Читать книгу Lessons From A Younger Lover - Zuri Day - Страница 16

Gwen stood in the shadows of her front porch, waiting to see the perpetrator marched off in handcuffs. She’d ventured just outside her door as soon as the officers drove up, had watched two of them walk up the front sidewalk while a third had disappeared around the side of Mary’s house. Muffled voices followed. Gwen couldn’t make out the conversation but since there was no shouting or gunshots, she breathed a sigh of relief that the criminal would be taken away peacefully.

Gwen came to full alert as two officers walked back to their patrol car. The officers could be seen clearly under the streetlights, and while they seemed intent on doing their business, there was no sign of stress that she could pick up from their body language. Gwen couldn’t believe they were being so casual at the scene of a crime.

When the third officer came away from the shrubbery laughing and holding what looked like a cookie tray, Gwen’s curiosity could take no more. Where is that low-down gangster thug? How could he have escaped? The police cars had barely pulled away from the curb when she came out of her hiding place and marched across the lawn.

“Miss Mary! Miss Mary?” she said as she rapped the door’s knocker. “Miss Mary, it’s me, Gwen.”

Gwen turned to see if the police had indeed left their block. Maybe they’re circling, making sure the area is safe and the assailant isn’t still lurking behind some bush. When she heard the door open, she spun around.

“Oh, thank good…”

The rest of the words died on her lips as she looked up into the eyes of goodness, looking commanding and a bit intimidating dressed in black: fitted black T-shirt and black jeans that showcased his thick thighs and long legs. When she kept staring silently, Ransom widened his stance and crossed his arms, a slight frown crossing his brow.

“It was you, wasn’t it?”

“Me…who…what?”

“Don’t ‘what’ me. You called the police.”

His look was piercing now, coal black eyes boring, it seemed, to her very core. Gwen shuddered, as if just now aware of the tremendous power he exuded. He was not only extremely handsome, even more than she remembered, but he also exuded virility, sexuality, authority. Ransom reached out, grabbed her arm and pulled her inside Mary’s home. It would have been silly of her to try and resist.

“I think we have our whistle-blower, Miss Mary,” Ransom said as he walked them farther into the living room. He placed his arm firmly around Gwen’s shoulders while a thumb drew a lazy line up and down her bare arm.

Gwen thought she’d faint from the contact; no man before in her entire life, on television or in person, had left her as breathless as did the man beside her. She focused on Miss Mary like a lifeline, and as much as Chantay aggravated her at times, Gwen wished at this moment she could “phone a friend” to divert her attention and stop her nana from tingling. You are not interested, Gwen thought, then continued her silent chastisement. You’re focused on work and your mother, period, not the opposite sex!

Ransom leaned down and whispered in her ear, “Miss Mary is talking to you.”

His breath felt hot and damp against her earlobe. She tried to ease away from Ransom so she could think and talk at the same time, but he held firm.

“Uh, yes, what was that, Miss Mary?”

“I was thanking you for watching out for me, calling the police and all. Of course, it was Ransom here who climbed into my attic.”

Gwen’s eyes widened as she looked up. “You?”

Ransom shrugged. “Squirrels.”

“In the attic,” Mary patiently explained, as the bewildered look on Gwen’s face continued to grow.

“There’s a hole in her window. It looks like an entire family has been making their home there for quite some time.”

“Ransom here…he’s so nice. He’s a businessman with his own company, you know, but still gets around to helping us older people in the community.

“Where are my manners? Do you two know each other? Gwen, as I said, this is Ransom. Ransom, this is Lo’s daughter, Gwen.”

“You’re Miss Lorraine’s daughter?” Ransom asked as he took her hand in his.

Gwen nodded and walked toward Miss Mary. This time, Ransom let her go. She had to sit before her legs betrayed her. She’d just called the cops on her Bro Fabio!

“You look a little peaked,” Mary said. “Are you all right?”

“I’m fine.” Gwen cleared her throat, grateful for the chair. She felt strength coming back now that there was a bit of distance between her and Ransom. “I’m fine,” she repeated, before turning her attention to Ransom. “And very sorry for whatever trouble I caused. I thought you were a burglar.”

