Authors: Marianna Roberg
There was a rap at the door. "Colin? Everything all right?"
Colin said something that was decidedly unrepeatable. "It's John! Hide!"
She looked around, but the only place she could see was on the floor on the other side of the bed. With a mental sigh, she stretched out on her stomach on the floor, grateful that she had put on her pajamas before going to bed.
Colin grabbed his discarded t-shirt and pulled it on. He opened to door to find the producer and sometime-director, John Lawrence, outside. "John, hi."
"I heard a crash up here. Everything okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. Afraid I fell out of bed, though. Kind of embarrassing." Colin put on his best sheepish look. "One minute, dreaming of warm beaches, the next I'm on my back on the floor."
"Okay." John looked a little suspicious, but nodded. "Just checking. Oh, and I wanted to ask... Rebecca is going to be staying here tomorrow night, and no one wants to share a room with her..."
"Are you asking me to share with her?" Colin asked, incredulous.
Startled, John shook his head. "No, no. Uh... Actually, what we were thinking was... Since you and Jaina are friends and you filmed those scenes... Maybe she could stay with you and let Rebecca have her room. Since they obviously, uh, don't get on well."
Colin's initial, mental reaction fortunately didn't make it to his face. "I'll talk to her. It's just for one night, right?"
"Yeah."
"Well, it's fine with me. Actually, I think it'll be great fun! We can stay up late, braiding each other's hair!"
John stared at him for a moment, as if trying to decide if that was a joke or not. Finally, he sighed and said, "Good night, Colin."
Colin shut the door.
Jaina got to her feet. Crossing to him, she grabbed a handful of his shirt. "C'mon, Pierce, we have unfinished business."
A dark brow lifted. "Do we?"
"Yes."
"Well, then, let's... conclude that."
She wrapped her arms around his neck. "And I don't mind sharing a room with you..."
"Good, because I'm not letting you leave."
Jaina suddenly made a face. "Aw, crap."
Frowning, he asked, "What?"
She shook her head, then sat down on the bed. "I just remembered. My dad caught my sister Emily making out with a boy. And he's sending her to stay with Jason and Teniel until the fall- I mean, until September, at which point she'll be going to England."
"The earth is doomed," he deadpanned.
"Well, my sanity, maybe. She's my sister, and I love her, but... Jase and Teniel only have the one guest room, and Em will
not
want to spend two months on the sofa. Which means
I
get to share a room with my sister, which I haven't done since we were little."
Colin had settled next to her, and reached over to unbutton her pajama top. "You could... move in with me. I mean, until she goes... You're over just about every day anyway..."
Jaina reached her hand up and ran her fingers through his hair. "I thought about it, but wasn't sure what you'd think..."
"I'd be happy to have you move in. Besides, if you move in, we won't have to deal with your brother..."
Then he slipped his hands inside her pajama top and they stopped talking
.
♥♥♥
Interestingly enough, there were no more complications with Rebecca. She actually smiled at Jaina when they ran into each other Monday morning, their last day in Warkworth. Jaina was particularly startled by this turn of events, and as Rebecca went into her room, Jaina turned to Colin.
"Is it my imagination, or did Dragon Lady- I mean, Rebecca just smile at me?"
"Wasn't your imagination. Guess she's decided you're all right after all."
"That or she heard us last night..." Jaina turned red at the thought.
Colin grinned at her. "You
were
louder than normal."
She glared at him. "Shut up, Pierce."
"What, baring your claws at me, now?"
Jaina put her nose in the air and stomped back into the room to collect her suitcase.
Amused, Colin watched her go.
Rebecca came back out of her room, and came up to Colin. "Morning. Shared your room with Ms. McGregor, did you?"
Colin looked at his friend, whom he'd known since he was rather young, just in his twenties, working on
Age of Heroes
. "John's orders. He didn't think the two of you would get along."
"Hmm." She eyed Jaina through the open room door. "Pretty little thing, isn't she?"
Rebecca looked at Colin, then said, "I take it you didn't find it a hardship?"
The amusement in her voice made his head whip up, and he stared at her.
"Please, don't be so surprised. I don't have any idea why you let the rumor persist, but I've known you for years and I can tell. Good choice. She's feisty." Rebecca raised an eyebrow. "Though I'm still wondering what rude little thing she said to me the other day."
"I don't know," he lied.
Rebecca shrugged. "Well, guess I'll see you in Auckland. Have fun on your trip back."
She went back into her room, leaving Colin standing there like a dolt, gaping open-mouthed after her.
Jaina came back out. "Was that Rebecca? What'd she want? By the way, you can't catch snowflakes like that, you have to tip your head back."
He laughed involuntarily. "She, uh... said she'll see us in Auckland."
Rolling her eyes, Jaina tossed her suitcase in the back seat. "Oh, joy."
He tossed his keys in the air, then caught them. It reminded Jaina of the first night she'd ridden in his car. "Got everything? Let's go."
Chapter Twenty-Five
They got back to Auckland in time for lunch, and spent the afternoon at a makeup supply store, so Jaina could stock up.
Shortly before dinner, Jaina was sitting at the counter, her hands wrapped around a mug of cocoa, when the front door opened and someone walked in. Jaina looked up in surprise at the woman when she walked into the kitchen.
"Colin, I'm- Oh! You have a visitor," the woman said. She had chin-length, dark brown hair, the same piercing blue eyes, and a smaller, but obviously similar nose.
