Authors: Marie Rochelle
For a brief moment
Hayward
wondered if he had made a huge mistake contacting Joe Rowan about True, but he pushed the thought from his mind. He couldn’t worry about that now. The first thing he needed to do was get True back and then he could find a way to tell her about the investigation.
Picking up his coffee cup, he got up from the table. “Ms. Pinson, I’m going in the den to finish up some paperwork.” He turned on his heel, and strode out the door.
Walking into his office, he slammed the door shut, blocking out the off key sound of Ms. Pinson’s humming in the kitchen. He strolled over to his comfortable leather chair by the fireplace, and collapsed in it. The rich leather creaked under his weight. Resting his head on the back, he thought about True. She felt so good semi-wet in his arms earlier. The shower steam’s only heightened his awareness of her body. Squirming around in the chair, he fought to relieve some of the ache from the large bulge in the front of his snug jeans. Hell, he was horny as teenager and he needed to do something about True soon or a lot of cold showers were in his future.
“I know she wants me. I can tell from the way she kisses me.” Could Ms. Pinson be right? Was
True
falling for him?
His heart pounded in his chest at the mere thought that she returned his feelings.
Emotions like these always evaded him in the past, but hearing her soft voice this morning made him come alive. Her smile, touch, and voice gave him pleasure he couldn’t describe. True had grabbed a piece of him, without even trying.
He would eventually break down every useless barrier she shoved in his way. This wasn’t the time to work on his plan of attack. He came in here catch up on paperwork.
Office work was the last thing on his mind; however. He had neglected the Shaw & Hartman account long enough. They hired Campbell Design and Construction to redo a building for them overseas.
Clinton
sent him a rough draft of the blue prints by UPS but he still hadn’t looked over them. “I better get to work. I can’t have Clint waiting for these prints much longer.”
* * * *
Miles away
True
strolled around the crowded shopping center wandering from store to store. A vendor wearing a candy striper outfit stood in the middle of the mall selling fresh pretzels. The warm salty baked bread smell tickled her nose.
New clothes always made her feel better but today she couldn’t focus on any of the sales. The memory of a dripping
Hayward
in the shower kept popping up in her mind. After a long and soul-searching drive, she finally realized she wanted
Hayward
and tonight she would make her move with a new outfit.
True searched through rack after rack of clothes until she found the outfit she was looking for. Pulling it from the rack, she held it against her body and grinned.
Hayward
wouldn’t be able to resist her when he looked at her body in this jumpsuit tonight.
Glancing at her watch, she noticed it was past
Dashing around the small boutique
True
grabbed a few accessories and then paid for her items. As she headed back to her parked car, the hair on the back of her neck stood up. She paused by her car in the semi-empty parking lot and looked around. She got the strange feeling someone was watching her, but she didn’t see anything. “Maybe it’s my imagination.” Shaking off the weird sensation, she got inside her car and drove off.
* * * *
Tossing the high-tech zoom camera in the back seat of the old black mustang, Sylvester Cantrell leaned out the window and watched
True’s
mustang headlights fade off into the distance. Her fast car blended in quickly with the other late afternoon traffic. “My boss is going to love these pictures.” He grunted lighting a cigarette. “I know I have the right woman this time.” Starting the ignition, he pulled the antique car out of parking lot and headed in the opposite direction.
He was a career criminal, with a super intelligent mind. No job was too low for him to do, for the right price. The picture his boss gave him six months ago, didn’t do True justice at all.
She was one hot looking woman and he loved a good-looking woman. Especially the ones who fought back, it gave him such power to see the fear lurking in their eyes. During the past three years, the cops had brought him in countless times on different charges ranging from rape to murder but none of the charges ever stuck, because all the witness always changed their minds at the last minute. W
hat woman in her right mind would go into court and testify against him after he held a loaded gun to her head?
A strong wind blew through his open car window and he flinched as hot ashes from burned his fingers. “Damn it.” He cursed taking his hand off the wheel. He blew the ashes off his first two fingers.
Licking his lips, he dreamed about the fun he was going to have with True when he finally got her alone. Right now his boss still owed him some big bucks and until he got paid, she was safe. He knew by looking at her that she would fight him. Turning down the dirt road, he went toward the cabin hidden in the forest. The old mustang’s tires bounced over the gravel-covered road. It had taken him two days of camping out in the woods to find this perfect hideout. An evil grin spread across his thin lips. The nice old man hadn’t stood a chance against him when he came a knocking.
Opening the car door, Sylvester got out and went inside the cabin. He dropped the camera on the table, picking up the telephone and dialed the number he knew by memory.
“Is it her?”
“I followed her to a shopping center and got a good shot of her face. I know I have the right woman this time.”
