Flirting with Disaster

by Catori, Ava

  I needed to call my brother, unless Dad did. I was pretty sure he didn't. “No need to worry Hunter,” he'd say, but he had a right to know Dad's health was growing more fragile.

  I gunned the motor and headed home to pick up my truck. It would be a more comfortable ride for my father. When I made it back to the hospital, he was in his street clothes and itching to leave. They'd given him a list of instructions. He also needed to follow up with his family doctor during the next few days. I'd be sure he obliged. My dad was a bull, stubborn as hell, and would have written them off if I wasn't there to hear them. "I'll make sure he follows through," I said.

  My father groaned. "I'm fine. They checked me over."

  "You'll go," I said firmly. I wasn't ready to lose my dad.

  "Did you talk to the broad? How did she take it?" he grumbled as he gathered his papers. They wouldn't let him walk. He took offense to the fact they had to wheel him out of the hospital in a wheelchair. It was hospital policy. Even with his protests, he was forced to comply.

  "She has a name," I corrected. "She understands and hopes you make a speedy recovery."

  "What happened with the fire?" It was going to take everything inside him to stay put at his home and rest. If he had it his way, he'd be out investigating with the fire department. It was as if he thought he needed to handle every detail of everything that touched him. All it did was compound his stress. He'd always been a control freak. I was used to it.

  I opened my truck door as they rolled the wheelchair onto the sidewalk. I'd parked at the patient pick-up area, so I didn't have to run to the parking lot. Getting out of the wheelchair, he climbed into my truck and then took a moment to thank the nurse for her time. At least he still had manners. I thanked her as well, before getting into the truck.

  "You're sweet on her," he said while glaring at me.

  "What? What are you talking about?" I denied it, wondering where the comment came from.

  "The broad...since when have you cared if I called someone a broad?"

  "It's not like that. She has a job to do. Her company sent her. She's not the enemy, even if it feels like she is." Here I was defending the woman closing the factory. It felt wrong, almost backwards. In any other circumstance, I'd be angry as hell. Instead, all I could think about was getting to her house and ravaging her body.

  "I called your brother," he said.

  "Wow, you did? That's surprising. I expected you to play it down." I was impressed. Dad wasn't one to talk about things.

  He sighed. "I'm not getting any younger. I'd like him to come home and visit. Who knows how much longer I'll be around."

  "Don't say that, Dad. It was a setback. You're strong. Just get through this, and you'll be as good as new." I wanted to soothe his anxiety, but he had every right to be worried. I was worried too. "I'm going to run to the market and stock up the pantry. Is there anything particular you want?"

  "Don't worry about it. I can go to the store tomorrow," he answered, not wanting to be a bother.

  I glared at my father. "Seriously, Dad? What part of rest don’t you understand? Rest! I'll pick up a few things and drop them off before heading to the shop. I have a carburetor to take care of."

  "Fine, sure. Thanks," my father said. "You know I hate feeling helpless."

  "You're not helpless. You need a break because your body is demanding it. Just get better, okay? Let me handle the details today," I answered, resting my hand on his shoulder. "I'm here if you need me."

  "I could always count on you. I want you to know, I appreciate that you have my back. I don't say it enough. Maybe it's time." My father stared out the window, and then looked back at me.

  When we got to his house, I gave him a hug, something he wasn't expecting. We weren't a touchy feely family, but the moment called for one. I think we both needed it.

  After hitting the grocery store and dropping off the bags at my dad's house, I headed for the shop. I hoped I'd be able to do a clean-up and repair, but the throttle shafts were messed up and called for a replacement. I had work to do, but a part of me wanted to do it tomorrow. Do it later, do it another day. Tonight, I wanted to be back in Barbara's bed. I groaned knowing work came first. I'd play later. I'd play with her until she whimpered my name in exhaustion, and begged for more.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  After Ryder dropped me off, time just flew by. I called the main office and filed the insurance claim.

  Charlie's advice had been spot on. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that leaving the place unmanned would be inviting trouble. Someone had to be on duty 24/7.

  I thought about offering the security job to one of the employees. Maybe the arsonist would think twice before setting fire to a building in which one of his co-workers was on guard duty. My problem was I didn't know who to offer the job to and the only person I could ask was Dylan Bishop.

  So instead of calling him I searched for a local reputable security company with men available right away.

  But once that was done, I became aware there was no way I could keep the place running without speaking to the man. Without him, how would I know who I could count on to replace him as foreman while he was away? I started making a list of all my questions. I would ask Ryder and if he didn't know, he would understand I had to speak to his dad.

  Would he now?

  One of the things I loved about this man was how fiercely loyal he was. Loyal to his friends. Tony and Charlie were still part of his life. Loyal to his town and to his father. Also surprisingly loyal to me.

  For the factory staff, I was the enemy and yet, he had taken my hand in front of them when we reached the site. At some point he had let it go, but he'd stood so protectively close to me, his message had been clear. I was under his care.

  In a town of this size where everyone kept their nose in everybody else's business, chances were the day’s event would be the main subject of gossip for days to come. They would all wonder what the deal was between Ryder and me.

