Czytaj książkę: «Her Wild Protector»

Chapter One

Tara tore off her pantyhose and wadded them in a ball, throwing the sweaty garment on the floor. Who the hell wears pantyhose in Florida? Women with a demonic supervisor, that’s who. Tara’s daily attire usually consisted of comfortable, casual pants and a business-friendly top, but when visiting dignitaries invaded the Canaveral Port Authority office, her manager strongly suggested she don a dress and nylons.

As if the dignitary was going to make it all the way back to her little corner of the workplace. Most of the time, the officials were ushered into the conference room, where they spent an hour or two, and then were whisked away to the next destination. Tara often didn’t even know visitors were in the building and they certainly weren’t aware of her.

She dug in her refrigerator, wondering what else she could throw in a bowl of spaghetti to disguise the fact that it was leftover leftovers, and almost fell inside as a loud crash came from the apartment above. There was the sound of a woman’s laughter, and then rhythmic thumping began.

Tara moaned. Not again. The couple that lived upstairs frequently engaged in loud, raucous sex that went on and on, sometimes for over an hour. Though part of her was happy that someone was enjoying boisterous sex, the sounds were not only annoying, but they also served as a reminder of her own nonexistent love life. Normally she waited out the intercourse interlude, but today she was not up to dealing with it. There was no reason for all that noise. People who lived in apartments should have respect for their neighbors.

She grabbed a broom and jabbed the handle several times into her ceiling. The sounds from overhead ceased for a moment, then after another peel of laughter from the woman, they resumed. Tara debated continuing her assault with the broom, but decided against it. She didn’t know the couple and didn’t want to antagonize her neighbors. At least they were quiet most of the time.

Instead, she turned on the television to drown out the noise and flipped through the channels. She stopped when she came to a channel where a symphony played a haunting, melancholy tune. The classical song stirred a memory buried deep inside. Though she couldn’t place where and when she’d last heard the melody, she remembered holding the hand of her companion and smiling, content, as they listened. Tears pricked her eyelids and she forced them down. She’d cried quite enough in the past years.

The sounds of love from above grew louder and she jabbed the volume button on the remote control. Nothing happened. It probably needed new batteries—one more thing that hadn’t made it to the shopping list this week. Hauling herself off the couch, she pushed the control on the television set. Still nothing. This appliance was on its last leg, she knew, but she intended to nurse it along as long as she could. Surely, with a little tweaking, the volume could be made to work. Grabbing a screwdriver from the kitchen, she unfastened the back panel. The voice of reason told her to unplug the unit first, but if she did, she wouldn’t be able to hear to adjust the sound, she argued. Truthfully, she was impatient and wanted to drown out the racket from the lovebirds immediately.

There, that looked like a loose wire. If she could just wiggle it a little…

The second she touched it a jolt ran through her body. She yelped and backed away, and as she did, tripped over the wadded pantyhose, turned to try to catch her balance and fell facedown on the floor. The thin carpet offered no protection and she felt a brief moment of pain and then nothing.

* * *

Opening her eyes, Tara’s first thought was that she was in bed and her mattress was mighty hard. She slowly sat up and a stabbing pain in her forehead reminded her what had happened. Looking at the clock, she saw it was time to get up for work. She stood. No bones were broken, and when she looked in the mirror her pupils appeared normal, though her forehead was swollen.

She rushed through her morning routine because she had to be at work early today. The visiting dignitary was in again and her supervisor requested she arrive before her normal starting time to make coffee. Though she was certain coffee making was not in her employment description as an accountant, Tara didn’t argue.

The cursed nylons she’d worn the day before were torn, and after rooting through her dresser drawers, all she could find was a pair of stockings and a garter belt, remnants from better times. Wearing the racy articles of clothing gave her a little tingle as her bare thighs touched each other. Though not overweight, she wasn’t a beanpole, and her legs had a bit of meat on them. Skin on skin felt different than having the barrier of material between her legs, and for some reason, this extra bit of stimulation felt particularly good today.

