Branded

  “Are you sure?” I could see the genuine concern in his eyes as he looked closely at my face. “I’m pretty sure my truck could make it through the snow if it has to.”

  “I’m fine, Alex,” I said again as I struggled to sit up.

  A thick quilt fell off me and with a horrified gasp I realized I was wearing nothing but my underwear and bra.

  “Alex!” I shrieked as I pulled the blanket back up to cover me. “Did you do this?”

  “Ya,” he said, no embarrassment in his voice. “After you passed out you started shaking like crazy, your teeth were chattering even. Your clothes were pretty well soaked, so when I brought you inside I thought it best to get them off before you froze to death.”

  His explanation, however embarrassing it was, made sense. I registered that he himself was down to one pair of partially wet jeans and a tee-shirt.

  “Oh, well, thanks, I guess,” I said as I realized I was in the living room on the couch. I noticed it had been pushed in front of the fireplace and a fire was roaring in it. Even though I knew the temperature had to be at least ten degrees above the normal of the house, it felt wonderful on my skin as the shaking started to die down.

  “What happened?” he asked as he took a seat on the couch down by my feet.

  I hadn’t thought up an explanation as to what had indeed occurred. I didn’t even know. So I blurted out the first thing that came to mind. “I got a little light headed all the sudden. I’m not really sure.”

  He looked at me sternly for a long moment but seemed to accept my answer after a moment.

  “How long was I out?” I couldn’t even begin to guess, it could have been seconds or hours as far as I could tell.

  “Only about five minutes or so,” he answered as he stood. He walked to the kitchen and a moment later walked back with a tall glass of water and a pink, heart-shaped box.

  “Drink this,” he said as he handed me the glass and sat back down. “I was going to wait till later to give this to you.

  I didn’t think it would actually be benefiting your health,” he said with a chuckle and handed me the small box that I knew would contain chocolate. Mercifully it didn’t have any chubby-cheeked cherubs on it.

  “If your blood-sugar was low, this will help,” he explained when I gave him a confused look. “Though that seems unlikely since we had just eaten. That could be the reason you passed out.”

  “Thanks,” I said before I downed half the glass in one breath. I tried to ignore the intuitive way Alex was staring at me as I opened the box and popped a chocolate in my mouth. I extended the box toward him and, never breaking his stare, he took one.

  “Alex,” I sighed as I leaned back on the couch. “I’m fine, really. I’m not sure why I passed out all the sudden but I promise I’m ok.”

  “You gave me a scare there. We were just goofing off and then you looked at me and got this terrified expression on your face and collapsed, out cold.”

  Crap. I was hoping the terror I irrationally felt had not shown on my face. Apparently I wasn’t so lucky.

  “I think I’d feel better if you went and laid down for a while. You should get some rest.”

  My brand burned as I shook my head. “I’m fine.

  Really.”

  Alex shook his head and that mischievous grin spread on his face. Before I realized what was happening, he had scooped me into his arms, thankfully keeping me covered with the quilt, and slung me up onto his shoulder.

  “Put me down!” I shrieked as he started his descent down the stairs. “Alex!”

  “Don’t argue with me, Jessica,” he said and I could tell there was a smile on his lips. He was enjoying this. “You passed out for no good reason. You really need to take it easy for the rest of the day. Or at least a few hours.” Seeing that my pounding on his back wasn’t getting me anywhere, I fell limp and let him carry me. He ducked as he walked through the door to my apartment and again into my bedroom. He set me gently down on my bed, pausing for just a slight moment to stare into my face again.

  This time however, it was not a stare of unbelieving, searching for signs of my ill health. There was true concern there and I was surprised by the emotions that played across his face. First and foremost was the concern, but there was a hint of curiosity, and perhaps my mind was seeing things it wanted to, longing.

  After a moment that seemed to stretch on for several mixed emotional minutes, I realized I had become partially uncovered and quickly rearranged the blankets to become appropriate. As I did so, a terrifying thought hit me like a semi truck.

  “How much did you see?” I asked with a shaking voice. “When you were taking my wet things off?” If the answer to this question had not been so important I would have regretted asking it instantly by the hurt that spread on Alex’s face.

  “I like to think of myself as a gentleman, Jessica,” he said as he straightened and stood, a stiffness filling him that didn’t fit. “I didn’t look anymore than I had to. I respect you as a woman. I didn’t do anything inappropriate.”

  “Alex, no, I didn’t…” I trailed off realizing that I could not explain why I was suddenly so afraid he might have seen the brand or the impossible wings raised in my skin. “I didn’t mean it that way.”

  He relaxed slightly but the offended expression was still too present on his face. “Just a second,” he said as he slipped out the door. I heard him rummaging through some things in the family room and he came back in after just a minute.

  I was glad to see the hard expression was gone when he came back, replaced by that half smile that knew so well how to send my heart into a pathetic flutter.

  “If you need anything,” he said as he extended something to me. I rolled my eyes and laughed when I reached out and found it was a bell. “Just ring this and I’ll come running.”

  I couldn’t help but smile as I looked at it, shaking my head. “Thank you, Alex,” I said as I looked back up at him, meeting his dazzling smile.

