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Tuesday Tales: Toxic Bella

8/10/2015

Love is more than roses and chocolate hearts.

“Bella was my first client, and I was as green as they come.” A derisive snort signaled his own disgust. His eyes fixed on the wall as if seeing a memory played out on the blank surface.

“Odd, it was been about sixty plus clients ago, but I remember it like it was yesterday. It’s one of the reasons I hate divorce law so much. Reminds me of an old Russian proverb that goes fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. I was determined never to be fooled again.”

Initially, she would have let him not tell her, but not now that he’d gone grim-faced and stared off into the distance, she had to know. Her right hand cupped his chin. “What happened?”

He snorted again. ‘What didn’t? Looking back, I can see I was eager to be played. The senior partner had given me a line of bull about what a valuable service we provided. It was what I wanted to hear. Then he sent Bella my way.”

“Was she a regular Barracuda? All claws and curses?” She could imagine an angry middle-aged woman put aside for a younger model.

Will turned his head slightly to kiss her hand still cupping his chin. “No, far from it. An ethereal beauty possessing delicate features and long, beautiful, blonde curls. She reminded me of an Elven Queen or a fairy princess.”

Her hand dropped to his shoulder, lying there like a dead fish. He said the words almost the same way actors in the romcoms did when seeing their crush, who was all wrong for them. “I hate her, and I don’t even know her.”

The flare of animosity made her uncomfortable standing so close to Will. She slid one foot back, then the other, creating space between their bodies. His arms tightened around her.

“Oh no, you don’t. See, I knew this would happen. Bella is toxic.

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Tuesday Tales: And He Can Cook

8/3/2015

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Will turned back to the skillet lifting another meatball from the skillet. This one he placed on a plate. He continued transferring meatballs as he spoke. “I was going to give Sebastian the meatball. Then, I thought about Clint going in and out of the house as many times as he pleased without Sebastian even objecting. The man probably gave him some meat-based treat. If I gave him a meatball, I’d just be compounding the problem. He’s start assuming that strange men give him treats.”

Ah, Will liked her dog. Didn’t say it exactly, but that’s what she heard. “You’re not so strange.”

“Ha, shows how much you know.” He moved the skillet from the hot burner to one that wasn’t on. “A few of my client’s husbands referred to me as the devil. That was one of the nicer names.”

“Yeah, but you know how people are when they’re mad. Say things they don’t mean.”

Will snorted as he picked up the large pot and filled it with water and put it on the stove. Tilting the salt shaker over the water, he gave it a few shakes and used a slotted spoon to stir it. “They meant it. Besides, I don’t want Sebastian taking treats from strangers. So far, Clint has only given him non-toxic treats. What happens when he drugs the meat.”

Her gaze fell on her overweight canine who kept watch on Will’s cooking activities. “I don’t think Clint would do that.”

The slotted spoon in Will’s hand tumbled to the floor. “You don’t think he would do something like that?” His voice grew louder with each word. A quick flick of his wrist turned off the stove. He pulled out a kitchen chair and straddled it.

Tonya waited, knowing he had something to say. Couldn’t claim to be expert enough on men to pen a book, but she knew when the stage had been set for an important announcement. “Yes.”

His large hand rubbed over his face a couple of times. “Okay. Did you think he would try to get you fired from your job?”

“No, of course, I never thought that. If I had, I wouldn’t have done the photos.” Everyone has a few things she regretted, but man, when she did stupid stuff; it bit her in the butt big time.

His folded arms rested on the back of the chair with his chin resting on his hands. Only his lips moved as he spoke softly while the rest of face stayed icily immobile. “Did you expect him to break into your house, vandalize your car, and make some type of voodoo doll in your image?”

“That’s a silly question.” Ah, she could see where he was going with this. No wonder he terrified his client’s soon–to-be ex spouses with snapping turtle tenacity and laser eyes that peeled the away public façades. Stupidity, lust and a whole lot of liquor got her involved with Clint; add a dash of loneliness too. “Okay.” She surged to her feet knocking her laptop askew, but Will righted it before it tumbled. Great, another thing he did for her.

“I didn’t know he was unstable. Crazy warning labels aren’t tattooed on the people I need to avoid.” Her voice grew shriller with her agitation, causing Sebastian’s abrupt departure. His tail whipped around the corner as he sought a safe haven from mercurial humans. Her hands were in the air as if she were testifying in a Pentecostal revival. Of course, her witness would be about her horrible luck with men.

Will stood slowly as if wary of her. Would he leave now? Decide he had enough of helping the whacked out damsel in distress. She didn’t want to be that woman. The one who needed a helping hand, a shoulder to cry on. So tired of all of this. Her foot landed hard on the floor expressing her frustration, but, unfortunately, her barefooted state didn’t serve her well. “Ouch!”

