“Well, Tim…” She shifted a little farther away. “It appears I’ve been swindled by the agency that rented me Blake’s house.” She went on to fill him in on all the details, including her verification that the check had been cashed. “I need to know what steps to take to get my money back. Should I file a police report?”
“Ah, yes. You do seem to have a bit of a sticky problem.” Tim reached over and stroked her cheek.
Vicki backed away and batted at his hand. “I’d rather you didn’t do that.”
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.” He studied her for a moment, then flashed a practiced smile. “Let’s hold off on calling the police until we’ve made an attempt to contact your Mr. Edwards directly rather than leaving messages with the answering service. I’ll write him a letter requesting the immediate return of your money, throwing in a couple of things about his operating in bad faith and our being prepared to take more drastic steps if the matter isn’t resolved in a timely manner. We’ll see if that will be enough to do it. Now, do you have his business card? I’ll need that and copies of any documents he gave you, such as a receipt for your payment and a signed rental agreement.”
She handed Tim the file folder containing a copy she had made of the rental agreement and cashier’s check receipt, along with the agency’s business card. “Are you sure I shouldn’t file a police report? After all, what he did is illegal since he didn’t have permission to represent the property…fraud or something.”
“I think you should hold off until I’ve made an attempt to reach him. If this can be settled without going to court, it will be easier all around.”
She maintained a strictly business attitude in spite of his smooth yet shark-like predatory manner. “How much is your fee for handling this?”
“Now, don’t you worry your pretty little head about that.” He practically leered at her. “Let me get the letter written first, then we’ll see where we go from there.” He leaned forward and tried to slip his arm around her shoulders, his voice a throaty whisper. “I’m sure we can work something out.”
Vicki bristled at his unwelcome advance, abruptly jumped to her feet, and took a couple of steps away from the couch.
“I’m not asking you for free legal services, something we can work out later.” A hint of irritation crept into her voice before she could stop it. “I expect this to be a strictly business arrangement.”
“I’ll get someone in my office on this first thing in the morning. Hopefully we’ll have a response by the end of the week. That will give us a little extra something to celebrate at my party on Saturday.” Tim rose, took her hand in his, and cupped her elbow with his other hand as he walked her to the door. “You will come to the party, won’t you?”
“I’ll have to check my schedule.” A knot tightened in the pit of her stomach.
“Thanks for your help, Tim.” Blake cut him off and steered Vicki out the door.
As soon as they were away from Tim’s house, Blake let go of her arm. He had been watching and listening to Tim, and he didn’t like what he’d seen and heard. Tim had blatantly hit on Vicki, as if she were one of his vacuous beach bunnies with the silicone boobs. And Tim had done it in front of him, knowing full well she was staying at his house. Granted, he had tried to make it clear to Tim that nothing was going on between Vicki and him, but still…
A sudden need to protect her, to take care of her, welled inside him and took control of his actions. “Tim’s a fun guy and has a reputation as a sharp attorney, but I don’t trust him personally. Watch yourself around him.”
He carefully eyed her. This compulsively organized woman didn’t have the type of experience necessary to handle a slick operator like Tim. He knew it to be true in spite of the heated passion Blake had shared with her and the way she’d clearly demonstrated superior skill and talent in the bedroom. The idea of Tim treating Vicki as if she were nothing more than one of the many women who participated in his playroom orgies left Blake both angry and confused. “In fact, I think you should just stay away from him.”
“Excuse me?” She stopped and stared at Blake in disbelief. “Do I understand you correctly? Are you attempting to tell me how to conduct myself and telling me who I should and should not see? You’re trying to run my life? I’ll have you know I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself. You have no right to dictate my activities or my companions.”
“Wait a minute.” Her sudden outburst surprised him. “I was only looking out for your well-being.”
“I can look out for it myself. I’ve been doing it ever since I graduated from high school. I’m a divorced woman who put herself through college, and I’ve managed to get along just fine without any outside interference.”
