by Ellie Danes
“Who would do this? Old boyfriend? Angry roommate?” Cain continued to move around the apartment.
I stood in the middle of my office, with my hands on my hips, feeling completely numb. “No and no.”
A voice from the front door startled me. “Miss Dunning—are you in the apartment?”
“Yes, I’m in here.” I shot Cain an exasperated look and walked out into the hallway. He followed me. For the next thirty minutes, I talked to the two rookie police officers who took the report at my kitchen table and took a few photos of the damage to the door and the office.
“Any idea what someone might have been looking for?” I shook my head. “Any old flame that might be jealous of your current boyfriend?” The young officer pointed to Cain.
“Oh, he’s not my…I mean, no there is no old boyfriend.” I didn’t look at Cain.
“What about surveillance video?” Cain asked me. “Didn’t I see cameras on the porch?”
I nodded finally feeling a little hopeful.
“Okay, we will check with the apartment manager. We haven’t had any other reports of break-ins in your complex, but that doesn’t always mean much. Here’s your case number and I promise a detective will call you tomorrow. Anything else we can do for you, ma’am?”
“No. Thank you, Officer Craig.”
They left us alone in the apartment and I tried to close the door behind them. The splintered doorframe made it difficult to close and, after shoving it repeatedly, I leaned against the wall and cried. Cain held me by the shoulders and pulled me to him. I didn’t resist. I clung to him; feeling his strong body next to mine comforted me.
“Let’s do this. You get a shower and I’ll call for some takeout. How about Chinese?”
I nodded and wiped my face with hands. “That sounds perfect.”
Chapter Eighteen
The warm shower washed away the worries of the day. This has been the day from hell. My lover is my client, and is sleeping with his assistant, and now my apartment has been broken into.
Cain’s voice snapped me back to reality. “Hey, Jennifer, where are your wine glasses?”
“The hutch next to the kitchen table.” Oh yeah, and the lover I hate is now pouring me a glass of wine in my apartment. What a day!
I lathered and rinsed while I made a mental list of potential suspects. It was relatively short one, and somehow Dylan seemed to remain at the top of it. For a moment I suspected Cain; after all, I hadn’t invited him here, but the thought just didn’t make sense. My laptop was missing and I needed to go through the case files from work to see if anything else was missing.
Dad. I need to call him. If he finds out about this… My thoughts trailed off. I knew if I called him he would come over and check things out himself. That would mean I’d have to send Cain away, and I didn’t want that. I did, but I didn’t. The spell he had on me was apparent.
“Jennifer, food’s here. Are you almost ready?” I could hear Cain in the kitchen, dishes clanking away. That was the way I left him, not too long ago, at his house.
“I’ll be out in a second.” I quickly dried my hair and grabbed the sexiest—not so sexy—lounging clothes I had. I settled on a pink tank and gray pajama pants.
The smell of Chinese food filled my apartment and Cain had set up our dinner in the living room, using the coffee table as a dining room table. “That’s perfect, thank you, Cain. I really appreciate…”
“Shh, it was nothing. I just want you to be safe.” Cain leaned in for a kiss and I dodged him, plopping down on the couch.
“Well, thank you again.” I honestly meant it.
I flipped on the television and muted it, just to feel normal. I really didn’t care about watching the nightly news. I grabbed the other remote and turned on my playlist of relaxing music. Cain had thoughtfully propped a chair under the doorknob to secure it closed, and informed me that a repairman was on the way to fix it.
“Have you called your dad yet?”
“No, he would just want to come over here. I’ll tell him tomorrow.” I dug into the food with my chopsticks. “But, you know, I should call Reese. Where did I put my phone?”
Cain poured us some white wine and opened another fragrant container of food. “That’s the detective, right? You should definitely call him, and probably your insurance company.”
I nodded as I dialed Reese. I filled him in on what had happened and assured him I was okay. “Yes, I have a friend with me. I’m fine. Listen, Reese... Don’t tell Dad tonight. I can’t deal with him right now. I’ll talk to you in the morning.”
