Boss: Romantic Thriller Page 21

  She was mortified.

  “I’m kidding. All I heard was ‘please’. I think you said yes to someone.” He settled back into his chair.

  Kassidy reclined back into the stack of pillows. She put her hands to her eyes. It must have been the tequila. It had to be the tequila. She wasn’t that controlled by sexual desire and never with Tarek Marshall. Never! Right? When she lowered her hands she looked over to Tarek. He continued to stare at her. She settled back into a restless sleep. The dream felt so real. And when her defenses were down, and she slipped away again, she could allow herself one confession. She was secretly disappointed that it wasn’t.

  38.

  Tarek woke. He could never sleep with light in his bedroom. The fireplace he tolerated, but now there was sunlight slipping inside. And the fucking chair hurt his neck and back. He glanced over to his companion. Kassidy slept on her side. He pushed up to his feet, and worked the kink out of his spine before he approached his window. He drew back the curtain expecting to see the world he knew. Tarek couldn’t believe his eyes.

  There had to be at least four feet of snow outside. It reached the front step of his home. Everything was covered with it. And the clouds were still a dark smoky grey, which meant the brief reprieve wouldn’t spare them for long. The worst part was being cut off from communication. His father had to know where he was. Someone would come and soon.

  “How bad is it?” A soft voice spoke behind him.

  He glanced over to Kassidy who sat upright in bed.

  “It’s the same,” he said.

  “And the electricity, is it still out?” she asked.

  “It’s out,” he told her.

  She put her face in her hands and rested her elbows on her knees. “What are we going to do? Another day here… I can’t. I need this to end.”

  “Yeah,” Tarek sighed. “Me too. I need this to end.”

  Silence settled between them for a long moment while Tarek racked his brain for ideas. “Hey, tell you what we will do. Get dressed. Wait.” He went to his closet. He found a pair of jeans and a few flannel shirts. He also pulled out one of his ski jackets. He tossed them to the foot of the bed. She lifted her face from her hands and looked at the clothes. “Put these on. We’ll take a walk outside. See what we’re dealing with.”

  It was the best he could offer. He had no real plan. The isolation had him worried too. Soon they’d have to do something. He pulled on a pair of jeans and plucked a shirt to put on, and left the room. While she dressed, he checked the fireplaces downstairs. All were ablaze. Still the central heating was missed. It was so cold in many of the rooms that he could see his breath when he exhaled.

  “Tarek?” he heard his name.

  Kassidy came down the stairs and joined him. He was surprised at how adorable she looked swallowed by his clothes. The short pixie haircut of hers had left her hair flat and wavy to her round head. And her face without makeup took at least two to three years off her. She looked like a teenager, not the sorceress that haunted his nights for the past several months. The pants she wore were rolled up to her ankles with a belt tied around her waist to keep them tightened. His shirts covered her hands, as did the sleeves to his jacket. And she wore his socks too.

  “Everything okay down here?” she asked.

  “Yeah, you up for this? Last night you took it pretty hard.”

  “I’m fine. I’m ready,” she said.

  He handed her a spare pair of gloves. They were workman’s gloves, but would serve the purpose. She pulled them on. She stuck her feet in his workman boots by the door. That would not work for long. The shoes were big and floppy. So she kicked them off and removed his socks to put on her heeled ankle boots. Tarek knew those would be a problem in the snow but choose not to say anything. As they approached the door he explained the plan.

  “We will walk out to the barn. It’s heated. I want to gas up my tractor. It’s not ideal but we could possibly drive it off my land back into town.”

  “How far is the town?”

  “Twenty miles give or take. I got neighbors that are twelve miles up the road. We reach them we can call in for help.”

  “Okay,” she agreed. He paused and looked her over. He hesitated again.

  “I’m ready,” she assured him. “Let’s go.”

  “Wait a sec; you need something on your head.” He walked off to the back room and plucked a hat from the closet. A Texan had plenty. He returned and took the liberty of putting a Stetson on top of her head and pushing it down. She smiled for him. “That’ll do.”

  “Thank you,” she said.

