Arrested Pleasure (25 page)

She gathered the empty coffee mugs off the desk and headed down the hallway to the small galley. No sense in wallowing in her own self-pity. Of course, part of her moodiness had to be due to last night. She rarely drank that much or stayed out late.

Shaking her head, she rinsed the cups and set them on the counter to dry. Dani's voice in the reception area talking to her client alerted Cassie that they were finished.

"We'll see you in two weeks then, Mrs. Robinson."

As she entered the room, she watched Dani escort the middle-aged lady out the door.

Dani shut the door and turned to face Cassie. "Hey, Cassie, want to get some Chinese food and hang around?"

Chinese food immediately brought back memories of the man she wanted to forget. The night she'd allowed herself to become emotionally involved with him.

Flames flickered inside as she recalled what his mouth did to her.
The kisses. The
lovemaking
.

She shook her head, both in response to Dani's question and to shake the erotic thoughts out of her head. "Ah, no, I think I'll have a quiet night at home."

"Oh, okay." Dani glanced at her wrist. "I'm out of here. Are you going to lock the door and close down?"

"No, I'm waiting for Charlene Abel to show up." Cassie checked the time. It was now after six. "She's late. I'll stay here and see if she shows up. You go ahead and leave.

I won't wait around too much longer."

Dani nodded and headed down the hallway to leave. The rain had made the sky dark, but Cassie only left one light on. Charlene was a sometime regular, but she'd been known to forget appointments. Cassie had a hunch today was one of those times.

She sat down at her desk and opened her bankbook. She still hadn't heard from the bank despite her repeated calls today. Tomorrow, if she hadn't any contact by noon, she'd ask for a supervisor. She had no idea what the holdup could be. Isaiah hadn't shown up, but there was no guarantee he wouldn't tomorrow.

Her back up plan if the bank didn't come through would be to go to her father.

She grimaced as she envisioned what her father would say, and the conditions he'd add on. But keeping her business afloat—at any cost—was her main priority.

Silent minutes ticked by. The only sounds were the hum of traffic outside as cars skimmed across the wet roadway. Any passerby on the sidewalk this time of the night was few and far between, since the deli normally closed at six o'clock. Her business and the homeless shelter were the only ones open.

Thoughts of the shelter reminded her she needed to check in on Livi and Sienna.

Hopefully the move would be good for them and help them rise out of their abject poverty. Cassie made a mental note to offer a couple of free spa appointments as a goodbye gesture.

The harsh sound of her cell phone ringing startled her out of her musings. She picked the phone up, but didn't bother to check caller id. Likely her mother.

"Hey, Cassie, I'm returning your call. A bit surprised to hear from you. What's up?"

Gavin
. "I'd forgotten I called you the other day." She swung away from the window and stared at a painting of an Oregon lighthouse on the wall. "You're a hard man to reach."

"Well." He chuckled deeply. "I've been busy. When I'm not working, I'm with Sharon."

She didn't blame him. "I gather congratulations are in order. You're getting married. Have you and Sharon set a date yet?"

A brief pause. "Uh, yeah. How did you know?"

She shifted in her chair and closed her eyes for a moment. "I stopped by your
old
place and ran into the guy staying there—Gabe. He mentioned you're engaged to Sharon."

"Did you drop off another one of your gifts, Cassie?" Gavin laughed. "What did you bring this time? Lube or perhaps a thong? Want me to stop by and pick it up?"

He knew her too well. A good thing she'd planned to stop her gifts. "Err . . . no."

She wasn't sure what Gabe did with the cock ring, but as far as she knew, he still had it in his possession. "That isn't what I wanted to call you about." She rose and walked over to the counter, her phone against her ear. "I wondered what you thought of him. Is he . .

. ?" God, why was she having a conversation about a man who had turned out to be a traitor?

"Gabe? He's a great guy. I met him through my athletic club, and we clicked.

When he mentioned he needed a place to stay for a few days, I offered him mine." He paused while she assessed his words. "He left a favorable impression on me, Cassie. Did he do the same for you?"

