Page 1 of Deadly Conflicts

1

One

“Will you help me?”

Jake Harrison glanced up from the blue tape he was affixing to the wood trim in his basement and focused on his girlfriend. Ally Hardy was many things. She was beautiful, with long brown waves that cascaded past her shoulders and expressive brown eyes. She had a smile that could light up an entire room, or turn men into drooling maniacs. She had a mouth like a sailor (which he enjoyed when it was just the two of them alone in their bedroom at night). She was rarely one to ask for help, though. Sure, she would wheedle and cajole whenever the mood struck, but she seldom came right out and asked for help.

“Sure,” Jake said, leaving his task and moving to Ally’s side as she stretched out a canvas to cover the couch. They were upgrading their basement – which included a fresh coat of paint – and they were getting everything ready so Ally’s brothers could help Jake tackle the task in a few hours.

Jake grabbed one end of the canvas and held it as Ally tugged on the other to get it in an appropriate position. They draped it over the couch and when finished, Jake shuffled to Ally’s side and slipped his arm around her waist before giving her a kiss.

Ally’s eyes widened as they shifted in his direction. “What was that for?”

“Can’t a man just want to kiss his girlfriend?”

“Yes, but you usually don’t kiss me when you’re being a slave driver.”

Jake chuckled. She was dramatic. When they first got together he worried that theatrical flair would ultimately be what drove them apart. Now he adored it and only found it annoying on rare occasions. “I’m not being a slave driver,” he said. “You were the one who insisted we needed to paint the basement. That means work has to be done. You can’t just snap your fingers and make it magically happen.”

“Oh, that’s too bad,” Ally said, jutting her lower lip out. “That would be a great power to have. I could be a genie and live in a pretty bottle.”

“And I’m a big fan of the outfit,” Jake teased, wrinkling his nose as he tugged her closer. “I also like the idea of you having to do whatever I want.”

Ally made a face that was supposed to be stern, but Jake found it adorable. “So … what? Are you saying you would prefer I do every single thing that you want when you want it? Every little thing?” Ally ran the tip of her finger down the center of Jake’s bare chest. It was early summer in Michigan, which meant it was warm but not hot yet, and the duo managed to work up a sweat toiling on household chores.

Jake involuntarily shuddered at Ally’s touch. “I have a few ideas for wishes.”

“So, no mind of my own, huh?” Ally looked mildly disappointed.

“I didn’t say that,” Jake countered. “I said I have a few ideas for wishes I want you to grant. I also have a few images of a specific outfit in my head and now I just can’t shake it. I prefer a mouthy woman, though.”

Ally pressed her lips together in an effort to keep from laughing – but ultimately failed. “So you want me to mouth off while granting you wishes?”

“You have no idea how much I want that,” Jake said, laughing as he pulled Ally close and pressed a firm kiss to her mouth. “Too bad it’s not October. I think we know what your Halloween costume will be this year, though.”

“Ah, ye of little faith,” Ally said, shaking her head as she playfully clenched Jake’s butt into her hands and gave it a good squeeze. “I have no doubt I can find exactly the costume you’re looking for.”

“Ah, I see my little wish granter is rubbing something besides a lamp, huh?” Jake looked intrigued at the prospect as he darted a quick look at the clock on the wall. “We have an hour before your brothers get here. That’s plenty of time. Rub away and start wishing, angel.”

Jake slammed his mouth against Ally’s, eliciting a soft moan as he swept her toward his chest. It was only when they came up for air a few moments later that Jake noticed Ally’s flushed features and furtive eyes.

“Let’s go to the bedroom,” Jake whispered, brushing his lips against Ally’s cheek. “I have plans for you.”

“I have plans for you, too,” Ally said, taking a step away from her boyfriend and causing him to frown. “They’re for tonight, though.”

“There’s no rule that says we can’t do both,” Jake pointed out, extending his hand. “Join me on the wild side.”

Ally looked torn instead of pleased, causing Jake to furrow his brow. “I can’t.”

Jake was suspicious. Painting day had been on the books for more than a month. She was up to something. “Why not?” Jake adopted a reasonable tone even though he was ready to pounce. He had a sneaking suspicion Ally was about to weasel out of work they both agreed they needed to complete if they wanted to make their house a true home.

“Because … um … Mandy called and she needs to spend time with me so I promised we could go somewhere alone to talk,” Ally blurted out.

She was a terrible liar. Jake liked that about her. He appreciated her effort on some occasions, though. This was not one of them. “Mandy, huh?” Jake ran his tongue over his teeth as he debated how to proceed. Mandy Avery-Hardy was Ally’s best friend from childhood and now her sister-in-law to boot. She married Ally’s oldest brother, James, more than a year before. Whenever Ally was cooking up mischief, she opted to include Mandy. That was metaphorical cooking, of course. Mandy was a menace in the kitchen and Ally was too bossy to allow anyone else to help her when she decided to play chef. “And why does Mandy need to spend time with you?”

Ally wet her lips, surprised Jake questioned her on the matter. “It’s female stuff. You know … that time of the month.”

Now it was Jake’s turn to make a face. Whenever Ally wanted to make him uncomfortable and distract him she mentioned “female stuff.” As if that was supposed to be a deterrent. “You realize I grew up with sisters, right?”