Dr. Orgasm (A Holiday Romance Collection Book 2)

by Michelle Love

  None, she thought, utterly clueless. Scarlett was still grinning when she got to the ticket booth. Harve, the ticket master, took her money.

  “How you doing, young ’un? Still single?”

  Scarlett winked at him “Saving myself for you, Harve.” Harve’s son, Sal, a slinky-hipped blond sitting with his father in the booth, his long legs stretched out, feet on Harve’s desk, called out,

  “Hey, what about me?”

  Scarlett cocked her head to look past Harve and raised her eyebrows at the young man. “When I grow a penis, I’ll let you know.”

  Harve choked on his coffee and guffawed. Sal grinned and shook his head.

  “Don’t know what you’re missing, girl!” he called as she said goodbye to Harve. She turned and saluted him.

  “I’ve seen Unhung Hero, Sal; I do know,” she shot back, which made Harve laugh even harder and clap his crestfallen son on the back. Scarlett waved at them both and walked up the gangway to the ferry. She headed straight for the front deck and leaned over the side. As it pulled away, she felt her spirits lift. An afternoon in the city’s best fashion shops—Nordstrom’s, she thought with a happy sigh—and an evening of music.

  “God, I try and escape you for one day.”

  She turned to see Knox walking towards her and smiled in delighted surprise. “Hey, you.” He was dressed in a dark green T-shirt, blue jeans and sneakers, casual, but she noticed the dark circles under his eyes and the slightly strained smile. Impulsively, she hugged him. He tensed for a moment, then returned the hug. Releasing him, she studied him.

  “You look like you needed that. Rough few days, huh?”

  He nodded and gestured towards the mainland. “That’s why I’m here. Going to camp out in bookshops, have some coffee, maybe catch a band later. You?”

  She smiled. “The same. Hey, there’s a great covers band at the Paramount on Ninth and Pine.” Suddenly, she felt shy. “I mean, I’m going, and I don’t know if you’re sick of the sight of me, but…”

  Knox laughed. “Would never happen, Scarlett Rose. I’d like to come. I’ve heard good things about that place. Maybe we can grab some dinner before?”

  She grinned. “You bet.” The way he said her name made her stomach flip excitedly.

  They sat on the deck and talked for the rest of the journey, about music, books, art, carefully avoiding any mention of the murders or what had been going on. It was late morning by the time they got to Seattle, and as they walked off the gangway onto Alaskan Way, Knox took her hand.

  Inca told Nancy about the night she’d had—well, the sleepwalking part, not the good part that had come before. She grinned to herself. Her thighs ached and her vagina throbbed with the pounding it had taken. Tommaso’s teeth marks were still on her belly.

  God, what a night.

  On her break, she surreptitiously took her laptop into the backroom and looked up some BDSM websites. She had never indulged before, but last night had awoken something inside her. She wanted to know more, try more …

  “What’s that?”

  Inca started and slammed the laptop shut. Luna Rosenbaum grinned at her. “Too late,” she said, and flopped down onto the couch next to Inca.

  Inca, bright red, grinned.

  “You are a pain in the ass. And where the hell have you been? I’ve barely seen you since you got back.”

  “I know. I’m sorry, honey.”

  “The English boyfriend?”

  Luna grinned. Inca studied her. “So, you over whatever I did to piss you off?”

  “What do you mean?”

  Inca sighed. “When you came back, it seemed like you were angry at me.”

  Luna looked guilty. “I wasn’t. I promise. Not really. It was just that, I thought I would have to keep my distance because of you and Olly splitting, and it broke my heart. I love you like a sister, Inks, and it killed me that you weren’t together anymore.”

  “I didn’t do the dumping,” Inca reminded her gently, and Luna nodded.

  “I know, and I am sorry. But seeing how you and Olly are still good friends—I came around. I hate that you’re not together, but as long as we can all get along, I’m good. He doesn’t like your boyfriend though.”

  Inca was stung. “I knew he wasn’t sure about him, but I didn’t think he actively disliked Tommaso.”

  Luna looked askance at her. “No? Because why would he hate his ex-girlfriend’s drop-dead-gorgeous billionaire boyfriend?”

