Blue Maneuver Page 3

  “Try and focus on a point far away.” His arm encircled my waist and held me against his muscled chest.

  I would have enjoyed it more without the skullquake.

  “It might help with the nausea.”

  Yeah, except that would require lifting my chin. Right now, staring at the ground seemed the safest choice for both my stomach and his shoes. “Where’s your car?”

  Please be close. I slid my right foot along the matted vegetation and shifted my weight to follow. The motion transmitted up to my skull. Ugh. I had forgotten the ankle bone was connected directly to the skull bone.

  “Unfortunately, it’s at my house.”

  Okay. I dragged my left foot forward. I raised my head a quarter of an inch. We were about five feet from the yellow concrete poles opening onto my street. Once I cleared them I had maybe two hundred yards before I reached the condos and another fifty feet of twisting paths to my front door.

  Maybe I’d make it home before the sunset.

  I sighed and swallowed the bile pushing up my throat. And there was still the matter of feeding my neighbor’s cat.

  “It’s not far.” His grip tightened. “I live at Oasis Springs Condominiums. Just up the road.”

  “I know.” I tripped over a pebble. Geez, now the man would think I was stalking him.

  “I thought you looked familiar.”

  The words barely penetrated the skull bands’ din before I felt the pressure against the back of my knees. In one swoop, he scooped me up and cradled me against his chest. Looping my arms around his neck, I clung to him. The motion wasn’t too bad.

  He hitched me a little higher against him. His forearm cut across my back while his fingers teased the bottom of my sports bra.

  My breasts tightened to hard peaks. Oh man, oh mama.

  “You okay?”

  “Yeah.” Maybe. The Fates must be rolling on the floor clutching their sides from laughing so hard. I’d dreamed of being in his arms all week and now that I was, I couldn’t exactly enjoy it.

  “I’m going to start walking now. Let me know if I need to go slower.” His steps whispered through the grass and weeds.

  The corpuscle cymbals crashed at the same rhythm and decibel level. “I can handle this pace.”

  “Wait until we get onto the sidewalk and we’ll see how it goes.”

  Cautious, heroic and strong. I wasn’t a stick insect thin yet he didn’t seem to be breathing hard. Of course, we hadn’t gone five feet. “Let me know when I get too heavy.”

  “You? Heavy?” He twisted to ease through the concrete pilings. “I doubt that could happen.”

  Wow, if he kept talking like that I’d slip right out of lust and into love. Gravel crunched under his sneakers and each step transmitted through him and out the top of my head. Two hundred yards. I could make it.

  “How you doing?”

  “Good.” I strained the word through my clenched teeth. As long as I don’t move too much. I managed to raise my head enough to keep his shoulder within sight. His freshly-shaven chin appeared in my peripheral vision. He had a nice chin. If it had a cleft, it would be perfect.

  He followed the curved road. Cicadas sang in the Palo Verdes drooping along the sidewalk. Their red-brown pods rustled in the breeze. One hundred seventy-five yards to go.

  Silence ballooned in the space between me and him. I groped for words to fill the gaps. His muscles trembled against my back. “I’m sorry to be such a burden.”

  Literally.

  “I’m not sorry.” He cleared his throat and his fingers dug a little into my leg. “I noticed you about a week ago and was working up the nerve to talk to you when I stumbled across you this morning.”

  His voice wobbled a bit on the end. Mr. Tall-Dark-and-Latino had to work up the nerve to talk to me? How could someone this good-looking be shy?

  “Now I don’t have to worry about asking for your phone number, I get to take you home.”

  I blinked. Cool beans! All that positive thinking was paying off. Mr. Tall-Dark-and-Latino was interested in me. I stroked the silky black hair at his neck before I caught myself.

  We’d reached the wrought iron fence circling the complex. Card activated gates blocked vehicles from entering the parking strip rimming the units but the pedestrian entrance swung open on silent hinges in the breeze.

  A bead of sweat plopped onto my shirt and an occasional gasp swirled past my ear.

  “If you could take me to 2557, I’d appreciate it.”

  “2557.” He huffed and angled through the opening. Eucalyptus trees towered over us. Their round silvery leaves tumbled to the sidewalk. “No problem.”

