PS01 - Tall, Dark & Lonely (31 page)

His arms tightened around her as she shook against him. For the last half hour they sat on her bed, joined. He held her in his

arms as she sat in his lap facing him. They kissed slowly and moved even slower. He let her set the pace. It was the most

powerful experience he’d ever had with a woman.

He ran his hands down her back as she sleepily laid her head against his shoulder. “Are you tired?” he whispered.

She giggled against his neck. “We’ve been making love for the last…well, I don’t know how many hours and now the sun is up.

To say I’m tired would be an understatement.
I’m exhausted
.”

Ephraim chuckled. “Me too.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead.

Madison pulled away from him. Her limbs were sore and weak from their night of love making.

“Where are you going?”

She looked over her shoulder. “Shower, a nice long hot shower….alone.”

He watched as her hips swayed back and forth gently as she walked away from him. Nine times he made love to her last night,

a new record for him. Of course after a century of celibacy he had some catching up to do and right now his body was coming

back to life again, ready to do a little more catching up.

“Hold up, I need a shower too.”

She sighed, “Baby, please I’m so tired. I just want a shower and then go to bed,” she said, lightly sobbing. Her body ached all

over and she was exhausted. Now that she was away from his body her eyes were fighting to stay open.

He held up his hands. “Just a shower. I swear.” She threw him a disbelieving look. “I promise.” If he hadn’t said it with a grin

she probably would have believed him and she wouldn’t have looked down.

Her eyes widened in surprise. “Ephraim, please no, sleep! I need sleep!”

“And that’s exactly what you’ll get after our shower. I promise I’ll be good. I just want a shower.” He took her hand and led

her into the bathroom.

“Fibber,” she muttered as her head hit the pillow.

Ephraim laughed weakly as he kissed her wet shoulder. She curled up as soon as he laid her on the bed after taking advantage

of her in the shower, that’s how she thought of it, especially since he knew she wouldn’t be able to resist him when he put his

mouth down there. It was only natural at that point that she allowed him to lean her against the wall and finish the job. She was

a helpless victim here of the passion he invoked in her. She really was. Granted he had her begging for it, but that wasn’t the

point.

She looked over and sighed. He was out. It gave her some comfort to know that he was as weak as she was on some things,

their passion being one of them. He looked so cute and innocent. She rolled over and pressed a light kiss to his lips.

“Give me five minutes and I’ll be good to go again,” he mumbled, “I swear.”

“You’re not getting between my legs again until I’ve had at least eight hours of sleep and some food in my stomach.”

“Not fair,” this came out as a muffled mutter as he buried his face in the pillow. He was down for the count and not getting

back up for a while. Thank god.

******

“Ephraim!” she hissed. She reached over to wake him and practically fell over. His side of the bed was empty. It was twelve

in the afternoon. “Damn it,” she mumbled. They’d only been asleep for an hour. Well, she had, she had no idea what he’d been

doing.

He walked back into the room yanking up his pants. He wore nothing else. “Baby, get dressed.”

“Madison?” Joshua cried louder.

Ephraim yanked her drawers open and tossed clothes to her. “Hurry up, he’s upset.”

“Just a minute!”

Ephraim walked over to the door, his hand on the doorknob and his eyes on her as he waited for her to cover up. When she had

a shirt and pants on he opened the door. Joshua came running into the room, rubbing his eyes. He didn’t see Ephraim as he ran

into Madison’s waiting arms.

“What’s wrong, buddy?” Madison struggled to keep her balance. He wasn’t a baby anymore and she wasn’t strong enough to

hold a ten year old boy for more than a moment or two. She stumbled under his weight.

Joshua gasped as strong hands pulled him away from Madison. He opened his eyes in surprise. Then his face crumbled again.

He threw his arms around Ephraim’s neck and buried his face against Ephraim's bare shoulder.

“Tell us what’s wrong, little man,” he said in a soothing voice.

Madison rubbed Joshua’s back. “What happened?” She tried to ignore the holes in his shirt.

