Safe With Him (5 page)

“No,” she answered quietly. Well, fuck if that wasn’t a punch to the gut.

“You didn’t go see it when it first came out?” He continued to try and fix what he had caused.

“No,” she repeated, not looking at him, just sitting there so still, her eyes facing the TV.

He hadn’t known her but a couple of hours, but in those hours he had learned a few things about her. One of those things he had learned was that she looked you in the face when you were talking to her.

“Hey,” he called quietly, but when she didn’t look at him or answer, he tried again. “Breezie,” he called, and she glanced at him with narrowed eyes.

“Bree,” she stated firmly.

“Sorry,” he said and then added, “You gonna share?” He nodded his head to the bowl.

She picked it up and placed it between them and turned back to the TV without saying anything else.

He grabbed some of the popcorn, shoved it in his mouth, then kept trying. “You know you’ve ruined me.”

He watched her whip her head around, finally looking him in the face. “What?”

He glanced down at the popcorn, then back up. “This is a whole lot better than bagged.” He grinned and watched a smile spread across her face.

She popped a piece in her mouth. “I know,” she breathed. “Oh.” She jumped up and ran into the kitchen, then returned with the bags of candy already open and dumped them into the bowl with the popcorn. She picked up the bowl and gave it a good shake. “Salty and sweet.” She smiled at him and then turned back to the TV.

He reached back, grabbed the remote, and hit play.

The movie was ending when he looked over at her stretched out on the blanket on her belly, pillow bunched up under her, feet toward him with that fantastic ass on display. She lay there watching the movie and suddenly it hit him. He
liked
this woman. He had liked spending time with her. She wasn’t like any other woman he’d known. She was funny and cute as hell and a blast to watch movies with. She didn’t squeal and jump all over him at the suspenseful parts. Damn, he wouldn’t have minded her jumping all over him! And she talked to the TV like they could hear her. Hell, she even got a kick out of the blowing-up parts. It was a good movie, but she just made it a whole helluva lot more fun.

When it ended, she rolled over, and he got another glimpse of her smooth belly and—was that a piercing? Then she sat up, smiling big at him.

“That was great! I cannot wait to watch it again,” she said blissfully.

“Again? You want to re-watch it?” Man, she confused the hell out of him.

“Yes, no. I mean, not right this second but later after the newness is gone.” She tilted her head. “Don’t you re-watch movies?” she asked, completely serious.

He had re-watched a few. If they were really good and it had been a long damn time since he had seen it. “Yeah, a few.”

“Just a few?” she asked for clarification as she was crawling on the floor toward him.

“Yeah.” His voice came out sounding hoarse, so he tried to clear his throat, but his breath caught when she got up on her knees right beside him and reached out over the seat of the sofa.

She was so close he could smell her, and damn if she didn’t smell like peaches. Fresh, ripe, juicy peaches. He knew if he just leaned over, just a bit, he could taste her, and he fuckin’ knew she would taste sweeter than any peach he had ever eaten.

He was just about to move when she flopped back, turned with remote in hand, and turned off the movie. “Thank you,” she whispered sweetly.

He leaned in, wanting to kiss her, to taste her, when she jumped up, grabbed the now empty snack bowl, the empty drink bottles and went into the kitchen. Seconds later, the light came on, and he heard water running.

He sat stunned and hard. Fuck, his dick was hard from just smelling the woman. He managed to get up after a minute or two—or maybe a little longer—picked up the blanket and tossed it on the sofa, then grabbed the pillows and took them back to the guest room.

He was just about to drop them on the futon when he caught her scent. Putting the pillow she had used up to his nose, he inhaled, and felt that twitch in his dick again. He dropped the pillows and quickly walked out of the room, back down the hall and damn near knocked her over as she was moving the floor lamp she had sat in the middle of the floor.

“Sorry,” she murmured as she moved quickly out of his way.

He walked back into the living room. “You don’t have to do that. I can get it.” After all, she had just moved a few pieces and while watching the movie he understood why she had moved them. The coffee table in order to stretch out; the lamp so they would have some light other than the TV, but positioned so it wouldn’t put a glare on the TV. He had never thought of that, and yeah, sometimes that glare from the light would bug him.

“That’s okay, I promised.” She picked up the end of the coffee table.

He stepped up to her. “Let me help you. I know it’s kinda heavy.” He knew it was heavy because he had built it out of solid wood.

“It’s not that heavy.” She assured him as she picked up the one end and he picked up the other. He could move it by himself, but he got the feeling that she wouldn’t like that, so he ‘helped’ her move it back where it belonged.

