Erotic Deception by Karen Cote' Page A

back without enlisting his help. If she stayed here, however, not only did she face Jet’s displeasure, she had the matter of that creep from last night to worry about. Surprisingly, her fear over the Peeping Tom didn’t bother her as much today. After all, she’d lived in a big city where the crime was much worse.
    She experienced an instant ease of desolation and it pushed her off the bed in dismay. Am I attempting to lessen the threat of a stalker as an excuse not to leave Jet? I’m pathetic.
    She decided right then to take Jet’s advice and try out St. Louis.
    Depression returned after her shower and Lily dressed in jogging shorts and tank top to battle it.
    To her relief, the strenuous activity did help to alleviate her jumbled emotions and even managed to inject a seed of optimism. She arrived back at the house with a ready decision to move on. Reaching into her fanny pack for her door key, a loud banging sound echoed from the back of the house. Her hand stilled and she listened, hearing it again.
    She grabbed the mace instead and quietly hugged the wall along the side of the house, careful not to rustle the growing ivy and alert whoever it was.
    A peek around the corner showed a man armed with a hammer and screwdriver. His aim was the padlock she’d installed on the small room next to the basement and it was easy to recognize him as the man from last night. Thinning her lips against being a constant victim, Lily advanced forward, pulled out her cell, and punched in Jet’s number.
     
     

Chapter Seven
     
    “What happened with Rachel?” Cheryl demanded, pouring Jet a cup of coffee.
    Jet scowled. He loved his sister. She’d been blessed with sun-kissed freckles, rich auburn hair, and a natural integrity few could rival. She’d also take a bullet for him and he’d do anything for her. Except fill her in on his disastrous weekend with Rachel.
    After last night’s wild tango with Lily, he’d stopped by Cheryl and Don’s for a little stability, not a catechism.
    “Nothing.” He picked up his coffee and blew on it before taking a sip.
    Cheryl’s glare made him wonder how in depth her conversation with Rachel had been.
    There was nothing wrong with him. Just because he’d spent most of the time fishing didn’t mean anything. And who was Rachel to tell him to call her when he’d gotten over whoever was on his mind? Humph! Some men just needed a sabbatical, that’s all.
    His libido winked in mocking reminder of the sizzling, poleaxing sex with Lily the night before. Hell .
    He speared Don with a warning glance. His phone beeped and he grabbed at it without checking the number.
    “Jet?”
    A jarring jolt identified the caller, but it turned to concern at the strain in Lily’s voice.
    “What’s wrong?”
    “Someone’s trying to break into my house. It’s the guy from last night.”
    “I can be there in two minutes,” he said, jumping off the barstool. “Stay inside and lock the doors.”
    “I’m already outside and I’m going to confront him.”
    “No!” he shouted. Fear sprinted him to the door and out to his truck without so much as an explanation to his sister.
    “Lily?” he glanced down at the phone while simultaneously shoving the key into the ignition. She’d hung up.
    Jet cursed and slammed his foot on the accelerator while punching out Mark’s number.
    He barely waited for the greeting. “Meet me at Lily’s house now!”
    At the urgency in his voice, Mark didn’t waste time asking question. “On my way!”
    Damn! Damn! Damn! That woman was going to be the death of him yet. The two minutes it took to get across town seemed an eternity. He flung open the truck door and heard the commotion.
    * * * *
    At the sound of the vehicle in the driveway, Lily stepped from behind the house.
    “Hold it right there!” she shouted.
    The man yelped and spun around, dropping the hammer and screwdriver.
    “Pleath don’t hert me,” he begged in a childlike inflection.
    The behavioral