Blinding Echo

by Tina Saxon

  The song continues to play for the next three minutes. Three minutes of every single nerve-ending in my body tingling with tiny electric shocks wondering if he’s imagining me riding him. Which makes simple jobs, namely walking with one drink in hand, difficult.

  “I’m so sorry. I wasn’t watching where I was going,” I say, toweling off the guy’s shirt. Tori better be enjoying the show because this is her fault. I’m beyond flustered, and this damn song won’t ever end. I glance up to the ceiling, does she freaking have it on repeat?

  The over-stimulated air is choking me, and I've had all I can take. A drop of sweat trickles between my breasts as I walk out the back door. My body slumps against the dark grey brick building, and I take a few cleansing breaths. When the door swings open, I jump. A flurry of butterflies in the pit of my stomach erupt at the sight of Kase. My gaze sweeps up his muscular body as he saunters over.

  “Tori told me you might be out here.”

  “Of course she did,” I mutter.

  His brow shoots up, and he points to the door. “I can go inside if you want me to.” Instead of waiting for me to answer, he takes two steps closer moving within inches of me. “But I’d rather stay,” he rasps. I can feel every line in the bricks against my back as my breathing speeds up. He leans over, the warmth of his breath tickles my ear. “Tell me you want me to stay.” His smell is so intoxicating, my mouth is suddenly parched.

  “Stay,” I whisper.

  His hands move to the brick wall on both sides of my head. “I like your song choice.”

  The idea of him taking me in the dark parking lot, fucking me like he did in my dreams, has heat tingling between my legs. I shift my weight from foot to foot, trying to put out that fire. This is not me. I don’t understand the intense visceral reaction I have to him.

  The door opens again, Tori sticks her head out. “Oh. Sorry.” She winces as we both turn our heads her direction. “I was just checking on you. Carry on.” She smiles, slipping inside. I lean my head against the wall, closing my eyes for a second to calm my racing pulse. The interruption brings me back to reality.

  “I… I should get back to work.” My words come out breathy and I bite my lip to stop myself from looking more desperate. And I thought the air inside was suffocating. He grins and does a slow nod, taking a step away from me. I want to reach for him and pull him back. “You should walk me home tonight,” I murmur.

  So much for not looking desperate.

  His smile turns downward as his whole body stiffens. The abrupt change in his demeanor makes me stand taller. The desire in his eyes washes away, replaced with irritation. If I wasn’t against the wall, I’d retreat backward.

  “So, you won’t go out with me, but you’ll fuck me?” he snaps. “How many other men are you screwing, Ellie?”

  My mouth gapes open and I’m at a loss for words as warning bells go off. Snapping it shut, I cross my arms over my chest, noticing his eyes flick to my cleavage before returning. Oh, you want this, asshole? Well, it’s the closest you’ll get to seeing them because the last thing I need in my life right now is a jealous psycho.

  I grumble. “You know…” I pause to find the right words, holding up my finger. Nope, there are no correct words. “Forget this ever happened.” I slide passed him and stride to the door, not looking back as it slams behind me. The nerve of him. What the hell was he offering coming on to me like that. Coffee? ‘I like your choice in song.’ Yeah, sounds like it.

  I slam a shot glass on the bar and fill it with tequila, ignoring Tori’s quizzical expression. I wince once the hot liquid coats my throat. Most of the time, I'd have a chaser, but I welcome the burn, in the hope that it takes my mind off how much I looked like a fool.

  “Um… I’m guessing there was no hot sex.”

  I turn and glare at her, shooting darts with my eyes. “Oh, no,” I snicker. “There won’t be any hot sex. He should be happy he still has a dick to have sex. But it won’t be with me when he does.” I pour another drink and swallow it in one gulp. A drop of liquid runs down my chin and I wipe it with the back of my hand. “That guy doesn’t know what the hell he wants. He goes from hot in the pants to hot in the head in an instant.” I snap my fingers and then begin to pour another drink, but Tori grabs it out of my hand, shaking her head.

  “Not a good idea, Ell.”

