Of Love and Deception (13 page)

10
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Good Bugs Bad Bugs

The first thing Daniella noticed as she walked toward her office was a bouquet of red roses sitting on her counter. “Aw… how sweet. He's been out of town almost a week and still…” She reached for the card, excited to see what he wrote, but it was blank. She grabbed the bouquet and examined the vase.

No. It can't be… him. Did he find me? Oh no. Oh gawd no. Not now. Please, God, don't let him…

Bile rose in her throat, and she lifted her head, fearful of who she might see. Nobody stood outside her office and not a single person roamed the hallway.

A black bow was wrapped neatly around the vase, and one very black rose peeked through the surrounding red roses. A riveting chill snaked down her spine. Was Blake Sheldon stalking her? Would he bother Cruz? Maybe vandalize his home or his car? Should she tell him?
No.
She decided to wait. There was no reason to get Cruz all paranoid.

Several minutes later, Daniella marched toward the exit at the back of the building with the bouquet. She stared at it.

There was no time to ponder over the past. She pitched the bouquet in the dumpster and shrugged off the possibility of Blake Sheldon coming back to haunt her. She wouldn't be around for a week. She was leaving on a business trip, something she had dreaded, but now welcomed. 

~~~

Danielle threw her keys on the bed. Two weeks! All without Cruz. She was glad her disastrous business trip was over. Time for a soak in the jacuzzi. 

After a quick dinner, Daniella lit the candles surrounding the jacuzzi, dimmed the lights, and slipped into the warm bath. She washed and shaved, and then refilled it with water and lavender. A mound of bubbles caressed her chin as she slid under the water. She tried to think of other things, but the nights she'd spent with Cruz slowly emerged.

Deep in thought, lying in the tub, missing him, Daniella concluded she absolutely needed to see him.

Submerged in water, just above her ears, all she could hear were sounds of the jets blowing. The vibration and hum practically lulled her to sleep, but…

The sound of a door creaking caused her to shoot up and scramble backward. Her heart skittered as she recalled the black rose in the bouquet delivered to her two weeks ago. Someone was in her bathroom.
Shit!

Candles didn't give off enough light, but something was by the door. And then it creaked just a little more…

Daniella panicked. The darkness behind the door wore all black, but the white of the eyes was unmistakable. She sat, too stunned, too afraid to move, her voice trapped in her throat. The
swish, swish, swish
of her frantic heart pulsed in her head drowning all other sounds. She blinked several times, wiped the water away from her eyes, and when she looked again, there was only the blackness of the hallway.

It was just a figment of my imagination. That's all.

Daniella relaxed back into the tub, forcing her mind and body to calm down. It took about ten minutes, but then another sound came from the hall. She didn't look in the direction of the door, but stared at the sink out of the corner of her eye. The shadowy silhouette of a large male was cast along the wall, and her heart thudded heavily in her chest.

She let out the breath she was holding and patted her chest, willing her heartbeat to slow down a pace. “You! You scared me.”

A warm, mischievous grin spread across his face as Cruz eased into the hot water.

Damn is he ever so sexy!

Placing each of her legs over his, he slipped his hands around her back urging her closer. “Mm. I've missed you. No phone calls for the last week really make a guy wonder.”

“I'm so—” she started, but Cruz planted his lips against hers.

“Shhh.”

“My pho—”

“Shhh, shhh.” He licked her lower lip. “Mm.”

 Daniella attempted to speak again. “Bu… I whaawha teh you—”

He stopped sucking, pulled back and cupped her cheeks in his hands. “Just shut up and let me kiss you—to make up for the past two weeks we've been apart.”

She couldn't resist, not when he slid his tongue between her lips and probed every corner of her mouth.
His lips sizzled a steamy trail down her neck as he caressed and stroked—pressed her back into an arch—burned a trail down her abdomen, and another leading back up to her breast, which he sucked in hard and then released.

Cruz grabbed her hips, and with a jerk of his wrists, he closed the distance between them.
Daniella expelled an anxious breath with a slight moan as he entered her,
deep and hard, impossibly delectable. She clenched his broad shoulders and buckled her hips, then went rigid, held her breath as ripples of tingles surged through her with each thrust of his pelvis. There was no holding back. They'd been apart too long and the reunion in the jacuzzi only enhanced their reunification. With his mouth to hers, they moaned in unison and the tides of the climax crested and spilled over, causing both to shudder in sheer pleasure.

There was a lingering silence, only the sound of her rapid heartbeat slowly winding down echoed in her ears. 

“Mm. So damn hot.” Cruz climbed out of the jacuzzi. He lifted Daniella's bathrobe off the door hanger and held it against his chest.

“It's always that way for me… I mean, when we're together, I… Mm. Never mind.” Daniella flushed.

~~~

They snuggled in her king sized bed, on their sides facing each other. Cruz traced the outline of her face and smiled warm and sexy. She closed her eyes, smiled, and reopened them.

“I want to tell you something,” Cruz whispered, his voice husky.

Daniella blinked. “Hmm. Okay, but only if it's something good.”

His eyes twinkled and turned into mere slits. “You probably know this already, but I haven't said the words yet.” He continued to trace the outline of her face, making his way to her lips.

Daniella reached up and grasped his hand, pressing it against her lips with a tender kiss. “Don't make me wait or guess. Please tell me.” She blinked and fluttered her eyelids—her way of begging. 

“Come closer.”

She inched up to him.

“Even closer.”

Daniella scooted closer, but Cruz made sure they were skin on skin. He pushed the stray strands of hair away from her face and planted his lips against her forehead. He kissed the entire left side of her face before he tipped back and met her gaze.

