Greeley's Spyce (7 page)

―Those are my pets. I don‘t have time to take care of a dog or cat, and

fish relax me.‖

―Wow. That is impressive.‖ He looked down at the woman who ap-

peared beside him. She‘d put her hair in a ponytail. ―Why did you put your

hair up?‖ Ernst wondered as he touched a few strands that had escaped

confinement.

He would‘ve had to be blind, deaf, and dumb to miss the look of fear

that crossed her face. ―Hey,‖ he said, moving his head to catch her gaze. ―I

was just wondering, I like it both ways.‖ Slowly, he noticed the tension leave

her body.

―I like it off my neck,‖ she admitted. ―Let me give you a tour, for

what it‘s worth.‖

―It will be worth it,‖ he assured her. ―Lead on.‖

―Living room,‖ she teased as her hands presented the area where

they stood.

―I think I got that,‖ he whispered in her ear as he pinched her butt.

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Aliyah Burke

―This is the kitchen/dining room.‖ Kacy showed him a room that

was pretty bare. The only appliance he saw was her coffee maker on a

counter. Nothing was on the table except for one placemat and the salt and

pepper shakers that were shaped like seahorses. ―I don‘t cook.‖

―Nice to know there is something you don‘t do,‖ Ernst joked.

Shaking her head, she led him back through the living room and

down the hall. ―Bathroom.‖ She pointed. ―Laundry room.‖ Kacy gestured to

a closed door.

Ernst stuck his head in each of them. Her bathroom was done in a

dark emerald green color. The laundry room had pictures of the ocean

hanging on the wall that was painted a pale blue.

―My office is in here.‖ She opened the door and let him look inside.

A low whistle left him. The room was full of books on electricity and

poetry. A large table was along one wall and it was covered in rolled up

blueprints. On that same wall was a picture of a killer whale breaching in the

sunset.

―Down here is my guest room,‖ Kacy said as he pulled the door shut

behind him and followed her into the next room.

It was a smaller room painted pale purple with a futon along a wall.

Pictures of coastlines were all over. Dark purple pillows and blankets

accented the room. A large, overstuffed chair was in the corner with a plush

gray walrus sitting on it.

It was simple, yet there was a very comfortable feel to it. He liked it.

―Very nice,‖ he said as they left the room.

She pointed to the end of the hall. ―My bedroom is down there.‖

―I don‘t get to see that one?‖ Ernst asked.

―It‘s not clean,‖ she tried.

―I don‘t care.‖

She hesitated a second more. ―Okay,‖ she caved and led the way to

the door, unaware of the possessive gaze that ran over her body.

She opened the door and stepped inside her room. Ernst brushed

past her and gazed around the space that defined the woman of his dreams.

The furniture looked like Ikea and it fit her. Simple and strong. The walls

were covered in a mural of the ocean and coastline and the carpet reminded

him of sand.

Her bed was a full size and he knew they would fit perfectly on it to-

gether. The bedspread was the color of the Caribbean, and on it were pillows

of starfish, other ocean creatures, and shells.

―Like ocean life, don‘t you?‖ Ernst asked as he picked up a seahorse-

shaped pillow from her bed.

―I do,‖ Kacy said, blushing. The phone rang and she said, ―I‘ll be

right back.‖ She headed up the hall.

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43

Left alone in her room, Ernst picked up another pillow from the top

of the bed. He brought it close to his nose and inhaled her scent. A sheet of

paper caught his eye and he leaned down to see what it was.

A grin crossed his face as he looked at the picture of them from Ha-

waii. ―I‘m figuring you out, my
schätzchen
. You are as attracted to me as I am

to you. This picture proves it. I just have to find a way to gain your trust,‖ he

whispered to the room as he put the pillow back, not wanting her to know he

had seen it.

When she walked back in the room, he was looking at a pillow trying

to figure out what it was. ―It‘s a porcupine fish,‖ Kacy said. ―Pull on his tail.‖

Ernst did and laughed as the quills stood out straight. ―That is cute.‖

He put it back on the chair. ―You have a lovely home.‖

―Thank you,‖ she said.

