Finally, fighting to regain her senses, she remembered that this time, she would be the one to disappear. But then he said her name.
“Rissa Malone,” he whispered. “I finally found out who you are.”
With that, Rissa panicked, broke away from him, and fled. She snatched her coat off the sofa, fumbled with the front door for a second and then flew out into the cold. As her high heels clicked along the pavement, she hurried to her car, her breath pluming out in front of her.
“Rissa,” Evan called her name from the open doorway.
She ran. Her car was less than a block away.
“Rissa!”
A quick glance over her shoulder let her know that he was coming after her and that he was closing in fast. His long legs covered ground quickly.
Her little red car was in sight. She fumbled for the keys in her coat pocket.
“Rissa!” Evan shouted. Even closer.
Hand on the car door. Key in the lock. Quickly, she jerked open the door and flung herself into the driver’s seat. Trying to get the key into the ignition, she dropped them, caught them before they hit the floor. Heart pounding, whimpering in frustration, she rammed the key home and turned it.
Nothing.
Her whimpers turned into sobs as she tried to start the car again and again.
Nothing. Not even a click.
“Rissa,” Evan said her name softly as he opened the car door and pulled her out.
Knowing she should resist, Rissa allowed herself to be removed from the car and stood there in front of him, not quite totally defeated.
“Rissa,” he said her name again and took her into his arms. “Please don’t run from me.”
His leather jacket was soft against her cheek and the scent of him warmed her.
“Why did you run?” he whispered, his hands framing her face and tilting it upwards.
This time those dark eyes were shadowed in the darkness. She was only vaguely aware of his body pressing hers into the side of her car. And she knew he was going to kiss her again. His mouth covered hers, tender, loving at first but then one hand curled around the back of her neck, sliding underneath her thick mane of auburn hair. His kiss deepened and she melted into him, clinging to him with both arms, returning those kisses fueled with a desire she’d never experienced before.
His hands were on the move again, sliding down her arms, pulling her even closer, and his tongue slipped into her mouth, teasing, nearly taking her breath away. She could feel the heat of his body through the many layers of clothes they wore and she longed to be even closer to him, if that was possible. Rissa sucked gently on his exploring tongue and desire sparked through her, making her heart pound.
“Evan. Evan, I know you’re out here.”
A shrill, female voice cut through the cloud of Rissa’s passion. When Evan turned to look in her direction, she felt him immediately grow tense.
“Evan. Come back in here right now. You’re going to catch a cold,” the voice continued. It was attached to a pencil thin blonde stumbling along the sidewalk in impossibly high heels and a sparkling cashmere shawl.
“Dammit, Tiffany,” Evan mumbled and released Rissa.
Rissa felt immediately cold, strangely lost and alone. And then she saw the yellow cab out of the corner of her eye. It seemed to appear out of nowhere and exactly on cue for her escape. Corralling her emotions, she stepped into the street and lifted her hand, letting the driver know she needed a ride.
“Rissa, no,” Evan said. “I’ll have my driver…”
She slammed the cab door closed, cutting off his words, and gave him a triumphant smile as the cab sped away. In the rear window, she saw that Tiffany had reached Evan. The woman tugged insistently on his sleeve, tottering around, arms flailing the air, trying to force him to look at her. Finally she turned and gave the cabbie her address and Rissa was surprised to find that there were tears in her eyes.
Chapter Two
The cabbie let her out in front of the doublewide trailer she shared with her elderly mother and Rissa hurried inside, trying to be as quiet as possible. Removing her coat, she tiptoed through the darkness and down the hall toward her mother’s room. Pushing the door open a crack, she saw the tiny figure propped up with pillows and holding a book.
“Did I wake you?” Rissa asked moving to sit on the side of her bed.
“No, I was waiting up for you,” Lillie Malone said to her daughter.
“You should be sleeping.”
“I wanted to hear all about your party.”
“And make sure I got home safely,” Rissa added knowingly.
Lilly Malone nodded and patted her daughter’s hand. “A mama never stops worrying about her babies.”
Rissa laughed. She was far from a baby but it was nice to know someone cared about her. Her life had been pretty empty since the breakup of her very short, very miserable marriage and she was happy to have her mother to care for.
“Tell me,” Lilly said, motioning for Rissa to scoot closer.
Leaning her head on her mother’s shoulder, Rissa told her all about the Christmas party her classmates held every year. Always a few days after Thanksgiving, it kicked off the Christmas season beautifully. She described what they were wearing, what had been served and who was married to and divorced from another.
“Did it happen again?” Lilly asked quietly.
Rissa nodded.
“And?”
Chuckling, Rissa turned to look at her mother. “Well, you know how he always runs away or disappears?”
Lilly nodded.
“This time I decided I was going to be the one who disappeared. I was all prepared. Coat within reach, straight shot to the door. Boom, I was out of there. He’s finally found out who I am, so when he said my name, I knew I had to skedaddle.”
“How did he…?”
Rissa shrugged. “He’s an attorney. His family is rich. They can probably find out anything about anyone if they want. He just took the time to do it this year.”
“Okay, what happened?”