  A chill washed down my spine at the transition from sunshine to shade. “Which unit did you buy?”

  “2972.” He slowed as he passed the placard with the units’ numbers. “Or 2792. I forget.”

  He forgot where he lived? “That could be awkward since all the units look alike. You might accidentally walk into the wrong condo.”

  Too bad it hadn’t been mine.

  “Yeah, it’s a pain being dyslexic.” When the path forked he took the right branch. “Fortunately, I navigate using landmarks. There’s a purple bush next to my door and a thorny one with red flowers next to that.”

  I smiled. Finally, a man who adapted to the world and didn’t demand it change to suit him. Maybe I should put a Justice of the Peace on speed dial. “The condo is just up ahead. First door on the right.”

  “Got it.” Within a minute he’d reached the entrance. “I’m going to set you down now.”

  “I’m ready.” I gritted my teeth.

  Slowly, he lowered my knees. A moment passed then another. One hand settled on my hip, the other caressed my jaw. His warm breath stirred my bangs as he leaned into me. “How do you feel?”

  “Not too bad.” Aside from the Caribbean band playing bongos. I might feel better with a kiss or two. Of course, I’d have to tilt my head back to do it. I licked my lips. Or I could invite him inside, push him onto the couch and sit on his lap. Would he wait until after I fed Vivian’s cat and we walked to the next group of units over to my place? Only one way to find out. “Look I—”

  “Rae!” A woman yelled.

  Sherbet! I turned my body toward the sound.

  Ms. Roberts jabbed her cane in my direction. Water dripped off her bathing suit and pooled on the sidewalk. “You tell Oscar to stop making all that racket. I pay good money to live here and I expect to be able to hear my soaps without him carrying on.”

  “Yes, Ms. Roberts.” I straightened. I’d tell Oscar the grouchy cat but I doubted the fur ball would listen any more than he had since my cat-sitting stint began a week ago.

  The stooped, old woman thumped her cane on the sidewalk. “See that you do.”

  I glanced at her.

  She glared back.

  I wasn’t in the mood for a staring contest with a crotchety octogenarian. Sighing, I turned back to my rescuer. “Well…”

  I’d invite him in, but the Roberts’ tattler would snitch on me and Vivian was most particular about who she let inside her house.

  My hero cocked an eyebrow. His lips thinned for a moment. “Oscar?”

  “It’s a long story.” I tugged on the black cord rubbing against my neck. Keys jingled as they came free of my sports bra. “I’d love to tell you about it over dinner.”

  His gaze cut to Ms. Roberts. “Sure. You know where I live.”

  Without another word, he spun on his heel and stalked away.

  I raised my hand. Crap on a cracker. I hadn’t gotten his name. And I didn’t really know where he lived. But I could find it. I would find it. And we would have dinner together. And—

  “You shouldn’t let a man lay his hands on you, Rae.” Ms. Roberts’ gray curls bounced against her pink scalp. “In my day, we didn’t have a choice, but your generation does.”

  Lay hands on me? I ducked to lift the keys from around my neck and a wave of nausea burst over me. Oh Lord. Ms. Roberts tho
ught Mr. Tall-Dark-and-Latino had hit me. I would have laughed but that would have hurt. Leaving the cord around my neck, I bent my knees and inserted the key into the deadbolt. “Yes ma’am.”

  “Humph.” Ms. Roberts shuffled back to the pool accompanied by the rhythm of her thumping cane.

  The condo’s door swung open and a rush of air-conditioned air sowed goosebumps on my exposed skin.

  Oscar lounged on the back of the chintz sofa edging the tiled foyer. Yellow-green eyes narrowed to slits and his bushy gray tail curled and uncurled in agitation.

  “Yeah. I know. I’m late.” I kicked the door shut and dropped the keys. The cord cut across my nape as they jangled to a stop between my breasts.

  Oscar turned to look at his dish sitting on the kitchen island’s granite countertop.

  Toeing out of my sneakers, I padded across the pristine white foyer and veered to the left into the galley kitchen. Pewter knobs and handles gleamed on the cherry cabinets as the recessed halogen lighting blinked on. If Vivian wasn’t such a fussy person, I’d stretch out on her designer sofa and take a nap.

