Chapter 18
“Are you sure you don’t want the lava stone counter tops?” Scott asked, as they looked through brochures and samples at the building supply store. “They’re the newest craze.”
“I don’t need the newest, just something functional.” Heather had to keep smiling and shaking her head whenever he suggested something outrageously priced. Did he think she had the same budget as her parents?
“Functional we can do,” he said, moving around the other displays of counters and fixtures. The past week had been trying and great all at the same time. Scott had wanted to stick to her like glue and at times she was more than happy to have him that close. Especially at night, when he’d wrap her in his arms then take her places that made her dreams sweet.
Other times, like today at work, she wanted to slap him silly. He’d been stopping in at lunch, insisting he know her schedule and where she was going and with whom. He’d even become good friends with Wendy so she’d let him know if anything out of the ordinary happened. Wendy had fallen right under his spell. Something about that dimple in his chin went straight to every woman’s heart. She wasn’t immune.
“I’m getting kind of hungry,” she complained a few minutes later as they looked at yet another set of kitchen cabinets. Slipping her hand through his, she peered up at him and swiped her tongue over her bottom lip. As expected, his eyes flared as he leaned down to kiss her. She liked this part of being close to him. In the past week kissing had become a common occurrence.
“Did you want to stop someplace? I’m not exactly dressed for anywhere fancy.”
He wore her favorite outfit. The work pants and snug T-shirt. She looked down at her own shorts and tank top and frowned.
“Do I look like I’m dressed for a nice restaurant?”
“Princess, you look good wearing anything.” Leaning down, he whispered, “And even better wearing nothing.”
“Well, if you bring me home, we can get some food then see about that wearing nothing part.”
“Done.”
It didn’t take long to get home and they both worked side by side to get dinner ready. She stirred the roasted potatoes again and stuck them back in the oven and then went to the balcony to see how the grilled chicken was coming along.
“About fifteen more minutes. I’m cooking it on low so it doesn’t blacken.” After turning the meat, he slid his arms around her where she stood at the railing.
“Thank you, Scott.”
“For the chicken? You marinated it. I’m simply giving it heat.”
Leaning back against him she said, “No, for everything you’ve done this past week. Allowing me to stay here. Sifting through dozens of house plans to help me pick one out. Going with me to all the stores trying to figure out what kind of fixtures and flooring I want even though I know we’re nowhere near ready to use them.”
“It’s been my pleasure having you here. I wouldn’t have offered if I didn’t mean it.”
“Your pleasure, huh? I’ve gotten some good pleasure from it too.” Wiggling her behind against his crotch, she felt him harden.
“You little tease. We don’t have enough time right now for anything.”
She tipped her head to glance at him. “You said we had fifteen minutes. What’s the matter, you aren’t up for that kind of challenge?”
“Challenge? I’ve got to keep an eye on the meat.”
“Your balcony is private and it overlooks the back woods.”
His hands drifted to her waist then up to caress her breasts through the thin top she wore. Lowering his head, he nipped at her shoulder then nibbled on the back of her neck. Damn, he always knew that one spot that sent shivers down her spine and heat rushing between her legs. Lightly pinching her nipple with one hand, the other slid inside her shorts to tease her. Holy shit, he knew where to touch. It didn’t take long before her breathing was heavy and she squirmed against him, needing more.
“Challenging enough for you, princess?”
“Oh, God, Scott. Please.”
A zipper sounded and air rushed past her ass as he lowered her shorts and fingered her again. His erection pressed against her cheeks and she bent over to rest her head on the railing.
“That’s an invitation if I ever saw one,” he groaned, then thrust into her from behind. Damn, that was amazing. It hit the most intimate of spots. Then he began to move in and out and her mind exploded with colors and patterns as the intensity began to build. The hands gripping her hips were firm but gentle and his heavy breathing behind her told her he was close too.
As he thrust in and pulled out, he nibbled on her shoulder, biting softly, escalating her desire and need. His touch, his presence was all she’d ever wanted and needed. Why hadn’t she seen it earlier?
“Time to let go, your highness,” he said, fondling the folds between her legs. She spiraled out of control and pushed against him. He kissed her shoulder then stiffened, still holding her close. After a few moments he eased away, pulling their clothes back in place.