I hung up the phone and it instantly vibrated with a text from Aimee. Love me or hate me? I couldn’t text back. There was too much to say and I hadn’t really resolved anything with Cain. I was still on edge with him, but right now it was comfortable. Safe.
Midway through our picnic dinner, the apartment manager showed up with the repairman and took care of the door. Fortunately, it looked worse than it really was. A few nails and some gorilla glue and it was good as new—apart from the dust from the police fingerprinting the door frame and just about everything else in the house.
Cain and I didn’t say much while we ate. Music played in the background and we both stared at the TV. We both knew why he came here: to talk about the message from Ashley and the other night. I had been delaying it, but after everything tonight, I just couldn’t bring myself to talk about anything.
“Cain, you really don’t need to stay. The door’s fixed and I’m just going to focus on getting everything cleaned up and see what’s really missing. I really appreciate dinner, and you being here, but…”
“It’s really not safe here. I wouldn’t feel right you being here alone tonight. Why don’t you call Aimee and have her stay with you?” Cain was sincere, but I knew that’s not what he really wanted.
“No way. She has plans with her guy and, knowing her, she’d want to come and bring him with her. I don’t want to interrupt her, and I’m not really in the mood for entertaining.”
Cain cleared away the half-eaten containers of food, grabbed the plates and took them to the kitchen. “Then I’ll stay. Maybe it will give us some time to talk about the other night. It ended too quickly.”
I hesitated before answering. I didn’t want to be alone, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to be with him, either. I looked into Cain’s eyes and saw that sadness again. He looked like a lost puppy. “Fine, you can stay, but I’m not in the mood to discuss the other night.” I grabbed my glass of wine and got up, not waiting for his response before heading into my office to begin cleaning up.
Books were strewn from the bookcase, filing cabinet drawers were open, and everything that had been on my desk was scattered across the floor. I reached down to pick up the picture frames lying face down on the black and white striped area rug in front of my desk.
“What the…” I looked at the 5x7 frame that used to hold the picture of me at the beach, taken by Christopher, my ex-boyfriend. It was one of my favorites. It was the only thing I kept from our relationship, to remind me how naïve I had been. The cracked glass hung from the frame, the picture missing. “Where is it?” I began fumbling through the papers on the floor.
“What’s wrong?” Cain joined me in the office and watched me frantically rifling through the debris.
“My picture is missing. Do you see it anywhere? Why would anyone take that?”
Cain flipped through a sheaf of papers he had collected. “No, I don’t remember seeing any pictures.”
Anxiety began to fill me as I threw papers around the office. I was more mad that I had been violated in this way than upset about losing the picture. “Ouch!” I pulled my hand back, noticing a pinprick of blood and small fragment of glass in my finger. Tears filled my eyes, though not from the pain.
“Let me see.” Cain took my small hand in his and removed the glass. He brought my finger to his lips and kissed it. “I’m sorry.”
“Cain, you didn’t…”
Cain’s
voice was husky, like raw silk; his cobalt blue eyes sparkled as he looked into mine. “I’m sorry for the way things ended the other night. I’m sorry for this morning. I’m sorry…”
I cut him off, not needing to hear another word. I put my hands around his neck and pulled him close, kissing him like I meant it.
Chapter Nineteen
Cain picked me up and carried me to the bedroom. He didn’t say a word.
“Cain…” I murmured. It wasn’t a protest, more like an agreement, urging him on. He leaned in and kissed me gently again, cradling me against his muscular chest. Moonlight shone through the skylight over my bed and into my room, bathing it in sultry light. He gently let me out of his arms and stood in front of me. “You’re beautiful.”
Etta sang Sunday Kind of Love from the other room and I pulled my tank over my head, removed my bra and stepped into the moonlight. He unbuttoned his shirt and tossed it onto a nearby chair.