Tingling wasn’t the only odd sensation she felt. Everything looked different. Colors were brighter, more vivid, and she saw flashes of light and movement in the corners of her vision. Concerned that these apparitions were a result of smacking her head on the floor, she decided to visit the doctor later in the day if the situation didn’t improve. Her forehead was noticeably swollen and bruised, and she was thankful she wore her hair in bangs.

The workday progressed with its normal dull routine up to lunchtime. Tara pulled her purse from her drawer and turned down her computer. Her coworker looked up from a document she was perusing.

“Where are you going so early?” Brenda asked. “It’s not your lunchtime yet.”

Tara started to argue, then looked at her clock.

“It’s only eleven,” Brenda said, and Tara saw she was right.

“My morning work is done. Usually when that happens it’s time for lunch. How did I get finished so quickly?” Tara looked around her desk, expecting to see something she’d missed, but it was true, all her reports were finished, emails were sent and phone calls returned.

“I’m going to lunch, anyway. I’m starving,” Tara said. It would make for a long afternoon, but she didn’t care. She grabbed her sandwich and apple and went outside to sit at the employee picnic table, which was thankfully empty.

Looking around, she marveled at the vibrant colors. She closed her eyes and listened, tuning in to every sound. How had she not noticed how many birds sang each day? The scent of the water and the sea breeze filled her nostrils, stronger than she ever remembered. She smiled, letting the sun caress her face. A small spark of joy lit her soul and she savored the moment, remembering when she used to take pleasure from times like this every day. Since the Divorce from Hell, nothing was able to stir her heart. She moved through her days like a marionette, doing what was expected of her and little more.

This beauty was why she’d moved down here with Karl three years ago when he got that wonderful job. They both thought the area would make a great home. She’d done a bit of research and found many top-rated schools and the size and value of home they could afford was excellent. Sure, the summers were hot, but winter in Florida was paradise. It seemed like a dream come true.

Unfortunately, after one year of heaven, the economy took a downturn and Karl was laid off shortly thereafter. He turned out to have little motivation and was perfectly content to collect unemployment and stay home and drink beer and watch television while they lived off her salary and drained their savings account.

His unemployment benefits ran out soon and they were forced to sell their perfect little home and move into a small rental. Though Tara begged Karl to take some type of job, he insisted nothing was good enough for him. He was waiting for the perfect position that would open up any day. When her high-paying temp job ended, Tara took a long, hard look at her life. Though the prudent thing to do would have been to move back to the Midwest where they had friends and family, she was starting to love the area and wanted to stay.

Anyway, the idea of returning home with her tail between her legs was unacceptable. Tara was a fighter and she would not admit defeat, so when Karl approached her with a business investment he swore would be a sure thing, she’d reluctantly agreed and allowed him to use every cent they had left.

Just thinking about what happened next made her stomach knot up. Things had gone downhill fast after that. She left Karl, moved into a tiny apartment and gratefully took the first job she could get. Thinking of her past usually made Tara want to smack herself for being a first-class fool. Today, however, something had shifted. That small spark of spirit that had been in hiding burned stronger. She hummed a tune, one she and her mother used to sing, and went back to work feeling energized. She flew through the second half of the day’s work and when the phone rang she picked it up with a cheerful greeting.

“This is Tara in accounting, how can I help you?”

“I’m pretty much beyond help, girlfriend,” a lively voice announced. “But you can help yourself and come on out for Thirsty Thursday. Don’t you dare say no. I’ve heard that way too many times.”

Tara’s usual refusal sprang to her lips. She was still licking her wounds from the nasty battle with her ex-husband and was not ready to sashay into the meat market of after-hours bar drinking. She paused, recalling the sublime feeling of fresh air and sunshine on her skin. The bar her coworkers patronized had an outdoor seating area on the water and today the weather was perfect.

“Okay, I’ll be there,” Tara was slightly surprised to hear herself say.

“You will?” Lola asked. “All right! I’ll save you a seat next to me. We’ll have fun, you’ll see.” Her friend’s excitement was almost contagious. Almost.

“I just want to get out for a little while. I’m not going to stay late and I don’t want you trying to hook me up with any guys.”

“Now, would I do that?” Lola asked. Tara pictured her friend with the wicked grin she knew was on her face.

