Safe From the Dark

by Lily Rede

  “Go ahead and order for me,” Colin said, patting her hand, “I’ll be right back.”

  The hallway leading to the restrooms was more of a long glassed-in patio overlooking the wharf, with a small curtained room at the far end, usually reserved for private romantic dinners.

  Colin came around the corner and stopped short as Evie came out of the Ladies’ Room, looking tense. Her eyes widened. Colin couldn’t catch his breath, and fumbled to think of something important to say. He’d spent a tedious day with Deirdre, who had taken the fire as a sign that they should move in together, and wouldn’t listen to reason, already coming up with massive plans to redecorate his parents’ house. All the while, Colin worried about Evie, trying desperately to remember why he wanted to stay away from her in the first place.

  “Hello, there.”

  “Hi.”

  He was planning to say something relevant, to ask her if Tony had figured out what started the fire, but one second they were staring at each other, and the next he was propelling her back toward the empty alcove room, behind the red velvet curtains, and pressing her against the rich damask wall, the light low and intimate.

  “This isn’t a good idea, Colin,” she whispered, her eyes huge.

  Colin knew she was probably right, but the heat of her body under the thin silk, the softness of her breasts yielding to his muscular strength as he pinned her against the wall, clouded his mind.

  Bad, bad, bad, Daniels.

  He was trying to convince himself to let her go before this got even more out of hand when she took the decision away from him, stretching up to capture his mouth in a kiss so carnal and hot that any second thoughts melted away like butter on a hot griddle.

  EVIE HAD NO DOUBT that kissing Colin was a terrible idea, nor that it was entirely her fault. She could have asked him to let her go or pushed him away, but the strength of his body against hers felt criminally good, and the now-familiar scent of his aftershave was driving her crazy, and that annoying, sexy mouth was right there. All of her good intentions vanished as she moved, and her mouth met his in a hot, wet tangle, battling for control, the taste of him addictive. So good.

  They were relatively concealed in the alcove, the muted sounds of the restaurant no more than a pleasant buzz behind them, and Evie’s breath hitched as Colin pulled slightly away to ease the shawl off her shoulders while he nibbled her lower lip. She shivered as he traced the straps of her dress, easing the one on her good shoulder away as his lips started a slow path down her throat and his hands settled on her ribcage, carefully avoiding her injuries, his thumbs lightly caressing the underside of her breasts.

  “Nice dress, Miss Asher,” he murmured.

  “It’s new.” Evie’s head fell back as Colin sucked gently at the sensitive spot where neck met shoulder, and she slid her hands under his blazer, learning the ridges of his torso through the soft material of his shirt. Suddenly, the only thing that mattered was getting her hands on all that warm muscled flesh, and she was shocked to find herself tugging the material free from his jeans. When her greedy hands burrowed beneath, exploring the contours of his body, reveling in the heat that poured off of him, Colin groaned and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her back in for another drugging kiss.

  The shift pressed his rigid cock against her lower stomach, and she wrenched her mouth away, gasping. He felt huge, and her empty pussy clenched, already damp for him.

  “God, Evie, feel what you do to me?”

  In an effortless move that made her whole body tighten with need, he lifted her, pressing her against the wall again and sliding one muscular leg between hers, forcing her to ride his thigh, pushing her skirt up. The solid muscle rubbed her swollen clit deliciously as he rolled his hips, the bulge of his erection against her abdomen. Colin licked a spot under her jaw and Evie moaned, her nails digging into his back under his shirt as he started a steady rocking motion that was designed to dissolve her whole body into a puddle on the floor in no time.

  With a naughty grin Evie felt rather than saw, Colin slid a hand between them, tracing the lacy edge of her barely-there panties.

  “Bet these are pretty, too,” he murmured.

  His fingers grazed her soft flesh as he tugged the damp panel to the side, and she jerked.

  “What are you – oh, God – ”

  Without the soft silk as a barrier, the rough denim of his jeans rasped directly against her wet pussy, firing nerve endings and sending shards of pleasure ripping through her as he rocked, and rocked, and rocked. Evie whimpered and he swallowed the sound.

