Wild for You (Crave Book 2) Read online

  She was nice enough to let me stay with her. She shouldn't have to clean up after me too.

  With a tired sigh, I picked up the bag and carried it outside. As soon as I rounded the corner, I nearly screamed as I came face-to-face with a large shape squatting atop the trashcan. Especially when it stood on its hind legs and hissed at me.

  I stumbled backward, tripping over my own feet, and landed on my ass in the grass. The creature jumped off the open trashcan and scurried toward the street. As it exited the shadows I realized it was the biggest fucking raccoon I'd ever seen. It was so fat that its belly practically dragged on the ground as it scampered off.

  "Holy fucking shit," I panted as I pushed myself to my feet and dusted off the seat of my leggings. "Fucking mutant raccoon."

  I grabbed the bag of trash and dropped it inside the can before I closed the lid. My heart was still pounding as I turned to go back into the house. I glanced behind me as I walked across the patio and inside. I wanted to make sure that the fat bastard hadn't doubled back to jump me when I least expected it.

  When the door shut behind me, I twisted the lock and leaned over, putting my hands on my knees.

  My heart rate finally calmed and I straightened, only to see a figure clad in white standing at the end of the hall.

  "Fucking fuck me!" I yelped, backing up into the door.

  "Sierra?" Cam asked, coming further into the living room to turn on the lamp behind the couch. "What's wrong?"

  I slapped a hand to my chest. "Just having a heart attack. Nothing major."

  She shook her head. "Sorry I scared you but I heard something outside."

  "Probably a mutant raccoon," I muttered.

  "Mutant raccoon?" she asked, rubbing her eyes. "I don't understand."

  "I took out the trash that I forgot earlier and there was a humongous raccoon sitting on the trashcan. It fucking hissed at me. I thought I was going to get bitten and end up needing a rabies shot."

  Cam shook her head, laughing softly. "That was Gary."

  "It has a name?"

  She laughed louder. "Yeah. He's pretty tame. He usually comes right up on the back patio when I'm out there. You must have startled him."

  "Are you crazy?" I asked. "He could have rabies!"

  Cam rolled her eyes. "He's been coming around since he was a baby. His mother got run over by a car and he was starving. A couple of us left food for him until he was old enough to fend for himself and he's been lurking ever since."

  "Well, he was definitely lurking tonight. Between him and you appearing at the end of the hallway like an apparition, I may need to see a cardiologist tomorrow."

  "So dramatic," she commented right before she yawned. "What are you doing up at four-fifteen in the morning, anyway? Did you just get home?" she asked. "Did you have fun with Ben?"

  I shrugged, hoping the dim light and the beanie I wore would hide the evidence of hanky panky. "Nah. Been home for a little while, but I couldn't sleep. I was about to get ready for bed when I remembered the trash and took it out. You were right. Ben's a nice guy."

  "You didn't have to do that," Cam said, yawning again and missing my comment about Ben.

  "I filled it up, I need to take it out."

  "Okay, well, I'm going back to bed. G'night," she mumbled as she disappeared back down the hallway.

  "Night," I called after her, grateful she'd been too sleepy to realize I'd never really answered her questions about the time I'd spent with Ben.

  I heard her bedroom door shut and breathed a silent sigh of relief. I knew Cam wouldn't judge me for sleeping with Ben, but she might not be happy that I was hooking up with her family friend. Or she'd start to get ideas and would be disappointed when I didn't fall head over heels in love with Ben Murphy.

  God, what a mess. Why did I do this to myself?

  A sliver of guilt pierced me at the thought. I should text Ben and tell him that we couldn't do this. That it was a bad idea.

  Then I remembered his hands on my skin. The way his mouth devoured mine. How he played my body like a virtuoso, bringing me to orgasm after orgasm until I had no strength left in my muscles.

  I wanted to feel that again and that urge, that desire, overwhelmed the guilt. Ben and I would have some fun over the next month or so, and then it would be over. Someday, I'd tell Cam and she'd be surprised, but not hurt. She would understand. She might not engage in no-strings sex, but she never condemned me for it in the past and I doubted she would do so in the future.

