Chapter Nine
Eliza lay across Troy’s naked chest. They had just made love for a second time and each and every inch of her body was sated. He was an incredible lover, passionate and demanding yet tender and giving.
Blake had been a selfish lover, only taking his own pleasure with her and not thinking about hers. She’d believed at the time that it was just the way men were. But not Troy...thank goodness for Troy. She’d never been taken to the heights of passion so wonderfully.
For the last fifteen minutes or so they had been making small talk until they got drowsy enough to sleep. “There was a knock on my door today,” she said. She told him about the person leaving a flyer on her door.
“I had that same flyer on my door when I got home from work this afternoon,” he replied.
“Yes, but it made me so damned angry to be afraid to open my own front door,” she continued. “Nobody should feel that way in their own home.”
He gently stroked her hair. “I’m glad you were cautious. The security system won’t work if you let somebody into your home or if you open your door to a stranger.”
“But it’s not right to be that afraid in your own home,” she repeated. “It made me so upset that for a moment I thought about just giving the house to a charity and moving into an apartment where there’s nothing hidden in the walls.”
“I hope you didn’t seriously consider that. I’m not ready to give you up as a neighbor.” He kissed the side of her face. “Right now you’re my favorite neighbor.”
She smiled. “I considered it for a full minute before I got mad and stomped up to Sammy’s room and checked every inch of it.”
“And I’m assuming you found nothing.”
“Absolutely nothing,” she replied with frustration. “But this isn’t going to chase me out of my house. My biggest concern right now is if we check the entire house and we don’t find anything, how do we let the bad guys know that there’s no necklace or any other jewels there?”
He was silent for a long moment, obviously thinking. “I don’t know. If we’re sure there are no jewels in the house then maybe we need to contact a reporter and see if they’d be interested in doing some sort of a story about all of it.”
“How would we know if the bad guys would see or read the story?”
“I have a feeling if we can get a news crew to come out to your house, the bad guys would know about it.”
She frowned. “We keep talking about bad guys, but as far as I know it’s only that Mitchell guy,” she replied. “Do you think he’s working with somebody else?” The idea of more than one person wanting to get into her house shot a quick chill through her.
He tightened his arms around her. “We can’t be sure. Right now it appears that it’s only Mitchell.”
“Do you think he’s watching the house?”
He leaned up and captured her lips in a quick kiss. “I think this subject is way too heavy for us to be having right before going to sleep.”
“You’re right,” she agreed. All she really wanted to think about was how magically their bodies fit together, how splendid their lovemaking had been and how deeply she had fallen in love with him.
She closed her eyes as he continued to caress her hair in soft, languid strokes. She was excited to find out what happened next between her and Troy. She was certain they were headed to a lifetime of happiness together. As he continued to stroke her hair, she finally drifted off to sleep.
* * *
THE HOUSE BREATHED around her in large gasps and deep moans, becoming smaller and more oppressive with each exhalation.
She sat in the center of her bed, Katie under one arm and Sammy under the other. The room was almost dark, but not so dark she couldn’t see big shadows moving around the room from place to place.
They were trapped on the bed, unable to get to safety as the dark shadows darted closer and closer and the room got smaller and smaller.
“Go away,” she cried. Her heart pounded so fast and hard she feared it might explode. She had to stay strong for her children. She had to protect them from evil...and there was horrible evil in the room.
“There are no jewels here. Go away and leave us alone.” But no matter how loud she yelled, the shadows continued to dart here and there and the walls of the house continued to move inward.
Suddenly Sammy was gone, sucked from her embrace into the darkness that surrounded them. Then Katie disappeared and Eliza knew the house had taken them from her and that’s when a primal scream released from her.
* * *
“ELIZA!” THE DEEP male voice cut through the madness of the dream. “Honey, wake up.” She came awake weeping with Troy pulling her into his arms.
“Honey, you’re okay,” he soothed. “Everything is okay. It was just a dream.”
It hadn’t just been a dream. It had been a terrible, horrible nightmare. As the visions she’d suffered in the dream flashed once again in her head, she shivered. Thank God it had just been a nightmare.
“I’m sorry,” she said, quickly pulling herself together. “I’m so sorry I woke you.”
“Don’t be sorry. Do you want to talk about it?” His arms were a warm comfort around her.
Did she want to talk about it? “No, I’m fine now.” She didn’t want to talk about the nightmare. She didn’t even want to think about it again. It had been far too horrifying.
They settled back with Eliza on her side and Troy spooned around her back. His arm was around her and even though she was comfortable and felt safe, it was a very long time before she finally fell asleep again.
She awakened the next morning with dawn light seeping in around the edges of the curtains. She was alone in the bed, although she thought she could feel a lingering warmth where Troy had slept.
She remained there for several long moments, thinking about the night they had shared. Other than her nightmare, the time spent with him had been magical. She’d forgotten what it was like to love and feel loved, to feel that tingle of excitement and sweet anticipation whenever she thought of a man.
