“No one except you.”
He laughed. “Well, I guess I need to officially get some work done. See you in a bit.”
“Yep,” I said, settling down behind my desk.
I watched as Tobias left my office and closed the door behind him. Despite him still not knowing what had transpired between me and his sister, I still felt shaken. One of the things that had always made Tobias feel like the brother I never had was the fact that we’d always been so comfortable with each other. Yet now, considering how I felt about his sister, I worried that comfort had been irreparably compromised.
An old memory began to resurface from when he and I were in high school. Although Joanna had been such a nerd as a kid, she had still been pretty in her own way; I simply hadn’t been able to see it back then. Nevertheless, other boys did.
Other boys like Tony Bass, for instance.
I recalled one day when Tobias and I had been walking through the school cafeteria during our lunch hour, and accidentally heard Tony Bass talking to a group of his friends.
“But what is she—a freshman?” a friend of his had asked.
“She won’t be for long,” Tony had responded.
“What’s her name again?”
“Joanna Gentry. She might be small and kind of awkward, but that’s all right. Just wait until I’m done with her,” Tony had said with laughed. “I’m thinking about asking her to homecoming and helping her come out of her shell, if you know what I mean. She’s actually kind of hot, when you see her without her glasses.”
“Maybe you have a point there. Besides, you know what they say about the quiet girls…” his friend had said, his voice trailing off suggestively, causing Tony and the rest of the group to burst out laughing.
Tobias, on the other hand, hadn’t found it at all funny. I imagined he must have started seeing red. Before I knew it, and before I could stop him, Tobias had made a beeline straight for Tony, slapping him hard across the back of his head.
“Hey!” Tony had yelled, leaping up from his seat.
“I don’t know who the hell you think you are, but don’t you ever let me hear you talking about my sister like that again.”
“Man, calm down! I didn’t do anything to your sister!”
“And you better not, or I swear, I will end you. Got it?”
“Whatever!” Tony had said, and then turned his back on Tobias.
“All right, come on,” I’d said, gripping Tobias’ shoulder and steering him away until we found our own table to occupy. Tobias had kept glaring at Tony the whole time though.
“Relax, man. Let it go,” I’d urged him.
But Tobias had rubbed his head as if he had a headache. “I just can’t believe he said that. Joanna is only fourteen years old, and hell—she looks like she’s twelve! What are guys doing even looking at her that way?”
“Beats me,” I’d said in return, also unable to fathom how a guy like Tony could be attracted to her. “I guess it’s bound to happen eventually though. You aren’t going to be able to fight guys away from her forever.”
“You wanna bet?” Tobias had responded. “I swear, I’ll kill anyone who touches her.”
“Don’t be so dramatic,” I had said, biting into my ham sandwich.
Looking back on it now though, I realized Tobias wasn’t just being dramatic. He probably would kill anyone who touched his sister—including me.
I shuddered, feeling profoundly disappointed with myself for winding up in such a predicament when I had clearly known better. It was no secret that I was a sucker for a pretty face, but I had never anticipated one getting me into so much trouble.
Yet I knew that after the previous night, it was going to be impossible to keep Joanna out of my head. I kept recalling the feel and scent of her skin, stirring feelings of desire within me so strong that I could hardly stand it.
Which begged the question, how the hell was I going to be able to keep facing Tobias?
Although he had always been protective of Joanna, ever since her return to Chicago he seemed to be even more protective than usual. He had practically been catering to her from the moment she arrived. It was like he was extra-focused on her well-being for some reason.
As I sat there thinking about it, I contemplated whether it would be wise of me to bring this up to him, to ask if there was any particular reason he was being so overly attentive to her. It may not have been my place, but I wanted to point out to him that she was no longer his baby sister; she was a grown woman, fully capable of looking out for herself. She didn’t need to be coddled. And after last night, I got the feeling she wasn’t fond of being coddled by him in the first place…
Yet I knew it simply wasn’t my place to say any of this to him.
