Thwarting Cupid (4 page)

A door closed somewhere beyond the tree, shaking her out of her thoughts. The building across the way was pretty much hidden by the leaves, but she could still just make out an outline of a porch. She had no idea who lived there. Maybe she should make more of an effort to meet her neighbors. If she had done that before, she would've known long ago that Hutch lived right across the street from her. It was mind boggling.

Carissa shut off the water and grabbed her towel from the rack to dry off. She paused when she noticed the bruise forming on her arm. She rolled her eyes. It was a byproduct of her little run-in with Kelvin, no doubt. She’d contacted Officer Garcia the moment she’d gotten home. She hadn’t been able to reach him, but his partner had given her an email address to which she could mail the photo. She’d taken care of that before they’d hung up. It was almost too bad. Garcia had been a hottie, too. Carissa frowned. Was it wrong of her to be thinking of one hottie while getting dressed for a date with another?

Before she could work that thought through, a new problem struck her. Carissa hadn't the faintest idea what she should wear. Her hands froze while her mind made a desperate mental search through her closet. Hutch hadn't told her the name of the restaurant so that was no help. He had said they could walk down to Main Street, which meant she'd need to wear comfortable shoes. Knowing the types of restaurants lining the street was no help either. They ranged from totally upscale to beyond beach casual.

She hung up the towel and headed to her bedroom naked. She stood in front of her closet, hoping the visual would help her decide. She didn't want to appear to have made too much effort in case she had read him wrong and this was just two friends having dinner and getting caught up on each other's lives. But if he was thinking ‘date,’ she'd need to go in a different direction with her selection.

She laid a blouse on her bed and pulled out the slacks she always wore with it. Was this too business-like? Carissa held up a skirt and thin sweater that had sparkly thread knitted in. Was this too fancy? She groaned. Why was this so hard? She never fussed this much over her appearance. Besides, it wasn't like he hadn't already seen her at her fanciest best or her grungiest worst, given the tasks they'd undertaken as volunteers.

Carissa fingered the blouse and mused how much easier it would be if she could just see what he was wearing first. She cocked her head at the thought. He was walking over to her place, right? She had a pretty long driveway, which would be plenty of time to spy what he had on and then slip into something comparable before he got to the door. Perfect!

While she laid out one more choice, Carissa got that not-so-alone feeling she would get every now and again. Even though she knew it was ridiculous, Carissa still looked around her bedroom as if she could see who was spying on her. She hastily pulled out a matched set of bra and panties in an effort to feel less vulnerable. When she bent over to slide the panties on she felt a twinge in her low back, which made her frown in confusion. She stood up and waited to see if she felt it again. She hadn't ever experienced anything quite like that before. She forgot all about the feeling of being watched to focus on what she'd just felt.

When nothing else happened, she shrugged and picked up the bra. Now that she'd solved the wardrobe thing and decided that her being watched was impossible through her window’s closed blinds, she wondered how much make up should she wear. It was unseasonably warm out and humid near the ocean. The last thing Carissa wanted was for her face to go sliding off while she and Hutch walked. That would not be a good thing, she thought, bending over to adjust her bosom inside the bra. And that was when all hell broke loose.

The twinge of pain she'd felt before magnified into flaming daggers that seemed to radiate from her low back, down her legs and up to her shoulders. Tears rolled unchecked down her cheeks and she collapsed on the bed in utter agony. What the heck was happening?

When the shooting pains eased, Carissa could feel her back muscles clench and spasm even though she was doing everything she could to remain still, hoping the pain would subside. She let her legs dangle off the side of the bed which seemed to help a bit, but she was still in agony. Even though the pain in her back was bad, the pain in her heart was worse. She knew she'd never be able to go out with Hutch tonight. With the pain as bad as it was, she could barely complete a thought. She'd never be able to hold up her end of a conversation. And that was assuming she could manage to walk down to the restaurant with him.

Carissa looked at the clock. She had thirty-eight minutes before he arrived. Maybe, just maybe, she could get herself together before then. The pain had come on pretty fast. Perhaps it would leave the same way. Holding tight to that thought, Carissa squeezed her eyes closed and prayed for relief in time for her big date. Her fist clenched the bedspread and tears continued to fall, but she was going to find a way to go out with Hutch that evening.

* * * *

Quincy groaned in frustration. His luck was getting beyond bad as of late. First, he'd been called off to help a couple patch things up in Colombia. Next, he'd had to make a pit stop in Beijing where a western bride was getting cold feet moments before marrying her eastern fiance. Talk about one heck of a busy day. So busy, in fact, that he was just now getting back to Carissa.

He'd hoped to have a nice quiet evening relaxing with her while she watched television or read a book. He'd thought he'd hit the jackpot when he'd arrived to find her in the shower. He'd arrived just in time to catch sight of her perky nipples and slick wet body before she'd shut off the water and toweled off. Though to be honest, Carissa dry was just as good as Carissa wet. Especially since she had the wonderful habit of walking around naked for a few minutes afterward.

He'd been simply standing there, admiring the view of her luscious curves, minding his own business and plotting how he was going to keep whatever men she ran into tonight away, when the waterworks started all over again. Man. Hadn't she had enough of the crying for one day? He knew he had. Quincy grimaced when he saw how she'd grabbed at her back. That car accident must be catching up with her.

He hated to leave, but the agonized crying was always too much for him. It was for most cupids. They dealt in love and joy and happiness. He wasn't built for tears and he was glad. Even the happy ones had a way of grating on his nerves. But the other kind, well, they were just something else altogether.

