Is Three A Crowd? (4 page)

“I noticed you didn’t wait to get your coffee. I brought you one.” His smile would generally have seemed sincere, but her intuition reminded her to be cautious even if Shin had settled down.

“Oh,” was all she managed.

“I brought you cream, sugar, and the fake sweetener. I didn’t know what you’d like.” He stood beside her truck door with his offering in his hands, almost daring her to take it.

“Thank you, I’m in a hurry.” She hesitated, then finally rolled down the window only a bit more, watching while he put two small plastic cups of creamer and several paper packs of sugar on the cover, lifting it towards her. Shin began snarling and growling again, Maris’s whispered command to calm unheeded.

“Your dog is protective,” he said, eyeing the animal. As soon as he spoke, Shin laid down on the seat.

“Yes, that’s how she earns her keep.”

This time his smile wasn’t quite so sinister looking. “I’m Blake, and you are?”

“Thankful for the caffeine fix,” she said, avoiding giving him her name. She took the cup, careful not to touch his fingers. “Thanks again,” she added, putting the cup in the console holder, pressing the button to raise the window. “Consider this your random act of kindness for the day.”

“Never random, Maris.”

They paused, watching each other intently. “I never told you my name.”

Looking quite caught, Blake quickly added, “I overheard it when you were checking in.”

“I see, well, thanks for the coffee, I must be going.”

Maris shifted into reverse. Blake stood where he was, watching her intently. Goose bumps crawled across her skin as she checked the driveway before pulling out onto the main road. Several blocks away, she drove into a fast food restaurant, making a loop around the lot to find a garbage pail, depositing the cup, creamers, and sugars into it. Then she made a second circle and ordered a cup of coffee to go.

By the time she arrived at the Radulf property, she was still shaken, but back in control. In all likelihood, there was probably nothing wrong with the coffee Blake brought her, but she felt his trust needed to be earned, as did Nathan’s.

Chapter Three

Her day went easily, finishing early. Back at the hotel, she swam because she loved to and rarely got the chance. Why give up the perk because of a strange feeling? On her fifth lap, coffee man Blake came into the pool area. He dropped into the pool at the far end and started swimming laps as she did. The same inherent feeling of forbidden excitement overcame her, and she used the side of the pool to hoist herself up and out of the water. Pulling a towel around her waist and using a second to blot water from her hair, she kept her back to the pool. She knew he was watching her, knew there was nothing wrong with the one-piece suit she wore, except she felt naked, compromised by this man’s presence. It should have annoyed her, instead of making her pussy creamy. Suddenly she was sex-starved at the mere thought of him. Seeing him made her body react.

In her thoughts, she wondered when she started using the terms
clit
and
creamy pussy
. Of course, she’d known the words, but they weren’t a part of her normal speech. Yet it was descriptive of her symptoms. She decided her speech patterns were the least of her worries. She gathered her cover up and dropped both towels in the basket by the locker room door. She’d avoided eye contact with him so far, and all she had to do was make it to the door. But there was no mistaking his voice.

“Maris, how was your day?”

She stopped mid-step, having no choice but to turn around and acknowledge his presence. “Fine. Enjoy the water,” she added, knowing her tone was terse.

“Have you eaten yet? Why not join me for supper?”

“Thanks, but no. I have work to catch up on.” She again started to leave only to hear his taunt.

“All work and no play, Maris, what harm could happen?”

If his laugh hadn’t sounded so inherently sexy, she might have answered, but his tone rocked her, making her nipples bud. He reminded her of the stereotype image of the bad boy, his touch forbidden because he’d lead her down a stray path.

Too many things ran through her mind to answer. She bypassed the ladies’ locker room, where she’d showered off the chlorine in previous nights and changed into sweats. Tonight she just wanted to be away from him.

“Sure you won’t change your mind? Once you get to know me, you’ll find I’m a nice guy.”

“I’m sure you are, but I’m not interested. Thank you for the coffee this morning.” Maris turned to leave but his words made her pause. She couldn’t help staring at him.

“We’ll meet again, Maris.” This time there was a definite message in his words and tone. A gauntlet was laid. There was no other way to take his comment.

A few years ago, she might have felt threatened. Now she felt exhilarated. He made her think of hot sex and mind-blowing orgasms. She remembered glimpses of the first dreams when his image visited so long ago. She was standing naked with her back to him. He pressed his body against the length of hers, taking her hands in his and raising her arms over her head, holding them against the wall. When he drew away, his whispered words weren’t coherent, but she understood he wanted her to stay that way. She did, using her palms on the flat surface to steady her. He traced her form and pinched her buttocks. His sturdy hands grasped her hips and pulled her a step further away from the wall, leaving her balanced in a wide stance. Lowering his body to his knees behind her, he laved her pussy lips and anus, his fingers ultimately filling her pussy, pumping in and out while he thrust his tongue into her anus. She came with her whole body shuddering, covered in a layer of sweat. He caught her in his arms, held her tight to his body before laying her on the soft carpet. He had a strange, satisfied grin on his lips as his image faded. The next day she assumed she’d have bruises on her hips where he’d held her in place for her oral assault on her senses, but none appeared. How could they, the images were all in her dreams, not reality.

She left reluctantly, suddenly wanting to stay and swim beside him, to watch his form sluice through the water. Instead, she returned to her room.

