A Little Harmless Obsession (3 page)

He realized she was shaking, as if it were thirty degrees out and not a balmy seventy-five. He took her hand and pulled her against him. “I’m sorry.”

She shuddered. Every one of her luscious curves pressed against him. Without any hesitation, his cock twitched at the feel of her breasts touching his chest. It made him feel like scum, but he was only human.

Needing some distance, he regretfully pulled her back from him and looked at her. Her face was still too pale, her eyes dilated in shock. She looked back over her shoulder at her car and he followed her line of vision. He saw the vicious word scrawled across the red paint and growled.

He shoved her behind him and scanned the area for the assailant. When he realized they were truly alone, he turned to face May again.

“What the hell is that?”

She shivered again. “Not sure. And I wouldn’t have freaked out if you hadn’t crept up on me.” He shook his head at her diversionary tactic.

He wrapped a hand around each of her arms and gave her a little shake. “Tell me.” Whatever he did must have snapped her out of her stupor and she frowned at him. “First, I think we need to go in Dupree’s and call the police.”

He wanted to argue, wanted to make sure that she told him just what was going on, but he knew she was right He walked beside her to the entrance and waited for her to unlock the door. The parking lot was deserted. Not even the sound of a mongoose or feral cat rummaging for food disturbed the night air. May locked the door behind her and headed for the office. Evan followed her back, but did not go in. Instead, he stayed within earshot by sitting in the booth closest to the office. He wanted to keep an eye on the door.

A Little Harmless Obsession

By the time she called the police to report it, called Chris and her father, he’d been waiting a good fifteen minutes. When she sat down opposite of him, he frowned. Dark circles smudged the delicate skin beneath her eyes. “You need more rest.”

She started at the harshness of his voice, and how could he blame her? He sounded like a father, not a friend. Besides, it had nothing to do with the situation.

“I can take care of myself. I was up late last night with my brother, Danny. He’s having some trouble in his entry-level algebra.”

“I didn’t know he started college already.”

She nodded. “He’s built for it, unlike Kai and me. He loves it.” She made a face indicating her dislike of school.

“Now you want to tell me what is going on?”

She shook her head. “I would tell you if I knew.”

“May.”

“I’m telling you the truth. I have no idea. I know not everyone likes me, and I’ve made a few enemies when I’ve had to fire people, but most people I fire because they are lazy. If they are too lazy to come to work, I doubt the ones I’ve fired would have the energy to do this.” He mulled that over and silently agreed she might be right. “There has to be someone.” One perfectly sculpted eyebrow rose. “Are you saying only someone who knows me would scratch bitch into the car door.”

“Well, why would someone who didn’t know you do it? It
is
pretty personal.” She pursed her lips like he’d seen her do a thousand times before. It was a clear indication she was pissed. Too late he realized what he’d said.

“I don’t mean that you are a bitch, just that—”

“If I had met someone they would think I was a bitch?”

“No.” He shoved a hand through his hair. “That isn’t what I meant at all.” She laughed, the lyrical sound bringing his head up.

“I was just fucking with you. I know my reputation, but I doubt it had something to do with this.” He nodded. “Do you think Jason could have done this?”

“No.”

“You just don’t want to admit it might be someone you know.”

“First, I thought of Jason right off the bat.” The surprise he felt must have shown on his face because she nodded. “Yeah, imagine that, I thought about it. When I called Chris he mentioned it. But jackass Jason actually thinks he has a chance with me. He definitely wouldn’t do this. Secondly, how would you feel if someone hated you so much they’d do that to your car?”

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17

Melissa Schroeder

Evan couldn’t answer because he had known people like that. Hell, he had been one of those people.

Before he pulled himself out of the gutter, he would have slit someone’s throat the moment they looked at him the wrong way. “No. I can understand that. But you will have to think about it.” She nodded. “I’m sure the police will make me evaluate everyone I fired in the last few years, but I doubt it will make much difference.”

He opened his mouth to tell her he would stick around to help. Dealing with the police wasn’t the easiest thing in the world, even when you were the victim. But the next moment, Chris came charging into the restaurant with Cynthia hard on his heels.

“May, are you all right?”

She stood up as her boss and his fiancé approached the table. “I’m fine. I told you that on the phone.” The last was said muffled against Chris’s chest as he pulled her into his arms and gave her a hug.

