Red Hot Obsessions (91 page)

I hated Wright. I despised him with a passion, and the day he’d pay for his sins was coming. I’d build my strength, knowledge, and connections, and when the time was right, I’d strike back. I’d take his life with no evidence, just the way he took the lives of my unborn sister and my father. And I’d make sure he knew exactly who I was when I slit his throat. Payback was a bitch. And I was coming head on.

CHAPTER 4

At four a.m. on Tuesday morning, my eyes felt like someone had poured coffee in them. The door lock clicked and Laura came in from her night shift. She was wearing her sweats and her hair was still damp, which could only mean she’d had a rough night and used the showers at headquarters. Neither of us really liked showering at work. That place needed a major renovation. Her eyes were barely propped open and I could fall asleep standing just looking at her, even with what felt like my caffeine-filled veins. I wished I could switch places with her, knowing she’d pass out as soon as her head hit the pillow.

Lucky girl.

Ever since Tristan Cross had walked into the auditorium, I either couldn’t sleep, or I slept and dreamt about him. The restless nights imagining us together tortured me. During the few hours of sleep, his body became mine as I roamed the rippled fields of muscles I imagined on his abs. The six-pack narrowed into a perfect valley where I slid my tongue toward a glistening mushroom cap. The pink tip summoned my lips to taste it. I’d wake up drenched in my own sweet juices, all swollen from the onslaught of my fingers. The naughty things he did to me in my dreams left my limbs sore in the morning. How could someone tire you out through your dreams?

“Another sleepless night?” she asked.

“Yes.” I stretched out my arms, trying to infuse strength into them.

“Okay, what’s his name?” She threw down her duffle bag.

“What are you talking about?” I asked.

“You have that
I can’t stop thinking about him
look.” Laura grabbed a bottle of water and plopped down on the couch beside me.

There was a look?

“Just some work-related stuff.” I shrugged it off, remembering what made my friend such a good cop. Nothing could pass her by, and she’d figure it all out pretty soon. That is, if I didn’t spill my guts first.

“Hey, can I ask you a question?” I bit my lip.

“You're making me nervous, Allie. You’re confused and indecisive. That’s dangerous for work. Whatever’s troubling you, it needs to go away. I’ve never seen you this way before. Ask away.” She motioned with her hands for me to come closer, like a good priest to a parishioner ready for a confession.

I clasped my hands together in front of me, cracking my fingers. “Did you hear anything from Cross Enterprises about that job?”

“Yes, I called to follow up and was told the position had been filled already. I thought you didn’t apply?”

“I didn’t.” I slouched back. How could I have been so stupid? I should have filled out that application on the spot and visited my mother while I waited for the interview. And now Cross had hired someone else. I thought we had a connection. I thought he’d wait for me. Had I lost my only opportunity to get rid of Wright properly, without consequence? Worst of all, something hit me deep inside, and my chest deflated. Why did my heart feel shattered and empty? The idea of not seeing Cross again aggravated me more than I expected and I frowned.

“Looks like a life’s little regret.” She wrapped her arm around me. “Don’t worry, if you like we can go out next weekend to that club he owns, Kissed, and find us some hot-off-the-skillet men who’ll appreciate your boobs and maybe your ass as well.” She grinned with a wide smile, rubbing the side of my shoulder like a mother would. “Then we can hang off their beautiful biceps like monkeys while Cross burns in a pit fueled by his jealousy.”

As much as I wanted to deny it, the thought of making Cross jealous sounded appetizing. Except I didn’t want to hang off anyone’s bicep unless it belonged to Cross himself. Mr. D, my nightly entertainer stuck in the bottom drawer of my dresser, would see way more action tonight while I thought about Cross’s muscles, or more specifically, the only muscle that could satisfy my yearnings.

And now, I’d blown an opportunity to work for the perfect guy and might have also put my mother in more danger than necessary. Finding another means to get rid of Wright without a trace would not be easy. From my research Cross was my best bet, and now I’d blown it.

I fidgeted on the sofa, so she continued.

“If it’s any consolation, whoever got the job can’t possibly deserve it more than you do. It’s weird they’d want a bunch of rookies applying anyways, but I wouldn’t have minded learning a few things from the Cross brothers, if you know what I mean.” Her brows moved up and down suggestively. Any opportunity to feast our eyes on a hot man like Cross was like an all-you-can-eat buffet, serving nothing but sweets and deliciously filling carbs.

