Protecting Phoebe: A Chances Are story

by Shelli Stevens

  “I’m not,” Gabby muttered. “If I was too good, I’d encourage you to go on a second date before sleeping with him. But I’ve always been an advocate for a healthy sex life.”

  “Don’t I know it.” At the door to the bar, Phoebe spun around again and gave her friend another quick hug. “Say goodbye to Justin for me. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

  “I want details.”

  “What, like he inserted tab A into slot B and I screamed until I lost my voice? Later, sweetie.” Phoebe winked and turned, pushing the door to the club open and striding outside.

  The air was significantly cooler than when they’d gone in, even though it was early summer.

  She shivered, looking around the parking lot and wishing she’d grabbed her jacket.

  “I was starting to think you’d changed your mind.”

  Her heart slammed against her ribs at his soft statement, and she swung around to find him standing by the corner of the building.

  “Not on your life.” She smiled, her pulse sliding into overdrive as she closed the distance between them. “Question for you. Do you have condoms?”

  He opened his mouth and then shut it, cursing. “No. I didn’t want to come across as too…”

  She laughed and fingered one of the buttons on his shirt. “Don’t worry about it. Why don’t you just stop at a store and grab some, then come to my place?”

  “I can do that.” His heated gaze moved from her mouth to the V of her neck.

  Her breasts swelled under his perusal, and she thanked God that she’d worn a cute lingerie set tonight. Maybe she’d subconsciously known he’d show. Then again, she’d let the information slip about where she’d be tonight hoping he would.

  “If I’m going to meet you at your place,” he murmured, drawing a finger over her collarbone and sending heat through her blood. “I’ll need your address. Are you comfortable with that?”

  “Yeah,” she whispered as the ache between her legs grew and her panties dampened. “I’ll write it down for you.”

  Before she lost it completely and slammed him against the wall of the brick building to kiss him again, she stepped around him to the bouncer.

  “Excuse me. Do you have a pen I could borrow?”

  The bouncer looked beyond her to Craig and scowled, but grabbed a pen from the metal table he sat behind.

  She pulled an old receipt from her purse and leaned over the table, scrawling her address on the paper. The heat lamp above warmed her cold fingers.

  “Okay.” She set the pen down and spun back to Craig. “Here you go.”

  His fingers brushed hers when he took the slip of paper from her. “Thanks. I’ll walk you to your car.”

  She gave a nod, a little relieved and a lot pleased by the gesture. At her car, she turned and gave him a small smile.

  “Meet you back at my place?”

  “I may just beat you there,” he promised quietly. “You want me to pick up anything else?”

  “Surprise me.” Feeling all too brazen, she leaned forward and brushed her mouth against his. “See you in a few.”

  With a wink, she slid into her car. Craig waited until she’d locked the doors and started the engine, before jogging across the street to climb into his car.

  Phoebe started to pull out of her spot, following Craig as he pulled into the street. Then she slowed and glanced in the mirror back at the bar, giving a soft curse.

  Shoot. She hadn’t closed out her tab.

  She glanced back out her windshield and watched Craig’s taillights disappear from view.

  He had to stop at the store anyway, so she had a few minutes. Reversing, she eased her car back into the parking spot and ran back into the bar to settle her bill.

  A few minutes later she was back outside, waving goodnight to the bouncer and heading to her car.

  She unlocked the door, slid inside, and then started to shut the door, but a long hand grabbed the frame, wrenching it back open.

  Phoebe screamed and gripped her key in her hand like a weapon.

  “Hang on, I just want to talk.”

  The blood rushed from her head and her stomach dropped. Fear sent her pulse pounding even as she couldn’t tear her eyes from him.

  Rick crouched by her car, a goofy smile on his face.

  “I thought that was you, Phoebe. I haven’t seen you in years.”

  Oh God. This had to be a nightmare. Rick wasn’t sitting right beside her car, talking calmly to her as if they were long-lost friends.

