by Linda Verji
The sensations that immediately seared through him were beyond anything he’d ever felt. The feel of her pert breasts pushing against his chest, the feel of her jean-clad thighs rubbing against his, the feel of her pussy riding his rapidly burgeoning cock… it was so overwhelming that he tore his lips from hers with a groan.
He opened his eyes just as A.J opened hers. For a moment, they stared at each other, lost in the intensity of the moment. In her gaze, he saw a raw, wild desire that turned her brown eyes almost black. Her obvious need was like gasoline to the already raging fire within him. He bent his head and took her lips again.
This kiss was more frantic, needier and more desperate. No matter how much he consumed her, he couldn’t get enough. It was obvious that the same desperation was riding A.J by her little whimpers. She melted into his kiss, her tongue tangling desperately with his. Her hands roved his back, almost clawing him through his t-shirt, as if begging for something more. However, before he could take the kiss into something bolder, a voice broke into it.
“A.J?” Someone knocked on the door.
Lee and A.J stilled, their eyes flew open and their startled gazes met.
Another knock. “A.J?”
Even before the door opened, they’d already jumped apart. By the time Kelly walked into the room, there were several inches of space between the two.
“We wanted to -” Kelly stopped talking when her gaze zeroed in on Lee. “Lee? You were in here?”
“Yeah.” Lee was surprised that his voice was so even considering all the rattled emotions that were coursing through him. “Just needed to talk to A.J.”
“Oh.” Kelly’s gaze switched between him and A.J. It was obvious that she was curious about what they’d been ‘talking’ about. Fortunately, she didn’t prod further. She said, “We wanted to know if there’s more green paint. The accent wall still looks a little unfinished.”
“Um…” Looking everywhere but at Lee, A.J rubbed her palms on her jeans. “I think there’s some on the balcony. I’ll get it for you.”
Seconds later, the ladies left the room. Once they were gone, Lee sucked in a deep breath and rubbed his hand over his face. Hell! Who would’ve thought that kissing A.J would leave him feeling so unsettled? He hadn’t expected to be this shaken by a mere kiss or to crave more of it so badly. For a brief second, he considered going out there and dragging her back into this room so they could continue where they’d left off, but he nixed that idea. They’d have plenty of time when the others were gone.
As it turned out, none of the people around here had things to do with their Saturday. Instead of leaving as soon as they finished painting, they stayed back for lunch. Pizzas got ordered, someone dragged June’s old rug back up to the apartment so they had somewhere to sit, and someone else turned on the TV and found them all a good movie to watch. If this was Lee’s house, he would’ve kicked them out as soon as they were done eating.
Too bad it wasn’t.
He couldn’t help snatching glances at A.J during the movie and raucous conversation that accompanied it. He wasn’t surprised that she was the quietest person in the room. He’d already figured out that she was the type who actually liked melting into the crowd. Somehow, he managed to trade positions with one of Sin’s friends and ended up next to her. Her wide eyes met his and he could tell right away that she was thinking about the kiss. When her tongue peeked slightly between her lips, he almost groaned aloud. Fortunately for her, she looked away almost immediately, otherwise he would’ve kissed her.
A.J’s guests started trouping out at eight. One-by-one they left. Lee was already planning to stay back, but that plan was sealed when A.J squeezed his arm and whispered, “Don’t leave yet.”
“Okay.” He hid his grin. Hopefully, she was asking him to stay so they could continue where they’d left off. Maybe even further. His cock jerked in immediate celebration. However, his brain immediately poured water on that party. Going further this soon? Was that really a good idea? Fires that started quick tended to fizzle out just as fast. Still, one more kiss wouldn’t hurt, would it?
Anticipation tapping a happy beat on his nerves, Lee waited. As soon as A.J closed the door on the last straggler, he rose to his full height. With two strides he closed the distance between them.
However, before could wrap his arms around her waist, she raised her hand to halt his movement. “Stop.”
Had he read the signals wrong? He frowned. “Stop what?”
Her expression grave, she said, “Don’t do whatever you’re thinking of doing.”
They both knew exactly what he was thinking of doing. Disappointment already rushing in to take the place of anticipation, Lee asked, “Why?”
“We can’t-” She swallowed. “We can’t kiss again.”
“Why?” He took a step closer to her, but she immediately stepped back.
“You don’t know me.” Looking everywhere but at him, she added, “I’m not the kind of woman you want to kiss. There are things you don’t know about me. And if you did, you wouldn’t be so eager to kiss me.”
“What things don’t I know about you?”
She hedged, “I’m older than you.”
“So?” He started to shrug then the truth dawned on him. “Wait! How do you know you’re older than me?”
Her gaze dark and unreadable, she said, “I just know.”
Lee tilted his head to the side as he studied her. “How old are you?”
“Older than you,” she countered.
“Fine. It doesn’t matter anyway.” The sides of his lips lifted in a crooked smile. “Haven’t you heard of the saying that age is just a number?”
“Not to me it isn’t,” she said softly.
Lee studied her for a long while trying to figure out the thoughts behind her inscrutable expression. Though her eyes gave him no clues, something told him that the age thing was a cover for the real reason why she didn’t want to kiss him.
