Flirting With Disaster

“We’ll be fine. Brain’s gone. He took off when he realized I wasn’t budging.”

“If he turns up, though, call nine-one-one and then scream your head off till all the neighbors come running,” Josh said. “Don’t hesitate, okay?”

The genuine concern in his voice was comforting. It confirmed her gut instinct that he was the right man to call.

“You want me to stay on the line till I get there?” Josh added.

“I’d rather you concentrate on getting that lock and driving over here like a bat out of hell,” she said honestly.

“I’m on my way,” he said.

“Thanks.”

She turned to smile at Ellie. “Help is on the way. Why don’t I make us some coffee.”

Ellie grinned. “I thought all Southerners lived on sweet tea this time of year. Lord knows, we did at my house. What is it with you and coffee?”

“A minor part of my rebellion,” Maggie told her. “I’ve always hated going with the crowd on anything. That doesn’t mean that drinking sweet tea isn’t one of my guilty little secrets. I’ll go pour us a couple of glasses, okay?”

“Sure.”

En route to the kitchen, Maggie paused to give Ellie’s shoulder a pat. “It’s going to be okay, you know.”

“I hope so.”

“Come on. You know so. I keep telling you how talented you are. I’m an expert, remember? You need to start listening to me, rather than a man who’s pea green with envy.”

“It’s not that,” Ellie said. “I’m just worried if you store those paintings at the gallery, it’ll make you a target. What if Brian comes after them there? I don’t want to be responsible for him ruining your wonderful gallery.”

“He won’t,” Maggie replied with a confidence she wasn’t entirely sure was justified. “He knows he can intimidate you, but he won’t try it with me. He’s already seen that I don’t back down. He knows I won’t hesitate to put his sorry butt in jail.”

But despite the forceful words, Maggie resolved to have the security system at the gallery checked and the locks there beefed up, as well.

It took Josh longer than he’d anticipated to find a halfway decent lock and then locate the warehouse. Every second of the delay was torture. Despite her brave front, he’d heard something in Maggie’s voice he’d never expected to hear—fear. Despite her declaration that she and this other woman were fine, he’d been tempted to send the cops over there to keep an eye on things. Only her promise to call the police herself if this nutcase showed up again kept him from doing so.

When he finally found the darkened warehouse, he was appalled that anyone was living in such an area, especially a woman alone. It was clearly a place that someone had hoped to turn into a trendy section of funky studios and shops, but the transformation was far from complete. It was mostly dingy and run-down, with way too few streetlights for his comfort.

By the time he finally got to the right address and rode the groaning elevator to the top floor, he was cursing a blue streak. Not that anyone could have heard him over the music blaring from the apartment beneath. It sounded as if a garage band on speed was rehearsing inside. No one would ever hear screams over that racket.

He pounded on the apartment door for what seemed like an eternity before Maggie finally opened it.

“Why didn’t you ask who it was?” he demanded.

“I did. Apparently you didn’t hear me,” she said, even now shouting to be heard over the din.

“How the hell does your friend stand that?”

“It just started,” she told him. “Ellie says they only rehearse on Sunday nights.”

“Lucky for her or she’d be deaf by now.” He knelt down and studied the door and the current lock. The door was solid enough. In fact, it felt like steel. Nobody would get through that, he concluded. Add the new lock, and she should be safe.

“Do you want anything to drink?” Maggie asked.

Josh finally met her gaze, which he’d been avoiding up till now. Hearing her voice earlier had cut into one very hot fantasy he’d been having about her. He’d been afraid seeing her in person would kick those hormones right back into gear. It did.

“Nothing,” he said gruffly. “Let me get to this.”

“Sure. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you coming over here like this.”

“Not a problem. I wasn’t doing anything.” Except thinking about her sexy body, but that definitely didn’t bear mentioning.

She gave him an odd look, as if she was trying to figure out what to make of his suddenly irritable mood, then went back into the apartment, leaving a trail of some seductive perfume to torment him.

Installing the lock took less time than he’d hoped. He could have used an hour or two to get his equilibrium back. Instead, he was forced to go into the apartment.

“Okay, ladies, you’re all set. The lock’s in, and combined with that door, you should be safe enough,” he said to the woman seated beside Maggie.

“Thank you,” she replied softly. “It was really nice of you to come over and do that for me.”

“Ellie, this is Josh Parker. He’s in charge of building that house I told you about.”

“Of course,” Ellie said. “What a sweet thing to do!”

Josh shrugged. “I don’t know about sweet. It’s a job.”

Maggie grinned at him. “Don’t be modest. You know you did it to rack up points.”

“Really? And just who do you think I was angling to rack up points with?”

“Cord,” she suggested. “Maybe Amanda.”

Josh laughed. “Miss Maggie, you have me all wrong. I don’t need points with Cord and I’m not interested in Amanda.”

She studied him curiously. “Then why did you agree to do it?”

“Just in case I’m a little short on recommendations when I arrive at the pearly gates,” he claimed. He wondered if she’d buy that his admission wasn’t all that far from the truth.

“I suppose your fate there all depends on who’s checking in the newcomers,” she retorted. “If it’s a female, you won’t have any problem at all sweet-talking your way inside.”

“Well, just in case, I’m trying to accumulate a few good deeds. Speaking of which, where are these paintings you want me to move?”

“I’ll show you,” Ellie offered.

Maggie gave her a concerned look that Josh couldn’t quite interpret.

“Are you sure?” she asked Ellie worriedly. “Want me to move the others out of the way first?”

“Which others?” Josh asked.