One kind touch, p.27
One Kind Touch, page 27
Dena waited for Carter to load the game. When a graphic of Dena the Destroyer came up on the TV screen, she laughed. “Damn, I look good.”
“As promised,” Carter said.
“Do I get to play her?” Dena wiggled the controller.
“Yes, you be her,” Carter said. “And I’ll be...” A second later, a character named Carter the Conqueror stood beside Dena the Destroyer.
“Oh,” Dena got the edge of the couch cushion, “he’s hot.”
“And apparently has better eyesight than the real Carter,” Rohen said.
“What kind of conqueror wears glasses?” Carter picked up the other controller. “That’s the beauty of video games. You can be a better version of yourself.”
Dena leaned over to bump her shoulder against Carter’s. She dropped a light kiss on his cheek. “I happen to love this version right here.”
“Thanks, beautiful.” Carter gave her a quick one-armed hug.
“Do you want to make out?” Rohen asked. “I can close my eyes.”
Carter looked around Dena to see Rohen. “You know one of these times I’m going to answer yes to that, so you’d better be prepared.”
Rohen gave him a thumbs up then went back to petting Theo’s soft, white fur.
“How do we play this game?” Dena asked.
“First of all, we get our shoulders out of our ears.” Carter pressed his hand on her left shoulder.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I get nervous playing video games.”
“No reason to get nervous. This is about fun.” Carter hit start.
“Wait!” Dena shouted. “You didn’t explain how to play yet.”
“It’s pretty intuitive,” Carter said. “You’ll get the hang of it.”
A path through a wooded scene opened up in front of the two characters on the screen and Dena hit up on the controller to make Dena the Destroyer walk beside Carter the Conqueror.
“Are things going to jump out of the woods at us?” Dena chewed on her bottom lip as her eyes scanned the trees on either side of the path.
“Relax, Dena,” Carter said. “Keep walking for right now.”
“I want to be ready to kick some ass.” She bounced a little on the couch cushion. “Are we playing against each other or together?”
“Together,” Carter said. “Always together.”
“Okay, what’s our objective?”
“So many questions,” Rohen said.
Dena elbowed him lightly. “I have no idea what I’m doing.”
The path led to a clearing in the woods. Orange-gold light filtered into the space as it appeared to be almost sunset. A gazebo made of tree limbs stood in the center of the clearing. Gorgeous white flowers on a vine garland wound around the entire structure.
“Oh, that’s so pretty,” Dena said.
Carter the Conqueror took Dena the Destroyer’s hand.
“Hey, how did you do that?” Dena looked down at the controller. “What did you press?”
“Hang on a minute,” Carter said, putting his hand over hers so she couldn’t press anything. “Just watch.”
Dena focused her gaze on the TV screen. Both characters walked to the gazebo without either she or Carter doing anything on their controllers. Once in the gazebo, the orange-gold glow gave way to pink, then purple, and finally a shadowy black. Fireflies flickered greenish-yellow around the dark silhouettes of trees then tiny white bulbs illuminated the gazebo.
Where Carter the Conqueror was now on one knee before Dena the Destroyer.
Suddenly Dena realized they weren’t playing a game at all.
Carter hit his controller once and text appeared next to his character, which he read aloud to her. “I love you so much, Dena the Destroyer. You’ve destroyed the loneliness I felt and filled my world with more happiness than I thought possible. I want you by my side for all our quests. Will you marry me?”
More text popped up at the bottom of the screen that said, Press A for Yes, B for Yes.
“I didn’t make a No option,” Carter whispered in her ear.
“Oh, Carter, I don’t need a No option.” She hit A then launched herself at him.
He fell against the back of the couch and wrapped his arms around her.
“You should definitely make out now,” Rohen said, laughing. “Theo and I will both close our eyes.”
Carter didn’t waste a moment. He pressed his mouth to hers and they shared their first kiss as an engaged couple.
“I love you, Carter,” Dena said when they had to come up for air. “Consider me conquered.”
