Twenty Times Tempted: A Sexy Contemporary Romance Collection

by Petrova, Em

  “Guess you are right. Thank you, Freddie. You have no idea how helpful you have been.”

  “I have?”

  “Extremely helpful. See you sometime.” Vic hung up with a grin. “Brace yourselves, ladies. Too bad Nick is not here to hear this bombshell. Apparently Rich was being tailed by a guy in a dark-blue Jeep Renegade, like Nick.”

  Lisa and Jade were speechless.

  Then Lisa spoke: “Then he disappeared, and Nick was stabbed,” she said.

  “Maybe it’s time to hand the case over to LAPD or the FBI,” Jade said, looking worried. “I’m afraid it’s getting too big for us.”

  “The LAPD will decide if they need the FBI in on it, but we sure need to talk to the police,” Vic said.

  “Vic,” Lisa spoke, “considering the way Rich noted something like a casual joke made in a restaurant in his notebook and also noted down his friends’ addresses, don’t you think he might also consider a blue Jeep that he thought was following him around worth noting?”

  “We have a new genius,” Vic said, pulling out the notebook. “I’m getting really slow. We’ve already found a lead inside the notebook, and I should scan it more seriously.”

  “What good did my joke with Freddie do?” Lisa asked as Bambi arrived with a tray. They paused until Bambi had left.

  “Well, without it we wouldn’t have mentioned Rich’s case to you, and the subject wouldn’t have gone around to Rich, and Freddie wouldn’t have heard us discussing Rich and given us this great lead that ties both cases together. Hmmm…this detective business is interesting. Dangerous, but interesting. Only Nick’s attack casts a shadow over it.”

  “Nick’s attack means it’s time to talk to the police,” Lisa said. “Seriously. Even the greatest detectives, which you are not, need to hand things over to the police sometimes. You don’t have the power to make arrests, you don’t have the resources to find…”

  “Here it is!” Vic interrupted, reading from the notebook. “ ‘I see this dark-blue Jeep everywhere. I’m losing my mind.’ And here’s the registration number. Must be one of the most recent things he wrote, coz it’s on the second-last page before the Lisa-Freddie joke, and their date was four weeks ago.” He stared up at Lisa. “So why were you on a date with Rich just a month ago when you and Nick were heading for proposal zone in your relationship?”

  “Here we go. I didn’t know it was only a month ago.” Jade stared at Lisa.

  “It was a casual date, and one of the things mentioned was that I have a boyfriend I love so much. I was mad with Nick for some reason and we had been on a three day silent treatment.”

  “Even you perfect couples go through that?” Vic made a mock gesture of amazement. “But then I thought Jade and this guy Roger were the perfect couple until she tried to break his arm.”

  “Jade did that?” Lisa gaped.

  “Can we move on please?” Jade snapped. “Do we trace the vehicle owner or hand over to the police?”

  “To trace the owner I guess we’d have to talk to the DMV - Department of Motor Vehicles - and since there is a possible crime involved we may be required to file a report with the police, and we may not be what they consider as licensed professionals worthy of such info as we are not attorneys or in the law enforcement. The certificate in our office is like a fire-fighter volunteer certificate and is considered an amateur certification and there are doors it can’t open. Besides, I hear that you may be charged for information obtained from the DMV. We may as well include the vehicle number with the info we are giving to the cops.”

  “OK, since I can’t wait to find out who owns this phantom Jeep, can we head for the station now?” Lisa said impatiently.

  Lisa was glad when they arrived at the station at 11.05 P.M. to learn that Detective Ray was on night duty tonight. It was good to find somebody who knew part of the case. Ray introduced them to Sergeant Wash and another detective, Lewis.

  “Just hold on,” Ray held up his hand when they explained why Nick wasn’t with them. He dialed a number and spoke: “Jack? Has there been a report of a stabbing, call made from Long Beach Memorial Hospital earlier tonight? Yes, please check.” A pause. “Okay, thanks. Yes, that’s the name, Nick Banks. Thanks, Jack.”

