“Maria burned the bottom of it. Remember? You ordered a new one last Thursday. You probably won’t get it until next week. Use two of the shorter ones until then.”
“Oh, shit! I forgot about that. Sorry.”
“Nah, it’s okay. I needed to get up anyway, so I’m glad you called.”
“Oh. Glad to help. Hey, when you coming back? I miss the hell out of you. The customers are complaining.”
Rhia laughed and peeked out the edge of the curtain. “Good. It’ll make them appreciate me all the more.”
“That’s for sure. The Bartletts said my pecan pie sucked. Can you believe that? They’re eighty years old and used the word ‘sucked.’ I almost fell over.”
Rhia chuckled and glanced around the room to see if she’d left any of her items while Scott filled her in on what she was missing. She’d already stuffed her suitcase into the rental and was just waiting for Caelius to decide when to leave his room. She should have reset her alarm. She glanced out of the window again and almost swallowed her tongue. The object of her panic had just placed his duffel in the trunk of the Jaguar. Damn. He looked hot with those sunglasses perched on his perfect nose.
“Crap! Uh. I gotta go, Scott. Forgot I had to be somewhere. Call you later. Bye.”
She felt like shit hanging up on him, but this was crunch time. Shoving her phone inside her purse, she snatched her keys and opened the hotel door a few inches. She allowed the Jaguar to get a few yards away before she hauled ass out the door and jumped into the Escort. Damn! That was close.
Three hours later, Rhia thanked the road fairies that Caelius’s car required more frequent fill-ups than the Escort. She’d been squirming in her seat for thirty minutes wishing for a bathroom when he finally decided to pull into a gas station. Relieved that he was pumping gas with his back to her, Rhia scurried inside and took care of business. Grabbing some road snacks, she barely made it from the register to the side door before Caelius pushed through the front.
Trying to catch her breath, Rhia wondered how she was going to pull this off without getting caught. Ramping down on the panic mode, she tried to figure out what the hell she was really trying to accomplish. Following him like she was a freaking DEA undercover agent was ridiculous. If he caught her, so be it. If she just chilled and kept out of sight, they’d be back in Austin before she knew it. Simple. Either way, she was going to ask him the same damn questions. It really didn’t matter where it happened.
Feeling calmer than she had since the parking lot disappearing act, Rhia checked her phone and saw she had two missed calls from Scott. I’ll call him as soon as I get back. He’ll live. She dialed into her answering machine at home and listened to a message from two of her new cooking students acknowledging the change in class schedule. She was glad they weren’t pissed at the last minute cancellations. She couldn’t afford to lose the students before she could replenish her school slush fund. The final message made her sit up in the seat.
It was from Caelius’s number, but all she heard was the hum of an air-conditioner in the background and his soft breathing. She replayed the message and realized he’d called her early this morning while she was sleeping two doors down from him. It was surreal.
She smiled when he walked out of the convenience store and strode across the parking lot. Despite knowing what she did about him, this man, or whatever the hell he was, still had a firm grip on her heart. She couldn’t deny that if she tried. Rhia looked down at her phone and punched the message icon. Tapping in a few words, she hit “Send” and hoped that his message box wasn’t full, too.
* * * *
Caelius felt Nikos and Chiron beating hard on his barriers, but he wasn’t ready to talk to anyone yet. Two hours of sleep didn’t bode well for a pleasant conversation. After ten minutes of constant pounding, he finally lowered it long enough to tell them he was fine and to leave him alone. He shut the barrier before they could respond. Thankfully, they got the message and let him be. He only had one hundred miles left until he reached Tucson. That would be about halfway to his destination. He was looking forward to a bed and some sleep. He didn’t give a shit where the damn air-conditioner was located. He was going to pass the hell out as soon as his head hit the pillow. All he needed to do now was keep his damn eyes open.
