I stared at his muscular biceps. “It must help because you obviously have no fat on you, whatsoever.”
He looked down and then over at me. “You look like you’re in pretty good shape, too. You work out?”
“No. I have a pretty high metabolism. Fear and paranoia instigate that.”
He laughed. “I suppose.”
“Well, good night.”
“Good night, Sera.”
I walked out of the kitchen and I could feel his eyes on my backside. I’d once been proud of that area, until Ray had started calling me a “fat-ass,” when he was drunk. Although I knew he was doing it to be cruel, it now made me self-conscious. I wasn’t looking to impress Thane and it shouldn’t have mattered what he thought about my body, but for some reason, deep down, I knew that it sort of did.
***
Thane
I watched as Sera stepped out of the kitchen. She was wearing a hoodie and shorts that were by no means… revealing, but they hugged her hips and ass in a way that woke me up downstairs. She also had nice legs, short but tan and slender.
My cell phone began to vibrate, breaking my thoughts.
Fred.
“Hey Fred. I’m here. At your place.”
“Good. I’m sorry to bother you – hope you weren’t sleeping.”
“No, I can’t sleep. I’m too wired now, with everything going on.”
“I hear you. Anyway, one thing I forgot to mention, and it’s something that I doubt Sera will volunteer to tell you….”
“What?”
He chuckled. “You’re probably going to think I’m a naïve old man when I say this, but,” he cleared his throat. “Sera has these… intuitions that usually come true.”
I smirked into the phone. “You mean like, women’s intuition?”
“It has nothing to do with being a woman. Her mom told Sam that she believed Sera was a psychic.”
I rolled my eyes. Here we go. “Is that right?”
“It’s true. I know it sounds crazy, but, if she has any of her ‘gut feelings’, don’t hesitate to believe her. Same with little Emma. Both of them may have this gift.”
“Okay,” I answered, humoring him. “I’ll make sure to listen to her when she has a premonition.”
“Good. You won’t be sorry.”
I rubbed my forehead. I didn’t believe in fortune tellers or physics, but it was very last and I wasn’t in the mood for a debate. “Okay, well, you have a safe flight and call me as soon as you learn anything.”
“I will. Thanks again, Thane.”
“No problem. Talk to you soon.”
After we hung up, I walked around the house, checking the windows and locks. When I was satisfied, I sunk down into the couch and turned on the television. Fifteen minutes into flipping through the stations, I saw a commercial about the Psychic Network and the prices they charged for a so-called ‘reading’. I grunted and changed the channel again, amazed that Fred and Sam believed in such mumbo-jumbo.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Sera
It was shortly after four in the morning when my cell phone began to ring, waking me from a deep slumber. I grabbed it and noticed that it was Sam calling. I quickly answered the phone.
“Sam, thank God. Are you okay?”
There was silence.
“Sam?”
“It’s your fault he’s dead,” whispered a low voice. “You shouldn’t have done what you did.”
My heart stopped. “Who… who is this?” I stammered, although I knew quite well that it was Ray.
He chuckled. “I’m coming for you next. I told you before - nobody takes my daughter away from me.”
“Did you hurt Sam?” I snapped.
He ignored the question. “Just remember, you started this and guess what… I’m going to finish it,” he said. “I’ll see you soon.” He laughed again and then hung up.
I scrambled out of bed and raced into the living room. “Thane,” I whispered, shaking his arm. He’d fallen asleep holding the television remote, which was surprising because he overpowered the sofa with his massive body and didn’t look at all comfortable.
His eyes flew open and he sat up. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
I held up my phone. “Ray just called me. He said it was my fault that ‘he was dead’. He called me using Sam’s phone this time.”
“He meant Sam was dead?”
“I’m sure.”
Thane swore. “What else did he say?”
“He said that it was my fault. That nobody takes his daughter from him. He… he also said that he was coming for me. Soon.”
Thane picked up his cell phone. “I’m calling Fred. See if he knows anything.”
I nodded, and then sat next to him on the couch.
“Fred. It’s Thane. How’s it going?”
I sighed in relief. At least I knew that he wasn’t hurt.
Thane explained what I’d told him about the phone call. “She’s okay. Shook up, but fine.”
“Ask him if he’s found Sam,” I whispered.
Thane looked at me and shook his head.
Fred said something.
Thane answered. “Arlene is also fine… Okay…. Call us if you find out anything.” He hung up the phone.
“What did he say?”
“He said that he just got into town about thirty minutes ago. He’s already been to Sam’s place, but couldn’t find him. He’s going to drive over to the diner and see if anyone there might know anything new. He’s also going to try and meet with Sheriff Dooly.”
I nodded. “Good.”
“He said not to worry about Ray. That he’s probably just trying to scare you.”
“He did a good job,” I answered, showing him how shaky my hands were.
Sighing, he put the phone down and then did something that threw me off guard. He put an arm around my shoulders and pulled me closer.
I stiffened up. “Um, you don’t have to…”
“I know I don’t. Forget that I’m your boss right now and think of me as a friend. We all need to be comforted now and again.”
