“So what do you normally do for fun?” I asked.
“I like all sports, and I like all kinds of toys,” he smiled.
Just hearing him say he likes all kinds of toys made my toes tingle. I had to grit my teeth to hold back my feelings. Lust, pure lust that is all it was. I didn’t know him well, but I did know him enough to have a bond with him.
Cricket get a grip, I scolded myself silently.
“Why are you grinding your teeth like that?”
“Uhh,” I said. He’d caught me, and I didn’t have a lie to give him.
“Make a left at the next street,” Jyme said. He was watching me carefully now.
Dammit, he probably thought I was about to have a fit or something. Shit, I didn’t want him to think I was a nut.
“What are you doing tomorrow evening?” he asked.
“Nothing that I can think of; why? What’s up?”
“Pull in there.”
We drove into an apartment complex. He told me to pull up to the silver box. He had me punch a number in to open the gate. I parked right next to his truck and put the car in park.
“My cousin plays in a string quartet, and they’re pretty good. They have a show tomorrow night at one of the amphitheaters across town. I thought we could grab a bite to eat then go.”
“Sure that sounds fun,” I said. This tension between us was about to get out of hand. He had released my hand when we pulled into the parking lot, and I longed for his touch again. He had traced the lines in my palm, and it felt so good. His fingers had traced repeatedly, and then all of sudden he stopped. It was hard to concentrate when I was driving, but I am strong and I could handle this.
He unhooked his seat belt, and my heart fell. I didn’t want him to leave, but I couldn’t ask him to stay either. He leaned over to me, and I leaned into him. He went straight to my ear again, and the chill bumps resurfaced. It took everything in me not to press my lips against his and then force my tongue into his mouth. He kissed me softly on my cheek and left it wet. Then, he opened the door and walked away from the car.
I sat there, still not awakened from his hypnotic trance. I let the window down a little, and then I started the car up. Fresh air would help me right now. I collected myself and pulled out of the parking lot. Once I made it up the street, I took out my phone. It only had one battery bar now, so I plugged it up immediately. I touched the screen on the car radio and activated the navigation system. Once I had the condo address in, I called Chelle.
“Trick, where have you been?” she yelled.
“Church,” I answered.
“Ohhh, okay,” she answered. I filled her in on dinner.
Then, she told me Ayashe’s version. Ayashe had told Chelle how cute Kanoke had gotten and Chelle seemed very interested. Ayashe also said, she thought Jyme and I made a really cute couple. And if we ever had any children how good looking they would be. Then she went on to say, how much of a sin it was for us to be together. She said we were both model worthy and that it wasn’t fair. She also told Chelle that if Jyme could ever get over Elle, I would be perfect for him. That did sting me a little, I had to admit, and it does sit in the back of my head as well. But other than that almost melt down this evening, he seems okay.
Chelle then went in on how she felt about the date that she didn’t attend. She went on and on about how everyone has seen him but her. I reminded her Ayashe was the only person that she knew that had seen him. Then she went on about Elle and wondered how she looked. She said Ayashe told her, “She’s no Cricket.” That did make me feel a lot better about the whole thing.
I told her about the Catholic Church, and what he had said.
“I don’t know about him, Cricket. Ayashe is being extremely secretive about him for some reason. I asked her if he was a good person, and she said he’s no worse than the others from the reservation. Then, I asked her how he was financially, and she said, “Cricket should ask him that.”
“What does that mean?” I could tell she knew something she wasn’t telling me.
“All I know is that he owns a fishing company or something,” I answered.
“I thought you said he was a fisherman?” she asked.
“That’s what he told me. Then, he said he owned his own company,”
“Where does he live?”
“On the reservation, but he had me drop him off at some apartments,” I said.
“Well, what does your Spidey sense tell you?” she asked.
“I think he’s been extremely hurt; I think the woman before me must have been really hard on him.”
“From what Ayashe said, I think so too.”
“What did she say?” I asked.
“She said they sent him to another reservation for like three months and that he came back like a zombie. She said he hardly talks now, and he never smiles. She said it’s like the fun in him is gone,” she explained.
