In the darkness, surrounded by her clothes, she felt a little better, not much, but enough to allow her to call for help. Strangely enough instead of calling the police, she called Nicholas’s cell phone. He picked up on the first ring.
“Renny?”
“Nicky, someone’s in my house,” she whispered. “Two people.”
“Jesus Christ! Where are you?”
“In the bedroom closet. I’m sorry I called you, I just ‑‑”
“I’m glad you did. I’m on my way right now.” She heard the ignition of his car, and tires squealing. “You need to call the police. Do a three-way, baby so I can hear your voice.”
Renny nodded as if he could see her, then initiated the three-way call and dialed nine-one-one. When the operator answered, Renny heard her bedroom door handle jiggle. She couldn’t speak, could barely catch her breath.
“My wife is at home alone and someone’s broken into the house. The address is 425 Bickett Street
,” Nicholas spoke directly to the operator. “I’m on my way, but it will be at least five minutes before I get there.”
“Is your wife on the line, sir?”
“Yes, but she’s hiding and I think she doesn’t want to make any noise right now.”
God bless him for understanding. “Yes, I’m here,” she whispered. “Nicky, they’re at the bedroom door.”
Her heart hammered in her chest so hard, the phone actually vibrated from the force of it. She hadn’t been this scared when Nicholas broke in. For some reason, the thought that two strangers were in her house truly frightened her. Perhaps because she’d had more time to think about it. It didn’t matter, what mattered was that she was afraid for her life.
“Renny, hang on. I’m coming.”
“Ma’am, we’ve dispatched a unit that’s two minutes away from you. Stay on the line with me until they arrive and get the situation under control, do you understand?”
“Yes.” Renny forced the word out through frozen lips.
Two minutes seemed like a lifetime, particularly when she heard the bedroom door get kicked in.
“Nicky, they’re in the bedroom.”
“Fuck, fuck, fuck! Hold on, the cops are almost there. Please, baby. You can be strong. You beat the hell out of me with a bat.”
“What?”
He’d forgotten the operator was on the line.
“Nothing. It’s a private joke. Renny, are you still there? God, please say something.” Nicholas sounded a bit desperate.
She dared not speak for fear whoever was tromping around in her bedroom located her hiding place too quickly. She needed at least another minute for the police to arrive. Instead, she mentally sent him a message and tapped the phone lightly.
Renny couldn’t help but wonder how she might have reacted to the burglars if Nicholas hadn’t broken in the night before. She might have confronted them head on, foolishly putting herself in serious danger.
Life had never been dangerous with Nicholas, sometimes boring, sometimes sweet, but she’d never felt scared. Not like this. What did it all mean? Renny had felt so powerful the night before and now, she felt like a helpless girl.
“I love you, Renny. Please be safe.”
Nicholas spoke the words so sweetly, and with such heartfelt emotion, Renny knew he’d meant it. It brought tears to her eyes that perhaps it might be the last time she heard it, and she couldn’t see his face and kiss him, nor hug him. God wouldn’t be so cruel as to separate them when they just came together again.
When the closet door handle turned, Renny made a decision. She wouldn’t go down without a fight. No way, no how. If there was anything she’d learned, it was to stand up for herself.
“I love you too, Nicky,” she whispered into the phone then set it on the ground next to her.
“Renny?” his frantic voice came from far away.
She stood, gripping the bat tightly and waiting for the door to open, standing between her slacks and summer blouses. She wiped each hand on her robe and waited. When the door opened, she screamed like a banshee and started swinging like a World Series batter. Whoever he was, he clearly wasn’t expecting a bat wielding Amazon to come out of the closet. He yelped like a whipped dog at the first hit, then the second brought a satisfying crack. A small pinch on her arm was the only clue she had that he was armed too. Everything became a blur in the semi-darkness, the light of the moon shining into the room, illuminating the battle between them.
When a second figure ran into the bedroom, Renny knew she wouldn’t live to see Nicholas’s face again. With a snarl, she turned to confront both of them.
Chapter Eight
“Renny, can you hear me? Goddammit!” Nicholas heard the sounds of a struggle and a woman’s screeching that made the hairs on his arms stand up. He cursed the fact that he hadn’t called her that afternoon, even though his conscience told him to. Dammit to hell. Now she was dealing with burglars without him, possibly being killed while he was driving like a maniac to get to her.
When he heard what he thought were two gunshots through the phone, his heart stopped beating. Renny couldn’t possibly be dead. It would be too cruel a trick. He almost rolled his car on a curve, and nearly took out a van, but he made up a few precious seconds.
“Are the cops there?”
“I don’t know, sir. Hold on ... Yes, they’re inside the house.”
“And what happened? What?” Nicholas gripped the phone so tightly he’d probably have tattoos of it on his skin.
“Please be patient and let them do their jobs, sir.”
“I know this is your job, but please have a heart. This is my wife. God, I love her and she can’t ... she just can’t.” His voice broke on a sob.
“I’ll inform you as soon as I have information.” The woman sounded so frigging calm, he wanted to reach through the phone and smack her.
