BumpnGrind (9 page)

Garrett reached a hand toward Guido Vitale. “I’d have to
agree with that assessment, sir. Thank you for coming in tonight. It means a
lot to me.”

Guido shook Garrett’s hand. “My pleasure, son. I hate to see
people getting pushed around by arrogant assholes.”

Garrett lifted an eyebrow in surprise. “I guess you know
Dave Foust?”

“Unfortunately.” He slapped Garrett on the back. “You young
folks get out of here now.”

Brad grinned at Felicia, who was fighting a grin herself.

Bruno turned to his uncle. “Aren’t you coming?”

“No. I’m going to talk to a friend of mine. Chief Barris and
I go way back. He’s gonna get to the bottom of this charge for me and put it to
rest.”

* * * * *

They left Guido to his machinations and headed toward their
cars. “Breakfast?” Bruno asked hopefully.

Felicia grimaced. “I just want to go home. I’m exhausted.”

They said goodbye to Bruno and Garrett dropped an arm around
Felicia’s shoulders. “Let’s get out of here before they change their minds and
come looking for me.”

Felicia was so tired she thought she might drop on the spot.
She’d been operating on nothing but emotion for the last few hours and it was
starting to wear on her. “Maybe you should stay at my house tonight, just in
case.”

Garrett felt a moment of panic at the thought of spending
the night among the trappings of wealth. But he quickly shook it off and kissed
the top of her head. “Good idea.”

* * * * *

When Felicia woke up the next morning Garrett was sprawled
all over the bed next to her. His thick, dark-gold lashes formed a perfect arch
on each cheek and his lips were slightly parted as he snored softly.

He was sound asleep and he looked adorable.

She fought an urge to run her hands down his smooth chest,
toward the telltale tenting of the sheet. She supposed he needed his rest. She
had kept him up much of the night. She climbed out of bed. He was probably
drained after what he’d gone through the night before.

Dave Foust was getting seriously out of hand. She needed to
do something to stop him. The question was—what could she do?

Sighing, she pulled on yoga pants and a tight, stretchy tee
and headed to the kitchen. She’d start her day the way she always did, with a
glass of juice and a muscular power yoga workout. She figured that by the time
she’d showered, Garrett would be up and ready for breakfast…or something.

This happy thought carried her through the first twenty
minutes of her hour-long workout. She was panting hard through her nose and had
a nice sheen all over her body by the time the warm-up was over and the workout
began.

She was in a muscle-straining, down dog position, and so
deep into the zone that she didn’t even know he was there until she felt strong
hands on her hips and something long and hard against her butt. “So this is how
you stay in such great shape.”

Felicia started to stand up but he stopped her with a hand
at the small of her back. “No, stay there, I like this position.” His hands
skimmed the top of her loose-fitting pants and slid them down her hips. “I like
it a lot.”

Her soft pants puddled around her ankles. Felicia felt the
hard length of him against her exposed flesh. She groaned as he pulled her back
to snuggle against his engorged cock.

“What’s this position called?” His voice was raspy with
lust. He positioned himself between her thighs, the hard tip of his cock
nudging gently into her.

She sucked in a breath. “Down dog.”

“I can’t back down right now, honey, I’m in heat.” He drove
into her, hard and deep.

Felicia cried out with pleasure and deepened her dog to
bring him farther into her body.

The instructor on the DVD told her to keep breathing.

Felicia was panting.

He told her to deepen the position and hold.

Felicia did as she was instructed.

He didn’t tell her to fall screaming into an orgasm. But she
did that anyway.

Garrett groaned as her body milked his cock. He stopped
moving and gritted his teeth, holding off his own release by sheer force of
will.

When her body began to soften its hold on his cock, Garrett
grabbed one of her thighs and lifted it, sliding his engorged shaft more deeply
into her body.

Felicia reached between their legs and took his balls in a
gentle fist, squeezing rhythmically as he slowly and steadily built the heat
between them. Her thigh muscles were lean and taut from holding her balance and
the skin beneath his hands was smooth and moist from her workout.

Garrett ran his hands over her dewy skin and slid beneath
her light tee to find her unbound breasts. They filled his palms perfectly, a
sensual weight in his hands.