Gavin didn't have to say the words, but he'd already sensed Gabe had caught her eye. Dangerous, handsome, and willing to challenge her.

"I am—not sure," she finally replied.

"He's a good man, Cassie. Loyal and will do anything for you."

Obviously Gavin liked Gabe. But right now, she couldn't think about how she felt about him. "I need to go, Gavin. Thanks for your opinion—and good luck on your forthcoming marriage. Both you and Sharon are lucky."

Tucking her phone back into her purse, Cassie sat down and glanced at the clock.

Charlene still hadn't arrived. She'd probably forgotten their appointment. Cassie rose to lock the door.

Her conversation with Gavin still rang in her ears. He sounded confident about Gabe and his wanting to help people. Even though she hated the man right at the moment over his betrayal, she did concede he probably couldn't discuss an open case against her without jeopardizing things. Maybe after a few days, she'd calm down and speak to Gabe. Get some answers.

Feeling around for the key to her front door in her pockets, she came up empty.

Then she remembered she'd tossed it in the drawer at the reception desk. She began rummaging in the drawer, her head bent down in concentration.

The sudden rattling of the door and the whoosh of cool air startled Cassie. Half expecting to see Charlene at full speed and apologetic, she lifted her head to greet her, but instead was surprised to see the man from a few days ago.

His dark hair was slicked back, and he wore a battered gray coat. It was cooler outside today, but not enough to warrant winter apparel. Odd that he wore one.

He stopped and stared at her. A sudden trickle of fear ran down Cassie's spine.

"We're closing. I'm about to lock the door." She held up the key to emphasize her words.

His gaze narrowed as he eyed the key. "My neck is sore, and I thought you'd work me in. The sign still showed you open. I really need the help." He ran his hand up and down his neck as if to show her his pain.

Part of Cassie wanted to help him. She needed any money she could get. But the other part of her told her this guy appeared to be trouble. She watched his gaze rove around the office. Her unease ratcheted up a notch. Assessing whether they were alone?

"I don't think so. I'm tired and—like I said—I'm in the process of closing. I can work you into the schedule early tomorrow." She went back behind the desk and picked up a pen. "My appointments computer is shut down, but I can handwrite you in a scheduled time with myself as early as seven thirty."

He didn't immediately respond, but still continued to look around. The quietness of Casa de Massage and his strange behavior rankled her nerves. Outside, the din of traffic going by echoed. Seconds passed.

"Are you alone in here?" he finally asked.

The words sounded menacing to Cassie. She chose to ignore his question. "I'm closing, and I'd like you to leave. Please.
Sir
."

He responded by pulling his jacket closer and staring intently at her. Cassie gripped the key in her hand and felt a sudden urge to pick up the phone and dial 9-1-1.

She was used to handling the vagrants who wandered over from the seedy parts of town, but usually she had others around to call on for help. Being alone in the spa with the only way to escape blocked by this man concerned her. Cassie started to edge toward the hallway entrance. Maybe if she surprised him by taking off down the hallway, it would give her enough of a start to escape him. She bumped against the wall.

He continued to watch her and their gazes locked. Abruptly, he turned to the door and lifted his hand. Cassie froze at the click.

The man had locked the security bolt on the door.

No
. This couldn't be happening. A scream rose as bile in her throat.
Run. Run.

Her body felt heavy from the uneasiness, but she had enough sense to turn. The hallway seemed long and endless, but if she ran . . . .

She stumbled and grabbed the wall. Cassie heard a sound behind her, and without looking, started her dash to the back door. Heavy footsteps pounded behind her.
He's after me. Oh my God. Get out of here!
She had to get away
.

She'd only gone halfway when his hands grabbed her around the waist and threw her onto the floor hard, causing her to hit her head. He landed on top of her, his weight bearing down. His dark face repulsed her, and his breath smelled of too much garlic. Fear coursed through her body and for once in her life, she tasted terror in her mouth.

"You ain't going nowhere bitch," he said. "We're gonna have some fun first."

Silence laced the darkened hallway for long moments while Cassie assessed what to do. The wind knocked out of her, she needed time to recover. The man continued to gaze at her with a grim, menacing smile across his face.