Will opened his arms wide as she half hopped and stumbled into them. He wrapped them tight around her pulling their bodies flush with one another. His lips landed lightly on her head. The kiss made her smile, a big goofy grin that he couldn’t see. Thank goodness.

“So, you think you’re the only one who stubbed their toe in the name of love. I almost hacked off entire limbs trying to get out of messy entanglements.”

Hard to imagine Will being as foolish as she’d been, but it did improve her mood some. “Tell me.” Her low-voiced request went unanswered. Stiffening her fingers, she poked him in the ribs. “Tell me.”

“Aw, you know it will just make me look bad and you’ll throw me over.”

Tonya laughed into his shirt. “Yeah, right. Like I’d throw over the man who just made my home safer than Fort Knox. C mon tell me.”

Will pressed another kiss to her hair. “It makes me look stupid.”

“As if I come out as a shining pillar of feminine wisdom for getting involved with a lunatic PI.”

His arms tighten around her as he murmured. “I’ll give you that.”

“”Hey!” Her fingers ran up and down his ribcage searching for a ticklish spot. Under his arm, deep into his pit, she’d found it. Knew she’d hit pay dirt when he pinned his arm to his side to prevent her wandering fingers from getting any farther.

“Stop that,” He managed between chuckles. “That’s so unfair.”

“Maybe,” she readily agreed. “I’ll stop when you tell. It will help me from feeling like such a doofus depending on how bad your story is.”

His chuckles ceased and his somber expression returned, making her wish she hadn’t pushed him. An apology formed in her mind, something about it not mattering and forgetting she even mentioned it, but before she could utter it, Will spoke.

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Tuesday Tales: The Kitten Shows Her Claws

7/27/2015

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Today's prompt is Bloom

Chapter Ten

The fast food bag warmed her legs where it sat as she opened it. An appetizing aroma bloomed from the bag heavy on the spicy sausage with a slight hint of grease. Yeah, breakfast biscuits weren’t the healthiest food around, but she loved them. You could also eat them while driving.

Tonya handed one sandwich to Will, then unwrapped the remaining one. The buttery biscuit exerted a siren song on her, causing her to wolf it down in a half dozen bites. Her eyes cut to Will, who stared straight ahead while driving. Did he witness her gobbling down her food like a protester coming off a hunger strike? If he did, he gave no indication.

A wadded wrapper nestled between his leg and the console indicating he devoured his breakfast too. No doubt too busy to notice any piggish behavior on her part. After all, a woman has to eat. She’d never be one of those rail thin women who picked at their food claiming they were full after a handful of lettuce leaves and a baby carrot. “I’m not normally such a pig. Not sure why I was so hungry this morning.”

A smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he slowed for the red light. “Yeah, I know. Personally, I love a woman with a hearty appetite. The bigger, the better.” The sudden movement of traffic grabbed his attention as he surged forward with the flow.

The bigger, the better, was that a crack against her weight? Her brow beetled as she analyzed his words. At best, her weight put her in the average category. It would be a stretch to call her Junoesque or voluptuous. Then again, he had seen everything.

Something nudged her leg. A downward glance revealed Will’s right hand warming her knee. He gently squeezed it. “Don’t overthink it. I meant a woman who has a hearty appetite in the kitchen, usually has one in the bedroom too.”

Mmm, never heard that one before. Clint complained she ate like a lumberjack while Brian chowed down the food she prepared so fast she didn’t have a chance at displaying her eating skills, hearty or otherwise. If she got a burger or a single piece of chicken, she considered herself lucky. Hearty appetite in the bedroom, yeah, it fit. Not that it did her any good in the past.

“Why are you driving me to work again?” Tonya wiggled back into the leather upholstery, enjoying the luxury of her chauffeured ride. It was an entirely different story when someone else fought the morning rush hour traffic. Will drove effortlessly, without any of the aggression she’d expect from a lawyer.

A cluster of unique shops sat on her right, including a tattoo parlor, a Mexican restaurant, and a liquor shop named Mr. Thirsty. She missed the scenery when dodging minivans driven by preoccupied mothers on cell phones rushing red lights to get their pampered offspring to their private school. When indulgent parents weren’t almost T-boning her, she kept a wary eye out for late employees running red lights trying to make up for a missed alarm. Now and then, people had to watch for her hot rodding it to work, but only occasionally.

A truck grill dominated the rear view mirror. Someone wasn’t pleased with Will keeping to the speed limit. The oversized truck tore around them, causing cars in the oncoming lane into swerving into the shoulder. Horn blasts and one finger salutes and few shouted remarks announced their annoyance. The truck didn’t even pause as it wove in and out of cars. Tonya glanced over at Will whose demeanor showed no irritation with the narrow escape. Did nothing rattle him?

He used his hand to gesture in the direction the reckless driver went. “We’ll be seeing our friend soon alongside the road.”

