WHEN NIGHT BREAKS

CAN WE GET THE SIZZLES?

Swearing and cursing profusely, Colin opened the door to the incessant knocking at his door. He’d just let the person have it- anyone who was that stupid to rouse him at such early hours. Damn, it wasn’t even five yet.

He opened the door to the startled look of Emma.

“Oh, I was just knocking on doors at random, to see which belonged to yours”.

“What do you want?” he said sharply.

“Are you always this sweet in the mornings?” Emma asked with a chuckle. He was bleary-eyed and adorable at the same time. She wanted to smooth the ruffle in his hair like she’d do to a kid brother that she didn’t have. His blue eyes, not fully awake, were smoky and dangerous. Why she would have these feelings for someone she should consider an enemy was quite strange. She should be thinking of ways to escape and get her life back in shape and not raising her hand to stroke his forelock/cowlick back onto his hair..

Colin grabbed the straying hand and fixed on her a hard stare.

“Are you crazy? What do you think you’re doing?

“Darling what’s the matter? Come back to bed. Missing you already”, a voice said. Emma’s eyes widened as she craned her head around him to get a look at the stranger. The woman was getting up already. It was a blonde with an hour-glass figure. She was drop-dead gorgeous, her hair rumpled and marks of a night of wanton pleasure written all over her.

So Colin had spent the rest of the night with this woman satisfying his lust while she’d spent hers traumatizing over a new life that was rudely foisted on her and thinking of how to make the best of it. His grumpy look this morning had elicited some confusing feelings in her. It was time to get things back into perspective.

“I’ll join you in a few..” he was saying, as he looked tenderly at the woman who’d slung an arm around him.

Emma couldn’t hold back a grimace. The man was simply a w***e.

“Can I have my phone back?” she said curtly.

“No you can’t”. Colin was on a roll. Oh, he was going to enjoy this. The shock on her face when she heard the w***e’s voice was priceless. The range of emotions her face recorded was fit for a TV commercial. Gone was the softness and vulnerability her face recorded few seconds ago and the shock. She was throwing daggers at him now with a mix of contempt.

“So you mean to keep me a prisoner here without affording me the common privilege of a phone call to my friends and family, just to let them know that I’m alive and well”

“For a supposed reasonable man, this is beneath you” she taunted.

“It’s not my desire to please you pet. Got so much better things to do with my time, as you can see”, and he turned to give a full-on kiss to the lady. The lady latched on to him like air, moaning and rubbing herself sinuously on him.

This was a disaster. She was aroused and angry. A delicate tangle that could set her ablaze. She needed to get safe. Fast.

Colin watched her as she ran like her pants were on fire. Good. That would teach her not to overstep. He was the master of the game and he liked things done his way.

He almost laughed out loud as he watched her collide with one of the doors she’d left open while searching for him.

Red-faced and panting hard, Emma raced into the kitchen looking for anything to calm her. She would have two shots of whiskey, but she’d waved goodbye to that life. She had a history of alcoholism that reflected her response to rejection from a father who never wanted to be associated with her in public. She had a mother who blamed her birth for a marriage that never happened. Life had been harsh.

Somehow, she’d struggled through the ruins of a failed parentage to make a name for herself. She’d studied hard and won scholarships and awards that helped further her career. Her success had rung an unyielding bell in the ears of her father who needed her expertise in rescuing one of his company branches. At the beginning, she suspected he did that to assuage himself of some of the guilt he felt for staying out of the picture except for the regular child support that, if she’d be honest, pulled her through high school and college.

The branch had thrived under her leadership. Her success had surpassed her father’s expectations and he’d spread her tentacles to the other subsidiaries to see her work her magic on them. Her relationship with her father had improved though he still yet had to publicly acknowledge her as his daughter.

And just when she thought that things could get better, with her dad and possibly her mum, this unforeseen s**t happened.

She suspected a serious foul-play.

Whoever did this want her out of the company for some untold reason.

She still needed to account for the last 48 hours of her life and having a phone was a good place to start.

So lost was she in her thoughts that she was startled to see Colin at the kitchen doorway staring at her. It appeared like he’d been there for a while. She wondered what he read in her face to have a frown pucker between his eyebrows. The man remained an enigma despite her brilliance and quick ability to study and interpret people-an acquired skill in the business field.

“Since you’re here already, I’d like you to make coffee for me and the visitor” he said in a tone that brooked no questions.

“Okay”, she said in a resigned tone. He looked fairly surprised at her capitulation.

“It’s just coffee. I might just make one for everyone. Aren’t we just a happy crowd?” she raised a mug in mock salute.

“Hmm…some touch of sarcasm. I wonder what else lies there beneath those covers. And believe me I’m eager to find out.”