When that was done she stepped around the table to the sofa and grabbed the blanket, folded it and was putting it across the back of the sofa, just like he had it, when her hand slipped and she fell onto the sofa. He tried to catch her, lost his balance, and fell onto the sofa with her under him. He looked down at her face. “Are you okay?” he whispered as he watched her lick her lips.

“Yes,” she breathed the words, and he couldn’t have stopped himself if he tried. With her lips still parted, he slammed his mouth onto hers.

Everything seemed to suddenly move in slow motion. Bree saw his head dip, felt his lips touch hers, his tongue slipped inside her parted lips, and their tongues touched. She felt the jolt that struck her body right before everything sped up and his tongue was dancing with hers, gone again, then back at her lips, running across her bottom lip. He sucked her lip into his mouth, released it, and then slid his lips across the corner of hers, across her cheek, back across her lips, her jaw, and the side of her neck. She tilted her head back, moved her arm to wrap around him and…

Something scraped her arm. “Ouch.” She yelped and jerked her arm, hitting him in the head in the process.

He jerked his head up, breathing hard and looked down at her. “Did I hurt you?” he asked quickly.

“Not you, but something...” she was trying to move, “scratched my...” he moved from over her, “arm.” She sat up and reached her hand into the overlaps of the sofa cushions and pulled something out.

A set of handcuffs. She just stared at them for a beat, then two, then dropped them and jerked her hand back like they burnt her.

Jumping up from the sofa, she turned toward him, and he just sat there staring at her. “I have to go,” she blurted out quickly. “Thank you for dinner, and the movie.” She hastily started backing away from him toward the kitchen. “Oh, and the snacks. It was very nice,” she finished breathlessly, just as she turned and ran to the back door.

She had it half open when she turned in his direction. “And the kiss was very nice.” She ran out the door, across his backyard, and didn’t stop until she had reached her apartment. Only then did she realize she had left her bag with her apartment key at his house. She whipped around, walked across the hall and hoped like hell Storm had left his door unlocked.

When the knob turned she said a silent ‘thank you’ as she walked in. “Storm,” she called his name but when she heard no response she walked into the kitchen, ignoring all the mess, and pulled out the container that was labeled ‘oatmeal’ from his cabinet. She opened the container and pulled out her spare key.

After that she put the container back and went home. All the while, the same thought kept running in a loop.
I kissed a cop
!
A really, really good kiss
.
A great kiss with a cop
. Over and over again she muttered in disbelief, “I kissed a freakin’ cop!”

Bree walked down the breezeway to her apartment, knocking once on Storm’s door to indicate to him that she was home. It was a little after three in the morning, but she knew he would be up, just like he was every morning when she got off work.

He was opening his door at the same time she was unlocking hers. “Hey, Ree. Good night at work?” Storm asked the same question he asked every time.

“Same ole’, same ole’,” she answered with the same thing she always did.

They walked into her apartment, him heading straight to the sofa while she headed to the kitchen. “Pancakes, waffles, eggs, or cereal?” she asked.

“Waffles and sausages.”

She pulled out the box of frozen waffles and the pre-cooked sausage patties from the freezer. Dropping the waffles in the toaster, then the sausage in the microwave, she turned to see Storm in the kitchen with her.

“I’ll get the plates.” He walked by her, reaching in the cabinet. “Last week, when you were at Draco’s, anything happen?” Storm questioned.

“What? No! Why?” she blurted quickly, maybe a little too quickly, judging by the way Storm narrowed his eyes at her. “Why would you ask me that?” After all, it had been a week and two days since she had ran out of Draco’s house.

The next day, or more like the morning after that, Storm had brought her bag over to her saying that Draco dropped it off. He had told Storm that she had left it at his place the night before, and thank goodness, Storm didn’t tell him she lived right across the hall. That was it. She hadn’t seen Draco since, and Storm hadn’t said anything else about it after dropping off her bag.

“Draco said you ate dinner with him.” He had curiosity in his voice, with just a hint of interrogation.

“Uh, yeah. He was fixing something to eat while I was taking a shower.” She left it at that and tried to make herself busy getting forks, juice, and glasses, and putting them on the table.

“Draco said you really liked his chicken-whatever-the-hell he called it,” Storm continued.

“Oh yeah, it was really good, but don’t ask me what he called it.” She took the plates out of his hand and sat them by the toaster.

“Draco said you two watched a movie together.” Storm kept going with his inquiries.

“Well, yeah. He had borrowed a movie from his brother, and I had been wanting to see it, so when he asked, I said yeah.” She was getting more and more uncomfortable, but trying not to show it, as she grabbed the waffles that popped up, dropping one on each plate as she dropped two more in the toaster.

