Мэри Эндрюс - The Newcomer

“You think it’s Rooney,” Ava said.

“Maybe. But I don’t want to take any chances. And I don’t want those girls coming back here alone, late at night.”

“She was planning on spending the night at Sierra’s anyway,” Ava said. “But I’ll text her and tell her to make sure and stay put.”

Joe swept the beam of his powerful flashlight around the parking lot, then pointed it toward the office as he and Letty walked Ava back home. He bent down and examined the office door. “Doesn’t look like it’s been tampered with.” After unlocking the door, he motioned for them to stay outside while he checked the interior. “Okay,” he said, poking his head around the door. “Doesn’t look like anything here has been disturbed.”

They followed him back inside. Ava checked the storeroom. “Nothing here.”

Joe walked through each of the rooms in his mother’s apartment, switching on lights, checking closets and beneath beds. “You okay to stay here alone tonight?” he asked.

She went into the kitchen and reached into the cupboard over the stove and brought down her pistol. She gave it a fond pat. “I moved this out of the office since Maya’s around there so much. But I think I’ll keep this close by tonight. Just in case.”

He frowned. “Mom, I know you think you’re a tough old bird, but I don’t really think you need to keep a loaded gun under your pillow. I’ll be around here tonight. Call me if you see or hear anything.”

Ava touched Letty’s shoulder. “Maybe you and Maya should stay here tonight. You can sleep in Isabelle’s room.”

Letty considered the offer, then shook her head. “Thanks, but Vikki said Maya’s already asleep. I think we’ll be fine where we are.”

Vikki met them at the door to Letty’s unit. “Shh,” she cautioned, pointing toward the bedroom. She gave Letty a mock salute. “I have newfound respect for moms. That kid of yours wore me out. In a good way, but still.”

Letty peeked into the bedroom and found Maya curled up in her pillow fort in the corner of the room. She pulled the door shut.

“Any signs of our prowler?” Vikki asked Joe.

“None. But I’m not taking any chances. I asked the night watch supervisor to send patrol units on the regular tonight. And I’ll hang around too.”

“I can patrol the premises too, you know,” Vikki pointed out. “I actually am a sworn law enforcement professional.”

“Nah. If it was Rooney, and I’m not convinced it was, he’s long gone by now, spooked by the blue lights and all the bingo players tromping around the place. Get some sleep. We’ve got a big day tomorrow.”

“I’m kinda keyed up now,” Vikki said. “I might just walk down to Gianni’s and get a slice of pizza and a glass of decent wine.”

“This late?” Letty checked her phone and gave a sheepish laugh. “Wow. Almost ten o’clock—which is actually two A.M. in Florida time.”

Letty opened the sliding glass doors and stepped out onto the patio. A quarter-moon spilled milky light onto the calm surface of the Gulf, and a slight breeze stirred the palm fronds. She touched the waxy blossoms of the fragrant confederate jasmine clambering over the garden fence.

“Nice night.” Joe’s arm encircled her waist.

She muffled a startled yip.

He gave her a questioning look.

“Sorry, I guess, like Vikki, I’m keyed up too,” Letty said.

“You know what I find helps when I’m keyed up?”

She laughed and rolled her eyes, but after a moment’s hesitation, allowed herself to give in to her longing for comfort and to lean against him for a moment. His chest felt warm and solid against her bare back. She closed her eyes. He dropped a kiss on her shoulder. And then her neck. His cheek brushed hers. Slowly, she turned to face him, encircling her arms around his neck. She lifted the cheap plastic leis and threw them aside. He smiled, then removed the ones around her neck.

His kiss was slow and tender at first, and she responded in kind, melting into his embrace as his hands slid over the curve of her hips, cupping her buttocks as he pulled her closer.

Letty held his face between the palms of her hands, exploring his mouth with her tongue, while his hands wandered upward, working his fingers beneath the band of her bikini top, brushing her nipples with his thumbs.

The grass skirt rustled slightly as he worked his knee between her legs.

Letty’s hands trailed down Joe’s chest, then under his shirt, where she teased his nipples with her fingertips briefly. He inhaled sharply as her palms brushed his abs then rested over the bulge in his shorts.

“Aloha,” he whispered.

“I think maybe we should take this inside,” Letty whispered back. She took his hand and led him to the sofa, switching off lights as she went, while Joe tugged at the waistband of her grass skirt. She playfully swatted his hand away, went to the front door and flipped the dead bolt, then opened the door of the bedroom by two inches and peeked inside once again, to make sure Maya was asleep.

She’s safe, Letty told herself, resting her head against the doorframe. And she realized, with surprise, that at this moment, despite the odds, she felt safe, too.

When she rejoined him in the living area, Joe quickly managed to unsnap her bikini top and fling it to the floor.

Letty crossed her arms over her bare chest, but he frowned and pulled them open. “I just want to look at you, just like this,” he said, taking a step backward. “You’re like my wildest, horniest teenage dream. A half-naked island girl. In a motel room. All for me.”

She laughed and did a slow half turn, swishing her hips in a sensual hula, beckoning him with her outstretched arms. “ComeonIwannalayyou,” she teased, pulling him toward the sofa.

He was fumbling with the condom wrapper when Letty froze, naked beneath him. Was that Maya, calling out for her in her sleep? “Wait!” She pulled herself upright, found Joe’s discarded shirt on the floor, and clutched it to her chest as she tiptoed toward the bedroom. She held her breath, sliding the door back, but glancing inside, she saw that Maya wasn’t stirring. A minute later she was back. “False alarm,” she whispered, folding herself into his arms. “Please continue.”

With a sweep of his arm he knocked the back sofa cushions to the floor and lifted her atop him. She tried to take her time, as they moved slowly together, she learning his rhythm, he touching, kissing, caressing, teasing. Just as she climaxed she heard a bizarre, hollow, crunching noise from very close by. “What?” she whispered urgently.

“Never mind.” He drove himself into her and she moaned as he shuddered beneath her.

“I should get dressed,” she whispered, struggling to sit up. Joe ran his fingertip down her spine. “Why?”

“Maya. She has night terrors. Not as often lately, but if she does…”

He shifted his weight and this time they both heard the weird crunching noise. Letty pulled him to his feet and examined the sofa. She lifted a cushion and extracted the smashed remains of Maya’s ukulele.

“Oh my God,” she giggled.

“We made some beautiful music together just now, didn’t we?” Joe wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to him.

“Spectacular,” she agreed. She handed him his shorts.

“Really? So soon?”

“If Maya wakes up, I can’t have her finding a naked stranger on the sofa.”

“I don’t exactly think I’m a stranger to her. Anyway, how do people with kids ever manage to have a sex life?” he grumbled, stepping into his shorts and retrieving his T-shirt from the floor.

“I don’t know,” she admitted. “Babysitters?”