  “Well, well, well, you, Lisa and her guy have more excitement than us detectives, huh? Tell me what you have been up to since we managed to scare Kayla to silence.”

  “She wasn’t so silent tonight,” Jade said.

  “You’ve been to Kayla’s?” Ray shook his head.

  “Let’s hear the whole thing and not bits of it,” Lewis growled.

  ***

  “Nick honey, how are you? Good to see your eyes open!” Lisa said, her voice dripping with concern.

  It was two days since that night. Lisa had just arrived at the hospital, at seven A.M. But even though Nick was awake and could say a few words, he was still weak and they had been discouraged from making him talk.

  Lisa didn’t want to burden him with the news, but he wanted to hear.

  “Only fifteen minutes, then you must let him rest,” a nurse said from the doorway, and left.

  “It was the ex I fell out of love with, Nick. Edgar Wright. A guy who inherited a business from his rich uncle while we were together. But I wasn’t in it for the money…you know me, Nick. The relationship was just so boring and predictable, and there was the issue of long hours of the silent treatment.”

  “I wouldn’t date a guy named Edgar Wright,” Nick groaned.

  “If I were you I wouldn’t date any guy,” Lisa advised.

  Nick smiled weakly.

  “When we handed Rich’s notebook to the police they were able to find the identity of the Jeep owner. It was Edgar. He has confessed, and a woman who witnessed him smashing Nick’s windshield has identified him in a parade. Apparently he can’t get me out of his system, Nick. I was with him in a police holding room at the station yesterday. I found his quiet moments a bit disturbing, and I never could understand him. We were together for three months. And he paid Kayla to start calling me. My phone numbers, former and current address and my photos on his wall! So creepy. Why would you have photos of your ex on the wall? I thought you burned them! Something else…remember the Alex case? Guess what? Edgar hired Alex two years ago to stalk me, but it seems Alex got emotionally involved. Then of course Alex had his own issues with drugs and drug dealers.”

  “The new and the old mystery solved. So sorry honey,” Nick said. “How long will he be in jail?”

  “He will be charged with assault for the stabbing, threats and stalking…and now, of course, murder, and I believe the least he’ll be getting is a life sentence, am I right? Though I’m told stalking charges can be tricky as far as evidence is concerned. But that pales in comparison to murder, doesn’t it? Kayla has been questioned and says Edgar paid her two grand to try to get Nick back from you, which she was only too happy to try. But she may not be charged with pestering her ex. She insists she didn’t know Edgar was shadowing Nick and issuing threats and was capable of stabbing. I’m not sure how out two exes met. But in his case his bedroom was full of evidence. Imagine the words ‘Lisa is mine or nobody’s’ on his wall? Apparently he was suffering from a depression-induced illness…apparently in his case withdrawal, fantasy and delusion. I spoke to a psychiatrist yesterday. Edgar was creating relationships in his own mind and probably in his mind I was still his girl and anyone else with me was stealing me away from him. And yes, he ..er…also attacked Rich. Oh, you don’t know who Rich is…sorry.”

  She didn’t say more about Rich as she didn’t want to worry him in his state. Rich’s body had been found buried exactly where Edgar had said it would be. Before Rich vanished, Edgar had called him to the pharmacy and asked him to come on his own as he needed to meet a man named Skid near the pharmacy…just get into the blue Jeep. Apparently Skid had been blackmailing Rich, having obtained evidence that Rich had had a brief stint with drugs, and Rich was desperate to have this information kept under wraps.
Skid wasn’t charging him much, anyway. Just three hundred bucks a week. He could afford that while he thought of a way to kick Skid under the rug. But the call to the pharmacy made him curious. Was it Skid tailing him around in the blue Jeep then? Why? All Skid had to do was call and Rich would meet him, hand over three hundred bucks, and Skid would say: “See ya next week, kid. Come running when I call.” And Skid would wink. He was just a harmless loser looking to make a quick buck. But on that day, when Rich parked and got into the Jeep, he found Edgar.

  “Who are you? Where’s Skid?”

  “I’m taking you to Skid. He wants a final installment, and he’ll never bother you again.” And Edgar had driven off.