  “You’re burning me alive,” he muttered, cupping her ass under her skirt to haul her even closer, rub harder, taking her mouth with his like a conqueror.

  Evie had completely lost control of the situation, a fact that terrified her, but the way he handled her body felt shockingly good, the practiced thrusts of his tongue and hips and the hard cock between them a delicious preview of the sexual delight he had to offer. She felt tension coiling in her abdomen, in her pussy, as he nipped her lower lip.

  “That’s right, baby,” he groaned, “let me give you what you need.”

  The words splashed over Evie like icy water, dousing her desire, and with a monumental effort that had her shoulder and side protesting, she shoved him away. Colin stared at her, rumpled and aroused and panting, the heat in his eyes enough to make her knees buckle, but she was too shaken and angry to care.

  “You don’t have a fucking clue what I need.”

  Trembling, she straightened her dress.

  “Evie, what the hell – ”

  “This was a mistake.”

  “It was just a kiss. Is that such a big deal?” The harsh rasp of his voice belied the flippant words, but Evie didn’t notice as she hurriedly retrieved her shawl, which had fallen to the floor.

  “It’s a big deal when you toy with people’s feelings. It’s a big deal when you tell a girl that you want her and then spend the night with someone else. It’s a huge deal when you make your girlfriend believe you love her, when you make promises, but really you’re just fucking around on your wife, ruining lives and careers for the sake of your dick, Jack.”

  Evie stared at him, horrified as the angry words spilled out of her mouth, almost involuntarily, and the play of emotion on Colin’s face moved from confusion to grim realization to sympathy.

  “I think you’re confusing me with someone else,” he said gently, and placed a hand on her arm.

  She jerked away as though she’d been stung. What a complete disaster.

  I’m sorry, she wanted to say, but the words got stuck, and the only thing she could manage was a shocked, “Oh God – ” before she hurried away.

  Back at the table, Matt was waiting for her with a smile that faded as he took in her agitated state.

  “You look rattled. What’s the matter?”

  Evie dredged up a shaky smile.

  “Nothing, just a little headache. Do you mind if we cut our evening short? I’m so sorry.”

  Ever courteous, Matt paid the bill and escorted her out, admonishing himself for not realizing that a date might be too much after last night’s near miss. At her doorstep, he kissed her cheek in brotherly fashion.

  “I hope we can try again sometime soon.”

  Evie didn’t have the heart to tell him that given her taste in men, she was this close to just swearing them off entirely, and agreed to a rain check. Inside the house, she stripped off the fancy new duds, poured a glass of wine, and climbed into a scalding bubble bath, refusing to think about Colin and fuming over the fact Jack Forrest was still ruining her life from hundreds of miles away.

  THE SLUT HADN’T BEEN injured in the fire, not a mark on that putrid white skin. The new deputy had saved her, not knowing what she was. She’d walked in with Matt Harris. He was a good boy – he deserved someone upstanding, like the deputy. Meanwhile, the restaurant was crowded, and while Colin was in the restroom, the slut had chatted up the men at the next table, flirting and
leaning in to give them a glimpse of the ample cleavage exposed by her whorish red gown.

  She was supposed to burn, the cleansing fire stripping away the cloak of false beauty to reveal the ugliness of lust and sin beneath. That she lived was an affront. That Colin seemed determined to offer solace in his bed was worse. Colin’s judgment was impaired. He wasn’t thinking clearly, or he’d see her for what she really was.

  He needed direction.

  Guidance.

  Discipline.

  He returned from the restroom, smiling as Deirdre handed him a glass of wine, but the unease in his face was apparent. Clearly he sensed the decay that lay under her smooth lips and bright blue eyes.

  A little punishment would show him the difference between right and wrong. That’s what correction was for. It was for his own good.

