Cupid’s Surprises (A Valentine’s Day Romance Anthology Book 2), page 102
Noor felt a weight lift from her chest. She cupped his face in her palm. “Cosimo.” She pressed her mouth against his. “Thank you, Cosimo.”
He pulled her close to him, bunching her hair in his fists. “Will you trust me now?”
She nodded, her arms around his neck. “Yes.”
He studied her. “Greg Yates is a dangerous man.”
Noor shivered unconsciously. “Tell me how?”
Orin/Cosimo shook his head. “I can’t yet. Please believe me when I tell you it’s for your protection. I would not lie to you or put you in harm’s way.” He smiled, slightly sheepishly. “If I could persuade you to move out—or rather, ask him to leave your home—I would. But that’s unrealistic, I know.”
Noor took a deep breath in. “He would get suspicious.”
“Yes.”
Noor shook her head in confusion. “I don’t get it. Why did you tell him you were his long-lost brother? I don’t get that part?” She stroked his face. “Are you really F.B.I.?”
Again, his eyes looked hooded. “Let’s just say I work alongside them.”
“Are you dangerous, Cosimo?” Her voice broke, and his arms tightened around her.
“Not to you, mio caro. Never to you. But, yes, to anyone who would want to hurt you.”
Noor shook her head. “You don’t even know me.” Her voice was a whisper and Cosimo kissed her.
“Yes, Noor. I know you.” He lifted her and slowly impaled her on his rock-hard cock and Noor gave a soft moan as they began to make love in the cooling waters of his tub.
The first note came two days later. Pushed through the door of the coffee-house, the crumpled envelope lay on the floor as Noor opened the door. She picked it up with the other mail and dumped it on the counter, and it wasn’t until the coffeehouse was open that she went through the envelopes and found it.
The second she saw what was inside, her stomach clenched with fear. It was a photograph of her, alone, late at night, working in the coffee shop. On the back, in block handwriting:
Alone. Unprotected.
“Fuck.” She dropped the photograph on the counter, not caring who heard her curse. Farah looked up, alarmed.
“What is it, boo?”
Noor paled. “Call Doug. Call Doug right now.”
Cosimo watched from outside the door as Greg Yates led his class in what sounded to Cosimo like some sort of chaotic musical experiment. Cosimo saw how Greg engaged with his pupils and shared their joy in the music they created, their laughter and shouts not born of mischief but of joy. At the bell, the teenage boys filed past him, still talking about the class they’d had, all of them saying farewell to their favorite teacher, taking their time to leave, and firing questions at Greg, who fielded them all with a grin. Cosimo couldn’t remember ever being interested in a class once the bell had rung.
He knocked on the door jam and leaned against it. Greg looked up. His expression clouded before he smoothed it out. Cosimo could see his inner turmoil—should he go through with this charade? They both knew they were playing a game …who would cave first.
“Hey! What’s up? What are you doing here?”
“Well, I thought maybe I could persuade you to share a beer or two …unless you need to get home to Noor?”
Greg smiled, shaking his head. “Noor’s got plans with Farah. Chick’s night or something. We can go grab something to eat if you’d like.”
Cosimo nodded. “Sounds good.”
Greg gathered his things and nodded for Cosimo to follow. “There’s a good little place I know near the golf course—barbecue, beer …”
Outside, Greg threw his things into the back of his car and jumped in beside his ‘brother.'
Starting the car, Cosimo turned to him, a smile playing around his lips.
“Are you sure you don’t need to check in with Noor? I’d hate to see you in trouble.
Greg looked annoyed. “We’re not a couple, Orin. I don’t have to check-in.”
Cosimo laughed. “Just kidding around, bro.”
Good. He liked that Greg got annoyed. It meant he could poke and prod the guy, maybe get him to snap out of the act he was so good at.
Because Cosimo knew first-hand the monster Greg Yates was …and he’d be damned if he left Noor in harm’s way a moment longer than he had to.
