“I’ll take your word for it,” Kris smiled. “I’m off to the store, do you need anything?” She looked him over. “Anything besides sunscreen, that is?”
“I never burn, don’t you remember? Too much Cherokee running through my veins.” He finished off the water. “Thanks.”
“Um hmmm, tell that to the lobsters crawling all over your back. I’ll pick up aloe, just in case.” Kris turned go to her car.
“Wait. Are you free for dinner tonight? It’s perfect weather for grilling. And for a sunset walk on the beach. What d’ya say?” Kris pretended to consider the offer, but there was no way she was turning it down.
“Okay, but this time, we’ll do it at my house.” She laughed at his expression. “Don’t worry, I know how to cook a few things, but you can man the grill, if you must. See you at seven.”
He watched her walk away, already thinking of seeing her again. He didn’t even realize that he was whistling as he went back to work.
~~~~~
Damien watched the exchange from the shelter of the sea grass. He was too far away to hear what they said, but he saw the way the man looked at his Beauty. There was not a doubt in his mind that he would have to deal with him, too.
He waited a few minutes before slipping into the kitchen door. Kris had neglected to set the alarm again, so it was a piece of cake. The guard cat was sleeping off the effects of yesterday’s tranquilizer on the back porch. He quickly scoped out the best spot for the living room camera, being careful to stay away from the windows. The thing was so tiny; it fit on the head of the air conditioning grate knob. He angled it towards the kitchen, so he had the living room completely covered. One corner of the porch was also covered in the wide angle Damien had chosen. As he was heading towards the bathroom to place another one, he noticed that the cat had decided to wake up. The last thing he needed was for it to start screaming, so Damien slipped back outside the house, and down to the beach. He never noticed that the roses were no longer on the counter.
~~~~~
Kris was flipping the steaks over in the marinade, per Roni’s explicit instructions, when Nick knocked on the door.
“Hi,” she said with a smile that was brighter than she meant it to be. “Come on in.” She stood to the side to give Nick room to enter. She felt the heat radiating from him as he moved by her. Not the good kind, but the kind that comes from too much sun.
“Sit down at the counter and take off your shirt.” She was glad she remembered the aloe. “I’ll be back in a minute.” She began to walk towards the stairs.
“Wow, I don’t even get dinner first? I feel so used.”
“Shut up,” she laughed. I told you that you were getting burned. I’m getting the lotion.”
“Thanks,” he said sheepishly. There was no way he was telling her how much pain he was in. Taking off his shirt was almost as excruciating as putting it on had been, but he did as he was told.
“Nice house,” he remarked as she came back down the stairs. He noticed the crystals hanging in the windows and smiled as he remembered how the fractured light from the one in her bedroom used to play on her bare skin.
Kris saw the look come into his eyes and knew what he was thinking. She blushed. “Thanks,” she said as she placed the lotion and a bottle of pain killers on the bar top.
“Oh. My. God. Have you seen your back? You probably have second degree burns. Did you put anything on it already?” She went to the fridge and brought back a bottle of water. “Here, take these before I start.”
“Were you always this bossy? No, I didn’t have anything to put. I also didn’t have any meds in the house, so thanks again.” He popped three Advil. “Okay, let’s do this.”
“Brace yourself, this is gonna hurt.” Kris tried not to touch his skin any more than necessary as she spread the aloe cream, but she knew how uncomfortable he must be. To his credit, he never said a word. “Don’t even think about putting your shirt back on, let the lotion soak in.” She went to the fridge and poured them both a glass of wine. “I’m sorry I don’t have anything stronger to offer you.”
“Thanks. This will do. I can’t believe I got so burned. It’s only April.”
“Yes, but your back was facing the sun most of the day. You need to move your work station to the other side of the house. Or wear a shirt.”
“If my work station was on the other side of the house, I wouldn’t have seen you, and we might not be having dinner together.” He didn’t mention the fact that he had planned to drop by if she hadn’t come out.
“Good point. At least wear sunscreen next time. Would you like to sit on the porch? We can take the bar stool out there so your back will be free.”
“Okay. What’s for dinner?”
“My special steak recipe. Rather, Roni’s special steak recipe. I’ll cook, but you can supervise from afar. You don’t need to be anywhere near the heat.”
“Yes ma’am. Whatever you say.”
~~~~~
Damien could barely contain himself as he watched Kris rub lotion on the man’s back. The inside windows of his car were steaming up, but he didn’t care. The slut thought she could taunt him, showing off with another man. He made a notation in his notebook, the one where he listed the reasons for her punishment. At first, he could keep them in his head. Soon, she had too many to count, and he was afraid he would forget one. So he kept a notebook. Just like all the others.
~~~~~
“Is that your cat?” Nick asked when they settled on the porch. “Looks more like a dog. What are you feeding it?”
“That’s not nice; if he were awake you’d have to apologize. He’s been sleeping most of the day, which is a little out of character, especially at dinner time.”