  “You want to talk about ideas,” I say, sarcastically, the Tequila already giving me the desired effect. Numbness. “The one you had with that song, was perfect. Next time, make sure the guy is sane before you tell him I want to ride him.” My voice carries and a few guys at the bar listen. “Oh, good. I can ask you guys. If a girl, like me, suggested meeting after work, what would you say?” I throw my arms out.

  They all mumble, “Hell yeahs.”

  “It’s time for a break,” Tori says, wrapping her arm around my waist and pulling me to the office. She yells at one of the other bartenders we’ll be back. She pushes me into a chair. The adrenaline from the rejection fades, leaving me light-headed from the Tequila. I fall forward leaning on my knees, hiding my face. “What the hell happened, Ell? When I left you, you both seemed rather comfortable.”

  I moan. “I’m a slut.” When Tori laughs out loud, I lift my head, giving her an icy glare.

  “You are a far cry from a slut, sweet pea.”

  “Well, Kase thinks so. I mean, I threw myself at him, so he’s not too far off.”

  “He called you a slut?” she snaps.

  I sit up and exhale. “Not in those exact words, but when a guy asks you how many other guys you’re screwing, it’s implied.”

  Her eyes widen and she holds up a finger. “Be right back.”

  I jump off the chair, grabbing her shirt before she can leave. “Noooo. Just let it be. Please?”

  “Fine. But if I accidentally pour a drink in his lap, don’t be surprised.” I smile and nod, knowing how hard it’ll be for her to hold her tongue.

  I hang out in the office for half an hour, snacking on peanuts, trying to get rid of the tipsy feeling. Tori reports that Kase never came back and the rest of Max’s guys left too. I’m at least thankful for that. It makes it easier to return to work without meeting his blue eyes all night, reminding me how humiliated I am. An hour before closing, only a few people are still here, so I tell Tori I’m taking off. The new guy is still here, so she doesn’t need me.

  Stepping outside, I glance to the spot Kase and I were standing. I’ve replayed the scene in my head a hundred times tonight, wondering where it went wrong. His eyes were dark and needy, so I know he wanted me too. What changed? What did I say wrong?

  Feet shuffling against the pavement and movement startle me. I scan the dark lot, chills creep up my spine. Someone jumps on me, knocking me to the ground. Hands wrap around my neck, my screams come out raspy instead of loud. I kick and hit any part of the man’s body I can connect with, but each second that passes, my body gets heavier from lack of air.

  One second I’m fighting for my life, the next, the guy is being yanked off me and thrown against the wall. I hear his grunts and cries, but I’m too busy gasping for air to call for help. Whoever saved me is beating the shit out of the guy behind a car. When he stands, he glances my way, and I’m frozen in place by a pair of familiar blue eyes.

  Kase.

  Chapter Eleven

  Ellie

  My hands shake digging in my purse as I grab my keys, the only weapon I have attached to them. I take deep breaths, trying to calm the nerves vibrating throughout my body.

  “Why are you pointing that at me?” he asks, staring at my hand stretched out from my body and gripping the pepper spray like it’s my last lifeline. You never know, it might be. He stands a few feet away from me with his hands in the air. Surprisingly, my attacker ran to a waiting car when Kase was busy staring at me. It was his lucky day.

  I squeeze my purse to my thumping heart, not daring to take my eyes off him. He’s crazy if he expects me to put it away. He might be one of Max’s guy
s, but tonight he’s proven to be a little unstable.

  “I just saved you.”

  “I’m not sure who’s worse. A robber or a stalker.” At least I hope it was a robber.

  “Stalker?” His eyes widen as he crosses his arms. I glance around the dark parking lot he came from. “Okay, it looks bad. I wasn’t hiding, I was just waiting for you to come out.”

  “You’re not making it sound any better.”

  His head drops, and he stares at the asphalt, kicking a few rocks. He releases a heavy sigh and looks back up. “I was waiting out here to apologize for earlier. I saw the guy sneaking around, so I hid to see what he was up to. Had I known you were leaving early, I would’ve scared him off earlier.”

