property. Nick left the door open and went over to unlock the garage entrance to the house interior for Rachel and a yawning Jean. He switched on lights as he led them inside. Nick paused in the huge living room and pointed to the stairs.
“The bedrooms and big bath are upstairs. Take any room that suits you. I’ll get the bags.”
“Nick… thank you.”
“Don’t thank me yet, Wonder Woman, the adventure continues.” Nick waved her off on the way back to the garage.
* * * *
Rachel woke with a start, sitting straight up in bed, her heart thumping. She looked around the bedroom, furnished in western fashion with a dark oak dressing table, nightstands, dresser and headboard. The matching blinds only let in a small amount of light. The alarm clock on the nightstand read 10:45 AM. Remembering their journey out of California, Rachel hurriedly went to check on Jean and found her still fast asleep. After stopping in the bathroom and putting on a light robe, Rachel went downstairs. Nick was sitting at the kitchen table typing on his notebook computer. He wore only a sleeveless gray t-shirt and jeans. Not for the first time did Rachel feel a familiar warmth flow over her, looking at this man who killed people for a living.
I must be nuts
.
“Good morning.” Nick smiled up at her.
Deke grunted at Rachel from where he lay near Nick.
“You look like you’ve been up a while,” Rachel noted, walking over to the coffee pot and pouring a cup for herself. “I see traitor-dog came down with you.”
“All this adventure inspired me.” Nick chuckled at her reference to Deke. “I decided to get a few thousand words down on my new novel. If I run out of steam later I’ll take a nap.”
“Psychos take naps?”
“You have to be careful taunting psychos in the morning,” Nick told her, getting up and moving as close to Rachel as the cup she held allowed.
“Is that a threat?” Rachel met Nick’s eyes questioningly as she set aside her cup. “When did you go to bed this morning?”
“About four,” Nick answered, undoing her robe and spreading it out. Rachel wore only a bra and panties underneath. Rachel shivered as Nick put his hands on her sides. “I had to take a shower after the workout I got in Bakersfield.”
“Are you writing another Diego novel?” Rachel asked, her heart speeding up into the danger zone. Nick gently stroked his hands up and down her sides slowly. She could tell he liked the shortness of breath his ministrations caused.
“No, I’m trying my hand at an erotic novel.”
“I’ll bet. So…this is research?”
“Absolutely,” Nick whispered, leaning in to brush his lips over hers, gently touching and then sealing Rachel’s mouth with his own.
Rachel moaned, and wound her arms around Nick’s neck, her body moving sensuously against him.
“Eeeeewwwww!” Jean exclaimed from the doorway, her face contorted into a grimace. “Young child here.”
Rachel blushed, pulling away from Nick, and laughing at Jean’s reaction. Nick turned and pointed a finger at Jean while Rachel closed up her robe.
“Don’t make me have to put a bell around your neck.”
Jean giggled. “I’m hungry.”
“I’m shocked,” Nick muttered, going to the cupboard, “shocked, I tell you. All I have is canned goods for now. How about Spaghettios?”
“For breakfast?” Jean questioned doubtfully in return, and then nodded enthusiastically. “That sounds good.”
“How about you, Wonder Woman?”
“Do you have crackers to go with them?”
“I have a box of unopened Ritz crackers only a year old.”
Rachel grinned. “Yum. Count me in.”
Fifteen minutes later they sat around the table eating Spaghettios and Ritz crackers, with glasses of orange juice Nick had made up from frozen concentrate. Nick had served himself only a small amount and pushed it aside after a few bites. Jean finished hers and asked for seconds which Rachel dished up for her.
“Tasteless muck. I don’t know why the
“The bedrooms and big bath are upstairs. Take any room that suits you. I’ll get the bags.”
“Nick… thank you.”
“Don’t thank me yet, Wonder Woman, the adventure continues.” Nick waved her off on the way back to the garage.
* * * *
Rachel woke with a start, sitting straight up in bed, her heart thumping. She looked around the bedroom, furnished in western fashion with a dark oak dressing table, nightstands, dresser and headboard. The matching blinds only let in a small amount of light. The alarm clock on the nightstand read 10:45 AM. Remembering their journey out of California, Rachel hurriedly went to check on Jean and found her still fast asleep. After stopping in the bathroom and putting on a light robe, Rachel went downstairs. Nick was sitting at the kitchen table typing on his notebook computer. He wore only a sleeveless gray t-shirt and jeans. Not for the first time did Rachel feel a familiar warmth flow over her, looking at this man who killed people for a living.
I must be nuts
.
“Good morning.” Nick smiled up at her.
Deke grunted at Rachel from where he lay near Nick.
“You look like you’ve been up a while,” Rachel noted, walking over to the coffee pot and pouring a cup for herself. “I see traitor-dog came down with you.”
“All this adventure inspired me.” Nick chuckled at her reference to Deke. “I decided to get a few thousand words down on my new novel. If I run out of steam later I’ll take a nap.”
“Psychos take naps?”
“You have to be careful taunting psychos in the morning,” Nick told her, getting up and moving as close to Rachel as the cup she held allowed.
“Is that a threat?” Rachel met Nick’s eyes questioningly as she set aside her cup. “When did you go to bed this morning?”
“About four,” Nick answered, undoing her robe and spreading it out. Rachel wore only a bra and panties underneath. Rachel shivered as Nick put his hands on her sides. “I had to take a shower after the workout I got in Bakersfield.”
“Are you writing another Diego novel?” Rachel asked, her heart speeding up into the danger zone. Nick gently stroked his hands up and down her sides slowly. She could tell he liked the shortness of breath his ministrations caused.
“No, I’m trying my hand at an erotic novel.”
“I’ll bet. So…this is research?”
“Absolutely,” Nick whispered, leaning in to brush his lips over hers, gently touching and then sealing Rachel’s mouth with his own.
Rachel moaned, and wound her arms around Nick’s neck, her body moving sensuously against him.
“Eeeeewwwww!” Jean exclaimed from the doorway, her face contorted into a grimace. “Young child here.”
Rachel blushed, pulling away from Nick, and laughing at Jean’s reaction. Nick turned and pointed a finger at Jean while Rachel closed up her robe.
“Don’t make me have to put a bell around your neck.”
Jean giggled. “I’m hungry.”
“I’m shocked,” Nick muttered, going to the cupboard, “shocked, I tell you. All I have is canned goods for now. How about Spaghettios?”
“For breakfast?” Jean questioned doubtfully in return, and then nodded enthusiastically. “That sounds good.”
“How about you, Wonder Woman?”
“Do you have crackers to go with them?”
“I have a box of unopened Ritz crackers only a year old.”
Rachel grinned. “Yum. Count me in.”
Fifteen minutes later they sat around the table eating Spaghettios and Ritz crackers, with glasses of orange juice Nick had made up from frozen concentrate. Nick had served himself only a small amount and pushed it aside after a few bites. Jean finished hers and asked for seconds which Rachel dished up for her.
“Tasteless muck. I don’t know why the
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