Secret Passions Read Free Page B

to do after spotting the men outside her apartment. She’d wandered around for the first few hours. Then, with a plan firmly planted in her mind, she’d headed the fifty-odd blocks to Mitchell’s place. She could have used a cab, but she was low on cash and didn’t think she use her credit cards. At this point, she needed to be very safe.
     
    “If Carter didn’t send you it must have been Trent. I’ve told these guys to leave me alone...” He started walking around the room waving his hands as he talked. She closed her eyes and released a sigh. How could a man be so confusing? Maybe her head was a little dull from everything that had happened to her in the last four hours. Maybe she needed some food. After all, she hadn’t eaten anything since her meeting with Eve. Plus she’d walked half way across Manhattan. In heels no less! Her mind refused to focus, and she found the sound of Mitchell’s voice soothing.
    Then she jumped at the sound of his telephone ringing. She was up, standing at the edge of the couch, fear in her eyes as he watched her.
     

    “ Easy.” He said, holding his hands out. “It’s just my phone.” He walked over, noticed the name on his phone, and answered it.
     
    “Hello, Carter.”
     
    “Yo? Did you get the gift I sent over?” Carter answered. Mitchell looked across the room at the woman. She had walked back to the window and was looking out through the closed blinds.
     
    “It was you!” he whispered into the phone. “What were you thinking, man? I can’t believe you’d do something like this.” Mitch walked into the other room, keeping his eyes on the girl.
     
    “Yeah,” his friend chuckled. “I thought you’d get a laugh out of it. Have you used it yet?”
     
    Mitchell’s mind instantly jumped to an image of the woman underneath him. “What? Are you insane? I can’t believe you’d do something like this,” he repeated.
     
    “Easy, bro. It’s just a stupid indoor basketball hoop. Nobody’s twisting your arm to use it. I thought you’d hang it on the edge of your balcony and get some use out of it. Besides, you could always return it. They should have given you the receipt when they delivered it.”
     
    Just then, Mitchell’s doorbell rang. He watched as the young woman jumped away from the windows. He started back into the room, still holding the phone to his ear. “I’ll call you right back.”
    When Mitch reached his front door, he watched the woman frantically look around. When he started opening the door, she yelled at him in a hushed tone. “Don’t open that!”
     
    He stopped and looked at her. She was running from someone. The fear was written all over her face. He actually saw her shoulders shaking.
     
    He stopped and looked out the peep hole. “Easy, it’s just a delivery. I was expecting it.” He swung open his door and sure enough, two young men stood there with a large box.
     
    Five minutes later, Mitch closed his door and turned back to the room. She’d sat back down on the couch, but this time looked more alert.
     
    “Listen, let me go put some clothes on, then you can tell me what kind of trouble you’re in.” He started walking towards his stairs. “You aren’t going to steal anything while I’m up there, are you?”
     
    She looked shocked and offended, which answered his question. “Good. I’ll be right back.” He jogged up the stairs without waiting for a reply.
     
    Ten minutes later, he walked out onto his balcony and looked down. She was on his couch, her head slightly tilted back and her eyes closed. Her feet were tucked up under her, and he was pretty sure she was fast asleep. He quietly went down the stairs and walked closer to get a good look at her. His mind sharpened. She’d looked tired when she’d walked in, he just hadn’t noticed. Instead, his hormones had been thrust into overdrive. He’d been around pretty women before—Suzanne had been one of them—but when this woman had walked in, his brain had