By the Book

Chapter Seven

Feeling warm and cozy, Amanda didn’t want to get up just yet. Her bed was particularly comfortable this morning. She snuggled down beneath the blankets and froze when a heavy male arm snaked out and pulled her toward a very large male body.

Jonah.

Memories of the night before came flooding back—the phone sex, the intruder, the desperate fight for her life and Jonah. It always came back to Jonah. He’d saved her life by frightening off her attacker. He’d been with her at the hospital. He’d brought her home and held her throughout the night.

Amanda rolled over onto her side. She blinked to bring him into focus and began to study his features. His straight black hair was brushed away, giving her a good view of his wide forehead and stubborn jaw. His nose was prominent, but it suited him. He looked rugged and tough, even in sleep.

As she thought that, his eyes popped open and she was caught in their green gaze.

Her eyes were green too, but hers were a dark, mossy green. Jonah’s eyes were lighter, like gemstones, sharp and intense.

“Morning.” He leaned down and brushed a kiss on her forehead. His voice was as scratchy as the stubble on his jaw.

She swallowed. It didn’t hurt quite as bad as it had last night, so she decided to give talking a try. “Morning.” She sounded like a wounded frog, but it was better than nothing.

“How are you feeling?”

It was quite intimate to lie beside a man and talk in the early morning. Both of them not quite awake yet, sleep still weighing heavy. Amanda rested her hand on his chest and felt the steady thump of his heart against her palm. Her fingers curled slightly, tangling in his crisp, dark chest hair.

“Amanda?”

His eyebrows furrowed and she could see the concern in his eyes. What had he asked her? Oh yes, how was she? She took stock of her body and swallowed again. “Good. I feel pretty good.” She gave a slight cough. Her throat felt dry.

“Try not to talk too much.” He picked up a lock of her hair that was resting on her shoulder and let it slip through his fingers. “You have great hair. I love the deep cinnamon color mixed with the red and the way it curls.” He held it up, looking at it in the morning light that streamed through the window.

Amanda could feel her cheeks heating and knew she was blushing. She’d always thought her hair too bright and curly. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” He rolled until she was flat on her back with him looming over her. “Makes a man wonder what it would look like spread across his pillows.” Jonah smoothed her hair away from her face. “It’s not my pillow, but it still looks sexy as hell.”

He touched his mouth to hers, his lips nibbling on her lower one. Amanda’s lips parted, but he didn’t deepen the kiss, just continued his slow exploration of her mouth.

Her toes curled and her skin tingled.

“You have very kissable lips.” Jonah kissed the tip of her nose and down the slope to her cheekbone. “Your freckles are like little dots of cinnamon. Tasty.”

He proceeded to kiss and lick at every single one of the fifteen freckles on her face.

She knew exactly how many she had. They’d been the bane of her existence as a teenager and she’d counted them over and over, using every concoction she could find to get rid of them. Now, she was glad they were there.

Amanda had never felt so beautiful in her entire life. Jonah picked the features that had always bothered her the most—her wild hair and her freckles—and made her look at them in a new way. Yes, she’d come to accept herself as an adult, even gotten to the point where she thought she was pretty in a girl-next-door sort of way. But she’d never quite looked at herself the way Jonah was making her. It was an amazing experience.

Propping himself on one arm, he stared at her neck. His fingers traced the bruises.

She knew they’d be even darker and more colorful than they were last night. His eyes narrowed as his fingers slid lower, trailing across her collarbone before coming to a stop at the V-neck of her nightshirt.

Amanda shivered. Goose bumps rose on her arms and legs, and heat suffused her entire body. Having Jonah in bed next to her was better than having a heated blanket. His touch was electrifying.

His hand shifted lower as he pushed the covers aside. She knew her nipples were outlined against the light fabric of the T-shirt. She bit her lip to stifle a moan as he circled one of the tight buds with his thumb. “I know you’re not well enough for us to do anything yet, but I want to see you.”