“Gran…….Grand…….Grandma’s crying!”

“What?” That’s the last thing either one of them expected to hear.

“She’s crying. He yelled at her…and then…..she talked to them…….then…then….they left for a little while….then….they

came back….and they….she….” He was sobbing so hard he could hardly get a coherent word out.

Ephraim kissed the top of Joshua’s head. “Where’s Grandma now?”

He took in a deep breath. “She’s downstairs crying, people are yelling, others are crying. It’s horrible! I’m so glad you’re

back, Ephraim!”

Ephraim looked at Madison. “Me, too. Do me a favor and go to your room and relax for a while.”

“No! I need to make Grandma feel better and Jill’s crying too!”

“Let’s go.” Ephraim held Joshua against his body with one arm and held Madison’s hand as they made their way downstairs.

Halfway down, they heard loud arguing coming from the living room.

He quickened his pace and stepped into the room as Chris threw his hands in the air. “All right, everyone shut up and stop

yelling at her!”

Mrs. Buckman, the one woman he thought was tough as nails, was practically backed up against the wall with several of the

renters screaming at her and sobbing.

“Rent more rooms because I’m not paying another dime!” one of the men said.

“Stop yelling at her!” Brad yelled. “There are no more rooms available.”

“Of course not, there are five rooms being taken and no one is paying.”

“I said shut the hell up!” Chris yelled. No one paid attention to him and no one noticed Ephraim in the doorway with Madison

and Joshua.

“Mama, you said I could come here rent free and now you’re demanding I pay? That’s not fair and you know what? I’m moving

out tomorrow. My friend is going to let me crash at his place for a while,” Candy sobbed theatrically. “I can’t believe my own

mother would do this to me!” Most of the people stopped yelling in time to roll their eyes.

“Look I said I would try! I can’t afford this anymore. I’m sorry,” Mrs. Buckman cried into her hands.

“I don’t know why everyone is yelling at her. I told you all to come in here and nicely tell that her we’re moving to the

boarding house on Smithson not scream at her!” Brad said.

“You’re all moving out?” Candy asked.

Brad nodded. “We can’t afford to pay more and the Boarding House on Smithson charges less to start with and has more

amenities. We had to make a choice.”

“She’s going to lose the house,” Mrs. Adle said to no one in particular. Mrs. Buckman cried harder and tried to turn away. The

people around her made it impossible.

“If she hadn’t taken in that dead beat and her kids she’d be fine!” one of them said, looking at Candy who pretended not hear.

“No, if that dead beat would help out she would have been fine.”

“She was fine before they came. No mortgage on the place. Did I tell you she tried to get a loan and they denied her?” Mrs.

Adle informed everyone as if Mrs. Buckman wasn’t there crying.

“This is bullshit. I’m not leaving.” Ephraim recognized the newest renter.

Brad scoffed. “That’s because they won’t take you. You haven’t even paid her since you moved in. You’re part of the

problem.”

Jill sat in the corner crying. Everyone was ignoring her. Chris was trying to push his way to Mrs. Buckman. In a few seconds

he was pulling her into his arms. After a moment of hesitation she wrapped her arms around him and cried against his chest.

“Stop it all of you,” he said. That sent them off again.

“Do something!” Joshua begged.

That was fine with him. He’d seen and heard enough. He put Joshua down. “Cover your ears,” he said softly. Joshua nodded

and did as he was asked. Madison didn’t wait to be asked before she covered her ears.

“I want my last week’s rent back!” some of them started to scream. Then it became a tangle of screams.

“Quiet!” Ephraim roared.

Everyone in the room covered their ears and cowered back from the deafening noise. It was probably the loudest and most

frightening shout they’d ever heard.

They were still cringing when he walked into the room. Under normal circumstances he was intimidating. Right now he was

frightening as hell. He was half naked with every muscle in his body flexing, readying for a fight. His arms were folded over

his chest as he stood in an authoritative stance. His eyes had an icy glimmer to them as they moved around the room,

challenging anyone to speak.

