“What happened?”
“The cops got there, and he ran off. I was so scared...”
“And no one found the guy?”
“No. That’s when my parents and I traded houses. I came back here and things were better. Everyone said I was lucky. That it was just some random break-in, but who does that? He didn’t...do anything to me.”
“But...?”
“But I can’t shake the feeling someone’s still watching.”
“Max said something about break-ins, like they were recent?”
“Yeah, a few months ago, I came home late, got into bed, and realized the window was—I thought—open. Someone had broken it, come in. The cops came out, said I must have scared them off or something, because nothing was missing. Then the house got broken into two more times, and a few things were missing. One thing was a cat vase Crystal gave me. Crystal’s one of my lead artists.”
“And the vase...?”
“The flowers were in the vase. My hair was wrapped around the vase.”
“Wait—your hair?”
“Yes.”
“Are you serious?”
“I am.”
“Fuck. I...the detective said something about that I just...I assumed I misunderstood.”
“It’s...it’s wrecked my life. My friendships. A couple boyfriends thought I was crazy paranoid.”
“Sh. You aren’t. You aren’t any of that.”
“I thought—hoped—it was over.” Miranda sat up and covered her face. She’d been so certain it was done.
“Why?”
“A few months ago, the VP of Dark Matter went...crazy. He was always crazy, but Doug hired a guy to kidnap Andrea.”
“Andrea, the girl who took you to her office?”
“Yeah, that Andrea. Doug kidnapped her and Crystal, it was a huge thing. I just assumed that Doug was behind the stalking because—shit. It’s a long story.”
“But now you don’t think it’s Doug?”
“Nothing happened after the break-ins and his arrest. I just...assumed...it was over. That it had to be him...”
If it wasn’t Doug, who was it?
“Okay, then here’s what we do, I’m going to go over the house, make sure all the windows and doors are locked and secured. Then, do you want to go to my place, or a friend’s house?”
“Not really.” Her home had already proven to not be the safest place...and yet she didn’t want to go anywhere else. So long as Raul was there with her, he’d take care of her.
“Then I say we reheat the pizza for an early lunch and you—ma’am—show me one more time how to beat that dungeon.”
Miranda squeezed Raul. Could he get any better?
Raul picked up the last of the plates and remnants from the afternoon’s cookout. He was still surprised Miranda had insisted on going forward with their original Saturday plans after yesterday. She wandered around the yard, keeping an eye on Raul’s one-eyed, three-legged pug, Demon. John had brought the dog over as a trial, to see how Miranda, Lola and Demon all got on. So far, so good. The little dog was one of Raul’s first rescues. He’d been honestly shocked that the pug had survived the level of abuse he’d suffered before landing in his lap.
Raul had done his best to keep her busy and entertained, but he could see the strain and worry wearing her down. Maybe watching Demon’s antics would cheer her up. The pug wasn’t right in the head, but he was an incredibly sweet dog. He’d taken one look at Miranda and fallen in love, which Raul totally got. He couldn’t even be jealous of the attention she was lavishing on Demon.
Everything in Raul was set to protect, which was another reason why Demon’s distractions were welcomed. She needed someone to make her laugh and smile. Right now, that wasn’t Raul. His mind kept going back to Max’s phone call late last night. Raul had known it was bad, but not this bad.
Who the fuck stole a woman’s hair and then jacked off with it?
If Raul thought about it too much longer, he wasn’t going to keep his cool.
“Did he go?” Raul eyed the dog. Sometimes he could be obnoxiously picky.
“Not yet.”
Figured.
“He might not go for a while. Come on, Demon, inside.” Good thing John had brought the pee pads with him.
At the word “inside” the three-legged pug sprinted across the yard and hurled himself up the back stairs. He missed one out of every three and would tumble back, only to charge up the stairs again, undeterred by the fall. They all got inside without too much fuss, the doors locked and dishes put away.
“How you holding up?” Raul caught Miranda around the shoulders and pulled her back against his chest.
“I’m okay. I think today went well, don’t you?”
“Yeah, everyone’s really excited. I think those prioritized lists really helped. That was great thinking.”
“Thanks. I found they were really useful with my staff. You think the fundraiser’s going to go well?”
“I can’t see how it won’t. You’ve got it all figured out.” He turned her around and looped his arms around her waist. “And your friends offering to come in and help like that is—awesome.”
“You say that now. Wait until Rashae has you backed into a corner.”
“I can hold my own. You really sure you want to offer up the concept game? You could make a lot of money—”
“Stop. Yes. I’ve held onto those, knowing I didn’t want to make money off them. They’re special, but they should help something. Like your rescue.” She smoothed her hands down his chest. “Did John bring your other stuff?”
“Yeah, I stuck it in the garage.”
“You should bring it in.”
“We can go over it later.”
“How much of your stuff is left there?”
“Not sure.” But it wasn’t a lot. It couldn’t be. Practically all of his clothes were here. The few pieces of furniture he owned should be burned. It was a little sad that the greatest sum of his possessions were his college text books, Shiva and Demon.
“Would you mind...do you think you could plan on living here for now? We can stop playing this, are you staying here tonight game.”