Fear and excitement warred within her. Jonah wanted to see her naked. Before she could reply, he stroked his thumb over her nipple, making it tighten even more. Her legs shifted restlessly against the sheets.

“Let me see you, sugar.”

She wanted this, wanted to share herself with him. Jonah was special. Deep down inside, she knew she’d never meet another man who would make her feel the way he did.

She was thirty-one, old enough to know her own mind. She nodded.

Jonah relaxed and smiled. It was only when he did so that she realized just how tense he’d been. Slowly, he let his hand drift down to the hem of her shirt and slid beneath it.

He pushed it up, not stopping until her breasts were fully exposed. They weren’t overly large, but they weren’t too small either. Average breasts, but well formed.

“Let’s get this off you.” His voice was gruff, but his hands were gentle as he tugged the shirt over her head and tossed it aside. He stared down at her chest. Her breasts looked fuller to her eyes and they seemed to swell under his hot gaze.

He touched his finger to one nub and she sucked in a breath. Such a simple touch, yet it radiated outward, the sensation running down to her sex and making it pulse.

“Beautiful. Like succulent berries.” Leaning down, he covered her nipple with his mouth and sucked.

Amanda moaned as his tongue circled the bud. Her hands fisted in his silky, black hair, pulling him closer. She could feel her panties getting damper with each swipe of his tongue.

He covered her pubic bone with his hand. The heat radiating from his hand made her want to moan with pleasure. She arched upward in a silent demand. His fingers slid beneath the waistband of her panties, sifted through her pubic hair and found her slick folds beyond.

Jonah gave a groan of pure pleasure and sat back, removing his hand. His hair was tousled, his eyes hot. “I’ve got to see you.” Gripping the sides of her panties, he pulled them down slowly, giving her every opportunity to protest.

She lifted her hips and allowed him to skim her underwear over her legs and off. His hand skated up the inside of her thigh. “Open your legs and let me see.”

Pulling her left leg toward her, she let her knee fall to the side. She knew he could see her sex, that she was totally exposed to him. Jonah leaned forward and buried his face between her thighs. She felt the rasp of his tongue against her sensitive flesh and cried out. Her throat tightened and she began to cough.

Jonah swore and sat up. “I’m sorry, sugar.” He scooted up and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, holding her until the coughing spurt subsided. “You’re not well enough for this yet.”

As much as she wanted to protest, she knew he was right. Grabbing the sheet, she pulled it to her neck. “Shower.”

Jonah rubbed the back of his neck with his hand and nodded. His face was strained, his eyes tired. He looked as bad as she felt. She glanced down at his crotch and saw the hard bulge pressing against the front of his jeans. He caught her looking at him and gave her a wry grin. “I’ll survive.”

She chuckled, suddenly feeling light-hearted and alive. After almost dying last night, she wanted to celebrate life and everything it had to offer. She realized that was why she’d had no qualms about stripping in front of Jonah this morning.

He wanted her and she wanted him. It was that simple and that complicated.

Life was too short not to take chances. After facing the possibility of her death, she knew she wanted to live more. That included indulging in an affair with Jonah. Who knew where it would end? Probably in heartbreak for her, but she didn’t care any longer.

Jonah made her feel sexy. She wanted him. And when she was feeling well again, she planned to have him.

Freshly showered and dressed, Amanda was just coming down the stairs when the doorbell rang. “I’ll get it,” Jonah called from the kitchen. Ignoring him, she went to the door and opened it. Her attacker wasn’t exactly going to ring the bell, and besides, when she was putting in her contact lenses, she’d seen the police car still parked out front.

Cyndi and Shamus stood on the front step. Cyndi took one look at her and bit her bottom lip. Tears filled her friend’s eyes. “We just found out.” Pushing her way inside, she wrapped her arms around Amanda and hugged. “Are you okay?”

Shamus followed his wife inside and pushed the door closed. “Let her breathe, honey.” He took his wife by the shoulders and gently pulled her back.

