Desolation Road

by Feehan, Christine

  “All right, honey. Thank you for telling me. Alison will be here in a few minutes. You’re going home, packing a bag and staying with her. What time do you usually expect him to visit you when you’re alone?”

  “He comes at eight,” Joan whispered. “Always at eight. If I’m not there, he’ll be angry, and he won’t give Mom the money she wants. It’s a lot of money.”

  “Never mind about that,” Scarlet soothed. “You aren’t going to think about that anymore. You’re going to have a good time with Alison while your mom and Luke are away. I want you to repeat that to me.”

  “I’m going to have a good time with Alison while Mom and Luke are away,” Joan said softly, with a little more confidence.

  The door to the library opened again, and Scarlet flicked a glance toward it. To her utter relief, Alison hurried in and came straight toward the table. Joan nearly flung herself into Alison’s arms, her face lighting up, although she was crying at the same time. Scarlet stood up as well.

  “Joan’s mother is out of town and she would like to spend a couple of weeks with you, Alison,” Scarlet said. “I’m certain that would be all right with you.” She pitched her voice low, but immediately she could see she hadn’t connected with a path to Alison.

  Joan had already scooted around both women and rushed to get her backpack and coat from the front desk where she’d left both items, leaving Scarlet and Alison for just a few precious moments. Alison shook her head in protest.

  “I can’t take her. If I do, Brenda will have me arrested.”

  “She can’t stay there alone,” Scarlet said hastily. “Please, take her. I’ll make certain her mother won’t do that. I swear to you. She’s in danger staying by herself. I believe she’ll harm herself if she’s alone.”

  Immediately Alison’s expression changed. She glanced at Joan, and Scarlet could see the indecision on her face. “I’ve been afraid for her,” she admitted. Abruptly, she nodded her head. “Brenda will come after me,” she warned.

  “I won’t let you down,” Scarlet promised, looking the woman in the eye. It was the only way she could give her word and hope Alison took her at it. “Take her out of here before she changes her mind.”

  Alison nodded a second time, caught her hand, squeezed it and hurried to intercept Joan before she reached Scarlet. She put her arm around the teen’s shoulders, and they hastened out of the library together. Scarlet was grateful to see that Joan was smiling. She glanced down at her watch. There was still an hour until closing time. She had quite a few things to set into motion. She hastily sent out a text of her own. She needed a car and an alibi. An unbreakable one. Only then did she feel she could actually take a breath and look around the library.

  The gorgeous woman was still there, and she wasn’t alone. Aleksei was standing face-to-face with her, shaking his head. They looked almost as if they were arguing, but if they were, they weren’t speaking aloud. She looked at their hands to see if they were using sign language. There wasn’t a doubt in her mind that they knew each other, and he wasn’t the least bit happy to see the beautiful woman.

  As if he was connected to her, Aleksei looked up and instantly smiled at Scarlet. The moment he did, everything feminine in her reacted to that smile. She felt her insides melt. He was standing very close to a gorgeous woman and it was very clear they knew each other—not only knew each other, but had some sort of relationship—and Scarlet still wanted to just fall at his feet and worship him. It was pathetic.

  The fact that he would look at her, his face lighting up the way it did, those eyes of his so completely focusing on her as if he didn’t see anyone else, thrilled her. And there was that smile, one she knew was rare because she’d watched him, studied him for over six weeks now, and he just didn’t give those smiles to everyone, making her feel like the only woman in his sight, even though he was standing beside the most stunning woman she’d ever seen.

  She found herself smiling back. He took that as an invitation and came right to her, even though she did her brisk librarian walk that usually discouraged men from approaching her. She was ramrod straight, her glasses on her nose, as she strode toward her destination. Aleksei fell into step beside her.

  “Is everything all right, Scarlet? It looked very intense with that young lady, so I waited to say hello until you were finished talking with her.”

