Morning After (A Reynolds Security Novel)

by Hale, Melissa

  "Oh my God." Zoe whispered.

  "Yeah all this only happened last night so I am still processing."

  "So who is this guy?" Erica looked around but didn't see Ethan anywhere in the living room or kitchen.

  "He's boring Joe," she whispered just in case he was nearby.

  "From the shop?"

  "Yeah, he sort of came to my rescue last night."

  "And you slept with him?" Zoe sounded shocked.

  "No I didn't sleep with him! OK well technically I did sleep with him but I didn't have sex with him." Erica's cheeks were burning. "But I might, Zoe, he's hot," she said in a stage whisper.

  "I know."

  "How do you know?"

  "I've seen him."

  "Well how come I never noticed?"

  "I don't know. I had a hunch he was interested in you though."

  "You did? Why?"

  "Because he doesn't stay in the shop if you're not there."

  "Really?"

  "Really. So how you holding up without your cell phone?" Erica was disappointed with the subject change. She had the overwhelming urge to keep talking about him like a school girl with a crush.

  "It's tough. I'm going to have to go get a new one."

  "Did you track yours?"

  "What?"

  "Did you go to that website and see if you could locate it?"

  "Ohmygod Zoe you are a genius! I didn't even think of that!" She spun in the room looking all around. "I have to find a computer, I'll call you back. I'll take care of everything here, don't worry about a thing. Take care of your dad, I love you and I'll talk to you soon." Erica knew Zoe would protest so she disconnected quickly.

  Erica looked around the open space of the great room. There wasn't a computer in sight. She vaguely remembered him mentioning an office but she wasn't going to go snooping for one so she sat down on the sofa and bounced her feet in nervous anticipation. The sofa was still warm from their body heat. Their combined body heat. For the first time she realized what an awkward position she awoke in. She had spent the night on the sofa sleeping practically on top of a man she had just met. Her cheeks flamed as she stared at the sofa. It had felt good, too good. She had slept better than she had in ages. But what must Ethan think? She didn't have a chance to really examine that as his long legs carried him purposefully in the room. He was wearing faded blue jeans and a blue T-shirt. His hair was wet and the mental image of him naked in that giant marble shower caused more than her cheeks to heat.

  "Coffee?" he asked heading for the kitchen.

  "Yes, please." She forced the words out of a too tight throat.

  "I threw your clothes in the dryer. They should be done in a few."

  Great, another mental image of him handling her underwear.

  She bit back the sigh that came to her lips and watched the play of his muscles across his back as he moved.

  "How is your friend?"

  "My friend?"

  "Yeah, on the phone."

  "Oh... Oh!" She sprang to her feet remembering her earlier realization. "She's fine. Do you have a computer I can use real quick?"

  She saw his brow furrow in confusion but he nodded. As she suspected he showed her to an office where there was a laptop sitting in a docking station he unlocked it and moved aside for her. It only took her a minute to log in to the website and find the GPS signal of her phone. Her shoulders slumped as she waited but her phone was unable to be located.

  "It can't be located," she sighed.

  "Maybe the battery is dead."

  "Sonofabitch!" Erica swore and Ethan's eyes widened in surprise. She flailed her arms in frustration and Ethan took a step back to avoid getting caught in the swing. "I turned it off." She surged to her feet, "I turned it off because he wouldn't stop calling and texting. So of course it can't be located." Ethan put his hand on her shoulder and squeezed gently.

  "Don't worry, it's just a phone. It can be replaced."

  "I know," she sighed, "But I love my phone, everything was on that phone."

  "Didn't you ever back it up?"

  "Sure, on to the laptop that is also missing." He grimaced at the reminder.

  "Sorry."

  Once she'd had coffee and redressed into her own clothes she was ready to take charge of the situation, almost.

  She sat at the breakfast bar watching Ethan load the dishwasher. He had made her breakfast. No one ever did that for her, of course that could be because she only ever woke up at home. He wouldn't even let her help with the dishes. He was such a contradiction. A hundred percent masculine, hard, tough man. But then he was sweet and caring and... Perfect.

