Dark Side of the Cloth by Brooklyn Cross

Yasmine stood in the steaming hot shower, allowing the warm water to run down her back. Her mind focused on Dean, imagining his lips trailing down her neck. She ran her hand up her body and moaned as it came into contact with a pert nipple. She closed her eyes, and her stomach flexed as her other hand began to explore. Yasmine. She could almost hear his deep voice with its hint of gravel. She wanted him to whisper her name in her ear—a shiver raced down her spine. A slick line of wetness that had nothing to do with the soapy water was sliding down between her thighs. Suddenly, her elbow hit the shampoo bottle, and she screamed and jumped when it crashed to the shower floor. Placing her hand on the tile, she gulped in a deep breath—even her shower was telling her she needed to stop the fantasizing.

“This is crazy. You can’t have him, no matter how sexy he is. He is off-limits! Get yourself together, girl,” she said to the empty bathroom. “And now I’m talking to myself.”

Frustrated, Yasmine quickly finished her shower, making sure she scrubbed at every part of her body until it was squeaky clean. Jumping out of the shower, she quickly toweled off. It took what seemed like forever to blow dry the mass of wavy hair on her head, but once she was done, she looked at her reflection and smiled. She looked pretty, and she couldn’t help but hope that Dean would be at Mabel’s today.

The drive to Mabel’s was a short one—in reality, everything in the town was a short drive. When the warmer weather returned, she would walk, but until then, she preferred to drive.

As she pulled into the parking lot, her heart sank. She didn’t see Dean’s classic black BMW in any of the spots.

Probably for the best.

Yasmine jogged for the back door to the restaurant, trying to avoid the massive wet flakes that were sure to chill her to the bone. The old metal door loudly announced her presence as it squeaked. She took a deep breath of the already delightful aroma and hung up her coat, savoring the warmth.

“Sweetie, you made it,” Mabel said. Her smile could light up any room, and Yasmine could picture just how beautiful she was in her youth. The two women embraced, and she held Mabel a little longer than normal. “Are you okay, Yazzy?”

Mabel was the only one other than her deceased father that called her that. “Yeah, it’s just good to see you. I’m sorry I haven’t been in for a while.”

“Don’t be silly. I know you’re very busy. Besides, you’re young, and you don’t want to hang out with an old hag like me.”

Yasmine playfully smacked Mabel’s arm. “You are so not an old hag.”

“If you say so, sweetie. Come on. We have lots of work to do and less hands than in past years. It’s a shame that more people don’t volunteer to help those in need. It seems like every year we lose someone else, and no one steps up.” A shadow of sadness crossed Mabel’s face, and Yasmine wrapped her arm around the older woman that had been a mother to her when she needed it the most.

“What would you like me to do first?” Yasmine asked.

Mabel’s face brightened. “Can you slice the vegetables into small bite-sized pieces? I’m going to make enough chicken noodle soup to feed the entire town if need be.”

Yasmine laughed as she walked over to the station with massive baskets of carrots, celery, and an assortment of other fresh produce. Washing her hands, she grabbed the knife and got to work. She’d periodically wave or say, “Hi,” to one of the other volunteers, but for the most part, she did as she always did and stayed to herself. When the back door opened again, Yasmine was tapping her foot to the lively music, lost in thought until her body felt Dean. It was as if her soul knew he was there and responded before she even laid eyes on him.

“Mabel, I’m sorry I’m late. I had a few chores to take care of.”

Yasmine turned toward his voice and stared as he stripped off his coat. God help her, he wasn’t wearing his robes. His snugly fit jeans and black T-shirt hugged his body so well that she couldn’t stop staring. Suddenly edgy with a need, she began to shuffle from foot to foot.

“No worries! I’m happy you could make it,” Mabel called out from her own station.

“Where do you want me?” Dean asked, his eyes finding hers. ‘Between my legs’is what she wanted to say, but she bit the inside of her cheek and quickly looked away from his intense stare. The Lord is going to strike me down.

“The chickens are coming out of the roaster,” Mabel said. “Would you mind cutting them up? You can go work beside Yasmine. There is space over there.”

Yasmine’s eyes flicked up to Mabel, who was giving her a cheeky grin before she turned around. Wily-old-woman knew exactly what she was doing. Dean’s presence pressed against her like a warm hand with every step he took in her direction.

