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Disclaimer: All characters and events in this story are fictitious, and any similarity to a real person, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and unintended by the author. "The Pretender" is a protected trademark of MTM Television and NBC and the characters of that series are used herein with no mean intent or desire for remuneration. It is, instead, a tribute to innovative television, that rare and welcome phenomenon
Note: This is a sequel to Bodyheat Read that one first.
Propositions
Chapter 1
Terri
The night air was warm and humid, scented with cherry blossoms from the old orchard behind the two-story, stone cottage. Jarod stepped carefully through the thick shrubbery surrounding the back deck and looked around. The in-ground pool was bathed in a soft, multicolored light from hanging lanterns and he could see evidence of recent occupation. A towel lay on a lounge chair and wet footprints led from the ladder to the cottage's door.
With the crickets chirping their encouragement, he edged along the shrubs until he came to a window. Looking in, he was disappointed to find an empty room. Jarod glanced warily around the pool area again and headed for the door. His steps were cautious and he hesitated for a moment when a board from the redwood deck creaked beneath his foot. The noise seemed louder than it actually was and the crickets stopped for a few seconds before continuing their nocturnal serenade.
Jarod realized he was holding his breath and exhaled slowly as he reached for the screen door. Before he could open it, there was a clicking noise behind him and he froze, instantly recognizing that familiar sound. Jarod slowly raised his hands to show he was unarmed and turned around.
"That's a pretty big smile for someone who just threw away the rest of his life," Miss Parker informed him, her weapon aimed at the middle of his chest.
Jarod had been waiting for this moment for three months, ever since she had allowed him to escape from Raines. Nothing was going to spoil it. He looked from the gun to her and lowered his arms. She took a precautionary step back, a million questions racing through her mind.
He couldn't seem to wipe the stupid grin off of his face. Even in a thick robe with her damp hair hanging in tangles, he still found her to be incredibly sexy. He unconsciously licked his lips as his eyes roamed along her body, or what he could see of it, and she took yet another step back.
Miss Parker watched Jarod undressing her with his eyes and suddenly realized why he was here. She lowered the gun, raising her free hand to her face, suddenly quite warm and a little light-headed. As she swayed a bit, Jarod quickly stepped forward and wrapped an arm around her waist, his other hand taking the gun from her before she dropped it. He looked around, making certain they were alone, then picked he up and carried her into the cottage.
He had been in her home after escaping from the Centre. He had come here thinking she might help him, but had to change his plans when he overheard her on the phone, agreeing to track him down. She had left for the Centre immediately and he had stayed until dark, roaming from room to room, looking for anything that he could use against her later.
He passed through the den and into the living room where he set her down on the sofa. He moved unerringly to the bar and poured her a drink, wondering if he should have one too, then deciding against it. He hadn't had anything to eat in days and was running on almost no sleep. One drink would hit his system like a freight train.
Miss Parker reached for the glass as he approached her and quickly looked him over in the light. She definitely approved of his black jeans and white T-shirt, especially the way the soft cotton molded itself to him. He looked like he had lost a few pounds since their last encounter, but she wasn't going to complain about it.
"Why did you come here?" she asked, afraid she already knew the answer.
Jarod sat in front of her on the edge of an oak coffee table and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his thighs.
"We have to talk," he told her in no uncertain terms.
"Do you want to talk about how long it will take a sweeper team to get over here to pick you up?" she inquired, hoping he would just get up and leave. She should be so lucky.
He had gone over this conversation, simulated it, dozens of times, yet he suddenly found himself fumbling for the words. There was only one way to handle this; he had to just say it fast and be done.
Jarod looked down for a moment, hoping he wasn't about to make a huge mistake.
"I wanted to tell you....that I know what you did."
Miss Parker barely managed to keep her expression neutral. Maybe he was going to say something else and she could have a good laugh over it later.
She cleared her throat and looked at him.
"What I did?"
"With Raines and the drugs," Jarod replied, hoping she would catch on, realizing he was going to have to say it all.
"I know you lied about our time in the cabin. I know it really happened and I know you tried to convince me it didn't. What I don't know, is why? I need to know why."
Miss Parker had hoped this day would never come and now that it did she suddenly wished it had happened sooner. It would have saved them both a lot of heartache. She looked at the untouched drink in her hand and set it down on the table beside her.
