by Roxie Odell
“It would give you time to figure out what you really want to do or go to school or whatever.”
“Okay,” she said, still not too keen on the idea.
As they returned to D.C., she realized he was driving in the direction of his place, and her body knotted with tension. Before she could protest, though, he stopped her.
“I know you don’t like my house, and we’ll work that out, but I need to get some stuff for work. Noah had an issue, and it can’t wait. You can wait in the car if you want. I won’t be but a minute,” he said, looking at her apologetically.
“Okay,” she said, no more enthusiastically than before.
“I love you,” he said, “and we’ll get through this mess.”
“I know. One foot in front of the other,” she answered.
“I knew you were with her!” came a voice from behind.
Cheri looked up, and Thomas’s eyes darted around. As if by magic, Patricia Moore was standing right in the middle of the street, aiming a gun right at them.
“Obviously not, if she’s in the car and I’m out here,” Thomas said stiffly. “Patty, we’re in the middle of breaking up. Surely you get that we’re gonna have a few conversations about that.”
Moore shook her head.
“Come on,” Thomas pleaded. “I was telling her goodbye.”
Cheri watched, full of terror and hope that the stalker would buy his lame excuse.
“Don’t lie to me, Thomas,” Patty said, her face wrinkling up. “I just heard you say you love her. You’re supposed to love me!”
“I know, and I do,” Thomas lied. “Let’s go inside and talk.”
“Not until I finish her!” spat Patty.
“If you do that,” said Thomas coolly, “you’ll go to jail. They’ll keep us apart forever, Patty. Are you sure you want to risk that? I know I don’t.”
“There will always be a risk for us as long as she’s alive,” said Patty.
“I’m sorry I hurt you,” Thomas said, sickening himself with every word. “I just didn’t realize how much you love me.”
“You’re just trying to trick me,” cried Patty.
Cheri wanted to push open the driver-side door and smack the woman with it, but she was too far away and didn’t want to make any sudden moves. She couldn’t help but notice the frustration on Thomas’s face as he switched his tactic from trying to get along with his stalker to turning on her.
“Weren’t you arrested or something?” asked Thomas icily.
“No,” replied the woman triumphantly. “And why would you ask me that? How could you call the police on me? See how you are?”
“You mean you haven’t been arrested yet,” he countered.
“And I won’t be,” she spat.
“Look, Patty, if you won’t put that gun down now, I don’t want anything to do with you. If you want me, you’ll have to do what I say. I can’t be with someone who doesn’t care about getting arrested.”
In the light of that threat, the stalker faltered. “I won’t let them get me, baby,” she said. “Even if they do catch me, they’ll understand that you and I belong together, that I’m just defending what’s mine.”
Thomas’s phone buzzed in the seat beside Cheri, and she slyly reached for it, moving her hand slowly so she wouldn’t be detected. She retrieved the phone, disconnected the incoming call, and dialed 911, then set the phone down so the operator could listen to the scene playing out in front of her, hoping that would be enough for the dispatcher to send help. She hoped like hell her plan would work, but she wasn’t sure it would do any good. Her stomach bunched painfully, and her heart beat uncontrollably, though not in the way Thomas always caused it to. She thought she might have a heart attack or a stroke, and her skull felt as if it might burst.
Minutes later, a late-model car drove slowly down the street. The driver was a little old lady, and she slowed even more when she caught sight of a woman in the middle of the street. She must not have seen the gun.
“Damn it,” Cheri cursed, but then it occurred to her that the onlooker might be just enough of a distraction for one of them to act. Thomas had the keys, so she looked over at him and pointed to the ignition, then motioned very slyly for him to toss them to her.
Thomas only shook his head, ever so slightly.
“Excuse me,” the woman said sweetly through her window, “but can either of you tell me how to get to Melrose Market from here?” Clearly, her thick glasses didn’t help the elderly driver much, because she didn’t even notice that Thomas and Cheri were being held at gunpoint.
The stalker muttered an answer without turning around.
“What did you say? Sorry. I don’t hear very well, honey,” said the little old lady.
The stalker said nothing more and still didn’t bother to turn around.
Suddenly, the back window of the old woman’s car rolled down, and an officer raised a rifle and took aim through it. Cheri watched in horror to see that the old woman was an undercover agent, a ploy.
In an instant of blurry red and blue lights and loud sirens, multiple police cars scrambled into position, and several officers drew their weapons, all at close range.
“Drop it!” ordered a cop who had exited his car. He quickly rose from a squatting position to a standing one.
Patty seemed paralyzed, except to shake and shiver, as if utterly destroyed. She seemed to sink into a trance and was unable to function as an officer relieved her of her weapon.
The old woman put the car in park and ran over to Cheri. “Are you okay?” she asked, no longer disguising her voice with the elderly rasp anymore.
“I’m fine. Thank you,” Cheri said, admiring the woman’s very detailed disguise that didn’t give her young age away in the least.
