by Opal Carew
But she liked to stay as close to the word picture that he painted as possible. It made it feel more real to her. Like he really was sitting across from her. Watching her.
She pulled on her pajamas and climbed into bed.
As she stared into the darkness, she wondered what she’d do if she ever actually met the man. But she already knew the answer. She’d run away. As far and as fast as her legs would carry her.
It was one thing to listen to his velvety voice anonymously. To relax and allow him to take her to heaven while she sat alone on her couch. But to meet the man behind the voice…
That would be total disaster.
Tal sat back and took a sip of his beer.
“Want another slice?” Steve asked as he helped himself to another piece of pizza.
“Nope. I’m done. Thanks for the help moving in.”
“Yeah, of course.” Steve clinked his beer bottle against Tal’s. “I’m glad you’re here.”
Steve finished his pizza, then carried the box into the kitchen.
“I’m sorry I can’t stay and help you with the rest of the unpacking.”
“No problem,” Tal said. “You’ve done enough helping me move all the furniture and boxes.”
“And getting the bed set up so you can get a good night’s sleep. At least you can just collapse without worrying about it.”
Tal chuckled. “Yeah, if you hadn’t done that, I’d probably just crash right here on the couch.”
It had been a long day. Loading the truck in Toronto, making the five-hour drive to Ottawa, then unloading again.
“So I’m out tonight, but if you find you need a cup of milk or whatever,” Steve grinned, “you can always ask your new neighbor. Sonny, that woman you were taken with, lives next door in 1810.”
“Yes, you have mentioned that several times. I’m not going to go knocking on her door, after the way she ran off at the pool. I will take you up on your offer to introduce us, though.”
“No problem there. I’m hosting a party on Saturday to welcome you to the building and I’m going to invite Sonny and her friend Leandra. I’ll introduce you then.”
Sonny walked with Leandra to the fifteenth floor apartment and Sonny stared at the door, hearing the low level noise of voices and music inside.
“Don’t look so nervous,” Leandra said. “This is a party. It’ll be fun.”
Leandra knocked on the door.
That was easy for Leandra to say. She was comfortable around people.
Around men.
Sonny was the opposite. Being in a gathering of people, having to be on the whole time, made her nervous. And meeting men… talking to them… Her stomach tightened at the thought.
The door opened and the murmuring of sound from inside turned to a loud rumble.
Steve smiled at her. “Hey, Sonny. Nice to see you.” He turned to Leandra. “I’m glad you could make it, Leandra.”
“Yeah, thanks for inviting me,” Leandra said.
“Well, come on in,” he said. “Let me get you both a drink.
Sonny stepped inside the apartment with Leandra. There were lots of people standing around in small groups, drinks in their hand. The place was so full she couldn’t see past the people in the dining room as she followed Leandra and Steve into the kitchen. He offered them a selection of drinks.
“I’ll just have some punch,” Sonny said,
Ice cubes tinkled against the glass as Steve ladled the pink liquid into it. He handed it to her, then fixed a vodka and orange for Leandra. The smiles Steve and Leandra exchanged made Sonny think there might be a spark there.
Steve turned to Sonny. “I want you to meet someone. He’s a good friend of mine from Toronto but he’s just moved to town. I’m having this party so he can get to know some people, especially others in the building.”
“Okay,” she said, but he seemed to sense her nervousness.
“He’s a really nice guy. And he’s seen you around the building. He’s looking forward to meeting you.”
“Oh.” Sonny’s stomach tightened, but Leandra placed her hand on Sonny’s back and guided her forward to follow Steve.
Steve led her through the crowd. Several people from the building said hi as they walked past.
She followed Steve down the steps into the sunken living room.
Steve glanced around. “I don’t see him.” He turned to one of the other guests. “Hey, Jenn, have you seen Tal?”
“Oh, yeah,” the pretty brunette said with a smile. “I think he’s out on the balcony.”
Steve headed toward the door beside the big windows.
“I’m going to mingle,” Leandra said.
Sonny sent her a sharp glance. “But—”
“You’ll be fine,” Leandra murmured close to her ear. “And I’ll be right in here.”
Steve opened the door. The evening was a little cool, but not unpleasant. She sipped her punch, then stepped outside with him.
The balcony was large, just like hers, and he had several planters with flowers and a sitting area with several outdoor chairs and small wooden side tables to set drinks on.
“There you are, buddy,” Steve said.
Her chest tightened when she saw it was the tattooed man from the other day. Immediately, her pulse quickened and she drew in a deep breath.
Suddenly, the balcony felt too small. Filled up by this huge man with bulging muscles. His t-shirt strained across his chest and tattoos flowed from under the white fabric, down his arms and along his neck. The moonlight glinted off the metal of his earrings, and his short cropped hair and dense stubble made her itch to stroke her fingers along his cheek, then over his scalp.
God, he oozed masculine appeal.
As soon as he saw her, he smiled.
“Tal, this is Sonny,” Steve said.
Tal held out his hand, a warm smile curling his lips and she felt herself relax a little. His fingers curled around hers and she felt heat wash through her.
