North Rim Delight

by Regina Duke

  The best thing about the room was how clean it was. The room was a double. She liked having the extra space. She hefted her suitcase onto the bed by the window. It was seven fifteen. She had time to freshen up. She hopped in the shower. Then she blew her hair dry and chose a sleeveless summer dress from her suitcase. She put on her white sandals. The pastel print cheered her up. Someone knocked at the door. She glanced at the clock radio by the bed. It was seven forty-five. She looked through the peephole and found Russ on the other side. She opened the door with a smile.

  “That was fast,” she said. “I figured it would take you at least an hour to get here, depending on where you were staying.”

  “Oh. That. Well, I decided maybe the best thing to do would be to stick close to you, so I changed my reservation to the Motel Six. I’m right next door.”

  “How gallant of you.”

  “Are you hungry?” He looked eager.

  Terri confessed, “I’m starving.”

  “Let’s go eat, then. Dinner’s on me, to celebrate the first day of your vacation.”

  “And the fact that I survived it,” said Terri. “Let me grab my tote bag.”

  They had dinner at a quiet seafood restaurant in a local shopping mall. They chatted quietly over their meal. Terri couldn’t help but be pleased that she was sitting with the handsomest man in the room. It was funny to think of him being associated with the dreaded silver Mercedes, much less being one of those people who treated their car to two parking spaces. “You know, Russ, you don’t strike me as the Mercedes type. I could see you on a motorcycle, though.”

  “There’s no motorcycle in my garage,” he said. “But I confess, it’s not my Mercedes. It belongs to an old friend. He took his family on vacation for a couple of weeks, and he said I could use his car while mine was in the shop.”

  “That’s a pretty good friend,” said Terri.

  “He feels like he owes me,” said Russ. “I saved his Baby’s life.”

  “No wonder he’s grateful! Anyone would feel that way toward the person who saved his child.”

  “Well, not a child, exactly. He was a Great Dane, an AKC champion with a name longer than my arm, but they called him Baby. I met them in the park on a hot summer day and recognized the symptoms of heat exhaustion in their dog. I helped them cool him down. Baby lived another year after that, then died too young, at age eight. Danes don’t have very long life spans.”

  Terri’s eyes filled with tears. “They lost their Baby? That’s so sad.”

  Russ looked alarmed. “Hey, what’s with the tears? Please don’t cry. Is the food that bad?”

  Terri used her napkin to wipe her eyes. “The lobster’s fine,” she said. “It’s just so sad when someone loses a pet. I lost my Reggie not long ago.”

  “I’m sorry. Do you have a picture?”

  Terri patted her bag. “I have a whole roll, but I can’t show you right now. I’ll break down if I look at them. I’m waiting until the memory fades a bit. I really miss him.”

  The waitress interrupted them. “Can I bring you some dessert this evening?”

  “Not for me,” said Terri. “I’m stuffed.”

  “Just bring me the check,” said Russ.

  “Let me pay for mine,” said Terri.

  “No, I told you, we’re celebrating, and dinner’s on me.” He smiled at her, and Terri’s resolve melted away.

  Russ continued, “Hey, I’ve got a great idea. Something that will cheer you up. I know you don’t like casinos and you’re not interested in gambling, but let’s drive down the Strip so you can see the lights.”

  CHAPTER NINE

  TRAFFIC MOVED at a crawl. It was ten p.m. but the sidewalks were packed with tourists and the temperature was still in the high nineties. Terri didn’t mind the slow going because it gave her time to enjoy the sights.

  “I’ve seen television shows set on The Strip,” she said, “but I can’t get over how large everything is. How many lanes does this street have? Ten?”

  Russ grinned. “It’s worth seeing. What did I tell you?”

  Out of the corner of her eye, Terri thought she saw Gavin on the sidewalk. She looked in that direction, but six other people were moving past, and by the time they were gone, so was the apparition. She took a deep breath and tried to calm the jitterbug of worry inside. Even if it was Gavin, what could he do with Russ at her side?

  Russ broke the silence. “I wish we could figure out what the heck DaSilva’s after. Did you bring anything along that a friend gave you? Or could someone have slipped something into your tote without you knowing it?”

