by Lee Rose
“So you want us to be friends now, just act like we never kissed or touched each other?” she asked him seriously. Having him near was playing havoc with both her body and her heart. Her body reminded her that she desired him, but her heart was too frightened to take another chance. “I’m sorry. I am not that strong, Matt. I can’t pretend it doesn’t hurt me to see you with that snob Linda, or all those other women you date, women who are obviously better than me, since you want them but you didn’t want me.”
She turned to get in her car and leave, but he grabbed her arm and turned her back toward him. He didn’t say a word. He pulled her close until their bodies were chest-to-chest. She let out a loud gasp of surprise. He bent and took her mouth in a deep, sensual kiss. His tongue demanded entrance into her mouth and she opened up to him. She wanted to experience his kiss again. She couldn’t lie to herself. Her body melted and she was glad his arms were around her waist, holding her up. She felt her breasts tingle with desire, and the most intimate part of her was getting moist. She wasn’t sure how long the kiss went on. She was lost in another world filled with heat and desire, and not time or good sense.
When he let her go, they were both breathing heavy. She was speechless and her mind was totally blank.
“I didn’t feel like that for the women I dated. They were pleasant company, but I never took them to my bed, including Linda,” he said through clenched teeth. “I was trying to make the loneliness go away, but it didn’t. I think about you all the time.”
She stood there and couldn’t think of one word to say. She blinked and came out of her trance.
“Well, whatever you feel for me isn’t strong enough to give me a chance. I cared about you, Matt. I would have fought for you, because I was that serious. You weren’t. At the first doubt, you ran and left me hurting. You left me to deal with this pain all alone.”
She got in the driver seat and closed her door. She rolled down her window and started her car. ‘Thanks for letting me know about Pete. I’ll keep my doors locked and sleep with my cell phone by my bed.”
She drove off without looking at him. She was afraid she would beg him to come home with her.
* * * *
“Sorry I am late, girls.” Jasmine shook her head and raindrops flew all over the table. It was cloudy and rainy. “It’s been one of those days. When it rains, it pours.”
They were meeting for lunch at the Hacienda, the Garcias’ restaurant. Holly got there early since she had the day off. Despite the rainy day outside, the warm golden walls made Holly feel warm inside. She relaxed, listening to the soft Spanish music playing in the background. Alicia had just sat down. She was only on a lunch break. Despite Matt’s bad news, Pete and his brother were nowhere to be seen. She didn’t care if they skipped town like everyone thought, as long as they left her alone.
“What’s wrong?” Holly asked.
Jasmine looked rattled, which was unusual. She removed her raincoat and sat down, then grabbed a chip and dipped into the salsa. “Where do I begin?” She crunched on a chip then answered. “My car wouldn’t start just now, but this morning it was fine. I called Drake and he is having it towed to Doug’s mechanic shop. He dropped me off.”
“What an ugly day for that to happen,” Alicia said, looking out the window. It was a windy, stormy day. “I just hope the storms are mild. Remember last’s year crazy storms? We had to get our roof replaced.”
Jasmine agreed with a loud sigh. “Someone stole Aunt Kate’s riding mower this morning, so we opened up late. She was very upset. That is an expensive piece of equipment we have to replace.”
Holly and Alicia tried to comfort her.
“I do have some good news to share.” Jasmine sat up with a wide smile. She held up her left hand. She was wearing a diamond ring. “I got myself engaged last night.”
Holly and Alicia congratulated her.
“I am so happy for you both. Last time we spoke about it, you were unsure,” Holly reminded her friend.
“I know. I realized it wasn’t fair to spend all my time waiting for things to fall apart. We plan a long engagement, and that makes me feel better.”
“Well, as long as it’s before I am senile.” Alicia laughed. “How can I flirt with all the cute guys if I am too old?”
Jasmine laughed. “I was thinking next summer.”
Alana, Alicia’s older sister, brought a plate of tacos and bowls of rice and beans. Her black hair was pulled back in a long braid. She wore an identical uniform to Alicia.