“Draco said you sent him out for your snack mix,” Storm continued on, either unknowing or uncaring for her state of comfort.

“I didn’t send him out. He volunteered. I even told him he didn’t have to.” She avoided looking straight at him as she took out the sausages and dropped them on the plates.

“Draco said—” He started again, but she interrupted.

“Damn, Storm. What’s with all the ‘Draco said’ crap? What do y’all do? Just sit around gossiping like two old ladies?” She dropped the two plates on the table.

“No, but he just happened to mention something about you every last one of the fifteen times he’s been over this past week.” When she just looked at him and didn’t say anything he kept going. “He hasn’t been to my place that many times in the entire year that I’ve known him.”

“If you don’t want him there, why don’t you just tell him?” She really didn’t want to talk about Draco. If she talked about him, then she would think about him, and she did that enough on her own. She sure as hell didn’t need any help from her brother.

“I don’t care if he comes over. Not the point, Ree.” He just stood there staring at her.

“You going to eat?” She pointed at the table.

He walked over, sat down, and took one bite. “So tell me, what’s going on with you and Draco?”

“There’s nothing going on and there is no ‘me and Draco.’ He’s a cop!” she spoke just a little louder than what she intended.

“I know he’s a cop, I wo—I’ve been out with him to the bars and shit. I know how he is with women. Don’t get me wrong, he’s a good guy, and a good friend. And, Ree, whether you want to believe it or not, he’s a good cop. There is such a thing, even if it took us years to find that out. But, he’s not boyfriend material, and he’s up front about that shit too. All those women he picks up know that, get that, and are fine with that. I just don’t want to see you…what do you girls call it? Oh yea, ‘another notch on his belt,’ or some shit like that,” he informed her.

“Oh! My! Damn! Storm, it was one evening. I took a shower, he cooked, we ate, then watched a movie, then I. Came. Home. End of story. I have not seen or talked to him since,” she spoke calmly and clearly, ignoring the strange gripping she felt around her heart while he was talking about Draco and
all those women
.

He let it drop, and she forced herself to eat but, as soon as she was done, she jumped up. “I’ve got studying to do.” She took her plate and dumped it in the sink, wheeled back around and almost slammed right into Storm.

“What are you doing?” she asked, looking at the plate and glass he had in his hand.

“Cleanin’ up.” He stepped around her to the sink and began to fill it with hot soapy water.

She just watched him, astounded that he started washing dishes. “Okay, who are you and what did you do with my brother?” She was still stunned at him actually cleaning. He never cleaned up anything…ever!

He smirked. “You know when you came over to use my shower, because yours was messin’ up?” He didn’t wait for an answer before he continued, “I couldn’t take care of you. You had to go somewhere else. Thinkin’ ‘bout that, I didn’t like it, so…” His voice trailed off.

No! He could
not
mean he cleaned his apartment.
No freakin’ way
, she thought, but couldn’t stand it when he didn’t say anything else. “You cleaned your apartment?” she asked, shock dripping on every word.

He shrugged his shoulders. “Had it cleaned.” Then he added quickly, “But I’ve been keepin’ it clean ever since.”

She stared at him, then smiled and placed her hands over her heart. “I feel so proud! My little man is growing up.” She teased him and when he looked over at her she ‘wiped’ away a fake tear. He flicked water at her. She jumped back and started laughing, and then he joined her.

After the dishes were done and the kitchen clean and tidy, the way she liked it, Storm walked with her to her door and leaned down to kiss her cheek. “Love ya always, Ree.” He turned and walked out the door.

My brother
, she thought.
The only person I’ve ever been able to count on. For as far back as I can remember, he has always been there for me
. “Love ya always, Storm,” she spoke aloud to the closed door.

*  *  *

Draco walked down the breezeway on his way to Storm’s apartment, after he scanned the entire parking lot for her car, like he did every day for the past week and three days. He would catch himself just driving around town looking for any sign of her or her car, or when he was out running, he would be scanning that area as well.

The damn town isn’t even that big
. Hell, he could drive down the whole of Main St., going twenty-five MPH, in ‘bout five damn minutes. He had been in his brother’s video store, the diner, hell, even wandering around the grocery store and…nothing.
It’s like she fell off the face of the earth.

The night she ran out of his house, he was still in a daze from the taste of her, the feel of her under him, so when she jumped up he was too stunned to move. That was until she was already out the door, but when he made it to the door behind her, it was like she had completely disappeared. He even ran across the parking lot and searched for her car—nothing.