  Inca conceded that, laughing. “That does sound good when you say it. But, I couldn’t give two hoots about Tommaso’s money, you know.”

  “I know that. The brother’s gorgeous too.” Luna grinned wickedly. “That’s a threesome I could get on board with.”

  “Luna!” Inca gave a shout of shocked laughter.

  “Don’t tell me you haven’t thought about it. And they’re Italian too—I bet you all the money in their bank accounts, they’ve shared a woman before.”

  “Not me, they won’t.” Inca was feeling very uncomfortable now and was glad when Luna changed the subject.

  It was later, when Inca was alone in the Sakura—Nancy having ducked out for a moment—that the thought came back to her, and she couldn’t shake it. Raffaelo … she closed her eyes and imagined him being the one fucking her, tying her up, his quiet, brooding nature at odds with the sensations he was engendering inside her …

  “Hello, Inca.”

  Ice flooded through her veins. She knew that voice. She opened her eyes and felt the blood drain from her face.

  Kevin. He blocked the doorway of the teahouse.

  Oh God … no …

  Kevin smiled nastily and reached behind him to lock the door.

  Tommaso stopped at a florist’s in Willowbrook to order some flowers for Inca. He hated that he was going to have to leave her to go to Paris, but at the same time, he knew Raff would make sure she was safe. There was something he liked in the thought of his brother and his girlfriend being alone together … a twisted part of him wondered if his brother would make a move on her. He had seen it in Raff’s eyes last night and knew that look of old. Desire. And who could blame him, confronted by Inca’s lush, naked body like that?

  Of course, Raff would never take advantage— not like Tommaso. God, would he ever stop feeling guilty about Perdita? Maybe he would feel better if Raff did fuck Inca …

  What the hell are you thinking? This is the woman you love …

  He shook himself. Still, it would be a thought that would fester. He thanked the florist for the blooms—hibiscus, peonies, gerberas in the brilliant jewel tones that Inca loved—and got back in his car.

  As he drove to the Sakura, he saw Nancy pounding at the door of the teahouse screaming and crying. People were running towards it as he brought the car to a halt with a screech and leaped out.

  “Nancy! What’s wrong?”

  Nancy was beside herself. “He’s in there with her; he’s hurting her, I know it … oh God. Oh God …”

  Tommaso pounded on the door and could hear shouting from inside—an English man’s voice—Inca’s screams of pain—and he went cold. He threw himself against the door twice before it caved in, and he tumbled in.

  Kevin had Inca by the throat, his free hand curled into a fist and driving into her stomach. Inca choked, unable to fight the huge man off. Blood poured from a cut above her eye. Tommaso, with a roar, threw himself at the man, dragging him away from Inca. Tommaso launched a fearsome attack on Kevin; the other man was completely blind-sided, still staring at Inca, who was on the floor, gasping as Nancy rushed to help her.

  “Get off me …” Kevin tried to free himself from Tommaso’s grip. Olly and his deputy burst into the teahouse then, brought by the screams and shouts.

  “Tommaso, drop him,” Olly ordered, and, although half-crazed with rage, Tommaso did, breathing heavily. Kevin’s face was a mess of blood, his nose broken. But Olly took one look at Inca’s stricken face and he merely put a hand on Tommaso’s back. “Step back now,
Tommaso. We got this.”

  His tone was gentle and broke through Tommaso’s rage. He blinked then and darted to Inca’s side. Nancy relinquished her daughter into his arms, a grateful look on her face. Tommaso could feel Inca’s entire body trembling. Nancy gave a squeak of distress as she moved around the counter and he looked at her.

  Nancy looked over at Olly. “Olly, would you come here please?”

  As Olly’s deputy wrestled Kevin out of the teahouse, Olly came over. He looked at what Nancy had seen and his face paled. Tommaso shook his head.

  “What? What is it?”

  He felt Inca shiver, and when the answer came, it was from her.

  “He had a knife,” she said simply. “He had a knife.”

  “I’m going to cancel Paris.”

  Inca shook her head as the doctor made a face at her for moving. He was pressing butterfly stitches to the cut above her eye. She apologized to him, but looked back at Tommaso. “No, don’t. I am fine—even better now that Kevin’s in jail.”

