restraints.
They must’ve found a good hiding place, because I hadn’t heard a peep from them since Elmer came out of the shadows. My breath hitched when Elmer brought his other hand from behind his back, but I released it with a nervous laugh when I saw the long-stemmed red rose he held.
“A beautiful flower for a beautiful lady,” he said, bowing slightly.
Thank God it was almost dark, because I’d hate to call a man a liar. Don’t get me wrong, I was more than passable in the looks department. I even had days when the hair and makeup and water retention gods were all working in my favor and I felt beautiful. Today wasn’t one of those days. I was sunburned and hungover and I had a pooch from all the alcohol I’d drunk. Those fruity drinks had a lot of calories.
“Thank you,” I said with all the cheerfulness I could muster. And then I made the mistake of looking past him and into his villa. I could see straight into his bedroom. Candles were lit all over the room—to the point I was afraid the entire place was going to go up in flames—and the bed was turned back and rose petals scattered across the sheets.
My lungs constricted and little black dots danced in front of my eyes. “What’s for dinner?” I managed to say.
“I thought we might have some champagne and get to know each other a little better first.”
His finger touched the back of my hand and I felt the gorge rise up in my throat. I was about at the end of my rope.
“Small bones,” I muttered.
“What’s that?” he asked.
“Never mind. Listen, Elmer—”
“I don’t recall telling you my name,” he said, dark eyes narrowing into a menacing stare.
“I’m here with my Aunt Scarlet. She mentioned your name when I told her where I was going for dinner.”
Damn, I still had the good lie juju. I was starting to become impressed with myself.
“Yes, yes,” he said. “Scarlet. I once knew a woman named Scarlet a long, long time ago. She seduced me and then broke my heart.” He smiled, his capped teeth eerily white and even in the fading sunlight. “I remember her fondly.”
“Hmm, yes. Well—” I struggled for the words and just decided to go for it. The tattoo matched and there was no time like the present. I just had to figure out where to touch him. I didn’t want to grab the wrong limb by mistake in the takedown.
“Are your bones fairly strong?” I asked.
“Beg your pardon?”
“Your bones,” I repeated. “You think they’re pretty strong?”
“This is a very unusual conversation. A little exciting.” He waggled his eyebrows creepily. “Are you going to hurt me?”
“Eww,” I said. “Not that way.” I took Elmer by the wrist and squeezed, using a technique Savage had taught me back when we were in and out of each other’s pockets. Elmer screamed like a little girl and went to his knees, and I twisted his arm behind his back.
“Hush,” I hissed, putting my other hand over his mouth so no one would hear his scream.
I put my knee in his back like I’d seen the cops do and then I realized I was practically straddling Elmer while buck-ass naked.
“I need restraints,” I called out. But Rosemarie and Scarlet didn’t come out of the bushes.
“What are you doing?” Elmer said. “I’m not into the kinky stuff. I’m too old. I’ve got a pacemaker.”
“I told you to hush,” I said. “Elmer Hughes, you should’ve kept the tattoo hidden a little longer. Like until you died. Or should I call you the Romeo Bandit?”
He went still beneath me and I grabbed his other arm to pull behind his back. “Rosemarie,” I called out a little louder this time. “I’m not playing. I need the restraints.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Elmer said. “But I demand that you unhand me. I’m a paying member of this resort and they have rules here. You’re sexually assaulting me, you reprobate. It’s wrong to take advantage of a senior citizen just because his plumbing still
They must’ve found a good hiding place, because I hadn’t heard a peep from them since Elmer came out of the shadows. My breath hitched when Elmer brought his other hand from behind his back, but I released it with a nervous laugh when I saw the long-stemmed red rose he held.
“A beautiful flower for a beautiful lady,” he said, bowing slightly.
Thank God it was almost dark, because I’d hate to call a man a liar. Don’t get me wrong, I was more than passable in the looks department. I even had days when the hair and makeup and water retention gods were all working in my favor and I felt beautiful. Today wasn’t one of those days. I was sunburned and hungover and I had a pooch from all the alcohol I’d drunk. Those fruity drinks had a lot of calories.
“Thank you,” I said with all the cheerfulness I could muster. And then I made the mistake of looking past him and into his villa. I could see straight into his bedroom. Candles were lit all over the room—to the point I was afraid the entire place was going to go up in flames—and the bed was turned back and rose petals scattered across the sheets.
My lungs constricted and little black dots danced in front of my eyes. “What’s for dinner?” I managed to say.
“I thought we might have some champagne and get to know each other a little better first.”
His finger touched the back of my hand and I felt the gorge rise up in my throat. I was about at the end of my rope.
“Small bones,” I muttered.
“What’s that?” he asked.
“Never mind. Listen, Elmer—”
“I don’t recall telling you my name,” he said, dark eyes narrowing into a menacing stare.
“I’m here with my Aunt Scarlet. She mentioned your name when I told her where I was going for dinner.”
Damn, I still had the good lie juju. I was starting to become impressed with myself.
“Yes, yes,” he said. “Scarlet. I once knew a woman named Scarlet a long, long time ago. She seduced me and then broke my heart.” He smiled, his capped teeth eerily white and even in the fading sunlight. “I remember her fondly.”
“Hmm, yes. Well—” I struggled for the words and just decided to go for it. The tattoo matched and there was no time like the present. I just had to figure out where to touch him. I didn’t want to grab the wrong limb by mistake in the takedown.
“Are your bones fairly strong?” I asked.
“Beg your pardon?”
“Your bones,” I repeated. “You think they’re pretty strong?”
“This is a very unusual conversation. A little exciting.” He waggled his eyebrows creepily. “Are you going to hurt me?”
“Eww,” I said. “Not that way.” I took Elmer by the wrist and squeezed, using a technique Savage had taught me back when we were in and out of each other’s pockets. Elmer screamed like a little girl and went to his knees, and I twisted his arm behind his back.
“Hush,” I hissed, putting my other hand over his mouth so no one would hear his scream.
I put my knee in his back like I’d seen the cops do and then I realized I was practically straddling Elmer while buck-ass naked.
“I need restraints,” I called out. But Rosemarie and Scarlet didn’t come out of the bushes.
“What are you doing?” Elmer said. “I’m not into the kinky stuff. I’m too old. I’ve got a pacemaker.”
“I told you to hush,” I said. “Elmer Hughes, you should’ve kept the tattoo hidden a little longer. Like until you died. Or should I call you the Romeo Bandit?”
He went still beneath me and I grabbed his other arm to pull behind his back. “Rosemarie,” I called out a little louder this time. “I’m not playing. I need the restraints.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Elmer said. “But I demand that you unhand me. I’m a paying member of this resort and they have rules here. You’re sexually assaulting me, you reprobate. It’s wrong to take advantage of a senior citizen just because his plumbing still
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