God, she never reacted to men this way. Where was the fear that usually heralded her first meeting with any man?
“It’s nice to meet you, Sonny.”
She froze. Every part of her turned to stone. Then she began to tremble.
That voice!
It was the voice of her phantom lover.
Part 2 - Whispers in the Dark
Tal felt Sonny’s fingers grow stiff in his hand.
When she’d first seen him after following Steve onto the balcony, her eyes had widened slightly and she’d hesitated, but he had flashed his warmest smile and her anxiety had seemed to seep away. Rather than fleeing like she had at the pool, she’d approached, tentatively, like a deer sensing danger, watching him with her big brown eyes.
She’d looked at him more with curiosity, and a little wonder. And when she’d taken the hand he offered, he thought he’d seen a spark of attraction.
But it had immediately turned to something else. Her rigid fingers in his were cold as ice. And she was trembling.
Now she plucked her hand from his, her doe eyes peering at him in alarm. Or maybe shock.
Or fear.
His heart pounded. He couldn’t read the emotion swirling in her brown eyes, but he could tell that all she wanted to do right now was get away from him. His chest constricted as anger simmered through him.
Maybe she’d caught a glint of moonlight on the stainless steel plug in his ear. Or she’d made out that one of the tattoos on his bicep was of a snake, entwined with the rose vine. It coiled down his arm, then back up, the head facing forward on his biceps, its mouth open wide, sharp fangs revealed, ready to strike.
Of course, she’s fucking afraid of me.
His tattoos had been designed to elicit fear in even the toughest shits. He’d picked the snake tattoo because his stepfather was deathly afraid of snakes. Tal had picked the tattoos to intimidate, so why the fuck was he surprised when they scared off a woman?
He was a fucking idiot. Of course she’d be afraid. He cou
ldn’t blame her for that.
But he did. And it still hurt.
“Um… hello,” she uttered. She glanced nervously at Steve, who’d been watching her reaction with curiosity.
“Tal’s an old friend of mine,” Steve reassured. “He’s a great guy.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Tal.”
But she wouldn’t look right at him. Her gaze drifted to just over his shoulder, then off to the view of the bay beyond the balcony as she sipped her punch. He could see that her hand was still shaking.
“I told Tal you have a cat. He loves animals, too. What’s your cat’s name again?”
Her pretty brown eyes shifted to Steve.
“Her name’s Mia.” She sipped her punch again. The glass was pretty well empty now.
“That’s a nice name,” Tal jumped in, intent on getting past his annoyance at her reaction to him and breaking through her resistance. It wasn’t her fault he was a scary-looking guy.
But her gaze jumped to him and… fuck, it didn’t quite seem to be fear, but she was definitely excruciatingly uncomfortable around him.
“She’s a tortie.” Her voice almost vibrated with her nervousness. She glanced to Steve. “I’m sorry, it’s a little chilly out here. I’m going back inside.”
Her gaze drifted to Tal again and his breath almost caught at the depth of sadness he saw there.
“It was nice meeting you, Tal.” She turned and disappeared through the door.
At that last look in her eyes, he realized there was a lot more going on than her being afraid of a tough-assed tattooed man. She might be running away from him, just like so many women did, but there was something deeper going on.
Steve had told Tal that he thought she was struggling with something, and after seeing that haunting sadness in her eyes, he knew he was going to see it through.
He was going to break through her barriers and reach out to the frightened woman inside.
Sonny pet Mia, who was curled up in her lap on the couch, and let the feel of Mia’s soft fur and the sound of her gentle purring sooth her. She’d put a movie on, but it wasn’t keeping her attention.
Her cell vibrated. She picked it up off the coffee table and glanced at the display.
Why did you leave?
It was a text from Leandra.
Sonny frowned. She’d dashed out of Steve’s apartment as soon as she’d escaped the balcony. She’d texted Leandra after she’d gotten off the elevator on the eighteenth floor as she walked down the hallway to her door.
I’m sorry. I told you, I just wasn’t feeling up to staying.
She felt guilty leaving Leandra like that, but Leandra was a party girl and Sonny knew she’d have a good time without her. Maybe even better because she wouldn’t feel she had to look out for Sonny.
It’s okay. Tal, the guy Steve intro’d you to is awesome. Did you like him?
Aw, damn.
Sure. He’s okay.
Was Leandra joining forces with Steve to push her and Tal together?
He really seems to like you. Are you worried because he looks a bit scary?
Sonny sighed. She was not going to tell Leandra that she’d fled because Tal was the voice of the secret lover she’d been getting off to for months now. It would be way too embarrassing to even admit she’d gone on a site like Blissful Surrender, let alone that she regularly masturbated to the sexy voice of a complete stranger.
Telling her friend that she’d now actually met the man in person…
Damn, no. She was never going to admit that. To anyone.
No. I’m just not interested.
A second later, another text from Leandra popped up.
Okay, at least come back to the party. There are lots of great guys here.
Sonny sighed.
Good-night. I’m going to bed now.
She turned off her phone and petted Mia some more. The mottled black and ginger furball rolled over, offering her belly. Sonny flattened her hand on the cat’s stomach and rubbed softly, to an ever increasing volume of purring. Then Mia flipped over and pushed up on her feet, stretched her legs stiffly, then bounded away.
