Paradise Disguised Read online

  “Wow,” Anna said. “This is some place you’ve got here.”

  “It’s just a place to live,” Dylan said, uncomfortable at her scrutiny. “I’ve always felt it’s too big for one person, but it’s comfortable.”

  Anna was one of the few people that had seen his home. It had been a sanctuary to him after his divorce, a place he could find the solitude he needed in his busy life. “Can you get the door?” he asked, shifting her in his arms.

  “Well I can’t wait to get the tour,” she told him. “Much, much later.”

  “I believe we have a date in the shower.” He set her down gently and encircled her in his arms loosely, kissing her lips softly and gently nibbling his way down to her neck.

  “Mmm,” Anna groaned. “You are so good at that.”

  “You haven’t seen the half of it yet,” he said, biting her earlobe. He backed her towards the master suite, guiding her with the touch of his body. “This is my bedroom.”

  “It’s beautiful,” Anna said, never taking her eyes off his. “Are we close to the shower?”

  “It’s right here. And it’s plenty big enough for what I have in mind.”

  “That sounds like boasting. You must have something to prove,” she said, grasping his rapidly returning hardness in her hands.

  “I guess I do.” He pushed her into the shower and adjusted the nozzle before turning on the water. “Constructive criticism is greatly appreciated.”

  He skimmed his finger across her nipple and pinched lightly, causing her to draw in a sharp breath. “You like that?”

  “Yes,” she hissed.

  “Then we’ll experiment more with it later. I’ve got a terrible thirst for you.” His fingers found their way to her pussy, flicking the tight swollen bud buried in her folds. Her fingernails raked his shoulders as he pushed two fingers inside of her.

  “You’re so tight. You fit like a glove around my cock.”

  “Prove it.”

  He pushed her against the tile wall and propped her leg over his arm, opening her to his invasion. He slid home smoothly and rocked them both to oblivion.

  ***

  Dylan woke three hours later to the sound of a car engine starting. He reached out and felt the cool sheets next to him and knew that Anna was gone. He sat up slowly and rubbed his hands over his face before walking naked to the front door. He saw the red flash of her taillights before she turned off the long graveled road, he assumed, headed toward home.

  It was what he wanted. What they both agreed on. Two ships passing in the night. And if the spot just under his heart hurt a little, he had no one to blame but himself.

  “Shit,” he yelled, punching his fist against the wall. He’d never been on the receiving end of being left in the middle of the night. He was the one who was supposed to leave, or the one who said it’s time for you to go.

  Even now he wanted her again. No, needed her again. His dick was hard again, and images of her bent over his bed, sucking his cock or his face buried in her pussy bombarded his mind. But now she was gone. He thought she’d drained him dry in the few hours of lovemaking they’d had together. She was like a drug he couldn’t get out of his system.

  “She can run, but she can’t hide,” Dylan said to the empty room. He stroked his cock, picturing her tight lips around it, until his seed spurted into his waiting hand. Anna Hollis wasn’t going to slip out of his grasp so easily.

  Chapter Nine

  Anna drove into Paradise with her eyes wide open, trying to see the town through a stranger’s viewpoint. That’s what she felt like. A stranger. It had been two long weeks since she’d laid eyes on the place, and she wasn’t sure another week or two wouldn’t do her any good. Two long weeks since she’d seen Dylan.

  She was a coward, plain and simple. As soon as she’d left his bed, she’d packed all her things in a suitcase, written her father a note explaining that she was gone to check on all the Hollis stores, and run as far and fast as she could. But she was back and ready to face her fears. Sort of.

  She pulled into a parking spot in front of Buy the Book, Mel’s bookstore, and finger combed her hair. She’d left the top down on her car and instead of looking sexy and tousled as she’d hoped, she looked like she just rolled out of bed. She refreshed her lipstick and pushed her sunglasses on the top of her head in hopes that no one would notice.