Although the police had everything under control, Thomas lost it and flew into a tirade. “You dumb bitch!” he roared as he charged toward Patricia Moore. “If I ever see you again…”
It was the most rage Cheri had seen him exhibit, and it was frightening. Many of the cops had to turn their attention to Thomas, trying to restrain him from doing anything they’d have to arrest him for. When the decoy cop ordered him back onto the sidewalk, Cheri held her breath. She certainly didn’t want her groom-to-be arrested; more drama they simply did not need. She just watched silently, not saying a word, as Thomas reluctantly took his place on the sidewalk as ordered. When he turned his back, she noticed the shaking of his massive shoulders, and she heard his heavy breathing even from as far away as she was, and she knew Thomas was crying.
Tony drove up in another car and approached Cheri first. “Are you okay?” he asked.
“Yeah, I think so. Enough excitement to last a lifetime, though,” Cheri answered.
“How is he?” asked Tony of Thomas.
Cheri shrugged. “I’m not sure. Okay, I hope.”
“Me, too. Can you confirm that this person is the woman you saw after you discovered your tire was flat?” he asked Cheri.
“Yes, that’s her,” Cheri answered, her throat constricting with rage.
Next, Tony gingerly approached Thomas. “Hey,” he said softly. “Turn around.”
Thomas wiped his face.
“Is this your stalker?” Tony asked.
Thomas nodded and held his arms out for Cheri, inviting her in for a hug.
“He’s mine!” Patty suddenly screamed like a maniac. “Get your hands off him, or you’re dead, you skinny bitch!”
“And there’s a death threat,” said Tony casually, then proceeded to read Patricia Moore her Miranda rights and loaded her into a cruiser. Once she was secured there, ranting and raving and flailing her arms, spouting all sorts of curses and threats, he calmly walked back over to Thomas and Cheri. “I’ll let you guys have a moment, but I’m gonna need you to come down to the station ASAP so we can wrap this one up with a big, pretty bow. You’ve got nothing more to worry about. We’ve got enough on her to keep her away from everyone for a long, long time.”
Thomas could not stop sobbing. Almost blinded by his tears, he pulled Cheri closer to him, firmly holding on to her as if he didn’t ever want to let her go. In fact, his grip was so tight that Cheri couldn’t break free if she wanted to, which she didn’t. She let him hold her as he unleashed for several minutes, then finally let her go after releasing a heavy sigh.
“You know what I want?” she asked softly.
“What?”
“After we go to the station to give our reports, I wanna play house with you, just like you said. You go to work and let me do my thing. I have a wedding to plan.”
“The sooner, the better,” he rasped.
“Well, if the weather is good, we can take the bike back down to that cute little town for a practice honeymoon,” she said. “I think that’s where I want to get married. I really like it.”
“Practice?” he said, his tone lightening a bit. “How about a real one? For a small fee, I can get a pal to marry us here in D.C., with virtually no waiting. Then we could ride into that cute little town as mister and missus.”
“Only you can make me feel so good after what just happened,” she said, pressing her face into his warm body. The fall air seemed to be staying cooler longer, and he felt so comfortable that she wanted to stay close to him, cuddled up with him forever.
“We better get down to the station. I’ll let Noah know I’ll be late,” he said.
Cheri sat back in the car. “C’mon,” she said, patting the driver’s seat. “We have a past to close out.”
Thomas and Cheri were at the station for all of half an hour. As Tony took their statements, there was a moment of tension when they came to the part where the cops were asked for a guarantee. Except for possible testimony if Moore contested the charges, they hoped they would never have to face her again.
“You know how these things work,” said Tony. “All I can tell you is that we’ll do our best.”
“I guess that’s all we can ask of anyone,” Cheri said, giving Thomas’s hand a squeeze.
Chapter 13
Thomas went to work that week, the longest, squirmiest week of her life. They’d opted to just get married quickly and quietly. It was tough to wait for their wedding day, but she busied herself making all the arrangements for their makeshift ceremony.
Thomas offered to spring for a giant, elaborate affair, but Cheri was too impatient for that. Instead, she filed the paperwork and paid the fee so Tony could officiate their wedding. It didn’t seem the least bit negative or morbid for the arresting officer to perform their nuptials, and for the right amount of money, practically anyone in D.C. could do the honors. Tony was all too happy to serve. Their wedding audience was made up of cops and Thomas’s employees. As a surprise, Thomas had talked Cheri’s old boss into forgiving her, so some of Cheri’s former office mates also attended.
They decided to have their official, civil service in D.C. for their first wedding, then hold a more private, romantic ceremony in the mansion overlooking the bay, with just the two of them. Just as Thomas wanted, they planned to ride into the historic town as a married couple, but they would also get married there. As far as Cheri was concerned, she had no qualms about marrying the man twice.
The weather was brisk, but it promised to be clear for their journey, and Cheri was so excited about the ride. She hadn’t ridden in some time, though, so her anticipation was mixed with a little fear, especially since it would be her first real long-distance on the highway on the back of his Harley. Most of the highway to Occoquan from D.C. was lined with trees, in the throes of their seasonal turn. While she was nervous, she hoped that colorful canopy would be something she could remember for a lifetime. In fact, she likened the stunning fall foliage to rows of guests, there to witness their very special union.
