Protecting Lyndley (8 page)

Ky

Lyndley seemed to lighten up quite a bit by the time we got back to the brownstone. We didn’t talk a whole lot, but she seemed at ease once we were away from the park. I wasn’t quite sure who the guy was or even if he was someone we needed to worry about, but I made sure to get a good look at him so I could further investigate him, if need be.

As soon as we got home Lyndley and I both headed up to take showers
so we wouldn’t be late for work. Now here I stood, towel clad staring at her closed bathroom door across the hall,
wishing
I had it in me to break the code and go after what I wanted. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel the intense sexual tension between us in the park earlier. And now I could think of nothing but taking her and claiming her as mine.

Lyndley was a mystery to me
, and even more of a challenge, and that in its self, had me yearning for even just a small piece of her. I was instantly brought out of my revelry when I noticed her bathroom door crack open a smidge. I was leaning back against my counter, hands propped up on either side of my exposed upper body, just waiting for her to catch a glimpse. Maybe that would be all she needed to finally succumb to her desire for me.

When she didn’t emerge from the bathroom, I decided to turn around and do my hair. I could see into her bathroom in the mirror, and a few seconds later
,
I
got a little bit more than I was bargaining for. I was in the middle of running some pomade through my hair when I caught sight of her gorgeous exposed backside.

She was running the towel through her long tresses and my eyes couldn’t help but stare at her toned muscles moving
against her taut skin. Her hair fell to her back, settling just above her ass, and oh what a glorious ass it was. You could definitely tell that she worked out on a regular basis. My eyes were scanning down the length of her legs when she suddenly turned.

My mouth dropped open as my hands fell to the towel wrapped around my waist. Her perfectly large breasts
were the first to catch my attention, and I traced every curve, committing them to memory for later if need be. My eyes fell below her belly button, slowly making their way to her lady bits, but before I could get a good enough view, I heard a gasp.

My eyes shot up to hers and her face flushed every shade of red I could imagine. Before she had a chance to react badly, I turned back around and went about my business. I could feel my erection press against the counter as I finished doing my hair, and it was taking everything in me to not close my door and finish
myself off before work. But truth be told, I was almost positive I would be referencing the visions of Lyndley at a later date.

I glanced at my watch and realized that we didn’t have much time left to head out, so I quickly dressed and made my way downstairs. Lyndley was nowhere to be seen, and I could only assume that she was embarrassed and wasn’t quite r
eady to come down just yet. Fortunately for me, I was wrong. While I poured both of us a cup of coffee, Lyndley came strutting into the kitchen wearing an outfit that left
very
little to the imagination.

“What are you wearing?” I growled.
My possessive nature immediately took over.

“Would you prefer I wear what I just had on?” She laughed.

God, her laugh could brighten any day and I loved hearing it. “Um, no. I
would
prefer you to wear something less revealing though.”

“Well then, I guess it’s a good thing you’re not
really
my husband, huh? Maybe then, I would have to listen, or at least take your opinion into consideration.”

My face fell in shock.
I had no idea where her playfulness was coming from, but I liked it. “Guess it’s a good thing I’m not then.” I whispered just below her ear as I passed by her, coffee in hand. I could see her body physically react to me and I took pleasure in knowing that I was responsible for that with just a few little words.

“You ready to go?” She was already halfway out the door when she asked.

“I guess so.” I muttered.

I was expecting a mundane and silent car ride as usual, but to my surprise she started up a conversation with me.

“Hey, you never told me where you were this morning.”

It wasn’t really the question I was hoping for, but I guess it would suffice.
“Oh. I ran over to the store to make sure it was safe, seeing as you’ll be by yourself.”

“Oh.”

“You look nice today, Lyndley.” I was hoping that paying her a compliment would bring out more conversation.

“Thanks. You don’t look too shabby either, Wakely.”

I pulled up to the curb next to the boutique smiling and shaking my head. “Have a good day, dear.” I joked.

