The push at the subway station must have been accidental, as Will had suggested.
As for the other incidents, Carl could have called her long-distance and hung up. And he could have hired someone to order the lobsters, make the dinner reservations and raise hell in the bar. But that didn’t sound like Carl. He usually acted on impulse and in the heat of anger.
All her instincts told her that when Carl moved to California, he cut his ties with New York, the restaurant and her. Sure, there was a possibility that he was behind the harassment, but in Kasey’s opinion the chances were slim.
So if Carl wasn’t responsible, what the hell was going on?
* * *
SHE DIDN’T HAVE TIME to ponder that question or anything else during the next few hours.
“You won’t believe any of this,” Judy said when Kasey returned to Windows. “Between the wholesaler’s truck driver and our sous-chef, the lobster debacle was more than solved.”
“Great,” Kasey said. Then she saw Judy’s face.
“It was reversed. The driver misunderstood his instructions and took away the entire order, including the lobster Albert was planning to cook.”
“Oh, no,” Kasey said.
“Yep. He can’t fill any more orders for Lobster Albert. And he’s ready to blow a fuse. The waiters are calling out the orders from the door instead of taking them into the kitchen,” Judy told Kasey. “They’re afraid to go in there, and I don’t blame them.”
Kasey managed to act as go-between for the rest of the evening, leaving her post only to straighten out two mixed-up orders and soothe a patron who arrived too late and missed his usual table. Run-of-the-mill stuff, Kasey knew, but in her state of mind, it was unsettling.
It was after eleven when Kasey searched out Judy in the bar. The last tables were being served coffee and dessert and everything seemed manageable. “Can you and Rinaldo lock up, Judy? I’m beat.”
Judy looked up from the receipts spread out before her. “Sure, but I thought maybe we could share a taxi and talk. Some weird things are going on, Kasey.”
“Tomorrow,” Kasey promised.
“Then I’ll wait with you until you get a cab. Is it still raining?”
“Last time I looked.” Kasey picked up her raincoat and the two women stepped outside into the hot, humid night. The air was heavy with moisture, and streetlights glowed eerily in the darkness.
“I’d rather get soaked than swelter in this raincoat,” Kasey said, pulling it off.
“It’s just misting, anyway,” Judy said. “And we’re in luck.” A taxi pulled up at the curb, its driver managing to create a spray of rainwater.
“I think they do that on purpose, but at this point I don’t care,” Kasey said, opening the back door.
“It’s not the rain I’m worried about,” Judy told her. “Be careful.”
Kasey climbed in. “What could possibly happen between here and my apartment?”
“I don’t know, but just to be safe, ask the driver to go around the block and let you out right in front of the building. It’ll cost an extra seventy-five cents, but I’ll feel better.”
Kasey gave the driver her address, added Judy’s suggestion and waved to her friend. She felt ill at ease, and Judy’s fears hadn’t helped.
At the first stoplight, a man rushed toward them and tried to open Kasey’s door. She locked it quickly and slid across the seat to the other side. “Go on,” she admonished the driver. “Get away from here!”
He turned around. “Lady, I got a red light. Wha’dya want me to do?”
“Change lanes at least—someone’s trying to get in.”
“Look again, lady.”
Through the fogged-up window, she could see the man walking away.
“It’s been raining, in case you hadn’t noticed. The guy didn’t see I got a fare. So, now can I obey the traffic lights or you got some more demands?”
Kasey didn’t answer. She had enough on her mind. She didn’t need to get involved in an argument with the cabdriver, too. The things Judy had referred to were definitely weird—and disconcerting. Even frightening. But something else was on her mind now.
After their wonderful night together, she hadn’t heard from Will all day. While that shouldn’t have taken precedence over her other problems, somehow it did.
As directed, the driver went around the block so he could deposit Kasey right in front of her building. She paid and got out, feeling safe with the ubiquitous Tim watching from his doorman’s post.
She responded with as much animation as possible to his greeting and got on the elevator, praying for a problem-free ride to her floor. Her prayers answered, she got off at nineteen and headed to her apartment.