They moved to the back porch overlooking her backyard and sipped

on iced tea. Ernst snuck a look at the woman sitting next to him in a lounge.

She was watching him. ―So now you know where I live, Mr. Zimmermann. Is

that better?‖

―Don‘t call me that. Call me Ernst. I want your phone number as

well.‖

―Why are you so persistent?‖

Setting down his iced tea, he swung his legs over the edge of the

lounge he was on and rested his arms on his thighs. Putting his eyes on her

he said, ―I told you in Hawaii I want more from you than a one-night stand. I

will go away and never bother you again if you can honestly tell me that you

don‘t feel anything for me.‖

Kacy stared at him. ―I can‘t say that, not honestly.‖

―Kacy, I don‘t know what has happened to you in your past to make

you this mistrustful. But honey, I‘m not going anywhere. There is something

way deeper than either one of us can comprehend going on between us. You

are in my thoughts all the time—the feel of your lips on mine, how you taste,

how you feel in my arms.‖

Ernst leaned closer and took her hand in one of his. ―I want to get to

know you, inside and out. Yes, I want desperately to make love to you, but I

want so much more than that.‖ His lips brushed the inside of her wrist. ―I

want to have a relationship with you. I want to take you to functions that the

Team goes to. I want to show you off to the world as my girlfriend.‖
As my

wife.

―Why me?‖ Her eyes were direct as she asked her question.

―Why not you?‖ He took the glass of tea from her and pulled her to-

ward him so they were facing each other.

―Considering the woman you were with that night you asked me out,

I don‘t think I am exactly your type,‖ Kacy told him.

―Until I met you I didn‘t know what my type was. I can‘t explain

what it is about you, but I will try.‖ He waited for her nod before continuing.

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Aliyah Burke

―That first day that I ran into you, I felt something then. I couldn‘t get you

out of my head for the rest of the day. I hadn‘t wanted you to be scared of

me.‖

His fingers moved lightly over the backs of her hands. ―When I saw

you with Brett, I got jealous, especially when I saw you smile when all I did

was make you fearful. I wanted then to carry you off to a place where no one

would bother us.‖ Ernst got off his lounge and knelt between her legs. ―There

is something inside you, Kacy.‖

He tipped her chin to meet his gaze. ―Something that for some reason

you try to keep hidden. A fire that burns within you. I saw it that day we

spent together in Hawaii. You have a passion for life that calls to me in a way

I never knew existed. I am complete when I am with you, and I know that we

don‘t know each other very well yet. I have told myself that as well. But like

someone told me, there are times our hearts and souls know before our

brains can comprehend.

―I know what true love and compatibility look like. I‘ve seen them

with the men I work with. They don‘t know color and they don‘t know

society‘s dictates. And as sure as I am kneeling between your gorgeous legs

on your porch, I know you are the other half of my soul. But I am no dummy,

and I know you don‘t trust, so I am willing to take it slow.‖

Kacy was speechless. ―How is that a man like you is still single?‖ Her

eyes were soft as they looked upon his handsome features.

―Because I was waiting for you.‖

Sitting closer, Kacy put her lips to his and kissed him.

Ernst slid her forward so she was straddling his waist before he stood

and walked into the house with her in his arms and their lips still locked

together. With a groan, he stopped in the living room and sat them down on

the couch.

Kacy opened her eyes and looked at him.

He could see the uncertainty floating around in her gaze. ―Not to-

night, no matter how much I want to. Not tonight.‖ Ernst readjusted her so

they she was lying on him on the couch.

―I haven‘t had many men in my life. I don‘t want you to be disap-

pointed in me.‖ Her quiet confession reached him.