Glancing down to his phone, Caelius thought about calling Rhia again, but quickly nixed it. He didn’t think he could take it if she hung up on him or gave him a piece of her mind. Nope. Best to let that simmer for a while until he had a better handle on his emotions. Frowning, he snatched his phone up to turn the ringer down before Nikos called and realized it was already on mute. Damn, he’d forgotten he’d done that the first night of their trip. Pulling up the voice mailbox brought him wide-awake. Ashley had called ninety-seven times. Unbelievable.
Listening to the first ten had him shaking his head at her confessions of love and how they were meant to be together. The female was delusional. She was making plans for their marriage and didn’t even know his damn name. Number eleven had his eyes widening. He was now a bastard of the highest order and she hoped his nuts would shrivel up and fall off.
By the time he got to number twenty-seven, he was well aware that he needed to file a restraining order when he returned. Moving might even be warranted. He was glad he hadn’t deleted the messages. They were going to be excellent evidence for his cause.
Caelius skipped through all the others and pulled up the last one. He saw the date and frowned. She’d called steadily over a three-day period. By this last one, she sounded like a demented creature from one of the horror movies Maxim had made him watch. His skin shivered.
Scrolling through the text messages, he was surprised she’d only left seven. Perhaps even insane people could get a clue that a response wasn’t coming. These appeared to be the last effort after she’d filled his voicemail up. They all had the same date. Number seven was explicit in how she planned to destroy any relationship he ever tried to have with another woman. He snorted at that one. Get in line. I’m doing that well enough on my own. Message eight was from a number he didn’t recognize. Perhaps she was trying a new tactic with a fresh phone? He tapped the message line and stared at the screen for several moments until he realized he should look back at the road before he crashed into something.
Quickly pulling over to the shoulder of the road, Caelius threw his flashers on and gaped at the screen. Rhia had texted him. Frantic, he looked at the date and felt immense relief that it was from today. He read it again and smiled.
It’s Rhia. Call me. Your voice mail is full, silly man.
* * * *
Heart fluttering, Rhia didn’t know what the hell to do when Caelius’s Jaguar swerved over to the side of the road and the taillights started flashing. Crap! Had he spotted her? No, that couldn’t be right. He didn’t know what the hell she was driving. Damn! If she pulled over, it would be a dead giveaway that he was being followed.
Oops, too late. She had no choice but to pass him. Thankfully, there was an exit ahead, so she zipped over and waited on the service road. Eyes fixed on the rearview mirror, she hoped he hadn’t had car trouble. Should she circle around and check on him? Yeah, right. She could picture that conversation.
Hey, buddy. I just happened to be driving by—
Rhia jumped when her phone rang.
“Shit! Oh, shit! Oh, shit! He saw me. Wait a minute. He’s calling my cell. Damn. He got my text. Duh, Rhia. Get your shit together.” Clearing her throat, she answered, “Hello?”
“Rhia?”
“Caelius?” She smiled when he chuckled.
“I’m very happy right now, sweetness.”
“You are?”
“Yes. I was afraid you were mad at me.”
“Why would I be mad, Caelius?” She heard him release his breath.
“Because I didn’t come back.”
Rhia swallowed a few times and wished her mouth hadn’t suddenly gone dirt dry.
“That’s okay, Caelius. I understand. It’s not like
we were exclusive. I just wish you hadn’t ditched the class. We all missed you. You broke a lot of girl’s hearts. We lost two thirds of the class when they figured out you weren’t returning.”
“Uh…I went on the road. You know, the tour I told you about? It was time for me to go.”
“Ah. Yes. How did that turn out?”
“It was okay. I finally made it to California. I had fun and met some nice people. I’ve always wanted to see Hollywood. It was just like I envisioned. The group that I visited were very nice to me.”
“Oh, that’s good. Uh. The day that you left…you know…from my house. Um…you said there was something that came up at home. Did that turn out okay?”
“Oh, yes. It had a happy ending. All is well there.”
“Good. Yes. That’s good. Um…are you still in California?”
“No, I just left this morning. Oops. Rhia, can I call you back? There’s a police officer behind me. This may take a bit. Will you let me call you back?”
