Dangerously Close

by Dee J. Adams

  “Whoa. Hang on a second,” she told him. If he was going to lead her, he needed to know how. “Like this.” As much as she enjoyed the warmth and strength of his hand, she released him and snugged her hand around his elbow instead. “Pretend you’re escorting me, because if you drag me, I tend to get pissy.”

  “Message received.” He may have been smiling, but Ashley couldn’t be sure. Together they went to his place and Mel checked out each room on the bottom level before heading up the stairs.

  “I love this house. I walked through it before it sold,” Ashley said as they reached the top level. The whole place was pretty much engraved in her head. “It’s spacious, but warm at the same time. Classy, but inviting, you know?”

  “Yeah. I…uh, Seger passed it up the first time.”

  “When was the first time?” she asked.

  “Over a year ago, it was on the market, but they wanted a lot more money. The next time he saw it, the price had dropped nearly two mil, so he snagged it.”

  “Ah. You know it dropped two mil because they split the property and I bought the guesthouse.”

  “Seger knows that now. I’m not sure he did then,” he told her.

  For no earthly reason, a wave of guilt washed through Ashley. “Sorry about that.”

  “Not your fault,” Mel said, leading her down the hallway. Room by room he checked for damage until he reached the end of the hall. “Almost done,” he said. “This is the master.”

  Ashley took a few steps in as Mel walked around. “I remember this room,” she said. “I love the his and her bathrooms. Decadence at its best.” The “her” part of the master bath had large peach tile, a Jacuzzi tub, separate shower, toilet, a six-foot counter with double sinks and vanity and enough room in the middle to play ping pong. Heaven on earth. Ashley made her way slowly across the room and opened the bathroom door. It smelled sterile and empty. “Do you use this one?” she asked.

  “Nope. I use the manly-man one over here,” Mel said from the “his” bathroom. That one had dark gray tile, a shower with two heads on either side, toilet, a single sink in a four-foot counter and a stool tucked underneath in the corner. She remembered every vivid inch because she’d never seen anything like it before. Though it had been way out of her price league and way too much house for her, she’d still fantasized about it.

  “Everything looks good,” Mel said and Ashley felt him closing the distance between them.

  Another vibration rumbled through the floor and Mel quickly grabbed her and shoved her into the frame of the bathroom doorway. Roamer’s nails skittered on the hardwood floor as he scrambled to be near her. The shake ended almost as quickly as it started and Ashley giggled in spite of the fact that she shouldn’t.

  “Jesus. I hate that,” Mel said.

  “You’d better get used to it,” Ashley warned. “The first one was big enough that we’ll be feeling tremors like that for the next few days. Probably weeks.” She couldn’t stop a grin from cracking her lips. “You ready to move yet?”

  “Hell no.” He stiffened and all those muscles bunched under her hands. Boy did she ever want to run her fingers along every inch of him just to check out the whole package. “I’m not letting some stupid earthquake shake me out of here. No pun intended,” he finished.

  She laughed, took his hand and dragged him out of the room. She’d never met a guy with the kind of body Mel had and she was dying to talk to him about how long it took to get it. At the bottom of the stairs she said, “Okay, there’s something I’ve discovered about you in the last few minutes and I have to ask you some questions.”

  * * *

  Mel froze. Ashley had figured him out. Already. How the hell had she done it so fast? She could barely see for Christ’s sake. His mind spiraled in twelve directions at once. What if she told the world and blew his cover to the press? What if he had to leave? What if everything he’d done the past six months—changing his body and his looks—had been for nothing? What if—

  “I have to know how long it took you to get this body.”

  His body? “What?”

  She ran her palm down his arm from his bicep to his wrist. “I’ve met a lot of guys, but none of them were this defined. How long does it take to get that?”

  Mel let out a breath. “That’s your question? How long did it take me to build muscle?”

  “Yeah.” She looked so innocent, staring up at him as if she could see when she really couldn’t. “I dated a guy once who worked out all the time and he never got that kind of definition. It drove him nuts. I mean, I dated guys who had muscle, but nothing compared to this.” She reached out and touched his bicep with her fingers. “God, that is so awesome. Your girlfriend must love you.”

