Beware The Kiss Part 7

"That's one place I'd like to visit."

"I'll keep that in mind. Maybe the next time I go you could come with me." Erica slid her index finger down her gla.s.s.

"Sounds great. I can be packed by tomorrow." Tayler slowly lifted her eyes off the table and looked directly at Erica.

"Don't play with fire," Erica warned. "You might get burned."

"I'm not afraid," Tayler smiled.

Seven.

The windshield wipers on the Jeep moved to the cadence of the falling rain. Lightning flooded the sky while thunder filled the air with the sound of its fury. The green lights from the dashboard made Tayler feel like she was in the c.o.c.kpit of a plane. She was warm and dry and snug in Erica's company. Few cars were on Interstate 694. Tayler noticed that Erica had reduced her speed and wondered whether it was because of the stormy weather or to prolong their inevitable separation. Tayler was sure that she didn't want the evening to end.

The lightning outside the car was nothing in comparison to the electrical surge Tayler was feeling in the car. The intensity frightened her and she began to wonder if Erica was feeling it too.

She's probably got her mind on the merger and not on her hormones, Tayler thought but quickly reprimanded herself for her behavior. I've made a complete idiot of myself tonight.

"You're frowning," Erica turned down the volume on her compact disc player.

"How can you see, it's so dark?" Tayler watched the drops of rain stream down Erica's side window. Her profile was dominated by the darkness of her eyes.

"I see better in the dark," Erica chuckled.

"I suppose that's quite an advantage for an architect." And, a witch, Tayler thought. She rubbed the b.u.t.ton on her coat between her fingers. "I mean, it would make it easier for you if the lighting wasn't the greatest at a construction site."

"Hm, I wasn't thinking of that situation exactly, but you're right, it does help at construction sites." Erica laughed. She concentrated on her lane change before continuing. "You seem tense, Tayler. Is it my driving?"

Tayler shook her head no.

When they circled around the northwest corner of the Cities and got on Interstate 494, Erica glanced over at Tayler. "I know it's late, but I'm wondering if I could interest you in a cup of tea before taking you home?"

"It's really out of your way," Tayler's heart jumped.

"I know, but I think there's enough time to go an extra 1,000 feet."

"If it wasn't lightning I could run across your lawn to my front door." Tayler smiled at the image of running through the rain soaking wet with Erica.

As they drove up the long and winding driveway a crash of thunder shook the car. Tayler looked through the intermittent darkness and light for Erica's house. Neither Erica's nor her own house could be seen from the street. Large oaks loomed before them. A strong wind came up and caught the Jeep.

"Wow, this is quite the storm," Tayler shouted over the thunder.

Erica drove the Jeep around the circle and parked it in front of the house. "Ready?"

Tayler nodded. She heard Erica's door slam. The rain picked up just as she opened her door. She was soaked before her feet hit the pavement. Erica stood on the porch laughing. By the time Tayler reached the stoop she was wet and out of breath.

On the porch, Tayler turned toward Erica. She started to tell Erica what a good time she was having, but Erica's closeness made her stop. For a long moment she gazed longingly at the raindrops clinging to Erica's eyelashes. Her own senses exploded. She reached up to wipe away a drop on Erica's face, but her hand froze in midair.

Tayler's eye grew wide. She gasped, "Erica, it's burning."

"I know-"

"No, no Erica," Tayler interrupted, "look, my G.o.d, my house is on fire!" Erica turned around and saw the flames.

Tayler pulled off her shoes and bolted toward the burning house. "Maria. She's in the house. We've got to get her out." She screamed, running and slipping in the wet gra.s.s.

Erica sprinted after Tayler and caught up with her in front of the house. "Tayler, wait here," she barked.

"I'll help." Tayler's eyes darted back and forth. Flames were spewing out of the first floor windows.

"No, I want you to stay here. I designed this house. I'll find Maria." Erica commanded.

"Hurry, Erica, hurry." When Erica disappeared, Tayler quickly ran to Erica's Jeep to use the car phone and dialed 911.

Minutes seemed like hours. As Tayler ran back to the burning house, she could hear sirens between claps of thunder. Tayler nervously paced back and forth watching for some sign of Erica and Maria. Out of the storm came three fire trucks with their lights flashing and horns crying.

A firefighter jumped out of a truck and quickly approached Tayler. He shouted over the noise. "Is anyone in the house?"

"Yes, yes, it's Maria," Tayler choked, "Erica, Erica went in to find her - " Her voice faltered.

