Burning Resolution

by T. M. Cromer

  “Ohmygod! I’m so sorry, Zack.”

  “Yeah, no worries. If you don’t mind, could you keep that to yourself? I don’t tell many people outside my circle.”

  “Of course. I’d better get going. I still have edits to get to today,” she babbled.

  “Edits? What do you do for a living?” he asked, curious despite himself.

  “I’m a writer.”

  A raised brow encouraged her to elaborate.

  “Yeah, I… um… well…” Erica paused to clear her throat and take a sip from the bottled water he’d handed her earlier. “I’m a romance writer.”

  “Seriously?”

  Why it thrilled him to learn that about her, Zack had no idea. The thought of shy, little Erica writing romance novels had him grinning so wide, it nearly split his face in two. As he watched, she toyed with the lid on her water bottle, moved on to press the plastic bubbles down on the lid covering her shake, and then traced a pattern in the condensation on the table.

  Yep, she was still adorable, nervous as hell, and just as fun to tease as she had been in high school.

  “So you write mommy porn, huh?”

  Her dark brown eyes burned with fire as they met his.

  “We don’t use the term ‘mommy porn’ in the industry,” she snarled.

  “No? I was sure that’s what I’ve heard it called…” he trailed off like he was attempting to solve a puzzle. The self-control it took to contain his amusement was great.

  “You are still a punkass after all these years, you know that?”

  “You like me anyway,” he teased. The blush tinging her cheeks sent a quick thrill zinging through him.

  “Whatever. I’ve got to go.”

  “I’m heading out, too. I’ll walk you to your car.”

  “You don’t need to. I’m a big girl.”

  “It’s getting dark, and even though I made sure to build in a safe area of town, you can never be too careful. Humor me and let me walk you out.”

  His tone did what he intended and reflected the fact he wasn’t going to take no for an answer, because Erica was quick to agree.

  There were only a handful of cars left in the parking lot as they made their way to her white sedan. Her gasp caused him to take a closer look at the car.

  The slashed tires and the words, He’s mine, whore! carved into the driver’s door set his heart rate into overdrive.

  Chapter Two

  “Do you have any idea who might have done this, ma’am?” The policeman taking her report asked her for the third time.

  “No. Just like I said the other two times before, this is my first time working out here. I came out after sitting at the smoothie bar with the gym owner and found this. I’m not currently dating anyone, and I work from home. The only thing I can think is someone mistook my car as belonging to someone else,” Erica stated.

  “Look, officer, your partner reviewed the building security tape, and Ms. Sutton has given her statement. Please let us know if you discover anything. Otherwise, I intend to escort her home,” Zack tried to gain control of the situation. Erica was clearly exhausted and at her wit’s end with the cop.

  “Are you two an item?”

  The question momentarily stunned both Erica and Zack. Before he could answer, she burst out with “No!”

  He shot her a sharp glance and saw how horrified she was by the officer’s question. Wow! Talk about a direct hit to the ego.

  “Jeez, Erica, you don’t need to make it sound like I’m a plague carrier.”

  “Oh! No! I didn’t mean to. It’s just the question surprised me. I don’t date jocks is all.”

  “You’re digging yourself in deeper,” Zack said wryly, watching the color tinge her cheeks. “Come on, I’ll see you home.”

  “You don’t need to. I can manage.”

  Zack didn’t reply, he simply nodded to the officer and escorted Erica to the passenger side of his vehicle. He closed the door after settling her in and made one last visual sweep of the area. The niggling sensation in the back of his mind told him this whole incident wasn’t good.

  As he drove to Erica’s residence, he made sure to check his rearview mirror for anyone who might decide to follow. Nothing out of the ordinary. That was a relief. He hadn’t mentioned it to Erica or the police, but this had happened to him in the early days before Christie was diagnosed with her mental disorder. She’d made life difficult for him and any woman he chose to have a relationship with. There hadn’t been an issue when she’d been locked up, and now that she was deceased, it ruled her out in this case. Hell, maybe it had nothing to do with him and everything to do with someone Erica was associated with now. Who knows? Maybe it really was a case of mistaken identity when whomever it was damaged her vehicle.

  “What was the heavy sigh about?”

  Casting a quick glance her way, he refocused on the road. “Nothing. I was just thinking.”

  “About?” Erica drew the word out to indicate she expected a response. The impatience in her tone made him fight back a smirk.

  “About how difficult it’s going to be to get you back to Workout World when you wake up sore tomorrow,” he prevaricated.

  “Pfft. I know an evasive maneuver when I hear one. What aren’t you telling me, Zack?”

  They’d pulled up in her driveway as she finished asking her question. He cut the engine and half-turned in the seat to face her. Everything in her expression told him she expected an honest answer, and she wouldn’t step out of the car until she got one.

  “This has happened to women I’ve dated in the past.”

  Her brows drew together in a deep frown. She was trying to make the connection as to why this had anything to do with her.

  “I don’t understand. Do you know who is doing this?”

  “No. Previously, it had been Christie. Or at least we thought it was,” he said. “Now, having seen it again, knowing she’s gone… well, I have to wonder if we weren’t wrong in accusing her all those years ago. Perhaps I have another stalker.”

