Felicity Stripped Bare

by Vanessa Jaye

  Daniel reached up to steady her, help bear her weight and her trembling lessened. He had her. She pressed back against his chest and her nails dug into his arms, but he would bear pain a thousand times worse if it gave her any comfort.

  “Just one more time, sweetheart, and we’re home-free, okay?”

  She nodded, her death grip loosening. He released her and in a half-crouch scooted to the edge of the roof. A swift inhale and he dropped to the lawn, folding into a front roll that sent every bone in his body jarring.

  He leaped up and sprinted back to the veranda. Scaling the balustrade to help Felicity down. She had one foot braced on the eaves trough, the other leg dangling until he captured it.

  “Hurry up, baby.” He stretched to brace her.

  Too late. The eaves trough ripped away with a sharp crack, raining bits of debris down on them as it tore her out of his grip. Arms pinwheeling through the air, her shriek died abruptly as she got body slammed backwards onto the lawn.

  “Felicity!” Daniel jumped down and was on his knees beside her before he’d drawn his next breath.

  When she moaned weakly, he sent up a prayer of thanks, but the sounds of oncoming sirens underlined there wasn’t even time for the most cursory of examinations.

  “Do you think you can get up?”

  “Y-yes.” She blinked up at him, nodding.

  “Hold on.” Daniel lifted her. He had never held a more precious burden.

  The revelation almost caused him to stumble.

  He jogged around the dumpster parked on the grass and across the street. Gently, he laid her down on a neighbor’s lawn then quickly checked her over.

  Along with cuts and scrapes on her hands and legs, she had a small gash on her forehead and the smooth belly he’d worshiped last night was now marred with a large abrasion. Even with the reassurance of these minor injuries, black terror still squatted heavy on his chest. All he could see over and over again was the moment she’d hit the ground like some rag-doll.

  People gathered around and Daniel tried to answer their questions patiently. But he wished everyone would just back the hell away. He had one frayed nerve left and it was currently dealing with his latest discovery: He was in love with Felicity.

  Chapter Fifteen

  “How’d it happen?” she asked hoarsely, staring at the fire while he stared at her.

  Damned if he knew. Considering it took a burning house for him to finally get what his heart had known all along.

  Daniel almost laughed at the bitter irony. Last night he’d been so driven, so inventive… But no matter how many times he’d wrung pleasure from her yielding body, she never said the words he hadn’t even known he needed to hear, that she loved him. And why should she? When everything he’d ever done or said, had been to emphasize that he wanted her physically, with no emotional entanglements.

  As the sirens grew closer, his weary scrutiny shifted across the street to where months of work for his crew literally went up in smoke.

  “I don’t know,” he finally answered her question. “It’s an old house. The guys were working on the electrical in the basement yesterday.” He rubbed his jaw. Made a brief attempt at estimating the damage and gave up. Couldn’t say he gave much of a shit at the moment.

  Instead, as the fire trucks arrived with a last deafening wail, he brushed back the hair from Felicity’s beautiful face, then thumbed away a tear on her cheek.

  His heart contracted. If he hadn’t been here last night… Fear mushroomed in Daniel’s throat. Fear of what he’d almost lost. And for what he might not be able to make right.

  While he struggled for words, people surrounded them—firefighters, policemen and paramedics—all asking questions. Daniel’s answers were clipped; his attention was glued to Felicity as the medics examined her.

  Beneath the soot, she was pale, and even with the blanket draped around her, she was shaking. But with her chin raised, she continued to stare at the burning house. Almost as if she was staring it down, as she bore her pain.

  This was the woman who had his heart. A fighter—strong, giving and passionate.

  Minutes later, the ambulance carried her away from him.

  ***

  “Nothing broken,” the doctor said, writing out a prescription for some painkillers. “The scratches will heal up nicely. Take it easy on the shoulder, and stay off the ankle as much as possible for the next couple of weeks.” He tore off a sheet from the pad and handed it to her. “All things considered, you’re pretty lucky.”

