Chapter 9

Jordan glanced at the door. “Seriously though, if you take the back stairs, you’ll come out in the kitchen. From there it’s a straight shot to the garage. No one’s likely to see you,” Jordan said with an encouraging smile. She was sitting next to me with her feet on the bed and her arms wrapped around her knees, hugging them to her chest. She had looked wonderful when she was relaxed and recovering, but now she looked cold. She needed clothes and the wet bits of string and cloth on the floor weren’t going to be enough.

I stared at her thinking she had to be out of her mind. It was going to take more than her smile and perfect directions to get me to go streaking through Danielle’s house.

Jordan was still smiling and tossed a glance at the door. Her meaning was perfectly clear. She really expected me to do what I thought she wanted.

I turned and stared at the door, imagining Danielle’s other guests standing right outside, waiting quietly with their cell phones and digital camcorders at the ready to make my nudist debut more than a moment for them. I knew it probably wasn’t like that. Probably. Maybe. I shook my head. “Danielle won’t be happy if I run down there like this.”

Jordan smiled slyly and looked me over. “You never know, she might enjoy what she sees.”

I groaned, not from the thought of Danielle seeing me, but because of my reaction to the idea. Was that bad? I’d fought to stay under so many radars for the last four years that I’d never considered what might happen if someone who didn’t know me took notice. Small town life doesn’t allow for instances like that.

Jordan giggled.

I looked up to find out what was so funny.

She held a hand over her smile and her eyes looked me over with a glint. “I’ve seen lots of blushes before, but never a full body blush.”

Anger shot through me, chasing away my embarrassment. “So glad I could be amusing to you.”

The humor in her face drained away. Her eyes opened up more, widening. “Seth, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to tease.”

My eyebrows furrowed and I continued to glower.

She rolled her eyes. “Okay, yes, I meant to tease, but not like you’re thinking.” She hesitated and then asked, “Haven’t you ever teased someone you liked?”

I looked away and shook my head. “No.”

She studied me for a second. “You mean ... no one?”

My head started shaking back and forth on its own and I realized the truth of it. In four years, I had never found anyone in that small damn town that I liked. At least, not in the way that Jordan was talking about. Not in the way that could have allowed me to feel normal rather than like the dirty-minded good-for-nothing everyone thought I was.

Jordan touched my shoulder softly.

I didn’t jerk, but my head came up quick. I met her eyes and let her see the pain I was feeling. I didn’t want pity, but what was the point in hiding it?

Her face softened. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

I shook my head. “Not your fault. You don’t know me. You couldn’t know.”

She shook her head in turn. “No, Seth, from what you told me, it wasn’t your fault either. No one deserves to be treated the way you were. Now, c’mere.” She pulled at my arm.

I leaned over and let her hug me. It was a simple, friendly gesture and it felt as warm and nice as I had always thought it should. My parents hadn’t even hugged me when I left. I honestly couldn’t think of the last time anyone had.

Jordan pulled back, cupped my face in her hands, and looked into my eyes. “Now, we need dry clothes. Can you do that for me? I need to use the restroom to um ... clean up.”

I nodded and thought about what she brought to the party. The only things I remembered were the thin wrap-skirt and a towel. “What else did you bring to wear?”

Her hands slipped from my face and she squirmed on the bed. Her eyes darted around, looking everywhere but at me. A touch of blush appeared on her cheeks and upper chest. “I was ... too distracted to think about anything to wear after swimming.”

I thought back to her apartment. We had talked, and then changed to get ready for the party. She hadn’t seemed distracted to me. “Distracted by what?”

She looked up at me biting her lower lip. Instead of answering my question, she said, “I could get away with wearing your t-shirt and my wrap.”

I blinked and nodded. “Okay, but that still leaves us one problem...”

“You don’t want to go down nude,” she finished for me.

I nodded.

She let out a soft sigh. “Too bad.” Her voice was soft and wistful.

I was sure it was a good thing. No one made wistful sighs over things they didn’t like. I knew that first hand. The idea made my face burn. Thinking fast I said, “Danielle’s your friend. Wouldn’t she have something in here you could wear?”

“Maybe,” she said. She got up and went to the closet. Pulling it wide open, she said, “It’s empty.” Without saying anything else, she went to another door I hadn’t noticed before. She opened the door a crack and looked through it. After a quick look, she pulled it open and went in. I could hear her rummaging around. She came out a second later shaking her head. “No towels.”

“Does anyone even live up here?” I asked.

Jordan shook her head. “Danielle and Roger don’t have any kids. Roger doesn’t want any.”

I waved at the room. “And they feel the need to flaunt their money like this?”

