“Yes, as a matter of fact we are. We always hold one on the 4th and have a great big barbecue up here. We invite some of our clients and closest friends.” She’d come to stand next to me and had opened up the bags I’d placed on the table.
Before she could take anything out, I took her hand and brought it to my lips. I licked each knuckle. It hadn’t escaped my notice she didn’t reply to what I’d said to her in the stairwell. I took that as a good sign. “So since I’m both client and aiming to be a close, very, very close and personal friend, does that mean I’m invited too?”
We stared at each other and for a moment, I thought she was going to say no. Damnit, my heart slammed against my ribcage at the thought she might not be as into me as I was to her.
“Are you a client?”
I smiled. I really liked this girl—woman. “I signed the papers last night and gave them to Babs before I came to your office.” I didn’t want to give her a chance to put off our lunch. I thought if I handed her the papers first, she might. Besides, Babs was at her desk and when I asked her if I could leave them with her, she said yes.
She smiled and damned, if my heart didn’t respond to her joy, I smiled back.
“Of course, you’re invited.”
“As a client or friend?” I know I was pushing but I wanted her to know I was both, and wanted maybe…even more.
“How about both?”
I kissed her fingers. “Okay, good enough. For now. But make no mistake, Eryn. I want you and I want you tonight.”
“Someone once said it’s always good to want things. Gives us something to look forward to.”
I smiled and helped her take the meal I’d gotten out of the bags and we sat down to enjoy our lunch.
Babs saw the delivery guy get off the elevator, there was no receptionist at the desk she was at lunch, so she was keeping an eye on the area till she got back.
The man glanced around and when he saw her wave him over, he moved in her direction. He carried a long white box in his hand that had the name of a local florist on it.
Babs smiled. Wondering who was getting flowers today.
The man stopped at her desk. He wore a cap pulled low on his head and had a short dark beard, he also wore heavily tinted sunglasses.
She couldn’t see his eyes but she assumed he stared at her. His lips were hidden by his facial hair, so she couldn’t really tell if he was smiling under all of that or not. “May I help you?” she asked.
“Yes, I have a package here for Eryn Gunn.”
He spoke with a heavy accent she couldn’t quite place, but she understood him just fine. “I’ll be happy to sign for it.”
He shook his head. “That’s not necessary. I just need to make sure she’s in her office when I deliver this, otherwise I can come back when she is.”
Babs grinned. It was a little odd not to have to sign for a delivery but not unusual. She shrugged. “Okay. And yes, she’s here.”
“Great. Can you make sure she gets this right away?”
“I’ll take it back to her office now,” Babs offered. She waited for the man to get on the elevator before rising from her seat with the box to take to Eryn’s office. After placing it on the center of the desk, she continued to wonder who sent her flowers, and if they might be from Pike. That would make sense why the delivery guy wanted to make sure she was here and didn’t need a signature for it. Pike would know they’d been delivered. Smiling, she turned to go back to her desk.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Eryn
Damn, he was arrogant! Cocky, perfectly handsome, with a voice most would give their first born, second born and fortune to have. Both drew me to him, yet made me hesitate. We sat down and had a wonderful lunch. I couldn’t help but be flattered he’d taken the time to find out what I liked to eat. I would not have thought it of him, to think of someone other than himself, but I shouldn’t be so surprised. Maybe, maybe I should stop pre-judging him, let his actions speak for him, and not what I think a rock star should or should not be about. Either way, something told me, where Pike was concerned…I was so screwed.
I enjoyed my time on the roof with him, but I also couldn’t shake what had happened to that poor woman. Her family must be devastated. I made a promise to myself as soon as lunch was over I would try to get more details about the woman and send her family a letter offering my condolences. It’s the least I felt I should do.
Pike ran his long fingers through his white blond hair capturing my attention. In truth, he’d had my attention from the moment I’d first heard him sing, back at that little bar in Charlottesville or C-Ville as some called it. He was so different from anyone I’d ever dated though. While I’d been around musicians, actors and sports figures most of my adult life, and some were just as handsome as Pike. I glanced quickly away from him when he turned and caught me staring, well maybe not quite as beautiful as Pike. Some had tried to get me to go out with them. I’d never had any trouble turning them down. None. I suppose I had a type, Pike and those others were not it.
The men I’d dated in the past were all like my uncles and cousins. The kind of man I always thought my dad was, ones my mom and family would approve of. All professionals, suit and tie kinda guys during the day, but knew how to relax and cut loose a little on weekends. Yet, not even they had been able to hold my attention long. In truth, Pike might not be my type, but he tempted me like no one ever had. Still, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to be just one of many with him. Nonetheless, here we were.
“What if I told you I was seeing someone?” I said, to merely gauge his response.
He never hesitated, “I don’t see a ring on that significant left hand, so I won’t tell if you won’t.”
I watched as he leaned in closer to me. I could smell the soap or shampoo he might have used that morning, something with a bite of lemon and herbs in the fragrance. It suited him. I shifted to meet him halfway and once again, he covered my mouth with his. What was it about him—us that every time he touched me, I forgot. Forgot where I was, who I was, what the hell I was doing—Oh yes, kissing Pike.