“Conquering will come later,” Carter whispered. He hit a button on his controller and used his finger to turn Dena’s head toward the TV screen.
Dena the Destroyer scooped up Carter the Conqueror in her arms, making them all laugh as they watched from the couch. She carried Carter the Conqueror down the path as the moon shined above them and stars twinkled in the sky.
The text beneath the characters read, A new quest awaits.
“I think I won my first video game,” Dena said.
And it was one she was so glad she’d played.
If you enjoyed One Kind Touch,
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Thank you!
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Books in the One Kind Deed Series
Contemporary Romance
One Kind Heart (Book One)
One Kind Kiss (Book Two)
One Kind Touch (Book Three)
Check www.christinedepetrillo.weebly.com for release dates
on books in this series.
Read on for a sneak peek at One Kind Ride!
Sneak Peak at One Kind Ride
Chapter One
“But there has to be another flight besides the one I booked and missed.” Jacy Brenton took a deep breath and gripped the edge of the counter separating her from the airport personnel. If she didn’t get back to Maplehaven, Vermont for her parents’ fortieth wedding anniversary party, she was going to get kicked out of the Brenton family.
Sure, her trip to New Orleans to hang with her old college friend, Claire, had been fantastic—that was why she’d extended her stay for two more days—but now she regretted leaving Maplehaven when she had. She should have waited until after the party.
“There is another flight. This one.” The airport worker pointed to the gate across from the counter. “But this flight is sold out. Everything to Vermont for today is sold out as I’ve told you.”
“But it wasn’t my fault my first flight out of New Orleans to Baltimore was delayed due to thunderstorms.” Jacy slumped her body against the counter, knowing full well she was whining. As the youngest in her family—even if it was only by being born a minute after her twin sister, Dena—she excelled at wearing the brat persona when necessary. Not being able to get home seemed like a brat-worthy application.
“I understand that, Miss Brenton,” the airport worker said, “but I literally don’t have a free seat on anything heading north right now.” She typed for a second on her keyboard, squinted at her monitor, then shook her head. “The earliest flight I have headed to Burlington is tomorrow at 10:15 a.m. Can I book that for you?”
Jacy straightened to her full height though what she really wanted to do was throw herself to the floor and pitch a fit. “Yeah, go ahead.” She’d miss the party tonight, but she still needed to get home so Dena could choke her.
“We’re sorry for the inconvenience,” the worker said. “Can I upgrade you to first class on that 10:15 flight for free?”
“Sure. Thanks.” She could appreciate the airline’s attempt to keep her happy.
Even if she wasn’t happy. At all.
Dena and her brother, Dakota, were going to kill her when they found out she wasn’t going to make it home in time for the party. If any of the three of them were going to screw up though, it was her. Dena was far too organized to make a blunder like this one, and Dakota was Maplehaven’s Golden Boy who did no wrong. Only Jacy would have tossed caution aside and stayed in New Orleans to party as if she were back in college.
But damn, it’s been so much fun.
Making the phone call to Dena, however, would not be fun.
She accepted the ticket from the airport worker for tomorrow and found a seat among the passengers waiting to board the flight. Her flight. The only one that would rescue her from this mess. Man, her parents would be so disappointed. Family was the number one thing with them. How would she make this up to them?
Sighing, she pulled out her cell phone and hit Dena’s contact. While it rang, she glanced around at the waiting passengers. A wide variety of people took up the space and dozens of different conversations combined into a dull hum. A hum she wouldn’t be traveling with because these people were all leaving in about fifteen minutes while she had to wait until tomorrow morning. She’d have to get a room at the hotel across the street from the airport. She’d have to find somewhere to eat. She’d have to spend a night where guilt was her only company.
“Shouldn’t you be in the air?” Dena asked when she answered.
“Umm... yeah. About that.” Jacy pinched the bridge of her nose. “My flight out of New Orleans was delayed due to thunderstorms which made me miss my flight out of Baltimore to Burlington. I can’t get a flight to Vermont until tomorrow morning.”
