She sat up in bed, fully aware of the leakage. She stood and made her way to the bathroom. Looking at Josh in the mirror, she said, “Don’t worry. You’re right. It’s okay. I’m on the pill.” She grabbed a washcloth and dabbed between her legs.
He turned to face her, “Really?” Did his voice sound as relieved as he felt? Damn, what a way to ruin the moment.
She tossed the washcloth into the laundry basket. “Yes, it’s not a problem,” she soothed, setting her hand on his arm. “Don’t worry.” Then her brow furrowed. “You don’t have some STD I need to be aware of, do you?
Josh laughed. “No, I’m STD free.”
“Phew” she said dramatically while wiping her hand across her forehead.
“How about you?” he asked. He settled his hands on her hips and nestled up to her with a devious look in his eyes.
“I’m clean.”
“You mean I wore a condom for no reason?” he teased and shifted his hips against her.
She enjoyed the dance of glimmer in his eyes. She curled her hands around his back and cupped his ass. “Let’s not make that mistake again.”
23
Martin logged onto the iSpi website and pulled up today’s recordings. He knew Mother would never approve of his spying, but he didn’t care. This was his secret. His one ‘dirty deed’ that he enjoyed. In everything else he was a rule follower, but this, spying on people, brought him pleasure.
It wasn’t about sex. It was his way of equalizing himself with others. He’d never been good with people. Even as a child he always stuck out as a bit odd. But watching people in the restroom stripped them of their elitism. In the restroom, they were no better than him. With the ridiculous sounds that accompanied using the bathroom, and the fact that their shit stank just like his, he could look them in the eye as an equal.
But the norm altered a bit whenever Senna used the restroom. Even his old partner, Sharon Sullivan, as attractive as she was, she never did anything for him sexually. But Senna was different. Did he have a chance with Senna? Was he the one that Dahlia was hinting about that Senna should flirt with?
He clicked open the file that was timestamped for when she went to the bathroom earlier in the day. He watched as she locked the door and stepped towards the toilet, undoing her pants. As she sat down, his blood thrummed faster. He touched his crotch and felt the beginning of an erection. That had never happened before when he watched these recordings. She was taking a piss. There was nothing sexy about that.
Except that it was her.
He watched pornography on the internet and got himself off, but this time it was Senna making him hard.
A loud pounding on his bedroom door rattled him as Mother rushed into the room in full panic mode. He quickly minimized the screen. Had she seen what he was watching?
“Martin,” she exclaimed. She was in her pajamas, and her hair was flat and mussed from being in bed.
“Mother,” he yelled back angrily. “What are you doing in here? You didn’t knock. You know you’re supposed to knock.”
“I know.” She shook her hand in the air as if brushing off his frustration. “Sorry. I’m sorry, but this is important.” She held up her cell. “The alarm company called. Something set off the fire alarm at work.”
Her cell phone rang and startled her. She let out a sigh and tapped the screen. “Hello,” she said. She dragged a hand over her cheek in worry.
Martin watched her face as she talked with the person on the phone. He couldn’t hear the other part of the conversation, but it was clear from the tears welling in Mother’s face that something bad was happening.
She disconnected the call. Her hand fell to her side in defeat. “You need to go to the office. It’s on fire,” Mother exclaimed.
He shot up from his chair and bolted towards the bedroom door. “Out of my way, Mother,” he barked. He rushed past her into the common room and grabbed his keys from the little bowl by the doorway to the stairs.
“Be careful,” she yelled as he barreled down the stairs. “Don’t go inside. There’s nothing there worth getting hurt over.” She shook her head with concern. All the important business stuff was saved in the cloud, but cleaning up the office and getting it ready for business again would be a nightmare. Thankfully, no one had been hurt.