“That’s not good enough.” He threw the phone on the passenger seat, and slammed his foot down on the gas pedal, heedless of what would happen to him. It didn’t matter. Nothing mattered but getting to Renny.
By the time he came to a screaming halt in her driveway, the five minutes had felt like five hours. He barely put the car in park, ignoring the police cars and everything else around him. Nicholas ran for the front door, ready to do battle and kill anyone who dared threaten his woman.
Nicholas heard someone shout, but kept on going until he reached Renny’s bedroom. He burst in, startling two cops. One stood over two men in handcuffs lying on the floor. The other held a pad of paper and pen, apparently taking Renny’s statement as she sat calmly on the edge of the bed. A bandage covered one arm and a spatter of blood smeared down the purple silk of her robe.
His heart started beating again as he dropped to his knees in front of her. He never knew the sight of blood made him sick until that moment. His stomach roiled and rolled, reminding him what he’d eaten for dinner.
“I’m okay,” she said as she cupped his cheek.
“Thank God,” was all he could get out before his head found its way to her lap. That’s when the shaking started. He shook so hard, his teeth chattered, almost as if he was in shock instead of Renny. She stroked his head while he desperately tried to catch his breath and make his brain function again.
“Is this your husband?” one of the cops asked.
A brief hesitation. “Yes, this is Nicholas.”
“But he doesn’t live here?”
“We’ve been separated but ‑‑ “
“Any reason to think he may have hired someone to break into your house, ma’am?”
“Nicholas would never do such a thing.” Renny sounded as completely surprised as Nicholas by the question.
“Are you sure?”
Nicholas raised his head and stared into her eyes. Her green gaze searched his and then nodded.
“Positive.”
He kissed her palm and inhaled her scent. He took the knowledge that she believed in him again and hugged it close to his heart. Renny
trusted him.
The shock from the break-in didn’t hit until after the cops left. Nicholas stayed close but didn’t smother or hover. She appreciated that more than he knew. He was like a comforting presence supporting her without taking control of the situation. Renny realized their relationship had truly changed, and not just in the bedroom.
She stood at the door, watching the police cars drive away with a cramped stomach and tight throat. Nicholas appeared beside her.
“Renny, do you want me to stay?”
That was a tougher question than she expected. Did she want him to stay? The old Renny would have said yes immediately. The new Renny decided it would be better to face the night alone. Strength came from inside oneself first, then from others.
“No, that’s okay. I’ll be okay.”
He put his hands on her shoulders and kissed her neck softly. “I can wait outside in my car if you want.”
“No, but it’s sweet of you to offer.”
Nicholas snorted a half-laugh, half-sob. “It’s more of self-preservation for my sanity.”
“Liar.”
He turned her around and kissed her, his lips warm and firm. “Call me if you need me.”
His dark eyes brimmed with concern and love. Renny wanted to grab him and tell him to stay, but she didn’t. She had to know if she could stand on her own two feet for good. This was the final exam.
“Thank you for coming to my rescue, Nicky.”
“Anytime, baby.” One more kiss and he was gone.
Renny locked the front door, then pushed a chair under the handle for good measure. Odds were in her favor that no one would break into her house again for a very long time, but she didn’t want to take any chances. A quick stiff shot of vodka quelled a lot of the quivers that attacked her body. The quiet in the house was only broken by the ticking of the clock on the mantel, a wedding gift from her uncle.
It used to be weekends were as boring as boring could be. This weekend spun her life out of control, fast enough to make her head spin. The question running around in her brain remained the same. Did she want Nicholas back in her life?
She knew she wouldn’t sleep for a long time and had plenty of time to think. And apparently think was what she wanted to do. She headed for the bookcase in the living room, and took out a photo album. Settling onto the couch, she opened it and prepared to dive into the past. Into the life she’d led for the last eleven years, to help her decide what to do for the next fifty.
Nicholas stared at the phone, willing it to ring. It was almost as hard to leave Renny alone as it was to know she had been in danger. Every part of him screamed in protest when he heard the door shut behind him, but if he wanted her back, he knew he had to let her set the rules.
One of them was apparently allowing her to take care of herself. His heart had stopped and his vision blurred when he’d found out she’d not only knocked one of them out with the damn bat, she had been cut by the lousy son of a bitch. It was a surface cut that didn’t need stitches, but still, she’d been wounded, defending herself. God, he knew he was a sub, but it was like some kind of caveman instinct that roared inside him when he’d known she was in danger. He knew she was strong, capable, with a razor sharp brain, but he needed to feel as if there was room in her life for him.
There had to be room in more than just the bed anyway. Funny, their problems before had started in the bedroom, unable to communicate and find common ground. Now their problems originated with him giving her the room to be who she was, and not trying to make her fit into what he wanted her to be. It was all so damn confusing and frustrating.
Truth was, he would have slept on her doorstep if he hadn’t thought it would ruin any chance he had with her. Instead, he left and came home to an empty, cold apartment to wait. Wait like a goddamn idiot for her to make up her mind.
Until she did, he didn’t think he’d sleep very much.