  CHAPTER SIX

  COLIN TOSSED AND TURNED in the dark, unable to get comfortable. He’d made it through dinner, but Deirdre’s less than subtle attempts to undress him as they drove back to the house were aggressive and annoying. He caught a glimpse of Evie’s cabin, light glowing softly in the darkness across the hill, and realized that he couldn’t sleep with Deirdre tonight. Even though she hadn’t been talking about him, Evie’s lecture still hit home, and for the first time in quite a while, Colin couldn’t stomach the thought of fun between the sheets without meaning or repercussion. Deirdre had not been pleased to be bundled into the guest room, but an hour later, the house was quiet, and Colin was alone with his thoughts.

  Unfortunately, they were all of Evie.

  Trouble or no, Colin was fascinated with the town’s new addition, and now that he’d held her against him, tasted her lips and the vanilla spice of her skin, all he wanted to do was peel that silky blue dress down for a better look at those lacy bits of nothing she was wearing tonight, and then wrap those gorgeous legs around him and feel her surrender to his desire as he filled her to bursting with his aching cock.

  Like that was ever going to happen.

  Colin was beginning to put the pieces together, although there were gaps. The woman was tough as nails on the outside, the result of a horrific childhood with an alcoholic father, but some married asshole named “Jack” had found a way around the armor to the sweetness that Colin had gotten a heady taste of tonight. However, instead of treasuring it, nurturing it, he’d seduced and humiliated her, leaving her with zero trust in men and a chip on her shoulder the size of Nantucket. She was better off without him, no doubt about it.

  Not that Colin was the man for the job, either, he assured himself. The concept of commitment sent a chill through his veins. And if he were going to tie himself to one woman, Evie was the exact opposite of the sweetly submissive type he preferred. Still, the thought of some other jerk getting intimately acquainted with Evie’s softness was like a thorn in his paw.

  Matt could be over there right now.

  Colin groaned and tried to banish the idea from his mind, but then the image became one of him instead, and he slid a hand down to take firm hold of his dick, which surged to attention as the pictures flooded his brain – Evie’s fingers tunneling through his hair to hold him close while he sampled those perfect tits, begging for release while he lapped up the nectar between her thighs, and obediently sinking to her knees at his request, eagerly taking his dick into her mouth.

  Oh God, this won’t take long.

  He came with a harsh moan, pleasure racing through his system. Afterward, Colin lay panting, his come cooling on his skin as the usual sense of satisfaction warred with frustration.

  The woman was going to drive him crazy. He realized he was halfway there when he came to the conclusion that the only way to get Evie Asher out of his mind might be to fuck her out of his system. For that to happen, he would probably have to get her to trust him enough to let him close enough to slide between those pretty thighs. For that miracle to occur, he was going to have to actually date her, at least for a while. As in a real relationship, until the fascination wore off. Which might take months, given his inability to stop thinking about her. Wasn’t that a scary thought?

  A quick trip to the adjoining bathroom cleaned away the evidence of his desire, but the unease remained.

  Moonlight spilled through the window and as Colin headed back to bed, a flash of movement outside caught his eye.

  Something was out there.

  He hesitated – in town it wasn’t unusual to get raccoons and possums, and the occasional deer, but up here in the hills, there was the chance of a run-in with larger predators – a coyote or even the rare mountain lion. Still, something didn’t feel right. It didn’t feel like an animal. It felt like a person, someone watching the house.

  Knowing he was probably just overreacting, Colin pulled on some clothes and grabbed a baseball bat from the closet.

  Just a quick look around.

  In the dark, he found sneakers and padded downstairs, careful not to wake Deirdre as he opened the front door and stepped onto the porch.

  Quiet.

  Colin peered into the dark, sure he’d seen something.

  A rustle from half-completed construction on the side of the house had him jumping out of his skin, his heart pounding. He raised the bat, edging closer to where a loose tarp flapped in the chill night breeze.

  Nothing.

  Colin peered around the scaffolding, but everything was as it should be – dark and empty, with materials piled up neatly, waiting for the workmen to return next week for the next stage of the project.

  He felt the blow a split second before the shocking pain in his head, and then the ground was tilting up to meet him. Throwing a useless arm out, he caught the edge of a workbench, sending boxes of nails and tools clattering to the ground as the world went black.