“Yes, you would and you have. I don’t need a man in my life right now, so no matchmaking.”

“There’s this new guy in my office that might come. You two would be perfect together.”

Tara sighed, loud enough so Lola could hear. “What did I just say? No men! I’m doing fine by myself.”

“Okay, if you call living in a shoe box and eating cereal and frozen pizza for dinner every night fine, then I’ll leave you alone and let you enjoy your life. I hear there are some great movies on PBS on Saturday. That’s where you’ve been hanging out on the weekends, right?”

Tara winced. Her friend was right. However, although Lola’s description did sum up her existence at the moment, it was how she chose to live. No dates, a miserable social life and a simple, undemanding job. She didn’t trust men, and she didn’t trust herself anymore, either. The low-level administrative position she held was all she felt capable of performing right now, even though she disliked it immensely and was often bored. When she thought of taking on a more challenging position, her mind flashed to those hours sitting in the lawyer’s office as Karl had listed her shortcomings, and she shuddered. “Hey, sorry, that was kind of harsh,” Lola said, a note of sympathy in her tone. “I just don’t want to see you dry up and turn into some kind of crazy old lady because of one asshole. There are still a few good men out there and you’ll find one, but you’ve got to get your behind out of your apartment.”

“I know, I know—I said I’d come. I’ll talk. I’ll mingle. I’ll drink. No romance just yet, okay? Promise?”

“All right, I promise. See you soon!”

* * *

“So then I said…hey, are you listening to me?” Lola asked, waving her hand in front of Tara’s face.

“Yes, I’m listening. You said Alice ate someone’s month-old sandwich she stole from the lunchroom refrigerator and got sick.”

“You don’t seem especially interested in my fascinating story. Your eyes are meandering around like your brain is somewhere far away. Are you thinking about anything particular? Something you want to share?”

Tara didn’t. She was thinking about nothing and enjoying it immensely. She listened to Lola with only half her concentration.

Her friend didn’t wait for an answer and resumed her narrative. Tara took the opportunity to focus on a man who had caught a bit of her attention. He had dark hair that was just a little longer than was the fashion, but it looked good on him. Sunglasses hid his eyes, but the rest of his face was attractive, if one enjoyed the rugged, dangerous look. Tara did. Pretty boys made her nervous. She could never be with a man who spent more time on grooming than she did. This one looked like he woke up with the same sexy dark shadow on his chin that he now sported. She crossed her legs, a twinge of heat causing her heart to beat faster.

Dark and Dangerous sat with several other men and women who were dressed like they had just come from their office, the same as her group. His rigid posture suggested military training and his facial expression was serious. Unlike the others in his group, he did not appear to be having a good time. She couldn’t tell for sure, but it looked as if he was drinking bottled water. What was he doing at happy hour?

From what she could see of his upper torso through his button-down work shirt, his body was in good condition, a welcome change of pace from most men she dealt with in her work environment. Too many of them had let themselves go, developing beer bellies and sagging chins at a young age. She leaned a little farther in her chair to get a better look.

“Hey now, you checking out that man candy over there? I thought you weren’t interested in the opposite sex,” Lola teased.

“I’m trying to see that woman he’s with. She looks familiar.”

This was partially true. Tara was sure she’d seen his companion in the finance section once or twice. Right now, the woman was laughing loudly with one of those raucous, grating laughs that sounded like nails on a chalkboard.

“Yeah, she does something around here. I see her a lot, too. Damn, that laugh of hers is enough to make you want to rip off your ears. You think she’s drunk?” Lola asked.

She was something, if not drunk. Her companion had to move more than once to avoid her sloshing drink. Suddenly, all the noise and bar smells got to Tara. Her mysteriously heightened senses had reached overload and it was time to go. She hugged her friend and dug her keys from her purse.

“We’ll do this again,” Lola said. “You had fun, nothing bad happened, you got a few of those cobwebs blown out of your brain, right?”

“My cobwebs are fine where they are,” Tara replied, but smiled. “Sure, it was fine. I’ll come out again.”

