by Mia Dymond
***
Verity pinched the bridge of her nose and swallowed a wave of nausea while she tossed the last patient’s chart to the top of her desk and eased herself to sit in her chair. Drinking tequila last night had not been one of her brighter ideas. But oh wow it had been fun. She, Vanessa, and Annessa had made a pact: Since no one had any real experience with that particular kind of alcohol, all three would drink equal amounts. Problem was, after the third or fourth shot, they’d gotten separated and she had to wing it. She stopped counting after the sixth shot.
She took a deep breath and rested her head against the back of her chair. She never did hold her alcohol well, as last night proved. Especially since she accosted Travis in the hallway near the ladies room. Stupid, stupid, stupid.
But, oh so arousing.
She groaned when an electric tingle zapped her nerve endings and settled between her legs, causing her panties to dampen. The time she and Travis shared at least twice a week was something she wasn’t about to jeopardize. The fact he was so agreeable remained a mystery but … who cared? The man was extremely talented.
She squeezed her legs together and wiggled deeper into the depths of her chair. Although they had shared several kisses, that one made her very, very needy. So much so that if the thought had crossed her mind, she would’ve passed out cold just so the sexy paramedic could’ve given her mouth to mouth resuscitation. God, his lips were soft. It took every ounce of willpower she had not to wrap herself around his warm, muscled body like a hungry python, tunnel her fingers through his short brown hair, and lose herself in his kiss.
She wiggled again, vaguely aware of a vibration against her left hip. A small giggle escaped her lips when her thoughts willed that particular sensation closer to the vee of her legs. It wasn’t until the cell phone fell from her pocket that she realized that object caused the naughty turn of her thoughts.
With a small sigh she flipped open the unit. “Verity Thomas.”
“What’s up, Doc?”
Her nerves began their familiar hum when Travis’ smooth, gentle teasing drifted over the line.
“Perhaps I should ask you.”
The several seconds of silence that followed made her wonder if he hung up. ‘Travis?”
“I’m here.” He cleared his throat. “I didn’t expect that particular answer.”
She giggled, not surprised by the slip of her tongue. “I was just thinking about you.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Why does that surprise you?”
“You were passed out cold when I put you in bed.”
“Don’t remind me,” she mumbled.
“Do you remember anything that happened?”
“If you’re talking about jumping your bones outside the ladies room, I remember. Sorry about that by the way.”
Another silent pause caused her to frown. Perhaps her brazen behavior upset him more that she thought.
“I’m not,” he said finally.
Although his confession immensely relieved her, his slow, husky drawl accelerated the throb between her legs to a full-fledged pound. She uncrossed and then crossed her legs again.
“But we could’ve been caught,” he said softly.
“Yes.” She sighed. “Thank you for preventing that.”
“It wasn’t easy,” he murmured. “How do you feel?”
Extremely hot and bothered. She swallowed hard. “Not so great.”
“It might be a little late to warn you to steer clear of the Dupree twins.”
“Why? We had a great time.”
“I’m sure. Things like last night tend to happen a lot around them.”
“You mean because of the alcohol?”
“No, they hardly ever drink. But wherever they go, they make quite an impression. Especially together.”
She released a giggle. “You’re paranoid.”
“No, it’s true, I swear. Ask Casey.”
“Was he there last night?”
“Yeah. He dragged Annessa off the catwalk.”
“Annessa was on stage?”
“In true form.”
Verity groaned. If Annessa had been brave enough to dance, what else had she missed? Her stomach churned. “Um, I woke up dressed only in my underwear this morning.”
“Trust me, I’m the only one who knows that.”
“Did anyone see us?”
“In the hallway?”
“Yes.”
A short silence crossed the line and she began to prepare for damage control. Then again, how on earth could she explain away her fingers squeezed around his very long, very thick shaft? And if she had managed to stay upright, she knew for a fact she would’ve convinced him to bury that impressive anatomy deep inside her body.
“Would that have been so bad?”
He had no idea just exactly how bad. “Travis—”
The low, husky snicker that interrupted only made her want him more. “It’s okay, Doc, no one saw you paw me.”
“I distinctly remember certain parts of you pawing me as well.”
“Our secret’s safe, I promise. Unless you let something slip before I got there.”
Oh brother. That possibility hadn’t even crossed her mind. Had she been so far out of her mind that she revealed the one secret she begged Travis to keep? She began to rewind the evening in her brain. She was positive nothing was said before the tequila warmed her veins. And after? No way. All three of them drank enough to erase the whole week from their brains.
“No. Can you sneak away this evening?”
“Yeah. I asked Maverick to cover a couple of hours for me.”
“Good.” Another naughty thought flashed across her mind in vivid Technicolor. “In that case, I’ll make it up to you.”
***
Annessa managed to stumble into Luciano’s Italian Eatery forty-five minutes later with her head still reeling and her stomach very, very touchy. She felt a sick sense of satisfaction when she saw her sister slumped over the table, her head resting on her arms.
“Sorry I’m late,” she mumbled as she took an opposite chair.