“No, Danielle didn’t want the house, for the same reason, but Roger got it anyway.” She bent over and picked up the comforter off the floor. “I think this’ll work.” She looked at me. “You could wear it to get your clothes.”

I agreed. When I looked up at Jordan, she was smiling at me.

I swallowed. “I don’t know about this.”

“C’mere. It’ll be easy.”

I went to her, not sure what she had planned.

She wrapped it around me. “Hold it together in the front and go down the back stairs. They lead directly to the kitchen and from there to the garage. The door will be closed. Change in there and then go get the rest of your clothes so I’ll have something to wear.”

It sounded simple enough. I bunched up the blanket in front so I wouldn’t trip. I looked up into Jordan’s eyes and nodded. I was as ready as I was going to be.

Since my hands were full, she opened the door for me.

I stopped a couple of steps from the doorway. No one was in the hall. At least that one small fear was overcome. I looked at her again to ask a question, but she pulled my face to hers for another kiss. Her tongue darted into my mouth, wrestling with mine. When we broke, her eyes were closed and she licked her lips, tasting something she liked. When she opened her eyes, she smiled at me.

I was stunned for a second, but when I saw her smile a very pleasant sensation washed through me. I smiled in return and asked, “Which way to the back stairs?”

She watched my lips and bit hers again. Her hand came up pointing. “That way.”

I looked out the doorway. The hall turned a couple of times, but I could see the end of the railing that separated the stairway from the floor. I stepped out of the room, ready to go, and Jordan pulled me around for another kiss. I worried that Danielle might find us. When Jordan released me, I stepped back. I smiled at her, not wanting her to think I didn’t like the kisses. I did, but I was supposed to get our clothes.

She had that look on her face again, not smiling but not angry. As much as we had already done, I was worried she might want to start up again. My only problem was I was apparently happy with the idea, if you could call that a problem.

She waved me away. “Go, or we’ll never get outta here.”

I nodded and quickly walked toward the back stairs. There were several closed doors between the room Jordan and I had been in and the stairs. I knew the house was big, but how many rooms did it have?

I moved down the stairs as quietly as possible, and gripped the comforter around me tightly. Jordan was right, the stairs led right to the kitchen. I didn’t hear any movement ahead of me, but I couldn’t see anyone in the kitchen. When I was nearly to the bottom of the stairs, I spotted Danielle drinking an amber liquid from a tumbler at the far end of the island. Before I could duck back up the stairs, she finished off the drink and spotted me.

“Seth?” she asked.

I froze, gripping the comforter tightly and burning with embarrassment. I stared at her, waiting for her to start ranting.

She stepped around the island, moving closer to me to get a better look. She was still in her stylish one piece, and the design of the suit drew my eyes along the curves of her body. I couldn’t help but notice the way her hips moved. She had only taken a few steps, but I noticed the way her hips rolled and swayed. Her breasts bounced in the confines of her suit. The suit should have held them better than that, I thought to myself ruefully. Even though I had flagged while concerned about getting to Jordan’s car without getting caught, my body hardened in excitement again and I burned with embarrassment. Not to mention, I shook with fear of getting into trouble.

Danielle looked me over. I was covered from my neck down with the comforter, except maybe my feet, so I was sure she couldn’t see anything. She stopped with her arms crossed below her breasts, making them bulge. I didn’t think she was doing it on purpose, but that didn’t stop me from noticing. Her soft pink lips were curled in a smile.

I stood there doing everything I could to calm myself down. I didn’t know Danielle well enough to know how much truth to tell, and I was sure she was going to ask. The only good thing so far was that she didn’t seem to be angry.

“If I recall correctly, you left your spare clothes in Jordan’s car?” she asked.

I nodded tightly, not trusting myself to speak.

She uncrossed her arms and leaned back on her hands on the island. Her chest thrust out a little. My previous thought about her not knowing what she was doing was suddenly in question. Was she doing that on purpose? She was married. Why would she do this in front of me?

I bowed my head and stared down at the last three steps. Fire blazed under my skin and I fought with myself to relax, but my body throbbed with excitement. It was too much to take so soon after Jordan. I was thankful the heavy blanket wrapped around me hid my condition.

“Are you okay?” Danielle asked.

I glanced her way and automatically nodded. I noticed a new detail that didn’t help my state any; the pebble sized dents on the bulging mounds her breasts made. I dropped my gaze again.

Danielle giggled. Apparently she was feeling better than earlier. I was glad for that, but did she have to laugh at me?

“Seth,” she said.

“Yeah?” I said, struggling not to look at her.

“Seth, look at me,” she said, her voice softer.

I looked.

She was smiling softly and her eyes twinkled. She didn’t have the spiteful expression I’d seen so many times before. Once she was sure I wasn’t going to look away again, she gestured toward the garage. “Go get your clothes.”