“Tomorrow morning!” Dena’s voice screeched in Jacy’s ear. “We’ve had this party planned since December! It’s May now. You knew it was coming!”
Well, this is going as expected.
“I know, I know,” Jacy said.
“Why didn’t you come home two days ago as planned?” Dena’s voice had all the tone of the older, more mature sister. The tone that—on occasion—got right under Jacy’s skin. Not often. Generally speaking she got along famously with her twin and Dakota, but every once in a while, Jacy reached her limit.
Right now was one of those times. Add in that nothing exciting ever happened in Maplehaven, not to Jacy anyway, and a fortieth wedding anniversary party was a huge deal. God, she hated feeling so powerless. Why hadn’t teleportation been invented yet?
“Look, Dena, I was having some fun away from home. Some fun I deserved. I work just as hard as you do and earned that vacation time.”
“Easy, Jacy. No one is saying you didn’t deserve a vacation. You absolutely did, but it could have been timed better is all. Mom and Dad will miss you at their big party. We’ll all miss you.”
Shit. Why did Dena have to say stuff that made it impossible to stay mad at her?
“I know. I feel like scum about all this.” Jacy ran her hand through her long, brown hair, wanting to yank it out in frustration. “You can video conference me in and I’ll say hello to everyone.”
“Or you could take my seat,” a deep, gravelly voice from her right said.
Jacy turned to face the man seated beside her. Had he been there this entire time? Had he been listening to her conversation?
Had he offered her his seat?
“Excuse me?” She gave him a quick once-over, her gaze immediately zooming in on muscled arms full of tattoos. That was hot. His reddish-blond hair was buzz cut military short to his skull and a trimmed beard surrounded his mouth and jaw. A pair of dark sunglasses hung on the collar of his army-green T-shirt, which left his eyes uncovered for Jacy to see.
Bright and blue and stony.
Nonetheless, he’d offered her his seat, right?
“If you need to get on this flight,” he began, “you can have my ticket. I’m not in any rush, but it appears you are.” He gestured to her phone with his big hand. A really big hand. But something wasn’t right with the skin on his palm. It was puckered and scarred.
And the moment he noticed that she noticed, he dropped his hand to rest on his denim-covered thigh. Palm down.
“I can’t take your ticket,” she said, but she could hear the hope in her voice.
A low rumble came from his throat as if he were losing his patience. Already? They’d only conversed for mere moments. “Look, lady. I’m offering you my seat on that plane.” He pointed to the airplane clearly visible attached to the gate now. “If you want it, take it. If you don’t, enjoy your night in Baltimore.”
He reached between his knees and grabbed a camouflage-print duffel bag. Standing, he hoisted the bag to his shoulder and glanced down to her.
“I can walk to the gate or to the ticket counter,” he said. “Choice is yours.”
Dena’s voice finally registered in her ear. “JACY! What is happening?”
Right. She was still on the phone. With a look up to this... this savior, Jacy said, “I’m coming home today. Don’t tell Mom and Dad I almost didn’t make it. Or Dakota.” She tapped the screen before Dena could say more and stood. “I’ll take your ticket, Mister...”
But he was already walking toward the ticket counter so Jacy grabbed her suitcase and chased after him. His big, black combat boots brought his long legs to the counter in record time. When Jacy came to stand beside him, she found he was taller than her five-foot-eight-inch height. He was probably nearer to six-foot-three, using Dakota and his best friend, Noah, as reference heights. He appeared to be well in control of all that toned body and he smelled good too. Like soap and... hero.
Within a matter of minutes, he wiggled a ticket at her. “Well, go on. Take it.”
Shit. How long had he been waving it at her as she checked him out?
“Thanks.” She let one of the straps of her purse fall off her shoulder and pulled out her wallet. “Let me pay you for this.”
He shook his head. “No need. I swapped it for your ticket out tomorrow. It all evens out.”