It was delicious. She rolled over to his side of the bed and smelled his pillow where his scent was evident. She was glad she’d chosen to be with him.
What happened next between them? Had this been the beginning of something special and lasting, or had it been the end? She had to believe it was the beginning, that she and Troy had a future together. Oh, she wasn’t looking for a proposal or even a statement of undying love from him. She just hoped they had lots of days and nights together in their future that would eventually lead to marriage.
The only blight right now on her future was the damned house and whatever secrets it might still possess. She shivered as she remembered the nightmare she’d had the night before. Hopefully within the next week or so she and Troy could finish clearing the rest of the rooms and then figure out what to do next to assure the safety of her and her children.
Eager to see Troy, she got out of bed, grabbed her clothes from the floor and then padded into the adjoining bathroom. Minutes later she headed down the stairs where the scent of fresh coffee and bacon beckoned her into the kitchen.
“Good morning.” He greeted her with a smile and gestured for her to have a seat at the table. “How does bacon and an omelet sound?” He poured a cup of coffee and carried it to her at the table.
“Sounds wonderful, but what can I do to help?”
“Absolutely nothing. I’ve got this.”
“I’m not used to having breakfast made for me,” she said.
“It doesn’t hurt for you to sit and let somebody else do the cooking. Besides, breakfast is about the only meal I can get right.”
She sipped her coffee and watched him covetously. He was clad only in a pair of blue jeans. Nothing like bacon and a bare-chested hunk in the morning, she thought with a happy sigh.
“Did yo
u get enough sleep despite my screaming bloody murder in the middle of the night?” she asked.
He flashed her a quick grin. “I slept great. You’re a terrific snuggle bunny.”
“Thank you, sir. I try.” She released another happy sigh. She had wondered as she’d dressed if this morning would somehow be awkward between them. Instead it all felt wonderfully normal.
Breakfast was pleasant and all too quickly, he was walking her home. “What are your plans for the day?” he asked as they reached her front porch.
“No real plans. I might do a little work but my focus on the weekends is usually doing fun things with the kids.” She pulled her keys from her purse. “What about you?”
“I’ve got a couple of jobs to check out and that’s about it.”
“Do you want to come over for dinner tonight?”
He hesitated a moment and then shook his head. “Thanks, but I’ve got some things I need to take care of so I’ll take a rain check.”
“If you change your mind, dinner is always served around five.”
“I’ll keep that in mind. I’ll see you later.” He leaned forward and planted a lingering kiss on her forehead. “Now, get inside so I know you’re safe and sound.”
She unlocked her door and stepped inside to the control panel so no alarm would ring. With a wave to Troy, she rearmed the alarm and closed the door.
She still had an hour or two before Lucy brought the children home, so she headed upstairs for a shower and a change of clothes.
As she stood beneath the hot spray of water, her thoughts went over all the events of the night. She had already believed she was falling in love with Troy. After last night there was no question in her mind. She was hopelessly, helplessly in love with him.
For the next hour she did some household chores, singing below her breath as she stripped the kids’ beds and put on clean sheets. She started a load of laundry and then dusted the living room.
It was just after ten when Lucy and the kids returned home. “We have a new movie to watch,” Katie said.
“Ms. Lucy bought it for us. It’s about a dog and a cat who are best friends,” Sammy said. “And it’s for blind people. Can we watch it now?”
“First things first—what do you two say to Ms. Lucy?”
Both said their thank-yous and gave her hugs. “Can you stay for coffee?” Eliza asked her.
“I’d love a cup,” she replied.
“Just let me get them set up in the living room and I’ll be right back,” Eliza said.
Minutes later the two women sat across from each other at the table. “I hope they were good for you,” Eliza said.
Lucy smiled. “They are always good for me. They’re terrific kids, Eliza, and you should pat yourself on the back for being a wonderful mother.”
“Thanks. I am proud of them,” Eliza replied.
“There’s something different about you,” Lucy said, her dark brown eyes gazing at Eliza with a sharp intelligence. “There’s a sparkle in your eyes that I’ve never seen there before.”
Eliza raised her hands to her cheeks and laughed. “Does it really show?”
“It’s a man, isn’t it?” Lucy released a burst of her own robust laughter. “Girl, you’d better tell me all.”
“It’s my next-door neighbor. His name is Troy Anderson and I’m pretty sure I’m in love with him.” Saying the words out loud filled Eliza with an overwhelming feeling of happiness.
Lucy frowned. “And how does this Troy Anderson feel about you?”
Eliza thought about every minute she had spent with Troy. “I think he’s falling in love with me, too. I know he cares deeply about me and we’ve been spending a lot of time together.”
“This has all happened pretty fast, hasn’t it?” Lucy’s dark eyes held Eliza’s in a steady gaze. “You only moved in here a little over a month ago.”
“It has happened fast,” Eliza admitted. “But in the last two weeks or so we’ve spent more time together than most people who have dated for months.”
