Page 47 of As Long As You Kiss Me

Chapter 12

Jackson placed the ladder gently against the side of the house. It made a small thumping sound. Hopefully, Mason wouldn’t hear that.

He climbed up the ladder and pulled some of the fake spiders from his pocket. He wove their little plastic legs into the screen from the outside. He would be pretty freaked out if he opened the blinds one day to see a big spider hanging out there. And if he discovered they were fake, he’d probably just think his landlord was decorating for Halloween. It was a fool proof idea.

When that little bugger was placed, he moved to the next window. So far, Mason hadn’t stirred in his apartment. They’d gotten lucky.

Sully climbed the tree she’d been in the other day. She had the noisemaker in a backpack, and when she got to the large overhanging branch nearest the house, she unzipped the bag and pulled out the black device, wedging it between the branches. It came with a little remote so they could control it from the ground. They’d decided earlier that it would be best to turn that thing on when they were ready to leave.

They both climbed back to the ground and stood facing each other.

“Have you noticed any windows open?” Sully asked. His shirt had practically swallowed her up, but it was adorable on her. She could wear anything and still be drop-dead gorgeous.

“I haven’t thought to look,” he admitted.

“I’m going to see if the front door is open.”

There was a door at the bottom of the house. He assumed they led to stairs that reached the apartment where he was staying.

Sully twisted the handle, and the door opened. “What if we planted the spider in here?” she suggested.

He poked his head inside. A flight of stairs led to a second door that must have led to his apartment. Mason must have forgotten to turn off the light because it was still on. “That’s a brilliant idea. He won’t be able to miss the spider if it’s in his stairwell.”

He turned at a crinkling noise next to him. Sully had the bag, but her hands were shaking.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“You seem a little freaked out.” Jackson didn’t want to upset her more than she seemed to be.

“I’m holding a bag with a mouse and a spider. I have every cause to be freaked out.”

He placed a hand on her arm. “Are you sure that’s all it is? You’re not scared of Mason catching us?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Okay. Then we won’t. We’ll just focus on the task at hand.”

She held the bag out to him. “Can you release them? I’m not sure I can handle it.”

“Oh, so you’re going to make me do your dirty work?” he teased.

She gave him a mischievous smile. “Are you saying you’re not man enough to handle it?”

He puffed out his chest. No one could challenge his manhood and get away with it. “Give me that bag. I have it under control.”

“I never thought you’d ask,” she gloated, handing him the crinkly sack.

But he didn’t miss the way her eyes warmed with she looked at him. She was grateful to him for taking the pet store bag, and it made it worth it to handle the critters. He unrolled the bag and peered inside, pulling out the white box the spider had been in. He opened it, and the spider was gone.

“Hey, where’d he go?”

“What?” Sully’s voice had an edge of panic to it.

“The spider isn’t here.”

Sully screamed. “It’s on your arm.”

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