“It absolutely does not even out,” Jacy said quickly. “You’re giving up your seat for today and you’ll be stuck here for an extra night. You are saving my ass, dude. Big time.” She pulled out some money. “At least let me pay for your hotel stay.”
She held the money out to him, but he pushed her hand away. His rough palm surprised her. It appeared her smooth knuckles had caught him off guard too because they both jolted and took a step back from each other.
“Keep your money.” He stepped around her and walked away without another word.
Jacy turned and followed him with her gaze until he was no longer visible. She glanced back at the airport worker at the counter. “That was weird, right?”
“You didn’t know him?” the worker asked.
Jacy shook her head.
“Then it was a little weird, but hey, you got your ride home, right? Call it a kind deed and enjoy your flight.” The worker offered her a bright smile.
Jacy rapped her knuckles on the counter. “Right. Will do. Thanks.” She wheeled her suitcase toward the gate and checked the ticket. First boarding group.
Sweet. She couldn’t believe her good fortune, but even more, she couldn’t believe a random stranger had given up his ticket. Who did that? Luckily for her, that guy did. And she’d never know his name.
Chuckling to herself, she handed the ticket to the worker at the gate then nearly skipped down the gangway. She found her seat in the last row by the window. After stowing her luggage in the overhead bin, she settled in her seat. If Dena kept her mouth shut about all this, Jacy’s parents would never know how close she’d come to missing their shindig. Fortunately, the twin bond was strong and Jacy was certain Dena wouldn’t rat her out.
By tonight she’d be schmoozing with Maplehaven’s finest, having slipped right back into her role as Jacy Brenton, Brenton Sawmill’s marketing/human relations executive and member of Maplehaven’s founding family. She’d be hearing all the same stories from all the same people while eating all the same foods.
Not at all like her time in New Orleans with Claire. The past week had been amazingly stimulating. Full of interesting people, flavorful foods, energizing music, and limitless chances to party, Jacy had nearly lost herself. In the best possible way. She’d felt renewed, refreshed, reinvented. Claire had taken her to all the hot spots and the culture, the art, the energy had filled Jacy with such creativity. She was ready to use some of what she’d gained in the sawmill’s marketing to help it branch out even farther.
Assuming Maplehaven didn’t suck her soul dry again.
She loved Vermont. She really did. No disputing that the state was gorgeous and the people wonderful. She adored her house two streets over from Dakota and his wife, Leah. She enjoyed the convenience of everything being so close by in the small town. She was challenged in her job at the family’s sawmill, but it was all the hours she wasn’t at work that bored her. She had her family and her friends, but everything was so... predictable.
New Orleans had been anything but predictable. Everything was different from one moment to the next. She never knew what would happen around the next corner. She’d danced until her legs ached and drank far too much, but it had been a wild ride. One she’d needed.
One she’d promised Claire they’d enjoy again sometime soon.
Looking out the window and watching the bin of checked luggage roll toward the plane, Jacy’s thoughts turned back to the mysterious stranger who had given up his seat. What was his story? Was no one waiting for his return to Vermont? Or perhaps he wasn’t returning, but visiting instead from somewhere else. She tried picturing where a guy who looked like he did called home, but only an Army barracks came to mind. He definitely gave off a military vibe and not just because he’d swooped in and saved her day. Standing next to him at that ticket counter had felt... protected. As if he’d actually go to battle for someone who was important to him.
Which made her wonder if he had someone who was important to him. Someone female.
And what was with that palm of his? It looked as if he’d flattened it out on a frying pan on high heat. Whatever had happened to him had to have hurt like hell. Jacy remembered burning her wrist when she’d fumbled with her flat iron one morning while she rushed to get ready for work. She’d attempted to catch it by shooting her arm out to pin the runaway iron to the wall. Unfortunately the heated plates seared her flesh pretty damn quick. She rubbed at the slight scar that still remained. Judging by the scarring on that man’s palm, whatever had burned him had either been molten or against his skin for more than mere seconds.
