Turn It On

Chapter Sixteen

A bitter taste filled her mouth as she looked at the mess. She closed her eyes for a moment to settle her churning stomach, debating long and hard before pulling out her cell phone.

“Ryan, it’s happened again. Someone’s vandalized my car.” She walked slowly back toward the house, glancing around warily.

He cursed on the other end of the line and she sighed, recognizing his tone. Shit, she shouldn’t have called him. He was going to go ballistic on her. “Damn it, get inside the house and lock the door. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

“Don’t come home early, it’s only cleanup as usual. I’m getting used to it. Don’t—” It was her turn to swear as the line went dead. She dropped her head into her hands and then went into the house to get a garbage bag and the hand vacuum. Hopefully most of the mess would gone before Ryan got home.

This time the pranksters seemed to have put even more effort into the destruction. Both headlights were smashed, the side mirrors ruined, the upholstery sliced to ribbons.

It was enough to make her cry.

Other than the sheer inconvenience of having to get her car repaired, Ryan was driving her mad. She understood why he’d insisted on taking her home with him the first night when the lawn was damaged, but once he’d installed the outside cameras she’d expected him to lay off a bit. Instead, he’d continued to tighten security around her like she was a visiting diplomat.

At first it had been slightly endearing to see him hell-bent on taking care of her, but as the days passed he got more controlling. He arranged for her to call him at regular intervals. He slept over, and not because they were in the after throes of body-melting sexual bliss. In fact he’d barely touched her since that night—certainly not with his previous enthusiasm and commanding nature. If she’d felt like her family had been demanding, Ryan now won the award for “most overbearing and possessive”.

Her frustrations had nothing to do with his concerns for her safety—that she could accept. Yes, she was worried too. Yes, the whole situation had somehow gotten out of control and there seemed to be no easy solutions. She just didn’t appreciate his attempts to hide her away. When he brought potentially dangerous activities to her attention, she’d accepted his warnings. She didn’t go out on the porch alone at night, didn’t leave the doors unlocked. Hell, she had police on speed dial and a baseball bat beside her bed. In the midst of the chaos, she wanted her lover back, not the overprotective bossy soul he’d become.

No matter what else, she was determined to talk this out with him today. He made her body thrill, and she cared deeply for him, but there was something really wrong with how he was treating her, and it was time it stopped. Maybe when he got to see the tapes off the security camera from this incident, he’d calm down.

She went to work, sweeping up the glass, removing the dangling plastic and wires. There was nothing to do about the seats except cover them with a blanket until she could make an appointment to get them fixed. She was tying up the garbage bag when Ryan pulled in behind her, his tires loud on the gravel approach to the house.

“What are you doing out here?” he demanded.

Maxine gave him a glare. “I’m picking daisies. What does it look like I’m doing?” She dropped the bag on the ground and gathered the broom and vacuum. “Did you want to have supper early since you’re here already? I’ve got hamburgers in the fridge.”

He blocked her path as she headed to the house. “Why are you acting like nothing happened?”

“Because there’s nothing I can do? Just…grab the garbage for me and let’s go inside.”

He stared at her, his fists resting on his hips. The energy radiating off him made her weak at the knees with want. It seemed no matter what happened around them, he still made her hot. Made her wet.

“How could you not hear them breaking the glass?” he complained.

Doused by a bucket of cold water, her libido leapt off the fire into the freezer. So much for trying to convince him to forget the whole thing. “It’s a big place. Maybe I was in the basement, or maybe I was working in the office at the other side of the house. When I’m busy I don’t hear much of anything. It’s just some kids getting off trying to mess with me.”

“I’m installing a car alarm this time,” he warned.

“But—”

“No, I’m not letting you refuse anymore. The alarm goes in, and that’s final.”

Maxine’s temper flared. Enough was enough. “Shut up. I’m as sick of this as you are. Actually, I’m even more tired of it because not only do I get to deal with my insurance agency again, I get to deal with you, again.”

He grunted at her. “What the hell is that suppose to mean? I’m here to help you, I’m not something you need to deal with.”

She laughed at him, the sound coming out high and brittle. “Oh God, listen to yourself. You don’t even know you’re doing it. Ryan, I admire the way you’re totally in command of yourself, and I love the way you take charge in the bedroom, but this is my life. You can’t control every bit of me. So back off.” She grabbed the garbage bag and vacuum, and brushed past him, feeling surprisingly invigorated by her shouting.

He was at her shoulder in a second, hard on her heels as they entered the house. She ignored him as she walked through the kitchen to dump the garbage in the can outside the backdoor. Ryan disappeared like a ghost and she was grateful for a moment by herself.

If she was honest, she was nervous about the vandalism. The whole bravado thing was her way of dealing with the fear that rose every time she imagined someone touching her things. The fear that grew worse when she imagined herself being trapped or assaulted. But being smothered by Ryan’s good intentions wasn’t the way to deal with it.