“Doesn’t look like he missed too many dinners; maybe missing one or two is a good idea.” Nick glanced up and saw that Kris was frowning at him. He spread his hands, “I’m just saying…” He grinned.
“I’ll have you know he’s very healthy; he has big bones.”
“How can you tell, beneath all that flab?”
Kris ignored him and went out on the deck to start the grill. “Be nice, he may be playin’ possum. Pegasus definitely holds a grudge.” She headed back to the kitchen to get the steaks and the potatoes. Since the salad was already prepared, she could relax with Nick while everything cooked. Nick started to follow her.
“No, you sit, let the lotion sink in. I can do this. Is your back feeling any better?”
“As compared to what? The fire is only smoldering now; I’m sure I’ll be fine in a few.” Nick didn’t look at all sure, but there was no way he would let her see how much pain he was really in.
“Whatever you say. Just let me know if you need more aloe. We should probably keep it coated tonight.”
“Is than an invitation to sleep over?” Kris couldn’t help but laugh at Nick’s hopeful expression.
“In your dreams, red man. I was simply making an observation.”
“I know. I was teasing. We need to get to know each other again, but fair warning; I know what I want. Sooner or later, we will be together again. I hope it’s sooner.”
Kris was taken aback by the heat of Nick’s declaration. She wanted the same thing, in her heart of hearts. But she still didn’t want to jump into anything too soon. She knew the devastation that losing this man could cause; she wasn’t up to a repeat performance. Choosing to change the subject, she checked the steaks.
“Do you still like yours medium rare?”
> “Coward,” Nick breathed, then louder “Yeah, that works. Do you still enjoy yours crispy?” He made a face.
“Funny. Never crispy, just done. I’m taking yours off.”
Pegasus lifted his head and sniffed as Kris placed Nick’s steak on the plate. “Well hello boy, did you decide to wake up?” Kris crooned. Peg stood and stretched, as only a feline could do, then followed her into the kitchen. She fed him dinner, grabbed the salads and went to join Nick.
As they were eating, Kris marveled at the easy conversation and the comfortable vibe. It was almost as if the past ten years had disappeared. She admired Nick’s dedication to his profession as well as his decision to step back and breathe. It took a lot of confidence to get off of a successful treadmill and change directions.
Nick’s thoughts followed the same tract; he loved the way Kris’s eyes sparkled when she talked about her work, especially when she discussed the project with Roni. It was obvious that the three women were more than friends, they were a close-knit family. He had read a few of Cassie’s books over the years and enjoyed them. The paranormal suspense genre was not his first choice, but knowing the author made him pick up the books; Cassie’s ability to weave a story kept him reading. Speaking of paranormal, he decided to broach a new subject.
“Are you still having visions?” The question jarred Kris out of a quiet moment. She immediately thought of the terrifying vision from last night.
“Why do you ask?”
“Just curious; I’ve never met anyone else who does that. Not that I know of, anyway. I think it’s interesting.”
“That’s because they don’t happen to you.” Kris sounded harsher than she meant to. She quickly stood and began clearing the table. Nick grabbed her arm gently.
“I didn’t mean to pry, sorry. You don’t have to tell me.” She could hear the sincerity in his voice, tempered with a touch of hurt. Should she tell him? He said he wanted her, but how could he if he didn’t know what he was getting into? She looked into his eyes for a long time, all the while his hand stayed on her arm. She sighed.
“Let me get us more wine, and you more aloe, and then I’ll answer your question. But only if you’re sure that you want to know.”
“Of course I want to know. I’m interested in everything about you.” He dropped his hand and began gathering dishes, preparing to follow her inside. Her entire demeanor was suddenly wary. He mentally kicked himself for upsetting her, but had no idea what he had done. Even though he was dying to ask questions, he knew it was best to let her open up when she was ready.
They worked to clean the kitchen in companionable silence, then he dutifully sat so she could coat his back with more lotion. Something really was helping the sting, but he didn’t know if it was the aloe, the Advil or the wine. Maybe a combination.
~~~~~
They were at it again. Damien was still parked on the street, near Kris’s cottage. He had debated coming to listen from his nest beneath the porch, but watching them was too great a temptation. Even though the camera faced the living room, a portion of the porch was visible. Luckily for him, it captured some of the table.
Now he had a clear view of Kris touching the intruder. The slut was putting her hands all over his back. This time, he could see her face as she did it. Pucker lines between her eyes spoke of her concern for the bastard. Her quick smile at something he said told Damien that she enjoyed him. Too much.
He preferred to take more time to relish his current Beauty. After all, he had just started the phone calls and barely had time to appreciate the hidden camera access. None of his other Beauties had taken another lover during their courtship. This was the first time he was faced with competition.
Damien considered ways to eliminate his foe as he continued to watch Kris interact with Nick. Killing the bastard was too messy, and besides, Damien took pride in reserving that special brand of attention for his darlings. No, killing the man was not worth the risk. He must find another way to remove him from his Beauty’s life.