“You too, honey.” Her laugh filled the car before she shut the door
and that in itself would make my day decent.

I waited long enough to make sure she made it inside okay, before I headed to the office.
Going to work was the absolute last thing I wanted to do today, but it would appear that the things I
wanted
to do, weren’t necessarily the best things for me. On top of wanting to get to know Lyndley better, I was also dying for a drink. I had been trying to be a good boy for Lyndley’s sake, but deep down all I wanted was to get drunk and forget it all.

I made sure to head straight back to my office without even glancing in Sheena’s direction. As much as I loved pissing off my “boss” there were other things I needed to be focused on today. I thought I was clear from her, when suddenly she poked her head into my office.

“Morning, Mr. Parker.”

Here voice was
like nails on a chalkboard. “Good Morning, Sheena.” I tried to pay her no mind as I went about pretending I was answering emails. Unfortunately, she didn’t catch the hint. Instead, she sauntered over to my desk and sat very provocatively on the corner.

“So, you and the wife have any plans for the weekend?” It took everything in me not to roll my eyes at her blatant flirting.

“Not sure yet. I think we might get out of the city for a few days.” It was a lie, but the idea was enticing to me nonetheless.

“Sounds romantic. Your wife is one lucky lady.”

“I’m sure she would agree with you.” Or not, I honestly didn’t know. “Well I’ve got a ton of work to do, so if ya don’t mind.”

She slowly and deliberately uncrossed her legs so I could see
up her skirt before she stood to leave. “Guess I’ll let ya get to it then.”

Once my office door was firmly closed behind her, I let out a loud sigh of relief. That girl was trouble with a capital T, and after the threat from her husband, I really wasn’t willing to blow my cover just to deal with his old ass. I grabbed my phone from my inside jacket pocket and dialed Tom.

“Wakely? What’s going on?”

“Just wanted to let you know that I went to the boutique this morning and installed so
me private security cameras. I now have a live feed that I can check anytime on my phone.”

“Good work, Wakely. Now we just sit back and wait to see if anything happens.”

“Tom?”

“Yeah?”

“Have you heard anything about Lyndley’s family?” I knew Tom would question why I was asking, but for now the less he knew, the better.

“I have a police detail on their house, watching them around the clock. So far, nobody has shown up and all seems good. Why the sudden interest in her family?”

“No reason, just covering my basis and keeping her informed.”

“Let’s hope that’s the only reason. You know better than to fall for a witness.”

“Trust me Tom, that’s the last thing on my mind. I can barely stand the girl as it is.”

“For your sake, I hope so.
”

“I’ll check in with you again tomorrow. See ya.”

As I hung up the phone, the sudden urge to chuck it across the room hit me, but I restrained myself from doing so. Like I didn’t know what was at stake if Lyndley and me were to get together. If Tom only knew that her safety was my first priority.

The rest of the day passed by at a glacial pace and I found myself counting down the minutes until I had to pick up Lyndley. I had been checking my phone periodically throughout the day to see how she was doing at the boutique, and so far nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Just as the clo
ck hit six, I packed up my briefcase and headed out of the office.

Sheena was no longer at her desk, so I took this as my chance to get out of here without another run in.
I pressed the elevator button and waited impatiently for the doors to open. Just as they did, Sheena suddenly appeared at my side.

“Mind if I ride down with you?”

I knew there was a far bigger meaning behind her words, but I was determined to stay away from her. “It’s not my elevator, so by all means.” I waved for her to step in before me. Once the doors closed, I silently prayed that she would keep her distance. I kept my focus straight ahead, but found myself startled when I felt her hand grabbing my ass.

“Just as tight as I suspected.”

I backed away from her and put my hand up for her to stop. “Look Sheena you’re a very beautiful girl, but your husband would have my ass if he caught us together.”