  “Olly says that at the very least they’ll charge him with attempted murder.”

  “There you go, see? The best thing is not to let him dictate our lives anymore.”

  Tommaso sighed. Since he had brought her to the medical center, Inca had rallied and seemed to be too okay for his liking. The doctor told her the shock would probably come later, but she shrugged. “It’s over; he’s caught.”

  “Lay back for me, Inca. I want to check your other wounds.”

  Tommaso closed his eyes briefly, not wanting to see the cuts and scratches on her lovely body. Kevin had tried to stab her, had come close, the tip of the knife making contact with her skin a few times, but she’d managed to disarm him before he could stab her. But then he’d started to choke her.

  Tommaso opened his eyes and took in the damage. Blood oozed from the scratches on her belly, her stomach, her arms, and her hands where she’d fought him. There was an inch-long graze on her throat and a deeper slash on her left shoulder.

  God.

  The doctor was cleaning them, Inca wincing as the alcohol hit her skin.

  “None of them are deep, thank God,” he said. “But perhaps a course of antibiotics wouldn’t go amiss, to fend off any bacteria from the knife.”

  Tommaso waited until the doctor left them alone to get Inca’s prescription. “Maybe you should stay overnight.”

  Inca shook her head. “No way. I’m fine, honey. I promise. I want to be with you.”

  Tommaso kissed her. “I wish I had been there.”

  “You can’t be there every minute, and it’s my own damn fault for not locking the door when Nancy went out.”

  “He could have killed you.”

  “Yes. But he didn’t.”

  She gazed up at him and he saw something strange in her eyes. Freedom.

  “I feel released,” she said, reading his mind. “Like a weight has been lifted. Now I can annul the marriage and get Kevin deported if he doesn’t go to jail.”

  “Oh, he’ll go to jail all right.” Tommaso looked fierce.

  “As long as I’m free of him. God, I feel so relieved.”

  He stroked her face. “I’m glad. Look, Olly asked us to come by if you’re up to it, to answer some questions.”

  “Of course. I’m fine. Let’s get it done.”

  He pressed his lips to hers. “Warrior woman.”

  She chuckled. “Hardly. You saved my life, Tommaso.”

  “I love you, Inca Sardee. There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for you.”

  She wrapped her arms around him. “Then let’s go do this thing and then go home.”

  “How you doing, kid?”

  Olly looked up, startled. Tyler stood at the door to the office, smiling sympathetically at him. Olly grinned and offered him a coffee. When they were seated, Tyler pulled his cap off and scratched at his head as Olly indicated the paperwork on his desk.

  “Paperwork out the wazoo, and yet no one’s telling me anything. It’s kinda frustrating.”

  Tyler nodded. “Well, you made your bed.”

  “Yup.”

  They sat in silence for a while, then Tyler sighed. “Indulge an old man. Tell me what you got so far.”

  Olly hesitated, then shrugged. “All we can charge Kevin Harnett with is attempted murder at the moment. I say all, though attempted murder will put him away for a good long time. But we’ve still got to try and tie him to the other murders.”

  “You?”

  “City homicide has it. They came and got him this morning. He admitted to coming here to kill Inca … Sorry,” he added when Tyler winced. “From what I understand, Kevin Hartnett has a record for beating his women. Inca told me that this isn’t the first time he’s tried to kill her.”

  Tyler put his head in his hands. “She never told me any of that.”

  Olly leaned forward, his expression intense. “She never told any of us, Tyler. Which concerns me. What if she finds herself in the same situation with …”

  Tyler shook his head. “No. Winter saved her life.”

  “You didn’t see him, Tyler. He was in a frenzy. He almost killed Harnett.”

  “I would have done the same thing, Oliver.” Tyler’s voice was firm now. “Don’t let your dislike of Winter get in the way of the facts. He saved my daughter’s life, and I will be forever grateful to him.” He studied the younger man’s expression and Olly looked away from his penetrating gaze. “You still love her.” A statement.

  Olly cleared his throat. “Let’s get back to Harnett. We found the knife he intended to use. Look familiar?”

  He tossed over a photo and Tyler blanched when he saw it. “That looks like the one that was stolen from me last year.”

  “Yep.”

