The Steve Williams Series Boxed Set Read online

Chapter 3

  They worked together, stocking the freezer, refrigerator, and moving on to the cabinets once all the cold items were put away. A knock at the door interrupted the silence and Tracy exchanged a glance with Jennifer.

  With a grin, she grabbed Jennifer’s wrist and pulled her into the living room.

  “There you are. I’ve been knocking for a while,” a disgruntled voice announced from the doorway.

  “Billy!” Tracy dropped Jennifer’s wrist and flew into his arms.

  At least a foot taller than Tracy, Bill picked her up, twirling her around in a big bear hug, their lips locked in a more than friendly greeting.

  His hair was lighter than she remembered, but then again, he had worked all summer as a lifeguard. He smiled at her with his soft brown eyes and put Tracy down. “Hey, Jenny.”

  “Hey.” She glanced at the man standing next to Bill with curious interest. Dark hair shaded his piercing blue eyes, which, along with the rough stubble along his jaw line, gave him a rugged bad-boy look. Arms crossed and casually leaning on the doorjamb, he reached just shy of six feet and the tight powder blue t-shirt accented the well-defined muscles of his chest and abdomen. The slow easy smile spreading across his lips formed perfect crescent dimples at the very edges and sent chills down Jennifer's spine. That smile alone could charm the pants off Mother Teresa. Her cheeks bloomed with hot crimson flames and she smiled back.

  “Jenny, this is Steve Williams. Steve this is Jenny Curtis,” Bill said, and walked into the living room.

  “Hi,” they both said at the same time, shaking hands.

  When his skin touched hers, the chills his smile created turned to molten lava in her stomach and she took a deep breath to quell the inferno before it devoured her. Instead, she focused on his grip, firm and solid. Disappointment flooded her when he pulled away and walked past her into the living room.

  “Want a beer?” Tracy asked. Both Bill and Steve nodded in response and Tracy grabbed a pair of Coors from behind the bar.

  “Thanks.” Steve glanced around the room. “This sure beats the frat house,” he said and headed onto the balcony. Leaning against the railing, he popped open the beer. “Great view.”

  Jennifer stood at the sliders and Tracy pushed her gently from behind. She glared over her shoulder and stepped on the terrace. “So, you’re in the same fraternity as Bill.”

  “Yep.” Steve glanced at her.

  “Hey, want to go swimming?” Bill blurted.

  “Isn’t the lake closed for the season?” Jennifer asked.

  “No, it’s open until the end of September,” Steve said and drained his beer. “I’m up for it if everyone else is.”

  “Come on, Jen.” Tracy ignored the sharp look Jennifer gave her. “It’ll be fun!”

  “The lake is beautiful this time of year.” Steve leaned against the balcony looking back at Jennifer. “And I won’t bite.” He flashed his winning grin. “I promise.”

  Jennifer felt her resolve melt. “I guess we’re going swimming.” She headed back toward her room with Tracy in tow.

  “Well?” Tracy whispered.

  Jennifer met Tracy’s inquisitive gaze with a sharp glare and shut the door on any further conversation.

  When she stepped back into the living room, Steve raised an eyebrow. His slow, obvious survey made her nervous, and his lips curved into a smile the moment their eyes met.

  Jennifer’s heart skipped a beat. There’s definitely still chemistry here. “Let’s go.”

  They waited in awkward silence for the elevator.

  “What are you studying?” she asked Steve when the doors opened.

  “Criminal Law.”

  Jennifer clamped her lips together in a smirk and offered a derogatory huff.

  “What?” Steve asked.

  “You look more like a criminal than a lawyer.”

  Steve smiled, stepping out of the lobby into the bright sunset. “I never said I was gonna be a lawyer.”

  “Jen, do you mind driving with Steve?” Tracy didn’t wait for an answer. She pulled Bill toward her shiny, souped-up Jaguar, handing him the keys.

  “I guess not,” Jennifer replied under her breath. Turning to Steve, she offered a half-hearted smile.

  “Really, I won’t bite,” Steve said, and led her to a beautiful BMW roadster, opening the door for her.