Between the claps of thunder a loud explosion shook the ground. Wood, bricks and gla.s.s flew in every direction. The firefighter threw his body in front of Tayler to protect her from the flying debris. A chair crashed through a window on the second floor. Two firefighters hurried over and quickly hoisted a ladder to the front window. Erica yelled and helped Maria through the window. A firefighter a.s.sisted Maria down the ladder. As they reached the ground another explosion was heard. Erica disappeared from the window.

"The stairs have collapsed. The whole second floor is giving out," one of the firefighters yelled above the roar of the flames.

"Get her out of there!" The firefighter standing next to Tayler was sweating profusely under his helmet.

"It's an inferno in there. We don't know where she is," the firefighter's words seared through Tayler.

"Erica!" Tayler silently screamed running toward the house.

"Hey, you can't go in there!" The firefighter ran, catching up with Tayler and bringing her to the soaked ground. Tayler struggled to get up, but the firefighter was too big for her to fight. He pinned her to the ground. He saw that she was going into shock. "Chuck, get me a blanket quick! We've got to move her out of this rain. Pete, what have you got?"

"We're going to have to let it go," the firefighter yelled back, his face black from the smoke. His boots were covered in mud.

"Where's that G.o.dd.a.m.n blanket?" the firefighter bellowed. Someone ran up with a thick wool blanket and covered the struggling woman.

"Please get her out of there, please, I - " Blackness began to flood Tayler's vision and she drifted into a deep abyss. It echoed with the voices of the firefighters and the sound of the rain.

Just before the abyss swallowed her completely, Tayler heard a far away familiar voice say, "Tayler, everything's going to be okay."

"When you noticed the fire, where were you standing, Ms. Windquest?" Detective Steffan snapped. He had arrived shortly after Tayler regained consciousness. She was sitting on a sofa in Erica's library, wrapped snugly in one of Erica's thick robes, and trying her best to answer Steffan's questions. It was now the third time Steffan had asked her the same question.

Tayler looked at Erica from across the room. Erica paced back and forth with black soot on her hands and face. Her wet clothes were caked in mud. Tayler reached for her tea cup with trembling hands.

"I was about to enter Ms. Laird's house when I saw the flames." Tayler's voice was a whisper. She cleared her throat to gain some volume, but her voice was gone. Her hand went to her neck and she touched the scar.

"Did you see a streak of lightning hit the house or a flash of light?"

Tayler shook her head.

"How about anything unusual, like someone running away from the house?"

"No." What Tayler did recall was that she had wiped a raindrop from Erica's face and that they were about to kiss. It was only then that she saw the flames.

"Detective, I think Ms. Windquest has had enough for tonight. Is it possible to finish this in the morning?" Erica intervened.

"You're right, it is late," Steffan looked at Erica and then back at Tayler. "Where can I reach you tomorrow, Ms. Windquest."

"Here," Erica avoided Tayler's eyes. "When can I expect the fire department's report on the cause of the fire?"

"It'll take a few days, Ms. Laird, and they'll make sure your insurance company gets a copy of the fire inspector's report. But from the weather conditions tonight," Steffan looked at his shoes, "it looks like lighting was the cause."

"Lightning? That's impossible!" Erica stated emphatically. "I designed that house to withstand lightning strikes. Fires caused by lightning never spread that quickly."

"But we're not certain how long the fire was going before Ms. Windquest saw it," Steffan tried to dodge Erica's growing wrath.

"What about the gas odor?" In her earlier years as an architect Erica had redesigned and rebuilt houses destroyed by fire. Lightning wouldn't cause this type of damage -arson would.

"Miss Laird, one of the explosions was the gas line leading into the house, which explains the odor. But the fire inspector will check it all out before filing his report." Steffan began to leave but turned back to Erica.

"Ms. Laird?" Steffan straightened his tie and rubbed his chin. The day's growth made a scratching sound in the silent room.

"What is it now, Detective?"

"The fire inspector will be out tomorrow to begin the investigation. He may find something that supports your position, but until then, I have no reason to believe it was arson." Steffan picked up his hat.

From where she sat, Tayler could see Erica clenching and unclenching her fists. Her face was flushed and she stood solidly in one spot. Erica's body was so rigid that Tayler expected Erica to explode. She saw Steffan turn at the door.

"Ms. Laird, I spoke with the firefighters before they left. They told me that, in all their years on the squad, they have never seen anyone walk away from that kind of fire." Steffan ran the brim of his hat through his fingers. "They said that there was no way you could've gotten out."