Maxine rested her head against the fridge door. Maybe she should put the house up for sale and move somewhere smaller and more protected. Even with Ryan sleeping over some nights, she still felt like she was rambling in too big a space. Oh crap, she was messed up. She loved this house, loved what it represented as a part of her family heritage. Yet she couldn’t keep going on this way.

The door to the kitchen opened and Ryan wandered in, deep lines of concern on his face. “Did you turn off the security system? Or parts of it?” His voice was subdued.

She shook her head. “I haven’t changed a thing since you added the camera link. What’s wrong?”

“I must have forgotten to connect a line, the entire recording is blank. I was sure…” He stared distracted into space for a moment.

“There’s no recording of who trashed the car?”

He paced the floor. “Fuck, I don’t know how this happened.” Guilt poured off him in waves and her impatience with him eased. His self-appointed task—to protect her—had gone wrong.

“Ryan, it’s okay. Hey, I need to talk to you.” She tugged his hand and led him to the loveseat in the cozy nook by the fireplace. He joined her and she snuggled in close. As his arm cradled her, she breathed his spicy scent and her tension faded. They sat, curled around each other, for a long time, silence between them.

“Have I really been that big a jerk lately?” he asked quietly. He twisted his fingers in her hair as he pressed his lips against her temple.

She hesitated. He needed to change his attitude, that was for damn sure. He probably didn’t realize he’d taken things too far. “Yeah, you’ve been an ass, but I understand your motives were good. That’s not what I want to talk about.” She leaned away enough to be able to look up into his face. “Do you think I should sell the house?”

His expression registered his shock. “Are you kidding? Why would you sell the house?”

She shrugged. “Because… Well, I’ll admit it. You’re right, there’s something weird going on. It’s too big a place for me all by myself anyway. You said it yourself, it’s a tough location to make secure with the isolation, and the long driveway, and…” Damn it, she was not going to cry.

Ryan lifted her chin with a finger. He stared at her until she felt his compassion slide through her all the way to the bottom of her toes. “No way. You love this house. You love the memories and the history and the whole connection to your family. I’m sorry if me freaking out made you consider the option of selling. I think you need to do everything possible for security purposes, but sell? Not the solution.”

She nodded slowly. “I wish it would all go away, all the uncertainty and confusion. I just want to keep on enjoying being with you, and enjoying my job. I love visiting Carl, and I’ve got a date to have tea with Gramma next Saturday, and, shit, life is so good. Except for this crappy feeling I have things aren’t going to get better around the house.”

He pulled her into his lap and rested his chin on top of her head. Snuggled tightly to his chest, the pulse of his heartbeat calmed and reassured her. “We’ll do everything we can to figure out who’s behind this. I’ve made sure the outside camera is working. And the rest? You tell me what I can do to make your life easier.”

“You’re not going to order me around?” She poked him lightly in the ribs with her finger before planting her whole hand on the firm muscles of his chest.

“Oh, I know what I want to do. I want to move in here and wrap you up in so many layers of protection you feel like a chrysalis, but I do have ears, sweetheart. I’m a good listener. You don’t want me to organize your life, I won’t. I’ll wait until I’m asked.” He skimmed a hand along her thigh, cradling her closer.

Maxine swallowed hard. She’d been wondering how he’d take the suggestion of him moving in. He seemed too much of an alpha to want to give up his turf. “Would you really move in with me?”

He tensed slightly under her and for a moment she thought she’d misspoken. “Is that a formal invitation?”

They stared at each other, probing for any hint of misgiving, any hint of concern it was too soon, too big of a step. All she saw was his love, the depth of his passion and caring for her. “It’s more than an invitation, it’s a bit of a plea. I need you. Not because of the vandalism, but because of who you are.”

He smiled at her, sweet and possessive at the same time. “I’d be honored to move in.” He lowered his head and their lips connected. His touch sent tingles down her spine. The nervous tension of earlier morphed into sexual energy and she shifted until she straddled him. Under her crotch she felt his body harden, pressing against her pussy.

Tongues and teeth, lips and hands. Everything moved at the same time, exploring, feasting, touching. Maxine let herself float off into sensation and desire, her body craving every bit of him he could provide. She purred as something deep inside her clicked, more content than she ever remembered.

Suddenly she was airborne, and she automatically wrapped her legs around his hips to hang on for dear life as he strode through the house and up the stairs.

“What are you doing, Ryan?”

“Bedroom. Now.” She laughed and dropped her lips to his neckline, licking and nipping at his chin. He lowered her to the bed and held her in place, his gaze wild and possessive. “Take off your clothes. Everything but your bra.”

Maxine tugged at the button of her jeans, slowly opening and unzipping. “You’re sounding a little bossy there, mister.”

He crossed his arms and stared at her, the expression on his face heating her to boiling. “I told you, I’m a good listener. Get them off now and sit on the edge of the bed.”

She stopped for a second, trying to remember what she’d said to make him even more dominant in the bedroom than usual. “Oh crap.”

“Oh yeah, sweetheart, you like how I take control in the bedroom? Get ready for a wild ride. I’ve been holding back, but since you admit you like my style, let’s have some fun.”