“How are you, Holly?” she asked. “Your sister filled me in on what has been going on.”
“I’m okay. I was worried when Matt told me Pete had been bailed out. That was four days ago, and so far I haven’t seen him,” Holly answered.
“I know people are saying they skipped town, but stay alert. Noah thinks they started those rumors but are just hiding out.” Alana gave her a concerned look.
“I’ll be careful,” Holly assured her. Alana noticed Jasmine’s ring. Her brown eyes got big.
“Oh my, is that what I think it is?”
Jasmine nodded, showing off her ring happily.
“That is awesome, Jasmine. You and Drake make a good couple,” Alana remarked. They heard a bell ring. “That’s for me. See you all later.”
“So, what else did Matt say?” Alicia teased after Alana walked away. “And why are you blushing?”
“Just that.” Holly lowered her eyes. She wasn’t ready to share that hot kiss with anyone. She had gone home and taken a cold shower, but she’d still had hot, steamy dreams of Matt all night long.
She was saved by the bell, so to speak. Jasmine’s cell phone rang and she smiled. “It’s Drake. Probably has an update on my car. I hope it is not serious.”
“Hey, love. That was quick.” Jasmine said sweetly. Her expression changed within seconds. Her brows crinkled with worry. “What? I don’t understand how that happened. Shit. No, I didn’t lock my car. I was upset about the break-in and in a rush to open the store.”
She sighed. “Okay. I’ll be waiting.” She hung up and looked at them with a confused look on her face.
“Someone cut my lines going to the spark plugs. I parked in the back because we were expecting a furniture delivery later. Drake is on his way here.”
“Drake thinks it was Pete or Gerald, doesn’t he?” Holly bit her lip. She didn’t feel like eating anymore. Just when she thought she was safe from those two. Why were they so determined to mess with her? She hadn’t asked to be taken hostage.
Jasmine nodded and grabbed Holly’s hand in a comforting gesture. It was obvious Holly was very disturbed by the news. “He does. No one else has a reason to mess with me.”
Holly felt guilty that Jasmine was a target now just because of her association with Holly. “I am sorry, Jazz. This is all my fault.”
“Nonsense,” Jasmine insisted. She grabbed some rice and beans and put it on her plate. “It’s those jerks. No one forced Pete to steal drugs and take you hostage, and no one forced Gerald to be an ass and try to mess with you.”
“She is right,” Alicia added. “This is all on them, Holly. They are the losers. Noah has been trying to stop Gerald from selling his drugs for some time now.”
Drake and Matt walked in the restaurant a few minutes later. They took off their raincoats and hung them by the door. Holly’s eyes landed on Matt. He looked upset and she figured his concern was all for Jasmine. Instead, he sat right next to her. His hair was still wet. He moved her bangs out of the way so he could look into her eyes. “I don’t want you to worry, Holly. We are all looking for Pete and Gerald. It’s our top priority.”
Drake kissed Jasmine on the lips. “Your car will be ready tomorrow morning. You can stay with me tonight.”
Jasmine leaned her head on his shoulder. “Okay. Aunt Kate has bingo tonight and won’t mind me being in town. She can sleep late and I’ll open the store.”
“I feel horrible, Jazz.” Holly frowned. “Gerald thinks you’re
my lawyer. Maybe that’s why he is targeting you.”
“What?” Drake said, his brown eyes wide.
Jasmine laughed and told them about their run-in with Gerald at the park, and how she told him she was Holly’s lawyer. “If he saw me going into the shop, he must know I was lying.”
“He might be a bit upset with you,” Matt remarked, shaking his head at Jasmine, and then chuckled. “Although you sure can argue like a lawyer.”
“Tell me about it,” Drake teased. Jasmine smacked his arm lightly.
“I shared our news with the girls,” Jasmine told him, looking extremely happy.
Matt groaned. He slapped his forehead playfully. “Tell me again why you want a noose around your neck?”
Drake laughed and hugged Jasmine to his side. “I don’t want my girl to get away, so the noose is around her neck.”
