Allegra's Shadow

by Dana Sanders Hill

  “I didn’t choose him for that purpose, but they’re good protectors. They don’t bark a lot, but when they do, it’s usually for a good reason. And it they don’t like something, they let out a ‘Shiba Scream.’”

  Mariah’s brows dipped.

  “It’s hard to describe, but you’ll know it when you hear it, and you’ll wish you hadn’t.” He gestured to the couch. “Have a seat.”

  Mariah slid onto the sofa.

  “Want something to drink? I’ve got water, apple juice –”

  “Water, please.”

  He inclined his head and turned toward the kitchen.

  “You have a lovely home.” It was a large space for one person, about 1400 square feet. Mariah looked around the room. She liked the way he’d decorated the place. It was simple and soothing, but not Spartan. Masculine, but not overpowering.

  “Thanks.”

  The black-and-white picture of a woman on the mantle caught Mariah’s eye, and she strolled across the room to get a closer view. His grandmother Lilly. She retained a prettiness that went beyond her features. She had to, or Gran D would’ve never been her best friend.

  Mariah moved on to the color photo of Anthony’s parents on their wedding day. Their smiles were radiant and their eyes shared the spark of happiness and optimism for the future that many newlyweds often possessed. Anthony’s mother was a younger version of Lilly, with her pretty brown eyes and dark reddish brown hair. Looking at the groom was like looking at Anthony, except his eyes had a more hazel golden hue.

  It was the pictures of Anthony that grabbed her attention. From infancy until around three or four, a ready smile lit his features. He was handsome even then, and loved dogs, as evidenced by the two pictures of him holding what looked like a terrier. But as he got older, the look in his amber eyes became too somber for someone so young.

  She turned her attention to the bowl filled with cinnamon near the pictures, dipped her head to inhale the scent and then returned to the sofa.

  Ming trotted back into the living room, a tennis ball in his mouth. He dropped it at her feet, let out one deep bark and wagged his tail. Then he spun around in a circle twice and sat at her feet. Mariah swore she saw a dog grin on his face. “Do you mind if I take Ming out back?” she called out.

  “No.” She swung her heard around to look at Anthony, caught off guard by the fact that he stood a few feet behind her and hadn’t made a sound. “Didn’t mean to startle you.” His tone was apologetic. In each hand was a glass of water.

  Mariah forced herself to settle down. “It’s okay,” she said in a composed voice.

  He set the glasses on the table, transferring his gaze from her to Ming – who hadn’t moved and watched Mariah – and back to Mariah again. “You want to play with Ming.”

  “Actually, he wanted to play.” Mariah reached down and grabbed the ball, holding it up for his verification. She broke into a wide, open smile for the first time since they’d met, unaware of the captivating picture she made. Then she turned and started petting Ming again with her free hand.

  Anthony fell on his butt as he watched, momentarily speechless, his heart pounding. He wanted her to smile at him that way.

  #

  An undeniable magnetism was building between Mariah and Anthony.

  But that didn’t mean she had to surrender to it.

  Ming was a great buffer. Mariah and Anthony took turns tossing the ball from his deck into the yard and Mariah made sure she kept several feet between them.

  The sky darkened and clouds started to grow thick as the air cooled by a few degrees, marking the end of the game. Besides, Mariah’s arm was a bit sore.

  Anthony had made a tossed salad before they went outside and the lasagna was ready.

  They washed their hands in the kitchen sink.

  Ming ran to his water dish, took a few laps, then came back to lie down outside the kitchen. His brown eyes looked mournful as he watched Anthony and Mariah move around.

  Mariah smiled at the dog. “Poor thing looks sad, lonely, and worn out.”

  “That’s his “I wish I could go in the kitchen” look. Don’t let him fool you,” Anthony warned. “He’ll be ready to play at the drop of a hat. He’s just waiting for us to leave the kitchen. He thinks you’re his new toy.”

  A light chuckle escaped her. “I suppose there are worse things to be. I guess I’m flattered.”

  #

  When Ming brought Mariah his tennis ball, Anthony thought nothing else could surprise him, because Ming only did that with him and Kevin.