A few seconds later, Sonny heard crunching sounds from the kitchen as Mia ate from her bowl of hard food.
Sonny slumped back on the couch and put her feet up on the ottoman. She wiggled her toes, watching them distractedly. She should get up and go to bed, but she was so comfy here. She pulled the soft fleece throw blanket over herself as she rested her head on the back of the couch.
Thoughts of sitting here just like this while she listened to her beloved audio made her stomach tighten. Images of the tattooed man—Tal—flooded through her.
He was sexy and masculine. Leandra had said he was scary-looking, but Sonny hadn’t felt that way at all. In fact, she felt quite the opposite about him.
She actually felt a strong attraction to him. Even before she’d heard his voice.
Whatever it was about his voice that drew her must be a part of him. Something she could sense. Something that reached out to her.
But getting to know him… butterflies fluttered through her stomach… How could she do that? What she’d shared with him… No, what she’d felt hearing his voice… She couldn’t imagine sitting and talking to him without her mind being drawn back to this couch. Without remembering gliding her hands over her body… touching herself in intimate places to his words.
She covered her face with her hands. God, she couldn’t even conceive of having an actual conversation with him. And certainly her face would be a rosy red the whole time if she even tried.
And how would she explain that to him? Hey, I get myself off to your voice on a regular basis.
Oh, God, no. She couldn’t do it. And if she even tried to explain to him—though she could never imagine doing that—well, he was bound to think she was a sure thing. And the fact was, it was never going to happen between them.
A warmth spread through her belly as some part of her insisted maybe it could, but then the old fear shuddered through her at the mere thought.
No, it didn’t matter that she was attracted to him. That he had the voice of a wonderful, caring man. She would never have sex with him.
She pulled the blanket tighter around her neck. Mia padded back into the room and leaped up onto Sonny’s lap with a mew. She flopped down on Sonny’s chest and began to purr loudly.
Sonny stroked her sleek coat, letting the feel of the soft fur soothe her. But riotous emotions quivered through her and she realized tears were pooling in her eyes.
“Hello, baby. I can’t believe I finally get to touch you.”
Sonny moaned softly at the feel of strong, warm arms encircling her and pulling her close to a big, solid body. Lips brushed her neck and she arched against him. Her hand glided down his muscular chest and she found his big cock… hard and throbbing.
“That’s right, baby. I’ve wanted you to touch me for so long. All I’ve ever been able to do is watch you while you listen to my voice. While you touch your beautiful body, turning me on until I thought I’d burst.”
She stroked his pulsing shaft, longing for him inside her. She brushed her lips against his chest, kissing lightly over one of the rose blossoms on his vine tattoo. She could almost imagine she could smell the sweet scent of the flower.
“Please, make love to me. I’ve wanted you for so long,” she murmured against his skin.
“Anything you want, baby.”
He rolled her onto her back and prowled over her. Soon he would slide inside her. His thick flesh would fill her up. His heavy cock fell onto her stomach, hot and ready.
His fingers brushed against her desperately aching, intimate flesh, feeling the wetness there. Oh, she wanted him so badly.
But as soon as the tip of his cock brushed against her, seeking a way in, ice flushed through her veins. Her gaze darted to his face and horror jolted through her.
Those cruel, mocking brown eyes she’d never been able to forget. The sneering smile.
“No,” she cried. “No!”
But he just laughed.
“No!” She struggled against him, trying to jar him off her body.
He pressed his arm against her, holding her immobile and she felt his cock pressing against her. As he thrust into her, she screamed.
And screamed.
Sonny jolted up, the echo of her piercing screams filling the room.
Oh, God, it had been a nightmare.
She lay against the couch gasping. Mia stared at her from her cat tree by the window.
Sonny jumped when a loud knock sounded on the door. She stared at it. Who would be at her door at two in the morning?
The knocking turned to a pounding.
She pushed the covers aside and grabbed her cell from the coffee table in case she had to dial 911, then stalked to the door. She peered out to see Tal standing there, his expression fierce.
He pounded again.
“What is it?” she called through the door.
“Are you all right? I heard screaming.”
Oh, God, he’d heard her.
She opened the latch and peered out at him from behind the chain. Though with his muscular build, she was sure he could just slam against the door and break the chain if he wanted to.
“Yes, I’m fine, thank you.”
Mia rubbed against her leg and peered out the door, too. Then mewed.
“Are you sure? What happened?”
“I’m sorry I disturbed you. It was just a nightmare.”
Tal stared at her wide, brown eyes, filled with anguish, and he desperately wanted to step inside and take her in his arms. From the sounds of her screams, she’d been terrified.
“Why don’t you let me in?”
Fuck, bad idea. She’s already spooked.
“Or come back to my place. I’ll make some decaff coffee and you can talk about it.”
“No,” she said sharply, then sucked in a breath. “Thank you for the offer, but I’m fine.”
A small, dark-furred cat peered up at him from the floor, mewing softly. She was a cute little thing.
He leaned down and pet her.