Page 251 of Under Her Skin
Jules had been browsingaround a flea market on one of the islands when he found it, the small ornate weapon. The blade was old, dirty but salvageable, the handle metal, encrusted with amethyst and rose quartz. He'd nodded to the stall owner, watched him wrap it in growing excitement. Now, at home, he had cleaned, polished and sharpened the long thin blade. Holding it up, he bounced the light from it into his eyes. And smiled. He imagining it tearing through Jess’s skin, slicing through the arteries and veins that held the precious blood inside ofher.
He poured himself a cup of too strong black coffee, gulped it back, savoring the feel of the harsh taste on the back of his throat. He was impatient for all the things he had planned. He wanted them to happen right now. He thought of her, what she might be doing. Maybe fucking that bastard, all trembling honey-skinned limbs, perfect mouth, happy, alive, so far removed from him as was possible. Still belonging to someone else. He smirked: the new friendship he’d made would help with that. Theodore Storm’s mamma. He’d struck up a conversation with her at the Farmer’s Market, helped her with her groceries. Easy, too easy. With his hair bleached so it was almost white, his beard too and colored contacts, he looked nothing like the suave Frenchman everyone was looking for. Fools. He knew she would know him though. HisJessica.
With a familiar achein his groin, he went and took a shower, jerking off with long, angry strokes. He forced himself to focus, made a conscious switch in his mind. He could not let anything interfere. The next days were to be his greatest achievement and for himself, well, he would receive the greatest prize for the moment the knife slid into her body, she would be his. As his orgasm shattered through him, he sobbed out his longing and his rage until he was utterlyspent.
Whidbey Island Farmer’sMarket was busy, even for a Saturday morning, but Jess didn’t care. The amount of fresh produce and arts and crafts meant that Jess and Amelia didn’t even notice the time flying by. Amelia was impressed with Jess’s knowledge of cookery and produce and in turn, Jess found herself enjoying the older woman’s company. Afterward, they grabbed a bite to eat in a little bar Ameliaused.
‘So… a party,’ She prompted Amelia then took a huge bite of her club BLT sandwich, moaning with delight as the juices from the tomato mixed with the mayonnaise, dripping from her fingers. Amelia smiled indulgently at her. She had become very fond of her future daughter-in-law, her humor, her intelligence, her love for Theo. And thank god, she actually enjoyed her food. Most of the friends Amelia dined with picked at a plate of asparagus. With Jess, Amelia could indulge once in awhile.
‘Yes, I thought it would be nice – and seeing as you’re not letting me have my over-the-top society wedding, then I thought we could make the party a little formal, invite some names from the businessworld.’
Jess sighed inwardly but smiled her agreement. She knew entering Theo’s society world would involve this kind of glad-handing and she couldn’t complain. Up until now, he’d kept things low key. She couldn’t let Ameliadown.
‘Of course, that soundsgreat.’
Amelia chuckled and Jess thought suddenly how Theo resembled her, the fine cheeks bones, the face that could go from haughtily aloof to crumpled and filled with laughter in aninstant.
‘Sat that like you mean it, kid. Seriously, though, you don’t have to worry about anything, I’ll arrange it all. All you have to do is turn up and look stunning, which shouldn’t be too hard foryou.’
Jess raised her eyebrows. ‘Well, I don’t know, I mean you can take the girl out of the trailerpark…’
Amelia laughed but made a moue with her mouth. ‘You do that a lot, Jessie, put yourself down. We Storms don’t do that and you are one of usnow.’
Jess flushed and grinned. ‘You are too good to me,Amelia.’
‘Mom.’
‘Mom,’ Jess said shyly and laughed. ‘I’ll have to get used tothat.’
After lunch, they headed down to Amelia’s favorite whole foods store and wandered leisurely through the aisles, chatting. Neither of them paid any attention to the blond man with the cap followingthem.
Jules gotas close as he could to them without her noticing. Every time Jessica half turned to speak to Amelia Storm, he would duck back into another aisle but so far, he’d been able to keep up with them. He enjoyed the secrecy, the thrill of discovery. The knife he’d bought at the flea market was in his pocket, newly sharpened. Even knowing it was there was making himhard.
‘Hey,buddy.’
He turned, thankfully out of sight of the women, to face the boy who’d called him. The kid was seventeen at the most, insolently chewing gum. He stank of weed and dried spunk – typical teenager. Jules turned away but the kid grabbed hisarm.
‘Ain’t I seen yousomewhere?’
Jules smiled coolly. ‘In the fresh produceaisle.’
The sarcasm didn’t bother the kid who laughed as if Jules had made the funniest joke ever. As high asfuck.
‘Nah, man. I mean, on thet.v.’
Fuck. ‘Nope. Never been ont.v.’
‘Yousure?’
‘Pretty sure,guy.’
The kid lost interest. ‘Okay, well, sorry to botheryou.’
Jules turned back, away from him – and straight into the eye-line of Amelia Storm. She smiledbrightly.
‘Clem! How lovely to see youagain.’
‘You too, Ms. Storm.’ Ugh. Pretending to be subservient to this rich bitch made him want to throw up. His eyes darted quickly from side to side. Where the hell was Jessica? If she saw him now… he fingered the knife in hispocket.
