Lovers and Other Strangers Box Set: The Boston Stories

by L. C. Giroux

  "You're still not getting your T-shirt back."

  "Aw, come on, I'm gonna freeze."

  "I'll keep you warm, while I take you shopping."

  "Okay, I didn't do anything bad enough to deserve that!"

  "It will be quick, we'll be back in plenty of time for the game and think of all the fun you'll have letting me undress you."

  "Okay, when you put it like that, shopping sounds much better. We'll still be back to watch the game?"

  "I thought we were going to neck on the couch?"

  "I'll multi-task. You ready to go?"

  "Let me just grab my stuff and my coat."

  "You wanna ride on my lap?"

  "You do love that don't you?"

  "The only good thing about being in wheelchair, pretty girls sitting on your lap."

  "I think I'll walk, I don't know if I trust myself."

  Again at the diner Evie was struck by how at ease she was around him. It was like her usual social anxieties didn't even exist with him. Joseph said the most outrageous things that what ever she said just paled in comparison. It didn't hurt that he was always complimenting her even the way he touched felt like compliments, the way he'd take a piece of her hair in his fingers and stroke it like it was precious silk, or the way he would run his fingers along the back of her hand like he couldn't touch her enough.

  "So you never told me how you know Violet Bellows?" He laughed.

  "The short answer is that I made my best friend, now her husband, crazy jealous so he would realize he didn't want to lose her."

  "You made a pass at your best friend's girlfriend?"

  "It was just a kiss and a pretty harmless one at that. Look, the guy is like a brother to me but he had this crazy idea that he didn't deserve her and was willing to let her go. Actually he already had once and I couldn't deal with the moping again. All I did was show him a beautiful woman like her would attract another guy pretty quick and it would make him insane. No harm done. They're so in love, when we go to dinner with them they won't even notice us."

  "You're crazy."

  "but pleasantly so. You done? You wanted to take me shopping and the game starts in less than two hours."

  "We have plenty of time. We're just going to hit up a couple of places around here."

  "Oh God, You're not gonna make me look like Bernard are you?" He couldn't keep the pained look off his face.

  She started laughing. "Not a chance, there is a Army-Navy store nearby. We can pick you up some replacement T-shirts, and maybe a flannel shirt."

  "I'm not really a flannel shirt kind of guy."

  "Bummer, I love snuggling with a guy in a flannel shirt on a cold day. Makes me want to take off my clothes and rub all over him."

  "You know, maybe I've been too hasty in rejecting them. I could certainly give them a try again."

  "MmmHmm, thought so. Let's go"

  As a rule Cam shopped like a guy. Figure out what store has what you need. Find the sales person to get you the item you wanted. Pay for the item. Leave the store. His sister and niece shopped like women and that meant he avoided shopping trips with them at all costs. Shopping with Evie was much more fun. Maybe it was because they were shopping for him, or it was because she was constantly touching him when she would drape shirts over him and then kiss him when she decided on something else. They ended up being there less than an hour and he'd ended up with a pack of T's and two plaid flannel shirts. When they got back to her place he hunkered down on the couch to flip through channels to find the game and she disappeared for a while. When she came back she was wearing the dark green and blue flannel shirt they had bought him and fuzzy socks. He was actually hoping there were at least panties under there because if not he was not gonna be able to make it upstairs before he let loose.

  "Um, I thought that was my shirt?" he smiled at her, damn she did look so good in his clothes.

  "I've decided that maybe these should be community property."

  "And if I want to take it off of you right now?"

  "But you'll miss your game."

  "To hell with the damn game, there is a hot, half naked woman standing in the same room, I like football but not that much." She laughed back at him.

  "I am not half naked. I have a shirt, and socks and even panties on." she lifted the hem of the shirt to show him the tiny shorts she had on. The same ones that clung to her butt making it look like it would fit perfectly in his hand. The ones that showed a slice of the bottom of her ass cheek, the ones that were making his mouth water and it hard to breath.

  "Get over here." he barely managed to sound human.

