UP IN FLAMES

With that, there was a distinctive click and Alaric was gone. She slowly placed the phone back on her desk.

“Who was that?” Anita asked.

She debated lying, but decided not to. Might as well get it out there now. “Alaric Harper.” She replied,

Anita nearly came out of her seat. “As in, the Detective…. Detective Alaric Harper, right?”

She nodded as she stood. “You know he’s the one in charge of Christopher’s case,”Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

“I see.” Anita stood, her green eyes twinkling. “So what were you doing talking about lunch plans with him?”

The way Anita said “him” made her uneasy. She headed for the door. “He’s been helping me out…You know, with the car trouble, the notes and the cameras in my apartment.”

“But that doesn’t explain lunch or dinner or why your face was red through the whole call.” Anita ducked her, blocking the exit. “Are you seeing Alaric?”

Vanessa laughed. “No. We’re friends.” The word sounded lame even to her ears.

“Are you telling me the truth?”

Her brows pinched. “Yes. I’m telling you the truth.”

“Alaric Harper is hot shit. I’ve heard about him a lot you know… The things they say about him and what he likes to do?” She fanned herself as she tugged on her collar. “I wouldn’t kick him out of my bed for eating crackers, and I’m happily married.”

Vanessa’s body quivered. Hell, she’d seen some of those things about to happen at Leather and Lace.

“So how well do you know him?” Anita asked.

Vanessa searched for patience. “Not really well. Like I said, he’s just in charge of the case.”

“And he helped you when you were having car problems? Tell me, have you gotten the details on Alaric. Is it true? The stuff they say? That he goes to Leather and Lace and is into dominance and some really crazy sex?”

Vanessa’s mouth opened, but she snapped it shut. From all she had seen with her own two eyes, everything pointed toward an affirmative. Part of her was seconds away from divulging what she knew, but something inside wouldn’t let her. His sex life was definitely not her or Anita’s business. “I think all of that is just rumors,” she said finally, smiling. “There was nothing I found that suggested it’s true.”

Anita’s face fell. “Well, that sucks. I was hoping you were going to hook up with him and I could live vicariously through you and experience some freaky sex.”

Her lips pursed. “Sorry to disappoint?”

“Oh well. Just be safe and let me know if you need me, dear.”

Saying goodbye, Anita left and an hour later, Vanessa headed out of the office too and to the rental car she’d picked up yesterday. An interesting realization poked at her as she threw her purse onto the passenger’s seat. She should be focused on other things, but all she was really thinking about was how she was going to indulge in her earlier fantasy later tonight.

She needed to grab a few things from her apartment before going back to the hotel. Alaric hadn’t called her back. She could’ve called him, and she almost did on the way to her apartment. The idea of going there alone gave her the creeps, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. He’d said he would call her. Calling him seemed… It seemed what? Like she was interested in something other than the case.

She parked her car and got out, chewing on the inside of her cheek. Although she’d been expecting a call from him, it had completely caught her off guard. Well, her reaction to his call was what truly surprised her. The rest of the afternoon and well into the evening, she’d experienced alternating flashes of edgy excitement and then queasy nervousness. It had felt like forever since she’d been attracted to someone or felt like a giddy girl with a secret crush.

And she was far from being a giddy girl.

Walking to her door, she dug her keys out of her bag as her thoughts spun around the possibility that she was actually harboring a godforsaken crush on Alaric Harper. Of all the eligible men she came into contact with on a daily basis, her body would have to decide it was him it was interested in. He was the worst possible choice, considering his wild reputation. Normally Vanessa gravitated toward the quiet and safe men, the kind whose good time consisted of movies and takeout. Not whips, handcuffs, and God knows what else Alaric brought to the table, but there was something about him that made her want to let loose and…and get a little wild.

Vanessa had never been wild. Not once in her entire life. None of her relationships had ever evoked the nervous rush of excitement or the kind of attraction that had her catching her breath. But it was better like that.

So caught up in her thoughts, she almost didn’t notice that her door was ajar as she reached forward to slide in the key. Her breath caught and the tiny hairs on the back of her neck rose.

Time slowed down as her instincts fired off warnings, telling her to get the hell out of there, to call the police, but she saw her hand, incredibly pale and trembling, push open the door.

What she saw wrenched a horrified cry from deep inside her chest and almost brought her to her knees.

——

Sitting next to Paul on the large sofa in his house, Alaric snorted as he nursed a beer. He and Paul were watching TV, but he noticed that Paul kept texting on his phone.

Alaric took a swig of his beer. “I think you broke the record for how many texts you can send a girlfriend in a hour.” he said,

Paul shot him a look. “Whatever. Emily isn’t feeling well, so I’m checking in on her.”

Real concern pinched his features as he looked at his partner. Emily was like a little sister to Alaric and he cared for her deeply. “What’s wrong with her?”

“I think she’s got the flu,” Paul said, his gaze moving from the screen to his phone. “Woke up this morning throwing up like she was on an all-night bender. I told her I’d stay home with her tonight, but she told me to leave or she’d kick my ass.”

Alaric’s lips twitched into a smile. “You’re not going to the clubs tonight, then?”