"Yes, I do expect you to believe it.” She rested her hand on the dog's head. “I thought we had something together, Don. Something special. But if you won't believe me on this ... well, which is it? Do you think I'm crazy? Or that I'm a liar?"
He opened his mouth, but really had no response. He didn't think she was either of those things. But to pull a Dr. Doolittle on him?
It really was too much to expect. Wasn't it?
* * * *
Three months later
"Friends, Inc. We find the lost. How may I help you?” Adelaide Langdon twirled the phone cord around her index finger and stared out the window at the cloud-dark sky. Rain fell in a steady downpour, making everything look slightly out of focus. Once the temperatures dropped, there'd be a sheet of ice covering everything outside.
She could hear the radio from Syd's office playing an old James Taylor song. She found herself singing along in her head while the caller on the phone rattled on. Winter, spring, summer or fall, all you got to do is call...
A gust of wind shook the glass panes, sounding like marbles rattling in a jar, jerking her away from the soulful lyrics.
God, she hated Brook's Place in the winter. It was cold. It was wet. And it was boring. The one bright spot in the little town east of Toledo and west of nowhere had been Donovan Miles when he'd stop to visit his grandmother, who lived across the street from Addie's mom.
But he was gone now, back to his normal life.
She suppressed a shiver at the thought of that long, lean hunk of heaven. He wore his dark blond hair a little too long, giving him a bad-boy look that never failed to make her juices run. When she remembered the last time she'd seen the Toledo narcotics cop, her lips thinned with anger and pain. It had been three months since he'd decided she was too flaky for him, and she missed him so much she hurt.
After she'd blundered into the middle of one of his drug busts, he'd stuttered out an excuse to get back to work and had left town so fast, she still expected to see smoking rubber on the road.
As ugly as the analogy was, her heart was road kill. Squished and dead on the side of love's highway.
Ack. She had to stop this ... this pity party. She was more than the sum of her parts. She didn't need a man to complete her. If he couldn't accept her for everything she was, it was time to move on. Like he had.
She was strong. She could do it.
It was just ... she'd been stronger with him.
Sighing, she refocused on her caller. “Yes, Mrs. Roberts. Syd's looking into that for you.” Addie listened as her sister's client chattered on. Staring outside, she saw that the rain had turned to snow. That should make things interesting when the workday was over. Situated as they were on the corner of Brandywine and Creighton, she'd have a clear view of rush-hour traffic. A fender bender might drum up a little excitement in an otherwise ho-hum day.
She rolled her eyes. God, she was in sorry shape if a car accident would liven things up.
"Young lady, I don't think you understand how urgent this is.” Mrs. Roberts’ voice raised an octave and Addie winced at the shrill sound. The older woman went on. “Why, it's not as if I'm making this up."
Which was exactly what Addie and Syd had both begun to suspect, but Addie would let her twin tell Mrs. Roberts that.
Addie brought her attention back to the still-chattering Mrs. Roberts. “Ma'am, let me transfer you to Syd. She can give you a progress report. All right?” Without waiting for an acknowledgement, Addie hit the transfer button, punched in Syd's extension and hung up. Then she slumped in her chair, her face in her hands, waiting for something, anything, to snap her out of her doldrums.
The old-fashioned bell over the door jingled. Forcing a smile, she looked up. “Welcome to..."
Good Lord Almighty. It was the tall, lean, bad-boy himself.
Be careful what you wish for. Her mother's sweet voice rang in her ears. How many times had she heard that as a kid when she'd been caught daydreaming. Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it.
Her breath hitched as she watched Donovan close the door behind him. Thick flakes of snow sparkled in his hair, and he shook his head slightly to dislodge the wetness. His brown eyes were dark, watchful. He sported a two day growth of beard, tempting her to run her fingers along the hard line of his jaw.
What was he doing here? Now? She had so many questions running through her mind, that she didn't know which one to ask first.
Actually, she did. Could she keep her love-starved body in the chair when all she wanted to do was jump him and drag him down for hot, wild monkey sex?
