Shifting uncomfortably, she dropped her handto the can of pepper spray in her pocket and breathed a littleeasier. She had no reason to be nervous, but her stomach felt likea fish was flopping around in there, and the can bolstered herconfidence.
Glancing around the room, she didn’t seeNicolette, but she was probably with someone else in the gallery.People laughed or talked on their phones as they passed thewindows, and nothing looked out of place.
“I think we’re going to take the prettywatercolor of the ocean,” the woman said. “Lewis will like it.”
“It is a beautiful painting,” Aida agreed andgave a smile she didn’t feel.
After finishing the sale, Aida walked withthem to the door and stood, rubbing her arms as she gazed at thenight. Turning away from the door, she walked over to stand in themiddle of the room and inspected the paintings on the wall.Usually, the artwork calmed her, but she couldn’t shake the feelingsomething wasn’t right. She was about to set off in search ofNicolette when the door opened and a handsome man steppedinside.
Gerald, she recalled. He smiled whenhe saw her, and she smiled in return. He really was handsome, andit had been months since she had a date. Why had she turned himdown before? She could remember him asking her out to dinner, butfor the life of her, she had no idea why she’d turned him down.
Probably because he’s a customer, buther sense of unease grew. Shouldn’t she remember that exchangebetter?Whywas there such a gap in her memory?
The more she thought about it, the more herhead felt like a tiny dwarf was in there chipping away at it, soshe shoved it aside as she glided across the room to him. “Gerald,”she greeted. “Back so soon?”
“How could I possibly stay away? Not onlydoes this place have the best art, but it also has the mostbeautiful employee.”
Aida grinned as he clasped her hand andlifted it to kiss her knuckles. No, she definitely wouldn’t turnhim away again. “You’re too sweet.”
“Far from sweet; I know what I want, and I goafter it.”
Usually, she liked a man withself-confidence, and she really liked handsome men, but a school offish had joined the first one in her belly. It started to get worsethe second his lips touched her skin.
This wasn’tright.He shouldn’t bekissing her, but she couldn’t think of any reason why he shouldn’t.She was single, young, and she always enjoyed flirting.
Still, she couldn’t help feeling like she wasdoing something horrifically wrong. It made absolutely no sense,but she almost snatched her hand from his. However, he was a greatcustomer, and she couldn’t afford to alienate him because she washaving some kind of mental breakdown. As soon as this day was over,she was heading home, crawling into bed, and sleeping until she hadto be back here again tomorrow.
“Is there something I can help you withtoday?” she asked.
“There are many things you can help me with,”he said.
He looped his arm through hers and clasped itagainst his side. She’d just been questioning why she turned himdown, yet her skin crawled at his touch. She tugged at her arm, buthe refused to release it, and she couldn’t cause too big of a stinkwithout taking the risk of alienating him.
Still, she felt the inexplicable urge to kickhim in the nuts and run for her life.Thismust be why sheturned him down, but why couldn’t she remember it? And why did shefeel like this about him when he’d done nothing to warrant it?
He kept her arm in his as he strolled towardthe paintings hanging near the door leading into the storage room.“Where is Nicolette?”
“I’m not sure,” she replied. “She must begiving a tour.”
“I’ll have to catch up with her after we’vefinished with each other.”
His choice of words caused the hair on hernape to rise. If the island taught her anything, it was to trusther instincts, and those instincts were screaming at her to run.She couldn’t quite figure out what it was, but she shouldn’t behere with him.
“I’ll find her now,” she said. “There’ssomething I have to discuss with her. If you’ll excuse me, I’ll beback in a few minutes.”
She tried to pull away from him, but heclamped her arm against his side. “Did you accomplish what wetalked about yesterday?”
Aida gave her arm a couple of tugs, but whenhis hand encased hers and the bones ground together, she stopped.“I’m not sure what you’re talking about.”
They’d discussed paintings and decorating hisplace, but nothing that would warrant this kind of a reaction. Andshe didn’t care if they had discussed something else, this fuckerhad no right to restrain her in such a way.
“Don’t play stupid,” he growled. “It’sunbecoming.”
Aida’s mouth went dry as she tried to thinkof a response that wouldn’t piss him off. The way he had her lockedin, he could break her arm and crush her hand before she could putup much of a defense. She kicked herself in the ass for allowinghim to hold her in such a way, but how was she supposed to know hewas going to turn into a freak?
Taking a deep breath, Aida forced herself tocalm down and assess the situation. She couldn’t break free of hishold without injury, and screaming probably wouldn’t go over toowell. If she pepper-sprayed him, she would get a face full of italso, but it was an option. She could take out the back of hisknee; he might break her arm on his way down, but if it becamenecessary, she would do whatever it took to survive.
“Did you take care of my little problem?” heasked her.
