“Luke, what are we doing here? I know what I want out of this, but I don’t know where you stand.” She was nervous, and her voice sounded weak to her own ears. She was shaking so hard, she figured he probably could tell from across the room.
At first, he stood there silently staring at her. There for a second she could have sworn she saw a flicker of a smile cross his face. “We need to have this discussion, and we will.” She knew what he was going to say next, and she tried to stop him, but he wouldn’t let her. “The timing is wrong. We’ve got to get this mess with Tracy over with.”
“It’s not fair that we have to put our lives on hold while she runs-a-muck.” She hesitated for a second, then tried again. “I need to talk about...”
The whole time she had been talking, he had been slowing crossing the room.
He stopped her mid-sentence. This time he kissed her before she had a chance to realize his intentions. She was starting to feel like she really was in over her head. His mouth was so hot she was sure she was going to be burned. She couldn’t breathe, he was holding her so tight. His kisses were so soft and slow she couldn’t stop kissing him back. She felt like he was trying to tell her something without words. Something she knew she needed to hear.
He moved his hands down her sides, and down over bottom. She could tell he was starting to get too close to the edge again. She needed to pull him back, but who was going to pull her back. His kisses were growing more heated. He started to bring his hands back up under her shirt. When his fingers made contact with her bare flesh, she felt like she was being branded and she jerked away.
“Luke, we have to stop.” She could barely speak above a whisper. “We’re going to go too far.”
He didn’t seem to hear her. He just reached for her again. She had to back up to get away from him and she ran into the wall, which only trapped her again. She started going under the moment his mouth touched hers again. She didn’t want to stop, but she knew they had to. And if they didn’t stop soon, they wouldn’t be stopping at all.
She just barely managed to pull back. “Luke, slow down.”
“I’m really not wanting to slow down right now. I’m not really convinced that you do either,” he said, wrapping her tighter in his arms, and bringing their mouths back together.
She knew she was going to have to side track him. And fast. He had way too strong an effect on her senses. She ended up saying the first thing that popped into her head. “Am I too skinny?” Where did that come from?
That startled him enough, he stepped back, dropping his hands to his sides, and looked her in the eyes. “What brought that on? You’re not normally insecure,” he said, with a look of concern and puzzlement.
“Tracy said I was too skinny,” Mindi said, all the sudden feeling foolish over the question. “And trust me, it wasn’t meant as a compliment.”
“Don’t pay any attention to that kind of stuff from her. She’s just jealous, and trying to tear you down,” he said, trying to pull her back into his arms.
She just smacked his hands away. “Luke, that didn’t answer my question,” she said, giving him a dirty look. Maybe I am too skinny. Tracy’s definitely a lot curvier than I am.
When he just grinned at her, she realized she might have chosen a bad tactic for distraction.
He reached out, grabbing her by the waist, and ran his hands up her sides under her shirt, only stopping when he had her breasts cupped in his hands. She gasped, feeling like she might pass out. She had still been trying to get her hormones under control, and now he was waging another sensual attack on her.
“Can you feel how full my hands are? That’s not skinny,” Luke said, grinning at her. “And I don’t know if I can explain just how much I’m truly enjoying this right now,” he said, grinning at her. And I may not be able to stop.
“Luke, what are you doing?” she asked, feeling like her eyes were rolling back in her head.
“I figured showing you would be better than trying to convince you with words, but I’m having a really hard time not doing a whole lot more,” he said, desire burning in his eyes.
“Maybe you should move your hands.” She was breathless, and barely got the words out.
“You don’t sound very sure about that,” he said, struggling not to let his thumbs move so he could feel her body’s reaction to his touch.
He had to shake his head to get himself back on track. “Back to your question. You’re perfect. You’re definitely not too skinny. A woman doesn’t have to be as voluptuous as Tracy to be sexy. Besides, if you two were built exactly the same, you’d still be way sexier. It’s all in the attitude.”
“Now, I think you’re trying to side track me. I’m not asking you about my attitude,” she said, glaring at him.
“You still think you’re too skinny?” he asked, moving his hands back down her sides, the rough callouses dragging against her skin, causing her to moan.
His hands ran over her hips, stopping when he was able to grip her bottom. He raised her up on her toes, brushing her already sensitive breast against his chest, eliciting more moans from her.
“You have a perfectly rounded rear end. It’s certainly not too skinny. You have what they call an hour glass figure.” I wonder how long it would take me to get her hour glass figure naked right now.
“Tracy has an hour glass figure,” Mindi said, trying to give him a skeptical look. But her words came out breathless, and it didn’t have the desired effect.
“Yes, but she doesn’t have the personality to go with it. The only person she cares about is herself,” he said, wrapping his arms around her, deciding he better move his hands before he gave into the urge to really show her how sexy she was.
“Well, if you say so,” she said, still feeling a little uncertain.
“Baby, it’s just not immediately obvious how delectable you are. You’re a country girl, and you usually wear blue jeans and t-shirts,” he said, placing a kiss just below her ear, causing her to gasp. “You don’t feel the need to advertise. That’s all Tracy has. Her body. She’s jealous. She was just trying to make you feel bad.”
