Vivi Anna - Alluring Tales

Maybe he hadn’t left. Maybe he had just gone out for a minute.

Gingerly, she moved toward the note, and with far too much eagerness, she opened the door. Securing the piece of paper, she shoved the door shut. And then she read.

It was short and to the point. He was gone. She was alone. “D” was how he signed it. She still didn’t even know his name.

Jessica sank to the ground, back against the door, thinking about her past, and how much she’d allowed herself to miss. Compliments of her stranger, she now knew there really was a sexual woman inside her. Now that it had revealed itself, Jessica had no intention of shoving it back into hiding.

Memories floated in her mind. Of her stranger. Of her ex saying nasty things. Even blaming her for his cheating. But this stranger, and her night with him, had proven she wasn’t, as her ex had said…sexless.

So he might be gone, but she still owed her sexy stranger a silent “thank you.” She was going to embrace the future feeling more confident. Certainly, she was now making room for some physical satisfaction. She smiled at that thought, and pushed to her feet.

Sex had certainly taken on a new meaning.

All she needed was the right man.

An hour later, Jessica entered the motel lobby-if the dingy box of a room could be called that. She needed to deal with her car and get on the road.

Approaching the counter, Jessica found a teenage boy so consumed by a handheld game of some sort he didn’t notice her approach.

Delicately, she cleared her throat. “I’m in room-”

He slid an envelope toward her. “112,” he said, glancing up at her. “I know. Your room’s paid for, and your car is out back being repaired.”

Jessica frowned and started to ask questions but the kid interrupted. “That guy you were with said he had to leave but wanted to make sure you were taken care of. Paid for an extra night so you could wait in your room while your car gets repaired. Just a bad alternator though. It’ll be ready soon.” The boy smiled. “That man, he sure was a good tipper. Tell him to come back anytime.”

Jessica smiled. “I’ll tell him,” she said, thinking she wouldn’t mind one more visit with her stranger herself.

One more hot night.

Dominic sat down on yet another hotel bed. After passing on the details his informant had delivered, he flipped his cell phone shut.

Until a week before, Dominic had been deep undercover with the Alvarez Cartel. The information he’d received today helped take down a motorcycle gang traffic king drugs over the border for Alvarez. It had been the final piece of evidence needed before arrests were made.

Eyeing the hotel room, Dominic took in the floral bedspread and picture of a rose over the particle-board dresser. In Brownsville, this was about the best accommodations available. The town wasn’t known for luxury, but the beach and border nearby drew tourists regardless.

Dominic’s mind went back to the dingy roadside motel he’d shared with Jessica. To the beautiful white woman he’d forced himself to forget while he attended business.

In truth, she’d been there, lingering just beneath the surface, begging for attention the entire day. Unsure why, but unable to stop the urge, Dominic eased backward, shoving two fingers in the pocket of his jeans and retrieving her business card.

He stared at it, still surprised at her title of assistant DA. Flipping the card around between his fingers, he considered the implications. She understood the nastiness of the criminal world, of his world. She’d know what DEA meant. What complications came with the job.

A frustrated sigh slid from his mouth, and he tossed the card on the nightstand. If she knew the complications, she’d know he was trouble. He scrubbed his jaw, still unshaven, a one-day growth soon to become two.

Pushing to his feet, he crossed the tiny expanse of the room which included a sink and mirror, the toilet being in a tiny closed hole of a room. He leaned against the counter, looking into the mirror.

“Chingado,” he murmured, searching his image for answers.

Why was he even considering contacting her again? Why? He’d seen how his line of work destroyed relationships. No. It was more than just his job. It was the impact of his job. The darkness he’d seen. The things he’d allowed himself to become in the name of good. The undercover jobs that almost sucked him under and destroyed all he knew himself to be.

Things best kept to himself.

Yet…Jessica had touched him in some way he didn’t quite understand. And now, her role in law enforcement seemed to almost invite a future connection.

Dominic let his head drop between his shoulders, trying to make sense of how much he wanted to see her again. Considering the road they’d both traveled, the likelihood she was right here in Brownsville seemed strong. So close. So easy to track down with one quick phone call.