* * * *
Donovan felt his heart stutter as he stared at Addie. Stalling for time, he slowly drew off his gloves and stuffed them in the pockets of his wool coat. It was good to see her. He gave a silent laugh. Good hardly described how he felt. He felt ... horny. Yup. Horny was as good a word as any.
Thinking about her on the drive from Toledo had him half-hard. Seeing her again got him the rest of the way there. It was all he could do to keep from hauling her into his arms and slaking the thirst she always inspired.
He'd been so lonely without her. And now, seeing her again, he felt whole again. He felt...
Like he'd come home.
It had been three months since he'd run out on her like a goddamned coward, and he'd missed her every second he'd been away. He knew his cowardice would make it hard to renew their relationship and he'd been prepared for a fight. Nothing could have prepared him for the raw pain in her blue-gray eyes, which she shielded by dropping her lashes.
He ran a hand through his hair, wincing when the movement tugged on still-healing muscles. Taking a bullet in the shoulder made a man stop and reevaluate his life. Made him stop being such a pigheaded fool. He needed Laidy. Pure and simple.
Looking at her now, he wasn't sure where to begin. Anger, he could deal with. Pain ... he had no idea where to start. He knew that he had a lot to make up for and he was ready to dig in and keep at her until he wore her down. Or wore her out. He could do it, too. He was just that stubborn.
Letting his eyes rove over her, he breathed deeply, smelling her perfume. He could never remember the name of it, but the sweetly spicy scent was indelibly stamped on his subconscious. All he had to do was catch the slightest whiff and his cock went as hard as a pike.
Her dark hair piled on top of her head in a messy heap, silky tendrils fell around her face, giving her a just-tumbled-out-of-bed look. His gaze dropped and he saw the press of her hard tits against the tight pink T-shirt she wore.
Seeing the direction of his stare, she crossed her arms over her chest and scowled at him. Probably thought he'd planned to pick up where they'd left off.
Which he was determined to do. And God help anyone who got in the way of a Miles man when he was determined. He was resolute to get her underneath him, her snug cunt wrapped around his cock, just as soon as humanly possible. And then, when he had her soft and sweaty underneath him, convince her that they belonged together. That he wasn't a total lost cause.
He had a workable excuse for his visit to Friends, Inc. It was a start. If he could show Addie that he loved her, that he accepted her for everything she was, including her special gift, maybe he'd have a chance. He had to try. If he had to face life without her ... well, it wouldn't be much of a life at all. It spread out before him like a barren desert.
He couldn't keep standing here, staring at her like an idiot. “Hello, Laidy. It's good to see you again.” His heart sunk at the way her lips thinned at his nickname for her. While her friends and family called her Addie, he'd shortened the latter part of her name. She'd never seemed to mind; in fact, she'd seemed pleased that he'd come up with a name unique to their relationship.
Apparently, she'd gotten over that pleasure. Guess he'd have to reintroduce her to another sort of pleasure, the kind they'd shared before. The kind that was hot and wild and right. He'd just been too stupid to see it.
Well, if she didn't want to see him
again, that was just too damned bad. He knew she was a sucker for an animal in need, and he wasn't above using whatever cards he held in his hand. If he couldn't win her back himself, he'd use Grandma and her damned little wiener dog.
He eased out of his topcoat and slung it over a hook by the door. Carefully rotating his shoulders, he wished he'd worn jeans and a T-shirt instead of his suit sans tie. He should've worn something comfortable instead of dressing to impress. Shit. He was still stalling. He'd just better get on with it. He'd play his high card.
"Matilda's missing. We need your help."
* * * *
Addie saw Don's lips move and heard his deep voice, but the words made no sense. She was in shock over having him appear as if in response to her lonely thoughts. He looked good, damn him. While she'd been trying very hard not to pine away from love for him, he'd apparently been getting along just fine without her.
He ran one broad hand through his hair again, appearing ill at ease, putting stress on his starched white dress shirt and drawing it tight against his muscular chest. She gave herself a mental pinch at letting him distract her. The thing she should concentrate on was that he looked like he didn't want to be here, not that he had a body made for sex.