“I’m fine.” Her voice was rough, but useable. She heard Jonah swearing under his breath as he came up behind her, but ignored him.

Cyndi gasped, her eyes going to Amanda’s throat. “I can’t believe something like this could happen in Jamesville. It’s such a quiet town.”

Amanda almost laughed. Jamesville might be a small town, but it had seen its fair share of trouble in the past few years. Cyndi had been at the center of some of it last year.

But unlike Cyndi, Amanda didn’t have a past in this town, or any enemies, at least none that she knew of.

“I told you not to open the door.” Jonah rested his hands on her shoulders and turned her until she was facing him.

Amanda just patted him on the chest. “I didn’t think anyone who wanted to hurt me would ring the bell.” Her mouth was dry, her voice hoarse. “Drink first, talk after.”

“You shouldn’t be talking at all.” He motioned to Shamus and Cyndi. “You might as well join us in the kitchen. The coffee is done and I was just getting ready to see what I could find for breakfast.”

Shamus removed an insulated bag from his shoulder and held it in front of him. “We didn’t know if Amanda had done much shopping yet, so Cyndi packed breakfast. We’ve got two kinds of muffins, bagels and fresh fruit. She’s got several different kinds of herbal teas and some honey. I think she even packed some cereal and milk too.”

Amanda smiled. “Thank you.” Her friends’ thoughtfulness brought tears to her eyes.

She brushed the back of her hands over her eyes and turned away. She didn’t dare look at anyone until she got herself back under control or she might burst into tears. She was feeling very emotional this morning, her mood going up and down like a yo-yo.

She headed to the kitchen, deliberately not looking at the mess in the front room. She knew she had to deal with it eventually, but not until she’d had a glass of juice and maybe a cup of tea.

Jonah caught up with her and hooked his arm around her waist. Leaning down, he whispered in her ear. “You’re going to be emotional for a few days. It’s the shock of everything that’s happened. Just go with it.”

Looking up at him, she realized that he understood what she was feeling. Somehow that made her feel stronger and she managed a smile. Jonah had been busy while she was in the shower. Her antique trestle table was in the center of the eating nook with four chairs around it instead of being buried in the formal dining room with the rest of her furniture. He’d also dug up some plates and found her cutlery.

She really had to get organized. She’d been so intent on working on her office, she’d neglected the rest of the place. That would have to change, but not today. She wanted to wait until the electrical work and the painting was done before she unpacked and set things up. It would be a nuisance to keep living out of boxes, but she could manage it for another week or so.

Shamus deposited the insulated bag on the counter and Cyndi moved in beside him.

She opened the bag and began to pull out containers. The last thing she withdrew was a thermos. “I’ve got orange juice. While we’re having some, you can tell us exactly what happened.”

Two hours later, Amanda sat in her office chair, her computer propped on her desk.

Jonah had decided it would be easier for her to work this way and had pulled both pieces of furniture into the center of the room. They’d have to be moved later when it was time to paint, but right now they were exactly what she needed to help her get organized. She methodically worked her way through the piles of books tossed haphazardly across the floor, trying to determine what, if anything was missing.

Within easy reach was a mug of lemon tea with a large dollop of honey. Cyndi had promised it was just what she needed. Amanda had already had one mug of the stuff and it seemed to be helping her throat.

Cyndi and Shamus had stayed long enough to share a cup of coffee with them while Jonah had filled them in on what had happened. Amanda had been surprised they’d found out about the attack so fast.

Shamus had chuckled. “News travels fast in a small town. Patrick called me first thing this morning. He knew it was only a matter of time before the news was all over town. The hospital staff all knows what happened, as do the sheriff’s deputies. That’s not even taking into account the folks who monitor the police radios.”

Amanda shook her head at the memory and took a sip of her tea, letting the soothing lemon and honey slide down her throat. The small town grapevine was alive and well.

