Paradise Disguised Read online

  “It’s starting to look like that to me too. If she comes back will you tell her I stopped by?” Dylan said, already backing down the porch steps.

  “Sure thing,” Jack said as he closed the door.

  ***

  Jack stood inside his empty house and wondered what the hell was going on. Anna had come home from her meeting with Dylan and immediately started packing her bags. He couldn’t imagine what could have happened between there and home to make her stand up Dylan for a date, but he was going to find out.

  He still believed they were perfect for each other. They just needed a little nudge in the right direction. Of course, his plans seemed to have backfired and they needed more than just a little nudge now. He couldn’t imagine why two young people were so slow to pick up on the clues that stared them right in the face. They were obviously attracted to each other and they had common interests. What more could you need in a mate?

  He’d had many happy years with Anna’s mother, and attraction and common interests were why they’d married.

  And love, his subconscious reminded him. He’d loved that woman to distraction, and no other could ever take her place. He wanted Anna to experience that same feeling. He’d been so caught up in his own grief after his wife’s death that he never stopped to think about the grief that a fifteen-year-old girl was experiencing. He’d let her fall into the role of caretaker, but that should have been his job.

  Jack decided he was going to right as many wrongs as he could, but he just had to get her to cooperate.

  ***

  Dylan pounded his fist against the steering wheel angrily and hung up his cell phone. Where was she? She was obviously avoiding him, wherever she was. What had happened to change her mind after she’d left his office? He knew in his gut that she was ready for what he had in store for her, but she was running scared.

  His body was in excruciating pain. The pent up needs from earlier in the day had just accumulated over the hours until he was ready to burst.

  It was probably a good thing he couldn’t find her at this point. She wouldn’t get the gentle introduction to lovemaking he had planned. He’d never been so angry or frustrated in his entire life.

  He pulled out his cell phone again and started dialing Mitchell’s phone number. He was surprised the tiny device wasn’t crushed in his hand with as much force as he was using.

  “Hello,” Mitchell answered.

  “Where are you?” Dylan said, without greeting.

  “Nice to talk to you too, old buddy. I’m at Shiney’s Pub. I take it by the growl in your voice that your plans didn’t go as you thought they would.”

  “You could say that,” Dylan said, his anger dissipating into depression. If he was smart he’d forget Anna and go find the satisfaction that his body needed. It wouldn’t be difficult to find a warm bed and a willing woman, and he’d also be able to show Anna just what she threw away.

  “Come on down and I’ll buy you a beer and beat your ass at pool,” Mitchell said. “It’s not like you’ve got anything better to do. Besides, there are some fine looking women sitting around here all alone.”

  “I’ll see you in a minute,” Dylan said, disconnecting the phone.

  ***

  Anna threw back another shot of tequila like it was tap water and continued to pace back and forth—with only the occasional stumble—across Mel’s living room floor. She’d fled to her friend’s house like a coward after being warned to stay away from Dylan.

  “I can’t believe you stood up Dylan Maguire,” Mel said for the thousandth time. “I don’t think anyone has ever done that before. You’ll be a legend in Paradise: The one woman who said, No. I can see the headlines in the Paradise Today now.”

  “Thanks, Mel. You’re really making me feel better,” Anna said.

  After finding the note on the windshield of her car, she’d decided to ignore it and keep her plans with Dylan for evening. After all, it would be hard to turn Dylan down if he was going to give her an experience like she’d had in his office. She’d have to be an idiot.

  She’d changed her mind when the black sedan behind her tried to run her off the road. The note was a childish prank. Being run off a bridge going fifty miles an hour to crash and burn on the jagged rocks beneath was serious business. Someone was determined to keep Dylan Maguire for their own. And she wasn’t one to ignore clues that stared her in the face. Apparently someone else didn’t want to give up the mind shattering orgasms he’d bestowed as well.

  “I’m just saying,” Mel continued, “There are plenty of women in this town who’d be happy to share Dylan Maguire’s bed for one night. But now that I think about it, you and I might be the only two women in Paradise he hasn’t slept with. The man’s a legend.”

