Blind Love (2 page)

Chapter Two

Sunny

Jack Sparrow grumbled disapproval from his sleeping spot on the floor, alerting Lauren to the intruder’s presence.

Nicknamed Cat in high school for her crazy sensitivity to smell and sound, she took a deep breath and tried to tap into those senses. Her nose filled with a familiar scent of roses and orchids. She groaned and squeezed her eyes shut. Pulling the covers over her head, she braced for the inevitable. The mattress dipped and creaked when the person climbed onto the bed.

“Heeeeerrrrre’s Joooohnny,” the prowler, formerly her best friend until a few seconds ago, bellowed in an awful Jack Nicholson impersonation.

The attacker planted a knee on either side of her hips.

“Don’t even think about it,” she mumbled through the thick downy layers.

A maniacal laugh answered. Seconds later, hands grabbed and pulled at the duvet. Adrenaline surged through her veins, fueling her anger. Lauren tugged back and tried to stay in control, but was outmatched.

When cold air hit her warm skin, she screamed, “So help me if you don’t get the hell out of here I’m going to kill you!”

Jack’s paws pattered against the carpeted floor while he paced, barking relentlessly.

“Jack, attack!” she yelled.

The mattress shifted when he joined the battle. Their bodies dipped and rose, making her extra-firm pillow top feel more like a waterbed. Legs and arms flailed. Screams pierced the air. Wet smacking sounds and heavy breathing preceded more screams and giggles. Lauren reached for the blanket and cocooned herself in its warmth while the two fought for control.

“Get off me, you big cow,” Sunny squealed. “Jack. Down!”

Seconds later, his paws landed with a thud on the carpeted floor.

Goose bumps created mountain ranges across Lauren’s body when the warmth was stripped away a second time.

“Now get your lazy ass out of bed,” the obnoxious intruder ordered.

“No.” She pouted and curled up in a ball, hugging her pillow. “There is nothing sunny and bright about you, Sunshine Daye.”

“All true, but you still missed me,” she sang and bounced on the bed.

She couldn’t argue that point. As much as she complained about Sunny most of the time, she was Lauren’s rock. After Ben left her for another woman, Sunny helped glue the pieces back together again. The two typically spent five out of seven days a week together. Sunny took care of her billing, transcribed her taped notes, picked out her clothes, drove her wherever she needed to go, and every time her ego got a little too big, the succubus happily stomped on it.

Lauren mumbled profanities and climbed out of bed before she got seasick.

Although he kept his promise to stay silent during her sessions, Gabe had worked late into the night. Which meant Lauren stayed up cursing his hammer, drill and all sorts of other power tools.

Jack rubbed his head against her stomach for his good morning kiss. Lauren leaned over and was letting him lick her face clean when the office line rang. “What time is it?”

“Six thirty,” Sunny said.

Ignoring the call, she turned to Sunny. “Why are you here so early?”

“You told me to come and drag your butt out of bed so we can work on your notes, remember?”

“Oh right, sorry, last night was bad.” Lauren made her way to the adjoining bathroom. “How was your writing day?”

“Perfect, I’ve figured out what my next story line’s going to be and my agent loves the concept.”

“Ohh, tell me.” She squeezed some toothpaste into her mouth and brushed.

“It’s going to be an erotic historical romance.”

Lauren paused from her brushing for a moment to consider all the reasons why Sunny’s voice sounded strained. “And?” she asked through a mouthful of foam.

“It’s about you.”

The image of beefy men ripping off her bodice and sheathing their shafts into her wet folds had her giggling. “What?”

“It’s about a blind princess finding love in the most ordinary of places.” Sunny’s excitement was infectious.

“Aww, how sweet. You’re going to write about me?”

“Yup. You’re my inspiration. I have the whole story laid out. I just need to find the right man for you.”

“Maybe my fictional self’ll have better luck,” Lauren said.

“Of course she will. She’ll be a kinder, gentler version of you.”

She pulled out her toothbrush and spit in the sink. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Meaning she won’t cut his balls off the minute she gets scared.”