One minute he was kissing her, tasting her, and yeah, she was sweet, the sweetest thing he had ever tasted. Fuck, he could almost, but not quite, still taste her. Like it was just out of reach, just like her, there one minute then poof, gone the next.

That night when he walked back into his house there was not one sign that she had ever been there—other than her bag that she had sat on the back porch—she had even put away the dishes they had used. The bathroom she had used, she had cleaned that up too, not one trace of her…except that pillow from the guest room. It had smelled like her. And every time he just happened to be in there—for work, he told himself, after all it was his office too—he would catch a whiff of her, especially if he just happened to sit next to it. Now that was gone too.

Hell, he hadn’t even been out since, not even the following night, and he always went out on Saturday nights. Now it had been two Saturday nights he had stayed in, in a fuckin’ row, and he hadn’t been with another woman. Damn it, he hadn’t even thought of another woman.

When he dropped off her bag, he was hoping Storm would tell him where she lived, had even told him he didn’t mind taking it to her. But Storm had said he’d see her after work and would give it to her.

He should have kept her bag because sooner or later she would have had to come and get it, wouldn’t she? When it was there, at least he had a little part of her. Now, just like her, nothing.

He had tried talking to Storm about her, nothing too obvious, just mentioned something about her when she was at his place, but he never gave anything away. Storm would just make the “uh yeah, I know, she does that,” or “yeah she’s like that” comments.

Now here he was again on his way to Storm’s to…he stopped. “Fuck! I am stalkin’ her,” he spoke out loud, then turned quickly around and headed back to his house.
I’m not a fuckin’ stalker, and she is not the only woman on the face of the planet
. It was a Monday evening after shift, and he didn’t have a damn thing to do. He unlocked his back door and walked back into his empty house alone.

*  *  *

By the following Friday night, Draco was so frustrated he couldn’t even sleep. The only thing new he had learned about ‘Miss Breezie Winters’ was that she was very busy and that she worked nights, but not here in town.
Well, no shit!
There wasn’t a place in town that was open all night.

He got up out the bed, slipped on his jeans and T-shirt, then looked at the clock, which read 3:07 in the morning.
Another fuckin’ great Saturday
, he thought as he went down stairs. Maybe a cold beer would help.
Fuck it, maybe if I drank enough of them I would pass out.

Yeah, that was another thing he hadn’t been doing lately. Every time he would reach for a beer it made him think of
her
. Bree telling him that she didn’t drink. Her scaring the life out of him when he thought she wasn’t even twenty-one. That fuckin’ great laugh of hers and all the silly ass names she would call him. “Fuck!” he growled as he yanked open the refrigerator, tried to ignore the Mountain Dew staring back at him and grabbed a bottle of water.

“What the hell is it about that one damn woman?” He had kissed her once! It was a fuckin’ fantastic kiss, but still it had been just one kiss and that was it.
Why can’t I get her out of my damn mind?
He grumbled as he punched in the security code and yanked open the backdoor, then the door off the porch, sat down on the step and opened his water. He took a pull while staring out at the trees that separated his yard from her brother’s apartment parking lot.

He heard a car pull into the parking lot, then saw the flash of headlights through the trees.
Who the hell is up this time a night?
He stood up and walked to the tree line, looking across the parking lot. At first he didn’t see anything but dark cars, then the interior light came on in one of the cars. It was the same gray and blue Malibu that always parked in the same spot; the spot he had seen Bree’s car parked in the day he met her.

He stepped just outside the tree line, curiosity piqued to see who the hell drove that car. The car was facing the opposite direction, so whoever it was wouldn’t see him unless they turned around. As he watched, the driver’s side door opened and between the interior light and the many, many dust to dawn lights in the parking lot he could see pretty well. He saw a set of legs that went on forever as they emerged from the car, then a black short—a very fuckin’ short and tight skirt showing off a great ass. Long red hair that under the lights looked like it was on fire…or a fuckin’ sunset.

“No fuckin’ way!” He started walking toward that car, and he was about halfway to it when she turned around on those damn sky-high heels, and he saw her face. “What the fuck!” he growled loudly. So loudly, in fact, that she heard him. He knew she’d heard him, when he saw her body jerk and her head whip around in his direction.

“Breezie!” he barked, and then he was there standing in front of her. “What the fuck are you doin’ out this time of night?” he snapped at her.

“You just scared the hell out of me.” She held her hand tightly to the front of her chest.

“Answer me!” he shot back but didn’t give her time before he continued, “And dressed like some—”

“Think twice before you finish that statement.” She interrupted as her eyes narrowed and her hands left her chest to land on her hips. She was looking pissed!