A sudden shiver darted through Vicki. She blamed part of the reason on the cool, damp breeze associated with the approaching storm. But the rest of it? Undoubtedly an emotional reaction to the proprietary nature of Blake’s comments. She certainly didn’t need this irresponsible beach bum telling her how to run her life, regardless of how hot and fast his touch made her blood race through her veins.
She refused to accept a nagging thought telling her it felt good to have someone want to take care of her, even if it wasn’t necessary. She cast a wary eye at the ominous storm clouds before sliding open the door on the deck and stepping inside the house—the house she now officially shared with Blake for the summer.
He followed close on her heels. “Calm down.” He grabbed her arm. “I’m not trying to run your life. You’re free to do whatever you wish with whomever you wish.”
She spun around, yanked her arm out of his grasp, and glared at him. “And don’t you forget—”
The cat jumped out from behind a chair, bounded across the room at full speed, and leaped toward a startled Blake, landing on his shoulder.
“What the hell?”
Ty-Ling wrapped her paws gently around his neck, batted at his nose, flicked her tail across his face, then jumped back to the couch and to the floor. Before he could respond to the sudden flurry of activity, the cat wrapped its paws around his ankle, let go without digging its claws into his flesh, scampered away, and hid behind the couch.
Vicki didn’t know what to do or say after Ty-Ling’s hit and run. Then suddenly, she burst out laughing. She couldn’t have stopped the laughter no matter how angry she had been just moments earlier. The shocked look on Blake’s face and the cat’s playful antics had done what his words had been unable to do. They’d penetrated her outer defense mechanism and gotten through to her reasonable inner person.
Blake let out a relieved chuckle. “Well, wonder of all wonders. That’s the second time I’ve seen you laugh.” His manner turned serious as he held her gaze with intensity. “You should do more of it, allow more spontaneous moments of fun into your life.” He tenderly ran his fingertips lightly across her cheek. “It becomes you.”
Tremors started deep inside her, followed by a shortness of breath. Her pulse raced. He’d done it to her again, pulled her into the mesmerizing control of his aura. Time seemed momentarily suspended. His lips brushed softly against her forehead. The next thing she knew, he had released her from his spell and disappeared upstairs. She stood in stunned silence for several seconds before regaining her composure. What had just happened, other than her once again obviously unacceptable behavior? She had no right to lash out at Blake. Had she alienated him with her angry words? What in the world had made her do such an odd thing?
She took a calming breath. The answer to that question was a frightening one, an answer she didn’t want to even consider. An answer laden with layer upon layer of emotion. Vicki shook the objectionable thoughts from her mind and went into the dining room to finish unpacking boxes and arranging her office.
She still had several things to do before it would be properly organized for work the next morning.
****
Blake stood on the balcony outside his bedroom, unable to shake off his troubling thoughts. The win
d had picked up considerably in the last hour. His nostrils flared as he inhaled the scent of approaching rain. Each physical encounter with Vicki, even the innocent brushing of his fingers against her skin, produced an increasingly emotional response inside him. As much as he wanted to bring her back to his bedroom for another sexual encounter intense enough to knock his socks off, he’d chosen the safer course of placing a light kiss on her forehead, then quickly retreating.
Retreating…hell, he’d flat out run away. Other than driving each other into a sexual frenzy, they had nothing in common. They existed in two different worlds. Why had he insisted she stay the summer? A truly foolish thing to have done. Too impetuous. Too impulsive.
And way too dangerous.
He closed his eyes and allowed the wind to ruffle his hair. Perhaps it could also ruffle thoughts of Vicki from his consciousness.
****
The first clap of thunder jarred Vicki from a restless sleep. The only sound breaking the quiet of the house came from the clock in the living room as it tolled midnight. The wind chimes on the deck made their own unique noise as the wind increased in intensity, indicating the storm’s arrival. Raindrops spattered the windows, at first with just a trace of moisture, but quickly escalating into a full-blown downpour.