  Anna had always enjoyed walking into the bookstore, the smell of the pages and glue that had led her to so many peaceful hours, fresh coffee and sandwiches being served in the café and the tinkle of bells as customers walked in and out.

  She inhaled the homey aroma and looked around to see if anything had changed in the past weeks. The place was crowded with people browsing the shelves or study groups lounging in the overstuffed chairs in the corner. She saw the store manager and a couple of other full time employees, looking frazzled and helping as many people as possible at the same time.

  Anna headed to the back of the store to the café in hopes of finding Mel reasonably unattached. Mel was behind the counter taking inventory of all the food supplies, her hair sticking up in all directions, more so than usual, and a pencil stuck behind each ear.

  “Wow, you guys are packed,” Anna said.

  Mel looked up, startled at Anna’s appearance after being gone so long. “Ah, so the prodigal daughter returns,” she said, smiling. “I was wondering if you were ever going to come back. I was planning on moving my stuff into your house when it was finished, but I guess I’ll have to stay in my own meager dwelling.

  “Shut up,” Anna said by way of greeting. “So, I hear you’re a lesbian.”

  “Which is why we’re so busy today,” Mel said, running her fingers through her hair, explaining the dishevelment.

  “Everyone has stopped by at one point or another to get a look at me, like I’ve sprouted wings or had the word “lesbian” tattooed on my forehead. I’ve had everything from disdainful glances to people wanting me to describe my sex life in lurid detail. Of course, I’ve never had any kind of sex life before, so I’m a little short on a lot of the details. Oh, and Mrs. Neagley winked at me, which kind of grossed me out, but explains why she’s spent so many years going to garage sales with Erma Miller.”

  “Well, I guess I can look on the bright side,” Anna said smiling. “Everyone’s probably so busy talking about you that maybe they’ve forgotten all about me.”

  “Yeah, tell me about it. I’ve been dodging phone calls from my mother for weeks. Getting gossip about her own daughter doesn’t make the activity quite as fun as spreading it about other people’s kids. And besides, you’re the one that said you wanted to be so wild that the women gossip about you in the beauty salon. Go out and do something stupid again so the spotlight will be off me.”

  “With the way things have been going lately, it’ll only be a matter of time.”

  Mel nodded toward the window where a group of children was standing with their faces pressed against the glass. “On the upside, though, business has been great. Where’d you hear the news?”

  “I stopped in the bank on my way here,” Anna said, barely able to contain her laughter at the hilarity of it all. “Barbara Rubenstein stopped me at the counter and wanted to know if I’d always known you were a lesbian or if I was just as surprised as the rest of the town when you came out of the closet.”

  “I shudder to think what you told her.” Mel closed her eyes in dread.

  “I told her I’ve always known, but I respected your privacy.”

  “Ohmigod,” Mel said. “This just keeps getting better.”

  “Just kidding. I gave my best blank face and told her I had no idea what she was talking about. I used my rich, haughty girl voice, and threatened to take all my money out of the bank if she started spreading rumors.”

  “Damn, Della Samuels,” Mel muttered. “I hope all the chemicals that woman uses on her hair makes her pubic hair fall out.”

  “Ouch,” Anna said. “That’s harsh.”

  �
�Well, the woman has spread it all over town that I’m a lesbian,” Mel whined. “Now I’m never going to find my soul mate.”

  “Yeah, but wishing someone’s pubic hairs to fall out is like a cardinal sin or something,” Anna said, biting her lip. “You can get all kinds of bad karma for a wish like that. Why did she start spreading the rumor anyway?”

  “Well, I kind of told Mitchell that I was a lesbian so he’d stop looking at me like I was little red riding hood and he was the big bad wolf. I don’t have the death wish that you do when it comes to men. I want a nice, sensible guy. Maybe a banker or a produce guy at the supermarket.”

  “Oscar Daniels works in the produce section at Howard’s Grocery,” Anna said, a look of utter disgust on her face. “Everyone in town knows he doesn’t wash his hands after he uses the restroom. Brian said he saw him walk into a stall and leave without even rinsing. In a stall! You know what that means.”