“Yeah, I can see him wrecking.” Tonya could imagine the overconfident driver spinning out. The short glimpse she had of him was a tight-jawed man with a thick neck and reflective sunglasses. Yeah, he’d be the type to harass an ex-girlfriend. Before she used to divide into men into potential and non-potential categories. Shame, she’d dropped to possible stalker and non-stalker.

“Possible,” he agreed. “Not what I meant, though. Friggin’ maniac showed his best asshole material in front of an undercover police officer.”

“What?” Her head swiveled peering into the windows of the surrounding cars looking for a uniformed officer. “I don’t see anyone.”

A siren sounded in the distance confirming Will’s initial assessment. “He’s up a little farther than I thought he would be, but in the general area. Represented his wife, who told me all the speed traps with the encouragement to tell others.”

“A woman scorned is a dangerous thing.” The minute the words left her mouth, Tonya speculated, why she never turned bitter, the way the officer’s ex-wife did, sharing privileged information. Clint had no fear of her. Didn’t think she’d do anything, except lay down and let him walk on her. No reason for him to think otherwise, she never really opposed him. Might not like his lame idea of a motor cross rally as a romantic outing, but it rated higher than the firing range.

“Don’t I know it? Probably know better than any man around. In fact, if I had any sense, I’d avoid women altogether.” His head shook as if admonishing himself.

“Hey, I take offense at that.” She placed her hand on her chest while making a mock threatening face.

Will laughed. “Not you, I’m not worried about you. Apparently, you don’t have a vengeful bone in your body.”

“Yeah.” She added a derisive grunt. “I’m becoming more and more aware of that. It’s not a good thing either.” Instead of being the easy-going one, if she played the bitch card, not only would Clint not want her back, but he certainly wouldn’t make the mistake of crossing her. “I’d like to hurt Clint, make him pay.”

“Whoa, what happen to my mellow kitten?” Will directed a sharp glance her way as he bumped into the work parking lot. “Here, I drove you to work as a protective measure. Without your car in the open, there’s no way Clint can vandalize it. Maybe, we should leave it out as bait, then you’d rip him apart like a hungry bear.”

The image had some appeal. “I’m not that bad. Sure, I’m angry, but I don’t know any way of striking back. Well, legally,” she added with a grin.

“Uh huh, got to keep it legal. First, we have to protect you. I believe that once Clint can no longer get to you, he’ll lose interest. Don’t text back. Don’t email. No contact.” The car stopped in a parking space close to the doors. Will shut off the ignition.

Sure, he made it sound so simple, but she had to know what Clint might do next. “You don’t understand. I could lose my job!” Her hands went up in the air. The temptation to shoot them through her hair in frustration, she overcame knowing she didn’t have time to fix her hair or even continue the conversation.

Her hand depressed the door handle, swung the door wide, letting in the chill of the early morning air. Will’s arm shot past her closing the door. “When you’re with me, I‘ll open your door. Stomping off in anger is no excuse not to let me be the gentleman.”

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Tuesday Tales: Tiger

7/20/2015

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Today's prompt is tiger

Sebastian’s snuffling brought her gradually awake. Her arm hung over the mattress giving her pooch the opportunity he needed. His long tongue tickled her fingers garnering her attention. “Okay, okay. I’ll let you out.”

Odd, her dog was on the floor instead in the bed as usual. A masculine grunt coming from behind her stiffened her spine. What the? Her drowsy mind raced, trying to recall the previous night. Will helped her with her car, cleaned the garage, and called the police. Then there was the shower. Remembered pleasure had her stretching back her leg feeling a hair rough leg behind her. Fell asleep somewhere after the police came. It was Will, behind her wasn’t it? Had to be. Concern about Clint entering her house with ease drew the hairs on her arms to attention. What were the chances of the fool slipping into bed with her?

Fear grabbed her, held her immobile for a few heartbeats. Sebastian’s panting drew her out of her panicked stupor. If Clint were in the bed behind her, would her dog act so normal? Probably not, then again, didn’t he allow the man to root through her closet without much fuss? Images of Clint walking into the house with a bag of dog treats spiked her blood pressure. The man could have been playing a long game, making friends with her dog. What type of man would do that?

The mattress creaked giving her warning before the two arms wrapped around her. Her scream dammed up behind her heart already lodged in her throat. Sebastian’s eyes grew even brighter as he wagged his tail even harder. Was Clint behind her? Had he somehow won her mercurial pup over?

“Good morning, Tiger.” a familiar masculine voice purred into her ear. “I texted last night I’d be taking a personal day, but I assume you’re still heading to work.”

Will. Her held breath hissed out making her sound like a balloon losing air. Her body melted into the mattress. Thank God! She cleared her throat, managing to push her heart back down into place and coughed out the lingering fear.

