cream for the pies? I didn’t see any.”

“No.” Rats. I knew I was forgetting something.

“We’ll go to the market!” Kaidan suggested quickly. “Anna and I. For the whipped cream.” He sidled up to me, putting his arm around my shoulder. He felt like a heater.

I closed my eyes for a brief moment, the fake smile still in place.

“That’d be great,” Patti said. I saw some of the snickers being held back, people on the verge of laughing. Marna waggled her eyebrows at me. Even Kope and Zania shared a quick bashful glance before looking down. Patti’s attention remained on the potatoes. If she had any idea what was going on, she kept her knowledge hidden, and for that I was glad.

“Just don’t be
too
long,” Patti said, never looking up.

Yeah, she totally knew.

This wasn’t awkward at all. I glared up at Kaidan, but he only smiled adoringly. Blake and Jay were still trying not to laugh as I grabbed my keys and headed out of the house with Kai hot on my tail.

No sooner had we climbed into the car than Kaidan was on me.

“Not in the driveway!” I whispered, slapping away his hand as it sneaked up my shirt. His mouth found my neck and that place under my ear that made me crazy. I threw the car into reverse and sped away from the house.