3.
Jewel is going to become the first serial killer who takes people out with words instead of weapons.
The authorities won’t have the slightest clue of how to handle a crime scene full of victims who died from shock and shame, so she’ll never be convicted of anything–maybe an assault or two, but honestly that’s par for the course in this family.
Terra Forrester
JEWEL
“Are you going to ignore me throughout the entire song, or will you pretend to be civil and make polite conversation?”
I looked up from the button at the base of his throat and glared at my dance partner. “I’m too busy trying to figure out what your feet are doing to speak to you.”
“What do you mean?”
“Would shorter sentences help, or would fewer syllables make more of a difference in your comprehension, Nip?”
“Nip?” he asked, raising one eyebrow. When I smiled, the eyebrow dropped and joined the other in a glare that could burn through concrete. That only made my smile grow.
“I would call you Nipple, but that pesky extra syllable might confuse you.”
“You are the most maddening woman I’ve ever met, and I’ve been married and divorced twice.”
“Is that a brag about your body count?” I asked before I could stop myself. When I considered what I’d just said to a member of a well-known mafia family, I burst out laughing, then choked out, “In the bedroom, not on some dock or wherever people end up ‘sleeping with the fishes.’”
“Why does everybody say that?”
“The popular quote comes from The Godfather, but the roots of that particular idiom go as far back as Homer’s Iliad, when sailors feared dying at sea and spending eternity with the fish rather than having a formal resting place.”
“How do you know shit like that off the top of your head?”
“How have you gotten as old as you are without learning how to dance?” I shot back.
“I am dancing!”
“If you say so,” I scoffed.
“Okay, smartass. How would you like me to dance?”
“This is Texas, Nip. Two-step.”
“Are you willing to share a tidbit of your vast knowledge with me, or do you get a kick out of feeling superior?”
“I don’t value anything I don’t have to work for, but I’d love to teach you how to dance.”
“Are you at least going to let me lead?”
“It’s funny that you believe you’ll be able to do anything but step on my toes and bump into the people around us.”
“Meow.”
My expression turned to stone. I gave him a withering glance before explaining the basics.
We stood still for at least a minute while he studied the couples dancing around us.
Then, he yanked me into his arms and swept me along in perfect rhythm with the country song just winding down.
When the next song started, he spun us around and fell into step instantly before pushing me away and twirling me three times.
When he dropped his arm back over my shoulder, resting his hand between my shoulder blades to lead me around the dance floor, I was speechless.
It amazed me how quickly he learned to two-step. He led flawlessly, as if he’d been doing it since childhood. I doubted him for a moment, almost convinced he’d lied and already knew how to dance, until he slipped out of step and frowned before catching up again.
The two-step was simple, with plenty of variations. I learned it young, as did most of my family. It wasn’t hard to master, but keeping the rhythm while maneuvering around a crowded floor took practice. His natural talent made it look effortless–and made me wonder what else he might be good at.
Maybe if he was lucky, I’d find out.
“What are you thinking about right now?”
The question snapped me back to the present, and I glanced up at my dance partner. “Why do you want to know?”
“Well, I’ve avoided your feet through two of these songs that people somehow consider music and . . .”
“You don’t like this music?” I interrupted.
“Luckily, where I come from, we have other options,” he said dryly. The disgust on his face as he tried not to insult an entire genre was so intense I couldn’t stop myself from grinning. “Talking to you is giving me whiplash.”
“You started it.”
“I should have just let you stew in your thoughts.”
“Does the sound of my voice make you want to commit a violent crime?”
“Not yet, but I can see how that might happen in the future. I’m sure the people forced to tolerate your company for any length of time feel that way.”
“Actually, people in my circle actively seek out my company and my opinions.”
“Talking to you is like getting dental work without Novocain.”
“And I’ll repeat: you started it.” His frustration made me snicker, and I couldn’t resist teasing him just a little more. “It’s okay if you can’t keep up, Nip. Not many people can.”
He shook his head. “Do you have any family, or did you eat them all when you were young?”
I giggled, pointing out, “You’re surrounded by my family.”
“They’re out in public?”
“Why wouldn’t they be?”
“After dealing with you, I’d think they’d appreciate the peace and quiet of the space they’re in while you’re gone.
” I couldn’t help it and laughed again. That only seemed to encourage him.
“Are these people really related to you, or did they find you out in the woods being raised by the wildlife and make the unlucky decision to try to domesticate you? I’m sure they’ve regretted that choice every day since. ”
“Have we endured enough foreplay, or do you want to keep going?” I asked.
He missed a step and cursed. “What did you say?”
“You heard me.”
“You consider this foreplay?”
“Don’t you?”
“I didn’t before,” he admitted thoughtfully.
“Are you staying at the same hotel as the other guests?” I asked. When he nodded, I said, “Give me ten minutes to say my goodbyes, and then I’ll follow you over there.”
“Just like that?”
“Let’s get this straight, Nip. You have something I want, and obviously you’re interested in me, or you wouldn’t be holding me so close while trying your best to understand me.