  “Rowrr.” Oscar scolded, stretching along the sofa back.

  Remembering to turn my body along with my head, I eyed the gray striped cat. He was as big a snitch as Ms. Roberts, even if he couldn’t talk. I eased to a stop near the can of cat food sitting next to the stainless steel gas range and peeled off the sticky with the word Friday in red sharpie. Oscar was probably already collecting evidence that I’d fed him his entrees out of order. “With the day I’ve had, you’re lucky I showed up.”

  Oscar hunched down before leaping the four feet from the arm of the sofa onto the island counter. He nudged his water dish. Bits of food rolled in the rippling water.

  “Yeah. Yeah. Food and water.” I popped the top of the gourmet cat food and upended the can into the appropriate dish. Bossed around by a cat. My life certainly hadn’t gone the way I planned.

  Oscar stuck his head in the dish and shoved against the can.

  But then I was getting paid a hundred dollars to look after Vivian’s precious baby.

  “Hold your horses.” I whacked the bottom of the can and the wet pate splatted out.

  Oscar reared back. His pink tongue curled over his nose and licked off the dots of gravy.

  I lifted the can and rinsed it out in the island sink. Sliding open the specially designed cabinet, I tossed it into the recycling container. The steel rattled against the others inside.

  Still eying his water dish, Oscar lapped at the gravy circling the pate.

  “Yeah, I get it. You’re thirsty.” Welcome to the club. I licked my dry lips and padded to the refrigerator. Too bad I couldn’t drink one of the bottles of water. But like everything else, Vivian had numbered those too. I plucked the half-empty designer container from its place amongst the ordered regiment then carefully made my way back to the island.

  After emptying and rinsing the water dish, I twisted the plastic cap off. Of course, there was nothing to say that I couldn’t finish off this bottle and give the kitty tap water.

  Oscar looked up at me and flattened his ears.

  Okay, there was his foul temper. No point in adding nasty scratches to the bump on my head. I dumped the water into his dish. “See, I didn’t do it.”

  He hunkered lower onto the counter.

  Geez was he judgmental. I chucked the empty into the recycle bin and watched the cabinet glide silently closed. “Thoughts don’t count.”

  Oscar growled.

  Like I needed this. Wiping my hands on my shorts, I glared back at him. “If that’s your attitude, I’m leaving.”

  His tail swished.

  Ungrateful creature. I retraced my path to the foyer and stepped into my sneakers. The backs folded under the weight of my heels but I didn’t care. I didn’t have too far to go to get home.

  Oscar hissed.

  “Oscar, really. I don’t feel up to dealing with your male-diva attitude now.” I set my hand on the door knob just as the hair on the back of my neck prickled.

  A moment later, a hand covered my mouth and a body slammed me into the door. I hit my forehead. Stars danced in front of my eyes before winking out.

  Chapter Three

  I jerked awake and the world started its mad tango. Again. Cotton batting shrouded my thoughts while stray memories struggled to poke through. This wasn’t quite the do-over I’d imagined, especially if it cost my meeting with Mr. Tall-Dark-and-Latino. Light colored my eyelids pink right before the air conditioning unit kicked on. Cold air washed over me and mingled with the scent of cat litter.

  Happiness trickled through my confusion. So I wasn’t in the park and Mr. Tall-Dark-and-Latino had carried me home.

  Behind me, a cat meowed.

  Relief relaxed the tension biting into my shoulders. That’s right. I’d been in Vivian’s apartment to feed her cat. My tongue slipped over the fuzz coating my teeth and I swallowed the sourness in my mouth. I’d given the darn cat the bottled water and had walked to the door when…

  Silence rang inside my head.

  Oh snap. I must have passed out again. Now, I’d have to visit the doctor. Mentally I tried to tabulate my savings but the gauzy swirl spit random numbers at me. Hoping to still the whirling, I reached up to grasp my head.

  Except my hands didn’t move.

  What the heck? Opening my eyes, I glanced down. Bands of blue light bound my wrists to the arms of the cane back chair. What in the world? I blinked. Nope, still bands of light. I tried to lift my hand. Nothing doing. Fear coiled low in my stomach. Leaning forward, I noticed similar manacles chained my legs to the front of the Vivian’s dining room chair. This was not good.