"How did you find out?" she asked softly, not daring to look at him.
Jarod chuckled and took her hands in his, running a finger over the tips of her nails.
"Imaginary lovers don't leave scratches," he told her simply.
She looked up at him, their eyes meeting and both wanting to know what the other was thinking before revealing their own motives.
"Why did you lie to me?" he asked again. "I thought maybe--"
"I know what you were thinking, Jarod," she cut him off. "Before the sweepers showed up you were thinking that maybe I wouldn't want to chase you anymore. You were thinking we belonged together. After Raines came, you were thinking that if you were in the Centre, we could still be together." She looked at him intently. "Isn't that right?"
"Well, I'll admit I wasn't thinking about escape as hard as I should have been. And I'll admit being in the Centre wouldn't have been so bad with you there..." his voice trailed off as he realized it had been a bad idea coming here. Just because he thought about her day and night for the past three months, didn't mean she was pining away for him.
Jarod stood up, deciding it was a good idea to leave as quickly as possible. She reached up and grabbed his arm.
"Where do you think you're going?"
He looked at the hand on his arm and felt her warmth burning into him like a brand. His mind started to cloud and he shook his head to clear it.
"Away from here. This was a mistake."
She looked at him closely for the first time, noticing things she's missed earlier. He looked exhausted. The few pounds she thought he lost was more like ten, his hair was a bit longer and he was more than just a tad on the dirty side.
"When was the last time you ate or slept?"
He looked at her oddly, wondering how the conversation changed so fast.
"I ate this morning," he lied. He hadn't been especially hungry lately. He found the less he slept, the less he ate and he hadn't slept more than a few hours a night for several weeks.
Miss Parker had already made her decision and hoped she wouldn't regret it in the morning. Taking him by the hand she led him to the kitchen and sat him on a chair at the breakfast bar. She had one food item in the refrigerator that no man could pass up and as she pulled it out she noted the happy expression on Jarod's face.
"Cold pizza! I love that," he told her unnecessarily. He opened the box as she set a can of pop next to him and sat down.
She watched him eat as she tried to decide if this was a good idea or if she was letting her heart make her decisions for her. She didn't have a lot of practice doing that, so this was all new territory for her.
Note: This is a sequel to Bodyheat Read that one first.
Chapter 1
Terri
The night air was warm and humid, scented with cherry blossoms from the old orchard behind the two-story, stone cottage. Jarod stepped carefully through the thick shrubbery surrounding the back deck and looked around. The in-ground pool was bathed in a soft, multicolored light from hanging lanterns and he could see evidence of recent occupation. A towel lay on a lounge chair and wet footprints led from the ladder to the cottage's door.
With the crickets chirping their encouragement, he edged along the shrubs until he came to a window. Looking in, he was disappointed to find an empty room. Jarod glanced warily around the pool area again and headed for the door. His steps were cautious and he hesitated for a moment when a board from the redwood deck creaked beneath his foot. The noise seemed louder than it actually was and the crickets stopped for a few seconds before continuing their nocturnal serenade.
Jarod realized he was holding his breath and exhaled slowly as he reached for the screen door. Before he could open it, there was a clicking noise behind him and he froze, instantly recognizing that familiar sound. Jarod slowly raised his hands to show he was unarmed and turned around.
"That's a pretty big smile for someone who just threw away the rest of his life," Miss Parker informed him, her weapon aimed at the middle of his chest.
Jarod had been waiting for this moment for three months, ever since she had allowed him to escape from Raines. Nothing was going to spoil it. He looked from the gun to her and lowered his arms. She took a precautionary step back, a million questions racing through her mind.
He couldn't seem to wipe the stupid grin off of his face. Even in a thick robe with her damp hair hanging in tangles, he still found her to be incredibly sexy. He unconsciously licked his lips as his eyes roamed along her body, or what he could see of it, and she took yet another step back.
Miss Parker watched Jarod undressing her with his eyes and suddenly realized why he was here. She lowered the gun, raising her free hand to her face, suddenly quite warm and a little light-headed. As she swayed a bit, Jarod quickly stepped forward and wrapped an arm around her waist, his other hand taking the gun from her before she dropped it. He looked around, making certain they were alone, then picked he up and carried her into the cottage.