Brushing a hand across the top of her head he said, ―I will never be

disappointed in you. Can you tell me why you are so lacking in trust?‖

Her body tensed but at least she didn‘t pull away from him. ―You

know how after you hear something enough you begin to believe it? Let‘s just

say I have been told I was worthless enough that I have begun to believe it.‖

Eyes turned to ice shards as he thought of someone degrading his

woman. ―Sweetheart, you are so much more than you allow yourself to

believe. Understand that I believe in you fully.‖

―That is very sweet of you to say, Ernst, but you don‘t know me.‖

Kacy closed her eyes as if to enjoy the feel of his arms around her.

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45

―We are dating; I will get to know you. I want to know everything

about you.‖

―Since when are we dating?‖ she asked with a smile even as tears

welled in her eyes.

The softness he saw overcoming her features melted his heart even

more. ―Don‘t you remember what I told that woman in the store in Hawaii?

We have been dating since we met.‖ His fingers began to tickle her.

―Stop!‖ she squealed as she tried to get away.

―Admit it; we are a couple.‖ Ernst captured her with his legs and

held her there while he continued to tickle her.

Struggling to get free, the tears began to run down her face.

―O…o…okay. We‘re a couple. Stop! Please stop!‖ she panted.

He lifted her and turned her so they lay chest to chest. ―Now that

wasn‘t so hard to admit was it?‖ Ernst arched a blond brow.

Jumping off him she said, ―It doesn‘t count. That was admitted under

duress.‖ Then she ran out into the backyard as he bolted after her.

Ernst ran through the door and found her bent over trying to catch

her breath in the far corner of the yard. ―What did you put yourself into the

corner for? First rule of combat: never let yourself get backed into a corner.‖

He sauntered down the steps like the predator who knew his prey was out of

options.

Kacy looked at him and begin to move sideways as he approached.

His steps were sure and confident as he flowed toward her. For a second she

imagined him wearing combat gear and honing in on his target, and she

could understand the fear that person would experience.

As she moved a bit more, she saw a glimmer of desire flare in his

eyes at the prospect of a hunt. He slightly shook his head at her and flashed a

crooked half smile. ―I think you are out of options,
liebling
.‖

While she wasn‘t as athletic as the man stalking her around her yard,

Kacy was in decent shape. Feinting one way, she bolted off in the other

direction and almost made it to the steps when she was tackled.

Ernst took the brunt of the fall and then rolled her over so he was on

top. Nose to nose with her, he clucked. ―What do I get for capturing you?‖

His hands were beneath her shoulders as his lips moved over hers.

Breathing hard for more than one reason, Kacy shook her head at

him. ―A glass of iced tea?‖

―Well something sweet was on my mind, but I don‘t think tea will do

it. I was thinking of some brown sugar and cinnamon.‖ His eyes darkened as

his mouth claimed hers.

Her body arched against his as wetness flooded it.
I want you so bad,

Ernst. But I don’t want you to tell me how horrible I am in bed.
Kacy didn‘t even

realize her body had stiffened.

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Aliyah Burke

Ernst did. Drawing back from the kiss, he rolled off her and got to his

feet, pulling her up after. ―What wicked thought crossed your mind this time,

Kacy?‖

She shook her head and refused to look at him.

Gathering her to his chest, Ernst put his chin on the top of her head.

―Do you not see how perfect your body fits mine? We were made for each

other Kacy. Nothing that fits like this can be bad. Let go of this fear you have;

we will be wonderful together. I know this for a fact.‖

Kacy opened her mouth to respond when the phone rang from in-

side. Her body slumped for a moment before she untangled herself from his

embrace and walked up the steps to the porch. With one last glance at him

she walked in the house and picked up her cordless phone.

She made some notes on a pad of paper as she listened to her poten-

tial client. ―Sure thing. I can be there in about thirty minutes. Electricity

doesn‘t care what time it is, sir. See you soon. Yes, sir.‖ She clicked off the

phone and stood. ―Damn.‖

―What was that about?‖ Ernst asked from behind her.

Jumping, she turned. ―I didn‘t know you were in here. I have to go.‖