  “Why didn’t he just call like he always does from a phone booth somewhere?”

  “Last installment is bigger and different,” Edgar had said. And on a lonely spot off the shore road hidden by high shrubs with the waves splashing below, Edgar had aimed a gun at Rich’s head.

  Rich began to shake, and fell to his knees, his lips trembling as he begged: “Please, don’t do it. I’ll pay you…my parents will pay you whatever you want. I always paid Skid.”

  “Screw Skid!” Edgar snarled. “You dated my gal, Lisa. Nobody takes my gal out behind my back. I’ve been watching you and following you since!”

  “He was dating my girl” was the reason given. Vic and Jade had dreaded the call they would have to make to Gina, and had decided to write off all unpaid fees except for the money she had already paid. By the time they found out, anyway, Gina already knew.

  Lisa shook her head as finished narrating the part of this story she thought Nick could take at this time. She had skipped Rich’s ordeal in her narration.

  Nick shook his head sympathetically.

  “So glad you are here, honey,” he said, his voice low, as he tried to smile. “Marry me.”

  Lisa’s hand tightened on his hand a little as she smiled. “I said yes while you were unconscious.”

  Nic smiled and his whole face brightened. “But I missed something priceless, honey.”

  “And what is that?” Lisa placed a hand on his forehead.

  “I didn’t hear you say yes.”

  THE END

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  Introducing J W Hunter’s BBW Complicated Romance Boxset

  Two young African American women who share an amazing secret find their love lives caught in the middle of dangerous secrets and blackmail...Both Tina and Lavida have been through a wild, reckless lifestyle in the last few weeks, but neither of them is prepared for what is in store for them. Lavida finds herself caught in the crossfire of explosive family secrets that will change her life forever, and Tina's wild escapade endangers her entire family, including her celebrity father's career. But neither of them is prepared for the biggest secret of all. Can their love lives withstand all the storms?

  [This is the clean romance version of this story. This version has been compressed into one volume with book 1 as chapter 1 & 2, book 2 as chapter 3 & 4 and book 3 as chapter 5 & 6.]

  If you prefer the explicit, steamy version of this story, grab it here:

  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01F5F7OJY

  EXCERPT:

  “Are you sure that’s the only reason?” Clay shook his head, joining her at the window. “You grew up surrounded by money, sweetie. You wouldn’t understand.”

  Tina spun on her heels and stared up at his clean-shaven, sharp-chinned face. “What the hell has my growing up in a rich home got to do with it?”

  Clay smiled. “Don’t scratch my face. You have no idea what some people would do for money. Considering how famous your Dad is, Matt can sell it for a considerable sum of money. Some websites and magazines would buy it before you can say Jack. Some mags would turn it into photos.”

  Tina frowned, looking outside again. Her slim, brown hands were holding the bars.

  “Maybe he’s going to call Dad,” she said at last. She seemed to be thinking hard. “He didn’t specifically ask me to tell Dad. It’s like he was telling me what he plans to do and trying to sound apologetic about it as he was using me to hurt my father. What a creep!” She turned to Clay, and now there was an earnest look in her eyes. “Clay,” she spoke slowly, as if trying to emphasize every word, “we have to run away. I mean it this time. We have to. And if you aren’t coming with me, you can sit your yellow black ass down and stay away from me. ”

  “Make up your mind about the yellow and black.”

  “Get serious! I mean are you going to act scared or will you come with me?”

  “Ok...where are we supposed to be going?”

  ***

  “I want one million dollars. You are mean, inconsiderate, heartless, selfish and a total jerk,” Lavida heard her mother say from the living room as she reached the bottom of the stairs, and she froze. Her mother had been out when she came in and she [Lavida] had gone up to her room and must have fallen asleep because it was now twenty-two past five according to the clock on the wall.

  Lavida could only hear her mother’s side of the conversation, but she could hardly believe the words she was hearing.

