Worst Date Ever (Scandals #3) (12 page)

It was over much too quickly.  His arms were braced on each side of me and I discovered I liked being trapped in the protective circle of his presence.  I saw in his eyes desire…and confusion.  He clearly hadn’t expected such a strong reaction either.

“I’ve been wanting to do that all night,” he whispered, his voice husky.

“I’m glad you did,” I answered back, my own voice soft and shaky.  “But maybe coming to your place tonight isn’t such a good idea.”

He reached up and traced a finger down my cheekbone, along my jawline and around my mouth.  “I think it’s the best idea I’ve ever had.  Meet me in the lobby?”

My brain reminded me that this was a business meeting.  My heart told me to run far, far away and never come back.  My body was a complete traitor and just wanted more of everything Cody had to offer, regardless of the consequences.  I knew I shouldn’t, but I told him, “Sure, I’ll see you there.”  
 

CHAPTER NINE

Residents parked in the safety and security of the underground garage and visitors got the walk-of-shame opportunity in full public view from the open, ground-level parking lot.  Then again, my reason to be here was not to put myself in a position of humiliation, but to gain information. At least at this time of night, there were spaces available, so I parked in the visitor’s area, locked the car and walked around to the front of the building.

Through the glass doors I could see the elevator from the parking garage open and Cody walk out into the brightly lit lobby toward me.  I drew in a deep, steadying breath while I waited for him to open the glass door from the inside.  Apparently, after hours the doors were locked to everyone except residents or people with a pass card.  Out of the corner of my eye I saw a dark car slow down to a crawl as it passed the building.  I glanced around, but before I could get a good look, the driver hit the accelerator and sped off.

Cody noticed my distraction.  “Is anything wrong?”

“Not sure.  Somebody in that black car almost came to a stop in front of the building, then when I spotted them, they took off.”

“Which black car?”  He looked up and down the now deserted street.

“Never mind…let’s go inside.”  I was just a little jumpy about tonight.

Cody pushed the elevator call button.  “Not the private ride like some people.” He glanced over at Michael’s penthouse elevator door.  Our doors opened, and we stepped inside.  It was larger than Michael’s but no less attractively decorated with paneled walls on three sides, glass on the back and beautiful veined marble on the floor and ceiling.  Apparently, even the lower floors got to enjoy the luxury of the building.

He pressed floor number 14.  “It’s as high as I could go without paying the ridiculous price for the penthouse.  Besides, Michael beat me to it.”  He flashed that sexy crooked grin.

The elevator arrived at floor 14 and we exited.  “First door to the left.”  Cody stopped in front of a biometric scanner that focused on his right eye.  A low energy infrared light lit up and the door lock clicked open. He turned the knob and stood aside so I could enter first.

“That’s so cool…holy shit, Cody!”  As soon as I stepped into the foyer, the condo lights turned on, classical music began playing and the largest curved screen TV I’d ever seen turned on.

“I like gadgets.”

My eyes focused immediately on an elaborate setup in the corner of the living room that consisted of an “L” shaped desk covered with monitors and every imaginable computer accessory including keyboards, game controllers, cameras and microphones.

“Holy cow, this is like a Best Buy store.  Four screens?  Really?”

“No, afraid not…I just work.  Show me.” In spite of my mission, I was truly interested in the fun part of his set up.

He leaned into another biometric scanner and the lights focused on his retina. All four screens immediately came to life with amazing clarity.  “How about another Hans Pil?” he asked.

“Great.”  I tore myself away from the computer nirvana and followed him into the ultra-modern kitchen.  In the back of my mind I was trying to figure out a work-around on how to break into a system that relies on a retinal scan…especially when it wasn’t my retina.

“Want a chilled mug?” He took two bottles out of the fridge.

“Bottle’s fine.”  He opened them and handed me one.  I looked around, impressed by everything I saw.  There wasn’t a lot of furniture, so it had the flavor of a bachelor’s pad, but the rooms were large with windows all along one wall, tall ceilings and polished wood floors.  “How big is this place?”

“Right at 3,000 square feet…master bedroom, media room, one guest room, dining room, some bathrooms and you saw what I did to my living room.”  He pointed in the general direction of all the various rooms as he listed them.

