Chapter
Sixteen
“How’s
my girl?” JC rang over the phone, “I
can’t believe I finally nailed you down.
We’ve been playing phone tag the whole day.”
“Yeah,
I’m busy as hell. I can’t talk
long.” Kiora said as she watched JC
having lunch with a friend. She was in a
car across the street.
“When
are you going to be done tonight?” He
asked,
“I’m
not, I’m pulling an all nighter at the office.” She said and saw JC lean back in his seat,
“At
the office, you’re going to sleep there?”
He said teasingly.
“Who
has time to sleep?” She retorted, “I
actually may work at my place, that way when I’m done I can just fall asleep in
my bed.”
“I
can stay at your place.” JC offered,
“No,
that’s quite all right. You’ll be
bored.”
“I
don’t mind.” He said frowning slightly. JC realized that she was pulling away from
him.
“I
don’t need to be distracted and you in my bed is one
hell of a distraction.” She flirted and
she saw the smile spread across his face,
“Okay. Do you want me to bring you dinner or
anything?”
Damn,
he was trying everything and she truly wanted to give into him. “Nah, I’ve got delivery, but thank you.”
“So,
I’m not going to see you today?” He
asked pouting slightly,
Kiora
needed to get off the phone before she gave into him. “Nope, sorry. Hey, I’ve got to go.”
“Okay.” JC sighed, “Bye Kee.”
“Bye
JC.” She said and hung up the
phone.
The
next morning Kiora slumped down in her chair as she drank down her coffee. She had attempted to sleep last night at the
office, but it wasn’t a good one.
“Well,
if that’s not the scariest thing I’ve seen in the world.” Russ teased when he walked into her
office. “Wait, those clothes look
familiar. Either, you haven’t gone home,
or your washer broke. Hold on, you don’t
know how to use a washer, so I’ll go with the first option.”
“Fuck
you Russ.” She muttered from behind her
coffee mug.
“Tempting,
but I’ll save the fucking for JC. Did
you even sleep last night?” He said
leaning against the edge of her desk.
“Tried
too, but I couldn’t sleep. I think it
was something I ate.” She groaned
rubbing her stomach.
“Uh huh.”
Russ smiled to himself, knowing the real answer, “So, what do you need
from me sunshine?”
Kiora
had about enough of Russ’s smug, perky attitude, “Some days I wonder why I even
have you as a partner.”
“Because you love me.” He grinned at her, knowing that she could
never be that mad at him.
“Yeah,
something like that.
I need those forms signed.” She
said throwing a folder over to him, “Put them on my desk and I’ll get them when
I get back in.” Kiora stood up and
stretched a little.
Russ
flipped through the folder, “Are you field scouting today?”
“Yeah,
I haven’t done much here in Florida.”
“Kay
sweetie, have fun.” He waved as she
walked out of her office,
“Thanks.” She waved.
“Hey.”
Kiora yawned as she answered the phone.
She sat back in her bed at her apartment. It was midnight and she had been going over
her field scouting for the past couple of days, trying to find anything that
could help her catch JC's stalker. Of
course she had been avoiding JC as well, trying to come to grips on her
feelings for him.
“Hey,
where have you been? I’ve been trying to
reach you for the past couple of days.”
JC said slightly upset. Kiora had
been avoiding his phone calls and trying everything she could to keep from
contacting him. The only thing she had
been managing was a couple of text messages and a few voicemails so that he
wouldn’t worry about her.
“Sorry,
I haven’t really been able to answer my phone lately.” She said evasively,
“Why?”
“Um, because I’ve been working.” She retorted, not wanting to argue with JC,
but couldn’t help herself.
“Working?”
JC said suspiciously,
“No,
I was fucking Russ.” Kiora she said
shortly.
“Well,
I don’t know, because I haven’t seen you or talked to you in a couple of
days.” He shot back at her. “But I’m
sure you’ve talked to Russ eight times today.”
“God
damnit, Jace, I’ve been working like crazy.
I’ve barely had time to shower, never mind cheat on you!” It did actually hurt that JC would even think
of her like that, “That hurts that you would even think that, knowing how Russ
and I are!”
JC
knew he had crossed a line and immediately softened, “Okay, okay, I’m sorry. I
just miss you. Are you coming over
tonight?”
“No,
I’m half asleep now. I’d never make
it.” She yawned again, gathering up her
work.
“How
about I come over to your place? I don’t
mind, I miss having you in my bed.” He
pleaded.
“Ooo, me too.”
She yawned again and placed her work on the floor beside the bed.
“Give
me your address and I’ll be there in ten.”
He was willing to do anything to see her.
“Jace,”
she whined, “I’m about to fall asleep.
I’d never make it and you’d be locked out.”
“You
could leave the house unlocked.” He
suggested.
“That
would require me to get…out…of…bed…” She yawned to emphasize just how tired she
was.
“Come
on Kee…”
“Hmm?”
She said sleepily,
“I’m
going to see your place one of these days.
Tonight’s a good night.” He said
hopefully.
“Mmm, good night.” She said and hung up the
phone.
“Kee?”
JC questioned and realized that she had hung up on him, “Damnit
Kee.” He muttered.