She made her way into Martin’s bedroom. It was just after midnight. She assumed the only thing he would be looking at on the computer was porn. The thought irked her a bit. She’d been raised to believe that pornography was wrong. Porn was something that dirty reprobates enjoyed. But now she saw it differently. Martin was never going to have a woman to share his bed. There was no chance for him to have a normal sex life. And she also understood that men had their needs.
The only way Martin would ever enjoy the female body was if he paid for it or watched it on porn. She’d much rather him watch porn than risk the dangers that would come with sleeping with prostitutes. She resigned herself to that fact.
She sat at his desk and considered snooping on him. What kind of porn did he watch? She prayed it wasn’t anything depraved like bondage or other weird stuff. He was odd in every other way, she prayed that he would at least be normal in what turned him on.
He was always careful with his computer. He never left anything open. He went so far as to log off when he went to the kitchen to get a snack. Her finger hovered over the mousepad as she debated clicking open the file he’d been watching.
This could be her only chance to see what he enjoyed looking at. What he hid from her. Closing her eyes and taking in a deep breath, she decided to click. She lowered her thumb and opened the file.
The recording of Senna sitting on the toilet in the restroom at work nearly stopped her heart. She stared numb, in disbelief, as Senna wiped, stood, and then pulled up her pants.
There was no denying what Martin had done. He’d placed a camera in the bathroom. Tears filled her eyes. She slowly rocked back and forth as a numbing shock seeped through her.
How could he do that?
How could he violate people like that? Violate their friends?
She gagged as her stomach threatened to explode. She rushed into his bathroom and hugged the toilet just in time to empty her stomach.
She couldn’t ignore this. That would be wrong.
What was she going to do?
24
Lights swirled and danced in the shopping strip parking lot. The brightness cut through the night in headache producing chaos. Martin squeezed the steering wheel and took in a slow breath to collect himself. He’d never seen so many fire engines and police cars at one time in their quiet, little town. A string of vehicles was parked along the sidewalk of the strip mall in the reserved area for emergency vehicles, while others were parked in the parking lot.
He came to a screeching stop in the parking lot. The flames were extinguished, but smoke chuffed into the dark sky as if the strip mall stores were a line of steam engines. From what he could see, all of the stores were affected. He had no idea where the fire originated, but it wasn’t solely his office. One of the other owners must have called Mother with the details.
He cut the engine and gripped the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white and his hands ached. Watching the bustling first responders go in and out of the shops reminded him of his purpose. His one goal was to get his camera out of the building before anyone found it. He didn’t care if it was ruined by fire or water, but that camera could not be discovered in the restroom. If a fireman or a police officer found it, he had no good explanation for it. He could be looking at jail time.
He would not do well in jail.
He slid out of the car and quietly closed the door. Noise and confusion surrounded him. He did his best to block it out. He relied on his ritual of pressing his fingernails against his thumb to soothe himself. The tiny pinch of pain focused him, kept him moving.
Doing his best not to draw attention to himself, he approached the building. Firefighters were all around, but no one
looked at him. Maybe being invisible to others would actually be a godsend now.
Stepping up onto the covered sidewalk along the stores, he walked quickly towards Reid Accounting Firm. Firefighters shouted amongst themselves, but he stayed focused on his goal. Stopping at the door, he glanced over his shoulder and then snuck into the office.
Smoke hung in the air and clogged his throat. He coughed and cleared his throat. Struggling to breath, he pulled his shirt over his nose and mouth and used the fabric as a makeshift filter. The sounds and shouts from outside were muffled. Was that because of the loud thudding of his heart in his ears?
Water filtered through the fabric of his shoes as his feet sloshed against the soaked carpet. It dripped from the ceiling tiles. Large, heavy drops fell and hit his bald head. The beads trickled into his eyes and down his face. What contaminants filled the droplets? He refused to think about how gross that water was.
He needed to stay focused.
It was evident that the firefighters had soaked everything in the office. Mother’s computer sat in a puddle of water on her desk. The printer had water sitting in the little cup built into it on top to hold paperclips.