  “That’s comforting. At least I could have learned from an expert,” Anna said. “And that means the note could be from anyone.” She poured another shot of tequila and drank it down, each one getting easier and easier.

  “Maybe you should slow down on the alcohol, Anna. You’ve never been much of a drinker.”

  Mel looked at the half-empty bottle of Tequila that sat on the coffee table and shuddered. She hadn’t drunk anything because she had to open the bookstore the following morning. That meant Anna had finished that much of the bottle all by herself.

  “And why not? I’m tired of being the sensible good girl. I want to be the woman in town that fills all the beauty parlors with gossip for the next six months. I want to be dangerous and daring, and if I want to sleep with Dylan Maguire, why should I let some maniac in a black Oldsmobile stop me?”

  “I can’t imagine,” Mel said, shaking her head.

  “Is there anyone that you can think of who could do something like this?” Anna asked, forming a plan in her mind. She’d draw the culprit out, and they’d have a showdown the whole town would talk about for the next twenty years. She wasn’t letting Dylan go without a fight. Her need for sexual fulfillment was just as great as anyone’s. It would be just like the movies.

  “He dated Veronica Fox for almost a year,” Mel said, chewing on her bottom lip. “That’s an eternity for a man like Dylan. He’s definitely love-‘em-and-leave-‘em material.”

  “The same Veronica Fox we went to school with?” Anna asked with a gulp. “The same Veronica Fox that was homecoming queen and head cheerleader?”

  “The one and only,” Mel said. “But she doesn’t seem like the type to kill you behind your back. She seems more up front to me. She’d probably try to hit you head on so her face was the last thing you saw. Either that, or just shoot you at point blank range. But I don’t think she’s an option. I like Veronica. She’s always been very nice to me.”

  “Yeah, me too, but people change,” Anna said. “I can’t believe I didn’t know they’d dated. I’ll put her on my list of suspects. How long could it possibly be in a town this small?”

  “That’s because you’ve lived with your head buried in the sand for the last ten years. She and Dylan were real hot and heavy for a while, but word is that he called it off because she was pressuring him about marriage.

  “Who’d you hear that from?” Anna asked.

  “Who else? My mother.” Mel said. If anybody knew anything in Paradise, it was Margaret James. “She got it straight from Veronica’s mother who said she’d already picked out her dress and rented the church when he called it quits. She was apparently devastated.”

  “Huh,” Anna said, weaving towards the couch. “I can’t imagine buying a dress and renting the church before he even proposed. I would have ordered the cake first because you can always eat that. All you can do with a dress is watch it turn yellow, and then you get depressed because you realize you’re nearing thirty and you’re still not married.”

  “Wow, thanks for that visual,” Mel said, wishing she’d had at least one shot. “I only have five years before I’m thirty.”

  All this thinking made Anna’s brain hurt, and the sloshing in her belly wasn’t making her feel so ho
t either. “I can’t believe he’d break it off with someone that looks like Veronica. I’d even go out with Veronica if I was into women. I just love her hair. Maybe I should dye mine black. How do you think I’d look?”

  “Like Elvira,” Mel said. “Stick with your natural color. Dylan is attracted to you now, remember?”

  “Yeah, but I stood him up. Do you think I blew my chances?”

  “Knowing his reputation, probably. But you might still have a chance if you want to go for it,” Mel said. “It’s not like you have anything to lose.”

  “I’ll have to do it tomorrow. I don’t think I’m at my best right now. I’ll explain the whole situation. Surely he’ll understand once he knows the circumstances.” Anna stood up slowly and put her hands on her head to stop the spinning. “I think I’m going to be sick,” she said on her way to the bathroom.

  “Well that’ll impress him,” Mel said to Anna’s retreating back.

