The plan had its flaws, but it was better than nothing, she told herself. Besides, she simply couldn't sit there doing nothing while her family might be in danger.
Mind made up, Jill leapt between the two front seats into the back, dropped onto the floor in front of the seat, and closed her eyes. Just wanting to be herself had been enough to cause the shift while she'd been on the float and on the street, so that's what Jill concentrated on. She wanted to be herself. She repeated that refrain in her mind several times, then cautiously opened her eyes and peered down, relieved when instead of black fur, she found herself staring at her own pale flesh.
"Yes," she breathed and snatched up the folded blanket, only to freeze as it dropped open and she saw that it wasn't a blanket at all, but a plaid scarf. A large scarf to be sure, measuring perhaps five feet long and a foot wide, but still just a scarf. Jill closed her eyes briefly and groaned.
She should have examined it before carrying out the change. She should have…
Really, it was too late for should haves, Jill told herself firmly and forced herself to examine the scarf. It wasn't a blanket, but it was large for a scarf and would just have to do. She shifted the material around in her hands, considering the best way to cover the most she could with the scrap of cloth. Finally, she wrapped it around the back of her neck, brought both sides down over her breasts, and then tucked the ends of the material between her legs. This covered all the vital spots, but just barely. Unfortunately, it was the best she could do and it was too late to change her mind; she didn't have a picture of the dog or anything else to change back into now. Grimacing, Jill leaned around the back of the front seat and tried to snatch up the phone, but it was further away than she'd thought and all she managed to do was brush it with her fingertips and send it slipping off the seat onto the floor in front.
"Perfect," she muttered to herself and rose up enough to peer around the parking garage. Fortunately, there didn't appear to be anyone around to witness it, so, muttering under her breath, Jill quickly climbed between the front seats into the front of the vehicle, then dropped onto the floor there to keep out of sight as she searched around for the phone. It took her a moment to realize she'd sat herself on it, but then she found it, flipped it open, and punched in her brother's number.
As had happened every time before this, the phone rang several times before being picked up by the answering machine. Jill hung up as soon as she heard her brother's recorded message and then stared at the phone unhappily, wishing she'd bothered to memorize his cell phone number. Unfortunately, with it programmed into her cell phone, she'd never taken the trouble to memorize it. Why bother when all she had to do was hit contacts, find her brother's name, and hit dial.
Now she peered absently around what she could see of the car interior from her position, running numbers through her mind trying to recall it by memory. She was sure it ended with 1432… or maybe 1342… 1234?
Growling with frustration, Jill lowered her head, then jerked it back up in surprise when the driver's door suddenly opened. Nick peered in, frowning when he didn't see her on the passenger's seat, then froze when he spotted her on the floor.
"You changed back," he said with surprise.
"I'm really worried that John might go to Kyle's. I wanted to try calling him again," Jill explained apologetically, drawing her knees closer to her body to help cover up her near nudity.
"Oh." Nick hesitated, glanced around the garage behind him, then stepped up into the vehicle, dragging a large shopping bag with him as he settled in the driver's seat and pulled the door closed. He then glanced at her again, only to pause and blink. "Is that my scarf you're wearing?"
"Oh," Jill glanced down at herself self-consciously and drew her knees even closer still to her chest. "It was the only thing I could find in here."
He bit his lip, she suspected to keep from grinning and then said, "Well, I guess it's a good thing I picked this up then."
Jill's eyebrows rose as he now offered her the bag he'd brought with him.
"What is it?" she asked rather than take the bag.
"A dress," he answered quietly. "I thought maybe you'd prefer not being a dog the first time you met my family… or borrowing clothes. I thought you might rather change back into yourself and wear this to my sister's house."
"Oh," Jill breathed and then lifted shining eyes to his. He was such a thoughtful man, so smart and clever and caring. God, she could love this man. Maybe already did. She'd known him for six months. This certainly wasn't the first time he'd shown this considerate, caring side. He'd shown her that and much more since moving into the store next door. He'd proven himself funny, and smart and insightful and sweet… Yes, she might very well love the man. And he apparently liked her back. He'd admitted to her when she was Noelle that he was more interested in her than in any other woman since leaving his wife. Maybe…
"If you keep looking at me like that…"
Jill let her thoughts die and blinked at Nick. His expression had gone serious, his eyes hot and intense. It reminded her of those few passionate moments at the end of the alley, of his arms around her, his mouth on hers, his hands sliding over her body… and she wanted to experience all that again, this time as herself, in her own body, not a body borrowed from a calendar.
"If I keep looking at you like that… what?" she asked softly.
Nick was silent, his gaze slipping down over her, taking in the bit of cloth she'd tried to place so strategically and the expanse of flesh it didn't cover. Jill felt his gaze like a caress. Goose bumps began popping up on her skin and she shivered where she sat, her eyelids growing heavy and her mouth parting on a little sigh.
Suddenly he was leaning forward, seemingly unable to stop himself from pressing his lips to her invitingly open mouth.
Jill breathed out a little sigh as his mouth covered hers and she began to struggle to get her arms free of the cramped space she'd put herself in so that she could touch him. She wanted to wrap her arms around his neck and press her body to his as she had at the mouth of the alley, but was trapped by her position. Briefly. Then Nick suddenly caught her by the arms and lifted her up onto the seat.
Jill murmured her relief and gratitude into his mouth as she slid her arms around his shoulders, uncaring that the movement had dislodged the scarf, revealing anything he cared to see. Nick cared though. Breaking the kiss, he pulled back slightly and peered down over her, and she followed his glance, noting that her nipples were already hard and erect, eager for his touch.
As if unable to stop himself, Nick reached out and ran one finger lightly over the exposed tip, then bent his head to cover it with his lips. Jill cried out and arched on the seat, her hand drifting into his hair and holding on as he suckled, but it was too much too quick and she found herself tugging at his hair, urging him back up to kiss her.
Nick gave in to the demand and covered her mouth with his, quickly deepening the kiss with a thrust of his tongue. His hand replaced his mouth at her breast, caressing and teasing the hard peak and making her writhe and moan beneath him.
That seemed to cut loose the last of his restraint, because Nick groaned deep in his throat and propelled himself forward, pushing himself out of his seat and forcing her back against her own as he came over her. She felt the leather against her back, then the seat suddenly collapsed beneath her and she found herself flat on her back with Nick on top, his hands roaming her body as his mouth pillaged hers.