Rhia shot her eyes up to the rearview and felt her stomach drop. A highway patrol car was sitting behind the Jaguar with his lights flashing. “Oh! Sure. Yes. Call me when you can.”
“I will. And, sweetness?”
“Yes?”
“I missed you.” Rhia grinned into the phone.
“I missed you, too.” The line went dead as she watched the officer approach Caelius’s window.
* * * *
Eyes widening, Rhia tried to focus on the taillights in front of her. It was getting darker, and she had a feeling Caelius was about to pull over for the night when he took the first exit as they entered Tucson. He hadn’t called her back yet, but she was pretty sure why.
Thankfully, the cop hadn’t lingered long by the car. She assumed Caelius told him that he was simply making a call and didn’t want to drive while he was doing so. After Caelius pulled away from the side of the road, the patrol car stayed behind him for a good twenty miles. Just as soon as it exited off, it seemed that cops popped up everywhere. Or maybe she was just getting paranoid and started noticing them more. Who knew? She was just glad he hadn’t planned to drive all the way through. The feeling in her butt had long ago decided to take a vacation and was convincing her legs to come with it. She hoped she didn’t face plant as soon as she got out of the car.
Sighing in relief, Rhia watched the Jaguar turn into the entrance of a Holiday Inn. She waited in the farthest corner of the lot to confirm he’d gotten a room before she zipped over to the convenience store next door and filled her tank. She wanted to be ready to leave in the morning without any distractions.
Luckily, the hotel had more rooms, and she got one directly across the courtyard from his. Pizza delivery seemed the safest option, so she munched on lukewarm pepperoni and pineapple as she lounged on the bed and flipped through channels on the TV. She smiled when her phone rang. Her skin shivered when his deep, sensuous voice slid out of the phone.
“Are you busy?”
“No, I was just running through some channels. Everything appears to be a re-run or boring as hell.”
“Good. Then that means I have your full attention.”
Rhia rolled to her side and stared through the small gap in the curtains. She could see that the light in his room was off. She imagined him lying prone on the bed with one leg lifted as he lounged back on a pile of pillows. She wondered if he was naked. To hell with it, she was going to picture him naked.
“So, what happened with the cop? Did he give you a ticket?” She smiled when he chuckled.
“No. He thought I was having car trouble. He actually thanked me for pulling over instead of driving and talking. That’s why I didn’t call you back. I figured I should hold up my end of the bargain. So, what did you do after we last spoke?”
Rhia grimaced. She hated lying to him, so she tried to stay as close to the truth as possible. “Nothing much. I filled up my car, took a shower, ordered a pizza, and have been basically lounging around since then.”
“You don’t have to work tonight?”
“Nope. I took some time off.”
“Oh? For how long?”
“A week.”
“Ah, you start classes soon, right?”
“Yup.”
“Good. You need time to relax.”
“My thoughts exactly. So, are you doing the road show on the way back?”
“No. I’ve had enough of that. One pass through was sufficient.”
“Oh. It sounds like it didn’t turn out like you expected.”
“Something like that. They all started to blend together after a while. Some were pretty nice and others not so spectacular.”
“What was the craziest thing that happened to you on the tour? Uh…you don’t mind me asking, do you?”
“No. That’s fine. I don’t mind talking about it. I had a female in Las Cruces expose herself and squirt me with breast milk.”
Rhia burst out laughing and had to take several deep breaths before she could speak.
“I’m so sorry, Caelius. I couldn’t stop. I wasn’t laughing at you. It was how you said it. It was like an everyday common occurrence. Ah, crap! My sides hurt. Hold up.” Rhia threw the phone down and ran to the bathroom. She snatched up a tissue and bounded back on top of the bed. Caelius was chuckling when she put the phone back to her ear.
“I heard you giggling all the way across the room.”
Flopping back on the pillows, Rhia wiped her eyes and tried to compose herself. “I’ll never be the same. The image won’t go away. I can’t even comprehend why someone would do something like that.” She heard him snort.
