When he saw her smile, he coughed, losing his breath. “You have a very pretty smile! You should do it more often.”
* * * *
Isabella felt a goofy rush to her head, embarrassed. She didn’t quite know how to react or what to say about a compliment from a man like him. Most men seemed to have one thing on their minds: how to get in her pants.
She finally said, “Thank you if you meant that as a compliment, but no thanks if you’re trying to get me into your bed like most other men.”
Wyatt’s eyes turned as dark as flint as he became acutely aware of her.
She tensed under his scrutiny, and her senses became heightened.
“Listen, honey, I’ve had lots of women and have never been forced to give a compliment to any one of them to get anything I’ve wanted. Sex, sleeping together, making love, whatever you want to call it has always been and will always be something a man and a woman mutually agree on. And most important, and get this straight, I’m not like ‘most other men.’ I don’t believe a woman ‘belongs’ to anyone except herself and let’s just leave it at that.”
Isabella ran her hand through her hair while watching him. She moved to sit at the other end of the couch farthest away from him. Just so we’re both straight on that subject, she thought to herself while she watched him fumble around with the newspaper. Finality. The conversation had ended.
* * * *
Wyatt walked over to the desk, picked up the paper, and settled into the recliner. Fuming and fussing, he shook the paper open. Sure I have flaws, but I’m also a man. A very capable and considerate man.
He leafed through the sections of newspaper until he found the business section. He put the rest of the paper down on the couch and started reading. He had been interviewed a few weeks ago about the growth of his company and about how he had been able to employ many men and women of the community who otherwise would be unemployed. He was anxious to see what really ended up in print. He found the article and had settled down to read it when the doorbell rang.
When the doorbell rang, Isabella inhaled an audibly ragged breath. He put a finger to his mouth indicating not to talk and whispered, “Stay here, I’ll see who it is.”
He started up the stairs with frequent glances back at her. Taking two stairs at a time, Wyatt quickly reached the front door. He peeked out the side door curtains but couldn’t see very much other than a police car was parked in the circular drive at the front of the house. He retrieved his .38-caliber snub-nose pistol from his ankle and stuck it into the back waistband of his jeans, turned to the front door, and opened it with caution.
“Good morning, Officer. Can I help you?” Wyatt asked.
“Good morning, sir,” the officer said while trying to look past Wyatt. “Just wanted to come by this morning and make sure everything is okay.”
“It’s a beautiful day, isn’t it? There are probably lots of people out and about playing, picnicking at the park, right?”
The officer looked Wyatt up and down. “Yeah, I just came from there. Nice weather like today you want to enjoy the great outdoors.”
Wyatt thought the officer at the door looked familiar, but he didn’t recognize him. He studied his badge and memorized his number while they talked. “It sure does. Thanks for coming by.”
“You have a good day now,” the officer said as he turned to walk to the car.
Wyatt closed and locked the front door, then found a loose piece of paper and pen in the table drawer in the foyer. He wrote down the badge number he had committed to memory and thought it odd the officer didn’t introduce himself. Maybe Dave had been too vague about the reason for the extra patrols and a rookie, wanting to gain some extra points, thought he needed to go the extra mile by making a personal appearance. Anyway, he would check with Dave when he called later.
He watched through the small slit in the dining room blinds as the patrol car drove down the driveway to the street. He saw the guy look into the woods, first one side and then the other.
Wyatt found a trembling Isabella sitting on the edge of the couch when he returned to the family room. She had a wild, desperate look on her face, and his heart stirred, his chest tightened.
He crossed the room to the couch and sat down beside her. He didn’t know what to say or do. He spoke softly to her as if to a small child. His mind was clouded by questions without answers.
* * * *
When Joe got back to the park, he saw someone had broken the back door window. He didn’t notice anything missing as he glanced inside, so he pulled the keys from his pocket, unlocked the door, and left.
He drove to a chop shop he had found late last night. The owner had shown an interest in some of the van parts, and he needed the extra bucks the owner would be willing to pay him for them.
Chapter 21
“Everything’s fine. You’re safe and don’t have to worry about anything. It was just a patrolman making his rounds, making sure we’re safe. Dave said he would ask for extra patrols, remember?”
She looked up at him. His eyes full of understanding and compassion caused her to feel dizzy. Her eyes filled with tears. She tried to blink them back but they streamed down her cheeks.
Wyatt reached up and wiped a tear from the side of her cheek. She reached for his hand and stared into his eyes. He was so strong and street-wise, making her feel pampered and protected. He could be her knight in shining armor, but could she trust him to protect her from himself? Her chest tightened with strangling emotions as she searched his face.
He lowered his mouth to hers, gently touching her lips with his. She couldn’t have been prepared for the onslaught of emotions racing through her by the consequences of being kissed by him. Her breath flew from her lungs as his mouth devoured hers. She shuddered at the razor-sharp jolt of awareness exploding through her. Her insides became knotted with emotions she knew nothing about, had never experienced before.
Incapable of thinking, let alone remembering her name or where she was, she returned his kiss, running her fingers through his thick, dark hair. It felt so soft, just like his lips, except they were so hot. She moaned when he deepened the kiss, running his tongue along her lips, into her mouth.
