A J. S. Cooper Box Set

by Cooper, J. S.

  “I don’t play games.” His lips came towards mine. “Let me kiss you.”

  “No.” I swallowed and whispered back, my lips a mere inch from his. “You can’t.”

  “I can.” He pressed his lips against mine lightly. I felt a sliver of electricity pass from me as his moist lips caressed me. “I can and I will.”

  “How did Eugenie die?” I whispered against his lips as he pulled back. All of a sudden, all I could think about was the girl on the mantelpiece. My body was throbbing. My brain was fuzzy. My skin was on fire. And my heart was thudding. I stared at him and waited for his answer. I wasn’t sure why I’d brought her up as opposed to telling him off for kissing me. Maybe because my lips were still tingling from his touch.

  “It’s a long story.” He paused, his features darkening.

  “I’ve got time.”

  “It started the way your story started...” His voice trailed off, and his eyes darkened, turning from blue to black.

  “What do you mean?”

  “She went to a club to make a little money.” He shrugged. “She fell into the hole.”

  “What hole?”

  “The hole of depravity and sex.” He sighed. “Do you know how the tale of Little Red Riding Hood ends?”

  “She’s saved from the wolf.” I said slowly, my heart racing. “The woodsman comes and saves her.”

  “No.” He shook his head, his eyes sad. “That’s the rewritten version. In the original version, the French version written by Charles Perrault, Little Red Riding Hood is tricked by the wolf, and she ends up being eaten. There is no one there to save her. At the end of the real story, all that is left is a fat wolf.”

  “What are you trying to say?” I frowned. “What happened to Eugenie? Did Grant do something to her?”

  “If I were to tell you, then I wouldn’t be a good employee, would I?” He nodded his head slowly. “And I’m already close to getting fired, as you so delicately pointed out.” He stepped back and walked to the door. “Go in the shower, Evie. Shower and get dressed.” He walked out of the room briskly, and I stood there in shock, my body shaking in fear. This was not a joke anymore. I was in serious shit. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I needed to find a way to get out of here. And I needed to find it quickly. I certainly didn’t want to be anyone’s dinner. And I didn’t want to find myself in Tyler’s bed as well. And I knew I was dangerously close to both things happening.

  Chapter 38

  You ever watch those horror movies where the woman runs right into the hands of the villain? You sit there and watch her slowly walking through the house, and you want to scream at her to go and hide in a closet or jump into a car or call 911 or do something other than walk towards the person who’s after her. It happens in every horror movie. You sit there with your heart in your hands, your brain screaming at the woman, begging her to stop being so stupid. You think to yourself, ‘If that was me, I wouldn’t be sticking around or grabbing a small kitchen knife. I’d be hiding or running.’ It’s so easy to watch movies and think that. It’s a lot harder to be in a situation of danger and know what to do.

  I’m not stupid. I knew something was off in this house. I knew Grant and Tyler were bad news. I know I was dumb to come back with Grant after knowing him for barely ten minutes - and even dumber for having sex with him. I know many people would find it hard to believe I’m not a slut or someone who has casual sex a lot. I don’t. And I’m not even sure why not. I don’t have anything against casual sex. In fact, I rather enjoyed being with Grant that night, even though I was starting to question myself.

  “Leave, Evie. Grab your clothes and leave,” I muttered to myself as I stood there. I couldn’t seem to move my feet, and I knew a part of me didn’t want to leave. A part of me wanted to find out what had happened to Eugenie. I was an investigative reporter, after all. At least, that’s what I wanted to be. How could I leave now that there was a real mystery right in front of me? I know, I know. I’m dumb. I should have fled right away. But I was also intrigued by Tyler and I wanted to get to know him better. And I hated myself for it. It made me feel cheap. I walked to my phone and quickly called Hailey, figuring she’d know what I should do.

  “Hey, it’s me,” I whispered as soon as she answered.

  “Where the fuck are you, Evie?” Hailey sounded upset.

  “I already told you that—” I started, but she cut me off.