“Well, she does wear her dresses two sizes too small. She always looks like she’s going to pop out of them,” Mindi said, trying not to sound petty, but not sure she had succeeded.
“Don’t let her get to you,” Luke said, giving her a serious look.
“I’m sorry. She seems to have caught me in a weak moment. Like you said, I’m not normally so insecure.”
“Keep it up, and I’m going to really show you just how sexy you are. You need to remember I have seen you naked. And if we keep talking about it, my controls going to snap. I’m only human after all.” And I’m getting closer by the second.
“Okay. I believe you,” she said, leaning into give him a kiss. “I’m sexy.”
“Yes, you are. And we better get out of here before I give in,” he said, stepping back from her, and taking her hand.
“Can I ask you something else?”
“What?”
“Why are you always taking my sunglasses?”
“Because I love looking at your emerald eyes. Not a couple of plastic lens,” he said, getting a little embarrassed.
Mindi couldn’t help but chuckle a little bit. “Your eyes always make me think of warm chocolate.”
He just grinned and shook his head. “Come on. I’ll take you home. But this time, stay there.” She had never seen him look more serious in her life.
Chapter 19 - Sunday July 15
Luke woke with a start. He laid there for a few minutes trying to figure out what had woken him. It was only three in the morning. There it was again. It was coming from the kitchen. Someone was in his apartment. Great, he thought with irritation.
He jumped out of bed and grabbed his pants laying on a chair beside his bed. He might have been more cautious, but after the events of the last few weeks, he knew it was Tracy, and he was still furious at her.
He used the phone in his room to call
the police station before he went to the kitchen. They would know who was calling, so he just laid the phone down on the table, being sure not to make any noise. Will she ever give up? He walked to the door, being sure to open it without making a sound and started down the hall. What is she doing in there? He could hear her bumping into stuff.
When he entered the kitchen, and turned on the light, his eyes almost bugged out of his head. It was Tracy alright. All of her. She was standing there without a stitch of clothing on.
“What are you doing here? You need to put your clothes on and get out of here,” he said, trying not laugh. She may be crazier than even I realized. What is this supposed to prove?
“I had to come and see you. I knew if you knew I loved you enough to offer myself to you, you’d change your mind. So here I am. Now, you can forget about that stupid Mindi. I know that’s all it is. You just needed to know that you can get what you need from me now, instead of her,” Tracy said, giving him a smug look, causing him to almost laugh again.
“No, Tracy, that’s not it at all. Mindi and I haven’t had sex,” he said, deciding it wouldn’t be a good idea to tell her how close they come almost every time he touched her. It would probably make her more dangerous. “You’re writing your own story as you go along here. I’m not in love with you. You need to put your clothes on. The police will be her any minute.” And not a minute too soon.
“You’re bluffing. You wouldn’t have called the cops without knowing who was in here. And you are in love with me. You’re just confused.” She was starting to get upset.
“Tracy, no matter what, I would have called the police. Someone was prowling around in my house. But I knew it was you.” She has created a whole new world in her head. They don’t need to lock her in a jail cell. They need to lock her in a rubber room.
Tracy didn’t seem to realize just how angry he was. Anyone of the Townsends could have told her, when his voice was barely above a whisper, he was furious. But Tracy must have thought the soft tone was a good sign, because she was smiling like everything was wonderful. Or trying to at least. “I know you didn’t really think it was me then. You wouldn’t have called the cops on me.”
“After the stunts you have pulled lately, I had no doubt,” he said, his voice dropping even lower. “And I did call them.”
He watched her grow even more upset when she started to believe he had really called the police, but she tried to hold on to her smile. “I forgive you. You can just explain it was a false alarm. You know I won’t hurt you.”
“I know no such thing. You’ve already fired at me more than once.”
Luke had slowly been making his way to the front door. Talking the whole way, trying not to alert Tracy to his intentions. “There’s no way out of this Tracy. You were trying to kill Mindi, and then you fired off shots recklessly in my garage. You shot at an officer of the law. You’re going to jail. You need to stop before you make it worse,” Luke said, trying to reason with her even though he knew it was pointless.
Just before he made it to the door, there was a loud knock. “Luke, are you in there?” Zane asked, the concern obvious in his voice.
“Yes. So is Tracy Lewis. She broke in,” he said, moving over to the door and unlocking it.
“Are you alright? Can you open the door?”
As he stepped back from the door, he heard a loud crack and felt a searing pain in his arm.
The door burst open and Zane started to step through when he had to duck back behind the wall because Tracy started firing wildly.
When he was finally able to step through the door, she was already out the door, and presumably heading down the stairs.
He took a few seconds to check on Luke before heading after her. When he noticed he was still on his feet and the blood was coming from his arm, he started towards the back door, calling in over his radio.
“Zane, she’s naked. She shouldn’t be hard to spot.” He was sure he heard him say something about finding this funny later. “She really shot me,” he said, looking down at his arm, sounding awed.