  Jennifer slid into the passenger seat and glanced up at the sky. The first hint of starlight sparkled against the deep blue canvas. Fifteen minutes later, they pulled into the beach parking lot next to Tracy and Bill.

  Jennifer bolted before the car completely stopped. “You arrogant son of a bitch!” She clenched her fists and stalked off toward the water creating small sand sprays with each stomping step.

  * * * *

  Steve watched her from the car, amusement finding the curve of his lips at her little display. His smile faltered and he stepped out of the car to Tracy and Bill’s slack-jawed stares.

  “What’d you do?” Bill’s glance moved from Steve to Jennifer standing on the beach, shifting from foot to foot and muttering loud enough to be heard from the parking lot.

  “I said a few things about her, ah, career choice,” he explained, selectively choosing the words.

  Tracy rolled her eyes and headed in Jennifer’s direction.

  “What are you, a fucking idiot?”

  “Acting,” Steve grunted.

  “Dude, she’s a hell of an actress.” Bill shot a sideways glance in Steve’s direction.

  Steve shrugged. He didn’t give a damn what Bill’s opinion of her skills were, he had his own thoughts on the subject. “She does have quite a temper.” Steve attempted to suppress his smile but didn’t succeed very well.

  “Oh, yeah,” Bill said, as the two of them watched the girls on the beach.

  * * * *

  “Jen, are you okay?” Tracy asked.

  “That jerk had the nerve to laugh at me because I want to be an actress.” She glared at Tracy. “Nice! You said he was a nice guy. He’s an asshole!”

  “Shush,” Tracy whispered looking over her shoulder.

  “I don’t care if he hears me. You’re an asshole!” she yelled over her shoulder. She closed her eyes, calming herself.

  “Sorry, Jen, just forget it. Let’s go swimming.”

  Jennifer gave a slight nod and peeled her shorts off, dropping them on top of her flip-flops. “I guess in his arrogant way he did pay me a compliment,” she said, wading into the water behind Tracy. “He said I have a pretty face and a decent body.”

  Tracy laughed.

  Steve took that as his cue and both he and Bill headed toward the water. Bill dove in and came up next to Tracy, wrapping his arms around her and whispering something in her ear. She smiled and nodded.

  Jennifer sent a cross glance in Steve’s direction when he approached. Her fiery green eyes pierced his and he looked away.

  “I’m sorry,” he said, scanning the lake.

  “Look at me when you apologize,” Jennifer demanded.

  Her sharp tone yanked his gaze back to her. “I, ah, I said I was sorry.”

  “Fine.” She dove under the water.

  Lines of aggravation etched into his handsome features and he stared at the smooth surface of the water where she disappeared.

  Tracy and Bill retreated, leaving Jennifer and Steve alone.

  Steve pressed his lips together in a thin line, watching Tracy and Bill disappear into the woods. When he was sure they were out of hearing range, he turned toward Jennifer and started to clap, his scowl turning into a genuine smile. “Good performance, Jen.”

  Jennifer stifled a laugh under her hand. “God, Steve, they’re going to kill us when they find out.”

  “I had to call you when Bill told me who he wanted to set me up with.”

  “I’m so glad you did,” Jennifer said. “I didn’t even know you were coming to Brooksfield. I thought you already graduated.”

  “Well, we kind of lost touch there for a while,”
he said, his intense gaze captivating her.

  “Yeah, sorry about that.”

  “I’m sorry about what happened to Tom.”

  She nodded and dunked under the water. When she surfaced, she pressed her lips together and crossed her arms, sending a sideways glare his way.

  Steve smiled with his back to the woods, assuming Tracy and Bill had reappeared. It amazed him how she could change her demeanor in a split second. He needed a little more time to get back into character, so he swam to the raft and hoisted himself up on the surface.

  * * * *

  “Would you mind going home with Steve?” Tracy eyed him on the raft. “We want to go to that new place down the road… unless you want to come dancing with us?”

  “I’ll pass on dancing.”

  “Then would you mind catching a ride back to the apartment with him?” She waved her hand toward the raft.