“Good job. We don’t need another mistake like last time.” His boss pointed out and groaned. “It cost me a lot of money to dispose of the other woman’s body.”
Sighing Sylvester listened to his boss complain. “Well I thought I had her last time. You have to admit their profiles were similar.”
“I don’t pay you to think!” His employer hissed. “I’m paying you to find
True
and after that I’ll take care of her. I want to make sure she doesn’t show up again in my life. I want her gone for good.”
“Not before I have my fun,” Sylvester muttered. He stroked the side of his jaw with one finger.
“Sylvester, don’t think about touching her! I still can’t believe how you cut the last one up.”
Smiling Sylvester shrugged, “I told her not to fight and she didn’t listen.”
“Keep taking pictures and making the phone calls to her. Don’t ever let her see your face. Do you understand me Mr. Cantrell? I’m paying you a lot of money to do this, but if you can’t. I’ll find someone who will.” His boss threatened; then hung up the phone.
“Bastard!”
Sylvester yelled, slamming down his phone. He moved toward the grocery bag, in the middle of the four-poster bed. After he finished with True, he might just have to cut up his boss’ pretty boy face. He hated when someone took a superior attitude with him.
Digging the whiskey out the bottom of the bag, Sylvester carried it over to the mirror and stared at his reflection. He stood about six feet two inches tall. His dark wavy brown hair hung to his shoulders. Bluish-gray eyes with thick lashes stared back at him, but his best asset was his thick mustache. He could keep it or shave it after any crime he committed.
Having the ability to change, his appearance helped him. His body didn’t have any moles, tattoos or scars to make him stand out to his victims. If he did get any bruises, he would let them heal before he committed another crime. Taking a long swallow of whiskey, Sylvester smiled at his reflection and remembered his first victim.
It was eight years ago when he worked as a waiter at a high priced restaurant. A tall brunette came in wearing a red dress. She was seated at his table and had been a pain in his ass from the moment he took her order until then end of the dinner. Fed up with her mouth, he snapped at her. Pissed, she ran to his boss who happened to be her boyfriend and he was fired on the spot.
Craving revenge, he waited for her outside in his car and followed her home. Unlocking the door while she was in the shower, he hid in the bedroom closet and waited. Patience was his best trait, it didn’t matter how long it took. He could wait in the deepest, darkest parts of a woman’s house for the perfect time to attack her. She fought him hard when she finally came out of the shower. But it didn’t matter in the end because he left her dead body by the edge of her bed in a pool of blood.
Wiping his mouth, he could still taste her fear. Drinking the last of the hard liquor, he tossed the empty bottle in the trashcan. “I can’t stand a mess,” he mumbled. Rubbing his hands together, he headed for the backroom to develop the pictures of Ms. Williams from this afternoon.
* * * *
Relaxing upstairs in her peaches and cream bedroom, True unscrewed the top of the scented lotion bottle. Pouring a generous amount in the palm of her left hand, she rubbed the creamy liquid all over her body. “
Hayward
, watch out I’m coming to get you,” she giggled. “Tonight you’re mine.” Sliding into the denim jumpsuit, she pulled it slowly up her body, taking her time to make sure everything was in place. It hugged her body but not too much, blending the sexy and cute together. She didn’t want to come on too strong but she wanted to let
Hayward
know she was interested in him.
“Here goes nothing,” True sighed. She grabbed the movies off the bed and headed downstairs. Checking the house one last time to make sure everything was off; she snatched her purse off the couch and went out the front door.
Chapter Seven
The doorbell chimed through the house for a third time interrupting
Hayward
from the stack of paperwork in the middle of his desk. He flung his pencil on the desk and ran his fingers through his hair. “Ms. Pinson, can you get that?” he yelled through his open office door. How could he concentrate with that damn doorbell?
It rung in ears again and he swallowed down another curse. Why wasn’t Ms. Pinson answering the door? Where in the hell was she anyway? He glanced at the clock to his left and groaned. Ms. Pinson had left over an hour ago.
“Damn it,” he snarled and then got up from the desk. His footsteps thundered on the hall as he stormed toward the front door. “Whoever this is isn’t going to be happy. I’ve too much work to do to deal with this.” Throwing door open,
Hayward
opened his mouth to blast the unwelcome guest, but the words logged in his throat. True stood in the middle of his porch looking delectable in a dark blue jumpsuit.
She took a step back from him. “You look angry maybe I should come back another time.”
“No!” He yelled. Wrapping his hands around
True’s
wrist, he pulled her inside the house and slammed the door. “I didn’t think I would see you after what happened this morning.”
True looked up at him and sighed. “I came over to apologize and see if you would want to watch some movies with me.” She asked holding up a plastic bag with two movies inside.