Will was standing at her door, leaning against the wall, arms crossed, waiting for her.
“Will—”
“Welcome home.”
She was both pleased and confused. “How did you know when I’d be here?”
“That’s a mystery, isn’t it?”
For some reason, his remark gave her a little chill. She tried to ignore it. “No, really, Will. How did you know?”
He reached out and pulled her to him, giving her a hungry kiss. “I’m psychic.”
“Will...”
He laughed and kissed her again. “Just joking, Kasey. My apartment looks out on Seventy-second Street, just like yours, remember? I saw you get out of the cab and immediately planted myself at your door.”
“And I’m glad you did. I was wondering why I hadn’t heard from you all day.”
“I didn’t want to bother you at work,” he replied. “But work’s over now so... May I come in?”
“I thought you’d never ask.” Everything was all right now, Kasey thought. She was home safely and she was with Will.
The minute they got inside, he kissed her again. “Miss me?”
“Terribly,” she replied, punctuating her answer with a kiss of her own. She stroked his beard. “It’s nice, but—”
“But what?”
“But it’s a little scratchy.” She remembered Glenna’s comment about the whisker burn on her cheeks. “One of these days, I’m going to shave it off,” she said.
“Really?” He took her hand and led her down the hall.
“Yes. I have a fantasy of shaving you myself and seeing your face for the first time—” She broke off. “Does that sound silly?”
“Sounds very interesting. The beard’s beginning to bother me, too.” He stroked it thoughtfully. “Maybe we can work something out.” He sat down beside her in the living room. “Now tell me. How was your day—or your evening?”
“Awful. Until now,” she amended. “It started with several crank phone calls—” Thinking that she felt Will stiffen, Kasey added hastily, “Nothing serious, just hang-ups. I was certain it was a weird guy who used to work at Windows. Turned out it wasn’t.”
“How do you know that?”
“Because he moved to California. I also thought he’d ordered the lobster—”
“You’re losing me, Kasey. Lobster?”
Kasey sighed and leaned back against the sofa pillows. “I guess I need to bring you up to date.”
“I guess so. Meanwhile, let me make you a drink.” He laughed. “Listen to me, playing host in your place.”
“It’s okay. It’s fine, in fact. There’s white wine in the refrigerator. I’d love a glass. How about you?”
“Definitely.” He disappeared into the kitchen, returning with two glasses and a bottle of cold white wine.
“About the lobster?” he asked, pouring the wine and passing a glass to her.
“The restaurant’s order got horribly messed up and it took hours to straighten out. Then some woman started a ruckus in the bar—”
“And you thought this guy might have been behind it all? He must be a nut.”
“Not a nut, just mean spirited and sneaky. But now I know Carl’s not behind any of it. I’m beginning to think that everything was coincidence. May
be the wholesaler made a mistake in the order and put the blame on someone else. And people get upset in restaurants all the time. As far as the hang-ups are concerned, wrong numbers happen. I think I was seeing a conspiracy where none existed.” She settled into the crook of his arm. “I’d even wondered if Carl pushed me at the subway stop last night.”
“You still think that was deliberate?”
“Not now. It was probably just an accident, a lot of people jostling on a platform.”
“I think you’re right, but let’s face it, there are lots of crazy people around, Kasey. It pays to be careful.”
There was an undercurrent in Will’s voice that caught her attention. She glanced sharply up at him but couldn’t read the veiled expression on his face.
“I know, but a certain amount of craziness is normal for the city. I guess I’ve been on edge recently, letting my imagination work overtime.”
“I thought we’d worked all those tensions out last night. And this morning.”
Kasey slipped her arm around his neck. “I may need an encore performance.”
Will chuckled. “Delighted. I happen to be free tonight.”
7
“WHAT WOULD YOU say to making love on the balcony?” Will asked, nuzzling Kasey’s neck.
“On the balcony?”
“Just an idea. An erotic one. But then, all of my ideas about you are like that.” He let his fingers trail along the curve of her back. “Now I’m thinking about your offer to shave off my beard.”
