Let It Burn

by Ruth Cardello

  “Call me tomorrow. And make sure you tell your uncle where you’re going tonight. I’m sure if the doctor works for him, he’s fine, but you can never be too careful.”

  She hung up, but thought: You can be too careful. She walked back into the clinic and down the long hallway that led to the records office. You can be so careful that you turn around and you’re a twenty-six-year-old virgin.

  Helene came to a skidding stop when she recognized the derriere of the man standing outside the door to her office. Her mouth went dry with nerves as she forced herself to approach him. “Can I . . . May I help—?”

  He turned and her question fell right out of her head. Up close he was even more impressive. The curl of his lips said he knew it, too. “I’m looking for the records department.”

  “I’m that. The department. I’m her. She’s me.” She took a deep breath. “I work in that office.”

  “Then you’re the person I’m looking for,” he said with a sexy smile that made her thighs quiver. She sighed audibly when his strong hand closed around hers. “Andrew Smith.”

  His voice was deep and rough, matching her earlier assessment of him. Although he was dressed in casual business attire, he filled out his clothing in a way few men did. The cotton material clung to his chiseled chest just enough to highlight the breadth of it. The short sleeves were stretched to accommodate biceps so firm Helene was tempted to give one a squeeze with her free hand. A hint of a tattoo showed at the edge of one of his sleeves. She wanted to uncover it, hell uncover all of him.

  “And your name?” he asked, still holding her hand.

  “Me?” She swallowed hard and blinked a few times. “My name is Helene Franklin.”

  “It’s nice to meet you.”

  Yes. Yes, it is. Helene shook her head and pulled her hand free. “Is there something I can do for you?”

  “I hope so.” The way he said those three words sent a searing heat straight through her. Her body didn’t care that she didn’t know him; it hummed for him.

  He leaned in, and she swayed closer. “Most of the staff is out on training today, but I should be able to help you,” she said.

  “Good.”

  The only orgasms she’d had up to that point were ones she’d brought herself, but she couldn’t help but crave knowing how good things could be with a man who made her that excited simply by standing next to her.

  Stop. For all I know he’s awful in bed.

  This is nothing more than pheromones. We’re mammals at the end of the day. What I’m feeling for him is Mother Nature’s way of acknowledging that he’s a healthy male in his prime, and I’m still within prime mating age.

  “What kind of records do you need?” Her voice was husky and revealed enough of what she was thinking to light a spark of real interest in his eyes. His nostrils flared, and she shivered when he breathed in the scent of her. “I’ll give you a form to fill out. We can send the information directly to your insurance company.”

  “That won’t be necessary. The information I’m looking for is merely to appease a curiosity. What can you tell me about a woman named Pamela Thorsen? She worked here twenty-nine years ago. Would you be able to tell me if she gave a forwarding address or a reason for leaving?”

  His question was like a bucket of ice being thrown over her revving libido. “Who did you say you were?”

  “Andrew Smith.”

  “I’m sorry, Mr. Smith, I’m not allowed to give out personal information regarding employees, present or past.”

  “I’m sure you can make one exception.” He raised a hand and tucked one of her curls behind her ear in a tender move that would have sent her heart beating wildly if adrenaline hadn’t rushed in at his earlier question. Could this man be the one who was trying to get dirt on her uncle?

  “I cannot, but I would like to see your ID.” The stillness that settled over him tore through her haze of attraction. She held her breath and waited.

  “Why would I need to show you anything if you’ve already said there’s nothing you can do for me?” He leaned closer still, until his mouth hovered an inch above hers. “Unless there’s some way I could change your mind?”

  All sorts of wonderfully filthy ideas of how he could try momentarily hampered her ability to speak. His breath caressed her lips. Clinging to her last bit of sanity, she whispered, “No, and if you don’t leave I will call security.”

  Looking amused by the threat, he asked, “Do you call them about everyone who asks a question, or is there something about me that scares you?”

  She licked her bottom lip. “Why would I be afraid of you?”

  “Exactly,” he purred, once again reminding her of the big cats back home. They, too, could lure a person into believing they could be trusted. Forgetting even for a moment the nature of a beast was how people got hurt.

  Summoning strength, Helene held his gaze. “This department does not give out personal information about employees or patients. It’s the law. If you’re not sure if your question can be answered by us, you’re welcome to fill out a form and we’ll review your request.”

  He raised his head and smiled. “What if my question is about you? Should I still fill out the form?”

  Even that slight withdrawal was a reprieve that allowed her to gather her thoughts. “I suppose it would depend on the question.”

  If he asks me out, I have to say no.

  Don’t I?

  “What are you doing tonight?”

  Oh, God. Oh, God. Oh, God. “I have a date.”

  “Break it.”

  Yes. Yes. Yes.

  No. No. No.

  “Why would I do that?”

  “Because you deserve better than the self-absorbed sliver of a man I saw you talking to.”

  She searched his face and shuddered. “You were watching us?”

  “I was outside and saw him with you. Trust me, once he fucks you, he’ll quickly move on to someone else.”

