Red Hots by Yvette Hines Page B

that time the temperature in the Tidewater costal area
would drop significantly; it never failed.
    The
traffic was light around town and twenty-three minutes later, she pulled up to
Masaun’s house. A large two-story home that appeared conservative and classic
with its wide front porch, brick structure, ivory trimmed shutters and
manicured lawn. Even the mailperson would deliver items and never be the wiser
of what went on in the house in such a middle class suburban neighborhood. She
was shaking almost uncontrollably, but she refused to wimp out. Parking along
the curb before his house, she got out and went to the door. She stood there
for two minutes then exactly at four fifty nine she pressed the doorbell.
    She
didn’t have time to take a single breath before the door opened immediately
while the last chime gonged.
    ~YH~
    She
was petrified. That was the first thing that Masaun noticed about the woman
standing on his doorstep. Kindle stood there all bundled and cinched tight in
her coat and winter garments. The expression on her face was what drew him in;
her features were a calm mask, but her lips and eyes revealed the truth. Her
lips were pressed tight, but curved up slightly in the corners and her
golden-brown gaze was wide as a doe’s, however, trusting.
    Giving
her a smile, he said, “It’s good to see you, Kindle. Come in, please.”
    Like
entering a vampire’s lair, like a helpless woman he had beguiled and seduced to
step outside her comfort zone, Kindle crossed the threshold into Masaun’s home.
    Stop
being so melodramatic, Kindle, she chided herself. Emmalee and Randolph’s home
was a bright cheery place, yet they lived such a lifestyle as Masaun
twenty-four seven.
    “I’ll
take your—”
    He
must have noticed her clutching her coat lapels. If he asked her to drop her
covering now, she didn’t think she could do it.
    Smiling,
his eyes were bright with wickedness. “I’m only asking for your hat, gloves and
scarf. I can’t have you passing out.”
    “Oh.”
Licking her lips, she tried to smile, but felt her lips quiver and wasn’t sure
how much of a grin she actually pulled off. Removing the items and handing them
to him, she could not believe how nervous she was. She couldn’t recall the last
time she’d felt so out of sorts and uncomfortable.
    “To
your right is the living room. Take a seat on the couch.” He began folding her
scarf and setting her things on the table beside the door, neatly.
    There
was no bite to his voice, but she understood a command when she heard one.
Before her was a set of stairs that led to the second floor. There was an
archway to her right and she could see into his home office. Moving forward,
her riding boots tapping on the hardwood floor of the short, wide vestibule,
she went to the right and entered the living room onto plush carpet.
    Just
like the outside of his home, inside looked like a traditional family room:
sofa, love seat, single chair, end table with lamp and all spaced appropriately
before a flat screen mounted to the wall, currently off. The color scheme as
well as the furnishings were inviting, blue upholstered couches with tan
pillows. The multicolored chair of tan, brown and blue seemed to pull it all
together.
    At
the couch, she went to the far end and sat down, tugging the hem of her coat
toward her knees. The navy blue trench was stylish but shorter than she would
have liked at the moment. When she was standing, it came three inches above her
knees. Now that she was sitting, it only came mid-thigh. Pressing her hands on
top of her legs, she forced herself to relax, at least on the outside even
while her stomach was in knots.
    She
watched Masaun set her gloves down on top of the stack of her other accessories
then turn and strut into the living room. Instead of sitting on the other end
of the long couch where she hoped, he took up residence in the single chair sitting
close to her.
    His
gaze roamed her face then lowered to her body, appearing to