“Yes, yes, I need to go to work.” Tonya snuggled back into his embrace enjoying the feel of his arms. Safety. For a few seconds, in his arms, she felt protected. An illusion, of course, Clint could blast through her front door. A half roll had her face snuggled against Will’s bare, warm shoulder. It would be hard leaving this. “What did you say you were going to do today?”

“Depends on what you trust me to do.” He dropped a kiss on top of her head. “My plan was to make sure your locks were changed to a key dead bolt. No using credit cards or screwdrivers to shimmy it open. Next on the list is motion sensor lights that will illuminate any tricky stunt Clint might pull. Finally, you need an alarm system. I have a friend who owes me.”

With each item, Tonya mentally calculated the costs. Switching the locks was necessary. “I agree the locks need to be changed, but everything else is too expensive. What’s this stuff about me trusting you? I slept through the night peacefully with you by my side.” It amazed her she hadn’t awakened once during the night. Hard to remember when she slept that well.

His fingers came up under her chin tilting her face upward. His eyes met hers. His still looked sleepy, with the corners of his thick lashes caked with what her mother called fairy dust, but everyone else called crud. His eyes warmed as he spoke. Why women weren’t throwing themselves at his feet was a mystery.

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Tuesday Tales: Worst Case Scenario

7/13/2015

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The forest comes later in the story. I thought about skipping a couple of chapters, but I didn't.

“What—“ She abruptly stopped her question, already knowing the answer. A tiny geyser of excitement erupted, only to have worry and exhaustion tamp it down. Her hand went to her hair, which was a mass of tangled dried curls, similar to Medusa. No, she wasn’t feeling sexy.

Will, sensing her thoughts, or more likely reading her expression, dropped a kiss on top of her head. “No worries. Big day tomorrow. Change locks. Outside lighting to install, new phone number and start work on your new job search.”

New job search. She was doing everything in her power to hold onto this job. “I don’t want a new job.”

“Yes, you do. You hate your current job. Has you walking on eggshells.”

She allowed him to wrap his arm around her shoulders and guide her down the hall. “I do kinda hate my job.”

He chuckled and flipped off the hall light. “I know. Remember prepare your worst case scenario.”

The expression reminded her of a disaster movie scenario. Black leather motorcycle chaps, rifles slung across their backs would fit the image. “It sounds so ominous. Like the end of the world.”

His fingers tightened around her shoulders, pulling her in for a quick hug. “It’s not. Taking away his ammunition. That’s all.”

In the bedroom, he turned down the bedspread. “Crawl in; I’ll go take care of Sebastian.”

Tonya stared up at the ceiling. “I forgot about my dog, I’m so frazzled, but he didn’t.” Her last thought was she needed to stay awake until Will returned.

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Tuesday Tales: Bathrobe, Puggle, & Voodoo?

7/6/2015

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Chris Hemsworth who is standing in for Will

Today's prompt is flexible. .

A hard knock on the front door threw Sebastian into a barking frenzy. The police had arrived. No time for her to change clothes. No time for Will either, which gave her a small bit of satisfaction. Yep, the city’s finest would naturally assume they’d been doing the mattress dance as opposed to their real activity, planning to withstand a siege from a lunatic ex-boyfriend.

The responding officer treated them both with calculated courtesy, but his irritation still showed he considered the visit a waste. Could be he wanted to solve a real crime considering his youth. Didn’t have the years behind him that made a quiet night desirable.

Somehow, despite the ratty bathrobe and nothing on underneath, Will projected an air of professionalism. He kept steady eye contact with the man as he explained the situation with three mentions of my friend, the chief. The young officer didn’t start writing things down until he said he was a lawyer. Odd, that would impress him more.

They both looked at her. Oh, it was her turn. Great, she wasn’t sure what to say. When in doubt, act. She stood and went to the kitchen to retrieve the doll. A discarded paper napkin kept her fingerprints off it as she carried it. Both hers and Will’s were already on it, but no reason for more. Instead of handing it to him, she placed it on the nearby end table.

“The doll is a threat, as you can see, but even more frightening is that the dress is made from one of my favorite tops. He came into the house and stole it from my closet. Even now, there could be bugs or cameras in the house.” Her eyes went to the corners of the room near the ceiling looking for tiny cameras.

The officer pushed the doll around with his pen. “This isn’t one of those voodoo doll things, is it?”

Black magic, voodoo, did she need one more thing?

Will’s hand wrapped around hers giving it a firm squeeze. He answered for her. “Oh, no, no voodoo. Terroristic threatening, yes. Breaking and entering, yes.”

“Okay.” Clicking his pen, the officer acted more animated as he wrote down a few notes. He asked without glancing up. “When did the break in occur and did you notify the police?”

