Deadly Valentine by Jenna Harte Read Free Book Online Page B

to drink, he noticed a fish bowl.
    "Who are you?" he said as he peered at the bluish-red fish swimming in bowl. The fish paid little attention as it darted through the water. Jack wondered what it was doing. Except for some colored rocks, there was nothing in the bowl to entertain the fish.
    "To bad you can't talk," he said. "I'd like to know if your owner is usually so difficult or is it just me?" She couldn't be mad at him. Not still. But wasn't that like a woman to be mad and not let the man explain or even know why she was mad.
    He put his glass in the sink and made his way back to the living area. As he passed through her dining area he noticed her iPod sitting by her laptop.
    "What are you listening to these days, Tess?" he asked. She'd been an old R&B fan when he'd last seen her. He scrolled through her playlist and found that that hadn't changed. Barry White. Chaka Khan. Ray Charles. Aretha Franklin. Marvin Gaye. He was more of a rock music kind of guy himself, but always willing to try out different musical sounds. He clicked on Marvin Gaye to see what songs she had. "No sexual healing," he said naming one of the only two songs he knew Marvin had done. It did have "Let's Get it On" and some song called "You Sure Love to Ball". His lips curved upward at the idea that Tess' new cool demeanor covered up the warm sensual side he'd remembered.
    Curious, he pulled his ear buds from the iPhone in his pocket and slipped them into her iPod. He clicked on the song as he moved back to the couch. Grabbing the throw blanket folded over the back of the couch, he lay down. The couch and the blanket were too short for his large frame. Adjusting the pillows, and putting his feet on the armrest, he settled in to listen to Marvin's smooth voice asking his lady to turn around so that he could love her.
    He wondered what it would take to have Tess allow him to love her, not just physically, but emotionally as well. Before he could find out though, he needed to be upfront with her, which meant coming clean and confessing what he'd done to Asa earlier that night.
     

Chapter Nine
     
    Tess rolled over and willed the room to stop spinning. Opening her eyes to get her bearings, she saw the ice covered yard through the sliding doors of her bedroom. Jefferson Tavern, Virginia was known for its brilliant spring flowers and autumn leaves, but the guide books failed to mention its worst attribute, February. To Tess, February in Jefferson Tavern was like a month full of Mondays. It was dark, cold, and endless despite its being only 28 days. The trees stood like dead twigs ready to break as the ice coated the branches. The dormant grass, lush and green for most of the year, now looked as peaked as she felt. Then there was the sleet. It had taken some time for Tess to remember the difference between sleet and freezing rain. Sleet, she determined, was like Slurpees falling from the sky only without color or taste.
    The thought of Slurpees sent her stomach tumbling again. Scrambling from her bed, she made it to the bathroom just in time. When the nausea subsided, she leaned against the cast iron tub wondering if she should make an attempt to get back in bed or stay where she was, toilet at the ready. As nice as her newly remodeled bathroom with the vintage tile and original tub was, the idea of spending the day on her bathroom floor seemed pathetic.
    Instead she forced herself to stand and made her way to the kitchen to make tea. While the weather outside was cold and dreary, inside her home was warm and cozy. Tess loved her home. The location couldn't be beat as it was within walking distance to the historic downtown area and her office.
    Jefferson Tavern was founded in the 1700's and like many pre-revolutionary towns in Virginia, it preserved much of its architectural history. Tess' house wasn't as old, but the 1940's bungalow style home retained its original charm with its crown molding and arched doorways.
    Buying the home a year ago had been a