  Vivian would be mad at the abuse of her antique furniture. A chill wormed down my spine. The heck with Vivian. How had I gotten here? And where had these light thingies come from?

  “Ah, you’re awake.” Low and throaty, the man’s voice resembled a growl more than civilized speech. Movement whispered behind me.

  Oh, God no! The hair on my neck pricked. Instinct drove my knees together despite my bound ankles. A shadow drifted across the wedge of light seeping through the thin part in the curtains. How had this happened? I was normally so careful. I turned my head. Bile rose in my throat, choking me.

  “You can’t pass out. We haven’t had any fun yet.” One large hand cupped the back of my head as he walked to the front of my chair.

  His hold was firm but gentle. Maybe he didn’t plan to harm me. Idiot. He’d fixed me to a chair like a photo in a scrapbook. Whatever he was up to couldn’t be good. I jerked on my left hand. The motion transmitted through the wood and into my body but those funky light cuffs didn’t give an inch.

  He grasped my chin and turned my head toward him. Green eyes stared at me.

  Ah shit! I flinched at the mental cursing. Who cared about a swear jar contribution? Mr. Parks and Rec Supervillian made no attempt to disguise his identity. Yet hope bubbled up at the clear maroon firebird embroidered on his breast pocket.

  Maybe he wasn’t here to rape me.

  Maybe he was here about some mischief my parents had gotten into. Heaven knew their protests for the cause of the day always accompanied a lecture on Big Brother’s ubiquitous oversight and the length of its evil tendrils. It also explained the light manacles. The government hoarded its technology and made up lame excuses to keep their secrets—things like Sasquatch, the Jersey Devil, and alien abductions. I tried to move my wrist. My belief had become incontrovertible fact.

  Now I just had to remember the details and I’d start with my kidnapper. His blond hair was cut with military precision around his high forehead. A bump on his otherwise straight nose indicated a break in the past. Deep grooves bracketed his lips already thinned in disapproval.

  He raised a fist.

  I flinched and jerked back. Then again, maybe I had been right the first time. Instead of trying to contain the vomit chugging up my throat, I aimed for his face. The sad little lump of bile lande
d on my tongue. Fudge bunnies! How was I supposed to make myself unappealing if I couldn’t even throw up properly?

  “Relax.” He pinched my chin tightly and tugged my head forward a bit then he opened his fist. A silver, triangular keychain fob rested against his palm. Nestled in a bed of filigree, a fiery opal winked in the kitchen light.

  Rape or Big Brother interrogation? Neither would be pleasant. I locked my bones against a shiver of fear. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing me squirm. Not yet anyway. Surely someone had seen him sneak inside and there was always Mrs. Roberts. The old snoop was bound to notice I hadn’t come out of Vivian’s apartment. All I had to do was bide my time until help arrived.

  His lips twitched. “Decided to cooperate, have you? Good. This shouldn’t hurt. Much.”

  Green light shot from the opal and washed over my forehead. The James Bond gadget confirmed it. I was in for an interrogation by a government douche. Would I survive it? Or would I end up as one of those losers who screamed alien abductions?

  “What do you care?” And just exactly what did the green flashlight do? A frigid cold burned across my forehead. Tears pricked my eyes. I hissed through the pain and my breath fogged the air. Crap on a cracker! Even the battle of the punk metal bands seemed to fade before this torture.

  Crouching before me, my abductor shifted his weight but his attention remained riveted on my forehead. In the jade light, he resembled a goblin. Or an ogre. Repulsive creatures both. Maybe I wouldn’t be left with alien delusions after the G-douche finished his experiments. Maybe he’d brainwash me into believing this was some sort of demonic encounter.

  “Your repeated incapacitations interfere with me finishing my mission.”

  “Mission?” I snorted then waited for the cranial payback. Nothing. Even the racket had faded. Maybe my head was so numb I couldn’t feel anything anymore. But what about the skullquakes? I ignored the questions and confusion. That could wait until he was gone. Hopefully in jail with a fellow named Bubba that wanted to give him a proctology exam. Too bad his buddies in the government would spring him. Still, he didn’t need to know that I was on to him. “Is that what they’re calling kidnap and rape these days?”