Tempting Nora

by Evanston, A. M.

  "Yeah, I do." She nodded.

  "Good." Robert yawned. "Do you work today?"

  It was a Saturday. She always worked on Saturdays.

  "Yep." She nodded and checked the clock. Speaking of work, she was going to be late if she didn't leave soon.

  "What time does your shift end?" Robert asked.

  "Four." She tousled her dark hair.

  "I'll walk you home," Robert said. "Wait for me at the door."

  She was touched. It was Robert's day off too.

  "Thanks." She breathed a sigh of relief.

  "Yeah, yeah." Robert groaned. "You owe me one, especially since you woke me up in the middle of the night."

  "It's seven o'clock," she said.

  "Exactly."

  "Fine." She rolled her eyes. "Go back to bed, Mr. Lazy. Sorry I woke you."

  "I'm going to pretend you didn't say that," he muttered. "Bye, Nora."

  "Bye." She shook her head.

  After she ended the call, she stared at the note, feeling a tad more confident. Unfortunately, that was when she heard the sound of banging coming from the kitchen, followed by a loud crash. I forgot to feed Chubby! she thought, wincing. Whenever she was late feeding the cat, he always knocked his food bowl across the room.

  "Coming, coming," she said, rushing into the kitchen as she heard an impatient meow.

  ****

  As Nora examined a bag of mango green tea, she heard the door to the shop open. She whirled around, prepared to greet a customer, and stared straight into a pair of caramel eyes. It was the jerk, aka Gideon. She dropped the tea she was holding and gaped in horror. What the heck was he doing here? First somebody had followed her to her apartment, now this guy found her at work. After last night, she was scared he was going to yell at her. Battle stance, Nora. She balled her fists and glared at the man.

  "What are you doing here?" she snapped, praying that this meeting was purely coincidental.

  His grin widened. Any hope that he'd stumbled upon her unintentionally flew out the window. Judging by his smirk, Gideon had been trying to find her.

  "I came here to buy tea." Gideon shrugged.

  "Buy it somewhere else," she said.

  "If your boss heard you say that, you'd be fired," Gideon said.

  "My boss is never here," she said. "Besides, I know you aren't here to buy something."

  "Really?" Gideon raised an eyebrow. "Can you prove that?"

  She sputtered. Somehow it wasn't fair that somebody this annoying could be so gorgeous.

  "You didn't look surprised to see me when you came in here," she said. "That alone is evidence that you were looking for me."

  "Maybe you aren't good at reading people." He laughed.

  He had to have been pushing her buttons on purpose. She was sure of it.

  "I'm amazingly good at reading people, even when they're lying to me," she said. "Now leave."

  "What are you going to do if I don't?" He raised an eyebrow.

  His words made her pause. Even if she wanted to drag him out of the store, she didn't have the strength to do it.

  "Well?" Gideon stared at her expectantly.

  "Hmph." She glared at him. "I won't ring you up."

  Boy, she was queen of threats. Was that really the best she could do?

  "Oh, you will," he said. "I'll make sure you do."

  "I won't." She glared at him. "I refuse to."

  Gideon threw back his head and laughed.

  "I like you," he said. "You're feisty."

  "Well, I don't like you." She crossed her arms.

  "You seemed to like me okay last night," he said. "At least, before you lost your temper and stormed out."

  Reminding her of last night was not a smart move on his part. After all, he'd been a womanizing, egotistical jerk. She spied a pen on her desk. For a moment she imagined stabbing him with it. She would even do him a favor and prick him someplace that wouldn't kill him. A twisted smile crossed her face as she seized the writing utensil. Gideon watched her and shook his head.

  "Why are you so angry I asked you to come home with me last night?" he asked.

  He took a step toward her. Suddenly, she felt nervous, even though she was the one armed with a weapon…well, okay, armed with a pen.

  "None of your business." No way was she sharing her life story with him.

  "Oh, come on." He cocked his head. "I just want to know why you turned me down. Not just anyone could have done it."