“I’m not sure.” This is why she didn’t bother calling the police. It made her sound stupid. Another finger squeeze reminded her that Will believed her story. “Didn’t know he’d been in my house until the doll came tonight. I’d missed the top for a couple of weeks. Assumed it was in the laundry or at the bottom of a closet.”

The police officer looked up, pinning her with a dubious stare. “No sign of a break-in? Wouldn’t the dog set up an alarm? Did he have a key?”

“No, he didn’t have a key. Not sure it would matter since he’s a private investigator used to brag about his skills breaking into places to investigate. Called his library card his flexible key.”

The officer murmured a comment under his breath. “Hate PI’s”

“As for the dog, he’s not exactly guard dog material. He barks at everything, including falling leaves. The neighbors tune him out, no doubt. He can also be had for the price of a dog treat.”

Will leaned forward blocking the officer’s view of her. “Don’t forget the vandalized car.”

He made a few more notes. “What’s the name of your ex, who you believe did these things?”

Tonya’s lips twisted to the side, considering the man’s tone. Doubtful, that’s what it was. “I don’t think he did it. I know it. He sends me threatening emails at work and texts.”

“I’ll need a copy of those emails.”

Of course, he would. “I erased them. They were on my work email.” The man stared uncomprehendingly.

“Actually, nothing is ever gone on a computer. You could get an IT guy to find them.”

A moan escaped her lips as she imagined asking Richard to look up the messages. All she had to do was explain it was a police matter. Maybe he might locate them before she got her layoff notice. Will let go of her arm and wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

“That’s okay,” he reassured her. “Do you have any the texts on your phone?”

Her initial impulse was to state she’d erased those too, but she hadn’t. Last night, had been a busy night with dinner at Marc and Lynne’s and meeting Will. “I do have some. Along with the number he used too.”

“Good deal,” the officer commented, smiling a little.

Tonya went off in search of her phone, considering how much happier the officer was once he thought there might be a real case. She shook her head as her hand closed around her cell.

After a call back to the station for the procedure, the officer bagged her phone and took it with him with promises she could pick it up on the following day. The two of them stood at the door, rather like a unit, or a couple and bid the police officer goodbye.

Will yawned as she closed the door. The earlier adrenaline drained away leaving exhaustion behind. “I’ll go get your clothes. They should be dry now.”

Intent on draping his pants over a hanger with the crease in place, she didn’t hear his approach. His hand reaching for the hanger startled her, making her yelp. Not like weird things hadn’t been happening around her.

He hooked the hanger on the laundry room doorknob, joining his clean dress shirt. He pulled his boxer briefs out of the laundry basket. ‘This is all I’ll need for tonight.”

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Tuesday Tales: The Police Cometh

6/21/2015

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Today's prompt is old.

Cell up to his ear, he spoke in staccato sentences. “Will Robinson here. Yes, that’s my name. Ask the chief. He knows me. Send a car to this address. Attempted robbery. Scared off the miscreant. Yes, I know. Send. The. Car.” He rattled off her address.

Police. That meant neighbors peeking through blinds and speculating on her behavior. She’d never contacted the police because she didn’t want such a scenario. Clothes might be useful, especially for Will. His would go in the dryer. Her obvious nipplestand would merit a bra and a less wet top too.

His bare feet made a slapping noise on the wood floor. The act of shoving his wet clothes into the dryer kept her busy, refusing to acknowledge his presence behind her. The police would be no help. The officers might get some titillation over the fact that sexy photos were involved, but wouldn’t take it seriously. Her fingers pressed his pants into a ball before flinging them hard into the dryer.

“Hey.” His comment reminded her he was behind her. “No reason to take your anger out on my clothes. The police had to be called.”

Her violent pivot sent her tumbling back against the washer. Really. Decided to call the police now. Yeah, right. Summoning up her best glacial stare, she sent it his way. He must have felt it since he shuffled backward about a foot. Yeah, she was pissed. “Whose choice was it to call the police?”

He placed an open hand against the sliver of chest the robe exposed. “I made the decision since it was my car.”

“Your car, your precious old car!” She shoved past him, jabbing him with an elbow. Childish thing to do, she knew. “I have to get dressed since the police are coming.”

Sebastian had popped out from the table, his sanctuary in times of high emotion. Her brisk walk with balled fists swinging by her side sent him scurrying back under the protective forest of wooden legs. Smart dog, smarter than most men she knew, especially since she could hear footsteps behind her.

“Tonya, wait. It’s not about the car and it's not old.” His hand landed on her shoulder.

She spun around wanting to fight and relieve the frustration from Clint’s scare tactics, her job insecurity, and the buildup to a sexual release that didn’t look like it was coming any time soon. “Okay, Mr. Big Shot Lawyer, what’s it about?”

The lines between his eyebrows relaxed as he replied. “You, it’s about you. It’s about creating a documented history of harassment. You’ll need that to get a restraining order. It’s about fighting back.”