She also knew that Cyndi would be calling later to demand an explanation as to why Jonah had been here when they arrived. Amanda had seen the look of speculation in her friend’s eyes, as Cyndi had looked first at Jonah and then back toward her.

“You okay?” She swiveled in her chair to face the doorway. Jonah leaned against the doorframe, his arms folded across his chest.

He’d asked her the same question several times this morning. “I’m fine. Really.”

“Good.” He watched her as if assessing her physical state for himself. “I replaced the glass in the window that I smashed out last night.”

She hadn’t even known that he’d broken out a window last night to gain access to the house. There was a vague memory of glass tinkling, but with everything else that had happened, she hadn’t made the connection. She had heard him puttering around the house this morning, but it was more background noise than anything. She hadn’t thought anything of it. All her focus was on finding out if any of her books were missing. “Thank you.” She was thanking him for more than just fixing the window and they both knew it.

“No problem. They delivered the glass and it didn’t take long for me to put it in.

How about you?” He motioned to the books on the floor.

“There’s not as much damage as I thought. I guess I interrupted him before he had much of a chance to go through things.”

Jonah’s gaze narrowed as his eyes tracked around the room. “You have a lot of valuable books?”

“Some.” She pushed out of her chair and went to four large cedar-lined trunks that sat in the corner. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a set of keys and proceeded to unlock all four trunks and lift the lids.

Jonah straightened away from the doorframe and strode over to stand beside her. He whistled under his breath. “Some of those look really old.”

Amanda reached into a nearby box and plucked out a pair of gloves, slipping them on. “Some of them are.” She pulled out a small leather-bound book with gold leafing and embossing. “This is a private doctor’s journal from the seventeen hundreds. It’s a book on the latest medical techniques. It’s part superstition and folk medicine mixed in with the primitive methods they used to treat patients. This author suggests that physicians wash their hands before examining patients. Quite revolutionary for the times.”

“People buy this stuff?” Amanda couldn’t help but laugh at Jonah’s obvious shock.

He shook his head. “I mean I know it’s historic, but is it valuable?”

“Oh yes.” She carefully replaced the small volume. “Doctors and historians alike would be interested in it. Then there are those people who like to collect private journals no matter what they are.” That made her remember the small volume upstairs. “Speaking of journals…” she began.

The phone rang, distracting her.

“I’ll get it.” Jonah strode down the hall to the kitchen.

Amanda hurried after him, making a mental note that she needed to buy a new cordless phone. The one she kept beside her bed had been smashed when she dropped it last night during the attack.

“Hello.” Jonah listened for a moment and then turned to her. “I’ll check.” He pulled the receiver away from his mouth. “It’s the sheriff. He wants to know if you’ve found anything missing yet.”

“Not yet, but I’m still going through the books that were dumped on the floor.” She swallowed, wishing she hadn’t left her tea behind. Talking was getting easier, but it was still a strain.

“She’s still checking. Uh-huh.” Jonah nodded once. “Okay, we’ll see you then. No, I’m not going anywhere.” He hung up the phone. “Patrick will be here within the hour.”

“That’s fine. I should be able to go through most of the books on the floor by then and check them against each box they were in and tell if anything is missing.” She tugged at the hem of her sweater. “You don’t have to stay, you know. You’ve been here all night. Don’t you want to go home and change or something?”

He came toward her, not stopping until he was right in front of her. She had to tilt her neck back slightly to look at him.

“I’m not leaving you alone.”

Amanda sighed. “Jonah, I appreciate you being here, but I’m not your responsibility.” His lips tightened and his body tensed. “No,” she continued. “I’m not.

We’ve just met, for heaven’s sake.”

His arm snaked around her back, pulling her snug against him. “There’s more between us than that.”

She felt the hard bulge in the front of his jeans press against her stomach. “Well, there is the sexual attraction. But you said yourself it was just sex. You’re not looking for a relationship or anything serious. Just sex,” she repeated.

