Off the Grid (14 page)

“That feels so good.”

Her hand tightened around him and his whole body shuddered in readiness.

He ripped open the package and pulled her hand away. In its place went the condom. Their lips met as he pushed into her. His forearms came to rest on either side of her head. Her hands ran over his broad shoulders, across damp skin and taut muscle. Everything about him was hard. Everything in her opened. Until the moment came and it stretched leaving them both gasping, holding on, riding it out.

Her heart continued to pound after he rolled off and she felt the bed dip. She risked opening an eye. A naked Caleb stole a look-see down the hall before making his way to the bathroom. The brief glow of the bathroom light flicking on and then darkness.

She scrambled to get underneath the sexed up covers, pulling them up to her chin. The bathroom door opened and she stopped breathing, which was ridiculous. She was an adult, with adult needs. And one of those needs was sex. Obviously.

Because it was true she flipped back the covers on his side of the bed in blatant invitation.

Trust Caleb not to disappoint. He crawled into to bed like the spot already recognized his shape.

“You smell like sin.” His whisper followed the path of her collarbone. He might as well have been speaking directly to her vagina.

But one of them had to be practical so she said, “I do not.”

Did she?

Crap. She was losing her mind.

His warm hand cupped one breast and gifted kisses on the other. She melted like milk chocolate. Her hand burrowed into his hair. The fingers of her other hand skimmed the line of his shoulders, swirled circles over his skin.

“Caleb.” It was a warning. Sort of. Her breathing was a little sketchy at the moment.

“Sophie.” He traced circles around her peaked nipple.

Again with the practical. “How many condoms do you carry around with you?”

He smiled against her breast. She felt the brush of his lashes. “How many do you?”

“None.”

It stopped him in his tracks. He looked her in the eye. “None? At all?”

She shook her head. She couldn’t remember the last time she even gave needing a supply a thought.

“Birth control pill?”

“Yes.”

“Thank God.”

“I don’t know you well enough for unprotected sex, Caleb.”

“Trust me. I would never do anything to put your life at risk. I’m clean. I promise.”

“I’m going to need to see proof.”

His eyebrows lifted. “What?”

“Exactly what I said. Do you have any idea how many cases of HIV and AIDS I deal with every week in my practice? Not to mention STD’s?”

He sat up a little straighter. “Okay, fair enough.”

“Your other partners? Their history matters too.”

“I don’t have ‘other partners’, Sophie. I have you.”

“What about Tiffany?”

“Jeezus, Sophie.” He sat up and swung his legs over his side of the bed. He glanced back at her. “I’ve never had unprotected sex with anyone, and for your information no sex of any kind with Tiffany.”

She didn’t say anything. She didn’t know what to say. His declaration confused her.

“Is that what you think of me? I’ll fuck anyone, no matter the consequences? That I have no respect for my female partners, or myself?”

“I’m not going to apologize for asking.” But because she could have been a tad more delicate she got up on her knees behind him. She risked wrapping her arms around his shoulders. “I don’t think you’re callous or uncaring. I’m a tad freaked out here. Okay? This isn’t normal behavior for me. I don’t know how to do whatever this is.”

He shifted around to face her, put his hands in her hair. A small smile graced his lips and she breathed a little easier. “I guess both of us are going to have to stock up on condoms.”

She dropped a kiss on his lips. “Thank you.”

“In the meantime…” He rolled back taking her with him. Before she knew it she was trapped beneath him. His hands trapping hers over her head. “What did you do with my tie?”

She laughed. “I don’t think so.”

“I’ve heard rumors about this book everyone is reading…”

“Absolutely not.”

“Not everyone’s a fan then.” He nibbled along her jaw.

“No need for knots.” Her hands slipped free of his to frame his face. “I’m not going anywhere.”

He kissed the ink decorating her shoulder. His fingers traced the lines down her back. “Tell me about this one.”

“It was during my whimsical period.” Her fingers twirled and caught in the strands of his hair.

He lifted his head. “Dandelions are whimsical?”

“The idea of seeds on the breeze of change?”

“Very…” His head dipped and his lips traced the path of the seeds blowing on the wind. “…you.”