  He thumped the bib of his Stetson and gave her a polite semi-bow. “Shall we?” He pushed his Stetson down on his head and opened the door for her. The cold that blasted them from outside shocked them both. She had no idea it was even more frigid outside. Her eyes stretched, and she looked over at him as if horrified. He stood behind her with his head tilted down to stare at her, and his Stetson protected his face from the wind.

  “Go on, little lady. I’m right behind you.”

  Kassidy walked out the door. They both noticed the snow had stopped. It was probably too cold for it. Anything that fell from the sky now would freeze into ice. She walked to the edge of the porch and had to be careful of her steps. A thin sheet of ice coated the wood, making it a bit slippery.

  “What now?”

  “Look there.” He pointed east. “That’s the stable, and the cattle barn. I’m pretty sure a lot of the equipment is still there. Got a Caterpillar with wheels as tall as you. It’ll get us out of here.”

  She smiled for him. Damn. She was really pretty when she smiled. He went down the steps. And slowly sank into the snow. It stopped at his knees.

  “Holy crap!” she exclaimed. “Is this for real?”

  “Afraid so, darling,” He glanced out to the barn. It was a long walk in snow like this. He stepped down in the snow and sank. But there was plenty of packed snow beneath to make the journey doable. The problem as he saw it, was the wind. It pushed hard against them, capturing their breath and exhausting their energy.

  “Maybe you should wait here, I’ll get the tractor and come for you,” he suggested.

  “No,” she grabbed his sleeve. “I can do it. Don’t leave me.”

  He looked down at her. She had turned her face up to look at him from under her hat. He nodded before he took her hand and tried to move through the snow. After several steps, he found it hard to keep the pace without wheezing for breath. When he looked back her struggle was even worse.

  “It’s not going to work,” she said in defeat. “I’m so cold. It’s so cold out here. I can’t do this.”

  “Yeah, I see that now,” he said. He helped her trek the way back to the porch. They were both wet but only she shivered. “Go inside and sit by the fire. Wait for me while I get the Caterpillar and—”

  “But what if it starts to snow again?” she asked and sucked in her bottom lip to keep it from trembling. “What then?”

  He looked back at her surprised. She didn’t show this kind of fear when he caught her in the parking lot of that barbecue restaurant. She didn’t even show much fear when he threatened to turn her into the police and forced her into his home. But now she was scared?

  “I can handle it,” he said.

  “No. Let’s wait a bit. The snow will... get... harder on the ground or something. You can try then. Maybe in a few hours when the sun is out of the clouds?”

  “Or it could start snowing more and make it impossible for me to leave. I could shovel...” he glanced to the barn and realized it was too far to shovel toward.

  “Damn.”

  “This is why your man didn’t make it. The Cash guy, he’s out there stuck somewhere and the roads? They’re covered.” She hugged herself, visibly shivering. He walked over to her and put his arm around her shoulder. He rubbed some heat up and down her arm.

  “Let’s go back inside. Get you by the fire. Let me deal with this,” he said.


  Together they walked in. She was right. No one was coming out to his land any time soon. Not if the rest of the city was in this state. It was the first time the guilt of his actions immobilized him. He’d gotten them into this mess. He had to find a way to dig them both out, and soon. Inside the front room facing the property, she stood before the fire. She didn’t bother to take off his jacket. She only removed his workman’s gloves. He shed his heavy wool three-quarter inch coat and tossed it to the leather chair.

  “Maybe we start with some breakfast. How’s steak and eggs sound?”

  She glanced back at him and laughed, “Fine, but no hot sauce, and light on the seasoning please.”

  “I’m telling you it’s good that way,” Tarek smiled.

  “I’m sure it is, but give my poor throat and stomach a break.”

  “I’ll make it special just for you,” he said and walked out.

  39.

  Kassidy watched him go. Last night she’d learned a lot about her past and herself. Nothing in her life was at it seemed, including Tarek. Today she was back where she started, confused and desperate for all of the drama to end. Would he call the police on her still? Would he let her go and they never spoke again? What happened next? Not only was he supposed to be the enemy, but things had gone from bad to dire with the weather. How would it all end? The electricity was out. The land was covered in thick snow, and they had no communication with the world.