“You—are you sure?” It was a big step, and fast.
“I don’t feel safe here by myself. If it weren’t for you...I wouldn’t be able to stay in my own home. I need you here. And I like you here.”
“Okay, then yeah. Whatever you need.” He squeezed her to him and wished there was something he could do to fix this. To make all of her problems go away. “We still need to go over what Max said this morning.”
Miranda glanced away.
At her insistence, Raul had taken the call with the detective and promised to relay everything to her later. She’d avoided his mention of it so far. There wasn’t a lot of the day left.
“What did he say?” Her voice was quiet and she wouldn’t meet his gaze.
“Not much. He gave me some more details about the flowers. Mostly, he wanted to know if you’d made any more notes, anything that would help narrow his search.” Raul was not going to tell her the sick fuck that’d sent her the lilies included her hair and his jack-off juice.
Miranda shook her head.
“Anything?”
“No. Nothing. I thought it was over.”
“He also said...that I might be the reason you got the flowers.”
“You?” Miranda frowned.
“Yeah, that having me—a boyfriend at all—might have pushed this guy over the ledge.”
“That’s crazy.”
“It’s what Detective Bowman said.”
“Well, you aren’t going anywhere.”
“That’s what I thought, but, are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“Okay, that was pretty much it. Now, what do you say to checking on the kittens and then some ice cream?”
Miranda smiled and the worry eased from her face. Making her happy and keeping her safe, were fast becoming the most important things in Ra
ul’s life. He’d left work and gotten written up without a single thought about the repercussions because Miranda mattered that much to him. This was new, scary territory for Raul. No woman had ever rated on a level with his dreams. But no other woman had ever shared them, either. Which meant keeping Miranda was at the top of his list.
10.
Miranda towel dried her body and stepped over Demon, who just had to lie on her dirty clothes. The little mutant-looking dog was her nearly-constant shadow since arriving, and she loved him for it.
She blew out the candles Raul had lit before leaving her to soak. The man was an angel or something. He’d taken her crazy life in stride and practically held her hand through all the tears and fears last night. Sure, they’d only known each other a week and were taking huge steps—but it felt right. He made her feel secure. Rashae and Miranda’s parents were going to flip when she told them Raul was pretty much moving in, but she was following her heart on this. Even if it meant she was setting herself up for failure. Rashae would again point out she was being a Sugar Mama, but she didn’t care. Not when he was the only thing holding her together.
Maybe Raul was only Mr. Right Now, or maybe he was Mr. Right. She’d never find out if she let fear cripple her. Moving forward seemed like the only thing she could do. Even if that meant pissing off her stalker. Raul made her happy when little else did. That sicko, not so much. If that meant she spent a little money on things, so what?
She wrapped her fuzzy robe around herself and went in search of Raul.
Miranda found him standing at the sink, hand-drying a couple of dishes.
She smiled and tiptoed closer. She hadn’t crossed half the distance when he turned around, one of those warm, gooey smiles on his face.
“Feel better?” He slid the dish into the cabinet.
“Much. You’ve been busy.” Color her shocked. He’d cleaned up almost everything from their little afternoon grill party, all while she’d soaked.
“It’s completely self-serving. I don’t intend on getting off the couch for the rest of the weekend.”
Liar.
He’d go jogging, like he did just about every evening. She wouldn’t hold it against him though. Running was what kept him so damn fit.
She lifted up, brushing his lips with hers. His arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her between his legs and against his chest.
“You know, we could stay in bed the rest of the weekend.” She peered up at him, enjoying the hungry way he watched her. It made her feel...desirable. Wanted.
“That’s not a bad plan. In fact, we should start now.” He straightened and before she could move, he swept her off her feet.
Miranda laughed. He was always doing this, as if he liked hauling her around. If she were too heavy, or if carrying her from room to room was any sort of strain, he wasn’t showing it. She leaned against his shoulder, content to play along. A week ago, she would have squirmed her way back to the floor, but now, what was the point? She was right where she wanted to be. In Raul’s arms.
He set her down on the bed, his gaze boring deep into her. She could feel him in her soul, as if he belonged there.
Raul bent his head and sealed his mouth to hers. She cupped the back of his head as the warmth in her chest spread lower.
He pulled back, nipping her lower lip.
“I’m going to get the lights.” He straightened, his gaze sweeping down her body, amping up the heat simmering below her skin.
She watched him leave, tracked his footsteps to the back door, then to the front, and upstairs. He wasn’t just turning out the lights. He was doing a full-on sweep of the house. Since coming home yesterday, he’d taken the house’s security seriously, and she adored him for it. He never once second-guessed a single concern she’d had. He simply figured out how to address it. And now he handled those worries before she even had them.
Christ, he was amazing.
Miranda slid out of bed, torn between lighting candles or putting on something a little sexier than her comfy robe.
“What are you doing? I thought I put you in bed.”
She spun around, caught off guard by Raul’s sudden reappearance.
He prowled closer and cupped her shoulders, sliding his hands down to her elbows.