If he hadn't wanted to see her again, he should have stayed away. It was just too damned bad that something necessitated him coming to her office. She tried to remember what he'd said so she could figure out what the hell he was doing here, standing so close and looking so yummy. Ack.
After a few seconds, she gave up. “What did you say?"
He gestured toward the chair beside the front desk and she nodded. Turning the chair so it faced her, he sat down. She swiveled her chair and their knees bumped. Addie clasped her hands together to keep from touching him. She wasn't sure what she wanted. Part of her wanted to grab him by the ears and kiss him silly. Another part of her wanted to box said ears until he begged for mercy.
"Grandma's wiener dog's missing.” He leaned forward and reached for her hands. She pushed the chair back, rolling along the floor until she reached the opposite edge of the desk. She didn't want him to touch her either. Not yet. Not until she knew why he was here.
Other than a slight tightening of his firm mouth, he gave no outward indication that her action had any impact on him. She wasn't sure if it had hurt him or merely irritated him. He'd always been hard to read.
"Grandma wants you to find her.” He rocked back in his chair and crossed one leg over the other, resting his ankle on the opposite knee. His pose drew her eyes to the juncture of his thighs. She caught her breath at the sight of his long cock outlined against the dark material of his dress slacks. God, how could he make her want him by just being him? All she could think about was drawing down his zipper and pulling out his thick erection. She wanted to taste him, to feel him inside her.
She looked down, rubbing her skirt between her fingers, trying not to remember the feel of his heavy body against hers, his penis thrusting into her pussy, filling her, possessing her. Making her want him time and time again. She gave a little sigh and looked at him again.
His dark eyes were shuttered, hiding his thoughts from her. Whatever had brought him back into her life, it probably hadn't been an overwhelming desire to see her again. Otherwise, what would have taken him so long?
"You're the hot-shot detective. Can't you find her?” Her voice was frigid, and she didn't care. It matched the coldness of her aching heart.
* * * *
Donovan took a breath and counted to ten. He had to tread carefully here; he'd totally fucked up three months ago, and she wasn't going to make it easy for him. “Finding animals isn't my specialty; it's yours. Grandma believes you can help her.” He paused and met her eyes, hoping she could see the truthfulness there. “I believe you can help her."
When she rolled the chair close again, it made him think he might just have a chance. The hurt and anger in her beautiful eyes was dulled by a spark of interest and compassion for an old lady who was missing her small companion.
"What happened?"
He shrugged. “Grandma said she couldn't find the dog when she got up yesterday morning. She was so upset, that I took a long weekend to come out and help her. I got in late last night. If the damned dog's in the house, I don't know where.” Heaving a sigh, he slouched in the chair, sticking his long legs out in front of him, deliberately bumping against hers again.
This time, she didn't move away. His heart beat a little faster. “I asked her why she didn't call you, but all she'd say is that she needed me here.” He shook his head. “If Matilda got out of the house, I don't know how the hell she did it. But you know what a little rascal she is. Where there's a doggie will, there's a doggie way."
Addie gave a small smile and he caught his breath. She was beautiful when she was somber, but when she smiled, she took his breath away. And when she laughed ... He wanted to spend the rest of his life making her laugh, just for the thrill of hearing it.
He looked to where his big feet rested near hers and, as always, the differences in their sizes made him feel protective. At five four, she was a foot shorter than him, and he outweighed her by at least a hundred pounds.
But she fit him like a custom-made glove. He remembered the tight grip of her pussy around his cock and he shifted with a surge of lust. She was opening up to him and he didn't want to do anything to make her retreat. If she saw his massive erection, he was afraid she'd clamp down as tight as a virgin in a room full of horny sailors.
He drew his legs back and folded his hands in his lap. Glancing down, he saw his cock stretched along his thigh, past what his hands could cover. Well, it would have to do.
Knowing he had to get her alone, he suggested, “Why don't we go over to Grandma's? You can put your mojo to work."
One slender eyebrow arched and her voice was sweet as she asked, “Mojo?"