  That was an interesting question to which I had no answer.

  It was a cliché, but the chemistry between us was undeniable. It was a case of fatal attraction. Since he'd touched me the first time, just looking at him took my breath away. Earlier on, standing close to him while talking to Charlie, I fought an overwhelming urge to reach out to him. It was as if I needed the connection, as if not touching him was painful.

  My past experiences had been too few and far between to provide an appropriate scale to measure the way I felt. I knew for sure I was drowning in lust but that was not a problem. I could get over it if I needed to. Nothing like a cold shower to get the blood flowing in the right direction ... toward the brain that was. The real question was, was I also falling in love? That would be bad. Real bad because even if I did come back to take advantage of my house once it was fixed, there was no future in this town for me.

  The phone ring jolted me out of my pity party. It was Brad returning my call. Since he'd made an offer on the building I'd left him a message letting him know about the fire.

  "How bad is it?" he asked without even taking the time to say hello.

  I sighed. Brad was two different men wrapped into one. He was the sweetest most attentive friend as well a ruthless business man. Until today, I had only dealt with the first. Of course, I'd watched from afar, Brad doing his worst but never had been on the receiving end before now.

  "As far as I know it's the storage facility only," I said. "The fire department will give me a full report as soon as they have it figured it out."

  "What happened?"

  "They think it's arson, but like I said, I don't have a report yet."

  "Okay fine, you need to keep me updated." He paused and for a moment I thought the call was over but he spoke again and his voice was softer. "How did it go?" The friend was back. It took me a second to realize he was no longer in business mode. "Sorry, stupid question," he said. "I'm guessing with the fire and all you two didn't get a chance to talk?"

/>   Not elaborating on what the "and all" encompassed, I confirmed he guessed right.

  "Listen, honey bunch," he said. "You're putting me in a weird position."

  "How so?" I had no idea what he was talking about.

  "Well, I usually never mix business with friendship," he explained. "That's the reason why, despite the fact I think you're top notch, I never asked you to work for me."

  "Uh uh." I made a noncommittal sound. His reputation was so bad, I never contemplated the possibility of working with him, let alone for him.

  "And I know for some twisted reason you feel you owe something to Ocean Crest."

  Since he appeared to be waiting for me to say something, I obliged. "Maybe."

  "So I have to give you a heads up, baby, if the fire department confirms it's arson, I may pull out of the deal."

  I let his words sink in and tried to plead with him. "I think that would be a rash decision. You see, if it is arson, whoever did it was striking out blindly against DCD because all they see is a closing factory, but what if you made an announcement? What if your PR people make noise about this incredible project you have in Ocean Crest?"

  "I'm listening." The cold business tone was back but I was ready for it now since I was in business mode too.

  "Give the people of Ocean Crest a chance to wrap their minds about the idea the building is the key to a new birth for their city. They need to be educated, someone has to tell them that the incubator will bring in fresh blood. Of course, the start-ups will probably not hire anyone local but there would be a need for services giving the locals business opportunities, people looking for things to do. Restaurants would appreciate the new business and maybe the movie theater would reopen. I know it’s not perfect but their mere presence should boost all the local businesses and the real estate market..." I went on for a while until Brad ran out of patience and cut me off.

  "You've given this a great deal of thought, I see," he observed.

  "Yes, I have and I think this is one of those instances where a great business opportunity for you could have tremendous benefits for the community as a whole."

  "I'll play with the idea more," Brad said. But if I were to go by the tone of his voice, next week I would probably need to start looking for another buyer for this property.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  Ocean Crest was sinking. It was the ship I foolishly captained, and for some reason had chosen to stay onboard. With the factory closing, property values in the toilet and not much work for a mechanic when the population couldn't afford to pay, it was the first time I'd ever really thought about leaving the area. Unlike my brother, I couldn’t.

  When I bought my house, I was so damn proud to have scraped together enough for the bungalow I picked out. The shack was small, but it was mine. I think it was truly the first time I'd felt like an adult. Signing those papers, buying my house, I knew I was there to stay. And yet, that same house, the one I'd scraped money together for, was worth even less today. It was barely worth pennies on the dollar. I had no idea the town would crumble. It was home, but there wasn't much left.

  With the factory...it was hard to believe that old piece of history was closing. It had been a part of my life for as long as I could remember. My dad spent more years working there than I'd been alive, and now it was coming to an end. Would he settle and retire here? His home was paid off, this was all he knew, or would he want to spread his wings and explore other areas? I couldn't imagine he had enough to travel like most retired folks. My guess was his remaining time would be on our barrier island.

  I was surprised that he'd called my brother. It would be nice to see him if he made time to visit. It'd been a long time since I'd seen him. We didn't talk much after he left, but he was still blood, and I'd be happy to see his face again. My mind drifted from thought to thought, until it landed firmly on the soft, curved body of Barbara. She'd taken me by surprise. I didn't expect... Well, who could have known?

  I was sleeping with the enemy. What was that? Was I a traitor? Wasn't I due to have a little happiness of my own? If she's the one I want, that was nobody's business. I kicked around the idea of others finding out. I'd gotten through the worst of it with Charlie and Tony. They saw me stand my ground. Word would get out quickly, and there'd be gossip.

