Free One Reckless Summer by Toni Blake Page B

good news is that he claims he’s usually into safe sex.”
    “Good,” Sue Ann said on a nod, adding, “Of course, you’ll still get checked out.”
    “Of course.” She was still “good Jenny,” after all—one romp in the woods didn’t take away a lifetime of safety training. “I thought I’d see if there’s a clinic or something in Crestview, where people won’t recognize me.”
    Sue Ann lifted one finger in the air. “There is. Jeff’s little sister had a…misadventure on spring break last year and I got to be the lucky one she confided in. Anyway, I went with her, and I can get you the address. What else did he say?”
    Jenny shrugged, sighed—then spilled the beans. “That he’s coming back.”
    Sue Ann’s jaw dropped. “Say that again.”
    “He’s going to come back over, to check on me, to make sure I don’t feel the need to suddenly go telling anyone.”
    “Damn, he’s serious about this.”
    “I told you that.”
    “And it doesn’t concern you? That he’s hiding something? Or…hiding out himself ? What if he’s…on the run for committing some crime? What if he’s breaking some serious laws over there, doing something so awful that we can’t even imagine it?”
    At this, Jenny caught her breath and looked up.
    Just as Sue Ann added, “Remember, this is Mick Brody we’re talking about.”
    Oh God, it was. Mick Brody. Maybe she’d somehow forgotten that. She’d been so caught up in the sex and all the confusing feelings it brought over her, about herself, about her feelings for Terrence, about everything inside her. But Sue Ann was right—any sensible person would be worried about this. She felt utterly foolish to have let the sex aspects of the situation fog her brain even for a minute. “My God,” she murmured, “I let him in my house.”
    “Well,” Sue Ann reasoned, “he did have your telescope. And you probably didn’t want to make the guy mad by telling him he had to stay outside.”
    That was true—he had pretty much barged his way in. “But I…offered him iced tea. I made small talk with him.” She cringed. “And sure, I tried to act belligerent and irritated, but I didn’t even argue when he said he might come back.”
    Sue Ann bit her lip, looking pensive. “Was he…scary about that? Threatening?”
    “Not really.” She sucked in her breath, remembering. “He sort of…kissed me good-bye.”
    Sue Ann blinked. “What kind of kiss?”
    Jenny tried to explain. “Just a soft, tiny, little one. I barely felt it.” Except for the fact that it vibrated all through me.
    “Holy crap.”
    “Yeah, it kind of confused me, too.”
    At this, Sue Ann sat up a bit taller, suddenly looking mischievous. “Maybe this means you’ll get to have more sex with him.”
    And Jenny gasped. “No way! I mean, really— no way. ”
    “Why?”
    Given the discussion of the last few minutes, she couldn’t believe Sue Ann had to ask. “Um, because he might be a criminal, as you just so aptly pointed out? Because I don’t even know him? Because even if he didn’t act totally scary last night, he still is?” She hadn’t been planning to have sex with him again anyway, but after being reminded that he was keeping some big, bad secret from her on his side of the lake—it was out of the question.
    “And did any of those things stop you in the woods?” Sue Ann asked.
    Jenny replied by pointing a threatening finger at her friend. “I was in a bad mood and he pissed me off.”
    “And you really taught him a lesson by riding him to orgasm the way you did.”
    Jenny let her mouth drop open and her eyes go wide. “Stop it already.” Then she motioned toward the lake, where Sophie was still having a good time swimming around by herself. “There’s a five-year-old present.”
    Sue Ann swiped a hand down through the air. “She doesn’t know what orgasm means.”
    “Well, she will soon if you keep discussing it like it’s the weather.”
    “Weather, shmether .” Sue Ann