Evan knew it was just a brotherly hug, nothing sexual to it, but he could not stop the flash of anger that sparked through his veins at the image. He knew he had no right to even think of her as his, but the events of the evening had brought out his protective feelings.

Chris pulled May back and looked at her, then handed her off to Cynthia. He gave Evan an assessing look. “What were you doing here?”

Uneasy with the speculation in Chris’s eyes, Evan shifted his weight in the chair.

“I told you I was going to hang around and wait. I would have left but I noticed May didn’t come out with Janice and her husband.”

Chris whipped around, faced May and crossed his arms over his chest. “You aren’t supposed to be here with all the money alone.”

“For your information, I wasn’t. I sent it with Janice and Freddy. I figured it was a waste to have them follow me. I stayed behind to work the schedule since I’m off tomorrow.”

“Don’t do it again.”

Cynthia stepped between Chris and May. “What Chris means is that he knows you can take care of yourself, and yes, the money was not here. But that doesn’t mean anyone else would know.” Evan watched as the May worked out the implications and nodded. “I’m sorry, Chris.”

“Don’t worry about it. Police should be here any minute.” May frowned. “Over something this small?”

Chris nodded. “I called Janice and she got her husband to call in.” With a weary sigh, she nodded. “I need to have a little caffeine.”

“I’ll go with you,” Cynthia offered, glancing at Evan then at Chris as she walked by. He watched Cynthia slip her arm through May’s as they walked side by side down the hall.

Once they were alone, Chris scrubbed his hand over his face. “Jesus, that took ten years off my life.” Evan nodded. “I scared the hell out of her.”

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A Little Harmless Obsession

Chris settled in a chair and motioned for Evan to sit. “Tell me.” Evan went through the evening, leaving out their confrontation over the tourist. Chris sat back and let out a relieved sigh. “I’m glad you were here. The guy was gone, but who knows. He could have been lurking around.”

That thought brought a chill to Evan’s blood. “I looked around, and I waited out here while she called you. I didn’t see a soul.”

Chris nodded. “While I appreciate you were here, you want to explain just why the hell you were this late?”

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

May nodded. “I think everyone is blowing this out of proportion.” Cynthia frowned. “What did your father say?”

May rolled her eyes. “Nothing. When he knew that Evan was with me, he was okay with it.”

“I would think he would want to come down here.”

May shrugged and tried to squash down the little bit of her that agreed with Cynthia’s comment. It somehow made her feel guilty. “He knows I can handle it.”

“And just what was Evan doing here?”

“I thought he was gone. I said goodbye to him at closing.” She frowned at Cynthia. “I’m sorry to get you out of bed. Chris shouldn’t have dragged you down here.” Cynthia’s face flushed. “We weren’t exactly asleep.”

May chuckled. “Then I’m really sorry.”

Cynthia turned a brighter shade of red. “No, we were just…well, you know.”

“No. I don’t know.”

The look of embarrassment on Cynthia’s face had May laughing harder. Cynthia had a penchant for playing the Domme in the bedroom, so her blush tickled May.

“Never mind. I’ll try not to be jealous.”

Cynthia’s eyes widened and she stepped closer to May. “You were attracted to Chris?” May closed her eyes. “Oh, ick. That is almost like asking me if I had the hots for my brother. I need some bleach for my eyes to scrub that image from my memory.” She opened her eyes and saw Cynthia’s exasperated look. “No. Having a date…just the possibility of sex is better than I’ve had lately.” Cynthia nodded, knowing May’s struggle with dating men. “It’ll happen.” May shrugged. “Lately, between helping Danny with homework and my crazy schedule at work, I haven’t had the time for a date, let alone get laid.”

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19

Melissa Schroeder

“Well, I see we stopped the trash talk that could be going on here,” Chris said as he sauntered into the kitchen. It was May’s turn to blush now. The idea that Chris had heard them talking was bad enough. When she noticed Evan standing there still as death she realized he’d heard the conversation.

“You shouldn’t be eavesdropping,” Cynthia said.

Chris wrapped his arms around Cynthia. “There are a couple of officers here to talk to you, May.” She nodded and turned to walk out.

“You want me to go with you?”