“I’m not going to sleep in my robe.” She arched a brow at him. So much for making a split-second decision.
“You’re going to bed, missy.” He hooked his fingers in the belt and tugged it untied. His gaze dipped, then his chin dropped.
Cool air skated down her sternum and stomach. She curled her toes into the carpet, enjoying the very interested way he studied what he could see. A very wet, cold thing pressed against her ankle.
Miranda yelped and danced sideways.
The pug sat at Raul’s feet, his little curly tail wiggling and his tongue lolling out to one side.
“Demon, go to your bed.” Raul snapped his fingers and pointed at the plush dog bed on the other side of the room...lined with Miranda’s clothes. The little thief. The pug moped his way into the pile and laid down, at least one googley eye still watching them. Raul’s gaze returned to her. “You going to sleep like that?”
“Who said anything about sleeping?”
“It’s been a couple of rough days. We should sleep.” He was saying all the right things—because that’s what Raul did. But the way he stared at her...it was clear he had other ideas, too.
“We can sleep later.” She grasped the hem of his t-shirt and lifted. He cooperated, raising his arms and letting her strip the shirt off.
“Miranda...”
“What?” she laid her hands on his chest.
“We don’t have to, you know?”
“I know, but being with you...it makes me feel alive.” She kissed his jaw and his neck.
She hooked her thumbs into the waistband of his shorts and boxers.
Right now, being with Raul was the only thing that made sense. They clicked. She’d much rather think about that than lie awake in bed, completely obsessed with what was going on outside of the house, the things she couldn’t control.
Miranda knelt, taking his clothes to the floor with her. His semi-erect penis was a clear indication she wasn’t the only one uninterested in sleeping. Yet.
She shrugged out of the robe and reached for him, wrapping her hand around his shaft. He hadn’t yet given her the chance to do this yet. Mostly because any time they got their hands on each other, he was the one in control, carrying her around. This time, it was her turn.
Raul’s hands curled into fists. Holding back?
How nice of him.
Miranda slid her palm up the length of his erection, taking her time. The feel of him in her hand, the way he watched her...she had all the power here.
She leaned forward and licked the bulging vein along the underside of his cock. He mumbled something and his fingers brushed her cheek, over her hair, as though he wasn’t sure where to put his hands. She swirled her tongue around the crown, paying special attention to the slit.
Miranda peered up at him. His lips were pressed tightly together, his cheeks sunken, and his stare...her heart stuttered in her chest. He was all predator, focused on her. She opened her mouth and slipped him inside, stroking his length with her hand. His fingers were once again curled into fists. She grasped his wrist, tugging his hand to her head.
He laid his palm against the crown of her head, his touch gentle.
She rocked forward, his cock hit the back of her throat and she sucked, groaning around his length. Raul’s muttered curses were lost in her sounds of enjoyment. He thrust his fingers into her hair, tugging just a little, forcing more of himself past her lips. Even that little motion thrilled her. She wanted to please him, to make him happy, to give something back to this wonderful, selfless man.
Raul’s hand tightened in her hair, pulling her off his cock. She rocked back onto her heels, looking up at him. His stare was fierce and full of fire. He hooked his other hand under her arm, half-help
ing, half-dragging her to her feet.
She grinned and licked her lips.
He walked her back, his mouth against her neck, their bodies brushing and bumping. Everywhere he touched her felt as though it’d been licked by fire.
“Stay right there.” Raul growled his words, making them barely intelligible. What wasn’t hard to understand was the intense way he stared at her.
She leaned back against the wall, her hands splayed, grounding herself in the cool surface.
He yanked the nightstand drawer open and jerked a condom off the strip. The way they were going, she was glad he’d bought the value pack. She watched him rip the package open and wiggled her toes into the carpet as he rolled the latex on. Her nipples tightened, and her breasts ached from arousal.
Raul closed in, crowding her back, against the wall. He forced his knee between her thighs, not that she put up much resistance. He cupped her mound and kissed her, thrusting his tongue between her lips. She wrapped her arms around him, rocking against his hand.
Without breaking their kiss, he bent, grasped her upper thighs, just below her ass, and lifted. She gasped and clung to his shoulders as he hoisted her up against the wall. He’d done this once before against the fridge, but her heart still tried to stop.
“I’ve got you,” he whispered against her cheek.
She didn’t doubt that he did. He’d never come close to dropping her, and for once her weight wasn’t the first thing to come to mind. No, the first thing through her mind was...a thrill of excitement.
He held her there for a moment, both of them breathing, the thread of desire stretched tight between them. Without speaking, he let go of her with one hand, his body keeping her pinned to the wall, and fit his cock against her vagina. She gripped his shoulders a little tighter and eased the death grip she had on his hips with her thighs.
Raul’s hands held her while he flexed his hips, sliding easily into her body. It wasn’t an intrusion, not anymore. The feel of him inside of her was...right. As though he belonged. He leaned his head forward, until his brow rested against hers. Gravity, combined with the angle of penetration, had his cock rubbing an extra sensitive spot. She whimpered and arched her back.
Mr. Purr-fect and the Geek (Gone Geek, #2) Page 10