Lauren gasped at Sunny’s description. “You think I emasculate men?”

“Emasculate. Intimidate. Shall I go on?”

“No,” she whispered and splashed cold water on her face.
That woman really needs to work on keeping her opinions to herself, even if they are right.
Lauren never set out to hurt men, but each time things went well for her, she managed to ruin it. Considering she got paid to help people figure out why they did the things they did, she knew what her issues were. Knowing and working on them, though, were two very different things.

The toilet seat slammed shut. Sunny seated herself on the lid and changed the subject while Lauren brushed her hair. “Enough about me, how was yesterday for you?”

“Fine, got my work done. Met the neighbor.”

“Ohh?”

“No, not ooh. More like
nooo
. I had to have a talk with him about using his tools during my phone sessions.” Back in the bedroom, Lauren grabbed Jack’s harness hung on the wall and sat on the edge of the bed.

“Ohh, power tools?”

“Shut up and let me finish, please.” Jack rested his chin on her lap while she looped the belt around his neck and chest and buckled him in. “He’s pushy. I think he’s been spying on me and for some reason he thinks I’m going out to dinner with him tonight.”

Sunny took in a dramatic breath. “Oh. My. God. You have a date?”

Lauren immediately regretted telling her and tried to stop her friend’s romantic and often erotic imagination from racing. “No, I don’t have a date. The man’s most likely a psychopath.” Together, the three made their way to the office.

“What did Jack think of him?”

Hmm, good question.
“Polite indifference.”

“Mystery solved. Definitely not a psychopath. You will go to dinner with him. What the hell happened to your diploma?”

“The psychopath happened. And no, I will not. I’m not desperate.”

“It’s been what, a year, since you’ve gone out with anyone besides me and your parents? This is huge.”

Lauren plopped into her seat and grabbed the tapes Sunny needed to transcribe. “It’s not happening.”

“Does he sound cute?”

Omitting the images she had of him as a shirtless cowboy, Lauren decided to go for the least-appealing description she’d been able to think of. “Overweight. The wall creaked when he leaned against it. He sounded Southern but he could be missing his front teeth and the lisp it created could be why he sounded like that. Anyway, the dinner invite’s to apologize for banging against the wall while I was in session.”

“He was having sex against the wall?” The pieces of glass fragments that once framed a diploma clinked in the trash can as Sunny cleaned up the mess.

“No, banging doesn’t usually mean sex. It means hammer and nails and pounding said hammer and nails into a wall until my diploma falls down.”

“Banging, pounding, nailing, oh my.”

“Sunny.”

“Yes, Cat.”

“You have a sex addiction.”

She snorted. “Which makes me a damn good writer. Anyway, I see it as having a very healthy sexual appetite. Now, what do you want me to do with this mess?”

“Can we get it reframed?”

“I’ll drop it off today on my way home.”

Before she could respond, Jack barked and ran out of the room. Seconds later, someone knocked at the back door.

“What time is it?”

“Six forty,” Sunny answered.

The banging and Jack’s barking grew louder. Lauren ran her hands through her hair and made her way down the stairs with Sunny close behind.

At the door, her best friend leaned over her and peeked through the blinds.

“Oh Sweet Baby Jesus, who’s that?” she whispered.

Lauren pushed her away and blocked the entrance with her body. “If I could see, I’d tell you.”

“It’s a man. Open the door,” she ordered and tried to pull Lauren’s hand from the knob.

“No! We don’t know who he is,” she hissed.

“Lauren, it’s Gabe.” The way her name sounded in the baritone voice of his had her stomach doing the funny flipping thing again like it did yesterday in the backyard.

“Yes, Lauren, it’s Gabe,” Sunny imitated. “Now open the fucking door.”

“Hi, Gabe. Everything okay?” she asked, her voice huskier than she’d like.

“I heard screams. I tried calling a couple times and when you didn’t answer, thought I’d come over and check things out.”

“The neighbor with the power tools?” Sunny hissed. “The man is eye candy beautiful.”

“That doesn’t mean he’s not a rapist or serial killer,” Lauren hissed back.