  Somewhere in the distance, Colin heard footsteps and then Deirdre’s high-pitched scream.

  “Oh my God, Colin!”

  And then nothing.

  EVIE WAS LYING ON a beach. Sun, sand, and a shirtless Colin rubbing sunscreen into her back on a tropical island. He had the best hands, warm and big and sure as they massaged the creamy lotion into her skin. He growled approvingly as he untied her bikini top to cup her breasts from behind, which was okay because they had the beach all to themselves. He pinched and rolled her oh-so-sensitive nipples while he whispered into her ear all the hot and dirty things he was planning to do to her.

  Then they were naked, and she was pushing him back to the sand. He went willingly, obediently holding his large cock steady for her as she sank down, breathlessly taking him to the hilt. She smiled as he let her fuck him any way she wanted to, giving up control to just accept all the pleasure she could give him.

  If only someone would stop that damned bell from ringing, everything would be perfect.

  Evie pried bleary eyes open, her skin tight, her pussy throbbing, unsatisfied as reality came rushing back. She reached for her phone, glancing at the clock – twelve-thirty AM.

  “Asher. Hey, Tony.”

  Thirty seconds later she was racing around the room, finding clothes and keys, and then out the door and into her car, wrenching the little sedan down the road to the fork and then up toward the Daniels house. She was shocked to find her hands were trembling as she jumped out of the car and hurried up to bang on the front door.

  The handsome young Latino man who opened the door was barely out of college, but carried himself with the poise of someone much older. Still, he looked puzzled to see a harried woman on the stoop. Evie flashed her badge and tried to look professional, because that’s what a cop did when summoned to a crime scene in the middle of the night. The young man’s expression cleared, and he stepped aside to let her in.

  “You must be Deputy Asher. Tom Castillo, Colin’s assistant.”

  Evie shook hands and glanced over at the living room, where Deirdre was nursing a very large glass of scotch from an armchair, wrapped in a blanket. Colin sat on the couch while Jocelyn, in flannel cat-printed PJs with a jacket flung over them, w
as gently examining his eyes as he held an ice pack to the back of his head. Evie felt the hard knot of worry uncoil ever so slightly.

  “Hey, Doc,” she said, stepping into the room.

  Colin watched her warily as she approached.

  Well, of course he’s wary. You basically let all the crazy out. Now he wouldn’t come near you with a ten-foot pole. Despite her ongoing resolution to avoid him at all costs, the thought was supremely depressing.

  “Tony sent me. I was closest.”

  Colin didn’t look happy about that, either. Jocelyn sat back.

  “You might have a slight concussion, but you’re lucky that head of yours is so damned hard, Colin. With great reluctance, I’m going to let you stay here for the night.”

  She grabbed a notepad from her bag and scrawled a quick list.

  “You notice any of these symptoms, do not hesitate, do not drive. Call me, call Tom. Have someone get you to the ER.”

  Evie cleared her throat.

  “I know it’s late, but I have to ask a few questions while the incident is still fresh in your mind.”

  Colin sighed.

  “I saw something move outside, I came out to check it out, got about ten steps off the porch, and then the bastard brained me with a two by four. That’s about it.”

  Evie turned to Deirdre.

  “Why did you come outside, Ms. Small?”

  Deirdre gulped her drink, and Jocelyn and Evie exchanged a look.

  “Well, I heard the most awful clatter.”

  She paused.

  “When I fell, I knocked over the workbench,” Colin offered.

  “Yes,” said Deirdre, “that was it. Then I came outside and saw Colin lying unconscious, and so I called Tom. He must have been alone because he came right over.”

  She giggled, hiccupped, and then frowned.

  Tom rolled his eyes.

  “Colin had already come around when I got here, but I thought the Doc should have a look at him just in case.”

  “You thought right,” agreed Jocelyn, packing her bag again.

  “Was anything disturbed?” Evie asked, turning back to Colin, forcing herself to hold his gaze.