She pulled him closer to her with her hands on his shoulders. He wrapped both his arms around her closing her within his heated cocoon. He ran his hands up and down her back, moving along her side to her front, and reached for her breast. He rubbed the nipple back and forth with his fingertips and it quickly became aroused and erect.
Isabella felt on fire, heat flaming from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. She trembled, and her breathing was uneven. Wyatt’s hands and lips touched her, leaving a trail of burning embers everywhere on her already-too-hot skin. His hands were in her hair, caressing her neck, shoulders, up her back and her breasts. Her breasts were already sensitive from when he had squeezed her nipple, and she became overwhelmed with pleasure. Isabella quivered and moaned.
When he began pushing up her top, she grabbed his hands. “No, don’t, don’t, stop. This is wrong. We can’t do this. It’s not right.”
Wyatt looked at her and held up his hands, palms open, to her. “You’re right. You’re right. I’m sorry.” He moved back to the other side of the couch and picked up the paper.
Isabella wrapped her arms around herself, trying to gain back the warmth that had just left her feeling barren, empty. Her heart pounded in her ears, thumped in her chest, her breathing heavy and erratic.
The room was quiet except for the crinkling of newspaper.
Chapter 22
Isabella couldn’t concentrate on reading the newspaper. In her mind, she kept replaying how Wyatt’s lips felt on hers. She shook her head to clear it of those unwanted thoughts and put the paper aside. Wyatt was looking very comfortable, relaxing in the recliner with his feet propped up.
Isabella cleared her throat. “What’s she like?”
Wyatt looked up from the paper. “Who?”
“Your girlfriend
. That’s who you were talking to on the phone, right?”
Wyatt laughed and shook his head. “No, not my girlfriend. It was my sister, Amy. She wanted to come and visit for the day.”
“Oh, does she come here often?” She looked down at her hardened nipples showing through the fabric of her shirt and crossed her arms to cover them.
“Not often enough. I wish we could spend more time together. Amy sometimes flies down from New York to spend a day with me.”
“Well, what’s she like? What does she do for a living?
“We’re very close as far as siblings go. I miss spending time with her very much. Growing up, the four of us were inseparable especially as teenagers.” When he saw her eyebrows rise in confusion, he continued. “Dave, his brother Dan, Amy, and me. ‘See one of us; see all four of us,’ neighbors often said since we were always together. Amy used to be such a tomboy and the only girl we allowed in our tree house. That is until Amy grew up—overnight it seemed—from a long-legged, gangly teenager into a beautiful, shapely young woman and a very independent, astute businesswoman.
“Dave and I chided her endlessly about the clothes she wore, but especially about who she dated. She finally gave us an ultimatum. We had to find someone we approved of for her to date within forty-eight hours or we would never say another word about her dates again. We agreed, foolishly thinking we could do better than she could, and of course, we couldn’t deliver. We didn’t think anyone in the world would be good enough for her.
“Then, after our parents died, Amy about lost it. She was overwhelmed with grief as you might expect. Amy and I wondered how we would be able to get on with our lives without our parents. But they had raised us well, teaching us self-confidence and independence. We were able to find comfort and consolation in each other, and relied on each other and good friends like Dave and Dan. Together, we provided each other with the necessary support we needed at that time in our lives. That support system saved us again when Dan was killed in Iraq. Dave and his family were devastated. And Amy and I were there to help them through the grief process.
“Amy finally took the money left to her by our parents and became a shrewd businesswoman. She invested it in a boutique of specialty hand-crafted vintage jewelry. One boutique quickly turned into numerous stores up and down along the East Coast. I’ve always been proud of her and her success. And I miss her all the time, too, very much.”
“You’re very lucky to have a sister and great friends like the Millers. Since I’m an only child, my mother is more like a sister to me, so we’re very close as well.” Feeling the need to change the subject, Isabella asked, “How long have you lived here, in this house?”
“Let’s see. I bought the property about five years ago, and it took about two years to build.”
“I love all the natural light from the large doors and windows in every room. Did you design it yourself?”
“Thanks, but no I didn’t personally design it. A friend of mine drew up the plans and allowed me to add a lot of personal changes to fit my wants and needs, and he included them in the end result. I think it came out very nice. It’s kind of big for one person, but I like it. I can spread out and not worry about any mess.”
“Do you like children? Michael”—she paused—“he hated kids, and he never wanted any. And my whole life has been centered on kids and their education. Sometimes I don’t know what I ever saw in him. My mother is a much better judge of people than I am,” Isabella said, wondering where all that had come from.
Wyatt took a moment and studied her. “I know exactly what you mean,” he replied. “I thought I was in love with someone. We were even engaged. But then after”—he faltered—“after she died, I found out she wasn’t who I thought she was. She had become a complete stranger.”
“How long ago did that happen?”
“About five years, around the same time I bought this land and decided to settle down, I guess.”
When he didn’t say anything further, she didn’t press him. If he didn’t want to talk about it, he didn’t want to talk about it. Isabella thought it best to change the subject.
“What about kids?” She waited for an answer this time.