I felt confident. I wanted Cain to see me. He stepped toward me, reaching for my waist, but with a laugh I pushed him back gently, just for a moment. I wanted to do this my way. I stepped out of my pajama pants and stood wearing nothing but a playful smile and my silk panties. I tossed my long, dark tresses over my shoulders to show him my breasts and, after showing off my firm body, I pulled him into the light. Still smiling, I curled my arms around his neck and kissed him again. I unbuckled his belt and slowly unbuttoned his pants, letting them fall to the floor.
Cain’s hardness showed through his tight underwear and left nothing to my imagination, although I still remembered it quite clearly from the other night. He reached for me again and I took his hands, placing them on my hips. He pulled me close so I could feel his hardness against me.
I smiled and looked into his deep blue eyes. Unable to take any more foreplay, I shed my pink panties and helped him lose his remaining clothing too. He was all man; his sculpted chest and flat stomach just begged for my hands to touch them. I did and then I showered his smoothness with kisses. His hands cupped my breasts. His kisses were gentle and he used his tongue liberally, flicking my sensitive nipples to full attention—as if they needed any help. Cain knew his way around a woman’s body and I was glad of that. We fell to the bed and continued exploring each other.
“Cain…” It was all I could say. He plunged inside me, pausing for a moment to watch my eyes widen with pleasure. Then his full lips were on mine, stirring my passion even more. My hands were everywhere; in his black, sleek hair, on his arms and finally on his perfect ass. I urged him on until we were both in a frenzy of passion.
I wrapped my legs around him, clinging to him in ardent desperation. I felt the warmth of pleasure rising inside me; my skin was flushed and all I could do was moan. I was there and I enjoyed every second of my release. Shivers ran through my body as I breathed his name. “Cain...”
I focused my attention on him. I clamped my lips on his nipple, which excited him, making him drive faster and deeper. I whispered into his ear. “Do you know how bad I want you, Cain? I want you all the time. I think about you all the time…from that first moment in the elevator I wanted you…”
He shuddered with pleasure and fixed his eyes on me. In that moment, he was all mine. It was an unspoken understanding. He pulled me close and we kissed one last time before we collapsed into the crumpled bed. I left him speechless.
Drowsily, Cain’s hand rubbed my shoulder and I cuddled closer to him, my head on his chest.
“Thank you for staying.” I mumbled, half asleep.
“You’re welcome.”
I snuggled even closer, pressing my languid body to his side, and eventually drifted off.
I woke up a few hours later in a panic, remembering that I had been robbed. I sat up in the bed and pulled the sheet up around my naked body. Cain was still there, sleeping in my bed, his hair curling slightly around his perfectly chiseled face. For a few minutes, I watched him sleep. I took advantage of the fact that he couldn’t see me staring at him. Through sleepy eyes, I tried to memorize his face. Slowly, I dozed off again, finally sleeping soundly.
Chapter Twenty
The sound of the shower woke me and eventually the smell of coffee drifted into my dark bedroom. Only the faint light from under the bathroom door illuminated the room.
I looked at the clock, it was early—earlier than I normally wake up on a workday—but then again, I wasn’t a business mogul like the man who had spent the night with me.
I grabbed my pajamas and slid them on, pulled the sheets off the bed and shoved them in the hamper, and then padded sleepily down the hall to the kitchen. I grabbed a fabric-covered ponytail elastic out of my purse and pulled my hair up in a messy bun on top of my head. It was a brown, tangled mess, but at least it was out of my face.
I was reminded of the break-in yesterday as I looked around the living room; papers were stacked in piles, but obviously out of order. I tried to forget that for a minute and continued to enjoy the thoughts of the last part of the evening.
I poured a big cup of coffee then stepped out to my private balcony at the back of my apartment. It was small but it was the perfect place to watch the sun come up—it was going to be a lovely day. I left the door open so Cain could find me.
Eventually, he did. The grogginess still in my eyes, I smiled and welcomed him outside. “Good morning.”
Cain kissed my forehead and rubbed my neck. “Sleep okay?”