  His voice, that low tone, the way it played over her skin as if he were physically touching her, brushing her with his fingers when he spoke, sent a shiver of absolute awareness down her spine. She’d forgotten just how susceptible she was to him. When he walked, he was close, but he didn’t touch her. It felt as if he were stroking those long fingers of his over her body, her breasts, making them ache for him. She inhaled him with every step she took, and the heat from his body reached her. Warmed her. Somehow managed to find its way inside her.

  She couldn’t allow herself to get distracted. She had a short window of time and Aleksei didn’t factor into it, no matter how much she wanted to see him and spend time with him. “Joan has problems at home, but her housekeeper, Alison, is an angel. She’s going to spend a few days with her, and all will be well.”

  She let herself look at him again. Just a very small glimpse out of the corner of her eye as he prowled along beside her. The gorgeous woman he’d been talking to walked out with a small lift of her hand, but Aleksei seemed wholly focused on Scarlet, or he just plain ignored her—and neither seemed likely.

  Absinthe shook his head, hoping he hadn’t blown his chances so early with Scarlet because he hadn’t called ahead. He’d been too eager, thinking only about getting there. He didn’t really know the rules of dating, because he’d never done it before, and truthfully, he hadn’t wanted to warn her he was coming. He wanted to see her face when he walked in. Now he realized he should have called her.

  “I was hoping you would have time to go out with me this evening. It’s the first break I’ve had, and I raced here. I didn’t know I could get this evening off until the last minute. One of my friends stepped up for me,” Absinthe said truthfully.

  Torpedo Ink was working hard to get the grocery store up and running so that Inez Nelson, who had lent her name to the business but had her own store in neighboring Sea Haven, could leave feeling they would make a go of the store without her. She couldn’t work in Caspar forever. Absinthe had given his time there, but it wasn’t ever going to be his thing and he told Czar that. He wasn’t a man to spend all his time indoors and around so many people. He doubted that any of them could manage the grocery store. Not even Lana, and so far, she’d been the best at training under Inez.

  They desperately needed a manager and it was very clear to all of them that it wasn’t going to be someone from Torpedo Ink. Czar had finally agreed to look for an outsider. The club had a lot of secrets. Too many. The more people they brought in who worked every day with them, the more dangerous that could be—particularly if that person was observant as any good manager would have to be.

  “I’m sorry, Aleksei. Really. I’d love to. I’m not just saying that because it’s short notice. I’m really booked tonight and can’t get out of it. I swear, ask me any other time, and I’ll make certain I’m free.”

  Scarlet not only sounded regretful, but she looked it as well. Absinthe couldn’t believe the disappointment he felt. He had half expected to be rejected just because he’d asked her at the last minute and he knew women didn’t like that. He’d counted on the fact that Scarlet didn’t seem to be a bullshit kind of player. If she wanted to see him and she could—she would.

  “Not certain I can get out of work tomorrow night, but if you can, I’ll move heaven and earth to try. Might have to sell my soul,” Absinthe promised, “but for you …” He trailed off and gave her a half smile, hoping to entice her into a conversation at least. “What time do you get off work?”

  He knew her schedule. She wasn’t working. He couldn’t very well remind her of that. He could tell when he’d admitted he’d found out abou
t her schedule the first time she hadn’t been flattered. It hadn’t occurred to her that he was coming from the coast and it took two hours or more. He could cut that down on his bike, but it was a bit of a risk at times.

  “I’m off tomorrow, so whatever time works best for you.”

  The relief was tremendous. She’d answered immediately this time. She really did want to see him. “Will you ride with me tomorrow?”

  He saw her hesitation and waited, closing his mouth against temptation. He didn’t touch her. He wanted his relationship with her to be built on real emotion, not something he’d contrived. That was his problem—he could never tell what was real anymore. He needed Scarlet to be real.