“She told the bouncers that threw her out of the club that she thought it might turn me on. I’m still trying to figure out what grown male would ever find that pleasant.”
Rhia pressed her fist against her mouth. She had to get off this subject or she was going to lose it again. “Yeah, I hear you. So, Caelius, have you ever had a stalker?”
Chapter 20
Eyes widening at the marked silence, Rhia flopped back on her pillows. Shit! Why did I ask that? She was completely surprised when he finally answered.
“This job that I do exposes me to so many different types of people. I’ve seen females that have pulled a male from the stage with no care for his safety. Some have ripped the clothes right from our bodies, and others have jumped up on the stage and tackled us to the ground. I’ve been groped, chased, scratched, licked, bit, and kissed without permission. We attribute this to the excitement of the moment and perhaps a little too much alcohol, but sometimes we encounter those that weren’t normal before they ever passed through the doors of Heat Seekers. I need to tell you something, sweetness. I’m hoping that you’ll not be upset with me afterward.”
Rhia felt her stomach clench. This sounded bad on so many levels. She suddenly wished she could push a “do over” button and take them down a different path, but, if he was going to be honest, she’d be stupid to divert him now.
“I’ll keep an open mind, Caelius. We get odd people in the diner all the time. I’m positive it’s nowhere near the craziness that you’ve experienced, but I can relate to dealing with strange personalities. Spill it.” She heard him take a deep breath and the rustle of fabric as if he’d adjusted himself on the bed.
“Two nights before I left town, I encountered a female named Ashley. I needed to speak with her because of something that happened in the club, so I asked her to have coffee with me. It’s too loud in there, so that seemed like the perfect solution. I’d never met her before, so I definitely wanted the talk to occur in public. I’m glad I did now. She was unable to control her actions, so I refused to continue with my goal of conversing with her.”
Rhia felt lightheaded with relief. He was telling her the truth. It was something that most men would never admit to, much less provide details. Hell, what was she saying? He wasn’t a normal man. Wherever he was from, he certainly believed in being honest, and it astounded her. She pressed the phone closer to
her ear. She didn’t want to miss a second of this.
“She misunderstood my intentions and now it’s escalated completely out of control. The next night, she followed two friends and me from the club. She wrecked her car outside our apartment as soon as we got there. Thankfully, she wasn’t injured. I got her out of there as quickly as possible, but it appears that she’s fixated on me now. She’s called my phone numerous times, so that’s the reason you couldn’t leave a message. I left that same night. Are you still there, Rhia?”
“Yes, Caelius. I’m not going anywhere.”
“Are you upset with me for taking her for coffee?”
Damn. Could he be even sweeter? Here he was, telling her the complete truth, yet there was no way in hell she was going to admit to standing by the bushes and witnessing the coffee shop incident, or that her lying butt was parked in the room across from his. She was such a hypocrite. Would she have believed him if she hadn’t seen it? Stop, brain, just stop.
“Of course not. We’re not married, Caelius. I’m just amazed that you said anything at all. Now, if you’d told me that you took her back to your apartment and had sex with her, I’d be pissed as hell and ready to strangle you. You’d never be able to get rid of her then. Geez, look what an offer of coffee did to her.” Caelius’s burst of laughter made her grin.
“Thanks for making me laugh. I needed that.”
“Anytime.”
“Rhia?
“Yes?”
“I’m sorry I didn’t call you.”
Rhia chuckled. “Oh, but you did.”
“Yes, but only after you texted me.”
“Caelius, did you ever wonder how I knew your phone number?”
“What?”
“You called me. Three times.”
“Three?”
“Yup.”
“Okay. I’ll confess to calling last night. I wanted to hear your voice.”
“You did?”
“Oh yes, very much so. I was a coward and didn’t know what to say, so I just hung up. I’m sorry that I did that two other times. I don’t remember.”
Fueled by Lust: Caelius (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 17