She showered and dressed quickly, still uncomfortable from the meeting with Blake. She took Shin through the lobby instead of out a side door and stopped to speak with the concierge about a take-out restaurant choice. She chose one across the street, sitting outside on a bench directly across from the front door of the hotel until her packaged meal was brought out to her. She tipped the waitress and was glad to be back inside the building, double locked inside her room.

She made a point of finishing her paperwork and paused, wondering if her phone would ring, realizing she’d be disappointed if Nathan Radulf didn’t call. At exactly ten, her cell phone rang.

“Hello,” she managed, in more of a squeak than normal voice.

“Good evening, Maris. How did your day go?”

“Fine, thanks.” Her hands became sweaty and she almost dropped the small phone.

“No problems in the woods?”

“None. I was working on outer buildings today, but you knew that already, didn’t you?”

“Not to worry, Maris. Have you had supper?”

“Yes,” she answered a bit too quickly, hoping to cut off any invitation, glancing to the counter where her meal sat untouched. Suddenly her stomach rumbled and she bit back a laugh. She
was
hungry.

“You’re safe for the night, Maris. Sleep well, and I’ll see you tomorrow.” He disconnected and left Maris wondering what their meeting would be like. Above all, she had to remember he was a client.

Using the small microwave provided, she reheated the meal and shared it with Shin, a strict rule she hardly ever broke. Tonight it didn’t seem a big deal to give the dog a taste of people food. Maris watched reruns of comedies from the fifties and sixties as her meal was devoured in no time.

She settled under the covers and fell asleep quickly, her mind not hassled with dreams of good or bad men.

* * * *

Maris felt rested the next morning, more like her old self than she had in a long time, until she reached the lobby with Shin. Just outside the main entrance, Blake was waiting for her. Shin seemed confused, and Maris’s stomach went jittery. Had this man actually touched her the way she was remembering? An embarrassed heat chased up her throat onto her cheeks. Had she known him in her past? Was he a friend or lover the accident took from her?

“Good morning,” he said, his tone light. “I figured you might have skipped the buffet again.” His hands were each holding cups of what she assumed were coffee.

“Thanks, but I don’t have time.”

Shin suddenly stopped grousing and sat by her side, her tail wagging. The expression on Blake’s face changed. From behind her, she felt warmth surround her.

“Maris, is there a problem?”

Without turning, she knew from his voice it would be Nathan. She was never so relieved and thankful to see him, but it came with a hint of disappointment, too. Maris realized Nathan’s presence changed the dynamics of the situation.

“No, the dog…” she managed only to be cut off by Nathan’s words.

“Has good instincts. Blake, what brings you to the hotel this morning?”

“You know each other?” she asked.

“I’m staying for a few days.”

“When you have a perfectly good home not far from here?” Both men sized each other up. Maris held back a smile, never being caught in the middle of a male confrontation about her.

“Renovating, you know how the sanding and fumes can be. It’s easier to leave it to the workmen until it’s finished.”

“Yes, I do, although the timing is convenient. I see you’ve already infiltrated Maris’s life.” A look of impatience passed between the men. She realized they knew each other, but how?

“Just a friendly offer of coffee,” Blake said, his tone cold and harsh when he spoke directly to Nathan.

Nathan reached down to ruffle Shin’s ears. “The dog has good instincts. Say goodbye to Maris, Blake. There’ll be no more surprise meetings, do we understand each other?”

“You don’t own her.” It was a flat statement. “Why not let her choose for herself?” Blake’s brown eyes bore into Nathan’s green ones. Today was the first time she saw him without sunglasses. She’d been right, he had hazel green eyes. He stared at Blake, but she wasn’t able to read his expression.

“You don’t have the right to breathe the same air as her. I’ve given you some rope these past days, and you’ve managed to hang yourself.” There was a static silence between them. With Nathan’s hand on her lower back, she turned with him automatically, not looking back. Shin trotted before them, her tail up and her ears perked.

By the time they reached her truck, she was pissed. Just who did he think she was? The longer they had walked, the more agitated she’d become.

“You don’t own me, Mr. Radulf, and I don’t need your protection.”
Maybe I don’t want it. Maybe I want to be reckless just once.

His hands moved to her upper arms, soothing her while he slowly reached down to press his lips to hers. Maris didn’t want to be kissed. She was annoyed and wanted to left alone. Only once his lips skimmed along hers, the anger subsided, and she found herself leaning into his body. Her hands slid up along his chest, feeling the muscles under her fingers. It was an invitation to his lips to extend the kiss. He took full advantage, his left hand reaching to her cheek, turning her slightly until she fit against him fully. When he finally moved to pull back, she held fast.

“You’re safe, Maris. Go about your plans for the day.”

“Why wouldn’t I be safe?”

“You are now. Keep to your schedule. I’ll pick you up at six for supper.”

“We didn’t have plans.”

“We did, you just haven’t checked your e-mail this morning.”

“Not yet,” she managed.

“
Six o’clock
, and bring Shin.”

“But—” was all she managed to utter as he left her beside her vehicle, confused and horny. The moment his lips touched hers, she’d gone liquid inside, felt her body betray all the wants she never would allow. Needs she’d steeled herself away from.

If she couldn’t tell a man who she was in her entirety, how would they ever come to trust each other? Living with amnesia forced her to examine people’s ulterior motives. She’d come to demand absolute truth from people she met. Yet through the years, she’d learned most people weren’t honest at all. Lies were her enemy.