Touch Slowly (Red Light: Silver Girls series) (14 page)

Disgusted with herself, she marched out of the doorway and into the alley prepared to face the consequences and instead caught the red taillight of the motorcycle riding away. She slumped forward in relief. Her stupidity at an all-time high, she paid attention to the night and using the broom, pulled down the ladder to the balcony, climbed to her room, and slipped in the booby-trapped door without anyone being the wiser.

From here on out, she'd lay low. Spread her legs and open her mouth during working hours and be the model prostitute.

E
mmett no longer counted time by how many days he worked during the week or when the electricity bill was due. He stacked the box of U-joints on top of the container of fuel injectors. It'd been exactly fourteen days since he'd seen Nova.

Unaware of today being Thursday, he'd opened the back door to Parker's Auto Parts Store and found almost forty boxes of parts he'd ordered sitting on the ground. The truck from the manufacturer came while he'd taken a lunch break and he'd returned through the front door, missing the damn delivery.

"This is the last one." Nick set the box on the ground at the bottom of the stack.

"Thanks, man." Emmett kicked the toe of his boot against the cardboard. "I'm going to leave the rest of them packed and deal with this shit tomorrow. Considering the customers have waited this long for their parts, they can wait another day. Thanks for stopping in and helping."

"No problem." Nick grinned. "I had nothing else to do, and I'm cheap. A six pack will make us even."

There were many times Nick came to help out, and every single time he joked about getting paid with beer. Emmett punched Nick on the arm. They'd fallen into helping each other out, and he appreciated the extra pair of hands.

The bell on the front door jingled. Emmett looked at Nick. "Are you expecting anyone?"

It must be after eight o'clock. He'd waited until he locked the front door to customers before he started bringing the parts in from the back and taking inventory.

"No one knows I'm here," said Nick.

The click of footsteps came faster and louder. Shayla stuck her head into the back room. "I saw your car out front and knocked on the door, but nobody answered."

"Apparently, I've run out of places to hide from my little sister." Nick kissed the top of Shayla's head. "Is everything okay?"

"Right as rain." Shayla smiled. "Nova and I talked for over an hour. We're okay now."

"Good," said Nick.

At the mention of Nova's name, Emmett's mood brightened. He took off his baseball cap and ran his hand through his hair before putting his hat back on. The reason Nova stayed away had to do with Shayla, not him.

"How the hell did you get in?" Emmett shoved his hands in his pockets.

Shayla smiled. "Mad skills."

"You know how to pick a locked door?" Emmett shook his head. "Nevermind. I don't want to know."

"Sure you do." Shayla sat down on one of the large boxes. "Tommy Tawkonow taught Nova and me in high school. It comes in handy, like tonight when I wanted to see if you guys were inside or not. I knew you wouldn't shoot me for breaking and entering. You don't carry a pistol."

"There's one behind the counter." Emmett gritted his teeth.

He'd had no record of trouble at the store. In a town the size of Federal, he normally recognized every face that came through the door. But, he couldn't ignore the increase in tourists visiting the area over the last few years and had obtained a Concealed Weapons Permit from the sheriff to make sure the store's track record stayed the same.

Shayla crossed her arms. "What are you two doing at the store this late at night anyways?"

"I helped Emmett with the delivery after work." Nick frowned. "I thought you were going home after your last cleaning job."

"I did. Then Nova called me. I'm picking her up and taking her back to the trailer." Shayla glanced at her phone and jingled her keychain in her other hand. "I better go, so she doesn't think I got kidnapped and take off in my car."

"She can't take off in your car when you have the keys," said Emmett, getting his second wind over news of Nova coming to the park. The drama that had kept Nova away had to do with Shayla, not him.

Shayla stood. "She doesn't need keys."

"She hotwires cars, too?" He suddenly wanted to get home, shower and be ready for Nova. He'd sent her a few text messages over the last two weeks that went unanswered. Not wanting to ask Nick and Shayla what was going on, he'd waited.

Until he'd grown impatient.

