Long, Lonely Nights (12 page)

He had green eyes.

She woke up in a cold sweat again. Only this time she didn’t get up right away. Instead, she thought back over the dream trying to remember anything more that might help identify the man.

Tina checked the clock. It was seven o’clock, too late to sleep any longer. Instead, she needed to do some work. She had gotten behind when she hadn’t been able to work on Friday afternoon. There was plenty to keep her busy most of the day. And, knowing Jenna, she would be over at some point during the day. She smiled to herself. She could count on her friend to always be there for her.

She slipped into a pair of jeans and a dark blue T-shirt. She didn’t bother with shoes. She liked going barefoot. She pulled her hair back in a ponytail and headed for the kitchen. She needed coffee and maybe some cereal. She hadn’t eaten anything since yesterday. Tina grabbed the carafe from the drainer. She realized she was avoiding the entire subject of Logan. The minute she thought about him, the events from the day before washed over her. She nearly dropped the carafe. Warmth flooded her body and suffused her face.

She could still feel his hands on her body, taste him on her lips. Just thinking about how he’d taken her sent little currents through her womb like tiny explosions. Her breath caught in her throat, as she remembered the feel of him inside her. The release of tension with her climax was phenomenal. Regardless of how she felt about Logan or the sex, she had needed it. Needed that little bit of haven to wipe away the hell going on in her life.

* * * *

“Is he still watching you until you get inside each night?” Jenna asked.

They were eating a lunch of pasta salad at the corner deli down from their office.

“Yes. Doesn’t matter what time I get home, he’s standing next to my drive by the time I pull in. He doesn’t say anything, just watches me until I’m inside and have the door locked up and the alarm system armed.” Tina stabbed at her salad, but didn’t take a bite. Lately, nothing tasted very good to her.

“See, I’m telling you the guy likes you. He wouldn’t be watching out for you if he didn’t”

“Someone told him about my past, and he feels like he needs to watch out for me is all,” Tina admonished.

“You need someone watching out for you if you insist on staying there alone.” Jenna took a bite of her pasta.

“I can’t live this way forever, Jenna. Something has to give. I’m tired of being afraid to walk outside at night. I’m afraid to sit on my balcony and read. It’s driving me crazy.”

“They’ll catch him soon. He has to screw up sometime,” Jenna said.

Tina sighed and pushed her pasta away. She didn’t want it. She wanted to be able to take a shower or a bath without worrying someone would grab her. The nightmares had continued each night with a different scenario each time. She ran on fumes and her work began to show it. She spent twice as long on a project as before, simply because she couldn’t focus on the job. She needed a good night’s sleep. Maybe one or two nights at Jenna’s wouldn’t be such a bad idea.

“…my mom is going to stay with me for the week. She wants to shop for Kathy’s wedding while she is here.” Jenna’s voice cut into her thoughts.

“I’m sorry. You said your mom is going to be here this weekend?” Tina asked.

“Yeah, she’s all mixed up in Kathy’s wedding plans now. She’s coming down tomorrow and spending the next week here. I’m going to be a basket case by the time she goes home.”

Jenna and her mother were so much alike, they fought like cats and dogs. Tina realized she wouldn’t be staying with her friend for a few nights. She didn’t really know anyone well enough anymore to ask to stay with them. Maybe she should rent a hotel room.

“You’ll enjoy having the company. Just because you two fight doesn’t mean you don’t love each other.” Tina laughed at the expression of horror on Jenna’s face.

“Yeah, like your neighbor fusses at you about everything, but he waits to make sure you get home safe each night. That kind of love, huh?” Jenna asked.

“You can’t compare you and your mom to me and Logan. Number one, he doesn’t love me. He doesn’t even like me. Number two, we aren’t related. Thank God.”

“I still say you are wrong about him. There was interest in his eyes the other day when I was there. He looked like he wanted to grab you and throw you on the ground to ravish you.”

Tina shivered and quickly looked down at her hands. Her shredded napkin littered the tabletop. Jenna grinned at her.

“Are you holding out on me?” she asked.

“What are you talking about?” Tina gathered the shredded mess and deposited it in her nearly untouched pasta salad bowl.

“Has something happened between you and Logan? You are acting mighty weird when I talk about him.”

Tina shrugged and began gathering her trash. “Nothing is going on. He’s still a pain in the ass and is rude to me.”

“He’s just gruff. You need to give him a chance.”

“A chance for what?” Tina asked staring at her friend.

“He likes you. Maybe if you act like you like him back, you two could hook up.”

“What have you been drinking? I don’t want to hook up with him. I don’t even care if he likes me or not. I just want him to leave me alone.” Tina’s voice had gotten louder. She cringed when she realized several people had stopped talking to stare at her.

“Hey, no problem. Sorry I brought it up. I didn’t realize you felt that strongly about him.” Jenna’s frown and hurried movements told Tina she’d hurt her friend’s feelings. Well, damn.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap at you. I’m just really tired and need some sleep. I’m going to go home today and take a nap. Maybe I’ll get more sleep like that.”

“It’s okay. I’m bad about getting into other people’s business. I’m sorry. You have enough going on without me trying to add to it.”

