The Maverick Part 7

"Wait, wait!" he said. "Don't move. I'll be right back."

Ca.s.s protested, but he jumped over the back of the couch and returned in mere seconds, rolling on a condom. He knelt between her legs, scooped up her bottom and plunged deep inside. She screamed as he entered, and a powerful o.r.g.a.s.m racked her immediately. "Oh, h.e.l.l. Did I hurt you?"

"Not...hardly," she gasped, as the spasms seemed to go on forever.

"That was something new for me."

"Thank G.o.d." He gave a second thrust and stiffened with his own release.

In a few moments, he withdrew and repositioned them so he lay on the couch and cuddled her on top of him.

"I can't believe..." she murmured. "I'm usually not..."

"Not what?"

"So...uh...quick to become aroused and...well, you seem to do strange things to me."

He squeezed her against him. "I can usually control myself a little better, too. Woman, you turn me on like crazy. I've had the hots for you since the first time I laid eyes on you."

"Really?"

"Really. Do you have to work tomorrow?"

She shook her head.

"Good. We can spend the rest of the night and all day tomorrow taking it a little slower."

"All night and all day? We'll be exhausted. Do you think you can last that long?"

He chuckled. "I'd sure as h.e.l.l like to try."

Ca.s.s took another shower and washed and dried her hair while Griff ordered a bottle of wine and late night snacks.

They drank wine and watched TV and made love again on the couch. Slowly. It was lovely.

They slept and he awakened her with kisses, and they made love again. Slowly. It was even lovelier.

Ca.s.s stirred when she felt kisses moving up and down her spine.

"It's morning," Griff whispered. "Want some breakfast?"

"Coffee."

"Anything else?" he asked.

"You choose. I'm sleepy."

He kissed her shoulder and chuckled. "Go back to sleep. I'll wake you when food comes."

She dozed for a few minutes, then blinked herself awake, dragged herself out of the big bed and into the bathroom, which was still steamy from Griff's shower. Showering again, Ca.s.s dried off, then realized she didn't have any clean clothes. Wrapping herself in a towel, she searched the closet and found a blue dress shirt. From in the dresser she helped herself to a pair of knit boxer briefs.

Just as she did up the last b.u.t.ton, Griff tapped lightly on the door.

"Breakfast."

She opened it. "I raided your clothes."

"Help yourself. My shirt never looked so good."

He grinned, and she wanted to grab on to him like a monkey and never let go. What was the matter with her? She'd never acted this way before or felt like this about any man. This was crazy. And scary. She ought to run for the hills, but she wasn't going anywhere until she had a major jolt of caffeine.

Griff waved a cup under her nose, and she followed the heavenly scent of coffee like a bloodhound as he enticed her to the lavishly set table.

"Gimme, gimme!" She grabbed for the cup, but he held it up over her head. "I've been known to kill for less," she growled.

"Yours is poured and waiting by your plate."

Downing half a cup immediately, she sighed. "Heavenly. Thank you, sir."

"You're very welcome, madam." He began lifting plate covers. "French toast. Eggs, bacon, sausages. Cereal. Fruit. Anything here tickle your fancy?"

Looking him up and down, she c.o.c.ked an eyebrow.

He grinned. "The food, I mean."

"All of it. I'm starved."

When she had polished off a good portion of the meal and half the coffee, he said, "Shall I order more?"

"Nope." She patted her tummy. "I'm full for now."

She heard the familiar ring tone of her cell phone and looked around searching for her purse. Griff finally retrieved it from underneath a couch cushion and handed it to her.

"It's Sunny," she told him. "Hi, sis. What's up?"

"Where are you?" Sunny asked.

"I'm having breakfast with a friend."

"Well, get over to Chili Witches right away. We've got a problem."

Chapter Eight.

"Where are my clothes?" Ca.s.s asked. "I've got to go home p.r.o.nto."

"I sent them to the laundry," Griff said. "They should be back in a couple of hours. Is there a problem with Sunny?"

"Yes, and it must be serious. She's usually pretty unflappable. I can't go traipsing through the lobby in your shirt and underwear, and I have to leave. Where's my bathing suit?"

"The laundry."

"You sent a bathing suit bathing suit to the laundry?" She rolled her eyes. "Have you ever heard of tossing such things over a shower rod? What am I going to wear home?" She eyed the draperies, but decided against the Scarlett O'Hara solution. "Oh, h.e.l.l's bells!" She located her sneakers in the bedroom and was tying them on when Griff came in the room. to the laundry?" She rolled her eyes. "Have you ever heard of tossing such things over a shower rod? What am I going to wear home?" She eyed the draperies, but decided against the Scarlett O'Hara solution. "Oh, h.e.l.l's bells!" She located her sneakers in the bedroom and was tying them on when Griff came in the room.