Holly had to swallow down some emotions. If only Matt felt that way about her. Drake’s eyes were shining with joy.
Drake looked at Holly. “You working today?”
She shook her head no. “I went to Faith’s this morning to help her clean and take care of Holly. This pregnancy is kicking her butt. I have to work tomorrow evening.”
“I’ll meet you at the end of your shift and make sure you get home safely,” Matt told her. She opened her mouth to argue, but he pointed his finger at her. “No arguing allowed, Holly. I was serious when I said I wouldn’t let them hurt you.”
She closed her mouth and bit into a taco. He grabbed one and started eating. Alicia smirked at her silently and Holly felt herself blushing again. His demanding, bossy way should’ve made her angry. So why did she feel so turned-on right now?
Chapter 8
Holly sat on her couch, feeling sleepy. The sound of the rain hitting the windows was making her eyes feel droopy. This was the third rainy day in a row. She had just got off of work, and it was just after midnight.
Matt had been showing up at the end of her shift and walking her to her car for the last couple of days, and he would follow her home and check her windows and doors. Every chance he got, he touched her in some small way. He caressed her cheek, kissed her forehead or tugged on her curls playfully. It was driving her insane. She wanted him so bad that she was ready to attack him and rip his clothes off. It confused her. Her anger and bitterness was slowly fading away.
He’d said he would come back with a pizza tonight when his shift ended, and she had nodded and agreed to wait up for him instead of arguing. She was beginning to look forward to seeing him. She had no idea where any of this was going, but she was tired of battling herself. She wanted Matt and he wanted her. Maybe he didn’t return her love, but as Alicia had told her days ago, she had to take a risk. It was possible his feelings could grow in time. Alicia reminded Holly how Alana and Noah had had such a rocky road, and Faith and Adam, too. Sometimes it took time for love to grow. Just because hers had been instant didn’t mean it was impossible for him to learn to love her.
Before she knew it, her eyes were closed and she was drifting off, thinking of a certain sexy deputy.
Suddenly, she felt a hand over her mouth. Her eyes jumped open and she tried to scream, but she couldn’t. Pete was sitting on top of her, grinning. He smelled like beer and his eyes were glassy.
“We meet again, my sweet nurse.” His face was close to hers and she could smell the alcohol. She wanted to gag.
She thrashed around, but he was too heavy to throw off of her. She looked around but saw no one else in the house. She had been afraid Gerald was with him. His eyes roamed over her body and she felt nauseous. She didn’t like the look in his eyes. Why had she put on the short, silky shorts and tank top? Because she wanted to look good for Matt. Her only hope now was that he would show up and rescue her.
“We are taking a ride to see my brother. He got himself a nice little house for us. We want to have some fun getting to know you.” He groped her breast and squeezed hard. Fear filled her body as she kept squirming around. She kicked her legs wildly.
Holly bit his hand, and when he let her go, she screamed as loud as she could. Maybe one of her neighbors would hear her and call 911. He slapped her across her face. She felt the tears roll down her face, and reached up and scratched his cheek with her nails.
“You hellcat!” he yelled, and slapped her again. She tasted the blood, but she was not going to stop fighting.
She hit out, not caring if she hit him or not. She was not going to make it easy for him to kidnap her and rape her. She felt a blow to her jaw and she screamed again. She felt the strap of her top rip and he squeezed her bare breast hard. He laughed out loud at her groan of pain. She heard a knock on the door. She yelled out “help!” and hoped to God that Matt or whoever was there heard her.
The door was kicked open and she felt Pete fly off of her. Pete hit her bookshelf and knocked it over. She lay on the couch, curled into a ball and sobbed into a pillow. She could hear loud thuds and groans, but she didn’t look. She knew Matt would win.
“Holly.” She felt Matt’s hand brushing her hair to the side. “How bad is it? Should I call an ambulance?”
He got up and she grabbed his hand. “Don’t leave me.”
“I am going to call Noah to come pick up this scumbag.” He pulled out his cell phone and she closed her eyes. She could hear him talking, but all she could concentrate on was her throbbing face. She opened her eyes when she heard a click, and realized Matt was handcuffing the unconscious man.