  Jennifer glanced over her shoulder. He was lying on the raft on his back looking up at the sky. She tightened the muscles in her jaw, letting a beat of silence descend before she turned her head back in Tracy’s direction. Instead of meeting her pleading stare, she opted to focus on her hand making slow trails in the water.

  “Please?”

  Jennifer sighed and raised her eyes to Tracy. “Fine, but you owe me.”

  “I promise I’ll make it up to you.” Tracy dragged herself from the water and joined Bill on the beach. She waved just before she ducked into the passenger seat of the car.

  Jennifer waited until Tracy’s car pulled away and then swam to the raft.

  Steve rolled on his side, propping his head up on his hand.

  “Why criminal law if you don’t want to be a lawyer?” she said, climbing the old iron ladder and folding herself Indian-style in the small space between Steve and the outer edge of the raft.

  He shrugged, the setting sun reflected in his eyes and his lips curved into a smile.

  “Stop grinning at me like that and answer my question.”

  “Law enforcement.”

  “That’s more believable than you being a lawyer.”

  He pushed her off the raft.

  “You bastard,” she said, breaking the surface. She skimmed her palm on the water, sending a wave over the raft, splashing him.

  Steve grinned and stood. He arched over her in a perfect dive, spearing into the water a few feet beyond her, his entrance clean enough to produce almost no splash.

  Seconds later, a tug on her ankle closed the water over her head, cutting off her sudden yelp.

  Steve wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her against him and surfacing. His laughter rang out over the lake, creating a musical echo filling her ringing ears. He grabbed the side of the raft to stabilize them in the water and met her irate gaze.

  The flash in his bright blue eyes made her heart skip a beat and his close proximity lit a fire in her that had been dormant for the past two years, silencing whatever scalding comments she intended when they surfaced. The urge to close the distance and taste his mouth took hold and Jennifer licked her lips.

  “I’m hungry,” he said releasing her and starting toward the shore.

  The moment he pulled away, disappointment flooded her, weighing her down, and for a second she thought she’d be dragged under the surface again. She reached out, clinging to the side of the raft, and watched him slice through the water, his strokes powerful and full of grace. Sighing, she followed the path he cut before her.

  He walked up on the sand and shook his head, sending spray in every direction, glancing back at her with a playful smile.

  Staring at his gorgeous profile, Jennifer felt the breath leave her lungs in a silent rush. The sunset played off the droplets on his body, his muscles glistening as he turned toward her. The intensity of his stare made her knees weak and she almost stumbled onto the sand.

  * * * *

  His smile faltered. Watching the water slip off her body stirred a long latent heat within him and his gaze lingered on her ample curves above and below her tiny waistline before taking in her shapely legs, the whole ensemble enough to make any man drool. “Ten years,” he whispered stepping closer. “God, you grew up to be a beauty.” Gently, he wiped the wet hair away from her cheeks, his fingertips throbbing with the sensation of her skin. Steve squashed the urge to take her face in his hands and kiss her beautiful lips.

  This can’t happen.

  He retreated and looked out over the water, trying to put some distance between him and Jennifer’s powerful magnetic pull.

  * * * *

  Jennifer stood still. Her cheek still burned where his fingers had touched, and her hand rose, swiping the same warm path. Blowing a slow stream of air, she reached down and grabbed her shorts and flip-flops, slipping them on. His profile remained distant and unattainable, and she slowed her approach, wondering what exactly was going through his ruggedly handsome mind. The muscles in his arms flexed and he glanced in her direction, but his eyes never left the sand near her feet.

  “Are you okay?” she asked cautiously stepping closer.

  He swung his baby blues in her direction. “Yeah, I’m fine. Where do you want to go?”

  “I don’t think we’re exactly dressed for a sit down meal,” Jennifer said, spreading her arms.

  “What are you in the mood for?”

  Her eyes swept him and she smiled, opting not to voice her less than clean thoughts. “Chinese?”

  “Sounds good to me.” He headed toward the car, tossing her a towel and grabbing one for himself. He folded it on the driver’s seat and Jennifer followed his lead.