"I'm sorry, Ca.s.s. I thought we were going to spend the day here. Give me a few minutes, and I'll run downstairs to the gift shops and find something suitable."

"Forget it. At those prices, I'd rather endure a little embarra.s.sment. If Leslie can run around town in a sequined bikini, I can wear your shirt and underwear."

"Who's Leslie?"

"He's a local character." She rolled up her sleeves and grabbed her purse. "Have you got a hat?"

He handed her a golf cap, and she crammed it on her head, put on her sungla.s.ses and pecked him on the cheek as she flew toward the door.

"Call me later," he yelled after her as she went out.

n.o.body looked at her strangely as she walked through the lobby-or if they did she didn't notice. Folks probably thought she was one of the Hollywood types who frequently came to town for some event or the other.

Ca.s.s retrieved her car and sped toward home. The cafe was surrounded by police cars, utility trucks and even a fire truck. She screeched to a stop down the block and bolted for the back lot, where she saw Sunny talking to a uniformed cop.

"What's going on?" Ca.s.s asked.

"Everything is flooded," her sister said, "and the place is a mess."

"Oh my gawd! What happened?"

"We don't know yet," Sunny told her. "Did you notice anything strange going on last night?"

"I-uh-wasn't here last night."

"Hmm." Sunny looked her up and down. "Interesting outfit."

Ca.s.s refused to blush. "Let me go upstairs and change, and we'll get this sorted out."

She hurried up to her apartment. Except for her water and electricity being off, everything seemed normal. After quickly changing into jeans and a tee, she rejoined her sister in the back lot.

"Did Hank notice anything unusual?" Ca.s.s asked. Hank was a cop friend of Sunny's who lived in the other upstairs apartment, the one where Sunny had lived until she bought her house.

Her twin shook her head. "He spent the night with his fiancee."

"Well, d.a.m.n."

"Exactly."

"Why are all these people here?" Ca.s.s asked.

"Because when I got here a few minutes ago, the alarm was turned off, and water was ankle-deep inside. I didn't want to electrocute myself. Are you sure you set the alarm Sat.u.r.day night?"

"Of course I'm sure! Do you think I left a faucet running, too?"

"Don't get your panties in a wad, Ca.s.s. I was just asking to be sure. I'm hoping this was an accident."

Ca.s.s's brows went up. "You mean you think it wasn't? Is anything missing?"

"I don't know yet. People are checking everything out. It might have been a break-in. It might have been a burst pipe and a short in the electrical system. I don't even know how bad the damage is."

"Well, h.e.l.l," Ca.s.s said.

"That, too. We'll just have to wait until all these people have time to investigate and a.s.sess the situation."

Sid and Foster, the middle-aged owners of Hooks, the seafood restaurant next door, walked up. "Have they found the source of the problem yet?" Sid asked.

"Not that I've heard," Ca.s.s said. "Do you have any damage?"

"Only a few damp spots in the kitchen," Foster, who was the restaurant chef, told them. "I didn't think anything about it when I first noticed. We have a good drainage system."

"So do we," Sunny said. "Or at least I thought so. I can't imagine what happened. We have everybody from the water department and plumbers to the security company, firemen and cops trying to a.s.sess the situation. I'm sending our employees home for the day. No way can we serve customers."

"Why don't you girls come next door for a cup of coffee," Sid said.

"Thanks, Sid," Sunny replied, "but I really don't want to leave right now."

"We'll send you out something," Foster said. "I need to get back to the kitchen."

A few minutes later a waiter and a busboy from Hooks brought out a table and set up a coffee and water station in the parking lot. One of their neighbors, who had stopped by to see what the fuss was about, brought over a plastic tub of cookies for the table. Everything was soon scarfed up by the various people on site, including the media reporters who stopped by for the story.

After what seem like forever, the consensus seemed to be that the back door lock had been jimmied and either someone forgot to set the alarm or someone knew the code. In an act of malicious mischief, the someone or someones had deliberately stopped up the drains and turned on every water faucet in the kitchen and bathrooms. Nothing seemed to be missing.

"Who would do such a thing?" Ca.s.s asked.

"Beats me," Sunny said, "and the chances of ever catching them are somewhere between slim and none. I don't think I've p.i.s.sed off anybody lately. Have you?"

"Not that I can think of. Our problem now is cleaning up the mess. Have you called the insurance adjuster?"

"He's on his way, and as soon as he takes a look at things, we need to start cleaning and a.s.sessing damage," Sunny said.

"I vote for calling in the professionals," Ca.s.s said. "There are companies that specialize in stuff like this. What are we going to do about all the food in the cooler and freezer?"

"Oh, Lord. What a mess."