Vanessa lifted her head, her eyes shaded by dark sunglasses. “Not a problem,” she mumbled back. “God, I drank way too much last night.”
The waiter placed two glasses of water on the table and gave them both a curious glance.
“Gingerale, two.” Annessa didn’t bother asking her sister about food.
Obviously distressed by their appearance, he scurried away.
“Pizza wasn’t the best choice,” Vanessa grumbled.
“No,” Annessa agreed. “Where on earth did you get those glasses?”
“Dane. The sunlight speared my eyeballs.”
“What a guy,” she drawled.
This time, the waiter returned with two more glasses and a sympathetic smile.
“Thank you,” Vanessa told him. She sucked down half before he left the table.
Annessa took a long pull from her straw, somewhat comforted when the bubbles danced in her stomach.
“So, Ness.” Vanessa peeled the shades from her eyes and laid them on the table. “Was I totally wasted, or did Casey help Travis crash the party last night?”
“Casey was there.” All six feet, four luscious inches of him.
“Did you show him your tattoo?”
“No.”
“But he saw it.”
Annessa twirled the straw around in her glass. Damn that twin spidey-sense. Well, except when she used it. “What makes you so sure?”
“I do remember you shot tequila most of the night, mostly because I did too. And, dear sister, I wasn’t the twin dancing on the catwalk in my pretty pink french-cut bikini panties. Casey saw that tattoo.”
“Dane has ruined you.”
“Don’t change the subject.”
Okay, so her sister was almost right. “Yes, he saw it.”
“Last night?”
“Cripes, Van! Just stop at he saw it.”
“Nope.” She
finished her drink and signaled their waiter. “I want details.”
Annessa waited to respond until after the waiter brought two more bubbling remedies. “He asked me when I added his name.”
“Not why?”
She paused at Vanessa’s question. Come to think of it, he hadn’t asked why. Cocky sucker.
She shook her head in response.
“And you said …?”
“When I learned to shoot tequila.”
Vanessa cackled like the Wicked Witch of the West and then choked on her Gingerale.
“Touche.” Annessa handed her a napkin. “I was truthful, Van. That tattoo hurt like hell.”
“He saw it this morning, huh?”
Annessa frowned. “Did you come home last night?”
“No. Travis mentioned Casey stayed over.”
“Really? Travis, Tarzan himself, told you that?”
“Swear. I’m pretty sure he’s figured out the situation between you and Casey.”
Annessa scowled. “There is no situation between me and Casey.”
“Yet.”
“Never.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Seriously, been there, done that. Never again.”
“Uh-huh.”
“I’m too hung-over to argue. Can we talk about your wedding?”
“I want to ask you something first.” She gave her sister a hard glare. Vanessa must’ve read the warning signal in her eyes. “Not about Casey.”
“Okay, then what?”
“Have you ever thought about moving home?” She sighed. “I miss you terribly.”
For the very first time in a very long time, Annessa considered telling Vanessa the one deep, dark secret she buried in her heart. She was so homesick she couldn’t swallow without nausea crowding her stomach. Yet, she wasn’t entirely sure coming home would cure what ailed her. Especially now.
“I miss you too but my career is in Los Angeles.”
Her sister slid a hand across the table and grasped hers. “I know you’ve worked hard to build your client base, Ness, but you could bring your career here. We’re not far from the coast.”
Annessa took a minute to consider her sister’s suggestion. Although Seaside Point, Georgia supported Vanessa’s bakery, the small town didn’t have much need for a wedding planner. However, Mourning Dove Harbor, the neighboring town approximately twenty minutes away, would offer prime opportunity. With her contacts in Los Angeles, she could probably book more than enough beach weddings to keep her busy and Vanessa wouldn’t hesitate to jump on board. There was just one small problem with that arrangement, or rather one large, sexy one.
“Casey’s the sheriff now.”
“So?”
So, he’ll break my heart. “I need distance, Vanessa.”
“You can’t run forever,” her sister said softly.
Annessa nodded, almost afraid to admit the truth in her sister’s words. She couldn’t run forever and frankly, she didn’t want to. Honestly, she was ready to face the heartache in her past; deal with it and move on. And after last night, she was pretty sure Casey was interested in discussing it. Except, there was now an even bigger obstacle.
Funny how murder had a way of changing even the best intentions.
“There’s a building for sale in Mourning Dove Harbor.” Vanessa searched the suitcase she called her purse and then slid a card across the red and white checked tablecloth. “The realtor’s a friend of mine.”
Annessa eyed the card like a venomous snake.
“At least go look.”
She exhaled and took the card. “Okay, for you.”
Vanessa groaned. “I have to bake this afternoon.”
“What’s on the menu?”
“Chocolate fudge brownies.”
“I’ll do it.”
Her sister’s dull eyes finally brightened. “Are you sure?”
“Of course. I hold my liquor a whole lot better than you.”
“Thanks, Ness.” Vanessa’s cheeks began to color. “Dane promised me a nap.”
Annessa stood from the table. “But I need a favor.”
“Sure.”
“Since your eyes will be closed most of the afternoon, lend me the sunglasses.”