With gloved hands, Doug carefully picked up the photograph from where Noor had dropped it. Noor had told everyone not to touch the photo or envelope.
“Maybe the asshole left fingerprints,” she said grimly.
Farah had been upset, but had hugged her friend. “It’s just some creep. Just to be safe, we’ll work together from now on, even if it means double shifts.”
Noor looked at Doug now. “I know it’s not an explicit threat, but—“
Doug shook his head, his face set and hard. “Noor, this is a threat to your safety, make no mistake about that. I’ll take this into the lab, but I think you need to seriously think about your security. I know you have Greg at home—now, don’t look at me like that. I know you can look after yourself—but this creep, he means business.”
Noor put her head in her hands. Doug touched her shoulder. “Sweetheart, you know the drill. You have been through this before. Let me catch this creep before ...something bad happens. Now, can you think of anyone who would want to hurt you?”
The “Little Pig & Great Hog” Bar and Barbecue, perched on the very edge of the golf resort, lured its clientele in solely with the delicious scent of its food. As Greg and Cosimo stepped from the car, Greg breathed the smell in deeply and sighed happily.
“Best barbecue in the state,” he told Cosimo. “And the beer’s cheap too.”
“Oh, right.” He grinned, holding open the door. Inside, there was a pleasant hum of noise, chatter, and clinking glasses. A jukebox pumped out soft rock, the bartenders dealing efficiently with their customers.
They found a table in the back and the waitress brought over chips and salsa, taking their order. Greg peeled his jacket off, hanging it neatly from the back of his chair, and smiled again at Cosimo. “Good to see you.”
“And you. How’s Noor?”
Greg gave him a smile, and for a second, Cosimo thought he was going to drop his act, but Greg merely nodded. “She’s good. You like her, huh?”
“Just asking how she is. You two seem very close.”
Greg’s face became thoughtful and Cosimo watched as a fleeting look of pain passed over it.
“I nearly lost her …I mean, not …we didn’t have a breakup—we were never together like that. That’s never happened and is never gonna happen, but …I nearly lost her.” He seemed to have trouble speaking. Cosimo stayed silent, waiting.
“Some fucking creep at college. She was working in the library late …he raped her and stabbed her. I found her, laying there in a pool of blood. Man …it was horrific.”
Cosimo watched the other man carefully. Greg seemed to enjoy telling the story, reliving it. Cosimo’s eyes narrowed. “That’s appalling.”
Greg nodded. “It took her months to recover. But typical Noor, she even took classes while she was in the hospital. Six months after the attack, she graduated at the top of our class.”
“Hmm.”
“What?”
“You said she took months to recover?”
“Yeah, well, in fact it was more like two years. Why?”
Cosimo sipped his beer. “Just, you told me you took off to Europe straight after graduation. Didn’t Noor want you, her best friend, around while she recovered?”
Greg stiffened. “What are you getting at, man?”
Cosimo shrugged casually. “Just that I don’t think I would have left her alone.”
Greg looked away from his penetrating gaze. “You weren’t there. Noor is very independent.”
Cosimo held up his hands. “Hey, no judgment here,” he lied. You utter scumbag. I know what you are. “So, tell me about Europe. Did you sow your wild oats around the continent?”
Greg smiled icily. “Something like that. I got married.”
Cosimo’s eyebrows shot up. “Really?”
“She died.”
“Man, I’m sorry. What happened?”
Greg nodded. “I walked into a trattoria, and there she was. Adrianna. God, she was so beautiful. Olive skin and long, dark hair. She smiled at me and I was lost. We got married six weeks later. Yeah, I know. Cliché, right? But, man, I honestly couldn’t wait. We both wore blue jeans, then after, we all got hammered at the local bar.” He laughed at the memory. “There were flowers …anyhow, we lived in this crappy little apartment above a dry cleaner. I could only find substitute teaching work. Adrianna was working in a deli and doing her Masters at night”
“What happened?”.