The other fun part was that the chilly weather warranted a leather jacket. Since she was going to marry a motorcycle man, Cheri felt comfortable shopping for motorcycle apparel. Deep down, she liked riding as much as he did. She even wanted her own helmet, one she knew no one else ever wore before and never would.
Truthfully, Cheri shopped more for the bike than she did for her wedding ceremony, but she had a clear vision in her head of what she wanted her wedding town to look like, something hot but old-fashioned at the same time, something that would almost match the endearing antiquity of the house. Just as Thomas had found her engagement ring at a resale shop, Cheri found something very similar in a consignment shop in D.C., more shopping time being another upside of her unemployment. She really only tried the local shops as part of what she thought would be a process of elimination and was sure she’d ultimately buy her dress online and have it shipped straight to the mansion, but in the first shop she looked in in Adams Morgan, the perfect dress was waiting for her.
It was all lace and Lycra, but hardly revealing. The neckline was chaste, and the sleeves were long, ending in belling ruffles. It was very form-fitting throughout the torso and hips but flared out slightly at the knees in graceful folds. When she tried it on, it was so flattering that she drew the attention of the other shoppers around her. She knew many of the compliments of the shop owner were part of a sales pitch, but she also knew Thomas was going to eat her up as soon as he laid eyes on her in that dress. She looked like a cake-topper, and the love that garment would lead to would be sweeter and richer than any wedding cake ever made.
As she admired herself in the dress, knowing what kind of pleasure it was going to give Thomas, she drew up her long hair, trying to get some sense of how she should style it on their special day. She always wore it straight because it was long, and the weight of it lent itself to sleek hair. With the lace of the dress, she thought ringlets would go nicely, and she would finish it off with some costume pearls or sparkles.
Next, she turned her focus on her honeymoon negligee. Thomas and she had shared just about everything physically that two people could share, but each time they were together there was a newness and wonder to it, as if they were rediscovering each other. Cheri chose a very simple satin teddy for the occasion. She also invested in a body glaze infused with honey, one that would make her skin feel, smell, and taste divine. Even before she dressed herself in all those wonderful things, she felt more beautiful than she ever had before, and she knew she was in for a magical few days.
Despite all the healing they had done, the gut-wrenching honesty they had shared, and despite knowing that Thomas had committed himself to her, she wasn’t able to bring herself to stay in his house. Instead, she stayed at her house and resolved to deal with all the hard feelings later. She wanted to enjoy her last few hours as a single woman in her own space, the place that had been home to her for so long, even before she met him. She was looking forward to spending the rest of her life with him, but before she could do that, before she could step into that love with him that she hoped would endure forever, she had to say goodbye to the life she’d only spent with herself.
***
The morning of their wedding, she was up early, unable to sleep. Her bags were packed, and she was ready go to. When she heard the humming roar of the motor of Thomas’s Harley, her heart nearly beat out of her chest with excitement.
She rushed to greet him at the door; she loved doing that because her front porch was a step down from the front door, and that left them face to face. When she saw his handsome face, tears jeweled in her eyes.
They embraced in a fierce hug.
“What is it?” he asked soothingly.
“I just…really love you,” she said.
“And I just really love you back,” he answered.
“Let’s go make forever together.”
“Thank you,” Thomas said quietly.
Cheri smiled. “For what?”
“For making me feel like a saint.” Then he grinned wickedly. “And letting me be a sinner at the same time.”
THE END
More by Roxie Odell
Billionaire in Paris Series
BOOK 1 is FREE
>
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HNAYDOS
** FREE SAMPLE INCLUDED **
It may seem impossible to have a bad day in Paris, but beautiful, smart Grace Delacourt somehow accomplishes that as she is reamed by her boss right there on the sidewalk of an outdoor café. When a handsome, charismatic man advises Grace to walk away from her job, she has no idea that the man, seemingly just out for a cup of coffee, is a billionaire shipping tycoon.
Tony Petrides, owner of Greek Tower in the Paris business district—a successful empire in its own right, with offices all around the world—whisks Grace away from her boss’s screaming rant and turns her bad day into a memory that will stay with her forever. Unfortunately, their intense and unexpected romance is eventually derailed by a little white lie. Grace tells Tony goodbye, but when she returns home and finds herself unable to land another job, she is forced to accept a position on the West Coast, with Petrides Shipping, working one on one with the man himself.
Will their smoking-hot chemistry override past mistakes, or will one more lie finish them for good?
Tropical Fever – Part 1
Book 1 is FREE - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M0BIMV4
Riley Teeter is a billionaire’s daughter, living in the strangling midst of a very strict upbringing. A girl in need of some serious summer fun. She’s lost herself to school, family, and all the responsibilities that come with being a political icon’s daughter.
Grayson William Smith is the consummate player, a young man who works the vacationing ladies harder than he works his job. He’s attractive, mysterious, and has all the right ingredients to distract Riley… except one. He’s completely and utterly disinterested in her.
Nevertheless, as odd a couple as they are, Riley and Grayson can’t deny the attraction between the two of them. When Riley starts to find herself again, will the incredibly handsome Grayson show her how to get lost in the moment? Will they find a way to melt together in the tropical heat of a paradise all their own?
