Secrets

by L. A. Fiore

  Hank knew if he dove in and got a full taste of her, he wouldn’t be able to stop. His head came up, and his hand moved to her cheek, his thumb grazed her bottom lip.

  Arissa opened her eyes, kept her grip on his forearm because he’d literally made her knees weak. He’d barely kissed her but it was by far the best kiss she’d ever had.

  “So fucking beautiful,” Hank whispered in a husky voice.

  “I can’t imagine anything tasting better than that.” Her gaze moved to his lips. She wanted so badly to taste him again, but she knew she wouldn’t want to stop if she did.

  He brushed her parted lips with his before uttering, “Only one thing comes to mind that can taste better than that.” He stayed close, watched her eyes move from glazed to heated. Fuck. He liked the look. Too much.

  This man was dangerous. He made her feel reckless. She moved back, causing his hand to fall, before she gave in to what she really wanted…giving him that taste he so clearly wanted. “Time to eat.” Realizing what she said, her face warmed as she grinned at her choice of words.

  Hank’s lips slowly moved up into a sly grin. Oh, he was so ready to eat. And not the burgers overcooking on the grill. Hank winked at her. “I’d like to eat, but I’ll feed you first.” Then he opened the grill top and removed the meat. “These probably aren’t pink inside anymore.” He realized what he’d said when Arissa chuckled. He joined her. “Maybe we should just eat…” He raised the plate of cooked burgers. “The burgers and stop talking.” He smiled.

  “Good idea. And beer, I’m thinking we could use more beer,” Arissa said then muttered, “Maybe even some ice.”

  Hank chuckled. “Jesus, I forgot the cheese and onions.” He looked at Arissa. “Woman, you do things to me,” he confessed.

  “It’s good to know it’s not one-sided.”

  Hank bent his head and touched his lips to hers before he asked her, “Eat inside or outside?”

  “Outside.”

  Hank thought of another idea. “Or, we can just eat as I take you on a tour.”

  Her eyes lit up. The man was appealing as sin, but she also just liked his company. Getting a glimpse into his world, one through his eyes, she didn’t have to think about it. “I like that plan.”

  They went back inside and fixed their burgers, ones that didn’t turn out the way Hank had wanted. But, it was worth it. They each had a burger in one hand and a napkin in the other as he walked her through his house. He stopped at the double doors catty-cornered at the end of the hall. He saw how her eyes lit up as they moved from one room to the next, but he knew once she saw what was behind the doors they stood before, her whole world would change. “Before we enter the master bedroom, I gotta tell you.” He watched as Arissa tossed the last bite of hamburger in her mouth, attention glued to him. “This room cost almost half of what I paid for the fucking house. But I saw it in a magazine Jo reads and thought, fuck, I need that. So, I did it.” Then Hank swung open the double doors.

  Her eyes grew wide as she took in the gentle cascading waterfall in the corner of the bedroom. Built into the wall, the stones were smooth to the touch. Water trickled down the stones, pooling at the base. She then looked around the rest of the room. The walls were gray, capturing one of the colors in the stones, windows took up the back wall, bringing the outdoors inside. A king size bed, dressed in gray and black, sat against the opposite wall, set up on a small rise, and under a tray ceiling. The soft hum of a ceiling fan stirred the air, and the screened in skylights brought in more light. At night, she imagined you could see the stars. The wood floors were covered with wool-braided rugs in grays. Heavy unfinished oak furniture scattered around the room artistically.

  He watched as she took small steps, capturing everything with a close eye. Her silence was becoming unnerving so Hank broke it. “Well?”

  She pulled her attention from the room and turned it on Hank. “I want this room. All the houses I’ve seen, never have I seen a water feature in the master bedroom. It’s soothing and beautiful. Tranquil. This needs to be featured.” She heard herself say that then realized she’d be opening up his private domain to her readers, pulling back a part of him and letting countless people see it. She knew the draw it would have on her audience. Summerville wouldn’t be ready for the invasion.

