Rock Your Body: A BWWM Romance (17 page)

“Could I have his phone number?”

“You a cop?”

She sighed. “No.”

“Then no.”

“How about you give that person my number and have them call me?”

“Okay I can do that.”

She told him her number, then disconnected. She wouldn’t have thought it was odd except that the person paid cash. That smacked of trying to cover up what you’re doing.

What if Colin really did have a stalker? She called her electronics crew and told them to wait a few days before taking down the cameras.

                                                                     ***

Larry waited on Colin’s doorstep. He rang the doorbell and was pleasantly surprised when Kelly answered.

“Hi.”

“Hi, you.”

“What are you doing here?”

“Colin got some flowers this morning with a strange note on them.”

“I promise. It wasn’t me,” Larry said

She let him in, then he followed her to the kitchen. “I think you’re smarter than that.”

She showed him the bag with the card in it.

“Probably innocuous, but in light of your mind-set because of my antics, he probably saw menace in it.”

“I’d rather assume it’s dangerous and it not be, than the reverse.”

“Good thinking. Where’s Colin? I have to do a big mea culpa.”

“He’s with Docta Hop, I think in the studio.”

“I better go see him. Will you be here when I get done?”

“I could be if you need me to be,” Kelly said.

“I don’t need you. I’d love to talk to you. Ya know, maybe figure out another date.”

“Date?”

“I thought the first one went so well we should try for a second.”

Kelly nodded as he left. He found Colin and Docta Hop jamming. Well, sort of. Colin was doing a beat on the drums while the other artist was doing what he does best. Larry had never been a fan of hip hop, nor did he have any artists like that in his corral.

He didn’t understand Colin’s need to do this, but he couldn’t argue with his wanting to expand his audience. That could only make Larry more money.

He stood in the doorway listening. He was no judge of the music, but he found himself tapping his foot.

When the music stopped, Colin looked his way. “Larry.”

The greeting was neutral, but he knew Colin was mad at him. He’d have to do some groveling and then they’d be back on level ground.

“I have to go, Colin, but let me give you my assistant’s number and we’ll set up a time next week to record. I really want to be part of this.”

“I’m Larry Byrne, Colin’s agent.”

The two men shook hands. “Nice to meet you, Docta Hop. Your boy here is really talented.”

The man left and Colin busied himself on the drums. Larry strode over to him. “I know you’re pissed but I did it for your career.”

“Like my career is failing. I’m in the news all the time. And I had that photo shoot with Inkblot Magazine.”

“I was being proactive.”

“You think I’m going to fail at this?”

“Not exactly.”

This was a new
venture
and as much as Larry could be a balls-to-the-wall kind of guy, this was a whole new territory for him. He’d been feeling complacent and itching for some stability. He’d hoped that Colin’s career would help with that.

“You need to have the same faith in me now that you did at the onset of my career. You believed in me, Larry when all the other doors were closed.”

“I knew you were magic.”

“Then trust that I still am magic. You know I get restless. Let me scratch this itch. I’ll put out another album of my regular stuff after that.”

“You sure?”

“I’ve already written some songs for it.”

“Let me hear one.”

                                                                       ***

Tamra looked around her apartment. She was given ten minutes to be in and out. There was not a thing to salvage. The firefighter that she’d talked to thought the fire began in the hallway outside her door. Her apartment was the hardest hit.

He didn’t say it, but he intimated that it had been set.

Why?

Why outside of her apartment? No one had a vendetta against her. No ex-boyfriends that hated her. Only one, but he had died in prison. She sighed. She’d lost everything. Not being a sentimental person, she had no keepsakes, but a cookbook that her mother had given her.

A family heirloom. Gone because someone possibly set a fire in a hallway. Sounded like the projects where she grew up.

“Damn.”

“Time is up, miss.”

She nodded, then followed the firefighter out to the parking lot.

“Glad I have insurance.”

“Not everyone did,” he said.

“Hm. Thanks.”

“Have you called your insurance company?”

“They’ll be out here tomorrow to assess the damage.”

“Have a good evening, miss.”

“Thanks.”

She sat in her car and tears rolled down her face. She hadn’t felt this down since she left Newark. She’d never been homeless. Now she had to begin again. Or at least think about beginning again.