“Let’s hope I didn’t burn the chicken.”
Straightening her top and buttoning her pants, she responded, “For that, I’ll give you a pass.”
His laugh drifted her way as she headed back in the apartment on wobbly legs. The potatoes needed to be taken out also. Would he give her a pass too if they were overcooked?
Luckily, they weren’t. They filled their plates then sat on the balcony in the wicker chairs. Scott had opened a bottle of wine and poured them each a glass.
“I’m not sure I can look at this balcony the same again. I’m getting excited just remembering what we did out here.”
After taking a sip of her wine, she blew him a kiss. “You mean we christened the place? You’ve never done it out here before?”
“I’ve never done it anywhere in my apartment before. I’ve only lived here for three years and I told you the last few have been a bit light in the romance department. Before that it was at someone else’s place.”
He’d never had sex with anyone here before. As she’d lain in bed with him the last few nights, she’d wondered how many women had also shared it with him. She told herself she wasn’t jealous. She’d had her share of boyfriends and didn’t expect him to be upset about them. But it had kind of bothered her, and she wasn’t sure why.
After finishing the meal and cleaning up the dishes, they settled on the couch in the living room and Scott surfed through the channels.
“In the mood for anything particular?”
Shifting closer to him, she shook her head. “No explosions please.”
Laughing, he clicked the remote a few more times, settled on a romantic comedy, and then tossed the device on the coffee table. His feet lifted to rest there too and he settled his arm around her shoulder. They’d done this a few times this week, and she found she enjoyed having the company. Her other single friends wanted to go barhopping or clubbing, and Callie had Jonathan to take care of and now Jack. Which usually left her home reading or watching TV alone.
“Did you and Jack meet with that guy who worked for Cabrini?”
“Pascucci, yeah. Yesterday. He confirmed the building had been one of Cabrini’s. Said it was used for stolen goods and other supplies. He didn’t know why anyone would want to kill for it, though.”
Disappointment seeped through her. “So it was a dead end? Damn.”
“Actually no, he gave us the name of someone who was responsible for the warehouse for a while. We paid him a visit with a few questions.”
“And…?” Scooting on to her knees, she faced him. “You can’t stop there.”
“What? You don’t like a little teasing?”
“You want teasing, do you?” Slipping her hand down to his legs, she skimmed it up and over his now growing arousal.
“You’re insatiable. The guy we saw told us the same as Pascucci. It was used for stolen goods. But he also said they were told in no uncertain terms to stay out of the basement.”
“The basement? Have you checked it out yet?”
Shrugging, he said, “I took a quick look when we got back yesterday but there’s so much debris and trash down there I couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary. I didn’t want to leave you alone too long.”
“Don’t you be using me as an excuse. We need to figure out what the hell is going on.”
“I agree,” he said and pushed her back on the couch his face inches from hers. “So, princess, feel like going dumpster diving with me tomorrow?”
“Hell, yes.”
He pressed a kiss to her nose. “It’s a date.”
Pulling his head closer, she replied, “Oh, Scott, you always take me to the nicest places.”
* * * *
“I’m here. Let’s go.”
Scott turned as Heather entered the first floor of the mill building. Faded jeans and a concert T-shirt hugged her figure while a ratty pair of work boots graced her feet. Damn, she looked cute. Her hair was in two braids that ended right in the middle of her plump breasts. Get your eyes back in your head and stop staring.
“Where’d you get the old clothes?” They fit like they’d been molded to her body.
“I still had some stuff at my parents. I think these are from college. I may have put on a pound or two since then.” She rubbed her hand over her hip.
They were some damned fine pounds. But they had work to do.
“Did you bring some gloves?”
Her eyes narrowed. “Gloves?”
“Work gloves,” he said, pulling his from his back pocket. “A lot of the stuff down there has sharp edges and nails sticking out. Can’t ruin your manicure.”
As she rolled her eyes, he pulled out another pair of gloves from his other back pocket and smirked. “I have some if you forgot yours.”
She grabbed the gloves and turned away, muttering, “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.” Her backside sure was fine in the snug jeans. It was fine without the jeans too, but for some reason the jeans were turning him on even more. It could be the thought of tugging them off her later. For now they needed to concentrate on finding whatever the hell was in the basement that some asshat didn’t want them to find.