  There is no such thing as perfect. There is such thing as too good to be true. She frowned at the thought, was Ethan harboring some ulterior motive for helping her?

  "What's that look for?" She jumped guiltily at the sound of his voice.

  "I have a lot of things to do today."

  "Ready to get started?" She sighed and nodded.

  The ride to her apartment was a quiet one. She didn't know what to say. She had said thank you so many times but the words seemed so inadequate for everything he had done. The one word she didn't want to say was goodbye she wasn't ready to go back to just politely serving him coffee. When he parked in front of the apartment building she hesitated.

  "Thank you... again."

  "You're welcome... again." He hopped out of the truck and opened her door and she was momentarily stunned. "Come on. Let's go see if the crime scene guys left an even bigger mess." He held out his hand and she surprised herself by taking it. She wanted to tell him he didn't have to come up that she could handle it, but the truth was she wasn't sure she could.

  The apartment looked much the same as it had the night before. A mess. She surveyed the damage while Ethan started righting overturned furniture.

  "Do you have insurance?"

  "Yes."

  "Make a list of everything that is broken."

  "Ethan..."

  "Yeah?"

  "Are you always in charge?" he stopped moving for a second.

  "Sorry." He muttered and continued picking up.

  "It's OK." She laughed, "I don't mind."

  "Why did they have to make such a mess?" She mumbled a short time later as she replaced the contents of a drawer that had been dumped.

  "They were looking for something."

  "What could they possibly have been looking for? Ah ha!" He looked up sharply at the exclamation.

  "What?"

  "I found my spare keys." She held them up and jingled them. He smirked at her enthusiasm. "Now I can call AAA."

  "I have a better idea, I will go get us some lunch and I will look at your car. You call a locksmith and get your locks changed." She met his eyes and smiled. "Ah come on, I haven't tried to take charge in like..." he looked at his watch, "Forty five minutes." She laughed and it felt good, like she hadn't really laughed in a while. He stopped at the door and looked over his shoulder at her. He looked so good it made her stomach clench and the laughter died in her throat. He gave her a peculiar look and she realized he had asked her a question.

  "I'm sorry, what did you say?"

  "I said what do you want for lunch?"

  Right like she could think about food.

  "Oh surprise me." He smiled a slow, heart-poundingly sexy smile and she wondered if he were reading her thoughts.

  It took a full two minutes after he left for her heart rate to return to normal. She took a deep breath and called a locksmith before returning to attack the mess with gusto. Unfortunately, cleaning was such a mindless task, her thoughts remained occupied by Ethan. She just couldn’t understand her reaction to him. She’d had crushes before. She had been attracted before. Never before had one man so completely dominated her thoughts and emotions. She was still wrapped up in her own thoughts when she realized someone was knocking on the door. She felt a momentary pause, for the first time ever wishing she had a peephole.

  “Who is it?” she asked thro
ugh the door, feeling a little dumb for acting so paranoid.

  “It’s Rod from J & J Locksmith, ma’am.” She released the breath she had been holding and disengaged the deadbolt, the only thing holding the door closed. Rod was younger than she expected blond with boyish good looks. Just the type she would find attractive if her mind wasn’t so consumed by a tall dark haired man with piercing blue eyes.

  Erica had just finished putting her bedroom back in order when she heard Rod speaking to someone. Thinking Ethan must be back she hurried from her room only to stop abruptly when she discovered her visitor was not who she thought.

  “Marco, what are you doing here?” Her disappointment erased any pretense of friendliness she might have had.

  “Bella, what happened to your door?” He rushed toward her; his brow creased in what she would have previously thought was concern. She squared her shoulders and held up her hand for him to stop. He did, but not before he was mere steps away.

  “Why aren’t you answering your phone?” He smelled good, he always smelled good. She wished he didn’t. After the last time she had seen him he ought to smell like cheap perfume.

  “I lost my phone,” she said, and instantly wished she had told him she simply wasn’t taking his calls. He was only partially mollified.

  “What happened to your door?”

  “Marco, what are you doing here?” she asked again, more forcefully this time.

