Then & Now (8 page)

Running a brandy, smelling finger down the side of her face his eyes darkened slightly.  “You are beautiful.  Why don’t you show it off more?  I always wondered that.  Wondered what you would look like all dolled up.”

She felt her stomach recoil.  Was she going to vomit? 

“So beautiful…” He whispered while his hand wondered downward.  His other hand held the gun only inches from her face.

Trying to hold back her whimpers, she scanned the lot.  Nothing, there was no one around.  He could do whatever he wanted and no one would hear.  “P-please….” She cried.

“Oh, you don’t have to beg.”  Leaning closer, his lips skimmed her jaw.  “I’ll give you what you want.”

She became all too aware of the unwanted hand cupping her breast.  If she kneed him hard enough in the crotch, and scratch at his eyes would she be able to get the gun away or would it just get her killed?  It was worth a shot.  He would not get her without a fight. 

Doing just as she had planned she brought her knee up fast, colliding with her mark.  As he let out a cry of pain she dug her nails into his eyes.  She heard the gun go off sending a bullet flying somewhere behind her.  Without a second thought she went for the loaded weapon in the inebriated man’s hand.

Alas, he had a better hold than she had anticipated.  Taking her to the ground he straddled her waist and pinned her hands helplessly above her head.  Closing her eyes, she prayed that he would pass out before he could do anything.  The smell of brandy came off of him in waves making the nausea worse.  Tears ran down her cheeks as she tried to think of other things to help her through this.

Then, as if her prayer had been answered, she felt his weight disappear.  Though she knew it hadn’t been from passing out.  Before she could open her eyes she heard grunts and cursing. 

“Get off!  Get off of me you Bas—” Nathan’s crude insult was cut off by Bryant’s fist landing mid-center of his windpipe. 

Her mind was taking its time to register what her eyes were watching.  Bryant Sharp taking on a lunatic single handedly as if he had no fear of the gun still wedged in the other man’s hand.  It took one wild moment for her not to look around for the white steed he must have rode in on.

“Ms. Steele?  Are you alright?” Bryant rose off of, the now unconscious, Mr. Cook slowly.  Her eyes shot to the gun that was now away from Nathan and in Bryant’s unthreatening hand. 

His deep soothing voice had her unconsciously meeting his gaze, though she didn’t want to take her eyes off the blunt instrument. At that moment she realized that her body began to shake in an entirely different way.  Relief and gratitude sent tremors throughout her body making it nearly impossible to speak.

“Amelia?  Honey, are you okay?”  Slipping the gun into his pocket he held up his hands to show her that he meant no harm.

Her knees were knocking together at the sight of his worried expression.  No, wait.  That was the relief really setting in.  Sobs ripped out from her trembling lips.  “Th-Th-thank….thank you.”

Coming quickly to her side, he gently gripped her shoulders.  “Did he? I mean, I wasn’t too late, was I?”

Shaking her head, she lightly dabbed at her nose with the sleeve of her sweater.  “No.  Thank God.”  She hiccupped.

Then before she knew it he had her in his arms, rocking her softly. “You’re safe now.  Okay?  I’ve got you.”

His warmth seemed to chase away the chill from her veins.  As his wonderful smell of spice and man, had her snuggling closer.  The earth could cave in on itself at that very moment and she wouldn’t have noticed or cared.  Which was awful.  Not only did she just go though one of the worse assaults a woman could go through, but he was
engaged
!

“
Shh, baby girl.”  He continued to soothe. “The police are on their way.  And I won’t leave you until they get here.”

His promise touched her.  “Thank you….Again.”

He chuckled lightly while he tenderly rubbed her back in small circles.

Bryant drove silently towards Amelia’s apartment.  Glancing over on occasion to make sure she hadn’t started crying again.  He had insisted on taking her home after the police threw that crapbag into the cruiser and towed her car to the nearest tire store.  Unfortunately they couldn’t get to her car until the morning, which was bogus.  The woman had been through enough tonight.

The image of her pressed against her car, with tears streaming down her face and the creep’s hands….
Then as if she needed to prove, what he had already known about her, she fought off the sick little prick.  He couldn’t even move for a moment, watching her fight with such valor had him honestly believing that he was going to commit murder. 

The thought of killing Cook screamed through his head the instant he saw the desperation on her beautiful face.  Jeopardizing the company and his future in order to save her didn’t even cross his mind.  The only thing that brought him out of that moment of insanity
was knowing that murdering him in front of her would’ve made it more terrorizing for her.

He always knew that Nathan Cook was worthless, but rape? The notion had his hands itching to get back around his throat.  Maybe he shouldn’t have killed him, but turning him into a quadriplegic, so he could never harm again, might have been justifiable.  

“You really didn’t need to take me home.  After what you’ve done for me…I could’ve had someone else come get me.”  Her hushed voice scarcely carried through the cab.

He gave her a quick, simple smile.
“Nonsense.  What I did for you I would do again in a heartbeat.  Besides, I honestly didn’t think you wanted to wait any longer in that parking garage than necessary.” 

“Well, thank you.” She smiled shyly back.  “Turn here.” 

“Here?” His question was skeptical.  The street she pointed to he knew quite well.  Calling the neighborhood the “Slums” would have been a step up for this part of town.  Anyone who grew up in this district knew not to visit this area unless you were looking for trouble.

“Yes.  My building is that small white one.”  She said almost defensively.

Pulling into the torn up parking lot, that lined the front of the three story building, Bryant gave the shabby complex a long look.  Without the new windowpanes, and the solid oak front door the place looked like it should be condemned. 

He glanced at the neighboring buildings on either side of her tiny home.  They were by far less promising.  Even through the
well-insulated car and over his still running engine he could hear a woman yelling and police sirens.