An extended hospital stay would certainly do the trick, or an extended trip. Under the right circumstances, the man could disappear for as long as Damien needed him gone. “Yes,” he smiled as the plan began to take shape, “that would work.” He must find a suitable location to stash the bastard, undisturbed. With the meddling fool out of the way, he could give Beauty his full and undivided attention.
~~~~~
It took Kris almost thirty minutes to work up to telling Nick about the vision, and everything that preceded it. He waiting patiently, somehow knowing that it was best to let Kris initiate the conversation. The sat in pleasant, but intimate, silence, listening to the waves and watching the moonlight dance over the water. Finally, Kris opened up. She decided to tell him everything, from the beginning.
“I’ve been having dreams,” she began quietly. “Nightmares, actually, but they feel too real even to call them dreams.” She paused, trying to sum up the images and the feelings as succinctly as possible. “I’m always running, being chased, I think, towards a large movie screen. I’m inside a hallway, but it’s not familiar. The movie looks like an old reel-to-reel, you know, with the lines and the squiggly black spots. Everyone I love is on the screen; mom, dad, my grandparents, Cassie and Roni—she left out that he had joined the troupe—and they are all on fire. Their screams are horrible, but I can’t help them. I can’t put out the fire, since it’s on film, not in the house. I wake up with my heart racing, sweating and generally scared to death. At first, I couldn’t remember many details, but I awoke feeling like I had run a triathlon; every muscle in my body ached.” She stopped to sip her wine.
“What makes you think you’re being chased?” Nick asked softly. “Can you see anyone behind you?”
“No, but I know that someone is there. If it was a one-time thing, I wouldn’t think twice about it. But I’ve had the same dream practically every night for the past two weeks, or maybe longer. It started becoming more clear the night we thought someone was on your deck.”
“My deck? When was this?”
“Two weeks ago. Cassie, Roni and I were cooking out and we saw a light walking around over here. Of course we decided to check it out, but no one was there. The next day, we heard a banging noise coming from the porch. Turned out, the screen door was open and the wind was swinging it against the wall. Funny thing was, there was a brick in the doorway, as if someone didn’t want the door to close completely. Otherwise, everything was fine.” Kris bit her lip and decided not to tell Nick about the creepy feelings those two events had elicited. She was already giving him enough reasons to think that she was crazy, no need to add to it needlessly.
“What?” Nick could tell she was deciding whether or not to tell him something.
“Nothing. Anyway, the dreams started to come into focus that night, but it wasn’t for a few more days before I could see who was starring in the movie. Now, the images are too clear, and whoever is chasing me is gaining ground.”
“Did anything happen on the day before the dreams cleared up?”
Kris thought a minute, before telling Nick about meeting that creepy Damien on the evening before the dreams came into focus. In for a penny, she sighed before continuing.
“You probably think I’m loony tunes, but the guy really creeped me out. I even took the long way home so he wouldn’t know where I lived. I haven’t seen him since.”
“No, I don’t think you’re loony tunes,” he grinned at her, “but I do think you were smart about not leading him here. You’ve always had good instincts.” He paused as something else occurred to him. “Is that the reason for last night’s trip to the shooting range?”
&nbs
p; “Yes, partially. A few other things have happened.” She told him about Peg’s crazy behavior the morning he woke her up screaming, about the single rose left on her car and about the dozen roses left at her door. Gauging his reaction, she forged ahead. “That brings us to last night.”
“What happened last night?” Nick’s voice, face and body language oozed his concern.
“I had a vision as soon as I got home.” She described what she had seen. “Shortly afterwards, I received a call from a breather on my cell.” She watched as Nick sat up straight, his eyes flashing.
“Why didn’t you call me, or come over? I’m right next door!” He was almost shouting, but Kris knew he was not angry with her; he was scared for her.
“I thought about it, but the doors were locked, the alarm was on and I had my gun.” She didn’t tell him she was now sleeping with it.
“Could you tell if it was a man or a woman?” Nick asked.
“Not that time.” Kris watched Nick’s face turn red; she hurried to explain before he exploded. “They only called once more, about an hour later. I had just fallen asleep. At first, he just breathed, again. Then he laughed, very soft and low. Then he said ‘Wake up, Sleeping Beauty. This is your Prince Charming.’” Kris paused to let Nick have his say. He didn’t disappoint.
“Why in the hell am I just hearing about this now? Do you realize that someone is stalking you? Have you called the police?” Nick started pacing around the porch, running his hand through his hair every few seconds. Maybe he thought it would make him think better. Kris tried not to laugh, but a giggle escaped. He looked ridiculous, stomping around the porch, without a shirt, his eyes practically bugging out of his head, his back coated with cream and his hair now standing straight up.
“You think this is funny?” He stopped and turned to look at Kris.
“No, but if you could see yourself, you’d be laughing too.” She smiled to take the sting out of her words. “I realize better than anyone that this isn’t a joke. Just telling you about everything that’s happened is enough to make me want to run screaming. But let’s get real. Up until last night’s phone calls, the only thing I could tell the police was that someone sent me flowers and that a very nice man gave me the willies. Even with the phone calls, what do you think they could do?”