Page 42 of Sinister Secrets

I glance up and find him grinning at me. Smiling back, I nudge his leg with mine. “Focus.”

“I am.”

“I meant on finishing your email.”

I silence his reply with a look that bears a silent promise. He makes a low sound in the back of his throat, but goes back to typing, keeping his arm propped on top of my bent legs that I’ve tucked up against him.

Closing my eyes, I let thoughts of what’s to come erase the stress and frustration of the day from my mind. The only sound is the soft tapping of his fingers on the keys. It’s so peaceful that in this moment, I can almost believe that everything will be all right. So quiet that the beeps as the code is punched into the keypad on the door seem overwhelmingly loud. Jake curses under his breath as the clunk of the deadbolt follows.

“Hey, guys.” Chelsea comes in and flops onto the loveseat. “Whatcha doing?”

“We were just getting ready to go to bed,” Jake says.

“Oh, come on. It’s still early.”

She flips over onto her belly to face us, groaning as she stretches, reaching for the table. Gives a victory cry as her fingers curl around the remote. A second later, the TV blares to life, much louder than either Jake or I would ever watch it, which lets me know she must have been in the house earlier.

I’m not quite sure why the thought of that bothers me so much. I gave her the code. It shouldn’t be a big deal. So why does it feel like it is? Or am I just cranky because I’m overwhelmed with stress right now and unfairly placing the blame on her?

Jake sighs, the loss of his arm as he closes his laptop and stands leaving a cold spot on my skin. “You coming?” he asks, holding his hand out for mine.

“Yeah, I’ll be there in a minute.”

I wait until he leaves, then grab the remote from the table and turn the volume down. “So, how was your first day?”

“It was great! The goat is so cute.”

“Did you have any issues?”

“No,” she says, eyes glued to the TV.

“I’d noticed some of the waters hadn’t been done.”

“Are you sure? Maybe the raccoon dirtied them up.”

Or maybe she got sidetracked. Both zebras had braids in their manes and fresh water. Hildegard, the cow, had a wilted daisy chain around her neck and fresh water. Stephano’s belly looked extra rounded, like he might have had more snacks than usual, and he had fresh water. But Sam Mule and the pigs? No signs of special attention, and it was clear their waters hadn’t been done.

“Maybe. But please make sure to check the waters as often as possible. I know not all the animals are as fun as some of the others, but in this heat, it’s really important.”

Her rounded gaze shifts from the screen to me. “Of course. I’d never want any of them to have anything but the best care. Tomorrow I’ll make sure to check every time I’m in there.”

“That would be great, thank you.” She gives me a sweet smile as I stand. “You’ll make sure to lock up when you leave?”

“You got it.”

I’ve just made it down the hallway when the volume rises behind me. Closing my eyes, I take a moment, draw a deep breath, then slip inside the bedroom just as Jake’s tucking his laptop into its case.

“All done?” I ask.

“With that.”

He gives me the grin I’ve been waiting all day to see. Crosses the room to meet me, his hands sliding low across my back. Leans down to kiss me, teasing me with his slowness, his mouth hovering above mine. Just as our lips meet, there’s an explosion on the TV so loud that the window rattles and we both flinch.

“Should I go tell her to turn it down?” I ask.

“No. Not yet.” He gives me a wicked look as he adds, “At least with it turned up—”

A knock sounds on the door. “Sorry about that, guys. I’ll put it on mute and watch it with captions so it doesn’t happen again.”