“And?”
“I’m going to take you up on it.”
Kasey smiled broadly.
“It goes along with my erotic thoughts, lying under your spell—and under your razor—helpless, your bearded slave.”
“But we don’t have to do it on the balcony?”
“Do it?” he asked.
“You know what I mean,” she replied, taking a swipe at him. “Shave.”
He laughed. “I suppose I can change my fantasy to an indoor version.”
“We’ll need towels and soap,” she said.
“Do you really want to do this?” He asked the question while running his hands along her back.
She nodded.
“It’s not going to be that simple. You’ll probably have to start with scissors. Then a good razor. Shaving cream and—”
“Let’s go to your apartment,” Kasey suggested.
“No,” he said quickly. “I’d rather stay here.”
“I don’t have shaving cream. Or the kind of razor we’ll need,” she told him.
“Okay.” He got up, one hand still possessively touching her, drifting along her hip. “I’ll get the supplies and bring them over here.” He took her hand, and Kasey followed him to the end of the hall, where he gave her a quick kiss. “I’ll be right back.”
* * *
WILL CLOSED THE DOOR of his apartment, leaned back against it and took a slow deep breath. He was so caught up in the fantasy with Kasey that he hadn’t taken time to think.
He ran his hand across his beard. It was driving him crazy. He hated it and resented the need for it, but was he ready to give it up? Common sense advised him to tell Kasey he’d changed his mind, but the twin demons of impatience and recklessness pushed him toward the decision.
Will went into the bathroom and switched on the light. He studied his face in the mirror. The beard made him a stranger, even to himself. He wanted it gone. Tonight. And he wanted Kasey to be the one to shave it off.
There was more to it than just getting a clean shave. It was also a beginning in revealing himself to Kasey. He still couldn’t open himself to her completely, but this was a step. And if it brought danger his way, then so be it. He was fed up with living his life in the dark.
Quickly, before he could change his mind, Will loaded his kit with a couple of razors, a can of shaving cream and a bottle of after-shave. He found a pair of scissors and made a few passes at his beard. He’d help Kasey along but not make the task too easy. He wanted the experience to last. Satisfied with the start he’d made, he added the scissors to his supplies.
Then he reached into the drawer and dropped a packet of condoms into the kit, grinning at himself in the mirror. This was going to be a hell of a fantasy, and he was going to enjoy every minute of it.
Still smiling, he turned off the light and headed back to Kasey.
* * *
“I‘M ALL YOURS.” Will tilted back his head and closed his eyes.
Kasey’s bathroom was bathed in soft light. Reflections from the recessed lighting glowed in the smoky floor-to-ceiling mirrors. The rain had started again and beat softly against the window panes.
Kasey began to shave Will, leaning forward and moving the razor carefully across his cheek. She was wrapped in a towel, knotted above her breasts and skimming the tops of her thighs. Her clothes—and Will’s—lay strewn across the bedroom floor, tossed carelessly aside as they’d hurriedly undressed each other, eager to begin their fantasy.
Will was seated on the edge of the tub, a towel draped across his lap. Kasey was very aware of his nearness—and his nakedness. The atmosphere was intimate, provocative. Anticipation shimmered on the hot, heavy air.
Kasey wiped away a drop of shaving cream that had splattered on Will’s shoulder. Under his warm and pliant skin, she could feel the tightening and tensing of his muscles. Excitement tingled along Kasey’s spine, and she took a deep breath to steady her shaking hand.
They were both quiet, the patter of rain and the scraping of the razor on Will’s skin the only sounds to be heard. Kasey was into a rhythm now, almost as if her movements were choreographed, gliding the razor along his face, rinsing it off, and then leaning close to him again, so close that the heat from his body mingled with her own. And that heat had nothing to do with the summer night.
Just as she slid the razor along the line of his chin, Will opened his eyes and looked directly at her.
She nicked him. “Damn. I’m sorry,” she said.
“No problem. I’ll carry the scar with pleasure, and always think of you.”