Zane wasn’t gone five minutes before he came back in with a puzzled look on his face.
“What’s wrong?” Luke asked. He had found a towel in the kitchen, and was using it to press against his wound.
“I don’t know how she does it, but by the time I got out there, she was long gone. What are we missing? I know this is a small town, and we’re not use to this kind of stuff, but we’re not stupid.”
“I don’t know. Maybe the fear of being caught by the police in her birthday suit makes her really fast. Or it could have something to do with her being crazy.”
“She’s crazy. That doesn’t mean she should be able to just disappear,” Zane said, still sounding perplexed.
“I don’t know, but how hard will it be to catch a naked person driving down the road. She didn’t even take her clothes with her. They’re still laying on the table.”
“It doesn’t matter. Everybody else is still looking for her. I have to take you to the ER, then come back. I’ll need to get her stuff for evidence though before we leave.”
“It’s just a scratch, but she might go after your sister next. You need to call your dad.”
“I will, but I need to get you to the hospital first. You’ll have to have stitches.”
“I’m not moving, until you call your dad.”
“Keep arguing with me and I’ll call an ambulance,” Zane said, almost snarling.
Luke gave him the ‘Sitting Bull’ stare, and crossed his arms over his chest the best he could. Zane just shook his head. He knew there was no point in arguing with him right now. So, he used his cell phone, and called his dad.
When he got off the phone, he turned to Luke. “Come on, let’s go. Dad said he’ll meet us at the hospital.”
“He doesn’t need to do that. It’s not even four o’clock yet.”
“Hello. Have you meet my family? You know that telling him he doesn’t need to come is only going to make him wake up my sister and bring her too. You want me to call him back and tell him now?” he asked with his trademark grin. Zane took out his cell phone, and acted like he was getting ready to dial the phone.
“Okay, you win. But can I at least get my shoes on, and a shirt?”
“Yeah, just try to hurry. If they didn’t catch up to Tracy coming out, we’ll have to start searching around town for her.”
Luke knew how serious the matter was, but when Zane stopped being Zane the comic, and started being Zane the cop, it left no doubt to the seriousness of the situation.
*******
Tracy had parked her car under the cover of some trees and bushes. She ran to it and got in. Then she looked around to see if anyone had managed to follow her.
When she was certain no one was coming, she climbed in the back seat to get dressed. She had more clothes with her. She often sat outside Luke’s house to watch who came and went. She would have to stay away for a few days or they would find her hiding spot. Right now, she had to get out of there.
She drove through the trees for a couple of miles. By the time she got back to the road, she was far enough away, no one paid her any mind. If she went to her parent’s house, they would find her for sure. She would have to go to her dad’s cabin outside of town. She’d be safe there for a while.
I shot Luke. I’ll have to stay away from him for a while. They’ll be watching for me. That’s all right. I’ll go after that whore, Mindi. Everybody thinks Mindi is so perfect. If she is so great, why is she trying to steal someone else’s man?
A little while later, she pulled up to her dad’s old hunting cabin. He hadn’t used it to hunt in years. She had been using it the last year to keep an eye on Luke. He hadn’t been seeing anyone since they broke up, so she had stayed away. She just happened to be doing surveillance the day Mindi’s car broke down on the side of the road.
And, wouldn’t you know it? That nosey Mr. Trashy Tagert called him to come and rescue her. He is always looking
out the window to see what people are doing. He’s a mean old man. He’s never liked me. Well, I don’t like him either, and I’m going to make him pay for his part in this, too.
She finally made her way into the cabin, and turned on one of the only two lights in the place. She was in the main area. There was a kitchenette with a sink and a little stove. Over in another corner was a full-size bed. The bathroom was just a toilet and sink, and had the other light in the cabin. Then at last there was a sofa and a little table with one chair.
She had pictures of Luke all over the walls. They were pictures of Luke working. Going to church. She didn’t understand why he always had to go to church.
She had pictures of him sitting in a restaurant in town, walking down the sidewalk, and others. You name it, she had it. She was very devoted.
Well, since I’m going to have to stay away from him for a while, at least I’ll have my pictures.
*******
It had taken over four hours at the emergency room. The nurse had kept trying to get him to take some kind of pain medicine. If he had told her once, he had told her twenty times, he didn’t want it. He had to sit and wait for a while before they were able to stitch him up. There had been a three-car pileup with seven injured. At least four of them had been in critical condition. A healthy twenty-six-year old male with a scratch for a gunshot wound fell to the bottom of the list with all that.
The only thing he’d had to be grateful for was that Carl hadn’t woken Mindi. Not that he wouldn’t have been glad to see her. He just didn’t feel there was any reason to upset her, and make her lose a full night sleep, too.
It was past eight in the morning by the time Carl was able to bring Luke back home. Once Zane had got him to the ER, he had come back to help the other officers continue to look for Tracy. Or at least for clues to how she kept pulling her disappearing act.
Summer Obsession (The Townsends Book 1) Page 18