  “Gee, you sound like an airline ticket agent. No, my bag has been in my possession the whole time. And if someone tried to slip something inside, surely I would have noticed.”

  “That’s what victims of pickpockets say.”

  Terri set her tote bag in her lap and peered down into it. “Well, let’s do another inventory.” The Strip was lit up bright as day, so it was easy to see.

  “Keys. Wallet. Checkbook. Photos. Camera. Film. Candied pecans. People meds. Dog meds. Syringe case.”

  “Syringe?” Russ glanced at the long narrow case. “It looks like an eyeglass holder. You didn’t mention that in Beatty.” He hesitated a moment, then asked, “Are you a diabetic?”

  He looked so stricken that Terri had to say, “Diabetes isn’t a death sentence, you know.” Then she took pity on him. “But no, I’m not a diabetic. Insulin syringes are shorter than this.” She continued her inventory. “Sunscreen. Cell.” She reached into the bag one more time, and pulled out a dog collar with tags still attached. “And dog collar. That’s about it. Nothing else but lint and a few loose coins.”

  At a stop light, Russ reached for the dog collar. A red heart tag dangled from it. Engraved on the tag was the name “Reggie.”

  “Do you think I’m silly to carry it around.”

  “No, not at all.”

  “The syringe was for Reggie, too. He suffered from low blood sugar during the last year of his life. I gave him periodic dextrose injections. There’s still an ampoule of dextrose in the case with the syringe.”

  “What breed was he?”

  “A German shepherd.”

  “No kidding? That’s great. I’ve—” But the rest of his sentence was cut off by an angry honking, and the siren of an ambulance pushing its way through traffic. Terri put everything back in her tote.

  Conversation was impossible. Terri soaked up the sights, the neon signs, the mobs of partying tourists, the sounds of music blaring from speakers on the street, and the scent of the desert on the warm night air. She glanced in the side mirror and her breath hitched. Two cars behind was a small red car with tinted windows. She wanted to alert Russ, but the outside noise reached a crescendo as the ambulance wailed past them. She checked the mirror again and the red car was gone.

  “Do you want to see anything else?” asked Russ when the traffic noise died down.

  “No, thanks. I just want to fall into bed.” She blushed hotly. “I mean, I want to get some rest.”

  Russ laughed. “I understand. I’m pretty tired myself. Okay, back to the motel.”

  When they reached her room at Motel Six, Russ put his hand over hers before she could open the door.

  “Just in case, I’d like to check out your room before I leave you for the night.” He spoke just above a whisper and had his mouth close to her ear. Terri didn’t object.

  He checked the bathroom, the closet, and even looked under the bed. Finally he checked the sliding door that led to the narrow balcony. No one was intended to use the balcony, and the door was rigged to open only three inches. Satisfied, Russ turned to say goodnight.

  “Oh, I keep forgetting.” He pulled his wallet and his cell phone from the same pocket. He laid the wallet on the table and opened the cell. “I’d like to put your number in my phone, just in case.”

  Terri gave him her number and leaned in close to watch him store it. He flubbed the last digit and she poi
nted at it. “That’s a six, not a seven.” Their fingers touched, and when their eyes met, Terri was lost again in Russ’s dark eyes. Without thinking they embraced.

  “This is wrong,” Terri mumbled into his jacket. “I shouldn’t.” Their fingers were touching, lacing together in an intimate pirouette.

  “I know,” said Russ, tucking his cell back into his pocket. “We’re bad people. Bad, bad.” His tone was half teasing, half serious. He wrapped one arm behind Terri’s back while the fingers of his other hand seemed intent on weaving themselves into hers.

  Just then, the radio came on. The music surprised them both.

  “What’s that all about?” asked Russ.

  Terri shook her head, puzzled. “The previous guest must have set the alarm,” she said. “I’ll turn it off.”

  “No, wait,” said Russ. “I love that song.” He pulled her even closer. “It’s perfect for dancing.” He smiled at her, and Terri’s heart melted.