  "What?" she was playing coy now.

  "If you want to keep those clothes on, get over here now." God, let her put up a fight, please! But no, she trotted over and snuggled up next to him resting her head on his shoulder and looking up at him the picture of innocence.

  "Tease." He pulled her across his lap and kissed her long and hard till she had trouble breathing too. Served her right, now he was gonna watch the game and she could squirm. During the halftime show he couldn't take it anymore and twisted her around so she straddled him.

  "Much better. Now in your fantasy, I never got to spend any time with these and that is not like me at all." Slowly one button at a time he opened the flannel shirt. He'd undo a button and then stop to kiss what he uncovered then he'd open the next till she sat astride him with the shirt open to her waist. She looked sexy as hell, like a wholesome version of the girls in the car calendars. He lifted her hair behind her shoulders so she couldn't hide behind it.

  "I wish you could see how gorgeous you look right now. Your skin is all warm and pink from being kissed, your nipples are making my mouth water they look so delicious, your lips are full and lush, your eyes are half closed as if you're about to come for me. Evie, let me make love to you." If he hadn't been holding her she would have fallen off of him. As it was she struggled to get to her feet and clasped the shirt closed around her, hurriedly buttoning it up.

  "No. Joseph, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have let it get out of hand. I..." then she bolted for the elevator to her bedroom.

  Fucking fabulous, Camenitti. Smooth. He didn't know what came over him. He really did want to make love to her, not fuck her, not just sex but make love to her. She looked like some kind of sensual dream sitting across him like that. Between that, and the fact he'd almost blurted out he loved her earlier this morning maybe it was for the best if he just left. He sat there till half time ended wondering what to do. Finally, he realized whatever he decided, he wanted to make sure she was okay first. When he went to open the elevator she was standing in it. She still had the flannel shirt on, though she had buttoned it back up. She had added jeans now so she was way more covered as if she was trying to hide from him a little.

  "Evie, I'm sorry if I freaked you out. I didn't mean you had to have sex with me, but I wanted to make love to you. I wouldn't have done anything you didn't want, I swear. I'll just get my stuff and go. We can see each other some other time.

  "No."

  "No, you don't want to see me again?"

  "No, I don't want you to leave. Please don't, not like this. It just took me by surprise. I should probably explain myself better but it is going to take some time."

  "If you don't want me to leave I've got plenty of time.

  They both startled at the knock on Evie's inside door.

  "What the hell? Is there another way in besides the door with the bad lock?"

  "No."

  "Evie, I'm calling the locksmith tomorrow, hell, I'll take the day off to meet them if you can't.'

  "Joseph, I don't have any enemies but it is cute the way you want to take care of me." She walked over and looked through the peephole.

  "Its just Bernard." as she opened the door.

  "That's a fine way to say hello." He reached over and kissed her. Cam saw Evie stiffen so it was a good bet it wasn't Bernard's normal hello. Evie pulled away and looked over at him. Cam did his best not to g
rowl as the pain in the ass walked in. He knew Evie hadn't invited the kiss and it wasn't like she had melted from it the way he liked to think she did with his, but having to watch some other man kiss her made him crazy jealous. It also got him thinking. If he was right, this wasn't Bernard's normal behavior. It was a safe bet Evie hadn't dated much, was Bernard jealous enough to break Evie's windows. Time to poke Bernie with a sharp stick and find out.

  "Bernie! This sweet lady and I were just about to go up stairs for some, quiet conversation, you understand don't you." Okay, smooth it wasn't, but it told Bernie-boy everything he needed to know. Judging from the color his face turned, it also told Cam everything he needed too. Unfortunately Evie was looking at him like he'd lost his damn mind so she didn't see the red and white splotches of anger coloring Bernie's face. By the time she turned back to face Bernie he had brought his features back to normal and his coloring was almost there too. Cam made a note to check out Bernard's history when he got to the office tomorrow. And get a locksmith out here ASAP.

  "Bernard, this is a surprise. What are you doing here?"