I’m not asking you to do either, but I am offering to accompany you to your hotel, where we can indulge in hours of mind-blowing sex.
” His only response was a garbled sound accompanied by a look of shock. “Use your words.”
“Do you ever shut up?”
“I do when my mouth is full,” I taunted.
“I don’t have my own vehicle, so I’ll have to ride with you.”
“My Jeep is parked outside. You can’t miss it.”
◆◆◆
JEWEL
I slid into the booth across from Parker and smiled when he glanced at his wrist as if a watch were there. “Don’t give me any shit, son. You’ve never been on time for anything in your life.”
“I have too.”
“I can think of a single time you were early, but other than that, you’ve been late for every appointment. You’ve made me late for my own plans too many times to count.”
He looked chagrined but took the bait. “What was I early for?”
“You arrived in this world early, and you’ve spent your life making up for it by running late ever since.”
“How early was I?” Parker asked, even though he’d heard the story dozens of times.
“Almost three weeks, which is crazy to me, because if you’d been born on schedule, you’d have been big enough to start college.”
“I wasn’t that big,” Parker argued with a grin.
“Have you given birth?” I asked, giving him a pointed look. “I didn’t think so.”
“So, tell me what’s new with you before everyone realizes we’re here and starts crowding us.”
I smiled at the server, surprised it wasn’t one of the young women from our family, and slid my coffee cup closer so she could fill it. “There’s not really anything new since the last time we spoke.”
“Mom, come on. You’ve gotta get out more, even if it’s just so you have something to tell me when I ask.”
“I go out all the time!”
“Work and the grocery store don’t count.”
“But they’re out, right?” When he just shook his head, I added, “I do have a new venture I’m excited about.”
“Tell me all about it.”
“It’s not technically my venture–it’s Brooklyn’s baby–but I’ve decided to take a leading role and sponsor it. I’ll also manage the medical aspects that come up later when it’s underway.”
“Okay, so if it involves Brooklyn, it has something to do with the town.” Parker looked horrified. “You’re not running for office, are you?”
“I’d make a damn good town leader,” I argued.
“You’re not cut out for politics.”
I laughed. “What makes you say that? I can schmooze.”
“For about three seconds, and then you start feeling lightheaded and have to stop,” Parker teased. “So, what’s the venture?”
“Rojo might be getting a rugby team, and I’m going to sit on the board to help Brooklyn make it happen.”
“Rugby? Really?”
“I know, right? A bunch of men wearing absolutely no protective gear while they run around chasing a ball and trying to kill each other. It’s every doctor’s worst nightmare.”
“It sounds like a family cookout,” Parker mused. I chuckled, and he added, “Seriously, how many times have you patched one of us up when things got too rough?”
“It would be easier to count the times I didn’t.” Changing the subject, I asked, “What’s new in your world? How are things going with . . .”
When my voice trailed off, he said, “Come on, Mom. With that big brain of yours, I know you can remember her name.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Are you still seeing her?”
“No, I’m not.”
“Good. I wasn’t a fan.”
“Really? I had no idea!”
“Your sarcasm is unwarranted, young man.”
“What about you? Are you seeing anyone?”
Memories of last night flashed through my mind: images of a bare chest with a light dusting of dark hair, connected to a . . .
“Hello? Are you in there?”
Parker’s voice jerked me back to reality. I smiled. “I’m not in the market for a relationship or anything else.”
“You really need to get back out there and find someone, Mom. The boys are getting older, and you’re going to be all alone.”
Hearing my oldest remind me of that stung, mostly because he was right. My sons were growing up–way too quickly as far as I was concerned. Soon, I would be living alone, something I had never done in my life.
The idea terrified and excited me in equal measure. I’d never backed down from a challenge, and I wasn’t about to start now.
Still, I wouldn’t turn down another interlude like last night’s if the opportunity came around again.
◆◆◆
ZIGGY
For the first time in ages, I woke up with a smile on my face. Last night had surprised me at every turn, easily blowing past every other wedding I’d ever attended. I wanted to start my morning the same way I’d ended my night a few hours ago.
I wanted to be deep inside Jewel Parker.
Her mouth and her pussy were both magical–that I could attest to, given that we’d fucked nonstop for six solid hours.
At my age, pulling that off felt like a miracle.
It spoke volumes about her pull on me. I couldn’t keep my hands or my mouth off her, and she seemed to feel the same way about me.
I reached across the bed and was surprised when my hand met cold sheets. She’d mentioned needing a shower before I fell asleep, so I got out of bed and walked toward the bathroom, where I could faintly hear water running.
The open door caught me off guard, but the real surprise was the source of the noise. The running water came from a stuck toilet handle, not the shower that should have held the most intriguing woman I’d ever met.
I spun around and scanned every inch of my suite, which wasn’t large by any means, and found it completely empty.
“Did I just get ditched?” I asked the quiet room.
Surely not. After last night, there was no way she’d dip out like a dirty secret. I didn’t know her well, but I knew enough to be certain she wasn’t the type to slink away.
I looked around for any sign that she’d even been here, but the only evidence was the indention on the pillow next to mine.
“What. The. Fuck!”