  “I can’t believe you hung up on me last night.” She was fuming. “Where are you?”

  “I’m still at Grant’s house.”

  “Who the fuck is Grant?” She screeched.

  “The guy I met last night,” I said softly. “Look, I don’t think I should leave right now.”

  “Oh my God, do not tell me you had a one night stand and now you think it’s going somewhere?” Hailey was shouting. “I knew this was a mistake. Please Evie, just come home.”

  “Hailey.” I walked towards the bathroom so the two men couldn’t hear me. “I don’t think a one night stand is going anywhere.”

  “So you did have sex with him?” She screamed. “I cannot believe this. You left with the bloody groom. The girls are furious with me. You have really screwed me, you know.”

  “Hailey, stop it!” I said into the phone. “This wasn’t planned, trust me.”

  “Was it good?” She said softly. “I hope it was the best sex of your life because I am going to kill you when I see you.”

  “It was good, but that’s not what I’m calling about.”

  “What are you calling about?” She sounded suspicious. “Oh God, do not tell me you’re pregnant.”

  “Hailey,” I rolled my eyes as I spoke. “I had sex just last night! I’m not going to wake up knowing I’m pregnant.”

  “Evie, I can’t believe I’m having this conversation with you,” she screeched again. “Tell me about this Grant.”

  “Well the reason I’m calling has to do with another guy.”

  “You did not have a threesome,” she screeched again.

  “Hailey, get a grip.” I sighed, though my face warmed at the thought. “You know I didn’t have a threesome. You know I don’t do threesomes.”

  “Well, you never did one night stands, either.”

  “Hailey, non-judgment zone please.” I sighed. “I was doing you a favor, remember.”

  “I know, I know. So what’s going on with Grant and this other guy?”

  “So this other guy was telling me about this girl who died, and I think Grant did something to her. I think something fishy is going on.”

  “Oh God, Evie, get the fuck out of there!”

  “I think I should stay and try and figure out what’s going on.”

  “Are you out of your bloody mind?”

  “I was out of my mind when I agreed to do this job for you.” I sighed. “I didn’t even get my five grand.”

  “I’ll give you five hundred if you come now,” Hailey pleaded. “Please do not go playing Nancy Drew, Evie. You’re not Nancy Drew or Veronica Mars.”

  “What about Stephanie Plum?”

  “Evie,” she groaned. “Just come home please.”

  “Grant doesn’t want me to leave,” I whispered. “At first I thought it was a joke, but I think he might be a bit of—”

  “Why aren’t you in the shower?” Tyler walked into the room with a frown on his face. I quickly closed the phone and gave him a weak smile.

  “I was just calling my friend.”

  “For?”

  “To let her know I was alright.”

  “So you’re alright?” He shook his head. “You’re stuck in a house you want to leave, yet you call your friend to tell her you’re alright? Are you crazy?”

  “No, are you?” I licked my lips nervously. “I’m about to go in the shower now.”

  “Can I come in with you?”

  “No.” My fingers trembled, and I dropped the phone. Tyler walked over to me, and we both bent down to pick it up. As we both grabbed it, our finge
rs touched and we stopped and stared into each other’s eyes. Tyler’s expression looked sad as he stared at me, and I could see him studying me intently. He reached up and brushed a piece of hair away from my eyes.

  “You have beautiful green eyes. They remind me of the nighttime forest near the house I grew up in.”

  “Oh?” I wanted to ask him more, find out where he grew up, why he was here now. Why he worked for Grant. What was his story?

  “They have a dark green, almost brown hue to them. They’re inviting me in, yet I feel something treacherous lurking beyond their beauty.”

  “You think I’m the treacherous one?” I gasped, and he nodded.

  “There’s more to you than meets the eye, Evie.”

  “There’s really not. I promise.” I stood up and tried to grab my phone away from him. “I’d like it back now, please.”

  “Maybe, but not now. Maybe later.”

  “What?” I frowned. “Give me my phone back.” I grabbed his hand and tried to remove my phone from his grip. My heart was beating erratically, and I could feel my face growing cold.

