Page 20 of One Hundred Desires

Driving home, Red’s thoughts drifted back to the kiss with Viv. It was a brief moment meant only to protect him from Sarah’s advances, but he couldn’t deny that he had enjoyed it.

When he arrived home, he locked up his house, but remembered that his security code was still visible on the website Anything for Love. He made a mental note to talk to Viv about changing it.

After a while, Red headed to bed. He was drifting off to sleep when he heard a creak on the entry floor. His eyes snapped open, and he immediately knew Sarah was in the house. He grabbed his phone, slipped into the walk-in closet, and called Viv.

“Viv, she’s in the house,” he whispered.

“Where are you?” she asked.

“I’m in my closet.”

“Stay there. I’m on my way.”

Red heard Sarah moving around in the living room. He retreated to the farthest corner, tucking himself behind his long winter coat, heart pounding, and waited for Viv to arrive.

“Red, baby, where are you?” Sarah’s voice rang out. She was in the living room.

He’d had overzealous fans, but this was getting out of control. This was a scene out ofFatal Attractionminus the boiling bunnies.

“Red!” Sarah yelled. “I forgive you. Now come out.”

She forgave him? What the hell was wrong with this woman? He’d done nothing wrong. As he tried to blend in with the drywall, he knew he’d done a lot wrong in his life. How many women had he used throughout his lifetime? Sure, they had used him too, but he should have been more chivalrous and discerning. He should have been more careful with their hearts and their feelings. But then you are what you learn. What else did he know?

Red’s heart pounded as he crouched in the closet, waiting for Viv to arrive. He could hear Sarah moving around the living room, and he knew that he was running out of time. He tried to steady his breathing and focus his mind, but all he could think about was what would happen when she found him. Would she drag him to bed and have her way? That would have sounded grand in another lifetime, but he was tired of willing bodies writhing with animal drive when what he craved was connection and true affection. What he needed was a willing heart.

Suddenly, he heard the front door open, and a voice call out, “Honey, I’m home,” and he knew Viv had arrived. Relief flooded through him, and he crept out of the closet, phone in hand. He could see Viv’s silhouette in the dim light filtering through the curtained window and felt a sense of peace wash over him.

He watched Viv lead Sarah out of the house, her strong and confident stride filling him with admiration.

“If you come back, I’ll have to shoot you,” Viv said to Sarah.

He didn’t know if she was serious, but she didn’t sound like she was joking.

When she returned, he was in the kitchen making a pot of coffee. “What did she say?”

Viv sighed. “She said she’d be back and that there was enough of you to share.”

He made them each a cup of coffee, and they sat at the kitchen table, sipping silently. He could tell Viv was lost in thought, her eyes dark and focused. He wondered what she was thinking about but didn’t want to interrupt her.

Finally, she spoke. “You need to be careful, Red. Sarah is not someone to mess with. She’s dangerous and unpredictable. Have you ever seen predators after their prey? They are singularly focused on their task, and Sarah believes you’re the one. She told me she’s already picked out your rings. She’s delusional and possibly dangerous. These things can escalate very quickly. It’s hard to know her real trigger.”

Red eyes widened. He knew he couldn’t just ignore the situation. He needed to be proactive, to take steps to protect himself.

“Did you say a hundred dollars an hour? No discount for twenty-four-hour service?”

Viv looked at him. “You want around-the-clock protection?”

He pointed toward the front door. “I think I need it, don’t you? That’s the second time she’s come into my house.”

“I’ll talk to the sheriff tomorrow.”

Red shook his head. “You can try, but he won’t listen. He thinks I created this situation.”

She smiled. “You did, and I can’t blame him. Small towns have limited resources.”

“What did you tell Sarah?”

Viv’s cheeks turned radish red. “That I was your fiancée, and we were getting married.”