He almost lost focus. Almost started thinking about how much this would cost him. What was his deductible? But then he remembered why he was here. He needed to get to the camera before anyone found it. Proceeding into the area where his desk and Senna’s desk were, he confirmed that her laptop and his own were also ruined. No surprise there.
Diverting his eyes to the ceiling, he stared at the tiles, doing his best to avoid the dropping beads, as he continued to the bathroom. He stopped outside the restroom door. The doorknob was wet to the touch. He turned it and opened the door.
There, sitting on the little table in a puddle, was the flowerpot.
Relieved that no one had found it, he grabbed it and cradled it to his chest. Now he needed to get to his car without anyone spotting him. He stepped out of the bathroom and power-walked towards his desk.
“Hey,” a man’s rough voice called out behind him.
Martin ignored the man and walked faster. Where the hell had the man come from? Martin knew he must make quite the sight with his shirt pulled over his face and a fake plant clutched to his chest as he stomped through puddles on the floor.
“Hey,” the man yelled louder. What was a civilian doing in the building?
Martin looked over his shoulder. A large firefighter stood next to the kitchen doorway. “Hello,” Martin replied, gave a quick wave, and then continued walking.
What the hell? Nate Hall wondered. As a firefighter, he was used to people gathering outside to watch what was going on at a fire, but he seldom ran into someone inside the scene of the fire. That raised a lot of red flags.
The firefighter took a few steps towards Martin. “What are you doing back here? This isn’t safe.”
“Then I better hurry.” Martin replied robotically. The firefighter was suited up in his gear. If Martin walked really fast, he could probably get to his car faster than the firefighter could stop him.
“Thank you for your service,” Martin called over his shoulder. People were always saying that to first responders and military people. Maybe that would satisfy the firefighter and he’d go back to his work.
The firefighter’s lips curved into a sly smile. He cut the distance between the man and himself with a few steps and blocked his path. “What’s your name?” No way was this wacko getting out of here without answering a shitload of questions.
Martin’s eyes bugged in shock. He fumbled over his words, “I’m Martin Reid. This is my company.” Martin was surprised when the firefighter stepped past him and blocked his escape route. Senna’s giant, stupid screen was on his right and his desk was on his left. He had nowhere to run.
The firefighter’s gaze danced between the flowerpot and Martin’s skittish eyes. “You rushed over here to rescue your plants?” He reached out and stroked one of the plants. “This thing’s not even real. Why would you risk your life for these ugly things?”
Okay, Nate shouldn’t have insulted the man’s ugly plant arrangement, but come on, something was wrong here.
Martin didn’t like the man’s question. He certainly didn’t owe the man any answers. He read the man’s name on his coat. “This is my business. It was my responsibility to check on it. Thank you, Mr. Hall, for putting out the fire.” He gave a curt head nod. “Good night.” He moved to step around the large firefighter.
Nate shifted and blocked him. “Not so fast. We aren’t done.”
Terror built in Martin. His heart pounded against his ribs, and he struggled to breathe. Was that because of the smoke or panic? He needed to keep his shit together. “You can’t detain me.”
Nate smiled again. He’d heard rumors about the odd Martin Reid. For a long time, he’d thought they were exaggerations. Now he realized that the rumors were true. “May I see your flowerpot?” He held out a hand to accept it.
Martins eyebrows pulled together. He hugged the pot closer. “No, you may not,” he replied authoritatively. “Do you have a warrant?”
Nate couldn’t help but smile. “I’m not a police officer. I don’t need a warrant.” Normally, this type of situation would bug the hell out of him, but right now, with this odd, little man, Nate was having fun.
Martin smiled triumphantly. “Then we are done here.”
Nate didn’t move. “Typically, you’d be right. But you have trespassed on a crime scene. I think the police and arson investigator should talk with you. They might enjoy looking at your plants.”
Martin’s head spun.
Crime scene?
Arson?
