Bayou Heat (21 page)

The warning was broadcast loud enough to be heard over the
other noise. Firefighters started dropping their gear where they stood and
running. Before she could even comprehend what was happening, the wall closest
to her started to crumble. Large pieces of wall fell away, sending clouds of
dust and smoke up into the air. There was a loud, ear-splitting sound as the
rest of the roof caved in.

Eris watched in horrified silence as the building fell to
the ground. Dust rose, combining with the rising smoke from the remaining
structure, making it impossible to see what was happening. She heard the cry
for a medic and watched as firefighters and medical personnel hurried back into
the dense, dark cloud.

She strained to see what they were rushing toward. All she
could make out was a large form moving her way.

Finally the smoke thinned enough for her to see Rob and a
firefighter carrying another firefighter between them. Her knees gave out and
she sank down to the curb as she watched the scene across the street from her.
It seemed to take an eternity before they placed the man on a stretcher.

Rob straightened and looked directly at her. Her breath
caught and tears stung her eyes as she watched him cross the street to her.
Thank
God.

He sat beside her on the curb. “The store’s a complete
loss.”

“I know.” She could feel his eyes on her but refused to turn
and look at him because if she did, she would have a complete emotional
breakdown. “I purchased the insurance policy so I know they’re well covered.”

“Eris.”

“I even spent the extra money to cover loss of income due to
catastrophic damage. For once I did the right thing.”

“Look at me, Eris.” Rob’s tone was more demanding this time
but still she refused to turn his way.

“Zane will have to find another location to run his tour
company through but that shouldn’t be too difficult. Mom and Dad can finally
build the store they’ve always dreamed…”

Her words died as Rob’s fingers grazed the underside of her
chin, turning her face toward him. “You’re rambling, princess.”

“I know.”

He wiped a stray tear away. “Why?”

She lifted her eyes to his and felt her throat tighten. “I
thought you were dead.”

His jaw tightened as he cut his eyes toward the building.
“For a few moments there, I thought so too.”

Eris threw her arms around his neck and busted out into
full-blown sobs. Rob pulled her onto his lap and wrapped his arms tight around
her. He’d faced death before but tonight was vastly different than any of those
previous times. It wasn’t as if he were looking for a quick exit from this
world but he always figured when his time came, he would face it head-on. Even
when he couldn’t get his seat belt undone in the swamp, the thought of dying
hadn’t filled him with such anger.

No, something had happened between then and now and he was
positive it revolved around the woman he was holding.

The fear of her perishing in the fire was the only thing
that kept him going while trying to escape the flames, heat and smoke. Now as
he sat on the curb in the middle of total madness, he realized how much more he
wanted from life. He wasn’t ready to admit the changes this revelation would
mean to his life but he was ready to take the first step.

Loosening his grip on Eris, he took her face in his hands
and crushed his mouth to hers. She responded the way he’d hoped she would, with
the same amount of desire and need he was feeling. He didn’t try to hide his
feeling as their tongues mated. He slowed the kiss, turning it from needy to
sensual, and enjoyed the essence of the woman he was holding. She fit him
perfectly and he wanted her in ways he’d never imagined needing another person.
And that scared him to death.

He pulled away and noticed the people standing, waiting to
talk to them. “You do realize it’s going to be a very long night?”

Eris linked her fingers with his. “Yeah, but we made it out
of that inferno alive. Proving we can survive anything.”

He squeezed her hand. “Together.”

She tilted her head back and looked in his eyes. He wasn’t
sure what she saw there but she smiled. “Together.”

* * * * *

Rob held a phone to his ear as he stood looking out his
condo windows and watched as the first rays of sunshine filled the sky. As soon
as they’d arrived, Eris had headed off to fill the whirlpool tub and he’d
called LD. That’d been about ten minutes ago and he could feel himself starting
to fade. “Listen, I need some rest. I’ll call you after I wake up.”