  “I am worried about you Bella. You weren’t at the restaurant last night and you aren’t answering my calls.” Erica stared at him for moment completely dumbfounded. He still expected her to take his calls and have dinner at his family’s restaurant.

  “Marco, we’re not together anymore.” She hoped her voice didn’t sound as patronizing to him as it did in her own ears.

  “Nonsense Bella, it was all a misunderstanding. We just need to talk about it.” Her stunned amazement quickly gave way to anger.

  “I don’t think I misunderstood that twenty- something coed riding you like a pony!” She nearly shouted.

  “Bella, I am sorry about that, she caught me in a moment of weakness and she wouldn’t take no for an answer. What was I supposed to do? I am a guy after all and well you…”

  “Don’t you dare try to turn this around on me,” she hissed.

  “I am not trying to turn anything around.” He reached out to touch her and she jerked back. “Bella,” His voice was deep and husky, a voice that would send chills up her spine at one time. “If you would just loosen up a little, be willing to…”

  “Not going to happen.” She cut him off again, fighting the heat of anger and embarrassment rising to her cheeks. “Get out of my apartment.”

  “Just hear me out, give me a chance.”

  “You had your chance, and I don’t believe in second chances.”

  “Bella…”

  “The lady asked you to leave.” The sound of Ethan’s voice made her heart whomp in her chest. She hadn’t felt threatened by Marco, but suddenly she felt supremely safe. Marco swiveled to see who had spoken. Ethan was standing in her kitchen with a white plastic bag that presumably contained lunch. She didn’t know how he could look so masculine holding take out, but next to him Marco looked almost effeminate. Okay that was probably just her anger talking but since Ethan had a good four inches in both height and shoulder breadth he certainly made Marco look small.

  “Who are you?” Marco asked. His voice lost all hint of the seductive quality he had been using on her.

  “None of your business.” Ethan said coolly. Marco glared at him then turned back toward her and smiled.

  “Why don’t you come by the restaurant and will talk this out. Besides,” He hurried on before she could refuse, “Everyone misses you, and they would like to see you.” He was trying to guilt her into it, she knew it but she was tired of arguing with him.

  “I’ll think about it,” she sighed. Marco grabbed her hand and kissed her knuckles before she could pull back. Then he turned and strode out the front door without a backward glance. Rod continued installing the new lock as if he hadn’t seen or heard a thing. Ethan watched Erica absently rub the back of her hand on her jeans and had to fight the urge to smile.

  “I hope you’re hungry. I wasn’t sure what you might like so I got a lot.”

  “It smells great, what is it?”

  “Thai food.”

  “I love Thai.” She grinned.

  “You made a lot of progress.” He praised as she took a bite of her noodles.

  “Thanks.” She mumbled and he grinned.

  “I got your car running.”

  “You did?” She looked up surprised.

  “Yeah, it wasn’t hard, the battery was disconnected.”

  “It was?” She frowned.

  “I moved it into the garage under my building until you are ready to pick it up. At least that way if anyone tampers with it they will be on camera.”

  “Thank you.” Her mind took over as she tried to think of any justifiable reason for her battery to be disconnected. She couldn’t think of one.

  “I guess we should go get my car,” she said when they were done. “I have to go to the bank and the cell store.”

  “No problem, I’ll drive you. Where do you bank?” She smirked at him and he stopped.

  “What? Come on there was nothing take-charge about that.” He defended and she laughed and grabbed a spare purse and a jacket.

  Chapter 6

  Erica looked at the smart phone in her hand and sighed.

  “Something wrong with it?” Ethan asked looking over her shoulder. He had been a constant at her side the whole time but rather than being annoying it was strangely comforting. Almost as if he had always been there.

  “It’s so… empty.” She sighed again.

  “Let me see it.” He held out his hand and she handed it over. She watched as he touched the screen but couldn’t tell what he was doing. “There, now it’s not empty.” He handed it back and she saw that he had added himself as a contact. Her stomach gave a little lurch and she smiled at him. She quickly pushed down the quivery feeling and drew on her bravado instead.