  “You’re welcome,” he said and headed toward the window, pulling the drapes shut. He then walked to the door.

  “Get some rest,” he said as he looked back at me.

  “Please.”

  “I’ll try,” I said, truly wishing I could do as he asked.

  He gave a weak smile and just before he closed the door a thought occurred to me.

  “Alex?” Had I just imagined he snapped his head to look back at me just a little too fast? “Will you check on Sal for me? I just realized I haven’t gone to see her today.” Alex nodded his head with a soft smile then left.

  Now alone with my thoughts, I had to consider the terrifying thing that had just occurred. It would seem that I had passed out but instead of being thrown into a trial, something else had happened. I had no explanation for what occurred; I wasn’t even sure what happened. But that had never happened before.

  If there was any comfort in this terrifying curse I couldn’t escape it was that it was always the same. The final verdict may vary but the trial itself was predictable in its events and order. The fact that there was a new factor in all of this was just as terrifying as the dream itself, or whatever that was.

  After a few hours of mulling over what happened I had pretty well convinced myself not to think too much of it. It was just something my mind made up, a nightmare of my own making, a simple response to my fear of seeing Alex with wings a few moments before. And besides, no matter what it was, dreams weren’t real.

  If only I didn’t know better.

  The hours passed slowly as I knew I had to stay in my bed or have Alex carry me back down here. Twice he peeked his head through my door and I pretended to be asleep for his benefit. It was easier than arguing with him.

  In a way it was endearing. It was nice to have someone watching out for me for a change.

  At four o’clock I decided I’d rested enough. I climbed in the shower and stood under the stream till the water ran cold. The contrast in heat felt refreshing but I pulled on my warmest sweater an
d put a pair of long johns on under my jeans.

  When I found the basement empty I made my way upstairs, a delicious smell wafting through the house.

  “Am I allowed to come out now?” I said, trying to keep my face serious as I stood at the top of the stairs.

  Alex was in the kitchen again, that same silly pink and white checkered apron covering his front.

  He looked up from whatever he was stirring in a giant pot and smiled. “Ya, I guess.”

  He put a lid on the pot and wiped his hands on the apron before turning to something on a cutting board. “I hope you don’t mind having dinner a little early tonight. I was getting a kind of bored I’m afraid. I don’t much like being trapped in the house and it’s been a little too quiet for me.”

  “It didn’t have to be so quiet,” I said as I took a seat at the table to watch him.

  “Jessica,” he growled. He turned his attention to something in the oven. “I hope you don’t mind but I invited Sal to join us for dinner.”

  “And she accepted?” I took no cares to hide the shock in my voice. I had never known Sal to leave her house.

  “Yep,” he said, adding a few herbs to another pot.

  “Wow,” I muttered. “She must really like you.”

  “I was just nice to her. It took a little convincing but she didn’t give me too much trouble. Speaking of which,” he said as he glanced at the clock over the sink. “If you really are feeling better would you mind going over there and getting her? This will be done in just a minute.”

  “Sure,” I said and jumped up to retrieve my boots and coat.

  I couldn’t help but smile as I walked out the front door and saw a path had been shoveled from our door straight to Sal’s. He’d planned ahead.

  I knocked and waited for a few seconds before letting myself into Sal’s house.

  “Oh boy,” I breathed as I took the front room in.

  I had seen it worse but the place was a mess. It looked as if Sal had brought everything from all the cupboards and shelves and strewn it across the floor. Pots, pans, ancient looking phonebooks, CD cases, everything.

  “Sal?” I called as I began the search for her.

  “Ah ha!” I must have jumped two feet in the air when I heard her shout from the dining room. “Found you.” I rushed into the room just in time to see her tip over a vase and see two shiny things fall into her waiting hand.

  After setting the very expensive glass vase down, she slid the things into her ears and I realized they were earrings.

  “I’ve been looking for these for the last hour,” Sal said as she looked up at me.

  I was shocked by Sal’s appearance. Her hair was combed and even slightly curled. There were traces of makeup on her face and her clothes matched and looked like she had ironed them. I had never seen her look so put together.

  “You look very nice, Sal,” I said as I followed her out into the living room.

  “Thank you, Jessica,” she said as she began searching around in the mess. After a second she stooped and picked up a pair of shiny black dress shoes. “Is it time to go then?” I still had not gotten over the shock of how normal Sal looked as I nodded it was. Without hesitation she walked to and out the front door.

  As I walked behind Sal my mind reeled, trying to recall even one occurrence when I had seen her leave the safety of her home. I was coming up blank. When I had first met her I had suggested she go shopping with me but she nearly broke down in tears and screamed at me to leave.

  I only made that mistake twice, the second time I had been hoping the first had just been a bad day.

  Sal let herself into the house without hesitation, taking her shoes and coat off in the entryway. I had never felt underdressed around Sal until now.

  “That smells really good,” she said as she followed her nose to the kitchen.

  I followed her, still not believing what I was seeing.

  Alex had just finished setting all the dishes on the table when he looked up at us with that dazzling smile.