He dragged his shaft from her tight channel and pulled her
upright, capturing her soft lips in a hungry kiss. Felicia wrapped her arms
around his waist and ran her soft hands over his butt, grinding her belly
against his hard cock.

Garrett dropped to his knees and lifted her tee, pulling a
rigid, brown nipple into his mouth as his fingers sought the moist entrance to
her pussy. He inserted two fingers into the wet heat and found the nub of her
clitoris with his thumb. Felicia moaned, deep and husky as his fingers fucked
her silky channel.

His lips trailed down her belly, nipping and licking the
exquisitely soft flesh, and replaced his fingers on her pussy. Felicia cried
out as he covered her with his mouth, her hips arching and her hands tangling
in his hair to urge him on.

Garrett inhaled her spicy scent, his cock jumping hungrily
at the sweet, sensual aroma. He pulled the tiny bud of her clitoris into his
mouth and sucked it, feeling her body tense against the start of her orgasm.

Giving her one final suck, Garrett pulled her down and
covered her body with his, sliding his cock hard and deep into her already
pulsing pussy and sending her screaming into release again.

He slammed into her several more times and then threw back
his head and stiffened as his muscles locked into orgasm.

Felicia felt every jump of his hard flesh inside her body.
She shivered under the aftershocks of her own orgasm and sighed as Garrett’s
warm hands slid up her sides and cupped her breasts. He captured her mouth in a
sweet, tender kiss.

“I’ll never be able to teach a yoga class again without
getting a hard-on.”

Felicia made an outraged sound and smacked him. “You teach
yoga? You cad! You know what down dog is!”

Chuckling, Garrett nuzzled her neck. “I just wanted to hear
you say it.”

“Why?”

“So I could say, ‘Not now, bitch.’” He lifted off her. “You
know, like a female dog?”

She giggled. “But you didn’t say it.”

He stood up and pulled her to her feet. “I chickened out.”
Yanking her into his arms he placed a passionate kiss on her lips. “Now come
on.” He reached to turn the television off. “You don’t need this hack to do
yoga. I’ll teach you all my best moves.”

Felicia lifted an eyebrow at him. “That’s what I’m afraid
of. Will I even work up a sweat with your workout?”

He favored her with a slow, knee melting smile. “Oh yeah. I
guarantee you’ll be sweating…bitch.”

Felicia’s throaty laugh caused an immediate, strong reaction
in Garrett.

She lowered her gaze to the place where he’d reacted best.

“Mmm, my favorite position,” she said. “Up dog.”

Chapter Eight

Garrett’s cell rang that afternoon as he was helping Felicia
clean up the remains of a late lunch. They’d spent a wonderful day together,
making love and talking. Garrett was feeling more relaxed than he had in a long
time when he answered his phone. “Hello.”

“Why’d ya do it?” Giorgio’s voice was thick with hostility.

Garrett frowned. “Do what?”

“Don’t play stupid with me. I found your studio ID card in
the middle of the mess. How could you have done this to us? Penelope’s been
crying all morning. I’ve never seen her this upset.”

Garrett grabbed a towel and walked away from the sink.
“Giorgio, buddy, I don’t have a clue what you’re talking about. I spent the
night with a friend. I haven’t been near the studio since you let me go.”

He felt Felicia’s presence and turned. She was frowning a
question at him. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of
her head.

“You aren’t lyin’ to me, Garrett?”

“I swear to God I’m not lying, buddy. Now tell me what
happened.”

Giorgio sighed audibly. “Somebody trashed the studio last
night. Your studio is nearly destroyed. They pulled all the mats into the
center of it and set them on fire. The smoke in the place was toxic. One of the
cleaning crew who came in this morning has been taken to the hospital.”
Giorgio’s voice broke. “I don’t know how we’ll recover from this. There could
be lawsuits…”

“I’ll be right there.” Garrett hung up and gave Felicia a
quick kiss on the lips. “I need to go.”

“What’s wrong, Garrett? Who was that?”

“My old employer, at the yoga studio. Giorgio gave me my
start as an instructor. We go back a long way…” Garrett let the words trail
away, shaking his head. “Someone trashed the studio last night. He thought it
was me.” He turned to her and there was such pain in his eyes.