He was right and his words helped me to relax, although, I had to admit, my pulse was racing around the track.
“See, this isn’t so bad,” he said, a smile in his voice.
“No. It’s not,” I agreed. In fact, it felt good. Too good. I wasn’t even sure if Ray had ever snuggled with me on the couch. If he had, it hadn’t been memorable.
He put his feet on the coffee table and I followed suit. He wore white socks and my feet were bare and looked almost like a child’s next to his large ones. I was happy that I’d painted my toenails over the weekend, a bright pink color.
“You have tiny feet.”
I stared down at them. “There not that tiny. Yours are just huge.”
He chuckled.
“What’s so funny?”
“Nothing.”
I wondered if he was thinking about size comparisons of feet to a man’s penis and my eyes went from them to his lap. From the bulge I saw there, I knew there was some truth to what those old women used to gossip about.
And the man isn’t even excited, I mused, looking away.
“You’re tense again,” he said, sitting up straighter. He removed his arm and put his feet on the carpet. “Why don’t you let me help?”
“What do you mean?”
He put his hands on my shoulders and turned me slightly, so that my back was to him. “I mean this.”
He began massaging my shoulders with his fingers. I closed my eyes and groaned in pleasure as they pressed into the center of my back.
“Feel good?” he whispered, squeezing and pressing more of my skin.
I wanted to tell him that not only did it feel good, but that I’d do anything for him at that moment, his hands felt so utterly wonderful. Instead, I just nodded.
“Good,” he replied, his breath now near my ear.
It had been so long since anyone had touched me like this and even
though it wasn’t meant to be intimate, I was beginning to respond in some very private places. At one point, I had to even hold back from moaning.
“Just tell me if it hurts at all,” he whispered.
“It hurts… good,” I said, breathlessly, my chest rising and following.
He paused for a second and then resumed his administrations.
***
Thane
I knew that touching Sera was a mistake, but I wasn’t thinking above the neck as my fingers moved across her back and shoulders. I pushed her hair to the side and stared down at her neck, wondering what she’d do if I pressed my lips against it. As I thought about my tongue on her soft skin and what her breasts would feel like in the palms of my hands, my cock grew so hard, I could barely breathe.
“Just tell me if it hurts at all,” I murmured, hoping that she’d tell me to stop. Give me some kind of excuse, before I did something really stupid. I hadn’t been this close to a woman in a long time. Especially one that I was so damn attracted to.
“It hurts… good,” she answered softly.
I stopped for a second and tried thinking about Sam and Fred again, to quell the raging hard-on that was clouding my judgment.
It wasn’t helping…
I began rubbing her back again and decided that if she really was psychic, she’d know how much I wanted her. Hell, if she moved back any further on the sofa, she would be able to tell. And… it might actually piss her off.
That would be bad.
Swearing under my breath, I pushed her away gently and then stood up, my back to her. “I’ll be right back. Going to use the bathroom.”
“Oh, okay.”
I made my way to the bathroom, wishing I was home and could take a cold shower or find another way to get rid of my woody. Instead, I turned on the sink and splashed cold water over my face. As I dried it off, I stared at myself in the mirror, not happy with myself. I was acting like a horny teenager. I couldn’t even give a woman a massage without wanting to bang her.
“It’s not right,” I growled at my reflection. I was her boss and she needed to be able to trust me. I definitely had to control my fucking self, and stop fantasizing about this woman. She had enough problems in her life and I definitely didn’t need to add any more.
When I calmed down enough to face her again, I stepped out of the bathroom and walked over to the sofa, where I found her sleeping. Smiling to myself, I picked her up in my arms, and carried her into the bedroom. As I set her down on the bed, I inhaled, enjoying the fruity smell of whatever perfume or lotion that she was wearing. Feeling my cock begin to harden again, I quickly covered her with a blanket and left.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Sera
“Mommy, who’s that man sleeping on our couch?”
I opened my eyes to find Emma staring down at me on the bed. I looked at the clock. It was just past seven in the morning.
“Mommy?”
I cleared my throat. “That’s Thane. He’s a friend of ours.”
“Is that the guy you work with?”
I smiled. “Good memory. Yes, it is.”
“Where is Fred?” she asked, backing up as I got out of bed.
“He’s in Seattle, honey. He’s going to make sure that Sam is okay.”
Her eyes clouded. “He’s not okay, mommy.”
I kissed her on the nose. “Honey, we don’t know for sure, okay. He might be okay.”
Her eyes filled with tears. “He’s dead. It’s too late.”
A soft knock on the door startled us both.
“Is everything okay in here?” asked Thane, through the doorway.
I walked over and opened it up. “Yes, everything is fine,” I answered, trying not to laugh. His hair was sticking up in odd directions.
Emma laughed hysterically when she saw him. “Your hair! It’s so funny!”
He smiled and ran his fingers through it, making it even crazier. “You don’t like this style? I was hoping that I could wear it to work today and be a trend-setter.”
“What is a trend-setter?” she asked.