  Yeah. Lucky. She was alive. And homeless. And everything she owned was destroyed. Dazed, she nodded when he paused in his patter, but her brain had shrink-wrapped itself around the devastation of her loss. Nothing else seemed real.

  Finally, the doctor left her to get dressed, which she did carefully, wincing as her abused muscles protested any movement at all. She scrubbed at her tears, they weren’t going to help. But, really, was she ever going to catch a break? Just once. It was doubtful anything had survived the fire. She had nothing left. Nothing. What was she going to do now?

  She stared into the middle distance. All that was going through her mind was the memory of horrible sounds of the fire, the heat and smoke. Each breath she took burned in her lungs and scraped her throat and nose raw.

  Then she thought of Daniel. He’d make her feel safe again. If only he’d hold her again, she could draw the strength she needed to go on.

  A few minutes later, the bright orange curtain parted and a nurse entered the closed-off examination space.

  “Here we go.” She propped a pair of crutches against the bed. “Your boyfriend picked these out. I told him they weren’t necessary, but he insisted,” she said with a smile.

  “He’s not my boyfriend.”

  “Your husband?” The nurse cast a swift glance down at Felicity’s hands. “He’s a very worried man, I told him you’d be out soon.”

  The RN left while Felicity stared at the crutches and felt a wisp of tenderness tickle her throat.

  With everything finally buttoned or zipped up, she made her way back to the waiting area. Her gaze skimmed over the occupants to Daniel, who sat in the furthest corner away from everyone else. Coffee cup cradled in his hand, he was hunched over in one of the hard plastic chairs, his face haggard and streaked with dirt. Irrationally she wanted to comfort him.

  When he saw her he sprang to his feet, dropping the paper cup onto a table. For a foolish moment, as his strides ate up the distance between them, she thought he was going to sweep her into his arms. And the fierce pure need she had for his embrace made her stagger back.

  He blanched as his feet slowed to a stop. “So what did the doctor say?” He slid his hands into his pockets.

  She swallowed her disappointment. “I’ll be good as new in about a week. He wrote something out for codeine, if I need it.”

  “We can pick it up on the way home.”

  “Home?” A spark of hope lit inside of her. “Does that mean the fire wasn’t that bad?”

  “No, it was that bad. They’ve sealed the building until the cause is discovered. So far the evidence points to some ancient wiring down in the basement.” He shook his head. “Anyhow, the structure is unsafe. No one can get back in.”

  “Then how can I go home?”

  “You’re coming to the condo with me.”

  “Your place?” Her eyebrows reach new heights.

  Daniel tipped her mouth shut, cupping her chin. “I let you stay in that house and it almost cost you your life.” His features were sharply drawn and his voice only a hoarse whisper. “This is the least I can do.”

  Oh great. She couldn’t have his love—but guilt? Bring it on, baby. As tempting as it was to drop her pride like a chewed piece of gum, she didn’t. “I can’t stay at your place.”

  “Why not?

  Because it only took a friggin’ house burning down around your friggin’ head to invite me over? “I have other plans.”

  “What plans?”


  “I can stay with—” She blanked. She couldn’t stay with Cheryl and her man in their tiny loft. Her parents? She cringed inwardly. “—I can stay with Stuart, until my new place—”

  “Stuart?” He paled. “No! There’s no way in hell you’re going to Stuart.”

  “You can’t tell me where I can and cannot go. You’re not the boss of me—” He tugged one crutch away and dropped it to the floor. “Hey! Wh-what are you doing?” She reached for it and almost lost her balance. When she grabbed onto him, he took the other crutch and sent it sliding down the hall.

  “Are you crazy?” she demanded.

  “Yes.” Daniel swung her up in his arm.

  “Put me down!”

  “No.” He strode towards the door, assuring the nurse at reception that everything was just dandy.

  Helpless, Felicity nodded confirmation to security. As the automatic glass doors were sliding shut between them and bemused people in the waiting area, she yelled, “He’ll be back for the crutches!”