  “Sorry.” He shrugged as he held onto my phone tightly with a death grip.

  “Give it back.” I squeezed his hand as hard as I could.

  “What are you doing, Evie?” Grant walked into the room and stared at us, his expression blank.

  “Tyler took my phone and I want it back.”

  “You took her phone?” He stared at Tyler for a second.

  “Wasn’t that your order, Sir?” Tyler responded quietly, and I saw Grant’s eyes narrowing before he looked back at me.

  “Come with me, Evie.” He held his hand out. “Let’s go and talk.”

  “Talk about what? I want my phone.”

  “Don’t you want to—”

  “I don’t want anything but my phone.” I pulled away from him.

  “What’s going on with you?” He frowned, his blue eyes eyeing me warily.

  “I want to go home now.”

  “I told you, that’s not a possibility right now.”

  “Why not?”

  “Let her go, Grant.” Tyler’s voice was soft as he spoke up. “Just let her go.”

  “No.” Grant shook her head. “I’m, I mean, we’re not done.”

  “Done with what?” I swallowed hard.

  “Stop asking questions.” Grant turned away. “Take her to the room, Tyler. Let her sit there and think for a while.” He looked at me for a second and then left the room again. I stood there feeling scared and annoyed at myself. Why hadn’t I tried to find an escape when they had both left the room?

  “What room?” I shouted nervously and looked at Tyler’s blank face. “What room is he talking about?”

  “The playroom,” Tyler said, his expression cool.

  “What playroom?” I asked again, desperately wanting to be out of this situation. “Please just let me go home.”

  “That won’t be possible.” Tyler shook his head. “Not right now.” He grabbed my arm and pulled me towards the door.

  “At least let me shower and put some clothes on first. Please,” I begged him, and he paused. “Please. I don’t want to go into another room with just this cover on. I don’t want to be naked underneath.”

  “Fine.” He pulled me to the bathroom and opened the door. I walked in eagerly, hoping I could climb out of the window and escape, but he followed behind me.

  “What are you doing?” I froze as he locked the door.

  “Letting you shower.”

  “With you here?” I shook my head, my face red. “I can’t shower with you in the room with me.”

  “It’s the only way you’re going to be able to shower.” He shrugged and leaned against the door. “It’s your choice.”

  “Will you close your eyes?” I asked him softly, my body tense as I stared at him.

  “Would you believe me if I said yes?” He grinned and reached forward and grabbed my bathrobe.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Helping you get ready for your shower.” He loosened the belt and paused as the robe fell open. His hand dropped, and he stepped back and looked at me, my breasts barely covered by the thin material. “You should shower quickly.” He turned away, sounding mad at himself. “I’ll give you five minutes.”

  “Five minutes to shower? What?” I blinked at him. “That’s not long enough.”

  “Four minutes and fifty-five seconds left.” He looked at his watch.

  “Whatever.” I reached in and turned the shower on and put my hand out to feel the temperature of the water. “Will you at least turn around please?” I sighed as I felt the water turning warmer. “Please?”

  “Fine.” He rolled his eyes and turned around. I pulled the robe off quickly and entered the shower, letting the hot water cascade down my body. I wasn’t sure why I didn’t feel more panicked. I think it was because it hadn’t really hit me. The whole situation felt surreal. And if I was honest, a part of me felt safe when Tyler was around. I knew Grant was his boss and he would follow Grant’s orders, but I was also pretty sure he wouldn’t let anything bad happen to me. He wouldn’t physically harm me. I wasn’t sure why I was so confident of that fact, but somehow, inherently I just knew.

  “Why are you doing this?” I said as I reached for some shampoo and rubbed it through my hair quickly. My body was on high alert, and I felt uncomfortable showering with him in the room, even though I knew he wasn’t facing me.

  “Why am I doing this?” He repeated. “So you don’t try and escape through the window.”

  “No, I mean, why won’t you just let me go. Why won’t Grant let me go?” I grabbed the body wash and started soaping my body up quickly, rubbing myself hard.

