Free Dragonfly by Leigh Talbert Moore Page B

expelled.”
    “What?” He said it so casually, I thought I’d misunderstood. “Why?”
    “I met the guy in the parking lot one afternoon and beat the shit out of him. Brad and a few of his football buddies helped me. Somebody called the cops, but they took a long time getting there. Played out nicely.”
    My mouth dropped open for a moment. Then I closed it. This was new, and I wasn’t sure how to interpret it. “Were you… arrested?”
    His lips tightened. “Dad’s lawyer handled it. The bastard decided letting me off was better than getting charged with statutory rape.”
    I didn’t answer immediately; more questions were answered. “I guess your dad was pretty angry.”
    “I think he was more pissed I might lose my chance at Yale.” Jack looked off again and the tension was back. “I asked to go to Sedona. Lucy was a wreck, and I figured some time with Gigi would be nice. She pretty much raised us.”
    “So Lucy never considered… the alternative?”
    “What? Abortion? We’re Catholic, Anna. And, well, I don’t think she could’ve gone through with that.”
    “Oh, right. Of course not. I didn’t mean she should’ve or anything. It’s just she was so young, and you guys have so much money…” I wasn’t sure how to finish that sentence, so I switched gears. “You’re really sweet to her.”
    He seemed to relax. “She gets ignored a lot. She frustrates Dad, and William thinks she’s clueless. But she just wants attention from somebody. It’s been hard for her not having a mom around.”
    “Do you remember your mom?”
    “Not really,” he smiled. “I mean, we were three when she died. I remember her soft hair and smile, feeling good when I was with her. But that’s about it.”
    His words made my chest hurt. “That’s really sad.”
    “Yeah, well, it was a long time ago. We never talk about it.”
    That statement seemed odd, and I wondered how much of what Tamara said was true. But I decided not to pursue it. He’d told me so much already.
    “Will you be at school tomorrow?” I asked.
    “No. We’re supposed to meet with the administrators to talk over scheduling. And Dad wants to make the case that my time in Sedona taught me anger management.”
    “You warned me your life was complicated,” I sighed. “I guess I didn’t believe you.”
    He looked down. “I’ll understand if this is more than you bargained for. We can be friends or—”
    “No! That’s not what I want at all!” I threw my arms around his shoulders and hugged him close. “I really wanted to come here tonight. I was worried about you, and… I don’t want you to leave.”
    My voice cracked, and tears filled my eyes. I knew the day he left this dream I was having would end, and I could hardly bear the thought.
    He exhaled, and I pressed my forehead against his warm neck. Before long his hands moved to my sides, lightly massaging, and I lifted my face searching for his kiss. Our lips met, and when his tongue found mine, that delicious warmth filled my body. He moved me to lying back on the sand and leaned down, kissing me deeper. I slid my hands to his cheeks, trying to hold on as his mouth moved mine open again. My breath quickened, and his kisses traveled to my face and then to my neck.
    His hand slipped under my shirt, tracing a burning trail up my stomach. My heart was skipping, but I wasn’t stopping him. All I could think was this might be my last chance, our last time together.
    My eyes fluttered open. The sun had almost completely set, and everything was bathed in a deep, orange glow. Jack moved away and in one swift pull, his shirt was over his head and off. My hands spread across his chest, golden and beautiful, with just a few fine hairs scattered across the top. He leaned in again to find my mouth, and I slid my hands down, exploring his warm torso. He groaned and pulled me up, straddling his lap. I could feel where this was headed as he fumbled with the hem of my loose cotton skirt, making his