  Hank took in his room, a room he saw everyday, countless times. But it felt different. Even looked slightly different. All due to the woman standing in it. “Thought you might like it,” he said, and added with a shrug, “Then feature it, if you want.”

  “I do want,” she said before she crossed the room to him. “It’s not just a place you work, or a place you live. You love this town. It shows.” She glanced around his room. “You really love what you do and where you live. There are not a lot of people who feel that way. It’s enviable.” She touched his arm, squeezed it gently. “I’m happy you found that.”

  He captured her hand on his arm, holding it there because he liked the feel of it. Her hands on him. “Seems I’m finding more that makes me even happier.” He watched her eyes go soft and his head started toward hers when his cell rang in his back pocket. He let out a strangled growl as he lifted his head. “Fuck,” he grumbled, grabbing for the phone. He saw the name displayed across the screen and grumbled another, “Fuck.” He looked at Arissa. “One sec.” He tapped the screen and put the phone to his ear and said, “You cock blocked me.” He saw Arissa’s eyes widen and he chuckled, held the phone away from his mouth and told her, “It’s Vern, she can barely hear even when you’re yelling at her.”

  Arissa was still on the cock block comment because that king size bed was inviting, so her reply kind of just tumbled from her mouth. “Vern…the pussy lady.”

  Hank’s head fell back when he let out a roar of laughter. “Yep, that’s her.” He put the phone back to his ear and shouted, “Hey, Vern, what’s up?” Paused and yelled, “Yeah, I’m watching a funny show.” He paused again, his eyes held Arissa’s when he added, “Actually, I’m watching something I’m finding out that I like. Like a fuck of a lot. And the beauty of it is something I’ve never seen before.”

  He could make her laugh one second and turn her on in the next, though in fairness, she’d been perpetually turned on since meeting him that day at her house. Watching him teasing with Vern and seeing the heated look in his eyes. Yes, the man was definitely an alluring combination.

  “No,” Hank shouted. “I don’t remember the name of the show.” He paused, his eyes still glued to Arissa. “Yeah, Vern, I’ll come get you,” he yelled, and ended their conversation when he said, “See you in five.” He tapped the screen and placed his cell back in his pocket. “Gotta go take Vern to bingo. I’d take you along, but that would be like us fucking in the middle of Main Street. So, you good with staying and waiting here for fifteen minutes?”

  She was stuck on the visual of them fucking in the middle of Main Street, which stirred an ache between her legs, but she managed to pull her thoughts together. Hank was right, a sighting of the two of them would fuel the rumor mill, but she suspected that Vern enjoyed her one-on-one time with the handsome young sheriff.

  “Sure. I’ll stay here. I’ll clean up while you’re gone. Give Vern some alone time with her cat wrangler.”

  Hank smiled at her before he closed the small distance. He bent his head, laid the tip of his nose on hers and whispered, “Warm the pie up while I’m gone too.” He touched his lips to hers, pulled back, saw the look in her eyes, grumbled, “Fuck.” Then turned and walked out of his bedroom for the first time regretting leaving the room.

  Arissa heard Hank’s truck start up, heard as he gunned it down the drive and couldn’t help the smile. She glanced around his room again before pulling the doors closed behind her and heading to the kitchen. She wrapped up the leftover burgers, washed the dishes and turned the stove on. The sun was going down; stars were starting to peek out in the night sky. It was so
quiet here. She’d worried after a lifetime in Charleston that she’d find the quiet too loud, but she loved it.

  She put the pie in the oven then settled at the kitchen island, her mind running everywhere but fixed on the fact that she was sitting here, in Hank Weather’s kitchen, waiting for him to return from driving his elderly neighbor to bingo. She felt like a teenager, her reaction to him was surprising. She hardly knew him, but what she knew she liked…a lot.

  She shifted gears to the feature she wanted to do. It had been a long time since she felt the excitement she had for Hank’s house. Though he was a big reason for that. The sound of a car pulling up surprised her. He hadn’t been gone that long. The banging that followed had her jumping off the stool, thinking he’d forgotten his house keys. She reached the door, but the man standing behind it wasn’t Hank. He was pissed. Who was he? Someone Hank had arrested, or locked up? Not wishing to open the door, she called to him. “Can I help you?”