“Oh, so he’s like damaged goods or something?” I asked.
“Sounds like it.”
I pulled into the garage at the condo and lost all signal. I sent Chelle a text immediately and told her that I was at the condo and that I was headed to bed. I got out of the car and handed the attendant my valet key with my tag number. He advised me to give them ten minutes’ notice when I needed my car pulled up front.
The elevator doors opened and there stood Mr. Crain. He had some little PYT hanging on his arm. I moved out of their way so they could exit the elevator and stepped in as soon as they got out; I pressed my floor and kept my head down.
As soon as I walked in the door, I climbed into the shower. Just as I got out, I heard my phone chiming on the charger. I ran over, and I had two missed calls from that number that made my toes tickle. As I stared at the phone, the doorbell rang. My heart started racing; I put my bathrobe on and sprinted towards the door. I looked out the peephole with a smile and then I eased away from the door slowly. D’Artagnan Crain was standing in front of my door. He rang the doorbell again, and then he started knocking.
My phone chimed, and I tiptoed back to the bedroom. “Hello,” I whispered into the phone.
“Why are you whispering?”
The doorbell rang again, and then D’Artagnan pounded on the door.
“Who the hell is that?” he growled.
“It’s my drunk boss. I think he’s harmless,” I answered.
I heard a car alarm chirp and then the slamming of doors. “What are you doing?” I asked frantically. He didn’t answer me. I heard the car starting and then the blasting of the stereo.
“Hey now, you don’t have to come over here. I’m not that kind of girl.”
He said nothing.
The doorbell rang again three times in a row, and I rushed to the closet. I pulled on some sweats and yanked on some socks.
“Look, you really don’t have to come over here. He’s drunk, and he’ll stop eventually,” I said.
“Let the front desk know you’re having an overnight visitor and give them my name,” he demanded. The line went dead; I ran to the kitchen for the emergency number. D’Artagnan banged on my door again, calling out my name. I wondered why the other guests hadn’t called the front desk yet. I found the front desk number and ran back to the bedroom. I couldn’t use the speaker pad on the door because D’Artagnan would hear me. I dialed the front desk and Randy was still on duty; he agreed to let Jyme up. About two minutes and four doorbell rings later, I could hear muffles and then a thump. My phone chimed, and I answered.
“Open the door,” he growled. I opened the door wide, and the sight I saw was unbelievable. Jyme stood there in a leather jacket with no shirt underneath. A pair of grey sweat shorts and sneakers and that was it for his ensemble. D’Artagnan was now passed out on the floor, and he had apparently wet himself because his khakis were damp in the seat. Jyme walked in and then closed and locked the door behind him.
He pressed me up against the foyer wall and lay against me. His lips pressed up against mine, and then he licked my li
ps with his tongue. It was as if his tongue was knocking to get in; I opened my mouth, and he slid it in with mine. We played tongue wars for only a couple of seconds.
His phone rang in his pocket, and he growled loudly. He pulled his tongue out and removed his lips from mine. I wrapped my arms around his bare back, and I stood on my tiptoes so I could kiss his neck. I got two kisses in when he yanked my ponytail and my head cocked up to meet his eyes.
“I’ll call you in the morning,” he spit into the phone. He dropped it on the floor, yanked his coat off, and started kissing me again. He slung both sneakers off and then wrapped both of my arms around his neck. He placed both of his hands under my butt and then told me “Come on.” I jumped up, but with all this ass and hips, I didn’t jump far. He had to do all of the work. I wrapped my legs around him, and we headed to the bedroom as I held on for dear life. I’ve never had a man in my adult life pick me up like that. He didn’t break a sweat nor did he seem out of breath.