Was the firefighter serious?
Did they have that authority?
Martin gripped the pot more tightly to his chest. “How is this a crime scene? It was just a fire?”
“That’s to be determined.” Nate continued and lifted a shoulder in a shrug. “If you’d like to avoid the police and arson investigator, which can be time consuming, you can let me check out the flowerpot. Just to make sure it didn’t start the fire. Then I can let you go.”
Nate knew the plants hadn’t started the fire. If they had, the plants would be ash, but he couldn’t help but wonder if the psycho had money buried in the bottom? Or drugs. Something weird was going on.
Martin swallowed as he debated what to do. What would be the chances the firefighter would spot the hidden camera? Perhaps he’d look over the flowerpot and not see it. Then Martin could take it home and deal with it properly. But what if the man did find the camera?
Martin gathered up all of his courage, pulled it from deep within his gut, and nudged around the firefighter. “I’m sorry. No. Get a warrant.”
Nate was impressed. Not many people stood up to him. He was a big guy, muscled, and in his turn out gear, even more daunting. But surprisingly, this little guy stood up to him. Now he knew beyond a shadow of doubt that there was no way he could let that flowerpot out of the building without investigating it.
The floor was littered with debris. Nate pretended to trip, reached out to steady himself, and knocked the flowerpot out of Martin’s hands. Martin watched in horror as the pot fell to the carpet.
Nate managed to fall on top of the pot as if it were a fumbled football. It cracked under his weight. Damn, a sharp edge of the pot struck his rib and hurt a lot more than he thought it would. Thankfully, it didn’t cut through his turnout gear. As he stood, he pushed the two sides of the pot apart.
“Careful!” Martin screamed. “You’re breaking it.” Desperation fueled his rage. “You bastard! You did that on purpose,” he seethed.
Yes, Nate had done it on purpose, but no way was he going to admit that. “I’m sorry,” Nate lied. “Let me buy you a new flowerpot.” He pressed his hand down in the middle of the faux soil and pushed himself onto his knees. The soil collapsed and spread out on the wet carpet.
“Be careful,” Martin screeched. He was out of control. He didn’t
like being out of control. Everything was beginning to spin.
Nate pulled the soil from the sides of the pot and then spotted it. Something was pressed up against one of the openings of the pot and had been held in place by soil. Brushing off the object, he held it up.
Nate’s mouth dropped open and disgust filled him when he realized he was holding a spy camera. “You piece of shit,” he barked.
Martin heard the hatred in the man’s voice. The room swirled. The floor wobbled, and his knees buckled as darkness overtook him.
25
Senna awoke with a muscular arm draped over her body. Pressed against her back was a strong chest. Steady breaths puffed against her shoulder.
When she’d moved to Avenel, she hadn’t expected to get back together with Josh. She’d hoped they could be civil, friendly even, but she hadn’t expected him to be in her bed.
She needed to use the bathroom, but she didn’t want to move. Didn’t want to leave the comfort of his arms. Taking her hand, she gently stroked his forearm.
“Morning,” he muttered into her hair. The feel of her soft curves resting against him had him hard. He shifted his hips and pressed his erection against her bottom.
She chuckled. “Morning. What are you up for?” she asked. She craned her head over her shoulder to look at him.
He pulled her more tightly against him and cupped her breast. “I’m up for everything?”
She chuckled and then moaned as he tugged her nipple. “Don’t get carried away.” Pressing her butt against him, she continued, “I need to pee.”
He instantly moved his arm so she could get out.
She slid out of bed and grabbed her bathrobe. Sliding her arms into the arm holes, she turned to look at him. She liked the grin he gave her as she cinched the robe closed.
“Hurry back,” he called. He rolled over and reached for his cell on the night stand beside the bed. It was pushing nine. Damn, they’d really slept in. He had an appointment at nine thirty to discuss renovations with an islander. There wouldn’t be time for another session of anything.
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