“Great view up here.” I took my beer and drifted into the living room.  The lights from some hotels, restaurants and apartment towers were reflected in the black glassy surface of Lady Bird Lake.  I could see the lot I was parked in below us and people walking along the streets.

I felt Cody step up behind me.  He put his hand on my shoulder and gently massaged that spot where my muscles were always knotted and sore.  “You’re tense…everything okay?”

His voice was like honey in my ear.  My traitorous body reacted to his touch…the warmth of his breath on my neck…the smell of his spicy masculine after shave.  I leaned into him as his fingers continued to work away the stress from my muscles.  Inexplicably, my knees felt weak and I was having trouble catching my breath.  Slowly, he turned me around until I felt my back pressed against the cold glass of the window.  He took my beer bottle and placed it next to his on an end table as he stepped closer.  His lips lowered to mine and the heat that raced through me made me completely forget my discomfort.

His mouth moved over mine, tasting, devouring me…and I didn’t want him to stop.  Somehow my arms found their way around his neck, holding his head down so as not to break the connection.  His hands slid down my back, pulling me away from the window and closer against him.  Our bodies fit together perfectly.  I could feel the hard bulge of his penis, and it ignited a slow-burning fire deep in my belly that made me feel like I was melting.  The moistness flowed from me, eager to welcome him inside me.

“Tulsa…what the hell are you doing to me?” he whispered between kisses.

“Me?  I’m not doing anything.  I just…”

He swallowed my words of protest with his mouth.  His hand slid down until his palm cupped my breast.  I gasped at the immediate rush of sensations his thumb caused as it brushed over my nipple.  I leaned into him, not wanting him to stop and dangerously close to collapsing right in his arms.

“Can you stay…tonight?” he asked.  “I’ve got an extra toothbrush…”

Cold reality splashed over me, bringing me back to my senses.  How stupid could I be?  This guy was a heartbreaker.  He’d dated dozens of women, probably hundreds if you counted the ones not listed on Linked.  He probably had a drawer full of spare toothbrushes. Likely, he got a discount at Walgreen’s for toothbrushes and condoms.

I twisted out of his arms and stood several feet away, struggling to catch my breath and gather my scattered dignity.  “I’ve got to go.”  I edged sideways toward the door, half expecting him to try and stop me.  Instead, he dropped his head and tried to steady his own ragged breathing.

I turned the knob, expecting an alarm to go off, but it opened easily and I fled into the hallway.  It wasn’t until the elevator doors slid shut behind me that I remembered the real reason I had gone to his apartment.

Shit, shit, shit.  I had probably just blown any chance I had to get at his computer.  Should I have screwed him and tried to get into his computer while he was asleep?  Should I have kept my cool and steered him toward the computer by pretending I liked gaming?  Should I have…?

At this point, it was all subjective, because I had failed.  The thought of facing everyone in tomorrow morning’s meeting made me sick to my stomach.  My first real test, and I had let them all down.

I exited the elevator and practically ran out the front door of the building.  It, too, allowed me to leave without a code, and when the glass door clicked shut behind me, I knew that was the end of my time with Cody.  In spite of the player I knew him to be, I was disappointed.  I had never been kissed like that or felt the wild passion he generated…and I hadn’t wanted it to stop.

My emotions were tumbling around in conflict with the logic that was my normal default.  I was accustomed to wanting things.  All my life the little mental game that kept me from driving into a tree was to think about what I would get if I could choose anything.  A Gameboy, more than three pairs of panties that I had to wash every few days, a black leather jacket, a lobster, a laptop…all things I had wished for at some point in my life.  All things I had eventually bought for myself once I started making money working on people’s PCs.  Now I had to add to my list a man who smelled that good…who tasted so delicious…who turned my bones to jelly.

I reached my car, popped the locks open with the key fob and got inside, reminded of how low-tech this lock system was compared to Cody’s.  The hair on the back of my neck bristled as I felt like someone was watching me.  I jerked around, paranoically checking the backseat and then the parking lot. It was well lit, but there were lots of places for people to hide behind the cars or in the shrubbery of the building.  I punched the door lock button and felt a little better when all the locks dropped into place.  My hands were shaking as I inserted the key and started the engine.  I adjusted the AC and checked my cell phone.  Two messages from Liberty and one from Christopher.  Hopefully, she told him I was working late…or maybe it was better that he not have high expectations…that I had not met.