  Movie star looks and he likes to dance, too? Terri let herself be guided around the room. She did steps she didn’t even know she knew. When the first song ended and another began, they kept dancing. Terri felt like she was dreaming. If nothing else, she would have the perfect romantic vacation story to share with Calin at the office.

  With that thought, she smiled. Just then, Russ dipped his head and captured her mouth in a soft kiss.

  Terri’s mind raced as her body responded to the kiss. She had promised herself she would avoid complications. No more relationships. Did a vacation romance fall into that category? No. But it might bring complications galore, depending on what went on between them. She knew herself well enough to know that, for her, casual sex had never been enjoyable. She wanted a man’s heart, not just his body. But Russ seemed to want her as much as she wanted him. What should she do?

  Her body was trying to answer that question with its own criteria for match-making. Against her will, her hips pressed against Russ, and her arms slipped around his neck to keep him from ending the kiss.

  Russ knew they were moving too fast, but Terri was so beautiful, so firm and athletic in his embrace. When he finally ended the kiss, he let his lips linger on her cheek. His tongue darted out to leave a trail down her jaw line.

  Terri gasped and turned her mouth to take his tongue in a deep, probing kiss. Her body seemed to have a mind of its own. A moment later, Russ’s hands were on her bottom, pulling her even closer, and she could feel the distinct bulge in his trousers, pressing hard against her. One of his hands traveled to her right breast and found her nipple.

  Terri let out a little cry. The white hot connection between her nipple and her soul was startling in its intensity. She was never this turned on by Gavin, not even in college when their attraction was new. Russ was a whole other animal. Her body was trying to take over, but she had to remain in control. Reluctantly, she pulled away.

  “No, I can’t. I’m sorry.” She pressed one hand against Russ’s chest and pushed him back.

  Not much force was needed. Russ didn’t want to push her into anything she wasn’t ready for.

  “No need to apologize.” His voice was a husky baritone again, his eyes bright with passion. He cleared his throat. “I should go. Be sure to let me know in the morning when you want to leave.” He sidled past her, resisting the urge to run his hands down her arms and pull her to him again. “I’ll be waiting.” He reached the door and fumbled with the handle, never taking his eyes of Terri. “If you need help in the night, just scream.” I won’t be doing much sleeping anyway, he added silently.

  Terri was perched on the edge of the table, nodding as he talked. She was afraid if she opened her mouth, she would tell him to stay. Once the door closed with him on the other side, she let out a sigh of relief and slumped into the straight-backed chair.

  “Terri Baker, what are you getting yourself into?” She should tell him right now that nothing was going to happen, but her body told her that was a lie. Besides, right now she needed him. Someone was trying to rob her, or maybe even worse. She couldn’t just drive away without risking another attack from DaSilva. She felt a flash of irritation at having to depend on Russ for help. She hated depending on people. She wanted to take care of herself.

  She looked around the room as if she would find the answer to her dilemma somewhere nearby. But all she saw was Russ’s wallet.

  “Oh, rats.” She thought about leaving it for morning, but what if he looked for it and thought he’d lost it somewhere else? She couldn’t let him worry. She would go next door and give it to him before he fell asleep.

  Making sure she had her key card, she left her room and walked down the hall to Russ’s door. She started to knock, but it wasn’t entirely closed. Maybe he’d gone for ice. She pushed the door open a couple of inches with her fingertips and heard him talking to someone. A phone call, she figured, since she was only hearing one end. She started to the pull the door shut, but his next words transfixed her.

  “How’s my harem?”

  Terri froze and turned her head to one side in order to hear better.

  “Put Lucy on. Hello, baby. How’s my sweetums?”

  Sweetums? Terri felt her face burning. A moment ago they were embracing, and now he was talking to his sweetums?

  “I miss you, too, baby. It won’t be long now. Just a couple more days on this job, and I’ll be home to kiss those beautiful toes.”

  Terri felt tears sting her eyes. How could she have let herself fall for another guy’s line? Hadn’t she learned her lesson with Gavin? To hell with Russ. Let him worry all night.

  She trotted back to her own door, used her key card, and shut it firmly. Then she threw the extra latch and made her way to her bed.