Boney arms wrapped tight around her waist, lifting her off the ground and planting her a few feet away from the entrance. Disoriented, Lauren was still figuring out which direction she was facing when the door rattled and opened.

“Hey,” Sunny said in her most seductive tone. After rolling her eyes, Lauren walked toward her friend’s voice.

“Hi,” Gabe cleared his throat. “I’m sorry, I was looking for Lauren.”

“I’m right here.”

“Sorry to bother you two. Like I said, I heard screaming…”

“So sorry; we were having a disagreement,” she answered before Sunny got a chance to give her interpretation of events.

“I’m Sunny.” Her voice sounded deep and breathy. Lauren cringed and resisted the urge to hit her.

“Hi, Sunny, I’m Gabe.”

“Nice to meet you, neighbor with the power tools.”

“Anyway, we’re fine. Thanks for checking.” Lauren reached over to shut the door but Sunny wouldn’t let it go.

“How sweet. Did you hear, Cat? He came here to see if you needed to be saved.” Since when did she start speaking with a Southern accent?

“I don’t need to be saved,” she muttered.

“That’s all relative now isn’t it, sweetheart? Why don’t you come in, Gabe? I just made some fresh coffee.”

“I’d love some. But if you don’t mind, let me go put some clothes on and I’ll be right back.”

A few seconds after he disappeared, Sunny blew out a breath and closed the door. “Honey, I do mind if you put on more clothes.”

“What’s wrong with you? You can’t let strangers into my home,” Lauren growled.

“Rule number one: When a man who looks like him walks up in nothing but hard muscles and a thin pair of boxers, you invite him in. Rule number two: Keep rocking those low-cut tank tops and short biker shorts, ’cause he couldn’t keep his eyes off you.”

“Oh God,” Lauren pulled up the neck of her tank and rushed upstairs.

“Overweight and missing his front teeth,” Sunny muttered as she followed. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

Grabbing a pair of jeans and a shirt from the drawer, Lauren pulled them on over her sleepwear. “Not important. He was pushy and like I said, he’s been watching me.”

“No. Not true. He’s not
watching
you, he’s lusting after you. Here, let me paint him for you.”

Sunny had a knack for description. She’d taken on the responsibility of being Lauren’s eyes when she lost her vision and made it a point to reference people and movies they both remembered.

“About six feet two, a mouth full of perfect white teeth, and ripped.” A lovely image of Gabe took shape. “If I didn’t have Scott, I’d have run my fingers down those hills and valleys right to the elastic band of his sweet black shorts and…”

“No sex fantasies, please, only facts.”

“Okay, fine. A mix of Matt Damon’s face from
Goodwill Hunting
, but better looking, and Tom Cruise’s body from
Mission Impossible Two
when he hung from the cliff, remember?”

Lauren bit her lip and nodded.

“But bulkier and much, much taller. He has this tribal tattoo around his right biceps. It’s a bunch of shapes, but looks hot. Dark hair buzzed short, strong jaw line, deep blue eyes, full lips I’m sure are capable of making some lucky woman, more specifically you, scream…”

She shook her head and pushed her sex-addicted friend aside while she made her way downstairs.

“And
you
have a date with him tonight.”

“I’m not going.” In the kitchen, she opened the second cabinet to the left and grabbed some coffee mugs.

Sunny poured water into the coffee maker. “It’s been a long time since you’ve gone out with a man.”

From the drawer to the right of the dishwasher, Lauren grabbed some coffee pods and tossed them by the brewer. “That doesn’t mean I jump the first man who comes along. Anyway, he didn’t ask me out, he
told
me he’d pick me up tonight at seven. Just because I’m blind doesn’t mean I’m submissive and desperate.”

“Honey, he thinks you’re hot and you are—Jessica Alba from
Dark Angel
hot.”

“It doesn’t matter, I told him I’m dating someone.” She made her way to the refrigerator and pulled out some bagels.

“Then why’s he taking you out?”

“He says it’s to make up for disturbing my work with his hammering.”

Sunny snorted and went into her sleazy Betty Boop voice, “I bet he hammers exceptionally well and can go all night.”