I backed the car slowly out of the space, then shifted into
DRIVE
and headed toward the exit.  I had gone only a few feet when I realized that the car was making odd thumping sounds and it felt like I was driving over boulders.  I stopped and, after gathering my nerve, got out to look. 

Fuck…four flat tires!

I climbed back in, relocked the doors and leaned over to search the glove box to see if there was a road side assistance number.  Inside was a black envelope with my name written in white block letters.  What the…?  I tore it open, the realization I had four flat tires slipping to number two on my to-do list.  I pulled a plain typewritten page out, unfolded it and quickly scanned the words.

You would have liked Tamara.  Maybe you two will meet someday soon.
 

Fuck…four flat tires and a death threat.  I glanced around the parking lot again, hoping not to see anyone, but halfway expecting a tall, dark shadow in a trench coat and a fedora.  But no one was there…or at least no one was visible.

I called Christopher. Even though I woke him up, he immediately grasped the seriousness of my situation after I told him what had happened…or at least what had happened after I left Cody.  “Could you call roadside service and get them to either inflate or replace my tires?  Yes…all four.  Quite a coincidence, huh?”  I listened to him speak.  “No, I won’t touch the note again.”  I glared at the crisp white page that lay on the seat where I had dropped it.  The last thing I wanted was to pick it up.

It would be nice if I could pass the time in Cody’s apartment with a cold beer…but I’d burned that bridge.  I considered calling Michael, but all the lights were out in the penthouse, so he was probably asleep or still at the mixer.  I turned the music up and tried not to think about how frightened I was as I waited.  A car slowed and turned into the lot, blinding me with its headlights.  I was still trying to blink the spots out of my eyes when there was a knock on the driver’s window inches from my ear.  I think I peed a little as I jerked around to see who it was.

“Hey…you alright?” came Amanda’s muffled voice from outside.  She stepped back and glanced at the left side tires with a dismayed look.

I powered down the driver’s window and turned the engine off.  “I’m having a bad night.  You scared me!”

“I am so sorry…I wasn’t thinking.  Did this happen here in the parking lot?”

“It did.  Came out here and all four were flat.  Is this a common thing?  But you probably park in the garage, don’t you?”

“Actually no.  I can’t afford the garage, so I park in this lot.  But nothing like this has ever happened that I know of.  This is a really safe part of town.”  She looked around, searching for someone lurking in the shadows, then shivered.  “Maybe you ran over some nails.  With all the construction going on in Austin, junk is always falling off trucks.”  She pulled her cell phone out of her purse.  “Look, I know a guy with a tow truck that works nights…and he’s really cheap.”

“No, I’m good, thanks.  AAA will be here soon.”

“Were you meeting with Michael again?”

I thought I detected a hint of cattiness in her tone, but I could have been mistaken.  My being in the parking lot at midnight probably looked suspicious, but I wasn’t about to tell her any of the details.  “Ahh yeah…something like that. Are you just getting home?”

“Yes.  I had some things I had to finish at the office.”

“You do graphic design, don’t you?”

“That’s what my degree is in, but I’m kind of a jack of all trades.  How about you?  I don’t think I heard what you do.”

“Oh, marketing consulting…focus groups and such.”

“That sounds interesting. I minored in marketing.  We’ll have to get together for lunch sometime.”

A service truck pulled into the lot and parked in front of my car.  “Saved by a knight in a white truck,” I joked.

“Well, it looks like you’re in good hands.  Nice to see you again,” Amanda said and gave me a smile as she turned and headed toward the back door of the building.

A man, probably in his mid-thirties, short but muscular approached me, and I got out to meet him.  “I see you need a little air in those tires,” he joked.

His friendliness and, more importantly, his presence made me immediately feel better.  Maybe it had been construction debris that flattened my tires, but if it was something…or someone…more sinister, I didn’t think they would do anything else with him around.

“I don’t know what happened,” I explained.  “I was visiting a…uh…friend, and when I came out, they were like this. Maybe I ran over a board or something?” I prompted, hoping it was something less menacing than what I was thinking.

He knelt down and examined the front left tire.  “Well, unless you ran over a box of knives, I’d say someone did this intentionally.”

I hugged my arms across my chest and shivered.  Great, a tall, dark shadow in a trench coat and a fedora with a really sharp knife.