He swore at his bad luck.
Out of all the nights, she decided to make the first move I’m drowning in paperwork.
Dropping his head against hers, he tried to figure out a way to postpone the pile of paperwork on his desk and spend the night with her instead.
True moved her head away from his and glanced to the side. Without her speaking a word, he felt her barriers shooting back into place. “I’m sorry I should have called first.” She reached behind her to open the door. “You already have plans and I’m interfering with them.”
Hayward
didn’t know if he should shake her or kiss her. When would she realize he wanted to spend time with her? “I don’t have plans with anyone else, kitten,” he said stroking her smooth cheek. “Tonight, I decided to catch up on all the paperwork, but I don’t want you to leave. You can come in the den while I work. I really would enjoy the company.” He confessed brushing his body against her. Leaning down he brushed his lips over hers “Will you stay?” He nibbled at her bottom lip with his teeth, “Please.”
“I would like to stay,” she murmured looking up into his face.
A smile spilt across
Hayward
’s face. Tonight turned out better than he hoped. He could finish the paperwork for
Clinton
and have True at his side all at the same time. “Let’s go, Ms. Williams.” He grabbed her hand and pulled her in the direction of the den. Pausing by the couch, he took the movies from True and dropped them in the middle. “We can watch those another time.”
Walking to the very end of the hall,
Hayward
tugged True into the den behind him and shut the door. “Welcome to my workplace.” He waved his arms around the large room. It used to be two different rooms, but he had it fixed into one for a larger work place. His large russet desk took up a large part of the room, but he loved the antique piece. “I should spend more time in here than I do,” he admitted staring down at her upturned face.
* * * *
True stood beside
Hayward
, her eyes took in his personal space. The room was decorated in very masculine colors ranging from dark browns to forest green. A dark brown leather couch sat in the middle of the room with a matching chair off to the side. A few African artifacts were scattered across the off beige walls. A picture of a panther hung above the fireplace, its sharp green eyes shined out from the jungle. With everything positioned all over the room, she was surprised by how much the room relaxed her.
Easing over to his desk, she brushed her fingers across the papers strewn across the top. She didn’t want to keep
Hayward
from his work. Holding up one of the papers, she faced him. “Are you sure about me staying? I can come back tomorrow when you have more time on your hands.”
Closing the gap between them,
Hayward
yanked the paper from her hand and flung it back on the desk. “Don’t you dare think about
leaving!
I want you to stay. End of discussion, do you understand me?” He kissed her quickly on the lips; then moved away.
“Okay, I guess I can stay for a little while.” She took a deep breath to relax her nerves.
“You look amazing.”
Hayward
’s rich voice whispered.
Perfect
, the outfit worked just like she wanted it too. “T
hank
you.” She twirled around to give him the full effect of outfit. “Now, what can I do to stay out of the way so you can work?”
“I’ve an idea.”
Hayward
growled before he yanked her into his arms.
His tongue traced the corners of her mouth before he captured her waiting mouth with his. The kiss lasted only a few seconds and she cursed under her breath when
Hayward
ended it. Why did it seem like he was always the one with the willpower?
“If we keep this up, I won’t be able to finish my work,”
Hayward
whispered against her mouth. His warm breath tickled her moist lips.
Standing on tiptoe, she touched her lips quickly to his. The strength exuding from his mouth almost drew her back for another earth-shattering kiss, but she pulled back in time. “Enough of that,” she mumbled, running her finger across his lips. “What do you suggest I do to keep myself busy?”
“I’ve a lot of new books over there on the bookshelf by the wall.” He suggested running his hands up and down her back. “Why don’t you read one?”
“Don’t worry. I’ll find a book to read.”
She whispered, turning away from
Hayward
she headed for the bookshelf.
“If you’re a good girl and let me work. I’ll give you a surprise later,”
Hayward
promised.
True spun back around and faced
Hayward
. She ran the tip of her tongue across her top lip still tasting him on her mouth. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”
“If I didn’t have a pile of paperwork on my desk, I’ll teach you several fun ways to use that cute tongue of yours.”
Hayward
growled at her; then he went back across the room and took a seat at a smaller table by his desk.
“Maybe I’ll take you up on that offer after you finished working,” she teased before turning back to the bookshelf.
She skimmed her fingers across several hardcover books, but she didn’t know which one to chose. The variety of books
Hayward
owned, surprised her. He didn’t look like a reader, but looks could be deceiving. She grabbed a crime drama from the middle shelf and walked over to the brown leather chair, by the fireplace. Kicking off her shoes, she curled up in the seat and flipped the book open.