  He sounds sincere, however, my lack of judgment in the past makes me question his sincerity. Our eyes lock in a game of chicken.

  A car blares its horn as it passes, scaring the hell out of me.

  “Fuck!” Kase yells, folding over at the waist with his hands digging into his thighs.

  The smell tickles my nose and my eyes water. “Oh no! Oh my god, Kase, I’m so sorry.” My finger must’ve pressed the trigger when I jumped from the horn. He moans in agony while I fight with myself on what I should do. There shouldn’t be a question. Regardless of what happened tonight, I need to take him inside so he can wash his eyes out, but his words from earlier hit deeper than they should have. Get a grip, Ell and help the guy.

  I throw the spray in my purse and run to his side. “Come on, I’ll take you inside.”

  Unlocking the back door, I usher him in. When he coughs and wheezes, I panic, he’s going to die and it's my fault. “Should I call 911?”

  “No. Just… need water,” his voice breaks. My hand rests on his tense back as I lead him to the sink in the stockroom and he shoves his whole head under the water. I stand back and watch him. Curse words fly out of his mouth in between coughs. I grimace and wrap my arms around my waist, mortified I caused this. He strips off his shirt in one quick tug and washes his arms off.

  I’m a horrible human being. I maced the guy whose insides are on fire, and I’m standing here admiring his gorgeous body. A tribal tattoo on his left shoulder, usually hidden under his shirt, is on full display. His hands, full of soap, move hastily up and down each muscular arm. I turn away, the heat building deep in my belly catches me off guard. I need to shut down my gawking. The last thing I need right now is to be caught staring. Instead, I grab some clean towels from the cabinet and place them on the sink.

  “Here,” I whisper. He reaches for them and dries off. “There’s a cot you can sit on.” He nods and walks over to the empty spot, sits and leans against the wall, still breathing heavy and coughing. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to spray it.”

  He waves his hand in the air. “It’s okay. I’ve been through worse. I just need to let it wear off.” His voice is raspy from the chemicals and his blood-shot eyes catch mine. His eyes travel up my arm to my hand and he smirks. I stop my finger mid-twirl and release the hair wrapped around it. Damn habit. Most of the time I’m not even aware I’m doing it.

  “You want something to drink?” I ask awkwardly, folding and unfolding my arms around me. He stays quiet but nods his head. “Okay, be right back.”

  I deflate as soon as I’m out of the stockroom. Tori’s eyes widen when she sees me. She rushes over and grabs my chin, lifting it so she can see my neck. “Who the hell did that? Did Kase do that?” she snaps.

  I step back and shake my head then run to the mirror behind the bar to see what she’s talking about. Bruises are already surfacing. Tears burn my eyes, memories forthcoming. Someone attacked me. God, I hope it wasn’t him. It can’t be. He couldn’t have found me. Taking a deep inhale, I push those thoughts back.

  “Ell, what happened?”

  I rehash everything that happened, including accidentally macing Kase. "We're getting cameras back there. Do you want me to call the police?"

  "You know I can't. I promise I won’t go back there by myself again."

  She nods in understanding. It's too dangerous. I can't have my name on record.

  I reach into the fridge and grab a Shiner for him and an Ultra for me. Twisting the top off my beer, I take a quick swallow, propping my hip against the counter. What am I going to do about Kase?

  My jealous admirer.

  My stalker.

  My hero.

  All in one day.

  The sound of coughing reminds me he’s still in the stockroom. “Sorry. I needed a second,” I say, handing him his beer. He chugs the entire beer in one gulp, handing the bottle right back. Okay then. His breathing has stabilized although his face and eyes are still tomato red. He rests against the wall again. “Do you want another one?” I hold up the empty beer bottle.

  “Nah. I’m fine. Thanks. But we should call the cops.” His tone turns sharp, his eyes pinned on my neck.

  Letting out an uneasy sigh, I shake my head. “It’ll be useless. There’s not a security camera back there, and I didn’t get a good look at the guy.” My words are rushed as I try to talk my way out of that phone call. I can’t have him call the cops.