  “Come on, let’s go and I’ll buy you dinner with my new bank card.”

  “Let’s just hope they don’t ask for ID.” He chuckled.

  “I can’t believe they made me make an appointment for a test.” She grumbled.

  “Well it was expired… for a year and a half.” He couldn’t hold back his laughter. She glared at him but couldn’t help but smile.

  Ethan followed Erica's directions and ended up in the parking lot of somewhere he'd never been. One glance at the front window told him why. It read "This week's special, half off wheat grass shakes." Ethan suppressed a groan and looked at the woman beside him she smiled expectantly at him and he just smiled back. He would eat gravel if she wanted him to. He opened her door and she quickly hopped down and looked up at him.

  "You really think I'd make you eat wheatgrass?" One side of his mouth lifted in a lazy half smile but he didn't admit that's what he'd been thinking.

  "Please, I bet you have a saying... Something like I don't eat grass, I eat things that eat grass." His half smile bloomed into a full blown grin and she laughed.

  "Come on." She led him down the sidewalk past the restaurant he thought they'd be eating at. On the other side was an older building that he wouldn't have pegged as a restaurant or really anything. Erica pulled open the door and it was like stepping into another dimension. Everything gleamed to a high shine. The floor was a black and white checkerboard pattern. Chrome winked at him from every surface and the place was packed.

  "Welcome to Mac's." She looked up at him and grinned, "Hope you don't mind sitting at the counter." They slid onto a couple of stools at the end of the counter. They were among the only empty seats in the house. An older woman with her hair up in an honest to god bee hive appeared in front of them. He barely kept his jaw from dropping.

  "Hiya Honey." she said and leaned acros
s the counter to kiss Erica's cheek.

  "Hi Mabel." Erica said and Ethan nearly choked holding back his laughter.

  "The usual?"

  "For me yes but my friend here needs a menu."

  "Actually," he interrupted, "Surprise me."

  "Okay make it two."

  "So you trust me to order for you?" she asked after Mabel walked away.

  "Hey I was willing to eat wheatgrass, remember? You can't possibly do any worse." Erica laughed and odd warmth spread through him. He itched to touch her, to reach out and take her hand. It was only by sheer force of will that he didn't.

  "So since you picked the place does that make this a date?"

  "No." Erica replied immediately.

  "No?"

  "No, if this was a date I'd be wearing makeup and heels not dirty jeans."

  I like you in dirty jeans or even better in nothing at all.

  Before he could rephrase that thought into something less forward Mabel returned with two chocolate shakes and accompanying tins. Erica snatched the cherry off the top of her shake and popped it in her mouth pulling off the stem and twirling it in her fingertips.

  "If this was a date I would try to impress you by telling you that I can tie this stem into a knot using only my tongue."

  "Really?" He smiled and offered her his cherry which she took. "And would I be impressed by that?"

  "Of course you would. You would ask for a demonstration and you would say that it was hot."

  "But this isn't a date."

  "Nope, so you'll just have to take my word for it." She smiled and he laughed.

  Mabel arrived with their plates Ethan was impressed; Erica's usual was a half-pound bacon cheeseburger and a pile of fries.

  "I've decided," he popped a fry in his mouth, "You can surprise me anytime."

  Erica paced the quiet stillness of her apartment. Ethan had dropped her off a couple hours before. It was late, she should be in bed but she couldn't bring herself to climb in her bed and sleep. Turning off the lights and climbing in bed made her vulnerable and for the first time since the robbery she actually felt it. Initially she had distracted herself by calling Zoe. It was good to hear her voice. Her father's surgery had been postponed due to swelling so he wasn't out of the woods yet. She wanted to tell her about Ethan, she wanted to agonize over every detail and tell Zoe about all the confusing feelings she was experiencing but she couldn't. She told herself it was because Zoe had enough to deal with. But deep inside she knew that wasn't the reason. Zoe was her best friend. She would listen and offer advice anytime. No, Erica knew she wasn't talking about Ethan because she couldn't hear the words, hearing them saying them, made all of this real. She wasn't ready for real. She had never felt anything this intense, it was scary.