“And what do Katie and Sammy think about this new man in your life?”
“They absolutely adore him. He’s really good with them. If he weren’t, then we wouldn’t be sitting here and talking about him.” She frowned at Lucy. “Why don’t you look happy for me?”
Lucy reached out and grabbed her hand. “Oh, honey, you know I’m happy for you, it’s just that I don’t want to see you hurt.”
“Hopefully I won’t get hurt. Troy is like a dream come true and we get along wonderfully well. I’m looking for a happily-ever-after here.”
“And I don’t know anyone who deserves a happily-ever-after more than you.” Lucy squeezed her hand and then released it.
“Why are you all alone?”
“I had my love of a lifetime years ago. We were magic together.” A whisper of a smile curved her lips. It was there only a moment and then fell away. “Charlie and I had ten glorious years together and then he got cancer and he eventually passed away. After him I never wanted another man.”
“Lucy, I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t be. I have the memories of ten beautiful years of loving and being loved to keep me warm on cold, lonely nights. I never wanted to be with anyone else. I’m happy with my memories.”
“And you never wanted children?” Eliza asked.
“We wanted them and we tried to get pregnant, but it just wasn’t in the cards for us. That’s one reason why I love your kids so much.”
For the rest of her visit they talked about things happening at Sammy’s school, the record-breaking heat and how much they were both looking forward to autumn.
“I’d better get out of here,” Lucy said, and drained the last of the coffee in her cup. “I’ve got some errands to run and then laundry to do.”
She stood and Eliza did the same and together they walked to the front door. “Thanks for last night,” Eliza said.
“Don’t thank me, you know I love having the kids over,” Lucy replied. “I’ll talk to you later and in the meantime, take it slow, Eliza.”
Eliza gave her a hug and then Lucy was gone. Eliza returned to the kitchen and sat back down at the table. Lucy was right; things had happened fast between Troy and her. It was probably a good idea to take things slowly, but it was too late for that now. She was all in with Troy.
Already she couldn’t wait to see Troy again. She wondered when she could be in his arms once again...when they might make love again.
She felt as if she’d waited a lifetime for a man like Troy to enter her life. Blake had been a nightmare, but she wouldn’t wish her time with him away because he’d given her two beautiful children whom she loved to distraction.
Troy was a dream come true. Last night she had given him not only her body and trust, but also her heart and soul. Surely fate wouldn’t be so cruel as to bring him into her life and then have him not love her back.
* * *
MONDAY AFTERNOON TROY sat in his truck at one of his job sites, his thoughts consumed with Eliza. He could leave right now and go to her house to help her clear another room or two while the children were in school.
Friday night had been a huge mistake. Holding her in his arms, making love with her and then sleeping next to her through the night had been a huge error in his judgment.
Because he’d loved it. Because he loved her.
He didn’t want to be in love with anyone. He didn’t want to love Eliza and care about her children, and he’d been a damned fool to let it happen.
Worse than his own feelings, he knew Eliza was falling in love with him. He’d tasted it on her lips, felt it in each and every one of her caresses. He knew it by the sparkle in her beautiful eyes whenever they were together.
He hadn’t meant for this to happen. She’d entered his life with such warmth. She’d not only made him find hi
s laughter once again, but she’d also brought him such comfort when it came to the loss he’d suffered.
Things had happened so fast between them. Somehow she’d managed to knock down all the defenses he’d erected around himself for the past three years. She’d gotten into his heart so quickly he hadn’t even realized it until this moment.
Now he had to make sure she understood that there was no future for them as a couple. He just wasn’t willing to do it again. He didn’t deserve to have it all again.
But he also didn’t want to walk away from her with the jewel issue not resolved. With a deep sigh he started his truck and headed toward home. He’d take a quick shower and then go to Eliza’s and help her with the search.
He was going to have to walk a fine line, being helpful and yet slowly distancing himself from her and the two kids. Still, it was difficult to remember his plan an hour later when she opened the door and greeted him with her gorgeous smile.
“I was starting to wonder if I was going to see you today,” she said as she ushered him inside.
“I got held up on a job.”
She frowned. “You know I never want to take you away from your work.”
“I know, but I also know we need to finish checking out the house as soon as possible so you and the kids will truly be safe.”
She grabbed his hand and squeezed it tightly. “And I’ll never be able to thank you enough for your help and support through this.” She released his hand. “I thought maybe we could get through Katie’s room today.”
“Sounds good to me,” he agreed. Together they went up the stairs and to the little girl’s room. There was more furniture and items in this room than there were in Sammy’s bedroom.
“Here’s the secret stairway Sammy found that leads down to the kitchen pantry,” she said. To his surprise she opened a piece of the wall that revealed the narrow stairway.
“Interesting,” he said. Who had once used that stairway and why had it been built into the house in the first place? Had Frank used it to escape arrest when he’d been a gangster? “Why don’t we start by moving the bed out and checking behind it,” he suggested.
Desperate Intentions (HQR Intrigue) Page 12