  His eyes narrow and I force my body from fidgeting. “I got a good look at him,” he says in a challenge, lifting a brow.

  “Kase,” I sigh. “Please don’t. I want to forget about tonight. You taught the guy a lesson. I’m sure he won’t be back.” My eyes plead with him.

  “If he’s stupid enough to come back, he’s not leaving next time.” There's not an ounce of threat in there. It’s a promise. His boyish looks are replaced with an icy stare. I nod in silent understanding, hoping he’ll let this go for now. Silence hangs between us until he finally nods once.

  I grab a wooden chair and sit facing him, taking a quick drink. “Are your face and eyes still burning?” I crinkle my nose, still hating that I caused this.

  “It’s getting better. I still can’t see far away, so unless you want to drive me home, we’re hanging out here.”

  I tilt my head, surprised by the quick change in his voice. “Don’t you live right around here? I thought you lived in the same apartments as Cody?” His smirk confirms I’m right. Only because I feel horrible, I let it slide. “So, Cowboy, tell me what happened earlier because I’m confused.”

  He sighs, looking down at his raw hands. I do a double take, having missed them. “Do you need ice?”

  He shakes his head and rubs the back of his neck. “About earlier, I’m sorry. Something you said reminded me of someone and I was totally out of line asking you that.”

  “Sister, girlfriend, wife?”

  He barks out a deep laugh. “I’m doing something wrong if you think you remind me of a sister.” I shrug, not understanding how he sees me. Flirty, jealous, protective, angry… he’s been all over the place. “She was my girlfriend,” he finally answers. He’s harboring some deep-seated feelings toward this girlfriend.

  “Was?”

  “Was. Many, many years ago.”

  “You have a lot of unresolved feelings if it was many, many years ago.” He slowly nods. “What happened?”

  “She forgot about me.”

  Ouch. I wonder if it had something to do with him being in the military.

  “I have a hard time believing any woman could forget you.” The words fall out of my mouth before I can stop them. My cheeks heat, I take a quick drink of beer, avoiding his sexy grin. This shouldn’t come as a surprise to him considering I offered for him to come over tonight.

  “Ellie, go out with me.”

  “Kase, I’m not sure that’s a good idea after what happened.” Despite his jealous outburst, there’s no denying the chemistry between us. Yet, there's a foreign wedge I don’t know if I can remove. And I wonder if he’s ready to do it himself.

  “Let me make it up to you for being an asshole.”

  “I wasn’t lying before, I have so much going—"

  "It’s the least you could do,” he says, interrupting me.

 
My mouth drops open. “Really? You’re going to guilt me into going on a date with you?”

  “If it works, hell yeah.” He crosses his feet on the cot and folds his hands in his lap. “Is it working?”

  I twist my lips thinking what could it hurt going out with him one time. He did save me and then had to endure torture.

  Yes, it’s working.

  “One date. That’s it.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Ellie

  “Why am I so nervous?” I ask, staring into the mirror, holding up a black dress that hits me at my knees and swapping it with a blue dress that shows a little more. More legs. More boobs. But it makes my eyes pop.

  “I love the blue one,” Tori states. I glance at her through the mirror.

  “Of course you do.”

  She ruffles through my jewelry, ignoring me. “If it were me, I wouldn’t wear panties. One glance from him and they’ll melt right off, anyway.” I focus on the black bra and lace panties I’m wearing. Probably a little too direct to forgo the panties, but I chose the blue dress.

  I step into the dress, shimmying my body into it. Tori comes up behind me, zips it up, and then holds up a pair of silver dangle earrings against my earlobes. “Have you ever been on a real date?”

  “Ha-ha,” I snicker. “Yes. Just not anytime recently. I’m busy with school.”

  “That’s what you continue to say.”

  “I. Am.” Spinning with my hands on my hips, I glare at her. “Having a boyfriend complicates things. This is my last semester before I graduate. After that, I’ll worry about a relationship. And you know about my history. I… can’t yet.”