“Nice,” Tim commented, as a happy smile spread across his face. “Go on.”
“Go on?” She squinted at him.
“Yeah,” he whispered. “I really like your voice.”
“See?” She smiled, before kissing him on the chest. “This is what I’ve been missing out on; the little things in life. Thank you.”
“Does that mean that we’re going to keep seeing each other?” He inquired, his voice suddenly riddled with tension and fear.
“Yes.” The soft whisper that left her lips put a smile on his face. At long last, Josephine Taylor had said the single word that he had been longing to hear for days. He ran his left hand up her back, looking down into her big, beautiful, blissful eyes, feeling his heart beating faster than ever before. There were so many things that he wanted to say to her and yet, he could not utter a word.
“My God…” she whispered. “I’ve been missing out on a lot of good things.”
“Like what?” he wondered.
“Like the look in your eyes.” Josephine’s sweet voice sent waves of bliss up and down his body. “It’s so peaceful. It’s beautiful, really.”
“Stick around, then.” Tim urged. “You might be seeing that a lot from now on.”
“I certainly hope so.” She laughed. “Can I ask you something?”
“Go ahead.”
“Why did you insist so much?” His eyes glinted with amusement, upon hearing her question.
“I’m not the only one who’s insisted, am I?” He answered it with a question of his own.
“If you’re referring to Maddox, I really don’t want to talk about it.” She grumbled. “He was the biggest, dumbest mistake in my whole life. Could you please give me an answer?”
“I will, on one condition.” He raised his right hand to his mouth.
“Let’s hear it.”
“I want you to tell me why you had a crush on me.” Tim’s short sentence did not have the effect he expected. He believed she would laugh, but Josephine did no such thing. Incredibly enough, her cheeks flushed, as she looked away from him.
“That’s a tricky one,” She said in a somewhat stiff tone.
“Oh, come on!” he complained, “Why not?”
“Okay.” Josephine sighed, returning her gaze to his face. “I’m listening.”
“Great.” He said with a nod. “When I met you, I said to myself: ‘She’s really beautiful. What the hell is she doing with that old man?’ You acted so aloof; I really don’t like it when someone does that to me, especially for no reason. The night you came to my room, I realized how wrong I’d been. You’re nothing like the snobby doctor I thought you were. In fact, you’re nothing like any girl I’ve ever met.”
“Could you please elaborate on that?” she requested.
“I’m an outlaw, Joey,” Tim maintained, as images of his numerous lovers flashed through his mind. “What kind of girls do you think I’ve met? Strippers, hookers, junkies… I don’t know if any of them were any good. How could I? I never stayed in one place long enough to find out. But, my gut feeling said that I should stay away from them. And I did. Your turn.”
“It’s so strange.” Josephine whispered, shaking her head sideways. “Up until we spoke, I was only physically attracted to you. Then you said you’d keep my secret; that’s when I saw you differently. That’s why I wanted to kiss you.”
“We both know what happened after that,” he teased her.
“Something amazing,” she said, her voice lowering to a sweet whisper.
“So, it wasn’t a mistake?” Tim wouldn’t let up.
“You should read my diary again, if you don’t believe me.” Josephine suggested, as he burst into loud, hearty laughter. He even slapped his hand against his forehead.
“Oh, man,” he chuckled.
“That’s not funny,” she protested.
“I know…” he nodded, getting serious. “I was really shocked to read that diary, by the way.”
“So that brings us to the ‘physical attraction’ part,” Josephine spoke in lazy tones. “Honestly? It’s never happened to me before. Add to that the fact that you’re an outlaw and you can understand why I was so attracted to you.”
“What does my being an outlaw have to do with anything?” Tim raised his tone, unable to hide his surprise.
“There’s a certain amount of mystery surrounding your life, as is the case with every outlaw,” she explained. “People like you tend to live life to the fullest and don’t care much about rules. I was raised Catholic; I’ve always had to live by a strict set of rules.”