  ***

  “You haven’t eaten,” Daniel pointed out. His pissed-off expression, the one he’d been wearing since they’d left the hospital two days ago, got more pissy.

  She reached for the cold toast and dutifully took a bite as he loomed over her, so close she could smell the mingled scents of his soap and aftershave. He was dressed in pinstriped navy pants but his crisp white shirt was tails out, and his hair was loose on his shoulders.

  She turned her head to stare through the floor-to-ceiling windows at a lake view that had lost its wow factor a while ago. The dry bread stuck in her throat.

  He obviously didn’t want her here. Robo-host only came by to bring her a solitary meal on a tray. Spending just enough time to inquire about her comfort before disappearing through the bedroom door again.

  Why insist she come here, only to practically ignore her? She heard him sigh, followed by his retreating footsteps.

  “I’m going into the office this morning for a couple of hours. You can reach me on the cell if you need me.”

  “I’ll be fine, thank you.” She looked up in time to see him pause at the threshold. He thumped the wall and left.

  “This is ridiculous.” Coming here had been a big fat dancing Mistake-o-gram. She put the tray on the floor, got up and limped over to the phone. Even Stuart’s had to be better than this.

  “C’mon, c’mon.” She pressed the receiver to her ear.

  The line stopped ringing and his answering machine clicked on. “Wazzup? Leave the digits.”

  Idiot. She was rolling her eyes when she heard the phone at the other end pick up. “Stuart? Is that you?”

  “No, this is not Stuart,” Daniel said coldly and slammed the phone down.

  “Crap.” She dropped the receiver back into its cradle, and flopped back on the mattress, running a trembling hand through her hair. What was the big deal? She didn’t owe Daniel anything. That reasoning didn’t stop her heart from leaping to her throat when the door swung open minutes later.

  She sat up and faced him. He stood in the threshold, one hand resting on the jamb, while the other held on to the ends of the tie now draped around his upturned collar.

  “My mother is on the way up to see you.” His voice was bland enough, but his mouth was all twisty.

  “Daniel—”

  “Hellooo?” Lise’s voice echoed from down the hall.

  “Back here, Mom.” His brooding gaze never left Felicity’s face.

  “Darling.” Lise came into view, and Daniel released Felicity from his scrutiny. His mouth relaxed for the first time since yesterday, and she watched a magical dimple appear in his cheek as he kissed his mother in greeting then submitted to having his hair brushed back from his face.

  Lise turned to Felicity, tsk-tsking as she crossed the room, almost hidden from view behind an extravagantly large bouquet of peonies. “How are you feeling?” she asked, sitting on the bed.

  “Okay.”

  Lise tilted her head to the side. “Just okay?” Her mouth curled up into Daniel’s smile as she patted Felicity’s cheek, and said in a conspiratorial whisper, “Well, don’t you worry about a thing; I’ll see that he treats you right.” She winked.

  Oh goody. Nothing like having his mommy make him play nice. Felicity nodded to the flowers. “Are those for me? They’re beautiful.”

  “Of course they’re for you, silly. I cut them myself from the garden this morning.” Lise placed the bouquet in her lap.

  “I suggested you might like them. Since you admired them so much at the barbeque.”

  Felicity looked over Lise’s shoulder. VD. Standing in the doorway beside Daniel. Felicity stretched her mouth into a smile. “What a thoughtful gesture from you. It’s so…surprising.”

  Deirdra’s eyes narrowed into slits, but she smirked as she placed a hand on Daniel’s sleeve. “When Dan told us about your predicament, we just had to come over to see if there was anything we could do to help.” —you get the hell out of here, VD’s hard gaze added.

  “Did Dan pass that list of available rentals on to you? I helped him with the research.”

  Felicity’s gaze flew to Daniel.

  “Deirdra is more familiar with that part of the firm’s portfolio. She got the info compiled faster than I could,” he said.

  “I sacrificed my secretary to get the particulars together as soon as possible,” VD bleated.

  “Sounds like you really put yourself out on that one, Deirdra,” Lise said dryly.

  “It was no trouble at all. In fact it was my pleasure.”

