Sassy, Sexy, and Stalked

by Wall, Shelley

  “How so?” She paused with eggs in one hand and a box of pancake mix in the other. Focus somewhere else besides that big chunk of testosterone hogging all the air. Maybe out the window, or something? Look away. Now.

  “Reva, I’m coming closer, okay?” He moved in. She didn’t back away. When his hand glazed her cheek, it didn’t bother her. Not one bit. “Were you intending to use that bat?”

  “If I had to, sure, but not on you. I heard voices outside.”

  Todd rested a thumb against her cheek and rubbed, while his fingers spread across the back of her neck. There was something incredibly personal and intimate in the simple gesture. And in his eyes, she saw something that hadn’t been there before. It softened him and hardened him at the same time, as if they’d partnered against something. “Just us guys. No need to worry.”

  That was supposed to put her at ease? She wrestled her heartbeat back to normal and looked at the stove. “Easy for you to say. Um. You like pancakes, right? ’Cause I can do that or scrambled eggs. I don’t have anything else.”

  “I like pancakes. Eric does too. Kiss me.” Three simple sentences, two of which just sailed off his lips and past her ears. The third sentence brought her mind to a complete stop – heavy on the brakes. Screech.

  “My brothers are right outside. Your son is—”

  “Right outside too. So, you should feel ultra-safe right now. Three men out there to save you. Well, two and a half.” He nodded at the wood by the door. “No reason to use the bat. They’re all within earshot if needed.”

  Todd took the eggs and box from her hands, one by one, and placed them on the counter by the stove. He stroked a hand down her cheek then lower along her jaw and neck. The thud of her heartbeat rang heavily in her ears, blocking the voices outside. What a fabulous way to start the day. Todd lowered his head to hers, bringing it within inches, stopping a hair short of contact with his eyes locked on hers. He waited.

  He slid his eyes toward the door and back. “The bat’s right there if you’d rather have that.”

  “I’m okay. It’s just—complicated. I’m complicated,” Reva said, breathing his air. “Probably more than you need. You really think this is a wise idea?”

  “Don’t really care about what’s wise, Reva. You’re going to be okay. This is going to be okay. I’ve learned something about you. You’re a lot stronger than you think. Come closer.” He waited, and he stood there with that melt-me-to-the-bones mouth right in front of her. Holding. Breathing in her air, pulling her toward him. There wasn’t anything she could do to resist. It had to happen. They both needed it. She put her mouth where he wanted it, right against those strong, wet, greedy lips that instantly sucked her into his world. Mmmm. God, he tastes good.

  “Dad?” Eric had stepped through the door. He stopped when he saw Todd’s arms around Reva and his mouth locked to hers. Reva struggled to pull back, realizing it must be awful for a child to see their father embracing someone other than his own mother.

  “I’m sorry, Eric. Todd—your dad was just...” She had no idea how to finish the sentence.

  Todd held Reva to him, not allowing her to pull away. The tightness of his arms felt good but the inability to move started panic rising. He recognized her concern and loosened his grip.

  “What do you need, bud?” Todd asked. He seemed unconcerned with the situation.

  “My cell phone was ringing. I left it on the porch in case Mom called.” He held up the device with a small hand engulfed in a dirty work glove. “She wants to talk to you.”

  Reva broke free and moved to the stove. “I’ll get started on that breakfast.”

  Todd took the phone and walked outside. The scowl on his face made it clear he had no desire to talk to the person on the other end. Reva watched him listen to the voice, his back tense but strong. He held the phone in one hand and the other hand rested on his hip. For some reason, that made her smile. Once he’d ended the call, he stayed outside a few minutes then came back in.

  “Sorry about that. I said I wanted to help.” He stood in the door, covered in cement dust, dirt, and sweat…and he looked—amazing.

  “You are helping. You’re making me a fountain.”

  “I meant with the breakfast.” He dropped an arm from the doorjamb. A puff of dirt and dust fell from the sleeve of his shirt. Reva looked at the small cloud and smiled.

