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Risen To The Top CHAPTER 132
The guys sauntered through the entryway to the foyer, doing a double-take at the tall ceilings and intricate metal staircase leading to the second floor, as Sean pushed by them on his way toward the kitchen and rear yard. He heard the squawk of police and fire radios.Duke ran to catch up to him. He didn’t need a nursemaid or a witness to whatever he was going to say to her, but a part of him was grateful Duke had his back. As they passed by Dr. Hoades’s office, three large yellow-clad firemen had their arms filled with boxes of smoldering papers, which they dropped on cue and began spreading out on the floor. A dark black streak went up the side of one wall of the study, originating from the opened window to the backyard. Dr. Hoades was absent-mindedly wandering around the room, looking at various piles of manila folders and paperwork, generally making himself a nuisance to the firemen.Detective Dole appeared out of nowhere, his little noteboo
Risen To The Top CHAPTER 133
Tori wanted to run to Sean, to collapse in his arms, but that was just substituting one problem with another. She was so scared of the escalating situation that she was about to do something she promised herself she wouldn’t do. She was certain her fear was what was driving her to his arms. Well, that and the great sex, of course. No denying that chemistry they shared.But the sex wasn’t a relationship, and wouldn’t be the reason for their relationship. She’d studied this in college, couples who got together at a particularly low point in their lives, and later, when they healed, when they grew up, they couldn’t keep it together. They grew apart.No. She wanted a relationship with someone when she was healed. When she was whole. Besides, she needed to get her life back on track. This delicious detour was just that, a detour. Although his kisses were scorchingly hot, his moves made her bones turn to rubber, she knew better than to think a relatio
Risen To The Top CHAPTER 134
Sean didn’t say anything as they maneuvered around the police cars and groups of onlookers on their way down the street. His heart was pounding in his chest, sending vibrations all the way to his toes. He thought the tips of his ears were on fire. Back in the truck, he stared blindly out the dirty window as he sat in the second seat. He felt like he’d been punched in the stomach. He knew the guys would give him a little space, but then they’d be all over him. Alex would be the one to indicate when that would be. It was up to Sean to make the adjustment, and he was going to put all his effort into doing that. He didn’t want them thinking he was anything but whole.Alex’s phone rang. He was sitting next to Sean on the second seat.“Hey there, Joanne.”Sean could hear his wife’s voice on the other end of the line. He’d forgotten they were supposed to see some houses today for Luca and Mia.“Sorry, honey, but we got caugh
Risen To The Top CHAPTER 135
Tori’s dad closed the front door behind their insurance adjuster. That left them alone with Detective Dole. All the other police and fire crews were gone. A pungent burnt smell permeated the house. Even with the opened windows and fans, provided by the adjuster’s emergency crew, the house smelled unbearably toxic.The family waited while Aaron Hoades slowly walked across the living room to sit beside his wife on the couch. Dole sat on a cranberry overstuffed chair, identical to the one Tori sat on, with a coffee table between them. She was holding her breath, until she realized it. No matter how much she scolded herself, she couldn’t escape the fact that she was afraid, and she was very much alone.It was a scene right out of a horror movie, Tori thought. Black streaks of smoke covering one wall in the foyer giving off a thick acrid smell. Water and large quilted moving blankets to sop it up were strewn all over the entryway. And her parents sat
Risen To The Top CHAPTER 136
Tori combed her memory, looking for anything that pointed to her former advisor. Although she didn’t trust the man, she also couldn’t see him as being responsible for the attack on her cat and, even worse, the fire in her father’s office. As far as she knew, he had never met her father.She thought about the late night suppers she and her mentor had together at school. They’d shared a bottle of wine frequently at Vesuvio’s, his favorite Italian restaurant. One or two glasses was more than enough to get her feeling tipsy, but she never went beyond that limit. In hindsight, he’d started behaving beyond her comfort zone.She’d always said no. No to the more wine, that is. She found it hard to say no to his company, especially if it was going to help her with a good recommendation when she got out of graduate school. He never asked for sexual favors, although there were rumors of him with other students. Was he involved with someone else at the time
Risen To The Top CHAPTER 137
sean played with pencils on a vacant sales associate’s desk at the Patterson Realty office while Joanne Kane worked with Luca and Alex in the conference room, leaving him alone with Duke. bunny had taken off to oversee the close-up of his gym. The european soldier was swinging his short torso around on a wheeled office chair, testing and adjusting the height and angle of the back until the thing flipped over on top of him when he landed on the floor.sean gave a hand to his best friend, who was sputtering a string of curses in Spanish. The back of the chair had become dislodged from the frame and parts had scattered all over the floor. As if on cue, both Team guys kneeled and began collecting items scattered around before them. Without saying a word, they located the screws, levers and other parts and began to put the chair back together again. They guessed at the height and back tilt and set about adjusting the finished project accordingly. Once it was compl
Risen To The Top CHAPTER 138
Tori and her parents situated themselves in, of all things, the Honeymoon Suite. She wondered why the suite had a second bedroom. Perhaps it was for hesitant brides who weren’t sure they wanted to consummate their wedding night? It could have been amusing if it wasn’t such a damned sad joke. But it did give her a separate room with a private entrance that locked securely.The rose-colored suite was a bit much, but featured a great view of the Pacific Ocean. The beautiful mainland beach stretched in both directions, with only a smattering of adults, children and dogs playing in the surf. Seagulls were standing guard on the balcony next door like tiny lifeguards.A huge spray of Fire and Ice roses stood in a crystal vase on a glass and chrome coffee table, next to a chilled bottle of champagne and a platter of cheeses and crackers. The modern kitchen was fully stocked with drinks and some covered entrees they had ordered ahead of time. Antiques do
Risen To The Top CHAPTER 139
It didn’t take them long to make it back through the narrow hallways, brushing past tourists, sports teams and retirees in walkers and wheelchairs, past the espresso stand, the valet parking desk and the housekeeping station to the large green, dented doors of the staff elevator. Protected by bumpers of cotton-stuffed canvas, Sean and Tori were finally alone. It was not a logical place to make love, but their urgency for each other was so great it almost happened anyway.Sean had hitched up her top, and peeled her pants down nearly to her knees, his hands roaming over Tori’s smooth, satiny backside. He would have hesitated, but there wasn’t anything from her that indicated she wanted to wait even one minute before getting him to mount her.But then the doors opened. He was standing there in his shorts, with his lady wrapped around his groin, his tee shirt hanging off one shoulder as she pressed herself against him, showing breasts bursting out f