Asking For Trouble Read Online Free Page A

gave you? I lost
mine.”
    “Of course.” The older woman disappeared for a moment and
returned to the door to hand Natalie a key ring. Then she clutched the neck of
her sweater, pleating it anxiously with shaking fingers. “You will be all
right, won’t you, dear?”
    Natalie interjected confidence she didn’t feel into her
voice. “Of course. I’m just being cautious.” She took a step backward. “If
anything seems unusual, please call the police.”
    “Certainly.” Mrs. Hawkins gave Orion an approving look.
“You’ll be watching out for her?” It was a question, but issued almost like an
order.
    “Yes, ma’am.”
    She nodded again, appearing satisfied. “Keep in touch while
you’re gone, Natalie.” Leaning forward, she stroked Lucy’s ears. “You be a good
girl for your mommy, you impertinent thing.” She earned a doggy kiss for her
admonishment. Mrs. Hawkins was smiling when she shut the door.
    The five of them continued to the main entrance. Natalie
used the spare key to admit them. She would have taken the lead, but the
officers went first. “It’s the penthouse,” said Natalie with a hint of mocking.
She trailed along behind them, unable to escape Orion’s protective grasp on her
arm even if she had wanted to.
    The police left them standing on the third-floor landing as
they went inside her darkened apartment. Lights came on a few seconds later. In
less than two minutes, the officers emerged. One nodded his head, jerking a
thumb in the direction of the door. “It’s clear. Get in and out. Five minutes,
do you understand?”
    Natalie nodded, even though the officer had been addressing
Orion. She entered her apartment, unsurprised when Orion followed behind. Lucy
brought up the rear, heading straight to the kitchen to whine hopefully at her
food dish. “Later,” Natalie called over her shoulder. “I’ll feed you when we’re
settled at Mr. Taylor’s house.”
    “Orion.”
    She looked at him, frowning. “What?”
    “Please keep calling me Orion. I like how it sounds on your
tongue,” he added in a husky voice.
    Quickly, she turned her back to hide the heat in her cheeks.
The electricity arcing between them shouldn’t surprise her, but under the
circumstances, it astonished her that she could still respond so ardently to
something as simple as a different inflection in his voice. Disconcerted, she
made her way to the bedroom, hidden behind a decorative standing privacy
screen. Built-in drawers and shelves provided a makeshift closet and she took
her large suitcase from the lowest shelf. Natalie was too aware of Orion’s
presence as she set the bag on the bed and started transferring necessities
from the drawers.
    A few seconds after she started, he entered the sleeping
area and took her smaller case from the shelf. Natalie knew he was trying to
save time by helping, but it was almost intrusive to have him so near her
bed—the bed where she had played through a number of fantasies starring him. In
an attempt to hide her thoughts, she pointed to the nightstand. “Would you
please empty the items from the top drawer into that bag?” She didn’t wait to
see if he complied as she made another trip to the shelves for more clothes.
Perhaps she was taking too many items, but having no idea how long she would be
unable to return home, she wanted to take everything she could fit into the two
bags.
    Natalie jumped when she heard the sound of the bottom drawer
on the nightstand sticking. It always made a pitiful squeal before the wood
yielded and the drawer opened. “No,” she said loudly, turning to stop him. It
was too late.
    The drawer hiding her most intimate secrets stood open and
Orion was staring with interest at the contents. Natalie reached past him to
close the drawer, but knew he’d already gotten an eyeful of her toys, lubes,
lotions and erotic romance books. She was so humiliated that she couldn’t meet
his gaze. “I’m done in here, but I need to gather Lucy’s