“I ran down the street to my car and he chased me. My plan was to take off and leave him standing there but my car wouldn’t start!”
Lilly tried to hide her smile but Rissa glanced up and saw it. There was a moment of silence and then mother and daughter burst into gales of laughter at the situation Rissa had described. And then she told her the rest through giggles and, again, there were those tears but she still wasn’t sure why.
“How did you get home?”
“Just as his girlfriend caught up with him, a cab came along and I was able to hop inside. He offered to have his limo driver bring me home but…”
“Oh, you should have.”
“Mom, what would the neighbors think?”
“They would think my daughter finally landed a man who was worth her intelligence and humor and beauty,” Lilly said, running her fingers through Rissa’s long hair.
The two women chatted for a while longer and then Rissa made sure her mother was tucked in safely and went to her room. As she took off her clothes, preparing for her shower, she realized she could still taste Evan’s kiss, still feel his hands on her, and she shivered with pleasure. Angrily, she tried to shake off the warmth that spread through her body when she remembered the way his kiss tasted and the delicious feelings that rushed through her when his body pinned her to the car.
When she was under the blankets, one hand slipped into her panties, intent on nothing more than trying to soothe the ache between her legs. Her fingers found the swollen petals of her lips and dipped inside. Rissa groaned when her moisture covered her fingertips and rolled onto her back. Again and again her fingers teased inside and smeared the oils up to her clit until it was slippery wet. Soon, she was concentrating on that most sensitive spot, pleasuring herself until she was writhing on the sheets, gasping for breath, her whole body on fire. When her orgasm overtook her, shaking her from head to toe, she bit her lip to keep quiet. But in her head she was groaning
Evan’s name over and over and over.
Rissa was up early the next morning, getting her day started as usual, when there was a knock at the door. She shot a questioning look at her mother, who lifted a slender shoulder. The caregiver who stayed with her mother all day, Maggie, had her own key and never knocked. Rissa opened the door surprised to see a middle aged man there dressed in a blue uniform.
“Can I help you?” Rissa said, thinking he was a delivery driver who needed directions.
He tipped his hat. “Rissa Malone?”
“Yes,” she replied.
“Mr. Evan sent me to pick you up,” he explained sounding as if this was quite an important task. “I’m to escort you to wherever you direct.”
“I’m not even dressed yet.” Rissa said the first thing that came to mind.
“I’ll be waiting,” he said, indicating the long, sleek looking limo parked at the end of their short driveway.
Rissa closed the door quietly and when she turned back inside, she saw her mother trying to hide her smile. “How dare he think that I can’t fend for myself,” Rissa fumed as she hurried to her room to dress for the day.
As she returned to the kitchen, she heard Maggie say, “I thought it was a hearse coming to pick you up, Miss Lilly.”
The two women laughed together like the longtime friends they were.
“It’s not funny,” Rissa fumed.
“Oh, my dear, enjoy the ride. How often do you get escorted to work in a fancy car like that?" Maggie asked. “Why I’ll bet there’s coffee and a bar and a TV and…”
“Enough,” Rissa said, shaking her head. It was a ride to work and she really didn't have another option. “I’ll let you know what time I’ll be home,” Rissa told her mother as she kissed her forehead. “I might be late because I’ll have to get my car fixed.”
Even as she said the words, Rissa wondered how she was going to pay an unexpected car repair bill.
The driver was holding the car door open for Rissa when she came outside. She stepped into the warm vehicle and sank back into soft, gray leather seats that cradled her perfectly.
“There’s coffee,” the driver told her. “And Mr. Evan likes to catch the morning news so I thought you would, too,”
“Thank you,” Rissa mumbled as she struggled to take in all the conveniences stored in the vehicle.
“Where to, Miss?”
Rissa gave him the address of Elegant Affairs, the catering service she managed. Then she settled back and forced herself to enjoy the ride. The first thing she saw when they pulled up in front of the catering service was her car. The driver opened her door and bowed slightly. “I trust you enjoyed your ride,” he said.
“Yes, yes. Thank you,” Rissa said, her gaze straying toward her car.
“Mr. Evan had your car repaired and then delivered here for your convenience,” he explained. “I believe it just required a new battery.”
Rissa fought to control her anger. She swallowed hard and then forced a smile at the driver. “Please thank Mr…uh..er..Evan for me and tell him to send me a bill so I can repay him.”
The driver bowed again. “I will do that, Miss.”
When Rissa entered the store front, almost every one of the small staff were gawking out the front door. “Wow! What a ride!” Kelli said, her blue eyes sparkling with excitement.
“That must have been some party,” Miller said, coming out from behind his desk.
“The party was fine. The staff did a beautiful job as always,” Rissa said, ignoring their obvious, unasked questions.
“Must have,” Miller said, leaning against the counter and crossing his meaty arms in front of his chest.
“Why?”
“Well, someone was so impressed that he wants us to cater his family Christmas party in two weeks,” he explained.
“Can we fit him into the schedule? We’re pretty well booked with the holiday season and all,” Rissa said, going to her desk where she could consult her calendar.