  No one was going to get hurt. Especially if she didn't find out.

  There was a small noise behind me and I turned to look out the back door. I didn't see anything at first until a shadow near the glass moved. I glanced down and jumped. Gary crouched by the back door, his face almost touching the panes, and he stared at me with his beady little black eyes. One of his paws came up and he dragged his claws over the glass.

  "Are you threatening me?" I asked, narrowing my eyes. Gary was a lot less scary with the door between us.

  The tiny paw smacked the glass, making me jump again. Gary's mouth opened and I could almost swear I heard the little bastard laughing at me.

  "Oh, fuck you, Gary. I'm going to bed."

  But before I left the living room, I double-checked the lock on the door. Just in case. And I was pretty sure the fat asshole watched me until I turned down the hall.

  A loud, annoying sound pierced the comforting veil of sleep. I grunted and turned over, trying to ignore it, but the obnoxious beeping continued. Finally, I opened one eye and glared at the nightstand. My phone vibrated against the wood and emitted the noise again.

  Groaning, I dragged my heavy arm out of the covers and picked up the offending device. My new boss's name stared back at me.

  Ugh. Why was he calling me during my vacation? I had six weeks I had to take before it expired and I intended to use it rather than lose it. Actually, it was more like eight, but I couldn't bring myself to take a full two months off from work. It felt too much like shirking my responsibilities. But, Jesus, it was before sunrise. The office better be going up in flames.

  With a sigh, I slid my thumb across the screen and put it to my ear. "Hello?"

  "Watkins, have you checked your email today?"

  Thomas Barnes was my new boss and he wasn't big on greetings. Or pleasantries. Or calling me by my first name.

  I bit back my annoyance and glanced at the clock on the nightstand. Six a.m. Well, at least I'd gotten a couple hours of sleep.

  "No, Mr. Barnes. I haven't. I'm on vacation for the next six weeks." I left off the "remember" because I doubted he would have appreciated it.

  "Well, I need you to check it. Something important has come up and I need your input."

  "I'm afraid I'm not near my computer at the moment," I semi-lied. My computer was in the living room on the coffee table, which was only twenty feet or so away. Since I was lying in bed, it technically wasn't near me.

  He made an irritable sound. "Fine. Take a look at the email and get back to me ASAP."

  "Mr. Barnes, I can't commit to a project right now. As I said, I'm on vacation for the next month and a half so—"

  "You don't have to commit to a project. I just need you to read the damn email and give me some input. Then, you can go right back to whatever it is you're doing."

  I wanted to tell him to go fuck himself because, Jesus Christ, the man was being a complete asshole. But I'd just taken this promotion and I was still feeling my way with him. Once I understood the way his mind worked and why he did the things he did, I could work around him and our interactions would be a lot less irritating. Until then, I'd have to practice biting my tongue until it resembled Swiss cheese.

  "I can do that. I'll get back to you shortly," I replied.

  "When is shortly?" he asked.

  I cleared my throat instead of letting the sharp words I wanted to use slip out. "If all you need is input, I should be able to have something for you within an hour. Two if it's complex."

&
nbsp; "Great."

  There was a click followed by silence. I moved the phone away from my ear and looked at the screen. He'd hung up.

  I let my arm flop back onto the bed. Maybe I could take a nap after I read whatever was in this oh-so-important email.

  But first, I needed to get up. And make coffee. Coffee was extremely important.

  I rolled over and hauled myself to my feet. My head ached and my body was sore in places best left unmentioned. I guess sex with Ben counted as a workout because I hadn't had this many aches and pains since the last time I tried one of those boot camp classes.

  The sex was a lot more fun though.

  After a quick trip to the bathroom to take care of business and splash some water on my face, I trudged into the kitchen and found the biggest mug Cam had in her cabinet. It was really more of a bowl and I'd seen her use it to serve soup, but today I needed a vat of coffee and it was the closest thing in size.