  “What do you want me to say, Evie?” His voice was angry. “I’m just following orders. You should have thought about what you were doing when you got in the car with Grant last night. You should have thought twice before you went to a bachelors’ party to strip naked for men. You should have thought twice before you decided to sleep with a strange man. Maybe you should have been asking questions before you made those decisions.”

  “I know I was stupid.” I sighed. “But I was attracted to him, and he was nice, and it was just going to be one dance.”

  “Really?” He laughed, an angry sarcastic sound. “You thought you were coming back for one dance?”

  “He seemed nice.” I bit my lip and turned the water on hotter. “Yes, I was attracted to him. Yes, a part of me thought it would be fun to hook up. I don’t know what I was thinking. I guess I wasn’t thinking. I mean no one expects their first one night stand to be with a psycho.”

  “Grant’s not a psycho.”

  “Oh, okay, sure. He just won’t let me leave his house. He’s not a psycho at all,” I exclaimed angrily, and he laughed. “It’s not funny.”

  “I’m not laughing.” He said softly and turned around slowly. “I’m not laughing,” he said again as his eyes looked at me seriously, and I gasped and placed my right hand and arm across my breasts and my left hand in front of my pussy.

  “What are you doing?” I glared at him. “You said you wouldn’t look.”

  “No I didn’t.” He raised his eyebrows, and I saw a glint in his eyes as he stared at me. “You asked me to turn around, and I did. I didn’t say how long I’d turn around for.”

  “If you were a gentleman, you’d turn back around.”

  “If I was a gentleman?” He burst out laughing, and his eyes crinkled as tears fell down his cheeks. “Oh Evie, what makes you think I’m a gentleman?”

  “You’re not.” I shook my head, and then I felt shampoo running into my eyes “Shit,” I mumbled. I didn’t know which hand to use to brush the shampoo out of my eyes. Either hand being moved would reveal something I didn’t want him to see.

  “Oh Evie,” he sighed, and I gasped as he stepped into the shower with me and rubbed the shampoo out of my eyes. “Put your head back,” he said bossily, and I felt his fingers rubbing my h
ead and rinsing the shampoo out.

  “Your clothes are getting wet,” I muttered as I blinked at him, standing so close to my naked body.

  “I don’t care,” he muttered, staring at me with a grim smile, his blue eyes dark as he continued to rub my scalp.

  “You didn’t need to do that.” I shook my head and bit my lower lip. He was so close to me. If he moved one inch closer, my naked body would be against his.

  “I didn’t want you to have to move your hands and expose yourself,” he said with a laugh in his hands.

  “Oh,” I gasped as his hands fell to my shoulders. “If you had turned back around, it wouldn’t have been a concern.”

  “But what fun would that have been?”

  “Why are you flirting with me?” I gasped as his hands rubbed my back, his fingertips massaging my muscles.

  “Because there’s something about you I like.”

  “I slept with your boss last night,” I spat out, as much for him as myself. I needed to ignore the heat rising up through my stomach. I needed to ignore the sexual tension I felt for him.

  “You made a mistake. It happens.” His hands ran down to my lower back and stopped just above my ass. “You didn’t know then what you know now.”

  “Tyler.” I moved my right hand to push him back.

  “Yes?” He grinned, and it was then I realized my mistake. He took another step forward, and I felt my breasts push up against his chest. He looked at me with glittering eyes, his eyelashes filled with water drops. His arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me towards him. I felt his erection pushing up against me through his pants, and I held my breath as his fingers made their way up my body.

  “Your clothes are getting wet,” I whispered against his lips.

  “As wet as you are right now?” He grinned, and my body crumpled against his. I had no resistance towards this man. His fingers made their way to my stomach, and we both stood still, waiting to see what was going to happen next. I stood there with my body on fire, and I had no idea what I was going to do next. He kissed my neck then, and I reached out and grabbed his shoulders so I didn’t fall. I felt his teeth biting into my skin, and my legs trembled at his touch. And then he stepped back and out of the shower. I gazed at him in surprise and disappointment.