She slowly walked towards me as she began unbuttoning her practically see through blouse. “I see the way you look at me, Mr. Parker. I know you feel it between us too. Sometimes you have to just give yourself over to the desire and feed the hunger that I know consumes you.”

She took her finger and slid it down her neck and into her cleavage that was now staring me in the face. I could smell her jasmine lotion that she used on a constant basis, and as much as I didn’t want to, I couldn’t help but fantasize about what it would be like to push her up against the elevator doors and have my way with her.

I moved a step closer to her, closing the distance between
us, as I looked her right in the eye. “You wouldn’t know what to do with a guy like me, Blondie.”

“That’s where you’re wrong. I would know exactly what to do with a man like you. You have no idea what I’m capable of, Mr. Parker.”

I could feel her warm breath against my skin as she pressed her breasts to my chest, her hardened nipples poking through her blouse. I lowered my lips below her ear and wrapped one arm around her waist, pulling her flush against my semi-hard erection. “I would break you in two. Don’t tempt me.” I growled.

Just then the doors slid open to the parking garage. “You’re not thinking about leaving me this way, are you?”

I had already gone limp just thinking about how easy she was. Little did she know that I needed a challenge when it came to women, and she most certainly was not a challenge. “I believe I am Mrs. Moore. Have a good rest of the evening.”

Before she could respond, I was already halfway to my car and all t
houghts had turned to Lyndley. As I pulled out of my parking space, I glanced back to see if Sheena was still standing there. Sure enough, there she stood, blouse still undone and a look of disgust on her face. I smirked in her direction as I drove past her and out of the garage to go pick up my wife.

Lyndley

All day Ky had consumed my thoughts. I was surprised I was actually able to help customers due to my lack of concentration. Every time I closed my eyes, visions of his bare muscular chest and toned abs took over and I found myself struggling to bring myself back down to reality. Since last night the lines had been blurred and every word he said since then, just further confused me.

I glanced up at the clock behind the register
as I headed back to the fitting rooms, realizing that it was almost closing time. A wide smile settled in across my face and I hoped it was a permanent expression that I would have from here on out. I knew the dangerous situation I was in and the negative ramifications if anything were to happen between the two of us, but I was slowly getting to a point where the risk would be worth it. At least in my eyes it would be.

I was busy gathering clothing when the bell above the door chimed, alerting me to a customer. I quickly grabbed the rest of the empty hangers and clothing and made my way back out front.

“Hi, welcome to Fashionably Yours. I’ll be with you in just one second.” I couldn’t see the person that had just walked in, so I shouted my greeting as I placed the clothing in my hands down on the far counter towards the back of the store. I turned and started making my way back up front when I stopped dead in my tracks.

I could feel all the blood drain
from my face and my heart start frantically beating right out of my chest. “Hi, can I help you with something?”

“Actually, yes.” He took a few steps in my direction, closing the distance between us. “I’m gonna go ahead and assume that you remember me?”

“Yeah. I mean yes, I do. How did you know I worked here?” I was having a hard time catching my breath and every word I spoke cracked with nervousness.

“I didn’t. I was walking past and figured I would come in and see if I could find something for my wife.” His eyes still hadn’t dropped their gaze from my face.

“Well, what sort of things does she like?” I was stalling. I had no idea who this man was, but the fact that he just so happened to stumble upon my store was more than just coincidence. My feet were still firmly planted in place, as I waited for a response from him.

“Oh, you know.”

“No, I’m afraid I don’t.” My breathing was starting to even out as I tried my damndest to keep my composure. I started to make my way over to a rack of clothing near the front window just to be safe. At least this way, anybody passing by could see us.

I silently prayed that he wouldn’t follow, but I wasn’t that lucky. His footsteps fell in line with mine and it took everything in me not to take off running for my life. Instead, I took in a deep cleansing breath and turned back to him.

“She likes dresses, um…” He was waiting for me to say my name so he could address me.