No time to feel sorry for herself. She had to get to work and, well, she couldn’t remember. Her to-do list had been in her head until she saw her home. Maybe she needed a day off.

She dialed Kelly’s number.

“So what do you think?”

“I’m investigating. I’m waiting for a call from the clerk at the flower shop who took the order. I’m hoping we can get a description of the person.”

“You have it all under control?”

“I do. Why?”

“I need a personal day. A day or at this point, a half day, to go off the grid.”

“Do it. You deserve it. I’ll have our calls forwarded to my number.”

“Thanks, Kelly.”

“Where you going?” Kelly asked.

“Down the shore.”

“Have fun.”

***

As Kelly put down her phone, Larry was back in the kitchen.

“Did he forgive you?”

“Yes. He always does,” Larry said.

He slid onto a stool at the island. She noticed for the first time that he had a presence about him. She bet that when he walked into a party, people noticed.

“Not in a hurry to get back to Manhattan?”

He put his hands on the counter. “I like the view here.”

“Aren’t you charming?”

“It isn’t charming if it isn’t a lie.”

She had to smile at him. He was a handsome man. Not someone who would stop traffic, but if you had the chance to really look at him, you could see his merits. He was also sweet and charming, his shark agent persona aside. His clients were how he made his money so he had to do what he could to protect their brand and gain as much publicity as possible.

“Oh, Larry.”

“So about that date.”

“When?”

“Saturday? I’d love to spend the day, or at least part of the day with you? Can I entice you to come into Manhattan? We can do whatever you want.”

“Whatever I want? That could be a big list.”

“Name it. I can get reservations at an exclusive restaurant. I can get us passes to any museum. You name it.”

“Let me ponder it. This is George’s weekend with Sophie so I have some leeway.”

“Good.”

As much as his smile looked shark-like, she enjoyed it.

“Give me a challenge.”

“Okay. Let me think. I don’t go into the city much so I’ll have to do some research.”

CHAPTER 13

Tamra sat on the beach and just listened to the waves crashing. She hadn’t had her life in this much turmoil in years. Not since that one guy. Not since he’d broken her heart and then threatened her.

But he was gone. She was here. A possible new love, but she wasn’t yet convinced that Colin was for real. He could have any woman in the world.  She’d done a search on him and found pictures of him with supermodels and Hollywood stars on his arm.

Why her? Why now? Because she was convenient? Because she’d given it up for him so easily? She sighed.

Now she had no home and had to add tension to that situation by moving in with him. Well, not living together, but certainly inhabiting the same house.

She frowned at the waves, but they gave her no answer. She didn’t often run away, but today she needed to.

Her phone rang. That showed she wasn’t willing to throw anything aside. She should have turned off her phone. She looked at the screen.

Colin. He was concerned, she was sure. He was nice that way. Did it mean anything? She didn’t know him well enough to be sure.

She answered because she knew him well enough to know that he would call back. And call back until she answered.

“Hi.”

“Hey, Kelly said you were at the beach,” he said.

Kelly would tell him. Kelly was rooting for them. “I am.”

“You okay?”

“What do you think?”

“Sorry. Dumb question. What time do you think you’ll be home?”

Home. How did he think of it that way when he didn’t even live there? He just rented it. “I’ll be back before rush hour traffic starts. I don’t want to be on the Parkway.”

“Okay. I have a surprise.”

“Oh?”

“You’ll see when you get here. I just wanted to make sure you were still coming.”

“I am. I have no place to go.”

“Good thing my ego is big otherwise I’d be insulted.”

She frowned even though she knew he couldn’t see her. “I didn’t mean it that way, Colin.”

“I know, sweetie. I’m just joking. I’ll cook us a nice dinner. Anything special you want?”

“Whatever is fine.”

“No special comfort foods?”

“Macaroni and cheese.”

“Then that’s what we’ll eat. I hope you find what you need down there.”

“So do I.”

                                                                       ***

Kelly drove to the police station to meet with a detective.

Detective Sean Quinn was a slightly round man in a tailored suit. She introduced herself. Now that they knew this was a real stalker, it was time to bring in the police. Larry had agreed it was time.