“This is not one of your erotica novels, and again, the guy is probably crazy. When I told him I had a boyfriend, he said he hadn’t seen anyone come by. Who says that? It’s weird—spy-stalker weird.”

“Or very interested. You’ve diagnosed every man who’s ever been attracted to you. Stop it. You’re going to go out with him tonight. And I think I’ve discovered your man for my story…”

Chapter Three

Complicating Uncomplicated Lives

“What the hell’s wrong with me?” Gabe asked while tucking his boxers into his jeans. When he heard all the screaming next door, he’d jumped out of his sleeping bag thinking she was in trouble. The fact that she didn’t answer her phone fed his fears and sent him running, ready to take on whatever danger lurked. Now, fifteen minutes later, he was home and his palms were still sweaty and adrenaline pumping but for an entirely different reason—going back over there to have coffee with his neighbor. He hadn’t been this nervous around a woman since he was fifteen. He picked the least-wrinkled shirt from the pile in his duffel bag, sniffed it and pulled it over his head.

In the bathroom, he checked his teeth before turning off the light and heading down the stairs.

I’ve lost my mind.

First of all, the woman’s blind and wouldn’t notice if I walked in there naked. Second, her boyfriend’s going to kick my ass once he realizes I’m flirting with her.

Now he needed to stop staring at her. Tall and muscular, with curves in all the right places, and with that ass…

I’m fucked.

With a deep breath, he opened the front door and made his way across the lawn. Unless they were of the one-night-stand persuasion, Gabe didn’t have time for women. And nothing about the woman who had taken the leading role in his nightly erotic dreams indicated she leaned the way he’d like. Which was exactly why he tried his best to stay away, but something about her kept pulling at him, invading his attention, his thoughts.

Every evening at six thirty, when she and her horse of a dog ventured out for their jog, Gabe found himself outdoors for one reason or another to watch. It took him a few Lauren sightings to realize she was blind. The harness on the dog should have been clue enough, but he had been too busy admiring other things to notice. Her short jogging shorts, form-fitting shirts, and the way her thighs and glutes flexed when she walked were way too important to ignore. Last week, when he waved and she walked past, oblivious to him, the faulty light switch in his head finally turned on. Stunned, Gabe dropped his electric drill, barely missing his foot in the process.

To the unsuspecting eye, her walks seemed casual, uncalculated. In reality, every move she made was precise, deliberate. Twenty-seven steps straight down her lawn, a graceful right turn, eighty-two paces down the street before she turned and disappeared. Paced. Measured. Fascinating.

He had been in complete control of his senses until he found her standing outside his back door yesterday. The big fake smile on her face. Those little dimples that formed in her cheeks. The way her green eyes crinkled at the corners. His ability for logical thought ceased and another part of him took over—the part hungry to strip her naked and find out if her other cheeks were dimpled too.

Arms crossed and chin tilted, she kept her bogus grin plastered on her face. The woman wanted a fight and damned if he wasn’t ready to give her one, but not the kind her pretty little brain expected. The more Gabe flirted, the deeper she blushed. By the time he shut the door, he knew he’d need to investigate how many of her delicious parts turned the rosy hue.

Now, in front of Lauren’s house, he considered turning back but didn’t. After yesterday, walking away from this one was no longer an option. Her dog barked, alerting everyone to his arrival. Gabe shook off his not-so-pure thoughts and knocked.

The deadbolt turned and when the door opened, her friend Sunny appeared. Lauren’s dog pushed past the pretty blonde’s leg, wagging his tail. After a thorough smell down of Gabe’s hands, feet and crotch, he barked and walked back inside.

Sunny stepped aside and waved Gabe in. “It seems, you’ve passed the security check.”

He let out the breath he had been holding. “I was a little worried for a second.”

The door led into an open living room, connected to the kitchen where Lauren stood. Expensive, dark hardwood covered the floor, and the walls were painted a pale brown. Furnished with light-colored sofas and armchairs, the place was bright and clean. Like he had imagined, their houses were set up exactly the same but flipped.