He kicked the French doors open, and I slid down. He placed both hands on either side of my face, and then he kissed me softly. He removed his hands from my face and shifted around a little. I put my arms around him and immediately noticed he was butt-naked. He had shrugged out of his shorts, and now he pressed against me. I was fully dressed and then I remembered I had pulled on a sports bra but no panties. How embarrassing was this? I was supposed to have on some sexy little number, and that was not the case. Shit, when was the last time I shaved. Oh no! This was going to be a complete nightmare. He was about to see the wild kingdom, and he would probably need a weed whacker to find his way in. Well, it was somewhat dark with only the light from the bathroom around the corner.
I sat down on the bed, and I was about to take my sweatshirt off. I looked up, and I was eye level with his dick. Let’s just say it freaked me the hell out. “What the hell is that?” I screamed.
He kneeled down, and we were almost eye-to-eye. “Wait, wait. I’ll go real slow. I swear I won’t hurt you,” he pleaded. I sat there in utter shock; I had never seen anything like that before in my life.
“It won’t fit. I am not a virgin by no means, but I assure you that will not fit in me. And if it does, I will have to go to the emergency room.”
He dropped his head, and his floppy ponytail split into two pieces. I stood up, and that anaconda was back in my face. I shut my eyes and moved away from it. I heard the French door doors open and shut. I opened my eyes, and he was gone.
I sat in the bedroom for at least twenty minutes. I opened the French doors, and Jyme was sitting on the couch in his boxers. His shorts lay across the back of the couch. He had gone and picked up his coat and his shoes. He sat slumped with his head in his hands. I knew his last break up was bad, and I didn’t want to set him back. I felt awful, and I was almost positive that I had overreacted.
I walked over to the couch and kneeled down in front of him. He dropped his hands down to the couch cushions, and then dropped his head to the back of the couch. He was staring up at the ceiling, so I couldn’t make out his facial expression. But, according to his body language he was pissed. He was stiff and his breathing was quick. I placed both of my hands on his knees, and he didn’t move. I slowly slid my hands over to his and then slid my fingers through his; he still didn’t move. I thought it was safe to really touch him now; but I had to test the waters first.
I waited for a minute, and then I stood up and straddled him. He wrapped his arms around me. He kept his head leaned towards the back of the couch. I leaned over and kissed his lips. I had to kiss him twice before I could get a reaction out of him. He finally sat up and stared at me.
“Don’t be afraid of me, Cricket,” he pleaded. And my poor heart just stopped. I felt horrible and he was feeling even worse. He squinted his eyes and held me tight.
“I’m not.” I laid my head on his chest, and he rubbed my back until I fell asleep.
I was out maybe fifteen minutes when the doorbell rang. I jerked my head up, and Jyme held me in his arms tight. “Get up,” he said.
I stumbled to my feet, holding on to him for balance. We both walked over to the door, hand in hand. He looked out the peephole, and then he stiffened. “What’s up with this asshole?” he asked. I looked out the peephole, and then I shut off all the lights. I grabbed my phone from the counter and tugged for Jyme to follow me. I dialed the last number I had called. I pulled the covers down, and then I pushed Jyme down to the bed. I told the attendant that I was in 808 and that a drunken man was ringing my doorbell. I advised the attendant that I was in the bed and needed to get back to sleep. The doorbell rang again, and then he started knocking again. The attendant assured me someone would be right up to handle it. I told him I didn’t care who it was and that no one needed to speak with me. I just wanted to get back to sleep. He assured me the safety of the building and then told me someone would be right up. I ended the call, got up, and shut the bathroom lights off. I walked back into the bedroom and slid into Jyme’s arms. He kissed my forehead, and I snuggled deeper into his chest.
I woke up to Jyme gently rubbing my face and a faint alarm going off. I turned, and the phone was not on the nightstand where I left it.
“You grabbed it and chucked it on the floor about fifteen minutes ago,” he explained.
I giggled and shook my head. My sweatshirt was all twisted and one of my arms was hanging out of the sleeve.
“You sleep like a wild animal,” he laughed.
“I know, I’m not sure why I do that,” I answered.
“I like it. You’re so free when you sleep.”
I righted myself and slid out of bed. I found my cell phone at the foot of the bed. I went to the closet and pulled out my outfit for today. A white button down, black wide leg trousers, and a red knee length trench coat. Jyme was on the phone in the bedroom, and I saw the extra toothbrush and mouthwash on the sink counter. I scooped them up and handed them to him while he was on the phone.
