Crystal Lakes, as exclusive and ritzy as it was, sat only about twenty-five minutes from the lower east side. It was one of those areas where you could feel the gradual change as you left hell and entered heaven. The grass started looking greener, the business district slipped away, and eventually everything was clean and untainted. Bonnie pointed out her house, a small white one, with a front porch. It looked as if it had been standing there for more than a hundred years, and was surprisingly different from the newer, immense homes recently built in the area. There were lights in every window, providing a sense of warmth. All in all, the place was impressive, but not quite what he’d expected. Somehow, he’d envisioned her stationed in real money. Any truly successful businessperson could afford this house. David stared around the isolated grounds. “So you decided to live here by yourself?” She nodded, not quite looking at him, her hands clasped nervously in her lap. “And th
He braced his hands on the door frame, deliberately looming over her. "From this second on, I call the shots, with no arguments from you. If you really want to continue to stay here, you'll do as I tell you, whatever I tell you." He waited until she'd backed all the way into the kitchen, then he added, "You understand all that?" Bonnie's mouth opened twice, but nothing came out. She was too stunned to think rationally, too appalled to react with any real thought. David dropped his arms and stepped completely into the kitchen, watching her, and by reflex alone, she started sidling toward the hall door. She had made a terrible mistake. Her instincts had been off by a long shot. David's smile was pure wickedness. "Where ya' goin', Bon Bon?" "I, ah, I just thought of something..." she replied. Like a loud blast, his laugh erupted, filling the silence of the kitchen. She halted, a spark of suspicion beginning to form. "What is so funny?" "The look on your face. Did you think
He hesitated another moment, then stepped outside, pulling the door shut behind him. Bonnie watched through the window as his car drove away, wondering where he was going, or what he was going to do, but knowing she didn't have the right to ask. Perhaps he had a lady friend waiting for him. Of course he does, Bonnie, she told herself. A man like him probably has dozens of women. But they're not ladies. He wouldn't want a lady. And for some reason, that thought sent a small, forbidden thrill curling through her insides. ________________________ Anger and frustration were not a good combination. David didn't understand himself. Or more to the point, he didn't understand his reaction to Bonnie. He'd been a hairbreadth away from kissing her. Not a sweet little peck. No, he'd wanted his tongue in her mouth, his lips covering hers, feeling her urgency. He'd wanted, dammit, to devour her completely. And she would have loved it, he could tell that much from her racing pulse and he
Spread across David’s coffee table, several papers were scattered, including his laptop, phone and gun. The faint smell of lemon lingered in the air, a scent that reminded him of the late Rick Sanchez house. Rick had been obsessed with Pine-Sol like it was a geriatric version of crack cocaine. Everything, including the hardwood floors, had been doused in the stuff. David had spent many of his afternoons after school using the hallway downstairs in the quiet home as a Slip N Slide. Rick had always kept everything neat and clean, to the point that it was borderline disturbing, which explained why David, as an adult, couldn’t stand things to be displaced or messy. Everything had to be in order and have a purpose. And what was resting on his coffee table definitely was not a part of the plan—of any plan. David took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Well, shit on a shitter.” Rick rolled over in his grave. He had always hated cussing, and while David tried to remember and live by wh
She glanced around the room, taking in the apartment's minimal furnishings: a couch, a small table with two chairs, a few lamps, a stereo, but no television. His bedroom sat off to the right, where the open door allowed her to see a small night table and a rumpled bed. The kitchen was merely a room divided by a small, three-foot bar. He liked the place, even though the neighborhood was rough and the tenants noisy. It wasn't home, but then he'd never really had a home, at least not one of his own. He'd lived with Rick Sanchez a while, and that had seemed as close as he'd ever get to having a family. But that was before Rick died. Ever since, his life had been centered on taking care of Rick’s daughter. Where he lived was a trivial matter. He waited to see Bonnie's reactions to the apartment, but she didn't so much as blink. After a brief smile, she set the basket on the table, then opened it with a flourish. David had to say something…. “I know it’s not really a hotel as i said
"That we're strangers, or that we're going to be spending a lot of time together?" She blinked, then looked away. "How long have you been...ah...doing this. I mean how long have you been a private investigator" "And bodyguard?" "Yes." There was another bright blush on her cheeks. David wondered how she kept from catching fire as she did that a lot. "A while," he said, keeping his answer vague. "You...you like it?" Good Lord. He laid down his fork and stared at her. She was the most unpredictable woman he'd ever met. Watching her eyes, he said, "I get paid for it. So yeah." She sucked in her breath. The fork she had in front of her held a piece of sausage, ready to fall off. She looked guilty. "I'm sorry that I asked. I just wanted to get to know you better. Just because we're stuck together doesn't mean that we can't be friends, but I get it and I'll try not to ask anymore personal questions" She trembled, then put down her fork, folding her hands in her lap. David
Bonnie forced a small smile and tried to pull her hand free, but David wouldn't let her go. He wouldn't let her look away, either. His gaze held her as securely as his fingers held her hand. "I want to do this, David, and I'm not going to let you stop me." she said "Is this a way to get back on your parents… To get them to notice you?" he asked. She cleared her throat and tried to change the subject. "That is ridiculous. It doesn't have anything to do with anyone noticing me." Panic began to edge through her. Not for anything would she let him see her this way. “This has nothing to do with my family. I’m going…and if you are really determined to do your job right, then you will come with me, but i’m going…with or without you" Once she said that, she decided to leave, knowing she had to do something, occupy herself somehow. A display of emotions wouldn't serve her purpose. But before she could move away, he had tugged close. The morning whiskers on his jaw felt slightly abrasive
She loved the children in her neighborhood. She even loved the homeless who visited the kitchen where she volunteered. He'd heard it in her tone, seen it in her eyes. God, she was killing him. He had to stay objective, and that meant getting back to business. He finished dragging a comb through his damp hair and left the bathroom. Bonnie hadn't moved a single inch. And if he hadn't already had a little taste of her, he'd believe her prissy pose, with her knees pressed tightly together, and her slim hands folded in her lap. Ha! What a facade. He dragged his eyes away from her wary gaze and began stuffing her thermos and empty dishes back into the basket. "You ready to go?" he asked without staring at her. "Ah...go where?" He flicked an impatient glance her way. "Back to your place. We could talk about where exactly you want to go. And maybe tonight, we could go to the bar." "The bar?...I thought you said you didn't want me to go back there" "Yes I did." He noticed her sig