The detective led her into a room probably used for interrogations, with a mirror on one wall. She sat in a metal chair that was instantly uncomfortable.

She slid the bag with the card in it across the table. “Let me give you some background. My company was hired to protect and investigate a potential stalker for the singer Colin Brennan who happens to be renting a house in your town. The stalker turned out to be a publicity stunt. Then this arrived.”

“This isn’t part of the publicity stunt?”

“No and the tone is different. This could be innocuous, but the flower shop said the person paid cash. I’m still waiting for the person who waited on the buyer to call me back.”

“And you’re telling me all this now, why?”

“Because I think this is a real threat and you need to be informed. I’ll give you whatever information I have. I can send it via e-mail.”

He gave her his e-mail. “I can’t necessarily share anything back, but I’ll go talk to the flower shop. If the police are involved that might get the clerk to move on calling you. Or talk to me.”

“I’ll send the information as soon as I get home. Thanks for your time.”

She left the police station, hoping that this person would be caught soon. When she arrived home, her daughter had decided to talk to her again.

“So are you going out with that agent again?”

“I am, but you’ll be at your father’s house.”

Her daughter frowned. “Can’t I meet him?”

“No, on several levels, no. I’m not bringing someone into your life until I’m sure that person is serious. Besides, I know you’ll want to sing to him and we’re not putting him on the spot.”

Her daughter crossed her arms as she stood in the kitchen. Kelly pulled items out of the refrigerator to make dinner. She didn’t want to have this conversation, but she knew her daughter was not going to give this up.

“Why don’t you want me to do this?”

“Because you’re too young to deal with show business.”

“You just don’t want me to be happy.”

Kelly resisted rolling her eyes. The drama since her daughter became a teenager was grating on her. “Yes, that’s it. I don’t want you to be happy.”

Her daughter stomped off and left her to make dinner in peace.

                                                                         ***

Colin greeted Tamra at the door with a hug that warmed her through and through.  She could get used to this, but should she?

“Wow. That was nice,” she said.

He smiled, then rubbed a hand down her face. A very intimate and affectionate gesture. His hand warmed her. “I have macaroni and cheese cooking in the oven, but first I have your surprise.”

He led her to her bedroom where a woman stood by a clothing rack.

“What’s this?”

“Kelly told me that you hate shopping so I brought shopping to you. This is Candy. She’s going to take your measurements then give you some ideas for clothing. You tell her what you want.”

Tamra blinked. She stood outside the door afraid to go in. She would never be able to afford this. “Uh. I don’t know what to say.”

He nudged her into the room. “Don’t say anything. Just get a new wardrobe. On me.”

She whirled to face him. “I can’t let you do this.”

“Tamra, I have, like, bajillion dollars. Let me spend some on you.”

She opened her mouth, but could make no sound come out. She’d never have put this on any wish list, but right now she couldn’t believe how generous he was being. And sweet and kind.

He looked like a puppy that had just done something that he hoped pleased his owner. How could she turn him down? She’d break his heart, it looked like.

“Okay.”

She kissed him before he left. He closed the door behind him.

“Miss Johnson?”

“Call me Tamra, please.”

“I’ll need you to strip to your underwear so I can take your measurements.”

Thankful she’d worn nice underthings Tamra did as the woman said. The woman set about measuring everything. Then she gave her a dress to try on.

“I don’t wear many dresses.”

“You need at least one in your wardrobe.”

“Okay. If you say so.”

“We’ll concentrate on suits and pants after this. I want to see how some things fit you. I’ll be able to leave some pieces with you today, but it’ll be a few days before I can get the rest to you. Mr. Brennan said you’d lost everything.”

“I did. In a fire.”

“How sad. That’s got to be traumatic.”

She could roll with many things, but this one had her off-kilter. “It has been.”

***

The oven dinged right after Colin walked Candy to the door. Tamra was waiting in the kitchen in black jeans and a blouse. Her feet were bare which he’d never seen her do. Guess she was feeling a little bit more comfortable.

“Kelly took the card to the cops. We’re getting them involved.”

“Why didn’t you before?”