She made her way down the stairs but decided she wasn’t quite ready to leave the tranquility of the sea just yet. Wandering between the various shops and restaurants that lined this area of the port, she came to a quiet spot with an unobstructed view of the water. She stood for a few moments, watching the rays of the sun fan out. Once again, her mind slipped into a peaceful place and she stood motionless, letting the breeze lift her hair.

An odd noise, something between a growl and a whimper, interrupted her reverie. She noticed the edge of what looked like a large cage behind a few boxes. Always curious, she walked around the corner of the building. It was a cage and inside was a dog. No, on closer examination she ascertained it was a wolf dog. She’d seen this type of hybrid before and always felt sorry for them. Wolves were not domestic animals. They needed to live differently than dogs and no creature should be kept locked up like this. The cage, while large, barely offered the animal enough room to even stand up. He looked up at her with soulful eyes and she squatted a safe distance from his enclosure.

He didn’t appear to be abused and had plenty of water, but his face looked sad.

“Hey there, sweetie. How’s it going?”

The animal woofed softly and put a paw at the edge of the cage. She wanted to touch it, to give the creature some attention it obviously craved. Tears pricked her eyes. How could someone keep such a beautiful animal penned up alone in this tiny prison cell? Wolves were pack creatures and interacted as a group.

“How about I have a chat with your asshole owner?” she asked, dearly longing to do so, though certain that nothing would come of it if she did. People who didn’t respect animals gave little thought to humans, either.

A sound nearby drew her attention. Great. It was Hyena Woman, still laughing in that grating tone. Tara rose and peered out into the parking lot. Mr. D & D was with her and for a moment all Tara’s attention focused on him. The bottom half was as good as the top. He had long legs and a butt that filled out his work slacks nicely. Her pulse sped up and she bit her lip.

He held the door for his companion and when she was settled in her car, he reached his head inside. Tara looked on with envy, certain he was giving her a delicious kiss. For just a moment, she pictured herself in that car and tasted his lips on hers. She knew they would have the flavor of sea salt and would set her mouth on fire. A zing of warmth flooded her body and a shiver of wanting ran through her. It had been a long time since she’d looked at a man with desire.

Determined not to start that lustful habit that only led to trouble, Tara began to slowly back away. She certainly did not want to be accused of spying on the couple. For all she knew, the parties involved were married, but not to each other. Just as she was about to turn around and tiptoe away, Mr. Dark and Dangerous started to shine. Tara’s jaw dropped and she stopped her retreat to stare. His body was glowing, a faint blue color that grew brighter by the second. It quickly increased in brilliance and became an electric luminescence, coursing through and around his whole body. It was as if he was made of the light. She closed her eyes to clear her vision and then opened them again. He was still leaning into the car and was still lit up like a tacky dollar-store Christmas tree.

The wolf dog barked sharply and she whirled around in surprise, knocking over a pile of boxes as she turned. She looked back to the parking lot to see Mr. D & D stand up from his bent position. The radiant light faded. He turned toward her and their eyes locked for a moment. Then the wolf dog barked again. Tara tore her gaze away and spun around, attempting to right the fallen boxes. As she did, a man came lumbering out of the nearby shop.

“What are you doing out here?”

“Nothing, I just knocked these over. I’m sorry, I’ll pick them up.”

“What are you doing to my dog?”

The man stood with his hands on his hips and glared at Tara. She stopped what she was doing and glared back.

“I wasn’t doing anything to your dog. But what you’re doing is cruel. You shouldn’t keep a wild animal in a cage like that, you know.” Shocked at her own audacity, Tara picked up her purse and turned to leave. The man’s hand on her arm stopped her.

“Don’t you tell me what to do—and don’t you be messing with my property.” The repulsive man stood inches away, his foul breath blowing in her face as he talked. She caught a scent of alcohol and cigarettes. Fear replaced anger and she tugged on her arm.

The animal barked loudly once then growled, the sound coming from deep in his throat.

“Let go of her,” another voice demanded, and Tara turned to see Mr. D & D approaching them.

Her attacker dropped her arm and took a step back. “We’re just having a chat—nothing’s going on,” he said, and with a final snarl at Tara, lumbered back into his shop.