“It was an honest mistake. I’m glad you thought to act first and ask questions later. That doesn’t always happen these days. People are not as willing to get involved. But then”—Ransom focused those hypnotizing eyes on her again—“something tells me you’re not like the other people around here.”

“Miss Mary, since I know you’re all right,” Gwen said as she stood, “I’ll be leaving.” She tried to brush past Ransom. “Nice meeting you.”

“Wait a minute, neighbor, not so fast. We can’t let an angel such as yourself walk home alone. I was just leaving anyway, and will be glad to escort you.”

Gwen laughed in a way she hoped sounded light and unaffected. “Don’t be silly. I live right next door.”

“Oh, let the young man walk you home,” Mary encouraged. “Honey, never pass up the opportunity to have a fine man on your arm!”

Ransom had her arm again, in that firm yet gentle way that spoke volumes about who he felt was in charge.

There was a strained silence as Ransom and Gwen covered the short distance from Mary’s to her mother’s. As soon as she stepped on their lawn she stopped.

“Okay, I’m in my yard. Thank you.”

“What? I’m going to be a jerk and leave a lady like you on the grass? Oh no, we must make sure you’re safely inside.”

Gwen held a rein on her temper as she hurried up the steps. Obviously this man had no idea how close to being out of control she was around him. She’d never reacted this way to a man and quite frankly, it scared her.

“We’re here. My front door. Good-bye.”

“Good-bye? Just like that? You call the police on a law-abiding citizen, forcing him away from his scheduled task of squirrel-hunting…and now it’s just…good-bye?”

Gwen put her hands on her hips and raised up to her full five-foot-seven. “Look, I said I’m sorry about the phone call. What else do you want from me?”

“Just this.”

The assault was not what she expected. Instead of a hard, bruising kiss, Ransom’s attack was soft, yet deliberate. He rubbed his lips against hers, ever so slightly, as he made circular motions at the nape of her neck, massaging her into submission. Before Gwen realized it, she’d opened her mouth to welcome him and Ransom instantly took full advantage. His thrusting tongue was hot and purposeful against the insides of her mouth, devouring her with a gentleness that belied his strength. He dug his hands into her hair and deepened the kiss. His other hand caressed her back, even as he outlined her lips with the tip of his tongue before plunging in again.

He kissed with a rhythm that reminded Gwen of lovemaking. She wanted to push him away but couldn’t. She’d never, ever experienced a kiss like this before. It made her want to laugh, to cry, to pledge her undying love, to take the first thing smoking out of Sienna. In short, it made her crazy. And she knew that if she didn’t stop the madness now, then later on, it would be too late.

“Please,” she said, placing a hand on his chest and putting as much distance between them as she could, still wrapped in his arms. She didn’t know that his desire-filled eyes mirrored her own. “I can’t,” she stuttered.

“Baby, you taste so good. I can only imagine…”

“Well, don’t be imagining anything. You said a kiss was the other…payment…you wanted for my calling law enforcement and you…well…we’ve done that. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a busy day tomorrow.”

“The kiss was just the beginning,” Ransom said, undeterred by her stern manner. He liked his women feisty, and loved a challenge. “Give me your number. I’d like to take you out. I’ve been thinking of you since we…ran into each other the other day.”

“No.”

“No?”

“You heard me.”

“Why won’t you go out with me? Scared you’ll seduce me on our first date?”

“You’re pretty sure of yourself, aren’t you?”

“No, but I’m pretty sure of us. Something is going to go down between us. I felt it from the first moment I held you in my arms…because of the butterfly.”

Gwen was thinking of butterflies all right, the ones that kept fluttering in her stomach every time this man opened his mouth. The mouth that had kissed her so thoroughly, so…

“Look, I’m here to take care of my mother. And dating is out of the question.”

“Why?” Ransom stepped forward.

Gwen stepped back, and fumbled for the doorknob behind her. “Because I’m…not interested!”

With that, she ran inside and closed the door firmly behind her.