  How egotistical could someone be? What, did he think all women were susceptible to his good looks? Yeah, for a second she'd faltered because of his perfect face and beautiful body, but she'd snapped out of it. She didn't know why he acted like he had some sort of seduction super power.

  "This is why I don't like you," she said. "Your head is so big I'm surprised you managed to squeeze it through the door."

  Her insult only made him more amused. Why doesn't he ever stop smiling? she thought, her eyebrow twitching.

  "Yes, I think you've already made it clear that you believe I have a large ego." He took another step toward her and she could smell his sweet cologne. "But you're avoiding my question. You told me why you don't like me, but you didn't tell me why you turned me down."

  She tightened her grip on the pen.

  "I turned you down because I don't like you," she said.

  "I'm not buying it." He lingered in front of her, his caramel eyes glowing with curiosity. "You acted like you wanted to be with me for a few moments, but then you got upset and started yelling. I'm here to find out why."

  "So you really didn't come here to buy tea," she said.

  "Guilty as charged." Gideon shrugged. "I came to see you."

  "How did you find me?" She was disgusted he'd located her so easy.

  "Last night you said you worked in a tea shop. All I had to do was look up tea stores on the internet and locate the one that was closest to the bar," he said. "Walking in when you were working was sheer luck."

  Luck must have been on his side because it sure as heck wasn't on hers. The universe must have had something against her.

  "I get why you followed me now." She gritted her teeth.

  "Well, you should," Gideon said. "I just told you."

  She ignored his smug comment.

  "It drives you crazy, doesn't it?" She poked him in the chest. "You thought you were so handsome that no woman would ever turn you down, but I did. You loathe the fact that you didn't win me over."

  The grin slid off of Gideon's face. Ah-hah! she thought triumphantly.

  "So I'm right." She judged his expression. "That's why you're refusing to believe I said no because I can't stand you. Well, Gideon, I hate to break it to you, but your charms don't work on me."

  Gideon's eyes widened in surprise, but he didn't speak.

  "And another thing." She placed her hand on her hips. "I want you to leave me alone. You can't convince me to sleep with you."

  She paused, expecting him to be angry enough to storm out, but instead the man chuckled. What was she going to have to do to get through to this guy, kick him in the groin?

  "We'll see about that." Gideon licked his lips hungrily. "I believe you just issued me a challenge."

  "What?" She shivered in horror. "No, I didn't."

  "You did." Gideon leaned down. "When somebody tells me I can't do something, I always do it. You just said that I can't convince you to sleep with me, which naturally means I have to do just that."

  "It wasn't a challenge, you brainless baboon." Her face was hot because she was yelling so much. "Why can't you get it through your thick skull that I want you to go away?"

  "Oh, you think you want me to go away." Gideon's warm breath covered her face. "But somewhere deep in your mind, you want me. I can feel it. And I'm going to have you. It's been a long time since I've had a challenge, so I'm going to enjoy this."

  "I…I…" She was so frustrated she was breathless.

  "I, what?" He cocked his head. "Nothing you say will deter me. You
may drive me crazy when you tell me no, but I'm going to return the favor. I'll keep coming back until I get a yes."

  She felt as if a large beast was stomping around in her stomach. Why was this guy being so darn aggressive? She didn't understand it.

  "I don't care if you follow me around every day for the rest of my life, I won't give in to you," she said. "You're wasting your time on me."

  "I doubt it. I'll have you before the end." Gideon's caramel eyes became dark and fiery. "Now I should probably leave before the guard dog tries to attack."

  She glared at Gideon again just as the door to the tea shop opened and Robert burst inside. Oh, that's what he meant by guard dog. How did Gideon know Robert was coming? Before she could dwell on that further, Robert lunged in front of her, protecting her. Gideon appeared amused by his display.

  "What are you doing here?" Robert asked.

  "Attempting to court your friend," Gideon said. "I like her."

  Robert's face reddened. It looked like he didn't know whether he was supposed to keep protecting her not.

  "Oh, for heaven's sake." Nora stepped out from behind her friend. "Gideon, are you going to leave now or what? I can't spend all day shouting at you. I'll have an aneurism."