  She let out a harsh breath. “Maybe that’s how you operate, but he’s a doctor. They take a vow to honor the well-being of people.” Her hands went to her hips. “Plus, there’s no need to be crass.”

  “Crass or honest?”

  She waved a finger at him. “Either. I didn’t ask for your opinion.”

  He raised his hands in mock surrender. “Just trying to save you from making a huge mistake. He’s not the one you’re waiting for.” He leaned in and grazed his lips across her parted lips. “Unfortunately, neither am I.”

  The surprise of his kiss was followed by a surge of desire that had her kissing him back, even if only for a second before sanity returned. Lust battled with embarrassment and finally lost. She pushed him away. “Get out of my office.”

  “We’re in the hallway.”

  Bringing her hand up to her mouth, she backed away from him to the door of her office and fumbled to open it behind her. “I’m calling security.”

  “No need. I’m leaving.”

  She was still clutching the doorknob. He’s not really into me. Uncle Clarence said that whoever was trying to set him up had gone as far as bribing people. What’s a little flirtation compared to that? This is nothing more than an attempt to confuse me into saying something he can use against my uncle.

  She glared at him as a second possibility occurred to her. Or he heard what I said to my mother and decided to amuse himself by taunting the oldest virgin on the planet. Either way, he needed to know she wasn’t playing along. “And don’t come back. Whatever you’re looking for, you won’t find it here.”

  “That’s what I keep telling myself,” he said with a slanted smile before turning to walk away. Just before he turned the corner, he stopped and met her eyes over his shoulder. “Don’t give yourself to that douche.”

  “I could sleep with everyone in this clinic, and it would be none of your business,” Helene called out, but he’d already rounded the corner.

  “Should I come back later?” Tina, the department’s intern, asked timidly,
while clutching a stack of folders to her chest.

  Fighting the desire to slam the door shut and pretend Tina wasn’t there, Helene forced a smile. “No. Come in. I was just practicing a line from a play I might audition for.”

  “Oh, okay,” Tina said with a nervous laugh. “I figured it was something like that. I mean, otherwise, who would run around yelling that?”

  Helene flopped into the chair behind her desk and patted an area where she wanted Tina to place the pile of folders. “Only someone who’d completely lost their mind.” Or someone who just realizes there actually is something worse than getting sex advice from one’s parents: getting it from Mr. Muscles. Not only is it embarrassing, but there is that added dash of frustrated disappointment.

  I’m glad he didn’t ask me out because it saves me the trouble of having to turn him down.

  She covered her face with her hands. And if I don’t want people to have an opinion about my sex life, I should probably stop talking about it where they can hear.

  She looked up and noticed Tina was still watching her, no longer looking as if she believed her story.

  Freakishly old virgin or clinic whore.

  Which reputation would be worse?

  She straightened her shoulders and asked Tina to go retrieve more files from the nursing station. Of course, there’s always a chance Tina won’t say anything to anyone.

  Chapter Three

  Andrew thanked his waitress for delivering a second glass of water before he’d even asked for a refill. The small, dockside seafood restaurant was a welcome reprieve from the tourist-filled hotel where he was staying. It was a local place, nothing fancy and off the beaten path enough to not be a hit with the young partiers or the blissful honeymooners. He’d eaten there the past three evenings.

  Some of the waitstaff had begun hovering and talking to him about everything and nothing. They either liked the way he looked, the size of the tips he left them, or everyone on the island was just that naturally friendly. When Andrew had arrived that evening, the restaurant’s owner had come out to talk to him. He’d proudly described how boats pulled up to their dock each day and sold their catch straight to the restaurant. He’d said in his soul he was a sailor, but he’d fallen in love with a woman who preferred land. The restaurant was his compromise. Andrew could see that. The balcony extended out over the water like a dare to the ocean waves. They’d talked about business and boats for a while before the man had gone back into the kitchen, but their conversation had left Andrew relaxed and in no rush to leave.

  He wasn’t looking forward to the next day. He’d scheduled a meeting with the private investigator his brother had hired but had nothing to tell him. If his instincts were right, that would be a theme for both of them. The death of Kenzi’s twin, Kent, had nearly destroyed his family, but that didn’t make it anyone’s fault. His mother had traveled during the last trimester of her pregnancy with twins on assurances from her obstetrician that it was safe. She’d gone into labor, had the twins prematurely, and one hadn’t survived. Tragic. Awful.

  Just like life in general, it doesn’t make sense at all. If life were fair I would have been the one who died.

  I should have been.

  No wife. No kids. Family I avoid whenever possible. I have nothing to come home to.

  The pretty young hostess came to stand beside his table and balanced a menu on her hip. “You can tell me it’s none of my business, but I’m so curious. Are you on vacation?”

  “Not exactly.”

  She gave him a sweet, but suggestive, smile. “A man of few words. I like that. Are you married?”

  He looked her over once. “How old are you?”

  “Twenty-one.”

  “I’m a good ten years older than you.”

  “Age is just a number,” she said with overblown confidence and arched her back to accentuate her large chest. The wink she shot him said she wasn’t as innocent as his little brunette, but she was still too young.