  “I don’t think you want to eat concrete pancakes, do you?” She raised a brow.

  “I’ll wash up first.” He headed to the sink and turned on the tap.

  “It’s going to take more than tap water to get that out of your shirt. If you plan on helping, you need to—” Todd reached a hand behind his shoulder and tugged the shirt over his head. He wadded it in a ball and stepped to the door to toss the dusty fabric on the porch railing before returning. Her brothers cast a glance his way but they continued working.

  Todd returned to the sink, took the soap and scrubbed his chest. Reva stared as small drips of water rolled down and attached to the fine hairs at his naval. She sighed seeing his back muscles flinch and roll with each fluid movement.

  He turned and startled her. “You know, I’m beginning to see a pattern here. What is it about you and my shirts?” He grabbed the towel from the rod and rubbed his hands.

  “I don’t have a problem with your shirts. I just have a problem with dirt in my food. And for some reason, you always seem to have something on you. Paint. Dirt. Cement. Something.” Not to mention, I’m starting to like the view a little.

  “Reva, what do you need?” He put his tanned, hold-me-forever arms on his hips and waited.

  What do I need? Let’s start with those.

  “Where’s the griddle?” he added.

  “Oh, uh. I just use a skillet. Bottom drawer on the right.” She turned around to the counter and pulled a bowl from the cabinet. “Put it on the burner and turn it to medium. I’ll have this mixed up in a second. Can you spray it with the can up there?” She avoided looking again as she pointed to the cabinet where her dry goods were stored. Once the batter was mixed, she slid next to him and used a spoon to ladle batter into the heated skillet.

  Todd stood in front of the burner, his warm chest within inches of her arm. Suddenly Reva was very conscious of the fact she was still in her pajamas and apparently so was he - aware that was.

  “You’re going to get burned if you don’t back up.” Reva reached into the drawer by the stove and pulled out a spatula. She noted the bubbles rising. She raised the edge of the first pancake and leaned down to see if it had browned enough to turn. The simple move put her hair against his skin and she got a whiff of sweat, salt, and pure male sensuality all at once.

  Todd lifted a hand and pushed the tickling hair up and tucked it behind her ear, holding it in place behind Reva’s neck. “You’re going to cook your hair.” He pulled the twist tie from the pancake mix, then wrapped it around her locks in a makeshift ponytail.

  She stood and met his gaze, which instantly went from amused to smoldering. He inched against her and lowered his mouth to her ear. “Don’t worry, Reva, I can take a lot more heat than you can.”

  He pulled the spatula from her hand, slowly rubbing his fingers across the tops of hers. Then he flipped the pancakes one by one. After eons of silence, he transferred the perfectly cooked pancakes to a waiting plate. The tension was too much, too intense. Reva hated intense. Intense always ended up—more intense. She took the spoon and scooped more batter into the skillet for the next batch and in the process brushed it across his arm, leaving a large blotch of goo.

  “Oh no. I’m sorry.” She attempted to wipe it away with her hand, furiously working to clean the mess. “I didn’t mean to.”

  Todd laughed. He took the batter she’d scooped from his arm into his palm. “It’s fine, Reva. It’s okay. I don’t care.”

  “No, really. I’m sorry. I’ll clean it up.”

  “Reva.”

  “Here, let me get a towel.” She stepped back and tripped, sen
ding more batter splattering on his leg and her thigh. She panicked.

  “Reva, stop backing away. Don’t you move a damn inch toward a towel, the sink, or anywhere else. It’s okay. It’s just batter. I don’t care. Really. Here.” He scooped the batter from his leg and wiped it—across her neck. Then he took the spoon from her hand and ran a finger across it, then wiped it on her nose. “Now we’re even. Okay?”

  Her mouth fell open and she looked from spoon to man, taking it all in. Was he joking with her? Taunting her with her own mistake rather than erupting at her incredible clumsiness? She had no idea how to react. There was a time when this was all she knew. Teasing and taunting with her family was common. Then it all changed.