“I get it.” He heaved a long, deep sigh. “So, what’s next? Hiding from everyone?”
“I’m afraid so.” She whispered. “But first of all, you need to talk to Laura and tell her that you’re staying.”
“Fine,” Tim reluctantly agreed. “Is there anything else?”
Josephine did not say another word. Crawling up against him, she brought her face directly over his. Then, she bent her head down towards him, angling her lips. Tim circled his arms around her back, welcoming her into his embrace, as he once again got lost in the magic of her sweet, tender kiss. He was ecstatic; he wouldn’t let anything or anyone stand in the way of his happiness, regardless of their name.
The new couple stayed up all night, having sex and talking until the early morning. Neither of them wanted to sleep. Unfortunately for Tim, he had to leave her house before the crack of dawn and go back to the facility. People would start gossiping about Josephine, should they see him getting out of her house. But even so, he wouldn’t complain. He had just spent a wonderful night with her and he couldn’t help but feel that the best was yet to come.
I guess that old saying is true: never say never. Who would have thought she would change her mind like that? I sure wouldn’t. Good job, Tim. You did something a rich suit like Maddox never could: convinced her that you’re worth something. I can’t wait for more nights like these, Joey…
17
Predictably, Tim’s colleagues had many questions for him, as he rejoined them in the compound. Under any other circumstances, he would have ignored them or even argue with them. Still, he was in such great spirits that he started a conversation with them, maintaining that he had to go to New York, due to a family emergency. His excuse didn’t invite any more questions; Tina and Wally left him alone, only minutes before the start of his shift. He went to his room and put on his uniform. For the first time since he set foot in that science facility, Tim Shaw was actually happy to go to work. The night that he had spent with Josephine had made everything feel differently. Even the idea of patrolling in the freezing cold was not enough to dampen his spirits.
As he soon realized, however, Saturday, February 25th would turn out to be a sad day for him and everybody working at the science facility. Tim was about to exit the building, when he noticed Laura’s limo in the parking lot. He stepped outside and folded his arms across his chest, curious about the reasons of her visit. The young blonde seemed to be in quite a hurry; she didn’t even wait for her driver to open her door. Instead, she got out of her car and strutted towards the entrance, staring up at Tim the entire time. The stiff expression on her face worried him, as she climbed the small staircase. Her eyes were filled with a darkened rage. Something was very wrong indeed. He kept his gaze fixed upon her face, at the same time preparing himself for the worst. Tim had faced a number of thugs in the past; he would not be intimidated by a rich, spoiled girl like her. Stopping in front of him, she attempted to throw a right handed punch. He quickly raised his left arm and grabbed her forearm in midair. Laura tried to do the exact same thing, using her other arm, to no avail. Tim managed to grab that that arm as well.
“You son of a bitch!” she screamed, squirming to break free of his hold. “How could you do this to me?”
“What the hell are you talking about?” He squinted at her, pushing her back. Loosening his grip, he let her go and dropped his arms.
“Don’t
act like you don’t know!” Laura cried, pointing her finger at him. “I know about you two! Someone saw you kissing in a bar last night!”
Her revelation did not come as a surprise. On some level, Tim expected her to find out. Laura was a powerful woman; it was only natural for her to have eyes everywhere.
“So?” He shrugged his shoulders.
“You got some nerve you little bastard,” she lowered her tone, her breathing heavy as she glared at him. “I throw myself at you and you choose her over me? Where is she?” she inquired, taking a step to the left. When Laura tried to pass him by, he stepped in front of her and blocked her path. “Let me through!” she commanded. “I want her to hear this from me!”
“Hear what?” He asked in an authoritative tone, folding his arms across his chest again, as if he was trying to intimidate her with his sheer size.
“Alright,” she nodded, taking a step back, as an ironic smile spread across her face. “Go tell her that I’m pulling the plug on the funding. No more money from now on. I’ve already paid for this week. I’m not paying for next week, though. You have until Monday morning to clear the premises. Have a nice day, Mr. Shaw.”