  Tyler shook his head. “I don’t understand.”

  “You think it could be your one?”

  He sighed. “I don’t know. I hope it is just coincidence. Is it the murder weapon in the other killings?”

  “Forgive me, but I’m not up on the forensics on all of them. When I talked to Homicide, they hadn’t identified it. All they know is that it’s not your everyday kitchen knife. The wounds are jagged, but don’t match a serrated or hunting knife.” He gave a frustrated hiss. “Man …”

  Tyler was watching him carefully. “Oliver … take it easy. You did your job. Inca is safe now. We can all move on.”

  Getting his subtext, Olly nodded. “Tyler, I am moving on. You’ve met Molly?”

  Tyler smiled then. “She’s a good girl, that one. You’re a lucky man.”

  Olly returned his grin. “I know.”

  Tyler got up. “Well, kid, if you need someone to blow off steam to, you know where I am. Try to remember why you left Homicide, though.”

  Olly looked bleak. “Hard to do when it seems to be following you around.”

  He watched Tyler walk across to the Sakura to chat with Nancy and Scarlett. The thought crossed his mind that he would have enjoyed working with Tyler as Chief. Curiosity piqued, he grabbed the report of Tyler’s robbery from the file. He read down the inventory of stolen items: cash, passport, war memorabilia, jewelry. Petit larceny at best.

  He shoved the folder back in the drawer, frustrated again. He wondered again if he should ask if he could question Harnett again. God, when he’d stepped into the Sakura that day and had seen Inca all bloody and in pain, then watched Tommaso beat the shit out of her attacker, all Olly could think was, That should have been me saving the woman I love, whaling on her would-be killer.

  He’d realized then that he was still in love with Inca.

  God, you fool, Rosenbaum. You utter fool.

  You should never have let her go.

  Inca finally persuaded Tommaso not to cancel his trip to Paris. “It’s four days, my love. If we can’t make it four days apart, then we have bigger problems.”

  After a night of passionate and definitely kinky lovemaking, she drove him to SeaTac herself and kissed him goodbye. Tommaso stroked her hair back
from her face. “Ti amo, Inca Sardee.”

  She felt strange leaving him at the airport. She drove into the city and went to see Mindy, her realtor. Luckily, the tension between them had dissipated; Mindy believed her when Inca told her she hadn’t been the one who was rude to the signage guys.

  “Did you ever confront the witch?” Mindy asked her now, passing Inca a mug of hot coffee.

  “I haven’t even seen her, which is why it was so weird. Olly tells me he’s seen her in town, but not to talk to. If it wasn’t her, then I have no idea. Still.” Inca sipped the hot coffee. “That’s all in the past. So, I’m in the market for a new place.”

  Mindy gave her a sly smile. “From what I hear, you already have the best place in town.”

  Inca almost spit her drink out. “Holy hell. Does everyone know about me and Tommaso Winter?”

  Mindy laughed. “What do you expect? I’m surprised the nationals haven’t got a hold of it. The Billionaire and the Girl Next Door. Headlines write themselves.”

  Inca sighed. “Whatever. Look, I’m still in the market for an apartment somewhere in Willowbrook so …”

  Mindy patted her hand. “Of course, sweetie. I’ve got a bunch of prospects for you.”

  Raffaelo Winter felt edgy. Two phone meetings with his investors had not gone well, but that was mostly because he hadn’t been engaged in them. Snapping that he’d call them back, he had hung up, then changed into his running gear and gone out into the cold Washington morning.

  The roads were clear of snow now, most of it piled at the roadside, and he found his rhythm as he ran towards the town. He wanted his head clear to think, to try and gain some clarity on what he was feeling. But, almost automatically, he found himself outside the Sakura, cursing himself for being so weak.

  However, when he went inside, Inca was nowhere to be seen. “Hey.” Scarlett smiled at him as she appeared from the kitchen. “Haven’t seen you here much.”

  Raffaelo, never one for socializing, thought about turning around, but he didn’t want to be rude to Inca’s friend. He half-smiled at her. “I have heard good things about your tea.”

  Scarlett grinned; obviously, his ruse hadn’t worked. “She’s not here. She decided to go to the city after dropping Tommaso off at the airport.”