  "Hmmm." Gideon winked. "I'll leave for now, but I'll be back."

  Oh no.

  "You'd better not be," she said. "If I see your face one more time, I'll stab you with a pen."

  Gideon let out a bark of laughter and waved as he walked out the door. The moment he was gone, she kicked her desk in frustration. Why had the slimiest man on the planet chosen to pursue her? She'd never give herself to someone who'd slept with enough women he could fill an entire notebook with their names. Never.

  ****

  That afternoon, Nora padded out of her kitchen with coffee mugs in hand. She headed to the living room where Robert sat on the couch. She sunk down beside him and blew out a sigh.

  "I wish I knew how to make Gideon leave me alone." She laid the coffee mugs on the table. "I did everything short of punching him in the face and he still wasn't deterred. I'd like to think he won't be back, but I have no doubt he's going to show up again."

  Robert chuckled but didn't say anything.

  "What's with that laugh?" Any more frustration today and she'd do a full head rotation.

  "Nothing." He shrugged.

  Nothing, my butt.

  "Robert, do you remember that time in high school when I spilled soda on your jeans?" she asked sweetly.

  "Uh-huh." Robert suddenly looked nervous.

  "You wouldn't want that to happen with hot coffee, would you?" She picked up her mug and grinned at him—in the most sadistic way possible.

  Robert shivered in horror.

  "You wouldn't," Robert said.

  Okay, she wouldn't. She always threatened bodily harm but never did anything.

  "Fine, I wouldn't," she said because Robert actually looked worried. It made her wonder whether he saw her as a violent person. "But tell me why you laughed. You're driving me nuts."

  "Promise me you won't get angry." Robert eyeballed her warily.

  She hated it when people said, "Promise me you won't get angry," because it was always followed by a conversation that would, without a doubt, make her angry.

  "I'm me." She placed her coffee back on the table again. "I'm almost always angry."

  "Touché." Robert nodded.

  "For crying out loud!" She narrowed her eyes. "Please just tell me."

  "Okay, okay." He sighed. "It's just, well…"

  "Well, what?" She raised an eyebrow.

  "I think this guy might actually be good for you," Robert said.

  It was just like she'd predicted. She was angry already.

  "Good for me?" She flew to her feet, almost knocking her coffee to the floor. "Why? Every time I see him, I get riled up."

  "I know that," Robert said quickly. "It's just that you never date anyone. I understand why. I really do. But the truth is you need somebody who pushes your boundaries. Gideon may not be that much of a gentleman, but he's the kind of person I can see you with."

  "The kind of person you can see me with?" Nora sputtered. "You see me with a stuck-up, egotistical, slimy—"

  "I'm not saying you belong with a creep." Robert shook his head. "It's just that you have a habit of, ugh, intimidating normal guys."

  "Who, me?" She was as innocent as a kitten…well, a kitten with really sharp claws.

  Robert gave her a pointed stare.

  With a sigh, she sunk back down onto the couch.

  "Okay, fine," she said. "I guess I can understand what you mean."

  "I'm only saying this because I love you." Robert patted her hand. "I know you said that if you were looking for a boyfriend, you'd want some nice, ordinary guy. Well, I don't think you could ever be with somebody ordinary. You need a man who can hold his own when he's with you. Somebody who, say, won't flinch when you threaten to dump your mug of boiling coffee on his head."

  "I still don't want Gideon." She sniffed.

  "That's fine." Robert shrugged. "I just wanted to make my point. You get what I mean, right?"

  "What, that I need to find somebody as aggressive as me?" She raised an eyebrow. "Do you think I should put out a personal ad in the newspaper? I can imagine it now. 'Single woman seeks verbal sparring partner. The man must be able to handle threats of bodily injury. He must also have a good health plan as well as a superb life insurance policy in case of sudden death.' Yeah, I can see that going over well."

  "This is what I mean." Robert smirked. "You love to pick at people. Gideon could take everything you say and throw it right back in your face. The two of you could bicker for hours."

  "Enough about Gideon." She clapped her hands over her ears. "I'm not listening to you anymore."