He'd gone to Federal Inn two days ago and asked the front desk for her room number. The woman behind the counter informed him there were no guests named Nova Kinsley. Without knowing what name she used or if she checked in under her employer's name, he had no choice but to wait until she showed up next door in the park.

"I'm not telling you all her secrets." Shayla walked away. "See you both at home."

Nick grabbed his coat off the stack of boxes. "I'm heading out, too."

"Thanks again for the help." Emmett trailed after them, locking the front door again.

Parked in the back of the building, he walked down the center aisle and stopped beside the rows of paint. He picked up a rattle can of black paint and then he grabbed a yellow, red, brown, green, and a blue can. Shoving them under his arm, he shut off the lights and left through the back door. If he couldn't sway Nova with a kiss, he'd step up his game.

H
alfway to the trailer park, Shayla turned off the radio in her car. Nova's already rigid spine stiffened more. The longest two weeks of her life ended earlier when Shayla called and told her she was willing to listen to her plans and try to support her.

Never before had Shayla gone so long not talking with her, and every day that passed without a phone call had Nova worried that their differences would always push them apart. She'd spent every spare moment overthinking the situation and figuring out the changes she could make to fix her relationship with Shayla. Nothing, not her job, her goals, her disdain for living in the trailer park would break up her family.

Unable to take another day of the cold shoulder treatment, she had planned to call Shayla when her phone rang, and her cousin finally wanted to talk.

One thing that wasn't mentioned during their lengthy discussion about how much money she'd saved over the years, her dream house, her desire to live close to her family, and Shayla offering to look through the real estate listings in town for her was how she planned to curtail her involvement with Emmett.

She understood Shayla's concern. Emmett was a good friend to both her cousins. They had to live next door to him, and any visit from Nova would make things awkward for everyone.

The only problem: In the last two weeks she only became more interested in Emmett. She missed him. She missed his kisses. She missed the back and forth of their personalities clashing. When she thought of how little time she had left working for the Network, she became excited about the possibilities of spending more time with him.

She wanted to come clean and work through all the doubts Emmett would have about her. Emmett's dominating ways spoke to her in a way nothing else had in her life. She craved more time with him, and she wanted to find out everything about him. She wanted a chance to experience the flutters and nerves and excitement only he gave her.

"How are you going to handle tonight?" asked Shayla.

"That depends on what you have planned." Nova spread her fingers out in front of her and admired the silver polish with pearl overcoat Tawny gave her earlier in the day. "I had fun dancing and singing last time I came over to spend time with you."

Shayla's grip on the steering wheel shifted, and she let up on the accelerator. "You know nothing is ever planned. Whatever goes on at the park at night happens naturally. I'm talking about what you're going to do about Emmett. Are you going to tell him what you're doing here in Federal?"

She shook her head. "Not yet."

"But you
will
tell him soon?"

"Of course." Nova rolled her head on her shoulders, stretching her muscles. The thought of seeing Emmett settled as tension in her neck.

She wanted to spend time with him and explore the conflicting emotions that grew bigger each time they were together. Without the benefit of going out on dates, spending quality time with him, and having deeper conversations rather than butting heads every time Emmett moved forward and she stepped back, she couldn't put all her money on telling him the truth.

So far, the sexual attraction between them was off the charts hot. He wanted her, and she wanted to find out what he'd do with her once she gave him permission. But, until her contract was up at Red Light, she wasn't allowed to have sex with anyone outside of work.

Even if the bordello allowed extra sexual activities away from the green room, she'd never step over the line with Emmett. She'd never have sex unless the other person understood exactly what she brought with her.

It sucked because the only person she wanted was Emmett.

Her job at Red Light now made her feel dirty as if every day she willingly pushed Emmett away by having sex with other men. She'd done everything possible to stay clean, healthy, and protected. It would be no problem for her to get a doctor's report stating the same.

She'd fought for everything she'd ever claimed, and she wanted a chance at fighting for Emmett. Adrenaline excited her, and she rubbed her hands along her thighs. Yes, she wanted a chance with Emmett. A real chance.

