Twist Read Online Free Page B

possible.” She revolved her ceramic mug on its coaster. “Not everyone’s made for the homey, domestic life.”
    “Yeah, that’s true. So what are you made for?”
    “I’m still looking, I guess. Right now, I just want to keep my job, pay my bills, and enjoy life.” She gave him what she thought was her sultry look. “I’m still working on that last part.”
    He took a slow sip of coffee and regarded her carefully. They both knew the game. She’d given him his opening.
    But all he said was, “This is damned good coffee.”
    She had other cards to play.
    “I’ve got to admit I’m worried about something.” She glanced around her.
    “Getting in the way of the fun part?”
    “I’ll say. There’s this guy who’s been . . . well, stalking me.”
    He looked at her as if trying to bring her into focus. “You mean like he wants to do you harm?”
    “I think so. I mean, I don’t know what I think. But I look behind me, and there he is.”
    “You’re a beautiful woman. You must be used to men following you.”
    “Stalking.”
    “Okay, that too. Aren’t those guys usually harmless?”
    “Usually, I’m sure. But I know he’s giving me the willies.”
    “Maybe it’s the drought and all this heat, making people behave in weird ways.”
    “This guy isn’t a product of the drought.”
    “You could call the cops.”
    “Let’s not kid ourselves.”
    “Yeah, they’ve got other things to do, supported by more evidence.”
    “What you said about the heat . . . maybe it makes sense. I read in the paper that crimes-against-persons statistics are higher. People do get crazy ideas in the heat. Tempers flare. Imaginations run wild.”
    He looked into his latte, looked up at her, back into his coffee. “Listen, if it’d make you feel any safer, I could walk you home, go in and look over your apartment, make sure the boogie man isn’t there.”
    “Oh, that’s too much trouble!”
    “Not at all. You mentioned you live in the neighborhood.”
    “Four blocks away.”
    He shrugged. “Not much of a hike, even in this weather.”
    “No,” she said, smiling at him in relief she didn’t have to feign, “I guess it isn’t.” She shivered. Now her arms had goose bumps.
    “Hey, you really are scared.”
    He thought they’d been playing a game. Well, they had been. Still were. Only the stakes might be higher than she imagined. The man in the blue cap wasn’t her imagination.
    Rob finished his latte and set the tall mug aside. “You ready to go?”
    “As I’ll ever be,” she said.
    Not quite, he thought. This would be a simple reconnaissance visit, then a good-night trust me kiss and a date for tomorrow night. There were preparations to make. A future and an end to plan.
    Considerations as he stroked himself.
    Matters to ponder.
    No rush.

6
    Two weeks later
    A fter a good dinner with wine at an Italian restaurant.
     
    Drinks.
    Comfortable conversation, commiserations, confidences.
    Drinks.
    The now familiar walk to her apartment.
    “There’s some wine in the fridge,” Bonnie said. “You wanna get it while I change?”
    “White or red?” Rob asked. He placed his scuffed leather briefcase alongside the sofa and loosened his tie.
    “Whatever’s in there.”
    Bonnie walked into the bedroom and shut the door, then crossed the hall to the bathroom nude, glancing into the living room to see Rob’s stocking feet. Glad he’s making himself comfortable.
    “With you soon,” she said, and went into the bathroom.
    She took a quick shower, not waiting for the water to get warm enough. Shivering, she dried herself off. She’d kept her hair relatively dry, so it still looked good.
    Standing before the full-length mirror that was mounted on the back of the bathroom door, she tried to decide: Nothing? Or something?
    Something was always sexier, she decided. Besides, it was something to remove. She opened the bedroom door a crack, still could see the black socks in the living room, and darted nude across the