I stepped into my stilettos and walked into the front room. Jyme went into the bathroom and started brushing his teeth. I picked up his shorts that were hanging over the couch. Something fell out of pocket; I bent down to pick it up. I gripped it, and there was a swooshing sound. I looked down and it was a blade with ridges. He had a black rubber knife in his pocket. I looked down at my hand, and blood was dripping from it.
I screeched and dropped the knife back on the floor. I heard the water in the bathroom cut off and ran to the kitchen sink. I turned the water on and held my hand under it. I stomped my foot twice trying to cut back some of the pain. Jyme stood there beside me then grabbed a dishtowel.
“NO,” I yelled at him. I looked around and saw paper towels on the small table. “Can you hand me some paper towels?” I asked. He went to the table and yanked off some paper towels. I wrapped my hand up and looked in all the cabinets. I looked under the sink and yanked out the little white box. I cleaned the wound and Jyme helped me bandage it up. I found some disinfectant under the sink. I yanked some more paper towels off the roll. I went back to the living room to clean the blood off the floor. Jyme pulled the disinfectant and the paper towels from my hands not saying a word. I went straight to the bedroom and called the front desk for my car. I looked down at myself, and there was not a spot of blood on me. I was relieved because I really didn’t want to change clothes. I turned the bathroom light off and ran smack into Jyme. He placed both hands on each side of my face. We made some serious eye contact, neither one of us saying a word. His cell phone rang from the other room. We both shifted, and then I pulled away from him.
I slid my coat on and grabbed my purse. He had put his shoes and coat on, this time zipping the jacket. We road down on the elevator in silence, and he held the elevator door for me while I stepped out. I thanked the attendant, and then we both exited the building. I stepped out and walked straight to the rental not saying a word to him.
I got to my first assignment for the day, and this location was extremely busy. I decided to go inside
since the drive thru was wrapped around the building. The parking lot had cigarette butts, and there were a few napkins with the company logo scattered over it. I walked in, and someone immediately greeted me. There were four people ahead of me, but the barista took my order instantly. I ordered a breakfast sandwich and a hot tea. There were three free tables, so I decided to stay for a while.
I pulled out my laptop and connected to the free Wi-Fi. I went to get my order and asked for some raw sugar. She handed me two packs and a stirrer. I made sure my computer screen was not facing anyone who could see. I sent my evaluation over to D’Artagnan.
My phone chimed, and I pulled it out. It was that number, but I didn’t answer it. I was working, and I didn’t want to talk to him right now. My phone beeped this time, and I knew I had a voicemail. I touched the screen to listen to my voicemail. The first three messages were from Chelle, and then the last one was him.
“We need to talk about this morning; I don’t want us to pretend like it never happened. I don’t want to do this over the phone. Can we meet for a quick lunch?”
I looked over my schedule, and I texted him back, “I have a gap from one to three today. I will be in the Pike Place area.”
He answered my text immediately. “I will meet you at Maximilian in the Market at 1:15.”
I quickly knocked out two more of my assignments. I had sent D’Artagnan all three of my evaluations, and he hadn’t responded to any of them. I called the office, and O answered. I asked her if D’Artagnan was in, and she told me he was out sick. I asked her how many company condos we had in the building I was in. She told me we had six, and then she mentioned that several employees, including D’Artagnan, actually lived on the premises. She also told me that we all get a hell of a discount there because the owner of company owns that building. I asked O if there were any other condos on another floor I could stay in. She said there was an empty one on the tenth floor, a corner condo with two bedrooms. She said that D’Artagnan would have to sign off on it. I assured her he would do so. She said I could swing back by, get the key and move right up there. O said the cleaning crew comes daily and that they would move my stuff for me. I thanked her and promised when I was back in the office we would have to do lunch, my treat, anywhere she wanted.
Heels of Love (G Street Chronicles Presents From Love to Loathe Series) Page 5