  "I heard about your windows and came to see if there was anything I could do to help. If you need a place to stay I'm happy to have you at my place." Evie looked at him like he had grown a second head.

  "Really, I'll be fine here..."

  "I'm going to be staying here so she'll be safe." Evie looked over at him like she had a second ago.

  "Joseph, I don't think..."

  "Evie, I'm not taking no for an answer." He tried to make his voice as reassuring as possible. Let her know that this wasn't about sleeping together, that he really did want to protect her.

  "No offense, but what good could you possibly be to her." This from Bernie-boy. At least Evie looked horrified, maybe Cam should thank the guy for making this easier.

  "Joseph is more than able to keep me safe, actually he has been wonderful through this!" Damn she was cute when she was mad. "He handled everything with the cops this morning, and got a company to come and board up the windows. I'm not a child Bernard. I don't need a babysitter." Bernie must have realized his mistake because Cam could see him mentally recalculating where to go from here. He must have figured she would have been alone that early in the morning. Good, let the creep chew on that for a while. Cam rolled next to Evie and held her hand.

  "I want to be around when the insurance guy gets here tomorrow. In case they have any questions about what I saw. And don't forget the locksmith." Cam fought smiling at the seething look on Bernie's face. This was almost too easy. Evie looked down at him and squeezed his hand.

  "Thanks. Bernie, ugh, I mean Bernard, we've got it covered. I'll be fine overnight and Joseph has already been dealing with everything. It would get too confusing to have you step in now."

  "I just wanted to make sure you had the help you needed that's all. Wouldn't want anything to happen to my biggest fan." Cam doubted that Evie was his biggest fan, he was pretty sure Bernie's biggest fan was Bernie himself. "Give me a call after you're done with your appointments tomorrow we'll have lunch, the three of us if necessary."

  "Sorry she's already got plans." Cam tried to be as dismissive as possible. "Actually, she's got plans for all her lunches, and dinners, and breakfasts too." That ought to drive the point home with a bullet.

  "Well, Evie, I am at your disposal if you need me."

  "Really, Bernard, I should be fine but if I need you, I'll call."

  "That was all I was looking for." He turned around and left. Cam could feel his chest start to loosen up immediately. He really didn't like that guy.

  "Joseph Camenitti, that was positively caveman-like behavior!"

  "Yeah, well..."

  "I can't believe you were jealous of Bernard." Cam couldn't be sure but he thought he caught the faintest glimpse of a smile on her pretty lips. Should he tell her about his hunch? He had no proof and she knew Bernie a hell of a lot better than she knew him. Still she had stiffened up when he kissed her so there was something to his fears. Probably better if she just thought he was jealous. He was, a little. Not enough to get crazy or anything but she didn't know that.

  "Hey, I didn't like him kissing you, and yeah, maybe I was jealous for a second. Guys like him and I are enemies in the wild. He thinks he is the real shit, while I think he's just full of shit.

  "You're cute when you're jealous." She smiled and then giggled. Suddenly she looked like a pretty fifteen year old girl. Yeah, she needed his protection more than she knew, problem was who was going to protect her from him.

  "And you are damn cute when you get angry, I'll have to keep that in mind for our first fight."

  "You aren't mad about before?"

  "What? Oh, no. I was never mad, just upset with myself. I got from the beginning that you wanted this to go slow. I shouldn't have gotten carried away."

  "I shouldn't have led you on. I mean, I wanted... Its complicated."

  "I'm not going to push, when you're ready you'll tell me, okay? Now come curl up with me on the couch so your caveman can kiss you."

  "No unbuttoning me?"

  "I'm not going to lie, I'd like to do a hell of a lot more than unbutton you but, scout's honor I will be a perfect gentleman.

  "So which is the real you, the caveman, the scout, or the perfect gentleman? Some how I've gone from not dating at all to having three guys in my bed."

  Cam growled at her. "They better all make you yell out my name."

  She gave him a dazzling smile. "Oh, they do. but right now I'm thinking I like this caveman guy the best."

  "He's all yours, but careful, he bites."