  “I didn’t say I wanted to marry Oscar Daniels for Pete’s sake,” Mel said in exasperation. “I just want someone who’s reliable and will treat me like a queen for the rest of my life. You’re missing the point here. I was leading up to your situation, which since you’re standing here interrupting my work day, I assume you’ve decided to face the consequences of your actions?”

  “Well, I really came back because I didn’t have anywhere else left to go,” Anna said depressed. “I’ve been to every Hollis Tools store in the state of Texas, and I have no place else to turn. So am I ready to face the consequences? The answer is no, but I don’t really have any other choice.”

  Anna sat on a stool at the counter and laid her head down on the cool surface. “Have you seen him,” she mumbled in Mel’s general direction.

  “I’m sorry?” Mel asked, knowing exactly what Anna wanted to know. “I don’t think I heard you correctly.”

  “You heard me,” Anna said, humiliated beyond all belief. “How does he look? Was he mad?”

  “Oh, he looks as good as ever,” Mel said. “Was he mad? I’m not really sure if mad describes it. From what I hear around town, he’s been disgruntled at best and a complete asshole at worst. I’ll let you find out for yourself. It won’t be long before word hits that you’re back in town.”

  “I shouldn’t have left so soon,” Anna said.

  “You think?” Mel asked sarcastically. “It could be for the best though. Maybe it’ll give him a taste of his own medicine. He’s usually the one that walks out in the middle of the night and never looks back. I just don’t think you should get into the habit of it.”

  “I think I’ve made a huge miscalculation,” Anna said, pounding her forehead on the countertop.

  “Stop doing that,” Mel hissed. “I don’t need any more strange looks.”

  “He’s like an addiction,” Anna continued. “I don’t think I’ll ever get enough of him. That’s the real reason I ran away. He’s ruined me for all other men.”

  “Wow. That’s impressive to hit a ten on the scale your first time out. I’m only shooting for an eight or an eight plus. That way I always know I haven’t capped out. And look on the bright side,” Mel said. “At least you’ve had a man. You’re an expert compared to me.”

  “Thanks,” Anna said, “I think. I’ve got to protect myself, Mel. What if I keep seeing him and end up falling for him? Dylan Maguire will never love any one woman. I just don’t know what to do.”

  “Sometimes you just have to take chances,” Mel said. “It’s all a crap shoot. So what are you going to do?”

  “I’m going to walk down to Norma’s Bakery and buy as much chocolate as possible, and then I’m going to go home and eat every bit of it,” Anna said. “You want to come over tonight and share it with me?”

  “I can’t,” Mel said. “I’m closing the store tonight, and then I’m going home and soaking in the hot tub.” She had a feeling that Anna wouldn’t be as free as she thought she would later on.

  “I guess I’ll catch you later,” Anna said, heading towards the door. “Chocolate cream pie just became a huge priority.”

  “Understandable,” Mel said, waving her out the door.

  “Oh, by the way,” Anna yelled across the room, “thanks for taking care of any problems on the house.”

  No problem, Mel thought, tormented. I’ve only had to spend every day with Mitchell for the last two weeks. No problem at all. Of course, he was now on a mission to prove that she wasn’t a lesbian, but fortunately she had a will power of iron and was able to thwart his feeble attempts at seduction.

  Anna made her way through the crowd and back to the sidewalk. It was a beautiful day, the trees and flowers blooming and the sun shining.

  She waved to several people as she headed to Norma’s and knew they were curious about her and Dylan. The speculative glances were grating on her nerves. Their relationship had turned out to be a car wreck, it was almost impossible not to watch how the events played out.

  She could never pass Norma’s without wanting to stop in a buy something. The glass window in front boasted rows of pies, tarts and cookies, and Norma’s Bakery was painted in discreet gold letters at the bottom of the window.

  She opened the door and welcomed the smell that greeted her. The place was full at the lunch hour, and there wasn’t an open table anywhere in sight.