  “You did not just do that,” she finally said.

  “I did.” He grinned. “What are you gonna do about it?” He baited her. He baited her. His eyes danced wickedly as he swayed the spoon over the skillet and dropped pancake dollops into the oiled heat. He had his back turned for a brief second and she took it all in. He wasn’t mad. She’d gotten it all over him and he hadn’t even scowled. She dipped a finger in the bowl of batter that he balanced in one hand. Scooping a finger full, she reached up and brushed it across his cheek. He swung around and she jumped back. Todd laughed. He shook his head and set the bowl down. He grabbed the finger and clasped it, watching her face as he pulled her closer. And closer. Oh God, she’d gone too far. She never knew when to stop. He bent his head and put the finger – in his mouth.

  Reva practically salivated as he licked the batter. He didn’t bother to wipe it from his face, leg, or arm but intently concentrated on her finger. Then he raised a brow as he leaned toward her neck, his eyes focused on hers. He opened his mouth slowly and moved closer. His lips were parted and she could see the moist tongue as it started a focused mission toward her neck. He was going to—

  “Ahem. Are we cooking pancakes in here? Do I smell something burning?” Ben asked.

  Reva stepped back and lifted the plate from the counter. “First batch is ready. Why don’t you guys come in and have some. But leave the dirt outside please.”

  She dropped the plate on the table, gathered syrup, plates and utensils from the kitchen and stacked them alongside, then stood with hands on hips while Eric and her brothers made their way in.

  Todd stood up, regained his composure and chuckled. “Saved by big brother. You are so lucky.”

  Thirty minutes later, Reva sat at her kitchen table with four shirtless men of varied ages as they gobbled the pancakes with fervor. She contemplated mixing another batch. They teased easily with each other. When a knock on the door interrupted their debate over who would win the Super Bowl this year, Reva jumped. Who would show up now?

  She opened the door to a petite, full-figured woman with stylish short-cropped hair that hugged perfectly against her face. The woman glanced her up and down in her pajamas and raised a brow. “You must be Reva,” she said.

  That one glance managed to make Reva uncomfortably aware that she needed more clothes, or at least not sleepwear. “Yes. Can I help you?”

  “I want my son.”

  Oh. That explained the surliness.

  “You’re Eric’s mother? That’s great! Come in, they’re all in the kitchen. Have you had breakfast? We have pancakes, or at least we did a second ago. Not sure now.” Reva managed a smile and waved her in.

  Todd stood and strode forward. He intercepted the woman as she stomped through to the kitchen. “Wow, you got here fast. I thought you said it’d be after lunch.” He grinned. Obviously not the reception she wanted, the woman gave him her worst scowl. It was a doozy.

  Annie stopped dead in her tracks. She looked from bare chest to bare chest then to Reva in her pajamas. “What the hell?”

  “Don’t go jumping to conclusions,” Todd said.

  “Conclusions? You’re kidding me, right? A pajama party? Based on what’s going on here, I think Eric needs to go home.” She ran a look up and down Reva’s attire. Reva pulled her robe tight around her shoulders.

  “Well, that depends on what you think is going on. If hard work is a problem for you—as I remember from our past, it is. Eric has been helping us build a fountain in Reva’s backyard.” Todd sidled up next to Reva with his shoulder against her. Reva glanced down at the tanned fingers that rested against the back of her hand. “Reva, this is Annie, Eric’s mother. Annie,” he gestured with a hand, “Reva Zamora. The two gentlemen in the dining room are Reva’s brothers, Tim and Ben. ”

  Reva forced a smile. “I think I’ll go get dressed. Be right back.”

  “Yeah. Probably a good idea.” The acid tone of Annie’s voice followed her. Odd. Was that jealousy? Why? The woman had left him, not the other way around.

  “Be nice,” Todd admonished. Reva wanted to stay and hear the rest but her modesty got the best of her.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Adam had reached for his keys twice over the weekend for a quick drive-by at Reva’s just to see what she was up to. He stopped himself. Now that he’d been spotted, he needed to wait and see how Monday went. Did she know he had been there? Had the guy seen him well enough to tell her and therefore report it? Every time a car’s engine rumbled past, he stared out the window waiting for something to happen. Nothing did.