I nodded and laid my head on his shoulder. We watched the bright rays of the sun creep over the trees for a few minutes.
“I’ve got a little time before I have to go. I’d like to talk for a minute.”
I felt dread creep over me; I slowly looked up at him, “Okay…” I imagined the worst.
“I think it might be a good idea to keep our relationship quiet for now.” He had a concerned look on his face, his blue eyes looked tired. “With all the problems with Vawter and the accusations I may be facing, I don’t want any of this to affect you. Unwanted publicity is unavoidable for me—it’s part of the job—but I want to protect you, if I can.”
A smile crept on to my face. “We’re in a relationship?”
“I’d say so.” He looked puzzled. “You don’t agree?”
I could see this wasn’t the appropriate time to joke with him. This was a serious matter, not a time to show my insecurities. “Yes, I agree, and I guess you’re right about keeping everything quiet. I don’t have a problem with that.”
We sat a little longer, my mind turning over the events of yesterday—namely the break in. I wondered again who would want to invade my home and why they had only taken my laptop and a photo? Dylan was the only name I could come up with. It was obvious to me, at least when “Trey” wasn’t present, that Dylan wasn’t his biggest fan. I had to find out more.
“May I ask you something?” Cain nodded. “What’s the deal with you and Dylan? I mean, you have to know he has some mixed feelings when it comes to you. One minute he talks about you like you are the greatest thing and the next—he’s suggesting you’ve involved yourself in criminal behavior, against his advice and better judgment. You guys were good friends once, right?”
“Ah, Dylan…” Cain leaned back in his chair and studied me for a moment. “Dylan and I went to the same high school and were inseparable . We ran a few small businesses together in college and, at first, everything was okay. Small things happened, like money going missing here and there, but I blamed it on the fact that Dylan wasn’t the best bookkeeper. I didn’t want to believe he was stealing. Dylan began to run more of the technology side of the businesses, like streamlining our online presence and stuff like that. By the time we graduated from Brown, we had multiple businesses together and eventually Vawter was formed.”
I took a deep breath and debated my next question. “Dylan says it was a girl that came between you two. That you both liked the same girl. Who was she?”
Cain leaned forward in his chair, his hands clenched together and he stared at me quizzical
ly. “There was no girl—I mean, we never liked the same woman… at least as far as I know. My last girlfriend died—she was killed in a car accident about three years ago. Rachel.” He rubbed his hands together and stared off at the horizon.
I immediately put my cup down and reached for his arm. He didn’t pull away. “Oh, Cain, I’m so sorry. I had no idea. I didn’t mean to bring up painful memories; I was only repeating what Dylan said…I’m sorry.”
Cain held my hand and continued to stare into the distance. “I don’t know what’s happening with Dylan. I did notice he’s been distant since Rachel has been gone, but I just thought it was because he missed her too. We were all pretty close, Rachel was very involved with Vawter, and we all kind of spoke the same language.”
I kept quiet but my mind was running a mile a minute. I couldn’t help but wonder if perhaps Dylan and Rachel had had something going on, quietly on the side, but then I scolded myself for thinking ill of someone I never knew. Still, with Dylan, I reasoned anything was possible.
“One more thing you should know…” Cain’s voice shook a little. “Ashley…”
I interrupted him. I didn’t want to know more than I needed to. “Cain, I don’t…”
“She’s Rachel’s sister.”
I felt like I had been punched in the gut. “Oh…” It was all I could think to say.
“She’s been a good assistant—very faithful—and is on top of her game, but I have to admit that in some ways, I regret that decision. Especially now that I’m moving on from Rachel. I don’t know how all this is going to affect her. She’s young, and still thinks of me as her sister’s boyfriend.”
“Why did you hire her then, especially as an assistant? I mean, that’s working pretty closely with you.” I rubbed his arm and picked up my cup.
“Yes, but she was already Rachel’s intern when she died, and it just seemed like the right thing to do. She wanted it, and I was in no shape to refuse her. I guess that appears kind of short sighted on my part, but it is what it is.”