  He couldn’t live without Torpedo Ink. He knew that. Torpedo Ink was there in his skin and branded deep in his soul. It was who he was. He was part of that tree and he couldn’t survive without the others. They couldn’t survive without him. That much he knew to be truth. But he feared sometimes that his relationships had been built on shifting sands. This one had to be on a solid foundation. Scarlet had to choose him. Had to want him, to know he was right for her, deep down in her gut, the way he knew she was right for him.

  “I want to.” There was reluctance in her voice. “That’s a lot of trust to put into one dinner.”

  “We don’t have to ride the bike.” He sent her a small smile. “You tell me what you’d like to do. I can arrange a picnic basket. Alena, a friend of mine, is a dynamite cook. She’ll make us something and we can go anywhere. I can find us a truck.”

  “You were going to bring a picnic?”

  Absinthe could tell she really wanted to go on the bike. He wasn’t going to push it. She had to feel comfortable enough with him to choose his ride.

  She swallowed. Her hand came up. A delicate hand, fingers small, nails shaped, not long, but nicely trimmed. She stroked her throat. “I don’t date, Aleksei, and I’m not used to being with a man for long periods of time.”

  The reminder was again the strict truth. He could hear it in her voice. He could also hear reluctance, as if she preferred not to be so honest, but she couldn’t help herself.

  “The idea of going with you on a ride is tempting, but I really would hate to blow it with you so soon because I’m awkward and don’t have a clue what to say or do. And I could be out late tonight …” She trailed off.

  He could tell a part of her was hoping he would walk away, thinking she was too much of an effort, while the bigger part of her wanted him to make the running for her. He knew, for him, she would be worth every hoop he had to jump through.

  “You seein’ another man tonight?” He tried not to sound possessive. Or jealous. He couldn’t imagine either trait associated with him. He’d never felt emotions the way he did around Scarlet. In some ways, it threw him. He was a man always in control, and around her, he was that little bit out of control because emotions were unexpected, and he was uncertain how to deal with them, but he knew he had to get on top of them.

  “A girlfriend is leaving the country. She was here on a work visa and is heading home. I won’t see her for a long time so we’re going out to dinner. She needs to come back to my house after. I’ve got things I’ve been storing for her. She might stay and just talk for a while.” She answered without hesitation. “After, I’m going to be taking a very long, hot bath. It’s been a long week.”

  “I apologize. That was juvenile of me.” Absinthe rubbed the bridge of his nose. She had mixed truth with a lie. And she was—not nervous. Leery. But of what? Was she afraid he might find out who her friend really was? A man instead of a woman? If he—or she—was leaving the country, that wouldn’t make sense. She genuinely wanted to see Absinthe again, he could tell that much was genuine. “I’m showing you a side of me I’ve never seen before. I hate that I’m thrown off a little by the way I feel about you.”

  She gathered books together and put them onto a cart, barely glancing at the titles, but seeming to put them in order by memory alone. “Since we’re making fools of ourselves, you could tell me who that really gorgeous woman is, because it was very obvious that you know her, and you weren’t all that happy to see her.”

  He sighed. “I made the mistake of telling her about you. Lana and I grew up together. You could say she’s a sister to me. Alena, the one I told you about that is such an amazing chef, grew up with me as well. They were excited when I said I met someone special. I didn’t realize I’ve never done that before, told them about a woman I met. Lana was curious. I wasn’t happy that she came in to spy on you.”

  He could see that Scarlet was pleased. “I told her I was going to ask you out tonight but if you said no, I’d take her to dinner and give her a lecture about spying.”

  “I’d like to meet her.”

  He made a face. “Don’t encourage her bad behavior.”

  “You’re taking her out to dinner,” she pointed out. “That might be considered encouraging bad behavior.”

  He found himself smiling again. He’d been twisted up in knots because he wasn’t going to get to see her and he knew something was a little off with what she was telling him, but somehow, everything else she said was the truth. She was willing to go out with him the following day on a picnic and she wanted to meet Lana.

  “That might be so,” he conceded. “I hadn’t thought of that. Lana and Alena always get their way. Too many brothers.” Shit. Another mistake. He immediately covered it. “I’ll be picking you up early tomorrow,” he warned.