  By one a.m. Monday morning, he’d let himself fall asleep. He was dead-tired and since nothing seemed out of the norm, he had to go to work as usual. She had a standing meeting on Monday mornings, so he didn’t expect it to be uncomfortable the first hour or two. The rest would be the determination. Before departing, he decided to go into the garage and do a little target practice. After firing off a couple of rounds, Adam packed it away and left for work.

  Monday mornings sucked. It was always dead quiet as everyone waited for Reva to return from her meeting and then vie for time to discuss their projects and issues with her. He himself liked it, mainly because, since she was unavailable, he often did whatever he chose.

  Whatever he chose as in, let his curiosity wander. She had been right about him snooping on her computer. He’d never been one to back away from a challenge. Not to mention, when someone asked if he could help with something, he didn’t think it right to say no because she hadn’t given him explicit permission. Yes, she’d made it clear what his boundaries were, along with the boundaries for the other staff. He didn’t see the point in restricting staff like him—ones with a desire to learn as much as possible. Reva had tried to rationalize it by saying her focus was on stability and securing the company’s resources and data. Bullshit. She just didn’t want anyone messing with her work. He had it all figured out. She was a control freak with a capital C and F. She liked that she had complete access and no one else did. Typical woman—had to have her thumb firmly in place on the entire thing. She always wanted to pull on the reins when a man was in full gallop. Yes, it had never been about the company. It was about her—and her ego.

  He connected up to the new application server she had assigned to one of the other admins, and delved into the files. He had been curious about it from day one and, after their meeting last week where he’d heard how great it was going, he thought he’d take a look. See what he could learn…

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  Todd caught himself staring at Reva’s roof again, only twenty minutes after he’d walked to the fence and looked over. He realized it was foolish but after the past few days, he had to admit his senses were on overload. He glanced at his watch. She must have stayed late again like she often did.

  He had pulled a beer from the fridge, his first of the day, and held the can loosely in his hand. When the light in her kitchen flashed on, he experienced an unexpected sense of relief. He lifted the can to his lips and started to turn. The light from her window reflected off a shape in her yard—a moving shape. A man. Husky, medium height. Definitely male.

  “What the fuck?” he muttered and slid open his back door. He padded across the grass barefoot, unsure whether to yell at the person or call t
he cops. He slipped his cell from his pocket contemplating what to do next. No one stands in someone’s backyard in the dark for a good reason. He started to tap in the number on his cell right at the moment that it chimed into action.

  At the sound of the ring, the shape on the other side of the fence jerked to attention, turned toward him and hesitated. He feared the person intended to do something crazy. For a moment, a chill went through him as the person reached behind his back. Shit. The man is dangerous. Seriously dangerous. Todd glanced at the phone display.

  The sound of footsteps racing across her yard made him look through the fence to see the person disappear around the corner of the house. He’s headed to the front door. Todd ended the incoming call and dialed the police number.

  Ring after Ring. No answer.

  “Shit!” He ran into the house, yanked his keys from the counter, and ran to his car. He was in front of her door in less than a minute. It was the longest minute he’d known since he watched Annie walk out two years earlier. The phone had gone to a call center dispatch while he drove and he spoke to a voice on the other side that had him recite the address, phone number, and reason for the call over and over. He finally gave up and slammed the phone onto the dashboard.

  For good measure and to wake up the neighbors, he honked several times before he retrieved the phone, stepped out and raced toward Reva’s door. He had visually swept the street and saw no one. The intruder had left, hidden—or worse—was in the house.

  He cursed himself for not getting one of his handguns from the case. He had hardly used them lately so it didn’t register. He only had them because Annie had been concerned for their safety years ago. Since then he hadn’t had a reason to arm up. Not until he walked up the drive and realized that it was quite possible that this peeping tom had been the ex.