I tried putting myself in Tobias’s shoes, wondering if I had a sister, whether I would be just as protective. How would I feel if I thought a man was disrespecting her? Would I ever feel that anyone was good enough for her?
Most importantly, what would I think if someone I’d grown up with, trusted, and considered a brother had suddenly developed an inappropriate interest in her? Would I be happy that she was with someone I trusted, or would I feel betrayed?
I sighed, knowing I couldn’t fathom the answers to those questions because I simply had never been in such a position before. It was impossible for me to know how I would feel under those circumstances.
The only thing I knew for sure was that there was definitely something up, and that Tobias was being extra watchful for a reason. And if he didn’t know about me and Joanna yet, then it was just a matter of time before he did.
Shit, when that happened, we’d all feel the heat.
CHAPTER 8
Joanna
Every time I thought about Anderson, a secret smile spread across my face that I was completely helpless at suppressing. I’d been avoiding Tobias all day, terrified that with one look, he’d somehow know what I was hiding. Granted, as an adult I knew I was perfectly entitled to do as I pleased. But, the thought of messing around with my brother’s best friend still felt taboo, and no matter how grown-up I felt, I had no idea how to approach Tobias over such an issue.
I had woken up and left for work before he had, knowing I wouldn’t be able to handle riding to work with him, especially if there was a chance he had realized how late it was when I’d returned the night before. I hadn’t left Anderson’s apartment until the crack of dawn. Even though Tobias had been sleeping by the time I’d returned, there was no doubt that my lateness hadn’t gone unnoticed. Furthermore, I knew he had likely wondered why I had snuck out on my own this morning without him.
When I’d seen Anderson at the office, we exchanged seductive glances before hurriedly leaving each other’s vicinity. He had been going through my mind ever since. I still couldn’t believe what had happened between us. When I was a kid, never in a million years would I have thought he’d ever returned my affection.
On my third cup of coffee, I was feeling jittery and happy at the same time when my office phone rang. I simply stared at it for a moment in surprise; it was the first time it had rung. And considering I had just been given my own office, I hadn’t even had an office phone number for long, so I couldn’t fathom who would be calling.
I leaned forward in my chair to answer, suddenly expecting it to be Tobias delivering me a message or new assignment.
“Hello?”
“Well, well, well…” the voice on the other line said.
An ice-cold chill went down my spine, and I could hardly believe what I was hearing. “No…” I said in disbelief.
“Yes,” the voice responded.
I could hear the way his lips curled into a smile around the word and bile rose in my throat. I gripped the phone receiver so tightly that my hand started to ache. I looked toward the window of my office, almost wanting to toss the phone right out of it. “Zander, how did you get this number?”
“I have eyes and ears everywhere, sweetheart,” he said, making my skin crawl.
; I hadn’t told him where I was going. In fact, I had never even told him about my brother’s business. With all the money Tobias made, I was always careful to keep his business private, for my own safety, as well as his. Someone like Zander was the very last person I ever wanted to know about it.
“The better question,” Zander said, “is what made you think you could run away from me?”
“Zander, it’s over,” I said, tears forming in my eyes. I could so easily hear the deranged tone in his voice. Even if he was a million miles away, it shook me to my very core.
“It’s not over until I say it’s over,” he said, his voice dropping to a dangerously low pitch. “And I’m not done with you yet.”
“Oh yeah?” I said, attempting to sound braver than I felt. “Well, I don’t care, because I’m done with you. Now, I don’t know how you got this number, but I suggest you lose it. Don’t ever call me again, Zander. I’m warning you.”
He laughed so loudly, I had to hold the phone receiver away from my ear. “You, warning me?” he said. “Good one, Jo. Good one. I’m afraid you’re mistaken though. So let me clear things up for you. I’m coming for you, darling. I will find you. And you will never get away from me again, you hear me? In fact, I might even forgive you for this little stunt. But once I get my hands on you, you won’t leave me again, Joanna. Never again.”