  She hadn’t been paranoid. He had been following her. The beer she’d drank earlier surged in her stomach as panic assailed her.

  “What have you been up to lately?” He reached a hand forward to touch her face. “I’ve missed you so much.”

  Phoebe gave sharp growl and slapped his hand away. “Don’t touch me. Ever.”

  His brows drew together and he leaned in again. “Phoebe, sweetheart—”

  “I said get the hell away from me!” Her shrill words resonated in the parking lot.

  His demeanor changed in the blink of an eye. In the light of the street lamp, she watched his ears turn red with anger, a sign she’d grown to recognize as a warning that he was about to lose it.

  “I just want to talk,” he said through clenched teeth.

  Move past the fear, Phoebe. You have to. She drew an unsteady breath and hardened her gaze.

  “You’re going to be talking to that bouncer over there if you don’t back off.” She attempted to close the door, but his hands tightened on the frame. “I made it clear seven years ago what I thought of you—that hasn’t changed.”

  His knuckles turned white, he gripped the door so hard. Her mouth went dry and her stomach did back flips.

  “You had no right to leave me like that. We’re soul mates—”

  “Excuse me, sir,” she screamed, trying to catch the bouncer’s attention.

  The bouncer glanced up and then began to make his way toward them.

  Rick let go of the door, his eyes glittering with rage.

  “This isn’t over, Phoebe.”

  “Is that a threat?” Anger slowly replaced fear now that she knew the bouncer was aware of her situation. “Because I hope you do threaten me, Rick. I’ll slap a restraining order on your ass so fast your head will spin.”

  She jerked the door shut, elbowing the lock down. Her hands were amazingly steady as she stuck the keys into the ignition and started the car.

  Looking in her rearview mirror, she watched the bouncer confront Rick. She slammed the car into reverse and hit the gas, hoping to God she didn’t get sick on the way home.

  Craig drummed his fingers on the steering wheel and glanced around the complex parking lot. Why hadn’t he gotten her phone number? What if he’d read the address wrong?

  Anticipation had his blood pounding and his cock still rock hard from that kiss she’d pressed against his mouth outside the club.

  God, he wanted her so bad it literally hurt. His balls ached and his jeans may as well have been iron, they were so damn tight.

  Headlights bounced off the side of the building as a car turned into the parking lot. The speed of the car caught his attention and held it as it whipped into a spot without signaling.

  Hell, was that her? He got out of the car, scowling as he adjusted the bag in his arms that held wine, condoms, and food. If that was how she drove, maybe she was late because she’d gotten pulled over.

  He bit his tongue as he approached her car, not wanting to blow the night by lecturing about her driving.

  The driver’s side door swung open and she stumbled out. She didn’t even look his way, just began hurrying toward the building.

  “Phoebe?”

  She gave a sharp scream and spun around, her keys thrust out in front of her like a sword. A very small sword.

  Her eyes were wide with panic, streaks of black mascara marking her face.

  Shit. His gut clenched and he drew in a swift breath, closing the distance between them.
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  He slid an arm around her waist and her eyes widened, almost as if she were surprised to see him.

  “Easy, baby,” he pulled her into the curve of his body and pushed a bunch of curls off her forehead. “Are you okay? Can you tell me what happened?”

  “I saw him,” she said, her voice unsteady. “I saw Rick. It’s him. He has been following me.”

  His chest swelled with anger and his arm tightened protectively around her.

  “Where did you see him?”

  “At the club.”

  He flinched, rearing back in surprise. “How? I watched you drive away.”

  “I turned back because I forgot to close out my tab.”

  “Damn, Phoebe. You shouldn’t have gone back in alone. You should’ve waved me down. Or—”

  “I was hardly alone.” She shook her head and her curls bounced. Her lower lip trembled and tears stained her cheek. “I mean I parked right outside the club.”

  It didn’t matter. The bastard had still gotten to her. His jaw hardened and he slid his other arm around her, pulling her into his arms.