  No kidding. “Thanks. I appreciate it.” Bitch.

  “So, did you find something?” Deirdra persisted.

  “Felicity has options I didn’t take into account,” Daniel interjected smoothly, knotting his tie. “You should get those flowers in some water soon. If you ladies will excuse me? I have a few things to take care of before I leave for the office.” He turned on his heel and left.

  “He’s absolutely right. Here, give those to me.” Lise swiped the flowers from Felicity’s arms. “I’ll just pop these into a vase and be right back.” She sailed across the room and out the door.

  Those Mackenzies sure knew how to make a fast exit.

  “Great view.” VD slithered over to the window.

  Felicity agreed, but she kept her eyes on the girl not the view. VD trying to make nice-nice was a load of crap-crap.

  VD turned, her shapely form backlit in the sunshine streaming through the window. Felicity squinted, trying to make out her expression. The phrase “Ve haff vays off making you talk” ran through her mind.

  “Wow, a fire. You must have been scared to death.” Deirdra gave a delicate shudder. Like a rattlesnake shaking its tail.

  She moved to the dresser opposite the bed, where she checked her flawlessly applied makeup—and probably her fangs too—in the mirror.

  “Wasn’t it a stroke of luck that Daniel was with you when the fire broke out. At three in the morning, was it?”

  Felicity felt a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth; this chick brought out the worst in her. “It was a stroke of something…several strokes in fact.”

  VD’s Cadillac-lush mouth tightened into a Cabriolet-moue.

  Swish, two points me.

  Averting her face, Deirdra looked down, trailing one manicured nail along the top of the chest of drawers. “This is a nice guest room, isn’t it? I helped Daniel pick out this dresser. We went away for a long weekend, antiquing and…other things.” She leaned back against the large piece of furniture, obviously not caring if any dust ended up on the short, tight black skirt of her suit. Hard blue eyes met Felicity’s. “Several other things.”

  Feeling ill, Felicity’s vivid imagination quickly filled in the details of “other things”.

  VD’s mouth coiled into a satisfied smile.

  “We also stumbled upon the workshop of this funny little man; Serge, I think his name was. Daniel ordered a bed from him that weekend.”

 
; Deirdra glided over and eased down on the mattress as she spoke. Her cloying perfume hung in the air like roach killer.

  She crossed her slim legs, resting her elegant hands, fingers interlaced, on a bony knee.

  In comparison to the other girl’s polished sophistication, Felicity felt like the before candidate for X-treme Makeover. Her hair was only finger-combed, she wasn’t even wearing lip-balm, and she still had on the oversized T-shirt that she’d borrowed, and slept in, from Daniel.

  “It’s quite a bed…don’t you think?”

  Felicity was mute, her heart labouring to beat, one, more, time.

  The other girl studied her for a long moment. “You haven’t seen his bed have you? Now that’s interesting…Daniel tired of you already?”

  Felicity’s face burned and Deirdra leaned in for the kill.

  “I told you before, one woman isn’t enough for him. So don’t kid yourself in thinking that you meant anything more to him than a piece of ass, just because he yelled your name out as he came.”

  “And whose name does he yell when he’s fucking you?”

  “He’ll say my name where it counts. At the altar. Then you can crawl back to where you came from. Just like the rest.

  “So enjoy the guestroom , sweetie.”

  ***

  Daniel entered his study, softly closed the door, then crossed the carpet to his desk where he picked up a pencil. The pencil snapped.

  He flung the pieces from him before raking his hands through his hair. She was going to leave. And there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it!

  He started pacing. It had taken sheer willpower, more than he’d known he possessed, to stay out of the guestroom since he’d brought her here. But his ear had been tuned to her bedroom, anticipating her call for…anything. A call that never came.

  She thanked him politely, her eyes not quite meeting his, for each meal he brought in. And thanked him again, just as coolly, when he returned for the empty plates.

  Every lukewarm expression of appreciation made him want to reach out and drag her mouth to his. Force a response from her. Explain with his body what he was too afraid to say out loud.