  The woman was looking for information. Mel had a couple of ways to go with this conversation and chose to be direct. “Sounds like you dated a lot of guys.”

  She nodded and cracked a smile. “I did. A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away. Before my accident I wasn’t shy about going out and letting off steam. I worked hard, so I played hard.” She waved her hand in his direction. “You work in rock-n-roll, you know how it goes. I’m sure you’ve had your share of women.”

  Wasn’t that an understatement? But, he knew what she meant. For years, the touring had been exhilarating and he’d burned off steam during and after the shows. He’d given his heart and soul to the music and the crowd, and afterward he’d given his body to one or two beautiful females.

  “Once upon a time, yeah,” he said. “But I don’t have a girlfriend now.”

  Her eyes narrowed and her mouth dropped open. “Oh my God,” she said. “I am so embarrassed.” She covered her face with both hands. “I am so not hitting on you. I promise. Honestly, I wasn’t fishing. It just struck me that a guy with a body like yours wouldn’t be alone. I figured you had one or two girlfriends just because…” She shook her head. “Ugh. This isn’t coming out right at all. I’m sorry.” She took a step. “I should just go.”

  “Whoa. Wait.” Mel pulled her back. “I didn’t think you were hitting on me.”

  She laughed. “Liar.”

  She got that right. “Okay. Maybe I thought you were testing the waters, but it’s no big deal.”

  Her eyes opened wide. “See! I knew it.” She tipped her head back. “God. How embarrassing.” Facing him again, she straightened her shoulders. “I’m going to be completely honest with you so you know where you stand with me and this will probably be way more information than you wanted to know, but here it goes. We can pretty much only be friends. I won’t be looking for anything more than that. You are way safe from me.” She put her finger up as if to stop him from speaking. “I’ll tell you why… I have no libido. Zero. Zippo. Nada.”

  That wouldn’t have seemed like a possibility to Mel except that he’d lost his libido too. Only recently had his dick gotten back in the game. Mel had just been smart enough not to let it lead him around.

  She’d laid her cards on the table. That was pretty brave of her. Not too many people want to point out the fact that they’re missing certain…urges. He sure hadn’t wanted anyone to know.

  His silence must have made him seem skeptical and she kept talking.

  “After I woke up from my coma, I had no craving for sex. No urge, no desire. Nothing. Trust me…that was depressing as hell so I quit thinking about it. I figure if my body isn’t wanting it then I’m not missing anything.”

  That made sense to Mel and he figured he owed her a response. “Good way to think about it.”

  “Well, I just wanted you to know so that you don’t think I’m gunning for you. These days, all I’m looking for is my eyesight. But I can appreciate a man’s body and the time and effort it takes to get what you’ve got.” Ashley took the remaining steps to the front door and called Roamer who came around the corner and skidded to a halt on her left side. “I will do you a huge favor by taking me and my mangy mutt home.” She had a beautiful smile on her face so he’d know she was kidding
about leaving being a favor.

  “Let me at least walk you home. Besides, the rest of my lunch is still there.”

  “Right.” She scrunched up her face. “I forgot about lunch. It wouldn’t be very neighborly of me to say no, would it?”

  “Nope. Besides, I don’t think I want you there by yourself,” he admitted. Despite barely knowing her, it was true. She needed someone with her, someone to watch out for her. She shook her head to dispute that point and he shushed her. “Don’t argue. I’ve made up my mind.” He took her hand and placed it in the crook of his elbow as she’d shown him earlier. Her hand was so damn soft and warm. Actually, all of her looked soft and warm.

  Why that thought popped into his head was beyond him.

  “When is Lizzie getting home?” he asked, closing the door behind him.

  “I’m not sure. It depended on where she left the car. She was hunting for the best deal, but it was between two shops. I expect her back in an hour or so. You really don’t have to baby-sit me. I’m fine. I’ve been alone before.”

  “Not while the ground is shaking.”

  She tipped her head from side to side, conceding his point. “Yeah, okay. I hear you.”