Not giving himself time to think, Dominic shoved away from the sink and walked back to the bed and sat down. He grabbed his phone off the nightstand and dialed, taking advantage of the resources available to him.

A minute later, he was talking to a contact, a research specialist, from his base office. “I need everything you can get me on Travis County Assistant District Attorney Jessica Montgomery.” He paused. “I’m fairly certain she’s in Brownsville today, and I need to know where.”

As expected, Dominic wasn’t questioned. If he needed intel, he got it. Years of service and a track record of success gave him certain liberties. The specialist would simply believe he was tracking down a lead related to his assignment.

And though Jessica wasn’t part of his job, she most definitely had become a distraction he had to deal with.

Hours later, Dominic pulled his bike into Beth Montgomery’s driveway and killed the engine. He’d considered his choices and knew showing up and seeing Jessica in person was his only option. She’d think he was a stalker if he called and probably blow him off. Or she’d just let fear drive him away. He’d seen a lot of fear in her. Too much. Fear, he realized, he wanted to drive away permanently.

He knew this was nuts. He came with baggage she didn’t need. On the other hand, he’d seen the ghosts in those blue eyes and knew he’d put them at bay.

Starting toward the front porch, his groin tightened at the mere thought of seeing Jessica again. Of touching her and feeling her tight against his body.

No other woman had ever drawn this kind of potent response. He couldn’t walk away without finding out if it had been a fantasy that the light of day destroyed.

Or if it was more…

Jessica had made it to Brownsville just in time for the birthday party which included dinner, cake and lots of friends and family. Her mother had lived with Beth, her sister, since their father’s death several years before. It had done Jessica good to see her doing well with Beth.

Now, hours after the festivities, exhausted from travel and no sleep, Jessica sat on a wooden swing located on the back porch of her sister’s small, country house. Wearing jeans, no shoes or socks, and a t-shirt, she felt relaxed for the first time in a long while.

Staring into the rich black of night, no stars in sight, a breeze lifted her hair from her neck, her nostrils flaring with the scent of rain. Another storm was headed toward them. The thought conjured erotic images from the night before.

Of her Zorro look-a-like, with long, dark hair, mesmerizing eyes and milk chocolate skin. She loved his skin color. Loved how intimate and perfectly he had touched her. How sexy and feminine he’d made her feel.

The screen door squeaked, snapping Jessica reluctantly back to reality. Jessica opened her eyes, unaware she’d even allowed them to drift shut.

Beth peered around the doorway. “What are you doing out here, alone?”

“Just enjoying the peaceful night.”

Beth gave her a probing look, and then stepped past the door, letting it slam shut. “Why do I feel like you have some secret you’re dying to tell but you aren’t sure you should?”

Jessica laughed, hoping it didn’t sound as nervous as she felt. Beth had gotten married, a virgin, right out of high school. Admitting to Beth she’d slept with a stranger, and didn’t even know his name, simply wasn’t an option.

Besides, part of Jessica wanted to keep her Latin lover a special secret. “I assure you anything I might share is incredibly boring,” Jessica said, patting the seat beside her, the swing big enough for two. “Come sit with me.”

“I’m not wrong,” Beth said, tossing her long, blond hair over her shoulder. Several years younger than Jessica, they shared the same coloring, though Beth was much taller, a good three inches above Jessica’s five foot four. “I know you. Something is going on.” She sat down next to Jessica, and angled her body to study her sister. “I can see it in your eyes.”

“You are as crazy as always, I see,” Jessica teased, diverting her gaze, trying to act nonchalant as she stared out into the darkness. Pulling her knees up to her chest, she hugged them.

“Come on, Jess,” Beth prodded. “Tell me.”

“There’s nothing to tell,” Jessica replied, peeking at Beth. Then, she held up a finger. “Wait. I go to trial on Monday. Want to hear about the case?”

Beth made a frustrated sound. “You are always at trial, prosecuting some bad guy. And no, I do not want to hear the details. You know I don’t like all that law stuff. I run a flower shop for God’s sakes.” She crossed her jean-clad legs. “And you’re trying to distract me anyway.”

“I am not,” Jessica insisted even though they both knew she was.