Pulling the key from his pocket, he unlocked the door leading downstairs. He flipped on the lights and took her elbow.
“The stairs need some work and the lights have a tendency to flicker. I need to get the electricians on fixing the whole damn electrical system in here.”
“Which we can do as soon as we find out who’s causing us trouble. And I’m perfectly capable of walking down stairs by myself. I have boots on today if you hadn’t noticed.”
“Oh, I noticed.” And not simply the boots. At the bottom of the stairs she dropped one of the gloves and bent over to pick it up. Hot damn, those jeans were giving him fits.
“What?” She crossed her arms over her chest and glared.
“Nothing. You look good when you’re slumming it. That’s all.”
Shaking her head she walked away…and almost fell over a pile of debris. He grabbed her, pulling her close, then kissed the lips that always had a habit of screaming at him to do just that.
“You need to be careful, princess. Half of the lights down here are out. It’s why I brought flashlights.”
“Oh, now you tell me. You couldn’t have said something before I tripped?”
“Then I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to save you. And kiss you.” He pressed his lips to hers again. Her arms crept around his neck and the kiss continued, long and sweet.
“You’ve been doing quite a bit of kissing me lately. I think you’d be sick of it by now.”
“Are you kidding me?” Their lips met again, this time more passionately. “I think you’ve become an addiction.”
Her smile warmed his heart and a few other spots he needed to ignore right now.
“Do we need to get you a twelve-step program? Some rehab?”
Pulling her in tight and feeling her breasts against his chest was not the smart thing to do. But he did it anyway.
“The addiction isn’t a problem…yet. Now stop distracting me and let’s get down to business.” Slapping her butt, he grabbed the flashlights he’d left on the stairs then walked deeper into the room.
The gasp she let out made him chuckle and he wanted to turn around and see her outraged expression, but he didn’t. It would push her buttons even more. She followed behind and grabbed his arm.
“Did you bring one of those for me?”
Handing one over, he replied, “Got to take care of my gal.”
Her face got all scrunchy, but she simply took the flashlight and turned away. His princess sure didn’t like accepting help from anyone. It was fine, though, because her independence was one of the things he liked about her.
“Why don’t we start in one corner and work our way across the room? Some of this stuff is big and will need both of us to move it.”
“Sounds good.”
They walked to the farthest wall and began shifting things around, making sure they weren’t missing anything. As they worked, they chatted about the jobs Holland Construction was working on and how demanding her clients could sometimes be.
“Some of these people don’t seem to understand that I can’t simply make the perfect house they want appear on the market. They seem to think it’s my job to find them a house that has absolutely everything on their wish list. Which it is, I know. But I can’t do it if it’s not on the market.”
“Tell them to build it then. That way they get everything they want.”
“Oh, I do, believe me. Most of them don’t want to wait that long.”
“I get that. The businesses I work for always want everything done in a ridiculous amount of time and they want it for half of what it would cost me to do it and still pay my workers.”
Pushing aside a piece of drywall, she placed her hands on her hips, pouting. “But you’ll get my house done in a few weeks, right?”
“Sure, princess, whatever you want.”
“Excellent.” Her smile lit up the dim space even though she knew he was kidding. If he could build her a new house in a few weeks, he would.
“Have you been able to get replacements for the vital stuff yet? License, credit cards, Victoria’s Secret lingerie?”
“Oh, you know I’ve got some of the lingerie. If I remember correctly you had no problem taking it off me the last few days.”
His smirk couldn’t be controlled. Not with those images in his mind. “And I enjoyed every second.”
Heather stepped closer and wiped something off his face. “Some dirt. And I got the major things settled but there are so many things I never even realized I had in that house that suddenly I need.”
Her sigh cut through his heart. If he could, he’d make everything better for her and give her the world. After hugging her, they got back to work moving more debris aside but still finding nothing worth killing for.
“You know if there’s ever anything I can do for you, princess, all you need to do is ask. Right?”
She kicked at a box on the floor and nodded. “Actually, there is something you could do for me.”
Walking closer, he pulled her into his arms and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Name it.”
“My family is having a big party tomorrow night. A fundraiser for one of my mother’s favorite charities. I’m expected to be there.”
“And what do you want me to do?”