“There’s something else, isn’t there?” he asked. When all she did was stare at him, he prodded, “What is it?”
She was quiet for quite a while, as if debating the wisdom of sharing her secret. Finally, she confessed, “I’m an ex-convict.”
Was that it? The look in her eyes left no doubt that she expected her announcement to send him running for the hills.
He smiled softly. “I know.”
“You know?” Shock widened her eyes. “How?”
“Promise you won’t get angry.”
“I don’t make promises unless I’m sure I can keep them,” she countered. “How do you know?”
“My dad did a background check on you.” Before she could blow up, Lee rushed on, “He does it for everyone who moves into the street, not just you.”
“I suppose I can’t fault him for being careful,” A.J grudgingly admitted. “How much of a check did he do?”
“Just the basics; why you were in, how long, etc.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Then why are you still here?”
Lee frowned. “I don’t understand the question.”
“If your dad did a background check, then you know-” Her breath hitched and her eyes shadowed. “-you know that I killed someone.”
He watched her for a while before closing the last inches between them. She didn’t step back this time or resist when he took her arm and dragged her into his body.
“I know what happened,” he murmured as he stared down at her. “But it doesn’t change the fact that I want to get to know more about you.”
Before she could say more, he bent his head and took another taste of her. Slowly, his tongue entered her mouth, testing to see if she’d push him away. When she didn’t, he smiled against her lips before deepening the kiss. Even if he was scared of A.J’s past, which he wasn’t, it was too late to walk away from her now. He was already hooked, firmly caught in her web and disinterested in freeing himself.
How could he walk away when everything about her was so spell-binding? How could he walk aw
ay when she tasted so good, when he couldn’t get enough of her? She was like a sweet, flavorful wine; smooth as velvet and as addictive as chocolate.
When they finally pulled apart, they were both panting and his dick was as hard as a rock. That was his cue.
“I should go,” he murmured as he let her go. A.J didn’t say anything. All she did was watch him as he grabbed his jacket. He only stopped to kiss her forehead before leaving her house.
* * *
A.J DIDN’T KNOW what to think of Lee’s unconcerned attitude towards her crooked past. Despite her tough outer shell, she was a lot like other women. Once in a while she dreamed of meeting Prince Charming and riding off into the sunset with him. However, she’d long accepted that it would never happen. Sane men changed lanes when they saw women like her. They certainly didn’t date them, or introduce them to their Mama. Short of changing her name and completely erasing her past, she was destined for spinsterhood.
So why wasn’t Lee running?
It certainly wasn’t because he remembered her. All evidence suggested that he had no clue that they’d once lived in the same house. So why was he after her? Though he’d seemed serious enough when he’d told her that her past didn’t matter to him, a part of her was still suspicious of his motives.
Sure, in the past he’d been a good kid, but what if he’d turned into some Lothario who dated, bedded then dumped anything in a skirt? Worse, what if he was just chasing her because of her past career? People had weird fetishes for all kinds of things. Some men only dated models, others fetishized big butts, and some deliberately looked for criminals. Hell, she’d received a few marriage proposals via mail when she was in prison. What if Lee was one of those men? What if he was seducing her so he could have a good story to tell his friends?
Once upon a time, I dated this crook…
The thought was enough to make A.J cringe. She didn’t want to be a story or a fad. If it wasn’t something real, then she preferred being alone. Instinct told her to start running. Run now before she fell into one of the multiple traps he’d already set out for her. Run before the desire that had already started winding its way within her completely took over her common sense. But her heart wasn’t interested in running. It was interested in seeing where this was going. Even the risk of Lee hurting her wasn’t enough to dissuade her. At least not yet.
She’d wait and see where this went before making her next move, she decided.
On Monday, she was back in her store. The moment the clock struck eleven, she glanced at the door. Any moment now, Lee would walk through it. Thrill and anticipation raced through her as she sat at the edge of her seat waiting for him to turn up. However, by noon he still hadn’t shown up. At lunchtime, she waited for him to drop in. He didn’t show.
Where was he? She wondered even as the realization that she was already addicted to him taunted her.
At three p.m., she gave up. He wasn’t coming. More disappointed than she expected, she left Pete to man the store while she went up to her apartment to grab her exercise gear. Once she had everything she needed, she locked her apartment and started down the stairs. She bumped into Pete who was coming up the stairs.
“I was on my way to your place,” Pete said. “There’s a delivery for you at the shop.”
“Really?” She wasn’t expecting any new pieces today. Frowning, she followed Pete down the stairs.
When she entered the store, she noticed the large bouquet of roses sitting on the checkout counter. Now that was an unexpected delivery!
“A.J?” The delivery guy asked when she strode to him.
She nodded. “Yes, that’s me.”
“These are for you.” He pointed to the flowers then held out his clipboard. “You’ll need to sign.”
There was only one person who’d send her flowers. Hiding a smile, she signed for the delivery then edged closer to the counter to see the flowers. As if the colorful assortment of roses wasn’t pleasant enough, their scent tickled her nose as soon as she got close. A.J plucked the card that was attached to the side of the white basket and read it.
