She glanced behind him and added, “and don’t back down.” She walked away just as Jacob came along.
Weave watched her as she walked away, barely suppressing the urge to cut out early and make good on his promises now, but he couldn’t do that to Gracie. Jacob threw his arm over his shoulders “You’re still kicking I see.”
He kept his eyes locked on Kera’s back, unable to look away as he answered, “Are you surprised?”
“Nah, I know a dead man when I see one, and you’re nowhere near there yet, unless you ever think to hit on my wife. Then I might have to reassess the situation.”
“What about your cousin there?” he asked, genuinely curious what Jacob’s reaction would be. Not that Jacob really had any say in the matter, but he really liked Jacob since he’d helped him out during the worst of his withdrawal, visiting him in Manhattan when sometimes his own family didn’t. Even going so far as to offer him a job with Safe Haven should Weave not feel comfortable rejoining his friends and family here once he was able to get sober. He preferred to have Jacob on board with the whole Kera thing. He really wanted to keep Jacob as a friend, and he knew he was getting ready to shock them all.
“I’m not worried about Kera. She’s a big girl, and she is more than capable of taking care of herself. I wouldn’t advise screwing her over though, because she’s pretty handy with a knife.”
Instead of the feeling of wariness that should have overcome him at Jacob’s words, Weave was even more turned on, and he hadn’t thought that possible.
“Good luck,” Jacob added, “she doesn’t date. She hasn’t gone out with anyone in a long time, as far as I know. She’s got men trailing at her heels like dogs, but she doesn’t seem to want anyone.”
“She doesn’t want any of
them
,” Weave said smugly “However she does want me.”
“Well then,” Jacob cleared his throat uncomfortably “I still say good luck to you. Her mom is psychic. Her dad is the Safe Haven owner, which makes him the original assassin, and Kera is probably armed right now like Fort Knox.”
Weave was indeed the wicked one, because he had never wanted another woman more, or maybe he was fucked in the head, which was just as possible.
“You’re a good friend Jacob,” he said in an uncharacteristic show of emotion.
“And you’re a good man, Weave. Don’t ever let anyone convince you otherwise.”
Jacob squeezed Weave’s shoulders one last time before dropping his arm and taking a step away. He twisted around to look at the display “Now really man, what’s wrong with this drawing? I know my wife well enough to know that anything she adds is for a reason, and I can’t figure this one out.”
Weave shrugged and thankfully Gracie chose that moment to join them, obviously having overheard their conversation “You’re looking at it as a whole. You need to pay closer attention to only their faces. Now that I’ve pointed you in the right direction, tell me what you see?”
Both Weave and Jacob leaned closer to each sketch trying to figure it out for themselves. Finally, Jacob leaned back, looking concerned, and he stared hard at Weave. He could tell Jacob was reluctant to reveal what he had discovered.
“Go ahead,” Weave urged him quietly, but Jacob only shook his head, saying, “I’m truly sorry.”
“It’s my fault,” Weave admitted on a shrug. Before turning to walk away, he heard Jacob telling Gracie she shouldn’t have put the sketches up for sale, but Jacob didn’t realize it wouldn’t have changed a thing. His brother would still hate him, even if there weren’t proof of it on paper for the whole world to see.
***
“Just fucking hell,” Bob muttered under his breath as he read the incoming text message.
What did she want from him? What did she really expect? This was text number twenty-eight for the evening, and he was getting pretty fed up with the whole damn thing. This had become the nightly routine of his life. He glanced across the room and spotted Weave prowling around the perimeter looking as if he was getting ready to crawl out of his skin. Damn; he had enough going on in his life right now, and Weave didn’t need a keeper. He’d been clean for over a year now, but it was hard for Bob not to keep a constant watch over him, expecting at any moment he’d be getting the call that told him Weave was dead in a ditch somewhere.
***
She could feel his weariness all the way across the room, and Kera found herself once again standing close to him. She had told herself she wouldn’t go near him again until the end of the night, since she knew they both needed to be focused on work, but she couldn’t stay away, especially knowing he needed her. She simply stood behind him for several minutes with him unaware of her presence. She loved the view from here. His wide shoulders begged for her touch, and it took everything she had not to squeeze his ass. Finally she cleared her throat drawing his attention. A half smile played across his lips, and his eyes lowered slightly “Why are you hiding in the corner?”