“One night, she was walking home alone. I was sick, and she insisted that I stay in bed, or I …anyways, she was maybe two, three blocks from home. The guy’s blood alcohol was three times …he mounted the sidewalk and hit her. A neighbor came. I got there before the paramedics, and she was just …broken. There was so much blood.” Greg choked on his words and cleared his throat. “By the time the paramedics came, she was gone.”
Cosimo listened in silence. Greg shrugged, his face a mask of contrition. “I’ll never forget her.”
After a long pause, Cosimo said, in a stiff voice. “Thank you for sharing that. We should share things, as brothers.”
Greg nodded. “It’s funny, when I was growing up in the foster homes, I never thought that my parents would have more children.”
Cosimo nodded. He had his story worked out to the nth degree. “They never told us about you, except to say you were …sent away for your own good.”
Greg sighed. “Something happened when I was very young and they thought the best thing to do would be for me to start again, with a new family.”
“What happened?”
Greg studied him for a long moment, then shrugged. “Okay. As I said I was …not disinherited, but sent away. Because of something that happened when I was very young.”
Cosimo was silent, so Greg continued.
“I was six and we lived in a mansion in Louisiana, just outside New Orleans. My parents were never around for me, never there. On occasion, though, they used to pay other, less …well-off families to sit with me, and if they had children, I used to play with them. One day, I was playing with a little girl, Sally, when there was a terrible …accident …and Sally died. I was blamed for the accident. We shouldn’t have been playing in the boathouse—my father had his carpentry tools in there—he built his own boats you see, as a hobby. My mother refused to ever see me again and my father …”
“Our father.”
Greg sighed. “Really? We going to do this?”
Cosimo’s mouth hitched up at the side. He was getting to him, he could tell. “Do what?”
Greg stared at him and Cosimo wondered if this were the moment he would finally crack and tell him he knew he wasn’t his brother. But then the other man sighed.
“Yes. Yes, of course, my apologies. Our parents sent me away to boarding school, and my …our mother refused to see me again. Appearances were important to them and …”
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry that happened, Greg, but I don’t understand why you would keep something like that from me, and more than that, why you’re telling me now.”
Greg looked him straight in the eye. “I kept it from you because I was embarrassed and ashamed. They thought I had …done it deliberately. That I was some sort of monster who could kill a young girl.”
“And you’re telling me now because …?”
Greg laughed. “Because I’m happy about you being in my life again and I don’t want any secrets between us.”
They paused as the waitress brought a pitcher of beer and their food. They were silent as they bit into their sandwiches, barbecue sauce dripping over the fries and slaw on their plates.
Cosimo muttered his appreciation and wiped his mouth with his napkin.
“Is Noor?”
Greg chewed his mouthful and swallowed.
“Is Noor what?”
Cosimo watched him carefully. “Is Noor glad I’m in your life?”
Greg looked surprised. “Of course, she is. I mean, we haven’t really discussed it. I just assumed …she hasn’t said anything to the contrary. Why? Why wouldn’t she welcome you?”
Cosimo raised his hand. “Hey, I’m just asking. It’s just that from what you’ve told me—neither of you growing up with a real family—I wondered if that had caused any …resentment. On her part. You have a family now.”
Greg frowned. “I hadn’t thought of it like that. Huh, well I guess that’s one thing we don’t have …anymore.” He shook himself. “But Noor’s not like that. She’d just be happy for me, and hey, you’re her family too now.”
He didn’t notice Cosimo paused for just a second too long before answering.
“Yes. That’s true. Still …I’m not entirely sure she likes me.”
Greg relaxed and laughed. “Noor likes everybody. That’s just who she is.”
Cosimo studied hm. “Are you in love with Noor?”
Greg hesitated, looked away from his penetrating stare. “I couldn’t …I wouldn’t know how to be …in a world where she didn’t exist. The idea is so …alien …” Suddenly he grinned. “Woah, sorry dude. Didn’t mean to get heavy.”
Cosimo waved away his apology. “Hey, isn’t that what family is for?” His smile was without humor.
Greg drained his drink. “Bathroom break, buddy.” He tapped the table. “Be right back.”