  She hurled his wallet against the far wall. She changed into her pajamas and crawled under the covers. The words kept repeating over and over in her mind. A job, a job, I’m just a job to him. Harem, indeed.

  Sleep was impossible. At last, she got up and dug Reggie’s collar out of her tote bag. Then the tears came unbidden, but at least she wasn’t crying over a man. With the collar laced between her fingers, she fell asleep.

  CHAPTER TEN

  RUSS THOUGHT he heard a sound in the hall. “Hang on, Sara.” He checked the corridor. Nothing. He closed the door firmly and threw the deadbolt. “I’m back.” They talked for another ten minutes.

  Russ finally said good-bye to Sara and put his cell away. As he did so, he noticed his wallet was missing. Then he remembered. He’d set it on Terri’s table next door and forgot to pick it up. Well, it should be safe enough for the night.

  As he got ready for bed, he realized he hadn’t had a chance to tell Terri about his girls. He was so pleased to learn at dinner that Reggie was a German Shepherd. He’d lost two girlfriends in the past when they could not adjust to having Lucy and Sheila around all the time. One of them wanted dogs to stay outdoors, of all things. That just wasn’t the way he’d been raised to be with animals. He needed to find someone for whom two large German Shepherds would be a plus, not a minus, and he was hoping that Terri was that person. He resolved to tell her about his harem first thing in the morning. If she was appalled, then he should stifle all his feelings toward her now.

  Those feelings were not entirely welcome. He was trying to do a job, and he needed all his faculties about him. He needed to think straight and remain professional. Nothing could matter more than the promise he’d made to his mother and his sister. Terri made his blood race. All he wanted to do was touch her. But those feelings would have to take a back seat to his primary goal.

  He shook his head hard as if that would free him from his attraction to Terri. Sara had already noticed. She had worked for him since his days as a private detective. She was officially retired, but she was his mother’s best friend, and she was willing to earn some extra cash by answering his phones and doing leg work. Her sweet, elderly face had opened more doors than his earnest, manly visage, and she had proven to be a valuable asset when it came to ferret
ing out information from reluctant interviewees. She could also read his feelings for Terri in his voice.

  He resolved to demonstrate more self-control in the morning. But he couldn’t put too much space between himself and Terri. She needed him next to her, whether she admitted it or not. He was the only thing standing between her and DaSilva’s violent attack. He hadn’t told Terri everything about DaSilva because he didn’t want to scare her, but he feared that once DaSilva got hold of that tote bag, he might try to get rid of Terri to avoid any chance that she could identify him later. Russ thought about the road Teri would be taking from Vegas to the Canyon. There were a lot of places where he wouldn’t be able to keep Terri’s car in sight. Combine that with the fact that DaSilva was probably arranging for a different set of wheels already and Russ wouldn’t even know when a car was a threat. No, he had to do something to keep Terri close by. The best solution would be to travel in the same vehicle together.

  He made up his mind. If Terri found out, she would probably be furious, but he would have to take that chance. Moving quietly, he left his room and headed for the parking lot.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Terri woke up to the sound of someone rapping on her door. She glanced at the clock and groaned. It was already nine a.m.

  “Just a minute.” She dragged herself out of bed and peeked through the peephole. Russ’s face was smiling directly at her. For a moment, she felt a thrill of pleasure. Then the memory of the night before came back to her, and her mood darkened.

  She opened the door glumly.

  Russ looked bright and eager in a clean white tee and jeans. “Coffee and muffins from the lobby. I figured I’d better wake you up. We’ve got a six-hour drive to the Canyon.”

  Terri stared at the Styrofoam cups and the paper plate piled with muffins. She wondered if he had packed nothing but white tee shirts because he knew how good they looked against his tan.

  “Not awake yet?” Russ juggled his burden. “Mind if I come in and set this down?”

  Terri sighed like a martyr. “I guess you’d better.” She turned and picked clean clothes out of her suitcase, glad that she had worn her baggy cotton pajamas to bed. She picked blue shorts and a sleeveless blue blouse. “I’ll get dressed.” She closed herself in the bathroom.