  Walking through her house a second time gave Mel another chance to look at the murals on the walls. He still couldn’t believe she’d painted everything. Though every room depicted a different place, the theme stayed the same. Water. Some rooms were lakeside views and others were of the sea. Her 3-D version made the walls live and breathe. It was simply spectacular.

  They barely had enough time to finish their sandwiches before they heard the front door open. Roamer bolted to greet the new person, his nails skittering on the tile. With Lizzie back, Mel wanted to get out of the house as quickly as possible. Spending time with Ashley had been nice, but he still worried about Lizzie making a positive ID. It didn’t matter that she didn’t know his music. All it took was one picture to blow his cover.

  “Thanks for lunch,” he said, taking both their plates to the sink. “You’ve made the official welcome an undeniable success.”

  She beamed and Mel’s heart did a little flip in his chest. Odd.

  “Ashley?” Lizzie called. “You here?”

  “In the kitchen.”

  Mel moved toward the sand room door. “I’m just going to get my shit from the beach and call it a day,” he said. “I’ll see you later.”

  “Wait. Don’t you want to say hi to Lizzie?”

  “Hi,” Lizzie said, rounding the corner.

  Too late. Shit. She had someone with her too. Damn, he should’ve been smarter than this. He should’ve let Ashley come home by herself. She was a big girl, knew how to handle herself. Why the hell had he insisted on being such a dweeb?

  “Hi, Mel,” Lizzie said. The woman behind her had been watching Roamer as he pranced around her and she looked up suddenly. Her eyes widened just a fraction before she gave him a once over and smiled brilliantly. It was very likely that she’d recognized him. Either that, or she liked his body. “This is Paula,” Lizzie explained. “She gave me a ride from the body shop. Paula, that’s Mel,” she said, finishing the introductions.

  “I’m also responsible for putting your car in the body shop,” Paula said, walking toward him and extending her hand. “Hi, nice to meet you.” After the initial scrutiny, she seemed normal enough, so maybe his disguise had passed another test. Hard to tell.

  “Same here.” He shook her hand as her perfume washed over him. Maybe she’d accidentally dropped the bottle on herself. “Good to see you again,” he said, waving across the room at Lizzie. “I was just on my way out.”

  “Don’t run away on my account,” Lizzie said.

  “Or mine,” Paula said. She gave him a gorgeous smile. This lady was everything he’d gone for in his past. Long, dark hair that probably felt as soft as it looked, mile-long legs and a body that had seen serious hours at the gym.

  “I was just leaving…need to make some phone calls. After that earthquake the family’s going to want to know I’m okay.” He took a few steps back toward freedom. “Lizzie, nice to see you again. Paula, nice meeting you.” Poof, he was gone. Not nearly soon enough, but at least he got out of there. He quickly got his crap from the beach and went home. He didn’t dare stay down there in case Lizzie brought Paula.

  Chapter Eleven

  Paula watched Mel hustle across the yard and disappear down the beach stairs. Her heart didn’t slow its frantic beat. She’d not only seen him, she’d touched him. Shaken his hand and felt his strength. She took a deep breath and caught a tiny hint of suntan lotion. Her eyes glazed over for a split second, until she remembered where she was and forced herself to turn back to Lizzie. Geek Girl extraordinaire.

  “Did you guys feel that earthquake?” Ashley asked, rising from her stool at the center island. She refilled her cup with crushed ice from the fridge door and started chomping.

  “Couldn’t miss it,” Lizzie told her. “We were just leaving the body shop.”

  “I’d hate to be under one of those cars when the ground starts shaking,” Paula mused aloud. Of course picturing Ashley and Lizzie under there was a fun thought. “I guess I should be going. Let you guys get back to your day.” She walked across the kitchen, taking in the spacious, homey atmosphere. She could fit her entire place in this room. Anger bubbled inside and she fiercely quashed it.

  “Wait, Paula, how about a soda or something before you go?” Lizzie offered. “I can’t let you keep going to all this trouble and not say thank you.”

  Paula gave her a sheepish smile. Lizzie was so damn gullible. It was fun to play her. “Yeah, ‘thanks for rear-ending me, Paula. I really appreciate it.’”