“Did you bring your hammer?” Sunny asked when they entered the kitchen. “There are some things in here in need of pounding,” she said, jutting her chin at Lauren.

Sunny smirked and winked at him. Before he could think of a smartass response, the cup in Lauren’s hand fell and crashed to the kitchen floor. Apparently, Gabe wasn’t the only one who liked to make his lovely neighbor turn all shades of red.

Lauren turned her back to them and squatted on the tiled floor. She muttered words he couldn’t quite make out while she cleaned the mess. Beside her, the dog paced and whimpered.

“Good morning,” he said, too busy appreciating the view to offer help.

“Why, Mr. Neighbor man with the power tools, are you staring at my boss’s ass?”

Before Gabe could respond, Lauren chimed in. “Gabe, do you know how to change the locks on my door?”

“I do. Why?” he asked and continued to admire her assets.

“I need to fire my personal assistant and make sure she doesn’t slither back in here after I toss
her
ass
to the curb.”

“Sweetheart, your checks barely fuel my car and caffeine addiction. Even if you fired me or changed the locks, I’d still show up. I get my best writing done here.”

“Oww!” Lauren yelped and shook her hand. The German shepherd howled in response to her distress.

When the four-legged bodyguard tried to go to Lauren, Sunny grabbed his harness. “Oh no you don’t,” she grunted and pulled him back.

“Here, let me help.” Gabe grabbed the trash can and crouched next to her. By the time he’d reached for her hand, Lauren had already pulled out the half-inch piece of shard from her finger and picked up more jagged sections of the cup from off the floor.

“I don’t need help, I’ve… Oww!” she yelped, holding her palm for the second time. Her dog yowled.

He chuckled. “I’m sure you don’t, but your dog’s killing my eardrums. Do you really
need
to do this one alone?” Before she could argue, Gabe pulled out the second fragment and tossed it into the trash. She sat on her haunches, as if considering her options.

“If you two will excuse us, I’m going to work on my real job and get Jack out of here before he has a panic attack. Have fun,” Sunny said over her shoulder as she and beast sauntered out of the room.

Hand positioned over the garbage bag, Gabe processed the interesting morsel of information. “Did you call the dog Jack?”

“Jack Sparrow. Lauren has a thing for Johnny Depp,” she hollered from the hallway.

What are the chances she has a dog and a man with the same name?

Gabe smiled at his lying neighbor with the adorably flushed face.

This changes everything.

Before she had a chance to argue, he cupped her elbow and pulled her to her feet. Gabe’s large hands circled her waist and lifted her off the ground.

Lauren gasped and grabbed his shoulders. “What are you doing?”

“Getting you out of this mess,” he said to her breasts, which were currently inches from his nose…mouth…hands. Enjoying the experience, he moved as slowly as humanly possible.

He slid her onto the kitchen island and seized her injured hand. After inspecting her cuts, he pressed a paper towel onto the wounds. “Here, keep pressure on them.”

“So you flip houses and administer first aid,” she said in a nervous, high-pitched tone.

He chuckled at her pitiful attempt to avoid the subject of lying to him. “What can I say? I’m good with my hands.”

“You and Sunny seem to have the same sense of humor.” She laughed. The sound immediately turned his brain to mush.

He moved back to put some distance between them. “Where do you keep your broom?”

“Here, you don’t need to…” When Lauren tried to slide off the countertop, he grabbed her by the hips and anchored her in place.

Her face was in the perfect location, inches away from his. Her breath smelled of mint and his mouth watered at the thought of tasting it. “The way I see it, you have two options. Sweep the mess up yourself and
then
let me patch up all the cuts you’ll get on your feet and hands, or stay on the island and let me clean up.” He took in another lungful of her scent. “Either way, I’m going to have to help.”

She chewed her lip. Unable to resist, Gabe tugged at her chin, pulling the soft skin out from under her teeth. “Consider it payment for the coffee.”

She leaned back, widening the distance between them, and pointed toward the refrigerator. “It’s in the pantry. The door to the left of the fridge.”

“Good choice.”

When he opened the door to the walk-in closet, Gabe’s mouth opened. “This is amazing.”