“I. LOVE. YOU.”

It took a moment before the words registered. Daniella's heart skittered, the words hung on the tip of her tongue.

Did… did he really just tell me he loves me?

Cruz shifted. His gaze wavered before he sat up and threw his legs over the side of the bed. Daniella's lack of response must have agitated him. He leaned over, grabbed his t-shirt from the floor and sat up.

What the heck is wrong with me? That beautiful male specimen just told me he loved me and I just lay here? Say nothing? Hell no!

“Wait!” Daniella crawled toward Cruz, sat on her knees and wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders. “Don't leave.” She rested her chin in the crevice of his neck, enjoying the sweet smell of his scent.

“I'm sorry, but—I guess I didn't expect a no-response reaction.” Cruz slowly slid his hand into the sleeve of his t-shirt. “I suppose I shouldn't have expected you to feel the same way, but I did and now that I know, now that I have my answer, this relationship won't—
”

Daniella mugged his mouth with her hands. “Shut up. Just shut up! Oh my gosh. I so love you! I-I… well, it just shook me, your words, took me by surprise. And, and, and—did you really just tell me you loved me?” She let her hands fall slowly from his mouth and grasped his biceps.

“Lay back down. I just need a minute.” He didn't bother to look at Daniella, he only sat with his hands clasped, and dropped his head between his legs.

Daniella fell to her back, slipped her legs beneath the white cotton sheet, and stared at the ceiling. He was really blowing this out of proportion.

Cruz snuggled up beside her. He ran his fingers lightly along her jawline.

They focused on the other with unwavering stares, not even a flinch. Cruz broke the uneasiness Daniella was experiencing as
he leaned forward.

His lips almost touching hers, he whispered, “I don't know what I'd do if you didn't love me. I can tell you that I've never said those words to any woman, and meant it, until I met you.”

Daniella's heart soared in leaps and bounds, and before she could think or react, Cruz fully engaged his lips with hers. She was lost in a kiss—hot, moist, intoxicating.

“One more thing,” Cruz said. “I've got a little trip planned.” His blue eyes gleamed underneath the disheveled mess of brown hair.

“You're not leaving again? I mean, we've both been away and I'd hate to go another week without you.”

“No. Not a business trip. I'm taking you to the Hanging Lake in Colorado. Meg and Falcon have a cabin there and invited us to stay. Then you and I will spend some alone time in Nebraska City, Nebraska.” He hesitated and searched her eyes, obviously anticipating her answer.

“When?”

“This next week. You do want to go, don't you?” He twizzled strands of her hair around his fingers.

“How am I going to ask my boss for time off…
without
giving any notice?” Daniella's stomach knotted. She didn't want to disappoint Cruz, and she'd love nothing more than to go on a vacation with him, but not at the expense of jeopardizing her job.

“No need to worry about it. I've already discussed my plans with your boss, Parker. You've got the week off.” He smiled an all-too-knowing smile.

“How'd you pull that off? I mean, you don't even know Parker and—”

Cruz placed a finger over her lips. “It was easy. And yes, I do know Parker. I knew him before I met you.”

“But—”

“Shush.” Cruz pinched her lips together with his thumb and finger. “I thought you knew that. How do you think I got your name?”

Daniella's eyebrows rose and her eyes widened. She couldn't speak, not with Cruz's fingers still pinching her lips.

He grinned. “Parker said you were the best, and he was certain we'd be a great match. I mean, like our taste, style and stuff like that. Oh, but he did point you out on his wall of managers, and I knew by Parker's description and display of your portfolio, I wanted you, exclusively, to do the job.” He coughed, and snuggled up next to Daniella, burying his head into her neck. “I wanted you for myself… in more ways than you'd imagine,” he whispered.

It all made sense now. The flowers and the words Cruz scribbled on the card
'Just a small token of appreciation. I’m honored to have you as my personal designer. Until next time, Cruz'
. He'd seen her picture, viewed her extensive portfolio and the more-than-satisfied customer reviews. Not that any of it mattered, not that it ever did.

“Colorado. Meg and Falcon's cabin. Arbor Lodge. You. Me. An entire week together. Oh yeah, do I ever want to go!” Spending the next week with Cruz stirred up all kinds of emotions… and pleasures.  She snuggled up to him and plummeted into a warm-fuzzy sleep.

~~~

The following morning, after Cruz left, Daniella readied herself for the day. She needed to buy sexy items for the upcoming trip. She grabbed her purse and exited her apartment.

“Whaa—NO!”

No, no, no, no, no! This is a joke. Some kind of sick joke, right?

There were black rose petals scattered along the hall and down the steps. She shuddered, her heart dropped into her stomach.

“Bitch! Whore. Fucking cunt! You'll regret this, Daniella. Mark my fucking words!”

I still remember his words as if it were yesterday. I was trudging up the stairs with heavy, aching feet after a long day at work. And when I saw it, the bouquet of all black roses with a card in the center with DIE, BITCH written in bold letters, I had cried out and nearly collapsed .

Was Blake in my apartment last night? Did I really see someone standing outside my bathroom door?
Daniella snapped out of her thoughts at the sound of little voices echoing in the hall.

“Ring around the rosy…”

“Pocket full of posies…”

“Ashes, ashes…”

“We all fall down!”

Two girls carried a basket filled with black petals while three boys followed. They were flinging fresh and dried rose petals, twirling, jumping, and singing as they ran down the corridor.

Daniella leaned against the wall, clenching her chest, telling her heart and mind to calm down. It took a few moments to gather her bearings and move past the odd, yet coincidental scene she'd opened her door to.