He contemplated her clenched muscles. Whatever plans she had for the night were definitely off. He wouldn't have to stick around and screen possible suitors while she was in such a sorry state. And it just might give him a stay of execution with the higher ups. They couldn't expect him to find her match while she was in such a pathetic state. If he were right about her back, it would be weeks before she'd feel up to doing much more moving around than she had to. It was perfect.

She sucked in a harsh breath and gave a pitiful moan. That was his cue. Quincy unfurled his wings and disappeared from the bedroom.

Chapter 3

He should have brought flowers, Hutch obsessed when he reached Carissa's side of the street. He'd even stopped to buy some on his way home from work, but had gotten cold feet about giving them to her once he'd gotten out of the shower and started agonizing over what to wear. He didn't want to scare her off by moving too fast too soon. Flowers surely would do just that. He wanted to be calm. Cool. Then strike like lightening once the opportunity arose.

Confident in his approach, he'd selected some khaki pants and a button down shirt for their first outing that didn't involve volunteering for something. His more casual mode of dress also convinced him to leave the flowers behind. He took a deep breath. It had been the right decision five minutes ago. It was the right decision now.

He decided it was best he stop obsessing over this. It's not like he was just meeting some woman for the first time. He knew Carissa. He already liked her. He knew she liked him. They always had a great time together. He couldn't imagine that would change. He had nothing to worry about. Except he was. He needed to think about something else for a moment.

He focused on the driveway along the side of the front house that concealed the apartment building on the back of the property. How many times had he glanced over here? Never once had he imagined she lived here. To be honest, that wasn't so strange in a city where people relied more on cellphones and emails to keep up with friends than neighborly visits to one another's home. He followed her directions and climbed the stairway to the upstairs balcony. From what he could see, the building contained three apartments and three garages. How big was this building?

He stopped outside the first door on the second floor and took a deep breath. This was it. Carissa's home. He was here. He shoved a hand through the hair that insisted on falling into his eyes because he didn't cut it often enough to keep up with how fast it grew.

Enough.
Knock on the door, you big 'fraidy cat
, he chided himself. He got a perverse sense of rebelliousness when he noted the doorbell, and rang it instead, as if defying himself would lead to any kind of victory.

The bell chimed within the apartment. This was it. No turning back now. Wait, why would he turn back? He wanted to see her. And that right there was the crux of the whole issue. He wanted to see her. His spine straightened a bit while he waited for Carissa to come to the door. And waited. He reassured himself that she was probably like most women. Never on time.

Except she'd never been late to any of the events they'd worked in the past. He cocked his head and double checked the letter on the door. This was it. Unless he'd misunderstood her. Oh crap. What if he had? What if he had the wrong building altogether? What if she was waiting for him next door? What if she thought he'd stood her up? What if–

The questions in his head ground to a halt when he heard the locks turn on the door. Whew! This was it. He hadn't messed things up after all. He just knew she'd love his favorite restaurant. The food was wonderful, the atmosphere was intimate. They were in for a lovely evening together.

Hutch took one look at Carissa and his heart sank. She was wearing a t-shirt with the neck and sleeves cut off, along with a pair of shorts that showed off her legs from almost the top of her honey colored thighs all the way to her slim, shapely ankles and bare feet. He'd seen her in skirts before, but he'd never seen this much of her legs. He had to admit he was miffed she'd been keeping them so well under wraps.

“Hey there. Am I early?” Hutch asked, even though he knew he was right on time despite all the hemming and hawing along the way.

The smile she gave him was fleeting. That was his first clue that something must be wrong. Carissa never greeted anyone without the full wattage of her smile turned on.

“I hate to do this, but I think I need a rain check for tonight. Would you mind?”

“What's the matter?” Now that he'd centered his focus on her, he could see how gingerly she was standing. Not to mention that her eyes looked a bit more red than normal. Had she been crying? “What happened, Carissa?”

She shook her head a tiny bit then clenched at the door with her hand. “It's silly. I was kinda in a car accident this morning. Then that incident on the beach… My back is not very happy with me right now.”

Hutch's jaw dropped. Kinda in a car accident? What the heck? “Why didn't you say something? We should get you to a hospital.”

“I'm sure this will pass. The pain’s not as bad as when it first started. I'll just go to a chiropractor tomorrow.” She was still stubborn to a fault. He shook his head and took her free arm before inviting himself into her home.

“Where does it hurt?” he asked. Carissa pressed a hand to her low back. His hand joined hers. Her muscles were super tight and he swore he could feel a spasm. She was going to be in pain until she got them to unlock. He spied a yoga mat the corner and unrolled it with a snap, perpendicular to her couch. “Lie down.”

“Excuse me?”

“You've got to relax your muscles. Lie down and put your feet up on the couch. It'll take the pressure off your low back.”

Carissa eyed the mat, then him. “I've been hanging off the edge of my bed for the last hour. I think that's helping.”

“This will help more.”

She looked at the mat again. “I'm not sure I can get down that low,” she admitted.

He took her arm in his. “I'll help you.” She stared at him for a moment. He stared back. He almost forgot where he was and what he was doing. Something connected between them. Hutch couldn't explain it. But he could see she felt it, too. It was in the way the pain-filled lines eased from her face for just a second. Then they were back, and Hutch remembered his task. He put an arm around Carissa’s waist and guided her to the floor. Tears pooled in her eyes, but she didn't let them fall.

“It's okay, sweetheart. You're doing great.” He tried to soothe her with his tone, but he could feel her trembling in his arms. Hutch helped her lay on her back, then lifted her feet to prop them on the couch. He watched Carissa exhale a breath of relief. “Better?”

“Surprisingly, yes.”

He grinned down at her. “Have you ever known me to steer you wrong?”

She arched an eyebrow. “Are we grading on a curve?”

They shared a chuckle that was cut short by her quick gasp. She turned pleading, uncertain eyes on him.