Page 15 of Someone to Call My Own
I removed my jacket and tie then loosened the top few buttons of my dress shirt before I lay on the bed and waited for my food delivery. I turned on the television, but I didn’t have a clue which two college basketball teams played one another, nor did I care. I was relieved when room service knocked on the door.
I dug into my perfectly seared steak and mushroom risotto like I hadn’t eaten in a month. I didn’t start to feel human again until I nearly finished my food. Exhaustion moved in swift and hard; I could barely keep my eyes open and decided, why should I? Who would it hurt if I took a little nap before I went home?
I don’t know how long I was out before someone knocking at the hotel door woke me up. I was briefly disoriented when I woke, but it didn’t take long for reality to penetrate the daze. Rick was gone, and we were no closer to finding Nate’s killer. Whoever was at the door was a persistent fuck and never let up knocking.
I flung open the door expecting to find the CPD or hotel management on the other side with a request to vacate the premises immediately. Instead, I found one blond host whose smile told me he was certain he offered the most in several areas.
“What are you doing here?” I asked. “I thought it was an urgent matter with the way you kept knocking on the door.”
“It is an urgent matter,” Stephan said, brazenly pushing past me and entering the room. “I want you to fuck me.”
“I didn’t invite you in.”
“Well, I’m not a vampire, so I don’t really need one,” he replied sassily.
“I think you misinterpreted my words,” I said slowly. “I didn’t say that because you wouldn’t be physically able to enter my room without an invitation; I said it because I don’twantyou here.”
“Yes, you do,” he replied, just as slowly. I had to give the guy credit because I’d never met anyone as bold as him, and I’d worked with cold-blooded killers for two decades. Stephan had made quick work of the buttons on his dress shirt before he untucked and removed it. “One blondie for dessert coming right up.” He opened his pants to reveal that he wasn’t wearing anything beneath his slacks besides a hard-on and that he was natural blond.
I shouldn’t have even entertained the idea of fucking the guy, but what better way was there to celebrate the fact that my heart still beat in my chest and blood still pumped through my veins, especially in my hardening cock. Stephan wickedly grinned when he saw that he’d won. He pulled out a condom and packet of lube from his back pocket and tossed them on the bed before he shoved his pants to his ankles and stepped out of his shoes and socks.
“Not so fast,” I said when he moved to get on the bed. I stroked my erection through my slacks and smiled at the way his eyes burned with lust. “Bring those pretty lips over here?”
Sex with Stephan was a welcome distraction that helped ease the loneliness and disillusionment, but it was only a temporary fix. The misery I’d felt earlier returned as soon as he redressed and left my hotel room. I took a shower to wash away the smell of a guy I didn’t even like and hoped the hot water would cleanse the guilt that permeated my soul. What kind of man was I? I had just learned that my friend died and instead of grieving, I banged a twenty-something kid with more confidence than sense.
I turned the water as hot as I could take it and stood beneath the spray while I tried to add up everything that had happened in the past three months. I had no answers, no clue where to go next, and no one to talk to about my problems. Hell, I already pestered Corbin a lot for club advice and my other best friend, Beau, was a deputy sheriff in Big Timber, Montana. They didn’t have time for my whining. Hell, they probably would want to know when the body snatchers took the real Jonathon Silver and left the cry baby in his place.
I didn’t hear my phone ringing when I was in the shower, but there was a voicemail from Detective Wyatt for me. I called him straight back without listening to his message.
“Detective,” I said when he answered the call.
“I just wanted to let you know what I’ve discovered so far tonight,” he told me. I listened as he explained that Rick died from a single gunshot wound to the head. “On his desk was a note that said he was responsible for the deaths, but didn’t say that he killed them. I’m not sure what it means right now, and I’ll continue to vigorously investigate this case, as well as your brother’s and the other victims.”
I was nearly at a loss for words. What did Rick mean when he said he was responsible? Something didn’t add up, and it sounded like Detective Wyatt felt the same way. I believed that he would investigate until he had answers. “I appreciate the information, Detective.” I started to hang up, but he said my name.
“What are you doing on Sunday?” Detective Wyatt asked, catching me off guard.
“Sunday? Isn’t that Easter?” He had me scratching my head.
“Yes, do you have plans for dinner?”
“Are you asking me…”
“My boyfriend is an amazing cook and is making enough food for three armies. You’ve had a rough time lately, and I thought you could use a home-cooked meal and some good company. No pressure,” he added. “I’ll text you our address in case you want to come.”
“Okay,” I replied. It shocked me that Detective Wyatt would invite me to his house. Did he think I was so pathetic that I didn’t have someplace to go? Fuck, if it wasn’t true though. I knew I wasn’t going to be very good company, but on the bright side, I could meet the man who clearly had a tight grip on the sexy detective’s heart. “I’ll give it some thought.”
“Goodnight, Silver,” the detective said before he hung up.
A little voice in the back of my head said,what the hell do you have to lose by going to dinner?I shrugged and said out loud, “Not a damn thing.”
“Just walk up to the door and ring the doorbell. You can do this, Em.” It wasn’t my inner voice cheering me on as I stood at the end of my driveway, it was Memphis. “Don’t be afraid to make friends and live again, cuz.”
Live again? Like in my dream? I inhaled and exhaled a few times, trying not to sound like a heavy breathing perv on the phone. I’d been a mess ever since I had that dream of having sex with another man. I was too afraid to fall asleep and see him again, but afraid I’d miss River if I didn’t sleep. I was starting to believe my mother was right and I needed to seek psychiatric help.
“You’re just trying to get a break from my drama,” I said into the phone. I used humor to mask the fear I felt inside when I watched Josh’s best friends and employees enter the back of the house. They seemed nice, but I tried not to let myself become too attached to people. Memphis was the only one who seemed to stick.
“Nice try, Emory,” Memphis replied patiently. “Stop stalling and get to living.”