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really. He rather fancied the other way
better but knew that she was right. Still, that should have had a
fiancé seething. Just how far were they going to let him take
this?
    “Follow my lead,” she instructed. She began
to hum and stepped to the side.
    Instinctively, he did as she requested. “You
have a nice voice. Do you sing?”
    “Mostly to myself.”
    “Let me hear you sing.”
    She smiled but didn’t look at him. “I
can’t.”
    “Why not?”
    “I don’t know.”
    Because she was too shy about it. That was
something he understood all too well, but he wanted to hear her so
he nudged the small of her back and grinned. “Come on. Just a
line.”
    She looked like she was considering it.
    “I’ll tell you what. I’ll sing first.” Now
when it came to singing, he didn’t have to pretend to be bad. It
came naturally to him. When he hit a high note, his voice cracked
and she momentarily winced. He stopped singing. “Sorry.”
    He paused and listened for anyone laughing
but no one was. Peter and Margaret were pretty good at hiding
themselves. If he didn’t know better, he’d really believe that it
was just him and Jessica in the vicinity.
    Jessica took a deep breath and then quietly
sang a tune, taking his mind off the window and wondering if Peter
and Margaret were listening from outside the house. He stared at
her in awe. She could do more than hold a tune. She made shivers
run up and down his spine. When she glanced up at him, she stopped,
seeming self-conscious.
    “You have a beautiful voice,” he whispered,
not intending for anyone but her to hear that.
    “Thank you.”
    It suddenly occurred to him that had this
been a sincere offer from her to teach him how to dance, it might
be the right moment to tell her how pretty she was. But this was
all a ruse, and because of that, he couldn’t adequately enjoy the
moment. He didn’t have the heart to physically toss her around to
show her just how badly he could dance. Not after the nice moment
they’d just shared...or rather the nice moment he’d shared with
her.
    He released her and finally said, “I know
what’s going on. I’m not stupid.”
    She furrowed her eyebrows. “What are you
talking about?”
    Just how long was she going to let this game
continue? “You know, I may have my bad moments but at least I don’t
make fun of other people.”
    “I don’t understand.”
    She was a good actress, but he wasn’t falling
for it. He stomped over to the window, moved back the curtains and
leaned out. Hmm... No one was hiding in the bushes.
    “What are you doing?” she asked, sounding
bewildered.
    He turned to the room and peered behind a
chair that was in the corner. Nope. Not there either.
    “Tom, are you feeling alright?”
    He ignored her and went to the hallway and
yanked the closet door open. No one was in there. It was just a
bunch of coats and shoes. Where else could Peter and Margaret
be?
    Jessica ran over to him. “What are you
looking for?”
    “Where are they?” he demanded, no longer
amused.
    “Who?”
    “You know who.”
    “If I knew, I wouldn’t ask.”
    Fine. So she was going to see how far he’d
take this. Well, he’d do something that was guaranteed to get Peter
running out of his hiding place. Tom pulled Jessica into his arms
and kissed her. It was a bold move, one he’d never take under any
other circumstance, but drastic times called for drastic measures.
He expected her to fight against him or slap him or...something to
protest. But she didn’t. Instead, she melted in his arms and kissed
him back. Her lips were soft and warm, and he was way too excited
about it.
    But he couldn’t thoroughly enjoy it. Not when
he kept expecting Peter or Margaret to stop him. Why were they
letting him kiss Jessica like this?
    He ended the kiss...something that
intrinsically pained him to do...and yelled out, “Come out, come
out wherever you are!”
    Jessica shook her head, as if breaking out
from a trance and asked, “Who are