“Just enjoying the view,” she answered before asking “What do you want most in life?”
If he was at all put off or surprised by her question, he didn’t show it. Instead he seemed to think it over. “A normal life,” he finally answered.
“Normalcy is overrated.”
He shook his head, “No. It’s underrated. People never realize how important a good old-fashion normal life is until nothing is as it should be anymore.”
“I’ll have to think that one over at greater length and get back to you.” She looked over his shoulder, finding Gracie in the crowd. She stood next to Jacob safe and sound.
Before he knew what had happened, Kera snagged the sleeve of Weave’s jacket, tugging him into a short hallway that led to the back rooms. She tried each door until she found one that was unlocked. Pulling him in, she closed the door behind them. She’d only hoped for a moment of his time unobserved by a crowd, but she ended up shoving his back against the closed door. He let out a low chuckle at her over-the-top enthusiasm, and she found herself being even more outrageous in an attempt to lift his mood. She hated that he seemed unhappy tonight, but the emotion was etched into every line of his weary face. She was going to change that. She could feel his erection pressing against her stomach, and she sealed her mouth over his, sucking his bottom lip into her mouth. He opened for her, and the taste of peppermint exploded on her tongue. She could hear the sound of his ragged breathing in the otherwise quiet room, and she leaned back slightly so she could look into his eyes “I just want a taste,” she told him as she dropped to her knees. Sliding down his zipper, she released his erection into her hands and stroked her fingers over the silky smooth skin for a moment before bending her head and running her tongue along the length of him. When she took him between her lips, she heard a thump as he let his head drop back against the door behind him.
He buried his hand in her hair, guiding her into a rhythm that brought him the most pleasure, and his breathing hitched up another notch right before he exploded. She licked her lips as she stood, zipping his pants as she went. She pressed her face into the crook of his neck, and he wrapped his arms around her, completely blown away. She smelled like coconuts, he thought vaguely.
“You weren’t meant for a normal life,” she told him softly “You were meant for greatness.” She slipped out of his arms and out the door, leaving him alone.
“Holy shit,” Weave breathed as soon as she was out of sight. He was beginning to think he was totally out of his league. He waited a minute longer, trying desperately to slow the rapid beating of his heart, and when he finally rejoined the crowd, his eyes automatically went in search of Kera. She stood near Jacob looking completely unruffled, and he had to shake his head at the sight. She was going to chew him up and spit him out. No doubt about it.
“Here take this.” Weave glanced over at Gracie’s words, and she held out a champagne flute. When he made no move to reach for it, she added “Its sparkling cider. I know you don’t drink, and I can’t drink.” She gave her stomach a little pat.
He took the glass gratefully. “Thanks. It looks like your night has been a success.”
“Do I owe you an apology?” she asked quietly.
He thought her question over carefully, his gaze searching out Kera, once more his feelings soothed by the sight of her. “You drew things the way you saw them. Why be sorry? Do me a favor,” he snatched a napkin off a nearby tray and scratched out a few words
same place fifteen minutes.
“Take this over to Kera for me please?”
Gracie smiled like a little girl with a secret. “No problem.” She practically skipped across the room with her prize, slipping it to Kera when Jacob looked away. Weave watched as she unfolded the tiny square then sought him with her eyes. She smiled giving him a short nod. This time he pulled out his cell phone and called Shannon to warn him that he was about to take a break. He didn’t want his absence putting the artwork at risk.