The intenseness of his eyes faded, replaced by a tenderness that erased most of her anger, but not all. “I don’t want to fight back. It might get worse. I just want it to stop.”

“I understand.” His hand cradled her cheek. “I wish I knew some other way. As a divorce lawyer, I know this area. Occasionally, a spouse harassed my client. In a few cases, my client was the stalker. I know the ends and outs of the legal system. We have to press back.”

His profession and experience gave validity to his words. They made sense, but Clint didn’t operate on logic. “I’m afraid Clint will only up the ante.”

Will nodded. “That’s a possibility.”

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Tuesday Tales: The Night That Was

6/15/2015

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The Night Tonya Wanted

Today's prompt is based on the photo. This is the night Tonya wanted. The excerpt is a snippet of what really happened.

Her pulse quickened as she packed away all her reasons not to fall in bed with Will. Her woeful lack of a love life status would transform in a matter of minutes, make that several minutes. A piercing squeal permeated the house. Not a siren, it could be something went wrong with the washer, but it never sounded like that before.

Will’s guiding arm around her waist tensed, and then fell away. “Damn asshole is messing with my car! I’ll put a stop to that. ”

Tonya watched silently as he shoved his arms into the bathrobe covering a tattoo on his shoulder. His tight jaw and lowered brow didn’t promise a night of endless pleasure, especially when her ex was doing God knows what outside. He darted out the door before she could remind him about Clint’s gun. The exterior door slammed, jolting her into action. “Wait,” she yelled the words as she ran out of the bathroom. The reflective glass of a nature scene she placed in the hallway reminded her that clothes might be advisable. Great, clothes, what a time waster. Indecent exposure was the thing she’d been trying to avoid. Back in the bathroom she pulled her yoga pants and shirt over her wet body.

“Hate Clint. Hate that I ever met him. Wish he’d die. If I ran out there without a stitch, the man would laugh himself silly and probably take a photo too. Excellent reason to get me fired.”

By the time, she got to the front door; Will swung it open from the outside, talking as he entered. “The jerkwad is gone. Heard him burning rubber as soon as I got outside. I’m calling the police.”

The angry man strode past her. Forget her status change, not that she would have made it public, but still.

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Tuesday Tales: Far from Boredom

6/8/2015

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Today's prompt is boredom, but there is nothing boring about these two,

The crunch of Will working his way through the popcorn brought Sebastian closer. The pampered pooch head-butted Will until he flipped him a popped kernel, which he snatched out of the air.

“Ah ha, he caught it.” Will’s eyes lit up. He tossed another kernel, laughing as Sebastian seized it too. Tonya sucked in her lips, thinking the dog got more attention than she did. Maybe she should be snapping food out of the air. The man continued to toss popcorn that her dog caught.

“Well, I’m going to shower while you two have fun.” Her words were meant to infer boredom, but there was nothing boring about the man.

Will looked up in mid-action, as if he might say something, but instead another piece of popcorn flew through the air. Enough already, she stomped off to the bathroom, as well as a barefooted person could. Call it walking with attitude.

A shower would be good. A chance to wash her troubles away, if only. Still, the warm water pelting on her skin would work as a mini massage. Since Sebastian and Will were bonding over popcorn, she’d take her time.

The water steamed up the small bathroom causing Tonya to flip on the exhaust fan before she stepped in the shower. The hot water made her grateful for the larger water heater she’d installed last fall. At the time, she couldn’t rationalize a larger heater. The sales representative talked her into it, claiming it would improve resale value.

A liberal dollop of bath gel on the pouf released a blackberry fragrance as she lathered her body. What did Will use when he showered? He certainly didn’t smell like her bath gel. A damp bar of deodorant soap in the corner of the shower answered her question. Ah, yeah, she only used it when she smelled disgusting.

She stroke the pink razor against her thigh. No real reason to shave so high, it wasn’t like anyone would notice. Didn’t stop her, though. The loud exhaust fan made it hard to hear anything. No Sebastian barking, no knock on the door, nothing. Her fingers lathered the shampoo into a sudsy mess. Her eyes closed before it could burn them.

Did Will leave? That would be weird considering his clothes weren’t dry. Sure, he could wear wet clothes home or the bathrobe for that matter. Did he want to get away that bad? Could explain the peculiar look on his face when she mentioned showering. A sense of unease wrapped around her. An instinct warned her she wasn’t alone. Did he lock up as he left? Would it matter with Clint who bypassed locks?

The rungs on the shower curtain clattered across the rod. Tonya squeezed her already closed eyes tighter. This was it. Her life would end as a modern day version of the shower scene from Psycho. Did the actress fight back, she couldn’t remember? No way, she was going down without a fight. She reached toward the tub enclosure shelf where her long plastic handle back brush rested. Might not be much, but better than a pouf. A firm grip on the handle; she spun, opened her eyes, and brought the bath tool down with a resounding crack, right across Will’s shoulder.

