A Perfect Storm. Lori Foster

left her.

       Anger and relief built in combustible force, so confusing, so powerful—

       “Yoo-hoo.”

       Jolted from the dark memory, Arizona bolted upright in her seat. Without thinking about it, she automatically reached for her knife and looked around at the same time.

       Standing there by the passenger door, bending to look in the window, was Spencer’s busty neighbor. She showed off a bright smile, a lot of cleavage and cunning resolve.

       Perfect. Just what she deserved.

       Still caught up in reliving the awful scenario that had stolen her purpose for being, Arizona breathed too hard, too fast. Sweat had gathered along her spine. Her palms felt damp.

       Slowly, hoping the neighbor wouldn’t notice, she drew her hand away from the knife hidden at the small of her back, then shoved her hair from her face.

       Where the hell was Spencer? She’d pulled up twenty minutes ago but hadn’t seen his truck. While trying to decide whether to hang around or to bolt, she’d taken an unplanned trip down memory lane.

      So lame.

       Surreptitiously she swiped a forearm over her brow and put up the car windows.

       Never one to miss an opportunity, Arizona undid her seat belt and left her black Focus. “Yoo-hoo, yourself.” Even saying it with sarcasm, she felt like an ass. But at least the intrusion had brought her back to the here and now. “You know where Spencer is?”

       “He went out,” Blondie said helpfully.

       “No kidding?” Arizona circled the hood, leaned against the fender and crossed her arms. “You don’t miss much, do you?”

       Blondie’s smile slipped, making her almost feel mean.

       “Sorry. I’ve had a rough day.” She held out her hand. “Arizona.”

       “What?”

       Well used to that reaction, she shrugged. “My name. It’s Arizona.”

       “Oh.” Wary, keeping the contact as brief as possible, the neighbor-lady shook her hand in a limp, barely there greeting. “Marla.”

       “Nice to meet you, Marla.” Spencer had asked her to come back at six, and she was twenty minutes early, but so what? She couldn’t break in again, not with the ever-alert Marla keeping tabs on things. Anything that happened now was Spencer’s fault. “So, that stuff this morning… You and Spence got something going on, huh?”

       Marla found her backbone. “Yes.”

       That was it? Arizona pursed her mouth and waited. Blondie would crack, no doubt about it.

       Annnnnddd…she did.

       “We’ve, ah, been seeing each other for a while now.”

       Seeing each other meant what? In the sack, or had Spencer taken her out on a date? Dancing, dinner, movies… Arizona really had no understanding of the concept. Never in her life had she been out on a legitimate “date.”

       This could be a great learning experience. She’d uncover details about Spencer that a cold file filled with facts couldn’t give, and maybe get a better, more personal grasp of the whole relationship ritual.

       “No kidding? How long is a while?”

       Marla’s bravery faltered. “Long enough.”

       Meaning…they were an item? “Well of course you have. Look at you.” She gestured at Marla’s boobs. “No guy would pass that up, right?”

       That must’ve been the wrong thing to say, because Marla backed up two steps. “You looked lost in thought when I walked out.”

      Lost being the operative word. But not anymore. Never again. “Just waiting on Spence.”

       “Why?”

       For some insane reason, maybe deeply rooted female vindictiveness, Arizona enjoyed telling her, “He wanted me to join him for dinner.”

       Putting her plump shoulders back, Marla tried for a level, nasty stare. “You’re wasting your time.”

       A direct attack? Bravo, Marla. Grinning, Arizona said, “Well, look at you feeling all ballsy and possessive and stuff.”

       That got her a double take and more wariness. “I mean it.” Marla visually worked up her courage. “Spencer and I might not be…committed—”

       “Still up in the air, huh?”

       “But we have an understanding.”

       What did that mean? An understanding about what? “Enlighten me, why doncha?”

       “You can’t have him.”

       No misunderstanding that. “Didn’t say I wanted him.” Arizona pushed away from the car, and Blondie took another quick step back. “At least, not for what you’re talking about.”

       “No?”

       “Definitely no. You want to screw him?” Her throat tightened, but she got the words out. “Have at it. More power to you.”

       Marla soaked in the words, analyzed them, and gave a slow smile.

       Arizona didn’t trust that smile one bit. “What’s funny?”

       Overflowing with good humor, Marla said, “You haven’t slept with him, have you?”

       How would she know that? She couldn’t. “I never kiss and tell.”

       Marla shook her head. “Spencer said you were a one-night stand, a mistake, but now I know that was a lie.”

       A mistake? That dick. She’d make him pay for that. “You calling Spence a liar?”

       “I’m just saying that he made up a story for some reason. Maybe to protect you somehow. I know he’s a bounty hunter. Could be you’re undercover with him or something.”

       Huh. What exactly did she think bounty hunters did? Mocking her assumptions, Arizona said, “That’s some imagination you’ve got.”

       Marla shrugged. “All I know is that you haven’t slept with him.”

       “You’re sure about that, are you?”

       “Absolutely.” Marla oozed satisfaction, even leaned in to taunt Arizona. “If you’d ever had him, you’d feel differently about having him again.”

       She sounded so convinced, she piqued Arizona’s interest. “Yeah? Why’s that?”

       With significance, Marla purred, “For one thing, he’s big all over.”

       Arizona’s heart almost stopped. In an appalled whisper, she asked, “You like that?”

       Scowling, Marla pulled back. “Bigger is definitely better.”

       Visuals came to Arizona’s mind, but she didn’t have quite the reaction Marla seemed to expect. She wrinkled her nose. “If you say so.”

       Marla shivered with pleasure. “He’s delicious.”

       Yeaaaahhhh, she’d let that one go. “You’re saying that even though he’s big, you don’t feel…” She couldn’t think of an appropriate word and settled for, “maybe threatened?”

       “With Spencer? Of course not.”

       Hmm. Okay, so Spencer was extra tall, extra muscular, solid, and loaded with ability. He had never hurt her.

       Contained her, yes. Hurt her, no. “So you like it that he’s big?”

       “That, and the man knows things.”

       Fascinating. What things could he know that she didn’t, that Marla found not only acceptable, but good enough to want again and again?