“I enjoy kids, want my own someday. I had a great childhood, and I think I can provide a good and safe environment for children. Part of the reason I developed the park. Many of the kids in town had no place to go to play ball or swing, holler, and let loose.”
They talked comfortably like old friends catching up. He told her about some of the clowning around the “foursome” had done in their younger years and about some of the things they tried to get away with and how they always seemed to end up getting caught.
She told him about her students and some of their funny antics during one of their field trips to a petting zoo and what a great experience for all of them, including herself.
The ringing of the phone interrupted their conversation. Wyatt picked it up from the table beside him and said, “Hello.”
Chapter 23
On the other end of the line, Dave talked and Wyatt listened for a minute or two. Dave gave him the update on the pursuit of Terrell and Spike’s location. He explained it appeared to be a kidnapping by Spike’s gang, for an unknown reason. Isabella definitely needed protection.
Wyatt looked at Isabella while listening to Dave and wondered how much he should tell her, if anything at all. The less she knew, the better off she may be.
“I have everything under control here and you know where to find me if things go bad.”
“Wyatt, this isn’t like a normal job. I saw how you look at her. I don’t think you can be as detached emotionally in this investigation as you would like to be. I think you have a definite conflict of interest. You need to really think this through and listen to reason, man.”
Wyatt responded by changing the subject. “A patrol guy gave me the VIP treatment this morning with a personal visit to the front door. What’s that all about?”
“Don’t know. Did you get a badge number?”
Wyatt recited the number to Dave.
“Hold on a minute.”
A short time later, a confused Dave came back on the line. “Badge number belongs to Wayne Richards. Remember we worked with him for a while.”
“I remember him. I just saw him with his family the other day. The guy at the door definitely wasn’t him. I would have recognized him and invited him in for coffee or something.”
“He hasn’t returned from duty yet and I understand he’s a little late reporting in. Let me check it out further and get back to you. Remember what I said, Wyatt, and think about it,” Dave said once more before hanging up the phone.
Wyatt found Isabella, shaking, wringing her hands again with a wild, desperate look on her face and her eyes filled with fear and insecurity.
“Dave just wanted to go over some of the information we gave him earlier, make sure he understood it correctly. How about some lunch? I make a mean chicken salad sandwich.”
“I’m not really hungry. I really need to visit the bathroom if you can point me in the right direction.”
Wyatt stood and walked to the bottom of the stairs, motioning for her to follow. He flipped a switch on the wall while taking two steps at a time up the stairs.
“Bathroom’s right there on the left. I’ll get something to eat and be right back. Don’t forget, stay away from the windows.”
Isabella looked at him putting her fisted hands on her hips and drawing her lips tight, probably hating to be told what to do.
Wyatt indicated the room she entered was a bathroom. A full-size tub, separate shower, huge double sink vanity with granite countertop, and marble floors filled the massive space.
Wyatt came down the stairs, and turned to meet her at the bottom.
He walked her to a large room, a game room of sorts. Definitely a man’s room. A large pool table sat in the middle with a juke box on the end wall along with a rack containing cue sticks. A glass front refrigerator
with a wide selection of beer sat beside the jukebox. She heard Wyatt’s footsteps on the stairs.
He carried two plates, one on top of the other with a bag of grapes in his other hand. He handed her the grapes, walked to the couch, and put the plates down on the trunk. He turned around and realized she still stood at the bottom of the stairs holding the grapes in her hand.
He motioned for her to follow. She took the plate he handed her, muttered a subdued, “Thanks,” as he walked toward the kitchen and opened the fridge.
“Soda, water, or beer; what’s your preference?”
“Water, please. I’ve had enough soda for my entire lifetime.”
He grabbed two bottles of water from the fridge and reached into another door for some chips. He returned to the couch, sat, and started to eat.
They ate in silence. Since Isabella hadn’t been able to eat much of her breakfast, she quickly consumed half her sandwich. Wyatt, deep in thought about all the facts Dave had relayed to him, tried to put it all together to formulate a plan. And then the phone rang.
Isabella jumped, startled by the shrill sound in the otherwise silent house.
Wyatt was talking on the phone.
“No problem, Matt. I understand how things come up at the last minute, but you’ll need to call Robert in Denver and reschedule. Something’s come up here I need to handle personally”—he glanced at Isabella—“so I won’t be able to cover for you this time.”
Isabella had stopped eating, and was watching him with apprehension from the edge of her seat on the couch.
Wyatt noticed her apprehension and realized she was waiting for an explanation. “Matthew, my manager, needs to reschedule a Monday morning meeting in Denver. Some sort of family emergency came up. He and I work closely together, and sometimes I cover meetings for him when he’s overbooked, like now. It’s nothing for you to worry about.”
Wyatt clicked the off button on the phone but continued to hold it in his hand, rethinking his conversation with Matt. He trusted him explicitly but found himself curious about what his “family emergency” might be. In all the time he’d worked with Matt, he’d never heard him mention any family or known him to reschedule any meetings. Odd, since he suddenly couldn’t “make” a Denver meeting when Isabella had just come from Denver. He worked hard, was always on top of his game.
Confer, Lorelei - Deadly Deception (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 10