“Oh my God, it’s you!”

He rubbed his reddened shoulder. “I guess that’s what I get for sneaking into the shower without asking.”

Her eyes journeyed from his chagrined expression to his abused shoulder, down to his flat stomach, a happy trail that led to a wilting arousal. The two pieces of the broken brush reminded her of her deed. No wonder, she had a sucky love life. Apparently, the lousy males, she left alone but clubbed the decent ones.

“I’m so sorry. Let me rub your shoulder. I can get you some ice for it.” She started to step out of the shower, but Will placed a restraining hand on her arm.

“First, you need to rinse your hair.” He guided her back into the stream of water. His fingers moved through her hair, lifting the soapy tendrils to the spray.

Was this actually happening to her? It could be a scene from a movie, all right. Not the horror genre, by a long shot. His breath tickled as he leaned closer his wet chest sliding against her back. Ah heaven, she inhaled deeply missing his comment since her body went into the hyper drive about the time she opened her eyes.

“Do you condition?”

Ah, had she ever heard any more romantic words? Wait, what did he say? Condition? She managed a nod, gesturing with her right hand to the top rim of the tub where the conditioner sat.

“Got it. “ A juicy exhale of the bottle indicated his current action.

Once in college she showered with a boyfriend. A popular magazine implied it would be a sensual experience. It was all elbows and complaints. True, she was the one who wanted to shower together and it was a very, small shower. Still, she thought the guy could have put more effort into it.

Strong masculine fingers worked the conditioner into her hair, massaging as they went. Her tension from her crazy day slipped away with each stroke. His hands moved from her scalp, down to her neck kneading away the stress. She leaned back into his hands as the water spray cooled. No matter, she had a smoking body behind her.

“Let’s get that rinsed off before the water turns ice cold.” His hands on her shoulders gently directed her under the spray. His fingers lifted from her shoulders to run through her hair again. “Hard to believe twenty-four hours ago, I imagined this very moment in the shower with you.”

“Really?” She turned in his arms, hooking her hands behind his neck. “You acted kind of cool tonight. Difficult to believe naughty thoughts were in your head when most of the time you were either talking home security or bonding with my dog.”

The hands that rested at her waist slid down to her ass. One hand on each butt cheek flexed before pulling her into his body. “Does that feel cool to you?”

She stretched forward to breathe her reply into his ear. “Exciting.” The movement nestled her closer to his apparent desire. Her lips landed a brief kiss near his temple, before resting her cheek against his beard roughen face. Paradise. The perfect ending to a day, wiping away all the trouble it took to get here. The blackberry scented steam added to the dreamlike atmosphere.

His fingers flexed as he pulled closer. Their slick skin adhered to each other. Perhaps, their attraction was fateful. “It’s almost like our bodies are trying to absorb each other. As if we were one once upon a time.”

“Hmm.” Will nuzzled her neck, making her legs go liquid. She’d probably dissolve into a puddle at his feet if her arms weren’t around his neck. He pulled back giving her a slow, sexy grin, she associated with him. “Maybe we could take this into another room?”

Her fingers played with the wet lock of hair plastered to his face. “Hmm, could do that. Were you thinking the garage, now that it’s clean?”

A playful slap on her ass jolted her. “Hey, it was a legitimate question. Maybe the kitchen. Fun with food and all that.”

Instead of answering, he dropped his hold on her. Cold along with a sense of isolation danced up her arms and slid down her back leaving confusion in its wake. Was she doing the right thing? She didn’t really know him. Wasn’t this the same mistake she made with Clint? If a detective had her running scared, what would a lawyer do to her?

The water stopped. Will straightened from turning off the water. Noticing her attention, he winked. Her expression had to be a weird one since she’d been considering his dangerousness as a spurned lover before they’d even done the deed.

“C’mon, let’s get you warmed up.” He wrapped one arm around her as he pulled the shower curtain back.

How could such a considerate man be bad? Oh, she knew what she was doing. Talking herself into doing exactly what she wanted even knowing the risks associated with it. Her upraised foot landed on the fluffy bath mat. Life had dealt her such a crappy hand lately. My luck I will slip and hit my head. Will would have to rush me to the hospital. The doctor will keep me overnight for observation while the rest of the staff laughed behind their hands as Will explains how the accident occurred. A couple younger nurses would give him lingering looks when he mentions shampooing my hair. The conniving angels of mercy will slip him their numbers as the orderly rolls me away. Her other foot made it safely onto the mat those nurses were going to have to look elsewhere. Tonight would be her lucky night.

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Tuesday Tales: Does it Make You Giggle?

6/1/2015

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Today's prompt is giggle. See if you can find it.

