moved on. The truth, the fact that the fallow suffered in silence throughout their whole lives, was dismissed. Despite the questionable circumstances of the last three fallow deaths, statistics showed a significantly higher rate of suicide for them compared to the rest of the Amber population. Xander silently vowed Jaci would not be one of them. She would make it through all of this. He was going to be sure of it.
The evening wound down with no obvious suspects standing out. It was late, and Caroline was saying goodbye to the last of the stragglers. Rock, who’d been sitting with him again since Gwen left, nodded his goodbye to Jaci and left with Emily. Caroline closed the door after the last visitor left and met his gaze. Jaci had already rolled over onto her side and seemed close to sleep.
“You can go,” Xander said. “I’ll take care of her overnight.”
Caroline stood looking between Jaci and him for a moment.
“She’ll be fine. You’ve done enough for the day. Go.”
With a sigh, Caroline picked up her purse. “Com me if you need me. I can be here in two minutes.”
He nodded and ushered Caroline through the doorway, closing and locking the door behind her. He walked through the apartment, turning off lights and throwing away cups left behind by their visitors.
He got ready for bed in the bathroom, brushing his teeth and stripping off his jeans and t-shirt. He was excited to be back in his own apartment, his own bed again. This would be the first good night’s sleep he’d have in weeks.
Coming out of the bathroom, Xander turned off the light and walked around the foot of the bed to get to his side. It was dark, but not so dark that he couldn’t see. The moon cast a faint blue light in through the window, and he easily saw Jaci’s face once his eyes adjusted to the dark.
He pulled back the blanket and slid in next to her. She faced him and was obviously fast asleep. He studied her face. She was lovely. The blueish light from the moon illuminated her. She was an angel with an aura of peaceful grace surrounding her. She looked less troubled than in her earlier sleep. He sighed with relaxation and relief.
“Jaci?”
“Hmm?”
“Roll over to your other side.”
Jaci cracked an eye open. “Not enough room?”
“It’s not that. I can’t get up next to you if you’re facing me. Unless you want to switch sides if that’s better for you.”
Without answering, Jaci rolled over so she faced away from him. She took a deep breath and settled back to sleep as Xander pressed his body against hers. The wall of his abs cradled the curve of her spine. The bare skin of her legs brushed up against his. He slaked his hand up her side, encountering the material of her panties and the yellow silk nightshirt. He clenched his teeth, wanting so badly to go underneath the shirt instead of over. Her hair brushed his face, smelling like vanilla and tickling his nose. He smiled, she smelled sweet, too. He gingerly let his hand fall around her, on the outside of her shirt, his elbow at her waist, his hand cupping her breast.
“Okay?” he whispered.
Goose bumps raised on her skin and the nipple under his palm hardened.
Xander chuckled. “I’ll take that as a yes.”
* * * *
Rock faced away from the two women in his bed, listening to Journey ask all about Jaci and the goings on that evening. He loved to listen to them talk when they thought he was sleeping. The voyeuristic quality of eavesdropping, of hearing the side of a person they don’t intend you to know, the secret side of them, was compelling.
Earlier, Journey had been petulant when he’d left for Xander’s apartment. She was mad because he wouldn’t let her go too.
But even now, he stood by his decision. Journey was a different kind of woman than most. She was small, shy and easily affected by others. In other words, the complete opposite of Emily.
He’d been clueless on how to handle this skittish woman when she’d moved in almost two years
The evening wound down with no obvious suspects standing out. It was late, and Caroline was saying goodbye to the last of the stragglers. Rock, who’d been sitting with him again since Gwen left, nodded his goodbye to Jaci and left with Emily. Caroline closed the door after the last visitor left and met his gaze. Jaci had already rolled over onto her side and seemed close to sleep.
“You can go,” Xander said. “I’ll take care of her overnight.”
Caroline stood looking between Jaci and him for a moment.
“She’ll be fine. You’ve done enough for the day. Go.”
With a sigh, Caroline picked up her purse. “Com me if you need me. I can be here in two minutes.”
He nodded and ushered Caroline through the doorway, closing and locking the door behind her. He walked through the apartment, turning off lights and throwing away cups left behind by their visitors.
He got ready for bed in the bathroom, brushing his teeth and stripping off his jeans and t-shirt. He was excited to be back in his own apartment, his own bed again. This would be the first good night’s sleep he’d have in weeks.
Coming out of the bathroom, Xander turned off the light and walked around the foot of the bed to get to his side. It was dark, but not so dark that he couldn’t see. The moon cast a faint blue light in through the window, and he easily saw Jaci’s face once his eyes adjusted to the dark.
He pulled back the blanket and slid in next to her. She faced him and was obviously fast asleep. He studied her face. She was lovely. The blueish light from the moon illuminated her. She was an angel with an aura of peaceful grace surrounding her. She looked less troubled than in her earlier sleep. He sighed with relaxation and relief.
“Jaci?”
“Hmm?”
“Roll over to your other side.”
Jaci cracked an eye open. “Not enough room?”
“It’s not that. I can’t get up next to you if you’re facing me. Unless you want to switch sides if that’s better for you.”
Without answering, Jaci rolled over so she faced away from him. She took a deep breath and settled back to sleep as Xander pressed his body against hers. The wall of his abs cradled the curve of her spine. The bare skin of her legs brushed up against his. He slaked his hand up her side, encountering the material of her panties and the yellow silk nightshirt. He clenched his teeth, wanting so badly to go underneath the shirt instead of over. Her hair brushed his face, smelling like vanilla and tickling his nose. He smiled, she smelled sweet, too. He gingerly let his hand fall around her, on the outside of her shirt, his elbow at her waist, his hand cupping her breast.
“Okay?” he whispered.
Goose bumps raised on her skin and the nipple under his palm hardened.
Xander chuckled. “I’ll take that as a yes.”
* * * *
Rock faced away from the two women in his bed, listening to Journey ask all about Jaci and the goings on that evening. He loved to listen to them talk when they thought he was sleeping. The voyeuristic quality of eavesdropping, of hearing the side of a person they don’t intend you to know, the secret side of them, was compelling.
Earlier, Journey had been petulant when he’d left for Xander’s apartment. She was mad because he wouldn’t let her go too.
But even now, he stood by his decision. Journey was a different kind of woman than most. She was small, shy and easily affected by others. In other words, the complete opposite of Emily.
He’d been clueless on how to handle this skittish woman when she’d moved in almost two years
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