  “Did he touch you? Threaten you?”

  “I…God it’s all a blur right now. I can only remember how I felt at the time. The panic. The fear. And then the anger. It just—” She broke off and blinked, leaning back to glance into the grocery bag he held. “Oh. I am really going to need this.”

  She grabbed the bottle of wine from the sack and turned away, moving toward the front door of the condominium building.

  “Come on up,” she hollered shakily over her shoulder, the bottle clutched in her grasp.

  Craig bit back a curse, knowing wine was probably the last thing she needed. He glanced around the parking lot, not putting it past her ex to have followed her here.

  No other cars had entered the complex after hers, however, and the night was quiet.

  “Are you coming?”

  At her hesitant question, he turned on his heels and jogged over to the door where she stood.

  She typed in the code that opened the door, and after a second there was a click, signaling the lock had popped.

  He followed her across the floor to the elevators. They stood together, waiting for the doors to open.

  “How long have you lived here?” he asked gruffly.

  “Six years. I like the security.”

  The doors slid open and they stepped inside.

  “God, what I wouldn’t give for a corkscrew right now,” she muttered. “Or is this one of those corks that just pop off? If so, I could just pop it in here.”

  Craig drew in a slow breath and debated how to handle this.

  “Baby, I’m thinking we should hold off on the wine.”

  “Oh, trust me. I’m going to need the wine.” Her laugh was harsh. “I’m not a big drinker, I promise. But right now, I need…something.”

  He closed the small distance between them.

  “Let me take care of you. I’ll get you a glass when we get inside your place. Make you something to eat,” he promised.

  She lifted her gaze to his and the frustration and misery in her eyes sucker-punched him in the gut. He lifted a hand and trailed his fingers lightly across her cheek.

  His stomach clenched and the breath locked in his throat. How the hell could anyone ever hurt this woman? Right now, everything inside him just wanted to protect her. Make sure she never had to be afraid again.

  The elevator dinged and the doors slid open. She blinked and lowered her gaze, stepping around him and out into the hall.

  “I’m down on the end,” she said.

  He adjusted his grip on the grocery sack and followed her down to her place.

  She unlocked the door and pushed it open, leaving it wide so he could follow her in.

  He shut it behind him and reached for the lock. Or locks. Jesus. Scanning the door, he counted four. Though, it really didn’t surprise him.

  After securing each lock, he turned and found her in the kitchen, searching the drawers. Likely for a corkscrew.

  “Make yourself at home,” she called out. “I’m just looking for…where the hell is it, I know it’s here. I used it at New Year’s.”

  Craig crossed the living room to look out the window. The building had a partial view of the bay, if you turned your head just so. They were high up in the building though, the twentieth floor according to the button she’d pressed.

  “Nice view.”

  “It’s not bad. If you look to the left you can see the bay…”

  Pop. The sound of the cork flying free from the bottle signaled she’d located the corkscrew.

  He turned from the window and joined her in the kitchen, reaching into the bag to pull out the food he’d bought.

  “When did you last eat?”

  She shrugged and tilted the bottle to her mouth, taking a hard swig.

  “I’m on a liquid diet tonight.”

  His mouth twitched and with a gentle hand, he reached out and plucked the bottle from her hand.

  “You don’t want to waste a good bottle of wine that way.” He turned and opened the nearest cupboard and luckily found exactly what he was looking for. “Let’s at least use a glass.”

  “Whatever floats your boat. Just fill it up to the top, please.” She glanced down at the counter and her lips parted and she made a little noise of surprise. “Oh my gosh, you bought chocolate?”

  “Yeah. And strawberries, meat and cheese.” He grinned and glanced at her after filling up her glass. “I’ll get hungry soon.”

  Of course, he’d planned on the bulk of the food for after they got down and dirty. And even though he knew that part of the night was off the agenda, it didn’t bother him.