Tayler could see he was both awed and skeptical.

"Obviously, Detective, there was a way." Silence filled the room.

When Steffan left and Tayler and Erica were alone, Tayler noticed a strange look in Erica's eyes. She seemed distant. Tayler was glad when the door opened.

"Erica, I got over here as soon as I could. Are you okay?" Candace put her briefcase and cellular phone on a chair. She saw Erica nod her head. "What the h.e.l.l is going on?"

"Tayler Windquest, meet Candace Lanear, my a.s.sistant and friend." Erica gestured to the new arrival.

Candace shook Tayler's hand. "On my way over, I called the hospital. Maria's doing fine. When she's released she'll be staying with her sister. I've got the number."

"Thanks," Tayler whispered hoa.r.s.ely.

"You both look exhausted. Why don't you get some sleep?" Candace looked at Erica. "I'll handle your calls. Oh, before I forget, Ana tried to reach you earlier this evening. She'd like to talk to you."

"Okay, I'll talk to her when I get Tayler settled in. Would you put the call through in about thirty minutes for me?"

"Sure, anything else?"

Erica shook her head. "I'll take the call in my room."

Candace closed the door quietly behind her.

Tayler heard the rain against the windows. The wind had lessened but thunder could still be heard in the distance. As Erica pa.s.sed the sofa, Tayler reached out and caught Erica by the hand.

"You don't believe lightning caused the fire, do you?"

"Not for a moment," Erica looked down at Tayler. "I've seen too many buildings destroyed by fire. Houses don't go up in flames that quickly with lightning."

"You think it was set?" Tayler searched Erica's face, already knowing the answer.

"Yes."

Tayler let go of Erica's hand and shifted uncomfortably in the dark blue bathrobe. She was finally warm and dry, but she shivered from the possibility that someone had tried -once again-to kill her. All she could think about was the first sentence of the death threat she had received just that morning. "The Flames are hot, and fuel the Fear - "

She put her face in her hands trying to think of what she'd done to cause this type of peril. Death threats were often acts of revenge - angry people trying to get their points across - or acts to scare their intended victims. But this logic didn't calm her overwrought nerves. Death threats were carried out. Her father was proof of that. Frightened and confused, Tayler stood unsteadily.

Erica wrapped her arm around Tayler's waist to support her. They stood transfixed. A flash of lightning lit the night sky and the lights in the room blinked off. Seconds later they were back on. The thunder seemed to crash around them.

Tayler leaned her head against Erica's shoulder. Her shirt was still wet and smelled of smoke, but Tayler didn't care. She found comfort in Erica's embrace, but she couldn't stop shaking. The violence of the fire and the attack were still too vivid in her mind. She raised her head and looked into Erica's eyes.

"At the restaurant, you warned me not to play with fire," Tayler whispered, "but it wants to play with me."

"Are you afraid?" Erica threaded her fingers through Tayler's hair. It was soft to the touch and smelled of rain water.

"No," Tayler lied. She raised her hand and brought her thumb and index finger a half an inch apart. "Okay, maybe a little."

"I think we've both had enough excitement for one day. Let's go upstairs."

Tayler followed Erica into the foyer. The house was a beautiful, contemporary home with vaulted ceilings, wide open s.p.a.ces and elegant floor coverings. Several large Robert Mapplethorpe and Devin St. Ives photos, set in silver frames, hung on the stairwell and hallway walls. Wooden plant stands were filled with exotic plants in exquisite pottery. The windows were covered in cloth, pastel-colored blinds. As she ascended the stairs, Tayler held on to the oak railing and Erica's arm for support.

When they reached the top of the stairs and walked down the hall to the last two rooms at the end, Erica stopped and ushered Tayler through double doors. The room was done in a deep, forest green. Tayler felt as though she had walked into a lush, tropical paradise. She noticed the sheets had already been turned back on the bed.

Erica faced her and saw Tayler scan the windows. "Will you be okay tonight?"

"Ye-yes."

"Yes?" Erica prompted.

"Erica, I never meant for this to happen. Some psycho is out there trying to get me and now has hurt you and destroyed your property. I can't, I won't-" the words squeaked out of Tayler's mouth, "I'm so sorry, I can't believe this is happening. I don't understand any of this - "

"Tayler," Erica took her into her arms and lowered her voice. "Tayler, you need to rest."