AllFreeNovel
Share Us
* * *
Ten days later
It had been a perfect night, more than I could have ever hoped for. Between convincing the town’s most famous romance author to host a signing event at the bistro while managing to snag several cases of the 2007 vintage, Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial Tinto red wine, I knew I should be on cloud nine. Sales had been through the roof of both books and vino.
Beautiful people from several walks of life had attended, if only for a few minutes at a time. I’d even garnered a spot on the local evening news, and I’d managed not to come off wide-eyed and out of my element. Yes, I should be explosively happy, eager to drink champagne and celebrate several years of trying to get Corks and Books off the ground.
Sadly, I remained apprehensive, glancing at every shadow, pacing the floor as I counted steps and breaths. That wasn’t like me. I’d never allowed fear to overcome my everyday life.
“You’ve been tense all day, boss. What gives?”
Brittany was a joy to be around, her laughter the first thing that drew me to her just before I’d hired her. Tonight, every sound she made grated on my nerves. But she wasn’t to blame for my anxiety, and the long day and delivery problems hadn’t helped my bad mood. “I’m fine.”
“Sure you are.” She eyed me as if I had two heads while she continued to wipe down the cheese counter.
“Why don’t you take off? I’m fine closing by myself.”
Her eyes brightened. I’d seen her boyfriend peering in the front window at least twice during her shift. “Are you sure?”
If the girl said ‘sure’ one more time, I wasn’t certain I could keep from berating her. God, that wasn’t like me. “I’m positive.” I offered a thin smile, my thoughts drifting to three nights before, just like they had throughout the day. And the day before. The sound of his voice continued to tickle my ears, his husky tone penetrating the deep, dark areas within my body.
I’d had six calls from the dark stranger, enough that I was usually correct in anticipating when they’d occur, although here was no exact timing, the days random, the hours all over the place. The last call had been in the morning just after I’d gotten out of the shower. Draped in a towel, I’d answered the call, my skin tingling with anticipation.
Biting my lower lip, I squeezed my pussy muscles just thinking about our intimate conversations. He’d evoked so many feelings, his deep baritone soothing away typical fears that I should feel. Sighing, I shifted my attention away, swallowing the lump in my throat. However, it was almost no use reminding myself the man was nothing but a stalker. I enjoyed our heated conversations more than I should.
That made me completely insane.
My employee was like a live wire, dancing her way to the back room. I could hear her humming from where I remained, staring out the front window into the darkness. Barely seconds later, she flew by me, stopping only after she’d opened the front door.
“Thanks, boss. I owe you one.”
I had to laugh. At least the girl had a man who adored her.
As soon as the door eased shut, I headed toward it, engaging the lock. As I placed my back against it, I couldn’t help but shake my head given the ridiculous situation. A stranger had managed to derail my world for over a month.
As I closed my eyes, a vision of the man behind the make-believe voice shifted into my mind. He was gorgeous, tall and buff with broad shoulders and sculpted muscles everywhere. I pressed my fingers against my mouth, furious with myself for envisioning a stalker as anything but the malevolent force he was. Not that I’d noticed anyone standing outside my house or the bistro, but there was no other word to adequately describe his insane behavior.
Or the fact that he knew my name.
I’d been around the block more than a few times in my thirty-four years. Whoever the asshole was had likely found my name on my website. Maybe he’d enjoyed a glass of wine while he sat in the back corner of the store fantasizing about me. Whatever the case, the fantasy manufactured in my mind should be placed in the outrageous category. As soon as the second call had been completed, I’d managed to turn on the light, staring at the screen for almost five minutes.
Blocked.
The fucker didn’t want me to discover who he was. It wasn’t a random prank. I’d sensed a knowing, as if he’d studied me. Watched me.
Hungered for me.
Every inch of my body tingled, a feeling of sheer delirium drifting through my mind.
Push it aside.
Determined to get home in order to indulge in a glass of wine and a bubble bath, I turned off the front lights, heading behind the counter. I grabbed the last few items, my hands full when I heard my phone ring.
At first, I bristled. Then I remembered my bestie had warned me she’d call. Warn was the perfect word. She’d been berating me for several weeks to accept her invitation for a night out on the town. As I juggled grabbing my phone and trying to arrange the prize-winning blue cheese wheels I’d sold my soul to have delivered from Denmark, I didn’t bother looking at the screen.
“Right on time, Clarice, but the answer is still no.”Push yourself. Go out. Pretend your life didn’t come crashing down almost four years ago.“Okay. Maybe I will join you tonight but only for one drink. I know how you get. I have a very busy day tomorrow.”
The silence was eerie, my heart instantly thumping irregularly. When I heard a slight, husky sigh, I sucked in my breath. Oh, my God. I was frozen, unable to breathe or think clearly. “Is someone there?”