Kasey laughed. “It’s only a tiny nick, Will. I don’t think there’ll be a scar.”
“Too bad,” he said, closing his eyes again.
She tipped his chin back and shaved his neck, washed off the razor and carefully went over the spots she’d missed. “Okay, here goes the mustache.” Slowly, inch by inch, she shaved his upper lip. As she wiped away the traces of shaving cream, Will’s features began to emerge—his high cheekbones, the sensuous curve of his mouth, his strong chin.
She caught her breath and stared at him. Her fantasy was close, so close...
“Finished?” Will sounded impatient.
“Not quite,” Kasey replied, tearing her eyes away from him. “You need the full treatment.” She soaked a washcloth in hot water, wrung it out and carefully placed it over his face. It was part of the treatment, all right, but it also gave her a chance to slow her racing heart. Will was even more handsome than she’d imagined.
After a minute, she removed the washcloth, and wiped away the remaining shaving cream.
She stepped back, staring, letting herself take in the full picture of the “naked” Will. “You’re beautiful,” she said.
Opening his eyes, Will replied, “Men aren’t beautiful, Kasey.”
“You are.” She leaned forward and kissed his cleanly shaven cheek, running her lips along his smooth, damp, sweet-smelling face. Then she kissed his chin. Then his mouth. “If you only knew how good that feels.”
“I know how good this feels.” He tugged once at her towel and it dropped away.
She could feel the heat of Will’s gaze on her bare skin. Her breasts felt hot and heavy, swollen with desire, aching for his touch. He cupped her breasts with his hand and took one taut nipple slowly into his mouth. Dizzying desire swept through Kasey at the touch of his lips, at the warm wetness of his mouth and tongue. Her hands played through the crisp texture of his hair, drawing him closer
to her.
Will surged to his feet, letting his towel drop to the floor. His mouth was hard on hers. She moaned with pleasure.
“I want to make love to you, Kasey. Here, now.”
“Here? Now?”
Will laughed and pulled her down on the softness of the rug. He ran his hand down her arm and pressed a condom into her hand.
“Put it on me, Kasey. I want you to touch me. I want you to see how ready I am for you.”
With eager fingers, Kasey slid the rubber down along his hard, throbbing manhood. Then she lay back and guided him toward her, her legs apart to welcome him.
He wrapped his arms around her shoulders, and slid into her. Kasey’s body stiffened with excitement and she dug her nails into the muscles of his shoulders. She felt on fire, consumed by her need for him. His mouth captured hers and their breaths mingled, his tongue moving slowly, sensuously in and out of her mouth as he moved in and out of her body.
The mirrored bathroom wall reflected every move they made. “Open your eyes, Kasey,” Will asked. “Look at us, watch us in the mirror. Watch us make love. Watch us make our fantasy come true.”
Kasey thought that she had known desire before in her life. But everything that had gone before seemed a prelude as she looked into the mirror and saw their hot, eager bodies join in the act of love.
* * *
KASEY ZIPPED UP her jeans and reached for her tennis shoes beside the bed. Will’s hand shot out from under the sheet and grabbed her wrist. “Hey, running out on me so early in the morning?”
Kasey sank beside him and pushed his hair away from his forehead. She loved the way he looked without his beard. There was a trace of stubble across his face, but it didn’t hide his cheeks, high-boned with hollows beneath them, his square chin with its faint dimple, his strong jaw and wide shapely mouth.
“Kasey?” he asked, breaking into her reverie.
“Oh, sorry. I was just enjoying the new you.”
He laughed. “I love your honesty. But if you’re so mesmerized, why are you running out on me so early in the morning?”
“I’m running out to the bakery and the newsstand.” She let her fingers trail down across his cheek, down his neck to his shoulder. His skin was pliant under her touch, and she remembered the long, wonderful night when she’d held him close and moved her hands over his skin. Then it had been hot with passion; now it was warm and comforting. She sighed happily. There was nothing quite like waking up with Will. She could easily get used to it. “I thought we could lounge around, ease into the day with the paper and pastries.”
Stranger in My Arms Page 10