“Someone who people copy to look cool and stylish. You know… like me,” he answered, putting his hand on his hip and posing like some kind of super-model.
Emma cringed. “I think you’re just going to scare people.”
I laughed.
He pretended to look hurt. “You really think I’m scary, Emma?”
“I’m sorry,” she said. She waved her hand next to her head. “Maybe if you brush your hair, they won’t laugh at you.”
“Do you think so?”
She nodded. “Yes, and you should probably shave, too. Your face is too hairy with that scruffy stuff on your chin.”
“Emma,” I scolded. “That’s not nice.”
“I’m sorry,” she said, taking a step back.
“Hey, it’s okay. In fact, it just so happens that I brought my razor,” he said. “And I agree with you. It is much too scruffy.”
She looked at me. “See, he agrees with me.”
I grunted. “Fortunately. Just remember that it’s not nice to point out things about a person’s appearances, Emma. It’s very impolite.”
“I’m sorry,” she answered, biting her lower lip.
“It’s okay,” replied Thane. “I’m not mad at you.”
She turned back to me, still embarrassed that I’d scolded her in front of Thane. “Mommy, I’m hungry.”
“Me, too. Thane, are you hungry?”
“I’m starving. What’s for breakfast, Emma?”
Her eyebrows shot up. “I don’t know. Fred usually makes it.”
“Do you like pancakes?” he asked her.
“Yes.”
“Then get ready, because I make some mean pancakes,” he said, smiling.
Her forehead scrunched up. “Mean ones?”
I squeezed her shoulder. “He means delicious ones. I think.”
“Do you?” she asked him.
“Guess you’re going to have to find out,” he replied, smirking. He turned around and called over his shoulder as he left us. “I’ll be in the kitchen making the meanest pancakes you girls have ever tasted. So, be prepared.”
“Should we be scared?” I hollered.
“Like I said, you’ll find out!” he called back.
I smiled at Emma, who looked worried. “He’s just kidding. He really means they’re delicious.”
“Oh. He’s kind of weird, isn’t he?” she whispered.
“Yes. But from what I can tell, he’s weird in a good way.”
She grinned. “Oh, good.”
I helped Emma get dressed for school and then popped my head into the kitchen, to check on Thane.
“It smells wonderful in here,” I said, staring at his back, which was blocking the view of what he was doing on the stove.
“Breakfast is almost ready,” he said, looking back at me over his shoulder. “Hope you’re hungry. I made enough food to feed the entire block, I think.”
“Sounds great,” I said. “I’ll go get Emma and we’ll be back in a minute.”
“Okay,” he replied, flipping over a pancake that was as large as the pan.
Smiling to myself, I walked back towards the bathroom, where Emma was trying to put her hair in a ponytail.
“Do you need help?” I asked.
“I can do it,” she said.
“Okay. Well, when you’re done, join us in the kitchen.”
“Okay.”
I left her and went back into the kitchen.
“I made coffee,” he said, nodding towards the Keurig. “Help yourself to that cup.”
“Thank you,” I replied, walking over to the refrigerator. I pulled out the cream and added some to the cup.
“Oh, so that’s how you like it,” he said, nodding towards container.
“I also like it over ice,” I replied, grabbing a glass from the cupboard. I filled it with ice and then poured the coffee and cream mixture over.
�
�I’ve never had it over ice like that. Is it good?”
“Is it good?” I repeated, smiling. “Here, you can have this one and find out. I’ll make another one.”
“Okay,” he replied, as I handed it to him. He took a sip. “Damn, this is pretty good.”
“Told you.”
He took another sip. “So, have you spoken to Fred yet?”
“No. How about you?”
He shook his head. “I was going to wait to call him. I figured he’d call us if he found out anything.”
Before I could reply, Emma stepped into the kitchen.
“Oh, good. Why don’t you two sit down and I’ll fill your plates?” said Thane, nodding towards the small oak dinette table.
Emma sniffed and then smiled. “Did you make bacon?”
“Yes. Do you like bacon?”
“I love it!” she said, sitting next to me at the table.
“Good”, he replied. “Now, are you ready for these mean pancakes that I was telling you about?”
Emma looked at me and giggled.
“I think we are,” I answered.
Thane walked over and set a plate out in front of each of us.
“Oh my God!” cried Emma, staring at the massive helpings.
“Language,” I said, also staring at the plates. Each of us had a pancake - the size of Emma’s head, two eggs, four pieces of bacon, toast, and a large helping of strawberries.
“Here is some orange juice,” he said, bringing over the glasses. He set them down and rubbed his hands together. “Can I get you ladies anything else?”
I looked up at him. “Yeah, four other people to help us eat all of this food.”
“Breakfast is the most important meal of the day,” he said, sitting down next to his own plate of food. “You should have a big one to start your day off right.”
I looked at his plate and noticed that there was mostly eggs and bacon. “You don’t like pancakes?”
“Too many carbs,” he replied, picking up his fork. “I’ll be dragging all day.”
“And we won’t?” I asked, staring back down at our own plates.
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