  I made an eight-ounce cup of coffee, discarded the pod, and made another eight-ounce cup. Sixteen ounces of dark, delicious caffeine. I sorely needed it.

  I added a little creamer and sugar to the cup and gulped down almost half, despite the temperature of the liquid.

  Ah, I could feel my synapses firing more effectively already.

  I carried the coffee into the living room and settled on the couch. I hadn't been joking when I told Ben I preferred to work on the couch in my pajamas. That's exactly what I was going to do right now. I put the cup to the side and pulled my computer onto my lap.

  Once I logged into my work email, I clicked on Barnes' message. I scanned the email body and opened the attachment. It was five fucking pages. Seriously?

  With a sigh, I grabbed my coffee and drank the rest of it as I read. Basically, my new boss wanted me to suggest ways to solve the problems outlined in the attachment. It was nothing I hadn't done in my previous position, but it also wasn't something in dire need of my immediate attention. I didn't understand why he'd kicked this to me. He should have been able to handle it without my input. Or given it to any other programmer in the office.

  Still, the company appreciated initiative, which was how I got my current position. So I read through the attachment twice, made a few notes, and sent a message back to Barnes with my thoughts. It took less than half an hour.

  Unfortunately, my body was wide-awake by the time I finished so I had no hope of taking a nap. But my brain also wasn't completely alert yet.

  Since coffee was the answer to everything, I made another cup, this time a single, left a mug and a fresh pod ready to go in the coffee maker for when Cam got up, and drank my own caffeine down as I sat on the couch and watched Food Network.

  I was giving the notion of breakfast some vague consideration when Cam came out of her room and down the hall.

  She hesitated when she saw me, her eyes flicking back and forth between my face and the TV several times before she asked, ""Uh, why are you watching a cooking show?"

  The question was completely out of left field so my only response was, "Huh?"

  "Why are you watching a cooking show when you don't cook?"

  "I cook," I lied. Though I'd told Ben I couldn't cook at all, in truth, I had learned to make a couple of easy things. Like mac n' cheese in a box and tomato soup from a can, but she didn't have to know that. I covered this lie by taking another sip of delicious, yummy, necessary coffee. When she made a sound of disbelief, I continued, "Just because I don't cook well doesn't mean I don't need to know how. When the zombie apocalypse comes, I'll have to eat my own cooking with no backup plan for take-out and I don't want it to suck. Or to die by preventable food poisoning."

  Her only response was to shake her head and disappear into the kitchen. Ha! I'd won a battle of wits at six-thirty in the morning. I decided to push my luck and followed her into the kitchen, rubbing my fingers over my scalp as I went. Damn, it felt like a rat's nest. Oh, well. It was just the two of us here. No one to impress.

  "What are you doing today? And why are you up so early?" I asked. I thought she said the store was closed on Mondays, yet here she was, bright and early.

  "I could ask you the same thing," she retorted.

  I answered with a shrug. "My boss called around six and wanted me to handle some things. It didn't take much time, but once I finished, I was wide awake."

  "Was there an emergency at work?" Her expression took on a Zen-like peace as she took her first sip of coffee.

  "Not really," I answered. "It wasn't anything one of the other people in our department couldn't handle. I think he just enjoys ruining people's day." I looked down and realized she hadn't put anything in her coffee. It was pitch black. I shivered. "Oh my God, when did you start drinking your coffee black? You've been invaded by a parasite, haven't you? The aliens have arrived to assimilate us and they've started with the most intellectually vulnerable."

  "Gee, you're so funny first thing in the morning when I haven't had coffee." She rolled her eyes and continued to calmly sip from her cup.

  "No, seriously, when did you start drinking your coffee black?"

  "When I got too lazy to add sugar."

  I had to shake my head because I could totally see that. "I'd call you a liar, but I've known you for too long."

  Cam just smirked at me.

  "What are you doing today?" I asked again. I really was curious what she was doing up so early on her day off. "You woke up when I took out the trash at four and it's six-thirty now. The shop's closed, so what's up?"

  "I have to handle the books, pay bills, and make ice cream," she answered.