Felicia reached up and laid a hand on his cheek. “I want to
go with you.”

“Let’s go.”

* * * * *

From the outside the studio looked much the same as it
always had. Fire trucks still sat at the curb, lights flashing and hoses coiled
like rice noodles in a puddle-riddled parking lot.

But as soon as Garrett and Felicia entered the studio he
noticed the smell. It was the smell of burnt rubber.

“You can’t be in here!” A firefighter hurried toward them, a
mask over his face. “The air is toxic in here, folks.”

Garrett held up a hand. “I’m looking for the owner and the
manager.”

The man jerked his head. “They’re out back with the EMTs.”

“Thanks.”

Garrett took Felicia’s arm and pulled her gently back
outside. They walked around the side of the building to the back lot, where the
employees parked. It was the closest lot to the yoga studios.

The EMT van was just pulling out of the lot when they
rounded the corner of the building. Giorgio and Penelope were standing alone,
watching the van leave. Giorgio had his arm around Penelope’s shoulders and was
rubbing her arm briskly. They both turned as Felicia and Garrett walked up.

Penelope looked angry. Giorgio looked like he wasn’t sure
how to greet them.

Garrett walked over to Penelope and pulled her into a hug.
She held herself stiffly at first, but then started crying and hugged him back.
“Pene, you know I’d never do this.”

She sobbed once and then pulled away to wipe her face with
her sleeve. “I didn’t want to believe it, Garrett. But the graffiti…” She
sniffed. “You’re the only one we’ve fired in over a year…” She looked at the
ground and rubbed her arms, obviously uncomfortable.

Garrett glanced toward the building, “Graffiti? Where? In
the studio?”

“Yes.” Giorgio’s hands were shaking. He shoved them into his
pockets. Garrett had never seen him so upset.

“What did it say?”

Penelope glanced at the studio manager. Giorgio looked at
his shoes.

“Tell me, Giorgio.”

“All fired up and no place to go.”

Garrett swore softly. “I promise you, Penelope. Whoever did
this is not going to get away with it. I’ll make sure of that.”

Penelope was crying again.

Felicia made a small sound and Garrett turned to look at
her. She had tears in her eyes. “What’s the matter, honey?”

“Why didn’t you tell me Dave got you fired?”

Garrett opened his mouth to respond but the words wouldn’t
come. He’d been afraid she’d run. And looking into her eyes at that moment, he
was pretty sure he’d been right to be afraid.

Felicia turned away from him. She looked panicked. He knew
what she was probably thinking. Things were way out of control. Dave Foust was
ruining their lives. And she felt responsible because Foust was her friend.

“Felicia…” Garrett wrapped his arms around her from behind.

She jerked away. “No! This is all my fault. All of it.” She
turned to Penelope and Giorgio. “I’m so sorry!” She walked briskly away, toward
the front of the building.

Garrett called after her. “It’s not your fault, honey. It’s
that damn lawyer’s fault!”

Garrett started after her but Penelope grabbed his arm. “Let
her go, Garrett. She needs to come to grips with your relationship or it will
never work.”

He watched her go, his fists clenched against an enemy he
couldn’t fight. “She’s blaming herself for what that monster’s done. That’s
unacceptable!”

Giorgio stepped in front of him. “You think that lawyer guy
is behind this?”

“I know he is.”

“Then we need proof. So we can get the police involved.”

“I’ll get your proof.” Garrett stalked in the direction
Felicia had gone, fully intending to pay Dave Foust a visit.

* * * * *

Dave Foust finished the brief he’d been reviewing and slid
it back into the client’s folder. He swiped a hand over his face and stood,
moving to a small bar that was built into the mahogany bookshelves which took
up an entire wall of his office to pour himself a glass of brandy.

Pouring the expensive, amber liquid into a fine crystal
snifter, he carried it to the window overlooking the city. Indianapolis was
humming beyond the clean glass of the window, lights twinkling and sidewalks
teeming with nighttime revelers.

He sighed. The world played while he worked.

It was time he moved beyond his lust for one woman and found
someone more worthy of his well-regarded attention. Felicia was obviously a
terribly confused and even perverted individual. She would be an embarrassment
to him.