John Pike had his tongue in my mouth and his hand rested on my shirt just under my breast. Damn, I wanted that hand to inch up, then I felt the light brush of his thumb on the bottom of my breasts. Just what I craved. I moaned into his mouth and leaned forward for him to touch even more. And why the hell again, were we doing this with clothes between us again?
“Tonight, Eryn. I will pick you up tonight.”
“Tonight? Where are we going?”
“To heaven Eryn, I need you to take me to your heaven.”
I pulled back and blinked up into his eyes. Damn is he for real. “Pike, I—”
He removed his hand from under my shirt and placed his thumb against my mouth. Rubbing back and forth across it, I couldn’t help but part my lips allowing him access. He pushed his thumb slowly inside and I licked it. Sucked on it. He moaned just as I registered my panties were damp. So okay, maybe I would let him pick me up tonight. We can go out again. Yes, I could do that.
“Tonight,” he stated again as he slowly withdrew his thumb from my mouth.
I could only nod at this man who was turning me into mush. For the record, I didn’t do mush, yet I was doing it and would do even more with him.
We’d finished eating and he returned all of our trash to the bag. There were no leftovers. He might be lean and wiry but the man could eat. We sat there just staring at each other, enjoying the moment. Some silent signal of longing passed between us, connecting us. The scent of his leather jacket surrounded me, the light breeze of the day blowing his hair over his forehead providing a nice distraction. He held out his hand toward me and I placed mine in his. Gently, he tugged me to him. I got up and moved over into his thighs, spreading his legs a little wider, he nestled me on his lap.
I wound my arms at his neck, and he placed his at my waist, pulling in closer to him. So close I could feel the hardness of his cock pressing against my hipbone and through th
e jeans, he wore. His mouth covered mine and his tongue owned me. I moved one hand to his jaw. “Pike,” I breathed.
“Shhh,” he crooned. “I got ya.”
I’m not sure exactly what I wanted to say to him, I wasn’t even sure of his response. I closed my eyes and lost part of myself with him. All I knew was that it felt right, he felt right, as he seemed to take us miles away into our own little reality.
At first, it took me a moment I think to realize, the vibration thumping through my body, the sound of glass shattering filtering through my eardrums, and into my functioning brain cells had nothing to do with Pike.
He released me and abruptly rose to his feet, taking me with him. “What the fuck?” he said looking wildly around.
“Was—was that an earthquake?”
Then we heard the screams, shouting and the acidy aroma of smoke filled my senses.
“That was no earthquake, it sounded like an explosion,” Pike said.
Fear fueled my mind. “Yes, I think you’re right. But the building trembled. What’s going on?” I looked to him for answers, but knew he had none.
By now, we could hear sirens in the distance and the smell of fire was even stronger on the wind. I could see a dark cloud rising up into the air coming from the side of the building. Pike grabbed my hand and we moved over to the edge, as close to it as we could get, to try to see what was going on. We were on the same side my office was located on. I glanced down, it was at an odd angle, but I could see flames shooting out from what might have been my office windows on the eleventh floor. Looking down on the street, I saw glass littered the sidewalk. People were staring up at us from the sidewalk and cars had stopped in the middle of the street causing a traffic jam.
“Come on, let’s get out of here,” Pike urged. “We need to get off the roof, out of the building, and on the street.”
“Yes, yes we should probably do that. But—but we can’t take the elevator. The building could be on fire. We’ll have to use the stairwell. And I need to stop on my office floor.” I squeezed his hand. “I think if it was some kind of explosion it came from the area around my office.”
“Then we’re definitely not stopping on your floor. Look babe, until we figure out what happened, we just need to get out of the building.”
“You’re right.” I knew he was right. “But—Babs, what about Babs and everyone in my office?”
“I’m sure if they heard what we heard they’re on their way out too. One thing at a time, come on.” Pike led us back to the roof exit and we took the stairs.
The fire alarm blasted throughout the building. The noise caused ringing in my ears. Pike held onto my hand the entire time. When we got to my office floor I paused, but he tugged me to keep me moving.
I glanced down and I saw people already running down the stairs from the floors below us. I hoped that everyone on my floor had already made it out and sent up a silent prayer that it was so. I tried to remember who was in today and who’d still been in the office when we went up on the roof, but I couldn’t be sure. We’d made it to about the second floor when we spotted firemen running up the stairs toward us. The first two to reach us asked if we were all right.
“Yes, yes we’re fine. But I think whatever happened it happened on the eleventh floor. My office is up there. Please, there might have been half a dozen other people on that floor, do you know if everyone made it out okay?” I wasn’t sure about the number but was a good enough ballpark.
“We don’t know yet ma’am.”
We had to keep yelling at each other to be heard over the noise of the fire alarm. “Do you know what happened?” I asked.
Two other men rushed past us and the third firemen continued up the stairs with him. They were carrying a fire hose.