  He was wrong.

  When Anthony heard Mariah laugh, he stopped breathing for a few seconds. At that moment, she was relaxed, just the way he wanted to her to be around him. Anthony wanted to kiss her then, but something told him to wait.

  As they sat down to eat, Mariah asked, “Do you mind if I say Grace?”

  Anthony’s eyes swept over her face. “No. Grandma Lilly did it all the time.” The duo closed their eyes and bowed their heads. A small smile touched Anthony’s lips and he snuck a peek Mariah as she prayed. She looked good at his table.

  #

  “I owe you two meals now.” Mariah dried the last of the dishes and handed them to Anthony to put away.

  “Forget it.”

  Mariah observed Anthony covertly – she didn’t want to get caught staring again – so she made a point of pushing the chairs under the table. When she finished, she lifted her eyes to find Anthony leaning against the sink and staring at her, his muscular arms folded across his broad chest.

  “What?” she asked, even though what she was feeling was far from calm.

  “Ming doesn’t take to many people,” he revealed in that hoarse, nerve-tingling voice.

  “Really?” she asked in interested amazement.

  Anthony photographed her with his eyes and the climate changed, as though he’d lit a match in a room full of hydrogen. He pushed away from the sink and approached her with long, purposeful strides.

  Taking an unsteady breath, Mariah stepped back as her heart throbbed in her ears. She wanted to put more distance between them, but realized that the more one retreated, the more they’re chased. If she stopped moving, so would he. Mariah met his eyes without flinching.

  But Anthony continued to advance, and in one forward motion, Mariah was in his arms.

  His touch upset her balance and she flattened both palms against his powerful chest, even as her insides jangled with anticipation.

  “Anthony.” Her voice was full of entreaty. She couldn’t decide if she was begging him to stop or not.

  Anthony inclined his head, those bright eyes riveted on Mariah’s face as his arms encircled her, one hand in the small of her back, the other at the nape of her neck. “Now you say my name.” There was a faint tremor in his voice as though some emotion had touched him.

  Mariah’s heart danced with excitement. No man had ever looked at her with such desire before. It was a thrilling sensation and she felt her knees weaken when his lips descended. Her emotions whirled and skidded as he sucked her top lip between his, before moving his mouth over hers hungrily, questing and delving, devouring its softness.

  Anthony’s hands explored the hollows of her back, shaping her soft curves to the outlines of his muscular frame. His touch, steady and persuasive, invited so much more that she had no desire to back out of his embrace.

  He continued his passionate assault on her senses, his lips searing a path across her cheek to nibble at her earlobe. Mariah gave a genuine sigh of delight, unconsciously tightening her arms around his neck. Anthony raised his head and their eyes locked as their breathing came in unison. Before she could catch her breath, he lifted her into the circle of his arms, her feet dangling in the air, his strong hands encircling her waist.

  Anthony’s mouth recaptured hers. Blood pounded in her brain, leapt from her heart, made her knees tremble, and she was dazed at her own eager response to the touch of his lips. He groaned when his tongue explored the reces
ses of her mouth, and a warm, strong hand slipped under her shirt, caressing the line of her back, shocking her. The concave hollow of her spine quivered at his touch, but she didn’t pull away.

  When his lips left hers to capture an earlobe, a whimper of ecstasy slipped past her lips, and passion nearly radiated from her soft core, thrilling and frightening her. A kernel of self-preservation took root, screaming that this man was so far out of her league, and that she couldn’t, she shouldn’t, let herself go in his arms, jolting her back to reality.

  Mariah wrenched away and lowered her head, her senses reeling as if short-circuited. The harsh, uneven rhythm of their breathing was the only sound that filled the kitchen.

  “What?” His broad shoulders were heaving and light smoldered in his amber eyes.

  “Oh God,” she panted. “I-I can’t…I’m sorry.” Mariah flattened her hands against Anthony’s chest.

  For a moment Anthony studied the top of her head. A small gasp escaped Mariah when he set her down, hands lingering a little too long around her waist before releasing her. She ran a hand through her hair, taking a glance at Anthony, noting his set face, his clamped mouth and fixed eyes.

