Tickled Pink (2 page)

Chapter One

Couples that go to jail together…

“You are nothing but a menace to society!” Toni glared at the sleek black, latest of the latest Mercedes Benz, turning onto the street. The screech of tires at the red light a block down and the faint thud of base blowing out very expensive speakers had warned her of the cars near arrival.

It was also five o’clock, the time when the driver of the vehicle in her crosshairs came home from wherever he went. No woman would behave as if chased by a demon with horsepower, and all to the sound of…was that eighties rap music? Thus, the driver had to be a male with a fast, expensive car, and music cranked louder than a Kiss concert. He was clearly trying to overcompensate for the short protruding part between his legs.

The black vehicle picked up speed and Toni dropped her attention to the golf ball on her balcony. “I’ll get that bastard to slow down yet.”

She brought her golf club back and swung. Her gaze followed the ball as it sailed through the air. It would, no doubt, land on the grass with the others across the street. However, like the many that had gone airborne before, the sudden movement in front of the windshield of the reckless individual always resulted in them braking. Either way, she had done her part to reduce speeding on her street and saving the lives of the kids who played there, even if it was only in her mind.

The wind picked up slightly and the golf ball descended sooner than usual. The Mercedes was going faster than most cars. The sound of glass splintering echoed through the early evening air as the speeding white missile made contact with the back passenger window.

“Oh hell!” She cringed as the vehicle screeched to a halt directly in front of her house. Slowly, she tucked the golf club behind her back and waited.

The car door swung open and the driver climbed out. Yep, he was male all right, only she’d never pictured him to be so hot. His handsome face scowled at her and he looked…well…angry.

So, he had every right to be mad, but he shouldn’t have been speeding. Technically, he had brought the shattered window on himself. At least that was her story and she was sticking to it.

“Are you just going to stand there or you going to stop playing Juliet and get off the balcony?” He might have had a sexy voice if he wasn’t yelling at her. Hard to tell, but where did he get off comparing her to a Shakespearean damsel? The hotty in the expensive suit was obviously overreacting, and it was high time she set the record straight.

“Well you certainly aren’t Romeo screaming like a raving maniac.” She rested her golf club in the corner of the balcony next to the steel bucket of balls she kept on standby for people who insisted on tearing up the street as if it was their own personal racetrack.

Toni stomped back into her bedroom, down the hall and quickly made her way to the first floor. She paused with her hand wrapped around the cool brass doorknob of the front entrance.  Could she tell him it was just an accident? No the several attempts over weeks past that had sailed over his car roof undoubtedly made it pre-meditated. Or did they only use pre-meditated when it came to murder?

Loud chimes filled her ears and didn’t stop. The doorbell had to be stuck because it kept on clanging. She tore open the door to notice a strong finger poking at it repeatedly. “What the hell are you doing? I heard you the first time you rang.”

The man from the car spun and glared at her. Her lungs froze instantly. Her head went light with fuzziness, most likely from lack of oxygen and her eyes rested on the hottest man she had ever seen. Mr. Tall, Dark and Handsome turned out to be even better looking up close than from a distance. The fact did nothing to ease her suddenly racing heart.

“What the hell were you thinking, aiming at my car like some mad women?”

Well, he had a good thing going—until he opened up his mouth and spoke. She sighed. How man like of him. “I was thinking you were a menace to society and needed to be stopped before you killed innocent children and defenseless animals.”

His sapphire blue eyes darkened beneath his mega long black eyelashes. “What kind of person do you think I am?” he growled.

She winced at the roar of temper he had annunciated every word with. “Well for starters, I think you have anger issues, but do you really want me to answer that question?”

He pursed his lips and inhaled a sharp breath. “I don’t have anger issues; forgive me if I’m slightly irritated over the fact you shattered my car window. You’re the
menace
with that weapon of yours.”

“Don’t stand on my front step and yell at me. You’ve torn down this street for the last month with reckless abandon in order to reinforce to your ego that you’re a real man. Maybe it isn’t anger issues you have but an attempt to hide your insecurity.”

His mouth dropped open in shock. He looked somewhat cute with that horrified look on his face, and to the raging hotty’s credit; he did have a nice mouth. His arms flailed heavenward then slapped against his suit covered thighs. “Insecurity? Do you have any idea who I am?”

“No, but I don’t think you’ll like my answer on that either, so let’s put that question on the same list as the last one you asked.”

His eyes widened. It wasn’t hard to miss that he was taken aback by her comebacks. “I’m not hiding any insecurity.”

“No, my guess is your pants zipper does the job just fine. Now, are we going to discuss your wee little problem”—she held her pointer finger and thumb up an inch apart to emphasize her statement—“or are you going to demand I pay for the damages to your window, when clearly it was your fault the window got broken in the first place?”

“You will be paying for the damages.”

“And you might want to move your car from the middle of the street,” she politely suggested.

“Don’t tell me what to do!” he snapped at her. “Instead, tell me how you will be paying for this. I know where you live.”

“Well, I’m sure the officers getting out of the sheriff’s car behind your fancy car will tell you the same thing.” She smiled and shrugged at the horror washing over his face. “You’re blocking traffic.”

He turned and cast a glance to the street, and watched the two officers walking up the sidewalk. “Thank God! I have a crime to report.”

Toni smiled at the officers, an old one and a young one. Too bad they weren’t priests; she was positive the man in the Armani suit, ranting like a lunatic, needed an exorcism.

“Sir, is that your car in the middle of the street?”

“Yes, actually. I was—”

“Could we see your license and registration please?” The older officer hitched his pants up, and then hooked his thumbs on his belt while he waited for the man on her step to hand over the required items.

