Morning After (A Reynolds Security Novel) (4 page)

Chapter 5

The shrill ring of the phone woke Ethan. He reached up and snatched it off the end table, trying not to move much. Erica was asleep on his chest and he wanted to keep it that way for as long as possible.

"Reynolds." He growled into the phone. There was a hesitation on the other end.

"I would like to speak with Erica Sanders. I was told I could reach her at this number."

"Yeah, hold on." Ethan looked at the honey brown head nestled right over his heart. He really hated to wake her.

"Erica." He rubbed his hand up and down her back softly calling her name until she began to stir. He held his breath as she lifted her head and tried to orient herself. Her eyes met his and much to his relief she smiled. He held out the cordless to her and she put it to her ear.

"Hello?" She sat up as quickly as she could with her legs still intertwined with his. He swallowed back his disappointment at the loss and eased off the couch to give her space.

"Zoe, how is your dad?" He smiled as he headed for the kitchen. After everything she'd been through, her first thought was for her friend.

"Don't change the subject, who was that guy? Why aren't you answering your cell? Or the home phone? Where are you?" Zoe was firing questions at her faster than Erica could respond. She had a habit of doing that when she was upset.

"Zoe, relax. I am fine, everything is fine. Tell me about your dad. Is he OK?"

"He had a heart attack." Zoe's voice was soft and her voice broke at the end.

"Oh Zoe I'm sorry. How's he doing?"

"He's having a double bi-pass this morning. They think he's going to be OK. But it's surgery... on his heart!"

"I'm sorry sweetheart, how's your mom doing?"

"She's... she's doing as well as can be expected I guess." Zoe's voice took on a steel edge, "Now tell me about this guy."

"Well unfortunately there is more to the story. I was mugged outside the shop last night." Erica said and paused for Zoe's gasp before continuing. "Also, our apartment was broken into. I'm not sure if the two are related or if it is just a really bad coincidence."

"Oh my God." Zoe whispered.

"Yeah all this only happened last night so I am still processing."

"So who is this guy?" Erica looked around but didn't see Ethan anywhere in the living room or kitchen.

"He's boring Joe," she whispered just in case he was nearby.

"From the shop?"

"Yeah, he sort of came to my rescue last night."

"And you slept with him?" Zoe sounded shocked.

"No I didn't sleep with him! OK well technically I did sleep with him but I didn't have sex with him." Erica's cheeks were burning. "But I might, Zoe, he's hot," she said in a stage whisper.

"I know."

"How do you know?"

"I've seen him."

"Well how come I never noticed?"

"I don't know. I had a hunch he was interested in you though."

"You did? Why?"

"Because he doesn't stay in the shop if you're not there."

"Really?"

"Really. So how you holding up without your cell phone?" Erica was disappointed with the subject change. She had the overwhelming urge to keep talking about him like a school girl with a crush.

"It's tough. I'm going to have to go get a new one."

"Did you track yours?"

"What?"

"Did you go to that website and see if you could locate it?"

"
Ohmygod Zoe you are a genius! I didn't even think of that!" She spun in the room looking all around. "I have to find a computer, I'll call you back. I'll take care of everything here, don't worry about a thing. Take care of your dad, I love you and I'll talk to you soon." Erica knew Zoe would protest so she disconnected quickly.

Erica looked around the open space of the great room. There wasn't a computer in sight. She vaguely remembered him mentioning an office but she wasn't going to go snooping for one so she sat down on the sofa and bounced her feet in nervous anticipation. The sofa was still warm from their body heat.
Their combined body heat.  For the first time she realized what an awkward position she awoke in. She had spent the night on the sofa sleeping practically on top of a man she had just met. Her cheeks flamed as she stared at the sofa. It had felt good, too good. She had slept better than she had in ages. But what must Ethan think? She didn't have a chance to really examine that as his long legs carried him purposefully in the room. He was wearing faded blue jeans and a blue T-shirt. His hair was wet and the mental image of him naked in that giant marble shower caused more than her cheeks to heat.

"Coffee?" he asked heading for the kitchen.

"Yes, please." She forced the words out of a too tight throat.

"I threw your clothes in the dryer. They should be done in a few."

Great, another mental image of him handling her underwear
.

She bit back the sigh that came to her lips and watched the play of his muscles across his back as he moved.

"How is your friend?"

"My friend?"

"Yeah, on the phone."

"Oh... Oh!" She sprang to her feet remembering her earlier realization. "She's fine. Do you have a computer I can use real quick?"

She saw his brow furrow in confusion but he nodded. As she suspected he showed her to an office where there was a laptop sitting in a docking station he unlocked it and moved aside for her. It only took her a minute to log in to the website and find the GPS signal of her phone. Her shoulders slumped as she waited but her phone was unable to be located.

"It can't be located," she sighed.

"Maybe the battery is dead."

"
Sonofabitch!" Erica swore and Ethan's eyes widened in surprise. She flailed her arms in frustration and Ethan took a step back to avoid getting caught in the swing. "I turned it off." She surged to her feet, "I turned it off because he wouldn't stop calling and texting. So of course it can't be located." Ethan put his hand on her shoulder and squeezed gently.

"Don't worry, it's just a phone. It can be replaced."

"I know," she sighed, "But I love my phone, everything was on that phone."

"Didn't you ever back it up?"

"Sure, on to the laptop that is also missing." He grimaced at the reminder.

"Sorry."