It was hard to stare him in the face and say those things, but it was the truth. She’d be a fool to make his staying with her last night and this morning into anything more than his innate sense of responsibility and the fact that he wanted her. Not that she thought he was staying solely because he wanted to get her into bed, but that was a part of it.

“You’re damn right there’s sexual attraction.” He ground his hips against her and she had to bite back a moan. The man had turned her life upside down until she didn’t know herself any more. She’d never reacted to a man like this in her life. He had only to touch her and she wanted him.

Amanda stared up at him, trying to follow the conversation. It wasn’t easy with Jonah looking so sexy and serious at the same time. “I’m not denying it.” There really was no point. Her nipples were digging into his chest. The man would have to be blind or stupid not to notice. Jonah was neither.

“But there’s more.” He brushed a stray curl over her shoulder and his fingers skimmed her neck, sending a shiver down her spine. “Much more.”

Amanda leaned back so she could see him better and rested her hands on his chest. “I know you feel a sense of responsibility because you’re a decent guy, but it’s okay. I know you’ve got a life of your own that will still be there long after our affair is over.”

Jonah stilled, his hands resting lightly on her waist. “That means there will be an affair.”

She nodded. She’d come to her decision and wasn’t about to back away now. A man like Jonah only came along once in a woman’s lifetime—if she was lucky.

“But I don’t need a babysitter.”

“Damn it, Amanda. Someone tried to kill you last night.”

“But it’s not night now and there is a deputy parked right out front. I’m safe for the time being. Maybe it was just a random theft. Some guy who figured I’d have some valuable books just lying around.”

“You don’t believe that.” His hands slid up her back to cup her shoulders.

She sighed. “Not really, but it’s not your problem, Jonah. It’s mine.” She glanced at her watch. “I have to get back to work, and you have to get to work. But first you need to go home.”

He raked his hand through his hair. “I need to check on Elizabeth and Susie.”

“Susie?”

“My niece. She and Elizabeth have moved back into the old family home with me since the divorce.”

Amanda hadn’t realized he’d taken on the responsibility for his sister and niece, but she wasn’t surprised. Jonah was just that kind of man. She didn’t want to be one more obligation for him.

“I’ll take off when Patrick arrives. I need to run home and pick up my tools so I can start work on your place. I’d planned to begin today anyway, so it’s not exactly a change in my schedule.”

“You sure you can start work here today? Don’t you have any other work lined up?”

She wanted the work done, wanted Jonah here with her, but not at the expense of his livelihood.

“I’m sure. I finished up a job two days ago and don’t have another one lined up for two weeks. Your lucky break.” Leaning down, he rested his forehead against hers.

“Listen, sugar. I want you to be careful. I’m going to stop by the hardware store today and pick up some better locks for your front and back doors. I’ll install them later.”

She wanted to protest his heavy-handedness, but couldn’t. She’d planned to do the same thing later when she finished sifting through the mess in the front room. This would save her some time. “That’s fine. Just save the bills so I can reimburse you, and add the labor to the bill for the electrical work.”

He nodded and released her. She stepped back, already feeling the separation growing between them, and it was more than physical. Jonah’s mind was already elsewhere.

“I’ll be in my office if you need me. You don’t need to wait until Patrick arrives. The doors are all locked, the deputy is outside and I have my cell phone with me. I’ll be fine.”

Not waiting for a reply, she turned on her heel and strode back to her office.

It was time to finish with this mess. Then she planned to take some measurements.

Shamus had promised to drop by later this afternoon to look at her plans for this room.

He’d seemed confident that it wouldn’t be a problem for him to build the shelves and cabinets she wanted for her new shop.

Jonah’s talk about locks reminded her that she needed to look at the overall security of the house. Not only did she want better locks, but possibly shutters for the windows in the front room, plus a lock for the inside door. It would be her office, her store and her livelihood. She didn’t want to take any chances with it, especially after last night.