Laura, like me, was so focused on her career she had practically no chance for a personal life. Talking about going out to a night club was just that – talking. We’d never do it. We were either working or sleeping it off. We barely had time to cook or shop for bare necessities. Being on the bottom of the totem pole meant we picked up shifts no one else wanted, and worked in the most dangerous locations with the cruelest of civilization. She was the only one besides me at headquarters who held a black belt in more than one discipline, and to keep the titles, we trained a few times a week, giving special lessons at local karate clubs.

“You deserved it just as much as I did.”

“But it was a bit more important to you, on a personal level, wasn’t it?”

“Yes,” I admitted.

“Allie, whatever ghosts from the past are haunting your present, you need to either forget them or bury them in the past.”

Bury was exactly what I had in mind. The moment Wright’s body was buried, I could finally live in peace.

“I saw Tristan Cross on Friday night,” I blurted.

“Seriously?”

“He came to Mike’s and had a few shots with me, and then drove me home.”

“And?”

“That’s it.”

“You mean the hottest, richest, and sexiest bachelor in New York drove you home, and that’s it? Not to mention the man responsible for the hiring decision on the most sought-after job. You got the job, didn’t you? Oh no! You did him! Was it the
fuck me and it’s yours
kind of interview?”

I felt heat rush to my cheeks. She wasn’t too far off because that’s exactly what I wanted to do to Tristan Cross, and the only thing that had stopped me on Friday night was too much tequila. Cross didn’t strike me as the kind who took advantage of intoxicated women. And I knew he wanted it too. He had to. That twinkle in his eyes couldn’t be mistaken for anything other than
I want you, and I want it now
. My gauge had been off the charts that night.

“You think I’d stoop that low?” Actually, I would, but Laura didn’t have to know it.

“There's nothing wrong with using what God gave you to your advantage. Women have a difficult enough life as it is.”

And that was the answer to most of Laura’s worries. In my stripping days—yes, that’s how I’d paid my way through college—she’d said the exact same thing: flaunt what you have to get what you want.

“He didn’t really say it, but yes, I thought he wanted me for the job.”

“And what stopped him?”

“Paperwork; I hadn’t applied. I needed to visit my mother before I did, and now if the job is filled, it’s pointless. Everything is ruined.” I lowered my head between my knees.

“Maybe he’d change his mind if you at least told him you’re interested. Don’t let this opportunity pass. I bet if he found you once, he’ll find you again.” Then she added, “And if you do screw him, make sure you do it well and let me know all the details.”

Yeah, like that was going to happen. As much as my friend liked to gush about her erotic adventures and what’d she’d done with her new conquest of the month
à la quickie style
before or after work, I wasn’t too keen on hearing the details. At times it surprised me she didn’t leave little check marks on her four-poster bed. Laura said she had no time for a relationship and didn’t really like a buzzing vibrator, so a quickie was her only option.

And those were the times I was thankful we’d worked opposite shifts. At least I didn’t have to hear what was going on behind the wall. Although I didn’t really appreciate finding men’s underwear in our laundry basket. Yuck!

“I need to hit the pillow.” She pushed off the sofa and weaved between the furniture toward her bedroom.

I twisted my spine, releasing some pressure, and then tied my hair in an elastic band and pulled on a pair of sweats. The gym was only four blocks away, so I jogged there. A promise of snow lingered in the air, and I had a feeling we’d have an early winter. Tomorrow, I’d drive to visit my mother in South Carolina. I’d check out the local stores and shops and watch her apartment for a couple of days to see whether Wright was staking it out. If he was, it was time to move again. And somehow, I’d have to find a new plan to get rid of him. That is, if Cross had really hired someone else.

Inside the gym, I worked through four reps of crunches, push ups, and squats – my warm-up routine. My muscles began to ache, but in a good way. The sweat dripped down my back and I stepped up on the treadmill, cranking it up to full speed within minutes; or at least as fast as my legs could take me. The gym was still empty, for most part, smelling of fresh aloe and baking soda. Exercising in the morning, before the rush of sweaty armpits, was a better remedy than the tequila. And I could have sworn the liquor was still evaporating from my pores.