Once she'd had coffee and redressed into her own clothes she was ready to take charge of the situation, almost.

She sat at the breakfast bar watching Ethan load the dishwasher. He had made her breakfast. No one ever did that for her, of course that could be because she only ever woke up at home. He wouldn't even let her help with the dishes. He was such a contradiction.  A hundred percent masculine, hard, tough man. But then he was sweet and caring and... Perfect.

There is no such thing as perfect. There is such thing as too good to be true. She frowned at the thought, was Ethan harboring some ulterior motive for helping her?

"What's that look for?" She jumped guiltily at the sound of his voice.

"I have a lot of things to do today."

"Ready to get started?" She sighed and nodded.

The ride to her apartment was a quiet one. She didn't know what to say. She had said thank you so many times but the words seemed so inadequate for everything he had done.  The one word she didn't want to say was goodbye she wasn't ready to go back to just politely serving him coffee. When he parked in front of the apartment building she hesitated.

"Thank you... again."

"You're welcome... again." He hopped out of the truck and opened her door and she was momentarily stunned. "Come on. Let's go see if the crime scene guys left an even bigger mess." He held out his hand and she surprised herself by taking it. She wanted to tell him he didn't have to come up that she could handle it, but the truth was she wasn't sure she could.

The apartment looked much the same as it had the night before.
A mess. She surveyed the damage while Ethan started righting overturned furniture.

"Do you have insurance?"

"Yes."

"Make a list of everything that is broken."

"Ethan..."

"Yeah?"

"Are you always in charge?" he stopped moving for a second.

"Sorry." He muttered and continued picking up.

"It's OK." She laughed, "I don't mind."

"Why did they have to make such a mess?" She mumbled a short time later as she replaced the contents of a drawer that had been dumped.

"They were looking for something."

"What could they possibly have been looking for?
Ah ha!" He looked up sharply at the exclamation.

"What?"

"I found my spare keys." She held them up and jingled them.  He smirked at her enthusiasm. "Now I can call AAA."

"I have a better idea, I will go get us some lunch and I will look at your car. You call a locksmith and get your locks changed." She met his eyes and smiled.  "Ah come on, I haven't tried to take charge in like..." he looked at his watch, "Forty five minutes."  She laughed and it felt good, like she hadn't really laughed in a while.  He stopped at the door and looked over his shoulder at her. He looked so good it made her stomach clench and the laughter died in her throat. He gave her a peculiar look and she realized he had asked her a question.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"I said what do you want for lunch?"

Right like she could think about food.

"Oh surprise me."  He smiled a slow, heart-
poundingly sexy smile and she wondered if he were reading her thoughts.

It took a full two minutes after he left for her heart rate to return to normal. She took a deep breath and called a locksmith before returning to attack the mess with gusto. Unfortunately, cleaning was such a mindless
task, her thoughts remained occupied by Ethan. She just couldn’t understand her reaction to him. She’d had crushes before. She had been attracted before. Never before had one man so completely dominated her thoughts and emotions. She was still wrapped up in her own thoughts when she realized someone was knocking on the door. She felt a momentary pause, for the first time ever wishing she had a peephole.

“Who is it?” she asked through the door, feeling a little dumb for acting so paranoid.

“It’s Rod from J & J Locksmith, ma’am.”  She released the breath she had been holding and disengaged the deadbolt, the only thing holding the door closed. Rod was younger than she expected blond with boyish good looks. Just the type she would find attractive if her mind wasn’t so consumed by a tall dark haired man with piercing blue eyes.

Erica had just finished putting her bedroom back in order when she heard Rod speaking to someone. Thinking Ethan must be back she hurried from her room only to stop abruptly when she discovered her visitor was not who she thought.

“Marco, what are you doing here?” Her disappointment erased any pretense of friendliness she might have had.

“Bella, what happened to your door?” He rushed toward her; his brow creased in what she would have previously thought was concern. She squared her shoulders and held up her hand for him to stop. He did, but not before he was mere steps away.

“Why aren’t you answering your phone?” He smelled good, he always smelled good. She wished he didn’t. After the last time she had seen him he ought to smell like cheap perfume.

“I lost my phone,” she said, and instantly wished she had told him she simply wasn’t taking his calls. He was only partially mollified.

“What happened to your door?”

“Marco, what are you doing here?” she asked again, more forcefully this time.

“I am worried about you Bella. You weren’t at the restaurant last night and you aren’t answering my calls.” Erica stared at him for moment completely dumbfounded. He still expected her to take his calls and have dinner at his family’s restaurant.

“Marco, we’re not together anymore.” She hoped her voice didn’t sound as patronizing to him as it did in her own ears.

“Nonsense Bella, it was all a misunderstanding. We just need to talk about it.”  Her stunned amazement quickly gave way to anger.

“I don’t think I misunderstood that twenty- something coed riding you like a pony!” She nearly shouted.

“Bella, I am sorry about that, she caught me in a moment of weakness and she wouldn’t take no for an answer. What was I supposed to do? I am a guy after all and well you…”

“Don’t you dare try to turn this around on me,” she hissed.

“I am not trying to turn anything around.” He reached out to touch her and she jerked back. “Bella,” His voice was deep and husky, a voice that would send chills up her spine at one time. “If you would just loosen up a little, be willing to…”

“Not going to happen.” She cut him off again, fighting the heat of anger and embarrassment rising to her cheeks. “Get out of my apartment.”