Leaning her head against his chest, she whispered, “Would you come with me?”
Go to a big, fancy Silva shindig? Schmooze with the beautiful people, the rich and famous? Not his scene. But he nodded, saying, “If you want me there.”
“Thank you,” she squealed, attaching her lips to his. Giving in to the desire, he slid his hands down her back and cupped her sweet ass. Even in snug denim he could feel the amazing curves.
When she pulled back, her expression showed her delight. “It’ll be great. I know a bunch of the people there might be willing to invest in our project.”
“Are you talking about this place?”
She nodded.
“Why do we need investors?”
“These people know businesses in the state that might be looking to expand and locate here. We need to have some commitments to fill the first floor space.”
“Aren’t we getting ahead of ourselves a bit, princess? We have to figure out who wants to stop this project and why. I’m not sure anyone would want to invest in a place that has this much trouble attached to it.”
Her excitement dimmed, and he hated being the cause of it. Although the frickin’ person tormenting them was truly responsible.
“Then let’s keep looking.”
At least his wet blanket hadn’t dimmed her spirit. He couldn’t stand it if that happened. “All right then.”
Hours later he was ready to give up. They’d moved every damn piece of wall board and debris in the place. Of course the basement was huge and ran the whole length of the building but only parts of it were filled. They’d checked out the other rooms as well.
“Maybe we should give up,” he said as he leaned against the railing for the stairs on the west end of the mill. These would need fixing as well. The stairs themselves had fallen apart and the wood lay scattered all around nearby.
Wiping a strand of hair from her face, Heather sighed. She didn’t want to stop, he could tell. And he’d keep going if she asked. He was beginning to think he’d do most anything for her. The last week had been the best time he’d ever spent with anyone. He hadn’t even cared that her makeup littered his counter in the bathroom or that she had the habit of leaving half-empty water bottles all over the place. She was great company in all ways. And not only in bed, though that part had been fuckin’ amazing. Conversation flowed easily between them, serious and humorous. Making fun of herself was something she did as much as teasing him.
“I hate to leave,” she said as she shone the flashlight at him. “There’s got to be something here. It doesn’t make sense otherwise.” The beam cut through the darkness in this part of the basement. Most of the lights here didn’t work. It flickered behind him and she stepped closer, her head tilting.
“What is that behind you?”
Scott turned around surveying the broken lumber. “All this debris?”
“No, there’s something shiny under the wood.”
Taking his own flashlight, he shined it on the trash and then pushed aside a few pieces to see what she was talking about. Under the stairs was a small trap door. He pulled on it, but it stuck. Then he saw the large lock holding the door in place. And the door wasn’t made of the old timber much of the other doors were. It was steel and attached with sturdy hinges.
“Looks like we may have discovered what is so interesting about this place.”
As she approached, Heather rested against his back, almost like she was using him as a shield. No problems there. He’d risk his life for hers. Of that he had no doubt.
“Can we open it?”
“Not with these tools. I’ll need something stronger. Possibly even a power saw. Although a .45 might do it quickly enough.”
“Do you have a .45?”
He nodded. “I think we can try bolt cutters first. The gun will be a last resort. There’s always the chance of the bullet ricocheting around the room and hurting one of us.”
“Can we go get the tools right now?” Her eyes almost glowed in the darkness.
Glancing at his watch, he said, “It’s already seven. It’ll take us a while to get them and return. I don’t want to start messing around down there this late. Who knows what we’ll find. We can come back during the day.”
“Not tomorrow. We’ve got the party to go to.”
“But that’s not until night, correct?”
“Yeah, but I don’t have a formal gown to wear so I need to go shopping. And there’s no way you’re going down there exploring without me.”
Whatever was down there had been there for a while. It certainly wasn’t going anywhere. It could wait.
“If you’re not too hung over from this big soiree, we can come back Sunday.”
“Oh, I won’t be. I’ll make sure to keep my eye on how much I drink.”
Slipping his hand into her hair, he leaned in, whispering in her ear, “I don’t know, I kind of like you drunk. That night at Chris and Meg’s wedding is one I don’t think I’ll ever forget.”
“Except I don’t remember it, you ass.”
“Get drunk again and I’ll make sure you don’t forget this one. I can go all night long until you remember every touch.”