He hung up and watched the sky brighten a bit more before
heading to the kitchen. There were two people from Titan stationed downstairs
guarding the building, so he felt comfortable passing out for a few hours.
Before that, he needed to clean up and eat. He quickly filled a tray with glasses
of juice, boxed muffins and a bowl of grapes then took it with him to the
master bath.

“What did LD have to say?” Eris asked from her relaxed
position in the whirlpool tub.

“He’s called in some favors, so we’ve got some extra help
headed our way. It’s always nice to have a few IOUs stashed away. Even Matt is
out of bed and hitting the streets.” He put the tray down on the counter and
started stripping.

“Matt shouldn’t be up walking on his leg, but honestly I’m
glad to hear it. I don’t know how much longer I can handle this.”

Rob tossed his dirty clothes on top of hers. Everything
they’d been wearing was ruined, which was fine by him. He had no desire to be
reminded of last night. He picked up a glass of juice and handed it to Eris. He
sat on the tub’s edge and picked up the soapy sponge. “Lean forward.”

Eris did and he started scrubbing her back. “You don’t have
to do that, but whatever you do, don’t stop.”

Rob chuckled as he dropped the sponge and started massaging
her shoulders and upper back. “I’m glad to hear you’re open to more help
because your private life no longer exists. You go nowhere alone, you don’t
stay in the apartment alone and there will always be a minimum of two people
watching you.”

He picked up a cup, pouring warm water over her hair before
shampooing it. She sighed again as his fingers massaged her scalp. “As long as
these extra people aren’t watching us while we’re alone, I’m good with that
plan.”

He rinsed her hair. “You have nothing to worry about
there…and so you know, I’m not into watching or being watched. Okay, you’re
done.”

Eris pulled the plug on the tub before standing. He handed
her one of the towels off the warming rack before heading toward the shower.

“Where are you going?” Eris asked as she dried off.

“To take a quick shower.”

“No, you aren’t. You’re getting in the tub.”

“I’ve never used the thing.”

“Well, it’s about time you did. I’m surprised one of your
previous girlfriends didn’t drag you into it. I would have. This thing is
decadent. Dim the lights, light some candles, pop the cork on a bottle of
champagne, toss in some chocolate-dipped strawberries and you’ve got the
ultimate stage for seduction.”

“Considering I’ve never brought another woman back here, I
wouldn’t know.”

Eris straightened from adjusting the water and pointed to
the tub. “In.”

Rob laughed. “I’ll take a quick shower. You go get in bed.”

Eris crossed her arms and glared at him. She was naked and
beautiful and not a person he wanted to tangle with right now, at least not in
an argumentative way. “Okay, okay. I can tell you’re not in the mood to discuss
this.”

“No, I’m not.” She squeezed a stream of liquid soap into the
water and bubbles started to form.

“Don’t think I’ve ever taken a bubble bath.” He stepped into
the warm water and lowered his tired, aching body. Rob picked up the sponge and
started washing away the filth. “I hate to admit it, but this feels good.”

Eris scooted around the tub behind him and sat on the edge,
her legs resting in the water beside him. “Hand me the sponge. I’ll get your back.”

He handed it over and leaned forward, letting her wash away
the night’s muck, but he knew the memory wouldn’t be so easily forgotten. The
sponge landed in the water next to him and then he felt fingers touch his back.
Slowly she worked away the tension and stress from the night. Her hand glided
over his shoulder and he jumped.

“You have some swelling here.”

“When the back wall collapsed, the ladder fell to the ground
and I rode it down. I jumped off about three feet from the ground and would
have been fine, but my feet hit water and went out from under me. I ended up on
the ground, flat on my back with my shoulder connecting with the ladder’s
edge.”

“That must have hurt.”

“Not as much as the portion of wall that landed on the
firefighter we hauled out.”

“Still, do you need a doctor or for me to call Lance?”

“I’ll be fine, but thanks for the offer.”

Eris dumped a cup of water over his head and started washing
his hair. They stayed silent and he enjoyed the feeling of someone else taking
care of him. His earliest memories were not those of his mother caring for him,
they were the exact opposite. For once he decided to push those bad memories to
the back of his mind and not dwell on them. This place, this time, this woman were
all that mattered to him.