Tears strolled down my cheeks. “Zander, you’re crazy,” I said in a whisper. “You are insane. You need help.”
“No,” he said. “I just need you, my love.”
“Too bad, because like I said, I’m done with you. You pathetic asshole!” And with that, I slammed the phone down even though my body trembled from head to toe. I gripped the sides of my chair, trying to force myself to stop shaking.
Okay…So he found a phone number, I thought to myself. That doesn’t mean he knows where I am. How could he? He can’t find my physical location. He can’t find me. He doesn’t know where I am. He doesn’t know where Tobias lives. I never told him…
And I packed all my things. I didn’t leave anything in his apartment to tell him where I was going. So he’s just bluffing.
He can’t find me. He can’t find me. He can’t find me. I chanted those words over and over in my head, hoping that if I repeated them enough, I would start to believe them. But I had no such luck. The good mood I’d previously been in felt so far away, like a distant memory.
I suddenly realized I couldn’t be with Anderson anymore—not while I had Zander to worry about. I knew how crazy Zander could be, not to mention jealous.
If he found out about Anderson…
I shuddered, not even wanting to think about it.
I stared down at the half-full cup of coffee on my desk, no longer wanting it. With the way I couldn’t stop trembling, more caffeine was the last thing I needed. Besides, I needed something stronger than coffee, like a shot of whiskey. Not knowing where they kept the booze in the office, I decided to get water instead.
I grabbed my coffee mug and headed to the break room, where I went straight to the sink to toss the remainder of my coffee down the drain.
“Good morning, Joanna!”
I nearly jumped out of my skin, not realizing someone else was in the room. When I turned around, I spotted a woman around my age I’d seen plenty of times around the office, instantly recognizable by her bright green eyes.
“Hi…Libby, right?” I said.
She smiled warmly and nodded. Her smile quickly faltered though, getting replaced with a look of concern. “How’s it going?” she asked. “Everything all right?”
I tried to nod, but treacherous tears began to form in my eyes against my will. I turned to face the wall, trying to take deep and steady breaths, and hoping Libby hadn’t notice my tears. But once they began falling down my cheeks, I knew hiding them was pointless.
I jumped again, feeling Libby’s hand lightly touch my shoulder.
“Joanna, what’s wrong?” she asked in a gentle voice.
I sniffed louder than I meant to, and hastily wiped my eyes. Once again, I tried to force a smile onto my face, but my cheeks wobbled in protest, my jaw muscles refusing to function. “It’s nothing, really,” I said, shaking my head.
Libby simply stared at me.
“My ex…” the words left my mouth before I could stop them.
“Ahh,” Libby said. “I’ve certainly been there before. Come on, sit down.” She guided me toward the table at the center of the room and pulled out a chair for me.
With a sigh, I took a seat and rested my head in my hands. “I don’t know why I’m letting him stress me out like this, especially at work,” I said. “It’s so unprofessional. The last thing I need is for my brother to find out.”
“I just saw your brother not long ago,” Libby said. “He’s running around here like a chicken with its head chopped off. So he’s pretty busy. I don’t think you have to worry about running into him too soon.”
“That’s good to know,” I said, rubbing my eyes.
“Well, if you want to talk about it, I’m here. I know you haven’t known me for long, but I can always sympathize with a woman going through man-trouble. My ex was a complete jerk too, so I feel your pain.”
“Mine is more than just a jerk,” I said. “He’s completely deranged.”
“What happened?” Libby said, leaning in and taking my hand.
I glanced up at her, finding something unusually comforting in her touch, almost as if this woman had been a friend of mine for my whole life. In that moment, I also realized how badly I wanted to talk to someone about Zander. He had kept me isolated for so long, I didn’t really have any friends by the end. Leaving Miami had been easy because of that. But now, I’d been holding so much in for so long, I just wanted to get it off my chest.