Jaina looked at Colin, green eyes wide, then back to the woman.
Colin said, "MJ, this is, uh, a surprise. Jay, this is Mary-Jane, my sister. MJ, this is Jaina McGregor, a friend of mine."
Mary-Jane held out her hand. "Hi, it's nice to meet you!"
Jaina shook her hand. "Likewise."
"Jaina's the makeup artist on
Doctor Life
," Colin said.
"Ah. So are you from around here?"
She cleared her throat, then said, "Actually, I'm from the US. California. But my brother lives here in Auckland, and I've come to stay with him for a while."
Mary-Jane smiled. "Well, I hope you like New Zealand."
"I do. Actually, I've applied for permanent residence, I like it so much." Jaina stood up to check the oven.
Colin's sister turned to him. "Colin, I was wondering, could I stay here a couple days this week? My landlord decided my apartment needed painting, and I can't stand the smell."
"Uh... sure." Colin managed to not look at Jaina. Mary-Jane's presence would delay Jaina's moving in by several days. It also meant she wouldn't be sleeping over.
Mary-Jane grinned. "Thanks, big brother. Three days, tops, I swear!"
At the stove, Jaina mentally counted the days until Emily arrived, which was four. This would not be fun
.
♥♥♥
Mary-Jane stayed for dinner. Jaina wanted to stay over, but knew she had to talk to Jason about her moving out, and that was better done in person. Reluctantly, she waited until Mary-Jane had left, and then went herself.
Jason didn't take the news tha
t well, but when faced with the thought of Jaina, Emily, the twins, and his pregnant wife in the house, he got a funny look on his face, and said, "Just remind him that I've got a shovel with his name on it."
Standing in her room, Jaina looked around. Most of her belongings were still in Los Angeles. She'd eventually have to move them here. Well, not
here
. Eventually, she would have a place of her own... or maybe just not at Jason's.
The thought of living with Jack had scared her. The same thought, only abo
ut Colin, didn't bring that feeling.
It felt right.
With a sigh, she picked out the clothes that she'd need for the next few days, and started packing the rest
.
♥♥♥
She woke with a start, tense and cold, heart pounding. Her dream lingered in the recesses of her mind, unremembered but still present. Jaina exhaled, slowly relaxing, her heart slowing. She couldn't recall what about the dream had frightened her, but her world suddenly felt empty, her bed too cold and wide.
Shivering, she got out of bed and shrugged into her robe. She was still used to Los Angeles, and July being, well,
warm
. She sat on the edge of the bed, holding her robe closed, wishing there were more heat, or at least another body in bed with her. Finally, she stood and went to the window, looking out at the night.
She and Colin had only been together a very short time, but she felt like she'd known him forever. More than that, she felt like she couldn't function quite normally without him, like a part of her was missing.
Her parents would have a fit, collectively, if they found out that she'd pretty much skipped the dating and gone straight for the sex.
No, that wasn't true, she realized. In truth, looking back, she and Colin had been going out, unofficially, since he'd asked her to lunch. Those few things she hadn't learned while he was pretending to like men--or at least, pretending not to like
her
--she had learned these last few weeks.
Pressing her face to the glass, she closed her eyes. How could she have
ever
thought she loved Jack? Jack had been warm, friendly, affectionate, funny, all things Colin was, but looking back, she saw he'd lacked several crucial things. he hadn't had compassion, real confidence, or adaptability. He'd no sense of wonder about the world, no interest in nature, nor a
real
sense of humor.
Jack hadn't possessed the ability to make her weak in the knees with a look, make her skin burn with a touch. His kiss had been expert, and even thrilling, but it was nothing next to the way Colin affected her.
Jaina looked around the room and her gaze fell on the key Colin had given her just the day before. It was like Jack all over again, this sense of deja vu... and yet, she knew that it was worlds apart.
Making a sudden decision, Jaina packed the few belongings that weren't i
n the car already, and her tennis shoes. It was the dead of night, so she didn't think anyone would notice if she drove around in her PJs and robe.
Then she snatched up the key, scrawled a note to Jason and Teniel, grabbed her purse, went for the door
.
♥♥♥
The red Honda pulled to a stop in the driveway, behind Mary-Jane's blue car. Jaina parked and exited, her bag over her shoulder.
She paused on the doorstep, full of trepidation. Jaina wasn't sure she should do this tonight. The last time-
No. This was different.
Carefully, she unlocked the door and entered. Once inside, she locked the door and silently crept up the stairs. Jaina pushed the door open slowly and stood in the dark, watching the moonlight play over the lone form in the bed. A sigh of relief escaped her lips. Kicking her shoes off by the door, she padded softly to the bed, set down her bag, and pulled back the covers.
Colin stirred as she slid in beside him, but didn't wake. Jaina pressed close, rested her head next to his, and fell asleep
.
♥♥♥
"-I wouldn't want to be
that
man when his wife gets home! And our other headlines today... Two Maori teens were arrested last night for spray painting their neighbor’s house while the woman was away. It is unclear what was contained in the message. The Pakeha woman has also been detained for allegedly shaving the vandals' cat, which sparked the incident-"
Colin groaned and slapped at the alarm clock. On the third attempt, he managed to turn it off, and he stumbled out of bed and towards the bathroom.
On his return trip, he stopped dead in his tracks.
There was a woman in his bed.
He stood there for a moment watching Jaina sleeping, her breasts rising and falling gently as she breathed. He wondered how he had failed to notice her presence before.