  “Listen to me, you creep!” her mother snapped with more emotion than Lavida had ever heard from her mother. “You played with my heart, you used me, you dropped me like a hot stove. I’ve been silent for so long, but now I’m ready to fight. You have one week to think about it. One million bucks, or we go all legal about this. Three times you have had me treated like a trespasser and had me thrown out. Oh, so you hung up on me...” She hung up too. “Talking of fifty thousand. Does he think I’m stupid? And what makes him think he has a right to meet my daughter? Telling me he’s ready to pay a million just to meet her. Does that bastard think she’s for sale? ”

  She turned and saw Lavida, and jumped to her feet. “Lavida, honey, how long have you been there?”

  Her mother seemed terrified. She now shook a finger at Lavida. “Listen; you have no business creeping up on people to listen to their conversations! It’s a mean trick. I thought you were outside. Don’t ever let me catch you spying on my conversations again!”

  Lavida gaped. “Are you involved in crime? And why would your mystery person want to meet me?”

  “Crime?” her mother laughed. “You have a wild imagination. I’m going after this creep who owes us.”

  “Owes us a million dollars?” Lavida still seemed dumbfounded. “Why have we been struggling all our lives when somebody owes us a million dollars?”

  SAMPLE CHAPTER:

  “Damn you, you came inside me!” Lavida gasped. “Are you crazy? You think I came looking for them babies?” She got up and slapped Lucas across the face.

  “What could I do?” he protested.

  “But we gotta come somewhere!” Con protested, holding his still erect dick.

  “Find a place!” Lavida said, and grabbed her jeans shorts, running out to the washroom.

  That evening she got a call from Trevor. Lavida paused, wondering whether to pick up the phone or not. “Hi baby,” he spoke. “Please tell me you didn’t do it.”

  “Trevor! You just don’t get it, do you? It’s over! It was over as soon as you went on a fucking spree! Understand?”

  “But...but you did the same thing!”

  She sighed. “Let me explain the difference, dummy. I went on a humping spree after we broke up, not before!”

  Trevor sighed. “And what if I still want us to get back together?”

  “Please don’t go there, Trevor.”

  “Mine was temptation, yours was out of spite and to hurt me.”

  “The fact remains I never cheated on you WHILE I was your girlfriend, period.”

  “You know what? I’ll get you back...whatever it takes.”

  She hung up. She didn’t feel sorry for him, but she was hurting too. She loved him, but she’d get over him. Today’s distraction had been good for her.
Maybe she was beginning to like somebody else, anyway.

  Meanwhile, Con had been talking to Jamal. “I’ve never dated a black chick, but I like her, Jamal. I feel like I’m beginning to like her a little too much, man. She’s not the kind of chick you find in a threesome thing...she’s above that. She’s special: I feel it.”

  “I guess she was just totally frustrated after giving her boyfriend the boot for what she calls irreconcilable differences, know what I’m saying?” Jamal hit Con playfully on the chest as he put on his helmet. They were standing outside the house Con shared with Lucas, the house that had had so much activity earlier. “Y’all be lookin’ at her and saying, she’s trippin’. She would never do such things under normal circumstances, you know. She’s my gal, I know her. If you guys ever hook up we can’t go all dick on her...is that what you are saying?”

  “If I ever hook up with her,” Con said, clenching his fists, “I’ll kill you or Lucas if you ever come to within six inches of her!”

  “Whoa! Is that the way it’s going to be? Didn’t I introduce her to you, champ?”

  Con smiled. “At least you’ve been warned!”

  ***

  Con brushed his way into the office of Mailing-Simplified and bowed mockingly as he grinned at his colleagues in the open office. “Permit me to greet you all,” he said. “The night was good on me and as you can see, my face is radiant.”

  “The only radiant thing on your face is sweat, Con,” Claire the secretary said with a roll of her blue eyes.

  The others laughed. There was Andrew the boss, and Pete. Four people were enough to run the office of Mailing-Simplified.

  “Please do some work,” Andrew said, his eyes glued to his computer. “I think you waste a total of three hours every day on silly jokes.”

  “I think Con’s funny,” Pete protested.

  “Funny!” Andrew snapped, giving Pete an angry glance. “I should take you to see a real comedian later this week after work so you can stop laughing at grade school jokes.”