  Defeated by the conflict she dropped down in the chair before the fire. She removed the cowboy hat he gave her, and set it to the lamp table to her left. What did she have now if she didn't have Tarek Marshall to blame?

  After reflecting on her lack of options, Kassidy stood and paced the floor. She glanced around her surroundings and cringed. Mounted on the walls were the heads of boars, deer, and even a bear. Hunter trophies. She left the room and decided to wait for him in the parlor. There was a fire blazing inside to keep her moderately warm. Like a moth to a flame she was drawn to the bookcase. She saw that it held many books, most of them on hunting and farming. She walked over to the shelf and checked out several. What caught her attention was in the back corner. It was a scrapbook. She drew it down and took it back to the sofa.

  Inside she found the history of the Marshall family, all the way back to horse wrangling and bootlegging. She thumbed through the photos, pausing at a few. And then she stopped. There was an image of Alek Marshall as a younger man. He sat on a sofa. One man sat to his left and the other to his right. In the background was an image of a woman holding a small child. The image cut off the lady’s face. All that was seen of her was arms and the golden bracelets on her wrists. Something about the photo caught her eye. She wasn’t sure. The man to Alek’s left gave a partial smile to the photographer. He looked a lot like another version of Tarek. The other man was older, with silver hair.

  Kassidy removed the photo. There was only a date on the back. It said 1981. Daniel often ranted about the Marshall’s history. He really hated Tarek. Daniel said Alek Marshall used Tarek to shield himself and his birth sons, because he wasn’t his biological kid.

  Exactly what had happened to make the Marshalls adopt an orphan out of Russia? Kassidy went to the kitchen. She found Tarek with steaks sizzling in the frying pan. He was again over seasoning the food. And the flame under the pan was turned up far too high. She swallowed a smile.

  Tarek busied himself with cutting onions. He didn’t immediately see her.

  “Hey?” she said.

  He glanced up. “Be ready in a few. Fridge won’t keep much longer. I took out the rest of the steaks. It’s colder inside of here than in there.” He pointed his knife at the fridge.

  “Have you ever seen this picture before?” she put the Polaroid in his face.

  He squinted at the photo.

  She waited.

  “No, looks like my Pops.”

  “Yeah, and the other men, do you know who they are?” she asked. He glanced at the picture and then her. She saw disinterest in his eyes.

  “I’m not trying to dig up dirt on you,” she reassured him.

  “Right? Because you wouldn’t dare try to uncover the Marshall’s family secrets,” he said.

  “Look at this picture. What do you see?” she raised it again.

  He glanced to the picture. He then looked to her. “I see my father with friends nothing more. Kassandra, we’re stuck here for now and we can be civil if we work hard at it. But if you keep pushing me—”

  “Fine,” Kassidy went to the fridge and used the magnet to pin the photo there. “I won’t push. It’s your funeral.” She told him, before she turned and walked out.

  Tarek looked over at the photo. He shook his head and continued to fry the steaks. When he was done with breakfast he had already lost his appetite. He leaned against the counter. And once again his gaze drifted over to the fridge. He walked over, and gave another long hard look at the image. It was his father. That was certain. The other man was Kovalevsky. He wouldn’t dare name him for Kassidy. And that wasn’t what disturbed him. It was the man to his father’s left side that he’d never really noticed before in family photos. Soon he saw what Kassidy saw, and he didn’t like it one bit.

  40.

  They ate their meal in silence. Kassidy kept peeking up at him. Spying as he moved things around with his fork before Tarek abandoned the meal altogether with his steak half eaten. “What if my Pops knew my biological father? So what! Doesn’t prove anything over 30 years later and it sure as hell doesn’t make what you’re saying true.”

  Kassidy kept eating.

  Tarek dropped back in his chair. “I’m going to try to get to the tractor. You stay inside,” he said. He pushed up from the table. Kassidy stood too and stepped in front of him. “You’re right. I believe you. About my parents, about Clarissa, even about the Garcia’s. I do. Okay?”