Damn. Open mouth, insert foot. Way to go, dickhead. You didn't score any points with that one. “I just meant...” He huffed a sigh. He was losing ground before he could even gain a fucking foothold. Maybe it was time to go ahead and admit what a spineless asshole he'd been.
"Never mind,” she said as he opened his mouth to explain. Standing, she pushed her chair against the desk. “Let me tell Syd I'm leaving so she can watch the front.” She walked away before he could say another word, giving him an excellent view of her gorgeous legs showcased by her short skirt.
She turned a corner and Donovan pushed out of his chair, sending it skidding across the tile floor to bounce against the back wall. He stalked to the window and stared out at the snow. Man, it was really coming down. Reminded him of some of the snowstorms they'd had when he was a kid.
He'd always loved the snow. It made everything look so new and clean. He wished he could turn back time, that he would've handled finding out about Laidy's gift in a more gracious, adult way.
Before her, he'd thought he was the kind of man who would never fall in love. There wasn't anything that was more intangible than love. But he'd fallen fast and hard for Laidy. One look, and he'd wanted to wake up with her in his bed every morning. Wanted to be able to bend her over and take her any time he wanted.
Or be taken by her, which was just as sweet.
Yet, here he was, using an old lady and her ancient dog to get back into his lover's life, and blowing it big time. Shoving his fists in his front pockets, he berated himself. “Way to go, you nimrod. Making her think you're poking fun at her ability is not the smoothest of moves."
He closed his eyes and leaned his face against the cold glass. Rolling his forehead over the smooth surface, he tried to cool his heated flesh. At least she was willing to come with him. Of course, she had a soft spot for his grandmother and that damned little rat-dog, which he wasn't above exploiting.
"Whatever it takes,” he murmured. “One way or another, Adelaide Langdon, I'll get you back."
* * * *
Addie heard Don's thickly muttered words and skidded to a halt. Her so
ft-soled shoes gave a slight squeak on the tile floor and, when he whirled at the sound, she felt her face flush with heat. She wasn't sure why she was embarrassed; it wasn't as if she had deliberately eavesdropped on him.
Maybe it was because his words were so starkly honest and, she hoped, deeply felt. It sounded like he regretted running out on her. Right now, though, she wasn't sure she was ready to deal with it. Fifteen minutes ago, she'd been moping around, thinking she'd never see him again, then poof! Here he was. It was more than her little pea brain could handle. “Shall we go?” She bit her lip at how falsely bright her tone sounded. God, she'd never get him back acting like a frickin’ moron.
Besides, she shouldn't make it too easy for him. She knew deep down he was a good man, a decent man. He was just a little thickheaded at times.
She grabbed her coat from the hook by the front door and pulled it on. Dragging her hat out of the big front pocket, she jammed it on her head and jerked open the door. He followed her without a word, closing the door behind him and motioning toward his SUV.
She opened the door of the Cherokee even as he reached for it, and climbed in. He frowned at her and closed the door. She waited until he'd gotten in and started the vehicle, and then asked, “How's your grandmother been?"
"She misses you.” He pulled out into traffic and kept his gaze fixed on the snow-covered road. She watched his gloved fingers flex around the steering wheel. Remembering how those strong hands had felt wrapped around her flesh, she shifted in her seat. Her pussy heated and softened. Her brain might be still trying to sort things out, but boy-howdy, her body was ready.
"Yeah, well ... I've missed her, too.” Addie stared out of the side window, thinking of Don's grandmother. Delia Miles was a combination of Aunt Bea from Mayberry and Julia Childs. She always smelled like sugar cookies and had the same dark brown eyes as her grandson. Out of pure self-preservation, Addie had stayed away, because it had just hurt too much to have that reminder of Don.
Delia's house was three blocks away from Friends. As soon as he put the vehicle in park, Addie jumped out. Ignoring his frown, she hurriedly climbed the porch steps. At the front door, she looked over her shoulder at him. She could tell he was a bit peeved because she didn't wait for him to open the door. He could be so old-fashioned sometimes. So sweet and charming. It was getting harder to remember she was mad at him.
Torrid Teasers Volume Three Page 3