Vanessa pushed them toward her with one finger and gave her a sly grin. “I’ve already mixed the batter so you only have to pour and bake.”
She raised one eyebrow. “Something tells me I’ve been suckered.”
“You volunteered, sis.”
“You’re welcome.” She returned her twin’s grin and pushed the glasses on her face. “Is the alarm set?”
“No, do you still have your key?”
“Got it. I’ll call you when I’m done. Enjoy your nap.”
***
He rolled the ugly brown sedan to a stop outside the restaurant and attempted not to attract attention.
“Cock-sucking one-horse town,” he grumbled. “Ricci didn’t mention anything like this.”
His partner shifted in the passenger seat. “Won’t be easy.”
He parked in a space several feet away, hoping to blend while he flicked a lighter and lit the nicotine cylinder between his lips.
“What now?” The other man’s knee bounced with his usual anxiety.
“We wait. I saw her walk in here earlier.”
“Are you sure she has the package?”
“Positive. Marcelli’s courier delivered it just before we took him out.”
“What’s so special about that damn bracelet anyway?”
“Family heirloom.”
“Come again?”
He released a hard sigh, not interested in delivering an explanation. Then again, the target hadn’t moved and they had to pass time somehow. “Apparently the elder Marcelli and old man Ricci had a thing for the same broad. The bracelet belonged to her.”
“We’re chasing her for a fucking bracelet?”
He grunted in response.
“Did you get a visual on the target?”
“Can’t miss her. She’s a looker, that’s for sure. She’s not much over five feet, nice tight ass, full rack. Yeah, I’ll know the minute I see her.”
“Brunette?”
“Yeah, long wavy hair.”
“Sunglasses?”
“Yeah, Aviators.”
“Well then, she just walked out the door.”
He turned to see if his partner spotted the target, encouraged when he saw her. “That’s our girl.” He backed out of the parking space and idled until she walked down the block and turned the corner.
“You know where she’s headed?”
“No.”
He drove slowly, tracing her steps with all four tires. As soon as he rounded the corner, she stopped in front of the shop positioned there.
“Too easy.” He grinned at the other man. “We’ll be outta here in a matter of minutes.”
***
Annessa left the restaurant, took one look at her rental car, and then decided to leave it behind. Despite the cobwebs that still clouded her brain, she managed to come to the conclusion that walking would still allow her to blend in with the Seaside locals. Comforted by the tinted lenses, she looked left then right, and then began a brisk walk to Sweet Treats.
With each step, her shoulders ached with tension and her gaze swept the area. Other than a few new businesses, Seaside hadn’t changed much since her last visit and several familiar faces smiled as she passed. She inhaled a deep breath of fresh clean air and pushed calm through her veins. Home. The one place that provided peace, comfort, and safety. Maybe she would consider staying this time.
She turned the corner and stopped to study her reflection in the large front window of Seaside Drug. Dressed in her white cotton shorts and pale pink tank top, her hair pulled back into a ponytail, she didn’t look much different than when she’d left to make a name for herself in Los Angeles. Young, innocent, ready to take on the world. Most people would be surprised to know she hadn’t lost those attributes.
<
br /> She tucked a wayward piece of hair back into her ponytail, intending to stop soul searching when movement in the reflection caught her attention. Annessa stood morbidly still while a brown sedan eased around the corner, just barely in her sight. One driver and one passenger, both male and not familiar.
Her heart thumped and adrenaline gathered in her veins as she fought the instinct to sprint the remaining distance to Vanessa’s bakery. Instead, she waited to allow logic to harness fear. Running would only attract attention. She’d wait to see if the car came any closer and then slip inside the drugstore if necessary. Besides, the occupants were most likely just nosey tourists.
Seconds felt like minutes as her gaze never left the window and her fists opened and closed with nervousness. She eased closer to the store’s entrance while the car inched toward her as if playing a game of chicken. Annessa bit her lip to keep from screaming while sweat droplets gathered on her brow.
And then, just as her palm laid flat against the door, the car stopped and parked in front of the bookstore, four buildings down.
Seizing an opportunity to escape, she entered Seaside Drug, walked the length of the store, and then exited the back door, giving Mr. Simpson, the pharmacist a smile and a wave on the way. Thank God he’d known her and her reputation since birth; he’d allowed her to use the exit several times when Casey and Travis were hot on her tail.
Annessa braced herself against the alley door, swallowed hard to push her heart out of her throat, and tried to convince herself this was some sort of dream – one she’d awake from any minute. Yet, as her chest heaved with each breath and her brain spun from lack of oxygen, she knew without a doubt this was real; once again she’d managed to attract trouble. Surprise. Surprise.
Very slowly she rolled her head to the left, relived to see an empty alley. Then to the right, equally grateful to see the same – nothing. Courage gathered in her veins. Time to get while the getting is good.
She pushed off the door and took a few timid steps away from the building while she once again fought the urge to run. Shadow-jumping would probably get her there much faster. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly while she side-stepped into the shadows of the next doorway. Sweat gathered on her brow as she realized she was out of shadows. The remaining distance to the bakery was completely open and illuminated by the bright Georgia sun.