  “Last I knew you were supposed to be getting married. What happened?”

  Any trace of a smile on his face disappeared. “She killed herself the day before the wedding.”

  Shocked silence filled the car.

  “I’m so sorry.”

  He kept his eyes on the road.

  They drove in silence until he pulled into the restaurant parking lot and shut off the car. “I haven’t been able to let it go. I never finished school. I put my focus into restoring this car and when I finished, I decided I’d shut myself off from the world long enough.” He ran his hand over the dashboard. “This car kept me sane.”

  She studied his profile, torn between throwing her arms around him and asking the flurry of questions assaulting her mind. He was five years older, so he should have graduated long before two years ago. She tilted her head, taking a closer look, but all she saw were layers of pain and anguish.

  “And here we are,” he added, reaching to grab his t-shirt on the floor in front of her. “You don’t have a shirt, do you?”

  “No.”

  “What do you want?”

  “Spicy chicken with fried rice.” She looked into his eyes. The hurt was still there under the surface, and more than ever she wanted to wrap her arms around him and make it disappear.

  Steve paused and stared at her. The muscles in his jaws tightened. “Don’t look at me like that, Jen. I’m not a charity case.” He headed into the restaurant without waiting for a response.

  At the door, he stopped and glanced over his shoulder. Their gaze locked and warmth spread through her and she closed her eyes, sinking in the seat, drifting back ten years.

  She remembered the day he left—him waving good-bye, the taste of her salty tears at the corner of her lips, the hollow feeling in the pit of her stomach growing as the car pulled out of sight. They wrote to each other frequently at first and she remembered her heart pounding in her chest as she ran to collect the mail each day, her hands shaking as she ripped open the long-awaited envelope from him. Excitement turned to disappointment as time wore on and his letters became more sporadic and then non-existent. By the time she got to high school, she stopped writing all together and her boy next door became just a precious memory. Jennifer opened her eyes and looked at the man who had made such an impression on her as a child.

  Steve dug his wallet from his back pocket and peeled off the cash. H
anding it to the cashier, he grabbed the bag, trotting back to the car.

  “I didn’t know how much I missed you until I saw you today,” Jennifer said.

  This time, the smile touched his eyes. He started the car and glanced over his shoulder as he backed out of the parking spot. The heat from his arm’s proximity to Jennifer’s shoulder gave her a peculiar tickle in her stomach.

  “I still remember how cute you looked in that little yellow dress, like you got all decked out just for me,” he said.

  “I did.” The heat bloomed in her cheeks.

  He took a deep breath and pulled to a stop in front of the apartment building. His eyes scanned her briefly and then he turned away.

  Jennifer noticed his quick inspection and it reminded her of the way Tom used to look at her when they had a block of alone time. “What were you thinking just then?”

  “How green your eyes are,” he said, opening the car door and taking the bag of food from her, ignoring her steady gaze.

  She bit her lower lip while they waited for the elevator. Standing close was like being an inch away from an electrical fence, the current between them alive and twisting and dangerously close to ignition.

  The elevator started its climb to the penthouse and he sent a smile in her direction, letting the silence fill the space between them until they were in the apartment. “This really is a nice place.” He headed onto the balcony with the food.

  Jennifer followed and sat on the lounge chair next to him, watching as he arranged the boxes on the table between them. Their fingers brushed when he handed her a pair of chopsticks, and his slow lazy smile made her heart flutter. Oh, what I wouldn’t give for a taste of those lips. Remembering Tom, she brushed that thought from her mind.

  “I still can’t believe Tracy’s father did this for her.” She glanced back at the apartment.

  Steve nodded. “The benefits of money.”

  She plucked the spicy chicken from the white box using the chopsticks and slid it into her mouth.

  “You’re pretty good with these things.” He held up his own chopsticks and awkwardly grasped a piece of chicken from the same box. Halfway to his lips, the chicken shot from between the sticks, bounced on the balcony and rolled off. He glanced between the chopsticks in his hand and the edge of the balcony with raised eyebrows before he slid his gaze her way. “Oops.”