  "Wow," Robert said loud enough for her to hear, even with her hands over her ears. "Twenty-eight and still this immature."

  She drove her elbow straight into his ribs.

  Chapter Three

  Nora stood in the middle of an empty street, staring straight ahead. Even though she was surrounded by houses and shops, she didn't see a single person. Shaken, she took a step forward and peered around a corner. There was still nobody around. She licked her dry lips and tried hard not to panic.

  "Hello?" she cried.

  At first nobody answered, but then she heard footsteps at the end of the street. She whirled around and saw nothing. Despite the fact nobody was there—or at least, nobody she could see—her skin covered with goosebumps and the hair on the back of her neck stood on end. She heard the sound of movement close by and sucked in air. She was such an idiot! Why had she called out? Now the person knew she was nearby.

  She took off running. Her breathing became strained as she headed down the street. Too much chocolate, not enough exercise. A garbage can tumbled to the ground behind her, pushed by an unseen force. She let out a gasp of surprise as she glanced over her shoulder and saw shriveled cabbage heads and crumbled tin cans rolling around. I've got to get away, she thought, her heart hammering in her chest.

  Just as she charged past a small restaurant, she rammed into a dark figure wearing a black hood. She tumbled to the damp, muddy ground with a thud. As she gasped, her back burning with pain, she stared up into a monstrous face.

  She let out a frightened scream she couldn't contain just as the person seized her by her neck. Gasping for air, she choked and writhed. That monstrous face would be the last things she'd ever see.

  Nora awoke with a start, trying to suck in air. Even now, she couldn't breathe. On top of that, something was still watching her. She could feel it. Terrified at the sensation of being observed and asphyxiated, her eyes flew open in horror. Two eyes stared straight into hers.

  She gasped for air and then realized…realized…

  Chubby was sitting on her chest. Again. His orange eyes were vigilant and, yes, hungry.

  "Chubby," she cried, pushing the cat off of her.

&
nbsp; She sat up, massaging her throat, and looked down at the fat cat who meowed and pawed at her arm. Groaning in disgust, she shook her head.

  "You've got to stop doing this." She gave the cat a firm stare. "I know you're hungry, but you can't sit on my chest like that. I can't breathe."

  The cat meowed again.

  "You can't possibly be that hungry," she said. "I gave you treats right before bed."

  The cat blinked slowly, his orange eyes glistening.

  "Okay, okay." She rolled her eyes. "But you know what I think? One of these days I'm going to have to put you on a D-I-E-T."

  Out of nowhere, the cat let out a wild hiss and tore out of the room as fast as his plump legs could carry him. At first she thought the feline had actually understood what she was saying, but then Mr. Fleas started yelping. Her heart sped up. It was one thing for Mr. Fleas to run around the apartment barking like mad, but nothing made Chubby hiss and run like that. The cat avoided exercise even more than she did, which was saying something.

  She headed into the living room. She expected to see Mr. Fleas barking at the door, but instead the dog was running circles around the table, frothing at the mouth. Chubby had attempted to hide himself behind a flower pot, but his big orange butt was sticking out.

  Goosebumps covered her skin. There was nothing wrong, so she didn't understand why they were acting like this.

  "Mr. Fleas, stop it!" she cried.

  The dog completely ignored her and continued to yap. She was used to the dog being a nut, but this was getting out of hand. Maybe something's going on upstairs or…or…I don't know. She wasn't even sure what to do anymore. Desperate for some kind of answer, she headed over to the door and peered out the peephole just in case the dog was confused and there was somebody at the door.

  Nope. Nobody was there.

  She knew she shouldn't have been as shaken as she was, but she was shivering from head to toe. There's nobody here, you dimwit! she told herself. Yet she couldn't forget how Chubby had sprinted out of her bedroom as if somebody had lit his tail on fire.

  Just when she was considering calling Robert again, the dog's yapping slowed. She inched her way toward the dog and sunk to her knees. Mr. Fleas turned toward her, dark brown eyes wide.

  "Hey, buddy." She offered her hand to him. "You okay?"