“Not yet, but from the street looks like one office on the F street side took the brunt of some kind of blast.”
My legs went weak. I leaned back against Pike for support. He wrapped his arm around me. Understanding, it was my office. My office that was on fire. Where an explosion might have gone off. What the hell is going on?
“It’s not safe to remain here. Your co-workers might already be clear of the building. Please keep going until you get outside, get to the other side of the street. Don’t remain near the building. Ask for the fire chief out there. Give him whatever information you can.”
“Okay, yeah.”
“Come on, babe,” Pike said, gently tugging my hand. “The man is right. Let’s find your friends.”
“I can’t believe this is happening. I’m not even sure what the hell is happening.”
“They’ll put the fire out and get to the bottom of it.”
We made it to the lobby, there were still a few people there, but all were running for the exit. There were cops around, I could see Fred helping to keep people from panicking and aiding a woman to her feet who’d stumbled. She got up and made it outside.
“Fred,” I yelled.
He looked up, saw me, and smiling came over to me, enveloping me in a big bear hug. “Am I glad to see you! You had me worried there for a minute.”
“Did everyone get out?” I knew he would know. He knew everyone in the building; he had a name for every face. But when his smile crumpled I knew something was wrong.
“I’m not sure. I saw a few people but there was a lot of confusion. Someone said the explosion came from eleven, so that’s where I sent the firemen. I was worried about you.”
“Babs, have you seen Babs?”
He shook his head. “No, but I saw a few of your people, so hopefully she’s fine too. For awhile there, it was really crowded with people leaving the building.”
“Do you have any idea what happened?” Pike asked.
“No. Just that we all heard an explosion and the building shook a bit like that earthquake a few years ago. I went outside, saw the smoke, and called the fire department. When I got back in, there were people getting off the elevators and more running out of the stairwell, screaming the building was on fire. You know the rest.” He glanced around. “I don’t see anyone else here. I think they’ve been clearing everyone from the floors too.”
“I need to talk to the fire chief or who ever is in charge.”
“That would be me.”
I turned around to see a short rotund balding man in a uniform, but the badge on his chest proclaimed him the fire chief. “Yes, thank you.”
“Let’s move outside please. I need to make sure the building is clear and everyone is safe. I’m Chief Johnson.”
“I—I think the explosion came from my office.”
He frowned. “Come with me.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
Pike
What the fuck!
A beautiful day went to shit in the blink of an eye. Eryn and I sat in the back of the Chief’s SUV. He’d stepped out of the car and asked us to wait. I could see him walking over to a group of cops, and other firefighters. Other policemen kept the crowds back or to the other side of the street, traffic was prevented from entering the block. Glancing up at the building, I could see they had stopped whatever fire might have been up there. No more smoke came from the space where there should’ve been windows. Just gaping holes in the side of the scotched brick existed now.
Suddenly, a chill raced up my spine. If I hadn’t come to take Eryn to lunch, if we hadn’t been up on the roof when whatever had happened had, she could have been hurt. Or worse. I shook my head not even wanting to think of such a worse case scenario.
“What’s wrong? What is it?” she asked, her hand covering mine.
I glanced over at her as I pulled her against me, resting my head against the side of hers, and holding onto her hand with both of mine. “I could have lost you when we’ve only just begun.”
“What?”
“If we hadn’t been on the roof…”
“Oh.” She shuddered in my arms.
That’s when I realized she hadn’t thought about that. I gathered her tighter to me. “But you w
eren’t. You’re fine. We’re both fine.”
“But Babs.” She glanced over at the window across the street, staring at all the people milling around on the sidewalk. But I think we both knew the truth, Babs sat right outside her office door, she would’ve been close to whatever shit went down.
“I know, babe. I know.”
She moved away from me. “I—I have to g-go look for her.”
“Okay, we’ll look. I’ll help.” I had my hand on the door lever to push it open but the Fire Chief came back over to us with a man in a suit, there was a badge attached to his belt.
“This is Detective Simons. I told him what you told me, Miss, that you believe it’s your office the explosion started in.”
We hadn’t given the Chief our names, but Simons asked for it then, frowning at me the entire time. I wasn’t surprised; I had a famous face. And knew what was coming next.
“Pike. You’re Pike, right?” he asked.
“Yeah.”
His ruddy face broke into a grin. “My girls love your music. In truth, I kinda like it myself. It’s a pleasure.” He stuck out his hand and I shook it.
“Thank you,” I replied. “This is Eryn Gunn my lawyer.”
“Ah, Ms. Gunn. Can you tell me what happened?”
“I was hoping you could tell me.”
The chief and detective shared a glance between them. Like they were communicating silently. Whatever passed between them Chief Johnson spoke up, “So far, we don’t know much. And won’t until the forensic unit has had a chance to go through what’s left.”
“What do you mean?” Eryn asked.
“It looks like there was some kind of explosive device that went off in…I believe you said, it was your office.” He glanced up at the building and pointed in the direction of the windows that were no more.
“Yes. That’s my office.”
“Mind if I ask, where were you when the explosion happened?” Simons asked.
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