Tim was stunned beyond belief. Unable to force another word out of his throat, he watched as Laura slowly turned around, still with the same, smug smile on her face that made the blood boil in his veins. He ran both hands through his hair, as dull despair settled over him. The grim task that was assigned to him broke his heart. Comprehending how hard it would be for him to announce this terrible news to Josephine, for a moment, he thought of calling out to Laura. All the same, he did not. Most likely, the rich blonde would be harsh to Josephine and devastate her even more. He had to do this all by himself.
Tim dragged his feet across the floor, wishing he had never been in this position. He felt his heart pounding in his chest, as he approached the door to Josephine’s lab. Usually, he would knock and ask for permission to enter; there was always a chance that she and her colleagues were running some kind of experiment and did not wish to be interrupted. This time however, he grabbed the handle on the left side of the door and walked into the lab. His rude move startled everybody. They all turned their attention to him. He felt the eyes of eight people on him at the same time, as he put his hands on his waist.
“Sorry to barge in like that,” Tim croaked. “I need to speak to Dr. Taylor: in private.”
“Please give us the room.” Josephine politely requested. He waited for each and every scientist to leave the lab, staring down at the grey, marble floor, too sad to look into her eyes. Upon hearing the sound of the door closing behind him, he clenched his jaw and took a deep breath.
“What’s the matter?” Not even her fruity voice was enough to draw his attention. He remained silent, as she lazily walked up to him, with an empty test tube in her right hand. Tim only opened his mouth when her black, high heels came into view.
“Laura was here earlier,” he groaned, dragging his gaze up to meet hers. “There’s no easy way to say this.”
“Tim, you’re scaring me,” Josephine said, her voice quivering with fear, as she intensified her stare. “Say what?”
“She stopped funding your research.” His blunt response sent her into such deep shock that the tube slipped through her fingers. It fell hard on the floor and shattered into hundreds of tiny pieces. Josephine raised both her hands up to her face and put them over her mouth, as a gasp of surprise left her lips. Tim heaved a long, deep sigh, before removing his hands from his waist. A short step towards her brought him very close to her. He wrapped his long arms around his stunned girlfriend, shutting his eyes. “I’m sorry, doc,” he whispered. “She said you have until Monday to leave this place.”
“It can’t be,” she said, her voice a barely audible, desperate whisper. “Twenty six months of research…” she paused. “Gone? Why?”
“Someone saw us together last night.” He spoke in a low tone. It was at that moment that his conversation with his friend Jon flashed through his mind. Tim had been too preoccupied to think about it any further; he had not given him a straight answer yet. But now, he didn’t have much choice. If he wanted to give her a helping hand, he had to go back to being an outlaw. Just when he was about to speak, though, he felt her body shaking violently in his embrace. Josephine dropped her arms, as if they had no strength left in them and rested her head on his chest, breaking down into loud, wailing sobs. Tim ran his hands up her back and buried his face into her hair. Understanding that anything that he might say would not ease her pain, he stopped his hands at her shoulders and gently pushed her back.
“Look at me,” he urged, his voice deep and raspy. Josephine opened her teary eyes and rolled her gaze up, as two tears streamed down her cheeks. “It’s not over yet.”
“Of course it’s over,” she sniffled. “God, it hurts so much.”
“How much money do you need?” He asked in a calm and steady voice.
“It’s not just the money, Tim.” Frustration was lingering in her broken voice. “Look around you. We need tons of equipment; a new building. Where are we going to find all those things?”
“Who knows how much this stuff costs?” Tim posed one more question.
“Dr. Silver.” Josephine replied. “She oversaw the purchases.”
“Tell her to gather receipts, invoices: the works.” His commanding tone brought on an inquisitive look. “Tell the troops that they’re getting a few days off. We’re going to New York.”