  "Mmm, sounds promising." And like that she went from innocent girl to sexy temptress. Damn, this woman was an E ticket ride if ever there was one. He could spend a lot more time with her and never get bored. They caught the last quarter of the game. To tell the truth, he didn't remember much of it. She was curled up practically in his lap drawing lazy circles on his chest. After her reaction last time, he figured he was better off ignoring what she was doing till he could get control of himself. At the rate he was going he figured he'd be dead of old age first.

  It was getting dark and she was getting hungry. Not hungry enough to move away from him, not yet anyway. She didn't think she'd ever just been held for as long as this. Scratch that, she knew she hadn't. Maybe there had been guys that wanted to but Eden was right she couldn't even make eye contact most of the time. With Joseph, eye contact wasn't even part of the equation She couldn't keep her hands off of him.. He was like some kind of emotional superhero, walking through her emotional minefield, scaling her walls in a single bound. She stifled her giggle at the image of him in a cape. He was staring at the television but she couldn't even figure out what was on now that the game had ended. She was so comfortable and relaxed she wanted to just curl herself around him and stay there forever. She couldn't stop running her hands over his chest as he cradled her in his arms. She wished he'd kiss her or maybe carry her upstairs to bed. Instead he pushed her to sit next to him. Bummer!

  "We should get going?"

  "Hey, I was comfy." In return she got a strange grimace from him that was either annoyance or confusion or something else she didn't understand. He mumbled something under his breath that sounded like "I'm not".

  "When I came over here, yesterday," He added emphasis to the the last word, "I hadn't planned on staying over. We're going to need to eat soon too. Grab some stuff, I'm taking you to my place."

  "What? I thought you were going to stay here. That's what you told Bernard."

  "This is plan B, its a hell of a lot safer."

  "You really think the threat is that bad?" He had seemed tense while they watched the game did he really think Bernard would do anything.

  "Yeah, If I have to share a bed with you up in that playground you call a bedroom all night and you're adamant we're not having sex. I am pretty sure I'm gonna combust."

  She couldn't stop her grin, so that was why he was so tense! Duh. She reall
y did need to pay more attention. What did he mean playground?

  "Why are you calling my bedroom a playground? Its a perfectly nice bedroom, its not horribly girly, just a little, maybe. I thought you said it was perfect.

  "It is perfect. That tub up there is perfect for us to soak in together, and the old hand held shower would be perfect for me to use to wash your hair. That giant mirror is perfect to make love in front of. A couple of pillows on that fuzzy rug and it would be our own little paradise. Then there is your bed under the stars, that headboard is perfect for tying you to. I'm thinking nice thick silk ribbons. All so I can sweetly torture you with kisses all over your body till you are begging me to make love to you. So no, I'm not spending the night here. I've got a spare bedroom where you'll be nice and safe and you can lock the door to keep out the caveman and the scout and the not so perfect gentleman, because right now all three of them are trying to figure out how to get you into bed." By the time he was done his face was bright red and steam could have been coming out his ears. Evie wouldn't have noticed she was so lost in the pictures he had painted in her head.

  "Oh." That was articulate. She took a deep breath and it shuddered in her chest. He was staring at her chest now. She hadn't bothered putting a bra on and her nipples hurt they were so hard, he had to be able to see them through the shirt.

  "I'll go get some things." When she got upstairs she sank onto the love seat and put her head down between her knees. Once she felt the blood rushing to her head she sat up and looked around the room. She started laughing then covered her mouth in case Joseph heard her downstairs. She had put this place together bit by bit as she found things she liked. None of it was planned, nothing coordinated. Now she looked at it through his eyes and a wave of desire washed over her so strong she was stunned. She wanted to do all those things he'd talked about. Well, the tying her up she was a little unsure of but having his lips all over her she knew she wanted that. She looked into the mirror and could almost see the two of them together on the rug. Oh Damn! And the tub, a nice hot bath with a nice hot man had never sounded so good. She realized she was panting, if he came up here now she'd tear his clothes off before he could get a word out of his mouth.