Holly tried to sit up and groaned with pain. Her top was torn and she didn’t want anyone seeing her bare breast. Matt gently lifted her into a sitting position and wiped the tears away. “Noah is calling Liam to come check you out.”
“Will you get me a T-shirt?” She covered her breasts with her arms and he nodded. Holly pointed out her room down the long, dim hallway. “First drawer.”
He came back with a purple T-shirt and helped her change. When he saw the dark purple bruises forming on her breasts, his lips thinned with anger. “I’d like to wake him up and beat him up again.”
Holly would have laughed, but her face hurt too much. She hoped her jaw was not broken.
They heard tires squealing and footsteps. Matt had left the door wide open. Within minutes, her house was filled with people. Matt got up to talk to Noah, and Greg and Tony dragged Pete out to Greg’s car.
“You got him good,” Tony said, looking down at the unconscious man. “Good job.”
Matt saluted his brother. Liam and Adam walked in together and she couldn’t stop the tears from coming. She was cold, and her body was shaking. Everything felt so surreal, like she was dreaming all of this. Liam kneeled in front of her. Adam took the throw off the back of her couch and wrapped it around her shoulder gently. She felt numb, but at least she wasn’t hysterical.
Liam examined her face. He tilted it in different directions and asked her questions. She answered them automatically. “It’s going to hurt like hell, but no broken bones,” he finally pronounced.
“That’s good,” she whispered.
“Are you hurt anywhere else?” Liam asked. Holly shook her head no. It would be too embarrassing to have Liam look at her breast. She knew it was bruised and there was nothing they could do for it. “My head hurts and my face throbs.”
“I am going to give you some pain pills.” Liam looked through his bag and took a bottle out. He handed her two. “Let me get you some water.”
He got up to go to the kitchen. She heard Noah tell Adam, “He picked the lock at the back door.”
Noah asked her what happened, and she told him everything. She had to close her eyes because if she saw all the sympathy in their eyes, she would break down and cry, and then she wouldn’t stop.
“Then Matt broke the door down and saved me,” she finished, pulling the blanket tighter around her.
Matt sat next to her and put his arm around her shoulder. He made sure she was covered. “I heard a male laugh, then a scream. I just had a gut feeling and kicked the
door open. Pete was sitting on top of her. I saw him hitting her in the face and I lost it.”
“So they planned this together. That means we can arrest Gerald, too.” Noah looked angry. “We have to find this house. I guess his momma did get tired of their shit.”
Liam came back with the water and she took the pills.
“You should come home with us,” Liam told her. “It’s not safe here.”
“I don’t want to scare Hope. You know my face is going to be swollen and bruised. Pete is in jail again, and hopefully Gerald will not come by here,” Holly whispered. She shook with fear at the thought of seeing the older brother. “My head is throbbing and I just want to lie down.”
“I can sleep on the couch, Holly,” Matt volunteered.
She looked at him with surprise. She had been so mean to him lately. “Are you sure?”
He nodded. “Gerald will not get past me, and you can rest in your own bed.”
“Okay. I admit I am terrified right now.” She hated sounding weak in front of such strong men, but she was terrified. She was sure her hands were still shaking.
Adam kissed the top of her head. He gave her a sympathetic look. “Faith will be by in the morning.”
They all left, and she was left alone with Matt. He stood up and picked her up as if she weighed nothing, then carried her to her room and gently laid her on the bed.
“Will you sleep with me, please?” she asked, swallowing her pride. She wanted to appear brave and tough, but she felt like jelly. She was scared to close her eyes. She was scared to fall back asleep.
“I am going to make sure all the windows and doors are locked.” He leaned down and kissed her lips lightly.
Holly snuggled under the covers and waited for Matt to come back. She heard him moving around the house. It was comforting, and not the usual quietness and loneliness she usually experienced late at night. He came back into her room and sat on the edge of the bed. She wished she could tell what he was thinking. His face was so unreadable.