  Erica went pale at the thought.

  “Don’t worry. I won’t let anything happen to you,” he reassured her and reached out to clasp her hand in his. “I promise.”

  “I still don’t get why anyone would think you’re interested in me, of all people. Today was the first time I’ve seen you since graduation. Even then, it was only to have you walk me through the torture chamber you call a gym.”

  A grin split his face at her use of words. How was it she could make even the most serious of situations funny?

  “You’re a nut, you know that?”

  “So I’ve been told,” she said. “I’ll get the dealership to tow my car tomorrow. Thanks for the ride.”

  “Oh no. I’m seeing you inside. Because I can’t shake this weird feeling, you have to deal with the consequences. My overprotectiveness is a side effect.”

  “What are you going to do? Check under my bed?”

  Once the words were out of her mouth, she blushed. It must be the idea of him in her bedroom. If she was half as obsessed with thoughts of him as he was with her, then sex was consuming her brain.

  “I suggest we start in other areas of the house first and end in the bedroom,” he said, testing his theory. Her deep inhale told him all he needed to know. Erica felt an attraction to him. Sweet.

  “I-I don’t think th-that’s necessary,” she stuttered.

  “Oh, but it is,” he said with a wicked little laugh.

  * * *

  A short while later, after all the locks on her windows and doors had been checked, Zack made his way to her kitchen, where she’d gone off to make a pot of coffee.

  “Everything seems secure,” he offered up.

  “Thanks, again. I could’ve caught a ride with one of the officers. You didn’t have to do this.”

  “I did,” he stated firmly. “I wasn’t comfortable with you coming back here alone.”

  The awkward silence had him casting about for a new topic. He nodded
toward the coffeemaker. “I would’ve thought someone living by herself would have one of those single brew machines.”

  As her auburn brows shot skyward, he realized how bad the statement sounded. Open mouth, insert foot. Next thing, he would be mentioning she needed a few more cats. Involuntarily, his eyes shot to the fat cat on top of the refrigerator who had been giving him the evil eye since the moment he walked in the door.

  “I write at night,” she said by way of explanation. “I need a full pot of coffee to see me through to the wee hours of the morning.”

  “Fair enough. Do you mind if I have a cup?”

  Why he wanted to linger was beyond him, except the idea of going back to an empty house didn’t appeal. Jacob was with his grandparents at Walt Disney World this week and wouldn’t return for another three days. The quiet had his nerves raw. It made the world feel off kilter when his eight-year-old wasn’t banging around their home

  “Uh, sure. How do you take it?”

  “Black.”

  “Figures,” she muttered.

  “Excuse me?”

  “I-I… it’s just… oh hell,” she verbally stumbled.

  He leaned against the opposite counter, legs crossed in front of him, waiting her out. To keep from laughing again he bit the inside of his cheek.

  “I load my coffee with flavored creamer and sugar. You take yours black,” she said by way of lame explanation.

  Zack couldn’t see where she was going with this. “Annnndddd?”

  “I just meant it figured you would choose the healthier way of drinking it.”

  At that precise moment in time, he felt an urgent need to kiss her. His desire for her had been building since their very first phone conversation today, and now it went beyond necessary. If he didn’t taste her, he was sure he would cease to draw a breath.

  He closed the distance between them and crowded her with his six-foot frame against the granite surface, tilting her chin up with his thumb and index finger. For a long moment, he stared into her wide, expressive eyes before dropping his gaze to her full, red lips. Red because she had been gnawing on them in her nervousness. One last time he met her dark eyes before dipping to claim that much needed kiss.

  Softly, he teased her lips apart with his own. Her slight gasp gave him the opportunity to slide his tongue in, to explore the warm recesses of her mouth. Erica’s strangled cry had the corners of his own mouth curling up. Never before had he wanted to laugh and make love at the same time.

  He felt the fingers digging into his biceps unfurl and glide up over his shoulders to tangle in his hair. Satisfaction filled him, along with a hunger for more. She tasted like honey and heaven. The tone of the kiss quickly turned more serious. Getting enough of her was next to impossible. Pulling back, he looked down into her face. Desire was stamped on every feature; her lids were heavy, her mouth slack, waiting for more.

  Only when his hand worked its way under her top did she protest and attempt to shove him away.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked confused.

  “I think you should go,” she said, actively avoiding his gaze.

  “Erica, if I’ve overstepped, I’m sorry.”

  Those warm, chocolate eyes found his questioning blue. The desire was still there. Obvious. It made him want to dive back for more, but the hand applying pressure to his chest was telling a different story.

  “You didn’t,” she was quick to assure him. “It’s a bit fast for me. That and I’m not comfortable being naked with someone who looks like you right now.”

  * * *

  Erica could have bitten off her tongue as those last words escaped her mouth. Good grief! Way to look like a pathetic blob. Wasn’t it bad enough she lived alone and had an attack cat? Did she have to throw her insecurities out there to boot?

  As his gaze intensified, she became concerned.

