Page 82 of Between Desire and Denial

“Get it together!” I shoved him again. “If you don’t get your ass out there right now, her and her friends will see me naked in her freaking woods.” I scrambled to right my top and then glanced around for my bikini bottoms.

“It’s a damn good sight to see though.” He smiled and tucked himself back into his suit pants. He wasn’t bad to look at either. I saw how my arousal still glistened on his cock, how his abs flexed as he looked down to buckle his belt.

I tried a different angle. “You know, I bet she’s with a couple of guys too. You be happy to let them have a look at me?”

There was that look of jealousy I shouldn’t have loved so much.

“Fuck me,” he growled and hurried to button up his shirt before he walked around the bushes. I heard him greet the group of what sounded like all women.

Of course that was my luck, but I was able to get my halter top back on and my bikini bottoms back in place. And that’swhen I heard it. The softest whisper of angry voices through the trees toward Lucille’s house.

Immediately, I thought of Earl. I heard a deep low growl of frustration. I jumped over a pile of leaves and tried my best to tiptoe in my heels.

When I got near enough to Lucille’s side of the property and leaned in though, I heard Jameson’s voice. It was rougher, meaner, and not at all like the Jameson I knew. He was always so mellow, bouncing Franny on his leg, joking with me about our high school memories, but now his voice sounded menacing.

Maybe I shouldn’t have eavesdropped, but this was what a small community was all about. Plus, Lucille was nowhere to be found and his voice was coming from her yard.

“That’s not going to hold up.”

“Well, I don’t really care at this point. I’m tired of hiding him anyway.”

I knew something was off about Earl. She must have been keeping him indoors for some reason.

“Lucille, knock it off. It’s going to be fine. This was my idea in the first place. Let me follow through with it before you get jumpy.”

“Itwasyour idea. But I’m quite proud of my implementation, so I’ll go down for it if we can’t get a person here by next week.”

I froze mid step and tried to lean into the shadows now. What was next week?

“My guys will be here next week,” Jameson confirmed, and I saw how he pinched the bridge of his straight nose. “Don’t worry about it.”

“Melly is watching my every move. If I keep him in the basement much longer…”

My mind raced with what they could be discussing. Was she holding Earl hostage? Was he going against the secret society?I should have immediately gone to call the cops. Yet, I wasn’t exactly sure that’s what was happening. I didn’t want to jump to conclusions and the sheriff knew Lucille. Everyone did.

Instead, I needed to make sure, do some research, read more about this society. Could I ask Dimitri for help?

That’s when I knew I’d drank too much. He couldn’t know about this society. He’d destroy it. And I didn’t want that for our town. The realization shocked me, and I hiccuped at the thought. Freaking hiccuped like a child.

And then I heard a tiny voice by my legs. “Excuse you. Also, who are we spying on?” Franny, the little sweetheart that was just as curious as I was and shouldn’t have been following me, said.

Both Lucille and Jameson’s heads snapped toward us.

“Franny,” Jameson said, and then his voice got lower. “Olive Bee. What are you doing?”

“Well, Grandpa and Grandma said we go to the party too.” She threw one tiny hand over her shoulder to point as she talked fast like she knew she’d done something wrong. “They talking to Melly sooo long. I saw Olive and wanted to spy with her! I like playing spy!”

“And what good spies you were.” Lucille smiled at both of us, but her eyes were on me, and they held something darker than I wanted to be a part of. “Why don’t you all come into my house? We’ll get you some yummy treats and discuss everything you learned.”

“Oh, that’s okay.” I tried to back up a step, but Jameson was faster. He hurried forward and grabbed my elbow.

“We insist, Olive,” he said loudly for his daughter to hear. “We’d love to have you try Lucille’s secret cookie recipe.”

And with that, he dragged me forward into Lucille’s home. I wiggled my arm the whole way. “Hey, what are you doing?” I finally managed to free myself once he practically pushed methrough the doorway and shoved me into a seat at her dining room table.

“What were you listening to us talk about?” Jameson sat down across from Lucille’s wooden table to glare at me.

“Nothing,” I blurted out fast.