  The man was looking behind Arissa into the house. The lines on his face were hard, and his brows were scrunched together. Furiously, he snapped, “Where the fuck is Hank Weathers?” It was then the furious man leveled his eyes on Arissa. “You must be his next victim.” He roamed his hard dark eyes down her form and back up when he said, “At least he fucks the pretty ones.”

  Arissa’s blood iced, her hand moving to the lock on the screen door making sure she was locked in. Who the hell was this and what the hell was he talking about? What she did know, the man was unhinged. “He’s not here. Not sure when he’ll be back. Give me your name and I’ll let him know you stopped by.”

  The man let out a vile chuckle before he told her, “You aren’t getting rid of me that easily, Beautiful.” The man put his hand to the knob and tried to turn it. “Let me the fuck in.” He began to push and pull on the handle. With every give and take, his face grew harder. “Bitch, I know he’s in the fucking house!” he shouted and continued, “Come on Hank, we got business to take care of!”

  Arissa went from pissed to terrified. Her phone was in her purse that was on the kitchen counter. The idea of Hank walking unknowingly into this had her moving from the door to get it even as she screamed, “His truck isn’t in the driveway. He’s not here. You call me his victim, but you’re the one terrifying a complete stranger.” She reached her purse, grabbed her phone and texted Hank.

  There’s a pissed lunatic at your house. He’s trying to break in.

  A wicked sly smile tipped the man’s lips up. “I scare you, Beautiful. I like them a little terrified.” He winked at her and licked his lips. “I’ll take you for a ride like I did with his last,” he said.

  She was scared. “I’ve texted Hank.” She pressed herself against the counter hoping like hell Hank got back before this man got into the house.

  “Oh,” the man cooed. “You texted him.” The man gave an exaggerated shake of a chill as he said, “So scary.” He put the pressure of his body against the door, his face smashed to the screen. “Come on, Sweetheart, let’s play. We can—”

  His words were halted, his face disappeared from the screen along with his body. He let out a strangled groan. Hank had one arm around the guy’s throat, the man’s back pressed to Hank’s chest. “Who the fuck are you?” He grated out but didn’t let the man speak when he put pressure along his neck, cutting off his air supply. “Arissa!” Hank shouted. She approached the door cautiously. The fear he saw in her eyes caused him to increase his hold on the man. “You okay?”

  “You’re choking him,” Arissa observed but he wasn’t sure if she was censuring him or encouraging him. If he had to guess, it was the latter.

  Hank let up some of the pressure. He didn’t think killing a man on their first date made a very good impression.

  “I’m okay, but he…” She gestured to the man. “Has startling anger management issues.”

  Hank tried to hold back the chuckle but failed. Jesus. Even in the middle of a heated situation she was fucking cute. He was fucked. So fucked.

  “Who are you?” Hank spit out.

  The man’s feet started to scramble as he tried to gain his footing as Hank dragged him farther from the door.

  “He said something about me being your next victim,” Arissa offered, turning her eyes on the man she spat, “You’re not so bad now, are you? When it’s someone your own size.”

  Hank let Arissa’s words sink in, next victim? He let the man go as if his body started to burn him. The man dropped to his knees, hunched over and began to cough and choke through his words. “I’m—”

  Hank didn’t have the patience for the man to regain his speaking when he finished for him. “Phoebe.”

  The man turned his head to look up at Hank. “Yeah, she was my girlfriend and you fucked that up.” The man pushed himself up with a hand and came to his feet.

  Arissa watched the two, her head moving back and forth between them because though she wasn’t privy to the whole of what they were discussing, she understood enough. She had questions, like who was Phoebe, and how did Hank screw things up for this man and her. Though, based on what she’d seen of the man, he’d screwed things up all on his own. Disappointment filled her because she had a feeling their date was over. She glanced over at Hank and knew from his expression, he was thinking the same thing.

