“Of course,” he said softly and closed the door once she was inside his cab, running around to the driver’s seat. He turned on his cab light and called in the dispatcher, letting them know that he was back on duty.
Brianna sat in the back seat, only half listening to the chatter. Occasionally, she glanced through the rear view mirror to see if anyone was following but after several blocks when no additional headlights appeared, she leaned back and let the tears flow.
“Thank you,” she said when the cab driver pulled up outside her building. She gave him a twenty dollar bill on a six dollar cab ride, grateful for his help. “I’m sorry to have taken you off of your break,” she said and jumped out of the cab, racing into her building.
Once she was in her apartment, she tore the dress off and stuffed it and the shoes into the trash can. She never wanted to see either of them again. She jumped into the shower, scrubbing herself with soap in an effort to get the scent of Rocco off her body. But no matter how many times she washed, she could still smell that wonderful, spicy scent. When the warm water started to get her body excited, she shut it off mercilessly. She didn’t want to feel that any more. Never again would she allow her body to control her actions. The results were too humiliating.
Rocco woke to the pounding on his door and scowled into the darkness. His hand automatically reached out, trying to find Brianna. He wasn’t sure why he was reaching for her but a feeling of dread was creeping up on him, making it urgent to find her, to pull her closer.
It took several moments before he finally realized that she wasn’t with him!
He stood up and grabbed his robe out of his closet, his eyes searching for her in the darkness. She must be in the bathroom, he told himself, smiling as he thought about joining her for a quick, or not so quick, shower. He would then bring her right back to bed and do it all over again.
Damn! He’d never woken up after a night of sex with more of the same on his mind. Of course, he enjoyed morning sex right along with the next guy, but normally he woke up and his mind was working through a business issue. So why was he searching for Brianna so that he could take her into his arms again?
He almost chuckled at the idea of taking the day off so he could spend more time with her. He actually couldn’t remember taking a day off in his life. He’d worked since he was old enough to carry a hammer, sometimes working three or four jobs just to make enough money. Now he worked seven days a week simply because he enjoyed it. Vacations were only periods when he worked in a different environment. A vacation wasn’t a time when he stopped, merely adjusted his schedule slightly.
“What’s up?” he asked as soon as he opened the door to see Stu standing in the hallway, looking uncomfortable. That was a clue that something bad was happening because Stu never looked uncomfortable. Ever since the man started working for Rocco, the only expression on Stu’s grim face was mild irritation or a blank countenance.
“You’re guest for the evening wishes to return home,” Stu said, looking at Rocco’s eyes as if trying to convey something more.
“Really?” Rocco couldn’t believe that and turned around, still expecting to see her come out of the bathroom, looking shy and delectable. “Where is she?” he asked, his voice getting deeper as his anger increased.
“I put her in the library downstairs,” he explained, understanding that his employer was searching for the woman in the bedroom.
Rocco’s eyes darkened with fury. How dare she leave like this after all that they’d shared and experienced together! She hadn’t left! She was just trying to be a tease, he told himself. A cold fist settled in his stomach. The woman he’d started to think of as different was only playing a game. A more advanced game, he gathered.
He thought about not playing, about not giving in to whatever demands she might give him for their next liaison. But the thought of not holding her body again had him gritting his teeth with frustration.
“I’ll be right there,” he said and slammed the door, his fury rising as he tried to figure out her game. She wanted proof that he’d enjoyed himself last night. She wanted him to beg! Not going to happen, little lady, he told himself as he whipped a pair of jeans on his long, lean legs. After grabbing a sweater from a drawer, he pulled it on over his head as he walked down the hallway, his feet shoved into a pair of loafers. He was seething with fury that she’d completely caught him off guard. He’d fallen for her tricks, fallen for that shy, virginal act and he’d been completely swept up in the most incredible sex he’d ever experienced.
Well he would escort her home all right, he told himself. He’d kick her out and show her that he wasn’t going to be led around. Damn her!
Rocco slammed open the doors to his library, ready to pounce on the lovely lady. But his eyes captured only an empty room filled with books. “Where the hell is she?”
No one was waiting on any of the comfortable, leather chairs with a smug smile, no temptress pretending to be caught climbing the ladder in that skimpy dress she’d practically painted onto her body last night. No lovely, conniving brunette smiling with victory anywhere!
He spun around, glaring at Stu. “So? Where did she go?”
Stu already had his phone to his ear and was rushing out the front door. “I’m sorry sir, but the guard at the gate says she walked out about three minutes ago.”
Rocco looked outside, noting that it was still dark. Some of his anger dissipated as concern started to rise up inside of him. “She left? Did someone come pick her up?” he demanded, thinking he’d really been taken for a ride.
Stu asked the question to the guard and shook his head. “She walked, sir.”
Rocco couldn’t believe that. She’d been wearing those ridiculous heels and she’d barely been able to walk by the time he’d brought her inside. “Impossible!”
“I’ll find her, sir,” Stu said, rushing out the door, almost running in his effort to find the missing woman.
Rocco paced in front of the door, feeling trapped for some reason. He hated not being out there, finding the woman. She was probably hiding somewhere, just waiting for him or his security team to come looking for her. And then he noticed how cold it was. Damn her! She hadn’t worn a coat! She’d been wearing that flimsy, sexy dress that barely had any sleeves! Was she trying to catch her death of a cold?