“Shit!” she swore as her shaky hands slipped with the sharp knife and sliced her finger. Yasmine jumped toward the sink before she bled all over her cut vegetables.

“Are you okay?” Dean was beside her in an instant and grabbed her hand, pulling it out of the water to inspect.

“Yeah, I’ll be fine,” she said quietly. She felt like every person in the room was staring at them, standing much closer than what was appropriate or necessary.

“It doesn’t look like you will need stitches.” Dean held out a small towel for her to take. “Hold the wound tight.”

She did as he asked and let him lead her by the elbow to wherever he was planning. They ended up in the employee bathroom that would have felt small with one person, but it was downright claustrophobic with two.

He bent over to open the cupboard, and she would have sworn he purposely rubbed his arm against her leg. She bit her lip and looked away from his taught back as she struggled to rein in an improper reaction. She was focusing so hard that she didn’t notice Dean stand until his finger was on her chin. He gently made her look at him, and her pulse jumped wildly.

Dean ran his tongue over his bottom lip, and she stared at it like it was her last meal. “Are you okay?”

Her voice croaked, and she had to clear her throat to try again. “I’m fine, just a little lightheaded.”

“Oh, then here, sit down.” Dean once more took her elbow and helped her to sit on the toilet seat lid. Dean knelt between her legs, and her eyes went wide as she looked for a way to escape the tiny space.

“Here, let me see your finger.” Her hand shook as she handed it over. She stared at the top of his head as he inspected the cut and tried to push all the sexy thoughts away. He was simply kind, and here she was lusting after him. “I was right. No stitches needed.”

Dean cleaned the cut and applied the band-aid with quick, efficient fingers. He stood and put everything away, and Yasmine took the moment to take a deep breath and steady herself.

“Can I have a moment? I need to use the lady’s room.” She gave him a small smile.

“Yes, of course, I will meet you out in the kitchen.”

The moment the door was closed, she flopped down on the toilet seat lid again and held her head in her hands as a complex vortex of emotions swirled in her gut. Standing, she splashed some cool water on her face and composed herself, determined to walk out there and act like a normal human and not some wanton creature.

Yasmine marched across the kitchen floor, and a little of her bravado slipped as she watched Dean work wearing an apron with angels on it. He looked so adorable and sexy, all wrapped up in Mabel’s Viva Las Vegas apron. Stifling a laugh, she sauntered over to resume her position.

On multiple occasions, she caught Mabel staring over at her and Dean. Mabel even wiggled her eyebrows at her once, causing Yasmine to choke on her water. She was so embarrassed that she had to walk out of the kitchen for a moment. But as the day passed, her embarrassment eased, which made it easier for her to breathe and enjoy herself.

“Bye, Mabel, thank you for the great day.” Yasmine hugged Mabel and breathed in deeply, taking in the scent of roses and spices that always accompanied Mabel.

“You’ve always been such a sweet girl.” Mabel pulled back and patted her cheek. “Thank you for coming, Father. It is always wonderful to see you.”

“Oh, I was planning on staying a little longer,” Dean said as Mabel pulled him over to the door.

Yasmine felt like a teenager being set up on a blind date as Mabel shoved Dean’s coat into his hands. “You better let Father O’Sullivan make sure you get to your car alright. It has been snowing all day,” Mabel said as she practically pushed the two of them out the door together.

“I’m not sure if I should be insulted?” Dean asked and nudged her shoulder.

“I have stopped trying to understand Mabel’s motives,” Yasmine laughed. Pulling her coat tighter around herself, she walked to her car, very aware that Dean’s hand was resting on her lower back.

“Thank you for walking me to my car,” she said, not looking Dean in the eyes.

“The pleasure was all mine. I do hope to see you again soon, Yasmine. It is always wonderful to spend time with you.” He gently brushed the flakes of snow from her hair, the gesture feeling more intimate than it should.

Yasmine slipped behind the wheel over her car and waved as Dean stepped back. She watched him in her rearview mirror, and even with the gaining distance, she could feel their eyes locked onto each other.

What had she done in her life to deserve this torture? At this point, she did not know, but she was pretty certain that God must hate her.