Nicholas turned on the television and flipped the channels until he found an old movie to watch, something with Cary Grant. He hardly remembered time passing, and yet it felt like it crawled with all the speed of a snail in molasses. He needed her, and not just for the night. He needed her forever.
After an excruciating night of bad TV, a few beers and stale nachos, the pink light of the dawn snuck through the curtains to remind him that Renny hadn’t called or come by. With a sigh, he dragged his sorry ass off the couch and went to take a shower. He couldn’t spend one minute longer waiting for her to call. Instead, he’d wash off the grime, then go get some breakfast.
Renny woke with a stiff neck on the black leather couch. She’d spent hours pouring over memories, reliving the ups and downs she’d had with Nicholas. After a significant amount of soul searching, she’d finally decided what she wanted to do. Now she had to tell him.
It took about half an hour to get ready and head over to his apartment. She stopped to get coffee and muffins, her stomach jumping with a load of butterflies, moths, and grasshoppers. When she pulled up, she realized his car wasn’t there. A keen sense of disappointment hit.
Kind of a let down, really. Her cell phone rang just as she started to pull out of the parking lot. It was Janie looking for an update on the weekend’s activities.
“Where are you?”
“Nicholas’s apartment, but he isn’t home.”
“Aren’t you going to wait? It’s Sunday morning, he probably went for the paper and coffee,” Janie encouraged.
“I don’t want to just sit here and stalk him.” Renny had the awful notion that his neighbors would call the cops. Wouldn’t it be interesting if the same ones showed up?
“Then go inside.”
“I don’t have a key. We are divorced you know.”
Janie tsked. “Renny, sweetie, just break in. He did.”
Holy shit. She hadn’t considered that. If Nicholas was like her, he had a spare key under his front mat. Would she go that far? Why not?
“I’ll call you later, Janie.”
Her friend’s laughter echoed through the phone’s speaker as Renny pressed the end key. Time to find her way into her husband’s abode. With a grin and a spark of naughtiness, she got out of the car with the coffee and muffins, looking for all the world as if she belonged there. When she got to the door, she used her toe to pull up the mat, and right there, stuck to the bottom, was a key.
After she opened the door, she set the food inside, then went back to the car for everything else. Renny grinned to the empty apartment and set to work getting everything ready. Twenty minutes later, she heard the key in the lock and hurried to get into position and wait for Nicky.
The door closed and then there was a long pregnant pause. He must have seen the muffins and coffee.
“Renny?”
She didn’t answer. A whisper of anticipation danced across her skin. Her pulse started pounding and the promise of delights to come made other body parts hungry. The bedroom door slowly opened and Renny tightened her grip.
“Renny?”
She aimed the bat at the center of his back and poked him. “Walk toward the bed.”
He tried to speak, but she pushed him to cut off his words. Stumbling, he righted himself and complied. She smiled, confident in her decision.
“Now turn around.”
When he turned, she turned the bat around and handed it to him. “This belongs to you.”
His eyes widened and he glanced at the bat, the object that had kept them apart and brought them back together.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure. Now take it back, then strip. I brought some new toys.”
“May I kiss you first?” He swallowed hard.
She nodded. “You may and make it a good one.”
“Your wish is my command.”
The kiss would rank right up there with the most powerful experiences of her life. It started as a light brushing of the lips, just a tease, then the heat settled in. Tongues slid and rasped, dancing the timeless ballet of delicious del
ight. His arms came around her and they fit together like a key in a lock. Perfect match.
When the kiss finally broke, her pussy throbbed with arousal and her nipples begged for attention.
“Strip.”
He complied immediately, displaying his amazingly hard body for her inspection. Gloriously muscle-strapped man topped by bronzed sun-worshipped flesh. Her mouth watered in anticipation. When Renny took off her robe, his eyes drank in her nakedness, marked only by a pair of black heels and a pair of handcuffs dangling from her finger.
“Interested?”
“Yes, Mistress.”
He was definitely interested. His cock already stood at attention, pulsing with an erection that rivaled the bat at his feet. She pointed to the bed and he lay down, like a buffet of delicious man flesh all for the taking, or tasting.
“Arms up.”
After he raised his arms, she wrapped the silver cuffs around his wrists and secured him to the headboard. As the locks snicked closed, her pussy plumped in primed eagerness, and his staff jumped, slapping his stomach. She grinned and climbed onto the bed.
“Now you’re mine, right?”
“Yes, Mistress.”
“I’m going to suck you, and you may not come in my mouth, no matter what I do. Is that understood?”
He grunted his agreement, so she pinched his leg. No use letting the peasants run the castle.
“Yes, M-mistress.”
“Good answer.”
She ran her fingernails up and down his abdomen, lightly scratching his nipples until they were tiny hard points begging for her touch. She licked and sucked them as he trembled beneath her touch. One hand reached down to cup and fondle his balls, already tight with need.
Making her way down his chest, she kissed, licked and nibbled, reveling in the feel of his heated skin. She circled his cock without taking him in her mouth, teasing and tantalizing him until a drop of cum leaked from the tip. Renny lapped it up, the salty taste coating her tongue. Never one to swallow, she found the experience to be thrilling and incredibly naughty.
On His Knees Page 6