  “Take me back to the house.” Mariah had to get out of there; she needed to be alone with her thoughts.

  By the time they pulled up to Allegra’s, the clouds were still thick and the sky started to rumble. The weather outside seemed to coincide with the mood inside Anthony’s car.

  He shifted the gear into Park and turned off the ignition. Placing his right arm over the back of Mariah’s seat, he turned toward her.

  She avoided his gaze the whole time they drove, even now, focusing her attention on her hands, which twisted in her lap.

  His rough voice stole through the quiet. “What happened back there, Mariah?”

  She winced, but didn’t look at him. “I don’t know what you mean,” she contradicted in a broken whisper.

  “You panicked.”

  Humiliatingly conscious of his scrutiny, Mariah kept her eyes averted, but the quiver in her voice spoke volumes. “No, I didn’t.”

  Anthony leaned forward, his left hand cupped Mariah’s trembling chin, turning it so that she had to look at him, or shut her eyes. She didn’t close them, but they darted back and forth. “Why didn’t you let yourself go, when I kissed you?”

  At that comment, Mariah forced herself to meet his stare. “You’re a stranger.”

  One brow arched.

  His gaze searched her face, reaching into her thoughts. She couldn’t let him see…Mariah pulled away. “Because I didn’t want to, okay?” There was a trace of fear in her voice.

  “Try again.”

  “Why does it matter?” she snapped.

  “I think you want to let go, but you’re scared. Why?”

  Mariah turned away, her fingers fumbling with the door handle. She threw the door open and hopped out of the car.

  #

  Once she was inside the house, Mariah shut the front door behind her and leaned against it, exhaling the sigh she’d suppressed since she stepped into Anthony’s car. Her emotions were so chaotic she forgot to reactivate the alarm. In her limited past experience, a kiss was just lip-service, a bottom rung on the ladder of having sex.

  But Anthony kissed with heartfelt enthusiasm. If she were an executioner, his talented mouth would definitely grant him a pardon. Thank God she’d stopped before passing the point of no return.

  Mariah couldn’t help but wonder how she compared to other women in his past. He kissed her because he was bored, she concluded. A man with his amazing looks could have almost any woman he wanted, a woman on his level, like Nia Long, Halle Berry or Allegra. Men didn’t really want her, and if they pretended to, it was only for sex because she was the nearest female available, not because she was so beautiful to them.

  And that’s why she backed away from Anthony. She didn’t want to be convenient.

  Mariah felt a shudder of mortification. She was hot, moist, enormously unsatisfied, and she needed a shower. But before Mariah headed upstairs, she walked to the door that led to the deck and backyard. Habit made her check it every night.

  Thunder boomed throughout the house and Mariah jumped, panting in terror. Her hand moved to her chest and she took a few deep, slow breaths in an attempt to calm herself down. Once her heartbeat returned to near-normal, Mariah flicked on the deck light and peeked through the blinds…

  And that’s when she saw a bare hand pressed to the window.

  Chapter 6

  Outside, Anthony told himself he’d leave once Mariah was inside, but couldn’t make himself go. The kiss he and Mariah shared struck a vibrant chord in him, and he knew she felt it, too. He found her attractive. She was a combination of spunky and shy; he liked that. He liked her and she liked him.

  But something was eating away at her, something that made her too afraid to let him in.

  And he had to find out what it was.

  Determined, Anthony got out of the car, shutting the door. His long legs ate up the distance between his car and the house. Raising a fist, he was about to knock when he heard Mariah’s terrified scream.

  #

  Inside, Mariah dropped her purse and stumbled backwards. She lost her footing and landed on her side. Pain radiated throughout her right ankle and up her right arm. She couldn’t feel it. The rush of adrenaline had taken over.

  She found her balance and jerked to her feet.

  Heavy thuds against the front door made her stop abruptly.

  Her heart jumped in her chest. She ran to the phone, her fingers trembling as she held it and dialed for help.

  A female voice answered immediately. “Nine-one-one, what’s your emergency?”

  “Mariah.”

  The banging continued, so hard she thought it was going to send the door off the hinges.