  “Stop right there. If you are working out to get in shape or feel better physically, that’s one thing. But if you think for one split second you aren’t beautiful the way you are, then I have news for you, babe,” he said fiercely. “I don’t want to hear things like that out of your mouth. Ever.”

  His anger on the subject startled her. Seemed to startle Zack, too. He jerked back as if he’d been struck, cast one last lingering glance at her lips, and headed for her front door.

  “I’ll give you a call in the morning. We can decide what time I’m picking you up tomorrow then,” he tossed over his shoulder. “Lock the door behind me.”

  After he’d gone, Erica stood in stunned silence, two fingers to her kiss-swollen mouth. A slow smile started somewhere in the deepest part of her soul and quickly found its way to her lips. Zack Sharp, the all-star golden boy from her high school days and now a super-hot entrepreneur, had just kissed the living daylights out of her. Her! Erica Sutton, nerd extraordinaire.

  He hadn’t acted like he wanted to stop, either. Had her body not been screaming in pain from her earlier exercise, she would have danced her way to the bathroom for her post-workout soak. As it was, she limped in and rested against the rim of the tub as it filled with steaming water.

  She couldn’t contain the groan as she sunk down into the bubbles. Dear God, was there anything as lovely as a hot, epsom salt bath when your whole body ached? Once again, she touched her lips. Yeah, probably sex with Zack. Once she was in shape, she was going to be all over him like a fat kid on cake. Groaning at the thought of cake, her kryptonite, she slid under the water to dunk her head. She had to stop sugar—STAT!

  A crash sounded from her living room, making her heart leap into her throat. The noise sounded louder than anything McFatty could get into. Erica jumped out of her garden tub, slipped on the wet tile and went down on all fours. Sonofabitch, that hurt! A second crash followed the first. It sounded like her door being knocked down. An involuntary scream erupted from her throat as a figure appeared in her doorway.

  Chapter Three

  Zack had been halfway home when he realized Erica had left her gym bag in his car. He whipped into the parking lot of the closest business. That it happened to be the donut shop they were joking about this morning was a tad ironic. He rifled through the bag to see if there was anything in there she couldn’t do without. Noticing her wallet and cell phone, he decided to head back to her house. He’d almost pulled out when the thought occurred to him she’d worked out hard today. She deserved a donut and a latte.

  He grinned in anticipation of her reaction to the treats. As he waited in line, the sensation of being watched had the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end. A quick survey of the occupants of the tiny restaurant proved it wasn’t anyone inside. As he received his order, he turned and looked out the glass windows in time to see someone slash his rear tire. What the fuck?!

  “Hey!” he yelled as he headed for the exit.

  He was quick, but the hooded slasher was faster and had made good his escape before Zack could reach him.

  “Dammit!”

  As he stalked back to his car, customers milled about outside watching him.

  “Did any of you see what happened or catch a glimpse of the person who did this?” he asked as he pointed to the mutilated tire.

  A general mumbling of “no” and shuffling of feet was the most he received out of the donut crowd. Shoving his hand in his back pocket, he pulled out his cell and the card from one of the officers who’d responded to the vandalism outside the gym earlier. The two had to be related.

  Within five minutes two patrol cars were on scene, and one of the cops took his statement. Luckily, the crazy slasher had only had time to get one tire before Zack had charged outside. That was a bonus.

  Another few minutes and the excitement had died down. Zack, in the middle of changing his tire, registered that whoever had done this had to have followed him from the gym to Erica’s house, to here. Sweat dotted his forehead, and fear sent his heart into overdrive. He couldn’t even call her to check because her phone was in his car.

  He broke every dri
ving law to make it back to her home in record time. Not soon enough. Flames shot up from a broken living room window. In horror, he saw the curtains flare to life. Rushing to the front door, he tried the handle. Locked. Of course! Hadn’t he heard her slip the deadbolt when he’d left earlier? Three powerful kicks to the door later and he managed to get it open. Though he called her name, it seemed doubtful she could hear over the crackling fire. A sixth sense propelled him toward her bedroom.

  Her scream drowned out the sound of her name coming from his lips. For a split second, he stood stock still in the doorway of her bathroom. She lay sprawled on the floor, gorgeous round ass mooning him. If the smoke hadn’t permeated the air around him, he might have taken advantage of her position. As it was, he snatched a towel off the closest rack, wrapped her up, and hustled her toward the door.

  The way was blocked by the blaze. Fuck.

  “This way!” she shouted, and he followed without question. As she ran past her nightstand, she grabbed a small decorative box of some sort. Irritation had him jerking her harder toward the window than he should have. What was material things when compared to her life?

  “Wait! Zack, I need something to wear. I can’t go outside in a towel!”

  “Are you fucking kidding me right now?” he yelled in return, shoving the window frame up and punching out the screen. “Let’s go!”

  The paint had started to peel on the far wall of the bedroom. They had a minute at most until this room was engulfed. Pissed as he never had been before, he grabbed her to stuff her out the window.

  “No! No!” she screamed, clawing at the window frame with her free hand in an attempt to stay in the room. “McFatty!”

  “Goddammit! You are not fat, and no one cares if you’re in a towel!”

  “No! McFatty is my cat!”