He had been in her home after escaping from the Centre. He had come here thinking she might help him, but had to change his plans when he overheard her on the phone, agreeing to track him down. She had left for the Centre immediately and he had stayed until dark, roaming from room to room, looking for anything that he could use against her later.
He passed through the den and into the living room where he set her down on the sofa. He moved unerringly to the bar and poured her a drink, wondering if he should have one too, then deciding against it. He hadn't had anything to eat in days and was running on almost no sleep. One drink would hit his system like a freight train.
Miss Parker reached for the glass as he approached her and quickly looked him over in the light. She definitely approved of his black jeans and white T-shirt, especially the way the soft cotton molded itself to him. He looked like he had lost a few pounds since their last encounter, but she wasn't going to complain about it.
"Why did you come here?" she asked, afraid she already knew the answer.
Jarod sat in front of her on the edge of an oak coffee table and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his thighs.
"We have to talk," he told her in no uncertain terms.
"Do you want to talk about how long it will take a sweeper team to get over here to pick you up?" she inquired, hoping he would just get up and leave. She should be so lucky.
He had gone over this conversation, simulated it, dozens of times, yet he suddenly found himself fumbling for the words. There was only one way to handle this; he had to just say it fast and be done.
Jarod looked down for a moment, hoping he wasn't about to make a huge mistake.
"I wanted to tell you....that I know what you did."
Miss Parker barely managed to keep her expression neutral. Maybe he was going to say something else and she could have a good laugh over it later.
She cleared her throat and looked at him.
"What I did?"
"With Raines and the drugs," Jarod replied, hoping she would catch on, realizing he was going to have to say it all.
"I know you lied about our time in the cabin. I know it really happened and I know you tried to convince me it didn't. What I don't know, is why? I need to know why."
Miss Parker had hoped this day would never come and now that it did she suddenly wished it had happened sooner. It would have saved them both a lot of heartache. She looked at the untouched drink in her hand and set it down on the table beside her.
"How did you find out?" she asked softly, not daring to look at him.
Jarod chuckled and took her hands in his, running a finger over the tips of her nails.
"Imaginary lovers don't leave scratches," he told her simply.
She looked up at him, their eyes meeting and both wanting to know what the other was thinking before revealing their own motives.
"Why did you lie to me?" he asked again. "I thought maybe--"
"I know what you were thinking, Jarod," she cut him off. "Before the sweepers showed up you were thinking that maybe I wouldn't want to chase you anymore. You were thinking we belonged together. After Raines came, you were thinking that if you were in the Centre, we could still be together." She looked at him intently. "Isn't that right?"
"Well, I'll admit I wasn't thinking about escape as hard as I should have been. And I'll admit being in the Centre wouldn't have been so bad with you there..." his voice trailed off as he realized it had been a bad idea coming here. Just because he thought about her day and night for the past three months, didn't mean she was pining away for him.
Jarod stood up, deciding it was a good idea to leave as quickly as possible. She reached up and grabbed his arm.
"Where do you think you're going?"
He looked at the hand on his arm and felt her warmth burning into him like a brand. His mind started to cloud and he shook his head to clear it.
"Away from here. This was a mistake."
She looked at him closely for the first time, noticing things she's missed earlier. He looked exhausted. The few pounds she thought he lost was more like ten, his hair was a bit longer and he was more than just a tad on the dirty side.
"When was the last time you ate or slept?"
He looked at her oddly, wondering how the conversation changed so fast.
"I ate this morning," he lied. He hadn't been especially hungry lately. He found the less he slept, the less he ate and he hadn't slept more than a few hours a night for several weeks.
Miss Parker had already made her decision and hoped she wouldn't regret it in the morning. Taking him by the hand she led him to the kitchen and sat him on a chair at the breakfast bar. She had one food item in the refrigerator that no man could pass up and as she pulled it out she noted the happy expression on Jarod's face.
"Cold pizza! I love that," he told her unnecessarily. He opened the box as she set a can of pop next to him and sat down.
She watched him eat as she tried to decide if this was a good idea or if she was letting her heart make her decisions for her. She didn't have a lot of practice doing that, so this was all new territory for her.