She swallowed back her words, explicit words, demanding words, as her hips shifted and her back arched. His fingers were there, stroking, rubbing, entering.

“Come for me,” he whispered.

She obliged him.

Chapter Five

Sophie pushed through her front door, arms full of groceries, envisioning the hot steamy water of the bath, lots of bubbles and a glass of Caleb’s wine. Kellie and the baby were at an appointment with Caleb. The house was empty leaving her with a few precious minutes of alone time. She figured the spa treatment would soak away sore muscles and give her a chance to indulge in the awkward anticipation of seeing Caleb.

She flicked on the lights and called out, “Marnie.”

“I’m sorry to say she’s not here.”

She tracked his words on a puff of panic to a chair. Jason Drummond lounged indolent in her living room. His burly sidekick at attention behind him. She clamped a trembling hand over her mouth, trapping in the scream while juggling her produce. There was nothing she could do about the spike in heart rate except breathe and back the hell up.

“I need a moment of your time.” He lifted a hand, signaled. “Why don’t you help Dr. Monroe with her bags?”

Drummond swirled the contents of his wine glass and gave a delicate sniff. “Courtesy of Caleb I imagine. He has excellent taste.” He shot a sneer around the room. “At least he used to, before he got tangled up with you.”

“Don’t like what you see, then get the hell out.” She held onto her bags instigating a childish game of tug of war. At the first tear she shoved the whole lot at him. Glee shot through her fear when he stumbled back.

“Bitch.” He let it all drop and stepped toward her. Bags split open. Oranges, apples and cans of diet soda rolled around their feet.

Drummond sighed. “Enough.”

She held up her middle finger and gave the big guy a flash of her pearly whites. His name calling was the very least of her worries. She faced the man in the chair. “On break from trolling high schools?”

Drummond’s lip curled. “And here I thought you were too smart to believe a freak like your sister.”

She pulled out her cell phone. “I’m calling the cops.”

“I wouldn’t if I were you.” Jason nodded to his sidekick. He plucked her phone out of her hand. Drummond studied her while he swallowed back more of her wine. “About your sister…”

“What about her?”

“She came to see me last night.”

Oh, Marnie, what have you done now?

His words a noose around the neck of any hope she had her sister might have the clarity of mind to do the sensible and right thing. Even for Kellie.

“I did warn her.” He shrugged inside his two thousand dollar suit. “I’m no longer interested in being reasonable. It’s unfortunate you’ve been caught up in this mess. But things being the way they are I’m forced to prove a point.”

She remained silent. Not by choice. By sheer lack of saliva and courage. Reasonable? Nothing about him suggested he understood the concept.

“My reputation is on the line.”

Moisture salted her tongue in a rush. The sheer egotism of his statement fueling a spark of unhelpful nastiness in her. “This would be your reputation as a serial cheater? Abuser? Snob? I’m confused.”

“Because of the potential harm to my career and reputation I feel it only fair you and yours suffer your share of discomfort in return. Which brings me to some business between you and I.”

“We don’t have business together. I’m not telling you again. Get out. Caleb’s on his way here. I don’t think you want to be here when he arrives.”

He tsked, reeking of snotty from his salon cut hair to his hand-stitched shoes. She wanted to slap his face. “Lying is such a nasty habit. I happen to know Caleb’s escorting the little mother and her brat around town. It’s amazing what a man will do to get some tail.”

“Judging others by your own low standards?”

He snorted out a laugh. “You think Caleb has standards?”

Her chin went up.

“He’s as guilty of thinking with his dick as the rest of us. Don’t tell me he hasn’t tried to get a taste of what’s under those delightful hospital scrubs.”

“Are you familiar with the term douchebag?” He was such a shit. “Silly me, of course you are. The veneer might spell GQ, but your center is a black hole. So, why don’t we get to the reason you’ve violated my home.”

Before Marnie walked through the door and things went from worse to horrible.

“By all means.” His glass clinked against the little side table. Standing he was taller than Sophie remembered from the bar. His eyes never left her face as he tugged at the cuffs of his shirt. She refused to break eye contact. She fantasized about grabbing the side table lamp and smashing it up side his temporal lobe. He picked up a business-sized brown envelop from the table and handed it to her. “I did warn him. Like I warned your sister.”