Don’t say Lyndley! Don’t say Lyndley! I had to repeat this to myself at least five times before I finally answered. “Sarah. My name is Sarah.”

“Well Sarah, it’s a pleasure to meet you, again. I’m Lorenzo.” He held out his hand for me to take it.

I hesitated a moment before I forced myself to reach out for his in return. “Nice to meet you as well, Lorenzo.” His hand squeezed my hand abnormally tight, but soon let go. “So dresses, huh? I have a lot of those. Does she have a favorite color?” I slowly made my way past the register and over to the wall of dresses in various colors.

“Blue, she likes the color blue. The same as your eyes, which are very beautiful I might add.”

I was thrown off a bit by his compliment given the fact that I totally forgot that I was forced to wear blue color contacts to hide my green eyes. “Thank you.” I half whispered as I reached for a blue maxi dress. “What about this one?”

“Gorgeous.”

I wasn’t sure if he was speaking about the dress, or me, but either way this guy was really starting to creep me out.
“So yes to this one?” Please just take the dress and go already, I thought to myself.

“Yes. I believe I’ll take that one.”

“Perfect. Is there anything else I can do for you tonight?” I instantly regretted my words the minute I spoke them. I walked behind the register and began ringing Lorenzo up. I made sure to take in everything I could about what this man looked like, if he had tattoos or any distinctive marks on his face or exposed forearms. When I had seen him in the park this morning, I was too busy freaking out to get a good look. This time I wasn’t about to have Ky drill me about it, and
not
have all my facts straight. “That’ll be ninety four dollars and eighty three cents. Will that be cash or charge?” I secretly wished it would be charge so I would have a record of his visit.

“Charge. Do you take American Express?”

I glanced up at him with a smile. “Sure do.”

He slid his card across the counter to me and I happily snatched it up and ran it through, making sure to look at the name before returning it. I slid the card back in his direction and when his fingers lightly grazed mine, I was suddenly extremely sick to my stomach. I quickly pulled back and ripped the receipt from the printer.

“I just need you to sign this one, Mr. Gonzalez.” When I addressed him, his head shot up and a perplexed look settled into his face. He scribbled his name and left the paper on the edge of the desk.

“Thank you for all your help, Sarah. Maybe I’ll see you in the park again sometime.”

Every time he spoke my stomach turned and made me want to throw up right where I stood. “You’re very welcome, Lorenzo. Have a great night.”

“Until tomorrow.” He smiled and gave a small wave as he started walking out of the boutique.

I watched him meticulously, memorizing his walk and build as he strolled by the front window and then out of sight. I let out an audible sigh and bent over the counter covering my head. My adrenaline was through the roof and I was having a hard time catching my breath. A few seconds later, the bell chimed again and I shot straight up where I stood. When I saw Ky’s face come into view, relief washed over me.

“Everything okay?” He started coming closer, but I held up my hand for him to stop where he was.

“I just need a minute, please.” My warning had no effect on Ky, because was instantly at my side.

“Sarah, what happened?”

“I don’t know for sure. I don’t even know if it was anything at all. It was…well…maybe I’m just being paranoid.”

His hands grasped my shoulders, holding me still in front of him so I was forced to look at him. “Sarah, what the hell happened?” He spoke slowly, making sure I understood every word he said.

I shrugged out of his grasp and went to the back to hang up the clothes I left back there. Surprisingly enough, Ky didn’t follow me. When I looked back in his direction he was pacing in front of the front window, pushing his hands back through his hair in irritation. I didn’t want to push him any further, so I quickly hung the clothes up on the go back rack and went to close down the register.

“Can we please go home now?”

Without a single word, Ky walked to the door and held it open for me. I locked up quickly and when I turned to walk with Ky to his car, he was already inside. Now I was irritated. He could see that I was physically shaken, but because he only ever worried about his damn self, he didn’t hold my door open for me like he always did. Fine, two can play at this game.