  His biggest concern was focusing on what had happened to her after leaving the club. Even now, he fought the urge to just pick her up and carry her to the couch and pull her onto his lap. Somehow he knew she’d fight him on it. She was too independent. Too proud.

  He watched her unwrap the chocolate bar and break off a square. Popping it into her mouth, she groaned and closed her eyes. A moment later, she took another long drink of the wine.

  She opened her eyes again. Her face turned a slow red as she whispered, “I’m sorry. You must think I’m a complete lush.”

  Craig leaned against the counter and reached out to rub a flake of chocolate from the corner of her mouth.

  “I think you’ve had a pretty awful night. And I know a lot of people would probably do the same damn thing.”

  “It wasn’t all awful,” she murmured, her gaze heating a bit. “There were a few parts I liked. Quite a bit, actually.”

  Chapter Four

  “Were there now?”

  Craig ran his thumb over her bottom lip and her mouth parted on a soft sigh, her pupils dilating.

  The blood in his veins stirred and the breath in his chest hitched. Christ, he wanted her. Wanted to back her up against the counter and stand between her thighs, while taking that sensual mouth with his.

  And how much of an asshole does that make you? Her emotional state alternated between panic and flirting. There was no way he could take advantage of her tonight.

  “Why don’t you go sit down on the couch,” he said, his voice gruffer than he intended. “I’ll bring us some food and then we can talk.”

  The panic flared in her eyes again, before she narrowed them and took another drink of wine. “I’m not sure I want to talk.”

  “Phoebe…”

  “Fine.” Her nose wrinkled as she moved past him into the living room. She stumbled over a pile of books on the floor before plopping down onto the couch.

  Hmm. Looked like the wine was already hitting her. He glanced at the bottle and noticed she’d already taken out a quarter. Apparently she was a lightweight.

  He found the cork and closed up the bottle again, setting the white wine into the fridge. He scanned the contents inside then grabbed himself a can of soda.

  Next, he cut the strawberries and arranged them on a plate wi
th the cheese and salami, before walking to the couch to join her.

  “How you holding up?” he asked, setting the plate on the coffee table.

  “I’m fine. Just fine. Why wouldn’t I be?” she said a little too brightly, reaching for a strawberry. “Look at you, Craig. You really know how to impress a girl.”

  He laughed softly and smiled. That may have been his initial purpose, but now it was just something to offset his appetite and her alcohol consumption.

  Grabbing a slice of salami, he stacked it on a slice of cheddar and took a bite.

  “Don’t you want any wine?” she asked when he popped the tab to his soda.

  “I’m good, thanks.”

  She stared at him hard for a moment.

  “Oh jeez, you’ve changed your mind, haven’t you?” she asked, her eyes widening. “You don’t want to sleep with me anymore.”

  “Phoebe, listen to me,” he reached out and caught her hand.

  She tried to jerk away, but he held tight. Anger flashed in her gaze, her temper no doubt encouraged by the wine.

  “Listen to me,” he repeated again. “We need to talk about your ex.”

  “There’s nothing to talk about.”

  “Bullshit. What if he comes after you again? It sure as hell sounds like he’s planning on it.”

  “So then let him.” Her jaw hardened. “Yes, I was hoping he’d never find me again. That he’d stay the hell out of my life. But you know what? I’m ready this time. I’m a second degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do and if he even tries to touch me, he’s toast.”

  His eyebrows rose, her admission surprising him. And though, at the same time, not so much. It fit with the woman who was beginning to reveal herself layer by layer to him.

  He watched the anger, pride, and determination in her gaze. It was obvious she meant every word she said. That she wouldn’t hesitate to fight him if it came to it. Even though he was new to his job, he’d seen enough to know that sometimes you didn’t always get a fair fight.

  Softly, he asked, “And what if he has a gun and shoots you from six feet away?”

  She blinked, looking stunned as the glass of wine wobbled in her other hand.

  He took it from her and set it on the coffee table.