Read Online A Pacific Breeze Hotel by Josie Okuly - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Josie Okuly
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easily discouraged.
ÇÇÇ
Felicia and Vance sat in his car outside the darkened Griffith Observatory building. Felicia inhaled deep, refreshing breaths of the cool night air. There were no other cars in the parking lot. Even though she loved Griffith Park in the daytime, she didn’t feel safe in this lonely spot late at night. All she wanted to do was go home and go to bed, but good manners prevailed. Felicia stopped herself from ruining Vance’s evening.
Vance massaged the knotted muscles of Felicia’s shoulders.
Felicia groaned. “That feels so good.”
Vance pulled his hands away from her shoulders.
-61-
Josie A. Okuly
“Don’t stop.” Felicia turned to face him.
“Did you ever love me?” Vance’s question came out of left field and Felicia was silent as she wondered why he had asked it now, of all times.
His eyes were bright, but his voice sounded quiet and wistful.
“We were so young.” Felicia tried to find the words to help him understand her feelings. “I was in love with love, I think. But I always loved you as a friend. I still do.”
“But never the way I wanted.”
“It’s getting chilly.” Felicia rubbed her arms. “Do you mind if we go now?”
“Your career always came first. I thought I was enough for you.”
“Vance, did you hear me? I’m getting cold.”
“And Felicia always gets what Felicia wants,” said Vance with a sneer.
“Is that the way it works?”
Suddenly, Felicia felt trapped in the tight confines of the car. She reached for the door handle, but Vance grabbed her hand and held it in a powerful grip.
“Let me go.” She clenched her teeth and tried to pull her hand away.
“Don’t go,” he said. “Don’t you want to hear what I have to tell you?”
“I…”
Vance released her hand and she looked at him expectantly.
Why was he behaving this way? A frisson of fear shot through Felicia.
She was paralyzed, incapable of movement, caught like a mouse in a cobra’s sights.
“Now, I can tell you what I’ve wanted to say since I arrived in Los Angeles.” His eyes held a feverish glint. “I’m taking you home with me.”
“I don’t understand.”
“You’re coming back to Arizona. We’re going to get married. We’re going to start a family.”
-62-
Pacific Breeze Hotel
Felicia knew her mouth must be hanging open as she stared at him.
This is the perfect end to a perfect day, she thought. Can things get any worse?
“What are you talking about?” she asked in confusion. “We’ve been through this before. It wouldn’t have worked.”
“It would’ve worked!”
Felicia jumped at the harsh note in his voice.
“I’ve been doing some thinking,” Vance said slowly, his voice growing in authority. “We’re meant for each other and we can’t let anything keep us apart ever again.”
“I don’t understand why you’re talking like this.”
“I guess you’re not as bright as you seem to think.”
Vance pulled a metal object from his jacket pocket―a small-caliber revolver. Before Felicia could react, he pushed the cold, black barrel against her throat.
“Why couldn’t you love me?” His eyes were those of a stranger. “I’ve been waiting for you since the sixth grade. You loved me back then, didn’t you?”
Felicia stared at him with mounting horror as comprehension dawned. A tremor of fear crept up her spine, and her breath came with labored effort. O’Rourke said the stalker was someone she knew.
Someone who knew her. The words echoed over and over in her mind.
But it couldn’t be Vance! Not the little boy who had rescued her puppy.
She couldn’t believe it, wouldn’t let herself.
“I followed you to the studio that day.” Vance stared out the windshield at the empty parking lot and the darkness beyond. “I saw the old guy paw at you and tear your dress. I couldn’t let him hurt my best girl. My only girl.”
-63-
Josie A. Okuly
“Vance please...” Felicia swallowed and her saliva went down as a
ÇÇÇ
Felicia and Vance sat in his car outside the darkened Griffith Observatory building. Felicia inhaled deep, refreshing breaths of the cool night air. There were no other cars in the parking lot. Even though she loved Griffith Park in the daytime, she didn’t feel safe in this lonely spot late at night. All she wanted to do was go home and go to bed, but good manners prevailed. Felicia stopped herself from ruining Vance’s evening.
Vance massaged the knotted muscles of Felicia’s shoulders.
Felicia groaned. “That feels so good.”
Vance pulled his hands away from her shoulders.
-61-
Josie A. Okuly
“Don’t stop.” Felicia turned to face him.
“Did you ever love me?” Vance’s question came out of left field and Felicia was silent as she wondered why he had asked it now, of all times.
His eyes were bright, but his voice sounded quiet and wistful.
“We were so young.” Felicia tried to find the words to help him understand her feelings. “I was in love with love, I think. But I always loved you as a friend. I still do.”
“But never the way I wanted.”
“It’s getting chilly.” Felicia rubbed her arms. “Do you mind if we go now?”
“Your career always came first. I thought I was enough for you.”
“Vance, did you hear me? I’m getting cold.”
“And Felicia always gets what Felicia wants,” said Vance with a sneer.
“Is that the way it works?”
Suddenly, Felicia felt trapped in the tight confines of the car. She reached for the door handle, but Vance grabbed her hand and held it in a powerful grip.
“Let me go.” She clenched her teeth and tried to pull her hand away.
“Don’t go,” he said. “Don’t you want to hear what I have to tell you?”
“I…”
Vance released her hand and she looked at him expectantly.
Why was he behaving this way? A frisson of fear shot through Felicia.
She was paralyzed, incapable of movement, caught like a mouse in a cobra’s sights.
“Now, I can tell you what I’ve wanted to say since I arrived in Los Angeles.” His eyes held a feverish glint. “I’m taking you home with me.”
“I don’t understand.”
“You’re coming back to Arizona. We’re going to get married. We’re going to start a family.”
-62-
Pacific Breeze Hotel
Felicia knew her mouth must be hanging open as she stared at him.
This is the perfect end to a perfect day, she thought. Can things get any worse?
“What are you talking about?” she asked in confusion. “We’ve been through this before. It wouldn’t have worked.”
“It would’ve worked!”
Felicia jumped at the harsh note in his voice.
“I’ve been doing some thinking,” Vance said slowly, his voice growing in authority. “We’re meant for each other and we can’t let anything keep us apart ever again.”
“I don’t understand why you’re talking like this.”
“I guess you’re not as bright as you seem to think.”
Vance pulled a metal object from his jacket pocket―a small-caliber revolver. Before Felicia could react, he pushed the cold, black barrel against her throat.
“Why couldn’t you love me?” His eyes were those of a stranger. “I’ve been waiting for you since the sixth grade. You loved me back then, didn’t you?”
Felicia stared at him with mounting horror as comprehension dawned. A tremor of fear crept up her spine, and her breath came with labored effort. O’Rourke said the stalker was someone she knew.
Someone who knew her. The words echoed over and over in her mind.
But it couldn’t be Vance! Not the little boy who had rescued her puppy.
She couldn’t believe it, wouldn’t let herself.
“I followed you to the studio that day.” Vance stared out the windshield at the empty parking lot and the darkness beyond. “I saw the old guy paw at you and tear your dress. I couldn’t let him hurt my best girl. My only girl.”
-63-
Josie A. Okuly
“Vance please...” Felicia swallowed and her saliva went down as a
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