  “Hi, Norma,” Anna said. “Everything looks great today.”

  “Well, it’s fresh like always,” she said, her mouth turned down into a permanent scowl.

  Anna had no idea how the woman had stayed in business for forty years. Her disposition wasn’t nearly as sweet as the desserts she made.

  “I’ll take a chocolate cream pie and a dozen double fudge brownies.” She kept a smile glued to her face despite Norma’s peevishness.

  “You want the whole pie?” Norma asked with a quick glance to Anna’s middle.

  Anna colored slightly at the insinuation and remembered with clarity that Norma might have reason to suspect. How could she be so stupid? They’d made love countless times without one thought of protection entering their minds. The smell of the sweets made the bile rise in her throat, but she choked it down. “Yes. I need the whole pie. Dad wanted me to pick one up for dessert tonight,” she lied easily.

  She felt the prickle on the back of her neck moments after silence descended over the bakery. She was determined not to turn around, sure that ignorance was bliss in this case. She shifted slightly so she could see her reflection in the glass cases next to the counter. She gasped as she saw Dylan behind her, entirely too close for comfort.

  “Excuse me, Norma,” Anna said. “I’m going to use the restroom. Go ahead and charge it to the store’s account and box them up for me.” Businesses all over town still worked on a credit system, just the way it had always been since the town’s creation.

  Anna kept her gaze straight ahead, never acknowledging Dylan’s appearance, and headed towards the bathroom at top speed, praying that he’d be gone when she came out. She turned the handle and felt a hand at the small of her back, nudging her none so gently.

  “What are you doing?” she asked as she turned and tried to push Dylan out of the bathroom. “Are you out of your mind? Is there not enough gossip about the two of us to satisfy you?”

  “I believe the only person to blame for gossip is yourself sweetheart,” he said, lifting her across the threshold and shutting the bathroom door.

  The last thing Anna saw were dozens of faces in complete shock, the gasp that went through the crowd deafening in her ears. Couples just did not go into restrooms together. She hadn’t been back in Paradise an hour and already the gossip mill had ammunition.

  “I’ll never be able to show my face in this town again,” she cried. “Are you happy now?”

  “I haven’t been happy in two weeks. Where the hell did you run off to?” He hadn’t meant to sound so desperate. Angry and irritated, yes, but not desperate.

  “I had to go,” Anna said, tired of the turmoil she felt in the pit of her stomach every time
he was near. “I’m not cut out for this, Dylan. I thought I could be brave and do something I missed out on for the past several years, but I can’t. I’m not built for relationships, or I guess more aptly, one night stands. They just aren’t for me, and Lord knows that you definitely aren’t built for relationships.” She laid her head down on his chest in defeat.

  “Are you finished?” he asked, tracing his finger over her lips to quiet her protests. “I think there’s more to you than you give yourself credit for. I think there’s more to both of us.”

  “I don’t know what you mean.” She’d given up the pretense of trying to push him away and melted into his arms. He was massaging her scalp with one hand and rubbing her lower back with the other, both soothing gestures.

  “I mean that I think we should start over and go in a different direction. Why don’t I take you to dinner tonight? You can wear something sexy and I’ll even put on a tie.”

  “Does starting over in a new direction mean no sex?”

  “Hell no, but I would have grudgingly gone along with the idea if you’d wanted me to.”

  “I guess I could go on a date with you,” she said, running her palms over his chest. “I just want you to understand that I’m trying to protect myself. I could fall in love with you if I’m not careful.”

  Anna lifted up on her toes and kissed him lightly on the lips. “Oh, and by the way, I just realized that neither of us used protection the last time we made love. Chances are I’m not pregnant, but maybe you want to pick up a box of condoms before our next encounter.”

  Dylan had paled at her words and then turned an odd shade of green.

  “Oh, and for God’s sake, don’t buy them at Wall’s Pharmacy. June Wall will tell everyone in town just what you bought as soon as you walk out the door. Did you know the Mayor orders a case of Viagra every six months?”