Reality slammed into her. She was in danger and had to get out of here. She pushed at him, struggling to get away. "No . . . ."

Her actions were futile as he proved to be an unmovable object. "Come on, sister, you'll enjoy this." He chuckled and bumped his groin against her hip.

She flinched at his gruesome touch. Her skin crawled with unfathomable sensations. "Let me go," Cassie begged as she tried to shove him away.

"Not until I tell you so, lady," he muttered, continuing to pin her legs beneath his.

She struggled and tried to twist her body away from him. All she could do was roll onto on her stomach. Her breath came deep and hard. An instant flash of bucking him off like a bareback crossed her mind. Crazy, but right now she felt desperate.

He leaned down and brazenly nuzzled the side of her neck. Cassie didn't bother to repress her shudder. A weird purr seemed to rumble from deep within his throat.

Good God, did he get his rocks off pawing her? The thought scared her even more. Her mind raced with the knowledge that he hadn't killed her . . . yet.

"Let me up, and I'll let you go. I won't call the authorities." She tried to sound brave, but her voice trembled and came out as a squeak.

His chest rumbled against her back. "Sweetheart, I don't think you have a say in the matter." He pressed her down farther into the carpet that now felt like cement beneath her. Pain shot up her hip.

"I have money in the safe. I can give you—"

"Lady, I'll take everything you've got," he cackled as he brushed his hand down the side of her breast.

No.
Her body screamed inside, but nothing came out of her throat. Her stomached ached at the realization he planned to assault her. She took a deep breath, trying to think straight. This couldn't be happening to her.

Cassie reached for all the strength she had, and with a mighty thrust, she managed to shake him off her back. He toppled over onto his side, cursing as he hit the wall. She scrambled to her feet and ran toward the door, bent on escape.
Come on, come
on
.
Get out of here.

Just as she reached for the doorknob, he grabbed her leg and heaved her backwards.

"You're not going anywhere, bitch!"

"You bastard
!
Leave me alone
." She pulled, but he gripped even harder. She cursed in a language that would make her mother's hair curl. Her leg radiated pain, but that didn't matter. She needed to get to safety.
Fast
.

"Not so fast," he snarled. His hand gripped her leg in a powerful hold, twisting it at an angle.

A sting shot up her leg, causing her to gasp. Tears started running down her cheeks and sheer, black fear swept through her.
He is going to kill me
. "No," she screamed as she tugged with a fierce determination.

He muttered another curse and dragged her back down on the hard carpet.

"Goddamn bitch, shut up."

"No . . . ." Tears ran down her face.

He pounced on top of her and held her down.

For several minutes, the only sounds were their breathing. She didn't want to, but she stole a glance at his face. Trickles of blood ran down it in a scary, eerie way. She must've caused the scratches in their struggle. How she wished she'd poked his eyes out.

They lay on the floor for several, long moments. She breathed in quick, shallow breaths, her mind racing. What now? Stronger and bigger than her, he held all the cards. She wanted desperately to close her eyes, but she knew to do so would give her enemy an opportunity. Why did he come in here? Why her? She didn't keep much money on the premises for security reasons, and she'd gone to the bank two hours before. She sensed he wanted something else and the knowledge sent a spiral of panic twisting her insides. "What do you want?" she gasped.

He grinned, an awful sick expression on his face. The man was crazed. "
You.

Only you."
His dark eyes blazed at her and then he dragged her body closer to his.

Ohmygod, he plans to rape me.
She always thought herself safe here, even when she worked alone. Her father's words mocked her. He'd told her several times how its closeness to Burnside Avenue made this an unsafe living. Her reply to him came back to haunt her.
Crime could happen anywhere
. Did she spend her last nine lives living on the edge of danger?

"Leave me alone. I—"

"You don't have a choice, bitch." His eyes got a strange, glassy expression.

Cassie's eyes stared at the silver blade he waved it in front of her face. In the distance, the phone began to ring. But Cassie didn't move to answer. Her attention focused on the knife he brandished in his hand.