“Leave my sister alone.” Sophie swallowed back the dread, took the envelope and opened it. The words blurred and she blinked back the disbelief. “A notice of eviction. I don’t understand.”

“I made the landlord of the building housing your clinic an offer he couldn’t refuse. Once your lease is up I’m afraid you’ll have to vacate the building.”

“You can’t do this.” A hot flash of panic blindsided her. “This area needs this clinic.”

“What the area needs is a proper clinic, run by a qualified doctor. One who’s a little less experimental and a little more experienced. One who doesn’t advocate for injection sites and shelters ignoring all the rules.”

She could beg. Would beg for the sake of her patients. “You don’t need to do this. I can talk to Marnie. She won’t bother you again. Please.”

“You’re right. She won’t.”

She let out a grateful breath when the door opened. Jason motioned to the man at his side to move in the direction of the front door.

“What the hell is going on?” Caleb barged past Jason’s lackey dragging a terrified Kellie behind him, fruit and pop cans scattering in every direction. He let go of her to turn Sophie around to face him. “Are you okay?”

“You insult me, Caleb. We were just conducting some business.”

She caught a flash of fury before he rounded on the other man. “Business?”

Sophie handed Caleb the papers. “He brought this.”

Caleb scanned the paper. “You go too far.”

“And I thought we had a deal.” Jason tipped a bored look in Kellie’s direction. “Does she have to be here?”

“We do have a deal.” Caleb put a hand on Kellie’s arm. “And she stays because she’s welcome here. Why don’t you explain to me what you’re talking about?”

In his first display of agitation, he jabbed at Caleb. “I thought I made it quite clear. I’m not a bank. People can’t show up and expect to make withdrawals. Scream demands. Nobody speaks to me like that. No. One.”

Baby Quinn followed up his father’s words with a wail loud enough to alert the neighbors. Kellie tried to comfort him but he was having none of it.

“Get control of this situation, Caleb. I’m not telling you again.”

He signaled his man and they strolled out. They left the door wide open. Through it they watched as a car rolled up in front of her place. The driver got out and opened the passenger side door. Jason Drummond climbed in without a backward glance. When they pulled away Sophie inhaled her first deep breath in what seemed like hours.

“Son of a bitch.” Caleb’s words were low and angry. His next ones not much better. He turned to Kellie. “Where is she?”

Kellie backed up at his tone. “I don’t know. I swear.”

Sophie closed her eyes. She scrubbed shaking hands over her face. “I haven’t seen her since last night.”

“Well, someone sure as hell better find her before she does worse damage. Kellie, where would she go if she were flush?”

“I don’t know.”

“Think.”

Kellie flinched. “She’d head to Pigeon Park. From there she’d likely end up at the Balmoral. It’s where I was staying.”

Caleb headed for the door. Alarmed, Sophie trailed after him. “I’m coming with you.”

“No. You’re. Not.” Three words, every one of them hard, succinct, and pissed off.

Okay. She understood he wanted to protect them. She did. But he had no idea about Pigeon Park or the Balmoral and what happened in those types of places. There was a code and he was getting ready to ram up against it. “You won’t get anyone to talk to you.”

He pulled out his money clip, flashed it and shoved it back in his pocket. “You’re wrong.”

“Caleb—”

“I’ll be back.”

He marched out the door before she could insist. She grabbed her cell phone from where Jason Drummond’s goon had dropped it on his way out. Her text message was straight forward.

Think about it. U need my help.

He ignored it.

All she could see was Marnie grabbing the chef’s knife or pointing her gun. Lows she’d never stooped to before. When caught off guard or cornered, she would defend her ground. The thought, coupled with the idea of Caleb wondering around a dark, secluded park asking questions from drug dealers scared her to death. She called for Kellie and grabbed her coat.

****

Caleb parked across the street from the Balmoral, one of the crumbling single room occupancy hotels providing low-income housing to tenants who could afford the meager rent. Despite the plunging temperature the street was busy. People came and went, pushing carts, clutching backpacks, stumbling, strolling and rushing. Early evening on a Friday night, the street was a wave of movement.