  "On your day off?" That wasn't right. Cam shouldn't be working every single day. I was a complete workaholic, but even I tried to take at least one full day away from my computer once a week.

  "Uh, yeah. That's the only time I can get things done. And you're one to talk, Ms. I-Got-Up-Early-to-Work-on-Vacation."

  I ignored the jab because it didn't apply here. I had a boss who demanded that I work today and Cam was her own boss. Big difference. "When was the last time you had a day off? I mean completely off."

  "I have no idea. Probably not since I opened the store. Except for maybe Christmas and Thanksgiving. I do take two days off then."

  I couldn't say anything because it was now July. Dear God, she hadn't had a break in six months? "Why didn't you tell me? I could've helped out more."

  "You have a full-time job and I didn't expect you to work at Crave when you offered to invest."

  She said it so matter-of-factly, but I didn't like the way my stomach tightened when she did.

  "Well, I decided to take a vacation since it's been two years. I just finished a project and I'm not scheduled to start another one for six weeks, so it's the perfect opportunity to take some time for myself. While I'm here, I'm going to give you a hand. And we're going to look at the books to see if we can hire another full-time employee."

  "Okay."

  I gaped at her. "Okay?"

  She nodded as she drank more coffee.

  "So, you're just gonna agree? No argument at all?" I was beginning to see what she was doing here.

  She smiled at me, a full-on shit-eating grin. "Nope."

  "You were planning on asking me anyway, weren't you?" I sighed.

  "Yep."

  "Guess I fell into your plans then, didn't I?"

  She nodded again.

  "Then I'd better shower so I can help you with your to-do list today," I said, finishing up my coffee and leaving the mug on the counter.

  "We're leaving at seven-thirty, so get a move on."

  I made a face at her. "Bet I'm ready before you are."

  I grinned to myself as I turned around and hustled out of the kitchen. I was about to pass the back door when a hulking shadow at the base of the glass panes moved. I backpedaled and yelped, trying to put as much space as possible between me and the French doors.

  A body crashed into my back and I stumbled forward. "Ooof."

  As I tried to catch my b
alance, I realized the shadow at the door was that motherfucking mutant raccoon. I wouldn't be surprised at all to find out it was a demon in the shape of an animal.

  "What is it? What's wrong?" Cam asked, her tone worried.

  I didn't bother with words. I merely lifted an arm and pointed toward the French doors.

  The demon disguised as a rodent stood on its hind legs on the other side of the glass, his little metal bowl clutched in his paws. When he saw Cam looking at him, he bashed it against the door.

  "Why is he hitting the window with that?" I whispered. "Is he going to break in and murder us?"

  I ignored Cam's incredulous look because I was one hundred percent serious.

  She shook her head. "No, he's hungry. I forgot to feed him this morning. Let me go get a scoop of food out of the pantry for him."

  "What? You're feeding that mutant?" I gaped at her. It was official, my best friend was insane and collecting wild animals. Next thing I knew, she'd have tigers in the backyard like that Carole Baskins chick.

  She waved me off with a laugh. "He'll run away as soon as I get to the door. He's really sweet most of the time. I think you just surprised him last night."

  "Surprised? He hissed at me and I swear his eyes turned red. Then, after you went back to bed, I caught him staring at me through the back door like he was trying to figure out the best way to kill me."

  I knew my eyes were huge because they pretty much felt like they were about to pop out of my skull.

  At the sound of metal crashing into glass again, I winced. "If he doesn't stop that, he'll break the glass."

  "Why don't you feed him? He'll probably be a lot friendlier toward you then."

  Just when I thought she couldn't be any crazier, she went and said something like that. I shook my head violently over and over. "No way! Murder by raccoon isn't on my bucket list!"

  "Oh, I can't wait to tell J.J. you're too afraid to feed Gary." Cam cackled like the little psycho witch she was.

  Oh, hell no. J.J. would never let me forget this if she told him I was afraid of that raccoon. It wouldn't matter that it weighed as much as a medium-sized dog or that it might be rabid. He wouldn't let up. Not for years.