Baskets lined the shelves, each container was a different color and labeled in raised lettering, an organizer’s dream come true. “Who helped you do this?”

“Sunny.”

He found the broom and dustpan hanging on the wall and started the task of sweeping away the broken remnants.

“I’m a bit of a neat freak,” she confessed with a nervous smile.

For a moment, he stopped and stared at her.

Her mouth formed a circle as she sucked in some air. Both his chest and crotch tightened, watching her breasts rise in the process. It had been a long time since he’d lusted for a woman as much as he currently hungered for her. He needed to figure out how to get her to lower the Great Wall she had built up.

“So, about dinner tonight,” Lauren said.

“Where would you like to go?” he asked nonchalantly while pouring the debris into the can.

“We’re not.”

“Oh? Jack said no?”

Her cheeks turned his favorite color again and she giggled. “For the record, Jack is the best boyfriend I’ve ever had.”

Gabe returned the broom to its home in the closet. He planted his elbows on the counter next to her and nudged her with his shoulder. “Obviously you haven’t been picking the right men.”

Her face sobered. A flicker of sadness shot through her eyes. “I’m not interested in men.”

Bingo.

“You prefer women? ’Cause if you do, I don’t mind watching.”

“I bet you wouldn’t.” She laughed and slid off the island, walking to the other side of the kitchen. “No women, only dogs. They’re loyal. They listen. They don’t tell me what to do, how to live.”

The tip of Lauren’s finger grazed the drawers as she proceeded down the length of the room. Gabe didn’t follow her. Instead, he admired her movements. Just like when she went to the jogging trail, it looked casual, natural. But it wasn’t. She stopped directly in front of the coffeemaker. She was counting, but what? The drawers?

“I like my uncomplicated life.” She poured two cups.

“You can have fun while living an uncomplicated life.”

She shrugged, handing him a mug. He wrapped his fingers around her palm.

Her cheeks heated. Lauren pulled her fingers away and leaned against the cabinets across from him. “The sugar and cream are on the counter if you need them.” She took a sip of her drink before continuing. “And you’ve already complicated things.”

“How?”

She pointed her cup at him. “You’re pushy.”

He smirked at her description. The life he’d led. The things he’d seen. The poor thing had no clue how pushy he could be. “So why didn’t you tell me the truth yesterday?”

Her smile turned into a full-fledged laugh. God forgive him for the sinful things he wanted to do to her mouth.

“What, that I prefer the company of my dog to you?”

Leaving the untouched coffee behind, he walked over, placed his hand over hers and leaned in close. There was more than one way to get through her fortress. “There are things a dog can’t do but I can.”

Lauren’s eyes widened. She lifted her cup of coffee between them. “Speaking of lying, I thought you were leaving today.”

“No, I said I had renters coming to sign the lease agreement today. They won’t move in until the end of August. Which leaves us three whole months to investigate and challenge your theories about men and uncomplicated lives,” he whispered, taking the drink out of her hands. Placing it on the counter, he moved in closer. The mouthwatering scent of citrus from her hair hit his senses, drawing him in.

He watched her. From the way her chest rose, her cheeks colored and those lips parted, it was obvious she was attracted to him. He didn’t understand why she held back. “We’re not all that different, you know,” he whispered. “I like things uncomplicated too.”

Her face turned toward his as he spoke.

“No one guilting me into spending time with them, telling me what to wear, when to eat,” he continued.

She cleared her throat and twisted her hand away from his. “We’re in agreement and you understand why I can’t go out to dinner with you.” Her voice came out husky.

He smiled. Dinner was the farthest thing from his mind at the moment. He pulled her loose hair off her shoulder and played with a strand. “Of course I do, and I promise I won’t ask again.”

Lauren’s eyes closed. She fiddled with the rim of her cup.

“How about we let things happen. Enjoy each other’s company. No rules. No expectations.”

She shook her head. “I’m not spontaneous. I can’t let things happen.”

“I have a funny feeling you might change your mind. You know where I live. Let me know when you’re ready,” he said, seconds before walking out her back door.