Fifteen minutes later to the exact second, Kera slipped back through the door, and Weave wasted no time pouncing upon her, shoving her back against the door. He buried both hands in her hair and ravaged her mouth with his own. He wanted it to go on forever, but he didn’t have long. Taking a step back he told her, “Turnabout is fair play” and he dropped to his knees. He pushed the short dress up and over her hips before she had a chance to protest. Her silk and lace panties were a huge turn on, but they had to go since he couldn’t have them blocking his way. He slid them down her legs, lifting one foot and then the other, removing them all together. “I think I’ll keep these.” He shoved them in the inside pocket of his suit jacket, and then lifted her leg over his shoulder. He sealed his mouth over her core, going straight for his prize. He didn’t try to tease her or draw out the experience. Instead, he moved his tongue relentlessly over her clit, trying for a quick, hard release. He wasn’t disappointed. When she came, she covered her mouth with both hands trying to stifle her cries of pleasure. He stood and let her leg drop. Helping her push her dress back down, he said, “A normal life with me is going to be akin to greatness, and, by the way, I love the new hair.
Oh. He was a cocky bastard. She took a moment to catch her breath and straighten her hair before slipping back into the main room. She sought Gracie with her eyes, first reassuring herself of her safety. She had been slacking tonight, but Weave was very distracting. Luckily the place was teeming with Safe Haven members along with Gracie’s privately hired security team, and the crowd was starting to break up, signaling an end to the night.
“Where do you keep disappearing to?” Jacob asked at her shoulder.
“Here and there” she answered evasively.
“Ah, I see. Weave.”
Her head whipped around at his words, but she refused to say anything. “Hit the nail on the head, did I?” When she remained stubbornly quiet, he added, “I like Weave. He’s a good man, but if this is a game for you, I wish you would find someone else to play it with. Weave has had a very hard life. He’s my friend, so I don’t want to say anything that violates his privacy and damages our friendship, but he’s had to deal with a lot of pain, more than I ever explained to you. He deserves the real thing. He needs to be surrounded by people who only want to lift him up. Not drag him further down.”
Kera loved Jacob, but his lecture was chafing her skin, so she reached over and lay her hand on his forearm. She hated to do this to him, but he had meddled first. “You feared you were going to be forced to kill an innocent man when you found out about Gracie sketching Bob. You hated it because you had become good friends with Weave when he was living in Manhattan. You didn’t want to lose your new friend, but you know the truth. It’s not Weave that’s falling apart, as everyone else assumes. It’s Bob.” Since he was already looking at her with disbelief, she continued. “She wished for a dune buggy and unlimited wishes. She wished for every single one of your kisses, and that she could keep you. You wished for stilts, and for Caleb to cook you breakfast. You wished for her to marry you, and here you are.”
Jacob stared at her awestruck. “You are your mother’s daughter.”
“Yes, I am. Weave did his time and now that he’s on the mend, he’s ready to be with me. Exactly as God intended,” she emphasized, knowing he would understand the significance of her words. “However, Bob is going to need all the help he can get for a while, because he’s slipping away.”
CHAPTER TWO
Manhattan-
Jacob stepped aside, revealing the most beautiful woman Weave had ever seen. Her hair was bright pink, but it didn’t take away from her looks at all, instead it enhanced it.
“This is my cousin and partner, Kera Simmons,” Jacob said, waving a hand in her direction. “She’s going to keep you company while you’re here.” Jacob’s words distracted him effectively.
“You’ve assigned me a babysitter?”
“Yes,” Jacob answered, revealing not a hint of remorse “If you want to get better, you will let me help you in this small way.”
“I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself.”
“Obviously you’re not, or I wouldn’t be here,” Kera told him frankly, and even though it stung his pride, he ruefully admitted to himself that they were right. If he could take care of himself, he would have never ended up in this position, and as far as babysitters went, he could do worse.
***
Weave leaned against the wall just outside the back door waiting for Kera to make an appearance. He passed the time bullshitting with Shannon as he cooled his heels. He knew she was still inside with Jacob, not only because he could sense her, but also because the black Hummer she drove was still parked two spaces over from his truck. Finally the back door swung open and he caught a flash of blue. He pitched his voice so she wouldn’t miss him, “Are you ready?”
“If I’m ever to have any hope of getting my panties back then we better get going.”
He laughed at the look that passed over Shannon’s face, and when Kera realized they had company, she didn’t so much as blush, instead she asked, “Who’s your friend?”
“This is Shannon Smith,” she held out her hand for Shannon, and Weave added “Shannon, this is Kera.”