  ***

  Shiney’s Pub had been a fixture in Paradise for almost a hundred years. It had seen most of its patrons go off to war and witnessed prohibition, but its doors were still open. Four generations that carried the Shiney name had worked behind the long expanse of mahogany bar that had held many a drink. Despite its tavern atmosphere, they held family night every Thursday, just like they had since their doors first opened.

  Dylan opened the glass-paned front door and searched for Mitchell in the smoky interior. The place was only half full on a Monday night, but there was still a respectable crowd.

  It was a place that people came to after work to unwind or a place to party on the weekends. Circular tables were scattered on the wide planked pine floor, but the bar was the centerpiece where high-backed stools lined their way down the worn mahogany. A large mirror ran down the wall on the backside of the bar, and dozens of bottles stood in front of it, their reflections multiplied.

  Dylan waved to a few individuals he knew and headed towards the bar. Brian Shiney IV was behind the counter pouring whatever was on tap into mugs and talking to Douglas Howard, the owner of Howard’s Grocery.

  “Hey, Brian,” Dylan said. “Mr. Howard,” he nodded to the ancient man sitting on the stool.

  “What’s going on, Dylan?” Brian said. “Can I pour you a drink?”

  “Make it two, and I’ll take one back to Mitchell,” Dylan said, putting his money on the bar. “You look pretty busy for a Monday night.”

  “Yeah, we’re doing okay. The nights are getting warmer, and people are starting to get out more. There’s only so much you can do closed up in a house all winter,” Brian said with a wink.

  Yeah, I know, Dylan thought with a sigh. He was supposed to be doing it right now. He grabbed both mugs and headed back to the room that housed the pool tables.

  Mitchell was playing pool in the center of the room while a table of women were attempting to play their own game, but they couldn’t keep their eyes off of his backside long enough to make a decent shot.

  Dylan shook his head in amusement. It was the same everywhere they went. Women were attracted to Mitchell like bees were to honey, not to say that he didn’t score his own fair share of looks either. Fortunately, he and Mitchell both happened to be lovers of all women, and they all loved them right back.

  “That was a lousy shot,” Dylan said, setting his beer down and picking up a cue stick. “I’ll beat you in no time if you’re gonna play that bad.”

  “In your dreams buddy. I’m willing to bet that your mind is going to be so preoccupied with what you could be doing at this very moment, that you won’t make a shot.” Mitchell stood, propped against his cue stick, with a competitive grin on his face.

  Dylan scowled at his friend’s accurate statement and got ready to break. Unfortunately, Mitchell couldn’t have been more right as to where his mind was, not a single ball went in the pockets.

  “Shit,” Dylan said. “What the hell could make her change her mind and run like that?” he asked.

  “I don’t know my friend. Maybe you came on a little strong. I mean, the woman comes to our office to get a new house and you give her an orgasm on your desk. Maybe it was more than she bargained for.”

  Dylan shot Mitchell a dirty look. “How the hell do you know what happened on my desk?”

  “My office is right next to yours, and we have really thin walls. I’m pretty sure the whole building heard what the two of you were doing. Anna is definitely a moaner. Janet was talking to a new client, and I thought she was going to have a heart attack with all that noise going on.”

  Dylan threw the chalk at Mitchell’s head, which he easily ducked. “I should just move on and chalk Anna up as a loss, but I want her so damn bad.”

  “Well, my friend,” Mitchell said, looking towards the door, “The opportunity to move forward has just arrived. A blast from your past just walked through the door, and she looks like she’d be willing to take Anna’s place for the night.”

  Dylan looked over his shoulder and gave a mental groan. He did not need this tonight of all nights. The woman grabbed her beer and kept her eyes intense on his. She was a magnificent specimen of womanhood.

  “Hey, Veronica,” Dylan said. “What brings you to Shiney’s?” His already primed body leapt painfully at the woman in front of him, and his breath caught deep in his chest, making his heart throb in time with the bass from the stereo. Sex had never been a weakness between the two of them when they were involved, and his dick had chosen that moment to reminisce about old times.