She finished rinsing his hair and started to get out of the
tub. He reached up, grabbed her hand and pulled her around in front of him.
Water sloshed over the edge as she landed in his lap. “Come here.”

She leaned forward, placing her mouth to his, and all the
need and lust he felt sitting on the sidewalk erupted back to life. He ran his
hands down her back to her thighs, adjusting their positions until he was
buried deep inside her. He felt the tension vibrate through her body as she
pulled back from the kiss. Her hands stayed on his shoulders as she slowly rode
him. He watched the early morning sunlight dance off her skin as a wealth of
emotions transformed her face into a vision of sensual delight.

Soft moans escaped her as she continued the pace she’d
started and he knew she was close. So was he. “Protection. We need some and
there’s nothing I can reach.”

She stopped her movement and looked into his eyes. “Then we
should move this to the bed.”

“You read my mind.”

“Nope, that’s Zane’s specialty.” Eris stood quickly and
water splashed onto the floor as she stepped out of the tub. “I just want to
finish what we started, now hurry.”

Rob laughed as he stood and followed. Tomorrow he was going
to the drug store to make sure both their places were well supplied with condoms.

* * * * *

Eris knew before she opened her eyes that she was once again
alone in Rob’s bed. She wondered if this was something she should get used to.
Obviously the man didn’t require as much sleep as she did. There were much
worse flaws, she thought as she stood. Clothes lay on the end of the bed and
there was a note taped to the inside of the door. Going over, she removed the
note.

As much as it pains me, get dressed before coming out.

She laughed as she returned to the bed and slipped on the
t-shirt and lounge pants. Both were large on her, but she didn’t care. She
entered the living area of the condo, expecting to find at least Rob, but it
was empty. Muted voices carried to her from the kitchen and breakfast area.

She walked to the entrance and stopped short when she saw
how many people were crammed into the dining area. She’d assumed Rob and LD
were the only ones here, but she’d been way off. There were several men but
only two she didn’t know. Those two stood as soon as she entered the room. Rob
turned his head to the side, pinning her with his stare. He did quick
introductions, and then the two men returned to their conversations.

Rob never broke eye contact as he unfolded his body from the
chair and moved toward her. He moved like a sleek, powerful panther in his
body-forming black t-shirt and snug-fitting jeans. The intensity of his gaze
and aura told her he was totally focused on her. This was the same feeling she
felt when they made love. It was a side of him she was sure he kept buried deep
inside, never intending to let it see the light of day.

Her toes curled, her palms grew damp and her heart sped up
as he moved closer to her. Even as he made her feel like the center of the
universe, the overpowering need to run for the hills exploded inside her. She
managed to survive heartbreak once before but she wasn’t sure she would ever
recover from Rob’s rejection. Before she could back away, he cupped her face
with both hands and lowered his mouth to hers. The fear and insecurity she felt
dissolved as she wrapped her arms around his waist and melted into him.

When he finally pulled back she felt warm all over and a
little bit lightheaded. Rob guided her to the table and the vacant chair next
to his. As she looked around the group, she couldn’t help but notice the
shocked looks on most of their faces. LD shook his head and gave an all-knowing
smile while Nate glared daggers at Rob. Eris rolled her eyes at Nate then
glanced next to her to see Rob studying the computer screen before him. She
leaned into him to see what he was working on and when she couldn’t make it
out, she scooted even closer, placing a hand on his thigh.

Chair legs scraped against the floor. “I’m leaving before
the lap dance starts.”

Eris snapped her head around at the sound of Nate’s voice
and watched as he stood. She felt the tension explode to life in Rob and
squeezed his leg, hoping he’d take the hint and let her handle this. “Excuse
me?”

“You heard me. I’ve got my marching orders and I’m out of
here.”

Eris followed Nate to the front door, stepping in front of
him before he could open it. “What the hell is wrong with you? That last
comment was totally uncalled for.”