  The woman had eyes he found hard to look away from. His image was reflected there. A man who held an unquenchable thirst for acceptance and in her eyes that man wasn’t just a monster, but a man who needed to be saved. Tarek smiled at her.

  He touched the side of her face and Kassidy was his. This time when he kissed her it wasn’t the planned response he had hoped for. She went stiff. Her mouth was slack under his and her eyes stretched. But Tarek was never a man to turn away from something or someone he wanted.

  At first Kassidy wanted to keep things civil between them until rescue arrived. Partly because of her own fear of the house, the weather, and the vulnerable state she was forced into. But one touch from him and the passionate desires provoked by her dream surfaced. She wanted more, and yes that meant she wanted him. She shrugged off her inhibitions like an unwanted old coat. Her arms lifted and circled his neck. She grabbed the back of his head and stood on her toes to bring her mouth up to reach his soft lips. Just like in the dream he was a good kisser. His mouth latched on to hers and the tip of his tongue teased, before sweeping in and out of her mouth.

  The Texan kissed her like he was never going to stop. His large hands gripped and squeezed her bottom, before she was bodily heaved up his tall frame and her feet left the ground. On instinct, she wrapped her legs around his waist. Tarek pushed the dishes and glasses from the table and dropped her on the table. He ripped open the flannel shirt he gave her to wear and popped all of the buttons, only to discover she had layered her body with another flannel shirt beneath. He groaned with disappointment. Kassidy surprised him. She was eager to please. She ripped open the next shirt from him.

  Nearly mindless, with his groin swollen to the point of release, Tarek lost control. His own mouth watered. His cock jerked behind the zipper of his wranglers. And now she was his. He didn’t bother to stop and think of the consequences of giving in to his emotion. In fact, he needed this more than the dreaded pull of uncertainty that his family’s betrayal became. He needed her.

  He undid the top button to the borrowed pair of jeans he gave her, and then dragged them down and off her legs. She wore no underwear.
That really excited him. And he wondered if she slept in his bed in the same state with only his robe covering her sexy body. Letting out a groan, he lowered his zipper. Her gaze went down the line of his chest to his exposed pubic hairs that were curling up out of the top of his boxers. He didn’t want to give her much time to think on their passion. Hell he didn’t want to waste the desire on thoughts of propriety. He ran his hands up the sides of her thighs and she parted them for him. He stared down at the thick lips of her sex with the mowed narrow strip of fuzz over it.

  “You are so beautiful,” he said as he dipped his tongue into her navel. He then kissed her lower and lower before he buried his face between her soft thighs. The first touch of his fingers parting and opening the plump lips of her sex made her shiver. She squirmed, a bit anxious to begin. Something was different about her now. He felt her desires shift like a new breeze. Her sweet, yet tangy womanly scent seduced him to go further. He would ensure she relaxed and enjoyed herself. He could be tender, but he could be rough too. Right now, he decided to give the lady the best he had to offer.

  Tarek traced her slick entrance with his tongue, and then blew on her labia. She released another cry of excitement. The tip of his tongue teased the rigid knot that controlled her pleasure. He liked her reaction. The way her silky thighs closed on the sides of his face and she mewled. So he feathered her clit with soft lashes. Again and again his tongue swirled down and swiped up until her body began to convulse with desire. When his tongue plunged into her tight channel, he forced the back of her thighs up and opened her wider. Her feet rested on his shoulders. This was a far better breakfast than the steak he sent off the table to the ground.

  Beautiful, he thought.

  He kept thrusting his tongue in and out of her core in a rhythm that would be much better serviced by his cock. His name rose from her mouth in a repeated song as she neared her climax. Then his mouth latched on to her distended clit and pulled. And she went wild for him smashing her sex against his lips. He gazed over her beautiful body, as she gripped her perfect breasts and squeezed. He watched the lady succumb to her pleasures. He wanted her to come but not yet. Just as she peaked he withdrew.