Two hours later,
True
tossed the mystery down on the floor, and peeked at
Hayward
from underneath her lashes. The familiar lock of hair had fallen across his forehead giving him a rakish look. She studied
Hayward
unhurriedly, feature by feature. The muscle in his jaw clenched and then his eyes narrowed, as his hand crossed out something on the legal pad at his side. The muscles rippling under his white shirt quickened her pulse. Looking at the powerful set of his shoulders, she recognized the stiffness of his posture. Uncrossing her legs, she got up from the chair and eased closer to him across the thick carpet fantasizing how his body would feel underneath her hands.
* * * *
Hayward
rubbed his hand over the back of his stiff neck for the fourth time that night trying to relieve some of the tension in his muscles. What he wouldn’t give for a nice neck rub, but it wasn’t going to happen. Sighing, he dropped his hand and picked up the spreadsheet. He hated this part of the business reading and dealing with the numbers, but he liked to know what was going on it all aspects, when it came to his business. He didn’t want to be left out in the dark by an overly eager accountant.
Caught up in his work, he flinched involuntary when a pair of soft hands touched the back of his neck.
“Sorry.” True dropped her hands from his neck and took a step back from him.
“Don’t you move one little step,”
Hayward
uttered reaching out he grabbed her wrist bringing her back to his side.
True looked down at his hand around her wrist and shook it off.
“Why not?”
She questioned. “You jerked when I touched you.”
“Kitten, I love it when you touch me,” he corrected. “I only flinched because you surprised me.” Grabbing her hands again he brought them to his mouth, and kissed her palms. “Please finish what you started.” Spinning back around, he snatched the pen off his desk and went back to work.
* * * *
True paused for few seconds before she finally placed her hands back on him. She massaged his shoulders in a wide circular motion working the tense muscles loose. Slowly, she swept her palms all the way down his collarbone. Easing her way down, she rubbed her thumbs at the base of his neck trying to relieve some of the tension.
The second he felt
True’s
hands back on his body the thought of finishing up his paperwork evaporated from his mind. How was he supposed to focus on business when her silky hands were on his body?
All the blood he needed to think had rushed to his groin? Closing his eyes, he bit back a groan and enjoyed the touch of her magical fingers against his skin. Her nails raked over his skin, making his erection harder and thicker. He didn’t how much longer he could handle the pressure building in his body. Shifting a little in the chair, he tried to ease the bulge that throbbing in the front of his slacks.
Hell, is she trying to drive me crazy?
The thought raced through his mind when he felt her breast pressed into his back, one more rub and he wouldn’t be accountable for his actions.
“
Hayward
, can you undo another button so I can massage your shoulders better,” True breathed by his ear.
“That’s it.” He yelled, his control finally snapping.
Shoving his chair from underneath the desk,
Hayward
reached out and yanked True in front of his body.
Lifting her up and placed her directly on his erection. He wrapped his arm around her waist and held her in place. He didn’t want her moving until she heard what he had to say. “Do you feel what your touch did to me? Do you realize this happens every time you come near me?”
Her startled eyes clashed with his, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t act so surprised. I’ve made it quite clear how much I want you.”
Shoving his hands into her hair, he pulled
True’s
face down for a white-hot kiss. He plunged his tongue into the wet haven of her mouth and drank in the hotness of the kiss.
A growled erupted from the back of his throat when True slid her hands into his hair and returned the kiss.
Soft whimpers poured from the back of her mouth like a satisfied kitten. In his mind, those low sounds made the kiss more sensual. He wanted her so into the kiss that she didn’t know where her mouth ended and his began. He slowly inched his fingers up
True’s
slim waist toward her chest when the phone rang.
The first harsh ring barely registered in his mind, but the second broke through.
Cursing,
Hayward
tore his mouth away from True, “Shit, who in the hell is calling me?” Glancing down at True, he felt a smile tug at the corner of his mouth. Without a doubt, she was in a sensual daze. Her dark nut-brown eyes were glazed over with an unfilled desire and he noticed her lips were swollen from his kisses. True resembled a woman who had been thoroughly kissed.
True blinked at him a couple of times before she finally said something. “You should answer that,” she mumbled sliding off his lap.
“Don’t you go anywhere,”
Hayward
muttered getting up from the chair. He stormed over to the phone and glanced down at caller id.
Clinton is a dead man
, he thought. He jerked up the phone to his ear and growled.
“Clint, this better be good or you’ll be sorry,” he snapped.
“I apologize for calling so late but I had to get a hold of you,”
Clinton
cut in.
“If this call is about business you’re a dead man.”
“
Hayward
, its mom,”
Clinton
choked out.
“What’s wrong with mom?” His heart stopped in the middle of his chest as he heard several voices in the background.