  “You know what I mean,” Lizzie said, opening the fridge. “What can I get you? Dr Pepper? Water?”

  “Water is fine,” Paula said. “I am kind of dry. I can’t believe this heat and it’s the end of November already. It’s not supposed to be this hot at Thanksgiving.”

  “Thanksgiving,” Ashley repeated. “God, I haven’t thought about Thanksgiving at all. I need to figure out what’s happening this year.”

  “I think my mom is hoping I’ll go north to be with the family,” Lizzie said. “But if that’s a problem, Ashley, I can tell her I can’t make it.”

  “Don’t do that. You should go. My mom had mentioned coming here and my sister is flying in with her husband, so I think I’ll have a houseful. Tell your mom you’ll be there.”

  “Great. I’ll let her know.”

  Paula held back an aggravated groan. That was another week that just got blown to hell. Another week she couldn’t justify spending time at Ashley’s house. Unless…this was her chance to eliminate Lizzie—make sure she never made it back from her Thanksgiving holiday with her family.

  An idea took root in Paula’s head as she sipped her water. If she caught Lizzie on the road before she made it back to Ashley, then little Miss Blind Girl would need immediate temporary help.

  Paula knew just the woman for the job.

  * * *

  The next day, Ashley held a coin in her hand. Heads—the side with the tiny strip of tape—she went to the beach in the morning. Tails, she went in the afternoon. She didn’t want Mel to think she was stalking him, but she also wasn’t going to forgo her time at the ocean because of him. After being on tour for so long, he probably wanted peace and quiet and no neighbors, but she had paid for her right to be on the sand too. She flipped the coin, let it fall on the counter, and felt the top. No tape. Tails. That meant she could take another sandwich and picnic at the beach. Weather reports said the heat wave was going out and a cold snap was on the way. It was about damn time. The sun was nice, but real weather was heavenly in a town that had sun three hundred days a year.

  On the off chance Mel was down there, Ashley brought an extra sandwich and chips. She smiled as she packed it away in her lightweight cooler. Mel had run away so fast yesterday, she hadn’t had a chance to thank him for sticking around after
the earthquake. Yesterday’s sandwich might have been the official welcome, but today’s would be a thank you. If he wasn’t there, then no harm done.

  She made her way through her small gate and started down the stairs. Roamer scrambled ahead to get to the water first. Something he always did. Her heart rate picked up a fraction. Having a new friend was kind of nice. Lizzie was great, but she’d been honest in her assessment of their relationship and what it would be. They got along great and they were friendly, but Lizzie spent an amazing amount of time in front of her computer. Ashley desperately missed the camaraderie of a best friend. Not that Mel could be that person, but it was nice having someone to talk to.

  At the bottom of the stairs, Ashley felt for the chairs and found only one. Her heart soared. On the real chance that he hadn’t wanted company she went straight for the gut. “Guess what I brought for lunch?” she sing-songed.

  “Oh, God,” Mel said from his spot on the sand. “I think I might be falling in love with you.”

  Ashley laughed as she dragged her chair over and set it up next to him. Her happy meter went off the chart. “I heard we only have another day or so of this heat and then winter is coming.” The chair wouldn’t unfold and she tugged at it.

  “You sound glad about that.” His blurry body moved toward her. “Here, let me get that,” he said, taking the chair. “It’s caught in the strap of your cooler.”

  “Oh, thanks.” Embarrassment washed through her at her simple inability to open a folding chair, but Ashley shoved it back and waited for Mel to fix the chair, then she got comfortable. “So, how was last night? Get laid?” There was the tiniest of pauses and Ashley immediately regretted being so forward. They hardly knew each other, yet she’d spewed like a teenager.

  “What?” Mel not only sounded surprised, he was incredulous and Ashley’s uncertainty turned to laughter.

  “Sorry. I was kidding. Bad habit of mine. You remind me of a guy I went to high school with. Every Monday morning I’d walk into English and sit behind Jim Ladin. I always waited until he turned around, but then I’d ask him if he got laid. It was a running joke.” Ashley smiled at the memory. “He was cute and nice and I never could figure out why he didn’t have more girlfriends.”