A small stack of panties sat on the dryer. Tonya held out Will’s shirt inspecting it. Good, the oil spots weren’t there. Considering how he stepped in and got an especially obnoxious monkey off her back, washing his shirt didn’t even qualify as sufficient gratitude.

The bathroom door opened, spilling out fragrant steam. A damp Will stepped out, attired in only her cartoon beach towel. His damp curls gave a boyish appeal that his toned torso gave lie to. She whistled long and low. Not her best behavior, but nothing ever came out of her bathroom looking like sex on a stick before.

He held up a wad of dirty clothing. “I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind washing these for me. The pants are a washable synthetic blend. “

She stepped forward, taking the clothes from him. Water droplets glistened on his shoulders, drawing attention to their width and muscles rippling beneath the skin. Damn, how could she have ever thought he was average looking before. Their hands touched as she took his clothes. The tingle that had almost become routine zapped her extra hard. Keep your eyes on his face.

With the clothes tucked under her arm, she turned toward the washer. Black socks in the laundry tub; she pulled the pants inside out to negate the wear. She held the striped boxer briefs and grinned, imagining them on Will’s very fine ass. In her fantasy, she was taking them off, or he was flinging them at her like an exotic dancer, not washing them. The sounds of the fridge closing indicated Will’s location.

“Good luck finding something edible. Popcorn might be your best bet. I keep it in the freezer.” She heard the freezer door open, along with the click of Sebastian’s nails. Anything connected with food interested him.

“Thanks. Hope you don’t mind me helping myself.”

She held up his white T-shirt, debating if she should throw it in with the dark clothes. As long as it was on cold and quick wash, it should survive. “Hey,” she called out, feeling playful. “Anyone ever tell you that you have the body of an exotic dancer?” Her audaciousness made her giggle.

The sound of coughing, possibly choking, had Tonya dashing out of the laundry room. Will held onto the counter with one hand. Sebastian snapped up whatever fell to the floor. His jaws chewed rapidly as if he feared she’d steal his treasure.

Her upraised hand hesitated over his back. Laughter slipped out through the hand he had raised to his mouth. The Heimlich maneuver would not be necessary. Still, her hand landed lightly on his back. The long spread of warm skin tempted her. Hey, she was human.

Her fingers felt the shift and movement of his muscles as he straightened. With regret, she dropped her hand and looking into amused eyes.

He motioned in the direction of her dog. “I found a cheese stick, but Sebastian ended up with it. Your question surprised me.”

That made sense. Surprised her too. Her usual habit of keeping her lips shut when it came to sexy remarks went south went she met Will. The empty wine bottle sat on the table reminding her normal reticence probably went with the wine. “You never answered me.”

“Well,” he drew out the word. “No one used those exact words to me. Are you quite the expert on male dancers?”

“No, only once, about five or six years ago. Couldn’t remember the name, some touring company, I think. “

His eyes were on her with marked interest. She hurried to add. “It wasn’t like I wanted to go, but all the other women were and if I didn’t…” She stammered to a stop, her face reddening. She’d wanted to go.

A slow, mysterious smile pulled at his lips. “Did you have a good time?”

Ah, how to answer that. A dozen gorgeous guys parading around in next to nothing, acting if they were playing a starring role in her private dreams. The light bouncing off their glistening bodies, the women screaming, the numerous empty drink glasses littering their table, and a dancer with eyes like Will smiling down at her as he gyrated his hips, inviting her to tuck a twenty in his G-string. No, couldn’t be. The cartoon towel covered him thoroughly from waist to knees. She needed smaller towels.

“Odd question.”

He glanced down at the towel, which occupied her thoughts. “Do you have anything I can wear until my clothes are dry?”

“Ah yes, I have a closet full of clothes from all the various men who have passed through my home and left their clothes behind.” His eyebrows shot up at her statement.

“Of course not, but I do have a bathrobe that might work. It was my father’s. I took it as a remembrance since he spent so many Saturday mornings wearing it. It’s a little shabby, but should do the trick.”

“I’m not looking for anything fancy. Something that will cover me up enough for me to drive your car into the garage. Wouldn’t want the neighbors to get the wrong idea.”

His words made her snort. Wrong idea, yeah it sounded like any romantic action went out the window. “Yeah, a robe won’t give them the wrong impression.”

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Tuesday Tales: Toxic Bella

Tuesday Tales: And He Can Cook

Tuesday Tales: The Kitten Shows Her Claws

Tuesday Tales: Tiger

Tuesday Tales: Worst Case Scenario

Tuesday Tales: Bathrobe, Puggle, & Voodoo?

Tuesday Tales: The Police Cometh

Tuesday Tales: The Night That Was

Tuesday Tales: Far from Boredom

Tuesday Tales: Does it Make You Giggle?

Morgan K Wyatt

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