  Hank looked at Arissa, wasn’t happy with the expression on her face but told her. “I think maybe you should go.” He didn’t need her to hear about his past from some asshole, he rather the asshole be him. But now wasn’t the time for a sit down.

  She was surprised at how hard that was to hear. She didn’t want to go, wanted more of what they’d started before he left to drop Vern off at bingo, but she turned from Hank and walked to the kitchen. She took a second to get herself together, because this was not how she saw their evening ending, then grabbed her purse and walked back outside.

  “Thank you for dinner.” Her words sounded flat because thanking him for the meal wasn’t at all what she wanted to say, but they had an audience.

  “Oh, did I mess up your date?” The man said with humor lacing his voice. In a quick move, Hank raised his leg and kicked the guy in the hip. The man’s legs buckled when he shouted, “Fuck.” And grabbed for his hip.

  “I’ll call you later,” Hank said to Arissa. With the look on her face, the tone in her voice, Hank could only hope she picked the phone up when he did.

  She smiled in reply, but not one that reached her eyes.

  Hank watched her drive away, the anger inside growing the farther Arissa got from him. Hank wasted no time when he turned to the guy. “You got five fucking minutes to talk, go.”

  The man’s demeanor changed, as he rubbed his hip and took in his surroundings. “Fuck, you got a nice place here.”

  Jesus. It was just a house. His home. Why did everyone look at it like they had just seen water for the first time? “Four minutes,” Hank grated out.

  The man’s voice grew harder when he asked, “Why are you calling my girl, asking her to come back?”

  “Come again?” Hank said, leaning in toward the man making sure he heard him correctly.

  “Yeah.” The guy nodded. “You’ve been calling her, asking her to come back to Summerville. She left me, said she needed to sort out her head.”

  “I did not fucking call Phoebe.” Hank crossed his arms over his chest. “You think I’d try to get her back when I got that in my house?” Hank jerked his head to where they both last saw Arissa.

  The man couldn’t answer him with words; he just nodded in agreement. “Well, someone has been getting in touch with her.”

  “Well,” Hank said heatedly. “It wasn’t me. She’s old fucking news.” Hank jerked his head toward the man’s beat-up truck. “Now, get the fuck off my property, and if you come back, you’ll be behind bars.”

  The man started retreating but did it talking. “I want her back, you nee
d to fucking find out what is going on and—”

  “I don’t need to do shit,” Hank spat at him. “Now, this is your last warning, get the fuck off my property.”

  The man did as ordered, but not before he threatened, “This isn’t over, Weathers.”

  Hank rolled his eyes, nodded his head and pacified, “Okay, tough guy.”

  Once the man’s truck turned onto the road, Hank reached for his cell. He didn’t bring up Arissa’s name when he tapped on the screen. He brought up Phoebe’s but after a few rings, he got her voicemail. He hung up. Watching the pickup disappear down his drive, despite the scene the man had caused, Hank believed him. Someone was calling Phoebe, but it wasn’t him. So who was and why the fuck were they digging up the past?

  He brought up his contacts again, searched for the name and tapped the screen.

  “Hey, Boss.”

  “I need you to look up a plate for me, ask around town if anyone has seen anything suspicious.”

  Mike didn’t hesitate to ask, “Should I be worried?”

  “Not yet,” Hank grumbled, still keeping his eyes to where the truck disappeared. “But keep it on the down low and report back with anything you find.”

  Hank gave Mike the license plate number before he hung up; he stood there for a beat before the smell of burnt crust carried on the breeze. Rushing into the house, he went straight to the oven, grabbed a potholder off the counter and pulled out the cherry pie. The crust around the edges had started to turn dark brown, but from the smell, the bottom was already lost. Hank placed the pie plate on top of the stove and leaned back against the counter. One fucking night. He couldn’t have one fucking night with no interruptions. God forbid you throw a woman in the mix and all hell breaks loose. He ran a hand through his hair and let out a deep breath. Maybe Summerville wasn’t the place for him. Hell, who was he kidding, he loved it here.