  She groaned. “I’m not a morning person. And it’s bound to be cool on a motorcycle in the morning. Come at eleven. If you’re coming from Fort Bragg or Sea Haven …”

  “Caspar,” he reminded. He shouldn’t have. It was getting around that Torpedo Ink had bought quite a lot of property in Caspar and had started a few businesses there. Still, he didn’t want to lie to her. He’d already committed the sin of omission and that was as far as he was going to go. He should have told her he was in a club and that club was important to him.

  “Caspar. Right. It’s still a long way and you’ll have to get up very early to make it over here by eleven.” She suddenly stopped sorting books and regarded him with mock suspicion. “You’re not a morning person, are you? Like get up at five-thirty, exercise and be all chipper?”

  “Chipper?” he echoed. “The librarian uses a word like chipper?”

  “It’s a perfectly good word.” She used her snippiest voice. “It means cheerful and lively.”

  “I’m well aware what it means, I just thought it was a dated word.”

  Her eyebrow shot up. “There aren’t any dated words. They’re all perfectly good if they’re used properly.”

  Absinthe found himself wanting to laugh. He couldn’t remember a time when laughter was part of his life. This woman with her cute square glasses—they were purple today, he figured to match the swing skirt she wore. It flowed around her legs and showed them off to perfection. A different look from her tight pencil skirt. He wasn’t certain which one he preferred. This one was flirty and fun. The other was all business and sexy as hell.

  The tight prim-and-proper skirt put all sorts of dirty thoughts in his head. He had too many fantasies of bending her over her desk and doing all sorts of wicked things to her. This skirt had him wanting to pick her up, sit her on that desk, scatter those books everywhere, and shove the skirt to her waist, yanking down her panties and devouring her right there. That made him wonder how she would taste.

  “Stop.” She sent him a smoldering reprimand. “The library is a sacred place. You can’t think those thoughts in here.”

  She was either reading his mind, in which case his fantasies weren’t scaring the crap out of her—and they should be because he had a lot of them—or she was adept at reading him, and no one had done that yet, not even his brothers.

  “You think about those things in here,” he whispered, his tone deliberately wicked. He stepped closer to her. Crowding her right into that desk of hers. The one she thought she was
so safe behind. The one he had used in very inventive ways in a great number of his fantasies.

  She gave a little gasp. “Aleksei. You have to stop. Really.” She looked around the library, saw that no one was close to them and lowered her voice until it was a bare thread of sound. “I’m very susceptible to you. I don’t know why and I’m not certain even why I’m telling you the truth, but there’s a reason I haven’t dated very many men. I’m not normal. I don’t do well with most men. I just want you to know that up front, so you don’t waste your time on me.”

  Her skin had gone to a delicate rose color that spread like a wildfire from under the prim-and-proper blouse that was buttoned up the front with tiny little delicate butterflies to match the ones taking flight on her swing skirt. The same buttons fluttered up the side of the skirt, but all were closed, so there were no little glimpses of her thigh, which made it all the more enticing.

  “Babe, I’ve got to confess, I’m as fucked up as they come. Never dated. Never been in a relationship. Had a lot of women for a few hours only, but none I wanted to keep. Thinking there’s a hell of a difference with you. I don’t know why, only that there is, and I want to pursue it. You make me want to smile when I haven’t had a reason to in years. You talk and I don’t want to blow my head off because you’re really intelligent and you know what you’re talking about. Just listening to the sound of your voice is something special.”

  Scarlet pressed her lips together and then shook her head. “You know this could end up bad, right? We’re weird together. We have this …” She trailed off and her hand fluttered between them.

  “Connection? Chemistry? Explosive chemistry? The ability to read each other?”

  “Whatever it is, Aleksei, it could be dangerous to both of us,” she warned, still trying to dissuade him, or maybe it was herself she was trying to warn off.