“David Erickson?”
“Yes,” Crystal replied. She looked at his face again, but her mind now saw Mark and Devon . What the hell was she going to do? She looked at Jack. “Can we go?”
“You bet.” He thanked the officer and led her back up the stairs and out into the cold fresh air.
Crystal took a few deep breaths and then lit a cigarette to calm herself.
“You’re handling this better than I expected.” Jack leaned against his Explorer and watched her.
She shrugged. “I didn’t love him. I didn’t even care that much about him, except for Mark and Devon . I just don’t know what we’re going to do now.”
“Don’t think about that yet. Let’s get something to eat, and then maybe we can talk.”
“Okay,” she agreed, and stomped out her cigarette before getting in the truck.
Jack took her to a nice Italian restaurant, where they ate pasta and salad and tried to have a normal conversation. The gloom of the morgue hung over them like a pall. He tried to joke with her, but Crystal wasn’t feeling very cheerful. She had no idea what she'd tell the boys, or what she was going to do with them. It nagged at her as they walked out to Jack’s Explorer.
He reached to open the door for her, but Crystal grabbed him first and pulled him by the lapels of his jacket to face her. They gazed into each other's eyes for a moment. She sensed his hesitation and the subtle shift to surrender as he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her tenderly. A little whimper caught in her throat as his movements changed from gentle to something much more fierce and primal. She returned his kisses with ardor.
Jack backed her up against the truck and pressed his body into hers. She felt his body heat and the firm ridge of his desire nudging her belly. She squirmed against him, wanting to get as close as she could with two layers of clothing between them.
Jack kissed her one last time and then pulled away. He grinned at her slyly. “Is it a blessing or a curse that we don’t have more time?” He looked at his watch and then showed her the face. The boys would be out of school by the time they drove back.
“Definitely a curse,” she rubbed her hands over his face and down over his chest. “I really want to be with you.”
He chuckled. “What you said, times a hundred.” He kissed the back of her hand, and smiled as he let her go.
They got in the truck and she couldn’t resist leaning in for one more kiss. They fogged up the windows as they kissed for a few more minutes. Jack finally pulled back with a look of regret. “We really need to leave if we’re going to get the boys on time.”
“I know. Let’s go,” she murmured and touched her hand to her cheek. She already missed the rough scrape of his chin on hers. She wanted more time. Time to explore the complexities of him. Time let him explore every inch of her. She tingled at the very idea.
He turned the defroster on high to melt some of the fog on the inside of the windows. Crystal smiled and lit up a smoke. She glanced at him sideways. “Thanks for being here today for me, Jack. You’re my hero.”
He chuckled and gave her a wink.
It was a long hour’s drive back, and they didn’t talk much. When they were almost home she said, “I just don’t know what I’m going to do with the boys. I have to tell them about Dave. They’re going to want answers from me about what’s going to happen to them. How can I give them answers I don’t have?”
“I don’t know. But I was thinking that we don’t have to tell them about Dave today.”
“You think? I figured I should probably tell them right away.”
“Another couple of days won’t hurt anything. Let’s give it a little time and see what happens.”
“Time,” she murmured. “Why does it feel like my enemy as well as my friend?”
He glanced at her, and she could tell by the expression on his face he’d do anything to figure out that puzzle for her.
The boys were headed for the diner when
“Yes,” Crystal replied. She looked at his face again, but her mind now saw Mark and Devon . What the hell was she going to do? She looked at Jack. “Can we go?”
“You bet.” He thanked the officer and led her back up the stairs and out into the cold fresh air.
Crystal took a few deep breaths and then lit a cigarette to calm herself.
“You’re handling this better than I expected.” Jack leaned against his Explorer and watched her.
She shrugged. “I didn’t love him. I didn’t even care that much about him, except for Mark and Devon . I just don’t know what we’re going to do now.”
“Don’t think about that yet. Let’s get something to eat, and then maybe we can talk.”
“Okay,” she agreed, and stomped out her cigarette before getting in the truck.
Jack took her to a nice Italian restaurant, where they ate pasta and salad and tried to have a normal conversation. The gloom of the morgue hung over them like a pall. He tried to joke with her, but Crystal wasn’t feeling very cheerful. She had no idea what she'd tell the boys, or what she was going to do with them. It nagged at her as they walked out to Jack’s Explorer.
He reached to open the door for her, but Crystal grabbed him first and pulled him by the lapels of his jacket to face her. They gazed into each other's eyes for a moment. She sensed his hesitation and the subtle shift to surrender as he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her tenderly. A little whimper caught in her throat as his movements changed from gentle to something much more fierce and primal. She returned his kisses with ardor.
Jack backed her up against the truck and pressed his body into hers. She felt his body heat and the firm ridge of his desire nudging her belly. She squirmed against him, wanting to get as close as she could with two layers of clothing between them.
Jack kissed her one last time and then pulled away. He grinned at her slyly. “Is it a blessing or a curse that we don’t have more time?” He looked at his watch and then showed her the face. The boys would be out of school by the time they drove back.
“Definitely a curse,” she rubbed her hands over his face and down over his chest. “I really want to be with you.”
He chuckled. “What you said, times a hundred.” He kissed the back of her hand, and smiled as he let her go.
They got in the truck and she couldn’t resist leaning in for one more kiss. They fogged up the windows as they kissed for a few more minutes. Jack finally pulled back with a look of regret. “We really need to leave if we’re going to get the boys on time.”
“I know. Let’s go,” she murmured and touched her hand to her cheek. She already missed the rough scrape of his chin on hers. She wanted more time. Time to explore the complexities of him. Time let him explore every inch of her. She tingled at the very idea.
He turned the defroster on high to melt some of the fog on the inside of the windows. Crystal smiled and lit up a smoke. She glanced at him sideways. “Thanks for being here today for me, Jack. You’re my hero.”
He chuckled and gave her a wink.
It was a long hour’s drive back, and they didn’t talk much. When they were almost home she said, “I just don’t know what I’m going to do with the boys. I have to tell them about Dave. They’re going to want answers from me about what’s going to happen to them. How can I give them answers I don’t have?”
“I don’t know. But I was thinking that we don’t have to tell them about Dave today.”
“You think? I figured I should probably tell them right away.”
“Another couple of days won’t hurt anything. Let’s give it a little time and see what happens.”
“Time,” she murmured. “Why does it feel like my enemy as well as my friend?”
He glanced at her, and she could tell by the expression on his face he’d do anything to figure out that puzzle for her.
The boys were headed for the diner when
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