Cosimo watched him walk across the room. The gut-churning feeling in his stomach had returned, and he knew, without a doubt, he had confirmed what he came to America to find out. What he hadn’t even told Noor. Noor, with whom he was falling in love. Noor, who he wanted to protect from the bastard she had opened her home and her life to.
The bastard who had murdered Cosimo’s sister. Adrianna.
There had been no marriage. No hit-and-run accident in Italy.
Greg had stabbed Adrianna to death and left her body to be discovered days later by her distraught brother. Adrianna, who had spurned Greg’s advances for months, and who was simply terrified of the man.
Adrianna, who had suffered the same kind of injuries that had almost taken Noor’s life a decade ago …
Noor tried to reason in her head. When it came down to it …was the note a death threat? Somehow, deep inside of her, she knew it was. It was certainly a threat of violence, but she was so confused about who would wish her harm. There were only two people she thought might. Since Cosimo had told her that Greg was dangerous, she had looked at her old friend in a new light. Certain things he had done or said over the years suddenly took on new, sinister meaning, and she couldn’t shake the feeling that Cosimo was right about him.
Then there was Cosimo himself …despite her total sexual connection to him, there was no getting around the fact that he was an unknown quantity. That he had lied about who he was. Was he actually the villain here? Was he messing with her to get to Greg for some reason? And when he was done, would he dump her, or worse?
She closed her eyes, thinking about his hands on her skin. He had that darkness inside him, that edge that convinced her he could snap from loving to murderous in a second. It was part of his allure, but Noor questioned herself. Did she have some kind of death wish? Had the rape completely fucked her up for good when it came to her judgment. The truth was …she hadn’t slept with anyone since the rape, until Cosimo, and she knew if her friends knew, they’d be in disbelief. Noor knew she was considered beautiful, but inside, she felt so damaged that any sexual attraction a man displayed towards her felt like an intrusion.
Until Cosimo.
“Principessa …”
Noor opened her eyes and there he was, walking into her coffeehouse, a sincerely beautiful smile on his face. She relaxed a little and smiled.
“Hey, you.”
The coffeehouse was quite full, so Cosimo kissed her cheek, then winked at her. “I wanted to ask if you would like to have dinner with me tonight? In Portland? We can be ourselves there.”
Noor smiled. “I would like that.” She toyed with the idea of telling him about the photograph, but then demurred. She didn’t want to spoil the thought of an evening, maybe a night, of love with this man. She lowered her voice. “Greg is away tonight and tomorrow, so, afterward, if you like …” she was blushing furiously. “You can come back to mine.”
Their eyes locked and both of them smiled. “I would like that, mio caro.”
Dinner was delicious, but Noor couldn’t wait to get back to her home and make love to Cosimo. Her body tingled with the thought of him inside her. Cosimo seemed to be feeling it too; in the car ride home, he slid his hand onto her bare leg and she shivered with delight.
“Mio caro …shall we try something different tonight?”
“How so?”
Cosimo smiled a lazy, sexy grin at her. “Let’s just say …I like you being under my control.”
Noor grinned. “Kinky boy.”
But a frantic pulse beat between her legs, and when Cosimo slid his hand further up and caressed her through her panties, she felt her body explode with desire. “Drive quicker,” she demanded, and he laughed.
They barely made it through her front door before they were clawing each other’s clothes off. On the staircase, Cosimo tumbled her to the hard, wooden steps, and she grinned as he hitched her legs roughly around his waist and thrust his pulsating cock deep inside her. Noor pulled his lips down to hers as they fucked hard and fast, kissing him passionately, knowing she was intoxicated by this man—no matter what the consequences.
Cosimo made her come twice before he stood, pulling her to her feet and throwing her over his shoulder easily. Noor was breathless as he carried to her bedroom and threw her onto the bed, snagging the tie from her robe and twisting it around her wrists, binding them in front of her.
“You’re mine now, Noor …and I’m going to make you scream my name over and over again. All. Night. Long.”