“This is where you live?”  Wasn’t he paying her enough?  He would definitely look into that Monday morning.

She nodded.  “I know it looks small but really it’s quite charming.  Gorge and Gladis have remodeled every apartment.  Mike, who lives right above me, has helped with the flooring.  And Teresa, she lives across from me, put in the new widows.  I have also helped with the rewiring of some of the old cables.”  Raising her chin she met his eyes boldly.

He had to smile at that.  “You know how to rewired old cables?”

       “My father did it professionally.  He had since I was little.  I picked some of it up.”  The pride behind her words, about her father and herself, seemed to glow from her eyes.

Dropping his voice to a seductive hum, he leaned forward. “I see.”  The quite ones never failed to surprise him. 

A deep blush painted her cheeks while she noted his flirtatious retort.  “Maybe you should see my work.  I think you would be quite impressed.”  Her voice was sultry, smooth as she tilted her body closer to his.

He raised both eyebrows.  She was flirting back?
“Quite impressed.” Mimicking her words, he rolled them back for a different meaning.

She was about to say something, which he could tell was aimed in the same direction he was headed, unfortunately a car back fired and she nearly jumped right out of her skin.       

The reality of it had him disgusted with himself.  She had just been insulted by an intoxicated bastard, and now here he was hitting on her. “If you don’t mind I would like to walk you to your door.”  

“Oh, no.
  That’s alright.  My door is right there.”  Although she tried to smile, her shaking hands gave her away.

Ignoring the comment he shut off his car.     

Amelia watched as Bryant walked around the front of his sixty-nine, Corvette.  She would’ve been ecstatic to ride in this classic on any other day, regrettably this wasn’t that day.  The car had lost its appeal when it came to its owner.  And she was all too aware of the man behind the wheel. 
Her hero.

Had he actually been flirting with her?  Did she actually flirt back?  If that car hadn’t scared the living daylights out of her she would’ve….nothing.  She would’ve done nothing.  He was engaged for crying out loud!  How did she forget that little tidbit she really couldn’t
say.

He opened her door and held out his hand like a true gentleman.  She took it timidly knowing that her pathetic heart would jump at the feel of him.  And she was right.  It damn near leapt right out of her chest.

“How long have you lived here?”  He asked without letting go of her hand.

Turning to face him,
her eyes stayed on their joined hands.  “Umm…Th-three years.”  Her voice shook as she suddenly became flustered.

“
Three? You have a lot of pride in this place.”  His voice was so gentle and kind, that she risked looking up into his beautiful eyes.

“
Yes, we all have put a lot of time into it.”  She replied quietly. “This building is over eighty years old and we all hate to see it go down with the rest of this street.”

   
He let out a short sigh.  “Of course you would.  After all you have done to keep it up.”

She
was still all too aware of his hand still holding hers.  Fighting for her cheeks to not to flush again, she glanced over at her home, then back.  “It would be like losing part of my heart.  I think we all feel that way.”  Tugging her hand free she stepped back.

           “Sorry.  I didn’t mean to….It was just that you’re still shaking.”  He explained shoving his hands into his pockets so she wouldn’t feel threatened.

“Oh.  Thanks.”  She really didn’t know why she had yanked her hand form his.  No, that was a lie.  She knew exactly why.  The feel of his warm hand was doing a number on her.

“You
’re going to be okay.  He can’t hurt you anymore.  You know that, right?”  He asked, while bending at his knees to get better contact with her eyes.  “If you like I can call someone to stay with you.”

The deep concern behind his words and in those eyes almost brought her to her knees.  He was truly worried about her.
“Oh, no.  That wouldn’t….I’ll be alright.” 

“Hey, Millie!”
Teresa called from the porch.

“Hi, Teresa.”
  She waved.  “What are you doing home on a Friday night?”

Teresa held up a bag of trash. “I got talked into doing the windows in Stan’s apartment.  Gorge pulled a quick one on me.  No rent for this month.  He knew I wouldn’t say no.”  She stopped at the end of the sidewalk.  Dumping the trash into one of the bins, she turned and faced them.

Amelia didn’t miss the way Teresa’s eyes flared with attraction when they landed on Bryant.  “Teresa this is Bryant Sharp.  Mr. Sharp this is my neighbor Teresa Fugal.”

“Hello.”  The six-foot-all-legs-supermodel beamed. Her unrealistically, beautiful auburn hair was in cute little waves around her, unrealistically, beautiful face. 

“Good evening.”  Bryant greeted politely.              

Her eyes shifted back and forth between them.  She seemed pleased at their body langue.  It was quiet obvious that they weren’t
together
.  “So what are you two up to tonight?”  She asked with an enticing smile. It almost wasn’t fair.  The world full of idealistically gorgeous women and here she was, the mouse in the middle of it all.

“Umm,
well its—” Amelia started.

“Oh, were you waiting for Heidi? 
Because she has already stopped by.  She said she was going to the Vortex.”  Giving her attention completely over to Bryant, she purred. “Have you ever been there?”

“No, can’t say that I have.” Bryant’s reply seemed a little stiff as he glanced at Amelia bemused.  “You were going clubbing?” 
The expression on his face was genuinely captivated.

“It was Heidi’s idea.”  She replied meekly. 
   

“It’s really a lot of fun.” Teresa’s giggled.  “You should go sometime.” 

Amelia very nearly laughed out loud at the sound of it. The image of Bryant dancing in the middle of club in his suit and tie, flashed wildly on the screen of her far too active imagination. She was about to excuse herself when the most bewildering words came so casually out of Bryant’s mouth.  “I think that would be fun, if Amelia was there to accompany me.”

Her eyes shot to his.  He winked then aimed a
very
sexy smile her way.  She blinked twice bewildered.  Was this really happening or had her imagination completely taken off with her?