“Oh, we’ll fit him into the schedule. We’re talking big bucks, big party, over the top everything. And he requested you specifically to handle it all -- from decorations to food to invitations,” Miller continued, still not moving.
“Jeez, Miller, you know I don’t do all that. We have…”
“You’ll do this,” Miller said, coming to her desk and leaning on it with both hands. He was older than Rissa by more than twenty years, overweight and balding. Even though she was the manager, he had final say in all issues of the catering business that he ran just like his mess kitchen in the army. “We’re talking enough money to put us in the black for six months or more.” There was no room for argument in the level gaze he gave her.
Rissa sighed, suddenly exhausted. God, she hated working for the super-rich, snobby clientele Miller seemed to attract. There were people on the street that desperately needed their help and instead they spent their money on lavish holiday, engagement and anniversary parties with more food than anyone could possibly eat. The party the night before had been an example of that.
“You know how much I hate this,” she finally said to Miller.
He patted her hand. “I know, honey, but it pays the bills.”
“Okay, who is this party for?” Rissa asked.
“Evan Brogan,” Miller said with a big smile.
Rissa was stunned. How could he invade her life so completely in such a short time? Her first instinct was to flatly refuse but Miller had made his decision final, not leaving her an inch of wiggle room. He had promised her long ago that if she helped build this catering business into a successful venture, she would be part owner. And when he decided to retire, it would be hers alone. ‘Okay,” she sighed, resigned to the situation. “Where do we start?”
“That’s my girl,” Miller said and together they began going over the things Evan had requested. “I’ve set up a preliminary meeting for this afternoon,” Miller told her.
“Okay, we can meet in your office, mine is a little…”
Miller was shaking his head. “He wants you to come to his family home where the party will be held so he can go over everything with you there.”
“You mean us,” Rissa said because usually Miller was in on initial meetings.
“Nope. I’ve got the Simpson shindig menu to finalize this afternoon with Kelli.”
“But I usually do that,” Rissa argued.
“Not this time, sweetie. This is a big one and Mr. Brogan wants you to handle every detail. You can’t be everywhere at once and the rest of us are just going to have to take over your normal duties for right now.”
Left alone, in her tiny office, Rissa’s anger grew more intense. The next two weeks were going to be hell and it was all because she played a silly kissing game with a man she had no business playing with at all.
Chapter Three
The limo arrived to escort her to Evan’s family home right on time. She climbed out of the car and paused to gaze up at the palatial home of the Brogan family. It was huge, three stories tall, and solid; built out of a white stone with large windows. She climbed the steps to the massive front doors which were carved from exotic wood and looked as if they were hundreds of years old. While she was searched for a door bell, one of those doors swung open and a tiny dark haired woman dressed in a simple black dress and white apron ushered her inside.
The front hall had black marble floors and twenty foot ceilings with three gigantic chandeliers spaced throughout the long room. There was a massive staircase on each end that curved upward to a balcony. Sunlight flooded the room, warming it.
“Mr. Evan will be with you shortly,” the woman said softly and urged Rissa toward a doorway that led into what looked like a library, with dark wood paneling and a fire blazing in the fireplace.
“Would you like tea?” she asked once Rissa was perched on the edge of a massive leather sofa.
“No thank you,” Rissa said, struggling to calm her nerves. She was way out of her league here and she tried to thi
nk of who she could enlist to help with the decorations. There was an interior designer in town she knew who would be perfect for the job. If Miller was right about the money, she could certainly afford her.
“Rissa.” Evan said her name from the doorway.
“Evan,” Rissa said, standing. He was dressed casually in jeans and a red sweater that looked so soft she wanted to reach out and touch it.
“Please, relax,” he said, ambling across the room to poke at the logs in the gigantic fireplace. “Are you sure you don’t want coffee or tea or something?”
“I’m sure. We need to get to work. There’s a lot to be done in, what, two weeks?”
He nodded and turned to face her, his dark eyes sweeping over her slowly enough that she felt uncomfortable. “Yeah, this Christmas party is kind of a gift to my parents, a special celebration. I’ve taken a month off from my practice to make sure it goes off without a hitch. I’m told that you’re the best event planner in town.”
“I don’t know about that but I’ll do the very best I can,” Rissa said, unconsciously touching the silver locket that rested in the hollow of her throat for comfort.
He clapped his big hands together. “Good. Where do we start?”
“Let’s get an overview of what you need done and then we’ll narrow it down to different jobs and flesh out the details,” Rissa said, slipping automatically into work mode.
“Can we take a walk?” he asked.
“A walk?”
“A walk around the house, so that I can show you what I had in mind,” he explained.
“Of course,” she said, gathering her purse and notebook.
Evan led her through the front hall again, describing what he would like where, while she furiously jotted notes.
“I’m thinking two big trees, one on each end,” he said. “Lots of red and silver. Wreaths here and here,” he pointed and stood close enough to Rissa that she caught a whiff of his scent. “Mom loves poinsettias, so we’ll need lots of those.”
“Okay,” she said, nodding and forcing herself to concentrate on her list. The man was mesmerizing.
Star-Crossed Curves: BBW Erotic Romance Boxed Set Page 43