Her time at Red Light would soon be over. Once she put everything behind her, she'd concentrate on moving forward with Emmett. She wanted to work things out and prove herself to him so that he wouldn't leave her.

Her eyes burned. After her mom had left her, she swore never to depend on someone else again. Then, Emmett picked her up in his 'Cuda and turned her world upside down and sideways.

She was willing to risk everything for something she wasn't sure even existed.

"Whatever we have going on between us could turn out to be nothing." Nova spoke aloud. "He could see me as the new woman hanging around, and think of me as a conquest, nothing more. He's probably had every woman at the park."

"Get out." Shayla laughed. "He hasn't had sex with me. Not even a kiss or flirting when he's drinking. Oh my God..."

"What?" said Nova.

"Do you think something is wrong with me?" Shayla bugged her eyes. "Why hasn't he tried anything with me?"

Nova pointed out the windshield. "You're going to miss the turn into the park."

"Shit." Shayla pressed on the brake. "Okay, it's final. I'm going to get laid tonight."

"With who?"

"I don't know. Maybe Kirkland or Jason." Shayla hummed in thought. "That's if Caren doesn't get to them first."

Nova shivered. "And, you worry about me working for the Network. At least there's no alcohol involved, and they don't get to touch me."

"I want to be touched. I haven't had one boyfriend since moving to Federal. Three years of wanting someone to sleep all night in my bed and maybe take me into town for eggs and pancakes in the morning shouldn't be that hard of a thing to accomplish." Shayla rolled to a stop in front of the trailer. "That's not to say I haven’t had sex, but it's not the same unless I get an all-nighter. Everyone deserves that personal connection with others, right?"

"I hear you." Once she discovered how much she wanted Emmett, work became unbearable and depressing.

Shayla shut off the engine and looked at Nova. "There's nothing quite like having a man's hands on you."

"I wouldn't know," mumbled Nova.

Shayla gaped. "Seriously?"

Nova wrinkled her nose. "No more talking about...everything. Let's go out and have some fun."

In front of Emmett's trailer, a crowd gathered around Nick's truck. At least twenty people enjoyed the clear night with the stars shining overhead and a gentle breeze coming down the side of the mountain cooling them off from the hot summer day. Nova dug into her pocket and retrieved the fifty dollars she'd brought with her from today's tips.

"I'm going to run in the house and use the bathroom." Nova headed toward the trailer, waved to Kirkland, who headed toward Shayla, and hoped her cousin got her wish. She could tell Shayla crushed on Kirkland, but the two of them danced around each other every single night.

Nova hurried into the house and straight to Shayla's bedroom to put the money on her nightstand. She sat down on the bed and ran her hand over the pillow. Laying down, she inhaled the sweet lavender scent she recognized as Shayla's shampoo. Overcome with hope, she rolled to her back and stared up at the ceiling.

Soon, she'd use most of her money she'd saved over the years to purchase a house and then later when she got a new job, an honorable job in town, she'd start buying the necessities and turn her place into a home. A big bed, pillows—lots of pillows, and the only man allowed on top of the mattress would be one of her choosing. She slipped her hands under her head. Without a house payment, the pressure to find a job right away was off her shoulders. She could waitress or even take a part-time job.

Excitement for the future hovered under the surface. She stretched her arms above her head, unable to control the positive outlook on her life, she bent her knees and kicked her legs in the air while punching the air with her fists.

A masculine cough interrupted her bed dance. She jackknifed on the mattress and stared at Emmett leaning against the doorframe. Warmth flooded her body at the self-indulgent grin and lust in his eyes, and she froze. Never before had a man stood in front of her and put her in danger of losing her heart.

His eyes softened. "Don't stop."

"I was..." She pulled her gaze away from his hypnotic eyes and looked around the room for an excuse to give him for her behavior. "I was getting ready to go outside."

He hooked his hand in his pocket and glanced at the nightstand. She followed his gaze and swallowed. The money she gave Shayla sat in plain sight.