  “I just closed up the store and decided to unwind with a drink,” Veronica said, standing close enough that their bodies touched.

  She owned a little boutique called Veronica’s Closet that sold women’s clothing and lingerie. It was located on the other side of the square and was indeed a short walk to Shiney’s.

  Dylan willed his body under control and took a small step back. She looked as hot as ever, her thick black hair trailing down her back and her light blue eyes made up like a gypsy’s. The long skirt and stretchy top she wore were the exact shade as her eyes, and they fit her body like a glove. She was one sexy lady, but the image of another sexy lady in the throws of her first climax intruded his thoughts. There would be no other women until he’d had Anna, no matter how frustrated he was, which made him even more furious at her for her desertion.

  “Can I buy you a drink, stranger?” she asked, closing the distance he tried to put between them.

  Veronica was close enough that he could smell the scent she wore, and the look in her eyes was an invitation in itself. She intoxicated him, and she clouded his judgment. It would be so easy to press his body closer to hers and take what he so desperately needed. But it would be wrong to substitute one woman for another. He wouldn’t do that to Anna, assuming he still had a chance with her. And he wouldn’t do it to Veronica. He still cared about her a great deal, just not enough to marry her.

  “I was actually just getting ready to leave,” Dylan said, handing her his cue stick and backing away. “I’ve got an early appointment in the morning, and I need to get home and get some sleep. Mitchell’s probably game for a free drink though.”

  “What do you say, Mitchell, are you up for a free drink?” Veronica asked, undaunted by Dylan’s rejection.

  “Absolutely, babe, and I’ll kick your ass instead of Dylan’s,” he said giving Dylan the sign that he had everything under control. “A man does need a challenge every once in a while.”

  “I hope you won’t be making shots like I saw earlier,” Veronica said. “You’ll need some pretty wide pockets.”

  Dylan winced on his way out the door as he heard her comment, knowing she’d caught him in a lie about him needing to leave. She’d probably walked in right after he had. It was just as well though. His time with Veronica was long over, and he was going to be up bright and early banging on Anna’s front door until she answered. He deserved an explanation after the restless night he was about to spend alone.

  Chapter Five

  Ann
a rolled out of bed at six thirty the next morning, her mind alert and ready to face the day. She pulled on a pair of sweats and shuffled into the kitchen, not looking quite as good as she felt.

  Her hair was pulled up in a haphazard ponytail, and she smelled like the inside of a bottle of Tequila. Fortunately, she had time to make repairs.

  Mel was already up and dressed and pouring a generous amount of cream into her coffee. One side of her hair was flattened from sleep. And she stifled a yawn when she noticed Anna enter the room.

  “I can’t believe you’re up this early,” Mel said, surprised and a little jealous. She’d never been much of a morning person.

  “I feel great,” Anna said. “I’m energized and ready to explain things to Dylan. If he’ll listen. And hopefully you’ll be looking at a new woman tomorrow.”

  “That is so wrong,” Mel complained. “You’re beautiful, you’re about to have great sex and you don’t get hangovers. Life is so unfair.”

  Anna laughed and gathered up all her things. “I’m going to go ahead and take off. I need to shower and spruce up a little before I corner down Dylan at his office. I don’t even have the man’s cell number.”

  “Just make sure you keep me up to date on what happens. Not everyone leads a life as exciting as yours,” Mel said, waving Anna out the door.

  Anna jogged to her car, her steps light, humming a Celine Dion song from a car commercial she’d heard. It was a beautiful March morning. Spring was in the air and everything was going her way. She quashed down the little niggling of doubt she had at telling Dylan the truth when she saw another note on her windshield.

  “You big bully,” she muttered to no one in particular. She took the note from under her wiper blades and tore it into little pieces without reading it. She watched the little pieces fall to the ground and she quashed the guilt she felt for littering in Mel’s front yard. Sometimes life called for a little dramatics.

  “This is ridiculous,” she shouted to the neighborhood in general. “We’re adults. If you have a problem, stop being a coward and meet me face to face.”