  “I’m glad you came, Sal,” he said as he extended an arm to her, draping it over her shoulders. I hoped he wasn’t offended when she cringed slightly. She didn’t like to be touched most of the time. Considering her past I couldn’t blame her one bit. “Happy Valentine’s Day,” he beamed.

  “Well,” he said as he clapped his hands together, his face practically beaming as he looked at each of us. “Dinner is served.”

  Being the perfect gentleman, he pulled each of our chairs out for us before sitting himself. I couldn’t help but gaze at the feast before us. Steaming plates of spaghetti and meatballs, breadsticks, a complicated and delicious looking green salad, and several bottles of sparkling cider.

  The evening passed in a blissful state of ease I had not experienced in a very long time. Alex kept the conversation light and easy and I could tell he was always mindful of Sal’s constantly changing state of mind. Sal was quiet but she looked happy. She never seemed completely relaxed but I had never seen her so, unless she was sleeping.

  As I watched the evening unfold I realized something within me was changing. Ever since Jason had so cruelly broken up with me, I had locked my heart into an ice chamber and was determined to never let anyone near it again. Without my permission, something was happening. I knew I was developing feelings for Alex. I didn’t see how I could help it though. Who wouldn’t start to fall for this overwhelmingly attractive, single, considerate, fun guy?

  Alex apologized for the simple dessert of brownies and ice cream, claiming he had run out of time to make anything fancier. It was slowly eaten as each of us had already consumed more than our limit.

  It would have been nice to simply sit back and relax for a while after all food before us was devoured but I could sense Sal was getting uneasy and eager to get back home. I was already impressed with how long she had lasted.

  “Come on, Sal,” I said as I stood. “I’ll walk you home.”

  Relief washed over her face as she walked hurriedly to the door and grabbed her coat and shoes.

  “I’ll come with you,” Alex said as he stood.

  I wouldn’t admit it to myself but I smiled just slightly when he joined us at the door and we pulled our coats on.

  It was still cold outside but did not feel any colder than it had during the day. But, below freezing was still below freezing.

  It did not take long to reach Sal’s house as she practically ran back to her front door.

  “Good-night,” we called as she practically shut the door in our faces.

  I chuckled slightly as we turned back toward the house.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  The night felt peacefully still as stars struggled to break through the clouds overhead. The soft blanket of snow that draped over everything gave it almost a warm feel. I could hear snow dropping off branches somewhere in the distance.

  Neither of us said anything as we took the short walk back. I was learning to like that about Alex, he didn’t feel the need to constantly fill the silence with talk.

  The way my body felt so constantly aware of his presence next to mine unsettled me. I had only known the man four days. I shouldn’t be having the overpowering desire to reach out and take his hand in mine so soon, or ever really. We lived together. I had serious issues that were completely out of my control. There were way too many complications that could and would arise from letting something become of my feelings.

  We were nearly to the door when the wind gusted in our faces, nearly knocking the breath from my lungs. Just as we opened the door the snow began to fall again.

  As we shoved the door closed, we both broke out into laughter as I tried to tame my hair back into order. I closed my eyes as Alex pulled strands of hair from my face, enjoying his nearness far more than I should.

  After a moment, I opened them again and was almost startled to find him still only inches away, his brilliant blue eyes staring intensely into my own.

  My breath caught in my throat as I thought he
leaned in just a fraction of an inch closer and I could see the struggle that was taking place in his eyes. My heart hammered and I silently prayed he couldn’t hear it.

  “I have something for you,” he finally breathed after an intense moment, backing away slightly and removing his coat.

  “Really?” I stammered as I took my coat and boots off, feeling suddenly embarrassed.

  “Hang on,” he said as he finished taking his outside things off, heading for the master bedroom.

  I took a seat on one of the two couches before the grand fireplace and only had to wait a short moment before he came back into the room, a thin black case in his hands.

  As he sat next to me, my heart started to hammer again in anticipation.

  “When my grandma died, she left quite the collection of sparkly things to me. Obviously I am never going to have any use for them so I’d like to give this to you.” He seemed slightly uncomfortable as he handed me the case. “I didn’t get you anything,” I said, dismay obvious in my voice, as I took the box.

  “Seriously, don’t worry about it,” he said with a chuckle. “And like I said, it’s not like I actually went out and bought something.”

  I opened the box and stared at the shiny object that lay within it. It was a bracelet, intricate and delicate. Tiny silver colored leaves wrapped up and down the entire thing, shiny jewels that looked dangerously like diamonds set between each one.

  “Alex, it’s beautiful,” I whispered as I pulled it out.

  “May I?” he asked as he reached for it. Despite the size of his hands, he had little trouble with the tiny clasp. “I thought it suited you. Kind of reminded me of you when I saw it.”

  Just before I snapped the box closed I noticed the name of the designer on the inside of the lid and a little gasp escaped my lips. I didn’t know of any designers who made higher quality or more expensive jewelry than this. It had to be worth thousands of dollars.

  “Alex, I…” the words came out stammered. “I can’t.”

  “Jessica, please don’t argue with me. I want you to have it. And really, what am I going to do with it? I hate to imagine what you might think of me if I started wearing it.” I couldn’t help but laugh aloud as that half grin broke on his face.