The hot-tempered hotty reached in his pocket for his wallet and removed his permit to drive. If the police were smart they would cut it to pieces. However, Toni decided to remain quiet. “The registration is in the car. I need to go get it.”

The younger officer made a stop signal with one hand and took the license with the other. “No. You need to stay here and away from the vehicle.” He turned to Toni, and with a serious expression, ask her, “We heard yelling when we approached—this man isn’t being abusive is he?”

Toni glanced at the handsome man who narrowed his gaze as if in warning. She turned back to the officer and shook her head. “No, I think he’s just having an emotional breakdown. Possibly forgot to take his meds for neurotic behavior.”

“I’m not on medication nor am I neurotic. I’m perfectly fine.” He all but barked at Toni.

“Right,” noted the older officer. “That’s why you left your brand new Mercedes in the middle of the street still running.” He leaned in closer. “Have you been drinking?”

The good-looking guy tugged at his over-priced and rather ugly tie. “It’s five o’clock in the afternoon. Of course not.”

“Right,” the older officer exchanged a doubtful look with the younger one. “I’ll get the registration and run our new friend’s name.” He glanced at the card in his hand. “Richard Bryson.”

“That would be me.”

The older officer glanced up and studied him. “Any relationship to Judge Bryson?”

Richard heaved a sigh and shook his head. A displeased expression crossed his handsome face. “He’s my father.”

“Right,” the older officer responded, again not believing, and then turned to his partner. “I’ll be back; find out why these two decided to create the public disturbance.” He walked away and the young officer turned to her.

“Ladies first.”

Toni smiled and nodded. “Well technically I wasn’t in public. I was on my balcony.”

“Yeah and taking aim at my vehicle with that golf ball of yours.”

She turned to Richard. “You shouldn’t be speeding down this street. It’s residential, children live along here. Children and small animals.”

“Miss, could I please get your name?”

She turned to the officer. “Antonia Deluca.”

He scribbled the name down then glanced up. “Go on.”

“Well, I was on my balcony practicing my golf swing and one of the balls accidentally hit the back window of this man’s car.”

“Accidentally,” Richard exclaimed, with a mocking laugh. She didn’t appreciate his sarcasm but did admire the deep dimples on either side of his firm mouth. “You’ve been taking aim at me for the last two weeks.”

“Not exactly. I’ve been sending you warnings to slow down. Which you’ve chosen to ignore while trying to prove your gas pedal works.”

“Enough!” The officer barked and both she and Richard focused on the young officer. “So you have been aiming at the vehicle with golf balls?”

“They usually sail right over. I use a great lob wedge. A Christmas gift from my father.”

“You broke my window!” Richard fumed.

“I think you have bigger problems,” she informed him darting a glance around him.

“And how do you figure that?”

She blinked at the hotty. “Because a second police car just showed up with a tow truck.”

The older officer walked over and shook his head. “Well, it’s a good thing I ran your name. You certainly are popular.”

What the…?

“You’re a wanted criminal?” she asked Richard in shock. Wow, you really couldn’t tell about people.

“Don’t be ridiculous! Of course not.” He glared at her with a menacing expression.

Had she just pissed off an axe murderer? She took in his expensive suit and tacky designer tie. He didn’t look the type, but then again neither did Christian Bale in
American Psycho
—Christian had better ties though.

The older officer turned to the younger one. “Well?”

“Apparently, Ms. Deluca here is a repeat offender of California Vehicle Code 23110.”

“Wait a minute,” Toni stammered. “I wasn’t the popular one. He was.” She pointed to Richard even though she knew it was bad manners.

“Then they’ll both be going in.”

“Going where?” both she and Richard asked in unison.

The younger officer tucked the small notebook back into his pocket while the older officer retrieved his cuffs from behind him. “Richard Bryson, you’re under arrest for outstanding bench warrants in regards to unpaid tickets.”

“Those were paid.”

“Right…that’s what they all say.” The older officer took no pity and proceeded to cuff Richard. You have the right to remain silent—”

“Good luck with that,” Toni interjected, speaking before thinking.

The younger officer stepped toward her and closed the distance. “Antonia Deluca, you’re being charged in violation of California Vehicle Code 23110.”

Oh hell no!

“You have the right to remain silent—”

“Fat chance of that.” Richard offered with a malicious grin.

The officer continued to Mirandize her as the cuffs went around her wrists. This couldn’t be happening. “But I wasn’t even in a vehicle.”

“No, but any person who throws anything at a vehicle or occupant of a vehicle while the vehicle is being operated is guilty of a misdemeanor. It’s a felony if injury is caused to the driver.”

“The only thing injured was the driver’s ego,” she stammered as the officer grabbed her upper arm. “Besides I didn’t throw the ball; it was nudged with my golf club.”

“Same thing.” The officer grinned. “But maybe when this is over, you’ll let me take you out to dinner.”

He was kind of cute. “Maybe. If my father doesn’t kill me.”

She sighed as she was led toward one of the police cars. Oh yeah, her dad would be furious over this—after all she was only the Assistant District Attorney’s daughter.

Not good. Not good at all.

Richard couldn’t believe he was sitting in a holding cell. He had no luck lately, none whatsoever, between work, his parents and now this. All because of the infuriating woman with the pink streak in her hair. Well, she’d certainly gotten her just desserts, considering she too sat in a holding cell. The image of the golf ball shooting Juliet came to mind. Her long tanned legs in the cut offs and her fitted t-shirt revealed her great body, but despite being pretty, she had to be off in the head—who took aim at cars like that?