Someone turned on the machine beside me. I kept up my pace, concentrating on the protein drink advertisement ahead. The smell of musk and Old Spice wafted around me, and I knew it was a man on the other treadmill. Why so close to me? Why not use a machine further down the aisle? I finally gave in to my curiosity, reduced the speed, and turned to my right. My brows narrowed into a frown.

I shouldn’t have been surprised. There he was, in his “I’m the sexiest man alive” red shorts that reminded me of the ones hunky H&M models wore enticing women to shop in the store. I tried to imagine the soft flesh underneath Cross’s shorts and wondered how fast I could make him hard. The thought disappeared as soon as he caught me staring, and I felt my cheeks heat up.

“You’re following me.” I tried to divert his attention.

Cross jogged in a slow warm-up, grinning. “It’s a public gym.”

“I’ve been coming here for two years and never seen you.”

“Because I choose when I want to be seen, Allie. Good morning, Cole.” He waved to one of the trainers.

Either Cross knew everyone in town, or he did come here and I hadn’t seen him. But instinct told me it was too much of a coincidence for him to be here at five in the morning. Was this the chance Laura spoke about?

“You’re making me wait a long time. Why haven’t you applied yet?” he asked.

“I’ve heard the position’s been filled.”

The frown on his face told me he hadn’t been expecting this. I had caught him off guard. “It’s not filled. It’s just waiting for the right applicant.”

Could it really be possible? Was Tristan Cross still waiting for me to apply? A spark of hope ignited in my chest and then weaved down my body to heat the most sensitive places. Perhaps all was not lost. The details of the mysterious job of a hooker surged my curiosity to its highest. I was almost sure he’d been kidding the other day.

As much as I didn’t want to play the hard-to-get type, even for a job, I had a feeling Cross liked to be kept on his toes. “All good things come to those who wait. Is there a deadline?”

“The sooner the better, Allie. I’m a patient man, but the job requires specific training and it’s time-sensitive.”

I yanked the safety string that tied me to the treadmill and it slowed my run to a halt. “What training? What’s my deadline?” I lowered my hands to my hips, controlling my breathing.

“When was the last time you practiced your karate?”

“Is there anything you don’t know about me?”

“Your bra size,” he said, shamelessly eyeing my cleavage.

The comment tingled deep between my legs, turning my limbs into strings of gummy worms. A bit more flirting on his part and there’d be a little pool in my panties. But I wouldn’t give in. Cross must have had plenty of women to fulfill his needs. I was just another fish in a pond, and one with more important goals than sleeping with this gorgeous man. Was this part of his test to see whether we could work together without the obvious attraction getting in the way?

Still, something inside me wondered how far he was willing to go, so I replied, “36 C.”

“That’s what I thought.”

“Cocky a bit?” I stepped off the machine.

“I guess you’ll have to wait and see.” Both of his brows moved up and down suggestively.

“You’re unbelievable.”

“I know. And I’m glad you know it, too. Have you always been a tease, Allie? Or is it just for me?”

I grabbed my water bottle. “What?”

“You say one thing but mean something else. I can see the way your body’s reacting to me.”

I knew my nipples hardened and my skin tightened in knots every time I saw Cross. How could they not? I was still a woman in her prime with bursting hormones, but I never dreamed he’d noticed. The control I usually had over my reactions seemed ineffective when Cross was around, and I made a mental note to relieve myself before the next time I saw him. Except at this point I wasn’t sure when that would be, as he was popping out of thin air all the time. Mr. D would once again see its happier days.

“Like you never say
anything
without a double meaning.” I rolled my eyes and loosened my clinging shirt. The patches of sweat probably decorated the fabric under my armpits and on my back.

“I know I do. Let’s try this. Are you attracted to me, Allie?” He leaned against the machine. The casual way he spoke made me a bit nervous. Like he was just another guy.

I took a sip of water, noting how nicely Cross’s shorts outlined the curve underneath the loosened strings.

“Well, that’s a little forward, isn’t it?”

“In my business I don’t have time to waste time.”

“I can’t deny you’re a good-looking man, but you already know that.”

“Do you know how gorgeous you are? How nicely your tits bounce when you run?”

“Seriously? That’s sexual harassment.” I walked toward the exercise room on the other side of the gym where Cole usually taught the Pilates and Zumba classes. Cross followed alongside, and I had no doubt he was checking out my behind because my ass swayed from side to side like it wanted all the attention for itself.