  “Th-there’s s-someone at my b-back window and –”

  “Mariah, it’s Anthony. Open the door.”

  Anthony.

  She realized with eye-opening clarity and felt her knees wobble with gratitude. Not realizing the operator was still on the phone, Mariah didn’t answer.

  She rushed to the door and unlocked it.

  Before she could open it, Anthony burst through.

  His strong arms encircled her shoulders.

  He pulled her close as he scanned the room, his chest heaving as he breathed. “What happened?”

  #

  “Is there anything else you remember?” the uniformed patrol officer asked, her eyes sharp and assessing. She was petite with dark eyes and Latin features.

  Mariah pulled the edges of her sweater together. She couldn’t shake the icy feeling that settled upon her. “A bare hand…on the window. Maybe it was a man…” She shook her head. “Sorry.”

  “Don’t be. You’ll be surprised how much you can remember later on. Your case will be assigned to a detective.” She closed her notebook. “Do you have a place to stay for a few days?”

  “She does,” Anthony answered before Mariah could speak.

  After the police left, he took her back to his place.

  “Towels are in the linen closet.”

  Mariah dropped her duffel bag on the bed. “Okay,” she said in a dull, troubled voice.

  Ming seemed to sense something was amiss because he let out a small, clipped bark when he approached Mariah, bumping his head against her leg. Anthony’s eyes narrowed in concern. Mariah was about to go through an adrenaline letdown, and when it hit, she’d crash. Big time. “I’ll run a bath.”

  Twenty minutes later, Anthony knocked on the hallway bathroom door, Ming at his side. “You okay?”

  A splash of water. She must’ve sat up. “Yes.”

  “Do you need anything?”

  “No, thanks. I’m fine.”

  Anthony’s jaw tensed. When she started with that ‘I’m fine’ crap, she wasn’t. He turned and went to make something to eat. Ming stayed behind and stood guard.

  #


  After she tightened the belt of her robe, Mariah opened the bathroom door. She took a quick breath when she stepped on Ming. “Oh, I’m sorry.” She bent down and gave him a comforting pet. He accepted the gesture.

  Mariah rose to her feet and headed to the spare room next to Anthony’s. She flipped on the light, took off her robe, revealing a pink, knee-length shirt underneath, and folded it, tossing it on a soft chair nearby. Ming trotted beside her and sat down at the foot of the bed while Mariah put her clothes in the duffel bag. She looked around the room. The only furniture in it was the full-sized bed, a small oak nightstand next to it and a 32-inch TV on a stand across the room. Mariah placed the bag on the floor next to the nightstand and pulled back the cover. With a heavy breath, she sank onto the bed, rested her head against the headboard and closed her eyes.

  Ten minutes later, Anthony came in with a tray of cheese, crackers and apple juice. Ming laid down beside the bed. He lifted his head when Anthony entered. Seeing Mariah in a half-sitting, half-lying position, Anthony placed the tray on the nightstand. Gently, he slipped his hands under her back and thighs, sliding her down until her head rested on the pillow. She let out a deep sigh, but didn’t move. Anthony pulled the cover to her chin and surveyed her, lightly fingering a loose tendril of hair on her forehead, planting a kiss there. Straightening, he backed away. “Come on, Ming,” he summoned the dog with a whisper.

  The dog didn’t move.

  “Ming, come on.”

  Ming licked his jowls, but he stayed put. To solidify his decision, the dog lowered his head to his front paws and gazed up at Anthony with a determined expression in his eyes.

  Shibas were one of the stubbornness breeds on the planet, but this time Anthony would let Ming have his way.

  #

  The next morning, Mariah woke up, thanks to the distinctive sound of a crow’s caw, caw and the sunlight that sifted through the blinds. She focused her vision on the slate blue ceiling and then her eyes narrowed.

  This isn’t Allegra’s house.

  She sat up, disoriented. A wave of anxiety swept through her as the memory of a bare hand against the kitchen door window came back. She was about to throw the covers off when she heard a single bark and looked down. Ming stood by the side of the bed and she could’ve sworn there was concern in his expressive brown eyes. Seeing him jolted her back to the present.