Tina smiled, and they dumped their trash before walking outside into the hot sunshine.

“You should take that nap you were talking about. That way if you don’t sleep well that night, you will have gotten a little bit of sleep anyway.”

“Let’s get back. I need to finish the audit I’m working on before I go home tonight,” Tina said.

They hurried back to the office, and Tina settled back into work with a little more focus. By the time to go home, she had finished the audit and written her report. She deposited the packet of material at her boss’s desk and waited on Jenna by the exit door. They walked to where their cars were parked and parted ways. All the way home, Tina thought about what Jenna had said about Logan. Did he really like her and just hid it behind the gruffness? It was difficult for her to believe. Still, even if he did, what future did they have together? He was way out of her league. She didn’t have the sexual experience to satisfy a man like Logan. No, it was best if she just kept her distance from him.

In the time it took her to park the car in the garage and get out, Logan stood there watching her. Their eyes met and a chill ran up her spine. She jerked her eyes away from his and gathered up her purse and satchel. Nothing seemed different from when she left that morning. She closed the door and locked it back. Then she set the alarm and breathed a sigh of relief. She didn’t realize just how much tension she had inside until it was gone.

Tina dropped her satchel off in her office. She kicked off her shoes and then removed her clothes. She decided on wearing her black negligee to bed. The sheers over her French doors were a little off kilter. She straightened them and pulled back the covers on the bed. The sunlight filtered through the sheers created a delicate pattern on the bed sheets. She climbed in the bed and curled up to go to sleep.

Sleep eluded her at first. Her mind circled around itself thinking about work, the stalker, and Logan. Mostly she thought about the sex and how it felt. Never had she experienced anything like what Logan did to her. He sent her over the edge with just a touch. His kiss ignited a fire inside of her that only he could quench. How could she ever be satisfied with anything less?

A noise outside her balcony jerked her back from the edge of sleep. She rolled out of bed and crept toward the doors. Looking out she didn’t see anything at first. Then she recognized Logan’s form as he walked around his backyard with a water hose. She longed to walk out on her balcony to watch him. It wasn’t going to happen though. She sighed with regret and climbed back onto the bed. This time when she drifted to sleep, she made it all the way.

* * * *

Tina woke with a start. Something had disturbed her sleep. She lay quietly in the bed without moving. Just when she thought it had been her imagination, another sound from downstairs reached her ears. It sounded like it came from the kitchen. She eased over to the side of the bed and slipped off the edge without making a sound. Unsure of what to do, she decided to ease downstairs and find out what was making the noise. She couldn’t believe anyone had gotten in the house without the alarm going off.

The stairs were dark and she wasn’t sure if she could ease down them without giving herself away. She took first one, then another step until she was confident the stairs wouldn’t creak. The light from a nearly full moon illuminated the kitchen floor. She couldn’t see around the doorway without giving herself away. She still didn’t believe anyone could be inside the house. Regardless, Tina drew in a deep breath and leaned her head around the edge of the doorway into the kitchen. At first, she didn’t see anything, then she struggled to believe what she saw.

The kitchen door stood wide open. A breeze from outside blew the curtains against the blinds. It was the blinds on the door that had woke her up with their soft
thud thud
against the door. A package wrapped in colorful paper lay on the counter by the open back door. Next to it laid a butcher knife. Tina shivered to think that someone had touched her knife and might have used it on her.

It finally hit her that someone had been in her house and left without setting off her alarm. She began to shake. What if he were still there somewhere? Maybe he was upstairs waiting for her. Or maybe, he was behind her waiting for her to turn around. She couldn’t stop shaking long enough to make a decision on what to do. She needed to call the police, but the closest phone was in the kitchen. Her cell phone lay back on the bedside table.

She stood paralyzed in the doorway between the hall and the kitchen. She couldn’t go back upstairs, and she couldn’t go forward into the kitchen. What should she do? Tina felt the tears trail down her face. She’d never felt so helpless to make a single decision.

A noise behind her spurred her into action. She sprinted across the kitchen and through the garage door. She didn’t stop running until she reached Logan’s house. The light was on in the carport. She threw herself at the door and began banging on it calling Logan’s name. She totally lost it when, finally, he opened the door. Tina grabbed him and began crying. He grabbed her and pulled her into the house slamming the door behind them.

“What’s wrong, Tina?” He tried to calm her down with a soothing voice. “Calm down and tell me what is wrong.”

She couldn’t stop shaking. Her teeth chattered together like ice clinking in a glass. All she could do at first was shake her head. Logan pulled her into his arms and held her against his chest. His hand ran up and down her back until the chattering of her teeth subsided.

“S-someone was in my h-house.”

“How do you know? Did you hear anything?” he asked.

“I-I heard something and came d-downstairs and there it was on the counter.”

“What was on your counter?”

“A package. I don’t know what it is.” Tina swallowed around the knot that had formed in her throat.

“Okay, I want you to lock the door behind me while I go look, okay?” He said.

“No! Don’t leave me here alone.” Tina grabbed hold of his arm.

“I’m just going to run over there and look to see what it is. I’ll be right back.”