“We were gathering information to take to them. Now we know that this must be a real stalker. The cops need to be involved.”

“Did you suspect the last one wasn’t real?”

She chewed her lip, clearly weighing her words. “I thought it odd that Larry hired us. There are more high profile security firms that are used by stars. Why not pick one of them?”

“You didn’t believe him that he wanted someone he knew?”

She laughed. “Larry always has an angle.”

“Yes he does. Let me pull this out of the oven. Then we can eat. Wine?”

“No, thanks.”

Tamra slid onto the stool. Colin had made sure all was perfect. Candles, the table set. He wanted the place to seem warm when Tamra came home. As much as it was home for either of them.

He figured she needed something like that. He served the meal and they both dug in.

“First time I made this,” he said.

“It’s very good. Nice and creamy.”

He was enjoying it, too. “So did you get some clothes to wear?”

“She left me a few items and the rest will come in a few days. She thought she had them in stock in my size.” Tamra turned to him. “I really appreciate you doing that.”

He reached out and patted her hand. “I’m glad. I wasn’t sure you would accept it. Kelly didn’t think you would.”

“I’m a little uncomfortable about it, but I know it came from a good place.”

“Good.”

He leaned down and kissed her. “I just want to make you happy.”

And he did. For a long time. Should he say that yet? No, she was traumatized enough. She might take it the wrong way.

“This is all a little surreal for me.”

“What is?”

“You, and this life, and not having my own place.”

“You haven’t even dipped a toe into my life. Sorry to say.”

“I’m a private person. I think my company depends on that happening. And I have to come clean. I’ve had a stalker and it wasn’t fun. I want to help you with this.”

“That’s why you started your company?”

“Yes, an old boyfriend came back and didn’t take no for an answer,” she said. A shudder went through her at the memory. Colin wished he could wipe away the memory.

“What happened to him?”

“He died in prison. It was a relief, really. He can never hurt me again.”

Colin took her into his arms. If he could take all this away from her, he would. Maybe she’d be less fearful of what he had to offer.

                                                                     ***

Colin’s hug began as friendly, but Tamra knew when it became sexual. She wasn’t sorry. She needed to feel alive.

“Make love to me, Colin.”

He smiled. “We can do the dishes later.”

He took her by the hand and led her to his bedroom.  When they reached the bedroom, Colin turned and gave her a passionate kiss, his lips dancing across her before taking possession. Her body tingled in response. She didn’t need sweet, not tonight. She wanted hot monkey sex.

She pulled his shirt off as if it were on fire.

“Oh, honey,” Colin said.

He probably understood.

His eyes were dark with passion and she bet her own eyes mirrored them. She wanted to be skin to skin with him. She wanted to feel those sinewy muscles bunching as he slammed into her.

Her hands went to his pants next, and undid them before shoving them off of his hips. She then grabbed his head and kissed him as hard as she could, her fingers jammed into his hair. His erection pressed into her stomach. Still kissing him, she held onto his cock with one hand, stroking the length of it.

So soft and hard at the same time. She didn’t want to make him cum. Not without being inside of her. Colin shook off his pants then walked her backwards to the bed. He stripped off her shirt when she got there. Her bra came next.

She arched into him as he took her mounds into his hands, flicking at the nipples.

“I don’t want nice or sweet.”

“Whatever you say, sweetie.”

He made quick work of her pants and panties, then nudged her onto the bed. He used his thumb to rub her clit.

“Inside of me. Now.”

He laughed, but slid himself inside of her. She wrapped her legs around him, arching into him to take him deeper. Then he pulled out and slammed into her.

She moaned. “Yes.”

“You sure?”

“I need to feel alive.”

“As you wish.”

He slammed into her again and again and she could feel the pressure building. The sweet ecstasy of it all threatened to engulf her. She’d go under gladly. He quickened his pace.

She dug her nails into his back as she came with more ferocity than she’d ever experienced. Colin grunted and slammed into her a few more times, then collapsed  onto her. Her chest heaved.

“Holy shit, Tamra.”

“Yeah.”

He leaned on one elbow, looking at her. “You okay?”

“I’m fabulous
,
n
ow.”

He brushed a hair out of her face. “Good.”