  No matter, something drew me to her. I could almost breathe in her fragrance from thought, and her skin, so soft to the touch, I wanted to run my hands over her body and listen to her mewing sounds of pleasure. I needed to be in her bed, holding her in my arms – that was the one thing I was certain of. I had no idea where this would lead, and I didn't need to look ahead. I was living in the here and now, and while she was in Ocean Crest, I had no interest in sharing her with other men. She was mine. When she left, well, we'd cross that bridge when the time came.

  I told her I'd be back, but before I went, I had to wrap up at work. Somebody had limped in with their car, having just made it. They almost killed their rim in the process.

  "Flat tire," the woman said. She was a young, pretty thing. She dressed fancier than most around these parts. She had to be visiting.

  "Let me see if I can plug it, or if you need a new one. How far away were you when you noticed it? You could have bent your rim. It's not looking great. It's better not to drive on it," I cautioned.

  "A few blocks back, but I knew your shop wasn't far." She reached out to shake my hand and introduce herself. "I'm Ashlyn. I just got into town a few days ago. I'm back visiting my mom for the weekend. I grew up here, but you know, like most got out as soon as I could."

  "I'm Ryder Bishop. Probably a smart move," I said. I jacked up the wheel and spun it, looking for the trouble. "Here it is. It looks like you jammed a sharp rock in there. I can probably plug it for you, but I'd suggest you get a new tire when you have a chance."

  "Thanks," she said. She gave me the once over. "Have you lived here long?"

  "All my life; I'm guessing I was out of school when you went through." She was easily ten years younger than me. "Anyway, give me a few minutes and I'll have you back on the road in no time."

  "You busy tonight?" she asked boldly. "There's not much to do around here. I'd love to party a little bit."

  "Actually, I am busy tonight. I have a date with an amazing woman," I said, pulling a rubber plug off of the shelf behind me.

  "Lucky girl," she said with a grin.

  Finishing her tire, we settled up, and then it was time to close the shop. I'd been in and out a lot this past week. Ashlyn was lucky to have found me open. It seemed pointless at times to stay open all day when I didn't have work or money coming in.

  After locking up, I returned home. I wanted to grab a shower and head back to Barbara's house. I had some pleasure to reciprocate. Her lips on my cock; the image was seared into my brain. Of course, if Brad was there...well, we'd deal with that when I got there. She said there was nothing going on there, and I believed her. I hoped I wasn't a fool.

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  Somehow it all worked out since I was putting the meat on the grill when he arrived. There was something incredibly sweet about watching him walk up to me with a grin on his face.

  He was the cat and I, well, I was the ever so willing canary, delighted at the idea of being eaten alive if he wanted.

  Afraid I was going to make a fool of myself with my ear to ear smile, I turned around to face the grill. He came to stand behind me, wrapped an arm around my waist and, pulling me against him, whispered in my ear, "Do you know what I was thinking?"

  Feeling his erection pressed against my behind, I laughed and answered, "Depends what part of your anatomy you're thinking with."

  Making me put aside the fork I held, he swiveled me around to face him.

  "I was thinking how nice it was coming home to you."

  I looked into his eyes wondering if he realized the impact of his words on me. If he did, he didn't let on. On the contrary, he made light of his statement by adding, while pressing his hips to mine, "All part
s of me agree. Even my stomach." He looked over my shoulder to the meat on the fire. "This smells heavenly and I'm famished."

  Calming the butterflies fluttering in my chest when he mentioned coming home to me, I gestured for him to take a chair and pulled the baked potatoes out of the fire.

  "How's your father?" I asked.

  "He's back home and if he manages to rest, the doctors said he would be okay," he said toying with his salad. "But I think the closing of the factory has taken a big toll on him."

  "I'm sure, no longer being the foreman of the local plant will be a page turning event for him," I admitted. "I really wished it could have gone differently."

  "You and the rest of the town." He sighed and looked at me. "How long is it going to take before it's over?"

  "I'm not sure," I shrugged. "If you had asked me this morning, before the fire, I would have told you I had it all wrapped up for the better but now I'm not sure."

  "What do you mean?"

  "Brad made an offer to purchase the entire complex. That’s the factory buildings and the adjacent real estate to open a business incubator."

  Ryder frowned. "I know it's for start-ups and new businesses, but I don't know how that works."

  While we ate, I explained there was not one given framework and it all depended on the way the contract was negotiated. "It's all about providing a favorable environment to new enterprises. The plant set up would be perfect because workshops could be on the first floor and then all those empty offices on the other floors could be divided and shared by several young businesses who would split costs."

  "Do you think it could work?"

  "Oh, absolutely, Brad is really a savvy businessman." I watched him tense as I said it and I loved that my complimenting my friend made him uneasy. If he felt a tiny bite of jealousy that meant he cared, right? "Ocean Crest could be a lovely place to live, it's right on the ocean which makes it very desirable in the summer and it's not in the dumps, you know, it's close enough to a big city like New York while the price of real estate is cheap enough..."