Rainstorms always made her uneasy, even without the fearful accompaniment of thunder and lightning. She pulled the covers tightly around her neck so that only her head peeked out from beneath them. Then her panic started. All the fear she’d experienced as a child in the Midwest welled inside her once again. A foolish, irrational fear, but that didn’t stop it from being so.
Ty-Ling stationed herself in front of the bedroom door. Perhaps Vicki’s trepidation over the impending storm had made her careless, but she had not closed the door enough for it to click shut. The cat nudged it open, entered the room, and jumped onto the bed. Vicki grabbed the cat, holding onto it like a security blanket.
“I’m glad to see you, Ty-Ling. I didn’t want to be alone.” She whispered the words, but the sound of her voice seemed very loud.
What she really wanted was to be safely wrapped in the security of Blake’s arms. She fought the desire purely because of the emotional implications. She couldn’t allow anything beyond a physical relationship with this man, nothing other than the incendiary desires and needs they shared. Nothing that could be construed as a portent for the future.
A flash of lightning filled the room with bright light before the loud clap of window-rattling thunder chased it away, the sound obliterating the noise of the howling wind and the rain pounding against the roof. Another bright flash and more thunder followed. Her entire body shivered. She held the cat tighter and buried her face in the pillow. She tried to control her sobs but couldn’t stop the involuntary reaction.
She finally pulled the covers over her head and scrunched her body against the headboard as lightning momentarily lit up the room again. The mature, responsible woman had been enveloped by the fears of that little girl from long ago. Ty-Ling wiggled free of her tight grasp, jumped to the floor, and ran across the room and out her bedroom door as more thunder rumbled through the air. She heard the cat’s yowl down the hall, the sound filling the air and competing with the thunder. Vicki cowered in fear beneath the covers, unable to move even to keep the cat from disturbing Blake.
Blake couldn’t identify the noise, but that didn’t stop it from jarring him out of a sound sleep. He lay in bed, his eyes closed, and tried to comprehend the weird sound. The noise continued, a shrill whining that penetrated above the sound of the storm.
The cat. He bolted upright, his senses jerking into full alert. He recognized the sound of the very upset Siamese, which seemed to come from the other side of his closed bedroom door. He threw back the covers and charged out of bed, a slight shiver darting across his skin as the cool air hit his body. He opened his door and stared down at the cat. It paced back and forth twitching its tail.
The cat did not try to attack his ankle. Instead, it started down the hall toward Vicki’s room, stopped halfway, and turned back toward Blake. When he didn’t follow, the cat returned and issued a plaintive cry. Then it started down the hall again. The cat was obviously trying to tell him something, but he didn’t know what.
“Well, cat. What’s on your mind? What’s bothering you?”
Ty-Ling let out another plaintive cry and continued toward Vicki’s door. Blake cautiously followed, not at all sure if he should. Vicki had been insistent on maintaining distance from him and once again, to his disappointment, retreated to her room shortly after dinner and stayed there the rest of the evening. He didn’t understand why, but he had accepted her decision. He’d toyed with the notion that she had somehow felt pressured by him. Even though they were totally hot together, did she feel more obligation than desire? He wanted her in his bed, but only if she truly wanted to be there. The disturbing conflict continued to swirl through his mind even after he had gone to bed until he finally fell asleep.
As he approached the partially open door, he heard sobs coming from her room. He pushed it all the way open. The brief flash of lightning provided just enough illumination for him to see her huddled under the blanket. He rushed to her side.
“Vicki, are you okay?” He sat on the edge of the bed and pulled the cover off her head so he could see her face. The distress in her tear-filled eyes immediately tugged at the heart strings that had been winding around his senses since her unexpected arrival at his front door. The cat jumped on the bed and paced back and forth, emitting little cries as it paused to rub its head against her cheek.