  He crooked a finger so she would bend closer. As she did, the front of her shirt gaped open, allowing him the intimate show that had been his goal. “You like me?”

  “Yes,” she said softly.

  “Want to meet me after your shift?”

  Her eyes widened, and her cheeks flushed. “Yes.”

  “Don’t,” he growled. “You don’t know me. You don’t know where I came from or what I might have done. You think I won’t hurt you? Why? Because you like my face? You’re too young to realize this, so let me tell you how dangerous people can be. Some hurt people for the thrill of it. You leave here with the wrong person, maybe you’re dead—maybe you wish you were. Either way, in the end, it’ll be on you because it was your fucking lack of good judgment that brought it on.”

  She recoiled and disappeared into the back of the restaurant. She must have said something to the waitstaff because they were all watching him with a combination of fear and disgust. He went back to eating, unbothered by their response.

  A familiar laugh raised his attention from his plate. His hand clenched on his fork when he realized the date he’d been trying to keep out of his head all evening was about to happen a few tables away from him.

  Helene Franklin and her stork of a date didn’t notice him when they first took their seats. She was conservative perfection in her casual shirt and cotton slacks. The doctor was sickeningly slick in his expensive suit that was as pretentious as his oiled-back hair. There were people who had money and people who wanted everyone to think they had it. Her doctor was definitely the latter.

  Andrew raised a hand to call his waitress and wasn’t surprised when she made a face at him rather than come to his table. The action did, however, catch Helene’s attention. Her adorable mouth dropped open when she saw him.

  The doctor turned to see who she was looking at and frowned when Andrew waved. Turning back to Helene, the doctor asked who he was. She glared at Andrew briefly then dismissed him with a wave of her hand.

  His view of them was temporarily blocked by the arrival of his waitress. “I wouldn’t come back here if I were you. You’re lucky we didn’t call the police.”

  He met the woman’s eyes as he took out his wallet. She was in her thirties or forties and appeared a lot less impressed with him than the hostess had been. “Because I was honest with her?”

  “No, because you either think it’s funny to scare young women or that rape is the victim’s fault. Either way, you’re a sick bastard.”

  You’re right about the last part, but that’s it. “My sister went with a stranger, and it didn’t work out well for her. I can’t stomach the idea of that young woman thinking she can trust any single man who comes in here. One day it won’t go well for her, either. If scaring her into being a little more careful is wrong—then fuck being politically correct.”

  The expression on the older woman’s face softened. “I’m sorry to hear about your sister.”

  “Shit happens. I just hate to see it happen needlessly. Someone had to tell that little girl that life is brutal and fucking unforgiving. All it takes is one mistake to make you wonder if it’s worth being here at all.”

  The sympathy in the woman’s eyes made Andrew regret having said anything to her. He didn’t want her pity. He didn’t want anything from her or anyone else. He slapped his credit card down on the bill and looked across at Helene resentfully.

  If she wants to give herself to that douche, that’s her choice.

  I don’t care.

  The waitress picked up the bill without taking the card. “My husband and I own this restaurant, and the little girl you scared tonight is my niece. She’s given her mother plenty of grief lately. I don’t like what you said to her, but I understand why you said it. Your meal is on us tonight and tomorrow night if you decide to come back. I don’t know what you’ve been through, but being here is always worth it.” She wrote a number down on his napkin. “That’s my husband’s number. If you need to talk to someone, he’s a good listener.” />
  “I didn’t mean to sound like—”

  She touched his arm gently and held out the napkin to him. “My mama always said that the world is full of some people so good they’ll make you want to pray and some so bad they’ll make you question if there’s anyone to pray to. The trick is to fill your life with so many of the good ones that you can survive as many bastards as life sends your way.”

  Andrew nodded with a slight smile of appreciation. “Your mama sounds like a wise woman.”

  “She was. She would have paddled both of us for swearing, but then she would have hugged us and told us everything was going to be all right. It will be all right. Whatever happened to you, you’ll get through it.”

  He pocketed the paper napkin. “That’s what I hear.”

  She touched his arm again. “Come back tomorrow night and we’ll make you my mama’s favorite satay.”

  He nodded, but he couldn’t imagine enjoying the restaurant again. As he stood, his gaze returned to Helene. The smile was gone from her face. Her date had moved his chair closer to hers, and while Andrew watched, she pushed the man’s hand off her twice.

  She was smiling nervously and shaking her head.

  Andrew groaned.

  He walked up to their table and bent to speak softly in the doctor’s ear. “Get the hell out of here.”

  “I will do no such thing. Who do you think you are?” the doctor asked indignantly as he rose from his chair.

  Andrew gripped the man’s shoulder and shoved him back into his seat. “I’m giving you a chance to leave with your face still intact.”

  “I’m not going anywhere.” The man looked around in desperation.

  This is going to take a more personal approach. “You’re on a date with my girlfriend. She likes to make me jealous. It turns her on, so I let her do it, but I don’t like the way you were touching her. You should leave now before I beat the shit out of you in front of all these people.”

  The doctor revealed his cowardice when he turned his anger toward Helene. “You didn’t tell me you had a boyfriend.”