You missed me, didn’t you? Call me. Lee
His phone number was scribbled at the bottom of the card.
This man! A.J chuckled under her breath as she reread the card. So he’d avoided coming to the store deliberately?
Well, she could play his game too. She’d bet her whole fortune that he was somewhere waiting for her to call him or text him. Well, he was out of luck. Her intention was to punish him for keeping her waiting by completely ignoring his message, but once she got to the gym a block away, the unrelenting urge to talk to him shattered her plans. Before she knew it, she’d texted him.
No, I didn’t miss you, she texted.
Five seconds later, her phone vibrated in her hand. She recognized the number instantly. Her heart already tapping a happy beat, she answered the phone. “Yeah?”
“There you are,” he greeted. “Now I have your number.”
A.J was staring directly at the two men who were jousting in the ring but Lee had all her attention. Smiling, she asked, “Is that why you sent the flowers?”
“No. That’s why I sent you my number.” She could hear the grin in his voice as he added, “The flowers were because I walked by them and thought they were almost as beautiful as you.”
Her breath caught in her throat. My. My. My. This man was charming. Most men who tried to hit on her assumed that her tough façade meant that she wasn’t into romance. Instead, they offered her a meaningless night of fun. Lee was the first man who’d gone all out with the wooing. It was a nice change of pace.
“Where are you?” he cut into her thoughts.
“At the gym.”
“What kind of gym is that?” he asked. “The sounds coming from there don’t seem gym-y. I hear lots of cheers and thumping.”
She looked around the gym. “It’s an MMA gym.”
“Ah! That explains it.” In typical Lee fashion, he changed the subject. “Have dinner with me.”
Instead of answering, she asked, “You’re a freak, aren’t you?”
“In what context are we speaking,” he countered cheekily, “because I can think of several places where I’m definitely a freak.”
A.J didn’t miss the double-entendre and it sent instant heat flushing through her. Fanning herself with her gloved hand, she clarified, “Freak as in perv. Only a perv would come at woman even after finding out she’s an ex-con.”
“Hey, ex-cons need love too,” he teased.
“I bet you write romantic letters to serial killers too,” she teased.
“Weeell…..”
Her jaw dropped. “No way. I was just kidding about that. Please tell me you don’t stalk serial killers in your down time.”
“Not exactly.” Lee laughed. “I exchanged letters with a guy on death-row once but they were not of the romantic persuasion. I was just doing research for one of our shows.”
“Hmm.” A.J harrumphed. “That’s what they all say.”
“Scout’s honor. I’m not a stalker.”
“I bet you weren’t even a scout,” she taunted. When all he did was chuckle, she laughed. “You’re hopeless.”
“Which is why you like me,” he added softly, “and why you should have dinner with me.”
“Smooth.” A.J chuckled. “Bye, Lee.”
“What?” he protested. “You haven’t given me an answer.”
“Here’s my answer.” She paused. “Bye.”
With an amused snort, she ended the call. Moments later, her phone beeped. It was a text from Lee. Just so you know. I’ve decided to take you answer as a tentative yes. Soon, A.J. Soon.
This man didn’t know when to give up, did he? Grinning, she tucked her phone into her jacket’s pocket.
“Hey,” someone called out from behind her. When she turned, she found a muscular twenty-something blond man. “I’m Tyler.”
“Hi, Tyler.”
“The trainer told me that if I�
��m looking for a good spar partner then no one’s better than you,” the young man said.
A.J arched her eyebrows. “You don’t mind fighting with a woman?”
She had no problems sparring with men, but most of the regulars here were not used to women who could fight.
“I do.” Tyler grinned. “But Ken told me you’re not the typical kind of woman.”
A.J gave the young man a slow up and down. He looked fit enough. Maybe he’d be more of a challenge than the delicate flowers the gym’s manager had been sending her way ever since she’d joined this gym.
She stood up and shrugged off her jacket. “Okay, I’ll fight you.”
CHAPTER 8
The nightmare had changed.
Lee wasn’t alone anymore. She was with him. Amara.
It was strange how this little girl had the face of an adult. Even in his dreams, Lee recognized her features as that of someone he knew. She held him tightly, her slender arms like steel bands of protection, as they sat in that scary corner together, waiting for his monster.
Don’t come tonight, Lee prayed even his gaze remained fixed on the open door. Don’t come tonight.
But his prayer went unanswered. The monster’s shadow filled the doorway.
Instant terror spurted through Lee, leaving him trembling. He clung to Amara like she was the last bit of drift wood in a sea that was threatening to swallow him. Amara was looking at his monster too, but there was no fear in her expression. Only anger.
Dark, fierce anger.
When the monster floated towards them, Lee screamed. Amara kicked her legs out, fighting with all her might to keep the monster away from Lee. But she was no match for it. The monster plucked her off the floor as if she were a feather and tossed her into the air.
Amara. Lee silently screamed her name as he watched her float upwards like weightless paper into the never-ending darkness above. He stretched out his tiny arms, hoping that she’d fall into them, or that he’d float up to join her. But none of that happened. Lee could almost feel the faceless monster’s grotesque smile as it edged closer to him. It reached out for him…