“I—I’m fine.”
“No, you’re not. You’re trembling.” He gently wiped the tears from her cheeks. His logic told him he should leave her bedroom and allow her some distance because she’d made it clear that was what she wanted. His instincts, however, told him she needed comfort and reassurance. Or was his own need to hold her pushing at him?
He pulled her into his arms and held her close. Her firm breasts pressed against his chest, causing an involuntary shudder to ripple up his spine. A rush of excitement spread through his body, which he tried to ignore. She trembled as another bolt of lightning crackled across the sky.
“It’s the storm, isn’t it?” He kept his voice calm as he twined his fingers in her hair and gently rocked her in his arms.
“I’m all right. Honest.” Her voice came out barely above a whisper. “Sorry you were disturbed. It’s just this childish thing I have about thunder and lightning.”
He liked holding her, liked the sensation of warmth and contentment—a strange feeling separate from wanting to drink in her essence and stroke his cock in and out of her hot pussy. Something he hadn’t experienced in a very long time.
“Well, unless you have some strenuous objections,” he pulled the blanket over them, “I’ll stay here a little while longer. Just in case.” He leaned against the headboard, more sitting than reclining, with her snuggled into his embrace. He closed his eyes, allowing the sounds of the storm to chase away the heated desire churning inside him, desire totally inappropriate to the situation.
It was not a time for steamy sex or to indulge the heated desire neither of them seemed able to resist. Even more surprising, he found the intimacy and closeness very satisfying as well as confusing. A slight frown wrinkled his forehead. He also found it a little frightening in its implications, a fear he didn’t know how to handle.
****
Blake opened his eyes and looked around. Morning had arrived but without the sun. The rain had continued throughout the night without letting up, even though the thunder and lightning had passed. He had dozed rather than slept as he held Vicki in his arms. His back ached from maintaining an uncomfortable position against the headboard. He finally eased his arms from around her and slipped out of bed, careful not to wake her. As he headed for the bathroom, the cat woke, stretched, then curled up in the warm spot where Blake had been.
The hot shower sprayed across
his back, soothing his muscles as he attempted to stretch out the kinks. They were both fully aware of their differing philosophies on life causing momentary conflicts. Even those inconveniences did not dampen their enthusiasm for indulging all the facets of heated sex. But last night was not one of those times. And last night had more of an impact on him than he wanted to admit. He had tried to fight off the thoughts and feelings tugging at his reality. Yet, holding Vicki had felt so right. This compulsively organized woman belonged in his arms, in his bed.
In his life.
He dried himself and dressed in a pair of faded jeans and a sweatshirt, the weather having turned decidedly cooler with the rainstorm. He paused at his bedroom door before walking to his dresser. Removing the photograph of his son from the box, he stared at it for several seconds. His grief and sorrow didn’t seem quite as heavy as it had been. Maybe there was some hope for him after all. A future.
Closing his eyes, he tried to compose the turmoil, then placed the photo on the dresser. His thoughts remained a tangled web of confusion, all of them centering around Vicki. He took a moment to peek into her room. She appeared to still be asleep. He headed for the kitchen to make some coffee, leaving Ty-Ling on her bed.
The cat stretched and began to groom itself, licking its paws and rubbing them against its face. The activity stirred Vicki awake. She slowly opened her eyes, looking around as she sat up. Blake wasn’t in the room. She recalled falling asleep in his arms but had not been aware of when he left. The bed still held his body heat.
As much as she craved the exquisite things his touch did to her body, the sexual rapture that raced through her veins every time they made love, there had been something so very right about the way he held her in his arms last night and comforted her fears. But this morning when she woke, she had experienced a moment of disappointment when she discovered he wasn’t there. Making love first thing in the morning when they woke had become the most perfect way to start the day. And glancing around her empty bed told her how much she wished he had stayed until she woke up.
Summer Sizzle Page 8