“My ex, his name is Zander,” I said, “and he was wonderful in the beginning, until he started hitting me.”
Libby gasped. She squeezed my hand tighter. “I’m so sorry,” she said.
I nodded. “Things got pretty bad between us. He would explode over the littlest and stupidest things. The first time he hit me, it was because he’d had a bad day at work, and I hadn’t fixed dinner for him. Never mind that I had just gotten in from work myself… Soon, I started to notice that whenever he felt something was wrong, he would take it out on me as if it was somehow my fault. After so long, I just got to the point where I couldn’t take it anymore. I was afraid for my safety. Afraid for my life. So I had to leave him. That’s why I’m here now. I was living with him in Miami, but after the last fight we had, I couldn’t take it anymore. I called my brother and he told me to come live with him, and that he’d give me a job working here. So here I am.”
Libby gave a reassuring smile. “Well that’s wonderful. You see, things always have a way of working out in the long run. And you should be proud of yourself for finding the strength to leave Zander. So many women never find the strength to leave their abusive relationships, until it’s way too late and they end up leaving in a body bag.”
“It’s not over though,” I said in a strained whisper, a lump forming in my throat. “He…He just called me. Here. On my office phone.”
Libby’s eyes widened. “Wait—he knows where you are?”
I shrugged my shoulders. “I guess? I mean he found the phone number, should be pretty easy to find the office from there. Ugh I hate that he makes me feel like this. He still has such a hold on me.”
“Joanna, this sounds serious,” Libby said, her brow lowering. “You’ve got to do something. You have to say something. Zander sounds unstable. You don’t want someone like him coming back into your life. You need to tell Tobias.”
“I know, but…”
“But what?”
“Tobias, my brother has been so good to me, I don’t want him to wind up in the middle of this. I never even told Zander about Tobias and his business, and I sure as hell don’t want him to ever find out. I just don’t want Tobias ever getting caught in the middle
of this insanity.”
“That’s understandable, but Joanna, your safety is at stake! This isn’t something to take lightly.”
I shook my head, knowing Libby was right, but remaining in denial. I didn’t want to think about it. I wanted it all to go away like a bad dream. “I’m probably just exaggerating,” I said, although my voice sounded lackluster.
“Joanna, do yourself a favor and please at least call the cops.”
I swallowed nervously, not liking the sound of that at all. Calling the police would make it all seem too real, and I still wanted to hold on to the hope that it was all a bad dream that would end soon.
I forced a smile onto my face, this time succeeding. “No, I don’t need to do that. Zander won’t come. He was just bluffing. He’s all talk. It’s nothing really. I’ll be fine.” I stood up, pulling my hand away from Libby’s. “Thank you for your concern anyway, though.”
And then I left the room.
CHAPTER 9
Anderson
I left work, fully intending to behave myself. But the very moment I stepped into my apartment, images of Joanna filled my mind so thoroughly that I could think of nothing but her touch and how badly I wanted to feel her again. Not even the threat of Tobias could shake her from my mind, which was startling in its own right.
There had been plenty of women in my past—too many to even consciously remember. Yet I was fairly certain I had never felt yearnings for them as intensely as I felt for Joanna, and I wasn’t sure how to feel about that. On one hand, I supposed it had something to do with the fact that she was supposed to be off limits to me; I’d always been the kind of man who liked a challenge, and there was something infinitely appealing about the forbidden. As my best friend’s sister, Joanna was definitely forbidden, which was part of the reason I wanted her so badly.
But there was another part of me that painstakingly thought there was more to it than that.
After last night, I honestly could have considered Joanna a mission accomplished. So why then, was I so desperate to be in her presence again? My habit of tossing women into bed and then being done with them afterwards wasn’t exactly commendable, yet most women who got involved with me knew what they were getting into. Almost everyone knew I wasn’t the kind of guy who wanted to seriously settle down. I liked playing the field too much.
February Burning: A Firefighter Secret Baby Romance Page 24