“That’s better. Now, everyone move back so Chris and Mrs. Buckman can sit down on the couch.” The small gathering stepped

backward in one uniformed move. Chris threw Ephraim a relieved look as he brought Mrs. Buckman to the couch.

Ephraim’s eyes moved onto the newest member, a man in his mid thirties. Ephraim didn’t have a chance to run a background

check on the man as he normally would before he left, but he had a feeling he knew what he was going to find.

“How many weeks do you owe?”

The man’s jaw clenched. “That’s none of your fucking business, pig.” The man had a problem with cops. Interesting.

“Five,” Brad said. “He never paid a cent. He gave her a sob story and you know that’s her weakness.”

Ephraim nodded. “Consider the free ride over. You’re to be packed and out within an hour or I will run you and we both know

my search will come back with a warrant or two.”

The man’s mouth dropped open. “Fine but I’m not paying a cent.”

“I never thought you would. Just get out, you only have fifty-nine minutes left.”

Jenny, one of the female boarders he couldn’t stand spoke up. “That’s not fair we have to pay so should he!”

He ignored her. “Now, raise your hand if you’ve made arrangements to move out.” Every paying hand went into the air even

Candy’s.

He nodded. “When are you moving out?”

Brad cleared his throat. “Tomorrow. They’re able to take us then. If we don’t go tomorrow we lose our spots.”

Ephraim nodded.

“I want my last week’s rent back!” Jenny said.

He pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to keep himself under control. “You are leaving with less than twenty-four hours

notice. You are not getting your rent back. You signed an agreement for one week’s notice. So let it go because she is not

giving it back.”

“That’s not fair!” Jenny yelled.

Ephraim’s hand dropped away and he took a step forward. His eyes pierced Jenny’s and she stumbled back. “Take it to court

then. You signed a binding contract.”

Mrs. Buckman sat on the couch, sobbing. He couldn’t stand to see a strong woman broken like that. “Has anyone paid for this

upcoming week?”

“No,” they said collectively. That meant she was completely out of money and no way to pay the bills. It was probably for the

best otherwise she would owe them.

“Okay, then you are all free to leave. I suggest you go pack and prepare your rooms for inspection if you want your deposits

back,” he said dismissively.

They nodded sheepishly and walked out of the room. Candy straightened her clothing and stood up. “I guess I should go pack,

too."

“What?” Madison asked in disbelief.

Candy scoffed. “Madison, your grandmother is going to lose the house. I have to find a place to stay. You don’t want me to be

homeless do you?”

“What about your mother and your kids? Where do you think they’ll end up?” She stepped towards Candy. She was trembling

with rage.

Candy backed up and headed for the door. “I don’t know what you expect from me, Madison. Really, you’re being ridiculous.

The kids will be fine. I’m sure the foster homes around here are very nice.”

Ephraim reached out and restrained Madison as she swung to hit Candy. She missed, but barely. “Get out of here then! We

don’t need you!”

“Shh, it’s okay, baby, just let her go.” He half dragged her to an overstuffed chair and sat her down. He sat on the arm of the

chair and held her hand.

Mrs. Buckman sat up. She looked more composed. “I’m sorry about everything.” She swallowed. “Thank you for your help.

Ephraim, I think you should go see if you can snag one of those rooms up before it’s too late.”

Ephraim ran a hand over his hair. “Chris, run up to my room. On the desk you’ll find two folders, grab them along with my

checkbook and my wallet’s up there somewhere I think in my pants, go grab them.”

“Okay.” He looked weary as he ran out of the room.

He sat back. “Eleanor, how bad is it?”

She tried to smile, but couldn't quite manage it. “I’m late on the utilities, taxes and insurance, but I’ll catch up.”

Ephraim looked between Eleanor and Madison. “Would it really kill you women to let me know when you need help? It would

make my life a great deal easier you know.”

“This is my problem, Ephraim. I’ll handle it. I might have to sell the house. I’ll find an apartment big enough for me and my

four grandbabies. We’ll be fine.”