She could tell by the tone of his voice he wanted to, but allowed her to decide. Any other time, she might have, but for some reason she felt she needed to do this on her own.

“No. I’ll call you out there if they have any questions.” She walked to Evan who was still standing there, seemingly frozen.

“Evan?”

He shook his head, apparently bringing himself out of the trance he’d been in. “What?” She thought she heard Chris chuckle behind her. She was within inches of Evan. Everything in her body sighed with lust just being that close.

She licked her lips and was surprised when she saw his gaze drop to her mouth and follow the movement.

“Could you move?”

“Huh?” His focus was still on her lips. Heat brushed over her nerve endings.

“I can’t get by you.”

His gaze rose to hers and she thought she saw the stain of embarrassment on his cheeks, but she had to be wrong. Knowing Evan Chambers the way she did, there would be nothing that could embarrass him.

“Sorry. In fact, I gave my statement to the officers, and since Chris is here I’m going to head home.” Oddly deflated, she nodded and watched him walk away from her…practically running.

With a sigh, she followed his path but realized that he was already out of Dupree’s by the time she sat down with the officers.

Evan bolted up out of bed, his body covered in sweat, his pulse beating like an out-of-control sledgehammer. An uneasy chill passed over his flesh, his body still shaking as he drew in big gulps of air.

He looked around and realized he had just been dreaming—a nightmare he hadn’t had in years—until recently. The sheets were crisp, clean, Egyptian cotton. The air was clean and pure. He wasn’t in the dank motel room with his whore of a mother.

He scrubbed his hand over his face, trying to pull it together. It had been years since he’d had the nightmares, but they’d returned a few months ago. He couldn’t fathom why, or how, except for the reason that his ménage with Cynthia and Chris seemed to be the catalyst. He was sure doctors would have a field 20

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A Little Harmless Obsession

day, but Evan didn’t give a damn. He didn’t want to get in touch with his feelings. He had banished the dreams once before, he’d do it again.

With an aggravated sigh, he slid out of bed and headed to the bathroom to splash water on his face.

He looked at himself in the mirror, wondering at the new lines around his eyes. He wasn’t a vain man, but he did realize he was growing older. Maybe it all circled around to Chris and Cynthia again. Their engagement last Christmas had been expected. Chris wanted kids, wanted a whole brood like the one he grew up with. It was something his friend talked about all the time. While Cynthia had stepped out of her family’s protective core, she still wanted the traditional family. Evan knew that wasn’t for him—never would be. Not with his background, with his mother’s tainted blood running through his veins.

Irritated with himself again, he grabbed a towel and wiped off his face. He turned the shower on and stepped into it without waiting for the warm water. He needed something to wake him up, pull him from the memories he’d just fought through.

As he lathered up his hair he let his mind drift back to Maylea and what had happened the night before. He’d definitely have a talk with Jason today. Chris wouldn’t step over the line because the kid worked for him, but Evan didn’t have that problem. Lately, anyone who even got close to her made him want to beat to them to a pulp. Now it seemed someone was pissed that she hadn’t paid enough attention to them.

Granted, it could be someone she fired. Some people just didn’t know when to let things go. In fact, the last person she fired was Lee. Even though Chris had wanted to press charges, her powerful father was a defense attorney. He made sure his little girl didn’t go to jail. Normal people would have been upset, but Lee hadn’t cared. She didn’t like May, that was for sure, but Lee didn’t like most people. She’d moved onto the next man, the next job, without batting an eye. She was poison, and he should have known before getting involved with her. Lee knew exactly what buttons to push with him, and he hadn’t liked himself those few weeks they’d been together. But he’d been desperate…because of May.

The last few months had been hard on his control. May drove him crazy with those little smiles or the gentle, lyrical laugh that could be heard throughout the restaurant. Women like her attracted all types of men. She was pretty, but not truly stunning, not in her features. That came from within. Generosity and sensuality combined into a delicious delight that was hard for men to ignore…especially him. More than once he’d fantasized about her. It couldn’t be helped. Even with the cooler than normal water temperature, his cock lengthened, hardened. Jesus, it didn’t matter how many times he told himself it would be impossible, that women like May were not for the likes of him, he couldn’t seem to shake the need that had coiled deep in his soul. Just the thought of her had his libido raging, his body ready to explode.