“New York?” her voice suddenly went up several octaves. “Why? Why do we need to g…”
“Just do as I say,” he interrupted. “I’ll wait for you in my car. I’ll explain everything on the way over.”
18
Sitting in the driver’s seat of his Impala, Tim was still trying to recover from the shock of the imminent shutdown of the facility. Feeling guilty over the fact that their date had cost Josephine her job, he was desperate to help her out. It occurred to him that he would very soon have to deal with a number of questions that would put him in an impossible position, but he had already made up his mind. He would be honest with her. Lying to Josephine could destroy the single relationship in his life that he thought was worth fighting for and he was not going to make such a mistake.
Still, even in this dire situation, he had something to smile about. She had not reacted at all, when he informed her of the reason why Laura stopped funding her research. To him, this was a clear sign that she had not regretted going out with him. It also proved that she meant what she said the night before, when she spoke of living a normal life.
“Alright,” Josephine said with a sigh, opening the passenger door, as he started the engine. “Dr. Silver will contact me with the details. I also told my colleagues that they can take a rest. Why are we going to New York, Tim?”
“I’m meeting someone there tonight.” He murmured, driving off. “He’s an old friend of mine.”
“He’s not by any chance a millionaire, is he?” She inquired with a hint of sarcasm in her voice.
“He’s a burglar, just like me.” He groaned. “He’s a hacker; he knows his way around alarm systems. He also knows the guy who killed Jitter.”
“Ok, stop the car,” Josephine asked urgently, her voice riddled with panic. Tim then took his foot off the gas and eased on the brakes, bringing his car to a halt on the right side of the road outside the compound. “What did you just say?”
“You heard me,” Tim declared, turning his head to the right to face her. “I want to help you out, Joey.”
“By committing a crime?” she wondered, her voice high-pitched as she opened her eyes wide. “What about your parole? You could go to jail for that! And…” She faltered, leaning over him. “Paul’s killer? Who is he? What do you know about him?”
“He’s a hitman,” he responded sharply. “His name doesn’t matter. It’s the guy who hired him I’m worried about. He’s going to help me find him. Losing your job was my fault. I need to do something
.”
“No, it wasn’t,” she whispered. “I chose to go out with you. Ok, she found out about us a little too soon, but she would have found out eventually. I refuse to live in fear because of some spoiled rich girl.”
“Thank you,” He said in a low and tranquil voice, as he smiled down at her. “That’s a great thing to say. But I’m still doing this. I have no other way of helping you.”
“You would do that?” She looked at him in wonder, her lips shaking as she gazed deep into his eyes. Finally she was able to form the words, “For me?”
Tim merely nodded, sucking in yet another deep breath. Josephine squeezed her eyes shut, circling her thin arms around his neck. She put her head on his shoulder, pulling him closer for a side hug, as he wrapped his right arm around her back.
“Hey…” Tim whispered, “It’s no big deal. Why not do it for a good cause, right?”
“It’s a huge deal.” Josephine leaned back and corrected him. “It’s the best thing anybody’s ever done for me.”
Her words brought a bitter smile to his face. Tim averted his gaze from her and looked at the snowy road up ahead, biting his lower lip.
“There’s something else you don’t know about me.” He spoke, attempting to banish the sadness that turned his voice into a low, trembling whisper. “I’m an orphan; I don’t even remember my real parents. They got killed in a plane crash when I was six. But I do remember my grandparents; my mom’s parents. The court deemed them unfit to raise me and my sister. My grandmother was unstable. She spent most of her life in mental institutes. They found her hanging by a rope, back in 2004. My grandpa was a nice guy. He was a drunk, but he was cool. He loved her a lot. About ten years ago, he began suffering from Alzheimer’s. All he did near the end, was ask why she wasn’t at home. Every time I said she was dead, I saw him take that loss like a car wreck.”
Filthy Desires: A Romantic Suspense Collection Page 183
