Can't Stand the Heat by Wynter Daniels

Author:Wynter Daniels [Daniels, Wynter]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-06-30T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Five

"Listen," Marissa whispered, waking Billy out of a deep, sex-induced sleep. "Someone's out there."

He rubbed his eyes and sat up. The details of the night before flooded his mind: being locked in the wine cellar, making love with Marissa.

What if Earl’s henchman guys were outside? He sprang to his feet, positioned himself between Marissa and the entrance.

"Could be the cleaning crew," she whispered. "Although I don't know why they'd be down here. Their supplies are upstairs."

The door scraped open, and Ross stood there, hand on his chest. "Well, thank God. I've been searching this place for half an hour for you two after I saw your car outside. I really worried when I found Marissa's purse in the kitchen." He held up a two by four. "Someone locked you in with this."

"What? Who could have gotten inside the building, Ross?" Marissa's tone was more accusatory than questioning.

Billy fixed her with a warning stare, hoping she'd take the hint. She'd always had a bad habit of jumping to conclusions. "Thanks for coming to our rescue," he said to Ross.

Standing, Marissa straightened her pants and jacket. "If you boys will excuse me, I've been waiting all night to use the bathroom." She rushed past Ross and out the door.

Ross pointed to the remnants of the bottle of wine they'd drunk last night. "Looks like you two made good use of your time."

Billy winked at him. "You bet." He picked up their things, locked the door, then followed Ross up to the kitchen.

Ross poured two cups of coffee, handed one to Billy. "Our contact at Healthy Lifestyle Magazine left a message on the machine."

Billy pinned him with a worried stare. "Oh?"

"The critic is planning to be here tonight."

"Damn." He scratched his head, made a mental list of all the ingredients he'd need to make his signature dishes. "Do me a favor and don't say anything to Marissa yet." No sense in putting that added pressure on her so early after everything she’d been through yesterday. He’d tell her in plenty of time.

"Did I hear my name?" She marched into the room, carrying her purse.

Billy cleared his throat. "I was telling Ross what a trooper you were last night."

Her cheeks reddened, and she threw him a scowl. Digging in her purse, she fished out her car keys. "I have to run home for a shower. You coming?" she asked Billy.

"Sure. A shower is exactly what I need, too." With a little luck, maybe they'd conserve water and take one together.

When they got to the house, Marissa went to the kitchen to feed the cat. Billy headed straight for the bathroom. Yanking back the shower curtain, he smiled when he saw a bottle of bubble bath on the windowsill behind the tub. He scrounged under the sink until he found the candles he knew she kept there. They were dusty from disuse.

Guilt tore through him. Marissa had put her life hold because of him, stopped doing all the special things for herself she'd always loved, like long hot soaks by candlelight.

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